Just a gorgon know how I feel...

[Guest]

Galene stepped inside the temple, glancing around at its beauty. Who ever architecture this building was a master to her but, even so, she was never good at drawing or building stuff. She always felt like she was born to destroy: being able to turn people into stone and having fire skills also gave her that impression.

She sighed as she stepped further, walking to the smaller temple for the Gods of the Oceans and Seas, Amphitrite and Poseidon. She wasn't one to pray much but at this time, she didn't know why but she felt like she should. Even though, she knew they wouldn't help her much by this time.

She found the statue of the gods and kneeled in front of it, her hands resting on her lap while her covered eyes where looking at the pretty statue. She took out the blue blindfold and admire the beauty of the statue. "At least, I know you won't turn into stone...." she mumbled, before sighing again.

"Master Poseidon, Lady Amphitrite. I know I shouldn't ask anything from you, though you've been so kind to me. I do not regret entering the Athenaeum but I can't look at anybody... I don't dare using sunglasses, like miss Sylphida, since I'm too scared. I've also turned a bird into stone which miraculously was back to normal due to water. Can my lover be normal again? Or that's just an illusion? Please, answer me... I'm desperate..." she almost whispered this last sentence. Even though Jack had told her to forget the past and move on, it still bug her. And even after that awful day where Galene, Jack and their mentor cried their hearts out because of the past.

She just couldn't forget.

[Guest]

Anastasia went to the temple whenever she was distraught or troubled. She found it comforting to talk to the Queen of the Seas. Ana was still thinking about the other say at the lake. Her two students and herself cried their eyes out together; the three of them had felt so much sorrow, so much pain to last a lifetime.

As the nereid walked into the temple, she saw Galene kneeling in front Poseidon and Amphitrite's statue. Hesitantly she walked up, behind the gorgon; making sure to keep her movements light and quiet so as to not frighten her student.

Then very quietly. "Galene," Anastasia said."

[Guest]

Galene almost thought for moments that it was Amphitrite talking. She glanced her eyes to the statue with watery eyes before feeling some presence in the room.

She quickly covered her eyes and turned around "Lady Anastacia..." she murmured with a rather shaky voice.

[Guest]

Anastasia knelt down next to Galene, then looked up to the statue of the sea god and his wife. "Sometimes I think Lady Amphitrite actually speaks to me." She told her student with a small smile. Observing the statues and seeing that they were getting a tad dusty, Ana pulled water out of the air and she cleaned the statues. She then dried them and lit a new candle.

After finishing cleaning her sponsors' statues, Anastasia looked to Galene. "Is there a reason why you seem so distressed? You know, as your mentor, you can talk to me whenever and about whatever." She gave another small smile.

[Guest]

Galene remained silent as she heard the water washing the statues of their sponsors'. They were indeed dusty and Galene wished she could take her blindfold off to admire them some more. But she didn't want to risk, not with Anastacia near by.

"Well, you already know about my story... Stoning and that all. But I still wonder. Jack made a bird come back to life after throwing them into the water so I was wondering if that could be done the same way for my lover's statue.... I don't believe so but... it's a small hope I have inside of me..." she replied, looking at her mentor.

[Guest]

Anastasia listened carefully to Galene, she nodded when the gorgon mentioned her own story. She bit her lip thinking about it. If a bird was able to come back to life, then why not a human.

"Galene, if I were you I wouldn't be wasting my time here praying to the Gods about this. You have the chance to possibly bring him back." Ana paused for a moment before quietly adding. "I don't have that chance and I never will. You're lucky Galene thats why you shouldn't waste the opportunity. Go try it, go and see if it works." She paused once more before looking at Galene. "Don't grow into a depressed bitter old woman like me."

[Guest]

Galene sighed and nodded at her mentor's words "You are not bitter, Lady Anastacia, only wise and honest I must say. And thinking I used to hate your race this much..." she paused a bit to sigh again with a sad smile. "I miss him.... a lot.... I don't know if it should work, but if I want to try I needed to go back and I don't believe it is possible. Secondly, I don't think it will work..."

