CLOSED Rage at the Moon

Meyra closed her eyes as she sat on the bench grouped between the stone lacy arcades. The entire architecture of the castle was a beautiful magical thing in itself, she had spend some of her time admiring it when she first arrived, sometimes she still can find herself doing it when her eye catches a new and different angle to capture it. But today she was not interested in it, nor in any of the beauties she could have caught.

The cold of the stone column against which the right side of her face was leaning was working like a balm against her aching body. Everything hurt in days like this, not only a physical pain, but in her heart too. It was a monthly reminder of every horrent thing, every hideous moment that had happened in her still young life. And she could not shake that growing feeling that perhaps she deserved it, that maybe it was her fault, that she should have been stronger, she should have stepped from under her bed sooner…maybe this all could have been avoided, at least the part where not only herself got hurt, but also some of the people she most cared about. Her uncle, losing his life, Jun being cursed with that incurable disease, and now Rai…

That memory sting, like a sharp, unmerciful knife being thrown at her heart. How could she lose control like that? How far could she let herself fall in self loathing that she ended up hurting yet another member of her family? Because she was a coward, because she was weak and couldn’t face and accept how things were now, giving others the task to hate her, to punish her, instead of looking at the mirror and do it herself.

A slow sigh escaped her lips as she savored the crisp winter breeze that mercifully caressed her rosy cheeks. She could hear people walking down the hallway, other students gathering in the courtyard ahead of her, their voices so loud but softened by the sound of running water from the fountain that decorated the center of the stone circle, the sound that she choose to focus on. It was calming and brought her memories of home, it reminded her of the stream of water that run in the forest near her family estate.

In her mouth, was still lingering the flavour of that sickening potion. She couldn't understand why no one ever thought of improving the taste. Perhaps she would one day be the one to find a way to brew a more decent potion. If she deigned to start studying properly, that is!

"AGGGGGHHHHH!!! I HATE PMS!!!!" She heard someone shout from a place very close to the bench where she was sitting. The loud sound pierced her brain with a sharp, irritating pain and she opened her eyes immediately, narrowing her green eyes in a scolding. Not with much surprise she found a familiar figure with white-hair and green slytherin robes.

“Hey!” She yelled back, her temper rising as that heavy tension once again began to seep into her chest.“Can’t you keep your voice down?” She asked in a harsh tone, crossing her arms over her chest, “you are not making it feel any better!”

@Colin McCoire & @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki

LOCATION | Courtyard DATE | 12 January 2025 INTERACTING | @Meyra Lancaster | @Colin McCoire

“ Control - Zoe Wees ” 00:50⠀─── ◉ ───────⠀03:50

x | OUTFIT #e63b7a | DIALOGUE | MENTIONING

Jun dragged herself through the hallway, deep dark circles beneath her eyes and an inner cold shivering down her spine, engulfing her organs. It wasn’t the cold January weather, no it was a cold not even two long sleeve shirts, a thick sweater and a coat could drown out. Her hands were gloved and thick boots peeked from beneath the legs of her jeans, causing a rhythmic thumping sound. She regretted wearing them. They felt heavy today, pulling on her aching muscles and worsening the headache with every step.

It was Sunday and Jun really wished the date could be a different one. Classes were back in full swing and she had barely remembered what was causing the dreadful pain in her temples, until she realized that it was not the result of long study sessions. The pit in her stomach had been growing with the moon and the reoccurring nightmare, that swept by most nights, had been specially cruel the past few nights.

Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was blood. So she tried to avoid doing so. Even if that meant no sleep, Jun preferred not seeing her father’s body lay in her vision as she heard Mey scream for her. Her skin felt like it was burning with the memories, not a warm burn but a sharp, white, mind numbing burn that cut deep into her scars and made them feel fresh again. She needed air.

Stumbling out of the next best door, the cold hit her like a brick wall and for a moment Jun stood frozen in place. Her head was tilted up slightly, her brown eyes staring at the gray-blue sky and snow flakes landing in her lashes. She closed them, breathing in shakily and letting herself ease into the tiredness that had been lingering due to the lack of sleep.

