12 Feb 2025, 22:48
Breadcrumbing
12 February, 2025. Evening.
It was a beautiful evening, the cold weather parting ways to reveal a warm, partly cloudy day, the sun trying to peek out through the surrounding treetops. It was as if France was trying to welcome, giving them a lovely evening to enjoy. The bitter wind reddened her nose and tips of her fingertips, but couldn't keep Haven inside. She sat on a blanket on one of the benches on Beauxbâtons' grounds, curled up in a warm sweater, one of the fountains shimmering in her peripheral. The creatures seemed to be enjoying the nice weather, the ducks swimming in circles and splashing about. She loved watching them, the way their tails wiggled as they dove under the water was so cute. She should've brought some snacks for them, but the thought hadn't crossed her mind until now.
For once, she had completed her homework early, giving her the entire evening off, save for a bit of practicing she'd probably have to do for duelling. Some of the others were participating in a pen pal event, but Haven opted not to and to enjoy the French landscape instead. So for now, she was focused on the hobby her mother had introduced her to: crochet. It had been a long and difficult process to get there, but Haven finally had a rectangle made. She wasn't quite sure what it was going to be yet, but hey, it was something! It was nice to be able to truly see her improvements.
The wind picked up, whipped across the gardens, chilling her a little. Maybe this should be a blanket, she thought to herself, digging in her bag to pull out her duck hat and pulling it over her cold ears before returning to her crochet.
Aw man, I lost count! With a sigh, she started painstakingly counting her stitches to regain her place.
@Koko Riddle
13 Feb 2025, 00:36
Breadcrumbing
RPing as Cyrus Alexander Darsel (Ilvermorny iNPC)
The 'fit: cargo shorts, a Tommy Hilfiger jumper & Michael Jordans
Despite a lingering chill in the air, glittering sunlight had drawn Cyrus away from the predictable safety of the cabins and towards the great outdoors of France. In his cargo shorts and Tommy Hilfiger jumper, the boy meandered through path after path, fingers brushing against rough bits of mountainous stone, lips quirking up at the corners every time he thought he saw a creature hiding in the snow.
He still had to avert his gaze from birds in the sky, from the rustle of feathers, from silhouettes against the clouds. But he could crack a smile at a bird hopping along the ground, a worm hanging lopsidedly out of its mouth like a strange-coloured, savoury gummi worm. He reached into one of his pockets and produced some breadcrumbs, which he sprinkled in the direction of the bird. 'Here, free food.'
His Michael Jordan tennis shoes squeaked against moist dirt and grass as his jaunt shifted in time with the bird's awkward little hops. He followed the bird in a strange sort of dance until he was overlooking a nearby fountain. The wind whipped stronger here, causing his curls to fly everywhere, and he shoved some of his hair out of his eyes before his gaze caught on some swimming ducks — oh, yes, this was even better than one lonesome bird. From one of the pockets of his cargo shorts, he produced torn-off pieces of baguette in true French fashion, and he crept closer to the fountain, a quaint pspspspsps emanating from his pursed lips.
One duck swam closer, and he dropped a small piece of bread towards it. Only then did he notice the human with the duck hat. He nearly dropped his baguette in awe of her hat. Scrambling over to her, crumbled pieces of bread in his hands, he bounced giddily on his toes. 'Oh golly goose, your hat!' He grinned. 'That's amazing, where'd you buy it!? And what are you making!?'
He still had to avert his gaze from birds in the sky, from the rustle of feathers, from silhouettes against the clouds. But he could crack a smile at a bird hopping along the ground, a worm hanging lopsidedly out of its mouth like a strange-coloured, savoury gummi worm. He reached into one of his pockets and produced some breadcrumbs, which he sprinkled in the direction of the bird. 'Here, free food.'
His Michael Jordan tennis shoes squeaked against moist dirt and grass as his jaunt shifted in time with the bird's awkward little hops. He followed the bird in a strange sort of dance until he was overlooking a nearby fountain. The wind whipped stronger here, causing his curls to fly everywhere, and he shoved some of his hair out of his eyes before his gaze caught on some swimming ducks — oh, yes, this was even better than one lonesome bird. From one of the pockets of his cargo shorts, he produced torn-off pieces of baguette in true French fashion, and he crept closer to the fountain, a quaint pspspspsps emanating from his pursed lips.
