Smitten PV Koko Riddle Finished

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Koko narrowed her eyes at the soft orange flavour Maddie was pointing at, making a serious, almost pensive face before her lips split in a smile and she began to laugh gently. 'Maybe? At least it's delicious,' she said after her laughter died down. She extended her arm, pale fingers wrapping around the scoop so she could scoop herself a bit of a different flavour, this one a leafy green ─ after all, Koko did have quite the sweet tooth.

'I think this one's pistachio.'

She hadn't had a friend like this in quite some time. She was friendly with Ruby, yes, but they didn't hang out quite as often. As introverted as Koko was, as calm as she was on her own, the time she spent with Maddie was beginning to make her re-think her priorities. Socialisation at Hogwarts couldn't be completely terrible if it made her cheeks hurt later from smiling so much, if it took away the success-driven mindset she'd latched onto for the past few years and instead offered her the gentle uplifting nature of friendship.

Socialisation wasn't overtly dangerous anymore, but it did make Koko's thoughts a bit sappy. Oh well. She couldn't have everything.

Koko was half-immersed her thoughts as she savoured the sweetness and depth of the pistachio ice cream when Maddie's question reached her ears. She glanced up and swallowed hurriedly, her amber eyes widening as she dabbed at the corner of her lips with a napkin. She hadn't thought very much about the ball at all ─ Koko hadn't been to a ball in years. They always ended terribly, with fire or spiked punch or fighting, and Koko had learned long ago to stay away from non-sporting social events at Hogwarts.

Maddie's words made her question her previous resolve. She, too, would not deign to make eye contact. She instead glanced at her bowl and tapped her spoon almost absentmindedly against the rim. 'I went to that ball, too,' she said slowly after a moment of hesitation, 'but I haven't been to one in years. They used to be quite, well, chaotic and dangerous.' She gave a small chuckle. Oh, how silly of me, she tried to convey with the laugh. 'I guess I'd be open to trying it this time, though. Hogwarts seems to have gotten a bit safer, and I do like dancing. What about you?'

Calling Hogwarts 'safer' was definitely not a safe thing to say, but as far as Koko knew, she might very well be right. She set down her spoon and smiled at her friend ─ it felt so nice to think that word, friend. She had missed the companionship that came with friendship, and as she sat at the table with Maddie, her hands folded gently in front of her, she found she couldn't even help but smile. Her cheeks would ache later, but ─ and you could call it the magic of friendship ─ Koko's shoulders were lighter, and the room felt warmer now that she wasn't eating dinner alone. She wouldn't give it up for the world.

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@Madeleine Nakamura @Aaron Jones

Stats & Abilities

Reducio

Alluring · Evasive Maneuvers · Scream · Calming Presence · Charm · Keeper's Catch
Stamina: 20 · Evasion: 10 · Strength: 3 · Wisdom: 7 · Arcane Power: 5 · Accuracy: 18

Regular Text - English | Bolded Text - French | Bolded Black Text - Japanese
Roleplaying as iNPC Madeleine Nakamura

"Oh, it's a shame we didn't run into each other back then," Maddie said, surprised to hear that Koko had been at the first Hogwarts ball Maddie had attended. But maybe she shouldn't be so caught off guard by that fact, considering Maddie had been rather preoccupied with her date that evening - Vladimir Athanatos. The thought of him alive and dancing back then - knowing that he was dead now - was an uncomfortable one.

"Yeah, that's true..." the Beauxbatons girl agreed with the memory of chaotic and dangerous balls. She'd been to a couple of those, too. It was probably good that she and Koko had met under more pleasant circumstances. As the question turned back to Maddie, she couldn't help raising her eyes ever so briefly. Brown eyes searched Koko's features for any and every sign as she worked up the courage to speak.

"Well, I'd like to go this time around," she admitted, doing her best to keep her eyes on Koko rather than looking down like she so wanted to do. "But Cass isn't a big fan of the balls, and I don't want to go alone." Merde Shit, that wasn't a good way to start. Koko would know of Madeleine's best friend Cassanora of course, but Maddie didn't want to make this invitation sound like it was only because Cass didn't want to go. The worry caused by that thought made her quickly stumble through her next words, scared she wouldn't go through with it if she didn't do it straight away, "That aside, I just - I'd like to go with you, if, you know- if you want to."

Madeleine tucked a strand of hair behind her ear at this point, but kept watching the blonde across from her. She didn't realize she was holding her breath after she got the words out. The French girl was just too focused on what Koko's reaction would be. Would she say no? Let her down easy? Would she say yes? Gosh, what would happen if she did say yes? Ah, the anticipation was killing her. It had probably been less than a second since she asked, but her mind was flooding with thoughts.

@Koko Riddle

Date: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Time: Dinner
Location: Great Hall

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Koko nodded at Madeleine’s sentiment before shrugging slightly. She didn’t like thinking to back then, when everything had been so terrifying to her. She probably wouldn’t have made good company anyway, not then.

Now was a different story.

She had glanced away from Madeleine while stuck in her thoughts, but now she eyed her friend again only to meet her gaze. She couldn’t read any of the emotion in Maddie’s dark eyes — she had never really been good at that kind of thing, never been the most perceptive — but she offered a small, reassuring smile, one that remained on her lips when Madeleine said she would like to go to the ball this time around.

Her brows drew together slightly when she heard Maddie note that Cassanora wouldn’t want to go to the ball. She understood why, of course, but she also didn’t want Maddie to go alone. Although she reckoned things were safer now, there was always the chance that things would be like before… it wasn’t safe to go alone. Even if things were better.

Koko’s ever-present smile faded slightly as Madeleine stumbled through her words, the blonde-haired girl’s expression shifting to one of slight concern, before she slowly began to understand where the French girl’s apparent worry was coming from.

Koko laughed softly, a bit worriedly, perhaps a bit awkwardly. 'Of course I’ll go with you!' She couldn’t have Maddie go by herself, that would simply be rude — especially since the other girl had asked. 'I think it would be much better to go together than alone!'

Much safer. And, perhaps, much more fun.

Koko’s smile returned, her gaze still softly resting on Maddie. She wouldn’t realise the true underlying cause of Madeleine’s worry. She just knew that sometimes, she felt better when she had someone to accompany her while going somewhere or doing something. And really, a Hogwarts ball was not the sort of place she would want to go alone. She, too, would have been worried if she had asked someone to accompany her and they might have declined.

But Koko was Maddie’s friend. She kept her gaze on Maddie, trying to convey the sense that she would never, ever let her friend go somewhere dangerous without someone by her side if she could help it, even if that person to accompany her was Koko herself.

Friendship really was the bane of worry. Perhaps it could be the bane of danger, too.

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@Madeleine Nakamura @Aaron Jones

Regular Text - English | Bolded Text - French | Bolded Black Text - Japanese
Roleplaying as iNPC Madeleine Nakamura

Madeleine was flooded with relief when she heard Koko's answer. She didn't even notice the ridiculous grin taking over her own lips; she couldn't help it - Koko said yes! This confirmed that the blonde felt something for Maddie, too, right? She wouldn't have agreed to go together if she wasn't a little interested. Koko would've just let her down easy if she wasn't. That's why Maddie even had the courage to ask in the first place; there was Cass's encouragement, but also the knowledge that the worst Koko could have done was say a kindly-worded no.

But no, this was the ideal outcome - a yes! An "of course," even, as if it had been silly to think she'd ever say no. It gave Maddie butterflies thinking about how confidently Koko had accepted the invitation - was it really that obvious that they could make a good couple? Had she been worrying over nothing? The smile on Koko's lips and the look in her beautiful green eyes seemed to convey as much. (Or at least, that's what Maddie was reading into them.)

With the hard part over, Maddie's thoughts were overtaken by images of the two of them spinning across the dancefloor and having the time of their lives. Laughter and fun. Saturday suddenly couldn't come fast enough. Gosh, she couldn't wait to tell Cass the good news.

"Maybe we could coordinate outfits?" Maddie thought out loud. "I mean, if you want," she added sheepishly, surprised by her own sudden enthusiasm. But this was the easy part compared to the actual asking. "A masquerade theme in the Spring makes me think fairies and butterflies and- ah, I think it'll be so fun together," she had to stop herself from getting too excited, but this would be her first date with someone she really liked. She wanted it all to go perfectly.

Her gaze refocused on Koko sitting there across from her, and suddenly Madeleine became hyper aware of the fact that her hand was on the table just a few centimeters from Koko's. She wanted to move her hand across that small gap, place her hand over the other girl's, but... she would wait for the ball instead. She had the rest of the week to work up her nerve for this. She wanted to come off as calm, cool and collected.

"Cheers to the ball?" she suggested, lifting her ice cream spoon and offering it to Koko as if to say they should clink their spoons together. They had done it before - cheersing with cutlery - a silly gesture that had started to become their thing.

@Koko Riddle

Date: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Time: Dinner
Location: Great Hall

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The strange giddiness that had taken over Koko made her want to joyously drum her fingers on the table, but instead she settled for clapping her hands together – quietly, of course – and grinning. 'Merlin, I hadn't even thought about outfits! That would be so much fun!'

She hadn't been to a ball in, what, years now? And to actually have a friend to go with was so much better. She hadn't been so simply elated in so long; in fact, her days were usually more 'meh' than anything. But this? This was a more-than-welcome surprise!

'I'm so excited!' Koko exclaimed, her exuberance taking herself aback as she leaned forward, her hands on the table. Quickly, she sat back, the tips of her ears dusted pink as she realised how silly she would have looked to onlookers. More quietly, she added, 'Everything will be so elegant and pretty, I'd imagine things would be glowing, and you're so right about the butterflies and fairies, I think there will be at least someone dressed that way? But it could be us!'

Still excited, Koko picked up her spoon and gracefully tapped it against Maddie's. A goofy smile crossed her face as their spoons clinked together. 'Cheers to the ball!'

No matter how put-together she might have seemed externally, internally, she was practically shaking with... excitement? exhilaration? joy? She wasn't quite sure. All she knew was that this year, nothing would go wrong, and the ball would be amazing.

Even now, she imagined both of them facing whatever dangers might be present at the ball, stronger together. Or... dancing – Maddie was a dancer, so surely she could teach Koko a few things? Koko's grin widened slightly, and she had to close her eyes for a moment to think about all the fun they would have.

The food, too, she was sure that would be amazing – it always was at school events, even if, sometimes, it was a bit... odd.

And, speaking of food... She had forgotten to feed Jax.

Koko opened her eyes with a start and blinked before sighing. 'Ugh, I'm so sorry, I have to go! I forgot to feed my cat before dinner, and it's better I do it sooner than later.'

As she got up to leave, she offered Maddie another smile. 'I can't wait to see you there! Let me know if there's any specific way you'd like to coordinate outfits!'

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@Madeleine Nakamura @Aaron Jones

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