Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 7, 2010 19:18:11 GMT -5
It was late. Well past midnight. Ellie perched on her desktop in her office, a hardback copy of House of Leaves balanced on the higher knee of her neatly crossed legs. It had been a week-- she still couldn't quite bring herself to get a full night's sleep. It had done little to hinder her performance as a healer, but depriving herself of rest would not be good for her down the road.
Ellie turned the page and continued reading. She would start attempts at her regular sleeping routine tomorrow.
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 7, 2010 20:00:31 GMT -5
Hoshi peered into the infirmary, the corners of his mouth tugging up into a grin. He had a feeling Ellie would be awake. And with as endearing as Ellie looked at the moment, sitting on top of her desk and completely engrossed in whatever book she was reading, Hoshi had half a mind not to interrupt her.
He smirked, pulling the threads of his magic around him like a cloak until there was nothing visible. It was a simple trick most mages could see through with only a little effort, but it would more than suffice for his purposes.
He crept in through the open door, his feet slipping quietly over the floor. He approached behind her, leaning in close. He released his magic, shimmering back into visibility. A rather large bar of Godiva caramel-filled chocolate landed on top of her book.
"Chocolate makes the best medicine, you know," he said.
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 7, 2010 20:21:02 GMT -5
Ellie was well into the passage of a deranged Holloway going after Navidson and his companions with guns. Her eyes had barely skimmed over the bit where Jed receives a bullet to the head when Hoshi made his grand appearance. Ellie, startled, squeaked and nearly fell off the desktop. The book-- with the chocolate bar balance miraculously atop it-- slip sideways off her lap and rested on the desk as if nothing had happened.
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 7, 2010 20:42:29 GMT -5
"I believe I still owed you a chocolate bar from last semester," he said. Hoshi grinned, hosting himself up onto the desk beside her. He peered over at the copy of House of Leaves on her desk.
"Staying up all night reading?" he teased. "Shame, shame. It's terribly irresponsible. You know, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out, I couldn't get a lesson plan done for three days. I ended up assigning the same essay twice, and in one class I accidentally told them to write an essay on a Gilderoy Lockhart book. Strangely, most of them turned the essay in." His eyes sparkled humorously. "I ended up grading the essays by which ones were most entertaining to read."
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 7, 2010 20:57:38 GMT -5
Ellie, who for a moment, sat still with her hand at her chest, willing her pulse to calm, felt her eyebrows raise as Hoshi spoke. She bit her bottom lip and failed miserably in her attempt to hide her laughter. The best part was, she couldn't tell if he was joking or not. She opted to go for not. Which just made the situation funnier.
She settled back into her previous position, with the exception of her legs being crossed on the other side to sit more comfortably next to Hoshi. "And did they do well?" she asked, still chuckling.
She leaned across Hoshi to pick up the chocolate bar, smiling. "I can't believe you remembered this." Her eye caught his. Her smile broadened. "Or that this didn't fall" oh wow it's caramel "off the book. When were you going to tell me you were a ninja?"
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 7, 2010 22:02:02 GMT -5
"Hit and miss, really," he replied, "but there were some good ones." He grinned.
"But surely you know that if I told you, I would have to kill you," he replied with mock-seriousness. "Of course, now that you've figured it out, I suppose I should do it anyway."
Hoshi tucked his legs up beneath him, turning toward Ellie. "I guess I can't blame you too much for staying up," he commented. "House of Leaves seems to make more sense at four a.m. I'd say you should try it after mixing cough syrup and energy drinks, but that was probably the worst food-related mistake I've made this year."
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 7, 2010 22:15:33 GMT -5
Ellie grinned and stuck her tongue out at Hoshi. "Who will cook for you when I'm gone, my dear?" she teased. She tucked a few stray curls behind her ear, but they broke free and hung stubbornly at the side of her face. Ellie blew them out of the way with a huff, only to have them fall back into place again.
She wrinkled her nose at the mention of cough syrup and energy drinks. This turned into a crooked smirk. "You did what?!" She followed Hoshi's movement and turned to face him fully, her voice a mix of incredulousness and humor.
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 8, 2010 12:37:46 GMT -5
Hoshi tried himself to brush the stubborn curls from Ellie's face. Rather predictably, they tumbled back in front of her face. He smiled. "It seems like you'll have to clip it back if you really want it out of your face," he commented.
Hoshi laughed boisterously. "It wasn't a very bright idea," he admitted. "I wasn't feeling well all I could find was Nyquil. I thought I could balance it out with caffeine, and all I could find was a can of Red Bull. I think I might of confiscated it from your nephew, actually."
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 8, 2010 14:19:48 GMT -5
"Bah." Ellie leaned back and stretched to open one of the desk drawers. Inside she found a metal hair clip that would server her purposes well. She twisted her hair back in a loose bun and clasped it in place, pausing to untwist a stray tendril from the chain of the necklace she wore.
She chuckled as she straightened to her sitting position. "Well that's you being resourceful, isn't it?" She didn't bother to wonder how Kemekin had gotten Red Bulls in the first place. The boy would probably explode if he got his hands on too much caffeine. She picked up the chocolate bar and pulled back a corner of the wrapper to nibble on the chocolate and smiled.
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 10, 2010 17:03:27 GMT -5
Hoshi was quiet for a moment. He idly kicked the chair behind her desk, making it spin in slow circles as he thought. Hoshi would be the last one to fault Ellie for losing sleep in favor of a book -- he could scarcely count the number of occasions on which he had taught lessons while running only on coffee -- but this did not quite seem to be the case in Ellie's situation.
"You've been having trouble sleeping, haven't you?" he asked softly.
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 10, 2010 17:41:51 GMT -5
Ellie's expression faltered. She swallowed the bite of candy she had taken and set the bar down on the desktop, sighing. "A little," she admitted, trying to make it sound like it was no big deal. She could run on an hour or two of sleep, but that equated to less than twelve hours since the sleepwalking. She rested her hand idly on her stomach, running her thumb along the line where the odd scar would be through the fabric of her shirt. She kept her gaze on her knees.
"I'll get over it," she promised; though as soon as the words left her mouth she had to wonder if she could.
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 10, 2010 20:46:40 GMT -5
"It might make you feel better if you talk about it," he suggested, scooting a bit closer to her. "You might feel alright now, but if you keep this sleep schedule up, you're going to crash."
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 10, 2010 21:01:04 GMT -5
Ellie chewed on her lower lip and glanced at Hoshi. It seemed silly now, her reasoning for depriving herself of sleep. But as immature as she thought it during the day, once Ellie finished her work and her mind was free to wonder, the memories came back, full and clear and vivid, and her dead son's voice would echo in her ears, prompting flashes of remembered pain.
"I'm scared," she finally said, "of what I might see." She crossed her arms over her stomach and sighed. "And I feel like a child for it."
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 10, 2010 22:15:04 GMT -5
"That's nothing to be ashamed of," he said. Hoshi pulled Ellie closer, wrapping his arms around Ellie's middle. He was quiet for a long moment, considering this. He knew well what she had seen, and he couldn't quite fault her for being afraid. If something forced him to see visions of Cassandra whenever he slept, he might feel afraid as well -- and Ellie's experience had been much more traumatic than his.
"I'm sure there's something you could take to keep you from dreaming," he suggested. That was certainly not something Ellie could do forever, but if it would help her get a full night's while she recovered, it was worth a try.
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 10, 2010 22:36:12 GMT -5
Ellie closed her eyes for a moment. She scrunched her mouth to one side and rested her head on Hoshi's shoulder. She didn't particularly like the idea of dream-suppressing pills, but Hoshi was right-- she couldn't keep going like this. She was grateful for his understanding.
Ellie formed a bubble of magic in her hands and let it take the shape of whatever ran through her mind. It twisted into a snake, took on angles and became something like a tree root, than bloomed into a lotus before taking the form of a seamless orb once again.
"I don't think it was just a dream," she muttered.
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 11, 2010 20:15:26 GMT -5
Hoshi reached for Ellie's hand and squeezed it lightly. "You were headed for the forest when you were sleep walking. Do you think it could have something to do with what happened back in October, when you were kidnapped?"
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 11, 2010 20:39:53 GMT -5
Ellie squeezed Hoshi's hand and kept her gaze forward. "I think," she said, "that that has everything to do with it." Her stare took on a tinge of anger and the spot on the wall on which she had been focusing began to crack. The mortar between the stones began to crumble, peeling the paint off the walls and dropping bits of stone to the floor. Something poked out from this space-- it looked at first to be a vine of some sort, but it had the texture of pressed powder and was the color of dry dust. Then it hardened and paled, and broke into separate components. Finger joints, a whole hand, the two bones that formed the forearm.
Ellie broke out of her reverie, blinked, and opened her mouth to scream. Luckily she had the sense to clap her free hand over her mouth to muffle the noise.
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 12, 2010 20:59:56 GMT -5
Hoshi made a startled noise, his arms tightening around Ellie.
"Maybe it would be best to ask someone for help," he suggested. "There are other professors here who are much more familiar with the fae than either of us. Smoke, or Veronique... Or Silvius, as a matter of fact. There's probably a permanent solution to it, and until then you could take something to help you sleep."
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 13, 2010 17:54:08 GMT -5
Ellie nodded, watching as the bones crumbled back into dust. Smoke or Silvius made the most sense-- she made a mental note to speak to whomever she came across first. She winced. The thought of why me flitted across her mind, but she knew the answer to that-- there was no reason why. She wanted this over with.
"I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight now, anyway," she said. She leaned into Hoshi and made a noise of frustration in her throat that was not quite a growl. It came out as more of a purr. She looked up at the professor. "I hope I'm not keeping you from work, or anything."
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 17, 2010 21:38:36 GMT -5
"What, you mean the ever-diligent Professor Yogo showing up to class unprepared?" Hoshi gasped, his voice full of mock-indignation. He smiled. "Perish the thought."
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 17, 2010 21:47:37 GMT -5
Ellie laughed. "Oh yes, I'm sorry. I forgot you could do no wrong." She arched one teasing eyebrow, patting his jaw with her hand. "Especially not fraternizing with the school Healer in the wee hours of the morning. Naturalmente não."
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 17, 2010 22:26:35 GMT -5
"I'm not fraternizing," he replied simply. He gestured to the candy bar. "I was repaying a debt. You, my dear, were the one fraternizing."
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 17, 2010 22:29:19 GMT -5
"True." Ellie smiled and reached to pick up the chocolate again, unwrapping it and taking another bite. "You weren't complaining," she pointed out, indicting his arms around her waist.
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Post by Hoshi Yogo on Apr 18, 2010 11:11:27 GMT -5
Hoshi laughed. "Fair enough," he replied. He looked at Ellie for a moment, and seemed to be contemplating something.
"You know, if we're going to be breaking curfew anyway, we could go to the kitchen and grab a late night snack." He gave her a roguish grin. "We'll just have to make sure Professor Hawk doesn't catch us, or we'll have detention for sure."
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Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros
Keme
Beloved School Healer
So many things I'd say if only I were able; but I just keep quiet.
Posts: 503
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Post by Elliestraaeln Evans-Barros on Apr 18, 2010 11:25:42 GMT -5
"I like that plan." Ellie squeezed Hoshi's hand and slipped neatly off the desk, pulling him to his feet with her.
"If we're caught, I'm sure that between the two of us we'd be able to talk our way out of it."
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