reopened Truth or Drink PV Circinus Tent

⋄ Banner made by Aly Salinger ⋄
⋄ August 10th, 2024; Evening | London Quidditch Stadium ⋄
⋄ Interactions: @Pericles Dralt, @Evelynn Decipio, @Finnegan Connor, @Aly Salinger, @Winnie Harper, @Dealla Prince, & @Cassius Eden | Mentions: None ⋄

𝓔very day, the universe found fun new ways to betray her. It would almost be exciting, if it didn't suck so bad. Winnie, who had grown on Bex softly and easily over the course of the summer, simply by nature of her kind and extroverted personality, immediately lost a chunk of the rapport that she'd built. "Don't worry, Finn, you can have some of mine if you'd like." The disappointment of knowing she was seen as some wayward child they'd picked up off of the street burned far more than the firewhiskey ever could. She and Finn were the same age. He hadn't even turned thirteen yet, they were only six months apart. The conclusion, then, that it must be something about her specifically - she was too immature, too annoying, too something - had her looking anywhere but at the two of them.

Instead her eyes found Dee's, and the girl inclined her head towards the bottles, giving her a little wink. So great, the girl she'd threatened in the newspaper was on her side at least. Awesome. Summer Camp was a real treat.

Finnegan's peace offering of crisps would be ignored without so much as a glance in his direction. She had no interest in his crummy crisps, but did develop a vested interest in his untimely death, as a bag of her preferred sea salt and black pepper was lobbed at her, bouncing unceremoniously off the back of her head. Despite actually being rather hungry, she'd refuse to collect them on principle, and would instead attempt to slyly steal some of Pear's inferior crisps over the course of the evening, leaving her own bag accusingly untouched.

Starting things off was Dee, and if Bex was hoping Finn would leave the first round embarrassed - or, at the very least, miserably sloshed - she'd be left rudely disappointed. He neatly dodged the first two questions like a boring basic bitch, and then used the third to try and slander her mediocre name.

"How does it feel that Bex could probably pick you up and snap you in half like a twig?" "She can't!"

"I very well can-." Bex interrupted icily, in no mood to be catching strays from Finnegan Connor.

"Wanna bet? I'm way stronger than her! I just let her win sometimes, you know?"

And with that, Rebecca Lark was officially at the end of what she was willing to tolerate this evening. This fun little friends' night had thus far been nothing but unkind to her, making her feel childish, small, and just generally isolated from the rest of the group. She would have assumed that she'd at least have one ally in it all, as for months now, she and Finnegan had been allies in basically everything else. Anger and jealousy were a dangerous mix, and she felt herself snap like a rubber band, all the years of reminders about mindfulness and breathing exercises thrown to the wayside in pursuit of finally shutting up Finnegan's ever-running mouth.

Without so much as a call of warning, she threw herself across the circle at him, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and slamming him into the ground. Whatever she could hear of their other tent-mates reactions, she ignored, kneeing the sanctimoniously almost-thirteen-year-old in the stomach, before planting herself firmly atop of him in order to pin him down. He landed a sharp blow to the soft spot right beneath her ribs, but she was angry enough that, for the moment, she could hardly feel it, and quickly threw an elbow at the vague region of his trachea in return. With her left hand she grabbed the collar of his shirt, roughly yanking him forward as she reeled her right arm back, intending to punch him squarely in the jaw.

Suddenly, she was in primary school again. "Only babies cry at school." She hadn't known where to put down her anger then, either, and all she'd had to show for it was miserable afternoons spent sat alone on the school steps post-detention, waiting for her mum to pick her up, and scheduled weekly "chats" with Lucie. She'd promised she wouldn't do it again, and yet here she was, doing it again. All the others were right. She hadn't grown, hadn't matured. She was the same scared little kid she'd always been.

Reducio

From Stay Grounded:

She remembered her mum crying at the kitchen table, the sound of her parents screaming at each other through the phone behind the pitiful wooden barrier of her mum's bedroom door. Sitting in detention with bruised knuckles and scraped knees. Practising breathing with Lucie, control and purpose made manifest. One, two, three, four. She could feel that same tide as before reaching out it's fingers towards her again, chest tight and tongue heavy.

All the fight drained out of her in an instant, and Finn took immediate advantage, leaning forward the best he could in order to lick her sloppily on the face. She reared back in disgust. Coward. Couldn't even beat her in a fair fight, then, and was willing to resort dirty tricks.

If none of the older years would attempt to finally pull them apart, then Becca would leave of her own free will, returning to whatever place in the circle was currently free. The feeling of his spit drying on her face was uncomfortable and just plain gross, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of watching her try to wipe it off with her jumper. Instead she stared straight at him, daring him to say a word.

And say a word he did, and then some. Say what you would about Finnegan Connor, but there was no denying that the boy bounced back quickly.

"So it's my turn to ask questions now, right?"

Whether or not he intended it as revenge, the question was pointed all the same.

"First question: what's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you? Please be descriptive."

"Besides you licking me on the face?" She weighed how honest she wanted to be; her own petty refusal to back away from this ledge that the two of them had barrelled at, full-speed, made it easy to forget that her entire purpose here had been to drink, and by actually answering his questions she was deviating exponentially from that goal. It didn't matter. She wouldn't let him win.

She weighed the memory of the last Lark family New Year's party and discarded it. She'd had a proper strop in front of her relatives, but she wasn't sure if embarrassed was the right word for that experience.

"I wanted to be a marine biologist before I had to come to Hogwarts, so my step-dad always takes me out to The Deep in Hull every year. But two years ago I got the flu, and I didn't tell him I wasn't feeling well so he wouldn't cancel the trip. We went to a "meet the scientists" event, and I was fine up until the touch-tank. They were walking us through a day in the life of a marine biologist, and they asked if any of us knew whether sea anemones were plants or animals, but when I opened my mouth to answer, I threw up on the horseshoe crabs. They had to call in the aquatic vets, and I got escorted out."

Unlike her, Finnegan held no punches, and continued on. "What's the lowest grade you ever got and why?"

This one hit much harder than the first one had. Finn had no way of knowing that, of course, but it stung all the same. She glanced at the firewhiskey bottle longingly. She wished she knew how to lie.

"I got a D in Transfiguration. I got D's in Charms and Defense as well, but the one in Transfig was a couple points off from a T, so." She had gone a whole year managing to avoid talking to anyone about it, and it was all undone in a single afternoon. Maybe this was now her most embarrassing moment. She wondered if Finnegan knew, somehow, and was rubbing it in, or if he just assumed that, as a Ravenclaw, getting anything less than an O was an abysmal prospect. "I can't cast, or at least, not consistently. I can sometimes, in duels. But mostly I don't. And I guess you kind of have to be able to do magic... at magic school."

