Kerridon Paradox
Ravenclaw
[blue]6th Year Ravenclaw[/blue]
One loss locked me in the heart of misery... but you had the key to set me free
Posts: 317
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Post by Kerridon Paradox on Nov 27, 2008 18:39:58 GMT -5
Noticing that D’rorah seemed a little perturbed when he described that particular memory as “sticking out”, Kerridon sought to clarify. ”The other memories, I do not know anyone being involved with the exception of my father. And also… the others, there are less followers of the Mage. Less organisation.” He didn’t know what this information meant, but it might make sense to D’rorah if he explained. He wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know the answer or not, but thought it best to satiate her curiosity. He simply nodded in acknowledgement when she thanked him for his discretion, knowing if he was in the same situation then he would also be grateful. In fact, when she had come across the memories of his sister when constructing the barriers in his mind, she had promised that she would not tell anyone; it was pure courtesy to extend the same service, if nothing more.
As D’rorah became lost in her own thoughts, Kerridon’s mind was on a similar track, thinking back to some of what he had discovered about shadow wars fought in other realms. It seemed that she was right about his survival rate – none of those worlds held any true living thing anymore. And the process of getting to that state was everything but painless. And there was the thought also, if he hadn’t stepped away from the path his father and Dark Phoenix had set him on... would he have become just like Raziel? The memory of D’rorah’s attack and assault came to him again and an involuntary wince passed over his face. Could he do something like that? If he had carried on, if D’rorah hadn’t persuaded him otherwise? He had never really disobeyed an order before, not a direct one at least. If Raziel had decided to bring him along on that particular mission... would he have done as ordered, joined in with that atrocity? He thought, probably no... but he had never been the one to disobey. His sister had. She had ran to avoid fighting and killing any more. Would he have had the gall to say no?
The fact that it hadn’t happened, that he didn’t know, was not great... but knowing that his father could easily have decided to bring him along was even worse. He would have been fourteen... he was going on plenty of missions at the time. And he could not deny that he had had a little bit of an unhealthy enthralment with death... just seeing how different people reacted to it was like gold dust for him. Not for any particularly sadistic reasons... it was simply fascinating to him. Trying to guess how someone would react if he got them in a situation they knew they could not survive... and it had shown him that the human survival instinct was massively strong. Even when there was no hope for them, a lot carried on fighting until the end. Realising that such thoughts might be picked up by D’rorah if she could hear thoughts around her, especially since it was related to that night, he diverted his thoughts to the topic of getting to China as she began to speak again.
”Had hoped to?” he repeated curiously, head cocked a little to one side as he thought. ”Did you not succeed in convincing them?” He eyed the elder girl a little warily as she mentioned ‘mundane means’, and his wariness increased hugely when she mentioned muggle technology. Even she seemed to find the idea amusing, as if she already knew he did not have huge faith in them. ”I... am not particularly trusting of muggle technology... if you watch their news it is constantly filled with information about crashes and explosions... And anyway, would Dark Phoenix not question where I had been for the summer if she found I could not follow her?”
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Nov 28, 2008 2:39:27 GMT -5
"[blue]Ah,[/blue]" replied D'rorah as Kerridon attempted to explain why the memory had stuck out to him. "[blue]I suppose it does make sense that a more concerted effort would have been made against an identified Shadow Warrior...[/blue]" She was the first of the group to have been identified, the first one of the Lightfighters that Master Xiu had found... and that had happened only through the chance fact that Master Xiu and D'rorah's father had been close friends. Her father had wanted her to be a scribe for the Order, so she had trained at the monastery for several years, from the time she was a young girl, before the Metal Master at the monastery had noticed her, picked her from amongst a group of young monks in training. Her status amongst the other trainees had been slightly elevated, but along with that came a much stricter training regime and much high expectations. "[blue]It is simply part of the added responsibility of my station.[/blue]" It might have seemed an add closing remark, but it was something she had been told repeatedly by those who trained her. It had been their way of preparing her for the harship that lay ahead in the war they knew was building. "[blue]Power breeds responsibility, rather than privilege...[/blue]"
She moved on from the matter, not caring to contemplate any longer the night in question. She spent enough time focused on bad memories in her nightmares, which permeated the little sleep she actually managed.
”Had hoped to?” he repeated curiously, head cocked a little to one side as he thought. ”Did you not succeed in convincing them?”
D'rorah leaned back slightly, gazing up at the sky as she answered. "[blue]I believe that most of them would care to spend time with their families over the summer holiday. And for those who have families, there is the difficulty deciding what to tell them... and perhaps obtaining permission for a summer away from home. Though, I believe that is not an issue for several of our members...[/blue]" She shook her head slightly as Kerridon mentioned crashes and explosions, the smirk remaining on her face. "[blue]Always travel with one who can apparate, Mister Paradox. Even the deadliest explosion cannot harm you if you are not actually in it. Though, you are correct,[/blue]" she added, her face resuming a serious mode of expression. "[blue]There will be some difficulty in extracting you from Dark Phoenix's attention to have you train for the summer. But I am certain we can craft a convincing reason to have you away... perhaps even tell her you have managed to infiltrate our little group and intend to go undercover to gather information about the monastery in China...[/blue]" She paused, thinking. It could be helpful to feed Dark Phoenix misinformation... but it would be very difficult to do so without being caught.
she looked over at Kerridon, shifting so that she sat completely facing him. "[blue]You have a closer knowledge of her than I do, I believe. Do you think it would be possible to deceive her... to have her believe you are actually spying for her while you are working against her?[/blue]" In a way, they were already doing it. Kerridon had changed allegiances and had kept the secret successfully so far, as far as any of them knew. Dark Phoenix didn't seem to be keeping too close an eye on him lately... perhaps the loyalty of his family and his unquestioning obedience up to this point gave her a feeling a security in his allegiance... that could definitely work to their advantage.
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Kerridon Paradox
Ravenclaw
[blue]6th Year Ravenclaw[/blue]
One loss locked me in the heart of misery... but you had the key to set me free
Posts: 317
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Post by Kerridon Paradox on Nov 28, 2008 18:20:51 GMT -5
Kerridon nodded at her response – it did make sense that Dark Phoenix would have tried very hard to turn a Shadow Warrior, more than any other lightfighter. She must have been furious when she found out that it had failed... not for lack of trying, although he doubted that stopped her punishing his father and the others involved for their failure. ”Do you know how it is she discovered your identity as a Shadow Warrior so early on?” he inquired, wondering how the knowledge had been leaked. Back then he did not think there had been any other known EMs or SWs, or at least if there had then he hadn’t heard a whisper of it. It was entirely possible, of course, that he simply hadn’t been trusted enough to know of anything. After all, he had only been going on proper missions for a year or so at that point. And he had not really come across any detailed knowledge of the current Shadow Wars until starting at Hogwarts, when it had become necessary.
He did indeed think her closing remark was a little strange, but didn’t comment on it. It was true, he supposed.. just worded a little oddly. But he knew all about the added responsibility he had gained as he went on more missions for Dark Phoenix. If he continued to fail as time went on, the punishments continued to get worse. It was a (mostly) simple hierarchy. Dark Phoenix at the top. Those who had served her for the longest and most faithfully beneath her. Everyone else beneath them. Shadows and wraiths were a bit uncertain – he hadn’t quite worked out where they stood in the structure.
Kerridon wasn’t entirely sure that he himself had obeyed that responsibility over privilege rule when he had continued to gain power. He had flaunted it to his sister, partly because he was truly proud of what he was gaining, and partly because he wanted her to stop being so difficult about doing what their father and Dark Phoenix wanted, by showing her what rewards she would get rather than punishments. He wondered for a moment – if she hadn’t been so stubborn about it, she almost certainly wouldn’t have been killed... at least in that matter. Which meant he probably wouldn’t have come to Hogwarts, wouldn’t have met D’rorah and been convinced he was wrong... and again with the what ifs. He closed his eyes for a second or so, clearing his mind with the blackness and then opening them again once he was done.
What she said about the other lightfighters wanting to spend time with their families did make sense to him... but they could still see them, and go to China as well. From what he understood, the train left Hogwarts the third week of June... that left about nine weeks of summer holiday before they returned in January. ”Could they not spend the first half of the holidays in China, and then go to their families when that time is complete? Or vice versa,” he suggested. ”Surely it need not be a whole summer, and that might be a compromise that their parents would be more happy with. How much do the other lightfighters’ parents know about the Shadow Wars?” he asked, the question occurring to him suddenly. If they did not know a lot, then it hopefully wouldn’t be too difficult to fabricate a school trip during the summer... Perhaps it would work, perhaps not. If they all knew plenty anyway then it was pointless.
The tiniest tinge of embarrassment came to Kerridon when he was told to travel with someone who could apparate. ”I can apparate,” he told her, not quite meeting her in the eye as he said it. Being a pureblood child, not to mention having grown up surrounded by a secret wizarding war, Kerridon was not exactly well-versed in muggle things. Perhaps Muggle Studies might have been a good subject to take upon arrival to increase his knowledge, but he had never thought he might actually need such knowledge. He was not easily phased, but getting on one of those metal contraptions that somehow hovered in the air was not his idea of something he would ever voluntarily do. But in these circumstances, it seemed there was little choice if he wished to visit the country. As for apparition, he had gone to the ministry on the day of his birthday to take the test, and passed easily. He already knew the process, but had thought it a good idea to get it legalised before he was caught taking himself somewhere in a manner he wasn’t supposed to without a licence.
The idea of deceiving Dark Phoenix in the manner D’rorah suggested caused a vague fear to stir up in Kerridon and a slight look of discomfort appeared on his face. Such a notion would mean a lot of manipulation... and would probably mean she would keep a closer eye on him anyway, just in case. There had been people who defected before, and they were displayed as examples all over the Shadow Realm. Some dead... some given just enough food and water to survive, and forced to accept it. He did not want to be subject to that.
Then he was asked his own opinion on the matter, and attempted to turn objective. Would she really believe him, and not delve deep enough to discover the truth? ”It is... possible,” he admitted grudgingly, but letting none of that grudge seep into the tone of his voice. ”But it would be exceedingly difficult. I am not certain just how much she trusts me, which would be knowledge very useful in concluding whether or not she would accept it if I told her I had managed to infiltrate the lightfighters’ ranks.” True, he had been unwaveringly loyal for such a long time, and she had no reason to believe his brainwashed state might have altered. But it was quite a risk to take... and he wasn’t sure whether he was willing to take it or not.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Nov 29, 2008 9:35:09 GMT -5
D'rorah nodded slightly as Kerridon asked whether she knew how she had been discovered. "[blue]Well, obviously, I spent a lot of time traveling with my parents. I had ever since I was very young. Father's work for the International Ministry required many diplomatic meetings, and mother still occasionally gave concerts. But Master Xiu and I believe someone took fast note when my travel began to include side-trips to China. Father went there often himself, but when I was actually identified as a Shadow Warrior, I spent time there without him, and far more time than I had in the past. We believe that the woman who was my father's secretary at the time took note of the shift in his schedule... and even though everyone who worked with him was thoroughly screened, this woman somehow slipped through the cracks. Obviously, father was identified as a member of the Order first... or perhaps eyes were on him simply because of his position. That, we do not know. The secretary left with no notice before I was released from the hospital. She was identified shortly thereafter as one of the Mage's operatives.[/blue]" D'rorah paused, considering the whole situation. "[blue]I have a feeling her activities were coerced... I understand she has a family she was most likely trying to protect in providing the information. And it was unlikely she knew what would result from revealing something as seemingly mundane as my father's travel schedule. Her information caused the Mage to take note of me. Once that happened, it was assumed that I had some sort of key role... the night of the attack, and my ability to withstand corruption, was the Mage's proof that she was correct in her assumption.[/blue]"
As D'rorah spoke, her voice was calm and quiet. She had long ago pushed aside her anger about what had happened that night. Allowing her emotions to dictate her actions would have only clouded her judgment and given Dark Phoenix the upper hand. She knew that things were not always as simple as the things people did. A person's actions had motivations and often many layers of meaning and thought behind them. The memories of that night were painful, and it was a pain she rarely allowed herself to take out and examine. Instead, it had all been redirected to the purpose of this war and to the hopes that the Lightfighters could prevent other atrocities such as this from occurring by defeating Yang's agents.
As they moved on to the subject of training in China, D'rorah found herself anticipating seeing Master Xiu again. It had been quite some time. And though he had always been stern and strict with her, she could only appreciate that his methods had helped to equip her with the tools to withstand the things this war threw in their direction. In his disapproving frown whenever she failed to execute a maneuver in any manner other than flawlessly, she saw his hope that she would survive all of this ugliness and his faith in her ability to succeed. She had tried a similar stern approach with the others, but sensed that they saw her as cold and lacking any care for them. But then, Master Xiu had warned her that working with teenagers would be far different from working with those who had trained at the monastery.
"[blue]It would be easier to spend the first portion of the holidays with their families and then journey to China... but it would be easiest for everyone to simply come to China together and remain for the entire holiday. It would, at least, be safer. None of the parents know anything of what is happening, as far as I am aware. It is safer for the families to know as little as possible... one cannot accidentally tell a secret if one does not know a secret. And the families are less likely to do anything which will draw attention to themselves if they are unaware of what is happening. And there are those who had demonstrated already that they would not tolerate involvement by their children in anything they perceived as dangerous,[/blue]" she added, thinking specifically of Dylan and Alessandro.
AS the topic turned to airplanes and explosions, D'rorah could sense Kerridon's embarrassment as he stated that he could apparate. "[blue]Still, it is best to travel in a pair with another who can apparate as well,[/blue]" she cautioned. "[blue]In the event that one of you becomes incapacitated, there will still be one left to perform the apparition.[/blue]" She thought for a moment. "[blue]I have some experience with such mundane forms of travel... another result of my father's job. He occasionally had to meet with muggle world leaders in the course of his work. Our family was trained to "blend in" when necessary. I can assure you that, by and large, airplanes and other such means of transportation are quite safe.[/blue]"
Moving on to the matter of Dark Phoenix, D'rorah considered Kerridon's words. "[blue]I am loathe to do anything that would jeopardize your safety, Mister Paradox. We will find another way to get you to China. How are you contacted when Dark Phoenix wishes something of you? If she can still contact you while you are away, perhaps there is no reason to tell her that you are leaving at all.[/blue]" She tilted her head slightly to the side as a though occurred to her. "[blue]What exactly will you do in the event she wishes to send you on a mission?[/blue]" She had wondered about it before, but had not yet asked Kerridon. He could pretend to comply while alerting the Lightfighters to what was happening so that they would be there to stop it, perhaps... he could simply carry out the mission while attempting to limit his own involvement. Or, he could carry on as he always had, carrying out the orders in the manner Dark Phoenix desired... there were many options, and each of them had their undesirable aspects--some more than others.
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Kerridon Paradox
Ravenclaw
[blue]6th Year Ravenclaw[/blue]
One loss locked me in the heart of misery... but you had the key to set me free
Posts: 317
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Post by Kerridon Paradox on Dec 1, 2008 13:47:07 GMT -5
Kerridon listened in silence as D’rorah answered his question, nodding once or twice to signify his understanding of what she was saying. He had had plenty of interaction with other agents of Dark Phoenix in his short time serving her, and wondered if he had ever come across this secretary who had betrayed D’rorah’s family. Considering he didn’t know quite how many minions were loyal to her, he couldn’t estimate the likeliness of having come across this woman... especially if she was being blackmailed. He had been on a few blackmailing episodes himself, accompanied by his father, but most had been involving partners and friends, not children or whole families. The more that were held hostage, the more danger there was of a leak or an escape, which could mean disaster for the whole thing. Sometimes you had to take risks, sure, but by and large, keep knowledge to those who need to know. You can’t always trust who you think you can. Similarly to D’rorah, Kerridon had had his own strict instructors as he grew up. His father, of course, and then his mother and grandfather before that, but also others. People who were found by his parents whom they thought would be beneficial to his and his sister’s learning. Language teachers, martial arts instructors... assassins. Everything they thought would bend their children to the purpose in life dictated by them. The main problem being, that although they had similar purposes – for them to fight in the Shadow Wars – it was for different sides. Which was what caused the huge conflict that resulted in their divorce. It had been almost instantaneous, and the only reason his mother gained custody was because she had the initiative first to take them and disappear. And then when his father caught up with them again, he somehow managed to erase all the morals Kerridon had been taught and completely switch his view of the war. He wasn’t entirely sure how it had been done... but it was only now that he was coming to see that it had actually happened. He wondered how different the training at the monastery would be. Just as harsh? Probably not, he guessed, although he could be wrong. D’rorah had pointed out herself that just because they were lightfighters, did not make them merciful. He nodded yet again as she mentioned it would be safer, guessing that the place would have plenty of security. He had no idea where it actually was except for the country, and China was a big place. He had very little knowledge of the place, and that just made him want to go all the more to discover what it was like. And as she said that she did not believe any of the parents knew too much about their children’s involvement, it seemed that perhaps his idea might work. ”How difficult would it be to fabricate a school trip over the holidays, that would not be found out at a lie – or at least, not found out until after the return?” he asked, thinking through more details now he thought it might be a viable option. If they were told it was a privately organised trip, then correspondence could be sent to a private address, rather than Hogwarts – and that the trip was being funded, so it would not have to be paid for. Although he had observed on several occasions what a family dynamic was supposed to be like, he wasn’t certain whether the parents of other lightfighters would buy the story. He also didn’t know how school correspondence really worked, having never been subject to it himself. He had no problem with deceit to get the results needed, so long as he was certain it was foolproof. Similarly to D’rorah, Kerridon had been taught to blend in... just never in a muggle environment. The simple explanation – his parents had both been pureblood, with the traditional belief that they were better than other, muggle-related wizards and witches. Somehow that belief had escaped being passed onto him; he had an idea that it might be because he had been so indoctrinated with other things, that aspect kind of slipped past. But he supposed that if D’rorah had travelled on aeroplanes as often as it sounded she had, then they couldn’t be quite as bad as he feared. ”How many of the others can apparate? Any?” he asked as an afterthought, wondering if it would actually be possible for everyone to travel with at least one person who could if they were unable. When she asked how he communicated with Dark Phoenix, his right hand twitched a little at the wrist, where a bracelet was resting. Beneath it, on his skin, there were a few faded white lines indented slightly, circling the joint from past use of the bracelet – scars, from when he had taken too long. He paused for a moment before bringing his arm around and moving his sleeve out of the way so it was clearly visible. It was a thin, black leather cord made up of two strands with silver studs placed at intervals, with a clasp at the back and spiral on the opposite side. ”This is how. If she wishes to contact me, this starts to burn. It gets hotter until I can get to a private place and mentally contact her,” he explained, turning his arm so she could see both sides before withdrawing it and letting his sleeve drop back over it. ”There is no specific place I have to go, just somewhere silent, with no nearby people to interrupt – my physical self or the mental connection and conversation. If I just tell her I am travelling... that I will be moving around a lot... then she will know not to send anyone to either of my home residences, which she might do otherwise.” It might actually be possible to deceive her... but he would need to be very careful. One ounce of suspicion form Dark Phoenix and he would be in dire trouble. ”It would depend on the mission,” he stated slowly, thinking. ”Except sometimes I do not know the nature of the mission until after I am in the Shadow Realm for the full briefing. So I would need a method to let you know what was happening without disappearing from where I am supposed to be. Mental communication would be heard.”
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 7, 2008 0:11:31 GMT -5
”How difficult would it be to fabricate a school trip over the holidays, that would not be found out at a lie – or at least, not found out until after the return?”
"[blue]I suppose it would be a possibility,[/blue]" she replied thoughtfully. The idea had crossed her mind, but she had dismissed it as being crazy. The success would depend on the parents not attempting to contact the school about the trip. "[blue]As long as the Headmistress does not know... there is a possibility of success in that plan. It will take time to organize.[/blue]" She wondered how difficult it would be to keep news of the trip from Caira. One wrong word from any of the parents and the younger students would be unable to return the following year. Several of the Lightfighters, D'rorah included would be finishing their education this year... but the others would want to return the next fall.
"[blue]I do not know which of the others can apparate. I would imagine that those who are old enough are able. The younger Lightfighters would need to be accompanied.[/blue]" She thought for several moments of who would be going. There were Caitlin, Wysteria, Keaira, Susan, and D'rorah... all of the Shadow Warriors. And then Zane, Kerridon, Bryan, Dylan. Dylan she knew could not apparate; even being taken in a side-along apparition had been horribly disorienting for him. "[blue]Actually... as I remember you and I are the only ones who are old enough to legally apparate. Miss Edwin was as well, though I am not certain she will still be able to do so. Perhaps for those who cannot apparate and are not inclined to use an airplane, we will simply have to find another mode of transportation... train, boat... the transportation itself should pose little problem.[/blue]"
As she listened to Kerridon describe how Dark Phoenix contact him, she supposed she wasn't surprised. It only made sense that she would choose a sadistic way to get the attention of her followers. She certainly wasn't known for her kindness or compassion. In fact, she noticed a few scars on Kerridon's wrist, obviously from when he had taken too long to answer the summons from his mistress. "[blue]A quiet place will be easily enough found while we are in China. We will make Master Xiu aware of your situation so that you will have a place to go in the event you are summoned.[/blue]"
The issue of him contacting her with the details of his missions would be a more difficult one to solve. Indeed, Dark Phoenix would most likely notice any mental contact traveling out of the Shadow Realm... and Kerridon's disappearance after a briefing would be far too suspicious to risk. "[blue]Perhaps we can enchant an object to allow communication. I will search for a suitable enchantment in the library.[/blue]"
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Kerridon Paradox
Ravenclaw
[blue]6th Year Ravenclaw[/blue]
One loss locked me in the heart of misery... but you had the key to set me free
Posts: 317
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Post by Kerridon Paradox on Dec 11, 2008 8:08:30 GMT -5
Kerridon nodded when D’rorah replied that it would be a possibility to fabricate. But certainly, it would require a lot of organisation and control to prevent it being discovered. If Caira did find out then it would all too easy for her to discover which students had gone to China, thus identifying all the lightfighters…something invaluable to her and Dark Phoenix, but disastrous for everyone else. Even if she only came across a few names, that would still be bad. And if his name was among those that was discovered, that ended his short period of time as a counter-spy before he had done all that much at all.
From what he knew of the identities of the other lightfighters, none of them were much older than him, if any apart from D’rorah. But even so, they might still have the knowledge of how to apparate, just as he had before he turned seventeen. But then, they would all probably have that so-called magical ‘trace’ on them, which his parents had somehow avoided being placed on him. That had in turn allowed him much more freedom when it came to performing magic than a lot of other young wizards and witches during his childhood.
His musings on the others’ ages were confirmed by D’rorah a moment later, followed by a sentence that made him freeze in surprise. He still listened to the rest of what she said, with the random thought that perhaps a train would be better than aeroplane – it stayed on the ground, for one thing, and still went quite fast from what he understood. But as soon as she paused, he spoke up quickly. ”Miss Edwin? What do you mean, ‘still able to do so’? She is dead, is she not?” he questioned rapidly. Dark Phoenix had gloated for quite a while after that successful mission, as with all the other lightfighters’ deaths when she heard of them. But Wysteria especially, she had seen that as a marvellous success. There was no way to avoid news of the Shadow Warrior of Fire’s death.
Once again he nodded his head in confirmation that he understood what she was saying, still a little dazed and not replying to that. To the next comment, though, he could add his input. ”It cannot be anything too noticeable, and the enchantments would need to be very subtle to avoid detection. Another bracelet or similar item would be too obvious. But a similar enchantment would work.”
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 13, 2008 21:56:47 GMT -5
D'rorah could see Kerridon's shock as she mentioned Wysteria. He went nearly as still as the undead himself. Apparently even Dark Phoenix herself had been under the impression that Wysteria had been killed by the Shadow Vampires who had attacked her. It would make sense... D'rorah supposed it was highly unlikely that anyone else would have survived such an ordeal. Perhaps the one thing which had kept Wysteria from succumbing to death was her own abilities as a Shadow Warrior coupled with the fact that she had already been mostly vampire, genetically. "[blue]In a manner of speaking, she is not technically alive...[/blue]" she replied in response to Kerridon's shocked question. "[blue]Certainly she came close enough to death. Even the informants for the Order of Light were certain she had died. The assured me of it. She was not completely dead though. She has come back to us, but as a vampire. She returned to the Forbidden Forest some time ago, but did not wish to return to Hogwarts for obvious reasons. She is back, and remarkably in control of her appetites.[/blue]"
Moving on from the subject to the issue of communication for Kerridon while he was in China, she nodded slightly as he remarked that they would not be able to use anything too noticeable. "[blue]We will find something suitable. Of that I am certain.[/blue]" It would be a challenge. Whatever they used would have to be common enough that Kerridon's possession of it would arouse no suspicion. As she sat thinking about it, D'rorah could see the glow of the coming sunrise. Likely, the first rays of light would peak over the treetops within a few hours. And then, as if one cue, a light dusting of snowflakes appeared along with the winter winds. It would likely snow for a good portion of the day today. "[blue]Perhaps we should return to the common room. The early risers will be waking soon.[/blue]" Unmentioned was the fact that sunlight still had a tendency to bother D'rorah's eyes and her pale, ashen skin. That was, it seemed, yet another inconvenience caused by her brushes with corruption.
Rising from her seated position, D'rorah faced the oncoming glow, her eyes narrowing slightly in anticipatory discomfort. This was yet another reason that she preferred the dim light of the Library to working anywhere else. Of course, if she intended to carry through with her goal of spending more time with the other Lightfighters, it was a discomfort she would have to get over. Jumping lightly into the air, she transfigured into ther sparrow form and disappeared through the window, landing quietly on the floor of the astronomy tower, human once again.
{ooc: I suppose Kerridon should follow and then Susan can post in, or vice versa, whichever works for you guys.}
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Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
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Post by Susan Matthews on Dec 13, 2008 23:48:16 GMT -5
(I’m aware that time doesn’t pass correctly in my post . . . I wasn’t sure how to fix it either, so I hope this is alright =/)
Dealing with death wasn’t something Susan was overly accustomed to. She had found it difficult to sleep the rest of that night (or maybe it had been the morning?) after they had been released from their lightfighter meeting called because of Alessandro. Even his name, without the memory of his face conjured next to it, left her closing her eyes in pain. She found it extremely difficult to imagine their school, their war, their world without that fifth year Ravenclaw. As she managed to think the three word adjective, another boy matching the phrase came to mind as well and she opened her eyes instantly.
The night regarding Alessandro had seemed distant, and anytime spent with Dylan longer still. She wondered momentarily in her free time of the next day if any of the others had heard from him recently and she felt she would know if this were true. Making up her mind, Susan made it her goal to find Dylan this evening. It wasn’t really late yet, but the sky was darkening quickly and it wouldn’t be long until curfew, so she left the Gryffindor dormitory immediately, deciding on the various places she would try to look for her Elemental Master.
On the seventh floor corridor, she looked quickly in the direction of the astronomy tower before choosing to go down to the sixth floor instead. She would come back if she needed to, but knowing that particular tower to be a favorite spot of Zane’s she didn’t imagine Dylan would hang around there much. Rushing down the stairs, she decided to stop by the Room of Requirement. It didn’t take long to bring the door to appear before entering to check their room, the Earth Room. With one quick glance it was evident that Dylan was not there and also that neither had been there in a while.
Afraid to stay much longer, Susan took one deep breath, marveling as always at the calming effect the room seemed to have on her before leaving the ever useful room to continue her search. She would wander the fourth floor, check the library, and even venture down to the elf kitchens before remembering the quidditch pitch. It was true that Dylan was a huge quidditch fan as well as a player himself. Susan left the school from the optimum exit, tucking her hands into her pockets as she hurriedly hiked out to the pitch.
Never liking quidditch much herself, Susan felt anything but comfortable as she walked alone out onto the nearly empty field. At the far corner, a small group chucked a quaffle back and forth, trying to get in their fun before the sun would set and signal the time for curfew to send them all back to the castle. Frowning, Susan scanned the skies hoping to see Dylan soaring in her direction, or any direction at all even. The fading sunlight and chilling night breeze led Susan to turn around and head back toward the castle.
As she turned, however, her eyes caught on a small rip in one of the tent like stands. Surely something like that would have been fixed, Susan wondered and approached curiously, intending to mend the coarse fabric herself, meaning only to do so because she was capable. She had just about given up on finding Dylan, assuming he had himself locked away in the Ravenclaw dormitory for reasons unknown to her. Coming closer, Susan was suddenly aware of the strange marks in the ground, obvious places were the grass had been pulled up in resistance. Reaching the rip, she could see in the little light left of the day that a broom had been hastily shoved under the structure.
Moving to her knees, Susan reached blindly, managing to retrieve the bottom half of a broom she recognized. Seeing, but not understanding, Susan reached again, pulling out the other half. She sat dumbly for a moment, trying to match the splintered ends of Dylan’s broom before the final meaning of what she had found came down upon her and Dylan’s absence was suddenly oppressively evident. Suddenly in a rush quite unlike before, Susan needed to tell somebody, anybody.
She swallowed roughly, attempting to keep her doubts and fears from reaching too far into her conscience. Each half in one hand, Susan nearly ran toward the school. Once inside, she wasn’t sure which way to go. She volleyed for a moment, and decided it best not to loiter long in the lobby with a broken broom. Time had passed quickly as she walked slowly to nowhere. Not quite sure where she was going, she headed up opposite from where she had been headed earlier, possibly back tracking, maybe in the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room, and maybe someplace else all together.
Reaching the top of the stairs that gave her entrance to the seventh floor, Susan slowed considerably, staring curiously at the broom in her hands. As she walked subconsciously in the direction of her common room, wearing a perplexing look on her face as she uselessly tried to touch the two ends of the broom together in a way that matched. Standing in front of the portrait that waited for her password, movement at the side of her vision attracted her to turn her head slightly. A moth eaten banner had flapped lightly in the wind. She found herself looking down the corridor that somewhere in the back of her head, she knew led to the astronomy tower.
Without making the conscious decision to do so, Susan was soon climbing the stairs of the astronomy tower and before long had reached the top. At the sight of D’rorah, Susan nearly fell over. She recognized the boy beside her, recalling him from various classes and associated him with the note D’rorah had given her awhile back; he was one of them. Susan didn’t think on what she should have done now, she felt her lip trembling and she looked down at the broom pieces in her hands. It was feat that she had kept it together this long as all the realizations finally made sense to her in a way that was far from comforting. “D’rorah—Dee—” she pleaded, nearly sobbing. Her vision blurred and it became a great achievement to remain standing. “Dylan,” she sobbed, unable to say any more for the moment due to the uncomfortable maelstrom of thoughts and the churning that suddenly occupied her stomach.
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Kerridon Paradox
Ravenclaw
[blue]6th Year Ravenclaw[/blue]
One loss locked me in the heart of misery... but you had the key to set me free
Posts: 317
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Post by Kerridon Paradox on Dec 16, 2008 18:53:54 GMT -5
Still a little dazed at this sudden piece of information, Kerridon realised as such and quickly went about smoothing his creased brow. There was time enough to process that and clear his head later, now he needed to listen to what was being said. A vampire... that was certainly unexpected. But did explain the reported death, because technically, she was dead. Just not in the traditional sense... ”Does Caira know of her reappearance yet?” he asked. Either way, he would have to report the news to Dark Phoenix as soon as Wysteria came into the public eye. Which would not be pleasant if Caira had not already done so... in fact, whether she already knew or not, it was not going to be pleasant.
When the sunrise began to peek over the edge of the trees, Kerridon’s subconscious picked out D’rorah’s narrowing eyes and stored it away, but it was not so obvious that he knowingly picked up on it. The snow caught his attention too and he glanced up at the sky, seeing the snowflakes come floating down as they regularly did this time of year from the white-grey clouds above, heavy with what was to come. He rose as D’rorah did, but unable to transfigure as she could, he returned to the wall he had climbed up to start with and hauled himself over the edge.
Climbing down was easier than it had been going up and soon enough he could swing back onto the floor of the astronomy tower next to where he had left his book and notes before. D’rorah was of course, already there. Flying was certainly quicker than climbing. Once again he was reminded of the advantages of being an animagus, and made a note to begin looking at the process the next time he had a free moment long enough to head to the library. The curses on his books and notes were removed with a wave of his hand and he placed the items in his bag.
He had barely taken a step in the direction of the door when it was opened from the other side. He tensed visibly from the surprise but recognised the girl as a student when she came in further. A moment later he saw that it was Susan Matthews – a Gryffindor he hadn’t officially met before, but knew to be one of the lightfighters. In her hands were the remnants of a broom that apparently held some significance, judging by how a moment later she dissolved into tears. He just caught Dylan’s name before she became incomprehensible and he turned his head to D’rorah, watching for her reaction. Before she had been saying how she was worried about him, now apparently worse had come to pass.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 20, 2008 23:24:19 GMT -5
”Does Caira know of her reappearance yet?”
"[blue]She does not,[/blue]" replied D'rorah simply.
She waited for several moments as Kerridon quickly made his way down into the room of the Astronomy Tower, thinking of the day that lay ahead. Hearing someone approach as Kerridon gathered his things, D'rorah tensed. Realizing before the door opened that it was Susan... a very distraught Susan, D'rorah waited quietly for the door to open. Her eyes immediately took in Susan's appearance. And she was, as D'rorah had felt, quite upset... D'rorah's face moved from her face to the mangled broom in her hands as Susan choked out first her name and then Dylan's.
"[blue]Oh...[/blue]" she said. Really, it was more breathed than said. D'rorah felt suddenly as though she had been punched squarely in the stomach. It took a moment before she realized that she felt breathless because she'd forgotten to breathe. Gathering all of her mental energies, she spread out her awareness as far as she could, pushing until she'd covered the entire campus and reaching out into the village of Hogsmeade. "[blue]He is nowhere near the school[/blue]" she breathed quietly as she reached the limit of her range. Without a specific idea of where he was, she could go no further. Her exhaustion teamed up with the shock and her sudden mental effort and caused her to stagger slightly before she recovered herself and her balance.
Her immediate impulse was to run off in search of him, to blindly rush off t othe rescue. However, her years of training and mental discipline kicked in to keep her from doing anything rash. It wouldn't help anyone to run off by herself now and get herself killed. But this shock was too much for even her strictly disciplined mind to maintain perfect composure. Before she even realized she was doing it, her hands were clasped firmly on Susan's shoulders and she was nearly shaking her as she questioned. "[blue]Where was the broom? Where did you last know him to be?[/blue]" She didn't even give time for Susan to open her mouth before she demanded again, "[blue]Where?![/blue]" Coming to her senses, a horrified look quickly dawned across her face. She removed her hands from Susan, looking at them for a moment in confusion before returning her gaze to the girl in front of her. "[blue]Oh Susan... I apologize. I... I was...[/blue]"
Her gaze dropped to her feet as she forced herself to take two deep and slow breaths to gather her thoughts. When she looked up again, her face had regained its stony composure. Her heartbreak aside, they would have a much bigger problem if they lost Dylan--they would be down yet another Elemental Master. Suddenly D'rorah wanted to flog herself mercilessly for not pushing Dylan harder to train and fight... to defend himself. Certainly, he had the physical strength from years of blacksmithing with his stepfather, he could have been a formidable opponent. But he had never been one for being physically violent, even in self defense. The guilt was crushing, almost as crushing as the loss itself... but the Lightfighters needed their leader. And Dylan needed her to be level-headed and sure-footed now more than ever if she hoped to find him. This time when she spoke, her words were cool and emotionless. "[blue]We will find him,[/blue]" she said, the words a solemn vow. She could feel her emotional core shutting down, closing in on itself until she felt almost dead inside and the only thing left was determination that she would find out what had happened to the man she loved, whatever it was.
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Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
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Post by Susan Matthews on Dec 24, 2008 21:30:03 GMT -5
She didn’t know what she had expected of D’rorah. It hadn’t occurred to her what she might say or do, Susan was only positive that telling D’rorah was the first step in solving the issue. She flinched inwardly at the name she’d given it, “issue.” Was it an incident? A Kidnapping? Disappearance? She swallowed roughly, Death? Susan quickly dismissed the last from her thoughts. Of course she would know if something like that had happened. Then again, it had only occurred to her that he was missing when she went looking for him.
D’rorah’s initial response was anything but comforting. Susan wanted to hear her laugh and tell her that Dylan was on a trip, a vacation maybe. Maybe he was off in China learning as they all must eventually. She wanted to be told that she was silly and that this wasn’t Dylan’s broom at all and only one that was similar. She had hoped D’rorah would tell her that Dylan was there a moment before and had recently retired to the Ravenclaw Common Room.
However, D’rorah next words proved none of the above. He is nowhere near the school. Susan’s heart dropped as her worst fears were affirmed. D’rorah’s stagger went unnoticed by Susan as she herself was struggling to recover from all that had been recently revealed. She sniffled slightly, focusing all of her current energy on keeping her composure, only to be startled by D’rorah’s sudden grasping hands. She flinched in response to the fierce pressure focused on her shoulders and harsh questions.
When at first she couldn’t respond D’rorah demanded once more and in surprise the two parts of the broom fell from her hands to clatter to the stone floor of the tower. Her eyes fell to the floor with the broom through D’rorah’s apology and she was released. “By the Quidditch Pitch,” she said with some struggle, rubbing her temples with her now free hands. “It was shoved under the stands,” she continued, stopping to gather the pieces of the broken broom once more, cradling them in her arms. “There were marks in the field, not more than a couple days old,” she explained vacantly, still avoiding looking at D’rorah, and nearly forgetting about the other Ravenclaw present.
She only faced D’rorah when she promised Dylan would be found. “You think so?” Susan asked with a little hope in her voice, trying to believe it is much as D’rorah had in her last statement. She didn’t know exactly how it had felt when the others had each in turn lost their previous Elemental Masters, but Susan could recall Caitlin’s pain in class the one day and now she was reminded of Keaira’s harsh demeanor and D’rorah’s cold one. She looked Dylan’s broom over, wondering if it could be mended and hoping that one day he would be able to ride it again.
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Kerridon Paradox
Ravenclaw
[blue]6th Year Ravenclaw[/blue]
One loss locked me in the heart of misery... but you had the key to set me free
Posts: 317
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Post by Kerridon Paradox on Dec 27, 2008 21:32:50 GMT -5
Kerridon nodded his acknowledgment that Caira did not already know. That meant that so long as he should have no idea, he could avoid informing Dark Phoenix of Wysteria’s presence. He did not want to be the first to tell her, at all. Hopefully if she returned to the student populace, then the headmistress would find out first. Although returning to Hogwarts normality could be an issue in itself with the fact that she would have certain... dietary needs that the school would not normally provide for.
D’rorah was shocked when Dylan’s name was spoken – that much was not too difficult to work out. He pondered the words, “nowhere near the school” for a few moments. He had heard of no mission involving a kidnapping or assassination of a lightfighter, and surely he would have been informed? He was in the prime position to carry out such a mission, unless there were others in the school who could do such a thing and not raise suspicion... Were there other lightfighters, who might not be so ‘light’ as their title was supposed to entail? He had not truly considered that idea beforehand, but if it were true, then it could turn out to be disastrous. If an ‘ally’ was not so, then they could effectively pick off every Elemental Master, every Shadow Warrior, one by one. His own changed allegiance would become known as well. He was struck with unease as the apparent vulnerability of his new chosen side became perceptible once more. If one of Dark Phoenix’s minions turned against her, as he had, then they could not do much damage. Vice versa, however...
The stagger wasn’t expected, but before he could snap out of his thoughts and reach out to steady her she had done so herself, and quickly stepped forward to clutch at Susan’s shoulders. The moment she began shaking the younger girl, however, he did take his own step forward and place a hand lightly on her own shoulder, gently tugging her away as if to bring her back down to earth, and her normal, composed self. He kept it gentle because in this state, he didn’t want to trigger any instinctual reactions to someone trying to force her to do something. He had no illusions about how she might react to sudden actions.
He wasn’t convinced she even felt the extra pressure but at least she did let go and apologise. He slipped his hand down surreptitiously, watching the proceedings carefully but not interfering now he thought D’rorah had more control of herself.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 28, 2008 0:51:17 GMT -5
[red]“You think so?”[/red]
"[blue]I will find him,[/blue]" D'rorah repeated. Even now, she was afraid she wouldn't like what she found. What would she do without Dylan? How many times had he been the only hope she had clung to when all the world seemed to be falling down around her? How many times had she promised herself that one day, when this was all over, they would finally have time together untroubled by the problems of this war? Even though she had known there was a possibility that something might happen to either of them, she had never really allowed herself to entertain the notion of what would happen in the event that something actually did happen.
"[blue]Perhaps fortune will smile upon us and we will find he has only been removed from the school by his mother...[/blue]" she suggested quietly, hardly allowing herself to hope that the answer could be so simple. "[blue]But then, that offers no explanation of why his broom was found broken,[/blue]" she reminded herself. She needed to do something... anything. But then, if she were to ask Astraeus about Dylan's whereabouts, she would likely only worry the woman if Dylan wasn't with her. And if he was with her, Astraeus probably wouldn't answer her, probably wouldn't even tell Dylan that she had written.
She knew that Susan had hoped D'rorah could offer some true hope, could make things better or at least take decisive action. But faced with this loss, she found herself struggling to be D'rorah Philosophy. She needed to know the truth, and yet was almost afraid to find out what that truth might be. "[blue]Miss Ma... Susan, please write Astraeus Cooper and enquire as to whether she has removed her son from the school. She will not answer the letter if it comes from me. I will write my contacts with the Order of Light so that a search may be mounted for Dylan. Hopefully they will find him quickly.[/blue]" D'rorah breathed deeply. "[blue]I am certain you were hoping I could provide more positive news, but at this time I simply have none to give. I will call upon every resource at my disposal within the Order to locate him. As soon as it is light out, I will venture to the quidditch pitch myself to see if there is any further evidence to be gathered. If you feel any strange sensation, receive anything you think might be a communication from him, please tell me immediately.[/blue]"
D'rorah reached into her pocket and extracted a small silver knut. "[blue]If you find anything, or if you need to contact me, scratch this knut three times and I will know.[/blue]" She turned to face Kerridon. "[blue]If you hear anything, no matter how small, please let me know,[/blue]" she asked, fighting with herself to keep her voice even. She wanted to break down, wanted the luxury of unleashing the emotions that were raging inside her at the moment, but she knew such a loss of mental control could be dangerous for her as a telepath... and could be dangerous for those around her as well. There was no telling the mental havoc she could wreak if she allowed her emotional barriers to come crashing down... and, losing control would do nothing to help Dylan. Already, she was beginning to feel as though a large part of her had died. The empty hole she had felt as a result of Dylan's absence now seemed to be ringed with decay which was quickly rotting away the very core of her being. Was this heartbreak? All she knew was that she felt suddenly like ice, the last remnants of sporadic warmth having drained from her. Though she could not see it, her eyes had a peculiar deadness inside them backlit by a fire of determination. Her skin was cool to the touch, and it seemed that even more color had drained from her already pale features. In that moment, she looked years beyond eighteen... she felt as though she had aged a decade in only the past few minutes. Could she fight without Dylan? Was there any point? And how much more could she take now that she already felt broken?
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Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
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Post by Susan Matthews on Jan 2, 2009 22:40:57 GMT -5
Susan nodded weakly as D’rorah repeated herself sounding confident in the fact that Dylan would be found. Susan did her best to believe it too, but it was difficult and she couldn’t seem to remove the nervous twisting in her stomach that had begun when she’d found the broom earlier. Susan glanced up quickly at D’rorah’s revelation that it was a possibility that Dylan may be with his family. It seemed hardly practical that he had been removed, and yet the very same thing had occurred to Alessandro not long ago. Susan frowned as she was reminded of her reason for finding Dylan in the first place today. Alessandro’s death was still a tender subject in Susan’s thoughts and on top of Dylan’s disappearance it was only worse. As D’rorah continued her train of thought, expounding on the fact that if Dylan had been removed by his mother, then his broom would not be left broken on the quidditch pitch. “Maybe it was stolen?” Susan imagined a rogue Slytherin breaking into the storage to take a broom to joy ride, only to accidentally break it and leave it lying on the pitch, pushed under the bleachers; the marks in the ground left by the fall and the foot steps the scoundrel had taken as he escorted himself to the hospital wing. Even as it occurred to her, she knew the idea was far fetched, and yet she couldn’t help but hold on to the possibility.
D’rorah held Susan’s attention once more as her name was spoken with some difficulty. Susan agreed to follow her suggestion in writing to Dylan’s mother. Susan had never met Mrs. Cooper and furthermore could not fathom why she would not respond to a letter from D’rorah, but Susan did not ask questions. She only nodded, promising to do as she asked, eager to participate in anything that might ensure Dylan was safe. Susan continued to listen, slightly ashamed that she had put so much trust in D’rorah to assume that she would know all of the answers. However, she found hope in the fact that D’rorah would be doing all that she could as well to find Dylan. As the Ravenclaw mentioned a strange sensation that might be apparent, Susan’s heart began to race, knowing that this was the pain that she would experience if Dylan was indeed lost to them. She swallowed roughly, a hundred questions forming in her head and before she could speak any of them, one was answered as D’rorah handed her a charmed knut. The two pieces of the broom cradled in one arm, Susan took the coin and held it between the fingers of her right hand. She turned the object slowly in her fingers, listening to D’rorah’s instructions and watching as the silver caught was little light was available in the tower and glistening before turning dark again as shadow fell upon it.
Susan placed the coin in her pocket for safe keeping and turned to look at the two older Ravenclaws in front of her. Her heart raced and her stomach churned and her eyes welled but not tears escaped as Susan was able to put a name to feeling within her. “I’m afraid,” she confided in the two before her, trembling slightly as she placed her other arm around the pieces in her arms. Susan looked up one last time, trying to be strong as she resolved to go back to her dorm to write the letter to woman who was all but a stranger to her, hoping that she would return a letter with news of her son and their Elemental Master of Earth. With nothing else to say, Susan turned back the way she had come to descend the stairs of the Astronomy Tower and to head in the direction the Gryffindor common room before she would later enter the owlery, equipped with a letter that she would attach to a borrowed school owl, whom she hoped would return promptly. Susan sighed audibly, filled with an emotion of fearful dismay
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