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9/27
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Harry Potter:"Do you really think there's going to be a war, Sirius?"
Sirius Black: "It… feels like it did before."
TURN ON THE LIGHT is a Post- Potter roleplay that takes place twenty-five years after the Second Wizarding War.
We welcome canon and original characters in this (currently) sandbox style roleplay.
Allen always believed Krys was cutest when she practiced the mannerisms that she believed to be in the toolbox of the average individual. She took it so seriously. Everything was so meaningful to her. Everything. There was no wastage. Everything had a purpose, or a place, or a fit. Even me? No.. don’t be selfish.This isn’t about you. Never was.
Allen listened as best as he could to the bevy of facts coming from his little fact generator, but admittedly was clouded by the incident that had just taken place. Was he too harsh to Ryan and Edmonton? No they were being assholes. Was Burke going to reprimand him? He mentioned it a little too frequently these days for Allen to sit comfortably with it. Something had to be coming. Something he didn’t like. Did Krys hear anything? She was still counting when he came back buck he had been loud. He sighed. It was over anyway. None of that mattered. He’d deal with things, if and when they happened. Can’t change the past.
“He uh..” He turned to look at Burke. It wasn’t a look of look of anger. Nor irritation. It was disappointment. Like a father, after their child brought home a subpar report card. But what was he supposed to do? Krys wasn’t able to defend herself well with words yet. And they did not want to see how she could defend herself otherwise. He had to do what he did. He had to. There was no way around it. “..I just don’t think he’s likes the soups I make is all. I think he prefers soup made his own way. To each their own.” He turned away from Burke, not able to absorb the look any longer.
He looked down at her as she spoke up again. He smiled from ear to ear. How could he not? She was so precious. And kind. And loyal. And smart. And.. “It’s no problem at all. I’m happy to give you your soup as often as you want it. We can have it Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays.. whenever you want to. All the time even!”Calm down. You’re getting excited. Don’t overwhelm her.“Yea maybe not in the cafeteria.. don’t worry, we’ll figure something out. It’ll just be you and me. No Ryans, or Edmontons, or Burkes.” That sounded preferable even to him, he had to admit.
As they reentered the office, he stood off to the side, careful not to touch anything or sit in chairs that ‘did not belong to him’. “Hey Krys I uh…” He scratched the back of his head, his chest feeling light. “I was just curious as to whether you had any planned activities tonight. If you didn’t I was thinking maybe..” He couldn’t look at her. It was rare that he was so nervous. Though not unheard of. He a member of the Watts family after all. Pretty women seemingly made all their hearts race. “..maybe we could do something together. Spend some time with just us. Maybe a quiet walk around the lake. Or stargazing, while you keep feeding me Apollo information. Anything you want really.”
"I suppose some people are just very particular about their soups." She accepted Allen's fib at face value not even for a second entertaining the notion that he could be making it up to satiate her. Why would Allen ever do that? Allen never lied. He was always honest. He looked out for her and always had. Other than her little facts she would never question him which was a feat because she pretty much questioned everyone else every step of the way.
"Yes. Every weekday then." She nodded, actually quite pleased with the notion. Making her way to her lab coat she pulled it off of the hook and began to slide it back on. Her goggles also returned to the top of her head. "Every week day Allen Watts and Krys Robin will have soup." That settled it. At least in her mind, an agreement had been met. "On weekends perhaps I will skip lunch as I do not have soup and for dinner, I will have grilled cheese." Somehow that silly reasoning made sense to her.
Returning to her work she began to tinker with her machine only to hear Allen's voice cut through causing her to peer up at him. "Yes, Mister Watts?" She blinked at him noticing how he seemed nervous. Tilting her head studying him she recognized a few quirks from her own more dramatic bouts. "Perhaps you could tell me some interesting facts about Phalaenopsis Micholitzii?" After years and years of knowing Allen she knew that he had an interest in it so he probably could regale - maybe even with something she didn't already know (no matter how unlikely).
Once he found his voice again the question came and she tilted her head to the other side as she properly took it in as best she could. Did she have plans? "Yes." A beat. "I was going to go home." Technically it *was* a plan for all purposes. He wasn't looking at her, for once she noticed picking up on a social cue and tried to redirect him again. "Can you perhaps tell me about the common lilac?" Her eyes didn't leave him, even as they got back on track.
