Crossing Waters New and Old
December 29th 2024
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
With Peter Smith @Brookline Quinn
A long yawn left Casey's lips as he and his folks went down into the Great Hall of the Leaky Cauldron that morning. His wavy locks sported bed hair that was only half-tended to while sleep continued to occupy the corners of his eyes. Travelling, as fun as he found it, was never compatible with his sleep schedule. Several train and broom rides to the Scottish Highlands to camp there for New Year, to then descend back down, some more broom riding and train rides back through Hogsmeade to arrive at Diagon Alley in London. After a solid week of nonstop moving, Casey was too tired to even remember where he was.
Casey's father went off to grab a table for breakfast while his mother hung back to fix his hair. When it was no longer looking like a tree's head, they followed the paces of his father, with Casey lagging behind a few steps behind his mother. He stuck his finger in his ear when the noise of the Leaky Cauldron got too loud for his fatigued liking.
He stumbled here and there as he tiredly made his way to the table his parents sat at. When he sat down beside his father with already a meal in front of him, bits of other conversations passed him.
" A pity still about that pyre incident in Hogsmeade--"
A clank rang out from Casey's plate when he unamusingly dropped the fork between his fingers. Both of his parents' faces went pale and stiff, looking at each other as they recalled the day; how their youngest son had sustained injuries when some cowardly individuals decided to target an ensemble of schools in Hogsmeade back in October. To say that was one of the worst days of Casey's life would be underselling it but it was the continuous reminder of the ordeal that aggravated him more. The point of bad memories was that you forget them, not carry them until other people decided it was fit to do so. Casey had enough to be worrying about as it was. He didn't need the fires of Hogsmeade constantly reminded of on top of that. Even his parents were eyeing each other like their morning was now spoiled by the mere mention of the topic.
Casey got up and left the table, wanting to get away from the blokes that brought it up in the first place before he would turn around and give them some. He didn't stray too far, settling himself down on the steps that led back upstairs to the bedrooms. He ran two irritated hands back through his brown hair, barely managing to keep a disappointed groan to himself.
In the heat of the moment he spitefully muttered, "Screw this place."
Word Count: 503
Stats: Stamina: 8 | Strength: 7 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 6 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance
Trust Yourself - Love Yourself - Be Yourself
iNPC = Casey Stone
Crossing Waters New and Old
created by the amazing underpaid addie spinks!
Peter rolled his eyes as he heard his sister’s excited exclaim. “Oh, Merlin! Guys. It’s London!” He had forgotten that his almost-nine-year-old sister hadn’t visited the Square Mile since she was rather little. He tussled with Marietta’s hair before following his parents. Before he knew it, Iris had already singled for a cab.
“Come along, Marietta, Peter. I don’t want to loose you...” Iris looked at her only children with fond pale eyes, and gestured for her half-blood children to enter the taxi.
Peter had been in a car before but as his stomach plunged, and his dodgy train breakfast threatened to come up. He preferred brooms so much more than said cab.
Once the Smith family entered the Leaky Cauldron, they booked an room, their random stay had confused Peter when he was first told about the mere maybe vacation. But he rather liked traveling, just not the taxi part.
“Come along, son. Would you like breakfast? I’m sure you’re famished.” His father smiled at his son, the lingering question stayed in the air.
“I’ll come in a bit. I’d like to get organized; you won’t even notice I’m gone, Tad, Byddaf yno mewn jiffy!” Dad, I’ll be there in a jiffy! Peter retured the smile earnestly.
Brayden nodded and led his wife and daughter out the door. “We should find a table before they’re all taken.”
“Let’s go! Ooo, and see you, Peter!” Peter’s sister waved to him before exiting their room’s door. “I can’t wait to try London pancakes! Are they the same as Welsh Cakes? Or are they called flapjacks? Oh do London people speak differently than us?” As she, Iris, and Brayden left the bedrooms area, Peter could hear Marietta’s excited loud questioning voice.
Ah, Marietta. What could we do without you? He bounded over to the door, slamming it shut before walking back to his backpack. The truth was he didn’t want to eat. He still felt like the train’s meager food was like a stone in his stomach, still threatening to come up. He flopped onto the bed where he was sleeping for the night. He wished school would start-up again. It was kinda boring without school.
I wish I could be my friends. Or in Wales, ugh. Why couldn’t we just go there? Instead of stupid London!
Once Peter decided he had enough with his thoughts, he’d peel himself off the bed, and headed for the door. He glanced back, making sure he had everything before exiting his family’s room. As he walked out of the bedroom area, he paused on the steps leading to the Leaky Cauldron’s Great Hall. There was a boy, around his age, sitting there, running two hands through his brown hair. The boy looked familiar, like he went to one of the wizarding schools. Maybe Peter had caught a glimpse of him at one of Hogwarts’ events?
“Screw this place.” He mumbled, his voice layered with fatigue. Peter glanced at him peculiarly, like who else besides him would be by themselves? But he felt some sympathy. He didn’t know why his parents couldn’t just pop around Wales for a bit before they went back to France.
“I get it.” Peter answered the boy, took a step down, and let his hand rest softly on the hand trail before continuing. “All I want to be is at Beauxbatons or Wales for that matter. I want to see my classmates, I want to see Aurélie. I want to see Wales and my best friends. But I can’t do that. Sometimes we can’t change the bad things that happened, and we can only go on, changing things that we can change.” The thought of Aurélie @Ophelia Northwell made his head spiral. But his words were genuine, and he bacially confessed to a bloke he didn’t know that he was from Wales! He mentally facepalmed.
What the hell I just say?
699 words and interacting with @Casey Stone (@Emily Shephard)
outfit date key stats 
Crossing Waters New and Old
December 29th 2024
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
With Peter Smith @Brookline Quinn
OOC Notes: Winged this one myself! Not my best reply but we'll see how it goes ><
Well now. He didn't expect the wind to suddenly pick up vocal chords and reply back to him! Except it wasn't the wind. When Casey finally lifted his eyes back up he was met with the eyes of a tall, pale looking boy with green eyes. Casey had no idea who this dude was, until he let slip that he was from Beauxbatons. So, he was an international student. Welsh going by the accent and sudden place name drop. Casey gave him a wry smile. Something about him was familiar, even if only ever so slightly.
"That all sounds like a politely long-winded way of saying you're not much of a fan of this place either," he commented. "I wouldn't mind if it people could learn to move on from every waking tragedy that happens in this frickin' country..."
He trailed off and took a good look at the boy hovering over him. Casey raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Beauxbatons, you said..." Casey scrutinised his features. His face wasn't terribly memorable. Only his seemingly similar age and schooling could really give Casey any clue into what he was thinking.
"Don't suppose you were there when Hogsmeade blew up a few months ago, were ya?" he asked flatly. "You might not want to strike up too many conversations with these people here. They really like to rub in gossip and past incidences. I can't even sit and eat breakfast without some of these guys just throwing it out there like it's a regular Tuesday. Are these people insensitive to bad memories or somethin'...?"
Casey huffed. It was a terrible incident. Hardly many people would forget it because of how horrible it was. In a way it was good that it was still being talked about; justice would come for the cowards that caused it in the first place. What goes around comes around, as Emily once said to him. However, it was a double-edged sword for Casey when he didn't like to be reminded of how he got the worst head injury he ever got in his life so far.
"World's gotten madder."
Word Count: 384
Stats: Stamina: 8 | Strength: 7 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 6 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance
Trust Yourself - Love Yourself - Be Yourself
iNPC = Casey Stone
Crossing Waters New and Old
Then the boy gazed at him, and Peter looked down on him, wondering why he scrunched up his features like that. But he shrugged and took a seat next to the boy on the stairs. The stairs weren’t awfully small but they weren’t awfully large either.
Hogsmeade... blew up a few months ago, were ya?
