[Closed] A Case of Arachnophobia

[Pleasance Hedgethorne]

Time Stamp

The woman, this time, warned her of the casting of a reading spell, which prompted Pleasance to not resist the more experienced magic user. She felt somewhat more comfortable, compared to how she'd come into this office, and so felt freer to be more honest in any event.

To be fair, the mention of an impossibly rich and old husband was more a young girl's boast, the kind that some of the shallower and less magically talented girls tended to entertain, if only in jest. Pleasance for her part had been one to joke about it herself but had been giving more thought to how she'd maintain her lifestyle outside of school, bereft of both inheritances. Perhaps her brother would care to support her, or not. But she'd prefer to live outside his influence if it were possible. If that meant living rough in a luxury apartment for a while, then so be it. It'd still be a step up from the tiny roomed dormitories that the upper forms lived in, with shared bathrooms.

Pleasance wasn't certain of her plans outside of school. This was part of her anxiety over her inheritance, lacking guidance or a way forward past school that allowed her a certain level of luxury and as little work as possible. Yet that was not entirely realistic, and deep down she knew it. And if Vivian pried further into Pleasance's subconscious, she'd find a spirit that was more willing to adventure and thrill than was obvious just by speaking to her, and hearing of her 'aspirations' toward comfort, ease, and abundance.

Pleasance giggled in a timely fashion as Vivian teased her about the word 'punishment'. Mostly a mechanical response as expressions of amusement went, yet she meant it well enough. Her eyes went wide again at the sight of the window flying open, not for shock of it happening but it was unexpected. Yet she remained calm and seated, enjoying the newly fresh air tinged by the smoke of pipeweed.

"Oh, I love the smell of pipeweed." She spoke frankly. Her parents, as frugal as they tended to be, had enjoyed at least some vices. Smoking pipeweed was among them. When she asked them why they smoked, they simply told her that it took the edge off of magic addiction. She'd grown up in a house that was filled with the smell of the floral herbs and other samplings of dried leaves of tobacco. She inhaled deeply as Vivian blew the smoke out the window.

Vivian began to muse on the nature of politics, and how she'd gotten involved in it herself. The fact that she believed Pleasance would have an affinity for it engendered an interest in the younger woman herself, which was compounded by her interest in the woman sitting in front of her. "It sounds like quite an adventure, leaving school, and going out into the world. Was there a lot of paperwork involved as an assistant? I've heard that politicians sometimes hold parties of patronage to various issues and interests... Sometimes just to fund their campaigns for a better position!"

Politics did seem like a racket that Pleasance would want to get involved with, sooner or later. Given the unrealism of her daydreams, she thought she would follow Ms. Rush's advice.

"Diplomatic immunity?" Pleasance asked, genuinely curious. She knew some things about politicians and the lives they've led, as her parents had hosted some among them in their home when she was a girl. By dint of their proximity, she'd been granted some knowledge by osmosis. But immunity sounded like something she ought to know about.

Pleasance turned her head to look out the window a moment, and then turned her eyes to look at Ms. Rush, "So you went into politics, but you're in Brunnhold but not as a teacher." The younger woman pondered this for a moment, wondering what might've brought Vivian to this calling as a part of the University staff. It granted her a certain authority over her younger charges, it seemed, and perhaps even the elder faculty. And what better way to mold a new world to your whim than by shaping the bricks that would be laid on the foundation of the old. She hummed to herself, "Will I ever get to watch you punishing other students? While I serve my demerit I mean."

She was excited by the prospect, yet also humbled by Vivian's choice of letting her into her office, to help with the work she did. She wanted to ask, but was anxious of pushing her luck, whether she had many occasions to punish her classmates. If anything they did ever warranted a harsher punishment. Was expulsion the worst punishment?

Pleassance leaned back in her chair, and crossed her legs as her hands rested on her lap. She would certainly like to know how she might avoid expulsion. Did the behavioral expectations of students extend beyond University grounds? So many questions, yet Pleasance wasn't sure of the best way to broach them, when they'd already discussed so much.

[Vivian Rush]

Vivian quite enjoyed the sight of billowing smoke as it rose from the bowl of a quality wooden pipe. What pleased her even more, however, was that the girl in her office didn't mind it, either. It was a great smell, the burning of freshly shredded tobacco. Vivian knew a young man in the stacks who cultivated the plant and truly, it was one of the few things in the world that both Vivian and her mother could agree on as a perfect means of relaxation. There was nothing quite like the smell of it and the taste, while an acquired one, was something that Vivian had quickly grown accustomed to. Some considered it a nasty habit, but those people were also wrong.

