{ The School Office } [Re-Open] PAGE 36: THE CALLING

[Bilious]

As the frosty secretary continued, Christof continued to wince, his chin becoming closer and closer to his stitched navel. He didn't MEAN to get in trouble! It just... kept seeming to find him. Honestly, he had no idea what had happened, he had just been lost in the fog... surely they'd be lenient on them? He was pretty sure most if not all of them were in a similar boat.  

[Sosiqui]

"Hideous and utterly unplanned. I assure you, sir, if we'd any idea... most of us would have hung back, no doubt. It was a disgusting ordeal," the plague doctor said flatly.  

[Enoh Love]

"Lizzy and I were just trying to get our pets back!" Since she was given the chance to explain, she was going to take it; though the obvious disappointment and near anger in the Secretary's voice made her shudder. They didn't really go near the forest itself! Not that she could remember, anyway. Not that she made a habit of trusting her memory.

"T-then...the ground shook and fog and...and then we were just there!" An exasperated hand gesture later her hands fell hard against her sides. Her side of the story definitely wasn't the most helpful, but if she could give out any information she could to help get them out of detention - because it clearly wasn't their fault as far as she was concerned - she'd do it. "I...I don't think it was...anyone's idea..."  

[Toshihiko Two]

"Wandered into some fog and back out again?" Barth asked, hopefully.

...He was also hoping there wouldn't be paperwork for this. The last thing he wanted to incur was more of that. At least, any he had to fill out.  

[Manda]

Aksaja eyed the secretary for a moment or two, then shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time . . . " he added - perhaps unhelpfully.  

[Zoobey]

Arel stared right at Draven. Wasn't that the student that got into all sorts of trouble back in the Battle of the Bands... he felt a headache coming on. The secretary leaned over to find his bottle of tonic in his drawer, only to have an issue of Hornz in all its naked unicorn men swimsuit edition glory pop out and fall onto the floor. He stared at it blankly before muttering a very low "I am going to kill you Red" for anyone within hearing range.

After re-composing himself on his desk, the secretary answered Draven's question. "As amusing as it might have been for me to have you students create widespread panic with questions all throughout the campus, I think I'll pass." He massaged his temples.

"Clearly, I need answers from you students as to what happened, so I will give in return, some answers. First of all," he turned to Aymet, "You don't get a souvenir, unless you call it detention. In which case it is free, for any takers. Secondly, I have no clue what you saw, which is why I am here. Asking you. And lastly, I don't need to really know what you students did there to know what you probably were not able to affect or touch anything, with what minuscule first year Fears you had, you it was probably a miracle that you took any sort of visible form. In fact, it was probably the pendant that actually kept you in the Hu-" The secretary stopped himself. "Anyway, none of you actually came into contact with it right?"  

[Nio Love]

Riley stared at Aymet for a moment, before whispering a soft, disbelieving 'What are you'. She then reached around his head and covered his mouth with her hand. She looked up at the secretary, trying to look contrite.

Many of us were just worried for the safety of our friends. She added. We saw the fog, and we knew there were a few out there alone.. it was a mission of safety and caring, I assure you.

She fell silent when asked if anyone came in contact with it. She.. might have.. Her eyes looked anywhere but the secretary.  

[Toshihiko Two]

"And we all got back alright," Barth said. "Err, I think. Didn't we?"

He hoped they did. He hadn't done a headcount.  

[Manda]

At the mention of contact with 'it', Aksaja snorted softly. "Well, I sure as Jack didn't," he muttered. "Couldn't even get across the damn road without popping back into the graveyard . . . "

He gave Riley a sort of incredulous look at her answer, but decided not to contradict it. Maybe if Arel actually believed that drivel, they wouldn't be punished as harshly or something.  

[Molten Tigrex]

"Thaff whuff shfff sefff," Aymet responded less than helpfully, despite the hand over his mouth.  

[Bilious]

At the sudden sass from the living doll, Christof cringed. Please please please don't make this worse, guys!