Ophelia (purevisions) wrote in carpediem_rp, @ 2016-01-12 19:22:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: laertes sinclair, character: ophelia sinclair, thread: complete |
Who: Laertes and Ophelia
Where: Laertes room
When: Monday 11 January, after classes
Warning: None really
Status: Closed, Complete
Laertes was scowling into his scrolls. It could be frustration with his research. It could be. It could be irritation with the Gryffindor 5th years in Ancient Runes; Gryffindors always annoyed Laertes. Even graduated, he was still a Slytherin. Or it could be the seventh year students in Ancient Runes. Or maybe the new professor, who already seemed to be charming the class with his brilliant blue eyes and disheveled hair. Possibly. His research wasn't going well either though.
Ophelia wasn't all that shocked to see her brother’s snake in the Slytherin common room, and she moved to lightly stroke him before a flicker of confusion crossed her face. Normally the animal didn't move from her touch, but she guessed maybe he had come to take her to Lae. Hopefully nothing was wrong, though she moved more quickly than normal to head to check on him, tapping lightly on the door before peeking her head in- noting the grumpy look on his face. “Bad day?” She queried, moving with his snake to the couch.
A few in fact, but Laertes just continued to scowl. "The first day back… Gryffindors as the first class. A new professor, who seeks my active involvement in the class. And I can not find a good translation for this part," Laertes grumbled as she settled onto the sofa.
Ophelia nodded sympathetically and moved to stand by her brother, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Did you tell him you didn't want to?” Because that seemed the most logical thing if he felt uncomfortable with that bit. “All I keep hearing is that he's charming and really cute, all I've heard since that class ended was gushing over him in the common.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. It was amusing.
Laertes actually snorted at her description of the way the students were talking about him. "Yes, he has this disheveled carelessness thing going for him… and dangerous blue eyes." He shook his head. "I tried, and his said it was better if I was involved since I have been here and am better with theory than he is."
Ophelia raised an eyebrow slightly at him. “You sound like they do. Laertes Orion Sinclair, is there something you're not telling me?” A faint giggle as she spoke, her eyes moving to meet his and one hand lightly touching his arm. Now she was much more curious. “And he's complimenting you, the big bad curse breaker? Very interesting indeed…”
His scowl only darkened at his sister's eyebrow and giggle. "I am just saying what they are," he argued. It wasn't his opinion. Well objectively, Theo did have the swagger of a cursebreaker and dark good looks. And his eyes were blue rimmed with darkness. "He is just trying to make a good first impression is all, coming in midyear like he is." Laertes didn't trust 'nice'.
“So, tell me more then. I’m curious now.” Because she had a feeling there was something her brother was not telling her, and she wanted to know what it was. It was a distraction too from the fact that she felt terrible about what happened to Alexei. Sure, it would probably benefit her in the future, but right now it was upsetting because he was clearly bothered by it.
"Curious about what?" Laertes was feeling less trusting than usual. It was understandable given everything that had transpired lately. "I'm just the most convenient person. He feels like he needs to be nice to me because we work together… because we're teaching together. He's been out in the field, not the classroom, and I haven't really left the classroom. I'm sure I will when you finish. Father will have a role for me in the ministry or abroad for him." There was a slight edge of resignation to his voice as he said the last part. He wouldn't have time for his research and readings then.
Ophelia frowned. “I hope that it is not that way. I want you to be happy.” Because he was happy being able to research and read and he would not be quite as much in the BMA. “Maybe he is just nice. He's not a Slytherin, he probably doesn't know as much as we do about dissembling.”
Laertes shook his head. People weren't nice. And he had duties. It was all he could do to make sure his sister had a chance for happiness. The implosion of the Vetrov family had given him an opportunity, and one he had not delayed mentioning to their father. "It is not nice. He wants something from me." It was logical, though why the other man had kissed him didn't make sense. "He's a cursebreaker. He is new to teaching. That is all. He wants me on his side… to like him."
Ophelia smiled slightly and brushed a bit of hair from his face. She wanted to know what he was thinking about the teacher and how things were between them. “What would he want from you, Lae? You're his TA. That's all.” She looked at him, her eyes fixing on his as she let her fingers brush back her own hair, mirroring the action she had done to him.
