OPEN: Darkness and Peace (Astronomy Tower)

[Trent Frey]

The sky was on fire, bloodred and burnt orange streaking from the horizon into the growing death of daylight. The stars were asleep, hiding from the violent sunset, and color-tainted air hovered over the Astronomy Tower, taunting. He was so close he could nearly taste that final burst of glory.

His arms spread wide, and a head full of wild black hair tilted back, black-rimmed eyes and parted lips raising to the sky. The breeze that teased his skin was soft as silk, sliding against him like a memory or a dream, and his trenchcoat, open to the wind, the sky, and his own pain, danced around his legs as though urging him to take that final step.

He let himself lean forward then, the toes of his boots tilting over the edge of the wall as his heels lifted. He opened his eyes then, and he could see everything as though he'd already taken that step and time had stopped in one last perfect moment of clarity, the sky taking him with it, pulling him with crimson fingers into the sun and leaving behind darkness and peace.

Peace.

His heart raced with the thrill of it.

[nd12]

Nastasia trudged up the steps to the Astronomy tower, The Room of Requirement was being used Again it was not hard to forget that most in this school used it as a hotel room. Not that she would use it that way sometime for herself but come on she wouldn't use in such a way all the time besides it provided a better use to her now with Dark Arts practices and preparing for her prep for Potion Newt's. The Room of Requirement would only be good for her for so long so Nastasia felt it was time to move her operations and explorations to somewhere else, a place of her own since she would coming of age soon anyway she knew what building she was interested in it was a big size with living arrangements and tons of workspace to split up more than what she would need so she needed someone to fill in some of the space. Definitely someone that wasn't interested in what she was doing. She wouldn't need any rent or payment of any sort she had loads of money and then there was the issue about the lease she needed to use another name for herself and it wouldn't hurt to have the future tenants name on it as well, Nastasia in no way wanted to be known as one of those women who were independent... she would never live it down. So her future tenant needed to be a man but of course she would allow her father to pick a chaperon of sorts to be present it was the only way that she would receive her father's blessing. With the prophet in her hand Nastasia reached the door to the Astronomy Tower and after turning the knob she made her way onto the roof. Something else took her attention quickly as she stopped, she hadn't lifted her eyes yet but her senses were well trained to detect that she was not the only person up here. Lifting her eyes she saw the person, who looked close enough to the edge to leap off. As always she kept to motto of sorts Hear nothing, see nothing and say nothing, but there was a looming possibility she could be blamed for all of this and that didn't sit well with Nastasia one bit. Did she really care if she was blamed? No, of course she didn't afterall this was obviously what the person before her wanted, but she would get off in someway or another. Yes she could sleep at night.

Regretfully she was going to have to say something but for now she only stood ,she was going to have to leave here at some point but it wouldn't now whoever was on the edge would have to come back later after curfew or delay it for another time that she just didn't happen to show up. This was some bad omen or punishment towards her she was sure of it. None the less she was prepared to be verbally attacked.

[Trent Frey]

Lyric inhaled deeply, slowly, and the brisk winter air filled his lungs with a cold that felt like death. He closed his eyes and sank back on his heels, arms still spread to the air and the fading sun. The light was dying, the last of any warmth would be gone in mere moments. At last his arms lowered, and for a moment he was still. Then he moved again, completely unaware of his silent watcher. There was no God; he was alone here.

He began to shrug out of his trenchcoat, and for a moment he held it tightly in one hand. What if he let it go over? Would it show him where he'd fall? It didn't matter in the end. He turned to drop it on the colorless stone behind him, the leather pooling in the near-dark like spilled blood. He waited as the last tendrils of sun struggled to cast a long shadow, and when it faded, when the sun slipped behind the horizon, he still hadn't noticed the girl in the shadows. He felt her, though. Some part of him felt her presence, and it prodded him to act. What if this time he jumped?

He closed his eyes again and inhaled slowly, letting the cold infuse his blood. He felt someone, but whoever it was was outside him. It only added to the illusion. He was cold, and it felt right.

[nd12]

Nastasia stood still where she was as person in question shed their trenchcoat, why were people so weak? Once you became immune to be weak she could easily understand that death would be more preferable. Nastasia would torture herself in thousands of the millions of ways she knew how(and she knew plenty) before ever becoming a immune to being weak.

Nastaisa may not have been a foolish gryffindor the sort with notions of bravery, but even Slytherins fought for their survival in their own way of sorts, they didn't succumb to fear.
She wasn't leaving, she didn't have to even if this was a time of tragdey of sorts. Her enjoyment of solitude would not be ruined.

Her curiosity got the best of her slightly maybe indeed this person would jump or maybe not.
Either way she had nothing to do with it.

[Trent Frey]

Lyric had done this countless times before, in countless places. It was never his intention to jump, but these silent moments spent facing his mortality were enough of an adrenaline rush to keep him going until his next fix. He'd died a thousand times, and it left him feeling purged.

When the still and the cold had possessed him, when he couldn't hear a thing, couldn't feel for the numbness and his mind was clear, he held his breath. There was a moment of perfection then; he felt nothing. No pain, no fear, no hate. Only a peace that ended with the need to take another breath. Proof he hadn't died again this time. He was a f~ing masochist.

All at once, his eyes opened and he inhaled. He turned and jumped off the ledge back onto the tower and bent to pick up his trenchcoat as though nothing had happened. He was relaxed and numb now. And there was someone watching him. His eyes narrowed.

[nd12]

Nastasia curiosity vanished as the other student turned around and got of off the ledge picking up the trenchcoat. Her eyes met a pair of narrowed eyes, she narrowed her eyes back only briefly before turning her back to him to take her before slowly walking to to take a seat in the fair corner. Nastasia took hold of her of the skirt of her black dress as she sat down gracefully indian-style it was the best she could do considering the length which was acceptable length but by no means was it scandalously too short nor was it ankle length. what did she care anyway now that she was in the prescence of a stranger, usually she was alone.
With her Prophet still in hand Nastasia pulled out her wand, after a soft muttered Lumos Nastasia was provided with just enough light to finally read.
She paid no attention to the the other, afterall they were weak and almost about to end it all so what did she really have to afriad of?

[Trent Frey]

Lyric had expected the girl to say something, and his brows furrowed in annoyance that he'd been denied the satisfaction of an argument. And yet it was better than the last person who'd found him up here. She'd thought it was clever to joke with him about something he took very seriously. He didn't care if some spoiled-looking blonde princess took her voyeurism as the week's excitement, and he didn't care if she ignored him. It was what he preferred. With her attention away from him, he began shrugging back into his trenchcoat. In ten minutes he could be locked up in the Room of Requirement, waiting for bliss to kick in.

[nd12]

Leaning back against the wall Nastasia felt quite satisfied with herself, not being at all predictable. Oh yes she had annoyed the stranger she smirked only slightly. Not only was this person nutter but was quite full of themself as well, she didn't come up here just for them, as if it wasn't clear to see she had her paper in hand.

"Why are you still here? you've never had an audience if that's what you thinking." Nastasia spoke in icy tones
As far as leaving went she had no intention, if she had to make that any clearer she would but she doubted she would ever have to considering with what she was dealing with a complete head case.

Nastasia turned her attention back to her paper to continue searching for her idea building.

[Trent Frey]

Lyric's brows drew further together as he looked back at the girl. "F~ you," he said dismissively. "If I'm so f~ing invisible, who the hell are you talking to?" If her tone was ice, his was fire, pent up and held back, but palpable all the same. He'd fully intended to walk off, to grab his duffel bag and forget he'd even seen her, but the fact that she'd just had to prod him made him want to prod back. "At least my idea of a good time's not f~ing homework." Speaking of which, where had he dumped his bag off at?

[nd12]

Nastasia chuckled at his profanity "I've tried to make you invisible, you stick out terribly"

" Your idea of fun seems to be that ledge you were standing on, what fun that must be"

"Are you blind? This is the prophet some of us are concentrating on our future instead making sure we don't have one"
"What's the matter have I hurt your feelings, you going to run now??"

[Trent Frey]

"F~ you," Lyric said again. "And f~ the future." He looked back at the ledge, but his bag wasn't visible in the dark, so he pulled his wand and lit it with a nonverbal lumos. The girl could nag herself to death, he didn't care enough to argue with her. He'd had enough of arguing with dense people, and he wouldn't leave without his bag.

He began to skirt the edge of the wall first, shining light into every corner until he realized where he'd thrown it. He turned back toward the girl, lit wand raised. "Get up," he said, gesturing for her to stand. He'd found it, she just needed to get the hell out of his way and he could leave.

[nd12]

Nastasia merely rolled her eyes as the lunatic spouted out more profanity, he seemed to be looking for something and it seemed very important.
It had not dawned on her until this very moment that what guy was searching for was exactly around her. perfect Nastasia inwardly smirked looking to him letting him notice that she too had discovered what he needed.

He had the nerve to command her to get up but she wasn't about to budge but wait a minute she might just have a reason to get up after all.

Yes she would fool him at first get up, then she would suprise him. "I'll do you better.. I'll throw it to you, because I can't wait to be rid of you" She reached for his bag and began to throw it to him but she threw it farther than he could reach precisely past the ledge. Nastasia relaxed in back to her place against the wall. "How unfortunate I guess I missed you."

[Trent Frey]

Lyric's wand arm shot out as he turned on his heel. Accio bag! he thought, the fierce protectiveness he felt over the bag's contents stopping the bag in mid-air and bringing it to him in a rush. He caught it with his free hand and pulled the strap over his head, letting his anger rest until the moment it was safe. Then he turned back to the girl with dark eyes and a jaw tightened with anger. His wand rose again, and in a flash, he'd cast another nonverbal, especially for her. Furnunculus.

[nd12]

It was no small feat that he would catch his bag, Nastasia had expected him to. So he really was going to be foolish enough to test her?

His wand rose and she knew she was prepared whatever he had coming her way, there wasn't a curse or hex she hadn't been hit with even the darkest one she knew.
Nastasia raised her wand as well he wasn't the only one who knew how to use noverbals
Langlock, and just to punish that awful tongue of his she used one more Lingaugeo.

The boils she could take care of later she knew how.

[Trent Frey]

Lyric had expected retribution, so he could have easily had a shield up already. He wondered what she had in her though, and let the first spell through. He recognized it easily as his tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth. Not that it mattered, since he favored nonverbals anyway. He threw his shield up immediately after, blocking whatever else she might have thrown at him. Langlock was nothing. He decided to leave it rather than waste time with a counterspell. He could taunt her when he had her on the ground. He cast a silent Deprimo, hoping to singe her hair, if not blast a hole through her wand.