Trying Times Call For Desperate Measures Finish

Kara was just sitting there, trying to pull herself together, and she almost didn't dare face Chiadovini, so she kept her head down, but a certain smell had perked her up. When she looked up, the thing she was smelling was actually coffee. Chiadovini had a face that seemed angry, or somewhat discouraged, so it made Kara self conscious. Kara was pretty good at reading peoples emotions through reactions, expressions, body language, and tone of voice. But this man was the exception, so she was quite disappointed in herself. However, as time may go on, she may learn better, and might succeed, but as of now, that is unachievable.

He started muttering to himself, trying to figure something out, and Kara just watched, stroking Moonshine to calm her nerves, as they were on high end as of now. The man took a deep breath before starting.

“Recurring dreams are the most desperate of these dreams; they scream for closure and constantly return at the time you least expect, and desire to be paid attention to, especially when they take the form of lucid dreams or in nightmares. You cannot simply ignore them, else they grow stronger in your ignorance.” He said, taking a drink from the mug of coffee before continuing on.

“What I feel is a sense of survivor’s guilt in the form of being the last person found within a flaming house, where unity and protection should have been found. You have already said that you feel that the fire was your fault. I know not how you feel this way, but that is something that you must come to terms with on your own.” Kara listened intently. So far, he seemed pretty accurate. Things Kara hadn't known before now coming into better view.

“You are wrestling with self guilt, as evidenced with the symbolism of fire and the literal nature of your nightmare. Trauma is the culprit, mental and physical, the lack of parental figures in your dream testifying that you feel that you were the only one who shaped that course of history. Others escape... while you remain behind, only to be ridiculed by those who had survived the disaster. Perhaps you wished that you had been sacrificed instead; a life for a life. Which would, of course, have solved nothing.” Honestly, Kara had been wishing it was her instead. Maybe she could take all the pain off her shoulders if she was the one who had been lost instead. Kara shook her head, trying to get her mind off of those thoughts.

“Fire is a curious symbol, for it can be interpreted in many ways. In this interpretation, I believe the symbols of transformation and the ability to let go. Dreaming of something on fire, usually something of value or even yourself, is an image of transformation. Like a Phoenix, fire represents a change in life, an event which marks a person and drives them forward, a fuel for their ambitions. By reducing an item to ash, it is burned to be unrecognizable. The result of this transformation depends greatly on how you approach this new part of your life.” Kara was still listening carefully, but one of his words had peeked her interest. Phoenix.

Kara had read about them, but had never seen one before. Ever since she discovered that they were real, she very much wanted to. Phoenix's were majestic and beautiful, and to hear that her dreams were similar to one gave her a small sense of...of hope. Like this wasn't going to always happened, that she could get past this.

“Alternatively, fire represents a need to let go. Yes, tragedy is tragedy, no matter who it afflicts, but in the midst of the tragedy, you realize what you care for the most, what you appreciate the most. It is a self sacrifice to let these things go gracefully; to acknowledge that the time you had with them is over, and to appreciate the time you did have.” Chiadovini very much put emphasize on the words "let go", and it was some pretty straightforward advise.

Kara sighed, letting out a breath she had been holding in, looking up at the moon, it's light beaming down onto her face. At the same time, Chiadovini was looking up as well, and almost at the exact same time, the two looked down to look at each other in the face.

“My final conclusion is this, Miss Capricorn: Embrace your grief, but do not let it define you. Your own mind is trying to tell you to let go of these events, embrace the pleasant times and remember the moments that you had fondly, but let go. Fixating upon these vents will bring only grief and further damage not only to yourself, but those that you care about that still remain. Find closure in knowing that you shared memories with your loved ones, not loss because you can make no more.” Kara looked at him with starry eyes, a small smile now on her lips. She watched as Moonshine hopped off her lap onto the table, as Chiadovini walked over to her.

“It is time now to return to your dormitory, Miss Capricorn. My time is over. I must prepare for my classes.” He held out his hand, to which Kara obliged, putting his hand in her own, letting him help her up from the chair.

He lit his wand, shining the way to the exit.

”After you.” He said.

Kara dipped her head goodbye, and was turning her heel, till she quickly turned and did the unexpected. This girl had the audacity to hug him very quickly.

"Thank you very much sir. I won't forget your advice!" She said before running off down the halls back to her dormitory.

~~~~~

She had finally made it back, and she was sitting on the bench in front of her bed, now in her night clothes as Moonshine was now quietly purring while sleeping in the basket with pillows in it. A makeshift cat bed Kara had created for her.

As of now, the short haired girl was pouring the certain amount of potion needed for it to work, and for it to be safe, into a shot glass she had found one time after searching around in an alleyway looking for scrap pieces she could use for something she was building. Kara collected quite a bit over the years of her wandering. Don't worry, the shot glass is clean.

She drank it, putting both the shot glass and the crystal vial gently onto her desk. Crawling into bed, she ran her head through the advise and information given to her by Chiadovini. All those thoughts soon drifted away as her eyes felt droopy, and then, for the first time in almost 6 months, she slept peacefully.

Kara Capricorn has left the thread

Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

The conversation was blissfully over, and the snake was prepared to leave Leonardo to his work. She had seemed somewhat accepting of his words and advice, perhaps just enough to offer a change in her way of viewing the world around her.

After he had offered Miss Capricorn the opportunity to leave, she had taken it, seemingly prepared to venture the castle back to her room. Just as the Professor had been ready to depart back into the class again, however, Leonardo was aware of a movement too quick for him to react to in time. A pair of hands clasped about his waist and held him for a moment. His eyes glowed with a mixture of shock and fury, and he was unsure whether to cast a spell or attempt to break the grasp. As a result, he only stood as stiffly as a statue, unmoving and incapable of doing much else but tense up in a preparation to fight.

Just as quickly as the attack had come, however, Miss Capricorn turned and ran away, down the stairs and— hopefully— back to the comfort of the Slytherin dorms.

After puzzling over this encounter once more, the Astronomy Professor shook his head and turned away, returning to his office. She had been strange, assuredly, but so had he. Strange in different ways, certainly, but both quite strange.

When classes concluded, Leonardo took it upon himself to venture to the owlrey. After bearing a few nips and scratches from several disturbed owls, he finally sent the creature on its way. In its talons, it held a slightly larger phial of purple potion, along with a small note, handwritten by the professor.

Nightmares plague us all, snakelet, each for their own reason.
Perhaps it is for this reason I entrust you with this support and inadvertent confession on my behalf.
Refrain from entering the Astronomy Tower in the future.
Or at least warn me when you wish to watch the moon rise and the stars appear again.

Exeunt

Reducio

@Kara Capricorn
Expect a little gift soon...