We Want the T.ruth!!! Closed

INTERACTING WITH: @Kit Paine & @May Moonstar
MENTIONING: @Nico Shymane @Howard White @Falentra Black @Kazuo Shimada

XXXThat was the final straw, Valencia's hands shaking so violently she thought she was beginning to vibrate. Seeing red, she stepped forward, her height not anywhere in comparison to the older students by her side. "That's where you're wrong, you.. YOU ASSHOLES." Her body cringed at her foul language, "It's NOT any of your responsibilities, it's NOT your place to speak for us as if ya know what we go through, and it's SURE AS HELL not your job to classify what we are and aren't capable of." Her voice rose from anger, feeling both powerful and weak at the same time. But she wasn't done, and for that matter had only started. For a second, and only just a second, her gaze directed to May, the scorn in her face enough to kill. "Bloodsucker, ey? Real original. This bitch says we're just like her yet calls us that?" A stale laugh escaped her, head shaking in amusement. Ridiculous indeed.

XXXComing away from Moonstar, Valencia looked directly at the brunette again. "Do ya know how many HUMANS have committed murder, violent criminal acts, gotten sent to Azkaban? Far more than Dhampirs, that's fa sure. If anything we should be scared of you. A person who instigates fights for the helluva it, because it's fun for ya." And for a moment, Valencia's face crumpled. You know when you can feel as if you're about to cry, the way your jaw will get heavier and your throat closes as if there's thick liquid suffocating you? Tears welling in your eyes and you have to stop speaking for a moment, taking a deep breath before being able to continue again? She refused to break down, not in front of all these people, not after what she said so confidently. She glanced back up. "Is that what this is? You don't get paid attention to enough so you have ta try and provoke half-breeds to prove a point?" Her voice wavered, becoming aware that she had said too much. It was normal for the Ravenclaw to be so outspoken, it was something she prided herself in, but right now.. right now she didn't like the eyes on her. As she tugged on the sleeve of her robe, she looked Elis in the eyes again, feeling better and somehow worse at the same time. This wasn't what she wanted, to fight people, but what must be done must be done.

XXXHer grey hues flicked to the redheaded Dhampir at the sound of her voice, watching as she placed a hand upon the now visibly distressed and upset Hufflepuff. She looked solemnly at both her and Falentra, as if to say sorry about the mess taking place regardless of it being her fault or not. However, her expression faded into one of shock as the Gryffindor recalled events of Howard attacking a girl named.. Aurelia. Although she had no recollection of such a name, Valencia was hardly convinced that he would have attacked the girl merely out of sport. There had to be more to the story, surely.. An accident. Freak accident... A voice within her head spoke, the thought unexpected and yet.. not her own. She gulped, the room now starting to become hazy.
And then the change of tones in Nico's voice surprised her, from soft-spoken words to blunt and straightforward statements instead. Valencia would have offered a smile had she not been feeling so disoriented, so she was only left to nod along. The prefect spoke with such confidence, in comparison to Valencia who couldn't manage to choke a single steady sentence out. The year difference surely played a part, making her slightly look up to her. Who better than her own kind, anyway?

XXXFinally her gaze fell to Kazuo, appreciative for his willingness to take a stand beside the Dhampirs. Unfortunately she couldn't seem to stick around for long before tearing away from the crowd, frantic and panic filled eyes searching for an exit. She was a strong girl who could handle much, though this was something beyond her mental capacity. She needed to hide, get away from them, just something that provided her solitude far far from everyone. Though was there even such a place? It was getting late, outdoors being eliminated from her options, though she wouldn't be able to stand viewing herself in the mirrors of the bathroom. She was stuck with no where to go. Sparing a quick glance back to the other students, she contemplated offering a goodbye. It was no use. In the end her words here would be soon forgotten, meaning there was no point in leaving her name behind.

Valencia has left the thread unless prevented.

One could have said Jack's words to Howard had been in vain - yet they also hadn't. While the younger boy hadn't exactly minced, sugared, or otherwise made his words any easier to swallow, he had hoped to determine Howard's mental state at the time by his reaction to the very logical, if painfully blunt, statements. What Jack discovered in turn was...interesting to say the least.

With how the excitable Hufflepuff aggressively snapped and cursed at others who he didn't believe were making any sense or taking this seriously, there were a few select people he did respond differently to. By Jack's reckoning, that meant his mind wasn't completely compromised by his emotions. At least not yet.

He was glad When Nico was listened to and replied to with the respect and honesty she deserved. However, when Howard began to heed his - Jack's - words, his response left his underclassman speechless.

Jack had fully expected to get hit or something. Not because he had meant to egg Howard on or because Howard was a dhampir, but because Howard was agitated, had a previous history of violence, and Jack, with his refusal of usual tact, outright criticized him to his face.

What transpired instead, though, was an astonishing display of vulnerability in the form of very real tears. While the tears consisted of blood and were obviously not human, they conversely spoke volumes to Howard's humanity that he would be so deeply affected by everything that he would cry in front of the audience he had come to berate. What Jack was seeing, he thought, was in itself a form of true strength. Not just anyone could still stand there and hold their ground, stubbornly keeping their stance and parrying the argumentative attacks that came their way, particularly while genuine tears rolled down their cheeks.

Howard did end up telling his truth, raging wildly with the full force of his pain, anger, and sorrow. Jack was so taken aback, he retreated an involuntary step. Hazel eyes gazed upon the dhampir boy, lips slightly parted as he took in the raw display of emotions and attempted to process them as if they were his own. He knew nothing of what Howard had gone through to become the way he had; knew nothing of what any of them had gone through.

Still, if nothing else, he knew what it was like to be lonely and feel so completely alone. Worse yet, to feel like one had to remain alone in the fear of being betrayed or accidentally harming others. Did Howard also know something about what that was like? Maybe in a different sense and for different reasons, but...looking at him now, it seemed possible he knew well the depths of that despair.

As fascinating as the whole discussion was, Jack felt sure that the hall of children would never come to a unanimous agreement about the article. He wasn't sure what Howard had come there to do except promote awareness - of the article, if not his full feelings on the matter - but it seemed he'd accomplished that and more. There didn't seem to be any further need for him to suffer openly in public. The fourth year's point had been made and Jack hoped that whoever had written the article was watching; looking on and seeing the very real pain they were causing not only Howard but the many other students involved. Education might have been necessary, but not painted in the biased light that the article had used.

Kazuo continued to hold the ground of the side he had clearly chosen while the girl who had burned the articles tenderly offered to attack the brunette girl for Howard. Howard gently asked them to both hold off on outright violence, but it wasn't until Nico and Evelynn spoke up again that Jack noticed a distinct shift in the dynamics of the hall. The black-haired fourth year went from quiet and faithful to despondent in little more than the space of time it had taken for Evelynn to speak. The redheaded prefect elaborated on the event that the article had referred to - an event, it seemed, that had directly involved Howard himself and a girl named Aurelia, older sister to the outraged Heinrich.

After that, Jack saw the doubt and hurt grow in Howard's companion's eyes. He watched her step away from him and realized that the older Hufflepuff seemed to have lost his most faithful supporter. Had she not known what Evelynn had revealed? It certainly hadn't seemed so. Betrayal reigned all over the fourth year Slytherin girl's disheartened countenance. Jack's heart went out to her, but in the way it had gone out to a purple-haired girl he'd seen a similar expression on not so very long ago. He swallowed hard.

"Um...excuse me," he said, going up to her as he was still not sure of her name. He drew up on the side of her that was opposite of Howard and lowered his voice in the hopes the Hufflepuff wouldn't hear or notice. He had his own problems to deal with just then, after all. "Is...something the matter?" Jack tried to meet her gaze. "You...you didn't know, did you?"

@Howard White, @Falentra Black, @Kit Paine, @Evelynn Decipio, @Kazuo Shimada, @Valencia Deathstout, @River Dewlight, @May Moonstar, @Heinrich Bezuidenhout, & @Nico Shymane

If not stopped, Heinrich would leave.

"Oi! Back off!" the fourth year spat at her. "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!"

