#estrid soelberg

[carewyncromwell]

25. Feeding each other food for Ru and Estrid 😊

25. Feeding each other food (Rustrid)

featuring Estrid Soelberg @thatravenpuffwitch, Galen Stagg @cursebreakerfarrier and Siobhan Llewelyn @kc-and-co💛

If one were to ask a magizoologist what best to feed a kelpie, most would answer that they're omnivores that will eat just about anything, but are very fond of fish, which is one of the two main things they hunt (the other being humans, which obviously is not a good idea to feed any kelpie you plan on domesticating).

If you were to have consulted Galen Stagg in the later years of his life, however, he would probably have smiled fully and immediately suggest apples. And the reason for the wistful, amused grin on his face would be the memory of his good friend Ru stealing apple pie right off of Estrid's fork one day at dinner one night.

"Ru!" Estrid said, startled. "That's mine."

Ru smirked.

"Didn't see your name on it," they said through the big mouthful of food.

"It was bound to happen, with you leaving it out there on your fork like that, Estrid," Siobhan said amusedly.

Galen gave a quiet laugh despite himself. "Hungry animals always pilfer food, when you get distracted."

"I was trying to listen to what you were saying," Estrid huffed.

She tried to scowl, but it was a bit hard, given how big her smile was. Ru was grinning more fully than ever as they lounged across the bench next to Estrid, their arm flopping down on the table as they propped their head up on their hand. They smacked their lips in a rather loud, uncouth kind of way.

"Mm...this is good," Ru said with interest. "Is that apple?"

"Yes," said Estrid.

"Have you never had apple pie before, Ru?" said Siobhan, surprised.

Ru's electric blue eyes flitted up to Siobhan quickly. Estrid could practically feel the pause they took before responding.

"...Well, the folks don't exactly bake a lot," they said gruffly. "Don't really spoil us much either, aside from stuffy dress robes and uncomfortable shoes."

Estrid knew this was a lie of sorts, given the real reason Ru had never had apple pie would've been because apple pie isn't something you can hunt inside or around the Black Lake...but, at the same time, it probably wasn't a complete lie, all the same. The Ollivanders had always been a rather distant and formal to the point of neglect sort of family, and they'd never really paid their youngest child much mind, either before or after Ru took the real Rudolph's place.

Galen smiled. "Well, this pie is a very good one. The elves really have outdone themselves with it."

Ru eyed the remainder of the piece of pie on Estrid's plate with interest. "Hm, yeah..."

Within a moment, they'd reached into their robes and pulled their box camera out of the inside pocket. They then immediately brought up in front of their right eye, peeking through it at Estrid's plate with single-minded focus.

"Ru," Estrid couldn't help but sigh even as her smile grew wider still, "are you seriously taking a picture of my pie?"

"It's a pie worth remembering," Ru said haughtily.

They frowned deeply as they set about trying to find the right angle, craning their neck and moving from the bench to down to the floor and back.

"Bloody lighting," they muttered more irritably. "If only the ceiling wasn't overcast -- some sun would do these shadows some good..."

They were so focused on what they were doing that they didn't even notice the fork right beside their mouth until Estrid lightly tapped their cheek with it. Ru opened their left eye and was startled to see another piece of apple pie skewered on the end of it and Estrid smiling fully.

"Galen thinks you should be eating dinner, not playing with it," she said airily.

She glanced significantly at Galen, who blushed a rosy pink as he brought his hand away from the apple pie tin that he'd slid across the table to sit in front of Ru. Siobhan was laughing.

Ru cocked their eyebrows very coolly at Estrid. Then, very slowly and pointedly, and while keeping eye contact with her the entire time, the kelpie leaned in and brought the fork into their mouth, sliding the pie off the prongs into their mouth and eating it. Once they'd swallowed the pie, they smacked their lips, smirking fully.

"...I can multitask," Ru said just as coolly in return.

Finally, breaking eye contact with Estrid at last, they then whipped back around to look through their camera at her pie. Estrid bowed her head, unable to bite back a laugh herself.

"So am I just not going to get my pie back?" she asked amusedly.

"Not until I'm happy with the shot," Ru shot back mischievously. After a moment, they added, "I'll, uh...take another piece, though -- if you and Galen are really so determined to make me eat while I work."

Estrid shook her head, but she smiled all the same as she cut Ru another piece of pie, skewered it with her fork, and offered it to them. Only once Ru had found a good resting position for their camera so that it wouldn't move when they looked up did they shift over enough to once again nip it off Estrid's fork and eat it, licking and smacking their lips happily, before looking back through the viewfinder.

"You do realize everyone's going to think you two are going steady all the more, after this," Siobhan teased them.

"Shut it," both Ru and Estrid said dully.

Relationship Prompts!

[endlessly-cursed]

Anya Taylor-Joy in the HP OCverse

Cassia Malfoy (HPHL) @gaygryffindorgal

Estrid Soelberg (HPHL) @thatravenpuffwitch

Arabella Seymour (FBAWTFT) me

[carewyncromwell]

“If I lay here -- if I just lay here --  Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”

~“Chasing Cars” by the Snow Patrol

x~x~x~x

featuring Ru Ollivander and Estrid Soelberg @thatravenpuffwitch​ and a reference to Galen Stagg @cursebreakerfarrier​ 💛 

x~x~x~x

Graduation. It was an event that marked the beginning of a new life, for the students of Hogwarts -- one that, at the turn of the 20th century, often included marrying and promptly starting a family, especially if one came from a well-respected magical family.

The Ollivanders were mortified, therefore, when their youngest child Rudolph (almost exclusively called “Ru”) instead promptly left their family home in favor of moving to Denmark to live with their close school friend Estrid Soelberg and her grandfather Maynard. It was particularly egregious considering that neither Ru nor Estrid had expressed any intention of or interest in marriage despite their cohabitation. 

This is what happens, though, when you pair up a rebellious kelpie impersonating the boy who tried and failed to bridle them when they were young with the solitary half-Veela who somehow managed to bring out and nurture their most human traits. One could hardly expect people like Ru and Estrid to follow popular convention. And so the two pointedly ignored the appalled reactions of the rest of Wizarding society and set about figuring out how to start the next chapter of their lives side by side.

The first hurtle for Ru was eating a proper dinner at the table with Estrid and Maynard, the way normal people do. They had become very used to eating alone, since before Hogwarts they frequently had to scavenge for food, and even at school, they had difficulty not hoarding food away from everyone else. But Maynard -- who’d heard so many stories about Ru from Estrid over the years that he’d already grown quite fond of them -- wished to be hospitable to Ru and make them feel welcome, and as much as the dinner made Ru uncomfortable, they weren’t blind to how much Estrid clearly esteemed her grandfather and really wanted him and Ru to get along. Plus it was because of Maynard that Ru now had a place to live in the first place, so it did behoove the kelpie to show some respect. And so, with some reluctance, Ru soldiered through and stayed at the table. Fortunately, even if their table manners were atrocious and they acted incredibly evasive the entire time, Maynard was a patient man and only approached Ru’s standoffishness with indulgence. He even managed to engage Ru a bit when he mentioned his love for painting.

“What style do you gravitate toward, in your work?” Ru asked, curious. “Neoclassism? Art Nouveau?”

“Oh, nothing quite that avant-garde,” said Maynard with a laugh. “Though I do like it, certainly. No, most of my stuff is more Romantic, in look...you’ll have to forgive an old man for being nostalgic for older styles.”

Ru gave a light snort. “There’s nothing wrong with older styles, if they’re any good. It’s just the Romantic stuff is fluffy and pointless.”

Rather than be offended by this rude assessment, Maynard merely raised his eyebrows, interested.

“Oh? I always thought the style helped capture the true beauty of the world we live in -- even the simplest, most seemingly insignificant kind.”

“That beauty can’t be true when the art polishes it beyond recognition,” Ru countered. “Romantic art turns generals into saviors, gardens into paradise -- normal men with scars and limps and bad posture into nothing but polished, perfect statues. It’s daft. The Romantics were so obsessed with capturing their precious feelings on canvas that all their work does is telegraph what they want their audience to think and feel, rather than trust them to use their own eyes and brains...or let the images just speak for themselves.”

Their electric blue eyes were as bright as the diamond earrings dangling beside their long hair -- shining with a bizarre kind of conviction.

“That’s the true magic of photography -- capturing a moment, just as it is, with all the little mistakes and flaws and blemishes therein. And yet also capturing a person and all of their beauty -- even the flawed, human things that painters stupidly try to gloss over.”

Maynard appeared pleasantly surprised by the response. His eyes seemed to brighten as he shot Estrid a rather wry smile. 

“Well now, Estrid, your friend truly has an artist’s soul!” he said, sounding rather proud. He beamed at Ru. “I have heard marvelous things about your photography, from Estrid. I don’t suppose there’s any photographs you’d be willing to show me, when time permits?”

Ru blinked. Then, upon receiving an encouraging look from Estrid, they gave a mild shrug.

“...S’pose there’s a few,” they granted with a small smirk of their own.

Maynard ended up looking over several albums of Ru’s work while Estrid helped Ru unpack the rest of their things. He was particularly charmed by how many pictures Ru had taken of Estrid dancing. 

When Ru went into the bathroom to wash up for the night, Maynard pulled Estrid aside.

“He’s not fully human either, is he?”

Estrid looked at her grandfather, startled. 

“I would think you sensed it too,” said Maynard. His gaze and voice were very calm. “I’d hazard a guess at mermaid ancestry, but I’m not quite sure...”

Estrid’s dark eyes flitted over to the closed door of the bathroom uncomfortably. 

The old half-Veela brought a hand down onto his granddaughter’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

“No matter,” said Maynard. “It was merely mild curiosity, on my part...your friend seems to have sparked some to life inside of me, whether he meant to or not.”

Estrid looked up at Maynard. His eyes were sparkling fondly. 

“He is a truly fascinating person, my dear,” he murmured. “I can see why you’ve become so fond of him.”

Estrid smiled slightly too, her eyes softening. 

Ru spent a lot of time in the bathtub “washing up” before finally coming out. By the time they’d emerged, their fingers and toes were all wrinkled up like prunes, which seemed to please them quite a bit.

“Now, you see this? This is something else fun about humans,” they said with a broad grin as they sidled in front of the mirror in Estrid’s room and wrung their long black hair dry with a towel. “This body’s three-quarters water -- yet leave it in water for that amount of time, and the skin just crumples under the weight of it! It’s bonkers.”

“If you want to experiment with that again, go take a dip in the pond,” said Estrid coolly. 

She was sitting up in bed and she kept her focus on the book she was reading as she spoke, trying to ignore the fact that Ru had strolled into her room for a chat while dressed in only a smoking jacket. 

“You’re just lucky Grandfather likes you enough to forgive you for using up all the hot water,” she added as she turned the page. 

Ru gave a light bluster through their nose and mouth. “Your grandfather’s a wizard, isn’t he? He can always just heat up some more with his wand, can’t he?”

“No, he can’t,” Estrid shot them down without looking up from her book. “Grandfather never attended Hogwarts. He’s never used a wand.”

Ru blinked slowly at Estrid’s reflection in her long mirror as they considered this. Then, finally, they gave a light “...Hm” and dropped the issue. Clearly they’d decided it really wasn’t their business and, out of respect for Maynard, chose not to press Estrid for an explanation.

“I suppose the pond out there would be a nice place for a swim anyhow,” said Ru offhandedly. “Reckon there’d be some interesting moss and aquatic plants around there too...might make for some good pictures...”

With their black hair now dry, they strode over to Estrid’s bed and flopped down next to her. Their head landed right on the pillows, right above Estrid’s. 

“Ru?” said Estrid, startled. “What are you -- ?”

“What?” said Ru. “It’s comfortable.”

Estrid flushed as Ru closed their eyes. 

“It’s my bed,” she said forcefully. 

But Ru had already started to settle themselves in, turning over in bed so that their face rested in the light blond hair at the top of her head. They exhaled through their nose in a soft sigh that tickled Estrid’s forehead.

Estrid’s blush darkened. “Ru...you’re only half-dressed, you dalcop -- get up -- ”

Ru mumbled something largely undiscernible. 

Estrid brought a hand up to Ru’s chest as if to push them right out of bed, but she found herself hesitating, seeing the look on Ru’s face. 

All tension or strain had left their dark brows or long-lashed eyes. It left a strange, almost innocent expression behind...one better suited to a child, drifting off to a soft lullaby. 

The Hufflepuff didn’t think she’d ever see Ru look quite so peaceful before. 

“Ru...” she said a bit more softly. 

Closing her book and putting it down on the side table, she turned her focus more properly to Ru. She brought her hands up to adjust their smoking jacket, so as to better cover their hairless chest. 

Ru shifted slightly in bed -- without opening their eyes, they blindly brought a hand up through her hair. Then they adjusted on the pillows so that Estrid’s face ended up in the crook of their neck, right beside the glinting silver “bridle” chain fastened there. 

“...’Strid...” their voice came out as a sleepy garble.

Their long fingers tangled in her hair as they cradled the back of her head. Estrid’s expression softened a bit -- she remembered Galen mentioning once that playing with each other’s manes was something kelpies did to express affection. Ru themselves had taken to braiding Estrid’s hair, when they were spending time together on their own, back at school. 

They’d had a long day, Estrid decided. Moving to a new country to start a life you never thought you ever would -- all in preparation for a new newspaper job the next morning -- wasn’t something you did every day. No sense in scolding them for being a bit tired. 

Leaning forward, the Hufflepuff tentatively placed a soft kiss to Ru’s jawline. The feel of their soft, porcelain skin under her lips made her heart race and made Ru give a soft, contented sigh.

“Good night, Ru,” Estrid whispered.

Reaching for her wand on her side table, she quietly put out the lights. Then she brought the covers up and over the two of them, settled back down on the pillows beside Ru, and closed her eyes herself.

By morning, the two slept fully in each other’s embrace, Estrid curled up in a ball at Ru’s side while their legs and arms wound around her, their hand cupped beside her cheek and hair and their face resting beside hers on the pillow. When Estrid woke, the sight of Ru sleeping so peacefully beside her prompted her to kiss them awake -- a tradition that the two would take turns indulging in several times over, on those many wonderful mornings they would wake up, side by side. 

[lifeofkaze]

Welcome to Deadwood - HPHL Wild West AU Masterpost

HPHL Wild West AU Masterpost

This is a masterpost for all the lovely AU-versions of the HPHL community for the Wild West AU. The creators will be tagged and linked accordingly.

If you want me to add your own OC to the list, please reply to/reblog THIS POST right here so this list stays a little more organised and I will update it as soon as I can 💛

The small city of Deadwood lies in the middle of nowhere, deep in the wild, wild west, forgotten and forsaken by everyone but its inhabitants and the dust settling on every building. The only reason to go to Deadwood is to forget or be forgotten. Lately, however, a stream of newcomers has rattled the quiet community. Some of the new faces are famous, some infamous, but one thing is for sure - the peaceful days in Deadwood are over.

@lifeofkaze

Selene Fraser: Having run away from her family's home in Scotland, Selene opened a saloon in Deadwood called The Gold Dragon, together with the business partner Reuben Willows. She gets confronted with her past when an unexpected visitor arrives in Deadwood and shakes her to the core.

Tag/Masterlist: Death Comes To Deadwood

@the-al-chemist (shortened character texts copied from @the-al-chemist )

Ophelia Burke: She’s a wanted woman, a femme fatale, frequenting saloons in search of inebriated wealthy men to seduce and rob. She’s doing very well for herself.

Ethel Hexley: Ethel is a farmer’s daughter who dreams of becoming a judge, but is stuck working as a lowly clerk in the Sheriff’s office. Her plucky attitude and skills see her rising to the role of Deputy.

Jim Hexley: Jim Hexley took over his parents’ small cattle ranch, and is struggling to keep it afloat, more out of a sense of duty than of passion.

Tag/Masterlist: Deadwood Project

@catohphm

Danny Gibson: A well-seasoned Marshal of the United States, Danny is sent by his superiors to investigate the increased rate of crime in the forgotten town of Deadwood.

Tag/Masterlist: Find Danny's masterlist here

@cursebreakerfarrier

Galen Stagg: After recovering from a serious injury, former travelling sheriff Galen Stagg found his peace in retirement on his ranch alongside his wife Siobhan and his beloved animals. But when his home appears to be in danger, he can't fight the call of righteousness and saddles his horse one last time.

Arthur 'Teddy' Elison: Teddy lives a busy life as deputy sheriff to the town of Deadwood. He tries to do his best to uphold the law and protect the people of his hometown from crime and law alike - manifesting in nobody else than the sheriff himself, Teddy's own father.

Emerson Page: Emerson is an (in)famous gambler, whose name is spoken in whispers in every saloon in the wild west. Gambler by day, train robber by night, he knows all the tricks to evade the law. Things change when former sheriff Galen Stagg is sent to hunt him down, however.

Akira Crane (text copied from @cursebreakerfarrier ) : His name is well-known across the whole of the North American continent, but his face? Not so much. Stories are whispered about the Phantom Assassin yet nobody knows what’s true and what’s just a fairytale to scare the faint-hearted. Akira could drift into a saloon, sit right beside you, and you wouldn’t look at him twice.

Tag/Masterlist: Find all of the amazing art and content here

@kc-and-oc

Siobhan Llewellyn: Siobhan is in charge of the horses of Deadwood. If anything is the matter with your steed, she is the first address in town. Her serivce isn't cheap but unrivalled and she never loses her head, no matter how extreme the situation or strong the whiskey. That is, until travelling sheriff Galen Stagg makes his appearance in town.

Eliot Gerard: Eliot "The Bone-Saw" Gerard is Deadwood's resident medic. There are certainly more skilled or more adept doctors to be found in the west, but he does all that he can with the little means he has in Deadwood. If there's one thing you can say about him, is that he's passionate - whether it is about healing his fellow residents or his daily trips to The Gold Dragon Saloon.

Oliver Gerard: Where his brother Eliot's favourite is The Gold Dragon, OIiver is to be found in Deadwood's second establishment, the gambling parlour The Harvest Moon. He plays the piano there for a living and romances the dancers for fun - so far, to no avail.

Tag/Masterlist: Find all things Shiv, Eli and Oli here

@hogwartsmysteryho

Nolan Miller: On his mission to become the richest man in Deadwood by far, banker Nolan Miller knows every trick available to get his hands on every property he sets his eyes on. Some are fair, some are not but then again - so is life.

Vinny Raymond: Deadwood's resident sweetheart, Vinny owns a shop that sells every item imaginable under the sun. His specialty, however, are the sweets he either sells or just plainly gives away for free. He is especially popular with Deadwood's children but no one could ever not love Vinny.

Anastasia Jennings: What's the best thing you can do in a world built on the backs of horses when you don't like them? That's right, open a shop solely dedicated to them. Anastasia's workshop is the place to go if you need a new saddle, bridle or riding crop. Her consulting is as impeccable as her leatherworks.

Tag/Masterlist: Find all the information on Nolan, Vinny and Anastasia here

@unfortunate-arrow

William Devlin: A piano player in one of the local establishments, William’s not quite sure what he’s doing in Deadwood. He watches the tension boil as he plays the piano, occasionally sketches, and falls in love with a certain saloon dancer.

Tag/Masterlist: HPHL Wild West AU

@whatwouldvalerydo

Leila Hellebore: Nobody knows what notorious outlaw Leila did to earn the hefty sum rewarded for her head. The only thing that's for sure is that her presence means trouble for whoever crosses her path. But if you earn her loyalty she'd die for you - figuratively and literally.

Talia Crane: Talia is the current sheriff of Tombstone Valley, a town just as small as forgotten as Deadwood. She replaced her father after he met an untimely demise - some say at her hand but no one would ever dare accuse her to her face. Where she is dangerous with a gun, she is deadly with a whip and any outlaw riding into her town should better think twice about crossing her.

Tag/Masterlist: All things Leila, Talia and their stories are here

@thatravenpuffwitch

Adelia Selwyn: Calamity Addy is the daughter of famous outlaw leader Reg Selwyn. When her father gets shot in Deadwood, she bands together with the sheriff's son and deputy to prevent Deadwood falling into the hands of an even greater criminal than her father ever was.

Gwen Archeron: Having made her fortune as a gambler and thief, Gwen is the owner of Deadwood's second establishment, the gambling parlour The Harvest Moon.

Estrid Soelberg: If you're an outlaw and value your head right where it is right now, you better not cross this former Texas ranger on the hunt for bounty.

Tag/Masterlist: Everything Calamity Addy and her friends is here

[carewyncromwell]

“Ballerina girl...you are so lovely... I can see in you my dreams come true -- Don't you ever go away...”

~“Ballerina Girl” by Lionel Richie

x~x~x~x

At last! Here’s that additional Ru/Estrid content I promised last week! It was so fun to draw your girl again after such a long time, @thatravenpuffwitch​! 💛 (Estrid’s leotard and tutu is based on the Victorian era ballet costume on the right of this photograph!)

My kelpie kid Ru’s main passion is photography, but they’re also enamored with Muggle animation. One of their favorite models ends up becoming their “keeper,” Estrid, particularly when she practices ballet. In Ru’s words, Estrid’s limbs “just move interestingly” when she dances. So here Ru is with their favorite model, very hard in concentration as they try to capture the grace of Estrid’s hands and feet. I frankly don’t blame Estrid for being a little startled by just how intense Ru’s gaze is...even when I showed my mum this sketch, she said she found their eyes very striking! 😊I actually have two other sketches of Ru in my sketchbook that I hope to finish editing, one as a kelpie and one in human form (hey, what can I say, it’s been fun to do content for them again after so long!), so hopefully those’ll be done soon too.

Much love, all! Happy holidays!! ❄️

[carewyncromwell]

LOL, yes! 🤣

Enemies to lovers romance is the journey from sweetheart (derogatory) to sweetheart (affectionate)

[carewyncromwell]