She had fully expected a failing grade when she'd recieved her exam results, and hadn't really felt much of anything finding out she hadn't. Telling other people your inadequecies, though, was a whole different beast.

"Can you drink even when you've answered the question?" Regardless of the answer, she wouldn't try and make a grab for it quite yet. Was Finn having fun? She wasn't having fun.

In comparison to the first two, the last one felt laughably easy.

"Have you ever kissed a boy?"

"Yes, at a football tournament in Armthorpe when we were, like, eight. It was fine, I guess." That may very well have been her last kiss, as well. Evelynn's warning about slugs was one she'd taken perhaps a little too much to heart.

Having earned her turn, she gazed around the room, chewing on her bottom lip as she tried to decide who to target. In general, she didn't really have any burning questions that she was holding in. Whenever she had an impulsive thought, she tended to just say it. As such, she decided to direct her questions at one of the occupants she knew the least about, Evelynn.

Coming up with questions was hard, and Becca took a long few moments deciding what she wanted to ask. Giving time after each for Evelynn to answer, she would ask her the following: 1. "You never told us, what animal do you turn into, when you do your animagus thing?" 2. "What's your biggest regret?" and 3. "Where did you go on Wednesday? We missed you at dinner."

Sorry this was so long, I needed to kick Finn's ass. 21 to 7, get wreckt. Per his request, I've godmodded the fight as needed, but feel free to let me know if you want anything changed.

Should we do something to commemorate end of summer? Such a simple sentiment, and one that could have been dismissed as easily as an unlikely tea reading in favour of sleep and packing preparations. Yet, one by one, as though by the tugging of a net let out to sea, her tentmates endorsed the notion, collecting near the fire. Not that Evelynn could take full credit for their mobilization. Dealla had been quick to build on the notion, twisting what likely would have been an unmemorable-bordering-on-boring offer of activities into a irresistibly enticing proposal. As though she had been waiting for just such a moment to spring the tantalizing trap, Dealla had presented a pair of pretty bottles filled with gleaming amber liquid, complete with bows. Evelynn would have been surprised if but a second of consideration hadn't aligned the whole situation as a ploy that was definitely up Dealla's alley. For all her impressive intellect and studious diligence, prolonged exposure to Prince had revealed her to be anything but gallant and reserved. She ought to doff the name entirely and adopt "Scoundrel" instead.

Nevertheless, Evelynn wasn't turned away from the idea. It wasn't as though she hadn't partaken before. Butterbeer during first year had given her a taste of alcohol's inebriating effects, though she was not so ignorant to believe its consequences would be anything near to whatever monstrosity lay within the newly presented bottles. But curiosity tugged her along. Aly and Winnie's exuberance, Evelynn expected. Aly seemed as though she could be equally as devious when it came to having "a good time" as her best mate; and as far as Winnie was concerned, it never really seemed to matter what the activity was--she was just happy to be a part of it. Her temperament really did suit a canine animagus, in hindsight, though her endearing excitement would not spare her the shooting look cast her way at the casual use of "Evie".

Even Finnegan and Rebecca, Evelynn could have anticipated, their ages amidst a group of seniors pushing them to prove themselves equally as capable as the rest. A knowing smirk tugged at her lips as Becca abandoned her crafting to park herself defiantly into the growing circle. But Pericles and Eden surprised her. As though Dealla had uttered the incantation of some ancient ritual, the phantom Ravenclaw had arisen from his self-imposed grave to float over to join the rest without hesitation, the hollowed out black book in hand. And by the sly expression he bore and the verbal jabs he tossed to their younger charges, it seemed he was back to his usual self. Even more of a brow-raiser had been Eden's eagerness. As a paragon of pureblood propriety and prefectdom, surely he should have at least pretended to express disdain for their antics. But no. Without an apparent second thought, he joined, citing the need of answers as his motive.

So remained Evelynn, the sole individual yet to acquiesce the royal decree to drink and be merry. It wouldn't remain that way for long. With a quiet scoff of resignation as much as amusement, Evelynn circled the perimeter and settled herself next to Rebecca, to the opposite side of the one who would surely be to blame come morning (Dealla). After all, Eden did have a point. Inebriation had a way of loosening lips, and this could be a unique opportunity to pose questions--her gaze flickered briefly over Winnie, already fawning over the bottle with the pink ribbon--that might otherwise be too probing during more polite conversation. This could prove to be... enlightening... to say the least. And quite safe, really. After all, there were no rules against the utterance of answers that were technically true.

Confident that she would be able to dance her way around any question thrown her way, Evelynn reclined, leaning against one palm while the other draped languidly over knees extending out beside her. As Dealla started them off, targeting--rightfully so--Finnegan as the first victim, the lioness reached for a bag of salt and vinegar chips, careful in her efforts to open the bag with as little crinkling as possible. "Oh, is that what a potion to make you taller would do?" Evelynn rolled her eyes at Finnegan's obvious reply. "Are you certain the growth potion would not affect only your head, Mr. Connor? Perhaps we should proactively anchor you to the ground lest your inflated ego whisk you away.." Her dry commentary was accompanied by an equally crispy crunch of a chip. Another quiet snort followed almost immediately as Finnegan's second answer followed the same pattern of deflection. Duly noted. Absolute specificity would be required when asking him anything. Though things took a turn for the interesting when his boast of superior strength over the young Rebecca seated next to Evelynn resulted in her launching from her spot. Evelynn made no attempt to stop her, only lifting the chips as one might a bucket of popcorn at a film to hide the shadow of a sly smirk. Finnegan deserved whatever he was about to receive. It would be a good lesson: taunt not lest ye be prepared to back one's boast with substance.

Upon Rebecca's return, Evelynn held the bag out with an amused, "Crisp?", the inflection one that could just have equally been asking: do you feel better now? To the young girl's credit, she deflated as quickly as she'd snapped, prepared to take on the questions Finn volleyed back at her. And quite unexpectedly, she didn't hold back. Her story was afforded the rapt attention that it was owed, plus a healthy dose of amusement. The Gryffindor had grown so accustomed to immersing herself amidst social circles of primarily pureblood or wizardborn individuals that--with the exception of Finnegan who never allowed anyone to forget that he would, for reasons unknown, sooner return to Twitch streaming than retain anything useful from a literal school of magic--she still found it vaguely jarring whenever someone openly talked about their muggle life. Though as soon as Becca got to the "when I opened my mouth to answer" part, Evelynn couldn't hold back the, "Oh no....", anticipating exactly what came next. "That would have been a nightmare for the staff to sort out..."

