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Author Topic: Through Gritted teeth || Nael  (Read 81 times)

Ruth Elliot

    (04/02/2025 at 14:33)
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Friday, March 1, 1974,
Back of the library,
Around 4PM

"In...the...in the...rich ta-pee--peestry," Rae quietly muttered the words to herself. With each syllable she made her way through, she could feel her patience slipping further. The whole thing was beginning to feel like an exercise in futility, as all the reading Professor Amberghast gave did. The books were always so complicated and often filled with words she had no hope of knowing. Half the time, she didn't know why she even bothered. By the time the little girl got to the end of her reading, she never remembered what she'd read at the start.

Sometimes, she tried to take notes, but they weren't any more useful than the books themselves.

It made no difference during classes either. No matter how many times Rae read the material--usually from a lack of focus that forced her to repeat the same sentences over and over--she never knew the answers when the time came.

The latest reading was no different. The small girl sat slumped on the table with the book the professor had recommended propped up before her. Her chin rested comfortably on the hand that lay on the table while the other hand kept the book in place.

"Of...my...th...and leg...leg...end, snakes--" Snakes. It was finally talking about snakes. In the last half hour, Rae had made it through the prior paragraph without so much as a mention of the reptile or any of the 'mythology' the transfiguration professor had sent them in search of. It was funny how now that she'd found the subject she was still no closer to gaining this cryptic information.

What was with the fascination with snakes anyway?

The stories were always interesting when they talked about them together in class but on her own? It was all nothing more than words on paper used to help her while away the extra time before she had to head to the hospital wing for her shift.
   
    &#x2740Mm, she the devil &#x2740

* Nael Al-Azma

    (04/02/2025 at 21:01)
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Nabih had held Nael back after class today. It was becoming a habit, with it being Friday and Nael not having another class after Magical Defense. They went over the week, discussed any issues that had come up, detentions Nael had gotten or just general progress in his classes. It was his father way of checking in with him and Nael had no real say in the matter. As usual. So he accepted it and was glad that this would give him more free time on the weekends.

Nael also accepted that sometimes Nabih used him as an errand boy to return library books after their talk. From time to time he came with him, but most days Nabih had other duties and he just sent Nael with an arm full of books.

Bag over his shoulder and the three restricted section books under one arm, Nael entered the library and went straight for Julia’s office. The 14 year old knew that Nabih did not use the logbook Julia made everyone else use when it came to the Restricted Section, so just dropping them with the return cart did not work well. "Miss Laurence," he greeted her, as formal as he usually was when other students were around.

She smiled at him, came up to him and took the books from him, putting them on her desk. Sometimes she asked him about his day as well, but today she told him to come along with him. With any other Professor this sentence would have put Nael on high alert. With Julia it had gotten a lot better over the past months. He was in here often and he had started to feel comfortable around her.

Maybe today being on high alert would have been the better choice, though. After walking to the back of the library with her and stopping a few steps away from a table with a single student sitting at it, Nael's good mood vanished in an instant.

Julia instructed him briefly, reminding him of his role as a mentor, and his lips formed a thin line as he looked from Julia to Ruth. Did she not get that this was the worst idea of the century? She didn't want his help with anything. She bloody hated him. "But Miss..."

"I don't want to hear a thing from either of you about who doesn't like who. I don't care. Feel free to act up and get bitten."

That was that. Nael dragged his feet towards the table and stood, looking back at the librarian who was still giving them both stern looks. She made a movement with her index finger pointing down, indicating for him to sit down and her eyes silently added right now. She would make him, he knew. So he pulled the chair and plopped down next to Ruth, watching Julia finally leave.

Nael slowly glanced over to Ruth and the book in front of her. From the few words he could read, he could tell that it was a difficult text: Meanwhile, in Norse mythology, the enormous Midgard Serpent, Jörmungandr, encircles the world, destined to fight Thor during Ragnarök. Nael had no idea how good Ruth's reading skills had gotten but this text was quite the mouthful. No doubt Transfiguration homework.

