POV: Syreene
Location: School Campus (Cont.)
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As usual, the assembly of fellow teen students in an already intimidating massive hub of learning taunted Syreene as she sought out Emie. The blinding high ceiling lights along with those endless rows of large windows made it all the more luminous for her counterparts to focus on her elfin traits as she made her way down the corridor. Syreene always felt like the new girl on campus, with the endless titters and whispers among her passing classmates. Deneski Academy happened to be like the rest of the schools she had begged Cabil not to transfer her to. It seemed the racism stretched across all boards of the educational system, where even the faculty couldn't accept her uniqueness among her diminishing elven group.
She would learn to drown the hate and keep her focus on the PD strapped in her tightening arms, where the image of the snapshot stared back at her. But with little regard to her surroundings, the elf came to an abrupt stop, colliding against her newly appointed mathematics professor. She juggled her PD from falling before the towering eye-candy of a teacher, and took in a shallow breath before recomposing herself.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Seiger. I wasn't really paying attention," she said sheepishly.
"Don't trouble yourself," he followed, tucking a hand in his trouser pocket. Syreene looked up to him flushed, noticing his lingering stare between her open collar. She cleared her throat and turned aside, zipping up her jacket.
"My, you can never be too careful with this changing weather, am I right? Heh. Better safe than sorry!"
He pulled his head up, a simple smile etched on his staunch face. "Syreene, how are you feeling?"
"Huh? Well, I'm feeling fine. Thanks for asking?"
"Oh, pardon me. My question was missing context." He rested a hand on her shoulder, feeding Syreene absolute chills. "Hang in there. Don't bother yourself with the missing, I'm sure those elfin women are safe and sound." He looked down to her PD before reading her with marveled eyes. "Ah, how refreshing. Young minds dabbling in cult conjuring."
"W-what?"
He released her, giving her a fretful look at her unexpected hesitation. "The black arts. Are you not studying durja?"
"Ugh-oh, me? No! Of course not!"
"Then you don't know what that's a blueprint of?"
"No, I actually have no idea. I just, found it somewhere, honest," she stumbled. Her heels backed up in a gradual attempt at evading, bumping into Emie in the process.
"Good morning, Mr. Seiger! You look nice today, doesn't he look nice?" Emie prodded Syreene at her side, a sneaky smile crawling on her shifty face.
"Y-yes, yes. Very nice!" Syreene began to sweat from the tense situation, bumping her backside into Emie as a distress call. Her dear friend would never fall short when it came to making up an escape route.
"Sorry, Seiger, but Sy and I have to compare cup sizes. She still thinks she's actually bustier than me."
"What!" Syreene cried out in shock, tossing Emie a look.
"See you later!" They peeled off in a staged hurry, with Syreene's face red from embarrassment.
"I was looking for an exit, not a reason to have him thinking about me in the nude!"
Emie giggled. "So, you owe me!"
"You can be so perverted, you know that?"
"Hey, what's that on your PD?"
Syreene pulled out the screen, stopping at the tuck of her classroom entrance. "I found this in my brother's room. Any idea what it is?"
"Yeah, it's a durja recipe, and you can get in a lot of trouble if you're seen with that."
"Seiger found me with it. He didn't seem very troubled about it."
"Well, I'm glad I caught you then. But don't worry, I don't think he'd report you to council."
"That's not what I'm worried about. Why did my brother have this in his room?"
"Hmm, good question. Maybe he's just curious."
"About cult energy?"
"Hey, he's been fighting the horde for years, maybe he wants to know what makes them tick."
"But you just said this was a recipe. So he's making something, or summoning something right?"
"Hmm, I know where we can find some answers if you're willing to play hooky," she suggested, her eyes giving Syreene a sneaky look as she tapped the ball of her chin.
"You mean, skip class?"
"Ha! You say it like you've never done it before. Come on!" Emie grabbed her wrist, rushing eastward toward the library.
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