Tainted Service Top Earner's Fate

Mentions: @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood @Celynne Gray

Warning: The underlying RP handles topics of mental instability and questioning one's own senses. If you find these topics to be disturbing, please don't read.

Fitting music

Alexander's would stumble on his feet and hold his head in his hands. He stumbled around for a few moments before leaning heavily against the main table where the tea and other things were located. His eyes were wild, his eyes wide. Like when you realize you've forgot something important, but way worse than that.

In a moment all his Slytherin cunning, intelligence and everything disappeared. Alexander breathed rapidly. Eyes frantic as he looked throughout the room. Looking at the elves, at Celynne and even Aida. Almost all with a sense of panic and a small amount of distrust even for Aida.

In his mind he had the image of his sorting, he saw through his mind eye him being sorted into Slytherin. Sitting at the professor's table was the headmaster. A man in a yellow robe, not Solomon Lear but Zachary Winslow. His minds coursed through memories he had not thought of for a long time. Almost as if it was shelved in the back of his head, only to be hidden.

His mind rapidly went past previous images. Talking to Dmitri in his first year, going to DADA lessons, going to the summer camp. He had not thought about them for so long, he he he..............

He had forgotten those memories. Or at least not bothered to think about them.

Whilst he was leaning on the table the others would hear him mutter. "What....... no no nonon onononONO!NONONON!!!!!!" Alexander's eyes were frantic like those of a madman and Alexander could feel his grip over his sanity loosening.

How could he know if anything he saw was real ? How could he knew all of these people were real or some figments of his imagination implemented into him by magic ? How could he even know if any of this was real, what was to say that this was not one of those stories that a person that they dreamed in a coma. It would make so much more sense, how could magic be real at all ? It's a child's dream.

Or this all was real and something worse was going on. He might have lost TWO YEARS OF HIS LIFE !!!!!!! Two years of his life without him realizing it. He heh heheh eheheheheheheh

Alexander rapidly paces around, hands rapidly going through his hair and creating a mess as he walked rapidly. Muttering. "Two year, two years, two years lost lost lost lost lost LOST !!!"

A small part in the back of Alexander's mind told him that he should act rationally. Not show the house elves he had regained his memories.But the normally rational and dominant part of Alexander's mind was being overwhelmed by sheer panic.

He then looked around at the house-elves, specifically at Cambrey. With anger and the eyes of a man whose sanity was getting looser at every moment. He did not say anything at this point. Now standing deathly still. Alexander wondered whether he should kill the house elves. They might be part of the reason behind it ? And what did it matter if he would forget about what happened. WHY DID ANYTHING MATTER IF IT COULD BE LOST IN A MOMENT !!!

EVERY ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ACHIEVED, GONE BECAUSE YOUR MIND WAS ERASED. HOW CAN IT BE KNOWN IF ANYTHING IS REAL AT ALL !!!

Alexander shouted this, though he was unaware he was speaking or shouting. All he knew was that everything was WRONG. EVERYTHING WAS WRONG !!!! NOTHING IS REAL, NOTHING MATTERS !!! EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER DONE OR DID CAN BE ERASED IN A MOMENT !!!! How could he even trust his own senses, how could he know that what he saw, smelled, heard was even real. How could he know that none of it was just some other magical tonic or spell that could ERASE EVERYTHING I KNOW

Alexander was rapidly breathing. Now silent once more, his hand was edging towards his wand. He was now clearly crying, drops of salty water going down his eyes and reaching his mouth.


How could he trust any of them ?




How could he trust anything

In the event that one of the house elves were to come within about 1 meter and would approach him

Alexander saw Cambey (or one of the other house elves) approaching him. They were going to take his wand. Take his wand and force him to drink the merlin damned tea. Making it so he would forget EVERYTHING once again. Probaply just like what was happening to that Ravenclaw girl.

Alexander rapidly grabbed his wand, though his hand was shaking and his breathing came in bursts. He would quickly create the shape of a checkmark and say "FLI-FLI-FLIPENDO !!!"

In the event that Aida or Cellyne approaches to comfort him

Alexander would rapidly grab his cherry wood wand. Pointing it at Aida (or Celynne) Panic, fear, anger and a dangerous glint in his eyes. "STAY AWAY !!! BY MERLIN JUST BLOODY STAY AWAY" As he said the latter part he would have a heavy sob and his whole chest would tremble.

"HOW CAN I KNOW ANY OF THIS IS REAL!!!"

