City of Canterbury ~ England

[MJ Spooks]

Canterbury

Canterbury is an historic English cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour. It is a popular tourist destination: consistently one of the most-visited cities in the United Kingdom, the city's economy is heavily reliant upon tourism. There is also a substantial student population, brought about by the presence of four universities. Canterbury is, however, a relatively small city, when compared with other British cities.

 

[Essy ze Ninja]

𝖂illiam 𝕯ante 𝕹ott the Third

𝕺cclumens, 𝕾lytherin 𝕬lumni

[Winter 2029]

Cold, whipping blasts threatened to dethrone him; thrust high into the night sky and balancing on the edge of the highest tower, his view commanded the whole of the city. In the distance, the River Stour is a dim and inky black line fading behind the city street lights, the towering glass walls of the Marlowe Theatre mirrored the night life with headlights and fast cars, then the long strip of darkness farther out marked the Westgate Gardens, nestled beside the black shadow of the coursed ashlar medieval gatehouse. Swaying over the stone structure of the Canterbury Cathedral, high upon the bell tower alongside the old bell mechanism and its series of cogs, lever and pulleys, the winds tattered at the end of his black robes. He hung on the balance of the battlements with an arm secure around the parapet, and all of Canterbury below him.

Their travels had shifted across the United Kingdom; where once before he only had suspicions for his mistrust of the Scottish, it quickly became cemented in a rather brief visit to the Scotland countryside. From there, the green rolling plains of Ireland had been a recluse retreat before diving in to the nightlife of Madrid, with hard liquor, sleek cars, exotic clubs and tapas bars—who knew how many laws were broken that night. Many weeks were spent in Rome, Paris, Sydney, and Tokyo; his blood was drunk on liquor and calming draughts. The subsequent weeks, months—had it been years?—had all blurred in his mind, a silent movie in black and white stuck on a broken reel. He couldn't remember, he didn't want to remember. He was running... They were running...

”Do you ever wonder what things would be like? If it all happened differently?” The soured breath of whiskey curdled in the fresh night air, tone deadpanned, eyes blood shot. How many sleepless nights had come and gone under the phases of the moon? How many? ”Chelle?” He blinked at the silence, though he'd hardly given her a chance to reply. Part of him was too drunk to notice how slow the clock was ticking, the other part, just needed to see her face again. ”We should go back one day... shouldn't we?” He cast a gaze southward, Serpents Ascent, was none too far from the cathedral, but far enough it was hidden from view. So many loose ends to tie, so much business left unfinished. One day, he knew he'd have to go back, punish that man for what he's done to his mother. But for now... For now... ”Where do we go from here?”







╔══════════════╗
Height: 6’2” ♜ Weight: 193 ♜ Age: 26
Canterbury Cathedral, England
╚══════════════╝






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Devlyn Maycry

 

[Devlyn Maycry]

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Michelle sat on the edge of the highest tower, near where his feet were firmly planted. Her legs dangled off the edge bare feet kicking against the stone every once in awhile. The cold wind whipped against her sending hair flipping against her face, and sending the edges of her white dress twisting around her kicking legs. She was rather poorly dressed for the weather, but she was of course a child of the flames, the cold had never bothered her. As it was, she'd traveled throughout Canada in winter without much of anything to keep her truly warm, and she had survived.


As the girl stared out over the city, glittering with car lights, and starlight, and of course the moon, she was yet again reminded that so much had changed so quickly. It felt like only days ago that she had been a first year at Hogwarts, meeting Tay and finally realizing she had a way out. He had been her escape, and even now she still ran. Although at least, she didn't have to run by herself. She had him, that was a given. The one constant in her life. She glanced up when he started to talk. Surprisingly he stood right in the way of the moon, his face shrouded by the glow, so she had no way of reading his emotion. She had always considered him... a sun of sorts. At least in her life. In anyone's else, he was probably the darkest of nights, but for her, he was the first light she'd ever seen in her life... besides the flames that burned away inside her.


"Sometimes, but... somehow I think we would have still ended up here. Its in our blood." She paused, and then shrugged, and turned her face away from him again. Silver eyes wandered over the city, while her mind wandered over the possibilities. What she said, felt like the truth. She was sure, no matter what had happened, even if her mother was still alive, she still would have ended up here, with him, alone atop a tower. They would still be here, staring out across a strange city, in a strange town, wondering what it would have been like if things had gone differently. It was in their blood. The fire had always burned inside her, and the darkness had always lurked inside him.


Going back... leaving... she didn't really care either way. She visited them... her "family", every once in awhile, just to make sure they were alive and didn't need anything. He... he was where she belonged. "Where do we go.... we go somewhere new. Isn't that what we've been doing? We could go to.... America I guess? We haven't been there yet. We can go anywhere... do anything..." She shrugged again and rested her body against his leg. It was weird for her to not feel constrained by anything, and yet that's how she felt around him... it wasn't like she could hide anything from him, not that she tried. She didn't care enough. What was going on in his mind was still a mystery to her most days though.



ஐCallin’ out รเภร just to pass the ҭเ๓єஐ
ஐI’ve got ภ๏ҭђเภﻮ left to ใ๏รєஐ
ஐ єνєгұҭђเภﻮ that I’ve๒єς๏๓єஐ
ஐJust ғคใใร เภҭ๏ the єภ๔ஐ

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Essy ze Ninja

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[Essy ze Ninja]

𝖂illiam 𝕯ante 𝕹ott the Third

𝕺cclumens, 𝕾lytherin 𝕬lumni

[Winter 2029]

A hum of a thousand wonders echoed in his throat; his gaze shifted to meet her eye, a gleam of something morbid in his radiant eyes of amber gold. "Its in our blood." The soft feathered timbre of her voice tickled the back of his throat until it was tight; too tight to breathe. His reply, or lack thereof, resonated in his chest as a bare utterance of a growl, vision then refocused on the asphalt streets below. His blood was tainted, touched by death and it was corrosive, a poison, eating away at him from the inside. Strangled words choked down the back of his throat; sometimes blood isn't thicker than water. A hot steam of breath misted against the cold, temperatures were dropping and even he could hardly fight the chill drilling deep in his bones. His hand drifted down to the crown of her head, and combed fingers through locks of luminous hair.

”And it would solve nothing,” a bitter sting lashed in his words, years of running had done nothing, had helped no one. Tired as he was of running, he couldn't go back. He couldn't be reckless, not again. He'd made that mistake once before, it wouldn't happen again. Steadied breaths hushed the racing beat of his heart, too many memories were drowning. That inebriated haze had begun to life, and rose colored lenses were suddenly becoming clear. ”I hear New York is crowded, easy to get lost in... Los Angeles would be warm this time of year, not far from the beach...” Thick knuckled fingers massaged the throbbing ache in his temple, delusional reality intertwined, he was starting to remember again. Tay eased himself beside Michelle, dangling his legs over the edge as an arm coiled around her narrow waist. ”On the other hand... my uncle's house is in this town, with his new wife, his new manor, his new child...” Far as he traveled, he never missed an article of the Daily Prophet, his contacts were always in touch, and what they did not know, Megan usually did. Those lone days were Michelle leaves him to visit with her friends and family, he contacted the infamous dark witch from all those blood red years ago, she was, in fact, the only one he kept in touch with after the massacre of Shaftesbury Theatre. ”And his old debts.”








╔══════════════╗
Height: 6’2” ♜ Weight: 193 ♜ Age: 26
Canterbury Cathedral, England
╚══════════════╝






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Devlyn Maycry

 

[Devlyn Maycry]

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She couldn't deny his words. It would do nothing, but what else did they have. Neither had a home to return to, no matter what Ada claimed. Her home was long gone, she'd wrecked it long ago. She'd wrecked herself long ago. New York, Las Angeles, anywhere. She... they... could run forever and it would never be far enough. They could never outrun their pasts could they?


As he joined her on the edge, she curled against subtly. She raised an eyebrow at his other suggestion and shook her head slowly, a small smirk curling her lips. "You're uncle has a new child?" She asked, she honestly couldn't picture any Nott having a kid, even though she'd witnessed it before. That day in Diagon, she'd seen Tay's neice. The little golden eyed squib.... she remembered that day well. It had been burned into her memory. It was hard to forget the day she decided to kill him..... Vincent.


"Would you like to pay your uncle a visit?" The silver haired girl glanced up at him, the smirk now obvious on her lips. She had always been one for a little risk and danger hadn't she? It was fun to her. She was curious how he always seemed to know everything that was going on. She was lucky if she was even kept up to date on her own 'family'.


Her eyes drifted to the moon, staring up at it. She was reminded of a story her father, the real one, had told her when she was very young. He'd always related it to himself and her mother. The story of how the sun loved the moon so much he died every night to let her breathe.... Her father had always seen himself as the sun... and yet her mother was the one that ended up dead. Irony wasn't it? Yet here she sat, a perfect copy of her mother's looks, and the golden eyed demon beside her was the only sun she'd ever known.... but she doubted he'd ever die for her, and she wouldn't have it any other way.



