5 Mar 2025, 13:07
A lull
13th February, before noon
Waving her roomates goodbye, Sabrina closed the cabin door behind her. Stretching her arms above her head, stiffling a higher pitched groan as she did so, she hopped down the few stairs leading to their short-term residence and onto the cream gravel path.
With the spring just around a corner, it was sunny and warm enough for her to be comfortable in just a sweater and pair of overalls. Humming a tune less melody to herself, she adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag - which felt light as a feather compared to how stuffed it was the first day - on her shoulder, her steps leading her to the Pegasus statue she came to love so early on.
Shielding her eyes from the sun she looked up at it to wave it a silent greeting. After sparing a few seconds to compare the monumental art with the majestic creatures she had seen yesterday - even though larger than in life, the pegasus wasn't as broad as Abraxans - she relocated behind it, where its shadow fell.
Dropping down and slouching back against the bronze pedistal she drew her kness up. After a moment of digging tbrough her bag, she pulled out a book, opening it in her lap.
It was by a muggle author, lend to her by one of her cousins when they saw eachother over Christmas, called 'The land of stories'. Because its green hard cover was beggining to peal on edges, her cousin had wrapped it in a brownish wrapper paper. The front bore a picture of elmo in flames, a bullet pen recreation of a famous muggle meme. That was also her older cousins work. Needless to say, despite not getting to it until now, Sabrina already loved it.
Nibbling on one of the treats she had snatched from the arrival tea party and Valentine's pen pals event, she began to read.
Can you tell I gave up on the title? Anyway, Avis is free to notice Brie or just.. walk by - in that case, we'd have our chase down moment.
5 Mar 2025, 21:26
A lull
Avis slipped out of her cabin, her fist pulled tight around the crumpled note. Upon walking three feet, Avis realized that it probably hadn't exactly been the best of ideas, walking out in shorts and a tunic in the middle of February.
Upon second thought, however, her arms and legs couldn't itch if they were frozen, which was a valid argument for going outside. Also a valid argument for dumping water all over herself. After all, frozen water was basically just a free ice pack, wasn't it?
Annoyingly, though, it wasn't cold enough for that, just cold enough to make a sweatshirt necessary. A sweatshirt Avis didn't have.
Even more regrettable was the fact that she did not have her satchel and therefore had nowhere to put the note she was now holding. She couldn't just leave it on the ground; what if someone found it? For a half-second, she debated eating it - that was always how they did it in movies - but Gideon had probably used some sort of poisonous ink or something equally as dramatic.
Her footsteps crunched on the gravel path as she stepped toward the gleaming castle before turning away onto a new path at the last second. She somehow managed to almost run into a massive pegasus sculpture, so distracted by her feet. Glaring at the sculpture, she slipped sharply around it.
Pickig up her pace, Avis wrung her hands, twisting her fingers in and out of each other, pulling and wringing the note. She began to count her steps. One and two and three and four. One and two and three-
Her footsteps hit the path in perfect rhythm, stiff and sharp. Always repeating.
@Sabrina Lyons
I love the Land of Stories.
Avis Marlong | ”She won't cry or beg for help...she'll isolate from the world and fight her own demons so that nobody can throw it in her face later.” |
"The odds of hitting your target increase dramatically when you aim at it." Benji Marecos |
6 Mar 2025, 18:04
A lull
Upon reading the first few pages, Brie got introduced to the protagonists and leading forces in her book: blond twins named Connor and Alex. So far, they have recieved a book of their own -full of well-known muggle fairytales such as Little red riding hood or Cinderella - from their Grandma, witnessed a magical bird - by the description probably a pheonix - emerge out of said hardback and managed to magically fall into it, landing in a middle of a dark forest.
The young Raven was hooked, half-eaten chocolate hovering in her frozen hand near her lips as she followed the twins through their journey. It was at a point where they encountered a large talking frog when a noise pulled Brie out of the fairytale land and back to her very much fairytale like reality.
The unmistakable sound of shoes shuffling against gravel sounded through the quiet gardens, pausing only for a moment before coming to life again. Thumb sliding to where the pages met in an improvised bookmark, the young witch leaned forward towards her knees, cocking her head to see the stranger.
Maybe it was someone she didn't know. Someone who probably stayed in the cabins - oh, they might've been from a different school or- her quiries got answered wben a familiar slender figure rounded the winged horse statue.
A smile appeared on Sabrina's face, her feelings and thoughts similiar to a happy tale-wagging puppy when it's owner came home. Avis!
She was about to shut her book, one palm already braced against the ground, ready to shoot up and tackle her friend when- she came to a sudden physical and mental halt, her memories crossing emotions. Oh, right. Slowly relaxing back down, she kept her book open.
She was angry with Avis. Or no- not angry. Offended? Hurt? Uncertain with how much of their friendship was onesided? Something of that sort. The pause gave her a moment to actually look at her friend. Avis was only wearing shorts and a fancily cut shirt, exposing most of her skin which looked wet and - this might have been a trick of light but - pink-ish? Her stride was almost robot like, stiff and unnatural, even for her usual stiff and unnatural movement. But most noticable, she was absolutely obliterating something in her hands. Paper? Maybe a wrapper or note.
Prolongingly exhaling through her nose in a somewhat annoyed 'okay fine' manner, she made use of her half-eaton chocolate piece, tossing it at her fellow Raven (you can decide how accurate she was with that.)
"Oi, Birdie!" she greeted with a nickname she knew Avis didn't like. If they were okay, she wouldn't have used it - making one joke twice seemed like enough - but she was still a little irritated/sad/hurt/whatever. Plus, she was desperate not to get ignored she really wanted to talk, which meant getting Avis's attention.
Her smile smaller but not gone, she tilted her head to a side "forgot to grease your joints or what?"
Me too! It was one of my favorite book series growing up.
7 Mar 2025, 00:24
A lull
Avis heard the Ravenclaw rise and began to speed up, but as her friend's voice called out to her, she sighed and slowed to pace so that Sabrina could easily catch up. She lost her pattern, and her steps became normal once again.
Before Sabrina caught up, however, Avis felt a chunk of something slip noisily past her ear, and she half ducked sideways incase another projectile was incoming. When nothing did, she twisted around, correcting Sabrina curtly. "Avis." She thoroughly regretted telling that piece of information to Sabrina. It really just proved her point - the only thing friends would do is twist your arm and use it against you.
Avis stiffened, pulling herself back up into a rigid stance that Sabrina wouldn't have seen since the first time they met. And just like that, the girls were back to square one.
Or, almost back to square one. It wasn't Sabrina's fault, not really, but Avis was tired and irritable and itchy, and her new dilemma was paranoia. She wasn't in a position to fix things or to "work it out." No, Avis was in a position to close off and keep away the danger.
"forgot to grease your joints or what?" Avis barked a short laugh, glancing at her Calamine covered arms. "Oh I'm greased all right." She kicked out a leg so Sabrina could see the red lines crossthing on top of the rash, the pink lotion faintly visible. "Calamine lotion. It's for poison ivy." She shook her head harshly, slipping the note into her wand pocket and holding up her hands in mock surrender. "I don't even know what to do anymore.
@Sabrina Lyons
I was always an Artemis Fowl and KOTLC fan, but Land of Stories is really good too.
Avis Marlong | ”She won't cry or beg for help...she'll isolate from the world and fight her own demons so that nobody can throw it in her face later.” |
"The odds of hitting your target increase dramatically when you aim at it." Benji Marecos |
12 Mar 2025, 21:22
A lull
Making an 'eee' sound, as if sounding a buzzer at a wrong answer, Sabrina shut her book this time "Sabrina. But close enough" she attempted a joke - a poor echo of what would have been if they were alright derived from slight discomfort - already half crouching and shoving her stuff in her bag. Fully getting to her feet she jogged over to walk by Avis' side.
They talked and walked beside each other, neither adressing the shift in their dynamic. It was strange. Avis was strange. The smaller girl couldn't really pinpoint what it was, but she seemed more guarded. Stiff. Even her laugh sounded wrong.
Sabrina didn't really have time to think about or adress it as Avis confirmed her silent assumption about the other girl's pink-ish skin color. Cocking her head as she looked down on her friend's leg, Sabrina hissed as if just getting burned.
"Poison Ivy?" she echoed, brows creasing. Even though nor Herbology nor nature were one of her greatest interests, this specific plant happened to be a common ingredient in Potions, which she was deeply interested in. Helping out her mom brew potions meriod of times, she was aware of it's stinging leaves, but also of the fact that it only naturally grew in North America.
"How did you even manage that? They shouldn't even grow here" she half-asked half-laught, already searching through her bag "At least not in the wild, that is. It must itch like hell. Chamomile tea helps. But we can't really brew it now. I should have some aloe vera on me though - that also works" she talked to both Avis and herself as she rummaged through her shoulder bag. "Ah, here" she smiled faintly as she pulled out two cut pieces of said plant.
Her eyes briefly flickered down to Avis' now empty hands before meeting her eyes. Even though she wanted to, she didn't ask. "Snap it in half and apply the ooz on the rash" she said instead.
I am not really happy with it but oh well. Sorry for making you wait for so long
15 Mar 2025, 02:18
A lull
"Sabrina. But close enough" Avis gave a small, tight-lipped grin. Ha. Ha. Ha. So very funny. As Sabrina caught up to her Avis tightened her gaze on the path in front of her, acknowledging Sabrina without shortening her stride, forcing the girl to almost jog in order to keep up. Avis was going places and did not have time for idle chatter.
That wasn't true. Avis wasn't going anywhere in particular, just away from her cabin, but Sabrina didn't know that and really, if the only person who knows that is lying to herself, isn't it a tree falling with no one to hear? Can it really be true?
She paused momentarily in order to accept the offered plant. Because of course Sabrina just had a collection of random plants that perfectly helped. Just like Winnie. Like everyone just had exactly what Avis needed. Like it was planned. For a moment, her steps faltered as she looked at Sabina, worried. No. Gideon couldn't have possibly planned this. He would have had to have orchestrated the past months. That wasn't possible. But really, it was one hundred percent possible, even if it wasn't true.
Nonetheless, it was aloe vera. Avis wasn't about to turn it down. She followed instructions, cracking it in halk was a violent jerk and squeezing the product onto her other hand, holding the paper with her pinkie in the palm of her hand in the hand that help the plant, and using her fingertips to slather the new ooze on top of the existing remedy. Avis was of the opinion that Good thing + Good thing could not ever equal bad thing.
As to how she had managed that, Avis simply shrugged. "It's not super important anymore."
@Sabrina Lyons
Avis Marlong | ”She won't cry or beg for help...she'll isolate from the world and fight her own demons so that nobody can throw it in her face later.” |
"The odds of hitting your target increase dramatically when you aim at it." Benji Marecos |
31 Mar 2025, 20:49
A lull
The pressing tension in her chest expanded with each quick step she had to make to keep up with her friend. Frustration, annoyance, anxiety- it almost didn't matter. It choked her the same, throat tightening and filling with the sticky mix of emotions, threatening to spill out on her tongue. She could almost feel it seap into her skull - and she had a sneaking suspition it was either to squash or rip it into pieces.
They finally paused and Sabrina passed her friend the plant, gaze drilling holes into her temple. Look at me, she willed. An unconcious part of her brain was convinced that if only Avis would turn her head, if only their eyes would meet, the meaning of it all would show itself to her. That maybe she could read the answer in her friend's eyes. Maybe Avis sensed that. Maybe that was why she looked ahead.
However brief or incomplete this thought was, it made her gaze drop for a moment, observing the way Avis smeared aloe vera over her limbs. The stain was still on her palm. Focusing on it, Sabrina noted that it had not faded or changed since yesterday - not an ink stain then. For reasons she couldn't name, the small confirmation made her strangely uneasy.
That feeling only intencified as she looked up again to unexpectedly meet Avis' eyes. It was what she had hoped for just mere second ago, wasn't it? But it didn't provide her with answers, or reassure as she hoped. The only thing she could read in the other girl's eyes was fear. Cold piercing, fleeting fright. She didn'tt mean to stumble back, but her feet acted on their own accord. What in the Merlin's name was going on?
"Anymore?" she echoed, her voice hollow, almost as if she didn't even mean to say it aloud. In a blink, Avis was back to herself, leaving Sabrina alone to doubt the truth of the last few seconds. Despite the warmth of her sweather, she felt a cold rush go over her. The tension a loud scream in her mind, so so loud that it left only a pressing silence, a strain that filled her up and grew and-
"Avis-" she heared herself choke out in a voice she didn't recognize as her own, frightened and strained in her ears in a way that didn't reach the actual sound. The lid was lifted and the tention wanted out, expand beyond the bones and flesh of the small girl. It rushed out of her and she just knew that if she didn't give it a form, it would suffocate her. "You- I-" she stumbled over her words and cleared her throat, her mouth agap for a beat before she spoke again, "You said it wrong."
Hi! Just as with the leaving home thread- so sorry for the incredibly long wait!
1 Apr 2025, 01:19
A lull
Avis exhaled a sigh of relief as the cool aloe vera sank into her hot skin. Then she looked back down at the green plant now oozing about on her hand. What, exactly, was she supposed to do with this thing? Looking down with digust at the goopy plant, she held it up to Sabrina, furrowing her eyebrows. "Not that I don't appreciate the plant, but what on Earth am I meant to do about this?" Her gaze flicked back to Sabrina, a hint of Avis within them, but they quickly slid back.
Sabrina stumbled back, uneasy. Good. No, not good. Or good? Avis didn't know anymore. She searched the girl's face, searching, pleading, needing an answer to a question she hadn't thought to ask. After a long silence, she twisted back around, walking down the path. But slower, softer, as if her night of exhaustion had finally caught up to her. Her heels dragged across the path as she walk, and she shut her eyes for seconds at a time, as if trying to fall back into her dreams, into her bed. Not her Hogwarts bed, but her bed at home back in Harrow, where life was simple, life was easy, magic wasn't real.
"Anymore?" Sabrina spoke, and her words felt...empty. Lost, far enough away for Avis to pretend they didn't matter. And so she ignored them, spiraling away into her own desperate thoughts until Sabrina once again cut through the thick silence. "Avis-" It was a choked noise, a suffocating noise, a sound no child wants to hear their own name spoken in. A sound that dug into her very soul, jerking her out and around and back until she spun to face Sabrina one last time; a sound that could break. "You said it wrong."
Avis spoke softly and rapidly, almost hissing in her mind's attempts to prevent what her heart was spilling out. "Everything is wrong. Reality and lies are weaving themselves together, and I don't even know what I'm saying anymore, much less whether or not it is correct. Forgive me if I've forgotten what I've said."
@Sabrina Lyons
I believe too much time has passed for us to continue our original plan, but it can still be a fun convo.
Avis Marlong | ”She won't cry or beg for help...she'll isolate from the world and fight her own demons so that nobody can throw it in her face later.” |
"The odds of hitting your target increase dramatically when you aim at it." Benji Marecos |
3 Apr 2025, 13:37
A lull
Without a further comment, Sabrina took the aloe vera from Avis. Withdrawing her hand again, she fitgeted with the plant for a moment before letting it slip her grip and fall to the ground, rubbing her fingers together to get rid of the sticky substance caught on them.
Avis began to walk again but the smaller girl's feet remained firm, rooted to the gravelled path they stood on. The distance stretched between them until the panicked call of her friend's name slipped Sabrina's lips, stopping said girl in her tracks.
"Everything is wrong. Reality and lies are weaving themselves together, and I don't even know what I'm saying anymore, much less whether or not it is correct. Forgive me if I've forgotten what I've said."
That response wasn't what Sabrina had expected. Okay - That wasn't entirely true. Her mind was too busy trying to make sense of itself to think of any possible outcomes. But if it had, it wouldn't have thought of this one. Shocked, Sabrina wasn't sure what to make of it, wasn't sure if the distance between them was upsetting or rather comforting. Maybe a bit of both. Not knowing how to respond, Sabrina chose to explain herself further instead.
"You- yesterday you said you saw Abroxens- it- you said it wrong. It's Abraxans. Abraxans not Abroxens" she stumbled over her words, fingers unconciously bunching up her sweater from the buttom hem up into balls. "Why did you lie? You could have said that you didn't want to go. But you lied. Why did you lie to me?" her voice cracked at the last word, jumping a few notes higher than her normal register for speech was.
The movement of her own fingers caught her attention and she blinked down on them in what might've been interpreted as a mild confusion. Just realising her doings, she let go of the fabric - softly clenching and unclenching her fists, working the dull stiffness out of her fingers - opting for smoothing it out, the simple movement rather uncharacteristic for the bright girl.
She herself seemed confused with her nervous acting, her brows creased and a sense of desparation in her eyes when she looked back up at her Raven friend, unaware of how her hands yet again drifted to the soft fabric of her sweater, pulling and tugging at it.
Yeah, I wasn't even expecting us to
4 Apr 2025, 03:06
A lull
Avis bit her lip, and looked at the ground. In her head, the words were soft, scared; but they could out cold and harsh, the words of a child gone numb from the pain. "Because sometimes the truth shatters in a way that only lies should. Because if people had seen this-" She held up her hand. Her mark had somehow gotten worse than the day before. It had darkened and spiderwebbed across her hand, larger and more threatening. "It would have caused a scene. I can't be in a scene." She almost unconsciously raised herself up on the balls of her toes, trying to get to the height of Sabrina. "Because I can't show weakness."
She turned and began pacing, a few steps in each direction before a sharp turn toward the other. "Because I can't keep lying to myself, and if I can't lie to myself, I'll just have to lie to everyone else. " Her hands folded behind her back, and she wrung her hands in and out of themselves. Her words came faster now, spilling out of her like a full bucket of water still being filled by a hose. "Because my cabin's been poisoned by ivy, and I don't know who I can trust. And those I thought I could are slathering mayo on themselves in the middle of the night. Because even if I don't know who I can trust, I know very well who I can't."
She paused, her eyes searching Sabrina, looking for answers, looking for a miracle. Her voice fell once again, monotonous and resigned.""Because it's a game, all of this, a game of cat and mouse, except we all know in the game of cat and mouse the mouse never wins. And there isn't any way out." She deflated, tilting her head back and closing her eyes, breathing. She tilted it back at Sabrina, desperation hidden between cold eyes.
@Sabrina Lyons
Avis Marlong | ”She won't cry or beg for help...she'll isolate from the world and fight her own demons so that nobody can throw it in her face later.” |
"The odds of hitting your target increase dramatically when you aim at it." Benji Marecos |