Of course, crustacean remorse was very swiftly replaced with abject horror at the admission of the eaglet's abysmal grades. And by the sounds of it, these weren't interim grades or individual homework marks, but rather final year marks. "Rebecca!" Evelynn remarked with muted exasperation, sitting up straighter to rotate towards her. The Gryffindor didn't have the luxury of knowing how much effort was put into those grades and whether they'd been the result despite hard work, or a reflection of hiding from it. What she did know was that the tween had so much more potential than what she seemed to allow herself. "You can cast," came the firm objection, "I have seen it." The bag of crisps was promptly angled away from the girl as though to suggest only good girls with good grades deserved tasty tots and adopted an expression that could only be described as disappointment painted over with now-you've-done-it-and-there's-no-escape. "Once school is back in session, you are going to practice with me." The statement didn't allow room for reinterpretation.

Then came the question about kisses, which seemed more like the typical questions one might expect to encounter at this sort of thing, and Evelynn paid it little mind, thoughts already circling to the drafting of a lesson plan for the coming term. But apparently objection meant drawing counter-fire, machinations interrupted by the little brunette now posing questions to Evelynn. She pursed her lips, entirely disapproving of the tactic, but unable to object given that she had agreed to play. "Puma concolor couguar," she replied flatly, confirming--likely for the official first time for some of those present--that she was a registered animagus. For reasons she herself didn't even really understand, she didn't really like talking about her more feral form. There was something distinctly personal about the ritualistic experience and the sort of alternate life it afforded. But it wasn't as though the cat hadn't already been let out of the bag, so to speak. She was registered, and there were those aside from Pericles--such as Grey and Pierre--who had seen her transition, so it was hardly a secret. To pretend it was would just make her look defensive and unnecessarily obstinate. But that didn't mean she had to just give the answer away. A little Latin never hurt anyone.

The next question, however, would elicit a break in Evelynn's typical mask of control, providing fleeting glimpse of a deer-in-headlights expression. It would have been foolish to think there wouldn't be probing questions of her own to deflect, but she hadn't expected one quite so soon, and certainly not from Rebecca. And for that question in particular. She hadn't even needed a moment to think on it. The sound of a thud and the crack of something hard striking stone rang hollow from the depths of memory, followed soon thereafter by the shadow of a limp form. Expression blank, the lioness tore her frozen stare from Rebecca, peering forward to the pair of bottles. With deliberation, she drew her wand, flatly uttered "Accio" while pointing the implement towards them, and deftly caught the one that had chosen to sail towards her. "Me first, then, it seems..." she murmured, her way of saying that she would be drinking rather than answering that question while running the silky pink ribbon between her finger pads. She uncorked it, took a swig, and immediately fought to stop herself from sputtering, her expression one of disdain as the liquid burned its way down her throat. It took a good few seconds before she'd managed to regain control, the bottle earning itself a look of contempt before being returned to the center.

It was as she eased herself back to her previous lounging position that Becca posed the final question. The burn of the drink had subdued somewhat, but not entirely. It lingered, like a fire depleted only to the glowing coals. Warm and almost comforting. "I went out," Evelynn replied unhelpfully, entirely intending to take a page from Finnegan's book and have that be the end of it. Except that once she'd opened her mouth to answer the question, it suddenly became very difficult to make it stop. "Wednesday marked one year since Ivy's death. I knew it would be impossible to go the day without dwelling on it. I did not know how to exist around anybody else, nor did I want to be a negative influence. I have not spoken about her or what happened with anyone at Hogwarts, and I suspected some here would pick up that something was wrong--I did not want to be questioned. So I chose to be alone. I spent the day up the largest tree around the stadium that I could find and only returned when I knew I would be able to compartmentalize her again.."

A moment of silence followed her admission, expression once again dumb-founded, as though the candor of her response had surprised even herself. "I..." Gray flicked up across the group to meet silver, perhaps a reflex of one trying to find some measure of stability when her own self-control seemed to have failed her; though there may have been a searching quality to the look. Pericles had learned pieces of this particular torment, though had never been granted the full picture. To have it thrown out so casually in the midst of a group containing those Evelynn had really only just started to get to know seemed a poor return on his investment. "I don't know why I just said that," she admitted, slipping in her surprise with the use of a contraction. "Forget what I just said." Swallowing, she turned to the first thing that could occupy her view, grasping for something--anything--to change the subject and deflect attention away from herself. Not that it would necessarily be effective.

"Winnie," she addressed earnestly. "What do you remember from your first birthday party at Hogwarts?" The question spilled from her lips before she could really take the time to form a delicate inquiry. "How can you still be with Pride after all the times he has treated you so poorly?" It was probably coming off as more of an attack than what she had intended when the idea to question Winnie during the game had first come to mind. "And why are you using Memory Potion as a perfume?" The million dollar question, really.

‿︵‿୨✿୧‿︵‿

Interacting: @Evelynn Decipio | @Finnegan Connor | @Dealla Prince | @Cassius Eden

Outfit: ✿

..@Pericles Dralt | @Aly Salinger | @Rebecca Lark

English | Irish

Winnie's eyes widened with what may be the last moment of childish joy she would experience before the weight of the truths learned tonight caused her world to cave in on itself. "You're the best!" She practically squeed in delight, skipping over to pick up the bottle. She cradled the adorable bottle before popping the top to sniff the liquid inside. It seemed safe so she decided on a little taste test. Was it any wonder how Mathias had managed to poison her for three and a half years?

She offered the Gryffindor boy a bright smile at his thanks; she remembered when she was younger and wasn't included in the older kid's fun. There was no way she was going to exclude her tentmates now that she was older! "WAIT! Your birthday?! You didn't TELL me, when is it? I need to get you a present!"

She was absolutely delighted when Finn arrived at her side carrying crisps with her name on it. Her mother wasn't huge on letting her eat sweets that weren't hand made (something about Winnie having enough energy already to power a train), and she had no idea what the heck cheese and onion taste like but she was about to find out. She plopped down onto a fluffy pillow between him and Aly.

"Thanks, Finn! Do you want to borrow them sometime?" He didn't seem like the type to dress up in cutesy pajamas, but Winnie wasn't the type of person to judge.

"I'd love a potion to get taller! I would be able to reach more!" Winnie suddenly answered, despite the fact that the question was aimed towards Finn. She slapped a hand over her mouth, brows furrowing as she mentally scolded herself for trying to take her friend's question. She tried to bottle her brains answers for the other questions Dee shot off.

When the boy claimed he had let his friend win fights, she let out a soft, "oooooh snaaaap," in between munching on chips that, if Finn hadn't already offered her a bag, had been snatched up and opened.

She barely flinched when Rebecca flew across the room to tackle Finn, just continuing to much of the crisps as she watched. There was nothing like some lighthearted rough housing after all. She used to watch her pseudo brother Jack tussle with the boys in their town now and then. Plus, in all honesty, Finn had kind of asked for it by claiming he let her win. She thought the two were meant to be best buds and yet even she knew that the younger Ravenclaw was scary strong for her age.

It was unfortunate for her that Finn would decide to take a sneaky route and try and lick her, "Foul, that's a foul!" Winnie claimed, playfully tossing chips in the Gryffindor's direction.

Her own personal wrestling show ended, she fixed her attention back on Bex to listen to her story. She sucked air through her teeth as she recounted the time she threw up on horseshoe crabs. A frown pulled at her lips as she revealed a few of her poor grades, "It's okay, Bex; I kept forgetting lessons so I started taking a lot of notes... I still have all my notes from the last few years if you want them!"

Bex offered Eve some pretty good questions, but the most exciting of them was what exactly Evelynn's animagus was. The answer did not disappoint. She just happened to know exactly what animal the redhead was talking about for one reason alone. "Puma concolor couguar... That's so amazing, Evie! My family crest has one on it; they're so elegant." She blurted out before she could stop herself. Her brows furrowed, confused at her sudden need to reveal facts that no one had asked her for.

Her excitement faded once the older student had answered her last question. Ivy... She remembered seeing the girl around the hallways and Great Hall, but had never personally interacted with her. Her death must have been a heavy blow for poor Evelynn, "I'm so sorry..." She wanted to run across the room and hug her friend, but she wasn't sure how receptive she'd be to a hug.

It seemed she was the next 'target' anyways.

"What do you remember from your first birthday party at Hogwarts?"

"My first birthday at Hogwarts I spent alone in my dorm room because I had no friends and I was hiding from the kids that bullied me," She blurted out suddenly, her eyes widening when she realized she had spoken again without thinking.

"S-Sorry, I don't know why I said... Um... My first party was my 13th birthday... I remember you were there," she paused to offer Eve a smile, "I invited you because I really admired you and wanted you to be my friend... You gave me a beautiful strawberry purse that I still use all the time. I remember being really happy because I finally had friends. Then some first year ruined it by throwing cupcakes... And Mattie pepper sprayed someone that was creeping me out... And I started crying because I was overwhelmed. Then Mattie held me and told me to be strong."

"How can you still be with Pride after all the times he has treated you so poorly?"

The question came before Winnie even had time to digest her first question, and hurt flashed over her features. She really didn't want to answer this one, but her tongue wouldn't stop, "Mathias has only ever been hurtful to me once, Eve. He showed me kindness and taught me how to be happy again after my father abandoned my mother and I. When he’s harsh it's because I deserve it, because I did something wrong, or he’s trying to protect me."

Her voice cracked, but she kept going, unable to stop. "There's two things that remain constant in my life; the first is Matt, the second is that everyone but Matt eventually grows tired of me and leaves. I can feel it when I'm with a group of people; the strain they endure to put up with the nonsense that seems to follow me around like a death mark."

Her hands trembled as they played with the sleeve of her robe, twisting it as if to anchor herself. She blinked rapidly, uncertain why the world around her was suddenly blurry or why it felt like there were raindrops hitting her leg, "So I hide it all. I build walls of smiles, wear a mask of cheerfulness, and pretend the cracks aren’t there. Mathias is the one person I can unmask around... Because no one else has ever stayed long enough to see beneath it."

Her features suddenly changed from being downcast to her usual peppy smile, "Anyways!" She clapped her hands together, "What's next?"

"And why are you using Memory Potion as a perfume?"

"Huh? I’m not wearing a potion as a perfume" Was Eve feeling alright? What sort of question was that? Maybe she felt bad after wrongfully claiming Matt treats her poorly so she gave her a throw away question.

"Um... Aly." She said, quickly trying to turn everyone's attention to her. Tension seemed high, so she wanted to steer towards more lighthearted questions. "My first question for you is... If you had to pick an animagus for everyone in this room, what would you pick for each of us?"

Maybe she would sprinkle some typical truth or drink questions in as well. "Secondly, Who do you have a crush on?" She supposed the others might roll their eyes at her clique question, but she continued, "Thirdly, if you had to date someone in this tent, who would it be?"

Post Tracker: 1 2
Can I ask you a question...?
✰

The game had begun before Aly could so much as understand the instructions @Dealla Prince gave out, but luckily, the heat stayed off of her for the first few minutes. Everyone in the tent had opted to join in, even the youths and the slightly stuffy @Cassius Eden, which brought a smile to her face; it seemed that she and her best mate shared a knack for dragging people into group activities. There was a reason she and Dee got along so swimmingly, after all.

@Finnegan Connor was the first victim, which set Aly's head spinning (before she even had a sip!) as to what questions she would care to ask each person. The soon-to-be-third-year Gryffindor was certainly a mysterious soul - Aly hadn't interacted much with him, and so she knew so little about @Rebecca Lark's sidekick. And kick sides he did - after Finn answered Dee's questions and moved to interrogate Bex, the two younger years exploded into a flurry of blows and kicks and swinging limbs that was over before Aly could even move to stop them. Honestly, the questions were more interesting than the fight - Finn growing as scarlet as his House crest over insinuations that his height and strength weren't up to par, and Bex admitting to academic troubles and having kissed a boy. Aly's mouth dropped open at the last one, and she leaned over to whisper only slightly scandalously to @Winnie Harper (who had taken a seat beside her before the game had started): "After all that fuss about not dating boys at girls' night, you're telling me that Bex is the one who had her first kiss the youngest out of all of us? I'm not the only one hearing this, right?" She cast the younger redhead a knowing look. Maybe their littlest member's protests about hating the opposite sex were not because of genuine avoidance, but rather, to hide something. Or maybe she really had just hated that first kiss. Aly wouldn't have blamed her. (And she would definitely have to ask her about that 'marine biologist' thing later. Aly didn't know what a biologist was, but if it had to do with the ocean, it sounded quite neat.)

