[Crazyballs can sure be the word. Very much the word. Especially at this historical moment when everything in academia is under such massive assault. It's excellent if she's able to work in her field for a while now though. That is so very valuable (I say as someone living the reality that there just are no academic jobs and we're all bizarrely happy even to be under-employed and exploited, orz). This is why we must take solace in small good things like fab RP that takes on a life of its own! :D]
Pausing to look at Hank a moment longer, Aurus gave a nod. "All right."
He even managed to reserve his sigh until he was out in the hallway. Actually, if he thought for a moment that it would make Hank feel better to go a round with him--bare fists or practice staves or whatever--he would certainly have offered it to him. But how could he ever have guessed? He didn't know about that bluer side of the man at all.
As it was, he just figured that he had to give him time. And more than that, he had to accept the possibility that Hank would go straight to Charles and give him a solid talking to which, regardless of Charles' current leanings, would leave him feeling that Aurus had betrayed the delicate balance of whatever was growing between them.
He wanted none of these things, but he was also quite convinced that no wise course of action could include any direct intervention on his part: it wasn't always possible to control a situation. Sometimes you just had to give it space and time to unfold on its own. Right now, the proverbial ball was not in his court.
That didn't mean for a moment that the uncertainty and anticipation didn't threaten to steal his focus, so he murmured in his mind to distract himself: Ventari, I hope you're looking forward to this.
He didn't honestly need to ask. He already knew.
"They won't be able to see me," the centaur's low voice rolled through his thoughts, "my only disappointment."
They won't, but they will still know your words.
"And about the rest--your most recent meeting?"
You think I was wrong to leave him like that?
"I think it depends. Read well how the hurt lingers with him when you see him next. He was angry with you, and that sort of anger can fester."
Aurus took that warning, too, under advisement.
Following Hank's directions, he found his way (eventually) to the back door. He paused a few times to glance into open rooms, making sure he'd not gone too far, but actually some areas of the school were already beginning to look somewhat familiar to him.
Making his way outside and onto the lawn, he chose what seemed a central spot--a sunny place near a dogwood tree and near to where a scattering of students were out around the grounds, some playing and talking, others more solitary. A few, he noticed, had turned their heads to watch him, eyes following his practically from the moment he stepped outside. Perhaps he needed only to sit down to prompt them to come over, but he figured it was worth extending a clearer invitation than that.
He glanced around, deliberately catching the curious eyes. And then, with a swing of his arm, he projected Ventari's tablet into the world.
A large stone block, chiseled in New Krytan script, the tablet floated three feet off the ground, suspended by vines that tethered it to nothing. Seemingly solid, but in reality completely intangible, it pulsed with a golden glow of energy that seemed to ripple through it, burning the foreign writing onto the air in little bursts of green and ghosting breaths of flowers that bloomed and vanished in waves across the ground. It was beautiful and magical and it radiated life.
Aurus glanced again towards the onlooking students--he definitely had their attention--then gave a nod of his head to encourage them over and sat down on the grass with the tablet nearby.
no subject
Pausing to look at Hank a moment longer, Aurus gave a nod. "All right."
He even managed to reserve his sigh until he was out in the hallway. Actually, if he thought for a moment that it would make Hank feel better to go a round with him--bare fists or practice staves or whatever--he would certainly have offered it to him. But how could he ever have guessed? He didn't know about that bluer side of the man at all.
As it was, he just figured that he had to give him time. And more than that, he had to accept the possibility that Hank would go straight to Charles and give him a solid talking to which, regardless of Charles' current leanings, would leave him feeling that Aurus had betrayed the delicate balance of whatever was growing between them.
He wanted none of these things, but he was also quite convinced that no wise course of action could include any direct intervention on his part: it wasn't always possible to control a situation. Sometimes you just had to give it space and time to unfold on its own. Right now, the proverbial ball was not in his court.
That didn't mean for a moment that the uncertainty and anticipation didn't threaten to steal his focus, so he murmured in his mind to distract himself: Ventari, I hope you're looking forward to this.
He didn't honestly need to ask. He already knew.
"They won't be able to see me," the centaur's low voice rolled through his thoughts, "my only disappointment."
They won't, but they will still know your words.
"And about the rest--your most recent meeting?"
You think I was wrong to leave him like that?
"I think it depends. Read well how the hurt lingers with him when you see him next. He was angry with you, and that sort of anger can fester."
Aurus took that warning, too, under advisement.
Following Hank's directions, he found his way (eventually) to the back door. He paused a few times to glance into open rooms, making sure he'd not gone too far, but actually some areas of the school were already beginning to look somewhat familiar to him.
Making his way outside and onto the lawn, he chose what seemed a central spot--a sunny place near a dogwood tree and near to where a scattering of students were out around the grounds, some playing and talking, others more solitary. A few, he noticed, had turned their heads to watch him, eyes following his practically from the moment he stepped outside. Perhaps he needed only to sit down to prompt them to come over, but he figured it was worth extending a clearer invitation than that.
He glanced around, deliberately catching the curious eyes. And then, with a swing of his arm, he projected Ventari's tablet into the world.
A large stone block, chiseled in New Krytan script, the tablet floated three feet off the ground, suspended by vines that tethered it to nothing. Seemingly solid, but in reality completely intangible, it pulsed with a golden glow of energy that seemed to ripple through it, burning the foreign writing onto the air in little bursts of green and ghosting breaths of flowers that bloomed and vanished in waves across the ground. It was beautiful and magical and it radiated life.
Aurus glanced again towards the onlooking students--he definitely had their attention--then gave a nod of his head to encourage them over and sat down on the grass with the tablet nearby.