Family Affairs
†-----------------†--------------「 Wood to Ash 」-----------------†--------------†@.Liana Kerr†-----------------†--------------「 Fire 」-----------------†--------------†----A giggle could be heard in an empty hallway of the grand Ashwood mansion. The crackles and giggles from an Ashwood were not unusual, the family taking pleasure in such a thing amongst each other. But the intent behind this giggle was special. A young girl had her hands clamped around another's, pulling the person along behind her.
Her excitement has led her to even speaking only in Swahili to the person with her.
"Come on Hunter, the library's just this way!" Vale was in such a good mood, for she'll be learning more about both her and Hunter's relations better. It took a bit of trouble, but she was able to sneak them out for the time being into the Ashwood library.
"Grandma Ida and Grandpa Hendrick used to always be in the library! Until Grandpa passed, that is..." Her mood turned a touch somber as she finally made way into the library...
The room was dark when she first arrived, moving to light a few candles with some match sticks. Other than for immediate knowledge or a quick book to read, the library has not been in true use since the death of her grandfather. Of all people to take it the hardest, it was her older brother Raydon. Vale wasn't all too sure why, given her father and her grandmother were somber about it, but not like Raydon.
"The books about our family tend to be off in the corner there." She pointed out a dusty corner of the library, revealing books of multi-colors. Some of the titles were in various African languages, but most were in either Swahili or English. Vale took no hestiation to hurry over to the corner, dusting the books off quickly of the dust that snared them.
"Papa used to tell me stories of my ancestors, but nothing that expressed a true connection to the Argentums. Did your family ever tell you anything?" Vale took a chance and pulled out a book written in English, moving to open the book and give it a quick scan. Nothing flavorful; talked about how important it was that the Ashwoods kept a pure bloodline to prevent harsher consequences from their poisoned blood. Vale wasn't sure why that is and it seemed like the book doesn't explain it too well, but so far so good the family kept the line 'in tact', so far.
She needed to talk to her mother later to see how she was a pure-blood while living among Vale's many aunts back at home, who weren't of the same blood hertiage. But for now, she had a more pressing matter to discuss with Hunter on.
Interactions | @Hunter Argentum
Mentions | @Avery Chen
Note: Conversation is completely in Swahili. Wasn't translated as such to save time. Oh, and sorry for the wait!
Family Affairs
Notice:Hunter is speaking in Swahili. This is for simplification
Hunter was swiftly being dragged by his distant cousin, Vale, at an inconsistent tempo. Hunter wanted to admire the gallery of unique paintings and objects decorating the surrounding walls as they walked down the hallway. He had requested help towards the location of the library, but his mind wandered off a bit towards his surroundings. This was actually very unlike him because Hunter usually focused on his task. It took a lot to make him lose concentration on his main task, and there were only three things that could do that. Either someone was in danger, there were extremely fascinating things around him, or his paranoia was beginning to set in. As Vale dragged him by his hand, he lost focus for two out of three of those reasons. The paintings were of fascinating individuals... in fact, one of the people seemed to have painted while covered in spiders. Or were their actual spiders crawling all over that specific painting? "Vale, who are these- Woah!" Hunter had slowed down a bit too much and he was again being pulled to pick up with Vale.
It was then his paranoia began to set in a bit. Were the paintings watching him? Hunter's eyes began to feel a bit delirious, and he could feel the eyes from each painting or statue that stood begin to shift their gazes on him, "Vale... do you ever feel- Hey!" Again he slowed down too much and was pulled once more by Vale. Her excitement was certainly quite grand today, but Hunter wasn't expecting her to be so ambitious about their bloodline connection. Then again, Hunter didn't quite fully understand what it was like to have a sibling. Should he consider Vale as someone he can trust? Should he somehow act more like a brother towards her? He wasn't sure, but he was very much enjoying the familiarity of the culture the two shared. Even though they shared a blood relation, were the two really a "family?" Hunter certainly wanted to think so, and thus he began to pick up in speed and excitement with Vale.
Still, the eyes he could feel from the walls didn't feel quite right: "Vale, do you ever-" Hunter was about to turn his head to look down the hallway they had just walked down, but he was cut off as Vale took a quick turn without giving Hunter an unnecessary warning.
Upon entering the library, Hunter's eyes opened wide. It felt musty, old, and yet fascinating. If he was to spend the entire break with the Ashwoods, he would most likely plan to spend most of his time in this room the most. He listened to Vale as she began to talk about the location of where her family ancestry should be located. Hunter's ears actually perked a little when she mentioned the name Hendrick. He was about to speak but he wanted Vale to finish what she was saying: "W-well not really. My father didn't want to force our family ways on me, but I guess it's just in our blood to do potions. My grandmother has told me a few things, but not very much. Supposedly my family has a strong relationship with werewolves, and I'm supposed to go through some sort of family tradition when I come to age. It has relation to brewing a lot of wolfbane potions I think, but I'm not certain. I think I'll ask her more once I get home. Speaking of which," Hunter began to reach towards one of the books in the library. It said "Werehyena" a mythological creature equivalent to a werewolf in East Africa. Slightly different, but also pretty similar. As Hunter reached, his stomach growled a little and gave a slight upset look, "Vale, can we get some more puff-puff after this?" Hunter meekly and embarrassingly asked.
Back to the matter at hand, Hunter reached for the book and opened it up. He placed it open on the ground on a random page. Most of the writing was in Swahili, and Hunter started randomly flipping through the pages. He then reached into his hoodie to take out his father's crumpled and torn pieces of a journal. The fact Hunter kept it in such a "pristine" (as in it wasn't any worse than when he first found it) condition despite always carrying it around proved he prized the journal higher than almost anything else: "I would have liked to have met your grandfather Vale, I'm sorry for his passing." Hunter never met his own grandfathers, but he liked the sound of Hendrick having been in the library all the time. He was sure the two of them would have gotten along. However, there was also a strange thing about it too. Nowhere in Hunter's dad's journal did it mention Hendrick. It mentioned almost all of Vale's family members when he had visited, except Hendrick. Based on the timeline, and what Hunter knew, Hendrick should have been alive... right?
Hunter laid out the "Werehyena" thick book and his father's journal wide open on random pages. He then looked over at Vale as she began to light one last candle, "Wait, Vale! We need it to be dark. I found out a big secret and your gonna love it. Turn off the lights, but then cast Lumos," Hunter sounded almost as excited and giddy as Vale usually did when he stated this.
@Avery Chen @Vale Ashwood
It takes a Mad King to create Change. I am no King, but I pull the Chords of Insanity.
Family Affairs
After dinner, Avery decided that he would head back to the boys' guest room to do some music theory homework. However, as he wandered the dark halls of the Ashwood mansion to get to where he wanted to be, his ears perked as he heard Vale's voice, speaking in a language he couldn't understand. Was the girl talking to one of the paintings of her ancestors? Was she giggling to herself, as she sometimes did? Curious, Avery smiled and decided to prank his friend by sneaking up on her. He turned the corner, ready to pounce...
...Only to see Vale dragging Hunter Argentum by the hand into the depts of the darkness down a different hallway.
He stopped, surprised at the sight of their joined hands and shared excitement as they chattered in what must be Swahili. Where in the world were they going? And out of all their classmates, why was Vale dragging Hunter? Had Potions class allowed for so much bonding? Did one's eyes meet romantically whenever they crushed snake fangs and scooped flobberworm mucus? Did hands accidentally touch and cause one to blush shyly while adding dangling rat tails to a brew?
Indignant, the small boy decided that he must find out what they were up to. If Hunter were to... No! He shook the thought from his mind. Avery would not allow it! As much as Hunter was an upstanding young lad, Avery told himself that Vale was simply too young to be up to funny business at 11 years old. And Hunter, too. Of course, he cared about both of them. So Avery had to be there, just in case. A chaperone of sorts, he told himself.
It was on his tip toes that he followed the pair into a dark, wood-paneled library. He dove behind a shelf and peered around it carefully as the two settled in a corner. Avery couldn't see what they were doing, huddling on the floor and talking excitedly. What could they possibly be up to? As Vale moved to light more candles, Hunter seemed to stop her. What. In. The. World. Was that depraved boy trying to set the mood for something?! Avery found himself fuming, but was intent on staying behind the shelf to keep watch until he could figure out exactly what was going on, without giving himself away.
@Vale Ashwood @Hunter Argentum
Family Affairs
†-----------------†--------------「 Wood to Ash 」-----------------†--------------†@.Liana Kerr†-----------------†--------------「 Fire 」-----------------†--------------†----Vale's eyes brighten up at the idea of forcefeeding Hunter more of her mother's cooking. She made a sound of giggling at the thought that despite all the feasts her mother would cook, Hunter still needed snacks to digest.
"Hunter, as hungry as a wolf!" Vale would only stopped in her fit of excitement as she hears Hunter mention in Swahili that of her grandfather and wishing to meet him. Instead of her usual pout, or her disgruntled frowns when it came to various things like the topic of Hui Ming, she was...well, calm.
A broken, disrupted calm.
She kept quiet for a moment too long. In an attempt to hold back her weeps, she whispered out 'extinguisho' to remove the candle lights she created earlier. They all went out simultaneously, leaving the room covered in a thick, haunting darkness.
"He was a strange man. Did muggle things, and liked doing it. But loved him all the same." She kept in the darkness like it was a warm comfort, until it wasn't anymore. Silently, a flicker of light came to be on her wand, revealing her eyes of gold that seem more dull than usual. It wouldn't be until she blinked did her eyes return to their usual, bright happiness.
"Oh? A secret? Already? What is it! What is it!" Vale hurried to move up close to Hunter with her casted light, hoping to find the answer for herself anyway. She nearly toppled Hunter in doing so, sniffing the paper in hand as her own form of 'research.'
"Paper! Father? Father paper!" Vale ended up breaking up her Swahili in the midst of her excitement. Another secret for her to uncover with her cousin! Oh, what is at the end of all these secrets? Would they find something special? A secret map to tasty ice cream? A giant spider that can eat all those deem enemies of the Argentums and Ashwoods? Or-even better-an actual werewolf! Imagine all the things they sniffed! Maybe if they're nice enough they'll be allowed to ride on its back.
Are werewolves big enough to let two people ride on its back? Ah well, Vale can take turns with Hunter. At least, that is what Vale was excited over until she read part of the title of the book that Hunter had. A werehyena! Do they laugh as well as an Ashwood? Can Vale still ride on its back? She hoped so.
Interactions | @Hunter Argentum
Mentions | @Avery Chen
Note: Conversation is completely in Swahili; only translated to English to save time.
Family Affairs
Hunter found the eerily quietness of the library rather odd. His familiarity with the cackling and giggles of the Ashwoods filling the mansion halls were found to be unusual at first. However, the frequency of their voice vibrating through the walls eventually became familiar. Some say that the screams of a person in pain or crying are hard to forget, but the dead silence afterward would be a true feeling of fear. That was what Vale's silent tone was like. It was so unnatural that the hair on Hunter's hair stood on end with stiffness. The sudden extinguishing of all the candles didn't help calm this fear and looking up at Vale's rather blackened eyes caused Hunter to flinch slightly back.
However, before Hunter could get a word in, Vale seemed to have gone back to her old self. Breaking tone into English and swiftly reaching for Hakeem's (Hunter's father) journal. As Vale began to sniff the pages, Hunter closed the Wereheyna book and bonked her on the head. A slight one that wouldn't hurt anybody but could cause a slight realization that Hunter was slightly agitated. Rarely feeling anger (but sometimes annoyed), Hunter's physical attack had barely any effort being placed in it: "Vale if you keep sniffing the pages like that, then it's gonna turn into dust and you'll end up snorting it." Hunter worried that the pages of text in the journal could easily be damaged, especially in the worn-down state it was already in. Of course, he knew the mending charm, but Hunter wasn't quite sure how magic interacted with the journal. Some may say it was paranoia, but it was obviously proven by the light produced by Vale's wand.
Hidden text appeared within the blackened ink pages of the journal. The writing illuminated and glistened as Vale moved her wand around with anticipation. It appeared the intensity of the light mattered, and only when the wand was close could the text be read. This was the secret that Hunter found out, something he didn't even know was possible. He had discovered it in the Ravenclaw boy's dormitory when he was trying to read the text on his own at night. Beneath his bedsheets, the new words of text became revealed.
As Vale's wand waved in anticipation, more could be seen within the journal. Like a blacklight revealing hidden text, massive words and paragraphs became visible to the naked eye: "I don't know why, but it's some sort of ink that reacts with magic. Although, not everything gets revealed." As Hunter said that, it was a bit obvious. Blackened paragraphs had a few texts of silver, but not everything became clear. Some words were cut off too soon, or some were just missing sentences or full-on paragraphs. Even though the silvery text was visible and filled in some missing parts of the black ink, the silvery text itself was still not complete on its own.
