A Change of Perspective PV Peri

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	Consistency was a rare and precious commodity in the tumultuous lives of wix folk. Many started school clubs in pursuit of it, which doubled as distraction from the doom, gloom, and chaos around Hogwarts. It was in part why Pear launched the League in the first place, to lure like-minded souls down the same path, chasing a shared dream. This effort proved ambitious for the reclusive Ravenclaw, whose focus on the broad collective had since been boiled down to one protege: Mahlioz. The pair had endured drastic changes since their chance introduction, yet they seldom spoke about their personal lives. They seemed to prefer keeping their minds too occupied to leave room for troubles. As far as Pericles was concerned, between he and Mahl, the distraction was a mutual benefit. Beneath the timidity holding the Slytherin back shined a glow of ambition. Pear fondly remembered their fascination for the old animagi ruins, enjoyed their inquisitive theories, and admired Mahl's zeal most of all. He couldn't think of a finer way to spend a Thursday afternoon than conducting dubious experiments with a fellow kook. Mahl was asked to meet him along a path between the Herbology greenhouses and Flying lawn. The spot was secluded enough from central walkways to avoid nosy onlookers, but near enough to get aid on the very slim, but very reasonable concern that their exercise went wrong. Pericles was in high spirits as he made his way from CoMC towards the grounds. The bird had transfigured and taken flight with the intent of arriving early, ten minutes or so, as he imagined an instructor ought to. It was unsurprising to see the Slytherin already waiting, panting and jittery with excitement. Swooping downward with a tilt of its wings, the eagle was briefly obscured by a blur of feathers before the boy took its place, landing with a soft thud of boots on cobblestone. Pear was shouldering a bookbag and still in his class robes, sporting the same sleepy smile as usual. "Hullo Mahl." There was an earnest ring of cheer in his voice despite its subdued volume. One silvery eye met her while its glass and gold twin swiveled in the socket, seemingly scanning her before leveling. "Thank you for meeting me before dinner. What I have planned is better on an empty stomach, but I hope you aren't too hungry." Business as usual. He was already drawing his wand from his sleeve, as though they two had simply gone from one class to another.
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legendary banner maker @Mahlioz Evethisawe

february 27 | after classesspace

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english | french | thoughts

@Pericles Dralt

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	Mahlioz and Pericles got on like falling leaves and an autumn breeze. She was always eager to dance ahead, moving and changing, while he inconspicuously gave her a little boost now and again. He relished seeing them soar, and wasn't worried in the slightest about their ability to float on fine without him. Yet their time together was running out. The realization was the push Pericles needed to elevate their practice, and evidently, they were due to take an especially wide step forward. It was a secret game of his- being mysterious and obscure, then counting until Mahl caved and asked for the plan outright. Today they had managed a record nine seconds. Smiling slyly, Pear shrugged off his satchel and crouched, rifling through it on the grass. "Human transfiguration. Accio Liber Animagi." From deep in the confines of his magically expanded bag, a familiar book of hand-written animagus facts wormed its way towards the surface. "Last time, we talked about permanent partial shifts." This had mostly involved looking over grisly images of half-human half-animal beings whose rituals had failed. "When one panics and rejects their animal form, they ruin the transformation process. It's a challenge to keep one's wits when seeing your body change for the first time. With a little practice, we should be able to harden you against the shock." Sitting on his heels, Pericles pried the chaotic notebook open to a ribbon-marked section. Between the pages of the last chapter was a meticulously lined page. "On the off chance that your family doesn't take kindly to me turning you into a duck, I've taken the liberty of creating a contract. Not that I would expect a lawsuit from the Evethisawes, mind, but my da would hold it against me if I didn't take the precaution." There was no fine print to comb through, only a standard I hereby volunteer to participate in Pericles Dralt's performance of the following transformations: followed by a list of spells besides boxes to be checked, and a line where one would scrawl their signature. "What do you say to starting with... three?"
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@Mahlioz Evethisawe

february 27 | after classes

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english | french | thoughts

@Pericles Dralt i am so sorry for how late this is

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	Satisfaction shone in Pear's good eye as Mahl scrawled her signature. They thanked him not once, but twice, summoning an endearing smile as he asserted "Thank you for letting me practice." The smile flickered, then Pear made a point to tack on: "Not that I'm lacking proficiency. This will very probably go fine." Magical theory was a passion shared between them. They were willing to take risks, ask questions, and exchange insights on even the most obscure arcane theories. Where the Ravenclaw was concerned, Transfiguration was a key interest, and this branch's complexities called for thorough explanation. Their study sessions marked the most he ever spoke at once. "You could, hypothetically, self-transfigure. Only unless you took the precaution of designating someone to reverse the spell, you would find yourself trapped in animal form. Consider Kennilworthy Whisp's take on the Human to Bat spell: he described it as a means for a wix to fly without a broom, yet posed this bat would lack the memory of where the caster was trying to go. 'A human who is forcibly transfigured into a creature, especially one with unreliable willpower, will lose their human mind and begin to think like the animal.' If our experiment goes correctly, this oughtn't be a factor. Not only are you a willing participant, whose psyche isn't battling the transformation, but my intent as the spellcaster is for you to keep your cognizance. Should you experience a lapse in control-" Pear waggled his wand like a fix-all tool "-I'll be right here to reverse it." It was a promising exercise, so long as one didn't overthink the brevity of that "if". Pericles went on to elaborate: "An animagi retains their human intelligence throughout their transformation, though there can be rare exceptions. One can lose themselves during the initial ritual. I once attended an animagi turning in which I spent hours chasing my friend through a forest, waiting for them to remember they weren't a natural part of it. With our practice, my hope is to acclimate your mind so that when your ritual comes, it will be hardened against the overwhelm. We can train you to experience transfigurement without being consumed by it. This will call for a clear mind between us both." He hesitated, allowing Mahl a moment to decide whether or not right-this-second was a good time for this particular session. "As far as 'practicing' over the summer, you could, hypothetically, get away with it so long as there are adult magic users in your household. Are there...?" The last detail he'd gleaned of Mahlioz's parents was their investment in a convoluted muggle game, which had to do with pretending to be mages.
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@Mahlioz Evethisawe shhh it's perfect

february 27 | after classes

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english | french | thoughts

@Pericles Dralt
...four months later... writer's block hit me hard i apologize

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	The mere mention of the animagi ritual he'd attended was enough to broaden Peri' grin. His eye shone with a blend of sentiment and suppressed laughter, the latter of which rang in his murmur while he recounted: "Luckily, I was. Fortunate for both of us that an eagle can keep up with a cougar. To tell you the truth, she nearly lost me more than once, and I was almost as concerned for the other creatures in the forest as I was her." He wouldn't oust @Evelynn Decipio by name, though couldn't resist divulging the experience. It had certainly served as a night romp to remember. The topic took a turn for the personal on Mahlioz's end, and although Pear maintained his trademark neutrality, an unwavering stare betrayed his intrigue. It wasn't often that they two delved into their home lives, preferable as it was to lose themselves in study or practice. He wouldn't squander the chance to study his friend for a change. From what little she divulged, he surmised mom must be the magic user of the house. He encouraged her on with his silence, emanating apprehension and intrigue with equal measure. At first, he assumed Mahl's sibling would "kill" them for breaking the underage magic rule, only as she continued, he started to suspect that wasn't the case. When they went on to confess they hoped to avoid their sibling, concern began to win out. "Gods, that's a horrible thing to say, isn't it?" "Not necessarily," Pericles reassured. His quiet voice had gone grim, while his features belied the sort of rapt focus that wouldn't ease up without an answer to satisfy it. "Are they unkind to you?" There was something he understood intimately about the animagi ability being a form of escape. Inwardly, he observed Eve likely shared the same sentiment. It was no wonder her initial transformation resulted in surrender to the Transformation. Rather than remark on it, however, he let another concern take the forefront. Pear delicately pried: "France is quite the change. I trust they don't intend to transfer you to Beauxbatons...?" A muted tone and widened eyes belayed worry. His friend and mentee wasn't eluding him this time around. Try as they may to insist all was well and get back to practice, as more had slipped from them than they meant to convey, the metaphorical cat was already out of the bag. The mage's speech was a fraction too soft to be called stern. It was dogged, all the same, as he tucked the Liber Animagi under an arm, stowed his wand, and took a seat on a stump with an aura of deliberation. Pear was sat. "Mahl, you know I commend your enthusiasm. Yet it sounds to me as though your mind isn't all too clear." A pale hand patted the overlarge stretch of stump to his left. "Sickle for your thoughts? Consider-" what was the phrase? "-'venting' to be a part of our exercise."
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| @Mahlioz Evethisawe |