24 Jun 2019, 23:38
Farewell.
~ * ~Monday, November 26th, 2018
Shortly after the end of this thread
Private to @Cleo CabelloRuby walked beside Cleo, looking down at her feet as she kicked a stone. “So, you really have to go, then?” she mumbled, dragging her gaze up to briefly meet the Gryffindor's eyes before glancing away again. She settled with staring at a point off into the distance, out at the Great Lake. She had only known this girl for less than a month, but it had been a bit of a roller-coaster ride. In their first meeting, they had barely touched the surface of getting to know each other. It had been amicable for the most part, with some tense moments, but it had ended in overreaction and anger. Their second interaction had started off with apologies. Fixing what had been broken. Amending the wrongs. As it proceeded, they had started to get into deeper conversation topics, much farther than boring, common small talk. It had almost felt like a conversation between friends.
Ruby had never thought that someone like Cleo was the right type of person for her, but as she reflected on it now, she realized that it had always been there. That spark of intelligence, deeper understanding, a desire to stand out and make changes, but to fix the world's problems. The girls' personalities on the surface might have been destined to clash, but perhaps they could have overcome it if they had had more time. More time. There was no more time. Cleo was leaving. Leaving. Ruby had wasted the little time that they had had together by being close-minded. Funny, how those things always came back to haunt a person. One of the very traits that she hated in people had come to be her own, even if it hadn't lasted long. She would never have thought that she would be the close-minded one.
Her eyes flicked back to Cleo – but only for a second, and then they darted away. All the opportunities that they could have had… wasted. A realization struck her. She would probably never see Cleo again. How could she keep in contact if Cleo's father wanted her away from the magical world and her own parents refused to interact with many people "lower than them"? I really screwed up this time, Ruby thought. It wasn't her fault that Cleo was going away, of course not, but it was her fault that she hadn't seen what was right in front of her. She had been cold and business-like for the most part. She hadn't really considered Cleo to be a true friend.
Their third meeting had consisted of a brief discussion on ways to change the world, mainly using magic. It had involved a professor – Ruby's own Head of House. That had been today. Cleo had received the owl during that meeting, and now here they were. Perhaps Ruby should change her own world first, make sure that she had her priorities straight, and make sure that she wasn't being hypocritical before she tried to change the world as a whole.
Her piercing, intense blue eyes finally settled on the Gryffindor and didn't wander. She stopped walking. “I'm sorry,” she whispered, “I'm sorry that I wasted some of what we could have had. I'm sorry for not treating you properly – not giving you all that you deserved. I-” she paused to collect herself, the conflicting emotions showing on her face, and resumed slowly, “I'm not sure we'll ever see each other again, Cleo. I don't think that the current conditions would allow for that. Even so, please remember me when you go. Remember what we've discussed. Remember that you have the power to change the world, and that you can do whatever you put your mind to. You're a wonderful person, and I'm sure that you'll do great things. Don't let others weigh you down. There are people out there that you deserve, and they'll make you happy someday. I promise that you'll find them. Don't be hard on yourself for being different and for not agreeing with the things that the majority of people might think or do. Be proud of who you are. I'll never forget you, Cleo Cabello.”
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, she silently told herself. You'll move on. Pausing for a moment to make sure that the other girl would allow it, she put her arms around the Gryffindor, holding her in a tight embrace. “Thank you for what you've taught me, even if you don't realize it.”~ * ~
Reducio
Permission to godmod Cleo slightly given by the person who plays her.
Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 14 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 17 | ArcPower: 12 | Accuracy: 17
Perfectionist I & II, Fearless, Spell Spread, Nonverbal Magic
iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
25 Jun 2019, 16:05
Farewell.
Cleo couldn’t stop herself from glancing at Ruby every few seconds as they strolled along with no destination in mind. Truth be told, she really wanted this conversation to end on a good note- it was the least the two girls deserved. The air was tinged with sorrow, and Cleo’s head throbbed from all the negative possibilities swirling around in it. She was worried, really worried. She had finally relaxed at Hogwarts when she had been informed of her mother’s dissapearance and her father had summoned her home. However, she wasn’t sure if the truth had really set in yet. No tears had been shed, but one look at Ruby’s face made the emotions swell in her chest.
At Ruby’s question, Cleo nodded sadly. “I have to leave for now, my dad needs me.” She said with conviction. “This isn’t forever, I’m probably coming back, and until then, we can write letters, right?”
Cleo actually had no idea what would happen now. She knew that her father would likely pull her out of Hogwarts if the unspeakable happened. He was never on board with the side effect of danger that a magical education held, and he hardly wanted to be alone while his daughter was half way across the country doing things he was clueless about. If her mother was found, Cleo decided, she would do whatever she could to return to Hogwarts as quickly as possible. However, for now the future remained uncertain, and all anybody could do was wait for an update from the Ministry of Magic about her mother’s case.