I was starving for some Ru, Estrid, Galen, and Siobhan content, so here are some random incorrect quotes 💙 @thatravenpuffwitch @cursebreakerfarrier @kc-and-co

~~~

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[carewyncromwell]

@thatravenpuffwitch When the character who reminded you a bit of Adelia wears outfits that Estrid would knock the socks off of... 😏

EMILY BLUNT as DR. LILY HOUGHTON in Jungle Cruise (2021) dir. Jaume Collet-Serra

[carewyncromwell]

RU FOR MERMAY!?!?!?

"Oh, how beautiful it used to be, Just you and me far beyond the sea -- The waters, scarce in motion, Quivering still..."

~"Turn Loose the Mermaids" by Nightwish

x~x~x~x

I had been expecting HPHM canon characters, but...COME ON, there's no way I was going to pass up the chance to draw my kelpie kiddo as a merperson! 🥰 The darker-colored "scales" along their face, neck, waist, and underarms didn't quite turn out the way I hoped, but I tried to evoke their kelpie design, with the tail --

Never thought of it before, but I must admit, Estrid would look pretty dang fine in Prince Eric's outfit from Disney's The Little Mermaid. 😏

Any HPHM merpeople you want to see from me, for Mermay?

[carewyncromwell]

“Keep holding on 'Cause you know we'll make it through --  We'll make it through... Just stay strong 'Cause you know I'm here for you --  I'm here for you... There's nothing you can say -- nothing you can do -- There's no other way when it comes to the truth, So keep holding on, 'Cause you know we'll make it through -- We'll make it through...” ~“Keep Holding On” by Avril Lavigne

x~x~x~x

After Estrid Soelberg @thatravenpuffwitch​ and Ru Ollivander graduated from Hogwarts, they moved in with Estrid’s grandfather in Løkken, Denmark. The move was the subject of many a raised eyebrow, given that Ru hadn’t even proposed marriage to Estrid, so the two were “living in sin” by cohabitating together. But since neither Ru nor Estrid really saw much point in marriage as a practice and Ru actively disdained public opinion at large, they lived in the little coast-front cottage very happily. From the very first night they arrived at Estrid’s family home, Ru took up permanent residence in Estrid’s bed and, from that point on, always fell off to sleep every night nearly immediately, once they’d properly situated themselves beside Estrid with their hand in buried in her hair and their head resting on top of hers. And as the years went by, Estrid and Ru grew closer still, to the point that Estrid could almost forget sometimes that Ru was a kelpie who had taken the real Rudolph Ollivander’s place and had only stopped eating people by her own interference. 

At least...until her eye was drawn to the silver chain still lingering around Ru’s neck. 

It had belonged to Estrid’s mother originally. Estrid had used it to bind Ru so that they couldn’t transform out of human form, though she hadn’t used it like a bridle in years. Over the years, it had really just become a pretty fashion accessory, not unlike Ru’s trademark diamond earrings. Ru didn’t fight against it anymore -- in fact, the chain often became a focal point on Ru’s bare neck, now that they’d completely rejected wearing collared shirts all together and now took to just wearing suit jackets and vests completely on their own. It was like they’d embraced it...like they no longer saw it as something imprisoning them, but an extension of themselves...

And yet even with this -- even while thinking that Ru didn’t hate their collar anymore and that they had changed enough that they would probably never hurt anyone again...Estrid still had trouble with the thought of actually taking it off of Ru’s neck. Not because she thought Ru would immediately go back to hunting humans again...but because part of her worried that if they were free, they would run away and never return. And with how defeatist Ru had been about their life post-Hogwarts -- how much they’d seemingly accepted that they weren’t destined for a real future...it didn’t seem farfetched. And if they did run...Estrid found herself fearing the thought more than she could properly express. 

This inner turmoil inside of Estrid came to a head when her beloved grandfather Maynard passed away. Given that Maynard largely raised Estrid after her mother was sent to Azkaban for accidentally killing her father, the loss was a crippling blow to Estrid. Her grief overpowered everything else, and soon she began drinking heavily, just to try to get through the day. 

Ru -- being a kelpie abandoned immediately after birth and a rather blunt and rude personality besides -- had a lot of difficulty trying to help Estrid through her grief. All the same, though, they couldn’t bear seeing Estrid falling apart -- and so they tried to help the only way they knew how. They quietly withdrew, covertly collecting all of the photographs and portraits of Maynard off the walls of the house and going off to draw by themselves for very long hours at a time. 

The withdrawal, though, unsettled Estrid, who could sense that Ru was hiding something...and in her emotional state, she immediately began to fear the worst. Ru had never been good with people being emotional, and despite her best efforts, she knew that’s what she was. The kelpie was undoubtedly becoming restless -- like a horse wishing to buck its rider off its back.

Then one night, after Estrid came home much drunker than usual, Ru finally put their foot down. They prevented Estrid from fetching anything more to drink, keeping it well out of their reach with their superior height, and rather harshly scolded her. 

“Pull yourself together, will you?! UGH -- just step off for one bloody minute and look at yourself! Slopping drunk, swaying like a sick murtlap -- you think I want to see you like this? You think I know how to deal with you, when you’re like this?”

Estrid was too drunk to contain her intense emotions. She screamed right back at Ru, not caring how heated and loud their exchange got. 

“Right, of course -- because you’ve just got to ‘deal with me’ -- at least when you’re not hiding away in Grandfather’s study constantly -- !”

“I already told you I’m working on something -- ”

“While shutting me out! While hiding away from me, while pulling away -- just like back at school, just like when you were set to just disappear forever, without a word or any warning -- ”

“It’s not like that! Ugh -- I just need some space to finish my project!”

“Dare try to tell me that you want me around. Go on -- lie to my face!”

When Ru didn’t immediately respond, instead going very quiet and solemn, Estrid finally broke down. The loss of her grandfather had rocked her whole world...and now, it seemed, she was losing Ru too. 

No. If they really didn’t want her around...wanted to get away...she’d clearly lost them already.

So Estrid, forcing back her tears, blinked up at Ru with bleary resolve. 

“...All right, then.” 

She reached up with both hands and, before Ru could even properly register what was happening, she unclasped the chain from around their neck.

Ru’s electric-blue eyes grew very wide. The silver chain dangled, open and useless, on Ru’s shoulder for a moment, before as if in slow motion, it succumbed to its own gravity and fell to the floor with a clatter. 

“Go,” said Estrid, her choked, slurred voice very hard and low in her throat. “Go on. You can now. Nothing’s stopping you...”

Ru stared. “Estrid...”

“You’re free,” Estrid cut him off, trying in vain to keep the pain out of her voice. “You want to go, and now you can, so...so go! You don’t have to deal with me anymore, so just go. Be free. Go.”

Her eyes were filling with tears again, though she didn’t even seem to realize it. She breathed hard, her gaze locked up at Ru as she waited for them to react -- waited for them to withdraw again, to relish their freedom...to move to the door, or the window, or even the chimney, and then transform into a bird or something and fly away forever...

But Ru didn’t move. They didn’t speak. They barely even acknowledged their newly restored freedom. All they really did was just look down, almost bereft, at the chain lying abandoned on the floor between their and Estrid’s feet. Their mouth hung open slightly as their electric-blue eyes looked from the chain to up at Estrid’s face.

And when their eyes met, Estrid gave a start -- for Ru’s eyes shone with a glint she’d never seen before: something almost like a little lost foal, shaking and uncertain.

Then, before Estrid knew what was happening, the kelpie had lashed out their arms and enveloped her, yanking her right up against their chest and cradling her in their arms. 

“You idiot...” they mumbled under their breath. “...Don’t...give such contradictory directions like that!”

Estrid faltered. 

“Be free or go,” Ru plowed on, their blunt voice sounding more upset than ever. “You really think if I’m free to choose where I go, I’d choose to leave you?”

Estrid looked up at him, stunned. 

“But -- “ she stammered, “but you don’t want to be around me -- ”

“I said I don’t know how to deal with you like this,” Ru shot her down, but their voice didn’t come out as harshly as it usually did. “You know I’m shite at talking about feelings and stuff!”

Ru’s long fingers clutched at the back of her blond head.

“Estrid, I was avoiding you -- and yeah, I didn’t contradict you, when you said I didn’t want to be around you. ...But that’s only because I don’t want you to see what I’m working on until it’s done...”

Their fingers ran through the strands absently, as if thinking to pet her like a restless animal.

