Picnic for Two
The day turned out to be beautiful, sun bright in the sky, some fluffy white clouds rolling by, the cool fall weather slowly making its way in as October was now just a few days away. With October coming, it also meant the Fall Ball at Hogwarts was coming up, something the whole school seemed to be abuzz about. Students of every year were talking about what they would be wearing and who they would be going with. The theme was ‘The Enchanted Depths’ and with that alone Leo was definitely intrigued. Of course, being that this was his first formal ball he wasn’t quite sure what it would be like. He had heard a little of the twin’s formal balls but it was mostly just about who they went with as a date and what they wore. The family had attended some fancier parties that his parents had been invited to before so he watched them dance and learned a little bit of basics but it will be so much different for his own first time dancing. If he could even get the courage to get up and dance in the first place.
There was one thing that had been on Leo’s mind since he first heard the announcement of the ball, who would he go with? It wasn’t like it was required to have a date or anything. He could go alone or with a group maybe. But in thinking about it he did have someone he wouldn’t mind spending the night with. So many thoughts ran through his head for a couple days after the announcement. His mother had corresponded with him through owls and was sending him an outfit fit for the theme, which his sister so lovingly pointed out that she helped pick out. Now he just needed to do one more thing, admittedly the hardest part of it all.
After lunch, Leo changed into a dark green sweater and put on a pair of jeans. With a large blanket draped over his arms and his drawing notebook in hand, Leo made his way outside following one of the paths. He looked around as he walked, there was a couple students scattered around but overall it was fairly peaceful out right now. Walking over to a tall tree, Leo placed his notebook down before laying out the blanket on the grass. He sat down on the blanket, placed his hands behind him and leaned back as he awaited the arrival of his picnic partner for today, Rosaline. The two had gotten to be pretty good friends over the last month after meeting at the summer camp, something that had stuck in Leo’s mind after the chaos of that first meeting. Today, however, Leo hoped there would be no chaos and hoped everything would be perfect with what he had planned.
Leo Noxley — pc ency
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Nadira Bakari — inpc staff ency
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Sakura Hirano — inpc ency
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| STA. 5 EVA. 5 STR. 5 WIS. 5 ARC. 5 ACC. 5 |
Metamorphmagus Year 1 |
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Picnic for Two
A cool breeze swept over Rosaline. It was nearly mid-autumn, and October was coming. This meant the year would be over soon. It was quite amazing that she had been at Hogwarts for a month. She clutched her canary yellow jacket. The reason she wore it on a sunny day was because the weather might seem warm at first glance, yet if it became windy and cloudy, the temperature would drop quickly. Right now, the sun still lingered in the sky, so she didn’t need to worry about that.
She was going to meet Leo at the grounds. They had planned a picnic for two. Skipping along and humming a tune, she tried to remember the song’s name. When the lyrics suddenly came to her mind, she sang, “Just the two of us. We can make it if we try.” Her cheeks flushed at the idea of what those words implied. She shook her head. Trying to think of another idea, such as the Autumn Ball. Yes, the Autumn Ball. The theme of it seemed to be deep water and pirates; she had been looking forward to it ever since she heard about the news. Her parents even sent her a large parcel that contained a beautiful white gown and several pieces of jewelry, so she didn’t need to worry about her outfit.
The thought of finding a date flickered in her mind, but she didn’t give it much consideration. She was more worried about her inexperience with formal balls. Her knowledge came entirely from Jane Austen’s books or the intimate gatherings her mother’s side of the family would hold. Still, she was confident that her social dance skills would be perfectly adequate.
As she skipped along, the basket swayed at her side, and before she realized it, she had already reached the grounds. Seeing Leo sitting on a blanket, she waved to him joyfully. “Hello, Leo!” She approached the boy with a bright smile. Lately, when she met him or spent time with him, she always felt quite happy and enjoyed his company. They had become friends, at least from Rosaline’s perspective. She wasn’t sure what Leo thought about that.
