7 Mar 2020, 09:14
From Spark to Flame
Date: March 7th
Time: Late Morning
Time: Late Morning
@Ross Stephens
Ruka had skipped breakfast.
Again.
He'd told himself he would try his best to eat more, to not have Jack worry again once he had recovered from... whatever, but after his interaction with Selim the day before, he just couldn't get out of his head anymore. He'd stayed up most of the night, fumbling with the locket of his necklace, opening and closing it over and over again, just to get a tiny glimpse of his dad's picture whenever his thoughts went a little out of control.
Once morning had arrived, Ruka had stayed behind in his bed, mulling over whether he was supposed to join breakfast or not, but with the assumption that Jack wasn't going to be there yet to join him anyway, he'd decided to get some form of distraction instead.
He'd put on an old white T-Shirt - two sizes too big - and his dad's old grey joggers, foregoing shoes and socks that day completely. All his socks were starting to have holes around the toes, probably due to his feet having grown a bit over the past couple of months, and his shoes just felt even smaller than usual, so going barefoot was definitely the best option.
As soon as he was dressed and at least vaguely presentable to the outside world - bed head and dark rings under his eyes not mentioned - he made his way to the Rehearsal Room with a few unlit torches under his arms, all the way counting his steps in a rhythmic
One, two, three
One, two, three
which he occasionally mumbled out loud, potentially alerting a couple of passing students by seeming like a crazy person.
It didn't matter, the counting kept his mind at bay and that was all that was really important.
He reached the empty Rehearsal Room a little after breakfast time, so the second he closed the door behind himself was the second students started to really fill the hallways, and he was glad to have just about escaped the Hell Hole that was social interaction.
After having talked to Selim, Ruka felt like he didn't want to talk to anybody for at least the next five months. Maybe his teachers could just owl him his homework and he could lock himself in his dorm room until the crippling fear of meeting people face to face subdued again.
Dropping the torches on the ground, Ruka knelt down and pulled his wand out of his pocket. "Incendio," he muttered, directing the flame to the tip of two of the torches before tucking his wand away again, and instead picking up the flaming sticks.
He hadn't done this in a while; The last time had been while Jack wasn't talking to him, and he still carried scars of that time on the back of his hands. The flames really hadn't been good to him during his time of despair.
Now, however, he felt like he needed the outlet; he needed to get his mind off everything, and there was no better way to do that, than to juggle some flaming torches. Not for him, at least.
With a small sigh he started his usual routine, twirling the torches around while tiptoeing across the floor.
One, two three
He counted the steps in his head, counted the times the torches went full circle as they twirled between his fingers.
One, two, three
Over and over again, counting the times the flames rushed past his eyes, the seconds it took him to get back to the ground again after a jump, in a persistent One, two, three, One, two, three. The flames were soothing, their flickering mind putting a part of him at ease that had been screaming and tossing and turning inside of him for months.
It felt so good to be in control of something again.
He continued his routine for a few minutes, skipping and turning, and counting everything he felt was worth counting. He never went beyond three, just kept starting over again, like he was directing some kind of waltz, but anything else would have felt wrong.
Three was a good number.
Only after some time of staying completely accident free - that had to be a good sign, right? - did he actually slow down his steps again, feeling a little dizzy from all the twirling and jumping.
The torches were still being juggled and twirled around between his hands, his mind still counting loud enough for him to eventually voice it to the empty room.
"One, two, three, One, two, three," he conducted, willing his mind to fully slow down, but it wouldn't. It never did, really.
Exasperated, he stopped, feet coming to a halt as he dropped his arms to his sides again, staring longingly at the fire. Life was a mess, and Ruka had no idea what to do with himself anymore, so as he stood there, lit torches in hand and staring at the flames, all he really could do was count how long it would take for them to fizzle out.
Again.
He'd told himself he would try his best to eat more, to not have Jack worry again once he had recovered from... whatever, but after his interaction with Selim the day before, he just couldn't get out of his head anymore. He'd stayed up most of the night, fumbling with the locket of his necklace, opening and closing it over and over again, just to get a tiny glimpse of his dad's picture whenever his thoughts went a little out of control.
