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rhys alexander greyback
HOGWARTS ALUM WEREWOLF CURSEBREAKER ECHO
1,174 posts
played by vanessa
the air around me still feels like a cage
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last online May 5, 2024 2:45:13 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Sept 8, 2021 21:26:57 GMT -7
Post by rhys alexander greyback on Sept 8, 2021 21:26:57 GMT -7
it seems we're so invincible the truth is so cold Rhys had expected her to continue to protest as he was already formulating how to best throw her over his shoulder as efficiently and safely as possible. After that—well, he hadn’t quite thought it through. His first instinct was to take her back to his flat, but this felt like the type of situation that required something different. She didn’t fight him, however, and merely nodded. Still, he decided to walk toward the door and open it, and in that short time, he heard a noise behind him. Tentatively Rhys turned, expecting to see Vasilia continuing to work but instead, she had grabbed her bag, and he felt her had in his own.
Some might call Rhys selfish and a bit of a jerk, even. Those people were not typically his friends or anyone that knew the man behind that surly exterior. He was tired, but Vas needed him, and here he was. Rhys gave a gentle squeeze in return as he led her out of the pub, only giving the bartender there a quick glance. If the staff wasn’t aware of their relationship or her tendency to overwork herself, they might have stopped him, but he supposed they knew something was up. Rhys tried to rattle his brain for somewhere they could go that was private and away from the commotion.
They got outside, and Rhys squinted slightly at the sunlight in his eyes. ”Have you side-along apparated before?” Rhys asked, turning to Vas and letting go of her hand so he could grab his wand. But he held out his other arm so she could hold onto him while he transported them. ”I think I know somewhere we can go for a little while.” The image was ready in Rhys’ mind, a place he’d known as a boy and one he’d visited often as soon as he’d learned to apparate. And it wasn’t that long ago he stood in that same place as he’d realized what his true feelings were about the woman standing next to him. ”Don’t hold your breath. Ready?” He asked, glancing down at her one last time before waving his wand.
Rhys still had his arm around her, and instinctively he scoped out their surroundings. The tall cliffs of the Bay were behind them, and all he could hear were some seagulls and the waves crashing against the rocks. It was chilly, and he took off his jacket to place on Vasilia’s shoulders, checking on her now to see how she fared during that short journey. Apparating was convenient but hardly comfortable. ”You alright?” Wales was far enough from London for now, and the uncertainty that was falling over the Fortescue family and he’d always found some peace here, maybe Vasilia would too. And now that he thought about it, he’d never really talked much about where he’d come from, so Rhys hoped this little piece of himself he was sharing with her could provide her with some comfort.
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last online Oct 27, 2023 12:42:38 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Oct 25, 2021 18:47:36 GMT -7
Post by vasilia abigail fortescue on Oct 25, 2021 18:47:36 GMT -7
Vasilia refused to meet her employees eyes as they left the pub, her gaze downcast. A part of her felt like a scolded child that had just been put in it's place. Another part of her felt terrible that she'd worried Rhys so much right after he'd just had a rough night of his own. She felt ashamed that he had to worry about her when he should be recovering. She'd been lost in her own mind (because thoughts didn't seem like the right word) when the steppe outside and Rhys spoke. Vas blinked, pulled from her stupor to look at him. "A few times," she answered. It wasn't a common thing, obviously, but she'd done it a few times when her parents or someone else had needed to get somewhere quick with her. She'd never been fond of it, it was partially why she'd gotten an enchanted motorcycle. So she could get around quickly on her own.
She hesitated a moment before taking his offered arm, trying not to hold on too tightly in case Rhys might realize that how much she disliked side-along apparation. She nodded as he advised her not to hold her breath and confirm she was ready. Though she'd tried not to, she instinctively clung onto him tighter in anticipation, dreading the gut wrenching feeling that was about to hit her. Even with her knowing it was coming, it still didn't prepare her for the moment when it happened. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt herself stomach knot and the breath knock right out of her. Then, it stopped and she opened her eyes. No longer were they in the Horizont Alley street, but instead at a cliffside.
