21 Feb 2020, 04:24
On the Prowl
Date: February 20th, 2020
Willow had taken to scouting the lunch room for friends, she found it to be the easiest method to find people that were free during that time, and she got lunch. Sometimes she would block people's homework time, reading time, or "Please leave me alone, I don't want to talk to someone right now time." But she took it in stride. Making friends could be risky business, and if you weren't willing to take the risk then the friendship wouldn't be as strong in her opinion.
This day was no different, and decided to implement her method once again. She stopped at the table where a few of her friends were already sitting, they knew she wouldn't stay for long. She absentmindedly participated in the conversation that was going on, but quickly spotted her victim-- or next friend. It was a boy in Slytherin robes. She hadn't gotten a ton of time to interact with a lot of Slytherins, and she had a 'Collect Them All' type approach to getting to know people. She quickly said a goodbye to her friends before walking over.
"Hi there! I'm Willow, I'm a Hufflepuff first year as you can probably tell." She gestured over dramatically to her robes before pulling a whole bunch of friendship bracelets out of her pocket in nearly every color. "Do you want a friendship bracelet?" She was beaming from ear to ear, even if people couldn't talk they usually would take a friendship bracelet. She would stay up every night making more to replace the ones she had given away. Even if they gave it to someone else, it made her happy that people were using them as some sign of friendship.
Reducio
@Jack Burnett
Last edited by Dorion Anderson on 8 Mar 2020, 07:57, edited 2 times in total.
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
21 Feb 2020, 19:07
On the Prowl
Ever since the Valentine's Day Tea Party, Jack had taken to sitting on his own at mealtimes more often. It was such a drastic difference from when he used to spend every meal spoon-feeding Ruka at the Gryffindor table and making sure the skinny boy ate enough. But those days were long gone.
Jack was fairly certain Ruka had Gryffindor friends to make sure he was kept well-fed now, so he had no need for the red-headed Slytherin. He would have likely only have caused more problems for him with his presence than helped instead at this point.
Unfortunately, in his sullen, solitary silence, the Slytherin boy forgot that loners were special targets for instigators like he tended to be. This time, though, the instigator was an unfamiliar blonde first-year girl with light blue eyes and charming, chubby cheeks. Before Jack had become aware enough to realize she was headed his way, the girl had approached and began to talk to him.
Hazel eyes widened in panic at his peer's introduction. Oh god. It was another Stella Dawson at the library all over again. This time, however, Jack couldn't just walk away because he needed to eat. Besides, he was not about to let some over-zealous badger scare him away simply because she didn't know what was good for her. He'd just have to try to reason with her and hope his logic got through to her better than it had her predecessor.
Perhaps it might not have been fair to compare all Hufflepuffs to Stella, but she was the first badgering badger Jack had ever met and she had pretty much attacked him with friendship from out of the blue as this girl was doing now. Fortunately he hadn't seen her in a while, but ever since then, Jack had taken special precaution to avoid Hufflepuffs in general as best he could.
That was why he was familiar with fewer of them than he was with students from any other house. However, that also put him at a disadvantage because he had no clue how to deal with this particular badger nor how willing (or unwilling) to back off she was.
Well, there was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, he adopted an amicable smile and shook his head. "No, thank you. I don't have any money on me at the moment," he said, as if assuming she was selling said bracelets. "And I don't have any friends, which is exactly the way I like it. They're the death of people."
He re-focused his attention on his food then, giving the subtle hint that he hoped the girl would leave. "Kind of terrible of you to just go around giving people death sentences like that, isn't it? It's like you're telling them to die."
@Willow Anderson
Jack was fairly certain Ruka had Gryffindor friends to make sure he was kept well-fed now, so he had no need for the red-headed Slytherin. He would have likely only have caused more problems for him with his presence than helped instead at this point.
Unfortunately, in his sullen, solitary silence, the Slytherin boy forgot that loners were special targets for instigators like he tended to be. This time, though, the instigator was an unfamiliar blonde first-year girl with light blue eyes and charming, chubby cheeks. Before Jack had become aware enough to realize she was headed his way, the girl had approached and began to talk to him.