Actions: Having a mental breakdown. In the event that Cambrey or another elf approaches Alexander dangerously close casting the knockback jinx on them.
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers
Stats:
Stamina: 5
Evasion: 9
Strength: 3
Wisdom: 4
Arc Power: 6
Accuracy: 8
Total: 35

-

Ah, the soothing effects of tea. So nice, warm, numb—wait, hold on, that wasn't right, that wasn't what tea felt like. The clarity of that thought shocked her a little, like the pitch of a tuning fork ringing through her brain, and she clutched her cup tighter, wand sliding out of her sleeve in caution as she tried so very hard to make sense of her thoughts.

Well, the stomachache was gone. That much she was certain of, as she pressed a hand to her stomach. She no longer felt the need to keel over and vomit every five seconds. But her thoughts were also slipping away from her like sand, a very familiar sensation to her, one she hadn't experienced in almost a year and a half now. It was the same feeling as when she was just about to slip into an episode... but she definitely wasn't about to slip into an episode.

Her eyes flicked to the tea that she'd just sipped and set down on the table. Something was wrong.

Clawing at her consciousness, she squeezed her eyes shut tight, grinding her teeth as a wave of numbness washed over her, trying to convince her that everything was all right. And she almost gave in, too—who didn't want to believe that? It was one of the ways that effects like these worked, honestly, but this was all too familiar for her to be tricked, however tempting the offer. She'd suffered something similar for half her life, and she'd be damned if she let herself go back, even as panic crawled up her throat.

Her shaking fingers curled around the handle of her wand. Her mind was already slipping... slipping... slipping... the House Elves had to be dangerous. And they weren't happy, she knew that now, hearing little bits of conversation happening around her... definitely weren't happy with them. Though she could understand why, she also wasn't going to let them have her. Bringing her wand up to her head, which she had tucked down as she sat in that curled-up position, she rotated her wrist slowly, drawing a circle in the air.

"Reparifors," she whispered, so quietly that even she herself could barely hear it, eyes still shut tight, fighting to hold on until the spell could maybe—just maybe—work. Professor Vernatis said it cured magically-induced ailments, right? Injuries, paralysis, poison? If this mind warping had come from the tea, then she'd been pretty much poisoned. Clenching her jaw, she concentrated on her cast.

STAMINA 5
EVASION 8
STRENGTH 2
WISDOM 11
ARCPOWER 10

ACCURACY 9
ABILITIES Prodigial DADA and Perfectionist I

ACTIONS attempt to cast the Reparifors Spell on herself to cancel out effects of whatever she's been put through. being extremely oblivious to the other two because... cel is cel and i didnt get enough sleep today.

-

Aida was about to turn to walk towards the door when Alexander began to stumble and hold his head. His eyes were wild and wide open. If Alexander had been the one to have drunk the tea rather than Celynne, Aida might have understood. Aida turned to face him squarely, her earlier problems now a million miles away. A surge of adrenaline shunted all her claustrophobia into some dark space.

"What....... no no nonon onononONO!NONONON!!!!!!" came Alexander’s frantic voice. Her hearing was good, so she could hear him muttering: "Two year, two years, two years lost lost lost lost lost LOST !!!" Aida’s blood started to burn like magma in her veins as all the hairs on her body stood on end.

Aida took one step forward towards Alexander, his pain beckoning like a flame to a moth. ”WHY DID ANYTHING MATTER IF IT COULD BE LOST IN A MOMENT !!! EVERY ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ACHIEVED, GONE BECAUSE YOUR MIND WAS ERASED. HOW CAN IT BE KNOWN IF ANYTHING IS REAL AT ALL !!!” Aida then paused, wanting to understand, but her mind stopped. In her bones she could feel a rumble. A rumble that rattled out “Manticore.” This was the panic of a soul in anguish. A premonition of something lost, perhaps forever. In her mind’s eye, Aida sensed the great black rippling muscle pounding at the walls with steely, thunderous hooves. She felt an abandonment of the mind as raw, untrammeled will lashed out in desperation. If she continued on, a blow could strike her down. This was not the time to go forward. Aida took another step in Alexander’s direction. The gravity well of the torment was too strong. Aida was now two meters away.

An imaginary shadow descended onto Aida’s back as she surmised the presence of the Undead King blocking out the light behind her, so tall. Do not approach. So much pain. That was where she needed to be. She took another step forward. 1.5 meters.

If only Aida could turn back time, do it all again, and this time do it right. She would turn back time as many times as necessary in order to get it right. Would it not unmake her who, like anyone, was built from all those experiences that made them up? Even if it meant her undoing, she wanted to do it. Find a way to save Manticore. Yet, she was hurtling into the future despite her heart reaching back into the past. You must move on. Remember your promise. Alexander’s breathing was rapid, hand edging towards its wand. He will knock you down. Tears streamed down the boy's face. Aida stepped forward again. This was his event horizon. One meter remained.