When Ruby stopped, Cleo halted too, her thoughts also coming to a standstill. She froze under Ruby’s piercing gaze and tried to get her emotions under control.
“This is not goodbye.” She said strongly. “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I’ve never talked to somebody like I’ve talked with you, and I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. I’m sorry that I’m not as intelligent, or collected or interesting as you, and that I didn’t add anything new to our discussions. I’m going to keep trying to save our world, though, but let’s take it one step at a time.”
At Ruby’s last words a solitary tear slipped down Cleo’s cheek and onto her clothes. She threw herself into the other girls embrace, gazing unseeingly over her shoulder. After a few seconds she put her lips next to Ruby’s ear. “Ruby Cazares, thank you for making me see the world in a way I never had before. Go and show it what you can do.”
At Ruby’s question, Cleo nodded sadly. “I have to leave for now, my dad needs me.” She said with conviction. “This isn’t forever, I’m probably coming back, and until then, we can write letters, right?”
Cleo actually had no idea what would happen now. She knew that her father would likely pull her out of Hogwarts if the unspeakable happened. He was never on board with the side effect of danger that a magical education held, and he hardly wanted to be alone while his daughter was half way across the country doing things he was clueless about. If her mother was found, Cleo decided, she would do whatever she could to return to Hogwarts as quickly as possible. However, for now the future remained uncertain, and all anybody could do was wait for an update from the Ministry of Magic about her mother’s case.
When Ruby stopped, Cleo halted too, her thoughts also coming to a standstill. She froze under Ruby’s piercing gaze and tried to get her emotions under control.
“This is not goodbye.” She said strongly. “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I’ve never talked to somebody like I’ve talked with you, and I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. I’m sorry that I’m not as intelligent, or collected or interesting as you, and that I didn’t add anything new to our discussions. I’m going to keep trying to save our world, though, but let’s take it one step at a time.”
At Ruby’s last words a solitary tear slipped down Cleo’s cheek and onto her clothes. She threw herself into the other girls embrace, gazing unseeingly over her shoulder. After a few seconds she put her lips next to Ruby’s ear. “Ruby Cazares, thank you for making me see the world in a way I never had before. Go and show it what you can do.”
Cleo Cabello
-Everyone has the ability to change the world
-Stamina: 7 ~ Agility: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Control: 9
27 Jun 2019, 16:11
Farewell.
~ * ~Ruby sighed. She had never particularly liked farewells as a whole, but she disliked it even more when they were long, drawn out, and just generally unnecessarily prolonged. She wouldn't allow this one to be that way, either. She suppressed the current emotions swirling inside her. She'd find new people. She'd move on. Cleo and this particular farewell had taught her some lessons, though. She wouldn't forget that. She would learn from it and continue to grow. Cleo had had some importance in Ruby's life, even if it was only for a little while, but – as harsh as it sounded – Ruby could easily come back from it.
Besides, nothing was truly forever.
When Cleo spoke, Ruby nodded. “I hope your mum's okay. Letters sound like a fine idea – I'll write to you.” What would happen to Cleo after this? What if… what if her mother wasn't found? Would she ever return to Hogwarts? Thinking about it in detail, Ruby wondered how Cleo wasn't breaking down right now. Surely she felt like she was being torn apart… to find out about a literal world that she had never known existed, to find out that she had magic and could learn to control it, only to have it all snatched away right when she was getting used to it and settling down. From what Ruby had seen, Cleo didn't have many friends if she had any at all. To lose something like this, as well as possibly losing her mother… would Cleo be alright? Sure, the Gryffindor was strong, but not that strong… How could she return to the Muggle world after this? Would she be able to keep her abilities under control? Would she be able to keep magic's existence a secret? Would she spend the rest of her life feeling like she had lost something – been cheated out of an opportunity and what was rightfully hers?
Ruby was concerned for Cleo's well-being after this. In some ways, this was simply not safe. Cleo resumed her speaking, but she was apologizing. She seemed to be apologizing for not being Ruby. That was a bit unfair, no? Ruby shook her head at Cleo. “You did, you did. Now, don't apologize for what you're not. Either turn it into goals, or be thankful for what you are. Be happy with who you are. You'll never be anyone else but yourself, and you're the only person that you'll truly share all your life with – so love yourself.”
Cleo then threw herself into Ruby's outstretched arms. What surprised the Slytherin more, though, was how hard Cleo's words hit her. “Ruby Cazares, thank you for making me see the world in a way I never had before. Go and show it what you can do.” When she inhaled, she noticed that her breath was shaking. “I will,” she whispered shakily, “I will.”
She pulled an arm away to drag her sleeve across her eyes, wiping away the tears that had been welling up before they had a chance to fall. She then retreated, letting her arms fall back to her sides, stepping out of the hug. She started to walk away, back to the castle, and then cast a look over her shoulder. “Farewell, Cleo Cabello,” she called, waving to her.
