"Well, that could have gone better," Kainudy says in Tasha's mind. "Gwen's clearly not ready to deal with authority figures. And I'm not sure Kala is either. I thought she would make it fun for Gwen, somehow. Too much all at once though. Still, was worth trying I think."
"I agree, and more so, I don't believe it was a failure. I am worried about Hakeber, she displayed an unusual degree of aggravation -- a slip -- and I worry our endeavors starting up again after all these years is disturbing her more than we had anticipated. Still... Aside from that, we've witnessed some very promising things." Tasha settles back, eyes closing, legs crossing. "For one, Kala has exhibited a strong protective effort regarding Gweneth. She had always remained out of these things, leaving that work to her older siblings. This time, she stood up -- to us all, as it turned out. I wasn't sure she had it in her. But she does. She found a reason to draw her sword, as it were, and that's exceptional. Yet, at the same time, I fear she's ill-suited to direct combat. As for Gweneth, it was a mistake for Hakeber to strike her. That was her mistake. As adorably endearing as she can be, she is still a dragon. It may have been our collective mistake to attempt to push her to be more human-like, and more than it would be wise to push Kala to be more like a dragon. And like Kala, I'm uncertain of her capacity to engage in meaningful and directed combat. Unlike Kala, I don't believe combat itself disturbs her. It is a question of drive and understanding. She is still living like an dragon, or perhaps, an animal. Social concepts and existential threats may be beyond her, or, well, her priorities are different. Hakeber hit and challenged her, so she hit back. Kala seemed in danger, so Gweneth stepped forward. How to resolve this... I'm not certain."
"My suggestion is dragon training," Kainudy offers. "Once she can come to terms with what she is and learn to control herself, it should be safe to move on to other things. There is one difficulty there, though."
"And that is?" Tasha turns her head, resting her muzzle on her hand and her arm on the armrest as she gazes out over the city. The school is not far from where she is. She could divert. The office could wait...
"I don't know how to train a dragon," Kainudy admits. "The way I was trained is not going to be repeated. And my kids were all perfect little angels from the start. Gwyndrael has stated her opinion on the matter as well."
"Yes, she wanted her to grow up freely. Though, I do question her motives sometimes. She didn't want a child, after all, and Gweneth is strange among dragons, men, and even our kind, the Universal Animals. There is something about her I cannot fathom, nor can Gwyndrael, and I think it disturbs her. Still, we don't have the luxury of remaining hands-off. But, perhaps we don't need to guide so heavily, either. We can present to her things she may indulge in, or not. We will not make her classes mandatory, nor anything. Like Kala, she must want on her own, on her own terms, or else the effort means nothing, and is doomed to failure." Tasha taps the side of her chin, thinking. "I have a thought. Kala is driven, but desires escape -- from us, from the harsh and destructive future we offer, from our control and intrusive power. Yet, she is also willing to defend Gweneth, despite their disparity in personal power. So, let's let them leave." The red woman tilts her head as the school comes in to view; distant, but distant views were never a problem for her eyes. "I propose offering Kalalani a scout ship. I will offer her an important role: to find a place we might escape to, and more besides, but that is for her to hear first. I think it will suit them better. Travel the stars, the worlds, the realities beyond. Fly, and find. And tell us. And maybe it will mean everything in the end."
"No chaperone?" Kainudy asks. "We won't lose track of them, of course. But you'd need to send them beyond the borders of Galactic Civilization - or at least this section of it. Maybe. You'd have to ask them about it first before we could set anything up."
"Not just our reality either, but all of them. We may be vast and powerful, but there is still much out there, and perhaps there is more yet to find that could solve our problem. But yes, one thing at a time." Tasha holds a finger up, getting the attention of the driver, then flicks her hand toward the school. He knows what she means. These days, she finds she can speak loudest in silence and minimalism. Dignity; there were those who thought she'd never attain it. "Ah, as for a chaperon... I feel that would weigh on them. It would be better to arrange for someone with real and useful experience to join them. A scholar, captain, researcher. Medical personnel. Not a large crew, we haven't the resources, but perhaps five to seven members. That would leave room for a suitable placement."
"Experienced with other realities? There are a few I've been to with Persephone that are a bit more populated, but finding a crew in this one could be tricky," Kainudy notes. "We've only got the one dimensional drive unit from Galatea's ship as well."
"Yes, we may need to get creative, such as inquiring with the Titanians. I'm sure they'll recognize the value in searching for evacuation points should this reality begin to fail, among other benefits. They haven't the mind for exploration as a whole, at least not in this manner, but they are always seeking solutions to the problems left behind, and this is the oldest. We can also resolve certain other matters, like examine a star seed, and locating the long lost third species that once walked with the Vartans and the Titanians. And Marduk, for that matter," Tasha agrees, nodding slowly. "As for crew... We may have to put it out there and see who bites. Nora, perhaps. And some of the children. There may be others. I had been reviewing the footage of their first day at school, and did you notice that white Vartan detected Gweneth's 'bubble'? That is not a common ability, especially for a Vartan."
"I may be able to cook up something from the past as well," Kainudy says. "There are a lot of loose ends that can be followed, but also some comfort considerations that will need to be dealt with. I'll need to have Galatea give me a more thorough rundown on her ship as well. And I'd like to examine a Confederate starship if possible."
"I can possibly arrange that. Be warned, such a ship may become aware of you in turn. They should not be underestimated." Tasha opens the window as the taxi begins to slow for a landing on the administrative roof. First, there's Hakeber. If Kala and Gweneth have not stormed right off the campus, then she expects they will be waiting near her office. "We will also need to promote Fiera and Ashera to take the lead among my children in the matter of taking the fight to the enemy, which I am sure they will take with polite and dutiful acceptance. It should also mollify their wounded pride, though it may boost their ego. Hopefully, they will have learned a valuable lesson in all this and not simply have seen the obviousness of this experiment."
"Plenty of safe things for them to investigate," Kainudy notes. "Ancient weapons and such. Root around in the Titanian's junk yard if possible."
"This may surprise you, but I don't intend to hurl my precious children at the Ogdoad like so much dart and a dartboard until something sticks, Kai." Tasha chuckles, it's musical, but dark, and world weary in a way that speaks of a deep comfort with the state. "At any rate I can see Hakeber glowering at me from the pad. See what you can do. We still have time. And: Thank you, for your effort in this."
"Wow, I've never been thanked for blowing things up before!" the dragon remarks before the connection closes. Hakeber at least isn't bleeding by the time Tasha reaches her.
Tash exits, smooths down her business dress, nods to the driver, and the the air taxi is off. She waits a moment, her dress billowing inthe wind of the taxi's departure. And then she begins forward. "Well, let's hear it," she bids.
"She's not ready," Hakeber growls. "She's supposed to be interested in everything, but apparently history isn't one of those things."
"I reviewed the footage. I saw her renditions of what you were saying, though I admit I hadn't imagined she'd pick up on artistry so... quickly. She was participating.She answered your questions. And then you decided to flick both of their noses." Tasha's brows arch, and her head slowly tilts to the side. "You punished her for Kalalani's behavior. I'm uncertain why you decided injuring her without guilt, and at personal risk, was wise. I'm concerned that your resentment extends beyond today's classroom."
"It was hardly injuring her, and her answer was unacceptable in the form it was given," Hakeber says, sounding tired. "Imagery.. I can't take that again, Tasha. It's been twenty years now, but that's still.. it's how they communicate. And I don't want that in my head again!"
"Gweneth is not an Ogdru'hem, Hakeber. Mental communication is a very common ability among higher beings, they are not exclusive owners of it. Taking your pain and frustration out on a child who has come to this place in trust and sacrifice is not like you, nor befitting of a teacher." Tasha expression hardens, but there is undrstanding there, a slight curve of a frown, arching of brows, tilting of head. "You will not strike students. We do not engage in corporal punishment here. And, it is unsafe to strike Gweneth at this juncture. This may not come as a comfort, but she is quite capable of taking your head off with little effort. Her response was measured, that much I'm sure. I believe she saw it as an attack and as a challenge, and I think, further, you confused her for punishing her for what, in her point of view, was nothing. Literally, nothing. She played along, and you hurt her. As for authority, it means little to her, I believe. Dragons do not, as a rule, inherently comprehend the need for mortal authority. Do not mistake her form for all of her existence."
"She's still not ready," Hakeber insists. "Maybe private tutoring, but.. it's not fair for everyone else to be walking on eggshells, either. We shouldn't be putting any of this onto them, since you let them grow into their own people. If they knew what happened with Sedu-hem, they'd never choose this path."