But then - a twist. Much like as the plot tended to do in Aly's most favoured fictional stories, it thickened as Bex queried into two things that Aly herself would have asked if Bex hadn't gotten to them first: @Evelynn Decipio's Animagus form and where she had disappeared to earlier in the week. All the better, honestly - Aly could feel her face pinkening just as she looked in Evelynn's direction, though she tried so hard to dampen down memories of soft lips and parting words on a golden dance floor. Asking her questions would have likely brought about the old Aly, full of stuttering and stammering and nerves. Good, then, that Bex had gotten to them first - and that Eve was willing to answer them both, only taking a sip of the pink-ribboned firewhisky to the regret question (about which Aly didn't care much anyway). "Puma... that's a kind of cat, right? Like a really big one?" she murmured without thinking to @Pericles Dralt, who was now on her other side after Finn's move, glancing up at him.

Except... with one glance at moon-white hair and a jawline so sharp it could cut glass only brought back more bittersweet memories she'd wanted so strongly to tamp down. Glimpses of a scarlet uniform striding away from her with nary a one-eyed glance back, leaving her alone in matching red under the mistletoe with no one to kiss, still stung within her chest. Had Peri left the dance floor because he hadn't wanted to end up with her? To kiss her? It wasn't as if she had necessarily wanted to kiss one of her best mates - hell, she'd probably have left a matching vermilion lip-mark on his other cheek if he had stayed - but that he hadn't trusted her to do that, that he had abandoned her at the event she'd worked so hard to plan, hurt. They'd barely spoken in the days since the Mistletoe Spin, too. Thus, her next words, also mumbled in the boy's direction, were more bitter than sweet: "I take it you've seen that." In regards to Eve's Animagus form, of course, but also to the sacred bond that Pericles and the Gryffindor seemed to share. In some ways, it seemed that Aly was an outsider in their celestial trio, and no amount of Windermere stays or accidentally matching outfits or birthday-party invitations would ever break her through that mutual wall they had built around themselves. The sun and the moon, safe together away from the stars.

Then words were spilling from Evelynn's mouth like wine from an overfilled goblet, and again, Aly's mouth gaped in shock - this time, just for a millisecond before she snapped it closed, fish-like. This was the most she'd ever heard the lioness talk... like, ever. Candor was not necessarily her Gryffindor friend's strong suit, and Aly had heard Eve dodge around questions plenty of times, so why had she decided to answer this one so honestly and fully? Grief does crazy things to people, she eventually decided, lowering her eyes to the flickering flames that separated her from the redhead across the pit. The name Ivy sounded familiar, but it wasn't someone whose face or identity Aly could easily recall, and the Ravenclaw wondered if perhaps she had been a pet or a childhood friend of some sort whose name she'd seen somewhere at the Windermere house. Clearly, she'd passed, and anniversaries were tough. Especially first-year ones. Aly herself remembered the previous November 30^th, a Thursday on which she'd skipped all her classes and tucked herself into bed all day with old photographs of her father, and even Christmas Eve at Hogwarts had been a more somber day than a cheerful one with memories of the previous year's funeral dancing through her head like morbid visions of sugar-plums. Maybe someday she would learn more about this Ivy, but this kind of space - something happy, something silly, surrounded by friends and alcohol at summer camp - was not the time nor the place for it. And so, like the rest of the tent, Aly let it slide.

Ginger-on-ginger violence was next to come with Evelynn zeroing in on Winnie like a perfectly cast spell arcing for its target. At Winnie's first answer, Aly leaned over and gave her a one-armed side hug. "I wish we'd known each other back then," she said, earnestly and honestly; "I'd have hexed them! Or... maybe said some rude words to them, at least." Truth be told, her spellwork was nowhere near, say, her star duellist best friends'. But anyway, Aly let the hug drop at Winnie's almost reverent speech as to why her shitty boyfriend deserved respect and gave a condescending scoff. "Look, I'll say what I said at our girls' night: he sounds like a right prick, and you might say he only hurt you once, but I've seen you-" crying in the locker rooms, though she didn't say that aloud for fear of embarrassing her fifth-year friend- "hurt by him more times than you might think. Obviously I don't know him, but I still don't think you should be trying to patch up cracks and hide behind smiles and all that. We're all here-" she gestured to the circle of friends, none of whom had ever made Winnie cry, at least to Aly's knowledge- "and you've got us to stay with you! I promise, you're stuck with us. For the rest of time." She held out a pinkie finger to swear, a habit she'd picked up from some of the Muggle-borns she'd met during her time at Hogwarts, and offered Winnie a soothing, brilliant grin. After all, the Salinger girl was nothing if not a loyal friend, and Winnie deserved so much more than what she was getting.

Questions were directed at her before she knew it, though, and the energy in the tent was back up to lighthearted. After two rather heavy answerees in a row, Aly knew that it was her responsibility to get everyone back up to happy, laughing, and friendly, and she accepted this fate with a gorgeous grin. "Ooh, that's a good one! I assume you mean everyone who doesn't already have an animal form, because I think I'm a bit biased on those fronts! Let's see..." She began to point clockwise around the circle, singling out only those who were not Animagi (at least, she hoped so - any more secret Animagi in her friend group and Aly would have to start eating Mandrake leaves just for fear of missing out). "For Finn, you're super energetic, so maybe a puppy of some sort? Can't say I know much about dog breeds, though. Something small and excitable, for sure." Her finger found its next target in Cassius. "And you... quiet, a little bit sneaky - in a good way, I swear! Is it weird to say that I think you'd be some kind of snake even though you're in Ravenclaw? I feel like you'd like the ability to move so smoothly and maybe even have some kind of venom. Though I dunno if you'd be allowed to bite your opponents in duels."

Skipping over Eve, her heart also skipping a beat, Aly turned to Bex. "Hmmm... I would have said a bird for you, Bex, but after that little display-" she waved her hand generally in the direction of the spot in which the younger years' spat had gone down- "I dare say something a bit more... aggressive. Also in a good way, I promise." She racked her brain for Muggle animals she knew. "Again, I know it's weird to assign a Ravenclaw another House's mascot, but maybe a badger? I mean, you'd do great in Hufflepuff too, so I think that would work." And now to her last victim - saving the best for last, of course. "As for Dee... oh, Merlin, if I get this wrong I'm going to be so embarrassed." Covering her reddening face with her hands, she let out a nervous laugh and then peeked through her fingers to see Dee's reaction. "I'm going to go with... an otter?" She'd read up on otters borrowing books from the Muggle library in Welwyn Garden City, and... "From what I know about them, they're really quite smart and like to collect rocks and use them almost like tools. I could totally imagine you as an otter scurrying around your potions workbench using a rock to dice, like, a Flobberworm or whatever it is you do!" She grinned at Dee, hoping that the compliment would ease the pain of Aly not really being the world's best Potions whiz.

