absolute gravity [AMATERASU]

[Professor Amaterasu Kuang]

She shook her head. “It’s no problem. If I ran from everything that others found uncomfortable I wouldn’t be where I am today.” she said with a small laugh. “No, I’m not married, much to my mothers’ displeasure. My career simply had not allowed any time for such things as dating seriously in the past with all the touring I did.” she said with a small shake of her head. If she thought about it she hadn’t really been on a date in about 3 years thanks to her latest tour and move to London. Maybe one or two in that time frame, but nothing serious.

She laughed at his comment of how she had approached him first and if she hadn’t he might have tried some of his ‘salesman talk’ which would’ve most likely led to no sale at all. “Well I guess you’re lucky I saw you first then, aren’t you?” she said with a small grin. “The difference between the two is all in the technique really. Wizards have the aid of magic to make their works more interesting by making it move or using enchanted paints, where as muggles have only themselves to rely on. While wizarding works are definitely interesting, I must say I prefer some muggle artists a bit more because of that fact.” she explained, gesturing lightly as she spoke.

She nodded when he talked about the current headmaster. She was a very strict woman, that’s why Amaterasu liked her so much. Very strict, but very caring over her students and very well liked despite the strictness from what she had seen. She was the kind of professor Amaterasu wished she could be like one day. “People are very fond of the Headmistress, myself included. I can see why though. She may be strict, but she cares a great deal about her students.” she said with a nod. She disliked it when favorites were played in the classroom and tried her best t avoid doing that, but she was rather fond of a few of her students. That was the great trouble of being a teacher, trying not to let your personal preferences shadow your judgment in class.

“They mostly held rallies for the Dark Lord, but there were some incidents reported where they killed quite a few muggles who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time…They put the bodies on display in front of the ministry in Japan… It was not a very nice picture to see in the paper.” she said quietly, looking down at the paintings again. She could only imagine how bad it must have been to actually see the display in person…or be the one to discover it. She looked up again when he asked if she wanted to go inside and have a drink of some sort. “Sure, something to drink would be nice. Preferably something warm I think.” she said with a smile, glancing around the immediate area. She was only really familiar with the Three Broomsticks and Madam Puddyfoots where she usually got a tea to go, she thought those places might be packed with students though at this time.

[Gawain O'Clery]

Gawain smiled a little bit at her words. “From someone who knows, waiting to have a relationship is probably the best way to go about it. You were smart... It's good that you didn't listen to your mother. I was encouraged to seek out a career before a wife, but I didn't listen either.” He laughed at that. They were opposites in that way. But it had worked out well enough for Amaterasu to resist her mother's wants, whereas Gawain now wished that he had put a career first. Or he would if not for his son and daughters.

He listened to her explanation about the arts, and decided that he agreed with her. Muggle art was all about using one's own hands. Wizards who had not been exposed to the muggle world seemed to get too focused on using their wand that they could hardly do a thing without it. “Ahh, so that's how the paintings in Hogwarts work. To be honest I think it would bother me if the things on my wall started talking all the time. Have you been acquainted with Sir Cadogan yet?”

Gawain felt a bit sick when she mentioned the bodies on display. It wasn't that he was someone who couldn't stand the look of death (especially since most magical deaths were bloodless) it was more that he couldn't imagine what it would have been like if the Death Eaters had fully taken over. He didn't say anything more about that, because he didn't want to upset her. He was getting a little nervous himself. “Something warm,” he repeated thoughtfully. It had been a while since he'd had something like that, though there was at least the option of tea or hot chocolate. “Let's see how busy Puddifoots is. Who knows, there might not be that many students in there right now.” He gave her a charming smile and started to head there, hoping that she would follow him.

When he arrived there, he noted that while there were a few couples, it wasn't that crowded. He knew that probably meant a lot of broken hearts at Hogwarts, but honestly, he was just glad that he didn't see his daughter in there locking lips with another student. “Not too busy after all, it seems.” Of course the students looked over with some annoyance, as though it was their special place.

[OOC: sorry, that wasn't a very good post!]

