gooseberryhigh | AN INCIDENT AT THE LODGE

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AN INCIDENT AT THE LODGE

In the evening, some students notice a small commotion around the lodge. It seems as though something happened to Damon Evercreech at around 8:30 PM, although no one is certain what it was. Rumors range from saying he saw someone die, to that he found a body. Regardless, he doesn't come back to Coppertale that night. Rafael Ramirez and Teresa Noble are informed that no one is hurt and Damon is fine.

Heads of Houses visit all their respective campgrounds to oversee a headcount done by the prefects. Mr. Hightower fetches Calvin Evercreech and escorts him back down to the lodge, all the while dodging questions about exactly what happened. Since he's the prefect, Milo Greer is assured that Calvin is not in trouble, nor is anyone hurt.

[The selection for this event was based on three major criteria:
A sibling or sibling-like friendship.
The character is not yet afraid of the woods.
Their reaction contributes to forward momentum of the metaplot as well as their personal plot.
And a teeny side of "which player hasn't had one of their babies traumatized yet?"
Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtful petitions. We honestly had a very long discussion about who was best suited, because you all put in a lot of effort for these.]

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When they offer to give him something to calm him down, Dimi gets the impression that if he doesn’t stop yelling about his brother and human remains, this isn’t going to be just an offer for long. Scowling deeply, he declines the draught offered him and instead sets to silently pacing the room, furious and worried sick. He isn’t taking anything until he knows Calvin’s okay. After that, go right ahead. Dose him with whatever'll knock him out. The sooner he can forget this the better.

Not that he’s ever going to forget that sight. His brother jumping. Falling. Flailing. Hitting the ground.

Dimi’s chest tightens. Suddenly it’s a struggle to fill his lungs with air. His legs carry him over to a cot and he sits down heavily, resting his head between his knees. He squints back tears. Eventually, he resolves, he’ll get answers. For now, though, he just wants to know that Calvin is safe.

"Dimi?" Calvin's heart is still pounding when he walks into the room. They'd assured him over and over again that his brother wasn't hurt, but he hadn't really believed them. He knew they were leading him to the infirmary, and he'd begun to fear the worst despite their promises. He created a fiction in his head where Mr. Hightower had lied to him because Damon's injuries were so awful that Calvin would have panicked. Of course they had to keep fragile, shrill Calvin calm. The whole way there he'd added more detail, more evidence, so by the time he walks in and sees his brother hunched over, he's sick with nerves he hopes no one can notice.

"Dimi!" Calvin sprints to reach him. It's as though he's nine years old again, when the only brother he loved was leaving him all alone to go to Hogwarts, except Damon's not going anywhere. (Yet.) He no longer feels fifteen, maybe that's why his emotions aren't being logical.

Dimi lifts his head at the sound of Calvin’s voice and, finally seeing his younger brother alive and in one piece, loses the last semblance of control. Jumping to his feet, he makes a sound that’s half a laugh, half a sob.

"Thank God, Calvin, you’re alright." He says through relieved tears, meeting his brother with open arms, pulling him into a hug and squeezing him tight. Proving to himself that this is no illusion. His little brother is here. Safe.

"I saw you j--" Dimi can’t make himself finish that thought. His breath shudders as he inhales and he swallows hard to try and recollect himself. "Something made me think you--Merlin, Calvin, I’m just so glad you’re safe. I have to tell you everything."

Dimi is the only person in the world Calvin can hug without that horrible, duplicitous hesitation in his chest. Calvin has the sense to feel guilty that he can't accept an uncomplicated embrace from his parents or his boyfriend, but meanwhile will readily throws his arms around Dimi. He balls his fists in Damon's shirt and buries his face in his brother's shoulder, like he might have done in years past. He's as tall as Damon is now, but he allows himself to be held like he's still five inches shorter.

"Are you all right?" Calvin's voice is muffled and watery, completely devoid of all the armour he's carefully built. His accent, softened by months around Americans, redoubles itself when it's just the two of them. "They said you... needed me?"

Dimi slips readily into the role of consoler, far preferring it to being the one in need of comforting. He rests a gentle hand on the back of Calvin's head, an automatic, familiar gesture. Feeling like he should be the strong older brother makes it easier for Damon to pull himself back together, so when he says, “I’m fine, now, Calvin. I’m fine.” It’s believable.

Until he holds his brother out at arm’s length to get a good look at his face. Then the pit in his stomach reopens as he recalls what he'd seen on the third floor of the lodge and the brave facade starts to crumble, again. His face screws up with emotion. “Yes,” he admits. “I needed to see that you were all right... You are all right? Nothing...strange has happened to you?”

