Stuck, Metaphorically, Literally
Date: December 28thThere were always multiple ways to look at a situation. In many ways being abandoned by your fathers who were off galivanting in Japan was a massive punch to the gut and should be dealt with by wallowing in self pity but that was not a productive chain of thought. No the far more useful and positive way to look at the situation was to spin it in a new light. Matthew Campbell may have spent Christmas almost entirely alone but he was also in a magic school and with the added bonus of much of the aristocratic pure blood pricks being home to their snooty parents and balls he was relatively free to explore the castle at his leisure.
Exploring, like this, brought a new semblance of peace to the young muggleborns heart. Rather than trying to avoid looking lost and confused as to not spur the ridicule of others he found himself wandering with full curiosity on show stalking each and every hall now void of most life and feeling completely at ease as he did. Only the young boy was never particularly good at being at ease, no every report card since primary had spoke of the well studied, quiet boy, who had too much energy than was good for him. Sitting still was not his way, his mind always burned a little too ferociously and required an outpour. Likely that, mixed with the distaste he formed for his rude fellow students, pranks had become a pastime of his.
It had been what felt like a millennium since his last, having gotten too caught up in the world of magic he had almost forgotten the thrill of it. Like buzzing electricity pulsing through every cell in his skin frying him back to life. Matthew was no friend to the majority of Slytherin house but whether they wanted him or not he was a member and as unfortunate as it was he was still expected to participate in house pride. Justifying his actions to himself he decided that that was the only reason he decided to prank the other houses, it had nothing to do with wanting to feel accepted by those that never would, nothing at all so he should simply put the thought to rest.
Delusional yet shaking with anticipation he gathered the necessary supplies and made his way to the Gryffindor common room entrance. The picture of the woman was quite chatty and despite his Slytherin attire they had struck up friendly conversations a number of times after realising he hadn't come searching for the Gryffindor tower but rather to meet her having read about her infamy in 'Hogwarts A History'. Truly the book was a must read for all muggleborn students and why the purebloods curled their noses up at it so much just made him laugh harder at their ignorance. Matthew probably knew more about the school that most of them combined. When she had revealed to him what she guarded he had simply shrugged and continued on the conversation abut her life before the painting much to her own amusement.
Now, however, such a piece of information had become a goldmine. Though in all actuality the Gryffindors weren't exactly known for their secrecy if anything they were so obnoxiously loud on occasion it was hard to believe they weren't part lion themselves. Not to mention that his best friend the previous year had been a Gryffindor, life without her had diminished his light a little and he found himself avoiding the house too saddened by memories of her. Sneaking up, back to the wall he made sure to avoid the sight of 'The Fat Lady' a rather stupid name if you asked him but nonetheless belonging to her. Taking out his wand he unscrewed the mason jar of glue he had collected and began to levitate some over bit by bit until the stone below was lathered with enough to stick a seventh year down.
Ready to sneak away he giggled before a more devious idea crossed his mind. After all what was a prank without a moniker, people had to know who exactly was to blame. Given he had targeted Gryffindor first Slytherin would get the blame regardless but it was always good to leave a calling card. Incanting precisely as he drew his wand in the intricate movement he spoke almost a hiss rather than a whisper, "Serpensortia" Suddenly writing around in the glue was a large green snake. Giggling mostly pleased that it had worked, it always felt good to spite Salazar, he began to dart away. Only not a moment after he had turned the portrait began to swing open and catching a glimpse of a girl that couldn't be any older than him he froze to the spot.
The spell he had cast was mastered only from his dedication to the craft, it was a year above and if he was right and this girl truly was younger than him she wouldn't have any means of stopping it. Perhaps this whole idea had been royally stupid, pranks in primary were harmless but magic most certainly was not. Beginning to turn very red in the face he turned back preparing to cast as he went and waiting for the screams that no doubt would come any second.
Interacting with @Ula Takahashi
Last edited by Matthew Campbell on 13 Apr 2025, 14:47, edited 2 times in total.
| Nikolai Volka // "Light, light: do not go | I sing you this song and I will sing another as well." // Matthew Campbell |
Stuck, Metaphorically, Literally
TIME | 22:51
DATE | December 28th, 2024
INTERACTING |@Matthew Campbell
00:35⠀─── ◉ ───────⠀02:34
#B68EA7 | DIALOGUE
@Meiyu Xiang| MENTIONING
There was one thing on Ula's mind as she shoved her way out of the common room: getting out before she started hexing people for sport.
Christmas break at Hogwarts meant the castle was emptier than usual, the usual chaos of Gryffindor Tower dimmed to something softer, almost peaceful. Almost. Because even with most of the school gone, the few students who had stayed behind were still somehow too much. The common room was stuffy, the fire too warm, and someone had just started another dramatic retelling of a Quidditch match she did not care about. It was either leave or start setting things on fire. And Ula knew she wasn't technically supposed to be out after curfew. She knew the rules. She just didn't care. What were they gonna do? Give her detention? Make her write lines? Oh no, how terrible. She'd take the risk if it meant getting some air.
She had stayed over the holidays because home was… well, not an option. Her mother had flown to Japan to visit her wretched family, and her father Kian—an actor with far too much ambition and far too little time—had opted to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve schmoozing with co-stars and celebrities, hoping to land a role that would finally cement his name as big. Ula wasn't surprised. She wasn't even mad, really. It was just how things were.
