The Rite of Spring
Chapter 6
After class Odette decided to explore the campus. She dropped her bag off at the dorm and left Grim to nap then headed off to the Hall of Mirrors. 'I guess I'll start with Ace's and Deuce's dorm.' Odette thought as she looked over the Heartslabyul mirror.
The mirror had an open book at the base and off set cards stacked on both sides of it with crossed lances at the top, just under the lances where the dorm's crest. 'How peculiar.' She thought as she stepped through.
On the other side was a large red. White and black mansion The walkway was lined with heart shaped rose bushes. "Well this is certainly an upgrade from the my dorm." Odette commented as she looked over the sight before her.
"Hey, no looking loos at the unbirthday party." A ginger haired guy called out coming up to her.
"Oh sorry." Odette called back as she went back through the mirror before the guy got to her.
Back in the Hall of Mirrors Odette went to the next mirror. "Do the rest of the dorms look that grand?" Odette wondered as she looked over the Savanaclaw mirror.
This mirror was much simpler, it just had large stones stacked around it with tusks and ribs sticking it out from it with the dorm's crest on top of it. She stepped through it and on the other side she was agreed with warmer air and a simple but large stone structure. There was only one large tree that had bones scattered around it.
"Oh well this is different." She muttered. 'Ace did say this more of a jock dorm, I guess jocks don't care about appearances.' She thought as she turned back around and left.
The third mirror was nearly as fancy as the first. It has tentacles around the sides and seas snakes and seashells on top with the Octavinelle crest. Odette leap through it. On the other side was entered a clear, cool tube that was surrounded by water.
"Oh wow!" She gasped as she looked around the sea. Eventually her eyes settled on the tube in front of her, to the left was the large dorm that reminded her of a light purple sand castle. To the right was a small black building that looked like a tentacle crown.
"The lounge won't be open until next week." A smooth voice from behind her said.
Odette turned around to see a tall, pale, slender guy in the school's uniform. His teal was short and had a black streak on left side of his head. His mismatched gold and olive eyes seemed to be drilling into her. His smile didn't seem to fit his face at all.
"Oh I'm sorry, excuse me then." She said as she slowly made her way pass him. 'Don't run, take it slow.' Her mind whispered to her.
"Please feel free to come when it is open through." He said his smile widening just before she leaped back through the mirror.
Back in the chamber she took a moment to let her racing heart settle before she made her way to the next mirror.
This mirror was nearly as fancy as the last. The border was very large with a diamond border and a viper that wrapped around the mirror, the Scarabia crest just behind the head of the viper. She stepped through the other side and was met with hot dry desert air. Before her was a massive walk way with a fountain in the middle of it, beyond that was a large foreign styled palace in cream, gold and red. Odette took in the sight before her she didn't hear someone come up beside her.
"No outsiders are allow right now." The voice whispered.
She turn to see a tan guy taller than her. He wore hooded vest that hid part of his face but his long black hair still peaked out. "O-oh I'm sorry my mistake." She stuttered then backed out the mirror. 'No one here seems very friendly.' Odette thought as she stepped over to the 5th mirror.
"This one is kinda fancy." She muttered as she looked over the mirror. The border had triangles all around it and a peacock perched on top with it's plumage swirled around the frame. The Pomefiore crest sat in the beast of the peacock. Odette gingerly stepped through the mirror to be greeted by a large light gray and purple castle. The castle was surrounded by a black iron gate that keep a large managed garden in.
"Oh this is beautiful." She said. She was fascinated by the garden that she didn't notice the student running towards her until they shoulder checked her.
"Whoa there." She said as she stumbled back a free steps and reached out for the lavender haired guy. "What's wrong?" She asked as she looked down at the red face.
She received no reply as he wretched himself away from her and continued on his way towards the mirror.
"Hey wait!" She called out as she followed him but by the time she got back into the chamber and outside he was gone. "Jeez, he's fast." She gasped as she stopped to catch her breath. "Poor thing. I wonder what happened." She muttered as she looked around to see if he was hiding nearby. She sighed and gave up and went back to the chamber.
"What mirror was I on?" She muttered as made her way to the next mirror. It had thorny vines wrapped around the sizes that branched out onto the wall, near the top was a few pair of wings. It the center of the wings was the Diasomnia crest. "Didn't Ace and Deuce say this was the odd dorm?" She said as jumped through the mirror.
On the other side she was greeted with a stone pathway that lead through a stone archway and towards a stone castle. A stone way surround this castle too but this wall had thorny vines growing over it. "It must be getting late, it's starting to get dark." She muttered to herself as she made her way towards the wall. "The atmosphere here feels familiar, like my dorm. It had to be someone's dorm before it was abounded, maybe it was theirs."
She made her way to the gate and looked up at the large crest the hang above it. "It certainly is different from the others but it's not bad." She said. 'Lilia did say they would welcome me but I did show up uninvited with no excuse other than curiosity. They might be take kindly to that even if I did it to all the other dorms.' She thought as she looked down at the stone path.
"Are you lost little duckling?" A voice from behind her asked making her jump. She turned around to see Lilia Vanrouge smirking at her.
"I'm not lost." She answered shaking her head. "I was just curious."
"Curious about what?" He asked placing a hand on his chin growing serious.
"About everything. This school, this world, the other dorms, beast-man, mer-people, fae. My world is just humans and we're not magically either." Odette blurted.
"You're so honest." Lilia chuckled seem to lightened up again. "No fae? No magic?" He asked.
"Why would I lie about something so simple? This world seems so interesting." Odette said.
"You're world sounds interesting as well." Lilia said.
"Well different is always interesting." Odette said. "I hope this school stays interesting while I'm here."
"Ah yes, the difference will become mandate if you're exposed to it enough. In my time here I don't think this school has ever become boring. I would invite you in for tea but school rules state no visitors the first week so students can fully settling in." Lilia informed her.
"Oh! That explains everyone's else reaction. I just thought they weren't very friendly." Odette giggled.
"Mh?" Lilia gestured.
"I went to all the other dorms. I wanted to see what they looked like." Odette explained.
"Well each dorm has their friendly people and their unfriendly people, it just seem you got the unfriendly ones." Lilia explained.
"It would seem so." Odette agreed.
"It's getting late, so let's get you back to your dorm." Lilia said looping his arm through hers and leading back towards the mirror.
"Oh you don't have to do that." Odette said following his lead.
"Nonsense what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't see you home safely." Lilia insisted as they made their way through the mirror chamber.
"The campus seems perfectly safe to me but if you insist it would be rude of me to refuse." Odette conceded with a sigh.
Lilia just smiled as he escorted her back to the Ramshackle dorm.
"Oh green fireflies! These here are so vivid." Odette exclaimed as stopped at the gateway to her dorm.
"Interesting." Lilia muttered beside her.
"Thank you for walking me home. So what is the first day I can come over for tea?" She asked turning towards him.
"Sunday, would three pm work for you?" Lilia chuckled as he dropped her arm.
"That works fine." She answered with a smile.
"Until then Odette Thropp." Lilia said taking her hand and kissing her knuckles then disappearing with red sparkles.
"Oh wow." She gasped as she watched the red disappear as well.
'How interesting, I wonder what he was doing at the Ramshackle dorm. She certainly an odd duck.' Lilia thought as he reappeared at his dorm. "I better tell the others to prepare for a guest. This is going to cause such a tizzy. It'll be good for them through." Lilia muttered to himself as he left his room.
"Silver! Sebek!" He called out making his way to their room.
I hope you liked this chapter. It was fun to write. Sorry I skipped over Ignihyde dorm. I couldn't find an image of the dorm or the mirror. I honestly couldn't think of a good scene other then copying the Savanaclaw scene. I'm sorry if that's your favorite dorm. I plan on making up for it later in the story. I did like the end of the chapter and I hope you stick around for the afternoon tea chapter but first Odette will have to survive her first Overblot encounter.