mlle-laurette

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marcus-bulstrode‌:

“You aren’t damaged, Darling,” Marcus said softly. His face changing to a soft understanding. He’d felt that way before. That whatever he did just hurt people, but she shouldn’t feel like that. 

“No. Laure no. I’m not going to get hurt. None of this was because of you. It’s them. They keep trying to take away good things, and I’m so sorry Darling that they took away things you love. But you aren’t damaged. You’re so young -” His voice broke. Thinking about the fact she was so young. 

She didn’t look a thing like Maria, but his heart broke like it was her standing in front of him.  “Don’t carry this alone. No matter what don’t carry this alone. Don’t let them do that to you. ” 

Laure could feel her resolve breaking again, could feel the tears stinging behind her eyes begin to fall. Sylvanie was gone, Rene was gone. Marcus, at least, was still here. Marcus was here and he was saying such kind things.

A hiccuping sob escaped her and she hugged him again, burying her face in his chest. He was too kind to her, he was too nice. She did not understand why but she would never stop feeling grateful for him.

“Please don’t leave me too, I don’t think I could handle that Monsieur. I don’t want to loose you too, please don’t leave me.”

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fawley-en-face‌:

“An architect? That’s amazing!” Henry couldn’t help his natural curiosity; he could sit and listen to people talk about their skills and passions for hours. “How did you end up here then?”

When she defended Dmitry, Henry gave her a crooked smile. “He drinks most of the time. But don’t worry- I’m very fond of him too.” Their little law office barely resembled a functioning workplace most days, but it had become very clear very quickly how fond they all were of Dmitry, although they showed it in different ways. Henry usually just ended up laying on the floor of his office with him, occasionally stealing drinks of the Desk Vodka and listening to Dmitry’s “Go Away” music.

He felt like doing so right now, actually. Laure’a return hug was fierce but the jarring reality was that neither of them was in the right set of arms. They were both of them incomplete.

“Maybe not in the hallway, though, yea?” he said, shifting back and nudging them toward the office’s small library. “For one, though… she’d probably be shaking her head right now at the fact that I was flirting two seconds before I found out we have a tragedy in common.”

“I followed my brother here, and then he went missing. I could not leave without him, and I met people from my childhood here, and Monsieur Bulstrode. Though the schools here are not so bad. I am taking night classes.”

Dmitry had been kind to her ever since she responded to the ad. He had brought her here and given her a weird little family that she had begun to cherish. Even if the rest of London felt daunting, even though grief and the depression and the way the world pressed and pressed on her. She liked it here. Here, she felt safe. It was one of only two places she did these days.

She followed Henry into the library, hugging the papers to her chest. Just when she thought he’d stopped making her blush her face flushed deep red again. “Rene would be proud. He always thought I should worry about him less and get out more.”

Couldn’t think of a title sorry

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trisxrojas‌:

“No burden, I have a sister. She has a board,” Tristan volunteered. Considering how much he loved surfing, he had decided to buy Xiomara a board regardless of how she felt about surfing and he felt rather pleased that he would get to teach someone else.

He couldn’t promise that they would get in the water that day since he didn’t know how good Laure was going to be with the various motions, but the waves didn’t look too dangerous as he looked out at the water and since he didn’t see any other surfers, he was hopeful that was a trend that would remain accurate. Safer for Laure, at least.

“If you like surfing, I will help you pick a board.” He offered.

Laure brightened considerably. Shopping! And with a purpose, her absolute favorite kind. Hopefully Tristan’s sister wouldn’t mind her borrowing in the meantime. Laure hated having to feel like a burden to anyone when she was already so burdensome at the moment, all the grief and the listlessness.

“Thank you.” She said sincerely. “I would like that quite a lot, I think. Quite a lot. How long will we do things on land, before we get into the water?”

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Can’t sleep (Sylvanie) (Sorry not sorry)

“I still think about you all the time. You’re the reason I can’t sleep most nights. I love you, did you ever know? I hope you did though I never told you. Your smile lit up my world.”

[mlle-laurette]

Can't sleep (malcolm)

“Hitting him just once wasn’t enough. I ought to have punched him properly. Then he would’ve shut up about René.”

@themalcolmgreengrass

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Can't sleep (Tristan)

“If I get a longboard, and he teaches me how to surf, will he stay and surf with me? I hope not because he seems very honest and kind. But everyone seems to be leaving these days.”

@trisxrojas

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Can't sleep (Zephyr)

“I am glad he gets to be a father. He’s going to be very good at it, I can already tell. His little daughter is so lucky to have him.”

@zephyrbcll

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Can't Sleep

“It is very nice to have someone here who feels like a sister. I hope that she knows how comforting her presence is, how kind she can be.”

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nottsofiya‌:

Sofiya leaned into Laure’s hug. Notts didn’t hug much, but in the Hufflepuff house, you’re kind of forced to master hugs. In that time, she’d learned that what mattered most wasn’t the grip or how you patted someone’s shoulder, what mattered was that you let them feel protected for a moment, and then and there, Sofiya felt protected. Not more hopeful about Valentina, but maybe more hopeful about herself. 

“Thank you, Laure.” Sofiya lifted her head from Laure’s shoulder and smiled at her, before her voice betrayed her real mood. “I’m just worried that’s the only thing people remember her for, you know? She’s mean, but she’s not evil.”

Laure smiled back, glad that Sofiya could trust her enough to let the hug happen. Dmitry didn’t seem to like hugs very much so she’d been a bit worried it may be a family trait. 

She thought about Sofiya’s statement for a moment, giving herself the time it deserved to come up with a reply that didn’t sound trite or stupid. Talking about real things deserved care. Sofiya deserved care.

“What other people think, does not matter very much. I thought it did, with Rene. Because he was so flighty, and often vain, and could be cruel without knowing it. But he was also sweet, and happy, and fun to be around. What other people thought did not bother him much. I do not think it bothers your sister much either. I think she probably cares what you think of her, more. You are her sister, and they are just people.”

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fawley-en-face‌:

“Happily,” Henry grinned, when she mentioned him visiting Aurallic. He missed France desperately, and it felt good, suddenly, to have a specific place to return to in the name of traveling. “As long as you come with, of course. I’ll get terribly lost without my beautiful tour guide.”

A- a legal researcher? In Paris? He couldn’t help a small huff of laughter, shaking his head. “N-no, I was a model, actually. This is sort of the first respectable job I’ve ever had. What about you? Surely you haven’t always aspired to be a drunk Russian’s secretary.”

Henry felt her stiffen beneath his hand, and wondered if he’d done the wrong thing- he didn’t know how to do this. How to comfort. He himself was a shell of a person, and he’d had a veritable village of people around to prop him up. He didn’t know how to do that for another person. But he couldn’t just stand in front of her and not try. 

When he saw tears in her eyes, though, he panicked, and rather than speaking he immediately pulled her into a tight hug, his arms around her shoulders. After a long moment he pulled back slightly, though he kept the physical contact between them, reaching up to brush away some of the tears. “Her name was Camilla,” he said. “We don’t have to talk. But we can, if you think it will help.”

She had thought she’d stop making a fool out of herself in front of Henry, she really had. Only now she found herself flushing bright scarlet all over again. Henry thought she was beautiful? Oh Merlin. “I would love to show you around my town, it is very lovely.”

Oh of course he had been a model. He certainly had all the looks and the personality for modeling. Laure could imagine he had all sorts of people swanned over him, especially in Paris. He would fit right in with the model scene in Paris. Merlin he was very gorgeous wasn’t he?

“I am studying to be an architect. Monsieur Nott is not a drunk. He just drinks sometimes.” Or maybe lots of times, but Dmitry was kind and a good man and Laure trusted him. 

When Henry hugged her, she hugged him back fiercely. Loss clamored in the spaces between them. She understood all too well what Henry felt and she wished she could take it away from him. “I would love to hear about her.”

