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A small figure stalks the class, pausing occasionally to glare at whichever students are nearest. She's ignoring the podium today, choosing to walk among them rather than glare from above. Lucky students. Her shadow is conspicuously absent today. That or hiding somewhere in the class, ready to sneak up and pounce on the unwary.

"Shadows!" She begins, sudden and loud causing a few students to jump. Sneering in their direction, the professor continues, "Shadows. One of the purest forms of the FEAR. 'But what about the science?' You ask, because you are very stupid. And I say: BAH ON YOUR SCIENCE! I SPIT UPON IT" Hellma takes a moment to actually spit, causing a few student to fidget when they notice the smoke rising up from where it hit.

"Even humans understand the power that shadows have when it comes to FEAR. Is a subtle skill, yes. Not flashy like the magics, or as impressive as brute power. But the shadows, they can seep into human mind and heart in ways like no other.

"Of course, anyone can manipulate own shadow, is just a matter of practice and will. Must have clever mind to use effectively, though." She gave the class a long once over, before continuing in disgust, "As of now, you all fail."

Hellma sighed dramatically, "But since I am so kind, I give you all second chance, to not be suchidiots." She produces something from her pocket...



"This, is thing known as the shadow candy. I give you several so that you may practice outside of the class, but do not be losing them. DEVICE!" The professor's voice screeches in command, and a small witch scrambles obediently from her seat. "Eat this!" She shove's the candy up at the girl.

Taking the piece of candy, Emily is caught between being glad to be of assistance and the general feeling of dread when it came to anything involving the headmistress. Not wanting to anger the tiny monster, the witch quickly unwrapped the candy and popped into her mouth.

For a moment she felt a bit of relief, it didn't taste bad! Or good, for that matter. It didn't taste like anything...in fact it tasted like less then nothing. The relief faded an turned into panic as she felt her tongue tighten and...implode? And then...she felt...cold? And...incomplete. What...what was this?!

Panicked Emily looked toward the professor, who smiled grimly. "It tastes a bit strange yes? But is indeed effective." The woman nodded towards the floor at the witches feet. What had once been Emily's regular old shadow, was now a twisting, writhing mass that had separate from her feet.

"The shadowcandies grant a temporary separation of your shadow from you body. Since you are still idiots, you will likely be unable to control shadow for now, but is good to get used to this state. DEVICE!"

The witch, mesmerized by her own shadow's odd state, and the fact that it seemed to be moving even further away from her, jumped at the professor's voice. Oh Jack, what was going to happen to her now? Fortunately the witch was simply handed a small pumpkin paid full of the shadow candies.

"Hand these to rest of class, and take two more for yourself for later. THREE IS LIMIT TO WHAT YOU ARE ALLOWED. OVER USING THE CANDIES CAN RESULT IN THE PERMANENT LOSS OF YOUR SHADOWS, YOU JACKDAMNED GRUBS!" Also, the candies weren't exactly cheap, and they ate into her cider funds.

"For rest of classtime, simply practice trying to exert your will over your detached shadows." As if.

(For Lizface's Reference~ )

Shehk had tried to not jump too insanely high whenever Hellma spoke. However, she had found herself suffering from the worst physical state she could in that classroom; her tail was retreating so far between her legs it was way too obvious to tell that the only thing that was keeping her planted in her seat was the Headmistress's presence.

Right at that very moment she wished she noted 'Hellma Shox' as something she feared on that paper she'd handed in to Forms and Figuafs;. She couldn't even remember what her classes were called right then.

Where was Nukpana? SHe needed to like.. get emotional support to get through this class!

However, it seemed when Emily was turned into the class guinea pig, her attention immediately tunnelvisioned onto that shape on the floor that was making a run for it. OMJ (Oh my Jack!), i-it was...
..and it..

it just...
....
......

Shehk had taken the candies given and held them like they were a bomb that she wasn't sure what to do with, ears flattening back against her head. WaaHhhhHhhh!

Either way, it was after a moment she followed Emily's lead, popping the candy into her mouth and.. overall finding it to not be an entirely horrible experience (give or take the discomfort that came with it), shoving the other two pieces she'd been given into her pocket a-

"h-Hey! Where are you going!!?" Shehk blurted as her shadow, seeming giddy to suddenly be free again (as though it had gone through this process before) started to bound about the room like an excited puppy, causing Shehk to wonder if she should give it chase.

...
....

Jackdammit.

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Oh god, shadows could possibly be seperated with over use? What qualified as over use? Tahki fidgeted a little as the candies were being passed out. She was unsure if she wanted to stay in this class or if she wanted to bolt.

The gryphon sighed as she took her three candies from the pail. Was she really going to eat one of these? She eyed the candies. Gulping, she unwrapped one and quickly plopped it in her mouth. Her eyes were squeezed shut , but she found the candy really not to be so terrible. It had no flavor and...

Tahki opened her eyes to find her own shadow sneaking away.

"H-HEY!" She clasped her hands over her mouth. That had been loud.

Her shadow was now on the other side of the room making very vulgar finger gestures toward her. Tahki narrowed her eyes at it and got up out of her chair to deal with the problem. Her shadow wasn't going to be caught so easy though. It quickly darted to the other side of the room the moment Tahki got a little more then half way toward it.

Oh dear, this wasn't going to be easy.

He didn't really like this place, it made him itch just a little bit. Especially that side of the room that was much too sweet and bright for his tastes. A nekogami would look terrible in there, although, the mental image of Remi in the middle did make him snort under his breath just a little, amusing him more than it should have.

Feeling a few soft vibrations on the table, next to him, he turned his head to see the lady that Nukpana - the skinwalker he had known from the train - had been sitting with, almost romantically. Leaning a little forward, his bright eyes - and the three other eyes that were owned by a pair of twin cats,peered at her in an "Are you all right?" fashion, not daring to pipe up while the teacher was rampaging around. The two kittens had seemed like a good idea, he figured he'd find the most relaxing pair for this next class, and they seemed to be right up his alley.

As he watched the witch eat the candy, he figured seeing the shadow jump from the witch didn't unnerve him as much as it did others - having seen it many a time when he took control of the shadows that his cats performed for him, using them for his own will, even for a little while. Jack was here to help himse along in learning about how to control and form shadows more. He wanted to learn more about them - get the feel of how FEAR in shadows should really feel.

Even if Hellma Shox and her princess corner put the fear in him. He wasn't sure why, it just did. This should make it fun.

As the young witch who was only now recooperating from having her shadow meandering, instead of following her, made over to him and the canine to his right, he grabbed a few of the candies himself, peering down at Elf and Zwölf before unravelling one and easily popping it into his mouth.

Everything aftwards was new, and slightly anticlimatic, a cold feeling washing over him as he watched his shadow, feeling an eerie feeling join in the first one. Was it watching him? The form had twisted a little, more liken to a feral cat like look than his tame feeling, the glower almost keeping him in his seat, before it's attention snapped to the dancing shadows away from both he and it, it's interest piqued with the hussle and bussle of the other two.

A small part of him wondered if the cats had felt that way when they were being used for their shadowcraft, and slipped that thought for now.

( http://www.thesporkedken.com/adopt/profile.php?user=JackB )

Malodore found it difficult to appreciate magic. Reaper-craft was a crutch, something used to supplement otherwise inadequate creatures - in the plague doctor's opinion, at least. But shadows... it could appreciate the value of an excellent shadow, of the flicker in the corner of the eye, of the footstep sounded by no visible tread. And - as the headmistress was so kind to confirm - it needed no precious 'gift', as so many of the other courses required.

(There may have been a faint bitterness in Malodore's mental tone.)

The plague doctor's impassive mask saved it from reacting visibly to the headmistress' spitting upon science - fortunately for it. Such antiquated attitudes were something Malodore would simply have to deal with, and it had to admit the shadows were fascinating. (Could one dissect a shadow?)

Thus, philosophically, Malodore accepted its shadow-candies as they were handed out. The scent of them was strange, overpowering even the posset that the plague doctor had packed into its mask earlier that morning. Still, it unwrapped one candy with careful precision and, folding the wrapper into neat thirds, crunched the odd sweet inside its beak.

It felt... odd.

A flicker of darkness caught Malodore's attention as it crunched - what was that ghost's shadow doing? (And, it wondered, were ghostly shadows as faint on the world as the ghosts themselves?) "What manner of dance is that?" it inquired of Kasumi, voice slightly muffled by candy.

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Tybalt stared down at his own shadow, curious as to what would happen if it actually did separate. It was an interesting thought, but one that he'd rather avoid for the time being--or at least let someone else find out. Which to be honest, he was kind of hoping would happen, at some point or other. Just so he could see the results. Then again, if it was something Hellma had warned them about, it was probably something they would want to prevent from happening.

"Shi--My turn next..." He realized, holding his breath as the small witch approached with her burden. He could easily see the little purple foil wrapped candies now. Kind of suspicious looking--if he hadn't already learned of what they were. Gingerly he took one; observing it a little more, before he unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.

"Hmm.. Not so bad. Just a little--eep!"

Now that was a really strange feeling! Kind of felt like a bomb went off in his mouth. No wonder that witch, Emily, made that funny face earlier! He had to admit, he was kind of surprised that she didn't cry.

Now all he had to do was--oh?

He stared down at his shadow, which at first, just sort rippled. However, after a moment or so, it started to grow and take on a life of it's own; stretching and grasping at surrounding shadows as though greeting them.

Coooool! It was like the twin he never had!

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Gargantuan didn't want to be in this classroom. The Princess Corner was looming just out of the corner of his eye.... sight... gaze, and seemed to be calling out to him, begging him to come sit in it. The tiara was singing his name through its pristine, delicate, teeth-like tiara things, and Gargantuan shuddered before he awkwardly tried to shift in his chair to block out the sight.

The Headmistress, Hellma. Terrifying. Even worse than the Princess Corner. She'd been the one who had banished them all to that other bathroom. Now she was scowling at them all, prowling back and forth with a nasty look in her eye. Gargantuan tried to make himself not very noticeable, hunching over the table he currently had all to himself and flinching whenever her eyes sliced over him.

Her sudden bark was enough to make his chair squeak, and the swamp beast trembled a little more to himself.

Then, Hellma did something that Gargantuan never expected.

She was giving them candy.

Gargantuan probably flipped the table over as he scrambled up to the small girl (Chicky!) whom has been assigned to hand out the candies, all but writhing until one of them had been placed in his thick hand. With glee, he would retreat back to the safety of his slightly smashed table and swallow the thing down, contentedly grinding his jaws together.

Then something very odd happened.

Gargantuan shuddered once more, but not from fear this time; the room seemed to have gotten very cold... and his shadow was now looming over the rest, silent and soundless.

And, of course, very hungry.

Shadow!G wouldn't hesitate to sidle its way over to someone else's roaming shadow, and with open jaws, would do its best to take a good sized-chomp out of whoever it was. Clearly this shadow had no regrets about becoming a cannibal!

"Om." The monster wilted, not sure how to gain the other's attention--not when he was feeling so strange! Maybe if he just held still for a bit he'd feel better... and hopefully no one would have chunks of shadow missing!