Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

We'll be seeing more of this (Ren Olvry & Denna)

Ren Olvry

Ren Olvry

Supernova
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Jacob could, very clearly, attest that being the lone fur in a school of mages was... difficult. And even that was putting it rather lightly. Everyone knew him, it was no slight secret that he was barely scraping by with a passing grade, and that he was allowed anywhere, much less even into a classroom or his dorm room, was almost a surprise to him. 'No-talent', so they said... he wasn't wholly inclined to agree, but he just as well wasn't inclined to show anyone what he was capable of after his few years of magic study at the school.

A mere few years that already put him behind most of the students, which was another related issue.

"Alright, now choose your partners. If you don't have a partner by the end of class in... five minutes, you'll be assigned to someone at my discretion," the teacher spoke, seeming to pointedly look in the direction of the lone wolf in the back. It was a hint clearly gotten by a fair chunk of the class, who almost instantly found themselves partners. Just barely, the wolf could make out in the chatter plans for practice spots; one of the various 'training rooms' in the basement that had magical protections in place so the rooms themselves wouldn't be damaged, or in the fairly expansive library for some study, or in their dorms... all the normal practice spots, Jacob considered. He himself much preferred it by the lake a short ways off, that was often left solitary, but he was also vaguely aware that he needed some sort of partner.

Not that such a small thought encouraged him to do anything about it. He just idly watched the crowd from his seat in the back, not moving from it, nor making any slight effort to speak up. He'd just get assigned to the last one standing anyway; what was the point, then?
 
Denna lounged in her seat, short, auburn hair flowing slightly in the draft caused by the tiny wind sprite she had conjured. She knew that today was important, as the partners chosen today would remain together for several months, but she just couldn't get excited. Dozens of students, male and female, and approached her, asking to be her partner, but after they had learned what she intended to pursue as her experiment, all had extricated themselves from the conversation as quickly as possible. Even the more persistent stalkers had started to steer clear of her, lest they be roped into the strange experiment. Denna was a school idol, with a gorgeous face, good body, and clever mind. Despite her popularity, her penchant for strange experimentation had left most students watching from a distance, with few trying to close the gap with the school idol. This left her with few to count on when it came time to partner up.

It wasn't that her experiment was dangerous, it was just embarrassing. She was a bit miffed that no one was willing to risk their dignity for the pursuit of such an amazing topic as Armor Conjuration. ' It's not like the chance of one's clothes being turned into dust, and being left naked was such a terrible price to pay. Who wouldn't want to be able to create their own amazing outfits on the fly, or even conjure protective armors with just a thought, in case of sudden danger? ' Denna mused to herself, frowning a bit at the timidity of most students. ' No drive. ' Denna nodded to herself, confident in her abilities, despite dozens of failed experiments.

After a short while, every student had chosen a partner. Denna scanned the room, finding the only other student left without a partner. It was that lone wolf, Jake, she thought his name was. She shrugged, a bit disappointed that she would be left with an academic light-weight, but even some of the more talented students might not be able to help her with the experiment, other than acting as a test dummy. She decided to make a move towards him, instead of waiting for the teacher to make the obvious decision for her.

Denna stood, approaching Jacob, a determined look on her normally serene face. She stood before him, taking a slightly haughty stance. " I see we are the only ones left without a partner. Seeing as there is no other choice, would you care to be my partner? "
 
The wolf could practically feel the time ticking down as more and more people managed to snag partners, and a few pairs already left the room; to get started on whatever project they might have in mind, he assumed. Which, in some retrospect, was not something he had; rather save himself the trouble and just go along with whatever his doubtless forced partner had in mind, maybe be able to contribute something... assuming said partner was one who might listen to someone like him at all, which he didn't find likely. Well, as long as he at least kept managing to pass, he couldn't really complain...

All the same, even in his uncaring, somewhat spaced-out state, Jacob still didn't fail to notice someone actually coming over, and before the timer was up, no less. Idly glancing up to... Denna, was it? well, he'd heard the name enough times by now... he responded first with an annoyed scoff. Even with a brief glance around, he could already catch some of the glares toward him, some of the shallow muttering about him. Idiots... they didn't exactly have a right to complain when they weren't stepping up to be the popular girl's partner...

