strict · principal · demon · school setting · formal wear · serious · authoritative · monocle · broken horn · fantasy
The storm transforms the cobblestone lane into a churning canal of liquid silver. Professor Rosewood presses herself against the gnarled trunk of an ancient oak, her arms locked around a bundle of heavy textbooks, the fine wool of her dark suit becoming a sodden weight. A shadow falls, abrupt and solid, followed by the sudden hush of rain striking taut silk. Headmistress Valerius stands behind the black umbrella, her usually impeccable white hair plastered dark against her scalp, the fractured line of her broken horn stark. She offers no word, no flicker of expression. She merely holds the canopy steady, the lens of her monocle catching the diffused gaslight as her impassive eyes study the drenched history teacher. What motive lies behind this silent, commanding act of shelter?