Opposite Schedules PV Leonardo

Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

The last of the night classes were over with at last, and the wearied and worn out Astronomy professor was making his nightly round; exploring the school and wandering in familiar places throughout the school before he would retreat to his room to take his rest for the day. The last of the coffee had finally resulted in a crash, and Leonardo was finding it difficult to stand, let alone focus on anything of importance. The last place he wanted to visit this dawn was the library; the one place where he could be unbothered by the rest of the world during his school years. The place of magic, of knowledge, and of peace, Leonardo considered the library a second dormitory when he could not bear to interact with the rest of his Slytherin house.

He browsed, following familiar shelves, remembering where magical marks of vandalism had once been found, now replaced or else removed. The books brought a familiar scent of dry parchment and dusty aroma, a smell that Leonardo regularly could find in his own books; but here they were more heightened, an aura of magic surrounding them and tempting the Seer to draw closer and open the bindings and read the contents held within leather confines.

Inexplicably, he was drawn to the area which had been forbidden during his school years, the area which seemed to draw intrepid or else foolish students to it at every turn. He had looked upon this area fondly in his youth, curious as to what secrets the section could hold, what knowledge and what spells. Now that he had returned to his place of breeding, this time a good deal older, he had the ability to investigate what he had been curious of for over three decades.

Grey eyes glittered with anticipation as he ran his fingers along the thicker, cracked bindings, some new, some ancient... all of them containing their own secrets. Of course he knew of the enchantment which was required to relinquish these books from their place, and so he had to be content with reading what he could from the spines and what little bits of the cover that he could see, but that did not prevent him from admiring and appreciating what he knew to be here.

Last night, he had chosen a dark outfit, as he usually did. Black always complimented his wan skin, black hair and pale eyes, and he had always held a rather unshakable appreciation for the older styles of fashion, their elegance and eloquence which could be found in his poise and his mannerisms. He wore his typical black cloak, which was a finely made opera cloak with a silver silk inseam, golden clasps upon his chest, and possessed a velveteen feel and weight. It was warm and heavy, but soothing to the Seer. He felt safer in its folds, preferring to keep others at an arm’s length.

There came the sound of something, another presence, and whirling suddenly, Leonardo turned to confront the newcomer, whipping out his wand form his cane in the same movement as his cape fluidly fluttered behind him without a sound. Met with the face of coworker, his wand lowered, listening inquisitively as she greeted him, introducing herself a Robyn Finley, the librarian of the school. Though his mind was a little more than blurry, Leonardo managed a small lift of the corner of his lips. ”Miss Finley. It seems you know my name already; Leonardo Chiadovini. A pleasure to meet you.” He met her eyes evenly as she extended a hand in traditional greeting.

Gently taking her hand in his own— which was rather cold to the touch—, he bowed at the waist, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it softly before releasing her and returning to his former poise. In the action, the parting in his cape had revealed a black waistcoat and a silver chain which hung from pocket to pocket, but just as soon as he had moved, though, he withdrew, permitting his cloak to fall over most of his form once again. “Yes. I was about to take my rest, but desired to browse a bit in familiar surroundings. I’m quite surprised you are up as early as you are. I hardly ever encounter other individuals during my crepuscular wanderings.”

His eyes fell upon one of the books just at his side, and he attempted to read the spine, half focused on the conversation at hand.

Reducio

@Robyn Finley

────────────────── ЯF ──────────────────

Interacting With: @Leonardo Chiadovini
Hex Color: #433280
─ Alluring | Calming Presence | Nonverbal Magic ─

────────────────── ◈ ──────────────────

Coded by Rafael D'Spacito

Even though Robyn had relaxed upon witnessing him, it seemed he seemed startled by her quiet approach. Which was fair. As he whipped around with a wand at the ready, her hand whipped her own out once move. A brief flurry of thoughts wondering if an impostor was standing in front of her. If that was the case, this was a brilliant facade. As his lowered, so did hers. Two tense adults, ready to duel in an instant if that is what they faced in this cursed school. Nevertheless, it seemed like there were no hard feelings. An understanding unspoken of the reality of taking a job here. She smoothed out her clothes, as if she was wiping the tension out of the very knit that surrounded her. Her signature tense smile came back to don her face, she could be warm. But not at this forbidden hour.

