Errand closed Sweet Dreams, Fellow Insomniacs

Sleep. You could not live with it, and you certainly could not live without it. For those suffering from insomnia, sleep was always an elusive concept. Insomniacs were never awake nor asleep, they just were-hanging in limbo, forever dancing in that grey area of dormancy, and consciousness. They were ghost, phantoms, zombies, ghouls- beings that craved something that they could never truly have. Slaves, to a concept that would always be out of reach. Sometimes, a rare few would find rest, but it was never the same. Not really. Thus many were left to wander, forever left to dream, without learning what it felt like to really dream. Sleep. It was a cruel master. It always had been. It always would be. That was simply the nature of sleep. Xailah was an insomniac, partly by choice, partly by nature- she had always been an nocturnal creature, a product of the night mother. Choice- who was she kidding? She no longer had a choice in the matter. She was an addict. There were no choices for her anymore. She craved the feeling of tiredness, in the same way a smoker craved that one last cigarette. Its the last one, I promise. She couldn't go on forever, without the sliver of control that she once had.

So when she heard rumor of an event centered around sleep- if one could even call it an event- that was to be hosted by the shiny, new Astronomy Professor; she decided that attending would be beneficial to her. It was time to try and get some of that lost control back- or at least learn how to. That was what she had said, in order to convince herself into attending the gathering, anyways. She knew that it was just another excuse to stay up, and slip by the strict curfew that had been set in place. It was just another escape- a reason to not be in the dormitory. No more. No less. Like a few others, Xailah would arrive late to the (slumber) party. Thats what exhaustion will do to a person- make them late. A minor side effect, when put into perspective with the health issues that would arise in the long run. She would patter up the staircase to Astronomy, in a phlegmatic fashion. Her ever loyal companion, Schrödinger, sloshed up the stairs next to her. A strange warmth would greet the duo, once they stepped inside of the circular classroom. Xailah would subconsciously gravitate towards the source of the welcoming warmth. During her trek, she would spy a small table, displaying several small bottles. She had to check them out. Each tiny bottle had a label. Next to the bottles, sat a little card, with clean lettering scrawled across it.

Take one. That was what the card read. Was it some sort of joke? Take one, was obviously an invitation to take five- at the very least. At the Halloween errand last year- goodness, last year already- there had been a sign in the Astronomy area for the Trick-or-Treaters. It read like this current one- Take one! Oh, but Xailah had an irritating itch to scratch, and cared little for the words on the card. She had taken three candies that night. The consequence? She got the opportunity to walk around with bright orange hair for a few minutes. It wasn't too horrible. Orange hair was an easy thing to pass off as a costume piece, during Hallows Eve. Though, not so easy during a (somewhat) normal, run-of-the-mill, educational gathering. While there was no clear evidence of the little phials being hexed, the Gryffindor couldn't help but be just a little suspicious. Acting cautiously, she would take one. And then another. For Schrödinger of course. Cats like tiny, smelly, bottles too. With a phial obtained, she would seek out a spot where she and Schrödinger, could sit undisturbed. They would find one- a quiet space between bookshelves.

Xailah was calm- on the inside. On the outside, her rich, brown tresses squirmed, and writhed, like a fistful of dying snakes. Was there a Dhampir around? A Vampire perhaps? The... feeling, that was making her hair do a jagged dance, was often connected with those who were associated with the undead. At least from her experience. Occasionally, your average living person, would emit the aura- but seeing as it was rare, maybe those people weren't exactly average. Either way, the feeling existed- its presence was known in the room. Xailah had an odd relationship with the presence. It was something that had been meant to drive people away- and yet, Xailah was often inclined to seek out the source and stand in its vicinity. She was not fearless- no, she was very much capable of being afraid. She simply found security in what others could not. The source would not be sought out this time, but it was good to know that there was someone in the Astronomy tower that could keep the scarier people away.

Interacting with @Cassandra Ironwoods

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The Outfit

The Stuffed

Starlee couldn't help but hold in a giggle when she noticed Cash take a second vial of essential oil, instead of just the one. Starlee grabbed one as well, lavender, but more for its smell and not so much for future sleeping needs.

The lecture that Professor Chiadovini had begun to discuss was quite long, but Starlee still found it rather interesting. She honestly had no idea that so much happened inside your brain while you were asleep. She figured, as probably most 11-year-olds did, that the brain simply shut off. She watched intently as the professor showed them how it all worked with these foggy clouds above them. Simply fascinating really. Plus, that Nebula was rather relaxing to watch as well. Starlee held her stuffed cat close to her as she watched.