It certainly did help take an edge off, for at the end of the day, or even the middle or during a meeting with a student the daily stress was cumulative. That wasn't to say that Vivian wasn't enjoying herself. Rather, she found Pleasance a lively change of pace from the normal troublemaker that made their way into her office. She was unrepentant, which should've struck Vivian as a red flag, but she was also quite a pleasure to speak to. Perhaps it went against the notion of professional integrity for Vivian to pick and choose favourites, but she did and she had quite the knack for picking good ones. Vivian was pleased to listen to Pleasance's assessment, and when reminded of the paperwork that came with her former position of assistant, she groaned aloud.

"Would you believe it, Pleasance, if I said that my time as a pre-graduate student in Brunnhold was only four years ago? It feels like an age. I'd been acting in a assistant capacity before my graduation, but going to nearly full-time hours with it was hooooorrible. Politics has its benefits, but it is very much a path of progress. Unless your qualifications make you ideal for a position like mine," she mused. Vivian had never applied for the position of Liaison of Internal Affairs, but was asked and she didn't quite understand why. However, Vivian Rush was also the sort of girl to count her blessings but not try too deeply into the reason for them.

"Paperwork becomes your life as an assistant, but for the times when you are asked to record official meetings... There is so much to be learned. Politics is a complicated mess, and some are more suited to roles than another. Your disposition, Pleasance, gives me hope in the potential for genuinely qualified female nominees for incumbent positions. It's unheard of as of right now, but my father, Incumbent Alcastor Rush, believes it possible. As do I."

The reference to diplomatic immunity was a means of baiting Pleasance, for it was quite clear to her, by both the Reading magic that continued to permeate between them and the young girl's words, that she sat on a side of morality that Vivian herself could empathize with. Power, after all, belonged to those who could seize and maintain it. Vivian wasn't at all content with the amount of power she possessed, but it was formidable nonetheless. Vivian left Pleasance's appended question as an after thought, but nodded in agreement,

Politics isn't merely policy and political ideologies. It is a constant war between other politicians who crave one's place in the world. Many wealthy political minds use festivity as a means of keeping their constituents invested in them." she answered before moving along to her next point. Pleasance had a great number of questions for her, and while Vivian enjoyed the challenge, she could only do so much at a time. The woman took a breath, pulling her pipe back to her lips and taking a draw before she put it forward for Pleasance to fill for her. The sorceress didn't ask, but rose up again to refill their refreshments, leaving her lighter on the table in the event that the young student wished to partake. Vivian didn't mind sharing, but wouldn't do so directly.

"Yes, my assistant position was bound to that of one of the Chairs, who serve advisory to the Headmasters themselves. The political web of Anaxas is quite the interconnected one, but it is Brunnhold, not Vienda, that can lay claim to the true power of Anaxas. This applies both magically and politically. It is why, despite my father's inclinations for Vienda politics, that I felt the desire to assist a Chair rather than an Incumbent," she clarified. Vivian Rush was certainly no educator, but the idea of sharing some of her knowledge, especially facts that were known by the staff of Brunnhold but not necessarily to the students, was one she quite enjoyed.

Let those extraordinary students find you to be a resource, unbiased and yet completely at their disposal. As the years turn by and they find positions of power, your counsel becomes invaluable and therefore, your influence grows wider and wider.

Vivian planned for the future with her every conversation, with her every conveyance, and she'd seen right away that it was Pleasance, not William, that would prove an asset to her. Pleasance's last question brought a chuckle to her lips, a coy shrug of the shoulder before she answered,

I am not so merciful with all of the students. Consider yourself lucky, Pleasance. Chances are, you'll see less lucky ones come by in the three weeks we are together."

[Pleasance Hedgethorne]

Pleasance thrilled in the scent of the pipe weed as it wafted from Vivian's pipe and breath. She thought to take up the habit herself, when she was a bit older, but her constitution was somewhat weak. She didn't want to compromise it further by adding such a vice. Still, perhaps with the coming Winter break she'd have an opportunity to give things a bit of a try...

While Vivian was answering her questions, Pleasance got the sense of tension rising, and perhaps she was asking too many questions, too quickly. She hoped that Vivian didn't think her to be an empty-headed girl, with no opinions of her own. So she searched her mind for things to raise, opinions and experiences of her own to share. She wasn't entirely uninformed of politics, she knew the basics of the Symvoul, for instance, and thought to touch on that, once Vivian was done giving her impressions of low level service in political office.

"I would hope it's possible to delegate the duller paperwork to less important helpers and servants, but I suppose you never know when an important bit of information may fall on an otherwise innocuous document." She quietly listened to her opinion on politics, and nodded along at the appropriate moments. The young woman positively beamed when Vivian related her confidence in Pleasance's ability to rise through for an incumbent position. She was a bit taken aback to learn, however, that there were no women in those positions as of now.

