Etched into parchment, for you to receive. PV Elena clark

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Back again. Fingers trailing over the curved railing of the stairs, playing with the small particles of dust floating in the rare rays of moonlight that filtered through the tinted windows. Eerily. Each time her foot set on a step, each time her muscles tightened and relaxed, allowing her to climb up - each felt disconnected, out of this world. The scents filtered through the closed doors awaiting her on the very top of this spiralling staircase, nature and nurture woven in an indescriptible smell of rotten bird dropping and soft feathers. Bad wasn't the word. Neutral was more of a fit. It existed, the same way her being existed, climbing each step like her limbs had a mind of their own. Tangled between her fingers, a letter. Curved handwriting, messy, letters entangling on paper. No stains. Never. Despite how tedious it felt transposing her thoughts on a blank page, despite the rush and the urge to get them out of her head, she was careful enough to make it look pretty. Neat enveloppe, an address written down in careful, slightly shaking letters. Folded as much time as she could. A ritual, gestures repeated over and over, like each time it started to get worse. And it had. She never knew what triggered it, but the dreams had become more and more vivid, lasted longer, more terrifying. Woven together, sometimes. She could wake up a thousand times and still be enraptured in those too-real nightmares, like a never ending night. It was time for this catharsis, time to vomit write her feelings down, her exhaustions, her anger and desperation. Five pages of hurried scribbled, folded and shoved into an enveloppe, a name and address at the back. Marching onto the final step, Elena froze. Honey melted in coffee beans, sunlight peaking through the tight branches of an autumn forest. Eyes that echoed her own surprised, as she trailed her storm-tossed gaze over the figure of the stranger. His tousled dark locks fell on either side of his face, wild and free compared to the rest of his neat appearance. A certain paradox seemed to reside within him, once translated in the curious mix of disheveled and put together his entire body expressed. A contradiction, one that might have pushed the curious girl to explore further had the meeting taken place at another time. Right now a tension had settled in her limbs from the unexpected presence, presence that perturbed her plans. Fingers curling over her letter, wrinkling the surface, she drained the very last drop of energy her cells contained to spark what she hoped to be a charming smile, or at the very least a calm, peaceful one. "Hi." She took a step closer to avoid the awkwardness of standing in the doorway, eyes scanning the intruder. As she did, a moonbeam hit her, and her features found themselves instantly highlighted, as if her body had found its source of energy and was now feasting upon it. The honey gold of her locks lit up, the deep blue of her eyes had suddenly every nuance of the ocean, and a certain glow seemed to emanate from her. Feeling like a starved man ending his supplice for the first time, she took a second to appreciate the feeling, breathing deeply as she closed her eyes for a short, barely noticeable instant. The night felt less obscure in the glow of her loyal companion, and she now felt ready to face the stranger - if it wasn't for the constant reminder of the weighted letter lingering in her hand. Internally cursing the not-empty place, she carefully shoved it into her pocket, the fresh ink on top of it becoming unreadable. Which wasn't a problem, for the address and name written above were entirely fictional. Eyes of navy pools trailing back to the slumping figure, she tilted her head with an apologetic smile, still bathed in moonlight. "I beg your pardon, I didn't mean to intrude."

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Reducio

interacting w/ & mentions: @Elena Clark
code credits: @Claudia Gears
ooc notes:I love me a very melodramatic little guy

There was often not a singular thing that would have took Tobias by surprise. Let alone left unnoticed. Not an griffin swooping down from the sky with its talons outstretched, not a bug crawling under the tall of the grass..yet there he was, almost bashfully caught off guard by the mere presence of a stranger standing across from him. 'hi' her voice echoed, a much shorter greeting than his own, he thought. The damp tone of her soul lingered on into the air, though no longer speaking, her voice rung in his ears a million times over. infuriating? not at all, infact he appreciated the dull nature of her tone for a split second. if anything, it was welcomed- familiar to him, even. Perhaps it was the way not only the air stifled around her tense body, almost embodying the stillness of the very night sky itself. perhaps it was the way he had grown so accustomed to the cold, hushed whispers that reside in the dungeons below the castle. regardless, he found himself sat silently on the dirt floor, owl in his hold as she took a step into,,


the light.

"blimey-" he muttered to himself as she did. every inch of her, illuminated before him- causing him to hunch back into the shadow he so dearly hid in. It seemed to blind him, his body flinching at such a bright burst of light. his hand raised to lightly cover his eyes, the dark centers of it slitting as he found himself desperately trying to adjust to the light. It didn't take much to recover, a couple of blinks and he could look directly at her again. That dampness- coldness he silently praised had partially vanished, a new light (literally) shining upon her. her eyes flickered, Tobias finding his own watching the small moment of ecstasy she savored. Barely noticeable- yet noticeable enough. His own eyes darkened, falling to the letter she gripped under her slender fingers, the touch over the poor paper almost threateningly ripping into it. She was no quicker than to hide it away, the weight of it fell into her pockets. ink smudged onto the fabric of her clothing, miraculously missing the soft of her skin. delicate, yet frantic. her motions seemed to reflect a distinct alliance of conflicting nature.

He watched as her own lips curled into an apologetic smile, not like the rather pathetic excuse for one she had tried to give him earlier. still, she seemed to try her best. he responded with a nod, his hands finding their way back down to the owl at his lap, lightly brushing over the small creatures freckled feathers. he must've looked mental, sitting on the filthy floor of the owlery so lazily. In his defense, he hadn't expected company tonight. How was he supposed to know not to practically slump down onto a pile of bird feces? Not that he did, but there was bound to be a lingering scent on his robes once he stood.

And so he did, brushing off his robes as his legs found their strength again.

"need not apologize- perfect timing infact. just the push i needed to get up and leave." he spoke, a light strain in his voice as he patted himself off. a light sneer grew on his face,,he sounded rude. Tobias often disgusted himself with the way his tone was, dismissive and such. It wasn't his intention, purely just his way of speaking. He found a smile as he turned back to the moonlit lady, his eyes squinting ever so slightly at her in the soft luster. Correcting himself, he cleared his throat and looked down at his hand which now pulled at a chain, bringing out a golden pocket watch from his robes. "It being near curfew and all. best be off." and he was no quicker than to head straight for the exit. Grateful, he was for the lady to arrive. now he no need to debate the impossible task of sending his letter- no! now he had an excuse to leave. would be incredibly rude to stick around someone so late in the night, he thought to himself.

unfortunately, his small victory was cut short as he realized the weightlessness of his hands and pockets. only the quiet ticking of his pocket watch vibrated in his robes, but the rustling of paper was nowhere to be found.

dread.

he turned on his heels, frantically searching the floors for the letter he no longer held close. The stranger was not of his concern anymore- not while it was missing. after months of holding on to it, clinging to it as if his very life depended on the parchment, it wasn't in his hands..yet now it lay in the beak of the bird. That blasted-- tiny creature took ahold of his letter as he stood! it must've fell- whatever the case, he no longer had it! "ohhnonono-" he let out a small string of whines as he saw the bird begin to flap its tiny little wings. Curse his distracted mind. He began to move quickly, his feet speeding up but to no avail as the owl flew out the window with his letter. his body was halfway out the window, a hand outstretch to the tiny creature as if it would take pity on him and return it. Mischievous creature, that bloody owl.

with a defeated whimper, he let his torso slump against the brick of the window, a soft huff escaping his chapped lips.

"You hold on to that letter of yours. These blasted birds snatch it out of your hands like it's none of your business." Tobias addressed the stranger, who was probably looking at him like he was stupid or- or ill or dumb. One of the billions of insults Tobias thought of, the stranger was probably thinking of right now. At least that's what he told himself, anyway. A clawed hand ran through his hair, raking through the dark curls and frizzing them up ever so slightly as he looked out the large open window of the owlery. The bird was far off now, somewhere in the wind with its talons dug into the delicate parchment Tobias had ripped through and mended multiple times before. He silently prayed it would fall apart on its own, but he knew that his repairing skills wouldn't betray him like that. Curse his artistry in repairing broken items. a beautiful- yet in this moment, CRUEL skill to have. he let out an elongated sigh, mixed with a pathetic groan as his torso remained slumped against the hard bricks.

"i wasn't quite ready to send that either," he pouted, not sure if he was speaking to himself, the universe, or the poor stranger who had nothing to do with the situation whatsoever. in any case, he felt stuck. Stuck with an irreversible consequence based on a decision that he did NOT make. it made him feel beyond dreadful. miserable. a bit melodramatic, yes, that was his nature after all. But how could he not be so?

His eyes softened as he continued to look out to the night sky, the bird no longer in sight as it flapped away into the distance.

"Uggghghhhnn.." he whined, his head falling into the brick before him.