As the professor moved on to techniques to help sleep, Starlee figured it was best not to try them. Otherwise, she would be out like a light. She observed other students doing so however, some seeming to almost fall asleep themselves. She smiled, happy that this was certainly helping some people. However, she couldn't help but glance at Cash every so often, wondering if the relaxing atmosphere and sleeping tips that Professor Chiadovini was mentioning were helping Cash at all. She wasn't so sure that they were. She knew that something was up.

After the lecture, she hunkered down into her sleeping back and fully turned her attention to Cash. Cash responded a simple "Yeah" to her question. However, it wasn't in the usual tone that Starlee had become accustomed to in their first semester at Hogwarts. She looked over at the older student, wondering if she should say anything. That was when she noticed a sniffle from Cash, as the room wasn't that loud, and she looked to find tears running down their cheeks. Starlee gasped a little, realizing her idol, the cool, purple-haired quidditch beater, was crying. The mood was quite in contrast to the happy "In Pizza We Crust" pajama set and adorable puppy dog slippers she had.

She shuffled closer to Cash, the best she could in her sleeping bag, and whispered, "Cash... what's wrong? Ever since the holiday break... something has been... off. Did something happen?" She said this as calmly and cooly as she could, but she quickly added in doubt of herself, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay..." Starlee knew a little bit about Cash's life, like that she came from a very upstanding Pureblood family and that she was a parselmouth. Of course, she wouldn't mention the second out loud, but she couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with that. She leaned away some from the older student, worried about their answer, but certainly ready to listen if Cash was ready to tell the little first year.

WC: 476
342 + 476 = 818/800
Errand Complete, will continue to post

Rhea's mind during the night hours with a wicked storm. Her head ached from the hurricane swirling around inside, waves of salt water crashing against the walls of her skull. Winds picked up and tossed her thoughts all about. She felt so trapped in her own head, in the torturous cacophony of cogitation, that sleep continued to evade her, to the point where she was forced to diagnose herself with insomnia.

She did not know if insomnia was something you diagnosed. Probably not. She wasn’t qualified to be diagnosing anybody anyway.

It was late, painfully (but not catastrophically) late, and Rhea had been able to find no comfortable position on her little bed. Back home, hers was so much worse, and the comfort of this mattress had been heavenly at first. Now she tossed and turned like she had her whole life. There was no comfort in the cushion that cradled her; her spindly shoulders still bent wrong when she tried to lay on them.

Eventually she had given up. The young girl threw off the covers in frustration, and stood up as quietly as she could manage while still maintaining a gruff disposition. She usually enjoyed living in her mind- not everyone could say they were as clever as she- but there were times when it became too much to bear.

No, not too much. She was not so weak as to not be able to withstand being in her own head.

Rhea did not know where she was going, or how long she had walked: she had simply wandered, bare feet hitting the ground rhythmically, hair a mess, her nightgown hanging loosely around her frail figure. She must have looked like a skeleton, or a child ghost. Not that there was anyone around to perceive that.

There might have been, actually. Rhea wouldn’t have known. She was too immersed in her own labyrinthine rumination.

Her thoughts were too vague to grasp onto or to elaborate on; like wisps of smoke, they drifted in and out. Actually, that was not totally accurate. They were more like the winds of a vicious cyclone. The storm metaphor from earlier had been right on, she thought with mild satisfaction.

It was not long before Rhea found herself approaching the astronomy tower. She was not surprised, exactly, but found it interesting that she had gravitated towards that location in particular. Yet, she found a growing interest in exploring it.

Would she get in trouble if caught? Somehow, that didn’t feel important. She was too tired to care, probably.

Rhea tiptoed lightly up towards the door, the pads of her feet barely making contact with the cool ground. Her ability to walk so silently was among the few reasons she was grateful for her slight figure, the lack or weight or muscle on her bones. She wondered if other people thought she looked like a bobblehead: a round skull and square jaw balanced on top of her thin, scrawny neck and shoulders. If you thought about it, her neck should’ve gained muscles over the years, having to support that big head of hers.

There was a metaphor in there somewhere. Rhea wished she were better with metaphors.

Now, she stood before the doors, her experience beforehand merely a memory. How was it that she had climbed up the spiraling staircase without thinking or even breaking a sweat? She touched her forehead, feeling the moisture that had gathered there with some interest. So it had been difficult, then. Why hadn’t she noticed?

Most likely being that deep in your thoughts was enough of a distraction from painful physical exertion. The human brain was so fascinating.

