sniffsbutt | ♣ 004

It's hard to say, really. It's almost definitely an event, which would make it the usual culprits in the long run, but then there are these wolves I keep hearing about. Personally, I think this might be a Wonderlandian plot to pit us all against one another, but we won't know until we figure out who the wolves really are.

[Of course, he has to give them the benefit of the doubt - he can't really help it, after everything with Remus. At the very least, James isn't about to buy into the hype over something that hasn't even happened yet. He's thinking it would be best to confront the wolves directly.]

Which means that we've got some wolves to find before anything does happen.

[Yes, we. Because there's no way on Earth that Sirius could possibly be a wolf, ever.]

Edited 2011-10-28 22:50 (UTC)

I know, mate. This business with these wolves sounds highly suspect.

[He's grinning right now, even if James can't see it.]

What do you say? Should we do a bit of digging?

Of course! It would be even more suspect than all this with the wolves if we didn't do any digging, really. Can you imagine us just sitting around during something like this?

[He laughs at that, because that's exactly how ridiculous it is. Obviously they're going to save everyone.]

We should probably get together, go find Remus, and then the three of us can get to the bottom of this. Sound good?

That would be completely unthinkable! It's up to us to find out who the wolves are and stop them before anything bad happens.

[There's no one else in the mansion who can stop this, of course. The responsibility lies solely with James, Sirius, and Remus.]

How could I forget? We need Remus's brains if we're going to solve anything. Where do you think he is, anyway? I haven't the foggiest idea.

Absolutely. And I have no idea, but we can probably call out for him on these things if we can't find him ourselves.

[He sounds pretty satisfied with this plan! But first, he needs to find Sirius.]

So, where are you anyhow? I'll come get you and then we can head off to find him and get to the bottom of this event together.

Right, of course. Finding him won't be the hard part. It's sniffing out the wolves that's going to take longer.

But... I suppose they might be just a little obvious, you know? If they're really out to kill us all, there's bound to be one or two signs.

Blood on their clothes, perhaps? It's hard to say how clever these blokes are, since we don't know who they are.

[Sirius has been doing a lot of talking, so he stops for a moment to think before responding again.]

I'm in my room. It seemed safe enough to stay there, so I did. See you in a bit, mate.

[He sounds excited, just a little bit happy that his best mate will be coming.

Perfect. This is all going just perfectly. Soon, James will be there, and then he can start setting his own plans into motion.]

Well, if they're going to try to blend in, they're probably pretty clever. Someone with blood on them might have gotten attacked. But maybe not. We don't have much to go on, but that makes it even more of a challenge, don't you think?

[Staying positive until they actually run into a wolf sounds like a pretty good plan.]

All right then! I'll see you soon!

[James shuts off the message, and then hurries to Sirius' room, confident he could take on anything that might try to attack him on the way.]

Definitely! It's a challenge, but we're more than capable of handling it.

[Yes, staying positive is the best idea possible, right now.

Sirius is waiting in his room, waiting for James with bated breath. He has a plan, but he's decided to wait until the most opportune moment before putting it into action.

He thinks he hears steps outside his room, so he opens the door, and peers around the corner, looking cautious. It's all part of the plan.]

James? Is that you?

[Right on cue, James rounds the corner and waves. He looks completely and totally fine, since he had the luck to not run into anyone on his gaunt to Sirius' room.]

Of course it's me! Is that you?

[He laughs, and gives him a friendly nudge.]

So, heard any more about all of this wolf nonsense? I didn't really run into anyone on my way here, so I've got nothing to report. I think most people are probably off cowering or something along those lines.

[It was kind of strange, really.]

You bet it is! But a wolf would probably say that to throw off suspicion.

Of course, how could either of us be wolves? We know each other so well, we would know instantly.

[He laughs, and nudges James back.]

I've heard the same things you have, for the most part. Everyone is in danger because of these wolves, and it seems that hiding is the thing to do.

I imagine Remus should be safe enough, since he was talking about hiding anyway. You know, because of his furry little problem.
I do hope that everyone who's hiding comes out of this all right. I mean to say, those who are hiding in groups may still be in danger, since it's difficult to tell who's a wolf and who isn't.

[Sirius shrugs.]

True! I'd know the second I saw you if you were a wolf.

[But he's not, and neither is James, so the point is moot, right?]

Was he? ...I don't know. We shouldn't really leave him alone during all of this. We know we aren't wolves, and it would probably be safer for all of us to stay together. I mean, there's no way Remus would be a wolf.

[Suddenly, he realizes how silly that sounds and snickers a bit, since it's just them.]

Well, aside from the usual anyway.

[This should be a red flag that something's wrong, that Sirius isn't quite right, but it doesn't dawn on James. There's no way Sirius would be a wolf, as far as he's concerned. It's just not possible.]

Likewise, James.

[Yes, the point is moot, so there's no point in discussing the matter any further.]

I suppose he really shouldn't be alone, but really, he's smarter than all of us. I'm sure he's found himself a nice little hole to hide out in. It's not very safe out there right now, even for a couple of blokes like us.

[He shrugs again, and looks like he doesn't care either way.]

If you think we should go searching for him, even though he's probably safer than anyone right now, James, I won't say no.

[Sirius doesn't give any outward sign of it, but inwardly, he's grinding his teeth. He needs to keep James from leaving, by any means possible. If he insists that they leave, that will be an unnecessary complication.]

[James is torn. He's worried, and he wants to make sure Remus is okay, but...he trusts Sirius' opinion too. And even though he made it to his room without incident, it wasn't all that far, and these wolves are dangerous. Not that it's a concern to James, really, but running out there without some kind of strategy isn't going to help anyone.]

Well...

...Maybe we can wait here a little bit longer. It'll give us some time to come up with a plan of attack, so we can find him more quickly once we do go. It wouldn't be any help to Remus at all if we got ambushed on our way their.

[James isn't really happy with this compromise, and it's obvious, but he knows deep down that it's probably their safest option.]

Right, then. Have a sit, mate.

[Sirius pulls up a chair and gestures towards it. He doesn't take a seat, even though there's a second chair sitting there. Now it seems he has James exactly where he wants him, but this isn't the right moment, not yet.

The stage needs to be set first.]

Always a worrywart, eh, James. Remus'll be fine, you'll see. And you're right, now we have the time to plan things out.

[James sits, without thinking too much about it.]

Well, you can't really blame me for it during this event, can you? Usually I let Remus and Peter do most of the worrying, but Peter's not here and Remus is out there somewhere while there without us while killers are on the loose.

[Really, he'd feel this way if any of them were missing. It's not right to not have them all together.]

...You can sit down too, you know.

[After all, there's a chair right there. Why wouldn't he?]

Of course, of course. I don't think anyone will come after us. And if they do, well... It's not like we can't defend ourselves.

[Sirius pulls his wand out and twirls it between his fingers a few times. He laughs a dry, almost bitter-sounding laugh.]

I'd like to see any one of these Muggles try and do us in.

[He glances at James, a bizarre smile on his face.]

I could use some entertainment.

[Perhaps he's saying too much, but the perfect moment is just about here, and when everything is said and done, it won't matter what he said to James.]

[Now, even as trusting as James can be, he isn't stupid. He sees that smile, and he sees him completely ignore the offer to sit, and there's just something not right at all about him.]

...Yeah? What kind of entertainment?

[James grins innocently enough. If what he's starting to wonder about is really the case, it's probably safest to play dumb. And if it's not (which it most likely isn't; the event is probably just making him paranoid), then he's avoided a silly and needless fight with his best friend.

Still, that doesn't mean he isn't aware of his own wand tucked away in his pocket.]

[Sirius almost wants to laugh, loudly and for a long time. He knows James is starting to catch on, but he's still acting like he doesn't know a thing.

He'll know soon enough, all right.]

Oh, you know... a little game of hide and seek.

[Sirius lets his smile grow bigger.]

And if I catch them, well... It might not be so fun for the unfortunate other person.

[He does a bit of wandwork then, and transfigures a pen that was left sitting on the dresser into a knife.

It seems foolish, perhaps, since he is a wizard and has quite a few spells at his disposal, but being prepared isn't a bad thing.]

[Suddenly, that unwavering belief that Sirius could never be a wolf is wavering significantly.]

Oh? Sounds fun. Except for the other person, of course. No one likes losing after all.

[He's trying to keep things as calm and normal as possible, but he can't stop glancing at that knife.]

...I suppose Remus got a bit of a head start, didn't he?

[James can now appreciate why hiding alone is a viable strategy during this event. Remus always was the smartest of them...]

What about you, James? Do you hate to lose?

[It doesn't matter if he does or doesn't, since he's going to be the loser here anyway.]

I suppose he did. Smart of him, really.

[Sirius moves a little closer, the knife and his wand still very much there.]

[James just laughs at that.]

