Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina)

Subject: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:56 pm

For the meeting Dein was to attend today, there were a few preparations that needed to be put in order. He set his luggage down on the bed of his room at the Leaky Cauldron, and carefully unzipped it. He needed just the right attire to make a proper impression, and unfortunately, he did not have much of a collection to look through. He settled on a green flannel and dark jeans, as he pulled them out and threw them on over his boxers and white tank top. Today, he would be dressing as Dein, and thankfully, the one he would be talking business with had no idea what that meant- it gave him a bit of creative freedom in the matter. As he made his way over to the fireplace, where there sat a convenient little mirror on the mantel, he buttoned up the flannel, leaving only the top button undone. He gazed into the mirror, dragging a ragged hand through his hair instead of using a comb. 'Bed-head' was his intention.

Next came the mask. He stood there for several long moments, gazing upon his canvas, until finally he lightly began running his fingertips around his eye. As though his finger had anything to do with it, a faint purple began showing up around his eye, growing stronger in hue the longer he focused on it. A smirk grew on his face, as he looked at his reflection, as though saying to a person who wasn't there, suck it. He was as bold as ever, like he'd have everything he wanted by tomorrow morning. Things might not have been looking that prospective, there was one thing he would be getting today, if things went well enough. He could call it many things, but peace of mind was at the top of the list. After today, he wouldn't have to worry over whether or not a certain someone was watching him, at any hour, any minute, any second of the day. Whether the unfortunate diversion from the other day, there was still a flicker of doubt that he was not alone, even now. If he wanted to continue on with his work, he needed his 'me' time.

The next detail that came was a swell above his 'bruised' eye, just the slightest bulge and redness would do. He'd only taken the beating, what, a few hours ago? Yes, that sounded about right. He repressed a chuckle, focused on his composure even in the silence of his room, alone. Loosing his composure was the equivalent of letting his guard down, and if he got into the habit, where would that leave him? No, for now, the only sanctuary he had was that of his mind, but even those walls could be broken, given he made the wrong enemy. He calculated every situation, made note of every possibility, anything that could run a snag in the speeding clockwork. For now, he only needed one more touch for his debut. He snagged the needle that rested on the mantel, beside the mirror, and brought it up to his bottom lip. He may have been able to form bruises and bumps, but he couldn't fake blood, or at least, he didn't plan on using ketchup for something this important. The cut was slight, as he dragged it across the corner of his lip, using the lightest pressure. He only needed a little bit of decorative color, and the pain was too small to concern himself over. He gave the cut a squeeze, his eyebrow twitching a bit as the red oozed out. With a quick smudge, he was done. It looked like he'd just been decked in the face, and not just once.

He brought his hand to his chin, as though caring for an aching jaw, and watched himself closely in the mirror. When he felt content with what he saw, he popped his collar and rolled up his left sleeve. He crossed the room again, back to his bag, where he drew a sheet of parchment, along with some ink and a quill, before disapparating with a light pop. After arriving in Hogsmeade, he made a run to the post office, sending out a letter of rushed scrawl- one he would have written had he just escaped from a fight. It hadn't taken long, for her to arrive, and now he stood in the office dedicated to Headmasters, and Headmistresses. Not much could have been said between them, all that needed to be said was left in the letter:

'Dad's after me, found me in Diagon Alley-got away, I'm in Hogsmeade but I think he's still looking for me'

It took his aunt even less time then he thought she would to get to him and escort him into the safety of Hogwarts. It was a good sign, that everything was falling into place just how he predicted. As though the pain had been bothering him, he brought his sleeve up to the swollen bump above his eye, as he looked up at Eirina, "I didn't even see it coming..." He looked down at his feet as he drew his hand across his mouth, wiping some of the blood onto his sleeve, "He wants my head on a fucking platter!" He didn't care if his shouts may be overheard, as he sat down in the nearest chair, bending over with his hands going through his hair. It would be impossible for him to sleep at night now, knowing someone was lurking around, waiting for him to drop his guard. He dabbed his finger in the bit of blood at the corner of his mouth and looked at it. He knew his father may have contemplated it before, and more than once, but Dein never realized he would pack such a punch. Or maybe it was just his young adolescent mind, believing he was invincible.

