My candy. Mine...

[ritakna]

Monika lay in the dark alley, her front legs crossed with her head resting upon them, her huge wings cramped in the narrow walkway. Her tail swished from side to side almost silently, her brown eyes locked on the figure in the window across the street. A small grumble from her stomach only added to her hunger, which she was only too aware of. A small whine at the bottom of her throat accompanied the disappearance of the shopkeeper.

Dawn had broken an hour ago, his shop was due to open in 10 minutes. 10 minutes! Monika made a noise that seemed like a growl crossed with a caw, softly in her despair. But then, it was like a god send, he came and switched the card from 'closed' to 'open!'. Monika didn't waste any time, wrapping her skin around herself and emerging from the alley cautiously as Monika Beechwood, one of Chimera Academy's newest students.

Diving into the store, she began to attempt to sniff out her favourite treat as subtly as possible. Her keen eyes swept the shelves for the small bag she so badly desired. She spotted it and was over in a flash, picking up the cute little package and almost purring in satisfaction.

The delights of Vanilla Fudge.

[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth had spent the better half of the morning strolling through the town and looking through merchandise at the different stores that lined the streets. She had woken up early that morning with a strange impulse to go shopping, leading her to sneak off campus and head down here in the pre-dawn hours. It wasn't until she was almost here that she realized that most of the shops would probably be closed.

Strangely enough, that wasn't the case. She had found that most of the stores were open and plenty of people roamed the streets, despite it still being dark outside. Actually, now that the sun was up, most stores were actually closing. Strange. Maybe the people here were nocturnal or maybe they just liked the night life.

Just as she was contemplating returning to school, she noticed one store that hadn't been open when she came down this street several hours ago. immediately, she excitedly trotted up to the store and entered.

So many types of candy. The selection stunned her for a moment, but only for a moment. She quickly began looking through the collection of chocolates when she noticed another girl in the store.

"Oh, hello!" She waved at the girl with a smile before she went back to inspecting the rows of chocolates.[/color]

[ritakna]

Monika stared at the bag in her hand. Would it be enough? Would it last her till she next came down? Should she get another just in case? It seemed to be such a difficult decision to make over such a simple thing. She looked both ways and snatched another bag, scurrying over to the counter as fast as she could whilst trying to maintain some dignity. Something told her that dignity went out the window the second she walked through the door.

As she finished paying, she heard somebody else enter. She looked up as a rather friendly 'hello' was sent her way. She recognised the uniform if not the student and sent a smile back her way, before watching her dart to the chocolate. So this girl was a chocolate type of person? Interesting. Slipping her fudge into her trouser pockets, along with some loose change, she wandered over, trying to ignore the fact she seemed to be this girls many year junior.


"Hi. So....what do you study at the academy?" Ah, nothing like a nerdy question to kick start a conversation!

[Iƪƪia]

After having a silent argument in her mind, Ailyth was finally able to narrow her selection down to two candy bars. Now, there was yet another decision to make. Should she have peanuts or almonds? Both excellent choices, but which should she buy? Well, peanuts always made chocolate so much better, but then again, aren't almonds supposed to be healthier? What to do...

She was brought out of her internal struggle as the other girl walked over to her. She gave her another smile as she listened to her question. For a moment, Ailyth wondered if she was new here. She didn't recall seeing her around. Then again, Ailyth was still relatively new herself.

"Oh, I'm not specializing in anything. I'm pretty new here, so I'm just taking, um... Entry level classes?"

As she finished replying, she took one last look down at the two chocolate bars she was holding in her hands. With a shrug she walked them both over to the counter. After she payed for them, she picked up the peanut one and began tearing off the wrapping as she turned back toward the girl.

"My name's Ailyth!" She began, taking a bite out of the chocolate bar, "I haven't seen you around. Are you new here too?"[/color]

[ritakna]

So this girl was relatively new as well? Monika stored the little nugget of information away in her mind. She also noted that the girl did what she did - brought two. Maybe she had made the right choice then. Obviously they weren't allowed down here often enough to just buy one. Or, the girl had a soft spot for chocolate with......peanuts? Strange. It intrigued Monika, she would have to try it now, just to know what it tasted like.

"My name's Ailyth!" The girl startled Monika from her thoughts. "I haven't seen you around. Are you new here too?" Chipper. Very chipper. Monika thought, lifting her head up and slipping her hands into her pockets before answering.

"HmmmmHmmm. Got here yesterday." She replied, mentally turning over whether she had given away too much already just by telling her she was new. It could make her seem like somebody to buddy up with - to share stuff with. Not that Monika minded, that is, as long as she wasn't the one sharing. Yet something about the girl seemed....off. Not quite what she looked. It confused her, because this Ailyth didn't seem to be a witch, but she didn't seem perfectly normal either.

