16 Jul 2023, 02:43
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
Vladimir would introduce himself to the young girl (Ying), annoying the young man (iNPC of @Ruby Cazares) ever so slightly unbeknownst to him for his 'rudeness'
He knew who she was, before his consciousness burrowed into hers. To see the vengeful, gilded pride that compelled her to put her ears on ornate display. The thing with purebloods is, they pay attention to the lines of other purebloods. Who they married, who they reared and who 'disappeared.' Most pureblooded families kept their secrets hidden, locking their shame beneath guile and guise.
In a peacocks' display of brawn and vitality he heaved the part Goblin's trunk over his shoulder and in seeming defiance of the concept of mass laced her trunk with demonstrated ease where she directed with a smile. He simply filled the suspicion with talk of butterbeer and pleasantries, just words to occupy the space. "I'm Serena, by the way," she announced and he added "Towers." Five years of classes, a claimed pureblooded heritage sullied by a part goblin somehow infesting the line. Oh certainly he was aware..
No butterbeer, but she had candy. Not quite the vice he was seeking but he would accept what was offered even if he did not put it in his mouth. He did not have a great deal of trust for most wizards. The mention and offer of candy would attract a student from Beauxbatons (psst @Lea Hirsch don't forget to add an avatar/banner to your post) as well as a underclassman he would not recognize (@Fang Hui-Ying) and her male attending Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky from he was not entirely sure where without prodding. They were looking forward to being able to make the trek to Hogsmeade, perhaps right then and there. "Dangerous place," he commented to the two of them but he failed to make eye contact because he was still assessing his surroundings. Hogsmeade that is, not that much was being said of the relative 'safety' of the cozy little town. Bad press is a dangerous thing, especially for a place that makes its living off its proximity to a magical school for youths. "They had an... incident a few years back, lost most of the Koldov team," he commented. "SCAR," he crinkled his nose as he said the word. "Should avoid the place," he cautioned.
"Hey," another underclassman he did not know (@Alexander Harland) uttered. "They must have hired Godric Gryffindor himself to design this cabin." he was going to say something, ingratiate himself with the members of the room.
"Favorite color--," he commented pleasantly but another girl would engage him in chatter and it would prove to be just in time. He would see someone of interest enter the cabin, @Percival Gray. His surname about as fascinating as the man himself, a shade, not even a color. A part of a boy, not quite a man. How the hell did she prefer him?
"Hello there, Vlad" Percival greeted him with a bit of bitterness in his voice.
"Hey there Percival," he would sound comparatively chipper.
"Who would have thought we'd be in the same cabin... again"
"Actually, been looking forward to it. Spending time with people, mending fences, making bridges. It is going to be a fantastic summer," he claimed before he turned to Serena. "Don't you agree?"
"Serena... always a pleasure to meet you"
"First meeting?" He played a bit dense and dumb, the sarcasm not missed but he played the oblivious lad. Make friends, reinforce enemies.
"Cormac, he is not food... move it"
A reference for the girls ...rat. Did she really bring a rat with her on purpose? Wow, that is some pedestrian shit.
"I'm surprised no one has attacked him yet. Last year everyone was trying to stab him in the back and hound him with every chance they could get"
"Looks like we met the summer camp bully, geesh," he shrugged his shoulders and approached. "Is there going to be an issue this summer with how you talk to ladies or is this an issue with me specifically we should work out before we spend the entire summer with you trying to make up for some inadequacy everyone is too polite to bring up anyways."
Hugh Lowe, the biggest man Vladimir had seen in a long time would leave his belongings by a trunk near Serena's and by pure association then, near his. would the large man fit into such a tiny bed? Probably not, Vladimir was not entirely sure he would be able to fit comfortably and comparatively he was a dwarf next to the massive Gryffindor. "Hey there again big guy," he omitted the name and gave a casual wave. his attention and approach presently on Percival. "Good to see you, can you keep an eye on Serena," he gestured vaguely towards her. "I" the phrase seemed forced, as if he was remembering something he had forgotten. "Need to address an issue before it spills over this summer."[/b]
He knew who she was, before his consciousness burrowed into hers. To see the vengeful, gilded pride that compelled her to put her ears on ornate display. The thing with purebloods is, they pay attention to the lines of other purebloods. Who they married, who they reared and who 'disappeared.' Most pureblooded families kept their secrets hidden, locking their shame beneath guile and guise.
In a peacocks' display of brawn and vitality he heaved the part Goblin's trunk over his shoulder and in seeming defiance of the concept of mass laced her trunk with demonstrated ease where she directed with a smile. He simply filled the suspicion with talk of butterbeer and pleasantries, just words to occupy the space. "I'm Serena, by the way," she announced and he added "Towers." Five years of classes, a claimed pureblooded heritage sullied by a part goblin somehow infesting the line. Oh certainly he was aware..
No butterbeer, but she had candy. Not quite the vice he was seeking but he would accept what was offered even if he did not put it in his mouth. He did not have a great deal of trust for most wizards. The mention and offer of candy would attract a student from Beauxbatons (psst @Lea Hirsch don't forget to add an avatar/banner to your post) as well as a underclassman he would not recognize (@Fang Hui-Ying) and her male attending Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky from he was not entirely sure where without prodding. They were looking forward to being able to make the trek to Hogsmeade, perhaps right then and there. "Dangerous place," he commented to the two of them but he failed to make eye contact because he was still assessing his surroundings. Hogsmeade that is, not that much was being said of the relative 'safety' of the cozy little town. Bad press is a dangerous thing, especially for a place that makes its living off its proximity to a magical school for youths. "They had an... incident a few years back, lost most of the Koldov team," he commented. "SCAR," he crinkled his nose as he said the word. "Should avoid the place," he cautioned.
"Hey," another underclassman he did not know (@Alexander Harland) uttered. "They must have hired Godric Gryffindor himself to design this cabin." he was going to say something, ingratiate himself with the members of the room.
"Favorite color--," he commented pleasantly but another girl would engage him in chatter and it would prove to be just in time. He would see someone of interest enter the cabin, @Percival Gray. His surname about as fascinating as the man himself, a shade, not even a color. A part of a boy, not quite a man. How the hell did she prefer him?
"Hello there, Vlad" Percival greeted him with a bit of bitterness in his voice.
"Hey there Percival," he would sound comparatively chipper.
"Who would have thought we'd be in the same cabin... again"
"Actually, been looking forward to it. Spending time with people, mending fences, making bridges. It is going to be a fantastic summer," he claimed before he turned to Serena. "Don't you agree?"
"Serena... always a pleasure to meet you"
"First meeting?" He played a bit dense and dumb, the sarcasm not missed but he played the oblivious lad. Make friends, reinforce enemies.
"Cormac, he is not food... move it"
A reference for the girls ...rat. Did she really bring a rat with her on purpose? Wow, that is some pedestrian shit.
"I'm surprised no one has attacked him yet. Last year everyone was trying to stab him in the back and hound him with every chance they could get"
"Looks like we met the summer camp bully, geesh," he shrugged his shoulders and approached. "Is there going to be an issue this summer with how you talk to ladies or is this an issue with me specifically we should work out before we spend the entire summer with you trying to make up for some inadequacy everyone is too polite to bring up anyways."
Hugh Lowe, the biggest man Vladimir had seen in a long time would leave his belongings by a trunk near Serena's and by pure association then, near his. would the large man fit into such a tiny bed? Probably not, Vladimir was not entirely sure he would be able to fit comfortably and comparatively he was a dwarf next to the massive Gryffindor. "Hey there again big guy," he omitted the name and gave a casual wave. his attention and approach presently on Percival. "Good to see you, can you keep an eye on Serena," he gestured vaguely towards her. "I" the phrase seemed forced, as if he was remembering something he had forgotten. "Need to address an issue before it spills over this summer."[/b]
Last edited by Vladimir Athanatos on 13 Sep 2023, 01:19, edited 1 time in total.
Aamon
23 Jul 2023, 19:06
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
Being called big, was an odd thing to hear for someone like Hugh. For starters, it was true. It was a simple fact that compared to all the other students, save one, that he was 'big'. On the other hand, the way these words got around to him, he felt like he was being reduced to something. A simple brute. Did Vladimir think he was just an idiot? Or was he trying to antagonize him? The half-giant's public image could not move much lower than it already was. The attack at the ball several years ago had taken care of that. That and pureblood supremacy.Interactions: @Vladimir Athanatos, @Serena Towers, @Percival Gray
The giant nodded to Percival in recognition. Gray for one was someone who Hugh figured did not have a high opinion of him. There were others out there. Hugh could always tell when they hated him. Or when they felt too awkward to address the elephant in the room. Weak and pathetic is what he thought of them. He had less and less time to spend on people who weren't willing to stand for what they believed. In that sense, he could respect someone like Vladimir. Someone who clearly had a knack for showing up again and again, even beyond death.
"Hey there again... dead guy." To most, this would sound like a threat. To those that actually possessed an inquisitive mind, this would address an important issue with Vladimir's return: The fact that he was claimed deceased by the newspapers. The parents asked for privacy and his younger brother was moved to another school. Then how did he get to stand here all of a sudden? Without warning, without any explanation to the public. Hugh had seen Thaddeus' dark magic, he wouldn't put it past him to bring his son back from the dead.
"As in... used to be dead." Hugh clarified for everyone listening to their conversation. "Not 'going to be'." The giant's gaze inspected Vladimir from head to toe. "Tell me, how much of his own blood did your father have to use to bring you back? Or did he sacrifice some more children? A few other Hogwarts students scratched off a list?" Hugh had not forgotten Vladimir's comment on SCAR earlier. "Or did he plan another attack, so he could collect a few more bodies in all the chaos?"
It wasn't that he had it out for Vladimir per se. There was a time he offered him his aid, though he had turned it away aggressively at the time. But Hugh was after his father: Thaddeus. A man who thought it had been a good idea to threaten a half-breed child moments after experiencing a traumatic experience. To threaten a kid that was just trying to save a wounded student, that happened to be the man's son. And to end on the fact that the man then performed some inexplicable blood magic in front of their eyes while doing this. There was no doubt in Hugh's mind that Thaddeus was his true mark. The true enemy of SCAR and all the other outcasts.
Hugh raised both his open hands, signalling he was not holding any weapons nor intended for any violence to occur. Though, he did shift his look over to his best friend. "Serena, don't hang around too long with this guy. His family has a tendency to kill anyone that has served their purpose."
INPC; Cassanora Browne
Race: Half-Giant // Ability: - STR: 16 EVA: 7 WIS: 10 STA: 20 ARC: 1 ACC: 7
23 Jul 2023, 19:34
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
==
Kit took a guess at what the Sugar Fair was, telling Slava that it was like a carnival for candy. Sounded great. “Ah. Maybe I’ll have to drop by.” The topic of Hogsmeade would interest another, Vlad warning them that it was dangerous. Slava’s eyebrows raised, and when the older boy connected the incident with the Koldovstoretz students to the place name, things fell into place. Slava’s face was serious for once as he remembered the moment of silence they had had before the Quidditch game that year, setting a somber tone for what should have been a joyous event. “Oh. I… didn’t know that was there.” Hogsmeade was quickly sounding like a bad place. But there was something odd Vlad had said. “Scar?” he repeated. “What is SCAR? The incident left scars?” He was oblivious to such dangers and politics.
A young girl entered, commenting on how red the cabin was. Did a color really matter? Slava enjoyed the red—it was his favorite color. The girl looked around and soon introduced herself as Lilliana, taking a seat on her bed. He waved. “Hi, Lilliana. I’m Slava. Welcome in.” The boy who joined them next seemed unfriendly—clearly he had a problem with Vlad, at least. He commented that everyone was trying to stab him in the back before and Slava frowned. “Why would they do that?” Nosy, perhaps, but they were having their conversation in a public space and Slava wanted to know if he should be concerned about the people he was going to be sleeping near.
Knowing nothing about Vlad, Slava would believe Vlad’s comment about the other boy (Percival) being a bully, dismissing it as just hostility. At least until another, much taller guy entered. Slava smiled at him in greeting, getting a nod in return (as you mentioned that would be his reaction in a previous post). Friendly enough. Slava wasn’t highly familiar with people of races other than exclusively human, but that didn’t mean he would be singling them out or treating them with any less respect. His parents had raised him to treat everyone with kindness, and he wouldn’t treat someone cruelly just because they were different.
Vlad, on the other hand, greeted the newcomer as just “big guy” with a casualness that didn’t seem to be reciprocated when he received the response of "Hey there again... dead guy." Slava’s eyes widened. Maybe he wasn’t as friendly as Slava had initially thought. No, scratch that, the boy quickly clarified what he meant, although Slava wasn’t sure that was much better, a sudden sense of unease setting in as he processed the other’s words. Bloodshed, killing, sacrifices? What the hell was this? “Is that some kind of joke?” Slava asked, fidgeting nervously. This place was strange, too strange. What would teenagers have to do with murders? Why was there so much death that, from the boy’s description, followed Vlad? This wasn’t normal. This kind of thing didn’t happen back at home.
Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 14 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 17 | ArcPower: 12 | Accuracy: 17
Perfectionist I & II, Fearless, Spell Spread, Nonverbal Magic
iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
24 Jul 2023, 20:21
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
Dialogue: English | Mandarin Thoughts: X
She never thought her innocent comment about visiting Hogsmeade would create such a dark cloud in the room. Although she already had the means to go there, she had never used them before, now she was thinking that she never would! After Kit and Slava had shared some of her curiosity about the old village and she explain why she wasn't able to go there, other students in the cabin seemed to have the most darkest impression and memories from that place. "Dangerous place," was the cutting comment from Vlad and Ying's eyes immediately diverted towards him, "What do you mean?" She asked in a mutter. "They had an... incident a few years back, lost most of the Koldov team," he continued while looking around, "SCAR, I'd avoid the place best I can," he advised with an expression that could be interpreted as...disgust?
SCAR? What's that? Ying thought, her expression frowning questioningly but Slava was faster then her voicing her question, “Scar? What is SCAR? The incident left scars?” Ying slowly looked at the dark haired boy and mentioned without utter a sound, "Probably!" She said nodding affirmatively. Whatever it was, it seemed to be something to not play around with taking in consideration the tone of caution chosen by Vladimir.
“It’s so… red,” a much lighter voice came from the entrance door and a blond, almost silver haired girl had arrived to their cabin. She didn't seemed that amazed by the color choice, to be fair she appeared to not be the only one much preoccupied with the design, People can be picky can't they? Ying thought with sarcasm. “I’m Lilliana, by the way,” She introduced herself after putting her things aside from one of the bunks. "Ying!" the young Asian girl replied dryly with a false smile, clearly some of them where having a little of her own poison if they continue to spill on Gryffindor and red color, The hell is their problem? She contained herself from not saying anything more by having another bite in her chocolate, although maybe she had bite with more violence then the poor candy required.
Right after the girl, another boy as entered the cabin. This time Ying recognized him slightly from broom racing. Even if she had only participated in one race, that has been against his team, the snakes. And what a Slytherin entrance style that had been...dramatic, was a statement! Ying almost laughed at his manners, but was able to control herself by just showing a smirk that she disguised with another bite in her candy. "Hello there, Vlad" the boy has directed himself to the tall and well mannered boy and Ying got her attention towards both of them, that promised to be good!
And she was right! She watched the duel happening between their exchange of words with some amusement mixed with some wonderment and a lot of questions forming in her young and curious mind. Somehow she enjoyed the fact she had been forgotten along side the others in the cabin, did they forgot others were there listening to every veiled threat? Or they thought perhaps no one else was understanding the underlines of their convo? If that was a fact it got torn to shreds as soon as another figure emerged from the outside, bringing its large presence to the room and added his own piece of riddles to the conversation. Hugh Lowe she knew, she was glad she was her teammate and that she would never had to race against him. As small as she was, she was certain she would be as noticed as a fly inside the cabin, specially when she recoiled back in her bunk, merging with the shadows cast by the upper bed.
Her attention was certainly caught, by the statement: "Hey there again... dead guy." said by the tallest guy she had ever seen in her life, it was intimidating, just his presence, but the way he said it...like he meant something more, not a private joke in any manner. "As in... used to be dead." He continued and suddenly something assaulted her memory "A dead student apparently came back to life. ." something her brother had said in one of his letters when he just arrived Hogwarts for the first time. Was this a normal thing then? Coming back from the dead? It felt wrong, everything in a moment sounded defiant and wrong. Using blood? Sacrifices? The hell was he talking about? Ying looked to Vlad, with intent eyes, really trying to see him and making sure he didn't looked like a zombie or some detail that could reveal something more dark then what is seen at first eye. He didn't had any signs of it...he looked like a perfectly normal teenage boy almost reaching his adulthood. Some attack? Was his father what? A Dark Lord wanna be? She came from the muggle world, but she heard and read about that one at least. She felt sorry for the boy then...why they decided all to comeback at him out of nowhere? If it was his father making it wasn't his! Even if he was the "zombie guy". For now, she decided it was best to keep listening, but she was having the feeling this would become even more...interesting.
Reducio
Interacting with: Miles Thatcher (@Simon Kincaid) | @Vladimir Athanatos | Slava Preobrazhensky (@Ruby Cazares) | @Serena Towers | Katherine Felix (@Lea Hirsch) | @Lilliana Havenmore | @Percival Gray | @Hugh Lowe | Manuela Macedo (@Aly Salinger) | @Aurora Henderson | @Alexander Harland
26 Jul 2023, 23:50
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
Plot Hook ─ Serena has been hiding her pointy ears for years hats, headbands and hair in an effort to keep her goblin heritage a secret. Her family is known to be a Pureblood family. From 1st July 2023, she openly wears copper earpieces (drawn by me) over her ears to draw attention to them. Her goblin-ness may be a surprise to some people.
Interacting with: @Vladimir Athanatos , Kit (@Lea Hirsch), @Fang Hui-Ying, Slava (@Ruby Cazares, @Percival Gray, @Hugh Lowe | Mentions: Pizza Rat
Serena blinked a little as the boy said her surname back to her. Right. Yes. She was a Towers. People knew that. They would not forget easily, even if she wished for them to, "Towers." She nodded in response, trying to maintain the confidence in her voice - which was definitely a little shaky.
Several people took up the offer on the sweets, which she left them to do, not really bothering to watch how many or what they took. Whatever they wanted was fine with her. "Nothing is needed," She responded, shaking her head in response to a boy's [Slava] words about offering something in return. He then mentioned her 'ear metal' and she quickly found herself holding her breathe for a moment in fear before nodding, with a weak smile, "Oh uh yeah. I was going for that so I'm glad," She replied, somewhat relieved - at least until he introduced himself and where he was from.
"Yeah, I'll definitely go to the fair in a bit. This was just sort of my regular supplies, yanno?" She responded to the girl who approached her before introducing herself as Kit. She smiled and continued as the another girl thanked her for some candy [Ying], "No worries, feel free to take however many you want! There's plenty to go around!"
She gritted her jaw slightly, not wanting to interject, as she heard the boy [Vlad] comment on 'SCAR' attacking the Koldov team some years ago. At the time, she might have believed it to be true. But she had learned one vital lesson after Hugh's incident in Hogsmeade - the newspapers or the government or whoever it was that reported this instance lie, slander and turn the entire story around. It was easy to blame someone for being different. They turned a story of Hugh being attacked by three awful adults into him being the half-breed to rampage and hurt innocent people. She did not like the newspapers. Not that it was his fault, he was just quoting the newspapers.
She stared for a moment as Slava introduced himself from Durmstrang. Maybe that was why he was so familiar. She might have seen him around Arjan. But he seemed a little more upbeat, merry and generally kind of nicer? It was only a brief few moments but he seemed more fun so they were likely not friends, at the very least. Her heart ached a little as she wondered if she should be more careful around the Durmstrang lot. They were suspicious. It was far too late though, he had already noticed her earrings. If he looked at her, she would simply nod in return in an attempt to 'greet' him.
Her eyes narrowed as she heard a sarcastic muttering, "Gray... the displeasure is all mine," She responded, not bothering to hide her feelings in sarcasm. Her gaze flickered down to his awful cat. Serena was a big fan of animals and pets but geesh. The cat was clearly taking after the owner here. Instantly, her eyes snapped to Pizza and watched how dangerously close Cormac was getting. Pursing her lips together, she clicked her tongue in a little rhythm. Pizza Rat immediately moved, getting onto his back legs. His entire attitude seemed to change from 'relaxed' to 'not'. His behaviour became cautious, "Pizza, feel free to take a bite if he comes too close," She retaliated, watching the cat move away before she took her eyes off him.
"Oh, don't worry. Gray just likes to think girls are weak," She responded to the boy whose name she remembered as Vladimir (only after Gray said 'Vlad'). Right that was familiar. She really needed to pay more attention to people - he was definitely in some of her classes! It was a strong accusation to make but she did not like him after he acted like his date - Santario - was 'weak' and needed protecting when she was far more capable than he could ever be. She was convinced that he just thought he was strong, solely because he was a guy and she had yet to see his 'strength' when he sucked at pretty much everything she had seen him do.
Ever since she started training Pizza to attack potential hag slugs back in 2021, she had been teaching him to listen to certain sounds or words to help command him of what action to take. The one she had given him caused him to go on an 'alert' sort of mode, being more cautious of anything approaching.
Her eyes snapped up to the largest figure to enter the cabin. In an instant, her tension and anxiety melted away and a grin crossed her face. The sour mood that Percival Gray had put her in melted away by the warmth that spread in her heart seeing her best friend. Hugh was not necessarily planning to be here. She knew that. She knew that he was intending to go home and she did not want to stop him, so she did not bother to tell him about her plans. However, she figured she had to out herself sometime - even if he was not around to help protect her. He would not always be around, she reasoned. She had to do it regardless. That did not stop the fear that had built in her. Fear that dispersed as her gaze fell onto him. He was here. She would be ok.
"Reserved for you, bestie," She replied, assuming the bed was free as no one else seemed to have claimed it or objected to it.
Her head tilted as she heard Hugh's words. Dead guy. Dead guy? DEAD GUY- HE WAS THE ONE IN THE NEWSPAPER. Her brain suddenly made the connection. She had read the papers but like, they wrote so much nonsense that she did not retain most of their crap. She watched the pair of them interact, her gaze flicking between the two boys quickly as she heard the hostility in Hugh's words. There was pretty much no one that she trusted more than the part-giant. If he disliked someone, it did not necessarily make them bad because well, he was a grumpy old soul who acted like he disliked lots of people! But this was different. This was not just him being grumpy.
The atmosphere in the room changed in an instant. His words carried more weight than he perhaps he realised. "Hugh..." She muttered as the Gryffindor gave her a warning that was not something she could take lightly. it was a strong accusation - murder. What was she supposed to do with this information? Surely... he could not be that bad? He had been kind of nice to her so far. In fact, he had been a lot nicer than she would have expected him to be if she had recognised who he was instantly, "Come on, even if that was true... well, we're not all our families," She responded, trying to diffuse the tension a little. Vlad wouldn't be here if he was a murderer, right? Surely? Maybe? She could not say anything about his family and whether or not it was true but perhaps everything was not exactly how it seemed.
Besides, the last part was also true for her. Not the murder. But the part about being unlike their families. She was not like all of hers - and she did not want to be. Of course, none of them had committed murder nor would she have thought they were capable of that but there were relatives that she heavily did not wish to be associated with. Her brother - well, half-brother, technically - was one of them. He definitely was not a murderer but he was not a good guy. Racist, sexist, scummy, he was pretty much all of the rest. How some of the uncles or distant cousins had earned their titles, career, wealth or status was not something she wanted to know. They probably lied and cheated their way into it. They were not good people, necessarily. Hell, her own mother had technically cheated on her father and Arjan was living proof of that. Whilst it was not accusations of murder that they stood against, Serena would like to believe that she was not like those specific people in her family - and that she was nothing like Arjan.
Nonetheless, she ran her fingers over her ear, tucking a few loose strands behind it as she stared at Vlad, waiting for his response with bated breath. She was double checking her armour was in place. It was not just 'pretty'. It served with functionality, similar to her boots. Not that she expected a fight but... well, one could never be too sure at Hogwarts.
PC: Serena Towers | iNPC: Arjan Oberoi | Other: Hjørdis Jensen & Xiomara Torres
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
30 Jul 2023, 00:54
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
Percival was making 'friends' everywhere he went. At least Serena saw him for the asshat that he actually was. Bravo. "It is going to be a long summer, but we only got to sleep in here," his exasperation was not being hidden with those words. "I" forced again "am really hoping to spend some time in the forest this summer, hiking and the like so he won't be seeing much of me anyways." She was more than willing to come, it for no other reason than it would agitate the big guy and even if Percival did not care at the moment Percival loved to take his toys.
"Hey there again... dead guy." At least according to Hugh Lowe.
"I was just saying hi," he seemed to remind him. Not that he cared if the part-giant remembered or even understood the concept of civility, being humanoid is not synonymous with being human, he was at best 'partly human.' He was making sure others took the part giant's words as a threat. As an indication of a hostile nature he would make the best of over this summer.
"As in... used to be dead." Hugh clarified, he was going to be raising some brows regardless with his careless choice of words and the implications they carried. "Not 'going to be'," he added.
"I... would hope not," he was going to give him some quip about the rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated. The part giant gave him a hard look, the sort of look that reinforced his initial impression of this meeting.
"Tell me, how much of his own blood did your father have to use to bring you back? Or did he sacrifice some more children? A few other Hogwarts students scratched off a list? ...Or did he plan another attack, so he could collect a few more bodies in all the chaos?"
Vlad would sigh and cock his head to the side and give Hugh a faint smile. "You are absolutely out of your mind. We have no idea what you are talking about or what conspiracy theories you subscribe to. I was admitted to St. Mungos hospital were I was left to die when the cure was found here at Hogwarts weeks earlier. Thankfully word had reached the staff at St. Mungos, no thanks to the competence of the staff, the concern of the students or anyone in-between. I am lucky to be alive because I was nearly dead, and where you all got your cure and got to live your lives and go on with your friends, I stayed sick for a very long time. The papers sold well with those reports, but they were nothing more than just lies put to paper." He did not need to fake his indignation, where did this guy get off thinking that his father was murdering children? If anyone between the two of them was killing off kids, it was the conspiracy theorist in front of him.
"Serena, don't hang around too long with this guy. His family has a tendency to kill anyone that has served their purpose."
"What? Seriously? I'm dead and my father is killing kids as well as people that get in his way. What sort of in the way are people getting for him. For us. My father makes in an hour more than your entire family brings home in a month. What sort of threat can a bunch of kids pose? What sort of vendetta do you have against us?" He really did not care, and Hugh was not even entirely wrong. He was way off the mark on some of the stuff he said, but not all of it.
"Serena, don't hang around too long with this guy. His family has a tendency to kill anyone that has served their purpose."
"And what sort of purpose would that be?" He looked over at the part goblin. Did Hugh have a thing for her, was this some sort of weird jealousy thing? How would it even work between a part giant and a part goblin. If they have have children together by some act of Satan, would it be half big and half small or just a regular human?
“Is that some kind of joke?” One of the foreign students would chime in, understandably confused.
"No, we are pretty sure we are being housed with someone that might not be entirely stable," Vlad claimed. A frame of reference that would follow the part-giant more than likely through the next year. He looked over towards Serena, "well since you're not ready to make the news paper stories true or seem too disappointed in their failure to report. How would you feel about getting out of here, hitting the lake or the woods? I mean after you are no longer interesting company I will have to kill you of course as your purpose would be served," he added with a large grin as he attempted to curve the conversation in his favor.
"Hey there again... dead guy." At least according to Hugh Lowe.
"I was just saying hi," he seemed to remind him. Not that he cared if the part-giant remembered or even understood the concept of civility, being humanoid is not synonymous with being human, he was at best 'partly human.' He was making sure others took the part giant's words as a threat. As an indication of a hostile nature he would make the best of over this summer.
"As in... used to be dead." Hugh clarified, he was going to be raising some brows regardless with his careless choice of words and the implications they carried. "Not 'going to be'," he added.
"I... would hope not," he was going to give him some quip about the rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated. The part giant gave him a hard look, the sort of look that reinforced his initial impression of this meeting.
"Tell me, how much of his own blood did your father have to use to bring you back? Or did he sacrifice some more children? A few other Hogwarts students scratched off a list? ...Or did he plan another attack, so he could collect a few more bodies in all the chaos?"
Vlad would sigh and cock his head to the side and give Hugh a faint smile. "You are absolutely out of your mind. We have no idea what you are talking about or what conspiracy theories you subscribe to. I was admitted to St. Mungos hospital were I was left to die when the cure was found here at Hogwarts weeks earlier. Thankfully word had reached the staff at St. Mungos, no thanks to the competence of the staff, the concern of the students or anyone in-between. I am lucky to be alive because I was nearly dead, and where you all got your cure and got to live your lives and go on with your friends, I stayed sick for a very long time. The papers sold well with those reports, but they were nothing more than just lies put to paper." He did not need to fake his indignation, where did this guy get off thinking that his father was murdering children? If anyone between the two of them was killing off kids, it was the conspiracy theorist in front of him.
"Serena, don't hang around too long with this guy. His family has a tendency to kill anyone that has served their purpose."
"What? Seriously? I'm dead and my father is killing kids as well as people that get in his way. What sort of in the way are people getting for him. For us. My father makes in an hour more than your entire family brings home in a month. What sort of threat can a bunch of kids pose? What sort of vendetta do you have against us?" He really did not care, and Hugh was not even entirely wrong. He was way off the mark on some of the stuff he said, but not all of it.
"Serena, don't hang around too long with this guy. His family has a tendency to kill anyone that has served their purpose."
"And what sort of purpose would that be?" He looked over at the part goblin. Did Hugh have a thing for her, was this some sort of weird jealousy thing? How would it even work between a part giant and a part goblin. If they have have children together by some act of Satan, would it be half big and half small or just a regular human?
“Is that some kind of joke?” One of the foreign students would chime in, understandably confused.
"No, we are pretty sure we are being housed with someone that might not be entirely stable," Vlad claimed. A frame of reference that would follow the part-giant more than likely through the next year. He looked over towards Serena, "well since you're not ready to make the news paper stories true or seem too disappointed in their failure to report. How would you feel about getting out of here, hitting the lake or the woods? I mean after you are no longer interesting company I will have to kill you of course as your purpose would be served," he added with a large grin as he attempted to curve the conversation in his favor.
Last edited by Vladimir Athanatos on 13 Sep 2023, 01:22, edited 1 time in total.
Aamon
30 Jul 2023, 23:19
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
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July 1st, 2023
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Colour: #2b2f69. Word Count: 845.
Reducio
Mentions:
Interacting with @Lilliana Havenmore.
Mentioning @Ruby Cazares's iNPC, @Vladimir Athanatos and @Hugh Lowe.
Notes:
I do not claim to agree with Nerissa's opinions or actions, as they can often be rude and prejudiced. Do not be upset if the thread does not go the way you hoped, for I am only trying to keep my character's actions and thoughts as accurate possible to what she would actually do/think.
Interacting with @Lilliana Havenmore.
Mentioning @Ruby Cazares's iNPC, @Vladimir Athanatos and @Hugh Lowe.
Notes:
I do not claim to agree with Nerissa's opinions or actions, as they can often be rude and prejudiced. Do not be upset if the thread does not go the way you hoped, for I am only trying to keep my character's actions and thoughts as accurate possible to what she would actually do/think.
Last edited by Nerissa Astor on 30 Oct 2023, 01:24, edited 2 times in total.
17 Aug 2023, 23:07
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
Hugh's eyes locked onto Slava and gave him a sharp look. The sort of look that dared him to ask that same question again. Did he look like he joked an awful lot? The giant had sideburns that straightened the sides of his already wooden face. The thin strip of lips he had would only come out with certain 'nice enough' people. The dumbass with a grin that asked him the question had not earned himself a spot in said category.Interactions: @Serena Towers, @Vladimir Athanatos, @Ruby Cazares and @Fang Hui-Ying
There were others that raised questions to his words. Vlad sprung forward into action. 'Good' Hugh thought. He did not have anything particular against Vlad. The guy was shifty, obviously had secretive plans no normal teenager ought to have, and was the son of a definitely evil man. Hugh had to admit the boy was anything but uninteresting. He recalled their encounter in the dungeons, how he had appeared as a friend. But at the next ball, he had snapped at Hugh's attempt to aid. And then the train crash... Where Hugh had even carried Vlad's limp body to safety right before he was threatened by none other than Thaddeus Athanatos himself. Who did not waste one second to produce a spear of dark shadows and was willing to run it through the half-giant. Not to mention the blood magic they'd witness that day. Though Vlad was wholeheartedly denying it all.
Hugh silently assessed the Ravenclaw's little rebuttal. What was he witnessing? Was Vlad an accomplice to his father's plot? Or a mind-wiped victim? Was he just brought back for an old villain's sentimentality? Or did he actually still have a part to play in all of this? This... madness that afflicted the school. The secrets and politics behind the curtains. Attack after attack, a herd slowly being thinned out by obscured predators.
The half-giant spat on the floor as Vladimir finished his rehearsed lines. The Ravenclaw had lost his edge. Hugh was already damned, he was a filthy half-breed after all. One that did not have a kind word to say to strangers, someone that people had witnessed bashing in students' skulls during the night of Erin's transformation. But he had at least expected the decency of a proper answer. The respect you gave a foe in battle. And all he got was Vlad shrinking away behind his father's lies.
"For starters..." Hugh began with a voice that rumbled from the depths of which he dug up the effort to try and educate a few people that were nervously waddling around the room. "SCAR, or SCARAB sometimes, is a well-known activist group that seeks equality for half-breeds, like me, for example. They've been deemed terrorists too. Several incidents have been linked to their name. One big one was that big explosion that took out most of that Russian school's Quidditch team. Dunno if it was them, my theory is that the organization is either split into two camps. One extreme, one peaceful."
His hand scratched his sideburns as he looked at Serena. "I do know that one incident, an attack on the Hogwarts Express, was not them. As much as the press, or Vlad's father, like to claim. The attacker wore a bunch of god-awful cowboy clothes. Cowboys... in the midst of winter... on British soil. Who then apparated out of there as soon as the explosion hit. And lo and behold, good ol' Thaddeus, your father, comes swooping in with his private jet. And deems himself a saviour of children. Only, he had not anticipated you being there, did he? And as I was carrying your unconscious body to safety, he did not hesitate to show his true colours!" Hugh yelled the last line at Vladimir. He felt disrespected the way the boy kept playing games. Hugh had beaten the crap out of Gideon for collecting Hag materials and Erin's teeth, he was not above checking another Athanatos on his list.
"He produced a bloody spear of shadows and threatened to 'blow through me'. Now that's just charmin' ain't it? Dear old dad then went on and used blood magic too. Don't bother denying it. These people might agree with you and think me mad. But more than a handful of people within this camp saw the same thing I did." He took a deep breath and one step back. He had ignored Serena's plea. There was no time for dumb sympathy like that.
"... Listen Vladimir. You want to go for a walk with Serena? Go walk with me instead. I don't know if you're a prisoner or a tormentor, but I need answers. And you need something from me either way. Either to have me stop asking questions and meeting like this, or to have your back if you need an out." This was it. The one helping hand he'd give. But he'd demand some damn well-earned respect for it, and that came in the form of straight answers. "Please Vlad. See reason. Be good."
INPC; Cassanora Browne
Race: Half-Giant // Ability: - STR: 16 EVA: 7 WIS: 10 STA: 20 ARC: 1 ACC: 7
22 Aug 2023, 01:19
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
That was enough to set Hugh off. The part giant was a lot of things, but he did not take him as a sympathizer of subversive half-breed zealots. "Y-you have a word of support for SCAR?" The Ravenclaw sounded almost incredulous. "I cannot even believe that I am having this sort of conversation," he lamented. "SCAR is nothing more than a band of pullulating fanatics. All anyone has to do is read the paper," presuming his company could read. "If you want to enact change, screaming in the streets, disrupting the good days of find wizards or worse yet enacting violence on them is about as good at resolving tensions as a chocolate teapot is useful. There is a process for these things. A legal and fair one."
His brow furrowed as he looked up at Hugh Lowe. He was one of the few he looked up to, considering how strangely stunted most of his peers tended to be. "I have been nothing but 'good' here haven't I? Pleasant, making small talk, helping your pretty little friend here with her bags," he was referring to Serena of course. He had no idea if they were a 'thing' or not, it frankly did not matter because he would get an incendiary action either way, be her friend or potential lover. Unless he claimed some sort of romantic link between the two, she was fair-play. For whatever reason Hugh had deigned Vladimir a villain, so his predilection towards anything that might be his to any extent would likely elicit his frustration, wrath or attention. "If this is a jealous boyfriend thing, you just need to say the word. Otherwise, I am not stepping on any toes by being polite," he showed the part-giant his hands. He had not bothered to invade the part giant's mind to confirm the possible pairing because in truth he did not care. He could have the girl, any girl for that matter, if he truly wanted. Shame she was a half-blooded freak, as amicable as she might be otherwise it was ultimately a non-option. She was nothing more than a tool of torment at this moment. But Hugh Lowe did not need to know his thoughts, his true nature. Just that of an affluent, misunderstood youth that had just recovered from tragic circumstances.
Vlad ignored the bits about his father. His father's claimed 'blood magic.' About his father's timely arrival on a jet. About the misalignment of the attire of those who invaded the Hogwarts Express those years ago. Rather, he reminded Hugh of a singular point. "If you recall, they tried to... and nearly succeeded in killing me. Those terrorists that are just looking for equity among the disadvantaged with my blood. The blood of other fine wizards. Did any of these fine people in the camp also see that part or was that part conveniently forgotten in the midst of your conspiracy theories and paranoia?" Hugh was onto something, that much was true but there were some secrets that would put even the 'immortal' back into a grave.
He let out a sigh. A walk with a part giant. "Let me think here... take a walk with you. Someone more apt to crush my skull," like his brother, another very public and recalled incident. "Than trust a word I have to say." The undertone of threat in every word that came out of the part giant's mouth sang a ballad of death and deformity. One the Ravenclaw quietly danced to. "But," he shrugged defiantly. "I can probably take you. To dinner, a show, a long walk on the beach... Not in a game of fisticuffs, so I guess I might just die today. Insert some witty comment here," he sounded a bit fatigued as his dynamism started to subdue. Yes he really did say 'insert some witty comment here' as he spoke with his hands. His shoulders slightly slumped, he would turn to Serena. "I suppose our jaunt will have to wait for another day, I have a much larger, scarier and potentially intemperate suitor I must attend to." If she allowed him, he would kneel and give the part goblin a peck on the cheek and feel the bile collect in the back of his throat if successful.
"I'm ready if you are."
His brow furrowed as he looked up at Hugh Lowe. He was one of the few he looked up to, considering how strangely stunted most of his peers tended to be. "I have been nothing but 'good' here haven't I? Pleasant, making small talk, helping your pretty little friend here with her bags," he was referring to Serena of course. He had no idea if they were a 'thing' or not, it frankly did not matter because he would get an incendiary action either way, be her friend or potential lover. Unless he claimed some sort of romantic link between the two, she was fair-play. For whatever reason Hugh had deigned Vladimir a villain, so his predilection towards anything that might be his to any extent would likely elicit his frustration, wrath or attention. "If this is a jealous boyfriend thing, you just need to say the word. Otherwise, I am not stepping on any toes by being polite," he showed the part-giant his hands. He had not bothered to invade the part giant's mind to confirm the possible pairing because in truth he did not care. He could have the girl, any girl for that matter, if he truly wanted. Shame she was a half-blooded freak, as amicable as she might be otherwise it was ultimately a non-option. She was nothing more than a tool of torment at this moment. But Hugh Lowe did not need to know his thoughts, his true nature. Just that of an affluent, misunderstood youth that had just recovered from tragic circumstances.
Vlad ignored the bits about his father. His father's claimed 'blood magic.' About his father's timely arrival on a jet. About the misalignment of the attire of those who invaded the Hogwarts Express those years ago. Rather, he reminded Hugh of a singular point. "If you recall, they tried to... and nearly succeeded in killing me. Those terrorists that are just looking for equity among the disadvantaged with my blood. The blood of other fine wizards. Did any of these fine people in the camp also see that part or was that part conveniently forgotten in the midst of your conspiracy theories and paranoia?" Hugh was onto something, that much was true but there were some secrets that would put even the 'immortal' back into a grave.
He let out a sigh. A walk with a part giant. "Let me think here... take a walk with you. Someone more apt to crush my skull," like his brother, another very public and recalled incident. "Than trust a word I have to say." The undertone of threat in every word that came out of the part giant's mouth sang a ballad of death and deformity. One the Ravenclaw quietly danced to. "But," he shrugged defiantly. "I can probably take you. To dinner, a show, a long walk on the beach... Not in a game of fisticuffs, so I guess I might just die today. Insert some witty comment here," he sounded a bit fatigued as his dynamism started to subdue. Yes he really did say 'insert some witty comment here' as he spoke with his hands. His shoulders slightly slumped, he would turn to Serena. "I suppose our jaunt will have to wait for another day, I have a much larger, scarier and potentially intemperate suitor I must attend to." If she allowed him, he would kneel and give the part goblin a peck on the cheek and feel the bile collect in the back of his throat if successful.
"I'm ready if you are."
[Vlad attempts to leave the topic with his new 'friend'/captor]
Aamon
22 Aug 2023, 18:51
The Horse Bird/Bird Horse Club
Plot Hook ─ Serena has been hiding her pointy ears for years hats, headbands and hair in an effort to keep her goblin heritage a secret. Her family is known to be a Pureblood family. From 1st July 2023, she openly wears copper earpieces (drawn by me) over her ears to draw attention to them. Her goblin-ness may be a surprise to some people.
Interacting with: @Vladimir Athanatos and @Hugh Lowe
Serena hesitated to even breathe in case she made a noise. The tension in the air was definitely suffocating. She stared at Vlad as he responded to her best friend's heavy accusation - fully expecting his fist to start flying. What she did not expect, however, was the raw candidness of his experience - where he nearly died.
She understood, more than she had ever admitted to anyone, how painful it felt to be left alone to die. How it seemed like everyone else was able to continue their lives freely and how isolating that experience was. She had not been cursed, much to her fortune but she was sure that he was talking about that based on his words. In her first year, she faced a near-death experience against a shadow. One that did not curse her but one that left her face planted into the grass she had bled out - and left a lasting scar on her heart even now. She had never felt so alone as she had in those moments and the aftermath of that, suddenly terrified of the dark - which was something she did not manage to get over for years. In truth, she was probably not fully over it even now. There was nothing more isolating than that empty abyss.
"You... almost died to the shadows?" Her words were barely above a whisper and in truth, they were more rhetorical. Her voice was slightly shaky.
Her eyes watered slightly as the memories flooded back. She was lucky not to be cursed but not everyone was. It hurt her, even though she did not know him, to know that he had been suffering alone. She did not know what to say though. The newspapers and people for years after spoke about that experience as the Hufflepuff campout that went wrong and the fire that they believed almost killed her. But not many people knew the truth - did anyone, in fact? She could not remember if she had ever braved herself to actually say how she felt or if anyone had ever actually asked. It was not the fire that almost killed her but the shadow that swallowed her, bludgeoned her, cut her. A shadow similar to the ones that later cursed instead.
SCAR had been painted to be terrorists but this was not the first time that she had heard that they were not involved in incidents that they were rumoured to be in. The press did have a habit of painting everyone badly. She stared at Hugh as he spoke about blood magic. He was not mad. She knew that but, could it be a misunderstanding? Could Thaddeus have been angry, upset and emotional thinking that his son was dying? But why would he attack a student... She felt the nausea in the back of her throat as the answer came to her. It was because it was Hugh, wasn't it? It was because he jumped to the conclusion that the part-giant had something to do with Vlad's situation, wasn't it?
Serena was definitely jumping to her own conclusions, and she had to remind herself that this might just be a misunderstanding. That she was making an assumption. But it was hard. It was hard seeing Hugh constantly getting hurt but none of this... none of this was Vlad. These things were his father. He was not his father.
But Hugh himself said there might be an extreme faction of SCAR. Maybe it was them. That did not make half-breeds bad but then again, Vlad was being nice to her and she was clearly one, so maybe he did not believe that but just believed that SCAR was a terrorist organisation... Which could be true.
Ugh. At what point was it acceptable to just declare a headache and not think about it? Wait, did he just say pretty? Oh calm down, Serena. Of course not. No. She misheard, obviously. Or maybe it was just a figure of speech. Duh. Right. Anywaaay...
She looked between the boys, trying to find some sense of... well, anything. Hugh would not lie or make up rumours. She knew that. He had no reason to say any of this if he did not genuinely believe in the words, and genuinely believe that Vlad was dangerous. That did not stop the fact that her heart ached slightly in sympathy. His words were, unfortunately, far too relatable.
And she understood why Vlad was also angry. Justifiably so, if this was simply a misunderstanding, as his father was being accused of something quite serious. His whole family - himself included - was, in fact. But it also did not stop the pang of anger she felt as she heard him claim Hugh was not stable. There was a huge difference between a misunderstanding and being unstable.
She blinked as he turned towards her, asking her to go for a walk with him. He needed a friend, so maybe it was not a bad idea. But... Hugh was doing all of this for a reason. She could not accept. She could not help but smile a little at his declaration of murder as a joke. It was kind of funny, even if she did not want to admit it. Whilst she trusted Hugh with all of her heart, she had no reason to believe that Vlad was actually a murderer. He did not have to anything like his family even if it were true.
She did not need to say anything, though. Hugh had already made the decision for her. Wait. Did he warn her that Vlad was dangerous but then literally beg him to take him instead? Was she that weak that she needed protecting? She wasn't even going to say yes! But she said nothing. This was good. This was Hugh offering Vlad a chance to talk it out. She gave the part-giant a smile, whether or not he looked at her, glad that he was trying his best to resolve this issue.
"Long walks on a beach, how romantic you two," She finally said, trying to keep things light. They were only going to talk. There would be no fighting. Right? Serena was not entirely sure if she believed it but she would like to hope that was true, "And please. He's as about as scary as a teddy bear. I assure you that the date will be adorable. But, don't worry, I'm a fairly decent healer, if I do say so myself. I suppose I can hang out with you later and do just that" She added trying to dismiss Vlad's words about Hugh being scary and capable of crushing his skull whilst also being nice. He definitely had that capability but she was not about to admit that to a room full of people. Hugh literally did not want to harm a fly. And... well, if they did get hurt, they wouldn't be too far right? She could probably help. She was a healer intern after all - or, you know, could scream very loudly until a professor came to help.
Serena blinked as he kneeled, invading her personal space. She did not pull away but she also did not expect him to kiss her cheek. Wait. What just happened?
She opened her mouth to retort but no words left it so she just shut it, quickly staring at her feet. Oh look how cool her boots were. Yup. Very cool. She had made them herself in fact. Yes. That was why she was staring at them. Yup. Yup. Yuppp. Was it hot in here? Was her face red? It must be the tension. Yup. Yup. Yuuuup.
Hopefully, Hugh would leave with Vlad. She did not say anything further to him, not wanting to tell him to be careful or anything that might raise suspicion on him - or worse, his sanity. She trusted he would be careful and that if he needed her, he would roar. That would be loud enough for her to come running! Especially if she was outside, she would hear him. Maybe she shouldn't let him go alone but her brain was very clouded and confused at the moment. Oh look at her pretty boots. Yup. How pretty was the floor? Yup yup yup. Her cheek was totally not red. Yup yup yup.
"SO uh, anyone uh going to the sugar fair thing? No? Just me? Okay. Imma just... go... skadaddle over- yeah, okay- bye," She mumbled as she quickly busied herself to start getting her things together so she could head out and hopefully convince some of the other cabin mates to leave too, so this tense situation would finally be over. It was going to be... a very long camp, otherwise.
PC: Serena Towers | iNPC: Arjan Oberoi | Other: Hjørdis Jensen & Xiomara Torres
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15