Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 17, 2009 18:55:41 GMT -5
The Phoenix stepped aside in wake of its master and Rezna, who Talon had let down when they finally arrived at the Castle. Though only an hour beforehand he had been nearly begging to get out of his cramped office filled with books, trinkets, odds, ends, and artifacts, he was now happier to be there than any other place in the world. It was one of those times where a return to stability was most appreciated.
Especially considering Rezna was with him.
Talon threw himself into his leather chair, and pointed his wand to summon another seat for Rezna before his desk. A look of annoyance crossed the Headmaster's face for a moment. 'No, this isn't a business meeting.' He flicked his wand in a bitter fashion and the desk - and all the things thereon - simply vanished into thin air. It was replaced by a simple table with a teapot and two cups on it.
Talon smiled.
"So...yes...I'm sorry about all the commotion, but as you said at lunch, the best case scenario with paperwork being my only nightmare around here is if it launched a full-scale war against me," the Headmaster said to the woman, waving her to take a seat. "In which case I would be very lucky, considering I know their greatest weakness." He lifted his wand in front of his face, and a poof of flame appeared at the tip before vanishing into smoke.
Post by Rezna Lardale on Jul 17, 2009 19:41:21 GMT -5
Her cheeks retained their rosy flush all the way up to Talon's office. All her life Rezna dreamed of flying through the air without the aid of her broomstick. Many times during a boring class, she daydreamed of souring through the sky, having the cold breeze embrace her with nothing holding her down. Well, Talon had unknowingly granted her the experience of a lifetime. She could die happy; the probability of which increased exponentially now that she was back inside the walls of Firefox. Despite the gloomy thought, the witch found herself smiling.
"The Patronus Charm won't be a problem again," she whispered happily under her breath while Talon rearranged his office.
It felt so strange to be standing in that room again, after all the countless times she had come in as a student. Even the magical artifacts and tattered books that littered Talon's office looked familiar. Rezna was busy taking in the subtle smell of smoke and old parchment when the Headmaster waved her over.
Recollecting herself, he blond sank into the leather chair and gratefully reached for the warm cup of tea. It had been quite a day, to say the least. Although she wished she could clean up before such company, for her dress was now a dark green color as much of her body was covered in soot and ash. Still, Rezna decided to risk etiquette over having Talon run off on her again. Choosing to blame his earlier outbursts on mere surprise, the young woman decided to start their entire conversation over.
"It's good to see you, Talon," she began, a genuine smile lighting up her tired features. "I owe you for coming to my aid back there. Perhaps I should just add it to my tab, considering the many times you've done that in the past. … I know I have missed a lot, but I guess some things never change around here. This Ministry Remnant is news to me, but I do remember Mr. Mustang. Good to hear he's been made Mayor. And Forgoil mentioned something about his office. Am I to take it then that he's still at the University?" she asked, keeping the conversation in the safe zone. Talon seemed to be back to his old self again, but she didn't know how long that would last. 157/index.cgi
.: and there are voices, that want to be heard, so much to mention, but you can't find the words; the scent of magic, the beauty that's been, when love was wilder than the wind :.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 17, 2009 21:10:16 GMT -5
"Oh no, really, don't thank me, it was all Forgoil," Talon said offhandedly, reaching for the cup of tea and taking a sip of it, "he was the one fighting the Greater Inferius while I was distracted playing whack-a-mole with a minion of Azrael's who has apparently no magical experience in anything but children's hexes and apparating."
His sapphire eyes glanced to the woman drinking her tea, and he felt a smile rise to his face. The surprise and unbearable shock had faded away in light of the battle and he was left with a feeling of warmth deep in his heart at having Rezna here, with him, in his office. Even if it was for a visit...but then, she had said she was staying the night?
"After the Shadow War, the International Confederacy of Wizards decided Spain wasn't safe anymore and put up a puppet government here. The locals didn't like it, and I could understand why, but..." A mixed look of discontent, annoyance, and guilt appeared on his face, "...it made my job a lot easier, just having to teach kids and not fighting dark wizards all the time. Some students in your class, like Mustang, took up the call to fight for the Ministry as soon as they'd graduated. For a while things looked pretty good. Besides hotly contested political debates which had nothing to do with me or Firefox-" he chuckled, "-things looked pretty peaceful."
