[Fiona Ivers]

Class was over. Could have been better. Could have been worse, too. All in all, not terrible. She needed to stop having relaxed first classes, though. Kids came late, made noise, didn't wear their uniforms properly. All that nonsense. She'd be sure to straighten any of them out come the next class period. Speaking of them, the ones that wanted to leave had already left. The ones that wanted to stick around? Well, they were free to. She had no intentions of ushering them out until she herself left.

”You're all free to do as you wish, provided it's nothing too noisy. I'll remain here for a while, so get comfortable, if you want.” Her expression, though blank, was relaxed. Her tone was also much less stiff than before. She still wasn't a shining example of sociability, but it was clear that the “switch” had been flipped. As she relaxed in her seat, she took a few balls out and released a few more of the Pokemon she'd had with her.

First came out Spooks, who immediately phased into Fiona's desk. The Gengar had a fascination with doing “ghostly” things. Crooks, well. He used an illusion from the get go, so it looked like a beautiful, androgynous man had been released from a ball, instead of a Pokemon. So long as he did nothing stupid like that, Fiona wasn't going to bother him. Lily flopped over and curled up near Fiona's chair. Unless students closed in, they wouldn't have seen the Espeon. Snips, Shady, Lovefist, and Tiny all had to remain in their balls. Too many out and about would have been a bit messy.

Samuel had handed the questionnaires over to Fiona, then joined both Eleanor and Marcus by the window. Needless to say, despite their apparently relaxed nature, they were still aware of the room's inhabitants. Fiona? She just went through the sheets, occasionally firing off inquisitive pulses to Eleanor and bunch to piece faces to profiles. Psychic Pokemon sure were handy.

Notes: This is a simple social thread following some few minutes after the closing of the first Tactics class. You are not required to post here. This is simply for those looking to have social interaction with the teacher or other stragglers. There is no posting order, if it should get populated. Take it easy, relax, and post at your leisure, if you even decide to post.

For the record, it's primarily for those that were actually in the first class.

[Sylvia Lane]

After Ms. Ivers had closed up her remarks, Sylvia waited for the class to clear some more. When she managed to lock eyes with anyone that was exiting, she gave them a smile and a nod. It was a shame they weren’t all staying, but there would certainly be more time for her to become acquainted with them later. Once the class was a little emptier, she pushed herself out of her chair and made her way to the front with her questionnaire in hand. She walked  over to the Slowking and handed the sheet over before smiling at him, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Samuel,” she greeted him pleasantly.

The greeting had barely left her mouth, though, before the familiar sounds of Pokeballs being released echoed throughout the classroom. She glanced over towards the teacher’s desk and noticed that the area had suddenly become much more populated with Pokemon. That sight alone was fascinating, considering how strong they all looked. But Sylvia’s attention was drawn to a more…dire matter. Rather than dire, it was just downright impossible. Sylvia’s eyes were wide with shock as she turned around fully. Their target? The man that had apparently leapt right out of the Pokeball. What on earth was that about?

Surely, she thought as she made her way over without hesitation, this was some trick. What kind of trick, she simply didn’t know. But what she did know was that it was literally impossible for a person to actually get into a Pokeball. Or, at least that was what she’d thought. Did she need to reevaluate her way of thinking? Had she missed something vital growing up? Was some sort of science created that actually made this possible without her knowing? And if so, why was such a ridiculous thing created? What was the point? Sylvia’s mind was spinning at full speed. She was so preoccupied that, for a long while, she wasn’t aware that she was standing directly in front of the mystery man, gaping.

“…oh. Oh my, um…” she caught herself finally and stood up straighter. A nervous smile wormed its way onto her face as she looked at this impossibility. “N-Nice to meet you…?” she laughed weakly while moving over to the teacher’s desk. She stood at the side of the desk and locked her eyes on Ms. Ivers. She was trying to keep her agitation in check, but it clearly showed on her face. “Hello Ms. Ivers. My name is Sylvia Lane,” she said carefully, then let her eyes drift over to the man. “P…Pardon the brief introduction. But, um, would you mind explaining that to me. I simply must know.”

[Fiona Ivers]

Crooks made sure to offer a wink and flush of a his “hair” to Sylvia while that illusion was still in action. Just to rile the girl up a bit more, of course. Nothing mean-natured. All the same, when the girl approached Fiona and gave her introduction, she was offered a faint, but altogether warm and pleasant smile from the woman. It was a stark contrast to the image of distance offered during the class. The woman's gaze followed Sylvia's before focusing on the Zoroark. Then, she sighed lightly and shook her head.

”Crooks, you're scaring the students. Stop.” With that simple statement and order, the “man” almost seemed to pout before his features wavered and glistened, revealing the truth. Eventually, the bipedal canine- the “Illusion Fox” Pokemon- skulked off, hunched forward just a bit. He huddled up in the corner and rested against the wall. He'd have his chance later. Or he'd just take a nap. Either way. After being certain the issue was diffused, the woman shifted her gaze back to the student.

”Zoroark.” She explained, her voice loud enough to reach any students that might have been interested in hearing. ”It's the evolved form of Zorua. That evolutionary line is known for its specialization in illusions, and, naturally, Zoroark's are more extensive than a Zorua's. I apologize for confusion and upset. You probably didn't expect that, did you?” The student did ask for an explanation, so she gave it. She did leave out the more. . . militaristic implementations of the abilities, though. No need for that nonsense here.

”But it's nice to meet you, properly, Miss Lane.” She opted straight for the formalities. It was proper. ”I hope you weren't discouraged by my bluntness during our first session together, though I'd understand if you were.” She sat back, her right hand resting on the arm of her chair and her left finally placing the papers down. She hadn't been reading while talking, but putting the papers down was to serve as a hint that she wasn't against conversation.

”Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. ”Or did you think I participated in some sort of slave trade?” That faint smile persisted, a way of blowing off the earlier confusion without leaving the student embarrassed. Or, at least, she hadn't planned to embarrass the kid. She was still new with dealing with youths so. . . personally. Having been so out of touch with them over the past decade or so really did leave some gaps.

[Sylvia Lane]

Sylvia's mind was still reeling she waited for some sort of explanation for this madness. But instead of an immediate response, she was surprised hear the woman call out a firm command to...something. A Pokemon? Based on the name she used, her immediate assumption was that it was a nickname, so a Pokemon seemed the most likely answer. She had to admit that there were a few Pokemon in the classroom now that she didn't recognize right away. Unless...unless it was a nickname for the mystery man.

Thankfully, though, this train of thought was cut short by the sudden transformation of the "man". Where he'd been standing, a fox Pokemon, towering just a few inches taller than her, stood. Shock, then immediate relief rushed over her with such intensity that her balance momentarily gave way, forcing her to take a step back. She quickly steadied herself then, with a hand on her chest, she listened to Ms. Ivers' explanation in awed silence.

"Fascinating," she breathed finally. "No...no, I didn't expect that at all." Sylvia gave her head a quick shake, her bright blue hair ruffling with the movement. A small sigh passed from her lips, then she turned to face Ms. Ivers again. Now that she was significantly calmer, she was able to reflect on what had happened in those last few minutes. Her summation: she had made a complete fool of herself in front of her teacher on the first day.

Her face flushed, but she attempted to clear away her embarrassment by clearing her throat. It didn't work. "I-I apologize for my...dramatics," That was the only nice word she could think of to describe her actions. She sighed again and placed a hand over her reddened face. "And thank you for the explanation. I'll keep in mind from now on."

Sylvia let her hand drag down her face, then finally drop back down at her side. Get it together, she chided herself, standing up a bit straighter and wearing a proper smile, "Actually, I very much enjoyed your first lesson. It was very concise, but I felt as though I'm aware of your expectations now," she stated. It was the truth. That first class seemed simple at first glance, and it was, but Sylvia also felt that it really set the tone of the rest of Ms. Ivers' classes.

Her ears reddened again at the subtle reminder of the previous incident. But her smile remained poised on her lips, "Haha..ha. No a thought like that hadn't occurred to me," she laughed nervously and scratched her cheek. "I just wanted to formally introduce myself to you. My battling skills are a bit lacking, so I may prove to be a bit of a challenge for you. I suppose I'd better apologize to you for that beforehand as well." She couldn't help grinning slightly after saying that.