Wizard Partners…

Talia moved quietly through the hallway as the other student’s bustled around her. None of them noticed her, but she noticed each of them. Especially today, when Madam White would be not only announcing partners today, but she would also be conducting the “Mach spell” which would link the two wizards until graduation… Everyone looked forward to this from the moment they started school here, but this was something Talia dreaded… She had a verbally abusive father who had basically destroyed her trust in other’s… So the idea of having to trust a partner was terrifying in so many ways.


Some guy yelled right next to her, “SCOTTY BOY!” into her ear. The yeller, not noticing her, nocked Talia over and her books went everywhere. She hit her knee but bit her tongue as she gathered her books. “Hey man!” she herd the boy say to Scott, “It’s the BIG day! Who do you think you'll get?” he asked, “I’m hoping to get Jenni!” He said. Talia rolled her eyes at the conversation. Jenni was the most popular girl in the school… Her parents had money coming out their noses and she always set the trends.

Scott turned around as Carter threw his arm around his shoulder. "You can hope until you drop dead Carter, but we both know it's never gonna happen." Scott said, his irish accent thick, as he pushed his friend off of him. "Now why you gotta be that way?" Carter complained. Scott noticed someone's book had landed by his feet, so he bent down and picked it up. He looked around and noticed a young lady gathering her things off the floor. He walked over and offered her the book,"Here you go, lass".

Talia realized that she was missing her “Level one Elemental magic” workbook and started panicking as she tried to find it before someone else did. It was embracing how behind she was in that subject… “This is what partners are for” her teacher had told her, “He’ll make up for this by being advanced with elemental magic.” But that never made Talia feel any better…


"Here you go, lass" a voice said. Talia looked up and was stunned when Scott was talking to her. She reaches out and took the book from his hand gingerly and then hid it under another book. “Thank you” she stuttered. She picked up the small stack of books and took the last two steps to her locker, opened it, and carefully placed them all inside.


Classes were over for the day. It was mandatory for all students to attend the assembly for the announcing of partners and the matching spell. So Talia pulled out her small book on healing and disappeared into the crowed as she made her way to the gymnasium.

Carter looked at Scott and asked perplexed, “Who was that girl?”

"I'm not sure, but she looks familiar." Scott said as he got up and walked over to his locker. After several unsuccessful attempts to open it, he summoned an orb of blue fire in his palm. he pressed his hand against the lost and willed the fire to melt the lock. "You can harness the power of the four elements at you beck and call, yet this is what you do with them?"Carter asked with disbeliefe. "What's good having them but not using them, aye?" Scott mused as the lock broke open.

Talia stepped into the gymnasium. There where hundreds of chairs set up with name tags setting on each one. “McCall” a voice said behind her. She turned to see Madam White standing there. “How are you feeling?” Madam White was the one person who Talia couldn’t hide from. The woman could read anyone and Talia knew the question was a rhetorical one. “Nervous” she decided. Madam White smiled, “It will be okay… I always chose carefully.” Talia looked down. The older wizard said her good byes and left.


Talia walked through the rose of chairs on the girl’s side in search of her name. She found it and picked up her name tag. Her number was 19… The wizard on the other side of the room with the same number would be her partner. She quickly clipped it on her jacket and began reading her healer’s book. “Healers are few and far between” a teacher had told her, “Your partner will like taking risks which means he’ll get hurt a LOT!” At that thought Talia shut the book at the part that explained reattaching lost limbs. She didn’t want to think about blood and pain anymore…


She reached up to her shoulder where her scare was… Her dad had given her that mark right before her Aunt paid to send her to this school. It had long ago healed as far as it ever would… But sometimes Talia thought the pain came back. Her hand started to glow and she ran it from her shoulder down to her elbow. Nothing happened and Talia knew it was because she wasn’t in any real pain.


