New student

<font color='#000F22'><center><blockquote><font color=dimgray face=verdana size=1><span style=letter-spacing:-1px>Hart hummed softly to herself as she examined the paper before her with an intensity that she rarely showed. A faint smile of satisfaction flickered across her face, and her paw collided with the desk with a soft thump. Triumph was written on her face, and her eyes gleamed in abnormal, wicked amusement as she looked up at the pendragon in front of her. <font color=#330000>"Aha! I told you, Arther, that weapon is not machina base, but, rather, is controlled by the mind power of the wielder. You owe me dinner."</font> There was a teasing twitch to her smile as she tilted her head, half-tempted to stick her tongue out in impish delight. It was rather late in the evening, and few beasts were about. In fact, she had sent most of the administration home already. No need for them all to be here to lock up, after all, or to wait for Hart to finish her - as usual - late night.


Arther Rhapsode grimaced, but gave a conceding nod, and murmered something about her never taking him up on his offers for dinner, before walking back to his own office. He was the one that spotted the niotie, and sharply gave the cub's location to Hart through telepathy. The Principal's smile vanished, and her head snapped up from where it had been, placing the paper back in her sack. A frown played at her lips as she glanced outside, through the window. It was approaching late evening, what the heck was a kid doing out, alone, at such a time? Surely someone was taking care of a child as small as the one that Arther told her about.


Whiplike tails curled into one, twisted, suspended curl. A single eyebrow was lifted, and she leapt onto her desk, before gracefully arching her back, and easily jumping onto the floor. Padded footsteps were soft as she walked towards the youngster, and her eyes were similarly lacking their hardened state. A smile of soothing encouragement whispered across her mouth as she approached, a faint twitch of her tail the only sign of her disapproval. It wasn't disdain at the cub, anyways, but, rather, at whomever her parents were. <font color=#330000>"Hello there, young lady. Do you need something, hun'?"</font> She inquired, her voice almost a purred croon as she spoke.

</font>

 

<font color='#000F22'><center><blockquote><font color=dimgray face=verdana size=1><span style=letter-spacing:-1px>Hart cursed her size, and the intimidation behind it, as she noted the continued quivering of the youngster. A faint frown tugged at her muzzle as she considered the youngster with soothing eyes. The principal wasn't huge, not by pendragon standards, even if she was moderately large. Definetely bigger then the small niotie before her. Then again, to that young one, everyone was probably a giant. Tails curved and twisted, moved about in a graceful arch of color. Patient, she waited for the new student to speak, perhaps to explain her presence away. It was an ungodly hour to be attempting to register, but it was possible. Especially if the small one was an orphan. As it turned out, at least the former was true.


<font color=#330000>"Ah, I see. Well, then, you've come to the right place. Follow me, and we'll get you registered. Are you alright, though? Cold, hungry, thirsty?"</font> Hart inquired with a faint tilt of her head, preparing to head for the desk, once the youngster answered her questions.

</font>

 

<font color='#000F22'><center><blockquote><font color=dimgray face=verdana size=1><span style=letter-spacing:-1px>Hart often had to deal with nervous children, but Tahni was a rather strange case. Most of the on-edge kids were the ones with parents, edgy about leaving their father and mother. Almost always, they were young, uncertain, small. Again, the youngster was among the tiniest students to ever grace the floors of the Academy. Most had more flesh and bones, were taller then the small she-dragon. Which caused the principal's mind to flicker once more to who the nioti's parents were. Obviously, they didn't take very good care of their child, whoever they were. Perhaps she was abandoned... that seemed most likely, but she wasn't going to presume anything, at the moment.


At the cub's words, her smile twitched back into place, and she nodded towards a comfortable chair in front of the desk in invitation. <font color=#330000>"Sit down, if you'd like, and we can begin to work on registration. Can you read or write?"</font> She stalked behind the desk, and effortlessly slipped up onto her seat. With a single brow quirked, her paw hesitated near the registration papers, waiting.

</font>

 

<font color='#000F22'><center><blockquote><font color=dimgray face=verdana size=1><span style=letter-spacing:-1px>Hart was trying to be as soothing as possible, eyes warm and unthreatening. Similarly, her tails were unmoving, gracefully draped over the back of her seat. Tongue flickered out to brush across her lips, once, before returning to her cavernous mouth. Watching as Tahni leapt up into the seat across from her, Demori was mildly impressed by the agility of the smaller pendragon. It didn't really show, though, for such emotions were often repressed. Being proud of a new student wasn't exactly the best way to get them started in the school - nor was having the approval and affection, even in small measures, of the principal. At Tahni's words, and shame, a soothing croon escaped her throat, before she spoke.


<font color=#330000>"It's alright, dear. Now, let me ask you a few questions... do you have any parents? Siblings? Oh, and what are your trades?"</font> She smiled encouragingly.

</font>

 

<font color='#000F22'><center><blockquote><font color=dimgray face=verdana size=1><span style=letter-spacing:-1px><font color=black>;; in character</font>


Hart was sorely tempted to brush the uppermost thoughts of the youngster, to figure out what troubled her, kept her repressed. Something seemed to keep her from relaxing, regardless of the fact that the principal had done everything to make her comfortable. It simply wasn't possible to help every child calm down, though, so Hart was just grateful that the young Tahni wasn't just sitting there, quivering. She had had that happen before, too, and it had taken her a while to pry both the story of why the youngster was there alone, and get the other cub to calm down. It certainly hadn't been a relaxing night, and she wouldn't have slept at all, if she hadn't had a kindly student who took the scare nioti into his care, and his dorm, so that the youngster calmed down.


As Tahni began to reply, Hart scratched down the answers, a bit surprised by the fact that the small one had family, but not really startled. A faint smile twitched to life on her muzzle as she considered the trades, both ones that required patience, concentration, imagination. No doubt Tahni was good at them both, too. Once the nioti had finished, she skipped some of the questions, considering ones that were relevant, ones that needed the youngster herself answering, that Hart didn't know the answers to.


<font color=#330000>"Do you know how to speak Ramathian? And, if not, do you want to learn? Ah, and do you have any hobbies? The reason I ask is that I need to plan your classes, and if there are any hobbies you'd like to study, as well, then I can try and fit them in."</font> She commented with a smile, and a faint twitch of one of her tails.

</font>

 

<font color='#000F22'><center><blockquote><font color=dimgray face=verdana size=1><span style=letter-spacing:-1px>Hart was a patient sort, or she never would have become a teacher, much less a principal. Eventually, she hoped to see Tahni completely relaxed, playing and laughing like a cub of her age was supposed to be. At least the small youngster was relaxing some, and that was enough for her, at the moment. Everything came in time, it just took a bit of effort, and a whole lot of understanding. It was hard, though, to not see the bouncy child that should have been there, grinning happily. Life was cruel, and most adults could handle that. Children, however, were meant to be at least a bit sheltered, loved, happy. Hart's childhood hadn't been like that, but hers had been a case where she was content enough, in her element. That wasn't the case for this small pendragon.


It was only when Tahni smiled, and her own lips curved in turn, that Hart realized she had stopped such a quirked twitch of her mouth. At the youngster's words, the Principal nodded, and scratched her pen across the application. Eyes flickered across the rest, disregarding it all. It was all easy to answer, and she could do it without much trouble, though some would be educated guesses. She didn't want to ask any more questions of the youngster, and the rest was really just fluff, as far as the principal was concerned. Sometimes it was valuable, but usually not. With a contemplative nod, she pushed the papers off to the side, and pulled the dorm one out. Her eyes settled on a dorm with an older student, who would do well to assist Tahni, before she turned her gaze on the youngster, a question in her eyes, and, soon, on her lips.


<font color=#330000>"Do you have any preference for a dorm, dear?"</font>

</font>