Sam Kelley
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Elemental Master of Water
Posts: 67
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Post by Sam Kelley on Jun 24, 2009 6:13:50 GMT -5
The Gryffindor boy was completely soaked through from the falling rain where he now knelt at the water’s edge, but such concerns were the farthest away in his mind. At the forefront lay Caitlin, the sobbing girl that he now held firmly in an attempt to protect her from both the falling rain and the pain that their bonding had stirred. The guilt still remained and clashed mercilessly with the remorse within his head, a battle that spilled across that newly formed link; hopefully he would learn how to better control what he broadcasted to the girl in the coming days, but for right now it was essentially an open conduit between them. Despite those thoughts that raged within, Sam remained a strong and reassuring physical presence for his friend, holding her as a true friend should. Certainly this wasn’t exactly the circumstance which his agile mind had imagined embracing the Hufflepuff girl that fawned over, but such considerations had no place given the events of this evening and thus remained unexplored in his mind at the current moment.
The feeling of her hand clasping onto his arm was reassuring, that even if he couldn’t make the pain go away, he could show her that she wasn’t alone to bear it. The boy let his head lean forward and his chin to rest lightly over her shoulder, his eyes squinting against the rain as he looked out onto the frantic surface of the lake. To his blue eyes the body of water looked the same as it always would’ve before under such conditions, but he felt so much more aware of it now, it seemed like his mind processed the cadence of each drop landing and how each concentric ripple impacted the once serene surface. It was with a slight and most unnoticeable motion that he shook the thoughts from his head and refocused on the girl in his arms, her and the water all around them proving far too distracting for him to feel even a hint of prying eyes upon them in the darkness.
As the minutes passed a sinking feeling made itself known within the Gryffindor. It started small, almost as a mere wisp o a thought, but steadily amassed itself as the time passed. At first Sam was only able to ponder it over in him mind confusedly, not sure why he felt the Shadow Warrior distancing herself from him. As if to fight the feeling, he renewed his embrace around her, pulling her closely into his chest. Of course she hadn’t pulled away or tried to shrug off his encircling arms, yet he could feel her separating and with the mental link between them so new all that came to mind was the physical response. ”What’s happening?” he whispered against her ear, reaching out for some sort of explanation of what he was feeling since it resembled nothing that he had felt before in his life - the feeling of part of his psyche on the verge of flight.
More time passed as he remained there clinging to the girl and feeling her presence less and less. His arms and chest still told that she was there with absolute certainty, but the silence and dampening feeling of her mind told another story all together. Just a few second before the girl evaporated into a cloud of shadow he again tightened his hold on her, helpless to take any other steps to combat the inevitable that he knew to be coming. ”Caity, don’t!” he plead in a louder voice that was masked by the rainfall, even though he knew not what he against. Almost instantly following the plea, Sam’s arms collapsed in on themselves and he fell forward against the wet grass. A long shiver passed through the boy’s body as he came into contact with the emotionless shadow that nearly enveloped him.
With wide eyes he sprung to his feet and moved in sidesteps with the looming mass, remaining focused on her completely with his shoulders squared in her direction. His confused mind blazed in an attempt to process what he was now seeing, the first logical response being that he wish D’rorah Philosophy was here at this moment. Never before since he had known the Ravenclaw girl had he wished for her presence, but it was her guidance and expertise that he needed now. Knowing that the other Shadow Warrior was no where near and not wishing to abandon Caitlin, the boy shrugged off the thought and pondered the scenario. Surely this was something that he shouldn’t be too concerned with, he assured himself; after all, she had to have been called a shadow warrior for a reason, right? Despite those attempts to try and sell himself on security and calmness, neither of those found their way into his current demeanor with any dominance.
Squinting his eyes harder against the rain, Sam continued to move with the shadow in her meandering pace. Even focusing mentally through the link that was still so new, he didn’t at all recognize what he felt on the other end from what he had experience in those last few minutes - the shadow of his counterpart was completely devoid of all emotion. A chill ran through the Gryffindor as he pushed harder against the link, pleading with her to come back. Even in his inexperience and lack of knowledge with these things, it was more an obvious to Sam that what he now felt the girl going through wasn’t a good thing, especially with him being the only one around.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jun 30, 2009 19:22:43 GMT -5
D'rorah had been making a point to pay special attention to the school grounds lately. It had been rather quiet for quite some time now, and it seemed logical that the Mage might strike at any moment. Her telepathy, combined with a natural sense for things of the Shadow Realm after years of training, combined to aid her wish for constant vigilance. It wasn't perfect, but she couldn't expect herself to be everywhere at once.
And so, she was sitting in her dormitory sifting through texts in the trunk at the foot of her bed when she felt something strange. A Shadow had somehow entered the school grounds, even though the sun had not quite yet set. She furrowed her brow in confusion even as she turned toward the window and stretched out her awareness to track down the strange feeling that pricked at the back of her mind. It took moments for her mind to center on the lake and to see Sam and a Shadow... only he didn't seem frightened. Rather, concerned.
She threw open the window, grateful that none of her dormmates happened to be in the room with her at the moment and was already halfway to her animagus form of a sparrow when she leapt out. Her body couldn't travel as fast as her mind, so it was agonizing to wait for the lake to come into view as she flapped her wings against the warm spring air. It wasn't until she had nearly reached the lake that she realized that the Shadow she saw was none other than one of her Shadow Warriors, Caitlin. If she'd had lips, she would have pursed them. Caitlin wasn't experienced enough to meld to Shadow Form without her Elemental Master... and even then she had been under too much emotional stress lately to safely pull herself back without help.
Knowing she needed to move faster, and knowing she'd have to meld to Shadow Form herself to have some hope of pulling the girl back, she melded in mid-flight, shooting off in a streak of formless black toward Caitlin as she drifted aimlessly near Sam. [blue]Caitlin, you have to come back now or you will lose yourself completely,[/blue] she communicated in what would have sounded like talking to Caitlin but would have been silent to those around her. She took physical hold of the Shadow Form that was Caitlin, ready to pull her back to human form physically if she wasn't already too far gone.
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Sam Kelley
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Elemental Master of Water
Posts: 67
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Post by Sam Kelley on Jul 1, 2009 0:55:29 GMT -5
It was a tense few minutes that Sam spent pacing the meandering mass of shadow that was previously the object of his teenage crush and newly christened Shadow Warrior. Being brand new to this Elemental Master gig, he was completely clueless of what was occurring before his eyes, the only gauging fact being that absolute black hole of emotion that Caitlin had become through their newly shared link. There was still a connection there and he could still feel the girl anchored to him, but she was growing more and more distant, despite the close proximity he maintained.
The boy’s eyes continued to squint hard against the rain, determined to remain aware of their surroundings in the precipitation and darkness that was settling on them more and more by the minute. Unaware as the boy may have been of all applicable concerns over Caitlin’s current state, he could feel the coldness emanating from her and the vulnerability that came with it. Though the feeling sent a shiver through his athletic body, he remained with her through each billowing movement, his gaze vigilant and thorough as it franticly poured through the 360° that surrounded them. It was no secret that the grounds of Hogwarts were not safe at this time of night and he knew that much to remain especially true for him and his Lightfighter ilk. It was for this reason that the Gryffindor’s knuckles began to whiten a bit from the death grip that he retained on the kelpie mane wand in his left hand; as odd as it may sound for the standard wizard, Sam had always wielded his wand in his offhand.
Without warning the faintest stirrings of an image flickered in the farthest reaches of the lad’s sight in the rainy conditions. With the way that he had been turning to pay careful attention in all directions and keep that newly offered promise of protecting his concerned Shadow Warrior, Sam couldn't say exactly where the form had emerged from, but he could swear that he saw a shadow approaching quickly. He swallowed hard and clenched his fingers around the handle of his wand, his mind venturing back to both D’rorah’s warnings about the shadow creatures that threatened the order and those dangers that lurked about the grounds as the light of day faded away.
”I’ll protect you, Caity, just like I promised...” he muttered in a voice just loud enough for he and the shadowy Hufflepuff to hear. His eyes squinted a bit tighter against the rain and darkness, keenly focusing in on the form of the approaching attacker that was obviously homing in on his companion. There was a part of the Elemental Master that considered for a second that he should probably be scared or concerned, but that was quickly wiped away by those very facets that had drawn D’rorah’s concern over his involvement with the order in the first place. In practiced proficiency, Sam steadied his breath to fight the anxiety and excitement of the moment just as he did in those tense moments of pursuit where the golden snitch lay a fraction of a millimeter beyond his grasp in his quidditch matches. Already the boy could feel that adrenaline pumping through him and only gaining strength every second while that Gryffindor bravery steeled itself before the impending assault.
The shadow continued on it’s collision course with the boy’s companion and he simply watched it through his intent gaze as it approached, his mind reaching back through the years to those times of simplicity and innocence. His eyes remained focused on both Caity and the attacker while his mind’s eye glanced back to a happy and significant day. The Gryffindor was a young lad, not even old enough to attend Hogwarts at the time. He was standing out on a lush pitch beneath the summer sun, he wore cleats on his feet and pads on his small shins as he looked about to see the other pint sized football players around him as well as his family sitting along the sidelines. Still now he could feel the clumsy pass as he accepted it from his fellow striker and sent it hurling toward the keeper and the goal he guarded. The other boy dove for the shot, but it was an effort in vain as the ball connected audibly with the net of the goal. Just then the official’s whistle blew and called an end to the match. The young Sam’s goal had not won the game, his team had lost, but the way that his family embraced him and showed their love and pride following that moment made the issue of winning or losing unimportant. It was at that moment in his youth that he realized how loved he was and that that love was never dependent on victory or performance, but simply being who he was. It was this picture that his mind clung to before he leveled his wand at the encroaching mass of shadow.
”Expecto patronum!” the Gryffindor called out in the storming weather in a voice that left no mystery of his confidence of casting the difficult charm. Immediately the form of a translucent dolphin emerged from a splash of light that poured from the end of his wand. The aquatic creature immediately flipped it’s mighty tail fin and sped toward the incoming shadow, clashing with it harshly and intercepting it on it’s path to Caitlin. A resounding pop rang out in that initial collision of light and dark that caught the boy a bit off guard and forced him to quickly reinforce his concentration on the charm, the force of that initial impact wasn't exactly something that one got to experience in the theoretical studies and practice in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The Gryffindor watched the melee and carefully stepped so that be imposed himself between the scuffle of the opposing creatures and his friend that he was now bound to and sworn to protect with his life. The bulk of Sam’s mind remained on the attacks of the dolphin patronus, but even now he contemplated his next spell should the need arise.
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Jul 2, 2009 17:41:11 GMT -5
Caity was barely aware of Sam rising and speaking to her as she floated, nor of him moving alongside her. His words just before she had transformed had passed over her just as easily as his actions were now. Ethan she was even more oblivious of, unknowing of his location as she floated towards him and then above him as she paused there, closing a pair of not exactly tangible eyes so all she could see was black. There was a sense of fading, but she paid as little attention to it as she was to everything else around her.
Finally, the coming of a second shadow broke Cait out of her reverie and made her open her spectral eyes to turn just as the shadow came close enough to be recognised as D'rorah. She turned her ethereal body away so she wasn't facing the older girl, vaguely hearing Sam mention protection but paying no more heed to him now than she had before. She let out a small, barely audible sigh at the words spoken to her, pausing for a few moments before turning back to face her. [yellow]But there is no pain... it has all gone away.[/yellow]
She pulled away from the physical hold D'rorah had on her, floating backwards away from her just as Sam made his presence known to her again by casting a patronus. That certainly increased the speed at which she reversed as she backed away from the light that was so painful even when not directed at her. Goodness knew what it was doing to D'rorah. With the idea it must be excruciating pain so close to her and aimed at her, Cait fought against the fading in an effort to help her. And since Sam had sent the spell, the best way to help seemed to be to let him know he was hurting D'rorah. She scrambled for the link between them, finally finding it and drawing on it to bring herself back to a point where she could communicate with him to some degree. [yellow]Sam... stop it...[/yellow] Weakened anyway by the force of his dolphin patronus, that was all she could manage before the link started fading again, along with the fading feeling of herself that was this time accompanied by a little panic in her as she recalled D'rorah's words from earlier.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jul 3, 2009 0:40:21 GMT -5
Hearing Caitlin's reply that she felt no pain, D'rorah's form, wavered. [blue]And that is exactly how darkness will beguile you and pull you in. You will be lost forever to darkne....[/blue]
D'rorah's words were cut off and she shrieked in pain as a burst of Patronus light assailed her Shadowy form. It was only a moment later that a fully formed dolphin patronus began seeking to attack her. She didn't have time for this now, every moment lost would only bring Caitlin closer to being gone forever... having used Shadow Form to escape from her emotions, she would be easily corrupted. She would welcome it. A Shadow Warrior needed something to bring her back from the ecstasy that came with existing in Shadow Form. She needed something to look forward to in the real world.
For D'rorah, she it had taken years of self-discipline and training to learn to pull herself back consistently. It had been difficult to resist the pull of the Shadow Realm. Those lies, that light ecstatic feeling were so very beguiling. They were tempting, convincing. She pulled back from the patronus, giving some distance between it and herself to stop the searing pain that felt as though it was attacking every cell of her being. She tried not to think of it. She had Caitlin to attend to.
Luckily, it seemed Caitlin had enough presence of mind to ask Sam to stop. That meant she wasn't completely gone yet and there was still time to pull her back. But she would have to act quickly. Using the speed of her Shadow Form, she flew around Sam and his patronus and once again grabbed Caitlin's wraith-like form. [blue]I will not lose you to the Shadow Realm, Caitlin Collins.[/blue] she promised, pulling at the Hufflepuff, reaching deep into her being with her mind and pulling her both physically and mentally back into the real world. She refused to pay any attention to Sam or his patronus or whatever pain she might be feeling. She would NOT lose a Shadow Warrior now, in this way. D'rorah would pay for her single-mindedness when she returned to human form... she would be burnt and blistered from the Light of Sam's patronus... that was something she wouldn't be able to avoid or prevent after so many brushes with corruption. She was too close to darkness to remain wholly unaffected by that sort of Light... though it seemed to be... stronger than a simple patronus in some way. She realized, as she was pulling Caitlin back, and as she realized that Caitlin had communicated with him mentally though neither of them was a telepath... the realization hit her suddenly that he must be Caitlin's Elemental Master. That was fortunate, because when she pulled Caitlin back, Sam would have to be the one to secure her emotions. He would be the one to make sure Caitlin was never tainted by the darkness that chilled D'rorah and drew her further and further away from light.
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Sam Kelley
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Elemental Master of Water
Posts: 67
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Post by Sam Kelley on Jul 3, 2009 3:17:10 GMT -5
Just as aggressively as he sought out snitches above the pitch and screaming students of Hogwarts, Sam directed the dolphin in a series of brutal strikes against the shadowy attacker. The contrast of light and dark flicker and reflected in his wide eyes as he watched the melee, his ears detecting what sounded like an almost sizzling sounds during those moments that the entities contacted each other. The way that the shadow instantly recoiled and moved swiftly in an attempt to circumvent the patronus showed the boy how effective it was and only encouraged him to direct the dolphin in a speedy pursuit of it’s quarry. Caitlin had been let down in some way by every Elemental Master that she had been bound to, Sam had seen each instance in perfect clarity and he was determined not to be the next of that list no matter what it took to insure that. As he maintained aim on the shadow with the wand clutched in his left hand, he found himself wishing that he had had the katana from training with him in his right to slash at the creature with.
Sam... Stop it... The words echoed clearly through their shared bond with the fading Hufflepuff and immediately the boy ended his spell, prompting the dolphin to dive downward and disperse into a splash of light upon the grass below. Even as he saw the patronus vanish, he had his doubts to the wisdom of such a decision, but quickly shook the thought from his head and trusted in the thoughts of his counterpart. It was an expression of confusion that instantly filled the Gryffindor’s features as he studied the scenario and allowed his mind to reach further out toward the girl that seemed to have stopped distancing herself mentally. Franticly he grasped for something, anything, some semblance of an explanation for the request to halt his defensive measure.
It was a few tense moments that Sam watched in wide eyed silence as the other shadow once again connected with Caitlin and it was soon after that initial contact that his question was answered. As the entities remained in contact his mind began to sense the girl’s mind growing nearer once again. Quickly he crossed the distance that separated him from the shadows and continued to forcefully focus his mind on the event playing out before him. With his wand still in hand and eyes still attentive to the scene and the surrounding area, Sam positioned himself beneath Caitlin, ready to catch her should her approach that he sensed returned her to her true form and sent her falling toward the ground.
Still not completely sure what was happening, the boy continued to focus his overactive mind on the pair and more specifically what he could graze from Caitlin. ”D’rorah...” he muttered in a light tone that fully expressed his surprise in the realization. Instantly the Gryffindor felt remorse for attacking her with a spell that had certainly caused true pain. While the two didn’t always get along, they were allies at the end of the day and as bloodied up as she could leave him after some training sessions, he had never wished actual torment onto the Ravenclaw. This isn’t to say that Sam didn’t possess vindictiveness towards those who he felt deserved it, but his sense of discretion was solid on such things. As reactionary as the younger of the Kelley Elemental Masters was, he was a good person at heart.
With a gaze that remained wide and unblinking he continued to watch the scene, ready to catch his Shadow Warrior in her descent and help her recovery along; still completely unaware that a spy remained close at hand and unnoticed.
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Jul 3, 2009 8:17:18 GMT -5
The shriek of pain from D'rorah confirmed Cait's worries that it was hurting her, and managed to help in forming the strength to tell Sam he had to stop. Fortunately, he did just that when she requested it, lessening the pain for her and probably substantially lessening it for D'rorah. She stayed still where she was, eyes slipping closed again as she felt the fading begin again and darkness continue to set in. It was just so nice in this form... especially now that patronus had gone and there wasn't pain any more... The lightness helped her relax, turning back to focussing on the ecstatic feel of being in shadow form. She wondered idly why she had never done this before... it was so very peaceful...
D'rorah voice and hold on her jarred against the peace of shadow form and her eyes flickered open again to survey the other shadow in confusion. Why was she doing this? Why was she trying to pull her away from all this pleasantness? A feeble tug against D'rorah's hold failed to do anything to release herself and she felt herself begin to be pulled back. At first she struggled, not wanting to go back to what she had left but finding herself with no choice due to Drorah's determination to pull her back to humanity.
Slowly she felt her emotions coming back to her and fought against them as the pain began to return. She didn't want to feel all this again... she pushed back against the attempts to get her back to her human body but couldn't fight back hard enough, and a few moments later her shadow form melded back into her normal shape, tumbling down into Sam's awaiting arms before quickly turning away and taking a few steps before dropping to her knees, feeling herself trembling as she did so and not quite understanding the commotion going on in her head as being her emotions not anchored properly.
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Post by Bryan Kelley on Jul 3, 2009 16:35:57 GMT -5
[[ Hope this is alright, but no one was on AIM, conscious, for me to ask on joining, and at this point, I'm sure Bryan would be showing up what with D'rorah experiencing pain and what not... ]]
Bryan knew that something was wrong. He knew it by the connection he shared with D’rorah. The connection between them was still growing, still growing stronger. Bryan did not know if either of them really did anything to help the connection grow, for as far as Bryan knew the connection seemed strong to begin with, but then, D’rorah was the first shadow warrior he had ever connected with. So he did not exactly have other experiences with the connection to build off of. However, he still knew something was wrong. He had learned to live with the trickle of her mind at the back of his, often feeling the change of her emotions through it. As far as he knew, the older Ravenclaw never blocked their connection, and he had never done it. Granted, Bryan wasn’t sure if he knew how to do such a thing. However, he never felt he had anything to hide, and he certainly did not have the active mind of his brother that would drive one to insanity, as so many people told Sam.
However, Bryan knew something was wrong by the change of thoughts and feelings that flowed through that connection. Bryan had only felt D’rorah in shadow form once before and it was this sense of déjà-vu that he drew back on when he felt the connection lesson as she entered shadow form. It was enough to make Bryan get up from his seat in the Great Hall, seeking her physical presence in his mind before he left the hall to head for the grounds. Bryan was aware of his duty towards his shadow warrior, and he did not seek to fail her when he knew how the result of such failure affected the Ravenclaw. He shared her memories and he had also had to help her retrieve her emotions when they had joined as Master and Warrior. The Gryffindor certainly did not want D’rorah to become anymore corrupted than she already was.
The Gryffindor ignored the rain as he left the castle and traversed the grounds that separated him and his shadow warrior. Bryan did not know exactly what was going on. He sensed importance through their connection and the pain she was feeling in her shadow form. The Ravenclaw had more control in her shadow form that the connection was still there for Bryan to follow. His steps quickened as soon enough he saw the figures on the grounds. Well, actually he saw one and the vague outline of two shadows. As he grew nearer his brows furrowed he recognized his brother but his attention was soon drawn by the two shadows that were fighting to leave shadow form.
“What the…” he muttered as he took in the scene. Unlike his brother, Bryan did not jump to protect his shadow warrior, not from lack of concern, but more from the fact that at the moment Bryan could see D’rorah and Caitlin starting to take form, the former in worse condition than the latter. Concern entered his eyes as he shot a glance to his brother, as if seeking an explanation but with the intensity that the younger Gryffindor watched the pair, he knew he would not receive one so instead Bryan worked to make sure D’rorah recovered her emotions completely as she pulled the Hufflepuff prefect from Shadow form with her.
Bryan was still ignorant that his brother was the other Shadow Warrior’s Elemental Master, having not picked up that thought from D’rorah in the mixture of information he had received from their connection.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jul 4, 2009 0:26:33 GMT -5
D'rorah was relieved when Sam's patronus disappeared with a splash of light into the ground. She was having to work hard to pull Caitlin back, and having her attention diverted would have made it far more difficult, no matter how stubborn she was. She heard her name spoken by Sam as she finally came into view, and turned her attention back to Caitlin after a moment. Of course he wouldn't have known it was her when he attacked... all he would have seen was another Shadow bearing down on the person who was apparently his new Shadow Warrior. In that line of thinking, he had at least acted, which she found admirable.
She had vaguely felt Bryan stirring to action in the back of her mind, and was not surprised to see him join the group as well. She pulled herself back to human form, wincing at the burnt, blistered flesh she could feel rubbing against the fabric of her robes. She turned her attention to Caitlin, however. She could tell that the girl was having trouble securing her emotions and she knew how it would feel.
[blue]"Samuel Kelley,"[/blue] she ordered in a hoarse voice, gesturing for him to come closer. [blue]"You have to finish pulling her back. And you must do it quickly,"[/blue] she added, grasping his hand with her own fevered hand, burning hot and slightly clammy instead of possessing her usual deathly chill, and pressing it to Caitlin's forehead. [blue]"Think of it as gathering scattered stars in the sky. Just visualize it and it will come naturally. It is what you were meant to do."[/blue]
She waited and finished gathering her own emotions, feeling Bryan's silent assistance as he had helped to pull her back and feeling the ease with which her own emotions were gathered with his continued help. Already, she was worried about who might have seen their little episode out here by the lake, and was worrying about how long it would be before darkness fell. [blue]"We need to go inside before curfew to avoid setting off the alarms... or find somewhere safe for the night. I would prefer not to leave Miss Collins by herself at the moment. And I believe someone is watching us... there is another mental presence in the area,"[/blue] she remarked. She was unwilling to drop her mental barriers enough to scan the area so soon after having retrieved her emotions. [blue]"We should all spend the evening at my cottage in Hogsmeade. It will be safe there, and I have a feeling we all have things to discuss."[/blue] She winced as she moved and her robes grated against raw skin. [blue]"And it will allow me time to tend to these burns..."[/blue]
Turning her attention from Bryan, she watched the progress of Sam and Caitlin. She didn't think he would need any real guidance. The bond between Shadow Warrior and Elemental Master was the sort of thing that seemed to come naturally with little real guidance. Still, she was there to offer what help she could.
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Sam Kelley
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Elemental Master of Water
Posts: 67
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Post by Sam Kelley on Jul 4, 2009 5:21:11 GMT -5
Sam continued to watch the scene with a look of near terror in his eyes. With each second that passed he could see the state of his Shadow Warrior shifting, but worse than that he could feel that turmoil and struggle that Caitlin felt over the transformation. ”Come on, Caity...” he muttered aloud in a coaxing tone while the same encouraging sentiment was channeled through their link. The point where the Hufflepuff actually popped out of her non-corporeal state took a long time coming, but thanks to the link of their minds, Sam was ready to catch and cradle her in his arms just as she started to fall back to earth. What he wasn’t prepared for was the how she skittered away so quickly, but he offered her no resistance, understanding the need for space after such an intense event.
For a few seconds Sam just stared across those few feet that separated him from Caitlin, the emergence of D’rorah from managing to pull his attention away. The blisters and singes upon her skin was obvious enough to his gaze, but was assailed him most harshly was the way that vapor of some sort rose from the Ravenclaw’s robes. It was obvious that he had caused her pain and he felt guilty, a small sigh passing his lips to indicate as much. The girl may have beaten and bloodied him up in their sword training sessions, but even though he often felt struggle and frustration toward her at times, he knew she did those things to him not out of spite, but the desire to make him improve. He had surely wished that he was skillful enough to return a few of those wounds before, but never once had that been a thought cast in hate that wished her true harm.
”I’m sorry, Dee, I didn’t...” he managed to say in a low and solemn voice before she abruptly interrupted him. The way that she addressed him, Samuel Kelley, brought a cringe to the lad, in fact it was just a Christian short of harkening his mind back to those times that the boy’s mother would call out his full name in a moment of anger. Sam’s head dropped a bit and his lips pursed, but he approached the girl as she indicated and listened carefully to her words. As she grabbed his hand he could still feel the heat of his patronus forcing it’s way out of her charred body, in fact, he had to shake the remembrance of that sizzling sound from the earlier shadow and light contact from his head and clearly hear the directions she gave. The Gryffindor’s storming blue eyes rested on D’rorah’s when she spoke, his head instantly offering a nod of acknowledgement in a gesture that showed what was possibly one of his best qualities. For all of the defiance that found it’s way between he and D’rorah in their training and standard contact, in the heat of the moment he was a good soldier that listened to his general when it came down to it, whether he agreed with his orders or not. This is not to say that he didn’t possess the ability to ignore a request, but it would have to be a rather serious scenario for him to do so. The years of sports team play had molded the lad.
Without hesitation Sam moved to Catilin and kneeled on the grass at her side, leaning the girl back into his arms. He still watched D’rorah as he did so, his eyes looking for some sort of approval for this process that was still so foreign. ”It’ll be alright, Caity, just come back to me..” he muttered after he laid his hand flat on her forehead and glanced down to her pretty face. His heart raced while he swallowed hard and tried to do as he was told. A few seconds later the boy couldn’t detect a difference in the girl and looked up frantically at D’rorah as if he were expecting an explanation. In that searching moment was when the young Kelley brother at last caught site of the older in the distance. The familiar concentration on Bryan’s face was apparent and prompted Sam to again glance down at his Shadow Warrior.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, cradling her against him and rocking her a bit while his left hand remained resting on her forehead. It is what you were meant to do. D’rorah’s words echoed in his mind and he drew comfort from them, trusting in her judgment. Another deep breath filled the lad, one of those breaths that demanded and forced calmness in himself that he used so constantly during his quidditch matches, and he concentrated just as the older girl had said and how he had witnessed his brother doing. With the proper focus on that newly formed connection, it didn’t take long for Sam to understand what D’rorah had meant and he carefully and cautiously began reassembling and rebuilding the emotions of his Shadow Warrior. Once he got into the groove of it, the boy didn’t pause to consider the gravity of dealing so intricately with the mind of another, but such thoughts would certain surface as he pondered the whole scenario in the near future.
Sam heard D’rorah's suggestion of the group staying in Hogsmeade for the night and was in agreement, his head offering a nod in her direction while his mind continued to work. Surely the process shouldn’t have taken as long as the boy did, but he was especially careful and cautious, determined to return his friend to her proper state. After a few moments his eyes opened and he again looked down to Caitlin, his hand stroking gently at her hair reassuringly. ”Caity, are you alright? Talk to us,” he requested in a low, concerned tone. Sam glanced up for a brief second to both Bryan and D’rorah before looking down at the girl that laid against him once again, hoping that he hadn’t fumbled his task in the stress of the moment.
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Jul 7, 2009 5:32:04 GMT -5
Sitting on the ground as she was, Caitlin could feel her head spinning as her emotions fluttered about, confusing both her mind and making her feel a little queasy. She didn't notice the new presence of Bryan, her eyes instead squeezed shut as she tried to make sense of this big mess massing up in her head. One moment she felt almost normal, the next she seemed to be almost floating again even while feeling the grass beneath her, still shivering partly from the time in shadow form and partly from the rain and wind that came down on them all.
In the distance she heard D'rorah's voice speaking to Sam and a few moments later felt a warm hand pressed to her forehead and some mention of stars as her eyes fluttered open to view him in confusion, not quite sure what was happening. She felt his arms move around her and leaned slightly into him, feeling some comfort from just knowing he was there even if her head was feeling very strange right now. Slowly, as he worked on restoring her emotions, she felt her eyes slip closed again, somewhat from the hurt that was coming back and somewhat from the confusion. She was feeling more and more human by the minute, and even processed D'rorah's comment about going to Hogsmeade.
Finally he was done, and another single tear made its way down the side of her face as the pain came back to haunt her, before pushing thoughts of that away and instead focussing on the feel of the rain as it came down. A pounding headache had started she had no inclination to open her eyes just yet and face reality – and most likely a severe, albeit well-deserved reprimand from D'rorah for being so stupid. She heard Sam's question and sighed slightly. She had felt his encouragement during her journey back to human form and knew it had helped along the way – even if she had not thought it helpful at the time. He had also just secured her emotions again. He deserved thanks, and probably an apology as well. [yellow]"I... yeah..."[/yellow] she murmured, finally inching her eyes open and looking up at him. [yellow]"I'm sorry... thank you,"[/yellow] she added, wiping away the tear that had just fallen despite it being hidden by the rain anyway and turning slightly to see D'rorah and, to her surprise, Bryan as well.
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Post by Bryan Kelley on Jul 8, 2009 16:43:46 GMT -5
Bryan watched the two Shadow Warriors return to human shape with no comment. The act itself still intrigued Bryan. This was the first time he had seen anything close to the shadow form. The first time he had help D’rorah out on the grounds, Zane had already been doing something to help her. However, Bryan’s thoughts did not linger on analyzing the two Shadow Warriors but instead, he focused on helping his own Shadow Warrior to safely regain her emotions. His attention was on her, but some of it still remained outside his task, enough that he understood what D’rorah had instructed Sam to do. Bryan was startled from his task for a moment. His mind was quick enough to place two and two together. A frown touched his lips but he refused to dwell on it yet. Out on the grounds was probably not the place to have a tantrum --- if Bryan had ever been disposed to have one. Instead, he refocused his efforts to finish helping D’rorah. If he had not been already busy with this, perhaps he would have sought to at least give Sam some friendly advice on it, but when he had finished, it seemed Sam had figured it out for himself.
Once he was finished, he watched the other two on the grounds, occasionally shooting a glance at the castle and around him before his attention was caught by D’rorah speaking again. He nodded his head slightly in response to her words. “Not to mention the attention your injuries might stirr,” he added quietly as his eyes lingered over her burned and blistered skin. It made him think if only he had been a bit quicker, he might have been able to prevent what had caused his Shadow Warrior to become so burned. He wasn’t silly enough to think it an affect of going into Shadow form. For one, D’rorah was a veteran in the field, and two, Caitlin was physically fine. Instead, it just made Bryan think more of a talk, he should probably have with her. She was so quick to jump into things by herself. Bryan had not even received a warning about this, but instead found it through their link. Shouldn’t she had called him? Even if she thought she could handle it, it was his duty to protect her as well. How could he do that if she didn’t call him? What if things had turned out differently than they did on the grounds?
So many what if’s. Bryan pushed them from his mind to contemplate later that evening. Instead, he focused his attention on his brother and Caitlin. He saw Sam nod in response to D’rorah’s suggestion, but his attention was still firmly on Caitlin, making sure the Hufflepuff was once more whole. It seemed their group hinged on Caitlin’s waking response. A slight smile touched Bryan’s lips when he made eye contact briefly with Caitlin. The smile was the only thing he could pull up, seeing the surprise in her expression at his presence there. He knew he wasn’t really one of her favorite people for some reason, yet he did not normally let it bother him.
“We should get moving,” he then commented quietly after another glance up at the castle and in turn the sky. The sky was continuing to get darker.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jul 8, 2009 21:44:05 GMT -5
D'rorah simply nodded as Sam attempted an apology for having burned her with his patronus. [blue]"You had no way of knowing,"[/blue] she finished for him, leaving it simply at that for the moment. Her overwhelming concern at the moment was Caitlin. She was happy to see he didn't resist or protest as she outlined pulling back Caitlin's emotions. That was one of Sam's finest qualities, in her opinion... he could be maddeningly obstinate, but he understood the value of teamwork and trusted her as a leader. It was fortunate, because the last thing they had time for at the moment was an argument over what was happening or the way in which it should happen.
She watched silently as he faltered the first attempt. She would step in if she had to... as a telepath, she could go into Caitlin's mind with Sam and help him understand the process that needed to happen, but she would rather he did it on his own. Likely, helping now would only undermine his confidence the next time he needed to pull Caitlin back. Besides, only a few moments later, she was trying again in more earnest.
She watched, and nodded with approval as Caitlin finally emerged and spoke. D'rorah was angry... even after her warnings of how dangerous it was for an untrained Shadow Warrior to meld to Shadow Form, Caitlin had sought to do so... and not to fight or for any real purpose other than to escape her emotions. D'rorah remembered what it had been like to teeter on the edge of emotionlessness and the verge of corruption. She had gone without an Elemental Master for some time after Mordred had died. As much as Caitlin might have thought it would be a release, she knew it would not be. And she would address that... but certainly not here. Their concern now was to get in out of the rain... and somewhere safe from Shadows.
She nodded as Bryan agreed with her idea to go to the cottage in Hogsmeade. He was correct. She couldn't show up at Hogwarts blistered and burnt to a crisp. Making up a plausible lie for that would simply be too difficult. A moment after Bryan commented that they should get moving, she was on her feet. She scanned the area one last time mentally, trying to figure out who was watching them... she knew someone was out there. Letting her mental barriers down a fraction, she soon found the culprit... but there was no time to deal with him now. Ethan would have to be dealt with later. Brandishing her wand, she cast a disillusionment charm over each of them. They would be able to follow each other because of the interruption in the rain... but anyone looking on would have a hard time seeing their outlines in the darkness through the water that fell from the sky. Taking Bryan by the hand, she waited to make sure Sam and Caitlin were ready to set off as well before heading off toward the cozy little cottage in Hogsmeade, ready to be inside and in dry clothes.
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Sam Kelley
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Elemental Master of Water
Posts: 67
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Post by Sam Kelley on Jul 14, 2009 4:25:01 GMT -5
Sam heard D’rorah’s assurance that he had done nothing wrong in his patronus assault clearly enough, yet he make no gesture to acknowledge it with all that was running through his mind. She was right, but at this moment the bulk of his concern lay with the Hufflepuff girl that laid in his lap. He had just finished manually rearranging those emotions that defined her as a person and the gravity of such a task was not lost on him. Not only was there the general knowledge that he was affecting facets of a person, but a person that he genuinely liked. As awkward as it may sound, it was relief that filled the lad seeing her apologetic expression and the tear rolling down her cheek. Sam didn’t like the Hufflepuff feeling this way, but the fact that she felt reassured him that he had managed to correctly reassemble her emotions correctly. He offered a forgiving nod down to the girl.
The sound of his brother’s voice prompted Sam’s gaze upward to the older boy. For a few moments he just looked at his brother without a word, almost like a deer caught in headlights. These last few minutes had granted him more insight into what Bryan was than all of their talks over this term combined and at the moment, he was just speechless. There was realization in Bryan’s eyes, that was easy enough to pick out, but what did one say at a moment like this? D’rorah’s mention of the group not being alone was still fresh in his mind and so the younger Kelley opted for silence, choosing to simply allow his eyes to touch on the three figures around him in turn until the movements of the group snapped his attention back in focus.
With the decision made over their next course of action, Sam deftly climbed to his feet, offering assistance to Caitlin in doing the same. His hands lingered on her for a few moments and he watched her closely to be sure that she could stand firmly in her state. Earlier such lingering contact would’ve surely been a product of that boyish crush he held for the Hufflepuff, but that was now taking a second seat to the concern bolstered by the newly forged link between them. Things would be different between them, that was obvious enough. Allowing his hands to leave her now, Sam wondered how they would be as a team. So many times D’rorah had spoken of pitying being his Shadow Warrior due to his restless mind, but it wasn’t not until now that the Gryffindor found himself truly hoping the girl was wrong. With everything that had just happened, the last thing he wished to be now was a burden.
With the disillusionment charm cast over the group, Sam reached out and grabbed the cuff of Caitlin’s sleeve as she faded from view, determined that they wouldn’t be getting separated unknowingly during the journey to Hogsmeade. Part of the boy felt like saying something, but it was D’rorah’s mention of an audience that stayed his tongue for the time being. Dutifully he squinted his eyes against the rain that continued to fall and moved with the group toward their destination.
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Jul 14, 2009 7:02:52 GMT -5
Caitlin didn't move from where she was sitting as she heard Bryan's comment that they should start moving, still concentrating on the water falling from the sky to keep the chaos of all that had just happened away from the forefront of her mind. It helped calm her, and she didn't even realise that she was beginning to shiver more from the coldness that came with being saturated. She just kept her mind on the droplets of water falling all around, her attention focussing on one as it fell from above, following its path downwards and then feeling it splash on the ground into even tinier droplets, then either soak into the ground or join the mini rivers that were trailing about here and there.
She was woken from her reverie by seeing out of the corner of her eye D'rorah get to her feet. She turned to look at the older girl, some shame quite obvious in her face... she had been warned about the dangers of Shadow Form and had totally ignored them, almost risking corruption. She had almost been looking for an escape from it all, not caring about the rest of the Order of the Light in her efforts to avoid the pain that was overwhelming her. She couldn't do that, couldn't leave them... although some might be happy to have her out of the picture, she was fairly sure that others like Dylan or Susan – even if she technically wasn't a shadow warrior any more – would miss her. She didn't want them to go through the pain of losing someone else.
As Sam got to his feet she shifted slightly, taking his hand as he offered it, just as she had done earlier before the bonding began, and getting to her feet. Her physical self was fine and she stood easily – it was her mental self that was in turmoil. She felt the disillusionment charm sink onto her and followed the rest of the party as they began to make their way down away from the school.
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