"Just like you said, there's no other choice, so does it really matter what I think about it?" the wolf grumbled in annoyance. Letting out a small sigh, he quickly gathered what few things he had into his pack before picking himself up to his feet. "Well, c'mon. No way I want to be around these people much longer, so we might as well go down to the training room to try out... well, whatever it is you have in mind," Jacob suggested... or perhaps more so insisted, considering the fact that he was already starting to walk out of the classroom without even waiting for a response, easily slipping by the guys who tried aggressively bumping shoulders with him.

'If they even let me in there at all...' he considered to himself. Past history pointed very firmly to 'no', but maybe while he was with an assigned partner for a school project... well, who knew. Didn't hurt to try... probably.
 
Denna was rather startled by Jacob's rather abrupt response. She was left staring at his back as he stood and walked off. She felt a bit snubbed. She had saved him the humiliation of having the teacher choose his partner, but he seemed to just brush off her attempt at comradery. She jogged after him, calling out. " Hey, wait! Where do you think you're going! " Denna tried to catch him as he left the classroom. ' What is with this guy? I mean, I can understand that not having friends can be annoying, but he should at least give people a chance before just brushing them off! ' Denna thought to herself as she rushed after him.

Denna frowned as she tried to dodge around the people stumbling after Jacob had slipped past them. She crashed into one, catching herself on a nearby seat. " Watch it! Stop crowding the exit! " She gave him a small push, trying to slip past the guy. He turned to face Denna, blocking her path. He frowned slightly as he responded, " Miss Denna, you should be careful around that wolf-boy, he could be dangerous. " Denna snorted at the boy in her way. " You think he'd dare try anything with me? Even if he did, I would flatten him in a second, just like you, if you don't move out of the way. " Startled, the boy quickly moved to let her pass.

Denna sighed inwardly, not liking to raise her voice to others, but it was the boy's own fault for crowding up the exit, then stopping her from leaving. She moved quickly to Jacob's side, pulling on his sleeve to get his attention. " Hey, Jake, wait up for a moment! Shouldn't we at least decide what kind of project we are going to work on before heading to a training room? We should figure out what equipment we will need. " Denna knew what she wanted to work on, but she at least needed Jacob's approval first, and she definitely didn't want to hold it in a public setting. She didn't want to embarrass Jacob in case the worst happened.
 
"Down to a training room. I already said that," Jacob grumbled in response to that little question. Was the popular girl just not entirely paying attention, then? Well, whatever. If it was just something as simple as that, he could... probably tolerate it over the next couple months. Even if he couldn't quite manage to, chances were he'd had worse even just in his few years here and away from home anyway. 'Put up with it' was, ultimately, his only seemingly effective solution to anything, and it had basically worked so far; this girl wasn't going to be any different.

After a short time, he could well enough hear the girl apparently escaping the classroom and catching up to him, but as soon as she so much as touched his sleeve, the wolf growled slightly, turning a mild glare on her for a moment or two. "Jacob, thanks. No point in trying to act familiar," he muttered, seeming to make a point of not once looking over to Denna. "I assume you already have something in mind, so I'll let you lead the way. I'll just carry whatever you need me to, and do whatever work I can otherwise. It's not exactly a secret that I'm not very good at any sort of schoolwork around here, so I'm sure just that's the best you were hoping for," he added with a small, dismissive shrug, before finally glancing (at least a little) toward Denna.

"So what's the plan, then, and what should I be grabbing?"
 
Denna froze as the wolf growled at her. She stared, obviously started by his aggressiveness. Then she realized that she had gotten his name wrong. ' Oh gods! No wonder he is upset with me. ' She frowned, mentally berating herself. She fidgeted a bit, not sure how to react. " I-I... It's not like... " She frowned, obviously unsure how to proceed. She wanted to apologize, but was unsure what to say. For a moment, she was tempted to just head to the training rooms, and let him embarrass himself in front of everyone. But Denna knew she was in the wrong. She glanced at the floor, before responding. " I'm sorry I messed up your name. I don't hear it often, since most people just call you wolf-boy. " Denna shivered a bit after she realized that what she had said might be offensive. " N-Not that I'd call you that, it's just... " Denna shook her head, knowing it was probably too late.

