Closed Stargazer Circinus PV

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It was tough to surprise Aly nowadays, given all that she'd been through over the last two years. Now, upon receiving strange news, she often just sighed, rolled her eyes, or shrugged her shoulders and moved on with her life. Perhaps there was some cursing involved sometimes, but very few things could drop her mouth open in shock. However, the eye-achingly brilliant pink hurricane (@Winnie Harper) who stormed into their tent, claimed the bunk to the left of their own, and promptly tossed potion-perfumes and flamingo finery all over the area before turning into a dog in front of Aly's very eyes? Well, that was certainly something, and Aly's mouth formed a perfect, pink O in response as she sputtered in disbelief. "What?! Winnie, wh- wha- when did this happen? Merlin, you're a dog!"

Ignoring the potion entirely at first, Aly dropped to her knees and immediately gave dog!Winnie a giant bear hug - or dog hug, she supposed - because the poor darling was just giving her those eyes, and maybe it was improper to treat a friendly Animagus like the real animal, but if she hadn't wanted a hug, she shouldn't have transformed into something so damn cute. (That was definitely politically incorrect. Whoops.) But Winnie had pawed at her leg, and complained of the cold, so - well, Aly's runaway train of thought was rudely shoved from its tracks by the casting of a well-placed Hot-Air Charm, which slammed into her just as much as it did the coppery pup beside her. Sputtering from the sudden burst of warm dryness, Aly rolled backwards and took to her feet again, noticing the white fan that had fallen onto her bunk during Winnie's blush blowup. She picked it up and placed it gently back in Winnie's trunk, but not before admiring it and noting aloud, "You really did pack for summer, didn't you... when are you going to use this?"

The arrival of best mate and all-around royalty @Dealla Prince, who identified the bottle Winnie had thrown as a potion, was enough to distract Aly from the sudden reveal that there were two Animagi in their tent. (Seriously, weren't those supposed to be quite rare?) "Not a pet, Dee - the potion's Winnie's," the Ravenclaw announced across the tent, pointing to the coppery pup in front of her. "Who, uh, apparently can turn into a dog now, as if we didn't have enough surprises already this year!" She grinned down at Winnie, trying to make clear that it was a joke, and hoping that a sense of humour translated even when the other girl was in a dog form. Really, Aly had no clue what did and didn't cross over for an Animagi when they were their animal. Looking back up at Dee, she waved her best mate over and pointed to the empty sleeping bag still to Aly's right. "Oh, and I saved you a spot over here! Just make sure to keep that rat of yours away from Dauncey here - he's lost one pound over the last few weeks and now thinks he's Godric Gryffindor." Almost as if to prove Aly's point, the fat silver cat who had curled up on Aly's cerulean pillow swiped lazily and slowly at the air, noticeably not making eye contact with the dog, as if it wouldn't notice him if he didn't notice it.

On the more normal side of things, @Evelynn Decipio had elected to take Aly's suggestion and pick the scarlet bag across the tent from her, though now that Aly was looking more closely, it was more like she'd be across from Dee. No matter - the lioness would be close, and that's what mattered. She shot the Hot-Air caster a grin and a wry "Thanks for that," even as she plucked at the warmed surface of her jacket to get some cool air between the fabric and her skin. "Now I'm definitely not cold." She quirked an eyebrow, too, as conversation turned to some League of Animagi, and she glanced helplessly between Eve and the two Animagi in the tent. "Wow, you lot really have some... interesting interests, don't you?" A year ago she'd never even known people her age were looking to transform into animals, and now here she was, rooming with an eagle and a dog and maybe some more people who were interested in creature conversions. Like Peri, time flies.

The next to join their little group was the tall, dark, and solemn @Cassius Eden, and Aly regarded him with a raised brow as he spoke with perhaps the most excitement she'd ever heard from him. In truth, the Ravenclaw girl wasn't quite sure what to think about her fellow sixth-year Housemate yet, though he seemed to be... perhaps a bit more mellow since when they had first come into contact in the Forbidden Forest eight months before. He was such a serious fellow, really, with some views that could perhaps be seen as a bit contrary, such as using first-years to carry his luggage. Aly cast a wry glance at @Pericles Dralt as the ickle children, probably not even broken into their Houses yet, filed from the tent entrance and back out into the cold. "Perhaps we should have paid you," she remarked dryly to her white-haired friend, throwing a wave in Cassius's direction. Perhaps with his summery enthusiasm, he'd become a good friend yet.

