On a blue note...(OPEN)

[Tormaigh MacRagallach]

(OOC: If this one's not quality, it's at least quantity...)

Torm leans back in his chair and folds his arms. The mechanical clock on the wall chimes, indicating a time of 11:00, and the sound of distant activity marrs the silence that would otherwise have permeated the atmosphere of the small room. It seemed that a strange calm had settled on this area of the dormitory wing, quite a contrast from the rushing to and forth from classes, the spell practicing, the talking, the playing, fighting, hating, loving, and general living that went on most of the time. Torm cherishes the moment. It really feels like the world has just stopped for a while, maybe just for him. He knows it's an arrogant thing to think, but at this moment, he feels that awesome, being so relaxed.

It is doubtful whether neat-freaks would have felt the same way in Torm's room. Though the floor is free of flotsam, almost every other available surface is piled high with tools and metal parts and objects of almost any variation imaginable. In the air, a light odor of mechanical oil could be detected. It is not the rank, greasy, pervasive smell of hundred-thousand-mile-old residue found in garages and machine shops, nor is it the stinging, clinical odor of sterile laboratories and hospitals. No, it's an almost undetectable, heady scent that fits perfectly with the cluttered yet productive appearance of the room. It just fits, much like when you visit a grocer's you expect the smell of paper bags, fresh greens, and perhaps a tinge of seafood. Or perhaps when you take a battered book from the library and open it, the smell of ancient dust and aging paper greets you like an expected and invited friend, perhaps accompanied by a hint of the tears of the book's last empassioned reader. Yes, it fits the room perfectly; it smells of...it smells of progress. Not angry like the endless rush of industry, nor languid like pointless paper dust and toner from that broken office copier. Just the scent of measured, steady progress.

The one surface that seems relatively organized is the desk Torm sits behind. A tall mug of some creamy liquid streaked with gold stands to one side, next to an angled drawing board bearing a complicated drawing of some mechanical component. On the other side of the desk, a neat pile of Clockwork Beetles sit glistering in the half light, and their blue shells reflected a navy hue onto the surface around them. Directly in the center, above the central workspace, an ornate case was situated. This, of course, contained the delicate and expensive tools he used for his creations. Here also sits a photograph of Torm with his family at a reunion. It shows a veritable riot of red and orange haired people, all holding drinks of some sort and making merry. In the middle of it stand Torm and his sister behind their seated parents, and all four are beaming at the camera. That had been a fine day. Not relaxing like this was, of course, but fine in its own fashion.

Torm is relaxing now partly because it is the perfect time to do it, but also because there is little else to do. He would be unable to start the next batch of bugs 'till he got a shipment of miniaturized mana cyclers from his supplier in town. If he heads for his warehouse district workshop, he wouldn't be home till really late, and there were classes in the morning. He doesn't want to intrude on anyone either; it just isn't his style to go around banging on doors begging for companionship. No, to relax and think was enough for now.

A gaudy piece of paper tacked on his bulletin board catches his eye for about the twelfth time that day. It is a notice about the upcoming prom. He had not heard about it until late, and figures that at this point pretty much everyone already has dates. This doesn't bother him too much; if a date happens, it happens, and if it doesn't, it doesn't. A lot of students are barely legal for him anyway, if at all. He doesn't know if there are any rules about that sort of thing here like in the States, but a substantially younger date just wouldn't seem right to him in any case. It's just not the way he rolls. Dates and dances would sort themselves out.

A slight breeze enters the room through the open balcony door; no doubt drawn across to the slightly ajar hallway door. He likes to keep the place well ventilated, as it gets too warm inside fairly quickly this time of year. With a sigh, he props his feet up on the scarred work surface of the desk and fluidly snatches up his drink. Leaning back, he takes a long draw on the creamy, gold-streaked drink. The cool soothing texture of the cream and honey mixture contrasts sharply with the hearty burn of the whiskey/rum/brandy as the concoction slides its way into his stomach. The drink is a double edged sword to him: it cuts through cold and draws away excess warmth all at once. The perfect drink for relaxing.

And so, Torm chuckles appreciatively in his throat and plunks the mug back down on the desk. He fishes around in his pockets and draws out a battered-looking harmonica. If there is anything in this world of wonders that he enjoys more than honest work and some rest and recreation, it's music. With a sigh, he settles back again and begins to draw air through each hole in turn, testing for proper working order. Once satisfied with the inspection, he plays a few blues riffs before breaking into a sad, lilting ballad of his own divising. It's slightly reminiscent of "Stairway to Heaven," except that there's no time meter, no measures, just a cascade of notes, bending and melding. Lost in the music, he hardly notices someone push quietly through the door...

