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Clorinde knows people gossip about her at work, it’s hard not to notice. When she’s walking to the staff room to get her lunch, in the gym and even when she’s walking to the car to go home. But there is one particular student who will just not give up until she knows everything about everyone. Charlotte. Editor of the school’s paper, and coincidently, Navia’s best student/protege.
Navia and her had been married for 6 years, but they’ve known each other since they were 9 years old. Navia was the one who encouraged Clorinde to join the army, the one who stood by her when she came back differently from when she left, and the one who managed to get her a job as the gym teacher when she needed a stable living. They had agreed that Clorinde would be the one to tell students and teachers if she wanted to but until she did they kept it quiet, mainly due to the fact that she's a private person.
She knew Navia struggled with it at times, her being a bubbly personality didn’t help, but as much as she loved to talk to people about her life, she loved Clorinde more. And respected that she didn’t want a lot of people knowing her business… most of the time.
If there was one thing her wife was, it was a tease.
Charlotte however, although a respectful and well liked student, did everything she could to try find out more about the school's gym teacher. She was dying to be the one to figure out what Ms. Aubert’s story was, Clorinde has no doubt that she will become an exceptional journalist in the future. It all started a few months ago when Charlotte had approached her in the middle of gym class, apparently for the school paper.
“Ms Aubert!! Do you have a sec?”
“Ah, Charlotte, is everything okay?”
“Oh yeah everything is fine, I was just wondering if you’d be open to having an interview?”
“An Interview?”
Charlotte nodded, “Yeah an Interview, I’m doing them for a lot of the teachers, giving the students some insight so that they can relate to you all more. It would be about how you got into teaching, what you do outside of school, things like that. Mrs Caspar suggested it, she said it would be good for the students that are too scared to approach teachers about things.”
Damn you Navia.
Clorinde just stood there looking at Charlotte, questioning how she was going to go about this.
“Uh, I’m not sure - I’m pretty busy with the fencing tournament coming up, then I’m teaching a lot of the time so..”
“Oh well, that’s fine. It shouldn’t take long, just some quick questions and maybe a photo to go in the paper, we could do it right now”
“Right. Well.” Clorinde paused. “My apologies but I have a staff meeting that I have to go to” and off she went, walking towards the exit.
Leaving Charlotte standing there with a stunned expression “but Ms Aubert!! We’re in the middle of class!”
Navia cackled when Clorinde told her the story later at dinner.
“I just jokingly suggested she ask you a few questions, I didn’t think she was going to go full blown journalist on you.” She said as she stroked the top of Clorinde’s head. She had buried her face in her wife’s neck to hide her embarrassment, grunting in response.
“Aww mon cherie” Navia cooed “I’m so sorry, I know you like to keep your outside of school life private. I’ll try to tell her to back off of you a little.”
Which she didn’t do of course, instead she encouraged. She encouraged Charlotte so much that now Clorinde is having to hide from her in the security office during gaps in her schedule. Thankfully the head of security, Wriothesley, is… close… with Principle Neuvillette so she doesn’t get in trouble and teachers can find her easily. Although she does miss walking past Navia’s classroom and seeing her teaching with the brightest smile on her face.
Who knew a 14 year old could take so much away from her.
—
Navia likes to talk, this is known. So it’s no surprise that the whole school knows she’s married to an ex-army soldier who’s she’s known since she was younger, and that they’re hoping to adopt some kids within the next couple of years, much to her excitement.
It was a stark contrast to what they know about Ms Aubert. The only indication that she’s married is the ring on her finger.
The student’s knew that the two of them were friendly with each other, as they see a lot of the teachers eat together at lunch. But no one knew anything further than that.
All Clorinde had wanted to do was to give Lynette some information about the upcoming fencing tournament. Much like how Charlotte was Navia’s star student, Lynette was Clorinde’s, she’d been training with her guardian outside of Clorinde’s teaching and it was obviously paying off. Clorinde was hoping that she could qualify for the upcoming tournament, despite spending a lot of her time helping with her twin brother’s magic shows. But of course, the time she’d actually gone to speak to her, she was in the middle of class. Navia’s class.
