True Tragedies (Open)

[jace]

Thestrals. Jace had never been able to see them, and he’d only known five students that could see them. Now, students made a point not to come, almost everyone capable of seeing them, the tragedy fresh in their minds. He reached his hand out, stroking the Thestral absently. Yes, the battle was a tragedy. Classes seemed empty. Hollow. Students who he knew could never sit in those seats again, and suddenly yelling at them for passing notes seemed pointless. Becoming a teacher...who would have thought it would be this hard?

He hadn’t thought so. The real tragedy wasn’t the fact that yes, the students could see the shocking appearance, but their fear of them. Of all creatures. Of life. The corruption they were exposed to, reflected in all living creatures, even those as innocent as a creature. One created to show the light that exists in this awful world. Jace rested his forehead on the boney one of the young Thestral, taking a deep breath, realizing that no, he didn’t have a scheduled tutoring session with young Jessica, her life now taken from her. He grimaced, beginning his trek back up to the hut, mind as numb and dull as his expression, lost in his thoughts, barely able to find his way out at the sound of someone approaching his own personal corner of the world.

[grace]

Grace walked slowly, her head hung low, pale hair in her face. This was what she had been reduced to, previously she hadn't wanted to talk to anyone, now she didn't even want them to look at her. It was just so hard, living with the fact that her own ineptitude, her own inability to stand up for herself, had been the reason that her baby had died. Grace would have been six months along at this point. Each day was hard enough on its own, but missed milestones like these were particularly difficult. A haunting reminder of what would have been. Marvel, the only person she had told, insisted time and time again that it wasn't her fault, but Grace was not so sure.

The school year was coming to an end, and although she would much rather have spent the day in bed, covers pulled over her head, Grace had come to see the thestrals and the hippogriffs one last time before summer. And at the moment, she was debating on whether or not it might be more permanent. Not paying attention to where she was going, and too lost in her own thoughts, Grace walked straight into her teacher. She backed up, and looked up at him apologetically, she should have been paying attention.

Outfit

[jace]

Jace winced as something clashed into him, opening his mouth instantly to apologize. He looked down to see a startled looking Grace, looking up at him with a hollow look of apology and he felt his heart bleed for the silent young girl. ”Grace,” he smiled lightly at who was nothing short of his favorite student. Yes, he was biased. He hadn’t have expected it when he had taken this job as a professor, but she reminded him far too much of himself. Although that empty look echoing in her eyes made his heart sink. ”My apologies. I should have been looking where I was going,” he offered her a reassuring smile.

”Care to accompany me to the HIppogriffs?” He had perhaps many more questions. Mostly if she was alright. The look in her eyes was almost terrifying, especially in one so young. But all he could think of with his limited social capabilities was inviting her along to what was almost a tradition for the two of them. Of course, he could almost always depend on Grace appreciating the absence of words. Somehow he knew that she would understand.

[grace]

Grace attempted to return Professor Kaper's smile, though she was sure the gesture didn't turn out right, it felt awkward on her face, as if she had forgotten how to do it. She nodded, lightly touching her chest as if to suggest that it was her fault, though she didn't press on it. That was the thing with Professor Kaper, who had easily become her favourite teacher, they had some sort of mutual agreement when it came to words and conversations; it seemed he was one of the extraordinarily few people who understood her. Grace might even say that she was beginning to trust him, enough so to the point where the idea of speaking around him wasn't entirely terrifying.

Though any progress in regards to her social anxieties had been greatly slowed, if not stopped, by what Caleb had put her through. If someone she had trusted and loved had been able to hurt her so badly, who was to say that a stranger would not? But Grace could see the gentleness in Professor Kaper's eyes, in the way that he treated the animals, and had decided he wouldn't hurt her, but the speech barrier was something very difficult indeed for her to break down, outside her family, only three people had done it. Grace nodded as Professor Kaper asked if she wanted to see the hippogriffs, it had been a while since she had had the motivation to go to their enclosure, and with their keen memories, they probably missed her.