Thirteen's the Charm(er) Closed

Mentioning None

Interacting with @Dealla Prince

Open for Interaction

What would be a good present for someone’s birthday? Now that Aurora knew more people in Hogwarts, it would be rude to not give them any gift. She neither had both the money and time to buy something, it was not like she could sneak her way to Hogsmeade without getting detention. Plus, Prince is the Ravenclaw prefect herself, Aurora would doubt it if the prefect would abandon her duty even just for a day. The night before, she ransacked her trunks just in case a decent sparkly nice object magically laying around somewhere although she knew too well nothing inside is worth giving. With a tad of frustration, she opened a jar of chocolate and put it in her mouth. Then, raindrops of ideas washed over her. Only one drop, actually. Hopefully, Prince will like whatever the first year Ravenclaw decided to give her since she put her heart, soul, and sacrificed her sleep for it.

After a long day full of classes combined with zero seconds of sleep, Aurora felt like a zombie from walking dead. She used all of her strength dedicated for her eyelids to stay open as she walked to the lake with the plan to just give her the gift then ran to the dorm and get some sleep. Or, if she could not take it, perhaps any corner would do the job just fine. As she spotted the older eagle, Aurora waved and smiled, silently hoping Prince will not notice her lack of energy. “Hi, happy birthday, Prince.” Then, she handed the prefect a flowery hand painted glass jar with chocolate balls inside, looked brand new, but don’t be fooled, because she ate two balls last night. “I- I don’t really know what you like, but I painted this for you. You could- you could use it as a container of something, if you like herbology, maybe you could plant something on it as well, after you eat the chocolates, of course.”

Something was missing, what was it? A candle. There were some candles on Hogwarts wall, but that would be counted as stealing, which means another probability for detention. She looked around the ground to see something that could be a candle replacement. A twig. Without thinking, she took the poor twig, pulled out her wand, and, “Now I have a candle for you to blow, Incendio”.

Aurora's gift for dee, just imagine chocolate balls inside and a little blue ribbon at the top

Reducio

Action
Give Dee her present and cast Incendio to the twig

Interacting with @Dealla Prince and @Aurora Ranvier

Carolyn wasn’t entirely sure why she decided to join the party. After all, she was not fond of these kind of events. Still, it was a birthday party and she thought it might be a good opportunity to get to know the birthday girl a little better. She has met Dee on several occasions by now, she even helped her with the surprise party for their new Head of the house and yet they never really got to talk much. Carolyn supposed it was because the girl was always surrounded by people, which was a bit intimidating. Nevertheless, she promised herself to change that sometime and this seemed to be as good a time as any. The only problem was the gift. Carolyn didn’t expect to attend any birthday party this year, which meant she had nothing to give. Her parents were positively ignoring her so writing them to buy something for her would be a waste of time. This meant she had to rely on her own abilities and simply create something. Thankfully, the raven-haired girl enjoyed doing any kind of crafting or art so it was actually fun for her.

At first, Carolyn considered drawing a portrait but soon decided against the idea. After all, not everyone liked to look at a drawing of themselves…she certainly wouldn’t. She does have a cute rat, doesn’t she? Carolyn remembered seeing Dee playing with her pet occasionally. He was adorable and she didn’t doubt for a second that he was very loved as well. Alright, that is worth a shot I suppose. And so, she picked up her art supplies and started drawing just that. She ended up with pink paper filled with several rats surrounded by flowers. The young witch thought it was quite nice but she couldn’t be sure if Dee would like it. She could always hope though. As an afterthought, Carolyn also picked a gold paper she didn’t have any use for until now and cut out a flowery tiara. If the birthday girl didn’t like it, she could always use it as a decoration.

After the final class ended on the target day, Carolyn stopped by the Ravenclaw tower to pick up the gifts and say goodbye to her own furry friend. “Sorry Mordred, this is not my day and I can’t risk you causing any mischief.” She knew the cat wouldn’t hurt anyone at this point but he could still act a bit unpleasant sometimes. It would be quite awkward if he decided to hiss at Dee or any of her guests for that matter. On her way to the lake, Carolyn also picked up some wildflowers. It was a split second decision and honestly also something to keep her mind occupied so she wouldn’t change her mind and turn back. When she finally arrived to her destination, she realized she might have been quite early. Well, I suppose that’s better…perhaps we’ll get to talk before the masses arrive? She didn’t doubt for a moment that Dee would have plenty of guests here any minute.

The weather and the destination itself were perfect for a party. It was obvious Dee’s parents or friends cared about her great deal and made sure to provide her with some decorations and a beautiful birthday cake. There was a spark of jealousy in Carolyn’s heart but she quickly squashed it down. It was not Dee’s fault that her own special day passed quietly and without any recognition from her family. “Hello Dee, Happy Birthday!” She greeted the girl with a smile. “It’s not much but…I hope you’ll like it.” she added while giving her the three gifts self-consciously. Then, she finally turned to the guest that arrived before her. “Hello to you too Aurora,” she greeted the first year with a gentle smile, quickly noticing the glass jar in Dee’s hand. “Oh, did you paint that one? That’s really pretty,” she complimented the work sincerely. The flowers on the glass looked very detailed and Carolyn was sure, it took a lot of effort and time. She never tried to paint glass before but she could definitely appreciate the handiwork.

Winnie might not have technically been invited to Dee's birthday, but when had invitations every stopped her from attending a party? Besides, she wanted to get to know the prefect better, and Ruka (MAYBE JACK!) would likely be attending, and it was always nice to see her new (if fairly forced) friends. Also, she had bought a birthday present for Dee and was excited to give it to her. She hummed softly as she practically skipped down to the lake. She wore a simple blue floral chiffon dress, the neck lined with soft lace. It was perfect as the season drew closer to summer. Her hair was tied up in a soft pink satin ribbon. She had Dee's present tucked underneath her arm, wrapped in brown parchment paper and tied with simple string, a small bouquet of pink flowers were tucked underneath the string. Inside the wrapping was a cute deer plushie embroidered with flowers.

When she arrived at the lake, she nervously waved over to Dee. "Hello! Happy 13th birthday!" She smiled, passing her over the gift and taking a seat on the blanket's edge. "I hope you don't mind if I join you for a bit. I really love cake... And it's gorgeous day outside, I would love to spend it by your side!" The older girl was nice company, and she looked very pretty today. Perhaps Winnie could also meet new friends today?

Winnie's wrapping and gift:

Reducio

@Dealla Prince

O U T F I T

G I F T

Ruka was a little late.

He had rushed out of class as quickly as he could, had taken his free period to throw on clothes that were casual without making him look too messy. His flame shaped pendant lay against his chest, a blue shirt was tied around his hips, just in case the air outside was going to turn cooler after all. He had put on is favourite grey sneakers and looked at himself in the mirror for far too long until giving up on messing with his hair. As per usual it didn't want to cooperate with him, so there was no use fighting.

By the time he was done, he had realised that he was already running a bit late. He had scooped up the gift he had spent hours knitting - making mistakes and starting all over again until it looked like it could actually be worn - and smoothed out the dark blue paper he had wrapped it in, tugged lightly on the grey bow that held it together albeit a bit messily. He had wanted to get Dealla something handmade and useful and with having worked hard on trying to learn how to knit during the time he had spent being home schooled, he had decided that a beanie was something anyone could find use for now and again. He had made it out of dark blue cotton yarn in honour of Dealla's House Colours, but had failed at stitching an Eagle onto it, so it remained a little plain. Maybe he could gift her something to decorate it with at a later date.

For now he put it together with the little note that said "FOR APHRODITE" and "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" in sloppy handwriting, and rushed out onto the Grounds where he knew his friend was holding her little Birthday Get-together.

As expected he wasn't the first one to arrive, had been beaten to it by four girls it seemed, three of which he didn't recognise beyond having crossed paths with on the hallways here and there. He thought one of them was also part of Dealla's Duelling Team, but Ruka had never been particularly good with faces. The fourth, however, Ruka recognised immediately and it made his shoulders tense a little upon his approach. Immediately he covered it up with a bright smile as he walked up to the group of girls, staying back for a moment while Dealla was busy accepting gifts and birthday wishes from everyone else.

