Antebellum [Open]

[Definition: an·te·bel·lum; Belonging to the period before a war, especially the American Civil War.
[Latin ante bellum : ante, before + bellum, war.]]

Cepheus huffed as he walked into the cave. He was really sick of his parents. They were always, always nagging him to stop going into the Muggle world because it wasn't 'fit for a pureblood boy' like himself to be seen with those 'filthy mongrels.' He completely disagreed. Spending time in the Muggle world was much better than spending time with his parents, who were obviously close to hating his guts.

Growling and mumbling to himself, Cepheus sat down on the hard cave floor and leaned against one of the spiky rocks. He ran his fingers through some dry mud, drawing Runes he could remember from some Ancient Runes classes he'd been given from a tutor when he was younger, and his parents were still trying to make him the perfect Heir. It didn't work, of course, but he still appreciated the tutoring.

"Whatever." He huffed to himself, his hair an angry shade of red. Picking up a small stone next to him, he lobbed it out of the large mouth of the cave, glaring at it as the small stone flew outside.

He took a deep breath calming himself. He refused to be used as a target during his uncles games on a job. He hated being the bait all the time but things would changed, he'd make sure of that.

He growled as it started to rain and decided to take cover in a nearby cave, he hate the feel of water again his skin. It made him squirm just thinking about it. He entered the cave and stopped upon seeing the person already there. Just what he needed, to be trapped in a cave with a total stranger he'd probably end up hating in a matter of seconds.

He looked up. "Whatever what?" He asked confused. "Stupid rain." He mutter under his breath as he gritted his teeth. It was just his luck that he got stuck with someone that talked to themselves.

Cepheus was still growling to himself when someone walked in to shelter themselves from the rain. He looked up, glaring at them. He didn't particularly want to talk to anyone after fighting with his parents, so as long as the guy didn't talk to him he'd be okay.

Ignoring the others presence completely, he started muttering about telling his parents to 'bugger off', but quieter this time as to not disturb the other person. He may not want to talk, but that didn't mean he was rude to someone just because they were in a cave to shelter from something that could potentially cause harm to someone. Sighing, he picked up another small stone and chucked it out the mouth of the cave again, watching it go. His eyes then moved to look at the other person in the cave.

Cepheus wasn't assessing him as such, just checking for any danger or if he recognised him at all.

She shook his head and moved to sit at the opposite side of the cave, with his back resting up against the cave wall. He didn't care about where he sat as long as he was as far from the rain as possible. He just didn't understand the English, some were really nice and actually expected you to talk to them whilst the others ignore you and took up conversation with themselves. At least in Russia you weren't expected to be nice to anyone.

He sighed and picked up a stone which he decided to throw up and down in his hand to pass the time. His eyes glowing red in the dim light.

Cepheus chucked another stone near him, happy to be distracted by something. What he didn't count on was the stone hitting the other guy in the cave on the back of the head. He opened his mouth slightly, then closed it. He didn't know what to say. This guy was bigger than him though, that was for sure.

"Oh, Merlin. I'm sorry," Cepheus muttered, wincing slightly. He really didn't want to hit anyone. In his own opinion, he was too much of a whimp to kill a fly, let alone hurt anything. "Really sorry. I didn't mean to."

He growled gritting his teeth as he spun around to look at the boy. "Che diavolo?" He hissed in his first language, his eyes glowing a bright red now. "What where you're throwing those will you?" He growled rubbing the back of his head. That's all he needed right now.

"What are you doing in here anyway?" He asked, not everyone spent their day inside of a cave.

Cepheus blinked at the use of an unfamiliar language before rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture and wincing. "Sorry about that. My aim isn't the best in the world." He had to admit, the other guys eyes were scary but they were pretty cool, too.

"Hiding from my parents. They were getting on my nerves," He shrugged, as if this was an everyday occurrence. Which it probably was, now that he thought about it. "What about you?"

Scarlet ran faster and faster through the clearing and across the castle grounds with tears clouding her vision. This was just too much - their thoughts, her nightmares, and the things in between... She knew coming here would be a bad idea. But did she have a choice? She can't live with her foster parents anymore. She needs to find her real ones.

And that's where she belongs.

