Holy High: For Once, Then, Something [IC-Open!!!]

[United Per And Montands]

Athis sighed under her breath; this guy was a real hardass. She had ways of getting out class with a teacher like this, but she didn't want to use all of her best methods on the first day. For now, she was going to have to suffer through Social Studies. Try to do work without the teacher noticing, but with no book that was going to be hard. Could she pretend to take notes? If he comes around, she's screwed, but she was sure she could bluff her way out of it somehow.

Taking out a rugged looking notebook, that was worn with stains in use. She flipped open to a page covered in mathematical chemistry, all different solutions she had tried. Most of them were either crossed off or had "Needs further testing" written underneath. Taking a second to regather her thoughts, she returned to an incomplete problem. Hoping to try and get some new thoughts on it during class. Making sure to glance up during parts of the lesson to make it seem as though she was invested.

Patriah noticed Athis taking notes about something, and he leaned over in his seat to eye what she was writing. She seemed annoyed that she could not get out of class, judging from the look on her face. He gave her a quick grin, and tried to stare at her until he had her attention. Either she would catch what he was trying to say, or she would think he was a creep and would smack him with the notebook. Either way, he could have suffered much worse.

Hamiri noticed Patriah not sitting upright, but considering that Osiris was walking around the room, she decided she would let him handle Patriah. She knew that he hated classes and classrooms with a passion. He would do anything and everything he could to get out of a lesson. She sighed, and waited for him to inevitably get into trouble.

Osiris indeed went around the room, and he noticed silently that Aaliyah was speaking to Unobtainium. He only needed to look in their direction to silence them, but when he heard that they were whispering about Unob’s inability to understand the lessons, he made a mental note and instead decided against drawing attention to them. Instead, he went to Patriah and Athis, and he tapped his foot. Athis’s notebook floated out of the girl’s hand, and he examined the page in which she had written. After a silent, life-sucking pause, he turned to the rest of the class and added, “If any of you try to skip my class for any unexcused reason, there will be dire consequences. You will be here in my class. Obedience is required for you to get the most out of this class. Am I clear?”

In one of her glances up to try and act like she was paying attention, she caught Patriah out of the corner of her eye staring at her and smiling. Why? What could he possibly want from her? Athis responded with an uncomfortable smile back. "Can I help you?" it came out a bit more hostile then she intended, but this class had already gotten on her nerves.

Before she could recollect her thoughts her notebook slowly began lifting off of her desk, and in a last-ditch effort to grab it before it soared off into its destination, she lurched out of her desk barely missing it. Then making eye contact with Osiris who now held her notebook, her face shifted from agitation to pure anger. Who the hell does this guy think he is taking her notebook without asking? Ignoring anything he said about skipping class; her monotone voice shifted into one guided by pure anger "Do not take my personal belongings. That book belongs to me. This is a complete invasion of my privacy!" It this moment, even though she posed no threat to a god of death being a mortal, she didn't care. All she cared about was him holding her notebook. A book filled with her test results, and personal information.

[Luminesa]

Patriah noticed Athis taking notes about something, and he leaned over in his seat to eye what she was writing. She seemed annoyed that she could not get out of class, judging from the look on her face. He gave her a quick grin, and tried to stare at her until he had her attention. Either she would catch what he was trying to say, or she would think he was a creep and would smack him with the notebook. Either way, he could have suffered much worse.

Hamiri noticed Patriah not sitting upright, but considering that Osiris was walking around the room, she decided she would let him handle Patriah. She knew that he hated classes and classrooms with a passion. He would do anything and everything he could to get out of a lesson. She sighed, and waited for him to inevitably get into trouble.

Osiris indeed went around the room, and he noticed silently that Aaliyah was speaking to Unobtainium. He only needed to look in their direction to silence them, but when he heard that they were whispering about Unob’s inability to understand the lessons, he made a mental note and instead decided against drawing attention to them. Instead, he went to Patriah and Athis, and he tapped his foot. Athis’s notebook floated out of the girl’s hand, and he examined the page in which she had written. After a silent, life-sucking pause, he turned to the rest of the class and added, “If any of you try to skip my class for any unexcused reason, there will be dire consequences. You will be here in my class. Obedience is required for you to get the most out of this class. Am I clear?”

In one of her glances up to try and act like she was paying attention, she caught Patriah out of the corner of her eye staring at her and smiling. Why? What could he possibly want from her? Athis responded with an uncomfortable smile back. "Can I help you?" it came out a bit more hostile then she intended, but this class had already gotten on her nerves.

Before she could recollect her thoughts her notebook slowly began lifting off of her desk, and in a last-ditch effort to grab it before it soared off into its destination, she lurched out of her desk barely missing it. Then making eye contact with Osiris who now held her notebook, her face shifted from agitation to pure anger. Who the hell does this guy think he is taking her notebook without asking? Ignoring anything he said about skipping class; her monotone voice shifted into one guided by pure anger "Do not take my personal belongings. That book belongs to me. This is a complete invasion of my privacy!" It this moment, even though she posed no threat to a god of death being a mortal, she didn't care. All she cared about was him holding her notebook. A book filled with her test results, and personal information.

Osiris did not even raise his brows at her shout. He merely stared at her for a moment, and then he handed her back her notebook. “I merely wished to make a point. I will not read any of your personal entries without your permission. But do pay attention when I am speaking. I am not merely some windbag who enjoys listening to himself talk. I speak for your own benefit,” he answered. He then looked around the room to make sure that everyone else was paying attention. His eyes were not impartial toward any student. He focused on all of them equally, and waited to see if any of them might have questions.

[Charlia]

In one of her glances up to try and act like she was paying attention, she caught Patriah out of the corner of her eye staring at her and smiling. Why? What could he possibly want from her? Athis responded with an uncomfortable smile back. "Can I help you?" it came out a bit more hostile then she intended, but this class had already gotten on her nerves.

Before she could recollect her thoughts her notebook slowly began lifting off of her desk, and in a last-ditch effort to grab it before it soared off into its destination, she lurched out of her desk barely missing it. Then making eye contact with Osiris who now held her notebook, her face shifted from agitation to pure anger. Who the hell does this guy think he is taking her notebook without asking? Ignoring anything he said about skipping class; her monotone voice shifted into one guided by pure anger "Do not take my personal belongings. That book belongs to me. This is a complete invasion of my privacy!" It this moment, even though she posed no threat to a god of death being a mortal, she didn't care. All she cared about was him holding her notebook. A book filled with her test results, and personal information.

Osiris did not even raise his brows at her shout. He merely stared at her for a moment, and then he handed her back her notebook. “I merely wished to make a point. I will not read any of your personal entries without your permission. But do pay attention when I am speaking. I am not merely some windbag who enjoys listening to himself talk. I speak for your own benefit,” he answered. He then looked around the room to make sure that everyone else was paying attention. His eyes were not impartial toward any student. He focused on all of them equally, and waited to see if any of them might have questions.

"I have a question," Mara declared, not raising her hand or doing anything else before speaking--simply voicing her thoughts, as with most small children. "Why isn't that guy wearing all his clothes?" She pointed at Patriah, visibly confused. "Everyone else is. I don't get it."

Mommy said it's important to be all dressed, and she got upset when her shirt got torn... if it's that important, why isn't he wearing one? As she was trying to figure it out, she didn't notice Charlotte's nervous glance over at Patriah, and the way that her eyes immediately dropped to the floor after seeing that he was, indeed, only half-dressed. She did notice how her mother's face looked a little bit paler than usual, though... well, that made sense. She did her best to glare at Patriah in a scolding fashion, though it didn't work very well on her small, childish face.

You need more clothes.

[Luminesa]

Osiris did not even raise his brows at her shout. He merely stared at her for a moment, and then he handed her back her notebook. “I merely wished to make a point. I will not read any of your personal entries without your permission. But do pay attention when I am speaking. I am not merely some windbag who enjoys listening to himself talk. I speak for your own benefit,” he answered. He then looked around the room to make sure that everyone else was paying attention. His eyes were not impartial toward any student. He focused on all of them equally, and waited to see if any of them might have questions.

"I have a question," Mara declared, not raising her hand or doing anything else before speaking--simply voicing her thoughts, as with most small children. "Why isn't that guy wearing all his clothes?" She pointed at Patriah, visibly confused. "Everyone else is. I don't get it."

Mommy said it's important to be all dressed, and she got upset when her shirt got torn... if it's that important, why isn't he wearing one? As she was trying to figure it out, she didn't notice Charlotte's nervous glance over at Patriah, and the way that her eyes immediately dropped to the floor after seeing that he was, indeed, only half-dressed. She did notice how her mother's face looked a little bit paler than usual, though... well, that made sense. She did her best to glare at Patriah in a scolding fashion, though it didn't work very well on her small, childish face.

You need more clothes.

Patriah stared down at Mara, as she suddenly started to glare at him. First Osiris had scolded him in front of the class, now a little girl was calling to attention his lack of a shirt. He groaned under his breath, and stared back at her. “...When you live in the desert, you sweat a lot. When you sweat a lot while wearing a shirt, guess what happens to your shirt? Your shirt gets sweaty. And then it clings to you, and you can get sick. Also, I don’t get sun-burned. Some people can just go outside forever...and all they get is a tan. Or someone like your mom might need more s-OW!”

Hamiri kicked him from under her seat, and shot a sharp glare toward him. He had not noticed Charlotte’s nervous stare, but Hamiri had and wanted to try and help the awkward situation. Smiling cheerfully at Mara as Patriah keeled in pain, she explained, “Patriah is just lazy. Some people have reasons why they don’t wear a lot of clothes, but he just doesn’t like to wear shirts. But don’t worry! I’ll buy him some so you and momma won’t be distracted during class.”

“...Right in the shin, holy wow...” Patriah muttered next to her.

Osiris nodded, and turned to Mara. “While we do not have a dress-code, you are expected to dress in a way that is...not distracting. Dress however will not be my main concern. But thank you for asking questions and paying attention,” he told Mara.

[Charlia]

"I have a question," Mara declared, not raising her hand or doing anything else before speaking--simply voicing her thoughts, as with most small children. "Why isn't that guy wearing all his clothes?" She pointed at Patriah, visibly confused. "Everyone else is. I don't get it."

Mommy said it's important to be all dressed, and she got upset when her shirt got torn... if it's that important, why isn't he wearing one? As she was trying to figure it out, she didn't notice Charlotte's nervous glance over at Patriah, and the way that her eyes immediately dropped to the floor after seeing that he was, indeed, only half-dressed. She did notice how her mother's face looked a little bit paler than usual, though... well, that made sense. She did her best to glare at Patriah in a scolding fashion, though it didn't work very well on her small, childish face.

You need more clothes.

Patriah stared down at Mara, as she suddenly started to glare at him. First Osiris had scolded him in front of the class, now a little girl was calling to attention his lack of a shirt. He groaned under his breath, and stared back at her. “...When you live in the desert, you sweat a lot. When you sweat a lot while wearing a shirt, guess what happens to your shirt? Your shirt gets sweaty. And then it clings to you, and you can get sick. Also, I don’t get sun-burned. Some people can just go outside forever...and all they get is a tan. Or someone like your mom might need more s-OW!”

Hamiri kicked him from under her seat, and shot a sharp glare toward him. He had not noticed Charlotte’s nervous stare, but Hamiri had and wanted to try and help the awkward situation. Smiling cheerfully at Mara as Patriah keeled in pain, she explained, “Patriah is just lazy. Some people have reasons why they don’t wear a lot of clothes, but he just doesn’t like to wear shirts. But don’t worry! I’ll buy him some so you and momma won’t be distracted during class.”

“...Right in the shin, holy wow...” Patriah muttered next to her.

Osiris nodded, and turned to Mara. “While we do not have a dress-code, you are expected to dress in a way that is...not distracting. Dress however will not be my main concern. But thank you for asking questions and paying attention,” he told Mara.

Osiris's words seemed to strike a chord in Charlotte, and she lowered her head further, letting her hair shadow her face so that it was harder to see her expression. Not distracting... Is that even possible? To her, it seemed like a valid thought--she was dressed the same way as she always did, in dull-colored, uninteresting clothes that covered as much of her body as was possible, and yet only the day before, hadn't that ghost--

She shivered, and tried not to think about it. If things weren't going to change, she could at least try to focus on something else for as long as possible. Mara was speaking again, anyway, and she turned her attention to that, not wanting to miss anything.

"Why would people not wear a lot of clothes?" Mara muttered. "Mommy told me it's really important..." Then she paused, and her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on Patriah again.

"What's a 'desert'?"

[S i t k a]

Marie watched the drama silently. Really, she was just waiting for this first assignment to be over so she could get a better idea of what was going on.

She drew a few different things on her paper where she hadn't written: some strange plants, some buildings, and some sort of gyrocopter-like vehicle. Perhaps these were random things from her home planet, but they were just as likely to be the inventions of her own imagination.

[United Per And Montands]

In one of her glances up to try and act like she was paying attention, she caught Patriah out of the corner of her eye staring at her and smiling. Why? What could he possibly want from her? Athis responded with an uncomfortable smile back. "Can I help you?" it came out a bit more hostile then she intended, but this class had already gotten on her nerves.

Before she could recollect her thoughts her notebook slowly began lifting off of her desk, and in a last-ditch effort to grab it before it soared off into its destination, she lurched out of her desk barely missing it. Then making eye contact with Osiris who now held her notebook, her face shifted from agitation to pure anger. Who the hell does this guy think he is taking her notebook without asking? Ignoring anything he said about skipping class; her monotone voice shifted into one guided by pure anger "Do not take my personal belongings. That book belongs to me. This is a complete invasion of my privacy!" It this moment, even though she posed no threat to a god of death being a mortal, she didn't care. All she cared about was him holding her notebook. A book filled with her test results, and personal information.

