The aeroship was a dot in the sky, but the distant humming attracted plenty of attention on the Lawn that morning. Students, still bleary and weak from sleep, rubbed the sand from their eyes and squinted up against the sun to see the black speck growing larger and larger, the humming grow more and more intense.

When the aeroship was close enough to make ripples of air on the grass, they stepped back to form a circle. It was a small, strange machine, not of Anaxi design nor Mugrobi; it was steel grey, made from some sort of oxidized metal not found in these lands, and the single white balloon ("How does it stay up?" wondered one small girl) was lashed to the ship's body with steel cables.

As the propellers died down and the noise became bearable, a gangplank was lowered with the whir of mechanical parts clinking and clanging. To the students of engineering and mechanics, the innards seemed to be so much more volatile than the nice, safe, quiet Anaxi ships.

From the cockpit stepped not a seasoned pilot, but a petite woman in a smart black dress.

She stepped down easily from the gangplank as though she drove the machine everywhere, parking on lawns to go to lunch. Her high-heeled boots clicked on the slick metal. Her skin was bone-white, her hair dark and chopped, her eyes exotic. Hoxian, probably.

Yes, she was a woman of the north. It showed in the cold manner in which she surveyed the students, the ever-so-slight sneer on her thin lips, the dead look in her eyes.

Saying nothing, she strode forward confidently while the students peeked around to get a better look at her aeroship. The woman was soon met with a small crowd of professors, who had gathered on the edge of the Lawn to greet her. One held a camera spectra.

"Professor Lux, it is an honor," squeaked Griselda Mars, overcome with the excitement of meeting one of her idols in the field of Static magic.

"Excellent day for flying," she replied. For a small woman, her voice was startlingly low; even still, the thick accent did not impair the clarity of her words. It was a commanding voice, the kind that led armies to their doom.

"Do come in out of this dreadful rain," said Professor Saka Oma grandly, bowing politely and taking care not to let his headwrap drop to the ground.

"Indeed," said Harper Moore, offering her his black umbrella.

He was drawn to the way her hawk-eyes scanned everything, missing no details. She was an observer, a scientist, a brilliant scholar - all of this he would have known without an ounce of hearsay. As it were, the rumors of her arrival to fill the vacancy left by his partner, Professor Devlin, were enough hearsay to last him for a lifetime. The University was practically abuzz with talk of this woman. He could not get a biscuit at the local bakery without hearing her name - Freja Lux. It sounded like a flower, he thought, or perhaps a disease.

As the professors walked back to the main University area, he found himself counting her strides. You could set a clock by them. Click, tick, click, tick, click, tick. One of her shoes had a chip in the heel. Click, tick, click, tick. A perfect meter. The sound gave him chills, and he wasn't sure why.

He cursed Professor Devlin for not having been there to greet the woman who would be his successor. Where the devil did he go on these days, anyway?


((feel free to reply, this is for observation mainly))

Alisoina had dashed from the building the moment she had heard about the aeroship, like many other students. What the clocking hell... She wanted to get a better look, curious as to who/what was happening, but teachers and older students blocked her sight, even when she was on tip toe. Finally spotting a break in the spectators, she lunged forward and stared transfixed by the alieness of the ship, by the strangeness of the woman. Smoothing her dress, she wondered who she was until she heard prof. Mars address. This... this is a new teacher?

She was as far removed from Ali's idea of professors as a wick was. She didn't look like she would help you study for a test or choose your focus. She looked like she would tie you to a wall and beat you as exam prep. Biting her lip, she backed away, letting the jostling crowd hide her. I don't like her at all.

Athrym strolled from the library, looking up at the looming shape. She made her way to the lawn as it came down and landed. Looking around as the door opened, she spotted Alisoina. Walking over to the girl, she took particular attention to the black haired woman that left the ship. Her whole demeanor reminded her of something...familiar. Stepping close to the younger girl, she linked an arm in hers and spoke quietly.

"What the clock do you think is going on?" Her tone was light and conversational, something about her relationship with Alisoina had changed. The girl felt a closeness between them.

Alisoina looked up at Athrym, sensing the warmth in her voice, felt the older girl link arms with her, and felt that strange feeling she generally associated with Ellie, only stronger. it was a feeling of yeah, things are ok, wanna grab a bite to eat and then go giggle at the boys field teams? Athrym's presence suddenly felt like... like home, in some odd sense. Alioina smiled, suddenly much less frightened of the cold woman.

"She's a new Prof, so I heard. Dunno anything else. Looks like a right stirct one, though." Mm, not having to watch my words is almost as good as a book, and three times better than sweets, she thought. Was that was friendship was? Hm, hope so, because I am not falling for Athrym.

Athrym nodded and narrowed her eyes at the new teacher...wondering if she was just as big a fool as the rest of them here.

"Probably just for show. Don't worry about her." She shrugged. Turning with girls arm in her's she tugged gently.

"Why don't we go and find Edguard, maybe he will know something?"

Alisoina nodded, following Arthyrm's lead, though her heart really wasn't in it. She hadn't really seen the strange professor since the crypts... and she really hadn't felt to comfortable there. For obvious reasons. However, Athrym obviously trusted him, and that was good enough for the redhead. Ali shrugged off her trepidation and stepped cheerily in stride with the older girl, smiling brightly.

"That would be great! Hopefully he'll tell us what she's all about." Even at the blonde's dismissal of the new woman, Ali had a sinking feeling in her gut. The same kind she felt right before stepping into the crypts. Oh well, she thought while tucking some hair behind her ear, I doubt that it could be that bad, and put her fear from her mind.

Smiling at the redhead, Athrym led them back to the library and let go of Alisoina's arm to open the door and walk inside. She looked around briefly, then in a quiet almost bored voice she spoke.

"Edguard, are you in here? I want to talk with you." He would be around here somewhere, listening in.

"Up here girls," Whether he had been listening or not, they'd never know. Edguard was standing on the second floor, with his back to the two. Currently, he was looking out a window toward the arriving professor, but gave them a quick glance and a momentary warm smile.

Athrym gestured to Alisoina with her head and started ascending the stairs. She walked over beside the librarian and followed his gaze out the window, folding her arms.

"Who is she, sir?" She asked quietly.

Alisoina started, and almost dropped the book she was carrying. Gah! Edguard! Looking up onto the balcony, she looked at the strange teacher with narrowed eyes. How did he just... appear? Librarians weren't supposed to be sneaky. They were supposed to be frumpy and crotchety and old. Edguard... was none of these things. And she called him Edguard; why? She wasn't assigned to him, and she wasn't taking lessons. He should have been Prof. Alleratt.

Nonetheless, she dipped a polite nod and waited for his reply. I am not going to let him scare me. The other lady was better at it anyway.

Thinning his eyes, he thought about her, "Freja Lux, a professor from Hox... from what I hear she's quite skilled at Static magic."

Yes, he thought to himself, not to mention the rumors that she's taking over some of the responsibilities of a certain professor...

Athrym narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. She heard the tone of the librarian's voice.

"You don't sound like you like her, sir." Her voice was low, a questioning tone. Looking down at Alisoina, she smiled slightly. The girl seemed almost intimidated by Edguard, Athrym could understand why, but at the same time she herself was quite comfortable with him. Like family almost.

"... My feelings toward her are... mixed." Thoughtfully, he turned his head as he regarded her. "The Headmistress respects her, therefore Miss Lux gains some portion of my respect; however, I don't know to much about her personally..."