Brief A/N: I've decided to start this school now, when there aren't any problems, to prevent problems in the future. To sign up, use the form on my bio and email the completed form to me at the email in the bio. Thanks! ^.^
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It was a beautiful day. The sun shone warmly, and a handful of fluffy clouds dotted the sky. The area for miles around was fairly flat. It was the perfect place for a school.
Dee squinted against the light at the large building. "I don't know..." she said carefully. "It seems to be missing something."
"What could it be missing?" asked the teenaged boy beside her. His dark hair was messy, and his gray-green eyes glared reproachfully at the girl. "It has as many plants as Rosethorn and I could add without 'em all dying on us."
"I know that, Briar." said Dee distractedly. "But it needs something else." She thought for a moment. "Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed. "Duh! It needs a Latin motto!"
The boy named Briar wrinkled his nose. "Why? It looks fine."
Dee shrugged. "Just to make it look fancy," she said. "But what should it be? It'll have to be on a brass plaque, I think."
Briar sighed. "You'll be wanting Daja, then?" When Dee nodded, he sighed again. "I'll see if I can fetch her."
"Good," said Dee, already trying to come up with a motto. "It'd help if I knew Latin..." she muttered impatiently.
After a few moments of Dee's mumbled thoughts, a dark-skinned girl trotted up. "Briar, what did you need? I was working in the forge."
For a moment, Dee was startled. "There's a forge here?" she asked incredulously. "Maybe I should double-check the plans..."
"Oh, you needed something? Well, what is it? I have rods heating."
"What are you making?" asked Briar curiously.
"Nails. I'm always making nails." replied Daja crossly.
"Ahem." said Dee, half-smiling at the exchange between the mages. "I think we need a brass plaque, engraved with our motto. D'you think you can do that?"
"We have a motto?" asked Daja skeptically.
"Apparently." muttered Briar under his breath.
"Yes," said Dee proudly. "It's...nunquam lamiae morde me dice*, " she said, stumbling slightly over the Latin.
Both Daja and Briar looked confused over this. "I...see..." said Daja slowly. "When do you want this...plaque?"
"Oh, whenever's fine." replied Dee airily.
Briar shook his head. "Girls." he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and turning away.
Both Daja and Dee simultaneously stuck their tongues out at his retreating back, before Daja walked back to the forge.
Dee looked up at the school. The large building was a cross between a temple and a castle, with no shortage of gardens and wooded areas. The teenaged course coordinator couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride as she stared at the school. It had taken nearly forever to get all the teachers to agree on a design, but now the Fantasy Fanfiction Schola was ready for opening. Dee grinned happily. "This is gonna be fun." she whispered. "Well," she amended, "fun for me and the teachers, anyway."
~~~
Unlike the tranquil setting outside, the interior of the Schola was pure chaos. Teachers of all ages and species raced around, attempting to prepare for the arrival of students.
Dee sidestepped a pair of cats, dodged around a basilisk, and ducked under some low-flying Stormwings to get to her office. After cleaning some imaginary dust off the shining nameplate, she opened the door and collapsed against it.
"Hoo boy." she said softly. Panic was starting to set in as she thought about what she was going to have to do. With a sudden gasp, she remembered something: there was no security for the staff section!
"Oh bad, oh bad, oh bad bad bad." she said out loud to her office. Forcing herself to calm down, she told herself (and her chair) that with all the mages running around, someone could surely cast a protective spell. The calm faded as the infinite possibilities of something going wrong crashed into her mind.
This wasn't going well. None of the students had even arrived yet, and she was already having a panic attack.
She was just staring to hyperventilate when a soft knock sounded on the door. Welcoming any distraction, Dee stood up off the door and pulled it carefully open. On the other side stood a slim blue dragon, about four feet long, including her tail. The young dragon chirped loudly to be heard over the bedlam in the hallway.
"Hello Kitten." said Dee. "Does Daine want to see me about something?"