Alexander’s wand moved like lightning, spiking out towards Aida as his gaze glinted with a dangerous edge. "STAY AWAY !!! BY MERLIN JUST BLOODY STAY AWAY" he sobbed. Was it Alexander talking, or the Undead King? Did it matter? "HOW CAN I KNOW ANY OF THIS IS REAL!!!" Yes, it did. Aida did not approach any further, standing on the edge of a precipice.

“Alexander,” she affirmed. If she kept trying to live in the past, she would lose Alexander, who lives in the present. Who was to say that the ghosts of the past were any less real than people of the present? She had to make a choice. “Alexander,” she repeated. “We will find the truth. It will be like the moon. Sometimes the sky is covered in clouds, and we won’t be able to see the moon. But it will still be there. Sometimes the moon will hang in its own shadow, and during the day we won’t see it at all. But then, on a clear night, it will rise and we will just barely make out the difference in color. With time the light will break across the moon’s crescent edge and we will see that it was there the whole time, even if our vision was obscured. Even if our understanding was poor. The moon will be there whether you believe in it or not. Reality will make itself known to us in time, especially if we keep digging for the truth.”

Aida did not reach out her hand. Aida walked no further. Alexander had said to stay away, and so she would remain on that knife's edge, within his reach if he so chose to take even a single step forward. It was an offer, not an imposition. Even if she would have to orbit forever, she would be there.



“I want to find the truth, too,” said the young white witch. “There is no guarantee either of us will find it, but I believe that we will.” Aida smiled warmly at Alexander, her pale violet eyes closing slowly. Darkness enveloped her, and sounds began to creep back into Aida’s awareness. Smells. The terrible aura of the kitchen and the bodies around her. Aida opened her eyes again and looked at Alexander with an expression defying explanation. Then, she turned her back on him and drew her wand, taking a stable stance as she looked over the crowd of house elves surrounding them. The elf at the door looked more distant than she remembered, which was a strange feeling for someone with a near photographic memory of her environment.

Mentions: @Alexander Varellion @Celynne Gray
Primary action: Drawing her wand and standing defensively. If there is any available time, scanning the elves for anything out of place.
Ability: Blindvision
Inventory: a pocket knife that basically never left her side, a wand
Character stats:
Stamina✵ 5, Evasion✵ 5, Strength✵ 4, Wisdom✵ 8, Arcane Power✵ 9, Accuracy✵ 4
Color code: #351C75 (Persian Indigo)

OC: Sorry for the delays -- the end of the year and summer prep work takes all my free time.

Alexander was waking up from a nightmare he did not even know he was having. He was not living life, he was forgetting it. He was letting it just slip on past him. He was there, he lived it but he was also standing still. The world was moving on without him. He might have noticed the stubble starting on his upper lip. The whispers of puberty. Yet his brain disregarded it. It gave him excuses. Reasons to not notice. The mind a strange and glorious machine, once it has realized its' program, attempts to corrupt the metaphorical file are met with tension, anger and distress. Efforts are made to 'make right' what was wronged.

They all did it in one manner or another. Found themselves in a room that they did not recall entering, they merely ambled on. Those times they entered the room for something and then forgot what they had come for. Wore clothes they forgot they bough. Find a friend that knew them but they could not place the face. It was not once or twice, it was dozens of times over. Hundreds for Alexander, just he forgot noticing. He forgot he remembered even.

Alexander made no secret that reality had just unraveled, fracturing his mind. Shouting. Crying. The pain of time lost, never to be regained. Was it squandered? The progress he made, the attachments he never fostered. The good and the bad, all gone. But there were snippets, things that did not match. Headmaster Lear, not that the boy had seen him in a long time, but to the boy it likely felt like a week, was the Head of Hufflepuff, not the Headmaster of the school. Dmitri was in class with him, no his housemate was a third year. He was a bit taller than his classmates? Wasn't Professor Swaftborn the Flight Professor. Acklery Blackburn the Charms Professor? Whatever happened to them? Could he even name the present Professor roster? It was unlikely.

One of the houselves, not Canbrey would approach the shattered young man. "Mr. Varellion, calm yourself with a cup," the small elf would gingerly pick up the the small cup and waddle towards the panicked boy. Alexander brandished his wand,amazing how such a small length of hardwood would make him feel safe. Feel powerful. Did he know that house elves were prohibited from owning or using a wand, that was something only human wizards could use. Not that house elves were powerless, they had a magic of their own but they had no focus for their power like humans did.

No, back away. Back away now!

"FLI-FLI-FLIPENDO !!!"

