The Spider-Man Meme, But It's Headmasters
AULIS VOROZHEYKIN.
KOLDOVSTORETZ. DIRECTOR OF STUDIES.
Russian. | English.
Spoken. | Thought.
Travel from Koldovstoretz to Hogwarts was not nearly as bad as it would have been for, say, Durmstrang or Beauxbâtons. The hassle of underwater ships and flying carriages seemed definitely worse than a quick Portkey, a little jerk in one's stomach area and a fast (if somewhat dizzying) flight through the air. Since becoming the Director of Studies at Koldovstoretz in February of 2025, Aulis had grown more than used to this manner of travel, since it seemed to be the preferred way for international gatherings between academies around the world. It didn't mean that he was completely comfortable with it, though, and his stomach was still turning after supper, when he finally retired to the cabin that was always his whensoever he came to visit the Scottish wizarding school.
Third from the left in the row of Headmasters' cabins - the familiar wooden handle turned under the Russian man's strong grip, and Aulis breathed a sigh of relief at not having to unlock it. Not that it would have been much of an issue for the thirty-one-year-old, who need neither a wand nor his voice in order to cast a simple Unlocking Charm - but still, it was better to simply know that Hogwarts had been ready for him. With a twitch of his fingers, the suitcase that had been levitating behind him floated in behind him as he passed the threshold, landing with a soft thump on the wood-panelled floor. The cabin was as small and as cozy as ever, filled with the familiar plants and chests he had grown to know over the past year. He pulled off his outer coat, a goldenrod yellow thing that practically screamed look at me!, and draped it over the lone chair in the corner, revealing underneath the patterned robe-like outfit of paisley and checkers that was somehow both clashing and stylish, fashionable and comfortable.
And then, from somewhere else. Clink.
Aulis froze in his tracks, his head immediately on a swivel. Had that noise come from the bathroom, offshooting to the west, or had it come from outside? Was someone else attempting to enter his cabin, his sacred space? Or - worse, was someone already here?
Unfortunately, a true Seer wouldn't have all of these questions. And so the Director lounged into the chair over which he had just placed his coat, black and white with a new backsplash of yellow, and crossed one leg over the other, leaning comfortably back and dramatically spreading his arms. If no one was truly there, this would be a show all for nothing, but if someone was, they would see the necessary façade: that he had seen them coming. "You may as well come out," he said, loudly, so that anyone attempting to enter from either door could hear clearly. "You are expected. Cards say you come."
The deck of tarot cards, always quite literally up his sleeve, slipped into his palm, and Aulis absent-mindedly shuffled through them with a practiced thumb. He hadn't actually read them since leaving Koldovstoretz this morning, but no one else needed to know that.
Third from the left in the row of Headmasters' cabins - the familiar wooden handle turned under the Russian man's strong grip, and Aulis breathed a sigh of relief at not having to unlock it. Not that it would have been much of an issue for the thirty-one-year-old, who need neither a wand nor his voice in order to cast a simple Unlocking Charm - but still, it was better to simply know that Hogwarts had been ready for him. With a twitch of his fingers, the suitcase that had been levitating behind him floated in behind him as he passed the threshold, landing with a soft thump on the wood-panelled floor. The cabin was as small and as cozy as ever, filled with the familiar plants and chests he had grown to know over the past year. He pulled off his outer coat, a goldenrod yellow thing that practically screamed look at me!, and draped it over the lone chair in the corner, revealing underneath the patterned robe-like outfit of paisley and checkers that was somehow both clashing and stylish, fashionable and comfortable.
And then, from somewhere else. Clink.
Aulis froze in his tracks, his head immediately on a swivel. Had that noise come from the bathroom, offshooting to the west, or had it come from outside? Was someone else attempting to enter his cabin, his sacred space? Or - worse, was someone already here?
