[June 21st] A Worried Mentor [Thulile & Matilda]

Thulile took the sketchbook, but then reached out to smooth a hand down over Matilda's hair. She gave the girl a warm smile. "Don't look so worried, sweetheart."

Opening the sketchbook Thulile began to look through the images. Smiling and commenting on them here and there. She liked them as they were very much the girl Thulile had come to know. The one with the boy, Dmitry in it calling him brother made thulile smile even more widely. After that, though, the theme shanged. Thulile's expression changed and she didn't make comments as she focused on the pictures. Her mind easily shifting as she searched within them to find their meanings. Fingers tracing the lines and shadows. Her heart twisting up tightly at the images of Dristan and the car. At the end Thulile turned back to the first of the dark ones and then pulled Matilda in close to her side.

"These last pictures... will you tell me their stories?"

Thulile gave a little nod as Matilda began to talk and then tilted her head over to rest on top of the girl's. Sitting there, giving Matilda all of her attention.

"These pictures from your nightmares... will you tell me how you felt drawing them? Do you remember what was happening in them?" The fact MAtilda was having nightmares worried Thulile, and she wanted to ask about it, fully intending on extending the conversation further into each grouping of pictures.

When Thulile saw the tears she reached over and used her thumb to brush them away as well. This poor girl.

"A maze... it is like a labyrinth. Twisting and turning... But, you know. Dristan, he's so smart. And he has so much love in him. So much to live for," Thulile said as she stopped on the image of everyone wondering lost, looking for him. "A wonderful person so full of life... I do not see him staying lost forever. Especially if, instead of wandering blindly looking for him... we all stay stationary and call out to him. Call for him without voices and out hearts. Reach for his soul and let it guide him back."

Thulile was quiet a moment as she thought on how to explain further what she had said. "Magic isn't everything," she began with.

"The mind is a complicated thing with many depths and wonders yet to discover. What I speak of ties in more with Faith. Something even muggles have, as well as willpower and passion. Of the mind's ability to see and recognize things and piece millions of things together to form a picture and impression. Visiting him, talking to him. Letting him hear your voice even as he is in a coma. Faith in him. And just... thinking and pushing your energy out there, like you would when praying for something very hard? Things like that. These are the things that we can do. Yes, a telepath would be great, but these things... these are the things we can do."

"I have faith, though more in the lines of basic spiritualism. Faith in a higher power beyond our comprehension. Faith in the good things and humanity. Faith that there will always be a light in the darkness," Thulile mused in a soft voice as she looked out into the wooded area around them.

"I do pray, in a way. When I was a kid I would call them my wishes, but they were one and the same with prayers. Projecting my will, passion, and desires out into the universe. And then I found art, and I started doing it that was as well. Back in my street art days... I did it so often. Little murals and images on the side of buildings that bore my greatest hopes and dreams for the entire city to see... That was my way of it." Thulile then smiled and gave Matilda a one armed hug. "I think you'll find your one way of doing it too, however that may be if the basic prayer things don't suit you."

Thulile didn't take up the topic of Matilda's birth parents, knowing it was youthful anger. That as she grew her opinions and desires would alter as well. There had been a time Thulile had felt much the same about her father. Now? Thulile was content to let the man forever stay anonymous.

"No no. Never say you shouldn't be afraid. You have every right to feel the things you do, even fear. You are within your rights to be afraid of what is happening. Only, don't let that fear make you give up hope. Hope is the one amazing quality, the best gift Humanity has. Hope, and Faith. Faith in yourself, in the people around you. Faith that your voice will help to lead Dristan home. Faith that Dristan will come back to you."

Thulile gave a nod of her head. It was easy to understand what Matilda meant. Even as an adult thulile herself didn't have much knowledge with the medical arts or healing practices. It simply hadn't been her calling. She could understand, though, how the lack of knowing might make hope hard to hold onto.

As Matilda spoke on Thulile nodded her head, understanding what Matilda meant as she went on even further. "The port keys are rather upsetting, you never really get used to them," she said with a grimace. "But I think that would be good. Definitely visit him as much as your able, I don't see how there could be any harm in that. And if you ever need me at all, always remember that I'm here." Leaning over Thulile pressed a kiss to the top of Matilda's head.

"I'm always here for you, sweetheart. Promise. You're successfully wiggling yourself right into my heart," Thulile said with a smile, her free hand coming up to rest over her heart. "And it's ok to worry. I understand. Adults can say that, because they don't want you carrying the weight of the world around with you. But I know you still will worry. But that's why you got me, right? And even if you have to go back into the system, I'll never stop being there for you. Hell, I'll try to move heaven and earth to find you a good home. Alright?"

"You know, that sounds just perfect."

"Alright, let's do that." Thulile said with a smile.

Leaning over, Thulile was content to watch and comment as the girl drew. "I think it will be just as perfect as the other. Remember, putting even your dark feelings onto paper is perfection and an expression of self. Don't ever let someone tell you it's wrong to. But now that you have, yes. Let's bring light into that darkness." Thulile grinned, wanting to show Matilda her complete acceptance in this. It was her little promise. She'd look after Matilda for Dristan and Teagan while the girl was at camp.

"If that is what you want, then I will happily take it." Thulile said with all honesty. "I will take it and keep it safe because it is a piece of you and you should never be ashamed of it. If you want it kept then it should be." Reaching over she gave Matilda a half hug.

"But I understand. Some people look at things and feel differently. So pieces like these might be too difficult for others to acknowledge. I mean, so often we're all trying to suppress parts of ourselves. Deny our fears. Not everyone is able to bring those out and essentially bare their souls for all to see. So when they see someone else doing so, by art or music, or any other means, they can feel awkward by it. Since it's something they can't do." That was something Thulile herself had to deal with when she was younger. Making her art with the brash honesty of a child not yet taught to suppress all those things inside.