Within Buldigst, Oviels most prosperous planet, education is of the highest importance. It is a strong education that makes one differ from the rest of the hoard. That's why Buldigst facilitates some of the most prestigious education facilities in the galaxy. Among the alumni of the many schools it is a hotly debated topic which of Buldigsts schools is the best. Some excel in the scientific studies, others in politics, and many of them in economics. When it comes to the education of the young adults of this planet, one school has been able to convince the general public in its clear and utter superiority compared to other schools. This sudden evaluation has been for two reasons: Oliver Horn, one of Oviels greatest living minds has started teaching at the school; and the two cardinal priests Luca and Aurelia Canopus, children of one of the four great popes Francis Canopus, started attending the school. These two occurrences helped the school greatly increase its reputation, not only attracting students of the highest profile, but also teachers who before would only teach at colleges of highest standing.
"Sarah, please hand me the documents concerning the budget for next year." Aurelia, sitting at a desk at the back of the room facing the door, gestures towards the girl sitting at a desk right next to her.
The girl hands her a stack of paper with one hand, while continuing to type on her laptop with the other hand. "Aurelia, I don't understand why you're still working so hard, it's election day, everyone else of the student council has already left."
Aurelia continues to type away on her computer. "hmm, well do the elections really matter?" She glances towards Sarah. "You're a smart girl, surely you must understand as a citizen of buldigst, no matter what happens we will be fine." Aurelia points towards the empty room in front of them. "Take them for example. Do you really think those who took time off today are actually worried? waiting in anticipation for the results? Or do you think they took the opportunity to get some time off? Besides.." She stands up from her seat with a sly smile and caresses the side of Sarah's face. " I know you'll always be here with me, even if everyone else has left." Aurelia moves closer to Sarah, moving her face to be right in front of her companion's, their lips so close they could feel each other's breath, Sarah stays completely still and Aurelia slowly keeps moving forward. Right before their lips touch Aurelia gets pushed away.
"Aurelia, please don't tease me like that again." Sarah tries to keep her composure, yet a slight blush can be seen on her face. "This was surprising when I first met you, but it's been three years, your bold actions don't quite faze me anymore."
"Ha!" Aurelia walks away and springs back on her chair. "I see, so I have to take it a step further next time. However, Sarah, if you ever truly want a kiss from me, I'll embrace you with all the love in my heart. You are, after all, the most beautiful woman on this planet." Aurelia blows Sarah a kiss, but she is not moved by this supposed confession of love.
"Don't try to flatter me, and don't think I don't know that you're already in love with someone."
Aurelia on the other hand gets immediately agitated by Sarah's provocative statement. "Me in love? haha! good one."
"Aurelia, it's very easy to see for any person who actually knows you."
Although it seems that Sarah has in some way or another touched Aurelia's heartstring, Aurelia does not budge. "There is no one I have any romantic feelings for." This, however, only seems to inspire Sarah more. In the many years they've known each other, Aurelia has been the one who would tease Sarah, and yet, in this situation, it might finally be Sarah's chance to see an ever so sweet rose-coloured blush on Aurelia's face.
"Then why do you look at mr. Horn so much? It seems like he has noticed it too~"
"Him! Be serious Sarah, you hear some rumours through the grapevines, and all of a sudden you act like a love detective. There is no one I despise more than that teacher!" Aurelia acts truly and utterly flabbergasted, any other person would start having doubts about the validity of the rumours by now, yet Sarah is not convinced by this act.
"It's very noticeable, you know? It's the way you speak, the way you treat him like an equal, it's your eyes; like you want him all for yourself. Your own very unique case of love sickness."
"I do no such things." Once again Aurelia refutes Sarah's evidence, yet with much less fervour as before. They both seem to have stopped working now. Sarah's provocating words have completely destroyed any sense of peace that, just a few moments ago, filled the empty student council room. The two continue to bicker, which can be summarized by a back and forth of yes and no's. Yet their seeming endless argument gets interrupted by a knock on the door. both of them take a few seconds to calm down, and with a nod by Sarah, Aurelia lets the unknown guest in.
A young boy and girl walk into the room. Both of them seem to be around the same age as Aurelia and Sarah. However they're far less remarkable, their most distinguished aspects being the boy's expensive set of glasses and the girl's many bracelets. "Sorry to interrupt miss President, can we please have a talk? In private." the girl speaks towards the famous president with an impressive tone.
Aurelia seems to have quickly recovered from her little scuffle which took place not less than a minute ago. "Student counselling is also one of the tasks I have taken upon myself. If during a time such as this, you still seek my advice, then surely it must be important. Sarah can you please leave us for a second." She turns towards Sarah and gives her a friendly smile, it seems to put Sarah off for a second, and yet she non the less leaves the room obediently.
With Sarah now gone, the girl starts showing her true face. "You have truly made this place your own miss cardinal. How long until you have this whole school painted in your own colour?"
"It's 'highly esteemed and oh so great miss cardinal' for you" With a snap of her fingers Aurelia makes two chairs appear in front of the two guests. "You people of the CBP truly don't know how to leave others alone. Sit down and please don't break anything in this room, we don't want anyone living off of plain rice for another month do we now?"
The boy is the first to take initiative. "Let's get right to the point." He throws a tightly winded set of paper on Aurelia's desk and sits down on the chair.
"You want me to read that entire stack of paper? I got better things to do than to read those utterly boring rapports." Aurelia shoves the stack of paper towards the other side of the table. She clearly has absolutely no interest in letting these guests be here any longer than necessary.
"All the easier for us." The girl refuses to take a seat next to her companion, and instead puts her hand on the stack of paper and leans towards Aurelia. "Sarah Akkerman has been deemed a threat towards Oviel and shall be disposed of by this evening. This notice is nothing but a formality towards someone who we do not wish to inconvenience with unexpected news of her passing."
Shock does not seem to cross Aurelia's face. Does she not wish to show emotions to those she doesn't considers friends or does she truly not care for Sarah? only she herself knows the answer to that. "That algorithm of yours has become scary. Has her father agreed to this?"
"Although saddened he has agreed to her disposal. We hope you the best Cardinal." The boy seems all but ready to leave, yet Aurelia is deep in thought.
"Okay. Thank you for informing me. I reject the decision."
"You can't-"
"If that's all please leave the room, there's lots of work that is expected to be done by the end of this day." It seems Aurelia has taken lead of this conversation. Though they may work for the CBP, the difference in status between them and Aurelia is immeasurable. The opinion of the two guests in the room may as well be that of an ant five planets away.
"Cardinal missy, even you cannot revert this decision. It has been signed off by both the director of the CBP and the minister of homeland security." The girl has not budged from her previous position, although their difference in status is immense, she is still part of the CBP, the most powerful institution in the country.
Aurelia laughs. "How about this. Let's see who's faster, you trying to 'dispose' of her or me shredding that entire department of yours. You think I can smelt those swords of yours into nice earrings?"
The boy stands up and signs for his companion to leave. "This is nothing but a notice. We are not here to argue." The both of them walk out of the room with a quick wave from Aurelia marking their exit.
Sarah walks back into the room with a somewhat confused expression. "What was that about? I'm surprised anyone aside from us is even still on schoolgrounds."
"Nothing special it, some relationship problems." Aurelia is hesitant to speak. She has never done a thing such as this, and yet it is what her heart desires. "Sarah, how about sleeping over at my place tonight?"
"Your place? Are you for real?! Rach asked you all time, but you always rejected her." Sarah seems to have been waiting on this moment for years. "What made you change your mind? Finally ready to talk about your crush?" Sarah starts to laugh and that seemed to have been enough to sober Aurelia up.
Aurelia throws a stack of paper in Sarah's direction and says softly. "Get back to work."