He set his cup down. "Then Scorpius showed up again. Tried to use the puppet ministry as a gathering point for his old followers, some disenfranchised students, political enemies, and creatures like Fenrir and Roan-" Talon cut himself off. He just realized...did Rezna know about her old classmate being a Lycan? "-I'm...I'm sorry. Roan Aliagh, the old Prefect, she got...bitten. She's a Lycan now."
He suddenly realized how ridiculous it was trying to explain all the events of the past several years. There was so much that happened, and so many people that Rezna once knew and loved who were now something else, or in totally different situations. Most of them bad. "But...me and the other Professors decided to take care of it. I kind of flew off the handle, nearly killed Fenrir, and thought I'd done away with Scorpius. Turns out I'd burnt most of his body to ash, but he still somehow survived it and in a couple of months he was back and ready to reign havoc.
"And let us not forget our friend who attacked us in Drakborough today, Lord Azrael! Oh yes...I made a pact with him before the Shadow War to be his ally, and that has certainly come back to haunt me many times. When he found out he was essentially invulnerable to my attacks...well, let's face it, if I did anything, that'd be the end of me...he summoned an enormous army of Inferi and decided to wipe out the Ministry in Triangle Tunnel."
His look of discontent returned, "and Scorpius decided to show up at the same time. Mass havoc everywhere. Book stores burned, wand shops exploded, people ran, hid, everything, Azrael advertised himself as the 'good guy' and 'my friend' who would save them from the invading Shadows. Yeah, save them with his army of flesh eating puppets."
The last part was said mostly under his breath and in deep distaste. "With the ministry completely eradicated, they found shelter in Drakborough. Chief Auror Julian Forbes returned to the International Confederacy of Wizards and officially designated Spain as a 'lost cause' against Dark Wizards. Mustang took over as Mayor. And I'm still here, teaching children how to turn logs into frogs in the dead center of no man's land."
He picked up the cup again and took a sip of the tea, "Oh, and to answer your question, Forgoil's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher...Kat resigned. And that's a quick catch-up on the news in the larger scale. If you want the latest gossip, the last piece of news I heard was that Sylph and Forgoil are an item and the Librarian has a thing for Marina, but Marina resigned recently and Sylph's been on vacation for god knows how long."
He smiled, "To put it simply, lonely times here at Firefox. Ironic, considering the End of the Year Ball is coming up shortly."
Post by Rezna Lardale on Jul 18, 2009 1:21:06 GMT -5
Just like the old days, Rezna thought as she leaned back in her chair and let Talon recount the headline events of the past years. However, with each point she sat up straighter while the frown on her face deepened into a scowl. Scorpius couldn't just rest with the destruction of the school on his hands; he had to lay the newly founded Spanish Ministry to ruin as well. Yet what horrified Rezna most was hearing of the role Roan played the second time around.
"I can't believe Fenrir finally got to her," the healer whispered, visibly distraught. "Roan fought against him and Scorpius for so long, she sacrificed herself for the greater good- only to- to turn into one of them in the end?!" Rezna felt as though Roan had physically stabbed her in the chest. "I can't believe it, Talon. She is- was- my friend... I don't even know which it is anymore. I always looked up to her, envied her for her strength. I can't believe she didn't fight against it. A Lycan, my God!"
Rezna heard Talon apologize for the news and nodded for him to continue. After all, it was old news for him. Would have been for her as well, had she stuck around. Self-loathing rose like bile in her throat and the witch tried to wash it down with tea, to no avail. This man before her, only a few years older than her, never lost courage before facing such foes. Rezna looked over the young Headmaster of Firefox with even greater respect. The feeling only grew when Talon recounted the evils suffered by the residents of the Triangle Tunnel at Azrael's hands. The young witch quickly recognized her mistake earlier. She was wrong to assume that Talon turned a blind eye on the Angelus Morti simply because of his history with Azrael. He might have done so in the past, but perhaps that was no longer the case.
The gossip was definitely lighter and far easier to accept. Forgoil and Sylph were definitely compatible and not compatible enough for things to work out perfectly, Rezna thought happily. And with both working at the school things surely couldn't get lonely. Talon, it seemed, was of the opposite opinion.
"Lonely? I don't know what you mean, my friend. I'm sure you haven't even told me the half of what you've lived through in the past months, yet already I feel overwhelmed with information," and shame, Rezna thought as a deep sigh escaped through her pale lips.
"I regret a lot of things I've done in my past, Talon. Mostly, I wish I had never left Firefox after graduation, never let the fear and doubt, which filled my heart and head after that blasted War with the Shadows, control me as it did. I felt helpless, powerless before our foes," she admitted vehemently. Never did she plan to share her deepest fears with anyone, but Rezna couldn't stop the words from spilling out once they started. "The powers you, Sylph, and Roa- and the others have exceed my capabilities. I cannot help you fight the evil you face daily, yet I yearn to help, to be by your side with the others, to defend the school that I hold so near and dear to my heart. The thing is, I am not a fighter, but I cannot bear to let you fight on your own. Which is why I cannot stay at Firefox and the reason I cannot stay away."
"Oh, what am I saying?" Rezna asked of herself aloud, embarrassed by her emotional rant, and before Talon of all people. "I guess you can say I've really missed the school and those in it. Even that Ball of yours sounds like fun, though I never attended one while I was a student here." DERP!
.: and there are voices, that want to be heard, so much to mention, but you can't find the words; the scent of magic, the beauty that's been, when love was wilder than the wind :.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 18, 2009 1:43:24 GMT -5
"Rezna," Talon said quickly, grabbing the witch's hand in his own and looking at her in the eye with his sapphire one. "I would do anything to have you back at my side again." He didn't know where the sudden determination came from, but he quickly realized what he had done and...didn't take his hand away. He smiled. "You told me you would come back one day, once you'd gotten some training as a healer...well, it just so happens that we need a nurse more than ever here. As I'm frequently told, this place is more like a war zone than a school. You may not be a fighter, but you don't get to be Head Nurse in Spell Damage at St. Mungo's if you're not good at healing.
"And last I checked, that's just as important on a battlefield," he finished, a twinkle in his eye. He took his hand away at last, and seemed to take on a ruminating expression, a tiny smirk of amusement on his face. "You know, I know first hand your talent of healing. I may have been your teacher for a few years, but you were the one who first used the healing spell on me that I took to heart and it's saved lives in the past." He was, of course, referring to Episke, Rezna's signature spell. He may have been brave enough to hold her hand for a moment, but he wasn't about to go into grave detail about why precisely he'd taken the spell to heart.
"And over the past few years, you know, I may have survived countless battles and ushered in many new students, but I've done it all...alone. Not to say I don't have comrades, I wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for Sylph, Forgoil, and the others, but I mean...I don't really have any..." He didn't really know how to explain it, and the Headmaster covered up his nervousness by taking a really long sip of tea from his empty cup. Finally, he put it down as if he had drank all the liquid from it.
"My master once told me," he said slowly, "that those who do great things pay great prices. Mine has been my solitude. What I...what I mean to say is, well," he laughed and shook his head, "We can solve each other's problems if you want. I offer you a job here as the Nurse and you help us fight our constant battle against the forces of darkness and come home, and you...accompany me to the Ball?"
Post by Rezna Lardale on Jul 18, 2009 2:52:18 GMT -5
Warmth, the likes of which she had never felt, rushed through her body as her heartbeat quickened. Gazing deep into Talon's sapphire eyes, Rezna felt him grab her hand and hold it encouragingly, comfortingly, while asking the most unexpected thing of her. After all the time she spent beating up herself and her self esteem, Rezna came to believe that others felt the same way she did about her betrayal. She had nearly succeeded in convincing herself that Talon secretly hated her and could never forgive her disloyalty.
