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[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

[There is a new strange little building on the Plane! Anyone who wishes to examine it can see it's made of plain tan brick with oxidized-copper-colored accents at the windows and doors. It's styled in a very organic, free-flowing, art-nouveau style, with stained glass windows. Really, it's quite lovely, in a simple way.

There is, helpfully, a large bronze plaque just next to the front door, which in large ornate engraved letters, clearly identifies it as THE PRINCESS DOROTHY GALE'S MAGICAL LABORATORY AND EDUCATION CENTRE. In smaller letters underneath, it adds a lovely image of entwined poppy flowers, and the words WALK-INS WELCOME.

Inside there are some winding stairways leading upwards and downwards, but just past those to the right is a great room that is as inviting as it is lovely.

Maybe it's so inviting because there's the smell of warm, freshly-baked muffins coming from inside? Apparently the Princess herself is baking. You should probably go in and get some before the Master shows up and gets HONGRY and noms them all in a super-creepy nomming rampage.]

Comments

[polarization]

[ Whoa. This place is new... or looks that way, anyhow. Sefton stands outside for a good while, reading the sign and fighting with himself over going inside. He wants to explore such an odd little place, but if someone else is inside...

He hesitates, then eventually pushes in the door. While exploring around, it isn't until the smell hits him that he realizes someone is in here. Giving the stairs an interested look, he peers in the room past them to get a peek at who might be inside so that he can avoid them.

Standard Sefton disclaimer applies. ]

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

[Inside the room, setting a platter of muffins out on a table, is Dorothy. Since she's been waiting all day for people to come in, she's rather excited that somebody actually, you know, HAS. Smiling, she waves him over]

Come in, come in! Oh, I'm glad to see at least somebody's interested. Have a muffin, take a seat. I'm glad you've stopped by, I was startin' to get worried nobody was gonna show to the... well, the Grand Opening, so to speak, though it's not very grand at all. Just the kind that comes with muffins. Muffin-grand. Not that that's not good, 'cuz it is! Oh, I'm all excited now. What's your name, dear?

[polarization]

[ The excited stream of words has Sefton grasping for a foothold in the conversation, and the last question is the only one he wouldn't want to answer. So he simply stares for a moment while trying to figure out what else to say. ]

... Grand opening?

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah! See, those wishing stars that were all over before, the ones that left all that gold dust everywhere? Well I knew what they were right away-- of course I did, not like I've never seen a wishing star before-- so I took one up, and started wishin' for useful things, like World Peace and an end to hunger, and all that. But none of it worked, I guess on account of the Plane can't handle stuff that isn't on it, so I had to wish for somethin' a little less useful.

[she gestures around her at the room]

So I wished for a place I could work on my magic on the Plane where it wouldn't disturb anybody else, 'cept of course for people who wanted to be disturbed by it, and they're always welcome. And the Plane gave me this! Thought I might give some classes to people who're interested in learning the basics, so I'm havin' this little Open House, so to speak. Muffin?

[she holds out the tray, smiling. Apparently she is pretty excited about the whole idea.]

[polarization]

You've seen wishing stars before? [ He considers the tray, then sighs to himself and simply leans against the door frame. ] You want to teach people magic.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Well, sure. Fairly standard sorta thing, where I'm from.

[she places the tray back down on the table and takes a seat in a big comfortably-stuffed but appropriately ornate armchair]

I've been tossin' the idea around pretty much since I got here. There's an awful lot of scientist-types waltzin' around on the Plane, thought it might be a good idea to balance that out a little. And I'm not gonna teach any of the dangerous stuff, anyway, just the basics. Y'know, floating small objects, making stuff disappear, self-defense. Nothin' that could hurt anybody.

[polarization]

Oh... right.

[ Secretly, he's thinking how cool it might be to know magic. But, alas, he's pretty sure that he is not actually magic, so there goes that. ] S' that kinda thing normal for you?

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

More or less. Not everybody's got the education, of course, but anybody can do it if they want to. You don't have to be born a witch, or anything. Lord knows I wasn't!

[she shrugs] I thought I could have a couple classes, like a beginner's course and a more advanced course for the people who already know a couple of things. I know there was one guy who mostly had the hang of it, but his people are still usin' wands. Can you imagine? [this is, apparently, very amusing. For some reason.]

[polarization]

[ Sefton shakes his head. ] Better'n what we've got.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Why, what're things like in your world? Have you got any magic at all? I know lots of people don't. Sad state of affairs.

[polarization]

[ Shrug. ] Don't think there's any where 'm from.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's too bad. Would you be interested in learning a little?

[polarization]

[ YES ]

... Not really.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

You sure? I'm not charging anything, it's a totally free course! You could just pop in for the first class or two, and if you're not interested, you're free to choose not to come back again. It couldn't hurt to try, after all!

[polarization]

[ He shrugs. ] S' the point?

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[HE IS NOT GOING TO BE CREEPY. HE WILL BE PERFECTLY NORMAL.

For a super-hungry Time Lord.

In fact, to prove this, the first thing he'll say will have nothing to do with muffins!]

I can't believe you put 'Princess' on the plaque.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

And I can't believe you tried to blow up the Doctor while I was in the room, so I guess we're even.

[NOT IN THE LEAST FOOLED, Dorothy brings him a couple of muffins. They are lemon poppyseed. Also, delicious.]

Really, I just thought it sounded better. Like someone who knows what they're doing. And it's not disingenuous, it's the truth, so why not?

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Since when does a person need a reason to improve themselves? Knowledge is its own point! You never know, you might learn something that could make your life a whole lot better.

[polarization]

Like what?

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know. It's your life! What do you think you'd be interested in learning?

[polarization]

Dunno. [ It's not as if he knows what he could learn, after all. ]

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Well, like I said, my first lessons are gonna focus on finding your own personal power. See, everybody's got it in 'em, most people just aren't in touch with it. So there's that. But once everybody's on the same page with that, I'm gonna start with simple stuff.

[she holds up her fingers, to count on them]
I mentioned before floating little things, making things disappear, creating shields for self-defense, creating light, that sort of thing.

[polarization]

Sound like parlor tricks.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm sure there's a much more complicated way of doing things, to be sure. But why spend all the time and effort and sciencey-stuff on learning a trick when you can just do the real thing and save yourself the grief? Honestly. I don't understand that attitude at all.

[polarization]

S' not what I meant. 'side from the shield... they don't sound too useful.