Tala's answer to the question: How did you, and still do deal with the cruelty at the Balkov Abbey?
Cruelty? I don't really understand. There really wasn't any intentional cruelty, a smart ass or someone who was being lazy might get a slap to make the lesson stick but I would not call that cruel. In a way it was impersonal, maybe you're referring to that? It didn't bother me though; I never noticed the "chill" everyone else did. I prefer it to be that way, cold. I'm not sure whether preference for warmth or cold is innate or not, if it is then I would be like this anyway but more likely it is my 'oh-so-tragic' past. Don't take offence at me taking light of it but as I have said, I am a cynic, cold and close to emotionless. You see at the tender age of 5 my parents (foster parents that is, I am a test tube baby in the worst sense of the word) died. They burnt to death in their own home and I was there to see it all. It took a long time for me to heal from it. I had 1st degree burns on most of my body but I survived and so I was sent to Boris and hid abbey with a fear of fire and a new found love of the ice that had cooled the agony of my burns. People claim that is when I became cold but I have yet to see proof I wasn't before hand. Any way so at the abbey my new coldness was nurtured and so, unlike many others, I didn't hate my new home. I liked the way nobody expected conversation and when I still had them nobody commented on my scars. They concentrated on themselves and that suited me perfectly. However one can only be so cold, you need a little warmth but I was too afraid of it, of the pain it could bring. One person changed that.
I complained that the water was too hot when I turned on the shower (the heat hurt my scars) so one boy volunteered to go before me, saying that he had cold showers anyway. He was so small, a good few years younger then myself (though later he did have a big growth spurt). He was one of those people you could tell was not meant for the cold. In my mind I could see fire dancing in his eyes (I've looked in mine and all I see is solid ice). For some reason, and I have yet to explain it, I wanted to protect this boy. I think it may have been my logic seeing that he could not survive on his own. A friendship developed. His warmth was gentle enough, perhaps because of the layer of ice that had formed, to not scare me. So I built for him a safe haven, to keep the worst away. He gave me a small hallow in my frozen heart where I may choose to let someone in.
Perhaps some people were treated cruelly here? I wouldn't know, I've never cared to pay attention to others. Perhaps some people find the cold too much but to me it was a refuge from heat. I have not a bad word to say about the abbey. I still live here as it suits me. However I do believe without my fiery little friend this heaven may have trapped me and become my hell.
A/N: ok this one is sooooooo much better then kai's! maybe coz I wrote it second? I dunno. I loved writing it though so I do hope you enjoy it too!