She put the basket between them and sat down on the blanket. A breeze swept past, ruffling her white lace bandana slightly, making it messy. She smoothed her hair and the headpiece, which carried a faint rosy fragrance. Looking at Leo’s face, she said, “Let me show you what I got for us.” One by one, she took out the food in the basket. “There are some smoked salmon sandwiches, blueberries, pumpkin juice, and cheese-and-potato quiche,” she chuckled. She had gathered the food from the Great Hall. “These might be able to feed a family of five,” she joked and grinned at Leo.
stamina: 6 | evasion: 5 | strength: 5
wisdom: 8 | arcane Power: 7 |accuracy: 4
Lovely Creature
Picnic for Two
As Leo sat there waiting for Rosa to arrive, he leaned back and closed his eyes, letting the gentle breeze that was blowing brush across his face. This was his favorite time of the year. Fall weather was what he felt was the most comfortable. Gentle breezes, the air cooling down, the leaves on the trees beginning to change colors. Even so far from home the comfort of the autumn weather reminded him of when he would walk around the park near his house as a kid and jump into all the piles of leaves.
The quiet was soon interrupted by the familiar voice he has come to know, Rosa. He opened his eyes and saw her strolling towards him with a smile on her face and the picnic basket swaying at her side. With the sun shining down on her like that it reminded him of when they first met at camp and the two had sat under a tree like this to talk and got to know each other. It was a chaotic meeting but one he was glad happened because the two had grown to become good friends now.
He immediately smiled and waved back at her as she got closer, “Hi Rosa!” Leo said and scooted over a bit on the blanket to give her room to sit down. When she placed the basket down he was curious to find out what she had gathered for them to eat. Fortunately he didn’t have to wonder long as she began pulling out the different items and listed them off one by one. Watching as she excitedly showed off the picnic basket he could feel his face starting to heat up, something he noticed seemed to happen often when he saw her. He cleared his throat trying to distract himself from the thought, looking at the food. “Wow, Rosa, you gathered a whole feast for us.” He joked back to her and chuckled softly. “Should we dig in then?” Leo asked, his stomach having the feeling of butterflies and hunger at the same time.
His eyes fixed on the cheese and potato quiches first, taking one of the plates and placing it down on it before also grabbing some of the pumpkin juice. It was definitely the perfect picnic for the beautiful fall day. He took a bite of the quiche, enjoying the warm, comforting food as they sat there. Looking over at her, Leo’s mind wandered back to the reason he had invited her to the picnic in the first place. Just relax, she just got here. Leo thought to himself trying to remain calm as he began feeling those butterflies again. He focused on eating and drinking the pumpkin juice for a few moments.
As he finished the quiche, he turned to Rosa and decided to try to divert the conversation towards the ball so he could try to work up to asking her. He rested one hand on the drawing pad that sat beside him and pushed it back behind him more, trying to keep it out of sight until the moment was right. “Did you see the posters they put up for the Autumn Ball? It looked like an interesting theme.” He mentioned casually as he picked up some blueberries, cupping some in his hand and popping them into his mouth one by one.
Leo Noxley — pc ency
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Nadira Bakari — inpc staff ency
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Sakura Hirano — inpc ency
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| STA. 5 EVA. 5 STR. 5 WIS. 5 ARC. 5 ACC. 5 |
Metamorphmagus Year 1 |
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| —————————————— | —————————————— | —————————————— |
Picnic for Two
Looking at Leo, who had already picked a slice of the quiche and seemed happy to pour a glass of pumpkin juice, she was glad she had selected these foods. The Ravenclaw boy’s review of the food was good. These were foods she’d considered suitable for a picnic, and they just happened to be on the long table in the Great Hall. So, she had slipped them out quietly, though this behavior probably wasn’t against the rules. She answered him, “Of course, let’s enjoy the feast.” Deciding to have the food together to share the delicacy and attempt to gain warmth from the meal, she poured a glass of pumpkin juice for herself, setting it aside, then took a slice of the quiche too. She picked up her fork with grace and speared a piece, careful not to smear her sleeve with food. As she tasted it, a look of satisfaction appeared on her face. It was one of her favorite flavors; the potato had a wonderful creamy texture, yet the cheese balanced it out so it never felt dry. She took a sip of the pumpkin juice; it was sweet but not cloying, just what she needed to quench her thirst.
She finished her quiche, feeling a little full. Putting down the plate beside her, she took out her dainty handkerchief to wipe her mouth, in case there were any crumbs remaining. The leaves above their heads rustled and swayed, and they cast dappled shadows. She propped her hands behind her back and gazed at the scene, lost in thought for a moment. Snapping back to reality, she felt a bit of shyness and asked Leo with a sheepish smile, “Do you know that the trees would feel shy too? There’s a phenomenon called crown shyness. Though we are only under a tree, if there are plenty of them, they might actually avoid each other’s crowns.” Her smile deepened, and she continued, “I don’t know why I’m saying this, but the scene is just lovely.” The words might sound odd, but she simply found herself moved by these beautiful natural sights.
Leo began to talk about the Autumn Ball. She had heard from someone that there would be a ball in October, so she had been waiting for it since the summer. Her grin grew wider as she was about to discuss the ball with Leo. She replied with excitement, “Yes! I saw those posters absolutely everywhere in the castle.” Chuckling, she added, “I love the ocean and pirate theme. It must be interesting to see how everyone dressed. What do you want to wear?” Tilting her head slightly, she continued, “And I need to think about what I’ll wear too. Hmm, I might write a letter to my parents and ask them for advice.”
Rosaline noticed Leo seemed a little nervous, and she was totally unaware of the cause. She just shook off the feeling and continued enjoying the picnic. Glancing at the side, Leo was moving something, and she, curious, edged closer to take a look. Her hand came to support herself on the blanket. The distance between them closed instantly, though she didn’t realize it at all. She just looked into Leo’s eyes and asked, “What’s that?” Her eyes shone a curious light.
stamina: 6 | evasion: 5 | strength: 5
wisdom: 8 | arcane Power: 7 |accuracy: 4
Lovely Creature
Picnic for Two
Leo watched as Rosaline tugged on her jacket as the breeze continued blowing gently around them. In the shade it was a little cooler than out in the sun so it was no surprise Rosa was feeling cold now that she had joined him on the blanket. He gave her a small nod when she thanked him for bringing it, but now he was thinking he should’ve brought an extra one for them too. Instead he decided to offer her the next best thing so she wouldn’t be too cold. “Here do you want to use this?” He asked her as he held up the jacket that had been just sitting behind him on the blanket. Leo would much rather let her use it since she seemed to be colder than he was.
The food was really spectacular that she had swiped from the Great Hall. Obviously they enjoyed their meals regularly but it was especially enjoyable since they were sitting outside eating together. He was glad the two decided to have this little outing today, although his real intentions were yet to be revealed.
As the two had finished eating for now, Leo was happily full sitting there beside her. He glanced at her as she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her face. He chuckled a little to himself at the sight, she was much more ladylike than his sister, even after all this time of his mother trying to get her to be more like that. Not that he was much better but he did try his best to have some manners, especially since he was dragged to every party or event his parents attended throughout the years.
He realized he had gotten lost in thought and was staring up at the trees when Rosa had begun speaking again. At that point he hoped he hadn’t spaced out and missed something she said so he tried to give her his full attention now. She started talking of a natural phenomena Leo had never heard of before dealing with trees. As she explained it he looked back up at the leaves above them, they would soon be changing colors and falling off the branches. He guessed the trees really were just as alive as they were. Changing, feeling shy, it was quite interesting to think about. “That’s actually really interesting, where did you hear about that? I wonder if there’s any other stories like that in nature.”
With the conversation shift to the autumn ball, he was carefully thinking in his head how to bring up what he wanted to say. Leo was somewhat relieved to hear that Rosa found the theme interesting and seemed like she was excited about the ball itself, the whole conversation might have taken a turn for the worse if she said the opposite. It didn’t lessen the nerves though. He wasn’t sure why he was feeling so nervous about this. It was a simple question he had to ask her and it was just so he could have someone he enjoyed spending time with join him there, right? Nothing crazy but yet he still found it more difficult right now than during any test in his classes. “I actually had already sent an owl to my parents about the ball, along with some other stuff, and my mother sent one back saying she was going to pick something out for me to fit the theme. I guess I am just trusting her taste over mine,” He said and shrugged, chuckling softly again. “I’m sure you’ll find something great!” Leo said quietly back to her. He was sure she would look great no matter what, she always did anyways.
Despite his horrible attempt at being sneaky and keep the drawing pad hidden, Rosaline still seemed to pick up on his nervousness and had seen him move it. As she leaned closer towards him, she had tried to peak at what it was before looking him in the eyes all of which led to Leo’s face turning a bright pink, his eyes changing to follow soon after. He couldn’t quite get words out as she asked what it was as all he could think about was how close she was to him now. He cleared his throat as he sat back slightly and reached around to pull the drawing pad out, figuring there was no reason to really hide it now that she spotted it. “Uh, well..” He started to say, fidgeting with the edges of the pages as he tried to get the nerves to subside enough to get what he wanted to say out. “I actually did have something to show you.”
Leo opened up the pages slightly, just enough to pull what he made out. “I made these little skeleton pirate cut outs.” He chuckled nervously, as he laid them out on the blanket in front of them and pulled out his wand from his pocket. Following the charm movements and making what looked like two legs with the wand, he carefully pronounced the dancing feet charm on the skeleton pirates, “Tarantallegra!” With the spell cast the little paper cut outs began to dance as if they were alive themselves. “I thought these little guys were kinda in theme with the ball..” He kept his eyes on the skeleton pirates before finally muttering out what he had been hoping to get to say to her all day, “I was also hoping, maybe, you would go with me to the ball?”
@Rosaline Everhart
his favorite converse sneakers, black jacket
Leo Noxley — pc ency
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Nadira Bakari — inpc staff ency
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Sakura Hirano — inpc ency
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| STA. 5 EVA. 5 STR. 5 WIS. 5 ARC. 5 ACC. 5 |
Metamorphmagus Year 1 |
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| —————————————— | —————————————— | —————————————— |
Picnic for Two
Her hands were free after she finished the food. Propping her hands back on the blanket, she gazed into the distance; she could see some students strolling far away from them, yet couldn’t see their faces clearly. They seemed to be having fun this afternoon, just like the two of them.
Hearing Leo’s light chuckle, she tilted her head and asked, “What’s wrong?” Stopping the motion of wiping her mouth, the handkerchief hung in the air for a second. She realized something and looked inside the basket. Taking out another handkerchief, which had delicate embroidery of tiny flowers on it, she said softly, “Here you go. I prepared an extra one in case we need it.” She handed it to Leo with a bright smile.
Leo didn’t seem to be bothered by her sudden speech about the Crown Shyness. She was glad that he was interested in the topic too. He asked her where she learned the term. As she looked up again, she replied, “I actually learned it from a film. It’s called ‘Perfect Days’. Its story is about a cleaner’s everyday life. The Crown Shyness was one of his daily photography themes.” She paused for a brief moment, thinking she didn’t know if Leo knew what films were, since he came from a wizard household. She decided to explain, “Hmm, I don’t know if you know what the film is, it’s basically moving pictures and telling stories. I love watching them.” She didn’t overuse the word ‘love’; it probably couldn’t contain all the emotions she had toward films. Though this wasn’t that relevant to their picnic, she let her attention drift back to their conversation.
The subject swiftly changed to the Autumn Ball. Rosaline was intrigued by it— all the tales and myths that happened on the sea; The Little Mermaid, The Odyssey… She couldn’t name them all. Other than that, there were so many magical creatures under the sea, she wanted to see them herself one day, if she got the chance. The clouds lingered in the sky, changing their shapes. It was a ball, so everyone must have a date, or some friends went with them. She wondered who Leo would accompany to the ball, though she didn’t know why she cared so much. They were just friends. Shaking her head, she refocused on the conversation again.
Leo mentioned he had sent the owl to his parents, and she thought she should do that soon. Otherwise, the ball was right around the corner, and she hadn’t prepared anything at all. She got a little nervous. Yet she thought her parents would take care of it, so she relaxed. “I’ll be looking forward to your outfit! I think I might lean into the pearl and ocean theme more,” she said with a gentle smile. Then she added, “Thank you again. I can only trust my mum and dad then,” chuckling, she ran her fingers through her hair to tidy it a bit. She was excited to see all the people in different formal attire. This would be her first ball that had so many kids her age. She always got bored at the balls she had been to because she could only see all the adults or teenagers beyond her age. So, she hoped her first ball at Hogwarts would be very enjoyable.
After the question she had asked Leo, she still didn’t notice she was leaning too close to him. Until she saw Leo’s face turn bright pink and so did his eyes, she realized, and a rosy pink crept up her face. Sometimes she would act too abruptly, and she had no realization about it. Rosaline sat back in her position to see what Leo was going to show her. When Leo opened his sketchbook and revealed the little skeleton pirates, her whole face lit up in awe. She exclaimed with amusement, “Oh Merlin, they are so cute. You’re so talented.” Reaching out to touch the skeletons lightly, she felt like they were so lifelike and precisely crafted. She drew back her hand to watch Leo cast the dancing feet charm. The little skeletons danced instantly. She giggled at the sight and said, “They are just like professional dancers.” A little dancer secretly fled their blanket and ran onto the grass. Rosaline noticed and tried to grab it, yet failed. It was truly chaotic. Luckily, the skeleton had been blown back into her hands by the wind. Her palms were up, and it kept dancing on them. She gently released it on the blanket and chuckled, “Thanks to the wind that brings it back.”
After the small breakout incident finished, she heard Leo say something. At first, because of the low voice, she thought she had heard him wrong. But then she noticed what he had asked. Her face flushed instantly, and she answered, “Of course… Yes. We definitely should go there together.” The little skeleton pirates were still dancing. Her mind went blank for a moment, then the joy came. Finally, she met his gaze and spoke with a bright smile, “I think we’ll have the best time at the ball.”
stamina: 6 | evasion: 5 | strength: 5
wisdom: 8 | arcane Power: 7 |accuracy: 4
Lovely Creature
Picnic for Two
date: Sept. 27th, 2025
outfit: dark green sweater, jeans,
his favorite converse sneakers, black jacket
word count: 779 words
speaking/thinking:
0042A9 / 80A7FF
Leo smiled softly as she took the jacket from him, watching as she wrapped it around her shoulders. He could have sworn he saw her cheeks flush a little but he put the thought out of his mind quickly. “It’s okay, the shade is just cooler than expected.” He laughed softly at her as she spoke, shaking his head at her question. “I’ll be fine in this sweater, don’t worry.” He said trying to reassure her and sat back comfortably again.
He waved his hand in the air and shook his head as she tried to hand him the extra handkerchief. “No, it’s not that.” He chuckled again and looked out at the students that passed by in the distance. “I was just laughing because you are always careful to be polite and proper with everything, it just reminded me of my sister since my mother always tries to get her to be that way but she doesn’t like to be ‘prim and proper’ as she puts it.” He smiled as he thought of her and wondered how she was doing.
As she explained the crown shyness and movie to him he couldn’t help but chuckle a little. Of course he probably came across as a typical pure blood but he was fortunate to have experienced some of the things muggles enjoyed when he visited his one uncle and aunt and cousins. “Oh, I have never seen that film. I have only seen some that my cousins put on before when I was visiting their house.” He said and smiled as he glanced at her again, “My aunt is actually a muggle. My uncle and aunt try to raise my cousins with a mix of the magical and muggle worlds. Lucky for me, I guess, since I get to learn about some muggle things too from them.” He was never one to brag about his own family. Although they were a more wealthy pure blood family, Leo honestly couldn’t care less about all of that, he almost would have preferred to live differently since it came with its own challenges.
With the topic change to the ball, Leo smiled as he saw her face light up at the mention. It didn’t stop the feeling of nervousness but he was still excited about it and was happy to see she was feeling the same way. He was curious to see what her parents would send her to wear even thought he wasn’t that interested in fashion he just wondered how she would look all dressed up for the ball.
Leo glanced to his side to see her reaction to the little skeleton pirates and saw her face flush which just cause his face to heat up more but he tried his best to stay focused for the spell. “Thank you,” He smiled at the compliment and couldn’t find words to say as he was feeling a little embarrassed by the compliment since it came from her. As a skeleton tried to float away in the wind he chuckled as she carefully caught it on her hands and it kept dancing. It reminded him again of their time at camp when the drawing flew away from him and into her hands. Something always seemed to be bringing them together.
Once the question was out there, he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes as he waited for her response. There was a moment of quiet between the two and Leo started to feel nervous again. ‘Did she already have a date? Maybe she doesn’t want to go with me..?’ Thoughts began racing through his mind but they were cut off by her soft voice replying to him. A wave of relief washed over him as he heard her answer. ‘She said yes… she said yes!’ He thought as a smile crept across his face. He couldn’t quite figure out why this had become so important to him, it was just a silly little school dance after all but he was happy that she agreed to go with him. “I think so too, I can’t wait!” He said and leaned back on his hands again as he looked up at the sky.
With the nerves starting to leave his body now that he had gotten to ask her, he felt relaxed and was enjoying watching the clouds as they rolled by in the sky. He decided to lay back on the blanket, resting his head on one of his arms and pointing up at one of the clouds. “Look, that cloud looks kind of like a rabbit.” Leo laughed as he watched the little bunny cloud float across the sky.
stats: STA. 5, EVA. 5, STR. 5, WIS. 5, ARC. 5, ACC. 5 ——————————————— metamorphmagus
Leo Noxley — pc ency
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Nadira Bakari — inpc staff ency
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Sakura Hirano — inpc ency
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| STA. 5 EVA. 5 STR. 5 WIS. 5 ARC. 5 ACC. 5 |
Metamorphmagus Year 1 |
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| —————————————— | —————————————— | —————————————— |
Picnic for Two
She turned her head back before she stared at it for too long. It was odd that she already felt Hogwarts was like a second home to her just in barely two months. Although she still lost her ways in the castle occasionally. Leo's light chuckle drew her attention back. Tilting her head, Rosaline listened intently, then chuckled with him for his reason. “It's actually not the first time I hear this comment. I don't know. Maybe I set too many rules for myself so I act like this. But I think your sister would be a great lady either way. It's too boring to abide by all the rules in the world,” She said gently. With a moment of pause, she continued, “We should be able to live whatever life we want.” A hint of pink crept up to her ears. It was a big statement of life from an 11-year-old girl, she knew. But sometimes she just said things she would like to say.
Leo mentioned he had watched some movies before. Rosaline responded, “I would not guess that! I thought most wizards don't know anything about Muggle cultures.” She giggled and said, “Maybe we can go see a movie next Summer?” The idea amused her. “As a child from mixed cultures, I can confirm that it's very beneficial for the kid! Though I didn't try the other method. It's hard to imagine life without all that technology when living in that world.” After her little speech, Rosaline realized she might be talking too much again, so she kept silent abruptly.
She showed a smile when the topic changed to the ball. The little skeleton dancer was still dancing on her palm and making way to her shoulder. Rosaline chuckled as the paper skeleton made her ticklish. “I can't wait for the ball either. It'll be so great.” She said and gently put the skeleton down onto Leo’s sketch book with two fingers. It was unexpected for her to think about having a date at a ball. Could she call this a date even? She wasn't sure. Glancing at Leo, she took her glass and sipped the pumpkin juice again. Maybe. Maybe she should not overthink too much, for once, and enjoy the time together with her friends.
Leo lay back on the blanket and so did she. His jacket was very warm and soft. “Haha, I think the other one looks like a turtle. See? Over there!” She said playfully. The time passed fast. They had finished all the food Rosaline had brought and headed back to the castle when the sky got darker. This would be one of the picnics she would remember for a long time.
stamina: 6 | evasion: 5 | strength: 5
wisdom: 8 | arcane Power: 7 |accuracy: 4
Lovely Creature