Slowly the other students trickled in, taking their seats and shouting their numbers to friends. Carter picked up his name tag and announced to Scott, “I’m number 18! That’s gotta be Jenni’s number!” He sat down and crossed his arms, “If you get Jenni, I’m ganna be ticked!” he said.

"Quick question, if for some reason you actually do get matched up with Jenni, what would you do? Ask her out, become BFFs?" Scott asked in moderate curiosity. The look on Carter's face was dumbfounded. "[color=blue]Uhhhh, shut up..."[/color Carter stammered. Scott took his seat. Once he sat down he started thinking about how when he first discovered his abilities for elemental magic, he would accidentally make things expload, drown, fly, or crumple by looking at them.

A trumpet sounded to quite the students down. Once everyone was quiet and standing up the school’s anthem played as Madam White and the rest of the school staff made their way down the center of the room and to their places on stage. Once the anthem was over Madam White stood and greeted the students, congratulating them on the achievement of getting this far in their studies.


The strange thing about Madam White was her skin… Sure, her name was “White” but her skin was as black as coal and students often wondered how she got the name “White” in the first place. “Today we will be linking each of you together with partners.” Madam White said. She went on to explain that even though each match was always between one male and one female wizard, the relationship wasn’t meant to be romantic, they would not be married. Talia knew that about 60% of wizard matches married after graduation… Because of the high percentage of wizard matches staying together this disclaimer always had to be given before the spell was used.


Talia gripped her book as numbers 1-10 were called up at once. Each couple’s wrists were tied together with the traditional sash and the spell was recited. It was all pretty simple. “Numbers 11-20” Madam White announced. Talia’s row stood up, and even though her brain screamed at her to run, her instanced to conform to the group over rode her emotion.


“Hey man, that’s us!” Carter said getting up. He looked at the group of girl’s now making their ways up with them. “Jenni isn’t there….” He said defeated, “They are ganna put her with a geek, I bet….” He said making himself feel a little better.

"Whatever you have to tell yourself"Scott said as he stood and walked to the stage. One by one everyone was matched. Carter was partnered up with Marisa, an aggressive girl who is incredibly strict. Then is was Scott's turn. As he stepped up he came face to face with the girl from earlier. He smiled warmly at her,"Nice to see you again Lass". Scott held out his wrist and the spell was completed.

Talia stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Scott step up onto stage with her. She felt everyone’s eyes land on her and all she wanted to do was run for it. ‘There is a wooded area near by, I could go there and they’d never find me.’ She thought. "Talia McCall…?” Madam White whispered so no one else would hear. Talia’s legs finally started moving and she took her place next to Scott. "Nice to see you again Lass" He said, which just made her jump.


“Your arm McCall…” Madam White said. Talia lifted her small arm, extremely aware it was the arm with her hidden scar. She caught a glimpse of Scott’s arm and noticed his Celtic cross tattoo. The sash was tied around their wrists and Talia listened to the spell as it was recited. It was a strange mix of Latin, Greek, and a hint of Hebrew. Finally the spell was complete and the link was made. The sash was removed and Talia and Scott were free to leave the assembly.


As they left together Talia could hear a group of girls whispering, “McCall? Didn’t she drop out three years ago?” another girl added, “I thought she moved back to Rome?” Talia kept her eyes on the ground, her last defense against the hundreds of eyeballs turned towards her. She knew she’d never be invisible again.


In the hallway she let out the breath she had been holding through the whole ordeal. They were, for a moment, alone in the hallway. She loosened her grip on her healer’s Manuel. Soon she would have to wright to one of the other two living healers and request a new one. “Nice Tattoo…” Talia blurted not knowing what else to say.

Scott gave alittle smile when he realized just how shy this girl was. She hesitated on stage for a moment and she was shaking alittle. She was visibly re leaved when they where finally alone.
She mentioned something about his tattoo,"Thanks, i got it before i left Ireland, to remind me where i come from and who i am."He noticed she also had a slight accent in her voice."I like your accent, where is it from? Venice? Rome"

“Romea” Talia corrected him shaking a little still. “I grew up right outside the city of Romea, until my Aunt gained guardianship over me. She sent me here when she discovered I am a healer.” she said. Everyone was aware that there were only three living wizard healers. No one was sure why they were not being born at the same 1 in 10 rate they once had. “I thought I lost my accent.” She sounded a little disappointed in herself. “I’ve been living at this school since the third grade…” She added.


At that exact moment the next two wizards came off the stage and entered the hallway. A teacher came out behind them and handed the four wizards there new class schedules. Talia looked at the one that she would now share with Scott and winced when she saw the advanced Elemental class. She was advanced in every other subject and hoped there was something Scott struggled with too.

Scott was impressed , healers are incredibly rare these days. And since SCott had a nasty habit of getting hurt, this partnership seemed perfect! He also noticed the hint of sadness in her voice. "Why would you want to lose your accent?"Scott suddenly spoke in a flawless american accent,"I learned to cover mine a few years back, but why bother? My voice is a part of who i am,"the slipped back into his normal Irish voice,"It shows where i'm from and where i've been. I think you are lucky to have been here for so long, i mean i know you must have missed your family. I've only known about my abilities for a few months."
Then Scott was handed his copy of their new scheduel. "Blasted! I'm a hopless Mystic! I can't conjure a decent illusion for the life of me!"

Talia dropped her book and it disappeared before it hit the ground and reappeared in her locker. “I mean I know you must have missed your family.” Scott said. Talia had to lean up against the lockers closest to her for support. Scott must have had the childhood she had only read about. She wasn’t even sure what to say to him. “I- ah…” she couldn’t lie, because soon their empathy link would open up and he’d be able to read her mind. “I don’t have a family like yours…” she said simply.


"Blasted! I'm a hopeless Mystic! I can't conjure a decent illusion for the life of me!" Scott said. “I’m only level one elemental…” Talia confessed timidly. She flipped the schedule to see that they would be staying in building 3. Each match was given a special dorm set up. It included two bedrooms with doors that wouldn’t allow the other to go inside and a common’s area for studying. It was also stocked with books on the subjects they would both need to work on together.

Marisa walked back into the hallway with Carter dragging behind her. She grabbed Talia’s bad shoulder and slammed it against the lockers and hissed in her face, “Trollia… I thought you went back to Roma!” she used a mock Italian accent. Talia let out a small cry of pain as she felt the mended stretched skin ripped open a little. Marisa was Talia’s personal bully ever since she bumped into her in the third grade. This was coupled with a few more petty incidents like, using the wrong scissors or crayons… Talia couldn’t even remember why Marisa hated her so much….

“It’s amazing how well you can disappear without the aid of magic!” Talia blurted. Marisa nocked her in the jaw and screamed, “Go home troll! And take your stupide Leprechaun with you!” and throw her to the ground.

Carter didn’t even know what to do. He knew he was supposed to do something… But he hated conflicts…… and he was going to have to get along with Marisa SOMEHOW! So he stayed silent hoping to stay out of it all.

/ooc/ I was bord soooo... I replied again... There is a little more for you to react to if your dealing with wrighter's block. >.> My last replie wasn't so good... I was also thinking that the empathy link could kind of be like the one Percy and Grover had. They could kind of contact eacholther with their minds. That's where I got the whole, "Read her mind" bit from./

((sorry, ive been moving out of my apartment, which is a huge pain!But i'm back now!))

"Leprechaun! HA! thats a good one!" Scott said as he swipped his arm out in front of him, using his elemental magic to summon a gust of wind that pinned Marisa to the wall. Once she was against the wall he stomped his foot and summoned limestone restrints to appear out of the walls and pin her there for good, or until he felt like letting her go.

