Deaf Melissa AU :)

Also hello to all the people that have been saying they've read this in the stream chat and comments!!! I really appreciate it and I'm always super surprised and honored that someone took the time to recognize me 😅☺️

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Melissa stepped on to the (dance plate? That's what it looks like) as Jax had instructed her to do after he went through himself. As she did, almost immediately Jax and the lady controlling the security machine moved in a flurry and before Melissa could sign questions, she was trapped in a pale blue aura bubble.

What's going on?!

Melissa didn't think she had done anything wrong? She had just done exactly what Jax had told her to do! It's not like she could communicate with anyone else!

Jax was shouting (at least, Melissa thought he was shouting) at the security woman. She signed furiously to her childhood friend, demanding what was going on in the world with sound.

Jax tapped his head, then pointed to the security guard and then to her and held up his thumbs and pointer fingers in a diamond shape, then flipped it upside down. Their crude intimation of the White Stone, then their sign for the Spero.

Melissa blinked.

They think I'm a SPERO?!

She shook her head furiously and crossed her arms. No WAY she was a Spero! She couldn't hear or speak properly, let alone sneak into Everston for spying!

Jax went back to pleading with the security lady. The woman did seem conflicted about holding Melissa but kept her hold on the translucent sphere firm.

A new woman showed up. A dark skinned woman with bright green eyes said something to the security lady, who finally released her spell and dumped Melissa rather unceremoniously on the dance machine again. Melissa got up and smoothed her uniform skirt just as the dark skinned woman was reaching her hand to help her.

Melissa glanced to Jax and signed: "Sorry."

The dark skinned woman smiled and her hands flashed. "It's alright. Come with me, I can explain. I'm sure you're confused."

Melissa stared at the lady before blandly following. She followed her down the hall to an office, where the lady (presumably some member of staff) gestures for Melissa to sit in the chair across from the desk.

"You know sign language?" Melissa immediately questioned.

The woman smiled and nodded. "I've work with all sorts of students over the years. My name is Miss..." she spelled out her name one letter at a time. "C-A-N-A-D-A-Y."

Melissa spelled out her own name.

Miss Canaday smiled and nodded. She pulled a pen out of a cup and prepared a piece of paper in front of her.

"Have you ever had something strange happen around you?" The teacher asked.

Melissa titled her head. "How so?" She couldn't think of anything "strange" happening recently, except for the deal at the security machine.

Miss Canaday seemed to sigh and look at the ceiling. Her hands hovered for a moment before she started signing.

"Anything... like what they do?" She held up her hand to make the diamond shape like Jax had done.

She's asking if I have powers?

Melissa shook her head. "No! I'm a Cipher. No magic in me."

Miss Canaday's steady green gaze met Melissa's. Although Melissa couldn't hear, she could understand very well when people were trying to tell her something through body language. And here, the woman was clearly telling her the contrary to her statement.

I'm a... Magiclica...?

It wasn't impossible, Melissa was adopted and had never known her birth parents. But it WAS impossible, because she had never ever had a colorful aura to utilize and cast magic with!

Melissa started signing again. "I'm not a Magiclica. I can't cast magic. Maybe I can, but I don't know what I'm saying. I can't cast spells verbally. I should just stay in the Cipher classes. What good is a Magiclica who can't use their magic?"

Sarah shook her head again. "I'm afraid that's not possible. I'll teach you how to cast magic, I promise. But for now, you need to unlock your special power first. I'll take you to class with Mister Foley and get you settled, and we'll work on figuring this out one step at a time."

Melissa was thankful Jax was in her class during instruction times to translate for her. He still had his own classes, but apparently the schedules for Ciphers and Magiclicas were inverted, and whenever Melissa was being taught Jax had free time. Maybe the school had set it up when they got Melissa's application, but she was thankful nonetheless that she had at least familiar person in her class.

Jax had freaked out when some of the Magiclicas came and said hello. Melissa smiled when Jax could barely keep himself calm when Quinston O'Kouzlo introduced himself (although Jax clearly already knew who he was). She may have even laughed at his facial expressions, but she wouldn't know for sure. It was interesting to see the normal Magiclicas' reactions for when Jax introduced himself and Melissa. She couldn't hear what they said, but their facial expressions varied from curious to surprised to sour unfortunately. Melissa didn't mind though. As long as she and Jax had each other, they would figure it out.

Now they were at lunch. It had been a few days since Melissa discovered she was technically a Magiclica, and she and Jax were sitting with Ivy, Quinston, and Chase. They seemed rather friendly and had invited them to hang out, although a girl with purple eyes and brown hair whom Melissa hadn't gotten the name of had told her to stay away from Ivy. Jax had really hit it off though with their new friends and was talking expressively. Melissa only watched and ate her food for the most part, but she was enjoying watching so it was fine.

Chase said something, although Melissa couldn't tell exactly what from reading his lips. Jax told her he had a stutter, so when he repeated the syllables it threw her off. But everyone then looked to her expectantly. Melissa shrugged her shoulders, having no idea what was now happening.

I'm deaf, remember? Sometimes it was a little annoying that people forgot that about her, but she knew it was a learning curve.

Jax was signing. "They want to know if you want to try to find your special power."

Melissa blinked. "How can I?"

Jax relayed the question to the normal Magiclicas. Quinston said something and held up his hands, allowing them to glow ice blue and ignite for a moment before fading away.

"Quinston says he knows a spell that can boost another person's power. Maybe we can try that and see if it sparks yours."

Melissa sighed. She saw the logic, but she knew it wouldn't really change anything. Even if she did have a magic power, it would be of no use to her. But everyone was incredibly keen on making her unlock it, so she figured she might as well give it a try.

Melissa nodded to Quinston, who nodded in return. He said something and his hand glowed blue and a beam shot out of his palm to Melissa's chest.

"What now?" Melissa asked Jax.

Ivy said something now, and Chase was nodding.

Jax frowned, but his teal eyes held a strange combination of hope, doubt, and resolution.

"Ivy says to feel for something inside you, and to channel it." He paused. "I'm not sure what that means, though."

Melissa sighed and closed her eyes. She felt as she always did. Nothing weird in her chest or what might be a hidden reservoir of power in her mind. She wished she could ask directly what she was looking for from the normal Magiclicas, but she knew that unless they magically learned sign language it was impossible.

Melissa felt a pulse of something from her hand, then vibrations from the floor and air. The lunch table shifted under her and she nearly fell over in her seat? She opened her eyes to be met with the surprising sight of seeing her friends on the floor, the table screwed, some of their lunches on the floor, and almost the entire cafeteria staring at her.

Um... Whoops?

Melissa had no idea what had just happened, but she assumed it was probably from her? Suddenly all her friends and others were crowding her, their lips moving frantically and smiles all around.

"What did I do?" She signed. Jax pushed his way through the crowd and shooed the other students away, giving her some space. He was also smiling, his eyes bright with pride.

"Melissa! You used magic! All of a sudden you let off this big BOOM like a speaker way too loud with a lot of base, and then we all went flying! It was incredible!"

Melissa blinked. Really? Wow! I, I did magic? I can use magic? I'm really a Magiclica!?

The school officer that monitored the lunches came over and demanded what was going on, probably. Melissa didn't really like her after the incident with the dance machine, and apparently she had an accent so her lips were hard to read. The normal students explained what had happened, and she seemed to loosen up.

Jax turned back to Melissa. "The school officer wants to know what your special power is?"

She shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?"

Jax glanced to Quinston, whose mouth was moving, and frowned. Melissa tilted her head and tapped his shoulder before signing the quick shorthand (no pun intended) of what was wrong. Her childhood friend sighed.

"Quinston says your special power is probably sound manipulation."

Melissa's shoulder sagged. Oh. Now I get why he was upset. Wow, destiny just loooooves me. Gives me the ironic power of the one thing I'll never be able to use.

While most of the other kids were still smiling excitedly, Chase looked at Melissa and reflected her sadness in his own. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

Melissa found herself knowing that there was more being said then just "good job" in his actions. She wondered if he somehow related to her, although she couldn't see how he wouldn't be able to use his speed whenever he wanted. But she smiled back, although she couldn't feign the happiness through the bitterness of her reality.