After a day's work Sarah has left the student council room. Excited for the so called 'best evening ever' she left for home to prepare. Aurelia still remains on schoolground, she solemnly wanders the hallways. Maybe trying to relive the days that by now have long passed: Times with friends who have left the school and experiences she will never be able to relive for the first time again. This is her last year, with another few months she will be all but a memory to this school. She walks until the soles of her feet start to sore, until she eventually meets an old face.
"Mr. Horn, long time no see, a good day to you. What might you still be doing here on a day like this, at a time so late?" Aurelia gives the teacher in front of her a formal smile, surely something she has done a thousand times to other teachers.
"Aurelia, there is no need to be so formal. Please don't act like I'm some stranger." He tries to take a step forward, to close the gap between the two, and yet he stops himself.
"You are a member of faculty, is it not normal to address you by your last name?" Her voice turns stern, contempt fills her words. "And was it not you that rejected me?"
"Aurelia, such an act should not be done between a student and teacher. An adult and a child." The two have known each other for many years now, he was her homeroom teacher in her first year, and he has taught her for many years after that.
Aurelia quickly closes the distance between the two. She pushes him against the wall and stares deeply into his eyes. "All I wanted was your love."
"You wished, in your own words, to 'procreate' with me. For me to be 'the father of your children'." He does not back down, he looks Aurelia back into her eyes. Normally her eyes shine like the stars in the sky, and yet now they're clouded by the disdain in her eyes.
Horn tries to free himself from Aurelia's hold, yet she is much stronger than he is, and she is not willing to yield. "Am I not allowed to love?"
It is truly one of the great tragedies of youth: love. Many cases will end in failure before it can even be celebrated for its length. A multitude shall end with bad memories one will remember even at old age. Yet surely the most disastrous of all is the love towards an adult. "Aurelia I like you a lot. You are a talented girl and I'm so happy I've been able to see you grow over the years. Love is however not an emotion I have for you." He wishes to console her, hug her, let her cry on his shoulder, he stops himself from doing all of that however. He is scared. what if his actions only help her feelings towards him grow even further? And so he's stuck doing nothing. surely a tale as old as time.
Slowly her eyes start to change. It's not an expression he has seen of her before. "So what is it.." There is a hint of desperation in Aurelia's voice. This is the first time she has felt like this. "am I too young" her face turns visible older. Horn does not know what to say. This is not a phenomenon one sees often, if ever. Technology has been rapidly progressing, yet there is nothing that could mimic what Aurelia is doing right now. "Is it my hair?" Her hair changes colour to a vividly bright pink. "What is you want changed?" Her voice never reaches the threshold of a scream, but the cracks in her voice make her desire known.
"You are beautiful the way you are." Horn interrupts his long silence with words of affection. He moves Aurelia's dishevelled hair away from her eyes. He does not know if these are the right words. Yet he couldn't continue doing nothing. "I simply can't accept this. Please don't take this too harsh. I know it's been hard since Rachel left, and I wish to help you, but only in the way a teacher can help their student." Aurelia loses her focus. She has been completely and utterly rejected, no matter what person she will present herself as towards her teacher she shall forever be rejected. Aurelia loses her grip and horn takes a few steps backwards.
"You're disgusting." As if turning a switch, her emotions change from desperation to anger. She takes a few steps back, her eyes radiating contempt not for the decision he made, but for the person he is. He is not just a person she doesn't care for, like so many people in this school, he is a person she hates.
"Aurelia.." He tries to reach out a hand towards her. A final comfort for the girl he knows so well.
She slaps his hand away. "Stop calling me by my name!" She turns around and starts walking away. "Nobody has ever given you permission to call me by my first name. From here on out call me by my last name or my title." Aurelia has shown many faces today, yet they're all undoubtedly her.
"Please come see me when you feel better." Horn speaks towards the departing girl hoping that one day she'll come to him, having left this chapter of her life behind, with those sparkling eyes he admires so much. There is so much he wishes to do, and yet, does it not cross the border of a teacher-student relation? Should he treat her like a little sister and exhaust all the feelings in his heart. Or should he keep being her teacher, advising her to find help with others she is close with. He doesn't know. It is this indecisiveness that only further widens the gap between these two.