Out of place

Keith walks down the hall, seeing that the door that Amelia indicated stands open. As he approaches, he hears laughter within, and then Ava’s soft voice, though he can’t make out the words. Reassured that this is the right room, he steps through the open door.

What he sees stops him in his tracks, for several reasons.

The room seems to be a typical classroom in most respects, and that’s the most ordinary part. Ava sits in a chair, turning to look at Keith as he walks in. But what truly catches his eye is the woman sitting across from her.

She seems completely out of place in the classroom, mostly due to the drink in her hand and the bottle on the desk. She regards him curiously, big blue eyes sparkling, and her long blue hair swaying as she tilts her head slightly. Blue horns curl out of that hair like a halo. Even more surprising, however, is her neck, or rather, her lack of one. Her head and shoulders seem connected by a blue light, which flickers slightly as she moves.

From the shoulders down, though, she is a normal, if very attractive, woman. She smiles, setting her glass down delicately, and waves Keith in.

“Do come in, young man! Ava was telling me all about you, and I see she wasn’t exaggerating. I am Jen, as I’m sure you’ve guessed. Did you and Ames have a good little chat?”

Keith nods, sitting down beside Ava. “It was…interesting. Also…Ames?”

Jen laughs, her eyes sparkling. “Yes! Amelia is so…buttoned up. Well, sometimes she is. It’s entertaining to tease her. In more ways than one, let me tell you!”

Ava speaks up. “Umm, Professor Jen? I think you’re getting sidetracked…”

Jen nods, still laughing. “Yes, of course. Back on track. You need a bit of a fix, don’t you?”

Keith nods. “Yes. Whenever I try to read anything, it causes me pain.”

She looks at him, tapping her chin and frowning. There’s a soft glow in her eyes as she stares. After a few seconds, she nods, her smile returning.

“Ahh, I see it. A simple fix. Just a moment!”

Jen stands, and walks over to a nearby cabinet. As she rummages around, Ava leans over to speak softly to Keith. “I saw you staring at her neck. Don’t worry, she won’t be upset. Professor Jen is a dullahan, her head is…detachable.”

From the cabinet, Jen laughs. “You’re not good at whispering, Ava.”

She turns around, carrying a few items as she returns. “Yes, I am a dullahan, and yes, I can take my head off.”

She winks at Keith. “It can lead to some interesting situations. Maybe I’ll show you sometime!”

Keith blinks, and then laughs. “Amelia warned me about you…”

Jen laughs. “I bet she did. Don’t worry she has first dibs. Maybe I’ll tag along, though!”

Before Keith can respond to that, she pulls up a chair, sitting down in front of him. “Now, hold still. Let me fix you up.”

She places two fingers on his forehead, and softly mutters some words he doesn’t understand. His vision fuzzes out, and he feels an odd sensation in his head. Suddenly, everything snaps back into focus, and Jen straightens, wiping some sweat from her forehead.

She smiles sweetly. “There. All fixed.”

Keith blinks. “So fast?”

Ava touches his arm. “It’s been thirty minutes, Keith.”

Jen nods. “I held you in stasis while I worked. Safer for everyone. All better now, though!”

She leans forward and kisses his forehead. Laughing, she stands up. “Now, I need a drink!”

Grabbing her glass, she downs what’s left. “Ahh, much better. No sense in being thirsty when you can quench it, right?”

She winks at Keith, and laughs again. “I’d offer you a drink as well, but I only have the one antitoxin glass. Perhaps another time. Anyways, I’m sure you two have better things to do. Don’t be a stranger, Keith…”

Keith and Ava stand, and Keith nods. “I’ll do my best.”

Jen waves a hand. “Go on, now, I know Ava has things to do.”

Keith glances at Ava, who blushes. Shrugging, he takes her hand, and they walk out of the room. He can hear Jen giggle softly as they leave, and Ava is quiet, even for her.

Keith glances at the slime girl. “Everything okay?”

Ava looks up at him and smiles. “Of course, Keith. Umm…let’s go back to the apartment, okay? I’d like to ask you something. Privately.”

Keith nods. “Sure. I’m not in trouble, am I?”

He’s surprised to see her giggle. “N-no! Just…let’s get home, please?”