Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jun 22, 2013 6:55:05 GMT -5
The quick stop of the carriage startled its passenger awake. The passenger - blonde, in his late twenties - found it difficult to compose himself entirely. It had felt like years since he'd needed to get his bearings, to really look at the world around him and describe it to himself in a meaningful way. It was a strange thought, definitely not one he nor really many others thought daily. But when it comes into your mind, it really put most of one's life into perspective. How often does one really take in their surroundings? How often do you feel the need to tell oneself who they are, where they are?
How often are you really true to yourself?
Perhaps it was this place - the place to which he had arrived, Firefox University - that really made him feel true to himself. It had been years since he'd set foot here. It was a dangerous place, all together cursed and rotten. He understood his share in the blame for that. He, after all, had started the place to begin with. Talon Windwaltz, once Headmaster, 'honored founder', and by some accounts the smartest and greatest wizard of his generation, had cleaned this old ruin's hallways, fixed it up, and opened it to the public.
What a stupid, stupid man.
He had brought this danger on the entire world. Actively encouraged innocent wizards and witches to bring their children here to be eaten, slaughtered, burned to death, and a myriad other nasty, lethal fates. He sought to taught them, give them a place away from home to study and become more powerful sorcerers. How many of them even survived to become that? Yes, this place made him feel true to himself - no matter how he tried to run away, to get a job where he felt he was helping people, not hurting them, for once, it was all just avoiding the truth. He was a stupid, stupid man, a crackpot, a sham, and responsible for the deaths of so many innocent lives.
He would never be able to escape that.
Then why was he here? Why had he traveled from Vienna to Madrid, and had this driverless carriage take him to this far-off area, not even on any muggle map? It was because no matter how far he ran, how terrible he felt about what he did, he still loved this place. It was impossible to deny. No matter where he was, the work he buried himself in, the new friends and associates he had made, he could never forget his true friends, his true family. He could still remember freshly all of the times - both good and bad - here.
Richard Rutherford, his dear friend, and the monstrous Fenris Fenrir, whom he despised.
Sparky Cobalt, the timid Muggle Studies Professor.
Muryllis Antonius, the...well, honestly, he wasn't entirely sure what that man was anymore.
Roan Aliagh, almost as Jekyll and Hyde as the monster who made her, half sweet student, half fiery demon.
Teagan Monolayre, the mysterious and stoic witch who kept her past and her heart to herself.
Not to mention Chloe, Beau, Rezna...
Rezna. He doubted he would ever see her again. A guilty pang struck his heart. Oh she was probably far gone now. Perhaps she had met someone new? Married, even. He gave out a deep sigh. He had neglected her so terribly. He had loved her - or thought he loved her - for so many years, and she opened her heart to him, and he never gave her what she deserved. Could he ever give her a life she deserved? Such a stupid, stupid man. But that was all fine. A man like him could never have loved her the way she deserved to be loved. He hoped that somewhere, out there, she had found what she needed.
The carriage gave another buck, as if to say 'alright, enough inner monologue, get off.' Talon groaned, reached for his suitcase, and absconded his seat. The carriage gave a groan, and wasted no time in heading back in the direction it came. Now he was alone, in this place, but he had all he needed. For despite his responsibilities, despite all his failures, despite everything he had to regret, he loved this place, with all of his heart.
He couldn't help himself from running up the stairs to the Arch, strolling into the entrance hall, and shouting, "Anybody here? I'm HOME!"
How often are you really true to yourself?
Perhaps it was this place - the place to which he had arrived, Firefox University - that really made him feel true to himself. It had been years since he'd set foot here. It was a dangerous place, all together cursed and rotten. He understood his share in the blame for that. He, after all, had started the place to begin with. Talon Windwaltz, once Headmaster, 'honored founder', and by some accounts the smartest and greatest wizard of his generation, had cleaned this old ruin's hallways, fixed it up, and opened it to the public.
What a stupid, stupid man.
He had brought this danger on the entire world. Actively encouraged innocent wizards and witches to bring their children here to be eaten, slaughtered, burned to death, and a myriad other nasty, lethal fates. He sought to taught them, give them a place away from home to study and become more powerful sorcerers. How many of them even survived to become that? Yes, this place made him feel true to himself - no matter how he tried to run away, to get a job where he felt he was helping people, not hurting them, for once, it was all just avoiding the truth. He was a stupid, stupid man, a crackpot, a sham, and responsible for the deaths of so many innocent lives.
He would never be able to escape that.
Then why was he here? Why had he traveled from Vienna to Madrid, and had this driverless carriage take him to this far-off area, not even on any muggle map? It was because no matter how far he ran, how terrible he felt about what he did, he still loved this place. It was impossible to deny. No matter where he was, the work he buried himself in, the new friends and associates he had made, he could never forget his true friends, his true family. He could still remember freshly all of the times - both good and bad - here.
Richard Rutherford, his dear friend, and the monstrous Fenris Fenrir, whom he despised.
Sparky Cobalt, the timid Muggle Studies Professor.
Muryllis Antonius, the...well, honestly, he wasn't entirely sure what that man was anymore.
Roan Aliagh, almost as Jekyll and Hyde as the monster who made her, half sweet student, half fiery demon.
Teagan Monolayre, the mysterious and stoic witch who kept her past and her heart to herself.
Not to mention Chloe, Beau, Rezna...
Rezna. He doubted he would ever see her again. A guilty pang struck his heart. Oh she was probably far gone now. Perhaps she had met someone new? Married, even. He gave out a deep sigh. He had neglected her so terribly. He had loved her - or thought he loved her - for so many years, and she opened her heart to him, and he never gave her what she deserved. Could he ever give her a life she deserved? Such a stupid, stupid man. But that was all fine. A man like him could never have loved her the way she deserved to be loved. He hoped that somewhere, out there, she had found what she needed.
The carriage gave another buck, as if to say 'alright, enough inner monologue, get off.' Talon groaned, reached for his suitcase, and absconded his seat. The carriage gave a groan, and wasted no time in heading back in the direction it came. Now he was alone, in this place, but he had all he needed. For despite his responsibilities, despite all his failures, despite everything he had to regret, he loved this place, with all of his heart.
He couldn't help himself from running up the stairs to the Arch, strolling into the entrance hall, and shouting, "Anybody here? I'm HOME!"