Cleaning is for the Birds
Howard laid on his side, the side of his head resting against the cool tiles of the floor. A steady stream of blood trickled from the corner of his nostril, running down his cheek and towards his collar. He could feel the area swelling, a couple black eyes would start to form, the nasal passages inflamed and began to close. Howard took deep, ragged breaths through his mouth as he attempted to remain in control. Like the turtle he mimicked when thrashing around on his back, he now felt much like they did when flipped, vulnerable.
His rage and his power were much like the shell, hard and almost impenetrable. Now he had been stripped of said power, his metaphorical soft underbelly exposed to the predator. Erin had bested him, and now had the advantage, the complete reversal from the moments they shared in the hospital wing. This filled him with a sense of defeat. He was not an ego driven individual, however he had grown used to the idea of being able to overpower his opponents, and much like anyone that came to feel that way, losing was a maddening thought.
“Did you get that from your mother?”
Howard had not heard most of what Erin was saying during his struggle to free himself, but he did hear this. His eyes would lock with hers, a cold expression splashed across his face. It was this trigger that had unleashed his rage in the library, and her now, she attempted to pull it again.
It was true. Howard did love his mother, muggle and all, and yes, to him she was a saint. However, it was also this love that had turned into the festering hatred that you see today. When he thought of her, in this moment of desperation as he laid, bound on the floor, he would feel that love for the briefest moment. It would not last. Although he had a deep love for his mother, she was also weak. Much like him before the discovery of his power...a power much like his father’s.
One does not have to be a wizard to wield power. Howard’s father was proof of that. With a look, or a sharp word he could crush him and his mother. The tyrant of the household. Howard’s childhood was filled with memories of hiding in fear as the shouting shattered their peaceful home. He yearned for a way to be able to protect her, to liberate her from the abuse, however he could not, for he had no power. Over the years, this fear would turn to rage, and like a cancer it would spread, corrupting his once sweet nature, and with this rage came his power.
His father would feel his wrath one day, many years from now when he reached his full potential. As would many others that would attempt to overpower him along the way, for he was no longer the boy that ran to the corner, hands over his ears, crying out for it to stop. He was becoming the man that sent others running in fear, and any who attempted to impede his journey would suffer the consequences. Howard was looking at one of them right now. As Erin pulled his collar to sit him up against the wall, that fleeting moment of vulnerability would pass. The controlled fury would return.
The two were incredibly close now, well physically anyways, as she hovered over his lap, her face close to his. “Breathe through your mouth.” Howard would press his head back into the wall, shaking it from side to side like a child being spoon fed vegetables at the dinner table as she brought the rag up to his face. This was it, she was going to snuff him out. Without warning she placed it over his nose. It was a confusing moment as she gently dabbed some of the blood, the cold compression was an instant relief to his swollen nose. What he thought was the killing blow was almost...nice?
“What do you want?”
“You, take a deep breathe.”
That ‘nice’ moment would not last as she pinched his nose, quickly applying pressure to the broken bones. A muffled cry would ring out through the bathroom as the pain tore through his face. Howard coughed and sputtered as the airflow returned through his nostrils, one final burst of blood splattered down his chin.
“But I will start with learning a bit more about you Howard.”
Erin sat upon his lap as she brandished two wands from her waistband, his first memory of being straddled by a girl forever ruined. Howard’s eyes shot down to his pockets. Fuck! He had been disarmed. His wrists began to twist against their bindings, the leather of the belt rubbing the flesh raw. The exertion from his previous struggle had left his skin moist with sweat. He would continue this repetitive motion, hoping to slip one of his hands free. His eyes would return to hers as she continued to speak.
“Your wand is similar to mine. Are you familiar with the significance of unicorn hair, the core we both share?”
Howard’s head cocked to the side just slightly. How could she know this? Had she somehow spied on him? Was there a spell to cast that would reveal such information? He was completely ignorant of the subject of wand lore and crafting. To him it was just like buying a gun in the muggle world. This one feels nice and shoots, perfect. He remembered the old man explaining some of it when he bought it from the shop, but had never thought much of it since. “How do you know this?”
“Unicorn hair belongs to a wand that is loyal. Like a Hufflepuff. The wood echoes your loyal nature. Your wand resonates with what I see in you, from that storm of discontent. That dire, malicious wrath that your opponents endure as a result of their offense towards what is yours. I must ask what is yours, so I might break it and be your enemy or make it my own so that you might be mine.”
Howard’s head would jerk away as her fingers combed through his hair, again, another memorable moment in a young males life destroyed. His eyes would wince slightly as she tugged a few hairs from the back of his head.
“What is mine?” He repeated her question back to her. It was a good question, no, it was the question and it relighted the flame in his belly. “Mine is whatever I want it to be. I’ve dealt with people like you,” the last word would be spat out at her. “All my life. I will take whatever I want from this world, and you are right Erin, anyone who stands in my way will suffer my wrath. Do you understand me!” He would not shout, but his voice shook with anger. “You cannot break what is already broken, you fool. I thought you of all people would recognize that. There is no need to make me your enemy, Erin. We were from the moment we met each other. You’re all the fucking same. Take, take, take!” His words came quickly as his emotions heightened. “Be damned who suffers in your wake! I am no longer afraid of monsters like you Erin. I will destroy each and every last one of you, and I’ll burn the fucking world to the ground to do so!”
Howard would twist his wrist on his right arm with all his strength, the leather cutting into the flesh. Erin might notice the movement or the slight twinge of pain, and attempt to stop him, but the bind would begin to slip up his hand. He was not free, but was beginning to make his way.
His rage and his power were much like the shell, hard and almost impenetrable. Now he had been stripped of said power, his metaphorical soft underbelly exposed to the predator. Erin had bested him, and now had the advantage, the complete reversal from the moments they shared in the hospital wing. This filled him with a sense of defeat. He was not an ego driven individual, however he had grown used to the idea of being able to overpower his opponents, and much like anyone that came to feel that way, losing was a maddening thought.
“Did you get that from your mother?”
Howard had not heard most of what Erin was saying during his struggle to free himself, but he did hear this. His eyes would lock with hers, a cold expression splashed across his face. It was this trigger that had unleashed his rage in the library, and her now, she attempted to pull it again.
It was true. Howard did love his mother, muggle and all, and yes, to him she was a saint. However, it was also this love that had turned into the festering hatred that you see today. When he thought of her, in this moment of desperation as he laid, bound on the floor, he would feel that love for the briefest moment. It would not last. Although he had a deep love for his mother, she was also weak. Much like him before the discovery of his power...a power much like his father’s.
One does not have to be a wizard to wield power. Howard’s father was proof of that. With a look, or a sharp word he could crush him and his mother. The tyrant of the household. Howard’s childhood was filled with memories of hiding in fear as the shouting shattered their peaceful home. He yearned for a way to be able to protect her, to liberate her from the abuse, however he could not, for he had no power. Over the years, this fear would turn to rage, and like a cancer it would spread, corrupting his once sweet nature, and with this rage came his power.
His father would feel his wrath one day, many years from now when he reached his full potential. As would many others that would attempt to overpower him along the way, for he was no longer the boy that ran to the corner, hands over his ears, crying out for it to stop. He was becoming the man that sent others running in fear, and any who attempted to impede his journey would suffer the consequences. Howard was looking at one of them right now. As Erin pulled his collar to sit him up against the wall, that fleeting moment of vulnerability would pass. The controlled fury would return.
The two were incredibly close now, well physically anyways, as she hovered over his lap, her face close to his. “Breathe through your mouth.” Howard would press his head back into the wall, shaking it from side to side like a child being spoon fed vegetables at the dinner table as she brought the rag up to his face. This was it, she was going to snuff him out. Without warning she placed it over his nose. It was a confusing moment as she gently dabbed some of the blood, the cold compression was an instant relief to his swollen nose. What he thought was the killing blow was almost...nice?
“What do you want?”
“You, take a deep breathe.”
That ‘nice’ moment would not last as she pinched his nose, quickly applying pressure to the broken bones. A muffled cry would ring out through the bathroom as the pain tore through his face. Howard coughed and sputtered as the airflow returned through his nostrils, one final burst of blood splattered down his chin.
“But I will start with learning a bit more about you Howard.”
Erin sat upon his lap as she brandished two wands from her waistband, his first memory of being straddled by a girl forever ruined. Howard’s eyes shot down to his pockets. Fuck! He had been disarmed. His wrists began to twist against their bindings, the leather of the belt rubbing the flesh raw. The exertion from his previous struggle had left his skin moist with sweat. He would continue this repetitive motion, hoping to slip one of his hands free. His eyes would return to hers as she continued to speak.
“Your wand is similar to mine. Are you familiar with the significance of unicorn hair, the core we both share?”
Howard’s head cocked to the side just slightly. How could she know this? Had she somehow spied on him? Was there a spell to cast that would reveal such information? He was completely ignorant of the subject of wand lore and crafting. To him it was just like buying a gun in the muggle world. This one feels nice and shoots, perfect. He remembered the old man explaining some of it when he bought it from the shop, but had never thought much of it since. “How do you know this?”
“Unicorn hair belongs to a wand that is loyal. Like a Hufflepuff. The wood echoes your loyal nature. Your wand resonates with what I see in you, from that storm of discontent. That dire, malicious wrath that your opponents endure as a result of their offense towards what is yours. I must ask what is yours, so I might break it and be your enemy or make it my own so that you might be mine.”
Howard’s head would jerk away as her fingers combed through his hair, again, another memorable moment in a young males life destroyed. His eyes would wince slightly as she tugged a few hairs from the back of his head.
“What is mine?” He repeated her question back to her. It was a good question, no, it was the question and it relighted the flame in his belly. “Mine is whatever I want it to be. I’ve dealt with people like you,” the last word would be spat out at her. “All my life. I will take whatever I want from this world, and you are right Erin, anyone who stands in my way will suffer my wrath. Do you understand me!” He would not shout, but his voice shook with anger. “You cannot break what is already broken, you fool. I thought you of all people would recognize that. There is no need to make me your enemy, Erin. We were from the moment we met each other. You’re all the fucking same. Take, take, take!” His words came quickly as his emotions heightened. “Be damned who suffers in your wake! I am no longer afraid of monsters like you Erin. I will destroy each and every last one of you, and I’ll burn the fucking world to the ground to do so!”
Howard would twist his wrist on his right arm with all his strength, the leather cutting into the flesh. Erin might notice the movement or the slight twinge of pain, and attempt to stop him, but the bind would begin to slip up his hand. He was not free, but was beginning to make his way.
Cleaning is for the Birds
Thomas internally facepalmed, releasing a huff as his eyes followed the Ravenclaw’s to the window. He would gesture to the boy with an open palm. “The storm being the fight between me and this git,” He motioned to the other Raven he nearly fought only moments ago and would quickly retort. “Watch your words, prick.” Thomas ignored him to continue making his point. “Your means of stopping it with…the umbrella on your back,” Thomas froze for a moment, realizing the statement in its entirety was hard to follow. It sounded better in his head. “Not that an umbrella would stop a storm…it is a...forget it.”
"Okay, but I'm not walking in front of you."
[For clarity: Counterparts meaning they are all there together to complete the task of cleaning the common room.]
After Thomas had confirmed his status as a complete mental case, he was surprised to hear the boy comply to fetch the other two. As much as Thomas hated to admit it, the presence of Howard and Erin would likely decrease the chance of an ass-whooping for two reasons. One, Erin had a knack for drawing attention to herself by antagonizing others. Two, Howard’s current temperament roughly resembled a hangry teenager going through drug withdrawals.
Thomas maintained a glare when passing the Raven in the direction of the restroom door. When grasping the handle, it only fidgeted slightly. “Locked.” He quickly grew uncomfortable, considering the prospect the interaction has rapidly turned sour. Either Howard locked the door to brutally finish what he began a few days ago. Or, Erin has done it to tighten her stranglehold on his emotions. Thomas turned to the Ravenclaw. “Stormclaw…er, umbrella-boy. What’s your name?” His careless choice of names due to the lack of fear the boy's malnourished appearance presented was likely a foolish position. Hopefully for Thomas, he was not the sensitive type.
“You don’t happen to know that spell, to unlock a door?” He released his grasp on the handle, forming a fist and banging on the door with the bottom of his hand several times before stepping back.
"Okay, but I'm not walking in front of you."
[For clarity: Counterparts meaning they are all there together to complete the task of cleaning the common room.]
After Thomas had confirmed his status as a complete mental case, he was surprised to hear the boy comply to fetch the other two. As much as Thomas hated to admit it, the presence of Howard and Erin would likely decrease the chance of an ass-whooping for two reasons. One, Erin had a knack for drawing attention to herself by antagonizing others. Two, Howard’s current temperament roughly resembled a hangry teenager going through drug withdrawals.
Thomas maintained a glare when passing the Raven in the direction of the restroom door. When grasping the handle, it only fidgeted slightly. “Locked.” He quickly grew uncomfortable, considering the prospect the interaction has rapidly turned sour. Either Howard locked the door to brutally finish what he began a few days ago. Or, Erin has done it to tighten her stranglehold on his emotions. Thomas turned to the Ravenclaw. “Stormclaw…er, umbrella-boy. What’s your name?” His careless choice of names due to the lack of fear the boy's malnourished appearance presented was likely a foolish position. Hopefully for Thomas, he was not the sensitive type.
“You don’t happen to know that spell, to unlock a door?” He released his grasp on the handle, forming a fist and banging on the door with the bottom of his hand several times before stepping back.
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be
Stamina: 8 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 7 | Wisdom: 8 | ArcPower: 3 | Accuracy: 7
Ability - Evasive Maneuvers 2x
Cleaning is for the Birds
She could feel him. He felt like a pressure-cooker once roused; the rattle and the burn, the tightly sealed lid and the heat with no release. She was not feeling dread, but rather this welling agitation as he fought against the bands of leather that restrained him. There was no pain when agitated, when angry. It was more like a white, blinding light and this need to thrash about at the first thing that takes form. She coveted this passion, this nature he tried to bottle up and place in the back of a cabinet somewhere. This ability to simply *snap*.
"Fascinating," she commented. Howard was unrecognizable from the boy he was a year prior. He seemed timid, full of fear the first time they met. A mixture of shock and horror as a dire situation grew worse. That was enough to draw her to him, to draw any dementor really. The sheer strength of his emotional response had always made him outstanding, yet with time and repeated prodding she saw a change. It was that thing he buried so far below the surface that she caught a glimpse of once or twice that she wanted to see exposed. Howie was a shell, a mask he hid behind. A face he could blend into a crowd with, find acceptance among his peers. Yet he had hid his true nature so well and for so long, the true beast inside of him was almost dead. She was there to nourish that monster.
Resilient. Stubborn. Angry. Despite this sense of indignation whilst bound. She was slowly gathering a psychological profile on the Hufflepuff. An unexpected gem truly. There was his mother, this strange warmth associated with her name. She had felt this feeling once and only once before. It was that feeling that Erin could only presume was love. It was warm, all-encompassing, comforting sensation. A feeling that she hoped to never feel again. It was not that the power of true love could defeat someone like Erin, rather she considered the power of the heart having to be a dangerous thing. Where Howard might have found a metaphorical vein to plunge his needle into and then experience that surge of endorphins that came with the power he felt when he overwhelmed his opponent, Erin saw a similar potential in love. No, a worse potential for any addict. Love and hate, violence and love were intimately entwined.
For the sake of love, that sense of security and comfort, the knowledge of self and place. What would one do if it was threatened or taken away? Rage is like a fire, when the fuel runs out and the embers grow cold, that fit of mania ceases. Rage can be quelled. Love was something else entirely and she considered that terrible. She even found herself wanting to feel that tender sense, knowing that to be capable of such well outside of her reach. She found herself even more jealous of Howard. She looked back at him, into those angry eyes that tried to bore into her. Comparatively hers seemed dull, without spark, as if she was a mere puppet being pulled along by a series of strings. She was feeding, she was not going to waste this bounty he had offered, but for an infinitesimal moment he might have seen a spark, a glint of a change.
Perhaps she could have been gentler as she straightened his nose. She could not help but feel, yes feel increasingly resentful of Howard in that he could elicit such a sentiment at all and then even more so when he took it away. It was followed by a feeling she knew well -- this rage that was like a bubbling cauldron and this temper to match without release. She would not know anything about Howard's home life, about his father, but had she Howard might have been incensed to consider the fact that he might truly be his father's son.
Howard continued to fight against the leather. Wasn't a broken nose enough injury for a single day? Erin was confident that the bindings would hold, overly so. Howard was particularly dedicated to his freedom and he was stronger than average. The belts would groan in protest, but with the repetitive motion of his wrists and the slight stretch of the wet leather he would start to feel some slack. Erin would have no way of knowing, his wrists were held behind his back.
There sat Erin, ruiner of a young man's earliest experiences with a girl. Likely one of her many super villain powers. She explained to him the power of his wand, simply lore of course. Howard was a maker of his own destiny, she was just pushing him fast down one of two paths. He attempted to free himself with a renewed vigor once she shown him his wand, she was almost knocked off.
“How do you know this?”
She could feel his pother (a mixture of agitation and confusion). "A shared wand core is a rare phenomena. You hurt me once with yours," she recalled. Her injuries secondary to the effect of being thrown more than the actual act of being thrown, his wand and by extension Howard were both directly responsible. "Of course I can recognize..." her voice trailed off as she tried to think of some ridiculous muggle thing she could liken this to. "It would be like recognizing your mothers eh..." what is something 'normal' mothers made? "Cake?" Sure let's go with that. "Cake," she repeated "at a muggle cake gathering." Muggles had those, didn't they?
Then she explained the wand in the most basic terms she could. She left out two key considerations regarding twin wands. Things that if he were to be her enemy he could learn the hard way.
“What is mine?”
Yes, that was what she wanted to know.
“Mine is whatever I want it to be. I’ve dealt with people like you,”
"Oh really," a big statement from the Hufflepuff. "Darling..." her voice trailed a bit, "you have never dealt with anyone like me."
“All my life. I will take whatever I want from this world, and you are right Erin, anyone who stands in my way will suffer my wrath. Do you understand me! ...You cannot break what is already broken, you fool. I thought you of all people would recognize that. There is no need to make me your enemy, Erin. We were from the moment we met each other. You’re all the fucking same. Take, take, take! Be damned who suffers in your wake! I am no longer afraid of monsters like you Erin. I will destroy each and every last one of you, and I’ll burn the fucking world to the ground to do so!”
She would not notice his binding slip. She was distracted by his outburst. It was like offering cake to a morbidly obese child at fat camp. Her left hand would reach for the angle of his jaw to cup his chin in the web between her thumb and pointer as she attempted to guide or force his head slightly side to side as she tried to look him over as if she was looking for something. She did not see whatever it was that she tried to spy if she could have found anything at all. "You flatter me so Howard White," Erin concluded. "But no... you are far from broken, the storm is only getting stronger. You are anything but broken. You're Resilient... Stubborn... Angry... Defiant. And most certainly not a bore," she verbalized her previous assessment of him.
"You also misapprehend me darling," Erin announced as she placed her wand down on the floor and kept Howard's. "I am bringing you back to life. I am saving you from your own complacency and weakness. From your ...love," she almost seemed disgusted as she said that last word. "I am going to break them... the things or the people that you love so that you might finally live." One might have thought that Erin was as simple as -- kill his muggle mother and release the beast but no. Erin was not a killer, at least not yet in any case.
For Howard, she knew that it was his mother. His mother was what made him weak and what made him strong. If she was holding his jaw, she would let it go. "You're soaking wet and we have not even started," she complained. She took the damp, bloodied rag she had previously used on him and wiped away the sweat and slicked back his hair. She knew how to break him free. "I wonder if I could cast with yours," she thought out loud. She couldn't, she already knew that. Unicorn hair was loyal to its wielder, incredibly so. The purpose was not to cast, but rather to start the conditioning process.
She heard the doorknob rattle. She let out a sigh. "Already?" She complained in a low voice. She pocketed Howard's wand that was in her hand and snatched hers from the floor. "I... I am making out with... Howard," she lied (obviously) as she peeled herself off from the restrained boy. "Let me put on my..." quickly she had to think of an article of clothes. "Pants back on," she could have went with something, well anything else. Especially since she was not wearing pants, she did not even own a pair.
She would make her way towards the door. She was going to simply let them in, confident one could suppose that she could take on the unwelcome guest. "Just make it quick," Erin was not a 'great' actor but for a teen ad libbing it was not terrible. Of course Howard could shout something a warning of sorts, if he did Erin would do one of the things she was exceedingly skilled at - deflection. "Yes, I have overpowered a guy a foot taller than me and tied him up in the bathroom," she would announced with a heavy dose of sarcasm in her voice.
"I am letting you in," she would announce as she stopped in front of the door. She knew they would likely break the lock or simply unlock the door with magic in a few minutes time so it was a futile effort to keep them out. Letting them in on her own terms allowed her to keep control of the situation.
With a twist of the locking mechanism, the door was no longer locked. Like she had for Howard, she waited against the wall alongside the door. Her back hugged the cool tile walls. The door would open inward, the actual door itself would serve as a barrier between the Slytherin and the interloper. They would be a few feet in the bathroom before they could see Howard propped against the wall as the door blocked their view of Howard as well.
Variables: Erin does not know it is Thomas nor does she know that Kaegan is behind him.
Erin would jump the first to enter, unaware that there was more than one unless Kaegan made enough noise or made his presence apparent. The attack would be similar to the attack upon Howard minutes earlier. The stalls made little sense to check, Erin was right in front of the door. she would not be able to stalk her target for long or realize that it was Thomas. Erin was about average for a thirteen year old girl but a bit underweight, standing at five feet and weighing just under one-hundred pounds. If Thomas was taller, like she did with Howard she would utilize the fighting method of the spider monkey and try to jump on his back, wrapping her ankles around his waist and placing her forearm like a bar across his neck.
Little would she know that Thomas had a potential defender in Kaegan, armed with his... umbrella and his sharp mind? Thomas might die here.
Variables: Erin knows it is Thomas but does not know that Kaegan is behind him.
Erin took Thomas as a boy of his word. Recognizing that Thomas was on the other side, she would unlock the door and she would announce through the door before it opened. "OK, not making out with Howard, just having a bit of fun with him. Come on in." She would not hide behind the door, she had nothing to hide as she pulled the door in and stepped to the side. Of course as she did, she would see Kaegan behind Thomas and attempt to grab Thomas by the wrist and yank him inside as quickly and as hard as she could.
"Risen corpse!" She would shout, that being the length of her explanation as she would then attempt to slam the door in Kaegan's face and try to barricade or lock the door again.
Variables: Erin knows that Thomas and Kaegan are out there.
Thomas was out there and he was bringing a friend. This could be concerning. Erin frowned. "I don't think he is going to want to be my friend," Erin tried to convey the hint that Thomas might want to reconsider who he was going to have enter this bath. If Thomas vouches for Kaegan, she would unlock the door and allow the both of them ingress, but the would mouth at Thomas 'what the fuck is wrong with this kid' after she got an eyeful of Kaegan. If Thomas did not vouch for Kaegan or in any way indicated that he was somewhat stuck with Kaegan, Erin would open the door but she would hide behind the door as she had for Howard. She would let Thomas enter the room untouched, but she would jump Kaegan at her first opportunity once Kaegan was far enough into the bath. "Get him!" Erin would mutter through gritted teeth as she tried to choke the exceedingly pale boy out.
Variables: She thinks that Thomas is trying to save Howard as indicated by words or actions by Howard IC.
Erin would jump the first to enter, unaware that there was more than one unless Kaegan made enough noise or made his presence apparent. The attack would be similar to the attack upon Howard minutes earlier. The stalls made little sense to check, Erin was right in front of the door. she would not be able to stalk her target for long or realize that it was Thomas. Erin was about average for a thirteen year old girl but a bit underweight, standing at five feet and weighing just under one-hundred pounds. If Thomas was taller, like she did with Howard she would utilize the fighting method of the spider monkey and try to jump on his back, wrapping her ankles around his waist and placing her forearm like a bar across his neck.
In time Thomas would forgive her or be forced to tolerate her. As far as she was concerned he broke the contract first by trying to save Howard, she was just going to have to make a new agreement with the Slytherin.
Variable: Howard broke free before Erin could let Thomas and Kaegan in.
If Howard broke free before Erin let anyone in, she would likely be involved in a struggle to live or potentially breathe. Erin might die here.
"Fascinating," she commented. Howard was unrecognizable from the boy he was a year prior. He seemed timid, full of fear the first time they met. A mixture of shock and horror as a dire situation grew worse. That was enough to draw her to him, to draw any dementor really. The sheer strength of his emotional response had always made him outstanding, yet with time and repeated prodding she saw a change. It was that thing he buried so far below the surface that she caught a glimpse of once or twice that she wanted to see exposed. Howie was a shell, a mask he hid behind. A face he could blend into a crowd with, find acceptance among his peers. Yet he had hid his true nature so well and for so long, the true beast inside of him was almost dead. She was there to nourish that monster.
Resilient. Stubborn. Angry. Despite this sense of indignation whilst bound. She was slowly gathering a psychological profile on the Hufflepuff. An unexpected gem truly. There was his mother, this strange warmth associated with her name. She had felt this feeling once and only once before. It was that feeling that Erin could only presume was love. It was warm, all-encompassing, comforting sensation. A feeling that she hoped to never feel again. It was not that the power of true love could defeat someone like Erin, rather she considered the power of the heart having to be a dangerous thing. Where Howard might have found a metaphorical vein to plunge his needle into and then experience that surge of endorphins that came with the power he felt when he overwhelmed his opponent, Erin saw a similar potential in love. No, a worse potential for any addict. Love and hate, violence and love were intimately entwined.
For the sake of love, that sense of security and comfort, the knowledge of self and place. What would one do if it was threatened or taken away? Rage is like a fire, when the fuel runs out and the embers grow cold, that fit of mania ceases. Rage can be quelled. Love was something else entirely and she considered that terrible. She even found herself wanting to feel that tender sense, knowing that to be capable of such well outside of her reach. She found herself even more jealous of Howard. She looked back at him, into those angry eyes that tried to bore into her. Comparatively hers seemed dull, without spark, as if she was a mere puppet being pulled along by a series of strings. She was feeding, she was not going to waste this bounty he had offered, but for an infinitesimal moment he might have seen a spark, a glint of a change.
Perhaps she could have been gentler as she straightened his nose. She could not help but feel, yes feel increasingly resentful of Howard in that he could elicit such a sentiment at all and then even more so when he took it away. It was followed by a feeling she knew well -- this rage that was like a bubbling cauldron and this temper to match without release. She would not know anything about Howard's home life, about his father, but had she Howard might have been incensed to consider the fact that he might truly be his father's son.
Howard continued to fight against the leather. Wasn't a broken nose enough injury for a single day? Erin was confident that the bindings would hold, overly so. Howard was particularly dedicated to his freedom and he was stronger than average. The belts would groan in protest, but with the repetitive motion of his wrists and the slight stretch of the wet leather he would start to feel some slack. Erin would have no way of knowing, his wrists were held behind his back.
There sat Erin, ruiner of a young man's earliest experiences with a girl. Likely one of her many super villain powers. She explained to him the power of his wand, simply lore of course. Howard was a maker of his own destiny, she was just pushing him fast down one of two paths. He attempted to free himself with a renewed vigor once she shown him his wand, she was almost knocked off.
“How do you know this?”
She could feel his pother (a mixture of agitation and confusion). "A shared wand core is a rare phenomena. You hurt me once with yours," she recalled. Her injuries secondary to the effect of being thrown more than the actual act of being thrown, his wand and by extension Howard were both directly responsible. "Of course I can recognize..." her voice trailed off as she tried to think of some ridiculous muggle thing she could liken this to. "It would be like recognizing your mothers eh..." what is something 'normal' mothers made? "Cake?" Sure let's go with that. "Cake," she repeated "at a muggle cake gathering." Muggles had those, didn't they?
Then she explained the wand in the most basic terms she could. She left out two key considerations regarding twin wands. Things that if he were to be her enemy he could learn the hard way.
“What is mine?”
Yes, that was what she wanted to know.
“Mine is whatever I want it to be. I’ve dealt with people like you,”
"Oh really," a big statement from the Hufflepuff. "Darling..." her voice trailed a bit, "you have never dealt with anyone like me."
“All my life. I will take whatever I want from this world, and you are right Erin, anyone who stands in my way will suffer my wrath. Do you understand me! ...You cannot break what is already broken, you fool. I thought you of all people would recognize that. There is no need to make me your enemy, Erin. We were from the moment we met each other. You’re all the fucking same. Take, take, take! Be damned who suffers in your wake! I am no longer afraid of monsters like you Erin. I will destroy each and every last one of you, and I’ll burn the fucking world to the ground to do so!”
She would not notice his binding slip. She was distracted by his outburst. It was like offering cake to a morbidly obese child at fat camp. Her left hand would reach for the angle of his jaw to cup his chin in the web between her thumb and pointer as she attempted to guide or force his head slightly side to side as she tried to look him over as if she was looking for something. She did not see whatever it was that she tried to spy if she could have found anything at all. "You flatter me so Howard White," Erin concluded. "But no... you are far from broken, the storm is only getting stronger. You are anything but broken. You're Resilient... Stubborn... Angry... Defiant. And most certainly not a bore," she verbalized her previous assessment of him.
"You also misapprehend me darling," Erin announced as she placed her wand down on the floor and kept Howard's. "I am bringing you back to life. I am saving you from your own complacency and weakness. From your ...love," she almost seemed disgusted as she said that last word. "I am going to break them... the things or the people that you love so that you might finally live." One might have thought that Erin was as simple as -- kill his muggle mother and release the beast but no. Erin was not a killer, at least not yet in any case.
For Howard, she knew that it was his mother. His mother was what made him weak and what made him strong. If she was holding his jaw, she would let it go. "You're soaking wet and we have not even started," she complained. She took the damp, bloodied rag she had previously used on him and wiped away the sweat and slicked back his hair. She knew how to break him free. "I wonder if I could cast with yours," she thought out loud. She couldn't, she already knew that. Unicorn hair was loyal to its wielder, incredibly so. The purpose was not to cast, but rather to start the conditioning process.
She heard the doorknob rattle. She let out a sigh. "Already?" She complained in a low voice. She pocketed Howard's wand that was in her hand and snatched hers from the floor. "I... I am making out with... Howard," she lied (obviously) as she peeled herself off from the restrained boy. "Let me put on my..." quickly she had to think of an article of clothes. "Pants back on," she could have went with something, well anything else. Especially since she was not wearing pants, she did not even own a pair.
She would make her way towards the door. She was going to simply let them in, confident one could suppose that she could take on the unwelcome guest. "Just make it quick," Erin was not a 'great' actor but for a teen ad libbing it was not terrible. Of course Howard could shout something a warning of sorts, if he did Erin would do one of the things she was exceedingly skilled at - deflection. "Yes, I have overpowered a guy a foot taller than me and tied him up in the bathroom," she would announced with a heavy dose of sarcasm in her voice.
"I am letting you in," she would announce as she stopped in front of the door. She knew they would likely break the lock or simply unlock the door with magic in a few minutes time so it was a futile effort to keep them out. Letting them in on her own terms allowed her to keep control of the situation.
With a twist of the locking mechanism, the door was no longer locked. Like she had for Howard, she waited against the wall alongside the door. Her back hugged the cool tile walls. The door would open inward, the actual door itself would serve as a barrier between the Slytherin and the interloper. They would be a few feet in the bathroom before they could see Howard propped against the wall as the door blocked their view of Howard as well.
Variables: Erin does not know it is Thomas nor does she know that Kaegan is behind him.
Erin would jump the first to enter, unaware that there was more than one unless Kaegan made enough noise or made his presence apparent. The attack would be similar to the attack upon Howard minutes earlier. The stalls made little sense to check, Erin was right in front of the door. she would not be able to stalk her target for long or realize that it was Thomas. Erin was about average for a thirteen year old girl but a bit underweight, standing at five feet and weighing just under one-hundred pounds. If Thomas was taller, like she did with Howard she would utilize the fighting method of the spider monkey and try to jump on his back, wrapping her ankles around his waist and placing her forearm like a bar across his neck.
Little would she know that Thomas had a potential defender in Kaegan, armed with his... umbrella and his sharp mind? Thomas might die here.
Variables: Erin knows it is Thomas but does not know that Kaegan is behind him.
Erin took Thomas as a boy of his word. Recognizing that Thomas was on the other side, she would unlock the door and she would announce through the door before it opened. "OK, not making out with Howard, just having a bit of fun with him. Come on in." She would not hide behind the door, she had nothing to hide as she pulled the door in and stepped to the side. Of course as she did, she would see Kaegan behind Thomas and attempt to grab Thomas by the wrist and yank him inside as quickly and as hard as she could.
"Risen corpse!" She would shout, that being the length of her explanation as she would then attempt to slam the door in Kaegan's face and try to barricade or lock the door again.
Variables: Erin knows that Thomas and Kaegan are out there.
Thomas was out there and he was bringing a friend. This could be concerning. Erin frowned. "I don't think he is going to want to be my friend," Erin tried to convey the hint that Thomas might want to reconsider who he was going to have enter this bath. If Thomas vouches for Kaegan, she would unlock the door and allow the both of them ingress, but the would mouth at Thomas 'what the fuck is wrong with this kid' after she got an eyeful of Kaegan. If Thomas did not vouch for Kaegan or in any way indicated that he was somewhat stuck with Kaegan, Erin would open the door but she would hide behind the door as she had for Howard. She would let Thomas enter the room untouched, but she would jump Kaegan at her first opportunity once Kaegan was far enough into the bath. "Get him!" Erin would mutter through gritted teeth as she tried to choke the exceedingly pale boy out.
Variables: She thinks that Thomas is trying to save Howard as indicated by words or actions by Howard IC.
Erin would jump the first to enter, unaware that there was more than one unless Kaegan made enough noise or made his presence apparent. The attack would be similar to the attack upon Howard minutes earlier. The stalls made little sense to check, Erin was right in front of the door. she would not be able to stalk her target for long or realize that it was Thomas. Erin was about average for a thirteen year old girl but a bit underweight, standing at five feet and weighing just under one-hundred pounds. If Thomas was taller, like she did with Howard she would utilize the fighting method of the spider monkey and try to jump on his back, wrapping her ankles around his waist and placing her forearm like a bar across his neck.
In time Thomas would forgive her or be forced to tolerate her. As far as she was concerned he broke the contract first by trying to save Howard, she was just going to have to make a new agreement with the Slytherin.
Variable: Howard broke free before Erin could let Thomas and Kaegan in.
If Howard broke free before Erin let anyone in, she would likely be involved in a struggle to live or potentially breathe. Erin might die here.
Just a trick of the lighting they said...
Cleaning is for the Birds
Don't worry, I know what it means, but Kaegen has no idea. He's just guessing.
He heard the other boy mutter that the door was locked, and soon after heard some girl inside call out that she was making out with howard? He knew what making out was, this was a kidnapping. You made out with the loot in a robbery, the same applied to whoever this Howard was. So there was something larger than a scuffle going on, then. He would have to find some way to surprise whoever was making out with "how."
He would have some advantage, after all. The girl inside didn't have her pants on for some unknowable reason, which meant that it would probably be harder for her to fight him. Or at least he hoped so. Realistically, he wasn't even sure if the girl was the villain. Perhaps she was making out with "why" because he was a death witch, or equivalent. Wait, no his name wasn't "Why". It was some kind of a question though, he could remember that much.
The boy by the door asked what his name was, but he merely responded with a harsh glare. If someone was making out with someone inside the room, it would be best if neither of them made their presence known. It was clear that the Slytherin had already given away his position, but that didn't mean that he should feel the need to drag someone else down the rabbit hole of predictability along with him.
The slytherin asked if he knew a unlocking spell, or equivalent, which he did in fact know. But before he could hiss out a suitable reply, the voice from before announced that it was going to let them in. That was fantastic, but also highly suspect. Kaegen was the kind of boy who was sure the stairs were out to get him. He kept tabs on the vase in the hallway, checking for changes in pattern, careless slip ups made by an amateur shapeshifter. He thought that the student body was full of monsters let in by the professors and that the professors wanted to cull the weak.
He was not, in fact, going to believe that the door was unlocked at all, and if it did turn out to be unlocked, he was not going to trust the implied fact that there wasn't a tentacle monster hiding in the toilets with a spell that let it change it's voice into that of a little girl's. The toilets had some kind of monster in them, at any rate. What else sucked away the water?
The only trick was getting the boy in front of him to go in and set off any traps, magical or otherwise. The Ravenclaw toyed with the idea of flying around the outside of the tower and coming in through a window, but decided that would probably take too long. Still, he would keep it in mind, just in case he did end up needing some other way in.
He pointed to the door with one finger, taking a step back as he did so. He wanted nothing to do with the initial whatever it was that was behind the door. He knew for a fact that at the very least there was a kidnapping in progress. That was not something that he wanted to interrupt before he knew who was on what side.
And if they were the Slytherin's enemies, his counter parts, then why were they letting him in?
Shade-Beacon, Master of the Castle of Avarice
Cleaning is for the Birds
This moment had been building for several days now. Was Thomas to assist Erin and further the trust between them as allies, or would he break the connection he had been working to build. His goal was simple, coerce Erin into circumstances that could compromise her status at this school. No, not her social status which was already beyond fucked. Her status as a student.
Erin’s voice was barely loud enough, but Thomas caught the general gist of what she was saying. Her mention of a lengthy make-out session was a sure lie. Nobody would willingly kiss Erin Ryan, it’d be like kissing Poison Ivy minus the sex appeal. Her comments combined with the absence of a protest from Howard signaled to Thomas things have quickly gone south. Not a surprise, but it did put Thomas in a tough position. He did not want Howard as an enemy, on the contrary, he wanted him as an ally to aid in the end of Erin.
The Raven would refuse to give his name, simply responding with a glare. Perhaps Thomas got a little carried away with the way he has referenced the boy, initial impressions are huge. Redemption would not come swiftly as the door unlocked. Thomas decided in that moment, the boy has offered no signs that would lead to trust him. He appeared indifferent to the triangle of conflict he shared with his detention counterparts, but if Erin were to imply the partnership between them, he could quickly find himself in a compromising position with another potential enemy. The boy pointed to the door, taking a few steps back.
“I do hope you’re not getting carried away in there.” Thomas would announce himself, so Erin knew it was he on the other side of the door. The girl opened the door.
"OK, not making out with Howard, just having a bit of fun with him. Come on in."
The two made brief eye contact before she looks past him to see the Ravenclaw accompanying him. She gripped Thomas’ wrist, quickly forcing him inside.
"Risen corpse!"
Erin would shout at the boy and close the bath door, locking it again. Upon his entry, it wasn’t long before Thomas regretted his approach. Enduring a beat down from the Ravenclaws’ seemed appealing when he caught sight of Howard. There was a wand on the floor that Thomas would assume was Howard’s. It appeared as if he attempted to defend himself and failed. How Erin bested the boy in this confined space was beyond Thomas, she must not have fought him fairly. He lay there with a bloody rag and a fire in his eyes. “What the fuck, Erin?” He huffed, turning to the Slytherin girl. With Howard currently bound, the only threat was Erin. Thomas opted to maintain his role as her ally. “You couldn’t have waited?” Forcing a smirk in attempt to play off his initial surprise, he walked past her to take a knee near Howard. If Howard was to break free in this moment, Thomas was vulnerable, well within his grasp. It was almost as if he wanted the boy to knock him unconscious to spare him the act of defending Erin Ryan.
He picked up the wand on the bath floor on his way to take a knee, completely unaware that it was Erin’s wand and that she was holding Howard’s. He rotated his wrist a few times to examine the wand, it was the first time he held a wand that was not his own. He stared at Howard with an intensity, searching for a way to indicate he was merely trying to play Erin. Narrowing his eyes, he would flick them to the rightmost corner of his lids several times when speaking. “When will you learn?” Was he referring to Erin or Howard?
As previously mentioned, if Howard broke free Thomas was surely vulnerable to an attack from the boy. He has made the decision to prioritize his game to earn Erin’s trust instead of immediately assisting Howard to counter her. After all fighting Erin in this bath was in no way going to end well for anyone. It was likely the girl was enjoying this moment as much as she had the library incident. If a physical fight broke out, he would do what was necessary to defend Erin.
Erin’s voice was barely loud enough, but Thomas caught the general gist of what she was saying. Her mention of a lengthy make-out session was a sure lie. Nobody would willingly kiss Erin Ryan, it’d be like kissing Poison Ivy minus the sex appeal. Her comments combined with the absence of a protest from Howard signaled to Thomas things have quickly gone south. Not a surprise, but it did put Thomas in a tough position. He did not want Howard as an enemy, on the contrary, he wanted him as an ally to aid in the end of Erin.
The Raven would refuse to give his name, simply responding with a glare. Perhaps Thomas got a little carried away with the way he has referenced the boy, initial impressions are huge. Redemption would not come swiftly as the door unlocked. Thomas decided in that moment, the boy has offered no signs that would lead to trust him. He appeared indifferent to the triangle of conflict he shared with his detention counterparts, but if Erin were to imply the partnership between them, he could quickly find himself in a compromising position with another potential enemy. The boy pointed to the door, taking a few steps back.
“I do hope you’re not getting carried away in there.” Thomas would announce himself, so Erin knew it was he on the other side of the door. The girl opened the door.
"OK, not making out with Howard, just having a bit of fun with him. Come on in."
The two made brief eye contact before she looks past him to see the Ravenclaw accompanying him. She gripped Thomas’ wrist, quickly forcing him inside.
"Risen corpse!"
Erin would shout at the boy and close the bath door, locking it again. Upon his entry, it wasn’t long before Thomas regretted his approach. Enduring a beat down from the Ravenclaws’ seemed appealing when he caught sight of Howard. There was a wand on the floor that Thomas would assume was Howard’s. It appeared as if he attempted to defend himself and failed. How Erin bested the boy in this confined space was beyond Thomas, she must not have fought him fairly. He lay there with a bloody rag and a fire in his eyes. “What the fuck, Erin?” He huffed, turning to the Slytherin girl. With Howard currently bound, the only threat was Erin. Thomas opted to maintain his role as her ally. “You couldn’t have waited?” Forcing a smirk in attempt to play off his initial surprise, he walked past her to take a knee near Howard. If Howard was to break free in this moment, Thomas was vulnerable, well within his grasp. It was almost as if he wanted the boy to knock him unconscious to spare him the act of defending Erin Ryan.
He picked up the wand on the bath floor on his way to take a knee, completely unaware that it was Erin’s wand and that she was holding Howard’s. He rotated his wrist a few times to examine the wand, it was the first time he held a wand that was not his own. He stared at Howard with an intensity, searching for a way to indicate he was merely trying to play Erin. Narrowing his eyes, he would flick them to the rightmost corner of his lids several times when speaking. “When will you learn?” Was he referring to Erin or Howard?
As previously mentioned, if Howard broke free Thomas was surely vulnerable to an attack from the boy. He has made the decision to prioritize his game to earn Erin’s trust instead of immediately assisting Howard to counter her. After all fighting Erin in this bath was in no way going to end well for anyone. It was likely the girl was enjoying this moment as much as she had the library incident. If a physical fight broke out, he would do what was necessary to defend Erin.
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be
Stamina: 8 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 7 | Wisdom: 8 | ArcPower: 3 | Accuracy: 7
Ability - Evasive Maneuvers 2x
Cleaning is for the Birds
"Fascinating,"
There was the briefest of moments, just before the feeling of his mother's love was crushed by his rage, that he noticed something he had yet to see. For a mere second, there was a spark in his enemy's ever dull eyes. The connection between the two was always strong. She was empty, and he was full, full to the brim in fact. It was this that had always drawn Erin to the boy. She must feed and he was an endless buffet. First, the hunter fed off his fear, now, she consumed his rage. However, in all this time, those dark and endlessly black eyes never shone. Could it be that she felt it too? His love for his mother. A memory from months and months ago came to his mind. He had once tried to use that same emotion to fight her, thinking that the beast fed off of only negative energies and would flee at the first sign of love, like spraying bug repellent at a vicious mosquito. Had Howard not been so consumed by his anger, he might have seen the slightest of changes in her.
Howard sat back against the wall, his chest heaving after his latest outburst. He had barely heard any of her explanation of twin wand cores. More pointless drivel. His wand went bang when he told it to, what more could one need to know about them. Whether it be his Muggle upbringing or that the boy felt as if he was already a capable caster, he had much to learn about the subject of magic. This ignorance will surely come back to haunt him one day. He twisted his neck side to side as he attempted to avoid her touch. She looked him over as if he was some specimen in a jar.
"You flatter me so Howard White, But no... you are far from broken, the storm is only getting stronger. You are anything but broken. You're Resilient... Stubborn... Angry... Defiant. And most certainly not a bore. You also misapprehend me darling, I am bringing you back to life. I am saving you from your own complacency and weakness. From your ...love. I am going to break them... the things or the people that you love so that you might finally live."
Her words would add another log to the fire in his belly. It was not only that she threatened the one thing he held dear to his heart, the one thing that he still had left from Howie, it was that she also spoke the truth. Deep down in the reasonable part of his mind, hidden under the anger, Howard knew that he was changing, evolving into something new. His ties to family, and his Muggle life were fading, being replaced with this newfound sense of power and purpose. It would be a test of time to see if it would completely corrupt him. If the anger and hatred would eat away at his soul, turning him into a beast much like the one before him. What he said was true. Howard was no longer afraid to use his power to get his way in the world, to stop those that would try and deter him. If he could hold onto that sense on love, he might one day do wonderful things with his power, but for now, he was losing that battle, and Erin knew it. The anger was too strong, and the boy could not control it. With one last twist of his wrist, he felt the bindings slip.
“You’d have to get through me first, Erin” The boy almost spat as he spoke. “No one else will hurt what is mine.”
Howard wouldn’t pull away from her touch as she wiped the sweat from his brow, running her fingers through his hair to pull the strands from his face. His right hand was free, he could attempt to lash out at her, but she had pocketed his wand and his feet were still bound. He would have to bide his time and wait for the perfect moment to strike.
As if the gods could hear his thoughts, a knock on the door would distract her attention. She rose, and turned her back to go and answer, leaving her wand on the floor beside him. He knew there was no point in trying to use it. Howard sprung into action. He quickly leaned forward, using his free hand to yank at the shoe laces that were tied together. A muffled voice would sound on the other side of the door, one Erin must have recognized.
“Come on in!”
Shit! Howard threw his arms behind his back, posing as if he was still bound. He kept his ankles together, hoping no one would realize the loose laces. Erin reached through the doorway, pulling Thomas through the passageway. Howard caught sight of a boy he didn’t know, a very sickly looking boy at that, before Erin slammed the door in his face. He looked up at Thomas, not sure what to make of his presence.
“What the fuck, Erin? You couldn’t have waited?
Well, that surely answered his question. Although he and Thomas had shared a moment of hatred towards Erin in the hospital wing, their relationship seemed to have improved over the last couple months. Damn Slytherins! Howard’s situation had gone from bad, to worse as he now faced two opponents.
Thomas approached him, kneeling on the floor beside him, picking up Erin’s wand for examination. Howard stared into the other boys eyes, his own full of rage. If he had come to ally with Erin, he was now marked as an enemy and would feel his wrath.
“I see what path you have chosen Thomas.” Howard was not shouting, but his voice would shake with anger. “Stand with her at your own risk. I’ll take you down with her!”
“When will you learn?”
Thomas gave him an intense look, his eyes flicking repeatedly in Erin’s direction. A calmer mind may have seen the underlying meaning, but Howard was well past rational thought. Like a cornered tiger, he would thrash and roar until he or his enemies fell.
“No Thomas! When will you!”
Hoping to catch them off guard, Howard would attempt to reach out and grab Thomas by the collar as he rose to his feet. If able to overpower him, he would simply push him aside and charge Erin like a linebacker. If he was going to survive this situation, he would need his wand.
There was the briefest of moments, just before the feeling of his mother's love was crushed by his rage, that he noticed something he had yet to see. For a mere second, there was a spark in his enemy's ever dull eyes. The connection between the two was always strong. She was empty, and he was full, full to the brim in fact. It was this that had always drawn Erin to the boy. She must feed and he was an endless buffet. First, the hunter fed off his fear, now, she consumed his rage. However, in all this time, those dark and endlessly black eyes never shone. Could it be that she felt it too? His love for his mother. A memory from months and months ago came to his mind. He had once tried to use that same emotion to fight her, thinking that the beast fed off of only negative energies and would flee at the first sign of love, like spraying bug repellent at a vicious mosquito. Had Howard not been so consumed by his anger, he might have seen the slightest of changes in her.
Howard sat back against the wall, his chest heaving after his latest outburst. He had barely heard any of her explanation of twin wand cores. More pointless drivel. His wand went bang when he told it to, what more could one need to know about them. Whether it be his Muggle upbringing or that the boy felt as if he was already a capable caster, he had much to learn about the subject of magic. This ignorance will surely come back to haunt him one day. He twisted his neck side to side as he attempted to avoid her touch. She looked him over as if he was some specimen in a jar.
"You flatter me so Howard White, But no... you are far from broken, the storm is only getting stronger. You are anything but broken. You're Resilient... Stubborn... Angry... Defiant. And most certainly not a bore. You also misapprehend me darling, I am bringing you back to life. I am saving you from your own complacency and weakness. From your ...love. I am going to break them... the things or the people that you love so that you might finally live."
Her words would add another log to the fire in his belly. It was not only that she threatened the one thing he held dear to his heart, the one thing that he still had left from Howie, it was that she also spoke the truth. Deep down in the reasonable part of his mind, hidden under the anger, Howard knew that he was changing, evolving into something new. His ties to family, and his Muggle life were fading, being replaced with this newfound sense of power and purpose. It would be a test of time to see if it would completely corrupt him. If the anger and hatred would eat away at his soul, turning him into a beast much like the one before him. What he said was true. Howard was no longer afraid to use his power to get his way in the world, to stop those that would try and deter him. If he could hold onto that sense on love, he might one day do wonderful things with his power, but for now, he was losing that battle, and Erin knew it. The anger was too strong, and the boy could not control it. With one last twist of his wrist, he felt the bindings slip.
“You’d have to get through me first, Erin” The boy almost spat as he spoke. “No one else will hurt what is mine.”
Howard wouldn’t pull away from her touch as she wiped the sweat from his brow, running her fingers through his hair to pull the strands from his face. His right hand was free, he could attempt to lash out at her, but she had pocketed his wand and his feet were still bound. He would have to bide his time and wait for the perfect moment to strike.
As if the gods could hear his thoughts, a knock on the door would distract her attention. She rose, and turned her back to go and answer, leaving her wand on the floor beside him. He knew there was no point in trying to use it. Howard sprung into action. He quickly leaned forward, using his free hand to yank at the shoe laces that were tied together. A muffled voice would sound on the other side of the door, one Erin must have recognized.
“Come on in!”
Shit! Howard threw his arms behind his back, posing as if he was still bound. He kept his ankles together, hoping no one would realize the loose laces. Erin reached through the doorway, pulling Thomas through the passageway. Howard caught sight of a boy he didn’t know, a very sickly looking boy at that, before Erin slammed the door in his face. He looked up at Thomas, not sure what to make of his presence.
“What the fuck, Erin? You couldn’t have waited?
Well, that surely answered his question. Although he and Thomas had shared a moment of hatred towards Erin in the hospital wing, their relationship seemed to have improved over the last couple months. Damn Slytherins! Howard’s situation had gone from bad, to worse as he now faced two opponents.
Thomas approached him, kneeling on the floor beside him, picking up Erin’s wand for examination. Howard stared into the other boys eyes, his own full of rage. If he had come to ally with Erin, he was now marked as an enemy and would feel his wrath.
“I see what path you have chosen Thomas.” Howard was not shouting, but his voice would shake with anger. “Stand with her at your own risk. I’ll take you down with her!”
“When will you learn?”
Thomas gave him an intense look, his eyes flicking repeatedly in Erin’s direction. A calmer mind may have seen the underlying meaning, but Howard was well past rational thought. Like a cornered tiger, he would thrash and roar until he or his enemies fell.
“No Thomas! When will you!”
Hoping to catch them off guard, Howard would attempt to reach out and grab Thomas by the collar as he rose to his feet. If able to overpower him, he would simply push him aside and charge Erin like a linebacker. If he was going to survive this situation, he would need his wand.
Cleaning is for the Birds
“You’d have to get through me first, Erin”
That was half the fun, wasn't it.
“No one else will hurt what is mine.”
"Else" she caught that choice of word. "Who" as it was a person, not a thing. Otherwise he would have said "nothing else" rather than "someone else." It looks like either someone had done her work for her or she had someone to thank for being Howard's maker. A source of rage and wrath, deeper than anything she could have manufactured. It was quite lovely, the darkness and those splashes of red. It was comforting to her because she understood it. She understood it better than an ephemeral sense such as love. A drug she considered so much more potent and so much more dangerous. "Someone already has..." she commented "that explains so much."
Her wand would fall to the floor, she would hear it hit the tile in the back of her mind but it would hardly register as she identified the voice of Thomas LeStrange. There was a contract between the two of them, something she would honor.
She would answer the door and be met by the drab, sullen expression of a one Kaegen Deathmote. He had one of those appearances, that of hunger. No, starvation. The boy looked starved and moreover he looked sick, like death took him a week ago and someone had simply positioned his body to look as if he was still alive for some morbid post-mortem photography session. Then he blinked. Still quite likely dead but he was moving and while biology was not her forte. Allied with Thomas she was not about to slam the door in his face and leave him to the undead abomination behind him, she would grip his wrist with her hand and yank him into the bathroom hard.
Once Thomas was through the threshold she would shove him aside with open palms and slam the door behind him. As far as she was concerned she just saved the guy's life. "How the fuck did you not notice the- the" she stammered as she tried to figure out what exactly it was that she saw standing there behind the Slytherin. She would not have noticed that Howard had broken free, Thomas had proved himself an adequate distraction as her back was to Howard when the door was opened and again when she confronted Thomas about the pallid stranger she had left on the other side of the door.
“What the fuck, Erin? You couldn’t have waited?
Had Thomas seen Howard tuck his arms behind his back or notice an errant shoelace laying on the ground? It was possible. Perhaps Thomas knew this when he approached Howard, knowing that Howard might lash out at him but he could make a show of the scuffle that transpired. Perhaps this was part of his game, not that Erin knew for certain that there was a game being played. The girl was paranoid and there was a voice in the back of her heard that was warning her to not trust the devil, but there was no proof beyond her suspicions and even if it was a lie she was getting what she wanted from him by letting her mold him because at the moment he was not fighting back. Unlike Howard.
"Wait for what?" She commented as she looked at Howard and saw her wand on the ground. It clicked just then that it was left behind. She had attacked Howard, not necessarily on a whim but organically in response to the potential Ravenclaw threat she expected to follow her into the Ravenclaw bathroom. Even she did not know that she was going to have such quality time spent with Howard.
Thomas picked up Erin's wand and as he did so, Erin would search herself and make certain that she still had Howard's or was that her own? They looked so similar, if it was not for the wood she might have been fooled for longer than an instant. She would recover her wand in a moment, her priority was ensuring that the door remained locked. She pressed her not particularly substantial weight against the door and would lock the door. Once that satisfying click was heard, Thomas now knelt next to Howard with tensions on the rise. Howard's was like a gale force wind, that much was obvious from his words, his demeanor, his expression and of course what she felt rolling off of him. She did not feel that in Thomas, she felt nothing in particular.
"Thomas, there is something I have wanted to show you," Erin announced with an almost clinical tone that seemed out of place next to Howard's seething rage and Thomas' attempt to play for both sides. "How to fix one such as Howard White." Perhaps her words distracted Thomas a bit or Thomas allowed himself to be pulled off balance by his collar. Maybe Thomas was ready and would not give Howard the opportunity to rise or to force him to tumble aside.
Erin would see Howard draw his legs in, with the bend of his knee and the inward slide of his heel she would see it, that errant lace. His legs were free. "Thomas!" Erin would snap, but she would not have enough time to give him a full warning. His name likely inadequate. Howard's hand would reach up and attempt to grip Thomas' collar and dug him down and likely away to knock the Slytherin first year off balance and away from the rampaging youth. Yes, she was fully aware now that Howard was free and she lacked the time to consider her options, there were not many.
If Howard got up and barreled towards Erin, besides the attempt at a basic groin shot with her knee there was not much else she could do to react. She would probably get pushed down, lifted up or knocked back. The variables too many to truly predict, especially considering the possibility that there was a walking undead standing just outside the door.
That was half the fun, wasn't it.
“No one else will hurt what is mine.”
"Else" she caught that choice of word. "Who" as it was a person, not a thing. Otherwise he would have said "nothing else" rather than "someone else." It looks like either someone had done her work for her or she had someone to thank for being Howard's maker. A source of rage and wrath, deeper than anything she could have manufactured. It was quite lovely, the darkness and those splashes of red. It was comforting to her because she understood it. She understood it better than an ephemeral sense such as love. A drug she considered so much more potent and so much more dangerous. "Someone already has..." she commented "that explains so much."
He would be thanking that person one day for the gifts they gave him.
Her wand would fall to the floor, she would hear it hit the tile in the back of her mind but it would hardly register as she identified the voice of Thomas LeStrange. There was a contract between the two of them, something she would honor.
She would answer the door and be met by the drab, sullen expression of a one Kaegen Deathmote. He had one of those appearances, that of hunger. No, starvation. The boy looked starved and moreover he looked sick, like death took him a week ago and someone had simply positioned his body to look as if he was still alive for some morbid post-mortem photography session. Then he blinked. Still quite likely dead but he was moving and while biology was not her forte. Allied with Thomas she was not about to slam the door in his face and leave him to the undead abomination behind him, she would grip his wrist with her hand and yank him into the bathroom hard.
Once Thomas was through the threshold she would shove him aside with open palms and slam the door behind him. As far as she was concerned she just saved the guy's life. "How the fuck did you not notice the- the" she stammered as she tried to figure out what exactly it was that she saw standing there behind the Slytherin. She would not have noticed that Howard had broken free, Thomas had proved himself an adequate distraction as her back was to Howard when the door was opened and again when she confronted Thomas about the pallid stranger she had left on the other side of the door.
“What the fuck, Erin? You couldn’t have waited?
Had Thomas seen Howard tuck his arms behind his back or notice an errant shoelace laying on the ground? It was possible. Perhaps Thomas knew this when he approached Howard, knowing that Howard might lash out at him but he could make a show of the scuffle that transpired. Perhaps this was part of his game, not that Erin knew for certain that there was a game being played. The girl was paranoid and there was a voice in the back of her heard that was warning her to not trust the devil, but there was no proof beyond her suspicions and even if it was a lie she was getting what she wanted from him by letting her mold him because at the moment he was not fighting back. Unlike Howard.
"Wait for what?" She commented as she looked at Howard and saw her wand on the ground. It clicked just then that it was left behind. She had attacked Howard, not necessarily on a whim but organically in response to the potential Ravenclaw threat she expected to follow her into the Ravenclaw bathroom. Even she did not know that she was going to have such quality time spent with Howard.
Thomas picked up Erin's wand and as he did so, Erin would search herself and make certain that she still had Howard's or was that her own? They looked so similar, if it was not for the wood she might have been fooled for longer than an instant. She would recover her wand in a moment, her priority was ensuring that the door remained locked. She pressed her not particularly substantial weight against the door and would lock the door. Once that satisfying click was heard, Thomas now knelt next to Howard with tensions on the rise. Howard's was like a gale force wind, that much was obvious from his words, his demeanor, his expression and of course what she felt rolling off of him. She did not feel that in Thomas, she felt nothing in particular.
"Thomas, there is something I have wanted to show you," Erin announced with an almost clinical tone that seemed out of place next to Howard's seething rage and Thomas' attempt to play for both sides. "How to fix one such as Howard White." Perhaps her words distracted Thomas a bit or Thomas allowed himself to be pulled off balance by his collar. Maybe Thomas was ready and would not give Howard the opportunity to rise or to force him to tumble aside.
Erin would see Howard draw his legs in, with the bend of his knee and the inward slide of his heel she would see it, that errant lace. His legs were free. "Thomas!" Erin would snap, but she would not have enough time to give him a full warning. His name likely inadequate. Howard's hand would reach up and attempt to grip Thomas' collar and dug him down and likely away to knock the Slytherin first year off balance and away from the rampaging youth. Yes, she was fully aware now that Howard was free and she lacked the time to consider her options, there were not many.
If Howard got up and barreled towards Erin, besides the attempt at a basic groin shot with her knee there was not much else she could do to react. She would probably get pushed down, lifted up or knocked back. The variables too many to truly predict, especially considering the possibility that there was a walking undead standing just outside the door.
Sorry, not much I can do here until I know how successful Howard is.
Just a trick of the lighting they said...
Cleaning is for the Birds
Door slammed in his face, weird kid yanked through. Well, this was not going as well as he had hoped. Whoever was inside clearly had heard of him and chosen to avoid conflict. This was an important detail, because it meant that whoever was inside was afraid, afraid of what Kaegen could do to them. And that meant that Kaegen could do something to them, which meant he was on par with whatever was behind that door. He considered opening the door with the Alohomora charm, but decided against it. Predictable, stupid.
Turning, his pupils starting to spread, reaching across his iris in an amorphous mass triggered by the adrenaline that was starting to pump, he ran across the common room, and opened the window, leaping out. He fell roughly halfway down the tower in free fall before he managed to get his umbrella underneath him well enough to start flying. The disguised broom shot along the wall, going higher and higher, headed for the window that led to the bathrooms. He had his broom disguised for a reason, it was unlikely that his foes would be expecting this approach.
Soon enough, he found the window, hovering directly outside. He felt an inexplicable urge to leap through the window falling into a roll, and then intimidate them. He somehow felt that it would be cool, or interesting. But something being cool was not a good reason for his paranoia to go away. In fact, it was a reason for his paranoia to intensify. So he pulled back a bit, took out his slingshot, and considered. What could he see, anyway.
There was some boy struggling on the ground, clearly tied up. There was that boy from the common room and then there was a little girl. He would have about one clean shot before they scattered, and he would have to take out the stronger of the two with the first shot. He had to think about the plan a bit more before he decided that, plain and simple, he wasn't going to be able to make the right call.
One shot to take out the stronger member with no information to go on. What was more, he had thought that the boy from the common room had claimed his enemies were in this room, but the girl had pulled him through and locked Kaegen out, presumably to keep the other boy safe. Or was it possible she thought the boy was on Kaegen's side, and had pulled him through to be able to kill them both one by one?
Determined to get closer, the boy flew his broom over the window, and swung down, hanging upside down from the broom. To anyone inside, it would look like the upside down torso of a corpse someone was dangling from a string. Said corpse decided that there was really one way to find out. He would have to call them out, make them show their hand and then make a split second decision. It was the most reliable way to determine who needed killing.
Pulling his wicked looking hunting slingshot back so that all he would have to do was release and a rock would fly through the window into whoever's head he deemed the most devilish, the boy shouted through the window.
Or, rather, he attempted to shout and instead made a hoarse gasping sound that sounded like it came from the throat of a voice cracking teenager who had been dehydrating for a week in the desert. It was more of a rasping hiss than a shout, and probably not easily understood unless someone was paying very close attention.
"Hey"
When he figured out how pathetic he sounded, the boy tapped the glass with his slingshot, and tried again.
"Who should I kill"
Turning, his pupils starting to spread, reaching across his iris in an amorphous mass triggered by the adrenaline that was starting to pump, he ran across the common room, and opened the window, leaping out. He fell roughly halfway down the tower in free fall before he managed to get his umbrella underneath him well enough to start flying. The disguised broom shot along the wall, going higher and higher, headed for the window that led to the bathrooms. He had his broom disguised for a reason, it was unlikely that his foes would be expecting this approach.
Soon enough, he found the window, hovering directly outside. He felt an inexplicable urge to leap through the window falling into a roll, and then intimidate them. He somehow felt that it would be cool, or interesting. But something being cool was not a good reason for his paranoia to go away. In fact, it was a reason for his paranoia to intensify. So he pulled back a bit, took out his slingshot, and considered. What could he see, anyway.
There was some boy struggling on the ground, clearly tied up. There was that boy from the common room and then there was a little girl. He would have about one clean shot before they scattered, and he would have to take out the stronger of the two with the first shot. He had to think about the plan a bit more before he decided that, plain and simple, he wasn't going to be able to make the right call.
One shot to take out the stronger member with no information to go on. What was more, he had thought that the boy from the common room had claimed his enemies were in this room, but the girl had pulled him through and locked Kaegen out, presumably to keep the other boy safe. Or was it possible she thought the boy was on Kaegen's side, and had pulled him through to be able to kill them both one by one?
Determined to get closer, the boy flew his broom over the window, and swung down, hanging upside down from the broom. To anyone inside, it would look like the upside down torso of a corpse someone was dangling from a string. Said corpse decided that there was really one way to find out. He would have to call them out, make them show their hand and then make a split second decision. It was the most reliable way to determine who needed killing.
Pulling his wicked looking hunting slingshot back so that all he would have to do was release and a rock would fly through the window into whoever's head he deemed the most devilish, the boy shouted through the window.
Or, rather, he attempted to shout and instead made a hoarse gasping sound that sounded like it came from the throat of a voice cracking teenager who had been dehydrating for a week in the desert. It was more of a rasping hiss than a shout, and probably not easily understood unless someone was paying very close attention.
"Hey"
When he figured out how pathetic he sounded, the boy tapped the glass with his slingshot, and tried again.
"Who should I kill"
If anyone makes a sudden move, Kaegen will attempt to shoot them. If someone tries to lunge at kae, or make an offensive-looking move by any stretch of the word, Kaegen will shoot them, pull himself out of reach of the window and then flee to a safe distance, rounding the corner so he is safe from any attackers from the window. If no one makes a sudden or threatening move, Kaegen will simply listen to what they have to say in order to make a judgement call.
If kae shoots his slingshot, he will immediately thereafter flee around the bend.
Shade-Beacon, Master of the Castle of Avarice
Cleaning is for the Birds
[Apologies for the delay, I'll be quicker going forward.]
If there was an audience watching these decisions from above, surveying the situation and the approach of Thomas Lestrange, questions would be raised. A towering goal to gain the Slytherin girl’s favor only to betray her at the opportune moment was an imprudent decision. In his pursuit of delivering what he viewed as justice to Erin Ryan, he was well on his way to accumulating new enemies. The truth of the matter was, Thomas was a young fool, lacking a true understanding for his targeted beast. Perhaps there were other reasons for this contract. Reasons that Thomas would refuse to grasp from his subconscious. The feeling of empowerment accompanied by her presence had the potential to make this contract permanent.
"Thomas, there is something I have wanted to show you, How to fix one such as Howard White."
The boy could hardly understand what she had meant. The damaged Howard was the result of Erin’s manipulative attacks in the mind of Thomas. Hadn’t she worked so hard to develop him into a fearless boy that acted on his rage without a second thought? Or was she was only referencing her work was not yet finished. Thomas titled his head to the side, seeing Erin approaching from one eye, the other maintaining a peripheral view of Howard.
“No Thomas! When will you!”
Howard’s response to Thomas came swiftly, his bloody hands gripped his collar jolting his body forward, head straightening to face Howard once more. The element of surprise combined with the older boy’s strength was enough to force Thomas out of a crouch toward Howard onto both of his knees. He dropped Erin’s wand back onto the floor, attempting to land a right hook into Howard’s abdomen before being forced onto his back at Howard’s side. The attempted punch if landed would only slow Howard briefly as he rose up to lay his sights on Erin. Pressing on the back of his heel, he would go into a dead sprint towards Erin.
Coming to terms with his decision to defend Erin was not easy for Thomas given his ultimate desire to watch her suffer. But his choice was made, and whether it was the fact he felt he…needed her, or that he needed to kill her, was something the boy would only have time to contemplate in the future. From his back, Thomas came to his side, rotating his legs behind him and pressing his hands on the floor to regain his footing. He sprinted behind Howard, diving towards his legs as he neared Erin. In full outreach he attempted to grasp one of Howard’s legs to trip him up or send him stumbling into Erin. Regardless of the outcome, Thomas would once again find himself with his back on the floor, eyes viewing the ceiling and top half of the bathroom window.
Spider-Man? Thomas could see the outline of a boy outside the window, hanging upside down from what appeared to be an umbrella-broom hybrid. The umbrella was enough to make things click, this was the Ravenclaw boy from earlier that was waiting in line for his embalming. He appeared to be holding a loaded slingshot, aimed for the trio of troubled students. Was a rock enough to shatter the bathroom glass, Thomas was curious to find out. He could not make out the words that came from the Raven, but he assumed it could only be threatening to intervene…with a slingshot. Wait, was this a boy scout retreat at a native American burial site or the school of witchcraft and wizardry? What the hell is going on!
If there was an audience watching these decisions from above, surveying the situation and the approach of Thomas Lestrange, questions would be raised. A towering goal to gain the Slytherin girl’s favor only to betray her at the opportune moment was an imprudent decision. In his pursuit of delivering what he viewed as justice to Erin Ryan, he was well on his way to accumulating new enemies. The truth of the matter was, Thomas was a young fool, lacking a true understanding for his targeted beast. Perhaps there were other reasons for this contract. Reasons that Thomas would refuse to grasp from his subconscious. The feeling of empowerment accompanied by her presence had the potential to make this contract permanent.
"Thomas, there is something I have wanted to show you, How to fix one such as Howard White."
The boy could hardly understand what she had meant. The damaged Howard was the result of Erin’s manipulative attacks in the mind of Thomas. Hadn’t she worked so hard to develop him into a fearless boy that acted on his rage without a second thought? Or was she was only referencing her work was not yet finished. Thomas titled his head to the side, seeing Erin approaching from one eye, the other maintaining a peripheral view of Howard.
“No Thomas! When will you!”
Howard’s response to Thomas came swiftly, his bloody hands gripped his collar jolting his body forward, head straightening to face Howard once more. The element of surprise combined with the older boy’s strength was enough to force Thomas out of a crouch toward Howard onto both of his knees. He dropped Erin’s wand back onto the floor, attempting to land a right hook into Howard’s abdomen before being forced onto his back at Howard’s side. The attempted punch if landed would only slow Howard briefly as he rose up to lay his sights on Erin. Pressing on the back of his heel, he would go into a dead sprint towards Erin.
Coming to terms with his decision to defend Erin was not easy for Thomas given his ultimate desire to watch her suffer. But his choice was made, and whether it was the fact he felt he…needed her, or that he needed to kill her, was something the boy would only have time to contemplate in the future. From his back, Thomas came to his side, rotating his legs behind him and pressing his hands on the floor to regain his footing. He sprinted behind Howard, diving towards his legs as he neared Erin. In full outreach he attempted to grasp one of Howard’s legs to trip him up or send him stumbling into Erin. Regardless of the outcome, Thomas would once again find himself with his back on the floor, eyes viewing the ceiling and top half of the bathroom window.
Spider-Man? Thomas could see the outline of a boy outside the window, hanging upside down from what appeared to be an umbrella-broom hybrid. The umbrella was enough to make things click, this was the Ravenclaw boy from earlier that was waiting in line for his embalming. He appeared to be holding a loaded slingshot, aimed for the trio of troubled students. Was a rock enough to shatter the bathroom glass, Thomas was curious to find out. He could not make out the words that came from the Raven, but he assumed it could only be threatening to intervene…with a slingshot. Wait, was this a boy scout retreat at a native American burial site or the school of witchcraft and wizardry? What the hell is going on!
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be
Stamina: 8 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 7 | Wisdom: 8 | ArcPower: 3 | Accuracy: 7
Ability - Evasive Maneuvers 2x
Cleaning is for the Birds
Howard’s eyes were locked on Erin as he began his attack. His wand was tucked away in her waistband. It was his weapon, his instrument of power. Like a well trained guard dog, it would stay at his side and follow any command. It was an intimate relationship, and just like any, it had grown stronger over time. It responded to his touch, the slightest of vibrations could be felt running throughout the wood when he held it. The tingle and warmth would spread down his hand, absorbed into the wood as his magical powers would focus through unicorn hair. It was loyal to him, and like said dog, all he had to do was point and say the right word. In simpler words, he really needed it back.
Howard’s hand shot towards Thomas, his fingers met with a handful of fabric as he gripped his collar. He would pull the boy forward, bringing him to his knees as he used him for leverage to stand. If Erin was looking, she may see a smirk cross his lips, a glint of joy may sparkle through his eyes. She was also unarmed, the fact she held his wand did not cause him fear, he knew she could not wield it. It would be a match of physical strength, and although she was stronger than her appearance lead on, she lacked a key component. The ability to feel. His rage burst forth, something she could only steal but not conjure her own, it would fuel his adrenaline and like a mad bull, he charged.
A piece of wood clanged on the tile floor, and as he shoved Thomas aside, a force would connect with his abdomen. “Offh!” Howard would hunch forward slightly as he exhaled sharply from the blow, but his momentum carried him forward. His plan was simple. He would lower his shoulder, and attempt to crush Erin into the door, snatch his wand from her waistband and turn to deal with Thomas. He only hoped his reactions were quicker than his.
Howard was halfway across the restroom, his eyes locked onto Erin’s. It would appear that he had caught her off guard as well. She simply stood, waiting for the blow. A thud would sound behind him as his foot was caught up on Thomas’ outstretched hand. “Ahh!” He would take long, awkward strides as he lost balance and began to fall forward. In a last ditch effort he would throw his hands out towards Erin as he fell. It was possible that he would make contact and push her. I was also entirely possible that he would simply fall flat on his face. Regardless of his success, Howard would hit the ground face down. After a moment of recovery, he would crawl towards Erin, his hands lashing out towards her waist with each of his movements, desperate to retrieve his wand.
The sound of something tapping on glass would meet his ears. Fearful of what Thomas might be doing, Howard cast a glance over his shoulder. The most peculiar of sights would meet his eyes. A boy was hanging upside down out of the window. His flesh was grey, his eyes sunken and dark. It took only a moment for Howard to recognize him as the boy Erin had shut out of the restroom before. However, it was what he held in his hands that made Howard freeze. A loaded slingshot that was held in a way that said he knew how to use it. His movements towards Erin would stop as he rolled onto his back, his arms would slowly raise as he sat up.
“Who should I kill?”
Howard spoke in a whisper, hoping the undead boy could not hear him. “Erin, give me my fucking wand.”
Howard’s hand shot towards Thomas, his fingers met with a handful of fabric as he gripped his collar. He would pull the boy forward, bringing him to his knees as he used him for leverage to stand. If Erin was looking, she may see a smirk cross his lips, a glint of joy may sparkle through his eyes. She was also unarmed, the fact she held his wand did not cause him fear, he knew she could not wield it. It would be a match of physical strength, and although she was stronger than her appearance lead on, she lacked a key component. The ability to feel. His rage burst forth, something she could only steal but not conjure her own, it would fuel his adrenaline and like a mad bull, he charged.
A piece of wood clanged on the tile floor, and as he shoved Thomas aside, a force would connect with his abdomen. “Offh!” Howard would hunch forward slightly as he exhaled sharply from the blow, but his momentum carried him forward. His plan was simple. He would lower his shoulder, and attempt to crush Erin into the door, snatch his wand from her waistband and turn to deal with Thomas. He only hoped his reactions were quicker than his.
Howard was halfway across the restroom, his eyes locked onto Erin’s. It would appear that he had caught her off guard as well. She simply stood, waiting for the blow. A thud would sound behind him as his foot was caught up on Thomas’ outstretched hand. “Ahh!” He would take long, awkward strides as he lost balance and began to fall forward. In a last ditch effort he would throw his hands out towards Erin as he fell. It was possible that he would make contact and push her. I was also entirely possible that he would simply fall flat on his face. Regardless of his success, Howard would hit the ground face down. After a moment of recovery, he would crawl towards Erin, his hands lashing out towards her waist with each of his movements, desperate to retrieve his wand.
The sound of something tapping on glass would meet his ears. Fearful of what Thomas might be doing, Howard cast a glance over his shoulder. The most peculiar of sights would meet his eyes. A boy was hanging upside down out of the window. His flesh was grey, his eyes sunken and dark. It took only a moment for Howard to recognize him as the boy Erin had shut out of the restroom before. However, it was what he held in his hands that made Howard freeze. A loaded slingshot that was held in a way that said he knew how to use it. His movements towards Erin would stop as he rolled onto his back, his arms would slowly raise as he sat up.
“Who should I kill?”
Howard spoke in a whisper, hoping the undead boy could not hear him. “Erin, give me my fucking wand.”