A Weirdo, A Wizard, A Wallcaster

<Slow clapping>

[Small, weird, creepy little laugh]

Well hello, hello, hello! If it isn't the famed pupil of the ages.

{Very short beat}

I'm joking of course. Hardly anyone has heard of you more than any other student. 

Well don't look so pale! Come here, come here, come here!

<Several footsteps as student approaches...but keeps distance>

I know just who you are, little thing! You're the only and one gorgeous student to my understudy Dr. Bleu, aren't you?

Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous! I knew I had hunted down the right one.

I'm sure you've heard all about who I am, riiiight~?

Bless the rains and the sun! Good things only I hope. It seems like Dr. Bleu hasn't forgotten me after all.

Vernon Krier, at your {say wrong as "sir vice"} ser-vice.

{Pause; listener inquiry}

Dead? Oh no no no dear intellectual. I'm far from dead! My death was merely faked for logistical purposes.

You see, my...[hesitant] err, boss decided I had some more pressing purposes to take care of. A hundred years of academics was called "good enough".

I'm still a bit of a sucker for the practice. I continue to conduct my experiments in my free time...when I have it.

Say, have you begun inching away from me? Tsk tsk tsk. I promise this is going somewhere wonderful. A dollop of patience never killed the curious feline.

Please, do follow me. I'm rather not giving the choice on the matter, and resilience is a dish best left unserved.

It's what Dr. Bleu would have wanted, anyway.

We're not far from my little study. Follow me!

<Footsteps; larger reverberation as the hall is big. Continue until specified>

Obviously, I've had to operate in secret ever since...they told me to shift my focus. I've obfuscated the whereabouts of my office. There's neither hair nor hide of the entrance anywhere!

As for getting around campus...well, invisibility spells and teleportation are quite the useful tools, no?

This building is already quite scarce as is. The individual study of magics isn't pursued as much as it used to be...

Who knows how that little bundle of string came to tangle like that. Maybe there wasn't as much passion placed into creative elements for magics. Maybe the allure of basic fire magic was too much to pass up. Maybe the youths of tomorrow just hate the idea of learning. I shudder at the thought.

There's never any reason nor rhyme to why people end up like you. [Half-giddy] But I'm all the fortunate to have you anyways~!

I don't see much raw talent anymore. People that can make the most of their skills are nice and good, yes, but those that are born with it...I {mispronounce as sa-LIE-vate} salivate at the thought!

{Pause}

I said nothing wrong, whatever do you mean?

{Listener suggests correct pronunciation}

Words are words are words, young pupil. What's ever the matter for how they get said. You know what I mean, right?

I'd urge you to not snap out of line again.

<Stop walking>

Aha! We've made it. Home sweet home sweet home. I am excited to show you my study. I think as a fellow academic, you'll appreciate where knowledge will bring you.

{Listener inquiry}

I told you it was hidden.

This beautiful mural was painted by a wonderful man named Herbert Swan about sixty years ago. The vibrance of colors! The depth of viewpoints! The incredible size of it! Such a magnificent accomplishment for the art world.

I knew I had to memorialize it forever. It's dedicated to my memory, per the plaque. How charming!

It's also protected by a fierce magical barrier. Nobody will ever crack into my den of secrets.

The entrance only opens if me or...[strained] the boss are nearby. Like now.

You're surely a brilliant enough mind to figure out where the opening is, hmm?

{Pause, listener looks around a bit}

Ahh, the key on the horse's saddle is a good guess. Much better than most people, which assume it's the closed door of the café.

Unfortunately, your estimations are futile.

Go to the far left part...

...and stick your hand through the green flowerpot on the second table.

<Magic sound of listener going through the wall end entering a new dimension; repeat a second time for Krier moments later>

Ta-da~! Welcome to the pinnacle of knowledge!

{Pause for listener inquiry}

Why was it the flowerpot? Well that's simple, my student!

{With the biggest shit-eating grin} It's my secret vase.

{Pause; no reaction}

Well I happen to find it funny.

Please, please, please...take a seat. Can I interest you in a spot of coffee?

You might have read about it in publications. It's a delicacy from the tiny island of Mitan {Mitt-awn}. 

<Pouring water>

Apparently, about ten years or so ago, a merchant ship appeared in the middle of the ocean from a far off realm. There were no living souls on board, and no biological remnants to look at either. It appeared like a ghost!

A team of four went to investigate. Two capitol workers of Maishe {May-shh}, an Earthling living in Mitan, and...a fourth one...all worked to explore the contents of this ship.

It contained many artifacts, foods, plants, trinkets, and artworks not found in this world. Supposedly, it took over two years to fully process everything.

The Earthling had recognized some of the flora on this ship, including several varieties of tea leaves not found here, and the aforementioned plant to grow this "coffee". 

It's an extremely intensive plant to grow, but the outcome is this wonderful beverage. It's like a potion for energy with no magic ever-so-what. 

I'm told they cultivated the flora from the ghost ship within a controlled greenhouse on Mitan. I do so hope to go one day and research all those {say wrong as magni-fi-cent} magnificent plants.

Care for a glass?

{Pause for listener inquiry}

Not interested? Well. I certainly hope you start singing a new tune. That sort of thinking doesn't bode well with me-

{Listener clarifies}

Oh, you do not want any. Why not simply say so, pupil?

{Pause; awkward}

Right. Right. Right. The whole reason you are here in the first place.

As of about sunrise today, you are no longer enrolled in your program. Yup. No more classes for you.

Instead...you'll be studying under my jurisdiction. Yup. I'm sure once you're nice and ready we can talk about getting that little sheet of parchment students always seem to be obsessed over.

{Pause; listener is upset}

Rage is an ugly fabric upon your tapestry. Please. Do you think that somebody with the potential like you is ever set to unlock its ways with those boring, trite study programs? Do you think Dr. Bleu actually has any idea how to release the real magic that slushes around your veins?

You are a young child that needs some external intervention to fully flourish.

You are called the Wallcaster. You possess a strand of space and spacial magic nobody has ever seen before.

Do you honestly believe that the greatest researcher alive—heh, me—wouldn't take an interest in that?

What you're getting out of this exchange is so much more. Something beautiful. Something powerful. Something...to complete this list of three.

You have a gift. One you're unsure how to unwrap. That's why we come in.

{Pause}

Aside from becoming my next student, there's some...work in your future. Call them research trips, call them investigations, call them all-expenses-paid vacations, but you're needed to travel just a bit.

You see, I'm not actually the one who found or took much interest in you. At first. That was actually my...err...my boss.

You've surely dusted down your historical subjectery, yes? Does the name Corbeau Rosevault mean anything to you?

{Pause; in horror}

Well, given by your facial portrait of terror, I'd wager you know who that is. Wonderful person, admittedly. [Quietly] Mostly...

Yes. My mentor from long ago. They're still a spritely few thousand years old. By means unknown to me, they found you out in the crowd.

Corbe-ehhhh...The boss doesn't really go out of the way to pick people. Ever. I've honestly only seen it twice. 

In simple terms: You are unbelievably special. In less simple terms...

Well, I really would urge you to not say "no" too much. If you're needed for something, well, you're needed for something. It's probably going to happen either way.

{Pause}

You seem annoyed. I can't figure out a better way to suggest that you're getting worldly real experience and a career with perhaps the strongest magic caster in all of Etherian history. Most people would be honored. Getting my private collection of academic resources and training is just an extra bonus, really.

The boss is out for a long time. At least another moon cycle. Once that team gets back, you'll be overturned to them.

That works in your favor! It means we have plenty of time to train and start building up those skills of yours. Think of it as studying for the final exam. Yup yup yup. 

{Pause}

Given that we do have so much free time, I'd actually like to take you with me on my next journey. Tomorrow. Think of it as a little get-to-know-you exercise.

What are we doing? Well, I'm so glad you asked.

There's a small village near the base of Mount Plasma. Super small, maybe one hundred people, maybe fewer, maybe more. There was apparently an Earthling posing as a mage inside of a cave near the base of the mountain. Despite Earthlings inability to cast magic, this one supposedly has some form of power, because the townspeople would routinely visit the cave-dwelling human.

Recently, though, this supposed Earthling mage was found dead, along with a second Earthling and a gigantic Lamia.

Two Earthlings in one place is already not a good sign. Two dead Earthlings is worse.

I'm sure you've put it together, but me and you are going to work on figuring out what happened to cause this much {say as vio-lence} violence, and what supposed "magic" this Earthling was using.

Fun, right?

{Pause}

You can feign your disinterest as much as you'd like, but I see that glimmer in your eye. You're excited. Splendid!

{Pause}

I realize I've been filling that head of yours with all sorts of revelations.

<Clap>

It's time to take a break. You've surely got to process everything that happened today.

Go eat some food, take a rest, and wash up. First thing at the crack of dawn, we skip town. Make yourself prepared. It's a three day journey in both directions. 

Dr. Bleu already has been informed of your...sudden change of plans.

When you're ready to leave, meet me back here in my study. Let no one see you enter. I'll configure the opening to give you access when I'm not around. Probably. 

{Pause}

Oh, and one more thing.

{Vernon causes a magic crystal to appear}

<Magic crystal sfx; faint>

Tell nobody about this. Not a soul. Not a plant. Not to parchment. This entire operation only works if you keep your mouth shut.

This crystal here contains all your memories from when I first spotted you today. Mind magic is incredibly forbidden...to anyone except me.

If you spill the truth to anybody we don't approve of, I will shatter this crystal. You will forget everything in your life back to this morning in the hallways.

The further we go along with this, the worse that gets. Do not make me do that, okay?

Excellent.

Wallcaster. My newest star student. Welcome to your true education. We look forward to building your future.

Aha~! Ta ta ta, for now!

END.