One duck swam closer, and he dropped a small piece of bread towards it. Only then did he notice the human with the duck hat. He nearly dropped his baguette in awe of her hat. Scrambling over to her, crumbled pieces of bread in his hands, he bounced giddily on his toes. 'Oh golly goose, your hat!' He grinned. 'That's amazing, where'd you buy it!? And what are you making!?'
Date: 12 February 2025
Time: Evening
Location: Beauxbâtons
Private to: @Haven Bohannon
[pc] koko riddle · 'i was raised up to be admired.'
'hey! bom bom bom. got any grapes?' · cyrus darsel [inpc]
13 Feb 2025, 01:01
Breadcrumbing
12 February, 2025. Evening.
"Fifteen... sixteen..." Haven counted aloud, finding her place again and continuing the loops around her hook, finishing off the row. She turned it around to examine it, letting out a huff. It wasn't looking very good so far. She didn't understand how her mother could be so good at it, and then she not inherit any of the ability. A total gene flop.
She looked back out to the fountain, a bit surprised to find someone else over there this time, though understandably so, considering the rarity of a day such as this. This nice of weather in the middle of winter would be welcome from anyone. He was bent over the water, much like he was about to jump in, though Haven didn't think anyone was crazy enough to go swimming this early in the season (though she did once willingly sign up for a swim- a polar plunge- in the middle of winter, so who was she to judge?) but upon further inspection, she saw the ducks coming up to him. So either he was a duck whisperer, or he was feeding them. Either way, Haven smiled before turning back to her crochet project.
It wasn't long before she was interrupted, and gladly so, seeing how it was going, by someone complimenting her hat. The cargo shorts, the jumper... it was the duck-feeding boy. She met his eyes and- oh.
He had nice eyes.
Haven's face instantly reddened as she struggled to find the words, lost in his genuine smile. He looked... really nice.
Finally, the words caught up to her, spilling past the buffer in her brain, overflowing against her will. "Thank you! I didn't actually buy it anywhere, my mom made it for me. Though I guess she bought the pattern for it, so probably etsy, though I'd have to ask her to be certain about that, I'm not really sure. I could probably get you a copy of the pattern if you wanted, if you know how to crochet, that is. That's what I'm trying to do. My mom tried teaching me how to crochet, and I'm starting to figure it out, though it isn't going very well, and..." she help up the lopsided shape. "...this is supposed to just be a square." It definitely had more than four sides. "I'm not very good at it yet."
Now, her brain and her mouth were back on the same page, though the blush had still not completely faded from her face... and her neck, and her arms. She was talking too much, blabbering yet again. "Um..." she said in placeholder, trying to find something to say that wasn't complete nonsense. "What are you doing?"
Haven knew the answer to that question, she saw him feeding the ducks, and she thought knowing that fact probably only deepened her crush a little bit. She, too, had a fondness for feeding the ducks, though he probably didn't know that. She didn't recognize him- he looked to be about her age, maybe older, but hadn't seen him around Hogwarts at all. He was likely also visiting Beauxbâtons for the week... but she couldn't help but daydream a little, maybe he had just transferred to Hogwarts after spending years researching ducks on a duck farm or something, and she'd be seeing him again all the time. Maybe he could even speak duck! Or... at least speak to her, that would be quite nice, she decided.
Someone had fallen hard and fast.
@Koko Riddle
13 Feb 2025, 01:14
Breadcrumbing
RPing as Cyrus Alexander Darsel (Ilvermorny iNPC)
The 'fit: cargo shorts, a Tommy Hilfiger jumper & Michael Jordans
Cyrus noted how the red on the girl's face went very well with the red in her hair. She was the type of person who would look very good in a painting or perhaps even a mosaic. The sunlight even made her glow more, lightening her eyes. Every person was a work of art, but a person who also created art? Beautiful.
He listened intently to her words, his grin widening when she said her mother made it for her. Even better was that the word 'etsy' rang true in his brain — he knew what that was! Oh, what a wonderful day! And she said she could get him a copy of the pattern... 'That would be so cool!' He bounced on his feet, fingers moving of their own accord. 'I like to make stuff, clothes especially, although usually I do more designing and sewing than knitting and crocheting. But it's always amazing to try something new!'
He glanced at the fabric in the girl's hands and narrowed his eyes. 'Well, you know what they say. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Maybe it's just on its way to becoming more squarelike. I'm sure you can do it!'
She asked what he was doing, and he held up the now-crumbly pieces of baguette. 'I got this baguette from, uh, this big room in the castle, I don't speak French, and thought the ducks could use some love. If I were a duck, I'd want some baguette pieces. So I was feeding them.' He laughed to himself. 'You can have some of the baguette if you want to try, or if you just like baguettes. I promise I washed my hands.'
Cyrus swayed gently from side to side, not out of boredom but simply because he liked the feeling of moving along with the wind. He couldn't keep his gaze from landing on the girl's hat, and then on her eyes. It was so rare that someone liked ducks as much as he did, or that someone wasn't all brooding and serious like most of the other older kids at the magical schools. This girl, whoever she was, was a breath of fresh air.
'Judging from your accent, you go to Hogwarts? I'm from Ilvermorny. We have lots of ducks.'
He listened intently to her words, his grin widening when she said her mother made it for her. Even better was that the word 'etsy' rang true in his brain — he knew what that was! Oh, what a wonderful day! And she said she could get him a copy of the pattern... 'That would be so cool!' He bounced on his feet, fingers moving of their own accord. 'I like to make stuff, clothes especially, although usually I do more designing and sewing than knitting and crocheting. But it's always amazing to try something new!'
He glanced at the fabric in the girl's hands and narrowed his eyes. 'Well, you know what they say. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Maybe it's just on its way to becoming more squarelike. I'm sure you can do it!'
She asked what he was doing, and he held up the now-crumbly pieces of baguette. 'I got this baguette from, uh, this big room in the castle, I don't speak French, and thought the ducks could use some love. If I were a duck, I'd want some baguette pieces. So I was feeding them.' He laughed to himself. 'You can have some of the baguette if you want to try, or if you just like baguettes. I promise I washed my hands.'
Cyrus swayed gently from side to side, not out of boredom but simply because he liked the feeling of moving along with the wind. He couldn't keep his gaze from landing on the girl's hat, and then on her eyes. It was so rare that someone liked ducks as much as he did, or that someone wasn't all brooding and serious like most of the other older kids at the magical schools. This girl, whoever she was, was a breath of fresh air.
'Judging from your accent, you go to Hogwarts? I'm from Ilvermorny. We have lots of ducks.'
Date: 12 February 2025
Time: Evening
Location: Beauxbâtons
Private to: @Haven Bohannon
[pc] koko riddle · 'i was raised up to be admired.'
'hey! bom bom bom. got any grapes?' · cyrus darsel [inpc]
13 Feb 2025, 01:55
Breadcrumbing
12 February, 2025. Evening.
She turned the blobish shape around in her hands, trying to figure out how to fix it as the boy mentioned how he enjoyed making things. She did too, though she usually wasn't any good at it, so it stopped being fun after a while, although she did her best to give every activity a good chance. Like how she was trying to do now, with crochet, but she was about to simply throw it in the lake. "I sure hope so," she told him, though she had no clue how in the world she was supposed to make it more squarelike. Just keep going and hope for the best, she supposed.
Upon mention of baguette, she did take her eyes off her work, the blush returning to her face. She couldn't look away for too long, though she tried not to make her constant staring super obvious. How long could she look without it being weird?? Did she blink? Oh gosh, she forgot how to blink. Breathe, Haven, breathe! HOW DO YOU BREATHE?
Haven finally managed to struggle some air into her chest with only a slight odd noise. "I would love some baguette," she squeaked out. "Not to eat. For the ducks. Not that I don't like baguettes, or that I think you didn't wash your hands, since you have very nice hands-" what was she saying?! "-but I think the ducks would like it more. I do love feeding the ducks. I wonder if they're here all the time? I mean, maybe not here all the time, it's only a little fountain, and it really does get quite cold. I don't see the ducks all the time at my school, only because I think they might be a little afraid of the giant squid. I know I am, even though I know the chances of him eating me are pretty low. I don't think he eats ducks, either, though. I'm really not sure what he eats. Maybe they feed him?" Although Haven said she didn't want to eat any of the baguette, she did end up taking some and shoving it in her mouth to shut her up. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of him, oh gosh! Though she was probably already doing that. There she went, running her mouth, probably ruining things! People generally thought she talked too much, and oh, she really hoped he didn't think the same.
"Yeah, I do go to Hogwarts," she confirmed, a little bit surprised. She didn't think her Irish accent was super strong, but it was a far cry from his American one, not to mention her mention of the giant squid would probably help him figure it out. "Do you get to feed the ducks there a lot?" She shoved her crochet project back in her bag before starting to walk around the side of the fountain, looking back to ensuring he was coming, too. Haven picked off a little piece of baguette and threw it to the ducks, smiling when they started to crowd around it. "So, are you a sixth year?"