She adjusted the skirt of her dress and looked at the statue again "He used to listen to me so much.... He truly understood me...."

[Guest]

"I used to be bitter. It was the second decade that I was so bitter and so full of self-loathing; that all I ever did was sit in my room or in front of these very statues." She paused for a moment. "The first decade was spent sobbing my eyes out. After the bitterness faded, I was depressed. Then you have the me now, after 75 years and still half alive." Anastasia told her student, she bit her lip hating her own weakness.

Anastasia listened to Galene and nodded completely understanding. "Even if you do think it won't work it doesn't hurt to try now does it?" She asked her student. "It feels nice to have someone who understands you, doesn't it?" Anastasia asked, thinking of her lost love.

[Guest]

Galene heard her mentor talking about her bitterness and a shiver rushed down her spine. She didn't want to be a bitter old woman, still regretting everything that happened. But why was it so hard to forget? Gah, stupid heart that made her fell so hard for a Naiad. "I see... but I still believe you are pretty wise..."

A small smile appeared on Galene's lips, the faintest of them all. "Yes... it's a glimpse of hope afterall..." she adjusted the sleeves of her dress that covered her back. "Yes, it does.... I told him everything I didn't tell anybody..." she touched her back gently and sighed.

[Guest]

Anastasia gave a small smile. "Thank you." She whispered ever so softly. Watching her student, as a faint smile appeared on the gorgon's face. "Spyridon, that was his name." She said giving that little bit of information made her heart clench with so many emotions. "I was able to trust him with so much." Anastasia finished.

Her hands played with her skirt. When she looked up she notice Galene touching her back. "Galene if you don't find me being to rude by asking this, but did something happen to your back?" Anastasia asked curiously.

[Guest]

At the sound of the unfamiliar name, Galene figured it was Ana's lover's name. "Kruitagne." she simply said, her smile becoming melancholic as she slid the name through her lips. It hurt but it was almost libertator to say his name.

Galene sighed, seeing at her mentor had notice her bad habit. "I have a good reason to cover my back and since you are my mentor, I think I'm able to trust you." she said, untying the lace on the back of her neck, letting the dress fall down her shoulder, as she held the dress over her chest. On her back there were three scars, two little but ugly ones and a big one that crossed her back in a diagonal.

"I have a really good reason..." she said, almost a whisper.

[Guest]

Anastasia's eyes widened a little bit as she analyzed the scars. She reached her hand out almost as if to touch them but then she hesitated. "Galene, do you mind?" The mentor asked Galene being very vague.

"Please know that as your mentor, I'm someone that you can always talk to. I will never force you to talk unless you want to." Anastasia out her outstretched on Galene's shoulder reassuringly.

[Guest]

Galene nodded at Anastacia's words "Yes... They don't hurt." she mumbled, remaining still until she felt her touch.

"I know... that's why I'm trusting you. I've only shown this to Krutaigne and to nobody else. Not even to my mother..." she said, turning her head to Anastacia while her snakes followed her with a sadder look.

[Guest]

Anastasia touched the scars, it sent a shiver up her spine just to think of what had happened to Galene. She listened to Galene as she spoke of only showing Krutaigne. "Thank you Galene for trusting me." Anastasia said, touched that her student trusted her. When Anastasia saw the sad look on Galene's face, she couldn't help but pull her student into a hug.

[Guest]

As her mentor touched the scars, Galene felt a shiver rushing down her spine. At her words, she just nodded neutrally. She didn't feel any pain but the memories were still on her mind and when Anastacia hugged her, she dug her face on her chest without any sound.

[Guest]

Anastasia hugged Galene tighter. She whispered calming words to her. Then finally said, "If it's to painful to speak about, I will never make you talk about anything." Anastasia wasn't sure what else to say or do at this point other than to comfort Galene through simply hugging her.

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