A happy accident (tag Parker) on Cascade Hall

Cleo James

March 01, 2018 9:41 AM

A happy accident (tag Parker) by Cleo James

Cleo missed Parker, and Professor Xavier. She missed people, even though she wasn’t one. People were what she was used to, and it wasn’t like there was a thriving half veela community looking to take her. She wasn’t sure she’d have gone if there was. It still felt so alien. So unlike her, and who she thought she was. It had really hit her over the weekend, when she’d realised that her longest face to face interaction since coming back to school had been helping that lost first year find his way out of the gardens. It was just… sad. Sad and empty. And she didn’t want her life to be those things.

She had been missing the feather Parker sent her too, ever since she dropped into the wishing well. She knew that had been his intention, and what she was supposed to do, but it had taken her a couple of days to do it, and she’d liked waking up with it on her nightstand those couple of mornings. She had fallen asleep thinking about it, and about how to talk to Parker - which was something she really did want to do, she just didn’t know how. And, when she had woken up, there had been another feather, sitting just where she’d always left the other one. It was a little unnerving at first, as if someone had been in her room in the night, but she knew that was impossible. She guessed Parker must have had an owl drop it off. Even though she hadn’t replied yet to his last letter… She had picked up the feather and examined it. It was almost freaky how similar it was to the last one. She knew it came from the same type of bird, obviously, but surely feathers were usually a little bit individual… She could have sworn she recognised every single fleck of the pattern, almost like it was the exact same feather. Of course, that was impossible. And it didn’t matter, the important thing was it gave her another opportunity to break the ice with Parker.

She felt increasingly nervous as she made her way to Cascade Hall. But he still wanted to be friends, she told herself, otherwise he wouldn’t have sent her another feather. And she wasn’t facing everyone, even if it felt noisy and intimidating. She was just going to talk to Parker…. Taking a deep breath, she entered and walked over to him.

“Thanks for the feather,” she said. Not ‘the new feather’ or ‘the other feather,’ just ‘the feather.’ She assumed he’d know what she meant. “I’m sorry I’ve been being such a jerk. Can I… Can I sit with you for breakfast?”

13 Cleo James A happy accident (tag Parker) 389 Cleo James 1 5

Parker

March 01, 2018 1:20 PM

Weird stuff keeps happening... but this is good weir by Parker

Parker was eating breakfast by himself, more than a little embarrassed about the exploding gym and the bird-fish he'd...created? It was all too much, and though he wanted to talk to someone about it, he didn't know who. He couldn't talk to his sister about it since she'd talk to his mom about it, and he didn't even know how long it would take him to write a letter to Cleo who had not written back yet.

Parker was beginning to realize he needed to have more friends because, well, he needed to talk to someone about what was happening. He knew that younger wizards had accidents, and Cleo had mentioned that she'd had problems with fire before, but she'd never mentioned being a walking bomb. A bomb...was that what he was now? Parker wasn't sure, but he also didn't know how to talk about it without sounding scary. He knew one thing for sure, he was not going to tell his mom. This would just be another example for her of him not being human.

He was mid-bite into his eggs when someone walked up to him and said, "Thank's for the feather."

Parker almost choked. Strike that, he did, a little. Cleo was standing in front of him. If he could have willed it moments before, he would have. His mind immediately wanted to say a few thousand things, but he was having problems because there was egg stuck in his throat. When she asked if she could join him for breakfast he moved over and nodded vigorously, trying to get his breath back.

He was finally able clear his throat.

"Sorry. A bit of egg," he said indicating his throat with his fork.

"And you aren't a jerk. I thought you..." Parker trailed off, not knowing what he had thought. That maybe she hadn't wanted to be his friend had crossed his mind, but it was more that she was sick of some way, especially after talking to Professor X.

He looked up at Cleo, "Either way, I'm glad you liked the feather. My friend said giving an eagle feather is the highest honor you can give in his tribe, and that the feather connects to the bird which takes your wishes to the world of spirits. I thought it a fitting gift." Parker smiled at Cleo. He had been right at the beginning of the year, he felt comfortable again, even if he was now rambling.

41 Parker Weird stuff keeps happening... but this is good weir 1402 Parker 0 5

Cleo

March 02, 2018 10:24 AM

I'm good weird? by Cleo

He was… choking. Which wasn’t great. Though he moved up and made space for her, nodding enthusiastically whilst he did so. Cleo settled into the seat, staring at him with a mixture of affection and concern. He seemed to sort himself out though, and she smiled in relief.

And you aren’t a jerk. I thought you…

Cleo waited, ut Parker just trailed off and then changed the subject. He thought she what?? She was both dying with curiosity to hear the end of that sentence and also a little bit terrified of what it might be.

“It… It’s a very impressive gift,” Cleo said, surprised by quite how much a feather could mean. And quite how she had come to be worthy of such an honour…. He had said she hadn’t been being a jerk but she still felt like she owed him some kind of explanation, especially as she ran out of things to say about the feather and a little silence fell.

“There was some stuff to do with my mom during the holidays. And it was… beyond complicated,” she admitted. That was probably as much explaining as she felt she could do at the breakfast table. At least it was something.

“Tell me about your summer?” she requested, “And… what you had for dinner last night? And what the worst bit of homework you have right now is?”

13 Cleo I'm good weird? 389 Cleo 0 5

Parker

March 04, 2018 12:52 PM

From where I am sitting, yes. by Parker

Her mother? Parker searched his brain for any past talks about her mother and really couldn't find any. He remembered her talking about her father, and he thought she had said she didn't know her mother.

If she had found something out that had spooked even the teachers, making him think she was sick, well then, beyond complicated was right.

And then, just like that, Cleo was back to her old self. A million questions about life flowing at him. Parker smiled. He'd missed this, this ability to just talk with someone, not worrying how they might react. Until Cleo's questions came pouring out, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed it.

"Umm summer was good. Dinner was not filling. And since I turned a box into a birdfish Charms has been a bit difficult," Parker paused just a second, trying to get the words right for the next bit. "Also, I appear to have blown up a MARS room, kind of."

Suddenly the words just started coming out of Parker's mouth. He talked about how he had felt weird and lots of pent up energy so he had gone to MARS for the first time, how he had been exercising and thoughts of home had come to him, how it had only excited him more and more until he couldn't take it anymore and closed his eyes. When he opened them he was calm, but it looked like he had been standing in the middle of a bomb blast, and then Jouza had walked in.

"That's when he said, 'And I thought I was having problems'." Parker let out a long breath. He felt a bit drained, but felt better for talking to someone about it.

"I'm sorry, it's not what you were expecting from our first conversation of the year," he said turning back to his plate of food, focusing on just moving it around, not eating it, "I... I just don't know if I'm going to blow up again, this time around someone else or in a class. And if that would hurt other people.It's all a bit scary."

He'd said it out loud. There was something about having said it out loud that made it slightly easier to deal with, but not less scary.

41 Parker From where I am sitting, yes. 1402 Parker 0 5

Cleo

March 06, 2018 6:00 AM

But I'm making everyone explode by Cleo

At first, everything felt good. Parker was just chatting, and Cleo was relishing the idea of getting back to normal. She’d obviously succeeded at mending the rift she’d caused. But then the conversation took a more disturbing turn, as Parker started talking about blowing things up.

It’s me, was her first thought. She was, after all, some kind of fireball bird thing that made men go crazy. It was understandable that this mental barrier was one that was hard to get past, and that the unusual fire-related accidents of the year were rather exacerbating it. Plus she had the ego of an only child which, strict as her daddy had been about not pouting her lip and throwing temper tantrums, meant she was pretty used to constructing a worldview that revolved entirely around herself.

“Uh. Yeah, he has been,” she nodded, in reference to Jozua, because having been in those classes, it was an easy starting point to react on. “He… he did some spark things, and a big fire. But no one got hurt,” she added, reassuringly. “There’s… there’s been a few things like that lately in class. Not just him,” she added, feeling guilty. She should tell Parker that it wasn’t his fault but she didn’t want it be hers either… “I guess maybe it’s just… a thing that happens?” she added unconvincingly. “I mean, I had quite a few fires in my second year,” she added. She knew that wasn’t really relevant because it didn’t make it normal for it to happen to a human, but Parker didn’t know any different right now, and she wanted him to be less freaked out.

“I guess…. maybe talk to a teacher if you’re concerned?” she asked. It was super lame advice and she knew it but she honestly had no idea what else to suggest. She didn’t know whether Parker was really having problems, or whether everyone went through this, or whether it was her that was doing something to everyone. “I’m sure you wouldn’t hurt anyone though,” she added, very genuinely. “And what do you mean you made a bird-fish?” she added curiously. “Like… a real one?”

13 Cleo But I'm making everyone explode 389 Cleo 0 5

Parker

March 15, 2018 2:00 PM

Explode? Maybe burst with excitement my friend. by Parker

Something seemed off.

It seemed like Cleo was nervous or hiding something again. It almost seemed as if she thought it was her fault that Parker had literally exploded. But no, that couldn't be since he hadn't seen her nor had she been in the MARS room with him. That is unless she'd been invisible.

Parker momentarily thought on if someone could be invisible and decided that, after everything he had seen at Sonora, he couldn't see why not.

"Ya, maybe it's a thing that happens to those of us who are more likely to be adventurers," Parker said smirking a bit to the side.

Talk to a teacher. It wasn't a half bad idea, and he knew just the one. One that he had taken a liking to the first conversation he'd had, especially when she'd said he was human, just like everyone else. Parker nodded slowly, making sure that Cleo knew he was taking her advice seriously.

"I think I know just the person to talk to. Though I don't know if she has office hours. Thanks Cleo."

Bird-fish. How could Parker describe it best.
"So it was in Charms. I was seated next to one of the first years. He said his name was... Mordue?" Parker didn't know if it was important to mention the first year's name or not, but he felt that Cleo might like hearing the whole story, as she seemed to enjoy listening just as much as talking sometimes. "Anyways, we were learning to cancel spells. He had one that started whistling really loudly. I was already a bit nervous cause I'm rubbish at Charms, and could feel my chest tighten with the whistling. Then after it had stopped and I had gotten my vase to stop dancing I pointed my wand at the box, and it... just turned. Slowly at first, but it got wings and a head. The head had gills. But then it kind of exploded into a powdery dust. Like a mini firework? Anyways. I think it was a bird-fish. So it hasn't all been exploding for me," Parker said with a smile on his face as he turned to Cleo.

"Anything interesting so far this year? Are the subjects any different?"

41 Parker Explode? Maybe burst with excitement my friend. 1402 Parker 0 5

Cleo

March 19, 2018 9:21 AM

Just... not literally, please? by Cleo

“Mm, maybe,” Cleo nodded, trying to smile along with Parker’s joke, although she still felt worried about what was happening to him. Her smile became much more relaxed when he promised he would talk to a teacher, because then she could be totally sure that nothing bad was going to happen to him. “Oh, who’s that?” she asked, when he mentioned knowing which staff member he’d choose. There was slightly less choice of female professors, and she personally was pretty sure she’d rule out Professor Skies if she ever had to begin a sentence with ‘So I’m causing explosions…’

She merely shrugged when he gave the name of the first year. She only knew the one she had met on the paths, who had said his name was Nathaniel.

“You’re not rubbish at Charms,” she interjected loyally when Parker put himself down, but apart from this she listened patiently to his story.

“That sounds pretty. And kind of cool,” she responded, when he described the birdfish. It was also a little… strange. She wasn’t sure things like that should happen. But she didn’t want to worry Parker, or make him feel bad about this thing, which he seemed to regard as having been good. And he’d already promised to go and talk to a grown up anyway, so that was fine.

“Everyone keeps mentioning the CATS exams a lot,” she shrugged, “And stuff’s a bit harder. Jozua Sparks was living up to his name. Like… giving out sparks. Then someone turned Professor Skies’ hair pink and she yelled at us. There was kind of a…. Spark incident out in the gardens too,” she added hesitantly. She was conflicted, feeling like these incidents were somehow her fault, which made her reluctant to share them with Parker, but also knowing that none of it really added up. “I saw them when I was going back from doing some degnoming for Professor Xavier. It seems like maybe this lost first year, Nathaniel, caused them.” Maybe. “He’s been giving me a few jobs - Professor Xavier, I mean. Maybe next time he sends one, we could do it together?”

13 Cleo Just... not literally, please? 389 Cleo 0 5

Parker

March 29, 2018 9:44 AM

Not literally, I don't like books that much. by Parker

When Cleo asked who he was thinking of Parker blanked on the name. He knew she was kind, that she was very good at her job, but for the life of him the name simply wouldn't come to his head. It was if it had gone out for milk and gotten lost coming back from the store.

"Umm... the healer. She's new, but she's very nice. Also a healer. My mom made me get checked out at the beginning of the term. My mom doesn't have much faith in being able to understand magic bodies..."

Parker felt momentarily awkward. He had just talked about his mom a lot, and right after Cleo had mentioned that whatever had happened this summer had to do about her mom, whom she'd never talked about. He was seriously losing his mental faculties this morning. Maybe he needed tea or was this why people drank coffee.

A smile crept onto his face when Cleo said she thought the bird-fish was cool. He had to at the time, but the experiences afterwards had lead him to think it was something more ominous, it was nice to hear his accidental magic was cool.

A bigger grin spread across Parker's face when Cleo said Professor X had been giving her jobs. Parker remembered asking the professor to do it, but hadn't followed up to see if he was, in part because it wasn't Parker's place to say what a professor should do with other students. The other part was because Parker had had a dull ache that maybe Cleo was talking a lot with Professor X and not him, and he didn't want to have his thought validated.

"Nathaniel! That's his name. That's the first year who was next to me with the bird-fish. And umm... I'd love to go on a garden adventure. Just let me know when!"
Parker had a big smile on his face now. The dull ache that had been with him for a while had vanished like morning fog in the noonday sun or more accurately like when you stand up from sitting and realize you’ve been sitting on your keys the whole time. You may not have realized it was there the entire time, but once gone, it felt so much better.

41 Parker Not literally, I don't like books that much. 1402 Parker 0 5