"As for the second question, Win..." Aly pretended as if she was going to answer for a second, stretching out an elongated hmm, but she couldn't think of a lie fast enough. In truth, a crush was supposed to be someone who quickened your heartbeat, who stole your gaze every time they entered the room, who occupied your thoughts late at night just before you fell asleep - and there was really only one person who fit that description right now. Since that person was staring at her attentively, stormy grey eyes boring into her skull from across the fire, there was no way in hell that Aly would answer that honestly, and what other options were there? Claim a lack of fancy, which Aly's close friends would know to be untrue just due to her love of romance and ease to crush, or lie, which would only start up a spinning web of lies that Aly had no desire to create nor uphold. And that left only one thing to do: the Ravenclaw grabbed the pink bottle with a dramatic flourish and uncapped it to take a hefty swig.

The firewhisky went down no easier than it had her first time trying it back in January, and she spluttered and coughed slightly as she closed the bottle again, making sure to not spit up any of the spicy liquid. "Oh, Merlin, that's still terrible, Dee," she muttered, saying the first honest reaction that popped into her head. But at least now she didn't have to - oh, no, the third question. Answers flashed through her head, mostly varying forms of 'no one' - too young, too serious, etc. - but her lips parted and out came a name.

"Erm, I'd date Eve, probably."

Horrified, she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Or - I mean - any of the girls!" she protested, which was truthful, because dating someone didn't mean you had to fancy them. It just meant you had to go on dates with them, which Aly would have enjoyed with Winnie or Dee just the same - friend dates, of course. "Well, except Bex. Not to say I don't like boys, too. I do! As long as they're age-appropriate. So Cassius and Peri aren't out of the running. Both are good, all are good. Er." The word vomit spilled from her mouth shamelessly, and Aly could hardly believe what she was saying; she buried her face in her hands and mumbled, "Someone else, go, please, before I melt into a puddle."

Alas, she had to elect the next person - between Cassius and Pericles, both of whom she'd just name-dropped as potential dates, as if her life wasn't ruined enough following that disaster of an answer. Why the hell had she said that? Come out to everyone in the tent for zero reason whatsoever? And why, why, why had she told the truthful answer instead of saying literally anyone else??? It made no sense. She wasn't willing to admit she was beginning to fancy Eve, but she'd admit to wanting to date her in front of all their mates? Something was up, but Aly's mind was too scrambled to decode it just yet. Instead, not wanting to interact further with Peri just yet, she pointed shamefully to Cassius.

"You, I guess," she mumbled, still half-hiding in her hands. Not wanting to think much, considering the trouble her brain had already gotten her into tonight, she fired off a basic question, or rather a statement, first: "I think you should share something no one knows about you, first." But then, finally, her mind began to work, and she emerged from behind her fingers with a still-fuchsia freckled face and mischievous eyebrows. Cassius might have been an enigma, but there were some things she knew about him. "Oh, and what did you see back in the forest where we first met that left you so shaken? I'm still curious about that, you know." Finally, she grew confident enough to grin at him. "And last up... a little bird told me you were heard hitting on Opeila Winters at the Mistletoe Spin. What's all that about, mate?"

✰
It's just a question...

Charmer ✰ Paragon of Health ✰ Lovely Creature
Foulplay ✰ Keen Eye
Lovely and Charmer affect everyone. Paragon allies are Pericles and Dealla.

August 10, 2024 | Evening Summer Camp, London Quidditch Stadium, England

𝕿he first round of questions had already begun to expose some guarded facts about the tent’s inhabitants. All of it, particularly the gossip-related revelations, had been unknown to Cassius who did not keep up with who was dating who nor the status of friendships and grudges. That was not for a lack of trying or interest. Who had time to keep track of all that between studying, homework, and duelling practice? Juggling those responsibilities on top of being a prefect kept him busy. Busier than he had ever been before. It was a lot to shoulder but he was managing. Mostly.

The answers avoided mention of him for the most part. Not surprising as the unknown outsider within the group. It was possible, however, as the mysterious contents of the bottle in the middle of their circle emptied there would be more cavalier questions to come. What secrets would come to light then?

When it was @Aly Salinger's turn to answer, Cassius perked up slightly. Of those present, Aly was perhaps the one he was closest to thanks to a rule-breaking adventure in the Forbidden Forest. He was convinced the girl had been stalking him despite her arguments to the contrary. Her later answer to a question from @Winnie Harper about who she would date did little to dissuade him from that thought. Stalking someone was weird but not something Cassius could hold against her in any way. Had Cassius been of the opposite gender he likely would have stalked himself too.

A finger was suddenly pointed in his direction.

"And you... quiet, a little bit sneaky - in a good way, I swear! Is it weird to say that I think you'd be some kind of snake even though you're in Ravenclaw? I feel like you'd like the ability to move so smoothly and maybe even have some kind of venom. Though I dunno if you'd be allowed to bite your opponents in duels."

“A snake, huh? Perhaps I do have a future in the Ministry after all,” he mused with a cheeky grin. Cassius had little desire to become an animagus although he could see the utility of such an ability. There had been mild interest in his earlier years when he would imagine what animal he would be. One year it was a kestrel. Another year a porcupine. However, as he grew older his interest in such a skill diminished. Why be something other than a human – the highest form of life one could hope to be?

By the end of Aly’s questioning she was mumbling her words. At least one of the questions had gotten to her and she seemed eager to move on from the attention.

“You, I guess.”

A well-groomed eyebrow perked up in bemusement at the somewhat crass address from Aly. Up until that point Cassius had been content to be the mostly silent spectator watching the mild chaos unfold. It was how he typically preferred to approach situations – observe without haste, act without hesitation. It was a maxim of Chinese origin, one that his tutor had covered during his studies of the classical era. Without adequate observation and consideration of the facts, any acts were likely to be foolhardy; but, once the facts were evaluated, one should not drag their feet in making a decision. Thankfully, this was not one of those situations which required careful adherence to the maxim. There were no decisions of life changing weight to make nor any reason to believe he was in danger from not observing closely enough. If he was to answer questions, he was ready. Damn the consequences.

"I think you should share something no one knows about you, first."

“So anything then,” Cassius replied, still grinning from his previous comment. “I could just state my favorite color but I will spare you all a mundane fact in the spirit of the evening.” He looked thoughtfully at the starry ceiling, considering what fact about himself to reveal. It was in those stars that the answer came to him. “I want to be an adventurer. A curse-breaker perhaps. Not for Gringotts but for myself. I want to see the world. Discover its secrets. This planet may be mapped, but there is still much to explore.” There was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke. The answer was the truth. A recent truth but still the truth. The OWL exams had forced him to think more deeply about his future. He always longed to explore the world and with the revelation about his family legacy, it seemed a fitting future to pursue.

