Aspirants, Assemble! PV: League of Aspirant Animagi Finished

Interacting with : @Pericles Dralt

Outfit

Reducio

There’s no other place as heavenly as the great hall filled with food. The appetizing aroma of the lunchtime dishes felt like another kind of hug that brings joy to everyone. To Aurora, eat well is a way to nurture herself, her plate filled with fried eggs, baked potatoes, sausages, and cheese.

Ah, cheese...

That bold, buttery, and creamy taste brought the nostalgia of her childhood memories. What a beautiful day to start the first day of May. The sound of students chattering in the background slowly faded away as she wandered to a different reality. Some people said food gives people energy, but all it gave to Aurora at that time was happiness and followed by sleepiness. Aurora wished Hogwarts will have a coffee maker someday, not that she ever drink it, but she was curious how that might taste like and that obviously will help to tackle her post-eating sleepy syndrome. Her mother always drinks coffee in the morning, perhaps that’s an adult thing, she was not sure about it.

Aurora felt incredibly happy and bloated at the same time. She would have jumped to her bed straight away to have some beauty sleep if she hasn’t had a plan today. Who would’ve thought this grumpy kid will sign up for school activities. Certainly no one. But she did, to learn as much as she could about the wizarding world and the art of making some friends. The first time she heard about the aspirant animagi club, her excitement of transforming into some cool animals was over the moon. She could hardly contain her flare of joy . However, her expression and body language were calm and collected as she walked up the stairs towards the classroom on the second floor where the first meeting will be. She even brought a bag filled with tiny chocolates her mother sent last Easter. It is still edible, of course.

It was quiet, there was almost no audible sound coming out from the classroom. Aurora peeked her head first before making soft knocks on the door. The room was nicely decorated with images of different animals, whoever did this surely very motivated to aspire others.
“Hi, i- is this the aspirant animagi club meeting?”
“I bring some chocolates- not for you- I mean yes for you- for everyone, so yourself included.”
What a great start. Put yourself together, Aurora

Action : write her name on the logbook and proceed to look at some of the images

@Pericles Dralt, @Aurora Ranvier & @Andrew Vance

Reducio

Rolled d4 to Determine House Color for the Day:

1- Hufflepuff
2- Ravenclaw
3- Gryffindor
4- Slytherin

Number Rolled: 2
Ravenclaw

How was it that Peri seemed to be the boy behind every single organization that Piérre found interest in? It was like the eagle was constantly duplicated and duplicated again, sending his endless clones in all directions in order to be absolutely everywhere at once. That being said, Piérre was a bit hyperactive as well, but not in the same way as Peri. Peri knew how to harness that energy... Piérre just kind of... let the energy harness him.

Becoming an animagi had been something that the boy had dreamed of ever since Miss Cy had shared that she was an Animagus. The idea of becoming an animal was just too cool to pass up. Sure, it would have its challenges, and who knew, maybe the Britalian simply just didn’t have what it took to take on the animal form, but the idea of at least trying was what sparkled the most. The idea that, hey, maybe he would be able to pull it off and have an awesome talent which would stay with him for the rest of his life, a talent useful and unique, was what kept pushing Piérre forward.

The first meeting of the league was something that Piérre had been on the edge of his seat for. Imagine having out with a bunch of other students who shared your passions, your desire to achieve such an elusive goal! Imagine getting to know a ton of animals, the limitless possibilities of becoming any of them! Just imagine... so many paths, so many different places to explore, and only one... only one can be travelled in a single lifespan.

It was a lot to think about.

But the boy wasn’t thinking much right now, having just dashed from the Great hall with his pockets full of jelly beans and a single apple. Look, if anyone though that Piérre was not the sort of kid to be carrying munchies around with him, that person was sorely mistaken. It was just that Piérre was usually so busy moving around and goofing off, he burned off calories quicker than he could get them into himself. Of course he needed a pick-me-up every now and again.

But when Piérre finally burst into the room, he found three people there already: Peri, of course, a smaller looking girl, and a boy.

“Hi Periiii!” Piérre waved in his usually chipper way whenever he saw the silver eagle. There was something about Peri which always seemed to make Pierre’s day a little bit brighter. The Ravenclaw was one of a couple people that Piérre found himself close to, and it seemed that the boy could never go more than a few weeks at a time without seeing Pericles at least once. It unusually like a kind of like a magnet. “Hi guys!” This was angled towards the other two students. “Here for the meeting too?”

Ever the ‘observant’ or maybe just hyperactively aware boy, Piérre noticed the logbook near the door, the two names written in it. Andrew and Aurora. Well, that answered his question. Piérre quickly scribbled his name down, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he tried to make his cursive look at least a little legible. With a smile, Piérre introduced himself again. “I’m Piérre! Second year.” Piérre didn’t state his house. It was part of his little secret. Indeed, today he had become one of the Ravenclaw house as well; a pair of black suspenders over a light navy shirt with a bronze needlework ‘R’. While the Hogwarts emblem was not present, the ‘R’ quite lonesome on the lapel’s collar, the work itself had been Piérre’s doing. It was a passing hobby of his, sewing. He liked fixing his own clothes... especially when he was able to trip other people up in the process and solidify his place in the school as the jester.

His green eyes were drawn towards the cards with the what some would call ‘macabre’ decorations. But it was this sort of naturalist art which intrigued the boy, the things that had once owned these small tokens. He found himself gravitating towards them, holding the animal’s jawbone for a moment with his eyes aglow with awe before rotating between them, observing and smiling. “Woah... these are cool!” He finally exclaimed at last. “Didja make these yourself, Peri? They’re so awesome!”

Calming Presence in Effect,
Will continually affect anyone who enters

Action: Waving at Pericles and inspecting the pictures.

Saturday’s routine: wake up early, go for a run, shower, breakfast, then to the library to study. Usually he would spend most, if not the entire day, hidden in the stacks. This Saturday, however, offered a change to his usual routine. This Saturday was the first meeting of the League of Aspirant Animagi, a club he had recently joined for the purposes of learning more about the magical animal transformations. The entire concept was fascinating, some sort of transfiguration magic that allowed the user to permanently choose an animal form that they could shift to and from. It was too tempting not to want to learn more about it. So many of the tales he grew up on involved shapeshifting yokai. Kitsune, tanuki, mujina and bake-neko just to name a few.

In honour of the theme, he was wearing one of his favorite hoodies, this one in the theme of the animal he most hoped to become. One might call his fascination with kitsune a borderline obsession. Haru, his kitten was nestled in the hood, content to nap as he made his way from the dorm to room Pericles had obtained for their use. He was very curious to see who would be in attendance and what kind of animals they wanted to be. Jack and Ruka should also be coming, so he would know them at the very least. As he stepped into the classroom he paused to look around, noting the collages and circle of chairs. Only a few people here yet, none of which he was overly familiar with. He carefully printed his name on the sign in sheet then made his way around the room, pausing to look at each collage with interest. Pericles had certainly put great effort into it, posting a wide variety of animals. It reminded him, briefly, of the sorts of displays one might see in a muggle classroom - though likely without the animal parts.

Finally he made his way to the circle of chairs and settled in one, sitting cross-legged as he pulled a leatherbound journal out of his pocket. “Ohayo, Dralt-san,” He greeted the host of the club politely. “Thank you for hosting this club.” With manners out of the way, he gave a polite smile and a nod of his head to the others by way of greeting.

Reducio

Outfit

When Jack stepped into the classroom after lunch, he appeared a bit worn, but managed a small smile and a nod upon seeing Pericles.

"Hello, Dralt," he greeted, approaching the eagle prefect. "Would you mind terribly if Ruka joined us today? Since he just recently came back to Hogwarts after Easter break, I told him about your league not long ago and he seemed interested in becoming a part of it if you'll allow him."

He glanced at Kazuo, who had been Jack's own informant in learning about the club, and smirked at his clothing before admiring the strings of animal collages dangling from the top of a windowsill. "Wow...you really did an amazing job setting up the place. Those look fantastic."

Among the others gazing at the collages were students Jack knew of but didn't know very well as people. Pericles himself Jack had only talked to face-to-face on a couple of occasions and he'd also only had a few encounters with Piérre. Odd he was wearing what looked like Ravenclaw colors since the last time Jack saw him, he was almost positive he'd been wearing Gryffindor ones. With a perpelxed smile, he shook his head and observed the other occupants of the room.

Andrew Vance was someone Jack had seen in passing since they were in the same house, but he didn't think they'd ever really spoken to one another. The pale, albino girl Jack only knew by reputation and word-of-mouth, supposing her to be the Ravenclaw, Aida. As for the last, small-statured girl, the second year couldn't figure out who she was at all. Perhaps she was a new first year whom he hadn't seen around school until then.

After waiting respectfully for Pericles' answer, Jack went over to sit by Kazuo, smirking as he leaned back in his chair. "Nice cat hoodie," he told the Japanese boy, knowing full well that the design was not, in fact, meant to represent a cat.

@Ruka Burnett-Tân, @Kazuo Shimada, @Pericles Dralt, @Aurora Ranvier, @Andrew Vance, @Piérre Marchonné, & @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood

@Jack Burnett @Pericles Dralt @Kazuo Shimada

Ruka hadn't exactly planned on joining any clubs. Not being one to be found in a crowd anyway he barely even kept up with the kind of clubs Hogwarts had to offer. There were too many of them anyway, and some of them seemed ridiculously useless to him.

When his brother had made him aware of a new club for aspiring Animagi, however, his attention had been caught. It wasn't like he knew much about the magic that allowed one to shapeshift into a specific creature, but with a fondness for animals in general, Ruka would have been lying if he said he wasn't interested in seeing what it was like to actually be one of them. Knowing that Jack was also interested in becoming an Animagus opened a whole variety of opportunities for them to make use of once the time had come. So, despite his general aversion to clubs, Ruka had made his way to the room the first meeting was to be held in, following his brother with only a slight amount of distance as he fiddled with his school tie before eventually just pulling it off and wrapping it around his left arm like a comically large bracelet.

As they entered the classroom, Ruka's eyes were immediately drawn to the collages having been hung up all around, and specifically the small animal parts tied to the end of each of them. Leaving his brother's side for a moment, Ruka approached one of them to carefully trace a finger across a large fang, eyes widening in horrified fascination. He wasn't quite sure how Pericles had obtained those things and he wasn't sure he wanted to know either.

Still, with slightly heaved breath he turned back to where his brother was talking to the organiser of the club just as Jack was complimenting the decor. What a perfect opening.

Ruka didn't really know Pericles so introductions would have probably been the polite thing to start off with, but instead he pushed himself onto his tip toes as if some gained height was cause for everyone to take him more seriously. "How did you get the animal parts?" he blurted out with only a vague hint of accusation in his voice. "I mean, they're real, aren't they? Isn't it a bit macabre to display bits and pieces of dead animals in a club about turning into animals?" A frown creased his forehead as he reached a hand out in order to shake Pericles' as if his words had been a sufficient introduction.

Regardless of Pericles' response, Ruka would follow his brother as soon as the situation allowed, offering Kazuo a small smile and a nod in greeting before setting into a chair on the Hufflepuff's other side to leave him sandwiched between the two brothers. Leaning back comfortably, Ruka snorted quietly at Jack's words about Kazuo's hoodie, but it made him take a closer look at the other boy's attire, eyes widening with excitement. "Kitten," he whispered reverently at the sight of the cat nestled in the hood of Kazuo's top. With one hand already lifted and ready to reach out for the ball of fur, Ruka turned his enthusiastic gaze to Kazuo for a moment. "Can I pet him?"

