time was never on my side

[Rip Winstead]

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juniper fiyero

met the devil in oklahoma and he knew who i was

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Ever since the attacks started, the Ministry has had more and more work piled on. They needed to find these rogues and put a stop to the forced spread of lycanthropy and vampirism, but it was growing exceedingly difficult to find a starting point. The Head of the Marrow Coven was helping Magical Law Enforcement with the vamp issue, but they were on their own with finding the werewolf, or werewolves, responsible. Rip had to stop coming into the Ministry from the streets, the picketing was just getting worse. He wouldn’t be surprised if it turned into a riot. Some Hit Witches and Wizards were standing guard around the Ministry’s entrances, wards were put up to keep Muggles from taking notice. It was a whole ass mess.[break][break]

Rip sighed into his paperwork, running a hand down his face as he blew air out of pursed lips. The stress was starting to get to him a little; Anton could only help him unwind so much before it all seemed so fucking pointless. He drummed his fingers on his desk, staring at the mounds of paper in front of him. They were getting nowhere on this case and he was feeling the heat from the higher ups. They needed to find these rogues yesterday, but there were just no leads. Anton and him had investigated the site of the attacks, but there were no signs of encampments nearby. They kept trying, though, because what else were they going to do? Dozens of witches and wizards were being attacked every month, filling up St. Mungo’s and causing an overflow issue at the hospital. Charles De Luca was taking in as many vampires as he could, but Rip was worried that he’d run out of room if it kept up like this.[break][break]

Anton swung into their cubicle, handing him a fresh cup of coffee. “Thanks, bud,” he said, gratefully taking the mug with both of his hands. He brought it to his lips to take a cautious sip. Ahh, black and strong, just like he liked it. Rip sipped on it some more before setting it down to the side. Now if he could just focus on finishing this paperwork… He had just picked up his quill and started scribbling down when there was a knock at their cubicle. Rip glanced over, thinking it was Abe or someone else, but instead he saw a beautiful young lady with rich, dark hair and enticing green eyes. He set down his quill and turned around in his seat so he was facing her, raising a hand to Anton to signal to him that he had this. His blue gaze looked over her for a moment before he offered her a soft smile. “Can I help you?”

ulla

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[juniper fiyero]

Rip Winstead
outfit

SPOILER: Click to show

“miss fiyero? abernathy fritz would like to see you.”

the voice had come out of nowhere, and the woman turned to face it. corvo lockwood was four years her senior, but she’d remember him anywhere. juniper was almost glad to see him, until his next words struck her frozen; “immediately.”

it was not often that her presence was demanded from others, but from abernathy? juniper nodded solemnly, clearing her throat. “where is he?” she inquired, and his following response left her with more questions than answers.

“should be to the sanctuary by now,” corvo uttered. this time, his tone was … soft. she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, taken aback by the grief that had become him. juniper went to turn away, but the man had reached to take her hand to give it an affirming squeeze. “i’m sorry, junebug.”

nobody had called her that in years.

• • •

“we think they were trying to guide the herd from the sanctuary — there’s a large fence segment down on the south quadrant. the centaurs found the remnants some miles down.” abernathy was the last person she expected this news from, but he explained his trade route with the satchel of herbs still slung over his shoulder.

“did any of them make it?”

it would’ve been the silence heard around the world.

“the youngling was in bad shape. she’s in intensive care, they asked for you.”

juniper didn’t walk out of that room the same person. tears streaming down her face, the woman made her way back to the sanctuary with a fire ignited in her chest like no other. it felt like weeks before she had any information, but what she did have was enough to finally make a case to someone. through it, she felt alone. the sanctuary mourned the herd loudly, and juniper felt suffocated. even still, she couldn’t leave until she was sure. this type of thing wasn’t unheard of, but to attack protected creatures on school grounds? juniper had dealt with poachers in her travels and had tried her hardest to fight back. this was too close to home.

it was no easy feat to waltz into the ministry of magic to plead a case for something like the creatures; this wasn’t the first time, and she knew wouldn’t be the last. “i will not take no for an answer,” juniper said to herself in the mirror, using a small bit of tissue to fix up a small spot of smudged eyeshadow. it was no easy feat to waltz into the ministry of magic and plead your case, but she was determined to be heard.

it was late by the time juniper reached the bleak red telephone box. slipping down the alley while trying to stay aware of her surroundings, she made haste to dial. the welcome witch greeted her, and she sucked in a hard breath. “juniper fiyero. i need to meet with an auror; there’s been a break in at hogwarts.” there was a pause, and she could feel herself getting anxious. suddenly, the badge appeared, and she finally exhaled as the booth descended down, a sense of profound liberation washing over her.

the booth creaked to a stop, and the doors popped open. the woman stepped out, taking a sweep across the room until her gaze fell on winstead’s cubicle. juniper tucked her arms against one another with the sleeves of her dress, stepping into the light of the room. there was a soft click of her heel against the tile wood that lead her to him, looking around at the articles strewn on the walls. vampires, werewolves, the words were splayed everywhere. massacres are taking over the countryside, she read from another in passing. close enough now, she waited only a second before knocking, slipping beside the man leaning in. the auror waved the other off, and she couldn’t help the way she looked him over as he spoke, eyes settling down at his lips.

“can i help you?” her brows raised and she nodded her head. “i think we can both help each other,” juniper retorted coolly. “i would’ve come sooner if i’d known the school was hesitant to report it — but i have reason to believe that poachers have infiltrated the grounds. last month, someone broke through the sanctuary’s magic barrier and forced eight thestral into the forest. they left less than scraps behind, and the youngling … ” without invitation, juniper sat herself opposite of the auror. she could feel tears threatening to break, but the witch soothed her nerves with deep, quiet breaths, continuing. “they had torn her apart. i — a second attempt was made last night. i had no idea someone was even there, but they were attempting to overpower the protection spell.”

[Rip Winstead]

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juniper fiyero

met the devil in oklahoma and he knew who i was

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“I think we can both help each other.”[break][break]

Anton raised his hand to Rip before leaving the two of them alone. He studied the witch in front of him as she continued speaking. Her features were almost perfect and there was a fire in her eyes that told him she was a passionate witch. Her words were concerning and growing more so with each passing moment. His brow furrowed deeply as she spoke, a feeling of dread stirring in the pit of his stomach. His shoulders felt heavy, like the world was being set on them. And when she spoke of the youngling, his insides twisted painfully. His heart felt like lead. Rip had a soft spot for animals, particularly equine animals, and the visual of what those creeps did to the thestrals weighed heavy on his soul. He shifted his weight in his seat, sitting up a little more as he leaned his arms onto his knees, looking the woman in the eye.[break][break]

“I’m very sorry to hear this, ma’am. I promise you I’ll do whatever I can to put a stop to this,” he said in a deep voice, reaching out to place his hand on top of hers, removing it after a moment and clasping his hands together. Poachers were getting more confident as of late and there wasn’t much the Ministry was doing about it with these attacks. He knew there were a few people stamping them out in their area, but they needed to be eradicated. Rip leaned back and reached around to grab a form and his quill, turning back to the witch once he had it in hand. “I’d like to take down your statement, Ms…?” He trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

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[juniper fiyero]

Rip Winstead
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she felt … soothed by his voice. it was the first time in a month that she didn’t wince at someone’s sympathies toward her. the agents hand splayed over her own, causing her heart to skip a single beat. juniper’s insides fluttered, but she kept her composure on the outside, nodding her head at him. her eyes fluttered down to his nameplate, offering him a weak smile. “thank you, mr. winstead,” she said lowly. watching him recoil back, juniper did the same while trying to steady her breathing. the man started to shuffle things, quill in hand, and asked for her statement.

formalities, juniper thought to herself. the witch leaned in again, resting her arms over the desk, green eyes settled on the man’s face. “i’ve spent the last month doing the ministries due diligence. i have intel, and i have people working for me to do the same. i’ve dealt with poachers all across europe, but this …” juniper broke the eye contact to look down at the paper. “the ministry has been unconcerned for this long. hogwarts — the students — they could be in danger. i will give you my statement, but i’m not walking out of this room to wait for someone to care.” the woman swallowed hard.

“i have made the creatures my life as they’ve made me theirs. i don’t want to intrude on the ministries investigation, but this is my case, too,” she finally finished. “i would like an agent to return with me to the sanctuary. the school has given me guards, but the magic that took that fence down is powerful, and i’ve reason to believe poachers are not the only evil at play here.”

