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sweetpinkpixie · 10-05-2022, 12:47 AM

Space has been made - or has it always been there? - for a brand new garden: a memorial dedicated to those who fell in the Third Wizarding War. The garden is surprisingly quiet, given its location in a busy wizarding London street. It's calm here. Peaceful.

Most likely to immediately draw the eye is a statue in the middle of the garden, at the centre of a small pond. A tall, titanium sculpture of a phoenix stands atop a round plinth; almost two hundred names are engraved here, the names of those who fell during the length of the war, listed in columns and slowly revolving, though the plinth itself is stationary. The sculpture seems to bathe the garden around it in a warm glow, and does so year-round. There are some flashes of colour on the titanium phoenix; many of its feathers are detailed in red and gold, and the astute observer will notice that the number of coloured feathers exactly matches the number of names listed below.

Every year, on the anniversary of the 2104 battle, the phoenix can be seen to cry, shedding tears from sunset on 9th May to sunset on 10th May.

A mosaic-like path winds its way through the grass and under arches, made up of bricks and paving stones of different colours. Spaced around the garden, roughly in each of its corners, are four benches. According to the inscriptions on these benches, each has been provided by a different institution or significant area of wizarding Britain: Hogwarts, St Mungo's, the Ministry of Magic, and Diagon Alley itself. Throughout the garden, a variety of brightly coloured and aromatic flowers, shrubs, young trees, and other plants can be found, with plenty of space still left to be filled.

Chelliephone · 05-31-2023, 03:27 AM

A good balancing act was definitely what they were. The idea of yin and yang was not something that Drake subscribed to often, and yet when it came to him and his twin he thought perhaps there was some truth to the idea of it. Her structure certainly came in handy for him at times, and he hoped that his fluid nature did vice versa.

She was probably correct that in the long term, the permission part first would go a long way for them. But still, that 1% chance they didn't convince their mother gave him a little bit of anxiety because now that they'd discussed the idea, he really wanted a pet. Would probably fixate on it for days to come. But then again, that obsessive mindset of his could also come in handy while he channeled it to take his sister's route and research enough to have solid arguments for his mother of why they should have a pet. So even if it was a slightly resigned sigh that asked with his acceptance of her plan, it still was acceptance. "I guess you're probably right. We should come up with a solid list of arguments then if we're asking permission first. Maybe we can brainstorm all of the reasons we think Mum might say no and then come up with 1-2 solid arguments for those points?"

Talking about the type was far more fun topic of conversation. And perhaps helpful too if research was going to be done. It'd be better to know exactly what they were asking for before they approached their Mum. "I'm okay with a kneazle then! Especially if we can take it school with us. Having to leave a cruppy at home would be sad... also if we had a pet we had to leave at home, that's just asking Mum to take on more responsibility than us having it." Which sounded like a solid enough reason to immediately veto if one was to ask him.

*Zoe* · 06-01-2023, 12:23 AM

Gilly was willing to bet galleons on her being more than 'probably correct' about asking for permission. She was quite certain that their mother would give them the green light for a pet (there really was no rationale that the girl could think of for their mother to not be in favour of the idea). And, in the event that she was wrong... well, she wouldn't admit that. It just meant that Plan A wasn't foolproof and that they would need to resort to Plan B. Either way, they'd have a pet at some point.

"Yes, I think that would be the best course of action for us," she agreed, liking the way her brother's brain was working right now. Thinking of reasons why their mother would say no (which she was confident that the woman wouldn't, but she'd play along for fun) and being ready with counterarguments was exactly what she anticipated doing. "Any ideas?" She of course had her own, but she'd open the floor to Drake. This was a group effort, after all, and she could always add on to whatever he said and fill in gaps if necessary.

Internally, the girl was starting to get quite excited about the possibility that they would have a four-legged creature roaming about their home in no time at all. Of course, those emotions were not present on her face. She'd save that for the moment their desire became a reality. "That's definitely one thing we can bring up: we will be responsible and take care of our pet. ... Speaking of, should we go and scout out the kneazles now?"