"Fiera and Ashera are aware, to some degree, of the dangers. Sophia is too smart for her own good, and is likely far more aware. But awareness is not experience, as you say." Tasha draws in a deep breath, exhales, and turns to look out across the school. She wishes there was wind, here. The absence of a true wind is one of the many things she misses out here in space. "We've been over this, but... It's worth reviewing. I too am having reservations, and yet progress reaching and convincing the powers that be has been slow. They have so much to lose, and yet they would rather bicker. It's been a trial just getting this far and to attain what backers we possess, even after my decision to demonstrate some of my power. I agree it's not fair. Not to them. Not to us. Not to anyone. But I wonder if we should be the crux of things. For all our power, we are not a Galactic empire. We are not the keepers and guardians of this reality. What use is an angel, if or all their prayers, they listen not? Save us, serve us, heal my daughter, carry this horror away -- but they will not wake up. And so we must consider, do we continue to try and shield them, or let them be blindsided by their own willful ignorance? Perhaps, at the cost of all we know. Though, we would not need die. Our path would go on, most like. There are other universes." Tasha slides her gaze to watch Hakeber from the corner of her eye. "There would be losses, of course. The ark, as it were, would be limited."
"We destroyed Daltoona station," Hakeber says with a shudder. "That's plenty enough loss for me. And since then we haven't found any other evidence of Ogdru-hem interference. I haven't found any leads, mainly. They aren't out in plain sight, or are beyond Known Space or immaterial spirits like Tatha-hem. But there's something out there. Thoth told us as much before he went off... wherever. I think the Starseed migration routes are our best bet still." She bites her lip. "If there isn't a cult involved I'm not much use anymore."
"It's rarely ever been about use, Hakeber. If I wanted to use people, I would have an army of clones, the Pit in my pocket, and far more besides. Not that asking Kai to mind control faction leaders wouldn't make my job a lot easier." Tasha stares off as she enjoys the idea for a moment, then snaps herself back to reality. "But if you'd prefer to leave all this behind, no one would fault you. We'd help you, as much as we can." Then Tasha's frown deepens. "As for Daltoona... What's done is done. I fear letting our work go uncompleted would mean their lives were lost in vain. But it is our fault, mine, especially. You can have the very best of intentions and still fail miserably. There are no guarantees, no mercy, save what we make for ourselves. And, well, far more will be lost when the Ogdru'hem return. Death will be too quaint an idea. Then they will move on, and some other universe will come to an end. T-" But Tasha pauses. Even for her, it's wearying. And Hakeber doesn't need any further stress. "But that and this are my burdens to bear, not yours. So I will speak of brighter things. I intended to offer Kala a scout-ship position, to search for realms to escape to. And, perhaps to find a solution we hadn't considered."
"The Titanians probably know where to find them," Hakeber mutters. "Same for Kainudy. It they wanted to get involved, anyway." She takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. "What exactly is a scout ship though?" she asks.
"Speaking of highly damaged individuals," Tasha says of Kainudy, though her smile is warm, but sad. She always looks worn, disapproving, or sad these days, except when she's around ehr children, people she loves, and, especially, Pheeny, her first daughter. "Perhaps seeking all their spawn is a fool's errand. We know where they are. It may be better to target the Ogdoad themselves. Not alive and beyond mortal comprehension does not mean untouchable. But I digress." her head shakes, and she turns to Hakeber fully. "As it says, a ship intended for scouting purposes. To go hither and yon, and be quick about it, with supplies and accommodations enough to do initial assessments, stay for a while if needed and safe, and then return and report. Likely small, quick, capable of spacial and planar traversal. Kala wants to get away from us, but can't abandon her sisters. This should appeal to her, and I believe Gweneth will be of great use along the way."
"But just scouting then, not engaging in anything?" Hakeber asks. "I'd send Rebby if that were the case."
"But otherwise it sounds like the Astraea, just with, you know, accommodations," the Karnor notes.
"That's right. If engagement is needed, we will ensure they can report and see that the correct forces are deployed. But their primary goal is investigation. We had a great many leads and mysteries left to us when we chose to change our strategy, it's time we explored them more fully." The red woman inclines her head. "It does. However, we have the problem of being unable to utilize the hyper-dimensional machine. We need it where it is. Another must be located. Surely it can't be the only one in all of the multiverse. Until we possess one, we can look to exploring our locality, such as the Star Seeds themselves. The Dark Horse will remain on standby to assist and deal with other developing matters, and we are not alone. We can call on allies to deal with problems as we determine them."
"So, you need to open up communications with the Titanians again," Hakeber points out. "If anyone has an ancient-tech ship just lying around again it will be them, otherwise you have to find out how Galatea got hers built. And we do have a version of hyper-dimensional travel. It's just powered by magic, or else someone like Charon. And I really don't think putting Gweneth and Charon together would be all that wise."
"Yes let's not rush to destroy the universe, as amusing and heartwarming a destruction that would be." This actually makes Tasha smile, and it's like the rest of her face needs to wake up to the idea happiness has come to the rest of it after such a long hibernation. The smile takes time to reach the rest of her, but it causes her to ease, her expression to soften. "I'll handle the Titanians, then. Frankly the Galactics have been somewhat disappointing, though not without exceptional members, concerned parties, and stand outs. It's an old social machine and it wakens but slowly. So, back to more specialized, engaged civilizations. We'll speak with Galatea as well. The Waymakers are harder to reach, and for that matter, engage with. They slide in and out of time and place like a needle and thread through a quilt, and where upon the thread we may meet, it is difficult to know. But they may be called. And, so too, the Null. If we... If I can reach the core and call, if the Ogdru'hem can be held off, if the Sifra can be kept from leaping from their slumber to scower reality when the Ogdoad are gone... Perhaps we can succeed. We must need find the Cill, as well. They may have information, they were leaders among the original armies against the Ogdru'hem. Marduk may be with them. Assuming, of course, they have not gone insane, or devolved in to nightmares deep in their abyss."
"Vulcan is supposedly still out there too," Hakeber says. "And a bunch of demon-powered titans in the hands of who-knows, thanks to Thoth. Oh, and the big weapon the Vartans were supposed to use."
"A veritable smörgåsbord of doomsday weapons for our fun and delight." Tasha's deadpan is truly something by now. The world weary, dry, wry humor is as honest as it is pure. "We'll find them, one and all. If they're useful we'll keep them, otherwise in to the Titanian trash compactor they go. No use leaving them around for future careers in genocide."
"Speaking of future careers," Hakeber says, as they reach the dorm building. "I leave it to you to figure out what your daughters actually want. I doubt they're alone in their room thinking about it though."
"Kala is undoubtedly pacing around campus at the moment working out just how to tell me off without being overly unkind or ungrateful about it. Fiera and Ashera are probably keeping their distance, they know better than to show up and appear to be rubbing Kala and Gwen's noses in their apparent failure, and I am proud to say it. Still, the rumor mill will have reached them, and they are likely discusing this change of situation. Sophia knows full well she isn't good at social problems and will politely remain scarce but available. Gwen is probably following Kala around when she isn't stopping to experience things," Tasha counts off. She nods to some of the kids as she passes, a few of which stop and stare, point her out, wave, or get pictures. "We should avoid being so visible, it will make Kala's life more difficult if the whole school thinks I've come to expel her."
Hakeber checks something on her hand-comm. "Okay, Rebby and Galahad have also heard and are being nosy Karnors homing in on emotional distress waves," she reports. "They will probably try to calm Kala down."
"A difficult mission these days, I wish them luck." Tasha steps in to a side door and vectors off towards the administration building. "We'll use my office, few students are willing to try and get sneak peaks there."
"Use it for what though?" Hakeber asks. "Will Kala answer her phone? Did.. did we even give one to Gwen? Well.. Rebby will answer her phone and can shout if necessary. Oh God, Kai is out there somewhere too! Doing who knows what! You can contact her though, right?"
"Kai has been in contact with me since the classroom departed. I will admit, I have been monitoring the whole day. I know, I know." But Tasha's grins a little. "What can I say. At any rate, Kala is apparently building up to give me a piece of her mind, so I may as well sit on the throne and meet my accuser on a suitable stage. Meeting her in her dorm or a hallway would be entirely too motherly of me. Instead I must be Dean, Hero, Villain, and Matriarch. Really Hake, have you not realized how much we need a mountain to climb, a dragon to fight?"