The elf would be shot back, away from Alexander and would crash into a stack of pots. The clatter loud enough to deafen some. "Besley! Besley are you hurt?"

"No, Besley is fine. Fine," the house elf winced. The liquid spilled onto the floor. It looked innocuous enough. It did not eat through stone, release steam, sizzle or act of its own accord. A pair of house elves would help the fallen elf stand.



"No need to worry Mr. Varellion.
Atcher will make it better.
We want to help you forever."



A small handful of house elves had focused their attention on the one young boy. His friend Aida understood it, well she grasped the concept to some extent. Freedom was not enough for a house elf. It was like liberating a woman from 'domestic hell' by our 'civilized standards'. Converting savages. The imposition of our standards on another, taking away their liberty of choice. While it was questionable how one could be happy with the way things were before S.P.E.W., things were still to this day not fair. Elves were still not treated as peers. They were not given the same rights and protections as other wizards. Furthermore, they were not given a choice in the matter. They were free-- by wizard definitions. However, their culture was based on something completely different. They had a purpose, a reason. Something humans, wizard and muggle suffer with their entire life times -- the why and the what. The where and there where.

A servant by choice, not vocation. Not for pay but for the dignity and respect they give themselves for it. Service being a reflection of love. Who they serve, perhaps would have been a better choice. Their pride was taken from them, they little that they had those decades ago.

The question of course is then -- why do this to the Professors and the kids?

That is something that would take a lot more consideration. An answer that they would likely not find surrounded by a dozen, no a few dozen house elves. Celynne Gray had consumed the drink, somehow realizing that her mind was being addled. She would try to cast Reparifors on herself. A simple enough of a charm, something that reverts one back to what they were. If only it were that easy to undo this loss. A cure-all Reparifors was not. And while she tried to be subtle about it, whispering the incantation for the charm, it was hard to hide a wand as well as the movements involved with a proper cast.

In fact all three of them had their wands out. Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood has also drawn her wand. She would looks at elves, seeking something out of the ordinary. Many of the house elves were still busying themselves with the evening meal. They seemed unfussed by the drama on the floor of their kitchen. As if they had seen it before. As if it was hardly a bother. There were others trying to soothe Alex and they were closing in on him. The house elf that had been flipopendo'd across the kitchen was already standing, mildly rattled. He did not look like much of a fighter, none of them did really. However they were numerous. why weren't they using their superior numbers to overwhelm the trio? Force them to take the drink. The drink that Miss Gray had already partaken. She seemed fine, even if she had decided to realize that there was something wrong.

"Let her out."

The elf called Canbrey announced, gesturing towards Celynne.

"In the direction of the dorms this time."[/color]

He reminded them, a point to his voice as he said that. Yes, they were letting her leave, as the fluid warmed her insides and felt good. Soothing. Calming. But more importantly foggy. Not like an amnesiac that just woke from a decade long sleep, but rather this haze over her mind. It was hard to think. Hard to develop even a want. The house elf appeared frustrated. They had been through this cycle several times today, usually once is enough. At this rate these kids were going to start having long, in depth conversations with their cauldrons if they were not careful.

"Canbrey just wants to make you feel better. Calmer." He would take a pair of cups and carry them over towards Alexander and Aida. Drink and the panic goes away. The fear and the hurt. Canbrey takes very good care of you young Varellion and Ellwood."

The door to the kitchen would open, the house elf would gesture for Celynne to leave. "I can walk you Miss Gray."

@Alexander Varellion, @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood, @Celynne Gray.

• 1 elf Flippendo'd.
• Cel tried to fix herself, it did not do anything. She is feeling foggy, a bit happy.
• Elves offer to let Cel leave. Open door.
• Elves are converging upon Alex and Aida, trying to get them to drink.
• Aida is starting to understand them, the environment through her observations suggests that this experience is not a new thing. Be it them or other students, the elves have a been-there-done-that sort of demeanor.

-

A shower of purple sparks descended around her, and she let her wand down. As their violet light faded into her skin, she closed her eyes, waiting for the magic to work—trying to hold on for just long enough for the haziness to disappear—

[center]And then, of course, nothing happened.[/center]

A violent shock of confusion ran through her, but she barely recognized it before another wave of cloudy comfort washed over her, soothing and sickly sweet. Everything was okay, wasn't it? Her stomach didn't hurt anymore. She couldn't remember what she had just been doing, but that was okay, she really didn't want to use the energy to think about it. Her eyes fluttered closed a few times.

