Finished Practice Makes Perfect... PV Aodhan Shaw

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Just what on earth did he eat earlier? It was not often that Aodhan was forced to practically run to the school bathrooms, especially considering his rather small diet and correspondingly slim physique. In great contrast to his personality, he was surprisingly careful about whatever happened to enter his mouth, being particular about small things like taste, scent, and texture. So with that in mind, shouldn't he have smelled if something was off with his lunch? Or was his body simply lagging behind due to being forced into a chair for hours on end, listening to professors drone on and on? He supposed that much was reasonable. Fortunately, he was able to relieve himself in one of the few stalls present. The noticeable lack of pains and gurgling in his stomach felt like a blessing, a reminder to appreciate the days in which he was able to function at full capacity. He would likely forget all about said "reminder" within the coming week, but that was then, and this was now. With a sigh of relief, Aodhan exited his stall of choice and walked up to the sink directly across from it, washing his hands while humming the tune of a muggle pop song. As he rinsed soap off his palms, his gaze shifted upwards and onto the mirror before him, catching sight of the way in which his hair—well, jeez, it was a complete mess. Blonde strands stuck out, making him seem more akin to a scarecrow than the presentable, confident boy he was meant to come across as. He clicked his tongue in annoyance before reaching up to remove the dazzling barettes holding back one giant portion, settling them down onto the sink's basin— "Hey Aodhan!" The sound initially caused him to pause, and then turn with an eyebrow quirked upwards in confusion. This was short-lived, however, as his expression quickly brightened upon seeing exactly who called him. "Panny! Nice to see you—" he took a moment to eye the other's attire before continuing, "... in non-bread clothing! Even though I think it suits you better." Aodhan couldn't help but tease the other just a little bit, recalling the pajamas Cirrus had on in their Christmas errand. A rather striking first impression it was, even if the Hufflepuff wore a proper suit to the New Year's Eve party they also both attended. "Hey, do you think the kitchen elves try poisoning our food sometimes? 'Cause I just had the worst half hour of my life. Maybe they're trying to start a revolt, or whatever, and this is just the beginning. How can anyone fight back if they're—oh, poop." He was forced to cut himself off as his eyes widened in alarm, for the mere idea of human excretions forced him to realize one vital detail: he may, or may not, have forgotten to flush. Without saying more, the young wizard went back to the stall he was originally in, brows furrowed and hopes high that his body's habits came through where his brain clearly did not.

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The universe was smiling down on Aodhan, it seemed, as a quick peek into the toilet bowl revealed that he did remember to flush. Thank goodness. Having to rush back was already embarrassing enough; he really didn't need anything more added to his plate. "Um... Ye okay?" Unconsciously, he waved off the comment, just to realize that Cirrus couldn't actually see him do that with their current position. Right. He quickly turned and pushed open the stall door, soon poking his head out with a relaxed smile. First rule of Aodhan's Guide to Excellence—there was no issue if you acted like it didn't exist to begin with. "Yeah, yeah, I'm alright. Just needed to check out something. No biggie," he answered before gesturing for Cirrus to take a step back. Regardless of being provided the extra space or not, he'd step into the open and perform a quick stretch, giving his brain a moment to review his current options. Considering the time he spent in the Great Hall, followed by his bathroom adventures, there was surely another hour or so before the free period could end. And that meant he could either be responsible and catch up on homework, or give himself actual reason to enjoy the day and doodle in his sketchbook. Well, that was a no-brainer. Doodling it was. But first, there was an acquaintance to deal with. "Anyway, Sir Bread! Resident connoisseur of all that is... wheat..." he faltered upon looking at Cirrus, really looking at him, and catching the exhaustion that clung to the other's frame. Were his eyes always that dull? And graceless was a concept practically synonymous with Cirrus, however, was it always this prevalent? With his hands hiding within his pockets, his body language so closed off? It caused Aodhan to hum and tap his chin. For a second, he was forced to debate if asking was worth his time. Nothing against the brunette, of course, but they'd only interacted a handful of times thus far. That was certainly not enough to spark much care for the other first year. Not yet, at least. Still... what if this was an opportunity for entertainment? What could Cirrus present him with? "Actually, forget about me. Are you doing okay?" he eventually gave in and asked, brow raised in curiosity.

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When Cirrus reached out, Aodhan wasn't sure what to do. He could sense the other's hand mess around with his hair, trying to control the disobedient mess that it was, and immediately felt his body almost lock up in response. It took a great deal of willpower to look unbothered, and those really were the keywords—to look, to predominantly play the part, because his twitching eye was a dead giveaway to anyone perceptive enough. No wonder the badger before him was friends with Gekko—both of them were touchy in their own peculiar ways. But at least Cirrus had the decency to not assault his person with any offending digits, and instead chose a more... gentle approach. The kind he'd expect from his own mother, which was still weird, but not nearly as troublesome. So yes, Aodhan let it slide and continued moving the conversation along. In return, he received a fascinating response. A subtle retreat. A stutter. Then, a hand eventually revealing the barrettes carelessly gifted to him by Meiyu, which was not at all something that demanded such awkward reactions. He openly stared at the taller boy who seemed nervous for all the wrong reasons, an exaggerated shyness that was not part of Cirrus's character. That is, not from what the blonde himself could remember. Either this guy was hiding something, or Aodhan's presence had become so extravagant that other people fell to pieces just by socializing with him. Or for the sake of his ego, maybe both things were true? Regardless, the young wizard reached out to grab his possession, and was fully prepared to start a game of twenty questions after the fact. However, his peer was just too quick—by the time Aodhan's lips cracked apart, the other student was already throwing out more words. Something about not getting sleep and having another class? The most generic answers known to man. Though, perhaps that was good enough. In what wasn't said, the brunette ultimately admitted that something was going on. Something hidden underneath the underneath. And with his curiosity piqued, it was something that would motivate Aodhan to keep an eye on Cirrus in the future... if it chose to stay within his goldfish-like memory. "Sure, whatever you say," he said noncommittally, an odd smile decorating his face, "I'll be seeing you! 'Stay Crispy,' yeah?" Unfortunately, he wasn't even sure Cirrus heard him with how fast they exited the bathroom, but that was okay. He'd let the strange Hufflepuff go without any hassle. For now.

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