Final Reasoning PV Oliver Thorn Finished

November 10th 2024
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
The Bravest Huffies with @Oliver Thorn

The second Emily took a breath, she felt her entire being shut down. Yes, she was angry. Yes, she was impatient. Yes, she was probably making a big mistake with how huge the risks were... But above all, she was dropping all of this onto a boy she had only met not even half an hour ago and he had every right to feel what he was feeling... And that made Emily feel guilty more than anything.

She wiped her face and looked away shyly. She was losing her mind, let alone her temper. "Sorry... I'm not trying to-- I didn't mean to--"

She gave up and sat down at the foot of the tree they'd been under. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged herself tight. She had a lot more thoughts run through her. She muttered silently to herself with hardly anything coming out of her mouth and her eyes haunted with emotion.

"I... I have a friend. My best friend, actually. She's a dhampir... And she's one of the bubbliest, energetic people I know..." She could picture Scout's smile perfectly in the back of her mind, her laugh and upbeat voice sonorous in her memory. "I don't know when it started, or how it happened... But I've seen her become quiet... Closed off, even. And I'm worried about her. And I'm also willing to bet that her fangs are the culprit behind her sudden insecure nature."

She managed a small, weak smile. "We actually first met somewhere near around here last year... I was trying to sneak off into the forest just out of morbid curiosity. No surprise there..." she chuckled quietly. "But she caught me in the act... I was expecting her to report me to a teacher, but she didn't. Instead, we ended up chatting about stuff. She even told me about her vampirism, which is something I pride myself to make sure I never take advantage of to this day... And we've been glued together since."

She picked up a leaf beside her and felt its rough surface absentmindedly, the Autumn essence soothing her as it travelled through her fingers and into her hand. "Maybe everyone's right... That I am naïve, that I'm way over my head... And as much as I wish there was a safer way of doing this, I don't think there is. It shouldn't be me that has to do this, and it shouldn't be you that had to hear all this. For that, I'm sorry. Even my best friend doesn't know I'm going to do this, though I'm sure she's suspected it for a while..."

She felt some of the weight in her shift through another breath. "Still, even if I do come back with a limb missing, I could say I at least tried."

"When." She heard him say. "When are you going? To the Forbidden Forest, I won't tell a teacher. I promise."

Emily frowned. "You've no right to promise that... I couldn't ask something so horrible like that from you..."

She sighed and looked him straight in the eye. "... But I'm going tonight."

_{Word Count: 587}

For The Know-How (Le Plot)
@Scout Fu-Hai - @AngelFyre McCubbin -@ Ruby Night - @Danielle Alden - @Renelle Dalton - @Simon Kincaid - @Colin McCoire - @Ophelia Northwell - @Ava Winchect - @Eugenia Karageorgiadi

Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace

─────
Oliver’s face softened into a gentle grin, his tender eyes narrowing with ease as he looked at Emily.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice carrying the same calm, assured tone as before. There was no strain or stress in his words, or even the way he stood.

He craned his neck slightly, then turned his entire body, pivoting away from Emily. With quiet movements and confident steps, Oliver resumed his walk, leaving the shade of the tree they had shared. His footsteps pressed lightly against the grass as he made his way back toward the castle, returning to the path he had been on before becoming distracted by Emily.

"I wish you the best of luck!" He prayed craning his head back a moment, as he nodded his words at her, with sincere eyes that meant everything. The folds of his robe swaying in the light breeze as his back faced Emily, slowly striding away. "I can't be there in the forest with you, but if you come back, I will come and look for you!"

Oliver assured her, with those final words, he finally turned his head back and walked up the worn path, back to the Castle. Slowly fading away.

November 10th 2024
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
A Hufflebuddy's Promise with @Oliver Thorn

How could he be so forgiving after all that? Oliver... He was too understanding. He had every right to shut her down, to maybe even drag her away from the forest with both hands if he had to. Instead he was just going to... Let her go. Emily was shocked. But she was also immensely grateful.

She took his hand and gently squeezed it. "No, thank you...! I promise I'll return safely. If not for myself, then for my friends... And that includes you, my fellow Huffie."

She withdrew her grip and smiled bravely. She couldn't wait to prove everyone wrong, all those that ever doubted her, to show how she wasn't just a fragile little poppet that was living in fantasies now that the world was much more expansive through Hogwarts's lenses, but now she had one more reason - a different reason at long last - for going. She'd be going with the knowledge that there truly was one more person who shared her wishes. Even if just the two of them - maybe more in light of greater confidence if she could find any - she would be going with some support behind her.

She knew Oliver had other places to be and warmly bid him farewell. She caught his eye when he looked back as he walked on. "I can't be there in the forest with you, but if you come back, I will come and look for you!"

Emily beamed, waving back. "It's a promise! You won't be disappointed!"

When Oliver finally disappeared out of her sight, she sighed. She had a good feeling about this now. It still made her tremble anxiously deep down, but not so much that she was shaking so much like a leaf like she was when she first considered the idea way back.

Her focus shifted to the forest. Her eyes glazed over with silent determination.

I-- We've got this.

_{Word Count: 369}

End of Thread
Thanks for the encounter! I've had a blast with this one!

Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace