fin Aftershock Semi-PV

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Aly Salinger had long let the wildflowers on the grounds run wild, having given up her old pastime of caring for patches of flora throughout the green fields around Hogwarts going on two full years before. Of course, the groundskeeper's job was to keep the grounds beautiful, but the young Ravenclaw had always loved keeping her secret patches of blossoms flourishing and nourished, tending to them to harvest a bounty of blooms to give to others on their darkest days.

Despite some of the academy's darker days having occurred in those last two years, Aly hadn't given out flowers in a very, very long time.

Today, though, as she rushed, rumpled from a sleepless night and plagued with living nightmares, from the Ravenclaw Tower down to the Hospital Wing, she did make a brief stop by the outdoors to collect from a few of the old patches of flora, which somehow seemed to be doing just fine without her. Lavender for healing and calm, pink peonies for recovery and strength, and moly - for protection and health, but also for remembrance. The first flower she'd ever given him.

The fifth-year had attempted to visit Pericles, her injured friend, in the Hospital Wing the afternoon before, when she'd fled from the ball that had caused all this trouble in the first place to follow the victim as he was carted off on a new mutual friend's broomstick. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the Hospital Wing, both Aly and that new mutual friend - Evelynn, the Gryffindor girl with hair as scarlet as her House crest - had been met with quite an unceremonious throwing-out, as the Hospital Wing already had one new patient and was likely preparing for more soon. The Ravenclaw boy had not been the only one injured at the ball, after all. No matter how much Aly had protested, argued, reminded that she used to be a Healer intern too, the Wing had stood steadfast in its decision: no visitors til tomorrow morning, when they had properly evaluated and treated her friend.

A frustrated Aly had returned to the Ravenclaw commons for the evening - somewhere safe, away from all the carnage, away from the Quidditch pitch that had turned so quickly from a place of honour and athleticism into a place of horror and affliction. She couldn't sleep, though, thinking of another person who should have been in the tower that night, and now, just after the break of dawn when the Hospital Wing would be opening to visitors, she careened headlong through the corridors with a bouquet clutched in her hand and burst through the heavy, wooden double doors into the Wing, her messy, unbrushed hair a wild mane, curls flying out every which direction behind her as she finally slowed to a stop inside, panting and glancing around.

Pericles was not hard to find, the lone shock of brilliant white hair in the Wing, and as Aly approached his bedside, a gasp tore from her before she could so much as think to control it. "Oh, Peri," she whispered, softly, her green gaze raking over his gauze-wrapped head and eye socket. She could only imagine the destruction underneath, and it felt as though her heart was physically tearing in two in her chest, the knowledge that she could have done more, she could have helped better, she could have saved him beating harder and stronger with every squeeze of the organ. "Your eye..." But the guilt and anguish were quickly approached by a third emotion - surprise - as she recognised the owner of the scarlet bob, sitting by Peri's bedside. She quirked an eyebrow at the Gryffindor there. "Wait, how did you get in before me? I swear they just opened for visitors - I came as soon as I could."

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@Evelynn Decipio @Pericles Dralt
Charmer (everyone affected) • Paragon of Health (allies Peri & Eve) • Lovely Creature (everyone affected)

⋖ 14/April/2024 @ early morning | ENGLISH [#715380] | FRENCH [#b654a9] ⋗
INTERACTIONS @Aly Salinger @Pericles Dralt | MENTIONING n/a
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When Evelynn had been ushered from the Hospital Wing upon her delivery of one injured Pericles, it had not been willingly. Polite protests had been delivered in earnest, assurances that she would be of better use at his side to supplement whatever information might have been needed. She'd had the better view, after all; had been more globally aware of what was going on in the moment--or so she convinced herself. But it was all to no avail. Even Pericles himself had requested her leave, shutting down any further objection from her at the time, but not without a poorly veiled expression of anxious betrayal.

Calm had been maintained long enough to keep him safely delivered, but she had not been the one to imbibe of the draught and the moment her objective was completed and her presence deemed redundant, the worries and guilt and grief had hammered down the makeshift barriers that had temporarily been keeping them at bay. Unaware that there had been others for whom she felt responsible that had also been injured, she had not returned to the ball. Assumption had held that Miss Silmataurea and those professors that had been present would have it well and fully under control, that Warren had been the singular concern. She would come to regret that.

