With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
all i really want is to be wonderful/people in this town, they can be so cruel
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Post by ISOBEL LINWOOD on Sept 21, 2019 2:00:18 GMT
That was--that was a question. Perhaps the question. Who was she? Like any teenager, it was something Isobel thought about often, the answer far too complex to sum up in anything less than a novella at least. And then, compounded with it, another layer to the question. What of herself did she want to reveal? Isobel had spent most of her life wanting to be someone else, not just a Linwood, not that stereotype, playing the character she wanted until it became her real self.
It was her opinion that such a strategy worked--that if she simply willed things hard enough, they would be true. And, if she asked her classmates, she was sure they would not ever have known what she looked like when she was at home, in her most worn-out work clothes, hair in a messy ponytail.
And it wasn't that Isobel was against work as a concept--she wasn't--she just knew there was a better life out there. That if she could spend the only life she ever got doing something she enjoyed, that was far more worth it than anything.
"Well," she began slowly, "I'll start with the basics. I'm Isobel Linwood, I was born on September 21st, 2001. I'm a sixth year at Hogwarts. But I think you already know these things." Where did she go beyond that? "I'm a designer, I'm an artist. I like to make clothes, especially dresses. I want to have my own boutique in Diagon Alley someday." She cocked her head to the side, trying to think deeper. "I want to live in London. It's my favorite place in the world. My grandparents live there, and of course the Hogwarts Express is there too, so I get to go often enough."
But who was she? What she loved seemed very important to that, but there had to be something more, right? "I guess I'm--someone who always wants more. If that makes sense? I want excitement, I want new ideas, I want to be part of the future." Her eyes became more and more animated. "I think art is all part of that. A good design should both be beautiful to look at and make you think. It should be something that shows who the artist is, and still have other people want to look at it. Do you get me?"
She took a deep breath, finally pausing. Looking down at where their hands were joined, she squeezed again, then laid her head down on Wolfgang's shoulder. "Is it your turn to say now? I think it is," she said. "I promise I'll get back to drawing, but I'm very comfortable here. With you."
She began like it was a police interrogation, as if he'd just asked her to provide ID. To some degree, it was amusing, to see her scramble for an answer. In all fairness, he had asked a very open-ended question, and she had all the rights to not know what to say. His own brain was working overtime, trying to prepare his own monologue.
But first, he listened. His thumb moved back and forth over the back of her hand, soothing both him, and Wolfgang hoped that it helped her, too.
After the biographical data had been dealt with, Isobel let the river of her thoughts flow in the correct direction -- it was just what he had wanted to hear. Who she was, what she liked, in her own words, not through the mask of perfection that she carried most of the time. It was an alluring mask, that he couldn't deny, having fallen for it in the first place...
"You've got it all figured out," he remarked after she told him about wanting to own a store. Firm in her decisions. Goal oriented. Child of the city. A socialite. Does not associate self with her background. I envy her for that.
Isobel stirred up. Her voice became a tad bit louder, her speech a tad bit faster, passion flaring up in her eyes. The boy smiled, looking at her. It was all very endearing and... Heartwarming.
His smile faltered when Isobel announced that she had finished. "I could have listened for hours," he muttered, wrapping one of his arms around her shoulder, the other one still in her grasp. "But it is only fair that I share, too."
Now it was his time to either shine bright or damn himself.
"I am Wolfgang Kallenbach. Born on 9th of April, 2002, the son of a lying cheat and an unremarkable mother. I'm the younger brother to a stuck up traitor, and the older to a whiny squib." These words... They hurt. The truth hurt. "I'm the grandson of a wicked man who was convinced we were descended from nobility," his gaze turned to the glowing center of the fireplace, "and another, who I'm almost sure was a spy in his day."
She'd want to know about my father, what he did... No. Telling her what I did would cost me too much. It was hard for Wolfgang to detach himself from his family. His father had caused too much chaos in his life.
"I enjoy being in control." He continued, a smirk appearing on his face. "Interpret that as you wish. I enjoy knowing more than my opponent, I enjoy being one step ahead at all times."
"And believe it or not, I haven't managed to figure out what I want to be in life." he admitted. "I only know two things -- I want to live well, and..." his voice faltered and somewhere deep in his heart Wolfgang realized -- "Everything Ido, everything I am -- I am to spite a dead man. " To spite a father who, in the best case scenario, was a flayed corpse on the side of the road.
MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0
1.75m (5'9")| Open relationship with ISOBEL LINWOOD | Bisexual | English
all i really want is to be wonderful/people in this town, they can be so cruel
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Post by ISOBEL LINWOOD on Sept 21, 2019 18:35:56 GMT
Isobel's answer had been so optimistic. She was the kind of person who never gave up on the thought that she would achieve her dreams someday. It didn't matter to her if she didn't know anyone in her family who was quite like her. If her grandparents had basically abandoned the farm, why did it matter? If her uncle had gone on some weird spiteful disappearance for whatever reason, why did it matter? There were plenty of other questionable things done by other people in her family, and why did it matter at all? She was Isobel, not them.