"HEY! Let me go you Irish Dog!"Marisa yelled as she thrashed against the hand holds. "Now, now, that's no way to be." Scott said as he summoned a cobalt blue flame in his hand and holding it close to her face. "Here's what's gonna happen next. You are gonna apologize to my friend here,"Scott's irish accent was tinged with anger," and then you and Carter are going to walk away and not look back." Scott deminished the flame and walked over Talia and helped her up. "You okay Talia?" he offered her his hand.

((That's okay! Wellcome back! Sorry I didn't respond yestrday... I ment to, but my family now has 3 houes annnd the other two don;t get internet of course... :\ I was in one of them cleaning and weeding. Wanna talk about a pain? weeding 5 acers of land plus two more normel sized lots... By hand.... Uhhhg... T.T))

Talia’s brain again screamed at her to run for it. ‘The link isn’t open yet… If I can find Madam White in time she can stop it!’ she thought. But again her habit of conformity prevented her from rocking the boat. Timidly she took Scott’s hand, figuring he wasn’t out to hurt her this time. “Are you okay Talia?” Scott asked. “I thought that you thought my name was ‘Lass’…” she mumbled just before the link opened and an exchange of memories was made by accident between the two wizards.

“You insolent little child!” Talia’s father screamed in her memory. He toward over a six year old Talia and waved his finger at her. He kept screaming as Talia stood there just taking it. She turned her head and look in a mirror. “LOOK AT ME!” he screamed grabbing her head and turned her face back towards him. “I’m sorry…” she said weekly. “You’re sorry?” he mocked her, “You asked the judge to let you live with my sister and… YOUR SORRY!?” he stood up and took a few steps away, turned back around and screamed, “I’ll show you just how SORRY you are!” he yelled as he summed a red hot flame. Talia could only turn to her side and cover her face as the flam hit her shoulder causing the scare she wouldn’t be able to heal all the way up.

While all this was happening Carter was trying to get Marisa free from the hand holds while Scott and Talia were distracted by their accidental memory exchange.

((You should wright up a small memorie from Scott's childhood for Talia to see. Pleas! ^^))

Talia's memories blasted into Scott's mind. Seeing what Talia endured as a child reminded him of the day he lost his father. It was a warm spring night and Byron and Scott McDaniels were walking home after a movie when the mugger appeared. "Follow me or the boy gets it!" He muttered as he stuck the chamber of a Colt 45' revolver under Scott's chin. "Calm down mate," Byron said, complying with the mugger's demands to try and keep his son safe. He started reaching for his wallet in his back pocket, but the mugger thought otherwise. There was a bright flash, a loud bang, and a pool of blood under his father's body. "No...no....NOOOOOO!" Scott yelled looking at the lifeless body of his father. As he yelled, Scott felt a unbelievable power building up within him. With one final scream, the power flowed forth in the form of an explosion. The mugger was blasted backwards, killed on impact. When the smoke and flames had cleared, all that was left was Scott's crying over his father's dead body, and staring at the tattoo of a small celtic cross on his father's forearm.

Scott knew that she had also been able to see his memories, but he said nothing. "Lass is just what i call girls i don't know to well"Scott explained.

Talia was still reeling back from what she had just witnessed. Not only because she had just seen two men die, but because she saw a father sacrificing himself for his child… This was a concept completely foreign to Talia as her own Dad would have never done something so brave. She tried to speak but the words got cot in her throat when she realized Scott wasn’t saying anything either. “Oh…” she said softly when she remembered what she had said right before the memory exchange.

“SCOTT…” Carter snapped, “I swear! Let her go before a teacher sees!” he demanded. There was a rule against magic in the hallways. Talia noticed that Marisa and Carter’s link must have opened as well, and they had also exchanged memories by accident. This was apparently something that happened most of the time with new empathy links.

Scott turned to Carter, who was pulling hard against the restraints trying to free Marisa. "Can't do that Carter, i told her what she had to do in order to get down. All she has to do it apologize, and i mean a real apology, and i will let her down."
While all that was going on, Scott was trying to reach Talia with only his thoughts," Test. Test. One two. This thing on?"