Until that ignorance was dispelled, however, Evelynn's concern remained wholly fixed upon the pale-haired boy laying grievously wounded in the hospital wing. Steps had carried her back to her dorm where she could brood--largely--in peace. There would be no rest for her. That was already known. Her mind kept her from a restful sleep on the best of nights, and tonight wouldn't even allow a restless one. Incessant pacing wore a dull path around the otherwise polished floor around the firepit of her dorm. Eyes flicked constantly to the timepiece on her bedside table. The sun fell fully behind the horizon, and curfew came and went, and the minutes ticked by. And nothing she did, nor any amount of self-reassurance or rationalization could quell the agitation. In those moments, she almost missed the annoying buzzing of her parasitic room mate.

Steps had halted immediately upon that notion. So fixed had she been upon Pericles that she hadn't even realized that Connor had never returned. Initial curfew had long past, and even lights out had been called, and still he remained absent. Unease rose, compelling her to depart her dorm, to see if perhaps he had just been dawdling in the common room, or maybe harassing Cox, but nothing surfaced. She had forced herself to wait until midnight before impatience finally overtook conviction and the decision was made that she could wait there no longer, sneaking into the hospital wing with the help of her invisibility cloak and an animagus form that was particularly adept at steathily navigating darkness. Her arrival confirmed her fear. Pericles was no longer the only patient. Mister Connor had joined him. There wasn't even a question at that point about what Evelynn planned to do then. Her settling into a chair on the far side of Pericles' bed affirmed that they would have to physically drag her out of the hospital wing. Rules be damned.

She must have--shockingly--fallen asleep at some point because she found herself jarred awake by the vision of Pericles shattering into a million shards of glass, his approaching steps echoing into a void. The explosion had towards her, arms darting up reflexively to spare her face. Instead of knicks of flying debris, however, droplets of liquid splashed against her, and for the briefest of moments, she saw blood coating her arms when she pulled them away. One blink, however, and it was gone, replaced by the charcoal sleeves of her ensemble. Another dull step sounded, and she had just enough time to throw on the invisibility cloak before the curtain was pulled open by one of the assistants.

In still silence, Evelynn tried to avert her attention away from the conversation between Pericles and the aide. Despite her general curiosity, there were some things that shouldn't be overheard. Not that she was successful. It wasn't until they turned their back to beckon the visitors that the lioness pulled off the cloak and coaxed it into her pack under the bed with the toe of her boot. "Morning," she murmured quietly to Pericles, withholding the good--it was not a good morning--and fixing him with something of an appraising look now that he was properly illuminated by morning and she no longer had to pretend she wasn't there. Her expression would reveal nothing, but she'd heard the conversation and its implications rested heavily upon her chest.

A gasp and its accompanying lamentation pulled Evelynn's attention, her focus shifting past the head wrap to the distressed Salinger approaching, a collection of wildflowers bunched in her hands. She cloaked herself in silence as the Eaglette expressed her lamentations, pretending not to hear whatever it was she was going to have to say, though unable to completely prevent the faint grimace at the flagrant reference to Pericles' loss. If only Evelynn had been swifter. If only she hadn't had that momentary lapse. She could have--should have--stopped him from getting so close. When Salinger's attention turned upon her to question how Evelynn had gotten there first when the hospital wing had only just been opened for visitors, however, the farce was off.

"Oh, did they..." Her voice was distant, almost sleepy, devoid of its usual lilting character. Hands pulled one atop the other in her lap, body shifting slightly away. "That was nice of you to bring flowers." The recognition was delivered in the same empty tone, though accompanied by a small smile. Her gaze swept over them, searching for any signs of thorns. "Perhaps the healers have a vase in which they might be placed. Lest they wilt.."