But here he was, smiling so warmly and proudly recounting her talents in healing. Rezna smiled back, despite herself. It looked like Talon really wanted her to come back, to be the nurse Firefox desperately needed. Truth was, she had caught herself imagining what it would be like to work at Firefox for some time. Now she had the opportunity, did she dare take it?
At that moment, Talon let go of her hand, taking the gentle yet blazing heat it offered with him. Subconsciously, Rezna found herself reaching for his hand again, but managed to catch herself and cover the movement by grasping the teapot instead.
Refilling her cup, the witch smiled with amusement as the Headmaster admitted to having been taught a new spell by his old student. It was true, Episke came effortlessly to her, and it oftentimes was the best resort when applying first-aid. The fact that Talon remembered the spell and used it in the past meant a lot to Rezna.
The reason for the sudden look of puzzlement on her face, then, was hearing Talon's remarks on his solitude. The witch never suspected that the brave, young, wise, and rather handsome (a new and quite startling observation) wizard sitting before her could ever feel lonely in his position of power at the University. She was curious to find out what it was that Talon didn't have, but didn't press the point when he failed to elaborate.
Instead, Rezna focused her mind on the Headmaster's offer. Did she deserve, and owe it to herself, to return to Firefox and use what little skill she had to better the lives of its students and faculty? Could she take on such responsibility? Could she simply quit St. Mungo's without forewarning? Did she really want to quit? Being the only nurse at Firefox would be difficult, she knew, but the job had its appeals. For one she would be home, as Talon pointed out. For another, she would be able to see Forgoil, Sylph, and Talon more often. It would give her time to catch up on what she missed, perhaps even catch up with those whose lives she missed. For a moment, Rezna's thoughts turned back to Roan, but that was something she had to deal with at another time.
"I don't know, Talon," Rezna began, having finally made up her mind. "The offer is so sudden and … " she looked uncomfortable, as if she were about to be the bearer of bad news.
"I'm sorry to say this, but… you'd better pay me well for having to put up with you on a daily basis!" she laughed, her eyes glittering with mirth. "Of course I accept your conditions! I would love nothing more than to work at the Hospital Wing. And it would give me great pleasure to accompany you to the Ball!"
.: and there are voices, that want to be heard, so much to mention, but you can't find the words; the scent of magic, the beauty that's been, when love was wilder than the wind :.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 18, 2009 4:18:34 GMT -5
Talon's heart sank again as Rezna led him on into the idea that she might reject his offer. That little voice in the back of his head from before, the one that told him she'd never love him, that she'd never stay with him, and that she probably already had a husband, started whispering to him again those same discouraging words. But still, he decided, he would have the courage to hear it out.
He owed her that after his dramatic outburst earlier that afternoon.
The Headmaster was just about to tell her that it was okay and that it was ridiculous for him to try and tempt her away from her perfect life when she enthusiastically agreed to his offer. Talon was dumbstruck, his heart racing, and blood rushing to his face. "You...you will? I mean, excellent, welcome to the team. I'm not much of a boss, really, I mean the salary isn't that great, I mean my salary isn't even that great, what with our wonderful institution of learning being in the dead center of what could be interpreted as a world quarantine and all..."
He continued to ramble on, as if a heavily constructed dam blocking the world's most powerful river had just smashed to pieces. "And the Baron...agh, sorry, you probably don't know him! He's the school's benefactor, he's responsible for all the students coming here. I mean you wouldn't know, you transferred from Magic Horizons after Azrael's...well, the Baron hasn't been doing anything lately and the less students the less tuition and the less tuition the less money we the staff get, and the...and of course we pay substantial amounts of financial aid to muggleborns and others who simply cannot pay that much for their magical learning..."
He laughed happily, his face seeming to crack against his smile, "most of the time we end up having to pay full tuition because of muggle parents who seem to believe the idea of a 'magic school' is just a trick being played on a generation obsessed with muggle 'video games' - they're like muggle attempts at playing wizard games without magic - and motion pictures drawn by some man named Walt Desni...oh and ironically, those 'video games' are mostly created in Japan, yet Japanese parents are usually the most accepting of the idea of a magic world...hence all these students with Japanese names attending a school in Spain."
He was so caught up in his story, Talon didn't even realize he had just been ranting and raving about nothing important whatsoever. "What I mean to say is," the Headmaster said, composing himself, "you're probably going to be doing this job for less than you get paid at St. Mungo's. In exchange you will receive full room and board here at the Castle, as well as greenhouses on the grounds that contain a wide variety of magical flora for use in healing potions."
Post by Rezna Lardale on Jul 18, 2009 9:40:56 GMT -5
"Talon. TALON!" Rezna called out twice, attempting to interrupt his tirade about some guy called the Baron, student financial aid, and Japan of all things. "I was kidding about the money. I really don't care how much you'll pay me. I'd even pay you to work and live here, that's how excited I am. Knowing how this place works, it'll be to everyone's benefit if I live up at the Hospital Wing at the start of term. It seems the muggle children are right to fear monsters in their closets when it turns dark, for all types of creatures come out of the woodwork then."
"Oh, that reminds me," Rezna added conversationally, feeling quite at ease with her rather large life decision. "You mentioned Walt Disney before. He is a visionary among muggles. He created beautiful animated movies which were some of my favorite things to watch as a child. It's one thing wizard children miss out on, in my opinion."
Mentioning her past made the witch wonder if Talon even knew that she had lived among muggles before coming to Magic Horizons. They had been friends for many years, but Rezna suddenly realized she knew so little about Talon. Never before had they the leisure time to discuss Quidditch, their favorite bands, food they liked, places they'd been. It was always Fenrir this, Scorpius that, ending with some mutual friend in grave danger. Talon and Rezna had saved each other's lives many times, but did they know anything about the lives they were saving?
"What's your favorite Quidditch team?" the blond witch asked as her green eyes sparkled with curiosity. 971
.: and there are voices, that want to be heard, so much to mention, but you can't find the words; the scent of magic, the beauty that's been, when love was wilder than the wind :.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 18, 2009 15:15:29 GMT -5
Talon certainly felt embarrassed when Rezna cut him off and said she was fine about not having a large amount of funds while working at Firefox. The Headmaster agreed with her. Ashelle, the Head Girl, had been in charge of healing students who were injured since they lost their last nurse, but she was still a student and needed her rest for classes. To have a full fledged nurse, someone who could always be relied to be on duty, meant that the students would be in much better hands.
In fact, Talon wondered if Rezna understood that her position at the school made the students safer than his did.
When business was settled, though, Talon was rather surprised that Rezna knew about the muggle things that he had been describing. He never knew that Rezna was muggleborn, or perhaps half-blood, though in this day and age neither of those really made any difference to the civilized wizard. Or perhaps it was Rezna's sibling, recently a parent, who had married a muggle? Suddenly, the Headmaster came to the same realization that the Nurse did.
Though the two certainly had chemistry over their many years fighting off the dark arts and saving the schools they both lived in, neither of them really knew the other at all. Then Rezna tried to alleviate it with a simple question.
"Favorite...oh, well, when I have the chance to watch Quidditch, it's usually the Czech team since my father was Czech and he used to watch it all the time when I was a child," Talon explained, "and I don't ignore the Barcelona team, either, considering the proximity to the school and their win last year. It was actually really nice to see a Spanish team win...especially considering the world's view of us right now...though when Angeles Gonzalez took the snitch from right out from under Katerina Novakova's nose! Well let's just say I wasn't such a big fan of Barcelona for the next couple games."
Post by Rezna Lardale on Jul 18, 2009 15:59:11 GMT -5
"Sounds like a game I shouldn't have missed!" Rezna laughed as she imagined the priceless look Novakova must have sported after such a painful loss. "Pity the English publicize so few international games. And I never knew you were Czech. That's far more interesting than me. 'Fraid I'm good old English, born and raised. My parents were huge supporters of Puddlemere United, but I never enjoyed those games. Now the Quiberon Quafflepunchers are a thing to see. They could play the worst game in history, but I'd still find their hot pink robes flapping about the stadium terribly amusing."