A polite nod as he introduced himself. "Pleasure is all..." Her voice faded as she watched him take her hand, and bring it to his lips with a flourished bow. "... mine." As if the typical greeting could get worse, it did. Severely so. It seemed as a typical movement for him. He had a poise and grace as he did it. He didn't stumble or hesitate. The clothes, the greeting, it all pointed to one conclusion. "Old fashioned, hm?" A offhand thought tumbled off her lips as she recovered from the moment. She only let two people even hug her and that was her father and brother. Otherwise, a gesture like this would normally get them hexed into next week. Something told her that wasn't a great first impression to make with a new Professor.

Her hands came to fold behind her back as if to protect them from further assault of pleasantries. She came to stand beside him and look at the books in the Forbidden Section that had taken his interest. "You know they're only locked up for the students, if you'd ever like to check them out just let me know and I can unlock it for you. Sadly, if you'd like to peruse and check out a few you'll have to spend some time with me." She smiled gently at him. "I am fiercely protective of this section of the library, so if it's unlocked then I'm here. If early mornings work best for you, just give me a notice and I can meet you here. Otherwise I'm here quite late into the night." Her eyes drifted around the section they stood in. On her first day she had spent a couple hours at the end of the shift just looking around at all the forbidden tomes that she now had access to.

He had asked her a question, and she just realized that she never answered it. "Oh, yes. Early. I am here early, just because the students are returning. There is quite a bit of work to be done. I'd rather start early and finish late. Rather than just having my days accidentally meld together and leaving by the time I should be arriving back." The echo of a memory of a certain Head of House reminded her that she really shouldn't be staying too late in case she were to fall asleep. "Also not that bad of a commute when I live in the castle." A small laugh at her own joke, which wasn't even really that good. Something about him made her uneasy, unsettled. It was a familiar feeling to how she felt about Marcus, perhaps they were just intimidating.

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Outfit Reference

Reducio

Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

Miss Finley seemed shocked at his gesture of introduction, but the old money Pureblood paid it no mind. Certainly, his mannerisms were not of this age, but there had been good reason for that. Not only was his heritage exotic, but his lineage had been proud and upstanding in addition. Born and bred, as they would say, to be perfect in every aspect. Old fashioned... hm.

”Perhaps that is a way to look upon it.” He met her eyes again, ignoring the discomfort for the moment. “Though as my Patriarch would have said it; ‘We are of old money and blood; present yourself as such’.” A father’s lesson, of course; not what the errant offshoot himself believed in. “I apologize for disturbing you, in my actions or in my presence here.”

She seemed to notice his interest in the books... the reasons for being locked and such. Being fiercely protective of them... and for good reason. One never knew when an overzealous student would pass by and find themselves more than a little smitten with the idea of reading something that they knew to be forbidden. “A wonderful librarian you must be, attentive and willing to accommodate. Those are qualities that not many people can claim they possess.” Not intentionally intending to flatter, but a side-effect nonetheless. There was something unearthly about Miss Finley, something that Leonardo could not quite put his finger on quite yet. It was almost as unearthly as his sixth sense for feeling and experiencing more than just the present moment at a given time. Something exotic; alluring, even. “I would think that time spent with someone who cares so much for knowledge would not be time wasted or bitterly passed in any degree. Being a night-teaching professor, my time interacting with the rest of this school is brief and rather uneventful. I must resign myself to early morning to conclude what tasks I need complete before retiring.”

Preferences to start early and end early rather than start late and end later. “Indeed. I find myself in that situation quite frequently. I’m afraid that I still have not quite found a happy medium in my sleep schedule.” He returned a small chuckle, though it did lack a good deal of humor.

Here, his social presence faltered, so used to solitude and introversion as he was. Though, it only appeared to be a faint flicker, a small, almost inscrutable shift in the way his eye seemed to focus upon the person whom he was looking upon. Glancing around once again as an excuse to avert his eyes, Leonardo brought himself to indicate to the rest of the library’s Forbidden Section. ”Shall we away?” He asked with a small lightening in his voice. “Any one subject you find intriguing or would recommend to a first-time observer?”

Reducio

@Robyn Finley

─── ЯF ───

Interacting With: @Leonardo Chiadovini
Hex Color: #433280
─ Alluring | Calming Presence | Nonverbal Magic ─

─── ◈ ───

Coded by Rafael D'Spacito

If Robyn had thought that she overstepped at all in her assumptions about the Professor, it seemed to be quickly dismissed by him. Whether that was out of politeness or something else she wasn't quite sure. She shook her head lightly. "A patron of the library could never be a disturbance, especially one that is as polite as yourself." Truly she'd take adults over the children that seemed to run rampant through her library attempting spells at the risk of her ever so precious books. To her they were treasures to be protected with everything in her being, to others they were simply what got them through an assignment and could be treated with disrespect. Not to mention the ones that attempted to sneak into the Restricted Section as if they deserved to be there.

