Alfea - A Rare Magic (ARM)

Solution

~After Liora told Miss Dowling about her disability, Farah has given the issue a thought and wants to offer Liora a possible solution... ~

After the great news that the burned-one who attacked headmaster Silva was hunted down and Mister Silva in recovery, the senior party was a welcomed way for the students to celebrate and enjoy themselves. It wasn't until the early morning they got into bed. No surprise that now, although the sun is already high on the sky, most of the students are still asleep. Lucky for them it's a Saturday and there are no classes, so enough time to be lazy. Liora and Aischa are both already awake and discussing the last night together. Musa finally confessed to Terra that she is in a relationship with Terra's brother Sam. To her surprise Terra wasn't mad, as she was afraid, but just laughed at the news and wished them luck. The other not so positive news are that according to one of the older specialists there have been more sightings of burned-ones. The one Farah captured and then attacked the soldiers and Saul wasn't an one-off as everybody has hoped. Apparently not all of these creatures were killed as the other-world has believed, but some must have survived. Why they are re-emerging now is a mystery. As well as, where they have been hiding...

When the time for lunch comes, the girls decide it's time to get up and eat. A look into the dinning hall confirms that they were not the only ones sleeping in. Tired faces and empty places, but a delicious lasagna for lunch awaits them. Afterwards they decide to talk a walk outside to the specialists hall, looking after headmaster Silva. The headmaster is indeed better than the day before and almost his old self again. Joking and laughing with his students. And thanking them profoundly for saving him. Miss Dowling who is also with Mister Silva seems happier and more relaxed too, now Saul is alright again. Soon Sky and some other Specialists, Raven and Dane, join them in the chat. They talk about this and that, but the adults carefully avoid talking about the burned-ones. Closing up when the matter comes up and quickly change the topic. It's quite obvious that they know more, but don't intend to tell their students about. When the students turn around to go back to their suite, Farah holds Liora back:"Can you come to my office after dinner?" "Yes, sure!", Liora nods and follows her friends. "What did she want?", Aisha asks. "I don't know, she asked me to come to her office later...",Liora answers, glad that isn't a lie, as Miss Dowling haven't told her what she wants to talk about, although Liora can guess what it is...

While the others start to play a board-game after dinner, Liora makes her way to the headmistress's office."Come in", Miss Dowling waves her from behind her desk and with a flick of her hand closes the office-door behind the girl. "Sorry, I hadn't had time to think about it earlier, but with worrying about Saul, and the burned-one being lose...Nevertheless, I didn't forget about our conversation the other day. Certainly, I don't want you to stay up until such a late time and catch you wandering around the school at midnight again. Yet, I can relate to your trouble and thought about different possibilities to solve it: from allowing you to use the teacher's toilet to using the one in the hospital-room; but couldn't come up with a satisfying solution. The teacher's one is right next to the students one, but to put it mildly not in the best state, and I can't promise that no one roams the corridors of the classrooms in the evening. Sometimes the students like to use the evening to catch up on class-work or hold learning-groups in this part of the building. The toilet in the hospital-room seemed like a great and easy solution, but the room is currently occupied by one of our older students, who has a serious flu. Besides, students will keep getting ill and then they need a room of their own to heal properly...It sounds ridiculous, but I don't think I have ever given so much thoughts to the bathroom-situation at our school. Anyway, you probably know that the last storey is the home of the headmistress or headmaster by the specialists. I know it's not ideal, but I propose until we find a better solution you use the toilet in my apartment? You don't have to let me know when you need it, I'm going to give you a key. I trust you and know you won't betray my trust in you and use the key for anything other than intended. And don't worry about me, I won't be there most of the time until late in the night anyway, as I prefer working from my office and always have way to many work to do...." Liora, who sat down during the headmistress's speech, is amazed and embarrassed at the same time. Miss Dowling really pondered over her problem and tried to come up with a satisfying solution! She trusts her enough to hand her a key and let her use the toilet in her private rooms. "I don't know what to say, but thank you very much. Not only for your offer, but also for taking my fears serious! But, I am not sure if I can accept it, I mean it's a lot of you to entrust me with a key to your apartment, let me use your toilet...and I will still have to explain to the others what I'm doing every second day in the evening...", Liora responses awkwardly. The headmistress frowns:"Of course I take the problems of my students seriously, that's my job as teacher and even more as headmistress! And I already told that I trust you, besides as I said I won't allow you anymore to wander around at night. Of course if you have another suggestion?" Liora shakes her head:"No, I don't." "Well then", says Farah and hands her the keys. "About what to tell your friends, that's on you, although I'm sure they are all kind-hearted girls and wouldn't mind about the truth. Your handicap is part of you, but only a small one, something you can't help, but you're making the best of it and you are so much more than your handicap... However, if it's easier for you, for now you can tell them I'm giving you private tuition about the other-world, it's history, geographic and politics." Liora puts the keys in her pockets and nods."Thank you!", she says honestly:" I'm then going to get my things and make use of your offer right away.."