And then there were three (tag Jessica) on Crotalus Commons

Selina Skies

January 06, 2020 4:55 AM

And then there were three (tag Jessica) by Selina Skies

The conversation with Jeremy had been far from illuminating. For one thing, Selina had always suspected he was a spoilt brat who was far too pleased with himself and not used to taking any responsibility. Nothing she had seen had altered that perception. For another... He had sat there, giving the edited highlights of his and Jessica's, and his and Felipe's contre-temps. The suggestions that Felipe had thrown around more insults, along with the first punch, tallied with what Felipe himself had said. As for his conversation with Jessica...

I expressed my irritation that she has learned nothing about this world. I find her rather crass for referring to wands merely as weapons...

It was frustratingly believable that Jessica would give those impressions. Would say such things... It was clearly everything to do with race, but so far, not in a way where she could prove that. He would get detention for fighting, certainly, as would Felipe, but she wished she could do more to bring him to book for having such a provoking attitude. She could not, however, give him detention for finding Jessica annoying. When she had asked whether he was quite sure he hadn’t said anything inappropriate - whether if she were to ask Jessica in to verify his story, she would have quite the same things to say - he had seemed to weigh it up for a moment.

I stated that I wouldn’t be seen dead at the ball with Zara Jackson, and that I find her family’s policies distasteful. I assume I am still entitled to a personal, and a political, opinion…. professor? The title added as an after thought or a jibe.

And so she had dismissed him, for now, with the warning not to stray too far out of reach in case she needed to verify something, and had sent a note, asking Jessica to come to her office in order to discuss something.

“Come in,” she called, when she heard a knock, “And please sit down,” she invited, doing her best to seem gentle. The last thing she wanted was Jessica to think she was in trouble. She had tried to make her summons sound as unintimidating as possible, whilst not quite leaving it to be done ‘at your earliest convenience’ as she was not sure how liberally Jessica might take such a message.

“I have had reason to bring Jeremy into my office this afternoon to discuss how he’s getting along with certain of his housemates. I noticed that you and he did not have a pleasant conversation at the feast. I thought it best to mind my own business unless you wanted to talk to me, but given recent events, I’m wondering whether it was more serious than I imagined. He painted it as a… difference of opinion. I’m wondering whether you would agree with that assessment?” she asked.

13 Selina Skies And then there were three (tag Jessica) 26 1 5

Jessica Hayles

January 06, 2020 5:51 AM

Or four, counting you. by Jessica Hayles

In another world, far far away, Jessica would not have thought twice about getting a summons from a teacher or an administrator. In that world, all her interactions with adults had generally come about because something good had happened to her, or involving her.

In this world, it was cause for concern, and so Jessica actually took the time to throw a green robe back over the white top and long, dark purple skirt she had donned for homework and reading time for the evening before she went down to the office and knocked on the door.

Professor Skies did not seen angry - indeed, her tone was so gentle that Jessica's mind flew instantly to her family. Her grandparents were all healthy, as far as she knew, but...old, and also somewhat prominent. Her grandpa and uncle were politicians. Had someone tried to hurt them? Or worse, succeeded? Her hand went to her throat, fingers wrapping around her antique pendant - a gift from Grandpa - and sliding it back and forth on its dainty chain until she heard more of what the problem was, at which point she gave the necklace a tug, more from irritation than anything.

"I suppose that's...accurate," she said dryly when asked about what had happened with Jeremy Mordue. "He was rude to me for no reason. We went back and forth for a while, and then he said something really vile and I told him what I thought about that and left," she summarized. She was tempted to tell the professor exactly what he had said - she suspected that reporting a racist incident would cause all hell to break loose at her old school - but, well, she couldn't exactly prove it, and she was not inclined to stoop to the level of tattle-taling for no reason, especially with someone who had no reason to take her word for it.

Another phrase Skies had used floated up to mind. "You said 'recent events,'" she observed. "What's going on?"

16 Jessica Hayles Or four, counting you. 1442 0 5

Selina Skies

January 07, 2020 12:18 AM

I have not been fighting by Selina Skies

Accurate. That was accurate, she supposed. Except that it seemed that Jeremy had both started and ended the verbal fight involving Jessica, and that it had been unprovoked. That put a slightly different spin on it.

Selina weighed up both how to follow that up and how to answer Jessica's question. Admittedly, Selina was the one who had chosen to raise it, and to drag Jessica in. She wanted her understanding and her co-operation. But there were still limits to what she could reveal, even if no doubt Jessica would be promptly informed of the situation by the gossip mill.

"The incident at the feast appears not be an isolated incident," Selina stated, although that more or less seemed a repition of what she had said already, "I need to understand how what Jeremy said to you fits into the bigger picture. However, as I'm sure you wouldn't want me to discuss every detail of our conversation with other parties, I have to keep this to the parts that are directly relevant to you.

"You mentioned that he was rude out of nowhere, and that you ended the discussion because he said something really vile. What was the nature of any of those remarks?" she asked.

13 Selina Skies I have not been fighting 26 0 5

Jessica Hayles

January 07, 2020 8:24 AM

But you're definitely part of this plot now. by Jessica Hayles

Not an isolated incident. Professor Skies needed details. Well, then. Some-one was in trouble....

"I asked him to pass me a dish," said Jessica. "Politely asked. He shoved it away and told me to get it myself, and when I stood up and - well - got it - he started making comments about me not being good enough at magic and how I was probably going to be held back in Beginners again." Hard spots of pink appeared on her cheeks and she twisted her pendant around on its chain.

"I remember that I asked him what his problem was, and he had some smart answer, and - well - I did say something that wasn't very nice," Jessica acknowledged. The pendant-sliding grew more rapid. "I don't remember exactly how we got to the Ball, but I suggested he should ask Zara Jackson, since she's just about as pleasant a person to talk to as he was, and then he - called her something racist."

Jessica's mouth twisted with distaste. "Please know I would not use this word myself," she said. "I'm just quoting - he called her a half-breed." Her expression was as openly revolted as it had been when Jeremy had said it. "Ugh. Now don't get me wrong - there's a few things I'd like to call her, too, because she's a - not nice person. But none of them have anything to do with race. It's entirely because of her lousy personality. I cannot stand racists." Her brow creased slightly as she remembered something, something that distracted her momentarily from her indignation.

"It was weird, though - he said that, and at the time all I could think about was oh my God, you did not say that out loud, you disgusting toenail clipping, but...before he called her that, he was...for some reason, he also was babbling about how I'm beneath him." Jessica moved her head as if to flip her hair, though it was currently in a ponytail and so just mainly swished back and forth. "I didn't really think about it. Trust me, he'll have to do a lot better than that to bully me," she said, this time with an involuntary trace of scorn. She had plenty of weak points, but he had missed hitting any of them by a country mile. A country mile that wasn't paved and had more potholes and clumps of rock than should have been allowed in a civilized society. She lapsed back into thoughtfulness, though, as she continued, "the thing is, though, we've never had a run-in before - or even really run into each other at all," she acknowledged. "So I don't know what his problem is, but he clearly has one," she said.

16 Jessica Hayles But you're definitely part of this plot now. 1442 0 5

Selina Skies

January 08, 2020 4:16 AM

I had noticed by Selina Skies

CW: micro-aggressions/clumsiness at dealing with race issues

Did he now?" Professor Skies said, her voice low, her nostrils flaring. The incident started off badly enough, with Jeremy being openly rude and provocative. Even with no stated or implied reason, that fell far short of the 'treat each other with decency and respect' mantra that Selina tried to drum into them.

From there, it went from bad to worse. And not just linearly either. It went from bad to worse in the same way that a hydra did, where as soon as you cut off one head, three more sprouted. First, racist slurs. Second, Jessica seemed to have some kind of issue with Zara Jackson - a girl who seemed to be nothing but sunny and pleasant. That, she decided, was the least of her worries right now, because she had to hope that was not an active conflict. She tried to reassure herself that teenage girls were just like that. Cliquey, snarky, apt to fall in and fall out with each other. She just hoped it wasn't symptomatic of Jessica's personality and likely to lead to headaches. She could not fight the nagging feeling that it was though, because after all, who made mortal enemies with a Teppenpaw? The other concern right now was Jessica's utter obliviousness to the meaning of Jeremy's insult, both to Zara and to herself. Selina was loathe to give Jessica yet more reasons to dislike this world, but she felt it would be irresponsible to omit it. She was surprised the Muggleborn liaison hadn't mentioned it - though she didn't rule out the possibility that they had, and had not been heard, or that they they had fully intended to but had had a million other things put to them, or that it had been the least of their worries when facing threats of guns, the police or whatever else the Hayleses might have thrown at them. It was not a job she envied.

"Jeremy was not referring to race in the way you might typically interpret it. He means magical heritage. The term he used for Zara is not due to her parents' different...appearances," Were you allowed to say 'skin colours' in that sentence? Selina thought it was just an obvious fact but it was a sensitive subject. But repeating the word 'race' when she was trying to point out another kind of racism seemed unhelpful. Also, you could say racism, but could you say race? Forms tended to say 'ethnicity' but she wasn’t sure if that was right. "But due to the fact it's a union between a Muggle and a... magical person," she added, unsure which side it fell in Zara's family. And, of course, you couldn't assume anyone had a male and a female parent either… Though she thought she remembered seeing Zara’s parents at the concert, just not which of them had been carrying a wand. And when she was dealing with Jeremy, she would have to remember to say 'legal guardian' because, of course, his parents were no longer involved...

"Some magical people have the utterly unfounded idea that magical heritage matters. Either in terms of ideology or in terms of magical prowess. The latter is easily debunked, not that such people tend to listen to scientific evidence, but the former... You can rest assured that we don't tolerate such nonsense, and that Jeremy will be getting a stern reminder about treating everyone with respect. Before that happens though, I'd rather not be blindsided by anything he has to say about you, or have to drag you in again to deny or confirm his story. You mentioned that words were exchanged on both sides. Anything stronger than...toenail clipping?" she suggested, trying not to let her mouth twitch up as she said it. She had to say that hearing that out of Jessica's mouth had been the slight silver lining to this whole situation, along with Jessica's assertion that it took more than this to make her feel bullied. It was hard to know what Jessica was like, given that her first impression had been that of someone inherently fragile yet incredibly demanding. But whatever notions of specialness had been instilled in her, whilst being a thorn in Selina’s side, clearly served some useful functions if it took more than Jeremy’s attitude to shake her.

13 Selina Skies I had noticed 26 0 5

Jessica Hayles

January 08, 2020 1:14 PM

Aren't you so glad to be here with us? by Jessica Hayles

"I didn't actually call him a toenail clipping," said Jessica. "I told him he was vile. I'm pretty sure that's the word I used."

Her voice was a touch absent, her mind clearly working on something else. She was not, however, thinking back through the conversation with Jeremy to make sure she hadn't called him anything else. Instead, her mind was on what Professor Skies had just said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused about something," she said. "It sounds like you're basically saying that he's racist against her for having a parent who doesn't do magic...and me for not having any magical parents." Her tone clearly conveyed how baffling and odd it was to say that. "Wow, that feels weird to say," she added. "But that's not the point. It doesn't make sense. I mean, racism is stupid in general, but at least morons at home can see who to be racist against. I haven't noticed anything that special about that Sylvia girl to say there's any difference between her and me." Details, yes, but age and hair color were not the kind of thing she meant here. "And what do you mean, heritage matters in terms of ideology?" At home, she might have thought she knew what that meant, but she was so far out of her depth here that it seemed safest to ask.

