The lighthearted air of the dock and the students that walked upon it was more potent than the ecstasy of the black waves crashing powerfully against the towering wooden ship. Today was a joyous occasion, as summer vacation was finally over, and another wonderful year at Magnus Grexx was about to unfold. For Natasha Daggerman, this time was especially significant, as she would finally be returning to the magical place that she regarded as her one true home.
Today, Natasha's hair was pigmented a white-grey hue; sterling silver to call the color something. Her eyes were a light purple, and a slender arrow tattoo cascaded down her right forearm. A dark brown trenchcoat draped itself over her thin body, almost touching the wooden planks of the dock hidden underneath her battered hiking boots. The metamorphmagi wanted her appearance to blend in with the dark elements surrounding her, but with her well-known reputation and utterly recognizable face, her efforts were fruitless. She stuck out like a bright lighthouse in the thick of night, but with the happy expressions people gave her, she didn't really mind.
Leather suitcase in one hand, broomstick in the other, Natasha boarded the ship. It was her last year at the academy, so she tried to soak in as much of the boat's majestic atmosphere as she could. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter remained that she was used to its grand architecture, as she had already boarded the ship three times before. Still, the feeling of magic was so potent, that it gave a tingling sensation of excitement inside her alabaster skin that she had never felt before. This year was bound to be a good one.
Suddenly, the booming sound of a slamming door filled the air. An old lady in front of her shrieked, her stubby arms flailing in the air. The force of the door had barely scraped her face off. The golden carriage of multi-colored sweets beside her almost toppled over due to the kinetic energy, but Natasha was able to catch it before it reached the floor.
The elderly woman puffed her chest out angrily, and grumbled, musing to herself as she furiously pushed the cart in front of her. "Snotty kids these days..." Natasha could hear her mutter as she stirred by, heading to another compartment. What had just happened? Whatever it was, it wasn't something rather nice. The Vulpes's curiosity sparked to life, and almost instantly, she formulated a plan of sweet revenge.
If this lady wasn't going to stick up for herself against this bratty student, than Natasha would. She relaxed the muscles in her face, letting the magic inside of her take its course. She could feel creases and tender spots appear around her eyes and cheeks. The seventeen-year-old giggled in delight as she took out her compact mirror from her pocket, admiring just how accurately she had recreated the facial features of the old woman upon her own.
Now it was time to teach this kid a lesson. She boldly opened the door, revealing her new hair and face but being careful as to hide the rest of her body.
"Young man, I ought to tell the headmaster of this disgusting case of teenage angst!" she scolded Bobby Burkinson in her best old lady voice. To be frank, she wasn't very surprised to see him sitting there. "As soon as we get to the school, ten points will be deducted from Arietem. In fact..."
She pulled a bunch of Bertie Bott's beans out of her pocket, (without any box to encase them), and chucked the tiny candies at the boy, aiming for his mouth. "There's some jelly beans to wash down your bad behavior! They're dirt flavored...a metaphor for your insufferable attitude."
Natasha snickered in her mind. Behind her, she could hear some female students snickering as well.
"Well, I must be off. GOOD DAY SIR."
She slammed the door with the same force Bobby had used before, and reset her face back to its normal form. Underclassman crowded around her, but instead of talking to them, she trotted up the stairs to the quarterdeck, determined to find a compartment not contaminated with Pureblooded hot-heads...
And of course, the joint was crowded. She pushed her way past the underclassmen until she found a familiar face. Commanding the lot of confused students was the Cervus Head Boy, The Bach himself.
"Waylon! My favorite country bumpkin!" she approached him. "How was your summer? Well, never mind, we'll talk about it when we're in our compartment far away from this riot. We are sitting in the same compartment, riiiiiiight?"
She gave him a cheesy smile and a wink, remaining still as she awaited his response.