Finally, as she came to the end of her speech on politics and her role in that of the sort that permeated Brunnhold, Pleasance saw her opening to speak her own mind on current events, and hopefully impress Vivian with her knowledge such as it was. To prove herself more than just a silly girl with small grudges, views, and prejudices. Pleasance for all her time had always wanted an older sister. Although it would've split the inheritance three ways potentially, she'd gladly give a portion of her own for a big sister to guide her and teach her things. She wondered idly if Arthur felt similarly toward her, and the thought brought a twinge of guilt. Just a small twinge.

However, she'd only met Vivian. It wasn't for her to be hasty in cultivating those sisterly feelings toward a woman entirely unrelated to her. They'd have three weeks to figure out if they liked each other, or wanted to destroy each other by the end of it. But so far, the first impression was a positive one.

"The next Symvoulio is coming up. I think the current Anaxi Symvoul should cling to power, or else make moves now to fortify us against cultural incursions from Mugroba. Think of it, courts from one end of the Continent to the other wear Mugrobi silks, build with Mugrobi wood, and enrich that state with every shipment."

"It's fairly obvious to me what they're doing. They must be trying to establish a cultural hegemony. Their arts get pushed on our society and celebrated, and meanwhile, where are Anaxian Velvets and dyes? Our fashions and customs? These never see the light of day in their sun-blasted lands."

Pleasance sighed, having spoken her bit on that issue. "I fear the Mugrobis will make moves toward the Symvoul, turning the next ten years into an expansion of their culture over ours and every other Kingdom. They've already done much to endear themselves, rarely stepping out of line in our lands. Their cooperation must be deliberate, and not only for the sake of keeping our peace intact and securing our continued aid."

She stared at Vivian, her eyes widened at her own lengthy exposition on her opinion. Pleasance was surprised that she even had one, but perhaps she'd picked it up during an overheard conversation or two from the other upper forms. Even so, she thought her opinion was a good one, and a valid concern over Mugroba's attempts to insinuate their culture into that of Anaxas and beyond.

She took the opportunity to take another drink of water, sipping it carefully. Once done with the water, she placed it back on the desk and took a small biscuit, taking a tiny bite here or there while she waited for the other woman to react to her opinion.

[Vivian Rush]

Always, Vivian Rush had plunged forward with the intention of using her exceptional capabilities, both magical and intellectual, to her advantage. Her propensity, not for empathy, but in logical understanding in the nature of sentient thought, was what made her useful in politics. As such, Vivian could ascertain what to say, how her words might affect others, but the younger of the Rush twins possessed little natural charm beneath the exquisite beauty that she was given by good genetics. However, a deeper venture into Vivian's darker impulses, told a very different story of who she was. It was known, by some of the staff, particularly those with the sort of foul mercy for the passive wretches that could see her for what she was. However, those not aware of those facts, parents and students who conversed with Vivian in her professional capacity. Well, there was a reason that the sorceress took to illusion and mental manipulation as her primary course of study.

Vivian was pleased to garner the good graces of the Hedgethornes. She'd sought to help Arthur, and certainly, once a few days passed and he was well enough for visitors outside of his immediate family, she'd venture a visit. Or, she'd bring him along into her office and speak to him as Pleasance served her demerit. It was interesting to Vivian to see how that might push the girl, but she kept such thoughts to herself as the talk of delegation of menial tasks to less important helpers came about. For Vivian, she never saw the point. She drank in knowledge voraciously, after all. Notes and paperwork were something she relished in, for to gain as much information before opening her mouth was of the utmost value. But, there was also a place for those like Pleasance, who seemed to capable of turning others to her side by guile alone...

They have their place as charismatic leaders who can hold their position of powers for decades or even a lifetime.

Such people belonged in the chair of an Incumbent, and it was both desire and professional responsibility to cultivate that sort of desire within those that were bound to it. Vivian was certainly no professor, but she was astute and uniquely qualified to turn those students who got in trouble into assets for the school and galdori society as a whole.

Often, those who lash out have underlying problems that they are dealing with. Punishment and discouragement only serve to dim rising stars. Instead, I will slowly build my own constellation with which to carve my name into the heavens.

"It's the truth more often than not. Foster a habit for analysis of trivial details, Pleasance, and you'll find that your charms will be bolstered by intimate knowledge acquired through a keen sense of observation."

It was quite unexpected, for Pleasance to go on about the Symvoul, and the shock of it all even caused the Rush heiress to release her reading spell in her efforts to place her rapt attention in the words spoken aloud. Fingers reached up to her cheekbone first before she adjusted her glasses to stay in position as her free hand moved to swipe her glass from the table. Pleasance was a curious being, and it was quite natural for Vivian to see where her standpoint arose from. It was true that Mugroba's influence in Anaxas was growing larger and larger, that the possibility of Anaxas, as its decade of control waned and the time for Mugroba to claim control rose up. Vivian could certainly agree with the notion of Anaxas clinging to power.

