Reach Down | Lusie & Eli

[Deleted]

Sept 2nd 2024

Lusie spent a lot of time out on the lawns. The Hogwarts grounds were some of her favorite places, and she was glad to be back. She had told her brother this over the summer but she was feeling it especially now: she loved the Hogwarts castle a lot more than she loved her families castle. It was still weird (even though she had grown up with it for her whole life) knowing that she had a castle.

The sun was setting on their second day back to Hogwarts from the break. Her 6th year - how very strange, she thought. She was growing up way too quickly. Were those the kind of thoughts that she was supposed to be having? Or were those thoughts reserved just for older family members whom she only saw once a year? She contemplated her own contemplating as she walked past the forest and back towards the castle, slowly, breathing in the crisp autumn air.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

HE COULD HEAR NOTHING BUT HIS OWN heartbeat. It pounded in his ears, rattling his rib cage as he ran through the trees like a wanted man. He broke free of the cover while looking over his shoulder, peddling one arm wildly as he held the other close to his chest. He'd only gone to explore, a simply adventure with minimal pressure, but he supposed there was a reason it was called 'The Forbidden Forest'.

Wheezing by the time he skidded to a stop on the school green, Eli bent at the waist and spat a foamy mouthful of saliva in to the grass. He didn't notice that he'd completely flown past a girl, had merely been focused on getting away from the surprisingly fast, lethally slimed flesh-eating slug. "Fuck..." He gasped, straightening so rapidly that his head became light.

The wound was small but severe, a slobbery tendril of slug slime having dropped on to his hand while he'd been examining a fairly advanced crop of dittany. Earning him a four inch burn on the back of his right palm. And though he was in quite a bit of pain, he felt surprisingly thrilled. Adrenaline coursing through him like quicksilver. Though it didn't cure his breathlessness, which rattled his chest as he deliriously began to laugh. First just a little bit, and then madly, jerking his shoulders as he did. 

@lusie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

What began to happen next, Lusie hadn’t been expecting even in its rawest form: whatever that was. A boy past her, letting a profanity escape his lips before he began to laugh, Lusie found herself startled at first, and then curious. He seemed to be in pain, maybe? But then the laughter came so suddenly and deliriously, she wasn’t sure whether to approach and offer help, or to run away. However, Lusie’s small bits of bravery mustered to the tip top of her person and she slowly approached the boy, whom she had already mostly decided had to be mad - but she hated making those assumptions. “Excuse me?” her voice came faintly out of her pink lips, “Are you alright?” she asked, not wanting to make it seem like it was obvious that he wasn’t, but more in a ‘just checking’ tone.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

LOST IN HIS OWN DELIRIOUS ADRENALINE, ELI didn't hear the approach of another. He was laughing, sweaty and sore, but still the thrill of the entire endeavour drove him toward mad hysterics. It was no surprise that when he was discovered, it was with a tone of tentative concern.

Eli whipped around, his face red and a little shiny. Hand clutched close to his chest. "I'm fine!" He replied hastily, though his hand ached something terrible. At least he'd been found by another student and not a professor, who would perhaps question where he might have acquired the wounds from an angry flesh eating slug. Luckily, she was a short girl with an open, friendly face. Pretty, he thought. Though not familiar.

"It's just a scratch?" He offered with very little confidence. Pulling his hand away from his chest, he briefly showed his wounds to the girl. A small stripping of burnt flesh on the back of his curled hand. "I've had worse." He said with a small laugh and a shrug. 

@lusie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Lusie didn’t want to try to make the situation worse, or to discredit the young man when he insisted that he had had worse, but it looked pretty bad. “Looks like a bit more than a scratch.” Lusie said, trying not to do what she tended to do in situations like these: take over and force her solutions onto the other people involved. Lusie was a very kind soul, and she just liked to help. The idea that some people might not want help, or might be beyond help, was still new to her. New. Not entirely foreign. “Do you think you should go to the hospital wing?” Lusie asked, but her voice lead the question a bit. It could come across as a tad judgmental or condescending. She didn’t mean it that way, but in a way, maybe she did. “What did you do?” she asked.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

THE ONLY SCENARIO THAT HAD ELI THOUGHT TO consider, while doing something slightly prohibited, was of being caught by a professor. Someone with seniority that could slap his wrist, or expel him. Those were often the only ones he ever considered. So, to be stopped by a fellow student. To be questioned by a fellow student, well Eli felt a little off balance. He didn't feel as threatened, which made him loose. But, he didn't feel entirely safe either, which made him a little difficult.

