The Grounds

"Besides, it helps when you're lucky..." He smirked at her.

OOC What is this feeling I'm feeling? It hurts, my chest. I feel like a have gaping hole right through it.

I think it's guilt....

ooc AS YOU SHOULD FEEL!

ooc so Mer prodded me into coming back, if anyone cares lol
and if you don't know who i am - hi, i'm lewis!

ic The boy was using the vast amount of space to conjure multiple targets, with about 25 metres between them. the closest was 50 metres, and the furthest being around 150 metres. He was calm, poised as he took his trusty bow off his back, green and black robes billowing in the wind as he drew a simple wooden arrow. Shutting one eye, lanky black hair fanned his gaunt features whilst the arrow went sailing through the air.

It hit the first target not an inch from the bullseye.

He continued his practice, completely engrossed as he moved to the further targets. He'd only just made it back to Hogwarts despite the year starting months ago - he'd have to keep his skills on top form if he wanted to secure any allies...

ooc
omg lewis!!!!!!!!

"Nice shot." She called from afar, intending to startle the guy. He was pretty good with his arrows, admittedly better than she was with her daggers. She tried not to radiate envy as she crossed the grounds, soft shoes padding against the grass as she closed the distance between the pair. Eyeing the targets, she cocked her head to one side.

"Mind if i try some of my own practice? I'm too lazy to conjure my own." And honestly, she wasn't 100% sure how to. She didn't pay much attention in classes...

He shrugged at the newcomer. "Sure, i don't see why not." He stepped back after narrowly missing the centre of the furthest target. Damn, i'm getting sloppy....

"what's your name? Haven't seen you around before." He commented absently, accio'ing his arrows back to him so he could store them in his quiver. It did look peculiar for a student to be carrying medieval, muggle weapons, but it did the job. People expected you to fight with magic as a wizard; it was the easiest element of surprise he could pull on any enemy.

ooc lmao Amaya and Rook think exactly the same about muggle weapons dammit c':

ic She eyed his progress, obviously impressed. It took her less than a second to equip herself with a dagger, neatly throwing it at the closest target. It wedged itself in the middle with a satisfying thunk.

"Amaya Desouza. Slytherin, fifth year." she spoke with ease as the next blade sliced through the second target. She was grinning to herself. "And almost as good with daggers as you are with arrows. Although, mine are more practical." She pointed to the hefty quiver and bow he was now carrying on his back - could he be anymore obvious?

"You'd make a terrible assassin." the third target was pierced with acute precision. She was silently congratulating herself for not making any mistakes in front of the stranger; That would be far too mortifying.

welcome back Lewis ^-^ nice to see you again


also my inner Jynx is giggling her head off at both parties xD at least my first version of her is.. actual trained assassin

ooc good to see you too! i'm loving my new sparkly green username now

and i think Amaya's meant to be an assassin if i recall correct, altho i'm pretty sure Mer will correct me otherwise!

ic Oh, a Desouza.

Yes, he'd heard the name plenty of times. His father had claimed the Desouzas were a bright set of skilled witches, with their father having connections with the muggle underworld. Like two sides of the coin, his family had always been in co-operation with theirs. To realise it had taken him four years to meet them when one of them was in the same house as him was a complete and utter surprise. Maybe she kept to herself, but then why would she say her name so freely?

Rook was honestly confused.

"I'm not the one training to be an assassin though, am i? I've heard plenty of stories about the Desouzas." He pointed to the cleaved targets. "Glad to see some of the rumours aren't wrong."
His smile was friendly, not letting a thread of threat or malice seep into his tone as he adjusted his quiver, instead holding his maple wand deftly between his fingers.