Something knocked an elf backwards across the kitchen. "Bes... Besley?" she muttered. Was that the name that she'd heard? "Are you okay?" She couldn't tell if her voice was loud enough to carry across the room or not. Maybe she was... tired. Yes, tired, she should go rest soon. She remembered her stomach hurting before... didn't she just have that thought?... but it was all better now, so maybe she should sleep off the drowsiness... yes, tea made you drowsy, right? It was late, anyway. Or—was it late? Yes, she was sure it was late. She felt tired. Oh, no, she needed to get back before cur...few? Was that what she had been about to think? Cel shook her head, trying desperately to clear her thoughts—but not because she thought she was in danger. She needed to... rest.

"...Canbey?" she murmured, syllables still crisp despite her state, as the elf offered to walk her back to her dorm. "What about, what about them?" she asked, pointing at the two figures who were too tall to be house elves too. Who were they? She couldn't tell. She didn't remember. One of them had white hair... some name starting with an A? Her brain prodded at her, told her she knew them. They looked familiar. But who... were they? She shook her head again, trying to get up and stop leaning her weight on the table. The first try she failed, stumbling across the stone a little, the second try she succeeded, though only barely, swaying slightly on her feet.

Foggy. Hazy. A billion questions shifted through her mind, not like the usual whirling hurricane, more like the slow-creeping morning fog from... a city, in her memories... a long time ago? How long ago? Her thoughts churned, folding over one another, each one blurring into the next as she furrowed her brow and touched a hand to her head, trying to think clearly. Canbey was right... she should go... she stumbled towards the door.

STAMINA 5
EVASION 8
STRENGTH 2
WISDOM 11
ARCPOWER 10

ACCURACY 9
ABILITIES Prodigial DADA and Perfectionist I

ACTIONS none yet because shes literally gonna walk right out if nobody warns her

-

Mentions: @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood

Alexander's mind whirled, unsure of anything. Distrusting all of these things around him. Then Aida spoke. She spoke about the moon. But the moon was just a metaphor, on how the truth was still there. And that she would be there to find him. Alexander's mind latched onto her words like a drowning sailor would grip a rope from a ship. And he pulled willing himself to focus on Aida's words. But far more importantly, on her sentiment. On the idea of someone standing with him, even though he was unsure of anything. Alexander saw the look in Aida's eyes, of kindness and a genuine will to help. A rock against the waves of confusion and malice around him.

Alexander was still crying, tears going down his eyes. He looked at the elves surrounding him, offering to help. Such a contrast. Two offers to help. One genuine and something to rely and trust on, the other lies. The house elves did not wish to help. They only wished to make him suffer. To make him suffer and to make him forget everything. Now Alexander pulled himself up the rope that Aida had offered him. His mind once more focusing and becoming clearer. Driven on by a combination of gratitude and friendship and of ANGER

Alexander looked around the room for the second time. He gave Aida a genuine and thankful smile, and he softly whispered. "Thank you"

His eyes then focused and Alexander went straight. Still not totally recovered but led on rightful (in his opinion) anger and even a small amount of hatred. Hatred at these things wishing him to be ignorant and having lost all that he knew. So willing to take away his memories. All that he knew.
Then Alexander thought about how he could hurt them the most and get out of this whole situation. Clearly force would not work, and the elves clearly did not care about force. It did not make them suffer, no, it didn't.

Then his mind thought about what he had read in History of Magic and Fantastic Beasts. That knowledge still clear in his head.

What house elves valued the most was to serve. To be loyal and to please their master. In this case Hogwarts. They prided themselves on serving loyally.

And as such ALexander knew that to truly try to hurt them he had to do something to stain their one and true wish. To serve.

So Alexander looked at all the elves approaching him. Eager to help, perhaps in their eyes kind in their own twisted way. He almost ignored the elf that had reached out to him. Just one amongst the things.

He looked each elf in the eyes. A cold, focused and furious look in his eyes.

If only looks could kill....

If only...

Then with a similarly cold and angry tone Alexander spoke.

"House elves of Hogwarts, have you no shame"

"For centuries your ancestors have served this noble institution. Doing their duties and helping the school prosper."

"How disgusted would they be if they saw you ?"

"You have NOT served this institution and it's student. Rather you have taken the trust that this school has emplaced upon you and used it as toilet paper."

As Alexander spoke he felt a small feeling in his chest, just making the words flow from his head. A direct connection between his mouth and his brain.

"You have harmed the students enplaced in your care. Stripped them of their memories, their dreams, their identity. You have taken it all away from them. Taken from them what they value the most.
You have betrayed Hogwarts. Betrayed it in every way that matters. Betrayed the trust of the staff and more importantly the students themselves. Those whose future is shaped here. "

Then Alexander spoke in a viciously sarcastic tone, "And you have shaped it. In the worst, possible, way "

He looked each elf in the eye for the third time. An almost symbolic number. Considered holy by some religions. The holy trinity, the Trimurti, etc.

"If any of you have any shred of loyalty left. Then BY MERLIN, tell us what has possesed all of you to do this ?"

"What has made you turn against Hogwarts ?"

Actions: Making an over-dramatic teenage speech. And of course insulting the house elves.
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers
Stats:
Stamina: 5
Evasion: 9
Strength: 3
Wisdom: 4
Arc Power: 6
Accuracy: 8
Total: 35

From behind, the sound of a spell fizzling out with a failed cast caused Aida to look over at Celynne, who had her wand out.

"Let her out." Said Canbey, gesturing towards Celynne. "In the direction of the dorms this time."

Well then, Aida’s suspicions appeared to be confirmed. This was not the first time this had happened. Perhaps last time they had drunk the juice, and this time they were having the tea forced on them. One does not “let someone out” in any particular direction. Not unless that person is being controlled… and if there was one thing Aida hated in this world, it was being controlled. Confinement in a physical sense was excruciating, yes, but mental confinement was the worst kind of control to be subjected to. It was the ultimate invasion of self, leaving no room even in one’s mind-- that one final place where someone could have a sacred place to escape into. The mind was the last place you could preserve your freedom in this world when you had nothing else left– and these house elves appeared to be violating it. Aida continued to hold the knife in her pocket, as she had been doing for several minutes.

Alexander’s torment seemed ever more understandable as with each step the elves were becoming more forceful and it was increasingly apparent that the students had been under the elves’ mental control for some time. Were the elves responsible for what was happening to Alexander now? It was all so unclear, yet, Aida concluded that the elves were warping their memories and thus reality… and that was unforgivable, even for a creature. What had Aida said before, by the swing? Something to the extent that creatures had never mentally abused her the way humans had. Well, then, wasn’t this exceptional? A creature that could mentally harm Aida. She had a choice here to either categorize these house elves differently, as “not a creature,” or she could have her paradigm broken and come to believe that she was not safe from mental abuse from creatures either. That no one was safe to be around. A world where there was no safe “black” within black-and-white categories. A world with grey areas meant that no one could be completely trusted. Aida thought back to her head-of-house and former astronomy teacher, the dhampir. She had always felt safer around him, and other humanoids who were not human, simply because she had been putting them in the same box as the creatures she grew up with... those creatures who were not full of guile and torturous manipulations like so many humans were… If creatures were to hurt you they would do it honestly, Aida had thought. A creature would not lie to you, she thought… but these elves were clearly not what they were pretending to be. The suppressed irritation in their voices made it clear they were not being forthcoming. Before she could reach a conclusion, however, Aida was interrupted as reality had continued to move on without her.

“Drink and the panic goes away. The fear and the hurt,” said Canbey, carrying a pair of cups towards her and Alexander.

“HE SAID, STAY BACK!” yelled Aida at Canbey, pointing her wand in the elf’s direction while her other hand grasped her knife firmly and secretly in her pocket. Canbey was obviously not taking orders. You could not trust him to do what he was asked. “If you try to lay a hand on him, I will hurt you gravely,” growled Aida with rage. Alexander was a human. Why should she trust him?

Alexander then began looking at each elf in the eyes with a cold fury. It was a sinister look. Aida understood from that hateful glare that Alexander severely did not want to be controlled either, and his fury resonated deafeningly inside her own heart. At that time, Celynne began stumbling around in the direction of the door. She was massively swaying– she must be under their control to be obeying them like this. Intolerable, concluded Aida.

“You must not go!” Aida yelled to Celynne. “We have been here before. They have done this to us before. We can’t let this continue. They are controlling us.” Alexander then began speaking too, addressing the elves with a voice dripping with venom, prompting Aida to stand such that she was facing the opposite direction as Alexander: his back was parallel to hers (but she did not invade his personal space) so that they would together be able to watch for an attack from any and all angles.

If any elf or elves were to try to touch Alexander or Aida, if no disarming attempt is made Aida will attack that character with her concealed knife. If Aida’s wand becomes disarmed she will attack anyone who is trying to touch her or Alexander with the knife. If Aida’s knife becomes disarmed she will attempt to cast incendio at anyone trying to touch Alexander or herself. If any of the elves try to touch Celynne she will shout a warning at Celynne and attack the offending character with red sparks into their eyes (trying to be careful not to hurt Cel).

What was the basis for Aida’s trust in any of them? It didn’t matter at this point. Aida’s heart understood better than her mind. She would absolutely not let them hurt Alexander anymore, and she wouldn’t allow any of them to be compelled by these beings any longer.