A small blush crossed her pale freckled cheeks at the flatter at her competency as a librarian. It was something she took pride in, and she never wanted to be a barrier to knowledge. "Ah, I've been doing this long enough to know what is admired in a librarian. The two qualities you mentioned being a couple. I want to make sure the students, and in this case, the Professors all have access to what they need. Gaining knowledge shouldn't be an uphill battle in terms of access." They weren't ones that she would even claim to have really. Robyn saw herself as a truly humble librarian. It was not a job as honorable as being a Professor or working in the ministry, but it is something that she enjoyed. Her brother often teased that one day she walked into a library and never left. But why would she?

"Do you find it hard to be separated from the rest of the Professors and the like? I imagine it might get quite lonely if you're spending most of your time with yourself. I suppose you do have the students. But teaching isn't the same as spending time with people your own age. I always get particularly excited when one of the adult lot come in for a book. Despite not being a night dwelling person in the castle, I seem to always be sucked into work here." Perhaps that was too much of a personal inquiry. "Of course, you don't have to answer that if you wouldn't like to." Her smile was soft and gentle. The librarian had quickly become a person the students would come to, sometimes inadvertently, for advice or assistance in their life. It was a quality that carried over from her childhood. While her half-Veela ancestry gave her an allure, her own warm affect gave her something of a calm aura for others. At least, that's what she had been told.

When he averted his gaze, she followed suit. Not wanting to awkwardly stare at him while he looked around. Mentally she added dust the Forbidden Section to her to-do list. It was getting awfully dirty since not many people frequented the area. A small hum of thought came from her as she thought about her favorite subjects in the section. "I must admit I haven't spent as much time here as I might've liked. While Moste Potente Potions is a good one for those who enjoy potions. I quite like the time magic section. Forbidden to students for obvious reasons. I find it quite fascinating. Did you come hoping for a certain subject? Or just to peruse the selection?" She led them over to the time section, pulling out a key to unlock the shelves. "These books don't have a tendency to want to escape if you'd like to look at any of them." Today was not a today she wanted to spend chasing down books. Or any day really... but sometimes it did happen.

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Outfit Reference

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Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

Did he find it difficult with such a gap between his daily life and the lives of the mostly diurnal school? Her questions and thoughts came tumbling one after another, orderly and with a touch of disorder alike. It was indeed quite a different life he led from the rest of the professors, but he had no right to say that it did not give him some sort of inner peace. It was relief, to a certain degree, that he was the one guiding his own hand, and was not the one being guided by another figure. He didn’t like the idea of being a puppeteer or any sort, and certainly he despised and loathed the very idea of being the puppet itself.

If anything, his cynical personality he had lovingly embraced, encouraged, and even nurtured, if only to enable himself to be left alone to a relatively solitary degree. It had been a trait that had sometimes succeeded in pushing his own father away when he had belonged to the household during his school years. The best of both worlds, magical and Muggle alike, thrived and grew off of detached personalities to an extent; the ability to divine what was proper and what was impolite, what was new thought and what was old and outdated, when the moment was to cling to tradition and what time it was to shatter tradition’s chain.

“It depends upon what you mean by ‘being lonely’ Miss Finley.” Leonardo finally spoke with some hesitation. After all, one was not completely alone if he had his mind with him. Even without his mind, thoughts crept to and away from him just as easily, though perhaps an outside observer would not be able to comprehend exactly what was seen through the individual’s eyes. The world made sense to people in different ways, each with their own methods to cope the madness. “I have Macbeth, my faithful owl; he is young and learning, but a friend and fellow alike who understands and comprehends just as well as any man. I have Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Bierce. Though departed, their spirits speak to me in my personal library, through the words they left behind. Sometimes the only way you can hear their voices— and many more— is in a place that is quiet enough for them to be heard; the absence of others, in most cases.” It was soft musing for the most part, the quiet sharing. “Indeed, young minds and minds closer to his age alike are what a man needs for company, humans by nature being social creatures, but I do confess that I prefer solitude juxtaposed against the loud cacophony of everyday life, listening to the Raven tapping upon my bedroom door or sharing the revelations of Young Goodman Brown.”

He fell silent after this, rubbing his thumb on the head of the jade snake crowning his wand. Chestnut claimed that the possessor of it would be an adventurous one, that they were destined to fly or to tame numbers of magical creatures alike. Snallygaster claimed that its owner would be courageous and bold, practiced with patience and defensive capacity alike, loyal and willing to die with its master. Perhaps on that day in Ollivander’s, the wand has sensed these traits in a different degree. Perhaps not for the mortal realm would its master be bold or be one to fly on any urge for adventure, but maybe it was for a different world, ones that were inked in black and white.

It wasn’t something he often gave mind to, but there was an uncanny sense of ease in the surroundings, almost like his own unnatural vibe of a harbinger. Miss Finley suggested potioneering, a subject that while Leonardo had taken time to perfect to a degree, had never mastered. Unfortunately, that book would have to wait for a while. She mentioned time magic, a topic that he, being of the ability to predict moments ahead of his current moment, had always held an interest in. Perhaps that would be worthwhile. “That would be refreshing. I have always held a deep seated interest in Divination, foretelling that which may come, and learning from past events to guide your future actions.”

In another note, he added; “I was of a duelist’s mantle under Slytherin when I schooled here.” For nearly his entire school career, though his actions never seemed to be enough to garner him any worthwhile repute. “I do not intend to go deep into Dark Arts, certainly, but have you any topics on the darker magics? Most specifically in offensive practice, but to be used as they were meant to be: defensively.” He tipped his head slightly, looking towards Miss Finley out of the corner of his eye. He had hardly held interest in a conversation for this long. Perhaps it was because of a topic he genuinely cared about.

Reducio

@Robyn Finley

─── ЯF ───

Interacting With: @Leonardo Chiadovini
Hex Color: #433280
─ Alluring | Calming Presence | Nonverbal Magic ─

─── ◈ ───

Coded by Rafael D'Spacito

If Robyn were to write a book on the staff of Hogwarts, Leonardo seemed like it would take up a good portion of it. Perhaps it was just because so far, besides his predecessor, she was already speaking more to him than she did most other professors. Not that she tried to avoid them all the time, but certainly she was married to her job and felt like there was only so much time and energy she could parse away from it. While talking to the Professor before her she was technically doing her job and socializing. A perfect unison. Especially since he seemed to share a similar interest in literature. He was more poetic with his words than Robyn could ever hope to be. While she consumed them with a vigor that was unmatched by most that she knew, her language could never seem to adapt and conform to the flow of prose that she desired to speak it. The man in front of her seemed to have mastered that long ago. Perhaps the intimidation came from a feeling of wishing that she had the aura of intelligence that he had.

Through the small moment of silence Robyn worried more if she had overstepped her boundaries of the questions that tumbled out. In her life, curiosity was a gift rather than a sin. But sometimes the questions were treated as such. As she opened her mouth slightly to apologize once more for her intrusion into his life, he spoke. She hummed softly in admiration of the authors names that he shared. As Robyn grew older she took more of an interest in the great muggle writers of the time. Reading for fun was always a pastime she held in school, the time it took up in Robyn's life only grew exponentially after she graduated Hogwarts. With a freedom from studies it was easier to get lost in the worlds that were created on pages. How she longed to live within many of them. Surely magic should've figured out a way to make that happen but sadly no advancement of magic to transport into books had been found.

"A big fan of Poe are you?" First mentioning his name then an excerpt of The Raven. Perhaps it was just the piece of literature that fit his metaphor. "His work has always been incredibly dark for my taste, I much prefer to escape rather than contemplate when I pick up a book. Though, that's not to say I don't ever take the time to examine the readings before me. His work especially seems to have a lot to unpack. A strange man, who met an even stranger death." Not only did his work fascinate her, but the way that he passed seemed to come out of one of the stories that he wrote. A mystery, morbid and fascinating all the same.

After opening the cabinet of time, her hands laid at her sides, her right hand specifically not too far from her wand. There was no explicit distrust for Leonardo, but she would be remiss to not be prepared for anything especially with all the tricks that had been occurring within the school. Even Caradoc had asked her to keep her mind sharp, and it felt as if a warning to not let her guard down. "Divination was never one of my strong suits. Examining the past, let alone the future, was never something I was too keen on delving into." A flicker of darkness as she thought about her childhood passed through her eyes, a memory of blowing up on her brother in the Great Hall. It was momentary before her attention was quickly returned.

