2 Aug 2018, 23:55
Lost
In the shower section of the toilets, Kalani finally switched her shower off after a long time of being under the boiling water. Long, hot showers were something that Kalani only started doing once coming to Scotland. Most times of the year at home, it was too hot to do much more than turn your shower on icy and embrace it. Hot showers were stupid. But it was a lot colder in the United Kingdom, especially in the evening, and Kalani much preferred to be hot. That was why she'd been in the shower with the temperature as high as it could go, scrubbing her skin until it went pink, for the last forty-five minutes.
She grabbed her towel from the hook, quickly retreating back behind the curtain. She dried herself off, grabbed her pyjamas, and rubbed her hair until it wasn't dripping water. Of course it was still wet - it would take a while for it to air dry, so maybe she'd ask one of the girls in the common room for help with it. She knew there were older girls, in third and fourth and fifth year, who used spells to dry their hair instantly. Kalani usually just wrapped her hair into a little towel and then wait for it to dry overnight.
Once she was dressed she draped her robes over her arm and wadded out of the shower section and into the bathroom. When she'd come in after dinner, she'd quickly slipped her bracelets off and left them by the sink at the door. She never took them into the shower, because they weren't really water resistant and she was afraid of the paint chipping. As she swung past the sink, she reached out to quickly grab them.
Her hand met thin air.
She took a few steps back and reached out for them again. Again, nothing. She looked, and they were not there. Her eyes fell down to the floor where they could have fallen, but they weren't there either.
She tossed her things to the side and spun on her heel. This was bad, this was very very bad. Without her bracelets, she couldn't speak. No one would know who she was. People might shout, get angry, and how was she supposed to tell them?
A memory came back. Someone yelling, "why is she ignoring me!" More shouting, fists. A woman scooping her up, taking her away. A sore eye. And then her father, with bracelets and kind words and a promise that she would never take the bracelets off.
She hadn't been as strict as she'd promised she'd be. She always took them off to shower, always left them by the door. She hadn't had any trouble with it, not until now...
Within five minutes, Kalani had frantically searched every inch of the bathroom. Some people passed through, and she usually hid in a stall because, what if they asked her something and she couldn't reply? What if they got angry? What if she got another sore eye?
She stumbled of the stall, after watching someone's feet disappear out of the bathroom from under the door. She felt exhausted, and she fell into the sink directly in front of her. She gripped the side of the bowl, her knuckles turning white as she looked up at herself in the mirror.
Tears bubbled to the corners of her eyes. This was all too much. She needed her bracelets, she needed them. Bad things happened without them. She was sure that her dad would know what to do right now. But she didn't. She dragged her wrist across her cheeks, smudging the tears into her skin. A sob bubbled up from her throat and came out of her in a strangled cry.
What now?
She grabbed her towel from the hook, quickly retreating back behind the curtain. She dried herself off, grabbed her pyjamas, and rubbed her hair until it wasn't dripping water. Of course it was still wet - it would take a while for it to air dry, so maybe she'd ask one of the girls in the common room for help with it. She knew there were older girls, in third and fourth and fifth year, who used spells to dry their hair instantly. Kalani usually just wrapped her hair into a little towel and then wait for it to dry overnight.
Once she was dressed she draped her robes over her arm and wadded out of the shower section and into the bathroom. When she'd come in after dinner, she'd quickly slipped her bracelets off and left them by the sink at the door. She never took them into the shower, because they weren't really water resistant and she was afraid of the paint chipping. As she swung past the sink, she reached out to quickly grab them.
Her hand met thin air.
She took a few steps back and reached out for them again. Again, nothing. She looked, and they were not there. Her eyes fell down to the floor where they could have fallen, but they weren't there either.
She tossed her things to the side and spun on her heel. This was bad, this was very very bad. Without her bracelets, she couldn't speak. No one would know who she was. People might shout, get angry, and how was she supposed to tell them?
A memory came back. Someone yelling, "why is she ignoring me!" More shouting, fists. A woman scooping her up, taking her away. A sore eye. And then her father, with bracelets and kind words and a promise that she would never take the bracelets off.
She hadn't been as strict as she'd promised she'd be. She always took them off to shower, always left them by the door. She hadn't had any trouble with it, not until now...
Within five minutes, Kalani had frantically searched every inch of the bathroom. Some people passed through, and she usually hid in a stall because, what if they asked her something and she couldn't reply? What if they got angry? What if she got another sore eye?
She stumbled of the stall, after watching someone's feet disappear out of the bathroom from under the door. She felt exhausted, and she fell into the sink directly in front of her. She gripped the side of the bowl, her knuckles turning white as she looked up at herself in the mirror.
Tears bubbled to the corners of her eyes. This was all too much. She needed her bracelets, she needed them. Bad things happened without them. She was sure that her dad would know what to do right now. But she didn't. She dragged her wrist across her cheeks, smudging the tears into her skin. A sob bubbled up from her throat and came out of her in a strangled cry.
What now?
STA: 5 / AGI: 8 / STR: 2 / CTL: 7 / ARC: 3 / ACC: 5
7 Aug 2018, 10:27
Lost
Valerie was out to explore the castle again. She liked her dorm mates, no doubt, so far she had been getting along with them rather well. Many of them were artsy people, however, which was one of the few passions she didn't share. Unlike most girls her age Valerie had the patience to sit in front of a painting or piece of architecture for hours to study it, if it had quipped her interest, but looking at a pretty painting or intricate quilt was something else entirely than to sit there and produce something artistic by yourself. She couldn't draw, not goo anyway, and while she did write long essays on homework sometimes that was far from being able to do creative writing.
So she wandered the hall of Hogwarts, exploring the huge castle, looking for something interesting, anything that could relieve the boredom she felt at the moment. She was on the fifth floor, preferring the higher levels of the castle as they provided her with a marvelous few on the grounds whenever she looked out of a window.
She'd found a few old classrooms so far, but nothing worth spending much time on. They were all extremely similar in layout and decor, with only the odd painting or set of armor distinguishing one from the other.
With a shrug she turned away from another classroom... and came to stand in front of a door that read "Girls' Lavatory". Valerie wrinkled her nose and stared at the offending door in thought. She had a good memory, but she couldn't remember even having gone in there. How strange. Her curiosity was awakened now, and she grabbed the handle and entered the bathroom without hesitation.
The first thing she noticed was that the lavatory was quiet, seemingly deserted of any other girls. The second thing was a quiet sob that told her that her first assumption had been wrong.
Valerie crossed into the main room in three quick strides, immediately alerted by the silent crying she'd heard. Had something happened? Was another girl injured? Should she go and find a professor or Prefect? Her brain was faster than her body, and when her grey eyes caught up to her mind they focused on a skinny girl with black hair who was clutching one of the sinks desperately and obviously was very upset about something - otherwise she looked fine however and most of the tension left Valerie's body at the sight. No injuries was good.
The girl hadn't looked up at her entrance, but if she'd been crying like that she wouldn't have heard anyone else approach either. The girl looked really sad and Valerie instantly felt bad for her. Maybe another student had said something mean to her? With that in mind she approached carefully until she was only a few meters away from the dark-haired girl.
"Are you alright?" she asked carefully, but got no answer.
Valerie bit her lip. She knew from her grandparents that wizards and witches - especially the pure-blooded ones - had issues with being touched by strangers sometimes, so she was reluctant to touch the girl in case she'd react badly. On the other side she definitely looked like she needed help, and Valerie couldn't just leave her by herself.
Trying not to startle her she settled on slowly walking up to her, stopping at what she hoped was a respectful distance. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked again, placing her hand on the sink beside the other girl's, hoping that she would notice it from the corner of her eyes at least.
She'd wait a bit and then carefully touch her shoulder if the girl wouldn't react, Valerie decided.
So she wandered the hall of Hogwarts, exploring the huge castle, looking for something interesting, anything that could relieve the boredom she felt at the moment. She was on the fifth floor, preferring the higher levels of the castle as they provided her with a marvelous few on the grounds whenever she looked out of a window.
She'd found a few old classrooms so far, but nothing worth spending much time on. They were all extremely similar in layout and decor, with only the odd painting or set of armor distinguishing one from the other.
With a shrug she turned away from another classroom... and came to stand in front of a door that read "Girls' Lavatory". Valerie wrinkled her nose and stared at the offending door in thought. She had a good memory, but she couldn't remember even having gone in there. How strange. Her curiosity was awakened now, and she grabbed the handle and entered the bathroom without hesitation.
The first thing she noticed was that the lavatory was quiet, seemingly deserted of any other girls. The second thing was a quiet sob that told her that her first assumption had been wrong.
Valerie crossed into the main room in three quick strides, immediately alerted by the silent crying she'd heard. Had something happened? Was another girl injured? Should she go and find a professor or Prefect? Her brain was faster than her body, and when her grey eyes caught up to her mind they focused on a skinny girl with black hair who was clutching one of the sinks desperately and obviously was very upset about something - otherwise she looked fine however and most of the tension left Valerie's body at the sight. No injuries was good.
The girl hadn't looked up at her entrance, but if she'd been crying like that she wouldn't have heard anyone else approach either. The girl looked really sad and Valerie instantly felt bad for her. Maybe another student had said something mean to her? With that in mind she approached carefully until she was only a few meters away from the dark-haired girl.
"Are you alright?" she asked carefully, but got no answer.
Valerie bit her lip. She knew from her grandparents that wizards and witches - especially the pure-blooded ones - had issues with being touched by strangers sometimes, so she was reluctant to touch the girl in case she'd react badly. On the other side she definitely looked like she needed help, and Valerie couldn't just leave her by herself.
Trying not to startle her she settled on slowly walking up to her, stopping at what she hoped was a respectful distance. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked again, placing her hand on the sink beside the other girl's, hoping that she would notice it from the corner of her eyes at least.
She'd wait a bit and then carefully touch her shoulder if the girl wouldn't react, Valerie decided.
“To know your enemy, you must become your enemy.”
- Sun Tzu
9 Aug 2018, 18:21
Lost
She rubbed furiously at her eyes, attempting to blink back the tears. After a little while, she was able to pull herself together, though she'd made a lot more sobbing sounds than she'd realised. Her mind was racing. She couldn't stay here, but she couldn't leave and risk people talking to her. Maybe she could run for it? She was a good runner. If she ran up to Gryffindor tower - most people knew she was deaf there - she could grab some of the girls from her dorm room - no, no, a prefect, this was a job for a prefect - and get someone to tell her what to do, get someone to help her. Someone had to help her. But she'd never been very good at keeping track of the castle; the stairs wobbled and writhed and shifted and shuffled and she thought back to one of her first days in the castle where she'd almost fallen right off a staircase and wanted to cry all over again. But it was all she could try, wasn't it? What else could she do?
As she pushed off the sink, about to psych herself up for an Olympic worthy sprint, she saw a flash of blue and silver robes off to her right.
She flinched, taking an instinctive step away. She looked like a startled animal, eyes as big as saucepans, legs tensed and ready to fly at the first sign of trouble. The girl standing at the next sink over her looked concerned. Worried. Not angry. Thank God she wasn't angry. Kalani stood there, trembling in each limb, struggling to pull herself together enough to even try and communicate. In the end, she couldn't do it. Though her cheeks had only just dried, she couldn't stop herself from bursting into tears.
It took a few long, keening sobs before she could even raise her hands to sign. "My bracelets," she signed, with a certain exhaustion that if she'd been able to speak it, it would be as if she gasped it. "Someone's taken by bracelets and I need them and I don't know what to do! I went for a shower and then I came out and they were gone!" Her mind was so muddled that she could barely think to charade. All she could do was repeat the sign for 'bracelet', her left index finger circling her right wrist again and again and again.
As she pushed off the sink, about to psych herself up for an Olympic worthy sprint, she saw a flash of blue and silver robes off to her right.
She flinched, taking an instinctive step away. She looked like a startled animal, eyes as big as saucepans, legs tensed and ready to fly at the first sign of trouble. The girl standing at the next sink over her looked concerned. Worried. Not angry. Thank God she wasn't angry. Kalani stood there, trembling in each limb, struggling to pull herself together enough to even try and communicate. In the end, she couldn't do it. Though her cheeks had only just dried, she couldn't stop herself from bursting into tears.
It took a few long, keening sobs before she could even raise her hands to sign. "My bracelets," she signed, with a certain exhaustion that if she'd been able to speak it, it would be as if she gasped it. "Someone's taken by bracelets and I need them and I don't know what to do! I went for a shower and then I came out and they were gone!" Her mind was so muddled that she could barely think to charade. All she could do was repeat the sign for 'bracelet', her left index finger circling her right wrist again and again and again.
STA: 5 / AGI: 8 / STR: 2 / CTL: 7 / ARC: 3 / ACC: 5
10 Aug 2018, 10:02
Lost
Valerie felt bad the moment the other girl looked up.
As soon as she saw her, she flinched back wide-eyed, staring at her like she assumed Valerie was going to scream at her or attack her. She didn't even have time to reassure her of her good intention before the disheveled girl suddenly burst into tear, beginning to sob again. "Please don't cry," she told her gently, not moving an inch because she feared the girl would bolt out the door the moment she made a wrong move.
Her words didn't do anything to soothe the other student however, the girl just standing there and crying quietly. Now Valerie felt sick. Sick and helpless. The mysterious girl didn't look hurt physically, but she obviously was hurt mentally. Had someone bullied her? Played a prank on her? Stolen her things while she used the lavatory?
While she stood there, her hands clenched into the hem of her robe, not knowing what to do, the dark-haired girl calmed down a little bit. Instead of speaking however - at least that was what Valerie expected to happen - she lifted her hands. They moved. Sluggishly, as if she was tired, but with a precision that spoke of years of training and an unthinking use of her hands to speak. Of course Valerie didn't understand anything she signed - because that was what it was, sign language - but still relaxed visibly.
"You're not hurt, that's good," she answered and watched the other student as she used the finger of her left hand to motion a circle around her right wrist again and again. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I can't speak sign language, but I'm glad that nobody hurt you ...uhm, do you understand me?" She felt like and idiot twice over, then. She couldn't communicate back at the girl at all, and then she'd just assumed that she would understand her. Not all deaf people could lip-read, at least as far as she knew.
She lifted her hands, showing that they were empty, trying to look non-threatening. "Please don't cry, I don't want you anything bad." She pointed to the girls wrist with two fingers then, tilting her head in question. "What's with your wrist? It looks fine... are you missing something?" She pointed at the girl's wrist again and made a motion with her right hand as if something exploded or, vanished.
Valerie honestly had no idea what she was doing. But the girl was crying and in distress and she'd learnt that if you could you should always help people in need.
As soon as she saw her, she flinched back wide-eyed, staring at her like she assumed Valerie was going to scream at her or attack her. She didn't even have time to reassure her of her good intention before the disheveled girl suddenly burst into tear, beginning to sob again. "Please don't cry," she told her gently, not moving an inch because she feared the girl would bolt out the door the moment she made a wrong move.
Her words didn't do anything to soothe the other student however, the girl just standing there and crying quietly. Now Valerie felt sick. Sick and helpless. The mysterious girl didn't look hurt physically, but she obviously was hurt mentally. Had someone bullied her? Played a prank on her? Stolen her things while she used the lavatory?
While she stood there, her hands clenched into the hem of her robe, not knowing what to do, the dark-haired girl calmed down a little bit. Instead of speaking however - at least that was what Valerie expected to happen - she lifted her hands. They moved. Sluggishly, as if she was tired, but with a precision that spoke of years of training and an unthinking use of her hands to speak. Of course Valerie didn't understand anything she signed - because that was what it was, sign language - but still relaxed visibly.
"You're not hurt, that's good," she answered and watched the other student as she used the finger of her left hand to motion a circle around her right wrist again and again. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I can't speak sign language, but I'm glad that nobody hurt you ...uhm, do you understand me?" She felt like and idiot twice over, then. She couldn't communicate back at the girl at all, and then she'd just assumed that she would understand her. Not all deaf people could lip-read, at least as far as she knew.
She lifted her hands, showing that they were empty, trying to look non-threatening. "Please don't cry, I don't want you anything bad." She pointed to the girls wrist with two fingers then, tilting her head in question. "What's with your wrist? It looks fine... are you missing something?" She pointed at the girl's wrist again and made a motion with her right hand as if something exploded or, vanished.
Valerie honestly had no idea what she was doing. But the girl was crying and in distress and she'd learnt that if you could you should always help people in need.
“To know your enemy, you must become your enemy.”
- Sun Tzu
26 Aug 2018, 10:29
Lost
Kalani felt like the world was spinning and crumbling all at once. Her life had spiralled all out of control in the five minutes it took her to realise that her bracelets were gone. She wasn't sure on her feet, and she reached out and braced herself against the sink to her left, which forced her to break the sign she'd been repeating. Her newly free hand fluttered to her chest, where she felt her heart fight against the confines of her ribcage through the thin white fabric of her tank top.
She rubbed at her eyes with a fist, and looked back up at the mystery girl. She could see her lips moving, but through the blur of her tears it was all a bit more difficult to figure out. It took her a few moments to blink her eyes clear, and to get back into lip-reader mode, but it was just in time to catch the Ravenclaw ask if she could understand her. A sharp gasp escaped her, and she sniffled as she nodded her head. She was watching her worst nightmare slowly develop before her eyes. First someone didn't know she could lip read. Next someone wouldn't know her name, or where she came from, or her house. And eventually, bad things would happen.
She watched the girl's gaze wander and linger over her wrist as she lifted her left hand to wipe her eyes again. She saw the 'poof' gesture, and immediately stuck her wrist out again, almost hitting the girl in the chest as she stepped forward at an exaggerated speed. "My bracelets," she signed again, face becoming pleading. Slightly saner now - but still not sane enough to think about finding paper or a quill or even writing on the steam in the shower room mirrors - she made her right hand into a ring and wrapped it around her left wrist. She moved her hand up and down her arm, as if to show how many of them she had.
As she looked at her extended wrist, she ended up looking past it at a flash of red and yellow. She held her breath as she spotted, in a dusty corner under a sink, a little bracelet.
She almost smashed her head over the sink as she dove onto her stomach on the dirty floor. She reached out with a long arm and swiped the bracelet out from the dark, disturbing a spiders web on the way. She stood up, bumping her head on the sink this time with a squeak, and held the bracelet but as she crawled out from under the sinks and to her feet. She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes as she slipped it back onto her wrist. 'KALANI ANDERSON'.
She held her wrist out to the girl, pointing and smiling through the tears. But as she stared at it, she realised that it was only part of the battle. There were still lots more. She didn't know the exact number... It was maybe nine more, ten more?
She sighed, and looked up at the girl again. She pointed at the bracelet and held up one finger. She then started counting up on her fingers, deciding to land on ten. She repeated it again, and once she was done she rubbed the heel of her hands into her already bloodshot eyes. Were the other bracelets still in the bathroom? Had someone hidden them around the room? Or had this one just been dropped?
She rubbed at her eyes with a fist, and looked back up at the mystery girl. She could see her lips moving, but through the blur of her tears it was all a bit more difficult to figure out. It took her a few moments to blink her eyes clear, and to get back into lip-reader mode, but it was just in time to catch the Ravenclaw ask if she could understand her. A sharp gasp escaped her, and she sniffled as she nodded her head. She was watching her worst nightmare slowly develop before her eyes. First someone didn't know she could lip read. Next someone wouldn't know her name, or where she came from, or her house. And eventually, bad things would happen.
She watched the girl's gaze wander and linger over her wrist as she lifted her left hand to wipe her eyes again. She saw the 'poof' gesture, and immediately stuck her wrist out again, almost hitting the girl in the chest as she stepped forward at an exaggerated speed. "My bracelets," she signed again, face becoming pleading. Slightly saner now - but still not sane enough to think about finding paper or a quill or even writing on the steam in the shower room mirrors - she made her right hand into a ring and wrapped it around her left wrist. She moved her hand up and down her arm, as if to show how many of them she had.
As she looked at her extended wrist, she ended up looking past it at a flash of red and yellow. She held her breath as she spotted, in a dusty corner under a sink, a little bracelet.
She almost smashed her head over the sink as she dove onto her stomach on the dirty floor. She reached out with a long arm and swiped the bracelet out from the dark, disturbing a spiders web on the way. She stood up, bumping her head on the sink this time with a squeak, and held the bracelet but as she crawled out from under the sinks and to her feet. She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes as she slipped it back onto her wrist. 'KALANI ANDERSON'.
She held her wrist out to the girl, pointing and smiling through the tears. But as she stared at it, she realised that it was only part of the battle. There were still lots more. She didn't know the exact number... It was maybe nine more, ten more?
She sighed, and looked up at the girl again. She pointed at the bracelet and held up one finger. She then started counting up on her fingers, deciding to land on ten. She repeated it again, and once she was done she rubbed the heel of her hands into her already bloodshot eyes. Were the other bracelets still in the bathroom? Had someone hidden them around the room? Or had this one just been dropped?
STA: 5 / AGI: 8 / STR: 2 / CTL: 7 / ARC: 3 / ACC: 5