On Nerves ~ Or the Jitters

Kassidy passed up and down her office, it was a day before classes and she couldn't be more nervous. She had come to the Opening feast, she'd been way to nervous and hadn't felt hungry at all.

Now she was debating to try going out for a walk to calm down or she wouldn't get any sleep for the rest of the night.

She had her bearded dragon lizard resting on her shoulder named Sissy. She looked at her with her beady little eyes, being ever so cute.

"You know just was to do to calm me down eh, isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" she asked shaking her head sheepishly.

Gage walked as steadily as someone with a bum leg could down the corridors from his office. A bit of a night owl, he wanted to make sure both office and his classroom would be ready for the next day. Now that the office was suitably begun, it was time to make the trek back down to the dungeons.

'I wish they'd put in conveyor belts, like they had on The Jetsons,' he mused whilst on the second floor. He had already trekked down three floors, and still had a ways to go before he reached the dungeons. Had he thought just a twinge more about his leg, perhaps he would have asked for the classroom to be moved to a more convenient location. Then again, maybe he wouldn't have... The dungeons were always a great place to study and learn the trade of potions, if he did say so himself.

Taking a moment's pause, Gage thought he heard movement from within one of the rooms. The wizard tilted his head in curiosity. Blue eyes gazed from the top of the door nearest him to the floor. Sure enough, there was light coming out from beneath. And as he had thought he heard, whomever inside was going back and forth. Gage assumed either they were nervous about something, impatiently waiting for someone, or were like him: still in the midst of getting settled.

Eventually, the potioneer's curiosity won out and he walked over to the door. 'Professor Kassidy Banks' was engraved upon a plaque on the door. Gage quirked a caramel eyebrow. That name wasn't familiar, and he had been almost certain he'd met everyone. Taking a moment to look back, Gage recalled that there had been one empty seat. So, he did miss someone in his introductory rounds? Interest rippled across his features. Were they alright? Were they simply shy? Were they late and just didn't come for some reason based upon being late? So many questions and so few answers!

With a slightly cheeky smirk on his face, Gage hiked up his cane and rapped it upon the door. The knocks followed the "shave and a haircut" pattern. Although, if one were to ask the professor why he chose that pattern, he would likely just laugh and shrug. Sometimes Gage merely did things before thinking them through.

Kassidy almost jumped when there was loud knock on the door, her red hair coming out of its clasp. "oh f.. fiddle" she muttered trying to fix her hair, and walk over to the door and hold Sissy on her shoulder at the same time. She managed partly, though her red hair still looked a right mess.

"Coming" she said as she opened the door hurriedly.

The door swung opened and she saw a man older then her, with a cane, he likely used it to knock with from the way he held it.

"Ah hello" she said at first, she slightly regretted not going down to the great Hall, as she had no idea who the man was.

"Can I help you?, erm... I am sorry you can come it if you want" she said acting as frazzled as she looked opening the door opened wider for him to enter.

"You caught me on a nervous night Professor.. or Mr..? Sorry I do not know your name" she said in defeat.

Sissy, her bearded Dragon merely looked at the new comer with beady eyes.

At the reply, Gage allowed his cane to slither back down to its proper height, and had just been about to shift his grip to a better one meant for walking with the cane when the portal swung open. He paused. “Hi there,” he replied with a slight but non-threatening smirk, and readjusted the grip on his cane. Gage was about to answer her question, but nodded at the offer to come in. “Thank you,” he said and, after taking a moment to notice the lizard around her shoulders and wondering if it would let him pass, took a couple of steps inside.

“I’m sure you probably could,” the professor answered in response to her inquiry if she could help. “Although, I’m really just here because I was headed to the dungeons, and noticed the name on the door wasn’t familiar. That and I just happened to hear pacing and thought you might need some assistance?”

The wizard nodded in understanding. “Start-of-Term jitters revisited. Had ‘em real bad myself while on the train,” he commented almost fondly. Caramel eyebrows jumped slightly in realization she had no idea how to address him. “It’s Professor, although it’s still something to get used to. I’m hoping to get everyone to call me by my nickname, ‘Gage,’ before the month is out,” he answered, providing a good-natured wink and extending his cane-free hand to shake. “And you are...?” the wizard asked, though already assumed this was none other than Kassidy Banks as per the plaque on the door.