30 Jan 2024, 14:01
A Prefect Pair on Patrol
A Gut Punch for @Simon Kincaid
16th January, 2024
Simon was waiting for her, as usual, sitting on the sofa in front of the stone fireplace in the Common Room. It was generally the case that it was he who often had to wait for her, but it was not because AngelFyre was inconsiderate or had a habit of running late; quite the opposite actually. No, it was simply a matter that Simon just liked to be early. Sometimes realllllly early. Neither she nor he would ever complain about that because it usually meant when she did meet up with him, often early herself, they ended up having even more time together than expected. Bonus! Time together was precious and any extra they might be able to carve out in a day was highly prized. It was the one area in her life where she knew, fact-certain, she was definitely a greedy little Hufflepuff. She also knew, fact-certain, that would never change.
Ah well. No one was perfect.
She could hear the tapping of his quill as she approached him and a grin lit up her face. He was either studying or working on one of his compositions. Given the time of day, he was most likely finished with his homework, so her money was on his music. He was deep into it, whatever it was, because he did not even seem to realize she was approaching him. That was almost never the case.
She made her way to him and leaned down from behind, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and then nibbled on his studded earlobe before nuzzling his neck. She smiled as the quill tapping stopped immediately and his hand reached up and began to softly play with her own earlobe. “I will give you exactly forever to stop that,” she purred, “but the problem with that timeline, which sounds absolutely delicious to me, not gonna lie, is that it will not give us time to explore the Dungeons, looking for something I learned about in Divination class today.” She knew she should probably continue on with the verbal tease and not leave him hanging with the promise of an adventure, but she got rather sidetracked with the other teasing taking place and all thoughts other than those having to do with his lips on her and hers on him disappeared in a hormonal haze.
But only for a few moments.
As things heated up a bit, she leaned farther down over him and was blissfully unaware, until it was too late, that her satchel had also been sliding in a downward trajectory with her. Awareness, unfortunately, hit Simon first… literally. AngelFyre was oblivious to the sound of the heavy, thick thud as impact was made to his muscular diaphragm, but she was keenly aware of him crumpling in on himself while rapidly exhaling into her mouth during their all too short snogging session. Her cheeks suddenly puffed out, waaaay out, and they both pulled away from each other, neither certain in that moment just exactly what had happened.
She was about to ask if he was okay, but then he just started laughing while massaging the targeted area. She stood there and only blinked at him momentarily before she, too, started rolling into the laughter with him. “I am so sorry, love. Are – are you okay?” she spurted out between her bouts of laughter. “Your eyes were probably closed so you likely missed the alluring vision of me trying to pass myself off as a blowfish,” and she puffed her cheeks out for him again just in case he missed it the first time. “Felt like I was kissing an air compressor for a second there,” and she chuckled happily. “I seriously think my eyes may have bugged out a little as well.”
She walked around to the front of the sofa and sat down beside him, her laughter finally subsiding. “Hi, you,” she murmured and then leaned over to kiss his owie, but only after setting her satchel down first. “Are you ready to head out on patrol, or did I break my favorite fellow? I can remove my ACME anvil from my satchel and pick it up when we get back if that will make you feel safer,” and she winked at him, suppressing a smirk.
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ReducioOOC - Simon and AngelFyre's writers have longstanding permission to godmod each other.
The magic is real.
3 Feb 2024, 15:31
A Prefect Pair on Patrol
Ready for some perfect prefect puff patrol with @AngelFyre McCubbin
With the start of the second half of the year, the professors wasted absolutely no time getting in their projects and assignments, nor their essays and exams. The couple barely got to see each other over Christmas break (save her visiting him at St. Mungos and then joining him for the train ride back to school) and now it seemed they didn't get as much quality time together as of late. He knew it was passing and that soon they would get back into the swing of things and the lessons would be less invasive on their time - for now it was a waiting game and he would appreciate her all the more. Distance makes the heart grow fonder - so they say.
"Divination?" he asked, already somewhat curious. She seemed to get so much more out of that class than he ever did and he attributed it most likely to the fact that she was a seer. He had an interest in it, and had even taken up tarot card readings to try and perfect his clairvoyance but it wasn't anywhere near her level.
"It's probably more interesting than the magical moss we learned about in Herbology today," he said as he gathered up his notebook and self-inking quill, bending over to place them back into his own satchel. It was nice to be able to twist his torso in such a way without any pain again. Magical medicine was astounding - although he was certain that time itself would have aided that as well. Still, he was thankful for the service provided him at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Normally Herbology was a favorite course of his - especially when they were learning about magical herbs and plants that could be used for healing qualities. He also enjoyed learning about bowtruckles, although sometimes he wondered if they didn't fall more into Care of Magical Creatures than Herbology and something told him that maybe, just maybe, he would like to look into the possibility of owning one someday. Magical moss on the other hand, that sparkled and illuminated, just didn't grasp as much of his attention.
"Speaking of when we were learning about magical moss in Herbology - I made you something," he said as he took the strap to his bag and brought it over his shoulder so it was now easily within reach to riffle through. He pulled out a black and white paper rose, made from a piece of sheet music, that he had colored pink on the ends. "As muggle author Victor Hugo stated: Life is a flower of which love is the honey.... and darling, you're the flower that leaves me perpetually nourished." He smiled widely, wondering if that was a bit too cheesy, even for him, as he presented her with his evidence of procrastination and inattention during his lesson in class earlier that day. Hey, at least it sounded better than saying he was drunk off her love which was essentially what he was trying to say. As that would sound even more corny, either statements were absolute truth.
As he closed his satchel, he glanced over to hers. "What exactly do you have in that thing?" he asked her. It had been quite heavy or maybe it was the unexpected hit that made it seem more so.
"Sure you didn't stowaway Hillary in there after Christmas break?" but he only teased, referencing her beloved canine companion back home in Stenton, as he knew that one couldn't transport live things inside an enchanted satchel. Even for his own, he had a crocheted pocket on the outside for when Rascal traveled with him.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
5 Mar 2024, 20:51
A Prefect Pair on Patrol
The Spectre of Mary Poppins Looms Large @Simon Kincaid
16th January, 2024
Her eyes must have at first grown wide as he presented her with the pretty paper flower he had made for her earlier that day and then they probably diminished into narrow slits momentarily as she tried to piece together what in the heck magical moss had to do with the paper flower. In next to no time flat she thought she had it pegged and she snorted a playfully fishing kind of question his way as she positioned his beautiful handiwork behind her ear.
"Magical moss just did not trip the pleasure centers of that magnificent brain of yours quite like the magical girlfriend does, eh?" and she grinned at him knowingly. "Well, I love it. And I love even more that I have a boyfriend who can quote Victor Hugo to me. SWOOOOON!" she chortled as she she pretended to fan her herself like so many of those delicate, southern belles often did in the movies when the 'vapors' came upon them. "Thank you, for thinking of me, love." And whether he knew it or not, wonderful as the paper flower was, AngelFyre mostly loved that she was where Simon's mind turned in those moments his Herbology lesson was just not gripping him.
Reaching for his hand, they both made their way out of the Common Room and hurried down to the Dungeons. "We are in search of a portrait, and I have no idea where it might be, other than down here in the Dungeons. It is the portrait of Mopsus. Also, I hope you have your sunglasses in your satchel because you may need them if we have to resort to any light spells. I have not been down here in a while, but I remember it being very dark."
Then suddenly, because she had just remembered he had asked what she had in her satchel before they had left the Common Room, she finally replied, "As for what I have in mine," she said in a hushed tone as she patted her satchel three times with quite a satisfactory grin tracking across her lips, "I wish, but no. Hillary is not in there. What I do have is enough food and water and lemon drops to feed us for a week or so should we get hopelessly lost down here. Okay, maybe enough food to feed me for a week or so. Blood rations, sorry to say, I have none of, buuuuuut...." and her voice trailed off a bit.
If Simon was paying any attention at all, and she knew he was always paying attention to her when they were together, he would recognize her teasing tone which was haplessly disguised behind a purposefully lame attempt at earnestness. "In an emergency, I suppose I could be your living, breathing, regenerative fountain of life if it came down to it," and though she kept walking, she took a beat to let it sink in with him before carrying on. "You know what they say, Handsome," and she cleared her throat in a most exaggerated fashion. When she picked the thread of conversation back up, it was in a sing-songy voice... well... as close to what amounted to a sing-songy voice could be considering it was coming from AngelFyre.
"A biteful of A-pos keeps his starvation at bay...
his starvation at baa-ay,
his starvation at bay...
Oh! A biteful of A-pos keeps his starvation at bay,
in the most illegal way!"
When she had finished, she burst out into peals of laughter that echoed throughout the Dungeons. Still tickled, she mused, "Sometimes I am my own best audience, but honestly, that was pretty funny. If Mary Poppins was here, dare I put forth that her reply to it might be that it was 'Practically prefect in every way!' And yes, love, pun definitely intended!"
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OOC: I can understand how people may be confused by the fact that AF cannot carry a tune to save her life, but she made up the lyrics to the Spoonful of Sugar melody from the Mary Poppins movie, in case that was not quite clear. Ahem. **coughs*" *sputtters*
The magic is real.
22 Mar 2024, 15:30
A Prefect Pair on Patrol
His girl and her puns - he had always enjoyed them but had grown to love them; so much that he participated in the fun when he could think of one. She was definitely the more witty of the two.
The singing, well, he had grown fond of that, too - whether she'd ever take that as truth or not. It wasn't so much the tonality of her voice, no, but that she was comfortable enough with him to sing. The two were far past that point of insecurity in their relationship. Nope, they pretty much already knew each other's strengths and weaknesses by now.
Simon just smiled at her song, getting the reference. Mary Poppins was a classic! "I wonder what Hogwarts house Mary Poppins was sorted into," he said as he looked over to his beautiful girlfriend, wanting to take in one long look before they headed into the darkness of the Dungeons - although he'd see better in the low light than her with his dhampir abilities. "I mean, she's from England and all and she's certainly of magic. You gotta learn it somewhere, right? I'd say she had to either be a Hufflepuff because, well, all the awesome people are sorted into Hufflepuff and she likes to help others; that - or Ravenclaw because she's super crafty and creative."
As he pondered that a moment, although he was leaning toward Hufflepuff in his decision, he began humming the tune. Maybe it was getting stuck in his head. There could be worse songs for such. He looked over to AngelFyre, realizing what he was doing and held out his hand, his palm facing upward. She glanced down at it before taking his hand and he led her into a twirl right away. He continued to hum the tune as they now danced, instead of walked, down the corridor.
There was some twirling, a bit of trying to see if each could keep up with the other's step progression, a lift, another twirl, and then a dip. Simon held her securely, his hands on her hips as he dis so and made sure she wasn't thrown off balance by the weight of her satchel. When he slowly brought her back to a standing position, he kissed her softly.
"So tell me about this Mopsus. Who is he.... - er... she?" He wasn't sure which. "And why are we finding them? His girl always had a plan.
OOC: I was part, or the entirety, of the 'may be confused' crowd. I will no longer read AF's singing to the tune of "All Around the Mulberry Bush/Pop Goes the Weasel." Apologies to AF's writer for my confusion.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
6 Apr 2024, 17:03
A Prefect Pair on Patrol
You Don't Bring a Broom to a Mop'sus' Fight @Simon Kincaid
16th January, 2024
"You know, it is funny you should mention that about Mary Poppins possibly being schooled at Hogwarts. Before coming here, such a thought would never have crossed my mind, obviously. I always chalked such books and fantastical stories up to incredible imaginations. Now I am not so certain. I remember having a very similar thought about Dr. Seuss last year when Professor Blumenthal allowed us to meet the Augureys. You and I read to Ulysses, remember?"
She kept walking but got momentarily silent as she thought back to that afternoon. "I was about to take a photo of Emma Wynn, or maybe it was Kim Aoki as they were both reading to their birds, when my field of vision was slowly filled with Ulysses' face. The bird totally photo-bombed my shot! It was just so absurdly funny. And it did not escape my notice that the first time I ever saw a photograph of an Augurey, it was impossible not to see the resemblance to birds drawn by Dr. Seuss. I thought then he had to have been a wizard. The Cat in the Hat is probably some Animagus he knew while attending school. Hey! We should go through old editions of the yearbooks sometime and look for them and any other famous folk. We might be honestly surprised at who we find in them."
When she finished speaking, she turned to him and suddenly became aware that he had been humming A Spoonful of Sugar most of the time she had been responding. It was not long before they were gliding and twirling and synchronizing steps in the dark corridors. "How many people do you think have danced in these Dungeon corridors? We could be trendsetters, you and I, not that anyone would know it but us, which of course, would actually make us the very opposite of trendsetters, I suppose." She smiled as Simon continued to hum the melody and ended it all with a heart-stopping dip and a warm kiss afterwards.
"Low light setting. Private and secluded. Music and dancing. You know that spells T-R-U-B-B-L-E, right?" and she bumped her shoulder into his playfully before they started to focus once again... or was it finally?... on the search for the portrait of Mopsus.
"Mopsus, my dear laddie, I just learned about today in my Divination class. He was an ancient Greek Seer who defeated a more famous Seer, Calchas, who was known for his correct predictions regarding the Trojan War and was mentioned by Homer in The Iliad. Their competition was centered around their soothsaying abilities. As I have not had time to research either of them today, I am uncertain whether Calchas was famous before the Trojan War or was made famous by his predictions of the Trojan war, but I gather that he was the bigger deal at the time of their competition."
Her voice trailed off just a little bit when she caught sight of something on the wall. From a distance, a very dark distance away, it looked to AngelFyre like it might be a portrait. She picked up her ambling pace and dragged Simon right along with her as he still held her hand. Before they took five steps toward it she knew it was not what they were seeking. There was actually nothing there but a large rectangular shaped space that once housed the portrait. Well, "a" portrait. Hard to know if it had been the portrait. The stones where a portrait had once hung were quite a few shades lighter gray in color than the rest of what they were looking at down there. The walls were almost black. Or some shade of dark green, like a mold or mildew that mimicked a black. "Ewww. Maybe we should have worn face masks down here. Goodness knows what we are breathing in right now."
AngelFyre rifled through her satchel briefly and found that which she sought. She stepped closer and prodded the lighter grey stones with the sturdy stick she had picked up in the Courtyard earlier that afternoon, specifically for this very purpose. They did not seem loose at all, so she then turned to Simon to finish her story before continuing on with why they were even down there at all.
"Annnnnnnyway, Calchas was older and supposed to be a big deal, Seer-wise, but Mopsus "mopped" the floor with him apparently. Ha!" She looked at Simon but did not even feel the need to say "pun definitely intended", because he knew she knew he would know that it had been. She was able to catch his perfect smile in the dim light that managed to eek out an existence down there in the murky depths. "Yeah, it was low hanging fruit, but it was not planned, I swear. It just came to me," and she shrugged her shoulders in a I-just-cannot-help-myself kind of way.
"So the story goes that because Calchas did not see his defeat coming, he was humiliated and killed himself. Did not end so happily for Mopsus either. He later had a disagreement with the King he was serving when he disputed his right to the throne. Kings are renowned for taking no liking to such challenges, and this King was no different apparently, so bye bye Mopsus."
She sighed deeply and squeezed Simon's hand three times, signalling their silent 'I love you'. "Think about it for a few seconds. These are two of the most famous and supposedly talented Seers in wizarding history, and both of them got it so wrong when it was important not to. How am I to take what I am seriously? How are you? How is anyone?"
She got quiet for a few moments and clawed her way to a better mood. She did not expect Simon to have any answers for her. Heck, she did not have any answers for herself. Still, she knew God was not a Jokester, so there must be some reason He had bestowed her with the ability to "see". Time would tell.
"I tell you all of that, my Handsome Hunk of a Hufflepuff, because there was a single footnote that caught my eye. It was said that a portrait of Mopsus hangs in the Dungeons and hides a small, but secret chamber. It even listed the password to the chamber. It is 'Forsooth'." She grinned up at him, her eyes having become somewhat acclimated to the dark. "I just thought it might be entertaining to explore a bit and see what we could see. Oops! I did it again." and she laughed a little harder, wondering if he would let the unintentional Britney Spears nod fall to the way side.
Gathering her herself together, she continued. "The textbook was old, so you know we are not the first to come looking for the chamber. For all I know, Mopsus' likeness could be down here or could have been moved into Slytherin's House. My Seer ability on the subject is offering zero help at this time and place, but do you want to join me in saying the password at this spot where clearly a portrait once hung, just to see what happens? If nothing does reveal itself tonight, nothing says we cannot come back other times to search for it."
Her excitement was becoming palpable once again at the prospect of the two having an adventure together and she could feel her cheeks extending in a smile so wide that a pack rat might be envious. "On the count of three we say it together. Ready?"
"One...""Two...""Three..."
"Forsoo- "
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The magic is real.
22 Apr 2024, 13:39
A Prefect Pair on Patrol
Exploring new places with @AngelFyre McCubbin
Coming from the muggle world, being of magic and being classified as a witch or wizard itself was a wondrous reality for many there at Hogwarts, but then to further explore any additions was almost mind-boggling. Simon knew what that was like when he found out he was a dhampir and therefore having to realize things about himself that he didn't necessarily want to know at the time - things he'd rather keep hidden but could not. Being a seer for AngelFyre opened up a whole new venture but it was also something she was learning to have hold of. She had some visions but didn't always know what they meant or was learning to channel them. It sounded exhausting, honestly, but it was who she was and one had to explore their true self to know where they belonged.
"I think that is one of the most general misconceptions with seers," Simon chimed in on the whole Calchas and Mopsus history lesson, "everyone expects them to know the outcome and the future in regards to everything. That specialty comes when it wants to come and not always in a form that the seers understand initially. It's not quite fair, you know? They don't expect giants to be fifty feet tall although they're giants." Everyone had limitations.
Simon himself had limitations on him despite increased strength and quicker reflexes being a dhampir, but that didn't mean he was the strongest male alive nor the fastest. Surely he was one of the top compared to many of his classmates there at Hogwarts, but how did he compare to others like vampires? Somehow that seemed to be a question in the back of his mind that made its way to the forefront quite often.
It was pretty dark there in the dungeons and he couldn't imagine having yo come down there every day, multiple times a day, to venture to your Common Room. No wonder it seemed the Slytherin students always seemed a bit on edge; a bit moody. This was pretty dark, and drab, and dreary, but his company made it all worth the while. There was singing, humming, dancing, and companionship with the person he most wanted to be with and he hoped maybe they could find some sort of discovery down there together. Finding a hidden passageway in the castle was always an adventure.
"Have you had any visions lately?" he asked softly. He knew sometimes they were difficult for her - whether physically difficult because it was almost like having a seizure but also mentally difficult as she tried to piece it all together. She usually told him about them, but still, he wasn't sure he had ever officially asked about them. Maybe she'd begin to think she was burdening him with them - especially when they were on the subject of his father. That would never be the case though and he wanted to know everything; big and small, when it came to AngelFyre McCubbin.
He paused though to join right by her side where the shadow of the portrait was and he gently placed his palm against the cold stone corridor wall. "Forsooth," he said along with her and hoped that something might happen.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
14 Jun 2024, 01:10
A Prefect Pair on Patrol
I Know What I Know, Or Do I? @Simon Kincaid
16th January, 2024
His question about whether she had had any visions lately made her heart race. She turned towards him and smiled wanly, shaking her head almost imperceptibly. "No. N-... no. Well, yes actually, but nothing anything like what I experienced with you." Or with Colin, she thought to herself. Simon did not know Colin was a werewolf, as far as she knew, so she had not been able to share her singular bit of success on her Seer résumé with him because Colin's secret was not hers to share... even with Simon.
"I -... I get a glimpse of something every now and then, but the visions have not added up to much because they are so out of context for me. The people or places or even the events I see are not familiar, and nothing has seemed as clearly dangerous as what I have experienced of your fath-... of Adrian. I think because I am in a target rich environment that is probably to be expected. For all I know, not zeroing in on anything specifically could be a safety regulator. I mean, just think about how many things everyone touches around here that I myself then touch in the course of a day. I am surprised I am not flopping around on the flagstones like a fish out of water 20 times a day," and she laughed softly.
She had wondered a lot on that subject. Was there some sort of regulator or was she just a particularly lame Seer? Those thoughts had run around her brain so often she was certain they must have left a trench in their wake. She took a deep breath and decided that focusing on the purpose for dragging Simon down here should be brought back to the forefront of her thoughts. She was delighted when he joined her in the countdown to Forsooth-ing the stones, but alas, it was a big show for naught.
"Well, that was disappointing," she chuckled. "It looks like our Mopsus adventure shall have to continue another day," she said in a half joking, half bummed kind of tone. "I guess if we were characters in a book on a great adventure, and who knows, maybe this will turn out to be just that... an adventure..." and she smiled a little more enthusiastically as her thoughts lifted, "it would be a bit disappointing to have them figure everything out and find that which they seek in the first chapter. I suppose the gratification is in the pursuit and the trials they would have to overcome along the way, right?"
Right! she thought.
"Here is another little something that makes all of this feel not great lately. My Divination instructor told us at the first of the year that, "Seeing cannae be taught. It can only be known, and most people simply don't know." She just looked at him, feeling lost as she always did when it came to "her gift".
It more often than not did not feel like a gift, but whenever she began to doubt herself, all she ever had to do was to revisit that night with Simon in the Library and she knew with every fiber of her being that there was definitely a there there. Then a particularly hopeful thought chose that moment to burble to the surface of her thoughts.
Feeling a smile begin to grace her countenance in the darkness, knowing her dhampir would be able to see it easily enough, she offered another thought for consideration. "We were also told that Seers do not usually begin to come into their power until the age of thirteen or so. Maybe I was just an early bloomer," and she put her arms around him for a hug.
"Carrying on with that metaphor, I guess I hope I am not like one of those Bolivian plants I read about last year, something called an Andean Queen. In their native Bolivia they do not produce a bloom for 80 - 100 years, but once they do, it is glorious and bountiful. And then they die. " She leaned back and looked into his eyes. "Okay. So my metaphor is not a perfect fit as I am still alive... lucky you..." and she playfully hip checked him, "but what if my gift was the casualty of an early bloom?"
And if it were, would that be so terrible?
The magic is real.
7 Jul 2024, 14:29
A Prefect Pair on Patrol
Hopefully supporting @AngelFyre McCubbin as much as she supports him
"I think, perhaps, just maybe, this could be a classic case of 'que sera, sera,' if you will - whatever will be, will be. From what research I've done on seers, while I admit it's been limited, is that some have lots of visions and some have very few in their lifetime but that they all still see more than those that don't. Like you said, it's not taught. And therefore, we must take, for now, since it is all we have, what we have of your vision and use it - gain knowledge from it. I cannot piece together what it means but you are the most intelligent and level headed person I know and your vision was a vision - not some product of your imagination because of a feeling you got by a particular pers- individual."
His father wasn't a person."I'll take your gift and I'll heed your warning and I'll be ready for whatever it is that comes as I forge upon my journey in learning more about my father and that family background. Without it, I would be walking in the darkness. Without it I would have been blind. Without it, I will be at risk. Your vision has already done good - for me and for us."
Simon took her hands into his own and held them before bringing them to his lips to kiss gently. He knew what it was like to feel lost in the what am I journey of figuring out yourself and he hated that she was in the midst of it. He wanted her to always have clarity but this was out of his control and also unfortunately out of ours. "I suppose it's one more thing we leave up to Faith."
"That, or maybe we go searching a little deeper and see if we cannot help things along. Upon my next visit I could bring something back for you to feel; to touch. And for now - maybe we need to just sit for a moment, retrace these steps here in the dungeons, and try again?" He wasn't certain that would work, but it wouldn't hurt anything. All it would do was ensure that he spent extra time with his girl that day and that definitely was a win. "I'm here for you."
And try again now or wait for another day, he took a pause for that moment. Simon let go of her hands, instead bringing his own around her waist and pulled her closer to him so he could just hold her close to him. This was a journey that only she could take, a journey that she had to endure solo, but that didn't mean he couldn't be there right by her side.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)