16 Jessica Hayles Aren't you so glad to be here with us? 1442 0 5

Selina Skies

January 29, 2020 8:01 PM

Thrilled by Selina Skies

“I suppose… perhaps xenophobia is the more accurate parallel. You can’t always identify someone who wasn’t born here from the outside, but to some people that matters a great deal - the idea that someone will never be a ‘real’ American or understand the culture if they weren’t born into it. Or that they don’t even deserve the chance to try being part of it.”

She gave Jessica a moment to process that, to ask any further questions she might have about it, but once it seemed that subject was done, she moved on.

“As you’re here, I also wanted to discuss electives with you. Or at least, give you these to look over,” she added, reaching into her desk. “A number of the major American universities have magical branches too. So, one option is to focus on your studies here and try to get into the magical version of your chosen university - once there, they have various pathways with different levels of integration between the different curricula. I’ve included M-MIT’s brochure to give you a guideline and Mr. Row has several more in his office if there are other universities you’d like more details about. I’ve also included some leaflets on the correspondence courses students have taken in the past. These can lead to further qualifications in our subjects and our system or there are a few which lead to different types of non-magical qualification. Again, these are a sample and if there are other subjects you’d like to know more about, please speak to me or Mr. Row. As I mentioned to your father, the two of you are also welcome to cherry pick modules from different places to give you the practical skills he feels are most necessary. I’ve sent copies of all this to him as well.

“We previously have had students reintegrate at the high school level, though that’s rarer. Under certain circumstances, you are entitled to a transcript which suggests equivalent achievement to what you have done here but in language that is recognisable to a non-magical school. Did you have any thoughts about electives that you wished to discuss?” she asked.

13 Selina Skies Thrilled 26 0 5

Jessica Hayles

January 30, 2020 8:36 PM

You're just radiating sincerity. by Jessica Hayles

Jessica contemplated this explanation of the phenomenon, agreeing that xenophobia sounded like a closer match than pure racism. She nodded.

“I’d say that makes sense, but that would give it too much credit,” she said. “So - I suppose it makes sense if you’re the sort of person to – have ideas that bad,” she said, editing slightly to accommodate for the fact she was talking to an adult. ‘Vile cretin’ was the phrase which had leapt to mind, but it somehow seemed like the kind of phrase that an adult would scold her for using after she had already used the term ‘toenail clipping’ to refer to a classmate.

Her face went very blank when Professor Skies turned the topic to electives, and her eyes were dull as she listened to the spiel. She sank into herself, turning inward, isolating her mind from her body so she didn’t risk crying in front of Skies again. Her whole neck and face still burned with terror and humiliation whenever she thought of how she had before. When that happened, she almost immediately remembered the panic attack she had had at Carmela’s apartment, in front of her father. Then she remembered sealing herself in her room and waking up on that sofa, which reminded her of getting to know Felipe, which now reminded her of how very wrong that had all gone....

No. She just wasn’t going to think about that. She had always had this place in the center of her mind which she could sink into and be safe and not cry until she was alone. She was going to go there and now and stay there until she was alone, allowing her body to respond to others on autopilot until it was safe for her to emerge from the tower in her mind.

“I’m sorry you paid the postage to mail Daddy,” she said. “My parents seem to have made new plans for the future of the company while I’ve been away – plans that no longer...require me.” Her heart fluttered, battering the walls of her fortress. Her lips thinned, then turned back to their normal, also narrow dimensions. She clenched her hands inside her robe sleeves, glad for once to have the stupid thing on. “Other than that...I’ve been trying to learn German. Any correspondence courses in that? Or anything with literature or creative writing? History even?” she said, rattling off things that were at least interesting to her, though not really expecting anything to come of it.

16 Jessica Hayles You're just radiating sincerity. 1442 0 5