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Leaving the comforting bathe of moonlight felt like a part of herself had been ripped from her bare skin. As the warming glow that had once lit her being faded away, she blinked twice towards the stranger, still unsure of how to handle this most curious situation. She didn't like the way his eyes had followed the swift movement of her hand, concealing the paper heavy with hushed handwriting and ink stains. It felt as if she had grew thorns, spikes raising in defense before inquiring eyes, when if fact her own eyes should be the ones asking questions - what was he doing, sat here at this almost ungodly hour ? She had a completely normal behavior. Or so she hoped. He couldn't possibly guess about the box of matches in her right pocket, or notice the burnt marks scattering the floor, nor could he figure out the address depicted on the letter was a fake. Right ? His rise to his feet was the perfect cut to the strange silence that had settled, Elena cleared her throat, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking at the feathered beings as he patted the dust away from his robes. The hint of confidence audible in his voice might have been interpreted as plainly rude if the raven hadn't heard a slight shake accompanying it. Instead, the young girl simply waved her hands in dismissal, tone slightly rushed from the awkwardness of the situation. "Oh, no, do not mind me, please," she said with a light chuckle, "by all means, finish what you meant to do. I'm in no hurry." Both of them talked over the other, as they made a strange dance around the room - him hurrying towards the exit, her stepping aside. His mention of the curfew made her frown in amusement, realizing how many time she had broken it for it to not mean anything now. The watch glistening in the dark caught her attention, but before she could utter anything he was out of the owlery. Almost. In a frantic manner, he turned back on his feet, a terrified spark in his eyes. She barely had time to step back before he turned the whole place upside down, scavenging for something he seemed to have lost. Too baffled to say anything, Elena stood there, speechless, watching his expression grow more and more dreadful by the second. As she stepped back, her leg brushed the soft feather of the adorable owl he was petting earlier, owl which emitted an annoyed hooting. Like in a movie, the boy's eyes settled on the bird, and time froze. The mischievous creature started lazily flapping its wings, as the boy's eyes widened. The next action happened in a split second - him literally throwing himself at the bird, who flew right out the window. The blonde haired girl strangely found the last scene was cinematographically pleasing, the outstretched hand towards something flying far away - poetic, even. Not to the boy, that is. The rest happened in a blurr (his body slumping against the wall, a vague comment about the winged wicked creatures), as Elena was focused on something far more complicated : not laugh. A mission failed in second, as a loud snort was heard. She immediately bit her lip, trying to keep a composed face, but as her eyes locked with his, she could not physically hold character any longer. Another snort escaped her, then another, and suddenly she was clutching her stomach, gasping for breath between uncontrollable giggles. "Oh my," she stuttered, reaching out blindly, grabbing the wall to support herself. "I'm so sorry, I-" Another irrepressible bout of laughter escaped her, as tears started rolling down her cheeks. Luckily her laugh was silent - her gasps for air weren't, though. It took a good five minute to calm down, as she wiped her tears-strained cheeks and took a deep breath. "Oh wow," she sighed. "I am so sorry, I don't know what got over me." Getting off the wall, she pushed her golden locks behind her shoulder, trying to save appearances. "Wrong letter ?" Elena asked, nodding towards the opened window. Her own piece of paper was forgotten, eclipsed by the laughter crisis that had just erupted.

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that blasted bird.

Utterly distraught. Tobias was left empty handed, the burden of the weighted envelope no longer his to bare - yet one he'd grown attached to. One he'll grow to miss. He would simply gaslight himself into believing he never sent the letter, infact, he would tell himself he never even wrote onto the parchment at all. It was his guiltiest of pleasures, the ability to craft his own memories and change them at his will. Reality was far from his concern in that case. He believed what he told himself, and eventually it would have seemed true. Countless times he had done so - not that he could recall any of those times now..but it had saved him from the anguish of his decisions time and again. However this time would prove more difficult to erase from his memory. A situation more daunting than any of the other times he'd meddled with his mind. The more he thought about it, the less confident he felt in his ability to lie to himself. a small, pathetic whine escaped his chapped lips, the parting of them causing a fang to latch on to the bottom of it. Pathetic was exactly the right word to describe him right now. 'i look like the physical embodiment of it.' he thought to himself. Dirty robes, frizzed up hair, a worn expression laid across his face. The full 'i'm a sad loser' package.

he looked up and out towards the window again, as if, somehow, the bird would return. There was no singular god that would save him - nor was there any that have in the past - NOR did he believe that any would dare take pity on him. And ever so clearly, neither did the stranger apart form him.

she stood there for a second, her eyes looking at him with a dead expression. But as his own travelled up to hers, she looked into him. a broken grin formed on her face, which eventually turned into a full blown fit of giggles and laughs. "oh yes, please. laugh at the sad little boy pouting in the corner." he groaned out, pushing himself off of the hard brick of the window infront of him. his first response was to bitterly snap through her giggles, blinking away from whatever embarrassment welled up in his eyes. 'Is this not the worst kind of social situation to be in? laughed at by a complete stranger?' he thought, his permanent from deepening as she held herself up against the wall.

