Awake but at What Cost PV Leonardo Chiadovini

Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

Nearly a few months into his employment, and Leonardo was certainly being forced to innovate his previous methods of coping with many new responsibilities. It was testing, the crowds, the teaching in order to explain, to evoke understanding and not simply to inform, and the accursed late night gradings. His sleep schedule was becoming more and more erratic the longer he was being forced to cope with the overwhelming sense of discomfort due to not being able to stand up to the requirements of his job. That being said, a large assignment had been issued by him and now he was receiving all sorts of late work which was practically begging for half credit due to its tardiness.

He had become more visible during the daytime, the sight of him and his small red owl Macbeth gracing or cursing the halls (you take your pick). His eyes, while they were usually shadowed with sleeplessness, were even darker than normal, and his light grey eyes seemed to have turned a shade darker. Yet, he still managed to hold himself straight, eyes forward, unseeing of the people around him, tunneled on his next task. Despite himself, he was speaking to Macbeth more and more, as if the avon was a fellow human and could respond to his grumblings. He was more prone to be upset during lectures, never quite breaking disposition, but certainly fraying; and fraying quickly.

Coffee, while once a subtle boost, now became a sort of medication for the pallid Seer. One when he woke, one before every class, one more while he took at least one more hour to grade assignments, and then a small shot of Potion of Dreamless Sleep to force his mind to calm for just long enough to eke in a few hours of early day sleep before inevitably waking only a few hours after the diurnal school’s lunch period in order to start the process all over again.

Sunday was his solace, and even it had been interrupted by the looming endeavor of grading, and grading quickly and as much as possible at that. Already, he had his second mug of coffee sitting on his desk, Macbeth lurking nearby on the windowsill and tucking into a small mouse that Leonardo had had the unfortunate pleasure of having to catch and then stomp on in order to prevent it from escaping somewhere else in his office. For some reason, Macbeth felt it was his duty to show every catch to his master whether it was alive or dead, and while Leonardo understood that perhaps this was the way his owl showed its appreciation for him, surely the critter could find a better way than this to express its feelings.

Yet, that was beside the point. Instead, Leonardo listened to his quill scratching against the parchment, docking points, adding credits, making notes for the further success of the pupils he was trying to teach. A night wind whistled quietly from the observation deck, the door of which the Seer had left open in order to maintain fresh air. Dip quill, make notes, dock points, dip quill, flip page, make notes, add credit, tidy score, appraise, note student, repeat. It was monotonous, yes, and very painstakingly slow. But there was a small, almost unnoticeable dent being made, visible progress.

Nobody should have been disturbing him that night, but alas, while Lady Fortuna is having her way with a man’s ill luck, why shouldn’t there be yet another reason for her to make him more unfortunate than before?

The sound of something striking his door caused Leonardo to—not jump, exactly— startle. At the first thump, the ink of his quill spattered across untouched papers, and his right hand, trembling nearby due to an unprecedented caffeine rush, knocked over the ink well, spilling vermillion across the desk, wetting papers and dripping onto his lap. An infuriated curse, and Leonardo shot to his feet, already reaching for his wand as the other thumps echoed in the background. “Alohomora!” Was the first spell cast, pointed at the door in order to unlock it and prevent any further thumping. “Tergeo!” was the second, first upon his black attire, then focused upon the desk and the papers held upon it.

Now properly able to assess his surroundings a bit more, still cleaning up the red, blood-like ink, Leonardo’s impaired attention was directed towards the newcomer. “I trust there was good reason for your visit?” A bit of subdued venom in his flat, slightly irritated tone now that the initial surprise was over. When he was properly through with cleaning up the ink, glancing now at the empty inkwell which desired some content, Leonardo put the quill he had been holding in his right hand for safekeeping against the red menace aside. He looked to the newcomer, and if it was possible for the wan Seer to pale further, he did.

