- Messages
- 86
- Character Biography
- Link
Oh, how Elle hated cities. She'd traded her peaceful home in the Falwood for the busy streets and chattering mouths of the Allirian city, where her ears had never felt quite so delicate before, and the sun had never felt quite so harsh compared to the comforting canopy of her familiar woodland home. She was a pale-skinned beauty clad in a simple black smock with a pointed black hat atop her head, and she must have seemed very out of sorts indeed, yet it was all the witch owned in the world in terms of apparel. She'd gotten her fair share of pointed looks as she timidly made her way through the city streets, but she could hardly let those deter her; she was here for a purpose, after all.
For Elle's entire life magic had come to her as an afterthought, a happy accident. Yet in recent times she had needed more than what came natural. The battle with the fire elemental had taught her she was woefully unequipped for defending her own destiny, and, as much as she hated the chattering people and lack of daylight cover in the street and even the relative heat of the city, Elle needed more than anything a teacher. So, she did what any bright-eyed young woman might do and went to a university. Well, not just any university, but a magical one. She'd gone into the lobby and explained her tale, and she'd hoped that the receptionist would be amazed by her tale of the death cycle and how desperate she was for some help. At the end of that story, the receptionist had had only one simple question for her.
"Oh yes, well, I understand the urgency of your application miss, erm... Selena, was it? But just how are you intending to pay for all this?"
Elle had, of course, been blindsided by the question. Of course only the wealthy could go to the university for mages. Her hopes had been high: the opulent tower, the practicing mages in the yard, the discussion of magic in the seats around her in the lobby had encouraged her just enough to be crushed by the realization that this type of magic was expensive, and, having been a hermit in the woods, she was far too much the pauper to attend here. It was a familiar pain, at least: since her birth she'd had very little help from much of anyone, so in that respect at least nothing was new. Yet before she could leave, the receptionist gave her an understanding smile, and continued.
"Yes, well, I had a feeling that might be a problem. Well, lucky for you the College of Magic might be just the place for you! It's a fair distance from here, in another quarter of our great city, but you might as well try, right?"
Maybe there was hope after all, she thought. She thanked the receptionist and found herself walking with a similar spring in her step through the streets once more, not caring how long it took or how much her feet ached from all the walking, until finally she found what she assumed was the location she sought. She hadn't noticed the lower-quality homes, nor the more impoverished peoples of the area, for her heart was full of that peculiar hope one sometimes felt when it seemed like once, just once, something might actually work out. She rushed through the doors of the significantly more humble stone building that was but a mere fraction the size of the opulent wizard tower she had just visited, uncaring but certainly noticing the decline in quality. She needed a teacher, and any teacher would do at this point.
Elle made her way up to the front desk of the lobby, stopping as she found a receptionist again, this time a female gnome slaving away feverishly with a quill upon some documents in a chair that was clearly made for her smaller stature, but not precisely enough as it always seemed either too tall or too short for what she needed. Wearing her bravest smile, Elle approached.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"Hm? What? Oh, hello," the gnome said. "I'm a bit busy at the moment but how can I help?"
"Well, you see, I'm a witch, with... a big problem," she said.
The gnome waved her off, turning back to her documents to write again. "Don't care."
The witch was naturally confused. The other receptionist had been so delightfully polite to her. She pursed her lips, clenching her palms into indignant fists. "You can't just blow me off like that!"
"As a matter of fact, I can. I have way too many reports to get done, and you're wasting my time."
Elle slammed her hand on the desk. "For the love of—what on earth can a secretary be up to that you can't even speak to me?!"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, for your sake," the gnome said.
Elle scowled, folding her arms. "It's a miracle anyone joins this place with such an insolent receptionist."
The gnome just shrugged. "I know 'em when I see 'em, what can I say? Dear, your clothes are positively quaint, but in the magical world you're wearing the equivalent of hobo clothes, so I think it's pretty obvious even if you did want to apply that you've hardly got the money to do so anyway."
"What?" Elle asked, her expression dimming immediately. "Well, no, you can't... the people from the tower sent me, said maybe—"
At this the gnome did turn her head. "Yeah, they promised you this place might take you in, right? Well, sorry dear, but we can't teach magic on charity."
Elle fidgeted nervously, feeling very bashful suddenly and twiddling her fingers together. "But I... I'm going to die..."
"We all are someday, sweetie."
"No, but, soon... oh forget it," Elle said, frowning. "Could I at least have an application to fill out? You're right, I can't afford it, but I... it would at least make me feel better, I think."
"Well, if that's what it takes," the gnome said. "Well, you can have the application, but there is one thing you'd probably like to know about, dear. Sometimes various wizards and mages will come to the college in search of new apprentices, you know, away from here. The quality is a bit mixed, but these are all vetted individuals who can teach if you're willing to learn. Can be hard to actually find them, but they do leave notices on the board over there sometimes. Maybe one would be willing to take you on for free."
Elle smiled meekly. It was a longshot, but it was something. "Okay," she said. "I'll do that. And... thank you," she said.
The gnome smiled gently herself. It reminded Elle of her dead mother. "Of course; that is my job, after all. Now get lost, I'm too behind to sit here and be nice."
