New Look...

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken walked outside, feeling the breeze upon the back of his neck, feeling bizarre and unfamiliar to him. He had, indeed, cut off all his hair. What could he say? He was tired of the red, and it was permanent, and well, it resulted in a look completely different then that he is used to. Jaken, who was carrying an acoustic guitar in his left hand, used his right to feel his hair. It was soft, and felt just so different to him. What would Estrella say? He hadn't seen her in a while, and wondered where she had gone to.

Jaken, who was wearing his black hoodie and a pair of blue jeans, sat down close to a tree, and got comfortable. He set the guitar in the proper position, and wondered if he could still play. Using the pick and recalling a few chords, he started to play them. He didn't notice the other students around, and to be quite honest, didn't care for them. His few chords went into a classic rhythm, pleasingly sounding to his ears. Jaken murmured, "I still got it." He laughed softly, and continued to play his guitar, something he hadn't done in a few years, since Durmstrang.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella had been over at the lake talking to the new merman she met and had given him her anchor necklace because he had actually made her smile for the first time in a long time. She had finally bid him farewell because she felt like she had taken up enough of his time and was walking back over to the castle through the lawn when she heard nice music being played.

She smiled a little, feeling better than she had all week and turned to see who was playing. She noticed an extremely handsome guy playing it and thought That looks a lot like Jaken. She continued to walk but suddenly did a double take as her thought finally sunk in her head. It was Jaken! "Jaken?" she questioned with a stunned smirk on her face, still unsure whether it really was him or if her mind was just playing tricks on her.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken continued to play, completely drawn into the music. He would have began to sing, like he did back in his old school, but stopped himself. He continued to play, and continued to smile. Jaken heard his name, and paused his tune. He had heard this girl's voice before, and knew it before he even looked up to confirm it. It would be that younger girl, Isabella.

His grey eyes glanced up, and he was right. He waved at her subtly and nodded, saying that it was him indeed. "Quite the change, huh?" he said to her in his usual, friendly matter. Jaken started playing a lighter, happier classic tune. His gaze went occasionally from her to the guitar, but taking longer gazes at his playing, making sure he wouldn't miss a chord. He played this song for Alessine, when she was around.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella's uncertainty was confirmed once she heard him speak; it was definitely Jaken. "Yes, quite a change," she repeated nodded her head slowly as she slowly took in his new look. It definitely made him look more clean cut and matured, as if he weren't a trouble maker anymore, and she remembered Jaken saying he used to be one back at Durmstrang. She thought his new look suited the "new" him here at Hogwarts. "I like it," she said with a genuine smile before blushing lightly. "If you don't mind me asking, why the sudden change?" she asked him, hoping her blush was gone.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken smiled a bit, and stopped playing guitar. He didn't stand up, since he didn't feel like staring down at the second year. He laughed softly, and set his guitar beside him. He used both of his hands to thoroughly feel his hair. It was so...weird to him. Jaken nodded, after putting his hands on his lap. "Well, I think a few others will. Just a sudden...big change." Jaken bit his lip slightly, trying to word it. He finally answered, "I got tired of the red. And it usually got in the way of me playing Quidditch. Plus, I wanted something different."

Jaken narrowed his eyes at the young girl. Something was different about her. Jaken used his 'big brother' instincts to try to figure out what was wrong. Jaken inquired in a more serious manner, "Is everything okay with you? You don't have to answer, if you don't want to." Jaken smiled a bit, but it didn't the concern in his eyes.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella smiled at his response, thinking he really didn't owe anyone an explanation for why he cut his hair. It seemed pretty obvious that he had done it willingly. "Does Estrella like it?" she asked, wondering what his girlfriend thought of it. "You two are still together right?" she asked before wanting to smack her forehead at that dumb question. It seemed every time she talked to Jaken she wanted to smack herself. Of course they're still together Bella! Just because you and Aiden broke up on Halloween doesn't mean every other couple did too! she thought to herself angrily.

