GALIM'S DESK
(Ignore I did an oopsies - Jon)
Reducio
The first floor was always bustling during the passing periods between classes, more so during the beginning of the school year with confused or excited faces, and then again during the end of the school year with groans from upper years and lower years alike as test season came rolling in. But the door that always remained shut was the one that belonged to Muggle Studies.
Perhaps it was due to it being one of the few classes that was an elective. Not a required class, but one open to students entering their third year and beyond. Or perhaps it was due to the students not being intrigued enough by the name of it. Why would a muggle-born student want to take a class about themselves? Or why would a pure-blooded student want to immerse themselves in the boring nature of muggles?
But for those students who did decide to stop for a moment and ponder, their gaze would land on a simple red banner that hung on the door outside the classroom. A Latin phrase was embroidered into the tapestry. It read "Dum Inter Homines Sumus, Colamus Humanitatem" or more easily translated as "As long as we are among humans, let us be humane".
Those who entered the classroom would find limited chairs and desks lined up in rows pointed towards the front of the classroom. There, a larger desk with a bookshelf behind it and a large chalkboard to the side of it was found. There was optimal space around the desks and between them for the professor to walk through when facilitating discussions. On the desk sat very few things. A continuously spinning globe, a vase full of dried flowers, and his favorite quill next to a full ink pot.
This dreary site of the professor's desk was about the only normal thing you'd expect to find in "boring" labeled class. Portraits of random muggle items that would be hinted at in his later lessons or ones that just interested him scattered the brick walls. A tuba, the propeller of an airplane, a bowling pin, and his favorite picture: a singular spork.
Even when class isn't in session, you can find the Professor of Muggle Studies, Jon Rebus Cantu, or more formally known as Professor Cantu at his desk with some Muggle-authored book splayed open, nose burrowed inside of it. It is a miracle he doesn't need glasses, yet.
OOC GUIDELINES:
1) This is the in-character thread where Professor Cantu will only talk to one person at a time. Therefore, please do not start a conversation with me until the previous person has left, or I shoo them away for inactivity (three-month deadline).
2) If there is a person doing a RP with me, but you also want to RP with me outside of this office thread, refer to my OOC Office Hours thread for how to set that up.
3) This follows the same rules as any other RP, meaning at least 200 words per post. Try to keep it to relatively short, simple interactions. Contact me for more in-depth or specific ones if you would like.
4) The interaction will take place on the day you post unless you state otherwise (future dating or post-dating within the given times).
Status: Open to Interactions!
Stamina: 11 || Evasion: 7 || Strength: 7 || Wisdom: 20 || ArcPower: 15 || Accuracy: 10
GALIM'S DESK
December 16th 2020@Maya Galim
Opeila didn't visit professors too often and even less those she didn't have classes with. Muggle Studies was a third year and up subject, so she would only have lessons with Professor Galim next year, but she didn't have questions about the class.
The reason for Opeila to show up at the Professor's office was the museum trip last summer camp. They had been looking at wax figures of famous people. Or... Opeila had been looking at their history, she had found the wax figures quite scary. The faces, some serious, some smiling a never changing smile. They had reminded Opeila of dolls in horrormovies and Opeila had always been terrible with horror movies.
Still it was kind of impressive how detailed someone created them, right? Furthermore with muggle tools only. For wizards it couldn't be too difficult, but muggles? That was art! Also looking at them had given Opeila an idea. If she had a candle, could she carve it into a piece of art as well? That would make a quite cool present!
So the little second year showed up in front of the professor for muggle studies' office and knocked at the door. She was a little nervous for sure. Not that she knew the professor very well, but she had found her rather impressive and a little intimidating back in summer.
That also had not been the first time Opeila had spoken to the professor. Ages ago, in her first year still, Opeila had walked up to the teachers' table in the Great Hall to ask their former... former potions Professor, Professor Price, about the virus. It seemed that he had tried to calm them down and then Professor Galim jumped in, being rather honest, which had been what Opeila wanted, but also intimidated her a little.
If Professor Galim answered, Opeila would open the door and enter the office. "Good afternoon, Professor... I have a question and I hoped you could help me. My name is Opeila Winters."
GALIM'S DESK
It was rare to have visitors come to her office. It was often filled with silence and the sounds of pages being flipped of Maya grading papers one by one, sifting through each homework. As she was reading, in her right hand was a red pen and in her left hand was a hot cup of Sadaf tea-- a blend that reminded her of home.
The homework she graded had a perfect score. When she scored the homework, she saw the name of the student. Muggleborn... No wonder, she thought, hoping for once that a perfect score could come from an open-minded Pure-blood who's family was stuck in their superiority ways.
As Maya went for another homework assignment to grade, she looked up and straight ahead to her door. There was a knock. "Come in," she answered.
Immediately coming in was a small Slytherin girl who Maya believed looked familiar. But how? Throughout her time working at Hogwarts, Maya had seen many faces. She came to the conclusion that t was either the student was not a third year, or she had not chosen to take her course as Maya's class was an elective, making it optional for students to enroll. The girl introduced herself as Opeila Winters and had wanted help.
