|
penelope raisa bainbridge
HOGWARTS ALUM FORGET-ME-KNOT FLORIST CASHIER ABILITY DETECTION
226 posts
played by Audrey
What if Cinderella had to save herself?
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 7:18:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Feb 7, 2020 17:55:27 GMT -7
Post by penelope raisa bainbridge on Feb 7, 2020 17:55:27 GMT -7
"What kind of weird?"
That was what she couldn't really explain; she had never felt anything like it before. It was less an emotion than it was a premonition, almost, not that she could pinpoint what it was that she had a premonition about. It made the most sense to her that it might have been a recognition of some sort of impending doom, but nothing bad had happened to either Kinsey or Peyton since she had first recognized it. Whatever it was.
"That's the thing," Penelope explained, shifting her tea and croissant so that she could move away from the queue and take a bite out of the pastry. "I… don't know what to call it." And she wanted to know if there was something more to it, simply because of how unusual it was. "Madam Macmillan said that she wasn't sure," she continued after a bite of croissant, "and it doesn't feel like anxiety, I don't think? I mean, I think I would know if it was just anxiety…" She would have felt it before, at least.
"And it's not just my sisters," Penelope added. "Sometimes it's other people. It—It was Max Greyback at the Flower Festival, too… That's where I noticed it, at the Flower Festival. And I've been driving myself mad trying to think of something to explain it." The closest she had gotten was something to do with death or tragedy, but even that didn't make complete sense. "I don't know. I just want to know what's happening. If I'm a Seer or just mad or…"
@riley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 8:08:14 GMT -7
|
|
|
Feb 10, 2020 12:19:33 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2020 12:19:33 GMT -7
Riley had a knack for being able to read people. Okay, it wasn’t a knack. It was a trained talent. He had rewired his brain for years to be able to pick up on and notice various cues that people gave to detail their thoughts and emotions. And he could tell that penelope really thought that she was going mad. She was shifting and he could tell that her mind was racing. She told him that she was noticing it more and more and last time it had been with Max Greyback at the flower festival. Riley wasn’t familiar with Max, but he knew enough of her to know that she wasn’t like Priscilla and that Penelope would have no reason to feel threatened by her. It was more than fear or anxiety. His first thought was that she had some ability that was hidden, maybe even from her. Kinsey had abilities and he was sure she wasn’t the only one in her family. He knew enough of her family situation. Maybe something was developing in Penelope.
“Maybe it’s not brought on by something bad or scary. Maybe there’s just something different going on.” he knew she was about to see a healer for this so he didn’t want to try to take the place of that. But he knew he could say at least something beneficial to ease her anxiety a little. “So many people, myself included, feel something even a little bit off and jump to the worst conclusions. But the best thing we can do for ourselves is wait until we know for sure before we jump.” he knew healers couldn’t really test for abilities - so she might not even get any conclusive results if that really was the conclusion. But he hoped it might provide a little bit of comfort to her.
penelope raisa bainbridge
|
|
|
|
|
penelope raisa bainbridge
HOGWARTS ALUM FORGET-ME-KNOT FLORIST CASHIER ABILITY DETECTION
226 posts
played by Audrey
What if Cinderella had to save herself?
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 7:18:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Feb 10, 2020 13:14:43 GMT -7
Post by penelope raisa bainbridge on Feb 10, 2020 13:14:43 GMT -7
“Maybe it’s not brought on by something bad or scary. Maybe there’s just something different going on.”
Penelope, Hufflepuff that she was, had always taken difference to be a positive thing. It was probably a cliché, but people’s differences were part of what made them interesting. She had plenty of similarities to her siblings, for example, but she wasn’t an exact copy of any of them—even as a triplet. But, if what Riley was describing wasn’t something bad or scary, what was it?
Before her mind could even venture off in that direction, however, Riley had spoken to her again. “So many people, myself included, feel something even a little bit off and jump to the worst conclusions. But the best thing we can do for ourselves is wait until we know for sure before we jump.”
“Whatever it is, I just want to know.” She cared about Riley and Kinsey, but she didn’t want to have to continue worrying about their safety so much. She wanted to be able to put her mind at ease that she wasn’t subconsciously predicting something horrible, that her brain wasn’t singling out her siblings or even her classmates for some awful fate. “And I want you and Kins to be safe,” she added, even though she knew that Riley would surely say something about how she didn’t need to worry about him or Kinsey; she couldn’t help it. “And it’s just really hard to think about not thinking and maybe… feeling like myself again?”
That last one was the hardest. Penelope knew that she couldn’t turn back time to before everything had happened at Hogwarts and with her siblings. She could only hope to hold together what she had, as messy and imperfect as it was.