" I'd prefer to get your approval on the project first, even if you won't be able to help much. I already have a private room with the most of the equipment necessary. It's down in the Stacks, where all the teachers do their personal experiments. I've got a pass to access it, so we shouldn't have a problem at the desk. " Denna looked up at Jacob, making only brief eye contact, before turning around, and heading towards the Stacks. She didn't look behind her to make sure Jacob was following, unsure if she could meet his eyes after making a fool of herself. She practically rushed down the hall, wanting to get to her private room as soon as possible. It was too much trouble being around so many people.

Denna arrived at the desk, smiling politely at the teacher on duty. " Hello, Ms. Fialla, I'm here for the room key. " She slid a small piece of paper to the lady, hand extended for a key. The teacher took a long look behind her, before shaking her head. " The room's been taken. You'll need to pack up and move somewhere else for your experiments. Have it done by tonight. " Denna just stared at the teacher, utterly dumbfounded.
 
As the girl started to stammer, the wolf responded with nothing more than another small, annoyed scoff. Why she was bothering to get like that about it... well, probably some degree of fear, he supposed. His dark gray-furred visage was hardly the roughest he'd seen among his general kin -- not by any stretch; it wasn't very rough at all unless he was baring his teeth -- but it didn't change the fact that he was, effectively, a predatory species. Generally seen as dangerous. That had to be it; no way she could be worried at all about what he might be feeling.

"Just call me by that or my actual, non-shortened name; at this point, I don't care which," Jacob dismissively shrugged. Why she seemed to be under the impression that his 'approval' even remotely mattered for anything, he again couldn't say... but just as he'd told her to lead, so he quietly followed when Denna started to move. Almost, just almost, he wanted to just stop her and save himself the trouble... but better for her to see for herself how many places were forcibly off-limits to him. And indeed, when it seemed they'd arrived at her destination, it didn't take long before he was, in fact, denied... well, anything.

"Well, c'mon. Let's grab whatever you happen to need and go... anywhere else, that's not in the school," the wolf suggested. "Otherwise I guarantee that this is going to keep happening, whether it's school staff or other students making sure to block things off," he added, glaring slightly at the teacher for a brief moment before turning to Denna to see what she might need here. For now, he just left it at that; no way he was going to state any possibilities of where to go within easy earshot of someone who could, and probably would send others to interfere with him. "Besides, it'll probably be easier to work that way anyway.
 
Denna stood for a moment, glancing between Jacob and the teacher, confusion plain on her face. She seemed to have no idea why she was being denied, until Jacob finished speaking. She turned to Jacob, a frown growing on her face. She turned to the teacher, a finger pointed, mouth opening, then closing. She gave a huff, pointing at a key hanging on the wall. A small green summoning circle appeared at the end of her finger, and a tiny, green wind sprite appeared, rushing to the key, grabbing it, then putting it in Denna's waiting palm. She glared at the teacher. " I will need the key to get in and clean up my stuff. Thanks for all the help. " With a huff, she stalked off towards her room.

She glanced behind her after they had gone behind a corner, giving Jacob a curious glance. " I didn't think teachers would refuse us access because of your poor grades. That's just discrimination. Just because you don't have a great academic record, doesn't mean you can't learn something great and amazing! To deny access to experimental testing areas is just... mean. " Completely ignorant of the true reason they had been denied access, she stood before the door to the room that was once hers. She stared at it for a moment, taking a moment to process the idea that she wouldn't be able to use the amazing room anymore. " How am I supposed to accurately measure the subject without equipment? I can't possibly do it by hand... " A look of horror crosses her face. She turned to Jacob, face flushed red with embarrassment. She gave a squeak, before rushing to open the door. Whatever she had been thinking, she definitely did not want Jacob knowing about it.

The room was rather bare, with a large platform in the center of the room. A table nearby held several books, and a small pedestal with the controls for the platform. Denna moved to the books, stacking them up in her arms, before turning to Jacob, still red in the face. " Jacob, could you handle the rest of the books? And we'll have to find a private place to figure out how to continue. "
 
Hm... a summoner of some sort, then? Jacob could at least hope it would have nothing to do with whatever project she might have in mind... something like summoning was a far cry for his rather limited skillset. Regardless, he didn't speak a single word for now, neither wanting to even slightly giving anything away, nor give the teacher the dignity of any actual response to what was obviously going on. Instead, he just gave a little shrug, idly following along behind Denna.

At her next statement, though, his eyes widened slightly in surprise, before the wolf chuckled slightly. Sure... just let her think it was because of something like his grades that he was treated this way. When she turned toward him with that red tint on his face, though, he couldn't help but raise a brow in confusion. 'Measurements'? 'Subject'? 'By hand'? Much as he wanted to ask what in the world she was on about, he almost felt like it would save him less stress if he just waited to see what she meant on their first experiment.

"The dorms, if we can get there around the quieter times when people aren't moving around as much... maybe the lake, if you need a more open area or something of the sort, since people rarely go around there... we at least have some options," he suggested with a shrug. Moving over to grab the rest of the books without too much difficulty, he glanced over to her before he might start to make his way out. "For now, let's go off to the lake. I know some routes where there'll hardly be anyone on the way, especially now; that way we can go mostly without being bothered," he seemed to all but decide as he started to walk along out of the room, not paying the slightest bit of attention to the teacher along the way, and only paying a minor bit of attention to Denna; merely enough to make sure she was still nearby. Only when they were going along an empty hall did he speak up again, momentarily glancing back to the girl he was stuck on this few-months-long project with.

"So what is this project of yours that you seem to be so nervous about it?" he asked. Sure, he still felt it was safer to wait... but the curiosity was still getting to him.
 
Denna followed Jacob out, mind struggling to remove a rather vivid mental image that refused to leave her be. She was too distracted to respond with anything more than a " Sure. " She struggled to follow after him, barely able to see around the pile of books she was carrying. She gave a quick glare at the teacher as she passed, before hurrying to catch up to Jacob. She managed to keep up for a moment, until Jacob asked about her project. That pesky mental image appeared in her mind again, and she tripped, dropping the books on the floor. She landed on the ground hard, books flying everywhere. She let out a little cry of surprise, then a moan of pain. Gently patting her rear, she sat up, looking around at the books littering the floor. " Ah! Crap! " She started scrambling on her knees, picking up each book with extreme care, checking for any damage.

Denna was completely befuddled by her current behavior. She normally would never have such strange thoughts, but the thought of having to measure Jacob without the use of her equipment left her flushed with embarrassment. She was so distracted, she had tripped over her own feet. Denna berated herself, upset that she would let such thoughts linger in her head. Not wanting to ignore Jacob's question, she started babbling about her project. " Oh, It's nothing fancy. It's just a bit of summoning magic mixed with binding magic and abjuration. It's purpose is to conjure a suit of clothes or armor custom designed by the caster at a moment's notice. Most armor conjuration requires an object already made in the physical world that is then teleported to the caster. This magic would make the armor out of magic, allowing on-the-fly customization for one's needs. "

Denna was rather proud of her ideas, but the research was rather slow. She was unable to take accurate body measurements by herself, and had needed a partner to assist. She had roped in a couple of her stalkers, but after a few failed experiments, they had spread the word that nobody should help her. ' Experiments are bound to fail. Just because the magic sealed their clothes away, but the new armor failed to completely form is no reason to suddenly quit! ' Denna thought firmly to herself. At the time, she had been petrified at the scene before her, but the specifics had long since been repressed, and all that remained was a sullen frustration at being unable to continue her research until she found a willing partner.
 
Well... there the books went. Credit to her for at least lasting that long with them, Jacob supposed. Still, Denna was still moving fine, so it seemed, so she was probably fine... and the books? Well, if she wasn't going to say anything, he saw no reason to possibly get in her way offering to help carry a few more. Seemed to him like she could just handle it herself, maybe even re-summon that... whatever it was exactly, to help out.

And when she explained what her plan was, the wolf paused momentarily, casting another confused glance to Denna. That was... hm. That explained what she was going on about earlier; he was to be the unwitting subject, and the measurements, in turn, were for him. "Hm... lake it is for now, then. Enough trees and not near enough people going that way to not have to worry about anyone seeing and maybe trying to copy anything," he suggested with a small shrug, unfortunately oblivious to what she wasn't telling him, and what had gone wrong with previous experiments.

"What about you, then? It's a project for this school, after all; and especially with me, there's no telling if they'll let us get away with just you performing the spell. Having some measurements on-hand for you as well would probably help some, just in case," Jacob suggested, seemingly thinking nothing of it as he continued along out of the school, the mere fact of which saw him breathing out a light sigh of relief that he was out of there, and they'd not passed anyone else yet. Only occasionally looking around a little to make sure that continued to be the case, and occasionally glancing back to Denna, he seemed, if nothing else, intent on getting to the lake without any incident.
 
