Office hours, all day Saturday

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal was once more behind his desk, classical music playing softly and some very good tea and coffee available to any guests who might drop by. Along with hors d'oeuvres that were both delicious and far fancier than they really needed to be.

The students this year seemed exceptionally nervous, and Hannibal was very good at impressing people when needed. So he was prepared to be a responsible and impressive adult that could reassure anyone who needed it.

Frankly, it amused him.

Comments

[notamascot]

"Really?" Kaylin's face brightened. "Maybe I will. Though... I know someone was supposed to come and somehow all the portals closed."

[sharp_as_knives]

"That's unfortunate. But perhaps it will be a blessing," Hannibal suggested. "If they can come some other time, it may not be so hectic."

Maybe.

Then again, Fandom.

[notamascot]

"Hectic might keep Teela and Tain from creating their own excitement, though," Kaylin said. "No one wants to be around a bored Barrani. They can create more trouble than you can imagine."

[sharp_as_knives]

"In this place, that would make them perfectly normal," Hannibal pointed out.

[notamascot]

Kaylin giggled despite her disappointment. It made her look surprisingly young - even younger than her barely 15 years. "The idea of Teela and Tain being normal... If you ever get to meet a Barrani... Just don't tell them that!"

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled. "My lips are sealed. Should I ever meet them. Do they know the sort of place this is?" he asked curiously.

[notamascot]

Kaylin shrugged. "I told them, but they think I'm just making it up."

[sharp_as_knives]

"That seems to be a common reaction from those who've never been here," Hannibal noted. "It's a difficult thing to take in without experiencing it for yourself."

[notamascot]

"I still don't believe half of it," Kaylin admitted. "All this electricity and internet and everything. It's crazy."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal laughed. "Whereas to me, that is all completely normal. But magic and other races? Very strange." It was all in your perspective, Kaylin.

[notamascot]

Kaylin made a face. "I hate magic." Okay, yes, so she could do things no one else could with it, not that she or anyone else knew how, but it still made her skin itch. Or burn.

"But, it's what I'm used to. And it seems weird that this world only has one species. It is cleaner, though. And I like all the hot water."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Those last two things may be related," Hannibal pointed out. "And yes, I rather enjoy them as well. I find magic intriguing, though. Why do you hate it?"

[notamascot]

Just thinking about it made her squirm. "It hurts," she said. "Nobody but me seems to mind the stupid door wards, but they hurt. Sometimes they leave me whole arm numb afterwards. Just in general magic at least makes my skin itch and burn."

And of course, the marks on her body - their magic - well, a lot of children had died because of them. And Jade and Steffi - no, she wasn't going to think about them.

[sharp_as_knives]

There was definitely more going on there. Hannibal eyed her curiously. "What are the door wards meant to do?"

[notamascot]

"They're locks," she explained. "When you put your hand on them they read the information they need and, if you're cleared to be there, the door opens. If not, it doesn't. Sometimes an alarm will go off, too. I hate them, too. That's why the place I live doesn't have them. It's got the old fashioned key locks."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal nodded. "But these wards hurt you, even when they should open?"

[notamascot]

"They open for me, they just hurt like hell. Thus the whole hating magic thing."

One day someone would tell her not to hate something that made her who she was and one day she might even listen, but that day was not today.

[sharp_as_knives]

"And nobody knows why?" Honestly, did nobody in Kaylin's world possess a modicum of curiosity and spirit of inquiry?

[notamascot]

"I don't think anybody much cares," Kaylin said. "And even if they did, the only people who could maybe help figure it out aren't supposed to know I exist."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I suppose that would complicate things." Not that there likely weren't ways around it, but it might take actually learning something, Kaylin. Hannibal really hoped she grew out of her current phase of learning being bad.

[notamascot]

Learning? Oh Hannibal! Someday he would have to meet Marcus or the Hawklord so they could commiserate on Kaylin's disdain for anything beyond the extremely practical.

But, not knowing the subtext, Kaylin merely nodded. "Staying away from mages and Arcanists and dragons is pretty high on my list."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal would have to sit them both down for a drink.

"The dragons we've spoken of - what is the difference between a mage and an arcanist?" he asked

[notamascot]

"Oh, dragons aren't mages," Kaylin said quickly. "Well, some are, but I don't think most of them are. Mages and arcanists, well... mages belong to the Imperial Order, which means they follow the rules set out by the Eternal Emperor - who is most definitely a dragon - and they are seconded to him and report to his court. The arcanists... not so much."

"Technically, they have to stay within the law like everyone else, but," Kaylin shrugged and if she'd been anywhere else she would have spit to the side fief-fashion. "Who can trust a mage?"

[sharp_as_knives]

"So, arcanists are mages that work for themselves?" Hannibal asked.

[notamascot]

"Isn't that what I said?" Kaylin looked a little confused. "Yes, they aren't bound by the same rules that the Imperial mages are. Not that any mages are really trustworthy."

[sharp_as_knives]

"If not all mages work for the Emperor, why are your powers considered so different?" Hannibal asked. "Is healing very different?"

[notamascot]

"No one understands how my magic works," Kaylin said quietly. "And I can't - couldn't - always control it. That makes me very dangerous. Healing is the rarest of magical talents and there are only two or three mages with the ability and they are all seconded to the Emperor."

She sighed. "I obviously can't be seconded to the Emperor because my manners aren't good enough and if I insulted him accidentally he'd probably have to eat me. And they don't really want the other mages to know about me, so... I'm a problem."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Keeping your abilities a secret while learning things is a problem," Hannibal corrected. "That doesn't make you a problem."

The stubborn refusal to learn might, but the other was the fault of her society.

[notamascot]

"Oh, I think Marcus and the Hawklord would probably disagree with you there," she said almost cheerfully. "I'm totally a problem. And I don't have to learn about magic, so that's okay. I failed all my magic courses anyway. Did I tell you that already?"

Oh Kaylin. The day was coming soon when she would have to study magic. And neither she nor her teacher would enjoy that.

[sharp_as_knives]

"You may well be a problem for other reasons," Hannibal allowed. "And no, you didn't. Have you considered trying again? If nobody else can discover why your magic is different, perhaps you can."

[notamascot]

That was a horrifying thought. "No," Kaylin said quickly. "I'm not taking that again. I can do what I need to with it and I don't want to d anything else."

[sharp_as_knives]

A less controlled man would probably be shaking you now, Kaylin. "Wouldn't you prefer for going through doorways not to hurt?" Hannibal asked patiently.

[notamascot]

He really needed to meet Marcus one day. They could totally commiserate.

"Well, obviously," Kaylin said. "But I don't think that's likely to happen. They just don't like me!"

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal gave her a look. Then he turned the volume on his keyboard on, though he kept it fairly low. "What do you think of this?" He played a dissonant chord, one note drowning out the others enough that it sounded like a mistake. He did his best not to wince.

[notamascot]

Kaylin put her hands to her ears. "I think something's wrong with your machine there."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal laughed. "Not pretty, is it? Rather painful to the ears. Now what about this?"

He played a short phrase of music - a bit modern and atonal, but definitely music.

[notamascot]

"It doesn't... hurt as much as the last," Kaylin said, "But it still doesn't sound right."

[sharp_as_knives]

"It can be an acquired taste," Hannibal acknowledged. "However," He played it again very slowly and stopped in the middle, "this is the same chord." He played the notes one at a time, then hit them the way he had at first - loud, unbalanced, and jarring.

"The notes haven't changed, I've just altered the way they're presented." He gave her a pointed look. "And now it doesn't hurt."

Please say that was an obvious enough analogy, Kaylin.

[notamascot]

Kaylin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, okay."

She still wasn't retaking that class, but whatever.