Ah, speaking of good friends... there she was, Aly in miniature, four years younger and sporting a mane that was no less curly but was, oh my Merlin, MUCH MUCH MUCH shorter. Letting out a squeal of excitement and shock next to which even the Animagus realisations paled, Aly was next to @Rebecca Lark in an instant, wrapping her up in the tightest of hugs. Sure, Bex had been with them as they'd rumbled through the tentgrounds, offering fun commentary along the way, but Aly hadn't quite taken a good look at her yet, else she'd have noticed much earlier that the second-year had undertaken The Big Chop in the two weeks since she'd seen her. "Eeeee! Wait, when did you chop all this off? Why didn't you tell me? Wait, why didn't you tell me?" Letting go of Bex, Aly held her at arm's length and ran one hand through the chin-length curls her mini-me now boasted, giving her a look that was halfway between disappointed and annoyed, with a splash of a betrayed pout. "I thought we were going to try to do matching hairstyles for the fall Quidditch game to trick the other team into seeing double. Oh, and that's Winnie, by the way," with a casual tilt of her head towards the dog.

Letting Bex out of her ironclad grip, Aly took a step back and surveyed the room just as the final member of their group, @Finnegan Connor, entered, clearly having been deeply oblivious to the camp theme due to his dark sunglasses and open-toed shoes. Luckily, he seemed to have taken the surprise cold a bit better than Winnie; Aly waved quietly to him as he dried himself off. The younger Gryffindor Chaser was Bex's friend, really - Aly didn't know him much other than from the Match That Never Ended back in May. But if Bex vouched for him, he must be okay. Hopefully, he wasn't the vengeful sort, ready to enact his retribution for a Gryffindor loss on Aly in the middle of the night whilst she slept peacefully on the ground.

Finally, Peri caught her eye - no pun intended - a final time with a humorous assurance that he would, in fact, look forward to the weekend sky. Having been the one to suggest the colourful end-of-week view, Aly couldn't help but hope that he spoke true. Then again, Peri Dralt was not much of a liar, as she'd grown to know - solemn, yes, with a dry wit and calm demeanor, but untruthful, no. Across the tent, she was about to crack a joke of her own, but then excited words dripped from Peri's lips like precious jewels as he quite obviously looked to a certain scarlet-haired Gryffindor: "There's three of us."

Now, that could have been saying three Animagus hopefuls, since Evelynn had made quite clear on her own just moments before that she was part of this Hopeful Animagi League or whatever it was called. But considering that two of the three had quite literally admitted to already having the transformation down pat, whether verbally or through turning into a dog in front of everyone, and considering Peri's adherence to verity, it wasn't too much of a stretch for Aly's monkey brain to start slowly drawing connections. "Three of us?" she repeated, cautiously, each syllable drawn out to its fullest extent, as she steadily turned on her heel to face Eve across the fire. Sure, the Gryffindor girl was a locked box that not even Alohomora could have cracked, but had the days at Peri's side in the hospital, working in the Headliner offices together, celebrating birthdays, and most importantly the time at Windermere meant nothing to her? Raising a shaking hand to point directly at Eve's heart, Aly babbled once again in the shock that could only come from a dear friend of hers revealing that they were twice the wix she'd ever be: "I swear to Rowena, Evelynn Decipio, if you tell me right now you can turn into something, too, I'm going to be very cross with you!"

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Charmer ✰ Paragon of Health ✰ Lovely Creature
Foulplay ✰ Keen Eye

Eyes already having lifted in search of that of Pericles, Evelynn caught his gaze just as he enthusiastically remarked, "There's three of us." To this moment, few knew that the Gryffindor had completed her ritual. She had taken advantage of a thunderstorm that had arrived on school grounds during the Spring holidays. Most students had been departed home during that time, so there were fewer eyes to catch her frequent forays into the Forbidden Forest during twilight hours thereafter. Granted, it wasn't as though she went out of her way to keep her alter-ego caged.

In a snap situation of anger only days after the initial transformation, she had taken on her padded form to chase a pair of disagreeable snakes back into their den, encountering Gray in the process. She had withheld from tearing out his neck for interrupting her efforts to instill a healthy dose of fear and respect into his juniors, and had even resumed her natural identity willfully. But with the exception of those Slytherin and Pericles, she wasn't aware of anyone else who knew. It just wasn't something she felt needed to be brought up. In part, this was because while she had accepted the species she had taken on, she still wasn't quite sure what it meant. Until she did, it wasn't something she could actively speak on. Moreover, just like her reticence for years to join the duelling team for the reason of putting on display her casting ability and spell mastery for anyone to study and therefore be able to account for, she wasn't the type to give up an ace in her sleeve if the moment didn't call for it.

Thus, when the one-eyed Eagle subtly outed her as an animagus, she could only mentally withdraw the card and cast it to the table. "Is she?" Evelynn's brows raised amiably, gaze returning to gaze upon the copper-furred retriever. No outward expression or comment would meet the comment, the lioness instead focusing upon further talk of the League. With luck, the insinuation would go unnoticed. Though, even if that appeared to be the case, however, she would have to assume that all those currently occupying the tent would be aware from this point forward.

She had just parted her lips with intention to inquire further with the canine regarding her obvious absence from recent League events when she became aware of the last two members of their tent. A stiff sort of tension appeared upon her countenance upon Mister Connor's first appearance, his discomfort and mottled colouration inciting concern. Eyes flicked briefly in Miss Lark's direction, internal accusation firing at her in full force for the apparent lapse in having given the boy forewarning, before redirecting at herself. She could easily have done the same—it just hadn't occurred to her to need to do so. Still, when it appeared to be that he was taking the chill in stride and seemed no worse for wear than having been nipped a bit too fiercely by Jack Frost, she relaxed.

"Mister Connor, it is good to see you well," she greeted him, even managing a shadow of a smile. One that persisted even through his mentioning of video games and social media. She was not going to inform him that her own mother had swiftly looked him up—when Evelynn had off-handedly mentioned one time over breakfast of her annoyance at his insistence to follow him—and obnoxiously liked, subscribed, and commented in horrible humour, Bro's a wizard at this game! No, instead, she just gestured invitingly to the bedding next to hers and offered, "This one is still free."

As for the other, her attention eventually and finally shifted over to Eden. The other residents in the tent, she could understand. They each had some connection or another to each other, links strung together on a growing social chain. He, however, almost seemed to exude the impression that he had elected to just jaunt into whatever tent suited his fancy. He looked very out of place, and she looked initially to Prince and Winnie—the two whose social spheres with which she was less familiar—to see if perhaps he was attached to one of them, but that didn't seem to be the case.

Still, it wasn't as though she held any strong reservations about the boy. He was captain of the Ravenclaw duelling team, and a familiar face in class. They'd had one more familiar interaction with each other in the library once an eternity ago that hadn't left any negative impression of any significance. His path was one that was largely an unknown, but by the way he spoke with the boys who had carried in his trunk, and the amiable way he addressed the group, he seemed—for now—harmless enough. Perhaps even tolerable. And besides, the unknown often came with fascinating revelations. "A rare chance to better acquaint ourselves with the one Cassius Eden," Evelynn greeted him with a politely honeyed smile in response to his query, "how can we not be ready for such an opportunity?"

Of course, those greetings and the gesture to Finnegan to take the bed between Miss Lark and herself and the saccharine welcome to their acquisition of the stray Duelling captain Eagle had all passed by relatively quickly as far as the passage of time was concerned. But long enough, apparently, for Salinger to piece together the unintentional mystery that had spilled from Pericles' tongue.

"I swear to Rowena, Evelynn Decipio, if you tell me right now you can turn into something, too, I'm going to be very cross with you!"

Unfortunate. With a finger pointed heatedly in her direction and the invocation of her full name, it took a moment for Evelynn to gauge just exactly how cross the Starry Seeker was likely to be. Insight check: [d20]: 5 + 15 = 20 Hope would have leaned towards theatrics for the sake of drama, but the shake of her hand and apparent shock on her features seemed to suggest otherwise. Still, the Gryffindor was fairly certain there wasn't about to be hexes flying or blood spilled. Evelynn shrugged a brow nonchalantly and turned to arranging the space immediately surrounding her claimed territory to her liking. "Then I suppose you are going to be very cross with me." There was no reason to deny it, but neither did she have any intention to provide details unsolicited.

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Interacting: @Pericles Dralt | @Aly Salinger | @Dealla Prince | @Evelynn Decipio | @Rebecca Lark

Outfit: ✿

Mentioning: @Finnegan Connor | @Cassius Eden

English | Irish

In her current form, Winnie could only wag her tail excitedly when her Quidditch team mate reached down to hug her. She definitely didn’t find it weird. She had always liked showing friends affection and if she got more of it because of her dog form, she wouldn’t complain.

Then — More excitement! Her tail could have flown off of her at this point. She had no idea Dee would be sharing a tent with them, but it only made sense given the amount of Ravenclaws currently in attendance. It appeared that Evelynn was destined to be their token Gryffindor. The dog’s head tilted in confusion when Dee questioned who the potion belonged to, because to Winnie, that was not a potion, but a perfume bottle that she assumed Mathias had given her. She didn’t have the best memory, so she couldn’t be too certain, but it seemed like something he would give her.

Upon being asked where she was, Winnie barked at the brunette once more as if to say, ‘It’s me! Hi!’. Her entire animagus experience had been amazing, but she sure wished someone had told her about how difficult it was to communicate. She could only gaze up at Evelynn in confusion when she asked why she hadn’t joined their league of something or other, because she had no idea what she was talking about. It confused her further when Pericles claimed she had signed up and not attended any of the meetings. What meetings?! She hadn’t known about this. She would definitely sign up again and help younger years out.

Then, beautiful Evelynn, a bringer of warm air, waved her wand and worked her magic. Winnie felt wonderful, like a dog getting blow dried after being groomed. She didn’t even mind when her dog jowls got caught in the wind a bit.

A handsome older Ravenclaw boy entered their tent, Winnie could have sworn she had seen him around the common room before. Then, to her surprise, Finn entered. She supposed he likely knew Evelynn considering they were on a team together.

She was definitely feeling more like herself at this point, and with more tent mates arriving, she supposed it would be rude if she didn’t properly introduce herself... Right after some more head scritches.

It was with a giggle Winnie transformed back into her normal self, Bex’s hand still on top of her head. "Hi Bex!" She would greet the girl, knowing her name from the two sharing a Quidditch team. "That's not a Rapunzel cosplay but I do have one in my trunk if you want to borrow it!"

Speaking of pets, Pumpkin had picked the perfect time to trot into the tent, his plump belly swinging with every step he took. A pink collar had been secured around his neck, a tiny strawberry shaped pendent with Winnie's information on it swung through the air as the cat leapt towards it's owner, mewling for attention. "PU! Are you cold? Serves you right for running off as soon as we got into the stadium."

"OH! Also! That's mine!" Winnie piped up, her head nodding towards the potion Dee had found. Now that she was able to talk, she could properly answer everyone. “It’s not a potion, though! It’s a perfume that Mattie gave me. Erm, I think. I’ve been using it for the last few months. I mean, it kind of smells, but I found it at the bottom of my trunk and figured it must be from him.”

"ALSO! I didn't know there was a club! AND WAIT— YOU'RE BOTH ANIMAGUS TOO?" Winnie's eyes were wide with excitement as her gaze flickered between Pericles and Evelynn. They were so cool that it made perfect sense to Winnie that they would both be animagus. They probably had better reasons for becoming one, though. She had just always wanted to be able to talk to animals.

𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙴 𝙿𝚄𝙿: STA: 10 | EVA: 5 | STR: 10 | WIS: 0 | ACC: 10 SKILLS: Claws, Bite ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ

July 15, 2024 | Morning Summer Camp, London Quidditch Stadium, England

Interactions: @Finnegan Connor @Evelynn Decipio Mentions: @Winnie Harper

As Cassius laid back on his sleeping bag, two thoughts very quickly became apparent. The first was that he was the odd one out in this particular group. While he knew most of the tent occupants by face and name, save for the young Finnegan, he was still an acquaintance amongst a group who appeared to be very close. It helped that many were from his own house and graduating class but that only made it all the more sore that after five years at Hogwarts, he really only had one friend. Even that friendship was not as deep as it could – or should – be. This was of course nobody’s fault but his own, a bitter fact that constantly intruded into his thoughts like an unwelcome house guest. Now that he considered it, perhaps that was not too far from what these people thought of him. An unwelcome guest. Who had invited him anyways? All he had received was a written invitation. No signature. Just a piece of parchment with a drafting tool drawn upon it. It was alluringly mysterious, as if the author knew he would be enticed by the mysterious nature of the invitation. That suggested an intimate knowledge of his psyche that nobody in this tent was privy to, at least that he was aware of.

The second thought, and perhaps the more interesting of the two, was that these people were strange. Within a minute of entering the tent he had been assaulted by a flying article of pink clothing, witnessed a girl turn into a dog, eyed what he assumed to be a poison vial intended for some wayward lover fall out of one bag, and stumbled upon what felt like the foundational meeting of an animagus cult. How exciting! Even if he did not become part of the ‘unit’, so to speak, there would undoubtedly be plenty of entertainment to make camping in this particular tent entirely worth it.

The irrational voice in his head returned suddenly.

I do not belong here. I am an intruder. (Thought revealed to Evelynn due to Wampus Core)

Cassius shook the thought from his mind. Starting with a negative viewpoint begets negative results. He would be positive. Sociable. Far too many years were wasted focusing solely on his studies and duelling. It was time to shove aside the final pieces of his shell.

The unfamiliar Gryffindor approached and offered a greeting which Cassius returned with a warm smile. This would be Mister Connor, as deduced from Evelynn’s mention of the boy’s name. It was a habit to address students formally that particularly arose with new acquaintances and those from lower years than his own. It was not a superiority thing although the practice had been drilled into him by his tutors. Moreso, it was a prefect thing. An air of authority was important when enforcing school rules, and if one was too casual and familiar, it would be more difficult to enforce said rules. But this was summer camp. He was not a prefect here and it was not his responsibility to enforce the rules. He was on vacation and thus a little informality was permitted.

“Hello, Mister Connor. It is good to make your acquaintance,” Cassius said with a friendly tone, resting back on his elbows to get a more level view of the tent and its occupants. “If you are cold, Ms. Harp– Winnie seems to be rather willing to share the contents of her wardrobe with the tent, although I do not know your opinions on the color pink,” Cassius said with some bemusement, tilting his head at the boy’s next words. “What is a channel? Are you channeling magic? And what is a like button? Is that something you affix to your lapel?” On that particular topic Cassius was beyond lost and Evelynn’s greeting allowed him to recover somewhat from his admission of ignorance when it came to all things muggle. He had picked muggle studies as one of his electives, but their ways still baffled him.

Though her words were honied, Cassius interpreted the words as somewhat sarcastic. Teasing. A curious way to greet another, especially after such a long time of not speaking. Perhaps she had forgotten their brief encounter in the library some time ago but he had not. He did not recall any particular animosity developing there but his memory was imperfect. “Rare indeed. Sometimes it gets lonely on Mount Olympus,” he mused in reply as he withdrew a canteen from his satchel and brought it to his lips, taking a pull of the contents within. “It is good to see you again, Evelynn. I am glad there are some Lions here to balance the Eagles, otherwise the tent might have become soberingly academic.”

By his count, all the sleeping bags had now been claimed and occupied. All there was left to do was enjoy the festivities and the reactions of those present at the reveal of so many animagi.

🅵 I N N E G A Nxx🅲 O N N O R
xxxGRYFFINDOR THIRD YEAR SC 24

Summer Camp 2024

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Like slipping into pyjamas on a long weekend morning, he donned the coat with a casual drop of his shoulder. Inclement weather, he repeated the phrase in his head. Such a beautiful but meaningless sound it made, echoing through his mind. Probably just means cold? Knowing better than to give a Ravenclaw a dumbfounded look — they had an insatiable need to explain if you let them — he answered with a curt dip of his chin instead, pretending to understand and agree. Perhaps he would have been more inclined to express his gratitude for the coat if the boy's kind gesture hadn't been accompanied by a scrutinising look. That lonely, silvery eye drifted over him like a slow fog; there was no harm in it, but its presence was inescapably noticed. After a brief pause, Finnegan's mind turned back to the offer of a spare jacket. "I'm fine, thanks." He had plenty of reason to stare back, yet averted his gaze the moment an idle, unwanted thought drifted into his mind. What did it look like behind that eyepatch? There had to be a horrible, gaping hole there, or skin sewn shut, perhaps even a jut of bone. Had there been no magical means to restore the lost eye? But now was not the right time for these questions, not with so many more prying eyes all around them. "Mister Connor, it is good to see you well," a familiar voice sounded next to him. It seemed he wasn’t the only one intrigued by the enigmatic presence of Cassius Eden. "This one is still free." "Thanks, mum," he answered, drawing out the emphasis. She was probably going to turn him into a newt for that, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. Perhaps she wouldn't risk it, now that he was seated so close to a prefect, he'd never pegged his dormmate as much of a rule-breaker. On the other hand, Mr. Eden wasn't much of a prefect either, or perhaps he wasn't as much of a killjoy as the others. Either way, none of his nightly excursions before the ball's events had ever seen them cross paths before. Oddly enough it was another Ravenclaw that saved from being transfigured into a cold-blooded vertebrate. Ms. Salinger's accusation cut through the air like her pointed, trembling finger. Although... she thankfully didn't seem truly upset. Being cross with Evelynn Decipio wasn't entirely unreasonable; she had a rather stiff and stern demeanour at times, but to threaten the immaculate Gryffindor was downright suicidal. She had never seemed one to shy away from a challenge, whether it was issued by the trembling, pointing finger of a sixteen-year-old or if it appeared in the shape of a pillow lobbed across the room at six in the morning by a twelve-year-old under the guise of practising his aim. "Then I suppose you are going to be very cross with me." What on earth were they on about? The nearest human-shaped figure that wasn’t a girl with a habit of speaking cryptically happened to be Cassius, so it was him that Finnegan looked to for an answer, but it seemed the older boy had questions of his own. He supposed the older boy was right not to bother trying to decipher whatever Evelynn and Aly were talking about. Girls were remarkably difficult to comprehend at times. "No, no, a channel is like a personal page. A page, like a website, a webpage, like a blog, except it’s videos and-" No amount of wild gesturing seemed to help. "Well, I’d show you, but nothing electronic works here…" he sighed miserably, then frowned. "What’s a lapel?" It sounded like a very French type of spoon, but he wasn’t sure why their conversation had shifted towards cutlery all of a sudden. Maybe he could better explain to Cassius what livestreaming was if he showed him a trickshot first. He could think of at least one other person in the tent that shared a passion for football, though he wasn't sure he'd be able to convince any others to play in the frigid cold with him. "AND WAIT— YOU'RE BOTH ANIMAGUS TOO?" With a jerk, his head snapped towards Winnie Harper, rival and utter menace on the Quidditch pitch, yet quite possibly the most adorable girl in all of Ravenclaw. Sadly, he mostly got to see her from a distance, or a close-up blur whenever she snatched the quaffle away from him, right in front of his eyes. This time however, he was much closer to her wonderful screeching. Up until that very moment, little of his time this summer had been wasted thinking about girls. Any summer butterflies he'd ever developed had been promptly and thoroughly killed by his sister, either through downright teasing or simply by being such an insufferable menace that he'd start wishing the fairer sex out of existence altogether. The only girl that had ever taken up residence in his heart had withdrawn from it some time ago and left an empty hole in her wake. "I think… I think pink suits some people really well," he muttered his belated answer to Cassius while he tried not to gawk at the copper-haired girl. At least the nature of her loud revelation offered some excuse as to why he'd stared at her. Not wishing to alert Winnie, or any other girl for that matter, he lowered his voice and leaned in close to Cassius's ear if the boy would let him. "Who is Mattie?" he near-whispered.