All Lae was doing was replaying the conversation and the briefest touch of lips… and contemplating if he could make the arrangements with the Vetrov family to make his sister happy. He could hear the smile in her tone though directed at him. "He's a cursebreaker… maybe he has some damage from that."
“Damage?” Ophelia looked confused at the statement, looking at her brother more directly still. “Did something happen, Laertes?” Because she wanted to know what was going on. The statement hadn't made sense to her and hopefully he was able to clarify.
"Mental damage." Obviously the other young man was mental, Laertes decided. "Cursebreakers are a little unpredictable," he explained to his sister. "The whole living dangerously thing." Laertes by contrast was careful. Living everyday life could be dangerous enough for Lae, so the risk-taking cursebreakers took was foreign to him.
“What happened, Lae?” Ophelia tensed slightly. If this man had hurt her brother there would be hell to pay, that was for sure. There were not too many people Lia loved, and Lae was at the top of the list. “Did something happen with him? Did he hurt you?” Because yes. That would bring problems for the new teacher.
"He started to kiss me," Laertes admitted. It was more than a little confusing to the blond. His most important relationship was with his sister. He didn't go around kissing people. And no one went around kissing him.
“He what?!” Her eyes widened and she looked at him in shock. “He kissed you? Why? What did you do? Tell me?!” Because this was the first she had heard of any of this. The pair of them were not very out there when it came to kissing and such, after all.
"I don't know why." Really that was the part that made no sense at all to Lae. He had no answer to that question. "I said 'excuse me', and then he left." Laertes explained. Then so Lia wouldn't think it was that big a thing, he added, "it wasn't some deep kiss. He just brushed his lips against mine is all." He was probably making it a bigger thing than it actually was. "It's probably nothing. Like I said. Cursebreaker."
Ophelia listened quietly and shrugged. “Maybe he took it as you not being into it? Were you?” She met his eyes again, trying to understand what he was thinking. This was all new to her. He'd never seemed to show interest in kissing or being kissed but maybe it was a question of who. If he liked boys (she didn't know) then kissing girls wouldn't be as fun she figured.
"No." Laertes answered quickly. It was over before he'd even worked out what was happening. He still hadn't worked out completely what was happening, if he was honest, which in this case he wasn't. He wasn't thinking about relationships or who he was attracted to or not attracted to or anything.
Ophelia blinked slightly at the speed of the answer and nodded, then leaned to hug her brother gently. A slight slip of her hand was easy enough, and almost as soon as she brushed skin she got a flash of feelings, uncertainty and a bit of fear, along with curiosity. “You know you shouldn't lie to your baby sister, Lae… It's not very nice.”
"What do you mean? Lying?" Laertes had admitted the kiss, he hadn't worked out the rest - his feelings and his desires. Laertes rarely focused on what he wanted. Life was to a large extent determined for him. It hadn't occurred to him that he might have things he wanted. He took for granted that after Ophelia was settled he'd find a bride and start a family, but there was no rush for that… He had to make sure Ophelia was happy first.
“Be honest. Is he attractive to you?” Ophelia had a feeling that he was, or Lae wouldn't be even a little confused about the kiss. It would just be something he didn't even think about. It would be done and over and forgotten. She ran her hand through her hair and raised an eyebrow. “Like, if I wasn't around and you were free to do whatever you wanted, would you want to kiss him back? Maybe?”
"Yes… No." Laertes answered in rapid succession. Correcting his mistakenly honest answer, or answering both questions… a little of both. Laertes sighed. "It doesn't matter. I'm glad you are around." He focused on what he did know and love.
“It's mutual and you know that. But you deserve to be happy too, Lae.” Ophelia touched his arm again lightly, this time making sure it was not skin to skin. Trying to offer a bit of comfort in her way. “You deserve to be cared for and enjoy a partner in life, just like you say I do.”
"It was a kiss - not even enough of one to count." This wasn't even anything. "And I will be happy - I'll find some girl to marry in a couple of years, start a family." That was what pureblooded young men did. He wasn't looking yet but marrying a younger girl was not a problem to him.
