Hunting the Phantom. pv Ruth Fairchild Finished

𝓘t soon became clear how much Sol despised living at the owlery.

And with that came the realisation that he was becoming increasingly spoiled by Ruth Fairchild.

Ruth stuffed her hands in her pockets, grumbling slightly as the Great White flocked from branch to branch, swooping through the narrow gaps of twigs and curling around the bare trunk and trees. Every so often Ruth almost lost sight of him--his white sheen camouflaged with the snow, creating a strangely mesmerising effect that looked as though a bundle of snow was just flying through the air in waves.

She let out a louder grumble, her foot steps a little louder in efforts of catching the owl's attention but to no avail. He ignored her, lost in the breeze and the way his wings carried him. In the few days that she had him, Ruth had quickly found out of his ability to drink in knowledge easily, much like the Hufflepuff herself. In barely a fortnight, Sol's flying skills had improved by an immeasurable amount, almost competing against Ruth's own experience with the broom.

She continued watching Sol dive in delight, constantly glancing back towards the school just in case it was time for class. At this rate, Ruth was going to be late. She didn't want to be late.

But what could she do? The Hufflepuff knew the feeling of bliss and adrenaline coursing through one's veins, the exhilaration as the wind skimmed past the skin as you attempted stunts. Perhaps, if Ruth hadn't gotten an owl so similar to her, she'd be strolling towards charms by now.

Letting out a sigh, she finally relented, "Alright Sol, I promise to tell Aaron to stop pestering you, for Ace to stop patting you, and for Rita to stop stitching clothes for you if you'd just..." Ruth faltered as she glanced back to where Sol had just been, only to realise he was gone. She blinked repeatedly a few times, figuring that it was probably just the trick of the eye and that he'd blend out of the snow in no time. However, moments passed and Ruth could grasp any form of movement at all.

She stilled, then listened. It was too quiet. Ruth began walking, no, running forwards, calling Sol's name with panic in her voice. She was going past the boundaries of the grounds Ruth had trained Sol within, causing her to worry. She wasn’t sure how often he had adventured amongst the skies above the campus. All Ruth could think about was how close to the forbidden forest he may have ventured through. Soon the trees scattered amongst the ground faded into the distance and she halted at a clearing. It seemed that she had reached the fields belonging to the class of COMC. Ruth didn’t frequent passing by this place. After all, she had yet to take the curriculum, and wasn’t even sure if she would. Either way, it felt strangely odd to step into the space, as though she wasn’t meant to be there. A distance shout caught her attention and she cocked her head to the sound. It seemed to have come just beyond where her eyes could see.

Sol? Ruth began making her way down, occasionally peering as she walked to see if she could quickly get a glimpse. A rabbit bounded past her but she didn’t pay much mind towards it, though there was a certain alarm to its pace. Ruth rounded the corner, and what caught her side made her halt in her tracks and let out a loud gasp.

A Gryffindor, her hand with a wand jabbing out at her pet. “What on earth?” she cried out, sprinting towards the girl. “What are you doing? Sol!” She called sharply at her owl. He didn’t utter a word, merely shuffling on the branch and then flitting down onto her shoulder. Ruth threw a hard but relieved look at him from the corner of her eye and he craned his head away to look at anywhere but her. Ruth sighed, then did her arms akimbo as she turned back to the girl who barely looked any much older than her, though was at least a couple of inches taller. “Sorry, did my owl bother you in any shape or form?”

LOCATION | Care of Magical Creatures, Hogwarts DATE | 20th February 2025 INTERACTING | @Ruth Fairchild

802 | WORD COUNT school uniform, robes | OUTFIT what u want? | SONG

Fixated on somehow eradicating the owl which foiled her plan of attack, Meiyu's mind pondered on potential spells that would aid her newfound plan. Working tirelessly to keep up majority O's across almost all her classes, with the exceptions of a select few classes she struggled with, obtaining a few E's that tarnished her near perfect report card, it quickly dawned on her that most spells taught within the first year curriculum were utterly useless. Despite joining the duelling team, primarily to better her defensive abilities and not resorting to physical altercations with others, most spells she had grown familiar with were, in essence, less painfully inflicting as she had hoped them to be; the institution reserving more intriguing spells for later years, much to her dismay. Besides, being a firm believer to never draw her wand against someone defenceless, Meiyu quickly realised that what she was amidst doing, was morally wrong.

Though, the binding she had with what was only comprehendible and equivalent to a modern plague, forced her to reconcile the shreds of morality she believed to encompass; allowing the horrid voice terrorising her being to once more, be the voice of reason. Too fixated on her devious, almost cowardly, attack on an innocent being which in this case, shifted from a mere wild rabbit, to a heinous owl who refused to return to the confines of the Owlery, where such beings belonged.

A new presence profusely apologising for their pet, an odd choice in Meiyu's mind, and it's actions almost startled the young girl who was too preoccupied in seeking order; both her own and for the sake of the terrors who roamed the castle, despite her unwillingness to admit her search for the rabbit with large teeth also portrayed itself as an act of selflessness. With her wand still fixated on the owl, she narrowed her gaze as she watched the creature swiftly moved from the branch it once found solace in, to the shoulder of the mysterious girl, supporting Hufflepuff colours woven into her robes. Meiyu's expression stilled, refusing to shift her gaze to the girl for further inspection, too irritated with the owl's intrusion as though in a previous life, it served as a grounds keeper; seeking order in the grounds, particularly given the location where the two girls found themselves in.

"That, stupid owl, needs to be kept in a cage, rather than free roaming the grounds." Meiyu began, her tone sharp in efforts to express discontent with creature and it's presence. Scoffing, she lowered her wand begrudgingly, the opportunity window closing with the presence of another, forcing the wild rabbit to scurry off into the forest, spared from Meiyu's wrath albeit her judgement cloudy with involvement of the horrid voice which plagued her mind. Stuffing her wand back into her robes, she sighed discontentedly, her mood immediately souring at the realisation that she had once more, failed to succeed in a mere task, instructed by the demonic voice which, for a moment, halted — as though it were a testament to trial Meiyu's internal conflicts on morality once more.

Huffing once more, she turned her head, momentarily gazing at the castle in vicinity, desiring for the girl to depart from the scene and resume with her day so she could resume her mission and seek another wild rabbit. Yet, the presence of another forced the once silent grounds to heighten the sense of other creatures nearby, as though able to sense danger, and retreat to safety. All because of that dumb owl. During her time within the castle, Meiyu struggled to comprehend the purpose of pets and why most the institute forced habituation with such foul creatures; at the very least, she understood the sentiment towards animals such as cats and dogs, though, arguing internally that the presence of pets would best be reserved for a life outside academics; recalling the few times her youngest brother, Bomi, sobbed to their parents, urging them to get a dog. Irregardless, owls, were on Meiyu's 'Most Useless Pet' list, one she deduced during another night of little-to-no slumber, viewing the creatures as boring outside their typical duties of delivering letters.

Lulling over the creature and being within it's presence, only irritated the young girl further, had the stranger with a barbarian creature knew how to look after it properly; which to Meiyu, meant keeping it enclosed, her attempt to capture the demonic rabbit would of served fruitful.

"Ridden the grounds of the bird."

"It serves as vermin in our plans."

Swiftly turning her head back to glare at the girl, enticed by the voice once more who began it's never-ending reign, Meiyu began marching towards the stranger, her hands rising in attempts to grip the owl, lunging forward with one thing in mind; to kill that wretched bird.

ACTION: Meiyu lunges for Sol.

NOTE: Sorry for lack of dialogue, she is... something..

𝓣here must have been a storm raging in the girl's head. Ruth's eyes were drawn to the pointing wand. It felt as though she was honing it on it to the extent that Ruth could have sworn a spark ignited from its tip. The Gryffindor's grip on the wand made her hold both her hands up in a placating gesture, a signal of peace. She made no move to retreat. Something felt off. Something--

"That, stupid owl, needs to be kept in a cage, rather than free roaming the grounds." Ruth stiffened, instinctively raising a hand to brush over Sol's feathers, almost in a defensive manner. Something very wrong.

Her first instinct was to part her lips and ask how the girl had failed to realise that the owlery was bustling with owls that flew about wherever they liked, but was drawn to the conclusion that perhaps she had yet to visit the tower. Maybe she didn't know.

There was something in her tone--sharp, bristling and bitter-- that almost made the Hufflepuff hesitate. "You don't seem to have a problem with the owls flying over us for breakfast every morning," she pointed out instead. Ruth felt as though it was a safe assumption. She hadn't heard of anyone throwing a fit about it so far. Ruth continued to study the girl. What was it about Sol that had pissed the girl off so much? As if reading her mind, Sol's claws squeezed her shoulder.

The two watched as the girl briefly averted her gaze away from them, dismissive. There was a strange detachment to the way the girl was acting, and as Sol travelled down her shoulder to her arm, Ruth found herself mulling over the sense that the girl had declared her Great White Owl more of a pest than a pet. A nuisance worth destroying with a flick of a wand. Sol cocked his head in her direction, his yellow irises locking with her forest green ones.

Ruth frowned, then turned back to the girl, tracing the burgundy red hair, when she saw the shift in her demeanour. Her glare shook Ruth to the core, and her march was deliberate, possesive. Ruth took a startled step back, but what she hadn't been prepared for was the sudden lunging, fingers claw-like and racing towards Sol.

Ruth jerked back in a yelp, her shoes skidding against the grass as she stumbled backwards in haste, attempting a pivot to shield her bird of two days from the wild stunt. Despite her efforts, Ruth wasn't fast enough. The girl latched onto Sol's neck and wrenched him away.

Sol let out a piercing shriek, thrashing in an intense frenzy as his talons clawed at the girl's fingers. "What on earth!" She cried out again, surging forward. In her haste, she shoved a hand out to push against the girl's shoulder to pry her away, but the grip was ironclad. Her heart pounded in her chest, disbelief tangling with thrums of fury. She had expected something less, maybe an eye-roll or another snide comment--but not this. Who in their right mind would try to grab someone else's owl?

Maybe she isn't in her right mind? Ruth felt helpless as Sol snapped at the girl's fingers, a newfound desperation in the way he make a grab with his beak. Ruth shifted on her feet, her fingers twitching close to the pocket of her robes. Should she go for it, the Ruth way, or...I can't afford another detention, she furiously thought to herself. Punching the girl wouldn't help. Hesitation, but then she muttered a "Blast it," and pulled out her wand, pointing it at the girl.

"Let go of my owl..."Ruth began levelly, the fingers clasping the wand trembling, "And we can settle this in a civilised manner."

"Please."

Permission was given OOC to roll for action

LOCATION | Care of Magical Creatures, Hogwarts DATE | 20th February 2025 INTERACTING | @Ruth Fairchild

823 | WORD COUNT school uniform, robes | OUTFIT what u want? | SONG

Arguably, the latter had a fair point. Meiyu never paid much mind to the owls who delivered letters, previously engaging with her own family owl during letter exchanges with both her family and her beloved Hans of Berlin — yet, the sudden distaste for such creatures came out of the newfound ideology she had developed during their interaction. Owning an owl for the sole use of it to fulfil its work duties was fine in Meiyu's mind, yet owning the creature as a pet was pushing boundaries. Dismissing her remark, which held some truth, she was still unable to shake off the brewing anger; as though, her pet owl suddenly became the hall-mark of all owls, utterly useless as pets. Irregardless, her prejudice towards pet owners, which had previously remained dormant within her, only grew stronger with the reminder of her fruitless plan of heroism — sparing the castle from a big toothed rabbit, who had teeth large enough to resemble fangs in Meiyu's own perception of the creature; a tarnished perception coined by the bouts of paranoia which persisted for well over a month by this point.

As she lunged towards the creature, adamant to ridden the universe of such vermin, the owl's piercing shriek almost had her spare the creature then and there; partially sympathising with the poor animal being on the receiving end of another brutal attack at the hands of the eldest Xiang. Had word gotten to her family on this particular action, rather than previous physical altercations she had gotten into, she would surely be banished from ever sending a letter via owl, likely having to resort to "Good old Muggle methods." as her father liked to encourage. Though, she would not be seen dead trudging along the empty roads near the Xiang manor, virtually living nowhere within the outskirts of Oxford. Refusing to free her grip on the owl, Meiyu's eyes narrowed as she glared into the yellow animalistic eyes which stared back at her own brown eyes, the once white feathers supporting smudges of red brought a curve to her lips — a small victory smile.

It wasn't until she momentarily shifted her gaze on her hands, which were grasped around the owl, noting the wounds created out of self-defence did she free her grip on the bird, adrenaline pumping through her bloodstream vastly. Had she not been enticed by the barbaric voice nesting in her mind or enjoying the thrill of torment, the claws that once dug into her skin should of grounded her, forcing Meiyu to realise what she had done. It was another shameless attempt, one far too similar to what had occurred over Christmas; a memory she wished to eradicate, yet, forced to accept as a harsh reality. She had barely heard the cries from the young girl, freezing in her tracks until she lifted her head to turn to the girl, a tear free falling her right eye despite maintaining a stoic expression.

"I told you, that owl needs to be kept in a cage. Look what it did to me." Meiyu spoke rather blankly, slowly raising her hands up to showcase the damage that had been done, most notably to her fingers. Rationality didn't matter. In Meiyu's mind, she was sure what she did was right, she had given more than adequate warnings. By now, her gaze had slowly shifted to the wand which was now pointed at her, a scoff departing from her slightly parted lips in awe. "Civilised manner? You're pointing you're wand at me and I'm unarmed." She continued, her vocal tone dipping ever so slightly, growing unamused with her fable attempts at an intervention. Clearly lacking courage akin to the yellow hues found on her tie, a Hufflepuff, it made sense. As firm believer of never drawing her wand against the defenceless, Meiyu found herself in another predicament, similar to one she had been in a few months ago and the consequence of poor teaching within the institution.

Tilting her half-heartedly head in light amusement at how the encounter had shifted, Meiyu remained fixated on the girls eyes, partially fixated on the forest green hues in her irises, as though she too, held a hidden secret; though, she did not entirely care to divulge into who the girl was, nor what she was hiding. "You look like you don't belong, why is that?" She piqued as she inched closer to the girl, her wand pointed directly at her and making contact with her uniform given the newfound proximity between the two girls. The owl, which she had earlier become immensely infatuated with eradicating, was long gone from Meiyu's mind. Her bloody fingers were no longer a care for her either, likely to stop eventually and provide her an opportunity to visit the Hospital Wing and ask for a drought that would finally aid her sleep.

Instead, it was filled with a new target, the girl who stood before her.

𝓦hoever the Gryffindor was, she kept surprising Ruth with her poker face. She had watched Sol grapple for freedom with his beak and claws, watched wounds open with raw red on the girl's fair skin. Ruth, someone fond of mild gore, had winced at the sight. Yet, the girl...no emotion penetrated her face. Anguish and pain were something the Hufflepuff would have doubted the other felt if not for the sole tear that slid down her face. Sol's claws must have hurt, and Ruth knew it. Countless times had his talons grazed her robes that which almost tore, and countless times had he pinched her skin as she held him. If even minuscule contact with toes could do so much, wild thrashing would be so painful.

And yet.

Sol, now free, flew back to where Ruth stood, feather rumpled and claws stained. He grasped onto her tightly, eyes fixed on the Gryffindor. Her hand protectively went up to stroke him, as if the contact would reassure them both that it was fine now.

It wasn't good to deal with people like her, not when there was something, someone else that could get hurt. Ruth had begun to retreat, only to hear the girl speak again. The words uttered rendered her in disbelief, and she had to blink several times to let the words settle. Thoughts of backing away dissolved as fury stoked her, and her grip on the wand tightened almost instantaneously, still aimed at the girl. "You grabbed an owl mid-flight by the neck. Sol reacted the way any creature would. That's not aggression, that's defense," Ruth snapped defensively. "You’re showing me the consequences of your actions like I’m supposed to apologise for them."

She stood her ground. "And if you're going to talk about being unarmed, maybe remember that I wasn't the one who lunged. I’m holding a wand now because you gave me every reason to." Two clicks of a beak. Ruth glanced up at Sol to see him tilt his head, eyes dilating as though he was memorising every detail of the Gryffindor. Without turning, he nudged his head gently into her cheek, an imperceptible gesture of reassurance.

"You look like you don't belong, why is that?"

Turning back, Ruth had realised the girl had come closer, then closer, until her uniform sank with the pressure of Ruth's wand, touching clothed skin. Her heart jumped as a result of the narrowing distance. Any more pressure and Ruth would have to take a clear step back. Sol's head stayed snuggled against her cheek for a moment longer before he straightened. The touch had restrained the anger from going beyond a simmer, and she held her wand there, eyes narrowing at her question. What was that supposed to mean? What was she supposed to say?

