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**Wilber Winterbottom** · #1 (**permalink**) 12-26-2022, 05:42 AM

If you are eager to see, be seen, and get to London first, then the front passenger cars of the train are for you. Just like the other cars, a long corridor provides access to the many compartments, each labelled with a letter, available for you and your friends to hunker down in until the train has come to a complete stop. Cushioned seats and large windows, allowing perfect views of the British scenery on your journey, await.

Well, what are you waiting for? Slide open a compartment door and make yourself at home. Place any of your belongings not in the luggage car on the racks above you. Chat with your friends about what your summer plans, enjoy munching on the snacks you bought from the trolley lady, get ahead of the game by exchanging addresses, or take a long nap as the train travels over numerous hills and mountainsides. Whatever you do, exhibit your best behaviour -- the prefects will be regularly patrolling the corridors and poking their heads inside your compartment to make sure you are doing so.

*Lottiepot* · 08-25-2023, 05:52 PM

The expression on one Elias Greenwood’s face didn’t exactly scream ‘excited first year’ in fact it read more of a disgruntled fifth year judging by the frown on his face. His mother had absolutely fussed him on the platform, his father had squeezed his shoulders and instructed him to ‘work hard and keep out of trouble’ and his two younger siblings had graced him with a hug to say goodbye. There was absolutely not a single tear stain on his cheek, Eli wasn’t capable of such an insecure emotion.

..okay maybe he had just a brief blurry eyed moment but now he was absolutely fine.

The rest of the students seemed to be heading back through to the latter carriages and so, being the lone wolf that he was, Eli located an empty carriage at the front and slid the door closed firmly behind him. Once inside he set up his snacks his mother lovingly packed beside him (in a Dragon printed lunchbox) and removed his book from his bag which he settled next to the box, shoved his bag in the storage compartment above him and then sat back down with his back facing to the door hoping that was an obvious enough sign that he didn’t want to be disturbed.

Where his brother had got to he wasn’t sure, probably still crying to their mother about not wanting to leave her or something. At least that was what he was imagining anyway.

Lissy Longbottom · 08-25-2023, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

The expression on one Elias Greenwood’s face didn’t exactly scream ‘excited first year’ in fact it read more of a disgruntled fifth year judging by the frown on his face. His mother had absolutely fussed him on the platform, his father had squeezed his shoulders and instructed him to ‘work hard and keep out of trouble’ and his two younger siblings had graced him with a hug to say goodbye. There was absolutely not a single tear stain on his cheek, Eli wasn’t capable of such an insecure emotion.

..okay maybe he had just a brief blurry eyed moment but now he was absolutely fine.

The rest of the students seemed to be heading back through to the latter carriages and so, being the lone wolf that he was, Eli located an empty carriage at the front and slid the door closed firmly behind him. Once inside he set up his snacks his mother lovingly packed beside him (in a Dragon printed lunchbox) and removed his book from his bag which he settled next to the box, shoved his bag in the storage compartment above him and then sat back down with his back facing to the door hoping that was an obvious enough sign that he didn’t want to be disturbed.

Where his brother had got to he wasn’t sure, probably still crying to their mother about not wanting to leave her or something. At least that was what he was imagining anyway.

Sammy Schultz, meanwhile, had the complete opposite demeanor from Eli in every possible way. You'd have thought the kid had pancakes piled high with sprinkles, ice cream and chocolate syrup for breakfast the way he had been bounding around the station and now the train.

HE WAS EXCITED, OK? SUE HIM!

Sammy got excited about pretty much everything but when it came to school? Finally being able to learn MAGIC like his older siblings? He wasn't sure how he hadn't yet completely exploded from sheer excitement.

Of course, his excitement came with consequences, and said consequence was the fact that not a single one of his siblings wanted to ride the train with him. Which - fair. He knew he was a lot, he was actually pretty self aware at times. But what was he supposed to do for the whole train ride? Just sit and WAIT until they got the station? Please. Sitting and waiting were two of Sammy's least favorite things.

So off on an adventure he went. He looked through the compartments, seeing if he recognized any faces, and to his delight he saw someone he DID recognize. That crabby boy from Knockturn Alley! Maybe he'd be less cranky today now that they were headed to school. Smiling, he opened the door and slid into the compartment without invitation, plopping himself across from him with a grin.

"Hey friend!" he said as he took a seat. He wasn't even being sarcastic. If you so much as looked at Sammy, he considered you a friend. One could never have enough friends! That meant there was almost always someone for him to talk to nearby, and since talking was one of Sammy's favorite things...here ya go.

kayquilz · 08-25-2023, 10:24 PM

The day had arrived, and Roman was trying his best not to be emotional. But he didn't have Regina - she had made her way to Beauxbatons three days prior. Both his parents had come to see him off today, and he had hugged his mother sooooo tightly. His papa had ruffled his hair and told him to buck up and be strong.

So Roman sucked in his misty eyes and nodded, giving his dad a side-hug before he clambered onto the train.

And now that he had found an empty compartment, he slid the door open, shut it quickly, and flopped onto one of the seats, his face in his hands. All summer, he had thought it wouldn't be too bad, being away from Regina. But now that the time had come for him to conquer life on his own, he felt it. He felt so...lost. Regina just always knew what to do, knew what to say. Roman felt like he enjoyed watching and reacting more than anything else.

He did remember the pep talk she had given him before she left, the kindness in her words. The genuineness. Regina was hardly ever serious, hardly ever truly genuine, and when she was, it was only with him. And they had been able to share a moment together before parting.

*Lottiepot* · 08-25-2023, 11:40 PM

SPOILER!!: The Cute Schultz

The first year could only manage one page of his book before the door to his compartment was swung open and his peace was rudely disturbed.

Friend?

The slight sneer on Elias’ face was enough to show what he thought of THAT sentiment. Friends would imply they actually liked each other which, for this half of the equation at least, they did not. Eli would barely even call him an acquaintance after their encounter at Knockturn Alley and Samuel’s clumsy performance in Ollivanders. He couldn’t even protest over being disturbed as before he could even open his mouth the other was sitting opposite him with that ridiculous smile.

His eyes subtly narrowed at the thought of his peaceful reading time being disturbed. “Schultz.” He stated, recalling the surname that Sammy had given him on that day. He’d forgotten to ask his Grandfather what he knew of the family, although judging by this child’s over-eagerness to make friends (which reminded him greatly of his older brother), they might not have been a family the Greenwoods would have associated themselves with. But then again there were always outliers in families which he knew all too well. Still, Great Uncle Nathan took him to see real life Dragons so he could be forgiven. Great Uncle Oliver however..

“Don’t you have somewhere else you could be?” In other words, go away.