[Rip Winstead]

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juniper fiyero

met the devil in oklahoma and he knew who i was

[attr="class","itsover"]

Rip was… a little taken aback by the woman’s assertiveness. No one has ever spoken to him like this before. At least not someone who has come to him for help. He had to admit, he was intrigued by her. She leaned in toward him and he stayed where he was, their faces closer together than he normally would have tolerated from a stranger, his eyes glued to hers. There was that fire he saw earlier, he could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes. The Ministry of Magic was not a perfect system and he knew that some issues fell between the cracks, but it seemed that this particular issue came with some spirited help. She was passionate about this, he could see that easily, and his heart sort of did a backflip at the sight of it.[break][break]

At the mention of a different evil, Rip furrowed his brow as he thought about it. What powerful forces were at play here? What could they want with poachers? He had a million questions and a growing desire to find the answers. He let out a sharp breath and set his form aside, folding his hands together as he looked back at her. “Fine,” he said at last, pushing off his chair to stand. Rip removed his leather jacket off the back of the chair and threw it on, his wand sticking out of the pocket of his jeans. “We’ll play it your way. For now,” he added, throwing an arm out to prevent her from leaving before she heard what he had to say. “This is still my investigation and what I say goes. You can assist me, but if I tell you to leave I mean it. This could be dangerous.” Rip moved his arm out of the way and stood up tall, the faint smell of vanilla reaching his senses as she passed him.[break][break]

“You can call me Rip,” he told her as he fell in step with her. He didn’t really like to be referred to as ‘Mr. Winstead’ or even ‘Ripley’, the latter was reserved only for his mother. Rip held the lift open for her as they stepped inside and he pressed the button for the main floor before settling beside her. He was working and she was just part of the job, but he couldn’t help the way his gaze kept getting pulled to her. She had such a youthful face, such pretty green eyes, and full, red lips. Ripley swallowed hard and told himself to get it together. “You never told me your name.”

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[juniper fiyero]

Rip Winstead desolate braveheart outfit

he agreed, though his furrowed brows and forlorn stare had convinced her otherwise until his voice finally broke the bitter silence. juniper unashamedly looked him up and down as he stood, lifting herself from her chair as he went for his jacket. “we’ll play it your way. for now,” he was saying. she had barely turned when he blocked her path, green eyes narrowing to slits as she stared down his arm and slowly made way to his face. juniper bit her tongue … as much as she wanted to snap back at him, he was the first person to show her any sort of consideration. “fine,” she said, “but i am not delicate, and you will not treat me as such.” juniper made her way from the cubicle, but the agent didn’t stay back for long. the witch looked to him from the corner of her eye as he offered her what she could only assume was his preferred calling. she nodded her acknowledgement and slipped in with ease, folding her arms inside of her sleeves as rip spoke. “you never told me your name.”. “you’re right,” she murmured under her breath. “juniper, juniper fiyero.” the woman had been able to ground herself against her fraying nerves. she was nervous standing there next to him, and she wished she could lie to herself to say it was just because he worked at the ministry. nobody from the ministry scared her. and truth be told, what she felt was far from fear. his cerulean eyes were enough; but the voice, the hair, the smile. the booth slid to a creaky stop, but she made no move out yet, leaning a hip into the wall and blowing a wisp of hair from her face. “abernathy fritz was the one the centaurs led to the aftermath while the ground beneath them was still warm,” juniper told him. “he’s hovered since the attack, said he was on a trade route that ran through forbidden forest.” she clicked her tongue, shaking her head with clear disappointment. “we don’t think he contributed to the magic used, or the physical attacks themselves, but …” her green gaze found rip’s, expression pained. “he’s collecting intel for someone, i’m sure of that.”

shoot them down, set me free

made by redox of gs

[Rip Winstead]

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juniper fiyero

met the devil in oklahoma and he knew who i was

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He didn’t expect her to listen to him without any kind of pushback. She was a fiery witch and he was a little impressed by it. Normally he wouldn’t let someone talk to him this way, but he felt a bit like putty in her hands. Rip narrowed his eyes at her, but nodded and let her pass, taking in a sharp breath through his nose before following her. He was gonna have to do something about the way he just let her give him shit like that, but right now they had a case to work on and something felt sinister about it. Rip wanted to help the creatures, but it was his duty to find out if Hogwarts was in danger.[break][break]

“Juniper, Juniper Fiyero.”[break][break]

Pretty name, he thought, glancing over at her as she spoke. He was entranced with her beauty, but she couldn’t be any older than twenty-five. The reasons why he shouldn’t be looking at her just kept piling on. Rip cleared his throat and tore his gaze away from her, watching as the lift took them down two floors before coming to a stop. He had started to move to leave, but he noticed Juniper was staying put. He raised a brow and turned to look at her. She started speaking and slowly his brow furrowed, the gears of his mind turning as she told him about Abernathy. It seemed suspicious to him, too. Why would a tradesman be hovering at the scene of a crime? What trade route took someone through the Forbidden Forest? He met her gaze when she looked at him, his expression softening at the pained look in her eye. “Sounds like it,” he agreed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he let out a sigh. “We’ll talk to him, see if he’ll be able to tell us what he’s really doing hanging around. But first, I wanna see the crime scene.” He gestured toward the Atrium with his head. “Let’s go.”[break][break]

As they left the Ministry, he did his best to stop sneaking glances at her. His hands stayed firmly in his pockets unless he needed to hold a door open for her, but then back in the pocket it went. It kept them from shaking - he didn’t need her to see him nervous. He was nervous about being around her, but he was just as nervous about these poachers. Something was fishy about this case, but he needed to start this investigation to find out what. When they made it outside, Rip held out a hand to her. “Why don’t you take me there?” She knew where the thestrals were found, she knew the sanctuary and the forest. He may have been in the UK for about seventeen years, but he wasn't that familiar with Hogwarts.

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[juniper fiyero]

Rip Winstead desolate braveheart outfit

juniper's eyes glossed over at the mention of the scene; well passed the point of crying over it, it didn't take away the heaviness that she felt at the very thought. rip seemed to carefully consider her words, too, and she felt grateful that he was taking the time to care (unlike many before him). it gave the witch a small hopefulness that justice would come for her creatures. juniper looked down at his hand as he offered it to her, reluctant to take it for the simple fact that being so close to him ... made her feel something. alas, she did, pulling out her wand to apparate them.  • • • they left the sanctuary on foot, all the while her mind was wandering back to the feeling of his hand clasped around hers. her cheeks had been stained red since they'd arrived, having taken some time to gather things into her satchel before starting their trek. juniper took the agent toward the south quadrant where the fence had been taken down and the magic barrier had been broken, two men standing closeby. corvo was leading the guard, and abernathy was keeping a watchful eye on things as promised. the pair drew closer, and juniper waved her wand as it lit up to signal their arrival.  the two men looked at one another before pulling the protective spell back to allow them through. "rip," the witch said quietly, "this is corvo lockwood and abernathy fritz. they'll keep eye while we're gone." juniper made sure they moved quick passed them, not wantng to stay and chat too long, especially not feeling the way she did. from there, she headed them straight into the heart of the forbidden forest with not a single look back. most wizards & witches hated coming here, but she found comfort in it, maybe for obvious reasons. she was well loved by the creatures who lived here, even the most abhorrent.  juniper felt like she could smell the death from the ground as they were finally closing in on the scene of the crime. a few centaurs looked on nearby, and she once again signaled with the bright light of her wand before tucking it back into the sleeve of her dress. the centaurs had made a log outline around where she remains had lain, and she followed up by marking the rest with painted rocks. "here we are," she said, steadying her breath.

shoot them down, set me free

made by redox of gs

[Rip Winstead]

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juniper fiyero

met the devil in oklahoma and he knew who i was

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They landed, Juniper removing her hand at once, and Rip flexed his hand, his fingers still tingling from her touch. He felt a little too comfortable holding her hand and that was something that neither of them needed right now, but he couldn’t help but keep thinking about it as he followed her. Rip watched her while she filled her satchel, noting the color on her cheeks and how she seemed to be busying herself. A subtle, satisfied smirk touched his lips. Maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling things. That smirk quickly faded as he reminded himself he shouldn’t be doing this, he shouldn’t be looking at her. He cleared his throat as she finished, pulling out his wand before they disappeared into the wood.[break][break]

