Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Who: Nicola Morgan and Meda Smith What: Consultation Where: Meda's office When: Afternoon Rating: G Status: Incomplete
Nicola was feeling rather pleased with herself. She'd managed to hold her own and survive the first run of classes without making a fool of herself. She'd been so nervous about Paranormal Diversity, and part of her still was. She was terrified she would do or say something to offend someone, and it was a crazy thought - that she could be talking about the life cycle of the pixie and quite possibly have one sitting in her classroom, staring at her as she read out of a textbook. And she would seriously like to meet the person who wrote that textbook... But so far, there had been no blow ups, and she was almost beginning to feel competent, if not quite relaxed.
That was what brought her to the office of Professor Meda Smith. She was the other woman teaching Appreciating Paranormal Diversity, the one with the actual lifetime experience credit. So, Nicola was standing outside her office with an armful of notes and a disquieted expression on her face, trying not to look like a supplicant when, in fact, that was exactly what she was. She didn't exactly intend to throw herself at the woman's feet and cry, "Help me!", but she was essentially planning a more dignified version of the same. Yes, and somehow manage not to come off as small-minded or desperate even if he rationale consisted wholly of "You have a tail. You know about these things." Because the woman did have a tail. Oh, Nicola imagined she would adjust eventually, but for now the idea of it, let alone the sight, was kind of surreal. She didn't know what kind of creature (was it rude to say "creature"?) Professor Smith was, exactly, and given her assigned subject, that was probably a failing. She had so much research to do, just for her own edification, before she felt like she could even pretend to know what she was talking about. Alien plants and minerals, fossilised insects, everything that had made up her field until now, that was one thing. Nicola knew all there was to know on that front. Outerspace held no mysteries for her, at least to the limit of humanity's ability to perceive it. But now she was looking at innerspace which was something else entirely. Alternate planes. Faerie Land, for Christ's sake! It boggled the mind. She needed grounding, and fast, and she dearly hoped Meda could give it to her.