She'd met with diplomats of the other kingdoms and found both their customs and their languages difficult. Even Gior, a country which she'd studied extensively and learned the language of, was rather strange. There were aspects, such as its isolationism of the races that she quite liked the idea of, but on the same token their treatment of the inferior races was too soft. Juggling the matriarchal and isolationist nature against their actual viewpoints and the fact that the Gioran people were, in general, tellers of the truth... Well, it went against Vivian's nature to be so honest. It was the same with Mugroba. Honesty was a quality Vivian associated with weakness and it compelled Vivian to agree with Pleasance's assessment, but not quite for her described rationale.

It is difficult to imagine the Mugrobi to be so... duplicitous. Their people are possessed with an alarming moral disposition that extends to progressive charity towards the..." It took Vivian a moment to figure out how to describe those that she'd call the sub-species of the world. To venture so deep into prejudices, even with a girl she suspected might harbour similar sentiments, was ill-advised. "Lesser races. I imagine that the Symvoul, ruled by the Mugrobi, might embolden the so-called progressive movement within Anaxas itself, which in it of itself is quite worrisome. The proliferation of dyes and fabrics is not necessarily indoctrination towards the adoption of Mugrobi culture, but I agree on the point that the Anaxi as a people should take greater lengths to preserve its cultural hegemony."

Vivian was often quite reserved about her political inclinations, preferring to listen and be heard primarily as the prodigy in her fields of study. Magic was, of course, the greatest passion that the galdor had, but politics was her secular inclination and Pleasance was inviting her into a discussion she found to be quite alluring indeed. Vivian allowed her field to wind anew with Pleasance's own, a gentle encouragement laden with admiration that was very quickly giving way to true affection for the girl that'd come into her office at first for getting in trouble. Neither Vivian's nor Pleasance's hands were exactly clean, and truly, if the younger galdor were just a few years older, her and Vivian could've been fast friends. Instead, the Rush heiress might settle for a sisterly bond that she'd never known before and was curious to explore.

Is it too soon to make bridge that sort of connection? she wondered, holding herself back from pursing her lips or letting the worry materialize in her field.

"It's the progressive movement within Anaxas that concerns me most of all. While the elderly Anaxi are possessing of the greatest number of seats in both houses, with the Symvoul moving to Mugroba it occurs to me that the passage of time will give more and more seats to those who speak loudly and pay no mind to the past which has served us so well.

But, your vocalization of political opinions intrigues me, Pleasance. Rather than lamenting on the future and what the Symvoul's shift has to hold, what do you think of the here and now? I'm quite curious what such a clever young lady thinks of the issues far closer to home. Would you entertain my inquiry?" she asked, a smile cast upon her lips. It was quite a spectacle, and one she was indeed intrigued by, to listen to one so young voice her opinions without reservation. Vivian didn't mean to be dismissive of her concerns, and indeed, agreed with her on some of them. But, she couldn't help but wonder.

[Pleasance Hedgethorne]

Most of the time she spent with Vivian, the back of her mind was turning over what she would do when she met with her brother. They hadn’t spoken much since the change in their relationship occurred. There was a chance meeting here or there that occurred, and of course there were rare occasions where Pleasance herself was invited back to their home in Vienda on break. Yet even in those occasions Pleasance far preferred to stay at school, and for an entire Winter break in the year of 2715 she had stayed at school, tired of her parents’ passive aggressive uplifting of Arthur and the slights they threw at their eldest.

Yet, she was present for the conversation when it turned to politics, and listened well enough to Vivian’s opinions and concerns over the Mugroba situation. It wouldn’t be very long before the Symvoul was turned over to Mugroba, so this seemed not much of a distant concern to Pleasance.

As they spoke, Pleasance thought she detected a similar attitude toward the lesser races as Pleasance herself held. And while she didn't have a particular hatred toward them (A cat does not hate the mouse, afterall), she did share the same concern that came from greater inclusion of those lesser beings in the circle of the Galdori.

The younger woman, for all her talk of Mugroba and other places, was woefully ignorant to how their societies were run. She only knew what she experienced on a day, and that was exposure and spreading of their culture over that of Anaxas’. It didn’t bode well for Anaxas to rule its own affairs when her generation was so influenced by Mugroba and perhaps other societies. Especially given the fact that Mugroba was next in line for the Symvoul. It certainly must not be any accident that they were thus seeking to spread cultural influence over the states immediately bordering them.

When Vivian revealed that Mugrobi society held liberal views toward the lesser races, Pleasance didn’t bother to hide her shock and dismay. ”How exactly does that manifest in their everyday treatment of those races? Humans are violent animals, wicks are deviant and untrustworthy, and passives are mere playthings fit only for sport or disposal.” Pleasance heaved a discouraged sigh, ”I understand there are more of them than us, and we need them to fill certain unsavory roles in society so that ours might benefit…”

Pleasance shook her head at the downplaying of culture versus politics. ”The more we’re exposed to their music, art, fabrics, and styles of Mugroba, my generation will become ever more enamored with it. It would only be a matter of time before they start to adopt their political leanings as well, and the progressives will bolster their numbers from my peers.”

She slumped a little in her chair, as she thought more on the future and what it held if Mugrobi influence spread as she anticipated it might. But then, Vivian spoke to her opinions on local issues. But to Pleasance, the spread of other cultures within their borders was a local issue. Nevertheless, she tried her best to form a coherent opinion on things happening within Anaxas.

”I think the Equality party’s stance on passive equality, while well-meaning, is horribly misguided. I’m concerned that making a bridge to tolerance of passives will not go well for us. They are dangerous and largely useless to society outside Brunnhold. Should a bridge be granted to them for inclusion in society, it will become a gateway to wicks and humans next, and then where does it stop?”

[Vivian Rush]

There was something to be said about the freedom for one to choose their own political opinions. While the heiress to the Rush fortunes espoused the viewpoints of her parents, as children often did, she was no mere pawn to their will. Vivian took it very seriously for her to consider her own ideologies carefully, and it was the firm belief in the power of magic and the right it gave the galdori to rule above all that encompassed everything else she did. Passives were pitiable creatures, but Vivian was not the sort to pity the lot of one's life. They were destined for their fate and their proclivity for explosive decompression of magic made them ill-fitted for modern society. It was the danger within them and the constant need to subjugate intelligent, but inferior creatures that rendered Vivian to push them under her heel and do as she pleased with them.

It is far better to decompress however it is deemed fit. I am unable to peel myself away from my work. Brilliance like Pleasance's needs a guiding hand that isn't some 'progressive' waste like Cicely Rogers.

While Vivian held begrudging respect for the other faculty members regardless of their political ideologies, it was the nature of the Equality party to force their views upon younger generations. Intelligence, conquest and might were the qualities within the galdori that kept their small numbers in control of all of Vita, and for them to forget such ruthlessness was the beginning towards the fall of their society. The Rush heiress kept these sentiments close to her chest as she listened to Pleasance speak. The curve of her lips as she spoke on her own views of the other races was palpable, and she even let a low chuckle escape her lips. As if aware of the possible condescension in her laughter, she wound her field against Pleasance's, a gesture of affection that was met with the smile widening. Vivian listened without commenting, instead picking her pipe back from the table. It'd been too long for the tobacco to be of use. So, she emptied the pipe and quietly refilled it with shredded tobacco before reaching for her lighter.

She took a draw as Pleasance moved next towards the argument against downplaying the proliferation of Mugrobi culture. She could agree with what the young woman said, however, it was unlikely given the political allegiances of the two countries. Anaxas and Mugroba enjoyed a long and fruitful alliance, and while Vivian Rush had her disagreements, it was the advancement of galdori society that ultimately, mattered more to her than the silencing of contrasting opinion. Vivian Rush knew in her heart that the secret to the re-adoption of the ideal and more draconian policies of their forebears was contingent upon keeping alliances intact, of convincing the wretches through both guile and fact that the lessers, the sub-species and the forgotten wastes of the world needed not to be liberated, but for the control over them to be wound tighter still.

Vivian let the smoke waft from her lungs after a long draw, letting it rise up into the air before turning her head and blowing it outwards towards the window. The opinions Pleasance held, so passionately spoken was exactly what she'd hoped for. Pleasance wouldn't be a student forever, and pushing this young woman who already seemed inclined towards conversation and social advancement towards the sphere of politics where her strengths could be used to Vivian's advantage was ideal. Young souls given powerful positions was the future of the galdori. People like Harper Moore and the Headmistress herself were dangerous heretics, spreading a viewpoint that Vivian had every intention of stopping in its tracks.

"I agree with everything that you've said about the sub-species wretches of the world. Constantly, humans seek to uproot galdori society and tear us from our positions of power that we've rightfully earned through genetic and intellectual superiority. It is the nature of those in power to enact laws that keep themselves in power, but when such a thing as superiority is provable, then what platform can these wretches stand on to deter the notion that galdori are simply... better?" she began. Vivian had every intention of answering all of Pleasance's opinions with her own.

After all, gone was the time for subtlety. Pleasance shared, by her own volition, enough of the views that Vivian did for the elder galdor to consider the need for propriety gone and away. She was enjoying herself more than she truly knew what to do with. It was fun to exchange these viewpoints, to fence verbally with someone who understood most of what Vivian had to offer but simply needed a nudge in the right direction. If Pleasance, after this chat with Vivian, continued to hold onto the more dangerous viewpoints of Mugrobi assimilation of Anaxi culture, then she was entitled to that belief.

"You are correct that the political inclinations of the Mugrobi are too... merciful. Giving the lesser races access to education is, in my opinion, a tactical mistake and a means through which Mugroba might find themselves in a more detrimental state than Anaxas and the so-called 'Resistance' entails. However, Mugroba has been a staunch ally of Anaxas and, Pleasance, while it is admirable to fear so deeply for the future and your generation, it is the sub-species, the humans that make up such a massive portion of both kingdoms' population, that should earn ire. The galdori within Mugroba are well-meaning, just as the Equality party is, but one is neighboring and bound to their own predicaments. The more pressing concern in the present day..." Vivian emphasized the present in particular, and in her field the notion that the future might be a different story was palpable.

Is the Equality party and their radical views on passive and even human rights. As you say, humans are criminals and terrorists, and their complaints need be met by the brutalizing power of galdori spell-craft. Wicks are... superfluous, in my opinion. There is distrust for their kind all throughout Vita, and the fact that they possess some connection to the mona and seem content to lay in their own devices makes them less of a concern than that which festers within our own society. That is not to say, of course, that I believe the wicks capable of integrating in galdor society... Moreso that they are... unimportant in the wake of far more alarming matters."

Vivian Rush let a third pull from her pipe fill her lungs, shaking her head as she reached up to her glasses, pressing the bridge against her nose before resting her head against the rest of her chair. She smiled at Pleasance once more before she added,

"I am pleased, Pleasance, that you are so passionate about these matters. It makes me believe all the more that you'd be a boon to the fray that is the political world. These heretical opinions, spread throughout Brunnhold and beyond, are the most dangerous sort of issue that galdori society can have. It is one thing for humans and wicks to crave places within our society. Their violence, rebellion, and terrorism are, however, matters for organizations such as the Seventen to meet with brutal force. Politicians need convince one another and the galdori society as a whole to espouse the same views at an institutional level and move forward with the understanding that some policies, while draconian in seeming to those who believe these sub-species are... Gods-forbid, people are necessary to perpetuate the place of the galdor at the top of the world.

Could you imagine, Pleasance, if after millennia of galdori control, some of our own are the reason why that is no longer the case?" she mused, fear in her voice at the very thought.

[Pleasance Hedgethorne]

When Vivian chuckled, it set Pleasance ill at ease. She wondered if her ideas and thoughts were being mocked for a moment. Was she making a fool of herself? She was mostly repeating facts that she'd heard, and didn't for herself know. It was part of how she got by in school, articulating things to such an exquisite level of detail that those not in the know were never the wiser, that she hadn't an original idea or thought in her pretty head. At least not when it came to such well-studied and understood topics, that were more academic in nature.

Even so, she let her biases be known. And perhaps that was enough as Vivian caressed her field with a sense of affection. Pleasance's own field reflected that affection, with a dose of admiration once more.

Vivian touched on the inferiority of the lesser races, which Pleasance could only nod her head to. It was clear, with all the centuries of bad blood and volatility of human kind, that they needed some form of winnowing. Such events had almost certainly transpired in the past, or else things would not be as they were now. If then, why not now? "Humans commit more crime and acts of terrorism than Galdor. If Galdori commit any! This slide into tolerance is a sign of a decline to decadence if ever there was one."

She didn't know how to answer Vivian's detailed speech on the human issue. It was clear that they shared an agreement, which seemed rare enough in Brunnhold, to her terrible dismay. She'd been there for going on nine years now, but for all that time hadn't bothered much with political situations. Until the sudden and disastrous conflicts that continually began to spring up, due to human irritants and rumors of a Resistance, that Pleasance was beginning to gather were less of a rumor than she'd anticipated, based on Vivian's speech.

When Vivian concluded the terrible proposition, that someday Galdor would not be in at the top of the hierarchy in the world, at the upending of all social norms, Pleasance couldn't suppress a sudden shudder. And the worst of it, that it was brought about by the Galdori's own goodness and kindness. This was why there needed to be harder hands a the University and in the Political realm. The Galdor needed reminders that there was a reason they were bestowed with power beyond that of the lesser mortal creatures.

"That would be terrible, such a sobering thought..." Pleasance could only manage this, and felt herself sinking. Had she weakened her brother through that attack? Would she be another contributor to the downfall of the Galdori? She felt more urgency than ever to visit her brother, but there was still time. He needed a bit more to recover for the purposes of visits.

Her eyes lifted to look at Vivian, and she stared for a few moments through the woman's spectacles, trying to decipher what was turning around in that mind of hers. She stretched out her field to graze the older woman's in curiosity and still affection. "Do you... Do you think I'm evil?" She blinked away some moisture that rose unbidden to her eyes, "I didn't feel anything when I learned that Arthur was hurt. It took all of this to make me realize I need him as much as anyone else."

[Vivian Rush]

Vivian hoped that her office could be a place of free exchange of ideas. Particularly, it pleased her for those thoughts that should be standard among the galdori, but were being criticized again and again by false idols in unfortunate positions of influence, could be shared and nurtured in relative peace. Vivian, of course, knew that there were many of her colleagues within Brunnhold that felt similarly to her. Or rather, closer to Pleasance herself. The young woman bore a pleasant, conservative mindset without any of the hints of innate violence and torment that Vivian had gotten in trouble in before. There was the fact that Pleasance was in this office for the machinations of tormenting a galdor and a family member, but the specialist of Perceptive conversation was confident that she'd turned her away from such sensibilities.

At least, within reason.

Vivian couldn't be displeased with Pleasance's motives, especially as over time the girl endeared herself to the liaison more and more. When the student spoke up, a fact regarding the tendencies of terror and crime among the human race, it was the truth and nothing else. Galdori need not commit terrorism, for the state of suppression that human society was in did not call for it. However, the absence of fear and the rise of tolerance and understanding were not mutually exclusive things. Once the sorceress completed her thoughts and it was met with relative silence, she knew that she'd had both Pleasance's attention and her agreement. There was little else that could stun someone into silence without showing any hints of outrage. Those that disagreed were those that cried out loudest and sought to indoctrinate others into their beliefs, forcibly or through misguided efforts at emotional manipulation.

Is it possible that Perceptive conversation is utilized to tug at the hearts of fellow galdori towards this dangerous mindset? she wondered silently, but the idea of sharing her darker suspicions with Pleasance did not cross her mind. Pleasance was an innocent in the matters of politics within and out of the school and need not be tied to theories regarding conspiracy. Vivian would take it upon herself to investigate such matters on her own, in her efforts to sanctify the school of the cankers of progressiveism. She had her goals set out for her, and it took, perhaps, the meeting of this bright student for her to realize just the true depth of the significance of that ambition.

What's worse was what followed next. Pleasance spoke out and questioned if her actions were evil. What she had done was wrong and there was no question about it, but to be so regretful, so questioning of one's morality and to be so willing to turn over and apologize... Even if Vivian had seen flickers of the flaws in this reasoning, of how Pleasance was neither sorry nor able to promise that she wouldn't repeat the incident. Vivian Rush had confidence in Pleasance's sense of morality, and of her own. The sorceress rose from her seat and made her way over to Pleasance. She took to her knee in front of the girl and her field wrapped about Pleasance's as a guiding warmth. However, then, the physical motion followed. Vivian brought herself close, her fingers sifting soothingly within the younger galdor's hair as her cheek brushed affectionately against Pleasance's own.

"You said earlier that you weren't sorry for your actions, Pleasance. And yet, you find yourself drawn to tears and lamenting what you've done. Evil does not regret. Evil does not pity. You're anything but evil. You were wounded, you felt betrayed. But, those same feelings can be used to show your brother just how much he means to you. Go to him and hide nothing of the pain you're feeling in your field. Console him. The bond between siblings, Pleasance, is the greatest bond that one can ever know."

In Vivian's field sincerity flowed as a ewer. She did not cry, but the pain of separation between Lucian and his parents, the frigid confrontations as he'd shown again and again his inability to cast. Vivian thought to her precious brother, who was out and about purchasing supplies for their shared home in the Stacks, relegated to a role of service now that he'd been punished by the brush of fate...

I'll never see any worthwhile galdor suffer as Lucian has, she swore to herself. Though, perhaps Vivian's definition of such was different. Perhaps, despite her best efforts, she herself was evil. And, in truth, though she consoled Pleasance and reassured her of it, she didn't care one way or the other about the truth of her own morality.

[Pleasance Hedgethorne]

As she let the question hang on the air, she wondered for a moment if she'd encroached too far into the personal with the liaison. For a moment of silence, she began to feel a sense of mild anxiety and wondered if the woman now thought her soft or foolish. A bleeding heart as myopic and stunted as any progressive. She wanted to take the words back almost as soon as she said them. Hadn't she just admitted that she was not sorry, that she had no feeling? Then what were these tears? Were they just another ploy for attention?

As she turned over these thoughts in her head, overwhelming loneliness overshadowed her field. It pulsed outward, and surely the liaison would pick up on it, whether she'd stopped reading the younger woman or not.

She expected a rebuke or a lilt of haughty laughter at her silliness.

Pleasance wasn't prepared for the liaison to get out of her seat and wrap her in an embrace. Yet, as her arms and field enveloped her in loving warmth, the gesture was not unwelcome. It'd been these shows of affection that she missed the most from her childhood before she became a mage and was later overshadowed by her brother's seemingly towering accomplishments in comparison. She relished the attention at any rate, and returned the embrace, burying her head in the liaison's shoulder and letting what tears fell from her eyes dry on Vivian's clothes.

Pleasance heaved a sigh of relief as her cheek brushed against Vivian's, which prompted Pleasance to cling to the older woman tighter. She listened to the woman's assurances and nodded at them, not willing to speak if she would choke on sadness.