She had almost resigned herself to spending New Year's completely alone when an unexpected invitation arrived. A letter, folded neatly, signed with careful strokes of ink. An invitation to a New Year's Eve party from Meiyu's grandmother. That had caught her off guard. Completely. Meiyu was a fellow Gryffindor, a dormmate, the same girl Ula helped dying her hair cherry-red in an abandoned toilet. Their relationship was…weird. They weren't exactly friends, but they weren't not friends either. And yet, somehow, Ula had received an invite to a formal event hosted by Meiyu's grandmother. A pureblood grandmother at that. The whole thing was so surreal that Ula had read the letter three times just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. But no—each time, the words remained the same, neatly penned, proper and polite. Still, that wasn't until New Year's. Which meant she had days of mind-numbing boredom to deal with before then.
Pushing past the Fat Lady's portrait, Ula stepped into the dimly lit corridor, breathing in the cool, slightly dusty air of the castle. Finally. Freedom. Or at least as much freedom as one could get when stuck in a massive enchanted fortress crawling with nosy paintings, ghosts, and prefects who took their jobs way too seriously.
She barely took three steps before something went wrong. Her Mary Janes landed with an unnatural, wet squelch, and when she instinctively tried to take another step forward—she couldn't. With her brows furrowed, she pulled at her foot, harder this time. And yet, still nothing.
"What the fuc—"
And then she heard it. The soft, slick rustling of something alive and her gaze snapped downward. There was a snake writhing barely a foot away. A big, thick, very real green snake, its body gliding over the cold stone floor, its head slowly lifting as if sensing prey.
Ula didn't think. She acted.
With sharp, vicious instinct, she yanked her wand free from her robes—not to cast, but to use it as a weapon. Her muscles coiled, and in one brutal motion, she stabbed down. The wood of her wand pierced into the serpent's body, slamming it against the stone. The thing thrashed violently, tail coiling and snapping in its final spasms before finally going still.
The corridor was eerily silent.
Ula's breathing was steady, controlled—but her grip was white-knuckled on her wand, still driven deep into the limp, green body. Then, slowly, her eyes lifted and that's when she saw him—he was a figure standing just beyond the torchlight, half-hidden in the shadows. A dark haired Slytherin boy—a very guilty-looking one at that. His face was burning red, his entire body rigid, like he couldn't quite decide whether to bolt or pretend this wasn't his fault. Ula exhaled sharply through her nose.
"You," she started, voice dangerously soft. "Come closer. I don't bite" she said as she wrenched her wand free from the dead serpent's body, flicking off a bit of blood, all while sporting a smirk on her doll-like face. Her feet were still glued to the floor, but at the moment, that was secondary.
Because she was going to kill this guy first.
coded by charisse
Stuck, Metaphorically, Literally
Date: December 28thMatthew's eyes flashed wild with terror. The act he had just seen was permanently seared into his skull, burned into the most intense part of his processing. Matthew didn't like to use the word crazy, it was derogatory and steeped in history of negating mental health to lunacy but when as his breath hitched and he found himself a prey among predators he had no better words to describe. Of course she didn't actually expect him to come closer but something about her doll like features being unphased in what she had done sent shivers up and down his spine.
Matthew had to get out of here and quick. Her gentil features were nothing more than a mask, he had clearly been caught and they both knew it. For a split second he almost considered conjuring another but the creatures stood no chance against her villainy. The smartest strategy was to run, to put as much physical distance between himself and the girl while the glue still imprisoned her feet. That was the intellectual move, but that was only a quick solution. In the long term she'd eventually find him, whether at a meal or outside his own common room. Running was short term self preservation, but that wasn't nearly enough. Actions have consequences, and facing them was key to survival.
Grip tightening around the wand in is hand he moved up towards her making sure to keep just enough room between them from her stuck position so that her wand may not gauge him too. Pointing the cherry wood towards the now stilled creature he muttered the incantation, "Vipera Evanesca." As quickly as the snake had been summoned its form began to flicker and fade out of existence. Removing any evidence of either of their crimes. Watching her all the while he did so with a careful, cunning stare. Measured with enough intrigue as to hide his initial shock at her actions. The ingenuity to protect herself was actually rather impressive and had he not feared he would be next he might have praised her for it. Though the poor snake hardly deserved its punishment.
Taking her in from a safe distance he leaned casually against the wall and said, "I somehow doubt you don't bite given I just bore witness to your base survival instincts. I suppose it is very fitting for a Gryffindor to choose fight over flight. Not that you had much choice." Despite the girls clear threat he somehow found the whole ordeal amusing, perhaps he was just looking for anything to distract from the fact he was alone this Christmas for the first time in his life. Regardless he kept his wand ready but didn't falter, the initial shock and fear had worked through his system and now he simply found the girl intriguing.
Having not interacted with many Gryffindors he had always wondered about their like. Matthew never exactly fit the vision of a stereotypical Slytherin but he had nonetheless developed a predilection to see the lions as an opposition to him. Many of the red and gold dripped students seemed to look down on his house and for many reasons they were right to, but it had left him flung in with a house that didn't even want him. Matthew supposed the act he witnessed could be a testament to bravery but it also stood as a testament of cruelty, for one could have merely levitated the snake away. Beneath the surface of the girl before him he wondered if she may be better suited to his green attire. A snake hiding in the lion's den. If he was right perhaps she was even convincible, "So where do we go from here? I was headed to Ravenclaw next, are you going to fight me or join me?"
Interacting with @Ula Takahashi
| Nikolai Volka // "Light, light: do not go | I sing you this song and I will sing another as well." // Matthew Campbell |