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	Eve seemed to prowl out of the shadows like her animagus counterpart. "Morning," she'd offered, and he echoed the sentiment back with a weary croak. "Morning." Through the haze came the clear memory of her hurt expression as he insisted she go, contrasting sharply with the flood of relief he felt in seeing her come back again. That sense of comfort clashed with confusion. He hadn't heard her come in, unlike when he heard Aly's arrival moments later. In an effort to make himself at least a little more presentable, Pericles pushed down against the mattress, shifting from a slouch to a straight-spined cross-legged seat. The duellist had woken up alone in this room countless times. Waking up to people he cared about was a welcome change of pace, in spite of circumstances. He forced a strained smile for them, though it became a more honest expression once he spied the bouquet of lavender, pink peonies, and moly. "Oh, Peri," Aly whispered sweetly. "Your eye..." The remaining eye widened as it flickered from her, to the bouquet, then back again. He swallowed, hard, and started shaking his head as he tried to rebuff her worry, insisting "It's alright. It doesn't hurt." Only, the eye didn't hurt because it wasn't there. Pericles was still in stage one of his loss: denial. Not thinking about what had happened was a means to stave off the shock of it all. He latched onto Eve's faint mention of a vase, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed as if to set out in search of one, only to sway and stay where he was. His fists clenched onto the covers, gripping tight to stop his head from spinning. The world was crooked now. He half listened as Aly asked how Eve had arrived prior to visiting hours, letting their voices ground him, finding peace in the realization they'd come to see him as soon as they could. The more he woke, the more he noticed neither looked as though they'd had much sleep. Grief and gratitude coursed through him. At the risk of sounding delirious, Peri rasped: "I'm sorry we didn't get to dance last night. You were both breathtaking." In lieu of tracking down a vase, the eagle took in his surroundings, head swiveling to scan the nearby beds. While most curtains were closed, he spied a familiar face a few cots over. His heart sank as he recognized the boy that was trying to chat up Becca, who he'd deemed "interesting enough" to distract her, idly pushing them together to keep them busy and out of trouble. So much for that. The kid didn't stir to the sounds of their quiet conversation, likely under the influence of a dreamless sleep potion. But if he'd been hurt.... One of his last acts before the Incident was walking around Bex, and one of his last acts after was shouting a warning to Dealla. Trepidation strained his freckled features as he looked between Eve and Aly, asking "Where's Becca, and Dee...?" Dee, who was joining others in detaining a rabid elk, its screams still echoing through the dark recesses of memory. Pericles blurted, "Where is Jack?"
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Interacting @Aly Salinger + @Evelynn Decipio |/| Mentioning @Finnegan Connor, @Rebecca Lark, @Dealla Prince and Jack Warren (rip)

Banner was made by the talented Ernest Baird

Date: 14 April 2024 Time: Early morning

Interacting with: @Pericles Dralt, @Aly Salinger, @Evelynn Decipio Mentions: Irina Shevel

English | French Thoughts

How had this happened? None of this made sense. Was it true? How could it be true?

Most of the day before had been a blur. Mahlioz had been so excited for the ball - yes, the earlier Fall Ball had been a questionable experience, what with Astra and Renelle and everyone in the lake. It was weird, really - Mahlioz had heard a lot about the event but it happened around the time when homework was beginning to get more rigorous, so she didn't pay much real attention. It was only after a few months that she realized that oh wait, people had gotten traumatized, and it was a whole lot worse than they'd thought.

And somehow, the same thing had happened again. Why were they always the oblivious one? Of course they didn't want to go through awful things but how come everyone else did and they always had no idea? Why was it that the only reason Mahlioz knew anyone had gotten stabbed was because of rumors after the ball was over? She'd had a fine time, with her best friend, the only real problem being her firebreathing because of the spiked drinks. But that was nothing compared to a stabbing.

Of course, she'd been worried at first, but this was Hogwarts. People were always there to help, right? It must have been an accident, maybe someone got too close to a tree that happened to be having a bad day. The person was probably at the Hospital Wing, and would be fine in no time. Then there was talk of an eye and a wand, and lots of blood. This was the problem with being introverted - Mahlioz had no idea who to ask for actual facts and not overexaggerated rumors. Had someone really gotten stabbed in the eye? There was no way, right? There were always silly rumors, but professors wouldn't let something like that happen. Right?

