@itsuwaru, continued from here:
Tamamo didn’t expect to be recognized, much less approached.
Perhaps it was a given considering her position as a teacher, but even so throughout the entire night she tried to keep close to the walls, always away from the sine of chandeliers above and from the main activities held at the center of the ballroom. She was here to watch, come up with new ideas and take whatever chances she could to execute them- that’s it. The startle didn’t tear any yelps from her throat, however it did cause the fur on her tail to stand up as she turned around to glance at her new companion.
Her voice was quiet- almost blending in with the music and noise from the crowd. “I don’t…think I know you.” She could easily be one of the students, but there were plenty within the clergy who also looked around that age. “I don’t know your boyfriend either, but…ah, I think I saw him in the halls before. That purple hair…hm, yes.” Messy purple hair, the face of a composed bookworm, if that was Erk- then indeed, Tamamo had spotted him in the distance and already decided he’d make for a fun target even though he was from another house.
So, this was his little girlfriend? Interesting. She seemed like the time to squeal and whine if anything went wrong. Perhaps later she’d find out whether that was the case or not- right now it would be too on the nose, and she hadn’t observed anything she could work with either.
“I’m Tamamo. But it seems you already know me, so. Nice to meet you, either way. Hehe.” The flower was accepted with a small smile and a careful gesture, before offering a tulip of her own. “Hm…thanks. I’m not used to parties like this.” The fox averted her gaze for a moment, golden hues wandering near the floor or around Serra’s silhouette for a moment. “I like your dress. It looks very…nice, yes. I like your makeup.”
Small talk was something she always despised- it always felt meaningless. But this was a bit of a tough spot, feeling both stunned and pinned, so all she could do was go along with the conversation. Might as well, no? The more things to find out about others, the better. “What magic do you know?”
Honestly, Serra didn’t know her name. Tamamo… it was a pretty sounding name, she thought, the sort of name she hadn’t heard of before. But of course she hadn’t. They came from completely different lands, she was sure. Everything about Tamamo, from the cut of her hair to the fabric she was donning, told clearly the tale of a person from somewhere Serra’d never been.
… And the literal tail helped sell that, too. Serra knew people who weren’t all-human, but when they were in their human forms, they looked… well… completely human-like.
“Why, thank you! I think you look very lovely, too!” It was rare she was graced with the vision of such clothing like Tamamo’s… But fashion was fashion, and she could tell Tamamo was a beautiful woman, dressed well. “You know, I don’t know much about the sort of clothing you’re wearing… Is there a name for that type of dress? I’d love to learn more… I’m usually up to date on all the latest fashions, you see, but where I come from didn’t have anything like that…”
Still, there was a question to answer — and a question she was proud to answer. A black lace glove pressed to her swelled chest. “I do healing magic! Back in Elibe, where I’m from, you need a staff to summon healing magic, but I’ve taught myself how to do it without the staff, as they do in this land… It was a little difficult at first, but my devoutness to Saint Elimine won in the end! Hehe! I can also do a multitude of other complicated spells… I can unlock doors… Silence enemies… Send them to sleep… All sorts of things! I don’t fight, but I’ll do anything else. What about you? I’m sure your land must have fascinating spells, hm?”