Trouble Gone Wrong
Habent sua fata libelli.
It was rare that Cel dared to read outside. Usually, the girl hated to be subject to the whims of weather, but today the sky was half-clear and the zephyrs lazy, so she had wandered out the grand doors of Hogwarts, settled herself down by the smooth, flawless mirror of the Great Lake, named so for a reason, and spread the pages of her book in an excited wonder.
There she was far too absorbed in the story to notice the soreness building up in her shoulders. Kingdom of Ash, the book was titled, the latest installment in the series Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. She'd jumped out of bed just that morning with its title in her mind, and she had darted toward the Ravenclaw Girls' Dormitories' magical bookshelf-- behold!-- there it was, the shining, brand new spine of the beautiful, just-published tome. The bookshelf knew her too well. Indeed, she'd taken care to hold it as if it was a diamond jewel, as it was in her mind, for although bookshelf summoned any book one could imagine, it held one and only one copy of each-- this she'd found out the hard way.
Fantasy was a universe Cel regarded as parallel to her own, not existent in the void. Naught was beyond imagination, and so came habent sua fata libelli, the fate of the book is in the reader or something to that effect-- perhaps some thought her beloved series scandalous, or hard to read, or whatever else human minds were capable of thinking up, but the book rose and fell with its readers. What picture they decided to paint was up to them; the book was merely a gift of pigment and brushes to create the illustration.
Gliding over the narrow lines of text, her eyes, verdant and brown, narrowed and focused until the rest of the environment was nothing but an illusion and page-turning was naught but automatic. It was this kind of book she loved, the kind that made one flip the pages in a desperate need to know more, yet pray earnestly that the story's end would never come. Her spine and shoulders and neck hurt from her hunched position, and even as Parker's voice harped on in her subconscious, she ignored it wholeheartedly as she read on.
The dark queen with a spider's smile tried to wield it against her. In the obsidian web she wove, the illusions and dreams she spun at the culmination of each breaking point, the queen tried to twist the memory of him as a key into her mind.
The chills!
Absorbed as she was, it was quite easy to say that she did not notice her environment, passerby, anything. Someone could have tapped her on the shoulder, and she wouldn't have felt it-- there it was, the little girl immersed in her own world, the one spun by an author. There it was, proof the Muggles did hold a measure of very, very powerful magic after all.
Last edited by Celynne Gray on 22 Oct 2018, 19:57, edited 1 time in total.
Trouble Gone Wrong
It was finally time. Amanda had spotted that annoyingly perfect girl, Celynne, outside by the Great Lake. She had hurriedly composed an owl to her partner in crime, Amaya Bourne, and was now waiting for her to show up. This is going to be great. Sadly, it’s not very original, but whatever.
Amanda climbed a nearby tree and settled down to wait. There was a slight breeze, which ruffled Amanda’s hair as it passed by. She was not wearing her glasses, for fear that they could possibly get broken. Amanda rubbed the bridge of her nose absentmindedly. There were two tiny indents there from her glasses. It feels weird not to have them on. My eyesight seems to be a little off too. Then again, that’s why I got glasses in the first place. Amanda could make out the larger objects, which were clear as day, but it was the details that blurred, causing her to squint. Amanda sighed and rubbed her eyes. Next year, I’ll be sure to get contacts.
Amanda swung her legs up onto the thick branch on which she sat. She leaned her head back against the trunk and closed her eyes. She was careful not to doze off, for if she did, she would most likely fall right out of the tree. And that would not help her plans in the least.
Amanda climbed a nearby tree and settled down to wait. There was a slight breeze, which ruffled Amanda’s hair as it passed by. She was not wearing her glasses, for fear that they could possibly get broken. Amanda rubbed the bridge of her nose absentmindedly. There were two tiny indents there from her glasses. It feels weird not to have them on. My eyesight seems to be a little off too. Then again, that’s why I got glasses in the first place. Amanda could make out the larger objects, which were clear as day, but it was the details that blurred, causing her to squint. Amanda sighed and rubbed her eyes. Next year, I’ll be sure to get contacts.