"I've got one younger sister who hates me for no reason and another who's the spoiled baby of the family. Not quite so much of a conflict, but maybe it'll remind you, every family has their problems." Maybe that had come off too harsh, like she was blaming him for feeling bad, and Isobel winced. "Some are bad. You know that, first-hand, I think," she added, "but you didn't do any of those things. You wouldn't be a wicked man unless you did wicked things. All you have to do is do what's best for yourself, and then your father and your grandfather--they don't have any power over you."
She took a deep breath, letting go of Wolfgang's hand and wrapping her arm around his back comfortingly. "And besides--living well is the best revenge. I've heard that one for a long time and I believe it. You have to look out for number one." Maybe, she thought, this was why she was in Slytherin and he in Ravenclaw. Determination and an instinct for self-preservation--Isobel might have a sweet face, but she had these qualities in spades.
"And number one--that's always yourself," she said. "But whoever comes after that is by your own choice, too. I'm here with you because I believe you're better. I don't know your family and maybe I don't want to--but I want to be with you."
'But you didn't do any of those things. You wouldn't be a wicked man unless you did wicked things.'
Oh, you sweet summer child, Isobel, if you'd only knew the things I've done. I wonder, how far up your wicked scale I'd be if you knew that I got my father turned into a werewolf? You wouldn't even be sitting here, would you?
His face didn't even twitch. Not a muscle, not even the tiniest indication that he was hiding something. No, instead he pretended to be very captivated by her mouth -- truth be told, he always was, but that was besides the point -- and avoided looking into her eyes, fearing that she'd see a glimmer of guilt in them. She must never find out.
She pulled him closer and Wolfgang used the chance to hide his face in her shoulder. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her. It wasn't some perfume or laundry detergent -- it was just... Her. Hogwarts didn't really bother with teaching anatomy or genetics, so Wolfgang couldn't recall what he was smelling, but there was one thing he knew -- it was comforting.
Her voice, her words... A wave of warmth washed over Wolfgang. So far their 'relationship' had been based on wanting each other. And now... Now Isobel was telling him that she wanted to be with him.
The beast in his chest prepared for a victory roar. He pulled away from her, turning his whole body so he could come face to face with the girl.
"So, I guess we're together now? Not just for one more wild night?"
all i really want is to be wonderful/people in this town, they can be so cruel
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Post by ISOBEL LINWOOD on Sept 22, 2019 17:04:22 GMT
Together.
Were they together? Not just as friends who hooked up occasionally and flirted over Quidditch games? If they'd had more time at the ball, maybe they would have figured it out then. Isobel remembered his words distinctly even as everything else from that night seemed like a terrifying blur: I keep finding myself being drawn to you. While Isobel hadn't known Wolfgang well enough to really speak to him before this year, she'd known of him enough to say that she'd never heard of him having a girlfriend--or a boyfriend--before.
And it was weird to think of herself as being a girlfriend. Sure, there'd been those things in first year when people got dared to ask each other out, but the giggles of eleven-year-olds had nothing to do with real relationships. Was she really ready for that? For getting close to someone like that? She was only seventeen. She didn't need to date anyone.
But, she reflected, she was already more open with Wolfgang than with most of her friends. Even if she believed it wholeheartedly, it was hard to admit her biggest dreams when she was sure people would laugh at her for them. His head was on her shoulder now, and his presence felt calming, not too close for comfort as it might with someone else. They pulled apart a bit, Wolfgang catching her eyes as they turned toward each other.
"I think--I think, yes, I want to be together. I don't know how it will go; you know we're young, and neither of us are the committed type, but--I think we should try." What was the harm in trying? If it went wrong, Isobel still had a whole life in front of her, and if it went right, then all for the better, or so she hoped. "Do you think it changes anything big? Being together?"
There was hesitation in her words, but it didn't put Wolfgang off at all -- he wasn't entirely sure what he was getting himself into, either. They were young, yes, and he was sure they'd make plenty mistakes along the way, but as much as he liked to think of himself as self-sustainable in every way, now, more than ever he knew that he needed someone to trust.
And if there was anyone in Hogwarts who felt trustworthy, then it was the girl sitting across from him, the girl that made his heart tremble and do somersaults. It was the girl that made him feel tender and soft.
She'd stayed by the side of his bed after the ball, even though she wasn't obligated to. She confessed to wounding Wolfgang and -- Can you forgive me? -- even now she'd been persistent and gotten him out of his bedroom.
"I don't think it has to change anything," he said, his pace slow, as he considered every word, "I don't want to limit my, and your, options. I think we should just... Be there for each other when we need it the most?"
"I think we should talk the details out at a later date, when we've had time to understand what we want out of it." he continued, "Right now I know only that I want transparency. I want everything to be consensual." I don't want this to be like my parents.
"Do know that I am not opposed to threesomes." he added after a moment of silence, a mischievous twinkle appearing in his eyes. He leaned a bit closer, took a deep breath, noting the strawberry scent of her hair, and then looked her in the eyes.
"Care to seal the deal with a kiss?"
MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0
1.75m (5'9")| Open relationship with ISOBEL LINWOOD | Bisexual | English
all i really want is to be wonderful/people in this town, they can be so cruel
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Post by ISOBEL LINWOOD on Sept 23, 2019 16:42:07 GMT
It did change things, Isobel thought, frowning; it was different than they'd been before. She wasn't sure she could believe Wolfgang when he said that nothing would really change. Of course it would be like they were friends as they were now, with the addition of, as he had said, being there for each other through difficult times. And it was true that Isobel didn't really have anyone like that. She had friends, she loved her friends, but it wasn't like she could go talk to someone like Vinda in the same way she'd talked to Wolfgang this very evening. So it was worth it, even just to try being in a relationship with someone she enjoyed. How would she ever know what it was like if she didn't?
"We'll talk about it, as we go, then," she said slowly, as if she needed to ensure the words were true before she said them. "I don't want this to go wrong. I like having you around."
Her head snapped up as the conversation took a total turn around, the corners of her mouth twitching up in amusement and a giggle leaving her mouth. "So you just want me in your threesomes, then," she said, though there was no accusation in her voice. "Who were you thinking? Delgado? Longbottom?"
"Well, maybe that's something we can figure out later, too," she said. Her hand went up to Wolfgang's neck, pulling him closer. "A kiss should do it. Or a few kisses." He's finally himself. Thank Merlin. Maybe she had nothing to worry about with him after all.
A weight rolled off his heart as Isobel spoke. I don't want this to go wrong, either. He offered her a soft smile in return. The smile only grew as he heard her laugh -- and, as he could recall, it had been the first time he'd heard the sound. It was a clear, bright noise that made a wave of warmth wash over him.
Yet his expression turned into one of mortified horror as Isobel mentioned the Longbottoms. "God forbid, not the Longbottoms," he stammered out before clenching his jaw shut. "Sorry, I'm not on the best terms with either of them. Plus... Arthur isn't even attractive, and his sister would sooner become a nun in a muggle convent." He let out a sigh, trying to forgot about his run-in with Grace back in October. This was not the time to think about that stuttering mess.
"Delgado? Done that. The most interesting part of him are the muscles, so I don't enjoy the thought of spending more time than needed around that dolt." He was talking about his housemates like a snobby vine connoisseur, a sly grin on his face.
"Zalewski has been acting odd around me in the showers lately, though," he continued, "And I think Selwyn could make for a fun evening, no?" His smirk grew wider for a split second, like it was the light of a muggle camera.
The heat of her hand on the back of his neck made Wolfgang shiver and let out a gasp right into Isobel's ear. He didn't hesitate to pull her closer and soon enough, the distance between had disappeared into thin air.
They kissed. Yet again Wolfgang discovered that a kiss can take different shapes. It wasn't the hungry, thoughtless kissing of two people burning in the flames of desire. It wasn't the nervous, shaky kiss of a boy who'd just asked his crush out. This was something... More mature. Soft and tender, but always with that little bit of spice the redhead brought in his life.
Things moved fast and they had already shed most of their clothes, when something started tugging at the back of Wolfgang's mind. He didn't want this -- their usual hook ups, which were a chase for a quick relief. No, he wanted something else.
He slowed down the pace of his kisses, drawing out the last one and pulled away, hands still holding Isobel close. He cleared his throat and tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. Not at first.
"I..." he hesitated. He wasn't used to being soft. "Could we...Not do this right now? I think I'd just... Like to be held."
all i really want is to be wonderful/people in this town, they can be so cruel
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Post by ISOBEL LINWOOD on Sept 24, 2019 2:29:52 GMT
"Alright, alright, not Arthur, and definitely not Grace either!" Isobel had to laugh at Wolfgang's horrified expression. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen his face quite like that, and honestly, it made her heart leap a little to see him be totally different from his usual smooth exterior. That, of course, was what she found attractive, but this was some other emotion--something that made her feel more relaxed, she supposed. "And not Vinda. I think I'd die if we mentioned it to her. Can you imagine the expression she'd have if we asked?" And that would be an awkward year and a half in the dormitory together. "Consider Mat, though. I've felt the muscles, and they're just as good as they look." Isobel grinned along with that, now totally in a mischievous mood.
Her hands were all over Wolfgang as they finally kissed, pulling him to her as if she needed him like she needed air. It was soft and slow, but still heating her deep inside. He was so warm, and she was so warm, and this was just what she had wanted, she hadn't realized just how much she missed him--
Isobel's eyebrows drew together as he drew away. "Did I--?" She didn't know how to finish the sentence; she didn't know what she might have done. Instead, she clung to his arm, subconsciously trying to keep him from pulling further away, and waited for the words he didn't seem to be able to spit out.
"Held? I mean--of course. Why would I say no?" Cuddling was rather unfamiliar to Isobel except for being what happened after a hookup, but she wasn't going to reject it. She did want more, but this was, like the concept of a relationship, something she could try. "Come here." She wrapped her arms around Wolfgang's shoulders, drawing him into her chest and kissing him on the forehead--something else she had never done, but which she thought might be nice.
