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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 29, 2008 11:27:24 GMT -5
D'rorah followed after Dylan and Susan, thinking they would be most likely to need help. With Mallan having already joined with her previously, she thought he would have some basic idea of what to do for the joining. She waited for Susan and Dylan to get comfortable, gesturing for them to sit facing one another. An unaccountable pang of jealousy ran through her at thought of the two of them joining mentally. She scolded herself, knowing it was absolutely and completely illogical to imagine Dylan leaving her for his Shadow Warrior. Certainly, she had noticed that they were good friends, but that only made sense given the connection the two shared.
She knelt down at their sides and looked from one to the other, making a special effort to keep her face pleasantly neutral, knowing Dylan knew her well enough to read even her normal, guarded expression. "This joining should not be unpleasant," she began, explaining what would happen. "There is no trauma to work through, but it may be slightly overwhelming to suddenly find yourselves open to each other's thoughts. Go slowly. Do not push. I will be here in the event anything untoward occurs."
She reached forward and grasped Susan's hands so that they were facing palm-up in front of her. Next, she took Dylan's hands and positioned them so that they faced palm down in front of him, hovering over Susan's hands. "When you are ready to begin, place your hands together... you will feel the beginnings of a connection almost immediately. You must open yourself to it, will yourself to go through. Do not fight the flow of mental energy; that will only cause discomfort. Simply relax and think your way into each other's minds. You should find that it comes almost naturally."
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Jan 29, 2008 15:58:57 GMT -5
Caitlin was absorbed in the beauty of the room surrounding her. After her attention had moved away from the stream, she could take in everything else. There was a waterfall at the far end of the room, which was feeding the stream with water, and the grass she was standing on looked fresh, as if it had been watered not an hour ago. The mist surrounded her, calming any nerves that had remained upon entering her elemental room. Feeling his eyes on her, Caity turned to flash a grin at Mallan as he entered before returning to stare at and admire the surroundings, the smile not leaving her face. This was amazing! And to think that she hadn't known that places like this existed in Hogwarts!
Turning to survey the stream again, Caity saw that Mallan had sat next to the stream and was apparently waiting for her to join him. She happily knelt in the grass next to him, still unable to wipe the smile from her face. Trailing one hand into the stream, she realised that she hadn't felt this content in a long time. What with the move to England, starting a new school and her grandmother dying, she hadn't had the time to truly relax or start feeling at home.
"Take your time. When you are ready, take my hands."
A shiver of trepidation managed to make its way through the contentedness and Caity wondered exactly what was about to happen. Taking a deep breath, the smile finally fading, she reached out and took his hands, one of her own still damp from putting it into the stream. Goosebumps appeared on her arms at the feel of his fingers enfolding hers, and she wondered if he would read anything into that. She had only met him a couple of times after all... Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, she waited. And nothing happened. A look of confusion appeared on her face. "Uh, Mallan? What exactly is supposed to happen?" she inquired uncertainly. "Is it done? Is that it?"
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Post by mallan on Feb 14, 2008 2:08:16 GMT -5
Watching as Caitlin trembled before reaching out to hold his hands; Mallan smiled a soft smile of encouragement and trust. He did not want her feeling like she was alone; he was here for her. His chivalrous nature wanted to prove that he would protect her from anything but he truly could not do much. He waited there and when she finally touched his hands he held her gently but firmly; wanting to show that she was in good care. He was a little shocked at how much he wanted to protect her, he realized the moment she touched his hands, and on top of that his heart started beating a little faster. Noticing it, Mallan’s face gained a tinge of pink to his cheeks. He quickly stored the thoughts away as he knew that their minds were going to be joined in any second.
He waited and nothing happened. As Caitlin asked the questions, Mallan felt a little embarrassment wash over him. He had originally thought that the joining would happen with mere touch. Something was wrong! Something was not working right! Thoughts began racing through his mind as to the reason why it was not working. He had to stall; somehow! After a few moments of slight panic that barely touched his face, as he knew it would unnerve Caitlin, Mallan collected himself and made up an explanation before calling to D’rorah mentally for help.
It takes a few moments. If you could relax a little more; that might help.
Mentally he reached out for D’rorah in a little frustration and panic. “D’rorah! It’s not working. We are holding hands and nothing is happening. What should I do?” Waiting for D’rorah’s response, Mallan gave Caitlin a smile that may have appeared a little unsteady. "I must look like a complete idiot!" Mallan cursed himself not intending it for D'rorah. With his eyes on her though he gained a bit of his strength and courage back and actually steadied himself. The sound of the waterfall over yonder was heard once more and helped relax him a little further. He would have to ask her out later; she was cute and charming. He did not realize that his eyes were locked with hers and forgot he was waiting for a response from D’rorah.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Feb 14, 2008 6:35:38 GMT -5
Treading softly over to Susan, he sat down opposite her, mirroring her own cross-legged position. Casting her a brief smile, he found his previous, unspoken question answered as D’rorah, too, made her way into the Elemental room of Earth. Resisting the urge to glance at Dee, he kept his eyes on Susan and felt a slight anxiety building as D’rorah began to speak. He attempted to suppress it, knowing it would do no good here, but despite the illogical implications of it, it remained pestering him.
Having to resist the urge to nod in response to Dee’s words, he found that this was one of those occasions where such a movement would have replaced any need to speak. As it was, however, he felt that he needed to indicate his understanding. “Alright…” he said in that quiet voice of his, and then felt her hand upon his own. Though it was a completely innocent action, he felt the familiar flutter within him at her touch and felt a flicker of a happy smile at the corners of his mouth. His eyes lighting ever-so-slightly, a barely noticeable change to anyone who did not know him, and they soon found his downward-facing hands, floating gently above Susan’s upturned ones.
His eyes moving to Susan’s, he felt the action necessary. Even if it had not been thought so in his mind, however, he found a comfort in it and would have surely done so in any case. His nervousness not having died down at all, his mind began to accumulate thoughts in which everything went wrong. Slightly angry at himself for such things, he produced a small, nervous smile to no particular one of them.
Taking a deep breath, he steadily lowered his hands onto hers. He had wondered often how it would feel, to be so intimately connected to another person; few people on Earth would ever experience such a closeness, and he had often been content with that. But he had also felt that it would be like some kind of perverse invasion of privacy; that his every thought, his every memory, would be someone else’s, too. That he would gain knowledge to her own past that she might not wish for anyone to see. The thought embarrassed him terribly. All of that thinking… And he was about to find out.
Briefly, he felt as if he’d like to simply run home. The small, childish wish had risen from nowhere, but he felt strangely compelled to obey it. To go back to his hometown and cuddle up against his mother, much as he’d done when he’d been just a little boy. Before his father had died, it had been quite a pleasant experience. Afterwards, however, he’d felt like he was holding onto a stranger, someone who just didn’t care.
No matter what his immature desires might have been, the action had been completed and there was no going back. Feeling, almost immediately, a substantial connection forming, he did as instructed and did not fight it. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to relax himself, he let it out slowly as the connection built and memories were suddenly in his mind that were not his own. Wondering if somehow he was doing it wrong, he quickly dismissed the idea. Things seemed to be going fine… His worry diminished almost completely, he began to find his own memories surfacing and not of his own accord. Thoughts hidden away in the vaults of his mind were brought forth and, while he wasn’t altogether happy about it, he understood the necessity and tried to relax even more. It wasn’t happening.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Feb 14, 2008 16:39:07 GMT -5
D'rorah heard Mallan's thought just as Dylan and Susan's hands joined. One moment, she thought back to him calmly. Both of you focus on your breathing and calm your minds while you wait for me.
She watched as Dylan and Susan began the processing of easing into each other's minds, waiting long enough to make sure there were no difficulties or complications. She hadn't expected there would be, but knew it couldn't hurt to be too cautious. Once they seemed well on their way, she quietly rose and made her way back towards the main chamber as noiselessly as possible.
Slipping through the main room, she headed directly for the door bearing the Elemental symbol of Water. She was happy to find the door not closed completely and eased it open and slipped through, lightly closing it behind her. She crossed the room and knelt beside where Caitlin and Mallan were sitting.
"Now then, if you are both relaxed and ready to begin, I will help to spark the process. I apologize, I did not think to consider that it would require a bit more effort to join with someone not of your Element."
She saw that Mallan's and Caitlin's hands were already joined and added her own hands into the picture, placing them lightly over their hands. "Mallan, stretch out your awareness. You will have to make the first foray into Caitlin's mind to begin the process." Using her own telepathic abilities, she gently reached into his mind, carefully leading him throught he process. She wanted to help, but she didn't want to push too forcefully or do all of the work. It would make the experience feel somewhat disjointed... especially if her mental essence managed to move into Caitlin's as well, what with all the darkness she had encountered before joining with Mallan herself.
"Keep both of your minds relaxed," she murmured quietly, waiting for Mallan to take over spreading out his mental awareness and to bridge the connection to Caitlin's mind.
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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 Feb 14, 2008 20:58:05 GMT -5
Susan at first only looked at their hands. She watched nervously as Dylan's hands hovered above her own. Susan felt the urge to lift up her own hands to complete the pending connection. Instead she resisted and waited for Dylan to make the movement himself. The instant before his hands made contact, Susan was compelled to look up and in doing so, met Dylan's eyes. Noticing the smile on his face, Susan couldn't help but return the action despite the pounding of her own heart.
At the sensation of Dylan's hands on her own, Susan gave a small gasp as she felt the beginning of their connection deepening. The nerves within her gave her half-a-mind to pull back, and to stop. D'rorah had said to remain open though. Susan did her best to open up. She slowly let her mind expand beyond that of her own thoughts. As the edges of her mind met Dylan's she briefly caught hold of an instinct to seek out a mother for comfort. For a moment, Susan mistook this thought for her own. An image of her own mother came to mind. The moment the thought was lost, Susan realized it hadn't been her own at all.
Curious to delve deeper, Susan broadened her awareness. There was something so seemingly safe about knowing the thoughts of another person, and knowing they knew your own. Approaching all honesty, Susan couldn't help but let her own insecurities be released. The thought of her father was let out. The need for his approval was evident. She also felt the bubbly feeling of envy effervesce from the depths of thoughts. Her little sister was always the favorite, or so it appeared to Susan. With the feeling of envy, soon little Andrea was replaced with the image of D'rorah.
Susan's cheeks burned at the sudden openness of her true feelings to Dylan. She wasn't jealous of their relationship, but of the attention D'rorah received from Dylan because of the fact that they were seeing each other. Susan attempted to pull back, or to focus on other things, but she found it difficult to do so. She gripped Dylan's hands in her struggle, and she tried her best to remain open despite her rearing instincts.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Feb 15, 2008 3:34:09 GMT -5
Their connection growing ever more, he felt memories and feeling continuing to emerge; some long forgotten, some he held in the forefront of his mind on a daily basis. Running through him were the fears he held about his currently terrible wand work, his failing grades in classes and absolute inability to keep up with assignments. Many students might say that they had always been this way, but Dylan had usually been top of the class or very close to it. Usually able to pull off spells above his year level with a natural kind of ease, even particularly difficult ones. By the time he’d reached his fourth year, he had nearly mastered the Patronus charm. Academics had just always been a strong point for him; something he had worked hard to maintain and keep in tact all these years.
His mind flashed over the beginnings of his learning at Hogwarts, when he’d been one of the smallest boys in his year, as well as decently smaller than a lot of the girls. His father was gone, and he hadn’t known anyone; small and alone, he had focused on his studies instead of his poor social life. It had progressed into a simple habit, carried throughout his years of learning at the wizarding school. Now it had all gone… Everything. He couldn’t so much as transfigure a leaf, let alone cast a decent Patronus.
His mind flashed through the last trip he’d made to Alconbury; the overwhelming grief coursing through him as he’d viewed his foster father’s wooden casket, the ensuing pain of the tussle in the streets as him and D’rorah had been engaged by John. The nauseating, dizzying sensation of having his head pounded into the concrete below, of having blow after blow crash into his ribcage. His thoughts moved on.
Apparating into a hallway, his bodyweight largely supported by Dee and flowing through him was the emotions that had welled within him at the nearness of her… At the particular scent he caught whenever she was close. Suddenly quite embarrassed, he attempted to turn his mind away, but he succeeded only in finding himself running through a collage of images and settings in which he recalled D’rorah in such a light. Up in the Astronomy tower on the night they had really first met… Later that night as they’d retired to the common room, himself creeping slowly over to her where she lay upon the other couch, her features basked in the warm glow cast off by the fireplace. The feel of her lips on his as he’d drawn closer was enough to send shivers up his spine and he recalled the moment at the beginning of their relationship with a warm familiarity, as if he’d revisited the moment many times since.
Penetrating through to him, he felt a strong feeling to gain the approval of his father and realised that, of course, the emotion was not originally his. Wondering at what kind of a man he must have been, he felt Susan’s own mind move on. Conveyed was a feeling of relatively strong envy… First for a little sister, and then, much to Dylan’s surprise, toward D’rorah. Never having even considered that Susan might feel that way about his relationship with Dee, he was caught off guard and momentarily surged his awareness into hers a bit more quickly than he’d intended. Finding himself awash in her emotions and memories, he was nearly overwhelmed with it all but controlled himself, passing through each thing categorically.
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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 Feb 15, 2008 22:13:06 GMT -5
Several memories and emotions foreign to Susan soon became a part of her own mind. She was soon familiar with Dylan's time at Hogwarts, and the loneliness that went a long with it. Her heart went out to him as she began to experience the same feeling as they were connected. Susan had never been good with dealing with seclusion.
The next memory to flood her thoughts was the more recent happening of a funeral. She was filled heartache once more, not only for Dylan, but a heartache that was Dylan's as well. Susan had never known death before, but as these thoughts flew through her mind she began to feel as if something from her was missing as well.
Susan couldn't help but furrow her brows at the appearance of John. After the fact, Dylan had explained what had happened. It was nothing compared to actually being there, or as it felt to Susan at least. The memories of the pain were enough to make Susan dizzy and light-headed. She blinked suddenly, closing her eyes for a moment. She tried to wash away the urge to vomit, while still keeping the connection. As she opened her eyes again, she found the story continue to a slightly happier ending in D'rorah.
As the tables turned, Susan felt Dylan's awareness now seeping into her own. Without quite initiating anything, Susan allowed Dylan to explore her own mind. Several sporadic memories of home were the most prevalent. There were so many and they flashed rather quickly until they centered around a time, one summer at the beach. She couldn't have been more than eight years old, and Andrea was smaller still. Tossing shells into the ocean had always been their sport. Susan had managed to make her shells skip the farthest without hardly trying. Andrea was impressed, and Susan felt herself swelling with pride at her newfound talent infused by magic.
She found her thoughts fast-forwarding from then, to her move to Europe. It all went so fast: leaving old friends behind, saying good bye to Andrea, and never really understanding. Susan hadn't realized how afraid she was until her eccentric Aunt explained what was happening to her. The whole idea of magic had scared the living day-lights out of her, and the home-sickness swept in.
Susan felt the both familiar and uncomfortable lurch of the homesickness returning. She forced her mind to take another route, and it seemed to oblige having finished torturing her of past experiences. She found herself recalling the cloudy day by the lake. The swim, the rain, the squid, the escape. Susan couldn't remember a better day in her life and she smiled.
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Feb 18, 2008 20:25:07 GMT -5
Caity smiled nervously back at Mallan, slightly reassured by his apparent confidence but still partly unsure. She didn’t notice when his cheeks began to redden, concentrating instead on preventing the shivers that were threatening to travel up her arms, apparently caused by his touch. Although it could just be nervousness at not knowing what was coming. Yes, that must be it, she reassured herself, not wanting to think on it now.
When she asked what was happening she thought she saw a hint of panic in Mallan’s eyes, unnerving her as he had thought it might, but it was gone a second later and she thought she must have just imagined it.
“It takes a few moments. If you could relax a little more; that might help.”
Rather than help her too relax, his words made her tense up more, and the unsteady smile he sent at her also didn’t help. Did he know what he was doing? He seemed unsure of himself... But hadn’t he bonded with D’rorah before, shouldn’t he know how this was supposed to work? Gradually, his smile seemed to steady and she started to calm, keeping her eyes locked on his.
The moment was broken when D’rorah entered the room. Caity’s head flashed towards the doorway upon hearing the Ravenclaw enter, presuming that she had come to check on them.
"Now then, if you are both relaxed and ready to begin, I will help to spark the process. I apologize, I did not think to consider that it would require a bit more effort to join with someone not of your Element," D’rorah spoke as she knelt next to them.
Caitlin blinked in confusion and turned to look at Mallan. So he hadn’t known what was happening. But how had Dee known that their bonding was having trouble? D’rorah placed her hands on top of theirs and she pushed the thoughts away, listening instead to what was being said.
"Mallan, stretch out your awareness. You will have to make the first foray into Caitlin's mind to begin the process. Keep both of your minds relaxed."
Locking eyes with Mallan again, Caity waited patiently, sure that now Dee was supervising the process would go along smoothly. Although she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of a “foray into her mind”.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Feb 18, 2008 23:04:24 GMT -5
Hardly failing to notice the transferred nausea in Susan, he watched worriedly as she struggled with it. Soon, however, he was too far gone in her own thoughts to notice much else. The image of a beach coming to him, he felt an overwhelming surge of pride well up within himself that radiated from her memory. The splashes caused by the skidding seashells along the surface of the water were as clear to him as if he had been standing upon the shore himself.
Feeling a fear enveloping him, a fear of the power magic provided a person so young with, he sympathized greatly. He’d always known who he was; flying around on broomsticks since before he could remember, being taught by his parents and their library on the subjects of wizards, as well as muggles. Therefore he couldn’t have, before now, realised just how shocking such a revelation could be after years of not even knowing about the wizarding world or those that inhabited it.
A homesickness that he himself sometimes felt welling up inside of him, he recognised the familiarity of it all and it brought about a long-suppressed longing for a father. The emotion threatening to suffocate him, his mind inexorably flashed through memories of his early childhood, so avoided had they been throughout this encounter so far. Memories of his father’s happy face at Christmas time as the family of three huddled about the fireplace, ripping joyously at their presents.
Flying through his childhood, there were moments of the two men in the house sitting beside each other in the early hours of the morning, watching the sun rise and talking in the quiet voices so typically associated with before dawn conversations. The quiet, serious little boy had shared infinite moments similar to this with his father, each as precious as the last and most sticking in his memory; all the more after Darius had passed.
At the thought of his father, after the good moments had passed, his mind flicked through to the normally big, healthy man lying withered in his own bed, unable to stand up or do much of anything for himself. The mere sight had sent shivers down Dylan’s spine, to see the enormous effect the illness had had upon his father. The first time he had properly seen his father so weak, he had quietly left the room and, upon reaching his own, pushed himself back onto the door and slid down to the floor, tears falling from his eyes.
Being recalled to Susan’s memories, he found himself at the lake on that promising day; it had started so well and as the weather had deteriorated, things had only really improved. The feeling of immense happiness within her clashed against his own feelings of nearly overwhelming sadness and loss. The end result was a major conflict of emotions; only adding to the confusion already within him.
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Post by mallan on Feb 19, 2008 4:06:37 GMT -5
Quickly lost in Caitlin’s eyes, Mallan was unprepared for the reply D’rorah sent mentally only moments after he called out to her for help. What she suggested sounded simple enough but it was at the same time harder than he predicted. His breathing was quick, though not only from nervousness, and his mind… was actually calmer. He did not expect that. A softness came across Mallan’s face after falling into a moment with Caitlin.
The moment was broken when Mallan realized that D’rorah, already sitting beside them, had spoken. It actually made Mallan’s heart jump but he appeared controlled on the outside. The protector was not allowed to be afraid and knowing that, Mallan had watched plenty of horror films when he was younger, so that he would be trained not to jump. Few things did make him jump anymore; a fact that he was proud of. As he listened to D’rorah’s suggestion, he obeyed, but then stopped himself. He owed Caitlin some kind of explanation but he would have to give that to her later. Mallan still wanted her to trust him though so he decided to give her something. Looking to her, as he had been every moment other then when Dee startled him, he tried to still the uncertainty a slight.
Neither of us was aware that the joining would not work the same as with one of your own element. When I joined with D’rorah, it happened at touch. So, when it did not happen this time I telepathically asked D’rorah for help. I will explain the rest later. Are you ready?
Ending with a reassuring, small smile, Mallan waited for her to let him know that she was ready; which she did with a silent nod a moment or two later. When she did, Mallan relinquished his hold to D’rorah so that she could guide him to Caitlin’s awareness. It was an odd sensation, as if her presence was actually melding with his. It was a similar feeling to when he joined with D’rorah and it brought back the queasy feeling to Mallan’s stomach. Still holding his own, the experience became stronger and then he felt a pulling sensation as if his awareness was being made to sense more than usual. This had happened so quickly with the joining with D’rorah that Mallan had not even noticed.
With a sudden attraction, Mallan’s awareness left that of D’rorah’s and was pulled towards Caitlin’s. Merging with the full speed of the first joining, Mallan barely noticed the sense of oneness that enfolded him. Emotions, sensations, and memories flooded into Mallan’s mind once again and for a moment his vision narrowed without his eyelids closing. His stomach churned but Mallan was unaware as he felt years of experience merge with his own.
((ooc: I hope you did not mind that I godmodded your character. Since she didn’t say much beforehand I thought that she would just nod. I am totally willing to go back and mod it if you don’t think she would do that. Also, I figured you would describe what Caitlin feels and then you would start with the memories.))
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Feb 20, 2008 6:00:28 GMT -5
((Nah, it’s fine))
Caity nodded as Mallan spoke, mostly reassured, and continued to wait. Without any warning an odd sensation overcame her, and she suddenly became aware of emotions that were not her own. Curious yet wary, she began to slowly explore this link between them, not noticing that her hands were gripping his even more tightly than before. She felt a queasiness in her stomach that hadn’t been there a minute ago, and that felt slightly disjointed, as if it wasn’t really there, or wasn’t really her.
Just as memories that weren’t her own flooded her awareness, other memories that she knew did belong to her emerged. The Hogwarts letter; her astonishment at finding out that magic was real. Then the choice she’d had to face – go with her family to India, or go to Hogwarts alone while they travelled to the other side of the world. How she’d been torn, before her parents made the decision easy for her. She didn’t have to choose between magic and her family – she could simply learn magic in India.
India... It was fantastic... The culture, the language, the people, the magic! Caity remembered how the Asian country had suddenly become her home. Sure, she might be a British citizen, she might have family back in England, but she belonged in India. It was all so beautiful...
The homesickness that had faded since she had arrived at Hogwarts caught her unawares, blossoming into a deep pain inside of her. She missed her friends; she missed her tutor; she missed the summer heat beating down upon her during the day, and the cool night air whipping through her hair as they rode on a magic carpet; the thrill of flying invisible over everyone sleeping.
Then more recent memories... Quin Woods, pushing her off the Astronomy Tower, her panic as she fell – nothing like the carpet ride above Hyderabad. Then, when Quin finally landed next to the lake on that broom of hers, there was her anger at the younger girl for attempting something so stupid. But the girl did not even seem to care...
Then the guilt arrived as she remembered the day her grandma had died. She hadn’t wanted to leave India, she’d delayed them while saying goodbye to everyone and with her arguments against leaving, except that it was only when they returned that she realised just how ill her grandmother was. Completely illogical as she knew it was, she couldn’t help but wonder that if they had gotten back earlier her grandma might still be alive. At the very least, they would have been able to spend more time with her.
As her own memories receded, for the time being at least, Caity began to witness memories that she knew she had never experienced... they had to be Mallan’s. Already having completely forgotten about Dee sitting next to them, she quickly became absorbed in his thoughts.
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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 Feb 25, 2008 18:54:36 GMT -5
(ooc: I finished faster than I expected!)
Susan strained for a moment as her mind seemed to be in two places at once. She struggled to remain on the happy memories, but felt her thoughts being reeled by the invisible hook and line to Dylan’s memories again. The foreign wish for a father was instilled in Susan’s mind. Susan herself had never been without her father and had never known the longing that Dylan now projected into the both of their minds on top of things.
The next memories came quickly as a whirlwind of released emotions took place. Susan looked in on previous Christmases and quiet conversations, until an image of a man lying sick and bed remained. Not wanting to face the inevitable truth, Susan pulled against the tug to keep watching, only to be reeled in further as if she were sliding down the door next to Dylan. Feeling the confusion within both Dylan and herself welling, Susan left her own memory of the lake behind, and let herself be submersed in this moment with Dylan.
She no longer purposely brought forth her own memories. Susan sobbed slightly as she felt the same sense of despair that Dylan was remembering. As one might cry at a sad movie, Susan felt this was a step further. That she was the person in the movie this time, except for the fact that this was no movie. Her mind involuntarily left Dylan’s room and moved on to her own room, she found herself subconsciously bringing Dylan along.
Susan began to relive the most predominant memory that belonged to her room. An owl had flown in through the kitchen window that morning and Susan had been sent to her room while her parents read and reread the ink words on the parchment letter. A million obscure responses had come to her on that day in explanation. She found no reason to be punished in any of these explanations, but couldn’t help but wonder. She remembered the harsh taunting coming from Andrea who sat on the opposing bed of the room they shared. The little girl claimed that Susan was going to be taken away, and that she was bad. Andrea called her a witch.
Susan in return ignored the comment. All the while she gave everything she had not to cry in front of her little sister, which made it all the more worse when her father finally came in to confirm just that. Susan felt her awareness subconsciously decline as she became more self absorbed. Her mind began to ache with the memory of her Hogwarts acceptance letter. How much easier it would have been to go on to middle school and then high school like all of her friends had planned to do.
Susan blinked suddenly as she was reminded of Dylan in front of her. She squeezed his hands slightly in attempt to let him know that she did not regret her choice to come to Hogwarts. For without doing so, she would most certainly not be in the position she was in now. Susan’s subconscious still lingered on the memory in her room, but it had faded slightly and the words were in a mute. She was ready to move on.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Mar 3, 2008 1:49:29 GMT -5
Hearing her openly sob, Dylan attempted to relinquish the hold his mind had on the memories of his father in his weakened state. Though he could not have known it at the time, he would never see his father whole and healthy again. His condition had deteriorated considerably, and whenever a step of progress was made he would soon take two steps back, appearing worse than ever. It had been unbearable to watch with such hope as he improved, only to find his hopes shattered. Desperately trying to pull away from the thoughts he had suppressed for so long, his eyes were filled as he pulled his head to the side and gazed at the ground some distance off.
Thankfully turned away, uncontrollably, to follow her own thoughts, he could only begin to imagine what it must have been like for Mallan to join with D’rorah; the memories he would have had to go through. Of course, it all would have been infinitesimally worse for Dee to actually experience, but the new Elemental Master of Air would most probably have received far more than he’d anticipated. Unable to think on it for more than a moment, he found himself filled with fear at the prospect of joining the wizarding world, of discovering a power so many people scorned. An owl and a piece of parchment later, he found himself quite glad that he’d never had any siblings. Being taunted for what you were… Dylan found little worse. Returning the squeeze he felt, he smiled supportively at her, hoping it would do some good.
Understanding completely the desire Susan had held to attend high school like everyone else she knew, he only imagined what it would have been like for him, growing up surrounded by magic and knowing what he was always, to suddenly attend a regular school. He hadn’t really had any friends to leave behind, either; the closest thing had been Aiden’s daughter, and she was a part of the world that he no longer was. He would remain friends with her throughout life, no doubt, but they could never be together as he had once thought. His childlike ambitions of someday marrying the quiet-spoken little girl that had quite suddenly blossomed into a young woman upon his returning to his home town made him slightly regret having to leave. That desire, however, had long since faded, and was now most certainly aimed at a certain someone else, though he wouldn’t quite admit that willingly to anyone; not even her, yet.
His thoughts lingering on his girlfriend who was presumably currently aiding Mallan and Caitlin, he clenched his jaw and turned his head away once more when his thoughts drifted to the many quiet conversations they had shared. He had always wanted, always seen that one day he would have a child, perhaps even more than one. The idea brought him nothing but happiness, and his feelings crashed just as they had on the day that he’d discovered that D’rorah could not be mother to them. Wanting desperately to move away from it, he released his hands from hers and the connection was broken.
Breathing hard, his eyes remained fixed on the ground beneath them, and a tear or two poured out of his eyes. He was exceptionally glad that the other Ravenclaw prefect was not here to see this. He felt a wild urge to pledge Susan into silence, but he knew she would not reveal any of his memories or thoughts to anyone; just as he would not tell anyone of hers. Attempting to control his breathing, his eyes found hers once more.
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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 Mar 4, 2008 19:43:35 GMT -5
As Susan's remembrance of her eleventh summer faded, her attention was drawn to Dylan's sudden force of thought. While no specific events were brought up, Susan was aware of the general thoughts protruding from their connection. The aspirations to one day be married and to have a family were familiar to Susan. As young girls often do, Susan planned out her own wedding some time ago. It's been predetermined, she's going to be married in a church in her hometown, surrounded by her friends and family who love her for who she was. Her dress will be all white, and her bridesmaids will be in yellow to match the zillions of daffodils.
Whenever Susan dreamed of her wedding, the groom was always faceless, or obscured into anonymity. Susan admired Dylan for knowing who he could see himself with in the future. Her stomach churned at the aspect of being alone in the end. Susan was reminded of Dylan as the specific thought of one day having children was evident. Susan shared the feeling of utter bliss at the thought of having a family one day. She found her breath caught as the sudden decline in morale was apparent on Dylan's part. Susan paled considerably as her best friend's thoughts betrayed a secret concerning D'rorah.
As swiftly as it had been revealed, all of it was gone as Dylan released his hands from her own. Susan felt the blood rush back into her face as she began to breathe again with her newly freed mind. Her head pulsed slightly from the preceding experience and she placed a hand to her temples, attempting to calm the rising headache. It went without saying that the thoughts and memories shared between them during their joining were secret. Susan found the space between her eyebrows strained as the pain in her head did not recede as quickly as she would have liked.
She leaned back on hand, keeping the other at her forehead. Without actually meaning to, Susan's eyes found Dylan's and she blushed. Susan had never felt as exposed before, nor had she been trusted, voluntarily or not, with such information. She swallowed roughly and averted her gaze as she felt the sensation of relief overcome her. She had worried for the longest time over the moment that had just past the two of them. Now that it was over, Susan found no words to conclude how she felt, or to say to Dylan as he looked at her.
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