Back into the swing of things on Cascade Hall

Professor Kiva Kijewski

September 13, 2006 2:17 AM

Back into the swing of things by Professor Kiva Kijewski

Kiva had arrived back to Sonora late the night before after spending a few days with her parents. She was exhausted and the dark circles beneath her eyes were evidence of just that. Her father was getting weaker and her mother more hysterical. Kiva, herself, was already on a thin string. Any moment that small thread was bound to snap and with it, Kiva.

She sat up at the Staff table only half paying attention with the world around her. Her eyes would, on occassion, land on a group of students who were whispering or laughing, or another whom happened to be walking through the doors, but didn't really look at them. What she really wanted to do was just go back to her quarters and sleep for the next century.

Instead, the arrival of food on her dish, caused for Kiva to smile. The elves cooking was always so much more pleasant that anything Kiva could cook up. Mainly because Kiva didn't cook. In her office were a few treats that she kept around for the students and bottles of water. Kiva was a health nut of sorts (didn't live on much during her traveling days), so water was essential to her daily diet.

But, whenever she found the time to come to a meal, she always allowed herself to eat whatever she wanted. It wasn't hard for her to burn it off, working with the animals, and, food always made her feel better. So, with the food, Kiva's mood lifted. Movement beside her, made Kiva glance in that direction only to discover another member had joined the staff table. She smiled in mid-bite, "Afternoon." She greeted.\n\n

0 Professor Kiva Kijewski Back into the swing of things 0 Professor Kiva Kijewski 1 5

Headmaster Manfred Bulla

September 14, 2006 10:51 AM

Wait, it gets worse by Headmaster Manfred Bulla

"Afternoon," Manfred replied, frowning intently at a pair of students who seemed to scream 'trouble' with every look and move. He shook himself and tried something more of a smile, as he turned properly to Kiva and examined her, thinking.

The holidays had certainly been something different. Normal enough, with looking after the school. He had even managed to get time away on Christmas day to visit his father and brother's for the annual Bulla Christmas lunch (political speak, some very fine firewhiskey to drink and extol the virtues of - an esentially formal affair) before returning to the school that evening to resume his duties. Of course, it hadn't been too long after that that his duties had changed. It happened fast, and caught him entirely by surprise. A congratulatory letter from the council, a similar letter from the cabinet, another from his father, and then from various other high placed person. The Headmistress had packed her bags, and she and Tony... were gone.

Despite the whole situation with her mental difficulties for most of the last decade, Lucinda had been a part of Sonora for as long as Manfred could remember, and he was still rattled by how quickly she had been removed and how quickly he had found himself as her replacement. The staff who had been around were quickly appraised of the situation, and he had found himself with paperwork up to his ears.

Replacing the Astronomy Professor had been easier than he'd expected. Chatterjee certainly came with some very good credentials and seemed an agreeable enough sort. There had been an applicant for Ancient Runes, the application lost amongst the piles of paperwork that had littered the Headmistresses - now his - office, and so after finding himself impressed with her after conducting an interview, the school was now offering Ancient Runes as an elective for third years and above for the first time in (he had checked the records) thirty-two years. Professor Powell had been settled into rooms in the school mere days before.

That left three main staffing positions that he needed to have filled. Charms, his own discipline, could wait a little longer - he was able to fill in for that a little longer. Teppenpaw, his house, was another that he was waiting a little while to see to. It would need a new Head of House soon, but he was sure that he could manage that a little longer too. Deputy was another matter.

Kiva hadn't been around though, her break had been mostly spent elsewhere; with her parents if he recalled correctly. He was a little hazy on the details there. She looked tired, but seemed happy enough.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, Kiva, but I had some important paperwork to deal with this morning."

There was so much that seemed to merit his attention. So much that seemed to need to be done, and not just done, but done now or yesterday even. He paused, trying to recall if he had remembered to send her an owl about the changes, but quickly assumed that he probably had, and if he didn't, there was a good chance that information had made it to her regardless. It wasn't every day that the political big guns decided to use their influence to have the Head of a school removed, after all. It had been such a blurr, doing all the things that had needed doing, pushing away guilt that he was taking his mentor's job, going over in his mind what a good Headmaster should do and act like and pushing himself to be that Headmaster.

He cleared his throat and attempted another smile, a more serious smile this time.

"Perhaps not the best place to discuss this, but we have a modicum of privacy up here at the moment," he indicated the rest of the table, places yet to be filled. "The school needs a new Deputy, and I think you're the best choice." Without giving her an opportunity to say anything he hurried into this reasoning. "We've got a relatively new teaching staff here at the moment. Marian's the only one who has been here longer than you, and that is only a small time difference. You've got a few years more than she does under your belt, which I think is important. You've proven yourself capable during the problems we had a couple of years ago. I've been sifting through reports, and you've clearly been enforcing proper discipline in your classes, which I respect."

