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Who: Remus Lupin
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When: January 14th, early evening

[Remus sits on the floor in James' room, back against the bed, holding the communicator in one hand. The other is tangled in his hair; he pushes his hand through the tangled curls again and again throughout this little speech. Still, he smiles pleasantly enough. This first part is easy, after all.]

Right, hello. My name is Remus Lupin, I've been here a few months, and I've noticed a bit of a trend among those taken. There's quite a few of us with-- well, abilities, for lack of a better word. Abilities that most human beings don't have. They vary, of course, but-- it's an odd consistency. I've met more people with magic than I usually do in a year. Something to think on, perhaps.

In any case: even if it's a meaningless connection-- something that has no significance beyond sheer entertainment value-- I'd be interested to hear what everyone can do. Whether you call it magic or alchemy or even if it's-- god, I don't know, if you have a talent for juggling, I'd be interested. I want to know more about what kind of company I keep.

[His smile fades, now, and he hesitates visibly.]

For example, I, ah. I'm a wizard. Wand and all. I can do magic, which means anything from transfiguration to charms to knowing what plants to use to brew a good cold remedy. It's hardly infallible, but it's certainly useful. And, ah . . .

I'm a werewolf as well. The sort that only changes once a month. It's lasted here, but I seem to have control over it. I take quite a few precautions, so-- so it won't be a problem. I'm not the only werewolf here, nor the only other supernatural creature, but--

[He shrugs. His face is pale, now, the little scars standing out sharply against his skin-- but he forces himself to keep talking.]

I'm used to keeping it a secret at home. And I'm sure others are as well. So I suppose this is a . . . a way to let everyone know. Even if they don't want to tell anyone else, they know they're not alone.

[His mouth twists in a wry smirk.]

That, and I'm tired of keeping it a secret.

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It's just the name of the job. We're not just soldiers or scouts, belonging to one nation. We're supposed to be independent of all that. Free of allegiances, except maybe to our fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses. Our job is to protect all of humanity from Grimm.

And what is-- are?-- Grimm? An organization?

No, nothing like that. They're creatures that roam the world of Remnant, my home. No one really knows where they came from exactly. Think they've just always been around. They're beasts that exist only to prey on humanity, drawn to us by negative emotions.

Hunters and Huntresses, we protect people from them. Scout, hunt, and kill Grimm as needed. It's all to keep people safe.

Well. We've creatures like that, though we call them Dementors. Do they eat you? Ours suck out your soul. You still live, but it's not a life worth living.

Jeez... I mean, getting mauled by Grimm is by no means a good way to go, but... sucking out your soul? That's... wow...

It's a fate worse than death, frankly. A person isn't really a person without a soul, I promise you.

I believe you.

[No soul... she can easily imagine how horrible that would be. As he said, what would be left of you? Nothing really.]

There's gotta be a way to fight those things right? I mean, I guess you could always run away, but something so evil as that... someone must have thought of a way to fight back?

Oh, yes. It's not easy, but there's a spell to at the very least repel them. It's difficult-- really, beyond difficult, most wizards don't bother, because you used to so rarely encounter dementors, it'd be like preparing for a tiger attack-- but they've become more prevalent lately.

So there's only one spell to beat them... and it's really, really hard to pull off? I mean, how do people stay protected from these things? Like, people who can't do the spell, or non-magicy people?

Dementors aren't so populous as all that-- and usually, they stick to isolated, cold places. Particularly remote graveyards, prisons-- places like that. Places that inspire despair, because that too is what they feed on. And they don't go for souls all the time-- especially since we try to keep them in line. I'm not saying everyone is safe all the time, but nor will someone nonmagical run into them randomly on the street.

[Yang considers this for a moment.]

Wow, these things really do sound a lot like Grimm. So then, there are people whose job it is to protect others right? People who cannot defend themselves from these things?

Well . . . I don't know if they'd call it that. Not protection, so much as a necessary precaution for keeping the magical world a secret.

Frankly, most of my world doesn't care much for those who are nonmagical. They think them inferior.

What? Why? Just cuz they can't do magic? That doesn't mean they don't need protecting!

[Yang's starting to sound like she's getting angry, but she does mean for that to seem like it's targeted at Remus.]

I agree, believe me. I love having magic, but wizarding culture is very elitist. Unless you fit in a narrow set of standards-- and most of us don't, honestly, not anymore-- you're considered worth less.

There's even some who think that you ought to not have any nonmagical blood in you-- that if you do, it lowers you. Which is really stupid, because our population isn't nearly so large for that to be a reality; we have to marry out, or else we'd just interbreed ourselves to death.

My mother is-- was-- nonmagical, and you could hardly find a person more intelligent.

[Yang realizes how she must have come off just a moment ago, and noticeably cools down some.]

Sorry, I didn't mean to seem like I was getting mad at you. I just-

[Her thoughts turn to a particular teammate of her's.]

I get how people can be so narrow-minded about things like that. People are naturally different from one another. It's stupid to treat others like they're inferior just because they have some traits that don't match up perfectly with your's.

[She lets out a deep breath, cooling down some more.]

So your mother is non-magical, huh? What was that like for her to find out? About you and your dad- well, I'm guessing your dad, had magical powers?

[He waves a hand-- no offense taken-- and nods.]

My father was a wizard, yes. He, ah, saved her from an admittedly fairly harmless monster, which of course made her ask what the creature was, never mind the wand he brandished-- and rather than modify her memory or explain it away, he-- you know-- courted her.

[Oh my god is it 1854? But he doesn't know how else to put it, really.]

Anyway. So she became part of our world, and I was the eventual result.

That is kind of romantic when you think about it. A dashing young wizard, swoops in to save a beautiful maiden in danger.

[Yang's tone sounding half teasing and half sincere.]

[He snorts.]

It'd be far more romantic if boggarts were at all dangerous.

Bog-a-what?

[Yeah, that one lost her.]

I though we were talking about de-mean-ors, or whatever?

No-- sorry, sorry. I mean, we were, but my father saved my mother from what's known as a boggart. They're nasty little things, but essentially harmless. They like to live in dark spaces, and when they encounter someone, they'll leap out and project themselves as whatever you fear the most. They can't hurt you, though-- can't even touch you. It's your fear they want; that's what sustains them. Beyond that, I think they just want to be left alone for the most part-- but it can be terrifying if you don't know magic and don't know what's going on.

Wow...

[Yang intertwines and fingers, tucking her hands behind the back of her head. She appears to be contemplating, and, in fact, she is wondering what exactly a "boggart" would turn into for her...]

Sounds like you wizards have all kinds of nuisances to deal with.

Ah, well, honestly, we don't run into them that often. School is more a hassle than anything. Or it was, anyway, I mean, I'm graduated by now.

Wizard school huh? I guess that makes sense. I mean, we have Huntsmen and Huntress academies... so yeah, I can see a correlation.

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