Felixir · 08-26-2023, 01:04 AM

Unfortunate though it was to be spending the majority of his twelfth birthday stuck on a train - because he'd be getting no special treatment on that score, better believe he'd gone and asked - Charlie did what he did best (one of the things he did best) and embraced it. And, because he'd judged this to be the one time he could really get away with it, being the youngest year in the school and all, he'd pinned his '12' badge to the strap of his backpack, which was full of junk to help fend off boredom during the trip.

Charlie's dad had a saying he often applied to the quadruplets, but to Charlie most of all, pertaining to a certain kind of work being made for idle hands.

It had taken way too long to get away from him on the platform, which was saying something, because with so many of them there to get on the train, it should have been easy to slip away. But no, his dad had kept a firm hold of his arm once they were through the barrier and the others started to break away, and then gone through the same things as always, about behaving himself, seeing the healer when he was supposed to, behaving himself, not doing anything 'for science' or 'just to see', behaving himself, not ignoring letters from home, and behave yourself Charlie I am being so serious right now. Not until his dad was satisfied he'd paid attention to the whole thing (though he could recite it word for word by now anyway) was Charlie finally hugged, released, hugged again by his mother, and set loose on the Hogwarts Express.

He wasted no time in separating himself from the rest of the pack, though with five siblings and a niece and nephew also aboard, he was sure he'd encounter one sooner or later. For now, though, Charlie scoured the train, and what should he happen upon but a familiar head of hair.

The compartment door was closed, and Charlie did not let himself in just yet. He stood on the other side of it out in the train corridor, watching whom he was about 99% sure was the Roman boy he had met in Diagon Alley a while back. Was he crying in there? Charlie wasn't certain; his shoulders weren't doing that whole shaking situation that crying people often did, but by now he'd obviously have gone through that whole separation thing, so...

Well, whatever. For the moment, Charlie kept watching him, wondering if he'd sense it, how he might react to being noticed in a moment of weakness, and if Charlie could predict it right.

Lissy Longbottom · 08-26-2023, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

The first year could only manage one page of his book before the door to his compartment was swung open and his peace was rudely disturbed.

Friend?

The slight sneer on Elias’ face was enough to show what he thought of THAT sentiment. Friends would imply they actually liked each other which, for this half of the equation at least, they did not. Eli would barely even call him an acquaintance after their encounter at Knockturn Alley and Samuel’s clumsy performance in Ollivanders. He couldn’t even protest over being disturbed as before he could even open his mouth the other was sitting opposite him with that ridiculous smile.

His eyes subtly narrowed at the thought of his peaceful reading time being disturbed. “Schultz.” He stated, recalling the surname that Sammy had given him on that day. He’d forgotten to ask his Grandfather what he knew of the family, although judging by this child’s over-eagerness to make friends (which reminded him greatly of his older brother), they might not have been a family the Greenwoods would have associated themselves with. But then again there were always outliers in families which he knew all too well. Still, Great Uncle Nathan took him to see real life Dragons so he could be forgiven. Great Uncle Oliver however..

[b]“Don’t you have somewhere else you could be?”[/i] In other words, go away.

Remember that thing about being self-aware sometimes? This was not one of those times. Kicking his legs, Sammy shook his head, his floppy red hair bouncing as he did so. "No, not really. I can't find any of my siblings," he explained. Not really true - he hadn't looked all that hard for Nancy to be honest, he'd lost Flo, and he knew Moe and Joe would not want to be disturbed because they were older. It was more fun exploring on his own anyways.

"What are you reading?" he asked, trying to be conversational but probably coming off as nosy.

aRogueOne · 08-26-2023, 11:33 AM

Taking a deep breath, Sloane turned on the spot just in front of the train doors and gave a quick wave towards Zoryn and Faith before turning back to the train to step on, the picture of composure. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t miss them, per say. It was just that she only now felt like she was getting to know them and she was off to another home again. She’d promised to send updates and not to snitch on her friends, because that was a big deal apparently before she’d left so that had seemed to keep them happy at least. She on the other hand was a little more apprehensive, despite her calm demeanour as she stepped onto the train, her eyes fully taking in the inside of the scarlet steam engine for the first time. She’d seen it from the outside several times before, most recently when Mika come to Hogwarts the previous year, but it wasn’t the same as stepping on the train for herself alone. Mika got to go to Hogwarts with their older siblings but she…she’d been left at home alone with their parents for the year for the first time. The few months between them leaving and returning for Christmas had been the hardest Sloane had ever faced, but she’d made it through, and now she had a new ~~temporary~~ family and she was going to Hogwarts!

Eying some of the other kids who were running up and down the corridor and chatting animatedly with their friends for a moment with her stormy grey eyes, Sloane quickly chose to step into one of the first compartments, not wanting to wrestle her way through the throng of children in front of her. Clutching the cage of Circe, her new tawny owl, by her side, Sloane weaved past a few older kids and slid the door of one of the first compartments open. Thankful that it was empty, Sloane dipped inside and slid the door closed behind her. Dumping the majority of her things on the empty chairs, Sloane took a moment to poke a treat into the cage of the chocolate brown owl before finally taking a seat by the window. Her eyes flitted from person to person as she waited for the train to finally pull away from the station.

kayquilz · 08-26-2023, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Unfortunate though it was to be spending the majority of his twelfth birthday stuck on a train - because he'd be getting no special treatment on that score, better believe he'd gone and asked - Charlie did what he did best (one of the things he did best) and embraced it. And, because he'd judged this to be the one time he could really get away with it, being the youngest year in the school and all, he'd pinned his '12' badge to the strap of his backpack, which was full of junk to help fend off boredom during the trip.

Charlie's dad had a saying he often applied to the quadruplets, but to Charlie most of all, pertaining to a certain kind of work being made for idle hands.

It had taken way too long to get away from him on the platform, which was saying something, because with so many of them there to get on the train, it should have been easy to slip away. But no, his dad had kept a firm hold of his arm once they were through the barrier and the others started to break away, and then gone through the same things as always, about behaving himself, seeing the healer when he was supposed to, behaving himself, not doing anything 'for science' or 'just to see', behaving himself, not ignoring letters from home, and behave yourself Charlie I am being so serious right now. Not until his dad was satisfied he'd paid attention to the whole thing (though he could recite it word for word by now anyway) was Charlie finally hugged, released, hugged again by his mother, and set loose on the Hogwarts Express.

He wasted no time in separating himself from the rest of the pack, though with five siblings and a niece and nephew also aboard, he was sure he'd encounter one sooner or later. For now, though, Charlie scoured the train, and what should he happen upon but a familiar head of hair.

The compartment door was closed, and Charlie did not let himself in just yet. He stood on the other side of it out in the train corridor, watching whom he was about 99% sure was the Roman boy he had met in Diagon Alley a while back. Was he crying in there? Charlie wasn't certain; his shoulders weren't doing that whole shaking situation that crying people often did, but by now he'd obviously have gone through that whole separation thing, so...

Well, whatever. For the moment, Charlie kept watching him, wondering if he'd sense it, how he might react to being noticed in a moment of weakness, and if Charlie could predict it right.

Roman wasn't crying. He was sniffling. There was a huge difference, see. Roman's eyes weren't leaking tears, they were just moist. And he was able to pat them dry as he picked his head up two minutes later and sigh deeply. He didn't notice Charlie, the boy who had said they could be friends. Charlie, Phoebe, and Kenneth. The three for sure friends he had. He had said their names periodically throughout the rest of the summer. He wished he had had enough gall to write to any of them, but alas.

It was only as he wiped his cheek with the back of his sleeve that he noticed Charlie and blushed. How long had Charlie been watching? Did he think Roman was a crybaby? Maybe he didn't care. He waved weakly at the boy and stood to slide open the compartment door. "Hey, Charlie. Don't mind me lamenting separation from everyone I love best," he said softly. "I'm having a hard time." Obviously. No use arguing differently. "I miss Regina," he whispered.

And like...could Charlie maybe come in and talk and make him feel better? That'd be nice. But he wouldn't ask, and he wouldn't expect it. It was better to not have expectations that could be crushed.

*Lottiepot* · 08-26-2023, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

Remember that thing about being self-aware sometimes? This was not one of those times. Kicking his legs, Sammy shook his head, his floppy red hair bouncing as he did so. "No, not really. I can't find any of my siblings," he explained. Not really true - he hadn't looked all that hard for Nancy to be honest, he'd lost Flo, and he knew Moe and Joe would not want to be disturbed because they were older. It was more fun exploring on his own anyways.

"What are you reading?" he asked, trying to be conversational but probably coming off as nosy.

Elias was doing quite the opposite in that he was avoiding his siblings, or rather he was trying to avoid absolutely everyone including his brother who he had ‘misplaced’ somewhere along the route from the platform to the carriage. He was sure that he would be joined later which was why he had tried to get a few moments peace before that point but Samuel seemed to have ruined that plan. “You’d actually want to sit with your siblings?” Would they not find him exceedingly irritating? From the very little that Eli knew of him he liked to spew out nonsense with the inability to stop.

Clearly Eli’s hint that he didn’t want to be disturbed had completely fallen on deaf ears and Sammy had no intention of leaving. He heaved a sigh, avoiding eye contact by keeping his attention on reading his book rather than daring to glance in the other boys direction. “Dragon Species of Britain and Ireland.” Could he not READ the front cover?

Merlin how was he supposed to survive seven years around these other children?

*Holmesian Feline* · 08-27-2023, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aRogueOne

Taking a deep breath, Sloane turned on the spot just in front of the train doors and gave a quick wave towards Zoryn and Faith before turning back to the train to step on, the picture of composure. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t miss them, per say. It was just that she only now felt like she was getting to know them and she was off to another home again. She’d promised to send updates and not to snitch on her friends, because that was a big deal apparently before she’d left so that had seemed to keep them happy at least. She on the other hand was a little more apprehensive, despite her calm demeanour as she stepped onto the train, her eyes fully taking in the inside of the scarlet steam engine for the first time. She’d seen it from the outside several times before, most recently when Mika come to Hogwarts the previous year, but it wasn’t the same as stepping on the train for herself alone. Mika got to go to Hogwarts with their older siblings but she…she’d been left at home alone with their parents for the year for the first time. The few months between them leaving and returning for Christmas had been the hardest Sloane had ever faced, but she’d made it through, and now she had a new ~~temporary~~ family and she was going to Hogwarts!

Eying some of the other kids who were running up and down the corridor and chatting animatedly with their friends for a moment with her stormy grey eyes, Sloane quickly chose to step into one of the first compartments, not wanting to wrestle her way through the throng of children in front of her. Clutching the cage of Circe, her new tawny owl, by her side, Sloane weaved past a few older kids and slid the door of one of the first compartments open. Thankful that it was empty, Sloane dipped inside and slid the door closed behind her. Dumping the majority of her things on the empty chairs, Sloane took a moment to poke a treat into the cage of the chocolate brown owl before finally taking a seat by the window. Her eyes flitted from person to person as she waited for the train to finally pull away from the station.

For now having two siblings on the train to Hogwarts with her, Nadia had lost track of her twin and Ary as she made her way onto the Hogwarts Express. Normally she wouldn’t think to be concerned about her brother with his shadow, but she knew Briony would be meeting up with the train at Hogsmeade since her aunt, uncle and cousins lived in the village. Though she supposed he was definitely on the train after Papa Benny and Dad Adi took care of him so all would be well and she switched to taking care of herself after dropping off her trunk. Her bag slung over her shoulder as the third year looked for a compartment to ride in.

She eventually came to one that only had one girl inside. Nadia debated disturbing the younger student, crashing on someone’s solitude, but the other compartments were filling up and she could be quiet if needed. And it didn’t hurt to ask anyway. So, the Gryffindor slid open the compartment door and stuck her head. “Mind if I join you two?” she asked, allowing her would be companion the option and including the owl. Creatures were people too after all.

Lissy Longbottom · 08-27-2023, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

Elias was doing quite the opposite in that he was avoiding his siblings, or rather he was trying to avoid absolutely everyone including his brother who he had ‘misplaced’ somewhere along the route from the platform to the carriage. He was sure that he would be joined later which was why he had tried to get a few moments peace before that point but Samuel seemed to have ruined that plan. “You’d actually want to sit with your siblings?” Would they not find him exceedingly irritating? From the very little that Eli knew of him he liked to spew out nonsense with the inability to stop.

Clearly Eli’s hint that he didn’t want to be disturbed had completely fallen on deaf ears and Sammy had no intention of leaving. He heaved a sigh, avoiding eye contact by keeping his attention on reading his book rather than daring to glance in the other boys direction. “Dragon Species of Britain and Ireland.” Could he not READ the front cover?

Merlin how was he supposed to survive seven years around these other children?

Blinks and tilts his head at Eli in confusion. "Yeah. I like them. Don't you like hanging out with your siblings? Wait, do you have any siblings?" he followed up. He couldn't remember if he'd told him if he had siblings or not - but then again they hadn't really talked much. WELP, that was going to change now! Whether the kid wanted it or not.

"I have four of them. Siblings, I mean," he prattled on. Read the room Samuel, NO ONE asked, yet he kept on chugging right along. "Joseph and Moritz - but we call him Moe - they're twins and they're in their sixth year. Nancy is in her third year, and then my twin sister Florence is a first year like me!"