Ofcourse, she wasn't laughing at him. He knew that much, atleast. His own self-loathing clouded his judgement, as if it was his body's second nature to bring himself down before others had the chance. He was working on that. slowly. The small laughs emitting from the stranger made sense..it probably looked immensely humorous. Not to him, ofcourse, but he partially understood where she was coming from. His attention was brought back to the stranger across from him, her soft gasp's filling the silence of the owelry with an unknowing sense of life. Contagious. Laughter was a disease, hers easily contaminating her surroundings with ease - him included. The sickness takes effect immediately, seeping through his skin and attacking him from the inside. It made him crack a smile. a fang poked out from the top of his chapped lips as it grew. attempting to stifle it, he ran a hand across his face, only to cover his mouth and let out a pathetic half-sob-half-chuckle. "you're just as evil as that bird, you hear." he muttered half heartedly, a hand on his hip as he turned around to face the window once more. "praise - that your laughs be as graceful as they are. far more merciful than the squawking i'm subjected to each time i arrive here." his clawed fingers found their way towards his hair, attempting to pat down the frizz it had gained.

After while, the lune lady's laughs had began to die down, resulting in a soft sigh. he turned his head lightly in her direction as she spoke, that delicate, yet amused tone in her voice seeming to lighten the entire atmosphere. It was ever so slightly intoxicating. Such a small change in a persons voice could bring so much life into them.

"no - actually the right letter. precisely why i wasn't ready to hand it away." he admitted, almost so effortlessly. he inhaled, turning back over to her with his hands combing at his own hair. He noted mentally, her own hair looked far easier to maintain. and INSANELY healthy at that. what he wouldn't give to have his own look so effortlessly elegant, he thought to himself. As he found himself staring, he cleared his throat and continued. "I'm cutting off connection with a dear love of mine." he said bluntly, gesturing at the window plainly, his hand falling quickly to his side after that with a soft 'pat'. Though his situation sounded..sad, to say the least, his expression was far from it. Instead of looking incredibly worn, he seemed more frustrated at the fact that he wasn't in control of when he sent it. As if it were a minor inconvenience. He, in his mind, Knew he would heal from it. It was only a matter of time after all. It was just a matter of stalling that time that had him distraught. "pity its happened already. I was hoping to delay that for another month or so." he puffed up his cheeks letting out a sigh, the fact that he was..likely giving out information no stranger would care about hearing soared right over his head. It was a habbit - there was likely no man more honest than tobias, despite how truly deceitful he could be if he truly did need to be.

"truly a shame.." he said with the click of his tongue, his clawed fingers still fumbling with the small lock of frizzed curls in his hold.

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Ever so poised, Elena tried her very best to remain completely neutral, yet the previous spark of laughter was threatening to return at any given moment. Everything the boy did or said only fueled that desire to crack, and it took every bit of self control she possessed to not blatantly laugh at him again. For Merlin's sake, get a grip on yourself. The self-pitying expression the black-haired stranger portrayed was nothing less than touching, one that would have instantly sparked that caring glimmer in her ocean blue eyes, yet the scene that had previously unfolded had been so comical the spark had trouble lighting up. "I most sincerely apologise," she added, doing her best to hide the smile in her voice. "The situation... took me by surprise." Luckily, she saw an echo of her own laughter in the timid smile that cracked his sullen expression, one that only made her grin brighter. "I'm afraid I wasn't much help against this terrible feathery threat," she frowned, after letting out a chuckle at his accusation - laughing at his face was indeed equally cruel as this theft. At the way his expression slightly darkened when he answered her question, the familiar worried vein creased the girl's forehead again, her eyes turning a bit more worried. Despite facing the boy's back, she took a step closer, head slightly tilting. Her gaze softened as he admitted his desire to cut the chord between close ones, something he had obviously been tossing and turning within that head of his. "I'm sorry to hear that," she smiled sadly, patting his shoulder with a light touch before retreating her head - don't touch strangers like they're your friends, for merlin's sake. "Loving can be quite complicated, especially if it's not done properly. Despite it being ripped away from you, it was still brave to come to that decision." Deciding not to force answers out of him, she simply leaned against the wall, gazing at the cutest owls nestling together. After a minute of silence, she gazed at him again. "Family member ?" So much for not asking questions. Yet wasn't curiosity one of her house's traits ? This, added to the irrepressible desire to chase the gloom out of faces equalled in little privacy for those around the young raven. But Elena could accept a no, and the last thing she desired was to make mystery boy uncomfortable. But she was indeed curious.

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