ATMOSPHERE.

WELCOME to BURIAL VERSE! It's a fantastic day to talk to the people in your local community.

[burialverse]

to whom it may concern, 

this is a courtesy missive from the department of magical law enforcement, in conjunction with the department of security, that assorted actions may have changed your status in the last month. our records have indicated a change. please do not reply by the owl that sent you this, as no one will receive them in our office. instead, please contact your interviewer or bernard cowbell, head of the department of magical law enforcement, who finalizes the changes in security clearance. 

thank you, 

the department of magical law enforcement, dated september the first, 1950.

ADDITIONAL NOTES :  following the interviews regarding the events that took place at norris’s estate, security statues have been adjusted as needed. while the ministry has informed your character that their security status has changed, they have not informed them what the change is. that is for them to speculate and, perhaps, become aware of if they notice the tail that has been following them. all characters who were not in attendance have kept their original status. we ask that players please update their ministry files accordingly.

please remember that the following information is meta knowledge and is not known by the characters themselves ( save for characters marked as vulnerable or undesirable ). characters, however, may become aware of the measures that the ministry have put in place in response. 

ARTEMIS FAWLEY. known threat, currently under observation due to possible unregistered lycanthropy. 

CARLOTTA PINKSTONE. probable threat, currently under light observation following her sentence to azkaban.

CEDRELLA BLACK. not a known threat.

DRUELLA ROSIER. probable threat, wanted for questioning regarding the events of august 16th. 

ELISABETH LESTRANGE. not a known threat.

EUPHEMIA GIBBON. known threat, currently under observation due to possible case of unregistered creature blood.

FLEAMONT POTTER. known threat, currently under observation due to unauthorized use of restricted magic.

HELENA HYSLOP. probable threat, currently under light observation due to her association with potter, f.

IGNATIUS PREWETT. probable threat, wanted for questioning regarding the events of august 16th. 

LAZARUS AVERY. known threat, currently under observation due to possible connection to norris, c.

LUCRETIA BLACK. possible threat, pending investigation regarding the compulsion charm and possible follow up interview. 

ODESSA BONES. probable threat, wanted for questioning regarding the events of august 16th. 

PROSPERINA GREENGRASS. possible threat, pending investigation of her association with avery, l.

SASHA TIKHOMIROV. probable threat, currently under observation after the events that transpired in manhattan with picquery, h. 

TALIESIN LESTRANGE. probable threat, pending further investigation on his occupational status.

THAXTER WOOD. vulnerable, currently under ministry protection.

[burialverse]

A DISCOVERY HAS BEEN MADE  ––

congratulations to prosperina greengrass, who managed to make a discovery in the library! while perusing the shelves, prosperina found a journal amongst the books, the spine devoid of text but with gold paw prints winding up the sides. when she pulls it off the shelf, it opens to a newspaper clipping from july 11th, 1950. the headline reads: bodily remains found at the bottom of hogwarts’ own black lake, authorities terminate search for henry potter. 

NOTE:  the details of this discovery are known to prosperina greengrass alone, unless she chooses to share it with someone else.

[burialverse]

A DISCOVERY HAS BEEN MADE  ––

congratulations to lucretia black, who managed to make a discovery in the dressing room! the mirror was quite interesting, wasn’t it? unsettling, even. it took lucretia a little bit of time, but she was able to come to the conclusion that the mirror reflected magically concealed items within the room, making them possible to be found. after a bit of getting used to navigating the room in reverse, she discovered a jewelry box, presumably belonging to mrs. norris. while the box is currently locked, lucretia is overwhelmed by the feeling that finding a way to open it soon is important. 

NOTE: the details of this discovery are known only to lucretia black, as well as taliesin lestrange who was present at the time, unless either choose to share it with anyone else. however, if any other character comes into physical contact with the jewelry box ( touch it, pick it up, etc ), they are overwhelmed with the same need to find a way to unlock the box. this feeling remains for one hour after physical contact is ceased. attempts to unlock the box require a confirmation with the burialverse account as to the results of the attempt.

