Love Potion

What's the Goss?

Classes that day were rather over-clouded by the exciting news, and I found there wasn't a singular lesson where Majestio's name was not mentioned.

"All right, all right," a tired Master Caesus had said, as he batted his arms at our chattery sorcery class. It was a particularly bright sunny day, and the inside of his three-walled classroom was positively barmy. "I know the news of Majestio is very exciting, but we really must concentrate on our lesson - remember your exams - oh, quieten down, please - now, Mister Kane, if you would just show me your bear transformation again..."

The conversation had then continued firmly on Majestio, and I'm sure the boys were the only ones who got any real work done. They only sighed and shook their heads once in a while as most girls cried and giggled in their circles.

People were talking about and exhilarating in Majestio so much, I found I was already bored of the guy, and was sure that on his arrival would be seriously underwhelmed. Although, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the fact I was one of a few girls who weren't madly in love with the guy.

"I don't see what's so special about the guy," I had unshily muttered to Kaspar, who I sat with every lesson to watch the rest of the specialty-possessing students, unlike ourselves. "He's just a man with superpowers. Isn't that normal here?"

And in fact, the quiet, consistently barf-threatened Kaspar, who used to squeal and burrow in his book every time I tried to make conversation with him, even said a piece about the man: "Majestio is as special as a sack of beans," he said confidently, quiet different from his usual, muted voice. "Alfrick Lullaby could beat his sock in, and he's sixteen! Hmph!"

I gaped at him. Kaspar had priorly closed his eyes and was nodding like he had just made the business decision of the year, but as soon as he noticed my watch, made a peep and began to feverishly read his book. It was upside down.

The rest of the lesson I just watched in awe as Kenzie transformed his arm into a lion's in 0.8 seconds, which Caesus was recording on a stopwatch. He looked mighty pleased with himself. As he should be! It was very impressive. I thought he looked rather cool with that monstrous arm, morphing between a bear's and lion's and dragon's and other beasts I didn't recognise... watching him, I could barely hear the loud yawps still coming from my friends. They were beginning to annoy me actually (a difficult feat, for I relied on them for company), but the amount they yapped on about the guy really pidgeoned my breadcrumbs.

Caesus had now moved past Kenzie (who was still moulding his arm with clawlike strikes) and tried to coax a girl to practise her magic with him, failed, then tiredly moved on to Gray. Gray was materialising dagger-shaped sculpts of ice from his shivering palm - he had already made a few carrot-shaped icicles, which were in a pile beside him and promptly melting in the sun.

"Great work," Master Caesus said, gratified in a student who was actually working hard. "Try and make it more durable, though - the daggers you've made are already melting. Remember, durability, not shape..."

You have to focus the magic in the centre of the ice, not its shape, I absentmindedly thought, remembering from another lesson I had watched him. I didn't realise, but I was actually learning a lot about sorcery - I could make a perfect dagger of ice myself, if only I had the bleeding speciality. I was getting more and more saddened that I didn't have a power for myself. I had no idea how Kaspar had survived so long without one. Wand magic was good, but it could only do a wide range of moderately helpful spells - your speciality was where your actual power came in. Practising and strengthening it was practising and strengthening your very self. That magical essence you were born with.

Magical essence I wasn't born with. I tried not to feel grouchy about it - I was infinitely achieved for discovering any magic at all.

"Hey," I decided to say to Kaspar, beside me in the grass, as I watched Caesus mutter secretively with Viper, who occasionally winced his eyes in hard thought. I thought he looked very stupid. "How do you survive, without a speciality? Isn't it so saddening?"

I half didn't expect an answer. I watched on as Caesus shook his head, and Viper barked a retort, before scrunching his eyes again.

But "Oh," Kaspar replied promptly but casually, "I have a speciality."

I stared. My train of thought had screeched to a halt. "What?"

"Yeah, haha." He turned a shade of green similar to what Morgaine's had been this morning, and stuttered, "I have a speciality. Same as everyone in my family. I just can't control it. I have lessons after school on it."

"What?" I dully repeated. All this time, the boy had had a specialty? I had been the only one? No wonder Viper thought I was a loser.

"It's monster-mago," he continued splutteringly. He seemed to be induced only by my blank dumbness. "We can transform into monsters. Big ones. Dangerous. It's super dangerous. Very hard to control. I've never got the hang of it. I can't practice it in lesson, 'cause I'll hurt someone."

I stared looklessly at the boy, still reading the hidden cards. "Bloody hell," I finally said.

"Uh- sorry," Kaspar said awkwardly. Sorry I didn't know, sorry he hadn't told me, sorry I was the only one without one? I didn't know.

I was still looking at him. "So you're like the Hulk?"

"Uh- what?"

"Nothing."

We didn't say anything else on it until the lesson ended. I walked to botany alone. Persephone only said a few sentences that did not include the blasted name of Majestio. I popped the pulthasar plant pods without joining in, a new headache forming in my head that was unrelated to spirit.

During breaktime I sat alone in the library, meaning to do homework, doing none, and stupidly hoping that somebody would join me.

The day washed by like a cold and soggy drizzle. Everybody around me was chock-full of excitement and glee, meanwhile I was in a mood: being annoyed by anyone talking around me, as well as wanting company, and generally feeling so sour that I couldn't bear to do a single thing. I couldn't do my homework, I couldn't be with my friends, I couldn't read my book, I was even thwarted by writing something down, something about how I was feeling.

So I went to have a shower. I couldn't shiver the feeling of dirtiness about me (though I had washed the day before). Also, I didn't want to lay in my bed with the girls all giggling around me, tempting me into conversation.

I had to go through the commonroom to get to the bathhouse, so Viper, who was slumped in the fireplace armchair with Crox and Muskett and obviously feeling lively enough to vex me, muttered to them loudly as he noticed me, immediately followed by laughter, and more looks. I had the energy only to bite my thumb at him, then disappear into the bathhouse.

As I entered, I saw one of the baths (the large circular holes in the floor) was occupied by a gaggle of seventh-year girls. They laughed and scrubbed one another's backs or hair in the soapy pink water. I averted my eyes as I stumped past them - I still hadn't got used to people being so easy about nakedness in this world.

Then I paused. I glanced back at them: there were five of them, all chattering loudly, and passing around soaps or salts and handfuls of froth. Wincing my eyes, I cleared my throat...

"Hey," I croaked. They continued to talk loudly. Only one of them noticed me. "Excuse me," I said more loudly. Their talking ceased - ten eyes turned to me.

Oh no! I thought, my eyes a frenetic panic. Soapy boobies!

"H-hi," I spluttered. My eyes were firmly looking at their heads. "I just- I'm a friend of Fae's, um..." I realised I didn't even know her last name. "You guys are in her year... do you know Fae?"

Looking surprised but not mean, they murmured to each other; then one girl, blonde, said, "Um, no... I don't know any Fae. Sorry."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."

The girls considered me curiously - I hoped as a cool artefact, rather than a piece of poo they couldn't name a creature to.

I went quickly for the showers, but didn't want to have a shower in the same room as these girls... but also didn't want to just leave, showing them the prime reason I went to the bathhouse was to ask them about some girl they had never heard of before.

Was I overthinking things? I think I was.

I went to have a shower. I did not leave until I was sure they had.