Blue Ridge is a fictional town located deep in the heart of Kentucky. It is home to one of the most well known equestrian academies in the United States. Students and staff from all over the world join the academy for what it has to offer. Do you have what it takes to join us and learn from the Academy?
Smilys were made by Sapphire Heaven of LiveJournal.
The mini-profile hover follows a tutorial by Kagney of Adoxography.
Photos in the skin used under CC from Flickr.
Post by Liana Mars on Feb 10, 2017 17:47:38 GMT -8
Jessa looked around as she walked into the main office, her eyes scanning the room for any other students. However, there were none, nothing to stop her from continuing her walk, down to the counseling offices. Had anyone been able to report that she'd come here, she would have turned around again on a pretense, but with noone there, she had no good excuse not to go.
She found the doors to the offices and knocked tentatively at one that was only half-closed. Now to see if they had time - And if they didn't, Liana wasn't sure if she minded or not. She didn't really want to talk to someone, but at the same time, at least these people couldn't whisper tales of her anywhere else... Right?
Post by Mikhail Thatcher on Feb 11, 2017 13:45:31 GMT -8
Mick was pretty much filling in time as he sorted the files in his office. This also gave him a chance to think about the students he had spoken to over the past year and wondering if he needed to have a catch up with them... not call them to the office per-sey, somewhere a little less... formal?
He looked up as there was a knock on his door, which he'd left open to show that he wasn't busy and was happy to have anyone drop in. Getting to his feet, he walked around the table and opened the door further. "Hello." He greeted with a warm smile, leaving the air open for the girl standing there, Liana if he wasn't mistaken, to invite herself in, as he didn't want to make an assumption that she was here to talk, and not delivering a message.
Post by Liana Mars on Feb 12, 2017 11:20:51 GMT -8
Liana sighed quietly as the door was opened. No excuse that nobody was there, not today.
She stepped into the room and pulled the door closed behind her, "Hello." She paused, "So you can't tell anyone what we talk about, right? Not my dad or anything?" She didn't want her thoughts getting back to him. That was one of the reasons she was here - She needed to sort out her thoughts anyway.
Post by Mikhail Thatcher on Feb 12, 2017 12:33:26 GMT -8
Mick's eyebrows lifted as the girl stepped in and closed the door, letting him know that she did indeed want to talk. He shook his head at her question and walked to the seat behind his desk as he motioned to the chairs on the other side for her too to take a seat.
"To be honest with you, it depends on what you want to talk about." He replied. "If I feel you are in trouble, I will seek advice on where to go with an outside source, without sharing names or specifics of what has been said here." He like to be completely honest from the get go. "Will I discuss what is said here with other teachers, students or your parents? No."
Post by Liana Mars on Feb 12, 2017 12:57:49 GMT -8
Liana sat primly in one of the chairs, across the desk from Mr. Thatcher. "No, I'm not in trouble. Just trying to work out my feelings about things." She couldn't really do anything about the 'outside source', and now that she was here, she could at least get it over with.
"So I guess this is complicated." She had thought about how to phrase everything for a while, but now that she was here, she still wasn't sure, "My family situation is complicated. About a year and a half ago, it came to light that I was not actually the child of my parents. There had been a mistake at the hospital where I was born, and I and another girl had been sent home with the wrong parents." She paused, "At the time where that came out, the two sets of parents had decided that they would not be switching back or anything. They were considering a malpractice suit of the hospital, but later decided not to. My family values its privacy."
She tried to get to the point, "Over the winter break, my dad told me that the plan to keep us with who we'd grown up with had changed. He wants to adopt the other girl and have both of us, as the other family is nowhere near as capable of providing for her. They, obviously, aren't happy about that, so it might turn into a big fight."
She considered what she'd said, "And if that sounds convoluted, that's because it is. I don't even know why I'm here, really. I just wanted to talk to someone about it."
Post by Mikhail Thatcher on Feb 12, 2017 13:57:15 GMT -8
"That's what I'm here for." He said in reply to her working out her feelings. Even if she worked things out herself, he was a good sounding board.
He sat back as he listened, as once she'd started talking, he decided that this wasn't a case where he needed to take notes. This was something that Liana needed to get off her chest, but not exactly something she wanted to share with her friends. His eyebrows rising in a few places, though he remained silent. He could understand how some families liked their privacy, his was one like that.
He sat forward again. "From what you have said, it sounds like you're looking at this as an outsider. Obviously, your family is your family, and blood doesn't determine family, no matter what anyone says." He lifted his eyebrows as he studied her for a moment. "How are you feeling about the whole thing?" He knew it was a typical, if not corny, question, but the answer - other than the normal eye-roll - would hopefully give her an idea of why she was really here talking to him.
