25 Apr 2020, 19:19
Deadly Premonition
Flash and Evelynn had agreed to meet outside the Blossom Ball in order to walk in together, as was only proper. She had mentioned wanting to talk a bit beforehand, to set expectations. A perfectly reasonable request, Flash was only liking Evelynn more as he communicated with her more. She was sensible and direct, attributes worth having. He regretted that he hadn’t had the chance to know her better, though if he was able to peel his eyes away from Opeila for even a moment, he might have the chance on that very evening.Takes place directly before the Secret Blossom Ball
Wearing:Reducio
Flash had every reason in the world to be apprehensive about what was about to take place, if the information he and the others had been gathering was right, there was someone very dangerous in attendance. He had fought with himself over allowing Opeila to go through with the plan after she had confided in him earlier that month. What if someone died, would he be able to live with himself knowing he hadn’t prepared enough? Well, there was also the small chance that it was nothing at all. Perhaps they were all paranoid and Vladimir Athanatos was just another regular student, and Victor and Marion were just one-time victims of some issue that the professors were already handling. He could dream.
Until then, Flash was frantically pacing back and forth to calm his itching nerves. At least after it was over, he might finally be able to get a full night’s rest. Perhaps Rafael would ask him for that dance, and he could forget about his problems for even a second. He hated not knowing exactly what to expect. He liked knowing, he liked having control. Without that, he was swarmed with the limitless possibilities and worst case scenarios. While intimately involved in the planning of the interrogation and capture of Vladimir, should something go wrong, he knew the truth was that they were all out of their depth.
Having followed the instructions, he made the journey out to the grounds in a coat that covered his formal attire. Something drab and gray his parents got for him, but it would do the job in concealing his intention to attend. What a mess the whole thing was. To think this was his first formal appearance in the school setting. He was at least proud of all the hard work the students had put in to bring it all together. He knew most of the organizers and how excellent they had proven to be time and again.
He only hoped he could support them properly. Make sure everyone made it out alive, maybe even happy. He needed this to go well. Either way he couldn’t do anything until his illustrious date arrived.
@Evelynn Decipio
Last edited by Flash Holmwood on 3 Jul 2020, 19:11, edited 1 time in total.
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
26 Apr 2020, 12:01
Deadly Premonition
Interacting with @Flash Holmwood
It was rare, indeed, that Evelynn should ever find herself succumbing to the mess of being a bundle of nerves. Her first game of Quidditch had done that. As had boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time. Little else during the school year had managed to spark that flutter of unease, however. Yet, somehow, the notion of the ball did just that. As her steps echoed dully upon stone floors as she made her way from Gryffindor tower to the place where she and Holmwood had agreed to meet, the little cub was forced to contend with wave after wave of growing apprehension.
In part, it was the notion of doing something illicit. Each day since she had learned about the plans to hold this event despite cancellation of the official Blossom Ball, Evelynn had struggled with the decision of whether or not to inform the faculty. There was a reason it had been cancelled in the first place, she was sure, especially after the mess that had occurred during the fall's Masquerade. She couldn't even argue the rationale. The fact that this was to be held late at night, away from the protective observation and intervention of experienced witches and wizards, and out in the open air of the night could only bode poorly. Not to mention, it was taking place on the pitch, which alone conjured horrible images of destroyed viewing stands, damaged rings, and a trampled uneven ground of their beautiful arena. It was a travesty to all things Quidditch.
Then again...she could not deny the allure because it was sure to be a disaster of an event. She had been itching to uncover more secrets, to get a better glimpse of certain individuals, and if ever there was a time to slink from the confines of one's dorm, this would be it. Trouble was something the red head anticipated at this event. Unexpectedly, a part of her even hoped for it, the notion of such chaos and excitement lighting an adventurous fire within her that she hadn't quite realised she possessed. Even still...the danger that would come with it wasn't something she took lightly. Nor was the risk one that she wished to veil from the individual who had so courteously (and somewhat unexpectedly) accepted her invitation to attend.
Which brought her train of thought back to Holmwood, and with it, the fluttering in her belly returned in full force. It was quite annoying, really. There was no reason that she could surmise for the gut reaction. It was just a ball. Just a dance. Nothing that she hadn't done before — the latter part, at least — during the few years she had spent in ballet. But it had been several years since then, and she certainly hadn't put herself on display in a peer setting before. She wasn't going for the party, nor had she asked the boy out of any notion of frivolous affection. It had been strategic. Nothing more. And yet, there it was, the titter of nerves and self-conscious worry. Like she was some sort of little girl.
These thoughts simultaneously multiplied and ceased the moment her target came into view. Her steps faltered, her momentum driving temporarily to a halt as she surveyed the scene before her. Evidently, judging by the boy's pacing, she wasn't the only one facing a sense of restless unease. The hesitation lasted only for a second, however. She had a job to do — or rather, a suspicion to reveal — and no amount of uncertainty would crack that resolve. Plus, she did hate to be anything but prompt on her engagements. Soon enough, the blacks of her school robes (she could think of no better garb to appear inconspicuous) skimmed the stone cobbling of the courtyard as she crossed into the grounds.
"Holm--" She cut herself off the second she realized she misspoke, before trying again. "Flash," she called out quietly instead, hoping to give him a slight indication of her approach that he might compose himself. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting.." She commented mildly, knowing full well that she was precisely on time. "Are you well? You seem tense..."
She observed, and for a moment, her brows knit in concern. Although she wasn't exactly emotionally attached to attending alongside him, she didn't relish the idea of venturing forward entirely alone either. Hopefully he wasn't having second thoughts? Hands dropped to rest lightly against her lap where she stood, one clasped politely over the other.
"Listen..." Grey eyes flicked in the direction of the pitch for a moment before returning to Holmwood. "I would like to be up front with you. I told you that I wanted to lay out expectations, but it's actually a little bit more than just that. I have reason to believe that this..." Ball? Charade? Fallacy of an event? "...gathering is likely to give everyone a little more than they're bargaining for. I'm not going because I want to go to a dance. Not that I don't want to go with you," she added a touch hastily, not wishing to offend. "But I'm expecting things to go...poorly. To say the least..."
27 Apr 2020, 01:11
Deadly Premonition
No kidding... Flash’s bitterness reared its head, realizing he wasn’t giving a very good impression. It was too much pressure, just like Burnett was saying, breaking…
After having greeted him as she approached, she asked after him, saying he looked tense. How often now was he fretting and drifting off? He could start to sense the pattern: he was getting close to burning out again. He needed to distribute the weight, rely on other people. Evelynn was part of that, he agreed to her invitation based mostly on her usefulness.
He was quick to judge people, since he was constantly scrutinizing them. He could tell from his and Evelynn's conversations so far that their personalities were similar. Not entirely from origin or practice, but in relation to the other. She was direct, something Flash was quite fond of from several Gryffindors at that point. It was useful to ally with someone who wasn’t afraid to speak their mind, or get in the way of danger. They were also, generally, willing to do whatever you told them to, so long as they trusted you.
”I hope I didn’t unnerve you. I am a bit tense.” Flash smiled at her, his eyes tired from the long day.
Then, perfectly meeting his own expectations, she began to explain exactly what she had wanted to discuss with him right away. No useless pleasantries. She seemed to have gathered through her own means what was likely true, that the ball was going to go poorly. It was a bit of an understatement, Flash had reason to believe it would be hell on earth.
”Well your intuition hasn’t failed you, it’s going to be a disaster.” Flash allowed some of his bitterness out despite being in the company of someone he ought to be trying to impress.
Ruka told him he should try being himself around people more often. It was as good a time as any, he hardly had the energy to keep up pretenses anyway. He was saving the last of it for the ball itself.
”We have reason to believe Vladimir Athanatos has something to do with the things that are happening around the school-- the spiders with the cursing poison, the fire in Hufflepuff, to name a few.” Flash had to quickly decide what to summarize. In reality, he and seven other Slytherins had poured over notes, discussing the information they had gathered and formulating plans to try and curb the damage that he might be capable of doing, while gathering enough damning evidence to pin him for the crimes. That, or discover where the chain led. ”There are quite a few reasons we came to that conclusion, but to be honest, I don’t have time to tell you absolutely everything. I’ll try to keep you informed as you need to know.”
After having got something off his chest, he felt a bit lighter. More focused. He must have read her correctly-- surely she would rally to this cause. He was so sure of it, his speaking of it seemed to imply she had already accepted. It would ease a great deal of his tension if he had someone next to him watching his back. At that point in explaining himself, he had relaxed his shoulder and stood close to Evelynn, his hands clasped in front of him, one holding the other gently.
”If you came to the ball in order to figure out what’s happening, then you’ve come to the right person. All I ask is that you keep it to yourself. We’re trying to mitigate panic. I…” Until then, his voice had been crystal clear, a solid volume and properly enunciated. When it broke, Flash threw himself off. He looked at Evelynn plainly, as if somehow seeing her for the first time.
”Forgive me… it’s good to see you. You look quite lovely tonight Miss Evelynn.”
Even if it was a pleasantry, it wasn’t useless. Flash was grateful that she showed up perfectly on time, dressed gorgeously, and ready to throw down. When one was grateful, it was important to make it known.
@Evelynn Decipio
After having greeted him as she approached, she asked after him, saying he looked tense. How often now was he fretting and drifting off? He could start to sense the pattern: he was getting close to burning out again. He needed to distribute the weight, rely on other people. Evelynn was part of that, he agreed to her invitation based mostly on her usefulness.
He was quick to judge people, since he was constantly scrutinizing them. He could tell from his and Evelynn's conversations so far that their personalities were similar. Not entirely from origin or practice, but in relation to the other. She was direct, something Flash was quite fond of from several Gryffindors at that point. It was useful to ally with someone who wasn’t afraid to speak their mind, or get in the way of danger. They were also, generally, willing to do whatever you told them to, so long as they trusted you.
”I hope I didn’t unnerve you. I am a bit tense.” Flash smiled at her, his eyes tired from the long day.
Then, perfectly meeting his own expectations, she began to explain exactly what she had wanted to discuss with him right away. No useless pleasantries. She seemed to have gathered through her own means what was likely true, that the ball was going to go poorly. It was a bit of an understatement, Flash had reason to believe it would be hell on earth.
”Well your intuition hasn’t failed you, it’s going to be a disaster.” Flash allowed some of his bitterness out despite being in the company of someone he ought to be trying to impress.
Ruka told him he should try being himself around people more often. It was as good a time as any, he hardly had the energy to keep up pretenses anyway. He was saving the last of it for the ball itself.
”We have reason to believe Vladimir Athanatos has something to do with the things that are happening around the school-- the spiders with the cursing poison, the fire in Hufflepuff, to name a few.” Flash had to quickly decide what to summarize. In reality, he and seven other Slytherins had poured over notes, discussing the information they had gathered and formulating plans to try and curb the damage that he might be capable of doing, while gathering enough damning evidence to pin him for the crimes. That, or discover where the chain led. ”There are quite a few reasons we came to that conclusion, but to be honest, I don’t have time to tell you absolutely everything. I’ll try to keep you informed as you need to know.”
After having got something off his chest, he felt a bit lighter. More focused. He must have read her correctly-- surely she would rally to this cause. He was so sure of it, his speaking of it seemed to imply she had already accepted. It would ease a great deal of his tension if he had someone next to him watching his back. At that point in explaining himself, he had relaxed his shoulder and stood close to Evelynn, his hands clasped in front of him, one holding the other gently.
”If you came to the ball in order to figure out what’s happening, then you’ve come to the right person. All I ask is that you keep it to yourself. We’re trying to mitigate panic. I…” Until then, his voice had been crystal clear, a solid volume and properly enunciated. When it broke, Flash threw himself off. He looked at Evelynn plainly, as if somehow seeing her for the first time.
”Forgive me… it’s good to see you. You look quite lovely tonight Miss Evelynn.”
Even if it was a pleasantry, it wasn’t useless. Flash was grateful that she showed up perfectly on time, dressed gorgeously, and ready to throw down. When one was grateful, it was important to make it known.
@Evelynn Decipio
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
14 Jun 2020, 08:00
Deadly Premonition
Interacting with @Flash Holmwood
Intuition was one way to put it, she supposed. Admittedly, her reasoning for believing the worst of this events went just a touch deeper than a supposition or gut feeling. There had been clearly established patterns thus far at the school. Not to mention the series of events that the Daily Prophet had alluded to but hadn't quite obviously connected together. Even still, she was more than a little surprised to hear Flash agree with her quite so vehemently.
"Oh?" She echoed, quirking a brow with just how absolutely certain he seemed to be of the ball not just going poorly, but being an absolute disaster, as he had put it. That was the only thing that she said, however, as the boy soon began to reveal the thoughts upon his mind. Revelations and information the keen red-head was all too willing to absorb.
We.
It was the first word of his explanation, and something that stood out clearly to her, and what came next suggested that there were like-minded individuals such as herself who were following the events around the school. A sense of focus creased her brow ever so faintly as she listened, her chin inclining just a touch as she withdrew into the turning wheels within her skull, mind already turning to process that which he spoke as he spoke it.
Spiders with the cursing poison.
That was new. She hadn't heard of any spiders or any such poison. Unless he was referring to the laced Valentine's sweets, but somehow she didn't think so. This sounded more ominous than a such a light-hearted (sort of) prank as that.
The Hufflepuff fire was also new information. And he was speaking like this was only the tip of the iceberg. Her interest was definitely piqued. How much, exactly, did this boy know? What sort of gold mine had she accidentally stumbled upon? She had clearly underestimated him. Her approach at the Talent Show... her reason for asking him to the ball in the first place... well... it hadn't had anything at all to do with any of the strange happenings about the school. Although she would have been reluctant to admit it, she had been intending simply to use him to drive a spiteful dagger into the gut of someone who had crossed her one too many times.
What incredible, unexpected luck. Quite inappropriately to the gravity of the conversation at hand, Evelynn actually chuckled.
"Sorry..." She replied, almost uncharacteristically sheepishly, as a hand lifted to lightly press fingertips to her lips. It served well enough to keep her borderline gleeful laughter at bay, but the hint of a grin still peaked out around the edges. "And thank you..." She added, blushing a bit at his complement to her appearance. "You're looking rather sharp, yourself." Her mind hardly lingered on that, though, quickly rounding back to the matter at hand. "It's just... well... I hadn't the faintest idea you were aware of any of that.
"You're right in your assumption," she continued, dropping her hand to rest back over the other. "I am coming to the ball in order to try to gain a bit more insight. Well, and also to be at least one person there who knows that things aren't likely to go as smoothly as everyone seems to think it will. Honestly, I don't know what they were thinking, planning something like this. There was good reason that the professors chose to cancel the actual event. It's quite stupid, really, going behind their backs to plan this. It's just putting everyone at risk. Honestly, I'm not sure why I haven't just gone and informed on them already."
That was only half true. Intellectually, deep down, she knew she should have. It was a foolish thing to let this go on without bringing it to the attention of the professors. If something did go wrong, which was exactly what she was expecting, then someone could get hurt. Or many could. Who knew? It was irresponsible on her part to just go on anyway and pretend it wasn't. But... she couldn't help it. If the professors knew, they would shut it down in a flash. There was no doubt in her mind about that. And she was so curious. This could very well be an excellent opportunity to learn something, if she played her cards right. Although... she was beginning to think she wasn't holding quite as many cards as she had thought.