Couldn’t think of a title sorry

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nottsofiya‌:

Sofiya was thrilled to see someone do what she desperately wanted to do, and when she saw it was Laure she felt like smiling for the first time since the arrest. What a sweetheart. Granted, they had to leave immediately because Sofiya would be damned if she was going to apologize to a dick like that, but god had that been satisfying to watch. It was a shame Sofiya had to leave immediately since Dmitry was probably too busy trying to help Valentina to deal with another arrest.  

Before the asshole in question could react to the punch, Sofiya grabbed Laure’s hand and started running. “Laure, you bloody miracle worker!” Sofiya said as they ran when she realized they weren’t actually being followed. Huh. 

A crazy kind of laughter kicked in, too much adrenaline in Sofiya’s short frame, probably. A bit teary, and very much embarrassing. Sofiya tried desperately to stop, but instead apologized between weird giggle-sobs to Laure. “Tha–nks , for e–verything Laure. Sorry– I’m not sure what’s gotten into me.”

For the first time in a while when Laure smiled it didn’t feel forced. Perhaps it was because punching people in other’s defense felt exactly like something she’d done all of her life for her twin. Defending her friend from assholes felt normal. It felt like any other day before Rene had gone missing.

“It’s okay,” She said, giving Sofiya a hug from the side. “She is your sister, and she is family. Family is very important, it is okay to get upset about people telling horrible lies about her.”

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valerijanovak‌:

Bulgaria was beautiful – but for her the beauty was heavy, full of memories and years she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life reliving.  England had its own kind of beauty, but for her it came without the heaviness of loss.  For her it was so much better.  “I miss the mountains,” she admitted softly, switching to French when Laure did, a hesitant smile on her face.  There wasn’t much she was confident in, but she did feel confident in her languages.  It felt good to speak in French, like using a muscle she hadn’t exercised in awhile.   “I haven’t been home since I moved here, but there are definitely some parts that I deeply miss.  And others I’m happy to leave behind.”  She paused, hoping home wasn’t a hard subject for her.  “Where in France are you from?  I’m afraid I haven’t ever been, but I’ve read books – it sounds like a lovely place.”

She nodded seriously.  At the counter she panicked a bit and ordered six different types in a small size, figuring she was happy to drink any of them and that way Laure got a choice.  She joined her back at the table, scooting the tray toward the middle.  “There’s a bit of a variety.  Take whichever you’d like.”  She paused for a long time, probably a bit too long.  “Would you like to talk or would you like for me to distract you?  How can I help?”

“I feel the same way about France.” She admitted. Laure had to say that even as she missed France fiercely, she could see the beauty of the British landscape. There were certain things she loved dearly: the hills when it rained, the way the Thames looked in the morning. “Southern France, closer to Nice than Paris. It’s a bit warmer, and smaller, and kinder. It is a very pretty town. Maybe some day you could come visit?”

She chewed on her lip and sniffled a moment as she looked over all the teas. Laure never did figure out how best to pick teas. After a moment she picked one from the middle and took a sip. “Oh, that one is nice!” Laure thought for a second. “Will you tell me stories?”

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remuslxpns‌:

Remus knew very little about the girl and only knew that her sister had died in the very same hotel months before. There was little he could offer except his presence. He could only imagine losing someone he loved and had already had the image in his head of his friends dying, knowing it would be chasing every stray memory of them whenever he could to cope. 

“I don’t know your family or you for that matter but I can promise you that isn’t true…the war has a strange way of stealing things we love. It’s been happening to everyone since it first started and…it’s been really difficult to deal with it all-I’ve lost my friends..,more than I would think of counting five years ago.” Remus paused and tried to think of something he remembered reading from the article and not from being in that moment. “I…I heard she went down fighting. I bet she was very passionate and loving.”

The war has a strange way of stealing things we love. Laure almost laughed, simply for how true it all felt. Had this stranger spoken to Marcus? Perhaps the Bulstrodes were sending people out into the streets to make sure she didn’t say mean things about  herself.