“Do you want to do it again though?” Because that was the signal in her mind. He obviously was vacillating in this and she wanted him to be able to pursue things if it was what interested him. “Lae, be honest. You sounded like the girls back in the dorm. It's okay if you want that.”
Laertes shook his head. Theo was attractive, but it didn't make any sense. It didn't make sense when Theo had done it, and it was still true days later. Laertes couldn't just… mess around like other people - like Theo apparently did. He had to be careful after all. He wasn't just another pureblooded boy.
Ophelia frowned slightly. If he didn't want to do it again, what was the conflict she had felt. “Is something else troubling you then?” Because if so, she wanted to know. She wanted to be able to do something about it. She loved her brother and wanted him to be happy, no matter what.
"Yes, my translation… I said that." Except it wasn't that. It was trying to work out why Theo had kissed him. And to figure out the answer to Lia's question of if he wanted to do it again. "It doesn't matter if he's attractive." He finally muttered.
“And we established that that's a lie. Didn't I already say that?” Ophelia raised a brow at him and lightly curled closer to him. “It does matter. If it's something you think, you shouldn't deny it. You deserve to be happy. If you think he's cute maybe you should kiss him back?”
"He's probably already forgotten it." It was a nothing of a kiss after all, and Theo was a cursebreaker. "And I can't just… kiss people. I have to be careful." Laertes was fine with his condition generally, but it affected how he interacted with people in some circumstances - relationships being one. "And he's a guy."
“You have to be careful, but that doesn't mean you can't kiss people sometimes. You've done it before. And so?” Ophelia raised an eyebrow slightly. “Kissing boys isn't that strange anymore if you're a boy, and it's not like you are going to marry him or something. Just kiss a bit.”
Ophelia made it sound easy. Laertes still had so many questions - like why Theo had kissed him. It didn't seem that easy to Lae. "I don't just kiss people. That's for people like Ash." And apparently for people like Theo.
“I know. Which is why I want to know if you're interested in doing it again.” Ophelia met her brother’s eyes, tilting her head to examine him. “If you want to kiss him, it means something. We aren't like Ash, so if we want to kiss someone it… Isn't just something simple.”
Except Theo was a cursebreaker… He'd kissed Laertes the same day he met him. If Theo even thought of what happened as a kiss. He probably didn't. "It was probably just some experiment or test he was doing, and I'm making too much of it all."
“Laertes.” Ophelia sighed slightly. She wasn't very experienced with people but some of this made a bit more sense to her. “If you kissed someone and they jumped up and said excuse me like they were going to leave, what would you do? You'd assume they weren't into you and try to lighten it, get out, right? That's just logic…” Her eyes moved to her brother’s. “Go talk to him, and if you want to kiss him, do it.”
"I was surprised," Laertes argued softly. It wasn't something he knew how to react to really. He could've hexed him. That was a proper reaction to being surprised. An understandable one. "I didn't hex him."
“Yes, which implies to me that you're interested in some way.” Because she knew that if he had not had the moment of curiosity, a feeling of being threatened in any way, shape, or form would be retaliated with a hex. “You're not listening to your brilliant little sister and I've got to say it's a bit hurtful.” Teasing now.
Laertes frowned at her teasing. "You're making like it's simple." It wasn't that simple. Just like no one was just… nice for no reason. It couldn't be as simple as just a kiss. "He doesn't even know me."
“It is. If you're happy, something is good. If you're not happy, it's bad.” It was an easy dichotomy in her head. No one else mattered like he did to her. “And maybe he wants to. Hence me saying to go talk to him. And maybe kiss him. Just if it feels right, you know.”
"He's a guy," Laertes tried again to find an argument against her simple logic. He didn't need to bother arguing. It was not as though Theo could have been serious about it all. Laertes was making a bigger deal of it than it was…. Acting like the slytherin girl his sister accused him of sounding like.
“And if kissing a girl made me happy you'd want me happy more than anything.” Because this she knew for a fact about him. Her happiness came first for him like his did for her. She rested her head on his shoulder and shook it slightly. “I just want you happy, Laertes, and if you are interested in him, even a little, you should see what happens.”