"Blissful" Ignorance PV Ophelia Northwell Finished

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september 10th, 2024 • date owlery • location "blissful" ignorance • thread

Ophelia was officially thirteen as of two days ago. She'd gotten through the usual birthday routine... wake up to her family's presents sitting by her bed, enjoying her day, having a small birthday get together, and she was happy with what had become of her special day. Combining her party with Emily's had been a great idea, and she'd enjoyed the gathering more than an she enjoyed the Hogwarts balls. Now, after spending an hour of her time, condensing all the events and activities that had happened into a single letter for her parents, the Ravenclaw girl made her way to the Owlery.

As she got there, she found that she wasn't alone in wanting to deliver a birthday recap letter back home. Her birthday twin, Emily, was there in the Owlery too! "Oh, hi, Emily!"

It was only after a moment, that Ophelia realised that Emily looked... angry? She didn't look livid with rage or anything like that, but her usual calm, smiling expression was replaced with something akin to discomfort. "Er, are you okay?"

She found a place next to Emily. Since she didn't have an owl of her own, opting instead to have her little Doveling as company, she had to use the school owls. Tying her parchment letter to the foot of a school barn owl, she whispered her directions, "Straight to Dublin for me, alright?" Once the creature was off, she turned back to her friend, waiting to hear a response for her question.

Maybe Emily and Ophelia weren't the closest of friends just yet, but she still cared about the Hufflepuff girl. And if even the slightest thing was the matter, the Ravenclaw would aim to fix it.

interactions • @Emily Shephard mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

271 • word count xxx • outfit perfectionist, paragon of health • abilities

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September 10th 2024
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
Everything's Fine with @Ophelia Northwell

In the midst of Emily's pacing, she failed to notice another set of footsteps - much gentler than her own - arriving on scene to her spot in the Owlery. All grumps and grumbles ceased when Emily noticed Ophelia coming her way, her stooping replaced with her "Emily-ish" smile and friendly demeanour and sliding off the wall to stand upright like she was in the presence of authority.

"Ophelia! I didn't think I would see you here...!" She laughed off near the end. Meeting in the most unlikely places seemed to check out for the both of them. They did meet during a Quidditch match back at summer camp after all, to then sharing a pleasant birthday party in the Room of Requirement and now here they both were in the Owlery, crossing paths once again.

Despite the very few interactions they actually had, Ophelia knew Emily well enough to know that she wasn't in her usual tip-top form, as evident by her question of concern. Emily dismissed it politely with a shrug and wave of her hand. "I'm fine! Just feeling a bit restless today, that's all." She winked, as if that was going to convince her.

She watched silently as Ophelia entrusted a letter of her own to a pending owl. Bidding them farewell, Emily managed to keep up her smile and energy to start a decent conversation.

"Sending letters too I see," She commented nicely. As soon as she said it, she already wanted to back track her statement.

A year has passed and it seems she was still a little awkward over making light chit-chats. Some things just don't seem to change. And if they do, they change ever so slowly.

_{Word Count: 316}

Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace

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september 10th, 2024 • date owlery • location "blissful" ignorance • thread

Something about Emily's attitude just felt wrong to Ophelia. Maybe it was just that the Ravenclaw had only seen her birthday twin on occasions of joy and happiness, but it just felt off today, though she didn't comment on it again. If there was something bothering the girl that was worth speaking about and that she was comfortable enough to share, then it would've already come out.

Just a bit restless. Made sense, Ophelia supposed. School was just getting started but that didn't mean their professors would let up on their work. Essays and assignments bombarded the Ravenclaw every night, though she'd somehow managed to tackle them all pretty well. Her favourite this year was Astronomy, though she couldn't really place her finger on why just yet. It was understandable that even the Hufflepuff girl felt the overwhelming feeling, and had stayed up maybe just a bit too late the night before to study or finish something.

"Sending letters too I see," Emily's words were offhanded, casually spoken.

Ophelia nodded. Her letter was already off on her school barn owl friend, making its way to her eagerly waiting parents and younger brother at home. Though his previous letters back to her had been indifferent, the Ravenclaw had noticed the gleam in Felix's eyes when she'd told him stories of Hogwarts over the summer. "It was a letter to my family. My papa and my little brother have never experienced magic before, so they really look forward to my messages." She let out a little laugh, remembering how Grayson Northwell had found himself a spot on the couch and demanded that his daughter tell him everything.

"What about you? I'm guessing you're not up in the Owlery just for fun."

interactions • @Emily Shephard mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

244 • word count xxx • outfit perfectionist, paragon of health • abilities

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September 10th 2024
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
Everything's Fine... Kinda with @Ophelia Northwell
Mentioning: @Scout Fu-Hai

"That's nice... That's really... Nice."

Emily's transmission just so happened to collide with what she had just been thinking about moments ago, undoubtedly going unnoticed when she hesitated halfway through her sentence. Her communication with her own mother and father have been radio silent for God knows how long but it would be very unlikely and egregious of Emily to show any kind of jealousy to everyone who had a much sweeter relationship with their own folks. As much as it gnawed at the back of Emily's mind like an earworm, she was sincere in feeling content that Ophelia got on well with her family.

She needed some happy thoughts to overturn the lingering bitterness that had long been silently festering longer than she realised. Charms. She liked charms. Ladybugs. They were always pretty with those spots and all. Scout! She'd be seeing her at some point during the week for more chit-chats and chill-outs. "Auntie." She missed "Auntie" but even just picturing her smile was enough to push back everything else in Emily's head.

"What about you? I'm guessing you're not up in the Owlery just for fun."

Huzzah! The perfect opportunity to bring forth more of those delightful thoughts of "Auntie." Emily grinned, a tiny impulse to fidget with her fingers briefly taking control of her hands.

"Being with the owls in the Owlery is as close as I'm going to get to admiring animals on the grounds before I can take up Care of Magical Creatures," she laughed. "But you're right. I was sending a letter to Aun- uh - my guardian. I send her letters once a week. I figure she gets bored being on her own at the house and this is really the only way we can keep each other company so..."

She trailed off again. "Company." Emily had plenty of it at Hogwarts. She had Ophelia. She had Scout. She had Tavra. But never at home. Without "Auntie" she'd be home alone. Her parents were seemingly too good to spend a night in their own home, let alone with their daughter during the holidays.

Something about that made Emily groan internally. She must've done it for too long when she suddenly remembered she was still in a conversation with Ophelia, startling herself a bit.

_{Word Count: 416}

Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace

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september 10th, 2024 • date owlery • location "blissful" ignorance • thread

Ophelia felt that sense of wrongness slither back into the hole from which it had come as Emily began speaking about her love of animals. The Ravenclaw laughed along with her friend. "Hey, I love admiring the animals too." She leaned closer, as if sharing a vital secret. "Don't tell anyone, but I used to conduct very interesting scientific research on my dog Galleon back when I was four." She giggled, remembering how she'd believed that her observations could change Muggle science forever when she'd been little, and not a thing Cecelia or Grayson had said changed her mind.

Something about the way Emily caught herself in the middle of a word and specifically called her letter-receiver her "guardian" caught Ophelia's ears, though she wouldn't comment on it, at least, not yet anyway. The Ravenclaw waited for a moment as something faraway entered Emily's expression. She seemed to have either lost her train of thought, or was off in her memories, thinking about something. As the silence stretched on, she believed that it was the latter more than the former.

Eventually, the Hufflepuff girl let out a groan. And Ophelia, having no context at all to the sound, rushed to Emily's side with concern. "Emily? Are you alright?" Maybe the girl was feeling some unexpected pain? Or maybe perhaps a searing headache had attacked her? Whatever the cause of the groan, the Ravenclaw was there, ready to help.

interactions • @Emily Shephard mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

206 • word count xxx • outfit perfectionist, paragon of health • abilities

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September 10th 2024
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
Everything's... Not Fine with @Ophelia Northwell

Oh jeez... When was the last time Emily felt anxious like this? It was most definitely reminiscent of the Spring Ball last year, all because of a tiny spiked drink that made her agitated and prone to paranoia. While she was a far cry from such a mood, her fidgeting didn't cease and gave off a silent wave of pained eye contact to Ophelia when she brought up Emily's clear visage of uneasiness.

Her previous train of thought had put a damper on her mood. Only years of suppressed frustration could be the culprit behind it. She tried to force it back down for Ophelia's sake, a thin smile along her lips as she tried to respond to the conversation with what little "good mood" she had left. "I-Investigations... Heh, sounds like something I'd do!"

Even her tone had changed. Her mind and memories all converged on wanting to yell and scream at her parents. Why now of all times to lose her temper? And in front of a dear friend as well? And all over sending a teeny weeny letter like any other day of the week? How uncouth. How childish. Yet emotions were the purest form of truth out there. As truth would have it, that's how she was feeling.

She scratched at her cheek as she tried to come up with a good excuse for her sudden anxious edge but in the time when she needed her reliable brain power, she came up short. She sighed gently.

"I'm alright, really. Just... Having a bit of a weird day I guess." She managed to calm down and gave a more genuine smile in the end. "I suppose I'm just... A bit tired of being let down by people I'm meant to like."

_{Word Count: 326}

Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace

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september 10th, 2024 • date owlery • location "blissful" ignorance • thread

Okay, maybe whatever had been troubling Emily hadn't fully left her system yet, because Ophelia could feel her Hufflepuff friend's lack of concentration now. Even her smile wasn't as Emily-like as the Ravenclaw was used to, though the term according to her might be a bit wrong as she might not have enough background knowledge. Still, the changed tone, the thin-lipped smile... all of it didn't seem right.

Maybe it's time to comment now? For a person who was pretty bad a social cues, Ophelia still had a more than healthy dose of protectiveness in her. This often caused her to be sensitive to signs that weren't really signs and try to help someone when they didn't really need help, but more often than not, the Ravenclaw had learned, she was right when she thought that a friend was in need of her moral support.

Ophelia was just about to speak up, when Emily made an excuse for her behavior again. "Having a weird day" was enough for the Ravenclaw to decide that maybe she should back off, but the next sentence was a loaded one if Ophelia had ever heard one. Tired of being let down by people I'm meant to like. There was so much emotion in those words that she couldn't even begin to unpack, let alone understand. Ophelia couldn't claim to be well-versed in Emily's background, but whatever the Hufflepuff was referring to didn't seem like she was alright.

But why did she sound so happy about her guardian if she has issues at home? It must be a problem at Hogwarts then, Ophelia decided. She looked up. It was obvious that she had to say something, but she just didn't know what.

"Um..." Sighing, Ophelia let herself get swept away in protective mode. "If... if you're having a hard day, Emily, I'm a pretty good listener. And, I'm sure you probably have plenty of people to lean on for support, but I'm there, too, if you need someone."

interactions • @Emily Shephard mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

297 • word count xxx • outfit perfectionist, paragon of health • abilities

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September 10th 2024
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
Everything Will Be Fine with @Ophelia Northwell

Shucks. Ophelia was a real sweetheart. She was definitely giving off "Auntie" vibes which was the best compliment Emily could ever give to someone. Ophelia wasn't going to be the first to have that honour - Scout was a well-established sweetheart herself - but Emily didn't toss out that compliment to everyone. Scout and Ophelia were the best of the best.

"Thanks, Ophelia. You're a great friend for being so patient with me," she smiled earnestly. "I suppose if you really want to know, I just had a sudden thought. One that I didn't expect to pop up again."

She exhaled softly before leaning back against the wall again, tracing a stone lazily with her finger before mustering up the courage. Not so much one as to confess a deep, dark secret to Ophelia, but more to do with confronting years worth of pent up agitation and feelings of loneliness because of her work-wired parents.

"Say Ophelia... Do you have a good relationship with your folks? Because I was just thinking about my own... And how much I miss them... And how angry I am at myself for feeling that way."

She sighed again. "My parents are never home, you see. Always working like the uptight individuals they are. So much so that I don't see them. My mum is only home once a week for a few hours. And my dad, he..."

She trailed off. Turns out she didn't want to confront the truth after all. Instead she kicked the wall with no greater force than a pebble hitting a skirting and shook her head in denial.

"Sorry... I'm just saying a bunch of nonsense that probably doesn't mean anything," she laughed half bitterly.

In the end it all really was a joke.

_{Word Count: 327}

Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace

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speech • #427c9a thoughts • italics others • #ffffff

september 10th, 2024 • date owlery • location "blissful" ignorance • thread

Ophelia wanted to tell Emily that no, she wasn't being patient with her, she was just being a good friend. If someone needed a shoulder to lean on, any decent person should be able to grant that request, not just a patient person. But the Ravenclaw didn't even open her mouth. If the Hufflepuff was going to say anything, it would be because she felt comfortable doing so, not because Ophelia kept opening her mouth and commenting on every word she got out.

So she listened, carefully. Poor Emily, such a sweet girl who wanted nothing more than to have a relationship with her parents that everyone had the right to have, and her parents didn't even give her that gift. They stayed away from her, and, from what Ophelia gleaned from the meaningful pauses and loaded words, it was that they didn't respond when she tried her best to connect with them. Suddenly, Ophelia felt bad for reminiscing about her own family in front of Emily. Stop that, Northwell. She doesn't want your pity, that's not why she told you.

The bitter laugh at the end of all the words was what made Ophelia snap from her silent mode. Emily was such a positive, do-it-all girl with an attitude brighter than the sun itself. She had so many friends and helped and talked to all sorts of people. And, from what the Ravenclaw had gathered, she was more than just a sweet person, she was a person who was much like Ophelia in that she'd offer help to anyone who needed it. She didn't deserve parents who didn't even care whether her birthday passed or not.

"It's not nonsense, Emily," Ophelia said gently. "Everyone deserves a lot of support from back home because that's what lets us move forward. It's only because of my mum that I'm the girl that I am today. Otherwise, who knows where I'd have ended up." She didn't let out a giggle when she paused, just took a breath. "And you're a good soul Emily. More than just good, you're amazing. So that means there is someone out there who cares about you the way your parents were supposed to." That was when Ophelia remembered the "guardian" who the Hufflepuff girl had seemed to fond of. Perhaps whoever that guardian had been, they'd been like a parental figure to Emily and shaped her into such an awesome person.

interactions • @Emily Shephard mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

331 • word count xxx • outfit perfectionist, paragon of health • abilities

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