fandomhigh | Freelance Treasure Hunting, Monday, Period 5, Class #1

As the students arrived, they would probably notice a woman clad in form-fitting black leather perched on a picnic table, swinging her feet as she waited for them to arrive. Some students, if they had met her, might be shocked at the woman's resemblance to Aeryn Sun.

Not that Vala knew the girl's last name, but that wasn't the point.

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Vala Mal Doran and I'll be your instructor for this class. As you know, this class will be about how to make your living as an interdimensional space pirate."

"Now, the first question you may have is why you would want to be an interdimensional space pirate, er, treasure hunter, in the first place. Clearly, you have much to learn if this is your question--because first, it's about fun. There's excitement, and danger, and your adrenaline rushes, and it's a wonderful feeling to know that you have done your best at every step of the process, and that the money you hold in your hand at the end of the day has been if not precisely honestly earned...well, you still have it in your hand, so it hasn't been used as bribes or bail money, and that's always a bonus."

"But enough about me," she said, getting up and wandering around, "I want to know about you--your names, where you're from, how long it takes to get there, the most convenient travel route, and any valuable or mythical objects that, if you were from your universe, you would attempt to appropriate and sell. Also, if you know of any pitfalls to obtaining these objects, either mystical or legal, please feel free to elaborate."

"Don't be shy," she coaxed, after a minute, "Who would like to go first?"

[ooc: ~~Please wait for~~ OCD is up!]

[daughter of ooc: Going to run errands for a few hours, will pick up pings when I get back.]

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He flushed slightly. "No, no, it's fine," he said hurriedly and leapt on magic as a welcome subject. "Magic I'm familiar with. Where I was, before here, I had rather a lot to do with mages."

"Oh, really?" Evie was still pink, but nodding vehemently. "I didn't. This world doesn't, by and large. That's usually one of the larger moments of disconnect, I think. What kinds of magic? Did they use magic wands too?" And because she's Evie: "I have a boyfriend. Not Alec. He just... wanders around like that."

Head, meet desk.

"So if I see a boy wandering around without his shirt, I know it's Alec and not your boyfriend," he said calmly, seeking to reassure her. "That's one more person I'll know, so thank you. And no, not wands. There's two kinds. One that comes from the mage gift, and mind-magic. Mind-magic doesn't really exist in Karse, but is very common in Valdemar."

"Yes, Sokka leaves his shirt on," Evie told her desk, then sloooowly managed to look at Karal again. "You're welcome? And, um. Mind-magic?" The blushing is there, but at least her voice isn't strangled any more. "I don't think I've heard of... oh, wait. Like telepathy?"

"Like telepathy," he agreed, carefully rearranging his pens while he explained, giving her time to recover. "And thought-sensing, foresight, fetching, even firestarting, thought I understand the last is not common."

"Ahhh. We have a few of each of those here, I think." Evie's interest in this is slowly drowning the prior embarassment. "As well as juts magic. And a few other things. Jake Gavin, who just graduated? Could shapeshift, and make himself look like anyone he wanted to."

"Mages can do such things," he glanced over and smiled, seeing her embarrassment had faded. "Though not without cost to themselves."

Evie looked thoughtful, then said, "I don't know. Jake always made it look easy, but maybe it wasn't? The first time I met him, he was a very beautiful girl, and he changed his eye color to show me what he could do. Just blinking. But perhaps that wasn't a very large change. He was a quite handsome boy after he graduated," she added. "But I think that was his natural form."

"I've never heard of anything quite like that," he said, shaking his head. "Perhaps it was a natural ability rather than magic."

"I think so?" Evie really does need to review her notes from those first couple weeks. "And we have different types of magic, I know that. Hermione and Cedric use wands, and Willow doesn't. And I think a few of the others are a different sort of magician or witch as well. I'm utterly ordinary aside from the time-travel. But not the only one, which is a relief." She gave him a bright smile. "And now there's you, too!"

"Well, I have no magic of my own," not a lie, as being a Channel was not, precisely, magic; something he was, not something he did, "but I also may not be quite what you're thinking of as normal. I'm a priest of Vkandis Sunlord, but I'm very ordinary."

"Really!" Evie sat up really straight now, fascinated. "You're so young to be a priest! Although I've heard of some being inducted as young as you in other cultures. But most of the Muslims and Christians I know don't accept a young man into the priesthood until he's at least in his twenties. Do you like it?"

Of course, this world would have gods of its own. Karal filed the terms away for later consideration. "I couldn't imagine any other life," he said, smiling warmly. "I was taken to the Temple when I was nine, to the Cloister, where I was educated and eventually chosen by my mentor." He smile faded and her swallowed hard, looking down at his hands, keeping his face carefully blank. "I went with him to Valdemar when he was sent as Envoy."

Evie smiled at the first part of his answer, then looked worried as Karal's enthusiasm faded. "That sounds very important... are you all right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." He smiled wanly. "And it was, very important. But so you see? No magic, no time travelling, so I'm completely ordinary."

"Yay ordinary!" Evie said, hoping to cheer him up from whatever had depressed him for a moment. "And really, it does get much easier. Everyone's so willing to explain things, and there's lovely food and television and trips to museums!"

Evie always assumes everyone likes museums.

"The food has been very nice," he agreed, cheered by her enthusiasm. "And everyone I've met has been extremely kind, and very willing to humour what I'm sure are foolish questions."

Such as what a television was. He added it to his mental list.

"That's the spirit!" Evie beamed at him. "That, and a few outside activities, and you'll settle right in. There's usually clubs and games, and going to Caritas or other venues to hear bands, and really, it's quite jolly when we're not being invaded. And that never lasts very long."

Really, her enthusiasm was hard to resist. Even when it encompassed mention of invasions. "It would be nice to have the time to just enjoy such things," he said, sounding distinctly wistful. "I'm not used to that."

"If I can get up to the roof at least twice a week to read all by myself, in between all the other things going on, and having ice cream and going to assemblies, you'll be able to do the same, I'm quite sure." Evie nodded determinedly, then smiled. "Welcome to Fandom, Karal."

Freelance Treasure Hunting, Monday, Period 5, Class #1

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