Without another thought, she opened the door and was rooted to the spot at the sight that greeted her.

There were people there. Students. Also, the Astronomy professor, Chiadovini. It wasn’t extremely crowded- there could've been more than twenty children- but why? Why was there anyone there? Also, most of them appeared to be wearing pajamas.

Something clicked inside Rhea’s mind. She remembered seeing a flyer, or some type of paper, describing an event. Something about insomnia? Was that really tonight? That was an odd coincidence, she had just been thinking about the phenomenon of that particular disorder.

She surveyed the group of people, the low murmur of voices, the overall sleepy air. Well, she supposed, it was worth a shot.

Rhea slipped inside, suddenly aware of how cold she was. The assemblage provoked her anxiety, the sounds and smells emanating from them like needles stabbing into her skin. Her feet tingled. That was her fight or flight reflex. She couldn’t stop picturing all the people with their soft skin and gazillions of germs multiplying and pressing against her body. Claustrophobia? Germaphobia? Whatever, she needed air.

Rhea slipped through the room, hugging herself and shivering violently. This was one of the moments where she wished she was composed of more than feeble skin and bone. Goosebumps sprung up on her arms and legs, her body’s natural reflex to the cold. It was the muscles attached to the hairs on her limbs tensing. Since she was human and did not have fur to stick upright, it did nothing for her condition, and might as well have made her colder. The worst part was, the room was actually quite warm, as she could feel on the tips of her fingers, but she was still freezing on the inside.

She walked over to the observation deck (deliberately avoiding the professor- he could be rather intimidating sometimes) and couldn’t help but gaze up at the stars. It was a very clement day, not a cloud in the sky to block out the vast majority of stars. The night was beautiful, she acquiesced, smiling reluctantly.

Rhea looked down and was greeted with the sight of a familiar dark mane of hair and a nose buried in a book. It was her friend Calypso, the soft-spoken perfect student that she had spent so much of her time with at Hogwarts. It shouldn't've been a surprise at all to catch her here.

Rhea reached out and tapped her friend on the shoulder. “Hey, Cal,” she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. It really was cold.

Credit for storyline inspiration goes to the fabulous @Calypso Starling

WC: 1067/800
Complete

Reducio

What Calypso brought/wore

Interacting with @Rhea Miller

"Hey, Cal."
"Hey, Rhea. Come sit?" Calypso's friend sat beside her, shivering in the frigid night air. She wore only a pair of pajamas and some old slippers. Since Cal already had a jacket, the young girl figured it wouldn't hurt to give her friend her blanket. "Here, I don't need it." Rhea looked as if about to protest, but when a fresh burst of wind swept over the observation deck, she took it, mumbling her thanks.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Cal, her gaze aimed up toward the sky. The luminous crescent moon. The stars. As beautiful as sunny days were, for her, nothing could top a sky full of stars. I wonder what else could be out there, she thought. Or who else.

She imagined a band of otherworldly beings living on a faraway planet, and how they would differ from the humans down here on earth.
They wouldn't speak English, for starters. Maybe they would communicate telepathically? And not in words but in feelings. Instead of sight maybe they use intuition? Or, they exist in a way we couldn't even begin to comprehend. Or on a different plane of existence, or in a different universe or an alternate reality, where the laws of physics and the common understanding of being is entirely shifted from our own. And maybe-

"Yes," Rhea said, snapping Calypso out of her thoughts. Amidst her ponderings, Cal had almost forgotten about the question she had posed.

"Wha- huh?" Very eloquent, Calypso. "I mean, it is. Sorry, mental tangent."

At this, Rhea let out a quiet laugh, trying and failing to stifle it.
Her mirth left Cal feeling a little defensive. "What?"

Her fellow Gryffindor's laugh trailed off. "Sorry, it's just...very relatable, what you just said."

Calypso smiled. It wasn't hard to imagine her quiet, logical friend lost in her own mind, mentally a thousand miles away.

"What were you thinking about, anyway?" Rhea asked. Then, quickly, "Sorry, you don't have to answer that."

Cal shrugged. "No, it's fine." A grin. "I was thinking about aliens. Foreign life forms, actually. And how they might relate to and differ from humans. Like, we think we're so smart, but what if, in comparison to other beings, we're less intelligent than worms? And what if they exist in a more profound way, like with a 5th dimension or something? Then we'd really be inferior. Or maybe not. Just because we may not have as much depth, does that make us less important?"

Rhea's face was complatative and a bit shocked-looking, and her head was tilted.

"What?"

Rhea shook her head. "It's just that, I dunno, that's really...profound."

"Um..thanks." Cal felt suddenly self-conscious. A beat of silence. "...Do you think alien life exists?" she asked.

"Definitely," her friend responded immediately. "Think about it this way: we don't know if the Universe is infinite, but even if it isn't, we're so small in comparison to us that to us, it might as well be." Cal nodded, showing she followed. Rhea continued.

"Look up. That must be millions of stars. And those are just the ones we can see. There are many many galaxies, and of all those multitudes of stars, think about how many have planets. Now, of all those planets, how many do you think are the right distance away from their stars to support life?"

"Um, A lot?" said Cal.

Rhea laughed a little. "Yeah, a lot. Out of those, there has to be life on some. And probably some intelligent life, too. Also, it is pure narcissism to believe that all this," she gestured to the sky with both arms, "Exists just for us."


Calypso smiled and shook her head.
"That is what I call profound. And it must have been the most I've heard you talk at once."

Now it was Rhea's turn to look self-conscious. "I uh, just like science a lot. The facts, they're...comforting.

Cal nodded appreciatively. "I get that. There's a comfort in what's known. But for me, it's the philosophical side to the discussion that I love. The not knowing, but guessing. Thinking. Exploring." She got a far-off look in her eye, but after a second, shook her head as if clearing a fog from it. "Sorry. That was- that was really cheesy." She giggled, and after a second Rhea joined her. Soon, both girls were laughing uncontrollably. When they had stopped, Rhea said, "But it's not cheesy, though. I mean, ok, a little, but it's also kinda...great. That's your thing. One of them, anyway. Not everyone has that."

Huh, thought Cal. She's right.


Rhea and Calypso sat there, at the highest point of Hogwarts Castle, under the stars. They talked, and also sat in silence. And just then, with the moon watching over them, Calypso felt as at home as she had since arriving at Hogwarts.

Reducio

Permission to god-mod given by @Rhea Miller. Also, I realize I used a lot of dialogue, but Rhea and I went over the post and she agreed to it.

Word count (with dialogue): 540 + 818 = 1358
Word count (without dialogue): 540 + 517 = 1057

[font=century gothic]INTERACTING WITH @Jackson Valentine | MENTIONING Kelsey Brumby[/font]

The dejection in the tone of his voice hit her more profoundly than she might have expected. Where else could he belong? Really, it was a question that she had asked herself countless times over the last year. Memories returned to her of the multitude of events that had built up her doubt. Although she still likely remained one of the less impacted of her peers, many of her experiences were those that never should be experienced by anyone of their age. Ultimately, she had decided that wherever she belonged, it wasn't here in the wizarding world. It couldn't be. Not with everything happening as it was and the safety of the school and its student always seeming to be in jeopardy. Yet…neither could she belong anywhere else.

"You—"

She'd dropped her gaze to the Forbidden Forest, intent to respond to his question despite her suspicion of it being rhetorical. The opportunity was missed, however, the dwelling of her thoughts taking just a moment too long. No sooner had she parted lips to speak than had Valentine continued his train of thought, and she cut herself off after a word to allow him to continue.

"Er…No…" She couldn't help but smirk a bit at his—she assumed—jest about wizard being an occupation.

It faded before fully blossoming, however, sparking a related consideration. Could it be an actual profession? She supposed it wasn't entirely implausible. Perhaps there were those who didn't want to face those unfavourable aspects of the wizarding world, or just preferred the familiarity of the muggle world but perhaps weren't prepared to give up magic in its entirety. Or maybe they liked the intrigue and the power that came with being able to lord it over those who couldn't harness it. Perhaps even without their knowledge. Were there those like Chris Angel, she wondered, who used the veil of disbelief to make use of their craft while hiding in plain sight? Brows furrowed as she considered this possibility.

"Hm?" His question had caught her off-guard, pulling her from her reverie (in which she had concluded that surely the Statute of Secrecy would preclude anyone from being able to do as she was imagining), and drawing her attention to him. Momentarily disoriented as her thoughts righted themselves and digested his question, her gaze dropped to his wand. Had he shown any sign of intent to make use of it, she might have stiffened; but as he did not, she dragged her gaze away, concluding it to be a tactile fixation of a restless hand, and returned her attention to him.

"What do I want to be when I grow up?" she echoed, pursing her lips in thought as she returned her gaze outward. This time, her expression unfocused itself as she fell into consideration. "I'm not really sure, if I'm to be honest," came the eventual conclusion. "I did want to be a physiotherapist," she admitted, dropping her hands away to clasp at the small of her back. "For horses," she added with the hint of an embarrassed smile and a brief glance over to Valentine before looking forward again.