Unfortunately, a true Seer wouldn't have all of these questions. And so the Director lounged into the chair over which he had just placed his coat, black and white with a new backsplash of yellow, and crossed one leg over the other, leaning comfortably back and dramatically spreading his arms. If no one was truly there, this would be a show all for nothing, but if someone was, they would see the necessary façade: that he had seen them coming. "You may as well come out," he said, loudly, so that anyone attempting to enter from either door could hear clearly. "You are expected. Cards say you come."
The deck of tarot cards, always quite literally up his sleeve, slipped into his palm, and Aulis absent-mindedly shuffled through them with a practiced thumb. He hadn't actually read them since leaving Koldovstoretz this morning, but no one else needed to know that.
|| DATE. 13th Apr. 2026 | LOCATION. Campgrounds, Hogwarts, SCT | OUTFIT. here | WORD COUNT. 517/200 ||
|| KEEN EYE | PERFECTIONIST II | CHARMER | NONVERBAL MAGIC | WANDLESS MAGIC | LEGILIMENS | OCCLUMENS ||
@Santiago Peralta
|| KEEN EYE | PERFECTIONIST II | CHARMER | NONVERBAL MAGIC | WANDLESS MAGIC | LEGILIMENS | OCCLUMENS ||
@Santiago Peralta
The Spider-Man Meme, But It's Headmasters
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date: 13/04/2026 mentions: @Aulis Vorozheykin |
C | C | campgrounds : location 570 : words |
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| C | It must have been at least seven years since the last time Santiago sat his foot on British soil. His slightly younger self was a frequent traveller, before work had become too demanding for week-long, sometimes even month-long trips. This was the first time he'd ever visited another magical school than his own, the one he happened to be here representing as its Headmaster. It was still difficult to believe, Santi thought as he transported his light luggage towards the cabin he'd be lodging in the next couple of days. What brought him to Scotland this time was not pleasure, but business. The students were invited to join the spring ball festivities. Meanwhile, he was simply expected to make sure the student under his watch stayed out of trouble. Visible trouble. The corners of his mouth tugged into a subtle, amused smile, reflecting on his past self. Back when he was a student, he would have jumped on any opportunity to take a break from the grind and go a bit wild, but that was just him. As far as he was concerned, his work during this event would be negligible; mingling here and there, though he still had to keep up a professional appearance since he technically was still on duty. Santiago had not planned to get into any altercations, and he hoped it would stay that way. Blissfully unaware of what awaited him, Santiago tugged at the handle to his cabin. Barely one foot inside, he heard a knowing voice call out, telling him—the only sensible answer since no one else was around—to show himself, and something about cards. Bewildered by the unexpected greeting, he had expected to be alone, after all, Santi dragged his suitcase into the main living area to see what the commotion was about. A handsome young man, wearing colorful, flamboyant robes lounged in one of the arm chairs. He looked to be around his age, give or take a few years. At his age, it was difficult to tell the difference. There was a certain quality of charm about him, too, though his attention was pulled from his face to his hands. Pale, slender fingers shuffled a deck of cards with practised ease. Judging by his expression and previous words, he had been expecting company, though he solemnly hoped a mundane deck of tarot cards hadn't delivered that information to him. His sisters were firm believers in manifestation and superstition that claimed to provide higher insight, but nothing seemed to have helped so far in combatting their never-ending stream of heartbreak and disappointments. Naturally, he was skeptical to undocumented powers without clear results. His face twitched once, resisting the urge to make a grimace that could have been considered rude. “The cards?” He echoed, confused about, well, everything from the moment he'd entered the cabin. For some reason he'd been under the impression that faculty did not share living spaces with others, especially not the same one-bed cabin. Admittedly, he'd had worse partners in considerably more crammed spaces, but by principle, he was skeptical about this man's attitude. “And what exactly did the cards tell you?” Santi wondered, firmly placing his luggage on the floor next to the bed, to mark that he was not going anywhere without some proper answers. “That this is my cabin, I hope.” Whatever they'd assumedly told him, he hoped it was for this man to leave. |
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Alluring | Scream | Charm | Temperamental
The Spider-Man Meme, But It's Headmasters
AULIS VOROZHEYKIN.
KOLDOVSTORETZ. DIRECTOR OF STUDIES.
Russian. | English.
Spoken. | Thought.
Sure enough, Aulis's keenly trained senses had not failed him, and within a moment, a strange man entered his cabin. Overtly handsome, with a jawline that could cut through glass (known to be one of the Koldovstoretz headmaster's weaknesses) and a shock of curly dark hair, the stranger peered at him with brown eyes from under a shadowed thick brow, and Aulis felt the moment his heart rate sped up. Tch. You always did have a soft spot for the pretty ones, he chided himself internally. Look at how well that turned out with Arturo. Or Akeem, for that matter. Focus, Aulya.
(Of course, for those unfamiliar with Aulis's story, @Arturo Reyes had held the title of the now-Director's boyfriend for several years before their breakup in 2022; when Art had landed a professorship - sorry, dukunship - at Tenūsa, Aulis had been forced to find a way to break up with him lest his sudden access to divinatory magic reveal the then-Vedmak of Divination's fraudulent activity. An accidentally faked cheating scandal had provided a good enough out. And as for @Akeem Toussaint, the brother of Aulis's best-friend's-wife-turned-actual-best-friend-of-his-too @Sarai Toussaint-Fleischer, the Director hadn't seen the handsome Care of Magical Creatures professor since their brief flirtation at the Fall Ball. He hadn't even made it to boyfriend.)
The white-haired man rose from his seat, spreading the cards in a wide arc over the tiny table beside him with a practiced flick of his wrist before stepping a few feet forward and giving the man a true once-over. Clearly, he thought that this was supposed to be his cabin, and Aulis chuckled, a sound filled with both mirth and mercy. "Third from left, yes? Is always cabin of Koldovstoretz director," he said with a compassionate grin, treating the man as if he were lost. "Not Castelobruxo headmaster." The man's identity wasn't hard to pinpoint, judging by his accent, which suggested he spoke Spanish as a native language, though exactly what dialect Aulis had zero clue. The Koldovstoretz head kept a running tab on what was going on at all the other schools, and in the two months since he had hosted the students from South America in his own wintry tundra, the news articles about the lovely @Catalina de la Torre being replaced with a man by the name of Santiago Peralta had not escaped his attention. The only issue: he hadn't had the time to create a file on this Peralta man yet, so other than his name and his recent acquisition of a powerful position, there wasn't much Aulis could use against him. Still, he moved towards the man and clapped him lightly on the shoulder, a friendly gesture. Hopefully, using his name would throw him off somehow. "Is all very new, no, Santiago? Castelobruxo is third on right. Wrong turn."
But then, something occurred to him - a nervous realisation. "Unless is full already," the Director mused, moving to the small window and peeking out of it to the cabin across the way. Sure enough, there was a light on inside, suggesting that someone else was already there. "You checked? What does Mr. Lear expect of us, to... share?" The final word was spoken with an accompanying shudder, a horrified tone, and a glance at the lone bed in the cabin. Granted, it was a large enough bed to fit more than one person with ease and plenty of room, and it certainly would not have been the first time Aulis had spent the night in a bed with a handsome man he barely knew, but here at Hogwarts just seemed... very much like something that would be frowned upon, if the other Headmasters were not also sharing. Shaking his head, he turned back to the man. "No, cannot be. Is certainly not your cabin, Mr. Peralta."
(Of course, for those unfamiliar with Aulis's story, @Arturo Reyes had held the title of the now-Director's boyfriend for several years before their breakup in 2022; when Art had landed a professorship - sorry, dukunship - at Tenūsa, Aulis had been forced to find a way to break up with him lest his sudden access to divinatory magic reveal the then-Vedmak of Divination's fraudulent activity. An accidentally faked cheating scandal had provided a good enough out. And as for @Akeem Toussaint, the brother of Aulis's best-friend's-wife-turned-actual-best-friend-of-his-too @Sarai Toussaint-Fleischer, the Director hadn't seen the handsome Care of Magical Creatures professor since their brief flirtation at the Fall Ball. He hadn't even made it to boyfriend.)
The white-haired man rose from his seat, spreading the cards in a wide arc over the tiny table beside him with a practiced flick of his wrist before stepping a few feet forward and giving the man a true once-over. Clearly, he thought that this was supposed to be his cabin, and Aulis chuckled, a sound filled with both mirth and mercy. "Third from left, yes? Is always cabin of Koldovstoretz director," he said with a compassionate grin, treating the man as if he were lost. "Not Castelobruxo headmaster." The man's identity wasn't hard to pinpoint, judging by his accent, which suggested he spoke Spanish as a native language, though exactly what dialect Aulis had zero clue. The Koldovstoretz head kept a running tab on what was going on at all the other schools, and in the two months since he had hosted the students from South America in his own wintry tundra, the news articles about the lovely @Catalina de la Torre being replaced with a man by the name of Santiago Peralta had not escaped his attention. The only issue: he hadn't had the time to create a file on this Peralta man yet, so other than his name and his recent acquisition of a powerful position, there wasn't much Aulis could use against him. Still, he moved towards the man and clapped him lightly on the shoulder, a friendly gesture. Hopefully, using his name would throw him off somehow. "Is all very new, no, Santiago? Castelobruxo is third on right. Wrong turn."
But then, something occurred to him - a nervous realisation. "Unless is full already," the Director mused, moving to the small window and peeking out of it to the cabin across the way. Sure enough, there was a light on inside, suggesting that someone else was already there. "You checked? What does Mr. Lear expect of us, to... share?" The final word was spoken with an accompanying shudder, a horrified tone, and a glance at the lone bed in the cabin. Granted, it was a large enough bed to fit more than one person with ease and plenty of room, and it certainly would not have been the first time Aulis had spent the night in a bed with a handsome man he barely knew, but here at Hogwarts just seemed... very much like something that would be frowned upon, if the other Headmasters were not also sharing. Shaking his head, he turned back to the man. "No, cannot be. Is certainly not your cabin, Mr. Peralta."
|| DATE. 13th Apr. 2026 | LOCATION. Campgrounds, Hogwarts, SCT | OUTFIT. here | WORD COUNT. 517/200 ||
|| KEEN EYE | PERFECTIONIST II | CHARMER | NONVERBAL MAGIC | WANDLESS MAGIC | LEGILIMENS | OCCLUMENS ||
@Santiago Peralta
dang, i use a silly banner and then you go and mog on me. i thought we were friends
|| KEEN EYE | PERFECTIONIST II | CHARMER | NONVERBAL MAGIC | WANDLESS MAGIC | LEGILIMENS | OCCLUMENS ||
@Santiago Peralta
dang, i use a silly banner and then you go and mog on me. i thought we were friends
The Spider-Man Meme, But It's Headmasters
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date: 13/04/2026 mentions: @Aulis Vorozheykin |
C | C | campgrounds : location 714 : words |
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| C | The handsome stranger stood, and Santi’s gaze followed as he rose to his full height. He was tall; from his position beside the lone bed, he appeared to be roughly the same height as himself, though broader at the shoulders. There was something performative in the way he held himself, from the shuffling of cards, to spreading them out on the table, even the clothes he wore. What’s with the cards? He, for one, did not see the appeal. Perhaps he just loved the attention. With his striking visuals, Santiago imagined that he attracted enough of it by simply existing. Something amused the man as he sauntered over. It showed in the slight curve of his mouth, softened only marginally by what could almost pass for a compassionate grin as he explained that the cabin was routinely assigned to the Koldovstoretz director. The Peruvian was skeptical of whether he was telling the truth; besides, he’d only picked the cabin that he’d been instructed to. If any mistakes had been made, it was out of his control. His gaze flickered from the man’s face to the hand on his shoulder in a friendly clap. Outwardly, the breach of personal space didn’t faze him. Inwardly, he felt a subtle spark of something. Without any formal introductions, the platinum blonde man pinned him by both his work title and first name. Hearing his name roll off the Russian man’s tongue caught him off guard, manifested in the appearance of a questioning crease between his brows. Compared to Santiago, he’d clearly done his research. Should he feel embarrassed that he hadn’t cared to research his corresponding headmasters and headmistresses across the ocean beforehand? Frankly, he’d been too busy with administrative details and getting settled into his new position to consider learning the name of every significant person he might encounter in his new role. And to be honest, what difference did it make if he didn’t have a face to attach the names to anyway? Apparently— according to the Koldovstoretz director, anyway— the Castelobruxo head was supposed to lodge in the third from the right. Santiago hadn’t checked, but one look out the window confirmed he would likely have run into the same problem if he’d waltzed in there too. "You checked? What does Mr. Lear expect of us, to... share?" The man uttered the word in a shudder. Santiago raised an eyebrow, not amused by the insinuation that sharing a cabin with him would have been an insult. Granted, he would rather have the space to himself, but there were certainly worse fates to suffer. His gaze followed his line of sight to the bed where there was plenty of room, though he seriously doubted that it was the Hogwarts headmaster's intention to play matchmaker. “No, cannot be. Is certainly not your cabin, Mr. Peralta.” While it was not the warmest welcome, if there hadn’t been a hint of condescension behind his accurate observation and “friendly” gestures, he would have found it attractive that the Russian knew his name. He still did, against his better judgement. Trying to remind himself that he was here for work, intrigue still got the better of him, an undercurrent of excitement stirring. Through his whole career leading up to this moment, only a handful of moments had truly challenged him to separate Santiago the private individual with his own set of desires and urges, and Santiago the professional. This might have qualified as one of them. “You’ve done your research,” Santiago pointed out first thing, a low hum shaping into a subtle chuckle, bottom lip caught between his teeth. It slipped free and he concluded, speaking clearly: “I’m flattered.” However, he wasn’t folding that easily. “I’m sorry to say that I don’t know who you are,” Santiago said with an indifferent shrug, then tilted his head a fraction. This time, it was his turn to give the other man a full assessment with his gaze. A slight smile appeared. “Though I can think of worse introductions than this arrangement, if it weren’t considered inappropriate.” Of course, Santiago was not a stranger to indecency in the company of attractive men and women. It was precisely the sort of situation he would have enjoyed breaking professionalism for, had it been anyone else, anywhere else. |
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"I love the silly banner though LOL"
Alluring | Scream | Charm | Temperamental
The Spider-Man Meme, But It's Headmasters
AULIS VOROZHEYKIN.
KOLDOVSTORETZ. DIRECTOR OF STUDIES.
Russian. | English.
Spoken. | Thought.
Santiago raised an eyebrow, ever-so-softly, and Aulis's heart skipped a beat. He did really love the pretty ones, and if someone had said that the man standing before him was not one of that category, the director of studies at Koldovstoretz likely would have immediately pulled out his tarot cards to predict that person's unavoidable and gruesome downfall. The perfect arch of the Spanish-speaker's brow didn't seem to suggest that he thought Aulis's fear of sharing a bed funny, but rather the opposite, and that told Aulis one of two things about his new potential roommate: either that he was the straightest man alive and wouldn't even think twice about sleeping next to a strange man, or that his heart was fluttering just the same.
For Aulis's professional sake, he hoped it was the former. But for his own sake, he hoped it was the latter.
In a normal situation, Aulis would have pulled out his secret weapon: his wandless, nonverbal casting of Legilimens, a way that enabled him to silently and secretly read the minds and memories of others without them being any the wiser. Unfortunately, he had a habit of not reading minds until the second date. Kidding; he had absolutely searched the crevasses of Arturo's brain the second they had met. But he had also known things about @Arturo Reyes beforehand, due to his research - and this one seemed like a challenge, seeing as how Aulis knew next to nothing about him aside from his moniker and occupation. And Aulis did so ever enjoy a challenge.
So he settled for a shrug when the Castelobruxo head accused him of having dug into his identity beforehand. "I wish I could say I have time for research," he said casually, and this time, it was actually true. "You are much too new to job. Is cards that tell me things." Aulis gestured back to the spray of black-and-gold tarot that still lay grandiosely on the table behind them, then plucked at a lock of his own white-blond hair, as if it should have been obvious to the other man upon walking into the cabin. "And Sight, of course. But I would not mind seeing more of face like yours in visions."
And there it was: the gauntlet. If the other man's pulse had picked up like his own had, the barely-hidden flirtation would be easily detected; if his tastes tended more towards the feminine persuasion, it would fly under the radar. That Santiago had called it inappropriate did not escape his notice, but that could mean in a professional sense. Medvedev knew that Aulis was not used to operating on this little of information around handsome men.
Aulis took his hand from Santiago's shoulder and extended it for a hearty shake. "I am called Aulis Vorozheykin, and am Koldovstoretz Director. You can call Aulis. Is nice to meet you, too." He gave a hefty sigh, then, and turned away, breaking eye contact in an attempt to calm his blood pressure. "We must figure how to make work for tonight, and I will talk to Lear in morning. Maybe are more children visiting this year than last."
For Aulis's professional sake, he hoped it was the former. But for his own sake, he hoped it was the latter.
In a normal situation, Aulis would have pulled out his secret weapon: his wandless, nonverbal casting of Legilimens, a way that enabled him to silently and secretly read the minds and memories of others without them being any the wiser. Unfortunately, he had a habit of not reading minds until the second date. Kidding; he had absolutely searched the crevasses of Arturo's brain the second they had met. But he had also known things about @Arturo Reyes beforehand, due to his research - and this one seemed like a challenge, seeing as how Aulis knew next to nothing about him aside from his moniker and occupation. And Aulis did so ever enjoy a challenge.
So he settled for a shrug when the Castelobruxo head accused him of having dug into his identity beforehand. "I wish I could say I have time for research," he said casually, and this time, it was actually true. "You are much too new to job. Is cards that tell me things." Aulis gestured back to the spray of black-and-gold tarot that still lay grandiosely on the table behind them, then plucked at a lock of his own white-blond hair, as if it should have been obvious to the other man upon walking into the cabin. "And Sight, of course. But I would not mind seeing more of face like yours in visions."
And there it was: the gauntlet. If the other man's pulse had picked up like his own had, the barely-hidden flirtation would be easily detected; if his tastes tended more towards the feminine persuasion, it would fly under the radar. That Santiago had called it inappropriate did not escape his notice, but that could mean in a professional sense. Medvedev knew that Aulis was not used to operating on this little of information around handsome men.
Aulis took his hand from Santiago's shoulder and extended it for a hearty shake. "I am called Aulis Vorozheykin, and am Koldovstoretz Director. You can call Aulis. Is nice to meet you, too." He gave a hefty sigh, then, and turned away, breaking eye contact in an attempt to calm his blood pressure. "We must figure how to make work for tonight, and I will talk to Lear in morning. Maybe are more children visiting this year than last."
|| DATE. 13th Apr. 2026 | LOCATION. Campgrounds, Hogwarts, SCT | OUTFIT. here | WORD COUNT. 527/200 ||
|| KEEN EYE | PERFECTIONIST II | CHARMER | NONVERBAL MAGIC | WANDLESS MAGIC | LEGILIMENS | OCCLUMENS ||
@Santiago Peralta
|| KEEN EYE | PERFECTIONIST II | CHARMER | NONVERBAL MAGIC | WANDLESS MAGIC | LEGILIMENS | OCCLUMENS ||
@Santiago Peralta
The Spider-Man Meme, But It's Headmasters
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date: 13/04/2026 mentions: @Aulis Vorozheykin |
C | C | campgrounds : location 728 : words |
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| C | The importance of the cards was still a mystery. For the sake of his attraction to the man, Santi could dismiss that part—hell, even found something mildly endearing about it, but that he attributed his prior knowledge on them wasn’t half as surprising as the news about the man’s Seer gift. His eyebrows rose in visible surprise as his gaze darted to the white strands between the other man’s fingers, squinting, as if he hadn’t noticed the striking hair-color until then. It was one of the first things he’d noticed; given his pale complexion and Eastern European accent, it wasn’t an unusual enough feature that he’d immediately jump to the conclusion that he was a Seer. His encounters with people who claimed to have the gift were sparse in the first place. Naturally, it was not at the forefront of his mind. With that said, it did explain some of the behavior. “I was just wondering what the cards were all about. So, you’re a Seer?” Santi followed up, looking back into the blonde’s eyes with a twinkle of intrigue. The flirty comment was almost completely lost amidst the revelation. Crossing his arms over his waist, he tilted his head with a slightly bemused smile with just enough curiosity to come across as genuine. His curiosity was genuine, or else he wouldn’t have asked at all, but the major motivation behind his question was initially skepticism. Divination remained largely unexplored territory in Santiago’s life, preferring things that could be measured by results, preferably immediately, and things that were predictable. Possessing very limited knowledge about the Sight, as the Russian man called it, meant that his own opinions about it were based on the fifth-year curriculum and common prejudices. Regarding the latter, Santi hadn’t considered it enough to truly have prejudices against people who practised it religiously, though he was skeptical to how much of it was facts versus wishful thinking. Therefore, he couldn’t confidently claim to know how the Sight worked, whether having the Sight meant that you saw everything that was about to happen, even minimal actions, or only random visions that were significant in a larger picture. Intuitively, Santiago would have imagined that the latter definition was textbook, but he was not in a position to question the man’s competence. To be honest, it didn’t interest him enough to even try. Did it make him less attracted to him? Not really. However, if he was indeed correct, Santi had a hard time believing that his change of career path was of enough importance that a man across the world would have seen him coming. For that reason, he thought there was something questionable about his performance. For now, his reservations remained his own, carefully contained behind a thoughtful smile. “That explains some of it.” Santi let his gaze linger a moment longer than necessary before he spoke again. “That sounds like an enlightening skill to have. I would have liked to know earlier what kind of distraction this was going to be.” A slight playful tease tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Then I would have come more prepared.” Without any further questions about the Sight, he allowed the conversation to move on to formal introduction and logistics. Finally receiving the name of the man, Aulis reached out to shake his hand, which Santi accepted with a firm handshake. They were once again back to the root problem: what were they going to do about the lodging situation? During the interaction, he thought there had been some mutual interest coming from Aulis, judging by the way his hand had lingered, and the way he keenly observed him. Once the attention was gone, he found himself wishing it had stayed. Santiago was usually more forward, but since he was here on duty, he knew better than to act on impulse. Regarding the situation, he thought that he had made it quite clear that sharing was not a major obstacle for him. Perhaps he hadn’t been clear enough. “I don’t mind sharing one night,” he answered plainly with a shrug of his shoulders. A slip of humor mixed with suggestiveness, depending on how you saw it, entered his tone as he added, “It would hardly have been the first time, especially with handsome foreign men.” If his stance hadn't been obvious before then, it was now. |
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Alluring | Scream | Charm | Temperamental