cold nights, colder hearts Open

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september 14th, 2024 • date astronomy tower • location cold nights, colder hearts • thread

There was a certain heavy fog around Ophelia as she sat in the Ravenclaw common room, curled up on one of the many cushions, a book in her lap. Little Doveling had already fallen fast asleep at the foot of the Ravenclaw's cushion, her tail resting on her petite pink nose, and it was only seven in the evening. Yet, even the girl felt tired.

Tucking the novel under her arm, she picked up her dosing kitten gently, and made her way to her dorm room. Setting the kitty down in her carrier, Ophelia straightened, eyeing her own bed warily. A small part of her was ready to turn in for the night, to rise rested on Sunday morning, but most of her wanted to stay up. But her attention was already elsewhere, and she knew she couldn't read.

Sighing, the girl placed her novel on her bed and walked out of the common room, her feet taking her who-knows-where. She'd checked the time before her leave-- 7 o' clock, an hour before curfew-- and so she couldn't care less where her feet took her. Ophelia found herself making her way to the Astronomy Tower. The place was definitely not her usual resting place, that honor went solely to the library, or maybe the banks of the Great Lake on a nice day, but the room had always felt comforting to the Ravenclaw. Maybe it was because that was where she could observe the stars.

The cosmos were a recent obsession of hers, but it was present all throughout her life. From quiet moments spent under the canopy of natural lights with Cecelia to rugged camping adventures with Grayson and Felix. Ophelia climbed the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, not bothered to make her footsteps light, when she heard the voice, filled with conviction and something that could be seen as threatening.

"Make yourself known."

Ophelia blinked. Had she mistaken any of the rules? Were students not allowed in the tower after a certain time? Or perhaps another student was up there, and didn't want to be disturbed? Whatever was the reason for the speaker's words, the Ravenclaw stepped into the room, eyes searching.

At first glance, the Tower might've seemed empty. But, there, next to one of the large glass windows, was a girl, slight in her build with freckles and olive skin. It was almost impossible to see her in the darkness, if not for the faint moonlight coming in from the windows. The girl's position, with a wand in her hand defensively, screamed that she wanted to be left alone, but Ophelia could've sworn that she saw something in the girl's eyes that held some sort of sorrow or anxiety. Or maybe both?

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise there was someone else here. I just wanted to spend a moment to admire the stars."

interactions • @Iris Athanasiuo mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

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

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The dark eyes that met the other student's were shadowed with an exhaustion that screamed of sleepless nights. Iris’ posture relaxed to a degree, still reflecting her formal nature. While the presence of another was certainly unexpected, it was with the sight of the girl standing there, that the irrationality of her own wariness struck her.

She released her grip on the wand, letting it fall to her side as a flush of embarrassment crept in. Admittedly foolish to have even considered a threat in this moment, her own restlessness more harrowing than the situation at hand. Or perhaps it was just habit, clinging to something that made her feel in control in situations so uncertain. Whatever it had been, Iris held little mind for it now.

"Apologies, I guess I'm just a little on edge tonight."

A truth, albeit uncomfortable, seemed to drift between the two like a fragile thread. The tension in Iris' shoulders eased slightly as she spoke, her voice carrying an honesty that was softer than usual. Upon further inspection she'd realize the intruder— No, peer, had been one of her own house. It wasn't often the Ravenclaw went memorizing faces, though when thrown into lectures and common rooms together, it was hard not to pick up at least a few.

Hearing the unnamed Ravenclaw confess to wanting to watch the stars, her eyes drifted upwards once again, head unmoved. Almost forgotten was the feel of her wand still in hand, leaving a lingering trace of guilt before finally tucking it away.

"I see." Only she didn't really, a reflection of how distant the simple pleasure of stargazing had become to her. Still, she turned to face the Ravenclaw. “It’s not something I’ve done in a long time, not for its own sake anyway.” Now there was the honesty.

"I'm Iris, and you are?" She extended a hand. "Good to put a name to the.. face I startled." Possibly the other way around.

Mentioning | @Ophelia Northwell

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september 14th, 2024 • date astronomy tower • location cold nights, colder hearts • thread

For a moment after her words were spoken out loud, Ophelia wondered quietly if she wasn't the one who needed to be saying sorry. She'd just happened upon the other girl, both of them in a public, open to students space of the school. The other girl was the one who'd almost pulled out her wand, a threatening gesture if there ever was one. But there was nothing the Ravenclaw could do now.

But it seemed her coincidental companion had the same thought as she sent her own, much more formal, sorry back. Ophelia accepted the apology with a nod of understanding. Her eyes never left the girl in front of her for a second, some subconscious level of her still finding the other girl a threat.

The girl's voice was cold, though it seemed that it was just the way she spoke, not anything personal towards Ophelia. Or maybe the Ravenclaw was mistaken and she had done something to offend or disgust the girl with whom she was speaking. Hopefully not. Though she wasn't the kindest to everyone who she met right away, she did work hard to show everyone that she was a nice person on the inside.

"I haven't either, actually," Ophelia admitted, giving her a small smile. "It's more that I just didn't feel like sleeping this early." She tried not to show how uncomfortable the other girl's formality was making her feel, tried not to change her own speech to match. It was never right to change one's appearance to match one's company, it only led to trouble in the future.

The girl introduced herself as Iris, and Ophelia felt better knowing she didn't include a middle and surname with it. She took the offered hand, shaking it politely. She wasn't big on formal introductions, but she knew how to act proper. "Ophelia," She answered. "Nice to meet you, Iris. I don't remember seeing you around much last year."

Ophelia decided to leave it at that. It was obvious that Iris wasn't a first year, from how comfortable she seemed with her wand and how she wasn't afraid to be out so close to curfew. But she couldn't completely trust her own memory, even though she was alright at recognising faces. Maybe, if she just left it, the girl would give her own explanation.

interactions • @Iris Athanasiuo mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

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

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A response wasn't offered to the girl's note of refusing to sleep, as it went without saying that Iris found herself the same. Instead, a silent acknowledgement sufficed.

When Ophelia mentioned not seeing her last year, a shadow briefly crossed Iris’ features. Her absence. She pursed her lips, inwardly debating how much was relevant to reveal. With a general instinct to withhold from others, there was something strangely disarming about the girl who stood across, her lack of prying. Simple, maybe.

"Ah, yes. I'd taken a year away for.. personal reasons." She kept it vague, not exactly enthusiastic to dive into the raw truth of why she hadn’t been around. The wound was still tender, painful to even breathe aloud. Of course, the moment she said it, Iris felt the familiar twinge of discomfort settle in her chest. There was no escaping it, other than to switch the topic entirely.

"Do you enjoy them? The stars, I mean." It was a feeble attempt at conversation, one probably not even useful considering how little time was on their side. Small talk definitely wasn’t her strength, especially not about something so abstract. Still, she asked, almost inwardly cringing at the question. It felt trivial, distant from the things that usually occupied her mind. And yet, there was something about the way the girl carried herself. Gentler, in a way that made Iris want to fill the space between them with something other than cold formality.

As the words hung in the air, a brief flash of regret swept across her mind. What would she even say if asked the same in return? She hadn't viewed the twinkling lights as much of anything but distant. To her, serving as more of a reminder of what she’d lost.

Luckily, she was good at pretending. Not a liar, not exactly, but her talent for shaping perceptions had always served her well. The girl merely knew how to keep up appearances, offering responses that suited the moment. It wasn’t deception in the harshest sense. More of a careful presentation.

Mentioning | @Ophelia Northwell

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september 14th, 2024 • date astronomy tower • location cold nights, colder hearts • thread

Personal reasons. The words were spoken simple and cold, yet Ophelia could discern so much meaning behind them. The sorrow or anxiety that the Ravenclaw had detected in the other girl had been real, then. Something had caused Iris to drop out from Hogwarts for some time the year before, and that something seemed to still be haunting the girl now. But whatever it was, though Ophelia desperately wanted to know, wanted to help, would stay buried beneath Iris' mask until she herself chose to speak up about it.

As Iris changed the topic quickly, Ophelia took it as a sign not to bring up whatever had happened last year. There was a wound there, and the Ravenclaw would stay far away for now. Instead she smiled at the next subject which Iris broached. The stars. That had been the beginning of their conversation, and it would continue it.