The witch smiled softly as the memories came back to her slowly. "Did you know, I once dreamed of being a professional Quidditch player? Oh, it was a child's ambition to be sure. See, while other girls my age played with dolls and had tea parties, I chased my older brother on a miniature broom waving about a plastic baseball bat, pretending I was a beater for the Holyhead Harpies. My mother dashed those hopes forever by telling me the all-female team only accepted players whose first names began with a G. I think I begged my parents to magically rename me Gezna for a year after that. Glad they didn't listen, I guess," she finished the little story with a slight smirk.
Rezna grew silent as she took a long sip of tea. The young witch let her gaze wonder about the room, letting it fall occasionally upon her companion. There was so much she wanted to know about him, but somehow the proper questions never formed in her mind. Quidditch was about the only thing she knew they had in common, having played a game against the Headmaster once in the past. Would asking Talon something more personal seem too forward on her part? Rezna wouldn't let herself assume he was as curious about her as she was about him. In the end, she let indecision be her decision and continued drinking her tea, saying nothing. 971
.: and there are voices, that want to be heard, so much to mention, but you can't find the words; the scent of magic, the beauty that's been, when love was wilder than the wind :.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 18, 2009 16:21:58 GMT -5
Talon was laughing very hard by the end of Rezna's statement. First, the idea of the Quiberon Quafflepunchers - who, for all his years in England, he'd never even heard of - wearing hot pink robes was enough to make anyone's side burst. Then the idea of an adorable little Rezna - he imagined the little girl in the pink dress that had sat on her lap in the picture - chasing after her brother with a plastic bat and later begging her parents to be named Gezna made his fierce laughter almost turn to giggles.
But that would've been quite unfitting.
"You know I should really write in to the Captain of the Holyhead Harpies and tell them to give up on that silly tradition. Traditions may be traditions and I, being very into that sort of thing, often approve of them, but not when they make smaller versions of my friends want to terribly mutilate their names for the sake of a dream," Talon said very matter-of-factly, though there was clearly a joking side to his words. "Then again, a team that still, after all this time, only accepts women into their ranks when Quidditch has always been a sport for both men and women probably isn't likely to listen to me."
He refilled his cup, realizing only now that he had been having such a good time that he'd completely forgotten he was still sipping out of an empty vessel. "Especially considering I'm a man, and a man who's name doesn't start with a G either. Unless I should write in as 'Galon' Windwaltz, eh?" He smiled. "I think you would've been great in the professionals. At the very least, I've seen you play Quidditch, and your team completely nailed absolutely every other team by an outrageous amount of points."
He took a sip of his recently refilled tea, his eyes sparkling with enjoyment. He hadn't had a talk this good in quite a while, few people really all that interested in having a decent conversation with the Headmaster and more interested in learning his 'hidden wisdom' or trying to pressure him into teaching them elementalism. "As for me being Czech, my nationality rarely came up when I was a boy. My father..." He found it amazing the considerable ease with which he still referred to the man who raised him as his father, considering the truth that he had learned during the Shadow War. Still, however, Talon would never tell anyone about that. He saw no reason - Trajan was not his father, and Talon knew that. A father was something so much more than the person who made you exist...a father was a man who made you live.
"...my father had a falling out with my grandparents. They were both wizards and my grandfather was apparently an excellent potions master. The Windwaltz family has been well known in that region for years as alchemists and apothecaries who healed the town under the guise of pharmacists. My Grandfather wanted my Dad to keep the family business going, but my Dad was, and he'd always joke about this, terrible at potions. Now my mother, on the other hand, she was a brilliant witch, exceptional at almost every subject of the magical arts. It didn't help, of course, that she was from a very prominent and wealthy pureblood family who had certain branches that still believed that someone with all wizard heritage was stronger than anyone else...Count Scorpius, for example, as I've recently discovered, is from one of those branches."
Post by Rezna Lardale on Jul 18, 2009 17:16:41 GMT -5
"Oh, if you exploited your fame and world renown to influence the Captain of the Holyhead Harpies on my behalf, I would be indebted to you for all time, Galon!" Rezna choked out before succumbing to the laugher she fought so hard to suppress. For their first real conversation, they were doing quite well, she thought. It had been a long, long time since anyone had her laughing so easily.