She would go to Arthur and use the reserves of emotional energy to make her apology that much more convincing. She drank in the older woman's sincerity and the flow of her own emotional energy, which reflected in some circumstance that must have reflected something of Pleasance in the older woman. Perhaps she could sympathize? Had the Rush heiress ever done something similar to Pleasance, to a sibling? She didn't allow too many questions to cloud her thoughts, however, just absorbing the emotional energy that Vivian was granting her field.

"I will..." Pleasance promised, "I will go to him soon."

Then her eyes widened, and she broke the embrace, looking into Vivian's eyes as she realized that the term was almost over. How would she serve her demerit if school break was beginning in just a few days?

"I just realized... Will I serve my demerit when we resume the next term, or should I conduct it over the Winter break?" Pleasance's mouth curved downward as she pondered the prospect of returning home for break. "I think I will stay here for Winter Break, in the dorms. So... could I meet you over the break?" Pleasance almost suggested that it need not count toward her demerit, which could resume over the next term in the ninth form year. Yet, she didn't want to seem too eager. Even so, her eagerness radiated from her field in sudden excitement at the prospect of Winter Break.

[Vivian Rush]

The elder galdor was all too aware of just how deeply the unspoken laws of propriety had been broken by that embrace. Anaxi culture was often ruthless by its very design and progeny was encouraged to rise above the need for comfort and reassurances. But, Vivian pulled the younger galdor into an embrace that one might place a sibling within. She was reminded of her adoration for Lucian in some ways, the thought bubbling beneath the surface of a sister that she'd never had. It was a sensation that was both wildly satisfying and deeply uncomfortable. She'd moved without thinking and in any moment, if Pleasance hadn't been in need of it, she could've been pushed away. Driven back by an aghast student.

Was Vivian, perhaps, too emotionally invested? She challenged that investment even as she sought to foster it in Pleasance herself. Vivian was deeply conflicted, but at the same time she did nothing to stop the tears that were shed against her coat. She did, however, feel them against her cheek and it was everything she could do to stop herself from wavering. She'd sought to comfort the girl, and such a dive into emotion would act as further inappropriate breaks in propriety. A single movement had Vivian brush into Pleasance's hair before they pulled back in tandem. Vivian, once parted from the contact, sought to compose herself, a deep breath taken in an effort to physical recover even as the two fields bled as one with the significance of the contact.

Vivian couldn't imagine mistreating Lucian as Pleasance had to Arthur. It was not understanding of her actions, but the intimate knowledge of resentment and the mutual understanding of being treated out of turn. Vivian felt it more and more in the past year and a half, being forced into a position of pressure that Lucian bore far better than she had. Being an heiress was not something Pleasance knew the pressures of, but being an heiress in the wake of the heir's terrible injuries making them ill-fitted to inherit at all... Vivian wondered if anyone knew her lament.

Quickly, once they'd parted, Vivian rose up from her knee, feeling the weak ache in it, the fatigue that followed up the amount of casting she'd done throughout the day. Vivian Rush, while young and beautiful, was frail and quite disconcerted by it. She turned over her desk and shifted back into her chair just as Pleasance promised to go to Arthur. She was pleased to correct Pleasance's assumption. It was not evil to feel as she had. It was not abnormal to resent and to enact a prank with the ingenuity that the student had... As Vivian considered Pleasance once more, the calm slowly seeped into her. A deep breath, then two before she raised a hand to the bridge of her nose, a somewhat nervous habit that betrayed her sense of calm.

"I just realized... Will I serve my demerit when we resume the next term, or should I conduct it over the Winter break?"

It was a good question, one that she hadn't yet addressed, but it was only natural. William would serve his detention after classes and have it signed off by professors. That much was common and all of his instructors would be notified of the fact that he owed time served. For Pleasance, it was a less straight-forward one. Vivian could feel the eagerness set about in her field, and a smile wormed its way upon the sorceress' expression as she tilted her head somewhat. The fingers that had settled at the bridge of her nose lowered to brush along her own jawline, a comforting motion that sought to stray away the sensation of the dull ache in her skull. She reached next to her desk, placing a pill of aspirin on her lips before a swig of water poured into her throat.

Vivian took a moment to answer, considering her wooden pipe just as she considered Pleasance herself.

"With the term's end so close, there's less and less I have pending. It will be most useful to me, and to you, to wait on the serving of your demerit until there are more tasks to fulfill. However..." she trailed off, letting her gaze flicker between Pleasance to the clock that hung high on the wall.

I think, however, that additional meetings would be wise. As I stated earlier," she began, taking on a decidedly more professional tone even as her field swelled with the continued affection. There was little chance of missing it, and Vivian even fought off the smile as she schooled her expression to better suit the needed professionalism of the moment.

Continued assessment is needed in order to ensure that proper mediation between the three of you is reached. Come see me again after the last day of term. As Arthur returns home, it is ideal for you to report to me with your progress," she offered, nodding once before, at last, the smile broke her neutral expression.