Chelliephone · 06-01-2023, 02:04 AM

Plan B was still something that he thought would be a lot worse than if that wasn't just Plan A but.. Gilly WAS usually the more thoughtful one so in this instance, he'd have to just trust in his sister. Which was an easy enough task, considering that was often his default. Besides as long as they got a pet at the end of it, he supposed he wasn't really bothered by what the process ended up being. Normally the saying was it was the journey, not the destination that mattered but that was not his thinking for this example.

Hmm.. Why would their mom say no? "She might try to say that we aren't responsible enough. So I bet if we do extra chores and stay on top of our stuff for like.. a WEEK first she might be more open to easily dismissing that point." And by that, he might have been more so talking to himself. It wasn't his fault making his bed was the most boring of all tasks in existence. "She might also try to say an animal will be destructive because we won't exercise it enough but maybe we could find a list of the best budget friendly toys that could show we'd already thought of how to meet that need?" That did seem more like a cruppy issue than a kneazle but... both still needed attention and play time, right?

At the suggestion of going and looking at the animals, he beamed and nodded, dusting off his hands from touching the dirt earlier and looping his arm through hers. "Let's pick out our pet! Maybe if we also have a list of everything we need, it'll be easy to just show Mum, get the stamp of approval and then go back and get it!" Wasn't that also a show of responsibility? Knowing what was needed?

*Zoe* · 06-15-2023, 06:22 PM

The way Drakie trusted her always made things easier. It was reassuring that he was so willing to go with whatever plan she had concocted in her mind. Her plans were always well thought out and usually wound up being successful, though she did have to admit that his personal flare did enhance those plans when it was appropriate to include him in them. This typically applied to more social situations and, in this instance, when it was a joint effort to get something they both equally wanted.

Gilly considered the possibility of their mother thinking that they might not be responsible enough. This resulted in a raised eyebrow. She was quite responsible, thank you very much. Her room was spotless, the dishes always clean, and the living room was free of dust bunnies -- she had a very particular cleaning schedule that she stuck to, and it paid off in the end. Her only faults, she supposed, were her late-night reading when she was supposed to be sleeping and the occasional experiment she tried to keep under her bed. But extra chores could be done. She didn't mind as it would make a bit of a statement and work in their favour. "I'll agree to additional chores, only if you agree to stay on top of yours."

As for their mother possibly saying that a pet would be destructive, it was a fair point. "It could be argued that a pet would likely cause quite a mess if we're not regularly cleaning and grooming," she added with a nod. "But, yes, a list of everything is exactly what we need." With that said, she grabbed onto his arm and nudged her brother toward the garden exit and in the direction of the menagerie.

sweetpinkpixie · 08-14-2023, 08:01 AM

Returning to England this summer felt a bit more fulfilling than previous summers. Was she, perhaps, growing a bit of an ego? There certainly was a bit more something to her stride and the way she carried herself - and not simply because she had grown a bit more over her fifth year at Hogwarts. The first place plaque for an individual performance at the Shodō Performance Kōshien as well as Himitsumahou claiming the team title had left her plenty to feel proud and accomplished, not being second in particular stroked a part of her personality all too often neglected.

Perhaps it was this sense of honor that brought her back to the Memorial Garden after so long. The pride combined with joining Uncle Ryu and Takashi for Obon festivities in their late grandmother's hometown was enough to elicit a need for reflection, gratitude, and remembrance. The majority of the names engraved here were unknown to her, but it did not make her purpose here any less genuine.

Pulling her bat winged backpack in front of her as she walked along the mosaic path (taking great care not to step on any yellow pieces), Mitsuki searched through it until she found the little container of sliced cucumbers she had prepared for today's excursion. Arriving at the pond, she took in the phoenix sculpture and decided that she would very much like to capture it with her watercolors. But first, she had something else to accomplish. Mitsuki carefully popped off the lid and began to slowly pace around the pond, leaving a slice of cucumber every seven or eight steps atop the soil or stone if one was available.