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Mon Aug 12, 2013 7:44 pm

Eirina received Dein's letter and had immediately dropped what she was doing to go find him in Hogsmeade. She had told him about this, and warned him. She was sure that Dein wasn't giving her the full story, either, but she wasn't going to ask that in public, and definitely not in a place like Hogsmeade. So as Eirina apparated, she thought about all of the places they could go just to talk, but the only place that she could really think of was Hogwarts. Her office was the only private place that she trusted, besides her home. Not only that, but it would be familiar to Dein, so she thought that that would be the best place to bring him.

When she found him, they didn't say much to each other. Eirina was sure that they were both on the same page about talking in public, and it was only minutes before she had apparated them both to the seventh floor of Hogwarts, just outside her office. She made it impossible to apparate in and out of her office, which may have been inconvenient for her, but safer. She didn't need anybody who had ever visited the Headmaster and Headmistresses office to be able to so easily apparte into it. No, that wouldn't do at all.

"And what, exactly, were you doing that so easily attracted his attention? I thought you were going to lie low."

She sat down across from him, in the small area that was mimicking a family room, only there were two chairs and a small table. She didn't keep much in her office, even though it was her home. Everything that was meant to feel like 'home' was back in her bedroom, and even then she felt that she was hardly in there. Eirina preferred to walk around the castles, this little tower made her feel like she was always suffocating. She was always happy for summer. But that's not the time of year it was, and it wasn't the situation that she was in, either. This was completely different.

Dein was just out of reach, his eye bruised and swollen and his lip torn. She was surprised that Jason would have physically beaten the boy, because she always took him for the magic type, but maybe he just liked the old style. He probably wanted it to be easily seen on Dein's face, that he was beaten, and that disgusted Eirina all the more. The man was vicious, and disgusting, and Eirina had no idea how Lydia turned into something like that. Not that Eirina ever liked Lydia, but she was still her sister. They just have their differences, but it was only now that Eirina realized how big that their differences were.

"Lower your voice, screaming isn't going to get you anywhere."

She looked him in the eyes, waiting for a reply, knowing that Dein would probably twist the story, but she was already taking that into consideration.

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:39 am

The situation was almost laughable, and he made a feeble attempt at containing himself, "What, I can't get myself a pair of trousers without him hunting me down?" His voice rose again, but realizing his mistake, he got himself mid sentence, quieting to a murmur by the time he finished speaking. He looked to Eirina, until he couldn't bare it, and had to settle on the window instead. Of course, had his father actually attacked him in public, he likely would have carried another face. Dein had to learn his talents from somewhere after all, didn't he?

He thought of Lacetta, and the last words she said to him, before he gave a heavy sigh and said, "I let my guard down," everything he said, and every emotion he needed to convey, he laced with some true thought or real emotion to make it believable to the woman sitting in front of him. It wasn't all that difficult for his first time either, or at least his first time taking things to this extreme. He supposed the lonely Headmistress was just desperate though, to take any form of company. As he continued his thoughts further, leading them where they needed to be, he glanced down at the ground, his eyes never focusing on a single area for long, "How do I get away from him?" He shook his head as he rubbed his temples, though before long, his restlessness caused him to stand, "What if he finds me again? I can't hide in an Inn forever."

He paced the floor, a silver lining 'absent' from his mind, as he 'desperately' tried to think of a solution. Realistically, he had been laying low, wearing a new face and new clothes, so really, it wasn't likely his father would ever locate him. Though Dein figured he was dead to his father, that he died in that arena where his father didn't have to suffer him any longer. Turned out things worked out for the better, however. His parents wouldn't be inflicting their influence on him, like poison, they'd be, the tournament money had been supporting him fairly enough since he graduated, and now, he had his dear, sweet aunt to do him a favor.

He was making his own way in the world. Everything he did, he chose on his own. He had no annoying voice in his ear telling him what to do, or saying how wrong he was for pursuing this path. He didn't give a damn about right and wrong. All he knew, was that information was power. So, he invented a business for it, and this was the next step for his work. He crossed the room, and stopped at the window, his back turned from Eirina. He stared at his ugly reflection. He wondered how long it would take her to come up with his idea. If needed, he would give the nudge, but for things to go smoothly, it would be much simpler for her to suggest what he needed.

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Fri Aug 16, 2013 11:44 am

Eirina looked at Dein with an annoyed expression as he spoke, loudly once again, but noticed that he pulled himself back almost immediately afterwards. She doubted that the 'trousers' were accuractely part of the story, and thought that it was used just for him to make a better story. Regardless, Eirina's face softened very quickly. He was clearly going through hell, and he was only a kid. He had to worry all the time and couldn't dare to let his guard down, or else something like this would happen.

And now he probably felt ashamed, and embarrassed for even coming to her. That was exactly what she didn't want of him, to blame himself, because that never led to any place good. She wanted to be there for him, and she wanted him to continue to come to her for help. He hardly had a family right now, and Eirina wasn't about to close him off to her. She wanted him to trust her, because she felt this need and urge to help him. She wasn't sure why she felt so strongly about it, but he was not only a student of hers, but her family that she had thought she had lost so long ago. Eirina had been secluded, and thought that her only family would be a new one. Well, now she had one that surfaced, and she wanted to take care of it.

"I wouldn't consider any Inn a good place to hide. And he's smart, he'll find you if he wants. I don't think that just being carefully is good enough, Dein."

Eirina paused, trying to be careful about her next choice of words. There was a lot to be said, but she couldn't say it all, especially in a state like this. Dein was hurt, physically hurt by his father. That was wrong in itself, but there was so much more going on here that she couldn't even think it all through. This was not a phase, and this was not something that would just end.

"Why is he coming after you now?"

It wasn't a question that she wanted to ask, but she didn't see much other options. If Dein wanted to be safe, safe from his father, they'd have to figure out just why he was so adamant about coming after Dein. If they knew that, it would have been a lot easier to come up with a solution. A working solution. Not just a temporary solve to this problem, because Eirina was sure that this was not a problem that would just fade away or blow into the wind. No, it was a lot bigger than just that. Eirina wanted to find something permanent, that way there was no worries. She didn't want to have to be spending her days, everyday, worrying if her nephew was okay. She wanted to feel that he was safe.

"And the offer still stands, if you'd like to stay at hogwarts, I can find you a room and food and everything."

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Wed Aug 21, 2013 9:44 pm

When she used his given name, Dein looked at her with some small speculation. She said his name with a sort of familiarity, and it was a cue to him that it was no longer a conversation between Headmistress and former student, but of an aunt and her nephew. It was... odd, to say the least, but it did little to hinder the act he was displaying. Hopefully there would be an opportunity, to remind her that they weren't family- by blood yes, but not by bond. If she expected any form of relationship from him, well, she would be in for a rude awakening. There would be too much at stake, to get close to his long lost aunt. The more she knew, the less secrets he would possess. If she knew how he spent his time- if she knew what he could do- his life would be over before it even started.

There were many things that he was required to do before he reached his goals, but there was no one but himself to trust. Naer wouldn't understand, his father not only hated him, but would have taken over his business. Dein thought over things with his parents often, and not because of their separation. There were only a select few who really knew what he could do, and his parents were two of the three. In other words, they were a loose end, but how he would address the issue, he was not certain. So, in a way, his father really was coming back to haunt him, plaguing him with an unresolved paranoia. And as for the third who knew of Dein's particular skills, she was an adversary he would do best not to underestimate. These were only a few of the enemies that Dein would make along his chosen path; he needed a permanent solution now, while there was still a chance, rather than wait until it was too late.

Dein looked back into the window, thinking about how best he could answer her. A lie would take far more effort than he needed, and it was much simpler to appear honest when he took a small truth, and twisted it. He took a deep breath as he watched the clouds pass over the glass in front of him, and finally, he spoke, "He's always been strict with me, longer than I can remember probably. As his son, I was expected to do as I was told, and if I did anything to shame his good name, well." He glanced to the reflection of the swollen area above his eye. Even though it was false, it was likely how Dein would have looked after the triwiz, if there hadn't been any witnesses. That, or Lacetta would have been a lot worse off.

"Let's just say I disappointed him during the tournament." He returned to his seat across from her and folded his hands together. She already knew of how his father had disowned him, and she was smart enough to put two and two together. It was all too believable that his father just 'couldn't handle' the fact that his son had disrespected him, even after disowning him. Dein wouldn't be surprised if his father really did seek him out, but his father was not likely to get an opportunity like this one. "But sitting here and hiding behind you won't solve my problem."

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Sun Jan 05, 2014 10:10 pm

Eirina tensed at the mention of something so low, for there to be such emphasis placed on a name, a simple thing that shouldn't have judged a person for their worth, it was unbelievable to her. That was the society though, even to this more modern day and age. The name, and the blood, still meant something, no matter how much Eirina wished that it hadn't and tried to pretend that it didn't. It was something that may very well never leave the minds of certain individuals and certain families. If only it could be stopped.

But that was the current matter at hand. No, Eirina was facing something very different. This was about one person, her nephew, and she wanted to do whatever she could, whatever was in her power, to keep him safe and clean, to have food and to be able to live a life, a good life.

Dein mentioned that 'hiding' behind her wouldn't solve his problem, and she gave him a strange face, for many reasons. If that were the case, then why was he here? And further, that wasn't the case, not in her eyes. He was here and she was to help him, not hinder him by hiding him in some cloak or something. She would do nothing of the sort. She wanted to be able to get him back on his feet, to get him safe. How was that hiding behind her? She couldn't understand.

"Then what will, what are you thinking?"

She knew there was something more to this conversation then that. Dein wasn't a stupid kid, he was bright, and he probably had at least an inkling as to what could be done, something favorable to him.

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Mon Jan 20, 2014 3:11 am

He mulled thing over in his head for awhile, gazing down at the floor as he 'tried' to find a 'possible' solution to this mess. But at this point, it was more to keep things natural, and his act consistent. Eirina was smart enough to know he already had an answer, and he wouldn't waste any more time with this idle conversation. It was all irrelevant if it didn't somehow fit into his reason for coming here. So, after establishing eye contact with his dear aunt, he cut to the chase, "I remember reading about the Fidelius charm in one of your textbooks: how it could hide a location?" He tilted his head slightly, "You can cast it for me, then we won't have any more problems with my father."

It wasn't a question whether or not she could cast it, not only because if she couldn't, it would leave him in a tight spot, but also because she was well qualified, despite how young of a headmistress she was. Plus, she was also the Charms professor, so his request, as he saw it, was well within her power to grant. Obviously this would mean that she'd have access to the place, but the Fidelius Charm was complex. In other words, if he could do it himself, he wouldn't be sitting here asking her to do it. Unfortunately, that was not the case, however, he didn't possess the experience or knowledge to enact such an ancient charm on his own. He needed her to do it- to create his new hideout. She didn't need to know that teensy little detail, otherwise she wouldn't be as willing to help.

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Sat May 17, 2014 8:57 am

As Eirina waited, patiently, for Dein’s reply, she hadn’t expected for him to suggest what he had, though the idea itself didn’t come as a surprise to her, under such circumstances. She, too, pondered. She would be able to find him, quite well, if she were to cast the spell. He must have known that, but no one else would. His father, no, but everybody else, the world, would not be able to find him. As to why he wanted this, she wasn’t sure, but she saw no harm in the seclusion. In fact she was more worried that he’d develop to the solitude more than anything else. She had no fear of some secret experiments or anything terribly inhuman, illegal perhaps, but nothing large enough to matter.

Slowly, she nodded her head, as she didn’t want to turn him down. This was the first time that he had asked for her help, and she didn’t want it to be the last. She wanted to be there for him when he needed it, and if she shut him down now, he’d surely shut her out, and she didn’t want the risk of all things worse to occur. She’d have only blamed herself, then.

“Okay. But you must have a location, and it must be one where there is an ample amount of seclusion already established. I’m not saying go off into the woods alone, necessarily, but it cannot be someone so easily spotted. I don’t need any muggles or magic folk spotting you appearing and disappearing, and asking questions."

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Mon May 19, 2014 11:30 pm

He smiled genuinely as Eirina accepted the proposal, and though he was aware that it would make it easy for the headmistress to find him, he didn't think it would matter. Either she would always be too busy to bother him, or vice versa on his end. He didn't take into account that shr might become obnoxious about it, or whatever. But it did mean that he couldn't leave his work lying around his future home eithet, so the location had to be that much more specific; somewhere that he could easily conceal his things from Eirina even if it was right under her nose.

Though he had a few options in mind, he took the time now to think on it. He need somewhere secluded as Eirina mentioned, he needed a space to hide his work, even if she was around, but he also needed to be somewhat close yo his shop, should apparition ever be out of the question. Having it set up in a muggle area would also help, as it would draw less attention to itself. When he narrowed down his options to one choice, he gave a slow nod.

"I think I have a place in mind. It's in London." Dein stood up and straightened his shoulders, "We can head to the Leaky Cauldron, and then apparate from there."

He was assuming that his aunt would be willing to do this for him now, mainly because he didn't have time to waste, but also because he didn't want Naer to have second thoughts before casting the charm for him.

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Wed May 21, 2014 8:17 pm

Eirina was shocked when he had a place already in mind, her face clearly displaying her feelings toward the matter. She wasn't sure how to react, or what to say. Did she just go along with it? Well she guess she kind of had to. She did make a promise to him, and she didn't want to back out now and risk him having the time to rethink her help. She didn't want him to turn to something else, something darker.

"Uh, sure, okay. I guess that should be fine."

I guess that means that he's prepared, she thought to herself. Which she was excited for, that he would think so far ahead, however to to jump into something like that, to throw her into something like that, it was strange. She could understand why, but she simply hadn't been prepared for it.

"Where in London are we planning to go?"

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Sat Jun 14, 2014 3:30 pm

"It's near the edge of town, less foot traffic there. I'm sure you'll approve." Dein offered one of his more genuine smirks, now that he was so close to results. He wouldn't have to spend his time looking over his shoulder, in fear of someone watching. Better yet, he would have a place to hide from the authorities, as he was certain the need would arise sometime in the future. He couldn't have planned out is first house better, even if he tried! "You wouldn't be too busy to do it now would you?" Dein glanced to Eirina as the thought arose, realizing that dragging the Headmistress of Hogwarts around London may not exactly fit into her schedule.

Subject: Re: Craftsman of Destruction (Tag: Eirina) Sat Jun 14, 2014 8:30 pm

Eirina watched as Dein smirked, questioning if the boy ever smiled. She quickly came to the conclusion that he didn't. Not to her, probably not to his friends, maybe here and there to loved ones. Now that the thought crossed her mind, Eirina remembered that she'd need to contact Lacetta, as the case against her had ended, concluding that she was targeted simply due to her blood status, which was another controversy all on it's own, but one that Eirina could let pass.

"Hmmm...I guess I could leave Madison in charge for a little while...Professor Reid, I mean."

She pondered on the thought for a bit longer before she came to the conclusion.

"Yeah, as long as it doesn't take too long, it should be fine. So the Leaky Cauldron first, you say?"