quit being a phony, phony! closed

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@River Dewlight

By the time anyone had the gonads to say anything, Gem had found himself in a very comfortable headlock, a demanding series of shouts right in his ear-- whilst everyone else watched.

"Does it look like I'm takin' the piss now, huh? Does it?! I oughta knock you right in the nose fer-"
"What is going on here?"

It was like any Ravenclaw that Gem had met was Godsent. Her voice was firm, yet gentle - something he'd expect out of a teacher rather than a second year student, unless they were a prefect. If she was a prefect, he'd probably wiggle his way out of the situation and run for the hills. The very last thing he needed today was to be stuck with a detention, a professor passively telling him how lousy he was for getting into that kind of a mess.

"This guy over here thought we wus' a bit too noisy, got all in our business," While the Gryf spoke, his arm occasionally tightened around Gem's neck, squeezing his throat in a particularly uncomfortable way. He made a noise that sounded like something between a wheeze and a whimper, a desperate claw of air. It was so pathetic it was almost funny. "Thought I'd show him wot bein' a little prick gets ya. Inn't that right, scout?"

"You- eurgh - ya aren't supposed ta use me own condescending nicknames against me! That's joost as good as-"
"Aw, can it, pipsqueak."

Gem felt like he was going to explode, right then and there. He'd see how funny getting blown up by the killing curse was... not that he knew it or anything, but it was kind of funny to think about. Kind of not really, actually. Damn.

"I'm bein' set up! I didn't even do anythin' wro-!"
"Merlin's beard, kid, do ya not know how ta shut up?!" The Gryffindor's arm locked around Gem's throat tighter, enough to get his mouth shut. It was embarrassing, he'd been so childish right then, and even now he felt like he was a primary-schooler. He'd always prided himself for being just a little mature for his age, and yet here he was, wailing and struggling and defending himself similarly to that a toddler would. He could've died, right then and there, and it would be all right with him.

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@River Dewlight

Gem felt it would be best to keep his mouth clamped shut, but he was quite impressed about how collected she remained - even when a Gryffindor was strangling someone right in front of her face. Damn Lions were bark and bite, even when it was completely unnecessary. It was like he was contemplating Gem's fate because of what she said, like he had his neck stuck out in a guillotine and, based on what she said, he'd either let the blade come down on him, or show mercy.

He had the faintest feeling he'd let the blade go.

"You Ravenclaws 're so damn annoying," the Gryf huffed, freeing Gem from his grasp. "You ought to tell yer housemates when ta keep their mouths closed." And he went back to his table, spitting something to his friends about how bogus it was that he'd been told off.

When it came to Gem, however, he'd been busy rubbing his throat, sulking about the predicament. He knew he'd seen that girl around, but lately he'd given up on matching names to faces... that said, he felt obligated to thank her, even if she just spoke all snappy and likely hoped for the best. It wasn't even her problem, but there were no threats involved - just insults. He supposed it worked.

"Aye, ehm... thanks, fer that. Probableh would've broken me neck if he 'ad the chance." It was good to flatter people who had just pulled you out of a sticky situation, mostly 'cause if you got yourself in another one, they'd likely swoop in and save you again. "Uh... I'm Gem, by e' way. Gem Stuart - pleasure ta be yer acquaintance." He held his hand out, a confident extension for a potential friendship. He'd been irritated all day, but there was no harm in making a good impression... or, as good as it could get after something like this.

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The muttering and sputtering and general gripes of the nearby Gryffindors suddenly went quiet as the heads in the room slowly turned to the entrance of the small hall. A moment later, the torches began to flicker, to seemingly try to leap away from the enchanted wood of the ever-alight torches and flee what was coming. A moment later the lights started to dim, and the temperature began to drop. A few hufflepuffs who had been standing nearby, engrossed in discussions over one of the older student's new girlfriend, quietly cursed among themselves

"Shit. Wasn't George studying down that way?"

