"Well it sounds like you are." Cela announced, giving him bossy I'm-so-much-older-and-more-experienced-than-you-even-though-I'm-only-four-months-older-but-I-am-also-a-Ravenclaw-so-I-know-stuff look.

"You know that you're the nicest Slytherin ever, right?" The way Celandine said it, it wasn't quiiiite a compliment. She almost sounded sad about it. "You're not all broken anymore right? So I think you need to stop being so scared about stuff."

He was, he totally was.

Pretty much that was why he was wandering around the castle, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celandine

"Well it sounds like you are." Cela announced, giving him bossy I'm-so-much-older-and-more-experienced-than-you-even-though-I'm-only-four-months-older-but-I-am-also-a-Ravenclaw-so-I-know-stuff look.

"You know that you're the nicest Slytherin ever, right?" The way Celandine said it, it wasn't quiiiite a compliment. She almost sounded sad about it. "You're not all broken anymore right? So I think you need to stop being so scared about stuff."

He was, he totally was.

Pretty much that was why he was wandering around the castle, right?

"Only sounds like that because you don't know all the information." His eyes focused on a spot on the wall. The castle really needed a good cleaning, didn't it. Dirt from thousands of hands had discoloured a bit of the stone wall, leaving it possibly permanently stained. It was because of this stain that he managed to avoid seeing the Cela, Smart Ravenclaw Look. Not that he didn't feel it. Urk.

Why was she saying that like it was a bad thing. Raiden liked being nice. It made people happy, and when people were happy, he was happy. Most times. Sometimes there was a conflict in there, but... well he could deal with it.

And his... heart issue.

"Just because it works properly now doesn't mean I can give it to whoever I want to," he said quietly, his fingers tracing down often-followed paths on his shirt. "Sometimes the person you want to give it to... already has someone else's. You can't make her take two, because it doesn't work like that. She doesn't have two to give back, you know?"

"Only because you're not telling, Rai-rai." Cela answered, curiously following his line of sight and peering at the wall, not seeing anything. It was a wall. What was so interesting?

At his next words, Cela gave him a proper look.

"You don't think I know that? Plymouth..." Celandine trailed off. "When I was with Plymouth? It was nice. He kissed good, we had fun all the time and he was so nice to me all the time." Cela side stepped so that she was once again in Raiden's line of sight.

"And then Copernicus kissed me and everything changed. He didn't know for sure what would happen but he did it anyway and even though I lost points for Ravenclaw and electrocuted everyone that I touched and stuff," The reason you don't get caught kissing anyone in front of Professor Kazimeriz, "It was still good. And if he hadn't then..." Celandine shrugged helplessly.

"You think he was supposed to do that?"

To his... brother.

Cela looked at Raiden in earnest.

"Isn't it better to know?" It definitely was to her. If there was one thing aside from certain people not being around that Cela couldn't handle? It was not knowing things.

"I've got reasons." Why, Cela. Why was she being so difficult and why was she making him look at her and why would she not just let it go. He couldn't even just walk away. It was Cela. He'd see her again soon enough and she'd just push it even more and... guh.

He was going to explode, he was sure. His stomach was doing anxious things and his throat felt dry and he was pretty sure he was going to bite right through his lip if he kept chewing on it like he was...

Ugh. Ugh.

"It's YOU, CELA." He was being loud again, and at the worst possible time. Raiden was not getting any karma points for this. "It's YOU, alright? Are you happy now? Merlin alive, I swear-"

He couldn't just stand there anymore. His fingers were clenching and unclenching, proving his agitation. One hand rubbed anxiously at his temples for second before he finally just... turned on his heel, walked down the hall, and found a nice cold patch of floor to sink onto. Feet flat against the floor, back to the wall, Raiden took a deep breath and put head head between his knees. He was not going to look at her anymore. He was just going to... sit here and wait until she went away.

For the first time in his life, Raiden Kururugi actually hated himself a little bit.

It wasn't so long ago that Cela would have just... turned heel and run away faced with something like this. Certainly it had happened before. Several times. She KNEW he used to like her and stuff? But that was like... ages ago... and stuff?

She was speechless at the yelling though and she had to bite her own lip to stop it from wibbling. Suck it in and hold it there. She watched him stalk away, expecting him to disappear down the corridor and finding herself surprised when he sunk down with his back to the wall.

Cela was completely tentative, swaying back and forward a few times before practically tip toeing over. She slid down the wall right next to him.

"You... tell anyone else?" She ventured quietly.

"I didn't tell you, did I," he answered flatly, his words directed to her even if they were spoken at the floor. "Who else would I tell? Daphne knew before, that I liked you. Most of my other friends aren't close enough to tell anything like that to, and a lot of them are graduated."

In short? No. He hadn't. He hadn't intended on telling anyone; he was simply going to wait it out. Because surely it would have died sooner or later, right? But she had... ugh. WHY had she been so pushy about it? Why couldn't she just let it go?

Twitch.

"Its hard not having anyone to talk to about stuff." Celandine answered, still in that quiet and tentative voice. She chewed her lip some more. How long ago had it been that she'd informed Raiden that all the tingly stuff he felt around her was a crush? She'd been in... fourth year, right?

So it had gotten... more?

"All this time?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celandine

"Its hard not having anyone to talk to about stuff." Celandine answered, still in that quiet and tentative voice. She chewed her lip some more. How long ago had it been that she'd informed Raiden that all the tingly stuff he felt around her was a crush? She'd been in... fourth year, right?

So it had gotten... more?

"All this time?"

"If I could've made it go away, I gladly would have." He raised his head a bit and looked at her for a moment before... well, the awkwardness of the situation... he laughed. A little tiny itty-bitty laugh, as one hand pulled gently on the hair at the back of his head. Stuff like this was why guys had bald spots when older, he was so sure. "I don't want to like you like this. You're happy with Cope. I should be happy for you. This is just selfish and... ugh."

Had there ever been a time that Raiden wished... that Cela would walk away? That she would just... stop talking, turn around, and go to her common room? Or the library? Or any other myriad of places in this school where he wasn't? Or was now the first time?

"I'm sorry." Celandine sighed a little bit and drew her own knees up. "I don't know how to fix this Rai-Rai. I don't." She pressed her cheek against her knee, turning her face to look at him. Really look.

"So... you... don't want to kiss anyone else because... you want to kiss me but don't think you can?" Cos gosh if she was going to try to fix this, then she needed to make sure she had a... a summary or something.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. You didn't do anything." He tapped a finger against his forehead. "My brain's the one that won't let it go."

Did he really have to... say this stuff? Because really, he already just wanted to find a hole to hide in. He was already in territory he wasn't supposed to be in, why would he just keep walking farther away from the comfortable border?

"I just... don't want to kiss anyone," he said finally. "And I don't think I can't kiss you. I cannot kiss you. It's not allowed."

Because Cela was Cope's girlfriend, and he was her boyfriend. There were things he was not meant to do and situations he was not meant to intrude upon, and this was one of them. It would hurt Cope, and potentially hurt Cela if Cope was upset enough about it. Hadn't they been over this before?

"It's not worth it."

"I don't like hurting people. This is always the way it ends up happening." Celandine mused. Gosh. There was a LIST and all now. Sometimes it wasn't all that easy being pretty, though almost all of them claimed it was her other attributes that attracted them.

Whether they admitted it or not, Cela knew the pretty helped.

That was one thing that she was super duper appreciative about when it came to Garret. She didn't have to worry about censoring or editing herself in order to protect his feelings from getting all hurt and stuff. There was none of that sort of crushing stuff with her and Metal Mouth, he was kind of like... a brother.

A sorta scruffy and dirty one.

Cela sat up straight and gave Raiden a strange little look.

"You are wrong about one thing."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celandine

"I don't like hurting people. This is always the way it ends up happening." Celandine mused. Gosh. There was a LIST and all now. Sometimes it wasn't all that easy being pretty, though almost all of them claimed it was her other attributes that attracted them.

Whether they admitted it or not, Cela knew the pretty helped.

That was one thing that she was super duper appreciative about when it came to Garret. She didn't have to worry about censoring or editing herself in order to protect his feelings from getting all hurt and stuff. There was none of that sort of crushing stuff with her and Metal Mouth, he was kind of like... a brother.

A sorta scruffy and dirty one.

Cela sat up straight and gave Raiden a strange little look.

"You are wrong about one thing."

Why was she blaming herself? She hadn't done anything. It was his weird brain doing all this; as far as he was concerned, it was self-inflicted hurt. She was just... an accessory to it. Wasn't really the one at fault.

Hah. Haha. She thought he was wrong? He was sure he wasn't. In fact, he was positive he'd never been more right in his life. And he'd paraphrased answers from textbooks for assignments, which meant they were guaranteed to be RIGHT. So no, Celandine Toussaint. He was right.

"Really."

"Really." Cela pout!frooowwwwned at him. "I'm always worth it. You know thats the difference between you and me? You don't think you're worth enough and people keep telling you that you're worth so much more than you think." She shook her head and started to get to her feet.

Honestly.

She'd choose Copernicus of course, but that was because she loved him. It didn't mean she didn't think that Raiden was awesome. And Raiden would be stuck never getting what he wanted, never even getting a look in because he played everything safe all the time.

Cope hadn't. And now he had her. All because he'd just... gone with his heart and stopped over thinking everything.

"I'm sorry." She repeated as she got to her feet and brushed her skirt off.

She didn't get it. Raiden gritted his teeth, wincing at her words. It wasn't that he didn't think he was worth enough. It wasn't. He rather LIKED himself, most times. Today excluded. It wasn't an issue of self-worth.

"I didn't even have a chance, Celandine," he snapped. "By the time I even had a clue, it was useless. You were with Plymouth... and then you were with Cope. If you were happy, then what kind of friend would I be to ruin that? Do you remember? Sitting in the hallway up there? You were telling me about how much you liked someone else, and you didn't know what to do?"

It only took him a second to get on his feet; the height difference still threw him off, every time he was around her or Daphne lately.

"It's not a matter of me thinking I'm not worth enough. It's because I place enough value on your friendship to not potentially push you away." Every part of his body felt hot at that moment; anger at her, at Cope, at Plymouth, at himself, especially his stupid dysfunctional heart, was running through him and burning him up from the inside. "You are right. You're always worth it."

Merlin alive, no more. No more. He couldn't. Stomach in knots, Raiden turned his back to her once more and made his way down the hall. Only this time, he wasn't going to stop until he'd made it to the common room.

Cela... watched.

"I know." She whispered to his retreating back. It would be easier for him to be mad at her. A different kind of emotion for him to stew over. Just because Cela didn't usually do things to intentionally make people feel a particular thing, it didn't mean she didn't know which buttons to press in order to do so when she felt like it. Her family were master manipulators after all. It only stood to reason that she'd pick up the 'how' part, even if she tended to lack the motivation for it.

She turned and looked at her reflection in the mirror, frowned and then wiped the shiny gloss off of her lips. As she'd mentioned before, no Copernicus, no point.

Two whole years...

She sighed and headed down after Raiden. Not following him, just going that way. The library. For distractions.

Time to explore the Mirror area. Woot!

Vida walked down the corridor with Josh, Joshua by her side. Hesitating for few seconds, she opened the door silently, only not to scare if anyone was there already.

"You want to know abt your future. Right?" she asked him in low tone, slightly bending down her torso to meet his height.

Following after the Hufflepuff girl in the corridor, Josh peeked into the room, yes she was a Hufflepuf as it turned out to be in a place with more light and though the house reminded him of Jake he was quite aware that no other Hufflepuff could be like him. Whatever.

He had not seen this room before so right after having a glance of it, he blinked at the girl with questioning eyes..well..the question she asked was even more confusing ''My future...'' he repeated ''You mean Divination? If you mean Divination, i'd love to. It's one of my favourite subjects. I enjoy intepreting about people and make them...'' he laughed ''...anyway''

Vida couldnt stop but giggling at this cute Lion's words. "No, I'm not talking about divination" my least favourite subject. She could see his face now, in better light. He was a good looking guy, with some bruishes on his arm, well..for now, and...may be..somehwere else hidden. Shrugged.

Vida shook his head, "No, Josh. I'm talking about the Mirror. I heard this mirror can show..our..wish..or future..or something else. I dunno, I'm new here" she shrugged and looking down at his troubling arm. "Are you okay? You want to go to hospital wing for this?" she pointed out her clean, manicured finger at his bruishes.

''Oh, not divination...'' he said staring at Vida's face. He could not decide if that was good or bad news. Maybe bad because he might have enjoyed a funny interpretation, maybe good because it was not going to be like doing homework or class work or something else related to class. Apparently he was not the class loving kind.

There was a mirror, the Mirror, that can show us our wish or future, he rised his eyebrows at this but was feeling exicted about it at the same time. ''But our wish and future might not be the same, right? Otherwise everyone would be Quidditch stars when they grow up but there are many other jobs'' so what did the Mirrow show? He attempted to take a step inside when Vida asked about his Doxy injuries ''It's fine thanks. Plus they look good with the school uniform''

Josh has the same doubt like Vida. Wish and future never goes on the sameline most of the times, well..atleast not in real life. She nodded her head. "Yeah, but I'm too curious to see what the Mirror has for me. Atleast we can gain a good/bad experience, okay?" Vida giggled and staying away from the mirror to let him take a chance first.

Adjusting her beed bangles, Vida looked at him, both excited and curious. "Haha..but you will look better in muggles clothes than this out-of-fashion wizarding uniform, Josh" she grinned, taking a look at the beading of that huge mysterious Mirror.

''Gain a bad or good experience...'' Josh repeated slowly looking blankly for a moment than brightened in a sudden as if he jumped where he stood ''Sounds good!'' Ooooo the mirror was going to show him something and he hoped it'd be something nice and not humiliating, for a second thought it could be humiliating,too. He did not care. The Gryffindor boy smiled at Vida widely as she stepped back to give him room to go first ''Wooo, i do it first!!'' he exclaimed and walked or more likely ran before the mirror looking at his own reflection in it.

...
...
...

''Ummm...Vida, i don't see anything.'' there was nothing but the reflections of himself and of the room they were inhabiting.

Haha, Josh seemed excited now. The cute lil Lion was jumping around and running towards the mirror. Vida kept herself out of the Mirror area, to avoid confusion just in case.

But..wait..what he said? He said he didnt see anything? Oh..it's strange.

"Josh, Josh..calm down. Try again.." Vida said in pretty calm voice, trying to make him confident. "Just go near to the Mirror" she thought the distance could make the difference or so.

''Okay'' he said and took a deep breath as he walked closer to the Mirror. If only he knew what he was supposed to see there other than himself. Then he might look for it inside and find it. He was sure he could find it no matter how tiny it is. He was good at finding things.... His stopped immediately when his eyes spotted a change in the mirror and it was not tiny.

Quite the contrary it was huge for there were three people two grown ups and one young adult were looking and smiling at him, all arm in arm as if they were never going to leave each other again. He looked backwards quickly.. .there were no one but Vida in the room. ''Wow!'' he said taking another step. Then at first place he gazed at his mother who forbid him everything related to Quidditch for a reason he could not really understand. ''I see my family'' he explained Vida happily ''Mom and dad and ooooooooh there's also Rosa, my sister. She looks so much like mom, her hair is darker though.''

Vida could see a sparkle in his eyes when he moved closer to the Mirror. So there was something he could enjoy, for sure.

Smilingly she watched his expressions from where she was. "So you got it, Josh?" she asked him, shifting one leg to another leg, impatiently. "Okay, Mom, dad and sister...what else?" her voice was both encouraging and exciting.

''Yes, yes thanks'' He said happily without moving his gaze from the Mirror and a question occured to him in a sudden and though he thought it might sound stupid but he wanted to ask anyway ''Can you see them too?'' well the question was stupid because why would she care about his family and see them in the mirror. Haha. Anyway, since he was a kid, he was allowed to ask questions of that kind. ''Ummmm what else...what else.'' he looked closer narrowing his eyes ''Oh there are two little pink elephants who chase each other, and Professor Bunbury is trying to catch them so she can use their curly hair to knit a nice pullower to herself'' trailing off with a loud laughter he turned back to face her ''Just kidding of course. There's nothing else. What about your turn?''