The girl with the face attached to the name 'Elis Redleaf' had clearly practiced standing her ground because if she hadn't, there was no doubt she would have buckled and been off running the other direction by then. Still, she forced herself to speak through gritted teeth even if it wasn't all that loud.

"'People like me' didn't push you to vandalize school property and make fools of yourselves pointlessly burning a bunch of school papers in front of a largely innocent audience just trying to get through dinner," she managed. "As for the names, people get called names all the time, not just dhampir! They're just words. Suck it up and move on!" She paused. "Pun not intended."

Eventually there seemed to be a general consensus among the student body. Maybe people needed to know about the dhampir and other half-breeds, but not in the offensive terms they had been called in the article and certainly not from the single-minded viewpoint of a lone individual writing an old piece. They could learn about their non-human peers in class with the rest of their education.

Aside from that, students of all ages and races were breaking down and crying everywhere for various different reasons. Many more were starting to leave now and not just to go check the Hogwarts Headliner office, either. It was getting late. People were tired and no longer in the mood to argue.

Included in that group of tired people was Elis. When a redhead (Evelynn) who seemed to know an awful lot about the circumstances of the dhampir attack explained what she knew, many students reacted with shock. Whether it was Howard's fault or not, the truth of what he and his kind could do remained frightening. Frightening enough, even, to get to Howard's girlfriend. Well, that or perhaps she was simply hurt she had heard the information second-hand instead of directly from the source.

Whatever the case, Elis could see that the fight had gone out of the fourth year girl. Elis herself no longer wished to argue with the weeping, emotionally-impaired Howard, either. She had said her piece, others had provided more information to back it up, and that was that. Those who could have been swayed were and those who stubbornly chose to keep to their original beliefs still did so. There was no longer any point to remaining to scream at each other and debate useless notions of a past which could not be changed. Actions had been taken, the article had been written, and there was nothing more to be done.

The brunette turned away to head out of the hall with a heavy sigh. Those who were continuing to speak were no longer addressing her specifically, having instead turned their ire and attention on the redhead (Evelynn), so she felt no reason to try to defend herself. They were only bickering with each other and in general. She wasn't about to stick around and waste her time on that. If Howard was going to continue to get himself worked up over every little offensive name and insulting comment thrown his was, he'd never get over himself.

With a little sniff of disdain, Elis slipped out the door and left the small hall to go change out of her uniform.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mr. Howard White."

A young man of a rather tall 190.5cm (6'3") stature entered the room a little while after the brunette had exited it. His expression was open and sympathetic; his voice gentle but firm. Glancing about the hall, he repeated the name once more. "Is a Mr. Howard White still currently present?"

He tried to catch the Hufflepuff fourth year's eye out the corner of one of his own, mismatched ones. Something like the crooked hint of a smile played at the corner of his mouth, but it somehow suggested concern rather than mockery. "I'm afraid I have reason to believe I owe him a detention. Him and potentially one other...?"

@Evelynn Decipio, @May Moonstar, @River Dewlight, @Nico Shymane, @Jack Burnett, @Howard White, @Falentra Black, @Kazuo Shimada, & @Valencia Deathstout

'Aurelia?...'

Nico looked over at Evelynn. Someone she previously knew from the HHAWT club they both were members of. Howard... attacked Aurelia? The redhead didn't know how to react at first. Many emotions flew in, just as the many memories. She had dissapeared ? For how long?

For a moment, Nico felt slightly guilty for not noticing it sooner but on the other hand... Why would she care so much about someone like that?

And yet... being so viciously attacked... It was probably a miracle that the Gryffindor survived.

But still... To suddenly learn how to equip stuff to... be able to fend of dhampirs? It felt wrong. It felt dehumanising...
Something about the Owlery incident didn't feel right. Surely in that event Aurelia had been a victim. There was no denying that. What happened after however, Nico felt that that should be adressed aswell.

Before she could, a new voice popped in the crowd. A youngling named May Moonstar. They met briefly once. She seemed like a nice, clever girl, but the words she spat right there convinced her the opposite was true. For a short moment, Nico glared at her, red dots flaring up inside her usual iceblue eyes. 'I'd prefer if you stopped using those words, Miss Moonstar.' Voice stern and clear. Sadly for the Hufflepuff girl, she has ended up on the naughty list of this dhampir. 'And I'm saying this as both a Prefect and a Dhampir. Right now you're being racist... Say it again and I'll bring it to your Head of House. Do I make myself clear?'

The flare depleted immediately once a colleague of hers stepped up. River. Just like her, pale like the moon and seen as a bloodsucking monster. And a Prefect. Nico smiled softly with a sense of relief, giving her an appreciative nod as she spoke. They both were probably the best examples of how they could be different. But that was probably still not convincing enough in some eyes...

The sharp tongues of certain individuals lit up the furious flame within Howard. He felt scared and again... cornered. Put on the spot. He probably didn't expect his little riot to go this far. To turn against him in such a deeply painful way. Nico furrowed her brow with worry and sympathy as she looked over her shoulder at him, watching every emotion and vibration in his being. It was so real and so... relatable. The redhead sighed soflty as another few tears rolled down her cheeks. It had become a signature thing to her. An emotional dhampir when she had the need to.

Kazuo did his best to sympathy with them, the bloodsucker side. Nico could appreciate it and she understood that he wanted to say everything he could to make himself clear about that. If May hadn't called them bloodsucking monsters or anything hurtful like that, the Prefect would've immediately stepped in. That his vocabulary was going too far. But maybe this young Hufflepuff needed a wake up call. Even if she tried to stand up for her friend... Those words shouldn't have been said after such a devastating reveal of events.

Speaking of which, as Nico's had been turned until now, only when she turned to look at both Howard and Kazuo, did she notice how taken aback Falentra seemed to be. Both her and Howard had seemed close, maybe they were even an actual couple, or one in the making. But... Her whole body language was different. She was no longer sticking close to Howard, no longer attempting to persuade him into letting her hurt someone. She... looked like she had distant herself from him. Did she not know aswell? Sigh... Nico hoped she'd never have to feel that way... If Quinn ever held something back like that.

To another side, Nico caught a glimpse of the young Dhampir girl who apparantly had her fill of this entire situation. She couldn't blame her. This was all rather intense and it was only a matter of time before people would be tired out. Dinner had also nearly finished being served. However, in the way Valencia left, fearfull and skitterish, the Slytherin made a promise to herself to check on her later. If not tonight, maybe a different day.

The final straw was probably Heinrichs outburst. He had been talked over and patronised this entire time. Nico didn't have much of a chance to watch him closely. Until then she didn't know he was Aurelias little brother though... Things have changed for the worst... He missed her. He just wanted her back. And after your sister being attacked like that... To dissapear. How could he not be desperate and worried... How could he not blame Howard...
The Hufflepuff made his way to the hallway to leave, but Nico couldn't let him. He needed to know.

Before he was too far away, she spoke loud and clear: 'I'm sorry about your sister, Heinrich. But she wasn't the only victim in this.' If this would stop the young one in his tracks, most likely to make him turn to her to give her an earful, she would continue. 'She looked for trouble too.' Nico paused and looked Heinrich in his eyes before folding her arms hesitantly. 'How do I say this... Aurelia. She baited some of us. Dhampirs. Back at one of the balls, she hurt herself on purpose to make one of the dhampir students to attack her. I managed to stop her together with Professor Equinox. You must know that blood, to us, is like your favourite food, to you. It's intoxicating. It lures you in so easily. Aurelia knew that. She figured that out real quick. Most likely because of what happened between her and Howard.'

Nico turned to lock eyes with Howard. She was there for him. He wasn't the only one at fault here. 'I must admit that... I, too, nearly attacked a student. She had accidently cut herself. And since I had no snacks to ease my hunger, I fought myself really hard to not... claw at her. Or worse.' She paused and sighed, trying not to break down in tears again. Taking in a deep breath, she turned towards Heinrich again. 'Aurelia let me bite her then and there. To stop me from hurting someone else. I don't... feel good about it. That it happened.' This was probably a good side of Aurelia, but that wasn't the side Nico wanted to expose right now. Even Aurelia wasn't a saint. 'But because of her stunt at the Ball, we now have what we know as the blood feeding before or after every meal. Professor Equinox made that a rule. So that other students no longer had to fear us... Because a human tried to taunt us into becoming... dangerous.'

How would he take this..? Chances were that he wouldn't believe her... And she wouldn't blame him. He most likely saw his sister as a victim in all this. Not some weird monster hunter out to make them, dhampirs, look bad.

The brunette that caused an uproar had departed the hall with merely a few words. Not very kind words. That last pun was rather uncalled for. Yet only moments later, someone she recognised walked in. Kit Paine. For one reason or another, Nico suddenly felt very embarassed about herself talking this much out in public. Was it because they were students and he was... not? A slight pink shade rested on her cheeks as she tried to keep her cool posture. 'H-He's... still here, Mr Paine.'

@Heinrich Bezuidenhout | @Howard White | @Kit Paine | @Valencia Deathstout | @Falentra Black | @May Moonstar | @Kazuo Shimada | @Evelynn Decipio

Abilities : Lovely Creature & Unsettling Aura [OFF]

@Kazuo Shimada would continue to be a staunch ally and come to Howard's defense. His argument was sound as he called out the brunette for victim shaming. A problem that affected just the magical community but all humans. Surely it wasn't right to stand back and judge those that have been harmed for not being able to defend themselves? The first years next words should have been enough to strike a cord with all that surrounded them. Although they may argue different sides, surely having the capacity to emphasize with your fellow humans was key to a thriving society. Without it humans are doomed to division and it only takes a matter of time until devision turns to hate. It was this empathy that Howard yearned for, even if he asked for it in a destructive way. Kaz again proved his maturity as he was able to look past the Dhampir's mistakes and see the article as nothing more than fear mongering. Would his impressive words be able to convince the others?

Although the current events might strengthen the bond between Kaz and Howard, the struggle would leave some casualties in its wake. He would hear his own name muttered by the one he cared for most, and as he turned to catch the gaze of @Falentra Black, she would turn her head away from him, but not before he could catch the disappointment in her eyes. The pair were bonded through chaos since the day they had met. For weeks she had stood by his side and listened as he tried to express his anger and frustration, but she knew him well. She was the one that knew he needed to express himself through physical action. That if he didn't it would continue to fester in his belly. Falentra had stirred him into action and now that the moment had come, Howard would call for her to stand down. It had to be confusing and maybe somewhat hurtful as he cautioned her against being herself, but that was nothing compared to the revelation that came next. As the details of his attack were laid out before them, Aurelia's identity would be announced. A fact that Howard had kept from Falentra. That a year ago he had brutally attacked her close friend and although he had never lied about it, withholding such information was hurtful all the same. His one true ally, the girl that would stand beside him through the darkest of day now pulled away. As Howard searched for validation for his own feelings, he had disregarded Falentra's. Would it all be worth it in the end?

The situation also seemed to be too much for @Valencia Deathstout. The brave first year had stood her ground throughout this whole ordeal, but as tempers flared and Howard's transgressions came into light her resolve would falter. No one could really blame her for lashing out against those that stood against her. Although her choice of words could be just as hurtful as the ones used against her, the meaning behind them came from a just place. It was too easy for people to break each other down into classifications. To separate each other into boxes much easier to understand than the complicated creature that was a human being, but this also led to prejudices and quick judgements. All people were capable of terrible things. To simply say these things happened just because someone was Dhampir was surely one of those oversimplifications. With her point made, Valencia would begin to feel the weight of the situation. She was strong and had stood tall, but now she needed an out. Howard would see her scurry away from the corner of his eye. Yet another supporter lost.

@Jack Burnett had just offered some healthy criticism to Howard's protest, but his words would strike a cord that would release a torrent of emotion. People often have the tendency to see weakness at displays of emotion, especially when coming from a male, but perhaps Jack was different. Where some might see a lack of strength he would see courage. Although the red head could not know exactly what it was like to feel Howard's struggle, he would at least try to do what Howard was begging for. Emphasize. Jack could see that the Dhampir's struggles made him feel alone, ostracized from his community by a sense of fear and anger. He would rage at the fact that others would treat him as being inhuman, all the while fearing the very nature that separated him from the others. It was a very complicated place to be in both mentally and emotionally. Most wouldn't be able to understand, but they could try.

Speaking of trying to understand, the events would affect @Heinrich Bezuidenhout in a much different way. There were others that would stand up for him and the tragedy of it all would engrave something within his mind. Monster and sympathizer. The pain from the knowledge that his sister was the victim of an attack was too much for the youngster, but not something that should be overlooked. If people were trying to empathize with Howard they would have to try with the other side as well. For if they ignored Heinrich's pain it was sure to fester in his young mind and the longer it wasn't processed the more damage it could do. The two Hufflepuffs represented two sides to the tug of war. Connected by a shared trauma and if left untreated could push either to extremism and further and further away from reason and understanding. However, no healing would come this day. As Heinrich heard first hand testament of what his sister had endured it would prove too much. He would lash out against Howard, demanding the location of Aurelia and calling him out for what he had done to her. The guilt would flash through Howard as the underclassmen broke down. The very nature he was trying to stand up for had caused people so much pain. It left him feeling depleted, his only response to the boy would be a pained look through tear stained eyes. No words would come before the little Puff made his exit.

Nothing of the situation would sway the brunette girl ( @Kit Paine) from her stance as she stood strong against Howard and his supporters. Her criticism was harsh, but not completely wrong. Was it right for Howard and Falentra to have destroyed public property in protest? A loaded question. Were extreme actions not needed to shine a light on injustices left too long ignored? Again, complicated. Human history could provide good reason for both sides of the argument. However, this current situation would break down. The fight and passion that was there before had dwindled as arguments went in circles and emotions were spent. Seeing there was no point in continuing, she too would slip away.

@Nico Shymane would out her foot down when the racist remarks began to fly. Using her authority as Prefect, she shut it down quickly, but that was not all she would do. She would bring forth some information that would rock Howard to his core and as she turned to look at him this would be evident through his expression. Upon his face was a mixture of shock and pain. Aurelia had purposefully injured herself to bait other Dhampirs into attacking. Was it possible that she had done the same that time in the owlery?! Was all this shame and guilt he had been carrying with him, eating away at his soul for the past year all a result of an intentional action? Howard could barely wrap his head around it. His eyes would flicker between the faces around him as he tried to process what Nico spoke of. Had everything that lead up to this point been built on a lie?!

The changed form of Kit Paine, now recognizable as the school caretaker, would return and call for an end to demonstration. Detention would be Howard's punishment, but it was nothing compared to the hell that was brewing inside him. What had started as a chaotic, spur of the moment demonstration that he and Falentra shared together had crumbled into despair. He had bared his soul, called out for help and understanding but also lashed out in anger. The truth had been set free but it came at a heavy cost. Falentra would walk away hurt, his most trusted companion now shadowed with doubt. Would those that supported him still stand by his side? Had his demonstration done anything to help the cause of his fellow half breeds or would it only taint them in the eyes of others? Only time would tell, but in this moment Howard would walk away, his head hung low in defeat.

Howard White leaves the thread.

Interacting with @Jack Burnett
Mentioning: @Howard White @Valencia Deathstout @Heinrich Bezuidenhout @Kit Paine @Nico Shymane

Falentra was expecting more to leave Howard’s mouth. More passion and anger to spew but now, he was silent. His expressions in the meantime would have been showing what he wanted to say, and if anything it seemed the little Ravenclaw, Valencia took his place saying a few decent opinions of her own. Falentra wouldn’t look up to the other in reaction and kept her head hanging low, though she listened carefully and nodded occasionally in agreement. Silence soon followed and footsteps could have been heard leaving the room. The Slytherins gaze lifted slightly to Val, watching her run off. Poor thing. Part of her wanted to run after the redhead but the other half wanted to make sure nothing kicked off with Howard or anyone.

Next a fellow Slytherin made there way to her side. She again would keep her head low, trying her best to avoid giving away too much emotion that was held in her expression but it seemed even her posture was giving away a lot. That or she had kept her gob shut for too long.
It hadn’t taken long for the boy to start asking questions, ones that she dreaded to be asked. A hand tightened against the fabric of her jumper, an attempt to ignore what he was asking. And to keep her anger at bay.

Thankfully, in a way, the mouthy little Hufflepuff Heinrich had yet another load to say. It was a way for Falentra to ignore what Jack had asked. A way for attention to be draw over to him. This time, she couldn’t help but lift her head and hold yet another cold glare at him. Nothing was getting through to him, it was completely useless to try and get him to see the other side of all this. So stubborn. The little devil that sat on her shoulder, or probably on both shoulders in Falentra’s case would be telling her to snap back again but it wasn’t long before Nico spoke up, her words more thought through and calm than most. By this point, Heinrich had spoken his mind and quickly ran off out the great hall not long after. Thank god. She thought before bringing her gaze up to Howard, trying to see at this point if he was going to do something about this. They couldn’t just destroy part of the Headliners Office, cause a fire and then resolve things through words. That’s what she couldn’t understand. She wanted to fight, cause chaos. She couldn’t see that that would have made matters worse... She was too much of a loose cannon to think like that.

Elis has perked up again, though her speech was much shorter this time, but just as cruel. Yet again, she would soon follow the two other students who left. Was everyone having enough now? It seemed so. Maybe because this wasn’t enough? A sigh left her lips as her eyes trailed from ‘T.Ruth’ to Jack quickly, seeing if he was still figuring her out. Probably, but she didn’t hold the gaze long enough to let him take a further peak. She would look back to Howard who had finally made eye contact with her. It was only for a moment but it was enough for her to see the worry and sadness in his eyes. She wanted to say something but she knew she couldn’t be sure it’d be all nice.

A sudden interrupting caught her off guard from her thoughts. A males voice, a deeper one, brought her attention to the Caretaker, Kit. Great. This was just what they needed right now. It was to be expected, but 10 minutes later would have been great. Right now they were all in a tense situation, one that Howard seemed he had enough off. Even Falentra wasn’t expecting this. He had walked off. No words had left his mouth or any emotions to go off. Her eyes followed him leaving and her lips parted in attempt to shout out for him but nothing followed, only a tug on her jumper that she held onto tightly.

This wasn’t how she thought it’d go. She thought more people would stand up for them and put those who disagreed gobsmacked or speechless but they were defeated. It had become too much now that Howard had left. She stood there a moment longer before barging her shoulder into Jack, probably her way of finally responding to him, then running through the doors, hoping to make it passed Kit without any trouble. She couldn’t stay in the room any longer. She knew her emotions were on show and that was the last thing she wanted people to see.

Thread Left

Jack couldn't say he was terribly surprised that the older girl seemed to avoid looking at him, much less responding to his questions. He knew she probably didn't want to be pestered just then, but her silence and behavior were answer enough. He sighed deeply, his shoulders drooping, but didn't move away. Why hadn't Howard told this girl anything if she'd been his partner in crime? Had he been afraid to? Had it not occurred to him? Or did he have more intricate reasons like Jack had for having led Erin on about being her boyfriend for months?

Before Jack could say anything more to his upperclassman, however, Kit showed up and was asking about Howard. He also looked questioningly their way, his words implying that perhaps more students might have been to blame for what had happened. The vandalism, burning, disruption of dinner, etc. were bound to at least earn Howard detention if no one else. The question was if Howard was going to incriminate anyone else.

He did not. Instead, he skulked away wordlessly without even really looking at the caretaker. Jack was fairly certain his dejected demeanor wasn't about having earned detention. Part of him wanted to help the dhampir get to the bottom of all that he was angry about; to find out the mystery of whether or not Auriela had actually meant to provoke him when he'd attacked her. However, Jack had other things to worry about. Falentra had shoved past him and seemed determined to leave him in her metaphorical dust.

With another heavy sigh, the second year wondered why even the older students had to act like such babies when it came to drama and conflict instead of talking things out with proper communication like a civilized, smart individual would do. He supposed this was why emotions were so dangerous, though; they were prone to impairing the logic and judgment of even the most intelligent people. Determined not to lose the fourth year, Jack hurried after the teenager.

At least they were in the same house. So long as she didn't slip into any girls' bathrooms or into the girls' dormitories before he could catch up, there was a good chance, he thought, of being able to talk some sense into her yet.

Jack leaves the thread.

@Howard White, @Falentra Black, & @Kit Paine

'H-He's... still here, Mr Paine.'

Kit's heterochromic gaze settled upon the source of the suddenly meek and hesitant voice that had answered his. He glanced from her to Howard and back again before beaming at her warmly. Yes, he remembered seeing that strawberry red hair around. It belonged to the prefect, Nico Shymane.

"Thank you, Miss Shymane," he told her with earnest gratitude, dipping his head in her direction. "I apologize for the lack of adult intervention until now, but it seems you've kept things well in hand. Very much appreciated. I'll have to let your Head of House know." He gave her a playful little wink, attempting to put the embarrassed prefect somewhat at ease before turning his attention back to the dhampir Hufflepuff.

Words didn't seem necessary. Regardless of what Kit might have said or done to scold him or punish him, he doubted Howard could have possibly looked more dispairing. Thus, the caretaker watched the fourth year walk away without making a move to stop him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. White, but I'm going to have to assign you detention for various actions of yours today," he announced, speaking mostly for the benefit of the other students than to actually inform Howard that he was in trouble. They needed to know such behavior wouldn't go unpunished in order to discourage future acts of similar natures. "Though...I'm fairly sure you knew this was coming when you committed them."

That over and done with, he clapped his hands twice loud enough to command the attention of the small hall.

"That's enough, everyone! Nothing left here to see. Please hurry along and finish your suppers or head off to your dormitories to get ready for bed. Curfew will be on us soon."

As he watched and waited for the gawkers and stragglers to get back on track, Kit saw Falentra retreat with the rest. He observed her out the corner of his peripheral vision, sight trained on her back and then the pursuing second year, Jack, trailing close behind.

His strange, crooked smile from before returned in full force. Then he looked away and refocused his attention on herding the young pupils indirectly in his care.

@Nico Shymane, @Jack Burnett, @Howard White, @Falentra Black, and anyone else lingering around out of their seats

Kazuo hadn’t noticed at first, the silence that came from the once supportive @Falentra Black. He had chosen to face off against Heinrich and May instead and had missed the subtle cues. It was @Jack Burnett’s presence that drew his attention to the schism that had formed between the two revolutionaries in a split second of honesty that couldn’t be taken back. He frowned, turning to glance at the grief-stricken dhampir who had chosen to bare his soul. Secrets harboured, mistakes made, that only seemed to compound. That was the way of secrets. It was clear that this secret had been kept in shame and though its revelation brought pain with it, Kazuo still found himself sympathizing with @Howard White.

@Heinrich Bezuidenhout continued to demand answers that would not come, throw accusations at a boy who was already suffering from his own guilt. It served no purpose other than to shame Howard and vent his own frustrations. Kazuo’s lips thinned in disapproval and he shook his head as the boy finished his tirade and fled the room, attempting to drag @May Moonstar with him. Good riddance. It might be a failing on his part but he could summon very little sympathy for the boy. Especially with what came next from @Nico Shymane. That the mysterious victim, the sister, the girl named Aurelia who had disappeared, had been known to bait dhampirs. Had she baited Howard, then? It seemed very possible in light of Nico’s testimony. What had her motives been? Was Aurelia like this T. Ruth?

Yet it all would come to its inevitable end with the appearance of an adult, @Kit Paine, meddler extraordinaire, to be specific. Kazuo looked to Howard as the Caretaker called for him and the deflated way that Howard responded drew his brows into a deep frown. It seemed that those voices that had stood and spoken up in defense of Howard hadn’t been enough. Too many vile words had been thrown and it seemed they had hit their mark, slowly drawing the fight out of Howard. ”Howard…” He spoke the older boy’s name as Howard walked away, something uncomfortably close to anger welling up in him at the defeated way Howard’s shoulders had slumped. His eyes narrowed in contemplation. This isn’t over. With a suspicious glance at the Caretaker, Kazuo retreated from the hall.

Kazuo has left the thread