Osiris did not even raise his brows at her shout. He merely stared at her for a moment, and then he handed her back her notebook. “I merely wished to make a point. I will not read any of your personal entries without your permission. But do pay attention when I am speaking. I am not merely some windbag who enjoys listening to himself talk. I speak for your own benefit,” he answered. He then looked around the room to make sure that everyone else was paying attention. His eyes were not impartial toward any student. He focused on all of them equally, and waited to see if any of them might have questions.

After settling down and realizing she had an outburst in front of the class, Athis quickly sat down. How could she have let the anger get the better of her there? She tried to shake the thought and go back to her work, not wanting to stick out anymore but it was clear she was embarrassed by the entire ordeal. Mainly evident in her much slower note taking, and the very muted hint of red on her otherwise pale face. She just hoped it would be forgotten about after this class ended.

[Luminesa]

Patriah stared down at Mara, as she suddenly started to glare at him. First Osiris had scolded him in front of the class, now a little girl was calling to attention his lack of a shirt. He groaned under his breath, and stared back at her. “...When you live in the desert, you sweat a lot. When you sweat a lot while wearing a shirt, guess what happens to your shirt? Your shirt gets sweaty. And then it clings to you, and you can get sick. Also, I don’t get sun-burned. Some people can just go outside forever...and all they get is a tan. Or someone like your mom might need more s-OW!”

Hamiri kicked him from under her seat, and shot a sharp glare toward him. He had not noticed Charlotte’s nervous stare, but Hamiri had and wanted to try and help the awkward situation. Smiling cheerfully at Mara as Patriah keeled in pain, she explained, “Patriah is just lazy. Some people have reasons why they don’t wear a lot of clothes, but he just doesn’t like to wear shirts. But don’t worry! I’ll buy him some so you and momma won’t be distracted during class.”

“...Right in the shin, holy wow...” Patriah muttered next to her.

Osiris nodded, and turned to Mara. “While we do not have a dress-code, you are expected to dress in a way that is...not distracting. Dress however will not be my main concern. But thank you for asking questions and paying attention,” he told Mara.

Osiris's words seemed to strike a chord in Charlotte, and she lowered her head further, letting her hair shadow her face so that it was harder to see her expression. Not distracting... Is that even possible? To her, it seemed like a valid thought--she was dressed the same way as she always did, in dull-colored, uninteresting clothes that covered as much of her body as was possible, and yet only the day before, hadn't that ghost--

She shivered, and tried not to think about it. If things weren't going to change, she could at least try to focus on something else for as long as possible. Mara was speaking again, anyway, and she turned her attention to that, not wanting to miss anything.

"Why would people not wear a lot of clothes?" Mara muttered. "Mommy told me it's really important..." Then she paused, and her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on Patriah again.

"What's a 'desert'?"

“...Uh...it’s really hot...and dry.” Patriah sat upright after recovering from Hamiri’s sharp kick, and he answered Mara with the quickest answer he could muster. He did not like giving long explanations, and that was all he could say without scaring her. He could have said more about how the desert is treacherous and plays with your mind, but he did not think this would be constructive. Both of them seemed skittish already, and he did not want to make them worse. “And ummmm...yeah...you can get hot really easily.”

Osiris nodded, and turned to address the class. “We will not have a first in-class assignment today. However, tomorrow, you will begin your first assignment. Be prepared. This will not be a simple pen-and-paper-worksheet assignment. Rest tonight, and pay attention to each other. You are not all merely here to pass a class. You are here to pass together as well. If any of you do not have any questions, you may move to your second class. I believe you all have Health and Combat next, out in the courtyard,” he explained. He then walked to his desk, and as students would begin to file out, he wrote something on a scrap of paper on his desk. A scrap then popped-up on Aaliyah, Charlotte, and Unobt’s desks.

“Stay after class please.”

Nobody except for the students who received the notes would have noticed them. Xavier nodded to the teacher and walked out, while Patriah rushed out past him as quickly as possible. Combat was probably the one class he looked forward to at all. Hamiri was not far behind either of them, talking her time as she slung her backpack on her shoulder and strut out of the room.

[Charlia]

Osiris's words seemed to strike a chord in Charlotte, and she lowered her head further, letting her hair shadow her face so that it was harder to see her expression. Not distracting... Is that even possible? To her, it seemed like a valid thought--she was dressed the same way as she always did, in dull-colored, uninteresting clothes that covered as much of her body as was possible, and yet only the day before, hadn't that ghost--

She shivered, and tried not to think about it. If things weren't going to change, she could at least try to focus on something else for as long as possible. Mara was speaking again, anyway, and she turned her attention to that, not wanting to miss anything.

"Why would people not wear a lot of clothes?" Mara muttered. "Mommy told me it's really important..." Then she paused, and her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on Patriah again.

"What's a 'desert'?"

“...Uh...it’s really hot...and dry.” Patriah sat upright after recovering from Hamiri’s sharp kick, and he answered Mara with the quickest answer he could muster. He did not like giving long explanations, and that was all he could say without scaring her. He could have said more about how the desert is treacherous and plays with your mind, but he did not think this would be constructive. Both of them seemed skittish already, and he did not want to make them worse. “And ummmm...yeah...you can get hot really easily.”

Osiris nodded, and turned to address the class. “We will not have a first in-class assignment today. However, tomorrow, you will begin your first assignment. Be prepared. This will not be a simple pen-and-paper-worksheet assignment. Rest tonight, and pay attention to each other. You are not all merely here to pass a class. You are here to pass together as well. If any of you do not have any questions, you may move to your second class. I believe you all have Health and Combat next, out in the courtyard,” he explained. He then walked to his desk, and as students would begin to file out, he wrote something on a scrap of paper on his desk. A scrap then popped-up on Aaliyah, Charlotte, and Unobt’s desks.

“Stay after class please.”

Nobody except for the students who received the notes would have noticed them. Xavier nodded to the teacher and walked out, while Patriah rushed out past him as quickly as possible. Combat was probably the one class he looked forward to at all. Hamiri was not far behind either of them, talking her time as she slung her backpack on her shoulder and strut out of the room.

As soon as Charlotte saw the paper on her desk, she froze.

What did I do? I shouldn't have let Mara interrupt, is that it? Is that what I did? She's just a little girl, she doesn't know any better--my fault, my fault again, stupid, should have done a better job--

By the time she was finished berating herself over her perceived failure, the other students were already gone, and she was left along with her child and the two other students who had been asked to stay, neither of whom appeared to be nearly as frightened as she was. Then again, it would have been unusual if they had been--they'd been asked to stay a little bit late, but Charlotte looked like she was about to be attacked.

"D-did I do something wrong?" she stammered, barely audible in her fear. "I'm sorry... I, I'll do better, I'm really sorry..."

Mara, on the other hand, was not pleased to see her mother's reaction, and was looking at Osiris with a hostile expression. You're scaring Mommy... Stop it. Stop! Don't make Mommy cry anymore!