“I don’t know if it’ll help,” they murmured. “I don’t even know if it’ll do any good at all, but...but I don’t have any other skills or magic that could make the pain go away...”

They brought their face beside Estrid’s, almost nuzzling her forehead and hair with their nose and lips.

“And I...I don’t know what else to do.”

Estrid was so stunned that for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. Tears flooded her eyes again, and despite her best attempts to bite them back, they streamed down her cheeks with reckless abandon. She shut her eyes tight, trying to choke back her sobs, but it was no use. She threw her own arms around them, clinging to their violet velvet suit jacket as she broke down completely. All the while, Ru nuzzled the top of her head and cradled her in their arms, right up beside their heart -- and they kept Estrid there until she finally stopped crying. And even when she did stop crying and Ru brought her to bed, she awoke to find herself once again cradled in their arms, their face just as content and peaceful as it had been when they’d first arrived.  

They weren’t running. They weren’t hiding. They were staying. Really staying, the way Estrid had wanted them to. Even without the chain keeping them together...Ru stayed. They stayed night after night, sleeping by her side and pouring out every bit of alcohol they could find in the house so as to keep it out of Estrid’s hands. They stayed day after day, using their newly restored ability to shapeshift to turn into various animals so as to accompany Estrid on her walks to the market or curl up in her lap in the afternoon. They stayed until long after their project was finished -- a project that turned out to be a beautiful photographic and illustrated film tribute to Maynard that brought Estrid to tears all over again, this time of joy. 

Ru stayed -- with no regret or reluctance whatsoever. For it turned out that Estrid Soelberg -- through the power of courage, compassion, and a lot of patience -- was one of the only witches in Wizarding history to successfully domesticate a kelpie. 

[carewyncromwell]

hello! uve actually probably said this stuff somewhere, but ive just read ru’s blurb, and i hv some questions, if u don’t mind. how does this body-stealing thing work? was it intentional? what happened to the og ravenclaw boy? how did he get into photography? does he hv any other hobbies? where does he live in the summer? y is he so attractive (jk jk- ik it’s bcuz harry styles is beautiful in every way)? sry ik that’s a lot haha but i’m v curious now. no pressure!!!!!!! and thank you!!!!!!

Hi there, sweetie! 💙 I'd be happy to dive into this and answer your questions about my precious kelpie kid...

The first thing to understand about the original Rudolph Ollivander -- the boy whose identity Ru stole -- is that he was the fifth and youngest son in his family. Because of his pureblood ancestry, Rudolph grew up very entitled, arrogant and prejudiced toward those of "lesser breeding" (read: Muggle-borns and halfbloods) -- but because of his inferiority complex about being that youngest son of five, Rudolph was also ruthlessly ambitious and rather mean-spirited, to the point that he alienated all of his classmates. Rudolph was determined to be the best in everything and resolved to achieve great things by tapping into knowledge no one else had and/or was supposedly smart or brave enough to use. Then no one would dare look down on him or ignore him again. He would make sure everyone remembered what he had achieved that no one else had, and that everyone acknowledged his true genius.

Although no one can really know why the third-year Ravenclaw decided to sneak out after curfew one night to the Black Lake to try to capture a kelpie, one can make some educated guesses. The Ollivander family had occasionally dabbled in using kelpie hair in their wands in the past due to their rare, potent power as a core, but the difficulty of acquiring it and using it made it so that they phased it out for less temperamental ingredients. One classmate even heard Rudolph commenting once that a kelpie could be a cool pet when trained, since it could change form into anything it wanted and wouldn't be able to fight back if it were properly restrained, and seeming completely unfazed when the classmate pointed out that kelpies sometimes ate people. If anything, Rudolph almost seemed smug about that idea.

Whatever the reason Rudolph had in mind, he was brutal in his attempt to capture the kelpie colt he came across in the Black Lake that night, and the colt -- both furious at the boy's presumption to try to bind and domesticate them against their will and badly injured by his spells -- successfully lashed their fish-like tail around Rudolph's leg and dragged him under the water, holding him there until he finally stopped moving. (...Well, just about all folklore agrees that kelpies drown people. Might've been self-defense, might've not been a completely conscious decision, but it is what it is. 😓)

It was only after the kelpie colt got a good look at the boy who had cut their flank and head open and tried to bind them with a bridle that they realized he was a student from the school next to the Black Lake -- the school that, as fate would have it, the kelpie had been watching longingly from afar nearly their whole life.

The kelpie -- who at that point had no name -- had lived a completely solitary existence those first two years of its life, devoid of just about any mental stimulation or company, and although they were more than used to being alone, the school and the things its students did...they ensnared the magical horse's curiosity, encouraged their fascination. The kelpie had wished they could just disguise themselves as a student and slip back into the school along with those kids, just to get a look inside...but they knew if they did, they'd get caught almost straightaway, since everyone would figure out they didn't belong there as soon as the student they'd disguised themselves as ended up in the same space as them or put two-and-two together. But now...now, with this human boy having stupidly tried to capture them, only to end up dead...there was now a human who wouldn't expose them, if the kelpie took their identity. The kelpie could just shapeshift themselves to resemble this boy, and they'd probably be able to enter the school with ease.

So the kelpie took on the form of the boy as best they could, even with the massive bleeding injuries to their new head, chest and legs, dressed themselves in his clothes, and "washed up ashore" so that the staff could find them. Non-the-wiser, those professors brought the "boy" in, completely unaware that this was not Rudolph Ollivander. They were brought to the Hospital Wing, where the school matron determined that whatever had attacked "Rudolph" in the Lake, it had been so traumatic that it gave "the poor boy" brain and nerve damage, which somehow mysteriously reduced "his" magical abilities and even altered "his" personality. And yes, indeed, "Rudolph Ollivander" -- taking the name "Ru" for themselves -- went through a complete transformation personality-wise, becoming much looser, sassier, and more non-conformist than before...but considering the real Rudolph had had no friends in the world, no one ever considered that this bizarre new character wasn't truly him. Even the Ollivander family -- as appalled as they were when their "youngest son" started growing their hair out and wearing earrings -- didn't even know the real Rudolph well enough to know this was indicative of more than just "brain and nerve damage." The only person who truly suspected this wasn't really Rudolph was one of his old classmates from Hufflepuff, Estrid Soelberg @thatravenpuffwitch, and that was because she sensed the student called "Rudolph" was no longer human, rather than out of any caring for or investment in Rudolph himself.

Since Ru is definitively considered Rudolph Ollivander in the eyes of just about everyone (excluding Estrid and later Siobhan Llewellyn @kc-and-oc and Galen Stagg @cursebreakerfarrier), Ru lives at the Ollivander estate over the summer just as Rudolph would have, with the boy's family being completely ignorant of the fact that they're housing the creature that drowned their son. (Irony. 😬) The Ollivanders honestly try to "look the other way" and distance themselves from their "delinquent youngest son," rather than actively punish or disown Ru -- Ru themselves honestly regards the situation as rather unpleasant, since, as they themselves mentally noted at one point when Mrs. Ollivander fainted at the sight of their newly pierced ears, "I daresay those two never took half so much notice of their youngest son, when he was still alive."

Ru got into photography because -- at their heart -- the thing that drew them most to humans and fascinated them enough to want to disguise themselves as one was mankind's tendency and ability to record the past in a lasting way, through writing, music, art, and especially photography. Since kelpies live such short lives and Ru themselves has always lived a lonely, transient existence with nothing anchoring them to the earth, they're enamored with the thought of leaving something behind, after they've gone -- to "plant seeds in a garden" that will grow long after they're dead. Over time it's a dream that Ru thinks is impossible, since they have no family that would take care of the things they've created and maintain their legacy...but fortunately, in the found family they're created (*eyes Estrid, Galen, and Siobhan*), Ru ends up finding people who do love the things they've created enough to make sure that work -- and Ru themselves -- are not forgotten.

