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Post by Wysteria Edwin on Dec 4, 2008 20:51:38 GMT -5
Wysteria raised a single eyebrow at Caitlin's question about her living arrangements. She had not known Caitlin too well before she was mortal, but she recalled her being more shy and less inquisitive. She gazed at the girl for a few long seconds. Caitlin's pale skin and blue eyes gave her the look of a beautiful but naive girl...the Hufflepuff badge didn't do much to counteract that appearance (Wysteria knew her own house's prejudices well). But she knew that Mallan, Dee's and her Elemental Master, killed himself and the death had a serious impact on her. Funny how the same grave events had such different impacts on the group of Lightfigters sitting before Wysteria. Caitlin carried herself the same as before...at least what Wyst could remember. She had a similarly blunt manner of speaking, although the words came out as quick blurt as if Caitlin was afraid she'd lose her nerve an not speak her mind if she waited to long.
"The Forbidden Forest," she said simply, before turning her head and looking at the young Ravenclaw girl who hadn't spoken a word since her arrival. Wysteria had never seen her before, and had the sudden urge to find out exactly who she was and why she was there. After a moment though, Wyst realized that if the girl was not invited Dee would have noticed immediately. The vampire was so accustomed to looking after only herself that relinquishing power and authority to other people was difficult to master.
Wyst moved her gaze to the older Gryffindor boy. From D'rorah's updates about the status of their group, Wysteria was able to discern that his person must be Bryan, the new Elemental Master of Wind for D'rorah. He looked uncomfortable; his body was moving and twitching as if he wanted to appear at ease but was unable to do so and therefore made himself stand out. But these movements were so small mortals could not detect them, so Wysteria had the feeling that continuing to stare at him because of his odd behavior might come off as rude. She moved her eyes to the door, hoping to see Dylan enter next rather than Zane or Keaira.
That was not the case, however, as she followed the movements of the Keaira and Zane as they took their places at the table. Wysteria smelled something on their skin..and it made her sick to her stomach. The water had washed off most of the evidence, but she did smell arousal and crinkled her nose at the sensation. She turned just enough to meet Zee's eyes at the sound of his greeting.
"You stink," she said, before looking back to D'rorah. "Will Dylan be arriving? Or do we still not know his whereabouts?" Wysteria asked, with little concern in her voice. The arrival of Keaira and Zane caused a shift in her thought process and she became very focused on conducting to meeting as quickly and efficiently as possible. She did not want to stay any longer in a room filled with the scent dried blood of Keaira and Zee's attraction any more than necessary.
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Post by Katherine Knightswood on Dec 4, 2008 21:47:06 GMT -5
Katherine was brought up short by the older Gryffindor’s wand suddenly being leveled at her. A wave of grief snapped her out of her shock, and Katherine blinked as she realized it wasn’t her grief. Was it Susan’s then? Katherine blinked, confused. Susan’s next question confounded her even further. And then more people started arriving, flustering her further. Katherine looked at the older student with an almost pleading expression. “I honestly don’t know. I couldn’t sleep tonight and I went out to the Common Room, and then I felt . . . I just knew that I had to come here, although I don’t know why.”
She looked around, noting the wary looks the others were casting her way. Katherine sighed as she lowered her wand and then tucked it back into her sleeve. The girl brushed her wrecked hair out of her face. First her parents and Nana being killed by whatever Darkness was out there, and now her Housemates were dying. Gods. She swallowed hard. She watched the others take their seats, not knowing where to stand or sit herself. “I - I think I might be one of your youngest allies. They killed my family after I started helping Dylan translate things, but I think my family was fighting them.”
Katherine looked around at the table, seeing signs and symbols on the chairs. “Is there any place I could sit?” The young Ravenclaw was looking decidedly pale and she was shivering, despite the warm wool robe she was wrapped up in. She gave the icy pale girl another curious look. Despite the fact that the young woman was with D’rorah, everyone was reacting with varying degrees of shock or surprise to her presence. And she didn’t – well, didn’t Feel right. Such icy calm wasn’t normal for a teenaged witch, was it? She couldn’t tell.
Katherine waited, her eyes shifting around the table. Everyone was so churned up inside, like a cauldron stirred too hard and too fast. Fear and anger and sadness warred for dominance. It made Katherine feel sick to her stomach, and she swallowed a few times. She vowed to get a draught for her stomach out of her supplies in her trunk when this was all over. In the meantime, she would have to work on dealing with all this emotion assailing her mind. Katherine pictured a room in her head, shoved all the emotions into it, and slammed the mental door. Immediately her stomach settled a bit, and she sighed. “What can I do?” she asked, looking around at the assembled Lightfighters.
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Zane Lucifer Bishop
Slytherin
[green]6th Year Slytherin[/green] Elemental Master of Metal
You people all have to learn. This world is going to burn.
Posts: 483
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Post by Zane Lucifer Bishop on Dec 6, 2008 13:51:22 GMT -5
"You stink."
Says the walking parasitic corpse that's been running about the forest for months.
Zee literally bit down on his tongue to keep the biting rebuttal from escaping his lips. Her curt reply had indeed given him cause to be unfriendly in return, but he had already uttered rather harsh words to one Shadow Warrior tonight. It would be best not to do the same with another. He instead had the notion to bite down slightly harder on his tongue to draw a small amount of blood and then subtly blow in Wysteria's direction. That idea was dismissed out of hand however. Not only would it be exceedingly petty, it could prove catastrophic to his health. The vampire was dangerous and in such close quarters he would have no chance to bring up any kind of defense if she decided she wanted him dead. Glancing over his shoulder to the door leading to his elemental room, he wondered if it mightn't be wise to step in there and summon enough silver to cover his body, just in case.
The young Ravenclaw girl's voice distracted him though. Zee almost suggested she sit in Alessandro's spot, commenting on how he wouldn't be needing it anymore.
Dammit, stop!
Zee was growing tired of all his efforts at being "good" being hindered by his viciously cruel thoughts. Ignoring the young girl as he didn't trust himself to actually say anything helpful if he responded, he turned his gaze back to Wysteria. For a moment he thought how his unease at her presence and knowledge that if he set her off she might simply kill him was likely similar to how one or more of the lightfighters had viewed him, perhaps how they still did. His words came out in the same tone he'd used before.
"I doubt any would agree, unless you spoke figuratively. Then you may have your supporters."
Deciding it best not to push his luck any further, Zee also turned his attention back to D'rorah. He too wanted to hear the story of Dylan's absence and was a little relieved someone else had brought it up. If indeed the Master of Earth was not coming, then they were all there and it seemed to naturally fall to D'rorah to call the meeting to order.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 6, 2008 17:29:07 GMT -5
D'rorah allowed Wysteria to address the others as she entered the room, shaking her head ever so slightly as she warned them against making her angry. She had filled her promise to Wysteria in not telling the others that she had become a vampire... even though she hadn't been entirely certain of the wisdom of keeping the information of them. "[blue]They are coming,[/blue]" she replied simply as Wysteria asked where the others were. As her eyes swept the room, she noted Katherine's presence and the bewildered reactions to Wysteria... some because they were finding out that she was actually alive and others at the sight of a vampire in their midst. For the moment, she remained silent. It would be best to explain things once everyone was assembled.
As Zane and Keaira entered, she stood and glanced around the room, thinking everyone should be present. [blue]Please, let us be civil to one another,[/blue]" she remarked calmly, directing the words to Zane and Wysteria in light of their verbal exchange. Her eyes fell to the empty chair for the Elemental Master of Earth and moved next to Susan, questioning, just as Wysteria asked when Dylan would be arriving. She couldn't fathom that he would actually take out any irritation he had with her by publicly shunning a meeting they had all been called to.
[blue]Miss Knightswood, please take my chair,[/blue]" she said, pulling her attention from Dylan's empty place with some difficulty. The girl was obviously a bit emotionally distraught and tired... and really looked as though she might fall over at any moment. She turned her attention back to Susan, closing her eyes for a moment as she reached out her mind to search for Dylan and found... nothing. Her jaw tensed slightly. He had never been much of an occlumens... and it seemed very wrong that she couldn't find even a trace of him in the castle. But then, if he really wished to avoid her, it was not wholly impossible that he had found some way of acheiving success in doing so. "[blue]Miss Matthews... I trust you have roused Mister Cooper and that his arrival is imminent?[/blue]" Even as she asked, she knew that Susan had been unable to locate him as well... her heartbeat quickened ever so slightly. Dylan had always been somewhat emotional... but keeping himself away from the group like this seemed unlike him.
Whatever was happening, everyone else was assembled. She had no solid reason to suspect anything was the matter with Dylan other than that he was angry with her... and if that were the case, that was something she would prefer to deal with privately anyway. Moving into the center of the circle, she raised her voice over the other sounds in the room. [blue]I am certain you all have many questions and I would like to provide what answers I am able...[/blue]" As she spoke, she allowed her stance to shift slightly so that she briefly met the eyes of each person assembled. It was not ideal to have to move as she spoke, but the circular arrangement of the chairs meant that she would either have to move or would be keeping her back to half the room as she spoke. "[blue]First, I would like to introduce to our group young Katherine Knightswood. Mister Cooper has had her assisting with translations from my library, and thus she has come within our circle of protection. Her family members, whom I have sound reason to believe were affiliated with the Order of Light, were recently killed by what we believe were agents of Dark Phoenix.[/blue]" She inclined her head slightly toward Katherine. "[blue]Though it seems to be highly dysfunctional Katherine, we hope you will find some solace in the company of what you may consider your new family if you wish, gathered here this evening.[/blue]" Her eyes moved next to Wysteria where they paused for a moment before briefly continuing to move about the room. "[blue]Also, several of you were already acquainted with Wysteria Edwin. News of her death, apparently, was mis-stated. The Order's source of information had thought her to be dead. I apologize for not informing you all sooner of her return, but Miss Edwin required some time to sort through her own thoughts on the matter. I apologize for the omission, but we believed it was necessary at the time.[/blue]"
She steeled herself as she continued, her facial expression becoming slightly more grave. "[blue]I have asked you all here this evening for the purpose of informing you of the apparent death of our Elemental Master of Fire, Alessandro Darko. He will be sadly missed by those of us who knew him...[/blue]" she trailed off for a moment, her eyes closing briefly as she mastered her own emotions and pushed her grief aside. "[blue]In light of his death, we must all consider how best to carry on. The absence of any Elemental Master is an issue of concern for us all. Now, more than ever, we must begin working to band together. I speak of our group as a family for many reasons... and I am worried that we have not, thus far, been able to come together as a cohesive unit. While we are all here tonight, I believe it is necessary to decide several things. First, we must decide how to move forward in light of Alessandro's death and how we will find the new Elemental Master of Fire. Also, I believe it would be wise to make arrangements for all of us to journey together to China after the school year has ended for training with Master Xiu and his monks. Third...[/blue]" she paused slightly, only missing half a beat before continuing. "[blue]My abilities as a leader have been called into question. As I have no wish to force anyone to follow my leadership, I would like to open the matter for discussion. I will say that, no matter what we decide, it is absolutely imperative that we find a way to move together as a group.[/blue]"
She paused, taking a deep breath. "[blue]Our power as Lightfighters... no, let me begin again. Most of you know the legends... the powers of Elemental Light were broken among ten Lighfighters by Yin--an Elemental Master and Shadow Warrior for each element. Yang, however, placed all of the abilities of darkness within his one player, the Shadow Mage. Yin knew the value of teamwork... the special power that manifests whenever a group of people learn to work together despite their differences. Every one of us in this room has strengths and weaknesses which are invaluable to this group. We are the guardians of balance for this realm. In every realm where Lightfighters were victorious, it was because they were able to come together, despite their differences and despite the seemingly insurmountable difficulties they faced. In other realms where this did not happen, the Mage was victorious... and those realms have become infested with a darkness so complete that they are now hollows of ruin and decay where only Shadows and Wraiths may survive. As long as there is even one Lightfighter left alive, there is someone to fight... there is a chance of victory... we have the sparks of Light within us which keep eternal darkness from shadowing our world. And so, as my last official act as your unofficial leader, I implore you all,[/blue]" and indeed, by this point, an imploring look had come into D'rorah's eyes. This was time for emotion, if there was no other. This battle was the driving force in her life... and she didn't want to face the prospect of losing. Something had to pull them all together, because if it didn't they were all doomed to death along with this world and everything in it. "[blue]I implore you all to see the people gathered here as your family. And even though you may not always agree with everyone, or you may not always like everyone, we around bound together by our duty and by our common goal of survival. If we cannot come together, we cannot prevail. We must put aside all of our old differences and animosities... otherwise everything we have struggled for, and everything we have lost thus far will be meaningless. I know that I do not seem like a particularly caring person... I am typically cold and stern... but every single one of you has value, and every single one of you is important to me. If I seem harsh, it is because I can see that you are falling short of your own potential... I want you to find the best you have within yourself. And I want all of us, when this is over, to go on to lead long and fulfilling lives.[/blue]" She paused taking a deep breath, lowering her head. "[blue]Take the time to know the people you are fighting with. The people in this room are your surrogate family now... and we must come together.[/blue]"
After a few moments, she looked up again, her face once again having taken on its customary mask of emotionless composure. "[blue]I open the floor now to anyone who wishes to speak.[/blue]" Stepping from the center of the circle, she went to stand behind the chair that Katherine now occupied, one hand resting on Bryan's shoulder and the other on Katherine's shoulder as she waited to see who would speak.
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Zane Lucifer Bishop
Slytherin
[green]6th Year Slytherin[/green] Elemental Master of Metal
You people all have to learn. This world is going to burn.
Posts: 483
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Post by Zane Lucifer Bishop on Dec 7, 2008 7:25:05 GMT -5
Irritation tinging his thoughts, Zee's eyes narrowed imperceptibly as he regarded D'rorah. Once more he felt the subtle chiding she'd leveled his way was unjustified, though how unfair her earlier reprimand at his hateful thoughts towards Alessandro had been was less clear to him now. Whatever excuses he made, the notion had been unacceptable, as was obvious to him now that he had calmed down. Still, she must have seen what other options had been laid before him in response to the vampire's impoliteness. Before she continued he sent a quiet, stubborn, and slightly dejected thought her way.
"That was civil."
Zee's head cocked to one side curiously as D'rorah gave up her seat for the Knightswood girl. It seemed illogical to him; there were a few empty seats already. Was she showing respect to the missing Elemental Masters by leaving their seats unoccupied until they could fill them? It was a notion he could somewhat understand and appreciate. Still, her selflessness was something very foreign to his way of thinking. Also curious was the revelation that D'rorah did not in fact know where Dylan was. He had begun to suspect she had sent her lover of sorts off on some secret assignment and thus he was unable to attend their impromptu gathering, but now . . .
Leaning forward in his seat, Zee listened intently as D'rorah spoke. He was glad that at least one of his assumptions had been correct; D'rorah did know who the young girl was and why she was there. His eyes drifted over the girl once more as she was addressed. The growing tension he'd felt concerning his parents' safety spiked slightly but was quickly contained.They would have to stay imperiused for their own protection, perhaps until the end of the war. Perhaps longer.
A bitter smile found its way to his lips as D'rorah spoke of Wysteria's reported demise. Zee would never forget the day he'd received that news, nor the assurances that it was valid. Keeping his face forward, his eyes flickered over to the vampire on his right and softened considerably. Nostalgic was not the best word to describe him, but still Zee thought for a moment on all his meetings with her atop the astronomy tower, back when she had still had a pulse. He dwelt on the excitement he'd felt at any opportunity to see her, an excitement more intense than anything he'd felt before besides the thrill of a helpless victim. Eyes shifting to his left to take in his Shadow Warrior, Zee blew a quiet sigh. Things had been so much easier when he'd cared about no one but himself.
At the awaited mention of Alessandro's death, Zee's head bowed. It was not truly a gesture of reverence, though it could have easily been taken as such. In actual fact, when D'rorah stated how the Master of Fire would be missed by those who knew him, somewhere in the back of his mind there had been a derisive snicker. Zee's head fell not in sorrow, but in shame. His jaw clenched and his teeth ground together as he gazed at the table before him.
I hate you.
You are me.
Unable to summon an argument against that, Zee pointedly turned his eyes and focus back to D'rorah. He again listened as she spoke, several of her statements causing him a tiny wince that none likely saw. Particularly, her mention of his and Keaira's questioning of her leadership abilities pained him. It seemed at every turn he disappointed himself in some way. His eyes were drawn to each of the gathered lightfighters in turn as they were spoken of as family. They rested for a moment on Caitlin, whom he had somewhat considered a little sister who needed protecting, but had lately simply grown increasingly aggravated with. Again he sighed.
D'rorah's display of emotion had surprised him. She typically kept her feelings locked away so tightly that even with their tainted mental connection he could not often tell they were there. It had been moving for certain, and Zee's pride didn't want to follow that dramatic speech. His pride really didn't like what he had in mind at all however, so he did his best to just ignore it. As the face he recognized came back to D'rorah and she moved from the circle, he stood up, more slowly than was typical for him. He spoke calmly, partially trying to emulate their leader. He did not however take the center of the circle, instead merely standing at his place at the table. He did take a step back so he could include the Shadow Warriors on either side of him. His eyes roamed the faces around him, never staying long on any set of eyes.
"While I don't disagree that we could all use further knowledge and training in the way of light, I have to urge caution in the whole group of us publicly visiting the monastery. It would serve to give Caira something she's been striving for all year; the identities of those lightfighters who remain anonymous to her. More families would be put in danger."
Zee thought of his own parents, still blissfully imperiused. They were safe enough simply because the headmistress knew of the events that had led up to Zee's arrival at the school. To her knowledge, killing his parents would be doing him a favor. So long as that belief remained, they were safe. Probably.
"You speak D'rorah, of the unrest and lack of cooperation that has been the norm within our group. I think I can rightly claim responsibility for a large slice of that particular pie. I owe at least half the people in this room an apology. Several actually. I've heard it said that when you apologize to someone, all you're doing is reminding them of whatever you did to piss them off. Given however how recent many of my transgressions have been, I don't think there's much risk of that. I won't say that I didn't mean to hurt those I did. That would be a lie on potentially every count. I am regretful of those actions, and D'rorah is correct. If we don't move past our differences, whatever injustices we've suffered will seem petty things indeed beside the eternal destruction of our entire existence. I am sorry for all my harsh words and malicious actions. I hope a day comes when I'll not need to repeat that."
He ended his sentence with a short look to Keaira, his tone more optimistic than the look in his eyes. From there he looked directly at the other lightfighter standing at the table.
"As for your leadership D'rorah, I don't believe anyone here, when completely rational and not having an overwhelming emotional response . . ."
Here he cleared his throat.
". . . can think there any better option than to have you continue in the role that has fallen to you. You are the best trained, the most knowledgeable of our war. You have debateably lost the most. Despite the near constant calamities that assail our group from one side or another, you've remained the anchor at the center. I do not believe there to be anything else to say on the matter. We need you."
Zee sat back down, scooting his seat back in and folding his hands on the table. Not quite done though, he continued.
"I'm not sure what can be done to hasten our discovery of the next Elemental Master of Fire, but it seems for whatever reason, those destined to arise as such are drawn to this school and tend to be students. The last four at least, myself included, have been teenagers. It's entirely feasible that he has already become an Elemental Master and is asleep in his dorm, dreaming of fire. I suggest those of us with telepathic capabilities lessen their barriers to see if any male student has got flames on his mind. The rest of us should just pay attention to anything remotely unusual concerning fire. Given the destructive nature of the Element, it would be wise to find this boy and explain things to him before he accidentally ignites the school, or worse yet, before Caira does."
Zee cast a quick glance to his right.
"Also care should be taken in introducing the boy to his Shadow Warrior. Some people are . . . uncomfortable around vampires."
Though he hid it well, Zee was one of those people to a degree. Power had ever been what he craved and what he respected. Knowing that the slender girl sitting beside him could lift him off his feet and throw him through a wall without really exerting herself, and that she could do it before he had time to blink twice, made him a little nervous, and a little envious.
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Dec 8, 2008 16:49:20 GMT -5
A chill in the room made Caitlin shiver slightly and she huddled her arms closer to herself, eyes still on Wysteria as she tried to process this new revelation. A hint of a smile curled one corner of her lips as it got through that the Shadow Warrior of Fire was alive. Well, not technically. She still must have gone through quite an ordeal to have become a vampire. But she wasn’t gone. She was still there, talking like everyone else. The action of smiling felt a little odd to her – she hadn’t really, properly smiled for a valid reason that wasn’t just an act in so long, and with Alessandro’s death hardly seemed appropriate; and thought of that soon wiped it clean away. But still, there was a lightness in her eyes as a result of Wysteria being there. One less loss; one less cause for sadness.
At the vampire’s raised eyebrow Caity became a little more hesitant, thinking perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything after all. She did hardly know Wysteria... her curiosity had just gotten the better of her. But a moment later a reply did come – the Forbidden Forest. A tiny wince formed on her face before fading again at the thought of living in that place. Not realising that the vampire could see the smallest of motions anyway, she nodded to disguise the grimace as it cleared.
She heard and saw Katherine’s speech and actions but paid little attention, still focussed on Wysteria. A moment later Zee and Keaira arrived, snatching her attention away momentarily. Keaira sat one seat away, the chair in between belonging to whomever the Elemental Master of Water was, with Zane on the other side of her. She averted her eyes from the pair, knowing she wasn’t in the popular books of either right now just for being who she was. She didn’t intend to say a lot in this meeting, not wanting to get shot down again by either of them – or anyone else for that matter.
She said nothing at the short bickering between Zane and Wysteria, just listening silently until D’rorah intervened. Then she turned her attention again to the leader of the lightfighters, not knowing that this matter would be called into question soon enough. A moment later Dylan’s location was questioned and a nagging worry started up. So no one knew where he was – D’rorah had not been able to contact him either. She hadn’t seen him in a while, although granted she hadn’t been paying much attention to her surroundings.
She dropped her eyes when the murder of Katherine’s family was mentioned, but the description of the other lightfighters as a dysfunctional family made them rise again to glance about slowly. She met Zee’s eyes for a moment but quickly looked away when she saw him sigh and retreated inwards a little more, gazing at the floor with her ears open to what was being said. News of her death... mis-stated... The words echoed in her head. That was one huge mis-statement to make. She didn’t much care about not being informed sooner, but that Wysteria’s death had been wrong to start with was a big issue to her. What had made them think that? Missing, wouldn’t that have been more accurate if they couldn’t find her? Rather than just making the assumption that she was dead? It wasn’t as if they could have found her corpse, so how could they have thought for sure she was dead?
Cait’s eyes widened a little at the idea of going to China for the summer. That was completely unexpected, and mostly unwanted. Of course it would mean she wouldn’t have to deal with her parents over the holidays, but even so, she didn’t want to go to that place! Then there was the matter that there was absolutely no way her parents would let her go. They’d forbidden her to go anywhere near the place where that boy their daughter had mentioned had killed himself while training for this war. It had been one of the conditions of her coming back to Hogwarts, that she never go there. But biting her lip a little, she said nothing about that for now, a frown of confusion appearing at the next subject. Dee’s leadership skills called into question? Why? And who else was going to lead? Who said that? she thought rapidly to herself, but not allowing herself to speak any of it.
As Dee made her final monologue about teamwork, Caity’s head dropped to stare at her feet again, some shame coming through in her expression. Granted, she wasn’t purposely picking arguments... but with so many people apparently disagreeing with her core beliefs and trying to change them for the sake of this war, it was difficult. Perhaps she really was just being stubborn... maybe she should just get on with fighting and forget everything she ever believed. It would make it easier... was that what D’rorah meant? She didn’t seem to want friends... she had Dylan for that. She said they were all important to her, but as what? Fighters? If that was so, then Caitlin was certainly falling very short of her “potential”. But the idea of fighting someone, another person, with the clear intention to harm, or kill, was simply repulsive to her. She didn’t think she could actually just ignore that.
When Zee rose, Caity didn’t raise her eyes with him and so didn’t see as his gaze circled the lightfighters. She felt a hint of relief when Zee spoke against a public visit to China, but still she said nothing when he apologised to the collective group for his actions, nor did she visibly acknowledge it apart from bending her head a little more. She wasn’t deliberately ignoring what he had said – she just had no idea of how to respond to it.
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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 8, 2008 17:49:28 GMT -5
Upon hearing the uncomfortably formal use of her last name, Susan reluctantly allowed her eyes to focus before turning her head slightly to face D’rorah. She new the question was coming before it had been uttered. Dylan’s absence had been questioned nearly three times, the empty chair beside her the gaping evidence, adding to the guilt she felt at the pit of her stomach next to the grief.
As D’rorah completed her inquisition, it occurred to Susan that something was off. She had been blindly trusting for D’rorah to supply all the answers. Her thoughts gently scattered, dreading what sort of incident had caused him to be so disconnected. Had their joining even worked? Susan doubted herself, for she remembered the very relevant reason for manifesting their connection in the first place. Subconsciously she found her eyes moving quickly to Zane. Her knuckles became white as her grip on the chair beneath her intensified. Of course it wasn’t him. She reminded her self of their conversation in the astronomy tower and recalled the forgiveness she’d granted him.
She chewed her bottom lip, analyzing the possible reasons for Dylan’s nonattendance and coming up with nothing relevant or helpful. Returning her eyes back to D’rorah she parted her lips slightly, intending to supply an excuse, only to fall short as she saw a sort of recognition on her face. Instead Susan found her self moving her head in a noncommittal gesture and releasing her grip on the chair, only to flex her fingers and return them to their place, grasping the structure.
At her introduction, Susan assessed Katherine, the strange young girl who was now a part of their group. In another circumstance she might have been able to think more about the distraught first year, however as it had been brought up, all Susan could think about was how long ago Katherine had seen Dylan. She had been working with him after all. Only after the subject had passed did Susan realize that her thoughts were useless if she didn’t really intend to speak them, and she began to follow D’rorah direction once more.
As the suggestion that they all travel to China this summer was brought to attention, Susan couldn’t help but glance quickly at Caitlin to see her reaction. From what she had been through with Mallan, China didn’t seem to be the ideal vacation place for her. There seemed to be little change in her outward expression though and she said nothing as the subject came and went and Susan allowed her eyes to return D’rorah as she spoke. Thinking about it, Susan decided she didn’t mind traveling to China, especially if it meant delaying a trip to home.
She followed D’rorah’s words and couldn’t help but feel they were an excuse or apology of sorts, although Susan could find no reason for them. The fact that they all need to stick together had been brought up several times and was once again enforced by D’rorah, but Susan was only half listening, still imagining what China would be like and how they all intended to get there as a group without rousing suspicion.
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Post by Keaira O'Connell on Dec 9, 2008 10:29:14 GMT -5
She moved into Zane’s personal space, invading it like she owned it, which she sometimes though she might in fact, and inhaled deeply, Savoring each scent as it passed through her nostrils and sent signals to her brain letting her know that she was enjoying the sensation very much. She sighed contently and closed her eyes for a mere seconds before opening them again, slightly unfocused.
“Hummm, he smells wonderful to me, pity you can’t seem to appreciate that….”
Well, at least, that’s what she wanted to do, with every cell in her body she wanted to lavishly show her affection for Zane, yet, a nagging part of her brain pushed at her. Vampires are not known for their ability to hold their self control while in a room filled with the scent of blood and betrayal. Instead she stayed mostly still, and merely placed her hand gently on top of Zane’s, and laced her fingers into his. In a movement that would barely be perceived by humans, she did however, take a deeper breath. A small smirk crossed her features both as she compared Zane’s initial mental response to Wysteria with her own, and as she realized that she really did love how he smelt.
Of course since she was paying attention to what was on Zane’s mind, she caught his thought that Alessandro wouldn’t need his chair. In response, she tightened her hand around his, and dug her nails ever so lightly into the back of his hand, nowhere near drawing blood, just simply as a reminder that she was privy to his thoughts, and that was not appreciated. Although, Keaira very nearly suggested Katherine to sit in the elemental master of waters seat… after all no one knew who he was, so no one would get upset, except maybe Caitlin, but it wouldn’t be like Keaira had offered up Mallan’s spot…
When the matter of Dylan’s absence was brought into light, Keaira couldn’t help but wonder something. Of all the pairs in the room, did she and Zane have the best mental connection? It sure seemed that way. She couldn’t see not knowing where Zane was at any given time if she really needed, or wanted him. The idea that Dylan could be in the castle, and yet neither Susan nor Dee could contact him, seemed outlandish to her. Perhaps if she was Dylan’s friend she might have put forth the effort to seek out his mind, and find him, but she wasn’t really friends with Dylan, and that meant his mind was as foreign to her as many of the others in the school. He would just fall under the waves of the others unless she wanted to actually focus the last of her energy on finding him…which she didn’t. Dee could deal with him later. The fact that Susan couldn’t find Dylan did however shout one thing to Keaira. As a pair, they were weak. If they couldn’t mentally find each other in the castle, how good would they be in a battle?
When introductions were being made of Katherine, Keaira merely nodded. She knew who the young girl was, in fact she even knew what type of a fighter she was, at least when it came to sparing. They had shared an afternoon of going back and forth a while back, and Keaira had to admit, that for an eleven year old, she wasn’t half bad. Dee, as usual, didn’t linger on any one subject, deciding to first and foremost; to give the group an overview of what needed to be covered. Yet once that was done, she pressed her issue, the one she wanted them all to walk away with. The fact that the group of them needed to join together and actually be a team, a unit, a family. Keaira’s eyes drifted from one person to another, taking in each set of eyes that gazed back at her. This was not her family, well most of them weren’t; she wasn’t so sure about Zane. He was such a part of her life that he had definitely made the transition to someone she cared about like her own family. The rest of them were family in only one way…she didn’t choose them.
Her eyes drifted back to Zane as he stood up and took a step back. She loosened her grip on him before he ever moved, and so when he stood her hand remained on her lap, and there wasn’t any bit of a break in his movement. She considered his thoughts on each matter before many in the group even heard the words. Some of which she agreed with, others she simply wanted to chastise him for, yet, that was mostly due to her desire to simply lash out at something right that second. His reasoning against training as a group was sound, and Keaira wholeheartedly agreed with him on that point, knowing that it would risk a lot for some of them to go there. She felt the slight tension that the thought of his own parents brought him, knowing that that tension was far from mind just a short while ago when he had mentally suggested going to his house for supplies before who knew where. That however was a conversation in a more private local, and was thus stored away for future examination.
When he paused for a moment, and allowed for shared second of interaction with her, Keaira had to work had to suppress the frown that she wanted to reveal to the group as a whole. She saw into his thoughts and knew he revealed more in that second to her than he had all night. First came the notion that as much as he wanted and hoped for the others to forgive him, he held little in the belief that they would. Then just meant for her was the small battle he held within him, how he fought with that part of him that wanted to control things, that wanted power, and the part of him that wanted her. Such conflict, such hatred, a battle he raged against every day. It saddened her, knowing that he hated himself with such a passion, when she could see all the reasons for him not to. Then the fact that so many of their supposed family hated him just as much, it torn through her leaving her heart is ribbons around her. Perhaps it hurt her to such an extent because she knew that they knew nothing, and yet, they held that nothing against him, like a hot iron to his skin.
When the conversation progressed to D’rorah as their leader, Keaira listened intently to Zane’s response. True, Dee was probably the best choice for them as a whole. True, had Keaira not just jumped out of a window after Alessandro’s falling body she probably would never have questioned Dee’s leadership. True D’rorah had the most knowledge. However. Had she truly lost the most out of them? Was she really the best trained? Did they need her? Did she need her? Those answers were far less clear. How did you really weigh how much each of them had lost? As far as Keaira knew she had been the only one to kill another. Part of her very soul was ruptured from the rest of her. Yet D’rorah had lost her entire family…. As had Katherine. But Keaira had watched her friend and partner be tortured and killed in front of her, yes not as traumatic as her family, but still…..But then again…. Then again what? Did it really matter? What could she think of that didn’t sound petty in her own mind? Keaira had been to train in China, that would not be anything new for her… and she had continued that training when she returned. At least once a week she was in this very room practicing something…something. Whether it was swords, chants, or swords, she always practiced. Besides, what good was a leader, if they couldn’t work as a unit anyway? And Keaira doubted very much that they could ever really be a team.
When Zane began to talk of finding the next elemental master of fire, Keaira tuned him out for the most part, knowing that she would not do it. AS he spoke she found herself staring across him, looking at D’rorah, and slowly her eyes moved to Wysteria, and there for several long moments, until Zane finished, they stayed. The three of them now had something in common; they could all claim to have lost their anchor, the one that had held them together when the need to fight arose. Keaira had felt it with Dien, D’rorah with Mallan, and Mordred, and now Wysteria with Alessandro… Alessandro was gone… gone…Her eyes remained on Wysteria for a few more seconds as she began to talk, but slowly she drifted to Zane, and then Dee.
“No. I don’t think we should do that now. Yes it might be best to find him soon, but not tonight. Aside from the fact that there could be any number of males dreaming of fire, from my own personal experience I know what it feels like to lose your elemental master and have him replaced in a matter of moments. So unless Wysteria wants us to go searching for Alessandro’s replacement now, I won’t do it. And D’rorah… I was harsh earlier. Although I stand with my previous statement that you don’t always stop to examine how we are, and you, yourself are cold, and detached from your emotions. That being said, you do tend to hold us together, and you have a lot of the answers we need. But really if you can’t empathize with what the people in our group are going through, how do you intend to help us through it? We need someone strong and knowledgeable, which you are, but we also need someone compassionate, who will look out for out emotional well being, and not someone who will act cold and detached in times like these. Show some heart, and at least, try to understand how much Alessandro’s death will hurt us all emotionally, before you start worrying about our chances as lightfighters. We are human first…. well, for the most part, and warriors second.”
She paused and glanced about to the gathered people around them. She knew that most of them could recall spending afternoons with Alessandro, whether it was a picnic by the lake where Wysteria shared her bountiful fruit collection, or in the gardens where four of them had a consult about a pair of yellow shoes. Classes, Masquerades, late night rendezvous in the kitchens. They all shared moments with Alessandro, at least, she knew she did… And Dee treated his death like it happened to a stranger and not someone they all knew and most called friend. Keaira had once risked her life to save him, something she wouldn’t do for just anyone.
I think we should worry more about what should we do… I mean the 8 of us can’t be walking around tomorrow morning Alessandro’s death, because the rest of the school will have known nothing about it. We will need to keep our grief to ourselves, unless we are alone. Tomorrow we need to pretend that none of this happened…. If Dylan was here I would say he should be the one to bring up the fact that Alessandro wasn’t in his bed tomorrow morning, but instead we will have to wait until someone else notices him gone. I can ask around tomorrow to spark a bit of questions, ask if anyone has seen him and the like. Aside from that, I want to let you all know that I will be headed out of the area for a weekend. I’m bringing what I have of Alessandro’s ashes to someplace I know he would like. No one will talk me out of it, and I’ll be leaving as soon as the opportunity presents itself. A weekend should be enough time.”
She had thought of simply requesting a weekend to see her parents, or maybe to see Zane’s that would be easier to arrange, of course he would go with her, or at least she felt pretty certain that he wouldn’t let her travel out of the country alone… so many things could go wrong. This was something that she needed to do; Alessandro would want to be at the place he went to be at peace. When the rest of his life was going crazy, and he needed time to clear his head he thought of that meadow…and that’s where she would go.
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Post by Wysteria Edwin on Dec 9, 2008 16:42:57 GMT -5
Wysteria raised her eyebrow slightly as D'rorah spoke of the group of Lightfighters being a family, or at least caring for each other as one. The memory of her mortal family was fading...becoming more of a vague image everyday and less of a connection to her past. Her father would most likely never see her again since his ignorance of her vampiric turn was the only ting keeping him alive. She hung her head slightly at this thought as D'rorah continued to speak about joining together; her previous life was harder to recall as each day went by, and the more she tried to think about her older memories the further away they slipped. She knew this happened to all vampires who were turned, but most had the memories fade within the first few hours. This was to ease the transition, so the new life would not be as hard to adjust to. She noticed the change after about a month, most likely due to the fact that her genes were previously more vampire than human.
Wysteria stared ahead silently as Zane took his turn in speaking his mind. His apology seemed flat to her; full of sincere embarrassment at his actions but without empathy. Her eyes widened at the suggestion of finding a new Elemental Master...tonight. The very idea struck her as wrong right from the start: could her soul handle such a jolt? Zane didn't seem to concerned about that, most likely afraid of her going balistic on him and ripping out his throat if he didn't have a anchor. She let out a small, dry cough of a laugh as this thought crossed her mind as she wasn't completely sure she was incapable of that act if pushed.
Ironically to her, Wysteria found herself agreeing with Keaira's statement about finding a new Elemental Master of Fire tonight. She breathed a small sigh of relief that at least one person would not want to make that trek this evening. She was always happy to hear her apologize to D'rorah for her idiotic outburst earlier that evening. However, the idea that those in the group needed emotional leadership appeared odd to her. Wysteria had gone through much on her own and appeared to come out on the other side just fine. As she thought this her, eyes flicked over to Caitlin, who looked to frightened or unsure of herself to speak. She saw everyone's eyes widen at the thought of going to China to train. Wysteria grimaced as she realized that fighting and death were not common to most people or most of the Lightfighters. But still...emotional support? It sounded like Keaira wanted someone to coddle them, or a grief counselor. Wyst rolled her eyes bit, wondering who the hell could hear about everyone's ordeals without being a major security risk. She half expected Keaira to suggest herself being a therapist for the whole group.
Yeah, THAT would go well for me, she thought dryly.
When Keaira suggested taking Alessandro's ashes and not telling anyone where they would be going, Wyst pursed her lips in discomfort. She opened her mouth a small amount to protest, but then closed it as her eyes caught a glimmer of her ash-rock necklace. She had her piece of her Elemental Master, and looking at it simply made her feel better. Wyst had most of the ashes, remembered the way Darko would want to be: pretty and out for everyone to admire. A smile caught the edge of her mouth.
But as a draft swept through the small room, the smell of dried blood and warm skin caught her nose rather strongly. She let out an awkward half-sneeze, half-cough and slammed her hands on the table quickly to prevent herself from leaping up. Fangs peeked beneath her top lip as she closed her eyes and forced the blue to turn back a normal green. Wyst froze, literally not moving a single muscle. The kind of silent stillness that only the undead can possess, but took years to master and remain that way for long periods of time. She took a long breath in, a conscious effort to look more human than corpse to the others. She hadn't wanted to kill or hurt anyone in particular, it was an involuntary reaction to her knowledge and stopped herself the moment she realized her body was moving and her mouth had started to salivate.
Without looking up, she said quietly, "I apologize. I have not had an inappropriate reaction in front of humans since being turned. I...I do not need to feed, in fact I am quite full. The stress of this evening and my own feelings of being out of place caused that. It was an unforseen reaction to a few smells in this very small room, not intended to cause harm. I'll chose not to breath anymore, and that will prevent another outburst."
She paused, feeling her teeth return to normal and her eyes once again fading to a dark green. Looking up, she braced herself for horrified reactions and tried not to look too guilty. "I agree with Keaira; obviously I have been stretched a bit tonight and would not like to push my luck. Obviously a vampire is a difficult thing to join with in the wee hours of the morning." Her eyes briefly went to Zane, her eyes expressionless.
"Emotional support may be needed for some, but I think that could come more from the group being available for each other if needed. I do not believe bringing someone in for that reason and letting them know all our secrets is necessary. But I do think everyone going to China for training is necessary. If this is done over the summer, alibis might be easier to come by. But it might be best too do this sooner rather than later. Illness, internships...there are many excuses one can make for being absent from school."
She drummed her fingernails at a fiery pace, trying to work out the phrasing of her next statement. She had seen the orb taken by Keaira, and knew it belonged in her own possession. But she was not sure if her request would make her sound argumentative. At first she intended to address D'rorah, not wanting to speaking to Keaira directly. But after Dee's speech about trying to come together, Wyst rethought her approach and decided to ask Keaira herself.
"Keaira," she said, turning her head to look at the shadow warrior, "I need the orb, as I'm sure you understand." She held out her hand, expecting her to give the orb to her immediately or after a small pause.
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Post by Katherine Knightswood on Dec 9, 2008 22:34:54 GMT -5
Katherine sat down gingerly in D’rorah’s chair, and gave a small but quickly checked start of surprise when the older Ravenclaw put a hand on her shoulder. The young girl listened hard to everything said, cautiously using her newly sharpened gift of Feeling what was behind those words. She waited, listening and weighing what she was hearing and what she was sensing against each other. It was a fascinating thing, like trying to listen to music and to conversation at the same time. She focused hard, somehow knowing that this meeting was going to be a turning point in her life here at Hogwarts.
Zee seemed very torn up inside, although his measured speech didn’t reflect that. Katherine looked at him with a bit of surprise, considering that her previous encounters with the older Slytherin hadn’t shown this maturity. She gave him a small smile. Caitlin kept wavering between happy reminiscence and sad musings, no doubt over Alessandro’s death. Katherine empathized with her, her own wounds still fresh. Susan was worrying over some nebulous something, but Katherine couldn’t pin it down, although she got a sense that it involved Dylan, since his face kept coming to mind. Keaira was a strange blend of sadness and rock-solid conviction that strangely enough, reminded Katherine of her Papa.
Wysteria was as unreadable as a block of stone, and that fascinated Katherine. So, this was what a vampire Felt like? It was like leaning up against a mental slab of marble, cold and unyielding. Then there was a sudden flare of a bizarre mix of hunger and rage that nearly made Katherine choke. Katherinejumped as Wysteria slammed her hands down on the table, and then quickly got her breathing back under control. Her heart hammered like a scared rabbit's for a moment, as she slammed her shields back up. What most frightened and fascinated the young woman was that despite the physical contact, she wasn’t picking anything up from D’rorah, even when she lowered those mental walls. Katherine gave a small shake of her head, not even wanting to speculate on what could make her Housemate bottle up herself like that.
Oh, was this little mental talent of hers going to be a handful.
Her attention was brought back to the conversation by Wysteria’s comment on making excuses for absences. Katherine took a deep breath, and voiced something she’d been thinking about for the past week or so. “Why make excuses? If we could bring the teachers we need here, why not do so?" She looked around at the table, letting her gaze rest on each of the Lightfighters present. “If these instructors we need so badly can come here, I’d like to offer my family manor as a training ground. Surely we can make it so that only we can locate it, like the old Order of the Phoenix did with the Black House on Grimmauld Place. And I bet that Professor Archer and Professor O’Neill would help us too.” Katherine bit her lip, and swallowed back tears, continuing in a softer voice. “I think my parents would like to see the manor being used to fight the Mage rather than standing empty. It would be a rather appropriate revenge after all, seeing as she caused their deaths.” Katherine sat back in the chair, having said her piece.
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Zane Lucifer Bishop
Slytherin
[green]6th Year Slytherin[/green] Elemental Master of Metal
You people all have to learn. This world is going to burn.
Posts: 483
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Post by Zane Lucifer Bishop on Dec 10, 2008 1:18:29 GMT -5
Though he hid it well, Zee was dismayed, though not surprised, at the general lack of reaction he received from Wysteria, Susan, and Caitlin. He'd had some very heated encounters with the latter and did not expect to be receiving any open-armed forgiveness from her anytime soon. Susan had already offered him forgiveness, but his sharp eyes had caught the tiny glance she'd thrown his way at the confirmation that Dylan was missing. Her gut reaction about him was still that he was dangerous and suspect. The worst part was that he couldn't fully disagree. The vampire made some kind of sound that Zee couldn't really decipher, but her face was as stoic as ever.
He did however catch what looked to be a small, encouraging smile from the youngest student present. Zee couldn't begin to know the information he had unwittingly imparted to her, and so simply thought that his apology had been accepted by her at least. One corner of his lips barely curled up in response.
Keaira spoke up soon after he grew silent, and Zee's head turned her way. His eyes blinked several times in mild surprise when she so blatantly disagreed with him. In his arrogance he had just assumed she'd go along with what he said, despite that almost never being the case in the past. Her explanation however had him rubbing his chin, a gesture designed to hide the sidelong glance he sent Wysteria. He hadn't considered that. He'd only gone through the bonding procedure once, and given all that had occurred since, it seemed very long ago. He didn't know what kind of strain it would be to lose that connection and then establish it with another all within an hour's time. He felt a little guilty for not having accounted for Wysteria's feelings in his recommendation.
But then he could hardly know what Wysteria's feelings were. Keaira's he knew intimately, so long as he took the time to examine them rather than make assumptions. D'rorah too he could get a fairly accurate sense of, in those rare occasions when any emotion came through at all. Caitlin and Susan he lacked the connection with, but both were fairly easy to read, being both honest and innocent. They seemed to usually just say what they were thinking. Wysteria used to do that, so much that she could come off as insulting at times. The night they had met she had inadvertently compared him to Lord Voldemort. Now though she was impossible to read. Her words alone gave any clue to her thoughts, and Zee knew better than most how deceptive words could be.
Speaking of, he kept his expression (and his thoughts) neutral as Keaira explained her primary concern with D'rorah as a leader. While Zee honestly cared about Keaira's feelings and was trying to about the others', the notion of what sounded like group therapy was ridiculous to him. The way he saw it, D'rorah was right on that count. While her stern response to his lapse in constructive thoughts had caused him to lash out quite viciously at her, he doubted that a pat on the head and gentle reminder to be nice would have done him much good. Part of what he'd been trying to explain to Caitlin was that they needed to be warriors first, humans second. Their chances of victory would be much greater that way.
Keaira's comment about them being human "for the most part" nearly made him wince. He knew whom she was referring to, but in his own mind he held as little humanity as any of them. He wasn't ready to say as much aloud however. Regardless, his focus was brought fully back to the room as his Shadow Warrior declared her intent to take the ashes somewhere. Curious where that somewhere might be, Zee took a look inside her head. He saw the meadow, but didn't understand the context, and it didn't really tell him much. His slightl frustration at that was cut short as the loud slam from directly to his right had him spinning in his seat to face whatever threat was now there.
A second later Zee was facing Wysteria, his chair having turned to face hers with the force of his spin. His left arm was out defensively before him while his right was cocked back as if he were ready to throw a punch that would have been rather ineffectual against a vampire. Or would have been were it not for the thin silver spike that protruded forth from his fist. In the time it had taken for him to turn, Cait's prefect badge had reacted to his self preservation instincts and detached itself from her robes and flew past Keaira to his waiting hand, reshaping itself as it went into a simple hand grip and spike, an extremely simplified version of one of his bladed gauntlets.
Zee was very relieved that Wysteria's eyes were closed as the image of him ready to drive a silver spike through her would not likely have been overly calming. In truth he hadn't consciously prepared the action and doubted he would have followed through with it, his self preservation drive having taken over in the sudden rush of adrenaline. Quickly he returned the shiny metal object to it's original form and turns his chair back to the table, sliding the badge back to Caitlin with an apologetic grimace. He doubted very much she would be comfortable wearing the thing any more.
Running one hand over his face, Zee tried to slow his breathing as Wysteria explained her predatory reaction. Her words sounded like they were designed to calm and reassure them all, but again he couldn't help but think how he had no way of knowing what her actual thoughts were. He had turned words to his advantage many times. Was she doing that now? He couldn't be sure. Of course he knew Wysteria would never do that. Honesty was what she had been all about. That and loyalty. The second thought once more sent a pang of guilt through him. He'd not been very loyal. Or hadn't he? What hadn't he been loyal to? Her body? He was increasingly convinced that was the only part of this creature that was still his Wysteria. And even that had changed.
Somewhere during that thought process his eyes had turned back to the Shadow Warrior of Fire, and his head had followed. Zee didn't even realize he was staring at her until her eyes flashed briefly to him. They told him nothing, but he couldn't much imagine the thoughts behind those eyes were anything complimentary. Slightly embarrassed, he turned his eyes to once more roam about the gathered faces. These reminiscent thoughts were bringing up nothing but negative emotions in him, so he promptly buried them. He listened absently to what was said, still unconvinced they could all make an intercontinental voyage without arousing suspicion, but not disagreeing that the training was necessary.
His eyes were drawn to Wysteria's open palm as soon as it was presented. Those last words caused him to bite his lip. Zee realized this situation could rapidly take a turn for the worse if he did nothing. He knew, intimately, what the orb of fire meant to Keaira. He could well imagine what it would mean to Wysteria. He was also painfully aware that he still sat directly between the two females. He almost wished he still had Cait's badge. Almost.
Holding up a hand to either side, palm out, hoping he could somehow prevent any rash actions, Zee glanced at Keaira, but didn't leave the vampire out of his sight for more than a second.
"Keaira, she's right. She is the Shadow Warrior of Fire. It's her duty, her right, to guard the orb. I know what it means to you, but please be reasonable. Alessandro was as important to you as he was to anybody, but the simple fact remains that you are the Shadow Warrior of Metal, she is fire. The orb belongs with her."
Zee tried to keep the thought out of his mental communication that if Keaira did not acquiesce, Wysteria just may take the orb by force, an act Keaira may not survive. There were few situations his impressively vivid imagination could conjure that he would enjoy less than such a confrontation. He doubted he even could stop Wysteria at all, certainly not without wounding or killing her. That he didn't believe he could do. Despite the falling out they had undergone and despite it being his decision that had led to it, Zee had still been indescribably joyful at the news that Wysteria was not in fact utterly gone. Could he really be the cause of her reported death actually coming to pass? No. But, to save Keaira . . .
Despite the calm expression he kept, beads of cold sweat began to form along Zee's brow and chest. He didn't even hear Katherine's words.
((So yes Cait, I did assume you had your badge since you'd started out the night patrolling and I dunno when you would've put it away or something between now and then. If you (or anyone else)have any issues with it though, please don't hesitate to metnion them and I'll edit and stuff. Thanks))
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Dec 11, 2008 16:17:47 GMT -5
As she thought about the idea of travelling to China more, Caitlin became a little less absorbed with the talk and expressions around her, not noticing Susan’s glance at her and trying to ignore the other reason why she really did not want to go to that place. It was pretty difficult though, since that was all she really associated China with. Instead she tried to concentrate on the logistical difficulties that would be involved in such a visit, assuring herself that the trip would probably turn out to be impossible anyway. The reassurance wasn’t wholly working though, much to her distress, and her mind kept wandering back to the idea and associated memories.
She raised her eyes and glanced around again with the notion of distracting herself from that, but found her eyes drawn to the empty chairs, and then Bryan’s seat, where other people should be… Any happiness she had felt at seeing Wysteria faded and her expression reformed to grimness. She met Keaira’s eyes when the younger girl looked about after D’rorah’s speech about thinking of the others as family, but something in the Slytherin’s eyes made her uncomfortable and she quickly averted her gaze – she had been sure she had seen outright denial. She didn’t like the other girl, but then, she didn’t much like her parents or oldest brother either, and they were still family. Whether Keaira liked it or not, the fact remained that they were bound together by this common cause… common “fight”. Dislike put aside, they needed to look out for each other, if only to prevent any more death and pain which there was far too much of already.
Finding a new Elemental Master already… she had experienced losing two so far, although neither had been fully linked to her. Gat she had never bonded with, and Mallan had not been of the same element as her. But still, she remembered bonding with Mallan, and what effect that had had on him. Going through that experience so soon after Alessandro’s death might not be the best idea… But then, as she was so frequently reminded, she was not the expert here. Not even close. The others had far more knowledge, they could make that decision. Keaira did appear to agree with her on that matter, she noticed.
But when she started to reply to what Zane had said, Caitlin couldn’t help herself thinking that what was said was more than a little hypocritical. She was saying about how D’rorah was not empathetic enough… so what had she been earlier, when Caity hadn’t truly realised Alessandro’s death? That anger at her, then the coldness – what was that? Hardly warm or compassionate as she was berating D’rorah for not acting like. And what was that about human first, warriors second? Hadn’t Zee been trying to tell her that she needed to be the opposite? She’d been under the impression that the metal pair were in agreement over most things, but now apparently she couldn’t please either of them when they had opposite ideas.
Hiding her grief would not be too much of an effort for her, since she had been doing that since the beginning of the year anyway. If she just let the numbness overtake her for the most part, which was helped along by lack of sleep anyway, and then she could get away somewhere when it got too difficult. Preferably when classes were not on though, since she had already missed plenty when it had been harder to control at the start. She was better at pretending now though. She just hated people seeing her fall apart, and unfortunately more and more people were seeing that this year.
Still a bit caught up in her own thoughts, she was absolutely not expecting Wysteria’s reaction to the dried blood on both her and Susan that hadn’t even occurred to her before now. But after jumping quite violently and spinning her head in the vampire’s direction, she noticed the fangs peeking out and eerie silence. Half a second later, she felt a pull on her jumper and the prefects badge she had been wearing earlier for patrolling came flying off to the other side of the room, caught in Zee’s waiting hand as he spun to face Wysteria. She was on her feet before realising it but even as she did so he appeared to come to his senses and the silver spike was changing back to its original form. She paused as it was slid back across the table and let it lie there for a couple of seconds before picking it up and slipping it into her pocket, an unreadable expression on her face when she sat.
Wyst spoke up and Caity suddenly realised what it was that had prompted the reaction. Glancing at Susan and seeing the dried blood she had left on the Gyrffindor’s shoulder, she winced a little and tucked her own hand back into a pocket to remove the bandage from sight. A little more wary now, she kept her head up and facing everyone else. But then the subject of China came up again and her shoulders dropped a little when Wysteria gave support for the idea of going there... even sooner than Dee had suggested.
The request for the orb from Keaira made Caity tense a little again. Emotions were already running high, and she doubted Keaira would be overly happy with handing over it, even if it did rightfully belong in the hands of the Shadow Warrior of Fire. Zee apparently was thinking on similar lines as he raised his hands to both sides. Having seen Wysteria’s instinctual reaction only a few moments before, she was all too aware that this could easily take a turn for the worse. Although she doubted she could get to Keaira fast enough to pull her away if the vampire did get too angry, she placed her feet squarely on the ground so she would have more chance of doing so if that did come to pass. Hopefully the Slytherin would just see the logic and hand it over... hopefully Wysteria would stay in control if she didn’t... but you never knew for certain.
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Post by Bryan Kelley on Dec 11, 2008 22:19:55 GMT -5
For a while the only conversation had been the Shadow Warrior of Fire's answer to the unspoken inquiries as to her whereabouts as it seemed the group were still waiting for the arrival of the remaining participants of their group. Bryan was unsure of who all remained left to come. His eyes stared at the empty seats at the round table, counting five, six if he counted his own as he had yet to take a seat in the chair designated for him, next to D'rorah. So that left the two metals, earth, water, and fire. The group seemed slim looking at the empty chairs, exactly half were filled and left empty at that moment. As he looked at the chairs, he's eyes flittered over the occupants there, for a moment his eyes locked on those of the Shadow Warrior of Fire, as her gaze was directed at him. He blinked in surprise but the gaze quickly shifted and Bryan was left to wonder briefly about it.
Bryan was unable to contemplate this thought further when the door opened and two more people showed up; Zane and Keaira. He had met Zane but he only really knew Keaira by reputation, they had not interacted much aside from the occasional brush in class. As those two took their own designated seats, Bryan felt that it was time he sat as well. He was still not quite comfortable within the group. He felt as if he didn't belong here; he was still so new to all of this. However, he moved to take his own chair as Katherine spoke, asking where she could seat. Bryan was inclined to offer his own place -- he did not feel quite like sitting yet really -- however, D'rorah was quicker than him and offered the young Ravenclaw her own seat. Bryan did not think about this further but seated himself down in the chair designated for the Elemental Master of Wind.
During this little inattention, Bryan missed the small exchange between the Shadow Warrior of Fire and Elemental Master of Metal. He would have found it someone intriguing, unaware of the two's past history. As it was, once Bryan was seated the meeting fell into full swing as D'rorah stood up and approached the middle of the table to speak. He listened in silence as D'rorah spoke, taking in everything she had to say, some of it matching with what he already knew, but much of it being new information for him. Bryan's thoughts gave a small pause when the Wind Shadow Warrior mentioned training in China. His own opinions on it were not quite as clear as many of the others. He saw the wisdom of it, being far from trained himself, but he could also see the trouble of it. Them all going to China, surely that would give someone some pause. Yet, as to himself, Bryan did not shirk from the thought. If it was needed he'd do it; he would figure out something to tell his family.
Family. This had been another issue that the Gryffindor turned over in his mind. Looking at the faces assembled around the table it barely resembled that of a family. Bryan came from a large and loving family, where everyone was close. Yet, Bryan did not see this closeness present within the room. He could see the elements of family however. They had not chosen each other. They either liked one another or they didn't. These were components of a family. One did not love everyone in their family, but one dwelt with them because they were family. Even if they hated the other person's guts when there was trouble they banded together to work that trouble away. This was the part of the family that Bryan saw within the room. They had a common enemy, a common goal, when it arose, when it turned its ugly head their way he could tell that these people were probably not going to turn away. They would fight. If Bryan's own instincts were wrong, then the memories he received from D'rorah upon their joining were not. They would stick together when times became rough. That was the part of a family that truly applied here.
The question of D'rorah's leadership had taken Bryan by surprised and his eyebrows had raised in response to it. He had not been present outside earlier nor had he been apart of this group long enough to even know about the unrest that existed within, but as for leading the group, D'rorah had seemed the best choice. She was stepping up and doing things; she was keeping them in order. But as stated, Bryan had little more to go off of. He could not help but keep his mouth shut through most of what was spoken.
His mind was turning these thoughts over in his mind that he had not noticed when D'rorah left the floor and took her place behind the two wind chairs. Yet he did feel her hand come to rest upon his shoulder. He did not jump but it had caught him slightly off guard. However, instead of doing nothing, Bryan had reached up his own hand and gently squeezed hers that rested on his shoulder before he brought his hand to rest once more on his lap with its pair. What the squeeze was Bryan could not be sure. Was it done in reassurance? Or was it done to show that he was with her, on her side of thing, just that he was there. Bryan was inclined to say it was all of the above. It had just been a natural thing to do.
Whatever the reason, his mind did not dwell on it but instead turned to Zane as he took the floor next. Bryan listened in silence, as Zane voiced one of the major concerns about China before addressing the issue of D'rorah's leadership and moving into a group apology. Bryan did not flinch away from the other boy's gaze as he stared at those assembled. Whether an apology was owed to Bryan or not, he did not hold anything against the Slytherin boy. The two of them were still on good terms as far as giving a label to the relations between them went.
He continued to listen in silence as the topic moved to that of the decease Elemental Master of Fire and when the other possessor of the Metal Element took the floor. He agreed with most of what was said, that any direct search should be delayed, or at least not taken right away. If not for the new Elemental Master's sake then for the memory of their previous one. Emotions were high that night that it was difficult to imagine just shaking away Alessandro's death and moving on to finding the one to take his place, yet that was what essentially needed to happen. Bryan saw it coolly, but then he barely knew the Ravenclaw.
At the loud thud with Wysteria's sudden loss of control, Bryan jumped. It had been unexpected and his eyes had shot to look at the Shadow Warrior of Fire while his hand went unconsciously to his wand, though what he ever imagined to accomplish was unknown to him. Yet, when the Shadow Warrior appeared to reign in her instincts, Bryan's released his hold on his wand, thought he was still tense until the girl had finished speaking. He was not merely tense from the mistrust but also from the surprise of the action.
However, it seemed that the tension had seemed to leave Bryan and instead move across the room to the Shadow Warrior of Fire and the two Metalists as Wysteria then made her request some sort of orb. Zane predicting the uncoming tension had brought himself between the two, holding his hands out between them as if he could physically halt the emotions that had been unleashed with this new request. It seemed the room had halted in time to see what would happen, to see how the Shadow Warrior of Metal would respond.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 13, 2008 5:54:42 GMT -5
D'rorah felt Katherine start slightly as her hand was placed upon the younger girl's shoulder. She couldn't tell whether it was shock at her interminably cold hands or shock at what might seem a gesture of closeness. Either one would have been well deserved. At the same time, she felt a light squeeze as Bryan's hand found the one she had placed on his shoulder. Ever so slightly, her hand squeezed back against his shoulder... she had felt through their connection that she had caught him off-guard, but appreciate the reassurance, even if he wasn't entirely certain of what it was he was reassuring her about. She listened quietly as Zane took the floor. She had spoken her piece without interruption and had no intention of interrupting anyone who followed her. As the evening progressed, she watched each of her comrades surreptitiously. From Caitlin's gaze dropping to her lap, to Susan quietly chewing at her bottom lip, to the various glances that passed around the circle, she quietly assessed the work that lay ahead of her. It was surprising that Zane readily retracted his condemnation of her leadership, but perhaps not completely unexpected. His own inner demons kept him from snatching up the title she had practically laid at his feet in renouncing her own leadership. The next to speak was Keaira. D'rorah listened quietly to her criticisms. D'rorah's detached manner was nothing new to her, and something her masters and parents had helped her to carefully cultivate over years. It wasn't likely going away any time soon, but she could readily agree that she needed to be more attentive to the needs of the others. She could see that her emotional distance was pushing away those who needed more emotional support... and though it would not be easy, it was her task as a leader to help them deal with their demons so that they might all move forward together. As Keaira moved to talk of going off for the weekend, the right corner of D'rorah's lip twitched in irritation. Here D'rorah hadn't entirely even convinced herself of Alessandro's death, some nagging voice inside her saying that it just didn't feel like death. But, just as everyone else who had been there, she had seen the pile of ashes which were all that was left of him. "[blue]You must take someone with you,[/blue]" she stated quietly but firmly when Keaira had finished speaking. If she was planning to run off to assuage her own internal guilt and loss over Alessandro's death, she would at least do so safely... at the very least, even if she was perfectly capable of defending herself, she needed her Elemental Master with her in the event she ran across Shadows to fight and subsequently needed her emotions pulled back. "[blue]And I believe it makes sense to wait to spread news of his disappearance. The headmistress is already quite wary of those she suspects to be in our group. Another disappearance will only heighten her suspicions.[/blue]" As Katherine spoke about the possibility of having the training here in England, D'rorah had strong doubts that the idea would be well-received by Master Xiu. "[blue]I can appreciate the space you have offered, but those I seek training from are not mere teachers... the Masters of the Order are charged with guarding the Order of Light and the things kept there. They are rarely able to leave. And, I believe our training experience would fall somewhat short of being complete away from the monastery. Of course, we would have to travel discretely, and we would have to do so after the school year has ended. Perhaps traveling by different muggle means in groups of either two or three would be best... that detail is something we would have time to work out.[/blue]" Nearly as soon as the words had left her mouth, anything she might have had to add was cut off as a loud bang came from the table where Wysteria sat (ooc: I'm just curious, where in the world did this table come from? *looks at Zane* ) At nearly the same instant, she saw a flash of silver fly across the table and into Zane's hand. She quickly pivoted on her feet, her grip on Katherine's and Bryan's shoulders loosening to free her hands for whatever threat awaited. Her grip, however, resumed when she saw the threat was only Wysteria. She knew any defensive or offensive reaction would be poorly advised... knowing it would likely only antagonize Wysteria's own reactions. Besides, she had little hope that she could actually stop Wysteria if she took a notion to harm anyone present. There had been a slight risk in bringing her here at all, but D'rorah was confident in Wysteria's ability to control herself. Indeed, she recovered remarkably from her slip and was soon speakly quietly to the group. Watching from the corner of her eye as Zane returned Caitlin's prefect badge to her, D'rorah thought Caitlin would be the first she would need to speak with when this meeting was all said and done. The group was still short an Elemental Master of Water... and if the current trend held, he was likely nearby. As she was thinking this, Wysteria asked for Alessandro's orb... no, the orb of Fire, she reminded herself. She hoped the transfer would be made quickly and smoothly. Even Zane spoke up in favor of the fact that the Orb of Fire was rightfully Wysteria's to guard until her new Elemental Master was found. The scene prodded her own mind, reminding her that she had not yet presented the Orb of Wind to Bryan. Mordred had given it to her to safeguard before he had gone off and gotten himself killed... it had never had the opportunity to find its way into Mallan's hands, but Bryan would need it... especially if they intended to train over the summer as intensely as she suspected Master Xiu would require them to train.
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Post by Keaira O'Connell on Dec 15, 2008 2:38:22 GMT -5
It seemed slightly odd that Zane didn’t take into consideration what kind of an effect bonding with another person so quickly would have on Wysteria, yet as Keaira pondered slightly over it, she realized something. She wasn’t very big on sharing things that had happened in the past with Zane. Sure he knew things, but most of what he knew was learned through the initial bonding, or through what meager things she had gifted him with since then. True he could always tell her thoughts and emotions on any given subject at a given time, but where those emotions were rooted from generally escaped him. Sure she was good at sharing the here and now, but it seemed not so good at being reminiscent. Apparently she never shared with him what happened after he left the room of requirements that afternoon…
She remembered the entire day quite clearly. The searing pain from her arm, the emotional death that losing Dien had caused. The anger and the grief… She had not been able to leave that room for quite some time after bonding with Zane. In fact after closing that door she closed her mind, and sunk to the floor, unable to stand up or summon a more comfortable place, she simply cried. When she was finally composed enough to get up and leave, it was just past the curfew
As Dee commented that she would need someone to accompany her on the trip, Keaira nodded, she had already thought that Zane should come along. Even if he might not want to, it would be in her best interests if he did. If they were hundreds of miles apart they would be weaker, and if an attack occurred, neither of them would fair well… and who really knows how bad that might end.
“I’m headed to Colorado, a place called Steam Boat Springs… Alessandro would always think of the place when he was stressed out, or needed a moment away from the world. I think it quite fitting, he always seemed at peace. I don’t plan on going alone.”
She would ask Zane before any other, and hopefully wouldn’t have to ask any other. Although she knew he cared deeply about her, she wasn’t entirely sure what his take on an impromptu trip halfway around the world to honor someone’s ashes that he didn’t like would be. Although, there would be the added benefit of a small amount of alone time…
As she sat there brooding on the matter, there was a loud bang, one that caused Keaira to look in the direction of the noise quite quickly. Of course by the time it registered that there was a problem, and her head turned to her right, a flash of silver was already streaking across her vision, and there was the slightest pull from her book bag, towards Zane.
It didn’t take her very long to figure out that the pull of her book bag was Zane's attempt to gather the closest bit of silver around him, to form the spike that was now aimed for Wysteria. It also didn’t take very long to figure that if Wysteria did lose it, that Zane, and her were the most likely victims due to proximity, and more than ample other reasons.
What….?
She froze, knowing that the logical part of her was about to have a head on collision with the emotional part of her. The request was so sudden, and although part of her knew that if Wysteria had seen everything else, she had likely also seen the orb of fire, she had hoped it would just be ignored. There seemed to be all the time in the world between when Wysteria asked for the orb, and when Zane reacted for Keaira to think.
No I can’t… just hand it over to her, but it belongs to her, but she’s not even human, she’s tainted,… but still the shadow warrior of fire, still the one who was tied to him, and the one who will bond with the next elemental master…. But Alessandro… was mine… yes was, wasn’t anymore, he was just as much hers. Just hand it over. No... Yes…”
She didn’t have to think about it long, which was a good thing. Zane's movement alerted her to the fact that he must have know what she was thinking. Could she tell the vampire no, and live through the resulting fight? Probably not. Was she willing to risk it…? Part of her screamed yes, but the small voice that whispered in her head calmed her.
“The simple fact remains that you are the Shadow Warrior of Metal, she is fire. The orb belongs with her.”[/i]
There it was plain and clear… it was not her duty to ensure the next elemental master received the orb… it was Wysteria’s. Just like it should have been her job to ensure that Zane ended up with the elemental orb of metal… what a great job she did with that one. She only really had vague ideas of where to look for it, and as of yet hadn’t even started.
She hated to admit it, but keeping the orb of fire was not worth dying over, not when she had Alessandro’s Italian horn, and would not be parting with it quite yet. She moved slowly, her eyes staying on Wysteria as she did, and pulled her book bag onto her lap. Carefully she went through the process of opening the bag, and she reached her arm into it and pulled out a small orange-red glowing sphere. She let her eyes take in the small details that the orb held, the way the colors swirled about, and how perfectly it seemed to mirror fire, ever changing, ever burning.
She transferred the orb to her left hand, and brought her right up to gently clasp Zane’s outstretched hand. His thoughts were meant for her, and they had done the job that was needed, she would give up the orb without a fight. Of course a small part of her wanted to know whether Wysteria would comment on how bad the orb smelt like Keaira, it was after all, surrounded by her possessions, including some of her clothes for the past 20 or so minutes. Her right hand pulled Zane's hand down, as she took a step closer to him. She kept him between herself and the vampire, as she held the small glowing reminder that Alessandro was dead out to the other girl.
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