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Stamina 10 ✶ Evasion 10 ✶ Strength 2 ✶ Wisdom 4 ✶ Arcane Power 5 ✶ Accuracy 10

⋄ Banner made by Aly Salinger ⋄
⋄ July 15th, 2024; Morning | London Quidditch Stadium ⋄
⋄ Interactions: @Pericles Dralt, @Winnie Harper, @Aly Salinger, @Finnegan Connor, & @Evelynn Decipio | Mentions: @Dealla Prince, @Cassius Eden, @Raizel Voltrouz & @Astra Norrick ⋄

𝓞nce upon a time, Bex had been a far more social creature than she considered herself to be now, going into her second year. With the possible, as-of-yet undecided exception of Raizel, every non-muggle person she fully trusted could be found right here in this tent, a line previously pulled taut finally gone slack again as she gathered them all in close proximity. It was a far cry from the large social group she'd tended to keep in muggle primary school, but despite her anxiety and paranoia slowly abating over these past few months, she still found herself struggling not to assume the worst when interlopers started to encroach on their little coterie.

Both Cassius and Dee were unknown variables, though admittedly Cassius more so than Dee. Dee she did know; she just didn't like her. Bex could hold a grudge for a lifetime, an eternal object in motion, and despite Pear's fondness for the former duellist and his assertion that a certain elk hadn't been responsible for his actions, Bex both couldn't and wouldn't find it in herself to forgive her. She'd slowly come to regret what she'd said about Astra in the Headliner, but she stood by what she'd said about Dee (even if no one else was aware that it was Bex who had said it.) As such, she intended to watch the older girl with a careful eye. (The main problem with this, as Bex would soon find out, was that Dee made herself a very difficult person not to like. Under any other circumstances, the older Ravenclaw's biting humour and assertive personality would have likely made her a fast friend, and it was only through pure, high-octane spite that Bex would manage to hold on to her ill will towards the incoming sixth year. That was a problem for future Bex, however.)

Cassius, on the other hand, was a full 360° unknown. He had a serious air about him, with a regal cast to his posture and features, and he seemed to have a small army of students her age that he ordered about (he did appear to pay them, though, so perhaps he was hiring). She'd seen him at meals and in the common room, but she'd never actually spoken to the now sixth year prefect. She wasn't sure if he'd been invited by someone or if he'd just been randomly assigned to their tent, and the lack of data she had on him made her nervous. He was a duellist, she was pretty sure, which meant he could be a proper threat if things went pear-shaped, which things always seemed to do around here. The endless march of Hogwarts tragedies was relentless, and sooner or later it would be out for blood again. Cassius, too, she'd keep her eye on. She made a mental note to debrief Finnegan on her worries later.

Her musings were brought to a halt as the pretty dog she'd been petting suddenly turned into a pretty red-headed girl, and the tone of the petting was suddenly a tad more awkward than it had been before. "Hello, Winnie. No thank you, I actually can't think of much I'd want less than that."

She'd never been more grateful to be glomped on by Aly, the older girl rescuing her from Winnie's threats by pulling her into a tight hug. Bex let out a startled oomph but otherwise offered no resistance to Aly's affections, happy to return the older girl's embrace with full force. "My mum cut it for me last week. I'm still getting used to it. I told Finn, I sent him selfies. I would have sent you and Pear one, too, but you don't have cell phones." She could see why Winnie had wanted to be pet so much, as Aly running her fingers through Bex's hair was surprisingly pleasant. "We can still be twins if you want, we'd just have to cut your hair, too. I think I have scissors in my bag. They're not hair scissors, but I think they'd get the job done." Or they could just wait for her hair to grow back, it grew back fast enough that it would likely be down past her shoulders again by Christmas. Perhaps she'd just cut it again, though, since she'd taken her mother's words to heart. If you want to change your entire life, start with something small first, something manageable. Start with your hair.