[carewyncromwell]

Carey, Orion, Ru, Bat, & my favorite Jacob - Jacob Cromwell

Carewyn Cromwell ~ "I Saved the World Today" by the Eurythmics

"There's a million mouths to feed, And I've got everything I need... I'm breathing... And there's a hurting thing inside, But I've got everything to hide... I'm grieving..."

Besides being by Carewyn's favorite band, this song is all about seeing all of the terrible pain of the world and feeling like all of your charitable efforts to try to mitigate them just don't quite measure up. And yeah, that's really Carewyn in a nutshell -- putting on a perfect face and trying to do good things for other people, but always feeling like she falls short. There's such a beautiful bittersweet, thoughtful melancholy to this that just suits my girl perfectly, in my mind.

Orion Amari ~ "Anticipation" by Carly Simon

And tomorrow we might not be together -- I'm no prophet and I don't know nature's ways, So I'll try and see into your eyes right now And stay right here...'cause these are the good old days!

In my headcanon version of Carewyn's story, this is the first song Orion ever hears Carewyn sing, and...yeah, honestly, what a perfect song choice, for the audience she had! It's all about making this wonderful spiritual connection with another person, but also knowing that it may be doomed to be fleeting, so deciding to simply enjoy it in the moment. Considering Orion is the sort of person to live in the moment and find peace despite the machinations of fate, those words really suit him and the beginnings of his (at the time platonic) relationship with Carewyn.

Ru Ollivander ~ "I'll Cover You" from RENT

"I've longed to discover Something as true as this is! So with a thousand sweet kisses, (If you're cold and you're lonely) I'll cover you! With a thousand sweet kisses, (You've got one nickel only) I'll cover you! With a thousand sweet kisses, (When you're worn out and tired) I'll cover you! With a thousand sweet kisses, (When your heart has expired) I'll cover you!"

This is one of Ru's relationship themes with Estrid @thatravenpuffwitch, and it just gives me SUCH feels, okay! 🥰 These two are very aware that their time together isn't going to last, since Ru as a kelpie has such a shortened lifespan, but they still have such a wonderful, fulfilling life together, each finding some bizarre completion in their partner. Even the more bittersweet lyrics (which are ring more sadly in the musical's heartbreaking reprise of this number) perfectly foreshadow Ru's death the same way it does Angel's in the original musical.

Robert Harker / Bat Varney / Robert "Bat" Bellamy ~ "I Know Those Eyes / This Man is Dead" from The Count of Monte Cristo (musical)

I started working on an animatic of this scenario and posted a small in-progress piece of it on my blog a while ago...but this song kind of perfectly captures the conflicted emotions that Bat and Cecelia felt, the last time they ever met, which was likewise only the second time they'd seen each other since Bat was first turned into a vampire. The longing, haunted, romantic aspect, juxtaposed with that colder resentment and bitter resignation, is a great fit for Cecelia trying one last time to reach out to Bat, even though both of them know that their relationship has fractured before repair. Only in another lifetime could these two possibly ever start over and try to make up for the mistakes made...

Jacob Cromwell ~ "Better Than I Know Myself" by Adam Lambert

"I know it gets hard sometimes, But I could never leave your side, No matter what I say... 'Cause if I wanted to go, I would've gone by now, But I really need you near me To keep my mind off the edge... If I wanted to leave, I would've left by now, But you're the only one that knows me -- Better than I know myself..."

This is actually one of several themes for Jacob's relationship with his little sister Carewyn, and...yeah, I just love it for my book-smart, people-dumb spaceman! Because as much as Jacob tries to push Carewyn away in a misguided attempt to protect her from R (something Carewyn honestly also does with her own friends, at the beginning of year 6) and as much as Carewyn gets frustrated with Jacob, the two of them truly do understand each other in a way that no one else does, not just because of their Legilimency potential that helped them connect mentally very early on, but also because Jacob arguably helped raise Carewyn. And even if Jacob was originally nine years older than Carewyn (an age gap shrunk down to two years thanks to Jacob's captivity), the two Cromwell siblings really do cherish each other like no one else in the world and feel incomplete without the other in their lives.

Give me a character, I’ll give you a song!

[carewyncromwell]

“All right, Ru, fess up: why exactly did you want me to come with you to this thing? I know it can’t be just for pictures -- otherwise you wouldn’t have dressed up so well yourself.”

“Oh? So you like it?”

“Yes, I do, but don’t change the subject.”

“Pfft, I’m actually not. See, I heard there’s supposed to be a whole bunch of Ministry gibfaces trotting on in here for some stupid photo op where they get to crow about how their new educational policies are ‘shaping the next generation of witches and wizards in their image’ or some such...”

“(smiling despite herself)...And you knew the two of us would be the perfect contradiction of that.”

“(smirking) What can I say, I loved the thought of giving these old fossils a good kick up the arse.”

x~x~x~x

Part 2 of the Halloween sketches -- this time featuring Ru Ollivander as Raya from Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon and their "keeper” Estrid Soelberg @thatravenpuffwitch as Sheeta from Studio Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky!

Castle in the Sky is one of my all-time favorite Studio Ghibli movies, only being beaten out by Whisper of the Heart, which I largely love because of how much I personally identify with the main character. But Castle in the Sky has pretty much everything I love -- magical lands, lost royalty, pirates, adventure, loving friendship, mystery, charm, wonder, action -- while still also creating a unique cast of characters and a story that beautifully integrates subtle themes of both environmentalism and the danger of unchecked militarism. Sheeta, its main female protagonist, is also one of my favorite Ghibli heroines. Although she’s definitely on the quiet and gentle side, Sheeta is indisputably brave as a bear and she can more than take care of herself, when put in a dangerous situation, and the same can also be said for Estrid. She may advocate for peace and love animals and nature, but she isn’t afraid to knock somebody out with a spare wine bottle or chuck a shovel in someone’s face if she has to. Plus the look she wears while flying with the sky pirates really reminds me of old Victorian Turkish trousers, which is definitely Estrid’s aesthetic. Even her home far out in the country just reminded me of Estrid’s peaceful existence in Denmark with Ru. 

As for Ru as Raya...I’ll be honest, this was largely inspired by Ru’s hair being a lot like Raya’s. 😂 But considering that a lot of people have seen queer subtext in Raya’s relationship with Namaari and Ru themselves is genderfluid, I kind of liked the idea of having them dress as a female character who nonetheless dresses in a way that isn’t “feminine” in the traditional sense. I also gave Ru earrings like the sword Raya carries, because I’m sorry, but I will never NOT be able to draw Ru without large earrings -- it’s practically their thing. 

Happy Halloween, all! Hope your night is going well! xoxo 🎃

[carewyncromwell]

[HPHL] The Nutcracker AU Moodboard

Starring...

Clara ~ Adelia Selwyn @thatravenpuffwitch [faceclaim: Dakota Fanning]

Nutcracker ~ Teddy Ellison @cursebreakerfarrier [faceclaim: Robert Sean Leonard]

The Mouse King ~ Ru Ollivander @carewyncromwell [faceclaim: Harry Styles]

Sugarplum Fairy ~ Estrid Soelberg @thatravenpuffwitch [faceclaim: Holland Roden]

Drosselmeyer ~ Bat Varney @carewyncromwell [faceclaim: Josh Groban]

xxx hope you like it, Erin sweetie! ❄

[carewyncromwell]

😂 Ru would make a perfectly adorable ornery cat! I could totally see Ru, after losing that enchanted “bridle” chain around their neck, turning into a cat so they could climb around on Estrid’s shoulders and curl up in her lap!! @thatravenpuffwitch 💙

[carewyncromwell]

“Oh, you're everything I'm wanting -- Come to think of it, I'm aching... On account of my transgression, Will you welcome this confession? Could this be out of line? Could this be out of line, To say you're the only one breaking me down like this? You're the only one I would take a shot on -- Keep me hanging on so contagiously...” ~“So Contagious” by Acceptance 

x~x~x~x