Before Calvin can reply, Dimi pulls him into another tight hug. As though it’s the only way he’s sure his brother is really safe.

Calvin doesn't fight the second hug, especially not after seeing that pained expression on Dimi's face. It puts Calvin on uneven footing, and cracks something in his foundation.

Dimi has always been strong. He doesn't cry. He's not afraid of the dark, or being hit, or scary stories. He's the quintessential Gryffindor that Calvin never could be, but always aspired to emulate anyhow (and, of course, he had failed miserably). His chest tightens as he preemptively feels a spark of anger at whatever upset his brother, one that's sure to grow.

"No," he says, baffled. "No, no, nothing." It had been an ordinary, boring day right up until he'd been called away. They'd had to wake him up from an unexpected nap. Calvin can only vaguely recall the dream he had.

Edited 2017-05-01 17:17 (UTC)

After a deep, steadying breath, Damon lets his grip on Calvin slacken and he steps away. It occurs to him that he still hasn’t explained himself. That he’s let Calvin see him like this. Worrying so much over what was an illusion. Real only to him, and only for a few seconds. But it was so real. "I’m sorry, Cal."

Dimi runs his hand over his mouth, still grimacing. "I saw you fall. I saw you ... walk up to the third floor of the lodge. Open a window--you looked right at me. And then, just...” he purses his lips and looks away, angry at himself for starting to get upset again. Angry at whatever did this - targeted them. There’s considerable heat in his voice as he mumbles, "Of course it wasn’t you. It was that thing in the woods."

Since she's not in the same house with either Evercreech boy, it takes Ree a while to find out that anything is going on. But as soon as she does, she's up Cecil's butt to let her go make sure Calvin is okay. Sorry, Cecil.

Cecil is the Head Boy and, as such, has heard more about the unsettling incident at the Lodge than just rumors. Even he doesn't know the details, though, and he knows that there is a lot that's being kept from him and the other students. But he doesn't have to know everything to be deeply concerned about both Dimi and Calvin and he's in a somber mood when Ree comes to see him, insisting that she be allowed to check on her best friend. Knowing that two prefects are needed to meet Calvin at the Lodge and walk him back to Ribbonfin and thinking that seeing her now might help the boy, he asks her to come with him. The friends should be able to have a little bit of time to talk before they leave and he'll give them as much privacy as he can on the walk back.

Given how late it already is and how quickly curfew is approaching, it's the best he can do.

After he explains all this, Cecil moves to grab his jacket from the back of a chair and asks, "Are you okay to go now?"

"What? Absolutely. Yes. Let's go," Ree says, already halfway out the door. She doesn't need a jacket. Worry and determination will keep her warm.

She does remember her manners about halfway there and thanks Cecil for this, albeit distractedly.

welcome to traumatown, Evercreeches :(((

Glad to be here :'(

I thought I was logged in on Dimi whoops oh well

Edited 2017-04-30 22:24 (UTC)

Just to clarify since Ree is coming to Cecil about this...

(1) Is Calvin staying at the Lodge with Dimi tonight or will he be heading back to Ribbofin?

(2) Would Cecil actually have any more information regarding any of this than she does?

Thanks~ ♥

1) Calvin is at the lodge, but will probably be escorted back to Ribbonfin for the night. They'll let Ribbonfin's prefects know if this isn't the case. (Which is to say it depends on how upset Dimi is.)

2) The staff won't want to talk about Damon's experience in detail because it's personal, so they'll just tell Cecil that Calvin is fine but his brother needed him. However, as Head Boy, Cecil will probably be told enough to suspect that the staff thinks it had something having to do with the forest entity. Mr. Merrill promises to tell Cecil more later, but for now, just make sure everyone's in their cabins for curfew. He knows some of his little birds are night owls, but it's for safety reasons. :(

ETA: Mr. Merrill will permit Cecil and Regan to be the prefects who pick up Calvin at the end of the night and escort him back to Ribbonfin... but I JUST TALKED TO JENNY, and Calvin will end up staying overnight in the lodge. However, this will still allow them to stop by so Ree can check on Calvin.

Edited 2017-04-30 23:29 (UTC)

Thank you for the detailed response! ♥ This helps a ton. And Cecil will definitely walk with Ree over to the Lodge.

._. And omg poor Dimi and Calvin. Hang in there, boys.

I'll respond to Ree shortly.

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AN INCIDENT AT THE LODGE

IC REACTIONS

Dimi

Calvin & Dimi

Calvin & Dimi

Calvin & Dimi

Calvin & Dimi

Calvin & Dimi

Calvin & Dimi

IC REACTIONS

Ree & Cecil

Re: Ree & Cecil

OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!