Denna had finally picked up all the books, and managed to take a few more steps before Jacob suggested measuring her. The books went flying again, with Denna rubbing her very sore rear. " M-Measure ME? N-N-No, that won't b-be necessary. I-If I'm the one performing the magic, t-then there will be no evidence that it can be used by the masses. I-It would be better if you were the one to do it! Yah, that's it. " Denna was terribly flustered now, with the thoughts of both of them measuring each other for the experiment. She felt utterly humiliated. ' He must think I am an utter dunce. It's his fault for bringing these things up! Yah, it can't be my fault, just because it's my experiment, and my problem. Yeah... crap. '

Denna gathered the books again, unable to meet Jacob's eyes. " The lake sounds just fine. As long as it is out of view of everyone. And we can work on one part at a time, though it will take much longer... " Denna was most definitely not imagining Jacob without any clothes on. She had plenty of other important issues to think of, like how on earth she was going to manage these next few months if she had to skirt around the clothes issue. ' Maybe cover him in paint? That way it won't look as bad? ' Denna tried to think of a solution, but that was her best idea, and it would probably just make things worse. " How about you lead the way? It sounds like you seem familiar with the way. "
 
Again? Honestly, this girl... was she even going to survive this? Grumbling a bit in annoyance at the fact that he had to pause like this for a second time, the wolf exhaled a light sigh as he mentally swore to keep his mouth shut for the most part, lest Denna fall a third time. Twice was already more than enough... and besides, it was just measuring. Sure, he was male, but they were two very different species. Was it really that big of a deal to her?

"Suits me fine. Better for avoiding people that way, too, considering how good my ears and nose are," he idly agreed, before continuing on his own little path to the lake a short ways within the forest. Making sure on the way to occasionally glance back and make sure there wouldn't be any more incidents with the girl he was partnered with and her stack of books, he wound up rather thankful that no such thing happened by the time they did arrive. Letting out another little sigh of relief as he set the books he was holding down on the dry, soft grass, he allowed himself a small but leisurely stretch before glancing back to Denna again.

"Well. Measure away, I suppose... and try to stop worrying so much. I'm just some wolf-boy; what do you think I could possibly care about some human girl having to take measurements of me, or some simple thing like that?" he asked.
 
Luckily, Denna made it the whole way without incident. She even managed to clear her head of those persistent images. She quickly placed her pile of books next to Jacob's, and did her own stretching. She did her own stretching, smiling sunnily as she looked at the lake before them. She turned to Jacob as he started talking to her. She started moving towards him, face a bit red. She muttered under her breath, not taking into account Jacob's good ears. " Just because you don't like human girls doesn't mean its the same for the other side. I wonder how many poor girls this guys straight up ignored without realizing... " Denna took a moment to rummage in her pocket, before pulling out a long ruler. " I knew this would come in handy. Be a pal, and stay still, ok? "

Denna moved up next to placing the ruler next to his arm, making some mental notes. She gestured with a finger, and a summoning circle, much like the one she made before, appeared at the end of it. A small yellow sprite popped out of it, and proceeded to hold the ruler as Denna started making small notes in her little book. The ruler was adjusted several times, circling Jacob's arm. Denna frowned for a moment, shaking her head in frustration. His shirt was getting in the way. She wouldn't be able to make her measurements precise enough for her current level of proficiency. She tried once again, but to no avail. She stared at Jacob for a moment, before looking bashful, " Ummmm... the shirt is getting in the way of my measurements... It will make it much more likely for the magic to fail.... so... could you.... " Denna trailed off, too embarrassed to ask him directly to remove his shirt.
 
Ah... and there she went, her face going red again. Still worrying for whatever reason, in spite of, as he saw it, having no actual reason to. When Denna started to mutter a little, though, his ears instinctively flicked up a bit further on his head, making a point to take in everything whether he wanted to or not. Which, as it turned out, he didn't... but too late now. He'd already heard it, but... Jacob at least figured he could casually ignore that fact, act like he'd not heard a thing. Could be fun to tease, but then that would just prolong this process that he wanted to just get over with so she'd hopefully stop being so nervous.