She choked back a sob. Of course Slyv would go down fighting. She was just like her sisters. “She was. She was very good to me and her sisters, and I love her very much.”

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marcus-bulstrode‌:

Marcus was horrified for a moment to think that her first thought was to think she was to blame. “Laure - Oh Laure that’s not true. It’s not you it’s the war.”

That was what was to blame. It was why he was standing here watching a girl barely old enough to be an adult, think that she was some sort of curse. It was the same thing he could picture Levi saying. War was awful. It was awful and absurd by it’s very nature. 

Still there was a fear that reached his eyes as he shook his head. “No Laure no. Laure listen to me please right now. This isn’t you. You aren’t to blame, and you aren’t the reason this is happening.  Love, look at me.” He said trying to get her to look at him. Even as wild as he must appeared. He was aware that he looked about as chaotic as she felt, but it didn’t matter in the moment. 

“Laure. You don’t need to leave. I’m not going anywhere. Levi and Millie are going to be safe. We’re going to be safe. Okay? We can get through this together.”

He hated this feeling. This heavy thing in his chest he was going to have to unpack later. A feeling of responsibility. The need to end this. If only to stop the pain he saw in her. 

“You didn’t do this. This isn’t your burden to carry and certainly not one you need to carry alone.” 

She didn’t want to look at Marcus, didn’t want to see pity or understanding in his eyes when she was clearly the one at fault, when there was nothing but blame to place at her feet. Maybe it would be easier to not care for people at all. Maybe it would be easier to just give up, tell Dmitry she was sorry, go home to France and shut herself away where she couldn’t hurt anyone else. She was clearly hurting Marcus, it showed in his voice.

Her lower lip trembled as he promised her that he wasn’t going anywhere, that she could stay with him, that they would all be safe. Laure looked at him then.

She didn’t see pity, or understanding. Instead she saw pain. The deep kind that came with loss and grief, the kind that echoed around her own soul. Had Marcus lost someone too?

“But I’m-- I’m damaged, I keep hurting everyone around me.” No, not everyone. Just the ones she loved the most. Like Marcus. “What if I hurt you? What if you get hurt? Monsieur, I do not want you to ever get hurt. You are too kind to me.”

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benjy-andthejets‌:

Benjy could sort of mull out her feelings without her having to say it, though he felt sorry for her in that moment that she ever felt incomparable to her twin. “I understand, though I don’t think that he would have wanted you to remain upset for so long. Maybe we never completely move on from losing the people we love, and we don’t have to, but I believe that holding on to those sorts of overwhelming feelings only makes you hurt more, in the end,” he offered. 

Reaching out a delicate hand to her shoulder, Benjy sighed. “It isn’t your fault, whatever happened. I know it probably feels like it is, but you cannot blame yourself. Would he blame you?”

“I do, yes.” Would it be so brilliant of an idea to inform her how he knew her cousin? Benjy wasn’t entirely sure, so he left that detail out. “I’ll admit, I haven’t seen him in quite a while, but yes, we’ve known each other for a little while.” Laughing softly, he nodded at the tea preference. “That would be correct. While I would argue you don’t owe me anything, I won’t turn down an offer to get tea. My name is Benjy, by the way. Benjy Fenwick. See? Not strangers anymore.”

She could see now, why if David knew this man he may not stick around for long. David always had been a bit allergic to sharing his feelings. It was one of the reasons that Laure had been so happy when he finally found Regulus. At least David shared some things with him. This man, though, this kind man with good advice and his solid presence, Laure liked him. Whatever his history with her cousin, she felt like she could trust him to tell her the truth.

“It is a bit my fault, I think. I should have just asked him to stay home instead of wandering off to London without thinking.” She said. Though if she had, she would have never re-found Sylvanie or kissed a girl or met Marcus. Now she wasn’t certain if staying in Aurallic would’ve done her and Rene any better. “But you are right. He wouldn’t like me blaming myself. He never did.”

When she sighed, it was more of a shudder than anything else. Just take this nice no longer stranger out to tea. She could do this. She was being social now. “I will admit, I am still learning the tea shops. There is... a Madame Puddifoots? I think they have tea there.”

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fawley-en-face‌:

Laure’s face was one he was used to getting- everyone seemed to have their own idea of what the best part of France was, and Henry could understand that. He would’ve been similarly disgusted if someone told him that London was their favorite place in the U.K. 

“You’re not wrong; I’ve never been to Aurallic, but Marseilles in the winter is stunning,” he said. “Paris just happened to be where the work was. And I liked the bustle. Are you from Aurallic?”

He’d liked that something was always happening, that there was never time to stop and think, that he could go from one party to another to a shoot to a stranger’s bed and back again in less than twenty-four hours and feel as though he’d lived a week. But that was hardly a first-conversation topic.

Her blush was endearing, and Henry only kept his smile as she took the papers back, not wanting her to feel any further embarrassed.

 Too. He couldn’t help but feel satisfaction rush through his chest at the admission that she found him pretty all on her own, though the mention of another, a twin- gone?- made it gutter out like a candle cut out by a sudden gust of wind. Laure seemed to have gone from flustered and embarrassed to mournful, something stuttering in her speech. Henry didn’t really do empathy- he relied on other people to do such things for him, had never been adept at navigating out of the maze of his own feelings let alone dealing with others’, but this was something he understood and it seemed inconceivable that they’d been so similar and stepped around each other for so long, when they had a tragedy in common. 

He reached out and put a hand on her arm in an attempt to ease her frenetic energy. “I lost my twin sister,” he said softly. “I know I can be- overwhelming, without trying,” thank you, anonymous veela mother, “But it’s alright.”

“I do love Marseilles in the winter.” She agreed. Granted she had only seen it in person the once, they spent their winters in Aurallic for the most part. But it really had been something to see. “Oh, yes. It is my hometown. Perhaps one day, you will visit? It is charming. Were you a lawyer researcher in Paris as well?”

She couldn’t imagine anyone not telling Henry anything he asked. He was so charming and his voice so beautiful, and he wasn’t even using his Charm. Or at least she didn’t think he was. Would she notice if he did? Laure didn’t mind either way. She was just glad to talk to him. He really was so elegant and amazing.

At his touch and the admission of their shared loss, Laure stilled. She did not wish her current aching loss on anyone, not ever. Even if it meant she could find someone who actually understood what it felt like to get rent asunder. 

“I wish---” She said, tears hot behind her eyes on his behalf instead of her own, “I wish that you never had to lose her. What’s her name? If you would like to talk about her, I would love to listen.”

Couldn’t think of a title sorry

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valerijanovak‌:

She stood slowly, reaching a hand out to help the girl up.  Her hands were steady, despite everything, something she was proud of – this whole thing was bringing up memories that she didn’t want to think about, but that made her more than empathetic to the situation at hand.  “Are you French?” She asked with a small smile.  “I’m from Bulgaria, but I taught myself to speak French a few years ago – I could use the practice, I don’t get to speak it often.  I’m a translator for the Ministry, but they mostly need help with my Russian or Bulgarian.”

The didn’t know each other at all, but she just felt connected to Laure in a way she couldn’t put to words.  So she put a comforting arm around her and led her toward the tea shop.  “I’ll go grab the drinks if you want to find a table.  What kind of tea would you like?”

“Bulgaria, I have--” She cleared her throat and grasped Valerjia’s hand for support. “I went to Sofia once, over a summer. It was beautiful. You have a beautiful country.” 

The other woman’s grip on everything kept her from spiraling further. Valerjia’s soft voice matched her hands. Something about the way she held herself and how she led them both through the crowd made Laure know that she was safe with her. If she had to break down again, Valerjia would stay with her. 

“I am French, yes. I would, would you like to speak French instead?”

Honestly Laure didn’t know much about tea. She enjoyed it but generally let David pick the flavors. He knew everything about tea. “Umm, your favorite, I suppose? I’m much better with coffee flavors than tea ones.”