Fourth floor common room: Sunday morning

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

After returning from the stables, Karal had taken a shower, changed into his robes, and headed for the common room. Tea was quickly made, and now he was sitting at the table, a pot of it in front of him and a cooling cup by his hand.

He was holding his Vkandis medal, fingers tracing each ray of the sun, lost partly in thought, partly in prayer.

[ooc: open! He's not emo, I promise, just thoughtful.]

Comments

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

He frowned and asked, "Is everything okay?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Something is wrong between here and my world. The Jump from Valdemar was harder than it should be," he explained, giving Gavin a small smile. "As you saw for yourself. Altra has gone to try and discover what is causing it."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

Nodding, he said, "That makes sense. You were really sick. I'm sure Altra will find it and be back before we know it."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Glory, I hope so," he breathed, then made an effort and pushed his worry about Altra away. "Am I awake enough now for you to tell me what has been happening? I promise not to fall asleep this time."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Right." He nodded and scratched his head, giving a momentary view of the bandage he was still wearing mostly to cover the stupid words. "Spying workshop did laser tag this week."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal caught a glimpse of it, and started putting things together, slowly coming up with an answer he didn't like. "What's laser tag?" he asked, then frowned. "What's a laser?"

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Laser's something that can be shot out of the end of a gun," he said. "Basically what my blaster shoots but we weren't using real lasers in class or anything. It was more just a practice type deal."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal nodded. "It's not so bad that I missed it, then. I will have to apologise to Aly," he said, trying to get another look at Gavin's hand. "I would have yesterday, but we were slightly busy rescuing hedgehogs from being sacrificed."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Hedgehogs?" Gavin questioned. "That's a new one."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"It was extremely strange. They took refuge in the church, and then these other creatures, goblins, I think, came after them. Gabriel tried to stop them and they coated him in a sticky glue that trapped him. Rikku, Aly and I freed him, and then we went off to," he paused, suddenly paying actual attention what he was saying, "free the flying hedgehogs. That makes almost no sense, does it?"

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"None at all," he said and grinned. "A normal day for me."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"And for me," he replied, sounding amused. "The hedgehogs were freed, which I'm sure was worrying you, and life carried on as normal. Though Gabriel did get glued again."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"I'm very glad to hear that about the hedgehogs," he said and made a show of wiping his forehead (using the injured hand) dramatically. "I was so worried!"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal's eyes locked onto the bandage. "None of which is telling me what happened last week," he said, trying to sound light as he met Gavin's eyes. "Unless you have changed your mind."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

He noticed where Karal was looking and didn't make an effort to hide it this time. "I think I was working up to that."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I apologise," Karal said quietly. "I spoke with Aravis and she explained some of what the Headmistress had done, but not to whom." The anger he'd transmuted into calm yesterday morning was making itself known again. "Seeing that," he gestured at the bandaged hand, "I suspect I might know."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"You're probably right," he said and traced the lining of the bandage with his hand. "What'd she tell you?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"That that woman has a sadistic form of punishment," he replied, voice very quiet as he watched Gavin. "A quill that slices the words being written into the hand of whoever uses it."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

He nodded, looking back up. "Yeah, she's right. Aravis came by my room the day it happened and saw me."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Vkandis damn the woman. "I am sorry, Gavin." His lips tightened and he pressed his hands together and didn't ask what he'd been forced to write. "Has someone looked at it, to make sure it is healing properly?"

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Uh huh," he said, nodding. "Inara came by that same night and cleaned it and did a better bandage job than I managed. It's all right. Barely stings anymore."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

It was hard to find calm again with Gavin sitting there, having been hurt by that woman, but he tried. "I am glad Inara was there to care for you," he said. "Gavin, do you know why she hurt you?"

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"So am I," he said and smiled briefly. "And probably because I called her a bad leader. She reminded me of someone from back home."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"You were right. She abuses her power, she turns magic on those it is her responsibility to care for, hurts people for no reason at all." He took a deep breath, striving after the calm, closing his eyes briefly. He wanted Altra. "There are people like her in my world, too. She had no right to inflict that on you."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"No, I know she didn't," he said and nodded. "I think it makes her happy or something. She didn't seem to concerned with making sure I knew what I'd done wrong. I think she liked seeing pain."