The Vampire Fairy•Sky of Eraklyon

2

People were starting to trickle out of the courtyard, and there were now empty picnic tables, so Talia picked one to settle into.

She plopped down, retrieving her sketch book from a shadow nearby, careful not to let anyone see her use her powers.

She'd learned relatively young she could reach through shadows to retrieve objects, she'd tried to travel through them before, but always seemed to be thrown back out of the shadow with a killer headache, and serious vertigo.

She searched the crowd for an interesting face, her eyes landing on the second blonde specialist she'd seen before.

He was leaned casually against a pillar, sipping a bit too obviously from a flask.

She started sketching, but lost sight of his face as he turned, offering a bit of liquor to a first year, who reluctantly accepted.

She rolled her eyes, she wasn't usually the type for snap judgements, mostly because no one ever gave her a chance, so she felt she would be kinder than them, but she was pretty sure she had this boy pegged.

Talia was shocked to see Terra approach, her usually nervous exterior nowhere in sight.

"Are you bullying the first years? Be more basic."

Terra scoffed, hands angrily on her hips.

"I can't bully the willing, right?"

The blonde said, nodding towards the first year.

"I don't know what that means."

The first year said nervously, pressed against the stone pillar behind him, his eyes darting quickly between Terra, and the other boy.

"Just ignore him."

Terra suggested confidently.

"He thinks he's some badass. You should've seen him last year. He's just a tragic nerd in disguise."

Talia's eyes widened, she may have misjudged Terra, she clearly had a backbone at times.

"And she's just three people in disguise."

Her jaw dropped, hurt flashed across Terra's face, but was quickly replaced with an even sterner look.

"Whoa. Come on, man."

The first year jumped to Terra's defense.

"No, I've got this."

Terra cut him off.

"People always think that they can treat the big girl like shit, because we're... we're sweet, and we're harmless, and we should be happy
that you're even talking to us."

Terra's face grew darker.

"But sometimes, we've had a really, really bad day, and some scrawny little arsehole says the wrong thing at the wrong time, and we're not happy you're talking to us, and we're not sweet, and most of all,"

The vines on the pillar began moving, creeping towards the second year.

"-we are not harmless."

The vines snapped forward, wrapping around his neck, yanking him back into the stone harshly.

He choked, clawing at his neck, struggling to manage words.

The first year boy looked scared,- maybe a little impressed.

"Huh? Sorry?"

Terra goaded as he continued to struggle.

"What was that, Riv? I... I'm sure it's really funny,
but I can't quite hear it."