Amanda swung her legs up onto the thick branch on which she sat. She leaned her head back against the trunk and closed her eyes. She was careful not to doze off, for if she did, she would most likely fall right out of the tree. And that would not help her plans in the least.
“Oh, I may be on the side of the angels, but don't think for one second that I am one of them.”
~ Amanda Sparrow ~
Trouble Gone Wrong
[Font=PT Sans] Amaya surveyed The Great Lake carefully, a small smile worming it’s way onto her face. But now was not the time for relaxing, no... There were more important things to get to.
After more moments of combing through the crowds of people to find the familiar face of Amanda, she finally spotted her friend in a tree.
She bounded up to the tree, making her way up before waving to Amanda.
“So. Which one is Celynne?” Amaya grinned mischievously. This was going to be fun. Leaning against the large branch she had perched herself on, she made sure her arms were wrapped around the branch to prevent herself from falling.
“So... How do we get her closer to the water? What if she questions who I am? Wait... Are you familiar with her?” Amaya rambled, glancing down at the people near them. She could see a couple different people, some reading, some chatting happily to people around them, and some giggling while pointing towards the Lake.
She glanced back at Amanda, frowning at her glasses-less face. It looked strange. Amaya definitely wasn’t used to it.
Amaya began to softly hum to herself, a soft sound that she tried to muffle as best as possible. [/font]
After more moments of combing through the crowds of people to find the familiar face of Amanda, she finally spotted her friend in a tree.
She bounded up to the tree, making her way up before waving to Amanda.
“So. Which one is Celynne?” Amaya grinned mischievously. This was going to be fun. Leaning against the large branch she had perched herself on, she made sure her arms were wrapped around the branch to prevent herself from falling.
“So... How do we get her closer to the water? What if she questions who I am? Wait... Are you familiar with her?” Amaya rambled, glancing down at the people near them. She could see a couple different people, some reading, some chatting happily to people around them, and some giggling while pointing towards the Lake.
She glanced back at Amanda, frowning at her glasses-less face. It looked strange. Amaya definitely wasn’t used to it.
Amaya began to softly hum to herself, a soft sound that she tried to muffle as best as possible. [/font]
Amaya Elizabeth Bourne
Trouble Gone Wrong
Victrix fortunae sapientia.
Wisdom triumphs over chance. The thought occurred to her randomly, a drifting breeze in the teeming but blank expanse of her mind, as her thoughts often came to her. It would have escaped her attention had she not been at the end of a chapter-- the book held ever so carefully off the ground. She could not, would not ever risk getting the volume dirty or damaged-- no, this was too precious of a book for misfortune to fall upon.
It would seem that Cel was a little possessive of her books.
Blinking, the girl took a small break from the story to sit up, give a little yawn, and stretch. Parker encouraged reading, although Cel did not quite need encouraging. However, he also encouraged good eyesight-- sadly, her eyesight was turning into trash rather quickly and her skin turning pallid with all the time she spent indoors in the school year without someone urging her to find some sun. Both he and Dorian would be glad to know she'd gone out of her own accord. She climbed up to her feet and took a couple of steps toward the water, her page number marked in her mind, the book clutched protectively in her arms.
She stopped at the edge of the water, perching herself on a large rock, water lapping at its base, next to the Great Lake. The sun was bright and the water clear today-- Cel could see her reflection, strange eyes, unruly hair and all, on the mirror of the lake. The top of Kingdom of Ash peeked out from her embrace in the reflection, and she studied the image with rapt interest.
Satisfied, the girl leaned back away from the water and curled up on the dry boulder, curving her body into a slight c-shape and rolling onto her side-- the boulder was surprisingly smooth, although the brittleness of it stung her hip bone a little, and she opened her book again in such a position, her cheek pillowed on her hair. The sun, obscured by a thin layer of clouds, would have beat down on the plain and caused her to squint had it not been just slightly weaker today-- hence why she rarely read outside.
Even if it had, the young Ravenclaw would have quickly forgotten any discomfort-- including the slight pain in her side from the surface on which she rested on-- as she delved headfirst back into the story, absorbed in its pages. It was a thick, heavy book-- heavy for such a light girl, of course-- and she was quite certain, as was Parker, that she'd gained some muscle in her arms from carrying stacks of books and supplies and whatnot throughout the castle. In her legs, too, for that matter.
Her back, posed so against the sun, shaded the bright light from the starkly white pages of the tome. She wriggled a little to arrange her robes to gather underneath her, between herself and the rock, for better comfort-- there was probably a better way to do this, but she was far too lazy to figure that out-- and then curled her knees up toward her arms, doing very little for her already stiff posture.
If you, reader, couldn't guess: and then she resumed reading.
Trouble Gone Wrong
Amanda turned her head when she heard Amaya’s voice. “Hey there,” she greeted her friend. Amanda pointed to the dark-haired girl sitting down, reading a book. “That’s Celynne, right there. And as for getting her close to the water... well, I guess we don’t have to worry about that.” Celynne had moved right up to the water’s edge. Amanda leapt out of the tree and landed on her feet. “I don’t really know her. I think we're in the same dorm, though. But that doesn’t matter.” Amanda beckoned for Amaya to follow her and set off towards their intended target.
Amanda felt her insides twinge slightly. I don’t know if this is such a good idea... but I mean, why not? I’m only pushing her in the lake. It’s not like I’m trying to actually harm her. It’s just a silly prank. Yeah, it’ll be fine. Amanda pushed her doubts back down and summoned up her courage. She caused trouble for her siblings all the time, but this was a little different. Amanda shook those thoughts away and continued on.
They were close now. Amanda turned and addressed her friend in a whisper. “Just follow my lead. We’ll both shove her on the count of three. Ready?” Amanda took a few steps closer, putting a finger to her lips. She held up her fingers and counted down: three, two, one. On one, Amanda stuck out her arms and pushed the girl.
Amanda felt her insides twinge slightly. I don’t know if this is such a good idea... but I mean, why not? I’m only pushing her in the lake. It’s not like I’m trying to actually harm her. It’s just a silly prank. Yeah, it’ll be fine. Amanda pushed her doubts back down and summoned up her courage. She caused trouble for her siblings all the time, but this was a little different. Amanda shook those thoughts away and continued on.
They were close now. Amanda turned and addressed her friend in a whisper. “Just follow my lead. We’ll both shove her on the count of three. Ready?” Amanda took a few steps closer, putting a finger to her lips. She held up her fingers and counted down: three, two, one. On one, Amanda stuck out her arms and pushed the girl.
“Oh, I may be on the side of the angels, but don't think for one second that I am one of them.”
~ Amanda Sparrow ~
Trouble Gone Wrong
[Font=PT Sans] Amaya glanced at the mentioned Ravenclaw. “Alright.”
Carefully sliding down a couple of branches first before leaping off, onto the ground, Amaya trailed after Amanda, who seemed to waver for a moment. Amaya glanced back at Celynne. She seemed so peaceful, and Amaya wavered herself.
Closing her eyes, Amaya shook her head. No. This wouldn’t do. She had to go through with it. But a small part of her wondered... What was she doing? What if this only further tarnished Slytherin’s reputation? Had she not always hoped to help patch up it’s reputation and lift up the noble house to what it once was? Hadn’t Amaya always been trusted to stick to her own ideals?
Why was it so hard to do such a simple thing?
Amaya’s fists curled up tightly, knuckles turning white as she began to doubt herself. She was relieved when Amanda finally gave the order to push the other Ravenclaw girl off, and let her face go blank. Now was not the time to be worrying about “little” things.
The few seconds of inner turmoil gone, safely tucked away, Amaya breathed deeply. Stepping up, Amaya waited for a couple seconds, before shoving Celynne with all her might, throwing her whole body into it, resulting in Amaya leaning against the boulder herself. Amaya awaited the sound of a splash, and could already find herself wishing she was elsewhere. [/font]
Carefully sliding down a couple of branches first before leaping off, onto the ground, Amaya trailed after Amanda, who seemed to waver for a moment. Amaya glanced back at Celynne. She seemed so peaceful, and Amaya wavered herself.
Closing her eyes, Amaya shook her head. No. This wouldn’t do. She had to go through with it. But a small part of her wondered... What was she doing? What if this only further tarnished Slytherin’s reputation? Had she not always hoped to help patch up it’s reputation and lift up the noble house to what it once was? Hadn’t Amaya always been trusted to stick to her own ideals?
Why was it so hard to do such a simple thing?
Amaya’s fists curled up tightly, knuckles turning white as she began to doubt herself. She was relieved when Amanda finally gave the order to push the other Ravenclaw girl off, and let her face go blank. Now was not the time to be worrying about “little” things.
The few seconds of inner turmoil gone, safely tucked away, Amaya breathed deeply. Stepping up, Amaya waited for a couple seconds, before shoving Celynne with all her might, throwing her whole body into it, resulting in Amaya leaning against the boulder herself. Amaya awaited the sound of a splash, and could already find herself wishing she was elsewhere. [/font]
Amaya Elizabeth Bourne
Trouble Gone Wrong
Deodamnatus
Chapter II... the text went on. She was in the midst of reading bliss, as nobody could guess from her neutral expression, but while her eyes seemed to be glazed over, they were, in fact, intense on the pages of the novel. Line after line after line-- the story was no longer letters printed on paper but an ambience in all is glory in her mind.
And then, a Latin curse: Deodamnatus.
The word shocked through her as she was unpleasantly yanked back into reality. Four points of force on her back caused her to inhale sharply and tighten her fingers on the pages of her book-- and then she lost her breath, air driven from her lungs in a surprised whoosh, as the hard surface of the lake came up to meet her tumbling off her boulder. Cel nearly gasped as she hit the icy cold water, her ears ringing, and suddenly knew of the stone beside her head as surely as if she'd seen it. The girl tried to jerk away, but it was too late: her own momentum carried her towards the spike of stone jutting out from the main rock, and it drew a stinging crimson line from the corner of her eye to her cheek.
Feet touching down on the bed of the lake, the young Ravenclaw bent her knees and sprang up, up toward the shimmering surface of the lake and the rock she might be able to hold onto once she got out of the freezing water that her hair flowed out in like ebony silk--
Sputtering and coughing, she broke the surface, gasping for air and grabbing feebly at the boulder. Her soaked robes clung to her slight frame as she found her grip, dripping water, and countless ripples from her place in the Great Lake drifted gently away from her shivering form. A couple of people stared at the soaked girl under the sun's light, still others looked away deliberately, but cel did not acknowledge them-- she raised a hand to her face, pulled it back: her fingers came away sticky and scarlet.
Hazily she looked up, letting the bloody hand trail in the water, before fixating on the book she held in her free hand. The young Ravenclaw let out a cry of dismay, the only sign of distress so far, at the sight of its ruined, wet pages. She placed Kingdom of Ash on the shore carefully, as fruitless as her efforts to be gentle would turn out, and heaved herself on her elbows, an action far impeded by her waterlogged robes... or she tried to, at least, and ended up slipping straight back into the water, feeling dizzy with growing pain on her head as well as despair over her book.
Some upper body strength she had.
Through her dizziness, however, a fury still burned, demanding to know who it was that had pushed her-- and not just her, but her book, the book that she'd been waiting for for simply forever, now laying sadly on the boulder. Freshly vexed, she cast a glance about the shore, scrutinizing every face for the possible culprits: "Who. Ruined. My. Book!?"
Trouble Gone Wrong
A little bit too late. Luna hadn't been even close to near enough to know what was happening. Just a nice stroll down by the lake. That's all she had intented. But sometimes duty called when one least expected it. This happened to be such an occasion. A new experience for the fledgling Perfect altogether.
The splash had be the alerting disturbance. No one was allowed in the lake without a professor to supervise. There were exceptions of course. Summer camp had roped off sections of the lake to allow students to swim. But it was September and camp was long over. Luna decided it was best to investigate, trying to trace the source of the splashing.
A sharp look of surprise crossed Luna's face as she saw Cel. Cel wasn't one to purposely break the rules. In fact, Cel was a former prefect. Luna instinctively knew there had to be more to it! Before she could give this any more thought though, the crimson near Cel's eye caught Luna's attention. She was injured. One final piece would make the situation quite obvious, dispelling any doubt about what had occurred. Cel, scanning the group of nearby people, accusation in her face, anger in her voice, a sad undertone in it all.
Luna moved to the front of the crowd, squatting down on the shore, locking her eyes with Celynne so she knew that she had her attention. "Are you ok? That wound seems painful. We need to get you to the hospital wing. Who knows what's lurking in that lake. You could get an infection. I'll handle it from here."
Luna stood back up, turning on her heel, fire in her Amber eyes. Whoever did this had no sense of foresight. She would fix that. Raising her voice, but keeping her gracious tone, she addressed the crowd. "Someone, or multiple people, did this. I want to know who. Whoever you are, you could've drowned her. I don't care if this was revenge or a joke. It doesn't matter. Come forward, or I'll get a professor and put everyone here in detention. Anyone want to confess?"
The splash had be the alerting disturbance. No one was allowed in the lake without a professor to supervise. There were exceptions of course. Summer camp had roped off sections of the lake to allow students to swim. But it was September and camp was long over. Luna decided it was best to investigate, trying to trace the source of the splashing.
A sharp look of surprise crossed Luna's face as she saw Cel. Cel wasn't one to purposely break the rules. In fact, Cel was a former prefect. Luna instinctively knew there had to be more to it! Before she could give this any more thought though, the crimson near Cel's eye caught Luna's attention. She was injured. One final piece would make the situation quite obvious, dispelling any doubt about what had occurred. Cel, scanning the group of nearby people, accusation in her face, anger in her voice, a sad undertone in it all.
Luna moved to the front of the crowd, squatting down on the shore, locking her eyes with Celynne so she knew that she had her attention. "Are you ok? That wound seems painful. We need to get you to the hospital wing. Who knows what's lurking in that lake. You could get an infection. I'll handle it from here."
Luna stood back up, turning on her heel, fire in her Amber eyes. Whoever did this had no sense of foresight. She would fix that. Raising her voice, but keeping her gracious tone, she addressed the crowd. "Someone, or multiple people, did this. I want to know who. Whoever you are, you could've drowned her. I don't care if this was revenge or a joke. It doesn't matter. Come forward, or I'll get a professor and put everyone here in detention. Anyone want to confess?"
Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed.
Trouble Gone Wrong
Immediately after Amanda pushed Celynne in the lake, she regretted it. Despite her feisty nature, she was socially conscious and didn’t like to hurt others who had been nothing but kind. Oh crap. Why on earth did I do that? Amanda could see that Celynne’s book was a ruined and she winced. To ruin a book was a sin in and of itself. This is not how it was supposed to go. I’m not supposed to feel guilty. I shouldn’t be feeling bad about this.
A Prefect rushed up to help Celynne and demanded that the perpetrators make themselves known. Amanda stepped up, keeping her gaze on her feet, ashamed of her actions. “I-it was me. I pushed her in. I’m sorry, I should’ve thought about it more before doing that.” Amanda tilted her head up slightly and looked at Celynne. “I’m also really sorry about your book. I can buy you a new copy, if you’d like.”
Amanda took her glasses out from her robe pocket and put them on, squinting as her eyes adjusted. “So, I guess I’m getting detention then. When and where is that?” She purposefully didn't rat out her friend Amaya. Amanda was lots of things, but she sure as hell wasn't a snitch.
A Prefect rushed up to help Celynne and demanded that the perpetrators make themselves known. Amanda stepped up, keeping her gaze on her feet, ashamed of her actions. “I-it was me. I pushed her in. I’m sorry, I should’ve thought about it more before doing that.” Amanda tilted her head up slightly and looked at Celynne. “I’m also really sorry about your book. I can buy you a new copy, if you’d like.”
Amanda took her glasses out from her robe pocket and put them on, squinting as her eyes adjusted. “So, I guess I’m getting detention then. When and where is that?” She purposefully didn't rat out her friend Amaya. Amanda was lots of things, but she sure as hell wasn't a snitch.
“Oh, I may be on the side of the angels, but don't think for one second that I am one of them.”
~ Amanda Sparrow ~
Trouble Gone Wrong
[Font=PT Sans] Before Amaya could say anything, Amanda had already stepped forward. Amaya winced. Fiddling her fingers, she stepped forward as well, once Amanda had finished her talking.
It was just her luck she was a Slytherin. Everyone always hated Slytherins.
“I did it too. I’m... I’m really sorry. It was never meant to get this far...”
Amaya winced, glancing down at her shoes. She awaited her punishment.
Not even the first month of school, and trouble had already found her and she had already injured another student. “If... If you’d like, I could also help with a new copy. I’m really, really sorry...”
Her last sentences were much quieter, brought upon by floods of embarassment crashing onto her, relentless as she mentally berated herself. It was so soft she doubted anyone could hear, but... She had no wish to repeat it. Wringing her fingers, she carefully sneaked a glance at Celynne, a hopeful, careful gaze that she hoped could convey her apologies. She hung her head lower, and as her hair shielded her face, a single tear escaped from the corner of her eye.
She shouldn’t have pushed so hard.
She shouldn’t have.
This was all her fault. Discreetly wiping the tear, she unconsciously blanked out her face.
“I’m sorry...”
Finally she stood still, trying to draw her shoulders back and stand straighter. It was hard, hard to fake this with the guilt washing over her, surrounding her and enveloping her, but she managed. She stared straight at the prefect, eyes unseeing yet seeing all the same, and, like Amanda, awaited her punishment, doing everything she could to push away the guilt and embarassment and guilt guilt guilt. [/font]
It was just her luck she was a Slytherin. Everyone always hated Slytherins.
“I did it too. I’m... I’m really sorry. It was never meant to get this far...”
Amaya winced, glancing down at her shoes. She awaited her punishment.
Not even the first month of school, and trouble had already found her and she had already injured another student. “If... If you’d like, I could also help with a new copy. I’m really, really sorry...”
Her last sentences were much quieter, brought upon by floods of embarassment crashing onto her, relentless as she mentally berated herself. It was so soft she doubted anyone could hear, but... She had no wish to repeat it. Wringing her fingers, she carefully sneaked a glance at Celynne, a hopeful, careful gaze that she hoped could convey her apologies. She hung her head lower, and as her hair shielded her face, a single tear escaped from the corner of her eye.
She shouldn’t have pushed so hard.
She shouldn’t have.
This was all her fault. Discreetly wiping the tear, she unconsciously blanked out her face.
“I’m sorry...”
Finally she stood still, trying to draw her shoulders back and stand straighter. It was hard, hard to fake this with the guilt washing over her, surrounding her and enveloping her, but she managed. She stared straight at the prefect, eyes unseeing yet seeing all the same, and, like Amanda, awaited her punishment, doing everything she could to push away the guilt and embarassment and guilt guilt guilt. [/font]
Amaya Elizabeth Bourne