Action: Stand ready to attack if any of them are touched (as detailed above)
Character Stats:
Stamina✵ 5, Evasion✵ 5, Strength✵ 4, Wisdom✵ 8, Arcane Power✵ 9, Accuracy✵ 4
Ability: Blindvision
Hit Points: 500/500
Color code: #351C75

@Celynne Gray was 'medicated', pliable and compliant. That is what the house elves wanted for the child, a harmless dismissal. Return to her room, take a nap and tomorrow would come has the previous had. She would be fine. Time loss something that happens in humans all the time, not that it was ever normal. Just, humans had a habit of explaining things away. Forgot I left that there. Must be a common face. I feel like I have done this before, what am overactive imagination. It was easier that way, to just go with the flow and to believe.

They were letting her leave, simple as that. A simple guide and she would tramp up the stairs she had climbed a thousand times before. She knew the way, it was mechanical. Instinctual. It would be like those moments where she walked into a room and forgot the reason why. Where she had come from, what she was doing a bit hazy even. The brain rattles off a few things - hunger, thirst, socialization. It simply meanders its way through Maslow's Hierarchy until something catches your fancy. Must have been that, ignore the sinking feeling of dread.

It was simple, drink and be done with it. Be gone. An elf would extend his hand to the little girl. Big eyes and a thin, gentle smile. Who are they? "It does not matter much now does it? The elf replied as if they were returning a child back to bed after a nightmare. "But their names are Aida and Alexander," the elf replied casually. Words they had perhaps said before. No pause, no contemplation. They knew their names, just as they knew young Celynne's.

@Alexander Varellion was no longer willing he was no longer compliant. With the power of anime protagonist speeches the young boy would call shame upon the elves. Upon the elves families. Upon their cows. For generations house elves had served their great wizarding masters. They only wanted the best for them. They only wanted to see them happy and safe. They chose to stay with families in spite of mistreatment and abuse. They chose a life of service and servitude. It was more than a way of life, it was their source of honor and pride.

Did the House Elves do this of their own accord?



It was not Alexander, that was for certain. The elves were deferential for the most part, to their masters. They spoke with respect to most, a second or even third class citizen. There were a great many things for the house elves to be angry over. But why make the children and professors forget? What was there to gain? They could have simply poisoned their food, made them fall ill. They could have done so much, so why this?

The elf would try to appeal to Alexander. Drink and things will become easier. The worry and the fear. The pain and the torment. Just drink this elixir and all would be well once again, At least for a little while. Yet the agitation was welling up. Aida was acting aggressively. Posturing with her wand. Telling Celynne to not escape. To not take the fight to someplace outside their realm.

The elves would not attack. Rather simply insist. "You won't like what you have become. What you are. What you will be." Was that elf telling him what was or what will be?

"Dangerous," an elf commented. A snap of the finger and the wand was in her back pocket, holster, wherever it was that she kept her wand. Elves were powerful magical beings in their own right. Underutilized, underrepresented. Oddly, no terrifyingly powerful considering what they could do without a wand it was a wonder what they could do with a focus in their grip.

"Canbey is only trying to help. Help you all," the Elf appeared to urge reason but gave none. Some might see this as a valuable means of escape. Drink and be free. However, if they drank they would forget what threatened them. They would return to the same cycle they had been in for an indeterminate time. However nobody was holding them down, nobody was forcing it down their gullets.

They could try to fight them, attack a unit of magical creatures with their first through third year spells. They could just drink the potion and forget everything that they knew. They could make a run for it, try to break away from the House Elves. Regroup. Get help, IF they could get their help to believe them. Try to convince them of the error of their ways with limited information, less insight.

There were no good options here for them.

TDR;

IC this group is aware that the House Elves are tainting drinks (possibly food) with something to make them forgetful. The House Elves appear to be under their own power.

Aida made it sound in her narration as if she believes that the House Elves are not what they seem.

Aida still has her hidden knife. Aida still has her wand, it is just in her pocket. They did not attempt to take her wand away.

Celynne, possibly left with the House Elf?

Alexander gave a heroic monologue.

OOC: DAMN YOU LEAR !!! YOU AND YOUR OBSCURE CLUES !!! (Just good-natured frustration. We're really trying to figure out what is going on and it's intriguing

Alexander let out a breath of annoyance and frustration. WHAT WAS IT WITH THOSE DAMN ELVES ?!!! Why did they have to be so mysterious. What motivation did they have. They clearly wanted them to forget something but what ? Clearly the house elves would not tell. They clearly had no loyalty to the students or the general institution of Hogwarts. But then, who did they answer to ? The Headmaster ? Solomon Lear ? But from what he had heard, theman had been missing for quite a bit. Had the disappeared headmaster something to do with this ?