Time seemed to slow as her breath left her lips in clouds and she drowned out the chatter around her. Her hands formed to fists, her nails digging into the skin and causing the slight scent of blood in the air. Her knuckles turned white as she tried to reinstate the feeling of control. Until a familiar scent caused her to rip out of her state, followed by a loud dark voice and another familiar one, filled by anger.

Jun flinched, pine trees, warm cherries, sandalwood and cinnamon overpowering the stinging smell of her own skin being pierced. Jun’s gaze found her cousin immediately, her arms crossed over her chest and the tone in her voice a harsh one. Jun couldn’t even resist the anger bubbling up inside her for the platinum blonde guy, who looked a little too familiar.

Her feet carried her faster than her thoughts and she stood before her best friend in no time. „Mey!“ her eyes searched for her cousins. „Don’t.“ Don’t? Seriously Jun? Don’t what? Fire a spell towards the loud guy? Yell at him? She really couldn’t blame Mey but that little control she had left, she would use for both of them right now. Making a scene wasn’t going to help. Instead of saying anything else, she shot a death glare at the guy and held onto the sanity that wanted to be overshadowed by an unreasonable irritated anger.

"Oi!"

Colin groaned. He knew before even turning his head that the next few minutes were sure to end in disaster. "Can’t you keep your voice down? You are not making it feel any better!” Colin rolled his eyes. He knew exactly who that voice belonged to! In a more charitable frame of mind, Colin might say she was strong and firm willed. He could easily imagine the little first year danger noodle with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Mey! Don't!" Perfect. The other voice chimed in. Colin knew who that voice belonged to as well. Not as forceful, but no less strong. In a few days, Colin knew, he would think back on this and realise that those two relied on one another in a way he knew all too well. He didn't know what their story was, but, well, one wolf just sort of knows what the other is thinking or feeling.

Colin dragged himself to a crouching posture on the stone bench, turned to face the two girls.

Yep. It was them...

...it was those super annoying first year twins

again!...

"What of it Gryffindorque? Can't I express my heartfelt opinion on me PMS? And don't tell me I can't!" Colin felt another presence arrive on the scene. Another familiar scent. Liam settled on the bench behind Colin. Colin leaned back into his twin, and Liam leaned into him. He felt a great comfort in that small action. He narrowed his pond scum green eyes at the girl with her arms crossed. Meyra Lancaster. His gaze shifted towards her sister. Jun Mayumi Mochizuki.

They stared at each other. At least with Liam here, it would be two against two! Colin tried to stretch again. He groaned. It was no good! "What is it with the cramps! They're usually not this bad!"

Image: Jean-Marie André Delaporte

@Meyra Lancaster | @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki

Honestly, what was wrong with that boy? Since her arrival at Hogwarts he has been stepping on her nerves. The first time, right after the sorting ceremony. As soon as the hat pronounced Gryffindor on top of his head, the boy shouted "Gryffindork" for everyone to hear. After that, she had lost count of how many times he had ran into her and Jun. And it had been on purpose! He could not even try to deny it! He and his "blue replica", should learn one or two things about how to actually be nice and act properly, instead of acting like two idiot fools that think they "are so cool"! Maybe if the number of times she had caught him snogging other girls, was less than the number of fingers she had on both hands, maybe he would think less of himself. Seriously, what do those girls see in him? Meyra looked him up and down sideways with an expression that bordered on disgust.

Meyra only turned her attention from him, when the familiar scent of soft flowers and sweet berries reached towards her, immediately smoothing away her rising temper. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting that scent envelop her, like a gentle spring breeze that calmed the flames that had begun to burn in her chest a few moments before. "Mey!" finally the sound of her cousin's voice filled her senses, and Meyra opened her eyes again, looking at the brown version of her green eyes, "Don't." Jun told her, and Mey could not avoid the shadow of a smile that came caressing her lips. “Hey Jun! Don’t worry, he will eventually slither into his hole.” she cheekily said with a glint of mischief showing on her green-amber eyes.

Jun was always like that, she was always the one who managed to make her find her way back when things started to get out of her control. She missed her, she missed her so much, especially on days like these, when a piece of her always seemed to get lost amidst all those conflicting feelings. It was admirable how her cousin would still be able to remain the best version of herself, even if the moon was about to rise bright and whole, getting prepared to break them apart in return.

Meyra turned her accusatory gaze towards the pale-haired boy again, following Jun's brown warm eyes, that looked at him in an uncharacteristic coldness. Colin finally decided to pay attention to them, crouching on the stone bench, with a wild demeanour that always made her stomach tighten a little, with the reminder of what was hidden under both their skin.

"What of it Gryffindorque?” He told, and Meyra could not avoid to roll her eyes at that and sigh, taking her eyes from him and looking at nowhere in front of her, “you can express whatever you want, but you don’t need to be so loud! Why are you always so loud? Merlin…” she said rubbing her hand across her face as extreme tiredness seemed to take hold of her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the movement of someone approaching Colin. Her curiosity got the better of her desire to either stand there, staring blankly into nowhere, or to simply stay with eyes closed, her face pressed against the cold stone of the archway's column. When her head turned once more towards the Slytherin boy, she saw, without much surprise, that the person approaching them was his twin. The Ravenclaw, sat down close to his brother without saying a word, and Meyra completely understood why. Maybe he, like Jun, where the more balanced between all of them.

When she took her eyes from the Ravenclaw twin, she found Colin’s green eyes already narrowing on her. She met his stare with her own, slightly raising her eyebrow daring him to keep speaking. A huff escaped her lips after his last comments about the cramps, “At least with that…we agree.” She told him with a weak smile, she was lacking the strength to actually make it appear.

@Colin McCoire & @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki

LOCATION | Courtyard DATE | 12 January 2025 INTERACTING | @Meyra Lancaster | @Colin McCoire

“ Control - Zoe Wees ” 00:50⠀─── ◉ ───────⠀03:50

x | OUTFIT #e63b7a | DIALOGUE | MENTIONING

Mey looked at her and usually that would calm Jun‘s nerves, only that glint that she knew far too well was presenting in her best friend’s green eyes. Jun raised an eyebrow at her, but couldn’t suppress the smile that crept onto her lips in the next moment. Even with her head pounding as if someone was hitting her with a blatcher, Mey could always put a smile on Jun’s face. She didn’t even have to do anything.

The blonde guy, whose name Jun surely knew but didn’t particularly care to remember just yet, had turned back to them. He was crouching so weirdly on that stone bench and the guy that she had seen in the Common Room ever so often, joined him. They looked so alike, they had to be siblings, perhaps even twins. They could probably switch robes and no one would know, besides their behavior there wasn’t a lot telling them apart.

Jun turned her gaze back to Mey, who was answering the Slytherin in an almost careless manner. Then there was a bit of Silence, in which Jun released a breath that was visible in the air before it vanished into nothing. Her legs carried her, snow and ice crunching beneath her feet as she walked past Mey and sat down beside her. Her head was still killing her, a coldness pulling on her heart. But Mey made it a bit better.

Her Cousin didn’t have to do anything at all, she just had to be there and Jun could forget her pain for a while. Mey had always had that effect on her. Naturally it had been far harder to deal with her grief and this curse when they were separated. It had been like half of her soul had been ripped away while the one that remained was ripped apart and couldn’t fix itself without the other half.

Jun‘s eyes burned with the cold breeze and she instinctively moved closer to Mey, sighing and letting her head fall onto her cousin’s shoulder. When that Slytherin, Cole? Spoke again, Jun‘s eyes set on him distantly.. careless of what he had to say. She truly just wanted to rip everything that hurt out or switch bodies with someone that didn’t have heightened senses and needed to turn into a beast in a few hours. She had yet to remember that Mey and her weren’t the only ones here affected by this curse. Still, she didn’t go around yelling about the curse they had to endure.

Colin McCoire wrote: 24 Jan 2025, 15:02

The Ravenclaw twin was silent. Jun. She'd only said maybe two words since the four of them ended up together here in the courtyard. Colin narrowed his eyes. It was the Gryffindor, Miss Super Annoying, who was sparring with him. It was odd really, how often they'd run into these two girls. Like him and Liam, this Mey and Jus seemed pretty inseparable. Like him and Liam, they seemed to compliment each other.

