6 Feb 2020, 05:55
Badger in the Wrong Den
@Jake Morris
Like a lot of other readers, Jack enjoyed privacy and a quiet place free from distractions when he read. The library, as he had discovered, was not the most ideal place for that, especially when you evidently had a reputation and people were likely to come up to you simply to find out how true rumors about you were. With Valentine's Day around the corner, love-potion-laced goods floating about, and a purple-haired part-veela convinced he was her boyfriend, Jack was even more desperate to find a safe haven than usual. So he built one.
The Slytherin had already memorized a good portion of the history section's book titles and placement, so he had no qualms about taking out armfuls of the tomes at a time in order to use them as bricks for the foundation of his book fort. It wasn't his first fort, so he was relatively quick with his construction and in no time at all had a place at the back of the library to call his own - at least for the time being. It may have been a temporary structure, but it provided him with the peace, privacy, and protection he so desperately required for a decent duration and he was pleased with it.
After an hour or two of reading in the safety of his refuge, Jack decided to venture forth once more out into the larger domain that was the library in order to trade his finished book for a new one. Crawling out of the small but open entrance, he got up and went to put his text away. It didn't occur to him in the slightest that anyone might have thought to invade his private sanctuary in his absence.
Like a lot of other readers, Jack enjoyed privacy and a quiet place free from distractions when he read. The library, as he had discovered, was not the most ideal place for that, especially when you evidently had a reputation and people were likely to come up to you simply to find out how true rumors about you were. With Valentine's Day around the corner, love-potion-laced goods floating about, and a purple-haired part-veela convinced he was her boyfriend, Jack was even more desperate to find a safe haven than usual. So he built one.
The Slytherin had already memorized a good portion of the history section's book titles and placement, so he had no qualms about taking out armfuls of the tomes at a time in order to use them as bricks for the foundation of his book fort. It wasn't his first fort, so he was relatively quick with his construction and in no time at all had a place at the back of the library to call his own - at least for the time being. It may have been a temporary structure, but it provided him with the peace, privacy, and protection he so desperately required for a decent duration and he was pleased with it.
After an hour or two of reading in the safety of his refuge, Jack decided to venture forth once more out into the larger domain that was the library in order to trade his finished book for a new one. Crawling out of the small but open entrance, he got up and went to put his text away. It didn't occur to him in the slightest that anyone might have thought to invade his private sanctuary in his absence.
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
6 Feb 2020, 15:49
Badger in the Wrong Den
"Freddie? That's a great name for em. Never be ashamed of it."
Those words - spoken by the largest badger prefect there ever was - had stuck with Jake ever since he'd heard them at that fateful Valentine's Day tea party. Ever since arriving at school 'ashamed' was exactly what Jake had been. He loved carrying his stuffed animals - they made him feel better to have them around - yet they had never seen beyond the Hufflepuff common room. The only thing that had stopped him was the thought of bullies. The thought he'd be made fun of. Even on that day he had only taken the stuffed dog out by accident - the kind of mistake that seemed to happen to him far too often - but what had happened? He had met Nico - she had liked Freddie, and Quinn had liked him too. That was when Quinn had given that advice, and though Quinn wasn't the oldest kid that Jake had ever met he WAS the biggest - and that made his word seem stronger than almost anybody else's.
So Jake had tried it. He had walked outside of the Hufflepuff common room, with Freddie in his arms. The first steps were the hardest...the steps when it felt like any second somebody would be calling his name with that wolfish grin on their faces that he knew very well from the local parks back home. In the end, nobody said a word. Jake waited for one of the older Hufflepuffs to be exiting the common room, and when he could, hitched a ride at their side en route to the library (He didn't need to be watched or anything...after all that had happened he just liked to not be in the halls alone if he could help it). He knew it was childish, but he couldn't help but be happy that Freddie was going to get to see some more of the school.
There were so many books in the Hogwarts library that Jake thought you could probably stay here until you were one hundred and still not have even read half of them. There was just so much he didn't know though...about the magic world...it was like learning everything all over again from scratch. So many words he had never heard before, and things that just didn't make sense. Usually when Jake read fantasy books with magic back at home they explained how the magic worked...but here at Hogwarts you were just supposed to know. With so much to get used to, Jake stuck with what was easy. The books in the library were for all age levels, but the ones for children were the ones that Jake found himself gravitating to. They were easy to pick out since they usually were the more brightly colored ones, were much smaller, and had all kinds of art inside. He sometimes wondered if he shouldn't be reading harder ones, but eleven was children, wasn't it? Jake was a good reader, but he did really like admiring the pictures, especially in the animal books. When you could really SEE them.
The little boy held a book under one arm, and held Freddie in his other, as he looked for a place to sit. A lot of the chairs were really big and he wondered if maybe there might be a nice quiet area where there was no chance of anybody bothering him, (since he was beginning to get second thoughts about bringing his stuffed companion along).
That was when something surprising caught his eye.
Jake regarded the stacks of books that had been artfully made into a fort, sort of like the blanket and pillow forts that Jake would sometimes make in the empty corners of Hufflepuff common room. It looked quiet in there...and Jake liked the quiet. There were just so many kids at Hogwarts it was hard to find time to escape into privacy. Even his own room he had to share with other boys. He was grateful for that when darkness came, but still he liked the chance to get away on his own. It looked like the perfect place to read. He dropped down to his hands and knees and peered inside cautiously but it was empty. Nobody had yet claimed this prime spot as their own.
So Jake crawled in (the small entrance more than large enough for the tiny Puff) and made himself comfortable, leaning himself against the stacks which barely shifted under his light weight. The book fort had been well made. He set Freddie down beside him inside the crook of his arm. Then he opened the book to the middle and looked for one of his favorite animals, the niffler.
18 Feb 2020, 00:44
Badger in the Wrong Den
@Jake Morris
When Jack began to crawl back into his fort with his newfound book a little while later, he was half-way in before noticing the shape of a small boy inside. "Tân...?" he spoke aloud his first thought, squinting. But as his eyes adjusted, he realized it wasn't the Gryffindor at all. It was some other small-statured boy - and he had a stuffed dog plush with him. The redhead blinked, bewildered, before crawling in the rest of the way and seating himself across from the other kid, more surprised than anything.
"Uh...hi," he said, wondering where he might have seen the other kid before. He was certain he had seen his face around the school but where...Wait. Were those Hufflepuff colors?
Relax, Jack; relax, he told himself, swallowing hard. Just because Stella Dawson was a badgering badger doesn't mean all of them are, right? This one seems pretty harmless. And yet, the Slytherin also couldn't help recalling how important it was not to underestimate one's potential enemies. According to many stories, the more harmess someone looked, the more there was to fear about their hidden nature.
"Oh, uh...you like this fort?" he asked with a shaky voice, turning around as if to go. "That's good, good...you, um...you should keep it..." Snatching up his book, Jack attempted to make his escape. "...heh...Sorry for, uh... bothering you..."
Great. Now he had to find somewhere else to use for privacy...
When Jack began to crawl back into his fort with his newfound book a little while later, he was half-way in before noticing the shape of a small boy inside. "Tân...?" he spoke aloud his first thought, squinting. But as his eyes adjusted, he realized it wasn't the Gryffindor at all. It was some other small-statured boy - and he had a stuffed dog plush with him. The redhead blinked, bewildered, before crawling in the rest of the way and seating himself across from the other kid, more surprised than anything.
"Uh...hi," he said, wondering where he might have seen the other kid before. He was certain he had seen his face around the school but where...Wait. Were those Hufflepuff colors?
Relax, Jack; relax, he told himself, swallowing hard. Just because Stella Dawson was a badgering badger doesn't mean all of them are, right? This one seems pretty harmless. And yet, the Slytherin also couldn't help recalling how important it was not to underestimate one's potential enemies. According to many stories, the more harmess someone looked, the more there was to fear about their hidden nature.
"Oh, uh...you like this fort?" he asked with a shaky voice, turning around as if to go. "That's good, good...you, um...you should keep it..." Snatching up his book, Jack attempted to make his escape. "...heh...Sorry for, uh... bothering you..."
Great. Now he had to find somewhere else to use for privacy...
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
18 Feb 2020, 01:32
Badger in the Wrong Den
Jake was paying such attention to his book that he didn't even notice somebody was entering the book fort too until he heard a voice. Jake looked up, wide-eyed, and for a moment the two children eyed each other with equal bewilderment.
A Slytherin boy was staring at him. Jake had heard stories about Slytherins that had used to make him uneasy at first, but the ones that he had met (Santario and Dan) were nice as anybody. Still, something in the expectant look on the other boy's face for just a moment before he had registered Jake's own made Jake wonder whether this was the person who had built the fort or something. Maybe he had just come along like Jake had...but what if he hadn't? What if this had been his spot?
Jake remembered a time on the grounds when he had found out that his nice spot under a tree had actually belonged to Kyle, and what had happened next. He flinched.
Or...maybe he was wrong? The Slytherin's face changed, but he didn't look angry, and he didn't look like somebody who had made a fort. He looked....what? Almost like afraid...but of what? It couldn't have been Jake...Could there be a third boy who had built this place and they were both going to be in trouble...? Suddenly, surprisingly, the other boy told Jake he could keep the fort and turned to crawl out.
"W-Wait..." Jake said, putting out a hand without thinking that fell across the Slytherin boy's ankle. The move surprised even himself, and he blushed at the physical contact with somebody he had never met before. "S-sorry..." he mumbled shyly, withdrawing it when the other boy had stopped. "I-Is this yours...? If it is I didn't know. I-I didn't mean to take it."
Jake fidgeted a little, biting his lip, still regarding the other boy. Why had the Slytherin tried to make such a hasty exit? Jake didn't know, but he did know one thing. SOMETHING had made the Slytherin upset, and it was that inuition that had driven Jake's arm, though now that he had he wished he hadn't. Still...this boy was nothing like Kyle...he seemed nervous...almost like Jake.
"Um...Are you okay?" Jake dared to ask the other boy.
A Slytherin boy was staring at him. Jake had heard stories about Slytherins that had used to make him uneasy at first, but the ones that he had met (Santario and Dan) were nice as anybody. Still, something in the expectant look on the other boy's face for just a moment before he had registered Jake's own made Jake wonder whether this was the person who had built the fort or something. Maybe he had just come along like Jake had...but what if he hadn't? What if this had been his spot?
Jake remembered a time on the grounds when he had found out that his nice spot under a tree had actually belonged to Kyle, and what had happened next. He flinched.
Or...maybe he was wrong? The Slytherin's face changed, but he didn't look angry, and he didn't look like somebody who had made a fort. He looked....what? Almost like afraid...but of what? It couldn't have been Jake...Could there be a third boy who had built this place and they were both going to be in trouble...? Suddenly, surprisingly, the other boy told Jake he could keep the fort and turned to crawl out.
"W-Wait..." Jake said, putting out a hand without thinking that fell across the Slytherin boy's ankle. The move surprised even himself, and he blushed at the physical contact with somebody he had never met before. "S-sorry..." he mumbled shyly, withdrawing it when the other boy had stopped. "I-Is this yours...? If it is I didn't know. I-I didn't mean to take it."
Jake fidgeted a little, biting his lip, still regarding the other boy. Why had the Slytherin tried to make such a hasty exit? Jake didn't know, but he did know one thing. SOMETHING had made the Slytherin upset, and it was that inuition that had driven Jake's arm, though now that he had he wished he hadn't. Still...this boy was nothing like Kyle...he seemed nervous...almost like Jake.
"Um...Are you okay?" Jake dared to ask the other boy.
18 Feb 2020, 02:11
Badger in the Wrong Den
@Jake Morris
At the hand on his ankle, Jack froze, eyes wide. Though he didn't dare turn to look back, he listened as the intruder spoke up, words stammered with what might have been insecurity. It wasn't until the Hufflepuff had let go and finished speaking that the Slytherin was finally able to process his words. Didn't...mean to take it?
Jack couldn't help emitting an uneasy laugh at the claim, finally opting to turn back around in order to face the speaker. "Heh...you...'didn't mean to take it'?" he repeated, still looking a little skittish, but at least making an effort at a playful smile. "Wha...what did you think, then? That book forts just...naturally occur in library habitats or something?"
He sat back on his heels, hands on his knees, as if ready to bolt at any second. His fingers drummed anxiously against the cloth of his slacks and Jack seemed unable to look the other boy in the eyes. Still...the Hufflepuff's question startled him. "H-huh? Oh, y-yeah...I just..." The redhead rubbed his arm awkwardly. "Sorry. I thought you were someone I knew."
Out the corner of his eye he caught sight of the plush dog and it roused Jack's curiosity. He wondered if it was a comfort item like Ruka used to keep his dad's photo close. He'd assumed that most kids their age had outgrown such toys, but if the dog was something of sentimental value like Ruka's photo had been, who was he to judge? Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure the kid's reasons for being in the fort in the first place. Maybe he needed it even more than Jack did.
"Um...yeah, I built this fort. Have to hide from...people out there," he added with a sheepish laugh, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "But, uh...are you hiding from anyone?"
At the hand on his ankle, Jack froze, eyes wide. Though he didn't dare turn to look back, he listened as the intruder spoke up, words stammered with what might have been insecurity. It wasn't until the Hufflepuff had let go and finished speaking that the Slytherin was finally able to process his words. Didn't...mean to take it?
Jack couldn't help emitting an uneasy laugh at the claim, finally opting to turn back around in order to face the speaker. "Heh...you...'didn't mean to take it'?" he repeated, still looking a little skittish, but at least making an effort at a playful smile. "Wha...what did you think, then? That book forts just...naturally occur in library habitats or something?"
He sat back on his heels, hands on his knees, as if ready to bolt at any second. His fingers drummed anxiously against the cloth of his slacks and Jack seemed unable to look the other boy in the eyes. Still...the Hufflepuff's question startled him. "H-huh? Oh, y-yeah...I just..." The redhead rubbed his arm awkwardly. "Sorry. I thought you were someone I knew."
