Taka
AlteredTundra
Cyadical
Asura
Xiro Zean
Lemons
Izurich
ThatCharacter
Kero
McmollyThis sounds really cool.
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3 yrs ago
starting off 2022 with COVID LESSGOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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6 yrs ago
Whoever says "the customer is always right" has not worked with atual customers.
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Ah, there was that glare of hatred again. He had expected as much, but Kalder wasn't quite expecting Demi's look at Noel, nor had he expected Demi to do what she did to Beatrice. Kalder noticed Beatrice was rather expressionless as Demi rammed into her, taking the hit in stride, although for a split second he noticed her eyes fire up. He thought the two were friends, where did this hostility come from? If her and Noel were supposedly together, why was she acting so rude? There were way too many unanswered questions, though as Noel turned to leave, he figured he needed to address the one question he felt was more important to him.
"Hope your poor grades aren't dragging her down too hard," Kal said to Noel, stopping him in his tracks.
Letting out a sigh, Noel would turn back to Kal. "Well, being associated with you is apparently a crime," He stated sourly. "She's bonkers, I tell you."
Beatrice seemed rather pleased at Noel's statement, though he would shoot her a look. What the hell? "You know, I wasn't aware the two of you were so chummy," Kalder said, frowning.
Noel and Beatrice exchanged a look, though they quickly looked away from one another. "I, uh, need to ask the professor something!" She stated, quickly making her exit before Kalder could snatch her.
What the hell is going on?! "Making new friends, are we now?" Kalder asked Noel, shaking his head. "Since when do you hang out with Gryffindors?"
"I don't," Came Noel's rather quick response, though he seemed to catch himself. "Balthazar is just out to cause trouble, and I should be the one asking you why you're suddenly hanging out with her. The way you two came in together..."
Kalder couldn't help but scoff. "We used to be friends, now we're...rekindling our friendship," He admitted.
Noel huffed, though he put on a more positive expression. "Told you she'd be an easy lay for you," He said.
Is that what Demi was to him? No, he still didn't know. But now was a good chance to ask. "Like you and Graves?" Kal asked, raising an eyebrow.
Noel ran his tongue over his teeth, a rather cheeky look on his face. "Ah...Demi and I just partners," He grinned, clapping Kal's shoulder.
Motherfucker may as well have admitted to it. Since when did he call her Demi?! Kalder gave him a cold look. "Best of luck to you and your bonkers partner, I wish you the best," He grumbled, pushing past Noel as he walked out of the classroom.
Not being able to walk freely was cumbersome.
Having gotten the okay to go back to classes, Kalder was less than amused when he managed to get back to the dormitory room, only to find Noel was already gone. His limited movement was the only thing preventing him from hunting him down, and he didn't want his other friends to know the situation, lest they warn Noel. He tried to play it cool, he really did, but the fact that Noel wasn't around just made everything more suspicious. There was no way Demi would've told him about them, or at least that was what he thought. Then again, he never would have imagined Demi with someone like Noel, yet here they were in some bizaaro world where Noel managed to charm her. Somehow.
He also had a hunch that Beatrice seemed to know more than she let on. She certainly changed the subject quickly enough, but the rest of the hospital visit was too pleasant for him to really be mad about it. They had spent so long talking and catching up that Madam Appleton had to kick Beatrice out to end the conversation. Admittedly, it was nice to see she hadn't changed too much; she was still scatterbrained, feisty, and a klutz, but being on her good side was such a pleasant change for once. She promised they would talk more tomorrow, and he was admittedly looking forward to it.
As he slowly made his way to Potions, he stopped, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. His legs were killing him, even after taking medicine. As he straightened up, he was pleasantly surprised to see Beatrice waiting for someone, looking around. Was she waiting for him? His question was answered as she spotted him. "Good morning!" She was certainly cheery as she greeted him. "Out and about, are we?"
"It's taking some getting used to, but if I had to spend another minute in the hospital wing, I think I would have lost my mind," He admitted as they slowly walked together to their next class. "I'm still itching to get back on the field, but I reckon it'll be sooner than later."
Beatrice nodded, though she watched him with some concern. "Here," She offered him her arm. As he gave her a questioning look, she rolled her eyes at him. "Class will be over by the time you get there!"
Reluctantly taking her offer, he watched as she got closer to him. Her hair smelled like sweet strawberries, reminding him of a Muggle candy, though the thought depressed him a little. Her grip was rather tender, almost as if she were afraid to hurt him. He supposed she was trying to be more careful, but he found it rather funny. Still, as they walked to the classroom, he focused more on walking than looking around, though he stole a glance at the supposed wonder couple. Demi was looking down at something, and Noel gave him a wave. Kalder wasn't thrilled at him, but he forced himself to smile back before taking his seat.
