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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Jan 10, 2016 22:18:48 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2016 22:18:48 GMT -7
Dusti did not like kitchens.
No, scratch that, they flat out terrified her. Ever since she was a child she'd been prone to go into fits of panic whenever she was forced into one. So she avoided them like the plague, refusing to set foot in one if she could help it. Which was why today was so.... out of character. Today she stood in the corridor she knew led to the Kitchen, taking deep soothing breaths. She was here willingly, trying to work up the nerve to take those next few steps. Why was she doing this? Why was she willingly facing one of her deepest fears? Well, you did some crazy things for those important to you. Albus, her closest friend next to her sister, was still recovering in the Hospital Wing. Being cooped up like that wasn't helping his mood though, and so she wanted to do something nice, to try and lift his spirits. So, here she was, trying to get one thing she knew would get more then a few strange looked, but would hopefully cheer him up.
Another deep breath and she finally took a step, then another. Her hands were already shaking as she touched the pear on the portrait that hid the kitchens. It swung open... And she froze. Unable to take another step as her heart beat painfully in her chest. She couldn't do this....
@leigh
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Jan 23, 2016 2:01:26 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2016 2:01:26 GMT -7
@dusti sitting in the kitchen munching away on the sandwich the house elf had made him, raleigh sat at the long wooden table that sat in the centre of the huge kitchen and pulled the crusts from around the edge. he always forgot. they were the worst part of the sandwich. horrible tasting. bland. just wrong. so he'd always take them off. he bit into it again as he heard the portrait that hid the entrance of the kitchen and he looked up and instantly raised his eyebrow at who was standing there. his oldest younger sister was standing there. well this was a first. she hadn't stepped foot in a kitchen since .. well he couldn't remember when. he shifted and leaned back a little, the smirk growing on his face. "you do know that to get food you actually have to come inside, right?" how long had it been since he'd actually spoken to his sister. the last time they were at home together he thought. they didn't speak in school that often, clashed too much. didn't get on a whole lot better than her and river did.
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Jan 24, 2016 21:41:40 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2016 21:41:40 GMT -7
It was Raleigh.
The one person she wished wouldn’t witness her growing panic attack. He was sitting there so casually, as if he owned the place. He didn’t know what had happened when she was six. He didn’t know about the scars, and the trauma. He probably thought she was a selfish brat, who hated him and River, because at home? The twins stuck together and left the boys to fend for themselves.
Dusti tried to remain calm, to act casually and walk in with her usual ‘back off’ attitude, glare at him, grab what she wanted, and leave. If only it was that simple. Her feet wouldn’t move yet. And her breathing had sped up a little. Maybe she should just pull out her wand and try and summon what she wanted? Or order a house elf to get it.
”Shut up, Raleigh.” she finally spat back as he taunted her. At least his taunt managed to get her moving. No, she wasn’t going to be afraid. Not in front of him. One step in front of the other. She turned away from him as a house elf appeared, squeaking out a question of what she’d like. She barely managed to whisper back a response. The elf looked confused at her request but nodded scurrying off.
Standing there alone, with her brother merely feet away, Dusti stood as tall as she could. Keeping her back to him so he wouldn’t see her wide, terrified eyes. Or see that her hands were shaking. Or her breathing so quick she was practically hyperventilating.
@leigh
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Feb 4, 2016 23:35:08 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 23:35:08 GMT -7
@dusti ”Shut up, Raleigh.” he let a smirk slip onto his face as he put down what he was eating and turned to face his younger sister. he leaned his elbow against the table a he watched her take calculated steps toward what she wanted, the concentration on her face clear till she turned away from him to deal with what else she needed to do. he'd never understood why she didn't like the kitchen at home. why she refused to go into it at all. he rested his chin on his palm as he kept his eyes on her back. "well at least you worked out how to put one foot in front of the other" he said as he pulled a chip from the side of his plate and crunched on it. he heard her whisper to the elf and he watched the little thing scurry off to fill her request and he looked back at his sister. [he frowned when he saw how fast she was breathing. she had turned away from him, probably to hide the fact she wasn't comfortable but that didn't mean he couldn't see her body moving when she breathed. he stood up and stepped toward her. "dusti? are you ill?" he said, he tried to hide the concern that he felt but a small amount creeped into his voice. he could act cold and uncaring to his sisters when he didn't interact with them which is why he normally ignored them but now .. it was harder to keep up the facade.
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Feb 7, 2016 19:22:27 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2016 19:22:27 GMT -7
Keeping her back to him, Dusti tried to come off as standoffish and cold. Her usual self, basically. Because she couldn’t afford anything else. Not in front of Raleigh. She needed to come up with some snappy and harsh response to his comment. Wanted to desperately, but she kept her mouth tightly shut, fearing she might throw up if she tried speaking again. Her stomach was in a tight knot , her chest hurt as her frantic breathing turned to hyperventilating, her hands trembling. She knew she was having a panic attack. Calm down, Dusti. It would be fine. The house elf would return and she could leave. Just a few minutes. That was all she had to endure.
A few minutes.
Dusti didn’t hear her brother move, the house elf having finally returned with a small, wrapped bundle in her arms. She tried to offer a small nod of thanks as she took the bundle from the elf. That was when Raleigh spoke, suddenly closer then before. She turned, forcing her eyes into a narrowed glare. It wasn’t very intimidating. Not with the frantic breathing, or her trembling hands, or how deathly pale she’d become. ”I’m fine.” she finally managed to hiss out. Now to make a quick get away, to get out of here as fast as physically possible.
She took one step towards the door when her head started swimming. Another step and she stumbled. She didn’t make the third and dropped to the ground in a dead faint.
@leigh
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Feb 16, 2016 14:50:26 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2016 14:50:26 GMT -7
@dusti ”I’m fine.” if that was fine he would have hated to see her not doing fine. he frowned a little at her attempt at a glare and that's when he knew something was really wrong. she had a glare that would be able to sne ice down anyone's spine on a normal day and today it was well below par and he had to admit that it worried him slightly. he glanced down to the small bundle in her hands and wondered what was in it, what was so important for her to come down to the kitchen when clearly it wasn't something she should have been doing. the kitchens over the hospital wing if she was ill? it made no sense. he tilted his head to the side ever so slightly when she tried to take a step from him but he was momentarily distracted by a house elf tugging on his robes asking if he wanted anything else. he shook the small creature off with a hiss of "not right now" and glanced back to his sister as she collapsed to the stone floor. "dusti?" he said as he crouched beside her, his hand reaching down to shake her shoulder roughly in an attempt to rouse her. "dusti" he said with a frown as he looked at the house elves. "tell the hospital wing dusti flint is being brought up" he said as he reached down and lifted his little sister into his arms. feather light, she was and no trouble whatso ever for him to carry so he started out of the kitchen and up to the hospital wing where he had a feeling he would be in for a long night.
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Feb 21, 2016 15:32:08 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2016 15:32:08 GMT -7
(In the hospital wind now. Just gunna NPC a healer.) The curtain had been drawn around the bed one of the healers had chosen. Only he and Raleigh were in it with her. Dusti’s breath had even out, but was still pale. The healer had been examining the girl, trying to find the cause of her fainting, for a few minutes now, and finally stepped away from the bed to look at the girl’s brother. ”She had a panic attack. With some rest she’ll be fine.” Was the verdict.
She’d fainted from a blasted panic attack. A girl who could take any emotional and physical beating her parents gave her. Thankfully she was still unconscious, so she didn’t have to face the humiliation quite yet.
A few hours later, and she finally stirred. The color had finally returned to her skin. The first thing she saw was the arched ceilings of the Hospital wing, her mind reeling as it tried to piece together what had happened. When it did, her gaze dropped, and found Raleigh…
This couldn’t be happening….
@leigh
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Feb 25, 2016 9:30:25 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2016 9:30:25 GMT -7
@dusti it had been a few hours since there had been any sign of life from his younger sister. and so he had sat by her bed. it might seem out of character for him but he had every intention of leaving before she woke up in order to keep her thinking that he didn't really care about her welfare since he had almost shattered that thought path in the kitchen and now here he was asleep by her head, his head tilted to the side and his body slumped and curled into the arm chair that the healer had conjured for him when he had made his intentions of staying clear. he had no idea how long he'd been asleep when the rustling of sheets next to him worked it's way into his dream and he was pulled rather suddenly from his sleep and he blinked his eyes once before turning his head toward the bed and he sat up, setting his back straight like it usually was and he brought his fingers up to wipe the grit from his eyes. "bout time you woke up."
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Mar 9, 2016 20:59:43 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2016 20:59:43 GMT -7
Raleigh sat up quickly, but Dusti knew he'd been asleep. How long had she been out? Long enough for him to fall asleep, obviously. But why was he here? She'd expect Rusti's presence. Heck, even River was slightly more likely then Raleigh. But here he was, the oldest Flint child. Whether he'd just fallen asleep and lost track of time, or if he'd stayed intentionally, his concern was clear. At least to her. For a family that showed little emotional attachment to each other, this simple act spoke volumes.
"Why are you here, Raleigh..?" She asked softly, cautiously. She sat up, pushing the blanket off of her as she brought her knees up against her chest. "If you're going to mock me, just get it over with." she demanded, forcing her voice to take it's usual cold indifference.
@leigh
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Mar 24, 2016 15:08:51 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2016 15:08:51 GMT -7
@dusti "Why are you here, Raleigh..?" "If you're going to mock me, just get it over with." he rolled his eyes and shifted in the chair. she was really going to ask him that? he wasn't all that heartless was he? then again bay had called him out on being like that a little whil ago so he had been trying to keep it under a better control. it wasn't like he wanted people to dislike him, he just didn't have the patients to deal with people who bored him or he felt he didn't need to talk to. a product of how he was raised it was. "because the chair is more comfortable than my bed" he said as he rolled his back lightly and felt and heard it crack and he let out a breath. "i'm not going to mock you yet. even i know you don't kick someone when they're down dusti" he spoke as he leaned back into the chair and folded his arms. he was worried about her, dusti was usually the strongest of his sisters and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her anything less than.
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Mar 30, 2016 21:38:48 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2016 21:38:48 GMT -7
Dusti ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a slow breath. He was right. Raleigh wasn't the mocking type. He tried to hide it, but he was just as protective as she was. Despite their differences, and their slight estrangement, accusing him of that wasn't exactly fair. He had added 'yet' at the end though. That wasn't very comforting.
She slowly looked at her brother as he leaned back in the chair. He seemed quite comfortable, as if content to stay there as long as needed. Until he got an explanation probably. After all, he'd just witnessed her faint for no apparent reason. That wasn't exactly normal. "They told you why I fainted, didn't they?" It wasn't a question. It was an accusation. That he knew. She'd had a panic attack. Something that only serious distress could cause. Her, the strong one. The one that tried so hard to not let anything get to her no matter what.
@leigh
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Apr 5, 2016 9:58:40 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2016 9:58:40 GMT -7
@dusti "They told you why I fainted, didn't they?" he raised his brow at the accusation in her voice. how did she know what they had told him? she had been out cold on a hospital bed not able to know. he fought the urge to roll his eyes. he didn't feel it was necessary at the moment but still the urge to do it was there. he wondered if he should pretend he knew, keep on with her charade of being accusatory but even he knew that wouldn't be fair on her. he wasn't exactly nice but he drew the line at being downright cruel. he had come to the conclusion that he should at least try and be a better brother to his sisters, while he had been sitting there next to the hospital bed for merlin knew how many hours. he shook his head lightly and laced his fingers together and rested his hands against his middle, his elbows leaning on the arms of the chairs and he shrugged his shoulders slightly. "actually they didn't. so why don't you tell me" he said lightly. the curtain was drawn around them and he doubted there was anyone in the wing awake enough to hear them. he knew that potter was still taking up a bed because the kid had been asking about dusti more than once. it had taken everything raleigh had not to tell him to pipe down and forget about his sister.
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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Apr 18, 2016 20:03:25 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2016 20:03:25 GMT -7
Dusti gritted her teeth. She wasn't a very optimistic person. Nor was she trusting. It meant she thought the worst possible outcome first. It made her blunt, argumentative, and accusing. Even when she knew she shouldn't. Raleigh, her own brother, shouldn't have to deal with that part of her personality. But he did. Because she wasn't trusting. Even to those she'd known her whole life. But you could blame her parents for that. She'd known them her whole life and all they'd done is teach her that you'd get stabbed in the back if you trusted someone. Even your own family.
He should know though. It wasn't like it was a.... secret. At least within the family. Rusti knew. Their mother obviously knew. River had technically been there, but he probably didn't remember it since he'd been so little. Dusti didn't speak immediately though. Instead, she undid the tie of her uniform, so she could unbotton the top few buttons of her blouse and shrugged it off her shoulder. Being her brother, she felt no shame in the action. Pulling her hair over her other shoulder, the scars were finally revealed. Between her hair, and her shirts, Dusti's upper back was rarely exposed, so almost no one had seen the massive scaring down the back of her neck and shoulder blades. "Mother's doing." was all she said she she kept her gaze away from him.
The scars were burns. And where else would you get burned that badly then in a kitchen?
@leigh
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last online Mar 29, 2024 2:33:40 GMT -7
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May 14, 2016 9:17:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 14, 2016 9:17:29 GMT -7
@dusti "Mother's doing." he should have known. it wasn't rocket science to work out that one of their parents had to be behind what had happened. he only nodded his head once. he didn't say anything else about it. clearly it was something that still deeply effected his sister and he didn't see the point in pushing and trying to talk about it more. nor did he really want to. he stretched his legs out before him and moved to stand up. "the potter kid was asking about you" he said as he leaned down to grab his jacket and he pulled it over his shoulders. he figured the thing she needed now was rest, not her brother hovering around and making her more anxious. "get some rest" he said without much meaning coming through into his voice as he walked through the curtain that was pulled around her bed.
(le end)
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