Dragons? That was pretty cool! Sammy wasn't super big on creatures, but maybe once he got to school and started taking creatures classes, he'd be more interested. Still, he put on a smile "That sounds cool. Do you like dragons a lot, then?"

Felixir · 08-27-2023, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

Roman wasn't crying. He was sniffling. There was a huge difference, see. Roman's eyes weren't leaking tears, they were just moist. And he was able to pat them dry as he picked his head up two minutes later and sigh deeply. He didn't notice Charlie, the boy who had said they could be friends. Charlie, Phoebe, and Kenneth. The three for sure friends he had. He had said their names periodically throughout the rest of the summer. He wished he had had enough gall to write to any of them, but alas.

It was only as he wiped his cheek with the back of his sleeve that he noticed Charlie and blushed. How long had Charlie been watching? Did he think Roman was a crybaby? Maybe he didn't care. He waved weakly at the boy and stood to slide open the compartment door. "Hey, Charlie. Don't mind me lamenting separation from everyone I love best," he said softly. "I'm having a hard time." Obviously. No use arguing differently. "I miss Regina," he whispered.

And like...could Charlie maybe come in and talk and make him feel better? That'd be nice. But he wouldn't ask, and he wouldn't expect it. It was better to not have expectations that could be crushed.

Several people jostled Charlie as they passed him in the train corridor, some did more than jostle, perhaps thinking he was easy to push around on account of his stature. Charlie had stayed stubbornly in place, greeting one kid's stink-eye - shot back over his shoulder - with a hard stare of his own, before resuming his observations.

Not for too much longer though, because Roman - who was, in fact, occupying the compartment - finally clocked him. He'd definitely been crying too, but at least he seemed pretty much done with it.

Charlie smiled back at him, and waited for Roman to open the compartment door before he slipped right on inside. "Well, at least you're not being dramatic about it," he remarked. No, but really. Sure there was some humour there, but Charlie had witnessed kids legitimately sobbing, bordering on screaming, out there on the platform, needing to be pried away from their parents or whoever. People-smart though he was, and able to read people with relative ease, on a fundamental level he just didn't get it. Could predict, could not relate.

Similarly, a source of emotional comfort, Charlie was not. Usually. Working on it, but generally more inclined to pretend not to notice and just keep walking. Not right now though, obviously, as he'd had every opportunity to move along before Roman noticed him, but this was more or less his limit. Possibly even this was pushing it; he'd soon find out.

"I know you do," he said, dropping into a seat and shrugging his bag off his shoulders in the same movement. He placed the bag on the adjacent seat, so that the '12' badge was still clearly visible, and started digging around inside. "Do you know how to play chess? I just got a set. You can help me break it in, and get things off your chest." A line Charlie was definitely parroting, this time from his mum.

kayquilz · 08-27-2023, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Several people jostled Charlie as they passed him in the train corridor, some did more than jostle, perhaps thinking he was easy to push around on account of his stature. Charlie had stayed stubbornly in place, greeting one kid's stink-eye - shot back over his shoulder - with a hard stare of his own, before resuming his observations.

Not for too much longer though, because Roman - who was, in fact, occupying the compartment - finally clocked him. He'd definitely been crying too, but at least he seemed pretty much done with it.

Charlie smiled back at him, and waited for Roman to open the compartment door before he slipped right on inside. "Well, at least you're not being dramatic about it," he remarked. No, but really. Sure there was some humour there, but Charlie had witnessed kids legitimately sobbing, bordering on screaming, out there on the platform, needing to be pried away from their parents or whoever. People-smart though he was, and able to read people with relative ease, on a fundamental level he just didn't get it. Could predict, could not relate.

Similarly, a source of emotional comfort, Charlie was not. Usually. Working on it, but generally more inclined to pretend not to notice and just keep walking. Not right now though, obviously, as he'd had every opportunity to move along before Roman noticed him, but this was more or less his limit. Possibly even this was pushing it; he'd soon find out.

"I know you do," he said, dropping into a seat and shrugging his bag off his shoulders in the same movement. He placed the bag on the adjacent seat, so that the '12' badge was still clearly visible, and started digging around inside. "Do you know how to play chess? I just got a set. You can help me break it in, and get things off your chest." A line Charlie was definitely parroting, this time from his mum.

Roman was many things, but dramatic was not one of them. Leave all that to Regina and V. He was glad Charlie had decided to join him, though, because it provided at least something to distract himself. His eyes felt all raw and puffy, so he wiped them one last time before getting settled on the seat again, pulling his hoodie tightly around himself. He allowed himself one last sniffle, too.

The badge on Charlie's shirt stood out, suddenly, and Roman noticed it. "Hey....are you...is it....your birthday?" his face brightened a little. "I DO know how play, and I'm fairly good at it, too," he smiled with a wicked glint in his eye. "Do you play?" he assumed so, if he had just gotten the set. "And...wizard's chess, right?" because that was important. Wizard's chess was much more interesting. He felt rather lost when he had to play muggle chess. There wasn't as much going on even with the same level of strategy.

Had the chess set been a birthday gift, then? Roman suddenly felt like he needed a gift for Charlie if it were his birthday. He also wanted to be twelve already. He didn't turn 12 for months yet. It was just so...much more older sounding than 11, he though. And only a year away from being a teenager, and being a teenager was the ultimate best age to be. Everything good happened when you were a teenager. More learning, apparition stuff, the best magic, possibly romance, etc.

noodles · 08-27-2023, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

Elias was doing quite the opposite in that he was avoiding his siblings, or rather he was trying to avoid absolutely everyone including his brother who he had ‘misplaced’ somewhere along the route from the platform to the carriage. He was sure that he would be joined later which was why he had tried to get a few moments peace before that point but Samuel seemed to have ruined that plan. “You’d actually want to sit with your siblings?” Would they not find him exceedingly irritating? From the very little that Eli knew of him he liked to spew out nonsense with the inability to stop.

Clearly Eli’s hint that he didn’t want to be disturbed had completely fallen on deaf ears and Sammy had no intention of leaving. He heaved a sigh, avoiding eye contact by keeping his attention on reading his book rather than daring to glance in the other boys direction. “Dragon Species of Britain and Ireland.” Could he not READ the front cover?

Merlin how was he supposed to survive seven years around these other children?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

Blinks and tilts his head at Ezra in confusion. "Yeah. I like them. Don't you like hanging out with your siblings? Wait, do you have any siblings?" he followed up. He couldn't remember if he'd told him if he had siblings or not - but then again they hadn't really talked much. WELP, that was going to change now! Whether the kid wanted it or not.