What did she know?

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Ruth said softly. "You ask, and yet, you don't seem at all curious to know the answer." She squared her shoulders and stared down openly at the girl's fingers, the blood spiraling down and dripping like a broken tap. "I'd rather send you to the Hospital Wing than reply to someone so...bored." Her gaze trailed back up to her face, then, almost quizzically, taunted, "Do you act out because you don’t sleep? Or do you not sleep because you're like this?" Just great. There goes her big fat mouth.

LOCATION | Care of Magical Creatures, Hogwarts DATE | 20th February 2025 INTERACTING | @Ruth Fairchild

681 | WORD COUNT school uniform, robes | OUTFIT what u want? | SONG

Engrossed on the new victim whom she had hyper-fixated on, desiring nothing less than lunge at the girl, Meiyu's stoic expression remained unwavering. Maintaining eye contact was something she never thought to shy from given it's ability to provide further insight into matters as mundane as this. Yet, her iris' gawked at the girl who stood before her, unsure as to whether the girl was outright an idiot or whether it was the paranoia seeping in once more. "I don't care for the answer, I'm merely stating what I see." Meiyu quietly remarked, vocal tone dipping into almost a whisper with her expression refusing to falter.

Initially, the primary cause of a fruitless plan had been that pesky owl, who should have been tossed in a cage by now. Instead, it stood on her as though it had a mind of its own. Trailing her gaze to the creature had only infuriated her, it's two beaded eyes seemingly doubled to Meiyu – then it tripled. The imagery unfolding before her very eyes would suffice as a ticket to St. Mungo's had she verbalised such, though, she had ulterior motives in mind. No longer interested in the creature or her eyes paying horrid tricks on her, Meiyu inched closer to the Hufflepuff, irritation growing by the minute.

Blood slowing in momentum with each drip, she continued to move forward, breaking any space between them which would sure enough notify her fraudulent guard dog resting on her shoulder. "Are you genuinely that dumb to think this is a form of acting out?" She scoffed, moving her bloody hand closer to the owl, cautiously monitoring it's movements. If it dared to retaliate, she would too. Her intrigue in the creature would quickly divert back to the girl standing before her. Meiyu's lips curved into a peculiar small smile as her gaze locked onto the eye glaring back at her; sensing as though something was amiss.

"It's rather obvious don't you think?" Meiyu trailed with her gaze fixated on the other, resuming once more. "Though, I do think your lack of critical thinking makes it oblivious to such a close minded person like yourself, so, I'll dumb it down for you — if it wasn't obvious by your choice of pet, your tenancies to control your inner thoughts is rather shocking. Clear indicator your family didn't raise you right, though, there is something peculiar about you that I can't pinpoint, yet." She continued, her own voice mimicking the stoic expression lingering on her delicate face. Testing the waters, Meiyu moved her bloody hand to lightly touch the girl's face, smudging her blood on her cheek.

Arguably, the blood only accentuated the beauty she earlier ignored. The hues of red complimented the girl as though a perfectly curated blush colour, highlighting the features Meiyu might have considered mundane at a previous point. The proximity did the girl favours, aiding in the change of perception, though, the presence of the devious owl would only serve as enough of a trigger point to force Meiyu to strangle them both. After all, they had both intercepted a rendezvous that would only benefit those within the wretched castled. Craning her neck back to the vast trees behind them, Meiyu's eyes narrowed once more in search the creature with eyes akin to an araneae. By now, their interaction had only left a sour taste in her mouth, Meiyu growing more infuriated at the reminder of her fruitless attempt at a good deed.

Exhaling lightly, Meiyu turned back to the girl, scoffing at her appearance and moving to brush past her, fixated on returning to the castle and tending to her wounds herself. She couldn't risk an intervention from the hideous nurse patrolling the Hospital Wing and surely, someone within the Gryffindor Common Room would have some healing ability. The momentum and adrenaline rush had quickly faded out, overwhelming the girl with a wave of fatigue.

Blankly commenting; "I had fun, though next time, your owl won't survive." as she departed, ears perking should she move to stop her and prolong their interaction further.

NOTE Meiyu departs the area.