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grey xavier slater
HOGWARTS ALUM DAILY PROPHET QUIDDITCH REPORTER
696 posts
played by Colin
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last online May 7, 2024 7:36:53 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Mar 11, 2018 15:05:12 GMT -7
Post by grey xavier slater on Mar 11, 2018 15:05:12 GMT -7
@lestrange Grey was seated outside at a muggle coffee shop, watching the minutes click down on his wristwatch, a cold cup of coffee on the table in front of him. He had been staring at it intently for a while now, still angry that he had ordered the wrong blend. Something as simple as getting a lighter roast, which meant a higher caffeine intake, should have been easy, but his mouth defaulted to asking for a dark roast – the one he used in the morning to wake up. It was a silly thing to get upset over, but it was enough to get him to not finish the rest of it. At this hour of the afternoon, he needed a smoother coffee, not one that was going to punch him in the face with every single sip. Pretty soon here though, he would be leaving. The second the sun set, he was on his way to Cecelia’s apartment, which was only a few blocks from where he currently was. This had become a regular thing for him – get out of training and then head straight to a coffee shop to kill the last hour or so until she would be able to reasonably move around outside. It was a bit of a process, but he was slowly getting as used to it as she was. Simple things, like going to the store or running a quick errand, had to be carefully planned during the daytime. He had no idea how she managed it on a daily basis, but it was impressive to say the least. Knowing himself, being a vampire would lead him to locking his door and never leaving his house during the day. Stubbornly picking up his coffee cup, he downed the last few gulps of the coffee, making a face as the harsh dark roast hit the back of his throat, before finally forcing it down. There was something revolting about the flavor of the grounds when they were cold. Tilting his head back, he stared up at the buildings around him, hoping to see if the shadows were creeping closer to dusk, or making him wait longer.
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last online May 7, 2024 21:44:50 GMT -7
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Mar 30, 2018 8:19:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2018 8:19:29 GMT -7
Andy didn't even noticed Grey sitting outside when she marched into the coffee shop to get a drink. She normally wasn't a big coffee drinker, but she had been working later last night then she ever had, into this morning. She took a nap, as best she could with all the light, before having to get up again and feeling completely knocked out. So, she went to the nearest coffee shop. She ordered a cappuccino, not really knowing if she'd like it or not but knowing it was what people ordered at coffee shops. Then she stepped outside, planning to take her coffee on a walk or something, when her eyes landed on him. "Grey?" she asked, surprised for some reason. He lived in London too, she assumed, and she had seen him at the Ministry and just never said anything. She took a step forward, but wouldn't sit down across from him unless invited. That was the courteous thing to do, after all. "How... how are you?" The two weren't incredibly close, never had been, and he'd caught her crying that one time after... well, not much had changed for her since then. Well, a lot had changed but now she was in a similar routine, just with less crying about it. grey xavier slater
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grey xavier slater
HOGWARTS ALUM DAILY PROPHET QUIDDITCH REPORTER
696 posts
played by Colin
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last online May 7, 2024 7:36:53 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Apr 13, 2018 21:11:20 GMT -7
Post by grey xavier slater on Apr 13, 2018 21:11:20 GMT -7
@lestrange He was still staring up at the sky when he heard someone say his name. Being called upon while on the muggle side of London was odd, a little shiver going down his spine as his name processed in his head a few times over. If he had a normal name, something like this probably wouldn’t happen, but he didn’t, so that point was moot. The tone of the voice certainly sounded familiar, so his eyes flicked down before he moved his entire head, pinpointing the source of his name right in front of him. “Yo,” he said to Andy. Apparently this place was popular with the magical folk, assuming she didn’t live right around the corner like Cecelia did. Shimmying himself out of the slouched position he was sitting in, he straightened up in his chair. It had been a while since he had last talked to Andy; despite being in the same year and in Gryffindor, it seemed like only a few words had ever been uttered between them outside of class, the majority of which had taken place at the start of last year. Since then, there had been practically nothing, aside from occasionally walking past one another at work. Then again, he walked by a lot of people he recognized while at work, so it wasn’t like she was any exception to that. “Making do,” he answered, clearing his throat. “Probably doesn’t compare to the training you’re going through though.” Shrugging, Grey picked up his coffee cup out of habit, only remembering that he had just finished when he placed it against his mouth. “What about you? Adult life treating you well?”
