As if that was all he needed to hear, he dived under his desk and all amnner of things began to fly outwards, landing in willy-nilly piles of odds, ends and Keroro Gunso merchandise.

"Wait... Hold a moment... I know it's here... Hey, that's where that was! Um..."

Rising majestically (quite slowly as it was very heavy) from the desk was an ancient-looking brown urn with graceful-looking figures in positions of dance all around its surface.

Rain watch curiously wondering where all of the things were coming from since they seemed not to be able to fit under that desk. She leaned on the desk she was sitting at and waited.

She laughed softly finding just a little bit of humor in how much stuff was flying out from where he had went.

When he came up her eyebrow rose and looked at the urn. She got up to get a closer look at it. The dance figures looked amazing with the detail and she said, "What is this?"

Oblivious to the detritus now littering the area immediately around the desk, he sat back at his chair, plucking an anthropomorphic frog in a yellow helmet that had found a perch on his head.

Positioning the little green figure to the 'parade rest' pose, Prof. Montclair turned his attentions back to Rain, cold expression looking as if he'd been born with it, but with a brilliant gleam behind the bespectacled eyes.

"It appears to be a Cretan urn, by the costumes and the markings that dot the rim there," a finger delicately pointed near the lip. "And there." Again, he pointed somewhere near the base.

He turned to her, his thin lips creased into a friendly smile. "I was hoping you could help me out with a project of mine, Ms. Montgomery."

Rain watched and listened as he spoke and pointed out the figures. An eyebrow raised as she looked at the urn. She wasn't really sure what he had on mind and really wasn't sure if she wanted to know. "Ok, I see those, and since I am here I am guessing I have no other option really, but to. So alright I will help you."

He smiled his cat-like smile and bowed his head in her direction.

"And they say dancers are not as quick with their wits as they are with their feet." Prof. Montclair sounded as pleased as he could sound. Usually, his students, and much of the faculty, would hear nothing but a high-handed tone delivering all manner of scathingly subtle abuse or cold commands, the way an emperor would address his lessers. Praise from him of all people counted as the strangest of events at the very least.

He handed her several thin filler notebooks, all filled with notations that concerned the urn in front of her. Some of them even had observations scrawled out on the cover and back.

"These are notes I've made on the markings on its surface," he explained, still in that cheerful voice. "In two days time, I want to see you preform such a dance with all the steps and postures upon the urn."

The black-coated professor with the narrow golden eyes smiled down at her, accentuating his height and position. "Surely one such as you can do that, can't you?" There was an unspoken challenge within the playful, though condescending, voice.

Her eyes watched him as he spoke and she knew he had just insulted her with his little comment about her not being to smart. In all honesty shooling had never been her fortee, but she did her best and passed her classes.

She looked over the books as he explained what they were. "So I'm guessing you know a lot about this urn and what it does," she said softly as she looked at the notes again.

She looked up at him her eyes showing interest in his challange. "I do believe I can do it," she replied.

(Sorry if I took so long. Now, do you know how to flash-forward so we can skip to the good part?)

She took the bait, Master...

The haemonculi's voice was low and sibilant, rough-sounding due to its lack of real vocal chords. Prof. Montclair let loose a powerful psionic lash that sent the thing squealing back into the lightless depths he'd summoned it from. Prof. Montclair knew she would as he congratulated himself on playing upon her pride. He and his ilk knew firsthand what lengths any would go through in order to prove themselves.

His smile took on a bland shine, like that of the idiot who believed he'd outsmarted the wizard. With an easy gesture, he swept a hand towards the door, dismissing her.

"Challenge accepted eh, Ms. Montgomery?" He laughed richly. "Very well, the notes have all you may need. Leave the urn, as it is too heavy for you but come to the office whenever you need a closer look."

Those golden eyes shone brightly at the prospect of being treated to an ancient form of physical expression brought to new life. His voice sang out childishly. "And don't forget a proper costume..."

((I've never done one though I do have an idea on how to do it. If I am wrong please correct me))

Rain smiled slightly as she collected her things. "That it has, sir," she said before she picked up her bag and exited the class no realizing any of his plans or anything of the sort.

Over the next days time she looked over the urn and the books of notes. For the most part it was all confusing though she did her best. She didn't understand what he ment by the approperate costume so she did her best putting things together as she did.

When the time came she entered the classroom with what she thought she needed though it all still seemed more confusing than anything else. She hung up the costume that she had brought which was a bikini swim suit top and an anicent looking skirt that looked similar to the ones the figures wore.

She sat down in her desk and waited for him to enter the class room. She knew the steps as best she could in the given amount of time so here she sat and waited for him to come.

She heard whistling coming from the general direction of the stairwell, accompanied by light tapping steps, as if the owner had come from a rousing performance that sent him home with a dancer's easy grace.

Eventually, the sound grew louder and a rather cheerful-looking Prof. Montclair sauntered into the room. Her narrow-shouldered professor, and incidentally keeper of her detention, seemingly weaved his way through an invisible crowd, not seeing the tensely waiting Rain.

In his spinning, his eyes caught her figure and all motion stopped dramatically. After a pregnant pause and a few blinks of his golden eyes did he speak.

"And what are you doing here, Ms. Montgomery? You know it's late. And why are you dressed like a Bollywood extra?"

She forced herself not to roll her eyes at him as she got up from where she sat. "Well, it has been two days since you wanted me to look into your urn thing and learn the... Dance," she said stopping herself from insulting it.

She was not happy about doing this, but since it was a challenge that she took here she stood waiting for him to jog his small tiny stupid little memory back to their conversation two days ago.

His instincts roared at him to smack Rain for her presumption. But Prof. Montclair decided to play the stupid tack.

Her professor kept his look of plain-faced incredulity as he scratched his head, as if what she had presented him with a dilemma that concerned the answer to the meaning of life.

"Dance?" He began slowly, sounding very unsure of himself. "I don't remember making you do that..." He looked up. "Did I?"

He looked down at her with wide eyes, looking as if he'd remembered. "You're not Ms. Smith, are you?"

His lack of remembering their whole conversation had thrown her off. Had he really forgotten or was he just that stupid...

She shook her head to clear her thoughts before looking back at him. "Well I guess if I don't have to do this or anything I shell be on my way then," she said calming not sure if she was happy about leaving or not.

She laughed softly at his look and question, "no, I am not ms. Smith." She than watched him for any other idea of what he wanted her to do.

Looking very unsure, Prof. Montclair nodded, playing the part of the overly-simple teacher to the hilt.

"But I was so sure..." he murmured, rubbing his finger against the band that held his hair in that pony-tail. The professor turned a weary-looking gaze towards her coupled with a soft smile.

"But since you're here, why don't you show me what you can do, hey?"