How was he supposed to help with this? "She seems obsessed with snakes," he observed quietly, not sure what to say to the girl he had not talked to or even acknowledged for months now. Nael looked at Ruth briefly, but dropped his gaze again.

"Do you like spiders?"

*pp of the librarian approved by player <3
Not acid nor alkaline
Caught between black and white
Not quite either day or night
Perfectly misaligned

Ruth Elliot

    (05/02/2025 at 04:05)
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The sound of wood scraping against stone drew her attention from her earlier concentration. This far back, Rae really hadn't been expecting company--nor had she been desirous of it. The point of removing herself from the more frequented areas of the library was to struggle through her reading in peace.

Miss Laurence had been helping her and the girl now had many sight words under her belt but among the difficulties that remained was her inability to read inside her head. Not wanting to distract anyone--and severely against having anyone hear her, the little girl had opted for a place out of the way where she could mumble the words to herself while she tried to make their sounds. Sometimes it worked, a lot of times it didn't and she grew frustrated. The problem with sight words was that...when compared to the list of words actually present in the English language, they didn't cover much. The only reading Rae did at school was academic in nature and those books...those books weren't trying to help her at all.

Her eyes flickered upward to see who had thought it best to interrupt and she could feel the blood drain from her face as recognition set in.

Of all the people...

Rae let the book fall flat on its covers. Without a single word, the little girl pushed away from the desk and rose to her feet but when she spun around, the sight of the librarian with folded arms and a stern look greeted her. Confused as to what she could have done, Rae thought to brush it off as nothing but as she reached back onto the table, she caught the woman gesturing for her to sit.

What? Why?

With crinkled brows and rising frustration, the small Slytherin sank back into the chair though now she balanced herself on the edge opposite where Nael sat, wanting to create as much distance as possible.

"She seems obsessed with snakes."

Rae didn't respond. She still remembered their last conversation, when she'd gone looking for him and he'd called her names, had called her stupid and had thrown her goodwill back into her face with his philosophical thoughts on the value of her life. Now he wanted to talk about the transfiguration professor's interests?

"Do you like spiders?"

Still no response, nor would there be one coming. What could she possibly have to say to the boy who'd already gone into great depth about what he thought of her?

Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. Rae scowled up at the overly persistent woman who had somehow managed to silently drift over to them without her notice. Her smile was warm and her words gentle when she spoke but there was an edge of firmness to them that suggested the woman wasn't opening the floor for negotiation.

"Miss Elliot, either you work with Mister Al-Azma now, or this mentorship will carry on into next term. Twice a week, every week until you do."

Miss Laurence gave her shoulder a light squeeze, her smile widening by the faintest degree before she drifted off to continue her library duties.

Rae was left with nothing but a pit in her stomach and a scowl that ran so deep it was nearly comical. Reluctantly and with her body angled away from the boy, she picked up her book again and tried to find the place she'd left off. Something about a snake...as if it wasn't all about snakes. 

"I don't like spiders," she muttered, doing nothing to hide the disdain she felt for those creepy crawlies. "They're ugly."

OOC: Powerplay approved by Julia <3
                                                                 I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed.

                              Get along with the voices inside of my head.

* Nael Al-Azma

    (05/02/2025 at 08:32)
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It was as he had expected. No response and the clear desire to be anywhere but near him. Even Julia had to see that this was not doing anyone any good. Ruth Elliot did not want him here, next to her, doing whatever. And Nael did not want to be here, next to her, trying once again when it had failed the last few times he had.

Nael felt Julia’s presence before Ruth did, and he glanced up at the woman who was now standing behind the girl. Her words, meant for Ruth, left him gasping as well. Twice a week? She had to be kidding. This was just becoming unfair now and he opened his mouth again in protest, but Julia had already left again. Staying close by no doubt in case things did not go well between them.

Reluctantly Nael reached into his bag, found his pen and notebook and pulled it out. If she wasn't going to talk, he could very well do the last bits of the homework he had. If they at least looked busy and peaceful, maybe Julia would be satisfied.

"Benji gave me a blue tarantula for Christmas. She's real pretty." Spiders were not ugly, at least not to him. He did however know that not everyone shared his love for the 8 legged creatures, which was the main reason he has asked her in the first place. Kairi was sitting comfortably in his inside robe pocket. Nael had enchanted it to fits the spider's needs and while usually he didn't bring her to class, especially not Magical Defense, he had made an exception today. They had written a test on the Egyptian gods and their protection magic, so the spider had been safe from spells.

Sometimes when he worked in here, doing his essays and readings, he let the spider come out and crawl around. Julia didn't like it much when he did, but she usually did not say anything. Judging by Ruth's choice of words and the way she said them, Nael thought it wiser to leave his pet in his robes for now. There was no need to make things even more tense now.

"She's gonna hover, you know," he said with a nod towards the shelf the librarian was busy with a row over. Miss Laurence was not easily fooled if at all. If this was not to happen twice a week until he graduated, they had to work together somehow. "Wanna tell me what you've read so far?" He'd done most of the assigned readings already, although he had gone about it different. Reading up on everything at once was confusing a lot of times. Nael did not look at her, but down on his notebook, as he moved his pen around on it, starting to draw a broom.
Not acid nor alkaline
Caught between black and white
Not quite either day or night
Perfectly misaligned

Ruth Elliot

    (05/02/2025 at 10:52)
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She didn't know what a blue tarantula was but even more confounding was why Nael thought she would care. A hairy insect or a fuzzy pair of socks, what the pair of them had done with their Christmas was no concern to hers--what Nael received, even if it was from Benji, had nothing to do with her nor did it hold any interest for the girl who was only trying to get her reading done in peace.

Someone who'd already started on the reading had insisted it was worth struggling through. They'd hinted at stories of old gods she'd never heard about and their difficult entanglements with these reptiles. It all had sounded like it would make for a good story, especially if there really was one about a snake wrapping around the world waiting to take on the big bad god.

Instead of such thrilling tales and deep lore that might keep the girl at the edge of her seat, Rae was stuck having the presence of a mean Hufflepuff forced onto her while he tried to pull her into the most inane conversation about something she would smack into nothingness with her shoe if she ever saw it crawling near her.

She'd been well-behaved all afternoon and didn't think she deserved such punishment.

"She's gonna hover, you know." It figured. "Wanna tell me what you've read so far?"

Rae sucked in a breath so massive it caused her small frame to rise slightly and forced her chest outward. She held it, counting until she'd hit 10 before releasing. Her body sagged into the chair again then she turned her eyes back to the open page. Somewhere down the page, she thought she'd seen the word 'god' and figured she must've been getting close to the juicy details that probably got the professor hooked in the first place.

"You've already forgotten," she said stiffly, her eyes scanning until they landed on the last word she'd previously read. Snakes. Right. Rae straightened, her spine now uncomfortably erect as she continued to ignore the boy's efforts. "I'm too stupid to know what I've read." That's what he thought, after all; too stupid to understand things, too stupid to catch the clever words he spouted so eloquently. Surely, then, too stupid to recall confusing words on a page.

"Snakes...have... slith...slith..." Slytherin? No, that couldn't be right. Some of the letters shouldn't be there if it were that word. "Slither...red...their way...into...the hurt...hur...heart..." Her face flushed with colour from her growing embarrassment at having him sit there listening to her poor attempt but her face remained stubborn and resolute. The colour deepened at the realisation that her snarky comment hadn't been that far off the mark.

The words were passing through her lips, some more smoothly than others, but the moment they were out, they were clear of her mind, too.

She really was too stupid to know what she'd been reading.
   
    &#x2740Mm, she the devil &#x2740

* Nael Al-Azma

    (05/02/2025 at 15:57)
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Nael sunk down deeper on his chair and continued to draw. The broom now had a rider, hair flying, a quaffle tucked underneath one arm. It just needed a little shading, which was difficult to do with a pen. It was easier with a pencil, but Nael was too lazy to get one out now. It wasn't going to be a masterpiece anyway, so who cared about crappy shading. It was just to kill time, until Julia was too distracted by someone trying to set the library on fire. Where was Crazy McCoy when you actually needed her?

He'd forgotten nothing. Especially not their last interaction. Well, none of them actually. It had not been pleasant at all, but downright nasty. All of it, ever since that day in the library. It was exactly the reason why this was the worst idea. They did not get along and Nael did not need another fight. In fact, both of them had fared very well just ignoring the hell out of each other. She was fine, he was fine, the world was fine with it. Why not Julia Laurence?

As he drew the goal hoops, he rolled his eyes at her I'm too stupid comment, no doubt meant to provoke him. "We both know that's not true." His tone very matter of fact, he didn't elaborate further but let her continue reading. Or whatever it was she was doing.

The goal posts were coming along nicely, when his notebook suddenly slammed shut on him, and his pen flew out of his hand. Nael followed its trajectory and his eyes landed on Julia once more, now holding his pen. She didn't need to speak. Her look said it all. Nael pulled himself up on the chair. "Fuck this," he muttered under his breath and looked over at Ruth fighting with the words on the page. What was he supposed to do? He could not tell her how to read. She hated it when he told her how to do things. He could not read the text to her, because she would probably not listen to him anyway.

Just what the hell was he supposed to do here?

"Do you really wanna be stuck with me twice a week for the rest of term and the next?" That was what was going to happen unless she fixed her attitude.
« Last Edit: 05/02/2025 at 21:04 by Nael Al-Azma »
I am machine
It wasn't supposed to be this way

We were meant to feel the pain

I don't like what I am becoming

Wish I could just feel something

Ruth Elliot

    (06/02/2025 at 12:10)
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How long had she been sitting there? Half an hour? Forty-five minutes? All the little girl had to show for her reading was the sentiment that snakes were crawling around inside people's organs. She knew enough to understand it was only a turn of phrase and that there weren't really reptiles wriggling around inside people--unless there was a particular myth that insisted otherwise. This didn't change the fact that she had learned nearly nothing.

When Rae had first entered the library, she had been filled with optimistic thoughts of having fanciful stories pop out of the pages. In her mind, she was going to sit and, through sheer determination, the topic would lay itself out before her.

She didn't look up when the boy cursed. Instead, Rae slid her gaze further down the page, deciding she would simply choose a new spot. Maybe the words would be easier and the concepts easier to grasp. The only problem was, no matter how hard she scanned, none of the words made any sense.

Jörmungandr? Ragnarök?

Mesoamerican mythology...?

Quetzalcoatl--no way that one was a word. Were authors allowed to make these things up?

It was becoming very clear to the little girl that the professor had either overestimated her abilities with this reading...or she was never meant to understand in the first place. That had to be it. Professor Amberghast and her little reading list had more to do with passing the time to keep them occupied than it did with helping them to learn. Under such circumstances--and now firmly committed to this false premise--Rae actually began to feel a little better.

This material was never meant for her. Anything the professor wanted her to know, she would tell her herself.

"Do you really wanna be stuck with me twice a week for the rest of term and the next?"

"And what do you want me to do, hmm, Nael? I don't know what she wants and I don't know what you expect from me either." When she didn't do her homework, it was a problem. When she did do her homework, it was still a problem. "Do you want us to start sharing our feelings? We've done that before; it never works. Should we talk about our day? My classes were shit and I don't care about yours." Rae grimaced deeply at the boy. "I came here to finish my transfiguration reading and I don't need to be dragged into whatever nonsense you and Miss Laurence have thought up."

Was the librarian listening? She hoped she was.

   
    &#x2740Mm, she the devil &#x2740

* Nael Al-Azma

    (06/02/2025 at 14:30)
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Her answer was yes.

Yes, she absolutely wanted to be stuck with him twice a week until he graduated.

Wasn't that just great? Nael took a deeper breath and stared back on his now closed notebook. He expected nothing from her. There was nothing to expect from a girl like Ruth, the same way she didn't expect anything from a boy like him. Incompatible they were and would always be. Even if he tried all she wanted to do was to remind him how much she thought he sucked.

Nael glanced at her as she finally spoke more than just a few words, but what came out of her mouth wasn't exactly worth listening to. Just more I don't care, I'm trying my best here, and Go away, you sneaky piece of shit. Accusing him of wanting to do this to torture her for some reason was just the icing on the cake.

Slowly he slid off the notebook from the table and put if back into his bag. The 14 year old was about to get up and wish her good luck with her reading when Julia’s voice came yet again from behind them. How did she sneak up on them like this??

“Actually Miss Elliot, you and Mister Al-Azma share a common grievance in that neither of you want to do this. Nobody is dragging you into anything. He’s going to help as I’ve asked him to.”

So much for leaving. Whatever Miss Laurence motivation was to force them together like this, Nael was not happy about it. He looked over his shoulder at the woman, brows furrowed and clearly annoyed, but all she did was reach between them to place candy on the table. Candy...

“Show him the passage you need help with and allow him to help. A better attitude would be appreciated.”

So this was a bribe. Meant clearly for Ruth, seeing how her hand was itching towards the candy now. Nael felt a slight pinch in his stomach and turned his head back around. He didn't want any of it. Candy wasn't going to help him get along with this girl.

With Julia standing behind them though, he had no choice but to try once more. He felt anger bubbling inside, a familiar sign for him to take himself out of the situation if he didn't want something bad to happen. But Miss Laurence knew this about him. She'd told him that he couldn't always leave when it got difficult, but that he had to face things to overcome them. Was this one of those things?

Passage she had said. It was more like the whole text was probably a problem. He raised his arm and hand, pointing at a specific part of her text. "I don't know much about the Hindu and Chinese stuff yet, but I'm pretty sure she won't ask about those. My guess is, next week's pop quiz will be on Jörmungandr."

There was very little information in her text about this particular serpent. "It was once turned into a gigantic cat by magic and Thor attempted to lift it." He knew a lot about it, since he had just read the texts a few days ago. If all he had to do was tell her a little bit about this so they were done here, Nael was willing to do that.
It's a different kind of pain
when your heart cries but your eyes don't.

Ruth Elliot

    (07/02/2025 at 00:55)
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Why did she keep popping up?

The grimace Rae had trained on the boy turned next to the librarian who had managed, once again, to insert herself into the mess of her own creation. Both not wanting to be there didn't mean they had anything in common. It meant there didn't want to be there. How did anyone 'bond' over something like that? By walking off in different directions, acknowledging they didn't have interest in further interaction, that was how.

"Look--"

A handful of candy scattered onto the table between them.

“Show him the passage you need help with and allow him to help. A better attitude would be appreciated.”

...Huh.

Without hesitating, Rae reached across the table to swipe each and every piece of candy they were no doubt meant to share. The little girl dropped them into her lap, wanting to keep them safe in case the boy should absentmindedly try reaching for one later. Rae paid little mind to the reprimand that the candy was for them both and she did her very best to ignore the look of disapproval. Finally, she leaned onto the table with feigned interest.

While Nael went on about a strange name being turned into a cat and somebody named Thor lifting it, she popped one of the candies into her mouth. He had until the candies were finished to make this look convincing.

"Woooow. What hapened next?"

This was a good flavour. There were more like it in the bunch otherwise she'd have to ask and risk owing the woman greater effort in her performance.
                                                                 I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed.

                              Get along with the voices inside of my head.

* Nael Al-Azma

    (07/02/2025 at 20:10)
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One second the candy was there on the table, the next it was all in Ruth's lap. So this actually worked on her. It surprised the Hufflepuff that all it took to get Ruth to comply was some candy. Did his father knew about this? It seemed like useful information, although Nael would probably not share that. The last thing he wanted was to go between Nabih and Ruth. He still felt bad about the last time he had done that.

Ruth was leaning on the table now, looking at him with what could pass for interest in the things he was telling her. Nael knew it wasn't though. It was just so Julia would finally back off, thinking her candy had done what no words could do. The Hufflepuff knew better though. She would stay, eat her candy, pretend to be civil and then skip off.

What was in it for him? Nothing, but talking to someone who could not stand him, actually feeding her the very information she needed to pass her test next week. For free. For nothing. He was not interested in candy, and even the prospect of further detention did nothing to make him want to stay. Sure, sitting with this girl twice a week was going to be bad, but it wasn't him who couldn't read properly or who failed quizzes.  He was in here anyway, studying, so her sitting at the same table wasn't going to bother him all that much. If he was not supposed to run when it got difficult, then this was probably the way through.

"Woooow. What happened next?"

Right. Nael looked at Ruth for a moment, considering his options here. It was a good time to leave her sitting with her candy. Julia was gone from view, which did not mean she didn't have an eye on them.

Deciding that he wasn't going to be the one to blow this, he leaned his elbow on the table, turning his body towards Ruth. There was a smile on his face now, even though it did not reach his eyes. His fingers played with his hair as he copied her feigned enthusiasm. "Oh you wouldn't believe what happened next, girl. Thor married the snake, thinking it's a real big ass cat, and they lived happily ever after." His voice was the sweetest she had probably heard from him, just like he had seen girls talk with each other in movies when they exchanged the latest gossip. "Maybe the snake ate Thor, too. Opinions on the matter differ. It's a mystery, really, just like Amberghast likes them. Between you and me, darling, she's a sucker for romance apparently. You'll get bonus points for sure if you mention that they went on a fishing date. Real romantic, I'm telling you."

Now she was all set for that bloody quiz.
Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground

I don't need your help now

You will let me down, down, down!

Ruth Elliot

    (08/02/2025 at 14:50)
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The disgust was palpable but not unbearable. Rae was conditioned to endure unpleasantness for the sake of a promised reward and though the sight of Nael smiling at her churned her stomach, the little girl distracted herself with the burst of tangy citrus flavour that erupted on her tongue the moment she popped the candy into her mouth.

Rae sucked on the sweet while she pretended to listen through Nael's.............................overly friendly rendition of a snake marrying a god because there was some sort of feline fancy swirling around somewhere. The story didn't make any more sense to her than the words printed along the page but it was the 'girl' that threw her. The 'darling' that came after was the icing on this mess of a cake and it made the little girl's skin crawl.

Nael, the boy who'd said so many things, the boy who always seemed like he was in a mood, saying such sickeningly sweet things...

She wanted to be returned to the real world, please. Whatever alternate dimension she'd fallen into when she accepted the sweets was not where she wanted to be anymore.

"Right..." Rae said, reaching slowly for her quill. She scribbled what she could remember of his little gossip sesh. A thorn married a snake...thinking it was a cat...and it got...eaten by the cat in the end....romantically.

Yeah, that made about as much sense as whatever she'd just witnessed. When the test came, she would write it all the way he said it, and hope for the best but uh...she wasn't sure how optimistic she was feeling about this information anymore.

"Well..." she said, dotting the last 'i'. "I've got to get to the hospital wing..." Rae flipped the book closed and stacked her notebook atop it. "This was...something." she continued as she grabbed the remaining candy and slid from her chair. Perhaps, in future, she would have to find new places to study, places that didn't have a Librarian who insisted on their mutual suffering.

"You...um...enjoy...whatever the hell it was you were doing."

She was just...gonna pocket her candy and ...uh...go.
   
    &#x2740Mm, she the devil &#x2740

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