From Science and Magic

Welcome! I will be your host this evening. My name is Will Higgsbury-Carter, and I'm an actor. Let me show you to your seat, will you? I promise it will be a performance you'll never forget.

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

"Are you alright?!" [willhiggsburycarter]

@willhiggsburycarter

“Quite so, I’m afraid.” Wendy looked herself over, taking in the damage done to her by the hounds. She only had a few bites and scratches, though Abigail had unfortunately been returned to a mere bud that now lay on the ground. Wendy picked it up and turned to the stranger. “Might I ask your name, sir? And, if you’ve any healing supplies to spare, if you wouldn’t mind.”

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

Wendy met his eyes with the same grey of her own. She knew no Wilsa, nor Higgsbury. But William? It was a familiar name, spoken rarely by her family and always with an air of darkness Wendy never fully understood.

And Maxwell? The fallen magician who dragged her to this hell in the first place? Wendy had thought the same of him, that feeling kinship. Not a warm feeling, no. Just a feeling.

Had her father any brothers?

Perhaps just one.

And what of this young man before her? Her cousin, if it should all be true–did he carry the same treachery of his father? Or the bitter cruelty of hers?

Wendy shrank away at the possibility.

“I think my father had a brother, once,” she said slowly, taking in the revelation still.

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “My father told me he a brother, too,” Will replied, his voice quiet. “Jack... I have never met him. They both immigrated to America from England before my father came to this Island, just like my mother.”

   He was starting to feel dizzy. This was starting, amazing, and honestly, pretty exciting to him.

   If he’d found family out here, then that meant there was someone he shared a connection with, someone who would make him a little less alone. Yes, of course he had his parents, and he could get along quite well with some of the people who were brought to the Island from time to time by Charlie, but he had for company neither another member of his family nor a person so close to his own age.

   Certainly he was not pleased that the young lady should be trapped here the same way he was, but since she was here, it was reassuring and compelling both to think she could be his cousin.

[vfdlibrarian]

@willhiggsburycarter

 Will nodded to show that he was listening, and that the advice made sense to him. He still looked incredibly anxious, though, and breathed in slowly before replying. “You know, that makes sense. It’s not gonna be easy to tell what’s right or not under the circumstances, but I’ll try.”

  He bit his lip, feeling like he might faint or throw up or maybe both. “There’s just one thing… when I say it feels like the book is talking to me…” Here his voice dropped to a whisper. “I mean literally. It knows my name.”

     At this point, Dewey wondered if he was out of his league and if there were forces at play here that he truly didn’t understand. But Dewey wasn’t a man to give up when someone came to him for assistance, and if he could be of any use to this man, he was going to be. 

     Could it be an entity of sorts?” he asked quietly. “A book with a consciousness? I… I think the best thing to do would be to first figure out where it came from, or at least, what it is. And if it seems to wish you harm, to separate yourself from it. It’s a book, right? It can’t do any harm unless you listen to what it says.”

[willhiggsburycarter]

   Will bit his lip. “I’m not sure what it is exactly... It’s a black book with a red M on it. I found it in my father’s study, and it seemed like it was beckoning me to look at it, so I did.” he told him, his voice growing hushed and guarded. “Ever since then, whenever I look at it, even when I don’t look at it, it gives me advice, or directions. My name is on its pages.”

   He breathed in slowly. That was a lot to admit. It was not easy, especially for how insane it all sounds, but seeing that the librarian might actually believe him makes him feel confident enough to do so. “I’ll wait and try to find out what it wants exactly, but...” He hesitated. “What if it does mean me harm? Its advice gets more and more invasive. Do you think I could just throw it away or maybe burn it?”

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The strained voice of a young boy calls from somewhere nearby. "Please, I'm hurt! Can't anyone hear me?" [willhiggsburycarter]

This time is octavio and nabaru who walked together exploring, hearing the scream made that nabaru stay alert and runs towards where the sound of the voice came, octavio is surprised how fast nabaru reacts and follow him“hello?” nabaru find him first and get closer, his instinct to be like a mother activies when see that is really young “oh no! where it hurts little one?”octavio finally catch with them Panting a little“little brother… you are more faster that you looks like remember that….” octavio said then look the child, for some reason he feel something familiar but in a bad way….

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Well…” Will says slowly, lifting his cautious grey eyes to meet Nabaru’s gaze. He wrings his little hands as he speaks. “A really great scientist who was brought to the Island, and… erm… the man we were just talking about, the King of Nightmares…” His tone rises slightly at the end as if it’s a question. It isn’t.

   He fidgets a little more, awaiting Nabaru’s reaction.

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

“wilson percival higgsbury and maxwell?” nabaru said then smile “hehehe i figure out to be honest, for your second name darling, you don’t need to worry for me darling” stroke his hair with kindness “don’t afraid my child…im not mad with you or something i just want you to be honest dear, in this island is hard to trust someone i understand but there still people who you can trust, i am someone who you can trust william” nabaru said all this with confidence.

[willhiggsburycarter]

Will is deeply relieved. “Oh, my goodness, thank you, Nabaru!” He sighs, feeling almost faint. “Thank you, wow, I was so worried…” He leans more heavily against the redhead, feeling a great bond has formed between the two of them. If he can trust Nabaru with this, he thinks, he can trust him with anything.

  “You know, I didn’t know you knew my papa, too,” Will adds quietly, rather as an afterthought.

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

“yeah i know him…is kinda been awhile since we talk…” nabaru sigh a little sad cause feel ignored by a friend, he change quickly his mood and smile again and look at him “i don’t want to worry you, my child, but maybe my brothers can react a little mad, but  i just need to talk to them, they will not hurt you, they know your papa wilson well….maybe just marcus…i guess…. i just to need to talk to them…they will understand, maybe i have to talk with your parents too” stroke will’s hair

[willhiggsburycarter]

   Will relaxes under the touch, feeling further reassured both by Nabaru’s words and the way he strokes his hair. The poor boy already feels much better now, although the concern of how Nabaru’s brothers might react to his dad still remains.

   “I think my papa might have just been busy with me,” Will says softly. “He always says I’m a handful.” He gives a sort of chuckle. “I’ll help you find him and my daddy so you can talk to them... I know you can make things OK.”

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

"Are you alright?!" [willhiggsburycarter]

@willhiggsburycarter

“Quite so, I’m afraid.” Wendy looked herself over, taking in the damage done to her by the hounds. She only had a few bites and scratches, though Abigail had unfortunately been returned to a mere bud that now lay on the ground. Wendy picked it up and turned to the stranger. “Might I ask your name, sir? And, if you’ve any healing supplies to spare, if you wouldn’t mind.”

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

“I think I may,” she answered reluctantly. She would manage to reach the injuries on her legs well enough, but there was one particularly severe on her back that would prove more troublesome.

She looked up at him again, suddenly feeling a strange sense of kinship with him. “What was your name again, sir?”

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Will,” he replied cheerfully, at first not realizing what she meant. It dawned on him but a moment later, and somewhat sheepishly he amended, “Oh! William Higgsbury-Carter, at your service.” Despite their situation, and their state being out in the wilderness, he conscientiously put his hand to his waist and bent forward over it, dropping into a gentlemanly bow.

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

“Higgsbury-Carter?” She looked at him incredulously, too occupied to be bothered by his bow. “Why, I am a Carter, too. I thought you bore some resemblance to my father, but, I doubt you to be his son.” She stood to inspect the man more closely. “Might I inquire as to your lineage?”

[willhiggsburycarter]

   Will was rather taken aback by this, grey eyes wide and full lips slightly parted. He was suddenly very much aware of the similarities they had for all their differences, and it was not beyond belief that they could be relatives out here, not with Them at work, with all the dark things that haunted his family.

   “Oh, I... my parents are Wilsa of the noble Higgsbury family and Maxwell Carter, formerly called William like me. My mother named me for him. Is my father related to you, perhaps?”

[vfdlibrarian]

  @willhiggsburycarter

“I know that’s true,” Will replied slowly. “But it’s difficult to know how they’ll affect others, especially my parents. I just… it’s this book, see. I know this is going to sound completely bonkers, but sometimes I kind of feel like this book is…” He pauses, draws a breath, and finishes; “talking to me.”

  He lowers his head and shakes it.  “It’s like if I do what it says, everything will turn out fine. But I’m worried that if I don’t make my own decisions, I won’t ever get to, if that makes sense. And so, here we are. I thought you’d be the right person to ask about this.”