“Ms Aubert, how can I help you?” Navia smiled. The same smile that had Clorinde letting down all the walls that she puts up at school. The same smile that still makes her weak in the knees, no matter how cliche that is. She still couldn’t believe that even after how she was when she came back, Navia still wanted to marry her.
…
Focus Clorinde.
“I was just wondering if i could borrow Lynette, shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes”
“Oh yes, of course - but first I was just talking to the class about that time I tried to fly using my umbrella, do you remember who it was who caught me climbing up the wall?”
“Do you mean who caught us? You dragged me up there with you - then it was Silver who found us” Clorinde replied, when her and Navia were 14 years old Navia had tried to convince her it was possible - only for them to get caught before they had the chance to try it out. She could never say no to Navia. A fact which she was scolded for later, as she was supposed to be the responsible one out of the two. “Your father gave me a lecture that I will never forget”
The class looked shocked.
Ah damn it, Clorinde knew she had let her guard down unintentionally. Not many people knew that the pair of them have been close from such a young age. Navia was aware of this, obviously from the smirk on her face from having managed to get Clorinde to accidentally spill something about her personal life.
And of course, one person could not raise their hand quick enough.
“Mrs Caspar, have you and Ms Aubert known each other long? Did you know each other before working here? How did you two meet?” Charlotte ran through her questions as quickly as possible. So much so that Clorinde almost had to take a step back.
Navia chuckled “Me and Ms Aubert have known each other for a while yes, we knew each other before she got the job - but I’m afraid that’s all the information you're going to get out of me. Everyone knows how Ms Aubert is about her private life”
“Yes, well I simply came in to have a quick chat with Lynette. As I mentioned previously.”
“Of course, of course.”
“Thank you Mrs Caspar, come on Lynette we’ll chat out in the hall”
But of course, she wasn’t let off that easy as once Lynette returned to the room, Navia decided she wanted to have a quick chat too. Pulling Clorinde into the blind spot of the window to her classroom.
“Sorry about that mon cherie” she said while grabbing Clorinde’s hand.
“I was just telling the class what not to do, setting a good example. But now you’ve gone and revealed we know each other well.” She beamed while her finger now traced calluses and scars.
“It’s fine Navia, it’s not the worst thing that they know we know each other well. Just so long as that’s all that it is.”
“Absolutely, like we agreed upon, if you wish to disclose information about our relationship then you can. But until then, not a word.” inching closer, Navia gently skimmed up her arm, to her shoulder then leaned in to whispered seductively into her ear “by the way, you look absolutely devine today”
Clorinde turned red, deep red. Oh what this woman does to her.
“My love, we’re at work.”
“Yes yes, don’t worry - I wont take up too much of your time”
Clorinde could see the scheming look on her wife’s face, as Navia glanced around the hall making sure no one was around.
She then proceeded to quickly pull Clorinde in for a kiss, and she forces herself not to deepen it, not to get carried away. Like she had said only seconds ago, they are at work.
But archons. She’s truly being tested today.
Especially as Navia sighs as she pulls away. Taking out her small compact mirror that she must have grabbed before coming out and making sure her lipstick isn’t smudged.
She smiles contently, reaching to wipe the lipstick off of the corner of Clorinde’s lips.
“See you later my love, remember to eat the lunch I packed for you” she said as she sauntered back into her classroom.
Honestly, her wife will be the death of her.
—
Navia had student revision sessions today.
Clorinde wouldn’t say she missed her wife. It had only been, what? 2 hours, 34 minutes and 16 seconds since they said goodbye to each other before Navia left to go to her classroom. She just, well, doesn’t like sitting by herself.
She’s currently waiting in Wriothesley’s office so they can go home together. He’s gone off to find Neuvillette for whatever schemes they have planned for today meaning she has to entertain herself for the time being.
She couldn’t risk sitting in her own office, who knows if Charlotte is still at school or not. It’s not like she really needs to be in there either, she’s not an English teacher like her wife, she doesn’t need to mark papers. So for the past 2 and a half hours she's created lesson plans, made sure all the paperwork for Lynette’s qualification were finished and correct (Clorinde could never tell if she was actually happy about qualifying or not), then proceeded to stare at the clock.
Navia should be done soon right? She had already packed away her laptop and paperwork so all she could do was sit and wait patiently…
Her phone buzzed.
