... once upon a dream ... [OPEN]

[Lucky]

The huge hall would make anyone feel small.

The figure in cheap roughly made skirts and a bland blouse was, easily missed among the space and grandeur. Standing partly in the shadow of one of the huge pillars seeming to hold up the immense ceiling Geneva Tessler took in the entrance hall. In this grand place, on the other hand, her poverty and low standing could cause her to stand out like a sore thumb. On the other, the years of serving a rich family have taught her to stick to the shadows, to be invisible, so she bended quite well. The man with her was a different story. He seemed at home in this place. And why wouldn’t he? As a young man from a family wealthy enough to pay for the schooling of a governess at such a prestigious academy he clearly had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Maybe even a gold spoon. Or platinum. The two made an odd pair, especially when any casual observer could see that they were straining to continue civilly with each other.

The young man, face stony, spoke a few words to the girl. She inclined her head, as a servant does to a master, and he stepped away. His footsteps echoed ominously in the grand hall, long after he has made his way to the large doors, pulled them open, and left. The young woman exhaled, sighing in relief. It was the first burst of personality from the girl trying her best to look like a cardboard cut-out. The youngest son of the family she served, four years her elder and painfully aware of class lines, had not been pleasant company for his sister’s maid. She supposed he would say the same thing of the presumptuous rag he has been forced to chaperone on her trip to the Florence's Academy for the Young where the rag will soon start her schooling.

The bright girl was not to be schooled in science or politics or history, as would fit her intellect and work ethic, but in the arts of cooking and cleaning, mothering, and –most importantly as everyone other than Yvette seems to think– knowing her place, as befits her social stature. The pretty street urchin taken in by a wealthy family after the death of her father/brother is a scholarship student to the Academy to learn to govern her mistress’s insipient children. Her green eyes flittered over the large room, looking for a place to go. In her small hand she clutched an embossed letter welcoming her to the academy –her only chance to change her stars–, a packet containing a white skirt and blue blouse –the uniform of her fate–, and a small bag –the rest of her meager worldly possessions–. Her brown hair was tied into a thick tail at the nape of her neck with a thin leather thong, like the one around her neck. She eyed the entrance, waiting for someone, preferably a teacher or another adult, to show her the way.

[Poe]

"Oh, excuse me sir, have you---" The words were cut off mid sentence as the twenty-year-old teacher swallowed, thinking better of bothering the already peeved looking man. Licking his lips, Toni Wilkes glanced around the room, only halfway down the stairs, deciding it would be easy enough to find the new pupil by himself. But if he screwed up and let the child get out of the prison of a school he had a feeling that the headmistress would not be pleased... if you didn't mind putting it lightly.
Wringing his hands, the Asian Literature teacher quickly walked down the stairs, his skinny legs engulfed in black dress pants, his shoes polished to perfection. Mister Toni Wilkes was not looking to screw up. Pushing his hand through his black hair, Toni whistled quietly under his breath, one of his hands trailing softly against the cool, polished wood of the banister, nervous, dark eyes fluttering around through the room, hoping to catch sight of the new student before she caught sight of him.
Surprise was not his favorite thing.

As he turned his back the large doors shut behind him, allowing him to know that the young man he'd attempted to speak to earlier had made his exit. The unexpected bang made him jump slightly, his face contorting in a wince before his appearance as a whole shuddered, weaved, changed, shifted. His body rocked and weaved like a wave, contorting in a way not humanly possible. And then, in the blink of an eye the movement was done and Toni Wilkes was himself again.
One last shudder passed through his body, and he reached out, flicking his wrists to push back the dress coat on his skinny arms. Adjusting the collar of his jacket, he glanced around, looking for someone that could have seen the... strange change. Sure that no one had been watching from some dark corner, Wilkes strode forward through the hall, the sound of his footsteps echoing from the tall ceiling. Crossing his arms behind his back, he glanced about for the dear girl that was supposed to be here waiting for him.
Surely she hadn't escaped?

Clearing his throat he shuffled the facts in his brain, attempting to remember the new pupils name as he turned slowly in a circle. Suddenly, nearly scaring him again, the man noticed the girl in the corner, nearly blending in to the grandeur around her. Immediately the calm air, the cocky, almost egotistical air about him had vanished, gone up in smoke. A nervous edge came to his voice, his footsteps were far more hesitant and he wished he could be back in his classroom, but Tery (haha) would be ashamed if he saw him like this, cowering in front of a child... A pretty girl... One he could easily lure into the cave and toward his leader who could take great pleasure in using her for one of many things...
The teacher had to clear his throat a great many times before he could get the single, simple question out. "Miss Geneva Tessler?" His voice shook, and he shook his head a bit, trying to get ahold of himself. And he said again, a bit more strongly this time. "Miss Geneva Tessler?"

He was taken aback by the few things she had with her, and almost made the mistake of asking if her coachman was going to bring the rest of her luggage in when he remembered the words of advice that the headmistress had spoken to him.
She was poor. Coming here only by the good graces of some distant relative to learn to be a governess. She would not be schooled in the art of French, or history, nor literature. Blinking rapidly, he watched her for a long moment, at a loss for anything to say. And then a sudden feel of pity came over him that he tried to quell. All he wanted was to take her under his wing and protect her from the evil that would probably come from her schoolmates.

She would be eaten alive.

[Lucky]

Deep green eyes strayed from their dreamy contemplation of the enormous room at the sound of a door banging to land on a young man. He didn’t seem to realize she was there, or that she could see him. For a moment Neeva could have sworn she had seen his shape swim out of focus, shudder, and then solidify, but she shrugged it off. That was impossible. People just didn’t do that. The man, solid now –stop that, he was never anything else- strode purposefully into the hall, looking around. Safe in her corner, Neeva took a moment to take in his appearance, noting at once his clothing and manner, pegging him as a teacher. The way he walked, the cut of his clothes -lavish, stylish, definitely high standing-, the smart cross of his arms behind his back as he walked further into the room. She couldn’t tell from his body language what he would think of the serving girl hiding in the shadows, or how he would treat her if she approached him. She would have to be careful, remain servile, and curtsy. He gave off confidence bordering on cockiness, and was clearly a womanizer.

That was all the teen could deduce from him before he caught sight of her. She quickly looked down, -perfect servant- but not before meeting his dark deep-set almond eyes. His demeanor changed so quickly that Neeva nearly got whiplash. One second he was egotistical, the next he seemed hesitant. As he approached her, the spring and strut gone from his footsteps, she began to get cold feet. If what the other has said is true and she ought to have been given some sort of instructions, perhaps she really oughtn’t to be here. The family had been firm with her, but she would not have put it past the men to have lied to her as some sort of sick entertainment. She wouldn’t have believed it of Miss Yvette, or her parents, but the boys she could see. Though they were all several years her senior she could never call them men. Some amount of high class brining up had kept the boys strangely childish and immature. The wind suitably blown out of her sails she scrutinized the floor as the suddenly deflated teacher approached. Neeva began to wonder if Master Jacob was waiting outside of the school, even now; he would be waiting for her to come out suitably chastened. She sighed and reaches unconsciously for the small medallion tied around her neck with a leather thong. One finger stroked the edge she waited, -like a good servant- for the man to speak.

She was surprised by the quaver in the man’s voice as he spoke her name, and then again. -Am I making him nervous? Impossible.- The second call was stronger, and she quickly adopted her best floor-sweeping-boot-licking demeanor, and curtsied, looking up at the man. Something about him made her squirm slightly, but she pushed that thought away. “If it pleases you sir, I am Geneeva Tessler.” She smiled brightly, allowing the customary look of obedience and sweetness to transform her formerly frightened visage. She bowed her dark head, hair flopping over one shoulder. With an unconscious flick of the wrist, made almost unnoticeable from years of practice, she replaced the thick plait behind her back. As she did this she looked up again. “I’m to study here to become a governess. I received a letter, and was escorted here by my mistress’s brother. I was given no further instructions. I am so sorry to be a bother, but I do really need to know where to go.” She paired the last bit with an apologetic smile, and bowed her head again. The human being, the girl with hopes and fears and dreams had quickly disappeared behind a traditional servant’s manner; polite, likeable, but un-remarkable. The disguise she had been wearing for years was so different from the girl who had shared her secrets and dreams with Yvette in the dead of night. Now Neeva was standing before the conflicted teacher, a girl well aware of, and inherently at odds with, her lot in life.

[Poe]

Toni Wilkes watched her curtsy low to the ground, thinking that if she went any lower her nose would touch the tiles. When she stood, it was obvious she was waiting to speak- like any good woman- and when he had shakily taken his turn he listened to her go on for a moment. Mr. Wilkes took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his fears, body still humanly shaking some. Then he smiled, hoping it didn't look like a grimace. "Yes, it does, ma'am. For if you were not Miss Tessler, then I would look quite the fool." Her little speech continued on, and he nodded at the appropriate places, attempting to get himself under control. Once he was done here he could run up to his classroom, dive under the large oak desk in front of the blackboard, and not come out again until it was class time and he would rule again. However, with great difficulty, he pushed away the cowardly thoughts and looked thought only of his master. Taking another deep breath, he opened his mouth, and the words that came from it were calm and collected--- nearly back to his cocky self.
"You aren't a bother at all, miss. The headmistress informed me to meet you down here before escorting you back to her office, where she will undoubtedly show you to your room."
Being a male teacher and all, escorting the young woman to her room wouldn't exactly work.

He stepped forward several paces, offering the girl his arm, a small, nearly smug smile on his lips. "It would be my duty then, to welcome you to this fine academy. So, welcome, young lady, to Florence Academy for the Young, where we nurture both body and soul." He attempted not to laugh there, thinking again of the massive cliques that did anything but nurture the poor girls. He flicked the hair out of his dark eyes, glancing around the hall that they were in. "This is the entrance hall, if you couldn't have guessed," he added, sweeping his arm around in a silly gesture. "If you would like, I'm sure I could show you around the first floor, so you at least understand the layout of our rather large school."
And maybe, getting to be alone with her, he could lay down the seeds of trust, possibly getting close to this Miss Tessler so that he could... whisk her away from the dreadful place someday.
After all...
How much could she really enjoy being a governess?

He waited patiently for her response, just slowly walking them about the hall, pausing at the stairs, waiting for her to decide if she'd rather go up to the headmistress's straightaway, or stay down here and enjoy a tour of the school and its grounds. Perhaps... perhaps he could even introduce her to Cain.
A bit of a smirk found his lips, and he shook his head, trying to make it look as if he'd simply flicked his hair.

ooc: Sucks sorry. D: