Intruding once more [Tag: Prof. Skies] on Crotalus Commons

Wu Peizhi

October 10, 2016 4:02 PM

Intruding once more [Tag: Prof. Skies] by Wu Peizhi

What a little pest was she. Only a day back and already, Wu was knocking on staff doors. As it had been before, she went to Professor Skies. Last time, it had been a matter of comfort: not that her own Head of House, Professor Xavier, made he particularly uncomfortable, no more so than anyone else did, but Professor Skies saw her the most frequently, she felt, through the academic support classes. That was when Wu was easily at one of her most vulnerable states, as having to admit to failure--in this case, primarily in terms of language--was a very difficult process.

This time, however, she went to her as the Deputy Headmistress. Professor Xavier, she imagined, would not have the authority to help her on this matter. But the extra level of slight comfort with the female professor was a definite bonus. It made her fingers twitch a little less as they knocked lightly against the door.

Once she was inside the office, Peizhi took a deep breath and sat down. She looked less ragged than she had the previous time she had been here. In fact, there was almost an air of happiness to her. After all, Laila still wanted to be her friend and, while Wu was skeptical of the following sentiment, still had hopes that even Jax would want her back someday. That was, she thought, a positive.

“I hope this is an acceptable time,” she began nervously, noting the general business the beginning of the school year often brought with it. “I am sorry to bother you… again. I wanted to ask about… electives. Specifically,” she went on after a pause. This was the big question. “...if there is anyway I could take Muggle Studies without it showing on my reports. My father…” The Teppenpaw bit her lip. She did not know how to further explain without painting the man in a bad light, although something told her Professor Skies would understand, both from her relative boldness about his negative attributes in their last meeting of this nature, and from simple context of the conversation at hand. “But I want to learn,” she concluded with a quiet strength that felt entirely new, borrowed, perhaps, from a friend.

12 Wu Peizhi Intruding once more [Tag: Prof. Skies] 316 Wu Peizhi 1 5

Professor Skies

October 10, 2016 9:29 PM

What if something mysterious were to happen to your records? by Professor Skies

Selina was sifting through all the paperwork that a new term inevitably brought when there was a knock at her door. She swept the stack into a drawer and took a deep breath before calling the person to come in. She was glad to have taken the few moments to have cultivated an air of not doing much, as the student in question seemed hesitant and apologetic enough about interrupting her, even with an empty desk in front of her. Wu had been to see her once before, and she remembered how difficult that had seemed for the girl. Often, by the time they came to see Professors, something was a real problem - one that was difficult to get out. Selina didn’t want to put any barriers up between her and the students. An air of not caring, or that they were interrupting more important work would be such a barrier. And it was silly. A student in distress was immediately number one on her to do list.

“You’re welcome any time,” she commented, the remark sufficing both Wu’s half-question of whether it was a good time and her apology for bothering her. She listened carefully to Wu’s dilemma, and her heart went out to the girl. What a nice thing to want. A good thing to want… To expand her horizons.

“I’m pleased to hear you want to take that class,” she smiled. “Let me think…” She would love a way for students to be able to take the class without it being known. She didn’t think that Wu was the only one who might be willing to explore but for the fear of parental repercussions. But she didn’t think attempting to make it easier for students to keep that kind of secret would fly with the rather conservative school board. She couldn’t think of any changes that she could make to Wu’s records…. Even if she put the class down simply as ‘elective’ or ‘extra credit,’ Wu would have to answer what it was she had taken. Officially, she didn’t think she could do much to help… Students could sometimes help themselves or each other, where as a staff member, her hands were tied… As a student in Wu’s position, what would she have done? She went to the cabinet in the corner, taking out an old school report. The format was fairly simple. A page written by each class teacher about the student and their progress in the subject.

“I don’t know what I could do…” she mused. As she did so, she let a leaf slip from the file. “Oh bother, could you pick that up for me?” she asked. “Thank you,” she added, as the girl handed it back to her. “Gosh… Where does it go? These pages aren’t even numbered. If I hadn’t seen it fall out, I wouldn’t even know it was missing” she glanced at Wu over the top of the papers, trying to gauge her reaction. Had she noticed the significance, or was she too busily wrapped up in the problem, waiting for the Deus Ex Machina of an adult helping hand?

13 Professor Skies What if something mysterious were to happen to your records? 26 Professor Skies 0 5

Wu Peizhi

October 11, 2016 8:33 PM

What if, indeed.... by Wu Peizhi

A small smile found her. Professor Skies being “pleased” with her was easily the closest thing to praise from an adult that Wu was likely to encounter, and it felt… nice. Of course, she supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised. Professor Skies was a very nice woman, and she had been so supportive--even outside of pureblood lines and Peizhi’s father’s wishes--the last time they had spoken like this. It was a happy change of pace for the Teppenpaw to feel like she was doing something right.

The Professor produced someone’s report from a cabinet and paged through it. The tone in which she spoke was… strange? and she clearly dropped a page on purpose. Wu picked it up and handed it back, and Professor Skies kept talking, her tone still off somehow. “If I hadn’t seen it fall out, I wouldn’t even know it was missing.” And then she was looking at her.

Why was she looking at her? The fourth year’s expression was decidedly one of confusion, but in a moment, it changed dramatically as a possible realization rocked through her. “Are you saying I should hide the page?” It was a blunt question, one probably better left unasked, but Peizhi had to be certain that she was reading this situation correctly. She didn’t know a more tactful, subtle way to ask, either; language barriers had the tendency to force bluntness. Still, she looked up at the Deputy Headmistress, who was quite possibly suggesting hiding files from her father, with sparkling brown eyes and a cautiously optimistic grin.

12 Wu Peizhi What if, indeed.... 316 Wu Peizhi 0 5

DH Skies

October 25, 2016 7:35 AM

I would know absolutely nothing about it, of course by DH Skies

For a moment, Wu was looking at her with confusion, and Selina felt her heart sink. She knew it was chancy, leaving something up to subtext for someone who wasn’t having the conversation in their first language. Was Wu concentrating so much on what was being said that she couldn’t concentrate on how it was said? Perhaps, if the message didn’t go through now, it would sink in later, but Selina couldn’t bear the thought of the girl leaving without feeling helped.

And then the penny dropped. Perhaps a little too hard, as Wu blurted out what was meant to be a covert sort of a message.

“Now Wu,” Selina rebuked, without the slightest tone of negativity in her voice - in fact, her tone was, if anything, conspiratorial. “I’m the Deputy Head. I couldn’t possibly suggest such things to students. Of course… if that idea happened to occur to you, I suppose your problem would be solved…” she returned Wu’s grin, hoping that the language of a shared smile would do the job, even if she didn’t quite dare to say what she meant. To be extra sure, she gave Wu a wink.

It did make her wonder, as she tidied the report back into its proper order, what the school’s founders, and subsequent rule-makers had been like. Numbering or binding the pages was so obviously a basic to stop students doing exactly this, never mind the number of charms or hexes that could be put on the document to prevent tampering… Certainly, some smart people were so clever that they were totally blind to what people were like, but she preferred to see it a different way. She was starting to think that her predecessors had felt that students, sent away from the watchful eyes of parents for months at a time, deserved to have a little fun out of the situation, and have the option of no one being any the wiser. For that, she admired them.

13 DH Skies I would know absolutely nothing about it, of course 26 DH Skies 0 5

Wu Peizhi

November 02, 2016 3:27 AM

Oh, naturally! by Wu Peizhi

Wu felt her grin expanding as Deputy Headmistress Skies spoke. Her words began almost like a reprimandation, but her tone was very much… not that. And the little hints were becoming more and more clear as she went. If the paper were to be lost somehow, well, wouldn’t that just be convenient? Wouldn’t that be dandy? Wasn’t it nice how their reports were set up that this could happen?

Then the professor winked.

Any doubt remaining in the Teppenpaw’s mind was immediately erased. That was one signal that not even Peizhi could miss. The tone, the wink, the situation. It was a universal that transcended any possible language or phrasing barrier. And honestly, it felt wonderful. Professor Skies was one of few adults who felt… safe. It was a hard notion to explain even to herself, let alone another, but Wu was a very distrusting and nervous young girl. Most adults she had ever known were untrustworthy or somehow suspicious, people who did “what they had to do”, the whispers that when overheard were rationalized as “you wouldn’t understand”. The only one she’d ever really trusted was her brother Bohai. She was fond of Serenity and found herself investing more and feeling safer with her and her husband Adam with every forced visit to America, as well. But she had no real relationship with her mother, and her father used her as a pawn. It was interesting and unusual to have adults like Professor Skies around, adults who actually wanted to help her, who cared about her wants and needs.

“Thank you, Professor!” the fourth year beamed happily. If she were a more physical person, she would have likely hugged the woman standing before her. As she was, hopefully the look on her face would be enough to show Professor Skies just how much she appreciated her.

12 Wu Peizhi Oh, naturally! 316 Wu Peizhi 0 5