"I'm not about to be spouting any conspiracy theories to everyone, though," she assured him, giving something of a what-do-you-take-me-for look. "But since we seem to be on the same page, you should probably fill me in a bit more. Who is "we", exactly? It sounds as though there's a group of you who are all in on this. Whatever "this" might be. What is it that you're planning? What are you hoping to learn tonight?"
One thing was certain, however. Her business with Flash was no longer limited to tonight.
16 Jun 2020, 19:37
Deadly Premonition
Evelynn laughed, perhaps out of nervousness, since she apologized for it right away. It was hard to tell, Flash hadn’t seen too many lions who kept their expression as under control as she did. In fact, it was much more like Flash himself than the many Gryffindors who seemed to always emote first and consider their feelings afterwards.
With him having unloaded the information without much preparation, she took it in stride, admitting that she was hoping to keep her eye out for information and danger. She opined a bit about the plan to have a ball at all, and its stupidness. It was a fair stance to take, likely more students agreed with her than she even realized. There were reasons, of course. Flash had not planned it himself, nor did he really have a say in whether it went off or not, but he was involved.
”Well, I can’t speak for all of the student hosts, but our mission is… part of the reason it’s going ahead.” Flash was not particularly afraid of being caught, or found somehow culpable for the planning (as unlikely as that was), since at that point, he was much more concerned with learning something, anything they could about what was going on.
She professed to keep it to herself regardless, a kindness Flash wouldn’t forget. She even made a face as though he needn’t have even asked. Perhaps once they knew each other better they could switch to nonverbal communication, but it was a tally in her favor for now. Trustworthy, methodical, inquisitive.
”’We’ are a group of Slytherins, though it’s not exactly a crack team of our greatest minds…” Flash recalled regretfully how many of the ‘Partners’ had joined serendipidously, or been picked by Opeila for no discernable reason. ”But we did what we could with the time that we had. We shared information we had been gathering over the year. Vladimir asked Opeila to the ball before it had ever been officially announced, and he had been let into the Slytherin common room not long before the spider attacks.”
Flash was adept at summarizing information into its most essential parts, but his mind was scattered with all the bits and pieces. Some of it could be incredibly important, though from his point of view unconnected to anything. There could have been details that the Partners left out, as Opeila had almost done before he implored her to be honest.
”Vladimir tried to scapegoat his friends… Victor and Marion, a few of the Slytherins interrogated them. They both had a symbol on them, like an eye. Cold to the touch, lighter weight than anyone ought to be.” Flash shook his head. ”Well… I say that, but we can’t pin anything on Vladimir. Not really. Opeila wants to use this date to… ask him questions. Really, any answers at all would help. The professors… also don’t know what’s going on. We’re being attacked and barely anyone is even talking about it. It’s being kept quiet on purpose… it seems.”
Flash hated being in the dark about anything, so being in the dark about his own life and the safety of his fellow classmates was torture. He had asked Opeila to go to Madam Jensen about what she knew about Vladimir, but she had doubted it would serve any use. If they couldn’t rely on their head of house, then what recourse did they have? Throw themselves head first into danger, it seemed. They could try to ignore all the signs, try to live a normal school life… it wasn’t really an option for people like Opeila and him. Perhaps Evelynn too.
”That’s the mission. Gathering information. Non-violently, of course. I’m meant to watch Victor Moore and Opeila Seilun, one of the hosts. Ah, she’s a Slytherin, short, long dark brown hair… I suppose I’ll just point them out once we are there.” Flash shivered, perhaps from the night air, or remembering the imminent threat posed by the ball. An unlit match ready for something to ignite it. ”If we can learn something from any from those three, some kind of lead or clue… something besides fragments... Whether Vladimir really is trying to hurt other students, the cure for the black blood, what any of this has to do with Victor and Marion witnessing the murder of Dolores Umbridge…”
It was already a lot. Flash swiftly drew a breath of air and looked at Evelynn to see how well she was following. It answered her questions, but likely only adding to her confusion. As he had said before, there was too much to get into. If he had known her better, trusted her with his life, he might have written her an extensive document with every shred of evidence they had gathered so far, but for now he just wanted an ally. Someone who knew his goal and would help him achieve it.
”That’s the basic gist. Listening and watching. Is that alright?”
@Evelynn Decipio
With him having unloaded the information without much preparation, she took it in stride, admitting that she was hoping to keep her eye out for information and danger. She opined a bit about the plan to have a ball at all, and its stupidness. It was a fair stance to take, likely more students agreed with her than she even realized. There were reasons, of course. Flash had not planned it himself, nor did he really have a say in whether it went off or not, but he was involved.
”Well, I can’t speak for all of the student hosts, but our mission is… part of the reason it’s going ahead.” Flash was not particularly afraid of being caught, or found somehow culpable for the planning (as unlikely as that was), since at that point, he was much more concerned with learning something, anything they could about what was going on.
She professed to keep it to herself regardless, a kindness Flash wouldn’t forget. She even made a face as though he needn’t have even asked. Perhaps once they knew each other better they could switch to nonverbal communication, but it was a tally in her favor for now. Trustworthy, methodical, inquisitive.
”’We’ are a group of Slytherins, though it’s not exactly a crack team of our greatest minds…” Flash recalled regretfully how many of the ‘Partners’ had joined serendipidously, or been picked by Opeila for no discernable reason. ”But we did what we could with the time that we had. We shared information we had been gathering over the year. Vladimir asked Opeila to the ball before it had ever been officially announced, and he had been let into the Slytherin common room not long before the spider attacks.”
Flash was adept at summarizing information into its most essential parts, but his mind was scattered with all the bits and pieces. Some of it could be incredibly important, though from his point of view unconnected to anything. There could have been details that the Partners left out, as Opeila had almost done before he implored her to be honest.
”Vladimir tried to scapegoat his friends… Victor and Marion, a few of the Slytherins interrogated them. They both had a symbol on them, like an eye. Cold to the touch, lighter weight than anyone ought to be.” Flash shook his head. ”Well… I say that, but we can’t pin anything on Vladimir. Not really. Opeila wants to use this date to… ask him questions. Really, any answers at all would help. The professors… also don’t know what’s going on. We’re being attacked and barely anyone is even talking about it. It’s being kept quiet on purpose… it seems.”
Flash hated being in the dark about anything, so being in the dark about his own life and the safety of his fellow classmates was torture. He had asked Opeila to go to Madam Jensen about what she knew about Vladimir, but she had doubted it would serve any use. If they couldn’t rely on their head of house, then what recourse did they have? Throw themselves head first into danger, it seemed. They could try to ignore all the signs, try to live a normal school life… it wasn’t really an option for people like Opeila and him. Perhaps Evelynn too.
”That’s the mission. Gathering information. Non-violently, of course. I’m meant to watch Victor Moore and Opeila Seilun, one of the hosts. Ah, she’s a Slytherin, short, long dark brown hair… I suppose I’ll just point them out once we are there.” Flash shivered, perhaps from the night air, or remembering the imminent threat posed by the ball. An unlit match ready for something to ignite it. ”If we can learn something from any from those three, some kind of lead or clue… something besides fragments... Whether Vladimir really is trying to hurt other students, the cure for the black blood, what any of this has to do with Victor and Marion witnessing the murder of Dolores Umbridge…”
It was already a lot. Flash swiftly drew a breath of air and looked at Evelynn to see how well she was following. It answered her questions, but likely only adding to her confusion. As he had said before, there was too much to get into. If he had known her better, trusted her with his life, he might have written her an extensive document with every shred of evidence they had gathered so far, but for now he just wanted an ally. Someone who knew his goal and would help him achieve it.
”That’s the basic gist. Listening and watching. Is that alright?”
@Evelynn Decipio
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
27 Jun 2020, 03:17
Deadly Premonition
In his opening response, Flash indicated that one of the reasons that the ball was going forward at all was partly for whatever mission is was that he and his fellows were attempting to conduct. This notion was more than a little intriguing. For several reasons. She would have been lying if she had suggested that she wasn't at least a little bit skeptical of the validity to his claim, however. It suggested that Flash -- or perhaps one of the other members -- wielded enough social power to influence such a decision. Which, granted, she didn't yet know who all comprised that group. Perhaps one of them had even been involved in the organisation of the event. She supposed it could be possible.
Still, she listened without protest, pleased and relieved that he would offer her explanation so readily. And what an explanation it was. A chuckle reverberated in her chest with his voiced resignation regarding the integrity of the team, but otherwise offered no comment. A group of Slytherin, mn? How... annoying, really. Why was it always Slytherin? It seemed to be that every significant encounter that she had had at this school had been with a Slytherin, starting with that girl in the boat before any of them had even been sorted yet. And so the trend continued. Perhaps the hat had really gotten it wrong.
A notion for another time.
Allegedly the group had been gathering information over the course of the year. Very well. Who? Had any of them attended the meeting in January, she had to wonder. Had they taken what they had learned of the Gryffindors there back to their snake pit without reciprocation? Brows pinched, part of her mind trying to recall the faces of those who had been in attendance while the other digested and carefully picked apart this new information.
Vladimir. Seilun. He had known about the event before he ought to. Somehow that didn't surprise her given his suspect acquisition and distribution of goods in the courtyard. Somehow he had managed those sales all month without intervention by staff. And let into the Slytherin common room. This drew a thoughtful expression. For some reason, she had always assumed entrance into any dorm not your own was simply... impossible. This... changed a few things. And a spider attack? She hadn't heard of that...
Victor. Marion. Scapegoated by Vladimir, and each with eye-like symbols on them. "Like the Eye of Providence?" she wondered allowed, looking for clarification on the specific shape. Were there religious fanatics at the school? Even if there were, for a child to be marked.. Naturally, that sparked the recollection of their History of Magic lessons surrounding the dark lord, Voldemort, and the Dark Mark that he with which he would brand his followers. There couldn't possibly be a successor...could there?
And cold to the touch? Lighter than they should be? Naturally, the first thing that popped into the little lioness' mind was a consideration that perhaps those students weren't actually...human. They couldn't be... undead... could they? Was that a thing here, in the wizarding world? There were ghosts and poltergeists, of course, but what of zombies or the like? Were they some sort of partially incorporeal beings? Or hollow, fabricated dolls imbued with a false life? She was getting ahead of herself. That sounded ridiculous... But just ridiculous enough to necessitate some research.
"I know Seilun," Evelynn nodded. Well, know was a bit of a stretch. Evelynn had hardly had much of a conversation with the girl beyond their brief interaction when Seilun had provided assistance and support after the attack at the Valentine's Tea party. "Well enough to recognize her, anyway," she assured Flash as he continued.
"That's... all rather interesting," she concluded, falling silent for a moment when he had finally finished. "Yes, of course that's alright," she nodded. "When this is over, however, would it be alright to speak further? I'd like to hear everything you know in more detail. I didn't know about the spiders, or this black blood. I wonder if there's a connection to the hag... Or hags. I've never known a hag to act alone. There's usually a coven of three. I'm pretty sure there is a coven behind the missing potions ingredients, but I'll have to check through the research to see if there's anything about blood..."
She trailed off as her mind went of in a direction of its own, mentally flipping through the pages of her journal in rapid fire. No doubt she had held an unfocused, far-off stare for several moments before she was reeled back to the present moment.
"Anyway... yes. Yes of course that's alright. But let's confer again later. I have a feeling there is a lot we could illuminate for each other." With a bit of effort, Evelynn contorted the overly thoughtful and focused expression that had set itself firmly upon her features into one of pleasant warmth. Lips curled lightly at their corners as she set a softened gaze upon the source of her company. Pivoting smoothly with a hand raised as though waiting to hook around an elbow while the other motioned forward, she chimed almost theatrically, "Well, Mister Holmwood. Shall we make our entrance, then?"
[font=century gothic]INTERACTING WITH @Flash Holmwood[/font]
3 Jul 2020, 19:07
Deadly Premonition
Evelynn took the information well, sometimes asking for clarification. Backlit from the dim nighttime glow of the castle lights, Flash could barely read her expression, but her voice seemed calm and determined. At her question about the mark, Flash pulled out a copy of an educated sketch. Thora Larkston had drawn what she remembered, and Flash had copied it down for his own reference. Naturally he had it on him for the ball, he had intended to show Evelynn from the beginning, though in his fretting, he had admittedly forgotten.
”Not quite. Like this.” Flash gave her the paper, though he would pocket it again if she didn’t have anywhere to put it. He could always give her another copy later. ”Marion had said it was a scar from being bitten, though we all came to think it might be more like a dark mark. But that’s… just a theory.”
Evelynn took a moment after he finished to think, but seemed to accept what he had to say. Really, both of them were laden with mountains of information to share, yet no connective tissue to understand how they fit together. Perhaps the both of them would be better suited with a chalkboard and a corkboard to start pouring over the details and collating the information to try to connect the dots and unravel the conspiracy. Instead, they were nearly strangers, and they were still in the information gathering stage of the investigation. Flash hoped to remedy both of those preventative situations soon, before things could get much worse.
Evelynn seemed to agree, the two falling into a pattern of conversation as though they had known each other for a long time. The truth was that they rarely spoke about each other at all, most all of their conversations were about information. Well, Flash wasn’t complaining. If getting to know each other was important, they could manage it eventually. For now, the information was what was important.
”Certainly, there is a lot to discuss. It would be nice to finally pick it apart with…” Flash had started to speak, but cut himself off when he realized he might be speaking badly of his peers. There was no point in putting them down simply because Evelynn was a more eloquent and inquisitive person when it came to discussing the goings on. In fact, one could argue the trait he and Evelynn were displaying was something kids their age shouldn’t be so adept in. ”Well, illuminating, yes. I agree.”
With that, it seemed they were as ready as they were ever going to be. At least, delaying too long might be the difference between catching something important or not, and Flash wanted to see and hear as much as he could. Also, if something happened to Opeila while he was away, he would never forgive himself. Taking Evelynn’s gracefully outstretched arm in his, he sighed and smiled.
”At once.”
”Not quite. Like this.” Flash gave her the paper, though he would pocket it again if she didn’t have anywhere to put it. He could always give her another copy later. ”Marion had said it was a scar from being bitten, though we all came to think it might be more like a dark mark. But that’s… just a theory.”
Evelynn took a moment after he finished to think, but seemed to accept what he had to say. Really, both of them were laden with mountains of information to share, yet no connective tissue to understand how they fit together. Perhaps the both of them would be better suited with a chalkboard and a corkboard to start pouring over the details and collating the information to try to connect the dots and unravel the conspiracy. Instead, they were nearly strangers, and they were still in the information gathering stage of the investigation. Flash hoped to remedy both of those preventative situations soon, before things could get much worse.
Evelynn seemed to agree, the two falling into a pattern of conversation as though they had known each other for a long time. The truth was that they rarely spoke about each other at all, most all of their conversations were about information. Well, Flash wasn’t complaining. If getting to know each other was important, they could manage it eventually. For now, the information was what was important.
”Certainly, there is a lot to discuss. It would be nice to finally pick it apart with…” Flash had started to speak, but cut himself off when he realized he might be speaking badly of his peers. There was no point in putting them down simply because Evelynn was a more eloquent and inquisitive person when it came to discussing the goings on. In fact, one could argue the trait he and Evelynn were displaying was something kids their age shouldn’t be so adept in. ”Well, illuminating, yes. I agree.”
With that, it seemed they were as ready as they were ever going to be. At least, delaying too long might be the difference between catching something important or not, and Flash wanted to see and hear as much as he could. Also, if something happened to Opeila while he was away, he would never forgive himself. Taking Evelynn’s gracefully outstretched arm in his, he sighed and smiled.
”At once.”
@Evelynn DecipioThread Closed
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15