Talia jumped,"Mamma Mia!" she thought in response to Scott's thoughts, using the Italian equivalent to "Oh my God!". Even after living in the states for so long and never even speaking Italian aloud, she still found herself thinking in Italian then transacting to English... So the English words felt so strange.

Carter glared at Scott then turned back to Marisa. Suddenly the hand holds released Marisa and the head Elemental instructor appeared. "Scott attacked me!" Marisa cried as she rubbed her risks. "I just wanted to return Scott's pen!" Marisa reached into her pocket and pulled out one of Scott's green pens with his name scratched in the side. Talia quickly realized she must have used a retrieval spell to get the pen. She knew there was no use in arguing at this point. Marisa was an excellent actress and could almost make you believe you did something when you didn't.

Talia quickly sensed Scott was becoming angry. He held his hands in tight
fists and his face had turned red with anger. "Detention Scott!" the teacher snapped, "Your partner too!" Terrified of another out burst Talia carefully slipped her hand into Scott's and shot a calming energy into him with a gentile squeeze. She let go and sent him the message, "It's not worth fighting..." then added a week, "I'm sorry..." sounding just as week as she had in the memory.

Scott focused on his pen in Marisa's hand. He concentrated on the air surrounding it. With a flick of his wrist, the pen flew from her hand to his." SCOTT! That's double detention for the both of you!" Miss Boon shouted.

He took a moment to try and calm down, but only ended up getting more angry. Ever since what happened with his father, Scott got alittle unpredictable when he saw anyone threatening someone smaller. He felt Talia's calming presence and heard her voice in his head, but it sounded so drenched with sadness that he got even angrier. The air around him started to shimmer with heat. This was a downside of being gifted in elemental magic, your powers were tied to your emotions. If he allowed himself to give into the anger, then he knew he would be surrounded by flames.

Scott took Talia's hand in his. It reminded him that he had someone on his side from now on, someone who had his back. Holding her hand seemed to calm him down enough to gather his thoughts. "Miss Boon, please consider this, if Marisa was just trying to give me back my pen, why would i pin her to the wall? Also, if she is so innocent then why is she trying to sneak away right now?" Scott looked over Miss Boon's shoulder and saw that Carter and Marisa were now about 50 feet away instead of being right behind the young teacher.

"You're hand is really warm," Scott thought to Talia.

Scott felt like crap, to put it frankly. He had let his temper, and his powers, get out of hand again. Now Talia would have to be punished because of him. "Let's go see our room." Scott said trying to get things moving. He would apologize after the settle in. "Have any idea where it is?"

Talia had to look around a little for her class schedule. She found it on the floor a few feet away. She must have dropped it when Marisa slammed her against the lockers, remembering that made the pain in her arm come rushing back now that the adrenalin from being attacked and then Scott almost killing everyone in the hallway was wearing off. She cringed as she picked the peace of paper up and looked on the back to see where they would be staying.

"We are in building 3... Dorm 19." she said trying not to let him know she was in pain. She noticed in her reflection in the window that she had a busted lip. Talia rolled her finger over the lip and it instantly healed up. Her shoulder would have to wait until they got to their dorm.

She remembered that Scott said he had only been at the school for a few short months and she assumed that meant he didn’t know where building 3 was. She stepped over to a door no one else ever thought to use. She knocked on it as if she were seeing if anyone were inside then whispered the spell, “Fort knox Lock.” And it swung open. Building 3 was a strait shoot from where they stood.

Scott noticed Talia wincing in pain when she bent down to pick up the piece of paper. He knew she was in pain, but he also knew there was little they could do about it here in the hallway. The Talia walked over to a door he never noticed before and preformed some sort of spell. He knew that this door was probably so custodial closet since they were in the middle of the building, but when it swung open, it revealed a beautiful garden path that led up to a huge building. "Ok, you are going to have to teach me how do do that." Scott muttered in awe. "After you," Scott said as he held the door open for her.