I bite my thumb, sir. (lottiewood) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-05-08 10:47:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, !world cup, character: charlotte wood |
WHO: Charlotte Wood, NPCs, a kelpie, and a firebird
WHAT: Lottie gets caught in the crossfire.
WHEN: Slightly backdated to Saturday 7 May 2002, during the Ukraine/Scotland match
WHERE: Quidditch World Cup Pitch
RATING: Medium--language, violence, blindness
STATUS: Complete
Lottie had never been able to figure out what she loved more about going to Quidditch matches: the game or getting to cheer loudly for her family. Not just loudly, but to the point of hoarseness. She enjoyed a good match. She loved watching people fly, even though the fear of falling had always kept her from flying herself. Moreover, though, she loved watching her family.
The match was probably not as exciting as Lottie and her family made it seem. You could always count on the Woods to make a big deal about Quidditch. Her da had tried to get her to paint her face, like he did for Magpies matches, but she didn't. She argued that she didn't need to cover her face in blue and white to show what team she was there for. Her outfit helped with that if her cheering and accent left anyone in doubt.
After the snitch was caught, and the cheering for the winning team was starting to die down, Lottie was gathering her bag and jacket when the brawl between the mascots broke out. She paused mid-movement and gawked at the kelpies and the firebirds. There was something poetic about the way they moved, and she was mesmerized by them. She was so focused on the fights at mid-field that she didn't see the one that was moving closer to her. She caught a flash out of the corner of her eye and sat back in her seat quickly, just before a hoof came down where her head had been.
That was when she became aware of her immediate surroundings. She'd lost track of her family. Panic rose in her chest, but adrenaline pumped through her veins, and her fight or flight instincts kicked in. When she saw a safe opening, Lottie stood again and turned toward the end of the row.
There was a flash and a sense of falling. Charlotte didn't fall far, luckily. She didn't go over the railing. She only fell as far as the ground she was standing on, but she hit her head when she landed. It didn't knock her out, but it discombobulated her enough that she had to lay there for a minute with here eyes scrunched closed to let the spinning feeling go away. When it was gone, she opened her eyes, then opened them wider, then reached up to make sure they were actually open. She couldn't see her hand. She couldn't see anything. A bit to her shame, Lottie started crying. She pushed herself up and back, pressing her back against the bench and hugging her knees to her chest. She didn't know what was going on, and everything seemed loud and close, but also far.
She didn't trust herself to stand, to try to make her way to the exit. She would have ended up going over the side if she did that. She didn't even trust herself to crawl that far. Not when she couldn't see. She didn't hear anyone near her anymore. They'd all gone. She could hear the sounds of the fights and the people trying to get the mascots under control, but no one around her. She wanted to call for help, but she wasn't sure anyone would hear her.
"Hey! Hey you! Get out of there!" She whipped her head back and forth, unsure of where the sound was coming from. "It's not safe up there!" It was a man, but she couldn't find him. "I can't see," she cried. "There was a flash, and I can't see!"
There was a lot of crashing and swearing and someone was pulling Lottie to her feet. "Fuckin' hell. You can't see." The voice was gruff, and his hands felt rough where they gripped her shoulders. "I told you that. Do you see my bag and jacket? I had them before.." She waved a hand, hitting something hard, and heard the man grunt.
He grabbed her hand and pinned it to her side. "Don't move, lass." Lottie stood very still and felt him bend. When he shoved things into her hands, she gripped them tightly. "I'm going to carry you out." His warning came about ten seconds before he put a shoulder to her abdomen and lifted her. Exiting the stadium seemed like a quick trip, and the gruff man handed her, literally, off to healers. "What happened?"
The voice was exasperated, and Lottie didn't blame her. "There was a firebird and.." The sigh from the healer told her she wasn't the first case. "You'll be blind for awhile, but it will start coming back soon." Lottie could hear her writing something on a form. "I'm sending you to St. Mungo's for the night. You'll be monitored. If your vision isn't improved in the morning, we may keep you longer. Name?"
"Charlotte Wood." More writing then another hand on her arm. "This one's ready to go. Another firebird. Take her to Mungo's."
---
Waking up Sunday morning, Lottie's eyesight was back. It was blurry, and her eyes hurt, but she could at least see, which was good because she had a meeting with Gilderoy Lockhart that afternoon. She checked herself out and went home for a shower and a nap in her own bed before she had to meet her client.