I Dream of Manatees Akinyi Odera

The Runes protege was up to something. He had spent the first semester working on a surrogate alphabet so that he could paint runes with benign symbols in order to work out effects and combinations without the inherent risk of an untimely demise. January had been dedicated to the art of folding paper into shapes and he was beginning to hone a particular form that resembled a manatee. Why a manatee? Well, he had visited Professor Nenovsky in between classes in the fall and had wanted love advice. He wasn’t really sure what he got out of it but he knew that he wanted to do something special for the divination professor - especially because, ever since he visited her office, he had become enamored with manatees!

Now, here he was, bent over his crudely constructed rune book where he had been working on various equations. He had almost nailed down a combination he wanted to try utilizing: Mannaz, Raido, Ingot, and Ansuz. He wanted to use Mannaz to inscribe memory and connection, specifically to his professor and activation whenever she was nearby. Raido as a rune for transportation so that the origami manatee would be programmed along a set (true) circular path so it didn’t go wandering away from the professor whenever activated. Ingot because of it’s connection to virtue, and the walk of a spiritual path when he could symbolized Nenovsky well.

However, despite Dennis’ innate genius in the subject his full understanding remained lacking. He would need to have someone knowledgeable to proof his understanding and intention - correcting where he messed up in his logic and technique. He thought about turning to Professor Lancaster. She had always been very easy to talk to but her lectures on never doing exactly what it was he was doing gave him the impression she would not look kindly on his attempt.

“Never paint runes by yourself,” Dennis said in a mock Jessamine Lancaster voice as he finished the last of his paintings using the benign rune symbols. “Ok, Professor,” he said sarcastically, again to no one in particular once he was satisfied with his combination. This left only one other person for him to approach - Professor Odera. He didn’t much like that idea but when having to choose between the two, he thought it was safer to go with Odera who might not be as quick to chastise him for disobeying her. Besides…he had yet to actually be in a class where she specifically had warned him individually not to do it.

@Akinyi Odera