"Stars?" She repeated, then let out a gasp reaching under her overalls and pulling out a necklace with a small compass at the end opening it up to reveal see-through stars projected above her palm, a gift from Allen many years ago when she was little. "Like these?" She smiled a bit, then closing it, tucking it back under her outfit. "At night my plans will now be to look at stars. Just tonight. Not every night." She said the words just so the idea would register with her. Sometimes saying things aloud made it easier to take in and process. "You do not have other plans with other normal people?"
Every weekday. Every weekday. That sounds like a plan to Allen. The best plan! Because now he had a lunch buddy. Or, more importantly, she had a lunch buddy, and would eat well. “Every weekday it is then. I’ll bring your favorites.” Today was a good day so far. With all things considered. “Well you don’t have to only have soup fo-” He paused, laughing silently to himself. Adorable. “Okay. You eat when and how you want on the weekends. Grilled cheese sounds delicious!”
Mister Watts. Mister Watts. Images of his father flashed in his mind. He would have to be a better Mr. Watts to wash that dirt off. Wait, did she.. ask him for a fact? About Phalaenopsis Micholitzii? The fact that she even knew about that flower meant she knew plenty about it. It was rare. And incredibly obscure. She was learning to read people pretty well because she was nervous. He smiled at her. “Well, it’s critically endangered. It can bloom all year round. Ancient peoples used to believe that bathing with those flowers would bring them closer to their respective gods.” Maybe there was something to this. He did feel better.
Home is a plan for her. Of course. “Many lilac shrubs exceed 100 years in age. Pretty old for a plant that isn’t a tree. And they’re closely related to olives. But not nearly as tasty.” He thought for a moment. Was there anything else interesting about the common lilac? Not to anyone else. He could go on and on about it and she’d listen. Probably because she’d be fact-checking him the entire time.
The compass. She had the compass on her? He was taken back to a time when he was younger. When she was younger. When they were both so scared. More so than they were now. Tears, hugs, and gifts. And there it was. After all those years. It was in her overalls. “Uh.. yea. Like those.” He was stunned admittedly. Clearly, it must have resonated with her. He was beyond glad it had helped. “Uh yes! Just tonight. I mean if you ever want to do it again, let me know and we can. I have no problem doing it.”
Normal people? Who were ‘normal’ people? He wanted to frown. But didn’t want to send mixed messages. “Hey..” His voice was soft, and comforting. He needed to retort, but not scare her. She needed to know it was okay to make mistakes. “..normal people aren’t great. They’re boring and not interesting. I’m not normal. And neither are my siblings. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He hoped she would understand. If she was going to view herself as different, at the very least she could do so in a positive light. “I would rather have plans with you, over what you would consider a normal person 7 days a week. So we can make soup or grilled cheese or anything else you want, and lay out a blanket and just look up at the night skin. Just me and you.”
"This will come in very handy now, now that we are working together." Krys noted thoughtfully, snapping the device shut triumphantly. She tucked the compass back into her chest pocket, straightening her posture a bit proud of herself. "Very helpful." Not just moving forward but in the past. There were a lot of lonely nights, when she would hide under her bed (an odd thing that she used to do) treating it like her hideaway fortress where she would spend sleepless hours opening and closing the gadget seeing where Allen was. When he changed direction, she would, all the while watching the stars that the device projected on the bottom of her mattress in the dark room. But this was most likely one of those things that wasn't suitable to share with a colleague and that's what they were now: colleagues, right?
His soft hey had her face softening. He usually only spoke that way when he wanted her to truly hear something because it was incredibly important. He had taken that tone when he told her years ago she should apply to work at the auror office, or when she graduated Hogwarts, or when she was a little girl and he had no choice but to return her back to her awful home. More often than not, she liked that tone, sometimes it scared her.
"How long do I have to wait to go and do the star thing?" Was her only response to his encouraging words. She wasn't ignoring him she had simply processed what he was saying and moved on instantly.
That night they both sat on a blanket, a pretty big space between them. Krys looked up at the sky her chin on the tops of her knees, eyes scanning the moon and stars making lines in her head of all of the constellations. When she had finished Orion's Belt she then turned to look at Allen curiously. "Do Lilli, Mateo, DeAndre, and Min enjoy looking at stars with you?" Because surely if he was doing this with her this must be a thing with his other coworkers as well, right? It was the only thing that made sense!
While he was glad she had it, he secretly hoped that she would never need it. Something must've gone horribly wrong in an actual situation in which she had to track him down using that compass. “Yes! Now if you ever need to find me in the building, you can.”Let’s hope that’s all you need it for. For both of our sakes.
Allen loved stars. They were predictable, brilliant, and beautiful. Very similar to a particular person he knew, but could not yet admit for one reason or another. When he came out to view them, he knew where to look to find exactly what he was looking for. So whenever he had a hard day or needed some alone time he found himself outside, staring at the heavens.
Tonight, he had a partner to join him. He had never stargazed with anybody else. It was his activity, one he usually reserved for solitude. But he didn’t mind inviting Krys. At the very least, she had an equal appreciation for the cosmos as he did. But she had a love for all things that were informatic.
The blanket they sat on was Allen’s favorite. He slept with it nightly, but it was the only one that was big enough for them both to sit on and give her ample space to sit away from him. That’s what laundry was for! Ursa Major was his constellation of choice that night. It was his favorite. He had that little fact on deck in case she had ever asked. When she spoke up, she turned to her and smiled, looking back up into the sky. “I’ve never gone stargazing with any of them honestly. You’re the first person I’ve ever really brought here to stargaze with me.” He nodded slowly, accepting and ingesting the fact himself. It felt nice. “What about you? How often do you spend time with other people outside work?”
"Or I can just have reception page you." She shrugged. Even though he was just being kind and reminiscent her logic couldn't let him have that. It wasn't out of malice but more so unpreventable. Like a hiccup which you always got a bad case of whenever someone else said something. "I do enjoy this method better." She admitted, nodding her head toward the compass that she was clutching in her hand smiling down at it before pocketing it back in her overalls. The smile seemed to go along with it as she turned her gaze back upward.
Krys liked stars. They were always right where you left them. The pattern of the sky's map always the same if you figured out where you were (luckily she had a compass!). Unless of course, the stars died, but the ones that did meet their demise did so thousands of years ago. If only people could live that long. Then again, she presumed that some people were better off dead.
At his mention at her being the first she turned to look at him surprised he was looking her way and not at the sky. Beyond that he was smiling. Allen liked to smile when it wasn't work hours and when it was at her. Wonder why that is. "Me? Why?" She couldn't help but ask outright. To her recollection, she had never mentioned stars to him even though she did enjoy them. She enjoyed most things science related. Space counted.
"None." At his second question she shrugged, looking back up at the sky seemingly unaffected. "Nobody really cares to spend time with me which quite honestly works out because I do not really care to spend much time with them." Words that should have come with some shame or humbling did not. "Allen Watts..." Blinking in realizing something she turned to look at him again curiously. "If I remember correctly, and I always do because I have an eidetic memory, if people spend time with coworkers outside of work at a non-work function that means they are friends. Are we friends, Allen Watts?"
Allen hadn’t really considered the possibility that she would’ve asked him to explain himself, though he likely should’ve seen it coming. Oh wow okay. Hm.“Well..” He started quietly, voice escalating to a normal voice as he continued. “..I suppose you’re fun to do things with. You’re very knowledgeable about so many things. I figured you would likely be knowledgeable on the subject matter should I have any questions. Also..” He cleared his throat, looking back to the sky at no constellation in particular, and leaning back on his hands. “..I enjoy spending time with you. It makes me feel good.” He looked over at her again, contemplative. She may have follow-up questions. He would answer them. But there was a certain je ne sais quoi that came with being ambiguous.
To the average individual, having no one to spend time with would likely be debilitating. People thrive off of human connections. Krys apparently didn’t need them. Either that or she was being less than completely truthful which would have been uncharacteristic. Normally he would apologize for a person being so lonely. But she made it clear that wasn’t a problem for her. “Oh. Okay. Well maybe getting to know some people may go a long way Krys. You never know, there could be kindred people closer than you think.” He didn’t realize that it could sound like he was talking about himself. That wasn’t the intent. He genuinely wanted Krys to have outlets, friends, and acquaintances. If that’s what she wanted of course. Otherwise.. I’ll suffice.
He met her gaze as she asked her last question, smiling once again. Only Krys could draw a logic line from hanging out outside of work, and verbalize it. “Krys Robin. The answer to that question is yes. That is, if you want to be my friend. Because friendship should, ideally, be mutual. So Krys Robin - will you be my friend?” He would love nothing more. He had plenty of friends. But none of them were like Krys Robin.
He laid back on the blanket, arms and legs spread like a star. He took a deep breath, taking in the crisp evening air. It cooled the back of his throat, like drinking cold water right after brushing his teeth. “Do you ever think about how far you’ve come Krys Robin? Emotionally? Socially? From all of those years ago?”
"I do not want to get to know them and they do not want to get to know me. It works out rather well." She shrugged off his suggestion while fussing with one of the buttons on her overalls. "I find that I do not enjoy most people in general. People lie, say mean things, and ultimately want to be the best rather than help the group overall. Very selfish. Not like ants or bees. Sometimes I would rather be a bee." Perhaps that was all better as an inner monologue but with Krys, like most thoughts, she often vocalized them. What was the point of keeping things inside? That was just another way to lie to people.
Frowning as she realized something she turned to look at Allen with a raised brow. "Do you want me to have friends so that I no longer pester you with questions?" Most would have been offended but not Krys. She really just wanted clarification. She didn't want to risk misreading the situation.
Their gaze met and at his offer she bit her bottom lip and her eyes trailed up to the sky as she gave it some thought before looking back at him. "Yes. I think so. You can be my first friend." It was a very good idea. The notion of a first is that others might follow which was promising but if Allen ended up being her only friend ever she would also be content with that. Watching as he laid back spreading out she couldn't help but smile. It was funny to see an older gentleman in a suit splay out and she found humor in it. She might not understand jokes but funny visuals could get a smile or two out of her.
Looking back up at the sky she rested her chin atop her knees. "Not particularly. Mainly because I do not think I have come all that far. I still get nervous and I still cannot look at most people when speaking to them. I do not think I have changed much just older and taller but even that did not change a whole lot. I think about ants and bees more." And to her that made perfect sense. She shrugged before yet another thought crossed her mind. She tilted her head sideways on her knees looking down at him. "Do you think about that?"
Allen looked at Krys, an eyebrow raised. A bee. An interesting thought, but in truth, the structured nature of bee life would be highly beneficial for Krys. So as humorous as it was, she made a valid point. She could understand bugs who worked in colonies. They were straightforward, and predictable. People were not. “Being a bee would be quite fun I bet. You’d get to buzz around, make honey. Though obviously, you’d be the queen, so your life would be a little different compared to the common bee.” He chuckled to himself. Would she get that? No idea. Didn’t matter.
He turned his head quickly over to Krys at what sounded more or less like an accusation to him. “No, no of course not! I want you to ask me all the questions you may have in life. In fact, I greatly prefer that truth be told. I just..” He didn’t quite know how to phrase it in a way that didn’t make him sound like a total dork. “..I just don’t want you to get bored of me one day is all. If you had other people to talk to, you’d be less likely to tire of me, but if you think you won’t then, by all means, ignore those people!” He shrugged and smiled. “I would love to be your first friend Krys. It’s official. We are friends. And that’s a good feeling.” He stared up at the stars. Thank goodness it was dark - his blushing was obscured by the darkness.
Allen shook his head when she finished speaking. “That’s not how I see it at all. I mean, you have an amazing job for starters. You also speak to people pretty well, comparatively speaking. Not to mention, you have just made your first friend! That’s pretty incredible if you ask me.” He turned over on the blanket, propping his head up on his head, and facing her. “I think about how far you’ve come all the time. From the little girl I found in that house of horrors to who you are now.. It’s honestly mindboggling to me. And I’m really proud of what you’re doing in life.” She might not see it that way. “Are you happy in life? You know, doing the things that you thought you’d be doing?”
"I am not a bee Allen Watts. I am a person." Though he was correct, if they were bees due to gender she would automatically be the queen but the word queen and Krys Robin didn't sound right in the same sentence. She wasn't a queen. Far from it. She was a strange woman who could barely look someone in the eye let alone carry on a normal conversation. Though with Allen currently she was managing the topic was clearly far from 'normal'. Luckily for her he was allowing it though.
"We are friends." She recited back, cementing the fact. Though she tried to play it cool (impossible) she was absolutely thrilled by the prospect. A friend. Her very first one! If she had someone to tell she would have run off to fill them in though... that would probably defeat the purpose of a first friend. Then Allen would have been second.
Turning to look at Allen she noted how he was casually lying on his side. Casual. That was something she had never been. She decided she wanted to emulate him. So she did her best but after a few moments of awkward movement she was lying on her stomach looking up at him appearing more like a bag rug than anything casual and fun. In fact it didn't look very comfortable but she tried to carry it off nevertheless.
"Happy?" She tilted her head, her chin resting on the blanket. "No. I do not think so. But I do not think that it is a requirement for me or anyone to be happy." She gave him a little shrug. "I just need to make it through the days, go to work, get home, sleep, occasionally eat, and repeat. That is all life is... a series of minor things in repetition." Raising her brow at him she tilted her head slightly. "What about Allen Watts? Is he happy?"