@hphm-ship-week Prompt 2: Quidditch
aka part one of my 'Rowan is gay no matter what gender they are' agenda
Ship: m!Rowan/Murphy 💙🦅
Date: June 3rd, 1989 (fifth year)
Rowan quickly decided that the view from the Commentary Box was the best. Well, of course it was, logistically speaking, it needed to be so that Murphy could accurately describe what was going on to the whole crowd, but he hadn't realized just how much better it was up here. The view was easily worth the amount of stairs he'd had to climb. He'd only thought about asking to be levitated like Murphy a few times.
It still felt like he was somewhere he wasn't supposed to be, despite none of the professors telling Rowan to rejoin his fellow Ravenclaws. Murphy had said that he was allowed to have a friend or two with him, but Rowan had never seen anyone else be invited up here until today. He hoped that meant he was special.
Murphy was as animated as ever, speaking fast enough to not miss a single detail of the match. Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor, playing for the Quidditch Cup - it was a big deal. It was big enough, in fact, that Murphy seemed to be having a spot of trouble remaining unbiased.
"An excellent block by the Ravenclaw keeper," he exclaimed. "Better luck next time, Gryffindor!"
After a while, Rowan found himself no longer paying attention to the match at all, instead watching Murphy. He really was in his element up here; it was no surprise that he'd been the commentator since he first arrived at Hogwarts. Murphy was clever, too, if his creative strategies were anything to go off of. He'd been sneakily helping Ravenclaw win from behind the scenes all year. Rowan wondered if Madam Hooch had actually not caught on, or if she simply didn't care enough to stop him.
"Gryffindor's seeker spots the snitch!" Murphy announced, and the Ravenclaw seeker's neck nearly snapped with how fast she turned it.
Rowan watched as she pushed her broom to the absolute limits, Murphy ignoring a goal from Gryffindor to cheer her on, much to Professor McGonagall's annoyance. Gryffindor's seeker dove hard to the right, causing Ravenclaw's to fly past him, but the maneuver backfired when the snitch darted to the left instead, directly into the Ravenclaw seeker's outstretched hand. She stared at it in shock before lifting it high above her head with a victory cry.
"Ravenclaw has caught the snitch!" Murphy shouted. "With 320 points, Ravenclaw wins the match!"
Professor Flitwick nearly fell off the bench behind Rowan as he scrambled to set off a Blue Sparks charm in his excitement. The crowd down in the stands went absolutely wild, screaming and throwing hats, scarves, whatever they could as they rushed out of the stands to congratulate the winning team. Rowan had little interest in being a part of that stampede, so he stayed right where he was.
It had nothing to do with wanting to talk to Murphy, who looked positively ecstatic that Ravenclaw had won.
"I knew they could do it!" he told Rowan. "That last bit of broomwork was some of the most impressive I've ever seen! Even if she hadn't gotten to the snitch first, I've never seen someone with an older model be able to catch up to someone like that - I suspect that Gryffindor will demand a detection spell on that broom to make sure it wasn't enchanted, which it wasn't obviously because she'd never do that - "
"Parkin would," Rowan interjected.
Murphy narrowed his eyes, considering. " ...fair. But did you see? That strategy I invented for the beaters saved our chasers from eighty-seven-point-three percent of the bludgers, a twenty-two-point-five percent increase from the last match - "
Rowan leaned against the ledge of the box, jaw in his hand as he listened. Admittedly, he hadn't been watching the beaters much, but he'd been Murphy's guinea pig for explaining the new strategy so he knew exactly what he was talking about. The whole thing had almost made Rowan wish that he'd tried out for the team when there was an opening, but he knew he was better off watching. He was a member of the much more relaxed Quidditch Club and it suited him just fine.
"Do you think they'll have to test if the snitch was charmed too?" Rowan asked, cutting Murphy off again.
Murphy hummed. "About a fifty-six-point-eight percent chance, if they have the broom checked."
"Where do you come up with these numbers?"
"Incredible mental math," Murphy said, and winked.
Rowan laughed, but that wink did things to him... it mostly just made him nervous.
They stayed in the Commentator Box until long after the professors had all cleared out - Professor McGonagall confidently telling Professor Flitwick that he wouldn't be so lucky next year - lost in their talk of strategy and how the team could improve even more next year. They only paused when Orion came up to find Murphy, saying that the team desired his presence at their victory party.
"The jubilance is high, but your energy is missing," Orian said. "Equilibrium will not be found until our guiding hand is present."
Whatever that meant.
"Can't let the team down," Murphy told him. "Any chance you can get me out of here?"
"Of course. Allow me to reach the ground first. Walk with me?" Orion asked, addressing Rowan.
"Oh," Rowan said, caught off guard. "Yeah, sure. See you in a minute, McNully."
Too many stairs, Rowan thought to himself, trying to breathe evenly so that Orion didn't notice his struggle. Orion had such a grace to him, both in flight and on the ground, which was something that Murphy brought up frequently when brainstorming strategies. Orion simply wasn't an aggressive enough player for a good portion of the well known strategies, which is why Murphy started inventing new ones in the first place. The way he talked about it, Orion was actually an advantage to Ravenclaw, because he made moves that none of his opponents ever saw coming. He was well deserving of being the captain of the team.
"The two of you seem well in harmony," Orion said, startling Rowan.
"Huh?"
Orion smiled knowingly. "I expect good news soon in regards to you both. Maybe even today?"
Rowan was certain that he was bright red. "I don't know what you're implying," he protested.
"You do."
Well then.
They stepped out into the sunlight, and Orion raised his wand to levitate Murphy out of the box. Rowan wondered why no one had thought to install an elevator, even if it had to be a manual one due to the high magic saturation in the air near the castle. Surely that would be easier than this? Maybe he should suggest the idea to Professor Flitwick the next time he met with him.
"Ah, solid ground," Murphy said, wheeling over to Rowan and Orion. "Party time!"
"Indeed," Orion agreed.
Murphy turned his head. "Hey, Khanna, you coming?"
Rowan scratched the back of his neck, suddenly very nervous. "I mean, it's in the common room, so I guess I have to, don't I?"
"Reluctance, that's the spirit!" Murphy joked.
Orion tilted his head, that knowing smile reappearing. "Perhaps, Murphy, you should accompany him, so he does not feel left out."
Too busy glaring at Orion, Rowan almost missed Murphy turning red.
"I think it's an excellent idea, don't you?" Orion pressed.
Murphy cleared his throat with a cough. "Yeah, yeah, I could do that. Easy. We can continue our conversation," he added, quickly regaining confidence. "I may take you on properly as a strategy apprentice, Khanna. You've got good insights."
Rowan's voice cracked when he laughed. If only a Cursed Vault would suddenly open, causing a terrible emergency. Alas, the earth never opens up and swallows you when you want it to.
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Modern Day AU
Julian: Oh, come on! There's so many electric cars around nowadays, would the environment even notice if I got myself one little Bugatti? Also, why should I take advice from a man who's slept with his own sister?
Robin: Hey! 'S not true!
Julian: Sorry, that was below the belt. It's some false rumor Thomas was repeating to everybody.
Robin: ...sister-in-law.
Julian: Wait, Sophie!?
Humphrey: Yes, and I wish he would stop telling people!
Robin: You were divorced, though. And nothing serious, juste un peu de plaisir.
Humphrey: A'right, don't rub it in!
Julian: That's what she said! Hah!
Humphrey: Very clever.
Julian: She said it to you, Humph. Get it, 'cos she wanted nothing to do with you-
Humphrey: I get it, for heaven's sake!
Julian: Okay, okay, keep your head on!
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School for Good and Evil: Rafal's character
(These are about the books, because I didn't see The movie, and these are just my opinions)
Soooo Rafal would technically be the character I like: mysterious, etc. And he is a very interesting character in the story. But honestly I am ambivalent. What bothers me?
-well the whole kissing Sophie when he was "School Master", she a student thing,plus he was in his older form at the time. It was probably not the book's intention to show that in a creepy way but still... I don't feel comfortable about that you know? Another reason why I just can't 100℅ ship Rophie, as least as it is in the story.
- I obviously don't agree with fratricide, etc. And at least in the beginning I just felt Rafal was using Sophie? Yes, maybe later, he truly cared about her, but in the beginning--
-okay so he is thousands of years old-- but I wouldn't mind it since he changes forms. But to make it more APPROPRIATE and his relationship with Sophie less weird in the first book and stuff, instead of "School Master" couldn't he be like a spirit king who is punished in that form for the whole fratricide thing? And guard the Storian, etc. Like King of Evil. And then since spirits really are not bound by material forms it would be different. Or Sophie has a spiritual form herself. Or she isn't a student and not a minor.
-I felt like A redemption plot for Rafal could have been good. Like he sacrifices himself for Sophie's true happiness and says that no, she WILL be loved by others,especially Agatha. That he thinks this will actually reverse the whole killing my brother thing and all the crap I did in the past (but it requires giving your life)
So yes,I think Rafal without all the things I mentioned above would actually be a character I would love and I think I would definitely ship Rafal and Sophie IF things were different- like the ideas I mentioned it could have been.
Sorry it's long lol!
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Guéris-moi, Seigneur, et je serai guéri. » — Jérémie 17 : 14
« J’ai vu ses voies, et je le guérirai. » — Ésaïe 57 : 18
C'est la seule prérogative de Dieu d'éliminer la maladie spirituelle. Les maladies naturelles peuvent être guéries de manière instrumentale par les hommes, mais même dans ce cas, l'honneur doit être rendu à Dieu qui donne de la vertu à la médecine et confère à l'organisme humain le pouvoir de se débarrasser de la maladie. Quant aux maladies spirituelles, elles restent chez le grand Médecin seul ; il la revendique comme sa prérogative : « Je tue et je fais vivre, je blesse et je guéris » ; et l’un des titres privilégiés du Seigneur est Jéhovah-Rophi, le Seigneur qui te guérit. «Je te guérirai de tes blessures», est une promesse qui ne peut sortir de la bouche de l'homme, mais seulement de la bouche du Dieu éternel. C’est pour cette raison que le psalmiste a crié au Seigneur : « Ô Seigneur, guéris-moi, car mes os sont douloureux », et encore : « Guéris mon âme, car j’ai péché contre toi. » C'est aussi pour cela que les pieux louent le nom du Seigneur, en disant : « Il guérit toutes nos maladies. » Celui qui a créé l'homme peut restaurer l'homme ; celui qui fut d'abord le créateur de notre nature peut la créer à nouveau. Quel réconfort transcendant que de constater que dans la personne de Jésus « habite corporellement toute la plénitude de la Divinité » ! Mon âme, quelle que soit ta maladie, ce grand Médecin peut te guérir. S’il est Dieu, il ne peut y avoir de limite à son pouvoir. Viens donc avec l'œil aveugle d'une compréhension obscurcie, viens avec le pied boiteux d'une énergie gaspillée, viens avec la main mutilée d'une foi faible, la fièvre d'un caractère colérique, ou la fièvre du découragement frissonnant, viens tel que tu es, car il qui est Dieu peut certainement te délivrer de ta plaie. Nul ne pourra restreindre la vertu guérisseuse qui procède de Jésus notre Seigneur. Des légions de démons ont été amenées à posséder le pouvoir du Médecin bien-aimé, et jamais il n’a été dérouté. Tous ses patients ont été guéris dans le passé et le seront dans le futur, et tu seras l'un d'entre eux, mon ami, si tu veux seulement te reposer en lui cette nuit. Spurgeon, C. H. 1896. Matin et soir : lectures quotidiennes. Londres : Passmore & Albâtre.
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Facts about The One True School Master of Vault 41
Tedros and Japeth-related things would entail too many major spoilers, so this is probably all you’re getting for now:
Rafal confesses to Sophie that he breathed part of his soul into her toward the end of the second Great War.
Rafal reads his own obituary. And also sees the multitude of vandalism that accompanies it.
Rafal attends a rather depressing, actually, positively dismal Ever tea party. Agatha insults him, despite the fact that he has better table manners than her. They mock each other. And he chokes on his finger sandwich. (But, I suppose genocide weighs more on the morality scale, in terms of minor infractions and major transgressions that will send Pollux rolling in his grave like a roast pig on a spit over subjects which mustn’t be discussed at tea parties.)
Agatha unnecessarily feeds her savior complex and plays chaperone.
Sophie is fashionable and traumatized. Business as usual.
Agatha commits a burglary.
Rafal trains the Nevers in classical dance. (I promise it’s vaguely plot-relevant.)
Agatha trains the Evers for war.
Sophie performs an archival search and reads Fala and His Brother.
The fic is still largely unwritten, so things may be subject to change later on.
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