He had always had Lucinda's back. It felt strange to have no one to answer too. No one to protect. Well, he had the students and the staff, but that was different. His whole role was different now.

"I feel I can trust you with the responsibilities of the position."

He needed someone he could trust. It was strange. He could recall being a young Teppenpaw, three decades ago. He wondered if anyone, knowing him then, would have forseen that he would be Headmaster now. That he would change so drastically, if only to the outside world. But then, if you portray something long enough, it could change you too. He had trusted easily, when he was younger, finding it simple to put faith in others. Then he had become self-sufficient. He knew what needed to be done, and he did it. He knew what he needed to be, and how he needed to be seen, and he became it. It wasn't so easy to trust others now, and far too easy to take on everything himself, not trusting others to complete the jobs as well as he himself could.

It wasn't easy to admit that he would need help, that he wasn't so capable and brilliant and sufficient in himself, that he needed a deputy. It helped a little, that the position was an official one, that needed filling. That having a deputy was part of the job.\n\n

39 Headmaster Manfred Bulla Wait, it gets worse 2 Headmaster Manfred Bulla 0 5

Professor K.

September 14, 2006 4:19 PM

Impossible. by Professor K.

Sitting beside Professor Bulla, Kiva realized that this was probably the first time since the beginning feast that Kiva was in his presence. Last year and the year before, Kiva had consciously avoided being alone with the older gentlemen. After what had happened her first year of teaching with the Craven twins, Kiva wasn't exactly sure Professor Bulla was all that fond of her. This year, whether out of habit or just because it so happened that their schedules were opposite of one another. Either way, Kiva felt very awkward sitting beside him.

Of course, the moment that Professor Bulla started to speak and began with 'I've been meaning to talk to you' a sinking feeling started to form in the pit of her stomach. She had done something wrong, or hadn't done something she was supposed to and now she was either in trouble or fired. Just her luck. Kiva tried not to let her fear show on her face, but because she was so tired, her face formed a look of discomfort and worry.

She said nothing, but allowed Professor Bulla the time to say whatever he needed to say. By the end of his speech, Kiva's face no longer looked worried, but dumbfounded. She blinked stupidly at him for a few moments while her brain tried to take in everything that was said to her. Finally, Kiva's mouth opened and words formed to their own accord, "I'm sorry?" Kiva wanted to ask him if he'd lost his head somewhere during break, if he was joking, but then recalled having never seen Professor Bulla laugh nor make a joke before ever in her life. So, that wasn't likely.

She wanted to name of a bunch of reasons for why she wouldn't have made a good Deputy. She was rubbish when it came to paperwork, she wasn't very good at telling off the students, hated being the 'bad' buy, didn't get out enough or talk to other staff members besides Tarquin, didn't know the first thing about helping to run a school. She hadn't ever even been around students until she started up this job here at Sonora. But it seemed like none of those arguments would form on her tongue, the only words that would form were her disbelief that he would have chosen her for the role, "Come again?" \n\n

0 Professor K. Impossible. 0 Professor K. 0 5

Headmaster Bulla

September 14, 2006 10:07 PM

I wouldn't go that far by Headmaster Bulla

"Deputy," Manfred repeated, starting to frown again. "I'm offering you the job. Look, if you'd like to discuss this more in depth, we can retire to my office," he offered.

He hadn't expected it to be quite so complicated. When he had been offered the job there hadn't been need to think about it. He had been working closely with Lucinda for years, and considered himself to be a vital part of her team, and there had been a new chance to prove himself to be as capable as he wanted to seem.

"Unless there's a particular reason you wouldn't be interested..." he trailed off, still frowning at her.\n\n

39 Headmaster Bulla I wouldn't go that far 2 Headmaster Bulla 0 5

Professor K.

September 17, 2006 3:55 AM

Aw, where's the positive thought? by Professor K.

Apparently he had taken her 'sorry' and 'come again' in the wrong context. Kiva had heard him just fine, but her mind was just not working with her mouth. Every reason for why she shouldn't be made Deputy Head ran through her head, but nothing of why she should poked out.

So, she was stunned, confused, worried, that she was dreaming all this, that Manfred had lost his mind in the stress of everything. That Kiva had snapped sometime during the night when everything seemed pointless, impossible, hard. But, contrary to what she liked to believe or think, everything around her was real and Manfred was offering her the position of Deputy Head.

"Uh, no, no I didn't mean it like that, Professor." Kiva said hastily, swallowing a hard lump in her throat. "It's just...surprising...I guess." Kiva muttered, feeling utterly foolish. "It's that I've never had any Administration experience. I guess it was just unexpected." Kiva's voice went weak by the end of her sentence. She had a hard time speaking with Professor Bulla as a colleague but now she was to work with him, help him whenever he needed it. This would be a hard job for her to do. "But, if you feel that I'm most qualified, than, yes, I do accept the position."\n\n

0 Professor K. Aw, where's the positive thought? 0 Professor K. 0 5