5 Oct 2024, 21:00
Said the Nightingale to the Lark
⋖ 13/Oct/2024 @ late afternoon | ENGLISH [#715380] | FRENCH [#b654a9] ⋗
INTERACTIONS @Rebecca Lark | MENTIONING Aly, Pericles, Finnegan
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"How have you been?" A silvered side-eye passed briefly over the younger brunette's features before returning their gaze to the preparations. While she had no desire to strong-arming Becca into a conversation against her will, Evelynn did have every intention to make the prospect as inviting as possible despite the autumn chill as afternoon waved and evening crept ever closer. Firelight glowed with a permeating warmth from a large mason jar between them, the same trick Evelynn frequently employed to stave off the frost while spectating the broom sports during Hogwarts' chillier months. "I watched your game this past weekend. Gryffindor will be hard-pressed when their time comes to face Ravenclaw, I fear."
She busied herself with a large napkin, arranging a variety of cheeses and nuts and berries and whatever small easily nicked snackables that she was able to pilfer from the kitchens to lure the athletic under-classman. The first games of the year may have concluded, but that generally only meant an up-tick in practices, and Evelynn knew from experience how voracious an appetite those could stoke. And universally, the prospect of readily attainable and delicious food seemed to be the easiest way to attract and hold someone's interest.
Even with such preparations--or perhaps because of them--Evelynn could only hope she wasn't being too transparent. Not that she was trying to be duplicitous or anything. A certain fondness for the Finnegan counterpart had developed quite readily during the summer camp, and in many ways, Becca had become something of a younger sister. Or at least a second cousin once removed whose family dropped them off for babysitting now and again out of convenience. Either way, Evelynn desired nothing more than safety and security for the girl. But for the lioness, there was more at stake than just a simple catching up. Becca was in the unique position of remaining frustratingly close to those whom Evelynn had thought to be friends.
@Aly Salinger and @Finnegan Connor had been evasive and avoidant ever since the start of school. It had been a little while before Evelynn had really noticed, attributing the distance simply to start-of-school upheaval and functioning under the assumption that routine would return once everyone had settled into their schedules and electives. But Finnegan had changed dorms, and Aly always seemed to be taking her leave just as Evelynn showed up; both often having excuses prepared as to why they couldn't speak when passing in the hallway. Even shared classes hardly afforded Evelynn the opportunity to pin Aly down. As far as she knew, there had been no falling out with either of them, and neither seemed to offer definitive affirmation that there was, in fact, a problem. So the Gryffindor was left wondering if she was imagining it, forced to function under the assumption that they were just busy, and ensuring the same for herself.
As a result, she'd grown ever closer with @Pericles Dralt. A sort of unspeakable uncertainty continued to trail their path after the cantankerous encounter following the Mistletoe Spin even after apologies had been spoken to make up for it, but it seemed as though a silent agreement had been struck to persist. Whether in denial or stubborness or simply a mutual desire not to let the past define the future, Evelynn wouldn't have been able to say. Regardless, it seemed as though their friendship was well on route to full reparation.
They had returned to sharing runs around the lake most mornings; taking breakfasts together; pairing up in class whenever Gryffindor and Ravenclaw received simultaneous instruction; holing up in the library to study and complete assignments. Conversations often orbited strategies for duelling, or speculations for broom racing challenges with encouragement and assurances for Pericles' efforts to join the ranks of Ravenclaw's Broom Racing team. They might reminisce about summer camp, or find Evelynn explaining (sometimes again) various objects and concepts he'd encountered while visiting her very muggle home at the start of the summer. Though most of the time, it centered around academia.
Yet, even that seemed to be unraveling. For nearly a week, things had been.. different. While he wasn't outright avoiding her, not in the same way that she had caught both Aly and Finnegan suspiciously about-face to pace in the opposite direction as soon as she entered a hall, she couldn't help but feel much the same as she had after the Spin. The conversations died quickly. There was no enthusiasm in his engagement. With the exception of classroom time when he really had no other choice, there was an increasing flow of excuses as to why he couldn't meet up for a jog, or was too occupied to study at the library. He seemed to have become exceptionally capable of keeping himself otherwise occupied, and the tone with which he spoke had shifted. Sterile propriety, she would have called it. The same sort she'd heard him use when politely trying to extract himself from an unwanted conversation without causing offense.
It had only been a few days, but already she was feeling hesitant him out, or ask if he wanted to meet up to go over that week's lectures. Never did she feel so alone than when she was sitting next to him. The little devil on her shoulder now starting to whisper the notion that she'd been foolish to let herself be pulled into that little nest. She should have put up more of a fight last year as they coaxed her out from hiding. Her own company wasn't much better. But at least she showed up for herself. Most of the time.
And yet...
Here she was, compelled to reach out to the last of the group who would actually--hopefully--give her the time of day. Despite the venomous thoughts and self-pity, Evelynn hadn't been able to completely quash the notion that perhaps there was something greater afoot. Or maybe it was just futile hope that she wasn't the common denominator in all of the relationships falling apart around her. If she could pull on this last connection.. extort one little bird for twitterings and tweets of things awry.. there had to be something more going on? Surely Evelynn couldn't have been the only one affected by the sudden changes in behaviour.
...right?
"I imagine quidditch practices have made it difficult to keep up with football," Evelynn suggested, trying to pluck gently at the perimeter of her concerns without making the inquiries yet-to-come too obvious. "Has Finnegan been showing you any new tricks in demand of mastery?"
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STA | 10 STR | 2 EVA | 17 WIS | 15 ARC | 10 ACC | 17
STA | 10 STR | 2 EVA | 17 WIS | 15 ARC | 10 ACC | 17
keen eye fearless impartial wandmaker animagus spellspread
16 Oct 2024, 20:01
Said the Nightingale to the Lark
⋄ Banner made by Aly Salinger ⋄
⋄ October 13th, 2024; Late Afternoon | Great Lake ⋄
⋄ Interactions: @Evelynn Decipio | Mentions: @Finnegan Connor ⋄
𝒜 complicated question grown simpler with time and and steady supply of Dreamless Sleep. When she answered, "I've been good," it didn't feel like a lie. She hadn't flunked out of school, she was co-captain of the Quidditch team, and September had been almost blissfully uneventful. April felt very far away, and even with the approach of the upcoming Fall Ball, Finnegan's promise that he wouldn't be attending left her feeling maybe as content as she ever had been at Hogwarts.
She missed summer dearly; she felt as though she'd hardly gotten any at all, especially with so much of it taken by summer camp's winter theme, and now it was already October. The chill was once again returning to her bones, where she knew from experience it would settle in and refuse all attempts at extradition until the latter days of spring. She'd brought a blanket with her today, and had wrapped herself up inside of it as she sat across from Evelynn, huddled up close to the Mason jar like a baby chick under a heat lamp.
Easy to please - and even easier to anger, but best of luck to you should you ever say that to her face - Bex perked right up at the mention of Quidditch, a pleased flush on her face from Evelynn's assertion that she'd not only watched their first game with her as co-captain, but had thought they'd done well. "I'm excited to play Finn again, though it would be nice if I actually got to play. Is it mean to hope some my teammates get knocked out?"
A more aware girl perhaps would have spared a thought to being wary of the redhead's motives for supplying the assortment of trail mix-esque snacks that Evelynn had brought her, as if Bex was a small, avian god in need of bird feeder offerings to keep her from destroying the village, but Bex merely munched on them happily, all of her higher level brain power devoted to the converstion of Quidditch. Evelynn had taken an immense amount of care in catering towards Bex's specific needs and personality quirks when arranging this meeting: she'd prepared to keep her warm, fed, and let her ramble about Quidditch to her heart's desire. Bex ought to have been suspicious, but the twelve-year-old possessed a distressing lack of guile. What a pleasant afternoon she was having with Evelynn Decipio.
There had been an unprecedented level of interpersonal drama in her friend group these past few weeks, exactly none of which Bex had done even the basest courtesy of noticing. What a privilege it was to still be in everyone's good graces; all was well in Becca-town.
Of everyone in their little ragtag group, Evelynn was the one she knew the least, but perhaps also the one she admired the most. To know something dulls the sparkle a little, as a mystery solved is rarely one you're inclined to return to. She admired Pericles and Aly both, in different ways, but that admiration was tempered by their more sibling-esque relationship. (Finnegan, though she adored him, typically inspired feelings more remniscent of exasperation, rather than admiration.) Evelynn was a different sort of creature entirely, having held herself two steps removed from the group at large for such a long while that it had made her endlessly cool and mysterious in Becca's eyes. Where known truth may be lacking, elaborate and outlandish speculation was always more than happy to fill in the blanks.
Needless to say, it was very exciting to have been invited to a one-on-one hang-out sesh with the older girl.
"My mum sends me updates on how Leeds is doing every week, but I miss getting to actually watch the matches with her. And I miss getting to play, all summer my old teammates were posting on Insta about tournaments I didn't get to go to." She loved Quidditch, but it felt as if she'd had to trade one for the other, another small piece of self given up for a life she hadn't asked for.
"Finn's cracker at tricks, I don't usually try them myself, though. Last week he was trying to figure out the Okocha, but he tripped and knocked out two of his teeth and had to go see the Nurse. I told him I thought he looked better that way, but I don't think he agreed."
25 Oct 2024, 21:37
Said the Nightingale to the Lark
⋖ 13/Oct/2024 @ late afternoon | ENGLISH [#715380] | FRENCH [#b654a9] ⋗
INTERACTIONS @Rebecca Lark | MENTIONING Pericles, Finnegan
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On those few occasions when Evelynn had mourned the lonely existence of being a single child, it was often a younger sister that would come to mind to fill that void. Someone near enough in age that their life stages overlapped for common ground. Someone with enough shared interests to facilitate an interesting conversation or actual enjoyment during an afternoon of shared activities. Someone different enough that the lioness wouldn't just be looking into a mirror and competing with a doppleganger. And if she was being completely honest with herself, someone whose weaknesses aligned with Evelynn's strengths so that she could impart her knowledge and share her expertise--and maybe feel a bit of a superiority dopamine rush while she was at it.
Someone like Rebecca.
The two girls weren't close, not in the same way the young eaglet had bonded with Pericles, but the summer had done wonders to break down certain barriers and provide the resources to build tolerance--and daresay, perhaps even certain levels of fondness. Much like Finnegan, Rebecca had a certain obnoxious persistence about her that towed the line of endearing. Once desensitization set in, it was easy to dismiss her convoluted notions as quirky character traits, and the chaos of her impulsive speech certainly left no room for boredom at the meal table. There was a certain comfort in the noise of it all, and with its absence in the wake of both Aly and Pericles' increasing avoidance, the silence had become deafening.
Amusement glimmered in the smile that creased as Rebecca settled swiftly near the flame and helped herself to the variety of munchables. Palming a few pieces of cheese herself, Evelynn leaned her weight against her other hand in partial repose. The way the younger girl happily dove into the offering was satisfying in a way that went beyond the short-winded smugness of a trap well sprung. It was good to see her animated and eating well, comfort derived in participating in providing sustenance for her. A lazy sort of smile embellished her relaxed expression as the topic of Quidditch took off. While it had been employed more as an opener for a deeper conversation, it wasn't as though it wasn't a topic to which Evelynn naturally gravitated. Having now stepped down twice from the Gryffindor team--the most recent occasion after only a single devastating match--one might draw the conclusion that she was well and truly divorced from the sport. But the truth was that she missed it. Nostalgia of their win streak and her role as Captain rang strong. She missed the wind in her hair and the adrenaline of the hunt, the rush of victory whenever she narrowly avoided an incoming bludger. She missed the competition and the training.
"No," she replied without trying to subdue a sly grin. "It is not mean. I had the great fortune of being a first-string seeker nearly from the start when I first joined the Gryffindor team. We went six and one, if memory serves. That sort of record brings with it a certain expectation and confidence in one's own skills and ability to contribute to a victory. When I rejoined the team last term, however, I had to sit the bench." She paused to slip a piece of cheese between her lips. "To sit there, helpless, as teammates were struck from the sky one by one, believing whole-heartedly that if I could just be permitted to join their ranks and pick up the hunt for the snitch, I might have been able to secure the win despite the odds... It was aggravating. More than once, I hoped for Cox to be knocked clean from their broom. So I understand entirely. Really, it is because of that inability to do anything about the outcome of the game that I felt compelled to rejoin duelling instead.."
When talk of quidditch was traded for football, Evelynn's expression took on a more somber slant. "It is strange, no? The way the world we were brought into suddenly becomes irrelevant in so many ways once you start your education at Hogwarts. And yet we must return to it every summer, jarred to exist again in a completely different set of rules, resigned to have to lie to those we used to love, watch from the outside as they progress in a life that we will never again be able to fully embrace." The need to straddle both muggle and wizarding world was--and would likely always be--a difficult task. There were times Evelynn wished she could have given it all up and returned to Windermere, to feign ignorance in order to persist as a normal child. Or better yet, plead to be Obliviated. More often, she succumbed to the temptation to try to cut ties with it entirely.
"Sometimes I think I was one of the luckier ones. It was easy to transition from one boarding school to another. As focused as I was on grades even as a child and given the transitory nature of my mother's career, I never really had the opportunity to develop strong friendships. Only the odd acquaintance. And since our guardians are permitted awareness, there has never been an issue. But it can be difficult to look to the future when tethered to the past. Although.." She canted her head to the side, and shrugged a brow. "I will admit I wish I could have continued riding. I have nearly lost my seat entirely, and since the season overlaps with the school term, I have not been able to compete."
"You could always start a football club here, though," Evelynn suggested. "It would hardly be the same, I know, but it might dull the ache and you would have tournament stories of your own to be able to share with your friends."
As for the tidbit regarding Finn, Evelynn tried not to look too interested. "Did he? He has recovered now, I gather?" She couldn't recall having seen him recently. Of course that was part of the reason she had lured Rebecca for a more personal gathering in the first place. "I hope he is putting as much effort into practicing his casting as he is his tricks.. Do you two ever study together?"
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STA | 10 STR | 2 EVA | 17 WIS | 15 ARC | 10 ACC | 17
STA | 10 STR | 2 EVA | 17 WIS | 15 ARC | 10 ACC | 17
keen eye fearless impartial wandmaker animagus spellspread