Ah, the nurse. Exactly who he wanted to hold company with at this moment. He couldn’t quite make out the eyes or the blurry upper half of Mister Brumby’s face for that matter, instead it was the general posture of his, and the combination adult stature which held a uniqueness when Leonardo had to compare it to the rest of the faculty which gave the more than likely identity away. Half curious, half aggravated beyond expression, Leonardo’s lips pursed as he bit back a few more choice phrases which would have described the moment through his eyes rather well. Instead, a thin, mirthless smile formed, as the Professor tried to placate the situation and the rising hackles he possessed. “Mister Brumby. An unexpected visit. What brings you here at this time?”

Leonardo wordlessly indicated to one of the chairs in front of his desk to prevent himself from saying any certain thing he may have regretted. They were more akin to stools in truth, intended to make anybody he had to speak to—especially delinquents— squirm; or in the least, feel uncomfortable.

Reducio

@Kelsey Brumby

Fearless in effect.
| He's Just Gwumpy and Needs Help |

When the door opened, quite suddenly, Kels was greeted to scene from a horror movie. A tall, dark tower in the middle of the night, no one around... oh my god... red everywhere. Naturally, Kels screamed, loudly. It was a good thing he didn't bash Leo's head in with his industrial thermos, he looked like a recently reanimated corpse. All this scene needed was, like, a lightning strike.

But it didn't take long for Kels to recover from his panic, once Leo talked. His heart was still ready to run, though, having to 'phew' and lean on the closest leaning-height thing.

"Oh yeah. Definitely." Kels was still catching his breath, that was a lot of stairs. He'd wave at his other recognized friend. "Big Mac."

Like a total gent, Leo offered Kels a seat. Not noting any impracticality in its comforture, Kels took it gladly. He collapsed on it like a overburdened bellhop relenquishing a heavy load, letting out a petulant groan of exhaustion. He placed the cups down on the closest table, and the thermos on the floor.

This was followed by Leo lurking around, questioning him as though his answers would decide his fate. Kels knew it was all just the gruff exterior of a teddy bear. A tall, gangly skeleton-like teddy bear.

"You seemed bummed out, man." Kels said easily, nodding decisively. "Can't jes' watch ya in pain like that. So I brought you a special potion."

Kels enthusiastically gestured at his thermos, wiggling fingers that might belay the great magic inside it. "I call it... Leonaide. Just kidding, it's hot chocolate." He pat it for good measure, smiling triumphantly. He could tell he would need to add some hype. "Let's gooo!"

@Leonardo Chiadovini

Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

A splitting scream had met the unfortunate Leonardo’s ears, but instead of clapping his hands around his ears like any rational person, the Seer’s left eye twitched slightly and he felt his left hand twitch in an impulsive movement towards his wand before remaining still. His mind still subtly rang even as Mister Brumby collected himself a bit more, the nurse leaning up against the bookshelves near the door filled with volumes on astronomy and possessing a few orreries which rattled a bit but fortunately did not fall. Leonardo had not moved at all during the episode, watching the proceedings narrowly. Macbeth on the other hand, recognizing one of his friends from the sleepover, let out a screech of delight, flapping mature wings and fluttering quickly to the nurse, attempting to perch on either the man’s head or shoulders.

“Big... Mac...?” The Pureblood murmured under his breath, glancing between Brumby and Leonardo’s own owl, the Seer’s brow creasing momentarily before he shook his head and dismissed the thought in favor of trying to cope with the new situation unfolding before him. That wasn’t really important. This was certainly not how he was expecting this night to go.

Now sitting before him, Mister Brumby placed a pair of cups on Leonardo’s desk. The Seer gave them a look as if they were something beyond disgusting and then watched the nurse put a thermos on the floor nearby. By now, Leonardo’s hands had been placed behind his back, watching the proceedings with dampened curiosity. What had this fool in store for him now?