"I have four of them. Siblings, I mean," he prattled on. Read the room Samuel, NO ONE asked, yet he kept on chugging right along. "Joseph and Moritz - but we call him Moe - they're twins and they're in their sixth year. Nancy is in her third year, and then my twin sister Florence is a first year like me!"

Dragons? That was pretty cool! Sammy wasn't super big on creatures, but maybe once he got to school and started taking creatures classes, he'd be more interested. Still, he put on a smile "That sounds cool. Do you like dragons a lot, then?"

Ezra had been full of the joys of life on the station as they waited to board the train to Hogwarts. This had been the best use of nagging and pleading he had ever made in his life! – The feat of getting his stern and stubborn father to cave, and allow him to transfer from Durmstrang to HOGWARTS was THE triumph to top all triumphs.

His attitude would have been decidedly different if he was being packed off to his old school. His heart heavy, he would have been silent. Nervous and depressed. In his mind, Durmstrang was grey monochrome rainclouds to Hogwarts golden lined clouds etched across an azure sky.

Hugs for all his family (even father), he boarded the train and immediately lost his brother. Unconcerned about this, (they were in the safety of the train and there had been no directions from his mother to look after Eli), he had gone to explore. And what did he find? Carriage upon carriage. Student after student. What a surprise! He spent a while at the front of the train leaning out the window and watching the steam from the engine and listening to the loud horn and clitter clatter of wheels against tracks and sleepers. He wished he could visit the driver and see how it all worked, but alas, students weren't allowed up there. Did the train even have a driver or was it all magical? He did not know. He would have to try and get a look when they got off at school.

Oh, and he also spotted a food trolley which he would make great use of later.

On his way back from the very front of the train, he peered into all the compartments as he passed, pausing when he spotted Eli and another boy sitting chatting. That was nice. Eli was making friends. He was ahead of Ezra in that department. He opened the door and stepped in to hear the tailend of a conversation about siblings. How innnnteresting.

And dragons. Dragons were the best.

“Hello!” He greeted the pair brightly, his gaze settling on the boy he didn't know. “Speak of the devil! I'm Ezra. Eli's favourite brother.” He plonked himself down in the seat next to Eli.

“This train is so cool!”

*Lottiepot* · 08-27-2023, 05:42 PM

He was a nosy one wasn’t he? The type to want to engage in conversation for long periods of time and didn’t actually take the hint. He flicked over the page to read the next line when the next question was asked. He heaved a great sigh, sliding his bookmark in to not lose his page before glancing back at Sammy. “Dragons are fascinating and the only creatures I care about.” He stated simply. One day he wished to work alongside them but he wasn’t going to disclose that information to the nosy so-and-so.

Elias wouldn’t say he was particularly close to his siblings, not in the sociable way in which they’d want to spend time in each others company. That wasn’t to say he hated them, in fact they were some of the few that he tolerated being in the presence of. “I have three. My older bro—“ But his words were swiftly interrupted by the whirlwind that was the very boy he was talking about.

Ezra received a stare although frankly he was quite relieved that there would be someone else for Samuel to direct his quick fire questions towards rather than him. “Yes, him. Although whether he is my favourite is debatable.” They all had their faults so he was probably his OWN favourite if he really had to choose.

The first year adjusted his position to move closer to the window, his book now resting on his lap considering he’d been so rudely disturbed and his attention out at the view in the hopes that Ezra could entertain his company in conversation so that he didn’t have to.

aRogueOne · 08-27-2023, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline

SPOILER!!:

Sloane watched, her eyes on the retreating figures on the platform, as the train pulled off and moved closer towards Hogwarts, unsure of how she felt in the moment as she sat there alone. With what must have been the gloomiest of gloomy expressions, Sloane’s head twisted quickly at the sound of an opening compartment door and the figure of then girl whose head was peering through the gap in it.

“ Uh, yeah, we do kind of mind, thanks,” her expression about as deadpan as she could manage. After a few seconds however, she smiled, quickly saying “I’m just joking. I don’t mind. Just let me uh…put my things tidy first.” Placing her owl back in its cage, Sloane quickly moved her backpack and a few of her other possessions up in the storage racks and opened the door for the older girl to come in, if she still wanted to.

“Sorry, you don’t mind owls, do you? Circe is really friendly. Although, she isn’t the biggest fan of loud noises.” though neither was she as well, actually. “You don’t mind if I get her back out, do you?” She didn’t want to sound rude and not ask but, at the same time, Circe had been in the compartment first. “I’m Sloane, by the way. Sloane Knott.”See, she could be friendly and polite when she wanted to be, which wasn’t often.

Lissy Longbottom · 08-27-2023, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noodles

Ezra had been full of the joys of life on the station as they waited to board the train to Hogwarts. This had been the best use of nagging and pleading he had ever made in his life! – The feat of getting his stern and stubborn father to cave, and allow him to transfer from Durmstrang to HOGWARTS was THE triumph to top all triumphs.

His attitude would have been decidedly different if he was being packed off to his old school. His heart heavy, he would have been silent. Nervous and depressed. In his mind, Durmstrang was grey monochrome rainclouds to Hogwarts golden lined clouds etched across an azure sky.

Hugs for all his family (even father), he boarded the train and immediately lost his brother. Unconcerned about this, (they were in the safety of the train and there had been no directions from his mother to look after Eli), he had gone to explore. And what did he find? Carriage upon carriage. Student after student. What a surprise! He spent a while at the front of the train leaning out the window and watching the steam from the engine and listening to the loud horn and clitter clatter of wheels against tracks and sleepers. He wished he could visit the driver and see how it all worked, but alas, students weren't allowed up there. Did the train even have a driver or was it all magical? He did not know. He would have to try and get a look when they got off at school.

Oh, and he also spotted a food trolley which he would make great use of later.

On his way back from the very front of the train, he peered into all the compartments as he passed, pausing when he spotted Eli and another boy sitting chatting. That was nice. Eli was making friends. He was ahead of Ezra in that department. He opened the door and stepped in to hear the tailend of a conversation about siblings. How innnnteresting.

And dragons. Dragons were the best.

“Hello!” He greeted the pair brightly, his gaze settling on the boy he didn't know. “Speak of the devil! I'm Ezra. Eli's favourite brother.” He plonked himself down in the seat next to Eli.

“This train is so cool!”

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

He was a nosy one wasn’t he? The type to want to engage in conversation for long periods of time and didn’t actually take the hint. He flicked over the page to read the next line when the next question was asked. He heaved a great sigh, sliding his bookmark in to not lose his page before glancing back at Sammy. “Dragons are fascinating and the only creatures I care about.” He stated simply. One day he wished to work alongside them but he wasn’t going to disclose that information to the nosy so-and-so.