Out the corner of his eye he caught sight of the plush dog and it roused Jack's curiosity. He wondered if it was a comfort item like Ruka used to keep his dad's photo close. He'd assumed that most kids their age had outgrown such toys, but if the dog was something of sentimental value like Ruka's photo had been, who was he to judge? Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure the kid's reasons for being in the fort in the first place. Maybe he needed it even more than Jack did.
"Um...yeah, I built this fort. Have to hide from...people out there," he added with a sheepish laugh, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "But, uh...are you hiding from anyone?"
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
18 Feb 2020, 02:50
Badger in the Wrong Den
"Well, n-no..." Jake blushed. "I-I just thought m-maybe the grown-ups made it for us. Ya know..like the librarian. Or..or they just put it there like...like the chairs." He lowered his head and stared sheepishly down at the carpet. He maybe should have known better...he had never seen anything like that before of course. Why hadn't he thought that maybe it belonged to somebody who had just gone out for a book...? Maybe he was just so drawn in by how nice a spot it looked for reading.
The Slytherin boy said that he was alright, but Jake wasn't sure if he really was. He stammered when he said it, and when Jake did that it usually meant he wasn't alright, no matter how much he said he was. And all that stuff he said about hiding...? Jake knew what that was like...it was all starting to make a kind of sense. He had also said that he built the fort, making Jake mumble out another apology, happy that the Slytherin didn't seem angry about the intrusion on his space. Jake was just about to tell the other boy what a good job he had done building it, when he was asked a question that stopped him in his tracks.
"are you hiding from anyone?"
"U-um, well...not today..." Jake answered, twiddling with his thumbs. "Kind of..." He admitted, after a pause, a little more accurately. He curled his knees into his chest, but here in the safety of the fort it felt like there was nobody around but the two of them. There was nobody who could overhear him. And if he spoke softly, maybe he could tell the truth to somebody who might understand.
"I get um..." he paused, finding the words hard to get out. They always filled him with a sort of shame, that made it very hard to talk about no matter who the other person was. The boy placed Freddie on his lap and hugged the stuffed toy gently without realizing he was doing it, but when he did his words came a little more easily. "I get bullied a lot. That's all. Since none of my friends are here, and um...and since I brought Freddie today...I thought if I came in here that um...that nobody would bother me. Like...ya know...nobody mean."
There was a question that he wanted to ask...but he was kind of scared to ask it. That was why it took him a little while to do. But finally...
"Um...do you get bullied too?" Jake asked quietly, expressive brown eyes meeting the other boys' face.
The Slytherin boy said that he was alright, but Jake wasn't sure if he really was. He stammered when he said it, and when Jake did that it usually meant he wasn't alright, no matter how much he said he was. And all that stuff he said about hiding...? Jake knew what that was like...it was all starting to make a kind of sense. He had also said that he built the fort, making Jake mumble out another apology, happy that the Slytherin didn't seem angry about the intrusion on his space. Jake was just about to tell the other boy what a good job he had done building it, when he was asked a question that stopped him in his tracks.
"are you hiding from anyone?"
"U-um, well...not today..." Jake answered, twiddling with his thumbs. "Kind of..." He admitted, after a pause, a little more accurately. He curled his knees into his chest, but here in the safety of the fort it felt like there was nobody around but the two of them. There was nobody who could overhear him. And if he spoke softly, maybe he could tell the truth to somebody who might understand.
"I get um..." he paused, finding the words hard to get out. They always filled him with a sort of shame, that made it very hard to talk about no matter who the other person was. The boy placed Freddie on his lap and hugged the stuffed toy gently without realizing he was doing it, but when he did his words came a little more easily. "I get bullied a lot. That's all. Since none of my friends are here, and um...and since I brought Freddie today...I thought if I came in here that um...that nobody would bother me. Like...ya know...nobody mean."
There was a question that he wanted to ask...but he was kind of scared to ask it. That was why it took him a little while to do. But finally...
"Um...do you get bullied too?" Jake asked quietly, expressive brown eyes meeting the other boys' face.
18 Feb 2020, 03:16
Badger in the Wrong Den
@Jake Morris
Well, this kid certainly seemed to blush easily. It almost reminded Jack of Averill a little and he had to smile a bit at the thought. "Tch. The librarian? With this construction? Please. The only one capable of work like this is yours truly," he assured the other boy with a cocky grin, tugging at the front of his robes proudly. "But I'll take it as a compliment you thought it nice enough to drop by," Jack added with a teasing wink.
Upon being told that the Hufflepuff wasn't hiding from anyone 'today'...'kind of', the Slytherin's mouth twisted suspiciously and he rose a brow, crossing his arms across his chest as he sat back and waited to hear the rest of the story. As he was in no hurry, Jack patiently allowed the other student the time he needed to gather his thoughts, choosing not to remark on the way the boy pulled his knees to his chest, nor how he hugged his plush dog close before speaking.
When the explanation was done, Jack nodded, looking thoughtful as his gaze focused unseeingly on a spot on the floor. It wasn't until he was asked yet another question that his hazel eyes flickered back up to meet Jake's big, soft brown ones.
"...Yeah, I do," he admitted. "Been bullied ever since muggle school." Nevermind that he purposely incited said bullies to chase after or attack him. That wasn't what had been asked. "But y'know...bullies have their own troubles. We should feel sorry for them." Jack leaned forward and put a hand against the side of his mouth conspiratorily, glancing around as if to make sure he couldn't be overheard before whispering, "Did you know that bullies are actually more insecure than anyone else? That's why they feel like they have to bully people - because putting others down is the only way they know how to feel good about themselves; to feel like they have power over others by using their emotions against them. It's sad, really."
Well, this kid certainly seemed to blush easily. It almost reminded Jack of Averill a little and he had to smile a bit at the thought. "Tch. The librarian? With this construction? Please. The only one capable of work like this is yours truly," he assured the other boy with a cocky grin, tugging at the front of his robes proudly. "But I'll take it as a compliment you thought it nice enough to drop by," Jack added with a teasing wink.
Upon being told that the Hufflepuff wasn't hiding from anyone 'today'...'kind of', the Slytherin's mouth twisted suspiciously and he rose a brow, crossing his arms across his chest as he sat back and waited to hear the rest of the story. As he was in no hurry, Jack patiently allowed the other student the time he needed to gather his thoughts, choosing not to remark on the way the boy pulled his knees to his chest, nor how he hugged his plush dog close before speaking.
When the explanation was done, Jack nodded, looking thoughtful as his gaze focused unseeingly on a spot on the floor. It wasn't until he was asked yet another question that his hazel eyes flickered back up to meet Jake's big, soft brown ones.
"...Yeah, I do," he admitted. "Been bullied ever since muggle school." Nevermind that he purposely incited said bullies to chase after or attack him. That wasn't what had been asked. "But y'know...bullies have their own troubles. We should feel sorry for them." Jack leaned forward and put a hand against the side of his mouth conspiratorily, glancing around as if to make sure he couldn't be overheard before whispering, "Did you know that bullies are actually more insecure than anyone else? That's why they feel like they have to bully people - because putting others down is the only way they know how to feel good about themselves; to feel like they have power over others by using their emotions against them. It's sad, really."
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
18 Feb 2020, 04:07
Badger in the Wrong Den
As Jack praised the fort's construction and winked, a grin crept up on Jake's face. The change was striking. The boy's face, always expressive, seemed so much brighter when he smiled. He covered his mouth to stifle a giggle, and the ice seemed just a little bit broken then. And he was right about the fort...it was nice. He seemed nice too, Jake decided.
As the other boy answered Jake's question with a yes, Jake scooched a little closer. His story was starting to sound more and more familiar. He leaned in to hear what was being whispered to him, but his mouth dropped slightly at the surprising bit. So...they should feel sorry for them...? Bullies were more insecure than anybody else...? Jack asked if Jake had known that, and Jake shook his head. "No..." he said, his face turning very serious as he thought about it.
It was really hard to imagine Kyle being afraid or feeling embarrassed or nervous or any of the things that Jake felt. In Jake's mind, bullies operated in a similar space to monsters. There was something so different and foreign about them that he didn't know how to relate. Insecure was the last word he would think of to describe them...could it really be true? "But at least they get to feel good about themselves..." Jake said glumly, hanging his head and remembering how he had felt after Kyle had left him sobbing in a mess on the floor of the abandoned toilets when he was done with him. Jake had never felt so small.
But...Was he being mean...? What if the Slytherin boy was right? He pondered it all over a little more...His face looked a bit guilty now...He still couldn't make sense of one thing though. Jake didn't feel good about himself and he didn't go out trying to make people feel worse.
Maybe he was thinking of it backwards...How bad did you have to feel before you would stoop to being mean, just to feel better? Pretty bad, probably. "They must want that really bad huh...?" Jake asked. "To feel good about themselves?" Maybe that was the important part.
"But...I still don't get it...why don't they try to make friends instead...? He looked up at the other boy in confusion. He thought back to what he had said before about his muggle school, and his own memories came. "Um...Ya know...I got bullied at muggle school too. That's why my mum took me out of it. Sh-she said...it wasn't safe for me. She was right, I think." he said, remembering how scared he had been. His memories of muggle school were foggy...he couldn't really remember what it was like anymore. He had been really little then...so little he didn't even know how much anymore. He remembered a teacher, sort of...but mostly he remembered the kids. Sneering boys, whose eyes always seemed to find him.
"But...at Hogwarts...I made friends. When I don't feel good about myself...um...a lot I guess...they make me feel better. How come the bullies don't just be nice? I would forgive them if they just said they were sorry..."
As the other boy answered Jake's question with a yes, Jake scooched a little closer. His story was starting to sound more and more familiar. He leaned in to hear what was being whispered to him, but his mouth dropped slightly at the surprising bit. So...they should feel sorry for them...? Bullies were more insecure than anybody else...? Jack asked if Jake had known that, and Jake shook his head. "No..." he said, his face turning very serious as he thought about it.
It was really hard to imagine Kyle being afraid or feeling embarrassed or nervous or any of the things that Jake felt. In Jake's mind, bullies operated in a similar space to monsters. There was something so different and foreign about them that he didn't know how to relate. Insecure was the last word he would think of to describe them...could it really be true? "But at least they get to feel good about themselves..." Jake said glumly, hanging his head and remembering how he had felt after Kyle had left him sobbing in a mess on the floor of the abandoned toilets when he was done with him. Jake had never felt so small.
But...Was he being mean...? What if the Slytherin boy was right? He pondered it all over a little more...His face looked a bit guilty now...He still couldn't make sense of one thing though. Jake didn't feel good about himself and he didn't go out trying to make people feel worse.
Maybe he was thinking of it backwards...How bad did you have to feel before you would stoop to being mean, just to feel better? Pretty bad, probably. "They must want that really bad huh...?" Jake asked. "To feel good about themselves?" Maybe that was the important part.
"But...I still don't get it...why don't they try to make friends instead...? He looked up at the other boy in confusion. He thought back to what he had said before about his muggle school, and his own memories came. "Um...Ya know...I got bullied at muggle school too. That's why my mum took me out of it. Sh-she said...it wasn't safe for me. She was right, I think." he said, remembering how scared he had been. His memories of muggle school were foggy...he couldn't really remember what it was like anymore. He had been really little then...so little he didn't even know how much anymore. He remembered a teacher, sort of...but mostly he remembered the kids. Sneering boys, whose eyes always seemed to find him.
"But...at Hogwarts...I made friends. When I don't feel good about myself...um...a lot I guess...they make me feel better. How come the bullies don't just be nice? I would forgive them if they just said they were sorry..."
18 Feb 2020, 08:20
Badger in the Wrong Den
@Jake Morris
When the shorter boy replied with such a sad-sounding response, Jack ran a hand through his hair, scratching his head perplexedly. "Um...not always, little Badger," he answered gently. "That might be the only way they think they can feel good about themselves, but even if it does help that way, it's probably very little if anything at all." The Slytherin frowned. "In fact, I'll bet they end up feeling worse about themselves more than anything, even if they don't realize it immediately. I mean for people who know what it feels like to be hurt, how can they possibly feel better making other people hurt, too? But misery loves company, so they do it anyway - to make sure people are as miserable as they are."
Jack tried to scrutinize the Hufflepuff's expression of guilt, but he couldn't figure it out. Why was he looking guilty of all things?
"Well, yeah," he answered the question next asked of him. "Who doesn't want to feel good about themselves? It's a basic human need, I think. But they don't know the first thing about where to start with that. People like making connections with other people because it proves they exist, but it's a lot easier to make negative connections and get someone to hate you than it is to make positive ones by getting someone to like you. So they just stick to the negative because that's the easiest thing for them and that's all they end up knowing."
And then the Hufflepuff was asking about why they didn't try to make friends. Jack grinned uncomfortably, looking away. "Not everyone knows how to make friends," he explained. "And even if they do know, it can be really difficult for some people. It's scary trying to get someone to like you, even if you like them just fine. In order to open up to someone and give them the chance to accept you, you're also opening yourself up to the chance for them to reject you, so that's too scary for some people to want to even try. Does that make sense?"
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, listening to the other boy talk about his own muggle school. So then this kid must have been muggle-born like him or at least a half-blood. That was interesting.
"Yeah, well...it might not have been safe for you because you were different from the other muggle kids. But bullies usually think along the same lines no matter if they're muggles or not."
Hearing the Hufflepuff talk about how he made friends and how they made him feel better when he didn't feel good about himself caused Jack to avoid the other boy's gaze again. He was quiet once more until he was asked another question.
"Some people are afraid to be nice, Badger," the Slytherin answered with a melancholy smile. "It can be seen as weakness and taken advantage of. It's also very hard to be nice to people who you're afraid of hurting you or who have already hurt you." He sneered unintentionally. "And bullies are not going to say sorry. Even if they end up feeling bad about what they've done, they're often too proud to admit it. To apologize is to admit to doing something you regret or having made a mistake and that can be seen as weakness, too. The last thing bullies want to do is to seem weak."
Jack glanced at the opening to the fort. Why was he explaining all this to the Hufflepuff? He really wasn't sure. Talk about bullies was one thing, but the conversation seemed to be steering closer and closer to friendship, which Jack didn't like. Oh, right...he had thought that maybe if Jake was less scared of bullies, he wouldn't have felt such an urge to invade the spaces of other peoples' privacy in order to hide from them. Not...that he seemed to feel the need to hide from anyone now...so why was Jack telling this to the Hufflepuff again?
"Anyway...if the bullies looking for me find me here and I'm with you, they might attack you and...'Freddie' there, too, and I can't have that," Jack said, moving back onto his hands and knees to crawl toward the book fort exit. "I'll just go find some other place to hide. Have fun, Badger. Stay out of trouble."
When the shorter boy replied with such a sad-sounding response, Jack ran a hand through his hair, scratching his head perplexedly. "Um...not always, little Badger," he answered gently. "That might be the only way they think they can feel good about themselves, but even if it does help that way, it's probably very little if anything at all." The Slytherin frowned. "In fact, I'll bet they end up feeling worse about themselves more than anything, even if they don't realize it immediately. I mean for people who know what it feels like to be hurt, how can they possibly feel better making other people hurt, too? But misery loves company, so they do it anyway - to make sure people are as miserable as they are."
Jack tried to scrutinize the Hufflepuff's expression of guilt, but he couldn't figure it out. Why was he looking guilty of all things?
"Well, yeah," he answered the question next asked of him. "Who doesn't want to feel good about themselves? It's a basic human need, I think. But they don't know the first thing about where to start with that. People like making connections with other people because it proves they exist, but it's a lot easier to make negative connections and get someone to hate you than it is to make positive ones by getting someone to like you. So they just stick to the negative because that's the easiest thing for them and that's all they end up knowing."
And then the Hufflepuff was asking about why they didn't try to make friends. Jack grinned uncomfortably, looking away. "Not everyone knows how to make friends," he explained. "And even if they do know, it can be really difficult for some people. It's scary trying to get someone to like you, even if you like them just fine. In order to open up to someone and give them the chance to accept you, you're also opening yourself up to the chance for them to reject you, so that's too scary for some people to want to even try. Does that make sense?"
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, listening to the other boy talk about his own muggle school. So then this kid must have been muggle-born like him or at least a half-blood. That was interesting.
"Yeah, well...it might not have been safe for you because you were different from the other muggle kids. But bullies usually think along the same lines no matter if they're muggles or not."
Hearing the Hufflepuff talk about how he made friends and how they made him feel better when he didn't feel good about himself caused Jack to avoid the other boy's gaze again. He was quiet once more until he was asked another question.
"Some people are afraid to be nice, Badger," the Slytherin answered with a melancholy smile. "It can be seen as weakness and taken advantage of. It's also very hard to be nice to people who you're afraid of hurting you or who have already hurt you." He sneered unintentionally. "And bullies are not going to say sorry. Even if they end up feeling bad about what they've done, they're often too proud to admit it. To apologize is to admit to doing something you regret or having made a mistake and that can be seen as weakness, too. The last thing bullies want to do is to seem weak."
Jack glanced at the opening to the fort. Why was he explaining all this to the Hufflepuff? He really wasn't sure. Talk about bullies was one thing, but the conversation seemed to be steering closer and closer to friendship, which Jack didn't like. Oh, right...he had thought that maybe if Jake was less scared of bullies, he wouldn't have felt such an urge to invade the spaces of other peoples' privacy in order to hide from them. Not...that he seemed to feel the need to hide from anyone now...so why was Jack telling this to the Hufflepuff again?
"Anyway...if the bullies looking for me find me here and I'm with you, they might attack you and...'Freddie' there, too, and I can't have that," Jack said, moving back onto his hands and knees to crawl toward the book fort exit. "I'll just go find some other place to hide. Have fun, Badger. Stay out of trouble."
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
18 Apr 2020, 20:27
Badger in the Wrong Den
As the other boy talked, Jake leaned forward watching him intently, looking into his eyes. He was trying his best to listen. But occasionally, his head would tilt slightly, his eyes narrowing deep in consideration. It was just...the things that he was saying...Jake didn't understand. He wanted to...and he really tried...but it was all confusing. This boy was saying things that were so different than anything Jake had ever heard before.
He said bullies couldn't possibly like hurting people. But if they didn't like it...how come they laughed? You didn't laugh when you were miserable. Jake felt so bad sometimes, but he never tried to make anybody else feel did. If he did, it would just make him feel even worse. Plus...why would they ever need to prove they existed? Of course they existed...they were here weren't they? They saw and heard and smelled and tasted and touched...what more proof did you need? If you didn't exist, then you wouldn't be there at all. If you didn't exist you wouldn't even be able to ask yourself if you existed. That thought was a strange one, and Jake had to push it out of his head to try to follow the rest of the things that the Slytherin was trying to teach him.
But finally, the boy said something that Jake did understand. He understood it all too well. Making friends was scary. Really scary. So scary that Jake had never even done it in his life until just a couple months ago. And it still felt strange that friends were something he had. How many times had he thought somebody seemed nice but been scared to say anything because he thought that if he did then they would laugh at him, or tease him, or call him names, or just be shocked and horrified that he would want to be their friend in the first place? They didn't really have to do any of those things, though. Them saying 'no' would have been hurtful enough. Jake nodded his head slowly, his dark eyes revealing just how much these words hit home. He looked down at the carpet for a moment, tracing circles with his finger.
Could bullies really feel that way too? Were bullies just kids that were too scared to ask to be his friend? He just couldn't believe it...The small boy leaned back, his face troubled.
If bullies were too 'proud' to admit that they'd done, didn't that mean they liked it? You were proud when you did something really good, like when your Mum and Dad hung your art up on the fridge because it was one of your best drawings ever. Or when you made your bed in the Hufflepuff common room for the first time without your parents helping. Or when a grown-up told you how good a job you'd done. If bullies felt proud...how could they also feel bad?
But...the other boy seemed to know things. He seemed sure. How would Jake ever find out though, when he could never ask a bully? Bullies were one of the things he feared the most.
But then the boy said what would happen if the bullies were to find them there, and Jake held onto Freddie protectively. But was it right to make the other boy go out alone...? He really hoped he had another hiding spot. Jake was too scared to follow though. Nobody would ever say he was brave.
The boy made to crawl out of the book fort, telling Jake to have fun. Jake wasn't sure that he would be. He had a lot to think about. But the last request, the one to stay out of trouble, was one Jake hoped he could manage.
"I'll try..." Jake said, watching the other boy with concern. "Um...b-be careful," he mumbled nervously, waving goodbye to the bigger boy. He really hoped that he was going to be ok.
The End
He said bullies couldn't possibly like hurting people. But if they didn't like it...how come they laughed? You didn't laugh when you were miserable. Jake felt so bad sometimes, but he never tried to make anybody else feel did. If he did, it would just make him feel even worse. Plus...why would they ever need to prove they existed? Of course they existed...they were here weren't they? They saw and heard and smelled and tasted and touched...what more proof did you need? If you didn't exist, then you wouldn't be there at all. If you didn't exist you wouldn't even be able to ask yourself if you existed. That thought was a strange one, and Jake had to push it out of his head to try to follow the rest of the things that the Slytherin was trying to teach him.
But finally, the boy said something that Jake did understand. He understood it all too well. Making friends was scary. Really scary. So scary that Jake had never even done it in his life until just a couple months ago. And it still felt strange that friends were something he had. How many times had he thought somebody seemed nice but been scared to say anything because he thought that if he did then they would laugh at him, or tease him, or call him names, or just be shocked and horrified that he would want to be their friend in the first place? They didn't really have to do any of those things, though. Them saying 'no' would have been hurtful enough. Jake nodded his head slowly, his dark eyes revealing just how much these words hit home. He looked down at the carpet for a moment, tracing circles with his finger.
Could bullies really feel that way too? Were bullies just kids that were too scared to ask to be his friend? He just couldn't believe it...The small boy leaned back, his face troubled.
If bullies were too 'proud' to admit that they'd done, didn't that mean they liked it? You were proud when you did something really good, like when your Mum and Dad hung your art up on the fridge because it was one of your best drawings ever. Or when you made your bed in the Hufflepuff common room for the first time without your parents helping. Or when a grown-up told you how good a job you'd done. If bullies felt proud...how could they also feel bad?
But...the other boy seemed to know things. He seemed sure. How would Jake ever find out though, when he could never ask a bully? Bullies were one of the things he feared the most.
But then the boy said what would happen if the bullies were to find them there, and Jake held onto Freddie protectively. But was it right to make the other boy go out alone...? He really hoped he had another hiding spot. Jake was too scared to follow though. Nobody would ever say he was brave.
The boy made to crawl out of the book fort, telling Jake to have fun. Jake wasn't sure that he would be. He had a lot to think about. But the last request, the one to stay out of trouble, was one Jake hoped he could manage.
"I'll try..." Jake said, watching the other boy with concern. "Um...b-be careful," he mumbled nervously, waving goodbye to the bigger boy. He really hoped that he was going to be ok.
The End