*Lottiepot* · 08-18-2023, 06:50 PM

August had been a strange concoction of events and emotions that had left Fynley in a bit of a whirl. The mix of positive and negative, feeling euphoric one second and then remembering the events that transpired after receiving those OWL results the next. Working at Atticus’ was helping to ground him a little, provide him with a steady income, an outlet for his passions and something to do to prevent himself from getting lost in his thoughts all over again. If there was one thing that Fynley hated being it was alone. Diagon Alley this time of year meant it was near on impossible to be on your own with the streets bustling with kids doing their start of year shopping and meeting up with their friends they hadn’t seen in what..? A few weeks.

He was attempting to find somewhere to sit and eat his lunch during the allotted break he had been given, a lunch he had ‘packed’ himself and therefore consisted of a load of unhealthy snacks rather than anything substantial but who was judging anyway? Every single bench and perch point appeared to be taken by families and he found himself wandering in circles trying to locate at least somewhere he could lean for a bit when he spotted a pair of bat wings flapping on a backpack as it passed near him. A fond smile graced his lips as he realised who said bag was attached to for there weren’t many who would be seen sporting such a bold fashion choice. What possessed him to follow he didn’t know but she was someone he considered a friend and despite her quirks was someone he could talk to. Whether that feeling was reciprocated was unknown. Into the Memorial Garden they headed, a location Fynley hadn’t actually visited before although more from a place of ignorance than disrespect over its meaning. Mitsuki started with a ritual of some kind so the Slytherin watched for a second in silence.

“Hey,” he spoke with a soft chuckle finally announcing his presence. “What exactly are you doing?” He knew Mitsuki was a strange one but leaving cucumbers in a circle around the pond was really taking the biscuit. The question wasn’t meant as accusatory, in fact it was genuine curiosity that led to the inquisition There also a sense of relief that there were no levitating books to collide with his head this time, cucumbers couldn’t do as much damage should he become a target once again.

sweetpinkpixie · 08-23-2023, 06:01 AM

She lamented that she had not brought along some of her favorite crisps to sprinkle beside and between the cucumbers, but it was a thought that had not occurred to her until just this moment. A sign that meant it was clearly not meant to be. Perhaps next year the timing would be more right. Laying the final cucumber, Mitsuki straightened and began to slip the container back into her bag when she heard a voice - one not entirely familiar nor completely foreign - and turned her head just enough to look and confirm the identity of the the soothing voice. She couldn't quite call it friendly, though she had no reason to consider Fynley's voice unfriendly either, but there was a certain whimsy to his tone that produced a soothing quality.

"Hello," she greeted in turn with the usual calmness to her features that was so often misconstrued for something else. "I'm offering my gratitude." And explanation that likely left much to be desired, but in her experience (such as when Luca happened upon her while she had been crafting eggplant cows and cucumber horses at the Lake) people did not tend to desire further explanation and simply accepted her short version.

*Lottiepot* · 08-23-2023, 08:39 PM

Fynley didn’t often do unfriendly, not unless the other really deserved it and knew how to push all the right buttons. Yes he might’ve been judging Mitsuki ever so slightly on her odd behaviour but that didn’t mean he didn’t like her. The question was more of a curiosity rather than an accusation. Her lack of a smile during the greeting was met by a grin from the sixteen year old.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately if Mitsuki was feeling particularly sociable today, Fynley wasn’t the type to accept the simple explanation. Or rather he just enjoyed engaging in conversation and therefore would automatically pry further. “Gratitude for the fish in the pond or..”. He glanced around quickly trying to take in where exactly he had been led to. A memorial of some kind? A tribute to those that had sacrificed their lives for Wizarding kind. “I didn’t realise that spirits loved cucumbers so much, more of a pickle guy myself” he chuckled not caring that the joke was likely to go completely over Mitsuki’s head. She took everything he said to her literally but that didn’t mean he was going to stop the attempt anyway.