The rest of the class went relatively well, and Kalder was eternally grateful for Benjamin's rather haphazard notes. Despite his friend's good intentions, they were pretty difficult to read, but with Beatrice's help he was able to decipher a majority of it and use deductive reasoning for the rest. He lamented the fact that the rest of his classes wouldn't be as easy; he loved Potions, but he had the advantage of growing up with Potions-making being the family business. He figured he would be okay in Charms, but the rest he would have to work hard to catch up.
As the class was dismissed, he put away his notes, looking over at Beatrice. "Thanks for today," He said as he got up, stretching. "Need to make my way to Transfiguration now.|
She jumped up almost immediately. "I'll help you." She volunteered.
Kalder looked at Noel, who seemed to be asking Demi something. He really wanted to know if they were actually going out or not. "Actually, I'm going to ask Noel to help me, I appreciate it, though," He said, taking his bag and making his way to their desk.
His heart was racing as he approached the pair, looking between the two. He needed to play it cool, at least for the moment. "Noel," Kal called out to him.
Eileen had transformed, much to Fiona's chagrin. She wiggled herself up, yanking Cinnamon by his ears so he wouldn't be crushed between her and the seat, though she let him go as she gasped. Shoot, the monster was attacking! She looked at Eileen, who meekly asked her to transform to take care of their enemy. Eileen may have been gung-ho about all this, but Fiona was a grown woman now! Well, they both were, but still! They had defeated the Big Bad, this was supposed to be their ever after! And her future did NOT include returning to the battlefield. She had a family, if she got hurt or lost her life, there would be repercussions!
"Please don't call me that...!" Fiona couldn't help but whine her response at Eileen. No, she didn't want to transform! She didn't want any of this!
Letting out a whimper of defeat, Fiona let out a groan as she fished her transformation trinket out of her pocket. Her heart raced against her chest as she gripped it tightly, forcing herself so go through the motions. Letting out a yell of frustration, Fiona rolled down the window on her side, exiting through it. The speed of the car whipped her hair around as she climbed to the top of the car, a death grip on the stupid trinket.
"I summon the Passion of the Sun! Justice Solar Flare!" She called, wincing as flames covered her physical body. As they dispersed, her conservative, motherly clothing was replaced with something that a high school girl would wear to a rock concert. She visibly shivered, her outfit leaving her a lot more vulnerable to the winds. At least her hair was in a ponytail, but her exposed skin caused her to visibly cringe. She was much too old to be dressed like this!
Regaining her composure, she drew her fist back, flames gathering, and she punched them forward at the monster.
"Please don't call me that...!" Fiona couldn't help but whine her response at Eileen. No, she didn't want to transform! She didn't want any of this!
Letting out a whimper of defeat, Fiona let out a groan as she fished her transformation trinket out of her pocket. Her heart raced against her chest as she gripped it tightly, forcing herself so go through the motions. Letting out a yell of frustration, Fiona rolled down the window on her side, exiting through it. The speed of the car whipped her hair around as she climbed to the top of the car, a death grip on the stupid trinket.
"I summon the Passion of the Sun! Justice Solar Flare!" She called, wincing as flames covered her physical body. As they dispersed, her conservative, motherly clothing was replaced with something that a high school girl would wear to a rock concert. She visibly shivered, her outfit leaving her a lot more vulnerable to the winds. At least her hair was in a ponytail, but her exposed skin caused her to visibly cringe. She was much too old to be dressed like this!
Regaining her composure, she drew her fist back, flames gathering, and she punched them forward at the monster.
In the darkness caused by the blackout curtains was the illumination of a computer monitor meekly pouring its light onto the current occupant of the room. Stretching his arms above his head, Mariano would take off his headset and stifle a yawn. An eight hour gaming session was exactly what he needed to get back into Platinum in Overwatch's Competitive Mode, so he was really feeling himself at the moment. Unable to hide his grin, he would shut his computer down and get up, his sore back aching.
As he shuffled towards his bed, his legs hit the edge, and he let himself plop onto it. Just as his eyes were about to close, the tiniest speck of sunlight coming between his curtains would shine on his face. Letting out a dramatic hiss, he jumped back to his feet, pulling the curtain to the side. Letting out a yell as the bright light would cause him some pain in his eyes, he squinted at the bright blue sky.
"Is that the sun?" He asked himself. After a few seconds of realization, Mariano let out a sigh. He figured this would happen, so he had prepared his bag beforehand. Letting out a groan, he dragged himself to the bathroom, taking a quick shower before changing into his bathing suit and a sleeveless white shirt. After grabbing his bag, he jetted down the stairs, stifling a rather loud yawn as he looked around. He couldn't remember who he was supposed to go with.
Sunscreen, flip flops, beach umbrella, sunglasses, towel to dry, towel to lay down on, clothes to change into, extra swimsuit, extra clothes to change into, extra pair of flip flops, hair ties, portable hair blower, soap, deflated beach ball, volleyball, volleyball net, beer, vodka, rum, piña colada mix, sodas, chips, plastic cups, plastic plates, plastic utensils, portable grill, charcoal, matches, lighter fluid, regular lighter--
Rosalinda was outside, her car's trunk open as she looked around and made sure she had everything she needed. In her hand was her trusty notebook (or as it was so mockingly called, the 'Handy Dandy Notebook') where she had scribbled down her list of things she figured they would need for the beach party. Her sun hat flopped around as she moved around, her round sunglasses protecting her eyes and hiding the fact that they were frantic. Her paranoia made her feel like she was forgetting something, but she had checked twice and had found no differences between what she had in her car and what was on her list.
She was already dressed as well; a flowy, white blouse and a pair of shorts with her swimsuit underneath made her ready for the water. So it wasn't like she wasn't ready, she was, and as she looked across the street, she noticed the Psi Kappa Delta men. Her brown eyes scanned them for a moment, a small frown on her face. At that moment, she heard Anna's yell, making her jump. Shoot, she needed to focus.
Giving up for the moment, she would pocket her notebook as she hung in the doorway, hands on her hips. "My car's ready to go," She said.
Having barely paid attention during her classes, Beatrice had opted out of lunch, instead going to the library to study. She was proud of herself; she figured her downcast mood would affect her work, but she found that focusing on school and not her emotions proved to be fruitful. She managed to get everything she needed to accomplished, although it may have been too ambitious as when she decided to get some extra studying in, her thoughts would once again float over to Kalder. It was funny, she had decided to repress her feelings for him for so long, and now they came pouring out like spilled water. She wasn't entirely sure how she had managed to do it, but now he seemed to plague her every waking moment. How she wished she could just take her heart out and throw it into the lake. It certainly would have made things simpler, and maybe she wouldn't have had to carry such a guilty conscience.
Running her hand through her hair, she figured she had just enough time to grab food before her next class. At this point, however, she realized she had made a mess of books and paper around her. As she would begin to organize herself, she would catch a dark haired girl looking around. Beatrice recognized her from a few classes from last year, although she couldn't quite remember her name off the top of her head. It seemed she found what she was looking for, however, at the table across from hers. There sat Blake Cornell, a very studious Slytherin who mostly kept to herself. She wasn't exactly the most pleasant person, but was usually polite enough.
The visitor threw herself onto one of the empty chairs across from Blake, decidedly staring her down. Whether Blake didn't notice her or was deliberately ignoring her, Beatrice wasn't sure, but the other girl was looking annoyed. After a few moments, she finally decided to make her precense known. "Don't you ever get bored of doing nothing but homework?" The girl asked her.
To Beatrice's amusement, Blake didn't even bother looking up from her homework; so she had been ignoring her. "And good day to you as well. I have big plans for my life, and those plans require perfect grades, Deva," Blake responded as she would continue to write. "If I'm going to be doing nothing but paperwork for the rest of my life, I may as well get a head start on it now."
Deva pouted at Blake, although she would sit up properly now that she had her attention. Her painted nails tapped the table rapidly as she donned a more thoughtful expression on her face. "Can I ask you something?" She asked, her voice low.
"Even if I said 'no', you would continue, so go ahead," Blake replied as she would close her textbook, pushing it aside as she would grab another book and flip it open.
She would scowl at Blake's inattention, although she would decide to continue. "How do you get a guy's attention?" She inquired, seemingly trying to play it off as an innocent question.
Beatrice decided she didn't really want to hear this conversation. Her notes were now organized, but as she would begin to stuff them into her bag, Blake's response got her attention. "You mean, 'how do I get Kalder's attention'?" Blake answered Deva's question with another question. "For one, I would personally avoid hanging myself all over him, he actually likes his personal space."
Deva didn't seem to understand at first. "No, it's just...I'm beautiful, I'm intelligent, I have boys throwing themselves at my feet, our families get along well, and he still won't give me the time of day!" She whined, crossing her arms in frustration. "It's unfair!"
"You're also vain, clingy, self-absorbed, you don't get along with any of his sisters--who mean more to him than anyone in the world--and you make no effort to actually get to know him," Blake replied without skipping a beat. Beatrice had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing out loud, feigning a cough so she wouldn't get their attention. "You're basically just using him as a status symbol, isn't that what you want?"
Staring at Blake, Deva shrugged. "It just bothers me that he's never happy to see me," She admitted, displeased.
"From his point of view, you're going to end up spending the rest of your lives together. What more do you want?"
Beatrice's heart seemed to skip a beat once Blake spoke. Wait, so this was the girl Kalder was engaged to? But anytime she saw that girl with him, he would either run away or get agitated. Which means Kalder doesn't like her...so his heart is... The thought popped into her mind almost immediately, though she felt a pit form in her stomach. Which means...
"True...He's my ticket to glory," Deva's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Once we're married I'll be on top of the wizarding world. That being said, it helps that he's fairly popular around here, and I love the look I get when I'm hanging off his arm. The looks of envy just drive me wild, you know?"
"So on top of all that you want his attention, too?" Blake echoed Beatrice's thoughts.
"It wouldn't kill him to smile every once in a while, he's always scowling at me!" She insisted. "It's hard enough to get him to go anywhere with me! I'm basically his girlfriend!"
At her comment, Blake would finally stop what she was doing, looking at Deva very seriously. "Except you aren't. You're the girl his parents want him to marry for whatever reasons they decided on. He didn't choose you out of emotion, you were chosen for him," Blake's words were cold at this point. "I'm not going to pretend I understand the arrangement between your families, but you can't have your cake and eat it, too. I suggest at least trying to understand him, otherwise you'll find you won't be getting his attention anytime soon."
Deva's own stare became hard as Blake slammed the truth of the situation onto her. Apparently, hearing the truth displeased her. At this point, Beatrice decided that she had had enough, picking up her bag and walking out of the library. Her heart was racing at this point, her mind a jumble of emotion and hope and hesitation and--that conversation between Blake and Deva had cemented what Beatrice wanted to do. If Demi closed the door on her and Kalder's relationship, then fine. But Beatrice wasn't going to give up. She still had a chance, and if anything this was a sign for her.
Surrounded by his sisters, Kalder was in the middle of gratefulness and regret. Amelie was so happy to see him and was excitedly telling him about her lessons, which he found himself enjoying. Marilyn, on the other hand, was overly emotional and had to be calmed down by Madam Appleton. Apparently the fact that Kalder was not quite ready to spring onto his feet just yet was too much for her, though she was assured that this would likely be his last night. Moving was getting easier as the day went by, but he had to admit, it was nice to have his sisters tend to his every need. Amelie sat at his side with the twins seated around them, all listening to Amelie babble away.
"--And then I finally got it on my fourteenth try!" Amelie concluded the tale of her thrilling Transfiguration class. "I think I should study more, though."
Kalder nodded, impressed. "Just do your best, you're already brilliant," He assured her, watching her beam in delight. "Everything will fall into place."
Rosalyn watched her siblings, deep in thought. Marilyn sniffled, although she was in control of her tears for once. She prodded Rosalyn, noticing her expression. Letting out a sigh, Rosalyn decided to speak. "Mother wants to know how you are doing," She stated, watching as a veil of seriousness fell over them all. Letting out a groan, she shook her head. "Don't make those faces, that's our mother!"
Clucking his tongue, Kalder raised an eyebrow at her. "It wouldn't do if her 'ticket to glory' died, now would it?" He said bitterly. "You can tell her I'm alive."
"It's not like that," Rosalyn insisted as Amelie buried her face in Kalder's shoulder. "We've been writing to one another, she's concerned for you."
Kalder couldn't quite agree with that statement. His mother was too selfish to care for him as a person, this he was completely convinced of. This would be Rosalyn's first strike--as he often found that for whatever reason she had a tendency to hit all his anger buttons in rapid succession. "I don't want to get into this again, Rosa."
"Kal--"
"I'm serious. I'm not talking about this anymore."
The group fell quiet after that. Rosalyn would break it with an exasperated sigh, shaking her head at him. "All I am saying is that just as you told Amelie, everything will fall into place. I know you weren't thrilled about the engagement, but I think you're overreacting."
And there was the second strike. He hated it whenever she would bring it up.
"The Erebus family has an arm in international affairs," Rosalyn reminded him. "It's going to lead to good things for everyone."
"Because our family is so lacking in wealth, was that ruby encrusted hairbrush you received for your birthday not fine enough for you?"
Rosalyn couldn't help but glare at him. Marilyn looked at the two, already knowing what was coming. "Rosa, stop. He's been through enough as it is, you don't need to keep bringing it up," She said, frowning.
"He's being a selfish brat is what he is," Rosalyn snapped back. "Get your head out of your arse and think about the big picture for once."
"You know, that's really easy to say considering if it were you in this position, you'd be throwing the biggest tantrum until Father would get involved," Kalder replied dryly. "There is no big picture if my future is being chosen for me."
"You're getting married, outside of that you can do as you please."
No, he couldn't. Unlike the rest of his family, he wanted a house full of love, not one where he would dread going home or having to flinch anytime his mother walked into the room. The very last thing he wanted was for history to repeat itself, he wanted to be better than them. But his engagement was also a very sore topic that Rosalyn kept trying to push. He thought that maybe it had some good intentions, but the way she went about it just got him more frustrated with the situation.