She bit her lip to stop herself from sighing at the thought of Aiden and was a little surprised that he could tell something was wrong with her. "Umm, yeah everything's fine," she lied, looking down and messing with a few rings on her fingers to avoid his gaze. "Mind if I take a seat?" she asked, her voice a little shaky from nervousness and thinking of Aiden still.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken glanced down and back up at her and shrugged, "I have no idea. I haven't seen her since I cut off my hair." Jaken nodded, "I believe so. Like always, I'll just have to suck up to her when I get myself in holes." He laughed, and didn't know what he would do this time. The options ran through his mind. Jaken did not know what he was going to do this time. He also did know which screw up was worse, him being cold and rude to Kale, or his comment on Halloween.

Jaken cocked his eyebrow up in disbelief. Does this girl think I'm blind to emotions, just because I'm a guy? he wondered in his mind. He nodded, "Go on ahead." Jaken assumed it was the usual drama that was going on in the younger generation. The usual best friend drama or relationship drama. Or even...the prank drama going on now. Jaken thought, but it became verbal without him noticing it, "Drama bites."

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella looked at him curiously for a moment when he said he hadn't seen her since he cut it but thought nothing of it. She took a seat beside him and chuckled lightly at his comment about sucking up to Estrella when he got in trouble and said, "I wish my boyfriend thought the same way. Well, ex-boyfriend," she added almost inaudibly, already regretting that she'd said that. When he said 'drama bites' she simply nodded her head and in hopes of changing the subject she said, "You and Estrella seemed..strange on Halloween," she half sighed at the mention of that unexpected night for her, before continuing, "Was everything okay between you two?"

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken nodded, assuming that what was wrong with had to do with her now ex-boyfriend. Jaken stated simply, "Some guys are just jerks. I was raised better." Jaken thought, Strange though, being a paragon yet my father being evil. Wow. Jaken sighed, inaudibly. He wished he knew what was going on with Estrella. He thought that he would give her some time to calm her emotions down from whatever happened, before interrogating. "She is going through some things, things I haven't asked about yet." He added, "I want her to either calm down or tell me on her own free will." Jaken constantly worried over Estrella. Something was happening with her, and it worried him.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Isabella smiled grimly as he said some guys were just jerks. As he went on to speak of what was wrong about Estrella, Isabella smiled at his..compassion, for lack of better word. "That's nice of you, to give her some space and let her tell you when she's ready," she said softly with a small smile on her face. She knew that what Estrella and Jaken had was much more real than what she and Aiden would ever have, but she still couldn't help but feel hollow inside about their break up. She also felt a bit stupid for crying over a break up when others, like Estrella, probably had more important issues to deal with. She bit her lip in uncertainty and added, "I hope she's okay," hoping it wasn't anything too bad.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken remembered that Estrella had been acting strange since the Brightstone Village break. Surely, it didn't have anything to do with his father, or else she would have told him immediately. No, no, this issue was a bit more personal. Jaken shrugged slightly, "I hope it is the right thing to do, giving her some space. I am new to this...relationship sort of thing." Jaken glanced down for a moment, and smiled inwardly, remembering asking Estrella to teach him the ropes. Jaken smiled, "She can handle anything, she is a strong woman. By the time the Ball comes around, she'll be okay. I have faith in that." Jaken turned his gaze to the girl sitting in front of him.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

"You're new to this relationship thing?" Isabella repeated a little stunned. "I thought surely someone like you would have girls fawning for you," she said before pink rose in her cheeks as she realized she was probably one of those painfully obvious girls. Isabella smiled warmly at Jaken as he spoke highly of Estrella. "She seems like one of those girls that can handle anything," she agreed with a smile, and it made her wonder if Aiden ever "had faith" in her. She pulled a few blades of grass to keep herself occupied, thinking of the Ball now that he mentioned it. She sighed quietly thinking she'd probably go alone and Aiden would probably have moved on by then.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken laughed softly, and shook his head. He shrugged, "I only had one before Estrella, if you could call that one a relationship. It was more like best friends than an actual bond or something." Jaken added, "I keep to myself more than anything, so I don't see girls fawning over me." Jaken was not the type to notice things like that, and wondered who all actually did 'fawn' over him in the last few years. He didn't know, nor did he care much. Jaken smiled, "Yeah, one of the reasons why I admire her so much. She can probably handle more than me." He believed that she actually could. She handled her mother's death. Jaken didn't know what it was like to have a death in the family.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