Tea forgotten, the witch listened curiously as Talon told her about his family's past. The Headmaster always had an air of mystery about him, and the healer felt privileged to glimpse the other side of him, the twenty-year-old, human side. It surprised her to find that his family was so similar to her own. Talon's father, especially, seemed like a man after her own heart. Smiling warmly, the blonde waited patiently for Talon to finish before speaking those thoughts aloud.
"Mr. Windwaltz senior sounds like a great man, not unlike his son might I add. I think he and I would have found a lot to talk about. Like your grandparents, my parents expected me to join their beloved Ministry; they had great connections and all that. Unfortunately, I never found the politics appealing nor had I the desire to carry the family name to great heights. I often wish my brother, Alexi, could have carried the family honor on his shoulders instead of me. He was born a squib, a sign of the degradation of my own family's pure-blood ancestry. Our family tree traces back to many powerful witches and wizards, but clearly their greed to remain as such had its costs. The inbreeding of purebloods diminished our family's branch so that three generations have born squibs, like my brother. I don't mind who he is one bit, but I know it is hard on him. Forever exiled from wizard society and forced to live in the muggle world with the knowledge that your life could have been so much more."
Rezna sighed but pushed on, determined to end on a happier note. "He's happily married now, though, with little Sophia to brag about. And living in both worlds had its advantages for me as well. I got to watch Disney movies and play a number of muggle sports which honed up my skills for Quidditch. You might consider that cheating, but I see it as a kind of home-court advantage. Though I guess you can't say the same thing for the Outstanding I received on my Muggle Studies O.W.L. in my fifth year." Giving her companion a serious look, she hastily added, "I tell you that in complete confidence, Talon. The Headmaster side of you is not allowed to enter this conversation!"
Last Edit: Jul 18, 2009 17:17:20 GMT -5 by Rezna Lardale
.: and there are voices, that want to be heard, so much to mention, but you can't find the words; the scent of magic, the beauty that's been, when love was wilder than the wind :.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 18, 2009 17:44:52 GMT -5
"I'm not saying anything," Talon defended quickly when Rezna said he wasn't allowed to reprimand her for taking Muggle Studies despite previous knowledge of the muggle world. "There is nothing cheating about excelling at Muggle Studies because you lived a partially muggle life. Everybody knows the best way to learn things is first hand." He smiled and nodded, and then his thoughts turned to Rezna's brother.
"Life as a squib must be hard on those who have known nothing else, feeling ashamed that they're never good enough for their family, and feeling apart from their ancestral society, but..." Talon frowned, looking away from Rezna and feeling a sudden sense of emptiness inside of him. "...you know, I'll be completely honest. There have been some days I've wished I was born like them. Able to live a double life, to study the history of magic and the history of muggles side by side and just...not have to get involved in any of it."
He nodded quietly, but his smile returned. "You know that reminds me. Let's keep this between us - I love history but I was terrible at it in school. If you saw my student records, you'd hardly believe it was mine. The teacher at Magic Horizons used to tell me I'd never do my assignments properly, never answering the questions but just asking more based on the original. But that's history, in my opinion - you answer the questions with more questions, and the more questions you have the closer to the truth you get...but you'll never find a definite answer.
"That's why it's so exciting for me!" He said, and put his cup down. "But you said the teacher side of me wasn't allowed into this conversation, so I'll stop. I completely agree with you on the politics thing. I absolutely can't stand it. Politics is history in the making, so I respect it, but I cannot get involved in it. It's just not my thing. My brother, on the other hand, he's a Senator in the American House of Magic."
Post by Rezna Lardale on Jul 18, 2009 21:32:14 GMT -5
"To people like us, the life of a squib could be appealing," Rezna agreed with a nod. "It would be similar to knowing all the rules to an extremely complicated game without going through the trouble of playing it. On the other hand, playing is half the fun. But for all the times I wished my life wasn't filled with Lycans, Demons, and Shadow Societies, Alexi likewise has admitted to envying my having a wand and broom. I think he secretly loves Quidditch as much as I do but will never experience the joy of playing. And all those common-place spells we use daily without thinking, like rearranging furniture; he has to do it by hand. I don't know, Talon. Both lives seem difficult and complicated in their own ways. Although," she added, giving him a sly grin, "that constant element of danger that surrounds you, and me by extension, does give life a certain edge."