Vas didn't travel much, to no surprise. But she recognized the salt in the air and the sound of the seagulls. Wherever they were, they were near the ocean. The bitter wind cut through the pair. If anything the wind was a pleasant change from that horrible gut wrenching feeling, as if shocking Vas' body back into reality. She was still staring out at the change in scenery when she felt something warm on her shoulders. She turned her head to look at him, smiling a little as she realized what he'd done. She held the jacket closed with her hands. "Yeah," she reassured him. Thankfully the feeling didn't last long. "Where are we?"
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rhys alexander greyback
HOGWARTS ALUM WEREWOLF CURSEBREAKER ECHO
1,174 posts
played by vanessa
the air around me still feels like a cage
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last online May 5, 2024 2:45:13 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 31, 2021 1:00:12 GMT -7
Post by rhys alexander greyback on Oct 31, 2021 1:00:12 GMT -7
it seems we're so invincible the truth is so cold Rhys could hardly find peace in his own life, and the thought of trying to bring it to somebody else made him nervous. But the pain he’d seen in her eyes today and before regarding her father hadn’t been something he could so easily ignore. And he knew the pain of that type of connection being severed. It hurt, and it lingered. Did it ever really go away? No, but Rhys figured most just learned to live with it. He’d spent more time talking to a tombstone than he ever had his mother, but that had to be enough because anything more was impossible.
It was chilly, but Rhys wasn’t cold. But he’d found that if he walked around with just a shirt in such weather, people looked at him funny. ”Wales.” Rhys responded simply, walking forward a few steps to take a seat on a formation of rocks that almost looked like a bench. He glanced back over his shoulder to signal for her to follow him. At least for him, the scenery was always peaceful, and it was never incredibly crowded with people. ”I grew up not far from here.” Rhys added after taking a seat. It was more difficult when he’d been older at the orphanage to travel, but sometimes the staff members took pity. Plus, it wasn’t far from where he’d been born, and his mother had died and been buried.
And then he’d gotten older and could apparate or take a portkey if he was too far. When Claire had recruited him into Heliopath and learned the safe house was here, he’d wondered if it was some sign that it had been where he’d grown up all along. These little details of his life were pieces he didn’t often share—not because he was hiding them, but they never really came up, and some just never asked. ”I come here to clear my head sometimes…my mother used to take me here when I was small.” Rhys had leaned forward onto his knees out of habit, and he sat up straighter, and he looked over at Vasilia, taking her hand gently. ”Its also far enough from the pub that you can’t go running back.” Rhys joked. Throwing oneself into work is exactly what he had done and would probably continue to do, but he saw the toll it took on her, plus Rhys knew Ilija would have his head if he let anything happen to her on his watch.
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last online Oct 27, 2023 12:42:38 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Oct 31, 2021 15:10:48 GMT -7
Post by vasilia abigail fortescue on Oct 31, 2021 15:10:48 GMT -7
Vasilia knew that there were many things about Rhys' past she didn't know. It wasn't something he talked about often, and she didn't force him to share anything he didn't want to or wasn't ready to. That didn't mean she was oblivious to the fact that there were clearly traumas in his own past. You didn't become as guarded and defensive as him without having been hurt. A lot. But she had assumed he was from Wales, or at least spent a great deal of his childhood there. There were always hints of if in his accent. Just like she knew her own accent said she spent far too much time in London growing up. She hadn't fixed Wales in.... how long though? She couldn't even recall. Vas held the jacket a little tighter as she stared out at the scenery in front of them, quietly taking it in and why he'd brought her here.