In Estrid Soelberg’s @thatravenpuffwitch sixth year, there was a noticeable shift in the kelpie who’d taken on the identity of Rudolph Ollivander. Ru was as snarky and anti-status-quo as ever, but they also didn’t seem to look upon everyone with so much universal disdain or distrust. They would initiate a game of Wizard’s Chess with their fellow Ravenclaws now again, including Siobhan Llewelyn @kc-needs-coffee. They enjoyed spending time with Galen Stagg @cursebreakerfarrier, even going so far as to rope the meeker Gryffindor into helping him scare some of their classmates at the Shrieking Shack (which resulted in the two “running for the lives” to get away from their targets’ retaliation, Ru laughing their head off all the while). And with Estrid herself, Ru had actually started taking to asking her to dance with them and then whisking them away so that she wouldn’t have to deal with a hundred and one guys trying to court her at parties. Admittedly that particular behavior only made the rumor machine at school work double-time -- the entire school, it seemed like, saw Ru and Estrid as a couple, or at least sweet on each other, just because of how much time they spent together. It had been rather aggravating for both Ru and Estrid for a long time, even after they stopped actively hating each other and started nurturing a real friendship. 

As their seventh year began, Ru’s relationships with both Galen and Estrid grew even closer. Before long, you wouldn’t see one without the other two. If Galen ever got bullied, Estrid and Ru would ride to his rescue. Whenever Estrid had to brave parties, Ru was her shadow, warding off all unwanted advances. And once, when Ru was challenged to a duel by a Gryffindor and one of his buddies and then attacked from behind upon them winning by throwing a potion in their opponent’s face, Galen went full-on “Papa Bear,” blocking the spell before it could land on Ru, disarming the bloke who’d attacked them, and sticking his wand right in the other Gryffindor’s face until he backed off. And as the three’s friendship grew stronger, Estrid really started to realize how much she dreaded the end of her time at Hogwarts. She’d miss spending time with Galen and Ru -- having them always there. 

Ru in particular she hated the thought of saying goodbye to. As a kelpie, Ru had no real family, and they didn’t see themselves as having many prospects for a real future. They didn’t have very strong magic, and their life-span was short enough that they’d have trouble disguising themselves after a while. 

“Sooner or later, any folks around me at a job or some such would start giving me the side eye,” Ru had said at the time, sounding rather grim and resigned, “they’d dismiss all the theories like botched Transfiguration or a Dark curse, and Bob’s your uncle, they’d figure out the truth. At that point...well. The game would really be over then, wouldn’t it?”

It was that masquerade that was central to Ru’s current life. They’d only gotten into Hogwarts by pretending to be Rudolph Ollivander, so without their identity as Rudolph, they didn’t have a pair of shoes to fill that wouldn’t arouse suspicion. And once that identity was taken from them and they were revealed for what they were, Ru seemed pretty convinced that no one would want to stick by them. They hadn’t even told Galen the truth about what they were yet, and Estrid suspected it was largely because they feared what their best friend would think, if he knew they’d stolen the identity of the Ravenclaw boy they’d drowned in the Lake four years ago. Estrid got the feeling that Ru was already preparing to say goodbye to their life as a human and retreat back to that solitary existence they led prior to attending Hogwarts...and that thought hurt Estrid. She hated the thought of Ru living out the rest of their life alone...only being able to look back at all of the fun things they did at Hogwarts, and never be able to try anything new ever again. Never be able to take any more pictures, or get any better at their crude animations, or even take a stroll through the pouring rain again...

The memory of the two of them dancing in the rain together the previous year rippled again over Estrid’s mind. 

Ru had been so happy, just dancing with her in the rain and enjoying the squishing, squelching sounds made by their shoes and their sopping wet clothes. It just didn’t seem fair that someone who could be happy with so little had to condemn themselves to a life devoid of even those little pleasures. But could she really expect a wild creature to put their own self-preservation at risk -- expect Ru to actually brave the consequences of their past actions? As much fun as they had as a human, and as much fun as they had at school...well, it’d already seemed like they’d given up. Like they’d seen the writing on the wall and were prepared to go out quietly, like a very old cat sneaking out of the house to die in peace. And as human as they were...they were still a kelpie. Would they even be happy with the kind of life witches and wizards led post-Hogwarts -- one with structure, with employment and responsibilities -- with family? 

Perhaps it was because of how guilty she felt about Ru’s situation that Estrid agreed to go with Ru when the kelpie decided to take advantage of the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend to sneak out to a photography exposition in a nearby Muggle town. It was likely because of his loyalty as a friend than Galen tagged along too...and perhaps because Siobhan Llewelyn had also caught wind that Ru was sneaking out and decided to tag along too. 

It was a bit strange, dressing in something other than their school uniforms. Estrid had decided it would be practical to wear pants, since they’d probably have to be able to run quickly in case they got caught sneaking out or sneaking back in. She hadn’t been sure what Ru would do, exactly, since she’d never seen them in anything but their school uniform -- when Ru met up with them, though, dressed in a flared red hunting jacket and khaki trousers with no shirt underneath, she found herself completely unsurprised. Ru already never buttoned their uniform shirt, presumably because of how much they hated collars -- Estrid supposed it was only the next step, to walk around just in a jacket without any shirt on at all! 

The exhibition showcased a series of so-called “moving pictures” -- compilations of still photographs that, when put together, created the illusion of movement. Magical photography tried to create such movement through the use of enchantments, like the kind used on enchanted portraits, but the technology of photography didn’t mesh well with those sorts of enchantments, since it was harder to “fold” the enchantments into the photographs the same way one could with paints, and so they were often poor quality and would often lose a lot of the magic trying to give them the ability to talk and move before long. But, as Ru pointed out to the others, these “moving pictures” the Muggles had developed could be played over and over and over again in a loop, and even if there was no sound included, the overall quality of the pictures remained the same. 

“It doesn’t even try to recreate life, like wizards do with their pictures,” said Ru. “Instead it creates the illusion of life -- records one moment, rather than stupidly trying and failing to recreate everything that person was. And that one moment is enough! It’s more than enough. With that one moment recorded, you get all the information you need. You can fill in the blanks of everything else on your own.”

The four spent the day watching and enjoying moving pictures of walking in Paris, France, galloping horses, and even a girl feeding her cat. The entire time, Ru was transfixed, sitting awkwardly as ever on their chair between Estrid and Galen with their way-too-long legs crossed at a weird angle and leaning across their own lap to look at the pictures better. At one point, Ru leaned their head very far to the side close to Estrid, to try to see the picture from a certain angle, and their long black hair came down like a curtain beside Estrid’s face. 

Biting back a laugh, Estrid carefully brought a hand up to smooth Ru’s hair out of her face. The gesture startled Ru and made them look at her.

“Here,” whispered Estrid with a fond smile. 

She very gently reached up to tuck Ru’s hair behind their ear. 

Ru’s face flushed slightly. Their electric blue eyes darted off to the side.

“...Thanks,” they muttered.

Close by, a couple of older matrons whispered amongst themselves.

“Ah, that’s how the couples are split, then -- left and right pairs -- ”

“Such a strange-looking pair on the right, wouldn’t you say?”

“Perhaps...but look at that dark-haired lad, he’s clearly smitten -- ”

“Is that a lad? Good heavens, that hair -- ”

Estrid shot a tired look over her shoulder. 

“Sounds like people are jumping to that old conclusion again,” she said to Ru with a wry smile.

Ru was still blushing slightly, their mouth twisted in a frown. “...Mm.”

No snarky comment? That was odd. Ru would hardly ever pass up the chance to scoff about how humans’ ideas of “romance” and courting were utterly bizarre. Instead there was almost something...grim in their expression.

People wouldn’t be making that mistake anymore, Estrid thought sadly, if Ru disappeared back into the void, once their class graduated... 

The kelpie returned their focus back to the screen, and Estrid followed suit gladly. At least it seemed Galen and Siobhan were too distracted talking amongst themselves to overhear. 

Unfortunately the group couldn’t stay for the entire exposition, if they wanted to sneak their way back into school with the rest of the kids enjoying their Hogsmeade weekend without getting caught. And although Ru flagrantly ignored the rules most of the time, they seemed oddly concerned about the others’ feelings on the matter, for once.

“Don’t want your whole future getting derailed right as you’re reaching the finish line, do you?” they said rather gruffly.