"Oh, I know Winnie." She replied to Aly's introduction. "She's the one who cries in the locker room at practice."

Winnie was a right loud crier, and apparently a very loud speaker in general, such that Bex's attention was briefly stolen away from Aly by her deafening wails, i.e. her conversation with Dee. Bex could only hope that she too could be this loud, one day. She wasn't sure why a perfume review would warrant such a clangorous volume, but maybe that was just Winnie's default setting. Bex wrinkled her nose. "Why would you keep a perfume that doesn't even smell good? That's dumb."

Finnegan's arrival is the last piece of a puzzle falling neatly into place. While she's no longer following Pericles around like a ghost, nor going days without sleep due to Spring Ball-flavoured nightmares - the potion for Dreamless Sleep from Evelynn had helped with this immensely, and while her sleep hygiene was still abhorrent, at least now it was due to nothing more than her own bad decisions - having all of her favorite magical people in one place still soothed the worried beast that lived in the hollowed grooves of her ribcage. The pleasure of Finn's arrival was dulled only slightly by what an absolute numpty he looked like right now. He was dressed for summer, which was a poor choice in her opinion, why had he done that? Plus, he was wearing sunglasses indoors, on his eyes and everything. -10,000 aura.

If he was hoping that his assertion that it was a "bit nippy out" would jog Bex's memory about the disservice she had done him, then he'd be left disappointed. "Why aren't you wearing a jumper, then? I'm still cold and I'm wearing, like, four." Obviously she'd told Finnegan. They'd texted almost every day since they'd gotten their phones back, of course she remembered to tell him the theme in one of those messages. For sure.

Yes, she had subscribed to Finn's channel, and had dutifully watched and liked every video, leaving him such helpful comments as "ohio rizz plonker" and "get good". She'd even listened to the soothing sounds of Finnegan getting mad at video games through her airpods while gardening with Leo. She was truly the best friend one could ask for. "Yes, I subscribed, even though if I wanted to watch you game, I could just Facetime you." She couldn't help but be a little jealous watching Finn cast the Hot-Air Charm so effortlessly. What a game-changer it would be to have easy access to warmth whenever she'd like. She pressed the tips of her fingers against her wand in her hoodie pocket. If she could just get her act together, then she wouldn't have to be an ice lolly every day for the rest of her life.

When Finnegan started to converse with Cassius, Bex turned back in to tune into the other conversation in the tent, which appeared to have progressed to Aly yelling at Evelynn about... being an Animagus? Hearing Evelynn confirm Aly's accusation, Bex was surprised to realise that she wasn't surprised. While she hadn't known about Evelynn's animal form, she had known about Pear, Dorion, and Jack, and Evelynn was nothing if not terrifyingly competent. It just made sense that this was also something that she was able to do. Evelynn could probably long jump to the moon, should she choose to devote her time to it. Never one to feel any shame in regards to interrupting, Bex cut in to ask Evelynn, "What animal do you turn into? Did you get to choose?"

┏		┓
	As @Aly Salinger pointed out Cassius' child labor law violation, dryly implying Peri ought to be paid too, they shared a moment of Ravenclaw criticality. The warlock agreed with a sarcastic side-eye, "It would be the pedigree thing to do." They may be purebloods, but they weren't that pureblood. Powerplays like that made their class look so extra, thought the heir whose self-lacing boots and bespoke Robe of Warmth collectively cost more than @Rebecca Lark's mobular(?) phone. That cloak soon hung off of @Finnegan Connor's shorter frame endearingly. As Becca's fraternal figure in the bird house, and an increasingly constant companion to @Evelynn Decipio, Pericles now knew Finn as more than "the other kid who was stabbed at the Magical Masquerade". Outside of their mutuals and shared trauma, he wasn't sure what they had in common, but imagined they'd find out while tenting together. Yet as much as Pericles wanted to connect, he faced the same dilemma as when he met Archer: he didn't have the most normal methods of breaking the ice with others, let alone muggle-borns. His coat was offered as an excuse to say something. Finn slipped it on awkwardly, avoidant and short spoken, refusing a spare with polite but clipped curtness. Oblivious to the fact that his intense one-eyed staring might have something to do with the third-year's unease, the eagle smiled reassuringly. "You can keep that one, then, until your face is less blue." Deciding things were off to a great start between them, he turned away to unpack his inventory into an orderly camping corner. The chaos of a filling tent had an unfamiliar kind of comfort to it. There was an energizing aspect to so many different personalities sharing a shelter, with faces familiar and new, promising this summer would be interesting at the very least. Even those who hung out the most would learn something new about one another in the unusual environment. Point in case... Pericles had no idea Eve hadn't shared her animagus ability with Aly, and evidently, he had broken the news to their third musketeer. His eyes widened slowly as the realization set in. He glanced at Eve, then Aly, and only when he was absolutely positive that the tension was one big act did he dare to mutter: "Cat's out of the bag." No sooner did the pun leave his lips that he turned back to his things again, immediately making himself busy. Pericles was a known animagus advocate. The seer's son considered the ability an almost sacred transformation, as it manifested an alternate shape based on one's true character. If there was such a thing as a soul, one's animagus form was a glimpse at it. He was both impressed with Winnie's accomplishment and crestfallen when she spoke about the League like new news. Had his trip invitations been owled to the wrong @Winnie Harper, or was she- like he often did- feigning ignorance to avoid conflict politely? Knowing nothing about the insidious plot to manipulate Winnie's memory, he assumed the latter, deciding to sweep the topic under a rug. Becca brought up a relevant question: what was Eve, and could they choose? In an effort to absolve himself for outing her, Peri tried to spare the lioness from further prying by chiming in. "You don't. The form you gain is based entirely on whatever creature compares to your nature the most. It's private for some of us... sorry, Eve." Peri resumed talking to Winnie, slyly nondescript, low-key teasing Bex and Aly with the fact that he knew and wasn't sharing. "You should come on a morning run with us. Well, I fly, but Eve's form is fast." His expression was innocent as he went back to his tarantula's terrarium, coaxing the massive Black Webber out onto a hand. He cooed to it as it scuttled up his arm, listening in on conversations taking a turn for the confusing while their cultural tower of babel was built: What's a channel? What's a lapel? Would Aly even allow scissors to occupy the same tent as her hair after Becca's offer?
┗		┛

(Maybe my final post as we move on to other threads? unless further interactions)

Peri's thoughtfulness was always appreciated, and Dee turned a slightly more relaxed smile in his direction, nudging him back playfully in return to his offer. "Nah, I can appreciate a good bit of irony."

The next few minutes were enough to hint at how... interesting the next month of sharing a tent with these people could turn out to be. Even ignoring the potential for chaos brewing away in Dee's own luggage at the moment, carefully stashed away in her extensive potions kit, the fact that the first five minutes in this tent had revealed three animagi, a perfume that was most definitely not a perfume, several pieces of pink clothing, Finnegan Connor's toes, Dauncey on a diet, and an absolutely delightful amount of yelling and chaos was boding well in Dee's estimations.

Dee blinked as the fluffy puppy turned back into Winnie, for a moment certain she could still see the wagging tail in her human form, then looked down at the bottle of memory potion in her hand. "That's not..." she began, then stopped herself, unsure whether this was the right situation for this. She'd been using it as perfume? After she had randomly found it in her trunk? That was... she didn't want to say concerning, but certainly rather odd. Her eyes narrowed, and she used the cover of general chaos - people were now yelling at Evelynn about apparently also being an animagus, and really, just how many of her classmates had managed that particular feat? - to slip the small vial into the pocket of her jeans. She wasn't sure why Winnie had a potion she didn't remember in her trunk, but she was rather certain that applying it as perfume was not the proper way to use it. She'd do some more research to make sure she had, in fact, identified it correctly, and then corner... no, confront... no, talk to her friend about it later.

She did spare Evelynn a very curious glance as she levitated her suitcase over to the sleeping bag Aly had indicated, settling it down next to where she would apparently be sleeping for the next four weeks. Peri being an animagus was not news to her, but both Winnie and Evelynn? Rather than join the conversation, she then let herself plop down on the sleeping bag with absolutely none of the grace she possessed. Between all the fussing about cut hair, morning runs, and enough jumpers that Dee wondered how Rebecca could even still move, she moved the potion vial into a side pocket of her trunk, hoping it would be forgotten with everything else going on.

From her low vantage point, she let her eyes skip from one tent occupant to the next, listening to the voices and committing first impressions as well as new information about old friends and acquaintances to memory. She'd come to this camp sort of looking for a new start; the last year had come with many memories that, even if she was not quite willing to forget, could do with some softening. And, she mused, this might just be the right place and group of people to help her along the way.

Hopping back to her feet, she bounced over to Pericles, peeking around his shoulder at the spider that was making its way up his arm. "Hi Fílos," she chirped, wiggling her fingers at it, then poked Peri's side. "Can I hold it?"

Stealing @Winnie Harper's "perfume" and vibing with @Pericles Dralt's spooder
Happy to end the thread here!