Horologium PV| D. Dragonclaw

Cyrus stifled a yawn and stretched all while Damien's jaw dropped. His shoulders rolled, and he sighed. Although he did not wear a watch, he could tell the shadows cast by the glorious moon had shifted. Goodness, it really was getting late, wasn't it? He blinked. He'd grown accustomed to this different time zone far quicker than he'd imagined he would, but he still felt quite exhausted now, even when it had to be earlier than 9 p.m. back home in the States.

'A ghost?' Cyrus grinned. His first thought was of Casper the Friendly Ghost, although, given the realistic nature of Hogwarts's ghosts, he doubted an old wizarding tale would entail a being as cutesy as Casper. Still, a guy could hope!

But – even as Cyrus began to sleepily reminisce of happy times and old films, Damien began to speak once more. Oh! It was story time! Cyrus sat cross-legged and folded his hands together in his lap, primed to listen.

Damien's words floated rhythmically through the still spring air. He began to weave the tale – three brothers, accosted by Death, cunning, conniving... Goodness gracious! It was right out of a really creepy Disney movie! Cyrus wrinkled his nose at the thought. Ew. He couldn't imagine that being on Death's good side was a point of favour. After all, he was alive. He didn't want to be dead – there were so many things to do, so many people to meet, so many things to see! And Death was, well, the dead guy, right? So being alive was instantly anti-Death.

Cyrus's reservations left him upon hearing Damien's imitation of Death. Surely such a thing was sacrilegious in some culture, but Cyrus couldn't help but snicker. It was only human to find humour in one's fears, after all. As he listened, Cyrus's face would reflect his emotions – his cerulean eyes would widen in shock; his golden hair would float about him and turn silver in the moonlight as he shook his head in surprise. An invisibility cloak!? He hadn't expected that.

He did forget about it as soon as he heard of the first brother's fate. 'Jeez! That's crazy!' he couldn't stop himself from exclaiming. He then resolved to remain quiet and respectful for the remainder of the story. The guy who brought back a ghost... well, that was just... depressing. Cyrus thought of his mother for a moment, since she would someone whom he would absolutely bring back if he could. But as a ghost? As a shell of her sunny, fun-loving, kind-hearted self? No. Never.

Plus, well, harmony, and all. Balance in all things. Cyrus imagined you couldn't bring someone back, for real, properly, without causing a death elsewhere in the universe. And he couldn't do that. Couldn't even imagine it.

He had to pause to fully process the rest of the story, especially because he'd gotten a bit distracted towards the end. He lifted his head and stared at the stars that twinkled down at him, before finally turning to Damien. 'Wow. That's insane. Those guys were all kind of wild.' He sighed and once again stifled a yawn, this time biting his tongue in the process. 'Yeowch! Sorry, bit my tongue. Anyway, moral of the story, don't get too cocky? Or else Death gets you? Maybe that's why so many kids at Ilvermorny don't like to have fun.'

'Just buzzkills!? Dang.' Cyrus faked a gasp, placing a hand on his chest in mock horror. Obviously, if Ilvermorny's hallowed halls had been graced by none other than Cyrus 'The Duckalicious Duck Man' Alexander Darsel, they couldn't all be buzzkills. Plus, their ex-ex-headmaster had been THE most dramatic and bodacious person ever. But... yeah, the pureblood sucked sometimes. No whimsy! International Rubber Ducky Day just hadn't taken off at Ilvermorny like it had in the UK. Nonetheless, that didn't deter Cyrus's belief that whimsy could be learned.

'I guess you're right, though. Cheating's not cool. If I were death, I'd be super duper upset.' Cyrus sighed. 'Interesting how that happens, I guess. People don't learn from the past – like that one guy without a nose, he didn't listen to the Deathly Hallows, and look what happened to him!' Absentmindedly, Cyrus let his hand drift to his still-very-present nose.

Words from Damien brought the tired duck man back to the present. He ended up smiling, the skin at the corners of his eyes crinkling. He could have sworn his heart grew bigger with the kind words. 'Dude, that's so sweet! And seriously, you too. It's rare I come across someone so creative and smart, especially at your age. I think you'll grow up to do great things.'

He hesitated, and then said, 'And if you need a reference, or advice, or anything, I mean, just owl me and I'd be down to help!'

Of course, the mention of ducks only made Cyrus's grin broaden. 'Yes! Ducks! I'm so glad you had a good time, and that I could educate you about them! I'd really recommend reading about them, or going bird watching. Next time you're in London, you should check out some of the parks; sometimes, you'll find some ducks just chilling. It's super neat.'

He stifled a yawn just as it was about to cut him off. With a sigh, he stood and stretched. 'Well, it was really nice! I'm super sleepy, and it's rude to nod off while talking to someone super cool, sooooo... unfortunately, I'm going to have to excuse myself so I can catch some Zs. I hope you have a good night! And, well, if you want to, we can totally stay in touch.'

With that, he would give Damien an excitable wave before heading back to the cabins, ready to get a good night's rest.

Date: 12 April 2025
Time: Night
Location: Grounds
Private to: @Damien Dragonclaw

Thread left! Thanks for the lovely time.