So Mahlioz had had a normal night. They didn't choose to wake up early, it just happened, but they decided to take advantage and get up and practice some duelling. But then they had heard from some other Slytherins in the common room - it was some white-haired boy who'd gotten stabbed, an older year. And how many older year white-haired boys were there? What were the chances the rumors were right? And what if - what if Pericles, the bird boy, had gotten hurt and Mahlioz didn't even know?

So here Mahlioz was, racing through the corridors like the rule-breaker she was very much not, hoping the rumors were wrong or the white-haired boy was someone else. She didn't know if the Hospital Wing was open but at this point she didn't even really care - all she needed was a peek, to know Pericles was not there and she was being silly, and then she could go back and everything would be fine.

Except that's not how it worked out. The Wing was, in fact, open, but that was no reconciliation for the fact that the bird boy was there, looking exhausted and even paler than usual, in a hospital bed. Mahlioz's heart dropped. His face - his eye - they were covered in bandages. That meant - that meant that - the rumors - Oh gods no gods no gods no. "Bird b- Pericles?" Their voice came out strained and too quiet and they weren't sure whether they were allowed to go in but they did so anyway. An "are you okay" came to mind but he was so obviously not and she didn't want him to lie to her. "What... happened?"

There were other people in the room, two older years that Mahlioz had barely noticed. Now that they did, they were suddenly intimidated - these were probably people Pericles knew well, people who didn't almost call him bird boy when they saw him. Had it been anything else, a social event perhaps, the Slytherin would have asked herself what she was doing here so clearly out of place, but she did not care at the moment. Pericles had proven to be so kind since he'd first found her ring for her, she didn't understand how anyone could wish him harm. This was so much more important than Mahlioz's fear of older students.

When Dee woke up that morning, blinking up at the blue sky that the charmed ceiling showed, she had a long, peaceful moment of wondering what to do with her day before the memories of the previous night came flooding back.

Dealla had returned to her dorm late the night before, skin cold from walking around on the grounds for hours and the scent of cold ashes still in her nose, until her physical exhaustion had finally overpowered the incessant racing of the thoughts in her head. She'd crawled into Aly's bed instead of her own, their earlier conflict on the backburner, seeking the warmth of her best friend, and returned any question with only monosyllabic answers. Yes, everyone was okay, arguably, at least as far as she knew. No, Dee most certainly was not. She'd been asleep as soon as she'd allowed her eyes to close.

Aly was gone, now, had been for long enough that Dee had managed to annex the free space on the mattress in her sleep, leaving only the faint scent of her shampoo on the pillow. Dee curled up for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut as if it would make the memories go away, before she sat up and climbed out of bed, trying not to let the thoughts start up again. She knew where Aly was. It was the same place Dee was headed, slippers protecting her feet against the cold of the stone floor, pulling her dad's old jumper tight around herself.

She wasn't, couldn't, be sure that they had brought Jack to the hospital wing last night, but she was fairly certain that at least Pericles was here. Assuming they hadn't had reason to send him to a proper hospital. That thought was reason enough to hesitate for a moment standing outside the door, teeth digging into her lip nervously. The moment expanded long enough that she started getting odd looks from people passing by, and finally, when someone else left the infirmary, she caught the door and slipped inside.

Peri was easy enough to spot, on a bed with people crowded around him, but she stayed back, hesitating, unlike herself. There was Aly's head of curls, Evelynn's red hair next to him, a third, only vaguely familiar figure near his bed, but all of them seemed to fade from her vision next to the bandages wrapped around her friend's head. Around and across one side of his face, covering his eye. Those wouldn't be there if it wasn't serious.

She stood frozen for a moment, staring, and then her hand came up to her face to muffle the pained noise that climbed from her throat as suddenly tears came rushing down her face, all the tears she'd been holding back since she'd left the ball last night. Because Jack had done that. And Dee had protected him. Her reasons had made sense to her at the time, but she suddenly understood why Aly had been so angry at her, couldn't believe that that had been her first instinct, after everything that Jack had done. Sure, she now knew there had been more to the story, but wasn't there always?

Hand still covering her mouth, Dee took a hesitant step forward, then turned back around. She didn't want them to see her cry. Didn't want to make this moment about herself when it clearly needed to be about Peri. She'd just... come back later.

Mentions @Aly Salinger | @Pericles Dralt | @Evelynn Decipio | @Mahlioz Evethisawe

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Though Aly was usually an open book, therefore expecting most of the people surrounding her to act similarly, everyone seemed more closed-off this morning than ever - and Aly could, at least, understand that a little. The redhead Gryffindor Aly had just met so briefly the day before didn't answer the question posed to her, instead just sleepily wondering if the Healers had a vase. Of course they did, but that wasn't what was important right now. "We can ask about it later," she murmured from the corner of her mouth, ignoring another open seat by Peri's bedside in favour of hovering around the head. The Ravenclaw flushed slightly pink at Peri's compliment, even though it hadn't only been posed at her; she had been quite soured by the fact that she'd gotten all dressed up in her grandmother's antique gown, one of her most prized possessions at this point, only to end up in a battle and never get a moment on the dance floor or to show off her beauty in front of certain people in the year who didn't deserve to see it. "Thanks, Peri. You looked stunning, too - you always do. When you're better, we'll both owe you a dance." Whether Evelynn liked it or not, she had just been voluntold to join the next romp and frivolity Hogwarts had to offer. Or summer camp.

At Peri's blurted question, Aly froze; she'd left the ball shortly after the sun and moon had spirited away on the back of a broom, and though she'd been spurned by the Healers upon attempting to see Peri immediately after, she had not returned to the ball nor heard anything about it. "I - I don't know about Jack," she admitted, truthfully, though she couldn't keep a slight tinge of scorn from creeping into her tone. "But I don't think he's here. And anyway, we should be worrying about you - and that other stab victim, the Gryffindor kid, not Jack. Wherever they've put that bastard, I'm sure you're safe from him - there were plenty of staff around, and Dee too. They're not going to let him roam the halls free after this, I'm sure of it." She offered Peri a sad attempt at a reassuring smile, not knowing that he was worried about Jack due to friendliness rather than fear. She had never had the time to grow fond of the Hufflepuff boy, and after breaking Dee's heart last year, she had harboured more resentment than warmth for him even well before this ocular incident.

A young Slytherin approached the bedside just now, someone who didn't look particularly familiar to Aly, and began to fuss over Peri; satisfied that someone else was here to answer questions and keep Peri's attention for a moment, Aly turned at the sound of the hospital wing door closing almost out of instinct. She should never have put her back to the door, and the back of her neck was prickling not being able to keep an eye on all entrances and exits at the same time. It was just Dee, though - looking rather rumpled, and Aly felt a pang of guilt not having woken her best mate up when she'd crawled out of the bed they'd shared this morning. Whether it had been a slight bit of leftover frustration that Dee had defended someone who had tried to kill one of their closest friends and Housemates, or just the fact that she had looked so peaceful sleeping there and Aly hadn't wanted to wake her, didn't matter. She was awake now, and here, and - leaving.

Aly whirled back to Peri. "Peri-" she blurted out, but the white-haired teenager had already noticed, and he yelled something at Dee across the room. Instinctively, Aly leaned down and offered her arm to assist him in getting out of the bed; it seemed that her time here as a Healer intern had left a stronger impact on her than she had realised. Once Peri was up and out of the bed, she led him over to the doors so they could jointly stop Dee from leaving, walking steadily but quickly so as to help him balance. As they did so, she angled her chin up to whisper in Peri's ear so that no one else could hear: "I don't know how much you saw, but she defended Jack a lot yesterday. Crawled into bed with me last night, too, probably so she wouldn't be alone. She's delicate right now, so... be careful with her, will you?" Her eyes were pleading as she looked up to the silvery boy on her arm. Aly loved Peri, yes, but she loved Dee, too. This was a situation nearly as fragile as their mental states at the moment, a crystal ball teetering on the edge of a desk, ready to shatter if it wasn't handled with extreme caution.

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@Evelynn Decipio @Pericles Dralt @Dealla Prince @Mahlioz Evethisawe
Godmoding of Peri was agreed upon by his writer prior to posting.

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	"When you're better, we'll both owe you a dance." Aly offered a tether of normalcy, and Pericles latched onto it like a drowning man, grasping at the idea that life as they knew it would would resume. Eventually. He forced a brittle smile and croaked "I'd like that." Both she and Eve would be held to it, too, at Aly's birthday. That spark of comfort was doused as sensibility surfaced through the malaise. Pear anxiously asked after friend and foe alike, eye sharp with lucidity as Aly offered what context she could. That "Gryffindor kid" had been stabbed. Jack's whereabouts were unknown. Dee had stayed behind to aid in restraining him- had she found whatever he was digging for? Pear remembered calling out to her. His memory of the night before was shattered, and try as he may to sift through its pieces, the Ravenclaw struggled to make sense of them. A strained voice disrupted the process. "Bird b- Pericles?" Pericles glanced to the door, taking in the familiar sight of emerald eyes and dark brown curls. She was not only upright but- as far as he could tell- intact. The name "Mahlioz" was sighed with such relief and gratitude that he may as well have said instead there you are. He recalled hoping through the fog of pain and delirium that they hadn't witnessed what happened to him, and when they asked on it, a scrap of solace was reclaimed. Hogwarts calamities were terrible to endure, but also detrimental to observe. One could see the lights leaving the eyes of students the more they grew and were subjected to. If there was anything Pericles could do to preserve Mahl's for even a little while longer, he would. The upperclassmen straightened his stance in the hospital bed in an effort to look less haggard, wiping sleep from his eye as he thought on an answer. I was careless, I was cocky, and I let my guard down felt like viable options. Yet this didn't feel like an apt time to turn his injury into a teaching moment. Instead, he managed a dry jab: "Always a bit of risk when one attends a Hogwarts ball." A bitter curl came and went from the corner of his mouth. Pear gestured between them as he added, "Seems we've swapped places this time. I'm glad to see you're alright. I spotted you before...." Another choked sound by the door. Movement caught his eye. He gleaned a glimpse of Dealla, eyes wide and mouth covered, before she turned away. Her escape would be cut short. Just as Aly started to snag his attention, Pericles called out, voice nearly cracking from the force of the shout hurled after her. "Dee?" Already he was trying to pursue, but that first go at standing nearly took him to the floor. It wasn't that half the world had gone black; there was seventy-five degrees of nothingness, no optical input whatsoever, as though half his head was gone. His balance was halved with his vision, leading to a precarious stagger. Aly's arm hooked mercifully around his own. Steadying himself, Pericles breathed a quick word of gratitude, then set out at a determined pace. He heeded her whispered recap of Dee's defense for Jack without comment. More worrying was the mental image of her crawling into bed alongside Aly, seeking what comfort she could. That plead for gentleness was answered only by a soft squeeze from his hand. He didn't meet her imploring look, scowling in discomfort as dizziness ebbed and flowed. The soft shuffle of bare feet and starchy hospital pajamas caught up to her, and when they did, Pericles simply scooped Dealla into their mutual embrace. He hadn't always been one for physical touch. The shift could be pinned some time after his animagus ritual, and perhaps could be credited to it: allopreening manifested as plucking pet fur or lint from the robes of his friends, braiding or smoothing stray hair, smudging sauce from someone's cheek and- one among them could acclaim- once even plucking a piece of spinach from another's teeth. This apparent neat-freakism was really the eagle's odd idea of affection. He portioned warmth out in microdoses, with way he grazed Evelynn's sleeve when he passed her, or briefly rested the weight of his palm on Mahlioz's curls. A boy of few words, Pericles conveyed that he was grateful they'd come to see him through his muted means. His arms wove over Aly and Dee's shoulders, as if by holding each other up like some silly human tripod, they could endure the misfortunes that plagued their school each year. Maybe they were trauma-bonded, or maybe there was genuine community to be found in the throes of chaos. This implacable devotion would empower Pericles to stand up to his father in the hospital that night. It was, for better or worse, what would bring him back every year.
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Calling a wrap on this one unless any of you wanted to post again!
@Aly Salinger | @Evelynn Decipio | @Dealla Prince | @Mahlioz Evethisawe