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Who: Anastas de Kooning and Bernadine Ford
What: Stas runs into Bernadine and realizes almost immediately (when she doesn't proceed to kill him) that she's not Abernathy.
Where: The library
When: Afternoon, January 4th
Rating: SFW, excepting some language
It was a simple enough thing, but it was enough to undo all the good that Bernadine was receiving from Dresden Academy.
The spring semester started, students adjusting to the return begrudgingly. Slush lined the walkways, melted the meager amount of snow that had fallen. The students trekked through paths avoiding the muddy slush, bundled up in their winter robes and boots. Bernadine was heading to the library and ran into a tall, dark haired boy in the lobby of Mullholland Hall.
He reacted to her with extreme caution, his accent thicker than usual. He seemed terrified that at any moment she was going to explode him with a simple swish of her wand.
But she didn't react to him at all, because she didn't know him. She shuffled past into the library, found the book she was looking for and was heading into a Carrel when the boy came up from behind her and grabbed her arm.
"You are different," he accused.
"Maybe, I've changed," she answered defiantly, but her skin was buzzing. The damage had been done. She didn't know him and she didn't know why he'd accuse her of being different from Abernathy.
He pushed her into the Carrel with a single finger; he could have knocked her over if he'd intended it. He closed the door behind them and cast muffliato on it for good measure. "You are not Abernathy." That much had become abundantly clear to him. Abernathy Ford would have recognized him and immediately flown off the handle. She certainly wouldn't let him push her around without a good fight. "I do not know who you are or why you are doing this, but I am impressed." He smirked at her, a little of his old self sliding back into place on face.
She closed her eyes as if she could wish this way. Of course, Abernathy hadn't warned her about the students she might have known from Blue Ridge. Why would she? What were the chances of running into any of them 7 years later at Dresden? Bernadine still didn't understand who this boy was or why he was pushing her around, but she didn't know how to fight the accusation. She never expected anyone would learn the truth until she was done with her education here.
Stas leaned in very close to the point that he could feel her tension. "I will not tell anyone, who ever you are. Your secret is protected."
Bernadine's eyes flipped open and she stared at him. "Listen buddy," she tried, pouring on the Abernathy quick.
But he interrupted her with a little cup of his hand on her cheek. "My name is Anastas de Kooning. Most call me Stas or Stasi. Abernathy Ford used to call me Assastas de Cunthole. We both attended Blue Ridge."
Bernadine couldn't help the little laugh that bubbled up. Even at age eleven Abernathy's mouth was something to marvel at. She didn't see the use of fighting it anymore. Clearly he knew who she wasn't. He might as well know who she was. "I'm Bernadine Ford. Her sister."
"Ah. The twin." He ruffled her hair playfully. "She would talk forever about you to anyone who would listen."
Bernadine knew that was true, but she didn't understand the antagonistic relationship that had evolved between Stas and Abby within the space of a year, something so intense that Stas had expected retaliation years later. "So what did you do to piss her off so badly?"
"I am afraid that if I tell you you would not want to know me."
"And why does it matter if I get to know you? I'm not Abby and clearly you two hated each other."
"Maybe I want to know you, Bernadine Ford. I am interested to know why you pretend to be your sister and study here."
She shrugged because there wasn't much to know. "I'm not all that magical. I'm just gifted with divination. Abby thought I could learn from one of the teachers here. She enrolled and when September 6th rolled around I showed up."
"And you have tricked your way out of all other magic since being here?" He was a bit amazed that she'd manage to pull it off for a whole semester. "Did you steal her wand?"
Bernadine laughed lightly and moved away from Stas; he was just a little too close for her comfort in this small room. Sitting on the built in desk of the Carrel her legs could swing underneath her and she started to relax a bit. "My cousin's a wandmaker. She made me a dummy." Bernadine took it out of her bag to present to him.
Stas took the wand gingerly; little sparks flew from the tip as he handled it. "It is not a dummy." This wand had some magic in it, whether or not Bernadine could actually tap into it.
She took it back from him and set it on the desk next to her. She hadn't tried any of the simple spells Abby made her recite over their summer of intensive training. She knew most of them, even the accompanying movements of the wand. But to try them was to confirm that she was abysmally unmagical and that her only gift was divination.
It had never bothered her until she'd come to Dresden. It was fine to be a squib, even if she was a bit off because of the disconnected divination skills. But then she was surrounded by people who could do amazing things and it seemed like such a gift, a gift that she was lacking.
Anastas pulled out the chair and plunked into it. "I will help you," he said and leaned a little too far back in the chair, almost losing his balance. "I will cast spells for you."
"You don't have to." she replied with a frown. She didn't think it possible for someone to go from being her sister's arch-nemesis to her own ally in a matter of a minutes, but then hadn't the same thing happened with Adelaide?
"I want to help," he insisted. "I have changed from when your sister knew me. I have a new chance and I want to share it."
"And how do you suggest going about such a thing?" She leaned back against the cool Carrel wall and took this opportunity to study Anastas better. She hated herself for even thinking it, but he was terribly handsome in a cavalier way. He seemed not to notice, or rather not to care.
Stas looked up at Bernadine Ford with his best smirk. "There is only one person we must convince that we have made up. Your dearest Cinnamyn. The rest is easy." He made the tiniest gesture of his hand, a spell spoken beneath his breath. A small rush of water spilled from the tip of Bernadine's wand as if she'd cast the spell herself. "We will be new friends. If you need it, I will cast anything for you."
It was a peculiar alliance at best, even a little troubling, but Bernadine couldn't deny that it was a comfort. There was now one other person on campus with whom she could be herself.
