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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Jul 21, 2017 16:46:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2017 16:46:29 GMT -7
One of the strange things about being a bird was that Dustin could feel Evelyn beside him in an entirely different way. He assumed that it was something that birds just did, to avoid running into other birds or something, but he would feel her presence beside him, and he thought that if it weren’t for the wind in his ears he would be able to hear her heartbeat. For a while, it was enough just to have her there beside him, and bask in the simplicity of being in someone’s presence but unable to talk to them. Eventually, though, the magic of the moment had to end. Dustin had never had enough time to fly for very long as a bird, so he grew tired rather quickly, but kept pushing on in case Evelyn wanted to stay up in the air. When he couldn’t push himself any further, Dustin let out a short, shrill scream, the only kind of noise he knew how to make in his Animagus form. He assumed that it was the only noise that Brahminy kites could make, but since he hadn’t ever had an extensive interaction with one of the real birds, he wouldn’t know for sure. Following the noise, Dustin tucked his wings into his sides, diving towards the ground at a breakneck pace. He pulled up at the last moment, transforming into his human form when he was a foot or two off the ground. Dustin landed feet-first on the ground, and then promptly fell backwards, laughing a little at his own failed attempt at being slick.
@evelyn
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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Jul 24, 2017 16:46:34 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2017 16:46:34 GMT -7
Ev flew along calmly, even though she wasn't used to flying for such a long period of time. She assumed Dustin was enjoying himself and didn’t want to pull away from that. Every once-in-a-while she'd glance over at him. She couldn't tell how he was feeling, but he didn't look angry ... He just looked like he belonged here, in the air. Then, he made a sound before diving toward the ground. EV watched for a moment and then followed him in his descent. She went into a steep dive, following Dustin's example. She watched his semi-awkward landing and decided to try something a little easier. She pulled out of her dive when she was a few feet away and drifted until she landed on the ground, shifting as she touched the ground. Dustin was laughing and she turned to face him, smiling hesitantly. "That was nice,"" she said softly, hoping he enjoyed it as well. She didn't know what else to say. Ev certainly didn't want to do anything that would take the smile off of his face.
@dustin
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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Jul 29, 2017 17:23:55 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2017 17:23:55 GMT -7
Dustin ruffled his hand through his hair, still sitting on the ground. It seemed his hair always got messed up when he transformed back into his human form, but that was a small price to pay for the freedom that he felt every time he was in the air. After he had smoothed his hair unto something resembling normalcy, Dustin stood up, shaking himself out a little like he was a wet dog, just to get a feel for what it was like to be back in his own body. Evelyn made a polite comment about the flight being nice, and Dustin just nodded back. Nice wasn’t the right word for the mix of adrenaline and hopefulness that always came from watching the world fall away from beneath him, but if that was the word that Ev was going to use… sure. “I’ve always felt like I belonged up there more than down here.” Dustin admitted, turning his face towards the sky. “Part of the reason I got into Quidditch so young.” When the sky felt like home, the sport was as easy as breathing.
@evelyn
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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Jul 31, 2017 10:34:13 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 10:34:13 GMT -7
Dustin stayed sitting for a little while, messing with his hair and Ev watched him, a small smile on her face. After a few seconds, she realized she was staring at him and moved her gaze, looking at the branches on a nearby tree until she heard Dustin standing up. Her eyes reflexively went back to him. Dustin nodded at what she said and then explained what he liked about flying. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of something to say and then she closed her mouth. Why was this so hard? Evelyn didn't notice that she was wringing her hands in front of her, but after a few moments she found something to say. "Maybe that's part of the reason why you're so good at Quidditch," she commented, then paused. "Not that you don't practice hard or anything," she amended, her tone nervous. Ev closed her eyes and exhaled. "Sorry," she muttered. She was letting her nerves through and was positive that Dustin didn't want to see them. He hadn't asked her to come here so she could be jumpy the whole time ... but she was. She was also trying to hide that fact, and failing.
@dustin
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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Aug 11, 2017 14:24:00 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2017 14:24:00 GMT -7
Dustin nodded when Ev said that one of the reasons he was so good at Quidditch was because of his love of the sky. She quickly backtracked, saying that she wasn’t implying that he didn’t practice hard, but Dustin just shook his head. “No, you’re right.” He said. “Loving to fly was part of what made my Animagus form possible. And knowing how to fly without a broom makes knowing how to fly with one all the easier.” Aerodynamics, angles, speed – all of that went into being a bird, and while Dustin hadn’t been an Animagus for long, being in his Animagus form seemed to teach him a lot about flying very quickly. He wondered if Evelyn felt the same way. She was the kind of person who was always seeking more information anyways, so it only seemed natural that she would try to learn more from her Animagus experience than just Transfiguration. “Practicing only compounds natural skill.” Dustin added. That was to say, people who weren’t as skilled could still do extremely well – better than people with natural talent who didn’t do anything with it – but skilled people who practiced? They were nearly unstoppable.
@evelyn
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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Aug 19, 2017 12:01:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2017 12:01:46 GMT -7
They seemed to be in some sort of truce, talking about their Animagus forms instead of about the things they'd kept from one another. Granted, Ev wasn't upset at Dustin for any of his secrets. Hers was much worse so she didn't feel like she could really judge him for anything. Still, while they talked about this he didn't seem upset at her, so Ev didn't want to change the subject. Her smile grew a little when instead of getting annoyed with her for her assumption, he told her that she was right. She was just glad she hasn't made things worse again. Then he started talking about how being a bird made flying on a broom and she nodded. "I think so too," she told him easily. She wasn't sure if he felt that way because flying as a bird made other flying feel natural or because of was easier to understand the physics of flying, but she didn't want to start talking about that and make him feel inferior or anything so she left it at that.
"You're right," she answered in response to his comment about practicing. "I also feel like the more time I spend on a broom, the more instinctive it becomes. Almost like I become the bird when I'm on a broom," she hesitated. Was that weird or would Dustin know what she was trying to say? This time she kept the smile on her face, trying to act like she would have a while ago. Maybe get being nervous was why this conversation still felt tense to her.
@dustin
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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Aug 19, 2017 16:19:50 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2017 16:19:50 GMT -7
Dustin nodded when Evelyn said the more time she spent on the broom, the more instinctive the flying became, like she became the bird instead of just a human riding a broom. “See, that’s the way it always was for me – even before I was a bird.” He said, glad that someone else could finally understand how he always felt about flying. “It’s like there’s this – this thing in me that just understands, and –” Dustin cut himself off. What was supposed to come next was just a string of ineloquent words and noises to express something that he knew there would never be words for. Evelyn had come as close as he ever would to describing what he felt like when he flew. It wasn’t like he was a human, riding a broom, but rather like he and his broom were one entity that he understood how to maneuver the same way he understood how to use his diaphragm to take a big breath or how to use his fingers to grasp his wand. Dustin looked away from Evelyn. “Thanks.” He said simply. He didn’t want to stay too much longer, mostly because he didn’t want to sully memories of this day by accidentally saying something that would cause an argument. Leaving on a high note would be better for both of them.
@evelyn
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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Aug 21, 2017 21:06:28 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2017 21:06:28 GMT -7
The nice thing about this conversation after they landed was that Evelyn and Dustin seemed to be on exactly the same page. They both agreed that being birds sometimes helped them in other aspects of flying and that it just seemed more natural. It was nice to have someone to talk to that understood that. Ev didn't know any other animagus' and she certainly didn't know any that turned into birds. It was ... amazing that Dustin was both. Almost like a coincidence, but Evelyn didn't believe in coincidences. She nodded and smiled as he tried to explain how it made him feel, but couldn't. "I understand," she said, wanting to make sure he didn't feel uncomfortable talking to her. He looked away and thanked her and Ev suddenly wanted to leave. She felt like the situation with Dustin was drawing to a close and she didn't want things to get awkward again. She cleared her throat. "Well ... I haven't eaten dinner yet, so I think I'm going to go," she said think just in case he actually did want to talk some more. She smiled at him, hoping this meeting helped, at least a little bit. "Thanks for meeting with me, Dustin. I've missed you." She hesitated. With their old friendship she would have expected a hug about now, but things weren't the same so she just felt weird. She'd wait to see what he said and then leave.
@dustin
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last online Apr 28, 2024 12:43:13 GMT -7
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Sept 15, 2017 9:40:09 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2017 9:40:09 GMT -7
She understood. For a moment, the anger came back, and Dustin wanted to scream that Ev couldn’t possibly understand anything about him becuase she had gotten it so horribly wrong when it came to Rocco and what she was going to think about the entire thing. Dustin managed to swallow back his anger, but kicked his foot at the ground for good measure. Ev said that she hadn’t eaten dinner yet, and Dustin nodded. He hadn’t eaten either, but saying that definitely wasn’t a good idea, because then they’d be expected to eat dinner together, and that was a no-go for now. There would be food waiting for him when he got back home, he was sure. His mother hadn’t learned how to downsize meals even after all of her kids had gone off to Hogwarts, which meant that the leftovers were plentiful. Evelyn thanked him for meeting her, and the Gryffindor boy shifted his weight awkwardly. “Yeah.” Dustin said, looking away. “I missed you too.” He wasn’t sure what the protocol was now – if he was supposed to hug her or what. A hug felt too hard, and a handshake would definitely be too formal, so Dustin just stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I guess I’ll see you around, then.” He said, turning and walking off before he could do something that he would eventually regret.
@evelyn (le end~)
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