"What? No, I just wanted to wallow in beer and pizza and sex with leggy kitties!" Hakeber claims. "My only dragon was an authoritarian regime and my eventual graduate thesis! I was safe from dragons, neither princess nor virgin. And then a fricken space demon thing stuck itself in my head to fight one of it's own, or else to set us up, I still don't know which. And why don't we have any Silent-One instructors?"
"A sad fact of war is that people inevitably get wounded and, as it happens, die," Tasha says of Hakeber' injury. Hake knows she, too, has suffered injuries to mind, body, and soul, and is in the same boat on multiple levels. "As for Silent-One instructors, religious reasons I suspect. I did put feelers out and the positions are open to any species so long as the member agrees to our vision and rules. I did note your own Silent-One student walked out of the lecture."
"Students do that all the time, and my course is one of the most dangerous," Hakeber says as she stops to pour herself a cup of coffee in the main office. "It violates the tenets of every creation myth and religion."
"It's a wonder we can even maintain our licensing. Let's hear it for living on the fringe," Tasha muses. She, too, pours herself some coffee; black as night and just as strong. "I remain rather surprised how many applied to teach. Mostly Seeders or Seeder adjacent, and of course our favorite painter and his eternally suspicious squeak toy took up the art class. That reminds me, we were featured on Terra New Wave and Confederate... I'm not sure how to pronounce it actually, my Eeee is troubled. But, well, one of their papers as well. Dare I say it, we might become trendy. Perhaps ven avante garde."
"Our faculty and student body are made up of Seeders and people wanting to buck the Patron-Client paradigm," Hakeber says. "Houseless Khattans and Vartans, plenty of Confederates and... well, Terragens. I still teach what amounts to Uplift Theology."
"Don't forget the multi-species couples from across Galactic space--" But Tasha is interrupted when Kalalani steps in to the room at pace, clearly intending to walk right on through when she stumbles to a halt and does a double take at the sight of her mother and her teacher being right there doing something as banal as coffee and office gossip.
And so Kala, who had very much made up her mind and resolve to make this her last day on campus, ends up staring at her mother, who stares back at her patiently, waiting.
Others wait at the door. Specifically Rebby and Lad. Hakeber clears her throat. "Do you have a pass?" she asks Kala.
"You know I don't have a pass Professor," Kala blurts out. She looks about to say something else when Gweneth marches right in behind her, stops seemingly because Kala stopped, then begins to head over to her mother when Kala steps in front of her. "Now is not the time-- Look Gwen, we have to stand up for ourselves, you can't just... Just... Ahh fine do what you want!"
And then Gweneth is standing there between the two groups looking back and forth, confused.
Hakeber can hear Tasha quietly grunt a sniffled laugh. To her credit, her expression doesn't so much as bidge an inch, that stone faced look of judgment that fell across her face never changing.
"So, do you need the conference room or the melting room?" Hakeber asks Tasha. "Only one of them has a floor drain, you know."
"I prefer not to melt my students until after they are no longer on the roster, otherwise, there's more paperwork. Come along, Kala. You have things to say. Let's hear them." And so Tasha pushes off and begins for her office without looking back.
Kalalani just watches her mother go, then lifts her hands and claws the air in frustration. "'Come along Kala'! Yes, YOUR MAJESTY! Hey, wait up!"
And so Gweneth continues to look between everyone present, stopped dead in the center of it all, until the two walk off and out of sight. Then, she spots the coffee machine, and approaches with alarming speed while walking right past Hakeber without so much as registering her presence, neitehr in focus, not expression. To all outward appearances, Gweneth has eyes only for the fancy office coffee machine. "Coffee coffee coffee coffee--" she starts to mantra.
"Hey, hold on!" Rebby calls after Gwen and hurries to try and intercept her. "That's not good coffee!"
"Coffee coffee coffee--" Gweneth marvels at all the buttons, then starts pushing one, filling a cup a bit, tasting, and then the next one, and the next.
"It's the pancake maker all over again," Rebby cries, and tries to intercept the abandoned cups. "Try the hot chocolate one!"
Kai shows up carrying Goldie, but hangs back to watch what happens with the coffee maker.
Gweneth goes down the line one after the other until she has tried every coffee available. Then she pauses, seems to freeze up for a moment, and after that she returns to the vanilla one and fills her cup with that, then proceeds to sip it with such specific and familiar grace it's hard not to see how she is exactly copying her mother when she drinks her coffee. Maybe she thinks she needs to in this place, her mother's place.
"Should you even be drinking that?" Rebby asks Gwen. She doesn't drink coffee (except for the stuff from the Scary Machine that only Aaron can operate). She then just pats Gwen on the head when she doesn't explode from drinking it.
Who knew dragons drank coffee? "Coffee," is all Gweneth says as to whether she should drink what she' drinking, her opinion on the situation, life, and everything. It's then she notices Hakeber, as her head slowly slides to face her in one continuous movement, without her pausing at all from her coffee sipping. Then, Gweneth is staring at her over her coffee.
"It's impolite to stare, Gweneth," Hakeber says. "Nice people are polite to one another. You want to be nice, don't you?"
"Coffee," Gweneth replies, but her tail begins to wag for some reason. Maybe she thinks she's being called nice. Maybe, Hakeber is about to get pounced on.
Hakeber sips her own cup. As a way of connecting? Well, probably because she doesn't want it to get cold. "I prefer milkshakes," Rebby says, sitting in an unused chair. "Although cinnamon in coffee isn't bad." Lad enters next, and just stands in front of the coffee machine. He goes to the advanced menu to do some tinkering, which results in a cup of coffee with a dragon silhouette etched out in the foam. "Check it out, Gwen," he says, showing Gwen and wagging his tail.
The dragon's head turns in the same way as before to regard this coffee-dragon. The gasp of amazement is so loud it can be heard from the door. Then she ducks down to eye level at the edge of the coffee cup, eyes wide, head slightly lifted and nose up. Does she think the coffee foam dragon may be alive? Perhaps she is being cautious. She does live in amagical fairy forest.
"It's milk foam," Lad explains. "A picture, but it's made with a small spoon or a stick. There are lots of patterns. It can even do your face, sort of."
"Don't do a face one, they're creepy," Rebby implores. "I don't like my food to have a face while I'm trying to eat it."
Whether this is absorbed or not remains uncertain, but Gweneth does blow a puff of breath at the cream, which breaks apart. This causes her to freeze, even her tail stops, and her eyes are very wide.
"Foam, Gwen," Lad repeats. "It's just foamed milk. You can get whipped cream too, but not in a pattern. Umm. You know what a picture is right? A drawing? I've seen you draw before."
"You have to show her," Rebby says, and orders up a coffee with foam that's just foam. Then she tries to show Gwen how it works as she uses a claw to try move the foam into a drawing. She sort of manages a cartoon cat face: a circle, some ears, whiskers and dots for eyes.
Gweneth slowly eases at this visual explanation. What they may not know is that she can create living concepts, incarnate ideas-of-a-thing. Blowing apart a foam dragon has so much more danger when you can make ideas live and, presumably, die. But for all those involved, it's just Gwen alarmed at foam. The dragon looks to the machine, pours a cup with foam, then begins to work on the foam with a claw until there's an startlingly detailed image of Goldie in the foam. She then walks all the way over to Goldie and puts the coffee cup on Kai's head for the other small dragon.
Goldie immediately makes a mess grabbing for the cup and sticking her nose into it. This results in coffee bubbles that overflow the cup. While the liquid gets all over, Kai manages to remain clean. "Goldie doesn't do well with beverages," Kai points out, while the slurping and bubbling noises continue from the dragon on her shoulders.
Despite tis claim, this display delights Gweneth, who stands there and watches with a great deal of tail waggery while silently clapping her hands together and smiling.
"That's just something Goldie does, you don't have to do it too!" Rebby is quick to point out. "The only time you really need to imitate someone is when you're learning how to dance," she claims.
"The only time?" Lad asks. "You're a terrible dancer though."
"I have a fresh cup of coffee in my hand, you know," Rebby counters to Lad. "And I'm not thirsty."
Hakeber has, meanwhile, vanished.
"I can teach you if you like," Lad offers. "Gweneth too. Even you, Kai. I have no idea if you can dance in a non-ritualistic way."
Kai hmphs. "Summoning things is just as fun as dancing as foreplay," the woman claims.
"Dancing isn't foreplay!" Rebby claims.
"Not the way you dance it isn't," Lad teases, grinning and wagging his tail.
And so the ruckus continues, at least until educators start peeking down halls, out doors, and over workstations, the collective force of their authority disapproval stare enough to drive the kids (and the ancient deity) out of the administration building.