I wouldn't know. I don't lose.

[Which makes it fair to say that he would probably take losing pretty hard, if he did.]

Well, he is pretty bright. I shouldn't have expected anything less, really.

[Honestly, Sirius moving toward him is terribly unsettling, but James holds his ground. Something's not right, but he's not about to run, even though he probably could. ...Maybe even probably should.]

[Wrong answer, James.]

Oh, I forgot that you're the saintly James Potter who can do no wrong and never loses at anything.

[Sirius continues to close the gap between them.]

Some of us don't like that, you know.

[The ironic thing is that Sirius has never thought about this before. He wonders now why it never crossed his mind.]

[James' face actually falls at that comment, and he looks surprised, confused, and...even a bit hurt by it, though he would never say so. This isn't like Sirius. He's never said things like this before...really, they sound like things Snivellus would say, and he never thought he would ever make a comparison between them.]

Oh? ...I wasn't aware you felt that way.

[He forces himself to look Sirius in the eyes as he says this. It's not really an apology, and he doesn't sound self-deprecating, but there's no cheer in his face or voice. It's just a statement of fact.

Though, the truth is he doesn't have much to say about the matter because he doesn't know what to say to that. It's a side of Sirius he's never seen before.]

[Sirius doesn't even bat an eye as he watches James's reaction.

He's getting what he deserved, after all. Strutting around the school, and now the mansion, like he owns the place. Someone has to put him in his place.

He fingers the knife's blade, almost lovingly. It's almost time.]

Why am I not surprised? It was right in front of your nose but you never realized it.

[There's a sudden flash and Sirius slashes the knife towards James's arm.]

I'm not a mindreader, Siriu-

[Then he's swinging a knife at him. James scrambles, quickly but not at all gracefully. He sort of tumbles out of the chair, knocking it and himself to the floor.

Now here's a real surprise - he wasn't quick enough. The knife tore a hole in his sleeve, and there's a long, thin cut on his upper arm. It isn't too deep, but James is clutching it anyway.

So he's sitting on the floor, holding onto his wound, and with his free hand, he has his wand pointed at the ready, looking astonished at everything that happened in the last thirty seconds.]

Sirius...I know you don't want to do this. You know you don't want to.

[Somewhere in him he has to know that, right?]

Edited 2011-11-08 05:07 (UTC)

On the contrary, James, this is exactly what I want to do.

[That bizarre smile returns now, as Sirius continues his attack, swinging the knife without a care as to where it lands.

This is the sort of fun he was talking about earlier.]

How long do you think you can keep this up?

[That is a really, really good question to which James doesn't have an answer. He scoots back, not having the time to get up on his feet before Sirius strikes again. Instead, he raises his arm.]

E...Expelliarmus!

[Granted, that spell is usually used to knock a wand out of someone's hand and not a knife (and it's generally cast standing up), so he expects it probably won't do much at all. James was hesitant anyway, so it would have been weak - intent is everything, after all, and he doesn't want to be battling Sirius.

So, to answer Sirius' question in narration, James can't possibly keep this up for long if it's Sirius he has to fight.]

[Sirius laughs at James's feeble attempt to disarm him.]

Well, that didn't work, did it? Is that the best you can do?

[He pauses, waiting for James to respond, taking the time to reconsider his options here; if he keeps using the knife, then he gets to draw things out. Or he could sweep in and end things in one instant.]

What do you think, James? I can end this now, or keep drawing it out. It's really up to you.

[Well, no, it really isn't, but there's no harm in letting James think he's not completely powerless here.]

[James doesn't answer. He actually shoots him a dirty look, because obviously that isn't the best he can do...but he's not about to admit to being at anything less than his best, even though he's fighting with a hurt arm against his best friend.

He chuckles dryly, forcing a grin.]

Where's the option where I get out of here alive?

[He knows there isn't one. He just wants it made perfectly clear that he's not just going to roll over and let Sirius kill him without some kind of a struggle.]

[Sirius just grins at James, resisting the urge to laugh in his face. That dirty look is just hilarious.

What isn't so funny is how James is still laughing when he should be angry or fighting back. Sirius knows James would never cower in fear, no matter who was trying to kill him, so he doesn't waste time waiting for that to happen.]

Sorry, James, that's not an option.

[Sirius swings the knife again, this time aiming for James's uninjured arm. Maybe this will get him to fight back.]

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Audio -> Action ARIE I'M SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG ILU

Action - Pfffft, it's fine, Koji! <3 <3

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