| Details for Bitter Cold, Bitter Words |
| Summary: | Douglas and Niko have bitter words in the cold, before Ria arrives and offers her thoughts. |
| Date: | 1939-01-15 |
| Location: | East Parapet - Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
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It's a quiet Wednesday afternoon, with the last of the classes just about finishing up, and the settled snow across the castle and grounds of Hogwarts giving the whole place an eerie calm. Up, tucked up in one of the parapets, and given away by the wisps of smoke drifting up from between two of the crenellations, sits Douglas, fag in hand and knees drawn up under his chin.
Niko had just in fact just finished his last class of the day, since they have been back from break, a few people have noticed that he has seemed a bit off, a bit distracted. Though not to the point he is not doing well in his class, as if he is trying to figure out something. He has also taken a few moments here and there for some peace and quiet, walking across the parapet, his eyes are focused up at the sky as his foot fall softly crunches the snow, though the smoke catches, his attention out of the corner of his eye, looking towards it he nods at Douglas, "Macmillan." he says simply in greeting, his voice warm and that trademark smile that people love or hate on his face.
Douglas looks up from his reverie, frowning a touch at being interrupted and hiding the cigarette behind his back, but the frown soon disappears when he spies Niko. "Denholm," comes his response, pulling out the cigarette again for a puff, blowing a smoke ring upwards. "Come to shove me off the roof?"
Niko looks up at the sky for a long moment, silent to the question, "I suppose not." he says with a small nod, "I doubt that would solve much of anything, now would it." he says warmly with a small nod, "Are you sitting up here however, lying in wait to shove me off the roof?" he asks curiously, with a small chuckle.
"If I had an issue, Denholm, I'd just settle it with a friendly fist to the face," Douglas points out, offering the cigarette over. "I leave the killing and the unforgivable curses to the muggle borns. Smoke?"
Niko waves his hand declining the cigarette, "No thanks." he says with a slow nod, "Though many people in your, interesting club, would claim that settling things with fist, is far too muggle." he says slowly, his eyes moving from Douglas to the sky, "Also if memory serves me correct, plenty of Pure-Bloods have, in the past, been Dark Wizards also." he says with a small shrug, "I suppose the path a Wizard walks is not decided by blood, but what darkness they let into their heart?" he asks curiously, even though it is more of a statement.
"Bollocks," Douglas states flatly. "And plenty of mudbloods have been just as dark or worse. Wizard powers, muggle sentiments. Fucking terrifying, if you ask me. Go on, try to justify Gus's mum. You want to know why we've got this club? To defend ourselves against fucking loonies like that, who take one look at your name and decide we're the fucking enemy."
Niko simply nods, "There is no justifying what happened." he says slowly, "I never claimed one side of this was darker or worse then the other, simply that a Wizard chooses their own path." he says with a small shrug, "Animosities exist, between both sides." he says his gaze turning back towards Douglas, "Though lumping all members of a group into one pile is not the answer and both sides of this are guilty of that." he says with a small shrug.
"I've got mates on both sides," Douglas points out. "But you're the only one who's actively threatened me for being who I am. How about you take a good long look at yourself before preaching on, eh?"
"It wasn't a threat, it was a challenge." Niko says with a shrug, "You can take it how you wish, but if I recall correctly you claimed that I wasn't a real wizard or something along those lines." he says slowly, "And that, is the exact phrasing and stance that breeds anger, frustrations and causes people to lash out." he says slowly. "That is the simplest form of Blood Purism, think you are better simply because of your Blood Status. Perhaps it would be better, to accept and look at the skills of a Wizard and not their blood." he says arching a brow, that smile still on his face.
"You're a dick," Douglas states simply. "And that's nothing to do with you being half wizard and half muggle. It's just because… you're a dick. Whatever blood you've got, most of it seems to have gone to your head and made you… a dick." He returns the smile in equal measure. "And every word you say, every stupid little gesture you make that attaches you so securely to the muggles, to the mud club, just brings them down with you."
Niko shrugs slightly, "Most people enjoy my company, if speaking the way I feel makes me a dick, then I suppose you are just as much of a dick, Douglas." he says shrugging a bit, "Because you certainly have no issue voicing you thoughts or how you feel." he says raising a brow, "And unlike your club, which you have already claimed exists to help "defend" you, my Club exists purely as a support group, we don't mask what we are or have an secret motive." he says with another shrug.
"And yet I don't see any mudbloods lying dead, Denholm. I don't see any half bloods losing their mothers, their sisters, their aunts, because your opinion differs from ours," Douglas points out, scowling. "Just fuck off. Go find one of the many, many people who enjoy your company, and be all righteous at them instead. Two of my mates got hit with cruciatus, one of my mates' mum's got killed, and my girlfriend's brother ended up in hospital. And your problem is what, exactly? That I called you out for being a sanctimonious twat? Fuck off and grow up, Denholm. I don't have an issue with your opinion. I have an issue with you being a condescending cunt."
Niko shakes his head, "Like I said there is no justification as to what happened." he says slowly, "I have yet to say anything that says I support what happened, you are simply assuming that we are all out to get you." he says shaking his head, "It is not a matter of being this or that, it is a matter of accepting that not everyone, is this evil Pure-Blood hating wizard." he continues rolling his eyes, "Why don't you get down from your high fucking horse and look around you. You think I am this and that, well I think you are a bloody lazy nit, who even as you have said will get handed things because of your blood status." he rolls his eyes, "Like I said a Wizard chooses their own path, it has nothing to do with blood status, til people make it about that." he says slowly.
Douglas takes another long drag from his cigarette. "I don't think you're this or that, pal. I just think you're a dick who's going to get a lot more people in the shit. So fuck off, there's a good lad. I've chosen my path, and it's my path. So go swivel."
You think that when part of your house gets destroyed, and members of your family were put in danger you'd be taking a month or so off from school. Not Ria. The second they were cleared by Mungo's Arlo Sykes shipped his children back off to Hogwarts. In fact, it's the tapping of her polished shoes that can be heart as she climbs the stairs to the parapet. She's barely climbed the flight when her voice can be heard echoing off th stone. "It's quite biting up here here and I don't' suspect it's the chill," Ria steps into view, hands shoved in pockets. "Am I interrupting?" She sounds far to casual given the latest events.
Niko nods slowly, "Obviously you do, lets see how did you put it, sanctimonious twat and condescending cunt." he says slowly, "But like always you seem to forget the words that spill from your mouth." he says with a wave of his hand, "And like before you spit words to try and piss me of waiting for me to react. Well Douglas how about you go fuck off?" he says, his eyes narrowing at a bit, then Ria appears, "Not as far as I am aware Sykes." he says offering her a small nod, though he does give her a small smile, "You doing alright?" he asks cautiously, his hand moving and running through his hair, "I am sorry about what happened, tis…" he starts before shaking his head, "Just not right." he says nodding.
"How about I just finish my fag in peace?" Douglas suggests, lifting his chin towards Ria. "Sykes." And then there goes Niko again and he rises to his feet, stubbing out the cigarette on the wall behind him. "For fuck's sake, Denholm, now you're going to subject her to the same shit you've been giving me? Fuck. Off. I'm not speaking a foreign language, am I? I've asked you four fucking times now. Just piss off and go talk shit at somebody who wants to listen to you."
Ria whistles at the sling of insults, as she pushes a strand of hair out of her face. "Language Denholm! The filth in your veins must be making its way to your mouth," she scolds him like a child. A glance goes over to Douglas' cigarette and she idly comments, "It's burning out Douglas. You may want to relight that." She goes to settle in the open window compartment next to Macmillan. "Of course you are. Only natural to feel sorry for something chaotic," she shrugs in regards to his apologetic sentiments, "I know advocates of the Truth don't always have the biggest fans, but some day everyone will come to see our point. Even if lives are lost in the process. Shouldn't have to be that way of course, but there are always the obstinate few." Ria eyes the 'MC' badge and then snakily smiles to Niko. "And I'm sure they'll rue the day they ever refused to consider the Truth."
Niko looks at Douglas, "So asking if someone is alright and telling them that what happened isn't right, is talking shit?" he shakes his head at Douglas, "You also started this whole conversation, asking if I was going to shove you off the roof? For goodness sakes Douglas have your head examined, your a bloody nut case." he says shaking his head at Douglas, "If anyone has been talking shit, it is you Douglas." he says waving his hand dismissing Douglas, "Still does not justify what happened." he says simply to Ria, not commenting on her comment about his language, "We all choose our own path, the path a Wizard or Witch choose to walk is their choice alone." he says with a shrug, "Some may regret their choices, some may not, I suppose only the passage of time will tell." he says with a small nod to her.
Douglas just rolls his eyes, pulling a crumpled packet of cigarettes from his pocket, pulling one out for himself to replace the last, and offering the packet to Ria. "Smoke?"
Niko taps his chin slowly, "I suppose that title would work." he says slowly running his hand through his hair, "However I think I will leave writing books to others." he continues with another nod. "It was pleasant of course, however I actually came up here for some quiet, so I think I will take my leave." he offers Ria a small nod, "Sykes." he says slowly before looking at Douglas, "Macmillan, see you on the pitch." he says slowly with a nod, before slowly walking away his eyes moving back up towards the sky.