Above Ground: Sentinel’s Watchtower (Previously Priest’s Office on the Second Story)

Back when the church had been in regular use, this was the Priest's Office, located on the second story of the building. It is in good condition, structurally. Decoratively, however, it is plain to see that it could use a bit of fixing up. When the sentinels aren't on lookout, one can come up here for some private time. When the other usable classrooms are occupied, this room can sometimes become a third one. Until dusk, that is.......

When the sun sinks below the horizon, it is time for our volunteer sentinels to begin their appropriate shifts until morning to make sure the others can sleep in relative peace. Sentinels may have a buddy to talk to or take their shift alone, depending on the individual.

Night-time and you can't sleep? Well, you could always visit these night-owls... I'm sure they'd enjoy the company!

Lara sighed as she entered, vanishing her broom back to her room. She wasn't particularly fond of this chore of standing around keeping watch but considering she was more of a night owl anyway and had frequent bouts of insomnia it was the perfect job for her.

Levitating herself to be in a crosslegged position about five feet off the ground, she looked out the window, gazing at the familiar landscape, lost in her thoughts.

Rossalyn looked up, she was on watchtower duty, not that she minded all that much, she could stay up. Plus Tav finally let her go on duty officially, really she was 16.. not 6, she could handle night watch without a babysitter for once.

On once on the tower she blinked when she saw Lara, she seemed be deep in thought.

"Can't sleep again?" she asked.

At the voice, Lara turned around slowly, still keeping her levitation steady. "Nope. But hey, what else is new?" Lara asked laughing softly.

"So what's up?"

Smiling softy, she seemed to remember her Mother saying Lara's mother had insomnia as well when she was young. Not that she would say that to Lara of course, about as good as mentioning to Demyan he has is fathers accent.

"Watch duty, Tav finally let me come have it by me self... officially anyway. What about ya? What is keeping your mind from sleep tonight?" she asked simply curious, a slight Scottish accent in her voice.

"Only if ya want to tell of course" she added quickly, not wanting to appear nosy.

Lara smiled slightly. "About time. I swear, Tav's far too overprotective. If it were up to him everyone here would be decked out in bubble wrap!" she giggled lightly.

She shrugged at Rossalyn's question. "The usual: just various thoughts and musings over what's going on. That and insomnia is genetic so really, I'm just an insomniac who's taking advantage of the awakeness by thinking." She rolled her eyes as she thought of which parent it was who gave her the insomnia.

She laughed at the thought of the keep being wrapped in bubble wrap.

"Yes... then again he doesn't have much of a choice no does he? There so few of us left" she said with a sigh.

"Well how about something to think about then, I was talking with Demyan earlier, about the whole time travel thing Tav and Val have going. What do ya think about it?" she asked she asked keeping an eye over the landscape.

Lara silently nodded in agreement, her gaze returning to the landscape.

"It's intriguing, really. I'm dying to see what Val and Tav looked like as kids." she smiled. Not mention I'll get to see Daddy again...

"Do you know how exactly how far we might travel back?"

Rossa shrugged "Not sure really, not yet, but maybe before the Purgers were super strong when they wouldn't even know who we are.... before Kids names are put on the list of the damned...."

I was true most of them, of age or not was were hunted by purgers.

Lara nodded, still keeping her gaze out the window. "I worry about Lynn though... all the younger ones, really." she voiced her innermost thoughts and concerns quietly. "She barely remembers them. How will she react when she sees them?" a dry laugh escaped her. "How will any of us react when we see them?"

Rossa sighed "I am not sure, it still seems like a distant dream seeing them alive again... seeing them happy... again"

The McConns were one of the last families to loose there parents, but Rossa remembered very few of the happy times. Just when things looked up another friend of the family would vanish.

There had been a lot of tears and sorrow in the last few years of her parents lives... She sometimes wondered if they were relieved to die to join the family they had lost..

"I worry about the twins the most.... there mother wasn't killed by purgers, she died giving birth to them... I don't think we can prevent her death with out loosing the twins" she stated. That though weighed on her mind a lot.

"How will they react knowing that?..... Not sure I would take it very well"

Lara nodded once more, silently. She knew and remembered very little about the twin's mother. Her parents and their's weren't particularly close so she didn't see them quite so often. At least, not often enough to get a good opinion or memory of them. But still, they were someone else's parents.

"Indeed." she agreed solemnly.

Opting for a change in subject she went with something many of them had in common...Hogwarts.

"It would be nice to see Hogwarts standing agian.... to see it back in all it glory, think we will?"

"Well, considering that's where our parents will be and the whole point of this is to see them and communicate effectively, it's more than likely," Lara sighed as she shifted her position slightly so she was laying down on her back and levitating.

"Have you decided on a name to use when we go back or are you sticking to yours?"

Rossalyn sighed "I would love to keep my own name.... but Tav won't let me, could make for a even more complicated situation... and I hate but have to agree with him. McConn isn't exactly like Smith. Plus Mum and Dad and everyone else will thing we are bunkers if we just walk right in and announce our real names. Mine will be Vivian something or other "

"what about ya? What name will ya have in the past?

Lara shrugged. "I'm not too sure yet. Probably just stick to 'Lara Halliwell', to keep things simple. Thing is, depending on how far back we travel, it might be around the time a few months before I'm actually born so that could really screw things up since by then my parents would be coming up with my name. You know what I mean?"

"I'm torn between Piper, Lorraine, and Guinevere. Which do you think would work best?"

Rossalyn nodded "Aye I know what you mean"

She thought for a second, "Erm I like Lorraine, it is close to your real name to get used to quickly, but different enough it shouldn't make your parents change what they will name you..... in my opinion anyway"

"I wonder where we will be staying if we get there.... Hogwarts? that would be really weird"

Lara nodded. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Alright then, Lorraine Halliwell it is."

"You know, I wondered that myself. If we did stay at Hogwarts it'd be heaven and hel at oncel, wouldn't it? Being so close to our parents."

Rossalyn nodded, "And them not knowing who we are..... or worse they find out and still look at us like strangers."

She momentariy wondered about Lara and her mother, and Demyan with his father.

" Aye Heaven and hell is right, can ya imagine the sort of drama our staying there will cause?"

Lara shrugged. "Fair enough, I suppose. After all, half of us will be looking at them as though they were strangers too."

"I can..." she replied softly, imagining her father's face if/when they told them. Her mother she prefered not to think about, though she knew that in the time they were looking into, chances are you wouldn't really see one without the other. Heaven and Hell indeed...

Rossalyn nodded "I suppose, They won't tecnically be our parents yet will they"

"Wonder how we will convince them to let us stay, or any of stay for that matter. Bunch a kids and young adults suddenly apreaing out no where....they may find that suspious..... There be a possibliy we can't stay there" Rossa said with uncertainty.

With a laugh she said "Boy when the meeting is finally held about this it is going to be a interesting meeting to say the least... Tav and Val are going to be busy with this....I almost feel sorry for them"

"Depends. Some of us, aside from Val and Tav of course, may be already be born when we get there. Worse comes to worse we could always pose as extra Professors, I suppose. I vaguely recall an anecdote on the shortage of teachers around that era."

Lara smirked at the mention of an interesting meeting. "Hell ya. Expect alot of arguing or "debating"," she added, using quote fingers. "Over the plans." she snickered lightly, getting a kick out of just picturing the scene.

"Hmm total chaos, I predict....' she said with a chuckle.

"But I think it will be soon, people are getting really ansty about it, and I am sure Tav and Val were looking to the actual method of getting to the past... something to do with that Vortex chamber thing..."

Lara nodded. "There has to be something about that Vortex. I really doubt it was their solely for decor..." she sighed.

Opting to change the subject, Lara flipped her bangs away from her face. "I really hope Lynn doesn't insist on bringing all her pets with her." She smiled, laughing softly and briefly at the thought.

Rossalyn laughed "What pets does she have again?" she asked.