Once morning had arrived, Ruka had stayed behind in his bed, mulling over whether he was supposed to join breakfast or not, but with the assumption that Jack wasn't going to be there yet to join him anyway, he'd decided to get some form of distraction instead.
He'd put on an old white T-Shirt - two sizes too big - and his dad's old grey joggers, foregoing shoes and socks that day completely. All his socks were starting to have holes around the toes, probably due to his feet having grown a bit over the past couple of months, and his shoes just felt even smaller than usual, so going barefoot was definitely the best option.
As soon as he was dressed and at least vaguely presentable to the outside world - bed head and dark rings under his eyes not mentioned - he made his way to the Rehearsal Room with a few unlit torches under his arms, all the way counting his steps in a rhythmic
One, two, three
One, two, three
which he occasionally mumbled out loud, potentially alerting a couple of passing students by seeming like a crazy person.
It didn't matter, the counting kept his mind at bay and that was all that was really important.
He reached the empty Rehearsal Room a little after breakfast time, so the second he closed the door behind himself was the second students started to really fill the hallways, and he was glad to have just about escaped the Hell Hole that was social interaction.
After having talked to Selim, Ruka felt like he didn't want to talk to anybody for at least the next five months. Maybe his teachers could just owl him his homework and he could lock himself in his dorm room until the crippling fear of meeting people face to face subdued again.
Dropping the torches on the ground, Ruka knelt down and pulled his wand out of his pocket. "Incendio," he muttered, directing the flame to the tip of two of the torches before tucking his wand away again, and instead picking up the flaming sticks.
He hadn't done this in a while; The last time had been while Jack wasn't talking to him, and he still carried scars of that time on the back of his hands. The flames really hadn't been good to him during his time of despair.
Now, however, he felt like he needed the outlet; he needed to get his mind off everything, and there was no better way to do that, than to juggle some flaming torches. Not for him, at least.
With a small sigh he started his usual routine, twirling the torches around while tiptoeing across the floor.
One, two three
He counted the steps in his head, counted the times the torches went full circle as they twirled between his fingers.
One, two, three
Over and over again, counting the times the flames rushed past his eyes, the seconds it took him to get back to the ground again after a jump, in a persistent One, two, three, One, two, three. The flames were soothing, their flickering mind putting a part of him at ease that had been screaming and tossing and turning inside of him for months.
It felt so good to be in control of something again.
He continued his routine for a few minutes, skipping and turning, and counting everything he felt was worth counting. He never went beyond three, just kept starting over again, like he was directing some kind of waltz, but anything else would have felt wrong.
Three was a good number.
Only after some time of staying completely accident free - that had to be a good sign, right? - did he actually slow down his steps again, feeling a little dizzy from all the twirling and jumping.
The torches were still being juggled and twirled around between his hands, his mind still counting loud enough for him to eventually voice it to the empty room.
"One, two, three, One, two, three," he conducted, willing his mind to fully slow down, but it wouldn't. It never did, really.
Exasperated, he stopped, feet coming to a halt as he dropped his arms to his sides again, staring longingly at the fire. Life was a mess, and Ruka had no idea what to do with himself anymore, so as he stood there, lit torches in hand and staring at the flames, all he really could do was count how long it would take for them to fizzle out.
Last edited by Ruka Burnett-Tân on 17 Jun 2020, 05:19, edited 1 time in total.
~Hell is other people~ - Jean Paul Sartre
Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 14 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 9
7 Mar 2020, 18:51
From Spark to Flame
Ross had not originally planned to go to the Rehearsal Room. In all honesty, he had never actually been there before. It was intimidating, really. Ross had decided to go there on a split second decision, and was wearing what he normally did: A white and yellow striped shirt with a blue jacket on. Its most noticeable feature had to be the sheep that was in the corner of it. His hair was an absolute mess, as he had not bothered to brush it down like most days. He had eaten breakfast early, and now he had nothing to do with his time, so he supposed that perhaps he would take the old trombone out and give it a try.
Usually the Rehearsal room was full of talented upper-classmen, and today was certainly no exception even though it was early in the morning. Early-birds often flocked the place, as it gave them a chance to practice before classes even started some days. Ross was visibly anxious as he entered, but found himself quickly flocking to a corner.
He gently placed his case down on the shiny floor and snapped open the locks with two clicks. As the case opened, he knew well that he had not used the trombone for quite some time and he would have to suffer the consequences. Ross picked up the slide and the bell and screwed the two parts together. He then proceeded to reach for the mouthpiece, in which he connected it to the proper part. It was simple to set up, but not as simple to play. Trombones have to be cared for, and this would end up being an issue for poor Ross. Out of pure curiosity, he pushed out the slide.
scREEEEEEK
It made a sound similar to jingle bells, and it absolutely destroyed his ears. He quickly reached into the compartment of his case where he kept his slide oil and took the outer-shell of the slide off the original. He applied the oil, moving up and down in order to spread it apart. He then proceeded to put the outer-shell of the slide back on, and moved it up. It moved much more smoothly, and slowly the noise began to go away as he applied more slide oil in the spots it would get stuck on.
Next up he would have to grease the tuning slide. He popped the tuning slide out, and greased both ends. He then proceeded to put one end in and work it out. At the bottom, the excess sludge of slide grease would be. He wiped it off with his hands and felt disgusted with himself right away. He did the same for the other side, until there was no excess sludge and he pushed the entire tuning slide in. Though he did not have a tuner, he could certainly attempt. Still, Ross was proud of his work.
Ross moved slightly towards the center, and then set up his trombone in position in order to play an F. Right as he was about to play, heard it.
One, two, three
How odd. Were they counting in 3/4 time? That was such an awkward time signature. Why would anyone do that? Ross looked around the room in order to find the reason of the noise, and found himself staring at an upper-classmen.
Their most noticeable feature was their copper brown hair at first. Well, that would be if they were not quite literally playing with fire. Ross stared in slight disbelief, but more of curiosity for a long moment. Would asking a question end with him getting set on fire? Of course it would.
"what's with the counting!" he yelled to the boy, his voice echoing throughout the room.
Interacting with @Ruka Tân
Stamina: 7 Evasion: 7 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 6 Arcane Power: 8 Accuracy: 7
10 Mar 2020, 09:02
From Spark to Flame
@Ross Stephens
Ruka had been so caught up in the counting, and the flames, he hadn't really been paying much attention to anything else, so the boy with his ridiculous instrument had gone completely unnoticed to him.
It wasn't like Ruka usually paid all that much attention to his surroundings, but he felt like lately it had just been getting worse and worse; his mind had been reeling with so many thoughts and questions, especially after having talked to Selim, that he just didn't seem to be able to concentrate on anything around him.
So when a voice called out to him, Ruka flinched in shock, all his nerves seemingly on end as he opened his fists, ready to show his empty hands as a peace offering to whomever had spoken to him. What he realised a little belatedly, was that this action directly resulted in him dropping the flaming torches to the ground where the wood hit both his bare feet and the flames singed his sensitive skin.
"Ouch," he called out, more in surprise than actual pain; He had definitely dealt with much worse but that didn't mean he couldn't feel the sting and burn.
Hissing quietly, Ruka quickly bent down to pick the torches up again before they could actually set anything on fire. A quick look at his feet revealed that his skin had already gone red and fleshy from the burn. "One, two, three," he counted slowly to himself as if trying to calm down from the gentle rhythm.
It did help steady his mind a little bit, and once he was able to focus again, he looked around to find the source of the disruptive voice from before.
His eyes fell on a boy with glasses and a blue jacket, placed not too far away, with an instrument Ruka wasn't really able to name; some kind of trumpet, maybe?
With a deep breath, Ruka walked over to the boy, flaming torches still in his hand. "Are you crazy?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelieve. "You don't shout questions at someone who's in the middle of handling fire." His voice was calmer than his words would have led to believe, but Ruka genuinely wasn't angry. Surprised, maybe, that someone had actually thought it a good idea to yell something at him from afar, and a little frustrated with that new burn on his feet, but definitely not angry. "What could possibly have been so important that it couldn't wait for you to come up to me and stay quiet until I was finished with what I was doing?"
~Hell is other people~ - Jean Paul Sartre
Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 14 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 9
10 Mar 2020, 21:57
From Spark to Flame
Ross cringed as the flaming stick dropped to the ground. There was no way that was not his fault, and guilt rushed through his bloodstream. He felt it had just hit the ground, but the boy's ow said otherwise. He tensed up, a million thoughts rushing through his head. His hands would be flailing if he did not have an expensive instrument held in both, which Ross had been careful to not drop since the first time it had happened. The only proof of the first time it happened was a dent on the tuning slide, which made it difficult to work with.
"are ya' alright? Do we need to go to the weird medical area thingy? Can I help! I'm so sorry!" he rushed, all the words mixing together as he panicked.
The boy in front of him; however, seemed much more calm than him in contrast. All he did was slowly pick up the flaming torches that were on the ground. It was insane. Ross knew well he would be in tears if one of those had landed anywhere near him, and felt slight admiration for the boy. It left him awestruck, his mouth was agape.
But then there it was again. He heard it as the boy had picked it up, which confused the boy more. It certainly was not to keep time in that case.
1
2
3
What was the deal with that? it had to be something, or else he would not repeat it over and over again. If he had completely switched the entirety of the left side of his brain off, he may have asked again; however, he considered he would hold that question until later for his and the other boy's own safety.
As the boy approached, Ross flinched. He had never expected he would go out due to fire, but he supposed it was not the worst way to die. If anything, it would be rather cool. He could be like those flaming skulls people had on tattoos; however, to his surprise and relief the boy began to talk him instead.
"I'm sorry i'm sorry! I didn't think ya'd..." the boy stared at the fire, the light of it flickering against Ruka's eyes. "Y'know.. Drop 'em?" he apologized, but managed to make his own case seem worse than it actually was.
As soon as the text question was asked, Ross was flooded with regret. He put his head slightly down and looked at his trombone. He rubbed the bell side, causing the glistening brass to get smudgy marks littered all over it.
"I was curious, ya see. I wanted to know why you were doin' that whole 1 2 3 deal." The Hufflepuff mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
Interacting with @Ruka Tân
Stamina: 7 Evasion: 7 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 6 Arcane Power: 8 Accuracy: 7
16 Mar 2020, 11:11
From Spark to Flame
@Ross Stephens
Ruka frowned slightly at the boy who'd called out to him before when he asked him if he needed to go to... the weird medical area thingy?
The expression gave him one very definite conclusion about this kid: He was most likely Muggle Born and clearly not too familiar with the castle yet. He assumed as well, that most people probably didn't need to visit the Hospital Wing as frequently as he did, so he could barely even blame the kid for his strange way of titling the... Medical Area.
He heard the rush of the boy's words as he tried to apologise and offer help at the same time, but Ruka didn't really react to it aside from shaking his head to show that he didn't want or need any help. No, all he needed in this moment was a deep breath and a gentle count from one to three as he wiggled his toes slightly to make sure none of them had been damaged too badly from the heavy torch that had landed on them.
Once Ruka had properly calmed himself down and walked over to the other boy, he thought he saw something like fear shuddering through him, but it was gone once Ruka started talking, so he assumed the feeling had come from someone coming at this boy armed with flames.
It was probably quite a normal reaction to have.
Eyes drained on the flames I'n Ruka's hands, the other boy started apologising frantically and insisting that he hadn't expected him to drop the torches.
Ruka snorted ungracefully in response.
"Well, for next time," he said, twirling one of the torches in his left hand as if to demonstrate his skill, like a warning of what he'd be able to do should this boy disturb his practice again some time. "There's a few rules for watching a Fire Performance. And rule one? It's Don't distract the person juggling the fire." He rolled his eyes a little bit, but as he looked back at the other boy, he realised that he looked quite crestfallen and extremely guilty.
He was instinctively reminded of Willow and how his words had affected her enough for her to lash out at him with a punch to his face. He really needed to work on being gentler with people, no matter how much they stressed him out sometimes.
For a second he wanted to apologise to the boy, was about to tell him that he was alright, and then turn to leave, but the question he was asked before he could do any of that took him so off guard that he just stared at the other boy for a moment, torches dangling by his sides.
"Counting?" he asked as if he didn't know what this kid was talking about.
Mostly the counting had stayed inside his head, that's what he had thought, but clearly he must have been doing it out loud much more than he realised if even this complete stranger from across the room had noticed it.
As if on cue, his mind set in again, this time remaining silent, for nobody but himself to hear;
One, two, three
Ruka shook his head as if he could shake the numbers in his mind this way, biting his lip as he looked at the other boy. "I'm not... I mean, maybe it was just to keep rhythm, and you brought me out of it, you know?"
~Hell is other people~ - Jean Paul Sartre
Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 14 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 9
16 Mar 2020, 19:35
From Spark to Flame
When the boy simply shook his head, Ross felt both shock and awe. It was admirable how the second year could go through so much pain, but at the same time it was increasingly concerning to him. Was this kid made of metal or something? The fact he could just pick it up and proceed to lecture him told Ross one thing: This kid was hardcore. Despite the fact Ross was a whopping six inches taller than him, the Gryffindor still proceeded to inform Ross of his wrong doings.
He had a reason to be dead terrified of this kid.
The Hufflepuff proceeded to simply vigorously nod as the boy talked. It was the least he could do after quite literally burning the boy. Over the past couple days, Ross had learned that simply listening could do a whole lot for one's situation instead of overwhelming one with questions; however, it was not as if Ross could not do both.
"Right, right! Yeah I shouldn't 'ave." he added in between fragments, trying to reassure him that he did not mean to do what he had done.
As Ross proceeded to apologize, he found his curiosity growing stronger and stronger. What was this kid's deal? Ross found his eyes looking over Ruka, as if trying to find a place where there was a large red button or a screw just on him. It seemed like a plot to a garbage mystery novel where one guy is a robot the entire time, but perhaps Ruka was a robot. He counted to three a lot, that was a robot thing, right? Well, it would be a cool robot thing.
Something felt off about the 1 2 3 deal. It seemed like it made sense, but the whole keeping time deal did not seem to fit. Sure it worked pretty well, but Ross could never find himself certain.
"Yeah, yeah, you're probably right. Sorry 'bout that." he apologized again in a much calmer tone in contrast to before.
In the end though, that much information was simply not enough for Ross. He knew he would be starving himself of information of the boy if he did not continue to push, but he had no idea how to politely do it without seeming like the worlds biggest jerk after nearly setting a boy on fire by accident. Well, perhaps in that case he had already earned that title; however, he was going to try to not make a world record of it.
As he continued to rub his long fingers on the bell, his mind rushed for conversation topics that were not 'i'm sorry i nearly set you on fire.' It hit him that the trombone would be too self centered. He needed something where he could listen and ask too many questions at the exact same time.
The Fire
Of course, it made perfect sense.
"So, how long you been doin'... that thingie?" he inquired, hoping to eventually get back to the topic of how he always counted so often.
Pressing that area would get him nowhere. it seemed pointless to get information out of it, but if he could get information out of a topic that had to do with it perhaps he could get a 'get out of jail' card. It was sort of a loophole to him, though it was simply a conversation topic.
Interacting with @Ruka Tân
Stamina: 7 Evasion: 7 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 6 Arcane Power: 8 Accuracy: 7
18 Mar 2020, 15:33
From Spark to Flame
@Ross Stephens
With a frown present on his forehead, Ruka very quickly came to the conclusion that there was something very off about the conversation he was currently having, and it didn't take too long for him to figure out what it was:
It was too easy.
This kid wasn't trying to argue with him, wasn't trying to push him towards anything or manipulate him in any way. He was just nodding along to everything he was saying and apologising more than was probably healthy. Far too agreeable. It was like talking to Alan, really.
It hit him, in this moment, that maybe the kinds of people he had been associating most recently had all been more exhausting that social interactions had any right to be; Especially after his chat with Selim yesterday, Ruka was prepared for every person he met to be just as difficult to handle, and the fact that this boy was so dreadfully compliant really threw him for a loop.
It was almost not satisfying to chastise this kid with how easily he admitted to having done something wrong, and it made Ruka cease his verbal assault on him, eyes focusing on his bare feet for a moment instead, up until the boy asked a seemingly random question, as if Ruka hadn't just scolded him for interrupting his practice.
As if this was just a nice little chat to get to know each other.
"I... Since I can remember, I guess?" he answered with slight confusion in his voice. He wasn't used to having normal conversations anymore, and talking about something as banal as his free time activities was... Quite strange to say the least, and his conversational skills were rusty at best. "Since when have you been playing... that?" He nodded towards the trumpet thing in the other boy's hands before realising that he didn't even know who he was talking to.
"I'm... I'm Ruka by the way. And you are?"
~Hell is other people~ - Jean Paul Sartre
Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 14 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 9
19 Mar 2020, 06:23
From Spark to Flame
Glad that the topic had suddenly been changed by his own questioning, he found himself a hole to wiggle himself into that could possibly be the start of new information. As soon as the boy responded, he jumped on board. He considered the best way to start it off was to direct it in the way he wanted it to go, similarly to traffic.
"'ave you always counted off like that when ya do it? You seem mighty good!" He remarked.
While part of it would likely seem to an outsider that he was trying to soften the other boy up, in actuality it was partially genuine. He was amazed someone could play with fire without burning themselves without a pesky boy who comes in and asks far too many questions that do not need to be known.
The only thing the boy really took note of was the change in demeanor Ruka had, which was perfectly fine with him. He was not a fan of being swarmed with questions or criticism himself. It was too overwhelming for him, and often it would end in one less person in the room and a lot of shaking. Lucky for him, that is not what this boy seemed to be doing. If anything, he was rather respectful of how he acted though he seemed uncertain. Ross appreciated it to no end, but would likely only find himself appreciating it to the most he could at a later time.
"Oh?" He responded, looking down to the trombone and delicately patting it like someone would a prized cow "This beauty? Dunno... Maybe 'alf a year? Was gunna play it this year for a thingie, but er.." he trailed off.
Being sent to Hogwarts had changed his life. He could not quite decide if it was for the better or the worst, but it was definitely something for sure. It caused a lot of issues; however, it had introduced him to many new topics. It was a shame though. He had been looking forward to learning how to play it, but now he was really on his own. The only reason he knew how to take care of it was due to the fact there was a little guide in his case. It was truly his only trail on everything currently.
"I suppose I'm alright at the thing." the Hufflepuff added.
He brought the trombone up to his lips, and proceeded to annoyingly blare into it. Far too much air, no set Embouchure. The tone quality was horrid, and it echoed throughout the room. Ross took the trombone off his lips, and anxiously laughed. It was sort of a joke, but absolutely was not at the same time. Playing it off worked better for him though.
The boy quickly jumped into action with his regular introduction with a "The names Ross! Ross Stephens."
Interacting with @Ruka Tân
Last edited by Ross Stephens on 24 Mar 2020, 20:39, edited 1 time in total.
Stamina: 7 Evasion: 7 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 6 Arcane Power: 8 Accuracy: 7
24 Mar 2020, 14:06
From Spark to Flame
@Ross Stephens
Ruka's confusion only seemed to grow a little as the other boy happily jumped at the chance to have a conversation the second that he himself had opened that specific box even just a tiny bit. There was nothing necessarily deceiving or manipulative in the other boy's tone, nothing that would suggest that he was just trying to get any kind of information from Ruka and that was... Strange.
He took a deep breath as he regarded the boy curiously before reaching for his wand and casting the extinguishing charm on the flaming torches so he could drop the now unlit torches on the ground by his feet without needing to worry about anything catching fire. "I guess I haven't," he admitted sheepishly when the other boy asked if he'd always been counting the way he did now. "It's been a more... recent development."
At the other boy's compliment of him seeming good at what he was doing, Ruka laughed lightly, shaking his head in slight disbelief. "You could tell that from the way I dropped my torches on my feet when you tried to talk to me, did you?" He voice was half teasing, half accusing, eyebrows raised as he mustered the other boy for a moment before the conversation turned to the curious instrument between them.
The other boy didn't give much information about it, only that he hadn't been playing it for very long and that he had wanted to play it for something which had apparently fallen through for some reason. Ruka dared to lean far out of the window by assuming that he had been planning on playing his thing at some Muggle Event, which meant that he hadn't expected to be going to Hogwarts at that time, which only confirmed his suspicion about one thing. "You're Muggle Born?" he asked bluntly as he connected all the dots in his head.
It wasn't like he said it in a bad way, after all he'd grown up without any Magic in his life either, he was merely curious about what this boy's deal was - Because there had to be some kind of deal with him.
As introductions followed, Ruka nodded, offering Ross Stephens his hand in a more formal greeting. "Nice to meet you, Ross," he said as he waited for his hand to be either shook or disregarded before taking a small step back again. "You're a first year, I assume?" It was about as hard to tell as the fact that Ross had probably mostly been raised in a Muggle Environment, despite the fact that the other boy was a good chunk taller than Ruka himself.
But then again, who wasn't?
Ruka had never been as acutely aware of how short he was for his age, as here at Hogwarts where pretty much everyone was far taller than himself.
Anyway, size barely mattered, he felt like he had proven that to a few people so far already, and should Ross Stephens be attempting to play any games with him, he'd prove it to him as well.
~Hell is other people~ - Jean Paul Sartre
Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 14 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 9
24 Mar 2020, 21:10
From Spark to Flame
Ross only nodded, seemingly oblivious to the different tones his voice seemed to share. He was too busy patting himself on the back within his head at his ability to notice signs. It had been awhile since genuinely pushing with a question had got him anywhere, and finally he had gotten somewhere. It was a win he did not know he had needed in these frustrating times, even if it was not exactly his win. It was his curiosity's win. He supposed it needed it, or else it would have been suppressed for quite some time like some other emotions of his.
"So, why do ya do it?" he pestered, asking the question in a very clear way that almost made it seem he was going to start acting like his therapist or something along those lines.
At the remark to his compliment, he found himself within that same painfully cheery emotion; however, it did not seem completely forced. This was the first good moment he had had in so long. He was desperate for it in all honesty, and it seemed more like a requirement for his precious feelings than anything else. He was having the time of his life if anything.
"Well ya were doin' mighty good BEFORE that." he chuckled, directing his eyes down to his trombone once more.
As he expected more of his questions to be answered, he did not expect himself to get a question. Ross considered himself interesting, sure. He had traits alright; however, he was not really THAT interesting. He was a normal kid if anything, but it was not exactly like he had come to terms with who he was or at least found out everything about himself yet anyways. While he had been fiddling with his trombone once more, the question snapped him out of his thoughts as he looked back up to the boy that stood in front of him. He looked to the side, as if somehow wondering if he was talking to him before coming to terms with the fact he obviously was. He faked offense.
"Me? A muggleborn? While I never! I'm a HALFBLOOD mind ya!" he remarked, clearly joking. He wheezed slightly after.
"Well suppose I was raised like a muggleborn or somethin', so it ain't much of a difference." he added, finally letting a true laugh out after that.
Improv was Ross' game, and he loved it. He would snatch any opportunity to joke about a situation like that, even if it was not funny. It was just so hilarious to him, even if it added absolutely nothing to anything. He actually had no clue what he was doing ever.
"Whattaboutyou?" he asked, the words all combing together
As the boy said it was nice to meet him, Ross "bowed" jokingly.
"You as well, sire" he joked, now finding himself in such a mood where he probably would regret every joke he made at 12:00 AM that night.
"Yeah er,, First year. Are you?" he inquired, hoping the boy was a first year considering his height.
Interacting with @Ruka Tân
Stamina: 7 Evasion: 7 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 6 Arcane Power: 8 Accuracy: 7