[burialverse]

A DISCOVERY HAS BEEN MADE  ––

congratulations to artemis fawley, who managed to make a discovery within the study. while the desk itself had been thoroughly turned over, it seems whoever was there before artemis did not think to look behind the portraits, or maybe the glares from the norris family members were just too discouraging. whatever the case may be, there was something left behind that artemis noticed: a corner of an envelope, just barely sticking out from behind the frame that holds cecil norris’s great grandmother. despite the woman’s protests at being tilted, artemis was able to remove the envelope. inside is a somewhat vague letter, though it is clear the intention is to inquire on a previously arranged business deal. the interesting thing about it, is that it is signed by none other than the late cygnus black.

NOTE:  the details of this discovery are known to artemis fawley alone, unless she chooses to share it with someone else.

[burialverse]

taliesinlestrange​:

                  taliesin  nodded.  information  was  important,  he  had  a  good  understanding  of  that.  secrets  were  particularly  valuable,  especially  to  he  who  is  trying  to  keep  them.  however,  growing  up  a  lestrange  he  did  lack  a  certain  understanding  of  money.  all  his  life  his  parents  had  thrown  money  at  his  problem,  and  while  this  was  not  a  problem,  it  did  seem  like  a  possible  opportunity,  given  his  understanding  of  secrets.   ‘   that’s  not  a  problem,  but  this  goes  through  me.  it’s  my  money  so  i  get  the  answers,  not  whoever  you  previously  had  in  mind.   ’  it  seemed  like  the  liquid  confidence  was  fulfilling  its  purpose.

"an  independent  party?”  cecil  tilted  his  head.  “you  don’t  seem  like  the  circus  type.”  still,  money  was  money.  “my  assistant  will  collect  the  cheque  from  you  after  this  little  demonstration,  won’t   you,   argus?”  he  seemed  remarkably  sure  of  his  assistant’s  capabilities  of  extracting  money  after  the  proverbial  curtain  was  pulled  back.  the  blond man  took  a  step  forward  in  obedient  assent. cecil  withdrew  his  wand  from  his  jacket  pocket,  casting  a  modifying  disillusionment  charm  around the  four  of  them.  then,  as   soon  as  he’d  verified  that  the  charm  had  worked  as  indicated  by  the  slightly  fuzzy  boundaries  of  the  spell,  he  turned  to  the  goat.  “basil,”  he  calls  out  softly,  a  smug  smirk  gracing  his  features––  perhaps  one  of  the  only  true  emotions  he’d  shown  that  day,  clearly  well  pleased  with  what  he  perceived  to  be  his  own  cleverness.

and  then  the  goat  rears  back  onto  his  hind  legs,  crown  toppling  off  from  where  it  had  been  balanced  over  his  horns,  and  grows  upward–– taller,  with  straighter  posture,  losing  all  traces  of  animalistic  traits  bit  by  bit  until  he’d  fully  morphed  into  a  young  man  with  brown  hair  in  a  threadbare  brown  tweed  suit.  he  shakes  himself  off,  and  reaches  down  to  grasp  the  crown,  placing  it  jauntily  atop  his  head  once  more  as  he  straightens  up  to  his  full  height. “does  it  look  less  silly  on  me  now  that  i’m  not  a  goat?  the  crown,  i  mean–– well,  actually,  i’m  being  so  rude,  i’m  sorry––  hello,  i’m  basil,  i’m––”

“––he’s  an  animagus.”  cecil   smoothly   interrupted.  “that  will  be  all,  basil,  thank  you.” the  younger  man  begins  to  protest, “––can’t  i  just  stretch  my  legs  for a––”  cecil  frowns  and  cuts  him  a  sharp  glance.  “that  will  be  all,  basil.”  basil  glanced  back  at  the  assistant  skulking  behind  them,  who  simply  nodded  at  him,  prompting  the  young  animagus  to  sigh  and  quietly  morph  back  into  his  four - legged  form.  was  it  possible  for  a  goat  to  look  sullen? “now  you  know  my  secret––  why  my  animals  are  so  well  trained,  why  they  can  perform  feats  that  others  cannot,  why  i’ve  become  the  most  sought - after  name  in  the  industry.  most  are  animagi.  unregistered,  of  course.  the  sort  of  work  we  get  during  off - seasons  for  the  circus  would  best  go  untracked  and  untraced.”  he  slips  his  hands  into  his  pockets,   and  continues.  “they  can  dance  and  do  tricks,  but  they’re  also  quite  adept  at  reconnaissance,  stagings,  and  anything  else  you  might  like  to  hire  an  animagus  to  do.  and  the  ones  that  aren’t  animagi––  they’re  black - market  level  magical  beings  that  i  smuggle  in  and  out  of  the  country,  on  the  side.  but  you  may  have  heard  about  that,  already.  why  else  would  we  have  done  all  this  song  and  dance?” cecil  then  withdraws  a  hand  from  his  pocket,  and  extends  it  toward  the  younger  man  for  a  handshake.  “acromantula  or  animagus,  i’d  be  agreeable  to  go  into  business  with  you,  provided  we  would  be  able  to  secure  your  utmost  discretion,  mr. . .?”

CONGRATULATIONS, TALIESIN LESTRANGE: YOUR ACTIONS AND LINE OF QUESTIONING HAVE TRIGGERED PLOT DROP A. 

THE DETAILS OF YOUR FULL TRANSACTION WILL BE PROCESSED SHORTLY. A FULL AND ORDERLY FILE ON CECIL, BASIL, AND ARGUS WILL BE POSTED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE PLOT DROP IS CURRENTLY PENDING AND WILL DROP ON THE LAST DAY OF THE EVENT, AFTER RELEVANT PARTIES HAVE BEEN CONTACTED AND CERTAIN DETAILS HAVE BEEN AGREED UPON.

[burialverse]

taliesinlestrange​:

                   taliesin  was  not  sure  exactly  what  he  had  found  himself  in,  but  the    defensive    nature  of  the  other  brings  out  something  in  him,  ambitious  or  desperate  depending  on  the  onlooker,  which  was  looking  for  any  opportunity,  any  information.  combine  that  with  the  current  level  of  paranoia  within  the  group  he  had  fallen  in  step  with,  and  something  begins  turning  within  his  mind.  he  brings  himself  upward,  leaving  the  bent  over  position  he  had  taken  to  be  on  the  same  level  as    basil,    and  finds  himself  at  his  full  height.  frankly,  he  was  still  unsure  exactly  what  they  were  talking  about,  but  he  had  some  suspicions,  though  none  that  connected  with  an  actual  answer.   ‘   how  expensive   ?   ’

cecil  drew  himself  up  to  his  own  full  height,  frowning  slightly  at  the taller  man. "2,000  galleons.  that’s  always  been  my  price,  you  tell  your  employer  that  it’s  final  and  i  will  not  budge.  i’m  a  man  of  fine  tastes.  i  have  expenses,  for  merlin’s  sake.” 

WITHDRAW 2,000G FROM YOUR VAULT  OR  DECLINE?

[burialverse]

lazarusavery​:

❛  transfiguring  someone  into  a  goat  seems  more  like  harassment  to  me,  sir.  ❜  lazarus  told  him  plainly,  nodding  down  to  the  goat.  there  was  a  relief  in  being  right,  for  a  moment  he  felt  that  kind  of  adrenaline  that  only  came  from  being  vindicated  threaten  to  take  over.  stuffing  that  feeling    down,  lazarus  smoothed  his  hair  back  as  he  added,  ❛  and  if  you  tell  me  who  it  is,  i  won’t  have  my  obliviator  friend  here  send  you  on  a  one  way  ticket  to  a  feeble  mind.  who  is  the  goat  ?  ❜ 

lena,  happy  to  go  along  with  any  plan,  produced  her  wand  and  her  work  credentials  (  the  only  benefit  to  wearing  her  coat  that  she  usually  wore  to  work  out  for  a  night  at  the  festival  ).  ❛  you’ll  want  to  listen  to  my  friend,  here,  mr.  norris,  if  you  want  to  keep  those  memories  of  yours  in  tact.  ❜

laz’s  head  tipped  down  to  look  at  lena  and  he  shook  it  briefly  for  just  a  moment,  as  if  to  say  please  don’t.  he  had  this  under  control,  he  was  fairly  sure,  and  even  if  he  didn’t,  perhaps  it  was  more  fortuitous  if  both  he  and  mr.  norris  had  a  silent  partner  in  this  interaction. 