[Midori]

The cool breeze blew through the sheer guaze curtains of her window. Plants were everywhere in the room that it almost looked like a greenhouse rather than a bedroom. But she didn't feel at home without her plants and she couldn't help the way she seemed to thrive when they were around her.

Midori pulled the last of her clothing out of her bag. Hanging it in this contraption called a closet she smoothed them out gently. She had already transitioned from the very small outfit that she wore and needed when in the forest to more human like clothing she had been provided with. Her long emerald hair swung as she moved and the breeze made it dance through the room as she sat on her plush white and green covered bed that was a canopy. Real rose bushes grew up and entwined over the collums and up into the canopy itself creating a very fairy tale image. To her it was normal.

But what caught her attention was music. It seemed to come from the hall yet not too far away. It was one of the things that she enjoyed. Having just come here today she did not expect to find music so soon. Yet there it was coming into her room the door was open and she stood.

She smoothed out these..'jeans' and tight fitted light pink 'tshirt' she made her way to the door. This music intrigued her. A melody that sounded familiar yet different all the same. With a furrowed brow she moved in the direction of the music her eyes.. the same color as her lovely hair that fell down her back searched the hallways before coming upon a open door.

Peeking just inside the door she saw a world of mechanics. Her eyes grew wide with interest as she silently stepped in the open door. A rather large man sat at his desk playing an instrument of some sort. It was the one that sounded so beautiful. She smiled softly and leaned against the wall by his door. If he wanted her to leave she would but for now she was listening to his beautiful tune.

[Tormaigh MacRagallach]

As Torm finishes playing the song, he becomes aware of another presence in the room. He opens his eyes and lowers the instrument, and there stands a young green-haired maiden, who had apparently been listening intently to his little performance. One would think that green hair woul be wierd on anyone, but it really seemed to fit in her case. She was quite beautiful, but there was something in her mannerisms that gave an impression of...well, it was hard to place...newness? Innocence? Torm was unsure of the correct term, but it was there.

"Ahh...I'm sorry, I didn't disturb you did I?" he says with a small smile. He pulls his feet down off the desk and tugs his customary wide-brimmed hat from his head; a lady was present, and Torm's notion of chivalry was fairly old-fashioned. Gesturing at a sturdy chair at the side of the desk, he says, "Have a seat if it pleases you. Standing is a fine experience too, of course," he adds. This was Torm's manner of speech: a little off-beat, but never critical or unfriendly, and the slight irish brogue hints at his heritage (as if the orange hair hadn't given it away already). "Are you new here? I don't recognize your face, at least not from any time I was awake." Torm chuckles a little, wondering if she caught the veiled compliment. "What's your name? I can't very well call you 'Maiden' or 'Miss' for all time if we're going to be neighbors or whatever!"

[Midori]

The music ended and her eyes opened as she smiled at the red headed man across from her. He seemed not too angry that she was there and listening but then decided to barage her with questions. She chuckled at the myriad of them and nodded.

Crossing the strewn about room she did take the seat he offered next to his desk. She sat down and smiled at him now prepared to answer his questions.

"First of all, you did not bother me in the least. You played wonderfully and it caught my attention. So I came to investigate so to speak." she chuckled.

"Secondly, I am new, and my name is Midori." she smiled genuinely. She smiled at him and held out her hand to shake.

"And what of you? You obviously are not new. Your room looks well lived in and I would also like to ask your name." she said with a chuckle.

[Tormaigh MacRagallach]

Torm pulls off a metal-plated gauntlet and drops it on the desk before reaching out to take her hand. "Well, that's a nice name. Welcome aboard the academy, officially or whatever, Midori!"' Torm says, beaming. He shakes twice, firmly, but not painfully at all. "The name's Tormaigh MacRagallach! Torm, for short; I realize that the full one's a mouthful." Releasing her hand, he sits back again and gazes around. "Well lived eh? That's one way to put it..." He was far from pleased with the clutter he had amassed, but at least he could find things most of the time with them as they were now.

Torm returns his gaze to Midori. Her eyes were a deeper shade of green than his, and they matched her hair perfectly. It was not unbecoming. Was there some significance in the matching shades? Torm didn't know. A paradox existed between her innocent demeanor and sophisticated mannerisms and speech. She was quite interesting.

Torm chuckles a bit too, sharing in the contagious good cheer that characterized the converstion thus far. "You've gone and sparked my curiosity. Tell me a bit about yourself. Where are you from? I mean, if it's not too personal, of course."

[Midori]

It was a very interesting experience meeting the rather large man in front of her but she wasn't afraid in the least. As that was why she was here. He shook her hand after removing his gauntlet and his hand near swallowed up her own pale one.

"Torm, that is a very nice name. Unique, and I think it suits you." she said with a smile. Her eyes seemed to light up when she smiled sparkling brightly.

He seemed to study her for a moment and she was thankful her wings weren't out because then he would really look. She didn't mind, but she kept her wings up for that very reason. Just because she was used to it. Out of habit it wasn't normal to show your wings to a human, because then you would find yourself some side show in a circus and risk exposing the faerie everywhere.

"Well, lets see." she said after he posed his next set of questions. "I am originally from the Forest of Light, which please do not ask where it is because though I know how to get there my geography of your human world is not the best. I am of a race called the faerie. I am here to study magic. I am a summoner, I can summon my ancestors and I am here to strengthen myself and hopefully learn more about your own kind." she said with a soft smile.

She shifted in her seat slightly and tucked her hair behind her slightly pointed and pierced ears.

"And what of you? Tell me about yourself Tormaigh." she said with a bright smile. It probably threw most people off. Here she had smoothe and clear speech and then she would run off and throw in a bright and cute smile.

[Tormaigh MacRagallach]

Torm blinks. There it was again, that incongruous mix of serene grace and cheery cuteness. Torm had to admit to himself that it did throw him off, though he was beginning to get used to it now. Then he smiles too, he can't help not be cheered as well.

A faerie? Forest of light? Summoning ancestors? torm thinks. I don't quite get it, but it would appear that not only is she not human, she's studying humans. He momentarily wonders if she thinks of him like a scientist studying a lab rat, but her smile tells him that it's not the case.

"Well, I can't say I've ever met a faerie before. A-mazing, I'm probably not really qualified to welcome you to the human world, but welcome anyway." Torm says, clearly interested. "As far as my past, it's not very interesting. I grew up with my parents and my twin sister. My parents own a brewery and ranch in Texas, which is basically a place where there's lots of open plains and warm weather. I'm here to study magic like you and like my father did, though our styles are not similar at all. I am an artificer, and this is what I do."

As he speaks, Torm rummages through some drawers in the desk and pulls out a tiny mechanical butterfly. He runs a little mana through it, and it pulses blue for a moment before awakening and beginning to flutter about in the air above the desk.

"Man cannot create true life that is not of his own kind; he can only destroy other life forms. They are closed to him. What I do is imitate the infinite grandeur of nature with that materials I, as a mere human, have available and can work with." Torm extends a finger, on which the butterfly lands for a moment, and then returns to its idle fluttering.

Torm leans back again. "So, ancestral summoning, eh? Sounds a little bit like necromancy to me, but I'd imagine the two arts operate on different principles. Does that mean someone will be summoning you someday?" The idea baffles Torm a little, but he still finds the whole thing fascinating.

[Midori]

Midori watched in utter amazement as he pulled a butterfly out of his drawer. She couldn't believe it when it glowed and began to flutter about the room. Her eyes went wide and she could only smile. She touched it gently and tentatively when it landed on his hand as he explained a bit.

"It is truly an amazing talent. I've never seen such before. That is .. well.. breathtaking. The beauty and the intricacy. So very amazing."

He asked her about her magic and it brought her focus back to Torm instead of his butterfly. But her eyes did shift back every so often. You just didn't see something that beautiful even machine made and not really be attracted to it.

"Yes, it is true. One day I too will be the summon of someone that is born after me. But that is not for many years to come and so it is not something to dwell upon." she said with a smile and a chuckle.

"And did your father have the same magic that you carry now? Or is it different? And is your sister or your mother magical? I do not have a family so I have very curious about yours, forgive me for being intrusive." she said with a smile.

