14 Sep 2020, 02:00
Sherlock and Holmwood
While Flash was contemplating what to do with his free weekend, he grabbed a quick bite to eat in the Great Hall before going off to stal-- ‘track’ some people around the castle. It was a harmless endeavor, made difficult in his recent capture by two Gryffindor prefects. He knew Xailah had talked to the others, he could tell in the way it seemed all the prefects were eyeing him suspiciously. He could tell when he was being watched. Still, he could manage to keep gathering information on the outskirts. Prefects weren’t everywhere, they were as predictable as anyone, they were starting to settle into routines.
Flash’s routine, however, was disturbed when he received an unexpected owl. He had been used to casual correspondence by owl during his last year, but with only the first few weeks having gone by so far, he needed the reintroduction. Luckily, it was labeled clearly by someone he trusted-- Bridget Collins. He didn’t have to wonder for long if there was something he needed to fear inside. Instead, it was a delightfully detailed and succinct note inviting him to partake in an errand with her, much like the one he had sent to her many months ago.
While he had mostly lost his previous fervor for running errands, no longer checking the bulletin board every day, he wasn’t exactly adverse to them either. The errands were usually run by prefects or professors, so he could always keep an eye on their behavior while he was there. Not only that, but Bridget was good company. Flash dealt with myriads of people in which he needed to make quick judgements and learn more about, but his acquaintance with Bridget had always been nearly effortless. He could only name a very small number who belonged to such a group, people to whom he would attend to without question.
It was a particularly strange errand after all. Only strange for him, who unlike most people his age, had no real love for animals. He hadn’t realized it quite so clearly until Ruka had asked him about it. He saw animals as an obligation, a chore. He had a horse at home, but it was just an extremely expensive time sink as far as he was concerned. He wouldn’t easily forget how much more value a thoroughbred horse had over the livelihood of the people taking care of it-- he found it annoying. The horse couldn’t discuss things, couldn’t contribute to society or philosophy. It was an outdated form of transportation.
Well, he wasn’t so deluded as to not know he lived in the minority. He at least felt qualified to take care of an animal, even if he didn’t like them. The true purpose of his visit would be to catch up with Bridget after all. Time well spent. He didn’t know what pet Bridget had, but he assumed as long as the two of them were together, the errand itself was negligible. He needed more time to talk-- to feel a part of a team. There were also plenty of things worth discussing, though he didn’t have any news for her on the black blood front-- still trying to hunt down Selim to interro-- ask him about his experiments so far. Until then, the most he could do was simply be an ‘ally’ and help her take care of her familiar.
With that, he waited by the door to the spare classroom, many students already inside with their beasts. He was glad to not have to be wearing his bulky black robes in the summer heat, but he still looked slightly uncomfortable, standing up straight with his hands folded in front of him, wearing a thin black cardigan. He wore a lot more dark, muted colors these days. Blending in with the walls, becoming more inconspicuous. It wasn’t exactly a dramatic change, but a lot about his life had become less colorful. It wasn’t exactly a conscious choice, just a side effect.
Flash’s routine, however, was disturbed when he received an unexpected owl. He had been used to casual correspondence by owl during his last year, but with only the first few weeks having gone by so far, he needed the reintroduction. Luckily, it was labeled clearly by someone he trusted-- Bridget Collins. He didn’t have to wonder for long if there was something he needed to fear inside. Instead, it was a delightfully detailed and succinct note inviting him to partake in an errand with her, much like the one he had sent to her many months ago.
While he had mostly lost his previous fervor for running errands, no longer checking the bulletin board every day, he wasn’t exactly adverse to them either. The errands were usually run by prefects or professors, so he could always keep an eye on their behavior while he was there. Not only that, but Bridget was good company. Flash dealt with myriads of people in which he needed to make quick judgements and learn more about, but his acquaintance with Bridget had always been nearly effortless. He could only name a very small number who belonged to such a group, people to whom he would attend to without question.
It was a particularly strange errand after all. Only strange for him, who unlike most people his age, had no real love for animals. He hadn’t realized it quite so clearly until Ruka had asked him about it. He saw animals as an obligation, a chore. He had a horse at home, but it was just an extremely expensive time sink as far as he was concerned. He wouldn’t easily forget how much more value a thoroughbred horse had over the livelihood of the people taking care of it-- he found it annoying. The horse couldn’t discuss things, couldn’t contribute to society or philosophy. It was an outdated form of transportation.
Well, he wasn’t so deluded as to not know he lived in the minority. He at least felt qualified to take care of an animal, even if he didn’t like them. The true purpose of his visit would be to catch up with Bridget after all. Time well spent. He didn’t know what pet Bridget had, but he assumed as long as the two of them were together, the errand itself was negligible. He needed more time to talk-- to feel a part of a team. There were also plenty of things worth discussing, though he didn’t have any news for her on the black blood front-- still trying to hunt down Selim to interro-- ask him about his experiments so far. Until then, the most he could do was simply be an ‘ally’ and help her take care of her familiar.
With that, he waited by the door to the spare classroom, many students already inside with their beasts. He was glad to not have to be wearing his bulky black robes in the summer heat, but he still looked slightly uncomfortable, standing up straight with his hands folded in front of him, wearing a thin black cardigan. He wore a lot more dark, muted colors these days. Blending in with the walls, becoming more inconspicuous. It wasn’t exactly a dramatic change, but a lot about his life had become less colorful. It wasn’t exactly a conscious choice, just a side effect.
Interacting with @Bridget Collins
Errand: Pampering Pristine Pets
Outfit:Reducio
Word count: 665/1000
Last edited by Flash Holmwood on 17 Nov 2020, 21:01, edited 1 time in total.
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
19 Sep 2020, 21:25
Sherlock and Holmwood
@Flash Holmwood
Errands had admittedly lost some of their appeal. Was Bridget still competitive? Yes. Did she still need any wizarding currency she could get her hands on? Certainly. However, with the start of her third year, the girl's priorities had shifted. Slytherin winning the House Cup didn't seem nearly as important, and with her recent purchase of the Silver Arrow she'd been dreaming about and a pet, there wasn't anything she needed to afford at the moment. Why spend an hour or two cleaning or crafting when she could be in the library searching for information or tracking down someone who might know something?
Still, errands weren't a waste of her time, and this one in particular had caught her eye. It was a pet errand, after all, and she had a pet in the form of a little grey rat named Sherlock. Of course, that hadn't been nearly enough reason to go. Rats didn't need a whole lot of cleaning and she could brush Sherlock on her own time. But then she'd found a reason to go. Her last errand had come to mind, an enjoyable time spent with fellow Slytherin Flash Holmwood over tea. The closest thing to a conversation she'd had with him since then had been at the Quidditch match in London, but that had hardly been the time for serious discussion with the noise and the exciting game. Between the fight club, new information she'd uncovered from Sylvain and Thomas, and anything he might have learned, they definitely needed to talk. Doing so over an errand sounded a little nicer than tracking him down, anyways.
Mirroring his invitation last June, she'd sent him an owl detailing the errand and asking him to come. She wasn't sure if he had a pet, and if he did she'd never seen it, but either way the errand wasn't really the point. Collecting Sherlock, who was plenty eager to get out of his cage, she headed towards the classroom the errand was to take place in. It was always interesting how people reacted to seeing her rat; yes, they were fairly common pets in the wizarding world, but typically overlooked in favor of cats and owls. She herself had almost opted for one of the winged message carriers, mostly because of their use in wizarding communication, but she owed the little rat perched in her cupped hand. Bridget was happy with her choice, and so long as no one's cat ate Sherlock, it seemed a good one.
Free of her school robes, she'd opted for a simple green sweater and jeans, her hair pulled back in a simple braid. She found Flash right outside the entrance to the classroom. He'd somehow gotten even taller, so even with the inch or two she'd gained over the summer, he was noticeably taller. "Thanks for coming," she said, stepping up beside him. With a nod, she lead him towards a less crowded corner of the room, stopping only to collect a brush and some pet treats from the stock of supplies. Sitting down crossed-leg on the ground, she couldn't help but note the differences between this errand and the last one. Sitting on the ground surrounded by other people and their pets wasn't exactly the quiet courtyard of last time with their tea, but it would have to do.
Once he'd joined her on the floor, she held out her rat. "I believe introductions are in place. Flash, meet Sherlock." She wondered what Flash would think of her rat. It wasn't like it much mattered unless he was scared of rats, which she couldn't really picture. He didn't have a pet as far as she could tell. That was fine; they really only needed one pet to complete the errand, and again, that wasn't the point of her asking him to come. If they didn't complete the errand, they didn't complete the errand. They had more important things to worry about.
Bridget set Sherlock on the ground, figuring he'd earned a little free reign after being stuck in his cage most of the time. It was the biggest cage she could afford, granted, but she couldn't exactly bring him to classes, which took up a large portion of her time. Naturally curious, the little grey thing headed straight towards the nearest unfamiliar thing: Flash. It sniffed at him and perhaps would try and crawl on Flash if he let him, but that was pretty much it. No clawing or making loud noises or any of that. So long as he didn't run off, she wasn't too worried. Maybe rats were a bit boring, but she hadn't gotten a pet for excitement. She'd wanted the distraction, really. Something to do that wasn't tied in with Hogwarts' dangers.
"The conversation with my parents went well." Considering the fact she was at Hogwarts, it had clearly been successful. It deserved a mention, though, since he'd been a big help in her figuring out what to say. "Thanks for the advice." Part of her wanted to ask if he'd found anything, any lead on the curse, but she stopped herself. If he had, he would surely offer up the information, and she didn't want to make him feel bad. Bridget hadn't, after all, and she'd been spending a good portion of her time looking.
Besides, they hardly needed to jump into such dark matters right away. That would be plain depressing, and allies or not, she didn't want him to associate her only with serious, sometimes painful conversation. "How have you been?" she asked instead. Despite it sounding an awful lot like mindless small talk, she did care about his answer. A lot could have happened since summer camp. She'd moved to London, for example, which was a fairly big deal. Even if nothing much had happened, there was always something of consequence. Plus, perhaps he'd been doing some of his own information seeking since they'd arrived back at the castle.
She idly followed Sherlock's movements with her eyes, the rat having moved on from her companion towards the wall. He was heading towards another group of students completing the errand, this group surrounding a cat. It was probably a good idea to call her pet back before things went downhill, and besides, she could hardly concentrate on Flash if she had to worry about Sherlock causing a commotion. Pinching one of the pet treats between her fingers, she held it out in his direction. "Sherlock," she called. The rat got the message, coming towards her, and she offered him the treat upon his return. "Maybe we can teach him some tricks later." It was just a suggestion, but maybe it would be something fun for them to do. Fun, after all, seemed to be in rather short supply at Hogwarts.
Total Word Count | 1134/1000
Word Count Complete
Phyllis Stanwood (iNPC) • Aislin Darragh (2nd gen) • Alejandros Espinosa (2nd gen iNPC)
24 Sep 2020, 15:10
Sherlock and Holmwood
Not far behind his arrival, he noted Bridget’s dark hair, pulled back into a braid as it usually was for activities. He didn’t see a cat following her, the pet that most of his peers seemed partial to, and in fact saw nothing at all, until he noticed her hand strangely out in front of her. He didn’t have to wonder long, since his height made it easy to see inside her cupped hand. A rat, calmly nestled in her fingers like it was exactly where it wanted to be. Flash’s eyes returned to Bridget when she greeted him.
”Thank you for inviting me.” A smile grew across his face, though it was quirked. He didn’t know Bridget was the rat type, but it made sense somehow. ”It’s always nice to hear from you.”
Inside the room, there was a bit of havoc, but it was being neatly contained by the presiding prefect Pericles. He was a bit surprised to be invited to the floor, though he tried not to let it show when he quietly accepted the situation. He was adaptable enough to not make a face, it wasn’t as though he was worried about getting dirty. Just… couldn’t they have at least provided some kind of cushion? At least outside, the grass and earth had a semblance of softness to it.
Once he got as comfortable as he could, sitting on his own legs in something of a kneel, Bridget introduced the man of the hour, Sherlock. She held him forward, though Flash had no clue how one was supposed to greet a rat. Feeling he ought to do something, he put a finger out, and thankfully he climbed up on it momentarily, sniffing his hand in investigation. He could feel the inoffensively tiny claws on his skin, and his sniffing whiskers nearly tickled.
”A pleasure.” Flash talked in a laugh.
Once Bridget set him down on the floor, he climbed up on Flash’s knee, seeming to be on the trail of some kind of smell. Flash watched him intently, though the fact that Bridget didn’t seem at all alarmed meant this was just how rats acted. Perhaps Sherlock was a fitting name for the diligent detective.
Drawing his attention back, Bridget seemed to almost pick up right where they left off. She had taken his words to heart, and been able to handle the conversation with her parents. Flash’s smile brightened further, his heart nearly leaping from his chest to hear it. Though he made every effort to be reasonable and influential, he still often assumed no one paid much attention to what he said.
Feeling like his words had done something was… a connection. A ripple into Bridget’s life, proof that his life had meaning beyond simply existing. He got… a bit choked up, even. A bit of an overreaction to a rather run-of-the-mill conversation. Perhaps he had just really needed that feeling, now more than ever. Flash cleared his throat quietly before talking.
”Of course. I’m glad.” Another smile, but this time he couldn’t look her in the face.
Flash had to pick Sherlock off him as he had started to climb his cardigan, his clingy little claws making easy purchase on the fabric. He felt so tiny and fragile, he worried about mishandling him somehow. He worriedly cast a look at Bridget, but she didn’t seem phased by the interaction. Flash set Sherlock back down on the floor, only for him to start scurrying off somewhere else.
Bridget then asked about him-- something he was admittedly not exactly sure how to answer. He started and stopped, not wanting to tell the truth nor be dishonest. How had he not already prepared an answer for this?
”Oh… I…”
Flash fumbled with his words long enough that Bridget needed to stop Sherlock’s adventurous escapade. Flash got rescued by the distraction of the way Sherlock came when called. Well, there was a treat involved too, so hard to diminish its effect on the recall. Bridget suggested they might be able to teach him even more, which only made Flash realize how little he knew about rats. This was the first time he had heard about them being trained, but clearly it worked, as his tiny feet carried him back to Bridget’s protection.
The two of them should ostensibly ‘pamper the pet’, though Bridget had not grabbed much. Perhaps a bit of play time was exactly what Sherlock needed. Mental stimulation, time to socialize. Flash could relate. There was a small brush about the size of a toothbrush, which Flash picked up and looked at. Awkwardly, he held it out for Sherlock to inspect after he nibbled his treat, not knowing if the instrument might alarm him. The creature seemed lively and inquisitive of his surroundings though, rather than fearful.
”It’s been a little difficult readjusting, but I’m alright.” Flash finally answered the question, knowing that leaving it open would only invite more prying questions. ”I… well, please don’t say this about me to anyone, but I’ve started to watch the professors more carefully. Make sure there’s no… internal conflict.”
Flash glanced over at Pericles momentarily, not at all wanting to suspect someone who had only ever been polite and kind as far as he could tell. Naturally, everyone wanted to come off looking good, so he had to watch them when they thought no one was looking. Try to find the truth that was being hidden in plain sight. When Flash looked back, he tried not to rest his eyes on Bridget’s malady. The longer he had no answer for the cure, the more his patience started to wear. Admittedly, the quest for the answer had him starting to take illogical risks. He wanted badly to be of some use, enough that he was starting to be noticed for acting out.
”Uhm… how do you brush a rat?” Flash looked down at Sherlock, who was nibbling at the brush to test its tastiness.
@Bridget Collins
”Thank you for inviting me.” A smile grew across his face, though it was quirked. He didn’t know Bridget was the rat type, but it made sense somehow. ”It’s always nice to hear from you.”
Inside the room, there was a bit of havoc, but it was being neatly contained by the presiding prefect Pericles. He was a bit surprised to be invited to the floor, though he tried not to let it show when he quietly accepted the situation. He was adaptable enough to not make a face, it wasn’t as though he was worried about getting dirty. Just… couldn’t they have at least provided some kind of cushion? At least outside, the grass and earth had a semblance of softness to it.
Once he got as comfortable as he could, sitting on his own legs in something of a kneel, Bridget introduced the man of the hour, Sherlock. She held him forward, though Flash had no clue how one was supposed to greet a rat. Feeling he ought to do something, he put a finger out, and thankfully he climbed up on it momentarily, sniffing his hand in investigation. He could feel the inoffensively tiny claws on his skin, and his sniffing whiskers nearly tickled.
”A pleasure.” Flash talked in a laugh.
Once Bridget set him down on the floor, he climbed up on Flash’s knee, seeming to be on the trail of some kind of smell. Flash watched him intently, though the fact that Bridget didn’t seem at all alarmed meant this was just how rats acted. Perhaps Sherlock was a fitting name for the diligent detective.
Drawing his attention back, Bridget seemed to almost pick up right where they left off. She had taken his words to heart, and been able to handle the conversation with her parents. Flash’s smile brightened further, his heart nearly leaping from his chest to hear it. Though he made every effort to be reasonable and influential, he still often assumed no one paid much attention to what he said.
Feeling like his words had done something was… a connection. A ripple into Bridget’s life, proof that his life had meaning beyond simply existing. He got… a bit choked up, even. A bit of an overreaction to a rather run-of-the-mill conversation. Perhaps he had just really needed that feeling, now more than ever. Flash cleared his throat quietly before talking.
”Of course. I’m glad.” Another smile, but this time he couldn’t look her in the face.
Flash had to pick Sherlock off him as he had started to climb his cardigan, his clingy little claws making easy purchase on the fabric. He felt so tiny and fragile, he worried about mishandling him somehow. He worriedly cast a look at Bridget, but she didn’t seem phased by the interaction. Flash set Sherlock back down on the floor, only for him to start scurrying off somewhere else.
Bridget then asked about him-- something he was admittedly not exactly sure how to answer. He started and stopped, not wanting to tell the truth nor be dishonest. How had he not already prepared an answer for this?
”Oh… I…”
Flash fumbled with his words long enough that Bridget needed to stop Sherlock’s adventurous escapade. Flash got rescued by the distraction of the way Sherlock came when called. Well, there was a treat involved too, so hard to diminish its effect on the recall. Bridget suggested they might be able to teach him even more, which only made Flash realize how little he knew about rats. This was the first time he had heard about them being trained, but clearly it worked, as his tiny feet carried him back to Bridget’s protection.
The two of them should ostensibly ‘pamper the pet’, though Bridget had not grabbed much. Perhaps a bit of play time was exactly what Sherlock needed. Mental stimulation, time to socialize. Flash could relate. There was a small brush about the size of a toothbrush, which Flash picked up and looked at. Awkwardly, he held it out for Sherlock to inspect after he nibbled his treat, not knowing if the instrument might alarm him. The creature seemed lively and inquisitive of his surroundings though, rather than fearful.
”It’s been a little difficult readjusting, but I’m alright.” Flash finally answered the question, knowing that leaving it open would only invite more prying questions. ”I… well, please don’t say this about me to anyone, but I’ve started to watch the professors more carefully. Make sure there’s no… internal conflict.”
Flash glanced over at Pericles momentarily, not at all wanting to suspect someone who had only ever been polite and kind as far as he could tell. Naturally, everyone wanted to come off looking good, so he had to watch them when they thought no one was looking. Try to find the truth that was being hidden in plain sight. When Flash looked back, he tried not to rest his eyes on Bridget’s malady. The longer he had no answer for the cure, the more his patience started to wear. Admittedly, the quest for the answer had him starting to take illogical risks. He wanted badly to be of some use, enough that he was starting to be noticed for acting out.
”Uhm… how do you brush a rat?” Flash looked down at Sherlock, who was nibbling at the brush to test its tastiness.
@Bridget Collins
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
10 Oct 2020, 20:40
Sherlock and Holmwood
@Flash Holmwood
There was a pause as Flash seemingly scrambled around for words to describe how he'd been. Although she was careful not to look too suspicious, he was taking far too long to answer. She started to worry; they'd only been back at Hogwarts for a week or two, but it was still entirely possible something bad had happened that she wasn't aware of.
His answer set her at ease, though. He was watching the Professors more carefully, and from what she could tell, that pause had simply been him deciding if it was safe to share. Even as allies, they still hadn't done anything to warrant trusting each other without question, so it made sense. She followed his gaze to the Prefect overseeing the errand, Pericles Dralt if she remembered correctly. He'd been in last year's final S.W.A.G. Club game, but otherwise she didn't know anything about him. While a part of her, a childish part, wanted to trust the Professors and believe they could solve all their problems, she knew she couldn't do that. Hags had somehow gotten onto Hogwarts grounds despite the school supposedly being a safe place, which could easily mean they had help from inside the school's staff. At the very least, observing couldn't hurt. She gave him a nod; she would keep his investigation quiet.
The attention was turned back to Sherlock, who had obediently returned and was now nibbling on his reward. In truth, Bridget wasn't entirely sure she was properly caring for her rat. Coming from the Muggle world, rats were pests, not pets, so it wasn't as if she was familiar with how to care for them. Sherlock seemed to be happy, though, so at least it didn't seem like she was doing something wrong. "Well, if I'm being entirely honest, I might be treating him a little more like a dog than a rat," she said with a laugh. Dogs, at least, she had experience with as her cousins had one. "But in terms of brushing, I think like this." Assuming Flash placed the brush into her extended hand, she would, with a light snap of her fingers, urge Sherlock to climb back up into her palm. The biggest obstacle would probably be getting the inquisitive creature to hold still, but perhaps the brushing would be pleasant enough for him to pause his exploration.
With careful strokes, she brought the brush down over Sherlock's fur. The rat seemed to like it; there would be pet pampering after all. Sherlock had earned it, at any rate. "So." She lowered her voice a bit, just in case. "Is there any internal conflict?"
Phyllis Stanwood (iNPC) • Aislin Darragh (2nd gen) • Alejandros Espinosa (2nd gen iNPC)
16 Oct 2020, 19:58
Sherlock and Holmwood
Flash didn’t know much about rats nor dogs, even though his brother technically had an entire pack of foxhounds he kept. Contrary to the pleasant and adventurous Sherlock, those dogs were trained hunters and killers. Another things he didn’t think was worth sharing at the moment. He wondered what kinds of things a rat could realistically be trained to do, he had heard that magical pets wre different from regular animals, but it was hard to tell exactly how. Frankly, Flash didn’t care much to ask. All animals were still less interesting than humans.
After handing Bridget the brush, he watched as he followed her snapping command as well with no small amount of wonder. Perhaps having a pet wouldn’t be so terrible so long as they were as well trained as Sherlock.
”He seems happy.” Flash smiled, looking up to meet Bridget’s eyes. ”You must be a patient trainer.”
When the topic fell onto Flash’s inquisition around the school, the mood became a bit darker. It felt as though Flash never had any good news for her, no matter how exhaustively he searched for answers. It was always dead ends and more questions.
”Well, actually… I was… sort’ve caught.” Flash grimaced sheepishly, it had been a silly mistake. ”For the moment, I’m putting some… tentative trust in the prefects. At least Miss Meenauh and Miss Xailah. It seems they want to help. The two of them are also good friends with Pericles.”
Glancing to make sure no one was close enough to hear their private conversation, Flash’s voice quieted further.
”I’m talking to a lot of people… but be careful around Thomas Lestrange, the new Slytherin prefect. I can’t say for certain, but… I’ve been told that he led students to the hags in the forest. Don’t let him take you anywhere… even if he uses his authority… alright?” Flash face had become deadly serious as he continued, he could bear to think of one of his close friends getting hurt. The curse was bad enough without actually being taken and eaten. ”I’m pretty sure the hags are responsible for the spiders, and that Vladimir Athantos is helping them. As for why… or what they’re planning… all I know is they like to make deals. Maybe the deal is that they’re given children to eat. I… I just don’t know enough yet.”
Flash’s eyes dropped back down to the happy rat, blissfully unaware of the dreary topics being discussed above him. This was why he could never relate to animals. They would never know the pain of knowledge.
@Bridget Collins
After handing Bridget the brush, he watched as he followed her snapping command as well with no small amount of wonder. Perhaps having a pet wouldn’t be so terrible so long as they were as well trained as Sherlock.
”He seems happy.” Flash smiled, looking up to meet Bridget’s eyes. ”You must be a patient trainer.”
When the topic fell onto Flash’s inquisition around the school, the mood became a bit darker. It felt as though Flash never had any good news for her, no matter how exhaustively he searched for answers. It was always dead ends and more questions.
”Well, actually… I was… sort’ve caught.” Flash grimaced sheepishly, it had been a silly mistake. ”For the moment, I’m putting some… tentative trust in the prefects. At least Miss Meenauh and Miss Xailah. It seems they want to help. The two of them are also good friends with Pericles.”
Glancing to make sure no one was close enough to hear their private conversation, Flash’s voice quieted further.
”I’m talking to a lot of people… but be careful around Thomas Lestrange, the new Slytherin prefect. I can’t say for certain, but… I’ve been told that he led students to the hags in the forest. Don’t let him take you anywhere… even if he uses his authority… alright?” Flash face had become deadly serious as he continued, he could bear to think of one of his close friends getting hurt. The curse was bad enough without actually being taken and eaten. ”I’m pretty sure the hags are responsible for the spiders, and that Vladimir Athantos is helping them. As for why… or what they’re planning… all I know is they like to make deals. Maybe the deal is that they’re given children to eat. I… I just don’t know enough yet.”
Flash’s eyes dropped back down to the happy rat, blissfully unaware of the dreary topics being discussed above him. This was why he could never relate to animals. They would never know the pain of knowledge.
@Bridget Collins
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
10 Nov 2020, 04:24
Sherlock and Holmwood
@Flash Holmwood
She smiled at his compliment of her training, and he was right, Sherlock did seem happy and was certainly well trained. Part of that was simply due to the rat's disposition and whatever training he'd received prior to her trip to the Magical Menagerie, but she did spend quite a bit of time working with him. It was mostly because she felt bad keeping him locked up in his cage all day while she was at classes, not to mention she needed something to do during her limited free time. Bridget had never been able to just lounge around, and while a year ago she might have done some drawing, the old hobby had lost mostly lost her interest. Maybe it just felt pointless with everything else going on. While training Sherlock was certainly something fun to do, it was still productive, rewarding. She liked seeing hard work come to fruition.
The topic of whatever was going on at Hogwarts, however, seemed the sort of thing they couldn't make any notable progress in no matter how much time and effort they dedicated to it. It seemed Flash too had been talking to people, asking around for what others knew. How could they ever hope to solve this mess the school had found itself in with hags and likely other threats if they didn't work together?
She nodded as he said he'd decided to trust Xailah and Meenauh, the former who she recognized from S.W.A.G. Club and the latter one of her classmates. She trusted his judgment, but if he was wrong, things could certainly go quite badly; a second year wouldn't stand much of a chance against a third and a fourth year. In an ideal situation, they wouldn't have had to worry about the trustworthiness of their Prefects and Professors, but this wasn't an ideal situation. Besides, especially with the recent appointment of Thomas Lestrange to the role of Slytherin Prefect, it brought into question the people the Professors saw fit for such positions.
Speaking of Thomas, it seemed Flash had information on him. The sort of information Bridget half-expected but still hoped wasn't true. She wasn't exactly sure why she didn't want Thomas to be associated with the hags--she definitely didn't trust him, nor did she particularly like him, and respect didn't seem to be the right word for it either. With all his vague answers and questionable motives, it wasn't far-fetched. She supposed even if he was clearly on the shadier side, hags were a big deal. They were dangerous, powerful. Probably using him. She agreed with Flash on the topic of the hags being behind the spider attack with the assistance of Vladimir; it was a suspicion she'd had for a while and evidence seemed to point towards, though they didn't have any definitive proof yet.
Bridget was thankful Sylvain had directed her towards Headmaster Lear's book on hags, or else she would be quite behind on all this. Flash's suggestion of their potential end goal made sense; hags eat children and he was right in saying they made deals. But was it really so simple as wanting to eat them? And if so, couldn't they have done that ages ago? The majority of Slytherin House had been practically defenseless the night of the spider attack, so why not attack then while Professor Jensen was still away? And why go to the effort of cursing them?
"I've talked to a few people, too. I came across your friend Sylvain in the library and we shared some information, though I doubt anything you don't already know. His contribution was mostly just what happened to Ravenclaw in the Forbidden Forest and about different kinds of hag dolls. The other person was Thomas Lestrange, actually. I'd been meaning to ask him about the Blossom Ball for a while and why he'd fought on Vladimir's side. His answer wasn't really anything much, just that he wanted to 'understand him', or at least not jump to conclusions too quickly. He also shared what was in Vladimir's bag: dolls that resembled Marion and Victor and a vial of black liquid."
'Black liquid' was extremely vague, but it was all he'd given her. Could it be the black blood of the curse or was it something else entirely? And of course, there it was, the mention of Victor Moore. It seemed it was impossible to talk about everything going on without him being brought up, which didn't help the fact she was trying to not think about him at all. He was dead, and beyond just the fact he hardly deserved such a short life, it made everything that much scarier. They weren't playing at detective; no, they were children trying to stop something far bigger than them, and if they didn't, who knew who would be the next Victor Moore?
Phyllis Stanwood (iNPC) • Aislin Darragh (2nd gen) • Alejandros Espinosa (2nd gen iNPC)
17 Nov 2020, 20:27
Sherlock and Holmwood
Sherlock seemed well taken care of, he didn't seem to really need much else besides a brushing. He was a convinient thing to keep his eyes on while they talked. As far as he could tell, he liked sniffing around. He wondered what capacity that tiny brain had for processing the world around it. He knew lab rats were often given behavioral tests, but was it all instinct, or did they have thoughts? His mind wandered briefly to the rat paradise experiment before he had to shake it off-- that was too much to think about.
Flash ended up with a big smile when she said she met Sylvain. They were two people he liked a lot, so he hoped they left a good impression on one another. Of course, they had met briefly at the Quidditch final, but they hadn't really talked. Of course, the conversation she was talking about hardly sounded like a pleasant one, but it meant they were getting more comfortable with each other.
His smile shrunk again when she mentioned she had talking to Thomas. At least it seemed like it hadn't been all bad. Why did he know... he was there of course, not to mention Selim had been his 'date' to that ball. He wondered where those dolls ended up. Surprisingly, Flash hadn't talked to Thomas since summer. Perhaps, a little bit, he was avoiding him. He wasn't sure what he would ask.
"I see. Right." The topic had brought the mood down with it, the bright chatter around them seeming suddenly dissonant. "It could be the same thing--"
Flash was about to mention Selim, and the thing that Opeila told him about, but he still needed to talk to Selim himself to verify. He was going to make a serious effort to track him down tomorrow... but until then, the news was better kept to himself. It was too disheartening. He didn't want to give Bridget more reason to be afraid of what was coursing through her bloodstream. It was already bad enough.
"Sorry, my mind is all over the place..." Flash excused himself, looking appropriately lost. "Actually, Sherlock is looking perfectly pampered, I think we've accomplished our goal. At least this one. Perhaps it would be a better idea to focus on that, for now."
Perhaps it was a bit obvious of a diversion, but he felt it was an appropriate time for one. They had shared a bit of what more they had learned, and until he talked to Selim he didn't have much more to say. He leaned forward and pet Sherlock with his pointer finger.
"Does he have any more tricks? What all does he know?"
From then on, he would avoid talking more about the curse. This was a time for cute animals.
@Bridget Collins
Flash ended up with a big smile when she said she met Sylvain. They were two people he liked a lot, so he hoped they left a good impression on one another. Of course, they had met briefly at the Quidditch final, but they hadn't really talked. Of course, the conversation she was talking about hardly sounded like a pleasant one, but it meant they were getting more comfortable with each other.
His smile shrunk again when she mentioned she had talking to Thomas. At least it seemed like it hadn't been all bad. Why did he know... he was there of course, not to mention Selim had been his 'date' to that ball. He wondered where those dolls ended up. Surprisingly, Flash hadn't talked to Thomas since summer. Perhaps, a little bit, he was avoiding him. He wasn't sure what he would ask.
"I see. Right." The topic had brought the mood down with it, the bright chatter around them seeming suddenly dissonant. "It could be the same thing--"
Flash was about to mention Selim, and the thing that Opeila told him about, but he still needed to talk to Selim himself to verify. He was going to make a serious effort to track him down tomorrow... but until then, the news was better kept to himself. It was too disheartening. He didn't want to give Bridget more reason to be afraid of what was coursing through her bloodstream. It was already bad enough.
"Sorry, my mind is all over the place..." Flash excused himself, looking appropriately lost. "Actually, Sherlock is looking perfectly pampered, I think we've accomplished our goal. At least this one. Perhaps it would be a better idea to focus on that, for now."
Perhaps it was a bit obvious of a diversion, but he felt it was an appropriate time for one. They had shared a bit of what more they had learned, and until he talked to Selim he didn't have much more to say. He leaned forward and pet Sherlock with his pointer finger.
"Does he have any more tricks? What all does he know?"
From then on, he would avoid talking more about the curse. This was a time for cute animals.
Thread ended
@Bridget Collins
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15