Mirabel’s The Nature of Magical Revenge

July 5, 2025

Date: 2025-07-04 18:01

(Mirabel’s The Nature of Magical Revenge)

[Fri Jul 4 2025]

A Musty Basement Lecture Theater/span>/spanThe Plymouth Lecture Theater occupies a windowless space in the basement, its
tiered seating descending toward a worn wooden podium that bears decades of
scratches and water rings. Banks of fluorescent lights hum overhead, though
several tubes remain dark, creating pockets of shadow between the rows of
fold-down seats upholstered in faded burgundy fabric. The walls, painted
institutional beige, show signs of moisture damage near the ceiling corners
where brown stains spread like old maps. A large chalkboard dominates the
front wall, its surface permanently ghosted with the traces of countless
equations and diagrams that no amount of cleaning can fully erase. The
concrete floor slopes gently toward a drain grate near the podium, and the
air carries the persistent smell of chalk dust mixed with something earthier,
more organic. Temperature variations occur without apparent cause – the front
rows often feel noticeably colder than the back, regardless of the season.
Along the rear wall, built-in cabinets with warped doors contain outdated
audiovisual equipment, their locks long since broken, while exposed pipes
running along the ceiling occasionally release metallic sighs that interrupt
lectures at unpredictable intervals./span>/spanIt is about 65F(18C) degrees. The mist is heaviest At Foxglove and Lake/span>/spanLucien slips into the theater, hands in the pockets of his jacket. He stares silently at the people gathering in the seats for a moment, before squaring his shoulders and climbing up to take a seat in the back.

“And I figure some of you are probably going to that gala at the Den of Wonders tonight, so I’ll try to make sure we wrap up in time for you to get there,” Mirabel mentions and takes a moment to survey the tiers of seats. “I hope you’ll all forgive me for delaying your Fourth of July celebrations with my lecture, but I had a bit of an accident recently and this was the only way to fit it into the schedule before the weekend.”

“Let’s take bets on how many more will arrive in the next ten minutes,” Mirabel adds and squints suspiciously at the lecture theater’s doorway. “I’ll say three.”

Nemi raises a hand and smiles softly. “I bet four! And a half to include the possibility of mimi wandering in.” She states with a firm and sure nod.

Hester looks rather surprised at mention of a gala, but then who’d invite someone like her to anything? She peers at her schoolmates, then at the door, guessing, ” Ehm… one.”

Jenny pulls out a crisp 20 dollar bill “Two.”

“Maybe Sister Cadalie can wave her halberd at the latecomers and impress upon them the importance of timeliness,” Mirabel ventures and wiggles her eyebrows up at Cadalie.

Lola does not look like she wants to take part in the gambling and bidding war, but she does enjoy the festivities from a distance, her eyes alight with amusement as she watches her fellow students take bets on who and how and when. She claps her hands together merrily, but ultimately those same hands end up distracted by taking her notebook and pencil out of her satchel, and gently feeding herself her mushroom coffee.

“Alas, I believe the sound a pumped Remington ought to be more familiarly frightening to a college campus.” Cadalie, the religious authority downtown supposes empathically.

“It’s a little more messy, though,” Mirabel/span>/spanCadalie concedes this easily, though her face tilts towards the entrance with a placid simper, patient for some dutiful call to be echo’d down the corridor. “I am reluctant to ask the student body to part with their preconceptions of safety, but everyone- do find somethin’ to keep yourself safe. Even if it’s just another person to walk you. There’s been a few monsters now on campus grounds, not least of which on the full moon.”

“Yes, and if anyone sees a Swedish woman with a longbow lurking in the dormitory building, do let me know,” Mirabel chimes in.

Hester already braces herself with two stubby pinkies, one in each ear. With a blink, she unplugs them when Mirabel addresses her and Vesper. “O-oh, uh..” She doesn’t stand, but just gives an uneasy wave at everyone in the rows behind. “Hi, I’m uh, Hester.” And that’s everything, it seems. She picks at her fingernails incessantly.

“I’ll take note of that,” Jasper replies towards Cadalie before he turns to watch Mirabel.

“Good to see you again, Mister Meadows,” Mirabel tells Jasper pleasantly.

Mercedes nods in agreement with Cadalie, “Don’t be like me. Always keep something to defend yourself on you. I always keep a revolver handy now,” she smiles brightly, “That is unless you prefer to dance with street nymphs, in which case they will gladly drag you back to their dens.”

Lola seems disenchanted with the talk of full moon monsters and longbow-wielding Swedes, and so instead she laughs faintly and lifts a hand in the air, happily introducing herself to the class instead, having spotted a few new faces herself. “Hi! I’m Lola- Lola Lovelace. It’s so nice to meet you all, and to see some of you again! I see some people I’ve met before but didn’t get the name of- I’m so sorry!!”

Jenny raises an eyebrow over to Cadalie “The moon ain’t for another week.” she says before nodding to someone “I’m Jenny! Nice to meet’ya.”

Jenny raises an eyebrow over to Cadalie “The moon ain’t for another week.” she says before nodding to Hester “I’m Jenny! Nice to meet’ya.”

Hester looks to Cadalie and Jenny in quiet horror at the mention of monsters on the school grounds. “Is that why Elliot is always armed to the teeth?” the lump of dough ponders at nobody in particular.

Nemi nods and waves softly. “Nemi, nice to meet you.”

“Goodness gracious. Do put the gun away, young man,” Mirabel says and plants her hands on her hips, squinting at Elliot. “Once you’ve disarmed yourself, we’ll get started.”

“The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Cadalie responds to Jenny politely. “If I waited until the full moon to tell everyone, I imagine it’d go quite poorly. S’just how the moon goes.”

Vesper stands up from her seat with her arms clasped behind her back and clears her throat to better project her voice to the class, “Hello, I am know as Vesper Volkov. I am pleased to be able study at this fine institution.”

“Same to you too,” Jasper says to Mirabel before he looks at the rest of the people. “I’m Jasper Meadows,” he then introduces himself and looks back.

Mercedes beams a smile at Vesper and Hester, “And I’m Sister Merci. Nice to meet you both.”

“Just to get you all in the right frame of mind, I’d like you to take a piece of paper each from that box over there and write down the name of somebody you think deserves a nice dose of revenge. Don’t worry, this is for your eyes only. You won’t have to hand it in or anything. You can throw it away after class. It’s perfectly private and only serves to set the mood,” Mirabel says and gestures towards the box of printer paper. Speaking in a calm tone of tenured ease, she continues, “So let’s take two minutes to do that. Just put down the name of someone you think has it coming, fold the paper up so nobody sees, and then we’ll move on.”

Jenny sighs but nods to Cadalie as she grabs a papepr “Just hopefully people don’t ignore the damn curfew..”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Jasper,” Lola says, likely one of the faces she didn’t have a name for as sme smiles warmly in his direction. It’s extended to Lucien as well,who is eagerly waved to as she says, urging them to introduce themselves, “Hi! I’m Lola! I didn’t get your name at Bar Lucere! How are you?” Even as she rambles away, she moves towards that box of papers at the front of the class and dips a hand inside, pulling one out and holding it against a hip.

Cadalie stands up diligently, making sure nothing lose like metal might be bumping or whipping as she enters out the side of her seat and its folded chair and shimmies on over for a paper. She receives with a bit of a sticky finger, causing a hold up in the line, before separating the two pages and returning to her seat.

Mercedes sets up at the back of the line to collect her paper, taking it and looking at the blank piece with a smirk before pulling out a black sharpie.

Lucien frowns thoughtfulyl as he moves down to get a paper. Getting addressed by Lola on his way back he blinks, lips curling in a wry but not unfriendly smile as he briefly glances her over. “Hi. Name’s Lucien. And I guess the jury’s still out on that.”

“Don’t be shy,” Mirabel insists and smiles sedately at the students. “There’s enough paper for everyone.”

While she speaks, Mirabel meanders up towards the seats, opting to get closer in order to spare her voice.

Hester stares at her sheet of paper for a long moment, but she soon gets to writing names. In the middle of it, she lifts her head abruptly. “Ah, h-how many again?”

Mercedes writes on her piece of paper before putting it to her lips to hold while she places the sharpie back in her satchel. She takes up the piece of paper and holds it between two fingers like it were a cigarette, stained with lipstick.

“Oh, I suppose one will do, but feel free to write down a few if you’d like,” Mirabel decides and nods calmly to Hester. “Let’s begin with the obvious: revenge magic is rarely as simple as dealing out *justice.* It’s about control, about turning the tables, about making someone feel what they made you feel. And preferably a bit worse than that, right?” she continues, grinning. “Some of you may think of revenge as petty. That’s fine. Petty things can still be powerful. A splinter is petty, and yet it can ruin your entire day, can’t it? Is revenge beneath any of you liberal youngsters? Any martyrs in the house?”

Cadalie watches as a breeze magically takes her own paper over to Mercedes and into the woman’s hand.

Grabbing a piece a paper from the box, Jasper pulls out a pen from his bag and looks down at the piece. He ponders for a moment, lightly tapping the pen while he gazes.

Elliot easily admits, “Oh, no, revenge isn’t beneath me, that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. Everyone may deny it, but the feeling of it is satisfying.”

Lucien lifts his shoulders faintly as he sits back in his seat, fiddling with his paper “Mostly it just seems like a lot of effort…”

“It is, isn’t it?” Mirabel remarks and smiles impishly at Elliot before looking over at Lucien. “Sure it takes effort, but it’s probably one of the more primal human impulses. We seem to have been built with it as part of our fabric.”

“Magical revenge is most effective when it’s poetic. Symmetry matters. If someone humiliates you at some Independence Day party tonight, and you retaliate by burning their house down, it won’t be obvious to everyone that you were getting your justified revenge for what they did. You’ll just look like a terrorist,” Mirabel goes on, gesturing habitually while she speaks. “The late Mister Kincaid comes to mind.”

Though it may be Cadalie’s duty to be the Devil’s advocate to revenge, the Speaker of the church does not raise her hand on this remark. “I would say, perhaps, that the Bible elects that wrath is God’s duty, but does not assume it to be without purpose.”

Cadalie says “..Or righteousness.“

Vesper slink over the box, grabs a paper and returns to her seat in short order. She pauses for a moment then starts to quickly sketch something on her paper.

Jenny looks up from her spiral notebook, where she has been doodling between notes. Asking Mirabel “Who is Kincaid?”

Hester scribbles name after name on her sheet of paper, but all she does is agree with the sentiments. Except soon, she wonders at Mirabel, “Poetic?”

Nemi hums softly as she raises a hand. “What if you magically tamper with the fireworks to then have one go into their house? wouldn’t it be both terrorism and poetic revenge?”

Sophie quietly sneaks in, hiding at the back of the seating with slightly flushed cheeks.

“Vengeance is fun, right or wrong,” Lola murmurs as she writes down that singular name upon her slip of paper, putting a bit of filigree to it, apparently. “When you feel slighted… Even if you don’t like exerting your power over others.. Sometimes it still feels good to just… Know you can reach out and slap someone on the wrist, even if they first slapped you in the face,” she rambles, thumbing over that bit of paper and then adding on, “Sometimes the revenge isn’t even for you… I prefer to get revenge on behalf of my friends who have been slighted.

“Leon Kincaid. He was a professor here, but he ran afoul with… just about everyone, I believe,” Mirabel informs Jenny and beckons Sophie closer. “Late again, Miss Callum? Take a piece of paper from the box over there and write down the name of someone you think deserves to have vengeance exacted upon them. Don’t worry, it’s just to get you in the… is it vibe that you youngsters call it?”

Mercedes gives a little gasp as the catches another piece of paper. She flutters her eyes up and looks around.

“Mister Kincaid was an idiot who staked a living person, as a ‘warning’, before getting staked himself by everyone he pissed off,” Elliot informs Jenny. “And then, after this, he was rather jaded by the fact that everyone hated him, and decided to join a pack of werewolves. Who were hunting down someone who killed in self-defense. And then, after he was caught, and… interrogated, he decided to break into someone’s house, presumably to harm them in some way. His brains were used to paint the floors after this incident.”

There is a pause, before Jasper begins to write down on the paper. Once he is done, he quickly folds it and put it inside his pocket.

“Thank you, Mister Harrington. Now, when it comes to magical revenge, we’re usually dealing with rituals. That’s just the most convenient form. While it wouldn’t be impossible to get payback with the various forms of mancing and sorcery that exist, those are more direct and immediate,” Mirabel ventures, bringing the class back on track while Sophie catches up. “That’s a bit like simply pulling out a gun and getting your revenge the way an action hero might. It’s a little crude.”

Sophie winces, “Sorry I got..caught up in something and ..” She stops making excuses and just gets a piece of paper, looking entirely miserable.

“Ironic that Kincaid joined some wolves when he himself was a Vigilant and a hunter,” Jasper comments with a shake of his head.

“The discussion around this figure has made excellent use of your point, Professor.” Cadalie compliments to Mirabel as she looks around at speakers, finger to her lip.

Nemi nods softly in agreement to someone as she sighs and shrugs softly, it was ironic. But currently she nods simply and starts preparing the paper to write notes, outlining a heading with a soft nod.

“Well, how about that,” Mirabel remarks smugly to Cadalie. “Anyway, as they say: revenge is a dish best served cold. Rituals are practically tailored for it, in fact. If we’re feeling particularly vengeful, we can even make it stick instead of wearing off once the magical currents have run their course,” she goes on. “Who can give us some examples of rituals that are particularly well-suited for revenge? Hands, please.”

Hester flips her paper over and starts scratching lecture notes out there, mouthing to herself keywords here and there from Mirabel. “So, supernatual revenge usually needs to be more.. hmm..”

“More topical,” Mirabel says and nods to Hester.

Lola’s hand goes up in the airupon Mirabel’s request, the girl waiting patiently for her turn to be called upon as she looks up from scribbling in her notebook.

Nemi nods softly in agreement to Jenny as she sighs and shrugs softly, it was ironic. But currently she nods simply and starts preparing the paper as she writes and hides a name.

Hester ponders for a bit and slowly raises her hand, as well.

“Go ahead, Miss Lovelace,” Mirabel says and gestures in Lola’s direction. “I’m sure you’ve got some fungus-based revenge plots up your sleeve.”

Elliot lazily lifts his hand, staring over at Mirabel with a utterly bored look.

“Well,” Lola says happily as Mirabel calls for her answer, a pleased grin upon her face as she continues, “if you know the person you’re after is a combatant, or has an important fight coming up, might I suggest poisoning them with a mushroom that causes arthritic swelling and aching in the joints? They won’t be able to run as quickly or react as fast as they’d like- it can be quite frustrating,” enthuses the little mushroom mage.

“Oh, how clever! Yes, never underestimate an arthritis spell. It may seem a little bit mundane, but if your enemy is an avid fighter, or dancer, or just vain, watching them struggle with buttons is far more satisfying than a lightning bolt,” Mirabel says and gives Lola an approving grin. “Miss Flanagan, what did you have in mind?” she asks Hester next.

Jasper lifts a hand up.

Hester looks thoughtful at the vengeful solution Lola volunteers. Rubbing one of her chins, she slowly turns to Mirabel again, breathing out her mouth, “Ah, my Gran did this thing once, where she kept something bubbling for two days and had her apprentices uh, chanting at it.. and they invited over this one nosy neighbor and uhh, he sort of kinda became a chicken..?”

As she finishes up her sketch, Vesper’s hand shoots up as well.

“Goodness! Well, polymorphing your neighbour is certainly one way to settle a dispute about the property line,” Mirabel remarks and raises her eyebrows at Hester. She turns her attention to Elliot afterwards and, looking a little smug, says, “Mister Harrington, are we boring you? Why don’t you–yes, in fact, why don’t you read aloud what you wrote down and then tell us how you’d get back at your chosen nemesis.”

Mirabel chortles lightheartedly at Hester.

Jenny visibly widens her eyes at something but stays silent turning her attention back to her spiral notebook

“I wrote down “Mirabel Kane”, and for declaring that I was dead to you until Monday, I would hex you with deafness, if you truly didn’t want to hear anything,” Elliot answers Mirabel with a satisfied smile and a nod.

“Hmph. I’ve clearly gone back on that promise, in the interest of caring for your education and future well-being, young man,” Mirabel informs Elliot and sets her hands on her hips. “And just so you don’t start to think I’m treating you unfairly by making you read yours aloud, why don’t you all do that? You can thank your classmate here for it.”

Hester seems to hold her breath at what Elliot shares with the class, eyes wide like he’d stepped on a landmine.

“And while they do that, Mister Meadows can say what sort of ritual he would use,” Mirabel continues. “Miss Volkov can do the same afterwards.”

“Why’re you so sensitive, Professor, I haven’t done it, and I wouldn’t,” Elliot coos over towards Mirabel, with a smirk. “You said this was an example. I’m only giving an example.”

“I’m merely making an example as well,” Mirabel tells Elliot a bit curtly.

Jenny widens her eyes, looking down at her folded up piece of paper “My mother.” she says simply and quickly putting the paper away in her pocket.

“I heard mention of hexes that makes people mute or make their phone not work at all,” Jasper tells Mirabel.

“Indeed, those are very popular when it comes to personal vendettas,” Mirabel says and nods solemnly to Jasper. “You can rob someone of the power of speech, as Miss Lovelace can attest to, or you can cast what’s called a tech-hex to make electronics fritz out whenever the target comes near. That one’s a more modern invention, needless to say.”

“I wrote down the name of Eloa,” Lola says softly, reading off the name she had written down on her paper as she sets it down openly upon her desk. “She has been spreading horrible rumors and lies about some friends of mine… So the curse I would use is called ‘persecution’. It would make others treat her the way they have been treating my friends due to her slander.” She shrugs her shoulders faintly, maintaining a steady stare in Mirabel’s direction throughout the entirety of her confession.

“I may just have to send you up to Miss Ward and Miss Thompson to talk to them about this maternal trauma, dear,” Mirabel mentions quietly to Jenny and sends a surprised look along the row of seats for Lola. “Miss Fernandez? But she seems so innocuous. Indeed, a persecution ritual turns the world against the target, not through violence but through subtle hostility. It’s deliciously slow and hurtful.”

Jasper frowns upon hearing Lola’s words, his gaze turning down as he pulls out the folded paper out of his pocket. “But Eloa did nothing wrong and seemed sweet… he murmurs, looking at the paper until his grip tightens around it.

Hester turns her paper over again, unsure how to explain after the others have done so. “Uh, I wrote mom, dad, Agatha, Paulie…” she keeps on listing names, face close to the paper. “Scarlet, Pepper, Elizabeth Taylor from the house down the street where I grew up – not the other Elizabeth Taylor, William, Ben, and Nicola.. Not sure what I would do to each, but ehm, I’m picking up suggestions from class.”

“Goodness gracious,” Mirabel remarks and raises her eyebrows at Hester. “I think we may need some long-term therapy for that, dear. Meanwhile, by all means, soak up whatever ideas you can here.”

Jenny looks more relaxed as Mirabel passes her over, keeping the paper in her pocket

Mirabel stretches her neck a bit to peer at Cadalie’s paper and lets out a thoughtful huff. “Very prudent,” she remarks. “Of course, we can’t talk about vengeful rituals without touching upon the act of tracing such a thing back to its genesis. Tracing a ritual isn’t terribly difficult, and you should always keep in mind that the target of your hatred has that option. You shouldn’t expect to be able to keep your identity hidden. It might seem like the perfect comeuppance to both curse someone and leave them wondering who did it, but don’t count on the last part,” she says in her usual lecturing tone. “On the other hand, that may also be how you find out who the recipient of your well-placed vengeance is in the first place. And while some of you might not know magic, remember that you can get someone else to do it for you. If you’re buddies with a mage, they can trace a spell that was cast on you and find out who did it.”

“Eloa, is, many things,” Elliot bluntly tells Lola, staring daggers at her. “Occasionally misguided, nonsensical at times, and difficult to understand. Perhaps, occasionally, utterly unreasonable. I don’t even particularly like her. However, she hasn’t lied. I gave you mercy, something I rarely do. Do not make me shirk mercy for ruthlessness because you lack the ability to investigate things for yourself before immediately defending your friends.”

“It’s all theoretical, for the class after all,” Lola says, as though that alone should assuage the clutched pearls of students who would fall upon swords on Eloa’s behalf. “It seems I’m the only one that clutched a random name out of the air for this exercise. I don’t have many people I wish ill against,” the little witch claims, spinning her paper idly back and forth on the cover of her mushroom-shaped notebook. Elliot’s words seem to go in one ear and out of the other, a few strands of blonde hair grasped gently and started to be weaved into a singular braid as she keeps her attention on Mirabel.

Cadalie licks her lips- because they’re chapped, that’s all. Her ears just happened to pulled towards the conversation, drawn to its animosity in preparation to take all the horrible burden of its discontent.

Lola says “Pull your pants up and stop clutching your pearls over a class exercise. I’m not afraid of you.“

Hester carefully returns the notes-side of her paper up, trying not to look when Elliot and Lola come to a disagreement, to put it nicely. The sound of her own breathing is suddenly annoyingly audible, even to herself. “Maybe it’s also good to let the other person know it was you who did it, to be uh.. poetic,” her comment instead touches on the lecture.

Nemi looks back up and looks about, having suddenly fallen asleep for no reason, as she looks down she has been keeping a lot of notes up until this point in her insomniac and half awake daze.

“It certainly can be!” Mirabel tells Hester and takes a moment to nudge Nemi. “Pay attention, dear,” she says mildly. “Anyway, yes, you may want to let the world know what you did. You may also want to be as discreet as you can. It all depends on what it is you’re trying to accomplish.”

“We could call that a question of ethics,” Mirabel adds, smiling pensively. “Does that have a place in this? Ethics? If we were to argue for the existence of ethics in magical revenge, how would you drowsy youngsters define it?”

Sophie peeks around, checking the time and her piece of paper.

“Somewhat, yes,” Elliot informs Mirabel, “For instance, if someone insults you, you probably shouldn’t scalp them. Even if you really want to.”

Nemi nods in agreement with someone elliot. “Or while someone may have stolen a flower from your garden you shouldn’t go burning down an acre of their apple trees …”

Nemi nods in agreement with Elliot. “Or while someone may have stolen a flower from your garden you shouldn’t go burning down an acre of their apple trees …”

“Sure. We could say that the ethical thing to do is to sculpt your revenge to align with the original offense,” Mirabel ventures and nods solemnly to Elliot. “Miss Callum, what did you write down? I did promise that it was private, but I’ve decided to betray you all on that front. Out with it, sweetie.”

“Ethics has no place in vengeance,” Lola decides as she lifts a hand in the air. “To act negatively against someone else, even if it is out of revenge, is bad. If you want to be ethical, then your ‘revenge’ should be turning the other cheek, and you just have to accept that. To kill a murderer is unethical, yes, but it is something that needs to be done. You need to decide when passing down judgment on others whether your moral compass is worth being judge, jury and/or executioner.

Sophie looks over at Mirabel with a shrug, “I put down myself. And I’m sure I could come up with some fun ways to torment myself.”

Vesper hold up her paper for all to see, displaying a sketch of a black-furred wolfman with a myriad of scars. “I know not their name so I put this down. My methods would be inflicting the recipient with a madness that conjures visions of their crimes with them as the victim. Perhaps weave in paralysis somehow so they can do not but be trapped in their own mind.” She then adds, “Ethics are irrelevant.”

“Yourself?! Goodness. Is self-loathing a healthy impulse, young lady?” Mirabel asks and raises her eyebrows skeptically at Sophie. “You’re not allowed to curse yourself. It’s indecent.”

Sophie scoffs, “So I can hire someone to do it for me, then it’s perfectly decent.”

Hester starts to shake her head at Mirabel, but after Elliot answers she has to rethink that. A sausage finger resides on her chin while she reflects. “Right, so something about.. escalation and either you cancel out the other person’s offense, or you end up offending -more- and then there’s just going to be vengeance forever..”

Upon looking at Vesper’s sketch, Jasper grimaces and quickly looks away.

“Well, maybe she could turn herself into a dude,” Elliot shares with Mirabel, with a nod. “Normally those sorts of things just piss off people insecure about themselves, but for the most part, it’s probably harmless.”

“It is still indecent.” Cadalie assures.

Sophie snarks back, “Well maybe I’m perfectly fine with that.”

Hester keeps on rambling, even if the class simply continues, “.. but then, is it really ethics or is it just what’s best for the pot not to boil over or grow stale…” She swivels a look around, and back to Mirabel in a minute.

“Mmm.” Cadalie’s head already tilted, it perks right back up to study Sophie with hooded eyes. They don’t exactly pry- it is the stare that moves past, taking the subject and scrutinizing the events.

“That’s a very salient point, Miss Flanagan,” Mirabel says and points at Hester. “Because whenever we take revenge – whether through magic or fisticuffs or lawsuits – we’re not exactly tying a neat bow on the dispute and putting it out of the world.”

Nemi nods softly to Mirabel as she smiles softly, adding down to her notes as she hums softly and considers the words.

“Perhaps the ethical thing is to ensure that your revenge isn’t excessive. If you’re part of one of these local gangs they’ve got these days, maybe you shouldn’t do something that sparks a gang war with another pack of trigger-happy youngsters,” Mirabel continues, gesturing vividly. “And for your own safety’s sake, not something that will unite the whole city in hatred of you. We’ve already talked about the unfortinate Mister Kincaid.”

Mercedes let’s her piece of paper linger on the desk in front of her before she slips out of the seat, “Apologies Miss Kane,” she beams brightly, “I desperately need to tend to something prior to the gladitorial event at the Den,” she looks around the room with a soft smirk, “If any of you have any self-destructive thoughts of revenge you make come ease your mind in confession.”

“Of course. We’re almost ready to wrap it up, too, but go ahead,” Mirabel says and smiles distractedly at Mercedes.

Mirabel furtively sidles closer to Mercedes’s paper and peeks at it.

Hester considers Mirabel’s reasoning with a furrow of brows and even more chin tapping. “Responsible revenge..? So that the ehm, whole town doesn’t explode and.. yeah, and the rest of the neighbors don’t come with pitchforks and torches,” she understands of it. “I guess being in a gang helps that way, too? People ehm, think more.” She peers at the rest of the class, in case any might agree or disagree.

Mercedes wiggles her fingers at the class and then smirks at Mirabel, “You will find two familiar names there Miss Kane. I’m off!”

Vesper lets out a hum at Mirabel’s words and jots down a note on her paper.

Sneaking into the back of the class very fashionably late, Eloa looks around to see if it’s still happening.

Mirabel makes a thoughtful sound at what she saw and brings her attention back to the class. “Yes, but being in a gang also makes you responsible for more than just your own well-being,” she mentions to Hester. “Now, since rituals can be cast from far away, there’s the possibility of targeting someone we’re not so familiar with. That carries the risk of inadvertently going too far. Let’s say we have the bright idea to curse someone with a dire case of wanton promiscuity, but they’re happily married and it would shatter their life. In cases like that, I strongly advise that you make sure you’re not doing something that the locals will deem needlessly abusive.”

“It is getting close to time for the party,” Lola admits as she supresses the noise of an alarm that had blared on her phone. She glances towards Eloa upon her entry, smiles faintly, and waves. It seems despite popular belief, Lola harbors no ill will against the woman- or at the very least is capable of putting on a smile. She looks down at the time, focusing more on her phone now than the class itself as she haphazardly tucks away her mushroom-shaped notebook and its pencil.

“You’re right. Let’s start to wrap it up. Does anyone have any last-minute questions?” Mirabel asks and looks around, incidentally noticing Eloa. “Oh! Miss Fernandez, I’m afraid you’ve missed most of it. I’ll try to put some notes together for you, dear.”

“Not quite,” Elliot huffs a little, staring at his phone. “Seems my dinner plans were canceled.”

Putting the paper away in his pocket once more, Jasper looks around until he finds Eloa and gives her a faint smile before he starts to rise from his seat.

Hester eyes Eloa with clear surprise for her entrance, but comments nothing on it. Instead, a furious swiping of pen on paper, notes and all. She glances around the room but offers up no further queries of her own, just a self-conscious adjustment of her bloated shirt as the most hideous thing in the room.

Waving at Jasper and fixing Lola a curious glance, Eloa has her attention stolen by Mirabel. “That would be fantastic. Sorry for being late miss Mirabel.” She calls out before moving down the tiered seating to take a seat next to Sophie and offer the woman a hug.

Nemi shakes her head softly as she smiles, wrapping up her notes with a soft hum and a nod. “All done… nice and tidy notes. All mine…” She sighs softly.

Jenny gives a shake of her head to at Mirabel as she starts to pack up her things.

“Oh, well, it’s difficult to demand punctuality from a nurse. I’m sure working at the hospital makes it difficult to keep a fixed schedule,” Mirabel says and smiles blithely at Eloa. “We’ve been discussing ways to get revenge with magic, and what some of the risks and quirks can be.”

Sophie rests her head on Eloa’s should and smiles briefly.

“Good note-taking skills are a virtue,” Mirabel assures Nemi and goes over to give Sophie’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry, dear. It’s never quite as bad as it feels.”

“Sometimes it’s much worse, mind you,” Mirabel adds pensively. “But I’m sure that’s not the case here.”

“Thank you for the class, Miss Mirabel!” Lola chimes happily as she throws her satchel across her shoulders and secures it to her hip. “I have to get home and change before I go to the gladiator thing, so I hope you don’t mind if I dismiss myself!” She gives Mirabel an apologetic look then says, “It was so nice getting to learn with all of you! I hope to see you guys next class!” Then she’s off, eagerly waving at every single face from Elliot to Nemi to Eloa to Sophie and beyond on her way out.

Eloa wraps her arm around Sophie and gives her a warm hug. “Everything will get easier. Plus is lots of men in town. And Sophie very nice.”

“We’ll say that was it for today,” Mirabel decides, raising her voice a little. “Don’t drink yourselves into a stupor tonight! If I have to drive around and pick you up all over the city, I’ll be very cross.”

“No promises.” Jenny says as she heads out

Eloa glances over at Hester but she’s too distracted hugging Sophie.

Nemi nods and waves softly. “I ened to get back to my dorm- I’ve got more trtjng to sleep to do… stay safe..” She asks… weakly as she sighs and rubs her eyes before waving and heading off.

“Thank you for class, Miss Kane. Glad I got to stay up just enough for it,” Hester starts to tell Mirabel, but even that regresses into a yawn as she pushes herself out of her seat like she weighed a ton. She probably does.

“You’re welcome, young lady. If you need anything, my number is on the wall next to the ATM,” Mirabel says and wiggles her fingers at Hester.

Eloa gives some Sophie’s shoulder some extra rubs as id trying to rub energy into Sophie. She turns her hazel eyes to Mirabel, “Is miss Mirabel’s injuries better?”

“Oh, yes, much better,” Mirabel says and nods briskly to Eloa. “That massage did wonders for me. I’m fit as a fiddle again.”

Vesper folds up her paper into a neat square and slots it in her bag. As she stands to leave, she gives Mirabel a warm smile, “Thank you for the class, Miss Kane. I look forward to applying the knowledge and skills I’ve gained from your class in my future endeavors.”

“Oh okay, thank youaaahh..” Hester yawns another big one out, beady eyes watering. After a beat of standing around awkwardly, she begins the dorm-ward trudge.

Sophie blinks at Elliot and glances at Eloa, “Don’t worry.” She stands and gives Elliot a nod as she follows.

Eloa smiles at Mirabel, “Eloa glad you feel better.” She looks up at Sophie as the woman stands and gives a small wave.

“Since my dinner plans have gone to waste, I suppose I can check on your emotional well being,” Elliot politely informs Sophie, with a frown deepening.

“Just don’t go around trying to curse me!” Mirabel warns Vesper, eyes crinkling with amusement. “I’ve got a *lot* of spellbooks, and a master key to the dormitories.”

Sophie laughs briefly, “Coming along.” She hops into step, “Duck is always a treat.”

Sending off a few more texts, Eloa moves forward towards Mirabel. “Eloa will be greatful for notes.” She tells Mirabel with a small smile.

Vesper chuckle softly and shoots back jokingly, “No need to worry about that. I have other methods. Until we meet again.”

“I have no idea why I’m the target of revenge,” Elliot squints, staring at the lip-stick stained piece of paper with utter confusion. “Well, actually, I do call the satanists, and I suppose this is from the satanist, barbaric individuals. However, busting down my bosses’ door, tech-hexing her, along with every other hex in the book, whilst torturing her, just to grab a borough that’s already won, is extraordinarily over-kill.”

“I’ll have them ready for you tomorrow. Right now, I’d better get going. It’s the Fourth of July, after all,” Mirabel tells Eloa and gives her a cheerful grin. “Do you have any plans for tonight, dear?”

“Eloa probably going back home to sleep for a bit. Too sleepy for jakem’s party. Eloa already apologize.” Eloa smiles greatfully at Mirabel, “Eloa greatful for notes. Please no rush.

“Of course. Being late is no sin, and we all know that this city has a suspicious tendency to get in the way of even the best-laid plans,” Mirabel tells Eloa while tidying up a little. “So I’m happy to provide some notes so you busy youngsters don’t get left behind.”

Eloa says “Anyways Eloa should go. Glad miss Mirabel feeling better“

Eloa flashes Mirabel a bright smile then turns to make her way up back the stairs