The Slytherin plopped himself down on the bench donated by Hogwarts and briefly glanced up at the Phoenix sculpture. It was eerily quiet here, peaceful but not the sort of place that Fynley would find himself hanging out. “How is your summer going so far?”

astrocat · 11-26-2023, 10:13 PM

Ashley Fox had never been here before. It... she didn't feel that she belonged here. She felt like it was somehow her fault that so many people had lost their loved ones. Because she was the wrong blood status and- and- she talked too much. As a twelve-year-old. That wasn't how it worked, of course, but the feeling had partially remained.

But Ash had to come here eventually. Nine years, one book, and a lot of healing later. She came in a knee-length purple dress and she came with a bouquet of equally purple flowers to leave at the edge of the pond that surrounded the phoenix. But- but- Ash wasn't ready for that yet. She just couldn't find the courage to approach it or look the phoenix in the eye. So she sat down at the St. Mungos bench and took some deep breaths, fingers clenched tight around the bouquet. She could do this... She could do this... Maybe...

Chelliephone · 11-30-2023, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Ashley Fox had never been here before. It... she didn't feel that she belonged here. She felt like it was somehow her fault that so many people had lost their loved ones. Because she was the wrong blood status and- and- she talked too much. As a twelve-year-old. That wasn't how it worked, of course, but the feeling had partially remained.

But Ash had to come here eventually. Nine years, one book, and a lot of healing later. She came in a knee-length purple dress and she came with a bouquet of equally purple flowers to leave at the edge of the pond that surrounded the phoenix. But- but- Ash wasn't ready for that yet. She just couldn't find the courage to approach it or look the phoenix in the eye. So she sat down at the St. Mungos bench and took some deep breaths, fingers clenched tight around the bouquet. She could do this... She could do this... Maybe...

The memorial garden was not a place Evan Nam felt like frequenting often either, but this also wasn't his first time. There were some days where the urge was strong to come and pay his respects. For all of these people who had paid the ultimate sacrifice to get their loves ones, the kids of the next generation, himself. Two names in particular were ones he always looked for on the slab of all those gone, and he never failed to give a respectful bow in greeting to them, before he'd go about whatever his business was for the day.

Today, his business was to take photos of the space for reference to try to do a painting. In a rare effort to establish a relationship with his sister in law, he was starting early on a project to give her for when the next niece or nephew was born. She had lost some of her own family in the war, and he knew a painting of the phoenix would have meant something to her. Or… whatever.

He was just in the process of completing his respectful bow and then to find a spot to set up camp, when he noticed the familiar purple figure seated in a bench. Putting his goal to the side for the moment, Evan made his way to the St. Mungo’s bench and sat beside Ash without any word of greeting, not wanting to disturb the silence or whatever reverie she was currently in. He sat just close enough his arm was pressed against hers, just his silent show of support for… whatever she was doing here, which he assumed she would understand.

astrocat · 11-30-2023, 10:02 PM

SPOILER!!: best friend

Ashley was so busy with her thoughts that she didn't notice her best friend until he sat down next to her. Then, turning her head slightly to the side, she realized. "Hi." Her voice was quite small, because that was how she felt.

Ash leaned on Evan with a sigh, not saying anything but appreciating his company. After a while, she spoke again. "I came to leave some flowers. But I can't yet." She clutched the bouquet tightly. "I've never been before," she admitted guiltily. She totally should have been here earlier. She felt like it was bad that she'd waited so many years. However, she reminded herself that it wouldn't have been helpful or productive to come here before she was ready, and realistically it wouldn't have gone well at all.

Ash didn't ask Evan why he'd come, not wanting to pry. But she was silent again, so he could speak if he wanted to.