Evidently something related to how Mister Brumby thought Leonardo to be in ‘pain’ and being something that he referred to as ‘bummed out’. Fixing the nurse with a narrow stare again, something loosely akin to confusion visible, Leonardo tipped his head, inhaling a bit as the nurse made rather tasteless jokes. Once again, a mishmash word, perhaps related to his name, and then the actual name of the beverage. Hot... chocolate?

Leonardo’s attention focused more solely upon the chocolate part of the name, not paying attention to Brumby’s feeble attempt to add some excitement to the moment. The Seer shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and then back again. Be polite. Don’t bother with the small, unnecessary details. “I’m afraid I must decline.” was how he began. “I am sure you did this out of... concern, but I assure you I am just fine.”

Was it concern? Was it the right word, or was it out of spite? Did Brumby know that Leonardo was not fond of the nurse’s presence in the slightest?

Taking his seat behind the desk and then peering between the empty inkwell and his half full cup of coffee, Leonardo took another assignment and placed it before him, beginning to make markings upon it again with what little ink he had remaining. He ignored Brumby for a while, trying to focus on his work, but the sheer presence of the nurse was enough to cause the Seer to be unable to focus upon his task at hand. “Now, as you can see, I have much work to do and I should appreciate being left in peace.” The last word stung with poison. “Good night, Mister Brumby. I shall call upon you as sparingly as I discover possible.”

Macbeth would look between his master and his friend, chirping quietly for a moment and shifting from side to side in a tiny bob. Insightful to his master’s mood swings, the little critter crooned to itself and chose to preen its orangish feathers.

Reducio

@Kelsey Brumby

Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

The Seer grit his teeth even harder as the whiny tone of the Hogwarts nurse responded to his— how he perceived it to be— polite way of asking to be left alone instead of undesired camaraderie being forced upon him. It certainly didn’t help that Macbeth, now instilled with confidence from the nurse, started to twitter more and more excitedly, bobbing up and down like a cockatiel as Leonardo glowered more and more.

“I would much rather take a break at my leisure, and certainly not when you are in the vicinity.” He grumbled to himself, letting out a hiss of restrained anger when the last of his ink was gone. Brumby made the statement that he himself would enjoy the home-brewed beverage, and to this, Leonardo had no complaint. That was his affair, nor Leonardo’s own.

The movement of the nurse, however, drew the professor’s eye to Brumby again, tracking the movement of the nurse to the windowsill, the Seer’s mind already beginning to consider the endless amount of havoc that could have been created in that moment. Without a moment for him to realize what was happening, the mouse that Leonardo had killed hardly minutes earlier was sent flying over his head and out of the room. He managed to just barely duck in time to avoid the bloody, furry menace.

Now, that alone would not have been such an issue... if Macbeth wasn’t a highly energetic bird who was more than eager to follow any command he was out to. No sooner had Leonardo managed to look up again in order to utter his first words of complaint, a fluttering of wings and talons also passed over his head, causing the seer to duck for cover once more before storming to his feet and attempting to snatch a few of the homework parchments which had been thrown high into the air.

A clattering just by the door as the orange ball of feathers flew through caused Leonardo to point towards a shelf which had a particularly shaky orrery on it. It was an old, antique thing, one of the orreries that had been on the shelves and had rattled its distaste when Brumby had first leaned against the bookshelves, and its supports were none so good anymore. It started to fall.

Pointing his wand at the falling tool, Leonardo shouted: “Arresto Momentum!”

The orrery, a foot from hitting the ground, suddenly froze in midair, spinning slowly. Exhaling with relief, Leonardo kept his wand trained on it, crossing the room and picking it out of the air in order to place it back on the shelf with its fellows. Now properly enraged, Leonardo tightened his grip on his wand, pointing it at Brumby with menace as he spoke his mind. “Brumby. While I had no problems with your... unpleasant visit until now, you have more than crossed the line.” Macbeth landed on Leonardo’s shoulder with the mouse in his beak, but Leonardo payed his owl no mind, his fury concentrated on the nurse. “From my experience with you thus far, you have succeeded in bringing nothing to my attention that would make you seem even remedially of tolerance to me.” Bit by bit, his anger was rising... reaching a boiling point which was slowly turning his world red at the edges. He was angry for several reasons. Brumby didn’t know when to stop, Leonardo knew he had work to complete, there had been an incident that could have resulted in a very expensive orrery being broken. Although he could have mended that last one rather easily, it would have remained a headache to piece it back together and align the smallest interworking pieces in just the way that it would begin to work again.

By this point, he had slapped his wand back down on his desk and snagged the nearest mug to him, angrily slugging it back in a fashion not unlike some drunkard reaching for a bottle. Macbeth was fluttering back and forth, before disbanding Leonardo’s shoulder altogether in favor of a more stable perch. He hadn’t looked, hadn’t noticed that his actual coffee mug was in reality on the other side of the desk, having been swapped by the nurse without the Seer noticing.

Delayed response was what occurred next. So unused to sugar, so self-taught to steer clear of it, Leonardo’s only sucrose intake was in the form of small amounts, latent sugars which were found in his mostly Mediterranean diet, and so he didn’t notice the taste at first due to its strangeness.

No, it was the crippling nausea which overwhelmed him first, a discomforting jerk which seemed to hook his midriff and brought into existence a psychological double take which was self-revelation that he had committed to a terrible action. As soon as the Seer realized his mistake, he first spluttered out what little of Brumby’s concoction, spitting it out quickly and grabbing hold of the back of his chair as he doubled over. This was far from professionalism; this was not what he was supposed to be presenting in front of a fellow coworker. Collect, regroup, centralize and quash.

But his stomach would have none of it, and instead, after a few seconds of pause and shallow breathing, the Seer’s frail form heaved quickly and then purged itself violently of the sudden, foreign, and nauseating substance in the only way it was currently able to.

The nausea passed as it had come, leaving the wax-complexioned Leonardo shaken and stunned, his hand trembling at his side as he came to terms with what had just happened. Almost too quickly for comfort, his breathing regulated itself and he slowly brought himself to a full stand again, coughing once or twice and then spitting for good measure. The remnants of the sugary taste still lingered, still trying to encourage another purge. Though he had much to say, Leonardo couldn’t form words, only staring at Brumby with an even more exhausted look. His shoulders, while held as firmly as possible, obstinate against what has transpired, shivered slightly, the remains of sudden action slowly trickling away by means of undesirable show of something Leonardo would never confess to be weakness of his frailty.

No words now. Just silence. Fumbling for his wand, trying to piece together a mishmash of concentration, will, and incantation. Stammer in an attempt to collect his thoughts... then silence.

Reducio

@Kelsey Brumby

Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

Though the Seer would have eventually managed to force his hand and bring to his lips the incantation he would have needed to make quick work of the mess, Brumby’s spell came quicker, the atmosphere having lost all tension that it had had since Leonardo’s moxie had left him, save for the still chilling sensation which seemed to follow the Seer whoever he went. For that reason Leonardo felt he should be grateful, and yet there was a small barrier dividing him from what he should do and what he wished to do. A bit of pride still in the way.

Brumby’s posture had changed, and Leonardo could see it. It was a look of someone who was not exactly afraid, but about to run if the moment called for it. Embarrassment? Since when had embarrassment been an emotion to be thrown into the mix for the Scotsman? This was Leonardo’s shame and his alone. The nurse had no place in it. The tone of the nurse’s voice was drastically changed, hesitant almost; and was that sympathy?

Leonardo didn’t like that tone of voice very much. It was something to him which oozed of complacency and patronization. He didn’t need that sort of patronization, and he didn’t want it. It was something that grated on his nerves, though not so much so than anything else. Instead, the Seer crumpled into his chair again, snagging the coffee cup from where it had been swapped to, placing the other mug as far away from him as possible as he took a deep draught of he familiar black coffee to chase away the last remains of the sugar which had made him sick to begin with.

While his right hand still shook slightly on the cup as he put it back down, Leonardo was already beginning to assess and recover, bringing his shoulders back in their ordinarily stiff posture and raising his chin to look evenly back at Brumby. His grey eyes were once again returned to their almost glassy, disinterested sheen, betraying no visible indication or acknowledgement of the event which had just transpired. “I am just fine, Mister Brumby.” A low, quiet voice finally responding to the nurse’s inquiry. Macbeth, how had been flapping frantically around the room with small screeches and unsettled twitters now perched on the edge of Leonardo’s desk, clicking his beak softly. Leonardo pet his owl down the beak with a pale finger softly. “It will pass.” Another small, tight-lipped smile.

“I’m afraid I never truly had a stomach for sweets. Never had a taste for them in my youth.” Never had a taste for them, indeed. There were many things that as a child Leonardo had never had an interest in, homebound as he was until his schooling. A rather isolated, quiet boy, who had found his own ways to cope. Even now, Muggleborns and Muggle-natured things eluded him, though it was something he was loathe to confess. “I was of course, Mister Bumby, raised mostly on my native country’s dishes. Viva L’Italia, Long live Italy.” Though, in truth, Leonardo’s lack for indulging in sweets was also in part due to the fact that he had never had one... and when he had been presented with the opportunity for them, it was a subtle power play that he had held over his father, a disregard for the system. “I believe the condition is called ‘Sugar Intolerance’, though I never did much look into it because it never impacted me on the daily.”

Leonardo averted his eyes, glancing once more at the woebegone empty inkwell. With a small sigh, the frail Seer stood, still a bit shaky but not worse for wear, beginning to rifle through a nearby drawer in search of more red ink, a dim light from Lumos lighting the darker area, betrayal of still slightly-shaken concentration.

Reducio

@Kelsey Brumby

Terrible Presence in effect.
| Aura of Unease Present |

The red ink was in the corner of the drawer alongside its fellows of jade green and black. Kelsey had mentioned something about a genetic mutation. Muggle scientific theory that of course a nurse would be overly knowledgeable of. Ah, yes, not the only mutation which the Seer was aware that he possessed, and many more could have been possible if fate had been any more fickle.

The passing remark about the possible cause of his condition alluding to his middle-aged condition evoked an evil eye towards Brumby, the Seer’s scowl intensifying at the bold statement. “Mm.” Was all he audibly responded with. No need to bring up another point of contention.

Leonardo began to focus more upon exchanging the ink from one bottle to the other as Brumby rambled on and on about ways a person with Leonardo’s condition could be treated. Leave it to the medical person to investigate these matters, prescribing and analyzing these possible options. It seemed something that the man seemed excited about, and perhaps that was why Leonardo was finding it easier and easier to tune out or at least moderate how much he wanted to hear of the Scotsman.

When the man had reached a stopping point, Leonardo responded bluntly, corking the larger ink bottle and returning it to its former hold in the drawer. “I am very familiar with the capabilities of Magic, Brumby. I am a former duelist from my house.” Dip the quill, take his seat, select a homework. “I assure you there is good reason for my negligence to attend to this sort of matter, and that reason is my own.” An O assignment, but it had certainly drawn close to an E.

“I am far from perfect. I much prefer it that way.” Leonardo said matter-of-factly. “Overconfidence in your... position in life begets misfortune. I would rather recognize I am fallible than believe otherwise and suffer the consequences for my prideful error.” Leonardo gathered a handful of papers together and put them aside. “Weakness is what makes us who we are, our strengths being what we need to build fortifications to shore those very weaknesses towards a more admirable defense.” Not a philosophical statement to be much of use here, but among other shortcomings of the Seer, it was something he had learned, especially when considering his frail mortal coil in exchange for a strong mind.

Reducio

@Kelsey Brumby