IC Prospective

[quasistellar]

Character: Her Imperious Condescension (Constance Peixes)
Canon: Homestuck
Mun: Jen
Plot Specific: N

a.) action; her classroom

[The tap of the Astronomy professor's wand against her blackboard was never a particularly welcoming noise. But she seems more amused than anything.]

I'm sure you're all aware of the recent transit of Venus across the sun, yes? If not, then I strongly suggest you become familiar with it. You each have a thousand-word essay due by Monday on the significance of these transits and how they have been used to predict major astronomical events. I don't mean in terms of Divination, either. Anyone who turns in an essay that references Divination will receive both reduced marks and a week's detention.

Questions?

b.) action; in and around Hogwarts/Hogsmeade

[Constance can be found in various places: the owlery, her office, the observatory, and even at the Three Broomsticks for a late-night drink. Come bother her?]

Comments

[dou8letrou8le]

[Vriska enjoys visiting the observatory for reasons that aren't entirely related to Astronomy, like this time. She has a journal out, not the ones used to communicate with everyone else, but her own, and she is quietly writing something down. Somewhere nearby there is a large tarantula hunting her dinner down.]

[quasistellar]

Good evening, Miss Serket.

[dou8letrou8le]

[She jumps, snapping her book shut to spin around and see the professor.] ... Professor.

[quasistellar]

It's perfectly all right, dearie. When I was your age, I spent quite a few nights up here myself.

It doesn't look like you intend to use the telescope, however.

[dou8letrou8le]

I was going to. Later. [She just continues to watch her, glancing away a few times to see if she could spot her tarantula anywhere.]

[quasistellar]

[It's the flicker of Vriska's eyes that gets Constance's attention.]

Third desk to your left, Miss Serket, and I don't advise letting your pet find its dinner in my observatory a second time.

[dou8letrou8le]

She does you a favor, Professor. [Now would not be a good time for her to mess up her English, especially when she's trying to come off as salty.

Nevertheless she will be heading over to that desk now...]

[quasistellar]

A point to Slytherin for that one and a second for having the nerve to say it.

[Constance chuckles a bit.]

[dou8letrou8le]

[God, you unnerve her but Heaven be damned if she let it show. Instead she just looks away to Nicholas when she crawls out of the desk and into Vriska's hand.]

Do you always reward students for talking back? [Toeing the line there, Serket...]

[quasistellar]

Only if they have a good point.

[That laugh is awfully unsettling, isn't it?]

[dou8letrou8le]

Not many do. [She tucks her tarantula away in her messenger bag carefully, out of sight from Constance.]

If that is all, Professor...

B

[thegluethatbinds]

[Someone's up at the observatory, taking a look at the moon cycles. and writing something down in a notebook. It's pretty late at night, so he really isn't expecting anyone to come up by now. And even if they did, well, he's not opposed to a little friendly chat every now and then.]

[quasistellar]

Evening, Professor. It's a lovely night, isn't it? I've got tea on, if you'd like a cup.

[She can be perfectly pleasant to people who are actually doing work up there, believe it or not.]

[thegluethatbinds]

Evening, Professor Peixes.

[He snaps the book shut and slips it into his pocket.]

I hope I wasn't disturbing you.

[quasistellar]

Not in the slightest. The skies have been interesting this month, and I've only been surprised more people haven't come up to have a look.

[She pours two cups of tea, setting milk and sugar on the tray along with them, and brings them over.]

[thegluethatbinds]

Are you talking about the solar and lunar eclipses recently?

[Going to be a gentleman and try to take that tray off you.]

Here, let me take it for you.

[quasistellar]

Both of them, and the transit of Venus. Very interesting, all of it. One of those months that doesn't come around often.

[She smiles.]

Thank you.

I do hope Meenah wasn't too much trouble the other day? She's at that age...

[thegluethatbinds]

I don't profess to being an expert in Astronomy, but it was very interesting. I didn't know we could have two of those so close to each other.

[After taking the tray from her, he brings it over to a desk and places it there, before he gestures to one chair.]

It's fine. We were all teenagers once, and she was worried about her pet piranha. People tend to make rash decisions when they're under pressure.

[quasistellar]

It's rare, but possible, and always a delight when it happens. It's one of the things that makes me love my work so much.

[She takes that seat and one of the teacups, adding milk and sugar before taking a sip.]

Still. If she ever gets to be too much, let me know.

[thegluethatbinds]

Were you always an Astronomy teacher?

[He does uabthe same to his own tea before he starts drinking it.]

I'll keep that in mind, but I wouldn't worry about it.

[quasistellar]

I only switched into academia proper a little while back. I've spent most of my career at the Ministry of Magic, in their own Department of Astronomy. My mother, despite having been born a pureblood, worked for the European Space Agency upon her own graduation from Hogwarts.

I suppose the stars have always been my first love.

[There's a funny tone in the last couple of words, but she clears her throat and sips her tea to cover it.]

[thegluethatbinds]

What prompted the change in career, if you don't mind me asking? I'd imagine that the facilities at the Department of Astronomy would be more suited to your liking, if you wanted to stay close to the stars.

[quasistellar]

I always did love this particular observatory when I was a student.

[And she takes another sip of tea.]

...and my daughters were of age to come here.

[thegluethatbinds]

That's very caring of you to come to Hogwarts just to look out for them.

Are most of the professors here educated in Hogwarts as well? It almost seems like the entire staff is made out of alumni.

[quasistellar]

More like - [She snorts.] Making up for lost time doesn't seem like the right turn of phrase. Not when I left them to my mother to raise for so long. But it's something like that.

Mm. At least two of them were in my year, a few more just a couple below me.

[thegluethatbinds]

At least you're trying. I know too many kids who grow up without their parents in their lives; it's good that you're making an effort to be there for them.

It must be nice to work with familiar faces.

[fishhitler]

[Someone else is up at the observatory tonight, lounging around on the pillars and staring up at the stars.]

[quasistellar]

[A moment later, a cup of tea appears next to her. Constance won't say anything, though. She's trying to do better at this mothering thing, at least, since both her girls are at Hogwarts now.]

[fishhitler]

[Meenah wordlessly takes the tea, and even though the expression on her face says otherwise, she actually likes the sentiment. She takes a sip before she pauses, crossing her legs at the ankle.]

I glubbin hate tea.

[quasistellar]

You can't fault me for trying.

Would you rather I stay, or would you rather I leave you be?

[fishhitler]

[That's a lie. She totally loves tea, though it's only because Feferi has been able to make her drink it in the past. After patching her up, the younger twin would make them tea.]

...Stay. Please?

[quasistellar]

[She takes the pillar next to Meenah's.]

Look up there. It's a good month to look at Saturn.

Cassiopeia is also lovely tonight.

[What is having a not-work conversation with her daughter.]

[fishhitler]

[She rolls her eyes but looks up at the sky nonetheless. She should've known her mother couldn't hold a normal conversation.]

That's the one thing I like about this place. You can see the stars easier than ya can in the city.

[wwistful]

[Murdoc knows he was visiting the woman's office for some reason. Some academic reason he just made up, that is. However, now that he's actually outside her office, he can't remember what that inane reason was. Yet, his hand is still rapping softly at the door while he's mouthing swear words to himself.]

Miss Peixes?

he has an icon just for him

[quasistellar]

[She recognizes that voice. It takes a moment for her to decide whether or not to answer. In the end, she leaves him waiting for a moment before answering.]

...Murdoc. Come in.

He's so flattered

[wwistful]

[He slinks in the door, shutting it behind him before he steps closer. He bows his head and waits for her to tell him whether sitting is alright.]

I needed to ask you somethin'. If it's not too much trouble, that is.

[quasistellar]

[She motions to a chair, taking the one directly opposite.]

Oh? By all means, it's no trouble at all.