23 Feb 2021, 04:30
To each, his own T.Ruth
@Phaedra Stavrou
It had been less than a few days after the riot in the Great Hall, and Jackson Valentine was already on his way to dig up buried grievances.
The long scratch marks were practically burned into the door of the Headliner office. They spoke volumes of the rage that had been present at this very location just a few nights ago, of how far a boy had to be pushed to turn into a monster.
Valentine shuddered as he ran his fingers along the cold, wooden surface of the door, sliding them into the grooves made by Howard’s claws. He was no legilimens, but even he could feel the depth that the claws had cut; the sheer force that had been applied was frightening. If a single article could invoke so much raw emotion, what would happen if there were more that followed?
His fist struck the body of the door twice in tandem. Valentine wasn’t very tall, and whoever would respond to this intrusion would likely see only the top of his head when they first looked. However, he made up for his runt size in less quantifiable attributes, those that made up his force of personality. His motive was writ clear in his eyes. He wanted answers.
Discord: Valentine#6117
2 Mar 2021, 05:19
To each, his own T.Ruth
Interacting with @Jackson ValentineShe'd be lying if she said that that night hadn't left her on edge. It had been several days since the office's defacing and there still was the general uneasiness in the air among her coworkers, almost an unwillingness to acknowledge their part in the Great Hall riot. As always, Phaedra ignored her problems by delving into work, and today was no exception. It gave her a sense of normalcy.
She was flipping through a file cabinet, humming, when she heard two knocks on the office door without a voice to accompany them. Weird. Headliner employees knew they could enter without having announce their presence, this was their domain as much as it were hers, so who was this being so formal? Dropping the folder of photographs into its respective section in the drawer, Phaedra turned with a sigh and hurried for the door.
The door's crack initially opened just enough for her to peer through, dark eyes expecting to see a Professor on the other side. Instead, she saw the brown of a boy's head and pushed it open the rest of the way, his spectacled face instantly recognizable. Of course it was—this kid was impressively dorky and they'd met before. Phaedra blinked and leaned against the newly repaired doorframe with crossed arms. “Well, looky here. We meet again. Make it quick.”
5 Mar 2021, 03:07
To each, his own T.Ruth
@Phaedra Stavrou
The last time she had met him, he was a vastly different individual. Brimming with the ambitions of a youthful child, his adventurous spirit had been all but worn. Perhaps she would notice it now too, a melancholic tameness that had been burned into him when he returned to school in January.
When she emerged from behind the frame of the door, Valentine let out a surprised whistle. Of all the people who could have answered him, Phaedra was the only one who had prior interaction with him before. It didn't, however, mean that this would be any less difficult, and he almost wished that it didn't have to be her. His intentions and beliefs weren't exactly aligned with those of the Headliner's.
"Why? Too busy to accommodate an old fan?" he replied jokingly. Maybe she didn't see it as a joke. Maybe she truly believed that he was continually standing in the shadows of greater students. It didn't really matter, nor did he much care. "I just wanted to see if I could get something photocopied."
Yes, he was armed with an excuse and one that was just as legitimate as his intended purpose. In his left hand was a small folder containing two portraits. Try his luck if he could. It would save him a great deal of time and put him in a position where Phaedra couldn't just slam the door on his face if he so displeased her.
"You feeling alright after the vandalism incident? Whatever the Headliner had written must've had some seriously provocative content to have triggered that."
He deliberately feigned ignorance about the specifics of the altercation that he had known all too well, inviting her to correct him or fill them in with what she knew. He wanted to see what she would say, whether or not he could trust her with the secrets he kept.
Discord: Valentine#6117