The moment Ms. Gunzenhauser scoops up the cicada shell, it changes in her hand. Not a hollow golden stone, but a pale spruce wood wand, hilted with amber. “I haven’t seen this in years,” Ms. Gunzenhauser says with the faintest hint of a smile as she raises her wand arm to give it a swish and a flick. “I thought I broke it—” Just in the middle of her leviosa she freezes, and that smile fades. Then, a few seconds later, the wand does, as well.
Ms. Gunzenhauser sits heavily in her seat, not unlike how Eddy had when he’d dug his shell up from Thorntrail. Seconds tick by in silence before she stirs again, back and aware as quickly as she’d faded. Emotions cascade across her features, fear, disorientation, confusion, understanding, anger.
“Damn!” Ms. Gunzenhauser spits, shoving up and away from her desk, again. She hardly seems to notice Eddy still standing there as she gathers up some things and makes for her office door. “They told her wrong,” she mumbles to herself, that strange accent back and stronger than before.
She halts at the door, looking up before she turns the knob. There’s a light in her eye that Eddy hasn’t ever noticed before. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to remember this, Eddy, so I need you to remember for me. Even if it doesn’t make any sense. Tink won’t take from you without your permission.” That German accent fades with every word she speaks, melting back into midwestern English. “That thing has an end. We knew you had to see all of it to defeat it, but the adults thought it was endless and they were wrong. Wybie and I saw it. Straight down to the roots. It can be stopped.” Ms. Gunzenhauser breathes a heavy sigh, throws open her office door and then stops once again.
She turns to Eddy, voice low, barely more than a whisper. “Whatever he eats, he can become, almost flawlessly. Even ice doesn’t always work. I wish I could offer something more reassuring to you, but all I can advise is that you be on your guard. Come on, we need to see a bug about a memory.”
[Only EDDY WAXWEILER was here to witness this exchange. Eddy can follow Ms. Gunzenhauser or not. Just close the door behind you, bud.]
ON CAMPUS: EDDY RETURNS ZELDA'S SHELL
Ms. Gunzenhauser sits heavily in her seat, not unlike how Eddy had when he’d dug his shell up from Thorntrail. Seconds tick by in silence before she stirs again, back and aware as quickly as she’d faded. Emotions cascade across her features, fear, disorientation, confusion, understanding, anger.
“Damn!” Ms. Gunzenhauser spits, shoving up and away from her desk, again. She hardly seems to notice Eddy still standing there as she gathers up some things and makes for her office door. “They told her wrong,” she mumbles to herself, that strange accent back and stronger than before.
She halts at the door, looking up before she turns the knob. There’s a light in her eye that Eddy hasn’t ever noticed before. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to remember this, Eddy, so I need you to remember for me. Even if it doesn’t make any sense. Tink won’t take from you without your permission.” That German accent fades with every word she speaks, melting back into midwestern English. “That thing has an end. We knew you had to see all of it to defeat it, but the adults thought it was endless and they were wrong. Wybie and I saw it. Straight down to the roots. It can be stopped.” Ms. Gunzenhauser breathes a heavy sigh, throws open her office door and then stops once again.
She turns to Eddy, voice low, barely more than a whisper. “Whatever he eats, he can become, almost flawlessly. Even ice doesn’t always work. I wish I could offer something more reassuring to you, but all I can advise is that you be on your guard. Come on, we need to see a bug about a memory.”
[Only EDDY WAXWEILER was here to witness this exchange. Eddy can follow Ms. Gunzenhauser or not. Just close the door behind you, bud.]