Peter whipped his neck around when Casey mentioned Hogsmeade. “Sure was, man. Couldn’t say I knew the cause, though. I wasn’t near it, anyway, I was trying to find a friend I have, and only paid attention when I found that friend. I wanted to go down and help but my professor, unfortunately, said I shouldn’t down either. I can’t remember but I think my old headmaster was one of the headmasterx and headmistresses who died. Can’t remember, but like I said, I was not paying attention.”
Peter nodded to the boy, “Ah yes. People are disgusting when they do bloody things like that. Plain disgusting. They can’t past their own noses and have some freakin’ empathy!”
“World's gotten madder.”
Huffing, the Beauxbatons boy sighed, “Barking mad.”
255 words and interacting with @Casey Stone (@Emily Shephard)
outfit date key stats
Crossing Waters New and Old
December 29th 2024
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
With Peter Smith @Brookline Quinn
It looked like Casey could finally click with someone else about this. Too often had he heard the excuse, "It's just people's way of processing information". That was all well and good but it could only go on for so long before it's eventually morphed into pointless, idle gossip.
"If people think they can derive some kinda power from just talkin' about this stuff then they're takin' away the wrong message," he said. "They probably think they can start up their own groups and fight back against the people who are allegedly behind it. But they don't get that's how stuff like this actually happens. More division means more gaps for violence, because for some reason, the human race glorifies it."
Casey was being cynical but it was all he could see in the eyes of strangers when they walked past him. He rolled his eyes when another defeatist thought crossed his mind. "People are gonna think a revolution against half-beings is on the horizon or somethin'," he sassed. "But of course, who are the ones that are really targeted?" He clicked his fingers while pointing at both himself and the boy in front of him. "Us".
He paused for breath before his tone got softer. "Word travels just as fast across the States. We heard all about the body counts across the other schools that were there that day. I suppose I should do two things... Firstly, say how grateful I am to be alive. My folks over there--" He pointed to the table where his parents sat. "They wouldn't have a son left to take on vacation with."
He then extended a hand towards the boy, hoping he would accept graciously.
"I'm sorry about the guys you lost. It ain't somethin' us kids hafta go through."
Word Count: 316
Stats: Stamina: 8 | Strength: 7 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 6 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance
Trust Yourself - Love Yourself - Be Yourself
iNPC = Casey Stone
Crossing Waters New and Old
The boy’s sass about a revolution against half-breeds caught Peter’s ears. Then he mentioned about who was targeted. Normal full humans. “You’re not wrong on that. But I’ve gotta admit, sometimes that “revolution” does sound true. Or is it just a load of bull crap?”
The boy’s tone grew softer as he continued about news about the count and the accident, travels fast across the United States Of America. Peter listened to the boy as he went on about how grateful he was to be alive, and watched as he pointed to a table where a couple sat.
“They wouldn't have a son left to take on vacation with.”
Peter wrinkled his nose, thoughtfully, and the words echoed through his head, have a son left... Was the American boy talking about how he had a sibling? And how he almost died? In the Hogsmeade accident?
Peter nodded again, his face thoughtful as his thoughts ran all over the place. “If this isn’t too personal or something, but where you in one of those flaming carriages... or..?”
Then the boy held out a hand, which Peter shook gratefully, a time for them to properly introduce. “I’m Peter. And it’s okay, I didn’t know much about it, was just looking for a friend. I’m sorry about the students and professors your school lost, too. You go to Ilvermorny, correct?”259 words and interacting with @Casey Stone (@Emily Shephard)
outfit date key stats 
Crossing Waters New and Old
December 29th 2024
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
With Peter Smith @Brookline Quinn
OOC Notes:
Finally! A man who spoke like he had been educated by the real world and not by media bullshit. Or at the very least, Peter didn't strike Casey as a man who was easily swayed by the mass opinion of others.
"I guess a simple man can be tempted by strength gained just by talkin' shit," Casey followed on from Peter's statement. "Though sayin' shit and actually doin' shit are different things. One's a threat and the other's violence. But no one needs me to tell anyone 'bout that. I'll give people the benefit of the doubt they recognise the difference, even if they're wacko enough to do anythin' about it."
Peter then alluded to a mild amusement about a revolution. Casey scoffed in equal measure. He'd be lying if he said he didn't think the same thing before. "True, but when one revolts, the other will fight back, meaning the previous side will fight back harder, and so on and so on..."
The more he thought about it, the harder Casey rubbed the side of his temple. The world was mad. And that wasn't even saying much, given that he knew someone who loved dark creatures.
“If this isn’t too personal or something, but where you in one of those flaming carriages... or..?”
Casey resisted the urge to huff, given that Peter was being polite throughout the whole conversation, although his face gave away the obvious answer. "I was there that day when the schools arrived at Hogsmeade in October. Not in any of the carriages but I was near them enough to get sent back and get concussion after gettin' my head smacked from the tremors."
Casey would never try and be heroic again if it meant he wouldn't get a head injury like that in the future. With all due respect, Zyair can take the fall next time. You know, obligations of friendship and whatnot or whatever it was.
He nodded when Peter guessed Ilvermorny. "Yeah, Ilvermorny. The accent prolly gave it away didn't it?" he joked lightly. Americans could be spotted from miles away.
"Name's Casey."
Word Count: 345
Stats: Stamina: 8 | Strength: 7 | Evasion: 7 | Wisdom: 6 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 7
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance
Trust Yourself - Love Yourself - Be Yourself
iNPC = Casey Stone
Crossing Waters New and Old
"Men and women talk shit all the time and they don't do anything. These wizards talk shit about a hard time that revolved around kids, and they expect the kids to go back the way it was. But they can't just do that." Peter added a new point to the conversation, sometimes that has been on his mind for a while. It was like with Brookline and her father. Her father expects so much of her, howver then he doesn't care. He doesn't give a hoot about Brooklikez although he wants her to do this, and do that, and do this as well.
Peter could tell the other boy wanted to huffed at his flaming carriage question. This boy could get realy angry at little things. Peter would see that a lot with his best friends. Brookline and Winnie would fight at the littlest things about themselves or even would sometime add Peter into the argument as well.
Peter nodded sincerely. "Sorry about your luck. Hopefully next time the other schools come for Hogwarts again, you don't get another head injury."
The boy joked about Americans and their accents, and even Peter gave a little chuckle, his nod light as Casey introduced himself. "Yep, and the fact that you mentioned the States."231 words and interacting with @Casey Stone (@Emily Shephard)
outfit date key stats
Crossing Waters New and Old
December 29th 2024
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
With @Peter Smith @Brookline Quinn
OOC Notes:
Even if Casey wasn't the best at actually making friends, he could at least cut himself some slack for being able to talk to someone who met a similar wavelength to him. Alright... Maybe he owed that to Peter for not being so jaded to be cynical, but open-minded enough to see that there were issues with the world. It was probably for the same reason that Peter's sympathy actually felt like it carried it's good intentions behind it, unlike the force of someone saying it just so that it didn't rouse Casey's bad temper with these kind of things.
It didn't stop Casey from shrugging it off like it was no big deal, even when it clearly was. Still, he'd rather play it off as a bad habit of being nonchalant rather than acting like a legitimate ponce. That wasn't who he was anymore and he felt better for it. "Don't worry about it... The fact anyone came out of that alive at all is worth somethin' ain't it? I mean-- All of us could've ended up pushin' up daisies for our friends and loved ones but we ain't. Still alive and kickin' for better or for worse."
His voice took on a tone of resolve as he looked back out to the crowd bustling about the room. "But maybe that's enough for people to wake up and smell some roses. As for us, that only gives us strength to bite back against those tryin' to destroy what's precious to us, whether it's half-human folk or the people that get caught in the crossfires of these cowardly assaults."
A smile quirked at the end of Casey's lips after they switched to the lighter side of their conversation. "There ya go then. Plenty of evidence to show I'm an organically grown American. Yours is a little special. Sounds kinda English but not quite..."
Word Count: 313
Stats: Stamina: 9 | Strength: 8 | Evasion: 8 | Wisdom: 7 | Arc Power: 7 | Accuracy: 8
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance |Obnoxiously Strong