Maya took a sip of her tea during her introduction and placed the hot mug down on her desk. She got up and moved her hand in the general direction of an empty chair in front of her desk. "Come and sit," she said, hoping the girl would make her way quickly to the chair. Maya sat down at her chair, a small smile forming on her face. She waited for the girl to ask her a question.
@Opeila Winters
CLOSED TO INTERACTIONS
Stamina: 11 || Evasion: 7 || Strength: 7 || Wisdom: 20 || ArcPower: 15 || Accuracy: 10
GALIM'S DESK
@Maya Galim
Opeila waited until the Professor asked her in and motioned her to sit, until she entered, closed the door and sat on the empty chair in front of Professor Galim's desk. "Erm... I don't know if you remember me but I was on the trip to London last summer. The one to Madam Tussauds.", the second year started to explain. She couldn't deny that she was a little nervous to ask her question. What if it was actually a silly question? Or something that went into details the Professor had nothing to do with? The last thing Opeila wanted was to ruin impressions by wasting the Professor's time.
"I just wondered... How do the people there shape wax figures like that? Is there a special method to do that? Or is there an even easier way to do it with magic?"
Opeila had not liked the human wax figures and if there was actually a way to do things like that with the tools she currently had, she would never try to shape a candle into a human form, but maybe there was something like... well... an animal? A cat maybe? Opeila still had a few floating candles from Hogsmeade on the table next to her bed, so she had some material to practice on. And it wasn't long until she would have permission to go to Hogsmeade, then she wouldn't have to rely on errands in the village or older students anymore. Some of the people she had asked to buy something for her really let her overpay them...
GALIM'S DESK
The door opened and in walked a young Slytherin girl. Maya did not necessarily recognize her as she was not one of her current students. It was unclear why a student who was not one of hers would enter her classroom. Perhaps she had a question about something muggle-related like computers, radios or microwaves. It is uncanny how many students ask her about different kinds of muggle electronics.
Instead, she began to help Maya remember their trip last summer. It was a nice adventure into muggle London where they were able to learn about the muggle life through a creepy, but talented, Madame Toussande's wax figures. They were figures that represented muggle athletes, scientists, celebrities and historical figures. It was unbelievable how much they looked like the real deal.
Maya gave the little girl a small smile. "If I knew, I would be the next Madame Toussande," she joked, and immediately crossed her arms, thinking. "It definitely takes a lot of patience and time to make just one wax figure," Maya said, looking up at the ceiling in her thoughts while scratching her chin.
She looked back down at the girl with her chocolate brown eyes and shrugged. "There is always a way with magic that makes things easy. That's what makes muggles even more interesting... They struggle more to accomplish so little," she added.
"Are you interested in making your own wax figures?" she asked, wondering if that's where her curiosity was heading.
@Opeila Winters
CLOSED TO INTERACTIONS
Stamina: 11 || Evasion: 7 || Strength: 7 || Wisdom: 20 || ArcPower: 15 || Accuracy: 10
GALIM'S DESK
@Maya Galim
Opeila felt her face heat up a little at the professor's response. Yes, that made a lot of sense and also made her want to slap her own forehead. That was something she could also have figured out herself, wasn't it?
But it seemed that Professor Galim was at least thinking about Opeila's question. She went on about how magic always made things easy and how that made muggles so interesting.
Admirable was the word that came to Opeila's mind rather than interesting. They did struggle more to accomplish less and yet they had accomplished a lot, many things that many wizards and witches didn't even begin to understand. And yet she found that many children in her age had the audacity to look down on them, something that Opeila could not understand at all. All of them were still young of course, but no toddlers anymore, old enough to start thinking about things themselves instead of blindly nodding at everything their parents said.
Especially the pureblood children had often not made enough experience with muggles to have an own opinion, but why so many of them just decided to think bad of them... Opeila would be embarassed.
"I would like to.", Opeila responded to the Professor's question if she wanted to make her own wax figures. "I mean- not in that size of course, but small ones. I have never done it before, but it would be nice to have candles in different shapes. They would also make nice gifts.", she thought out loud.
GALIM'S DESK
Maya could not help but to smile at the small second-year Slytherin. She was so young and naive in what the world had to offer. To think of using her time to make small figurines was something to do. Maya could tell that this student was filled with promise for the future. In what? She had no idea, but there seemed to be a feeling Maya had about her.
"While that would be nice, it would also take up more time than you allot for," she said, bluntly. "Though I wouldn't mind having a special candle made by you," she said, validating the child.
Why was she being incredibly nice to this little girl? Typically Maya was sarcastic, short worded and even kept more to herself, but it seemed not the case with Opeila.
"You are to be a third year next year. Will you be taking my class?" she asked, hoping that a child like her who would come up to her about something muggle-related would have an interest in the class. Maya needed more numbers in attendance and why not help with gaining that attendance by making them feel like they should join.
"You will learn more than just wax figures," she added, giving a small chuckle.