The girl's eyes were green. Not like his, yet there was something about them. “Hey Jun! Don’t worry, he will eventually slither into his hole,” Mey commented snarkily. Huh. If that's what she thought, she didn't know Colin and Liam McCoire! Colin rolled his eyes. He regarded the two first years. The proud stance. The arms crossed defiantly. Hmf!

"In yer dreams, Lancaster! You can only wish I'll go away!" Colin retorted.

And then, as if she couldn't make herself any more bothersome, Mey had to dig deeper! Colin knew he was hyper at the best of times. But, seriously? Did she have to jab him for it? "You can express whatever you want, but you don’t need to be so loud! Why are you always so loud? Merlin…”

Colin let out a dramatic puff of breath. "Loud!?" he cried. "L--- Me? Loud? Honestly! Liam, I'm not loud am I?" Colin turned and put his arm around his brother. "She's saying I'm loud! What's with that, eh?"

"Well, to be fair Cail, ye're not usually quite this loud," Liam responded. His gaze shifted towards Mey and Jun. "He really is quite excitable!" Liam bapped Colin softly on the back of his head. "Usually not this loud."

"Ow! Anyway! I can't help it can I? You know what it's like!" Colin said.

"Aye. And so do they, right?" Liam said softly.

Colin looked from Liam back to the two girls. He wondered. Jun sat down on the bench opposite, next to Mey. The four of them faced each other. There was something about the two of them. This month had been worse than most. Colin really hoped it didn't mean the monthlies would just get worse and worse for ever! He stared into Mey's eyes. He'd seen eyes like those before .... somewhere.


Jun leaned on Mey's shoulder. Colin leaned on Liam. He knew there was a sort of kinship between them. How could there not be. Lycanthropy. He and Liam weren't the only kids affected by the curse. Everyone who suffered with it was as good as a brother or a sister. Take Keith. Or even Mangefur Mornstern. His gaze flicked between the two girls. There was something about these two. Something different. Something more.

Liam put his arm around Colin.

Colin smirked. "Aye. I reckon it's no better for you two lassies is it?" he asked softly. "I wish there was a potion that could ease the cramps, right?" Colin tried to turn the smirk into a smile. Where had he seen those eyes before? They were so very familiar!

Image: Jean-Marie André Delaporte

@Meyra Lancaster | @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki

Jun was so silent... even quieter than usual. Mey knew that everyone had a different way of dealing with things, but she couldn't help but worry about her best friend, and that feeling overcame all others. "Are you Okay?" She murmured into Jun's silky dark hair as the young Ravenclaw rested her head on her shoulder. Meyra put her arm around her cousin and caressed her arm with her thumb, a heavy sigh escaping between her lips.

Meyra rolled her eyes at the two boys sitting on the bench across from her and Jun. So, he was trying to prove he was not loud by being precisely that? How smart...

But Liam looked at her, and his words made her faintly laugh, "Usually you say?" She asked him with a glint of amusement showing in her green eyes, "I must be an unlucky one then!" She smirked. There was something about them, something that in every interaction they had was becoming more meaningful, but Mey still couldn't see its form. She felt like something inside her was being pulled towards them, like a thread that was emerging from within and trying to connect with...she couldn't say. And as it rose to the surface it was as if an answer was forming on the tip of her tongue, her heart, but she couldn't reach its purpose.

Colin stared at her, and so Meyra stared back at him. He looked like he was searching for something too. Does he also share her feelings? Would those formless questions and answers also be invading his thoughts? Meyra wondered, that if so, what would he be making of it. "No, it's not better for us Colin." Meyra gave him a short smile, but with no lack of kindness in it, "I wish that was possible. But they say without wolfsbane it would be far worse. Can you imagine that? Not being able to drink it? Being chained, feeling ten times worse...I imagine many would kill for our luck right now McCoire." She said thoughtfully, her voice airy, devoid of strength, almost just a whisper.

@Colin McCoire | @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki