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Post by Maria Turolia on Aug 12, 2007 22:21:31 GMT
Maria smiled slightly realizing that the girl had been about to say something that was probably quite rude but had stopped herself. "Yeah, something like that," she said with a shrug. She was curious about what the girl had been about to say, but wasn't so sure that she should ask.She hesitated a moment before asking her question.
"Since we are on more peaceful terms now," she said carefully choosing her words as she spoke. "I wonder what it was you stopped yourself from saying? And exactly what it is about Hufflepuff that some people don't like?" Maria asked curiously. "Be as rude as you like. I promise nothing you say will bother me," she added, just in case the girl might not want to be brutally honest. Although she doubted that Veata would hesitate to be honest since she asked.
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Veata Bane
Never apologize, never regret, just live.
Posts: 80
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Post by Veata Bane on Aug 13, 2007 0:10:25 GMT
Veata's eyes matched Maria's as she asked. Tapping her long, red laquered fingernails of the polished surface of the table. Weighing the pros and cons of telling the girl and not telling her, she waited, allowing the silence to drag on and on, not really caring if the awkwardness between them mounted.
"Well," Veata said, deciding to tell her the truth. "I've always seen Hufflepuff as the House of Failures. They don't have the intelligence, courage, or dominance to be in any other house. But, I can say with honesty the Hufflepuffs exercise patience that no other house can match."[/font]
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Post by Maria Turolia on Aug 13, 2007 0:20:25 GMT
Maria was relieved as Veata finally broke the silence with a response. When the girl was finished talking Maria nodded thinking about what she had said. To Maria's surprise Veata had managed to be polite about telling her and that was a good thing. She had even managed to state something positive about Hufflepuffs. Maria had never thought much about why she had been sorted where she had. She didn't see herself as a failure. On the contrary, she was successful at many things. After a few moments of silent consideration Maria spoke again.
"Yes, well, thank you. It is good to hear an outside perspective on the matter," she said with a slight smile. "However, failure is not true. I will give you that Hufflepuffs aren't brave enough for Gryffindor, smart enough Ravenclaw, or good enough in any manner for Slytherin. But each has their own strengths, which provides for a diversity that no other house has," she said looking just above the girl's head as she spoke. She brought her gaze down and looked at the girl.
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Veata Bane
Never apologize, never regret, just live.
Posts: 80
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Post by Veata Bane on Aug 13, 2007 0:33:58 GMT
Veata, feeling rather open minded and free, her spirits higher than they had been before the Hufflepuffer had shown up, smiled at the girl. Well, who'd have known a Hufflepuff could be brave enough to contradict a rude Slytherin, smart enough to make her opinion strong, and determined enough to try to change Veata's mind. V couldn't say the same for all those in the Hufflepuff house, but as far as she could see, Maria really wasn't a failure. She was as smart as any Ravenclaw, as brave as any Gryffindor, and as determined as... most Slytherins.
"Maybe," V said in a quiter, more thoughtful tone, still holding Maria's gaze. "It's not that you weren't good enough for the other houses, but you held all the qualities, and the Sorting Hat simply hadn't been able to decide which house deserved someone like you." Amazing. If someone would have said to V that morning that she'd be in a dark, musty room, complimenting a Hufflepuff later that day, she would have turned them into a weasle.[/font]
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Post by Maria Turolia on Aug 13, 2007 0:43:11 GMT
Maria was unable to keep the look of surprise from her face this time as the girl complimented her personally. Quickly she returned her facial expression to a slight smile. "I must admit that is not what I expected. You have managed to surprise me, which is unusual, since I am usually a good judge of character. And thank you for the compliment." Maria kept Veata's gaze as she considered once more what the girl said.
"I, personally, would like to think that you are right. But I must admit I am a bit biased, seeing as how it is me we are speaking of," she said with the same slight smile. "And, I am willing to bet that you surprised yourself with that statement almost as much as you did me." Maria somehow knew that it wasn't everyday that Veata complimented someone the way she had Maria. And she felt very honored to have earned a compliment from someone such as Veata.
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Veata Bane
Never apologize, never regret, just live.
Posts: 80
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Post by Veata Bane on Aug 13, 2007 0:59:56 GMT
Snickering slightly, V shrugged her shoulders. It felt good to give someone a comliment, but, being who she truly was, insulting people, threatening them with her vicious way, was much more exciting than simple compliments. At heart, Veata was a mean girl, who held cruel intentions. It was the way she was raised, by that meaning, she was raised by a murderer, and the same mentality for bloodlust and vengeance ran through her veins.
"Yes, I suppose I'm just as surprised as you are," Veata agreed. She reached over to her Butterbeer, surprised to find it lighter than she expected. She took a large swig, swallowing back the last of the tasty drink, then reached across the table to retrieve her book about dragons. "Anyway, I should probably be getting back to the castle. If you want, we can head back together?"[/font]
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Post by Maria Turolia on Aug 13, 2007 1:08:14 GMT
Maria raised an eyebrow at the girl's offer. Of all the surprising things Veata had said, this topped them all. A friendly gesture was not very common from someone like Veata, and Maria debated with herself for a moment about it. She looked over at her butterbeer, which she had no where near finished and wasn't going to finish. Looking back at Veata, she stood and gestured toward the entrance. "After you."