She stopped dead, with her hands covering her face and sighed. Maybe I should distance myself from people, she thought. Their thoughts are too dangerous.

Rain started pouring and everything seems so blurry. Differing her tears from the actual rain are starting to be confusing, so she nonchalantly ran for the nearest cave. Suddenly, she heard men talking.

She turned around, a shock etched upon her face, and in front of her two men staring at each other - probably yelling. She doesn't know. Their thoughts and words are starting to get mixed up.

"I - I'm sorry. My eyes... they're - they're just blurry."

She looked at the two boys in front of her and read their thoughts.

"Maybe I should just go... I'm sorry."

"You don't say, maybe you should get some practice in at that." He said rubbing the back of his head as he sat down on the nearest flat rock. He sniggered. "Parents? Who needs them? They are good for bringing you into the world only, for everything else they are useless." He said picking up another rock to throw up and in the air then catch.

"Me? I was just looking around, i've been in your country for a week. It's nothing like Italy or Russia." He admitted Italy and Russia were much simpler places because the people were pretty much what you see is what you got. Where as here peoples attitudes seemed to change... a lot. "But now im hiding from the rain." He said his face scrunching up in disgust as he mentioned rain.

His head spun towards the caves mouth as someone else entered. He rolled his eye. "What do i care. It's a free country is it not? You have every right to stay." He said then paused, did he really just tell her she could stay? This country was messing with his head.

(OOC How can you read peoples minds? You're only a first year and you don't learn that until at least 5th year)

(OOC: It could be a natural talent she hasn't learnt to control yet she was born with. Like with Cepheus being a Metamorphmagus, changing his appearance.)

Cepheus nodded. "I should, but I never have the chance," Shrugging, he stood and moved closer to the red-eyed guy. He sat down a couple of meters away from him, but still kind of next to him. "I know what you mean. I take it you don't like your parents?" He looked over to Arsen, not moving his head. He blew a piece of hair out of his face, frowning at it when it just fell back again.

"I've always wanted to go to Italy. Is it nice there?" Grinning, he thought about going there one day. His parents never really took him on holidays as they were still trying to drill Pureblood supremacy into his head, even if he disagreed with it. "I hate rain." He grumbled. When a girl came running in, he frowned. Mind reading?

He thought for a moment back to his mother teaching him some basic Occlumency to hide the family secrets from people who could use Legillimency. He shoved up some shields around his surface thoughts then added some feeble ones to his his subconscious. "Are you okay, Miss?"

She looked at the boy with the red eyes. She doubted his words at first, for they seemed forcefully sent. She eventually nodded, and looked at the boy who was previously playing with the rocks.

She nodded again. "Yes, mind reading. I have no idea how to control it, unfortunately. And the thoughts of others are... unpleasant. That's why I distance myself from most."

She went for the dry land nearest to the mouth's cave and looked at them again. "I won't be a bother, so please, don't let me burden you. And... thank you. For letting me stay."

She looked at the sky. The cloud were moving furiously, but she reckons it is better than the others.

[OOC: Reading minds isn't her (my character's) choice. Ever since 4 (or at least when she was aware that she had a brain), She's been reading people's minds whenever she stares at their eyes. That's why Scarlet went crying around the castle grounds - it's because of the thoughts she read from other students. It was too horrifying.

Try reading my character's student template.]

"Why don't you practice now?" He asked. "You aren't doing anything so you might as well put the time to use." He gritted his teeth. "I don't think that quite covers it. Well lets put it this way, i'm jealous of the muggles that killed them." He shrugged. "I was meant to take their lives but they took that from me." He growled crushing the rock he had in his hand without realising.

He nodded. "I love Italy, but unfortunately they don't have a school for me to go to. The nearest one is in Russia." He shrugged. "I hate Russia but my uncle moves a lot so that means so do i." He sighed. "Now i'm going to Hogwarts for my third year, that will be different." He said.

He raised an eyebrow, mind reading? At least the demon blood in him covered his mind to everyone but the most powerful wizards. He shrugged opening his hand for the crushed rock to fall from his hand before he picked up another one.

"I really should," Cepehus replied, laughing slightly. He picked up another rock and tried to aim where he wanted it to go. It ended up going in a completely different direction. "Well.." He muttered, scowling at the rocks next to him. "Ah, fair enough. Why did Muggles kill them?" Then he realised what he was asking. "I'm not trying to intrude or anything. You don't have to answer if you don't want to." He eyed the rock in the others hand warily, wincing slightly as it turned into crumble.

"I'm going to leave my parents and travel one day," He grinned slightly. "Hopefully they'll be gone by then and wont try and pull me back. They want me to be the 'perfect pureblood heir'," Cepheus scoffed slightly at the thought. "Just because I like how Muggles have survived without magic." He scowled at another rock, his hair slowly turning a red colour. He really hated when it changed because of his emotions..

(OOC: Guys mind if I join in? I'm bored and saw this post and that it was open. If not, say so and I leave:). )

Lacey scowled down at Nocens who simply kept up his slow paced walking. The pads of large paws hit the rocky earth with dull thuds, thumping in her ears along with the throbbing of her brain.

"Honestly, Nocens?" she cried exasperatedly. "Just because mum and dad told you to watch me, doesn't mean you have to carry me everywhere. I've been taking care of myself for three years, now -- since I went to Hogwarts. And look at me, I'm fine!"

Nocens snorted. "Since when do I listen to them? And I've been with you those three years. Just at a distance. But I agree with your parents, I think it best to keep a closer eye you. The Death Eaters are seriously looking into to recruit you. Your talent is far from normal and they will definitely benefit from it."

Lacey glanced down at her hands which were deeply embedded in Nocens' fur. She balled them into fists and watched as the small amount of hazy light from behind the clouds glinted off the black strands between her fingers.

"My gift isn't uncommon." she spat out the word "uncommon" as if it were a bad taste in her mouth. "I'm sure lots of people have it."

"No, Lace, not a lot of people have the talent to talk to animals." he replied. "It's very uncommon. Actually, it's only been seen in the Black family and has only been given to you through your Uncle, Sirius. The closet people have gotten to your gift is by Parseltongue which is almost as equally as uncommon as what you have. But it's definitely not as miraculous. Through Parseltongue one only has the gift of conversing with snakes. You can speak with all animals."

"I'm not freak." she mumbled.

"No," Nocens replied firmly. "you are not a freak. You are a blessed pup."

The great wolf stopped walking and turned his large head so he could see her out of one of his eyes. She stared back at him with defiance before sighing and burring her face in between his large shoulder blades, basking in his loving warmth. He let out a long sigh before prancing and announcing in a cheery voice, "There's a squirrel; can I chase it?"

Lacey glanced at the rodent. "Hey, squirrel, you may want to skedaddle out of here before Nocens eats you."

The gray animal rummaged around sporadically before squeaking a loud, "RUN AWAY!" and clambered up the nearest tree.

Rain began to fall and Nocens, hating the rain with a passion, changed his fur to a murky gray and began at a run to the nearest shelter -- a cave. At first it seemed empty, but upon a closer inspection she saw three shady characters all accommodated at different areas of the cave. Each one was glaring at something or other, but one of them had brightly lit red eyes. Nocens stiffened before sending her a thought wave.

He isn't fully human. He's something. . . different. I don't like the looks of him. They entered anyways, and Lacey, being quite a cheerful person, spoke up.

"Meh, hey everyone! Sorry if I interrupted something, but Nocens here hates the rain and I don't think any poor creature would want to be 'graced' with a frizzy and very grouchy Nocens. Something might just end up losing a hand." she smiled. "But we'll stay quiet and well-kept out of your way."

They walked to the farthest end of the cave as possible and she slid off Nocens back just to sit upon a rough piece of rock, eying the boy with flaming eyes curiously. Nocens' fur turned back to an inky black as he curled up beside her. His paw almost as large as her head. A low growl vibrating her body as she leaned against his stomach.