It was scary how Navia could sense when Clorinde was thinking about her, it always somehow made her both chuckle and wonder if Navia was nearby, secretly stalking her.
-
My Love:
I’m finished! Meet me by the car in 5
My Love:
Can we go to the store on the way???
My Love:
I want to make some macarons tonight :)
: Me
Sure
: Me
I already packed my things
: Me
I’ll head down soon
My Love:
Aw, were you getting impatient?
My Love:
Don't worry, I missed you too
My Love:
Oh! I forgot to mention, Papa asked for us to
come round for dinner this weekend
My Love:
So clear your schedule!!
: Me
That’ll be nice, we should bring round that wine he liked
: Me
Just leaving Wriothesley’s office
-
Smiling as she put her phone in her pocket, Clorinde made a fatal error.
She forgot to check the hall before she left the office.
Of course, the one student she was avoiding was there.
Her worst enemy.
Charlotte.
“Oh Ms Aubert. What were you doing in the security office? And what made you smile like that? I don’t think I’ve seen you smile like that apart from when you’re speaking to Mrs Caspar.”
Clorinde stood stiff, she could bolt it? She may be getting on in years but she’s a gym teacher for Archons sake, she could outrun a 14 year old right?
No, she couldn’t do that…
Navia would laugh at her again.
Accepting her fate, Clorinde replied “Oh uh… It was just a message from my wife” It wasn’t like she was talking about who her wife was and things like that, nor was she lying to a student.
“Your wife? Really?... That's interesting” Charlotte responded with a pensive look on her face.
“Anyway, now that I have you here, could I maybe get that interview I’ve been asking about? We never seem to have the time” She continued, seemingly dismissing her previous thought.
“My apologies Charlotte, you should be getting home soon shouldn’t you? It’s after school hours.”
“I was at Mrs Caspars revision session until a moment ago - it ended a little early because she wanted to see her wife already - so I still have time before my parents pick me up”
Clorinde chuckled, even though Navia teases her, she likes to think she’s just as clingy. There was one time that Navia had run home in the middle of one of Fontaines worst floods just so she could be there for Clorinde at night. Though, this was not long after Clorinde had come back from the army so she wasn’t complaining. The months after returning, Navia insisted on sleeping beside her each night so when the nightmares came she wasn’t alone. Also showering her with mountains of love and affection, it was the most seen Clorinde had ever felt. Even if she didn’t realise it at the time.
“I imagine so, I’m also eager to get home so apologies I won’t be able to have our interview.”
“Maybe we could walk out together? We can talk on the way, and then take the photo tomorrow morning? Like I’ve told you the previous times, it’s really only a few questions.” Charlotte said anxiously, despite already anticipating the answer. “Unless of course, you don’t want to do the interview and I tell Mrs Caspar that you wished to opt out and now I have to find someone new.”
Clorinde would bet several mora that Navia told her to say that last part. Navia knows her greatest weakness… pleasing her wife. A weakness which she utilizes often.
“Perhaps another day? I have to head downstairs quickly as my wife is waiting for me.”
And although Clorinde said she wasn’t going to run away again, much like the previous times Charlotte approached her, she maybe jogged to the teacher car park.
She really must do something about Charlotte asking all these questions. She won’t lie, she has been considering mentioning her marriage to Navia to a few of her students. She feels comfortable in her job and with her students enough in order to do so. But she’s unsure of whether or not announcing it in the school paper is the best way to do it.
By the time she arrived, she noticed that there was a certain blonde haired teacher leaning against the car door. This was surprising as Charlotte was probably still within the building, having come from the same place as Navia on the other side of school.
“How on earth did you get here so quickly?” Clorinde asked when she got closer to Navia, who gave her a beaming smile in response.
“Shortcut”
“You went out the window again didn’t you”
One time when Clorinde had been doing laps of the school with the track and field team at the end of the day, she’d noticed that Navia’s classroom window was slightly ajar. She closed the window shut, continued on her run, then asked Navia about it when she got home. To which the response she got was “Why walk through several hallways when you can just walk half the distance in the fresh air”
Navia just chuckled, “A magician never reveals her secrets, just ask Lyney”
Deciding it best to let it go, she proceeded to unlock the car and open Navia’s door for her.