What: Stas runs into Bernadine and realizes almost immediately (when she doesn't proceed to kill him) that she's not Abernathy.
Where: The library
When: Afternoon, January 4th
Rating: SFW, excepting some language
It was a simple enough thing, but it was enough to undo all the good that Bernadine was receiving from Dresden Academy.
The spring semester started, students adjusting to the return begrudgingly. Slush lined the walkways, melted the meager amount of snow that had fallen. The students trekked through paths avoiding the muddy slush, bundled up in their winter robes and boots. Bernadine was heading to the library and ran into a tall, dark haired boy in the lobby of Mullholland Hall.
He reacted to her with extreme caution, his accent thicker than usual. He seemed terrified that at any moment she was going to explode him with a simple swish of her wand.
But she didn't react to him at all, because she didn't know him. She shuffled past into the library, found the book she was looking for and was heading into a Carrel when the boy came up from behind her and grabbed her arm.
"You are different," he accused.
"Maybe, I've changed," she answered defiantly, but her skin was buzzing. The damage had been done. She didn't know him and she didn't know why he'd accuse her of being different from Abernathy.
He pushed her into the Carrel with a single finger; he could have knocked her over if he'd intended it. He closed the door behind them and cast muffliato on it for good measure. "You are not Abernathy." That much had become abundantly clear to him. Abernathy Ford would have recognized him and immediately flown off the handle. She certainly wouldn't let him push her around without a good fight. "I do not know who you are or why you are doing this, but I am impressed." He smirked at her, a little of his old self sliding back into place on face.
She closed her eyes as if she could wish this way. Of course, Abernathy hadn't warned her about the students she might have known from Blue Ridge. Why would she? What were the chances of running into any of them 7 years later at Dresden? Bernadine still didn't understand who this boy was or why he was pushing her around, but she didn't know how to fight the accusation. She never expected anyone would learn the truth until she was done with her education here.
Stas leaned in very close to the point that he could feel her tension. "I will not tell anyone, who ever you are. Your secret is protected."
Bernadine's eyes flipped open and she stared at him. "Listen buddy," she tried, pouring on the Abernathy quick.
But he interrupted her with a little cup of his hand on her cheek. "My name is Anastas de Kooning. Most call me Stas or Stasi. Abernathy Ford used to call me Assastas de Cunthole. We both attended Blue Ridge."
Bernadine couldn't help the little laugh that bubbled up. Even at age eleven Abernathy's mouth was something to marvel at. She didn't see the use of fighting it anymore. Clearly he knew who she wasn't. He might as well know who she was. "I'm Bernadine Ford. Her sister."
"Ah. The twin." He ruffled her hair playfully. "She would talk forever about you to anyone who would listen."
Bernadine knew that was true, but she didn't understand the antagonistic relationship that had evolved between Stas and Abby within the space of a year, something so intense that Stas had expected retaliation years later. "So what did you do to piss her off so badly?"
"I am afraid that if I tell you you would not want to know me."
"And why does it matter if I get to know you? I'm not Abby and clearly you two hated each other."
"Maybe I want to know you, Bernadine Ford. I am interested to know why you pretend to be your sister and study here."
She shrugged because there wasn't much to know. "I'm not all that magical. I'm just gifted with divination. Abby thought I could learn from one of the teachers here. She enrolled and when September 6th rolled around I showed up."
"And you have tricked your way out of all other magic since being here?" He was a bit amazed that she'd manage to pull it off for a whole semester. "Did you steal her wand?"
Bernadine laughed lightly and moved away from Stas; he was just a little too close for her comfort in this small room. Sitting on the built in desk of the Carrel her legs could swing underneath her and she started to relax a bit. "My cousin's a wandmaker. She made me a dummy." Bernadine took it out of her bag to present to him.
Stas took the wand gingerly; little sparks flew from the tip as he handled it. "It is not a dummy." This wand had some magic in it, whether or not Bernadine could actually tap into it.
She took it back from him and set it on the desk next to her. She hadn't tried any of the simple spells Abby made her recite over their summer of intensive training. She knew most of them, even the accompanying movements of the wand. But to try them was to confirm that she was abysmally unmagical and that her only gift was divination.
It had never bothered her until she'd come to Dresden. It was fine to be a squib, even if she was a bit off because of the disconnected divination skills. But then she was surrounded by people who could do amazing things and it seemed like such a gift, a gift that she was lacking.
Anastas pulled out the chair and plunked into it. "I will help you," he said and leaned a little too far back in the chair, almost losing his balance. "I will cast spells for you."
"You don't have to." she replied with a frown. She didn't think it possible for someone to go from being her sister's arch-nemesis to her own ally in a matter of a minutes, but then hadn't the same thing happened with Adelaide?
"I want to help," he insisted. "I have changed from when your sister knew me. I have a new chance and I want to share it."
"And how do you suggest going about such a thing?" She leaned back against the cool Carrel wall and took this opportunity to study Anastas better. She hated herself for even thinking it, but he was terribly handsome in a cavalier way. He seemed not to notice, or rather not to care.
Stas looked up at Bernadine Ford with his best smirk. "There is only one person we must convince that we have made up. Your dearest Cinnamyn. The rest is easy." He made the tiniest gesture of his hand, a spell spoken beneath his breath. A small rush of water spilled from the tip of Bernadine's wand as if she'd cast the spell herself. "We will be new friends. If you need it, I will cast anything for you."
It was a peculiar alliance at best, even a little troubling, but Bernadine couldn't deny that it was a comfort. There was now one other person on campus with whom she could be herself.