Facing the castle again, she stuck her hands into her pockets and set off on her way. She would no longer look back. “Farewell,” she repeated to herself in a barely audible whisper.~ * ~
Reducio
Ruby Cazares has left the thread.
Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 14 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 17 | ArcPower: 12 | Accuracy: 17
Perfectionist I & II, Fearless, Spell Spread, Nonverbal Magic
iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
27 Jun 2019, 18:08
Farewell.
The uncertainty of the past few hours was getting to Cleo then and she looked down at the grass in order to stem the flow of tears that were threatening to spill. A beetle was making its way through the grass by her feet, so she decided to focus on that instead of the whirlwind of emotions inside her heart.
“I hope your mother’s okay.” Ruby’s voice seemed very far away to Cleo’s then. “I hope so too.” She said quietly. “And I’ll write back.”
The beetle was rubbing its two front legs together when Cleo looked down again, and she wondered whether it was hungry, or just in the mood for sanitation. She certainly felt hungry- she’d skipped lunch, what with everything going on, and hadn’t had much for breakfast in order to try to get to her meeting with Ruby on time. Unfortunately, after she came to this conclusion, she couldn’t think of any more meaningless rambles to occupy her mind with. She didn’t want to look into the other girls eyes, for fear that she would find pity there, so kept her gaze down, upon the beetle that was moving once again. She vaguely wondered what it would like to be a beetle. Would it be scary, having so many life threatening experiences, or would you just get used to it after a while? Having six legs in itself would be an experience that- Stop! Cleo told herself. Think of the mattter at hand. What you’re doing isn’t helping anything. She slowly pulled her gaze up to meet Ruby’s.
“No apologies.” She whispered, not trusting the tone of her voice. Why use your voice box in the first place, when there was so much more privacy in whispering? It would also prevent vocal strain and losing your voice, because technically, you’d have already lost it. Admittedly, there would be some issues being heard, but surely there were spells that could- Stop! Cleo internally repeated.
“Love yourself.” Ruby had said. “I can’t think of myself right now, but for you, I’ll try.” She whispered to the other girl, looking into the shining blue orbs that were her eyes.
When Ruby stepped out of the hug, Cleo dragged her sleeve across her face, making it redder than it was before- not that she really cared. Because of this, she didn’t see Ruby wipe her own eyes much more daintily than Cleo did. “I will.” Ruby’s words echoed throughout Cleo’s mind and even she couldn’t miss the shaking of her friends voice.
“This is not the last time we will see each other.” Cleo promised after Ruby said her last words. However, now she was doubting the truth behind her words, because this could be the last time she ever saw the now retreating girl.
More tears began to flow down Cleo’s face as Ruby moved out of sight. She stood, lost amongst a sea of grass, utterly alone in a world where she didn’t know her place.
“I hope your mother’s okay.” Ruby’s voice seemed very far away to Cleo’s then. “I hope so too.” She said quietly. “And I’ll write back.”
The beetle was rubbing its two front legs together when Cleo looked down again, and she wondered whether it was hungry, or just in the mood for sanitation. She certainly felt hungry- she’d skipped lunch, what with everything going on, and hadn’t had much for breakfast in order to try to get to her meeting with Ruby on time. Unfortunately, after she came to this conclusion, she couldn’t think of any more meaningless rambles to occupy her mind with. She didn’t want to look into the other girls eyes, for fear that she would find pity there, so kept her gaze down, upon the beetle that was moving once again. She vaguely wondered what it would like to be a beetle. Would it be scary, having so many life threatening experiences, or would you just get used to it after a while? Having six legs in itself would be an experience that- Stop! Cleo told herself. Think of the mattter at hand. What you’re doing isn’t helping anything. She slowly pulled her gaze up to meet Ruby’s.
“No apologies.” She whispered, not trusting the tone of her voice. Why use your voice box in the first place, when there was so much more privacy in whispering? It would also prevent vocal strain and losing your voice, because technically, you’d have already lost it. Admittedly, there would be some issues being heard, but surely there were spells that could- Stop! Cleo internally repeated.
“Love yourself.” Ruby had said. “I can’t think of myself right now, but for you, I’ll try.” She whispered to the other girl, looking into the shining blue orbs that were her eyes.
When Ruby stepped out of the hug, Cleo dragged her sleeve across her face, making it redder than it was before- not that she really cared. Because of this, she didn’t see Ruby wipe her own eyes much more daintily than Cleo did. “I will.” Ruby’s words echoed throughout Cleo’s mind and even she couldn’t miss the shaking of her friends voice.
“This is not the last time we will see each other.” Cleo promised after Ruby said her last words. However, now she was doubting the truth behind her words, because this could be the last time she ever saw the now retreating girl.
More tears began to flow down Cleo’s face as Ruby moved out of sight. She stood, lost amongst a sea of grass, utterly alone in a world where she didn’t know her place.
Cleo Cabello
-Everyone has the ability to change the world
-Stamina: 7 ~ Agility: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Control: 9