Event Private Finished An art that's hard to teach

ReD · Sep 19, 2017

Ven glanced at the map he had Cabel draw him of the school, made another right, and then stood outside the door. He was pretty sure he was in the right hallway. He generally had a pretty good sense of direction. He almost had to, at this point. His soul was separated so frequently that having a sense of direction was crucial for navigating his way back home.

If he ever became well enough to actually drive, Ven would probably be able to rely on a map instead of a GPS.

The young man had tanned skin and dark hair that was pushed back from his face, though it was a bit of a mess. He was wearing black pants, a matching black shirt, and a red tie. He left off most of his leather bracelets, though he still had a few on his left arm. His eyes were devoid of his favorite kohl eyeliner, which usually hid the bags beneath them.

Ven gripped his coffee cup tightly and then wrapped on the office door.

God he hoped he had the right office.

@WorldDevourer

WorldDevourer · Sep 19, 2017

Charlie was at his desk when he heard the noise, brief gunshot knocks breaking the silence of the office. He put down his copy of liberum supellectilem ex mortuis onto the table. Fascinating book, he acquired it in a bookshop in London from a most mysterious owner several years hence. He stared at the cup of tea for a moment and then picked it up and took it with him. Everything was better with tea.

He stood up from the desk and walked over to the door, and pulled it open. He had expected to see the handsome but weary face of Lochlann, or maybe Lulu asking to borrow a cup of sugar or a human soul.

But no, there was someone stood in goth clothing at the door. Well what modern people described as goth clothing. Nothing quite like turning the clothes of nobility into tight leather trousers and angst. He was holding a cup of coffee. Charlie, personally, was not a fan of coffee. He never felt tired and therefore the caffeine had no effect, so all was left was the bitter taste. But not to say the bitter taste was bad, but xocolatl was infinitely better.

He smiled, friendly and wide, and asked "Good morning! Can I help you?"

@ReD

ReD · Sep 19, 2017

"Hello sir," Ven started, and then his face faltered because oh god he sounded like a door to door salesman. He was so unsure how to handle manners at this school.

He swallowed and turned his uncertainty into a grin.

"First, let me ask if I have the right person before I make myself look like a putz," Ven said. He glanced down at the map from Cabel; it was hand drawn and featured instructions written in hastily written pen. Rotmoore was italicized next to the door.

"Are you Professor Rotmoore?" Ven asked. He said, "My name is Thievenne and I'm looking for advice, and I heard through the grapevine that you might be able to help me."

WorldDevourer · Sep 19, 2017

"Yup! You got the right place, i'm Professor Rotmoore, but please call me Charlie."

He held the door open and the boy followed him inside

"What can i help you with?" He beamed down at the boy. He liked helping students. It was like growing plants, except more interesting. He wondered who had told him. The boy didn't look like a behavioural case, so it was probably Lochlann who had told him.

Charlie waved a hand at the two comfy sofas and then sat down on one, sipping his tea.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." He smiled, and then faltered for a second as he realised "I'm really sorry, i forgot to ask, what's your name"

ReD · Sep 19, 2017

"Oh, that's a relief," Ven said. "I've been lost twice already. You have no idea how embarrassing it was to walk into what I thought was the gym but it was....actually I don't really know what it was."

Ven shook his head, his dark hair flying about, and got back on track. He came easily into the professor's office, clearly comfortable around adults, and when Charlie motioned to the sofas, Ven sat down easily.

"Thank you," he said, and then he looked around and asked, "Are you sure it's really okay to call you Charlie?"

Ven took a sip of his coffee the same time Charlie took a sip of his tea. He held the cup out, resting on his knee, and Ven introduced himself.

"it's okay! my name is Thievenne Paget, but some of my friends call me Ven, which is easier because sometimes Thievenne sounds like Steven with a lisp," Ven grinned. He realized he should explain more of why he was here. He took another sip of his coffee, making sure he was well fortified.

"The short version of why I'm here is that I'm running for student council. I'm looking for advice some someone who knows a lot about a lot of things, and you were recommended to me for that," Ven explained. He took another sip of his coffee. He didn't think there was a correlation between nerves and his episodes, but he didn't want to run the risk just in case.

"I want to make changes for students who are having a hard time developing social supports, since a lot of research links good relationships with peers and teachers as being instrumental in helping prevent physical and mental illness," Ven continued. "Only I have...no idea how I might go around getting more things like that implemented in the school. I thought maybe a professor would know more, especially since I haven't been here very long myself."

WorldDevourer · Sep 20, 2017

Charlie chuckled "someone who knows a lot about a lot of things? Thats a pretty good description. I'm quite new here myself, so i don't know a huge ammount about the running of the school. From what i gather, do get something big done, you need to appeal to the headmistress, the board of governers, and the bursar, the person in charge of money. Getting yourself elected to student president would be a great way to get to those people."

Charlie really didn't know much about the running of the school. This was all he had gathered from conversations in the staff room. He had been hired. Who made the decicisions, he didn't know. He had never had to apply for funding for projects, or extra lab space.

"One thing i have noticed, is there is rather more emphasis on the stick rather than the carrot, a technique which has been proven to impact mental health negatively. We need to focus on ensuring students want to suceed, rather than ensuring they stay about the minimum bar. I'm trying to do that, but i'm just one man." He swilled his tea around in the mug, the calming motion warming his hand. He sipped at the liquid "do you have any more quieries? I'd be delighted to help."

@ReD

ReD · Sep 20, 2017

Ven nodded. What Charlie was saying made a lot of sense to him, which just furthered his desire to at least get on the council. Ven was an optimist, despite everything that happened to him. Even if he didn't get on the council, the worst thing that could come of this was that Ven was going to meet a lot of very interesting people.

"Yeah, that's something I've noticed, too," Ven mentioned. "I mean, supposedly 'Juvie Island'—"

Ven made the air quotes with his hands.

"--is supposed to focus on rehabilitation and not confinement. But everyone who seems to talk about it mentions it like it's a threat, and they talk about how dangerous the people are who get sent there," Ven said, frowning.

He took another sip of his coffee and then said, "Okay. What are your recommendations for leading with the carrot and not the stick?"

WorldDevourer · Sep 20, 2017

"Well, I believe that 'juvie island' is an odd concept which got out of hand. For example, i once met a boy, several centuries ago, who had the ability to kill people at a touch. Instead of refraining from using this ability, he used this ability to kill the wealthy and steal from their corpses. For an individual like that, the island is necessary. But for people who make a bad choice? Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

He smiled and sipped at his tea, warm in his hands.

"People have a tendancy to view those under them as almost mechanical, a series of cogs, and it one cog starts acting up, you replace it or get rid of it. We need people, properly trained, to help these individuals, get the cogs working again. And not people who paper over the cracks, people who get to the root of the problem, and try to help the individual. People like Valli, the kind of person i'm trying to be. People who care, and not because they're paid to. And these individuals, they need something to strive for, and thats the carrot. Give someone a telescope and they'll reach for the stars. They make their own carrot"

He chuckled at this, smiling. This really wasn't his sort of conversation. He was speaking his mind, in a personal capacity.

"Why, i've made learning my carrot over the millenia, learning everything i can. If i didn't have that, well, i might do something... less savoury. Trying to destroy humanity for example. Or crochet."

He laughed at this, but there was something there, beneath the laughter. That had been his goal for centuries, but he had given up when he realised that the world was much better with humanity in it.

@ReD

ReD · Sep 21, 2017

Ven considered this. His powers never felt like powers to him. Maybe a curse, or some weird illness, but for the most part, he had a pretty good life. He could, for example, hug someone without worrying about killing them. The man who robbed other people must have been very lonely.

Ven set his coffee on the floor and reached into his back pocket for the small notebook he kept. He jotted down a few reminders for what Charlie had said, especially so he'd have an easier time recounting the conversation to Nia later.

"How did you know learning was your carrot?" Ven asked. "Instead of, I don't know, destroying humanity or crochet."

He had to agree with Charlie on one thing: crochet sounded worse.

WorldDevourer · Sep 21, 2017

"well, you might not know this, but i am undead, a Lich to be precise. I turned myself undead in order to remove the bounds of mortality."

Learning was the main driver behind his transformation, but It wasn't the only one. the fear that almost all living creatures have, the fear of death. Imagine if you could remove that fear. You'd be unstoppable. And not only that, but becoming the most pure undead there was, one powered by immense magical force. Not a shambling zombie, or a diseased creature that needed to feed on the blood of others, but a lich.

"I knew that i knew very little about the world itself, what was to come, and what had already come to pass. I wanted to learn everything there was to know. So i suppose learning is part of what i am. The time, and the resilience to the world, being a lich has given me is allowing me to pursue knowledge"

he smiled at this. There was something to be said of Lich pride, few that they were.

@ReD

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