[Okay Jaken is too cute in this thread! ]

Isabella laughed lightly and said quietly, "Maybe you just don't notice these fawning girls." She smiled as Jaken spoke highly of Estrella, it was a side of him she'd never seen before. Not that she had seen many of his "sides" before, she still felt like an acquaintance at best, but still. He looked so tough and almost unapproachable on the outside, she felt as if cutting his hair allowed the softer side of him to fully come out now. She wanted to laugh at her cheesy thoughts but just smiled complacently. "I think it's nice the way you speak of her," Bella commented quietly, realizing more each minute that Aiden was a jerk. She scowled lightly but pulled a few more blades of grass to keep herself occupied.

[Sorry I couldn't think of what to write. ]

 

[Jaken Styx]

((I know. Too bad he won't be cute when he is older. ))

Jaken thought for a moment, and glanced at the grass before shrugged, "Perhaps. I never noticed things like that until they become a bit...obvious." He smirked, laughing silently. Jaken smiled, "Well, I usually speak nicely of people when I know them well." It was true. He did speak highly of the people he actually enjoyed being around with. Jaken watched her scowl a little bit, and folded his arms across his chest, "Is there reason why you are scowling?" I am still sticking to my theory on something is wrong with her. Jaken thought.

 

[Isabella Chaos]

Normally Isabella would've blushed when Jaken said he didn't notice girls fawning over him until it became obvious. She knew she didn't hide her school girl crush on him well so she was sure he was talking about her. However,surprisingly, Isabella grinned up at him instead, no flush in her cheeks. Suddenly a thought struck her, Jaken was always a crush to her because she didn't know him. The more she talked to him, the more she began to see him as a friend, rather than someone to ogle over. A smile crept on her face at that realization, contrasting greatly with the scowl she wore earlier and she sighed before answering his question.

"Hearing you talk of Estrella like that just makes me think of how much of a jerk Aiden was," she said bluntly. She didn't know if he knew who Aiden was but hoped he could figure it out through context clues. "Aiden broke up with me because.." she paused before finding the right words. "Well first he didn't believe me when I said I didn't write some stupid letter that said I kissed some guy," she started off. "What kind of a boyfriend doesn't believe their own girlfriend when she's practically crying and telling you she didn't write it?" she said beginning to ramble. "Then..I said something stupid," she muttered the word stupid, "but he didn't have the same feelings back so we got mad at each other and then he just broke it off like nothing! Gryffindors are so stupid you know? They just act without thinking!" she finished off with a huff.

She looked over at Jaken biting her lip and said, "Sorry, you probably didn't need to hear that." She gave him an apologetic smile and rolled her eyes at herself.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken listened to her story, his face a bit stern. Jaken tapped his arm with his index finger, not liking the story in the least bit. Aiden...that had to be that one boy with Isabella at her little party she threw last year. Once she finished, Jaken just shook his head in reply, trying to think of what to say. Finally, he just replied, "After hearing about this, it does upset me a little. For one, he did this to a friend of mine, and two, sounds like he gives us guys a bad name."

Jaken continued, "If he didn't believe you, then I see two options for you. One, get over him. Sounds harsh, I know. Or two, find out who actually wrote the letter and force them to spill. Although, you probably heard those options before." Jaken did not agree with Isabella about Gryffindors. He had fellow student friends that were, and they were as nice as can be. But, Isabella was upset, so he said nothing over that topic.

What did concern him though was what she said that could have set Aiden off. He dismissed it, thinking it was just a little thing. Jaken grinned, "You have nothing to be sorry for. This isn't the first time I've heard drama." Jaken had enough to deal with in his own family, so something as simple as this wasn't as bad as the battles Chavdar told him about between Chavdar and Asparuh.