Valentine Duell
November 26, 2021 11:50 AM
Planning for the future [Mr. Row] by Valentine Duell
Valentine Duell was a busy student. Unfortunately that did not mean that she was an excelling student. She was doing okay in most of her classes, though that was mainly because of the extra help she was getting from Bonabelle, Professor Skies and others. Most of the extra work went into transfigurations, and as far as she could tell her best classes were potions, divinations and herbology. Although COMC wasn't to far behind. All of her intermediate classes had constant reminders that CATS were coming up for the fifth year students, and while she wasn't there yet... she would be next year. As such, she thought it might be a good idea to start figuring out where to put her focus. Her schedule was crazy, and if she didn't need to put as much effort in to a class that she would be dropping after fifth year, well.... she just needed to get though until then.As such, she found herself making an appointment with the school's guidance councilor in order to figure some things out along those lines. That was the main purpose of the meeting, the official one. However, there were other aspects of her future that she did want to take into consideration as well, and Mr. Row may just be uniquely positioned to help her with those as well, if he was so inclined. For one thing, he was Bonabelle's uncle and she really hoped Bonabelle had a place in her future. She also knew that Mr. Row had relationship preferences that weren't far off from her own. She still wasn't sure how this all worked and it was really complicated, and she didn't want it to be. Unofficially, she was hoping that he could help her figure some of that out.
When the appointed time came, Valentine knocked on Mr. Row's office door and entered when invited to do so. "Hello Mr. Row," she greeted him cheerily enough, attempting to hide the nervousness that infused every bit of her body. This meeting might well determine the course of her future. Nothing to worry about. "Maybe I should ask Aunt Gi.... Professor Duell," she corrected herself mid-joke, "But what do you see in my future?"
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Valentine Duell
Planning for the future [Mr. Row]
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Killian Row
December 04, 2021 8:13 AM
You and me both, sister. by Killian Row
Killian hadn't yet had conversations he needed to be having, either with Ema or with Lawrence Marsh. He didn't consider himself generally conflict-avoidant but he'd become much more so in the past year or so; it was easier to be risk-averse when you had a lot more at risk. In any case, he was absolutely Doing His Job and Not Thinking About His Problems when a knock at the door broke his reverie and he looked up to see Valentine Duell coming in. She'd made an appointment and while he wanted to say it was unlike him to forget, it was entirely like him to forget. After all, that's why he kept such copious notes on everything; how else was he supposed to remember where he was supposed to be at what time or when he showered last and things like that?"Hey," he smiled, leaning back in his chair and gesturing for her to take a seat opposite him. He waved his wand quickly to clear said seat when he realized there was a ferocious mess about his office today. "Sorry," he grimaced. He wasn't the only one seeming uncomfortable though; try as she might, Val wasn't hard for the guidance counselor to read and he picked up quickly on a mood that could only be described as tense. He cocked his head as she began speaking and broke into a kind smile when she finished. It was hard to say for sure whether this was what was actually on her mind, but it was what she wanted to start with and he'd learned well that following a student's lead was usually the best thing.
"Well, I'm certainly not as prophetic as your aunt," he began with a wink, perfectly fine to have the young woman be Aunt Giselle here if that made the most sense for Val. "But I can say for sure I see a lot of potential. Is there a specific area of your future you're thinking most about?" He'd like to say people usually came to him to ask about college and career things but he was pretty sure a hinkypunk could tell that wasn't true.
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Killian Row
You and me both, sister.
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Valentine Duell
December 04, 2021 11:30 AM
This'll get really complicated if you're my brother *wink* by Valentine Duell
Valentine relaxed a little bit when Mr. Row implied that he wasn't a stickler for titles. She had been pretty sure that was the case, but it was nice to have it confirmed. The Teppenpaw also felt a surge of elation flood through her when the Guidance Counselor said he saw 'a lot of potential'. She wasn't so sure on that front, she was only getting through some of her classes thanks to help from lots of very kind and nice people.Mr. Row's question however sent her thoughts places that turned her face red. The area of her future that she was thinking about the 'most' was filled with Bonabelle and Wally and babies and family and what might all need to happen on that front. "Umm..." she stammered out, not quite sure she wanted to start out with such things, she'd kind been hoping to ease into that subject gently and naturally.
"Well..." She tried to start again hesitantly looking at him with embarassed guilt. "The main reason I came was to talk about classes and after graduation goals and such." Again she paused while she dug up the courage to continue. "But... the secondary reason was to maybe talk a little about what I've been thinking about the most." She'd said it. She'd let it out, there was no going back now. This wasn't part of his job, how would he react?
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Valentine Duell
This'll get really complicated if you're my brother *wink*
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Killian Row
December 31, 2021 10:56 AM
.....gross. by Killian Row
Killian cocked his head at Valentine as she turned red. It was a gesture he normally tried to refrain from in order to keep students from feeling overly examined but he suspected that that was exactly what Valentine needed right now. If nothing else, it sounded like she had a good lot of self-examination to do."We can talk about academics and such," he agreed with a smile. "But we can do that anytime. What's on your mind?" he asked, really desperately afraid of the answer. There were, arguably, a number of things it could be and not all of them revolved around her relationship with his niece. Additionally, there were a fair few things that were off the table with her and Bonny that might have worried him differently if his brother's child was a boy instead of a girl. As it was, it was more likely to be awkward than anything else. He doubted Valentine would come to him just to discuss her love life though, unless there was something more nuanced about it she'd like to discuss. She'd come to him previously in order to plan a surprise party for her now girlfriend so it wasn't out of the range of possibilities that she simply wanted to form a conspiracy with him. "What's on your mind the most," he added to clarify that he was happy to talk about this new part of her thinking.
He reminded himself again that he really didn't want to get a degree in child psychology.
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Killian Row
.....gross.
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Valentine Duell
January 01, 2022 1:18 PM
I agree completely. by Valentine Duell
Mr. Row wanted her to go into what was on her mind the most? He seemed like he wanted to talk about it? Or at least he was really convincing about it. But, did she want to start off talking about that? Not really... she kinda wanted to start off somewhere a little 'safer'. If she could ease into it, it might be easier. Maybe. "Well..." she started slowly, hesitantly. "If I had to be completely honest, the thing that is on my mind the most, is probably getting through Transfiguration." Val gave Mr. Row a mildly embarrassed smile, "Something Bonabelle has been helpful with so far." Study time in the library was still time to hang out with her girlfriend."Along those lines, I thought I should see what options are available after Sonora, and what route might be good. That way I could focus my time and energies towards that ends." And not worry so much about some other school stuff. She'd rehearsed that line enough before arriving at Mr. Row's door, mainly to make sure she didn't say the last bit out loud. "I'd like some job after graduating, something that lets me interact and meet people." She knew that a fair amount of witches got married, stayed home, raised and educated their children. Mama had done that, and that was great if they wanted to. Val just thought it was an awful lonely way to grow up and wanted something that let her interact with more people. Even though she still... wait, that was probably good for Mr. Row to know, for job assessment stuff.
"The thing is," Valentine continued, "I also want to have a family, I want a husband and kids..." she paused, but didn't actually redden anymore at this point before continuing firmly. "I also want Bonabelle for as long as she wants me." What reaction this all might get, Val wasn't sure but she plunged ahead without thinking about it to much seemingly unable to stop at this point. "So at this point, I've got Bonabelle and Wally as dates for the ball," her face brightened as she stated this fact. "They all at least say they are okay with the situation. I told Bonabelle that if she wanted a boy as well, that I didn't mind if she took one as well, but she didn't have to if she didn't want to. The last I heard she was planning on taking Stanley as well."
Val's expression turned a bit more reserved. "I'm not quite sure what Mama and Papa think about all this yet. I haven't really told them much..." Again she paused in brief contemplation, "I think I'm waiting to see what happens at the ball? See how things go? Is this all a big mistake or will it be.... great?" There was definitely a bit of a pleading look of possible hopefulness in her face when she looked back at the School's Guidance Councillor. She knew well that this sort of advice was not in his job description to give, but he'd hinted that he was okay with discussing it. Still...
"I guess officially though," she covered herself to give him some safe space to reply, "I'm mainly looking for career advice. I'm doing okay at Potions, Divinations, Herbology, Care of magical Creatures, and Charms. I'd like to help and interact with people, and not something that will put me at a desk all day so that I can have a family." Yup, those were the important bits, right?
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Valentine Duell
I agree completely.
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