Estrid had almost never heard the kelpie think of the future that way before. But, of course, even then...it was their friends’ futures. Not their own. Because they didn’t think they’d have any chance of a future themselves...

As the four sat together at the table in the Three Broomsticks, chatting and laughing over some butterbeers and pickled oysters, a fiery, robust feeling was slowly forming in Estrid’s chest, crystallizing and hardening like some kind of flaming hot diamond. 

Ru deserved a future. Even if they had once drowned somebody and stolen his identity -- even if they’d nearly eaten a first year -- they’d grown so much since then, and Estrid had seen there was so much more to them since then. Ru deserved to be able to keep living as a human as long as they wanted. They deserved to live their life to its fullest, even if it was short. They deserved to have somewhere safe to go, even if everyone else found out the truth about what they were and turned their backs on them. ...They deserved to be happy. 

“Estrid?”

Estrid felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. It was Ru, looming over her like a shadow as always.

“Everyone’s getting ready to leave,” they prompted her.

Estrid looked up. All the students in the Three Broomsticks were gathering together in a clump that migrated toward the door. Galen and Siobhan had already started heading out too, whispering amongst themselves -- Galen shot a very quick glance over his shoulder at them and smiled before turning back to Siobhan. 

“...So they are,” said Estrid.

Despite this, she found herself not immediately getting to her feet. She stayed seated for another moment, her eyes on the table. She could sense Ru watching her, but they didn’t speak again. They sensed that she was deep in thought and decided not to interrupt. It was something Estrid appreciated about Ru -- they were never afraid of silence. 

Estrid closed her eyes, exhaled through her nose, and then opened her mouth to speak. Unfortunately, before she could, a voice cut her off.

“Come on, lovebirds!” crowed a particularly obnoxious Hufflepuff boy. “Don’t want to be left behind, do you?”

Both Ru and Estrid shot the boy a very dirty glare.

“We’re not lovebirds, Wilfred,” Estrid shot back dully. 

She sighed. 

“...What is it you like to say about silence being better than stuffing the space with useless words?” she asked Ru, her voice touched with dry amusement.

Ru avoided her eyes, frowning deeply again. “...Hn.”

The amusement slid off of Estrid’s face. No snarky response again?

“Ru?” she asked. 

“What?” said Ru. 

“Are you...” Estrid bit her lip, “...is there something on your mind?”

Ru gave a loud bluster through their nose and mouth. “I would damn well hope so -- I don’t know how so many people go around with nothing in their heads...”

Estrid relaxed noticeably despite herself. 

“Well, now you’re sounding more like yourself, at least,” she said with another light sigh and a small smile. She rose from the bench at last. “Come on then...suppose we’d better catch up with Galen...”

She’d barely gotten all the way to her feet when she suddenly felt a light tap to her cheek. 

Estrid turned her head. Ru had brought a hand up beside her face, their long pointer finger and thumb only touching her skin just enough to prompt her to look at them. They’d also bent down enough that the collar of their jacket gaped slightly, showing off the Adam’s apple and the top of the pale chest under their silver chain, and that Estrid’s and their faces were only a few inches apart. 

“Estrid...”

Ru swallowed. Something seemed to harden in their electric blue eyes, and they plowed on bluntly. 

“...Look -- I’m attracted to you, okay?”

Estrid gave a light start, but Ru pressed on, undeterred. 

“I know it’s stupid, but I like you. I don’t need you to act any differently, and I’m not going to prance about like a show horse trying to make you like me too. If you don’t like me as I am, I’m not going to change myself so you do. The only reason I’m telling you is…”

They glanced away uncomfortably. 

“...Well, for once, everyone else isn’t being stupid when they talk about me being interested in you – and I just thought you aughta know.”

They looked her full-on again. 

“Now you do.”

Estrid was left speechless. Ru’s electric blue eyes were very intense, and more serious than she thought she’d ever seen them, as they removed their hands from Estrid’s shoulder and away from her face. 

It was strange, for Ru’s face to be so serious. It made them look oddly grounded, steadfast...dedicated. Ru had never been particularly suave or romantic in their manner of speaking, but the bluntness in their tone only seemed to highlight how very truthful and sincere the sentiment behind their words was. It was...really quite sweet. It was like Ru had rested a warm hand over her heart, along with lightly touching her face. A hand that made her feel fuller and happier than she had in a really long time.

Estrid had already come to the thought that Ru wanted to stay as they were, as a human -- to keep enjoying little human pleasures like wearing earrings and taking pictures...but now she also knew for a fact that if Ru could...they would also stay. They wouldn’t just charge off into the sunset and disappear. They might even, if she asked, not hate the idea of living like a human -- of having a job and a home like a human, of dealing with everyday human problems...of settling down and laying down roots and...staying. 

If she asked...Ru might stay.

“Ru...”

Estrid reached out and took hold of the red sleeve of their jacket, preventing them from completely straightening up. 

“...Come home with me.”

Ru stiffened. “What?”

“After graduation,” Estrid clarified. Her words came out at a bit of a rush, despite her best efforts. “You can stay with my grandfather and me in Denmark. I’m sure Grandfather won’t mind. You could look into a job with the Daily Prophet -- they could use someone who knows what they’re doing with photography. And if you’re sending stuff in through Owl Post, no one’ll notice if you don’t look human...I can always answer the door, if someone comes to call and you’re not yourself...”

Ru stared down at her, not quite comprehending what they were hearing. Estrid could feel her face flushing, but she kept a brave face on all the same.

“...You don’t have to stay here all alone, Ru,” she said under her breath so no one else could hear. “I’ll help you protect your secret. And even if everyone does find out what you really are...I’ll stand by you.”

Ru seemed stunned. Their electric blue eyes ran over Estrid’s face, dipping in and out of her eyes and into the corners of her lips. They didn’t say anything for a long moment, but Estrid could sense they were searching her face for any flicker of doubt. When they didn’t find any, their face seemed to lose the rest of its color. 

They bit their lip, looking hesitant in a way Estrid had never seen before.

“...You want me to follow you?” they asked very lowly. “To live with you?”

Estrid’s cheeks were burning, but she nodded all the same. 

“Yes,” she said. 

And as soon as she said the word, she realized how deeply and sincerely she meant it. 

She wanted Ru to follow her. She...wanted them to stay with her.

Ru’s expression seemed to clear. Their face broke into a broad, beautiful smile, full of both a childish kind of delight and quiet, soothing relief. They bowed their head toward Estrid, their lightning-like eyes sparkling just like the silver chain on their neck. 

“...Well, then...” 

Ru brought a hand up to tuck some hair behind Estrid’s ear, trailing their long fingers through it so that it lay flat. 

“...Guess you’ll be my ‘keeper’ a bit longer then...won’t you?”

Estrid felt her own lips curling up in a smile too. “...Guess so.”

“You’d better keep a tight hold of me,” Ru said with a mischievous smile. “Kelpies don’t tame easily.”

“Oh yes, I’m very well aware,” Estrid said coolly. “Your lack of table manners alone make that obvious.”

“Humans have hands, we may as well use them.”

Once Estrid’s hair was smooth enough for Ru’s liking, the kelpie’s smile grew a bit more wry as they extended their arm to her in a mockingly over-the-top formal gesture. 

“Lead and I’ll follow, madam,” they said dryly. 

Biting back a laugh, Estrid brought her arm down onto Ru’s and started to walk with them toward the door.

“Oh...and Ru?”

“Yeah?”

Estrid moved up onto the tips of her toes as she walked and just barely managed to graze their chin with her lips. 

“I like you too,” she said softly. 

Ru looked down at her, startled. They examined her face again, searching it for any hint of insincerity or teasing, but Estrid merely smiled.

“It is weird,” she admitted, “considering everything we’ve gone through -- where we started...”

“...What I really am,” Ru pointed out lowly, cocking an eyebrow.

Estrid nodded. “But, well...I guess both of us were always a little weird, to begin with.”

Very slowly, Ru’s lips spread into another beautiful smile, purer and happier than ever. They moved into Estrid, leaning down enough to rest their head down on her shoulder and gently nuzzle the crook of her neck. 

“More than a little,” they whispered into her skin. 

With a light pink flush to her cheeks, Estrid secured her hold on Ru’s arm, and Ru straightened up again as she led them out. 

The pair left the pub together, perfectly unaware of how many people around them were exchanging Galleons.

Turns out that Ru and Estrid had been the subject of quite a few bets around both Hogwarts and Hogmeade village.