Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lea opened her dorm room's door. She walked in with Collin behind her. " Well, you can have the red bedroom. It is just next to mine. There are also two bathrooms so you can just put your stuff in one." Lea told him. " I can make you something if you are hungry." Lea offered. There was actually a lasagna recipe she wanted to try out. " By the way what is your species. I am a magician." Lea told him. She might as well get to know her roommate.

" No problem." Lea told him. " Since you just came to this dorm I will make your favorite dish for dinner." Lea offered. Lea went to her room. She hung up a couple of posters of her favorite singer. Then Lea finished the last sips of her drink and threw away her empty cup. She sat down. Then she realized that she had forgotten to go to the library. Lea went to Collin's room. " Collin, I am going to the library. When you are done unpacking you can join me if you wish." Lea told him. Lea went to the door and almost left. Then she realized she still hadn't given Collin his key. She set it on the table and left.

Collin fumbled with the door handle, his arms full of books. "These new doorknobs are altogether too mundane," he muttered to himself. "Much too hard to operate with hands full." Shifting his load, he finally managed to open the door. "Aodhán?" he called, "Rathnait? Are you in here?" After a few moments, a whirring sound sprang up, coming from his room. Two balls of light shot out of the door into the common area, where they whirled around Collin. Each light was about five inches across—one a rich, earthy brown, the other verdant green.

Collin laughed, and deposited his load of books on a nearby table. "Caomhnaíonn ceocháin tú, my friends," he said, holding a hand out, palm-up. The orbs slowed, lighting on Collin's hand before winking out. In their place stood two minute Faeries, each standing four inches tall and clad in quasi-medieval clothing. One was a man with nut-brown skin and close-cropped black hair. His tunic was a dark grey with silver trim, and a gold-hilted sword hung from his belt. The woman standing beside him was fair-skinned with grass-green hair adorned with a simple wreath of bluets. Her attire—a modest corset with a knee-length skirt of violet petals and dark green leggings—set off her lithe, graceful build. The two immediately began to ask Collin about his journey and how he was adjusting to life in the mortal realms. Soon the conversation turned to more recent developments.

"You're rooming with a female, aren't you, Collin?" the miniature man asked, a hint of resignation and disapproval in his baritone voice.

"Of course he is, Aodhán!" the woman exclaimed before Collin could answer. "I've seen her things in her room. I couldn't go in, of course, but I saw enough! And the place reeks of mortal magic!"

Aodhán sighed. "Ceallach," he said in a resigned tone, "you do realize that your mother will have a fit once she gets wind of this?"

Collin nodded. "I know, old friend." He smiled slightly, impishly. "In fact, I am rather counting on it."

The Faery woman, Rathnait, laughed. "Oh, live a little, Aodhán!" she exclaimed, giving Aodhán a cuff on the shoulder. "Old 'Banshee mac Niall' could use a bit of a fit!" She turned to Collin and asked, "So, describe her! What does she look like? Do you fancy her? How old is she? What are Líadan's thoughts on the matter?"

((Just as an FYI: "Aodhán" is pronounced "EE-ghahn"—the "GH" like a "ch" in the Scottish "loch" but more guttural—"Rathnait" is pronounced "RAH-nit", and "Líadan" is pronounced "LEE-a-dun". You're welcome to have Lea overhear as much of the conversation as you'd like))

"Ah, Lea, you're back!" Collin exclaimed, turning toward the door. "Lea, meet Aodhán and Rathnait, two of my acquaintances from Faerie. Aodhán, Rathnait, this is—"

"Lea, of course!" Rathnait interrupted, taking flight again. She buzzed over to Lea. Rathnait spiraled around the young magician a few times, looking her up and down. "You're Collin's roommate, aren't you? I'm Rathnait!"

Aodhán rolled his eyes at Rathnait's antics. "I am Aodhán, a warrior of the Seelie Court." He bowed to Lea from his perch in Collin's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, milady."

"Thank you for your hospitality, but Rathnait and I must be leaving." He shoots Rathnait a pointed look. "Our services are required immediately."

Rathnait scowls, but flies back over to Aodhán. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Lea!" she calls.

The balls of light surround Rathnait and Aodhán again for a moment, then vanish, along with the two Faeries.

"I am very sorry for Rathnait," Collin says softly. "She has never been much of a one for tact."

"A dash of garlic and a little salt will be fine," he replies. He tilts his head, almost as if listening to something, then adds, "And a sprig of lavender, if you have any." He pauses for a moment, then asks, "You mentioned you were a magician. From which tradition do you hail?" He smiles slightly. "Judging by your complexion, you are not one of the Arab Magi, nor does your magic have the same feel as the ancient draídecht. Are you a sorceress? An enchantress? A witch?"

Collin smiled. "And in what sort of magic do you specialize? Evocation? Transmutation? Thaumaturgy?" He sat down across the table from Lea. "You do seem to have considerable skill with Conjuration and Planar Magic. Is that your area of focus?"

((Evocation would be "quick and messy" magic. For example, a fireball, or a bolt of kinetic force. Evocation is basically using force of will and magical energy to cause a simple energy effect to occur. Transmutation is the use of magic to transform something else: changing the shape of an object, a person's eye or hair color, things like that. Thaumaturgy is sorta like voodoo dolls and similar magic: taking advantage of magical "links" to affect your target wherever it may be. Conjuration is summoning things—similar to how she's summoned a lot of the food—or creating things from scratch. Planar Magic is pretty similar, involving portals and other spells that have to do with the walls between the planes.))