Ophelia sidled up closer to the window next to which Iris stood. The girls were still a few metres away, but both stood next to the large pane of glass now. "I didn't always, but I do now." Something about Iris' demeanor suggested to the Ravenclaw that she wasn't all that enthusiastic about this topic of conversation as well. "For so many people, the stars mean different things. A way to find home when you're lost, the comfort of knowing a loved one is watching you, or even just a pretty sight for hard times. It's hard not to look up to them and be filled with wonder." She almost laughed at her bookish tone. She'd read a paragraph in a book with almost the exact same sentences, and she'd resonated with it so much that it had stuck with her. But Iris didn't need to know that.

interactions • @Iris Athanasiuo mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

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

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Perfectionist I & II
english ⋅ #58576b | greek ⋅ #1d2158

She watched as Ophelia slid closer, still maintaining a distance deemed respectful. The words offered did sound a bit.. excerpt like. Had the heiress been any less polite, a grimace would've stretched across her features right then and there. Though the girl’s intentions were good enough, however hopelessly naive. Iris' opinion? Inconsequential, proving nothing more than a concept of indifference. Watchful, sure. Judgmental, which on a technicality fell one in the same. Not that she was about to burden someone else with such cynical outlook.

For the sake of them both, she attempted to picture it. An offering of something other than grief, than pain. In truth, she would have much preferred it that way. Desolation was a tiring ordeal, let alone for the poor souls who had to endure it secondhand. She hummed softly before speaking. "My aunt really liked them." The mere mention typically would have scathed her, yet had been willingly thrown into conversation as though it brought comfort. Shockingly enough? It did, albeit a minuscule amount. Too easy was it to keep her mind focused on the gut wrenching memories, a habit so forcibly learned she'd almost forgotten how to remember 'good' times altogether. Drawing a breath, a small laugh escaped her. "That woman definitely loved wonder."

Iris then pointed at in the sky, tracing a zig-zagged line. "That's Cassiopeia*. Legend says there's a queen trapped amongst it." She looked back to Ophelia with a playfully raised brow. "Not that I much believe in fairytales." True as it may of been, the tale still played clearly in her memory. An arrogant queen, punished for her vanity. A rather depressing story that would go left unsaid. Lowering her hand, the realization of where they were crept into awareness. With everyone else surely in their commons, the tick of the clock was only so far away from striking eight. Iris shifted just enough to face the girl properly again, offering a smile. "Should probably head back, wouldn't want to get caught by Starwise. Not sure I could handle the disappointment on his face."

*A constellation visible year round in Scotland.
@Ophelia Northwell

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september 14th, 2024 • date astronomy tower • location cold nights, colder hearts • thread

For some reason, just the word "aunt" spoken from Iris' lips held so much uncovered emotion. Like it was private information that Ophelia had happened upon and she didn't know how to decipher it. She didn't understand Iris very much from this one conversation, of course, but that continuous sound of... whatever it was in the other girl's voice? It felt like they were going in circles.

"That woman definitely loved wonder." Not knowing how to respond to that, Ophelia decided to keep quiet. Was that something bitter in Iris' voice when she spoke of her aunt, or some sort of nostalgia? Or was the Ravenclaw girl reading too much into voice changes? Or maybe there wasn't a voice change at all and she was just imagining things?

When Iris spoke about Cassiopeia, Ophelia raised her own brows back in surprise. From her offhanded comments about the stars, the Ravenclaw had believed that the other girl had no interest, or knowledge, in the celestial bodies. But obviously, just this sentence showed otherwise. "I used to believe in fairy tales like they were history. Still sometimes do."

She remembered those times. Back when Cecelia would read her a bedtime story every night, and baby Felix wouldn't fall asleep until one. She remembered how she'd stay up past her bedtime, looking at the books and imagining all the things happening back "in the olden days." She'd been a daydreamer back then, and she was still a daydreamer now, picturing something or the other with her mind.

"Head back?" Ophelia was pulled back from her memories. It was only then that she realised that, ever slowly, time had been ticking towards the curfew. "Oh, right. Curfew." She said the words absently, turning away from the dark glass. She didn't really want to head back to the Ravenclaw tower, but, honestly, what business did she have here?

interactions • @Iris Athanasiuo mentions • @ stats • sta 7 | eva 7 | str 6 | wis 9 | arc 6 | acc 6

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

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