Another hum of thought came forward as she quickly went through her mental index of the Restricted Section. "I probably could've deduced your time as a duellist from just how quickly you pulled your wand on me." She couldn't help but let out a small giggle before locking the time section back up and heading to a section further into the section. "We certainly do. I'm not sure how much the books describe them as... defensive. But they certainly are the topic you're looking for." This one had a couple of locks, this was obviously a section that was deeply guarded from students. Especially after the Wizarding War, some books had been removed. "These ones cannot leave my library. I will not risk them falling into a student's hands." There were a few books, mostly of the rare variety that she wouldn't mind the Professors of the school leaving with. The Restricted Section was not only the house for the more dangerous topics, but also of ancient ones. Scrolls and first editions that were not meant for every 11 year old to tear apart. But dark magic? No. That would not leave her protection.

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Outfit Reference

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Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

Despite himself, at the mention of Poe’s speculated deaths and the mystery surround it, Leonardo felt himself smiling a bit. It was eerie, how quickly and how mysteriously life could flit from its owner, brief and without so much a whisper. “Only a simple prayer uttered to see himself to the afterlife. Indeed.” An air of darkness, a grim atmosphere, but a sensation of gratefulness for what one possessed. A difficult life the author had possessed, his world crumbling apart at it seams, with no solace or saving grace. Perhaps only his works offered reprieve, perhaps they didn’t.

This... gravitation of the Seer towards these works, the nature of his choice literature as more reflective and grim, was not solely because of any single reason that he could stake a claim upon and say it was so, but instead because of an ideal. He had not discovered the Muggle works until he was nearly a fourth year, the first of his ventures into the realm of Edgar Allan Poe’s works being none other than ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’. There was a sort of loose parallelism between the fictitious tale and the teen Seer’s own which was eerie and uncanny, the spark which had ignited his love for the American gothic and romantic literature, shaping him subtly. A passion which still clung with him today.

“A shame. Yet, for some, perhaps for the better as opposed to not being able to part yourself from it. Fortune-telling can too quickly become the crux of an obsession.” Was his response to Miss Finley’s experiences with Divination. He left it at that, not caring to digress into his own heritage as one more closely entangled with the strands of fate. Indeed, when he had looked upon his peers, he had marveled that they were not affected by Sight as he had been, learning to cope with the seizure-like prefaces of receiving a vision, interpreting more cryptic sights, trying to speak when they came to him even during unexpected times in order to share with those around him. Though his father had been even minutely tender when these abilities surfaced, teaching his son what he could, the compassion hadn’t lasted long as soon as Leonardo had even remotely learned to cope with his new talent.

Glancing at the spines of the Time Magic Volumes, Leonardo selected three, debating between two for a moment before placing all three back and instead choosing a fourth. This was his way of choosing, to find what he thought he would be most fond of, then choosing the one that he hadn’t thought interesting prior. It forced him to expand his horizons.

He supposed his conditioning as a duelist would have been made apparent, and he shrugged at Miss Finley’s statement with a bit of something akin to humble pride. Though as he was guided further into the library, Leonardo couldn’t help but notice the librarian’s hand upon her wand, as if he were something to be made a threat of. He cared not for it, though, his attention being mostly upon treading softly and being of a relatively pleasant nature. Her rule of not permitting these books to leave the library’s confines earned a nod from Leonardo. “As you wish. I shall borrow them and read them here, if that is to your liking.” To solidify his good intent, he only took one more book, though he was sure that he could have chosen many many more to satiate his desires. As he had with the time magic books, his peculiar sorting and then rejecting all in favor for another took place.

Holding the two books to his chest in the crook of his left arm, his cane planted on the ground at his right, Leonardo dipped his head to Miss Finley in a small bow. “Thank you for your help. I am pleased to know I am not the only person here who appreciates the need for a good book.”

So saying, Leonardo stayed in the vicinities of the library as he had promised, choosing a table and first making headway into the book he would have to return before departing for the day. When at least two hours had gone by without his notice of them, and students began to trickle in, Leonardo quietly retreated back to Miss Finley, pressing the book into her hands with another curt nod and a small smile. A wordless ‘Thank you.’ before taking with him the book on Time Magic and exiting the library as he had entered; with the silence of a ghost.

This had not been a waste of his time in the slightest. He had enjoyed his visit, even if the hours had been early. Dare he say that he had just made a pleasant and decent acquaintance within his ring of fellow faculty?

Exeunt unless Interrupted

Reducio

@Robyn Finley