"Ooookay. And this woman has institutional power because...?"

"She's one of the top ten technopaths in the world- that's computer mages. She keeps the devisors from crashing the Whateley interwebs every other day. And nobody seems quite sure why she's not just the sysadmin under the bed, but I have a feeling she demands power in compensation for staying here. There's ways to get around her, and if she doesn't actually hate you she's just apathetic and unpleasant, but she hates easy."

"Noted. I would like the map, and a room, and in the course of acquiring my debit card and things to put in my room I may acquire more questions for you if you're still around to answer them then."

"I can totally still be around! I can totally accompany you on any given mission, though it might be best if I wasn't around when you visited Hartford for blood feud reasons. But, like, shopping? All for it. And- oh, okay. Fubar just pinged me, he says Carson says you can pick whichever room you like in Dickinson but it'd work best if you were with the sophomores. And that Mrs. Grimes is out of her lecture and... 'she's been informed of the issue and can take care of it whenever'. And 'hi'."

"Oh, good, visiting Mrs. Grimes is in fact first on the priority list - how are you being pinged, here?"

"Telepathic nudgery. Fuub and I are bros, he has standing permission to read my mind and I can call him up on the brainaphone to chat whenever. He's chill."

"Right. Mrs. Grimes is going to ward me against that. Where would I find her and do you want to come?"

"Aw, but he's cool. Not gonna push you, though. Grimesy's in Kirby Hall. I'll have to let you in, the Mystic Arts department is warded against nonmages being able to see it for whatever stupid reason. She'd notice you and get the door eventually, but it's kind of a hassle. Shall we?" She zooms out of bed and holds out her arm with the utmost politeness.

"How exactly does it work when you take passengers?"

"I don't need skin contact, but I do need something more absolute than the name of the building. Distance and direction, or latitude and longitude, or an intersection."

She turns her field back on gratefully. "Oh, I thought we were going to stop in downstairs and get a map. That'd have intersections, nobody actually uses the 'street' names because it's easier to just memorize where all the buildings are. I could memorize the latitude and longitude of the front entrance to every building, if you want."

"Same place we came in?" Bella pops them downstairs.

"Yep!" She goes up to the front desk, this time actually using her legs for novelty's sake, and procures a map. She then zips back to Bella. "Here you go, madam."

"Thanks!" Bella peers at the map. Street names! Yay! Now she can take them to just outside Kirby Hall.

"Trippy." Bella follows Ariel in.

Bella pleases. "Hello, I hear you can help me with my inadequate mental privacy?"

Ms. Grimes looks Gothy and bored. More bored than Gothy at the moment, though the competition is fierce. "Yes. It's a fairly trivial working, and not one that most would bother with, but as you are our guest at Whateley I will not argue with you about your use of my time unless you impose on it on a more regular basis. Although... Miss Martin, you could have performed this yourself; why did you take this to me?"

"Nobody asked and you're better at magic than me?"

She sighs in disgust. "Very well. This will take only a moment."

She takes a pinch of blue powder and traces a sigil on her desk. She chants, in the same distracted monotone she has used for the rest of the meeting, then blows it towards Bella. Before the cloud hits her face, it flares with violet light and vanishes. "There. Don't let me detain you."

"Thank you," says Bella, and she peers at her map. "Next stop, debit card - Ariel, should I leave you here or someplace else?"

"Back in my room, maybe? Not that Grimesy isn't great company, but she looks a bit busy."

"Please leave now."

"Very busy."

Schuester Hall is full of helpful directions to whatever office the querent may need. In the General Administration office, there is a large mahoganyish desk, behind which sits a beautiful blonde woman chewing gum and glaring at a computer. She notices Bella and gives her a smile full of Sucralose and veiled threat. "How can I help you, miss?"

"Hello. I'm a fish out of water and I was told I should come here to collect a debit card to tide me over until I can be sent home."