Regulus Arcturus Black

[ continued from here ]

where should i start

kidnapping, forcing changes upon people. some like the changes, certainly but thats not much of a reassurance when we get no say in the matter

fog followers regularly kill in her name. we were once inclined to hunt one another and though it didnt go as poorly as it could have, it certainly wasnt ideal

parts of the peninsula were blocked off because of fog based corruption. an attempt to cure some of it caused widespread injury to quite a few people

so much of the awfulness ive lived through here is at least partially because of her

[ and then there's the stuff that he attributes to her just because he's definitely Not Fond... ]

From:

[He doesn't respond for several minutes.]

I'm sorry. I didn't know the full extent.

It's difficult to know how to explain. I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want to be taken in if She really is all that you think. But talking to Her has been the only time since I arrived that I felt even remotely like I could find a place in this world. I don't know how to live a Muggle life, and I don't know how to make new friends in this place, and I don't know what I am without the Family.

Not that you aren't family. But it's different. Do you understand?

I don't know how to explain it. This feels like the only thing I can do. Can we talk about this in person?

From:

i understand. at least partially.

i also understand that you told me family comes first

[ and goddamn, is he ever hurt. ]

im willing to entertain a conversation yes

From:

[There it is. There's the crux of the matter, the thing he's been trying desperately to deny since Draco first commented on his decision: that this hurts Draco, for whatever reason, and Draco is family.]

[Worse: Draco is the only family Regulus has left.]

Family does come first. I said that and I meant it.

If it means that much to you, if it really does hurt you for me to be involved, then I will reconsider. I

Will you hear me out, and see whether there is a way this can work for us both? If not, then I promise you, on the Black name, I will walk away from Her. I have to try to find a solution, though, Draco. Truthfully? I don't know how to live like this.

From:

[ as angry and hurt as he is, he doesn't think that forcing Regulus to bend to his will is going to help. He remembers too well the rift between himself and his father over the Fourth. He remembers the rift over Robbie. He remembers only just talking to his father a few more, strained times before his disappearance.

[ he's not going to fuck this up again. ]

ill hear you out. im

im not happy about it but im willing to see if theres some middle ground we can find

i dont know if any of us truly know how to live like this

From:

After work on Monday, maybe? We can sit down and discuss it. See what our options are.

There has to be a way through this, Draco. Maybe together we can find it.

From:

all right. after work on monday once weve closed up. my time is yours

i hope we can

From:

ilovepuppies

There once was a boy who was a Halloween fanatic. He loved dressing up for Halloween, he loved pulling pranks and watching horror movies, and above everything else... he loved candy. One fateful year, while he went trick-or-treating, he visited a house. This house was creepy as hell! It was big, it was old, it smelled like a grandmother and it was owned by a happy, old rich couple. The boy came here thinking that he would be handed out big chocolate bars, because it was a rich person's house but when he knocked on their door... he was handed a bag of that shitty candy that nobody likes! Tootsie rolls, shitty flavoured dum-dums, those weird... peanut things... needless to say, the boy was heartbroken. He was so heartbroken that he died, right there on their porch and now, every Halloween he goes out and finds people to curse. He wants everyone to suffer the same way he did!

Everybody is already suffering from his curse!! Send this to ten people to break the curse, or to avoid getting cursed, or you'll be stuck looking freakier than usual for the rest of your life!!!!!!!!!!

From:

I have a few questions.

1) Why are you telling me this?
2) How on Earth is that a curse?
3) How do I make you go away?

From:

ilovepuppies

1. because i have 2 sent it 2 people it's in the rules
2. IDK IT JUST IS
3. my part is done I AM FREE OF THE CURSE

From:

Why would I be one of the ten people you would choose to send this to? We don't even know one another. Is that why? To avoid "cursing" someone you care about?

For reference, there are very few curses that work remotely like this, and this isn't one of them.

From:

[ Outside of Kit-TEA is a box addressed to Regulus, in which is carefully packed a bottle of rather nice wine. ]

Hope the holidays are treating ya a little better these days. Take care.
-Majima

From:

Hey, Regulus. You all right?

From:

Not particularly. Why?

From:

Well, considerin' what went down, I thought it might be a good idea to check on ya.

I know the Fog God means a lot to you. Even if I don't feel the same way, ya have principles.

[ And it felt pretty fucking shitty to have someone walk all over something you believed in, probably ]

From:

The Fog God has nothing to do with it. It's Her priests who have overstepped.

And, yes, it hurt a great deal. To be honest with you, I'm very angry.

From:

Yeah, sounds like they got a different idea of how to practice.

Do ya need someone to come by? It's a bit of a trip from the new place, but I don't mind.

From:

That's an understatement.

I appreciate the thought, but as a matter of fact I'm staying with Cuthbert for a few nights.

From:

Good deal.

Take care, man.

From:

I'll try to. Thank you.

From:

inseine

[Javert arrives at the café a few minutes before Regulus's 3 am close time. When the two of them last met, they were both in dire straights: Javert mired in the spooks of his past, and Regulus deep in the throes of hopelessness and depression. Now he has shed much of the madness that pricked his eyes in Fairwell. He carries himself erect, with his hands clasped around his cane at the small of his back and his eyes chasing an invisible path down the lines and cracks in the pavement. There are some recent differences to his habitual air of authority and calm dignity in Ryslig: he is much more thoughtful this evening, much more distant and lost in his own head, his grimace creased with inklings of doubt.

He catches Regulus's eye with a sharp, cold flick of a nod and folds himself into an empty seat out front to wait for him to finish the last of his business.]

From:

[Regulus doesn't particularly care to think about what happened in Fairwell, or who he met. He was a different person then. Younger. More lost. Ordinarily he'd be inclined to say stupider, but he's not so sure of that now.]

[Regardless, meeting Javert there is one of the things he has spent some time considering. It wasn't what he would have expected - and, at the same time, it was exactly what he would have expected.]

[In any case, here Javert is, and they are not the same people. Regulus reminds himself of that firmly as he nods back, turning to wipe down the tables.]

[At three o'clock precisely, he turns the sign in the door from OPEN to CLOSED, takes a deep breath, and goes to meet Javert.]

I have the kettle on. Would you like tea or coffee?

From:

inseine

Coffee, [Javert answers curtly. He appears perpetually on his guard, stiff in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest. His crimson eyes sweep up and down Regulus invasively, and he concludes that matters have changed as much for the boy as they have for himself.

Changed. That hideous, ugly, foul word. His lips crimp.

Javert shifts his jaw gets down to business without waiting for Regulus to fetch the coffee, opting to skip the small talk and the greetings in favor for diving straight into his intent.]

Do you know why I called to meet with you?

From: