Confucius the dog finally made his way over to Ida after recovering from the Freeze Spell, seemingly a bit disoriented and miffed about his Stupified companion Laozi, though uncertain of what happened or how they got there. So the hound curled up next to her, dropping his head tiredly into her lap.
“You’re right that there may be an opening,” she acquiesced, mind turning over the challenge. “But I honestly doubt that it’s anywhere out here. This is where it’s most impenetrable - they’re scared of what’s in the forest. I bet it’s somewhere hiding in plain sight. Probably out by the muggles.” Maybe the infirmary, she wondered, choosing to not share her hunch lest it make the man charge into the hospital like a raging lunatic. But in her mind, if there was anywhere they’d need quick in and out access, it’d be related to emergency services.
Still thoughtful about the challenge, Ida didn’t bother to acknowledge what he told her about her father beyond a derisive snort of laughter. It’s true, of course. They certainly had some issues, but she had serious doubts that they would ever work through it.
The brunette’s expression remained unmoved as she listened to the stranger speak - probably the most words he’d strung together into a sentence this entire time, which therefore made it the most interesting part of their encounter yet. She didn’t entirely move her wand off of him, but held it in her hand lazily as she propped her chin on her fist, her other hand absently stroking Connie’s head in her lap. Something about his story stung. Maybe because it reminded her a lot about her own, and it made her a bit uncomfortable to realize that they had so much in common.
“My mum left me alone with my brothers too,” she finally relented in some strange kind of quid pro quo, letting the idea marinate that having a father in the picture didn’t help much. Though the stranger didn’t strike her as trustworthy, or sane, or even all that bright, what he said didn’t sound like a lie, and Ida understood that it probably took it out of him to share. It failed to explain why she felt compelled to respond, however. “Sounds like they were both selfish bitches.” The witch finished with a shrug, her calm expression belying the twist in her chest as she thought about how she called herself a bitch earlier. She often wondered how much she and her mum were alike, and the thought scared her.
Upon hearing that he had been arrested for stealing, of all things, Ida could barely repress her groan. She absolutely hated knowing that she jumped to conclusions, even if it was an honest mistake from being on edge about a rampant monster. It wasn’t that stealing was okay, but didn’t the bloody constabulary have other more urgent matters to attend to at this moment, besides keeping a man from his family? Ida could only consider two possible reasons for this: the constabulary was utterly incompetent, or this man wasn’t telling her the whole truth. Of course, these options are not mutually exclusive.
As the stranger stood up, however, Ida immediately straightened to attention, and pointed her wand at him as fiercely as she did before. She didn’t know what the hell screw you meant, but she assumed it wasn’t a positive, and it wasn’t as though their little tête-à-tête absolved him from being a complete ass.
“Take one more step and I’ll jinx the everlasting shit out of you,” the young woman deadpanned, voice so eerily devoid of emotion that it likely made her words sound all the more terrifying. “Don’t think that just because I feel sorry for you I’ve turned into an idiot. How do I know you won’t just retrieve your wand and trap me the first second you get?” Ida didn’t actually think he would, but she was also having a hard time getting up from this spot at the moment, and wasn’t sure how well she could weather a second skirmish.
“Accio wand,” she said, and the man’s wand swiftly sailed from the bushes to the palm of her hand. Honestly, this was a good lesson for the man. Never lose your weapon in battle. “Find me a long stick, I need a bit of help walking. And pick up my dog,” she ordered, jabbing at the Stupefied pup laying a few feet away from them. “I’m not making any promises, but there might be a way we can get you out of here.” We?
“You’re right that there may be an opening,” she acquiesced, mind turning over the challenge. “But I honestly doubt that it’s anywhere out here. This is where it’s most impenetrable - they’re scared of what’s in the forest. I bet it’s somewhere hiding in plain sight. Probably out by the muggles.” Maybe the infirmary, she wondered, choosing to not share her hunch lest it make the man charge into the hospital like a raging lunatic. But in her mind, if there was anywhere they’d need quick in and out access, it’d be related to emergency services.
Still thoughtful about the challenge, Ida didn’t bother to acknowledge what he told her about her father beyond a derisive snort of laughter. It’s true, of course. They certainly had some issues, but she had serious doubts that they would ever work through it.
The brunette’s expression remained unmoved as she listened to the stranger speak - probably the most words he’d strung together into a sentence this entire time, which therefore made it the most interesting part of their encounter yet. She didn’t entirely move her wand off of him, but held it in her hand lazily as she propped her chin on her fist, her other hand absently stroking Connie’s head in her lap. Something about his story stung. Maybe because it reminded her a lot about her own, and it made her a bit uncomfortable to realize that they had so much in common.
“My mum left me alone with my brothers too,” she finally relented in some strange kind of quid pro quo, letting the idea marinate that having a father in the picture didn’t help much. Though the stranger didn’t strike her as trustworthy, or sane, or even all that bright, what he said didn’t sound like a lie, and Ida understood that it probably took it out of him to share. It failed to explain why she felt compelled to respond, however. “Sounds like they were both selfish bitches.” The witch finished with a shrug, her calm expression belying the twist in her chest as she thought about how she called herself a bitch earlier. She often wondered how much she and her mum were alike, and the thought scared her.
Upon hearing that he had been arrested for stealing, of all things, Ida could barely repress her groan. She absolutely hated knowing that she jumped to conclusions, even if it was an honest mistake from being on edge about a rampant monster. It wasn’t that stealing was okay, but didn’t the bloody constabulary have other more urgent matters to attend to at this moment, besides keeping a man from his family? Ida could only consider two possible reasons for this: the constabulary was utterly incompetent, or this man wasn’t telling her the whole truth. Of course, these options are not mutually exclusive.
As the stranger stood up, however, Ida immediately straightened to attention, and pointed her wand at him as fiercely as she did before. She didn’t know what the hell screw you meant, but she assumed it wasn’t a positive, and it wasn’t as though their little tête-à-tête absolved him from being a complete ass.
“Take one more step and I’ll jinx the everlasting shit out of you,” the young woman deadpanned, voice so eerily devoid of emotion that it likely made her words sound all the more terrifying. “Don’t think that just because I feel sorry for you I’ve turned into an idiot. How do I know you won’t just retrieve your wand and trap me the first second you get?” Ida didn’t actually think he would, but she was also having a hard time getting up from this spot at the moment, and wasn’t sure how well she could weather a second skirmish.
“Accio wand,” she said, and the man’s wand swiftly sailed from the bushes to the palm of her hand. Honestly, this was a good lesson for the man. Never lose your weapon in battle. “Find me a long stick, I need a bit of help walking. And pick up my dog,” she ordered, jabbing at the Stupefied pup laying a few feet away from them. “I’m not making any promises, but there might be a way we can get you out of here.” We?
![[Image: 5jMCu3I.png]](https://i.imgur.com/5jMCu3I.png)
stefanie made this beautiful set <3