"Oh, and what did you see back in the forest where we first met that left you so shaken? I'm still curious about that, you know."

The second question was not unexpected. There was much left unsaid about their inaugural encounter in the Forbidden Forest and it was bound to come up eventually. Cassius just did not expect it to be in a group of people, many of whom he did not know well. The otherwise calm prefect fidgeted slightly as he thought about his answer.

“I saw nothing,” he said after a brief silence. “That is not an evasion. I had expected to see something. A sign or an occurrence or something that would let me know if I had a connection to the creatures. I always had an affinity towards thestrals given the core of my first wand and thought it meant something. It did not. My pairing with the wand was a mere circumstance of chance. Not destiny. I will admit I was disappointed by that revelation. I had expected more.” Left unsaid was the implication he had struggled with and been forced to reckon with: he was not special.

"And last up... a little bird told me you were heard hitting on Opeila Winters at the Mistletoe Spin. What's all that about, mate?"

Cassius was relieved by that final question. Matters of teenage romance were of much less discomfort than the questions that preceded it. Though he was not bothered by the question, he was surprised that his words to @Opeila Winters at that dance had not gone unnoticed. It was not worthwhile trying to determine who the snoop that dropped eaves on him. It could have been any one of the dancers or the spectators.

He shrugged. “Who am I to argue with the spirit of the mistletoe? I will admit I find her quite attractive and said as much to her. Nothing improper occurred. If her boyfriend took offense to that then perhaps his insecurities are as thick as his arms.” Truthfully, he did not know if @Aaron Jones even noticed what had happened. Though Cassius was not familiar with the sixth year Hufflepuff, his initial impressions of the student had not been positive. Jealousy did that.

“Unlike the Greek masters who carved the idealized masculine form into marble, I suspect the Welsh dung farmer who carved him used the resources they had on hand,” he added, shifting forward and eyeing the next victim of the game now that his three questions had been answered.

“Pericles,” Cassius said, snapping his gaze in the direction of @Pericles Dralt. “Three questions, right? Let us see…”

The boy looked thoughtful again. One of the questions had been known to Cassius even before the game was announced, but what to ask for the other two?

“First, what is one thing you are afraid to let people know about you?” As he spoke, he raised the thumb on his right hand to keep track of the count. “Second, if you only had a week to live and could only choose one person, who would you spend it with?” A second finger, his pointer, rose. He hoped that question would be quite contentious and stir the pot a bit. “Finally, why did you abandon your house by leaving the duelling team?” The last question, which prompted the third finger to rise, was delivered with a stern gaze from the duelling captain. The team had been hit with a series of upper class resignations and Cassius felt personally let down. Was he not a good enough captain for them? Had he failed them somehow?

@Dealla Prince @Finnegan Connor @Rebecca Lark @Evelynn Decipio @Winnie Harper @Aly Salinger @Pericles Dralt

| @Evelynn Decipio | @Dealla Prince | @Finnegan Connor | @Rebecca Lark |
| @Aly Salinger | @Cassius Eden | @Winnie Harper |

┏		┓
	With glossy eyes and disheveled hair, Pericles still looked half asleep when he joined the circle. He drew a soft snort at Aly's reassurance. Head lulling to aim a sidelong smile her way, the wizard droned "I'm not worried. For you, I'm an open book." It almost sounded like a challenge. As Bex snarled and stomped over to join them, Pericles patted the floor besides himself, inviting her to sit nearby. He was either oblivious or unflinching to the fact that he had something to do with her aggravation. At least Aly seemed to share his desire- whether that was not to let the second-years get tipsy, or just that he wanted to avoid being in trouble, was ambiguous. "... Wait, how old were you guys when you first had fire whiskey?" Winnie had asked, and he returned flatly, "Sixteen." Peri scanned the others, expecting someone else to worry over the ickle third and second year, specifically Team Mom. Eve didn't seem to mind half as much as he hoped she would. Well, maybe it was his turn to be Team Mom. "Remind me where it says that fifth-years are allowed," Finn objected. The Ravenclaw hadn't expected the Gryffindor to trump him with legalities. He squinted while deliberating whether or not he had the energy for a fight, but was spared by Winnie. "What if we all share a tent next summer too? Then Bex and Finn could join in." The concept of "next year" had gloomy connotations. It would be the last Summer for many of them. Pericles hoped the lot of them would make it that far. One thing was certain: life was short, and so was their time together. Circinus would hear no further contest from him. Finn busied himself with getting crisps. Pear thanked him quietly, examining the bag with the tentative expression of someone trying something for the first time. Mimicking the actions of others, he pinched and pulled the bag open, leaned in for a tentative sniff, and quietly gagged on a faceful of concentrated factory air and vinegar. It wasn't just muggle food- it was poor people muggle food. He glanced across the fire with an offended look, which quickly turned to one of study when he realized the little traitor had moved seats. It was probably the least practical use of his Keen Eye, but the boy picked up on something: the soft, rapturous way with which Finn spoke up to the older Ravenclaw, the way he'd gone still as a rock when Winnie whispered to him. Pericles had uncomfortable flashbacks of acting almost identically around a certain witch two years his senior. He resisted a smile by slowly taking a chip from the bag and eating it, any look his way being slyly avoided. He hung on Dee's words as she explained the rules and settled into a seat between he and Becca. "OH! Can I drink from the pink one, Dee? Pretty please?" "Why yes, you can," their enabler agreed with catlike enthusiasm. Aside from the aesthetic touches, the bottle contents looked the same. "Is there a difference?" _______________________________________________________ Finn answered questions without flinching. He made it seem easy, even using the last to vault an insult at Becca, who wasted no time throwing herself towards him like an American badger. He'd brought that one on himself. Despite exchanged blows, Bex kept him pinned and acted out for blood. Slowly biting into a crisp, Pericles watched as they traded hits, unconcerned until she reeled back with all her might. Deciding he had seen enough, he dropped the bag to slide fingers up the cuff of his right sleeve. Yet Becca apparently came to the same conclusion. Rather than fight, she froze, freeing Finn to slobber on her face like a dog. Bex stormed back to her spot and he released the end of his wand. If Bex allowed it, he would lean across their short divide behind Dee to smudge her cheek with the end of his sleeve. She would handle those loaded questions as bluntly as she'd handled the indignity. They learned she wanted to be a marine biologist, threw up on crabs, confessed her poor grades and equally awful casting. The last summoned a solemn frown. Ravenclaws were always stereotyped as "the bookish ones", and being surrounded by overachievers likely didn't help her feel at home. Eve offered (ordered) to practice with her. Seeing her withhold chips, he mutely reached behind Dee again. The bag crunched against Bex's forearm. If she looked his way, he'd give her a wordless but meaningful look: he was happy to offer guidance some other time, snacks in the meantime. Eve shared her animagus form, followed by the irony of Winnie having the same animal on her family crest. When Aly asked if a puma was a big cat, he glanced back with that cat-ate-canary smile, wagging a splayed hand vaguely between two and three feet high as he drawled "About yay heigh." "I take it you've seen that." Peri hesitated, suddenly remembering her initial reaction to the reveal, a memory accompanied with the regret of being the one to spoil it. "I was the 'Animagus League director'," he reminded delicately, trying to put her heart at ease. "It was more a matter of business before we became friends." Speaking of, even as friends, Eve had done a fine job of keeping a great deal to herself. Pericles waited perhaps a little too intently when Eve was asked about her biggest regret. It didn't surprise him to see her take a swig from the pink-ribboned bottle, though his mouth did twitch with a grin at the resentful glare she gave it after. It evaporated when Eve was asked about Wednesday. Wearing the blank expression of someone being avoidant, his eye darted towards the fire, fixing on the flames rather than risk someone catching the fact that he knew- "Wednesday marked one year since Ivy's death." When the Gryffindor looked his way, she would find the eagle staring in anticipation. Her search would be answered with a faint nod. Pericles didn't seem to resent the idea of no longer keeping that secret; if she felt ready to open up to others (clearly, absolutely of her own volition), he was in full support. Eve seemed to regret her openness immediately after, and he didn't yet realize why that might be. Questions turned to Winnie, who despite sharing a House, he knew very little about. Their circles had only recently overlapped. Pericles was still sore over her pretending to have completely forgotten that the League ever existed, supposing she was trying to leave it in an awkward, roundabout way rather than being straightforward. Regardless, she seemed likeable enough. It came as an immense surprise to hear she had been bullied throughout her first year. What was worse, she mentioned Matthias having hurt her once, comforted her during a period of loss, and was "only harsh when she deserved it". Pride was the only one that didn't get tired of her and leave. Something about that sent chills down his spine. She feared loss, and so she built walls and cheerful masks to hide behind. These were shockingly dark confessions from the girl behind the pink wardrobe that had overtaken the tent. Pericles was guilty of having always assumed Winnie was just a little vacant. The artificial one had built her walls well, but the Winnie behind them was deeper than he'd credited her for. "Anyways!" She clapped her hands together, causing Pericles to flinch as if from a trance. For better or worse, Aly's word on boys was gospel (RIP Aaron). She said Mat was a prick so Pericles believed her without hesitation. It was the last question that would unsettle him perhaps most of all, or at the very least, make him regret his resentment over the League ordeal. "And why are you using Memory Potion as a perfume?" Oh, Winnie. Aly had a strong sense for the energy in a room. In fact, she felt things so deeply that even the numb found themselves pulled into feeling after her, and Peri was no exception. His smile made its way back as she speculated over the non-animagi. "For Finn, you're super energetic, so maybe a puppy of some sort?" "A terrier," he chimed in supportively, smiling briefly between Finn and the fifth-year alongside him. She suggested Cassius was a snake, Bex a badger, Dee an otter. Her upbeat openness came to an abrupt end when asked about her crush. As she theatrically lunged for the pink-ribboned bottle, he shook his head while muttering "Aly Salinger, you sly dog," sounding hurt that she hadn't told him. Once asked who in the tent she would date, he assumed Eve was the safest option: the gal she spent the most time with but wasn't her designated bestie like Dee. Only, Aly then rambled she'd date any of the girls, or any of the boys, as if they'd get offended otherwise. Pear smiled sympathetically, trying to assuage "It's only a game, Al. No one here is going to judge you for playing along...." His words trailed as he looked from her, to Eve, to Winnie. "I don't know why I just said that. Forget what I just said." "S-Sorry, I don't know why I said...." Strange. It must be strong stuff. Despite the evidently potent firewhiskey being passed around, Pericles was satisfied with his set and setting, at ease with most everyone present. The only anomaly to that was Cassius. Frankly, the pureblood's mind had been racing since the Ravenclaw duel captain rather ominously announced he had questions that need answers. Was it something to do with them both attending that DWS meeting months ago? Was it a question on their families? Surely he didn't know the controversy behind Dee's, did he...? Time was bought as Cass was subjected to questions next. Pericles nodded at the mention of craving adventure, mind wandering to talk of Cursebreaking; the field had an appeal. Maybe when he retired from aurordom.... He tuned back in in time to catch a bit of scathing dialogue aimed at (again, RIP) Aaron Jones. “...I suspect the Welsh dung farmer who carved him used the resources they had on hand.” It was possibly the most offensive thing Pericles had heard the prefect say, and he immediately approved, though he pretended otherwise with an aghast "Cassius." The fellow bird finally turned those anticipated questions on him. “First, what is one thing you are afraid to let people know about you?” Cheeky. Pericles frowned at the cheap shot; it was a clever shortcut to assuring either a drink or a valuable truth. He hummed a note of resignation as he reached for the blue-ribboned bottle, Accio'd a glass from his (still unpacked) bedside, and poured. A mouthful was swigged down with a scrunched nose. Firewhiskey provided an intoxicating burst of burning energy that wrenched even Pericles from his perpetual drowsiness. “Second, if you only had a week to live and could only choose one person, who would you spend it with?” A bit of a bleak question, but the heir didn't seem to mind, considering it carefully before admitting "My mother. If anyone deserved my last moments, it would be her." “Finally, why did you abandon your house by leaving the duelling team?” Pear was blatantly taken aback by that. "Oh... Cassius, I...." Not only did it sting in his currently sportless state of limbo, he felt poorly for thinking the other pureblood would use the game to get dirt on them. "I've been a duellist since the club opened in my second year. It was time for a change. Racing was more practical than Quidditch- no offense-" he shot a quick glance between Aly, Bex, and Winnie "-since I could combine my skills with spells, potions, and a broom. The team has a permanent place in my heart, but now that I have only two years left at Hogwarts, I'd like to try something different... assuming I don't spend my last years stuck on the waitlist." With that, his attention trailed over to his former partner, who he pointedly frowned at for making it in without him. "And I was following Dee. She was one of the first friends I ever made." That didn't mean she was immune to her own game, and Pear made an effort to test her. "Tell us about the last time you deceived someone." "What is the worst rule you've broken? At school, at home, or a law?" "You're one of the most confident witches I know. Not to say that that's unfounded, but is there something specific you're insecure about? Don't just say 'yes', either."
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