Fall in love in a weekwe get by

I listened and… fell into shock? I think, yes. All this “mine” is a consequence, not a cause. The real reason is that Mike, and Jeremy, and Ted… yes, absolutely all of my guys. They just got in my way. They irritated me with their pestering when I felt like working. They didn’t understand why I was ready to leave a date somewhere, in the middle of the night or halfway through an interesting movie. None of them were truly passionate about anything themselves – maybe that was the problem? And not one of them could, or even tried, to come to terms with my passion. At least reconcile, not to mention support!

Of course, in the end the work was more important. Should we be surprised? What’s more surprising is that with at least some of the guys things even went beyond the first date! And did I really need to hear this from a person who barely knows me to understand?

“Rationalism as it is,” I muttered. -You have a completely different approach to…to our problem. Fundamentally different, perhaps. Very strange for me. But do you know what's strangest? Now I'm looking at you, and it seems to me that it might work.

“The rational approach usually works better than the emotional one,” Dougal responded. – This is true for any problem.

– What’s at the Academy? Did you find out? And… what was that all about, do you often do this?! – I shuddered with disgust, remembering William with his “Curly” and the “old sodomite” Oscar.

– Never. I have never encountered anything like this before. But I suspect that these are all consequences of Miss Blair's ritual. Isn't the ritual room the same one by any chance?

– I’m not sure, but it’s very similar.

– That's what I thought. On Sundays it is usually attended by students from behind. Under the supervision of someone from the senior year. They prepare for tests, practice ritual magic. I’m not an expert in ritualism, but I think I won’t be wrong if I assume that they opened a portal to the world of spirits while practicing the summoning spell, but the balance of power turned out to be too unequal. And the defense is shattered, or even completely broken by your appearance and the intervention of forces that it is better for a normal person not to even know about. You saw the result with your own eyes. Restless spirits, lost souls, ghosts and a lot of small evil spirits. All that had to be done was to throw them back, close the portal and seal the breach. And I think I would even have enough strength for it. With subsequent exhaustion, of course, but I did not expect the outcome that you described.

“Ghost Bear said that protection is the responsibility of the chief and some… old man?” I don’t remember exactly… the place.

– And he was right. I thought I told you that the land on which the Academy stands is filled with power. Madam is the headmistress there now. Perhaps in the company of experienced ritualists. The magic of the Academy is fixated on it, security and protective artifacts are tuned to it. There appear to be no casualties other than Mr. Whiteley. Except maybe a couple of impressionable students with nervous breakdowns. We managed to leave.

“Tomorrow is the last day,” I blurted out. – Let's go for a walk? It’s not critically important for you to hold it at the Academy, is it?

– I am one of the victims, like you. And I have a moral injury incompatible with work. I have already informed the director about this. In a written form.

I couldn't help but laugh. She said from the heart:

– Thank you.

– It won't hurt you either. But that's later. You can add exhaustion, concussion and mild to moderate physical damage to the moral one. Doctors will confirm.

– Necessarily. By the way. Is there a concept of “injury at work” in your world? Do you mean that she is entitled to some kind of compensation from the employer?

– Not for magicians.

“Discrimination,” I snorted.

“We are able to take care of ourselves much better than those who do not own magic.” It's more like a kind of justice.

– What about magical exhaustion?

– Every magician first of all has reason, and only then magic. But a reasonable person is different in that he is able to make a conscious choice – to bring himself to exhaustion of any kind or not.

“It’s logical,” I agreed. – Although… circumstances are different, right?

“They happen,” Dougal nodded, “but, as a rule, they do not depend on the place of work.” For example, today no one demanded any action from me other than the lecture. Madam headmistress is not responsible for the fact that I ended up in the dungeons of my own free will.

“As well as for a ritual carried out by an ambitious fool without her knowledge,” I nodded. – And for all its consequences. Okay, let's not spoil our mood with Madame Headmistress. We suddenly had a day and a half free. I have no ideas. Do you probably have things to do that are better not to be put off? So the program is yours.