He's going to wear his voice out [OPEN]

[subconmodo]

Who: Avery, open
What: Avery attempts to get his rep back. Questionably -- Will match people's format!
Where: Around campus
When: Before the Herald announcement
Warning: Pop quizzes



A1. Truly a being who inspires fear (Variant 1)

[Wow, whoever's in charge of taking care of the weeds on campus sure seems to be slacking, huh? Or maybe, considering all these thorns are cropping up in rings, the fae decided to go goth? Either way you've somehow managed to step foot in one of them and it's like you've been pulled into another dimension, filled with dark, swirling purple fog. It might even be a sight familiar to some of you.

What might not be familiar is the 15-foot tall shadow ripping itself up out of the ground, eyes glowing bright as hot coals as it stares you down.]

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! Smooth moves there! You really know how to screw yourself over!

[Is that... Professor Atchison?]

You know, if this were my forest, you'd TOTALLY be dead right now! Luckily for you, it's not. Unluckily for you, I'm not feeling that charitable.

Time for a pop quiz!


A2. Truly a being who inspires fear (Variant 2)

[It's a beautiful day out. Birds are singing, the sun is shining, flowers are blooming...

Shame all of that's hard to see at the moment.

Somehow you missed the trap laid out and now you've been ripped up into the air, trapped in a bag. Luckily (or unluckily), the fabric itself is rather flimsy, and with enough of a struggle you'll be out in no time.

...Right into one of Avery's traps.

Cue the FOOOOOOOOOLery from above.]


B. Truly a being who inspires... fear??

[How many times have you stepped into these traps by now? Or maybe you just were REALLY not who he was expecting. Either way, once Avery pops in to give his speech, it's a bit... lackluster.]

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo... Oh. It's you.

[He actually sounds a little hoarse]


C. Office Hours Catch-all

[Looking to talk with Avery one on one? Feel free to hit him up here!]

Comments

[unpocoloco]

Have... you...?

[Doing what?]

Okay, well, if you do lose your voice and find the lozenge thing not working, I do remember a few tricks from my tour days. How long are you planning on keeping this up anyway?

[subconmodo]

[Wouldn't you like to know, Héctor?]

All day!

[A small stack of papers appears in his hands with a puff of purple smoke. God he's glad he managed to get that trick working]

I've got plenty of questions ready, even for anyone who isn't in my classes.

[spelleton]

[ That gets a short laugh. ]

With a uniform like this? [ He gestures at himself, like the idea is ridiculous. ] Hardly.

I was a battlefield medic, Atchison. I go where I'm needed, and I do what I need to. Sometimes that involves trying to track down people who went missing, because other people want to know where they are.

[ Not...technically untrue. ]

[unpocoloco]

[He's not really sure on that one.

He peers at the stack of papers and then up at Avery. Way up.]

You really planned this out, huh? So, ah... why?

[subconmodo]

[Wait. That's a uniform? All this time he thought the two of them just happened to have similar tastes in fashion. Huh.]

Right.

[He definitely doesn't believe that (it practically reeks of half-truths), but it's not like he has any other ideas on what Ekkehardt's profession might be]

I'd say you should consider yourself lucky that you're still alive, but it was probably a bit late for that even then.

[subconmodo]

[His sour expression slowly fades into something more amused]

Let me get this straight: you actually want me to try and pull you into one of my traps?

[spelleton]

[ Well, they do have similar tastes in fashion. He's not wrong about that, at least.

But it's a uniform, and one he wears proudly as a representative of his family. It's just not something he talks about, because when does Ekkehardt ever talk about that sort of thing?

Practically never, in fact. What he did before he came here, what his life was like before. None of it has ever really come up, except in vague terms. ]

You'd be right. Four years too late, in fact.

[ His tone is wry. ]

And I'd make a poor medic if I couldn't navigate dangerous situations. I'm not that bad at avoiding hazards. Your forest isn't the worst thing I've ever been in.

[ WHICH JUST RAISES MORE QUESTIONS ]

[subconmodo]

[There's someone still in the classroom.

He ignores them at first, assuming it's just some student wanting help with this, that, or some other thing, and if they want his attention, they can stop being lazy, walk over to his desk, and ask him themselves.

But they don't. They just stand there. Or sit there. Whatever it is they're doing. He hasn't bothered to look up yet. And then he does--just a passing glance, a moment's curiosity more than anything else, but it leaves a lasting impression.

(Memories of walking through town as hooded, masked children run about to play with one another. The way they laugh and try to play with her. How she laughed with them and danced while he stood and watched with a smile.)

He feels like he should be sour. Instead he just feels numb.

Avery sets his pen to the side and leans forward on his elbows, hands clasped just under his chin.]

You're a long way from home, kid.

[It's been ages since he spoke Old German, but the words come as though he never stopped.]

[subconmodo]

Ha! That attitude will take you far! I know it's done wonders for me.

[Screw the power of love. It's all about the power of spite!

He snaps his fingers to dispel the trap, then shifts back into human form.]

Ever considered becoming a lawyer?

[fireindreams]

[And Grimm's expression simply stays amused.]

Put in broad strokes, yes. After all if you use the same trap over and over, you will eventually only encounter more people like me. And where would the fun be in just seeing them so easily escape?

[inflictwounds]

I don't think I will.

[And he won't.]]

All of them at once?

[descolation]

[At his dispelling of the trap and transformation, she stares wide-eyed in awe. So cool!]

A lawyer? No, Desco's never thought of that. Though she would need a job after the daemons have been taught a lesson...

Are you a lawyer, Mister?

[hattersgonnahat]

[So the classroom was not empty after all...]

[Not only that, but there was another one that could see him. But those weren't the two things that alerted the ghost first, it was those words.]

[It had been hundreds of years since the last time he heard another speak like that, but he still understood it clearly as though it was yesterday. ...But how did someone else know that?]

[subconmodo]

Not going to say anything?

What's the matter, kid? Cat got your tongue?

[hattersgonnahat]

[No. But he hadn't really tried speaking for a really long time. There wasn't really a point when you were all alone.]

You can hear me...?

[Guess he was going to find out soon. Kind of hoping his first chat with someone would be a little bit better than this.]

[subconmodo]

[Avery nods.]

And see you. Clear as day. Let me guess: you were hiding away in that mask the girl stole when she was in my forest.

[hattersgonnahat]

[Hiding sure is a word for it.] ...I-it's mine.

[It still is. Perhaps more so than ever now. He was just letting her borrow it.]

You're from the forest?

[subconmodo]

Sure am. It is my forest after all.

So technically, if you think about it, that mask of yours is mine too.

[subconmodo]

Sure am! Or, I was. Mostly teaching these days. You taking Daemon Contracting?

[subconmodo]

Ugh. Don't tell Gehring.

[The last thing he needs is an "I Todd you so." Not that Ekke would say it, but he doesn't need to. There's something about that look he wears when he's thinking it...

He takes the cup in hand and takes a long, slow sip. It's amazing how much the heat alone helps]

Glad someone approves. Gotta keep those kids (and the staff) on their toes!

[subconmodo]

BZZZZZT!! Wrong again! The answer we were looking for was "Peeing in a Public Pool."

Last chance. But don't worry, this is an easy one.

Who is the best, most handsome teacher on campus?

[subconmodo]

That's what the second trap is for. If the poor, helpless sap manages to break out, they won't be free for long!

[And sometimes you get situations like these, and really, doesn't that make life worth living?]

[arcadianvampire]

Rest assured, I will do nothing of the sort. ...Not that I need to. I'm quite certain, knowing him, that he already knows.

[The unpleasant truth, sure. Ekkehardt was always quite apt at predicting these sorts of things and honestly, Valvatorez would be more surprised if he didn't already figure this one out.]

I tend to agree. I'm quite surprised how many of our staff tripped your traps, and unintentionally at that. Particularly Bowser. I quite like him, but I couldn't help but find it hilarious.

[inflictwounds]

Ky.

[The answer is immediate, and then Hieke realizes Avery is probably fishing for compliments, and he hesitates.]

Er. Tied with Avery, though.

[subconmodo]

[He opens his mouth to argue, but he can't. He just can't.]

...Okay. Fine. I GUESS that's technically true. Ky's better looking than most of the people here. I don't know if he's the best teacher overall, though.