The more interesting part was when Hunter directed Vale's wand towards the Wereheyna book. The silver text was also on the book itself: "I thought it was odd how my dad didn't mention your grandpa Hendrick, but I found some silver text that mentioned a meeting with him in your library. Although, it's still missing a lot of text. But, I know my dad. Since this book is here, I guessed my dad would leave something in it. After all, Were creatures have a history in my family." The Were hyena book glowed more brightly in silver text than the journal. Moving and directing Vale and her wand revealed a load of hidden text. Most were quick phrases and hidden questions such as "Where are they... I know I can make a cure... The Ashwoods cackle just like hyenas..." However, only one really stood out: "Wait, Vale. Hold your wand right there."The rest of the passage was clouded and hard to read. Hunter was shaking in excitement. However, the text was still odd. Why did his father hide an item originally owned by the Ashwoods? What exactly did his father speak to Hendrick about? Why wouldn't he write about Hendrick in normal ink? It was a lot of questions that Hunter had, but the biggest one was where did his father hide this so-called poem/prophecy? Hunter placed his hand on his chin, thinking... The writing was all in English... except for 'Jicho' The term meant eye... but what could that mean?Hendrick, the most interesting and least interesting of the Ashwoods. He has probably the most normal and humane personality I've seen during my visit, and it felt natural to let my guard down when visiting him in this Library. Still, that is what made Hendrick so odd. He himself could be considered both normal and strange to a wizard. He acts, talks, and looks perfectly normal. However, he acts completely opposite that of his family. Even now as I write in this book, the man looks rather calm... I spoke with him, and I must say it was rather pleasant. However, I cannot find much about our shared ancestry within the Ashwood library. I did find something that possibly has a relation, a poem, or possibly even a prophecy of our families. I don't understand fully what it means, but I decided to hide it to prevent any of the Ashwoods from reading it. I leave this note here for myself in case I ever forget where the location I placed the sheet paper is. For now, I must leave in order to keep my Jicho (Eye), in my skull.
Hunter thought for a while in the darkroom with the small light of Vale's wand. Whatever Vale was doing, Hunter wouldn't notice. He was too lost in thought. Jicho... Jicho... "Vale! Do you know where we can find some eyeballs? Any of a hyena possibly?"Permission to slightly god-mode Vale was grantedEverything Hunter has said was in English
It takes a Mad King to create Change. I am no King, but I pull the Chords of Insanity.
Family Affairs
He Asian-Squatted behind a shelf, balancing his haunches on the heels of his feet, peering at the duo from his hiding position here. For a moment, it seemed that Vale had gone silent. The air had an eerie absence of energy and cackling, for once. Avery couldn't help but wonder what had been said, or what memories had been brought up for the girl to be this silent, this emotionless, and this closed-off.
Then, a split second later, Vale returned to her usual self, sniffing excitedly at some pages, only to receive a soft smack to the head from Hunter. Avery frowned. What was that? If Hunter was unhappy with the way Vale was sniffing pages, Avery could resolve to burn enough books to make that Ravenclaw boy cry.
He watched as Hunter seemed to find some hidden words with Vale's Lumos, and listened closely. So, Hunter's dad knew Vale's Grandpa Hendrick? His dad had been in this library before? Wow. Vale and Hunter seemed to be closer than Avery had ever imagined, if even their family members knew each other. This left Avery with a slight feeling of nervousness. Surely, it would be much easier for Hunter to get closer to Vale if their families were close.
He wasn't sure about this, but wasn't Hunter's family pure-blooded as well? If so... Avery gulped. The small boy knew that arranged marriages were a thing amongst pure-blooded families. Perhaps...?
His thoughts were interrupted as Hunter asked Vale about hyena eyeballs, which seemed rather odd. What were the two of them up to? And 'were creatures had a history in Hunter's family'? Whatever did that mean? Avery's own roommate was a werewolf; did that mean Hunter had werehyena ancestry? Whatever the answers were, Avery knew that he had to stay silent and learn more.
@Vale Ashwood @Hunter Argentum
Family Affairs
†-----------------†--------------「 Wood to Ash 」-----------------†--------------†@.Liana Kerr†-----------------†--------------「 Fire 」-----------------†--------------†----Vale was caught off guard by Hunter's smack on her head. It made her stop her movement and look up at him, clearly confused before realizing he didn't want her observation skills to go into effect over the journal. The idea of the journal being so old that it can easily turn into dust only made Vale want to continue her investigation further. Surely the journal isn't that old, right?
"Sorry Hunter." Vale muttered out a pout, keeping her wand lit for Hunter as instructed. When he grabbed her hand, she let him do as he pleased. The writing about her grandfather was even more disturbing to her. Her grandfather met Hunter's father at some point. But...he hid something. What did he hid?
"Your papa hid something from us?" Her concern wasn't able to hide itself in her voice. As she stared at the passage to read it as best as she could, she barely noticed something softly lit off to the side. That caused her attention instead to turn towards the shining object.
A book, one of the shelves.
"Eyes of hyena? I...remember grandpa used to have some, but...I haven't seen any since." Vale slowly moved away from Hunter and moved to the book, gently moving to grab it. Was it another clue? Vale was eager to find what the book held...only for when she grabbed it, it refused to pull from the bookcase.
A loud click instead could be heard when she moved to pull the book. And with a loud click, did she heard shuffling from the side of her.
"Oh no, did I break something?" Vale questioned, used to touching all sorts of objects that typically end up breaking somehow. But to her surprise, it wasn't such a event.
Instead, a bookcase had moved itself away from where it was, revealing an open doorway hidden away in a dim darkness. Excitement soon took over Vale's mind, and without waiting for Hunter, she immediately rushed into the revealed room. Oh! What was inside? Why did she never seen or heard about the room? Was there a werehyena inside for Vale and Hunter to ride around on? A secret ice cream recipe? The possibilities! "Come on Hunter! More clues!"
But when Vale went inside, her imagination failed her. Nothing of such sort was inside, but..there were papers. Many, many papers all over the room. They littered the wall, but Vale couldn't really read any of them. She took to lighting a couple nearby candles...
Vale's eyes widen as the room lit up like the sun itself was entrapped inside...and the papers she noticed all had chemical and mathmathetic equations all over them. But the papers weren't the biggest concern to Vale, no.
In the dead center of the room, was a map. A map of the entire world. It wasn't the fact that there was a map to begin with, but it was the concerning, red Xs that could be found all across it. What were they? The young girl couldn't comprehend the entire situation. Was this were her grandfather used to be in? Did grandma Ida know about this room? Did anyone? Vale would end up finding her answer when she found a newspaper left mostly untouched by dust and age nearby her on a stand:
---
Hendrick Ashwood, A Well-Respected Pureblood Wizard, has Died
A haunting obituary
Hendrick of the Ashwood household has passed away due to unknown causes at home surrounded by his family. Reporters have been seeking an answer to the sudden death of the patriarch of the home, but to no avail.
Hendrick was survived by his son Duncan Ashwood and his daughter-in-law Adana Ashwood (neé Shujaa) along with his wife Ida Ashwood, his grandson Raydon Ashwood and granddaughter Vale Ashwood.
The Ashwoods are known for their potioneering skills that has been traditionally passed down for generations. This has also included Hendrick Ashwood (né Magero) by marriage.
“My father was a good man and was committed to helping those in need. He did not care about blood purity, and such talks was what caused our family misery. We lost someone valuable, but it was only a matter of time in doing so. Please tend to those you love well, as you won’t be able to see them in the next life-hey, is that a cockroach?” Further questions were left unheard as Duncan Ashwood returns to his work involving the collecting of cockroaches.
For the first time ever, reporters have been able to research the Ashwood home from the inside and have found that the Ashwoods do not own house-elves. When questioned, Raydon Ashwood asked a question in return on Scotland’s willingness to own people.
The Ashwood failed to recognize that house-elves are not subjected to wizards’ rights. When asked if the Ashwoods hold similar opinions to that of the new terrorist group recently raiding homes, no comment was made.
Hendrick Ashwood is expected to be buried at the Ashwood home. Visitation is privatized for family only.
===
Terrorist Attacks Happening across the Globe
The news that tries to make you feel worse even at your worst
The violent terrorist attacks that have been rampaging the political institutions across the world now has a voice. The group behind these attacks have given themselves a name. They call themselves “Nature’s Will.” --- have received a howler letter from this new group that alleges that real ‘change’ is now in session.
--- has the howler transcribed and edited to preserve the original’s contents for all to read with the latest news subscription to purchase. Unfortunately, the original letter burned after the message was given. Since the message, reporters have been receiving information of multiple wizarding households being destroyed. It is unclear if there are any connections.
“The tyranny of the wizarding world has gone long enough. Wizards have used their foul purity and humanity to justify their superiority among the many creatures and races found in the wizarding world. Because of this unwillingness for equality for all, punishment must be issued to warrant the necessary actions toward our goals. There will be no negotiations. All households who possess house-elf slaves, stolen valuables of goblin kind, land possessed by centaurs by right, and various other ill-gotten gains shall be removed from existence and the land given to those the household has wronged.
We will not be making our targets known. Consider this an act of war on the wizarding world. Nature will always conquer man.”
---
Vale stared at the newspaper page for an awfully long time. The death of her grandfather, still too fresh for her mentality, to have physical evidence of his death not leave her without discomfort. Someone knew about the room, she concluded. But as to who, well, that was anyone's guess. "I...I don't understand. I never seen this room before, no. Oh Ashes, if only I had you for answers." The young girl mourned over leaving her doll away in her room, along with the many others, including her gift from Liana. It was too late now for regrets.
"Why are you and your friends still up, Vale." A familiar voice rang out. It caused Vale to quickly move her head to find...her brother, Raydon! He had Avery-why was Avery here? Well, it didn't matter now, for Avery was being practically carried like a kitten by its mother. Raydon kept a firm hold on Avery, only to let him go now that he was sure he had everyone together.
Instead of a natural concern as to why her brother was there, or why he seemed unfazed about the secret room in the library, Vale only turned excited. Seeing her brother already made her excited. "Kaka!" Brother! She spoke out, hurryingly along to his side. His face appearing unimpressed and tired by the scene before himself.
"How did you find this room?" That question made Vale stop in her tracks, looking up to him with a large smile. "Hi Avery! We're going secret hunting! Secret room! Werehyena! Ice cream?" Raydon still seemed unimpressed, watching the young girl bounce around without a care as to what the situation entrailed.
"Alright you two, why are you here? Especially you, little Argentum."
Interactions | @Hunter Argentum @Avery Chen
Mentions | None.
Note: Conversation is now in English. Avery gave permission for slight god-mod.
Family Affairs
"Hold on! Vale, wait!" Hunter yelped as the light from Vale's wand began to descend deeper into darkness. Leaving Hunter behind, he had no choice but to follow and find out what Vale had found. Feelings of curiosity filled the young Ravenclaw boy, but he was on edge more than usual. He could swear something was listening to them or even watching them. Yet, he had that feeling the entire time he spent at the Ashwood's estate. He could swear there were actual eyes and ears in every inch of the walls in the damn mansion. Hunter's paranoia and anxiety at Hogwarts were enough, but here it was higher than it should have ever been. Especially as he stood alone in the dark...with his cousin running in the distance. Hunter placed his dad's journal in his hoodie and followed.
Hunter eventually caught up to Vale and froze in excitement. Although, something felt very off. Hunter, unlike Vale, was immediately grabbing papers off the floor. He wanted to add them to his journal, take them, and decipher whatever he could. Yet, some symbols seemed off, and some equations were just too complex for an 11-year-old like Hunter. Mathematical concepts he hadn't quite learned yet, and words he's never heard of. For an adult, they were words that any could probably explain, but Hunter was too young to understand any of them. Still, it looked so fascinating to him, and he kneeled on the ground to look over them. His eye's shifted and darted, left to right and up to down. It took time, but Hunter eventually lifted his head to see Vale: "Vale, what exactly is this place!? D-Did you already know about this? Why didn't you-" Hunter paused in his excited rant. Even in excitement, his voice wasn't that loud, just louder than usual. The map that Vale looked up towards was the real treasure piece of the room. Its size, and the resemblance to the world. He only had a slight geography lesson with his grandma at home, but he could recognize a typical map of the world. Yet again, something felt very off. Hunter approached the map much closer as if approaching the holy grail itself. He placed one of his hands on a red X, located in Asia, "..." he was silent. It felt wrong, the red X's locations just didn't seem right in any sort of way to him, "Dad... didn't you..." Hunter whispered. His eyes then shifted back towards another red X, "You were..." Hunter's curious mind piqued highly. Did hid father have a much deeper relation here... but with what, and who? Did his dad write all these things, and if so why here? Better yet, why here? Did Hendrick show him all of these things, or was there someone else -
Hunter immediately shifted his body as a voice piqued up behind him. He saw Avery be dropped by the much larger and older Raydon. Despite Vale's cheerful tones to see her brother, Hunter on the other hand was in a full panic. His paranoia was right, and something was off. Better yet, why was Avery from Vale's friend group here? Hunter's head went blank and began to try and list multiple situations to solve the situation they were in. There was no consideration that they were in danger, but Hunter always thought of the worse.
First, why was Avery here? Raydon had the boy in his hands, and he was questioning why they were all still up. That eliminates the chances that Avery was captured by Raydon for some reason... most likely Avery was caught snooping or got lost looking for the bathroom. Either way, that should mean Raydon isn't a threat. Yet... his voice had familiarity. Raydon was asking why they were here and how they found the room, rather than asking what this room was. This room was familiar to him. Now the question was... how to get out of this safely. Hunter was assuming they were in danger, merely because he thought of the worst situations and something still didn't feel right. He still had too many questions, and only a new one would pop up when Raydon specifically asked about him.
"I-" Hunter started, and again he felt like he needed to choose his words right. Could he lie that Vale found this place accidentally? No, Raydon is somehow familiar with this room based on his previous questions, and the chances of picking the right book after being told no one has been in the library since Hendricks's death was too unlikely. Perhaps tell the truth? Maybe not, after all, it was possible that Raydon didn't know about the hidden silver writing. Hunter was curious and wanted answers. He couldn't run out, as there was nowhere for him to run to afterward. Then there was the biggest problem, Vale. The sister of Raydon, and acting all casual with Raydon as she should. Any lie Hunter could tell would most likely be thwarted by Vale telling the truth. Hunter's mind froze at that thought. The best results right now were to make sure he didn't lose his journal, and that Vale would be safe (and maybe Avery). There was little to no chance Vale would be harmed, so now the concern was the journal. He just needed to prevent the journal from being stolen or even being known about
"I-I feel you already know the answer to both those questions R-Raydon," Hunter meekly said. Hunter wanted answers, perhaps he could get Raydon to say a few things with that response. Whatever he said, could reveal more about this room and perhaps Hunter's dad, Hakeem.
It takes a Mad King to create Change. I am no King, but I pull the Chords of Insanity.
Family Affairs
Avery's eyes flickered back and forth between Vale and Hunter as he crouched. So, Hunter's father hid something from the Ashwoods? So, their two families did know each other, as he suspected! They were probably even rival potioneers, now that he thought about it.
However, he didn't have more time to ponder what they were saying about hyena eyes when he heard a loud click, and then the sliding of wheels on rails as something shifted within the library. The small boy couldn't help sticking out his head a little bit more, just to see what was going on. Instead, he saw a doorway open between the shelves nearby, and Vale bounded inside without a second thought, Hunter following after her.
Goshdarnnit. What could he do, now? He couldn't possibly see what was going on inside, without going down the stairs himself, and Vale and Hunter figuring out that he was following them. Would it even be enough for him to know what was happening down there if he stood by the entrance at the top of the stairs to listen in? One thing was for sure: The conversation they were having was more complicated than he thought it would be. What kinds of secrets were their families hiding?
Before he could move towards the secret entrance, somebody grabbed him by the scruff of his collar. "Hey!" Avery yelled and squirmed, but the grip was tight. He turned around and looked up to see that Vale's brother, Raydon, was the aggressor. "Let go of me!" But the older boy had a tight hold on him, and no amount of struggling or words seemed to throw him off. On and on they went, with Avery being dragged down the stairs and into the secret room by Vale's brother.
"I can walk myself, thank you!" he retorted and glowered, but the older boy didn't let go until they had reached Vale and Hunter. His question to Vale seemed to be accusatory, and Avery wondered what this place was. It was littered with parchment and newspaper clippings, as if someone had been doing lots of research in secret -- a secret that Raydon had been let in on, without Vale.
However, as Vale greeted him cheerily, Avery managed a weak smile. "Hey, Vale," he responded sheepishly, now that he was found. "I was watching as you found this room, and Raydon found me. I was just wondering what you were up to with Hunter, that's all..." he explained unhelpfully. His eyes drifted to Hunter, who was now suggesting that Raydon knew more than he let on. Avery studied the Ravenclaw boy carefully. Perhaps he had been wrong about Hunter and Vale. Could it possibly be that their relationship was different from what he had imagined? Could it be that there was not actually a romantic interest between the two, but their relationship had something to do with their families and the secrets or research that they kept?
There were too many unanswered questions in Avery's mind -- they were swimming like koi in a whirlpool of a pond. "Vale, you don't have a crush on Hunter, do you? That's not what this is, right?" he finally blurted out, addressing the most pressing question first. To him, it was seemingly more important than why Raydon was here, and what this room held.
@Vale Ashwood @Hunter Argentum
Family Affairs
†-----------------†--------------「 Wood to Ash 」-----------------†--------------†@.Liana Kerr†-----------------†--------------「 Fire 」-----------------†--------------†----Vale blinked, clearly confused by Avery's question. It took her a moment in the midst of silence to register what he was asking of her.
"Hunter? Like Hunter?" Vale tilted her head, clearly wary of answering the question. She looked over to Hunter, then to her brother, and back to Avery.
"I..." Vale began to recall her mother holding her gently as men were in the home. One was angrily swearing at her father, accusing him of various things. How the men would stop by too often, threatening to arrest all those in direct relations with the Ashwoods if they even hear about Ashwood tomfoolery. How they'd take even little ol' Vale and put her in a home. A home away from her parents.
Slowly, tears started to fall from Vale's face from the memory. She hurried to wipe her face, sniffing away. She was unable to protect Hunter after all. Was it because she was too attached to him? But she wanted to do all sorts of things with him. She wanted to get ice cream with him, dig for worms, and ride the backs of werehyenas. Even explore the world if it met she could be with Hunter.
"I...Hunter is..." Vale moved over to Raydon, hugging his waist to find comfort in the situation. It caused Raydon to gently move a hand down onto Vale's head, an attempt to calm herself down.
"Hunter is my cousin. I don't like him like that." Vale finally spoke, moving to hide her face into the side of Raydon. "Now people are going to be mean to him because he's related to me. They're gonna put him in a home now with me. Those men are gonna come back and make scary claims again. They're gonna take us away."
Raydon stopped his hand from furthering comforting of Vale. His idle, tired staring pulled away from the young girl in question. He moved from his position, going over to the map that was the centerpiece of the room.
If there's one thing Raydon knew, it's that Vale loves when Raydon gave her new information to digest.
"Mapenzi ya Asili." Raydon spoke, staring up at the map. "What does that mean, Vale? Hunter?" Vale sniffed, wiping her eyes as she stared up at the map. "N...Nature's Will?" Raydon smiled at his young sister's answer. "That is correct. Nature's Will. Do you lot think its fair for people to take stuff that isn't theirs' to take?" Vale would shake her head, her tears finally stopped with her mind now interested on something else.
"No, brother." Vale muttered out, slowly moving up to her brother, grabbing one of his hands to hug. "You also know that its wrong to force people against their will to do things, right?" Vale nodded, following along with her brother. It was the reason they didn't have house-elves after all.
"Humans, specifically wizards, have been taking things all this time, and making people do things against their will." Vale frowned at the knowledge, turning her wet face to her brother.
"But why, brother? Why do us wizards do that?" Vale kept a firm grasp on her brother's arm, not liking the idea of not having something to hold onto for the time being.
"It's just because we were taught to be selfish, and take things and people for advantage. But nature will always find a way to restore balance. Grandpa believed that, and so do I. But sometimes, nature needs help to do so." Raydon kept his smile, turning his head to Hunter. "Why don't you put those papers back where you found them, Hunter. They're too advanced for you to understand anyway. I'll even give you formulas to teach you the basics before you can jump your hands onto what you have now, hm? Those are very important papers that I need to keep."
Raydon's smile express kindness, but his eyes state otherwise. They were like a predator, observing Hunter carefully. Vale kept her eyes on her brother, suddenly crackling like a hyena. It made Raydon turn his head down to his young sister, questioning her fit of laughter.
"Kaka!" Brother! Vale gingerly chirped. "Why do you have a map for then? Is it all the places you explored? Can we all go with you next time?" Raydon's eyes changed to that of actual kindness, looking back to his sister. "Maybe next time, Vale. Even your friends can come with us. Nobody is going to separate us. Not if I have a say." That made Vale excited, her tears truly done falling from her face. She hugged her brother tightly, in great relief of such news.
"My mother won't like knowing you're all up past curfew, by the way." Vale's smile turned to that of a frown, realizing that she did break one of her mother's rules. "Sorry brother..." Raydon shook his head, "No matter. Since you three are up, how about we all have a snack before bed?" Vale hurried to the room's entrance, glad to know that the mini adventure did indeed end with them having a snack. "Come on, guys! Brother makes the best snacks!" Everything, including the mysterious room was now at the back of Vale's mind, for she found a snack far more important than anything else.
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