Elias wouldn’t say he was particularly close to his siblings, not in the sociable way in which they’d want to spend time in each others company. That wasn’t to say he hated them, in fact they were some of the few that he tolerated being in the presence of. “I have three. My older bro—“ But his words were swiftly interrupted by the whirlwind that was the very boy he was talking about.

Ezra received a stare although frankly he was quite relieved that there would be someone else for Samuel to direct his quick fire questions towards rather than him. “Yes, him. Although whether he is my favourite is debatable.” They all had their faults so he was probably his OWN favourite if he really had to choose.

The first year adjusted his position to move closer to the window, his book now resting on his lap considering he’d been so rudely disturbed and his attention out at the view in the hopes that Ezra could entertain his company in conversation so that he didn’t have to.

Oh wow, what luck! They happened to be talking about Eli's siblings, and one just appeared! Maybe magic really WAS everywhere at Hogwarts, including on the train. Whoooooa. Mind BLOWN, y'all.

He grinned at the newcomer, who he INSTANTLY liked more than Eli. Sorry bro, but it's what he got for being cranky. "Hi! I'm Samuel but you can call me Sammy," he told him. He looked back and forth between them, wondering if they were maybe twins - they couldn't have been very far apart in age if they weren't. He was about to ask, but then tried to remember that he had already been asking a bunch of questions and maybe he should slow down. His mum was always telling him to let OTHER people talk in conversations. He had to remember that.

"It IS isn't it?! Have you been to the food trolley yet? My brother got my a chocolate frog earlier," he informed them. He took out the Harry Potter chocolate frog card he got out of his pocket to show them with a grin. "But dragons are cool too!" he added as an afterthought, trying to keep Eli included in the conversation, once again not picking up at ALL on the fact that he might not want that.

noodles · 08-27-2023, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

He was a nosy one wasn’t he? The type to want to engage in conversation for long periods of time and didn’t actually take the hint. He flicked over the page to read the next line when the next question was asked. He heaved a great sigh, sliding his bookmark in to not lose his page before glancing back at Sammy. “Dragons are fascinating and the only creatures I care about.” He stated simply. One day he wished to work alongside them but he wasn’t going to disclose that information to the nosy so-and-so.

Elias wouldn’t say he was particularly close to his siblings, not in the sociable way in which they’d want to spend time in each others company. That wasn’t to say he hated them, in fact they were some of the few that he tolerated being in the presence of. “I have three. My older bro—“ But his words were swiftly interrupted by the whirlwind that was the very boy he was talking about.

Ezra received a stare although frankly he was quite relieved that there would be someone else for Samuel to direct his quick fire questions towards rather than him. “Yes, him. Although whether he is my favourite is debatable.” They all had their faults so he was probably his OWN favourite if he really had to choose.

The first year adjusted his position to move closer to the window, his book now resting on his lap considering he’d been so rudely disturbed and his attention out at the view in the hopes that Ezra could entertain his company in conversation so that he didn’t have to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

Oh wow, what luck! They happened to be talking about Eli's siblings, and one just appeared! Maybe magic really WAS everywhere at Hogwarts, including on the train. Whoooooa. Mind BLOWN, y'all.

He grinned at the newcomer, who he INSTANTLY liked more than Eli. Sorry bro, but it's what he got for being cranky. "Hi! I'm Samuel but you can call me Sammy," he told him. He looked back and forth between them, wondering if they were maybe twins - they couldn't have been very far apart in age if they weren't. He was about to ask, but then tried to remember that he had already been asking a bunch of questions and maybe he should slow down. His mum was always telling him to let OTHER people talk in conversations. He had to remember that.

"It IS isn't it?! Have you been to the food trolley yet? My brother got my a chocolate frog earlier," he informed them. He took out the Harry Potter chocolate frog card he got out of his pocket to show them with a grin. "But dragons are cool too!" he added as an afterthought, trying to keep Eli included in the conversation, once again not picking up at ALL on the fact that he might not want that.

Oh and there was the stare. Just as expected. Ezra was so used to it though that it didn't phase him. He hoped upon hoped, though, that he wasn't giving this boy here a hard time. It wasn't that Eli went out of his way to provoke anything, it was just that his entire being was centred around himself. Woe betide anyone who disturbed his peace.. or had thoughts of their own.. which he responded to with pure unadulterated hostility.

At least, that was Ezra's assessment..

So Ezra kind of understood Eli. Or, at least, tolerated his behaviour. He was his blood. Eli was the same as the rest of his pedigree. And yet Ezra still loved them warts and all. It was he who was the outlier within the insular confines of their claustrophobic family unit.

And he wasn't going to start their usual not-so-playful banter in front of a stranger, so he just chuckled at Eli's dismissive words and nudged him lightly. “Closest then?” definitely Closest.

He looked over at the other boy, who looked like a new first year and he seemed happy enough --good stuff!--and gave him a big smile. A chatterbox too! How wonderful for Elias. Hah!

“Hi Sammy!” The boy seemed more excited than he was. Ezra was aware of the food trolley but hadn't yet paid it a visit. “Not yet, but I'm getting hungry so I'll be heading along there soon.” He looked at the card and beamed. It sounded like Sammy had a nice brother who bought him treats—you hear that Elias!? “Do you collect the cards? I have one..” He dug in his pocket and handed it to the boy. “.. that you can have if you want?” He wasn't interested in the cards, just in the chocolate. In fact, he hadn't even looked at it to see if it was a rare one.

DRAGONS! Oh yeah! That's what these two had been talking about when Ezra rudely interrupted! “Our great uncle used to work on a reserve and he took us there during the summer!” He looked at Eli. “It was the best thing ever.” Unforgettable! “What's your favourite dragon?” He asked Sammy. In fact, what was Eli's? “What's yours, Eli?” Weird that he didn't know that – but Eli was a closed book... at the bottom of the pile of more closed books.

*Holmesian Feline* · 08-28-2023, 02:46 AM

SPOILER!!: Sloane

Her first reaction was to step back into the corridor upon the younger girl’s response, however something made her pause long enough to remain as her companion revealed her joke. “Sure…of course,” Nadia mused, though she herself hadn’t minded as she could have still easily found a niche on the seat opposite her. Then with a nod of acceptance at the welcoming gesture, the third year finally stepped with the compartment proper, letting the sliding door move shut behind her.

Did she mind owls?

“No, not at all,” she assured her, shaking her head at the mention of caring if the owl was let out once more. “I’m a fan of just about all creatures so its all good with me. And I promise no loud noises.” Plus, no doubt the owl would be more comfortable confined if she was still free to stretch his…her... wings, Circe after all. “Nice to meet you,” the Gryffindor returned the greeting. “I’m Nadia Atreyu-Rehman…though Nadia is fine.” The full name could become a mouthful though she wouldn’t ever regret the mixed blending of her family. “And hello to you, Circe.”