@Opeila Winters
CLOSED TO INTERACTIONS
Stamina: 11 || Evasion: 7 || Strength: 7 || Wisdom: 20 || ArcPower: 15 || Accuracy: 10
GALIM'S DESK
@Maya Galim
The professor's smile was encouraging to see. Had this after all been a good idea? It seemed so. Although Professor Galim warned the second year that shaping candles took a lot of time, she also said that she would love to have a special candle by Opeila. Something the child would most certainly keep in mind. "I didn't think that it's easy, but maybe it's a nice challenge to take on during the holidays.", Opeila said. Even if it didn't work, it would be nice to just try it out. If it didn't work, well... that would be goodbye to some sickles, but that was okay.
The Slytherin hadn't been quite prepared for the professor's next question if she would be taking Muggle Studies. Opeila bit her bottom lip, as she thought, smiling at the wax figure joke. "I was raised by a muggle and went to a muggle primary school. Lived in an almost entirely non-magical household for 11 and a half years. That's why I wasn't really thinking of it unless choosing all the subjects was an option. Is it?", she explained with an almost apologizing look. "It's just... I am a seer, that makes Divination... well, not really a choice. I need to know more about that power, gift, gene, whatever it is I have. The introduction to runes we got in History got me very fascinated and... I like animals. And don't know many magical ones. I never really heard about what would be taught in muggle studies to be honest.", she admitted.
GALIM'S DESK
@Opeila Winters
The child shared a lot about herself that Maya had no idea about. The fact that she was a muggle-born was one thought that she did not realize. Another was the fact that she was a Seer. Maya had not met many Seers and to see a young one who just figured out their purpose was a delight to have in company.
Listening to her rant of why she may not need to take Muggle Studies, Maya could not help but to smile at the small girl in front of her. She did have her reasons-- it was true that she had to take Divination in place of her class as an elective due to her ability.
"Here's some advice," she started, once the child was finished with her monologue. "Never forget who you were."
That was it. 'Never forget who you were.' It was a phrase that Maya stuck to when she was little and found out she was a Muggle-born rather than a Muggle. She vowed to herself that she would still connect with her Muggle identity despite the shift of magic in her life.
"You may now be magic and a Seer, but you were once a human muggle and a part of a society that will always exist for you," she added. Maya wondered what the Slytherin student would be thinking about her words of wisdom. Granted, she could have told her what they would be learning in Muggle Studies, but she thought that too naive. She wanted the child to understand from within how important the class was going to be for her.
CLOSED TO INTERACTIONS!
Stamina: 11 || Evasion: 7 || Strength: 7 || Wisdom: 20 || ArcPower: 15 || Accuracy: 10
GALIM'S DESK
@Maya Galim
Opeila had partly feared and partly expected disappointment from the professor's side. She had hoped very much that her reasoning not to take Muggle Studies would not be taken personally, especially as she did like the woman more and more the longer they spoke. But the smile never disappeared, it looked like Professor Galim really wasn't disappointed at her for it.
The Slytherin started to grow more wary anyway. She was sharing. She shouldn't be sharing. Opeila had worded some things in certain ways on purpose- it did sound like she was a muggleborn, but she had actually never revealed her bloodstatus. There was no reason to reveal that her witch mother had almost abandoned her and that was the reason why she had been raised by her muggle father. No reason to say a lot of things.
And yet, she felt the fragile parts of her inner wall threaten to crack again when the professor really seemed to listen to her, maybe even care. A reminder to Opeila why she didn't talk in private with professors so often.
Never forget who you were. An interesting piece of advice, one that Opeila could understand, but not quite apply to herself. What was there of her old life that she wanted to remember? Most of the time when she thought about her time before Hogwarts, the young girl felt bitter, sad, angry. Scared. And it was impossible to push the part away.
Different emotions would show in Opeila's face, sadness being the most clear one, before she regained control and her face went back to carrying a neutral expression. "What if who I was is no good memory? What if it is... holding me back from moving on?" The questions seemed to form themselves in Opeila's mouth. She didn't know if they would make any sense to the Professor, but she asked them anyway. Never forget who you were did not sound like the usual type of phrase one just randomly decided to go with. The Slytherin had a vague feeling that the Professor had spent some thought over things. Of what nature these things were, she was not sure yet.
It started to make more sense to the young girl when the Professor explained that Opeila was part of a society that would always exist for her. She did not answer her question about what they would learn in muggle studies.
"I live with pureblood... blood purists now. They don't like who I was. Pretend it all didn't exist and demand I do the same.", she admitted. Her tone had changed, her voice gotten quieter since she had first entered the office to ask about wax figures.
Did she want to go back? Opeila loved magic. She loved the things she could do with only a quick move of her hand, the wonders that they all seemed to discover every year. And yet her life had been a lot less complicated and less dangerous when she had still lived in the muggle world. But what was the use to forcefully hold on to a world, a life that seemed lost to her?
... And there she was, sharing too much again. Information that the Professor hadn't asked for, nor could do anything with. Opeila's problems, not Professor Galim's.
Quickly she sat up and tried to erase the last signs of sadness from her face. "I'm sorry, I- Thank you for your help." She smiled at the Professor.