The rest of the holiday weekend passed without many more incidents but everything that had happened wore on Dana’s mind. From the girls being locked out of the school and any potential help when they needed it, to having to reconsider what he thought he knew about the attack, to the return of the former President and the insinuation that different classes of students get treated differently. He had formed a plan that he hoped might mitigate some of the problems he could see coming down the road… it would mean possibly inserting himself into his students’ lives a little more than he initially planned but if it helped keep even one of his precious girls safe he was more than willing to do so.

Meira had gotten in touch about the phoenix’s lodgings in the school. She would be in Peregrine Cabin at least for the remainder of the semester. She had decided on the new name of Fyre, as well. It was a little on the nose for his taste but had a certain charm as well. Classes resumed Tuesday following the holiday weekend and things were generally returning to normal. Towards the end of the first class back he stopped the lesson he had been teaching to make his announcement.

“Things are changing in this school as we adjust to the new management and over the weekend I was made aware of some possible incidents that could arise as a result.” He made sure not to look but in the corner of the room, he could see Nubra cover her head, blushing bright crimson. What had nearly happened to her was one of the main impetus behind his idea but he didn’t want to single her out in any way. He put a holder full of business cards he had ordered from FaeEx on his desk. “Due to my unique situation here, I am residing outside the school so with the new policies there will be times I am the only teacher easily reachable from the school.”

“I don’t feel that my job to teach you and help you girls ends with the bell rings so here is my address at the Exalted Lodgings along with my phone number. Should any of you find yourself in need of any kind of help please feel free to use it.” He looked over the room of girls that met his eyes with curiosity. “Why would we call you, you might ask, you’re just as bad as our parents… so here is the offer I am willing to make.”

“If called I will come get you and make sure you get to a place where you can rest or recover. No questions asked. I will call any parents involved but only to assure them that you are safe and nothing more. Anything else you choose to share, I am there but it is not required to use this service. We can also make non-emergency arrangements if needed but we can figure those things out as they arrive. College is a place where everyone makes mistakes as they learn who they are… I just want to help make sure that someday you can look back on your college days with laughter and not terror. That also goes for any girls in the other classes as well. Anyone needing help will get it.”

The bell rang, dismissing them and Dana smiled to himself. He had been getting better and better at timing his announcements to the bell. As long as none of the girls ever discovered the work he put into such a little bit of showmanship things would work out perfectly. He took his seat back behind his desk as the class made their way out, some of them taking a card, or even two on the way out.

“Mr. Wilde?” I looked up to see Jett, standing in front of my desk, the vampire still dressed in impeccable style in only reds and blacks. “I was wondering… what kind of non-emergency situations might you be talking about?”

“That depends on what you need, there are plenty of rooms at the hotel I am at and we can make some available I am sure.”

“That would be great!” She almost jumped, showing an uncharacteristic amount of emotion. “I’m really having a hard time in the lower dorms. Some of the other girls there just… don’t like me around, I suppose.”

“Why is that Jett? You seem nice enough.”

“It’s not about being nice,” Sally Mae spoke up from behind her. “It’s that Jett is part of Clan Ravenscar… some of the rich folks. Seeing her down in the slum dorms with the rest of us gives some girls the chance to take out their frustrations on her.” The Lycan put her hand on Jett’s shoulder, it was good seeing that they got along out of class too.

“That’s it in a nutshell…” Jett kept her eyes on the ground, seeming not to want to meet his eyes. “About sixty years or so ago our home was attacked by some anti-monster group. Most of my family was asleep and they killed many of my clan… but for some reason, they took my older sister. She’s been missing ever since and my father has been spending every last cent trying to find her. There just wasn’t enough left over this year to keep me in the fancy dorms. Not that I mind… bringing Bea home is more important than where I stay here.” The panic the vampire girl had in her eyes after the explosion on the campus made more sense to Dana now, she had already lived through a very real assault on her home.

“That’s awful, sugar..” Cherri stopped on her way out of class, putting her slimy hand on Jett’s other shoulder. “I got two sisters up in them nicer dorms and I don’t know what I would do without either one of them. Though we could only afford two positions out in the fancy area so I’m here on scholarship.”

Kasa stood up from her seat, the shadow girl looking almost timid. “I wouldn’t mind an alternative living arrangement either. My dad’s been trying to push me into the family business a lot harder lately and can use a break from the drama at home.”

“I’ve always felt like a cat trapped in a dog’s body.” Sally Mae spoke up suddenly. “N… Not really, it’s just everyone else was sharing and I was feeling left out.”

“I’m not sure about providing alternative housing but I don’t think there would be that much of a problem.” Dana stood, looking at the girls standing there. “Let me check on a few details and get back to you Jett and Kasa. I should know something by the end of the week.” There hadn’t been anything in the school handbook about off-campus living but he felt it was at least better if he talked with Wilben before moving new people into the hotel. Maybe there was more to this idea than at first appeared.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

His heart swelled a little as he saw the hope in his student’s eyes and he found himself willing to do almost anything to keep them safe and happy. He had been in this strange new land for barely two weeks but already the people here had treated him more like family than his kin ever had in his lifetime and he was determined to pay back that kindness.

* * *

After class, Dana made his way over to Pallas Hall once more, there were many questions he had and he wanted to give Ruska a piece of his mind. With a knock on the president’s door, he entered her office. The gorgon was sitting with her back to the door shuffling the papers on her desk. He noticed in the corner a statue made of stone, its detail so amazing that he couldn’t help but wonder if it was sculpted or… created by the new President.

“Mr Wilde… again. From what I hear you were around when our dear phoenix returned to us. It was a good thing you just happened to be on campus during the weekend… how did that happen anyway?”

“Not sure what you are asking, Ruska… certainly you wouldn’t do something that would keep me and only me from doing my job, would you?” Her hair hissed at him, he was making no friends in the room at this point. “Fyre is one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you. She had to expend such a tremendous amount of energy just to escape the office. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about how magic works but that seems like an oversight.”

“The seal placed on the door was supposed to be one way only. I did not place it myself. With the Board of Directors all screaming bloody murder about the President’s accident and the dragon I am practically running myself ragged. Add to that the parent’s concerns for their children's safety…” She paused… pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “Their insistence on the lock-down is ridiculous, but without capitulation, they threatened to pull students from the university entirely. Still, you and Miss Olaran’s actions kept things from getting worse. So thank you.”

“I told you, I’m committed to making this work here, Ruska. I don’t know how to convince you that I am not the enemy you seem to see me as.”

“I don’t see you as an enemy, Mr. Wilde… you just simply do not belong here by any metric. There is a fundamental disconnect between a human, any human, and every other species here deemed inhuman.” She shook her head, the mass of snakes on her skull writhing angrily. “You might be a perfectly nice man, from all indications that is true… but letting a human even know of this place puts all of us in an unreasonable amount of danger.”

“I understand how you might see it that way… but I assure you I am here because I think I can make a real difference in these girls’ lives. If nothing else I can expose them to a perspective they may not have been able to access before.”

Dana pulled out some papers from his back pocket, walked over, and put them on the President’s desk. “As for culture and history, give me the chance to learn. I want to plan a type of cultural faire, a celebration of the different species found in the school where everyone can bring their own style and flavor to things.”

She picked up the papers, looking over the plans Dana had drawn up. He had based it on cultural festivals that sometimes happened back home. Booths, games, and exhibits that the students would help build and staff to show pride in who they are as people.

“You can invite parents, charge for admission, or whatever you want to put towards the school while reassuring them their girls are in good hands. Think of it like a pep rally but not for one of the sports teams, just for the girls themselves and who they are.”

“I’ll consider it Mr. Wilde…” Her face softened just slightly as she looked over the plans. “It might not be a bad idea to give people something to look forward to… we may end up having to delay club and sports selections a week or two as I try to placate everyone suddenly having a voice in how to run this school.”

“Good…good…” A grin broke out on Dana’s face. “I haven’t given up on you yet Ruska… I’ll convince you yet that keeping me around is a good idea.”

“I highly doubt that, human.” The gorgon’s face lost any trace of warmth as she looked at him. “One tolerable idea is not enough to convince me to keep pests in my house.”

“Harsh… I’ll just have to come up with more ideas then.”

* * *

Back at the hotel later that night, Dana sought out Wilben… only to find him napping in a small threadbare room behind the office. The elderly gnome started awake not having heard the bell as he entered.

“Oh! Mr. Dana… please excuse my lack of professionalism… is there anything the Exalted can do to help you this fine night?”

“Just looking to have a little chat, Wilben… I can’t help but notice that even after the time I have been here there don’t seem to be any other guests.”

“Not true at all! There was that lovely young woman you helped stay here not too long ago… that was certainly a busy night, to be honest.”

“How can you even afford to keep this place running at this point, old timer?” Dana took a seat in a small chair in the back room, squinting in the dim light.

“I don’t… at least not really. My Gardenia and I opened this place some two centuries ago now. She was rarely well enough to travel so this was her way of letting the world come to her.” Wilben picked up a photo at the side of his bed, it showed a much younger him and a pretty gnome woman smiling happily. “She put her everything into this place… it’s the last piece of her I have left… I just can’t bring myself to abandon it.”

“How would you like a chance to have people stay here again… and maybe even help out some people who really need it?”

“You’re talking about people like the cat girl? Girls from the school and like?” He put the photo back on the small stand, his hand lingering on the picture for a long second. “She attended Spiritwood too back in the day. I think she would like knowing this place was helping girls like her.”

“Thanks, Wilben… don’t worry, I’ll pay for any rooms we need to use. I won’t leave you out in the cold.”

“No… no Mr Dana…” The gnome’s shoulders slumped in defeat, letting out a slow breath. “I think it is time to change more than just the purpose of this old place. I think it’s time to put this whole thing under new management.”

“What are you trying to say, Wilben? I have no desire to take this place from you. It’s your home, your history, your memories.”

“I’m an old man… well past my prime and I’ve no head for running a business. I’ll let this place go to you for a good price… just enough to keep my tinkering hobby going.”

“Only on one condition… you stay on as a handyman. You can live here still, practice your tinkering improving the place, and still have a hand in how this place runs.” He looked at the gnome hopefully.

“There are some improvements I have always wanted to try…” The gnome got a distant look, wistfully dreaming about all the things he was going to do once let loose. “Okay, Mr Dana… it’s a deal.”

“Perfect, I have some ideas myself on some renovations to this old place.”