Felixir · 08-28-2023, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

Roman was many things, but dramatic was not one of them. Leave all that to Regina and V. He was glad Charlie had decided to join him, though, because it provided at least something to distract himself. His eyes felt all raw and puffy, so he wiped them one last time before getting settled on the seat again, pulling his hoodie tightly around himself. He allowed himself one last sniffle, too.

The badge on Charlie's shirt stood out, suddenly, and Roman noticed it. "Hey....are you...is it....your birthday?" his face brightened a little. "I DO know how play, and I'm fairly good at it, too," he smiled with a wicked glint in his eye. "Do you play?" he assumed so, if he had just gotten the set. "And...wizard's chess, right?" because that was important. Wizard's chess was much more interesting. He felt rather lost when he had to play muggle chess. There wasn't as much going on even with the same level of strategy.

Had the chess set been a birthday gift, then? Roman suddenly felt like he needed a gift for Charlie if it were his birthday. He also wanted to be twelve already. He didn't turn 12 for months yet. It was just so...much more older sounding than 11, he though. And only a year away from being a teenager, and being a teenager was the ultimate best age to be. Everything good happened when you were a teenager. More learning, apparition stuff, the best magic, possibly romance, etc.

"Yep." Birthday. And, again, spending it on a train, not ideal. Spending it with a sniffler on a train, less ideal, which was where the distraction of chess came into it. And it would end in a feast, which was something. "Wish I still had cake, but there was none left."

Actually, Charlie didn't care about the cake, but it sounded like something some kids might say.

"I do. I'm pretty good too." More than, actually. He sent a sly smile back at Roman, but a moment later looked away again as he finally freed the brand new chess set from his backpack. "Definitely wizard's chess." And a gift from his brother, given when his dad was looking the other way, so... he had reason to believe that these pieces wouldn't hold back, that perhaps it was even unique.

All Charlie had to do was unlatch the board and open it up, and it soared neatly into the air to hover between them, the pieces appearing in the next instant, lined up on their starting positions. Apparently, they'd remember where they were if he put the board away before they were done, but Charlie intended to beat Roman several times before the end of the journey. He didn't expect it to drag on too long.

Picking up his feet to sit cross-legged on his seat, Charlie - who had the white pieces - sent his queen's pawn forward too spaces, and settled in. "What else do you do, anyway. Other than read and play chess."

*Lottiepot* · 08-28-2023, 01:43 PM

SPOILER!!: Sammy & Ezra

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

Oh wow, what luck! They happened to be talking about Eli's siblings, and one just appeared! Maybe magic really WAS everywhere at Hogwarts, including on the train. Whoooooa. Mind BLOWN, y'all.

He grinned at the newcomer, who he INSTANTLY liked more than Eli. Sorry bro, but it's what he got for being cranky. "Hi! I'm Samuel but you can call me Sammy," he told him. He looked back and forth between them, wondering if they were maybe twins - they couldn't have been very far apart in age if they weren't. He was about to ask, but then tried to remember that he had already been asking a bunch of questions and maybe he should slow down. His mum was always telling him to let OTHER people talk in conversations. He had to remember that.

"It IS isn't it?! Have you been to the food trolley yet? My brother got my a chocolate frog earlier," he informed them. He took out the Harry Potter chocolate frog card he got out of his pocket to show them with a grin. "But dragons are cool too!" he added as an afterthought, trying to keep Eli included in the conversation, once again not picking up at ALL on the fact that he might not want that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noodles

Oh and there was the stare. Just as expected. Ezra was so used to it though that it didn't phase him. He hoped upon hoped, though, that he wasn't giving this boy here a hard time. It wasn't that Eli went out of his way to provoke anything, it was just that his entire being was centred around himself. Woe betide anyone who disturbed his peace.. or had thoughts of their own.. which he responded to with pure unadulterated hostility.

At least, that was Ezra's assessment..

So Ezra kind of understood Eli. Or, at least, tolerated his behaviour. He was his blood. Eli was the same as the rest of his pedigree. And yet Ezra still loved them warts and all. It was he who was the outlier within the insular confines of their claustrophobic family unit.

And he wasn't going to start their usual not-so-playful banter in front of a stranger, so he just chuckled at Eli's dismissive words and nudged him lightly. “Closest then?” definitely Closest.

He looked over at the other boy, who looked like a new first year and he seemed happy enough --good stuff!--and gave him a big smile. A chatterbox too! How wonderful for Elias. Hah!

“Hi Sammy!” The boy seemed more excited than he was. Ezra was aware of the food trolley but hadn't yet paid it a visit. “Not yet, but I'm getting hungry so I'll be heading along there soon.” He looked at the card and beamed. It sounded like Sammy had a nice brother who bought him treats—you hear that Elias!? “Do you collect the cards? I have one..” He dug in his pocket and handed it to the boy. “.. that you can have if you want?” He wasn't interested in the cards, just in the chocolate. In fact, he hadn't even looked at it to see if it was a rare one.

DRAGONS! Oh yeah! That's what these two had been talking about when Ezra rudely interrupted! “Our great uncle used to work on a reserve and he took us there during the summer!” He looked at Eli. “It was the best thing ever.” Unforgettable! “What's your favourite dragon?” He asked Sammy. In fact, what was Eli's? “What's yours, Eli?” Weird that he didn't know that – but Eli was a closed book... at the bottom of the pile of more closed books.

It was highly unlikely that magic was what had drawn Ezra over to this compartment and far more likely that his brother couldn’t stand being alone for more than ten minutes and considering he didn’t know of anyone else on the train yet it was unfortunately Elias that became the target. With that being said, if he was going to tolerate anyone invading his personal space at least it was his brother and not a stranger.

“I suppose” he responded at the correction over these two being the closest. They were close in age with only 11 months between them. They were also close in the sense that they were often left to do things together as the twins were younger. “I’d hardly believe that you consider me your favourite brother though.” Was he?

His brother was also an expert at engaging others in conversation so he could silently judge rather than being forced to interject. Therefore he was quite useful to have around in the long run. As the two other boys conversed, Eli reopened his book to continue where he left off when he was dragged back into the land of mindless chatter over Dragons. Which admittedly was a topic that could pique his interested. The summer at the reserve HAD actually been one of the best experiences he had ever had and he allowed a small but brief smile graced his lips. “The Antipodean Opaleye.” For obvious reasons considering the family business drew their inspiration for their name from it. He highly doubted that Sammy was particularly knowledgeable over Dragon species so was actually intrigued to hear his answer. “Have you ever even seen a Dragon?” Hmm?

kayquilz · 08-29-2023, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

"Yep." Birthday. And, again, spending it on a train, not ideal. Spending it with a sniffler on a train, less ideal, which was where the distraction of chess came into it. And it would end in a feast, which was something. "Wish I still had cake, but there was none left."

