28 Mar 2021, 21:01
Desperate Measures
Upon hearing her name, Jack nodded and responded with his own. "Jack Burnett," he told her, "But I tend to prefer going by 'Burnett'. First names are a bit intimate in my opinion."
He blinked at Elena's response to why she let them bully her, then snickered softly. "I could hang around you if you like. I actually enjoy antagonizing bullies. Back in my old muggle school, I used to do it all the time. It's fun to watch them get so riled up so easily and then make so many mistakes while they're so angry just trying to get their hands on you to make you pay." The Slytherin boy gave a low chuckle. "Pretty soon they'll be the ones sick of me picking on them. And while I'm at it, I could teach you how to have fun with getting on their nerves so they don't bother you when I'm not around, too."
The first year tapped his head meaningfully. "In order to defeat your opponent, you have to think like them. Bullies go after victims to make themselves feel superior. If they end up feeling like you're the one having more fun and gaining more from your interactions with them than they're gaining from you, they'll leave you alone. It wouldn't be worth it for them anymore, see?" Maybe he was something of a bully himself to bully bullies, but didn't it take one to know one? Some people might have just called it karma; him giving them a taste of their own medicine.
Jack blinked when the older girl confessed to him that she was lost, tired, and that no one listened anymore. Like she wasn't even there. Then he grinned broadly at her and slapped her encouragingly on the back. "That's not true! The fact that they come seek you out means that they acknowledge you as a person. I think it's better than being ignored, shunned, and treated like you don't even exist. But, like I said, if you want to change the kind of interaction you have with them, it's simple. Just change the way you look at the situation; change your perspective."
The glint in his eyes seemed to give his grin a sinister look. "If you think of them as the prey and you as the predator, it becomes a lot more fun. There are so many ways you can play with them, being so much smarter than them. So many ways to send them running and never wanting to come back. If that's what you want, of course." He eyed his fingernails casually. "Personally, I prefer to always keep a few toys around to play with when I get bored, so I don't like to scare them too much. At least not until I get sick of them."
@Elena Jangleton
He blinked at Elena's response to why she let them bully her, then snickered softly. "I could hang around you if you like. I actually enjoy antagonizing bullies. Back in my old muggle school, I used to do it all the time. It's fun to watch them get so riled up so easily and then make so many mistakes while they're so angry just trying to get their hands on you to make you pay." The Slytherin boy gave a low chuckle. "Pretty soon they'll be the ones sick of me picking on them. And while I'm at it, I could teach you how to have fun with getting on their nerves so they don't bother you when I'm not around, too."
The first year tapped his head meaningfully. "In order to defeat your opponent, you have to think like them. Bullies go after victims to make themselves feel superior. If they end up feeling like you're the one having more fun and gaining more from your interactions with them than they're gaining from you, they'll leave you alone. It wouldn't be worth it for them anymore, see?" Maybe he was something of a bully himself to bully bullies, but didn't it take one to know one? Some people might have just called it karma; him giving them a taste of their own medicine.
Jack blinked when the older girl confessed to him that she was lost, tired, and that no one listened anymore. Like she wasn't even there. Then he grinned broadly at her and slapped her encouragingly on the back. "That's not true! The fact that they come seek you out means that they acknowledge you as a person. I think it's better than being ignored, shunned, and treated like you don't even exist. But, like I said, if you want to change the kind of interaction you have with them, it's simple. Just change the way you look at the situation; change your perspective."
The glint in his eyes seemed to give his grin a sinister look. "If you think of them as the prey and you as the predator, it becomes a lot more fun. There are so many ways you can play with them, being so much smarter than them. So many ways to send them running and never wanting to come back. If that's what you want, of course." He eyed his fingernails casually. "Personally, I prefer to always keep a few toys around to play with when I get bored, so I don't like to scare them too much. At least not until I get sick of them."
@Elena Jangleton
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
1 Apr 2021, 02:48
Desperate Measures
@Jack Burnett
Elena nodded filing away the name for reference. For someone who had just engaged in a brawl, he certainly didn't seem to have any regrets about it, he seemed rather cheerful about it too which was not the typical reaction she was used to. Still, Elena supposed there was still some degree of satisfaction one could get out of putting people in their place and in this case, it was very much well deserved if you asked her. "So what you're saying is that you like playing the part of the bully as long as it's justified." The girl said slowly picking apart his words wondering if he was any better than them for doing that. Still, it wasn't her right to judge given he had quite literally saved her from getting ganged up on but maybe he had a point. He sounded like he spoke from experience and judging from his personality, he didn't seem like the type of person who go down without a fight if his words were telling her anything.
Elena flinched a bit as the boy deposited an hearty encouraging smack on her back nodding as his words went in one ear. The issue was, Elena didn't know if she could change the sort of relationships she currently had with those people seeing as they seemed incapable of any rational thought but the way Jack went about it caused her to sit up a bit straighter as he rambled on, something about turning the tables on them and she didn't know how she felt about that. Yes, the Gryffindor would give anything in the world to be left alone, to just mind her own buisness but that didn't mean she went out of her way to seek out others to put them down to the same level they enjoyed putting others down to, the entire concept seemed wrong to her. "From the way you talk about it, I'm gonna go ahead and guess you've head a few run-ins yourself?" It was posed more as an assumption than a fact really but the Gryffindor was willing to bet that Jack spoke because he had been through the same things. Although, one major difference here was while he might see the whole bullying thing as a chance to get back at them, Elena just wanted them to disappear off the face of the earth and to never grace her sight again.
You didn't just wake up one day and decide you were gonna go around picking out specfic people and make their live a living hell. Something had to have happened though in her case, she had no interest in activetly seeking them out for the purpose of doing what they had done to her. Elena simply wasn' t that sort of person, it wasn't who she was. You could walk all over her, ridicule her, do whatever you thought was heinous enough to make her feel hurt but yet, she would never resort to the same tactics. The girl knew what it felt like to be on the recieivng end and she wasn't about to be labled with the same stigma either even if the people doing were not deserving of her politeness. It would be a victory for them if she stooped to their level and the Gryffindor had no intention of doing that. "Isn't that what they want though? They want you to come seeking them out so they have more of a chance to embarass you. They want a reaction out of you." She wasn't going to give them that benefit, they had already gotten under her skin but she wasn't about to let them be aware of that fact. One eyebrow raised in interest at his comment turning her head to glance at him. "Toys? What, do you have like some Fanged Frisbees or something that you annoy them with?"
Somehow, Elena wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
STA: 9| EVA: 10|STR: 6|ArcPower: 5|WIS: 15|ACR: 10
2 Apr 2021, 03:49
Desperate Measures
When asked if he liked to play the part of the bully as long as it was justified, Jack made a face, then looked thoughtful. "Well, I wouldn't say that," he decided, "since technically anything can be justified if you know how and what argument to use. What I like doing is trying to antagonize bullies into trying to bully me and then turning the tables on them at the last second. I couldn't do that if they didn't underestimate me, though, so really in the end, it's their own fault. It's more like...testing them."
The talkative first year really seemed to enjoy hearing the sound of his own voice. Perhaps antagonizing them did make him something of a bully and not much better than them, but Jack had never tried to get on the moral high ground. He wasn't trying to be a hero; he aimed to be a trickster and tricksters turned the tables on others and used their strength against them no matter who they were. If they just so happened to deserve it, then all the better.
Elena's comment about guessing he'd had a few run-ins himself was met with a nod. "Not from that lot, obviously, but bullies aren't all that hard for me to find no matter what school I go to, I guess. Or maybe I should say it's not all that hard for them to find me." Since he came off as something of a big-mouthed know-it-all who wasn't very good in a physical fight, he made a pretty good target for larger students and those who thought they could gang up on him. Of course, that was how Jack had had to learn how to outsmart them and survive since he wasn't about to let them get away with making him do their homework or any other twisted schemes they came up with.
As he watched Elena, however, Jack was getting the distinct sense that the girl disapproved of his methods. He didn't really mind that, shameless as he felt about the way he did things while knowing others might not have considered them morally right. But that meant that his methods wouldn't work for her. If she was going to get rid of bullies like the ones she encountered, she would have to try something else. He sighed. There was another technique he could think of, but he himself recoiled to even think about using it. Maybe it would work for her, though.
The Slytherin boy was distracted for a bit by the Gryffindor girl's questions about what bullies wanted. He shook his head.
"You're partly right," he told her, "but not completely. What they want is to prove they're superior to you; that they have power over you. If they can force a reaction out of you, then yeah, that would prove to them that they have the ability to make you feel a certain way. However," he added, holding up an index finger, "that only succeeds if you give them a negative reaction because that's what they expect and try to get out of you. If you react positively, it becomes a whole other ballgame." He grinned like a jackal.
"It might not seem to matter much whether you seek them out or they seek you out, but it sets the tone for the whole situation - who's the predator and who's the prey. They can still act all tough, of course, but if you act shameless in return, like nothing they could possibly do or say to you could embarrass you, then they ultimately have no power over you. They have no way to beat you down or make themselves feel like they're above you if you don't let them get to you - or, at least, if you don't let them know it's possible for them to get to you."
He pointed to his grin with both index fingers. "One simple, easy way to do that is just to keep smiling. It unnerves them into thinking you know something they don't. It makes no sense to them and confuses them, so then you have the advantage." It didn't require being cruel or mean to them either, so Elena the chivalrous lion had no reason to object to the behavior.
"Positive behavior in general will puzzle bullies because they wouldn't be able to attribute your behavior to anything they've done so they wouldn't be able to understand why you'd react in such a way when the expectation is negativity. Smile when they want you to get upset and laugh when they want you to cry and it'll throw them completely off. But one of the most dangerous weapons to wield against them," he continued, his face going dead serious, "is kindness. Why? Because there's absolutely no defense against it. If you're nice or kind to someone, it's extremely difficult for them to react badly back. You'll completely screw with their heads. Keep it up, and soon enough, you'll destroy their will to be your enemy completely."
Jack spread his arms, shrugging. "Killing people with kindness is not my preferred technique and it takes a larger-hearted, more patient and generous person than me to use it, but maybe you can. It's pretty difficult to be nice to people who have done nothing but harass and be mean to you and try to ellicit negative reactions out of you, though. That's why not just anyone can do it."
Her question about his toys caused his hazel gaze to cut back toward her abruptly. All at once, his mischevious grin had returned. "Oh, no; not toys as in things," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I mean I like keeping a few people around to test and play with until they start boring me."
@Elena Jangleton
The talkative first year really seemed to enjoy hearing the sound of his own voice. Perhaps antagonizing them did make him something of a bully and not much better than them, but Jack had never tried to get on the moral high ground. He wasn't trying to be a hero; he aimed to be a trickster and tricksters turned the tables on others and used their strength against them no matter who they were. If they just so happened to deserve it, then all the better.
Elena's comment about guessing he'd had a few run-ins himself was met with a nod. "Not from that lot, obviously, but bullies aren't all that hard for me to find no matter what school I go to, I guess. Or maybe I should say it's not all that hard for them to find me." Since he came off as something of a big-mouthed know-it-all who wasn't very good in a physical fight, he made a pretty good target for larger students and those who thought they could gang up on him. Of course, that was how Jack had had to learn how to outsmart them and survive since he wasn't about to let them get away with making him do their homework or any other twisted schemes they came up with.
As he watched Elena, however, Jack was getting the distinct sense that the girl disapproved of his methods. He didn't really mind that, shameless as he felt about the way he did things while knowing others might not have considered them morally right. But that meant that his methods wouldn't work for her. If she was going to get rid of bullies like the ones she encountered, she would have to try something else. He sighed. There was another technique he could think of, but he himself recoiled to even think about using it. Maybe it would work for her, though.
The Slytherin boy was distracted for a bit by the Gryffindor girl's questions about what bullies wanted. He shook his head.
"You're partly right," he told her, "but not completely. What they want is to prove they're superior to you; that they have power over you. If they can force a reaction out of you, then yeah, that would prove to them that they have the ability to make you feel a certain way. However," he added, holding up an index finger, "that only succeeds if you give them a negative reaction because that's what they expect and try to get out of you. If you react positively, it becomes a whole other ballgame." He grinned like a jackal.