He took the moment to offer Winnie a little wave. "Here for the cake?" he asked her with a wink and reached out to give her shoulder a gentle pat. He wondered if she'd been invited or if she had found out about Dealla's birthday by asking around and taking notes in her creepy stalker notebook. He wasn't, however, rude enough to ask her directly.

Instead, he took his moment when Dealla's attention opened up again, to step forward and offer the birthday girl a theatrical bow. "A party fit for a Goddess," he proclaimed brightly, eyes lighting up with slight amusement as he slid them across the large balloons announcing Dealla's new age. "Happy Birthday, Dee." His voice grew softer, more affectionate as he handed his gift over to the girl with a smile. "I made it myself, and I don't have a lot of practice yet so I hope it's not too..." He pulled a light grimace. "Simple." With a small chuckle, he took a step back to allow her to move to entertain her other guests again, but not before swiftly moving in to pull her into what had to have been a slightly awkward hug.

Not one to usually hug other people, especially not if they weren't crying, Ruka wasn't quite sure what the proper etiquette was for hugging someone when wishing them a Happy Birthday, but he hadn't wanted to simply leave it at a nod and a smile either. His cheeks were flushed as he pulled away again, and he quickly looked to his right to focus on the surface of the lake. If Dealla had noticed his blush, maybe this way he'd at least offer her the opportunity to politely pretend like she hadn't.

_

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@Aurora Ranvier | @Carolyn Hunt | @Winnie Harper | @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood | @Ruka Burnett-Tân

Dee hadn't had to wait long for the first guest to show up, but just long enough to get a little bored. In an attempt to stay busy, she'd grabbed one of the filled water balloons, tossing it into the air and catching it again, enjoying the knowledge that if she dropped it or caught it a bit oddly, it would likely burst and douse her in a splash of water. It was warm enough to make the prospect of a little water a pleasant one, too.

When Aurora approached, Dee lit up with a bright smile, distracted, and the water balloon slipped through her hands, bursting on the ground near her feet. Which were clad in canvas shoes, easily soaked. "Merlin's pants!" was what therefore came out of her mouth instead of a greeting and she shook one of her feet, trying to get rid of some of the water, before she resigned and returned her grin to Aurora. She didn't know the girl well, but she seemed like a bit of an oddball - there were fleeting memories of her trying to punch the shadow spider during the attack on their common room, and violently swinging her legs back and forth while riding a bike - but who was Dee to judge? Odd people tended to fascinate rather than deter her.

"Hi Aurora!" she greeted brightly. She wasn't a big fan of that habit of calling people by their last name, and mostly tended to ignore it, even with those clearly more comfortable with the distance it provided. Using last names was reserved for a special few, mostly those she disliked. Only then did she register the glass jar in the girl's hands, and her eyes widened slightly. She hadn't been expecting many presents - from her close friends, of course, but while she had mentioned her birthday to anyone who would listen, and (almost) anyone was welcome to join, presents weren't a requirement by any means.

But then, who didn't like presents? And chocolate was an easy way into Dee's heart, and her smile turned softer, warmer, as she accepted the jar. "Thank you," she said sincerely, holding it up to look at it more closely. "That's super pretty! I wish I could paint, but I can't. You're one of those artsy people, huh?" Her words trailed off as she noticed that Aurora wasn't looking at her anymore, instead apparently searching for something on the ground, and Dee watched her with interest, only to burst out in a bubble of surprised laughter when Aurora declared the stick a candle and proceeded to light it on fire.

Reducio

Aurora casts Incendio (WDC 9)
Wisdom: 25
Accuracy: 12
Success!

"Oh that's, uh, lovely," she said, failing at any pretense of staying serious. "Thank you."

Giggling brightly made it a bit harder to blow the twig out - it was more stubborn than candles tended to be - but she managed in time to see Carolyn approach, another familiar face, known from class and letting herself be dragged into the ill-advised welcome party they had thrown for their new Head of House in September. Anyone who went along with Dee's schemes was already earning plus points in her books.