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last online May 7, 2024 21:44:50 GMT -7
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Apr 16, 2018 14:15:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2018 14:15:41 GMT -7
"Yo," he said. That was... informal of him. She nodded back as he greeted her, and he straightened up in his chair. He said he was making do, saying that his training probably didn't compare to hers. "I'm sure it's the same," she said. "Yeah, it's been... fine. Been fine," she said with a nod, acting incredibly awkward. "Can I sit with you?" she asked before taking the seat if he gave her a nod. "Just been training, as you well know, and living with Susan Windsor," she explained, her voice a little soft on the name since Susan was well known in the muggle world. "Not dating Phil anymore, just kind of doing my own thing. I have a bowtruckle companion, Richard," was she just going to give Grey all the mundane facts about her life? She wasn't really great at small talk. grey xavier slater
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grey xavier slater
HOGWARTS ALUM DAILY PROPHET QUIDDITCH REPORTER
696 posts
played by Colin
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last online May 7, 2024 7:36:53 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Apr 29, 2018 10:25:22 GMT -7
Post by grey xavier slater on Apr 29, 2018 10:25:22 GMT -7
@lestrange Grey didn’t say anything when she tried to reason that the training they were going through was most likely the same. Would it be? If they were to compare their career paths, he had certainly chosen the softer, less likely to die route than she had. From the aurors he had talked to about the hit department, there were a lot of things they didn’t get on about, which would explain why his sister decided to make the switch. Claire had surpassed levels of normal auror capabilities as far as he was concerned, and sticking to the mundane day to day work of a civil servant didn’t suit her in the slightest. Going through the auror program was just a stepping stone for her, he was sure of it. Andy asked if she could sit down, and Grey blinked. He had figured it would just be a quick conversation, nothing much more than that. All of their other encounters over the last year or so had been similar in essence. “Sure. Yeah, go right ahead,” he said, straightening up in his chair even more than he previously had. It wasn’t like her being here was any inconvenience to him at all – there was still a lot of time to kill before Cecelia would be up and moving.
He stayed quiet as she continued on, explaining that she was living with Susan, and that her and Phil were no longer a thing. Feigning surprise wasn’t exactly his thing, so he nodded his head as she went over that part of it. “Sorry to hear it didn’t work out,” he stated. Hopefully that didn’t sound too robotic. He was never sure what to say in situations like that; when people separated or died. The best option seemed to always be to extend some sort of condolences, even if it seemed like his wouldn’t matter all that much. “Don’t think I’ve seen a bowtruckle since we studied them in class,” Grey observed. Magical creatures weren’t really his thing to begin with. The class was easy, and as long as he knew what was dangerous and what wasn’t, that was fine with him. “Can’t really say my life has changed much since school. Aside from the job and-” he cut himself off, remembering that the thing about Cecelia being a vampire probably wasn’t known by most of their former classmates, and even if it was, he shouldn’t be so willing to talk about it without consulting her first. “And that’s basically it. Nothing too exciting.” Which was exactly how he liked it.
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last online May 7, 2024 21:44:50 GMT -7
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Jun 19, 2018 6:20:28 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2018 6:20:28 GMT -7
Grey took a moment to okay her sitting down, but he eventually did and she sat. She tried not to notice that his position changed to a less relaxed one, but she noticed things like that. She had been trained to sit and act a certain way so it was easy for her to recognize when people adjusted their own postures. She was sitting up straight, as she always did no matter how hard she tried to break it. She held her drink in both hands and didn't set it on the table, but didn't take another sip yet either. It wasn't the most relaxed position, really. He said he was sorry to hear that things didn't work out with Phil and she shrugged, not knowing what else to say on that either. A part of her was sure that they would come back to each other, but it just wasn't the right time and she... wasn't fit for someone like Phil. He couldn't handle the lifestyle she was choosing to lead, and she wasn't planning on making any changes to it. Grey said that he hadn't seen a bowtruckle since class and she smiled, "well maybe you'll meet Richard sometime. He's in the greenhouses at the Leaky right now," with Phil, as he often was. "He's a lovely friend," she added happily. Then Grey said his life hadn't changed much, aside from the job and - he stopped talking. So, there was more to Grey Slater's life. Andy wasn't the pressing type, though. Especially not with someone she didn't know that well and, admittedly, felt a little awkward around. "Well, I think that's a common situation for most of us at this point after school. Not a lot of time has passed to make a big difference in our lives yet. Are you living with family?" Andy knew Claire, of course, and admired her greatly. In fact, Claire was kind of this mystical figure to her, unreachable as a real human being. grey xavier slater
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grey xavier slater
HOGWARTS ALUM DAILY PROPHET QUIDDITCH REPORTER
696 posts
played by Colin
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last online May 7, 2024 7:36:53 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Jun 25, 2018 22:29:40 GMT -7
Post by grey xavier slater on Jun 25, 2018 22:29:40 GMT -7
@lestrange Jesus, how could anyone sound so apathetic and sit straight up and rigid in a chair at the same time. Grey didn’t recall Andy being able to mimic a statue, but he also never spent much time around her while in school. That was obviously the difference between the two of them – blood and money meant everything, and he was sure that if his parents had ever truly had their way, they would have forced him and his sisters into etiquette classes. Because appearing better than they actually were tended to be the game that they liked to play. Claire seemingly gobbled that up without a second thought, or at least he had always assumed until recently. Still, talking properly or using formal manners around important people seemed like a joke. He would have to be under the Imperious curse before that ever happened. Despite Andy’s obvious rigidness, talking about the bowtruckle seemed to be the way past the locked gate, eliciting a smile from her. “Had no idea there were greenhouses there. I guess it makes sense…” he trailed off, remembering that the Longbottoms were the ones that owned the pub and attached hotel. The little details like that made a difference, and he had spent the last seven years of school purposely ignoring all of the ones about his classmates.
She wasn’t wrong about school not being far gone yet. Saying that it still felt like yesterday was an understatement, even all this time later. Eventually the years would start ticking by, and he was sure that feeling of nostalgia would kick in at some point. Right now, it was more of a feeling of loss. One that he couldn’t easily replace just yet. “Unfortunately,” he rolled his eyes for effect. “Addi decided to abandon me with our parents and went off to live with Claire for the summer.” Traitor. He was hoping the Head Girl designation wasn’t starting to get to her head already. Whether or not she was ready for the responsibility of living without parental guidance wasn’t his place to say, but being an over glorified hall monitor didn’t mean one was an adult. Hell, Grey didn’t even classify himself as a real adult yet. There were other life choices that had to be solidified before that ever happened, and he was pretty sure those were all a few years down the line from now.
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last online May 7, 2024 21:44:50 GMT -7
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Jul 9, 2018 16:41:48 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2018 16:41:48 GMT -7
Grey commented that he had no idea there were Greenhouses at the Leaky, which made sense. "They're in the Longbottom family apartment above the pub and hotel. Not really for public use, but I'm sure Phil would show them to anyone who asked," she chuckled fondly/Phil did love those plants, more than anything as far she she knew. Well, any thing, yes, maybe not any one. She loved those greenhouses too, but not necessarily because she was a plant guru like her former lover. She loved them because they reminded her of some really amazing times, and the greenhouse at school where Neville had asked her to be part of their family. That was a pivotal moment in her life, and she carried it with her everywhere - especially to greenhouses. He claimed it was unfortunate that he lived with family and she couldn't help but laugh a little under her breath. His sister had left to live with Claire, someone who Andy knew very well now. "Oh, how is Addilyn? Claire didn't mention that she was living with her. Not that Claire mentions anything personal. Especially not at work," neither did Andy, though, so it was easy for the two of them to get along. "I'm afraid I don't know Addilyn very well," she added, not sure why that would really matter. Why would she be expected to know the youngest Slater. But, still, she felt bad for not knowing anything about Grey's younger sister. grey xavier slater
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grey xavier slater
HOGWARTS ALUM DAILY PROPHET QUIDDITCH REPORTER
696 posts
played by Colin
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last online May 7, 2024 7:36:53 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Jul 9, 2018 21:48:29 GMT -7
Post by grey xavier slater on Jul 9, 2018 21:48:29 GMT -7
@lestrange Right. The greenhouses above the rest of the Longbottom property. Any normal person would not have realized they were up there to begin with, that much Andy said herself. Even if they weren’t concealed by magic, which he was positive they had to be due to muggle curiosity, to guess greenhouses existed there would have made him sound like he was delusional. Sure, every magical family had their own little secret spot in their house, but the addition of entire structures on top of pre-existing ones was definitely different. “Yeah, Phil and his plants…” Grey trailed off as he nodded his head. His roommate that he had barely known. Just like the rest of his year. It was honestly a waste for the Gryffindors that had decided to spend the time to try and associate with him. Only a few ever managed to break through, and it was his fault that he hadn’t been interested enough to let the rest do that as well. Twenty-Twenty hindsight was a bitch every single time, but even if time turners still existed he wouldn’t have tried to use them to change his past. What was done was done, and seven years of time wasted not making important social connections would probably bite him down the line, assuming he didn’t let Cecelia do that to him first.
It wasn’t exactly a surprise that Claire wouldn’t have mentioned any of that. Andy hit the nail on the head too: Claire never shared anything personal. With anyone. Ever. “Not at home either,” he said rather cynically, an added shrug for effect. Getting his older sister to spill about anything she was interested in doing (outside of work) was like waging war. She had to make everything difficult, and was a master at turning the conversation back on whomever she was talking to, probably to avoid putting her own feelings on things out there. Unfortunately Grey knew he was the same way, preferring to listen to others talk over making idle chit-chat for hours. As for Addi, he desperately wanted to say something along the lines of ‘you and me both’, but found that as negative as what he had just said about Claire. Addi didn’t exactly deserve the same treatment that their older sister did. “I heard from our parents that she got Head Girl, so maybe that gives you an idea of what she’s like.” Though hopefully she wasn’t another clone of Claire being prepped by good old mum and dad to enter the work force as a Ministry drone. Not that he was one to talk.
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last online May 7, 2024 21:44:50 GMT -7
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Jul 25, 2018 11:45:23 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2018 11:45:23 GMT -7
Grey trailed off about Phil and his plants, and Andy just nodded, her mind wandering to that same place for a moment. Every moment of her and Phil's history had to do with a Greenhouse, it seemed. They first became friends in one, though they got closer during flying class. It was in a Greenhouse that his father offered her a new home, where she became a part of Phil's family. It was in a greenhouse when Phil and Andy first kissed, when they told each other they loved each other, when she gave Phil the Echo Flower for them to raise together, when they eventually found themselves just as friends, still sharing plants at home. Yes, Phil. Phil and his plants. Grey commented that Claire didn't share much at home either, which wasn't at all surprising to Andy. She looked up to Claire, and felt like they had a lot in common personality wise. She understood how Claire wouldn't be an easy person to be a younger sibling to. Andy had recently grown into sharing more with her siblings and adopted siblings, and it was much better than her previous solitude... but she wasn't going to tell Claire about her adjusted family dynamic. That wasn't her business. Grey commented on Addilyn, saying that he heard from their parents that she is now Head Girl, giving some kind of idea of what she was like. Andy shrugged, "Hugo Weasley is Head Boy, I heard. Different kinds of people get the gig, I feel," she commented. "You didn't really do any clubs in school or anything, right? Well, other than newspaper," she recalled. grey xavier slater
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grey xavier slater
HOGWARTS ALUM DAILY PROPHET QUIDDITCH REPORTER
696 posts
played by Colin
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last online May 7, 2024 7:36:53 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Jul 28, 2018 13:23:47 GMT -7
Post by grey xavier slater on Jul 28, 2018 13:23:47 GMT -7
@lestrange Nothing else was said when it came to Phil or Claire; he was grateful for that. It felt wrong to discuss his former roommate as if they actually knew one each other. Trying to familiarize himself with someone he was only acquainted with (being roommates and Gryffindors aside) was going to make him seem like an idiot. Obviously Andy knew Phil better than he ever would, and there was nothing wrong with that. The vice-versa could be said about Claire, but even then Grey sometimes wondered if his sister’s isolation tactics were only practiced on him. There were often times where he would get strange looks from people he mentioned it to, furrowed brows and more questions desperately wanting to be asked but never were. He knew all too well that he blew some things out of proportion, her lack of warm and fuzzy demeanor being one of them. Brushing it off as an age difference thing would be easy to do if she was the same way towards Addi. She wasn’t. Maybe it was him, after all. Or continuing to blame his parents worked too. It always did. There were certain things out of his control that, no matter what he did, would still be frowned upon even if he was successful.
“Hugo? You don’t say…” Grey was sure he had talked to Hugo before, typically keeping his Weasley interactions to Anna and Lily (and briefly Ondina, the mere thought of it sending a shiver through him). But Hugo never seemed like a bad guy, and it made more sense to have him as Head Boy than say, Louis. Now that would have been a mistake on the school’s part. Andy asked about the clubs he did, and he shook his head, “Just the newspaper. Find myself wishing I did Quidditch, but I don’t think I would have worked well with the team.” Meaning he would have been too lazy and lacking competitiveness to really fit in there. As the head of the newspaper, he had control in what he did and did not do. “But hindsight is 20/20. I’m sure in a few years I’ll be glad I didn’t. Some of the injuries players get…” he shook his head again, this time thinking about some of the more gnarly accidents he had seen occur on the pitch. The closest he was ever going to get to Quidditch again, and not as a spectator, would be as a reporter. Assuming he could escape the Auror training first, that is.
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last online May 7, 2024 21:44:50 GMT -7
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Aug 9, 2018 16:16:45 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2018 16:16:45 GMT -7
Grey verified that he just did the newspaper, but said he wished he had done Quidditch save for the fact that he wouldn't have done well with the team. Andy grinned at that, "I don't think I'd do so great on the team either," she agreed. She didn't really care for Quidditch, but the idea of a team in general was... not really her style. She liked doing things on her own, or with one other person she trusted. But being out there with seven players and all sorts of expectations and rules to follow. No, thank you. He said he was sure in a few years he'd be glad he didn't, due to player injuries. "And you won't regret injuries you'll get from being an Auror?" she questioned, raising her cup to her lips and taking another sip as she surveyed his response. She was fine with all of her injuries and scars. She had scars from the stained glass at the church with Desi all over her arms and hands and a large scar across her left cheek that had finally stopped shining red. She knew magic could probably mend or hide the scars, but she was glad for them. She was also glad they weren't worse injuries. grey xavier slater
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grey xavier slater
HOGWARTS ALUM DAILY PROPHET QUIDDITCH REPORTER
696 posts
played by Colin
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last online May 7, 2024 7:36:53 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Aug 15, 2018 20:35:49 GMT -7
Post by grey xavier slater on Aug 15, 2018 20:35:49 GMT -7
@lestrange A small chuckle escaped from him as Andy said she didn’t think she would have done all that well on the Quidditch team either. That made two of them though. They were on their way to creating a pickup team of loner Gryffindors. There had to be more than just the two of them amongst the lions. Thank Merlin he hadn’t been forced into Hufflepuff. Grey was positive that his somewhat pessimistic outlook and roughness around new people had to do with that. Amazing that the hat could figure out all of that at eleven years old. There were often times where he wondered if being placed in the houses was how those traits eventually came to be, as if it was expected of them because of where they were. His ultimate act of bravery had still yet to show itself, as far as he was aware. However, he did have a habit of challenging the school with some of his newspaper articles, so maybe that counted. “Suppose it’s not made for the likes of us,” he said, the laugh dying off as he finished talking.
Andy made a good point when it came to being an Auror. That was something else altogether; a different beast. Of course he would, or rather could, get injured during the training, but anything past that was yet to be seen. “I won’t if I drop out of the program,” he answered, shrugging slightly. “My wants are starting to diverge from my parents’.” That was the easiest way to put it, without having to getting into the details. He was sure Andy would keep anything he said between the two of them; telling Claire all about this conversation seemed out of character for her. “And even if I do get hurt, means I’m still alive, right?” It was a sort of twisted way to look at it, but being alive meant he could complain about being hurt. Dead was dead, and that was it as far as he knew. Physical ailments were a sign of existing and feeling still. Not much could top that, in his opinion. "Playing Quidditch with them is different though, in a way..."
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last online May 7, 2024 21:44:50 GMT -7
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Sept 6, 2018 15:24:42 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2018 15:24:42 GMT -7
Whatever the 'likes of us' meant, Andy liked the term. As much as she wanted to be an individual, it was kind of nice to feel like she was a part of some kind of group. That's why she liked the program she was in at work. It was a team, while still a pretty individually based thing. Well, for the most part. She was surprised, though, when Grey suggested he may be dropping out of the program. He spoke about his parents and his wants being different from theirs now, which she understood. Obviously her wants were nothing like her parents... well, maybe aside from the violence part. Not that she wanted to be violent - no, no, it wasn't the time for her to get wrapped up in those thoughts. He mentioned that if he got hurt at least it meant he was still alive and she smiled, nodded. "That's how I always think of it," she admitted. She was a strong believer in scars being a good thing - proof that you had survived something. That was why she didn't bother to try and cover or heal the scars on her arms from fighting Desirae Rosseau in the church. That was also why she left the large scar on the side of her face, to remind herself what she'd been through. Getting hurt was just another way of proving you were living. "Do your parents have any idea you're thinking of changing paths?" she asked. grey xavier slater
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grey xavier slater
HOGWARTS ALUM DAILY PROPHET QUIDDITCH REPORTER
696 posts
played by Colin
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last online May 7, 2024 7:36:53 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Sept 13, 2018 22:09:17 GMT -7
Post by grey xavier slater on Sept 13, 2018 22:09:17 GMT -7
@lestrange Grey was starting to think that they were similar to each other than he had initially been lead to believe. Family and personal relationships aside, of which he had very little knowledge on Andy’s and he was sure she was the same way with him (aside from Claire and Addi), their belief systems seemed to slightly align. Grim thoughts like dying in the line of duty had to be present because that was a possibility for both of them now. Leaving the program would have been so much easier if it was because he was scared of dying or getting hurt. Being a journalist had its own level of danger attached to it, and in a volatile political and criminal environment they were currently in, there was also a chance that members of the Prophet and other newspapers would be dropping like flies soon too. First the students went and then it those that snooped too much. Changing career paths from Auror to journalist was barely any different, aside from having a license to arrest and kill.
“Not a clue,” he answered, letting out a drawn out exhale that he didn’t know had been welling up inside him. Every time he talked about this with someone new, it became easier to convince himself to leave. Right now it looked like he was going through all of the Gryffindor girls. The only one he wouldn’t talk to was Lily, since she was most likely going to blab about it to anyone that would give her the chance. “I’ve played their version of the game of Life long enough, I think. Plus they have Claire to accomplish that. Having a second go at it with me tells me they think she’s a failure.” He picked up his coffee and took a long sip as he let that statement sit for a few seconds. “I don’t think she’s a failure. She might go about things with me the wrong way, but we all do at the end of the day,” Grey shrugged, lifting the cup to his lips and finishing the rest of the coffee off. If his parents ever told Claire they thought she was a failure it would destroy her. Things were better if he carried that burden, because at least he didn’t care about it.
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