24 Aug 2022, 22:17
Falling back to Old Habits
@Maya Galim | September 10th
Opeila felt sick. Even more sick than the day before when she had studied with Alec. September had barely started a week ago and the young prefect was wearing sweaters, scarfs, woolen socks and all kind of clothes that were not quite appropriate for the time of the year, but the chills were killing her.
She had also slept a lot more in the last days. At first she had brushed it off, thinking that she had come down with a flu but it was getting worse and worse and...
Maybe the hospital wing would have been the right place to go. Or her head of house. Instead, Opeila was seeking out what she had always sought out above all other when she was scared- comfort and safety. And the most comfortable she had felt in a while around a professor was with Professor Galim. The Muggle Studies teacher had taken time to listen to Opeila and her troubles, even encouraged her to pick up a new hobby and Opeila appreciated it. She hadn't felt so much supported by an adult in a while.
Now, Opeila was no stranger to poor choices, she had made a lot of them, especially in her first year. Her second year had been fine and in her third year Opeila really thought for the first time in a while that everything would be fine. And then she had approached Jack in the common room, to check on him and was asked the creepiest thing she had been asked in a while.
And being who she was, she had said yes. Opeila trusted Jack, she really did. After everything they had been through, she trusted her classmate.
And when he explained that it was for Flash, for a ritual that Marion Davenport of all people would perform, Opeila had known that she was... well, screwed. There was no way, no way ever that she would have said no when it came to saving one of her best friends. And yet she had known in that moment that it wouldn't stay without consequences. So why hadn't she let anyone know before? Hope. Naive, stupid hope that for once everything would be fine.
The more her sickness had progressed, the more Opeila had lost hope that it was something harmless. Instead there was now fear, like a hot stone in her stomach. It was that fear that would make her knock on her professor's office door, seemingly on the brink of tears, fiddling around with her bracelet.
11 Sep 2022, 05:03
Falling back to Old Habits
@Opeila Winters
Within the work day, there were seldom moments of self-regulation. Most of the time was meant to teach while others were to patrol around the castle. Maya had finally gotten a break when all students were to be occupied either by food or classes. She spent her time, laying across her couch comfortably. She was without her red cloak, which was hanging on her chair at the other side of the room. A deep breath in... A deep breath out... She was bringing together her thoughts and feelings and compartmentalizing them together. Next to her, on the table, was a hot cup of citrus tea that was to calm her nerves in both smell and taste.
As Maya was heading towards a self-regulating trance, she heard a knock on the door. Laying still, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She took another deep breath in and out. "Come in!" she called out towards the door. She wondered if it was a professor who wanted to have a chat. In the past, Marcus would sometimes come in to see how she was doing.
The door didn't seem to be opening. Was it someone who wanted to prank their professors? The common "Ding Dong Ditch" game that most muggles have done before 'Rings' became a thing. Maya slowly got up, as to not get light headed and went towards the door. Her bare arm, wearing only a tank top and black yoga pants, opened the door. There she saw a girl fiddling with her bracelets. Maya squared down to the girl's height where they could see eye to eye. If she wasn't mistaken, she could tell that the girl, Opeila, was on the brink of tears. It did not take a scientist or psychologist to know that something was wrong.
"Come in," she said softly, putting a hand behind the girls back, and if she would insist, allow Maya to guide her into the room.
Stamina: 11 || Evasion: 7 || Strength: 7 || Wisdom: 20 || ArcPower: 15 || Accuracy: 10
20 Sep 2022, 21:28
Falling back to Old Habits
@Maya Galim
When the professor called out for Opeila to come in, the young Slytherin hesitated. What would she say? Where even begin? It was different than talking to a student, someone her own age. When she told Professor Galim about what she had done, what would the woman do? Could she even help her?
Suddenly a scenario popped up in her head- what if Professor Galim would only confirm what she was already fearing? That she was done for?
Opeila waited for too long. After a few seconds Professor Galim opened the door herself. She leaned down until they were facing each other on one level. Opeila looked at the dark haired woman, opened her mouth and took a shaky breath, preparing to say something. Before one word could even form in her brain, a noise forced itself out of her, not quite a sob, more like a hiccup.
Her hands shot up, to cover up her mouth immediately, muffling the noises, the actual sobs that followed. The young prefect entered the office, the way her professor's hand was directing her, while she tried to recollect herself, and regain control over her emotions. It was as if all of her fear had gathered in her stomach and taken control over her temporarily.
Opeila sniffed, tried to suppress the shaking and took two deep steady breaths before turning to Professor Galim again. While the fourth year had still seemed somewhat collected when standing outside, she now clearly wasn't. Tears had flooded her face and her eyes were red.
She sniffed again. "I'm not feeling well.", she finally got out. Well if that wasn't the understatement of the month...
"I did something really bad... It's all my fault." More tears, more sniffing. Opeila began to wipe her eyes and nose with her sleeve. "I am... involved in a deal with a hag." No, Opeila wasn't going to talk around the point. What would that do anyway? "I- I wanted to help a friend and... someone figured something out and asked me for blood."
Her bottom lip trembled ever so slightly. "I think they are killing me." The green eyes stared at Professor Galim, full of dread. Dread of her response, fear of the changes she had gone through in the last days. Changes that couldn't seem to be stopped. Opeila didn't dare to speak the question that her whole face was basically asking for her. Can you help me?