We Want the T.ruth!!! Closed

"Who are you calling monsters? Just because they are born that way," another fourth year had pounced on her verbally at once. "You're just a coward picking on people who are different. Why don't you pick on someone just like you." She was clearly very worked up about the whole thing. "You are only trying to make their lives worse just because they are different. Only you are the real monster."

The brunette clenched trembling fists at her sides, but it would have been difficult to determine if the reason might have been fear or fury. Perhaps even both.

"They're not all born that way!" she shot back at the Ravenclaw. "Some, like the dhampir and werewolves, were humans once, too. But they weren't careful. So what's wrong with trying to warn those of us who are still human of the dangers they might not even realize they face? I'm trying to make lives better with my warnings, not worse!"

A couple of students (Phaedra and Pericles) noted the red paint spattered across Howard and Falentra and left the hall in a hurry, one of them apologizing to Howard as he went. While it was true that further mayhem had probably been wrecked elsewhere, whatever had transpired was already said and done. The action, tension, and continued potential for danger was right there and then in the small hall.

A few other students (Evelynn, Jackson, and Geroge) seemed to intrinsically understand this. They sniffed about like hounds on the scent of new game, clearly interested in the story unfolding before them. However, thus far they had seemed more interested in hanging back and observing from a distance than getting involved.

The brunette didn't really pay them much mind. She had become horrifically entranced by the absurd stunt the second year Ravenclaw seemed to be pulling by getting up on his house's table and running his mouth with a very wide variety of subjects. As he finally concluded with the claim that he was T.Ruth, the girl crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes so hard it seemed like they would roll back into her skull.

Eventually, though, someone new came forth to speak out against the dhampir Hufflepuff. The younger kid was a Hufflepuff himself, but he spoke of what seemed to be the event that the article had referred to involving the attack on a student.

The brunette's brow furrowed at this. She noticed that many others, including the dhampir boy's companion, seemed taken aback by the idea that he might have been the one behind said attack. Had he purposefully kept them in the dark? Was it out of shame? Guilt? Fear?

With that single outburst from the Hufflepuff first year, the whole dynamics of the situation seemed to shift. It was subtle, but it could be sensed by those sensitive enough to know to feel for such things. The brunette began to smirk faintly. Amusing.

A third dhampir came on the scene; this one a prefect. The brunette girl decided that when she spoke, she meant to address the student body as a whole; not any one person in particular. It was an interesting comparison she made...but not parallel enough for it to hold too much sway, she thought.

With the Slytherin prefect girl was a Slytherin boy who seemed to prefer to address Howard directly rather than the crowd that had been chosen as her audience. It was a two-pronged attack in a sense and the brunette thought it was somewhat impressive. Pretty soon, though, she had her own issues to worry about when Howard didn't seem to take too kindly to the myriad of opinions directed his way. Was he having...an emotional breakdown? Right there and then?

She stared blatantly and shamelessly. It wasn't until she realized Falentra had addressed her that she was finally able to tear her gaze away again.

“You got some nerve calling him that! How dare ya! If anyone is a monster here, it’s you. You twisted little...bitch! You- you caused this! If you’d have kept your hurtful opinions to yourself, we wouldn’t be ‘ere!!” the fourth year was saying.

Had she just called her a bitch?

"I'm just being truthful," the brunette retorted, though she appeared somewhat shaken still by Howard's intense demonstration. "What right do you have to tell people not to call others names when you're flinging them around willy-nilly yourself? Hypocrite!"

She heard Falentra quietly come over to...

“Hey, Heinrich right?”

At first, it seemed like she meant to be comforting, but that illusion was quickly vaporized by the nearly blatant threat.

“I think you should keep your little mouth shut. Unless you want to disappear like your sister?”

The brunette's jaw dropped. "D-did you just - not only did you acknowledge that something happened to his sister, but you threaten him with the same?! You're a dhampir sympathizer! What better proof is there that you can't be trusted than that?!"

“H-Howard... Hey, Howard.” the girl was sniveling to her presumed boyfriend now. “Tell me what I can do. I’ll do anythin’.”

She turned then to glare at the brunette who glared defiantly - if a bit fearfully - right back.

“You want me to hurt her for ya? I’ll take the blame. Show her that is humans can be dangerous too. Let me do that for you.”

"You'd still be proving my point!" she called back. "All you're wanting to do is solve things with fear and violence! Isn't that perfectly stereotypical of a monster and monster-sympathizer like you two?"

Falentra's words and intentions might have suggested the opposite of the message and objectives Nico had in mind, but the brunette wasn't interested in the prefect for the moment. She wasn't the one who, at that moment, posed the biggest threat.

Kazuo and Valencia were both rounding on Heinrich. Without looking away from the dangerous beast that was Falentra, the brunette raised her voice to address them.

"The reason why people need to know about the dangers that non-human beings pose is that we're already very well aware of the ones that humans do. It's the non-human beings that people need to become more educated about.

"No matter how they might feel about being dangerous, they still pose a danger so long as people don't know about them, what they are, or what they can and will do. If they could completely control themselves at all times, that would be one thing. But since they can't, the responsibility falls to us, as the rest of the school population, to know what we can do to take precautions and protect ourselves against any potential threats."

@Eri Windstone, @Jorah Moussa, @Heinrich Bezuidenhout, @Nico Shymane, @Jack Burnett, @Howard White, @Falentra Black, @Kazuo Shimada, & @Valencia Deathstout

For a moment, she thought she had persuaded him into a more peaceful way to settle this conflict. But alas, maybe it was the combination of hormones and trauma that prevented that from happening. Even though Howard got just as emotional as her, with pain in his heart that maybe her words held truth, he couldn't just step away from this.

She understood but closed her eyes in a moment of defeat as the red pearls ran down her porcelain cheeks. 'I-... I understand.' Nico hadn't been referring to him actively going to hurt someone. But then again she hadn't had a chance to get to know him better. She really wished she could... Kaegan has been out of the scene for a while and Howard was the first in a long time that shared her blood. Next to the kindhearted Professor Equinox.

She sniffled softly and jumped a little when she felt something touching her arm. For a small amount of time, she feared that someone was going to drag her down and give her a piece of their mind. Fear had done that much to the redhead. Because of that, she felt even more relieved when her stinging eyes met with the ones of Jack Burnett. One of the few Slytherins she trusted. His bodylanguage that showed his support for her standing here and trying to make a difference, she answered with a small smile and nod.

Sadly, Nico hadn't had a clue of which depth his next words would hold. How they'd strike Howard right in his fragile core that even she would feel like breaking down. Nico did agree with how setting things aflame to make a point wasn't the best way to tackle a conflict like this. Yet... it did work to gather a crowd. There was no denying that. Kazuo, an individual she hadn't seen before, took the dhampirs side, trying to talk sense into Heinrich. She appreciated the back up, but she was concerned about the group of people being divided. She hoped they could feel more at ease with one another at the end of this... As Jack spat fire, no, spoke fire at Howard, Nico looked over at a girl she hadn't seen before. Was she a ... Ravenclaw maybe? Her ice blue eyes clouded with red tears, scanned her features. It appeared that she too was a dhampir. Her words proved that even more. The struggles. The fear. Nico didn't blame her for saying the things she said because she aswell had experienced them. Vividly. Every day. With another sniffle, Nico nodded at Valencia. A comforting nod, letting her know everything would be okey as the small red streams continued to roll down her pale cheeks.

Her bonding moment with this newfound dhampir was interrupted by Howard losing his mind. The control over his emotions. His companion was already actively trying to calm him down but even she was at ends of how to deal with him. What the best approach was... Nico blinked in surprise and soon, she started to wail at his words. They were too real. Trying to deafen herself. To not let her buried emotions show, she pressed her palms over her lips. Soft muffled helpless squealing noises slipped from her palms as more tears slid over her pale fingers. Like strawberry icing on soft icecream. Howard had said all the words that she heard in her head everyday. He dared to say it. She remained speechless beside both Jack and Howard. To be cornered like that out in the open. How ironic and sadistic... To put him in a spotlight like that...

She couldn't stay quiet. She had to do something. She had to stay focused. Who were they talking about? Who got hurt? She didn't know the small Hufflepuff except his first name. Which girl were they referring to? Taking in deep breaths, the redhead tried to settle down. Her voice was jumpy, as if she had the hiccups. Emotions were an incredibly powerful thing that could do more damage than some gave it credit for.

Putting her arms back down, wiping away the most of the red tears, leaving her once perfect foundation, smudged as if she was covered in bruises. With a gentle touch, Nico laid her hand on Howards upper arm. She tried to look up at him, but she felt ashamed of crying so strangely infront of so many people. Was there anything wrong with that? Of course not. Suffering for so long and being able to express that, finally. It felt so... freeing. Her blurry ice blue eyes showed him that he understood. She thanked him quietly.

'I'm...' Her voice sounded soft and gritty. She cleared it gently. ' I'm sorry... Howard. Who are they talking about?' She smiled softly at Falentra. Even thought, her words spoke of violence, Nico couldn't help but recognise herself in her. She'd probably do the same if someone cornered Quinn like that. She'd put her entire being for him. Love worked in mysterious ways. Falentra... just wanted to protect him. Aslong as she actively didn't attack anyone, the redhead dhampir didn't give it much attention. There was something bigger going on that Nico herself had her own painful experiences with. 'Who is... Heinrich talking about?...'

The brunette who had accepted Howards challenge earlier and was fuelling his anger more, didn't lay back. In fact, she was throwing some more logs on his internal fire. Nico had come to a calm state but her words were rather uncalled for. The way the girl spoke. It irritated the Prefect. On one hand she could understand where she was coming from, but the way she said it pissed her off.

'Are you actually aware of what humans can do? You keep on saying how you seem only to see what us, dhampirs, are so dangerous for. What makes us dangerous... May I remind you that we, dhampirs, get a dose of blood everytime before or after a meal? Professor Equinox, who we all know is a dhampir, had made sure of that. There will no longer be attacks for blood. We're being looked after. The only danger that is still out there, is the misconception about us.' She hissed at her. Her soft kind nature had been replaced by the Nico she had become as of late. Cold. Distant. Afraid. 'We can't change our nature. We can only adapt. And it doesn't help to read crap like what you put in your newspaper. You don't talk about us like we are people. You talk about us as if we're coldblooded monsters out to kill someone. And that's what you're doing wrong. We're not much different than humans. Humans can do just as much monsterous actions as the ones you accuse us for.'

Nico glared at the girl and stepped closer to her. 'If you want to get to know us, instead of assuming what we are and how you have to deal with us. Why not actually ask us yourself?' Her icecold gaze locked with the brunettes, her head held high. 'You are making enemies.. for no reason except sensation. One of the reasons I don't like newspapers... The dhampir was known to be one of little words but when stuff like this comes up, when someone like Howard was basicly forced into being emotional infront of everyone... Nico couldn't keep quiet.

@Kazuo Shimada | @Falentra Black | @Howard White | @Kit Paine | @Jack Burnett | @Heinrich Bezuidenhout | @Valencia Deathstout

Abilities : Lovely Creature & Unsetteling Aura [OFF]

[font=century gothic]OPEN TO INTERACTION[/font]

@Jackson Valentine's less than crass remark was met with a disapproving purse of her lips. As far as she could tell there was no way that was likely to have been the true, and so she could only conclude he was being deliberately crude. Boys, she thought with a roll of her eyes as she turned them forward to lead the way closer to the action. It seemed Valentine wasn't the only one to portray the ridiculousness female counterpart.

Hovering towards the end of the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, Evelynn caught sight of another boy (@Jorah Moussa) who had clamboured onto the Ravenclaw table with what looked to be a gooey bruise-coloured mess on his face. The second she recognized his voice, she knew they were all in for something ridiculous. Moussa had a penchant for throwing around muggle pop-culture references and giving himself the appearance of being entirely ill-sorted to be boasting blue and bronze. Yet, she knew first hand that behind the chaotic veneer was a sharp mind that many overlooked. Still, she was prepared to let his little speech go in ear and out the other.

"Ridiculous…" she muttered under her breath as he spouted nonsense about the marvel universe and some other references she was quite certain would lower her IQ if she ever sought to understand it.

No amount of tuning him out and feigning ignorance of association could have stopped her from honing in on the two biggest points to his proclamation, however. …authoritarian censorship of our paper. Evelynn's gaze snapped to the spot where the pile of something's had been, brows rising. Our paper. As in the Headliner paper? Had they been burning them? Was this some sort of affront against the school paper? And then the confession—I am T Ruth—that hit her like one of Ryan's bludgers. This was about T Ruth. About the dhampir piece published in November. It wasn't the paper they were burning, it was her article.

Transfixed, Evelynn watched on with parted lips as the scene continued to unfold. A hufflepuff boy (@Heinrich Bezuidenhout) got up from the table nearby and approached them, his voice carrying easily with his projected volume despite his small stature. At least someone seemed to believe the article. Although, the more he spoke, the more Evelynn's brows pinched. There was no name given, but the way that he talked about it, she knew him to be referring to Notrésvace. Afterall, Evelynn had been the "Gryffindor first year" that the article had referenced as accompanying the unnamed victim from the hospital wing. She'd been the one to witness her upperclassman's torn throat as well as the aftermath of the assault in the owlery. Notrésvace had made her promise not to tell anyone. And so she hadn't spoken a word about it. This boy, though, he seemed to know her. She who had, for one reason or another, never returned to school. In fact, by White's response, he was her brother. Not only that, but it had apparently been White who had given the anonymous confession in the counter-article and had been the attacker. Evelynn made a note to question the this "Heinrich" later.

With every passing moment, the collection of students only grew. Evelynn spied @Phaedra Stavrou, Headliner secretary, take a swift departure from the Great Hall, her features wrought with concern. Reasonable, she thought, given the proclamation against the paper. Her paper. Evelynn couldn't help but wonder how @Alexx Séverin might have reacted to this debacle, or if the frightening blonde was even here in the hall. Perhaps Stavrou was off to inform her.

There was little time to ponder on that, however, as Slytherin prefect @Nico Shymane arrived on scene, opening with a rather shocking—at least to Evelynn—confession. At the end of the previous term when the curfew had first been initialized, a regular feeding schedule had been instated for dhampir students. In a continued attempt to identify Notrésvace's attacker, Evelynn had made a point to try to glimpse which students had made their way for their scheduled blood bags. @Howard White was the only one that she'd been able to confirm without a doubt, however. The only other dhampir she had assuredly identified was @Neculai Lazar who had lost control at a SWAG game and attempted to attack a peer. Otherwise, it was kept relatively hush-hush who among the student body shared their natures. Whether that meant the rest were trying to hide and blend in, or whether Evelynn simply hadn't the opportunity yet to make those connections, she wasn’t sure.

Regardless, she hadn't been aware that Shymane counted among their numbers; it certainly explained the unusual amount of layering she chose to wear during her quidditch games. And as the girl presented a—rather stretched—analogy of attacks specific to redheads, Evelynn's hand lifted to subconsciously tuck a stray lock of her own auburn tresses behind an ear. Still, pursed lips and a furrowed brow soon replaced her expression of surprise with one of dubiety. Was she really suggesting that the article invited the student body to chase them down? Hardly. It had been written to speak of defense, not assault.

Sure, it had called for the students to keep an eye out for the one specific dhampir who at that time—prior to the interview released in December where they'd admitted to it being an isolated and accidental assault—was still on the loose and a potential threat to the rest of the students, with unknown motives and an intent—for all they knew—to attack again. But it hadn't called to hunt them. The spells given were given with the clear intent to be equipped in the event that they—the students—found themselves victim to attack. To stand a chance. To be able to fight back against a predator that was faster, stronger, and better tuned to fight than they were. One thing that Evelynn could agree on, however, was that this could be settled without violence. In fact, she'd thought the counter-article to have been quite well timed and written and hadn't expected anything further after its publication.

This, though… this display of anger and protest did nothing to aid the "dhampir cause". In fact, it did quite the opposite. And as @Jack Burnett joined in the fray, Evelynn settled back on her heels, content to remain and watch. Shoulders relaxed, arms lifted to rest one over the other across her abdomen, her head tilted, and upon her visage she bore a neutrally interested expression. Leave it to Burnett to speak eloquently on the matter. She could find no fault in what he said. But that didn't mean she was prepared for White's reaction. Or the revelations that would come from it.

Brows lifted with surprise at the raw emotion and venom spat in his words, one hand lifting to press fingers to her lips. Purist shite. Really? Nowhere had the article claimed dhampir as a whole to be inferior. Nor those purely human to be superior. But even still, Evelynn didn’t really know what to think. She hadn't expected the article to incite such a reaction. On some level, she could empathize. If it had been a mistake, she could only imagine the guilt and self-loathing he must already been feeling. No doubt the article had been something of a salted dagger to worsen that wound. But on the other hand, this reaction… this anger projected at everyone else for doing nothing for him after he was turned, it hardly seemed well placed. How can you help someone you don't even know is in need of help? She was left to wonder if he'd even made the effort to seek assistance in the first place. Nevertheless, she couldn't ignore the guilt that tugged at her core as every one of the dhampir students on display before them all began to sport crimson stained cheeks.

And then the mysteriously unfamiliar brunette in the midst of it all (@Kit Paine) spoke up again. Evelynn had been too far to hear before and the girl's proclamation had been muffled and lost amidst the idle ambient chatter where the lion cub had sat previously. Now, though, there were no such distractions or environmental meddling. She was left to hear the rebuttal uninhibited, and once again surprise coloured her features. This girl, whoever she was, spoke in the first person. "I'm trying to make lives better with my warnings," she had said. As though the article had been hers. As though she were T. Ruth. Evelynn was glad for the fact that she was already veiling the lower part of her face lest her disbelief might have been a bit apparent. And by the way she retorted, Evelynn didn't dare pull her hand away.

The girl was exactly correct. This article, although it might have been published only recently, it had been written over a year ago, immediately after the events of which it spoke. And it was only the first. The first of a series of articles aimed to enlighten the ignorant among the student body—like those such as herself who was new to the wizarding world—about what else roamed among them. The dangers of humans? Well of course there were the violent among the humans of the population, but they were an equal (relatively speaking) match. A human knew what to expect from another human. But what of those of another species? As classes had taught them, a great part of being able to protect oneself was with knowledge of what to expect. So why did it come as such a surprise that we might want to be educated on how to identify potential dangers? On what unique powers they possess? On their weaknesses and strengths and how to most effectively protect yourself from assault? Because the fact of the matter—the one Truth that could not be denied—was that there had been an attack. Several, in fact, by multiple different dhampir. And the fact was that they couldn't control themselves at all times. Was it really so strange to want to be prepared for that inevitability when it was your own flesh that those teeth eventually sought to sink themselves into?

But even resolve for that thinking lost some of its edge as Shymane howled in anguish at White's words. Evelynn found herself biting at her lip behind her hand, brows crinkling and breaths coming slightly more jaggedly with the display of raw emotion. She'd gone too far. Her words, they had been too much. Evidently, enthralled by the idea of creating something impactful, of emulating the periodicals of times past that contained within them an entertainment element to grab attention and elicit the spreading of a story, she hadn't considered the more important aspect. In the fallout of the half-giant attacks and the hags on the loose and the revelation of the mask and glove, she'd been too focused on this assault as the result of a rogue dhampir infiltrate into the school perhaps masquerading as a student but working for the hags. At the time, it hadn't occurred to her that it was a actual student. Or that it could have been a mistake.

"He's talking about Notrésvace, Shymane," Evelynn eventually spoke up, addressing the question that had originally been directed to White. She dropped her hand back down from her face to fold across the other along her belly. "His sister is Aurelia Notrésvace. The assault in the article, it's talking about what happened on October 10th, 2019."

That night was seared into her mind. She'd been a member of the wizarding world for all of a month when she bore witness to that atrocity. And with the confession of the November article, and the few key sentiments White had just uttered recently, she could finally put two and two together to know who it was that had done it.

"White attacked her in the owlery and tore her throat. She almost died. The nurses in the Hospital Wing tended to her, and she did make a recovery, but nothing ever came from it. It was an attack that got brushed under the carpet. No announcement was made that it had happened, or of any efforts put in place to prevent it from happening again. I helped Notrésvace clean up and repair the owlery the next morning at sunrise, and so there was no evidence that it had ever happened at all."

There was no accusation in her tone, no anger or venom. Just a calm retelling of the events as they had happened.

"It almost makes you wonder if this has happened before. Or since. Nobody seems to like to talk about these things. And yet they happen, even with the regular feedings. Like when Lazar lost his control at the SWAG game and tried to attack D'Spacito at the first scent of blood. You say you're feeling attacked and singled out by the article. It never called to attack dhampir. Only explained how to identify one and how to defend against one. Which, since a blood frenzy can't be controlled, doesn't seem unreasonable. It's the same way we learn to identify and defend ourselves against various creatures in DADA. Or how to counter spells cast by other witches and wizards. There's no denying that these assaults are happening. I don't see why we shouldn't be equipped to do what we can to survive them. We're taught self-defense against humans—or at least, I was in my other schools—but we're not taught self-defense against part- or non-humans."

[font=century gothic]INTERACTING WITH @Nico Shymane | [font=century gothic]MENTIONING many—as indicated throughout the post
Abilities: Keen Eye, Fearless[/font]

exiting thread to follow Phaedra to the Headliner Office.

Anyone can interact with Karate Kid (aka May)

It was a normal day for May. She was in the Great Hall, eventually eating lunch with the other students, but it surprised her that her friend Heinrich left the table with a cute determined look on his face, towards a crowd that had gathered around the small hall. May raised an eyebrow, and wanted to see what the commotion was. Why where all of these students screaming? Why was Heinrich all determined and strong-looking all of a sudden? She practically runned to catch up with the werewolf boy, panting ever so slightly, since she had eaten so much delicious food. When she approached the crowd, her jaw dropped. Where they all in a strike?

She stayed in the doorway, and watched, mesmerized as Heinrich stood up and talked about a mysterious "she, but he looked...angry. Not particularly a definition that se would give of Heinrich Bezuidenhout. Afterwards...something else happened that raised some worries for the Hufflepuff duellist.

There was this guy that she did not particularly like: @Kazuo Shimada . She had met him twice, and probably only once she had thought that his word speaked truth, but this time, May was prepared to kill if someone hurt Heinrich, or even got angry at him. It seemed like this Shimada guy was going to get some crap out of her. She was already stepping forward, when something else happened...

There was this girl that she had never seen before ( @Kit Paine ), a girl with brown hair. As May heard her, and what she said, she wanted to scream.

First the purebloods dilemma in the courtyard.

Now this damn thing with Damphirs.

Yeah, and now they were in a damn strike, because the newspaper had written an article that talked crap about damphirs that weren't even true. What surprised May, thought, was that Heinrich was with the article, not againt the supposed injustice that it created towards the students that were of that race. She looked at him, andraised her eyebrows~ what did May didn't know?

May couldn't stan Kazuo anymore. She couldn't stand him talking like that to Heinrich, not her friend. She stepped up, and stood beside Heinrich, raising her voice.

"He has no sins in this, he is only trying to defend this damn person that isn't present," she said, glaring at Heinrich and giving him a "tell me about it later" look, "If what Heinrich says is true and that @Howard White tried to kill a student, I am against this, and against these...these bloodusckers that can't even control themselves. But I wont say that they are monsters either. They are students of this school and have been accepted into it because they are magical beings, and are just like us. But if they can't control themselves, I would say that they should at least try, Shimada. "

She looked at the fourth year that had been screaming like heck (Howard), and was surprised to see that he was half-defending Heinrich. May was glad to hear a little pride in his voice, and was surprised twice when she saw that he was a Hufflepuff too.

"Your little speechs aren't going to help anyone, Shimada." she continued, glaring at Kazuo with much more force than normal... ", if you want to save the world, why dont you just leave it already?"

She pointed at the doorway that led into the Great Hall, and then looked at @Nico Shymane, who didn't seem to understand who the hell this "she" was. But @Evelynn Decipio began talking about...Aurelia Notresvace? The S.W.A.G club leader? She looked at Heinrich, wide eyed. Heinrich had a sister? And it was that~that inpopular girl that was known for being a...monster enthusast, or something?

She kept listening to Evelynn, and and nodded, but was silent. This was interesting. So the Damphirs were actually monsters? These creatures were actually bloodsuckers?

Mentioning Indirectly:

@Howard White

Interacting with:

No One.

Valentine hung back for the moment. He was more interested in the boy who had moments ago been brimming with righteous confidence, whose pillars of strength seemed to crumble when put under external pressure. Or maybe they weren’t pillars. Perhaps chains, holding back an ever more terrifying creature within.

Some might have interpreted this as a rash act of anger; a perilous assumption. Valentine saw someone who was desperate, whose voice wasn’t being taken seriously, who was testing the waters with drastic measures to see how far he would have to go to be heard. Don’t they say words are worth the most when they’re too far gone to matter? Perhaps this was the underlying message beneath Howard’s rage?

It wasn’t the fact that he was a Dhampir that made him so dangerous. It was that he was screaming, and no one listened to him. They only seemed to encourage his irrationality, to ‘resolve’ the problem with vengeance rather than to resolve the problem at all. The discussion at hand was no longer about the unethical treatment of minorities. It had become personal and was taken personally by almost everyone present.

While Evelynn went forward to articulate her view on the matter, the younger boy broke off from the group, looping around the tense altercation taking place. If Falentra indeed decided to resort to fisticuffs, there were enough people in the mosh pit to break it up. His (0 strength) help would not be needed on that front today.

Instead, he remained out of range and out of sight, nothing more than a casual onlooker to a tragic climax. But while most would continue to observe with indifference, Valentine had it in his mind to interject, but only when the scene was over. He would wait for the right opportunity to approach Howard, assuming he wasn’t cut off by the throngs of sheep flocking to take unnecessary sides.

The Demon First Year venerated personal struggle and those who had the willpower to fight the fiercest of demons that lay within them. The opportunity that would eventually present itself was not just a chance to do the right thing, but to prevent an impending disaster brewing within the cauldron of hatred that was Howard White.

Uneventful days filled the weeks at Hogwarts. At least for River. Nothing particularly interesting really happened, and just like all other days, she’d found herself finishing her meal in the Great hall and had begun her walk back to the common room. Though the sound of trouble har her stop in her tracks, looking around for the faces of those who’d decided today would not be one of those uneventful days after all. Howard White, with a sheet in his hand. A familiar looking sheet of paper, bringing her memory back to when she’d read that one article of the Headliner. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she realized what was going on. The young Dhampir remembered this article well. It was seared into her mind like a hot iron against skin. Burning, and permanent. She wasn’t one to take things like that personally. She knew very well she hadn’t done anything troublesome in all her time at Hogwarts, at least not in the face of her Dhampir self. Still, that article was not okay, in any way. She remembered the relief she felt when she heard Pericles was writing a different article about the Dhampires of the school. She’d thought, just for a moment, that perhaps this article, the one in Howards hand, had been forgotten in the past. Now it was here again, being brought up among who knows how many students and staff.
They spoke, then flames. The papers lit up in a swift glow, strangely satisfying to River as she watched it crackle and burn. She understood their anger, she really did.

Words were being flug and shouted across the room. People with all different opinions and thoughts on the serious matter that had come up. Some would say it was bad timing, but then again, when will it ever be the right timing? Nico, Rivers’ fellow prefect and Dhampir stood up. The pale grey eyes watched her closely as she began to speak. River couldn’t remember having heard Nico speak so much in one situation before, and she understood this was something that meant a lot to her, and it wasn’t easy. For anyone, to have to deal with something like this.
River walked sternly up to the girl, giving her an empathetic eye as she stood next to her, also sending a kind glance in the direction of the unknown girl whom she recognized some of her own features in. “I’m with you on this”, she said keeping her voice low, but not to the point of others not being able to hear. “That article didn’t do anyone good. It simply spread fear, paranoia, and anger. Both for us and for the other students”. Listening to what the others had to say, she heard good points from all sides. Some were being idiots about it, others kept to a logical point. “Yes, in certain circumstances we have the chance of losing control and becoming dangerous, there is no denying that”, she continued with a cold tone to her voice. “That doesn’t mean that this article was in any way necessary. It turns people against each other, keeps everyone glancing over their shoulders at all times, makes a place like school, and even someone's home, feel unsafe”, she paused looking around at some of the people gathered in the room. Noticing some had left while the discussions were going on. “So many other measures could have been taken in this situation, making it safe, and fair for everyone, but some people are just so desperate for publicity they fail to see reasonable solutions to the situation. Causing it to escalate, and leading us to situations like these. When someone feels the absolute need for change. And rightly so”, this was all so messed up.

Some were right. The need to be aware, and understand the dangers of Dhampirs was necessary. Students had been severely hurt, of course there was risk. But on the other hand, the feeling that the article could pass onto Dhampires themselves was proof it was not the right way of spreading awareness and knowledge. It was cruel and messed up, and it shouldn’t go unnoticed.
River preferred her spot in the shadowy corners, observing situations like these. Though she just couldn’t this time. Not about this.

Mentioning/Interacting with
@Nico Shymane | @Valencia Deathstout | @Howard White
+ Anyone listening
Open to further Interactions

As the words of hurt and rage spewed from Howard's mouth so did the emotions that had been bottled up for so long. A great purge was under way as the pain and fear that consumed him constantly was spilled out for all to see. Being a Muggle boy thrust into the world of magic had ripped his family apart. The sense of abandonment that came with it was crippling at times. The fact that he had lost a part of his humanity to be replaced with an undead nature was overwhelming on the best of days. A trauma that he still hadn't fully processed. To protect himself from his own pain he would take those emotions and hide them behind a shield of anger. One that was now visibly cracking in front of his peers. Howard had begun by putting on a display to stand up for those that were like him, but this had also turned into a cry for help. The words of the article had smashed a hole through his defense mechanism, one that he could struggled to repair no matter how hard he tried. Not only was the piece unfair towards Dhampirs, but it was also extremely hurtful. To take a group of people and describe them as demons, blood suckers and devils of the night was surely an over simplification. People were way too complicated to be defined by just a few words. There of course was some truth to these definitions as the Dhampir was more than capable of being a threat, but where were the words that spoke to their humanity? The part of them that still felt guilt for wrong doings or the part that felt love and yearned for companionship. T. Ruth. had completely disregarded the human that makes up the other hand of a Dhampir and to strip that away from a person could not be justified.

Howard would suck in deep breaths after his raging words came to an end. As much as a weight was lifting it still left him feeling angry and raw. The hands of @Falentra Black would find their way to his cheeks as she wiped away his tears. It was not to protect him from the eyes of others, but to reassure him that he was not alone. Although she might not know exactly what to do with the raw display of emotions the fact that she did not shy away spoke volumes. Her touch would bring a calm to Howard as he caught his breath and steadied himself. His red eyes would lock with hers as she offered herself in sacrifice. A true testament to her commitment to the Dhampir and an offer that would only strengthen his feelings for her. There was part of him that was still consumed by the anger and would love nothing more than to sit back and watch Falentra tear through the other girl, but now was not the time for violence. Now was the time to prove a point. "I know ya would, Fal." His hands would reach up to grasp hers and gently pull them from his cheeks. "But I gotta do this. Just need ya by me side."

Falentra would not be the only one to stand up for howard in his moment of need. @Kazuo Shimada would approach the pair and berate @Heinrich Bezuidenhout for his harsh words. Although young in age the boy spoke with words of wisdom. Should a person be only be defined by the mistakes they have made? Was this not made up for by the good that they did in their lives? It was true, both Human and Dhampir could be equally as dangerous and if the undead were specifically targeted, could the other half breeds be next? However, Heinrich's words could have been deemed unfair as Howard had risked life and limb to save him, but was his pain to be ignored? His dearest sister had been the victim of a brutal assault. To realize that the one that hurt someone you love was standing right before you had to be overwhelming. Hopefully one day the Bezuidenhout's could find a way to forgive Howard for his accident. Although he would deeply appreciate Fal and Kaz coming to his aid, his hands would reach out to grab each by the shoulder. It was both a gesture of gratitude and to urge caution.

The first year girl ( @Valencia Deathstout ) would stand her ground again. Such a big presence for a small package as she argued her point. The little Dhampir drove the issue home. This was a boarding school and all that attended should be made to feel safe. The article may have been written as a warning, but the words would push for devision. They would ostracize the undead instead of trying to understand what it was like to be a being of split natures. Was warning people of the dangers of Dhampirism really the best use of journalism? Or would it have been more effective to try and understand what it was like to be both human and non human. A complicated life filled with the urges of both natures. There had to be a healthy balance between cation and understanding if the population was going to coexist. The extremes of either side would turn dangerous if let unchallenged. Howard would make eye contact with her as she spoke her mind and give her a look of confidence that urged her to continue. However, he would hold up a hand of cation as she spoke to Heinrich. If there was to be understanding, the young Hufflepuffs pain had to be recognized too.

As people continued to shuffle around the scene the voice of the @Pericles Dralt would reach Howard's ear. The Dhampir would turn his head to make brief eye contact as Pericles offered an apology. A pang of guilt would flash through Howard's chest as he knew the Ravenclaw would soon find the destruction he had left for the newspaper team. Out of all of them, Pericles was the only one that had tried to do anything to counteract the T. Ruth. article and now he offered an apology for not doing more. Howard had forgotten this kind act in the heat of the moment. Hopefully his actions would not push away one of the people who had at least tried to understand his side of the story, but there was nothing her could do to fix that now. He had made his stance and he had to stick to it. Howard's mouth would open to reply, but no words would come before Pericles left the hall.

The hand of @Nico Shymane would come to rest on Howard's arm as she stood with him in solidarity. His outburst of emotions seemed to strike a cord within her as well. The wails of her own sorrow would coincide with Howard's bellows of rage. Not only was it sympathy that she showed the older Dhampir, but perhaps his anguish was hers as well. How long had she been made to feel that such emotions should be repressed? Hopefully she would be able to begin processing these painful feelings. A journey that Howard and she might one day share together. He would look down at Nico, but she did not meet his eye. He would however briefly touch her hand to show her he appreciated her words and actions. However, as she spoke of Heinrich's words she might feel a shudder run down Howard. Fortunately a certain brunette would interject and spare him from saying her name. Nico would fine tune her stance and use words Howard was incapable of forming. Her stance was probably the most valid of them all. The Dhampirs were willing to adapt to fit in with society. perhaps is was wizard kinds turn to do the same.

@George Henry would eat an apple, but also pull put his notebook to take....notes. Howard wouldn't notice the fellow Puff, but hopefully he would document the scene accurately. Would he write of this occasion? If so, would light would be shone upon it?

As the arguments continued, they would do nothing to dissuade the other girl ( @Kit Paine). Although her words were harsh they did carry some truth. Not all of the half breeds were born that way. Perhaps if they had been better prepared they could have avoided being inflicted with Dhampirism or Lycanthropy? However, this again only pointed to the actions of a few among the many. It still judged the whole for the misdeeds of a few. Even if what she said carried some truth, in Howard's eyes she would represent those who held the belief of superiority. The words were human would ring in his ears and rekindle the flames of anger. Not only would this girl continue her verbal attack on half breeds but she would turn her spite towards Falentra as well. "Oi! Back off!" Howard barked as he took a step forward to put himself between the girls. "We're only actin' this way cuz people like you pushed us to it! You say this article is supposed ta teach us somethin'? That's bullshit! Did you even read it! Look at the words! Blood sucker! Demon! Devil! That's nothin' but hate and ya know it!"

Howard would spin on the spot as another red head ( @Evelynn Decipio ) stepped forth and identified the victim of his attack. His heart sank as she spoke as the truth of his actions were finally revealed. It became clear with every word that she was the one in the article that had witnessed Aurelia's life threatening wounds. As she retold the story Howard couldn't stop the guilt that came with, but it angered him as well. It was an accident. Why didn't any of these people acknowledge this fact when they argued their point?! She would go on to bring up other attacks brought about by the Dhampirs of Hogwarts, urging again that the article only meant to inform. "You're talkin' the same shite as her!" Howard blurted out after she concluded her argument. "Ya actin' like we don't know what we done! Like we don't feel bad or nothin'! Again, read the damn words! Blood Sucker! Demon! Devil!" Howard would repeat the names to drive his point home. "This is education!? Bullshit! Yeah, some of us have lost control, but it's an accident! How come there ain't nothin' in the article 'bout how I took Aurelia to the hospital wing. I realized what I done and I got her help! 'Course everyone has a right to defend themselves, but this article is tryin' ta make everythin' black and white. It ain't right! All id doin' is spreadin' hate and fear. Just the same as the Daily Prophet done!" Howard concluded his argument.

@Ami Procoppio would view the scene from afar. She and Howard were bonded through sports and house, but her loyalties also lied with the Hogwarts Headliner. A true pickle indeed. As she scurried off to check on the office this bond would surely be tested.

Another Hufflepuff would jump into the action. @May Moonstar would rush to Heinrich's aid. Although her words were directed at Kaz, the ones she chose would cause the wrath of Howard to be turned her way. "What the fuck! I didn't try to kill anyone!! Don't call me a fuckin' bloodsucker goddamnit! You got no right to say that ya little shite!" A poor choice of words on both of their parts and ones that would mark May an enemy in Howard's eye. Perhaps it was just her youth or that she was propelled to defend her friend, but her words carried hate. Would she come to recognize that power and pain that came with them? Howard would only match her anger with his own, but maybe a more level head would prevail elsewhere.

Would that cool head come from @Jackson Valentine? Not quite yet. One of the few that might be truly hearing Howard's argument and cry for help, but for now he would stick to the back ground and observe. Only time would tell if he would do anything about it.

@River Dewlight would step forward to encourage her fellow Prefect Nico before addressing the group with ration. A true example of leadership and exemplary in her role as an authority figure. She would argue what most of them should. That there was validity to both sides of the argument and until that was recognized they would get no where quickly. However, with such heated emotion it would be hard for them to listen to reason. Another round a shouting and debate had come to a close. Would this group be able to stop and actually listen to each other or was the situation doomed to fall further into chaos.

The reassurance that @Howard White shown through his actions brought a small smile to her face, but it left as quickly as it came. Did he not want violence? Words had obviously gotten them nowhere so far, so to her that was the only option left. Of course, in Falentras mind she often jumped to conclusions or went with how she felt at that moment in time, which often resulted in chaos. So to do such a thing in a situation that already had it was probably not the wisest choice. Instead she just gave a nod in approval and bit her lip as a way of coping with the rage that was itching for her to jump at at the girl, (@Kit Paine ) despite the grief she had just gotten off of her. This was absolute torture.

The Slytherin would stand by Howards side throughout his speech. She knew what he said was the truth and agreed with him but she also knew that whatever he was saying was going to go straight over the heads of those who stood against him. They were cruel and heartless, yet they had the nerve to call out on Dhampirs as a whole, and not individually. They were all different and there definitely where ones out there that people should fear... maybe they should write articles on them instead? It was what hurt Falentra the most. That the Dhampirs before her, the ones that had bloodstained tears down their cheeks , the ones that attempted to comfort Howard in whatever way possible were being blamed. They had their bad sides, but so did everyone else in that room. They could be just as deadly. No matter now though. Nothing was going to be resolved here, Falentra knew that or at least that was what her stubborn side thought.

Her eyes continued to watch those before her whilst she had begun to get lost within her thoughts. @Valencia Deathstout had taken to Howards side as support. She had to give her credit for trying. For a first year she had the courage to speak up and keep her cool. @Kazuo Shimada on the other hand, who also stood beside Howard was... a tad more forcefully, louder to say the least. Falentra couldn't have helped but smile when he gave @Heinrich Bezuidenhout an earful, but again she would keep what she wanted to say to herself. She had to for Howard. It seemed her words were making matters worse and giving more for the supposed T. Ruth to play around with.

As the arguing and aggressive words were thrown back and forth, Aurelia's little brother decided to perk up again. Another voice break perhaps? Falentra tried to find humour with her own thoughts as a distraction but what was to follow made her mind go blank for a minute, along with her expressions. Not only did he bring up the incident, but a Gryffindor( @Evelynn Decipio ) had backed him up with a more in-depth version if it all.
She had froze on the spot but part of her wanted to throw up at what she had heard. There was no way this was true. No way. Her eyes darted from Howards, to Evelynn, to Heinrichs' and then back to Howard. She wanted him to look at her and tell her it wasn't true but with the words he had snapped back with confirmed that everything were. ''H-Howard...?'' She called out faintly to him under her breath which she had suddenly lost. It had become heavy as the anger grew, trying it's best not to burst. How could have not told her about this sooner? He swore not too keep any secrets from here. The attack might have been before he met her but he should have told her about this, especially when they went ahead with doing this! Aurelia was her friend, the only girl friend she had... they were both together with her on her birthday. How did she not see the tension between them. Were there any? The thoughts even began to annoy herself now.

Her hands began to shake as a result of not blurting out or screaming. She couldn't let anyone around see that this had gotten to her, like this was a surprise. It would probably give them something else to fuel their one-sided argument if they had noticed. But at the same time she was being to quiet, far too quiet. All this time she had snapped back like Howard had, as well as all the other supporters but now there was nothing but silence from her. It was sure to come across strange.
She held back the tears of anger and simply lowered her gaze from Howard. If he was to try and touch her, she would simply brush him off her and step aside. This was no time for them to have an argument/discussion on what went on with him and Aurelia. That was to be saved for another time. For now, she would just keep her head down and stay by his side, despite not having the same input anymore, she didn't want him to feel any worse than he did. This was still his moment and she wasn't going to ruin it by bringing in their newly made problems.