Their conversation was interrupted when the curtain moved, a breathless Beatrice walking in. She hesitated as four pairs of blue eyes eyed her with curiosity. But for her, there was only one person she wanted to see. "You're awake," She seemed relieved, slowly smiling.
Kalder found himself returning her smile. "You're happy about that?" He asked jokingly, although he had caught himself much too late.
All three of his sisters immediately caught his statement, much to his regret. Rosalyn in particular didn't seem too happy; the older blonde haired girl would stand, her full height to her advantage as she approached Beatrice. "So you're the reason my little brother is bedridden," She stated, her voice venomous. "How do you fuck up so badly that you manage to poison the best potions master in his grade, hmm?"
Oh no. Beatrice immediately went on the defensive, her own hostility rising. "It was an accident. They happen," Ah, this could become very chaotic very quickly.
Amelie threw Kalder a look as he decided to try to diffuse the situation before anything happened. "Rosa, relax," He said, trying to sit up. Of course, that effort made things worse, as a sharp pain surged through his chest. He wasn't quite able to hide how much pain that one movement did, and he quickly laid back down with Marilyn's help.
"He can't even get up, do you have any semblance of shame? Or are you proud of it?" Marilyn snapped at Beatrice.
"Oh please, you have no idea who I am," Beatrice huffed.
"Oh, I know who you are, Balthazar," Rosalyn was quick to throw it back. "You've been after my brother for years, did you think I wouldn't notice the way you treat him? So now you get a chance at hurting him on 'accident'--which I find very peculiar considering that getting into Blackthorn's N.E.W.T. level class means you can't possibly be so dimwitted--and you think you can get away with it? Believe me, if I so desire it, I can make your life a living hell. You have no idea who I am, child."
"You're being much too annoying for my taste, Rosalyn," Kalder interjected, his patience wearing thin as his voice was raised.
Amelie jumped off of Kalder's bed, grabbing both her sisters by the arm. "It's time to go," She stated, pulling both of them away from Beatrice, much to their displeasure.
The twins glared daggers at Beatrice, who stood firm. Once Amelie successfully led them out of the hospital wing, Kalder leaned back against the pillows, a hand over his face. He stole a glance at Beatrice, who had been looking at him. He opened his arms, looking away from her. In response to her confused look, he would say, "Now is your chance to finish me off with no witnesses."
Beatrice huffed, punching his chest in response. "That isn't funny!" She said, although she would take a seat on the chair next to him. "I came to apologize."
Kalder returned her stare for a moment. Maybe now would be a good chance for him to apologize, it worked with Caleb, so why not? "Actually...you don't owe me anything," He frowned at her. "I know it's probably too late, but...I'm sorry."
She looked confused once more, dragging her chair a little closer to him. "I don't understand." She admitted.
"I spoke with Caleb earlier, and I guess I realized that I haven't exactly owned up to my issues," He admitted. "We were friends, and you had every right to hate me like you did."
Beatrice looked at her hands for a moment, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "...I don't hate you," She admittedly slowly. "I just...felt betrayed. I mean, I know I'm brash and--and sometimes I let my temper get the best of me, but...I thought we were friends at the time, and to see you say otherwise was difficult."
"I'm sorry." His apology hung in the air for a moment as Beatrice seemed content at staring at her own lap. Kalder leaned towards her, wondering why she hadn't said anything yet. Upon closer inspection, her eyes were on the bag of candy Demi had left for him. "Want one?" He asked, reaching for the bag.
Taking in a breath, she put on a smile. "Are those from Caleb?" She asked him, politely declining his offer with a shake of her head. "I wasn't aware you liked Muggle sweets, my father brought me those once from his trip to America--" Her words came to a halt almost immediately, an understanding washing over her. Clearing her throat, she nodded instead. "They're--um, they're good."
Kalder agreed, smiling softly, though he frowned as he noticed Beatrice's nervous expression. "What's wrong?"
Forcing herself to look at him, Beatrice's smile wavered. "Um...Noel hasn't--hasn't passed by, has he?" She asked, suddenly nervous.
"I reckon they'll pass by later on, why?" She seemed to be struggling with something, but the jump from sweets to Noel was too suspicious. "What is it, Beatrice?"
Taking in a deep breath, it seemed she made up her mind to tell him, even if she looked jittery enough that she could fall off her chair at any moment. "Just that--there's this rumor going around...N-Not that you would know..." She mumbled, though after a few seconds she steadied herself, a more determined look on her face. "]For all that 'blood is important' crap Noel likes to spew, he's apparently been spotted with someone 'not of his status'."
Great, Noel had another victim under his wing. "Who's the unfortunate one?" Kalder asked.
Beatrice looked him right in the eye. "It's Demetria Graves."
How three little words were enough to knock the wind out of him. There was no hiding his shock, a surge of hurt and rage almost overwhelming him. He had to tear his gaze away from Beatrice, his mind racing. There was no way Noel was with Demi. She was much too smart to fall for his tricks, too clever to be manipulated by him. Demi wasn't some easy trick Noel could sink his hands into easily. The very thought was enough to make a nervous laugh escape him, his denial burying him alive.
"I found it hard to believe, too," Beatrice whispered, a dissatisfied look on her face now.
Clearing his throat, Kalder tried to regain his composure. "So is it just a rumor or is it the truth?" He asked her slowly. "You know, don't you?"
Beatrice looked back down at her lap. "I..."
"I need to know," He pleaded with her, not even trying to feign disinterest.
For a moment, Beatrice would only look at him timidly, but no words needed to be said. The way she acted, it had to be true. How could this have happened? How could he have let it happen?! Devastation seemed to take over him coupled with panic. No, he had sworn he would make things right. Demi couldn't do this to him. Why was she doing this? He wasn't entirely sure, but he needed to know details. He needed to go to the source.
Swinging his legs off the bed, Kalder forced himself off the bed. Beatrice would stand immediately, holding her arms out as he staggered for a moment. "What--you're not completely healed, you need to rest!" She urged him. Resting had only given Noel a chance to go after his girl. But as strong as his determination was, his body wasn't exactly able to keep up, and he wasn't able to prevent Beatrice from pushing him back into bed. A tranquil fury seemed to overtake him, his hand gripping the sheets as he ignored whatever bullshit Beatrice was trying to give him.
As soon as he had the chance, he would find the truth.
"Still though, considering you're fighting the strongest member of Justice Heart, I can't say I blame ya!"
If this was the old days SolarFlare would totally object like this I don't know who the actual strongest magical girl is
I'm going to see how long Fiona can hold out before reluctantly transforming.
No matter what she did, Beatrice couldn't quite control her sobbing. Huddled in the corner of an empty classroom, the girl had sat down and cried her eyes out after running away. She had known she was in the wrong and she effectively ruined her relationship with her best friend. Still, being on the receiving end of Demi's wrath was more than she could handle, her words still biting into her conscious. Beatrice should never have said or done anything. She shouldn't have gone to see Kalder alone, she shouldn't have admitted her feelings to Demi, she shouldn't have tried to throw things back in Demi's face when she did.
As she heard the door open, she tried to catch her breath, though she swore there wouldn't be a class in here for a while. Caleb walked into the classroom, placing his bag down. He looked exhausted, so deep in thought he didn't notice her. "Now what...?" His words came out in a mumble meant for himself, and as he ran his hands through his hair, she noticed his agitation. He turned towards the window, jumping as he finally noticed her. "Beatrice?"
"Wh-What's wrong?" Her voice came out in a stutter despite finally halting her crying.
"I should be the one asking you that," He said as he knelt down, frowning.
Shaking her head, she felt the tears come back with a vengeance, but she forced herself to stay steady. "Just worried about Kalder," She lied.
For the first time in a long time, he seemed to completely buy it. "You can't keep beating yourself up about it," He said, patting her shoulder. "It was an accident."
"I've just been a horrible friend," She admitted. "And now..."
"Things will be fine," He assured her as he would stand. He offered his hand to her, pulling her up to her feet once she put her hand in his. "There's still some time before your next class, why don't we go see him together?"
There was no way she could face Demi again. Her and her new boyfriend. He was so damn smug, it made her angry to think of Noel with the way he made fun of her. "No, I'll go see him later," She said, cleaning her face. "You go. I need to try to finish some homework."
Caleb stared at her for a moment, his eyes seemingly looking for something. She braced herself, expecting him to try to get the truth out of her, but to her surprise, he nodded. "I'll look for you later, then," He said, patting her back once more as he grabbed his bag.
She hesitated for a moment. "Hey, um, is everything okay?" She couldn't help but ask him.
For a second, he looked like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind at the last moment. "I'm fine. I'll catch you later."
"I... I love you, Kal. I really hope you feel better soon.”
The hazy voice was so sweet and familiar, like a drop of sunshine on the shithole that was his time at Hogwarts so far. He wanted to hear it more, he wanted to hear those words again, the light of the room bright and warm. Was he in heaven? If Demi was there, it may have been. He wanted to see her so badly, in his delusion he kept thinking he could see and hear her everywhere.
"Kalder? Can you hear me?"
"Demi...?" He croaked, his throat dry.
As he opened his eyes, expecting the image of a beautiful girl, Kalder was massively disappointed by the brown haired boy sitting on his bed, seemingly trying to gnaw on something. Caleb grinned at him, lightly patting his leg. He must have been dreaming, he thought Demi had come to see him. Where was he? As he slowly came to his senses, pain set in; his pounding head, his aching hands. He could see a curtain drawn around his bed, but even if he couldn't look around, he realized he was in the hospital wing. "Good morning," Caleb told him brightly.
Still morning? He had a feeling that wasn't the case. "Did Beatrice finally get me?" He asked, his voice raspy.
"Indeed," The darker haired boy motioned towards Kalder's hands.
His blue eyes widened immensely as he looked at his hands, the pain numbed by his shock. "She really is trying to kill me," Kalder mumbled, admittedly impressed. It was starting to come back to him--the potions lesson, bickering between the pair, and then him passing out. If Beatrice was going to off him, he thought she'd curse him, but no, she used his greatest strength against him. In a twisted way, it was fitting. Still, even a mishap like that wouldn't leave him bedridden. "I feel like crap."
"Madam Appleton said if you had just come once you got burned, you would have been fine," Caleb said, helping him sit up. "But seeing as you're malnourished, dehydrated, and just treating your body the way a hippogriff treats its dung, the poison worked its way up much faster than expected."
Poisoned? Fucking hell, he knew it had been bad but he never would have imagined getting poisoned by their draught. How embarrassing...but he remembered he wasn't the only one that had gotten burned. "What about Beatrice?" He asked, clearing his throat.
"You forced her to come here right away, remember?" Caleb said, popping a strange, rectangular candy into his mouth.
It took Kalder a moment to recognize what Caleb was eating. "That's...a jolly rancher," He was crestfallen, immediately reminded of the ones Demi used to give him. But it was a strange coincidence that Caleb brought them, he knew Caleb was Muggleborn, too, but he preferred chocolate, this much he remembered. "Where did you get that?"
Caleb motioned towards the open package on the small table next to him. Kalder's heart skipped a beat, his aching hand grasping at the bag, the words 'get well soon' torn in half by the opening Caleb likely created. Demi knew those were his favorite, a Muggle candy she had given him in an attempt to soothe his massive sweet tooth. She used to love giving them to him, enjoying the look on his face as he tried the different flavors. What he never tried to admit was that he especially liked the cherry ones, they reminded him very much of the cherry flavored lip-gloss Demi used to wear.
Before that thought could get off the ground, Rosalyn would draw the curtain back, a worried expression on her face. "Oh thank goodness, you're awake," She immediately came to his side, sitting opposite of Caleb, though she realized she was sitting across an unfamiliar face. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met," She said to Caleb, introducing herself. Great, Kalder just woke up and already he felt guilty that his sister didn't know his close friend. "I'm his older sister, Rosalyn."
"Caleb Sophen, a pleasure Miss Sigourney," He replied politely.
She smiled back at him, then turned back to Kalder. "I came last night but you were still asleep, I asked Professor Geraldine if I could be late to class today so I could come see you. How are you feeling?" She asked, concerned.
Seeing the candy actually made him feel a lot better. It meant Demi was here, or at the very least, if Caleb was the messenger, that she had thought of him. But it was nice to see his sister worried about him, given the situation. "It looks worse than it is," He told her.
Caleb chuckled to himself, shaking his head at Kalder in disappointment. Before he could ask, he saw Rosalyn sigh in relief. "Good..." She smiled sweetly, both her index fingers and thumbs reaching out and pinching both of his cheeks as hard as she could. "Then why was I informed that you haven't been taking care of yourself?!" She yelled as she pulled on his cheeks, his weak arms doing little to pry her off him.
"Ah--Stop--Rosa--I'm--Sorry--!" Kalder was powerless to stop her, his face hurting as she released him. "I've just been stressed!"
"Classes have just begun, how can you be so stressed you forget to eat?!" Rosalyn was in full big sister mode at this point, and boy was she angry. Why were all the females in his life always so angry? "Marilyn was hysterical when she found out you were here! And Amelie hasn't been able to concentrate on her schoolwork because of you! You're so damn selfish, you think you can just do that and have no consequences? You're supposed to be the one taking care of Amelie when we graduate, how can I trust you to do that when you can't even take care of yourself?!"
Even as she yelled, Kalder found himself smiling at her. Caleb had been right, this entire time he had all but given up, even when he had his family here. He really was stupid. "I'm sorry, I guess I wanted you to take care of me a little longer." He teased her.
She didn't take kindly to the joke, scowling at him instead. "Yeah, you're fine if you're making stupid comments like that," She growled.
"In my defense, my classmate poisoned me."
Caleb snorted again. As she turned her scathing look to him, he shrunk back. "Ah, my apologies."
Rosalyn shook her head at him, although the three would find themselves in new company as the curtain was drawn back once more, the dark haired Deva stepping in. "Thank goodness, you're finally up," She said, sighing in relief.
Kalder guessed he had a lot more visitors than he had anticipated. He grimaced slightly as she took a seat right next to him, probably to get as close as possible. "Don't jump on him, he's still weak," Rosalyn warned her, visibly annoyed.
"I was worried sick!" The dark haired girl whined, nuzzling Kalder's cheek with hers. "You're alright now, right?"
He would be a lot better if she wasn't all over him. "Please, stop," He said.
Pouting, the young woman would do as he said, seated on the bed and gently stroking his arm. Rosalyn watched the pair, uninterested, although she would look at Caleb. "I don't recognize your last name, where is your family from?" She asked.
"Probably because I'm Muggleborn," Caleb replied in earnest. "Though they reside in Manchester, if you were curious."
She seemed surprised--they always were when Caleb revealed his heritage--but she stayed polite. "How nice," She said, nodding. "I hear it's a lovely city."
Deva, on the other hand, was less than impressed, raising an eyebrow at him. Kalder glared at her, but it was too late. "How can you be a Seer if you're Muggleborn?" The question itself was innocuous enough, but her tone made her hostility clear. "That ability is rather rare to be given to Muggles."
To Kalder's surprise, Caleb's smile turned frosty. "My fame preceeds me, guess I got lucky, those confusing visions were a blessing in disguise for a non-magical family like mine," He said cheerfully, unintentionally revealing a rather sour button was pushed. "To think that a mere Muggleborn such as myself was given something with no prior consent."
"Saying you're lucky is certainly one way of putting it," She replied.
No, Kal wasn't going to just sit here and listen to this bullshit. "He's brilliant regardless of his heritage," He said, pushing her hand away. "Don't get so jealous."
"Jealous of what? I can trace my family's bloodline for generations," She scowled at him.
"All that blood, and you still struggle with your grades. What a shame," Kalder shook his head at her. "If you go and make something of yourself, then I'll be impressed."
Fuming, Deva would get up and march out of the hospital wing. Rosalyn shook her head, though she, too, would stand, giving Kalder a kiss on his forehead. "I'll come back later with the girls," She told him lovingly, touching his cheek before she would take her leave as well.
"It must be hard being so popular," Caleb grinned at him as he got more comfortable. "I appreciate you coming to my defense."
"I should've done that a long time ago."
Caleb placed his hand over his heart, touched. "Careful, Nathan, or I'll fall in love with you, too." He chuckled.
"It's not funny, Caleb, I'm serious," He sighed as he tried to relax, but everything just hurt. His left hand held the bag of candy close to him, the plastic an odd comfort. He wished Demi was here. "I'm sorry if I worried you as well."
"You worry me for different reasons, but I'll take the apology," He replied, crumbling up the wrappers of the candies he had already eaten. "I do want you to stay as relaxed as possible, being asleep for so long means you could hurt yourself if you move too suddenly."
"Didn't think a few hours would do so much damage," He muttered as he carefully shifted himself to be more comfortable.
Caleb grinned again. "Try a few weeks."
"What?!"
"I'm so sorry."
Did she really believe if she said the words enough times that he would awaken? The guilt had been killing Beatrice whether she wanted to admit it or not. And so there she was in the hospital wing, the sun barely up as she sat next to Kalder. She had his hand in hers, no longer damaged, but still unmoving. His breathing was steady, his face wasn't as pale as it was before. But he wouldn't wake, and despite Madam Appleton predicting he would be up soon, Beatrice was still too anxious. Would he blame her? Would he hate her? She always felt that he did hate her, but getting confirmation would be too much for her. How ironic, her constant claims that she despised him and loathed him, and yet here she was.
And then there were her feelings. For the most part, she had managed to ignore Caleb's cryptically annoying warning, but now that she was here she couldn't stop thinking about it. Jomana was convinced Demi had something for Noel Jameson, and the truth was that Beatrice sure hoped it was true. Not that it made things any better; Noel was a notorious playboy, charming and attractive, but with little regard to his victim's emotions. But maybe Demi could change him. Maybe things would work out.
Yeah, and while Kalder breaks into pieces, you'll be there to sweep him up, right? She mentally chastised herself. Why was she like this? Demi was her best friend. And Kalder wasn't an angel either! He was an asshole! How could she possibly still have feelings for someone like him? She outright rebutted any apologies he had for her, ignored and berated him at every given opportunity, so why? When she found out he would be her new partner, she thought it had been a second chance for them, at least as friends. But instead she saw it as a way to get close to him. And as a result, she nearly killed him.
Beatrice was trembling as she lifted his hand to her face, trying her damnest not to cry. She needed to stop overthinking everything. Taking in a deep breath in an effort to calm herself, she found herself staring at his face again. The only time she actually wanted to see his eyes closed was... The idea popped into her mind, and she absentmindedly looked around. No one was around. Dare she? It wouldn't be wrong, would it? She shuffled closer to Kalder, leaning in closely and half expecting him to jump up at any second. Her heart beat against her chest as her right hand grasped his tightly, her left hand gently pushing his bangs out of his eyes. She could steal just one. No one would know, right? Closing her eyes, she leaned in.
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