Hazel eyes widened in panic at his peer's introduction. Oh god. It was another Stella Dawson at the library all over again. This time, however, Jack couldn't just walk away because he needed to eat. Besides, he was not about to let some over-zealous badger scare him away simply because she didn't know what was good for her. He'd just have to try to reason with her and hope his logic got through to her better than it had her predecessor.
Perhaps it might not have been fair to compare all Hufflepuffs to Stella, but she was the first badgering badger Jack had ever met and she had pretty much attacked him with friendship from out of the blue as this girl was doing now. Fortunately he hadn't seen her in a while, but ever since then, Jack had taken special precaution to avoid Hufflepuffs in general as best he could.
That was why he was familiar with fewer of them than he was with students from any other house. However, that also put him at a disadvantage because he had no clue how to deal with this particular badger nor how willing (or unwilling) to back off she was.
Well, there was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, he adopted an amicable smile and shook his head. "No, thank you. I don't have any money on me at the moment," he said, as if assuming she was selling said bracelets. "And I don't have any friends, which is exactly the way I like it. They're the death of people."
He re-focused his attention on his food then, giving the subtle hint that he hoped the girl would leave. "Kind of terrible of you to just go around giving people death sentences like that, isn't it? It's like you're telling them to die."
@Willow Anderson
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
21 Feb 2020, 21:44
On the Prowl
Willow had heard that Slytherins had a tendency to be really mean or rude, but she had gotten to know Flash and he wasn't like that so she assumed that had just been a nasty stereotype. But this Slytherin seemed to be fulfilling it. She was used to rejection from these, but not this hard. Her mind was reeling trying to figure out how even to respond. She decided he just probably hadn't had a good friend in his life and sat down across from him, placing the bracelets on the table in between them in case he ended up changing his mind. "They're free, I make them to give out to people. They're not cursed or anything. It's just... a bracelet." Her stomach growled and she remembered why she was in the Great Hall in the first place. She grabbed a sandwich from a nearby platter and started eating.
"I would never curse anyone to die, well except for this one kid in year two that was a real jerk to a lot of different people. But he's still alive! Besides, being my friend is quite enjoyable if you could believe it, and I have a few of them to prove it. Not here... right now of course." She looked around and couldn't spot anyone in the immediate vicinity that she already knew to prove her point, but she shouldn't have to. "You can't tell me that you don't have a single friend in your life. There's gotta be someone that you would talk to when things are sad, or you just want to go out and do stuff, you gotta have someone."
She couldn't imagine not having people around her to hang out with. The Hufflepuff common room was always bustling with people to go on adventures with, even in the library she could find people to be her study buddy like Shae. She had a list of people for nearly every location in the castle accessible to her that she knows she could hang out with on any given day. Not having that must be incredibly lonely. "Can you even name a single person that has died at the hand of a true friend? Because I certainly can't." She felt confident in that final argument, she couldn't name anyone off the top of her head. She confidently took a bite of her sandwich, figuring that she had bested Jack already.
Reducio
@Jack Burnett
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
24 Feb 2020, 16:20
On the Prowl
As if he'd lost his appetite, Jack set down his food and offered the untouched portion of his meal to the badger girl when he heard her stomach rumbled. He couldn't help snickering a bit when said girl mentioned that there was one second-year she wouldn't have minded cursing to die. "Which kid was that?" he asked with amusement, curious.
However, when the Hufflepuff insisted that Jack couldn't tell her he didn't have a single friend in his life, he shook his head dismissively. "I make a point not to lie, so you'll have to just believe me when I toll you that no, I don't have a single friend. I have toys, experiments, and contractual partners who I can talk to and do stuff with, but they are definitely not friends. Besides, who needs friends to make positive connections with when you can way more easily make negative connections with people? Relationships are relationships, no matter if they're good or bad. Enemies can be just as fun to hang out with if not even more so than so-called 'friends'."
At the girl's question of whether he could name a single person that had died at the hands of a true friend, Jack stared at her for a moment before laughing aloud. It took him a minute or two to get himself under control again before he had the breath to answer her in coherent words.
"First of all," he began through his fading snickers, "I said that 'friends are the death of people'. That's different than dying at the hands of a true friend. I suppose it depends on your definition of 'at the hands of', since that's all very subjective. But by my definition, dying at the hands of a true friend means someone directly murdered their true friend. I can name those, too, but that's not what I was talking about.
"The most famous example I can think of is Draco the dragon who was killed at the hands of Bowen in the story of Dragonheart. Do you know it? If you don't, I'm sure I can list off one you do know." He waited for what he'd said to sink into the badger's brain before attempting to continue.
"What I was saying, though, was that friends can increase the death of people close to them whether they mean to or not. It can happen directly or indirectly. For example, you might not have been able to think of a true friend killing another, but what about someone dying for the sake of their friend? Can you name some of those? Because I definitely can."
Jack sighed at the girl, staring at the bracelets as if they were venomous snakes. "Friendship is lethal to a person's sense of self-preservation and kindness is the most dangerous weapon known to mankind. No Hufflepuff I've met seems to understand that."
@Willow Anderson
However, when the Hufflepuff insisted that Jack couldn't tell her he didn't have a single friend in his life, he shook his head dismissively. "I make a point not to lie, so you'll have to just believe me when I toll you that no, I don't have a single friend. I have toys, experiments, and contractual partners who I can talk to and do stuff with, but they are definitely not friends. Besides, who needs friends to make positive connections with when you can way more easily make negative connections with people? Relationships are relationships, no matter if they're good or bad. Enemies can be just as fun to hang out with if not even more so than so-called 'friends'."
At the girl's question of whether he could name a single person that had died at the hands of a true friend, Jack stared at her for a moment before laughing aloud. It took him a minute or two to get himself under control again before he had the breath to answer her in coherent words.
"First of all," he began through his fading snickers, "I said that 'friends are the death of people'. That's different than dying at the hands of a true friend. I suppose it depends on your definition of 'at the hands of', since that's all very subjective. But by my definition, dying at the hands of a true friend means someone directly murdered their true friend. I can name those, too, but that's not what I was talking about.
"The most famous example I can think of is Draco the dragon who was killed at the hands of Bowen in the story of Dragonheart. Do you know it? If you don't, I'm sure I can list off one you do know." He waited for what he'd said to sink into the badger's brain before attempting to continue.
"What I was saying, though, was that friends can increase the death of people close to them whether they mean to or not. It can happen directly or indirectly. For example, you might not have been able to think of a true friend killing another, but what about someone dying for the sake of their friend? Can you name some of those? Because I definitely can."
Jack sighed at the girl, staring at the bracelets as if they were venomous snakes. "Friendship is lethal to a person's sense of self-preservation and kindness is the most dangerous weapon known to mankind. No Hufflepuff I've met seems to understand that."
@Willow Anderson
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
26 Feb 2020, 02:47
On the Prowl
Willow could already tell she was not going to be a fan of this guy, but maybe he was just really lonely and didn't know how not to use people as if they were a chess piece. She hoped that it was that reason, and not just because he was like this. Her mother always told her that people always had the ability to be kind, but being mean was just an easier choice. In that thought, she realized the slytherin is probably just lazy.
She looked at his food in disgust, feeling like she would catch his attitude if she came near his food. Quite frankly, she lost her appetite from the conversation that was happening. "Not a year two kid here, a year two kid from my school back home. This is when I was year one there." She rolled her eyes, as if that was an obvious answer. "You're the first person I've met that is the closest to what he was like anyway."
Her jaw dropped with his explanation of how he views people. She had never met anyone so cruel when it comes to their view on people. She couldn't imagine treating people like pawns. This is when she realized she definitely approached the wrong person for lunch today, maybe she should stop approaching people at all. "Relationships are not just relationships. They give you so many different joys, and laughter, and smiles when they're good. They fill your heart and make you happy. Bad relationships don't feel the same and they never will. Enemies don't care about you, why don't you want people to care about you?" She was getting angry and worked up, but also desperately sad at the same time. It overflowed when he started laughing in her face.
She was transported, back to her school at home. Pushed back into the mud on the playground before school. People were standing around her laughing at her. She hadn't even done anything. She was just trying to get to school. Tears bubbled up, then and now too. Except this time she couldn't run back home for the day. She had to face him, she couldn't just run away this time even thought she desperately wanted to. More than anything, she wished Flash was in the Great Hall with her since she knew, of all people he would stand with her. She wondered if she would know this boy because they were both, presumably, first year Slytherins.
She was brought back into reality when he started talking again, she tried to blink back the tears she didn't realize were forming hoping he hadn't caught the fact that they existed in the first place, but she let one tear fall but couldn't take the energy to even wipe it away. She stumbled when he mentioned Draco the dragon, "Uh... uh no. No I don't. I'm muggle-born I don't... I don't know any of the stories yet." She crossed her arms across her chest, a defense mechanism to feel as if she could guard her own heart from being destroyed by one 11 year old boy.
He had a skewed view on friendship, the death sentence as it were, was the worst case scenario. Even then, someone had the choice whether or not to sacrifice themselves for their friend it was never completely on the other person. But the words weren't forming, she was so thrown off that she was stuck. Glued to the bench across from him. She followed his gaze to the bracelets, feeling as though they might burst into flames at any second. Her hand released itself from it's position and pulled the bracelets back into her robe pocket, just in case he actually would set them on fire.
Willow took a deep breath to collect herself, and give it one last fight with him. "Kindness may be a dangerous weapon to some, but it's also a wonderful gift to others. If kindness becomes the death of me, then at least I die kind." She returned her gaze to his, a small fire behind them. "I'd rather die for a friend one hundred times, then die alone with no one to fight with me. No Hufflepuff understands that, because it's not something that's understandable to those who understand that gift and live by it every day. You're just a coward, who refuses to accept that, and won't let people close to you. I would say Slytherins don't understand that, but honestly. I don't like to make generalizations about people, because of my kindness." She emphasized her last word, if that didn't get to him nothing would.
But she didn't want to give up on him, she believed that he had that kindness in him that everyone did, and she was giving the job to herself to unlock it. Even if she had to destroy herself to do it.
Reducio
@Jack Burnett
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
26 Feb 2020, 18:46
On the Prowl
At the girl's claim that bad relationships didn't feel the same as good relationships, Jack shook his head with a pitying smile. "That's where you're wrong," he answered. "Ever heard of the saying that 'there's a thin line between love and hate'? It's because they're so similar.
"Both emotions make you obsess over someone. Maybe for different reasons, but it's still obsession. Enemies do care about you because they're constantly thinking about how much they hate you and how they want to get back at you. You make an impact in their lives and hold a special place in their hearts, just like love.
"The difference is if someone hates you and you want to cut ties with them for whatever reason, it's easier than trying to cut ties with someone who loves you. Also, you don't feel as inclined to ignore your sense of self-preservation or survival for someone who hates you like you would for someone who loves you. That's why the latter is so much more dangerous to one's health. Make sense? Like how many people would be willing to die for someone they hate rather than someone they love? Hopefully no one is that stupid."
Uh oh. Were those tears? He had hardly just started trying to explain this concept to her and she was already crying? Jack swallowed uncomfortably, glancing around to see if anyone else might have noticed. If the girl got upset enough with him, maybe she would have the sense to leave. Maybe.
But his hopes were dashed as the girl remained seated right where she was. She was telling him something about being muggle-born and he looked at her with confusion for a moment before sighing. He supposed he could be a little more gentle...
"...Look, I'm muggle-born too," Jack said, keeping his voice soft as if speaking to a skittish animal he didn't want to startle. "And Dragonheart is a muggle movie, so most wizards and witches probably wouldn't know about it. But if you don't know it either, just...nevermind. Basically, the dragon, Draco, asked his friend, a knight named Bowen, to kill him. Bowen really didn't want to, but eventually he did because that was only way to kill Einon - the evil king to which Draco had given half his heart. They were connected because Draco was kind enough to share his heart when Einon was dying, thinking maybe his heart could keep Einon from turning evil, but he was wrong.
"As long as Draco lived, so did Einon, and vice-versa. Bowen had loved both Draco and Einon as if they were family, but he also ended up losing both in different ways. In my opinion, it's better not care for people like that at all in the first place. That way you don't end up getting hurt." He frowned again. "That story is also a good example of how kindness can actually be harmful. As another saying goes, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. Even if you might mean to do something good, it doesn't mean it'll turn out that way."
The Hufflepuff went on to inform Jack that kindness could be a dangerous weapon to some, but a wonderful gift to others. To Jack's surprise, his mind darted to a certain Gryffindor boy whom he thought might have lost his will to live had he thought no one cared about his existence. But then the first-year girl said something Jack thought was quite foolish.
"'At least you die kind'?" he repeated, astonished at the remark. "Isn't it better to not die at all? This is what I mean about that stuff being dangerous. It goes against nature to not try to survive, so how could you be so apathetic about losing your life? That's terrible!" Groaning, he put his head in his hands.
She would rather die for a friend one hundred times than die alone with no one to fight with her...? "Fight what?" he wanted to know. "How about no one dies and everyone just lives their own lives, taking care of themselves and minding their own business without getting involved with anyone else? Wouldn't that be the most practical way to live?"
He huffed, resting his cheek against his palm as he propped his elbow up on the table. "Yes, I am a coward," he agreed. "But to me, that's just another term for a self-preservationist. Just like 'bravery' is another term for 'stupidity'. I value my life. So sue me." The redhead looked away, his expression irritable.
"Saying that kindness is what keeps you from generalizing people implies that it's unkind to generalize them, which it isn't necessarily true depending on the context," he informed her matter-of-factly. "I think you used that term incorrectly in that sentence. Anyway, I don't make generalizations either, and it has nothing to do with me being kind or unkind. I said 'no Hufflepuff I've met', which is not a generalization - it's a distinction. The phrase distinguishes the Hufflepuffs I've met from Hufflepuffs as a whole."
@Willow Anderson
"Both emotions make you obsess over someone. Maybe for different reasons, but it's still obsession. Enemies do care about you because they're constantly thinking about how much they hate you and how they want to get back at you. You make an impact in their lives and hold a special place in their hearts, just like love.
"The difference is if someone hates you and you want to cut ties with them for whatever reason, it's easier than trying to cut ties with someone who loves you. Also, you don't feel as inclined to ignore your sense of self-preservation or survival for someone who hates you like you would for someone who loves you. That's why the latter is so much more dangerous to one's health. Make sense? Like how many people would be willing to die for someone they hate rather than someone they love? Hopefully no one is that stupid."
Uh oh. Were those tears? He had hardly just started trying to explain this concept to her and she was already crying? Jack swallowed uncomfortably, glancing around to see if anyone else might have noticed. If the girl got upset enough with him, maybe she would have the sense to leave. Maybe.
But his hopes were dashed as the girl remained seated right where she was. She was telling him something about being muggle-born and he looked at her with confusion for a moment before sighing. He supposed he could be a little more gentle...
"...Look, I'm muggle-born too," Jack said, keeping his voice soft as if speaking to a skittish animal he didn't want to startle. "And Dragonheart is a muggle movie, so most wizards and witches probably wouldn't know about it. But if you don't know it either, just...nevermind. Basically, the dragon, Draco, asked his friend, a knight named Bowen, to kill him. Bowen really didn't want to, but eventually he did because that was only way to kill Einon - the evil king to which Draco had given half his heart. They were connected because Draco was kind enough to share his heart when Einon was dying, thinking maybe his heart could keep Einon from turning evil, but he was wrong.
"As long as Draco lived, so did Einon, and vice-versa. Bowen had loved both Draco and Einon as if they were family, but he also ended up losing both in different ways. In my opinion, it's better not care for people like that at all in the first place. That way you don't end up getting hurt." He frowned again. "That story is also a good example of how kindness can actually be harmful. As another saying goes, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. Even if you might mean to do something good, it doesn't mean it'll turn out that way."
The Hufflepuff went on to inform Jack that kindness could be a dangerous weapon to some, but a wonderful gift to others. To Jack's surprise, his mind darted to a certain Gryffindor boy whom he thought might have lost his will to live had he thought no one cared about his existence. But then the first-year girl said something Jack thought was quite foolish.
"'At least you die kind'?" he repeated, astonished at the remark. "Isn't it better to not die at all? This is what I mean about that stuff being dangerous. It goes against nature to not try to survive, so how could you be so apathetic about losing your life? That's terrible!" Groaning, he put his head in his hands.