Moments later, Rezna was fighting to hold back the surprised grin that threatened to spread across her face in response to Talon's admission he was never a good history student. She was prepared to taunt Talon mercilessly, but had to hold back considering he had given her nothing but extra credit when she was in his class. Smiling, the witch imagined a little Talon, sitting behind a large wooden desk, arguing with his hands in the air the point of writing an objective essay on the Wizards of Ancient Rome when the wizards themselves wrote the history he was learning now! He could only write what they said of themselves, and how could that be true?!
"Did I say you couldn't act the teacher," Rezna retorted, giving up the image of little Talon a bit reluctantly. "I only said you couldn't be the severe, reprimanding Headmaster when I'm sharing all my dark secrets of my student days."
"I didn't know you had a brother in America," the blond commented, curiosity obvious in her voice, but modesty keeping her from asking more. 971
.: and there are voices, that want to be heard, so much to mention, but you can't find the words; the scent of magic, the beauty that's been, when love was wilder than the wind :.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 18, 2009 23:00:11 GMT -5
Talon realized at this point that the pot was all out of tea. Had they really drank the whole pot in such a short span of time? Maybe it wasn't such a short span of time and lively conversation had simply taken away the hours. Regardless, the Headmaster decided to vanish the pot altogether with a flick of his wand.
"My brother is considerably older than I am, and he likes to keep to himself, really," Talon said of his rarely mentioned older brother, "that is to say, he doesn't usually write me. The last time I heard from him was an angry letter he sent me telling me to return my cousin April at once. She'd forged all the transfer paperwork to get to Firefox, apparently to see me, and then ran away to Spain somehow..."
He frowned, "my family doesn't like me much. Being my brother's brother has almost cost him an election once. You see, I was there...when my parents died. My brother was away at school then, President of the Student Council - sort of like 'Head Boy' - at the Franklin Conservatory of the Mystical Energies in Pennsylvania when he found out they died. Then I went to school and...well, I've just...I've just caused a lot more trouble for my family than anything else."
This seemed to be troubling him a lot. He clearly looked like he was looking for a way out of the conversation, "most of my family lives in America. That's where I grew up. My family moved to Britain when I was nine because of work-related reasons. I went to Magic Horizons when I was eleven. I spent my teenage years in Britain, but I...didn't really have a family. And over the years they stopped calling me back for holidays."
His distress seemed to be growing, to the point where he looked like he might start crying again. "Last thing I ever got from them was my Firebolt when I was fifteen. It was a gift from my brother. Oh and...my brother never married, so I don't have any nieces and nephews or anything. He's almost thirty now and he's never even had a girlfriend. Claims he has no luck with women but my Aunt Meredith likes to joke that he's gay. Considering he's a politician and all the drama they have over in the States about that sort of thing, he hates that."
Seemingly out of nowhere, Talon finally found something else to talk about, "what does your brother do for a living, as a squib?"
Teagan Offline: This board is full of nostalgia.
Aug 22, 2020 8:39:09 GMT -5
Missing the old MH: gotta say missing when MH and all that was around.
Nov 6, 2019 0:02:30 GMT -5
Willow_lazy: why tf are there 400 posts about adidas
Sept 6, 2018 17:35:57 GMT -5
Azrael: I'm not hard to find, since I'm the only one there who goes by "Azzy", I'm pretty sure. XD
Feb 10, 2018 16:44:41 GMT -5
Azrael: Dunno if anyone still pops by here from time to time, but if any of you mofos do and still feel like gettin' yo nerd on, I've been hanging around this here place a bunch recently: www.roleplayerguild.com/
Feb 10, 2018 16:44:10 GMT -5
Azrael: hold onto your pantaloons
Jul 25, 2016 5:16:43 GMT -5