(I wouldn't post so soon again, but since Allen wants to get on with the story, I should get Chris to the Administration Room...He and Vespera are pretty much the only ones not there yet.)
Christopher Fox
Chris was pretty much sure what Vespera was intending to ask, but, like she did in the past, she was pretty much hesitating. Of course, she was nothing like what he remembered. She had changed her appearance drastically and from Henry's speech to her, she has probably changed her attitude. But it didn't matter to him at all. He remembered that Vespera had her own share of troubles in the Academy. Valjean wasn't the first bully of the Academy and surely he wouldn't be the last. Unluckily, Vespera was the target of bullies in the past, making it difficult for him to earn her trust. Maybe his friendly character backfired on her case, with her considering that for him she would be "just another friend", but that wasn't the case. Chris really wanted to get to know Vespera and it was exactly her character that attracted him to her. She wasn't the one to boast about herself, instead trying her best to get someone to accept her for what she was. What he saw now could be her not being able to succeed and grow tired of it, but he knew that, whatever she might want to show to the others, she would be Vess for him. However heavy the cross she had to bear or however she decided to handle her burden, that was a fact that would never change.
"Yeah, let's talk on the way...We wouldn't want Dellamore's speech about what to do on our first day to go to waste, after all..." he said, trying to lighten the mood.
He walked with her for about sometime, not saying anything. After some time, he decided that since he had the chance to talk to Vespera for once, he might as well show that he trusted her enough to tell her the truth, show her that she was important, even to him.
"I have been living in the island's deepest part of the forest for the last twelve years. There...There has been an incident. I was on the shipwreck with Henry, when one of the bullies thought it would be fun to use his powers against a student. I got angry over it and stepped in. He was a senior and I decided that I shouldn't hold back. You are pretty much acquainted with my powers, so you could get what happened when they reached their maximum and I lost control over them. I...killed people that day..." his voice was starting to tremble and he clenched his fist, "...11 students. I also lost my arm, but that was the least that mattered. I couldn't bear what I did, so I abandoned the academy to stay alone, trying my best to atone for what I've done. I still haven't got over it. Guys like Valjean enjoy being tough, but they probably don't know how it is to erase a life, to stain your hands and have their deaths upon your conscience. Since then I haven't slept once without nightmares of that day...".
He stopped. He realized that he was almost crying and he was biting his lips and he didn't want to affect Vespera too with his sorrow. He tried to compose himself and instead passed the torch to Vespera.
"Excuse me for my big monologue...What about you, Vess? You seem to have changed quite a lot from twelve years ago...it seems that the others have a rather false opinion about you too. I mean, despite the optical changes, you still seem like the you I admired and...liked..." he couldn't say the last word, "...looked up to!" he said instead.
With the conversation going on, the Administration building wasn't that far away anymore.
(I leave our arrival to the Administration to you, True Night!)