Chelliephone · 12-06-2023, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Ashley was so busy with her thoughts that she didn't notice her best friend until he sat down next to her. Then, turning her head slightly to the side, she realized. "Hi." Her voice was quite small, because that was how she felt.

Ash leaned on Evan with a sigh, not saying anything but appreciating his company. After a while, she spoke again. "I came to leave some flowers. But I can't yet." She clutched the bouquet tightly. "I've never been before," she admitted guiltily. She totally should have been here earlier. She felt like it was bad that she'd waited so many years. However, she reminded herself that it wouldn't have been helpful or productive to come here before she was ready, and realistically it wouldn't have gone well at all.

Ash didn't ask Evan why he'd come, not wanting to pry. But she was silent again, so he could speak if he wanted to.

It didn’t bother him if she didn’t notice his presence right away, or even at all. He was just there in the off chance she needed some support, even if he’d happened upon her by pure coincidence. But when she did notice him, he turned to give her the smallest of smiles. “Hi.” He replied, matching her own tone.

Outside of his family, Ashley and Jude were the ones who had open invitation for physical touch so he didn’t mind her leaning against him. He stayed quiet, just keeping her company - unsure if she’d want to talk about why she was here or not. Here was… a vulnerable place, so he would have understood if she didn’t. But when he heard the sound of her voice again, he listened intently. “It’s okay. There’s no rush to do it.” He replied softly. “I’m sure they’d understand.” Not that he’d personally known anyone of them. But they hadn’t known him or her either and yet they’d paid the ultimate price for their sake. He could only assume people of that caliber would also understand how difficult that could be for children to adapt to, even if they weren’t that anymore.

“I’m trying to paint a picture of the memorial. I think my sister in law would like it for the girls room.” And his nieces were his favorite people so he would do anything for them. Even be vulnerable. “Their grandfather is listed on there.”

astrocat · 12-09-2023, 10:03 PM

Ash didn't smile back, but she did give Evan a quiet nod of acknowledgement. She appreciated that he kept her company- he'd been doing that since they were just kids and it had helped her more than she could even express to him. But she'd find a way to repay him, someday.

She nodded. "It's not like they're going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere, either. So I suppose I may take my time." But it frustrated her that she needed it. She reiterated to herself that it didn't matter how long it took her to face the memorial, as long as she did it in the end.

When Evan started talking about nieces, Ash did smile a little. She wished she had nieces... but she was the oldest sibling by far. She had no cousins that she knew of, either. Most likely the next kids in the family would be hers. "That's sweet of you. It sounds very meaningful." She side-eyed him, curiosity about his art pulling her out of her tumultuous private thoughts. "Have you started yet?"

Chelliephone · 12-24-2023, 05:51 PM

Evan didn't need any type of repayment from Ashley. They were friends, and she was one who had wholly accepted him - quirks and all. In the beginning his being there for her had certainly been just wanting to support his year mate, but over the year's she had become really important to him. Ash was as a good, if not better in some cases, as family. He wasn't there for her with the expectation of some type of return on that. Though, truthfully he probably still did receive more than he gave.

"It's not. It's here to stay." He agreed, staring at the statue some more and all of the names etched into it. None of them would be going anywhere again, and while Ashley and Evan himself were free to move on... the fact was there was a large portion of them that would always be in this spot with them as well. "You'll be able leave them flowers one day." He reiterated again, reaching over to take her free hand and giving it a small squeeze.

He hadn't expected to love the role of Uncle as much as he did. Nor did Evan ever expect to be as idolized by any kids as the girls seemed to do with him. It was probably because he was so fully wrapped around their fingers he'd do anything they asked of him, but... it was nice to be so well loved regardless. "I haven't tried very hard with her." He confessed, a small shrug accompanying. "But she's obviously important to my brother. And everyone else in the family seems to like her so.. I figured it's time." Even Jude was smitten with Noah's wife, so it was time for Evan to get on board too he supposed. "Actually, I have." He let go of her hand and reached into his bag, pulling out the sketch that was only half done to show it to her.

astrocat · 01-09-2024, 03:59 AM

Ash knew that friendship wasn't supposed to be transactional, and Ash knew that she was a good friend. She gave everything she was capable of giving to the people she cared about, and she was thoughtful, and understanding, and interesting, and creative. However, she required a lot of effort and patience to be close to. Evan had never once made Ash feel like a burden, but she still worried at times and wanted to do something extra to show her appreciation.

In any event, Ashley Fox loved her best friend as much as Ashley Fox could love anyone (which was a lot- nobody had ever accused Ash of having too little emotion or too little passion). In the event that she ever married somebody, she would be asking him to walk her down the aisle.

"I wish I could talk to them, sometimes." Of course, that wasn't how death worked. But Ash still really wanted to know some things. Would they be proud of her if they saw her now? Was she doing a good enough job of continuing their legacy? Was her book too soon, or just right? Was there something they wanted her to carry with her as a survivor? Did they... did they like the flowers she was bringing? She was momentarily concerned that she may not have picked the right flowers. She picked HER favorite flowers, so maybe that was meaningful, but what if she should have brought sunflowers or forget me nots or lilies? How would she know what the dead wanted if she couldn't ask them... A small hand squeeze brought her out of her mind and back into the real world. "Will you come with me when I put my flowers there? If you have the time and it's not too painful for you." She thought the presence of her friend would help her try and face the past, but she realized that the past was painful for him, too.

Ashley raised a curious eyebrow as she heard Evan talk about his sister in law. 'important to the rest of the family' was hardly glowing praise... Ash wondered if there was something about Evan's wife that irritated him, or whether he simply felt ambivalent about her. Curiouser and curiouser. Wondering about that, Ash turned her attention to his sketch, looking it over with the eye of a professional artist.

Chelliephone · 02-03-2024, 10:10 PM

He would have been glad to hear she had never felt like a burden with him, particularly because he’d certainly never considered her to be one. And yes, she was right - she was a good friend. Ashley and Jude were perhaps the only people outside of his family that Evan had not also felt the weight of his own insecurities about his personality. And Evan loved her just as much. And if she did ask him to walk her down the aisle when she found someone a fraction deserving of her, he would of course agree to do so. And it was highly likely that in the event of asking - he’d cry which was not something the former Ravenclaw did often.

In fact, the last time he’d gotten that choked up with emotion was when Jude asked him to bear witness for his and Davet’s secret elopement. And from before then, it probably had not been since he was 13 years old.

Talk to them? Evan hadn’t considered it before, but Ash spoke the words into the air he realized - he concurred. Though his questions would have different and primarily - why? Why had they paid this ultimate sacrifice for people that they did not know? Yes, there was a large amount of names on that memorial that matched those of his classmates’ surnames, but there were also some who didn’t have any of their own offspring or bloodline at Hogwarts and yet they still had come to fight. Why? Evan didn’t think he was someone without empathy, but knowing what he did of war… if there were ever another, if the people he directly cared about were not in danger, he wasn’t sure if he could willingly involve himself. Did that make him a terrible person? At her question, he broke himself from his own reverie and turned his attention to Ash once more. “Of course I will.” If she needed him, he would be there for any event. “I’ll always have time for you.” He reminded her. As for pain? Yes, it did still hurt him sometimes too - but he’d also come a long way and was no longer consumed like he’d been during his Hogwarts years. Perhaps it was the separation of the constant reminders, or perhaps it had just been the encouragement to heal from his siblings and his dearest friends. Jude had been particularly a constant.

Had she asked, he would have shared it was merely ambivalence, particularly in the face of how Lisa and Maya had always idolized her even when they were kids. Ev didn’t have anything against her perse, he just didn’t have any connection to her either and neither party had ever really attempted to form one. But that worked fine for them. “What do you think?” He asked, nodding towards the sketch. She was far more skilled, so her input would of course be appreciated.

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