This wasn't really something she typically shared with anyone. Nothing of her home life had really been exposed to anyone at Hogwarts. Initially, it was because of the rumours of how those of muggle or mixed blood were received and treated by those of pure blood. While it quickly became apparent that the latter seemed to be the vast minority compared to the former, her reticence had remained. Perhaps it was habitual at this point. Perhaps it was simply that no one had shown interest enough for her to respond. Perhaps something else entirely. Regardless of the reason, she felt an uncomfortable twist in her stomach—enough to make her hold her tongue from elaborating further about her previous goals.

"I don't think it's an easy transition, though," she went on, veering the topic. To a degree. She still wished to touch on a previous remark of his, and when she had been facing similar uncertainty, it was the shared feelings of her upperclassmen that had helped her through it. That realization that she wasn't alone in her struggle had been comforting. As though on cue, the strumming of a guitar started up somewhere. A quick searching glance identified one Nurse Brumby lying with his instrument atop him nearby in the observatory, fingers playing almost lazily from what she could see. Her gaze didn't linger long. "Many find difficulty, I think. I did.

"You've gone your whole life with certain comforts, and being used to doing things a certain way, or making use of electronics and other items. And then, suddenly, you get that letter and the explanation, and your entire understanding of the world as you know it is challenged and turned on its head. It's shocking. It's not something that you can just slide into seamlessly. And then you have to learn how to cast and use that magic, and there are so many students that have had parents or families that are witches or wizards, and have had years to practice magic by using their parents' wands, and just being immersed in the magical world. It's overwhelming at first. There's so much to learn and so much to unlearn, and it can leave you with the feeling that you're very very behind.

"You're not, though," she emphasized, wanting to draw a definite point on her rambling. "You're not behind in any way. And I can guarantee you're not the only one who's feeling that way. Like you don't belong. You do, though. Eventually." She chuckled, flashing him a rare smirk. "Or perhaps we simply get used to the fact that we'll be learning for a good while. You do get used to it, though, and plenty of your Housemates would lend a hand if ever you needed."

[font=century gothic]Evelynn has Fearless, and thus is not impacted by Professor Chiadovini's Terrible Presence | ERRAND PROGRESS[/font]

Interact with : @Starlee Kennedy Mention : The attendees in general

Hex Code : #004080 - English 008080 - Spanish

Cash vaguely heard the three methods to fall asleep that Professor Chiadovini explained to the entire attendees. Cash really need to shut their brain and sleep but it seems their brain did not let them to do so. The Military Method will probably made them sleep faster if only their brain did not worked over-drive like right now.

The green eyes heard a gasped from where Starlee situated. At this point Cash could care less if Starlee caught them crying in the middle of a relax situation. They are so tired. Tired to pretend that their mother changes in behavior did not effect them. Tired for hating their father that gone without saying goodbye.

They are so tired to keep pretending that their whole life is okay and what happened to them is not leaving a permanent scar that they will carry for the rest of their life. The more they think about all the bad things that have had happened to them, their brain work faster. Cash once a while let out a small sob.

They tried not to disturbed the others with their crying but it so hard to control it when all your reality crushing and tumbling down. Then they realize the young First year had shuffled closer to them. Starlee asked what was wrong with the Beater. Starlee can feel something was wrong.

When Starlee inquired them did something happened during the holiday, the purple haired nodded their head. Cash did not trust themselves to speak at this rate. They are too broken to even speak it out loud. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay"Starlee had said to them. Cash wipe harshly at the tears that now running freely on their cheek.

"No, no. That's okay"The green eyes said. Still staring at the enchanted ceiling but let out a broken hollow laugh. The young socialite then turned their gaze toward Starlee. They open and closing their mouth to say something but nothing come out from their lips. Cash tried to calmed themselves but the tears still making their cheeks wet.

"Mi vida es una broma y estoy rota (my life is a joke and I am broken)"They started. Starlee would probably do not understand it but the next bit, she definitely will. This is the first time they will say it out loud. The first time that they embraced their grieve. They so tired living life in denial.

"First my father gone without a trace last summer. Then three days before new year (December 28), some people from the Ministry knocked on my house"Cash uttered. The Manor no longer a home since the day both of their parents choose their work over Cash.

"They told us, My mother and I, finally after only Merlin know how long we were waiting for the news whether my father alive or not, they broke the news. They told us my father no longer in this world but the fu-messed up thing was we can not see his body"Cash let out an half-yelled half-whisper shout.

They almost let out a profanity with how frustrated they are. "Then a few days after that, My mother acted like everything was okay. Like the love of her life wasn't gone from this world"They continued. Then the angry tears come back but Cash too tired to wiped it.

"She forgot that I was the one that held her while she broke down and wailed. Her wailing filled up the entire Manor"At this point, Cash tried to hold back a sob which in result make them choked by their own tears. "You don't hear it, Star. Her wailing broke my heart into pieces"They told Starlee.

"My mother is the strongest person I know. When she was like that, I wished it was me instead of my father"Cash let out a hollow chuckled. The underlying 'I wish I was the one who died' was lingering in the air. "Then on top of that I saw my mother with another man when I was at Leaky Cauldron"Cash did not disclosed what they did over Leaky Cauldron to Starlee.

"I saw her but she didn't"The green eyes expressed. "This happened a few weeks before those blasted Ministry people knocking on my house"They added. "Then I got a owl. In that owl, some lad name Ronnie claimed to be my cousin. I flew up to Brazil. That where my uncle and 3 other cousins lived. I never knew my mother had a brother. Imagine my surprise when I know I have one"They stare at the ceiling and gnawed their bottom lip.

"Before I go home, my Uncle revealed to me that I have a brother. Half-brother to be exact. He is a few years older than me. Sadly he is a squib"They informed Starlee. "Again, my mother did not say sh- nothing to me. I know this little info from other person albeit he is my uncle but still it was nice to know this kind of things from my own parents"They looked at Starlee and smile sadly.

The green eyes stopped crying a few minutes ago but you can see the redness and the puff eyes still linger. "I could have a sibling, Star. A sibling! I was alone and so lonely. Trust me being an only child was not that great. People think I always get what I want just because I get all the attention from my parents. In reality, my parents choose their jobs over me. Always"Cash put both of their hands behind their head.

They interlocked their fingers and looked at the starry night sky. "So that what happened in my life during the holiday"Cash said it in sarcastic tone. "Quite the story, right?"The Beater exclaimed. Cash never bear their soul to anyone. Never let anyone saw them cried just because they do not want make the other think the green eyes are weak.

But with Starlee, they can be themselves. With the adorable first year, there was not expectation she expected from them. Maybe just maybe with Starlee; when all their reality come crashing down again in the future, Cash always know that someone out there care for them even though it was not from their parents.

No Interactions

^{Ashley is barely affected by Chiadoviniin's terrible presence
Action - Enters Tower}

Reducio

Ashley, what were you thinking?! Ashley stood in the doorway to the Astronomy Tower, bag clutched in her hands. She bit her lip nervously. She didn't recognize many people. And those she did recognize were deep in conversation with their friends. She didn't mind, though, not really. She was an introvert, after all. Okay, maybe she minded a little, but she was not one for self-pity parties. Ashley squared her shoulders and walked into the room. The astronomy tower was one of her favorite places at Hogwarts. She felt more connected to the wide universe up in the air. Ashley looked around. The door leading outside to a deck of sorts was wide open, and many students were spread out there, laughing among themselves. She slowly made her way outside and set up her sleeping bag. The sky was clear and filled with stars, glimmering and twinkling so bright Ashley gasped out loud. The moon sat proudly in the center of the shining dark sky, glowing a soft silver color. Ashley had always thought that the moon was underappreciated compared to the sun. But how could anyone believe that the moon was inferior after seeing this? Ashley sighed contentedly and surveyed her surroundings. It was then that she noticed a shelf full of tiny bottles of what looked like essential oils with a sign in front of them that read simply take one. Puzzled, she took one. Hesitantly, she opened the bottle. A strong scent rushed into her nose. Lavender, just like the perfume her grandmother dabbed behind each ear every morning. Ashley smiled and clutched the little bottle in her hand. She sat on her sleeping bag and pulled the second Hunger Games book out of her bag. Ashley was re-reading them for the fourth - or was it fifth? - time. Somehow, it never seemed to get old. Ashley thought that books were somewhat immortal. Or maybe they granted immortality. She wasn't sure yet. Just as she was about to start reading, the professor began talking. Ashley tried to pay attention. She really did. But her head was lost in the clouds, pondering what her strategy would be if she was forced to compete in the Hunger Games. She wouldn't join the career pack, that's for sure. But would going solo be too hard? Actually, it might make it easier, because then you wouldn't have to worry about anyone or be forced to kill your ally.
Focus! Ashley told herself firmly. She pushed her thick, black framed glasses up on her nose, pulled her long red hair back with a scrunchie, and sat up straight to listen about sleep patterns and dreams and such. Ashley was a terrible sleeper. She often woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. She did some of her best thinking then, but also forgot most of it by morning. Ashley had long ago established the belief that while some sleep was certainly necessary, too much of it simply wasted valuable time, time that could surely be spent doing something productive, like writing a novel, reading a series, or memorizing math flashcards. Okay, maybe not the last one.
Ashley listened for a good twenty minutes before her attention was drawn back to the night sky. She could not get over the sheer beauty and mass of it. She smiled dreamily and proceeded to find Orion and Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia and Cancer. She thought she would never grow tired of just looking, observing. Eventually, she pulled her notebook and pen out. This view deserved to be written about. As she wrote, she half-listened to the professor's lecture, taking in facts in a little corner of her brain while the rest focused on the view above her.
It was growing quite late. Ashley saw several people rub their eyes drowsily. Ashley took off her glasses to rub her own eyes, and, much to her surprise, the glasses slipped out of her hand and onto the hard ground next to her sleeping bag. Ashley drew in a sharp breath. Shoot. She hoped they weren't broken. Gingerly, she lifted them up.
"Lumos," she whispered. The tip of her wand lit with a faint white glow, and carefully, Ashley examined her glasses. It was dark outside, and that plus the fact that she was practically blind without her glasses made the task somewhat difficult, but in the end, she found that there were no cracks or broken lens. Sighing in relief, Ashley extinguished the light and placed her wand carefully back into it's pocket in her bag. Ashley's eyes began to grow heavier and heavier. Finally, she allowed sleep to slide over her and whisk her away into the world of her mind. It has been a most memorable evening, Ashley decided right before her eyes closed.