@Koko Riddle
13 Feb 2025, 02:59
Breadcrumbing
RPing as Cyrus Alexander Darsel (Ilvermorny iNPC)
The 'fit: cargo shorts, a Tommy Hilfiger jumper & Michael Jordans
Cyrus nodded encouragingly at the girl when she said she hoped she'd be able to do it. He clapped a bit, too, little golf claps that hopefully weren't too embarrassing. 'I'll help manifest it for you,' he reassured her.
His grin widened when she said she would like some of the baguette. Bouncing on his toes, he sorted out the pieces in his hand the best he could, some crumbs falling to the ground like snow on a white Christmas, and eventually he was offering her about a palmful of pieces of baguette. He listened intently to every word she said, blue eyes caught on hers — the way the sun hit them, illuminating them, wow, he really hadn't taken the time to look at someone's eyes in a while. He couldn't stop the words from coming out: 'I like your eyes.'
But he did need to address the issue of the ducks, too. They mattered, too. 'I guess the ducks are being really brave, being out here in the cold. But it's not too cold today. So it's okay for us.' He gestured to his cargo shorts. 'My legs can handle it. And ducks often tuck their feet into their feathers when they're cold, so I think they'll be okay.' He shrugged almost whimsically, his hair floating around his head in a stray breeze. 'And I don't know what squid eat, either. Probably not ducks. If he eats ducks, he's in for a reckoning; I won't hurt him, but I won't hesitate to give him a piece of my mind next time I'm at Hogwarts.' He leaned closer, and almost conspiratorially, he said softly, 'Ducks are friends, not food.'
He was shaking now. He would've chalked it up to the cold, but his diaphragm hurt a bit, and he found he was laughing, and it wasn't even like he was laughing at his own joke. Something about this girl made him laugh, brought back the joy that had been so hard to feel effortlessly for months. He liked it. He liked it a lot.
Cyrus nodded when she confirmed she went to Hogwarts. 'Oh, cool! What house are you in?'
He nodded enthusiastically when she asked about him feeding ducks. 'Oh yeah. All the time. It's one of my favourite things to do, actually, feeding the ducks. Ducks are like one constant in an ever-changing world. So far, I've never been somewhere without ducks.'
He followed her without even thinking when she began to head towards the edge of the fountain. It was as if his feet moved of their own accord, as if the sunflower boy was moving so that he could be better in the rays of this girl's light. His hands and feet could not rest. He kept moving, bouncing on his toes, fidgeting with the baguette, and his movements increased when the girl fed some of the baguette to the ducks, which moved close to the food. 'Oh, look! They like you.'
I like you.
The thought made his cheeks warm, although he could've pressed the blame onto the sunlight warming the day. But the way his general restlessness now extended to his stomach and made him want to run leaps and bounds around the grounds made him think this was perhaps not so normal. It was not so bad, though. He liked warmth. He hoped he could spend more time around this girl who exuded such warmth and light and strange joy.
Her question of his age startled him out of his reverie. 'Oh, um.' He had to think for a moment. He had been a sixth year once. 'No. Seventh.' He snickered a bit. 'That's gross, though. I'm not sure I want to graduate, sometimes. There's a whole big world out there, you know, and I'm just one guy.' He shrugged and tossed a piece of baguette to the ducks, his already-warm gaze softening as a duckling began to swim after it. 'But the little things matter. If I can make one person smile per day, I guess that's a good enough start for me.'
He glanced sidelong at her while tossing out another piece of baguette. 'You, are you a sixth year? Are you ready to graduate?'
He had so much more he wanted to say, so much more he wanted to know. What did she want to do with her life? Did she know she emitted light that rivalled that of the sun? Was she aware of her radiance?
He was drawn to her, inexplicably. And he wanted to stay here, he realised, by her side, just feeding the ducks, safe and sound.
His grin widened when she said she would like some of the baguette. Bouncing on his toes, he sorted out the pieces in his hand the best he could, some crumbs falling to the ground like snow on a white Christmas, and eventually he was offering her about a palmful of pieces of baguette. He listened intently to every word she said, blue eyes caught on hers — the way the sun hit them, illuminating them, wow, he really hadn't taken the time to look at someone's eyes in a while. He couldn't stop the words from coming out: 'I like your eyes.'
But he did need to address the issue of the ducks, too. They mattered, too. 'I guess the ducks are being really brave, being out here in the cold. But it's not too cold today. So it's okay for us.' He gestured to his cargo shorts. 'My legs can handle it. And ducks often tuck their feet into their feathers when they're cold, so I think they'll be okay.' He shrugged almost whimsically, his hair floating around his head in a stray breeze. 'And I don't know what squid eat, either. Probably not ducks. If he eats ducks, he's in for a reckoning; I won't hurt him, but I won't hesitate to give him a piece of my mind next time I'm at Hogwarts.' He leaned closer, and almost conspiratorially, he said softly, 'Ducks are friends, not food.'
He was shaking now. He would've chalked it up to the cold, but his diaphragm hurt a bit, and he found he was laughing, and it wasn't even like he was laughing at his own joke. Something about this girl made him laugh, brought back the joy that had been so hard to feel effortlessly for months. He liked it. He liked it a lot.
Cyrus nodded when she confirmed she went to Hogwarts. 'Oh, cool! What house are you in?'
He nodded enthusiastically when she asked about him feeding ducks. 'Oh yeah. All the time. It's one of my favourite things to do, actually, feeding the ducks. Ducks are like one constant in an ever-changing world. So far, I've never been somewhere without ducks.'
He followed her without even thinking when she began to head towards the edge of the fountain. It was as if his feet moved of their own accord, as if the sunflower boy was moving so that he could be better in the rays of this girl's light. His hands and feet could not rest. He kept moving, bouncing on his toes, fidgeting with the baguette, and his movements increased when the girl fed some of the baguette to the ducks, which moved close to the food. 'Oh, look! They like you.'
I like you.
The thought made his cheeks warm, although he could've pressed the blame onto the sunlight warming the day. But the way his general restlessness now extended to his stomach and made him want to run leaps and bounds around the grounds made him think this was perhaps not so normal. It was not so bad, though. He liked warmth. He hoped he could spend more time around this girl who exuded such warmth and light and strange joy.
Her question of his age startled him out of his reverie. 'Oh, um.' He had to think for a moment. He had been a sixth year once. 'No. Seventh.' He snickered a bit. 'That's gross, though. I'm not sure I want to graduate, sometimes. There's a whole big world out there, you know, and I'm just one guy.' He shrugged and tossed a piece of baguette to the ducks, his already-warm gaze softening as a duckling began to swim after it. 'But the little things matter. If I can make one person smile per day, I guess that's a good enough start for me.'
He glanced sidelong at her while tossing out another piece of baguette. 'You, are you a sixth year? Are you ready to graduate?'
He had so much more he wanted to say, so much more he wanted to know. What did she want to do with her life? Did she know she emitted light that rivalled that of the sun? Was she aware of her radiance?
He was drawn to her, inexplicably. And he wanted to stay here, he realised, by her side, just feeding the ducks, safe and sound.
Date: 12 February 2025
Time: Evening
Location: Beauxbâtons
Private to: @Haven Bohannon
[pc] koko riddle · 'i was raised up to be admired.'
'hey! bom bom bom. got any grapes?' · cyrus darsel [inpc]
13 Feb 2025, 05:19
Breadcrumbing
12 February, 2025. Evening.
She had absentmindedly been picking pieces off the loaf to feed to the ducks when she heard something that had her stop in her tracks, the ducks letting out a disgruntled quack after they had finished all the bread and noticed she had more but wasn't throwing it to them. But she couldn't believe it. Had she heard that right??
"I like your eyes."
Oh gosh, oh gosh. It was like she forgot how to breathe again. Her face was beet red, and yet, she tried to act all nonchalant about it, thanking him like she wasn't completely totally freaking out on the inside. Was he just saying that to be nice? Surely he couldn't, like, like her, because that would just be silly, and she'd be getting her hopes up, because Haven thought he was cute, and there was absolutely no way he'd think the same thing about her. So she should really just stop thinking about him altogether.
Except she couldn't. She watched the way the wind ruffled his hair, the impassioned way he talked about ducks. Haven didn't even mind the fact that he was wearing cargo shorts in the middle of winter, which she usually thought was quite odd, but then again, she was one to talk. When he leaned in, she could swear she felt her heart stop. He didn't even mind her ramblings, even starting to laugh a little! Haven relaxed a little, a giggle escaping from her own lips.
"Hufflepuff," she told him, regarding her house. "We value loyalty, hardworking, kindness... I've never felt out of place there. Everyone's pretty nice too, though not nearly as friendly as these ducks!" She laughed, looking at how the birds surrounded them. One even tried to steal the bread right out of her hand, startling her and causing her to give a little yelp and stumble back into the boy, grabbing onto his arm to keep her from losing her balance.
"Sorry," she quickly apologized, though she was blushing. He was quite muscular, though his lanky frame tried to hide it. "They must be hungry today! We might have to visit them again to ensure they don't starve," she joked, though she would love to spend more time with the golden-haired boy, not that she had the guts to dare say so.
He was older than her, by a year, but it wasn't big enough of a gap that it stopped her from relating from what he said. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's daunting, and leaving everything behind to be out on your own? I'm definitely not ready for that. I'm not even completely sure what I want to do with my life after..." but she appreciated his sentiments, Haven's smile spreading as he mentioned that. He was certainly making her smile.
Haven nodded, confirming her year. "Sixth, yeah. But I'm far from being ready. I'm really not even ready to be a sixth year, to be quite honest, I'm absolutely rubbish at school, I have no clue what I'm doing half the time." She felt that way a lot, having an absolute knack at being bad at everything. At least she hadn't seemed to mess up feeding the ducks too badly. In fact, she was quite enjoying it, despite the one duck that was keen on getting the bread in her hand and trying to nip her fingers. She had really never been good at anything on the first try. At least this conversation seemed to be going well, and it was her first time having it. And her first time meeting him, and gosh... she didn't want to mess this up.
For once, Haven was out of words to say. She didn't know what to say, what to do, how not to make a fool of herself, when she so badly just wanted to keep talking to him forever. He was such an interesting character, she found herself wanting to know more. But she didn't want to mess this up too, turning their conversation from a square into some messed-up rectangle. So instead, she was quiet, smiling down into her lap as the gears in her head turned, thinking of a million things.
But none of them were better than him.
@Koko Riddle
16 Feb 2025, 18:13
Breadcrumbing
RPing as Cyrus Alexander Darsel (Ilvermorny iNPC)
The 'fit: cargo shorts, a Tommy Hilfiger jumper & Michael Jordans
The air might have held a healthy chill, but warmth continued to radiate throughout Cyrus's heart, flowing through his veins, seeping into his skin the longer he stood at this fountain with this new girl.
'Hufflepuff.' He repeated the word after her, trying it out on his tongue. He'd known a few Hufflepuffs before, but he'd always liked how the word sounded. It sounded almost nonsense, which was really plenty of sense given that it was a house at a school called Hogwarts. But it sounded happy, kind of like 'huff and puff' like they were hard workers, but like they were fun. It made sense for this girl. 'I'm sure in a house that almost rhymes with 'duck', the people could even start to rival these little guys for friendliness.'
He could not stop himself from stealing glances at her. Kind blue eyes would dart between the red-faced, red-haired girl and the ducks, never quite sure where to land. He smiled at both. He was so caught in his googley-eyed, beaming daze that he was very much unprepared when the girl stumbled into him; instinctively, he reached out to steady her, and she grabbed onto his arm. Now it was his face's turn to redden. He selfishly did not move away, instead smiling surprisedly at how the her hand on his arm somehow warmed him even through his sweater.
'Oh, uh, no need to apologise.' His voice was softer now, breathier. Less jubilant and exuberant but still kind and warmhearted nonetheless. 'I—yeah! Starving is bad.'
All of his intelligent thoughts must have simply evaporated when she stumbled into him. Goodness! His face reddened further as he realised he was making a fool of himself with his stammering and obvious words.
He nodded, though, taking a deep breath when she agreed with the idea of graduation being daunting. 'Exactly! I think it's so... weird. We're expected to have all the answers, but we're so young. I hope it's okay to not know everything right now.' A soft-spoken admission of his own inadequacy, sure, but also of his mindset of optimism and acceptance no matter what.
He chuckled quietly when the girl said she was 'rubbish at school'. 'I doubt you're, uh, "rubbish", as you say.' The word sounded weird in his American accent, which made his lips quirk upwards at the corners and the skin around his eyes crinkle at the edges. 'It's okay to not know what you're doing...' He let his voice trail off as he coaxed one of the ducks towards him with some bread, perhaps uttering a small pspspsps as he did so. '...sometimes, the action comes to you, or the knowledge, or you make something up, and sometimes, that's the best thing you can do.'
He watched, enamoured, as the duck that had swum up to him began to nibble at the bread. So peaceful. Regal. Serene.
Cyrus glanced at the much-smaller girl next to him. Radiant. Kind. The type of person who deserved to be lifted up, who deserved to have confidence. His gaze travelled from her face to her arm to her fingers to the duck that was nipping at them, and he laughed, this time with all of his chest. 'Oh man, I think that one likes you! It must want to come with you. What a shame that it'd be cruel to take them home.' He sighed dramatically. 'But sometimes I guess it's nice to just observe.'
He was quiet again for a moment, watching the ducks in the fountain, the way the occasional glimmer of sunlight reflected off of the water and their glossy feathers. He was acutely aware of the warmth throughout him, on his skin, in his heart, on his cheeks, in his hair, and he wondered if that was due to the sun or the weird fluttering sensation of his stomach, of his heart, when he glanced at the girl next to him.
'Did you know,' he started softly, his voice low, 'that ducks often mean good luck? And sometimes protection, and trust, and fidelity, of course, but I like to think about good luck.' And love, he thought, ducks can also represent love. 'Well, anyway, I think it's good luck that we're here, watching these ducks. That we both decided to come to France. That we ran into each other. That I'm here with you. Good luck.'
He shut his mouth abruptly, cheeks reddening once again as he forced himself to stare at the birds in the water and not the girl with glorious red hair and eyes that mirrored the sun's glow on the water. He hoped she felt the same about him, about ducks, about good luck.
'Hufflepuff.' He repeated the word after her, trying it out on his tongue. He'd known a few Hufflepuffs before, but he'd always liked how the word sounded. It sounded almost nonsense, which was really plenty of sense given that it was a house at a school called Hogwarts. But it sounded happy, kind of like 'huff and puff' like they were hard workers, but like they were fun. It made sense for this girl. 'I'm sure in a house that almost rhymes with 'duck', the people could even start to rival these little guys for friendliness.'
He could not stop himself from stealing glances at her. Kind blue eyes would dart between the red-faced, red-haired girl and the ducks, never quite sure where to land. He smiled at both. He was so caught in his googley-eyed, beaming daze that he was very much unprepared when the girl stumbled into him; instinctively, he reached out to steady her, and she grabbed onto his arm. Now it was his face's turn to redden. He selfishly did not move away, instead smiling surprisedly at how the her hand on his arm somehow warmed him even through his sweater.
'Oh, uh, no need to apologise.' His voice was softer now, breathier. Less jubilant and exuberant but still kind and warmhearted nonetheless. 'I—yeah! Starving is bad.'
All of his intelligent thoughts must have simply evaporated when she stumbled into him. Goodness! His face reddened further as he realised he was making a fool of himself with his stammering and obvious words.
He nodded, though, taking a deep breath when she agreed with the idea of graduation being daunting. 'Exactly! I think it's so... weird. We're expected to have all the answers, but we're so young. I hope it's okay to not know everything right now.' A soft-spoken admission of his own inadequacy, sure, but also of his mindset of optimism and acceptance no matter what.
He chuckled quietly when the girl said she was 'rubbish at school'. 'I doubt you're, uh, "rubbish", as you say.' The word sounded weird in his American accent, which made his lips quirk upwards at the corners and the skin around his eyes crinkle at the edges. 'It's okay to not know what you're doing...' He let his voice trail off as he coaxed one of the ducks towards him with some bread, perhaps uttering a small pspspsps as he did so. '...sometimes, the action comes to you, or the knowledge, or you make something up, and sometimes, that's the best thing you can do.'
He watched, enamoured, as the duck that had swum up to him began to nibble at the bread. So peaceful. Regal. Serene.
Cyrus glanced at the much-smaller girl next to him. Radiant. Kind. The type of person who deserved to be lifted up, who deserved to have confidence. His gaze travelled from her face to her arm to her fingers to the duck that was nipping at them, and he laughed, this time with all of his chest. 'Oh man, I think that one likes you! It must want to come with you. What a shame that it'd be cruel to take them home.' He sighed dramatically. 'But sometimes I guess it's nice to just observe.'
He was quiet again for a moment, watching the ducks in the fountain, the way the occasional glimmer of sunlight reflected off of the water and their glossy feathers. He was acutely aware of the warmth throughout him, on his skin, in his heart, on his cheeks, in his hair, and he wondered if that was due to the sun or the weird fluttering sensation of his stomach, of his heart, when he glanced at the girl next to him.
