Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Writing Prompt: Uri's Invitation

Did another prompt during the typhoon! Much shorter than the others but I enjoyed writing this one.

Again, not directly for the prompt but something that inspired an idea. :D Enjoy!



URI’S INVITATION
Uri was self-conscious; but that was normal. He was also on fire; but that was normal too. He wasn’t unattractive, he was quite beautiful. He was smart and caring too. In fact, he was quite popular among other fire-demons, but it was the white hazard suit that made him insecure. Of course, the suit itself was a necessity, as living in a city where fire-demons were scarce meant that almost everything was in danger of catching fire.
Uri stood before the mirror and studied himself, as he usually did every morning before classes. The rubbery suit was bulky and loose, and the glass visor revealed a bright blue flames and yellow eyes. The suit hunched and crinkled as the fire-demon sighed, slouching and marching out of his spacious room and out to the breakfast table, which as a thick slab of stone set in an equally spacious living room. He snatched a tin box and his school bag and proceeded to make his way downstairs via a metal caged elevator at the end of the room.
His entire apartment was an old abandoned fire station which was a good distance from the bayside, which he usually avoided, and a good distance from his small college for minorities. When the caged elevator reached ground level, Uri exited the cage and made his way to the door, passing by stone furniture on the way.
Uri exited the fire station, locking his door by tapping a rune that has been carved into the metal surface of the gate. Fire-demons were quite attached to their belongings but luckily, no human or other ever dared to steal from fire-demons, which are known to have nasty tempers. Uri was different though. When he first moved into town, his polite nature had earned him good neighbors and a kind living environment. He was always invited to barbeques and he was quite helpful when it came to putting out fires. Fires built from accidents were the rudest types and he was more than happy to send them away.
All was well until his growth spurt kicked in. Demons had the worst growth spurts, Uri’s was no different. Normally, Fire-demons’ magma center was covered with molten rock skin, but growth spurts meant cracked skin and wild tongues of fire seeping from the cracks. In most cases, it was a completely natural phenomenon among other fire-demon younglings and would normally be completely harmless. However, living in a city and not inside a volcano, meant that most things, if not all things are prone to catch fire or melt.
Uri walked down the usual path to school and waved at people who were normally quite willing to wave back. It has been a month since he accidentally set that man’s coach ablaze during a school trip where he has lost control of his own fire. Luckily, the horses and coachmen were saved thanks to Su, who happens to be his classmate and is also the only Undine in the entire city. The fire department reacted quickly and their magicians kept him within a bubble while they transported him into an enchanted hazard suit a magician had made him that would keep him from spilling flames and melting plastic and glass.
Since then, he was required to wear the suit at all times so as to pose no threat to the community. He was more than happy to oblige, but having his body constricted and his actions limited were quite stressful. Even in his own home, he had to wear it.
He was grateful; Uri thought and caressed the printed letter S insignia on the center of his suit. If it wasn’t for the suit, he wouldn’t have been able to continue living in the city and would be forced to move back into the mountains.
He silently thanked the maker and walked into his school grounds, which was a rather small building fitted between 2 buildings. The School of Magical Arts for Minorities, or S.O.M.A.M., was a rather small school that was specifically founded for the education of Monsters, Demons and Faefolk and many more. The college in the city was actually a small branch from the main school which was located in Europa, where monsters, demons, Faefolk and other creatures were residing in.
Uri walked up the stairs and paused when he reached the door to his classroom. He took a deep fiery breath and reached for the door knob, only to have someone else open it from the other side. Uri jumped a little, which raised his temperature just a tad. He had to control himself. Opposite him was Su, who had jumped jack a little as well when she opened the door. Uri liked having Su as a classmate. She was strong and extremely talented and not only on water based magic, but she was the complete opposite of him. She was brash and outspoken, while he was calculating and thoughtful. Uri tried to get along with her but she never seems to respond. Fire and Water never did mix well.
Su folded her blue arms over her chest and frowned at Uri. Much like him, Su had to wear something special and was sporting a black wetsuit with a bright yellow S stitched onto her chest. Her wetsuit seemed more flattering than his hazard suit though.
“Well, aren’t you going to step aside?” Uri shuffled to the side and let Su pass with her watery mane trailing back behind her.
“You’re not skipping class are you? You can’t, the professor is going to—” Su turned the corner and disappeared before Uri could even finish his sentence. He turned to the rest of his class and saw them packing their bags and leaving as well.
 “The professor isn’t here,” Said Kun, the fair headed elf, before walking passed him. “Classes have been called off!” She turned from him and dashed down the stairs and disappeared with the rest of the class. Uri sighed. His classmates used to be quite friendly of him until he started wearing the suit. They were distant and the fire-demon was beginning to feel rather lonely. Feeling quite down, he turned to leave when suddenly a wooden hand patted the back of his knees. He turned and looked down to see his classmate, Alan the enchanted puppet.
Uri stepped back for a moment, remembering that he was made of wood. He had spoken to Alan a few times, but at a good distance. As far as Uri could tell, Alan was very hard working and much older than he looked. Alan and his sister were special cases, even among minorities for they weren’t monsters or demons or anything else. They were small but good natured, though his sister had always been struck as odd even among the odder ones.
Alan was the last person Uri expected to be talking to on any day as it was much too dangerous for him to be around the puppet.
“Since we don’t have class,” Alan started, kind and honest as always, “Would you like to visit the library with me? I actually need some help with some spells and you’re the best in class.”
“Su is better than I am.” Uri said consciously.
“Su is better than all of us, but she’s not the teaching type.” Alan said. “You’re much nicer.” Uri smiled brightly, which would normally make people turn away, but Alan’s glass eyes simply reflected them.
“I’m not usually allowed into the library.” Uri said, as they walked up one floor. Alan was made of wood and he was small and he had to take double steps up the staircase, which took quite some time since the library was 3 floors up.
“You’re lucky that you’re so tall.” Alan said, laughing a little as he hopped the last step to the 5th floor where the library was. Uri thought for a moment. Alan was a normal object with a spell cast onto him, which gave him life, but he could not grow, which meant there would be no growth spurts. This made Uri a little envious but he said nothing. They quietly swung the door open and Alan entered, making his clattering limbs echo throughout the room. Uri hovered by the door, wondering if he should enter.
“Aren’t you coming in?” Alan asked.
“I’m not allowed in the library.” He whispered. “Miss Alice will be very cross.”
“Miss Alice isn’t here,” Alan said, not whispering. “She hasn’t been here since this morning. We only have one librarian, so no one’s here. It’ll be okay! We’re going to the spell room at the end of here. Don’t worry, you’re suit will keep you in.” Alan casually walked past the bookshelves and deeper into the library, he didn’t wait for Uri to give him a second thought. The fire-demon hesitated a moment but entered anyway, carefully avoiding the bookshelves.
When they got to one of the empty spell rooms, he felt much better when he saw runes carved into the walls that would keep all magic contained if magic ever got out of hand.
They got to work immediately. Alan began asking him questions about the course assignments, how to manipulate matter, how to cast certain spells to do certain things. He even asked about the life as a fire-demon and about growth spurts. They joked and talked about classes and laughed about school pranks and Alan told stories of his family and their misadventures. A family of magicians always had stories to tell.
“I don’t mean to be rude.” Uri suddenly said. “But I can’t help wondering why you invited me here.” Through his visor, Uri could see Alan’s glass roll around, back and forth, up and down, as if he was searching very deeply for a good answer.
“Your suit.” The puppet finally said. “I’ve wanted to be friends before! The suit makes it much easier.” Uri laughed a little.
“And you’re nice.” Alan added.
Before they knew it, the clock struck 4 and classes were scheduled to be done for the day.
“I have to pick my sister up from class and head home.” Alan had told Uri and they left the library. Walking down the stairs was much more entertaining than walking up the stairs. Alan had hopped his way down and had tripped and skittered down the steps. Uri panicked but Alan only laughed and said that he was fine.
“She’s at the end of this floor.” Alan said, ready to part. “I’ll introduce you both next time.” Uri nodded, he very much wanted to meet the rumored living doll and her pet rat. “I’ll see you tomorrow! We can use the spell room again!” Without waiting for a reply, Alan turned and disappeared into one of the classrooms. Uri walked down the rest of the stairs alone, like he did this morning, except that he was much happier than he was before. He tapped the S on his chest again. If it wasn’t for the suit, he wouldn’t have been able to meet with Alan properly.
The hazard suit squeaked and moaned as he left the school building and walked back to his abandoned fire station, thanking Strauss the Magician for having ever invented the suit for him.
Word count: 1,880

I know I should proof-read this. I will at some point.

.L

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