Word Count - 807/800
Status - Complete

Opeila had been distracted lately, so it happened that she completely missed that there was an errand tonight- on she wouldn't want to miss at all on top. The young girl had lost her second duel on this very day and went outside for some hours to vent out her frustrations where no one would hear them. When she returned to her dorm, she had found a little note left on her bed. After the first moment of fear- what a stupid reaction to have over every unexpected message, she needed to get over her fear really- she had been grateful. The incidence where a letter with a fake threat had lured her into a weird cave, where she got locked in for the night, was still a fresh and brightly colored memory in the twelve year old's mind and none she seemed to be able to get over so quickly.

Opeila tended to have issues to fall asleep. For the first months back at Hogwarts she curled up under her blanket for an hour, barely able to breathe, until everyone else in her dorm was asleep. Only then she would come out, light a candle and eventually fall asleep herself. She couldn't do well with darkness anymore. Darkness caused another student's and almost her own death.
She was unable to find rest when it surrounded her. It had become better since her first months, for sure. Opeila could not sleep in the darkness yet, but she didn't feel the need to hide under her blanket anymore. She could just lay in her bed awake and wait for everyone to fall asleep, which was way more comfortable.

But even light couldn't keep the nightmares away, that still haunted her. It seemed that was the price to pay for being at Hogwarts. The school did not only teach her magic, it made her grow up quickly, in rather brutal ways. The blackness of her limbs told a tale of her first year.
And in the night, it visited her as dream, let her relive the horrors, the pain and the loss, until she woke up in the early morning, covered with sweat, sometimes tears as well.
That was the reason why the second year did not want to miss this errand out of all. She wouldn't get her hopes up too high, but what if she found a way to deal with her troubles?

Opeila looked at the note and then down to her cat. "What do you think- Warm bed or cold astronomy tower?" Loras didn't make a noise, only persistently stared at his owner with bright yellow eyes, his tail moving from one side to the other. Well, it was not like Opeila actually had to think about it. Thank you, Cash.
She changed into a more comfortable outfit, black joggingtrousers and a dark green sweater, before she grabbed her cat and made her way up to the astronomy tower.
Once she entered, she didn't take long to find Cash and another girl- That had to be Starlee, who was mentioned in the note.

"Hi...", she said while sitting down next to the girls and letting down Loras, who had moved a few times since they had entered the tower- there were quite a few cats around, much to observe. After all, he had never been allowed in this tower, of course he wouldn't normally join Opeila in Astronom class. "Thanks for the note. The sleepover somehow went completely over my head really. You're Starlee, I guess? Opeila.", she introduced herself, before looking around who else had attended.