[Halazy]

Tenez had been pondering the same question about Patriah's shirt until the tiny human asked it for her. Clothing in general still kind of confused her; so far, always wearing some seemed like a good rule, but this dude seemed to be getting away with it. There was also the fact that just about everyone was wearing something different today; were you supposed to do that? She still had the same basic tunic and pants from the day before, but it looked like she'd need more than that to get by day to day.

She made a mental note to figure out where and how to get clothes, and left her seat somewhat gratefully. Maybe she'd ask Patriah about deserts some time, they always seemed so interesting. For the moment, she approached Athis, who still seemed very protective of her notebook. "You ready to get our asses kicked outside?"

[United Per And Montands]

Tenez had been pondering the same question about Patriah's shirt until the tiny human asked it for her. Clothing in general still kind of confused her; so far, always wearing some seemed like a good rule, but this dude seemed to be getting away with it. There was also the fact that just about everyone was wearing something different today; were you supposed to do that? She still had the same basic tunic and pants from the day before, but it looked like she'd need more than that to get by day to day.

She made a mental note to figure out where and how to get clothes, and left her seat somewhat gratefully. Maybe she'd ask Patriah about deserts some time, they always seemed so interesting. For the moment, she approached Athis, who still seemed very protective of her notebook. "You ready to get our asses kicked outside?"

Athis seemed more than miffed by the entire experience from just her deminer alone. She was lost deep in thought about how she was going to bullshit her way out of this situation, jumping slightly at Tenez appearing suddenly. She took a second to process what was just told to her "Is someone in class ready to fight us or is Osiris already that mad at me. Either way, I think I'm just going to go lay down in my room, brew some chemicals, and try to forget my little outburst in class."

[Luminesa]

“...Uh...it’s really hot...and dry.” Patriah sat upright after recovering from Hamiri’s sharp kick, and he answered Mara with the quickest answer he could muster. He did not like giving long explanations, and that was all he could say without scaring her. He could have said more about how the desert is treacherous and plays with your mind, but he did not think this would be constructive. Both of them seemed skittish already, and he did not want to make them worse. “And ummmm...yeah...you can get hot really easily.”

Osiris nodded, and turned to address the class. “We will not have a first in-class assignment today. However, tomorrow, you will begin your first assignment. Be prepared. This will not be a simple pen-and-paper-worksheet assignment. Rest tonight, and pay attention to each other. You are not all merely here to pass a class. You are here to pass together as well. If any of you do not have any questions, you may move to your second class. I believe you all have Health and Combat next, out in the courtyard,” he explained. He then walked to his desk, and as students would begin to file out, he wrote something on a scrap of paper on his desk. A scrap then popped-up on Aaliyah, Charlotte, and Unobt’s desks.

“Stay after class please.”

Nobody except for the students who received the notes would have noticed them. Xavier nodded to the teacher and walked out, while Patriah rushed out past him as quickly as possible. Combat was probably the one class he looked forward to at all. Hamiri was not far behind either of them, talking her time as she slung her backpack on her shoulder and strut out of the room.

As soon as Charlotte saw the paper on her desk, she froze.

What did I do? I shouldn't have let Mara interrupt, is that it? Is that what I did? She's just a little girl, she doesn't know any better--my fault, my fault again, stupid, should have done a better job--

By the time she was finished berating herself over her perceived failure, the other students were already gone, and she was left along with her child and the two other students who had been asked to stay, neither of whom appeared to be nearly as frightened as she was. Then again, it would have been unusual if they had been--they'd been asked to stay a little bit late, but Charlotte looked like she was about to be attacked.

"D-did I do something wrong?" she stammered, barely audible in her fear. "I'm sorry... I, I'll do better, I'm really sorry..."

Mara, on the other hand, was not pleased to see her mother's reaction, and was looking at Osiris with a hostile expression. You're scaring Mommy... Stop it. Stop! Don't make Mommy cry anymore!

Osiris seemed surprised just a little by Charlotte’s frightened response. Of course, most students would sweat bullets when being told to stay after class for anything. However, Charlotte was almost petrified of him. She was stumbling over herself and looked ready to be hit. He frowned thoughtfully. “You have nothing to worry about. You have not done anything wrong. I merely wished to talk to you, since it is early in the year and you have no reason to be afraid. We have not begun any assignments, and provided you turned-in the assignment I asked for at the beginning of class, your status in my class is fine. But first, I will speak to the other two students. Sit quietly and wait for me to address them. And just relax. I am not a monster,” he assured her.

He then turned toward Unobt and Aaliyah. “Now. I heard your discussion in the back of the class, as I was walking around. I will ask in the future for you to not talk in my class unless your hand is raised, but I must ask. You mentioned something about being unable to understand the assignment due to your lack of communication skills? Explain to me what you were discussing,” he requested calmly.

[Saldinado]

Aaliyah, The Rose Among Thorns

---

"Mmhm..." She only said softly in response to his comment about the fate of his friends. And now it seemed that he automatically deemed her a friend. There was a thing about these deities and beings. They have a tendency to befriend others in a rather quick pace. A small sigh soft enough for only herself to hear escaped her mouth as she looked down at the one in front of her as he concentrated on the paper.
Her eyebrows however furrowed upon listening to what he had to say next about his body that was followed by her eyes widening slightly and a small cock of her head.

I must say, this is oddly pretty cute. Adorable even. But such naivety would get him killed in the human and deity world. But perhaps he can't really help himself as he doesn't really know much about this. Heck, even I don't but at least I know what cutting my hair means. But perhaps this can be a learning experience for the both of us. Although a very long one.

"Uhhh...Cutting your hair simply means what it sounds like." She started off saying still wondering how to explain such a basic activity. "It's just the act of cutting and removing either pieces or all of your hair into a shape or style that you desire. Almost all humans do it. Some may choose to cut it and have it grow back only to cut it again, and then others may cut it and never have it grow back."

Until now, it never crossed her mind just how difficult explaining the most simplest of tasks and actions could make her feel so discombobulated and as though she didn't know what she was talking about. But she was able to do it quickly-sort of-and to the point. Yet still, she found it to be quite cute that she had to explain such a practice as mundane as hair-cutting to an apparent god. But either way, she had to put aside her wonders once again in order to help aid her new acquaintance in his works.

"And um, yeah I guess." Aaliyah suddenly said in refer to Unobt’s question about his body. "And also, other people may feel a bit...unnerved and anxious about seeing a being such as yourself remove pieces of their body and hair. But if it doesn't hurt you, then don't worry too much. It's just that its more practical to create a handwriting system that everyone can follow. Now how do start..." She trailed off before reaching behind her ear that was hidden by a bush of hair and revealing a black pen. She handed to Unobt before her attention was replaced by the sight of the teacher coming over to their desks and having a piece of paper place on their desks.
Picking it up and opening it, she read it and raised her eyebrow. "Oh..." She simply said looking at it with curiosity.

By the time the other students were gone, it was only the teacher, herself and Unobt, and another unknown student whom seemed to be scared out of her mind. Looking up at Osiris as he spoke about the rules in his class, Aaliyah blushed softly and looked down in abashment. "Oh, I am deeply sorry for creating a havoc. And to answer your question, I was simply trying to help them out," she said looking towards Unbot, "as he has told me that he wants to learn how to write and read. Sorry for that..."

[Luminesa]

Aaliyah, The Rose Among Thorns

---

"Mmhm..." She only said softly in response to his comment about the fate of his friends. And now it seemed that he automatically deemed her a friend. There was a thing about these deities and beings. They have a tendency to befriend others in a rather quick pace. A small sigh soft enough for only herself to hear escaped her mouth as she looked down at the one in front of her as he concentrated on the paper.
Her eyebrows however furrowed upon listening to what he had to say next about his body that was followed by her eyes widening slightly and a small cock of her head.

I must say, this is oddly pretty cute. Adorable even. But such naivety would get him killed in the human and deity world. But perhaps he can't really help himself as he doesn't really know much about this. Heck, even I don't but at least I know what cutting my hair means. But perhaps this can be a learning experience for the both of us. Although a very long one.

"Uhhh...Cutting your hair simply means what it sounds like." She started off saying still wondering how to explain such a basic activity. "It's just the act of cutting and removing either pieces or all of your hair into a shape or style that you desire. Almost all humans do it. Some may choose to cut it and have it grow back only to cut it again, and then others may cut it and never have it grow back."

Until now, it never crossed her mind just how difficult explaining the most simplest of tasks and actions could make her feel so discombobulated and as though she didn't know what she was talking about. But she was able to do it quickly-sort of-and to the point. Yet still, she found it to be quite cute that she had to explain such a practice as mundane as hair-cutting to an apparent god. But either way, she had to put aside her wonders once again in order to help aid her new acquaintance in his works.

"And um, yeah I guess." Aaliyah suddenly said in refer to Unobt’s question about his body. "And also, other people may feel a bit...unnerved and anxious about seeing a being such as yourself remove pieces of their body and hair. But if it doesn't hurt you, then don't worry too much. It's just that its more practical to create a handwriting system that everyone can follow. Now how do start..." She trailed off before reaching behind her ear that was hidden by a bush of hair and revealing a black pen. She handed to Unobt before her attention was replaced by the sight of the teacher coming over to their desks and having a piece of paper place on their desks.
Picking it up and opening it, she read it and raised her eyebrow. "Oh..." She simply said looking at it with curiosity.

By the time the other students were gone, it was only the teacher, herself and Unobt, and another unknown student whom seemed to be scared out of her mind. Looking up at Osiris as he spoke about the rules in his class, Aaliyah blushed softly and looked down in abashment. "Oh, I am deeply sorry for creating a havoc. And to answer your question, I was simply trying to help them out," she said looking towards Unbot, "as he has told me that he wants to learn how to write and read. Sorry for that..."

Aaliyah and Unobtainium did not seem to be troublemaking students. Aaliyah was elegant and calm, and held herself with the air of a princess or a queen-the exact opposite of Patriah, who had occupied a fair bit of the class’s attention. Based on her actions during class, in fact, she seemed to have been trying to help her classmate as inconspicuously as she could manage. Osiris nodded to her as she gave her timid answer, and then turned to Unobt.

“...Interesting,” he muttered. He had never had a student who had shown-up with no ability to read or to write. He was glad that he stopped the two students before they went to their next class. “...I can help teach you to read and to write, if you would like to work with me after your classes today. We can begin by finding what you know, and we shall go from there. In the meantime, Aaliyah, would you like to be his note-taker during class? A scribe of sorts for your classmate. We will not be taking notes tomorrow, but when we do take notes, you can help him to keep-up during classes. In the meantime, I would be happy to tutor you outside of class,” he explained, speaking first to Unobt and then switching to speaking to Aaliyah. He then finished speaking to Unobt, without showing judgment at his lack of ability.

[Serah]

Unobt had little time to think about Aaliyah's words as the class ended and a paper got slipped on his desk.
One that, again, he couldn't read.

"Ah. Well that's frustrating, I still can't read it. Even if the words are arranged differently. Also, how come people cut their hair? It sounds like a bore.
What is the point of it if it may not grow back? Can't humans just tie it naturally without cutting it? I do that sometimes. Makes diamond really shiny." He continued.

However, Osiris soon came to him and talked about teaching him.

"I'd be thrilled! Because frankly I don't know what I'm doing here!" He slightly shouted, but entirely without malice, like a child that genuinely didn't know his words could be harmful or inappropriate, one that genuinely didn't know. He was happy.
"If someone were to help at all so I at least end up knowing why I'm here at all, that'd be great and lovely. All my friends left suddenly, so being not as alone would be great."

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Osiris's words seemed to strike a chord in Charlotte, and she lowered her head further, letting her hair shadow her face so that it was harder to see her expression. Not distracting... Is that even possible? To her, it seemed like a valid thought--she was dressed the same way as she always did, in dull-colored, uninteresting clothes that covered as much of her body as was possible, and yet only the day before, hadn't that ghost--

She shivered, and tried not to think about it. If things weren't going to change, she could at least try to focus on something else for as long as possible. Mara was speaking again, anyway, and she turned her attention to that, not wanting to miss anything.

"Why would people not wear a lot of clothes?" Mara muttered. "Mommy told me it's really important..." Then she paused, and her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on Patriah again.

"What's a 'desert'?"

“...Uh...it’s really hot...and dry.” Patriah sat upright after recovering from Hamiri’s sharp kick, and he answered Mara with the quickest answer he could muster. He did not like giving long explanations, and that was all he could say without scaring her. He could have said more about how the desert is treacherous and plays with your mind, but he did not think this would be constructive. Both of them seemed skittish already, and he did not want to make them worse. “And ummmm...yeah...you can get hot really easily.”

Osiris nodded, and turned to address the class. “We will not have a first in-class assignment today. However, tomorrow, you will begin your first assignment. Be prepared. This will not be a simple pen-and-paper-worksheet assignment. Rest tonight, and pay attention to each other. You are not all merely here to pass a class. You are here to pass together as well. If any of you do not have any questions, you may move to your second class. I believe you all have Health and Combat next, out in the courtyard,” he explained. He then walked to his desk, and as students would begin to file out, he wrote something on a scrap of paper on his desk. A scrap then popped-up on Aaliyah, Charlotte, and Unobt’s desks.

“Stay after class please.”

Nobody except for the students who received the notes would have noticed them. Xavier nodded to the teacher and walked out, while Patriah rushed out past him as quickly as possible. Combat was probably the one class he looked forward to at all. Hamiri was not far behind either of them, talking her time as she slung her backpack on her shoulder and strut out of the room.

Heimdall

Finally, a class he could be good at. Combat. It went without saying that a man that carried his personal sword around certainly had some combat experience, but it was in Combat classes that he expected to see the skill of the ones around him. And by analyzing the skill, he hoped to discover more about their personalities: Heimdall always defended a thesis that the way a man fights reveals a considerable part about who he is, which meant he had to look with attention at the strategies. Luckily, for a God that had a complete domain over his senses, that shouldn't be so hard.

However, the presence of a child at the former class intrigued him. What a child was doing at a place like this? And an innocent child at that? It was curious to have a deity with such innocence around, even if she wasn't one, he was curious about that small being and the one that guarded her. He proceeded to the courtyard quietly, awaiting for the teacher to arrive or maybe for some classmate to talk with him.

Sylvanus

Combat. Not something he liked doing. But health was nice: It allowed him to take care of himself and by extension of the things he cared about. Getting up from the chair, he patiently walked towards the outside - definitely his favorite place - but eager to observe the wildlife around it. The trees, birds and flowers around the Academy made him more comfortable than the closed rooms of the Academy. It allowed him to grow how much he wanted to without the concrete walls that acted as a prison for him.

Arriving at courtyard, he stood still, allowing some birds to stop at his branches while awaited for the teacher to come and give his class.

[Halazy]

Tenez had been pondering the same question about Patriah's shirt until the tiny human asked it for her. Clothing in general still kind of confused her; so far, always wearing some seemed like a good rule, but this dude seemed to be getting away with it. There was also the fact that just about everyone was wearing something different today; were you supposed to do that? She still had the same basic tunic and pants from the day before, but it looked like she'd need more than that to get by day to day.

She made a mental note to figure out where and how to get clothes, and left her seat somewhat gratefully. Maybe she'd ask Patriah about deserts some time, they always seemed so interesting. For the moment, she approached Athis, who still seemed very protective of her notebook. "You ready to get our asses kicked outside?"

Athis seemed more than miffed by the entire experience from just her deminer alone. She was lost deep in thought about how she was going to bullshit her way out of this situation, jumping slightly at Tenez appearing suddenly. She took a second to process what was just told to her "Is someone in class ready to fight us or is Osiris already that mad at me. Either way, I think I'm just going to go lay down in my room, brew some chemicals, and try to forget my little outburst in class."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Tenez said, trying to sound reassuring. "I barely even noticed anything." That was actually true to a degree; while she was generally aware of what had gone on during class, most of her attention had been devoted to trying to figure out what they needed the entire rest of the hall for. Would Anubis make them run laps if someone acted up again? There was room for it, definitely. "But, wait, what? Are you not coming? We get to go outside and punch stuff, it'll be perfect for getting this class out of your head. It might be a good chance to take some notes too."

Athis may not be terribly into this, but Tenez sure was. So far every experience here was a new one, and she couldn't wait to see god fighting like in those cartoons. Beneath that, she was apprehensive; her only combat training came from those same cartoons, war movies, and a few actual wars she'd watched. She'd never had an opportunity or need to practice, and besides, as far as she could tell her power was inversely proportional to her distance from her actual, physical being out in space. She knew for sure she could conjure a little bit of light, and probably didn't have the same biological functions as a real human, but neither seemed good in a fight. It made her feel already outclassed and somewhat out of place, being surrounded by all these obviously powerful beings. Tenez really, really hoped Athis came with, if only so they could both be a little less alone together.

"So," she continued, "What do you say?"

[Luminesa]

In the meantime, Michael the Archangel stood and watched as the students approached the courtyard for class. Dressed in a long, blue-violet tunic, black pants, and black flats, he would have looked rather somber if he did not have his long, silky blonde hair, sparkling powder-blue eyes, and an air of friendly authority. He smiled and waved toward them, guided them to the class. “Hello! My class is over here! I didn’t realize Osiris was going to let you all out early. But this is fine. We just need to wait for our other teacher. If Zeus didn’t make it clear, we have two teachers for this class. I’m just one of the co-teachers. If you don’t know me, my name is Michael!...Are we missing some students too? I know there’s a big class of you this year,” he greeted the students. He looked around at his class, and then looked behind him, waiting for the other teacher to arrive.

[Saldinado]

Aaliyah, The Rose Among Thorns

---

"Oh? Well, um, sure sir." Aaliyah said softly as if she was taken aback and even embarrassed by the offer. She would've have thought of being responsible for another student's work as she barely is getting the hang of her own work. But at the same time, she felt as though it was an honor to be requested to do the work of others. But then again, that was what she was born to do. To help someone by completing work for them.

However she turned her attention towards Unobt and smiled softly at his comment of ignorance. He was entirely childlike in every way and soon she felt like there was something about the innocence in this boy that she had to protect. Yet she didn't want to get so close to him so soon; he was still a god and an unpredictable one too. As he said, his friends suddenly left without any form or reason, only leaving him alone. And those were red flags that she would like to keep up until she understood what was up with this boy. But for now, she only had one thing to do, and that is to help him write his notes and read them to him. But even if there were red flags, she still found him rather cute in an innocent way.

"So um, sir," she suddenly said remembering that there was still the day ahead of her, "what do I do now? Do I go to class or something, or should I remain here with you and help him out with his work? Also...Uh...what is the next class?" She then remember something and spoke once again.

"Also," she trailed off as she turned towards Unobt in regards to cutting hair, "don't think too hard on the idea."
"Humans are...weird creatures that do weird things. Its amazing how they exists primarily to baffle us and keep us on our toes with their unpredictability and unorthodox ideas. I find it to be a nice breath of fresh air even if it is stressful at times. And I wouldn't change it. Otherwise, I'll be bored and out of a job." She joked softly before giggling and closing her eyes with a sly smile on her face.

[Serah]

Aaliyah, The Rose Among Thorns

---

"Oh? Well, um, sure sir." Aaliyah said softly as if she was taken aback and even embarrassed by the offer. She would've have thought of being responsible for another student's work as she barely is getting the hang of her own work. But at the same time, she felt as though it was an honor to be requested to do the work of others. But then again, that was what she was born to do. To help someone by completing work for them.

However she turned her attention towards Unobt and smiled softly at his comment of ignorance. He was entirely childlike in every way and soon she felt like there was something about the innocence in this boy that she had to protect. Yet she didn't want to get so close to him so soon; he was still a god and an unpredictable one too. As he said, his friends suddenly left without any form or reason, only leaving him alone. And those were red flags that she would like to keep up until she understood what was up with this boy. But for now, she only had one thing to do, and that is to help him write his notes and read them to him. But even if there were red flags, she still found him rather cute in an innocent way.

"So um, sir," she suddenly said remembering that there was still the day ahead of her, "what do I do now? Do I go to class or something, or should I remain here with you and help him out with his work? Also...Uh...what is the next class?" She then remember something and spoke once again.

"Also," she trailed off as she turned towards Unobt in regards to cutting hair, "don't think too hard on the idea."
"Humans are...weird creatures that do weird things. Its amazing how they exists primarily to baffle us and keep us on our toes with their unpredictability and unorthodox ideas. I find it to be a nice breath of fresh air even if it is stressful at times. And I wouldn't change it. Otherwise, I'll be bored and out of a job." She joked softly before giggling and closing her eyes with a sly smile on her face.

As the deal was 'sealed', Unobt smiled happily, somehow making himself shine moreso than usual, as if his happiness was radiating off of him.
That said, he didn't forget the rest of the day.

"Humans sound odd to be quite honest. I wonder what I'd do if I met one. My friends didn't know about them either, they'd have told me about it otherwise I hope.
What's a job though? Sounds interesting. Even fun I'd say. Even if I don't know what that means." He continued, stretching his arms forward, making a distinct marble-hitting-the-ground sound as he did.

"I remember people talking about combat. Maybe it's in the courtyard? Hopefully I won't need to read anything to understand.
If I can't do anything, you'll help me, right?" Unobt spoke, however, the way he mentioned combat sounded like he knew it all too well, sounding like hardened veteran for a moment rather than a bubbly and innocent child.

[Luminesa]

Aaliyah, The Rose Among Thorns

---

"Oh? Well, um, sure sir." Aaliyah said softly as if she was taken aback and even embarrassed by the offer. She would've have thought of being responsible for another student's work as she barely is getting the hang of her own work. But at the same time, she felt as though it was an honor to be requested to do the work of others. But then again, that was what she was born to do. To help someone by completing work for them.

However she turned her attention towards Unobt and smiled softly at his comment of ignorance. He was entirely childlike in every way and soon she felt like there was something about the innocence in this boy that she had to protect. Yet she didn't want to get so close to him so soon; he was still a god and an unpredictable one too. As he said, his friends suddenly left without any form or reason, only leaving him alone. And those were red flags that she would like to keep up until she understood what was up with this boy. But for now, she only had one thing to do, and that is to help him write his notes and read them to him. But even if there were red flags, she still found him rather cute in an innocent way.

"So um, sir," she suddenly said remembering that there was still the day ahead of her, "what do I do now? Do I go to class or something, or should I remain here with you and help him out with his work? Also...Uh...what is the next class?" She then remember something and spoke once again.

"Also," she trailed off as she turned towards Unobt in regards to cutting hair, "don't think too hard on the idea."
"Humans are...weird creatures that do weird things. Its amazing how they exists primarily to baffle us and keep us on our toes with their unpredictability and unorthodox ideas. I find it to be a nice breath of fresh air even if it is stressful at times. And I wouldn't change it. Otherwise, I'll be bored and out of a job." She joked softly before giggling and closing her eyes with a sly smile on her face.

“You may go to your next class. You do not need to worry about anything right now. I know how I will help him after classes, and when we take notes in class, you will simply help him to take the notes so he will not fall behind. Beside, you had no notes to take today. I may be a god, but I shall not wisp new notes out of thin air,” Osiris replied, pleased to see that Aaliyah was willing to comply.

He then looked out the window of the classroom, out toward the courtyard. He had let the students get out of class almost fifteen minutes early, and yet only one of the two teachers for Magical Combat was outside. As though he could already tell what might happen, he shook his head for a second before turning to the two students. “Your next class is Magical Health and Combat with Michael and Hyperion. Although it seems Hyperion has not arrived yet. However, I would recommend you two go to his class early, so you may be prepared and may ask questions before the class begins. You are now excused,” he explained.

He then finally turned toward Charlotte and Mara, who had been waiting patiently for him to speak to them. Walking toward them, he spoke softly as he stood before them. “I saw you were unusually nervous in my class. I am not a psychologist, but I can read hearts, and I see that you have some sort of deep pain that you are trying very hard to keep hidden. Would you prefer to talk about it? I may be a god of judgment, but I will not extend judgment over this situation unless it is necessary,” he inquired.

[Charlia]

He then finally turned toward Charlotte and Mara, who had been waiting patiently for him to speak to them. Walking toward them, he spoke softly as he stood before them. “I saw you were unusually nervous in my class. I am not a psychologist, but I can read hearts, and I see that you have some sort of deep pain that you are trying very hard to keep hidden. Would you prefer to talk about it? I may be a god of judgment, but I will not extend judgment over this situation unless it is necessary,” he inquired.

She'd been waiting, trying to keep herself calm as he spoke to the other two students--it wasn't working. She was afraid, afraid of what he'd say, what he'd do--only Mara's presence kept her from completely breaking down, the little girl's hand clasped tightly in her own, grounding her.

When he spoke, she flinched, her eyes widening and her face going completely white. Was it really so obvious--she tried to hide it, she didn't want anyone to know, it hurt too much and she knew what they would say, she didn't want to hear it anymore--he said he wouldn't judge her, but he would. He would. She knew he would. Just like--

She cowers on the ground, covering her face, screaming as the light touches her, but she can't even hear herself over the shouts--

"Holy! Holy! Holy!"

It's never been like this before. She's been in this place, but never affected so strongly. The light has never burned, the praises never overwhelmed her mind. This was her home. Now... she's completely and utterly devastated by her surroundings. Now, she is an intruder. Unfit to be in this place, in this presence. Unfit to even hear these words--

"Holy is the Lord God Almighty!"

She knows. She knows. God is holy. And now, she is not.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she keeps her face to the floor, trying to hide from the awful, burning light, the terrible voices--

"Who was and is and is to come!"

She knows what is crying out. Giant, multiwinged creatures, a lion, an ox, an eagle, a man, covered in eyes, always watching, always seeing--always shouting the same phrases over and over again, each cry coming from amazement and awe. She felt that awe once. Now she only feels terror.

His eyes blaze with the searing light, and she covers her face again, screaming.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't want to! I couldn't stop him! Forgive me! Please!"

She can't hear her own words. All she can hear is the constant shouts of praise.

"Please forgive me," she begs again, knowing it's no use. She is wrong. Her very being has been torn apart and twisted. She can feel it--and she knows He can feel it, too.

For a moment, she dares to look again, and thinks she sees pain on that beautiful, terrifying face. But it's gone in an instant, replaced by solemn condemnation.

She has been weighed, and found wanting.

And she will never see this glorious place again.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, her eyes glassy and unfocused, staring past Osiris and into nothing. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to. Please, I'm sorry, I tried--I tried so hard, I couldn't--I--I'm sorry--" She couldn't hold the tears back, sobs wracking her fragile body. "Please forgive me. Please..."

[Luminesa]

He then finally turned toward Charlotte and Mara, who had been waiting patiently for him to speak to them. Walking toward them, he spoke softly as he stood before them. “I saw you were unusually nervous in my class. I am not a psychologist, but I can read hearts, and I see that you have some sort of deep pain that you are trying very hard to keep hidden. Would you prefer to talk about it? I may be a god of judgment, but I will not extend judgment over this situation unless it is necessary,” he inquired.

She'd been waiting, trying to keep herself calm as he spoke to the other two students--it wasn't working. She was afraid, afraid of what he'd say, what he'd do--only Mara's presence kept her from completely breaking down, the little girl's hand clasped tightly in her own, grounding her.

When he spoke, she flinched, her eyes widening and her face going completely white. Was it really so obvious--she tried to hide it, she didn't want anyone to know, it hurt too much and she knew what they would say, she didn't want to hear it anymore--he said he wouldn't judge her, but he would. He would. She knew he would. Just like--

She cowers on the ground, covering her face, screaming as the light touches her, but she can't even hear herself over the shouts--

"Holy! Holy! Holy!"

It's never been like this before. She's been in this place, but never affected so strongly. The light has never burned, the praises never overwhelmed her mind. This was her home. Now... she's completely and utterly devastated by her surroundings. Now, she is an intruder. Unfit to be in this place, in this presence. Unfit to even hear these words--

"Holy is the Lord God Almighty!"

She knows. She knows. God is holy. And now, she is not.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she keeps her face to the floor, trying to hide from the awful, burning light, the terrible voices--

"Who was and is and is to come!"

She knows what is crying out. Giant, multiwinged creatures, a lion, an ox, an eagle, a man, covered in eyes, always watching, always seeing--always shouting the same phrases over and over again, each cry coming from amazement and awe. She felt that awe once. Now she only feels terror.

His eyes blaze with the searing light, and she covers her face again, screaming.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't want to! I couldn't stop him! Forgive me! Please!"

She can't hear her own words. All she can hear is the constant shouts of praise.

"Please forgive me," she begs again, knowing it's no use. She is wrong. Her very being has been torn apart and twisted. She can feel it--and she knows He can feel it, too.

For a moment, she dares to look again, and thinks she sees pain on that beautiful, terrifying face. But it's gone in an instant, replaced by solemn condemnation.

She has been weighed, and found wanting.

And she will never see this glorious place again.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, her eyes glassy and unfocused, staring past Osiris and into nothing. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to. Please, I'm sorry, I tried--I tried so hard, I couldn't--I--I'm sorry--" She couldn't hold the tears back, sobs wracking her fragile body. "Please forgive me. Please..."

Osiris did not even blink. He watched every reaction. He saw her eyes twitch, and he watched as her stare stretched a thousand yards in front of her. She completely forgot where she was, or that her daughter was next to her trying to protect her from...something. He could sense the feelings swirling in her heart. Terror, confusion, alienation, hatred...they all swirled before him, and he did not change his expression. He had seen hearts filled with these emotions many times before. He nodded to himself, as though she had confirmed his worries. “...You have nothing for which you need to apologize. Clearly someone has caused you grievous harm, and you have not been able to find anyone who will listen and will not attack you. However, you are free to tell me about whatever or whoever has been harming you. Nobody will hurt you here,” he reasoned.

[Charlia]

Osiris did not even blink. He watched every reaction. He saw her eyes twitch, and he watched as her stare stretched a thousand yards in front of her. She completely forgot where she was, or that her daughter was next to her trying to protect her from...something. He could sense the feelings swirling in her heart. Terror, confusion, alienation, hatred...they all swirled before him, and he did not change his expression. He had seen hearts filled with these emotions many times before. He nodded to himself, as though she had confirmed his worries. “...You have nothing for which you need to apologize. Clearly someone has caused you grievous harm, and you have not been able to find anyone who will listen and will not attack you. However, you are free to tell me about whatever or whoever has been harming you. Nobody will hurt you here,” he reasoned.

She was expecting condemnation, further pain--and yet, she never received it. He spoke in a voice that sounded... almost concerned. That wasn't right. That wasn't right--that wasn't how things went--it was always the same, always, realization followed by anger, hatred, punishment. And she deserved that. She did. She was guilty, she knew that. She wouldn't have been punished if she hadn't done something wrong, and she knew exactly what it was that she'd done. And yet--

She was still crying, still afraid, but her eyes seemed to focus in on him, her mind somewhat clearing. I can't talk about it, I can't--I can't admit it--you'll say I'm pathetic, you'll say I was weak for not stopping it, pitiful little whore, I don't need to hear it again--

"I... I'm sorry," she said again, unsteady, uncertain. "I... don't know if I can. It hurts to think about..." Her voice cracked, and she tried to steady herself, glancing at Mara. And I can't talk about it in front of her, I can't. She already knows too much. I can't let her know anything more...

"Don't cry, Mommy..." Mara hugged her mother tightly before looking at Osiris. "Don't be mean to my mommy," she ordered, her own voice shaking a little bit. "Daddy already made her cry lots and lots, so don't make her cry anymore... She's the best mommy in the whole world, so don't make her cry anymore!"

[Luminesa]

Osiris did not even blink. He watched every reaction. He saw her eyes twitch, and he watched as her stare stretched a thousand yards in front of her. She completely forgot where she was, or that her daughter was next to her trying to protect her from...something. He could sense the feelings swirling in her heart. Terror, confusion, alienation, hatred...they all swirled before him, and he did not change his expression. He had seen hearts filled with these emotions many times before. He nodded to himself, as though she had confirmed his worries. “...You have nothing for which you need to apologize. Clearly someone has caused you grievous harm, and you have not been able to find anyone who will listen and will not attack you. However, you are free to tell me about whatever or whoever has been harming you. Nobody will hurt you here,” he reasoned.

She was expecting condemnation, further pain--and yet, she never received it. He spoke in a voice that sounded... almost concerned. That wasn't right. That wasn't right--that wasn't how things went--it was always the same, always, realization followed by anger, hatred, punishment. And she deserved that. She did. She was guilty, she knew that. She wouldn't have been punished if she hadn't done something wrong, and she knew exactly what it was that she'd done. And yet--

She was still crying, still afraid, but her eyes seemed to focus in on him, her mind somewhat clearing. I can't talk about it, I can't--I can't admit it--you'll say I'm pathetic, you'll say I was weak for not stopping it, pitiful little whore, I don't need to hear it again--

"I... I'm sorry," she said again, unsteady, uncertain. "I... don't know if I can. It hurts to think about..." Her voice cracked, and she tried to steady herself, glancing at Mara. And I can't talk about it in front of her, I can't. She already knows too much. I can't let her know anything more...

"Don't cry, Mommy..." Mara hugged her mother tightly before looking at Osiris. "Don't be mean to my mommy," she ordered, her own voice shaking a little bit. "Daddy already made her cry lots and lots, so don't make her cry anymore... She's the best mommy in the whole world, so don't make her cry anymore!"

“...I am not being mean to your mother. I have merely recognized she is in deep pain, and has not been able to express her pain to anyone,” he answered Mara. He then turned his eyes back to Charlotte, as her body wracked with sobs. “...So...‘Daddy’ made her cry?...Is that correct?...” He seemed to narrow down the possible causes based on Charlotte’s reaction and her daughter’s description of the problem. The girl seemed to be hiding her story due to some fear that he would throw her out of the classroom if she said anything. “...I believe I may know what has happened. I have seen plenty of trauma in my long existence...plenty of loss and plenty of suffering. I am not your school’s counselor, but I can tell that your suffering has been rather...visceral,” he suggested.