ஐCallin’ out รเภร just to pass the ҭเ๓єஐ
ஐI’ve got ภ๏ҭђเภﻮ left to ใ๏รєஐ
ஐ єνєгұҭђเภﻮ that I’ve๒єς๏๓єஐ
ஐJust ғคใใร เภҭ๏ the єภ๔ஐ

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Essy ze Ninja

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[Essy ze Ninja]

𝖂illiam 𝕯ante 𝕹ott the Third

𝕺cclumens, 𝕾lytherin 𝕬lumni

[Winter 2029]

Blaring horns, screeching tires and roaring engines hummed in the background, the wail of sirens shrieked in the distance but slowly faded beneath the gale of winter winds. Leaning a fraction of his weight against her form, basking in her warmth, Tay's white breath rose up in the air as he continued, ”An heir... a boy.” Disdain burned his throat as he scoffed, the subtlest shake of his head fought the demons plaguing his thoughts. Impatience beat heavy in his chest, pumping toxic paranoia in his blood stream. The air shifted as a foreboding tension thickened and his grip on the cold, weathered tower sharpened until nails dug into stone. ”No... Not yet, but soon.” The grip around her waist tightened and his jaw clenched tight. ”Not until I know more. I won't run in blindly, not like last time.... No, for now, we watch, and we wait.” Even if he had to burn the entire ******** estate down, he will destroy everything that wretched man holds dear, he won't stop until it's all up in flames. ”I hope you like it here,” his tone changed, from vindictive to determined. ”I have a feeling we'll be spending quite a bit of time here in Canterbury...

“I think I know a few others who might be able to help.” Tempted to divulge more, the lure dangled and he hoped she wouldn't be able to resist. As far as he knew, Michelle never knew Megan, never heard her name or what role she's played in his life. His details on that grisly night at Shaftesbury Theatre had been vague and archaic, at best, the varied articles in the muggle papers were even less than informative. He didn't doubt the older woman would be anything less than delighted to help; but would the two get along? That was the real question. He couldn't fathom why not; the two were so similar, but that in itself, could pose the worst threat. You don't pour gasoline on fire and expect it not to burn? So why in the world would he expect anything less than a disaster?

Well, that's simple. What other choice does he have?

╔══════════════╗
Height: 6’2” ♜ Weight: 193 ♜ Age: 26
Canterbury Cathedral, England
╚══════════════╝

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Devlyn Maycry

 

[Devlyn Maycry]

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Michelle swung her legs, absentminded, as she stared out over the city. The air was chilly, and yet she was not cold. She never was cold. Sometimes she wondered if her mother had been a fire demon or a viking or something.... it was the only explanation she could come up with. Why else would she have been able to traverse the depths of canada in the middle of winter.... with no shoes, and no care for the cold? Not that she ever wore shoes... unless absolutely necessary.


She almost cracked a laugh at the retched poison in his voice upon the word heir. It wasn't like he wanted to be heir anyways, so she didn't see why he was complaining. Besides that fact that it was his uncle's kid. "I don't mind spending time here. It's pretty... although I'm sure it be prettier if it was on fire...." She grinned up at him and shrugged before hearing his last words. "Who would these few others be Tay?" She asked. He always seemed more likely to tell the truth when she used his name. It was one of her secret weapons.


Of course.... any weapon against him always ended up seemingly useless. He was like a fire that just wouldn't go out... maybe that's what had drawn her to him all those years ago. After all... a child born in fire will always be drawn to it... just like a moth. She had gone to him willingly... how could she expect anything other than complete annihilation of her life. At eleven that was what she had wanted... and here she was, twenty-something years old (she always did forget) and on the run from everything she ever knew.... in all sense of the word, her life had be destroyed.


She was happy though, and that was a first.



ஐCallin’ out รเภร just to pass the ҭเ๓єஐ
ஐI’ve got ภ๏ҭђเภﻮ left to ใ๏รєஐ
ஐ єνєгұҭђเภﻮ that I’ve๒єς๏๓єஐ
ஐJust ғคใใร เภҭ๏ the єภ๔ஐ

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Essy ze Ninja

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[Essy ze Ninja]

𝖂illiam 𝕯ante 𝕹ott the Third

𝕺cclumens, 𝕾lytherin 𝕬lumni

[Winter 2029]

"I don't mind spending time here. It's pretty... although I'm sure it'd be prettier if it was on fire...." she grinned; he nodded, ”Good.” As final and swift as the executioner's sword; he often imagined it as a halberd, more particularly, a battle bardiche, it's curved cleaving blade mounted on a short staff of ironwood, and, more often than not, it glistened red, but sometimes. it was sharp and clean as a silver pane of glass, he can almost see his reflection in it before it swings—”You'll see...” He breathed deeply, separating himself from that sword hanging over his head. ”You might've met one already... He graduated alongside Storm and I, though he wasn't much the type to socialize with younger students...” He concluded with a passing glance, judging her with those perilous eyes of gold. The city slept beneath their feet and dreams plagued the asphalt streets racing against the break of dawn.

”We'll need to rest soon,” he declared through half lidded eyes, because even gargoyles have to sleep when morning comes. How long they hid here, he couldn't even remember. ”A hotel will have to suffice, at least until I can rent out property overlooking the Tempest Estate...” The grounds were large, secluded in forestry and tucked away from the heart of Canterbury. His plans thus far were meager and unreliable; purchase the nearest property and construct a lookout tower to spy, a costly expenditure to be sure; imperius or impersonate an inconspicuous guest of the manor to infiltrate, but who?; or manipulate Sophie, the weakest link of the family, and how low of a blow to be betrayed not only by your nephew but your own daughter? How could Tay even resist? ”C'mon, before anyone sees us,” he bade her, stealing her hand in his.

But eyes were already on him, dozens of them. Beady eyes of black, brown, and blue; large, round eyes of a dim gray hue; slanted almond eyes of terrible gold; and vicious glowing green, the whites were bathed in red veins; and they followed him, everywhere, from the dim shadows beneath the bell tower, through the cracks in the stone masonry, dotted along the black streets and hidden in the shifting leaves of the tree. 'Jump!' They cried, begged, pushed. 'Jump!' A swift gust of wind patted his back like a childhood friend, threatening to throw him over the highest tower; his legs wobbled like jelly beneath him, a rupture of bile unleashed in his throat and he fought to swallow it back down. Stumbling to grip the stone masonry, his breath clattered in his throat with a gasp, a layer of sweat beading down his neck. The ground beneath them stretched, farther and farther, the city street lights and painted roads were thousands of miles away. But then they were all alone again. No eyes, none. No one. Swallowing a gulp of fresh air, the shaky hand around Michelle's had tightened to an iron grip, he hoped he hadn't hurt her, but he didn't care to find out just yet. Instead, a clammy hand tore into his robes, acutely aware of her silver eyes burning into the side of his face. But in the next moment, he apparated away, around the corner of a cheap motel in a dim, deserted alley way. A stray cat hissed at their sudden presence, fur raised and fangs exposed before it disappeared in a row of pink flowered, sweet briar bushes.

”Would you get us a room?” He refused to face her directly, opting to bury his face in his hands, massaging the temple and wiping sweat off his furrowed brow. His wand shook in the tightened grip of his right hand, the effects of his last calming draught had worn off by now—he needed more. But he had to wait, wait for her to leave, to turn her back and walk away. For a moment, he couldn't detect her presence, was she still there? Staring at him with that look of contempt he despises? Or would it be pity? He couldn't bring himself to look.

╔══════════════╗
Height: 6’2” ♜ Weight: 193 ♜ Age: 26
Sun Hotel, Canterbury, England
╚══════════════╝

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Devlyn Maycry

 

[Devlyn Maycry]

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The snake child contemplated the mention of one she might already know, but no one came to mind. The only students in his year she had associated with had been him… and unfortunately ‘the white fox’ super hero wannabe Storm idiot. When he grabbed her hand, she glanced at him, watching quietly as he thought his own demons. His hand was crushing her much smaller one in an obliterating grip. She winced but said nothing. She wouldn’t ever say anything. She had watched his world get destroyed, and she had taken it upon herself to be there for him… like he had always been for her. She wasn’t the little 11 year old girl, scared to death of becoming like her fathers anymore. She wasn’t the stubborn 15 year old girl trying to hold a family together when there wasn’t anything to hold together anymore. Her parents were gone, her family safe and sound far away from her. He was all she had left. Her family was safer without her, and he… well he needed her.


She pretended not to see the strain in his golden eyes, or the way he would suddenly not be in this world anymore. She knew those signs all too well. She pretended not to see, because he thought he was hiding them from her, and if he didn’t want her to know, she would pretend like she didn’t know.


Silver lingered on his domineering figure for one more moment, before a single nod of her head signaled her departure from his side. She slipped off around the corner, and into the hotel. She was worried about him, but she could do nothing to fix him. She wasn’t even sure what scared him so much. He wouldn’t talk, and so she just stood by his side, ever faithful to him. She supposed this it what happened when a scared impressionable eleven year old girl meets a boy like him who whisks her away from everything that scares and hurts her. This is the monster that’s created… she is the monster he created when she let him steal her and take her into his darkness.


She didn’t feel like she was in the dark though. He’d saved her from everything… and been the light at the end of the tunnel in her childhood. She’d never been sure how she’d ended up where she was… but she was here. She still woke in the middle of the night, shaking and broken, terrified of dreams that could never really hurt her anymore. And yet… she somehow still blamed herself for it all… maybe that was how she’d gotten to where she was.


”Ma’am… can I help you?” She blinked and looked up at the man at the front desk. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there. "1 room please." She muttered. The man nodded, staring at her suspiciously before sliding a registry book over and asking her how she was going to pay. "Imperio." The words left her mouth without a thought and the registry book was pulled back and the man handed over some keys and waved her on. She turned and walked back out the door to fetch Tay and get him to the room, before she lost her mind once again.



ஐCallin’ out รเภร just to pass the ҭเ๓єஐ
ஐI’ve got ภ๏ҭђเภﻮ left to ใ๏รєஐ
ஐ єνєгұҭђเภﻮ that I’ve๒єς๏๓єஐ
ஐJust ғคใใร เภҭ๏ the єภ๔ஐ

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Essy ze Ninja

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[Essy ze Ninja]

𝖂illiam 𝕯ante 𝕹ott the Third

𝕺cclumens, 𝕾lytherin 𝕬lumni

[Winter 2029]

Sanity slipped like sand in the hourglass, every golden grain another morbid memory counting down the descent to madness. Big-knuckled fingers were coiled around his wand as he summoned a calming draught with a fierce swish of mahogany wood; short, dirty fingernails struggled to rip the stopper from the neck and devoured every last bitter drop. Gasping for air, the phial slipped and shattered across the paved concrete. ”Breathe,” he reminded himself, choking on the very words as he sputtered out their terrible sound, ”...just breathe.” But it felt useless; how the hell did this happen? How did he get here? How could he lose control? 'I've gone too far to pretend to be anything else,' the thought was suffocating. 'I only ever wanted the truth.' If only he knew it would have broken him...

When Michelle had arrived, Tay's relaxed form was perched against the wall, heavy head tilted backwards to stare up into the night sky with slow, hot breaths steaming through the winter air. ”Ready then?” The intoxicating effects of the potion had begun to soften his voice, loosen his muscles, and silence the raging war in his mind; he could finally breathe. His dependence on the potion had become more apparent through the season; hardly able to function without several doses through the day, meanwhile, the anxiety of its come down had been getting violent but despite every effort to keep it hidden, she probably already knew. Had probably always known, simply pretended not too. If he hadn't been so sedated in submission, that little voice of paranoia would have exploded, but for now, it seemed, he was content to be escorted up into their hotel room.

The room boasted a Tudor four poster bed with a thick comforter and half a dozen pillows, two Victorian style bedside tables, a Gothic arched mirror, and a built-in corner wardrobe; wooden beams stretched to walls and ceiling, and the leaded light windows offered a magnificent view of the upper half of the cathedral. His steps were light as air, and he glided through the room as he disrobed; the black cotton and wool cloak fell to a heap on the floor, then doublet and tunic, exposing the bare flesh of his wide shoulders and muscled torso. Placid motions carried him until he disappeared into the bathroom and a gush of water echoed as the tub began to fill with steaming water. Unbuckling his belt, he pushed the door ajar as he leaned into view to invite her in with a serene, ”Are you coming?”

╔══════════════╗
Height: 6’2” ♜ Weight: 193 ♜ Age: 26
Sun Hotel, Canterbury, England
╚══════════════╝

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Devlyn Maycry

 

[Devlyn Maycry]

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Silver stony eyes wandered over the room. It was a basic hotel room at best, but she really didn’t care where she stayed. She’d spent time sleeping in frozen northern woods and used rocks for pillows. She could sleep just about anywhere now a days. It took a few moments to realize he was taking off his clothes, and it was honestly a miracle that she didn’t blush. Not that she had ever blushed in her life… had she? She honestly didn’t know. Ada used to blush all the time around Chris. Was that a normal reaction? Was she broken for not knowing at all how to react to this situation?


Hell! Her best friend had twin children and was married… and she was confused on what to do with a male stripping in front of her… although it was Tay, and this was a very odd thing for Tay to do as far as she was aware. She only snapped back to attention when he spoke again. She swung her body to face him, and surprise flashed through her eyes for a moment. He was standing with basically just his pants on, and those were obviously not going to be on for much longer. The bath was running, and she was most definitely very very lost over what she was supposed to be doing.


She did take a moment to enjoy the view she was getting. She would never deny that he looked fantastic… especially without a shirt… and other clothes. She was definitely staring now, and not in the “deer in headlights” kind of way. More in the “ravish me now” kind of way… and she didn’t really care if he noticed. That was strange. She didn’t like her emotions being on display normally.


She took a breath, breaking her trance and then, before she could return to her idiotic trance state, she quickly stripped off all her clothes in about 2 seconds flat. She scurried past him, and slipped into the tub of hot water. Immediately the hot water soothed both her muscles, and her nerves. Silver eyes wandered slowly back to him, watching him curiously. Now that she wasn’t frozen solid, she was a little bit more confident and a lot less nervous. "Are you coming?" She repeated his own words back at him, a tiny smirk playing with her lips.



ஐCallin’ out รเภร just to pass the ҭเ๓єஐ
ஐI’ve got ภ๏ҭђเภﻮ left to ใ๏รєஐ
ஐ єνєгұҭђเภﻮ that I’ve๒єς๏๓єஐ
ஐJust ғคใใร เภҭ๏ the єภ๔ஐ

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Essy ze Ninja

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[The Forgotten Weasley]

I saw you walking with hope in the moment
Your starry eyes mending hearts that are broken
But this is not what you’d think I’d be into
I guess it’s all much too easy to cut through
You might think I’m crazy, lost in the good old days been
Too fast for all who chase me; I’m lost to rhymes that made me

𝚕𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚊
𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎
𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛
muggleborn │ fifth year │ hufflepuff

Liddie rattled the dishes in the sink a little too loudly, and then gritted her teeth when a fork scraped against the side. The irritating sound was another to set her off, and she slammed a mug down on the counter, hard enough that she momentarily panicked, convinced she'd cracked it. She hadn't, but Mikey had paused his game in the cramped sitting room just a few yards away. "What happened?" He sounded more bemused than anything else, but then again, Liddie thought in aggravation, he wasn't exactly in a sober state of mind. The flat reeked. As soon as Mark's friends left she was opening every window (and there weren't many). They could smoke, but that didn't mean she wanted to smell it 24/7.

"Nothing," she called back, although not as loudly as she would have liked to. Mark was talking to Mikey's older brother, Alex, in the bedroom, and she didn't want to attract either of their attention by yelling back and forth. Alex made her nervous, even when Mark was right there. Mark would never let anything bad happen to her, of course, but Mark's judgment of 'anything bad' tended to be somewhat skewed when he was high. Her eyes watered, and she rubbed at one with the sleeve of the hoodie she was wearing, one of Mark's. She hadn't brought much with her, besides some clothes, her wand, and a few other things. The rest she'd had to leave on the train, where she knew Essie would find it. Even Barney.

Liddie missed her dog. And she missed her sister, and her brothers, and her home, even if she was determined not to miss her parents. But she'd only been here for a little over a week. She had to tough it out. Besides, hopefully she'd be living with Mark, for, well- for a long time, and things would be better once they'd graduated and could move somewhere nicer. It wasn't that the flat that technically was leased by his dad but that he paid the rent for was awful. It wasn't neat, but it wasn't a pigsty either. It wasn't as if she was running from roaches or rats, or sleeping on the floor like some orphan in one of those old movies. But it was small, and cluttered, and although she was used to helping her mother with everything at home, it was different when she was expected to do all the dishes, laundry, and cleaning on her own.

Her wrist throbbed, and she rubbed at it gingerly. It really had been an accident; Mark hadn't realized he'd grabbed her so hard until much later, when it started to swell and bruise, and either way, he'd been drunk. You didn't know your own strength when you were pissed. Besides, it wasn't like he'd gone after her with the intent to hurt her- he'd just grabbed her and hadn't realized how hard he was squeezing until she started to really cry, not in upset, but in pain. Liddie cried a lot, and she knew it really annoyed him. She was too sensitive, too whingey, and it was a wonder anyone put up with her. Of course, she'd always known this, but it seemed so much more obvious now.

It wasn't that Mark was perfect. But she certainly wasn't helping matters, acting like such a little b***h all the time, moaning about this and that or sulking when she didn't get what she wanted. Liddie had never realized how privileged and spoiled she'd been before this. She'd been coddled and protected her entire life, really. And now she couldn't handle the smallest taste of the real world? She was trying to do better. She wanted so badly for things to be like they had before, when Mark complimented her, said she was pretty and exciting and funny and clever. When she made him laugh or cheered him up. It made sense that he was in such a bad mood all the time now; 'depressing' was too kind a word for this neighborhood.

Mikey had wandered into the kitchen now, looking for something to eat, and Liddie shoved a bag of crisps at him, shooing him out. Mikey was only fourteen, and short and scrawny, so he wasn't really that intimidating, and besides. At least he was nice to her, if only because he had a hopeless crush on her. Liddie hoped Mark didn't notice, or else it really wasn't going to end well for anyone. She pulled the hoodie sleeve back down over her bruised wrist and reluctantly returned to rinsing out the bowls in the sink, tensing up as the bedroom door just down the narrow hallway banged open and Alex and Mark came out, still arguing in hushed voices about something, before Alex barked at his brother that it was time to go, and Alex protested weakly before trailing after his older brother, leaving the game running on the TV.

Mark swore under his breath in the living room, turned off the TV, and came into the kitchen. Liddie didn't look up until he was practically on top of her. "I'm doing them," she said sharply, before he could start. "Mikey kept bugging me- can't you make Alex leave him home?"

"Do you really wanna mouth off right now?" Mark demanded, raising an eyebrow. "Really, Lids?"

"I'm not-," Liddie bit her lip, stopping herself from an angry retort, at the look on his face. "Okay." She averted her gaze, wondering why he had to be so upset with her all the time- she hadn't even done anything!- and tried not to flinch when he eventually wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against hers. Then some of her wariness faltered, and when he kissed her on the cheek she didn't push him away.

OOC:

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Username

This is the daughter of love running wild
We are the children that play on the other side
But here I am holding cards that will show you
My aching heart’s all too easy to cut through
You give it up then you give it away
Your golden girl waits another day

 

[The Forgotten Weasley]

I saw you walking with hope in the moment
Your starry eyes mending hearts that are broken
But this is not what you’d think I’d be into
I guess it’s all much too easy to cut through
You might think I’m crazy, lost in the good old days been
Too fast for all who chase me; I’m lost to rhymes that made me

𝚕𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚊
𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎
𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛
muggleborn │ fifth year │ hufflepuff

Liddie was used to shifting against the wall every time someone came up or down the stairwell of the building, but did finally look up when someone stopped at the landing below her, looking up. It was Kelsey, who lived at the end of the hall. Liddie didn't know much about Kelsey, who was in her early twenties and had dyed hair an odd peachy color. Kelsey had a toddler named Ryan, because Liddie heard her yelling the toddler's name all the time. He wasn't with her right now; she had groceries. "What's up with you?" Kelsey asked, raising an eyebrow. "Looking pretty forlorn there, Miss Lid."

The teenager shrugged and bit her lip. "Um, I got locked out so I'm just waiting for Mark to get back. He should be here soon."

Kelsey glanced in the direction of the flat. "Were you there by yourself?"

"No, Tony came over, but he was uh... he was being weird so I went out in the hall and got locked out. I think he's sleeping, I don't want to wake him up," Liddie fidgeted with her hands, staring at the stains on the wall. "I'll just wait for Mark." Mark was going to be so annoyed with her; this wasn't the first time she'd done something stupid. She'd broken a plate the day before and the resulting crash and the sounds of her frantically trying to pick up all the pieces had woken him up. The back of Liddie's neck hurt from where he'd grabbed it, but it was covered by her long hair. He'd really just done it to pull her up to her feet again, but did he have to be so rough about it?

"Hm," said Kelsey. "Well, Andrew's still at work, so if you want to come stay with me for a bit, you can."

Liddie was pretty sure Kelsey and Andrew were not married, even though they had a kid, but then again, she was just as bad- she and Mark weren't anywhere close to married. She'd seen the inside of Kelsey and Andrew's flat once; it was a mess, laundry and toys everywhere. She smiled wanly and shook her head. "That's okay, Mark'll be back soon, and if he can't find me he'll get worried."

"No offense, sweetie, but I think you need to find a man who worries about you a little more," Kelsey observed with a snort. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen," Liddie said immediately, but flushed red all the same.

Kelsey just smiled in disbelief. "Sure you are. Look, I don't know what the whole deal is, but if you've got family somewhere... maybe you should give them a call or something, you know? Might be good to get out of here for a while."

Sometimes Liddie really wanted to call home, or even call Jonas- but then she'd think about it and how angry Mark would be, and she'd drop the thought. She couldn't go back now. Mum and Dad would never let her out of her room again, never mind the house, and Essie probably thought she was some stupid little slut. They all probably did. "I... my family doesn't want me around anymore," she muttered. It was probably true- they might have been worried at the start, but now they were probably more furious with her than anything else. Mark was right; if she caved and went home she'd regret it for the rest of her life, because she'd never be able to live it down.

The young woman sighed. "Well, I could always use a hand with Ryan, so if you ever need an excuse to get out, I'll tell Mark I need a babysitter." She sobered slightly, eyes serious behind all the mascara. "Look, I get it. Andy's got his bad moments too. You don't always want to be around them. Men," she laughed humorlessly. "Just... don't get yourself stuck," she advised. "You're too young to be moping around here already. Leave that to the old crones like me." Then she was heaving the bags of groceries back up again and on her way. "Have a good night, love!"

Liddie pulled her knees up under her chin and kept looking at the wall. The hall lights flickered.

OOC:

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Username

This is the daughter of love running wild
We are the children that play on the other side
But here I am holding cards that will show you
My aching heart’s all too easy to cut through
You give it up then you give it away
Your golden girl waits another day

 

[The Forgotten Weasley]

I saw you walking with hope in the moment
Your starry eyes mending hearts that are broken
But this is not what you’d think I’d be into
I guess it’s all much too easy to cut through
You might think I’m crazy, lost in the good old days been
Too fast for all who chase me; I’m lost to rhymes that made me

𝚕𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚊
𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎
𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛
muggleborn │ fifth year │ hufflepuff

Liddie cautiously closed the door behind her as she let herself into the flat. She didn't have a key- Mark said she didn't need one, since it wasn't her flat, and she shouldn't be sneaking in and out without telling him. But the door had been unlocked, she she counted herself lucky, tightening her grip on the bag in her hand. Biting her lip, she started towards the bathroom, but froze with a small gasp when she realized her boyfriend was standing in the kitchen staring at her angrily.

"Where the ******** have you been?" he hissed.

"I- I just went to the pharmacy to get some medicine, I'm not feeling well-,"

He rounded the counter. "You're so full of shite," Mark sneered. "I don't know why you bother lying to my face like that, unless you like setting me off."

Liddie took half a step back, but he was already in her face, and when she avoided looking at him head on he grabbed at her chin. "Stop it!" She shoved at him, but he pushed her back, hard enough that she almost fell into a lamp, and grabbed the bag, rifling through it. Liddie cringed, watching his furious expression fade to momentary shock, before the fury returned.

"You little slut!"

She knew better than to be within arm's reach and darted backwards towards the kitchen as he followed. "Mark, please-,"

"What the ******** do you need with these?!" he demanded, holding up one of the tests.

Had Liddie not been frightened, she might have laughed. Was he dim? What did she need with- did he understand how babies came about? Maybe she was an idiot and a ditz, but even she knew how basic biology worked, and that was with her upbringing. This was why she hadn't wanted to in the first place, because he always said he'd be careful but- She never should have done any of it, anyways, which she supposed did make her a little slut for real, now. She was filthy, and if anyone ever found out about it, they'd want nothing to do with her.

"I'm late," she finally said. "Mark, I'm- I'm never late, not ever, and I just- I was just scared, is all, we can't- I can't have a baby," she mumbled. "I- we've still got school-,"

"That's ******** rich, coming from you, Lids, because I don't remember much studying going on since you've been here," he sneered. "I've got school," he mocked in a malicious imitation of her voice. "Do you really think you're going back there so you can flirt with every bloke you cross paths with and fail your bloody OWLs?"

She gaped at him. They hadn't talked about it, because when Mark didn't want to talk about something she knew better than to push, but she had always assumed- well, she had to go back to Hogwarts! She couldn't stay here forever, she'd go mad! "I- if I want to go back, you can't stop me," she said in a wavering voice. "I- I'm a witch, I'm going, and I'm not- I'm not going to stay locked up in this flat, and I'm not-," I'm not having a baby with you, not ever, she wanted to say, but was too scared.

"Oh, you're a witch now, are you?" he snorted, grabbing her by the arm. "You can't even find your bloody wand! The only class you were ever any good with was ******** Charms." His grip tightened.

"Let g- go of me," she stammered, trying to wrench away, but he easily dragged her by the arm out of the kitchen. "Mark, stop it! You're hurting me!"

He grabbed hold of her with both hands, then, and backed her into the bathroom while she scrabbled to get away, but then saw the look on his face and went limp, afraid that if he started in on here in here she'd bash her head into the toilet or tub. He threw the test at her, and it clattered on the tiled floor at her feet. "I'll tell you what you're going to do," he said in a voice of false-calm. "You're going to take that test, and in the morning I'll come see what it says." Liddie started to cry, and he grabbed at her hair, which caused her to muffle her sobs with a hand. "And if you don't shut the ******** up," he snarled in her ear, "I'm going to give you something worth crying about, got it?" He pulled her hair viciously until she nodded, and then let go, stepping out of the tiny bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Liddie immediately yanked at it, but she could hear him shoving a chair or something in front of it, effectively trapping her. "Mark!" she pleaded. "Mark, let me out!" He ignored her cries, and she heard the front door of the flat open and shut with a vicious bang. He really was leaving here, like an animal, locked up in a little room. Liddie wasn't sure what time it was, but for a while she just sat on the floor and cried, then took the stupid test, cried some more in relief, and then, when it had been about four hours and he still wasn't back, started to think about what she was going to do.

She had bruises on her back and her legs and one big one on her stomach, and her head hurt from him pulling her hair. She didn't want to be here anymore, hadn't wanted to be here for weeks, and if this kept up Mark was never going to let her leave the flat again. She wanted to go home; she didn't care if they hated her forever. At least it would be better than this. Summoning up what remained of her resolve, she procured her wand from where she'd hidden it, up the sleeve of her baggy jumper, stuck it in her back pocket, and forced open the small bathroom window, which was just big enough for her skinny frame to wriggle through. As soon as her feet touched the ground she started to run, and didn't stop.

OOC:

show spoilerhide spoiler

Username

This is the daughter of love running wild
We are the children that play on the other side
But here I am holding cards that will show you
My aching heart’s all too easy to cut through
You give it up then you give it away
Your golden girl waits another day