Post by Liana Mars on Feb 12, 2017 14:03:13 GMT -8
Liana scrunched up her nose as Mr. Thatcher asked her how she felt about it, "It's a mess." She considered for a moment, "I don't want her to be a part of our family. It's already bad enough having to be associated with her here, she's a bit of a hick." She sighed, "But every time I bring that up, my dad tells me I'm being uncharitable, and that she should get the best of everything, what she should have had since birth." She frowned, "He's trying to buy her favor, giving her all sorts of things, but she refuses to make use of them." It was almost as if Jessamine liked being poor.
Post by Mikhail Thatcher on Feb 12, 2017 15:49:11 GMT -8
One corner of Mick's mouth turned up in half smile as she replied. "Ok, let me ask you another question. Do you think that your dad would love you any less if he adopts this other girl?" Again, it was one of those cheesy things you were supposed to ask. Truth be told, it did sound like Liana's father was trying to buy the love and acceptance of the other girl. "Have you sat down with the girl in question and talked to her about this?" Though from her comment, he had an idea that the answer would be no. He wouldn't mind having both girls to air out their concerns in the same room.
Post by Liana Mars on Feb 12, 2017 20:54:29 GMT -8
Liana frowned at the question. She knew it could seem petty, but he'd hit the nail on the head, "Yes." She was worried that, if he pushed the Smiths too much, they'd point out that they had just as much right to 'their' daughter (her!) as he did to Jessamine. "If push comes to shove, the question is if he would pick her over me." And the problem was - She didn't know which he'd choose. The way he was acting right now, it was concerning.
As she was asked if she'd sat down with Jessamine and discussed this, she shook her head, her nose wrinkling, "No. I want nothing to do with her."
Post by Mikhail Thatcher on Feb 13, 2017 0:02:52 GMT -8
Mick smiled softly at her honest reply and he rested his elbows on the desk as he leaned forward. "Liana, you are his daughter, a simple blood test can not change fourteen years of love." He pressed his lips together. "I don't know your father, nor do I have children of my own, but I wonder if your father feels that maybe the mix up at the hospital could be his fault. I know that my own parents stress over the smallest things... like my mother's uncalled for fear of me ruining my face if I played polo." He rolled his eyes at the thought of his mother's obsessing.
He nodded with a smile when the teenager mentioned she wanted nothing to do with this biological daughter of the only father she knew. "You could always both come here and talk it out?" He offered, he guessed that since Liana knew so much about what was going on in the other girl's life that they both attended the Academy.
Post by Liana Mars on Feb 15, 2017 20:28:06 GMT -8
Liana scoffed, although she listened to what Mr. Thatcher was saying. Slowly, her posture relaxed, just slightly. What he was saying made sense - Her dad was always one to carry blame so easily, although he never admitted it. Especially in family affairs.
As she was offered the chance to talk it over with Jessamine here in the office, Liana considered, then shook her head, "Not yet, I think." Now that she'd gotten it off her chest, she'd remembered that, every gesture her father had made, Jessa had tried to rebuff. It wasn't like the girl was at fault here, and she wasn't trying to push her way into Liana's family. It was all her dad's doing, "I think I need to reevaluate what I think about her first. It's not her fault either, although I've been blaming her and her stupid car crash."
Post by Mikhail Thatcher on Feb 16, 2017 20:10:00 GMT -8
He gave a small smile as it seemed that his words seemed to unravel something as she relaxed, though he knew better than commenting on what he was watching.
He nodded as her next words, he had a feeling that she wasn't ready to extend the olive branch toward the other girl yet, but he had given her the offer to make it happen. "I'm pleased that you seem to have come to your own conclusion here." He said as his smile deepened. "Is there anything else that's bothering you?" Ok, now he knew he was probably pushing it, but he had to ask.
Post by Liana Mars on Feb 16, 2017 21:01:23 GMT -8
Liana shook her head as she was asked if there was anything else, "I think I just need to think it over a bit, but thank you." She suddenly just wanted out of that room! She stood up from her chair, "Thank you for your advice and for listening. I should get going." She made herself walk out of the room, but once she'd slipped out of the office building, she made her way straight to the Red Ribbon House and into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Post by Mikhail Thatcher on Feb 17, 2017 12:34:22 GMT -8
Mick nodded as the girl rose to her feet. "I'm happy if I helped. My door is always open." He sat back once she had left the room and he wondered how much her visit had actually helped her, or how many more questions she had left with. "And the real question is... will she come back when she needs to work out those answers?" He asked the empty room.