9 Aug 2020, 14:56
Careful there
2nd of September 2020, 07:05 am
It was still pretty early when Ileen left the Slytherin Common Room. At seven o'clock sharp she had summoned up all her courage, had gotten up from the sofa on which she had been sitting like it was made of hot coals for the past two hours.
Yesterday evening they had returned to Hogwarts. It was nice to be back home and catch up with her friends. Since Dee and Ileen had spent the whole summer together, they had grown even closer. But she had also chatted with Erik in the Common Room yesterday and introduced herself to her new roommates.
And today was the day. She had decided to ask for help - again. And she knew one thing: If she didn’t do it today, she’d probably never do it. The decision to not return to her parents during the summer camp and their lack of response had further strengthened her desire, indeed her craving, to finally get to the bottom of their actions.
So today, on her first official school day, she had thrown on her robe, gathered all her willpower and made her way to the caretaker's office. The caretaker... A shiver ran down her spine and she winced slightly, trying to shake off the shudder. He was one of the adults Ileen prefered to keep some distance from. She never had met him in person so far, she had only seen him walking around at Hogwarts, but something about him was scaring the heck out of her. He was one of the people you better avoided, and so far she'd done pretty well with it, just keeping her head down when he had been near and taking cover. Be invisible. At least she hoped so...
Unfortunately, he was the only person that came to her mind who might be able to help her, so she would have to bite the bullet and just ask. He couldn't do worse than say no, could he? Better to get it over with soon.
She hoped he would be already awake at this time of the day. With her heart racing in her chest she turned into the corridor where his office was. Well - part of her hoped he wasn’t around. Then she could come back later?
The young Slytherin stopped and shook her head at herself. She wasn’t afraid. Why would she? She just should pull herself together, not make any excuses, and ask! How hard could that be? With a deep inhale she gathered her determination and stepped firmly toward the office door. She wouldn't give up that easily.
It was weird how her quiet steps echoed in the deserted corridors. The pale sun already painted a pattern on the stone floor and let the dust glitter mysteriously in the air. Ileen really couldn’t understand how anyone could still be asleep at this time of the day - although she probably wouldn’t love this time so much when there would be more people around.
The young Slytherin brushed a strand of her dark hair from her eyes and hesitated. She pricked up her ears and listened. Could she hear anything in the office? Was he there yet?
She raised her hand to knock, but stopped again. Frozen in this weird almost-knocking position, she hesitated again. Was it such a smart idea to disturb him this early? Well, maybe his patience was not used up then?
She arched her back and put on her usual serious facial expressions. You could tell from the shadows under her dark brown eyes that sleeplessness had tormented her for some time at night. She had only combed through her otherwise neat hair with her fingers.
With one last moment of hesitation she knocked three times against the door - perhaps with too much determination and therefore a bit stronger than intended. You could see that she was trying to look confident and fearless, maybe she was even trying a little too hard. But this was important.
Knock Knock @Marcus Iwasaki
Last edited by Ileen Knight on 21 Aug 2020, 14:49, edited 3 times in total.
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
20 Aug 2020, 18:57
Careful there
It was finally hour twenty-four. Marcus had now been awake for an entire day, and he still had a long while before he would go to sleep. Staying awake was part of his pre-transformation routine, since he preferred to spend his time as a wolf sleeping. Staying awake for a day or two beforehand was very effective in helping that happen. He had briefly questioned whether he should change his routine - considering he would now be transforming in the presence of the werewolf students at Hogwarts - but he ended up sticking with what he knew.
Another thing Marcus knew? Coffee was his biggest friend during these times. It helped him stay awake and was much more effective than tea. Although tea had a huge place in his life - he had grown up on it and had quite the palette for it - coffee was just a whole other level. He needed that punch of caffeine to get through days like today. And surprisingly enough - it really helped with the nausea that his upcoming transformation caused. He hadn't properly eaten for the same amount of time he'd been awake - knowing that anything beyond bland crackers would just come right back up.
So here he was, settled into his office and easing his stomach with another cup of coffee and some crackers. His mood at the moment was that of a cranky old man despite being only thirty-five years of age. The hunger, the nausea, and the anxiety of the upcoming full moon meant he would not make good company today - he intended to sulk in his office all day, knowing that if he had to deal with children causing mischief on their second day back at the castle, he would likely explode on them.
The knock on the door was a bit surprising. A glance at the clock revealed that students were only just now being let out of their dorms. Seven was the earliest that students were allowed out of their common rooms, so this was probably a fellow staff member then.
Marcus put down his coffee on the desk and got to his feet, crossing the office in just a few strides. He opened the door in a fluid motion. His amber eyes had to fall a bit to find the student that had knocked, considering he had anticipated a grown adult. He found himself looking at a young girl with dark hair and eyes. She was tall enough to be a third year, maybe. He wouldn't know - children weren't his forte. Half of them seemed taller than their age suggested, and the other half were beyond short. His took in the dark circles under her eyes, and the determined look on her face. Of all the days for a student to approach him - this girl had chosen the worst one.
Marcus arched an eyebrow expectantly, "Well?" Clearly she was here for a reason, and he expected a good one.
Another thing Marcus knew? Coffee was his biggest friend during these times. It helped him stay awake and was much more effective than tea. Although tea had a huge place in his life - he had grown up on it and had quite the palette for it - coffee was just a whole other level. He needed that punch of caffeine to get through days like today. And surprisingly enough - it really helped with the nausea that his upcoming transformation caused. He hadn't properly eaten for the same amount of time he'd been awake - knowing that anything beyond bland crackers would just come right back up.
So here he was, settled into his office and easing his stomach with another cup of coffee and some crackers. His mood at the moment was that of a cranky old man despite being only thirty-five years of age. The hunger, the nausea, and the anxiety of the upcoming full moon meant he would not make good company today - he intended to sulk in his office all day, knowing that if he had to deal with children causing mischief on their second day back at the castle, he would likely explode on them.
The knock on the door was a bit surprising. A glance at the clock revealed that students were only just now being let out of their dorms. Seven was the earliest that students were allowed out of their common rooms, so this was probably a fellow staff member then.
Marcus put down his coffee on the desk and got to his feet, crossing the office in just a few strides. He opened the door in a fluid motion. His amber eyes had to fall a bit to find the student that had knocked, considering he had anticipated a grown adult. He found himself looking at a young girl with dark hair and eyes. She was tall enough to be a third year, maybe. He wouldn't know - children weren't his forte. Half of them seemed taller than their age suggested, and the other half were beyond short. His took in the dark circles under her eyes, and the determined look on her face. Of all the days for a student to approach him - this girl had chosen the worst one.
Marcus arched an eyebrow expectantly, "Well?" Clearly she was here for a reason, and he expected a good one.
Marcus' Intimidation is in effect.It is a sentiment that enters people's hearts when they are in your presence. They feel dis-ease when you are present, even if the interaction is casual or even friendly.
@Ileen Knight
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
2 Sep 2020, 11:32
Careful there
Uah. When the door opened and the almond-shaped amber eyes looked down on her, Ileen remembered even more clearly than before why she had preferred to keep her distance. Flying under the radar had been a good way to avoid these piercing eyes.
A cold shiver ran down her spine and she had to summon all her strength to not take a step back. Apparently, she had been mistaken - his nerves had probably been used up by the first day of school. Or maybe he was just generally like that to keep annoying students at bay, something she could understand. In any case, he did not look pleased. And he didn't sound like that either. But hey, at least he was already awake.
Also, he didn't look as if she had just woken him up, but rather as if he had had a sleepless night himself - an impression, which was strengthened by the strong smell of coffee that had blown out into the corridor when the door had been opened. Maybe he had just slept badly and had therefore been on his feet for a while.
Probably it was also due to the attitude with which she had approached the whole thing, but his unfriendly greeting, if one could call it that at all, made her immediately defensive. Was he trying to scare her off? Although she was visibly uncomfortable, she pulled herself together. No. She wouldn't give in now just because an adult didn't receive her in a friendly and open manner. If he thought he could just turn her away like that, he was wrong. She had not broken any rules and was allowed to leave the common room already, so why should she be afraid?!
Angry about her own insecurity, she gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists to strengthen her goal to not get intimidated. The defiance was clearly reflected in her face as she tried to shake off the discomfort and straighten up to her full height. Her brown eyes were fixed on his and she had the strange feeling that she would have already lost if she turned her gaze away. "Good morning. Sir." The disapproval in her tone was hard to ignore and she wrinkled her nose. Please. He was a professor. Shouldn't he set an example and be a little more polite?
Up until now, professors had always been her first port of call - after Dee, of course since they were adults and reasonable - people you could confide in. She had already assumed that the caretaker was different and therefore tried to avoid him because he was just creepy.
But she needed him. So she pulled herself together and fought down her resentment. "I'm sorry to bother you so early." She wasn’t. "I have a question." She was visibly unhappy discussing this topic between the door and the hinges, even though she did not know if she would prefer being in the same room with this person. Here, she could still run. Ah, come on. Don't be silly, Knight.
Her gaze wandered to the right and left for a moment before she focused again on the man in front of her. It annoyed her that she had to look up at him, a fact that made his superior position even clearer to her. "Can I come in for a moment? It's a matter I'd rather not discuss in the hallway." She had said it. If he wouldn't let her in, she would ask him anyway. He couldn't say more than no. Hopefully.
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
3 Nov 2020, 14:20
Careful there
A grin tugged at Marcus' lips at the tone in which this girl said good morning, but he quickly wiped it away. It was interesting to have this girl talk to him in such a way, clearly peeved about his less-than-polite greeting to her. But no, it was not a good morning. And he would not put up a front to say as much just for a student. If a professor had been the one knocking, he might have indeed greeted them with a "good morning," but a child who was knocking on his door at ungodly morning hours deserved no such façade. He was impressed, though, that she had the nerve to stick around and not immediately give up. This sort of greeting had scared off plenty of children in past, so he was mildly interested in what the girl had to say. Clearly she really wanted a conversation if she was willing to put up with him.
His amber eyes refocused as she went on to apologize for disturbing him (another grin tugging at his lip at the forced politeness), then said she had a question. What information did she think he had that could help her? He was newer to this school than she probably was, but perhaps she didn't know that. So many of the staff members here had attended Hogwarts in their youth, but he was not one of them. Thus, he imagined whatever question she had would be better suited for them.
"You may come in," Marcus replied, keeping his expression neutral as he corrected her phrasing. Two could play at the little passive-aggressive politeness game, and he was having a bit of fun with it. He took a step back, opening the door wider and allowing the girl entrance. Assuming she were to follow through with her request, he would close the door behind her but keep his eyes trained on her.
The office was almost impeccably clean - at least far cleaner than how he had found it. The shelves were dusted and although the books were old, it seemed they were all organized. And there were three seats in the room - the armchair by the window, the desk chair, and a chair for guests (which seemed like the most uncomfortable out of the three choices). He wondered if she would take a seat, but he would not invite her to do so. No need for this to be dragged on.
"So what is it you think I can help you with?" he asked, making his way over to the window in the corner. The end of his question had sounded strange as he fought back a sudden wave of nausea, his face cringing slightly in response to it. He did not like having company to witness his pre-full-moon sickness. "And let's try to make this quick," he added with his back to her. His hands were shaking slightly as he raised his cup of coffee to his lips. For some reason, coffee settled his stomach better than anything else he tried, perhaps because of his slight obsession with caffeine. In particular on days like this when he had been up for over twenty-four hours.
His amber eyes refocused as she went on to apologize for disturbing him (another grin tugging at his lip at the forced politeness), then said she had a question. What information did she think he had that could help her? He was newer to this school than she probably was, but perhaps she didn't know that. So many of the staff members here had attended Hogwarts in their youth, but he was not one of them. Thus, he imagined whatever question she had would be better suited for them.
"You may come in," Marcus replied, keeping his expression neutral as he corrected her phrasing. Two could play at the little passive-aggressive politeness game, and he was having a bit of fun with it. He took a step back, opening the door wider and allowing the girl entrance. Assuming she were to follow through with her request, he would close the door behind her but keep his eyes trained on her.
The office was almost impeccably clean - at least far cleaner than how he had found it. The shelves were dusted and although the books were old, it seemed they were all organized. And there were three seats in the room - the armchair by the window, the desk chair, and a chair for guests (which seemed like the most uncomfortable out of the three choices). He wondered if she would take a seat, but he would not invite her to do so. No need for this to be dragged on.
"So what is it you think I can help you with?" he asked, making his way over to the window in the corner. The end of his question had sounded strange as he fought back a sudden wave of nausea, his face cringing slightly in response to it. He did not like having company to witness his pre-full-moon sickness. "And let's try to make this quick," he added with his back to her. His hands were shaking slightly as he raised his cup of coffee to his lips. For some reason, coffee settled his stomach better than anything else he tried, perhaps because of his slight obsession with caffeine. In particular on days like this when he had been up for over twenty-four hours.
@Ileen Knight
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
15 Nov 2020, 15:21
Careful there
Defiantly, Ileen gritted her teeth and stubbornly returned the gaze of the amber eyes. Still, she felt like someone had walked over her grave and she suppressed a shudder. She refused to be intimidated! As she registered the smile tugging on the corners of his mouth, she pulled her brows together and glared at him. Great, now he was making fun of her.