[Tormaigh MacRagallach]

Midori seemed to really like the butterfly. To Torm, the most rewarding part of their creation was not so much their usefulness but when people enjoyed them. Torm smiles genuinely, and says, "You can have 'im if you like. I make these all the time, its fun for me. Just feed him a little mana once in a while and he should be fine, and he'll follow or stay when you ask him to."

Torm listens intently as she explains about the ancestor summoning bit. Astounding. The afterlife for a faerie was vastly different than what most humans believed was in store. Perhaps humans, too, go somewhere where their consciousnesses continue to exist. he thinks. It's a comforting thought.

Then, Torm is surprised once again, this time by her question about his family. No one here had ever asked him about that; most students have pasts, but few ever discuss them. "You know, Midori, no one's ever asked me about my family...where to start...well, here! Here's a photo of our last big family gathering," Torm says, and he angles the framed photo on his desk so she can see it clearly. It appears to be a family reunion of sorts. Everyone has red or orange hair, and everyone is smiling, even the infants. Torm points to two people standing towards the middle of the picture. "Here's me; I had a little less hair then, as you can see. Next to me is my twin sister, Romani. Romani is also my mother's maiden name."

Torm's finger travels down a bit. "Here, sitting in front of us are my parents. Clancy and Cremia are their first names. Da's magic is quite different from mine: was a powerful enchanter and worked for the Academy, but he left to live a private life. He doesn't talk about it much; I think he saw some gruesome things in the war. Ma...well...I guess we never talked about magic, so maybe she has powers; I dunno. Her family owned a huge dairy ranch where milk was made and shipped anywhere it could get to before spoiling. As for Romani, we don't think she has any magic abilities, but she gets along just fine. She has an aptitude for leadership and business, and is well on the way to taking over the ranch for ma. She's also the driving force behind a new brewery down there, and she mixes amazing drinks that are beginning to become internationally popular." Torm gazes for another moment. "I miss them quite a bit..."

Torm turns his eyes from the photo back to Midori. "You...said you don't have a family....is that...well, I mean...does that...bother you at all? Is it...lonely?" Maybe this was a little tactless to dwell on, but thinking about it had thrown Torm's cool off a little.

[Midori]

"REALLY!? I can keep it!?" her voice was so excited and her eyes lit up so brightly. She couldn't help but be excited it was amazing. That little butterfly was about the neatest thing she had ever seen in her life. "Thank you so much Torm!"

She reached over gently and took the butterfly off his finger and smiled brightly. The butterfly was so beautiful and she let it stay in her hand gently.

His picture was amazing though. She didn't know people had such big families. But his looked so very happy. She smiled as he began to explain even more about his family. His sister, and his parents. They all seemed so interesting to her. She had never had a family and this was just amazing.

"Your family sounds wonderful. They must be very proud of you being here at this school and learning magic." she said as she sat back in her seat again the butterfly fluttered up to her hair and landed.

"Me lonely? Well yes, actually. I plan to change that if I can. I would like to change it so that the royal faeries are raised by families instead of raising themselves as I have done. I think that it would make for better ruling. The only reason it is done this way now is to stop rivalry. But I think that perhaps small families would be allright." she said softly.

"So perhaps it will work out!" she said with enthusiasm and a bright smile.

[Tormaigh MacRagallach]

Torm is cheery again. It is clear that she really likes the butterfly, and that it will be well taken for. He knows his little creations aren't technically alive in the same sense that a natural animal is, but he still feels obligated to make sure they're treated humanely, like one would for any animal one raises and knows imtimately. As the metallic insect flutters up and lands in her green hair, Torm gets the impression that it seems to like her too.

What cheers him most, though, is Midori's infinitely optimistic outlook. "You take everything in stride, Midori, thats amazing. Yeah, I can't see any reason that having a small family for support would be a bad thing for any future ruler," He says thoughtfully. As he moves the picture back to where he usually puts it, he continues conversationally, "And as for you...maybe it's true that you don't have siblings or parents in the literal sense, but it doesn't mean you can't have a family. Lots of families are just people who support each other, not necessarily blood relatives at all." Suddenly Torm thinks of what they'd been talking about for a minute and says, "Wait...Should I be calling you 'Your Highness' now? You are a princess, after all." A faerie princess at that. He hopes that he hasn't been being rude this whole time.

[Midori]

Midori was finding that Torm was a very friendly individual. Not because of the butterfly that now lived in her hair but because he seemed truly interested in her and he was excellent conversation. She was equally intrigued with him. He was so amazing. The stories about his family and the way he lived his life not to mention his cute constructs.

"No no! Please, do not call my 'your highness'. Just call me Midori or Dori. Whichever you prefer. I do not really refer to myself as a princess or anything. Just Midori. Please." she said with a gentle smile.

She looked around his room for a moment letting her green eyes take in all the constructs and the mechanical parts. She turned her attention back to Torm and smiled.

"What kinds of things do you do when not working on your creations?" she asked him with a bright smile.

[Tormaigh MacRagallach]

Torm Is quite enjoying the conversation he's having with this spritely young woman (pardon the pun). Many of the newer students seem immature and brash to him, but this Midori is much different. Not only is she interesting herself, but she seems interested in his stories too, which is a combination that can't be found in most people Torm has met here. Having those eyes and that bright smile directed at him so is almost intimidating! "Very well, Midori it is!"

"My spare time...humm, well, I have my music," Torm says, meeting her gaze. He picks up his harmonica from the desk and wraps it in a cloth idly before tucking it back in a pocket. "This part doesn't really count as spare time, but I hire myself out as a handyman in the city, and it's a pretty fun job; you never know what's going to happen next. I do plumbing, electric, masonry, carpentry, anything people need me for."

Torm tugs the gauntlet back on that he had taken off a little while ago. "Back home, I used to hike a lot. You know, explore the countryside. There's nowhere to really hike to here in the sky, but the city itself as huge, so I explore different sections all the time, either on foot..." Torm slides the drawers of his desk shut. "...or in the air."

Torm maintains eye contact with Midori, and is clearly interested when he asks, "How about your down time, Midori?" Aside from a few parks and a section of the training grounds, there really isn't much in the city that could count as a forest environment. No family, no prior contacts, completely unfamiliar environment...this Midori is made of sterner stuff than most. he thinks.

[Midori]

Sitting there in a very cluttered room, Midori listens to Torm. He was the first person she had met at the academy and she was truly enjoying getting to know him. She didn't mind him in the least. He had a sparkling personality and a sweet disposition. Definatly someone, that she wanted to get to know better and perhaps visit more frequently when she got settled.

"Ahh, but you are wrong. There is a small forest at the edge of one part of the city. Granted it isn't very big but it's enough that when I'm feeling homesick I go there. In fact, there is a small grove that reminds me greatly of my home. I go there at least once a day right now. Perhaps, later when I settle in more I will not need to visit so very often, yet right now it offers peace that this city does not have." she said with another of her classic now trademark smiles.

He asked her what she liked to do in her 'down' time. A phrase she hadn't heard before but she figured he was most likely asking her what she did when not busy with school. It seemed so since she had only just asked the very same question.

"As for my down time, as you say, I keep myself fairly busy. My room is basically a garden. A testiment to my main hobby. I enjoy gardening, getting in touch with nature and seeing things grow. I also enjoy music. I think I may explore learning how to play an instrument while I am here. In my world we have instruments of course but I do not know how to play them. I think it would be interesting to learn one of the human instruments. I like to dance as well. Though I haven't the opportunity very often, it is still very fun." she said with a smile as she tucked her green hair back behind her ears.

"But to know how to fix things man made is feat unto itself. I would say you are a very talented man Mr. Tormaigh. I may be able to make things grow, but you.. you can make something out of bits and pieces. Like my butterfly here. And fixing things that were once broke. An honorable profession, to say the least." she said with a nod in respect.

[Tormaigh MacRagallach]

Torm beams at the compliment. "Well, thanks! I never thought about it as 'honorable' profession per se, but in that case double thanks are due for the objective perspective."

"On the contrary though..." Torm continues, thoughtfully. "Compared to nature, which grows and thrives in its own right, the crude constructs of any one man or even mankind as a race hardly measures up at all. It takes a special kind of talent to be in touch with the enigmatic vicissitudes of nature, and I find that quite impressive."

Torm leans back in his chair, hands folded across his stomach. "It would seem, Midori, what we two are a case study in dichotomies. You are one with the natural world, while I specialize chiefly in the manmade; the artificial. If you don't mind me speaking bluntly, I find this all extremely fascinating."

Now he leans forward on his desk. "So your whole room is a garden? That's amazing! I should very much like to see it sometime. I've always been of the opinion that the only thing that grows well in these cramped quarters are strange odors, but it seems you might have proven me wrong! How do you manage it?"