"for  the  love  of  le - faye,”  he  ground  out,  right  hand  inching  toward  his  wand  pocket.  “if  he  was  someone  i’d  transfigured,  your  little  charm  would  have  undone  the  spell,  you  buffoon.  you  absolute  jester.  there  is  no  spell.”  cecil  rolled  his  eyes,  and  waved  his  assistant  away  when  he  approached  to––  well,  assist.   “i  know  who  you  two  are.  you’re  just  two  more  of  his  spies.  obliviator?  please.  you  tell  your  employer  that  i  meant  what  i  said––  if  he  really  wants  a  piece  of  my  pie,  he’ll  need  to  compete  with  the  salary  skender’s  been  paying  me,  and  cough  up  2,000  galleons.  and  stop  with  the  dramatics,  really,  it’s undignified.”

WITHDRAW 2,000G FROM YOUR VAULT  OR  DECLINE?

[burialverse]

taliesinlestrange​:

                  the  response  was  not  what  he  had  been  expecting.  taliesin  blinks,  looking  at  the  goat  with  curiosity.    that    was  not  the  response  he  had  expected.  there’s  a  pause  and  then  the  name  spoken  by  the  man,    at  least  he  assumes  it  is  a  name,    and  the  goat  seems  to  listen.  taliesin  frowns  in  confusion  at  the  words  that  come  next,  a  barrage  of  accusations  he  does  not  understand.  who  exactly  was  he  supposed  to  be  working  for   ?   what  was  the  circus  arcanus   ?    ‘   i     ––––   ’   he  starts  and  for  a  moment  is  unsure  how  to  continue.   ‘   i’m  unsure  exactly  what  you  are  accusing  me  of.   ’

the  assistant,  behind  them,  hesitantly  steps  forward,  then  back  again,  as  if  he’d  thought  better  of  it.  cecil  scoffs  and  crosses  his  arms  over  his  chest.  “please.  don’t  play  a  fool,  now,  i’ve  seen  through  your  silly  little  ruse.  you’re  just  another  one  of  his  little  errand  boys,  sent  to  figure  out  how  and  why  my  animals  perform   so  well.  i’ve  told  him  once,  and  i  refuse  to  say  it  again––  my  secrets  are  expensive.”

[burialverse]

taliesinlestrange​:

                  taliesin  takes  the  strong  pressure  against  his  hand  as  a  positive  sign,  and  turns  it  over  to  give  access  to  his  palm ;  he’s  one  more  “  good  sign  ”  away  from  attempting  to  scratch  the  goat  behind  the  ears…  maybe  the  horns   ?   he  wasn’t  positive  the  best  place  to  pet  a  goat,  but  he  was  sure  the  king  would  let  him  know  if  he  moved  incorrectly.  eyes  still  trained  on  the  king  though,  any  sign  that  the  handler  has  somewhere  else  to  be,  or  something  he’s  waiting  for,  is  missed.  the  words  about  the  assistant,  however,  seem  almost    too  loud     ––––    taliesin  wanted  to  be  nowhere  near  that  conversation,  and  there’s  an  almost  imperceptible  flinch  as  the  word    lacking    starts  to  be  spoken.  whether  or  not  those  around  caught  it,  would  simply  depend  on  how  close  they  were  paying  attention.  in  a  hurry  to  avoid  further  discussion  of  what  abilities  the  assistant  or  anyone  else  lacked,  he  quickly  tries  to  focus  on  the  opposite.   ‘   how  so   ?   how’re  they  special,  i  mean.   ’

the   goat  raised  one  of  his  front  legs  to  touch  his  hoof  to  the  young  man’s  palm  –  a  rather  odd  thing  for  a  goat   to  do,  all   things  considered.  cecil  glanced  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye,  just  barely  turning  his  head.  “basil.”  he  said, calmly  ––  though something about it sounded like a reprimand.  the  goat  lowered  his  leg.  then,  cecil’s  gaze  returned  to  the  young  man  before  them,  his  eyes  narrowed.  “. . you’re  working  for  him,  aren’t  you–– listen  here,  you  tell  your  master  that  his  two  bit  dog  and  pony  show  will  never  be  as  good  as  the  acts  and  performers  i  provide  to  the  circus  arcanus.  it’ll  take  a  lot  more  than  this  paltry  play  to  reveal  my  secrets.”

