Ill Fortune PV Gemini Johnson

Meeting with @Eli Goldhorn.

Gemini sat down next to her, late for lunch as usual. He nudged her in greeting.

"Hey Eli. You ready for DADA after this?" he asked, pulling out his own textbook; hoping to skim through it while he ate. He'd only met Eli once or twice, but they'd hit it off pretty decently and they were in the same DADA class, so he was hoping they could study together or something.

He took a sandwich from the plate in front of them, nibbling at the edge.

“What did the professor say we’ll be tested on again? I’m all for studying everything we’ve learnt so far, but you know, we’re kind of short on time right now, so…”

He glanced at the fellow Hufflepuff next to him, observing, gauging her reaction as he had the first time they’d met.

Something seemed... Off, today, somehow. She lacked her usual upbeat energy, and she seemed preoccupied with something that he couldn't see. Meaning it probably wasn't there.

“Hey,” he nudged her gently. “You okay?”

He wasn't very good with humans, of which he was painfully aware. But he did spend plenty of time around animals. He wasn't autistic or anything, just... Preferred them. But back to the main topic; he'd spent enough time around living things to know when something was not quite right.

For a moment Eli didn't even really look up when someone sat alongside her. It was a big table but there were a lot of Hufflepuffs and it wasn't uncommon for the table to be a little crowded at meal times. Sure, she was also a little bit distracted but she was trying not to focus on that too much either because that would be admitting that there was something wrong in the first place.

Not that there was anything wrong to admit to, either.

"Um. Hags, I think," she replied after a moment. It was clear that even though she had her own textbook open that she hadn't really been paying that much attention to it. "Or Hags for sure. He mentioned it at the end of last class." She just... didn't remember what else was mentioned and if she'd written it down she definitely couldn't find where it was, which was frustrating as well.

And then she glanced over as well when he nudged her as though she wasn't expecting it and shrugged with half a shoulder before she could even realize that that probably wasn't the most convincing thing in the world. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well," she replied. She dragged her own textbook a little bit closer to herself, ignoring her plate of food entirely now.

"Just want the quiz over with, honestly." There wasn't anything wrong. She was just feeling a little down, that was all. Nothing for anyone else to have to worry about.

Interacting with @Gemini Johnson

Mentioning @Eli Goldhorn.

OOC note:

Reducio

Ack, so sorry for the late reply! Also, I’ve responded to our other thread. I might be inactive from now until the end of July, though, so take your time!

Doxies, the Knockback Jinx, Hags, and the Smokescreen spell.

He remembered, like always, but didn’t say anything. Simply joked, “how do you study without knowing the topics? Certainly a skill I’d like to learn.”

An artfully faked huff of laughter. A mildly amused, slightly concerned glance at her. Then he flipped through his book, looking for the first topic.

Ah, there it is. Doxies.

He’d asked her if she was fine, and her answer, in his ‘expert opinion’, sounded suspiciously like one of his own lies, earlier in the year when his skill was still unrefined.

He decided the best approach would be to act normal. Probing would put her on the defensive, or possibly denial, depending on her mental state.

Gem skimmed the page on doxies, the information matching up with what the professor had taught. Picked up his sandwich. But he put it back on his plate after a while, looking exactly as it had before he’d brought it to his mouth.

“… So. I’m not going to ask you if you’re sure, because that would be disastrous,” he began. “So let’s just get to revising. We can quiz each other when we’re done on the first topic?”

He didn’t clarify what the first topic was. I’ll gauge her based on whether she can catch on by seeing my page. Steps after that? Unclear.

Eli scrunched up her nose at him for a moment at his teasing but her heart didn't seem to be fully into that either. "I'd be able to figure it out," was all she said. She did alright on her assignments and other quizzes so it wasn't like she was hurting for good marks. But she wanted to do good and she liked doing good and she knew her parents were proud of her for how well she was doing...

She wouldn't want to let them down.

It wasn't going to be a hard quiz. She knew the material. If she could only focus for more than five seconds then she'd be fine. She was fine. She was fine.

She reached for her goblet, taking a sip of water and only barely a sip at that. Idly she hoped that it would be enough to settle her stomach though she wasn't going to count too much on her luck. She poked another moment at her food as though she was actually going to eat it. At the very least she could pretend she was.

Eli realized after a moment that Gemini had been talking to her again and she nodded out of instinct, waiting for her brain to catch up. "Yeah... Yeah we can do that. That's a good idea." All she had to do was look over the first topic and Gem wouldn't let her get away with giving some random, half-cocked answer so this would work well.

She just...

She knew about the Hags. What was the first topic again?

She chewed at her cheek for a moment, not wanting Gemini to think that anything was wrong (there wasn't) and then risked a glance towards the other's books too as though that would help her find the answers that she needed. It didn't, really.

The Smokescreen spell. That had been something new they'd learned. New enough that they hadn't been tested on it so she figured there was a good shot at it being on the quiz: theoretically or practically. And she felt pretty confident about her casting, all things considered. Wouldn't hurt to go over the notes again though...

Chatting with @Gemini Johnson

Studying with @Eli Goldhorn.

Gem returned his attention to his textbook. The upcoming quiz would be relatively surface level, considering the number of topics.

You can't help everybody. And you have to pass on this quiz as well. You're in the same class, remember?

Yes, well, that was probably the annoying part. Which his brain frequently liked to bring up, apparently.

Yes, but I could try, couldn't I? You know what, let's just do both. Like we're doing right now.

He sighed, following the words with his finger as he read. He wasn't really focused on it, as much as he knew he should be, but he couldn't help glancing to Eli every so often, trying to be discreet.

Finally, he thought of something. Something actually actionable, at least.

"Gods, I'm too full to finish this sandwich." he began. Technically not a lie, he was full. "Think you could have it instead? I hate leaving leftovers, and I've been getting the feeling the house elves don't like it either."

He pushed the plate towards her, the uneaten sandwich with it. Then he turned back to the notes, flipping to the next chapter without waiting for a response.

Come up with the plan. Execute it. Reduce possibility of variation. I'd say that went well.

Eli knew she probably didn't need to be worrying this much about the quiz. She knew her stuff (generally) and a quick review like this had never done her wrong in the past. It was just... her ability to focus was shot. She read over the words on the pages in front of her and it was as though they disapparated right from her brain without sticking around.

Every so often she thought she could feel eyes on her. Or maybe she was catching glimpses of Gemini shifting on the bench beside him but she couldn't find it in herself to check either. Her fingers tapped idly against the top of her head, having slumped ever so slightly to let her head rest in her palm.

Study. Revise. Quiz. Once class was over she could go take a nap and hope whatever this was would pass. Nothing that a little more sleep couldn't fix she was sure.

It almost took her a moment to realize that Gem was talking to her again and she blinked a few times, finally looking back over. "Huh?" she started before her eyes set on the sandwich he was offering her. And then back to her own plate: the food nibbled on but not really touched, mostly just pushed around as though she had the idea of eating it and just couldn't follow through.

"Oh. I dunno. I'm really not all that hungry right now," she offered in response. It was easier to do things when it was to help other people though. Gemini was already pushing the sandwich towards her though and if he was serious about not liking to leave leftovers...

"Maybe a bite or two." And even with her agreeing, it was still a small bite that she took from the sandwich. Nothing like her normal enthusiasm towards the food here.

Hanging with @Gemini Johnson

Chatting with @Eli Goldhorn.

"Not hungry, huh?" He smirked, looking far too pleased for simply getting rid of a sandwich he didn't want to eat.

"Y'know, if you think you're going to flunk the test, you could say it. I can come up with excuses faster than I should be able to, seeing that we're in the honesty house and all. And it would give me an excuse in case I fail the quiz as well. Could say that we were working on a project or something."

There it was. Teasing and joking around being the only way he dealt with things, he doled them out aplenty. Especially when he cared. Not that anyone else would know that.

He doodled lightly in the margins with a pencil from his pocket, absent minded. Not being very worried about the quiz, it was easy for him to divert his focus to more important things. Like her being 'fine'. And apparently drawing as well.

He looked up to study her, as he seemed prone to doing. It's easier to think of people that way. Just things that have reactions and emotions to gauge and predict, and once I've done that, I can correct my actions to fit. Why not?

Hanging with @Gemini Johnson

"I'm not," Eli said in defence of herself. Because she wasn't really all that hungry. She wasn't lying to Gemini, she really wasn't. Normally she'd have scarfed down her entire plate and would be picking at desserts until it was time for her to leave the table or until the House Elves stopped sending it to her. She did take a few bites of the sandwich but then even that was left behind on the plate.

"And I'm not going to fail the quiz." Even if she did a half-effort she could scratch out a passing grade. "I'm just... tired." A lame excuse. It was barely an excuse. And she didn't even know why she was making up excuses if she were being honest. She didn't like lying (she'd been placed in Hufflepuff for a reason and even though she knew everyone as different... well) and especially not lying to her friends, at least. And that's what they were, right? Friends?

Her shoulders slumped down just a little bit more. "Didn't feel good last night. Didn't really get a lot of sleep because of it, that's all. I'll be fine tonight." If she survived the test. "You don't have to make up excuses or anything, Gem. I don't want you to get in trouble or anything."

But it did make her feel a little bit better all the same to know that he would be willing to do that for her. See? They had to be friends. That was what friends did for each other, after all. "I don't think you'd fail anyway. You're too smart for that."

Cont with @Eli Goldhorn.

A knowing smirk when she said she wouldn't fail. Not mocking, just... Amused. By something apparently only he could see.

But he glanced up more sharply at her half-confession, the concern in his eyes badly concealed, even to Eli in her state. He covered for it, again badly, by laughing when she said he didn't have to lie.

"I wouldn't mind. I am an expert at not getting caught, I tell you." It was slightly exaggerated, with a bit of flair. More as a joke, because he did remember every lie and cover story he made, so that he wouldn't slip. And he didn't want to add to it.

Beneath that, too: does she mean it, when she says she doesn't want me to get in trouble? Or does she mean that she doesn't want to get in trouble for being involved in my lies?

Lost in thought, he was caught completely unawares by her comment. Too smart for that? What-

He felt the heat rise to his face and ears, confusion mingling with embarrassment before he ducked under the table, pretending to tie a lace (his shoes has none).

"Just lucky," he replied, slipping back into his usual composure as he sat up. "I don't think you'll fail either, but it's always good to have a backup."