We Meet Again PV: Nova Astron

"Why is it so cold all the time!" Nova rushed through the halls, the light chanting of Christmas carols slowly fading. She was excited to play in the snow and maybe help the groundskeeper put up a few Christmas decorations. The doors to the courtyard opened to let out a flurry of waiting students.

She had slipped through the older students and was finally out in the open. Their laughter and chatter blasted in her ears. She turned to go towards the Great Lake to give some food she had snagged from her table at lunch to feed the Giant Squid.

While she was headed to the Great Lake, she saw a familiar face. It was Caspian. She began debating whether to go over to him and thank him again for helping her find her classes. After a bit of back and forth in her brain, she decided to do what she had originally planned first.

She walked over to the Great Lake, almost slipping on the icy ground, and tossed one of the pieces of toast into the lake. It floats for a few minutes before a large tentacle reaches up and pulls it into the icy hell below.
She smiled at the sight, wondering if it was really hungry or just interested in what was being thrown into its terrain.

After tossing the rest of her scraps to the Giant Squid, she begins walking over to Caspian. She hopes he remembers her from their first encounter.
When she finally reaches him, she says, "Remember me?"

Thoughts - Italic ~ Nova's Speech - #a88400 ~ Caspian's speech - #044503

TIME | 5:03 pm
DATE | 12/11/2024
INTERACTING |@Nova Astron

Dialogue/Thoughts
Thoughts - #009e77 ┃ Speech - #044503 ┃ Nova's speech-#a88400

OUTFIT

ℌe glanced upward as she drew nearer, feeling her presence. He looked up as she spoke. "Remember me?" She asked, her soft voice igniting a flicker of recognition. "Oh, hi," he greeted, a geniune warmth emitting from his smile. Her familiar face sparked a memory. "It's Nova, isn't it?"

He smiled again before shifting slightly and patting the ground beside him invitingly. "Wanna sit?" The soft grass whispered beneath his hands. Caspian tilted his head slightly, watching the snowflakes swirl around her as she came closer. There was this comforting aura and certain ease about her that left him speechless. He relaxed back against the oak tree, the rough bark pressing against his back, grounding him in the moment.

He popped another candy in his mouth, playing with the wrapper a bit. He was afraid. Afraid he would do something dumb or stupid that would make her hate him or feel uncomfortable around him. His fingers brushed the candy wrapper again, contemplating whether to give her the candy or not. Caspian held the candy out to her, the bright red wrapper catching the glint of the pale light that filtered through the clouds above. His expression was casual, but there was a faint spark of curiosity in his eyes, wondering what she might say or do next. "It tastes nice," He said. He was speaking in small sentences, wanting to make her feel comfortable around him first, before he started monologuing about his life to her.

Caspian looked up as I greeted him, smiling warmly. "Yeah, it is," I say, fiddling with the end of my sweater. I smiled back, before taking his offer and sitting beside him, at a distance. The snow was freezing cold, but I tried to get comfortable. Snowflakes fell around us, each one unique. I held out my gloved hand and caught one. It was small - smaller than my palm - but absolutely stunning.

I watched Caspian pull out another candy from a small bag, and eat it, a smile creeping up on his face. Where did that come from? I wondered. He probably got it delivered from an owl. That's probably a reminder to send a letter to my own parents. Damn, I haven't sent a single letter yet... I thought to myself. Too busy feeding random animals around Hogwarts to do it—how stupid. Not really a good excuse... maybe I should ask him for one. I snicker as the thought came to me. I doubt he'd help me out with something so stupid. But it was worth a shot, right?

Before I could ask him, he held out a piece of candy. "It tastes nice," he said. I was slightly surprised, but I accepted it. "Thanks," I replied. The candy wrapper was a bright green, brighter than the grass, but that was to be expected in winter. Everything wilts and turns sad and cold. Usually, at least. As I ate it, I asked him jokingly, trying to make conversation. "Do you think the Giant Squid would want one? He always eats the leftovers from lunch, he'd probably appreciate something sweet."

