Forced into a wheelchair ((Open))

[ryan]

((Ryan lived through a rather difficult car-crash and he is having a hard time. I would really appreciate it if anyone who replied would be nice to him, because he couldn’t really take much criticism right now. So no mean Slyths, but other than that anyone is welcome.))



Ryan looked at the Hogwarts castle. Dumbledore had been very understanding about the accident and had assured Ryan and his parents that Ryan could just come right back to Hogwarts. The stairs had been magically modified so that Ryan could still move around the school as well in his wheelchair that had been magically enchanted as well. Yet he didn’t feel right anymore. He had always liked Hogwarts, but now that he was crippled… Ryan just felt as if he didn’t have a place here anymore. Yet there was nothing to be done. The muggle doctors had done all that could be done. And healers from St.Mungo’s had said that there wasn’t much more they could do. Ryan might be able to walk again one day but right now he didn’t feel anything in his legs below his legs and the work to get his legs back in order would be tedious and painful. Madam Pomfrey had gone to the muglge hospital and Ryan knew that he would have to go to the Hogwarts nurse to get some help with his work of trying to get back onto his feet, but somehow… Ryan didn’t have much faith in the small possibility of this working.

Letting his head fall forward Ryan touched the wheel on the right side with the tip of his wand making the chair move quietly forward it’s wheels moving through snow with just a little bit of difficulties. Nothing too bad though. Reaching the front steps Ryan watched as part of the stair-case – just wide in enough for a wheelchair – turned into a slide before his wheelchair as he rolled up the couple of steps the castle doors opening before him as he rolled into the entrance hall and stopped there. At some other time Ryan would have been fascinated and awed by the magic needed to modify the staircases. But now he had too much on his mind. Or too little. Depended how one looked at it.
A swish of his wand cleared the snowy traces the wheelchair had left on the floor. He didn’t want to deal with Filch right now. The Entrance Hall seemed almost shadowy as Ryan had just entered from the bright and sunny grounds. And it was eerily empty without even any ghosts floating by. It was early morning after all. It was likely that most people hadn’t even came out of their common rooms. Ryan watched some cat streak over the floor rather near him in chase of some rat or mouse or something. It might have very well been a puffskin as well, Ryan hadn’t caught sight of the prey. What caught his attention more were the footsteps coming in the direction of the Great Hall.

What would others think? Ryan knew that he had friends he could count on, but the public opinion might influence a lot. His life had already changed so much. Could he bare anything more? Could he bare open laughing over himself? People outside his small circle of friends shunning him? Ryan felt a shiver going down his spine that had nothing to do with him being cold. His legs that were clad in simple jeans didn’t feel anything – not even cold anymore – and he was wearing a thick white sweater and his loved jeans jacket over that so he could hardly be cold. Opening his eyes knowing he still looked rather tired and sick Ryan raised his head verily wanting to catch the expression of the person who appeared to coming over and through that guess how the school would react to him being crippled and forced into a wheelchair? How would things spin on from here?

[ariel]

((I had to join. Hope it's okay, but if I know Ariel like I do, Ryan will get plenty of attention. Good attention. ))

Snow? Wasn't it March, or had Ariel somehow lost track of time? She glared at the sparkle white layer of snow that was spread out across the lawn. How horrible. Snow was good until a certain point, and then it became utterly unbearable. How much more could she stand of this? Wrenching he gaze from the window, Ariel sat down on her four poster. The dormitory was empty, and the silence made her feel uncomfortable. Getting down on her stomach, Ariel reached under her bed and pulled forth a large book and... "Oreo!" Her wonder-cat was hanging on to the book, tearing the cover. Now, she could handle him just hanging there, but tearing it... I don't think so. "Look-at-what-you've-done!" She said in one breath through clenched teeth. What a feat that was! But at the moment, it didn't matter. Sensing her anger, Oreo let himself loose and parachuted down to the ground, landing on all four feet, obviously. Stupid cat grace. She had wanted him to fall hard for what he did, but no, he had to make a show out of it.

"I'm getting out of here." She muttered, cradling the wounded book in her arms. Hogwarts really needed someone who knew how to patch up books. They have Madam Promfey for people, but what about books people feed upon? There's nothing in the world like reading, why couldn't people see that? She would just have to send this one off to Mort for repair. He would be happy to do it. Besides, she needed to write him a letter about the going ons. Still huffy, she wouldn't allow Oreo to come with her at first, but after realizing that him being alone in the dorm would be a catastrophe, she had changed her mind and allowed him to follow. "You're lucky. If it wasn't for my dorm mates' things being in there, you'd be stuck there all alone. For who knows how long." She told him as the made their way down the hall. But for now, she didn't care whether he followed or not.

After sending the book off to Mort with a small note encased in its pages, Ariel could be seen entering the Great Hall. For a few seconds. Oreo, seeing all the food, wanted to go and eat it, of course. So, in the end she only had time for a small pastry, as Oreo was struggling like a maniac to get free. Good thing she had declawed him, otherwise she would be a corpse by now. "Stop it!" She ordered through a mouthful of food. He didn't want to obey, so she had to stuff the whole thing in her mouth in order to keep Oreo with her. "S'op!" Swallowing the food, Ariel unceremoniously let her kitten drop to the ground, aware that it would not hurt him. By now she didn't care if it did; she had two things to bring against him next time he was trouble. But as it was, she had no time to think of revenge; someone was in the hall. Or something. She couldn't make out what it was. Not a person, yet it wasn't any animal she had heard of... "Oh my god!" Ariel exclaimed under her breath when she finally came close enough to examine who it was.

"Ryan!" She ran over to him, not noticing she almost trampled confused Oreo in the process. Her fellow Raven fifth year was in a wheelchair and was looking very glum, tired, and pale. Sickly, in other words. Ariel bit her lip, trying to avoid getting emotional. She didn't know Ryan very well, but it was times like these when she felt like crying. "What... what happened to you?" She didn't mean it to come out like that. She was afraid of the answer, thus stuttering. She had seen people in wheelchairs and all their life they had been pessimistic. This was horrible! It was awkward too, now that she thought about it. She had to look down to see Ryan; usually it was the opposite, seeing as she was shorter then most. Kneeling, she picked up Oreo, but she was really doing it so she could see Ryan eye to eye.

[ryan]

((Great. *huggles* I'd love a post with Ariel. Even if Ryan isn't the best company in this post.))

Would people avoid him or try to hold up awkward conversations that just made him feel worse than silence would? Or would they just treat him as if he was unable to think or feel or do anything anymore? Ryan didn’t know. He had tried to imagine how he would tread someone in a wheelchair. Maybe not with pity per see, but he had to admit to himself that he would try to do most things for the person in wheelchair because well… it would just be easier for him to do those things. Or had been. Now he was the crippled one who had to bare through. Ryan had thought that he wanted to see the initial feeling and reaction of someone seeing him in the wheelchair. But a moment before it happened Ryan dropped his head again suddenly being more frightened than he had been ever before in his life.

The person who came was a girl. It a took a moment for Ryan to identify the voice calling his name in almost shock. Ariel. She was a house- as well as a year-mate. They weren’t exactly close friends, but they had talked before and after 5 years they knew each other. She asked what happened to him. Ryan smiled bitterly finally looking up at Ariel trying to suppress his fear. Ariel knelt down next to her and Ryan felt a bang in his heart. Yet one more thing that would be changing. People would be looking downwards to see him now. Ryan’s eyes searched Ariel’s wordlessly. Ryan knew that he had aged a lot during the few weeks he been at hospital and later on at home. He wasn’t even sure what exactly he wanted to find. Disgust, rejection, laughter, pity? But as he looked into Ariel’s eyes he wasn’t sure what he saw there. He knew that there was bitterness in his own. Bitterness, tiredness, fear, bleak emptiness. What right would he have to hope any more? He could never play football again or chase Ash around and just enjoy life. He would have to let Ash go, as he couldn’t force her to stay with a crippled guy. She deserved someone better however how bad it would be for his own heart.

But there was some real worry in Ariel’s voice. Or maybe it was just his imagination. But Ryan suddenly didn’t want to snap at her. Ariel hadn’t deserved it in any way. “I…” Ryan had to stop and clear his throat, “I was hit by a car and it destroyed the nerves in my knees and my legs.” Ryan fell silent. What more was there to say? He was crippled. He didn’t have to make up long stories. Everything would be seen with one glance. “Get up, the stones are cold,” Ryan said gruffily at Ariel holding out a hand to help her up. Having her kneel besides him somehow made him appear and feel even weaker than he actually was. Suddenly feeling doubtful and not wanting to feel one more painful flash through his heart Ryan made a motion or retrieving his hand, still not doing quite doing it.

[ariel]

Ariel bit her lip as she ran her hands down Oreo's back. "That's horrible!" She cried, looking at Ryan's legs now. What would it be like to not feel your legs? She tried to imagine it, but couldn't. Wrenching her gaze away from Ryan, she looked around the hall for something to talk about. Ryan hadn't said anything after it. He was quiet and the way he stared at Ariel was unsettling. Shifting, Ariel pretended to have trouble getting Oreo in her clutches. The only problem was he was perfectly still, not acting at all like he should be. She wanted him to be restless, but no, he wouldn't do it when she wanted him to. Rolling her eyes, exasperated, Ariel perked up when Ryan began to talk.

Grouchy much? While Ariel would really like to snap at Ryan for his way of speaking to her, she stood up with some difficulty. Why had she decided to wear heels today? "Okay, okay. I'm up." She said, wiping down her jeans from excess stuff it had collected on the floor. She had Oreo in her arms now. "I was just getting Oreo. Geesh." She had to be understanding. Thinking back on all the books she had read, Ariel concentrated on what the people had been experiencing when they got crippled. If she recalled it correctly, the person knew nothing of what they wanted to hear from people and were so emotionally distraught they were grumpy. What a match, eh? Was she good or what? Ariel grinned and looked down at Ryan. She had to get used to it. Had to.

"Were you going somewhere? I didn't mean to bump into you like I did... it just happened." Ariel paused before deciding to be truthful. "I was, er, surprised when I saw you like this. Worried too. More so then surprised, I guess." She gave Ryan a smile, wondering if she was being supportive in any way. She knew she could be annoying, especially on the topic of books. Yet she was herself, like it or no. Oreo gave a meow and looked down at Ryan mournfully from his perch. Curiously, Ariel's eyes found her kitten, wondering... could he understand what was going on? It was something to think upon besides how unbearable it would be for Ryan sitting in a chair for the rest of his life. When a silence had settled between the two like thick dust, Ariel just had to ask something.

"Is it... permanent? Will you ever walk again?" She asked, almost horrified to hear the answer. Yes, if he could that was good, but would he try? Some people she had read about merely gave up hope and moped in a chair their whole life. Ryan would be stronger; she hoped. As for not being able to walk again; well... she dreaded to think how pale her face would become. Ariel gave Ryan a smile that she hoped was encouraging, sincere, and friendly all rolled into one. It had been a long time since she had shown these emotions to another person. But Ryan needed it, she could see that, and she wanted to give him something. Even if she had little to give.

[ryan]

Ryan laughed. It was a bitter sound coming from a bitter and wounded heart. It was horrible? No kidding. Ryan knew first hand exactly how horrible it was. How horrible the reactions of people were at first catching sight of him. He knew how horribly his whole life had been altered. Life that would never return to normal and quite that simple again if one day some doctor managed to heal the nerves in his legs at least partially. Some things had just been hit and killed when that car collided with his legs. Ryan still saw the horrified face of the driver of the car, of his eyes when he closed his eyes. So his laughter was bitter: “I know. Trust me, I know.”
Ryan closed his eyes and sighed quietly as Ariel seemed to take some offence of his words about standing up: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just, when people bow to talk to me or kneel next to me, then it just… kind of makes things worse.”

Ryan opened his eyes and looked around a little helplessly. Maybe sitting in the middle of the Entrance Hall would draw too much attention to him after a while. But he didn’t know where else to go. He wasn’t ready to face the whole school right now nor did he want to go to his common room. He would have to learn how to maneuver himself from his wheelchair into the four-poster Hogwarts bed. There were so many things he had to learn to do that it was scaring him. Scaring him more than he dared to admit to even himself. “I… I’m not… sure… really. I suppose I was going somewhere, but I’m not exactly sure where. I just… came…. And I’m not sure. With a lot of proper care starting right now I might have the nerves in my legs restored at least partially over time. But all the experts of this live in the muggle world and I well… have to stay at Hogwarts.”

Ryan sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. He really was scared of things that might not take place. How would he get by? How would he manage even in his classes from now on? He had spent a lot of his time playing football, running, or playing quidditch. What would he do with the rest of his time? “I… I should rather ask where you were going. Besides chasing after Oreo. How is he anyway? Would you care to come with me to… I don’t know where. Just somewhere? I don’t really want to be alone right now, I must admit. But I don’t really want to see very many people right now either?” Ryan asked looking at Ariel hoping she didn’t feel any way pressured into having to accept his offer and company.

[ariel]

Ariel blinked as Ryan laughed. Not in a good way either. Not a hearty chuckle or a surprised little light laugh, oh no. It was a curdling sound, something that burned Ariel's eyes as she watched him. She hadn't meant to cause such bitterness. Hastily she looked down at the floor. "Oh." What else was there to say to someone who had just laughed at her in such a way? She was glad when he mentioned her bowing next to him. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. It just... something just told me to do it. Like... an inner voice, you know? Not that it's an excuse, it's just... I had to do it." Excuses don't fly by critical listeners, Mort used to say. A very true statement. She wondered if Ryan would let it pass or would jump on her for that too. She wasn't sure how much more she could take without breaking down completely and either talking down to Ryan or just walking off. Just relax, she told herself. Don't worry about it. He has a right to be so brittle, you don't have the right to retaliate.

His helpless expression was terrible to behold. It made Ariel feel helpless. What to do? She thought about it hard until an idea of good quality popped into her head. "Maybe I can... help you learn how to get around? I mean.... I don't mean it like that... but I'm just saying, if you want help, I could help you around. Perhaps when the Great Hall is empty, then I can help you out finding an easy and suitable way on the bench? Or anywhere..." She paused before saying in a much more softer voice, "I'd really like to help you. Somehow. It's not really any good for me to just stand here talking about how horrible it must be. So, honestly, what do you say?" She smiled, hoping he agreed. She needed to do something otherwise she might drive herself insane.

"Oh, Oreo?" She asked with a dismissing wave of her hand, although a grin splayed across her face. "He's the usual destructive devil that likes to play tricks on me. Just earlier he ripped up one of my prized novels," at this she glared down at the kitten sprawled in her arms, "and I had to go through all the trouble sending it off to Mort. My father. Did I ever tell you he's a book binder? Well, he can fix it in a jiffy, and it's the only person I trust most to heal my books. Honestly, Oreo has done all the crimes in the world, but I'd have to say this is his worst. And he's only a year old! I dread to think of what he'll think of as fun when he has a more developed mind!" She smiled and shrugged. She loved Oreo, even if she didn't say it often aloud, and she was sure people could see it. I mean, would she care this much if she didn't love him?

"Of course." She couldn't blame him for not wanting to see people. "So, how about me helping you out? I'll avoid the most trodden routes in Hogwarts, just so you won't have to see anyone who might... uh... who you don't want to see. What do you say?"

[ryan]

Ryan pushed a hand through his hair. He just… he didn’t know what to do. And he knew that he had to pull himself together. In all reality here was Ariel who just wanted to help and he didn’t even manage to show a proper amount of respect and thankfulness. Instead he had snapped at her. But Ryan didn’t know himself what to do or say. He didn’t know by which rules to play by himself, so how could he expect others to manage? “It’s fine. I’m just…” Ryan didn’t finish option to shake his head once again as if to show that it was alright. Sometimes people just reacted before thinking. It was part of the human nature. And at times you did something that you thought might help not understand that in reality you were merely hurting the other person. Life was complex. No one had ever denied that.

“I... Thank you. I’m not sure if I’ll take you up on that offer as you can’t really help me maneuver, but thank you. It’s good to know that not everyone will try to treat as if being in a wheelchair crippled me mentally as well,” Ryan said not really looking at Ariel letting his words rather than the look in his eyes tell Ariel exactly how much he appreciated it. His words and his tone of voice. Ryan touched the wheels of the chair lightly pushing forward making the wheelchair move quietly. This was one of the perks magic gave it. It would move as far as Ryan wanted after just this one message and he had learned to steer the chair with light touches of his hands on the wheels already as well. Muggle things enchanted with magic created the most powerful mixture. Even if Ryan would have preferred not to learn about it in such a situation.

Ryan steered the chair towards the staircase watching as just enough steps for the wheelchair to glide up of it turned into slide as he advanced. He stared rather impassively at the steps before him suddenly thinking how he could have ever taken any of them for granted. How could he had been able to take running down stair-cases for granted and being irritated if the stair-case moved away from him or form the direction he had wanted to go to.
“No, I didn’t know about your father actually. We have never really spoken about our families. I’m glad you have such a trustworthy guardian angel for your books though. And maybe as he grows older Oreo will settle down and be content with eating treats and sleeping inside your softest sweaters all day long. It might safe your books from a lot of torture, even if it would be a shame to see Oreo loosing his will to live,” Ryan said quietly hoping that the kitten could always stay bright and curious and that he would always have the ability to run. Such a small gift that mattered so much more than what people thought.
“It’s not so much physical help I need, but I’d rather wish for company. Do you have some favorite place in the castle?” Ryan asked as he turned his head to look up at Ariel.

[ariel]

Ariel nodded, trying to understand. She hated not understanding well... anything. It made her feel vulnerable, to be frank, and this situation made her itch to look up a book on people in wheelchairs. How they acted, what being in a chair resulted in, all that. In reality, it wasn't like she could go run to the library and tell Ryan to wait here while she researched it. This time, she would have to learn first hand how to handle something. And it was not at all a comfortable feeling to be having. Ryan looked depressing, even Oreo was being still around him. He was a good boy when around other people. But still, it was strange. And Ryan was irritable, melancholy... nothing exactly good.

"I'm sure no one will treat you in such a way!" Ariel exclaimed, knocked off-balance by how truly negative Ryan was thinking. No one would think of him like that! "And if they do, I'll have to send Oreo after them. He gets pretty vicious sometimes, believe you me. It's almost like he has two sides, but doesn't everyone? No one is truly one-dimensional." She smiled, but her words were serious. If Ryan needed something serious, she would give him something. Ariel wasn't good at jokes, anyway. Although if she was lucky, she might get a laugh out of him with the Oreo thing. Even she thought of it as amusing, and she was hardly one for humor. She followed as Ryan rolled his way to the stairs, and watched with wide eyes as the stairs became a smooth slide, something Ryan could manage to climb. She quickly hid her expression when she noticed his unfathomable one.

"Oh yes, that's right. Pity, that. We should have talked more often." To be honest, Ariel was to wrapped up in her studies. Making friends was a priority she kept for later when she had nothing better to do with her free time. It was one of her main downfalls, because more often then not it resulted in her being lonely. But her books always drove that away. Always. Ariel frowned at how dark Ryan was becoming, and so quickly too. Amazing. His comment about Oreo made her heart sink. She looked down at the little fur-ball inside her arms and tried to imagine him lying still, his breath failing to come and his heart stopping... the scene made shivers run down her spine. She was grateful when Ryan went on to something else.

"I have lots of places. The kitchen, for one. Have you ever been there? It has the most delightful food, and the smells are just...oh, god... wonderful! But there's not much to do there. Besides pig out." She reasoned. Ryan certainly should watch what he ate now; without exercise he would need to eat healthy. "The other places are mainly enclosed and very secretive classrooms. My favorite out of these was this one... It's a weird story, but anyway. I was going along the hall, thinking about how I wanted a nice spot without anything to annoy me with. I must have walked down a corridor like six times or something, when suddenly a door just appeared out of, like, no where. And inside was the most splendid room... but anyway, enough of that." Ariel said, realizing she was ranting. That hardly ever happened. She was slightly ashamed. "But the best place to go, is up on one of the towers. And I mean on the roof. I think they're kind of off limits, but it's the perfect place to read and enjoy yourself. It gets rather cold up there, though, so you'll need a jacket, and if you want to get comfy, you could grab a blanket too."

((Sorry it's been so long! *hugs* It seems like forever, but I think I'm finally beginning to catch up on my posts. Hurray, eh? ))

[ryan]

Ryan smirked almost bitterly at Ariel’s firey statement. He would like to believe that people wouldn’t treat him as mentally handicapped. People tried to pretend that either nothing had happened or they treated Ryan as if he wouldn’t be able to do anything anymore. People were uncomfortable, they didn’t know how to act around Ryan. In some ways Ryan understood them. In his mind he did understand. He had been just as awkward around crippled people or deathly ill people. But in his heart being treated like this hurt and hurt badly. “Too many people already have. And even more will. I’m crippled – a living reminder how fragile a human body still is and I suppose that in some level it scares people. Reminds them of their or mortality,” Ryan replied burying all emotion deep inside himself. In a lot of ways he himself was still at shock of what had happened too.

Ryan grinned lightly at Ariel’s next words. It wasn’t bitter. It wasn’t enough to make him laugh again, but it got a sincere little smile out of him. For a moment the dimple flashed in one of his cheeks as he looked like the young boy who he had been previously again. “Oreo, eh? Does it mean that the next time someone laughs at me I am allowed to come and hide behind your skirt? Or behind your kitten? Looks like I got an amazon to fight for my honour.” Ryan thought about Ariel’s choices. The kitchen? He wasn’t feeling very hungry at the moment. Food had lost most of it’s taste lately, maybe because of the medicines he had been forced to eat lately.
“Yeah, the roofs are nice. But the staircases leading to them are a bit too sharp for me to be able to get up of those. Dana once showed me a music room of Hogwarts, we can go and see what’s there? I think I remember where it was located?” Ryan offered quietly turning down the correct hallway to get there his wheelchair rolling quietly over the floor at the same pace as a regular walk. It took only two turns – both left from the main staircase – before they reached the room. Opening the door Ryan pekked in maneuvering a little so that Ariel could see inside as well. It was about the same size as classrooms, only this one was filled with musical instruments. A piano, pianole, some violins and trumpets, harp, a set of drums, flutes and a number of other instruments. Ryan wasn’t even sure what some of the instruments in here were called.

“True, I suppose we haven’t talked much about things other than school-work or Hogwarts or the news concerning the school. I’m afraid that I don’t even know if you have any sisters or brothers. Even if I have gotten the feeling that you don’t have them,” Ryan said quietly trying to think over everything he knew of Ariel. The information he knew was surprisingly scarce he discovered as Ryan rolled into the music room and to the piano playing a couple of random notes on it.


((*huggle* No worries what so ever. And being caught up is always good.))

[ariel]

Ariel sighed. Ryan couldn't even give himself a little room to breathe, could he? So strange and so unforgiving to... himself. Ariel couldn't quite figure out what his motives were, but to her it seemed like Ryan was against himself. It wasn't his fault that he had gotten paralyzed. "You shouldn't be an object on display." Ariel growled. "Even if it's a sharp awakening for everyone, it gives them no right to treat you improperly." She nearly stomped her foot with anger; Ariel was quick to get frustrated. She still had to learn how to grow out of that.

"I don't believe hiding behind my skirt is necessary." Ariel said with a smile. "But Oreo is fine. He likes attention, and with someone hiding behind him... he would nearly attack you with affection. As for people laughing at you..." Ariel shrugged and gave a bitter smirk. "I've learned some new spells. What better way to try them out?" She smiled and bent to let Oreo down on the ground. He was getting fidgety in her arms, as always. That's when she decided to put him down. Fidgeting was a warning that he was about to struggle and produce his tiny claws to help. Ariel watched as he yawned and stretched, blue eyes staring innocently up at her. Ryan was right; she hoped Oreo never left her.

"They do say that red-heads have a rather fiery temperament. Amazon is a nice way to describe it, I suppose." Ariel grinned. "A music room? Really? Well, that certainly sounds interesting. You must show me where it is." She had hoped that they could go up to the roofs, but Ryan was right. The chair could possibly be too wide for the narrow stairway that led to the top. It was even worse that he admitted to liking it; it was another thing he had sacrificed when getting in front of a car. Ariel took a deep breath as she followed behind obediently. Oreo padded along beside her, with his always graceful movements. Ariel remembered how she used to envy how much feline grace he had gained.

"Wow. It's extraordinary!" She exclaimed upon reaching the room. Instruments of every kind were inside. Most of them Ariel had no idea what they were called; she wasn't big on music. She entered the room cautiously. "This is amazing. My suggestions seem to be an utter bore next to this room." She turned to look at Ryan. "Yes, I have no siblings. I have no mother. I just have Mort, my father, my bookbinder. And Oreo, who is like a little brother to me." Ariel walked over to the nearest window sill and jumped up on it, letting her feet dangle. "I guess since we have the time, we should get to know eachother...." She paused, tilting her head to the side. "What do you think about that?"

((Yep, it always feels good when you catch up. ))

[ryan]

Ryan gave a bit bitter grin at Ariel’s words. An object on display? He wasn’t one, yet the attention he received was uncomfortable. Ryan had been on Ravenclaw quidditch team as a chaser before the accident and the feeling of the eyes of the observes during a match had never bothered him. He wasn’t that shy. But now people looked at him and they saw a young boy in wheelchair and Ryan could almost hear the thought in their heads that “the poor child’s life was over almost before it started”. Ryan understood it. Had the situations been different and someone else been in a wheelchair he might have thought the same. He just couldn’t have helped himself, even if he had tried to act as normally as ever, so this kind of behaviour from others was quite understandable, no matter how hard it was to accept it.

“I have a bad feeling that I might not fit behind your skirt. Maybe you should get that huge puffy skirt that women wore… sometime… during history. Maybe during the ruling of Louis XIV. But I’m not nearly sure I dated that correctly now. I’m not an expert of women clothes,” Ryan grimaced lightly his facial muscles not yet ready to grin, “I’m afraid Oreo would prefer Angel’s company though. They played once in the common room.” Ryan thought of his own small kitten. Ash had given Angel to him for Christmas and Ryan knew and admitted that he was as taken by the cat as he was in love with Ash. Yet he had rather complex feelings at Angel. Had the kitten not run onto the road things wouldn’t have spiraled out of control and Ryan wouldn’t have been hurt. But actually Ryan couldn’t or hadn’t carried any blame onto the kitten. He had feared that he would, but it had all been alright when he had seen Angel for the first time again. It was a present from Ash. And therefore nothing could ruin it for Ryan.

Pressing tone one more note on the piano he had rolled to Ryan tilted his head as he eyed Ariel for a few moments while listening to the clear tone that rang over the whole room before slowly starting to fade. Only when the note had completely faded Ryan give a quick grin that was barely a quirky of his lip-corners. Not exactly a happy smile but not a bitter or sad one either. “I could see you in an armor fighting for what you wish. One of those femme fatale. Maybe I should owl my mom and ask her to send my camera so that I could make pictures of all such femme fatale at school and I don’t know… gather them together into a calendar or something. Ravishing Ravenclaws and Girls of Gryffindor and whatever really.”
Ryan nodded closing his eyes not offering words of comfort to Ariel. A lot of people missed one of the parents and sometimes others offering comfort only hurt more. “At least you have Mort. A protecting angel for both your books and yourself. And I’d like to get to know one of the amazons of Ravenclaw.”

((And just when you get all caught up I come and give you a post you wil lahve to start wokring upon again ))