'Did you know,' he started softly, his voice low, 'that ducks often mean good luck? And sometimes protection, and trust, and fidelity, of course, but I like to think about good luck.' And love, he thought, ducks can also represent love. 'Well, anyway, I think it's good luck that we're here, watching these ducks. That we both decided to come to France. That we ran into each other. That I'm here with you. Good luck.'
He shut his mouth abruptly, cheeks reddening once again as he forced himself to stare at the birds in the water and not the girl with glorious red hair and eyes that mirrored the sun's glow on the water. He hoped she felt the same about him, about ducks, about good luck.
Date: 12 February 2025
Time: Evening
Location: Beauxbâtons
Private to: @Haven Bohannon
[pc] koko riddle · 'i was raised up to be admired.'
'hey! bom bom bom. got any grapes?' · cyrus darsel [inpc]
19 Feb 2025, 06:51
Breadcrumbing
12 February, 2025. Evening.
Her breath seemed to catch in her chest every time she looked at him. It was like her heart stopped, before it started running, beating like it was going to explode out of her chest.
Now she understood.
Now she understood what people thought when they said "love at first sight". Butterflies filled her stomach, giving her a giddy feeling every time she dared sneak a glance. She couldn't help the way her feet kicked in excitement.
Rationality had been forgotten about a long time ago; Haven was drowning in those blue eyes. She nodded along to everything he said, even becoming convinced that Hufflepuff rhymed with duck, just clinging on to his every word, until she was clinging on to him.
She didn't want to take her hand away, leaving it resting there on his arm for a bit longer than one may consider "normal". Haven wanted desperately to hold his hand, but didn't have the guts to do it. So instead, they had a brief moment of connection there until Haven reluctantly let go, blushing at her shoes instead of meeting his eyes.
The extra year certainly had imparted some wisdom on him. She definitely did not have all the answers. Heck, she barely had answers for her homework questions that she struggled through nightly. Though he said that he doubted she was "rubbish"- she giggled at the way he pronounced it- she knew the truth, barely getting As, if she was lucky. Ps and Ds and even Ts weren't terribly uncommon, and it wasn't for a lack of trying. She just wasn't good at that kind of stuff. She wasn't an accomplished potioneer, a renowned duellist- her spellwork was quite shoddy- or even just okay at flying. She studied for hours, and all it got her were mediocre grades and no friends. Haven could barely even take care of herself, having gone into a miserable state only days prior after encountering a strange potion, doing crazy things to get more! It was okay to not know what you were doing, but when that was all the time...
He seemed much more confident and accepting of where he was at- maybe it was something that came with age, or maybe it was an American trait. Outwardly, it seemed like nothing bothered him. He was so carefree, joyous, radiant.
Haven smiled at the duck, even as it tried to bite her fingers off. She enjoyed watching them fight for her breadcrumbs, but she enjoyed the way it made the boy laugh even more. It was a laugh full of heart. Oh, how she'd love to hear it again, filling her ears and her soul. More than anything, she wanted to make this boy laugh.
She couldn't dare look at him as he started talking again, his voice ever so calm and delicate. She was sure that her heart was beating too loudly, and that if she just looked at him, she'd disturb the peace and the time they'd been sharing. She wished she had a camera to capture this moment, or could freeze time, or just listen to his words over and over and over again. If she could, Haven would bottle up his words and keep them near her forever.
"Good luck," she repeated, nodding. She liked that. "I think so too."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying each other's company as the last slivers of sun dipped beneath the horizon, bathing them in moonlight. The bread in her hand had run out ages ago, the ducks turning to other fountains or settling down for the night, but they still sat there, sometimes sneaking glances at the other and blushing before averting their gaze. The night grew colder, but with love and emotion running rampant through them, they couldn't even feel cold.
It could have been days, minutes, hours, before Haven finally stood up, though her heart ached, begging her not to. Curfew would be soon, and after a long day of travel and excitement and activities, she was tired. As much as she fought off the exhaustion, it was time for her to say her goodnights.
Haven bid a silent goodbye, walking off in the direction of the cabins. She turned to look back at him once more, just a moment too late to catch the boy staring at her as she left.
"Good luck," she whispered to herself as she made her way back, the butterflies in her stomach practically causing her to float. Pure excitement radiated off her, manifesting in giddy little jumps. Her giggles and radiant smile earned odd looks from the other students, but she couldn't care less.
Haven was glad she had decided to come to France.
Country of love indeed.
@Koko Riddle
End.