Branden
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Moment
Jun 27, 2004 12:47:59 GMT
Post by Branden on Jun 27, 2004 12:47:59 GMT
OOC: Invite only, for now. Thanks guys.
IC: Branden's face was glowing as he strolled into the Owlery, Branwen on his arm. He glanced around quickly, but the room was deserted apart from the many owls that thronged the area. Perfect. He led Branwen over to a window, glancing at his watch again, then nervously looking out the window. Any moment now... Another grin broke across his face as he saw her in the distance closing fast. He stretched his arm out the window and brought it back in a moment later, his eyes shining. "This," he said, indicating the large, dusky black bird on his arm, "is Bryn." He beamed over at Branwen, extending his arm a little and using his other hand to scratch the bird's neck. "She's a black cockatoo. My dad reared her... she's magical," he explained. "I had to get permission to have here here, but she's no danger to the other birds so it wasn't really a problem." He extended his arm toward Branwen, still grinning happily. "Do you like her?"
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Branwen - retired
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Moment
Jun 27, 2004 13:29:34 GMT
Post by Branwen - retired on Jun 27, 2004 13:29:34 GMT
Branwen's jaw dropped as the magnificent bird flew into the Owlery and alighted upon Branden's arm. It was so black it nearly glowed, and it's feathers were nothing if not resplendant.
"Bryn..." The bird's name was merely a silent formation of the girl's lips as she gazed in awe at the beautiful creature. She cautiously stretched out her shaking fingers and lightly touched Bryn's wing, ready to pull her hand back quickly in case anything she did upset the bird.
"She's lovely," Branwen whispered, and then jumped slightly as an indignant hoot echoed from the highest rafters of the Owlerly. One owl, feminine sized, swooped down and landed on Brae's shoulder, its talons gripping her much tighter than she knew was necessary.
"Ow, 'Rini," Brae muttered, and reached up to give her silvery-grey owl an affectionate scratch. She smiled apologetically at Branden and tilted her head to her occupied shoulder. "This is Arina, she's a Great Grey," the Prefect introduced them.
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Branden
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Moment
Jun 27, 2004 13:36:18 GMT
Post by Branden on Jun 27, 2004 13:36:18 GMT
Branden grinned, and reached out slowly to stroke the grey bird. "She's lovely." He turned his eyes back to smile at Branwen, and extended his arm. He turned to Bryn and muttered something. Immediately the black bird extended her right leg, offering it to Branwen. Branden grinned again. "I've been training her for years," he said, scratching Bryn's feathers affectionately. "She'll do anything I ask her to."
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Branwen - retired
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-I wanna hold you high and steal your pain-
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Moment
Jun 28, 2004 4:42:50 GMT
Post by Branwen - retired on Jun 28, 2004 4:42:50 GMT
Brae was worried for a moment that Arina might get a little testy and snap at Branden; the look in her eyes was imperious, very haughty. She whispered softly for 'Rini to behave, and then slipped her hand into the pocket of her robes to pull out a couple of owl treats. Arina allowed herself to be touched, then snatched the treats from Branwen's palm and launched into the air. She settled on a low perch, watching the two Ravenclaws from the corner of her gleaming golden eyes.
"She just wants to make sure I don't leave her out," Branwen laughed softly. Bryn was still steadily holding out her claw, and the Prefect smiled at the incredible black bird. She reached out slowly, carefully, and 'shook hands' with Bryn, a brilliant smile lighting the petite girl's face as she completed the slightly bizarre action.
"I don't think I've ever shook hands with a bird before," she giggled softly, hardly remembering her nervous tension from a few minutes before. "How old is she, Branden?"
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Branden
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Jun 28, 2004 7:53:25 GMT
Post by Branden on Jun 28, 2004 7:53:25 GMT
Branden grinned as Branwen 'shook hands' with Bryn. This was going better than he'd dared to hope. He walked over to the corner and sat down on the floor, smiling back at Branwen and gesturing for her to join him. He whispered something to Bryn and the beautiful black bird fluttered up onto his shoulder and began to preen herself. Branden looked back up at the pretty girl watching him, smiling again. "She's not quite three years old. My dad reared her... he gave her to me as a present for starting school here." Another brief look of pain crossed his face at the mention of his father, but he quickly banished it to look back at Branwen. He needed to know, before... he stopped himself following that line of thought. He needed to know. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of a way to ask the question without risking offending her... and he just didn't have the guts to ask it outright. He sighed inwardly, and changed the topic. "How old is Arina? She's a lovely bird."
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Branwen - retired
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-I wanna hold you high and steal your pain-
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Moment
Jun 28, 2004 9:09:37 GMT
Post by Branwen - retired on Jun 28, 2004 9:09:37 GMT
After a second of hesitation, she followed Branden over and sat down on the floor next to him. This way, she could stare up at the little patch of stars through the open hole in the top of the Owlery. Hopefully she wouldn't be so unnerved if she just had somewhere else to look other than into Branden's eyes...
"Thank you... three years old, hm?" Brae said rhetorically, reaching up to scratch Bryn's head again. "Arina's maybe four or five... I don't really remember," she told him, slightly amazed that her memory had failed her. The slight tightening of his expression as he mentioned his father did not go unnoticed, but Brae was unsure as to whether or not she should bring it up.
"Are you all right?" She opted to ask instead, trying to keep her voice light but failing miserably.
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Branden
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Wandering...
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Moment
Jun 28, 2004 11:04:17 GMT
Post by Branden on Jun 28, 2004 11:04:17 GMT
Branden sighed and looked down. "It's just... my parents. It's been hard..." He reached up and scratched Bryn again, turning his head to whisper something to her. She nuzzled his hand affectionately, gave a quiet caw and flew up to perch on one of the rafters. Branden sighed again and turned to give Branwen a strained smile. "My parents..." He looked back down at the floor and his shoulders slumped. He spoke softly, barely more than a murmur. "My father was a wizard. A pretty good one, too... noble line, respected. Then... he met my mother." Branden traced small, random patterns on the Owlery floor with his finger, staring at the ground. "She was a Muggle... I don't remember where my father met her. He fell for her straight away... but she asked him to give up magic if he wanted to marry her. And he did. he gave it all up for her." Branden kept his eyes downcast, and his voice sank to a whisper. "After almost ten years of marraige... she left him. Ran off wth the gardnener..." He chuckled dryly. "She left my father to care for me and my baby sister, without so much as a goodbye. He's taken care of us ever since..." There was a lump in his throat. Branden immediately felt angry. At his mother, at himself for being so weak. He clenched his hand into a fist, lifting his eyes to gaze out the window. "Most people..." His voice caught. He tightened his fist, his nails digging into his palm. "Most people don't know. Don't know how hard it is... to have your parents constantly at each other's throats, arguments about money, about... about you..." This time his voice did break. A tear dripped from his eye and fell onto the dusty floor. He smashed his fist down on top of it, and then slumped, as if all the emotion had been drawn out of him. He whispered softly, staring back down at the floor. "No-one understands. Your parents don't care about you anymore... only about not caring about each other."
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Branwen - retired
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Moment
Jun 30, 2004 6:48:52 GMT
Post by Branwen - retired on Jun 30, 2004 6:48:52 GMT
To bring about the Sight would have been completely unnecessary; the pain in his voice rung clear, and his expression was tight with it as well. Added to that, Branden's genuine nature was very open, she didn't need to. Even so, there was a strange desire to See... to meet his eyes and fall into them.
I don't do that anymore, Branwen thought firmly to herself, and it was the truth; she had not Looked into anyone's soul without permission since the debauchle at the lake with Zowan.
Zowan.
There it was, the thought she had been fighting so strenuously to avoid, and it felt as if there were a fist around her heart. She had seen him around - in the Library with Kelly and a boy from Hufflepuff she didn't know, but she hadn't made the least bit of effort to speak to him.
These thoughts whirled through her mind in the space of a couple of seconds, and Branden had not yet raised his eyes from the floor. She felt an incredible wave of guilt and empathy surge within her, and reached over to briefly touch the boy's hand.
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, her eyes earnest. "I know it's difficult, but I'm sure they still love you."
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Branden
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Wandering...
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Moment
Jun 30, 2004 7:22:32 GMT
Post by Branden on Jun 30, 2004 7:22:32 GMT
Branden lifted his head to look over at Branwen, then down at her hand resting on his. A whirlwind of thoughts were spinning through his head... thoughts of his parents, of home, and now...
Branwen.
He turned his hand over and gently curled it around hers. He lifted his eyes back up to smile slightly at her. "Thankyou..." he whispered.
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Branwen - retired
New Member
Ravenclaw Student
-I wanna hold you high and steal your pain-
Posts: 169
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Moment
Jun 30, 2004 7:56:16 GMT
Post by Branwen - retired on Jun 30, 2004 7:56:16 GMT
Branwen stared down at their linked fingers with an expression that was a keen mix of embarrassment, fright, and desire. She wanted to yank her hand away, but she also wanted to weave their fingers tightly together. Oh, she was so confused...
"You're welcome; happy to help," Brae said, carefully keeping her eyes on their hands.
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Branden
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Ravenclaw Student
Wandering...
Posts: 241
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Moment
Jun 30, 2004 8:39:08 GMT
Post by Branden on Jun 30, 2004 8:39:08 GMT
Consumed by a whirl of emotions, Branden didn't know what to do. A little voice was calling in the back of his head, but it was drowned out by the rush of his thoughts. He watched Branwen's face... her beautiful hair framing those silver eyes.
He looked back down at their hands and slowly, gently twined his fingers together with hers. He looked up and smiled softly at her again. He was scared beyond belief - he expected her to yank her hand away, or slap him and storm out... but a part of him kept insisting maybe she feels something, too...
He watched her eyes and waited.
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Branwen - retired
New Member
Ravenclaw Student
-I wanna hold you high and steal your pain-
Posts: 169
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Moment
Jul 6, 2004 5:57:38 GMT
Post by Branwen - retired on Jul 6, 2004 5:57:38 GMT
Branwen stared at their entwined hands in fascination, noting each line of their knuckles, the length of their fingernails, the curves of skin and the faint tracings of bluish purple veins beneath. She hadn't been this close to someone in quite a while... hadn't touched or been touched in such a way for what seemed like ages...
Was that a reason to give in, though? The simple and base need to be near? No one paid her any attention, not anymore, not mousy, invisible Brae. For a moment the urge was so incredibly strong...
To combat the desire that made her heart pound, and to do something in place of what she really wanted to do, Branwen leaned forward slowly and kissed Branden's cheek. Her lips lingered against his skin for what seemed like a frozen moment, and once again she thought of how incredibly easy it would be to simply reach up to gently turn his head, or to move her own a fraction of an inch...
No.
Brae pulled away to draw a shaky breath, her eyes damp, and with supreme delicacy, disentangled her fingers from Branden's. She met his eyes with her own, briefly, and then stared down at her folded hands in her lap.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again.
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Branden
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Wandering...
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Moment
Jul 6, 2004 10:30:24 GMT
Post by Branden on Jul 6, 2004 10:30:24 GMT
What... Branden's eyes scoured Brae's face, searching for some indication... of what? His hand felt cold and stiff where hers had left it. His cheek still tingled, He reached up to touch the spot, still slightly in shock.
"What..." She didn't. She didn't want to. That was it, really.
"I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." No. No, that was wrong. He had meant to. He acted on his feelings, and then so had she, and now...
He stared at his hand, shoulders slumped, then back up to her eyes. "I don't understand," he whispered.
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Branwen - retired
New Member
Ravenclaw Student
-I wanna hold you high and steal your pain-
Posts: 169
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Moment
Jul 7, 2004 5:58:59 GMT
Post by Branwen - retired on Jul 7, 2004 5:58:59 GMT
"I know," Branwen murmured mournfully, picking at the sleeve of her robe. She bowed her head, shaking her dark blond hair so that its length would fall forward to obscure her face. A great, shuddering sigh issued from her pale pink lips, and it seemed that her entire body deflated. Then she turned to lean against the wall of the Owlery, tilting her head to gaze up at the night sky through the hole in the roof.
"I like you, Branden; I do," she said haltingly, and chewed on her bottom lip, a nervous habit she had always employed. "But I'm in love with someone else... even if he never returns that love."
Her voice trailed off into silence. She glanced over at him again, but the disappointment evident in his eyes was too much, so she looked back up.
"I truly am so sorry... I can go, if you'd like," Brae offered morosely, but did not move from her spot on the floor.
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Branden
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Wandering...
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Moment
Jul 8, 2004 2:44:37 GMT
Post by Branden on Jul 8, 2004 2:44:37 GMT
"No... no, don't go..." Branden half reached out a hand, as if to stop the Prefect from leaving, but Branwen hadn't moved.
He let his hand drop and his face dropped with it, hurt and confusion still evident in his eyes. "I... I'm sorry... maybe I, I shouldn't have done what I did, but I thought... I mean, it seemed as if you..." he trailed off, then looked down.
After a long, brooding moment he pushed off the floor and stood, walking to a window to lean on the stone ledge and look out across the dark grounds.
He stood there in silence, his tall frame silhouetted against the moonlight streaming in to the quiet room. When he did speak, his voice was soft, almost soothing, but the pain was audible.
"Who is he?"
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