Interacting with everyone, bolding names for easy skimming
(because I got excited to interact with everyone so it turned into a book, summary at bottom)

When first he arrived at Hogwarts, Pericles possessed a limited grasp of what it meant to be on any type of team. Homeschooled, incidentally isolated aside from brushes with strangers and visitors, he hadn't fully comprehended the concept of comradery (let alone how to properly lead a group). Yet partway through his initial year, all of that had begun to change. He joined the Headliner, SWAG, and Frog Choir. He was appointed as prefect, a development which nurtured an ability to direct. Now he was on the duel team, in which they (literally) fought for a collective victory alongside a partner, learning to place trust in one another through perilous straits. The young Dralt hadn't really been a lonely sort. However, he was at last able to appreciate the opportunity to work with others towards a common goal, to thrive as a unit, emboldened enough to forge a new club. He'd acquired a taste for fellowship and evidently decided he was keen on it. While it seemed the Ravenclaw was ready to lead the League, he still expected to be educated and inspired alongside them. As the first few faces filtered into the classroom, he considered each with covert wonder.
What would he learn from them...?

Soft knocking announced the earliest arrival. Expecting others to allow themselves in, a beat went by before Pericles called an uncertain "Come in?" As soon as Aurora entered, he instantly recovered, smile springing up as he made to stand. "Yes, it is! You've come to the right place." They weren't well acquainted just yet, but Aurora seemed the sort with moxie. She appeared to have an avid interest in events and clubs, bringing a certain energy to all she participated in, and in this case, she'd also brought chocolate. What wasn't to like? Pericles accepted the bag with a low "Thank you", then set it to the side of the sign-in book for the access of all attendees. He didn't take any off the bat- he had a thing about food in public places- but his gratitude was true. Sounding vaguely amused, the boy observed "You were the last to come for Choir auditions, now you're the first to arrive at the Aspirant meeting. I hear you're the Headliner's newest addition as well? It seems we'll be sharing a number of activities."

Andrew was a relatively unfamiliar face, though that was a perk in Peri's book. A new person brought new possibilities, and this guy carried a sort of casual positivity with him. His contented expression grew when greeted. Extending a pale hand, gaze steady in interest, he replied "I don't think we've ever been directly introduced. You're Andrew, right? Or is 'Andy' better?" The third-year confirmed as much a moment later when introducing himself to Aurora. Tenderness towards animals was a trait of underrated value, and with the way Andy talked about his sweet old rat- going so far as to diet alongside her- already spoke well of him. While a cat had been Pericles' pet of choice in the end, he had a soft spot for rats. They were more intelligent than people often gave them credit for.

The next aspirant breached the room with such bravado that for a split second, their host seemed startled, eyes gone wide while darting towards the sudden movement. Then, a radiant warmth ruptured his calm composure, shining through a fond grin and reverberating in an appreciative tone: "Piérre!" To any onlooker unfamiliar with the boys, they seemed drastically different. The duellist had a collected, gradual grace and rarely raised his voice beyond a gentle drifting murmur. The Quidditch player was a well of activity, always sparking spontaneity, his exuberant energy seeping into every action and word. But these were mere superficial differences. Morally, Pericles couldn't help but feel that he and Piérre were of strikingly similar standpoints. He was pleased to find they had many common interests, both minds often overflowing with ideas, delighting in the turbulence of unpredictable school life in their own fashions. With little needing to be said between them, he opened his arms with the offer of a hug. Did Pericles like hugs? He hadn't decided yet, but Piérre was just that kind of person that made testing them out feel comfortable. "Excellent shirt." The slight smirk curling one corner of his mouth said it all: Piérre's decision to rep Ravenclaw was something Peri could certainly stand behind, but also, the shirt really was quite nice.

Another familiar, albeit less close arrival: Aida. There was of course the typical, back-of-mind gratitude for having a fellow Ravenclaw around, but that was entirely insignificant compared to her actual import. He would never forget the unconditional compassion she showed to creatures, ever since the moment she tried to save a mosp during the Blossom Ball- creatures who had shown up at the wrong place- to the time she joined him in talking down an acromantula in the Forbidden Forest. Not only had she tried to help save his life, but Aida hadn't harmed the magnificent monster. Like the untamed creatures she loved so dearly, Aida exuded the aura of something you were supposed to let come to you first. So Pericles simply waved in answer, though his features glowed with wonder, trying to let her know with a look that she was welcome here.

