"Hello class! I'm Ms. Yanna, but you can call me Pascale. I'll be your substitute today. Now, it seems your usual teacher neglected to leave a lesson plan, so who wants to tell me what your currently covering?"

"Basic stoichiometry. Here, this is the reading we were assigned."

She goes up to the front, showing Pascale her textbook.

"Aha, thank you." Pascale glances at the textbook, takes a second to recall the proper entries from the library, then goes to the board and begins writing. "Stoichiometry, from the Greek stoicheion, meaning 'element', and metron, 'measure', is the name of the technique by which we determine quantities of reactants and products involved in a chemical reaction. Who can tell me the basic principle of physics that we can derive this from?"

"Conservation of Mass. An equation is balanced because it shows how a reaction retains the mass from before to after."

"Yes. You always get out exactly the same number of atoms you put in, for any chemical reaction. So, if we consider the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen gas to form water..."

And lo, stoichiometry did ensue therewith.

Lydia breezes through stoichiometry.

Other students at least don't seem completely mystified by it.

The usual chemistry teacher seems somewhat competent, and things don't go too poorly.

No one particularly seems to think she's that foreign.

Isaac approaches her after class.

"Hey, Ms. Yanna, do you think that when you're in between classes you could stop by the guidance counselor with this note? I don't want everyone to see me giving it to her."

He says this loud enough that most of the class hears.

"Of course."

An excuse to talk the guidance counselor. Thanks, Isaac.

There are other chemistry classes, of course, but the students do little to distinguish themselves to her.

Then she has a free period. She can use some of it for lunch, but that likely won't take the full hour.

Alas for the undistinguished masses, doomed to mediocrity. Very sad. She will metaphorically shed a single tear for them as she eats.

Can she see what Isaac wrote on his note before she goes to deliver it? Pascale is nosy and wants to find out.

Made you look!

Nobody likes snoops.

Sorry if this is you, Ms. Morrell. Enjoy your talk, she's a pretty cool person.

-Isaac

Heh. Fair enough.

All right, off to see the guidance counselor.

The guidance counselor is happy to see her.

"What brings you here?"

"One of my students asked me to bring you a note from them. But I was also hoping to ask your assistance in a nonprofessional capacity."

"Of course. Why don't you sit down?" 

She closes the door. 

Pascale takes a seat.

"I'm sure you're aware of the recent string of murders. I've been trying to track down the culprit."

"Noble, but maybe misguided. Have you thought about the risk that puts you in? Why are you responsible, when we have a police department for that exact purpose?" 

"They don't seem to be having much luck with it. And I might have a unique perspective to offer."

"You think so? What's your take on the killings? Motive? Should the goal be deterrence or rehabilitation? Are you worried about copycats?" 

"Dr. Deaton thinks the killings are magically motivated. Druidic, in fact."

"He always was too smart for his own good." 

She sighs, leaning back in her chair.

"For a druid to kill this many people, the ritual they are using must grant a great deal of power. Why do you think someone would want that much power?" 

"Security from a greater threat. Leverage for an even more powerful ritual. Curiosity."

"What sort of threat do you think a druid would worry about? They can protect themselves from a lot of things." 

"I'm not entirely sure of their capabilities nor am I fully aware of all the dangers this world has to offer. No one's given me a book on them."

"Treat us as humans with knowledge and magical defenses. In most cases. A druid performing a ritual like this...telekinesis, illusions, shapeshifting...much more powerful."