Really, what a role model. If you asked him for help, he would make fun of you - oh and correct you. Ileen seriously wondered who had come up with the idea of hiring this man. But now she had to pull herself together. She had expected not to be welcomed with open arms and after all she needed something from him. “Thank you, Sir.” With a piercing look and a forced polite tone, she walked past him into the room, paying meticulous attention to keep as much distance from him as possible.
She was too busy being annoyed that he had corrected her wording to be surprised that he actually let her into his office. Only when she stood in the room and the door behind her closed with a strangely final sound she realized she was now locked in a room with him.
She stopped in the room for a moment and breathed deeply to calm her beating heart and fight her flight instinct. Her hands were clasped tightly into her robe and when she noticed that, she pulled her hands back into her sleeves, annoyed by her defensive gesture. She didn't want to give him any additional reason to pick on her.
Okay, the deep breathing didn't really help. The whole office smelled strongly of coffee and the young girl wrinkled her nose disparagingly before turning to the professor. She was very uncomfortable having him in her back and preferred not to let him out of her sight.
Without offering her a seat, he strolled to the window to sip his coffee. Merlin, it was seven in the morning! Didn't he know that excessive coffee consumption was unhealthy? That's probably why his voice had been swaying - hopefully he didn't pass out from a caffeine shock.
“Thank you, I’d gladly have a seat.” This man really had no manners. The girl wasn't sure if he was testing her or if he was just basically always unfriendly, but it didn't matter.
The disapproval was written all over Ileen's face and unable to stop her defiant reaction she went to the very uncomfortable chair in front of the desk and sat down on the edge of it. She was aware that her current behavior probably wouldn't get her anywhere, but the indignation and spite brought out a side of her that wasn't often seen. She looked at the coffee cup with half a smile. “Are you all right, Professor? Did you know that people who drink coffee regularly in the morning get used to caffeine and at some point need coffee to be as awake as people who don't drink it? Caffeine is a nerve poison and you should be more careful. After all, it is quite unhealthy.”
The words had slipped out of her mind before she had really thought about it and she slightly pulled her head in. “And uhm… I was just wondering if you happen to have any documentation of past detentions. Maybe from 1997?” That would not reveal much information about her. It would be best if this man knew as little as possible. Her heart was pounding as she waited for an answer.
@Marcus Iwasaki
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
22 Jan 2021, 15:31
Careful there
After Marcus took his sip of coffee, he felt somewhat better and turned to look at the girl that occupied his office. She was thanking him for the seat, and he nodded in acknowledgement. He was playing along, acting as if he had actually offered her that seat. As she sat on the chair in front of his desk, Marcus stayed at the window and leaned back against it, maintaining eye contact. She was an interesting one, her passive aggression was both loud and subtle. The interesting contrast was the only reason that Marcus did not feel inclined to immediately kick her out.
An eyebrow raise when she started spouting off facts about caffeine. A nerve poison? Unhealthy? Did she think he did not already know these facts about something he regularly consumed? That was fine. Let her underestimate his knowledge, he would let her feel like the smart one for now.
"I'm quite all right, thank you for asking," was all he responded with, and while still maintaining eye contact, he took another sip of his "nerve poison." "I take it you don't want any then," Offering her a cup of coffee, Marcus could not hold back a small grin as he waited for her to deny the offer. Her commenting on his drink of choice was certainly one way to try to get information out of him. Not the right way, but definitely one way.
"1997? I'll need more information than that," Marcus said, his eyes traveling to his desk which held expansive file drawers. At the end of last semester - the week he had been hired - he had made a point of organizing all the records in the office. He had even practiced a few spells to help with the task, and it turned out well enough. He knew where most things were. "A name, perhaps? Yours to start, of course. And then a good reason I'm looking for a 1997 detention record," his eyes traveled back to the girl as he set down his cup of coffee and crossed his muscled arms. He was kind of curious now about what she was up to.
An eyebrow raise when she started spouting off facts about caffeine. A nerve poison? Unhealthy? Did she think he did not already know these facts about something he regularly consumed? That was fine. Let her underestimate his knowledge, he would let her feel like the smart one for now.
"I'm quite all right, thank you for asking," was all he responded with, and while still maintaining eye contact, he took another sip of his "nerve poison." "I take it you don't want any then," Offering her a cup of coffee, Marcus could not hold back a small grin as he waited for her to deny the offer. Her commenting on his drink of choice was certainly one way to try to get information out of him. Not the right way, but definitely one way.
"1997? I'll need more information than that," Marcus said, his eyes traveling to his desk which held expansive file drawers. At the end of last semester - the week he had been hired - he had made a point of organizing all the records in the office. He had even practiced a few spells to help with the task, and it turned out well enough. He knew where most things were. "A name, perhaps? Yours to start, of course. And then a good reason I'm looking for a 1997 detention record," his eyes traveled back to the girl as he set down his cup of coffee and crossed his muscled arms. He was kind of curious now about what she was up to.
@Ileen Knight
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
5 Feb 2021, 16:49
Careful there
Another cold shiver ran down her spine as the man turned around and fixed her with these amber piercing eyes.
Although everything about him had a warm color, his eyes, his skin, his aura was all the cooler.
Something about him, and Ileen couldn't put her finger on it, just gave her the feeling that someone walked over her grave and turned her stomach. She would have liked to get up and take the furthest spot in the office to put as much distance between them as possible. And he didn't even look unfriendly. On the contrary. He seemed to be amused by her.
Her heart pounded and her fingers clenched briefly on the edge of the chair. He wanted to make her feel insecure and she would not allow that. She only hoped he hadn't seen the crumbling of her facade. She didn't want to reveal that exposure.
When he assumed that she didn't want one in response to her hint about the health contribution of coffee, she tilted her head and was only able to suppress making a face at him with a lot of effort. Haha. Very funny.
“I'm twelve and shouldn't be drinking coffee yet, but thank you for the offer," she said as gracefully as possible. And you should be aware of that. “But I would take a cup of tea, now that you are asking.” The words had escaped her before she had been able to bite her tongue. Well, what the hell. She could play the game too. The hint of defiance drove an exaggeratedly coquettish smile onto her face. "Thank you, Sir, very thoughtful."
The young girl was aware that this was probably not the right approach to get him in a more cooperative mood, but spurred on by his counterattack, this had become the secondary goal. The first was now to win this game of sarcasm.
As he asked for her name, she tilted her head and gave him another smile. “Oh, sorry. How rude of me disturbing you in your morning without properly introducing myself.” Although she was by no means as calm as she pretended to be, she returned his gaze firmly and strained her back. "I am Ileen. Ileen Knight."
Now it became critical. She didn't trust the man to reveal the whole truth, of course, but she probably had to give out some information if she wanted to get anywhere.
A shadow slid over her face and suddenly she looked very serious. "I'm looking for offenses committed by the Knight family in this year." The words came out more pressed and she gritted her teeth.
@Marcus Iwasaki
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
7 Jun 2021, 22:03
Careful there
Marcus' eyes were sharp in more ways than one. He noticed the way the student clenched her chair, but he did not say anything about this action. It was a reaction to him that he was far too used to, and found minimal amusement in. His expression became a tad more serious. Sure, her sarcasm had been humorous and something he found to be a good challenge, but he did not find joy in the fact that his very presence put people on edge. Even Nora had an instinctive reaction to him like this at times.
Nevertheless, he heard her out on the coffee and gained a tiny bit of his smirk back. "How unfortunate that I don't have any tea on hand," Marcus said, sounding remorseful when it was clear to both that he was not. "But yes, I am being quite thoughtful, aren't I?"
The young girl finally introduced herself as Ileen Knight. The name didn't ring any bells, but he hadn't really expected it to. He was definitely going to make note of her for the future. "A real pleasure to meet you, Ms Knight," he commented, the game of sarcasm between them continuing. Although he had firmly held her gaze during her introduction, he looked away in the next moment to go to the office's files.
"So you come from a line of troublemakers, eh?" he asked, mostly as a joke as it was delivered rather flippantly. He opened a drawer as she spoke of wanting any offenses from the Knight family in that year - 1997. But as he looked in the drawer, he was a bit shocked to find that all the files in there looked completely disarrayed. They were completely messed about and unorganized. It was like something had shaken the office. He admittedly hadn't thought to check every drawer of his office upon moving back in for the school year, but it seemed some of them had fallen out of organization. A simple fix, but not today. He was in no mood today.
"Unfortunately, I'm unable to help at the moment. It seems some of my files are a bit... disarrayed," he admitted, closing the bookcase drawer and turning back to face her. "Perhaps you'll have better luck checking in with the Head of House associated with that of your relative," he suggested, at this point wanting Ms Knight to take her leave. He was exhausted. It was now hour twenty-five of being awake, and he really did not want to continue this socialization. "Maybe they have records of past students, too," he theorized, though he had no idea if it was true.
Nevertheless, he heard her out on the coffee and gained a tiny bit of his smirk back. "How unfortunate that I don't have any tea on hand," Marcus said, sounding remorseful when it was clear to both that he was not. "But yes, I am being quite thoughtful, aren't I?"
The young girl finally introduced herself as Ileen Knight. The name didn't ring any bells, but he hadn't really expected it to. He was definitely going to make note of her for the future. "A real pleasure to meet you, Ms Knight," he commented, the game of sarcasm between them continuing. Although he had firmly held her gaze during her introduction, he looked away in the next moment to go to the office's files.
"So you come from a line of troublemakers, eh?" he asked, mostly as a joke as it was delivered rather flippantly. He opened a drawer as she spoke of wanting any offenses from the Knight family in that year - 1997. But as he looked in the drawer, he was a bit shocked to find that all the files in there looked completely disarrayed. They were completely messed about and unorganized. It was like something had shaken the office. He admittedly hadn't thought to check every drawer of his office upon moving back in for the school year, but it seemed some of them had fallen out of organization. A simple fix, but not today. He was in no mood today.
"Unfortunately, I'm unable to help at the moment. It seems some of my files are a bit... disarrayed," he admitted, closing the bookcase drawer and turning back to face her. "Perhaps you'll have better luck checking in with the Head of House associated with that of your relative," he suggested, at this point wanting Ms Knight to take her leave. He was exhausted. It was now hour twenty-five of being awake, and he really did not want to continue this socialization. "Maybe they have records of past students, too," he theorized, though he had no idea if it was true.
@Ileen Knight
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
12 Oct 2021, 09:59
Careful there
Although the young girl felt as uncomfortable as before she couldn’t help but notice the great quality for banter in this conversation. Even though they were not on the same level their communication worked quite well. Ileen would never admit it, but when he told her with mock regret that he had no tea here, the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily. She quickly bit her lip and drew her brows together to scowl as much as possible. He was rude and sinister, had fun with how people reacted to his aura - she never, ever had anything in common with him. She did not like him and that would not change! She had no idea that they would continue this kind of sarcastic conversation in a written way…
When the grown man announced to the student what a great pleasure it was to meet you and did not even respond to her indirect reference to his rudeness, she could only with difficulty suppress a mocking snort. This visit was really a pure alternation between fear and defiance. Now the defiance gained the upper hand again and her face smoothed into a jovial smile. "All mine. I'd do a curtsy, but I just sat down." Oops. That might have been a little too far now. She would have liked to bite her tongue, but the words had already escaped her. She stared at him for a moment, surprised by her own thirstiness, then squinted her eyes and shook her head, as if to get rid of an annoying thought. "Please excuse me. I didn't mean that." She had. But she would rather have just thought it.
She couldn’t take it anymore. It was like the chair was on fire. She couldn’t wait to actually get out of here. When he actually took his piercing eyes from her and turned to the drawer, Ileen let out a relieved sigh. Only very softly, but clearly audible in the quiet office, and immediately the blood rushed to her face. She didn't want him to know how tense she was under his gaze and what a physical relief it was for her that his eyes were no longer on her.
That he actually did something to help her reached her only with delay and was, although the reason why she was here at first, secondary. She couldn’t help but be surprised that he actually looked in his drawers. Maybe he realized it was just the fastest way to get rid of her? Oh, but wait. Maybe he was just pretending. He looked in his drawers like five seconds before he announced that he couldn’t help her.
Given her attitude she had probably done the same, but she’d never admit that. Well, at least she had tried. And this battle was not over yet, but leaving was a pressing urge to her now.
She tried to stand up in such a controlled manner that she did not give the impression that she would have liked to run away. Her face was stony as she forced herself to return his gaze. "I suppose so. But I intend to break this trend." Why did she say that? It felt like she was justifying herself. He didn't have to ask her to leave. She was halfway to the door and turned around once more. "Thank you for your help, Sir. I'll ask Prof. Jensen then. It's nice to know you're a sympathetic ear." She wasn't even sure herself if that was meant ironically or not. He had at least made a minimal effort to hear her out. The disappointment of her failure washed away all other feelings. She was just tired now. She had spoken to Professors already. No one knew anything.
@Marcus Iwasaki
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."