Catalyst's points story: A Picnic

Catalyst requested: something in the history of Chatoyant College, with a connection to present-day characters and faerie interaction

Pru felt like she hadn't breathed all week. Between getting to know her two roommates and settling into her classes, she'd been running around all the time. But it was worth it. She and her roommates were getting along great, and her classes were fantastic. She'd been really nervous going into her first magic class, but Professor Chancy was so nice and so welcoming that she'd relaxed right away. And Professor Jinks, her art teacher (who preferred to be called Adele), was just the kind of wacky, mind-blowingly creative person Pru had hoped to learn from. Chatoyant College had definitely been the right choice, even if her parents hadn't approved at all. At least they didn't know about the magic.

But now it was the weekend, and she had some time to relax. She'd probably spend at least half of her Sunday doing homework, but Saturday was blissfully free. She woke up early to a world of dew and singing birds. She had to move carefully so as to not awaken her roommates, but she made it outside while the sun was still shining. Autumn might have been on its way, but right now, it felt like spring, and it was the perfect time for a walk in the woods.

They'd been told not to go in the woods, but she didn't think the security people really meant it. They just wanted to avoid liability in case some student got hurt. (Pru's dad was a lawyer; she knew about stuff like that.) But Pru was definitely not going to get hurt. She had plenty of experience in woods, and besides, these were fairly open, compared to the ones near her house. There were no mountains or even hills. The worst she would do was get some scratches from brambles.

Hopefully there was a stream or something that she could have a bit of a picnic at. She'd packed some trail mix and fruit in her backpack. Humming softly to herself in the morning light, she walked into the sheltering trees.

She'd only been there for a few minutes when someone suddenly stepped in front of her. She jumped and made a yelping noise. "Are you okay?" asked the person who was in front of her. She couldn't see him very well, but he had a deep voice and wasn't much taller than her.

"You scared me," she said accusingly.

"I'm so sorry," he said, taking another step towards her. "I didn't think anyone else would be here." Now she could see him a bit better; he looked like he was older than her, and he was definitely good-looking, with dark hair and chiseled features. He seemed to be studying her, too. "You're one of the college students, aren't you? You shouldn't be out here."

She folded her arms. "And what about you?" She wasn't going to let some guy tell her what to do, cute or not.

He grinned and she thought she might have melted a little inside. His teeth were perfect, too. "I live around here. I've spent half my life in these woods."

"Well, I've spent half my life in woods that aren't much different. I think I'll be okay."

He laughed. Yes, that time she definitely melted a little. "Fair enough! Want me to show you my favorite picnic rock? The sun should be just starting to hit it, this time of day."

She grinned and unfolded her arms. "That sounds like exactly what I was looking for. Lead on, strange man."

He gave a little bow. "As the lady wishes." He turned and pointed, further into the woods. "Onward, then!"