She would rather die for a friend one hundred times than die alone with no one to fight with her...? "Fight what?" he wanted to know. "How about no one dies and everyone just lives their own lives, taking care of themselves and minding their own business without getting involved with anyone else? Wouldn't that be the most practical way to live?"
He huffed, resting his cheek against his palm as he propped his elbow up on the table. "Yes, I am a coward," he agreed. "But to me, that's just another term for a self-preservationist. Just like 'bravery' is another term for 'stupidity'. I value my life. So sue me." The redhead looked away, his expression irritable.
"Saying that kindness is what keeps you from generalizing people implies that it's unkind to generalize them, which it isn't necessarily true depending on the context," he informed her matter-of-factly. "I think you used that term incorrectly in that sentence. Anyway, I don't make generalizations either, and it has nothing to do with me being kind or unkind. I said 'no Hufflepuff I've met', which is not a generalization - it's a distinction. The phrase distinguishes the Hufflepuffs I've met from Hufflepuffs as a whole."
@Willow Anderson
Last edited by Jack Burnett on 6 Mar 2020, 23:31, edited 1 time in total.
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
1 Mar 2020, 02:04
On the Prowl
She was growing very frustrated, he didn't seem to be listening. Honestly, she wasn't listening to him really because she couldn't fathom thinking the way he did. She was looking at anything but him, trying to collect her thoughts. She didn't know if this was a fight worth fighting, especially with such a cloudy head. She thought about the friends she had around her, the people she chose to surround herself with. When it came to self-preservation, Willow always put others before herself whether she recognized that she was doing it or not. She would even put plants before herself, she had! In the greenhouse with Flash that one day. She was willing to be poisoned and potentially killed via plant rather than stop repotting them and go to the hospital wing. The idea of self-preservation was so far from anything she had even thought about.
She had stayed rather quiet while the Slytherin spoke, she actually realized she never got his name. Did she want to know? Would that somehow attach her to him in a way that would be unhealthy, because all she needed was someone's name to consider them a friend. "Just because I rather take care of others, of my friends, honestly anyone really..." She trailed off thinking about it, "It doesn't mean that I don't value my life. I do value my life. I have a lot of things to offer to those around me and to the earth in general. I just also greatly value others lives as well, and I think that they're worth getting to know and get close to. Whether or not it ends up being a painful relationship, I knew them. I got to know them. That's valuable to me anyway. I would rather know and love others, then know and hate others. That just doesn't seem like a life worth living. So much energy is spent on disliking others, I don't dislike you at all. I just think we have a very different viewpoint on the ways we hold people close to us." She put her head in her hand with her elbow resting on the table, showing no indication of leaving anytime soon.
"I do think that you're an extremely frustrating person to talk to." She gave a slight glare, but it quickly dissipated. "But I'm sure you think of me that way too." She sighed. "I'm happy that I get to wield the 'most dangerous weapon know to mankind.'" She put the last part in air quotations. "I just wonder if you're missing out by not wielding it as well. But, maybe I'm judging you wrong and you are kind." She looked at him for a moment, "I'd be surprised if you were nice to others though, based on this one very intense interaction. But who am I to make that judgement, I don't even know your name." She wondered if she had gone too far, but when she saw someone that seemed mean-spirited and manipulative she didn't mind calling them out. It was better to be wrong about it than be right and not say anything in the first place.
Reducio
@Jack Burnett
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
7 Mar 2020, 00:22
On the Prowl
It was a very good thing Jack was not aware the lengths that the blonde was willing to go not just for other humans, but for plants. If he was, he would likely either never have let her heard the end of it or have considered Willow a lost cause right then and there. Regardless, he was still already starting to regret having attempted to reason with the girl in the first place.
He withdrew like a swatted animal at Willow's claim that she preferred to take care of 'honestly anyone' rather than herself, but that it didn't mean she didn't value her life. "What does it matter if you value your life if you throw it away for someone else?" Jack wanted to know. "You can value your life, but just because you value it doesn't mean you think it's worth much. Especially if you value others' higher than your own. That's just sad."
He shook his head in further exasperation. "Why? Why are people worth getting to know and be close to if they hurt you? If they cause you emotions that cloud your reasonable judgement? If they destroy your logic? Did you ever think that maybe your befriending people might be harmful to them? Like if someone knew about and cared about you and then you died for the sake of someone else, how would that person feel? They wouldn't have you anymore. What would they care about the person you saved?"
Jack eyed the girl's elbow on the table uneasily, not liking the message she seemed to be trying to send with it. "I don't dislike you, either. But I'm pretty sure no more energy is spent on disliking someone than it is on liking someone. And saying that we have different viewpoints on the ways we hold people close to us suggests that we both have people close to us, which you have no way of knowing. Who said I had anyone close to me?" His eyes narrowed. "The last time someone was close to me, I lost my sense of reason and nearly attacked someone else because of it. What's so great about that? About losing control thanks to feelings you have for people? It just makes you into a tunnel-visioned idiot."
The redhead scowled at her. "Yeah, I'm sure we're both finding each other pretty frustrating to talk to. And that's probably why we're in the houses we are. But I don't use kindness against people because that would just be unfair of me. I like to at least give them a fighting chance - to prove their arguments with reason and logic. Using kindness is playing dirty." Crossing his arms on the table, the Slytherin rested his chin on them, sighing with weariness.
"Knowing my name wouldn't change anything about whether or not you get to judge me," Jack replied more calmly, attempting to regain his composure. "Obviously we're not getting through to one another, so you might as well go find a better place to eat your lunch. And take your death sentences with you."
@Willow Anderson
He withdrew like a swatted animal at Willow's claim that she preferred to take care of 'honestly anyone' rather than herself, but that it didn't mean she didn't value her life. "What does it matter if you value your life if you throw it away for someone else?" Jack wanted to know. "You can value your life, but just because you value it doesn't mean you think it's worth much. Especially if you value others' higher than your own. That's just sad."
He shook his head in further exasperation. "Why? Why are people worth getting to know and be close to if they hurt you? If they cause you emotions that cloud your reasonable judgement? If they destroy your logic? Did you ever think that maybe your befriending people might be harmful to them? Like if someone knew about and cared about you and then you died for the sake of someone else, how would that person feel? They wouldn't have you anymore. What would they care about the person you saved?"
Jack eyed the girl's elbow on the table uneasily, not liking the message she seemed to be trying to send with it. "I don't dislike you, either. But I'm pretty sure no more energy is spent on disliking someone than it is on liking someone. And saying that we have different viewpoints on the ways we hold people close to us suggests that we both have people close to us, which you have no way of knowing. Who said I had anyone close to me?" His eyes narrowed. "The last time someone was close to me, I lost my sense of reason and nearly attacked someone else because of it. What's so great about that? About losing control thanks to feelings you have for people? It just makes you into a tunnel-visioned idiot."
The redhead scowled at her. "Yeah, I'm sure we're both finding each other pretty frustrating to talk to. And that's probably why we're in the houses we are. But I don't use kindness against people because that would just be unfair of me. I like to at least give them a fighting chance - to prove their arguments with reason and logic. Using kindness is playing dirty." Crossing his arms on the table, the Slytherin rested his chin on them, sighing with weariness.
"Knowing my name wouldn't change anything about whether or not you get to judge me," Jack replied more calmly, attempting to regain his composure. "Obviously we're not getting through to one another, so you might as well go find a better place to eat your lunch. And take your death sentences with you."
@Willow Anderson
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
8 Mar 2020, 07:56
On the Prowl
At this point in talking to the Slytherin she was exhausted, she still had class left for the day! It was only lunch. They were running in circles about every belief that had surrounding this and it didn't make sense. None of this made sense. How could someone her age be so bitter and stuck in a way that prevented him from getting close to anybody. She just didn't understand it. Her mind was reeling, she almost felt dizzy from him running circles around her.
She had to admit that she had solidly lost this battle. If she just knew a little bit more about him maybe she could take him down, but for now... all she saw was a sad bitter eleven year old. Which are words that she never thought could pair together. After listening to him do what she saw as closing arguments she stood up. "You're lousy company anyway. Your energy is an automatic let down from what was looking out to be a great day." She rolled her eyes, not even heading towards her table. She needed to get out of the Great Hall. There were too many people and she felt like she was suffocating, that interaction felt too much like her old school.
She just hoped she would never have to see him again.
Willow has left the thread.
@Jack Burnett
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15