As they came upon the two wizards standing guard, Rip focused his gaze on them, only seeing Juniper alert them in the corner of his eye. Her sweet voice reached him, hearing his name on her lips for the first time. For a moment he faltered, glancing over to look at her face. She introduced the men and he fixed his gaze on Abernathy. He seemed almost nervous, his foot tapping and the way his eyes kept pulling to Juniper. Interesting. Rip nodded in the men’s direction as they walked on by. He focused his attention back on Juniper as they got further away, questions circling his mind. How did she know Abernathy? Why was he looking at her? They were valid questions, but he had to wonder what the motivation for asking them was. He wasn’t so sure they were about the case. So he didn’t say anything. He just followed her in silence, stepping over fallen down logs and rock clusters as they went, his wand still in his hand.[break][break]

He had to be careful around the centaurs. They seemed friendly enough with Juniper, but he was a stranger. Rip lowered his arm as they appeared, his gaze flicking between them until he noticed the crime scene. His stomach turned at the sight of it. There were logs and rocks outlining where the remains had been and they were almost shapeless. He felt a pang run through his heart, but he took in a sharp breath and hardened himself. Rip crossed to the outlines, kneeling and using his lit wand to inspect the scene. Poachers were some of the nastiest scum in the wizarding world. They tore animals apart for profit. He’d be glad to put them down. [break][break]

Once he’d looked over the whole scene he stood back up and brushed off his jeans. Rip offered a wave to the centaurs before moving to Juniper. A heavy sigh fell out of him as he took one last look around. “I didn’t get much. It’s been a month, all the evidence has likely washed away by now,” he told her, bringing a hand up to rub his face. “I think our best bet is gonna be talking to Abernathy. He seems fishy to me. How do you know him anyway?” It wasn’t just a chance happening - they knew each other.

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[juniper fiyero]

Rip Winstead desolate braveheart outfit

upon seeing the centaur, rip seemed to take a more relaxed stance, and she felt a sense of pride. they hadn't the time for introductions, so juniper stepped so that she stood directly between the agent and the large half equid beasts to ensure their attention was on her. she had spent many years growing up her relationships with the centaur - it wasn't easy. they were untrusting, and rightfully so, but time softened them to her. juniper tried with all of her might to keep her eyes from rip not only to avoid the scene, but because her body told her to reach for him. there was a guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach for it. she didn't know this man, why did she care to keep him close? why did she want to touch him? chalking it up to needless comfort, she blinked and he was approaching once again.  "i expected as much. truthfully, wasn't much here to begin with save for the youngling. i did collect a small bag of things, it's back at the sanctuary. we can go over it later." she offered him as much of a smile as she could muster, his mention of abernathy making her visibly uncomfortable. "how do you know him, anyway?" the agent asked. juniper turned toward him, her arms moving in to cradle herself as the winds picked up, sending a shiver down her spine. "i've known fritz half my life by now. our fathers were good friends in school, he ... clung to me during our time at hogwarts." she could already feel his jarring cerulean gaze on her as she said it. "took a while, but i found a friend in him eventually." juniper cleared her throat, pressing her arms closer into her chest. "i didn't suspect anything until the centaur confirmed his presence in the wood that night, but not where he said he was." the witch looked to the centaur, whistling a soft goodbye as they went to leave. instinctively, juniper reached for rip's hand, wand in the other as she apparated them back to the sanctuary.

shoot them down, set me free

made by redox of gs

[Rip Winstead]

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juniper fiyero

met the devil in oklahoma and he knew who i was

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If he could focus on investigating, he could stop himself from thinking about the softness of her skin or the brightness in her eyes. He felt he could lose himself in her if he wasn’t careful. There were so many reasons why he shouldn’t be carrying a flame for her and they fought for relevance in his mind. Even after nearly seventeen years, he still mourned the loss of his first love. First… he’d never considered her his ‘first’ before, the idea insinuating there would be another. Was this a sign he was moving on? His heart felt like lead in his chest. It wouldn’t be fair to Juniper if he acted on these sudden feelings. He couldn’t - he had a job to do and she was involved in that. It didn’t matter if her presence was pulling him in, he couldn’t let himself be moved. It was hard, though, when the scent of her shampoo filled his senses whenever he stood near her or when the sight of her smile caused butterflies to start swarming in his stomach. She was going to be the death of him, he could just tell.[break][break]

Rip had a talent for staying cool and collected even when his insides were screaming at him. So, as Juniper spoke he nodded solemnly, trying to avoid looking her in the eye. “Yeah, I’d like that,” he said softly. For the case, yes, but he wouldn’t hate spending more time with her. In fact, his body craved to be closer to her. [break][break]

Not much escaped his notice, so when he mentioned Abernathy he could see the way his name affected her. He tried not to jump to any conclusions, instead studying her carefully. She shivered and part of him wanted to give her his jacket, but he felt that might be inappropriate given the circumstances. Rip nodded slowly as she started speaking, though the motion stopped when she said Abernathy clung to her. His eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of jealousy running through him. There’s nothing to feel jealous about, but his body said something different. It was clear she didn’t think of him in the same way, so he let the feeling pass on its own. “So, where was he?” It didn’t feel like a coincidence that he just happened to be at the right place at the right time. At least they had the centaurs looking out. Her connection with them would be imperative in this case.[break][break]

She reached for his hand, a lightness bubbling in his throat, but he didn’t have time to think about it before he felt a tug on his belly button and he folded in on himself. They landed back in the sanctuary, his foot slipping on a mossy rock. Rip instinctively reached out to pull Juniper to him as they fell, his body shielding her from the ground. He landed on his back with an ‘oof’, a sharp pain stinging in his side. The fall knocked the wind out of him and he took a moment to catch his breath, Juniper snugly against him. The realization started to kick in and he stiffened. The feeling of her in his arms was intoxicating, but he knew it was wrong. Rip cleared his throat and slowly extracted himself, helping her stand as he did. “I’m sorry,” he apologized gruffly. He couldn’t help the way his hands lingered on her arms. “Damn rock.” Reluctantly, he let go of her and brushed himself off. “Are you okay?”

ulla

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[juniper fiyero]

"

Rip Winstead desolate braveheart outfit

everything in her said this feeling was wrong. how could she feel such shame talking about a friend, and why did she feel the need to comfort him for doing so? nothing about him told her he cared, so why did she? "yeah, i'd like that," rip said. juniper's green eyes beamed at the thought, but she tried to keep her gaze down to not seem excited. she wondered if his verbiage was purposeful, or if she was simply reading too far into things; this was about the investigation, after all. at the question of abernathy's whereabouts, the witch shook her head, a sigh hanging on her supple red lips.  "he claimed he was coming up the east road, but mahtaides said his guards saw him south. east would have connected him toward the dens, but he was right in line with the sanctuary."  it hurt her to say it. abernathy was a fickle man, and albeit strange, she had truly found a friend in him all those years ago. their relationship remained even long after they graduated. juniper hated herself more so than him because what if she was wrong? what if the suspicions rising in her throat were merely her grasping for straws, for answers? throughout the last month of her own investigating, juniper had been lead to more questions than answers when it came to her friends intentions. it had ripped her a part nearly as badly as losing her creatures.  as they apparated, juniper was entirely lost in the thought of rip's hand in hers. for the first time in a month, she felt self in someone's presence, and that was a lot for her. the attack on the thestral was far more personal for her than she'd expressed to anyone. so as they appeared back to the sanctuary, juniper stumbled into the agent and down they went. she uttered a soft 'oh', clinging to him as her heart jumped through her throat. they lay there for a brief second, feeling the rise and fall of his chest before coming back to reality and lifting herself as gently as possible from him.  juniper was leaning into him as they stood, but when he let go, she felt empty. doe-eyed and looking unto him, she instinctively reached back and lifted his shirt to look at his side, scrunching her brows at the bruise that was already forming. "yes, i'm okay, but we'll need to ice that," juniper told him. "broke some skin, too." she moved back into her own space, her cheeks lit up as she cleared her throat and headed for the comfort of the sanctuary hall, grabbing rip by the sleeve to follow her. the doors of the miniature castle swung open as they approached, a small stone gargoyle looking down with large, beaty eyes. juniper smiled up at it. "lock up behind us. i'm sure fritz is already back in the building," she said in passing.  through the threshold, there was a warm smell of vanilla in the halls. she had spent so much of her time there now that it looked more like a home than ever before. juniper took the agent down toward the hall where the large oak table sat, the last month of her life strewn across it with little care for organization; to the left of them, a large painting of a young thestral hung. juniper looked onto it before she turned to rip, a sad smile making its way to her face. "i painted that the start of the school year. the babe's name was capricious - she was a firehearted one. her dam served the school for the last forty years." she recalled, pulling a seat back and motionining toward him. "come, please, let me look at that bruise. i'll send for fritz shortly."

shoot them down, set me free

made by redox of gs

[Rip Winstead]

[nospaces]

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juniper fiyero

met the devil in oklahoma and he knew who i was

[attr="class","itsover"]

His side was still stinging, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Right now he was focused on only her, wanting to make sure she didn’t hurt herself when they fell. His bright blue eyes passed over her, looking for any injuries, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t see any. His gaze was pulled back to her face, his heart skipping a beat at the soft look in her eye. Juniper reached around him and lifted his shirt, her fingers brushing against his bare skin as she did. The feeling caused a shiver to run up his spine and he swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. She confirmed that she was okay, but mentioned tending to his bruise. Rip started to protest - he was fine, really - but her fingers brushed against him again as she lowered his shirt and his body tingled. He watched her, noting the color that rose to her face, heat rushing to his own, and he craved more of her touch. So he didn’t say anything, he just followed her wordlessly as she pulled him along.[break][break]

The warm scent of vanilla filled his senses as they crossed the threshold and Rip breathed it in, a soft smile touching his lips. It smelled just like her. Juniper led him through the hall to a large oak table littered with papers. His smile widened as he glanced over at her, picturing her pouring over all this stuff looking for answers. The image was one he liked. His eyes scanned the rest of the room, landing on a large painting of a thestral. It was a beautiful painting, he thought. His heart did feel a bit heavy looking at it, however. Not just because of what had happened with the herd, but because art was something he shared with Jenn. Everything he knew about art he had learned from her. Rip met Juniper’s gaze as she turned to face him, a warm smile finding its way onto his features as he looked upon her. He couldn’t get over just how beautiful she was, those shiny, dark curls framing her brilliant face, with a pair of gorgeous green eyes staring back at him and plump red lips parted. Rip admired her for both her mind and her beauty.[break][break]

“It’s a beautiful painting,” he echoed his thoughts back to her, taking the seat she offered. Rip took off his jacket and tossed it on the table, tucking his hands under his legs to stop them from shaking. He was nervous as hell to be tended by her, his heart beating hard in his chest. Maybe this was too much. Maybe he should have just said no to begin with and not have been caught in this position, but he could admit that he had a moment of weakness when he felt her touch. There was no denying that he liked her and he wanted to get to know her better, but his mind was shouting at his heart telling it all the reasons he shouldn’t. But when she lifted up his shirt again, everything in his mind dissipated, his heart winning out. Her touch was gentle and kind, so much different than the fiery passion she showed earlier. The warmth of a summer day washed over him as she set to work and his lips curled into another smile, his gaze fixed on her.[break][break]

“Do you do this often?” he asked her, that smile still plastered to his face. "Tending to wounded men in your sanctuary?" Juniper seemed to be a natural at this. Perhaps it was after years of looking out for animals, tending to their wounds and what have you. He knew his way around animals as well, growing up on a farm, and he’s patched a few wounds in his time. It was a skill that was necessary in this job if you’re working out in the field. He tried to peek to see what she was doing, but he couldn’t quite see.

ulla

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[juniper fiyero]

Rip Winstead desolate braveheart outfit

juniper wasted little time once he was seated; she lifted his shirt up and moved his arm so that he was holding it up on his own. across the table, a box of viles and gauze was thrown about, and the witch reached to pull it closer. at his words, juniper raised her brow, stopping what she was doing. “would it hurt your feelings to know you’re not the first?” she jested, biting the corner of her plush red lip as a chuckle escaped her. she bent forward just slight, examining the clotting scrape along the bruise. without thinking, juniper sat herself atop the agents knee and started working again to clean the afflicted area, lathering honey over the small wound. “we take our bodies for granted sometimes thinkin’ we’re too good for a blood infection,” june found herself saying. it didn’t take much longer for her to bandage the area, finally pulling his shirt back down and straightening herself out. “there we go.” juniper stood then, suddenly self aware to the fact she’d had no concept of personal space. smoothing her dress out, she headed toward a seat close by rip’s, settling into it with ease. from the far corridor, she could hear hefty footsteps, head turning toward the sound. the look on her face was unreadable. “it looks like i won’t have to summon him after all. that should be fritz,” the witch said quietly. she grabbed her glasses from where they sat to put them on, green gaze falling on rip’s face. there was something stirring in her gut, and she couldn’t quite place the anxious feeling as it hit hard. as expected, a man rounded the corner into the hall where they sat, looking chipper as spring. he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair, passing over the agent to look straight for juniper. “oh, yeah? this must be the ministry worker lockwood was talking about,” he said cooly. from her seat, looking up at fritz through her thick framed glasses, she nodded. “we were about to send for you. come, sit,” juniper motioned to a chair across from both of them, opposite enough to keep him out of touch. “we?” abernathy inquired, this time his tone was … colder. it felt like he was mocking her as he was looking between them, noting where juniper had asked him to sit. fritz looked directly to rip, a quiet scowl on his face as he chose to sit in between the two, instead.

shoot them down, set me free

made by redox of gs

[Rip Winstead]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","oneword1"]

[attr="class","fromyou1"]
juniper fiyero

met the devil in oklahoma and he knew who i was

[attr="class","itsover"]

Perhaps it was selfish of him to be enjoying this. There couldn’t be anything between them, but here he was wanting it anyway. Rip held his arm up so she could get a closer look, the smell of vanilla filling his senses as she leaned in. A soft chuckle escaped him at her teasing, a hand coming to his chest as he feigned being pained by her words. “How will I ever recover?” he joked back, his smile brightening. It did, however, bring a slight jealous pang. Rip ignored it. It didn’t do him any good to think about what men lie in her past - that was her business, not his. And it didn’t matter because they couldn’t have anything more than this. She wasn’t his. His heart did skip a beat at the serious look on her face as she inspected his scrape. She looked so beautiful while she was focusing on something. What she did next, he did not expect. Juniper sat herself on top of his knee to get better access to his side. Rip swallowed at the close proximity, his heartbeat racing. “Uh huh,” was all he managed to get out, his eyes wide with wonderment as he looked at her. [break][break]

It was over too soon, Juniper rising from his lap, Rip feeling the loss of her touch keenly. He cleared his throat, trying to mask the heat that rushed to his face. It was nice while it lasted, but he told himself it couldn’t happen again. He needed to get a grip on these feelings before they got out of control. She took a seat near him and they both turned their heads as they heard loud footsteps heading in their direction. Rip quickly looked back to Juniper as she started speaking, trying to gauge how she felt. Her expression was impossible to read which he took as her trying to control her reaction. Something about this Fritz made her nervous, he thought. She met his gaze and time seemed to slow, her bright green eyes shining even brighter behind thick framed glasses. His body tensed, his mind kicking into gear. His time alone with Juniper was over and it was time to get back to work.[break][break]

Abernathy entered and Rip shifted his gaze to him, watching him closely. The blonde wizard passed over him and immediately looked to Juniper. Irritation bubbled up inside him, but he didn’t let it show as the man started speaking. It was clear that he wasn’t happy that Rip was here, but for what reason? Rip’s head tilted slightly as he watched him, his mind turning. Was it jealousy? Or was it fear? He seemed almost angry when Juniper spoke again. Rip thought that maybe it was both as he finally met his gaze and scowled. A tickle of amusement stirred up in him, a slight smile tugging at his lips. He felt a sense of pride, like he won something. Fritz, instead of taking the seat across from them, moved to sit directly between them and Rip raised a brow. If that’s how he wanted to play it… “Yes,” he said at last, his voice gruff. “We wanted to ask you a few questions. But, first, why don’t you tell us again what happened with the thestrals?” He’d listen to his story before he dared to make any accusations.

ulla

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