15 Feb 2020, 12:11
Of Guilt, Fear and Loss
@Alaric Equinox
How long had it been now? A month? A little over that? It seemed like a year ago or more that Evelynn witnessed the bullying by the lake of the Ravenclaw kid by the Slytherin boys. She'd deliberated at the time about whether or not to bring that little incident to the victim's Head of House, but...hadn't. It wasn't like it wasn't in her nature to tattle (although she certainly didn't want to be branded as a snitch); nor was she afraid of retaliation from the Slytherins.
In fact, she wasn't really sure what it was that had held her back. Over-shadowed by her efforts with the Liberation Meetings, trying to sort out the evidence found prior to the holidays regarding Professor Lear's disappearance and Miss Umbridge's murder, and the various insundry other things...it had just slipped her mind. Well...no. It hadn't. But it hadn't seemed as important. Or something. Maybe she had just thought the whole thing squared away after confronting the snake directly.
Yet, it no longer seemed to apply. Day after day, she found herself thinking back to that day with a pang of regret — and no small amount of guilt — wondering if she had done the right thing. And then that stupid git had gone and trampled on her good intentions in the middle of the Great Hall in front of his cronies when all she was trying to do was return his stupid jacket. Alright. Maybe this wasn't about regret and guilt after all. Perhaps this was about revenge.
Whatever it was, it drove Evelynn past her fear of the Professor enough to actually climb those stone stairs towards his office, fists stuffed into her pockets with a look of self-assurance carved into her features.
Lake, she thought to herself. Just tell him about the lake. He ought to know. Then go.
But as she affirmed the plan to herself, it wasn't the boy's face that swam to the surface of her thoughts, but that of Aurelia. Broken. Bleeding. Laid out on a hospital bed. Helpless. As Evelynn climbed the steps, inching ever closer to the office, she began to chew her lip.
In truth, there was more than just the bullied boy that she wanted to discuss. She had been meaning to speak with Professor Equinox ever since the first day of class, since that first shocking reveal of what exactly it was that he was. But then she'd read more into it, and been a little hesitant. And then the attack in the owlery had happened, which served to deter her further. Still, she had acknowledged — and continued to do so — that there was probably no better resource than he... And it wasn't like the Headmaster would recruit unstable Professors... Right?
Right...
Even still. There were attacks happening in the school. Giants. Dhampir. Hags. She wanted to be prepared. She needed to be prepared. Evelynn was thirsty for more knowledge, and books could only get you so far. What was it that her mother always liked to say? "Be brave... Take risks... There is no substitute for experience..." She parroted under her breath, lifting her gaze just a little higher.
Be brave.
She knocked on the office door.
2 Mar 2020, 18:16
Of Guilt, Fear and Loss
Although Alaric had been appointed the Ravenclaw Head of House, it was still easy to find him within the Astronomy tower as he continued to teach the class while they searched for a replacement for him. Today he would be seated at his desk looking over many pieces of parchment seemingly going back and forth between grading student’s homework and a proposal for fun things to do in the common room to help foster the eagles getting to know each other.
Sadly, he had not been able to spend as much time as he wanted to be planning this get together, but it was worked on it when he found the time. When he could, usually between grading homework assignments when he got tired enough that he needed a break from that. He yawned and stretched still not quite used to his new sleeping schedule. Before he was accustomed to sleeping at five in the morning, now that he was a Head of House, he was adjusting his schedule. He wanted to actually be awake in the mornings and during the day when the students may need him. It was undoubtedly a bit rougher of a transition than he had expected, but he was slowly getting used to it.
A knock on his door never seemed to fail to make him jump slightly, which was paired with a hoot from Zurie, his great white owl. She sat on a bronze perch standing only a few feet away from his desk, her feathers a bit ruffled, making her look a little grumpy as she stared at the door indignantly with her yellow eyes. “Come in!” his velvety voice called out as he looked up, wondering who it might be today.
