An Enthusiastic Travel Companion PV

Date	Word Count	Speech
01/09/2025	649	#578645

Platform 9¾. Ewan MacLeod had dreamed of the day when he’d finally get to see it, and most importantly experience it, for himself.
He had stepped through the magical barrier with curious eyes, leaving behind the din of King’s Cross Station only to find something stranger, but alive all the same.
The platform was rather crowded, with voices rising and falling in a dozen accents, accompanied by bursts of laughter and the hoot of owls.
It might’ve seemed overwhelming to most, but Ewan only felt a buzzing, a sense of excitement building up within him: after all, it wasn’t every day you rode a magical train to go attend a magical school in the Scottish Highlands.
His gaze lingered not only on the shining paint job that the Hogwarts Express’ locomotive had received - a shining scarlet - but also on the different people around him: families huddled together to give their youngins a last goodbye, while family pets wove themselves through legs and trunks alike.
Tugging absentmindedly at his slightly crooked tie (the young boy had preferred to wear his uniform already), pockets stuffed with a rattling collection of stones for the journey, Ewan tilted his head slightly and smiled to himself.
His parents flanked him at the edge of the platform, the bustling families all around making it so that their little trio felt oddly private. His mother, Isobel, knelt down to straighten his robes (though they still sat a bit uneven, as if refusing to be ‘tamed’) and pressed a kiss to his temple, whispering: “Trust your instincts, love. And don’t forget to write us.”
Rory, his father, stood a pace behind, before clearing his throat in that gruff way of his and clapping a hand on Ewan’s shoulder. “Keep your head about you, lad. Remember the world’s bigger than what you find on a page.”
Ewan gave them both a sheepish, lopsided smile, as he clung to his mother’s back with his arm for a hug and as he clutched the handle of his battered trunk with the other hand. For a moment, the young boy wanted to commit every detail to memory: the smell of salt hanging on to his father’s coat, or the familiar way his mother’s scarf trailed on the ground, as if these things could bring him comfort against the unknown he was about to face.
With a nervous thrill rising in his chest, Ewan turned around toward the waiting carriages.
The moment he finished hauling his trunk up the steps, Ewan felt embraced by the warm and noisy atmosphere that characterized the train’s corridors.
The air inside was thick with chatter, and the scent of polished wood. The young boy tugged his trunk along, the wheels catching every so often on the carpet runner, while his eyes darted around, catching a glimpse of most compartments: friends laughing together, owls feeling restless inside their cages, squabbling siblings. He didn’t mind the noise as much, however something in him was perhaps looking for a quieter corner where he could catch his breath and take in the adventure unfolding before his very eyes.
Finally, Ewan stumbled upon an open door, leading to a mostly empty compartment: inside it, a tanned girl with dark hair sat with what looked like her pet, a black cat with piercing blue eyes.
Peering inside, the young boy was greeted by a sheepish smile from the girl and a series of meows from her cat. Interesting!
Seeing as he hadn’t had any luck, Ewan decided to make his way inside. He grabbed his trunk and, although not without a bit of a struggle, managed to put it on the luggage rack overhead.
After dusting his hands off on his robes, Ewan sat down on the empty seat by the window, before addressing the girl in a noticeable Scottish accent.
“Hello! I really like yer cat. What’s its name?”

Mentions	Notes
@Lucille Rosenhart @Eonaria Kabukimono	x

date 01/09/25

word count 376

speech #8C2626

mentions @Ewan MacLeod @Eonaria Kabukimono

notes feel free to godmod the cat being friendly or playful, just not hostile

A boy her age entered the compartment, and he didn't seem to mind the loud cat trying to get to him. Lucille breathed a sigh of relief; Daisy May wasn't a hindrance to everyone, it seemed. She smiled brightly when he spoke and, finally, let the little cat go.

"Believe me, she likes you, too. She's very social," she said, watching as Daisy May jumped off the seat. She had taken his comment as permission for the cat to approach him, although now she wondered if she should've asked. Now that a new person had entered the compartment, Daisy May seemed much less interested in the commotion outside and more interested in the newcomer.

"This is Daisy May," Lucille said, nodding towards the cat who was now trying to greet the boy. "Sorry about her. I should've asked if you wanted to meet her, instead of letting her go. I just assumed, but I can call her back if you like?" She had intended for those last words to sound like a statement, but her voice involuntarily rose up at the end, making it sound like a question.

She looked outside the window for a second to clear her head, before suddenly remembering she hadn't introduced herself. She turned back in one sudden movement, seeming quite jittery. Lucille had a bit of an energetic personality, and she found it difficult to contain herself when she was anticipating something. Despite the fact that she hadn't spoken much yet, her mannerisms made it evident.

"Anyway, I'm Lucille. And you are?" The girl finally got around to introducing herself. The boy looked a lot calmer than she was, so Lucille took a deep breath and leaned back, settling herself into the seat, and it was only with this action that she realized how tired she was, mostly because her arms ached from hauling that heavy trunk around.

Lucille's eyes drifted from the boy to her cat, and remained anchored to her. Daisy May was sweet and friendly, but she was also a playful young cat who consistently reminded Lucille that she needed to keep a close eye on her. Currently, though, Daisy May was happily playing the part of a sweet angel, purring and, as always, meowing for attention.

September 1, 2025

English - Thoughts

@Lucille Rosenhart, @Ewan MacLeod

Hogwarts Express

XXXAnother year, another train ride. It wasn't like Eonaria's motion sickness was getting any better, but the train seemed much less unfriendly than her first trip. The chatter coming from all directions seemed less suffocating and the people rushing by felt more like background noise.

XXXHer brother slipped off in the opposite direction as soon as they boarded the train, as usual. She always wondered what his reasoning was whenever he avoided her in public as much as possible. Eonaria could think of many potential reasons, but none of them seemed very much like her brother.

XXXThe Hogwarts Express was crowded as usual, full of students trying to find empty compartments, and in some cases tripping over their own trunks, but as Eonaria made her way through the aisle, one sound rose above the rest: not any louder than shouting, but distinctly familiar. A kitty!

XXXThe sound led her to a compartment with an open door, where two other students sat inside already, along with the culprit of the insistent meowing. Neither of them looked familar, so Eonaria assumed they were probably first years. "Hello!" she greeted, offering a smile. "May I join you two? The train can get really chaotic just before it leaves the platform." It was always some sort of commotion as kids scrambled to get on last minute and find compartments.

XXXThe cat was a fluffy, dark-furred one, a contrast to her own pale feline whom she had had to leave just an hour ago. The girl with dark brown hair seemed to be quite nervous, which reminded Eonaria of how she behaved during her first year. Not to say that I'm not still like that, though. White steam billowed from the train's smokestack, drifting upwards outside of the window. Again, very loud.

.・-: ✧☾♩♪♩♬　. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.　♬♩♪♩☽✧ :-・.

Date	Word Count	Speech
01/09/2025	428	#578645

Ewan gave Lucille a gentle smile in turn, feeling content that her cat seemed to like him and reassured by her confirmation. Daisy May, huh. What a lovely name.
"Aww, look at ye, eh? Aren't you the bonniest wee thing? Oh, don't worry: I like animals!"
It wasn't hard for Ewan to slip into a softer tone of voice to address Daisy May, gently petting the top of her furry head. He quickly raised his head again to reassure Lucille that she hadn't done anything wrong, while his hand kept lightly stroking the cat in the spot between her ears.
In that moment, the young boy could notice just how tense Lucille looked, especially when she turned back from gazing outside the window to face him suddenly, as if she had forgotten something. Ah, yes... introductions were in order.
"Aye, nice to meet you, Lucille. I'm Ewan."
He replied with a grin, hoping to put her at ease. From the corridor came the muffled thud of trunks being hauled about, and every so often a burst of laughter would ring in the air. The faint hiss of steam outside reminded Ewan of the journey they were about to undertake, and his stomach fluttered with anticipation. After all, how could he blame her for appearing nervous in the face of a new beginning? New school, new friends, new schedule, and all away from their families. He was just as trepidatious as her, though it might not've appeared that way: Ewan usually had an air of calmness about him. Just as he was about to ask Lucille a question to distract her from her worries (like what house she hoped to be sorted in), a new face popped in from the corridor. Jade green eyes framed by a cascade of long black hair greeted the both of them with a kind smile.
"May I join you two? The train can get really chaotic just before it leaves the platform."
Ewan nodded friendly, motioning for the newly arrived girl to choose whichever seat she preferred between those that remained, before focusing his attention back on Daisy May. The kitty was purring softly under his touch: what a cute little angel! He wondered, idly, if Daisy May’s purring might count as a good omen for the journey ahead. Cats always seemed to know things, after all. Ewan, therefore, couldn’t help but feel a spark of relief - two friendly faces already. Maybe this new beginning wouldn’t be so daunting after all.
"Er, aye, we were introducin' ourselves. I'm Ewan, and you are?"

Mentions	Notes
@Lucille Rosenhart @Eonaria Kabukimono	x

date 01/09/25

word count 377

speech #8C2626

mentions @Ewan MacLeod @Eonaria Kabukimono

notes xxx

Seeing that the boy was more than happy to meet Daisy May, Lucille smiled. She leaned forward a little, elbows on her knees, eyes fixed on her cat, who was having a lovely time. The boy introduced himself as Ewan, and Lucille wondered if she should engage in some small talk. She enjoyed conversation, and if she wasn't so tired, she would probably have leaped into a ramble of some sort, asking a million questions and volunteering far too much information about herself.

Before she could decide what she wanted to do, another voice entered the compartment. Lucille looked up to the compartment door to see a girl, perhaps a little older than her, asking if she could join them. She seemed quite friendly, and Lucille offered her a bright smile.

"By all means," she said, vaguely gesturing to the inside of the compartment, and shifting towards the window a little to make space for her, in case she chose to sit next to her. Ewan introduced himself first, and Lucille spoke after. "I'm Lucille, and this is Daisy May," she said, first pointing to herself, and then the cat. Knowing the sort of attention Daisy May had called towards herself, she figured the girl would be curious about her, too, the same way Ewan had been.

The noises of the train seemed to echo louder in her ears, and Lucille wondered if that was true or if she was just imagining things. She looked out the window at the platform once more, and saw that the crowd had thinned drastically. "I expect we'll be off soon," she said in a soft voice, seemingly talking to herself. "Just a little while longer and we'll be in Hogwarts!" The second sentence was a little louder, her excitement evident, but she dialed it back quickly and turned back to her travel companions.

She observed the pair that had chosen to join her, and figured this would probably be a pleasant ride. Ewan was being quite kind to Daisy May, and anyone her cat liked was alright with her, and the new girl seemed to radiate warmth. Lucille hoped she was right; this was her first real step towards Hogwarts, and she hoped it would promise good things to come.

September 1, 2025

English - Thoughts

@Lucille Rosenhart, @Ewan MacLeod

Hogwarts Express

XXXBoth of them nodded, gesturing for her to take a seat and introducing themselves. Eonaria smiled a little brighter, tucking her trunk under the seat closer to the compartment door and sitting down. She hadn't been sure what she would need on the train, since she had discovered that mindlessly watching the landscape rush past was an excellent waste of time last year. Eonaria had ended up with her wand stowed safely in her pocket along with a pouch of money for the snack trolley. Reading on the train gave her a headache.

XXXShe carefully closed the door before replying. "Thanks! It's nice to meet you, Ewan, Lucille. I really like your names." Lucille seemed like a lovely, old-timey yet unique name, and though Eonaria had never heard of anyone named Ewan, it held a certain elegance. "I'm Eonaria," she continued, deciding not to disclose her last name. In the end, it really didn't matter, did it? "Are you two first years?"

XXXLucille introduced her feline as Daisy May, and Eonaria nearly sparkled in excitement. "Aww! She's so cute!" Daisy May was still purring, her tail swaying slowly. She tried not to laugh when Lucille spoke of her excitement to get to Hogwarts. "Actually, it's going to be many hours before we get there..." We're very fortunate to have the snack trolley. "We have a long way to go to reach Hogwarts."

XXXEonaria glanced out the window, idly trying to find her parents in the crowd while thinking of a question to ask. The platform wasn't as packed as before, but she couldn't see them. Perhaps they were further down and the angle prevented her from spotting them. She eventually went with a pretty normal one: "What house do you think you'll get sorted into?" Eonaria asked. The Sorting Hat's mind was a mystery, one that often sorted students into places they didn't want to be. She had been disappointed with her own house at first, but there were absolutely no regrets now.

XXXThe noise outside of the compartment was beginning to die down as other students found places to sit and settle down. The train whistle blew as the Hogwarts Express began to withdraw from the station. Some of the families still standing at the platform waved good-bye rather dramatically.

.・-: ✧☾♩♪♩♬　. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.　♬♩♪♩☽✧ :-・.

date 01/09/25

word count 303

outfit ⁺₊ ☀︎ ⁺₊

speech #8C2626

mentions @Ewan MacLeod @@Eonaria Kabukimono

notes xxx

Lucille hadn't heard someone say that about her name before, and a wide grin spread on her face. "Thank you! It means light. My mother named me," she offered, clearly appreciative of the compliment. Her mother had named her after some old relative, but she didn't know the story. When it came to her family, she hardly did.

"And the hours will fly by, I'm sure," Lucille said longingly, turning her gaze back to the window. The train seemed to rumble louder, and she guessed that meant it would be setting off soon. To the new chapter of her life. To the castle that calls her.

The girl's leg began to bounce of its own accord, fidgeting impatiently. Ollie had told her that every year, the Hogwarts Express had a snack trolley you could buy sweets from. She had brought as much money as she dared, and she kept hoping that soon the door would open and someone would ask if they'd like to have something to eat.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Eonaria, asking what house they thought they'd get sorted into. "Gryffindor, certainly. I can't imagine being anywhere else. I mean, I'm certainly not as driven as the Ravenclaws, or as cunning as the Slytherins. Perhaps I might be a Hufflepuff as well? But I really don't think I'm steady enough for that." It was clear Lucille had thought of this question countless times before. She had pored over the qualities each house desired, and settled on Gryffindor as her place.

"What house are you in? You sound like you've made this trip before," she said with a little giggle. Maybe she could ask Eonaria all the questions that rattled in her mind about Hogwarts. Of course, she had interrogated her siblings before, but nothing could compare to the current experience.

Date	Word Count	Speech
01/09/2025	603	#578645

Ewan shifted a little in his seat, still absently scratching Daisy May between her ears: she was purring so steadily, it was almost like a pocket-sized engine under his palm. The thought almost made him laugh. A good omen, he decided again.

Just then, the train whistle blew, and a soft rumble vibrated slightly within Ewan as the Hogwarts Express began to leave the station: he threw one last look out the window to see if he might catch sight of his parents, before smiling to himself and focusing on his compartment companions. Was it just him, or was Lucille less tense now?

"Thanks! It's nice to meet you, Ewan, Lucille. I really like your names."

"Thanks! Your name is quite pretty too!" He replied. Eonaria, Ewan repeated silently, sounding it out in his head. It was almost as if the syllables held a weight to them, it faintly reminded him of the word 'honour'. It was a pretty name, of course; unusual, too. His mind immediately started wondering about his meaning, its roots, its history. He was halfway down that rabbit hole when Eonaria spoke again, asking them if they were first years.

“Aye, I am” Ewan replied quickly, snapping out of his daze and back to the present. He'd have asked Eonaria the same question, but stopped himself. There was something almost practiced in her tone, like she’d been through this before. Eonaria had a calmness about her, the way she carried herself, that suggested she wasn’t new to all this. Her comment about how long the journey would take all but confirmed it.
Then came the topic of Hogwarts houses. Lucille declared that she was bound for Gryffindor, with a confidence that suggested she had thought about the matter many times before. The glow in her eyes and the way she giggled made Ewan grin: she certainly seemed to have the spirit for it.

“Gryffindor suits ye, aye,” he said with an approving nod. “Ye’ve the look of someone ready to run headfirst at whatever comes. Me, I’m not sure yet. Could be Ravenclaw, for all the note-scribblin’ I do. Or Slytherin, maybe. Folk say they’re ambitious, aye? I do like the thought of discoverin’ secrets nobody else bothers lookin’ for…” He trailed off, auburn hair flopping as he shook his head. “But I’ll let the Hat decide. I reckon it kens better than I do.”

His gaze returned to Eonaria with curiosity, as Lucille asked what house she was in. Befriending an older student would certainly come in handy.

Meanwhile, his fingers made their way into his pocket, brushing over a few odds and ends: a feather, smooth stones, some folded scraps of parchment. Little reminders of home. With Daisy May and two new companions beside him, Ewan thought that he was ready for whatever awaited him at the other end of the tracks. He also made a mental note to possibly sketch out Daisy May on one of his notebooks: signs and omens should be recorded, after all.

Just as his mind began to drift again, Ewan caught the faint rolling of wheels from down the corridor. His ears perked up: that had to be the snack trolley. A memory of his mother, Isobel, mentioning it in passing came to the surface. "Keep a bit o' change handy, sweetie. Some say the trolley's magic in its own way, the best sweets you'll taste on the journey." He felt around his pockets, where a few coins rattled beside his trinkets. Now that he thought about it, Ewan felt a bit hungry (or could those be butterflies in his stomach?).

Mentions	Notes
@Lucille Rosenhart @Eonaria Kabukimono	sorry for the wait x

September 1, 2025

English - Thoughts

@Lucille Rosenhart, @Ewan MacLeod

Hogwarts Express

XXXEonaria beamed when Ewan returned the compliment, nodding at Lucille's comment. She's so pretty! After they confirmed their first year status, Lucille mused over each house's traits and settled on Gryffindor. The boy agreed, his hair flopping about as he pondered the advantages of being Slytherin. Eonaria thought it was very fun to have seniority over someone else. Her entire life, she never got to show off her knowledge a little to those younger than her. She was usually the youngest among her peers.

XXX"Houses really are more complex than what they seem on the surface," she explained happily. "People of the same house might have a few traits in common, but some of them might not fit the mold at all, and that's okay. Of course, sometimes it makes you question the Hat's sanity, but..." Eonaria shrugged with a small grin. "We can't just stereotype everyone. I love taking notes, and I really thought I'd get into Ravenclaw, but I didn't. We'll see how it goes for you two, I'll definitely be cheering no matter which house you go to!"

XXXLucille inquired to her own house, and Eonaria nodded like she forgot that was an aspect of the conversation. "Oh...! I'm in Gryffindor." She patted the red and gold insignia on the left side of her school robes. People that changed on the train made no sense to her. It's a train, not your bedroom! "I'm still not used to the Hogwarts Express, but I have a little bit of experience with it."

XXXThe train's wheels hummed as background noise, still a little loud for Eonaria's taste, but it was suitably mild for now. The scenery outside the window slowly transitioned from the grey-brown-white blurs of buildings and whatnot to the brilliant blue sky, where a few fluffy clouds were scattered. The heels of Eonaria's shoes were touching her trunk, which was not a pleasant feeling at all.

XXXShe noticed Ewan beginning to rummage around in his pockets, which reminded her that the snack trolley was likely coming along. Were they in the front half of the train? Wait, which side does the trolley even come from? Eonaria paused, trying to map out where the door was on her last trip on the Hogwarts Express-- But that would change depending on which side of the compartment I'm sitting on... and which side of the train the compartment is on... Does the trolley witch make the same trip in the same direction every time? Uhh--

.・-: ✧☾♩♪♩♬　. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.　♬♩♪♩☽✧ :-・.