Language table
"hello" - Main language
"hello" - Secondary language
'hello' - thought
"hello" - yelling in main language
"hello" - yelling in secondary language
'hello' - yelling in a thought
What it means to be a raven
As Kaida sat down the boy next to her turned, flashing a sly puppy dog smile. "So... Masako, was it? I saw your picture. It was pretty sweet, you an artist or something?"
"Something like that" she murmered, her suspisions of it being seen confirmed. Not trying to sound too interested she answered, "And its Kaida, not Masako."
"Kaida? Thats hot. Then again, so are you. Want to hang out sometime? The name's Michael."
Kaida was speechless. It was her first day in this world and already she was being hit on my a moron that couldn't tell how little she cared about his existance. She froze as he tried to put his arm around her. Kaida turned her head slowly, her eyes taking on bloody flecks of red. She gave him a glare that would've killed a more perceptive annoyance.
"Don't touch me." she growled for his ears only. He yelped a little and jmped back into the person behind him. Kaida smiled sweetly and said "thank you" in a tone that could be nothing but sincere. Her smile turned into a wolfish grin as his eyes went even wider.
"Hey Corner, whats the big idea?" The boy he bumped into called out.
"Nothing Terry..." He said shakily telling his friend to ignore him.
"Strike out again Mikey? Ignore him, he's a sweet guy if you get to know him but he has a girlfriend no matter how he acts. He is rather smart though if you ignore his oblivious stupidity." The radish girl said, not looking up from a magazine.
"Luna! Don't say that! You'll ruin my rep with the new girl!"
"How? By informing her of your nature before you get cursed? I'd say I did you a favor, she looked ready to murder you." Then she put down the magazine and turned to Kaida. "Luna Lovegood. 4th year, unlike this quidditch nut."
"Masako Kaida... 5th year I guess." She said ignoring Michael and staring at the plate in front of her.
Luna caught her gaze and understood her dilema. "It is curious, isn't it? Just say the food you want and those poor house elves will make it appear on your plate. Its slavery really, the way we overwork them for our own convenience. They even have to deal with Nargle infested passages around christmas times."
Kaida waited a couple minutes, staring at Luna, not having the faintest idea what she was talking about. Once again she attributed the problem to her english not being up to snuff. So, not knowing what she was talking about, but recognising the need to reply, she agreed with her.
"I agree, that is terrible. Especially about the um... Nargle passages... But if you will excuse me, I believe there is some sort of dormatory?"
"I'll show you. New start?" Michael volenteered hesitantly, a little more sincerely now that he was afraid of her.
"I suppose I'll go too. Its dangerous to walk the halls with only Mikey for protection. Besides, he can't enter the girls dorm anyway." Luna said staring off into space, looking like she only half was interested in what she herself was saying.
"I told you not to call me that!" "Mickey" whined towards Luna. His name was Michael, or Corner, but NEVER Mickey.
Kaida looked at them both, then nodded. It was not as if she would actually need "protection" unless this place got a lot more dangerous then it looked, and even then she felt she could handle herself. But she did not know the way, so let them do as they pleased.
As they led her through the convaluded system of halls, staircases, and towers, the questions started.
"So where are you from... Kaida. Why are you transfering in so late?" Michael said starting to walk circles around her as she kept pace with Luna's slow skipping.
Ready for this, she replied with the skill of a seasoned actress. "I... don't remember.. You see, the last thing I recall is a flash of light and I was outside the school."
"Amnesia, huh? That sounds bloody awful. Well, I'll be here for you if you need anything." he said trying again to put his arm around her, only to flinch as she looked towards him again with red eyes. He backed away slowly as Luna laughed lightly. "Can't blame a guy for trying."
"You do remember Ginny, don't you? And thats too bad really. If we knew where you came from we might know why you are here." 'Or why you are lying to us' she added in her head. "Oh well, that will become another question of life." Luna said now skipping faster and talking in her whimsical dreamy voice at Michael and Kaida who were currently preoccupied. He being distracted by her presence, and her becoming increasingly irritated at his stares. Finally she hit him over the head and glared at him as he pouted.
Eventually they came to a corridor with another statue, this one with a feathery crown. As they approacher Michael and Luna slowed down and touched the statue carefully. "This is a statue of the first ravenclaw, Rowena Ravenclaw." they explained.
Then it moved. The lady lowered her hand to point at them and said.
'The one who makes it does not need it. The one who buys its does not use it.
The one who uses it doesn't know he is. What is it?'
"This is how you get into the tower, you answer the question. You only have one try though, so if you get it wrong you have to wait for someone with the right answer." Luna said gazing at the crown of feathers thoughtfully. "And since Mikey here wanted to escort you so much, it is only fair for him to try first."
"Just what I intended" he said puffing up his chest. "I think I might know this one. Is it... a clock?"
No answer came from the statue and he sighed. Kaida rolled her eyes and got to thinking about what it could be. It obviously could not be a clock, because though the maker might not need one, it was pointless to buy it if you wouldn't use it. But what if you bought it for someone else? Then why wouldn't the person buy it for themself in the first place? It would have to be that they COULDN'T buy it themself, they they would either have to be poor, invalid, or dead. And if it was a poor person or an invalid, they would still know they used it, so that left the option of the dead. What is used by the dead, bought by the living, and made by someone who doesn't need it?
"Its a coffin" she said aloud. She had dealings with death before and knew about the difficulty of others dealing with it. She had also researched ways different cultures prepared their dead, from cremation, water burials, and mummification to burials. Maybe her reading choices were morbid, but it was interesting to see how people dealt with aspects of life.
"Thats it! I knew you were a smart one, Kaida. I better stay close to keep an eye on you" Michael said winking while running a hand through his hair, causing both girls to roll their eyes.
"You do remember Ginny? That was clever Kaida, looks like you really are a Ravenclaw." Luna nodded approvingly while leading the way to the commons.
Inside was a good sized room (Kaida had revised her opinion of big) filled with students debating by the fireplaces, working in great blue armchairs, and reading on soft blue pillows. There were royal blue banners with giant ravens on them draping from a starry night sky/ceiling.
From the moment they entered all eyes were on them. Some nodded encouragingly, others curios, but above all was a feeling of expectation.
"I'll handle this" Michael said stepping forward. "Listen up! This is Masako Kaida and from today on she's one of us! Now quit staring, introduce yourselves, or go back to whatever!" He turned back to Kaida and beamed, completely unaware of the increasing headache he was becoming.
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