"It might not seem to matter much whether you seek them out or they seek you out, but it sets the tone for the whole situation - who's the predator and who's the prey. They can still act all tough, of course, but if you act shameless in return, like nothing they could possibly do or say to you could embarrass you, then they ultimately have no power over you. They have no way to beat you down or make themselves feel like they're above you if you don't let them get to you - or, at least, if you don't let them know it's possible for them to get to you."
He pointed to his grin with both index fingers. "One simple, easy way to do that is just to keep smiling. It unnerves them into thinking you know something they don't. It makes no sense to them and confuses them, so then you have the advantage." It didn't require being cruel or mean to them either, so Elena the chivalrous lion had no reason to object to the behavior.
"Positive behavior in general will puzzle bullies because they wouldn't be able to attribute your behavior to anything they've done so they wouldn't be able to understand why you'd react in such a way when the expectation is negativity. Smile when they want you to get upset and laugh when they want you to cry and it'll throw them completely off. But one of the most dangerous weapons to wield against them," he continued, his face going dead serious, "is kindness. Why? Because there's absolutely no defense against it. If you're nice or kind to someone, it's extremely difficult for them to react badly back. You'll completely screw with their heads. Keep it up, and soon enough, you'll destroy their will to be your enemy completely."
Jack spread his arms, shrugging. "Killing people with kindness is not my preferred technique and it takes a larger-hearted, more patient and generous person than me to use it, but maybe you can. It's pretty difficult to be nice to people who have done nothing but harass and be mean to you and try to ellicit negative reactions out of you, though. That's why not just anyone can do it."
Her question about his toys caused his hazel gaze to cut back toward her abruptly. All at once, his mischevious grin had returned. "Oh, no; not toys as in things," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I mean I like keeping a few people around to test and play with until they start boring me."
@Elena Jangleton
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
9 Apr 2021, 01:39
Desperate Measures
@Jack Burnett
For a brief moment, Elena forgot all of her troubles as Jack ranted on about the hundreds of ways to potentially turn an disadvantageous situation into one that benefited her and it was from this instance onwards the brunette came to the conclusion he was one hundred percent a Slytherin. The manner of speaking, the logic behind it, he had to be, Gryffindors were too hot-headed to think that rationally and Ravenclaws didn't possess the sort of cunning that he had from the way he laid out potential alternatives though it might not appease her in some ways, she had to admit, some of what he talked about certainly had a certain spice and appeal to them. She ran her hand through her hair perhaps as if contemplating all the words he was bombarding her with in a thoughtful manner and in a strange enough manner, it was beginning to make sense. It was like the pieces of a puzzle coming together except this puzzle was a whole lot more complicated but Jack had just put it all together and laid it out for her which was an odd relief in a sense that he had poked so many holes in the bully's reasonining. Then again, those type of people were not very reasonable anyways if you asked her. "You sure do know a lot about people and how the mind works if you ask me. Some might say that's a dangerous thing, I say you're just really smart."
Emotions, the inner mind, the heart, these were all foreign concepts that Elena's mind had just barely enough energy to process. The third year was getting a clear enough message from what the boy was saying however, if you wanted to beat a bully, you exhaused all their efforts to put you down whether it was maintaining that cheery demeanor or taking a more blunt approach and poking their buttons as well. She might avoid that second option, ticking them off any more than they already were was not a very good route of action to take if you asked her. The whole kindness thing though was one that fit perfectly with her because to anyone that knew Elena even semi-well, they knew she had a large heart. The Gryffindor was not the type to go out of her way just to be a living inconvenice to someone else, some might say that the third year was perhaps too nice to an extent, a stigma that the Gryffindor had accepted to some degree but hailing from the house of lions, she liked to think that particular statement was not the entire truth. "Well, I always prefer the peace-making option first. Though in this case, I suppose I'll have to take a few pages out of your book, otherwise, I just find a corner where no one is bothered by me." Clearly, that had not worked in this instance.
Seriously, what was with kids these days? They had really gotten worked up over a bunch of grades and that was the frustrating part of it all. It was something so trivial Elena failed to see why they had picked her out of the latter part of the studen population but then again, being a wallflower also come with it's negative connotations. Maybe they thought she would be easier to step on, that the girl would be more likely to cave in to peer pressure, a common overassumption that people failed to realize too little too late. "Thanks for jumping in when you did by the way." The Gryffindor added gesturing around them. "I reckon I was about to be on the losing end of that fight if it drew out any longer." Some people were born and bred for this sort of lifestyle. Elena was not, she liked to sit down and talk things out instead of squabbling around on the floor like Muggles but sometimes, you did what you had to to make it in this blasted school.
STA: 9| EVA: 10|STR: 6|ArcPower: 5|WIS: 15|ACR: 10
11 Apr 2021, 22:31
Desperate Measures
Jack was pleasantly surprised to notice that Elena actually seemed to be paying attention to his long-winded explanation. He was used to most people tuning him out by now, especially Gryffindors who prefered less talking and more action. No wonder the Ravenclaws had been jealous of her; she really did seem like more of an intellectual type. A brave but smart lion was rare, in Jack's opinion, but Elena seemed to fit the bill quite well. He decided he liked that about her.
Astonishingly, she seemed to like his way of thinking to an extent as well, since she told him he seemed to know a lot about people and how the mind worked. His face heated up as he blushed slightly, looking away in embarrassment, as he wasn't used to being complimented. "Heh...thanks," Jack told her, unable to look her in the eye all of a sudden. "As they say, knowledge is power, and power can be used to help or hurt others, so I suppose it can also be dangerous. Whether it's dangerous to the wrong or right kind of people is what's most important, though, I think."
The first year Slytherin beamed at her when he was finally able to recompose himself. "You're really clever yourself. Most people I know wouldn't have bothered even trying to understand what I said, let alone been able to and make sense of it. Also, most Gryffindors I know prefer to resort to yelling and violence rather than trying to talk or reason with their enemies, so good for you. Anyways, I hope at least some of what I said will help."
He watched her expressions and responses as she seemed to warm to the idea of using positive responses and kindness to combat her enemies. Yes, she would probably do exceedingly well using that as her weapon. Jack shuddered involuntarily. He hoped she would never think to use it on him. He dreaded to think of the consequences. Already, the compliment she had paid him already made him feel weak. There was no way he could stand any more niceness from her.
When she mentioned she preferred the peace-making option first, he chuckled good-naturedly. "How noble of you, O chivalrous Gryffindor," he teased playfully. "If you try to kill 'em with kindness, though, like I said, it's still pretty peaceful." At least outwardly. Can't say anything for the inner turmoil and mental conflict you might cause them, but that's their problem, not yours. "I hope the technique serves you well. But don't think of yourself as being a bother to others; have more confidence and give yourself more credit than that. Make sure no one bothers you."
Looking away again when he was thanked, Jack simply nodded and stared at the ground, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Don't mention it. It was pretty fun for me. Besides, I can't let someone get away with messing with someone else just because they're smarter and more reasonable than they are. You would have definitely been able to beat them if you had the will to stick up for yourself a little more, I'm sure," Jack told the upperclassman. He clasped her on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "If they bother you again and what I told you doesn't work, feel free to let me know and I'll be happy to step in. Otherwise, best of luck, Jangleton."
With a wink and a final nod, he turned to head out the door of the trophy room with a spring in his step.
@Elena Jangleton
Astonishingly, she seemed to like his way of thinking to an extent as well, since she told him he seemed to know a lot about people and how the mind worked. His face heated up as he blushed slightly, looking away in embarrassment, as he wasn't used to being complimented. "Heh...thanks," Jack told her, unable to look her in the eye all of a sudden. "As they say, knowledge is power, and power can be used to help or hurt others, so I suppose it can also be dangerous. Whether it's dangerous to the wrong or right kind of people is what's most important, though, I think."
The first year Slytherin beamed at her when he was finally able to recompose himself. "You're really clever yourself. Most people I know wouldn't have bothered even trying to understand what I said, let alone been able to and make sense of it. Also, most Gryffindors I know prefer to resort to yelling and violence rather than trying to talk or reason with their enemies, so good for you. Anyways, I hope at least some of what I said will help."
He watched her expressions and responses as she seemed to warm to the idea of using positive responses and kindness to combat her enemies. Yes, she would probably do exceedingly well using that as her weapon. Jack shuddered involuntarily. He hoped she would never think to use it on him. He dreaded to think of the consequences. Already, the compliment she had paid him already made him feel weak. There was no way he could stand any more niceness from her.
When she mentioned she preferred the peace-making option first, he chuckled good-naturedly. "How noble of you, O chivalrous Gryffindor," he teased playfully. "If you try to kill 'em with kindness, though, like I said, it's still pretty peaceful." At least outwardly. Can't say anything for the inner turmoil and mental conflict you might cause them, but that's their problem, not yours. "I hope the technique serves you well. But don't think of yourself as being a bother to others; have more confidence and give yourself more credit than that. Make sure no one bothers you."
Looking away again when he was thanked, Jack simply nodded and stared at the ground, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Don't mention it. It was pretty fun for me. Besides, I can't let someone get away with messing with someone else just because they're smarter and more reasonable than they are. You would have definitely been able to beat them if you had the will to stick up for yourself a little more, I'm sure," Jack told the upperclassman. He clasped her on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "If they bother you again and what I told you doesn't work, feel free to let me know and I'll be happy to step in. Otherwise, best of luck, Jangleton."
With a wink and a final nod, he turned to head out the door of the trophy room with a spring in his step.
@Elena Jangleton
PC: Jack Burnett | iNPC: Ginyami Midorimori
24 Apr 2021, 21:08
Desperate Measures
@Jack Burnett
Noble and chivalrous, Elena had never thought those would be words used to describe her. Jack Burnett was indeed an interesting person, that much could be said with one hundred percent certainty. This school never ceased to amaze her, the boy embodied all the qualites of a Slytherin rather well and in a very obvious manner but he had no nefarious intentions or at least she hoped he didn't, he seemed like one of the good ones and that combination for a Slytherin was a very rare occurence in her books. "Noble and chivalrous, huh? I think you should be calling yourself that." She said cracking a good-natured joke already feeling a bit better about the situation. She had gone from utterly depressed to bright and happy in a manner of a few minutes. Maybe he had cast a Cheering Charm or something on her, Elena wouldn't doubt it but it was nice to know there were at least some people out there who were willing to lend a hand even if she did disagree with their methods to some degree.
"Thanks. See ya 'round." The brunette watched rather amused in a sense as his retreating figure departed the room his words still echoing in her head. He had a rather interesting take on things but all of it made sense. It was sort of similar to what she had been told her entire life, no matter how tough things got, if you gave up and let people walk all over you, it would be impossilbe to get out of the hole you would have dug. Giving the room one final cursory glance, she smoothed out her clothes which had gotten a bit roughed up in the squabble. If anyone asked, she had just tripped and fallen. It seemed like an innocent enough excuse and as far as the third year could tell, she wasn't sporting any new bruises so that was a good thing. "Jack Burnett, huh." The girl muttered to herself filing the name for reference. She was sure she would see more of him in the future though Elena would feel sorry for anyone who got on his bad side. He seemed like the type to peck away at you and just keep on pecking even if there was nothing left.
An interesting analogy but it made sense in her mind. It was probably better to make her exit now before someone came looking. Knowing them, they had probably ran off cowering to tell some professor how Elena was the most terrible person in the world and had subjected them to unmentionable horrors and nightmares. The thought almost made her laugh. "Hypocrites." The girl muttered to herself shaking her head. Making sure nothing in the room looked too terribly out of place and that nothing would give any red flags that looked like there had been chaos and devestation in here, the girl decided the rest of the day would be spent unwinding having seen enough action for the day departing the room making the long but much needed trek up to Gryffindor Tower. Maybe this time, she could make it without getting mugged by a bunch of blockheaded Ravenclaws, so much for the house of wisdom and intelligence. It seemed every house had it's anomalies, sometimes, that was a good thing, other times, not so much.
Elena Jangleton has left the thread
STA: 9| EVA: 10|STR: 6|ArcPower: 5|WIS: 15|ACR: 10