[Professor Amaterasu Kuang]

She nodded, “Perhaps I was smart, though sometimes I wish I had stopped touring sooner and settled down. It can be a rather lonely life after all. Thats why I moved here.” she said with a small shrug. It was smart in the long run, not to settle down early like her siblings, but she couldn't help but wonder where she would be if she had. It wasn't something she dwelled long on, but when visiting her family and seeing everyone married and having children she couldn't help but feel a little lonely and left out. Perhaps being a teacher would help that, being surrounded by students and helping them expand their views. Thats what she hoped at least. It had been working thus far after all.

She smirked slightly when he mentioned Sir Cadogan. “Oh yes. I encountered him the first week of school when I got turned around upstairs. He followed me all the way back to the first floor I'm afraid, yelling something about saving the maiden the whole time.” she said, shaking her head laughing. She had gotten quite a few staring students that day, it was pretty embarrassing, but amusing none the less.

He mentioned Puddifoots as well with quite a nice smile before stating to head there. So, paintings in arm, she followed him down the lane to the frilly little shop which always seemed to be full of couples from the school who never looked all that pleased when any adults walked in, especially one of their teachers. It was no different today, except the amount of students was much less then she was used too. “Hmm...I don't think I've ever seen this place so empty. There must be shortage of romance at the school this month.” she said while glancing around the shop. There was an empty table close by, near the wall where they could prop the painting and swords against easily.

“There's an empty one that could work.” she said, moving towards it and propping the painting's lightly against the wall where they wouldn't fall or accidentally be tripped over by anyone walking past. She sat down in the frilly pink chair after making sure they were safely propped up. “I don't think I've ever actually sat down in here before. I never noticed the...frilliness of it all.” she said with a slight smirk. She was used to frilly costumes and sets, but this was quite a bit to much for a little shop she thought.

[Gawain O'Clery]

Gawain smiled at her, in a bittersweet way. She seemed she'd make a patient mother. “No matter what you choose to do with your life, you're always left wondering what it would have been like if you did something else. Has it been helping you? I mean, being a professor and all.” He wondered what that would be like... Not very like raising children, really, since sadly in the case of Gawain's family the children listened much better to a stranger than to him when it came to studies. Parents were teachers in their own way, but it didn't seem very comparable to a professor. Not that he was an expert. One would likely have to do both before they knew for certain.

He laughed a little bit. “Saving the maiden? Did he mean you?” he asked, knowing that probably wasn't the case. Still, one couldn't guess what Cadogan was on about. “He has been that way forever, as far as I know. And yet, now that I think about it, when there really was something to fight he was nowhere to be seen.” Gawain doubted that Cadogan would have just avoided the skirmish (even if there was nothing a painting could do). He must have been running around somewhere when Gawain passed through. Gawain looked at Amaterasu suddenly as a thought came to mind. “What gives a painting their enduring personality? Are they like living things, in a way, or more like a program?” he asked, wondering if, as the art teacher, she would know the answer.

“I don't miss those days,” Gawain said with a shake of the head. The teen years were fine, if you didn't have a social life to speak of. Or if you didn't, actually, since then you were branded something else. He set down his things and glanced around. Soon enough, the students were back to what they were doing. Mostly holding hands and looking into each others eyes while neglecting their drinks. Which reminded him... Had she said what kind of tea she liked? He didn't think so.

He felt rather uncomfortable being in this place now that he was here, since when he was younger, it hadn't seemed so feminine. Probably because he'd been looking at Annie, not at the décor. He cringed slightly. “I know what you mean. It's pretty bad, isn't it? I can't believe that I didn't remember....” He looked back at her after another sweep of the shop, then smiled awkwardly. Somehow, being in here reminded him of what they must look like to the students. “You might be the subject of gossip yourself when you come back to the school. I hadn't thought about that.”

[Professor Amaterasu Kuang]

Amaterasu nodded at his question. “It has helped. Its hard to feel lonely surrounded by so many students and fellow teachers. There's always someone to be found in the castle to talk to or help. I'm rather glad I chose to teach, heaven knows where I might have ended up if I hadn't.” she said with a small laugh, shaking her head. Perhaps she would have gone back to Japan, or Hong Kong where she was born, but neither of those options had seemed as exciting as traveling here and making her own studio.

“I certainly hope not! How embarrassing that might have been!” she said with another laugh, shaking her head at the memory of how he had followed her down nearly to the Great Hall but she had managed to convince him that she wasn't lost after all. It was good to know that he had always been that way though and she wasn't the exception for his antics. “Painting's take on a character of their own when they're painted. They're as much alive as any one of us here, just in a slightly different way. Magical painting's are given the opportunity to express it though, through the magic they're created with. Whether its painted with a wand, or magically enhanced paints.” she explained, painting the air with her fingers as she described it. It was fascinating to her, how much personality each painting took on, it really was.

He mentioned that he didn't miss those days. He must be referring to the teenager years, something he probably knew of better than she did. “Hmm...I'm sure you would know better then I. I spent most of mine breaking into the opera scene and getting accepted into a company.” she didn't miss them per say, but she did miss the excitement she had felt. There was nothing she had found that could really compare to it.

Her eyes swept the shop and she nodded, “Yes it certainly is. If only the Three Broomsticks had Jasmine Green Tea, I might be able to switch my tea venues if they did. Perhaps if I put in a request for it....” she mused, propping her elbow on the edge of the table so she could rest her chin in her hand as she thought. Could she do such a thing? She'd have to look into it. She raised her head from her thoughts at his next comment and shook her head with a small smile. “A little gossip never hurt anyone. Besides, it will be good to remind the students that I'm human, just like them. Sometimes I think the students think us professors do nothing but sit around in our offices and plot endless amounts of homework for them.” Amaterasu said with a small laugh.

[Gawain O'Clery]

Gawain had never really thought of painting in that way. But it was true, even for muggle art. When he painted the emotions that he'd built up left him, and went where? Into the painting, of course. “That makes sense. Perhaps they take on the personality as someone imagines it. If a person paints someone that they dislike, perhaps it would come about with only their bad qualities. Or perhaps it would come about with only the good, if that was what the painter had seen in his subject. Well, you are a good professor after all! You already have me thinking and wanting to experiment, just to find the truth in it all.” ...That sure came out more dramatic than he meant it to.

“How did you complete school and do your Opera at the same time?” Gawain asked. He should have realized earlier that she would have had to do both at once, due to her young age, but he hadn't thought of what that entailed until now. “That must have been difficult. Really, you didn't miss that much the rest of us did. Maybe that's why you ended up making a career for yourself. But working at a school, I imagine, is nearly as stressful as being a student at one.”

“They've accepted requests before. If you tell them that you put in a request at the Hog's Head, too, that might help your chances. They're in competition, even if it doesn't seem like there is much of one.” The Three Broomsticks was clean. Gawain would never go to the Hog's Head as long as he had a choice. He laughed at her description of the teachers from the students' point of view. “For not having been a teenager that long in mind, you certainly know the way that they think. Professors don't have lives like ordinary people, you know.” It was funny how little changed once people became adults, yet teenagers always thought it would be so different.

“This may seem forward, Ms. Kuang, but if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me. I understand that you haven't been around here that long...” He wondered if he would make her uncomfortable. But he would rather offer and have her be bothered by it than not offer and have her be lonely.

[Professor Amaterasu Kuang]

She was flattered that he thought she was good professor just from the way she had described the magical paintings. “Thank you. I only hope I am able to move my students so much as well.” she said, smiling widely. She really was pleased though. Students sometimes didn’t make it seem like her words or descriptions had any effect on them, especially if they knew homework was coming after it. So needless to say it was nice to know she could move at least one person.

He asked about how she had managed to finish school at the same time as working with an Opera company. That’s right, most people here didn’t start careers until after school had finished. “I was privately tutored for half of my 5th year on. My mother explained the situation to them and the school provided a teacher to tutor me in the evenings and on weekends when I wasn’t practicing or performing. It was hard, but I didn’t mind.” she said with a small shrug. She wouldn’t trade in the experience for the world. “It can be yes, but its just a different set of worries. As a student you’re worried about passing classes and being picked on…while as a professor you worry about if you’re teaching them well enough or inspiring them. I certainly hope I’m doing my part for them.”

He mentioned that they might accept requests, especially if they have competition. Frankly she had never set foot inside the Hog’s Head after hearing about how dirty it was in there, but it wasn’t a bad idea. Especially if it meant she could go somewhere that wasn’t so tacky for her tea. “Being surrounded by teenagers helps me remember how the mind set is. Especially when it comes to what they think about us and homework assignments. I know that’s what I used the think when I first started school.” she said with a small laugh.

She smiled at his offer for someone to talk to. “I would like that. It’ll be nice to talk to someone outside the school.” she said with a smile before a random cherub came over with an order pad. Ahhh so these little things were good for something other than just throwing confetti. “Would you like to order first or should I?” she asked, looking back over at him.

[Gawain O'Clery]

Gawain listened to her explanation of her career with genuine interest. It wasn't often that one got to hear about the journey of an Opera star. Or any kind of star, for that matter. “I find it amazing that you were able to juggle your Opera with school work, to be honest. I thought that maybe you just put school off, but... You seem to be a very educated woman.” He was not really the sort of person to compliment others without reason, despite the fact that he was often polite. So there was the admiration in his eyes. “Do you still ever sing?”

“Is there much of a bullying problem at Hogwarts right now?” Gawain asked with the slightest of frowns. He couldn't help but worry about his son, Cirdan. He didn't have to worry at all about Idril, she would take care of herself. “I mean, there are always going to be people that hurt and tease each other, but it seemed to come in waves when I was in school. Most of the bullies came from Slytherin.” That last part came out without him thinking. They were in a shop filled with students from Hogwarts, and if any of them were in Slytherin house, they were probably listening in now. Yet he was interested. What would someone who didn't attend Hogwarts think of their house system?

Relief washed over Gawain when Amaterasu didn't think that his offer of friendship was too forward, and creepy. “I live in Ottery St. Catchpole. It's a place in England, if you don't know it, a magical and muggle community. There are quite a few witches and wizards there, but they're more difficult to find than the muggles. You should see some of the houses!” He was about to talk about this when the cherub came over. Oh man, he had forgotten how much they scared him. He kept his eye on the creepy little... creature? Statue? He'd never been sure... as Amaterasu spoke. “Uhm, you can order first,” he said, keeping his tone even enough. How had he forgotten? He had quite the unusual fear of the childlike cherubs. White was probably odd, given he was a father.

[Professor Amaterasu Kuang]

She shook her head with a smile, “No, my father never would have allowed me to put my education on hold for such an unsecured dream. I managed, thankfully, but the trade off was a normal teenage life. I don't think I'd change it for the world though.” she said. She nodded when he asked if she still sang, “I do, in the shower as silly as it sounds. I did sing for my students though when we were discussing Opera as a muggle art form. But mostly its just for myself these days.” She didn't think she could ever not sing really. It was a part of her soul, her very being, and the only way she would stop would be if she lost her vocal chords completely.

“Bullying? I haven't see an excess of it really so far. Then again I haven't been here long enough to compare it from previous years. I have noticed quite a few of the main bully’s come from that house...though Gryffindor has its own version as well in my opinion.” she said with a shrug. True those from the green house seemed to have more cruel intentions, but even playful intentions could have an adverse effect on a young mind.

He went on to describe where he lived. It wasn't a place she had heard of, but that wasn't much of a shock. “In England? Is it anywhere near London? I have an apartment there.” she said with a small smile. He said she could order first from the cherub and she couldn't help but notice how he watched the little statue. “I'll have a Jasmine Green Tea please.” she told the cherub, waiting for him to order before making her next comment. “It's odd...these little statue's remind me of a muggle show one of the girls in my company used to watch. There were these statues called Weeping Angels....they were...well...fairly terrifying.” she said with a shake of her head.

[Gawain O'Clery]

Gawain nodded. He thought that had he pursued his painting talent rather than get married and have children, he would probably still thoroughly enjoy painting... But once it was a money maker, and little more, he lost most of his interest. “I wish that I could have seen you when you were still performing... Well, if Hogwarts decides to put on a production, let me know,” he said with a grin. He remembered hearing that muggles often did such activities, but he didn't know if Hogwarts did. He didn't remember anything more than the occasional choir, but maybe Amaterasu ran that, too.

He hesitated to comment on the Gryffindors, since he worried about his son being in that house. He didn't know his daughter's behavior in school, really, but he had a strong feeling that she might be a bully. Even though she was also a Hufflepuff. “If you hear anything about Idril O'Clery bullying anyone, you let her know that her father is watching her. I think that would scare her, coming from one of the professors.” He laughed. She would probably think that he had eyes everywhere.

“Quite far, but apparating is easy where I live, so that doesn't seem to make a difference. If you'd like, you could come see the town one day.” He smiled at her, though there were still occasional glances toward the cherubs. When she'd ordered, he couldn't think of what to say. “I'll have the same,” he told it in a hurry to see the creature off. He looked at her with some interest, wondering what these weeping angels were. “Did they move like these ones do?” he asked. He didn't catch much muggle tv, so he couldn't help but be fascinated. “That is... they didn't kill anyone, did they?”

[Professor Amaterasu Kuang]

Amaterasu laughed lightly, “The only performances I know of are the frog choir ones by the students. Some of my performances were recorded though on these muggle devices called Deeveedee’s or something like that. I’m sure you or I could probably find them if you’re really interested.” she said with a small grin. Finding them was the easy part though…because she had no idea how to work the little disks. Perhaps the Muggle Studies professor would know? Who even was the Muggle studies professor? She didn’t think they had been introduced.

She nodded when he mentioned his daughter. “If I see it I will. Is she a bit of a trouble maker?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow in question. She wasn’t really aware of many bully’s names, but she could keep an ear out for him or ask some of the other professors to point Idril out to her so she could keep an look out.

So his town was far from London, meaning she would be clueless of the area. She hadn’t explored much of the UK so far after all. She hadn’t been here long enough. He invited her to come see it though, which made her smile. She loved seeing new places. “That would be fun. I haven’t seen much of this country yet, just London and a few other cities briefly, so that would be very nice.” she said smiling widely. He ordered the same tea as she had and she couldn’t help but wonder if he had actually had it before or if he just wanted the little statue gone.

She nodded at his question, “They do, but only when no one is looking at them. And yes…they did kill, but not in the way you might think. They would send you back in time and feed on the energy your displacement would cause. So essentially you would be alive….but in a whole new time without a chance to see your family or friends ever again. They were….terrifying creatures.” she said, shaking her head with a small shiver. It was a fairly entertaining show from what she had seen, but those episodes had scared her beyond belief.

[Gawain O'Clery]

Gawain wasn't entirely sure what DVDs were, though he had heard of them before. Apparently it was something that Annie liked. It had been a long time since he had been that exposed to the entertainment side of the muggle world. Back then, it had been videos. “I think that my wife might know more about those. I'm going to man up and ask her about them, I think! But you should ask the headmaster about it. Maybe Hogwarts could benefit from some more mixed culture. If I can get the DVDs to work... Oh wait, Hogwarts doesn't allow muggle technology. I wonder why.”

He laughed awkwardly at her question. No parent wanted to admit to a failing. “She has her moments. I haven't seen the way that she acts with children, but let's just say that she acts differently depending on what parent she's with. I could imagine that she would act up from time to time with neither of us there to watch her.” Or maybe the opposite was true. Maybe she'd behave better without their guidance.

Gawain smiled and nodded. “You have been to Diagon Alley, haven't you?” He didn't imagine that a professor hadn't gone there at least to get a look at the place, since it was where the students got their textbooks. But was that the same for art teachers? He was suddenly quite enthusiastic about the idea, because he didn't get out to look around much. It was like living in a big city, where one takes for granted the sights around them. He would see the world through her eyes, everything new. “If not, we can see there, too. It would be fun, I think.” Or hoped. He was a little nervous to be around her, in a good way. He hadn't gone out of his way to be around someone closer to his age in a long while.

He listened with some horror to what she said. It was all the more horrifying because the only comparison that he had now were the little cupids going about the shop. “That sounds like a fate worse than death for most people. All the worse because I wonder if there are really things like that in the world.” In the magical world, one never knew. There were suits of armor that could move, and statues... He shook his head. “No, I doubt it. I wonder what your friend would have thought of them.” He was uncomfortable when one of them came by to give them the tea.

[Professor Amaterasu Kuang]

She shook her head, “No they don’t unfortunately. I don’t understand why either… especially with so many students coming from muggle households. But perhaps there’s a reason, we just aren’t aware of it as of yet.” she said, shrugging her shoulders. Perhaps it was because of the pureblood madness over the melding of the two worlds? That would make sense.

Amaterasu nodded as he explained about his daughter acting differently depending on whether she was with him or his wife. It would make sense for her to act out, given the situation, but it wasn’t necessarily the case. “Well either way, I’ll keep an eye out for her for you. I’m sure she’s not all that bad.” she said with a smile. If she was, after all, Ama might have heard or been warned about her by the other teachers. But she hadn’t, so that had to be a good thing.

He mentioned Diagon Alley and she nodded, “I have been there briefly. It was overwhelming the amount of thing to see and do there. I’m afraid I didn’t get to see much of it though, just Gringots and the Inn.” she said. She had been meaning to go back and look around some more, but had never actually made it there. Things seemed to keep popping up to prevent her from getting back to look around.

She nodded quickly at his comments about the Weeping Angles. “I agree, that’s why they were so terrifying. There are so many magical beings in this work, after seeing that show I couldn’t help but wonder if there were creatures similar, or even someone that had charmed or created things like it.” she said, leaning her chin into one of her hands as she spoke just before one of the cherubs brought their tea by. She sipped the hot tea lightly, loving the warm feeling the tea seemed to send coursing through her body with every sip. “Oh, my friend might have run from the shop screaming honestly…or wouldn’t have taken her eyes off them the entire time she was in here.” she said with a small laugh. She didn’t blame her after that show though.

[Gawain O'Clery]

Gawain nodded. “As with all else, though, I think that the students should be exposed to muggle objects and... well, muggles. People always hate what they don't understand. It's too bad Hogwarts can't have field trips to muggle places like museums.” That would probably make the kids more interested in muggles in a good way. But there was always the danger that the students would either cause trouble with their magic or even hex the muggles if they had a particular mindset.

“Thank you,” Gawain said with a smirk on his face when she said she'd keep an eye out. He was not smirking about what she said so much as his own paranoia. Being a parent really had made him significantly more paranoid about things. Though at the same time, he wondered if he should be talking about his kids so much. That was probably boring...

He nodded, considering all the different places at Diagon alley. It was one of those places that Gawain himself could spend hours at, and had. “I should show you around then! You know... Not only do the students do their shopping there, but there are joke shops, an apothecary, broom shops, and a menagerie...” He shrugged, knowing that most of the same could be found in Hogsmeade. But it was still worth a trip. For one thing, there were less students. She deserved a break from that.

Gawain drank some of his tea. It gave him a feeling of nostalgia, since his mother in her clear moments would sometimes give him tea to calm him. He hadn't let himself drink it in a while due to the memories it called. “I feel that way and I have never seen them.” He laughed as well, then smiled at Amaterasu. “I'm glad that I met you today. I don't meet that many people who are... like you.” He was going to say closer to his age, but she was still quite a bit younger than he was. He didn't know how old. He smiled awkwardly, knowing that his statement could be taken any number of ways.

[Professor Amaterasu Kuang]

Ama nodded at his comments on students being exposed to muggle things and muggles. It only made sense. Muggles out numbered them after all, it seemed. They had to know how to blend in effectively. “That would be ideal, but sadly I'm afraid the students might accidentally give us away as wizards if we went on such field trips. They might be restricted to the upper division of Muggle studies if they were allowed at all.” she said with a soft sigh, “Its a shame...it would make my class so much more interesting to be able to go and see the muggle art museums in person other than in books...” she added wistfully.

She hadn't realized there was so much to see at Diagon Alley. She knew about the book and clothing shops that had things for the students for school, but she supposed there had to be a lot more. She had only seen a tiny portion of the place after all. “A menagerie?” she asked, her head tilting to the side with a questioning look on her face, unfamiliar with the word itself.

She smiled and sipped her tea after it had cooled a little more. There was nothing like a good cup of tea, there really wasn't. She smiled at his comment on the Weeping Angels and nodded. They were enough to scare anyone without actually seeing them. “I'm glad too. I haven't had many people I could talk to about non-school related things all year.” she said with a warm smile, setting down her cup on the table. It was a hot little cup after all. She didn't want to burn her fingers.