She heard him moving and looked over her shoulder, noticing him moving to sit and motion for her to follow. Without even having to think her feet moved on their own, moving towards him in silent obedience. "You don't talk about your past much," she mentioend as he brought up growing up near here. It was almost like a silent pleading for him to continue. Because if he was the one talking she could focus on his words instead of her own thoughts. It would keep last night's events at bay so they didn't consume her.
Vasilia sat down next to him, still holding the jacket tight around her shoulders, but after a moment she relaxed, letting her hands drop into her lap and just staring ahead. She didn't look at Rhys as he shifted or took his hand, but she squeezed his hand tightly in return, listening to his words desperately. He mentioned his mother. Someone he'd never mentioned to her before. "It's nice. Quiet," she answered softly, still staring straight ahead. It was. A part of her felt.... at ease. This was somewhere special to Rhys. Somewhere he went when he needed it and he'd brought her here when he knew she'd needed it. At the mention of the pub she smiled just a little but could feel her eyes starting to sting. It wasn't because the pub itself made her want to cry. It just seemed like everything made her want to cry right now. She was far to good at bottling everything up. But that meant when the lid was finally removed it wasn't going to close anytime soon. You could only push things down for so long, and when it finally did resurface you'd have to experience it all. It didn't make the pain any less. The tears started to silently fall, streaking down her cheeks (god, how was she even capable of crying still? She was going to dehydrate herself at this rate).
Vasilia didn't speak though as the tears started to fall. Instead she just leaned into Rhys and hid her face in the back of his shoulder (fairly easy considering he was leaning forward a bit).
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rhys alexander greyback
HOGWARTS ALUM WEREWOLF CURSEBREAKER ECHO
1,174 posts
played by vanessa
the air around me still feels like a cage
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last online May 5, 2024 2:45:13 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 31, 2021 16:40:34 GMT -7
Post by rhys alexander greyback on Oct 31, 2021 16:40:34 GMT -7
it seems we're so invincible the truth is so cold Rhys didn’t respond right away to Vasilia’s comment. It was true. Maybe when Rhys was far younger, he tried to explain who he was and things about himself, but nobody could see past his name for a long time. It didn’t matter that his favorite color was blue and that he enjoyed reading non-fiction books or that he had hobbies outside of drinking too much whiskey. All people saw was ‘Greyback’, and so he grew accustomed to that. Even relevant details that his family should know weren’t shared. Dahlia and Maria were part of the very few who even knew how his mother had actually died. Elias had known as well, but he was gone now.
Very quickly, Vasilia had become a very important part of his life, but it didn’t mean Rhys didn’t struggle. With every word that came out of his mouth, he felt that it was just giving her another reason to realize he wasn’t the man she thought he was. But at least right now, Rhys knew that she wasn’t thinking about that. Her father was dread, and she was in pain. He’d managed to drag her away from her work and her attempt to distract herself from the pain that wouldn’t just leave. The least he could do was, be her crutch when she needed one, right? Right now, he could just hear the seagulls fly overhead and the waves crash on the shore, and it calmed him.
Rhys felt her lean into his shoulder, and he glanced over, seeing the tears that silently fell down her face. She was a bit pale, probably exhausted. Rhys could admit he didn’t like to see her like this. She was typically such a source of happy energy. ”She loved the outdoors.” Rhys cleared his throat and kept talking. She had looked at him in such a way that was unusual for him. The one thing he’d always noted about her was her genuine expressions—she was interested. And if anything, she could just tell him to stop talking. ”Caerleon has a lot of history, so she’d take me to some of the old ruins, and then we’d walk here.” Rhys remembered quite a bit despite being so young, though he wished he had committed more to memory.
But he paused again. Talking about death in this situation felt grim, but he supposed it was something pivotal about himself. But first, he moved his arm so that he could wrap it around her shoulders. Even with his jacket, she was probably still cold. Rhys pulled her in so she could lean on him, and he sighed. There was a hesitation, Rhys always felt that talking about himself led to people pitying him, and he hated that. ”I—uh. She died when I was young.” He finally spoke. Truthfully it wasn’t for sympathy or pity or any of that, but Rhys wanted her to understand that he knew what it was like. So it didn’t matter how he felt physically or otherwise in the moment, exhausted and drained from the full moon because Rhys would give anything to save anyone from that pain. ”But, I have fond memories of her.” Rhys added. It was almost true.
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last online Oct 27, 2023 12:42:38 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Nov 2, 2021 21:49:40 GMT -7
Post by vasilia abigail fortescue on Nov 2, 2021 21:49:40 GMT -7
Rhys was silent for many moments. Perhaps he didn't know what to say. Vasilia wouldn't blame him if that was the case. Comforting someone in this situation was... difficult. There was only so much you could say. And none of it would fix the source of their pain. She knew that talking and crying like this wouldn't make it all go away. But maybe... Maybe it would at least help her realize that she'd get through this somehow. Someway.
Eventually though, he did speak. She squeezed her eyes shut as the tears streamed down her cheeks, listening to what he said. If she hadn't been in such a miserable state she might have noticed much sooner that he was using past tense when referring to his mother. Caerleon. She knew a bit about the history. Was that maybe where his interest in curse breaking came from?
Vasilia felt him moving and leaned back just a bit so he could change positions. But then his arm was around her, pulling her closer. Immediately she tucked herself in against him, leaning into his chest as he started to speak again. That was when he finally said something that captured her attention. Died. What? Immediately Vasilia pulled back just enough that she could look at him. Behind her teary eyes was confusion. A part of her actually felt terrible for having this reaction to her father's death when he'd lost a parent as well. After a moment of staring, very confused, at him, she leaned back into him. She wouldn't ask how his mother died. "What was her name?"
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rhys alexander greyback
HOGWARTS ALUM WEREWOLF CURSEBREAKER ECHO
1,174 posts
played by vanessa
the air around me still feels like a cage
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last online May 5, 2024 2:45:13 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Nov 2, 2021 22:41:58 GMT -7
Post by rhys alexander greyback on Nov 2, 2021 22:41:58 GMT -7
it seems we're so invincible the truth is so cold Rhys knew that he was supposed to be comforting her, but at the same time, it was comforting for him to have her here as he spoke about these things. It was difficult to get the words out as he had to linger on memories that, while fond, were painful for him. He didn’t know how to tell her that she would be alright, that while he was gone, he wasn’t in pain anymore. As she had described his disease, it sounded like a slow and painful way to go. Though any death was a painful experience as people tried to figure out what to do with the sudden voids in their lives.
”Charlotte.” Rhys mumbled in response, tightening his grip around her. It wasn’t the time nor the place to get into details. So he stayed quiet a moment, lightly running his fingers up and down her arm. Rhys’ mother had never had a chance at a full life. Her school years were filled with war and fear, and then Fenrir entered her life. She’d never had a chance to see how Rhys turned out. Or how would he have turned out if he’d stayed in this village his entire life?
Rhys took a slow breath as he watched the waves crash onto the shore, listening to the rhythmic sounds as the tide crept up the beach and then back into the ocean. ”It gets easier.” Rhys spoke. Merlin knew he’d been living that life for twenty years. ”I think you would’ve liked her.” A tiny bit of a grin crept onto his face as he recalled her sunny disposition. ”I remember she was always in the garden and would talk to everyone.” Literally anyone that walked by her small cottage. Rhys always thought back and wondered how his presence affected that for her. From the records he had found later in life, she had attended Hogwarts as a Hufflepuff, so he supposed that made sense.
But hopefully, this journey would be far easier for Vasilia. She had her brothers and her mother, and he was here for what she needed. She had support and hopefully good memories to look back on with her father as well. Rhys readjusted his arm so she could settle better against his chest, and he could sort of wrap his other arm around her as well. He kissed the top of her head softly as he let out another small sigh.
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