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Post by Wilting Rose on Nov 13, 2005 19:29:53 GMT
The Great Hall was buzzing on a cold November evening. There was some kind of force nobody could quite place their finger on that seemed to crackle and ripple through the school, an energy that seemed to have affected everybody in the castle. They were lively and re-energised - as if they knew something had changed, but couldn't figure out what.
The double doors of the Hall swung open with a bang, and the hubbub lowered to a murmur - and then an absolute silence.
Wilting Rose strode across the Hall, her floating purple robes streaming behind her. Her head was held high, and her bright eyes did not meet anybody's until she stood at the Headmistress's chair. She turned to face the crowd that stared avidly at her, mouths agape and eyes wide. She felt their gaze rake over her appearance. Despite her frail frame and her hollowed face, she still exuded power from every pore of her. Her rainbow eyes beamed across the hall, and when she smiled, she almost looked like her old self.
"Good evening, Magic Horizons," she said, her voice fairly quiet but heard by all. "I hope you have all had a wonderful day. I certainly have. I was returned everything that was stolen from me, and now I make a promise to myself that I will never give it up again. I am back at Magic Horizons - for good."
She smiled, and with a wave of her hand, food appeared on the tables. Exhausted, she sank into her gilted chair, wishing now that she had allowed Claire to make the speech instead. But none of it mattered now she was here again. Her eyes wandered over the now-chatting students, smiling faintly to herself. This was her kingdom, and she would protect it with her life. All over again.
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Ace
Professor
Vampire
Passion rules us all
Posts: 495
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Post by Ace on Nov 14, 2005 13:34:45 GMT
Ace felt it too. He was no magical being, but he felt the shift in the school's magic. It was almost tangible, he could almost taste it on the tip of his tongue as he sat down to breakfast at the Staff Table. He didn't eat his breakfast in front of them all (the panic that would ensue was unbearable to even think about), but thought it was best to just make his appearance.
When Wilting Rose walked through the doors, Ace's jaw dropped. She looked so weak and haggard, but there was determination and courage in every move she made and word she spoke. When she sat back down, Ace let his emerald eyes rove over some more. There was something changed in her, but what he couldn't say. And where was Claire? Did she not want to accompany her lover back into her old role as Headmistress?
Shaking his head, Ace looked out at the crowd blankly. There was something wrong with all this.
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Post by Claire on Nov 18, 2005 10:27:50 GMT
Claire came into the Hall late, once everybody has started eating, just as she and Rose had planned.
She took her seat next to Rose and stole a glance at the other Headmistress. Rose's face was still worn and slightly preoccupied, like she was seeing things - things that scared and hurt her. It pained Claire to see Rose that way, but every time she had tried to speak to Rose she had got nothing but a blank expression.
"Rose? Are you OK?"
A blank look. "I reinstated myself as Headmistress. The school is strong again."
"Right. Good. But... are you OK?"
Another blank look. "I think I want to make my return publicly known tonight, so there is no more worry over my whereabouts. Presuming there was any to begin with, of course."
A shocked pause. "I... er, OK. Shall I make the announcement for you?"
A look that would have withered the strongest person. "No, thank you. You've done enough. I will go alone. And you will follow once I am done. I need to get ready."
Recalling the incident in the Tower, Claire could hardly believe that it had been Rose speaking to her. The expressive, emotive Rose had been so cold, so shut down... it was like being with someone who looked and sounded like Rose, but was on autopilot... not to mention the look she had given Claire. What on earth had she ever done to deserve that?!
Claire rested her hand gently on Rose's arm.
"Rose? Are you alright? Did it go OK?"
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Post by Wilting Rose on Nov 22, 2005 8:20:53 GMT
Rose was lost in thought. Once again a barrage of memories was streaming into her consciousness, and rather than fight it she was letting herself be taken over by them - the faster it happened, the sooner it would pass.
Rose jumped at Claire's touch and snatched her arm away, clutching it to herself, looking at Claire with wild eyes.
She thought she had made it quite clear to Claire that she was in a place where she needed space, from everyone and everything. She had been abused beyond belief, held captive by an unfeeling demon who would not even let her see the light of day. It was even questionable that Rose might have gone a little insane in the Shrieking Shack, with nobody to talk to but herself, in the cold, musty dark... It would have been obvious to anybody else that what Rose needed was space to breathe and focus on herself - but not to Claire. All she cared about was the fact that she had got her lover back.
And Rose couldn't begin to comprehend that.
"It went fine," Rose said, still eyeing Claire with a look of deep mistrust. Oh, it ran deeper than not giving her space. Rose knew things... she had Seen... her visions were now becoming distinct from her memories and when she had been in the Tower, it was so heavy with Claire's essence that she could not help Seeing how it had been whilst Rose was absent. And Rose was angry. Very angry indeed.
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Post by Claire on Nov 22, 2005 13:57:18 GMT
Claire sighed. She was getting so sick of Rose's behaviour. They'd been reunited for several hours, and all she'd got was dirty looks and snappy comments. None of which she thought she deserved.
"What have I done?" Claire whispered to Rose, keeping her voice down so nobody should hear. "Tell me what is wrong with you - I know you've had a hard time but I want to help you. All you're doing is pushing me away. Please Rose, just talk to me."
Claire waited, hoping for a response but afraid that all she would get back were biting words.
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Post by Wilting Rose on Nov 23, 2005 17:51:51 GMT
Rose's rainbow eyes swirled into deep clouds of stormy purple as she turned to Claire, betraying the torrents of emotion she was keen to keep within.
"What have you done? What have you done?"
Rose wasn't bothering to keep her voice to a whisper. There was scorn etched in every line on her newly-weathered face as she faced Claire, her fingernails digging into the velvet padded arms of the chair to prevent herself from lashing out. She had to control her rage - she didn't want to make something melt again.
"It's more of what you haven't done, Claire," hissed Rose. "Do you know what I'm talking about yet? Can you work out why I'm so angry?"
She leaned in closer to Claire and grabbed the neck of Claire's pale blue robes, pulling her inches from her own face. "You did nothing. Nothing at all. I was kidnapped from right underneath your nose, and you did nothing. You sat up in the Tower and sighed and felt hopeless... but that isn't even the part I'm really angry about. I have Seen, you know... Seen all the students that came knocking on your door, needing advice and guidance while I was gone, because the school was falling apart and they needed somebody to look to. And you ignored them. You ignored them all. You are not worthy of the title of Headmistress - when your school needed you most, you turned your back on them. All you were concerned about was you."
Rose released her grip on Claire's robes. Her face was twisted into a look of pure disgust. She turned away from Claire and once again faced the students as they ate and chatted, falling once again into daydreams and memories.
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Post by Claire on Nov 24, 2005 19:40:48 GMT
Claire was stunned. Only for a moment then she bagn thinking.
So what if she had been more concerned for Rose' safety than the safety of the students? Wasn't that a good thing? At least she was showing more emotion towards her girlfriend than Rose was doing right now - at least she cared.
"I'm sorry if I'm not good enough, Rose," she said angrily, "but yes, I would happily sacrifice this school if it meant I could save you. I love you. Or have you forgotten?"
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Post by Wilting Rose on Nov 24, 2005 19:50:55 GMT
Rose's nose wrinkled in disgust, and looked at Claire with blank eyes. It was all just words, words and no more, that fell like dust from their mouths. Words had become completely ineffectual - it was action that Rose needed to see from Claire, not words and rigidity.
"I have not forgotten the love that bound us, Claire, I still honour it, and I still worship it. But I do not possess enough selfishness to assume that that justifies turning my back on those who need it." Rose's eyes were now wide, imploring. She did not want Claire to think only of anger - most of all, she wanted Claire to understand. "I know that you have helped at Magic Horizons, given all I ever asked for. But as soon as I stopped asking, you stopped giving. This school doesn't mean anything to you... I can't believe I didn't see it before. The only reason you became Headmistress, founded this school, did anything to do with it - it was all because of me, wasn't it. I was the reason. I, and not the school."
Rose shook her head. They were worlds apart now. She had always believed that Claire had loved Magic Horizons as much as she did - she didn't see how anyone could not. In her eyes, it was as foolish as thinking a parent could not love and nurture their child. But it was not the case...
"Claire, I don't know what to say..."
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Post by Claire on Nov 24, 2005 20:04:33 GMT
Claire shrugged. What was she supposed to say?She herself had thought rose had known she only became Head because she couldnt think of any other profession she'd want to do, and it would mean she spent more of her life with Rose, which was what she wanted.
"Is it so wrong?" said Claire quietly, aware that their argument was atracting some attention. "I did it for you. I wanted to be close to you. You never said anything about having to love the school so much I'd put my life at risk for it. I'm not selfish, I'm just not going to have my life revolve around something as... inconsistent. as the school! It doesn't make any sense. Not to me. I like being here because you like being here."
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Post by Wilting Rose on Nov 24, 2005 20:30:58 GMT
Rose was silent for a long time. What was there to say? She knew where Claire was coming from, she really did... and the fact that Claire loved her so much still affected her in some way. But she knew that if Claire really felt that distantly about the school, there was really only one thing she could do.
"I don't think you should be Headmistress anymore," said Rose quietly. She stared down at her hands but all she could think of was the look that might be on Claire's face.
"This school needs a leader who can keep them out of the darkness even when it's at the door. It needs... somebody to look to, who can inspire them. They need pearls of wisdom and truth to drop from your mouth at a moment's notice. And I don't think you have that capacity. Why should they listen to you when even you don't believe the words that come from your mouth?"
Rose sighed, and finally turned to look at Claire, searching her brown eyes for a sign of what she thought to all this. "I'm not trying to be harsh, honestly. I'm putting the interests of the school before my own feelings. Like you should have done. I am asking you, for this once, to put them before yourself."
She paused again. "Renounce your title."
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Post by Claire on Nov 27, 2005 10:02:54 GMT
Claire stared off into the distance. Did she have a choice.
She knew where Rose was coming from. The school did deserve to have somebody who was willing to fight for it at its helm, but Claire wasn't ever going to care enough to be that person. The school had never meant that much to her, as much as she enjoyed the work she had done here. But still, she had enjoyed it. She didn't want to give it up.
"Fine. The school is yours," said Claire, though they both knew it had always been the case. "But I don't want to leave here. I made my life here, you can't expect me to give that up."
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Post by Wilting Rose on Nov 27, 2005 10:07:44 GMT
Wilting Rose nodded, and thought. She didn't want Claire to go either. She loved Claire, and knew the work that she had put into the school was long and tireless, despite not making any real sacrifice. She had still given her time and magic to the school, and that should be rewarded.
"Alright," said Rose slowly, tapping her finger on the arm of the chair. "How about we create a new position for you - Deputy Head? You still get to do all the boring administration stuff that I find so terribly tiresome, you'll have more authority than the other Professors... but the role as leader will no longer be yours, as agreed. Does that sound fair?"
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