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Who: Anastas de Kooning and Mother Criss
What: Stas gets sorted into a house
Where: Mother Criss' classroom
When: Afternoon, December 2nd
Rating: SFW
He couldn't say what propelled him to finally agree with his brother. He needed to finish school and decide what he wanted to do with this second chance at life. Both Stas and Val had come to campus today to sign some last minute papers, meet with the headmistress, tour the campus, and get sorted into a house. This sorting was nothing like the one he experience at Blue Ridge.
The ancient woman on the opposite side of the table stared at him in silence for so long that Anastas thought maybe she was having a stroke. She'd insisted that Valentin must wait outside; sorting was an intimate process. Anastas shuddered to think what that was all about.
"Not funny, young man," she intoned and set a gnarled hand on the edge of the table.
He shrugged because he only understood the word man. Everything else was hopelessly lost on him, even though his studies in English had come along fairly well.
Mother Criss laughed, an entirely off-putting sound that very few people ever heard. "You must know that it's entirely in your head," she said in Russian.
"You speak Russian?" he asked, almost delighted that there was finally some common ground.
"I am not the focal point of our discussion, as surprised and pleased that you might be to find a compatriot here. You would be surprised how many students at Dresden are of Russian origin." She crooked her head at Anastas. "Your lack of language skills," she pointed at his forehead, so close now that her fingernail almost swiped his skin, "are entirely in your head. You are forcing yourself to relearn this skill as a reminder. A punishment. You lost many things because of your mistakes. You need not lose this as well."
Anastas felt naked, shivered as the old woman took her hand away and leaned back in her chair. Even if she was right he had no idea how to fix it. How could he just flip the switch and reclaim English?
Very perceptively Mother Criss smiled at him. "You still believe you are a lost cause and unworthy of love. No one has been as honest to you about this as I have been. If you are lucky no one else ever will."
He crossed his arms over his chest as if to hold his heart in. It was beating rapidly; he felt dizzy and sick. "This is my only second chance. I have made too many mistakes to be given another."
"About that, you might be correct." Mother Criss leaned forward again, just slightly to set her elbows on the table edge and rest her chin on her steepled fingers. Her gaze this time was gentle and she was contemplating the best path for this troubled youth.
"I can place you in Clemons, which is a perfect fit for the Anastas who died. You would be great in this house, but this house would not be great for you." She shook her head and looked off behind him, unfocusing her eyes against the dreary confines of her perfumed classroom. "I would place you in University house, but you are not yet ready for the responsibility. You have to prove to yourself that you are worthy of that challenge first. I think the best spot for you would be Hudson."
He took a deep breath and let this settle over him. To him there was only one piece left unsettled. "And the language barrier?"
"I have a feeling that will have resolved itself by the time you are ready to begin," she answered, switching to English. She could see his frustration as the lack of understanding appeared plainly on his face. She set her hand on his shoulder and nodded gently at him. That was the tiniest confirmation she would offer him. The rest he had to figure out on his own.
What: Stas gets sorted into a house
Where: Mother Criss' classroom
When: Afternoon, December 2nd
Rating: SFW
He couldn't say what propelled him to finally agree with his brother. He needed to finish school and decide what he wanted to do with this second chance at life. Both Stas and Val had come to campus today to sign some last minute papers, meet with the headmistress, tour the campus, and get sorted into a house. This sorting was nothing like the one he experience at Blue Ridge.
The ancient woman on the opposite side of the table stared at him in silence for so long that Anastas thought maybe she was having a stroke. She'd insisted that Valentin must wait outside; sorting was an intimate process. Anastas shuddered to think what that was all about.
"Not funny, young man," she intoned and set a gnarled hand on the edge of the table.
He shrugged because he only understood the word man. Everything else was hopelessly lost on him, even though his studies in English had come along fairly well.
Mother Criss laughed, an entirely off-putting sound that very few people ever heard. "You must know that it's entirely in your head," she said in Russian.
"You speak Russian?" he asked, almost delighted that there was finally some common ground.
"I am not the focal point of our discussion, as surprised and pleased that you might be to find a compatriot here. You would be surprised how many students at Dresden are of Russian origin." She crooked her head at Anastas. "Your lack of language skills," she pointed at his forehead, so close now that her fingernail almost swiped his skin, "are entirely in your head. You are forcing yourself to relearn this skill as a reminder. A punishment. You lost many things because of your mistakes. You need not lose this as well."
Anastas felt naked, shivered as the old woman took her hand away and leaned back in her chair. Even if she was right he had no idea how to fix it. How could he just flip the switch and reclaim English?
Very perceptively Mother Criss smiled at him. "You still believe you are a lost cause and unworthy of love. No one has been as honest to you about this as I have been. If you are lucky no one else ever will."
He crossed his arms over his chest as if to hold his heart in. It was beating rapidly; he felt dizzy and sick. "This is my only second chance. I have made too many mistakes to be given another."
"About that, you might be correct." Mother Criss leaned forward again, just slightly to set her elbows on the table edge and rest her chin on her steepled fingers. Her gaze this time was gentle and she was contemplating the best path for this troubled youth.
"I can place you in Clemons, which is a perfect fit for the Anastas who died. You would be great in this house, but this house would not be great for you." She shook her head and looked off behind him, unfocusing her eyes against the dreary confines of her perfumed classroom. "I would place you in University house, but you are not yet ready for the responsibility. You have to prove to yourself that you are worthy of that challenge first. I think the best spot for you would be Hudson."
He took a deep breath and let this settle over him. To him there was only one piece left unsettled. "And the language barrier?"
"I have a feeling that will have resolved itself by the time you are ready to begin," she answered, switching to English. She could see his frustration as the lack of understanding appeared plainly on his face. She set her hand on his shoulder and nodded gently at him. That was the tiniest confirmation she would offer him. The rest he had to figure out on his own.