@riley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 8:08:14 GMT -7
|
|
|
Feb 10, 2020 14:23:45 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2020 14:23:45 GMT -7
She said that whatever it was, she just wanted to know. And Riley wanted for her to know as well. But there wasn’t much he could do, or any healer could do, if she didn’t know what was going on either. Healers were helpful, and there were powerful spells and invasive occlumency that could be used to get inside the heads of those they treated - but Riley didn’t want her to get her hopes up that they would be able to provide all the answers for her, or solve all the problems. He didn’t want to tell her that, however. He didn’t want to ruin her hope.
“Kinsey is safe. You don’t have to worry about her.” Riley insisted. He wasn’t going to say the same about himself, but he found it better to ignore it completely than say anything to the contrary. “And you, as well. If you ever feel threatened or endangered, you let me know.” he wasn’t sure when exactly he started to feel this responsibility for Kinsey’s sisters - but here it was. He was sure it had a lot to do with the events of the previous year. But he meant it. “I hope that you will be able to feel like yourself again, i’m sure there are steps to get back there.” Or at least to find a new normal.
penelope raisa bainbridge
|
|
|
|
|
penelope raisa bainbridge
HOGWARTS ALUM FORGET-ME-KNOT FLORIST CASHIER ABILITY DETECTION
226 posts
played by Audrey
What if Cinderella had to save herself?
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 7:18:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Feb 10, 2020 14:50:47 GMT -7
Post by penelope raisa bainbridge on Feb 10, 2020 14:50:47 GMT -7
“Kinsey is safe. You don’t have to worry about her,” Riley assured her. Penelope knew that, somewhere inside of herself. He had promised her her sister’s safety numerous times, and she didn’t doubt him. She trusted Riley, and she trusted that he—of anyone—would be able to handle Priscilla if she showed up at any point. “And you, as well. If you ever feel threatened or endangered, you let me know.”
Penelope nodded, all but ignoring the tea and croissant that she was still having to balance. “I will,” she promised. As she had told him before, she trusted him and his judgment—especially when it came to all of the high society issues that were so far beyond her own experiences.
Riley also expressed his hope that she would be able to feel like herself again. He was sure, he said, that there were “steps to get back there”.
“Merlin, has anyone told you that you sound like a Healer already?” Penelope informed Riley, cracking a smile. He really did sound like he knew what he was talking about, and she couldn’t help thinking about how much he had been put through without seeming to show how affected he was by all of it. “Hopefully Steinwort agrees, right?”
@riley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 8:08:14 GMT -7
|
|
|
Feb 10, 2020 17:01:42 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2020 17:01:42 GMT -7
Riley had a habit of getting very serious very quickly. He always did it. He knew that it bugged Kinsey because it brought the mood down when she was trying to be light and fun. But he wanted to make it clear how he felt and what he would be willing to do for those people that he cared about. People like that were few and far between anymore so he wanted to ensure that those who made the list knew and felt how he felt about them. Life was too short to dance around and not be straightforward with people. “Yeah people have been telling me that for years.” Riley admitted with a laugh of his own. He had been like a healer since he was 15 or so. He had been studying this material since he was 9 - the first time he found a book about the brain. He nodded down to her food, wanting to lighten the subject. “you should have that before it gets cold.” he told her as he gulped his coffee.
penelope raisa bainbridge
|
|
|
|
|
penelope raisa bainbridge
HOGWARTS ALUM FORGET-ME-KNOT FLORIST CASHIER ABILITY DETECTION
226 posts
played by Audrey
What if Cinderella had to save herself?
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 7:18:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Feb 10, 2020 17:37:35 GMT -7
Post by penelope raisa bainbridge on Feb 10, 2020 17:37:35 GMT -7
Riley answered her by saying that people had been telling him that he sounded like a Healer for years. At least he had chosen the right career path, in that case? Penelope laughed along with him. It seemed to be a good fit for him, and she didn’t want to imagine what his life would have been like at that moment if he hadn’t broken off his engagement to Priscilla Rosier. His family probably would have gotten him some position within the Ministry of Magic or something, Penelope thought. Obviously, it would have paid well, and he probably would have been good at it because he was certainly clever enough, but she knew that his personality didn’t fit with being a career politician.
He then nodded in the direction of the tea and croissant that she still held in her hands. “You should have that before it gets cold,” he advised her before gulping down his coffee.
“Er, you’re right,” Penelope agreed, shifting the cup so that she could hold the croissant more naturally. “I should… do that.”
A while later, she had finished meeting with the Healer—Steinwort—and had been left with more questions than answers. Another patient she had walked by had given off that same… Aura? Whatever word she was going to use to describe it, she had felt it again, which meant that it was something, and she had been able to pinpoint it to the Healer.
Steinwort, as knowledgeable as he was, hadn’t been able to provide her with a definitive answer, other than to rule out what it wasn’t. She wasn’t going mad, he assured her, which was more of a relief than she thought it would be when she heard it straight from the Healer himself. She also wasn’t a Seer, which was probably preferable to finding out that she was one… Her anxiety was normal, he explained, given what she said that she had been through, and there were a number of potions that he suggested—all of which she had already tried at some point or another from the Hospital Wing at school.
In short, there was nothing seriously wrong with her. Although Penelope had been cleared to leave, she hovered around for a few moments longer until she saw Riley again. She smiled, more relaxed than earlier, and called after him. “Riley?”
@riley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 8:08:14 GMT -7
|
|
|
Feb 10, 2020 19:13:34 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2020 19:13:34 GMT -7
Riley walked Penelope up to her apt and dropped her off the the nurse who took her back to her appointment. Luckily it wasn’t one that he would be working that day, so he was able to distance himself and give her the privacy to work with the healer without any of his bias coming through. Though, he couldn’t help the suspicion that Steinwort couldn’t help her. He made it through his first apt while keeping his mind mostly on his own patient. She was a regular and someone who everyone knew well. It was a quick visit with her and then he sat down at his desk to get some work done. He stayed there for a while until he decided to go and retrieve some records from another part of the office - passing through the lobby as he did so. He saw Penelope there before he heard her, but he made his way towards her when she called his name. “Hey! How are you feeling?” he asked her.
penelope raisa bainbridge
|
|
|
|
|
penelope raisa bainbridge
HOGWARTS ALUM FORGET-ME-KNOT FLORIST CASHIER ABILITY DETECTION
226 posts
played by Audrey
What if Cinderella had to save herself?
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 7:18:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Feb 10, 2020 19:33:35 GMT -7
Post by penelope raisa bainbridge on Feb 10, 2020 19:33:35 GMT -7
“Hey! How are you feeling?”
Penelope bypassed the question entirely. “I-I should have listened to you,” she blurted out to Riley, shaking her head sheepishly at how worked up she had been over what was probably nothing. “Steinwort couldn’t find anything wrong,” she explained to him. “Or, well… He ruled out everything that I could have wrong with me.” Penelope knew that that wasn’t exactly the same thing, and she still didn’t have an exact diagnosis for whatever was happening inside of her head. Knowing that she wasn’t losing her mind completely was a good thing, though.
“A-And you know what I’d said earlier about Max Greyback and Kinsey and Peyton?” she continued. “I felt it here. Again, right before my appointment… Someone else—someone else… triggered it, whatever it is. So I told Steinwort, and he knows, and I’m not a Seer—thank Merlin—” Penelope laughed, brushing some of her hair out of her face. “And I’m not mad, and Steinwort said that it was perfectly normal that I’ve been feeling the way I have been…” Her words were practically running together, but she knew that Riley was at work and couldn’t exactly wait around for an explanation. “And it’s one thing for Madam Macmillan to say it, you know? But I’m alright. I-It’s not just me.”
@riley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 8:08:14 GMT -7
|
|
|
Feb 11, 2020 12:45:17 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2020 12:45:17 GMT -7
Penelope went right into explaining that the healer hadn’t found anything wrong with her. She was relieved and Riley could see it in the way that the words flowed out of her so quickly and effortlessly. He didn’t suspect that they would find anything wrong with her besides some trauma and anxiety from the events of the previous school year. “Well I’m very glad to hear all of that, Penelope.” he admitted to her, a wide smile planting itself on his face. “Just keep an eye on it and keep a list of when it happens - maybe you’ll be able to pinpoint similarities and put together whatever it is.” he suggested.
penelope raisa bainbridge
|
|
|
|
|
penelope raisa bainbridge
HOGWARTS ALUM FORGET-ME-KNOT FLORIST CASHIER ABILITY DETECTION
226 posts
played by Audrey
What if Cinderella had to save herself?
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 7:18:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Feb 11, 2020 15:43:39 GMT -7
Post by penelope raisa bainbridge on Feb 11, 2020 15:43:39 GMT -7
Riley told her that he was glad to hear all of what she had just said, and Penelope knew that he meant it from how widely he smiled at her. It had to have been a relief for him, too, after she had saddled him with all of her concerns about what in the world was wrong with her. And for what she couldn't yet figure out? "Just keep an eye on it and keep a list of when it happens—maybe you’ll be able to pinpoint similarities and put together whatever it is," he considered.
That didn't sound like a bad idea, and it wouldn't be too much of a challenge. Penelope could recall every instance of its having happened up until that point; writing it down wouldn't take very long. It wouldn't be that different from some of what she had done for Divination before. Dream interpretation was sort of similar, wasn't it? The risk of forgetting seemed less than with dreams, for what that was worth. Maybe it would work?
"Like a dream diary," Penelope answered, "only for my… brain?" She laughed a little bit at the thought. "My sisters are going to think I've actually gone mad," she teased, though she hoped that they would actually understand her reasoning for it. "They'll understand, won't they?"
@riley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 8:08:14 GMT -7
|
|
|
Feb 13, 2020 15:41:31 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2020 15:41:31 GMT -7
Riley would argue that a dream journal was a journal for your brain, but now wasn’t the time to actually have that debate. She asked if her sisters would actually think she went mad, or if they would understand, and while he couldn’t really speak for any of them, he was sure he knew what their response would be. “of course they’ll understand. But, even if they don’t, you’ll at least always have Kinsey and I.” He felt confident enough to speak for Kinsey on the matter. “We’re always here if you need to talk or work through anything.” he added.
penelope raisa bainbridge
|
|
|
|
|
penelope raisa bainbridge
HOGWARTS ALUM FORGET-ME-KNOT FLORIST CASHIER ABILITY DETECTION
226 posts
played by Audrey
What if Cinderella had to save herself?
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 7:18:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Feb 28, 2020 6:24:37 GMT -7
Post by penelope raisa bainbridge on Feb 28, 2020 6:24:37 GMT -7
Maybe her choice of words hadn't been the most accurate, but it was either a dream diary or just a normal diary, and it was hard for Penelope to know what else to call it when she still didn't know what was going on in her head. Whatever the right thing to call it was, Riley still understood, and he said that her sisters would understand what she was doing.
"But, even if they don’t," Riley considered, "you’ll at least always have Kinsey and I. We’re always here if you need to talk or work through anything."
Penelope appreciated that reassurance, though she didn't think that her sisters would turn their backs on her—or not because she was keeping a written record of something that she couldn't explain, at the least. She knew that she could depend upon Riley and Kinsey, but to hear it straight from Riley himself made Penelope more secure in the knowledge that she wouldn't be a bother to them if she did call upon them.
"Thanks, Riley." She meant it. "And I—I mean what I said earlier about stopping by if you need anything," she added. "You're my sister's boyfriend," but in a way that went beyond just snogging and the typical teenage infatuation. Penelope smiled. "You're practically family." He didn't have the support of his own family anymore, though she had to question how supportive of him they had ever been in reality. "Even, you know, groceries or anything," things that were probably a hassle to have to go and buy with his schedule. "I don't mind." She wasn't really busy.
@riley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 8:08:14 GMT -7
|
|
|
Mar 2, 2020 12:00:12 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2020 12:00:12 GMT -7
Penelope insisted again that if Riley needed anything, he could ask her. He nodded, but he was fairly sure that he never would. Not that he didn’t think he could trust her or that she couldn’t handle it. But he wasn’t someone who asked for help. Ever. And he had Kinsey to run the errands and such that he couldn’t do. They were basically married already even though they weren’t yet. “Will do, Pen.” he agreed anyway. He had no intention of making her feel bad, or, trying to convince her otherwise. “I’ve got to be getting back…” he saw the clock on the wall. He had another patient in just a few minutes.
penelope raisa bainbridge ((you can wrap this one up))
|
|
|
|
|
penelope raisa bainbridge
HOGWARTS ALUM FORGET-ME-KNOT FLORIST CASHIER ABILITY DETECTION
226 posts
played by Audrey
What if Cinderella had to save herself?
|
|
last online May 5, 2024 7:18:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Mar 4, 2020 14:27:21 GMT -7
Post by penelope raisa bainbridge on Mar 4, 2020 14:27:21 GMT -7
"Will do, Pen," Riley told her, though it wasn't long after that his gaze diverted from her and over to the wall. "I’ve got to be getting back…" he explained. He was, of course, still working.
"Oh, erm, yeah… Yeah, of course. Sorry," Penelope quickly apologized out of habit, glancing over at the clock and then back to Riley. She hadn't intended to waste so much of his time, and she felt bad for having kept him from his responsibilities. He had been a help to her, though, and she planned to start the record that he had suggested she make as soon as she got home. "Thanks, Riley… Um, I'll see you?" she said, awkwardly parting with him as she turned to leave the hospital.
@riley Fin!
|
|
|
|