Jack, oddly, was asking permission to join on his brother's behalf. Pericles had experienced a single, very fleeting interaction with Ruka, and otherwise possessed no grounds by which to form an opinion of him. He offered a depthless smile and replied obliviously: "I don't see why I would mind."

Kazuo was more so an unfamiliar presence, one he had yet to be introduced to, though the name was sure to be recognized once he heard it. The duelling co-captain did his best to keep track of all potential opponents the Ravenclaw team may come to face. More prevalently however, Pericles was positive he had seen the Hufflepuff, albeit in passing: they were both early morning joggers. There may have been a crossing, a murky memory of a nod even, and- utterly unawares of the review Kazuo had formed of him from across the Beckett's ball- he nodded in recognition of another cardio fan. With an awkward smile for the formality of his surename, the Ravenclaw replied "Thank you as well, for attending that is. Please feel free to call me Peri, if you like, or-" with a trace of cheek to his squint- "Pericles, if you don't. What can I call you?" He hadn't noticed the hoody kitten yet, but when he did, he'd lament a missed opportunity to pet it too. Maybe later, if it was awake....

Someone called out, asking how he had acquired the animal trinkets. Pericles perked in a way that implied he hadn't just anticipated the question, but was perhaps looking forward to it, with the way he sat up straighter and tried to restrain his smile. It didn't touch his lips, but danced like a light in his eyes as they landed on Ruka. Meeting with a question as opposed to the typical name-swap wasn't at all out of the ordinary for Peri. A number of his acquaintances had begun that same way, and on several occasions, carried on interesting conversation long before he remembered the part where he was supposed to introduce himself. Granted, he hadn't forgotten Ruka: the sole interaction was when Pericles was manning the door to the Fall Ball. His compliment for the Gryffindor's costume was answered with a scoff and cold shoulder. But this, paired with the fact that someone else had to ask if he could join, as well as the distance he kept, had led the Ravenclaw to deduce a likely probability: Ruka was just a shy boy.

The organizer spoke to him and to the room in general. "All of these curios were purchased, found, or borrowed. The snakeskin and antler, for example-" he pointed to the respective trinkets, dangling at the end of their twines "- were things I found on my own. They were of course, shed and discarded in the wilderness. I've bought some things from taxidermists, who didn't need them to preserve their subjects, and others from those who process bones for jewelry. Everything here comes from a creature which was already dead before a decision was made to harvest the components you see. In other words, they were not sacrificed to make these things. They may seem a mite macabre, and I do hope I haven't offended anyone, though we will be familiarizing ourselves with animal anatomies in this club." Factual, concise, though with an underlying enthusiasm. "Please help yourself to touching the displays- just do so gently." He seemed of a mind that touching bones and bits of shed animal parts was a treat. Maybe it was. Peri nodded appreciatively when Jack and Piérre paid the displays compliment, and when the latter asked if he'd made them, "I did, yes. Xailah helped me glue and tie it all together too.

Andrew asked other good questions: whether or not pets could come along to future meetings, what they would be calling themselves, and if they might take a trip. A restrained grin flashed pearly teeth; this was going to be fun. "None taken. Well... 'League' has the least amount of syllables. I did try to come up with a nice animal acronym, though this will have to do. As far as pets, I'd encourage you to bring them, really. There may be some times where we can't, but I'll let you know in advance. While I can't say for certain if we'll go to any zoos, I do have something similar in mind... today, though, is just a chance to talk about some things you can expect. If anyone decides they aren't interested, they simply don't show up for future meets, no harm done. You can continue to browse the displays or come and sit with us. So long as you're in a place where you can hear me. Now, or after my introduction if you'd like to hear more first, add your name to the list. Do help yourself to some of the chocolates Aurora has brought."

Greeting arrivals, bringing attention to the sign-up sheet; inviting everyone to examine the trinkets, introduce themselves, and have some chocolate.
Saying they can keep browsing or come sit while he explains the group.