There was an easy, infectious kind of energy in the air around her, genuinely excited to see anyone who joined, the smile on her face matching the brightness of her eyes, lighting up in the spotlight. Ninkilim chose that moment to peek out from the collar of her shirt, then ran up to sit on her shoulder as she greeted the new guest.

"Carolyn, welcome! And oh, thank you." A little surprised, she received the gifts, shifting the jar with the chocolates to the crook of her elbow to take everything, and then looked back up at Carolyn, obviously touched, before inspecting the gifts more closely. "Did you draw those?" she asked incredulously, staring at the drawing of the rats. Perhaps she was easily impressed, given her own lack of artistic skills, but those rats were really life-like. "Nin, look, she drew you! You really weren't kidding when you said you can draw, you're definitely hired to design banners for my next surprise party."

The tiara was lovely, too, and with a quick grin, she placed it (slightly crookedly) upon her head before setting down the drawing and the painted jar next to the cake, and looking around searchingly. "Where should I... Oh, I know." Her eyes lit up with an idea and she squatted down, clearly searching the ground for something, lifting leaves and poking into shadowy areas before finally plucking something out from underneath the leaves of a bush. It was a small snail that quickly withdrew back into its shell when Dee held it up between two fingers and pointed her wand at it. "Choclea Bibe!"

Reducio

Dee casts Snail to Teapot (WDC 11)
Wisdom Roll: 30
Critical success because Tatsu likes to mock me.

Perhaps it was her enthusiasm or just the general golden shine that seemed to surround the day, but the spell succeeded better than it ever had in class, the snail turning into a delicate, graceful teapot that seemed to be made of fine porcelain and looked oddly out of place on the picnic blanket next to the water balloons. Dee made it worse by dunking it in the lake to fill it with water, and then sticking Carolyn's flowers into it, but it did make for nice decoration, all in all. "There we go," she decided, grinning. "Perfect."

She'd been about to ask the two if they knew each other, but Carolyn already answered that question by greeting Aurora as well, and Dee nodded vigorously at the compliment for her other present. "It is! You're both super talented. I've been told when I try to draw an eagle it looks more like a cow instead. Come, sit down! Do you want some lemon cake?"

Ushering her two guests towards the blanket, Dee looked up to see another one of her junior Ravenclaws arrive, and greeted her with a smile. Winnie seemed like a sweet girl, if somewhat naive. She tended to remind Dee of a bunny, fluffy and a little defenseless, but rather endearing, and Dee automatically reached out to pat her on the head as a greeting. "No, of course you're welcome!" she assured, again surprised to receive a gift. She was starting to feel a little guilty, as she herself would never have thought to get anyone but her closest friends birthday presents, but it was hard not to be pleased by the gesture. "And of course it's a beautiful day, the sun's shining just for me," she proclaimed with a silly little pose, fanning herself with her free hand, before dissolving it into a bright laugh. Reaching out to grasp Winnie's wrist, Dee pulled her, too, in direction of the blanket. "Come, sit down! There's enough cake. Have you met Carolyn and Aurora? They're Ravenclaws, too."

About to settle down herself, open her present, maybe finally eat some of her cake, Dee's intentions changed the quiet approach of one of the people she valued over most others at Hogwarts. Although truly not inconspicuous with her cloud of white hair, Aida only made her presence known unobtrusively, quiet smiles and whispers.

Lighting up with excitement, Dee moved to wrap her friend into an enthusiastic hug. Aida had always been a little ethereal, and last summer, so thin she'd almost looked like she might fade into nothingness if touched too forcefully, but she had regained some solidity since then, and felt reassuringly firm in the hug. Eyes warm, smile affectionate, Dee pulled back. "Thank you for coming," she replied.

Drawing Aida down onto the blanket next to her, Dee motioned again for her guests to help themselves to cake, before she reached out to unwrap the latest present. Although she saved the flowers on Winnie's gift, carefully placing them next to Aurora's jar, she was too impatient in nature to be careful about opening the present, instead tearing the parchment paper off with childish enthusiasm. "Oooh," she made, delighted, at the soft deer plushie that appeared beneath it. "She's adorable." Honestly, it kind of resembled Winnie, soft and in a girly dress. "Does she have a name?" she asked and looked at the girl, curious.