     Dewey didn’t know what qualifications he had in the realm of talking books, but he supposed he was a good enough person to ask about difficult decisions, as he’d had to make more than a few of them over the course of his own life. 

    “I suppose the first thing to do is determine what you want. You can’t allow a script to run your life, because no script can possibly know everything that will ever happen to you. But… at the same time, you can always listen and take advice from it so long as the advice is sound.”

[willhiggsburycarter]

   Will nodded to show that he was listening, and that the advice made sense to him. He still looked incredibly anxious, though, and breathed in slowly before replying. “You know, that makes sense. It’s not gonna be easy to tell what’s right or not under the circumstances, but I’ll try.”

   He bit his lip, feeling like he might faint or throw up or maybe both. “There’s just one thing... when I say it feels like the book is talking to me...” Here his voice dropped to a whisper. “I mean literally. It knows my name.” 

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

@willhiggsburycarter

[willhiggsburycarter]

Oh my goodness this is beautiful!

Nabaru is so sweet, I’m glad to know him.

[nanda-artes]

Would it be OK to ask for Shadow!Will A3? If not, Shadow!Wilson, B3, please! <3

of course I would draw Will ! ; v ; ♥

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The strained voice of a young boy calls from somewhere nearby. "Please, I'm hurt! Can't anyone hear me?" [willhiggsburycarter]

This time is octavio and nabaru who walked together exploring, hearing the scream made that nabaru stay alert and runs towards where the sound of the voice came, octavio is surprised how fast nabaru reacts and follow him“hello?” nabaru find him first and get closer, his instinct to be like a mother activies when see that is really young “oh no! where it hurts little one?”octavio finally catch with them Panting a little“little brother… you are more faster that you looks like remember that….” octavio said then look the child, for some reason he feel something familiar but in a bad way….

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Well…” Will says slowly, lifting his cautious grey eyes to meet Nabaru’s gaze. He wrings his little hands as he speaks. “A really great scientist who was brought to the Island, and… erm… the man we were just talking about, the King of Nightmares…” His tone rises slightly at the end as if it’s a question. It isn’t.

   He fidgets a little more, awaiting Nabaru’s reaction.

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

“wilson percival higgsbury and maxwell?” nabaru said then smile “hehehe i figure out to be honest, for your second name darling, you don’t need to worry for me darling” stroke his hair with kindness “don’t afraid my child…im not mad with you or something i just want you to be honest dear, in this island is hard to trust someone i understand but there still people who you can trust, i am someone who you can trust william” nabaru said all this with confidence.

[willhiggsburycarter]

Will is deeply relieved. “Oh, my goodness, thank you, Nabaru!” He sighs, feeling almost faint. “Thank you, wow, I was so worried…” He leans more heavily against the redhead, feeling a great bond has formed between the two of them. If he can trust Nabaru with this, he thinks, he can trust him with anything.

  “You know, I didn’t know you knew my papa, too,” Will adds quietly, rather as an afterthought.

[silencieuxmime-blog]

“I’m tired. I just want to go home.” [willhiggsburycarter]

@willhiggsburycarter

Wes blinks a couple times, and frowns. He nods in understanding, and agreement. He’s tired, and he has his moments where he just wants to go home. Except… He can’t go home when he’s never really had a home to go to. The mime gently places a hand on Will’s shoulder sympathetically, not sure if he should offer a comforting hug or not.

[willhiggsburycarter]

“Well, if you’re sure,” Will says, admittedly somewhat dubiously. Perhaps he’s just imagining it, or perhaps his companion is just as tired as he is; he just seems a bit melancholic this evening. “Just let me know if something’s up.” He adds, just for good measure.

[silencieuxmime-blog]

Wes nods again, lifting a gloved hand to run it through his own hair. He was sure nothing was wrong. Or at least not wrong enough to be cause for worry. Sometimes he got sad thinking about what would- or more like wouldn’t- wait for him off of the island, but he was pretty sure everyone did. Just not entirely for the same reason.

[willhiggsburycarter]

Satisfied for the time being, Will gives a sleepy little sigh, still very tired and unfortunately unaware of the mime’s inner troubles. “OK then,” he says, and then, after giving it some thought, asks, “Should we bed down here or try to reach camp before the darkness arrives?”

[silencieuxmime-blog]

The mime hesitates, lightly tapping his chin with a hand as he considers the options. Heading back to camp would be a bit of a stretch, but Wes didn’t like the idea of spending the night away from the others. The more people were present, the happier the Frenchman was. He points forwards, deciding he’d rather attempt to get back to camp.

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Gotcha,” Will agrees, more or less ready to go along with his companion’s decision regardless. He stretches, gives his limbs a little shake. He starts walking again, a little in front of Wes, protective, and leads the way towards the camp.

   “It’s kinda like home, isn’t it?” He asks. “The camp, I mean. With all our stuff there and all our friends and all.” Well, most of his friends. And Wes was here, wasn’t he? That was nice. 

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The strained voice of a young boy calls from somewhere nearby. "Please, I'm hurt! Can't anyone hear me?" [willhiggsburycarter]

This time is octavio and nabaru who walked together exploring, hearing the scream made that nabaru stay alert and runs towards where the sound of the voice came, octavio is surprised how fast nabaru reacts and follow him“hello?” nabaru find him first and get closer, his instinct to be like a mother activies when see that is really young “oh no! where it hurts little one?”octavio finally catch with them Panting a little“little brother… you are more faster that you looks like remember that….” octavio said then look the child, for some reason he feel something familiar but in a bad way….

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Well...” Will says slowly, lifting his cautious grey eyes to meet Nabaru’s gaze. He wrings his little hands as he speaks. “A really great scientist who was brought to the Island, and... erm... the man we were just talking about, the King of Nightmares...” His tone rises slightly at the end as if it’s a question. It isn’t.

   He fidgets a little more, awaiting Nabaru’s reaction.

[vfdlibrarian]

“It’s just that I never thought about it before.” [willhiggsburycarter]

“I suppose it’s always good to consider your options,” Dewey said. “Especially when deciding on important life events - your own feelings on the matter are the most important of course, but you don’t live in a vacuum, and your choices will affect others.”

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “I know that’s true,” Will replied slowly. “But it’s difficult to know how they’ll affect others, especially my parents. I just... it’s this book, see. I know this is going to sound completely bonkers, but sometimes I kind of feel like this book is...” He pauses, draws a breath, and finishes; “talking to me.” 

   He lowers his head and shakes it.  “It’s like if I do what it says, everything will turn out fine. But I’m worried that if I don’t make my own decisions, I won’t ever get to, if that makes sense. And so, here we are. I thought you’d be the right person to ask about this.”

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The strained voice of a young boy calls from somewhere nearby. "Please, I'm hurt! Can't anyone hear me?" [willhiggsburycarter]

This time is octavio and nabaru who walked together exploring, hearing the scream made that nabaru stay alert and runs towards where the sound of the voice came, octavio is surprised how fast nabaru reacts and follow him“hello?” nabaru find him first and get closer, his instinct to be like a mother activies when see that is really young “oh no! where it hurts little one?”octavio finally catch with them Panting a little“little brother… you are more faster that you looks like remember that….” octavio said then look the child, for some reason he feel something familiar but in a bad way….

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Um… It’s not that…” William mumbles, but there isn’t much more he can say when things have already been decided and Marcus is already on his way out of the tent. He chews his lip, wondering what will happen next.

   After all, the men can’t leave a note without knowing where to leave it. They can’t know where to leave it without finding his parents and seeing them and finding out who his father is. And he isn’t sure what they’ll do then. Especially Marcus, whom he finds incredibly intimidating. His shadow moves a little of its own accord.

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

nabaru get up from he was and close the tent to be alone with will, then he look at him a little serious “so dear, who are your parents?” He crosses his arms looking seriously at william, waiting for the answer, Although the truth nabaru knew the answer of that question, but wanted william to be honest with him, since it could be worse if he hid it to say it

[willhiggsburycarter]

William squirms under Nabaru’s gaze. “Promise not to tell them? I don’t think they’ll understand,” he says, in a rather small voice. He’s looking at his feet now, instead of the redhead, feeling timid.

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

"Are you alright?!" [willhiggsburycarter]

@willhiggsburycarter

“Quite so, I’m afraid.” Wendy looked herself over, taking in the damage done to her by the hounds. She only had a few bites and scratches, though Abigail had unfortunately been returned to a mere bud that now lay on the ground. Wendy picked it up and turned to the stranger. “Might I ask your name, sir? And, if you’ve any healing supplies to spare, if you wouldn’t mind.”

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

“I think I may,” she answered reluctantly. She would manage to reach the injuries on her legs well enough, but there was one particularly severe on her back that would prove more troublesome.

She looked up at him again, suddenly feeling a strange sense of kinship with him. “What was your name again, sir?”

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Will,” he replied cheerfully, at first not realizing what she meant. It dawned on him but a moment later, and somewhat sheepishly he amended, “Oh! William Higgsbury-Carter, at your service.” Despite their situation, and their state being out in the wilderness, he conscientiously put his hand to his waist and bent forward over it, dropping into a gentlemanly bow.

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

"Are you alright?!" [willhiggsburycarter]

@willhiggsburycarter

“Quite so, I’m afraid.” Wendy looked herself over, taking in the damage done to her by the hounds. She only had a few bites and scratches, though Abigail had unfortunately been returned to a mere bud that now lay on the ground. Wendy picked it up and turned to the stranger. “Might I ask your name, sir? And, if you’ve any healing supplies to spare, if you wouldn’t mind.”

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Will,” the young man replied politely, stepping closer with an air of genuine concern to look at her wounds as well. He seemed truly relieved to see that her hurts were minor despite her being a stranger to him. “And you, miss?”

   He took off his bag and rummaged around until he found a rather unsettling-looking pink lump that appeared to have come from an animal. “Here, this is a good antiseptic. I know it’s gross, but it’s all I’ve got right now,” he said, showing an apologetic smile. 

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

Wendy instinctively leaned away when he got closer, still wary of the stranger. She took the gland, turning it in her hand. It oozed. “Er, thank you, Mister Will. My name is Wendy,” she replied politely, putting away Abigail’s flower. She sat down to try and apply the stuff to her injuries.

[willhiggsburycarter]

   Will stepped back slightly, feeling a little sheepish now. Still, he watched her, brow furrowed as he wondered what else he might be able to do for the young lady.    “Do you need any help?” He asked, with genuine concern.

[ask-us-m-n-o-deactivated2022111]

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The strained voice of a young boy calls from somewhere nearby. "Please, I'm hurt! Can't anyone hear me?" [willhiggsburycarter]

This time is octavio and nabaru who walked together exploring, hearing the scream made that nabaru stay alert and runs towards where the sound of the voice came, octavio is surprised how fast nabaru reacts and follow him“hello?” nabaru find him first and get closer, his instinct to be like a mother activies when see that is really young “oh no! where it hurts little one?”octavio finally catch with them Panting a little“little brother… you are more faster that you looks like remember that….” octavio said then look the child, for some reason he feel something familiar but in a bad way….

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Um... It’s not that...” William mumbles, but there isn’t much more he can say when things have already been decided and Marcus is already on his way out of the tent. He chews his lip, wondering what will happen next.

   After all, the men can’t leave a note without knowing where to leave it. They can’t know where to leave it without finding his parents and seeing them and finding out who his father is. And he isn’t sure what they’ll do then. Especially Marcus, whom he finds incredibly intimidating. His shadow moves a little of its own accord.

[higgsburyscience]

@nanda-likes said: 

What about some plushie/ shadow brush with Will? It’s up to you to see if he is cute as Wilson or a demon as Maxwell, hehe. ♥

Get a guy who can do both.

Also look! Will has a Shadow form now!

[i-am-full-of-emptiness]

"Are you alright?!" [willhiggsburycarter]

@willhiggsburycarter

“Quite so, I’m afraid.” Wendy looked herself over, taking in the damage done to her by the hounds. She only had a few bites and scratches, though Abigail had unfortunately been returned to a mere bud that now lay on the ground. Wendy picked it up and turned to the stranger. “Might I ask your name, sir? And, if you’ve any healing supplies to spare, if you wouldn’t mind.”

[willhiggsburycarter]

   “Will,” the young man replied politely, stepping closer with an air of genuine concern to look at her wounds as well. He seemed truly relieved to see that her hurts were minor despite her being a stranger to him. “And you, miss?”

   He took off his bag and rummaged around until he found a rather unsettling-looking pink lump that appeared to have come from an animal. “Here, this is a good antiseptic. I know it’s gross, but it’s all I’ve got right now,” he said, showing an apologetic smile.