Sadly, he had not been able to spend as much time as he wanted to be planning this get together, but it was worked on it when he found the time. When he could, usually between grading homework assignments when he got tired enough that he needed a break from that. He yawned and stretched still not quite used to his new sleeping schedule. Before he was accustomed to sleeping at five in the morning, now that he was a Head of House, he was adjusting his schedule. He wanted to actually be awake in the mornings and during the day when the students may need him. It was undoubtedly a bit rougher of a transition than he had expected, but he was slowly getting used to it.
A knock on his door never seemed to fail to make him jump slightly, which was paired with a hoot from Zurie, his great white owl. She sat on a bronze perch standing only a few feet away from his desk, her feathers a bit ruffled, making her look a little grumpy as she stared at the door indignantly with her yellow eyes. “Come in!” his velvety voice called out as he looked up, wondering who it might be today.
Reducio
I apologize for the lackluster post. My allergies are killing me today.
✴Astronomy, as nothing else can do, teaches men humility ✴
Sta|9| Eva|20| Str|20| Wis| 2 | Arc| 2 | Acc|12|
Sta|9| Eva|20| Str|20| Wis| 2 | Arc| 2 | Acc|12|
8 Mar 2020, 23:34
Of Guilt, Fear and Loss
Interacting with @Alaric Equinox
Percival Gray is the only actual PC involved. The Goldfinches and the Ravenclaw boy were NPC's created by Gray for the purpose of the referenced thread. Additionally, the author of Percival Gray is aware that Evelynn is reporting the event, and in conversation with me has expressed interest in consequences should they come to pass.Listening at the door after knocking, Evelynn had heard a faint hoot followed almost immediately by the familiar voice of Professor Equinox beckoning her inside. She hesitated, then mentally scolded herself for doing so. Why bother coming up here at all if she was going to second-guess herself at the last moment? She couldn't help it, though. As much as she really hadn't thought twice about the Professor at the start of the year when he had first bluntly announced what he was (and in fact had found that rather interesting), her impression had taken a start turn after the events with Aurelia and the last SWAG game. Now, she couldn't look at him without wondering how many times he had slipped up. How many people he had bitten. Or if any of them had been students.
Taking a moment to take a few calming breaths, swallowing down her fear, Evelynn tried to shake the imposing thoughts aside. He was a professor, she reminded herself. A professor. He wouldn't be here if he wasn't able to keep himself in check. Plus, she reasoned, he'd been very forthcoming with his admission, and even offered help to dhampir students struggling with their hunger. In fact, she imagined to see a bowl of bloodpops presented somewhere upon his desk the moment she entered the door. Which, after one more self-affirming inhalation, she did.
"Hello, Professor," Evelynn said, peering from around the edge of the door as she trailed in the wake of its arc. "I'm sorry to trouble you…" Gray eyes glanced around the office, noting at once the great white owl. "Oh, he's beautiful," she said, almost awestruck.
As much as she was not entirely unfamiliar with being in close proximity to the enigmatic birds of prey (she had a mated pair of barn owls nesting in the loft of her stables back home), she didn't think she'd ever quite get used to just how prevalent they were here in the magical world. Not only that, but the sheer variety of species, alone, was something to marvel.
"..Sorry," she said again, peeling her gaze away from the impressively large owl. "I…was hoping to talk to you. About a few things." It was as though all the words she had planned had been swallowed along with her trepidation. "Well… I'm a bit worried about one of the boys in your House. He's in first year. I caught Percival Gray and some of his…friends—" She was about to say "cronies", but didn't think that would be entirely appropriate or polite in front of a teacher. "—bullying him. Sage, Aiden, and Gideon Goldfinch were their names. They were calling him muggle scum, and must have been hitting him because his face was bleeding and bruised. And then Gray pushed him into the lake."
It was somewhat like a floodgate when she had finally started, the important highlights of the story coming out all too quickly. Her gaze continued to dart around the Professor's desk, the fingers of one hand wringing those of the other. The feeling of guilt at having waited so long to report the incident rose in the pit of her stomach, making her feel a little sick and draining some of the colour from her face.
"I just…wanted to make sure he was okay, Professor," she added after a pause, casting a timid glance to the Professor. "…and that it didn't happen again."