There were quite many, way more than in normal Astronomy classes. Of course, a sleepover in the tower... It did sound tempting, so Opeila couldn't say she was surprised. "Is the observatory open?", she suddenly noticed. "I'm just going to check that out." Opeila got up again and picked up Loras. It was quite obvious that the two girls had been engaged in a rather private conversation that Opeila did not intend to force herself into. Instead the young girl made her way up to the observatory.

She smiled at the rather clear night. The stars were clearly visible, the wind was moving her hair, the smell of smoke was filling her nose. It was nice to be up here, just for the sake of letting her thoughts wander. Letting her fingers run through Loras' soft fur, she looked into the sky. Eventually she leaned backwards and down onto the ground. Sparks of the fire were rising up into the sky, mixing with the shiny dots that were the stars.

Opeila felt at peace with herself while laying under the sky. Loras soon placed himself on her stomach, his purring vibrating on her skin. "... We have each other, don't we?", she murmured to her cat, who of course again didn't react. That was not the point anyway.

Katie noticed more and more people entering the Astronomy tower. She sighed. She was somewhat tired since it was getting layer, and she was nervous about staying up a conversation with someone new. She had had a somewhat long day, but on the other hand, Katie didn't know if she was ready to go to bed just yet. She decided to meditate instead of going directly to sleep or to continue sitting around in her own thoughts.

She closed her eyes and gently relaxed the muscles I get eyelids. She had meditated ever since she was seven years old, and while when she was younger she had done it almost every day, now, she'd do it whenever she had nothing better to do, but felt like thinking and relaxing at the same time. All she had to do was let her thoughts drift like a sailboat riding the wind and the oceans current and see where they'd take her. Though, where she'd ultimately end up was not the point of course. The point was the journey it took her to get there and the mental paths her brain would forge before she arrived at her final destination. The thoughts she'd think along the way.

So Katie took a deep breath in and let her mind fly free, losing herself in her thoughts.

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Word Count: 222 (this post) + 215 (last post) = 437 (total count so far) / 800 (total needed amount)

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@Evelynn Decipio

Jackson Valentine was many things. An academic, an obsessive overachiever, and what looked to be the makings of a young revolutionary, to name a few. But one thing that he had never dared to call himself was a believer. From a young age, he was told not to let fate define who he was, and it was one of the few lessons he had carried into his late childhood. It was an inspiring thought, to seize the reigns from fate and pioneer one's own future.

So one could only imagine what it was like to lose it. To have control slip from his hands, like the sudden release of a steering wheel on a highway, with nothing to prevent him from careening off into a deadly crash. He hadn't crashed; not yet.

Something had brought him this far unscathed. Maybe it was a stroke of luck or the twist of the fate he had so chosen to discredit. Maybe it was his own quiet strength that carried him from his broken state. Or maybe it was the people around him.

He shot Evelynn a grateful look, one which he held for only a few seconds before his eyes glassed over, and he realized what had been bothering him. When he did, the ferocity of his aura died like an extinguished fire, replaced by the cold squeeze of melancholy. Before Galton, Bridget, Eve, and even Rafa, there had been a light in his darkness that drew him a path to follow. The boy who encouraged him to try his hand at becoming a duelist, the one who told him little secrets to survive his days at Hogwarts, the one who had been there for him every step of the way. The boy who never returned after the December holidays. There was a kindness in this world that could only be personified in the form of Ruka Burnett.

And now, that boy was gone. Not dead, just homeschooled by his father. Withdrawn from Hogwarts as his brother, Jack (Burnett), had told him. He had always known it, but it dawned on him then that he was never going to see Ruka ever again. One of the many pillars that had held up his little world had vanished. But perhaps this was what it meant to grow up. Valentine couldn't rely on the strength of others forever. He was his own man, and just as he had believed when he was in his younger, he had to forge his own destiny. Drifting back to gaze upon the serene moonlit sky, Jackson Valentine stared into the dark universe that lay ahead. And with his eyes alone, he carved out a part of it for himself; and those he would share it with.

"Thanks, Eve," he muttered quietly, turning back to the girl who had aided him in clearing his thoughts. The beauties of the night were behind him and the trauma of the past gradually shrank into the corner of his mind. He lived in the present, at the moment, and he looked on to the future like it was a map to chart his course.

For a moment, his eyes twinkled with childlike curiosity, and he celebrated it silently with his companion of the night. The time to grieve had come hard and fast, but as with bad things, one had to move on. And so he did. Turning away from the glass window and its enchanting scenery, Valentine moved to return to the festivities of the night. "Wanna get some more tea? We should talk some more about Quidditch if you don't mind. After all, I can't come to support you guy's game if I have no idea what the heck is going on."