“Whatever you say, just get in the car”
Navia giggled, giving Clorinde a quick peck on the cheek before sliding into the car.
Another benefit of the students knowing about their relationship, is she could be as sappy as she wants to be to Navia.
–
There’s a new teacher, a new English teacher and Clorinde already hates him.
He spoke to her briefly, very egotistical. He spoke about all these fancy private schools he’s worked at, how he graduated from Marechaussee University two years early and how he was begged to accept the job offer.
Clorinde knows for a fact that half the things he said were lies. Firstly, Nuevilette doesn’t beg. And secondly, Clorinde herself went to Marechaussee as they have several programs to either attend university after, or during a tour in the army and even have a specialty program, which Clorinde herself was a part of which students can opt to do their training during their final year of university. One thing is for sure though, is that they will under no circumstances allow people to graduate early, it’s something that all the dean talks about in the orientation assembly. So if he truly went there, he didn’t graduate early.
But that’s not why she hates him.
It’s a completely different reason as to why she currently wishes to plunge her plastic knife into his abdomen.
He likes Navia.
Not just likes her, he like likes her.
Archons, she feels like a teenager thinking of it like that, but why else would he currently be chatting to her constantly, asking her questions, trying to inch closer and closer.
It was in the middle of the lunch hall, there are children around, show some respect for crying out loud. She could see the strain it was taking on Navia as well, her fake, polite smile starting to falter was any indication.
She couldn’t see his face, nor was she close enough to hear him so she had no clue as to what he was constantly speaking about so she doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions. He must know that she’s happily married, Navia speaks about her often enough… right?
But then, of course, she saw something which was the last straw.
He reached over and tucked a stray stand of hair behind her ear, and then let his hand rest on her shoulder.
Next thing she knew she was striding towards the pair of them. However, before she could reach her destination someone stopped in front of her.
As usual.
Charlotte.
“Ms Aubert, if you really don’t want to do the interview it is fine you know. You don’t have to keep coming up with all these excuses”
Clorinde sighed, the look on Charlotte’s face was enough for her to realise that she just needed to stop beating around the bush. And she needed to stop being scared. Because truthfully that was the entire reason that she didn’t say anything until now, she was scared of what the students would think about their favorite, sunshine ball of energy English teacher being married to the gym teacher. She was scared that possibly people would look at her differently.
He still hadn’t moved his hand - To hell with it.
“Charlotte, give me 1 minute then we can sort it out” Clorinde said, moving around the student in front of her to continue on her path.
She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, putting all her strength into tightening her grip. He swiftly let go of Navia’s shoulder to yelp in pain, her wife at this moment in time was looking at Clorinde with a confused look.
“Oh I’m sorry there Mr Thomas, I really don’t know my own strength sometimes.” said Clorinde, using the most polite voice she could muster
“I see you met my wife, Navia.” It was like lightning hitting its target. One moment it was calm, then her words echoed against the walls of the cafeteria. Each student hung onto every thing she said.
She judged his reaction before she continued, he still looked quite cocky, better change that. “She really is the love of my life, you know she stuck with me when I came back from the war. Oh yes! I forgot to mention that to you, I actually joined the army right after attending Marachussee University myself. The dean’s speech in orientation is truly quite moving isn't it.”
His face is as pale as ice. Now, Clorinde doesn’t usually partake in Chess matches unlike a pair of other teachers in the school, Beidou and Ninguang. But at this moment she thinks the correct word is.. Ah yes.
Checkmate.
“Anyway, come along Navia. I need someone to help me move all my papers back to my office so I can have that interview with Charlotte.”
Navia in return gave her the sappiest smile imaginable, it was as if Clorinde had hung the stars in the sky. The last time Navia had looked at her like that, was when they agreed to adopt a kid within the coming year. She laughed as she usually does before grabbing Clorinde’s hand and saying “Yes dear, lead the way”
Turning back around to walk towards Charlotte, they noticed that she appeared to be in a state of shock. Her jaw was wide open, staring at the pair of them, and their intertwined hands.
When they reached her, Clorinde spoke first. “Charlotte, meet me in my office at the start of the next lesson. I understand you have English next with my wife, is that okay with you Navia? Charlotte assured me it was only a few questions and shouldn’t take long”
“Oh yes of course love, that's completely fine” Navia responded gleefully.
“I knew it!!!” Charlotte screamed “I knew it - no one looks at their childhood friends like that”
Navia laughed loudly, whereas Clorinde’s earlier confidence vanished, clearing her throat before responding.
“Yes well, we are technically childhood friends. We just also got married. But we can talk about that later in our interview if you want?”
“Yes of course! Oh my archons wait i have to make more questions. I’ll be there though, start of first lesson!” Charlotte replied before running out of the cafeteria.
Clorinde then got dragged to her earlier seat, and packed up her lunch that was made by the person who was beaming beside her.
“I was telling him off, you know, he asked me if I wanted to go out sometime and I told him I was married.” Navia said, stealing a macaron that she’d made a couple of days ago and had packed in their lunches. For the many years they have both been teaching at Fontaine Court High School, while married, no one seemed to notice they always have matching lunches.
“Yeah I presumed you would, I do trust you” Clorinde responded as she once again took Navia’s hand and guided them out of the lunch hall.
“I know you do. I really appreciate you telling people, it may not have been the way either of us wanted to happen, but it will be better in the long run.” said Navia, stroking Clorinde’s scars once more with her finger.
“I agree, I’d been wanting to do it for a while but I was just scared.”
Navia hummed, the one she typically does when she’s been waiting for Clorinde to admit something. “I get that mon cherie, that’s why i wanted you to do it on your own time… but I did push you a little towards the end”
“Oh don’t worry, I noticed. You’re not getting away with that just yet. But there was something I wanted to ask…” Clorinde replied as they approached the door to her office.
Navia stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. It was the kind of stare that reassured Clorinde, she found she was often on the receiving end of it.
“I think we should hyphenate our names, that way you can still keep the Caspar part as we both know how proud you are of the name. And it also means that we both always have a little bit of each other, no matter what. It shows that wherever we are, whoever we’re with, they always know that I am yours and you are mine.”
Navia blushed lightly, giggling before she responded “My my Clorinde, when did you get so romantic? But yes of course, I think that sounds perfect”
Her innocent look disappeared quickly however, replaced by the mischievous glint in her eye. She pulled Clorinde into the office and ran up to the desk, sitting on the edge waiting for Clorinde to approach. “Now be a good girl and lock that door”
Clorinde took in the sight before her. She doesn’t think she’ll ever stop loving Navia, even in death the two of them will go hand in hand. Survived by all their future children, they will be together forever.
In what way would she ever deny being married to this woman. This woman who ran through a flood to get to her, the woman who despite being one of the most talkative person in the world, kept silent about what makes her world spin. The woman who waited patiently for 6 years, so that Clorinde could feel comfortable.
She didn’t care anymore, she just wanted to be able to love her wife out in the open.
“Of course my love” she smiled, as she locked the door and walked up towards the love of her life.
—
BREAKING NEWS
SECRET ROMANCE BETWEEN TEACHERS REVEALED IN THE MIDDLE OF LUNCH HALL
It was revealed last week, on 14/03/XXXX, that the now Mrs and Ms Caspar-Aubert have been married since long before Ms Clorinde Caspar-Aubert began teaching here at FCHS.
How was this revealed? When the new Mr Thomas, approached Mrs Navia Caspar-Aubert intending to try to start a scandalous affair. But fret not! Our very own gym teacher came to the rescue. In a very knight-like way at that!
Following this, Ms Caspar-Aubert gave us an exclusive interview where she revealed more about her life before joining the staff. Having served for 5 years in the army, she had decided that she wanted a peaceful life here in Fontaine to settle down with - in her exact words! - the love of her life.
Before her time in the army, Ms Caspar-Aubert revealed that she had won several fencing competitions herself, even admitting to the fact that she was honored to be given an elite title, only given to those who have proven their worth, “Champion Duelist”.
Will she lead our very own, Lynet, to victory as well? Will FCHS become the hotspot for training Champion Duelists?
More can be found on page 2 including quotes from our exclusive interview, more information about the Caspar-Aubert relationship and theories about the small bruise found on Ms Caspar-Auberts neck!