He laughed at his attempt, he was just glad the hunting professor at Durmstrang had taught him a few things on aiming. "Why don't you try aiming just above the target like this." He said throwing the rock in his hand which clipped the edge of the rock he was aiming for. "See it's much easier. It accounts for when the rock loses height you see." He said shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Well that was my fault really. The muggles took one look at me and thought i was the devil reincarnated." He shrugged. "Probably didn't help that i started mouthing off at them either." He smirked rubbing the spot just below his shoulder where the bullet had hit. "I don't mind, it's public knowledge in Italy anyway so one more person knowing isn't going to hurt is it?" He said picking up another rock.

"Good you don't need parents anyway, i've learnt a lot more now mine are dead... well if they try and pull you back... run." He said. "They can't hold you back forever and if they do you know what you can do? ...Well i'd suggest killing them but we really need as much magical blood as we can get these days. Try locking them away somewhere instead." He suggested.

He raised an eyebrow as his hair changed colour. He must be an metamorphagus he'd never met one of those before. He know though how helpful they could be.

He gritted his teeth at the newcomers. Why did she have to bring that thing in with her? All animals were a lot more perceptive than humans and this could turn dangerous for all of them. He glanced down keeping his eyes away from the animal so not to cause too much trouble. No one could find out what he was, he'd never be accepted.

He glanced up and to the side to look at the new comers and growled. "Does Nocens know it's rude to stare?" He spat turning to glare at Nocens so he could get a real look at his eyes. "Taken it all in have you? Or would you like me to do a little twirl so you can see me from all angles?" He hissed getting to his feet, he hated people staring at him. As if he didn't feel like a such freak already.

Cepheus chucked another stone, copying Arsens movements. When he chucked it, the stone didn't hit the target but it was damn closer than last time. Grinning, he turned to the other guy and said "Thanks. It worked better than last time!" He picked up another stone and aimed again, doing the same thing as before. It didn't hit the target again, and was about the same as the last he chucked.

"Devil reincarnated, huh?" He muttered, looking around. "I don't believe in the Devil or anything, but I like to think he's down in the Pit, either torturing Muggles or he's locked up by himself." He nodded. That's what he thought. He didn't really follow Muggle religions anyway, so he wouldn't know either way what happened. "Mouthing them off. Nice." A smirk graced his features whilst he nodded approvingly at the thought of it. "Do rumours spread fast in Italy?" He asked, thinking about what could be spread around the country.

"It's either run away and live like a poor man or put up with them until I've graduated school and kill 'em off or something." He almost growled. If he ran away, his parents would be sure to disown him and his little brother would be the new Heir. They would block him from all the Vaults at Gringotts, so he would have no where to go and no money to buy anything with. He would probably die on the streets or something, magic or not. "Locking them up may be a good idea, though." He said approvingly.

When another girl walked into the cave with a dog, he raised an eyebrow. She was a Black, that was for sure, and apparently she had the infamous Black ability to talk to animals. He scoffed slightly. It was a pretty useless ability to have most of the time, unless you need the animals for war or they're attacking you.

Cepheus got to his feet a few seconds after Arsen did. "Hey, man. Calm down. No one's judging you here." He tried placatingly, a desperate look on his face. He may have a bit of Slytherin in him, but he was a Hufflepuff too and didn't like seeing people get hurt. He was loyal to his friends, and he wouldn't choose sides unless he really had to. "Everythings okay man. We're cool." Oh, Merlin. He thought, wincing slightly.

(OC - So don't mind me intruding, this thread looks like a time... unless like Arsen's character, you don't like people?)

Lucy had been inside the cave the whole time, and had been about to come out and introduce herself, when the other boy had joined, and then the girl. She hadn't really gotten up the nerve after that.. but now she had to sneeze, and she didn't think that would be the best way to introduce herself, especially with the strange sneezes she had.

She walked forward, so that she was sure they could see her, "Hi. Sorry," she sneezed, "I don't want t," she sneezed again, "to intrude," she sneezed a third time, "but," she sneezed a fourth and final time, " but it's rather cramped back there."

Lacey shifted uncomfortably as Nocens rose to his feet, teeth bared and snarls tearing through his body. She'd never seen him so angry before and she wasn't sure if she should be scared or try and help.

So being the stupid little Gryffindor that she is, Lacey jumped to her feet as well and shoved her elbow into Nocens side. "I-I'm sorry. He's just a bit touchy with people. We've been through a lot recently and he's just. . . Look, he doesn't mean anything. We're not judging you." she turned her head to Nocens with a glare that rivaled his own. "Nocens! Sit! He didn't do anything! Just because he might look a bit different doesn't mean anything. If anyone should be staring, it should be them at me because I've intruded and brought along a large wolf. I don't think that's very normal."

Her eyes shifted nervously between the boy with red eyes, the other boy with red hair, and Nocens.

Stupid dumb wolf with stupid dumb senses. She though angrily.

"Well anyways. . ." she began, trying to break the tension that clouded the cave. "I'm Lacey. Lacey Black. And this is Nocens; don't mind him, he's just paranoid."

He smiled. "See you're getting there. With a little practice you'll hit it each time." He said throwing the stone he had towards the center of the target and hitting it. "Practice makes perfect in most cases."

"Yeah muggles are still into their religion by the looks of things. Started quoting the bible at me and everything." He laughed but it really was no laughing matter, anything to do with religion stopped him. He had a forever ban from any sacred ground.

"Well you should. Satan does exist i've seen living beings that can prove that and he'll torture anyone he can get his hands on. It doesn't stop at muggles unfortunately." He shrugged. "Yeah well lets just say i don't like being compared to satan. They were lucky it was only mouthing." He said finally glancing around the cave taking everything in."

He smirked. "They do when your family are well known. Italy is big on religion and being the 'son' of the top priest puts you in the public eye whether you like it or not." He shrugged making quotations with his fingers when he said son.

He nodded. "Yeah but the good thing about being a wizard is it makes it easier for you to steal. I'm loaded but i haven't touched a knut of it in years. You don't need money now a days there are far too many people worried about the up coming war that they forget to watch their own stuff." He smirked. "Let me know if you need any help. I'm not a stranger to a few good kidnappings." He smiled.

He growled back at the wolf his own teeth exposed. Although he didn't have the big fangs the wolf had his teeth were still quite impressive. He moved his head from side to side stretching his neck as he felt the veins with his demon blood begin to surface. Luckily he'd calmed himself enough so they didn't stretch beyond his clothing and into plain sight.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath calming himself. It was so easy for him to lose it during the day. It's when the demon in him is strongest thanks to the sun. He turned to look at Cepheus. "Oh cool are we?" He asked returning back to his seat. How could they be cool when no one even knew what he was? The stupid wolf probably didn't even know, they could only guess.

He looked up at the new girl and frowned. The cave was filling with people and there was no where for him to go except out into the rain and no matter how annoyed he got there was no was he was subjecting himself to that.

"Practise makes perfect," Cepheus repeated, nodding slightly. He totally agreed with the 'in most cases' comment. Practise didn't always make perfect, after all. Sometimes you just had to have the ability to do something..

"'You will all fall away,' Jesus predicted. 'For it is written: I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered,' To me, the Bible is stupid. Why they follow it, I don't know," He muttered. "It says in it something about Witchcraft being bad, yet Muggle-borns still follow it. They're contradicting themselves." He looked over to Arsen, raising an eyebrow when he laughed. It really wasn't a laughing matter.

"Hmm. He would. He's supposed to be the epitome of Evil, after all. Evil is Devil without the D," Picking up another small stone, he chucked it and hit the mark. He let out a small whoop, grinning. Hopefully, it wouldn't just be a one time thing. Now maybe he could chuck stones at his parents head, and maybe they would die of blood loss or something.. He loved them, really, but they were so annoying sometimes he just..

"Son of the top Priest, 'eh? I'd hate that. Maybe it's a good thing everything that happened did," He shrugged. "Or maybe it wasn't. We'll never know how Fate works. She's a sucker and all, but good things come to those who wait?" Cepheus didn't know what to say, really, so he just started changing his hair colours. Lime green, neon pink, yellow, orange, black, grey, white...

"Yes! We're cool!" He sighed, furrowing his brows with a worried look on his face. He let out a breath of relief when Arsen sat back down. Cepheus moved and sat down next to him instead of a few meters away. When he heard sneezing and the Black girl talking, he answered.

"Nice to meet you, Lacey and Lucy. I'm Cepheus Turrow, at your service. It's a pleasure, I'm sure."

Lucy smiled apologetically at the hot tempered boy, before grinning at the boy who had just spoken. His easy confidence was a relief after hearing all the arguing and life stories. She had some heavy topics herself, and she had always loved hearing other peoples, but sitting back and not being able to join in had never really sat well with her.

"Cepheus? Is thatit? Sorry, I've neverbeengoodatpronouncingthings." she was talking quickly, a nervous habit of hers. Meeting new people tended to make her nervous.

Lacey looked at the boy with pleading, soft, chocolate brown eyes.

"We really aren't here to start anything. Just ignore Nocens." she mumbled quietly, still looking at the boy. "I'm not judging you in any way. We're different in our own ways."

She laughed as she looked at the new girl. "Well, I most certainly hadn't thought that I would meet a bunch of people in. . . a cave. . . . when I was just trying to escape the rain."

She nodded at Cepheus and smiled. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm a third year in Gryffindor. It's weird we haven't met before."

He gasped biting his tongue to stop his cries as his veins constricted at the sound of the quote from the bible. Anything to do with god was deadly to him, being one of satans creations. He closed his eyes waiting for the pain to pass. Eventually he left out a sigh of relief as the pain subsided. "Please don't do that again. I've heard enough of the bible to last me a life time." He said gripping his side, he could probably recite it word for word now thanks to his step father.

He nodded. "Why do you think the muggles think we are so evil? That bible brain washes people into thinking everything is wrong. You can't truly live if you abide to all of it's rules because everything is a sin." He shrugged.

"Oh yeah i never thought of it like that." He said only now realising it. He laughed. "See it really does help to practice." He smiled. "I did hate it." He hated every second of it, being locked away for other peoples safety, being told day after day that he deserved to die and being punished for being born something he had no control over. None of that was fun. He sighed, if only good things did come to those that waited. He'd been waiting a while now and still had nothing.

"You have no idea how weird that is." He said watching him change the colour of his hair.

"It's fine just keep him away from me." He said locking eyes with the wolf, he really did hate animals, if it wasn't for Kraken who had weirdly accepted him he'd hate all animals. "Arsen, i'm also a third year but i don't know what house im in though, i'm transferring from Durmstrang." He muttered as a quick introduction.

Cepheus gasped as Arsen. He didn't realise it would hurt him so much. "Oh, man. I'm so sorry," He was in full panic mode over what was happening. He didn't mean to hurt him. "I'm really, really, really sorry." Right now, Ceph felt like banging his head against a really hard and pointy rock wall or something.

"Atheists, for the win," He nodded. The Bible was stupid. Who knew for sure that everything that happened with Jesus was even real? He knew demons were real and everything, and maybe even the devil, but everything else? Whatever. The day he saw an Angel is the day he believes in God, to be very honest.

"Some people just have to wait a very long time for those good things to happen, or to be accepted," When did this turn into a Philosophy lesson, Cepheus wondered. He shrugged it off and carried on. "Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people all the time. I would say it's the way of the world, really." He scoffed inwardly at this. He sounded sappy.

He grinned. "It's not that weird. It's uncommon, yes, but not weird." He then started changing his eye colours. Blue, pink, orange, red, purple. It was a laugh to do and didn't affect his eyesight in the least. "It's also helpful for disguises, too." He had a mischievous glint in his eyes at this thought.

"Durmstrang? Cool..." Cepheus nodded. "I'm a Third year Hufflepuff. We're not duffers, though. That's what Slytherins and Gryffindors seem to think." He huffed slightly, crossing his arms and pouting. It was ruined by the mirth in his eyes.

Lucy didn't really want to comment on all the devil/god/bible crap. For starters she knew nothing about it, and then there was the fact that the little she knew about it was through ideas of cults that her mother had placed as a warning in her head.

She smiled as she saw Cepheus' eyes change colour, it was pretty cool, she decided, definitely not like a huffy or whatever he seemed to think she called him.

"You're not a huffy. Well, I mean ,yah you're in hufflepuff, but I've never called you guys huffies..." she smirked at the though of other nicknames for hufflepuffs, none of which were actual nicknames, "Usually it's huffs, or puffs."

She stuck her tongue out slightly, jokingly.