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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 2, 2008 23:03:30 GMT -5
D'rorah made her way toward Hogsmeade alone on that particular afternoon. It was sunny and bright, an azure sky stretched overhead. Considering the news she had to deliver today, D'rorah thought the weather couldn't possibly be more inappropriate. She had debated on how to deliver the news contained in the message she had just received from Order of Light spies in Romania. She had read the message several times, certain she had misread the contents each time. Even the fact of Kailee Faye's unexpected appearance during the scene in Hogsmeade the other day... at the time, she had thought that perhaps she had merely been fate's odd way of evening compensating for Gat's defection from the Lightfighters. Finally, she had had to accept the truth. She would have cried if it had been in her nature. As it was, she simply sent a note to Zane, keeping it relatively brief. Wysteria had been her friend, if ever D'rorah had had anyone she could call a friend...
Mister Bishop,
Please meet me in Hogsmeade. You will find a small cottage not far off the main footpath with a cobblestone walk leading to the front door. It should not be difficult to find. Simply look for the house with navy blue shutters.
Truly, D'rorah Philosophy
She sent the owl on its way and headed off herself. She wanted somewhere safe to relay this particular news. The Slytherin dungeons... well, she remembered Zee didn't particularly care for them to begin with from the tour she had given him on his first day. Not to mention it wouldn't exactly be the greatest setting for this sort of news. The Room of Requirement was simply too dangerous to use during the day, especially considering it's proximity to the Headmistress' office. Yes, Hogsmeade it would have to be.
She arrived and set a teakettle on the stove as she waited. The cottage was still sparse. D'rorah had not had time to go out to purchase furniture yet. Between studies, research, and holding together as best she could the Lightfighters, there simply wasn't time for it. However, there was a couch in the sitting room and a pine table with four chairs in the dining room. There was also a bed in the bedroom, not that anyone would be seeing it today.
With a cup of tea in hand, D'rorah settled down on the sofa, waiting for the knock that should be sounding at the door soon.
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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 Jan 3, 2008 3:33:21 GMT -5
How do the owls always know where the recipient of their letters are? Magic, obviously. Zee was sitting alone atop the Astronomy Tower, though unlike his typical visits, the sun was shining brightly. He hadn't seen Wysteria in some time, not but in passing since the Masque. It made him wonder. Was something wrong? Had she withdrawn from him again? It was entirely feasible that she was merely far too busy between her Prefect duties and Shadow Warrior responsibilities to spend much time with him. He supposed the safety of the entire realm was a bit more important than their relationship.
Still, he wished he could have another night up there with her. Perhaps he would send her an owl, requesting her presence in such charming, flowery language that she couldn't possibly refuse. A small smile played across his face as he thought of it. He pictured her face, the very slightest of blushes as she tried to repress her smile after reading his letter. She would come. Perhaps that very night would find them together under the moon. There was nowhere Zee would rather be.
It made him think that perhaps Caira was wrong, at least in part. Yes, the dark suited him, but perhaps the dark with the silvery light to balance it out, the way D'rorah was always talking of balance between darkness and light, suited him more. Wysteria was not completely light, there was a little darkness in her. Perhaps there was just a little light in Zee as well. The perfect match and counter to the Hufflepuff Prefect who had stumbled upon him by chance one night and set him on a hard, confusing path toward . . .
Redemption? That may have been a bit premature, but perhaps . . . in time. Zee laughed out loud. It was ridiculous to think how much he'd changed. How much she'd changed him. Perhaps she would see that and would forgive. He would tell her. He would tell her everything. Keaira knew already so it seemed only a matter of time before the others did as well. If the others wished to condemn him, so be it. But her, perhaps she would see him differently. Perhaps she would see that small mote of light within him. He would have to tell her.
Zee's bittersweet thoughts were interupted by the arrival of a large gray owl. It fluttered down onto the stone beside him, holding out its leg for him to take the attached letter. Curious, Zee accepted it and drew a sickle from his pocket. It was more than the typical charge, but Zee's high spirits had put him in an uncommonly generous mood, and there was always the chance the bird had brought him news of his love. Slipping the coin into the bird's pouch, he watched as it nodded to him and took flight once more.
Zee unrolled the small bit of parchment and immediately read the bottom. Truly, D'rorah Philosophy. That was unexpected, and possibly disconcerting. Why would she be writing him? Returning his gaze to the top of the note, Zee read through it quickly, then again taking his time. It was simple and to the point. Any tone or inflection would simply be Zee's inference and thus not necessarily useful in interpreting the purpose of the message. Did she know? Was she attempting to lure him to an isolated location where she could wreak vengeance upon him for what he'd done to Dylan?
Panic took hold of Zee, but he quickly suppressed it. However much D'rorah might have despised him for his actions, he was still useful, and indeed necessary if the mage was to be defeated. She would not recklessly attack him based on her emotions. Perhaps she simply wished to discuss his meeting with Caira. It had confirmed the headmistress' affiliation with Dark Phoenix unlike anything else had. At least as far as he knew. There were other probabilities. He needn't jump to conclusions.
Standing and stretching, Zee glanced back over his shoulder to the stairway that would take him down the tower. It would be a winding way down through the entire castle to get out onto the road to Hogsmeade. A mischievous grin on his face, Zee took two quick steps and leaped from the tower. He closed his eyes as the wind whipped past, his hair blowing wildly and his half buttoned shirt flapping. With a few arcane syllables he summoned the same cushioning charm he'd used when he'd dropped from the tower the night he'd met Keaira, now his bound Shadow Warrior. The wind resistance halted suddenly as his descent slowed, and he touched down lightly with a satisfied sigh.
Zee's seventeenth birthday was now far off and he would make a point of mastering apparition in the near future. For now, he set off down the road away from the castle and through the gates, walking at a swift pace.
It was some thirty minutes or so later that Zee could be seen taking the cobblestone path off the road up to the door of the cottage with blue shutters. Several deep, steadying breaths later, he lifted his fist and rapped neatly on the door. Typically Zee would have used the knock as a simple announcement and proceeded to step into the structure unbidden. Now though, he waited patiently, hands clasped behind his back as he went over a few possible scenarios in his head.
((Ok, at the risk of seeming entirely unmasculine, my eyes were just the tiniest bit moist as I was going on about Wysteria. I'm such a sap. lol))
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 3, 2008 18:27:42 GMT -5
((Awww... poor Zee. That comment about the note bringing news of his love was almost too much.))
D'rorah held a cold cup of tea in her hands when she heard the rap at the door. She had poured it. And the cup of tea, separated from the remainder of the pot, had cooled fairly rapidly. She set it aside and went to open the door. Zane looked the picture of a gentleman caller as he stood at the door with his hands clasped behind his back. Knowing what she was about to tell him, she found his subdued manner appropriate and wondered what he might have thought upon receiving her note.
"Please come in Zane," greeted D'rorah in her normal emotionless manner. Certainly, it was a deviation for her to address him by his first name... but considering why she had asked him here, 'Mister Bishop' seemed too cold a greeting--even to her. "I have tea ready," she added as she gestured him to enter the living room. She picked up her own cold cup of tea and took it into the kitchen to prepare a fresh cup for the both of them. She returned in a moment with two cups, set upon saucers and put out a small tray with cream, sugar, and lemon in case he fancied any.
"As you already know, my manner is very direct," she began as she sat upon the far end of the couch. "And I am certain you are curious to know why I have asked you all the way to Hogsmeade, so I shall be forthright." Her eyes regarded him for a moment as her tea sat in her lap, once again untouched. "I received a letter this morning from the Order of Light... contacts in Romania. The letter indicates that Wysteria has been killed while visiting family there." She paused for the briefest moment before continuing, knowing he would want information. "Apparently there was a vampire in a neighboring clan who had joined with a Shadow. She had warned me some time ago of rumors to that effect and had decided to investigate during a short trip to visit her family. I am very sorry to relay that she was attacked during that journey and was killed. I know that you two were close, and I wanted you to be the first who found out. I thought it better to tell you somewhere private."
Not sure what his reaction would be, she sat somewhat warily. Zane could take the news in nearly any way... she had seen and felt human emotions run the gamut from one extreme to the other: joy, rage, sadness, indifference. Knowing the sort of magics Zane was interested in, she knew there was no such thing as being too vigilant. She would so hate to find herself on the receiving end of one of her own modified Unforgivable Curses.
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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 Jan 3, 2008 21:31:12 GMT -5
A powerful curse didn't immediately strike Zee in the face when the door was opened, so he supposed that was a good sign. Being referred to as Zane threw him off slightly, but not enough for him to react visibly. He put on a wide grin as he nodded and entered, though not so wide as he typically wore. His feeling of caution kept him from playing up his supposed carefree nature as much as usual.
"Thank you D'rorah. I must say, the cloak and dagger nature of this meeting has me most intrigued. And I'd love some tea, thank you."
Zee sat himself down on the couch opposite where D'rorah's teacup had been, ensuring he wasn't taking her seat. As she busied herself in the kitchen, he quickly removed the multitude of wristbands that adorned his arms and the wand that was perpetually held there and set them all on the floor at his feet. He would be unable to reach his wand in a timely fashion and hoped this fact would put her somewhat at ease. At the very least he hoped it would goad her into believing him to be at her mercy and thus not feel it necessary to place a full body bind curse on him before revealing that she knew of Dylan's tormentor's identity.
That was the theory anyway. He by no means was convinced that was her intent in summoning him here, but he would not be caught unawares if it were. Taking out the small roll of parchment which the owl had delivered to him, Zee skimmed through it once more, but no brilliant insights came to him as to D'rorah's intentions. Setting the page down on the couch beside him, Zee assumed a relaxed posture, setting his back in the corner of the couch so that he would be facing D'rorah more than the wall which the couch was facing and resting the ankle of the leg closest to her on the opposite knee. His arms were spread wide, the one nearer the back of the couch resting upon it, while the other rested on the couch's arm. Just as he'd gotten comfortable, D'rorah returned with the tea.
As she began speaking he filled his tea with ample amounts of cream and sugar, though he forewent the lemon. Indeed she was correct about her manner. He had witnessed her bluntness on several occasions. As he took a testing sip of his tea, he considered how very much this resembled his meeting with Caira.
Though in a warped fashion to be sure. Caira's abode was a bit more cozy. Roaring fire, multiple seating choices. And of course she was smiling. And yet she danced around most everything she said to me didn't she? Teasing, trying to lure me in before showing me what she truly offered. Conversely Miss Philosophy is indeed straightforward. I suppose I should appreciate that. Caira's attitude may have been more entertaining, but when it comes to a simple desire for information, simply being granted it is certainly preferable.
As D'rorah reached the point where she simply stated that Wysteria was dead, a brief halt in motion was Zee's only apparent reaction. Holding his saucer in his left hand , his cup was frozen an inch or two from his lips. He simply stared into her eyes as she likewise paused, and almost at the same instant as she continued, he completed his sip of tea as if nothing noteworthy had occurred. Zee's eyes shifted down to the steaming liquid in his cup as the information was repeated, this time with some amount of sympathy.
A few moments after she had finished speaking Zee lifted his eyes back to D'rorah. He released the teacup, leaving it resting on the saucer, though it was rattling slightly as his hands were shaking. Setting the entire thing down on the metal tray that sat on the couch between them, the china cup and saucer continued rattling. The tray was also vibrating, though Zee seemed not to notice.
Vampire? She was a . . . That explains some things . . . many things . . . joined with a Shadow? Like what Caira tried to get me to do? Then . . . did Caira know? Her mistress surely did. Did they . . . was this because I went to her? Because of what I revealed to her? Did I . . . kill her?
Zee set both feet on the ground and looked as if he were going to stand. Whether he'd decided against it or simply couldn't manage it, he remained seated and took several shaky breaths. His voice came out surprisingly clear, though very quietly.
"Forgive me Miss Philosophy if this seems to indicate a lack of faith in your information gathering ability, but I would like to be absolutely clear on this matter. Based upon information from sources you implicitly trust, Miss Edwin is dead. Is this an accurate summation of what you called me here to relate?"
Zee's eyes, much like his voice, were steady and focused, looking straight into D'rorah's. Only his still shaking hands and the increasingly violent tremors in the metal tray betrayed any emotion in the new Elemental Master.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 3, 2008 22:09:15 GMT -5
D'rorah noted the way Zee's hands shook as she relayed her news. More troublesome, but not entirely unexpected, was the shaking of the metal tea tray. She waited patiently as he took several shaky breaths, apparently far beyond shock at the news she had delivered. She met his eyes evenly, wondering how she would react if someone had given her the same information about Dylan. Likely, she would also question the information while maintaining a calm and controlled exterior face. However, she also knew the sort of inner turmoil she would be experiencing and could well empathize with how Zee must be feeling at the moment.
D'rorah nodded in response to his question. "Yes Zane. The source of this information was someone I trained with for several years. We were both students of Master Xiu and were both of the Element Wind. I trust his information as implicitly as I would trust my own."
D'rorah took a deep breath. Wysteria had been one of D'rorah's rare friends as well. The guilt she felt at bringing in so many to this cause... some who had already died, was painful. "I am quite sorry Zane," she reiterated. "I can only imagine how you must be feeling now." She smiled apologetically. "If you have any questions or if there is anything I might be able to do for you, please let me know." She gestured around to the house. "I know it is not much at the moment, but you are welcome to use my home until you feel you are ready to return to Hogwarts."
She placed a hand on the quivering tea tray and made as though she would move it aside, taking Zee's cup into her hand before it could spill from the exaggerated vibrations which were no doubt being cause by his emotional state.
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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 Jan 3, 2008 23:01:33 GMT -5
Before she even confirmed it Zee knew she was certain of the validity of her information. She would not have brought it to him otherwise. Hearing the words though seemed to affect a change in him, the rest of his body taking after his hands, which were now covering his face as he convulsed and rocked slightly. Brief, muffled sobs could be heard, and a few streams of hot liquid squeezed out between his fingers. The tray continued to shake, and the movement continued to increase in severity.
As Zee's hands closed tightly into shaking fists but remained pressed into his face, the tray desisted its spasms. A brief moment of silence passed and then the tray simply warped, the metal twisting with a horrid shrieking sound as Zee threw down his fists and turned to face D'rorah. His eyes and nose had gone quite red, making him look simultaneously dangerous and a little ridiculous. Now his voice was less clear and far less restrained, his throat and sinuses clearly plugged somewhat with phlegm.
"And what is it you might do for me Miss Philosophy? Have you come across a superior version of the resurrection stone in all your research? Does your precious light have some ability I've not heard of to revivify the recently deceased? And what does it matter to you how I feel? Are you concerned that this news may cripple me and cause me to no longer be 'of use?' That would be quite a loss to our glorious little war wouldn't it?"
The outburst was decidedly unlike him. Twisted as it may have been, Zee had become a creature of strict discipline. One could not have the urges and desires he did and still interact with others if he were not. But that restraint had always come with the promise of later getting what he wanted. What he wanted now was for Wysteria to be alive and right there in the cottage beside him, smirking at him as she questioned his confidence. Would remaining calm grant him that desire? He somehow doubted it.
Zee was behaving irrationally and he knew it, but that only heightened his unbelievable frustration. At the current moment, the realm could burn with the black flames of Dark Phoenix for all he cared. And yet at the same time, it had been her who had taken Wysteria from him, and there was nothing he wouldn't do to return that pain to her.
Zee rose to his feet and the tray lifted from the couch with him, continuing to twist and morph in the air. There seemed to be no reason behind the manipulation of the metal, no design in mind. In truth Zee wasn't even consciously doing it. It was an instinctual response as the metal tried to mirror that which Zee felt.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 3, 2008 23:45:27 GMT -5
Frankly, D'rorah found herself surprised by just how much emotion Zane was displaying. He had always given off a very carefully practiced attitude of sarcastic nonchalance in all of her dealings with him. Suddenly, he was distraught and simply not the Zane she had spent so many hours in the library with... not the same Zane who spent his free time chasing down information about Unforgivable Curses. The twisting of the tea tray fit in at the perfect moment, adding just the right touch of dramatic emotional flair to the strange morning.
She did not flinch as he lashed at her verbally, merely listening without bringing her own emotions into the picture. She knew better than to take the rantings of the emotionally distraught personally. "My concern for you has nothing to do with the war at hand," she replied quietly. "Wysteria was my friend. I have come to consider you as a friend of sorts in the time we have been working together. I realize that all of this must be quite painful for you. Were I in your shoes, I can only imagine who I would respond.
"The Mage has taken from all of us, Zane. She has stolen family, friends, and loved ones. We shall defeat her and restore balance to the world. And hopefully, some day, we will all be able to gather the shattered pieces of our lives and move on to the next stage. You have the opportunity to continue the work she gave her life for, to bring our realm back within balance. I can only hope that knowing you are able to support something she believed in will help to ease your own pain somewhat." She wished at that moment that she had something to pass along to Zane, a token of Wysteria's... and then, remembering the marker that had been in the letter, she opened it, cupping a small jasmine flower delicately in her hand.
She held it out to Zane. "It is not much... but it is a small part of her that I am certain she would want you to have," she remarked quietly, her eyes full of compassion, as though she could feel his pain as well as he could.
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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 Jan 4, 2008 5:46:56 GMT -5
Most of D'rorah's words had no sort of calming effect on Zee. He stood there, listening as best he could through the constant screams of blame in his mind. He blamed the creature that had personally ended her life, that had crushed the warmth from the most beautiful creature Zee had ever beheld. He blamed the Shadow Mage who had ordered the attack, had bound one of her damned minions to the vampire, a creature Wysteria normally would have been able to handle. He blamed Alessandro. He had been her Elemental Master. It had been his job to hold her emotions in check so that she could battle the Shadows. If only he had been there she could have handled the Shadow in the vampire as well. He blamed Wysteria for letting herself die. Knowing what she meant to him, how much he needed her, she had let herself die.
Mostly though, Zee blamed himself, because in fact she hadn't known. Zee had never told her that he loved her. He'd never told her that before her the only joy he ever felt was in horrific torture of others, and that what she made him feel inside was better than anything he'd imagined possible. He never told her that she had become his reason for living. He'd never even kissed her.
The tears that were freely flowing down Zee's face as he stood there, barely hearing D'rorah's words of comfort, could have filled a pensieve. He was no longer sobbing, but the tears did not slow. They blurred his vision and made it difficult for him to see what it was D'rorah was offering him. Reaching one still shaking hand forward, he gingerly scooped the tiny thing into his own palm. Bringing it closer, he saw what it was, but more than that, even through his sniffling, he caught a slight whiff of the sweet flower that always adorned Wysteria's hair; the scent that had followed her where ever she went and had always been an integral part of their midnight meetings atop the Astronomy Tower.
Slowly sinking back to the couch, Zee gazed down at the jasmine blossom for several long moments before looking back up at D'rorah. The metal that had once been a tray had stopped shifting forms and was now just a hovering mass of jagged metal. For the moment, Zee ignored it. Instead he thought of D'rorah's words concerning supporting what Wysteria believed in. He remembered that something she adamantly believed in, to the point of accidentally insulting him more than once, was honesty. His voice was still shaky, though it no longer held the frenzied desperation it had. It did crack often however.
"D'rorah . . . you say we may piece our lives back together. There have only ever been two pieces of my life. The second was Wysteria, and the first was destroyed by her. The darkness you know to be in me is . . . was? I can't say. I can't explain it. I don't know why. My only pleasure before I met Wysteria was in causing others pain. D'rorah, it was I who attacked Dylan."
He stopped there, offering no explanation or excuse. He had neither. If his remorse for the action wasn't apparent or wasn't sufficient, he would simply accept whatever consequence would come. Perhaps she would kill him for this. Perhaps a not so small part of him hoped for exactly that.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 4, 2008 18:50:10 GMT -5
D'rorah listened quietly as Zee finally began speaking again. He seemed calmer, though still obviously upset. Instead of anger, she heard only brokenness and sorrow in his voice. She felt as though she could understand just how easily he had come to feel that knowing Wysteria had changed him. She knew full well that Dylan had changed her... while she wasn't and would likely never been a bubbly, happy-go-lucky person, he had managed to draw her from her shell--had even given her a bit of faith in the ability of other human beings to contribute positively to one another's lives. His confusion was all too familiar to her.
But the next words from his mouth. She sat there silently as she attempted to process that statement. Her lip twitched slightly. Putting everything together. She didn't even realize that she had stopped breathing. She remembered how many times she had told Dylan she would find the one who had dealt him such a blow... Zane made sense as the perpetrator, though she had never expected it. Soundlessly, still not remembering to breath, she began gathering the tea things. "This tea is cold," she remarked weakly. Now she felt guilty... she remembered having shown Zane the Room of Requirement, remembered how he had been so interested in it. She had provided the venue. She had been the one who had brought Dylan back to Hogwarts after his having been attacked by John, though her better judgment had told her he needed more time to finish recuperating.
The tea things in her hand, hardly breathing, she went into the kitchen to put them away. She could feel a dark rage building within her as she grasped the edges of the sink. It had to be controlled... Zane was an Elemental Master. His death would weaken the team and put Keaira's life in danger. Finally remembering to breath properly, she took several deep breaths as she put her mind in order. Straightening, she turned to head back into the sitting room. She now had her own larger dilemma--what would she tell Dylan? He would have to know... she remembered how upset he had been just to find out how she had guarded his mind from the terrible nightmares the attack had caused. She couldn't risk his trust to hide a secret like this... could she?
Would she have to? What would be Dylan's own reaction if she were to tell him? And then Zane... Zane had actually grilled her for the information about the attack, had led her from Defense Against Dark Arts when her emotions, unchecked by the anchor of an Elemental Master, had threatened to break free of their tight confines. He had even gone so far as to tell her that she needed to stand beside Dylan in his time of need. And the whole time, the entire time, he had been the perpetrator all along.
D'rorah herself was no saint. She had done things in her lifetime for the sake of academics which most would find questionable. But never had she gone as far as to produce agony in others for the simple sake of their pain. Pain had been a scientific study for her, and most of the more horrible things she had done to herself, unable to consider the thought of doing them to another. Finally, not really feeling much more composed than she had been before leaving the room, she walked back into the sitting room, taking a seat on the couch, she finally looked up at Zane.
Her voice had changed completely. Where before it was warm and compassionate (well, for D'rorah), it was now tight and distant. "Mister Bishop... I was told by my Master many years ago that the purpose of our struggle was to bring balance into the world, that we would have to learn to respect the darkness within ourselves and within all beings or perish if she rebuked that darkness." She took a deep breath. "You seem repentant; however, you have proven yourself thus far to be a gifted actor, versed in the subtle art of deception. I am no creature of pure light... however, as you must surely understand, I cannot help but find the act you have just confessed to as anything less than an abomination. Mister Cooper is..." her voice cracked and she paused. "If Wysteria meant anything to you at all, change paths now while you still can. You have talents which can be used for good. If I ever, at any time, have reason to believe you are a danger to this team, I will kill you. And I cannot say it will be a swift or merciful affair." Her voice was even and quiet, the voice of cold logic during the entire time she was speaking, except for that one crack.
"This moment begins your second chance. There will be no third."
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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 Jan 4, 2008 20:17:11 GMT -5
Sitting motionless as D'rorah rose and left the room, Zee couldn't make another sound. He was already questioning whether he should have told her. Zee was of two minds on the subject. Actually he felt two distinct points of view, and each one was split in its opinion of his decision. The part of Zee that he was most familiar with predominantly thought he was a fool for telling her. He had had her in a rare position where she was inclined to look quite favorably on him simply due to the pain he was experiencing. He had likely sacrificed that advantage.
Conversely, Keaira already knew and it seemed somewhat inevitable that the others would eventually find out. By offering the information himself, he increased his chances of receiving forgiveness. If indeed that was a possibility at all.
The part of Zee's mind that had been gradually voicing its opinion more and more seemed to be much stronger now than it ever had before told him that perhaps he should not have told D'rorah simply because of the turmoil it was no doubt causing her. Zee no longer had a great desire to bring pain to others, and D'rorah even less than any other. Keaira as well, after learning what he had of her past. Those girls had already had quite their share. It made Zee wonder about Wysteria's past. Now he would never know.
Wysteria. More than anything else, his thoughts of her convinced him that he had been right in telling D'rorah the truth, whatever it cost either of them. Wysteria would have wanted him to. He believed that completely and held dearly to that belief as he waited for the Ravenclaw to return.
When she finally did reappear Zee sat in the same position he had been in when she left. He got the impression she did not intend to kill him there before she even spoke. After all, she likely would have sent a curse from the kitchen entrance rather than returning to her seat. With some effort, Zee met D'rorah's gaze.
The compassion is gone. Just as well. I didn't deserve it. Or . . . perhaps . . . she still has her Mr. Cooper. I'll never see Wysteria again. All in all I'd still consider her position the enviable one. But then . . . if someone had done to Wysteria what I did to Dylan . . . No, she is behaving more rationally than I would.
Zee's jaw tightened and he swallowed when D'rorah's words seemed to imply an uncertainty whether he truly loved Wysteria. He wished people would stop doing that, but given his original intent when he met her, could hardly blame them. Despite himself, Zee smiled slightly when she plainly told him she would kill him if he gave any indication that he was a danger. The threat of death hardly frightened him any longer. He did not currently believe he had anything to live for. Zee had changed, but he was still somewhat selfish, and without Wysteria he saw little hope for his own life, and little reason to continue it.
But then, it wasn't really a threat, was it? More a simple statement of fact. Nodding his head, Zee spoke up, his voice now completely calm, though far more solemn than it had likely ever been.
"I understand D'rorah. Will you be the one to tell the others about Wysteria or shall I? I think you would be the more appropriate choice. Of course Caira is likely to make an announcement eventually, but I would rather the others find out from someone who isn't the Mage's minion. And there's the matter of explaining the truth of Dylan's assault to everyone."
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 4, 2008 22:16:17 GMT -5
D'rorah thought for a moment. "I will make certain the others know. It may take a while to spread the information, depending on my schedule over the next several days. You would do best not to mention it..." she paused for a moment. "Though of course Miss O'Connell will know. Actually, if she would assist me in informing the others, I am sure everyone will find out more quickly."
"As for the truth of Dylan's assault... it is for him to decide whether or not to share that information. As of now, you, Keaira, and I are the only ones who know." She took a deep breath. "I shall have a difficult enough time explaining to Dylan without him thinking me a traitor for allowing you to live." She stood from the couch. "I had thought to allow you my home as a haven to deal with your grief... please lock the door when you leave."
With that, she made her way across the sitting room to the front door and walked out, closing the door behind her. Bracing herself against the chilly air, she began the walk back to Hogwarts, her mind racing with thoughts of everything that had just happened and how best to deal with it all.
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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 Jan 5, 2008 2:59:27 GMT -5
Again Zee merely nodded along with D'rorah's words. It was just as well. She was the unspoken leader of the Lightfighters, where as he was very new to the war and not really well known by most of the others. He also didn't much fancy the thought of talking about Wysteria with people who had known her for longer and who would believe they'd known her better than he had.
He chuckled bitterly to himself at the thought once D'rorah had departed. His current view of the human race was such that Wysteria was at the top, nearest perfection, he was at the bottom, and everyone else was somewhere in between, but closer to him than to Wyst. He felt silly as he considered how death had already heightened his perception of Wysteria's character. In truth she had frustrated him on many occasions, and while she was never intentionally cruel that he knew of, she had said some rather thoughtless things throughout their brief acquaintance.
Yet he missed her terribly, and would have given absolutely anything to have one last chance to talk to her. There was so much he hadn't ever said. In many ways that was likely a good thing, but he wished she'd been more aware. She had died thinking well of Zee, but had she actually known him? This was perhaps the greatest tragedy to his thinking. And yet she had known that he was not as he pretended to be. She had known there was a darkness in him, and she had shown herself willing to be near him anyway. If she had found out about his past, his close brush with joining the Mage, and his treatment of Dylan, she would have struggled with it, but she would have forgiven him in the end.
He had to believe that. It was all he had left.
Standing, he grabbed the warped serving tray and moved for the exit. He wasn't sure what exactly D'rorah had meant in regards to how long he could stay, but it had been clear that she didn't want him there, so he had no desire to stay. Stepping out and closing the door, Zee decided to go a step beyond colloportus and instead wove a more intricate spell on the door, taking several minutes to do so. It would take powerful magic now to gain access to that house for any but D'rorah Philosophy, and any guests of course.
Then he walked away, unsure where he was going.
Miss O . . . Keaira . . . Wysteria's dead. Ask D'rorah if you want the details. No, I didn't kill her. Please let the others know. Also, D'rorah knows about Dylan. I shall see you Wednesday at 8:50. Until then.
Zee wasn't sure how to close off his mind. He wasn't even sure he could. Perhaps Keaira would always be able to "speak" to him at any time over any distance. He tried to shut down the communication anyway. He wanted to be alone. Well, no he didn't, but he was, regardless of the presence of any other living person.
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