He then looked at the house elves and whilst they urged him to drink they didn't force him to do anything, but why ? They clearly had the numbers. And if they did not force them to drink now, then hadn't they forced them to do something similar beforehand ? Might this all be consentual ? Nah ridiculous. WHy would they consent to something like that, unless they had seen something. Maybe something to do with Headmaster Lear.

But that did not explain why the elves said something about what they had become ?

Had they done something bad ?

Something they could not remember ?

BUT WHAT !!!

Alexander just stood there, thinking, pretty sure that the house elves couldn't force them to do anything. So he mostly stood there and thought.

He was quite sure now that it was something to do with Headmaster Lear. Him disappearing and the house elves, who might have been loyal to him as headmaster of Hogwarts, were acting strange like this. Maybe this had something to do with his disappearance. But what and how. How would them forgetting everything be related to the man.

And why was the man missing in the first place ? Then a thought jumped into Alexander's mind.
Was the man simply missing or was he perhaps hiding ?But why would the man hide.

Maybe the man was hiding from something. Something out to get him or the Hogwarts students.
Then Alexander tried to connect this information with what the house elves had said.

From what the house elves implied they might have done something bad. Become bad or were so. He couldn't imagine being that willingly, but maybe they had been threatened or the Imperius had been used on them. Maybe the house elves thought that they helped them by making it so that they didn't remember what they had done.

So Alexander's mind had a basic sequence of events in his mind. Almost without thinking, and without realizing it, he said it out loud:
"
- We have done something bad (perhaps under the Imperius)
- This thing might be related to Headmaster Lear. Maybe they were used by something hunting for him
- The house elves were in some way still serving Lear
- The house elves gave them a substance to make them forget
- The house elves thought they were helping them.
- We might have seen something horrible
"

And so Alexander went through his mind. Furrowing his brows in frustration and trying to think. Trying to see if he could remember. He felt this gut feeling of dread in his stomach but was it merely from this whole situation or something else. Something he couldn't remember. So Alexander tried to remember. Trying to recount his darkest memories. Things that were linked to existential dread. Stuff that would make his stomach cold and his mind horrified.

Alexander forced himself to

Remember

Actions: Trying to remember what they had done/what happened to them. Exploring the dread they felt in general and any thoughts related to them.
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers
Stats:
Stamina: 5
Evasion: 9
Strength: 3
Wisdom: 4
Arc Power: 6
Accuracy: 8
Total: 35

OOC: I think this might be something to do with Lear's wife. With Lear hiding from her and the kids having done something for her.(Just something for you to laugh about how wrong we are)

Aida listened as Alexander listed his thoughts aloud. As she thought about his words, the voices of the house elves echoed in her head. "You won't like what you have become. What you are. What you will be." "It does not matter much now does it?” "Canbey is only trying to help. Help you all."

One thing was certain, if Canbey’s “help” was to cause her to forget, Aida wanted no part of it. Something had deprived Alexander of his memories, and it was ripping him apart. They needed more information, badly, not to lose information.

“Who are your masters?” asked Aida, blunt as usual. “What do you really want? Have you been wronged?” She did not appreciate having had her wand disarmed, but she controlled her sense of disgust, deciding not to reach for it again in order to reinforce a peaceful atmosphere.

Aida knew in her heart that she was not interested in forgetting anything, no matter how terrible, about her past, nor anyone else's. No matter what she had done, as the house elves alluded to, and no matter what they said... she was a Ravenclaw and her modus operandi was to use information in the formation of strategies. Having knowledge concealed, or worse, stolen from her, was never something she would accept.

“What were we doing when you saw us before? Why do we keep coming here?” Aida expected more mysterious answers from the elves who already were clearly hiding things from them. However Aida would give them a chance to not force the elves and the wizard children into two opposing camps. There was still a chance that they had a common enemy. “Are you house elves happy with your situation, and if not, why? Are you forced to do something you don’t want to do?”

Aida heard Alexander falling silent as he grew deeper into thought. Turning around, she saw him focusing.

If the elves approached and tried to touch any of the students, Aida would act as described in her previous post. Else, Aida would join Alexander in trying to remember what had happened during all that lost time.

Action: Stand ready to attack if any of them are touched (as detailed above). If no one tries to touch them, try to remember what they have been doing during their lost time.
Character Stats:
Stamina✵ 5, Evasion✵ 5, Strength✵ 4, Wisdom✵ 8, Arcane Power✵ 9, Accuracy✵ 4 (stat change pending.)
Ability: Blindvision, Sixth Sense (approved).
Hit Points: 500/500
Color code: #351C75