Actually, Charlie didn't care about the cake, but it sounded like something some kids might say.

"I do. I'm pretty good too." More than, actually. He sent a sly smile back at Roman, but a moment later looked away again as he finally freed the brand new chess set from his backpack. "Definitely wizard's chess." And a gift from his brother, given when his dad was looking the other way, so... he had reason to believe that these pieces wouldn't hold back, that perhaps it was even unique.

All Charlie had to do was unlatch the board and open it up, and it soared neatly into the air to hover between them, the pieces appearing in the next instant, lined up on their starting positions. Apparently, they'd remember where they were if he put the board away before they were done, but Charlie intended to beat Roman several times before the end of the journey. He didn't expect it to drag on too long.

Picking up his feet to sit cross-legged on his seat, Charlie - who had the white pieces - sent his queen's pawn forward too spaces, and settled in. "What else do you do, anyway. Other than read and play chess."

Roman dug in his bag, searching for anything that could be a good birthday present from a new friend. He managed to find a small container of cookies his papa had baked for him for the journey and offered the unopened container to Charlie. "Here. My papa baked them for me, but I want you to have them since it's your birthday. I have nothing else to offer," he spoke gently, his grey eyes genuine as he looked over his new friend. A look that said, 'let me do something for you.' "It's not cake...but...it's something."

But he bit his lip. His confidence was quickly draining as Charlie puffed up, but he rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath. He moved his own queen's pawn forward two spaces, too, to stand nose-to-nose, so to speak, with Charlie's. "Maybe I'm not good. Maybe I've only ever had poor opponents," he smiled a little, though, as he kicked his feet contently, his tears forgotten for now.

"Well, I write, but not very well. All my stories lack...depth, I guess. I hate being eleven." He huffed and slumped his shoulders. "All of my plots seem foolish compared to real novels, real books. Why can't my brain do that stuff?" he tapped his temple, an impatient tone inflected in his voice. "My brain is too neat, too tidy right now. Everything is straightforward. There's no...there's no beauty to organization," he sighed. "I want to create beautiful things one day."

aRogueOne · 08-29-2023, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline

SPOILER!!: Nadia

Jumping back down on one of the seats closest to the window after clearing some space in the compartment, Sloane looked at the girl curiously. She’d never really spent a lot of time with a load of children, let alone children that were also wizards. She’d obviously spent time with her siblings but that didn’t count. From her experience, other children were weird. They always talked too much and were kind of annoying, although that could have been because she was so used to her siblings being loud. She had to tolerate them so any time that she didn’t have to tolerate someone, she was pretty sure they knew it.

“Okay, s’cool. I haven’t seen her b’come all skittish but I don’t really want to either, y’know?” she mumbled as she bent down towards the cage to get her out. After opening the cage door and stretching her arm out, Sloane waited patiently for Circe to flutter out onto her arm and then continued stroking her head. She loved Circe more than anything she’d ever owned, as much as you could own another living thing that is, and would do anything to keep her happy.

“It’s nice t’meet you, Nadia” the look on her face not exactly a smile but it wasn’t hostile either as she sat opposite her now, the owl on her arm as if she were some kind of Bond villain. Circe eyed the girl, her head tilting to one side and eyed her for moment as Nadia said her name, but other than that, she gave no sign that the girl was there.

“You’re older than me,” more of a statement than a question, “What year are you in?” Her tone of voice only contained a small trace of its usual curtness as she tried to sound as though she wasn’t interrogating Nadia, but she figured it was most likely a failed attempt. Truthfully, she was making an effort to seem nice, however most people always seemed to look at her silly no matter what.

Felixir · 08-30-2023, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

Roman dug in his bag, searching for anything that could be a good birthday present from a new friend. He managed to find a small container of cookies his papa had baked for him for the journey and offered the unopened container to Charlie. "Here. My papa baked them for me, but I want you to have them since it's your birthday. I have nothing else to offer," he spoke gently, his grey eyes genuine as he looked over his new friend. A look that said, 'let me do something for you.' "It's not cake...but...it's something."

But he bit his lip. His confidence was quickly draining as Charlie puffed up, but he rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath. He moved his own queen's pawn forward two spaces, too, to stand nose-to-nose, so to speak, with Charlie's. "Maybe I'm not good. Maybe I've only ever had poor opponents," he smiled a little, though, as he kicked his feet contently, his tears forgotten for now.

"Well, I write, but not very well. All my stories lack...depth, I guess. I hate being eleven." He huffed and slumped his shoulders. "All of my plots seem foolish compared to real novels, real books. Why can't my brain do that stuff?" he tapped his temple, an impatient tone inflected in his voice. "My brain is too neat, too tidy right now. Everything is straightforward. There's no...there's no beauty to organization," he sighed. "I want to create beautiful things one day."

Charlie took the container without a word at first, prying off the lid to get a decent look at the goods, maybe break a piece off one to try it. It wasn't until he looked up and locked eyes with Roman again that he spoke, breaking into a broad smile. "Thanks. That's real decent of you." And he took one of the cookies, broke it in half, and passed the second half back to Roman. Could have just passed a whole one back but, with Roman, it just seemed to make the splitting and sharing more obvious, more tangible. "When's your birthday?"

Chess-wise, he ordered his bishops pawn forward to stand side by side with the first, simultaneously threatening Roman's pawn and inviting an attack. "Loads of opponents at Hogwarts, I bet," he remarked. Even a chess club too, though whether Charlie would join said club was something yet to be determined. He had as few reasons to do so as not to.

He bit off the corner of his cookie half, fairly perplexed by what Roman had said about being eleven. Charlie had only ever felt limited by his age in the practical sense, the limits imposed by the law, and also by his parents and healers but with the law very much on their side. For him, his brain was the thing that could do anything - according to his infallible, now-twelve-year-old wisdom - where his body so often tried to tap out. Then again, he'd never been interested in writing stories himself.

All this he mulled over while chewing on the cookie, his face impassive. "So make a mess," he said at last. The first step to making beautiful things, maybe, or possibly part of the process, depending on your opinion of beautiful messes. But ultimately, what Charlie wanted was for Roman to be comfortable with a certain level of chaos, disorder, grey areas with indistinct boundaries, and the ultimate extremes. For the sake of his stories? Oh, sure, those too.

Fortunately, Charlie was happy to provide guidance in this area. He was something of a seasoned professional.

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