A jabbing thumb indicated the direction the now nearly tangible waves of discomfort were emanating from. It felt like there was something off, something very wrong, something that shouldn't exist, and that the something was approaching the small hall.

"You can feel that freak coming a mile away, no way he got caught unawares, but you're right, we should go find him."

True hufflepuff loyalty, shining like a little star that hadn't decided for how long it wanted to remain up in the heavens just yet. They took a side exit, leaving the small hall quickly, with the clear intentions of circling around and meeting up with their friend. Several other students followed, in fact, most of the students followed. Very few remained secreted in their corners, and only one or two other students had opted to entirely ignore the presence.

It was only after the source of the feeling of not belonging showed itself that the feeling turned into something far worse. What began as an eerie sensation, goosebumps and anxiety, was now a dark bubbling wall of fear and hate. It didn't matter how brave you were, you could feel it, feel it as though it were a physical breeze that tore through clothing and flew straight to the bone. The source of all of this, of all of this, was a small boy who looked entirely too tired to be walking around.

Messy black hair sat atop a thin face that looked as thought it belonged to a corpse. The skin was a sickly grey that was vaguely reminiscent of a terminally ill wonton wrapper, huge dark shadows framing the eyes, scars evident on his neck. The boy's robe was faded, fraying at the corners and not quite perfectly black anymore. Heavy lids mostly obscured the eyes, but what could still be seen through the strands of hair and the drooping eyelids was starkly visible. Rings of red surrounded the pupils, glowing like twin eclipses set in a storming blue that rolled and moved in barely concealed venom.

Shadows around him moved, his own shadow being three times larger than it realistically should have been, looming against the wall like an entity all it's own. Long spidery fingers tipped with dull claws peeked their tips out from the hanging sleeves. This was Kaegen Deathmote. The monster, the demon of Hogwarts' halls. Rumors about what he had done flew back and forth like the plague, stories of how he had almost killed 4 students, other stories expanding, telling how he had almost killed a professor, how he had ripped someone's heart out with his long fingers, how he was seen flying without a broom.

Some were false, enough were true. One thing was agreed upon, which was that he was entirely too skinny and tired to be that terrifying, that there had to be something else, and that if you felt him coming, you left. He was not someone you wanted to be seen around, not someone you even wanted to see, if you could help it. So he moved through hogwarts unobstructed, a passing specter in the ancient corridors. As much a legend as an actual boy.

His eyes leveled on the two students who were shaking hands. He somewhat recognized both of them, from different places. Which concerned him. He usually didn't recognize anyone. And those that stood out enough to be recognized usually vanished. No, there was something odd here. He moved about to the center of the room, slowly walking as his tired eyes became less soft, and more tightly narrowed.

"You. Both of you."

His voice sounded raspy and hoarse, dried up leaves blown about by a jagged wind. It was quiet and pained, and not exactly pleasant to hear. He had met the red haired girl once before, which was why he had some vague idea of knowing her. As for the boy, he had heard his guitar playing up in ravenclaw tower, and as much as kae didn't much care for the idea of something that didn't involve direct assistance surviving, he rather enjoyed music. Still, his mind was too preoccupied to actually trace their faces back to the memory file he pulled them from. So he would simply ask.

interacting with @Kaegen Deathmote & @River Dewlight

Gem felt himself grin all big and dumb when she accepted the introduction, nodding his head respectively. He said that name in his head, over and over again until it was stuck there-- if there was one thing Gem was good at, it was putting names to faces. It wasn't a very hard thing to do, especially at Hogwarts.

"Right, I'll tell ya wot those knobheads did. Everyone 'ere was tryin' ta have a nice, peaceful time here inni small hall, and these loud ole' Gryfs come barging in. I swear ta God they'd blow tha roof off this place, a-"

"You. Both of you."

For a moment, Gem expected it to be a prefect out to get them by the throat, but when he looked up, he saw a very familiar face. A face like a ghost, deep-set eyes, dark, messy hair. If Gem hadn't known any better, he'd think this kid was plucked right out of a Tim Burton film and dropped into Hogwarts. He had his full attention now, the way he was looming around there with his raspy ole' voice. That all said, he recognized him quite well, it was an aura that was difficult to forget. A fellow Ravenclaw, he'd heard his name somewhere, but... well, he probably wasn't paying very much attention then.

"Hey- I've seen ya around, fellow Ravenclaw, aye?" He felt his once focused stare become a more lighthearted expression, perhaps to make him seem more... comfortable? That being said, he doubted Mr. Lydia Deeds cared very much about comfort, but... well, it mattered. To some people, anyway.

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|| @Gem Stuart || @Kaegen Deathmote ||

As the boy standing in front of her smiled, she smiled back. Maybe it didn't look the most joyful, but she tried. Strangely enough, this... Gem-guy didn't seem too bad, compared to a lot of the other boys who she had met though her time at Hogwarts. Not all of them had been rude or anything, but she just didn't get along with them all that well. Gryffindors especially, as they were just too much for her most of the time. They weren't all the same, but if someone really pissed her off, they would often be wearing robes with the colours of scarlet and gold.

As the two ravenclaw students stood there, River noticed a lot of the surrounding people getting up and leaving. Their faces were a strange mix of annoyance and... fear? Then, she felt it too, the cold chill passing though the air, making the faint hairs on her arms stand up. She knew exactly who ere coming, and her instincts told her to leave right away, but she did not move. It was nearly impossible to not notice the boy who was approaching, she had met him before too. Only briefly, before he would always make his way off in one of his interesting exits.

"Right, I'll tell ya wot those knobheads did. Everyone 'ere was tryin' ta have a nice, peaceful time here inni small hall, and these loud ole' Gryfs come barging in. I swear ta God they'd blow tha roof off this place, a-"
River noticed Gem was talking, but she didn't manage to catch what it was, before another voice spoke up. "You. Both of you." She knew it belonged to the one bearing the strange aura. When her gaze turned to see the one approaching, she was quite right about who it was. The polite, careful smile appeared on her face again, "Oh, hello Kaegen", she said "I hope you're doing good today", she added.
Her eyes turned back to Gem as he spoke "Hey- I've seen ya around, fellow Ravenclaw, aye?". The little owl on her shoulder hooted carefully and shifted his weight a little.

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The boy affirmed their relationship as not something that Kaegen should have remembered, as he addressed the half-vampire simply as a ravenclaw he may have seen around. What was especially odd was that he didn't seem to have any further knowledge. Had he heard nothing? Had he not heard whispers of the students that had been rescued from by the professors? Not heard rumors of how, after the professor had left, a few of the more daring gryffindors had peeked into the abandoned bathrooms and found the floor slick with scarlet blood?

The girl knew his name, anyway, and in Hogwarts, that was enough. He didn't know hers, but didn't really think he had to. She didn't seem all that impressive, and clearly they'd met before, which all put together probably meant he hadn't seen her as a threat. Or maybe he hadn't met her at all, maybe she had found his name through another source, maybe she was pretending they had already met specifically to get Kaegen to lower his guard.

"Color can fade. past erase. Pencil scribbles, time's trade. Old danger's formless, dying face.

He took a decisive step back. It was not a step that denoted fear, or intentions of flight, but a step that invited his "opponents" to come closer, if they dared. It was a firm step, and although in the course of him accosting the pair, the waves of chilling hate had greatly reduced, his eyes still flared with enough light to backlight a phone screen. He was so sick of all of it, of people and danger and fear. He was sick of talking and listening and meaningless tasks, of running around and around for no real reason. He was frustrated and tired and not in the mood to run.

His head did, however, turn towards the boy as he answered the question.

"Yes. Kaegen Deathmote, Fens-born shade-beacon monster of hogwarts halls. Ravenclaw, third year."

still in his raspy, rustling, unpleasant voice. Still in the middle of shifting shadows and lit eyes. Still an anomaly, still aberration.