"Ah, nah!" He waved her off, it really wasn't all that bad when compared to other wounds Eli had suffered. He took a slight step back as she brought up the hospital wing. Healers just asked too many questions. "I've had plenty of practise patching myself up," Eli shrugged, laughing shortly. He figured, if he could laugh it off, well surely she could too. "Got in to a fight with a flesh eating slug." He explained, because he thought the truth was too much fun to supplement with a boring lie.

"Did you know they just slide around your forest," Eli took an involuntary step forward, geared up by the thrill of it. "Like the own the damn place!" He was still clutching his hand protectively, but his posture eased as he changed the subject. "I just think that's fantastic!"

@lusie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Lusie was utterly shocked by how casual this young man was being about his injuries. When he admitted that he had gotten into a fight with a flesh eating slug, her jaw fell open, which was not at all very princessly of her, and her handlers would have cleared their throat if they ever saw it, but while she was at school she didn’t have to act like a princess, so she didn’t care. “Yes I’d heard they did, that’s one of the reasons the forbidden forest is well… forbidden.” Lusie nodded, she wasn’t judging the guy for going into the forest. To be honest, she had always kind of wanted to but never had the courage. “If you go to the hospital wing you’re bound to get in trouble.” she admitted, mostly as a warning, though the guy probably already knew, she doubted that this was the first time that he had done something like this. He had said that he had lots of practice. “Are you sure you don’t need help?” she offered again.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

WHILE THE GIRL HAD A PERFECTLY REASONABLE response, Eli's face still screwed slightly in disagreement. "I mean... forbidden could be taken as a... suggestion?" He said, his nose wrinkling as even he saw how utterly ridiculous he sounded. Of course it was forbidden, that's what made going in to it so much fun.

"At Ilvermorny, we were allowed to explore." He shrugged his shoulders, pouting his lips slightly.  "I just... assumed I'd get away with it, I guess." He didn't regret it, not one bit. But, then again, he hadn't counted on being caught either. There was time for anything. He definitely agreed that if he went for professional help there would be a barrage of unwanted questions.

Holding his arm close to his chest, Eli drew in a long breath. He was thinking, his eyes doing that squinting thing they did whenever he was deep in thought. After a second, his shoulders relaxed and he eyed the girl carefully. "Could... you help me?" His tongue darted out to wet his lip, relaxing his features slightly as he added in a ramble, "Not that you should feel like you have to!" He shifted from foot to foot. "I can just do it, if you don't wanna get in the hot seat." 

@lusie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Lusie couldn’t help a small smirk form at the young man’s response, “Well you’re allowed to explore here too, however, we just frown upon doing something to get yourself injured or attacked, maybe it’s a cultural difference.” she young princess teased. Once she realized that he was an American transfer, it was easier to relax around him, she doubted that he knew who she was, there was a chance, but even if he knew, she doubted he’d care. It was always easier to be around people who didn’t know, or, who just didn’t care. Too many people made a fuss about it when they first met her.

“Yeah, I can he-help you,” She said after a pause, with a slight stutter. She didn’t normally stutter, Lusie had been taught to be articulate and well spoken, but when she was unsure, sometimes she couldn’t help it. “Let’s see...um…” she thought, she wasn’t really well versed in magical first aid, she had taken the course, but, in the moment the information began to escape her. “Well it’s a burn so we should probably get it under some water…” the young Hufflepuff pulled out her want and cast aguamenti, causing a stream of water to began to pour from her wand.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

ELI FELT SURE HE WAS BEING TEASED BUT IT didn't sting as it might have done in the past. He just laughed, shaking his head with his arm held close. "Maybe it is." He wasn't quite sure why yet, perhaps it was the melodies of the British accent. It sure was easy on the ears.

Nodding enthusiastically, Eli felt a fizzle of relief in his chest. She wasn't going to rat him out and she was going to help him. Two extra hands to cover up his own little adventure. "Great!" He exclaimed, holding out his hand to display the burn. It wasn't too bad, he thought. But, it looked gross under the blistering sunlight.

Watching carefully, Eli's eyes lit up as a stream of water bubbled from the end of the girl's wand. He pushed his hand under it, shoulders tensing slightly as it nipped to begin with. "Good thinking!" He admired, though his jaw was clenched as he turned his hand over and around in the chilly stream. It was like dipping his hand in to an icy cold river. And soon, it soothed the ache on his blistered skin. "You're a quick thinker, I'd have dragged myself all the way to the bathroom for this." It was never Eli's first instinct to use charms to solve his problems. Probably because he wasn't very good at them.

"Now what?" He asked curiously, realising quite plainly that if he were alone, he'd have run it under some water and simply hid it from sight until it healed over. There wasn't much method to his madness. 

@lusie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Lusie kept the stream going from her wand as long as the boy needed it, once he pulled his hand back, she pulled her wand back, stopping the charm, and, she tucked her wand back into her pocket where she often kept it despite it’s obvious dangers. Lusie wanted to be a healer when she grew up, or so she thought, she was also considering other career options but that was besides the point. The point was that she wanted to be a healer yet she wasn’t sure what else to do to help a burn. She always had someone to do it for her and she never paid too much attention. She wasn’t good with pain and often would black out at the tiniest bit of it. “Um I don’t know… I’m not really the best with this kind of thing.” she was squeamish at the site of others being injured or sick, but she wasn’t sure how to help entirely. “I don’t really think you’re supposed to cover it because air helps it heal… maybe? There might be a charm to help it heal faster.” she shrugged. “Sorry, I’m probably not much help.”

Elijah Theron Fleming
(maybe we wrap this up because it's an older thread?)

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

IMPRESSED BY HER QUICK THINKING IT WAS only natural for Eli to assume she knew what to do next. He hadn't meant to put her on the spot, merely enthused by her willingness to help him. And maybe the pain was making him a bit delirious. Either way, he felt a little guilty when she suddenly drew back, her tone becoming thoughtful and withdrawn.

Eli straightened, pulling slightly at the uninjured skin around his burn as he shook his head and smiled. "No, you saved my ass." He said happily, reaching out with his good hand to clasp her shoulder and shake it slightly. "Really, I owe you one." And then he realised that for all she had done for him, he didn't know her name.

"I'm Eli, by-the-way." He added, shaking the last droplets from his hand and letting the warm air and sun catch it like she'd said. 

@lusie
i'm chill with that. as long as he maybe gets her name? we can leave it there! even start something more present if you wanted. 

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

While Lusie felt like she hadn’t been able to do much for the adventurous stranger, the young man seemed to think she had done more than enough and had even “saved his ass” which made her giggle a little bit. Lusie wasn’t one to swear, she was a princess after all, what would happen if someone heard? “Happy to help.” she insisted with a smile, a genuine one. He then introduced himself, and Lusie was suddenly aware of the fact that she hadn’t introduced herself earlier. That was quite rude of herself, she thought. “I’m Lusie. A pleasure you meet you, Eli.” she then looked around her, it probably looked a bit suspicious that they were out here. “I’m going to return to the castle. You’re welcome to join me, or you can stay out here, if you wish.” she told him before turning and heading back up the lawns.

Elijah Theron Fleming
go ahead and end it

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

ELI ALWAYS LIKED IT WHEN HE MET SOMEONE new, someone nice. When a person's face, sweet and round and smiling, fit his exact expectations. "Lusie." He echoed, grinning happily as he committed it to memory. He thought her name fit her face. And it was easy to remember, which bode well for him. Though, he did look around at the green of the courtyard, a little mournful to leave it, when she asked if he'd like to walk inside with her. However, he didn't hesitate for long.

"I'll walk with you," He said readily, leaving his injured hand loose at his side, the other tucked in to his pocket. "So, what house are you in?" He asked curiously as they walked, shortening his steps so that she could keep in time with him. "I heard all the smart ones end up in Ravenclaw...?" At this he smirked, disbelieving the fact, but airing it anyway. If anyone fit the bill, he figured it'd be the fast-thinking Lusie.

[END]

@lusie  
no need to answer his question! i figured it's typical small-talk. we can flesh things out in a separate thread, more present, if you'd like to sometime.

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!