Maybe it was the...
"Peanut and Chocolate? What does that taste like?" Or maybe, Monika reflected, she should think before she spoke.

[Iƪƪia]

So Ailyth was right after all. This girl was really new here too. Although, she looked a bit younger than Ailyth. She couldn't be older than 13. Then again, how many times has Ailyth been mistaken for a 13 year old? Apparently she just had a naturally youthful appearance. She nodded to herself, smiling as she continued to chomp on her candy bar.

Then the girl asked something rather strange. She didn't know what peanuts and chocolate tasted like? Ailyth looked down at the chocolate, thinking deeply. Didn't everyone eat chocolate with peanuts at some point in life?

"It tastes like... Chocolate. And Peanuts."

That wouldn't do. She hadn't explained anything. Carefully, she removed the candy from it's wrapping. She snapped off a corner piece and held it out toward the girl with a smile.

"Wanna piece? It's really good! One of my favorites!"

[ritakna]

Monika blinked at the answer. Peanuts and Chocolate tasted like...peanuts and chocolate? Never! But it must obviously be good, Ailyth had bought it and then was relishing it almost like it were heavens gift to 'human' kind. Just as she was about to reply with a rather drawn out 'ok then...?', the friendly older girl snapped a corner off. Then held it out towards her. Monika couldn't stop a grin spreading across her face rather stupidly - she loved being given stuff!

"Thanks!" Her light Mancunian-like accent coming through. She gave it a curious sniff before sticking it in her mouth and giving it an experimental chew. She could feel her face going funny as she tasted the peanut, but by the time she swallowed, she had decided that whilst she wouldn't be buying some anytime soon, she wasn't going to refuse any.

"Strange, what people come up with. I wasn't quite sure what to expect..." She almost winced at that - she really should tighten up her mouth around others. "..but it wasn't bad. Don't think it'll become my favourite, but it was alright." She offered a smile. Not an apologetic one - she shouldn't feel sorry for having an honest opinion after all.

Glancing up at a digital clock on the counter ('why on earth does he have one of those?' she thought absently) she realized that school started in an hour - and she wasn't even in her uniform. She looked towards the door.

"Maybe we - I.. should head back soon. I need to get changed after all."

[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth had to suppress a giggle at the girl's reaction. Well, she supposed some people didn't care for peanuts. They did add an unusual texture to the chocolate. As well as just a hint of saltiness. Nevertheless, Ailyth continued to snack on her favorite treat as she listened to the girl speak.

She noticed the girl look over at the counter and she followed her gaze to a clock sitting atop it. It looked like school started soon. Too bad. She'd been hoping to spend a bit more time in the town. Perhaps she should just skip her first few classes? No, that wouldn't do. Last time she had skipped it hadn't ended well for her. Apparently, the other girl was planning on heading back as well.

"Yeah, looks like classes start soon."

With one bite, she finished off the last of her chocolate bar, tossing the wrapped into the garbage can by the door. She slipped her second as-of-yet unfinished candy bar into her jacket pocket before taking a step toward the door.

"I'm gonna head back too. Care to walk back together?"[/color]

[ritakna]

Monika heard the girls reluctance and had to agree with her. Whatever she had first, she knew it was a mixed class - and that meant that she wouldn't be learning what she came here for, just the 'normal' subjects. Ah well, couldn't be helped, she supposed as she nodded and they headed out the sweet shop and onto the cobbled street, which was slowly but surely filling up with the daily traffic of the local people and stray students.

So what to talk about?

"So....your taking the entry level classes. Does that mean the school works on classes formed on experience and skill rather than age and gender?" In truth, Monika didn't know much about the school system or how anything in it worked at all - she didn't even know any of the teachers.

[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth curiously watched the other people they passed in the streets. Very few locals, it seemed. Most were students who appeared to have succumbed to the temptation that she had resisted. Rebels!

She tipped her head slightly as she heard the girl ask a question. About the classes? Interesting. Truthfully, Ailyth hadn't put much thought into how the school works. They'd just given her her classes and she'd gone to them. But now that she thought about it... In all of her classes, one could find a plethora of different people of all different ages. From pre-teens all the way up to twenty-somethings, all in the same class.

"Hm... Yeah, I think classes are chosen based on experience."

She took a moment to further think about the subject. Well, the school'd have to work like that, right? After all, people come to this school at all different ages, and some of them had never even been to a proper school before, like Ailyth hadn't.

"Well, it makes sense. After all, you need to learn how to walk before you can fly!"

Was that the saying? Something about it didn't sound right. Although, it applied perfectly to the school, what with all of it's winged students. This time she was unable to stop herself from giggling at the unintentional joke.[/color]

[ritakna]

Monika nodded. Atleast somebody could tell her something - that was the first bit of info she'd got about the school since she got here. The school was starting to loom infront of them now, they probably only had a hundred metres or so to go before they hit the grand doors. Then Ailyth said something about flying. Monika's eyes snapped sideways towards her - had she seen her in the Alley way?

"Flying? I don't know about that..." She watched the other girl closely."I thought the saying was 'walk before you run?' hmm?"

Monika tried to gauge the reaction now the girl had stopped giggling. The feeling she had in the sweet shop came back stronger, and with a quick glance around, she decided to act on it. Grabbing her arm, she attempted to drag her to the back of one of the shops. Then letting go of the arm, she took a deep breath and took a plunge.

"Your not a 'normal' student, are you?" She hesitated then realised she'd gone this far, she might as well go alittle futher. "Infact - I'd bet my...well actually I wouldn't bet anything of mine... but anyway, I have to know now. Are you are magic user, or using a skin?"

She took several deep breathes with her eyes closed.If this backfired, she was gonna have to remember a memory charm ASAP. Monika frantically started to root through her spell knowledge to see if she knew one...even a tempory one.

What had she done?


---------
eep, hope Monika didn't go too out of character - but she's a knowledge freak, can't imagine her passing up a remark and funny feeling like that. Hope you don't mind. Play it out as if the whole drag-behind-building-and-question thing didn't happen if you prefer.

[Iƪƪia]

(ooc: Lol, it's okay^^)

For some reason the other girl began to act rather strange after she heard Ailyth's remark. Strange. It didn't seem like something to get so upset over. Well, apparently she hadn't found the joke as funny as Ailyth had. Oh! Perhaps she was nervous? She had seemed like a non-human. Could Ailyth's hunch have been right?

Her thoughts were proven to be correct once she felt a sharp tug on her arm as she was pulled behind a building. She seemed to want to know what she was. Strange indeed that she should act so worried about it! It wasn't a big deal, really... Well, it wasn't to Ailyth. Although, she supposed it was important to some people, and apparently it was bad if humans found out about the "gifted" students.

"Oh, no, I'm not human!" Ailyth explained cheerfully, "I'm a wolpertinger!"

She smiled broadly as she tried to figure out what the girl was. Something told her she had wings... Perhaps it was her response to her flying remark? Maybe she was a phoenix? Or a griffin? Not a kludde, she hoped. She wasn't too fond of kluddes at the moment. Maybe she was a dragon? Or maybe she wasn't winged at all. Ailyth wasn't exactly perceptive.[/color]

[ritakna]

Monika mentally stopped searching and let out a sigh of relief. Phew, she hadn't got the wrong end of the stick. So, this very cheerful, maybe slightly too friendly to strangers for her own good, smiling girl was like her. So it was all ok. She released another breath, it seemed she had got far too tense over it. So the girl was a Wolpertinger, what were they again? Some sort of forest creature.....

"Oh good, I was worried I'd just overreacted there." She smiled, feeling her worry pass.Perfect.

"A Wolpertinger...a creature of the forest. So, what exactly do you look like?" Monika wasn't exactly sure what a Wolpertinger was, but she wasn't going to let on about that. Or atleast, she was trying not to. Glancing at her watch, she realised they had enough time...if she put a speed spell on to get changed back in her dorm.

[Iƪƪia]

Ailyth was pleased that her response seemed to pacify the girl. She seemed to have been really worried about this whole situation. Although, she was still unable to see the importance of it all.

So she wanted to know what she looked like? Ailyth took a quick glance around, watching all the people still in the streets. It probably wasn't wise to reveal her true form here. Not in town and not in broad daylight. It would be best to just describe her look.

"Like a cute lil' bunny," She replied, "But with wings and antlers!"

Was it really possible to describe her cuteness? One couldn't understand how adorable Ailyth was until they saw her. Until they watched her flutter about on her pretty owl wings. Watch her dart through the forest on darling, little rabbit feet. Maybe she should start carrying a picture of herself around for just such occasions.

"Do you have wings? We should go flying sometime!"[/color]

[ritakna]

Monika listened with interest to the description, and tried to picture it in her mind. A vague idea of what she must truly look like came to mind, but Monika had a feeling she wasn't seeing it correctly, wrong colours, maybe those wings were just a wee bit too big.....But it confirmed one thing. She'd never seen one before.

"Do you have wings? We should go flying sometime!"

Monika shook herself into the present. Ailyth wanted to know something, something about her. Should she tell her? It was widespread knowledge, whether known as myth or fact, that almost all Griffins had a hoard somewhere. If she let the girl know what she was, what were the chances of her remembering and then maybe trying to seek out her hoard? They were pretty high. Yet many creatures had wings, as she had just proved herself, so maybe she could hide this alittle longer.

"Yes, I have wings. I'm an able enough flyer." She responded, then realised she'd have to answer the question....somehow. "Yeah, maybe we should."