"Of course," the wolf spoke, allowing himself a slight shrug before standing straight up and stock still to try and make any measurements that much easier. The fact that her ruler was occasionally catching wasn't lost on him when he felt the slight tugs. Grumbling a little in some annoyance at the way Denna was requesting his shirt to be removed, Jacob exhaled a light sigh before taking the bottom of his shirt in his fingers. "Still not getting what the big deal is; most all you'll be seeing is just fur, I guess some muscle beneath it that people'd be able to make out," he muttered. Lifting his shirt up and off in one easy motion, he discarded it off to the side near the books for now, quite clearly having no issue with standing now topless before her, the same dark grey fur covering his torso and turning nearly black around the top of his chest. "It's not bristly at all either, so that's another thing to not have to worry about," he added after a brief thought; if it was he supposed it could be rather less than convenient, but as it was, it was fairly soft.

"I suppose I should just leave it off for now even after the measurements? I can't imagine conjured armor would be as likely to catch on anything as regular armor," he curiously inquired.
 
Denna calmed herself down. ' I don't need to be so nervous. He's already said he's not interested in human females, so there is no need to worry. Besides, it'seems not like... ' Denna'so mind trailed off for a moment as Jacob'so shirt was removed. His clear, soft fur made Dennis want to run her hands through it, to see if it was as soft as it looked. Luckily, she managed to keep most of her thoughts from showing, but not all of it. She moved a bit erratically as she started her measurements over again.

" Would you prefer a tunic, or piece of armor? And do you have any color or insignia you would like to have on it? " Dennis used small talk to distract herself from the temptation of his fur. She had to occasionally touch his fur, but she was able to keep it from distracting her. Denna was pleased at how quickly she was able to finish her measurements, finally able to start designing the formula to create his new clothes. All she needed was to figure out what he wanted, and some time. Soon she would finally be able to resume her tests.
 
Color? Insignia? Jacob couldn't really help it; his first immediate thought was 'why bother asking?' The second thought that came shortly after was 'would she really give him anything close to what he might say anyway?' If it was just about anyone in the school, the answer would most assuredly be 'no'... or, more to the point, something completely outside the realm of what he'd said.

"I suppose something like a tunic is fine; beyond that, just do whatever you happen to come up with," the wolf replied with a dismissive shrug, figuring he might as well at least answer, even if just for the sake of it. Figuring in turn that there was no real point retrieving his shirt for now. "Take whatever time you need for it; nobody anywhere around anyway, and I've got nowhere to be in the first place," he offered, for now lowering himself to sit partly cross-legged on the grassy ground, his tail partly curled around by his side. From there, though, he seemed to stare curiously at Denna, his head tilting a little to the side as he considered something.

"What's going on with you, anyway? You're getting all bothered over a wolf-boy, a 'fuzzball'. I can only imagine if it was any other guy in the school that you got paired with, and if you'd even be able to survive it, if it's already so bad around someone who can't exactly be considered 'attractive'," he curiously spoke... still choosing to hide the fact that he heard her earlier, and maybe prodding a bit more than he needed to.
 
Denna seemed a bit disappointed that Jacob had no general design in mind. She didn't mind having to design it herself, she just thought it would end up looking better if he helped with some of the design. She sat down with a sigh, notebook out, pen in hand. She started making small sketches of Jacob in different poses, thinking of what kind of color and design would fit him best. To anyone looking, it would look as if she were taking a portrait of the half-naked wolf as he lounged in the grass. She looked up at Jacob as he talked to her, a quizzical look on her face. " I could care less if it's a wolf-boy or a human. If they talk about taking their clothes off in front of me, I'm going to be embarassed. Not to mention taking my clothes off. " Denna shivered a bit, flushing slightly. " And what about you? Are you always so nonchalant when you undress in front of a woman? "

Denna frowned a bit as she continued to doodle, detailing out several different tunic designs with her deft fingers. She had already settled on the look. A brown undershirt with a leaf-pattern trimmed in black down the front. A green tunic over top it, also with a black leaf-pattern on the sleeves and collar. She spent a good amount of time detailing out the image of a dancing wolf with grey fur and yellow eyes. The eyes would be condensed mana gems, good for spontaneous spell-casting, as well as looking great. Proud of her design, she began the long and ardous task of creating the magical formula to produce such an item. She estimated that the insignia alone would take an hour or so of trial and error before she managed to get the coloring and details just right. But she felt it would be worth it, thinking Jacob would look rather splendid in the outfit. All of this designing took hardly took any time for Denna. She had been designing her own outfits for days, bored out of her mind while she waited for a partner to help her out. She was incredibly excited to finally start testing again.
 
Well... he did rather more than 'talk about', considering he was presently sitting shirtless. Undressing her, though? He could get... mostly accurate measurements without having to do anything like that... probably. The next, related question of hers... well, honestly, that was rather easy for the wolf to answer. "In a place like this, I've got no reason to care about something like women when they're all humans anyway. And considering I'm not human, I can't see much of any of them being bothered about it in any way. Much like they wouldn't be bothered seeing some regular dog somewhere, generally wearing nothing more than a collar," he replied, not even having to think on his answer; for him, that was simply how it was, or at least how he saw things. The concept of a human actually, somehow being in any slight way attracted to him was entirely out of mind.

Beyond that, the wolf stayed sitting patiently and silently, with nothing in particular to say and no real desire to interrupt... well, whatever Denna might have been drawing. When it seemed she was starting to slow down, or even finish, he picked himself steadily back up to his feet, uncaring of the fact that stretching even a little in his current state, as he did, happened to make the tone of his body under the layer of fur a bit more pronounced. "All set to try the first experiment, then? Or did you still need a few more things? Either way, it's starting to get dark; we'll probably have to head back soon enough."
 
Denna frowned, not liking the way Jacob was talking. " You know, you really seem to think poorly of yourself. You shouldn't compare yourself to a dog. Fur or not, you're still a person, right? And what on earth makes you think human women wouldn't be attracted to you? Do you seriously not know how amazing your fur is? " Denna quickly started back-pedaling, not wanting to give Jacob the idea that she liked his fur, even though she did. " Though not everyone would like that sort of thing, I'm just saying, I've just heard some girls say they like that sort of thing and stuff.... "

She stood, slipping her book into her pocket. " Anyway, you're right, it's getting late. I'd still like to finish this tonight. Do you know somewhere private where we can finish working? " Denna stood next to Jacob, picking up some of the books. Unable to resist any longer, she accidentally brushed his tail, enjoying the soft shiver it sent up her spine. Making sure not to look at Jacob, in case he realized it wasn't an accident, she finished picking up her books, before turning expectantly towards Jacob.
 
His fur, huh? Well, good for him. If that was all they were going to be after, Jacob still had no interest in the first place. "If they like fur so much, they can get a fur coat or something of that sort. If they're somehow actually attracted to me at all for more than just that, then they're just..." the wolf trailed off. Just... what? Crazy? Strange? Maybe... somewhat interesting? He wasn't certain, and quite preferred not to think about it, especially not right now. Let this girl in particular think whatever she wanted of him trailing off at such a point.

Grumbling slightly to himself for a moment all the same, he moved to sling his shirt over his shoulder for now, easily enough picking up the books he'd been carrying earlier from the grass and shifting his fingers a little to discard the few bits of grass he'd accidentally snapped off. Blinking in surprise as something touched his tail while he was at it, the wolf momentarily paused and glanced back, quickly dismissing it as an idle accident since Denna seemed occupied wiht the books she'd been carrying. "All I can think of right now is one of our dorms, or wherever you happen to live if not there. Think of it what you will, but everywhere else will either have other people around or just be barred off to me anyway," he suggested with a little shrug. "However it may sound, your place would probably be the better idea for now; it'll be less of an issue for me to sneak around without getting spotted than it would for you," he further added.
 
Denna nodded a bit to herself as Jacob talked. She could understand not liking people who were only interested in his fur. That would be like treating Jacob as a pet, not a person. But she also disagreed, " But love has to start somewhere. Usually, it's physical attraction, so what's wrong with that start being because someone looks nice, is smart, or has soft fur? " She muttered idly to herself. She felt a bit bad that she had been ogling him because of his soft fur, not liking the idea that she could be treating him like a pet. Wanting to make it up to him, she quickly agreed to his suggestion. " Sure, my place will be fine. If you're confident in sneaking in safely, then that's probably the best choice. I'm the only one in my dorm room, since most didn't like being nearby in case experiments go bad. But they are just silly, I'd never do any dangerous experimentation in my room. "

Denna started heading towards the dorms. " I'm in room 004. It's got a good window if you want to use that to sneak in. Otherwise, here's a key. " Denna offered Jacob one of her spares she had gotten when her roommates had moved out. " The work is almost done, it'll just take a bit to finish reducing the formula into usable magical formations. After it's finished, color changes, modifications to gems and magical attributes, and even general styling, can be easily done through the scrolls. All you'll need to do is hold it, and touch a bit of magic to the center of the summoning circle. Changes can be made by adjusting the amount of magic you push into certain patterns on the scroll. I'll show you the specifics once it's finished. " Denna smiled at Jacob, looking forward to showing him the design she had come up with. " See you soon! " She waved at Jacob before running off with her books, able to keep her balance without Jacob there as a distraction.
 
Not really knowing what to say to that, Jacob merely settled for grumbling a little in slight annoyance. That wasn't exactly something he'd immediately think of when it came to 'physical attraction', but what did he know? It took him just a matter of days moving out to this school to generally not care what these humans thought in general. It tended to just be easier to ignore them as much as he could. Yet... for as bothered as this girl was acting earlier on the mere subjects of measuring him or him removing his shirt... she was agreeing with the point of her room working best surprisingly easily.

'Soon', then... still just a few people around, it seemed like, so he could agree with that... even if he didn't want to spend ages continuing to hold the rest of Denna's books that he was still carrying. It took a few minutes for him to feel like there was an opportunity, and a bit of difficulty continuing to balance the books while keeping hold of the key he'd been given between a few fingers as well, but all the same, the wolf managed... somehow or other, while being thankful for the fact that 'sneaking around' was one of the skills he had developed his few years here.

"Here... just let me know where I should leave all of these," he requested after letting himself in, not bothering to knock in case someone might catch on to that. Letting out a small sigh of relief as soon as they were out of his hands, the wolf scratched a little at the back of his head, somewhat awkwardly glancing around for any place he might be able to sit. Sure, it was a human's room, but he couldn't exactly deny the fact that it was also a female's room, regardless of that fact. Considering how his sister a few years younger could be... well, he didn't want to make any wrong steps.
 
Denna hurried to her room, wanting to complete the scroll as quickly as possible. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could start her testing. Setting her books on an empty table, she quickly pulled together her workstation, grabbing several different inks, magical quills, paper, and even a small sapphire. She began to draw small summoning circles on different pieces of paper, before pushing them to the side. Soon after she finished the first three, Jacob slipped into her room without a knock. Denna jumped a bit as her door suddenly opened, but was lucky enough not to screw up the circle she was currently working on. She turned to Jacob for just a moment, gesturing for where he should leave the books.

Denna wasn't at all worried about Jacob being in her room. She had been assured several times by Jacob that he wasn't interested in human females, so she had no issue on that end. Plus, she had a lot of work to do, and she was very excited to see the results. She pointed to an empty bed, " Feel free to use that bed while I finish up here. It might be a while, so feel free to hang around. I can talk while working, so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. " She turned back to her work, finishing her fourth scroll, before grabbing the sapphire, and placing it at the center of a complex diagram. She gathered power into her hand, letting it gently flow into the lines of the diagram. The black lines started turning a light blue as the sapphire in the middle began to slowly melt into the paper. After nearly a minute, the sapphire had completely disappeared, leaving the scroll shining with a faint blue light. She started layering the other papers on top of shining one, which seemed to fade into each other, until only one paper was left. This paper had a very simple summoning circle on it, one that nearly anyone with a small amount of schooling could complete.
 
"Hmm..." the wolf muttered somewhat thoughtfully, moving over to lower himself to a seat on the bed Denna had pointed to; not hers, she assumed. Maybe a former roommate's, or she was just lucky enough to get a room to herself that was meant for two or so. Whatever might have been the case, it didn't really matter as long as he didn't have to expect someone else coming along.

"Of all people, how come the popular girl's the one who got left out?" Jacob curiously asked, paying little attention otherwise to whatever Denna was doing; while he did have a type of magic he was good with, neither conjuration nor abjuration was that. What it was, well, he doubt anyone but him would even know. "I feel like there's something I might be missing here -- not that it really matters much, but I'm still a bit curious, especially considering the amount of glares I got as soon as we were left without a choice to be partners for this project," he continued. "That's really the only question I have right now; everything else, well, I think I've made my stances in general pretty clear."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom