Chapter Text
Dr. Edward Baltharr watched with keen eyes the incoming new students at Night Raven College, eyes searching for something in particular.
Dr. Edward was the official school nurse of Night Raven College, but today he watched the crowd of new students, not as school staff, but as a father.
The triplets weren't his, biologically speaking. He'd been their grandmother's doctor on her deathbed, and when it was announced she was leaving her fortune to whomever adopted her orphan grandchildren, and Dr. Baltharr was on her list of trusted people for the job, well how could one refuse? He'd never wanted to be a father, and he frankly expected the children to hate him for not saving their last remaining family, but they hadn't, they'd accepted him into their life with minimal fuss compared to what he'd expected, especially given he was a human while they were beastmen. He wasn't a great father. His job had kept him away from them often, until this year. This year things were going to change drastically. Because not one, but all three had been accepted into Night Raven College.
There they were. Edward couldn't suppress a smile as he watched the trio signing at each other. He could just see Terrance signing "beak face", presumably about the headmage, and he chuckled quietly. At least they were silent and not too disruptive.
It was at this point he noticed the other faculty staring at him, and reverted to his usual deadpan.
Sam chuckled "I didn't know you could make faces like that. The kids would like you more if you looked at everyone like that."
"Oh hush" Mozus told Sam "let him watch his children get sorted in peace. It's a special day."
Edward scoffed "I dont know what youre talking about." He ignored the other staff and instead watched the ceremony. It seemed painfully long before-
"Bernard Aristotle-Baltharr" Dire called out.
Bernie fidgeted with his hood as he stepped up to the mirror, and Edward could tell he was twitching his ears underneath it, trying to make it sit comfortably. That had always been an issue with these hoods.
Edward had speculated more than he'd admit about what dorms his children would be in. Bernie was an artist with an adventurous spirit. He was always rough and tumble, so Edward had guessed...
"Savanaclaw"
Called it. Bernie smiled and gave Edward a small wave as he went to join Leona.
"Marcus Aristotle-Baltharr"
Marcus was soft and sweet, though he could put up a fight if need be. His long white hair was held back in a bow, and he wore glasses that transcribed spoken word into text for him, as he was deaf. He always had an air of femininity about him, and just on looks one might assume he was destined for Pomefiore, but Edward had set his guess on Octavinelle. Whether or not he'd fit in was a bigger question, he'd forewarned his children never to make magical deals, but Azul was a rather dangerous person to leave his sweetest child with.
"The nature of your soul is... octavinelle."
Azul waved for his attention and signed to Marcus "welcome to o-c-t-a-v-i-n-e-l-l-e, this is the sign we use for it;" he made a gesture reminiscent of an octopus, and Edward lamented the fact he hadn't considered that in a dorm of mostly mers, they would have a shorthand sign to refer to it, something he could've taught Marcus.
"Terrance Aristotle-Baltharr"
There was no way someone as smart and cunning as Terry would be put anywhere other than...
"Scarabia."
Edward couldn't suppress a smile, he was proud of himself for knowing his children well enough to guess. And he was proud of his children for being accepted into a prestigious school.
Terry caught his eye "hi dad" he signed excitedly
"Shut up and sit down" Edward responded. Wiping the smile off his face quickly.
Much to his dismay, the scarabia housewarden, Kalim, began whispering at him after seeing him sign at Edward. He sighed. None of his kids had good role models in their housewardens, did they.
Edward sat through the rest of orientation. He typically didn't, but seeing his kids in the ceremonial robes... well, he'd tell anyone who asked that he simply had anticipated the coming events, rather than that he actually adored the way his kids fussed with their hoods and flicked their tails under the elegant flowy robes.
As things came to an end, the pomefiore prefect posed a good question "Hey, does anyone know where the headmage went? He disappeared midway through the ceremony."
Kalim offered "maybe he had a tummyache?"
And Edward lamented that this boy was guiding Terry, when Dire made his entrance.
"I most certainly did not! If you must know, I was searching for the new student who'd failed to show for orientation." He was dragging, one in each arm, a kid and a monster, both disoriented and unhappy looking. "You are the only one who has yet to be assigned to a dorm" Dire told the kid "step up to the dark mirror and be quick about it. I'll hold your weasel."
Edward watched with vague curiosity as the kid stepped before the mirror. "The nature of your soul is..." it took a moment, as though thinking, something Edward had never seen it do. "Unclear to me."
Edward raised his eyebrows as Dire asked "what did you say?"
"I sense no magical power from this one. Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant. Therefore no dorm would be appropriate."
Everyone was dumbfounded. Dire himself was exclaiming that "that is absurd! The student selection process has not erred once in its century of existance! How could this have happened!"
Edward was trying to puzzle this out, and the next thing he knew the monster was loose, Kalim was on fire, and everyone was screaming.
Not wanting to have to treat burns, he swiftly extinguished the fire, including that on Kalim, while Azul and Riddle chased after the rogue monster.
Edward groaned and began shepherding the students off to their dorms, helping empty the room. He decided to go back to his office, hearing Dire and the magic-less kid talking about the mirror refusing to take them home. This would certainly be eventful. He hoped this powerless brat had the common sense to not antagonize the mages.