Raven claw Common room

Buying into the dream completely, consumed in this nightmare, all their words affect me in the most horrible of ways.

"Stop..."

The nightmare quickly stopped, though the images remained.

"I know very well who you are, Topher. And that you are concerned, confused, over Boniface. I can assure you... you will not face such jeers and hatred if you join him..."

Pitch moved quickly, well acted compassion crossing his face, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder and motioning to the false images of Topher's friends.

"They.... well, they will never accept you for who you are. They really are scared of you... terrified, upset... they act like they aren't... they don't want to hurt you... but someday, they will..."
His words were hissed with a half hurt in his tone, though inside he was grinning.
"But with Boniface....? People will look up to you... they'll know you, accept you... You won't be poor any more... Not hated... not feared.... just rich and loved.."

"That's a lie... I KNOW they accept me..."

"Oh do they?"

Pitch's smile faded, and his grip tightened a bit on Topher's arm.

The nightmare resumed.

The jeers turned harsher, darker, worse.
Stones were grabbed from the ground, and the people began to pelt them after Topher.

"Get out of here, Toph! You think we like you?"
"You don't belong here!"
"Freak!"


Pitch's expression grew sad.
"...come boy, think logically.."

The stones felt like but sour icing on the cake of pain they had served. I was... different. So much so that my kind had been massacred to keep others safe.

What was I truly?

With a swish of Pitch's cloak, the nightmare was blotted out, darkness again resuming in the dream world.

Pitch moved, motioning to the blackness, where the figure of Boniface appeared.
Just an illusion, a trick of the mind. But there was a sudden feeling of welcome that spread through the dream.

The Boogeyman stepped away for a moment.

"I know what it's like to be cast out, Topher.... and so does Boniface..."

He moved quickly, opening his hands, giving an almost excited look.
"We can show you true acceptance..! Just look what you can do with your eyes! Wouldn't you like to be with another of your talent?"

(( and my mental image of this whole scene is summed up with this: ))

"But.. Camenzind told me... horrible things about him."

"Lies."
Pitch snapped quickly.

His solar-eclipse eyes turned dark, and he growled.
"All lies, Topher. They don't want you to see truth. The fact that you are better than all of them..!"

"Let... me think on it..."

The ministry was willing to lie about so much. All the horrid stories about Boniface could be hoaxes. But Camenzind would never lie to me.

"I will give you a short time, Cristopher."

Pitch replied, expression going blank and bored.
He stepped away, the images that once were, vanishing.


"Expect to see me in every rest, every dream.... And I advise you make up your mind quickly... or dream will become reality.."

"I'll try to... it's just a big decision to make you know I don't exactly have any life-lines left to help!"

"There are always people to turn to, Topher. I am a man of my word... you can trust me..."


He put a gentle emphasis on his words, trying to sound as kind and fatherly as possible.

".... Think on it... remember what I said... And... heh... Happy Nightmares."

"I'd prefer sweet dreams..."

"Then you'd need the Sandman for that... and I'm afraid I'm not him."

Pitch eyed Topher coldly, suddenly, harshly, as if upset that he had even mentioned 'sweet dreams'.

"Why do YOU want me to join Boniface?"

Pitch felt his heart seemingly skip a beat for a moment, but his expression never once wavered.

He thought quickly and replied with a hiss.
"Because, Cristopher, I know the best for you. I know fears, and I know what the others think of you. I might be the Boogeyman, but I do not appreciate every fear."
He paused, frowning.
" Like I said, I know what it is like to be hated and cast out.... And I know that you will be the happiest you can be with Boniface."

Even though all rational thought said to stay put, a part of my heart yearned to learn everything.

Putting a hand to his chest in an honest movement, Pitch's eyes grew sympathetic, and relating.

"Trust me, Christopher... there is so much more for you than there is here...."

He straightened, puting his hands behind his back.
".... I will leave you for now. Good evening."

"Good evening..." I nod to him.

The blackness seemed to fade, and the dream seemed to turn lighter as Pitch sunk into the shadows and retreated... for now.

He felt he had done well. And if Topher took his time?
Well, he always enjoyed giving out Nightmares.

(( thank you for doing this with me, it was fun. c: ))

Yeah I had fun with that! Night!

He was sitting in one of the chairs by the window, peering down at the students below. He sighed, still thinking of how he had snapped at Bryn in the Room of Requirement. He closed his eyes. Why did being in a relationship have to be so hard?

The boy crept in, eyes averted to the floor as he attempted to sneak past Teddy. He wasn't sure how they were supposed to be acting, so he thought this would be an easier option.

He saw Bryn come in from the corner of his eye. He got up and walked over to him and, wordlessly, slid his arms around Bryn's waist. "I'm sorry I snapped at you baby," he mumbled into Bryn's chest.

'It's okay.' was his go to response, stroking the boy's hair. 'You were stressed, it happens to the best of us.' Bryn didn't blame Teddy at all.