falling down [lyra]

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

August 2026

Summer lay heavily across the city like a blanket. The air was thick with bodies and reflected heat off the pavement. City dwellers sought shade in every possible place, but still flocked to parks and commons to enjoy the summer heat with a bottle of prosecco. There was barely a breeze, and every conversation started with the same words. "How about this heat?" As if summer didn't come around very often, and certainly not once a year. However, it was rare for the mercury to reach close to thirty five degrees, and the past five days had done exactly that.

Rob lounged across the threadbare sofa in his room, staring unseeing at the telly. The windows were all flung open, tempting a nonexistent breeze to blow past him. He'd been lucky to procure two standing fans, but even that just moved the hot air around the room. He was sweltering. And the stuffy flat provided next to no relief. Rob had tried cold beers, cold cloths and cold showers. Nothing worked to cool him off for long. Instead, he lay supine on the couch, hardly finding the energy to move.

Rob was just glad that Lyra had managed to escape to an air conditioned hotel in Paris for the past few days. She'd said she was going on a quick holiday with Hanna, who needed to do some costume work with the Opera house. And who was Rob to deny her that pleasure? Things had been somewhat tense between the pair since their argument a few months ago. They'd never come to a real agreement on how to move forward, and instead skirted uncomfortably around the subject.

Lyra was due back at some point today, and Rob was looking forward to seeing her. He'd missed her as always, feeling as if a part of him had vanished in the time they spent apart. Their argument hadn't impacted the bond whatsoever - even after she spat those horrible things about Aware Wolf to his back and he'd not wanted to see her face for days, he'd missed her.

Lyra Horváth

[Lyra Horváth]

Lyra had been happy to get out of London for a few days this weekend. The heat wave in the city had just about finished her off. When Hanna had floated the idea of running away to Paris with her for her business trip, Lyra had been all for it. When Hanna had shown her the underground duelling club that resided in the Catacombs, she had booked her own flight pretty sharpish. It was handy that Hanna's work coincided with their biggest tournament of the year. Lyra had seen the jackpot prize and told hanna horváth (now an unofficial agent of sorts) to get her in.

After a weekend of debauchery with Hanna, which included winning the 5,000 Galleon Jackpot prize, she had told Rob the day she'd be home, but she had to confirm their flight times. She had kept it particularly vague on purpose because Hanna said she could swing a portkey back, which had turned out to be true. After touching down some place in London and having another few afternoon drinks to celebrate her big win, she then landed right in the middle of their flat with a crack. Weekend bag on one arm, and a fat clinking bag of Galleons on the other. Lyra had it all sussed; get back while Rob was in work, stash the Galleons, spend a long time in the shower washing off the smell of alcohol and stale fags and if she had time she'd make it to Gringotts to deposit the gold in her separate savings account. That evening she would take him out for a modest meal and it would be like she never left.

Or rather that was her plan anyway.

As she popped into existence in the sun drenched living area of their flat, right in front of the couch Rob was lying on, her eyes widened. She was not expecting that. She thought at the very least she'd be able to brush her hair and cover up the massive dark circles from her wild weekend, but nope.

"Robbie!" She almost shrieked out of surprise. Unable to contain her growing sheepish grin she bit down on her bottom lip, knowing she'd been caught red handed "Why aren't you in work?!"

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Rob felt sweat pooling in the crevices of his body, and shifted slightly. The heat sapped the energy from him, leaving him boneless on the sofa. There was a deafening crack that should have shaken Rob to the core, but he couldn’t muster the energy to be surprised. Lyra materialised in front of him, looking like she’d seen better days. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles and her clothes were rumpled. She looked like shit - and smelled even worse. The stink of old booze and smokes rolled off her in waves, and Lyra fixed Rob with a look as if she had been cornered.

Lyra’s eyes darted frantically around the room, and Rob sat up, her distress giving him the energy that he couldn’t find elsewhere. The room was still oppressively hot, but his hands were sweating for a different reason now. Lyra looked impossibly guilty, and the crack in her voice told him that it went deeper. ”I’m doing my own research today. Well, I was,” said Rob slowly. His papers and quill were strewn about the kitchen table haphazardly as he’d tried to force himself to work in the heat. ”So… Paris…” said Rob, his eyes narrowing slightly. There was only one reason why Lyra would look so guilty.

Rob was certain in that moment that Lyra had been lying to him. Well, not lying exactly, but avoiding and omitting crucial facts. And he, Rob, had been willfully sticking his head in the sand, hoping that someone he in fact didn’t know very well would listen to his advice. It seemed that Rob knew his mate less than he’d thought - she was more stubborn than he knew. ”You were duelling again.” It wasn’t a question, more so a statement of fact. Rob started to count to ten very slowly in his head, trying to stem the flow of anger that threatened to erupt from him at her disobedience.

Lyra Horváth

[Lyra Horváth]

Standing on the spot, she was initially caught like a deer in headlights. Her smile for a moment had been confused, but now it was cheeky and guilt ridden as she nodded, taking in his plans of research. "Right" with a mumble she dropped her eyes and looked herself over. There went that plan of being able to cover things up.

Trying to at casual over it she feigned another small smile, but pointedly avoided getting too close to him. She really didn't need him to smell the stale cigarette smoke on her clothes, or the whiskey on her breath.

For now, all she could do was what Lyra Horváth did best; run away.

Turning she moved to the bedroom and quickly threw the bag of Galleons in the shared wardrobe. There was no point hiding it as such, but for now out of sight out of mind seemed it may work best. Dropping her weekend bag on the bedroom floor she then floated through the bedroom door and headed for their bathroom without giving him much of another look, casually calling over her shoulder "Yeah Paris was fun." Before tacking on "Why is it still hot as balls here though, I thought this heatwave was meant to be over with. I'm sweating. I'm going to have a quick shower, I need to freshen up." She left the door open for the five minutes she was in the shower before emerging into the living area again, a towel loosely wrapped around her body and her dark hair was hanging limp around her shoulders; dripping wet as her wild curls began to freely form.

She halted as Rob's statement caught her off guard. Whilst the topic of her duelling wasn't exactly a secret, it didn't go freely spoken about. In her head if it wasn't spoken about, it didn't happen. Right?

Letting herself flop against the wall, she crossed her arms on her chest and stood like a small child who was caught doing something they knew they shouldn't be. Pursing her lips together in a pout she nodded and eventually mumbled "Yeah..." because she wasn't sure what else she should say or do but freely admit her guilt. She knew this wouldn't go down well, but at the same time there was no point in denying it. Rob knew outright it was what she was at, but she just didn't know where to go from now. All she could do was stand against the wall, watching him and waiting for her scolding like a scornful teenager. She knew by the way he spoke, carefully, he was trying to dampen whatever rage was bubbling so close to the surface, and her lashing out wouldn't help the situation. She remained cool about it, trying to walk on eggshells for a moment and see if that would make the situation any better. 

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Rob watched Lyra scuttle away with growing trepidation. Her demeanour did nothing to assuage his suspicions, only to further confirm them. She went on about the suffocating heat in Paris being almost as bad as it was here, to which he grunted in agreement. Lyra made a comment about taking a shower, and Rob thought it was only to put off the inevitable. She was trying to buy herself time before finally admitting what she had done. Though Lyra left the bathroom door open, almost like an invitation, Rob did not move to follow her. His primal need for her was dampened somewhat by the rage he felt growing within him.

At long last, he straight up asked what was on his mind. Had she been duelling? They hadn’t spoken about it since their fight months ago, and Rob had been suspicious but had never been able to spot her in direct wrongdoing. Now he knew she had been sneaking around - and rather well. True to form, Lyra adopted a position against the wall, looking like a petulant child. He saw in her eyes that her mind was racing, perhaps coming up with lies that she could spin to placate him, a web to weave to deceive him. At long last, the truth came in the form of one word. Yes.

Inside, Rob was at war. On one hand, she was his mate. Lyra was the one person in the world who was supposed to understand his mind and his feelings without the need to speak. The one who was his missing piece. His love, his light, his life. But something was inexplicably missing, even now. She failed to understand his viewpoint on this, time and time again. Her continued disobedience (though he hated the word) had Rob reevaluating what exactly this bond was. Had he simply rushed into something with Lyra because she was pretty and spunky? Was the bond even real? Thus far, he’d had little tangible evidence of other bonds between werewolves. What if it was all a hoax? And Lyra wasn’t his mate, but rather a girl who had come into his life at the right time?

Lyra remained calm, but Rob couldn’t anymore. He felt like he had been doused in ice. Time after time, Lyra flouted his worries about the danger she put herself in. As if they were nothing. As if she knew so much better than him, and that the way he felt was meaningless. Before now, Rob had never realised just how selfish Lyra was. How she had twisted him around her finger, bending him to her will. ”I thought you weren’t going to do that anymore, Lyra,” said Rob in a slow, steely voice. He ground his teeth together, glaring at her. The heat of the flat was forgotten as he rose to her feet, towering over her. ”Does my concern mean nothing to you? Does anything I say get through to you?” he hissed, his voice colder than a winter day.

Lyra Horváth

[Lyra Horváth]

As she leaned against the wall, watching him two internal battles were going on in her head. The first of which was the physical side of her bond. She'd been away from her mate for a few days now, all she wanted to do was be close with him. Well, more than close really, but for now she had to try and dampen the growing urge in her chest when he ignored the bathroom door being left open. The second was the one going on between her head and her heart. While yes, she agreed with Rob, the duelling she indulged in was stupid and dangerous. She could indeed get seriously hurt. Or even locked up for a short spell, cautioned by the aurors. She was indulging in the seedy illegal side of it where there were very few rules and very little comeback if something went wrong.

But then, her greedy heart reminded her; nothing even went wrong, she was too good for that. Plus, she was winning a lot. Enough to enjoy her life without worry about funds, while still putting a good amount away for her and Rob's future. Along with the buzz and enjoyment she got out of it, it seemed like an obvious choice. Why couldn't he see that from her point of view?

And then she looked Rob in the face. His dark and clouded over face. Fuck she had messed up. Nibbling at her face, looking over to him "I never said that" She bit out defiantly, looking down and avoiding his gaze again. His eyes on her burned, feeling guilty. The shame rose in her cheeks, turning them puce. She hadn't lied, no, but she had as good as. She had never said outright she would stop. She didn't want to stop. She hadn't lied to him, but she hadn't exactly told him the truth either. Too lost in that thought, she hadn't noticed him cross the room to now loom over her. When she did eventually look up to see how close he had gotten, and the way he glared down at her a new emotion filled her up, tempering with her petulance. It was almost like a fear. He was scary now in how much bigger he was than her, the chill in his voice. She took a breath before feigning strength in herself, pushing her chest out to try and seem bigger than she was.

"It means everything Rob" She spoke quietly, trying to keep her voice even, but it shook regardless. "But can't you see how much I enjoy it? How good I am at it?" Throwing her hands up with aggravation she let out an exasperated sigh. "I won the whole thing. I beat over one hundred and fifty entrants to win the top prize. Five thousand galleons!" Her voice grew slightly more panicked and high pitched as she went on. "I've been putting money away for us. I wanted to get us a nice house somewhere down the coast. I want us to have nice things. It's like my job.." She gripped to pieces of arguments like it should sway him, frantically search the floor with her eyes as if she'd find better arguments to win him over down there, when really she was just too ashamed to look him in the eyes.

"I do it for us Robbie"

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

"I never said that."

Those four little words were so easily spoken, but the weight of them was unexpected. Lyra had never said that - it was true. But Rob had hoped that she would take his concern into account, yet her greed had completely blinded her. Rob had thought that their bond had been the most important thing, but if that had been true Lyra would have listened. Or at least tried. Yet the call of gold and pride and prizes was too strong. How could Rob be with someone who completely disregarded his trust and faith?

Rob snapped. He twisted and his fist met drywall, the strength behind his punch smashing a hole in the wall. But Rob didn't have time or mind capacity to care how much the landlord would care. "Damn it, Lyra. You're so fucking selfish!" shouted Rob, turning his cold glare on her at last. "It's all about you. You doing everything for yourself. Who cares if someone has concern for you - if you enjoy it, it must be the right decision. You're not a little girl in the forest anymore. Your actions have consequences!"

"And can't you see I don't care about money? And why would I want your dirty money? Money that you say you won, but at what cost? How many times did you play with your life to win that money?" he seethed, approaching her in a fury. "Your job is illegal. And when I raised my concerns, you ignored me. We're supposed to be a partnership, a team. But everything you do is for you." Rob took a deep breath knowing that this fight would be the end.

"It's time for me to do something for me. I can't be with someone who I can't trust. And I can't trust you, Lyra. We can't be together anymore." The words were hollow as he turned away, taking a few steps back into the lounge. "If you want to continue that shit, fine. But I won't be involved. I won't be at the sidelines waiting for you to fuck up."

Lyra Horváth

[Lyra Horváth]

The seething anger that radiated off him was enough to keep her silent. Even if she knew what to say to make it all better, she wasn't stupid. She knew to keep her mouth shut. Eyes locked on him, she was almost holding her breath out of fear. Rob had never been so angry, at least not with her. Not when they were alone like this. In the moment Lyra was petrified by the fear. Taking a shaky breath she tried to speak. Her mouth fell open, but the words wouldn't come.

Instead Rob's words struck her. Each one pummelling away at her chest, pulling her apart one by one. She knew it was true of course. Really that's why they hurt her so much.

Her breathing remained shaky and uneven as the verbal blows kept coming.

That was until the one final blow struck her.

We can't be together anymore

"What?!" At this point her body finally began to react, her eyes welling up "You're breaking up with me Robbie?" She wasn't even sure what that meant for their bond. Was it possible for a mate to leave the other? Looking down away from him, she swallowed and nodded her head. It was sinking in now. "You want me out? Ok." Stepping back towards their room now, she pulled out her old extended bag from the wardrobe and began throwing things into it. Somewhere in the mix she pulled out her tatteredold red polka dot dress, something she hadn't worn in months, and pulled it on in place of the towel. Then she moved back to shoving things in her bag, in silence. He wanted to break up? Ok she'd be gone then. It was breaking her heart, but she wasn't going to stick around to see if he'd change his mind. She was better than that.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Rob said nothing more to Lyra, especially nothing that would comfort her. He wouldn't make this even more about her - she would be able to figure out that on her own. Lyra did what Lyra wanted, and only thought about herself. Never about him. And he was tired to hell of it. The bond be damned - if was even real. Maybe Lyra had made that up too to settle herself into someone else's life so fully that he didn't know if he could cope without her. But Rob had to try to stand on his own. If Lyra refused to put him first, he would stop too.

When Lyra reappeared in the hall wearing that polka dot dress, Rob's resolve almost broke. Instead, he looked away, padding to the front door and opening it. He was silent still as she passed through it and was gone. The door clicked shut and it took a few seconds for the reality of the situation to settle in. Lyra was gone. His heart wrenched. And he had brought it about. Deflated, Rob returned to the sofa and collapsed on it, fighting the prickling sensation of tears behind his eyes.

[end Rob]
Lyra Horváth if you wanna wrap up

[Lyra Horváth]

Rob said nothing further. He watched her move and gather her things. Even with the magically expanded inside, her battered old backpack still bulged. She had collected quite a lot of belongings since moving in with Rob months previously. For a moment, she paused to pull on her old combat boots; it was too warm for them really, but she would sacrifice it for the space in her bag. Standing quietly, she glanced at herself in the mirror; she was leaving Rob's flat in the same outfit she had entered in.

Biting on her bottom lip, she stopped, wondering where she'd even go. Hanna's probably. If not, it'd be back to drifting. Which wouldn't be the worst she supposed, but, it wouldn't be very nice after the comforts of what had become her home.

Pulling her damp hair over her shoulder, she pulled her backpack up on the opposite shoulder and stepped out into the living room again. Rob opened the front door of the flat, a final stab in the heart as he kicked her out. In one last act of petulance, she shook her head, and instead stayed where she was. After she mumbled a choked goodbye, she left his flat with a crack, apparating out and leaving him standing there. 

End. 

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK