[ AUDIENCE: CALEB WIDOGAST ]

[dormheads]

Comments

[dormheads]

Okay. Not that I'm worried.

I'll come see him next week when I have time. The rest of you, too.

[katzepaw]

We'd like that, but take your time.

Do you have any sense how many vouchers it would take for a little magic back?

[dormheads]

I don't know. If I had to guess, I'd say a lot if it's the same kind of magic that's in stories. So it depends on what you wanted.

Five minimum? That's on the lower end of a guess. It'd probably be more.

[katzepaw]

What about my books? I had a spellbook and something of a journal on my person. Both are rather significant to me.

[dormheads]

If they're just books, try two vouchers.

If you can't do magic here, I doubt the spellbook is going to work. But you'll have it if it means that much to you.

[katzepaw]

[There's a long pause while he considers what to type.]

It does. I scraped it together over years and years, when I was living on the streets, barely able to afford food to eat. If I lost it, I'd have to start over from scratch, with nothing. And the journal is something more precious to me than even that.

I'm a little bit - we were told you didn't know what had become of these things. But now we are being told we can buy these things back. It is a little hard to understand the discrepancy.

[dormheads]

Sorry. We knew there would be vouchers, but not for what. We thought it was just school things. You know, like extra notebooks, or pencils, or something.

We talked to the principal. He said there's no mistakes. But now we know the vouchers can be traded for the things you guys want.

[katzepaw]

No apology necessary. I appreciate the clarification. So the principal is holding on to these things for us while we gather our vouchers?

[dormheads]

You all come from other worlds. I think he just helps bring it all here, but I don't know the specifics.

You didn't come with much so you don't have an unfair advantage for graduation at the start.

[katzepaw]

Understood. You wouldn't want any of us bringing in study notes, right?

[dormheads]

Something like that, yeah.

[katzepaw]

I heard this year is the first time you are doing Dorm Wars?

[dormheads]

Yeah, it is. I don't know how well it'll go now since all of you seem to think we've got evil plans.

[katzepaw]

We don't think you have evil plans. Or I don't. It was a lot to wake up to at once.

[dormheads]

Yeah, sorry. You always think you're prepared for school, and then you wake up and realize you aren't.

[katzepaw]

That's one way of describing it. But nothing to be sorry for.

[dormheads]

Sorry anyway. Even if you guys don't think you should be here, are you going to stay for the prizes?

[katzepaw]

I suppose if I were offered the ability to leave right away with my belongings, I don't know how I would react. There are a few complications to departing so quickly. I'd want to know whether my friends were safe.

If I knew I had the ability to leave safely and they did too, I might feel inclined to stay anyway and earn the prizes.

[dormheads]

I like the way you think. If I were in your position, I would do that, too.

If you graduate, you get to go back, plus get something you want. You guys should try.

[katzepaw]

Sure. But it's a little different than what I described, because I don't feel I have the choice. And this makes me concerned for my safety and my friends' safety. I prefer to know it is something I have control over.

[dormheads]

I get it. I don't feel like leaving myself, but I understand why other people might. I guess leaving just feels like giving up to me.

[katzepaw]

You have been here since you were young, yes? Is it all for the sake of a wish upon graduation, or has your schooling here been more fulfilling than that?

[dormheads]

I came here because I thought the place I was from was small and boring. I wanted to see other places.

The wish is just a bonus. I want to graduate so I can take the entrance exam for college.

[katzepaw]

Have you been able to see other places? Or will that come after the entrance exams?

[dormheads]

I've seen a few around here, but most will come after the exam. It's not so bad since I meet people from other worlds here at school. But I do want to go myself.