TALIESIN LESTRANGE, YOU ARE OUT OF QUESTIONS. TO CONTINUE, PLEASE MAKE A BANK WITHDRAWAL.

[burialverse]

lazarusavery​:

watching  cecil’s  brows  crease  at  helena’s  talking  put  a  small  smirk  on  lazarus’  face,  one  more  sincere  than  the  smile  that  had  appeared  out  of  a  surprise  and  need  for  decorum.  they’d  certainly  never  be  discussing  the  events  of  tonight  if  this  all  went  poorly.  as  cecil  asked  them  to  pose,  laz  leant  down  to  brush  a  lock  of  hair  behind  her  ear  as  he  whispered,  ❛  distract  him.  ❜

as  lena  turned  to  smile  at  the  camera,  giggling  as  though  laz  had  told  her  the  funniest  thing  she’d  heard  all  night,  she  put  her  hands  up  as  she  said,  ❛  wait  !  just  a  moment,  i  want  to  freshen  up  my  lipstick,  you  don’t  mind  do  you  ?  you  know  muma  always  used  to  tell  me  that  i  should  try  to  live  in  the  moment  as  they’re  happening,  that  you  should  treat  every  moment  you  can  like  they’re  the  best  moments  of  your  life.  ❜

she  started  rooting  through  her  bag  and  for  a  moment  laz  was  almost  distracted  by  the  undetectable  extension  charm  in  her  bag  and  the  clanging  of  …  were  those  pots  and  pans  in  there  ?  almost.  there  was  nothing  more  to  the  plan,  just  distract  him.  there  was  an  element  of  chaos  to  it,  something  that  laz  had  not  tasted  in  some  time  and  the  energy  that  pulsed  in  his  veins  brought  him  to  life  in  a  way  that  he  simply  could  not  have  dreamt  of.  he  felt  as  though  something  in  him  had  come  undone,  temporarily  unhinged.  perhaps  he  should  do  things  like  this  more  often. 

it  was  a  blur  in  that  moment,  of  lena  making  a  small  scene  and  lazarus  moving  his  hand  like  he  was  turning  a  key  as  he  whispered,  ❛  revelio.  ❜  he  waited  with  baited  breath  to  see  if  his  theory  paid  off.

both  assistant  and  mr.  norris  gazed  at  the  girl,  transfixed  and perturbed  at  the  strange  sounds  emanating  from  her  handbag  –  an  undetectable  extension  charm,  surely  –  but  what  on  earth  was  this  young  woman  carrying  around  with  her?  and,   for  merlin’s  sake,  why?   such  was  the  nature  of  their  distraction  that  the  goat  who’d  been  crowned  king  remained,  for  all  intents  and  purposes,  unguarded  against  the  incantation.  the  spell  mr.  avery  cast  shimmered  through  the  air  like  a  gust  of  iridescent  smoke,  and  though  it  did  nothing  to  change  the  king’s  form,  an  observant  eye  may  have  noticed  a  faint  and  very  briefly  visible  impression  of  harris  tweed  running  through  the  goat’s  brown  fur  coat. the  assistant,  seemingly   not  as  entranced  as  his  employer,  frowned  and  glanced  over  at  the  faint  hum  of  magic,  mumbling  a  warning  to  his  employer  “––mr. norris, that  lad  is––”  and  then  cecil  looks  up,  polite  smile  fading  to  a  distant  memory  as  a  more  hostile  expression  took  its  place.  “young  man,  i  don’t  know  how  much  giggle  water  you’ve  been  drinking,  but  i  would  kindly  thank  you  not  to  harass  the  king.”

[burialverse]

taliesinlestrange​:

                 he  continues  his  efforts  of  acclimating  the  goat  to  his  presence,  leaning  down  slightly  and  inching  closer,  still  holding  the  back  of  his  hand  towards  it.  this  means  that  his  attention  is  split,  and  he  doesn’t  quite  catch  the  possible  paradox  within  the  man’s  words:  how  would  he  know  this  one  was  special  if  he  doesn’t  know  how  they  pick  them   ?   however,  he  does  pick  up  on  the  idea  of  this  one  being  special,  and  wants  to  hear  more,  so  he  inquires  further.   ‘   why  do  you  say  that   ?   ’   you  can’t  expect  him  to  not  want  to  know   why   this  one  was  so  special.  

the  goat  pushes  against  his   hand,  with  surprising  force–  in  greeting,  or  in  rebuke?  cecil,  however,  doesn’t  seem  to  notice,  instead  squinting  at  a  pocket - watch  taken  out  of  his  pocket,  attempting  to  distinguish  the  time  in  the  dimmed   lamplight.  “everyone  under  my  employ  is  special,  that’s  rather  the  point  of  it  all,”  he  mumbles,  bringing the  watch  face  closer  up  to  his  eyes.  “well,  apart  from   my  assistant,  but  it’s  not  his  fault  he  was  born  lacki–– ”  the  assistant  cleared  his  throat,  prompting  cecil   to  raise  his  eyes  “––young  man,  i  haven’t  trained  our  king  not  to  bite,  you  know.” 

[burialverse]

taliesinlestrange​:

                  ‘   evening   !   ’   the  tone  of  the  response  was  ill matched  with  the  other’s  softer  greeting,  but  by  this  time  in  the  evening  the  liquid  confidence  of  spiced  wine  had  taken  full  effect  in  his  system.   ‘   yes,  i  thought  i  would  pay  him  a  visit.   ’   the  goat  king  was  a  part  of  this  festival  he  had  always  found  strange,  though  amusing,  and  he  reaches  out  a  slightly  unsteady  hand  to  let  the  goat  get  used  to  him   ——    maybe  he  would  be  able  to  pet  it  this  year.  a  question  forms  in  his  mind,  one  he’s  had  since  he  was  a  child,  and  it’s  left  his  lips  before  he’s  given  it  much  more  thought.   ‘   is  there  something  special  about  the  goat  that  makes  him  king,  rather  than  another   ?   i  was  never  sure  if  it  was  something  random  or  if  there’s  something  particularly …   kingly   about  the  one  they  find.   ’

he  doesn’t  know  what  made  him  want  to  humor  the  young  man  –  maybe  it  was  the  obvious  inebriation  written  all  over  him,  from  his  enthusiasm  to  his  wavering  hands.  perhaps  he  was  simply  bored.  whatever  it  was,  it  led  him  off  his  guard  for  a  brief  moment.  “i  wouldn’t  know.  can’t  say  you’d  ever  find  a  goat  more  special  than  this  one,  though.”

[burialverse]

helenahyslop​:

the  slightest  bit  of  hesitancy  crossed  lazarus’  face  as  he  looked  towards  helena,  who  seemed  to  read  his  mind  as  she  stepped  towards  cecil.  she’d  clarify,  surely,  and  that  put  his  mind  at  ease  enough  to  smile.

❛  oh  we  are  !  laz  and  i  have  always  been  interested  in  the  festival,  we  used  to  go  as  children  together,  didn’t  we  darling  ?  ”  her  arm  wrapped  around  his  and  almost  instinctively  lazarus  pulled  himself  together.  he  leaned  into  her,  looking  down  at  her  as  he  laughed.  perhaps  playing  nice  with  a  known  liar  was  not  so  bad,  though  that  did  nothing  to  redeem  the  image  of  tom  riddle  in  his  mind.  the  words  fell  from  her  so  easily,  it  was  as  though  they  had  been  as  children  and  for  a  moment,  lazarus  found  himself  nodding.  prompted  by  his  agreement,  helena  continued,  ❛  what  was  it  my  mother  said  when  you  asked  if  you  could  be  king  ?  oh  !  i  remember.  if  you  want  to  be  a  king  fit  for  a  queen,  i’ll  turn  you  into  a  goat  myself  !  ❜

lazarus  laughed,  looking  down  at  her  before  back  at  cecil  to  observe  his  reaction,  if  he  had  one.  he  knew  well  the  tone  of  customer  service,  if  only  because  he  could  mirror  it  back  to  him  in  perfect  synchrony.  ❛  that’s  why  i  haven’t  seen  her  mother  recently,  ❜  lazarus  joked.  ❛  but  if  the  photo  is  still  an  open  offer,  we’d  love  one  to  commemorate  our  tenth  lughnasadh  together.  have  you  been  attending  the  festival  long  ?  and  in  this  same  role  or  others  ?  ❜

though  his  smile  remains  a  practiced,  frozen  mask  ––  the  space  between  his  brows  creases  at  the  young  woman’s  chatter.  it  smoothes  out  again  once  the  young  man  attached  to  her  speaks  up.  cecil  turns  back  to  him,   snapping  for  his  assistant  to  reluctantly  come  forth  with  the  unwieldy  -  looking  camera,  as  he  replies.  “ this  is  our  first  festival  of  any  kind   --  though  if  successful,  we  may  just  continue  flirting  with  the  public  sector.  pose,  please.”

[burialverse]

lazarusavery​:

❛  and  it  was  the  weirdest  thing.  i  must  have  muffled  my  words  a  little  too  much  because  the  guy  went  from  going  on  about  how  he  saw  a  brick  wall  open  up  and  a  man  step  through  to  declaring  all  sorts  of  things  like  i’m  the  rightful  king  of  france  and  this  town  will  be  the  first  on  my  reclamation  to  the  throne.  ❜  helena  always  had  a  habit  of  speaking  at  a  mile  a  minute,  absolutely  giddy  as  she  recounted  the  story  that  put  her  under  ministry  observation.  lazarus  had  always  been  someone  that  was  at  arm’s  length  away  for  her  and  it  was  for  the  best.  he  seemed  nice  enough,  like  he  was  a  good  natured  person,  but  his  beliefs  got  in  the  way  of  any  kind  of  friendliness  that  they  could  have  had  beyond  the  occasional  run  in.    

❛  you  would  think  that  he  knew  that  —  oh  !  we  are.  well,  i  am.  ❜  lena’s  smile  dulled  then  brightened  up  again  at  the  interruption  as  she  and  lazarus  approached  the  front  of  the  line  to  greet  the  king.  she  stepped  forward  to  curtsey,  head  low  before  rising  to  meet  cecil’s  eyes.  the  smile  never  dimming,  she  told  him,  ❛  i  was  queen  when  i  was  still  living  in  skryne,  on  a  school  break.  i  think  i  still  have  the  crown  to  prove  it.  ❜

as  helena  stepped  to  the  side,  lazarus  bowed  deeply  to  the  goat.  moments  like  these  were  ones  that  made  him  nostalgic  for  his  childhood,  the  years  of  festivals  he  had  attended  with  his  parents  rushing  back  to  him.  curiously,  these  experiences  were  as  much  a  teaching  lesson  as  any  other  for  his  parents  when  he  was  just  a  boy.  this  was  a  lesson  in  tradition,  manners,  and  insight.  not  all  leaders  would  be  as  easy  to  read  as  a  goat.  looking  up  at  cecil,  lazarus  put  on  one  of  his  more  charming  smiles,  extending  his  hand  in  introduction,  ❛  it’s  a  pleasure  to  meet  you,  and  our  king.  i’m  lazarus  avery.  ❜  though  unspoken  the  and  you  are  ?  seemed  to  hang  in  the  air.

his  polite  gaze  immediately  slides  off  the  girl,  and  lands  on  her  companion,  whose  hand  he  accepts  for  the  brief  and  firm  handshake. “cecil  ashby  norris, esquire.  you  and  your  girl  seem  well  versed  in  the  lore  of  lughnasadh  court.  would  you  like  my  assistant  to  photograph  the  two  of  you  with  our  king?”  a  practiced  verse,  sweetened  with  the  falsities  of  polite  customer  service.

[burialverse]

prospcrina​:

prosperina  had  been  looking  for  the  man  in  charge  of  the goat  for  far  too  long  and  she was  beginning  to  get  frustrated  when  she  finally  saw  a  man  who  had  either  brought  his  own  goat  or  was  the  man  she  was  looking  for.  she  practically  let  out  a  sigh  of  relief  at  the  mention  of  the  KING  and  plastered  on  a  sickeningly  sweet  smile.  “not  exactly.  i  mean  -  yes  of  course  i’m  here  to  see  the  goat,  but  i  did  have  a  rather  pressing  question  that  i  don’t  think  the  goat  can  answer  ––  how  much  would  it  cost  for  you  to  give  me  the  king.”

the  musical  notes  of  her  voice  do  nothing  to  shift  the  placid,  impersonal  smile  gracing  his  features.  “what  does  a  charming  young  woman  such  as  yourself  want  with  a  goat?”  behind  him,  his  assistant  visibly  frowns.

[burialverse]

mr-lyall-lupin​:

Lyall knew he was meant to be offended at this point. Whatever there was to say about poor wording, it certainly hadn’t deserved that look. But, the rationalist in the Ravenclaw had to admit, there was a good point there. After all, if anyone had seen him covered in mud after the last ghoul he tried to capture, they would had downgraded Lyall’s calibre pretty far.

So, he settled for decidedly awkward, his eyes flickering from the goat, to Cecil, to the sky and back to the goat again. He should leave, but he was driven by incredibly hard to break curiosity to try to work out what the hell was going on here. This wasn’t like the festivals back home. This was the same train of thought that got him decked in the head by a plate by Peeves back at Hogwarts, but Lupins never learn. 

“Well, this man of small calibre has one last inquiry. That goat isn’t a goat is it? Or it’s not just a goat. And I don’t mean to ask whether it’s also a king, or any of that. It’s simply not just a real, normal goat, in the biological sense. What is it truly?” He asked with entirely misplaced confidence, trying his best to present his inner Igantius or Lazarus.

a  range  of  emotions  flicker  across  his  once  stony  features.  none  of  them  pleasant.  none  of  them  calm.  was...  that  panic?  no,  no,  couldn’t  be.  the  one  that  settles  and  stays  could  only  be  described  as  incensed.  his  right  hand  raises,  and,  holding  the  younger  man’s  gaze,  he  snaps  his  fingers.  his  blond  assistant,  once  lurking  in  the  background,  now  comes  forward.  “remove  this....  loathsome  character  from  my  sight.  he’s  upsetting  the  goat.”  ‘yes,  sir’,  came  the  mumbled  reply  from  the  miserable  looking  assistant.

LYALL LUPIN, YOU ARE OUT OF QUESTIONS. TO CONTINUE, PLEASE MAKE A BANK WITHDRAWAL.

[burialverse]

mr-lyall-lupin​:

Lyall learned in that very moment that the smile was far better on then it was off. Before he knew it, he felt a bead of sweat on his forehead. He wasn’t sure in his entire life he had ever been accused of threatening someone, so it was a whole new world for the young man. The kind of world he now knew was definitely not his speed. 

He raised his hands up, as if Cecil was pointing a wand at him already. “It wasn’t intended to sound threatening Mr Norris, I was merely inquiring, I enjoy meeting new people and getting to know them. Then perhaps when I go to the ministry in need of a…goat specialist…I could seek you out…haha…ha.” 

The awkward laughter was supposed to de-escalate the situation but Lyall wasn’t entirely certain it would work. “Please accept my sincerest apologies. I just wanted to know if we perhaps worked in the same building.”

the  smile,  by  now,  was  a  mere  memory.  a  passing  thought  of  better  times.  long  gone.  “i  am  not,”  he  enunciated  slowly  and  with  the  utmost  clarity  ––  “... a  goat.  specialist.  and  i  do  not  work  with  people  of,”  a  pause,  a  methodical  up - and - down.  “your  caliber.”