I turn to him, his blonde hair swaying in the breeze. There was snow in his hair, quite literally blending in so that you wouldn't be able to see it unless you were close. I wanted to reach out and shake it off, but that would be weird, I barely even know him. "I've fed him a lot of times, but I'm not sure he knows it. I want to name him too, but I can't find one that suits him." I hesitate, before pointing to his hair. "You've got a little something in there."

Thoughts - Italic ~ Nova's Speech - #a88400 ~ Caspian's speech - #044503

TIME | 5:17 pm
DATE | 12/11/2024
INTERACTING |@Nova Astron

Dialogue/Thoughts
Thoughts - #009e77 ┃ Speech - #044503 ┃ Nova's speech-#a88400

OUTFIT

𝔜es! Es! his heart leaped with joy, doing a little celebratory dance when she smiled and accepted the candy. A small, pleased smile tugged at his lips. Her smile was infectious.

He turned his attention back to his sorroundings - the vast, snow-covered grounds, the trees looming in the distance, their skeletal branches creaking slowly under the weight of the snow, and the castle stood proudly behind them, as solid as always. The cold air bit at his cheeks, but it was comforting in a strange way. It made everything feel real, like time was slowing down just for him.

Nova’s voice broke through his thoughts."Do you think the Giant Squid would want one? He always eats the leftovers from lunch, he'd probably appreciate something sweet."

He grinned at her comment about the Giant Squid, finally feeling comfortable around her.
"Do you think he likes sweets?" He asked, curious. "I mean, sure. You could make him try one. Maybe he'd like a treat now and then." He chuckled softly in amusement.

She continues, "I've fed him a lot of times, but I'm not sure he knows it. I want to name him too, but I can't find one that suits him."

Caspian makes a show of thinking, stroking his chin and putting on a confused expression."Hmm..." He looked sideways at her, looking at her expression. "Maybe you should just name him something simple, like ‘Squishy’ or something equally fitting for a giant creature with an affinity for leftovers."
He teased, leaning back on his arms in the snow, letting the cold seep into him. It felt good, in a way, a nice contrast to the warmth that had built up in his chest.

He watched as she hesitated. "You've got a little something in there."

When she pointed out the snowflakes in his hair, he reached up and ran a hand through it, dislodging some of the tiny crystals. He smiled, watching the snowflakes drift lazily to the ground, melting almost instantly as they touched the earth. "I guess I blend right in," He said with a smirk, though his tone was a bit softer than usual .He missed spending time with and teasing people. He let his hand linger in his hair for a moment longer, fingers brushing through the strands, still feeling the chill from the snow in his fingers.

He just sat there, in the comfortable silence, for a while. He turned his head so he was looking at her. He noticed her hair, how it looked more brownish than blonde when not in the light. His heart was racing now, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or something else entirely. "So," he began, his voice casual as he focused on the sound of the wind in the trees, "do you spend a lot of time by the lake?"He didn’t want to break the moment, but he needed to keep the conversation going.

He got up in a hurry before pointing to a path near the lake. "Wanna go for a walk? My legs are getting cold from sitting in the snowy ground." He didn't wait for an answer, pulling her up by her hand. "Let's go."

I grip his hand tightly as he pulled me up from the snowy ground. "I don't, I just try to visit every once in a while to feed the Giant Squid," I pause to shrug the snow off my shoulders. "Squishy is a good name, though. But it doesn't seem fitting for a deep sea monster who likes burnt toast." I glance at Caspian who's walking off without me.

I start to jog to catch up, slowing down when we're side by side. "Am I that annoying that you're walking off without me?" I joke, looking at him. "I don't think I'm that terrible, personally, but that might be slightly biased." His hair is swinging in the cold air, and he's staring at the Great Lake's surface. I try to get his attention. "Are you a fake blonde?" I question in a lighthearted tone, smiling at him. "You can tell me, I won't judge y'know."

I walk in slightly awkward silence for a while, trying to think of something to say. He's... Interesting, to say the least. And fun to talk to. “Y’know, I think the squid would like you,” I say with a grin. “You both give off the same energy—quiet, mysterious, and probably plotting something.”

I watched him as we walked, the crunch of snow beneath our boots the only sound filling the space between us for a few moments. The cold stung my cheeks, but I didn’t mind. I let a few moments pass before a mischievous thought sparks in the back of my mind. I slow my pace just a little, enough to trail behind him. I lean down and grab a small pile of snow, compressing it into a ball. "Hey, Caspian?" I call out in a playful tone, before flinging it at his back. "Catch!"

Thoughts - Italic ~ Nova's Speech - #a88400 ~ Caspian's speech - #044503

NOTES

@Caspian Villin, you can decide whether to be hit by the snowball or to dodge!

TIME | 5:31 pm
DATE | 12/11/2024
INTERACTING |@Nova Astron

Dialogue/Thoughts
Speech - #044503 ┃ Nova's speech-#a88400

OUTFIT

𝔰he jogs to his side. "Am I that annoying that you're walking off without me?" He hears her say. "Walking off without you? Never," he replies. "I was making sure you could keep up. You know, cardio and all. It's important." He side-eyed her with a mock-serious look before nudging her playfully with his shoulder.
Then came the second question - the one about his hair. "Are you a fake blonde? You can tell me, I won't judge y'know." That made him huff a breath, half-amused, half-offended. He looked at her cheeky smile, before rolling his eyes. “Fake blonde? Nova,” he said. “How dare you.” He ran a hand through his hair, shaking a few stray snowflakes loose. “These golden locks are one hundred percent real. Pure sunlight. Blessed by the winter gods. Maybe even kissed by unicorns.”
He shot her a mischievous grin, eyes gleaming with amusement. “You wound me, really. Next thing you’ll tell me is that I secretly dye it pink and hide it with a charm or something.” Then he leaned in just slightly, lowering his voice as if he was about to let her in on some great, ancient secret. “But if I was faking it, you'd never know. I'm very convincing.”
Caspian turned back around, continuing to walk in a soldier-like manner. There was a smug smile on his face.
“Y’know, I think the squid would like you,” She said. “You both give off the same energy—quiet, mysterious, and probably plotting something.” He didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow at her before turning back. Caspian felt the wind shift slightly as she trailed behind him. The snow crunched in a different rhythm—lighter, quicker. Suspicious. He had just enough time to turn his head when—
WHAP!
The snowball hit his face. He just stood there, stunned. His face was freezing, but he payed no mind to it. Instead, he stared at that mischievous girl. He stared like a villain who had just been betrayed by a trusted companion.
“You... dare strike a noble?” he said, voice full of exaggerated pain, brushing off the snow with a theatrical flair. “In cold blood? Unprovoked?” He took a deliberate step toward her, raising an eyebrow. “That’s treason, Nova. Treason against House—” He paused. “—House Villin. You’ll have to answer for that.”
He slowly bent down, his eyes never leaving hers, and gathered a palmful of snow. He packed it into a ball, the cold beginning to numb his fingers, but he didnt care. “You’ve started a war you know.” He said, packing the snowball tighter. “And I don’t lose wars.”
Then, with a sudden twist and a grin sharp enough to cut, he launched the snowball—aiming just a little off so it’d graze her shoulder and not hit square in the face. He wasn’t cruel. Just competitive.
Watching her react made his chest light. Laughter bubbled up before he could stop it—rare, unguarded. The kind of laugh that caught in his throat and forced him to look away so she wouldn’t see how much fun he was having.
He waited for a moment, letting himself calm down before he turned back to her.
Snowflakes caught in his lashes, and for once, he didn’t brush them away.
There was something about her. Not just the way she challenged him or made jokes about his hair, but the way she made the cold feel a little warmer, like the snow wasn’t so isolating when she was around.
“You’re dangerous,” he murmured under his breath, half to himself. “I should’ve known.”