"Rook Hades-Sabre, fourth year and the same house as you. How come we haven't met before?" Did the girl just not make friends, or was he really out of touch with his fellow housemates? that couldn't do...
He made sure to make it obvious he wasn't going to harm her. After hearing about her prowess, he'd be surprised to get the jump on her in the first place.

ooc indeed you are right! c: although i'd consider amaya more of a mercenary now, rather than purely an assassin. She's still pretty scary when she wants to be

ic "Because i don't care for formalities." she said bluntly, deciding to walk to grab her blades instead of using accio. She wanted a little bit of distance to just observe him, even if it was for a moment. She couldn't work out if he was another careerist wannabe in Slytherin, or someone she could actually grow to like.

"I don't have many friends." she only spoke with honestly, having no qualm whatsoever telling the stranger what she thought. After all, if he was just looking for allies, he'd go elsewhere if he knew she had nothing to offer. "I got my family, and I got my life already set out for me. So ain't much point cosying up to anyone round here." Out of the corner of her eye, she gazed at his face for any changes in expression or posture, twirling one of her blades between her fingers with ease.

He stopped.

And just laughed.

A light-hearted, easy-going smile that seemed so natural on his features as he chuckled at her. "If you're trying to scare me off, it won't work. I'm a bit of a lone wolf in Slytherin too. I've only made one friend and he's the most irritating gryffindor I have ever met." But the way he spoke about the man in question made it clear they were on friendly terms, deciding to arm himself with his arrows and bow again, gesturing for her to shuffle out of the way so he could continue his target practice. They may as well talk and train, he thought.

"But either way, I don't really mind what's going on with you, your life is your own. I won't ever pry; it's just nice to have the company of someone else who also has a remarkable shot." He believed honesty would be the best policy in approaching her, it was clear she was fiercely independently minded, and he had no issue with it. She seemed really interesting...

It took her a moment, a long moment to click what he was implying. There was only one annoying gryffindor who came to mind...

"It's Lukas Moroskov, isn't it? Your friend?" She politely stepped aside, mildly interested to see how his aim was so precise compared to hers.

"I like you." She decided, wondering what reaction she'd elicit this time. She'd bristled at first, when she realised she was being laughed at, but she soon noticed it was in no way malicious. "You don't dance around questions, it's really refreshing." She lowered herself to the floor, feeling the grass between her fingertips.

"But don't flatter yourself." She said suddenly, sharply. "This doesn't mean we're friends or anything, i can just put up with your presence for more than 5 minutes."

"Naturally." The arrow sailed towards the target, landing in dead centre. He hadn't needed to close his eyes this time, quietly brimming with pride. He'd instinctively taken the shot, finding following his intuition led to his impeccable aim.

"And yes, I'd say he's my only companion here so far. There's definitely something off about him, but i'm sure it'll come to light soon enough." he didn't seem particularly perturbed by the gryffindor, finding him strange but conducive to his goals nethertheless.

"You're also a nice surprise compared to other Slytherins. They usually ask me for something at this point." He raised a brow at her, as if he was waiting for a request. "Maybe we can be friends, despite your reluctance? I don't want an exchange with you or anything, i just like having someone to talk to." He told only the truth - he knew Amaya's connections, but did not care for them. Besides, since she hadn't retorted in disgust at Lukas's mention, she was obviously interesting enough for the gryffindor, meaning she more than merited his full attention.

"Sure, I guess. You don't need to be so damn formal about it though. Stop acting like an old man, and this could work." She watched him with mild fascination, ignoring the pang of envy that settled in her stomach.

Her grey eyes turned to his form, assessing his posture. She held out a finger in front of her, grinning to herself. "Lemme guess, snooty, uptight parents who mollycoddled you as a child? I can see it in the way you carry yourself. You're a posh one." She said it without any judgement, deciding to quietly see it as a negative instead. She couldn't stand people who were stuck up -that was clear as day.

"But yeah, in regards to that bastard." Her tone held clear disdain, but it was not genuine. "He's sneaky as hell, probably more of a slytherin than i am. Just be careful what you agree to around him, okay?" this was as serious as the girl got.

ooc you should totally send the chaotic fox in right now...

ic "Half true." He confirmed, meeting her intense gaze with his own. Pale blue eyes stared back at her, only containing curiousity. "My father has never been in my life, unlike yours. But my mother is your stereotypical pureblood, wanting her son to be in the highest rung of society. Do not mistake me for a pushover though." There was no real threat in his voice, only warning of things that could come should someone decide to cross him.

"And that's why I like Lukas, although he has a habit of saying I smell weird." He scowled. "He's the weird one, for sure."

Ooc ask and you shall receive lmao

Ic "You do smell weird, though." The kitsune seemed to have appeared from nowhere, grabbing a lock of Rook's short hair and inhaling deeply. Amaya stared daggers at him.

"You're so God damn rude, Lukas. Can't you leave me alone for two seconds?" And Amaya acknowledged Rook's statement about his father.

"Where's your dad been then? Dead?" She asked rather bluntly.

"I have no idea." He answered carefully, a frown creasing his forehead. He always thought that coming Hogwarts would give him some hints to his lineage, to his father's life before he'd left his son and wife. But no, it was like the guy hadn't even existed.

He became slightly rigid, fingers clenching slightly as he felt a nostril pressed into his hair. Lukas was like... a dog. No, a bloodhound.

"Would you mind unhanding me? I don't want to slice your abdomen open for being so impertinent." He was clearly pissed off, and slightly afraid, but he wasn't particularly angry yet.

"Sorry, I just like making people uncomfortable." He let go of Rook's hair and was clearly unapologetic about the exchange.

"Your father can't have just disappeared." Amaya pointed out, using her own logic. "He either doesn't want you to find him, or hes dead as a doornail."

"I'm up for a bit of Detective work, can you tell me anything else?" She'd already decided she had nothing better to do.

He quoted the words his mother had always said to him, like a mantra. "He was a good for nothing pureblood that wanted to continue his line and leave." The line had been drummed into his head so adamantly that he could recall the exact tone of voice his mother would have used, had she been there.

"So yeah, you're right. He doesn't want to be found. It won't stop me though."

Amaya had to hold back her laughter at his imitation. She didn't know his mother, but she was sure it was accurate.

"I could help you with that." Lukas offered. "More than Desouza could. People don't evadr me for long, especially when they are as peculiar as you. I could imagine your father is quite a unique man."

Amaya's laughter fell from her face. Lukas was so odd, and she hated how obvious he was about it. He was trying to bait Rook...

"I'm listening." He began, before turning back to the slytherin girl. "And i do remember what you said, and i'm keeping it in mind." He offered her a light smile, knowing he hadn't agreed to anything yet, so he should be safe from whatever deception Lukas was going to pull.

"Besides, Moroskov and I have known each other for a while, i know how he works." He announced confidently, unusual for a slytherin boy.

That's what everyone says. Amaya thought, sighing to herself. Shed warned him, what else was she supposed to do? If he wanted to fall into the honey trap, she wasn't going to protest too much.

"I'm a good tracker, even if I've never had the scent of the person before. I'd only need your blood, and I think I could locate him if he's still in the country. " he offered, hiding his hands from view. "It's what I specialise in, magic wise."

Amaya tried not to roll her eyes, waiting for lukas to impose his conditions, but he wasn't willing to state a price yet.

"What would you want in return?" Rook wasn't stupid, he knew nobody in this world ever did anything for free. He crossed his arms, waiting. If Lukas was as good as he said he was, this might be his first step in finally breaking the mystery surrounding his father, but he wasn't willing to proverbially sell his soul for it.

"You snakes are always so suspicious..." Lukas dramatically exclaimed, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead in a mock faint.

"But if you insist on a price, you can either owe me a favour with no limits or parameters, or I would like your blood regularly. If you ask why, deal's off."

Amaya sighed internally. This wasn't going to go well for Rook. But then again, she'd just met the guy - did she care?

Not much.