Care to Read your Leaves and Open Your Eyes?

ALPHONSE TOUSSAINT

♕ aftenoon, 30th of may 2025 in the divination classroom, ilvermorny ♕

It wasn't the glimmering gold and rich emerald-hued flora of Castelobruxo, but the mountaintop of Mount Greylock in Massachusetts was still lovely in its own right.

Did it compare? Absolutely not. But what choice did the newly-dubbed Wampus cub have but to adapt to the foreign school in a foreign country?

A father positioned in the role of Headmaster of Ilvermorny boded well for the boy. It added some semblance of normalcy and control of entering a new school knowing not but a soul, but kinship with the Headmaster came with its own hurdles all the same. Alphonse's expulsion from the private institution of Brazil wasn't simply brushed under the rug—no, Fabian saw to it that the boy continued to serve a punishment of in-school suspension until the boy's grades and behavior improved, until his father made the executive decision to grant freedom to his eldest son.

Perhaps it was pity from his father, or a need for separation from his facetious brood, that Alphonse's access to Quidditch would remain intact despite him being grounded. It wouldn't take long since his enrollment at Ilvermorny that the boy would find himself in the role of a Beater on the official team—a farcry from his former placement as a Chaser, but the Wampus cub wouldn't complain. Alphonse was able to network and connect with new peers this way, but for the greater part of his schooling thus far, he was still quite ill-informed of who his non-Quidditch classmates were.

Proudly did he strut through those halls like a second nature as if Alphonse recognized them like the back of his hand. In reality, the boy had no clue where he was going when it came to routes that didn't include the Great Hall or his present curriculum, but swagger and confidence would be his facade. His maroon coat primped and pressed, his Wampus necktie resting elegantly upon his breast, his coiled hair groomed, and a warm smile on his lips as he greeted passersby of interest.

Alphonse swept past an empty classroom and paid it no mind until his brown gaze lingered on a blonde alone in the room — he'd recognize her from somewhere outside of class, but couldn't place where. His steps backtracked to get a better visual of the spacious classroom and the girl inside before slipping through the door with a knock to announce his presence.

"Hey," Alphonse greeted with a smile, taking a seat at one of the many empty chairs close by, "Odd place to be enjoying tea alone, no?"

——mentions. @Devon Wallen / @Fabian Toussaint-Fleischer
——notes. wc -
——trunk. charmer, y2 ability

Interacting with : Reducio @Alphonse Toussaint + open to interactions

Outfit: Reducio Horned serpent uniform, black gladiator flat sandals, hair in pigtails, wand tucked behind her ear.

Notes: Reducio Speech: #8e19d7 Thoughts: italics Date: May 30th, afternoon, before dinner

Despite her preoccupation with her journal, Devon pranced around the tables and twirled her way around the classroom. Sadly, there wasn’t enough room for her to launch into a pirouette. Yet, that didn’t dampen the young Horned Serpent’s movements. Her blonde pigtails swayed with her movements, dancing around the base of her neck.

Her green eyes furrowed as Devon glanced at the different shapes the leaves could form into. ‘There are so, so many possibilities! I wonder if anyone ever tries to memorize these? For me, I think I’d prefer the extra visual. Not just the description. From the little I know about how tea leaves disperse at the bottom of the cup … they aren’t always in completely easy to read shapes. Yet, I’d imagine that it even offers a clue as to how to read them. So much goes into reading the leaves … kind of how there is a lot to consider when applying Xylomancy! I know I’m a second year, and obviously not in any of these special classes yet, but I look forward to when I’m eligible next year. God. Divination. Xylomancy. Arithmancy. Runes. All sounds so interesting! I’m so excited!’

A giggle escaped Devon’s lips as she flipped the pages of her journal back to the process she’d need to employ to prepare and pour the tea. She could see its roots in polite society … something she wasn’t particularly familiar with, but it wasn’t off-putting. It mainly just made her giggle. Perhaps a little immaturely. There wasn’t any disdain for it, though. Her best friend from Hogwarts, Kaitlyn, was polite. Devon could recall one of their summer FaceTime chats … where Kaitlyn mentioned her etiquette class from St. Ann’s all-girls Catholic Boarding School. Growing up in the New York public school system, Devon didn’t have any of that. She wasn’t against politeness, and she had asked Kaitlyn for a few tips.

Her eyes didn’t get far on the page, however. A knock was heard, bringing Devon out of her thoughts. Her movements slowed when she spotted a boy enter the classroom and take a seat at one of the tables. A friendly smile formed on her lips. “Hi! Perhaps! I didn’t consider that possibility. But, isn’t here the perfect place to drink tea alone? Away from the craning necks of gossipers and onlookers. I’ve always thought of tea drinking to be a reflective experience … a look into your heart and mind … an intimate discussion between you and magic.” Her voice took on a whimsical tone, soft, light, and airy. No playfulness … yet, at least not until she got to know her conversation partner. As she spoke, she twirled closer to the boy, delicately balancing on her toes, until she stopped at the table he was seated at.

Reducio

Note: 467 words

♕- Afternoon of May 30th, 2025 | Divination Class, Ilvermorny - ♕

There were a dozen other locations Alphonse could’ve visited that afternoon—the edge of the lake, the Great Hall, or even Mt. Greylock's surrounding forests if the Toussaint boy desired a more temporary escape from the chaotic week he had been reeling from. And yet, a pang of curiosity entered the Wampus cub's psyche at the whimsical way this blonde-haired Horned Serpent spoke and occupied the room.

A hum of interest sounded from Alphonse as the boy held her gaze before glancing about the divination-esque classroom. It wasn't a part of his curriculum yet, but it didn't take much to figure out exactly where they resided or what the room's purpose was.

"I suppose that's true," he responded evenly. "I always found these-" Alphonse paused, trying to articulate his thoughts in her native language—a tongue that was still not quite perfected yet, "-'gossipers and onlookers' quite interesting. Americans are...fascinating."

Straightening up in his seat as the familiar girl approached him, Alphonse dusted an imaginary speck off his primped maroon coat's sleeve, the casual movement as deliberate as it was dismissive. His ears worked overtime despite the casualness of his sitting. As he heeded the girl's words, a faint smile touched his lips. Her fascination with the nature of Divination made the boy reminiscent of his mother—the horticulturist who dabbled with the occult and rites from the Caribbean, South America, and Africa.

Sarai had a small ritual of her own, brewing both Alphonse and Briar tea at the beginning of each year, for whatever reason the dull boy didn't quite fathom; regardless, Alphonse couldn't help but wonder if Sarai had prophesied his expulsion from Castelobruxo long before it happened.

"You sound like my mother," Alphonse drawled, his dark eyes glinting with subtle teasing. He leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting to something almost conspiratorial: "So, how does this 'reflective experience' work? You gauge from the color of the tea, or what?"

——mentions. @Kaitlyn Connor / @Devon Wallen
——abilities. charmer

Interacting with : Reducio @Alphonse Toussaint

Outfit: Reducio Horned serpent uniform, black gladiator flat sandals, hair in pigtails, wand tucked behind her ear.

Notes: Reducio Speech: #8e19d7 Thoughts: italics Date: May 30th, afternoon, before dinner

The young Horned Serpent smiled happily. Ever since she started at Ilvermorny, Devon had been very interested in magic. Er, that wasn’t entirely accurate. Sure, she was finally able to perform magic, but her thirst for magical education happened way before that … back when her older brother, Benjamin, was first notified that he was a wizard and was to start learning at Ilvermorny. It only grew from there when Luke and Rebecca were sent to Ilvermorny next.

Devon had taken the initiative to look through her siblings’ magical books with the little time that she had to do so. Benjamin had a Divination textbook first, and it fascinated her to see such ideas! They sounded so, so familiar to the general shpeal that came from psychics, and yet they still sounded so, so cool. Of course, she wasn’t quite yet a third year to be doing these herself, but when had that ever stopped her? She was very, very curious.

A smile formed on Devon’s lips at the boy’s response. Her eyebrow raised, and she giggled. “Fascinating … that is one word for it,” she laughed. “They are definitely fascinating to watch,” she nodded. It was always interesting to see. Of course, it wasn’t interesting at all when she was gossiped about, after having fallen from her broom within the first few days of her first year. Yet, now look at her … she was a broomracer for the school.

Tilting her head to the side, Devon gave him an amused look. “Now that is an interesting observation,” she spoke quietly. To be fair, this was the first time … and hopefully last time … she was compared to someone’s mother. It made her wonder just what she was doing that would arouse such a contrast. But, she didn’t care enough to ask. After all, it sounded innocuous enough … especially with that teasing tone he employed.

Her eyes flicked to the tea kettle, still not ready yet with her tea brew. “The color of the tea … would speak more to the type of tea you chose … and how long you let it brew,” she reasoned. “I’m sure the type of tea does offer some clarity,” she postulated. She moved her gaze over to him. “It’s based on the tea leaves. Where they’re positioned, and what shapes they make.” She turned a few pages in her journal, stopping at a page of her … admittedly horrid drawings … showing a few potential shapes. She gently glided over to where he sat and offered her journal to him. “These are a few … I’m not exactly an artist, I know. But I think they came out decent … ish? Maybe.”

Reducio

Note: 452 words
Eeep, I'm very late. Sorry for the wait!