Then, another guest made his presence known, one she had admittedly been looking forward to. "Ruka!" she exclaimed, pleased, and hopped to her feet. She returned the greeting with a giggle, light and tinkling, and a curtsy - honestly, she'd been doing enough of those as of late that they were almost graceful at this point - then smiled at the boy. "Thank you." The present was accepted with care and opened more cautiously than the previous one, still standing, a mix of eagerness and the desire to keep a moment between the two of them before rejoining the group. "Oh." The knitted hat was soft between her fingers and Dee looked up again, smile fond. "It's pretty."

The hug came a bit unexpectedly, but Dee easily ignored any awkwardness, wrapping her arms around him in return and closing her eyes for a second. Hugs were something easy to her, comfortable with close contact. They were warm, and nice, and she was smiling when he pulled away. Reaching out, Dee took Ruka's hand, moving back to the blanket. "No need to introduce you two," she said, nodding at Winnie, "but Carolyn, Aurora, Aida, this is Ruka! And vice versa." She let go of the Gryffindor's hand, flopping back down into her previous spot and grinned up at him, his present still in her lap. "Sit! I think it's time I eat some of my cake." Which she reached out to do, then.

"And help yourself! Oh and," she gestured vaguely into the direction of the cards, "if anyone feels the urge to put into words what they really think of me, you can write it onto those cards over there. I expect lots of compliments." She grinned impishly. "Or don't, it's not mandatory."

Then, her eyes fell onto the present that Aida had retrieved from her pack, and she laughed, the sound bright. "Still robbing our common room, I see," she teased lightly, without any mean intent behind it. It was starting to be a running joke, something to expect and count on. "Oh, that reminds me! You know I still keep the leather roses on my nightstand, but their scent has completely faded. Do you think you could bring it back somehow? Reapply it?"

Received permission to slightly godmod Winnie, Aida, and Ruka

TLDR

• Dee greeted every arrival, first mention of your name bolded to make up for the ridiculous length of this post (but there might be more later). Opened all the presents, too, impatient like she is.
• Dee is now wearing wet shoes and a golden paper tiara on her head.
• She also turned a snail into a teapot to water the flowers she got, so my official thanks goes out to Carolyn for providing me with a reason to use that spell, didn't think I ever would.
• Everyone got offered cake, and invited to write a message on one of the cards (not mandatory).

Winnie couldn’t help but blush when Dee seemed to welcome her with open arms, especially when that hand found the top of her head. She found that she instantly dipped her head down, allowing the pat to happen with a sheepish smile. It had also made her very happy as well. Perhaps she was more like a dog than a bunny. "As it should!" She responded as if that was a simple fact. The sun should shine for her and make the day bright, otherwise it would be put to shame by Dee’s smile. Just as she was considering telling the older Ravenclaw as much, she was tugged down onto the blanket. She landed next to Dee with a soft squeak, blinking in surprise before grinning up at her. She pushed herself into a seated position, her legs crossed over with the long skirt of her dress shielding them. "I believe we’ve met in passing, but we haven’t had the chance to talk." Her blue eyes took in the images of her fellow Ravenclaws. Both looked like charming girls. It was no wonder that they were Dee’s friends. "It’s good to see you both!" She said, tilting her head to the side as she smiled.

Winnie found herself surprised by the sudden presence of a rather ethereal looking girl, who Dee called Aida. Though she recognized her from the Ravenclaw common room. She was beautiful and mysterious, and her appearance reminded Winnie of a ghost flower. Hm, come to think of it, Dee was a lot like a sunflower; cheery and always seeming to look on the bright side. Ruka would of course be a gloriosa flame lily. She was so lost in her thoughts, she also missed Dee opening her gift. "Oh!" She responded, "I didn’t name her, because I thought you would like to." Winnie had definitely selected something she personally liked, but also she wanted the prefect to have the cutest gifts.

As if her ‘hero radar’ was going off, Winnie instantly perked up at the sight of Ruka. First she got to spend time with Dee and give her a present, and now Ruka was here as well? This day just kept getting better. Winnie almost wondered if it was her birthday instead. "And the company." She responded with a smile, her cheeks heating up when the redhead placed a hand on her shoulder. She was very tempted to pull him down, nuzzle in between the two, and die a happy Winnie, but she resisted. She was very jealous when the two hugged and bit down on her lower lip as she glanced away. She wasn’t really sure who she was more jealous of, she just knew that she wanted a hug from both of them. Their friendship was so sweet, and Dee really was just like a goddess. She wished she had a friendship like the two of them had.

"Oh! Ruka!" Winnie gasped as she watched Dee open his present; it was such a lovely hat, and it was handmade. Suddenly she felt like her gift wasn’t cool enough. "You can knit too? That’s so amazing! What a pretty hat." She sighed happily, silently wondering if she could take home some of the wrapping paper and made a scrapbook page for Dee. Surely she would want to remember this moment. “Cake? Oh, Dee, make a wish!” Did wizards still blow out candles? That wasn’t just a muggle thing, right? She carefully crawled over to grab one of those cards, returned to her seat, and quickly scribbled a little poem about Dee.

Smile as bright as the sun
Beauty fit for a flower,
Blessed by your presence,
With each passing hour.

It’s no accident that
The sunflower loves the sun,
We turn towards you,
For our hearts, your light has won.

So, fly and shine on,
Soaring angelic dove,
For the best things in life,
Are found in your love.

Navigating culture shift was equal parts bizarre, frustrating and interesting. Take birthdays, for example. Birthdays in Japan were, if celebrated at all, simple affairs. Dinner with family, maybe some small gift from one's parents. In his case, it was usually a new book from his father. Yet here he had noticed children put much more value on birthdays. Large parties with friends, an expectation of gifts and cake and elaborate activities. For what? Growing older?

Not that Ouji-sama had those expectations. She seemed to simply want to celebrate with friends, a sentiment he could understand. Especially when they were all far from their families. He could have simply shown up and no doubt that would have been enough. Yet there were expectations nonetheless, even if they were self imposed. A birthday required a gift.

But what to get a teenage girl? A ridiculous puzzle to which there was only one person he could trust to give him the proper advice. Thus an exchange of letters.

Reducio

Dear Mom,

I have been invited to a birthday party and a gift is required. The birthday girl is a Prince so I would like to get her a crown.

Love,
Kazuo

My Darling Fox,

This is, to date, the strangest request you've made. Do explain.

Love,
Mom

Dear Mom,

Her name is Dealla Prince and she is turning thirteen. I need a gift because that's what they do here. They give people gifts on their birthdays.

Love,
Kazuo

Little fox,

Do not think I cannot tell that you are being a smartass just because you are writing. Is this girl a friend? I'm not sure a crown would be appropriate unless you are intending to make fun of her?

Love,
Mom

Dear Mom,

I am trying to make fun of her but not in a mean way. I just think it's funny that her last name is Prince. If not a crown then I have no idea what to get a teen girl. Perfume? Flowers? Chocolate? I don't want something boring.

Love,
Kaz

My kitling,

It sounds as if you like this girl. I've included something for you to give her, it should be suitable for a teen girl and also satisfy your need to present her with something unique. No, it is not a crown.

Love,
Mom

The box was one of those simple premade gift boxes with a ribbon to hold it closed and nestled inside were two beautifully crafted resin kanzashi. Kazuo pondered the gift, mildly disappointed that it wasn't a crown but trusting his mother’s judgement.

Reducio

On the day of the party he made his way over to the spot Dee had chosen - fashionably late it seemed. As he approached, he noted the attendees who had already arrived, most of which he had met at some point previously.

"Ouji-sama. 誕生日おめでとう(Otanjobi omedeto - basically Happy Birthday)" He greeted her with a smile, handing her the gift. His eyes travelled to the gold tiara and his nose wrinkled a bit. Guess he didn't need to give her a crown after all, though the one he would have chosen - if his mother hadn't foiled his plan - would have been nicer. "Seems I'm a bit late. I didn't miss anything exciting, did I?"

Reducio

OOTD

@Dealla Prince