Kitten--her real name was Skysong, though most people forgot that--nodded, beckoning the girl out into the hall.
Dee followed the dragon through the Schola, waving to people she knew. Now that she had something to do, the panic was ebbing away, replaced once again with pride in the school and joy at being a part of it.
Kitten stopped at an oak wood door, knocking on it with a forepaw.
Dee looked at the door, cocking her head. "This isn't Daine's room, Kit. Are we supposed to be here?"
Kitten gave an angry sounding trill as the door opened. The dragon stalked in, turning to give Dee a slightly reproachful look, before sitting on a stool placed near the fireplace.
"Good, you found it." said a soft voice from Dee's left. A teenager, though older then Dee, sat on another stool, her brown curls pulled back by a hair tie. "Numair added this room, since you didn't really have a place for exchanging packages."
"So, he made us a mail room?" asked Dee. She had forgotten one, as well as forgetting that one might be needed. "And why'd you send Kit instead of coming yourself, Daine?"
Daine smiled. "I'm not going out into that." she said. "Besides, I'm watching the mail. You have a package." She pointed at a crate that was sitting on the desk.
Curious, Dee walked over to it. A note was attached. About to just open the box, Dee decided to read the note when her package gave a violent shake and let out a growl.
'Dee:
Since you have no protection for your staff, here is a gift. Remember to feed him raw eggs and bacon and keep him exercised. (He enjoys tackling fangirls, especially.) His name is Pipann.
~Miss Cam
P.S. Don't thank me, I have more than enough running around OFUM, thank you very much'
Dee looked at the box gleefully, ignoring Daine's question of 'what is it?'. Eagerly, she pulled at the edge of the box, trying to pry it open.
When the only thing she accomplished was splinters, she looked for something to pry it with.
Daine was holding a crowbar. Dee reached for it, but the seventeen year old pulled it out of her reach. "Now will you tell me what it is?" she asked.
Dee grinned. "It's a mini-Balrog to guard the staff section!" she said excitedly. "And his name's Pipann!"
Daine looked at the box cautiously. "Are you sure it is...safe?"
Dee shrugged. "As long as we keep him feed, he'll be fine. And he won't kill the students. Much. Just sort of...keep them in line. Now, please, can I have the crowbar to open him up?" Her eyes misted over slightly. "I bet he's all cramped and uncomfortable and lonely in there. He needs some love and attention..."
Daine glanced apprehensively at the box, which rattled again. "If you're sure..." she said. She hesitated a moment more, then handed over the bar.
Dee happily pried open the box, and the mini flew out. He blinked in the sudden light, looked at both teens, then sat on the desk.
Dee gave a small, slightly fangirlish squeal, and raced over to her 'pet'. "Hello, my widdle Pipann. Is you a cutie face? Yes you is, yes you is..." she cooed. "Little Pipann loves Dee, doesn't he?" She reached out to pat the mini.
"I would say not," said Daine, suppressing a laugh as Pipann bit Dee on the finger.
"That's not funny!" Dee screeched at the older girl. "Ow ow ow ow..." She stared at her finger. "It's burnt, too!" she yelled.
"Well, he is fiery..." said Daine consolingly.
Pipann merely gave a small yawn and fell asleep on the desk next to his box as Dee headed out to find someone who could heal her burnt and bitten finger. It looked like it was going to be interesting around here, with or without students.
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A/N: Hoo boy. Am I cut out to do this? Will Pipann be able to protect the multitude of staff from any and all students? And when will the students get here? You'll have to stay tuned!
Remember: To sign up, use the form on my bio and email it to me. Any forms sent by reviews will be ignored. However, comment, criticisms, and points people liked will be considered. Flames will be used to keep the fireplaces a-burning. ^-^
* Nunquam lamiae morde me dice: Latin for 'Never say, "bite me" to a vampire'. Sound advice if I ever heard it.
Oh, and Dee's baby talk is meant to sound strange, and grammatically incorrect. I based it off of how I talk to my dog. O.o"