Elle chuckled softly. "Yes, of course, I understand," Elle said. Then, she turned and walked to the "apprentice wanted" board, wondering what, if anything, she might find there. After all, if no one was willing to take pity on her, then she would have to do something far worse than dying: find a job...
For Elle's entire life magic had come to her as an afterthought, a happy accident. Yet in recent times she had needed more than what came natural. The battle with the fire elemental had taught her she was woefully unequipped for defending her own destiny, and, as much as she hated the chattering people and lack of daylight cover in the street and even the relative heat of the city, Elle needed more than anything a teacher. So, she did what any bright-eyed young woman might do and went to a university. Well, not just any university, but a magical one. She'd gone into the lobby and explained her tale, and she'd hoped that the receptionist would be amazed by her tale of the death cycle and how desperate she was for some help. At the end of that story, the receptionist had had only one simple question for her.
"Oh yes, well, I understand the urgency of your application miss, erm... Selena, was it? But just how are you intending to pay for all this?"
Elle had, of course, been blindsided by the question. Of course only the wealthy could go to the university for mages. Her hopes had been high: the opulent tower, the practicing mages in the yard, the discussion of magic in the seats around her in the lobby had encouraged her just enough to be crushed by the realization that this type of magic was expensive, and, having been a hermit in the woods, she was far too much the pauper to attend here. It was a familiar pain, at least: since her birth she'd had very little help from much of anyone, so in that respect at least nothing was new. Yet before she could leave, the receptionist gave her an understanding smile, and continued.
"Yes, well, I had a feeling that might be a problem. Well, lucky for you the College of Magic might be just the place for you! It's a fair distance from here, in another quarter of our great city, but you might as well try, right?"
Maybe there was hope after all, she thought. She thanked the receptionist and found herself walking with a similar spring in her step through the streets once more, not caring how long it took or how much her feet ached from all the walking, until finally she found what she assumed was the location she sought. She hadn't noticed the lower-quality homes, nor the more impoverished peoples of the area, for her heart was full of that peculiar hope one sometimes felt when it seemed like once, just once, something might actually work out. She rushed through the doors of the significantly more humble stone building that was but a mere fraction the size of the opulent wizard tower she had just visited, uncaring but certainly noticing the decline in quality. She needed a teacher, and any teacher would do at this point.
Elle made her way up to the front desk of the lobby, stopping as she found a receptionist again, this time a female gnome slaving away feverishly with a quill upon some documents in a chair that was clearly made for her smaller stature, but not precisely enough as it always seemed either too tall or too short for what she needed. Wearing her bravest smile, Elle approached.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"Hm? What? Oh, hello," the gnome said. "I'm a bit busy at the moment but how can I help?"
"Well, you see, I'm a witch, with... a big problem," she said.
The gnome waved her off, turning back to her documents to write again. "Don't care."
The witch was naturally confused. The other receptionist had been so delightfully polite to her. She pursed her lips, clenching her palms into indignant fists. "You can't just blow me off like that!"
"As a matter of fact, I can. I have way too many reports to get done, and you're wasting my time."
Elle slammed her hand on the desk. "For the love of—what on earth can a secretary be up to that you can't even speak to me?!"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, for your sake," the gnome said.
Elle scowled, folding her arms. "It's a miracle anyone joins this place with such an insolent receptionist."
The gnome just shrugged. "I know 'em when I see 'em, what can I say? Dear, your clothes are positively quaint, but in the magical world you're wearing the equivalent of hobo clothes, so I think it's pretty obvious even if you did want to apply that you've hardly got the money to do so anyway."
"What?" Elle asked, her expression dimming immediately. "Well, no, you can't... the people from the tower sent me, said maybe—"
At this the gnome did turn her head. "Yeah, they promised you this place might take you in, right? Well, sorry dear, but we can't teach magic on charity."
Elle fidgeted nervously, feeling very bashful suddenly and twiddling her fingers together. "But I... I'm going to die..."
"We all are someday, sweetie."
"No, but, soon... oh forget it," Elle said, frowning. "Could I at least have an application to fill out? You're right, I can't afford it, but I... it would at least make me feel better, I think."
"Well, if that's what it takes," the gnome said. "Well, you can have the application, but there is one thing you'd probably like to know about, dear. Sometimes various wizards and mages will come to the college in search of new apprentices, you know, away from here. The quality is a bit mixed, but these are all vetted individuals who can teach if you're willing to learn. Can be hard to actually find them, but they do leave notices on the board over there sometimes. Maybe one would be willing to take you on for free."
Elle smiled meekly. It was a longshot, but it was something. "Okay," she said. "I'll do that. And... thank you," she said.
The gnome smiled gently herself. It reminded Elle of her dead mother. "Of course; that is my job, after all. Now get lost, I'm too behind to sit here and be nice."
Elle chuckled softly. "Yes, of course, I understand," Elle said. Then, she turned and walked to the "apprentice wanted" board, wondering what, if anything, she might find there. After all, if no one was willing to take pity on her, then she would have to do something far worse than dying: find a job...
