Her dark eyes widened, akin to an awakening owlett as Addie spoke to her directly. 

“I am alright.” She touched her right temple and winced a bit. “I just have an ache in my head.” That was not a lie, at least.

She pushed her breakfast plate away. The magic of the table soon began it’s work. The dirty dish sinking through the wood as if it were quicksand. It was similar to the spell that made the food and clean dishes appear upon the table.

“I think I might stop to get something before class.” Also not quite a lie. This was a small comfort to her heart. Usually concealing her condition was a habit that did not disturb her in the slightest. But the implications brought up by recent events pressed upon her conscious. She hoped the guilt would fade within the week. Then she could go back to feeling like her ‘normal’ self...

She looked at Richard. She still wondered if this excursion a game or a gamble. What did Richard [i]really[i] think? He didn’t know Katherine Hale or Jeffery Lark. He cracked jokes over breakfast, flirted at club meetings, all these the signs of a fellow who was unconcerned.

River also knew that Richard could change his face at will.

Richard was born with [i]that[/i] talent, God also saw fit to grace him with a talent for magic, intelligence, and finding trouble… 

Fonsus and Richard were both extremely capable wizards. Fonsus was not challenged by school, therefore he shunned school work for his own experiments. This would be troublesome to his teachers and parents, but in truth the greatest consequence was Fonsus staying behind another year. Richard, on the other hand, did his homework but was had not likely been tested hard enough to see his full potential. If Richard was behaving the same as Fonsus, seeking his own diversions and tests, it was no wonder the two understood each other so well. Yet, the worst that could happen was… much worse. 

So she quickly begged him… “Try to think of… of… [i]Everything[/i].” She stepped toward him and wrapped him in a one arm hug so that she could whisper the rest into his ear: [i]“You are the only one who can pretend to be someone else if something goes wrong!”[/i]

She then leaned down toward where Fonsus sat. She tapped the notebook where he had scribbled the various and quite complicated quantum-metaphycial theories and formulas for persuading mothers to accept holiday guests. “Whatever you come up with will be brilliant, it always is.” 

She walked away before anyone could ask her anything else. The headache actually saved her from any further anguished thoughts. It has spread from her [i]cerebellum[/i] and seemed to thread its way through her [i]temporal lobe[/i] and grind against her [i]wernicke[i]. 

She decided to visit White. She’d take her regular dose and ask him for something more for her head. 

Perhaps she should tell him about her plans to visit Canada, she usually brought extra when she traveled. Perhaps he could refer her to a local doctor just-in-case she found more [i]trouble[/i]…

“I won’t tell him that I’m looking for it!”

She muttered this as she rounded the corner and approached his door. It was slightly ajar, and knocking would have worsened her migraine, so she simply pushed through to see her teacher and doctor. 

"Hello...?"