Elliot Lyons
 
Seventh Year[M:10]
Don't let this end now Slow this dance down I could stay here all night Forever
Posts: 217
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Post by Elliot Lyons on Nov 2, 2009 7:37:31 GMT -5
Now it was Elliot's goal to keep Ingrid smiling. Even though the tears had surfaced for the small bird, he only wanted to see her happy. Seeing her smile, made him smile.
They both were doing something they didn't usually do. Ingrid was trusting him easily, and Elliot was also trusting her easily and talking to her in a non-shy way. He was always shy around new people, but he wasn't that way around Ingrid.
Elliot took the rabbit from Ingrid and held onto it carefully. The rabbit, like Ingrid, seemed to be very trusting of him. He smiled lightly as he looked at the animal in his lap. Gently, he reached up and started to pet the rabbit.
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Post by Cameron Wilder on Nov 2, 2009 20:52:21 GMT -5
She smiled as the song changed. There was something so hopeful about the song that spoke to her. It made her think of a sunny spring day, with the wind in her hair and the sun in her face. She had never thought of it that way, but she supposed it sort of represented freedom, a sense that anything could happen. That the world was wide open with possibilities. She needed that in her life, that freedom, because she was always keeping everything so tightly bottled up. But she didn't tell him any of that. She simply shrugged and replied, "It always makes me feel happy.... hopeful. Let it Be is a good song, but there's a sense of finality to it." "Yeah, true. I guess I'm too much of an optimist myself to really appreciate the happier songs. Let it Be is just so sad and beautiful, it breaks your heart. I'm into heartbreak." It was an odd statement, but true. Maybe it was the artist in him, but the muse always woke up at suffering. He would never, ever hurt another person. Even for all of his playboy comments, he was actually very committed when he was in a relationship. With Brenda, he knew that their relationship wouldn't last, but he didn't really consider other girls all the same. "I'll be quiet so you can sing." |
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Savannah Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.
Posts: 326
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Post by Savannah Lyons on Nov 2, 2009 23:13:05 GMT -5
In this way (as well as many others, of course) they were total opposites. He was drawn in by heartbreak, but for her, heartbreak was her life. If asked, she was hard-pressed to remember a time in her life that was truly happy. In fact, she was all but convinced that it was impossible for her heart to break; it had never been whole at all.
She almost wanted to ask him if that was the reason he liked her; if perhaps he was drawn to that broken part of her. But to ask him that would have meant she was asking him to admit that he liked her, and she couldn't quite bring herself to do that. So she simply began to sing along to his guitar playing. Again, her voice started out soft and tentative, then, as her confidence grew, it became steady and clear:
"Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right..."
As she sang, she closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the song and the hopeful feelings it inspired in her. By the time she was done, her face was wet with tears, but she looked somehow brighter.
She looked at Cameron, embarrassed, as she wiped the tears from her face. "Thank you. I needed that."
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Post by Cameron Wilder on Nov 2, 2009 23:25:47 GMT -5
Cameron's eyes had stayed on her while she sang, at least once he was sure that she wouldn't get shy about him watching. There was so much going on under the surface that he couldn't even hope to comprehend. The fact that this song was some kind of catharsis for her...
Cameron almost stopped playing. He wanted to just set his guitar down and leave. He realized with a jolt that she was being very candid with him, and he couldn't handle it. Cameron was the type who backed off when things got too close. He didn't want anyone to see him the way he was seeing her, and not because it was embarrasisng, but because it was so beautifully honest.
"Don't. It's beautiful," he told her as she looked almost sheepish, meaning her emotions more than her singing, though that was beautfiul as well. "Sav... why are you sharing this with me?" he asked bluntly.
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Ingrid Regan
 
Seventh year[M:10]
She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her....
Posts: 153
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Post by Ingrid Regan on Nov 2, 2009 23:30:31 GMT -5
Now it was Elliot's goal to keep Ingrid smiling. Even though the tears had surfaced for the small bird, he only wanted to see her happy. Seeing her smile, made him smile. They both were doing something they didn't usually do. Ingrid was trusting him easily, and Elliot was also trusting her easily and talking to her in a non-shy way. He was always shy around new people, but he wasn't that way around Ingrid. Elliot took the rabbit from Ingrid and held onto it carefully. The rabbit, like Ingrid, seemed to be very trusting of him. He smiled lightly as he looked at the animal in his lap. Gently, he reached up and started to pet the rabbit. While he was petting the rabbit, Ingrid stood up and held up one finger, telling him to wait a minute. She had something else she wanted to show him. Because she had the misfortune of being in a particularly crowded dorm room, she didn't feel comfortable keeping these things in her room. And since this was her private sanctuary, she kept them here. She walked over to one of the cages and opened it, then pulled out the bottom, revealing a false bottom. It was from here that she pulled out a three-ring binder, then brought it over to the bench and sat down. Her hand was shaking slightly as she opened it to reveal an old clipping of the Daily Prophet that read: "Alleged Con Artist Found Murdered In Home: Traumatized Daughter Is Only Witness." The article went on to talk about the brutal way in which her father had been killed, and how 8 year old Ingrid was traumatized to the point of being unable to speak. She looked sadly down at the article, and then back up at him, pointing to herself. |
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Savannah Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.
Posts: 326
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Post by Savannah Lyons on Nov 2, 2009 23:44:01 GMT -5
Cameron's eyes had stayed on her while she sang, at least once he was sure that she wouldn't get shy about him watching. There was so much going on under the surface that he couldn't even hope to comprehend. The fact that this song was some kind of catharsis for her... Cameron almost stopped playing. He wanted to just set his guitar down and leave. He realized with a jolt that she was being very candid with him, and he couldn't handle it. Cameron was the type who backed off when things got too close. He didn't want anyone to see him the way he was seeing her, and not because it was embarrasisng, but because it was so beautifully honest. "Don't. It's beautiful," he told her as she looked almost sheepish, meaning her emotions more than her singing, though that was beautfiul as well. "Sav... why are you sharing this with me?" he asked bluntly. She was feeling very exposed in that moment, and his question didn't help with that feeling. He was watching her, wondering about her, seeing sides of her that she never showed anyone. And it was scary... but somehow it was also sort of liberating. "I don't know," she said. "I guess just because if I don't get it out of my system, I think I'm going to suffocate. I'm just... so tired of holding it all together, you know? Of being perfect. I feel like a phony." |
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Elliot Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Don't let this end now Slow this dance down I could stay here all night Forever
Posts: 217
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Post by Elliot Lyons on Nov 3, 2009 11:13:30 GMT -5
Once Ingrid held up a finger, Elliot looked at her curiously. He saw her get up and then he turned his attention to the rabbit for just a moment, before looking back up. Ingrid was full of secrets, he thought whenever she opened the false bottom of one of the cages. She was letting him in, and he was going to stay. She had already shown him one secret, now she about to show him another. Elliot was going to say that she didn't have to let him know if she didn't want to when he noticed her hand shaking, but when she continued to open the binder, Elliot kept his mouth closed.
He shifted so that he could read the clipping that Ingrid pulled out. Reading the headline, Elliot felt his heart drop. It seemed to drop all the way to his feet whenever Ingrid pointed at herself. He frowned and then skimmed over the article before looking back to Ingrid. Reading the article made him ache and without a word, Elliot put his arm around her. The article pretty much explained it all. He felt horrible for Ingrid. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to her.
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Post by Cameron Wilder on Nov 3, 2009 15:02:48 GMT -5
"Well, of course you do," Cameron replied as though she were stating something as simple as the fact that there were clouds in the sky. "No one's that perfect. It's why I-"
He shut up very quickly, deciding not to continue this thought, and instead smiled and shrugged at her. "Nevermind. Any other requests?"
What he was going to say was that her being so perfect was the reason he acted so over the top around her. He was ruder, more brash... all to compensate for how completely inadequate he felt around her. He felt better if he knew he was trying for her disapproval rather than just having it for who he really was.
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Savannah Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.
Posts: 326
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Post by Savannah Lyons on Nov 3, 2009 23:26:00 GMT -5
She wanted to ask him what he was going to say. After all, she was being more honest with him right now than she'd been with.... well, anyone, really. She even put on an act for Elliot, and he was her twin brother. So it seemed only fair that she try to get a few secrets out of him.
But she didn't ask him. Instead, she leaned back and shifted position, so that she was sitting in a rather unlady-like position. She looked almost like she was teasing him with a deliberately provocative pose, but really, she was quite unaware of the effect it had. "You know, you're a phony, too," she said, feeling suddenly bold. "I don't think I realized it until now because I was so caught up in my own problems.... but it's true."
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Ingrid Regan
Seventh year[M:10]
She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her....
Posts: 153
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Post by Ingrid Regan on Nov 4, 2009 7:33:59 GMT -5
Once Ingrid held up a finger, Elliot looked at her curiously. He saw her get up and then he turned his attention to the rabbit for just a moment, before looking back up. Ingrid was full of secrets, he thought whenever she opened the false bottom of one of the cages. She was letting him in, and he was going to stay. She had already shown him one secret, now she about to show him another. Elliot was going to say that she didn't have to let him know if she didn't want to when he noticed her hand shaking, but when she continued to open the binder, Elliot kept his mouth closed. He shifted so that he could read the clipping that Ingrid pulled out. Reading the headline, Elliot felt his heart drop. It seemed to drop all the way to his feet whenever Ingrid pointed at herself. He frowned and then skimmed over the article before looking back to Ingrid. Reading the article made him ache and without a word, Elliot put his arm around her. The article pretty much explained it all. He felt horrible for Ingrid. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to her. There were tears in her eyes as Elliot put his arm around her. He was the first person she had "told" about what happened to her since.... well, since ever. Most people knew that she had experienced some sort of tragedy and that she was an orphan who lived with her aunt, but that was all they knew. And that was all she wanted them to know. Being the sole witness to the murder of your father was bound to attract some unwanted attention. But the attention she most feared was that from the actual murderer. He was still out there, somewhere. And although she had never seen the man's face, she would never forget his voice. She heard it in her nightmares every night. She had other articles in there, including one that stated that she, the only witness, was unable to remember anything about the killer. This had been done to protect her, in case the killer should come after her. In reality, she remembered everything.... all except his face, which had been obscured. But the killer had never come after her, so she was safe. Pulling back, she looked at him solemnly. She knew he had experienced a tragedy as well, but she didn't know what. If he wanted to tell her, she was sure he would. But for now, she felt a little better for unburdening herself like that. It was almost impossible to believe that this was only the second time they had seen each other; she felt closer to him than she had ever felt to anyone, since her father. |
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Post by Cameron Wilder on Nov 4, 2009 13:13:50 GMT -5
She wanted to ask him what he was going to say. After all, she was being more honest with him right now than she'd been with.... well, anyone, really. She even put on an act for Elliot, and he was her twin brother. So it seemed only fair that she try to get a few secrets out of him. But she didn't ask him. Instead, she leaned back and shifted position, so that she was sitting in a rather unlady-like position. She looked almost like she was teasing him with a deliberately provocative pose, but really, she was quite unaware of the effect it had. "You know, you're a phony, too," she said, feeling suddenly bold. "I don't think I realized it until now because I was so caught up in my own problems.... but it's true." Cameron just burst out laughing at this statement from her, and he shook his head. "No, that's just wishful thinking, love. What you see is what you get with me, poor manners and loud behavior and all." He really wasn't hiding anything, at least not in his eyes. He didn't know what she saw that she thought was phony, but Cameron was himself all the time. Sure, he didn't openly tell people about the music, but that had nothing to do with hiding who he was. "Sorry to break your heart, but I don't get any better than this." |
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Elliot Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Don't let this end now Slow this dance down I could stay here all night Forever
Posts: 217
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Post by Elliot Lyons on Nov 4, 2009 13:27:54 GMT -5
Elliot could sympathize with Ingrid on losing parents, however, he felt worse for her. He could tell that she was very close to her father. He ached for what she had and he hated that she had to go through that. His world had come crashing down too whenever his parents died. At first, he never thought about what his parents wanted from him and he just did what he was supposed to do. He could understand that his parents just wanted then to be good people but banning sports and that kind of thing? Elliot couldn't understand that.
He saw the question in her eyes whenever she pulled back. Elliot let his hand fall back into his lap and his gaze went to the ground. He hadn't told her everything that happened with his parents, but he felt that he should.
"My father, he, he killed my mother." Elliot didn't keep any news clippings. There was a small obituary for both of his parents, but that was pretty much it. "Ryder, Savannah, and I went to leave with our uncle while our parents went through marriage counseling. We pretty much raised ourselves with him around, but anyway. The day that Ryder entered a race, was the day it happened. He killed her, then killed himself." He looked back to Ingrid with a solemn expression that matched the one that she wore. Maybe that was what helped bring them together, the tragedies that struck them.
He sat up a little straighter. Ingrid's situation was a lot worse, at least in his opinion. The person that killed her father was still out there. "You know that you're safe here, right," he asked her returning to the topic of the article. "No one can get you here."
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Ingrid Regan
Seventh year[M:10]
She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her....
Posts: 153
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Post by Ingrid Regan on Nov 4, 2009 21:23:31 GMT -5
It had taken her a long time to actually feel safe. For years, she had jumped at the slightest sound and couldn't bear to be alone under any circumstances. It had been very hard on her aunt Bonnie, who had to sleep in the same room with Ingrid so that she would feel safe.
Once she came to Hogwarts, it had been terrifying at first, but eventually she got a little better. Since she had such a crowded dorm room, she was almost never alone unless she wanted to be. And she had started to crave that kind of alone time, where she could be away from the noise of 11 other girls.
But here, in her sanctuary, with Elliot, she felt safer than she had in a very long time. And knowing that they had both experienced a terrible tragedy... it bonded them in ways that she had never known before.
She nodded in response to his question, then she reached out and took his hand in hers. She was terribly sorry to hear what he had gone through. It had to be a horrible thing to know that your own father was capable of such a monstrous act. In one moment, his whole family had been shattered. She understood what that was like. It was a horrible feeling.
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Elliot Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Don't let this end now Slow this dance down I could stay here all night Forever
Posts: 217
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Post by Elliot Lyons on Nov 4, 2009 21:51:09 GMT -5
Ingrid had every right to be scared, but he was glad to know that she knew she was safe. Part of him wondered why he hadn't run into her before, but then he knew that the world had an odd way of working things out. Maybe now had been the perfect time for him to meet her and Elliot couldn't have been more glad to have met her.
Even with everything, he felt worse for Ingrid because she didn't have any siblings. She was on her own. Elliot couldn't have imagined anything without Savannah, even if she had been putting on an act.
He squeezed her hand. "You know, you're always welcome to join us at the Ravenclaw table whenever you want, and if you ever wanted to hang out before we see each other, you could always send an owl. I'll come."
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Ingrid Regan
Seventh year[M:10]
She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her....
Posts: 153
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Post by Ingrid Regan on Nov 4, 2009 22:21:51 GMT -5
She smiled at him, her eyes still wet with tears. She also felt lucky that they had crossed paths. For the first time in her isolated, lonely life, she felt that she had someone who truly understood her. She had never thought that was something that she really wanted, but now she realized that it was what she had always been looking for. Someone she could share herself with. Someone who made that lonely ache in her heart go away.
She nodded, indicating that she would do the same thing for him. If he needed anything, she would definitely be there for him, no matter what.
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Savannah Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.
Posts: 326
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Post by Savannah Lyons on Nov 4, 2009 22:32:42 GMT -5
Cameron just burst out laughing at this statement from her, and he shook his head. "No, that's just wishful thinking, love. What you see is what you get with me, poor manners and loud behavior and all." He really wasn't hiding anything, at least not in his eyes. He didn't know what she saw that she thought was phony, but Cameron was himself all the time. Sure, he didn't openly tell people about the music, but that had nothing to do with hiding who he was. "Sorry to break your heart, but I don't get any better than this." Savannah, feeling unusually bold, gave him a slight smile and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I don't think so," she said. "Yes, you're rude and loud and obnoxious... But if those things were all that you are, you wouldn't be here in this room with me right now. You wouldn't care if I was upset, and you wouldn't be going out of your way to help me." There had been a time when she never would have thought so, but Cameron had a sensitive side. He may not have been as sensitive as, say, Elliot, but it was definitely there. And she liked it a lot. And although she wanted him to acknowledge it, she kind of liked that he kept it hidden from the world. It was like her little secret. "Anyway, don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone." |
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Elliot Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Don't let this end now Slow this dance down I could stay here all night Forever
Posts: 217
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Post by Elliot Lyons on Nov 4, 2009 22:51:33 GMT -5
"I think we're going to be alright," he said with a light smile. Elliot meant that in the sense that now that they finally had someone to understand the other, things would be better than what they had been. Sure, Elliot could tell Cameron anything, but there were some things that he couldn't tell him. He hadn't told Cameron everything, only the simple stuff. Never had he really gone into detail, and Cameron never minded that. He couldn't have been more thankful for his friend.
Now, he couldn't be more thankful for meeting Ingrid. Maybe it was true that everything was going to end up working out. For every bad thing that happened, there had to be something good that would come from it, right?
"Let's try something, hm?" Elliot removed his hand from Ingrid, then returned the rabbit to the cage he saw her get it from. He walked over to her and held out his hand. "We're going to dance to one song. I never really got the chance to try out my dancing skills, because I pretty much skipped out on the Yule Ball."
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Post by Cameron Wilder on Nov 5, 2009 12:08:22 GMT -5
He felt unusually defensive. "I never said I was heartless. You just haven't taken the time to notice before now. I think that's more your problem than mine."
He set the guitar on the stand and looked back at her. "Tell whoever you want. I'm not trying to hide anything." The look he was giving her was asking her if she wanted anything else from him. He was on edge, defensive now, and he wasn't used to feeling like that. He was too laid back to feel like he had to defend himself to her.
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Savannah Lyons
Seventh Year[M:10]
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.
Posts: 326
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Post by Savannah Lyons on Nov 5, 2009 14:15:30 GMT -5
It was a strange feeling to see him getting defensive. Perhaps she had hit too close to home or tried digging too deep. But it was odd that he would close up like that, when she had just shared with him something so intensely personal and emotional. Once again, it left her feeling exposed, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do or say.
“I’m just saying… I misjudged you. And I’m sorry,” she said softly.
He was looking like he wanted to leave and be done with her, and she didn’t want him to go. She couldn’t quite explain what she was feeling, but she felt like things had changed between them in just a few seconds. She didn’t like that feeling.
So she did the only thing she could think of… she turned around and began to play something on the piano. It was Let it Be. She didn’t know the song as well as she would have liked, and she was going from memory, but it was still quite good. Maybe if she played the song he liked, then he would stay.
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Ingrid Regan
Seventh year[M:10]
She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her....
Posts: 153
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Post by Ingrid Regan on Nov 5, 2009 14:16:21 GMT -5
Ingrid wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he put the rabbit back in his cage and held out his hand to her. She hadn’t danced since… well, since before her father died. When she was a little girl, he would let her stand on his feet while he danced and held on to her. Or he’d hold her in his arms while he moved to the music. But that was the only dancing she had ever done. She had certainly skipped the Yule Ball—who would ask the freaky girl who didn’t talk? It had actually been quite nice, having the dorm room all to herself that night.
She blushed, but placed her hand in his. As nervous as she felt, she knew that it would be OK. She felt certain that everything would be OK as long as Elliot was there.
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