Maria had to admit that Veata had captured her interest. She never really talked to people longer than was necessary to become aquaintances and therefore had few, if any, true friends so she was used to spending her time with people she didn't know that well. However, under normal circumstances she would have just let the girl leave, and enjoyed the peace of being alone. But for some reason she was curious to see if this girl would surprise her anymore.
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Veata Bane
Never apologize, never regret, just live.
Posts: 80
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Post by Veata Bane on Aug 13, 2007 1:24:16 GMT
Picking up the book and hooking it in the crook of her arm, Veata slid out of the booth, gracefully standing on muscled legs. Slipping though the shadowed room, weaving her way around tables and chairs, she finally reached the door. Smashing out into the brisk evening air, V breathed in the freshness of the deliciously crisp, cool breeze. Snuggling her book up against her chest and holding it there with both arms, she headed out, not checking to see if the Hufflepuff was following. V didn't open her mouth to speak either, enjoying the blissful quiet as she watched the sun setting gracefully in the bittersweet red and blue sky. No, she had offered Maria company home, not conversation.[/font]
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Post by Maria Turolia on Aug 13, 2007 1:34:13 GMT
Maria followed Veata silently. Immediately upon stepping outside her senses were shocked with the fresh air, the beauty of the sunset, and the peaceful quiet of the steets. Looking up at the sky she walked silently taking in the beauty of it. She was more the type of person to be out after the sun was already down and very seldom got to enjoy a sunset. Since Veata seemed to be doing something similar, Maria did not disturb her just yet.
After having walked a short way in silences and she had become accustomed to change in scenery, Maria noticed that the book that Veata had with her was about dragons. In a soft voice, hesitant to disturb the peaceful quiet, she began."Dragons, huh? A fascinating subject. Dragons are a most formidable species. So amazingly beautiful and fascinating, yet so destructive and deadly."
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Veata Bane
Never apologize, never regret, just live.
Posts: 80
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Post by Veata Bane on Aug 13, 2007 1:54:28 GMT
V didn't stop moving when Maria spoke, she didn't turn her head or offer any gesture. With silken, almost liquid grace she continued to move at a quick pace back to the castle. Veata smiled at Maria's description of dragons. That was the wording into which her father had put dragons into as well. It was for that reason that when they went to get her wand, they had a wood crafter sculpt the tiny Hungarian Horntail onto the handle of her weapon. She was daddies little dragon.
"Exactly," she said in a quiet tone, not wanting to disturb Mother Nature's twilight transition from day to night, light to dark. Such a beautiful time like this deserved it's peace. "My dad used to say I was exactly like a dragon, beautiful, majestic, but with a raging inferno burning within."[/font]
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Post by Maria Turolia on Aug 13, 2007 2:05:29 GMT
Maria kept pace with Veata as they walked, always staying just a step behind her. She let the silence sit for a moment before saying anything. "That is a wonderful thing to be compared to, and I must say from what I've seen of you it's a fairly accurate one too," Maria said thinking. The peace of the moment was incredibly relaxing.
"So, Veata," Maria began still in a soft quiet voice so as not to disturb too much. "A raging inferno burning within? So, I take it that you can be just as dangerous as a dragon? And that I was right in choosing not to make you my enemy?" Maria knew that this was true. It hadn't taken her long to realize that she didn't want Veata as an enemy, which was truly the only reason she had turned the conversation around.
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Veata Bane
Never apologize, never regret, just live.
Posts: 80
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Post by Veata Bane on Aug 13, 2007 3:02:36 GMT
"I suppose you could say that," Veata said, reaching into her pocket with her free hand, yanking out her dragon-guarded wand, exaimining it in the sun's fading rays of light. Sliding one long, spindly finger over the dragon's scaled and spiked skin, she exhaled. "I'm not the best person to have hating you."
Leaving it at that, she dropped her hand down, staring straight ahead again, abandoing the crazed stare she had been admiring her wand with. Slipping the well-crafted weapon back into her pocket, against wrapping her free arm to her old, tattered book, which she had read hundreds of times.[/font]
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Post by Maria Turolia on Aug 13, 2007 22:27:38 GMT
Maria looked at Veata and thought about what the girl had said. She wasn't particularly afraid of Veata, but she knew that she didn't want her as an enemy nonetheless. When the girl had pulled out her wand she had caught a glimpse of it and it appeared to have a carving on it.
For a few moments Maria considered speaking again, but then just sighed as she decided to enjoy the relaxation of the quiet. As she walked on silently she thought about her family who she hadn't seen in a while. In a way Veata reminded her of a combination of her two aunts. She had an interest in dragons like Aurora and something about her personality reminded her of the cruel coldness of Anna.
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