Fin A Rarity Returned PV Sylvain

From the hallway, Sylvain had noticed a Gryffindor seated alone amidst the study hall. Curiously, the stranger had stacks of objects all around the table in front of him. It appeared as though he were swapping various bits and pieces in and out of a portfolio, and the longer he looked the more confident his feet became in reaching the colossally sized collection. As he approached the table, it became apparent the collector in front of him had become oblivious to his surroundings, as a rampart of cardboard and tin foil with holographic images obfuscated the perception of his environment.

For the better part of fifteen minutes, Sylvain had timidly awaited an opportune moment to tell the clearly older student in front of him that he wanted to come in and sit down across from him, and just ask him all about what his collection was for, but it felt strange to make introductions after such a length of time had passed, an improper choice caused by his inability to muster an assertive voice earlier. He would have to accept blame for startling the other student.

Calm and searching for an opportunity to introduce himself, Sylvain noticed a card lying in the middle aisle of the two rows of tables. His guts churned, nervous to make contact, but excited to finally break his silence, Sylvain stepped up from behind the focused Gryffindor and accidentally tripped, knocking into the table of previously aligned objects.

Shame immediately found its way across his face, eyes upturned and lips tightly sealed. He wanted to die then and there for the embarrassment he had caused himself, as cards drifted across the table, the entirety of the collection scattered. He desperately needed to reassure the recipient of his clumsiness, and hoped that once he knew he had ruined his efforts on accident, he would be forgiven.

Almost instinctively, Sylvain scooped up a couple handfuls of the towers of teetering cards, gently returning them to the stacks they belonged in.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to disrupt your organization, I was just so nervous and then I bumped into the table and fell, and then I ….” he quickly hung his head still ashamed.

“My name is Sylvain Indarys, and I think you dropped this.”

Raising his arm without looking upwards, He handed the card sporting the likeness of the previous headmaster over to the unfortunate enthusiast.

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to help you fix my mistake.” His eyes fixated on the mess he had woefully manifested. “If you show me what these are, I’ll reorganize them in the way you want them.”

Calming Presence
@Sylvain Indarys

His focus fell like a house of cards, when the table shook and cards fell. Surprised he flinched back from the table as the cards scattered across the surface of the table, nullifying about most of the progress he made. His head snapped, searching for the cause of this situation and soon found the culprit, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. The boy in front of him quickly went on a tirade to apologize, which made Alan smile in reassurance. Of course it was not the best that he had to start all over, since the stacks mixed up a little, but it was not like it was the worst thing that could have happened. He was glad that there was no inkwell on the on the table that could have been knocked over.

"D-Don't worry, don't w-worry!", he said quickly, tone light and with no trace of anger or disappointment. The boy in front of him introduced himself and gave him a card that must have fallen from the table at one point while he was sorting through the stacks of cards and a bright smile appeared on his face as he took the card and gently placed it on the desk he was sitting at. "Th-Thank you, S-Sylvain! My name is Alan, Alan Vanes. It's a pleasure to meet you a-and don't w-worry about the cards, no harm done!", he explained after offering the boy an introduction of his own self, assuming that it was an information the other boy had wanted.

"Gladly! It's m-more fun together a-anyway!", he instantly jumped at the offer the other made, happy that he could also pass time by chatting with the other boy now and possibly talking about the cards and information they had to offer. Alan was quite proud about the collection he had gathered over time and while he was still missing a lot of the cards, he was slowly getting closer to reaching a finished Folio Magi. He could maybe make a small bookshelf and put it in his dorm right next to his bed, but that also seemed kind of silly since he himself did not really own any books and therefore had not really a need for something like a bookshelf. Maybe he could make or get one anyway and just place some of his treasures next to it. His treasure chest for example in which he had placed some of the pictures Santario has made for him with her magical camera. Sometimes he would take out the picture of the Giant Squid and the other sea life creatures that Santario had captured in the moment.

"Oh, you d-don't know them? Th-They are called Chocolate Frog Cards, they come with th-these.... w-wait", he explained as he pushed his hand into the pocket of his robes and rummaged in them until he found what he was looking for. "Ah-", he exclaimed calmly, as he pulled out a wrapped up Chocolate Frog and held it out for Sylvain to take. "G-Go ahead and t-try them, b-be careful though, they j-jump", he continued the explanation and hoped that the other child was someone who liked sweets, if not this situation could quickly turn more awkward in a matter of seconds. He would have time to explain the cards and how to sort them later, he first wanted to show the other boy what they were and with what delicious treat they were paired. He would watch him, curiously and with a kind expression that never left his face.

A wash of calming relief poured over Sylvain as Alan accepted his apology. He was glad the other boy saw it fit to reason with him. The precarious pile of collectible cards that lie strewn amidst the table had seemed somehow less significant now, than it had appeared earlier when the sizable selection was organized properly. The thought of accounting for the accumulation of cards in front of him made the rest of his surroundings melt away for a brief moment, as if the only occupants of the room were Alan’s selection of cards and Sylvain. The curios had all variations of interesting images, some moving as if they possessed life, some icons contained recognizable figures from the school, and other examples of the oddities had persons as of now unmet by both of the students. If Alan was going to allow him look through his collection, the least Sylvain could do was humor the third-year’s good-natured attempt at sponsoring comradery and accept whatever it was the other boy offered to hand him. It was an added bonus that Sylvain liked Alan’s smile, calming and reassuring as it was.

“Thanks,” Sylvain said absent-mindedly. “It’s really kind of you to give me a gift after my blunder. What is it?”

Sylvain’s attention twirled back to the container the stuttering Gryffindor held aloft and extended toward him. Sylvain reached out, cautiously, to receive it. His curiosity obviously piqued, in a torpid motion, Sylvain ripped open the container, only realizing afterwards he should have examined the directions before having done so. Because he did not heed the instructions on the package which clearly illuminated the need for further caution, his reaction was much too late. Like a bullet, the chocolate frog once contained in the package, shot out of Sylvain’s distracted grasp. Immediately, that same shame from earlier came back. He should have been paying more attention to what Alan was trying to tell him about the chocolate frog, but the impulse to open the package was a greater urge and had caused him to disregard the consequences. This was a mistake he had made all too often this first year of wizardry.

Bouncing from table to shelf, leaping from lectern to table, the chocolate frog had made quite the spectacle upon its liberation from the periwinkle prison that held it so tightly. The ricocheting ration of croaking cocoa scampered for the study hall door. Alan was much closer to the exit door than Sylvain was, so Sylvain had an idea, if they shut the door in time, they might contain the chocolate creature long enough for the two to capture and consume it.

“Quick Alan! The door!” Sylvain gasped aloud while doing his best to intercept the sweetened caperer he had incidentally loosed within the previously tranquil study hall.

Sylvain hastily ran to the desk nearest the exit door. The miniscule sweet smudges the creature’s feet left behind had stippled the tables between the frog, the exit, and Sylvain. With a book in hand, Sylvain stood waiting and hoping to swat the frog back so he might stun it, and then in its stunned state the two might have opportunity to catch it for further examination. He swung and he missed, but just barely. All Sylvain could do now was look on, as he prayed for Alan to get to the door and close it in time to prevent the deft dodger from escaping.

"J-Just don't worry a-about it", he tried to reassure the other kid once again, offering him another smile, before his gaze smoothly drifted to the wrapped chocolate frog in the other kid's hand. "That-", he started, offering a dramatic pause that had little effect due to his soft voice, "- is a chocolate frog. Th-That's where I g-got those card f-from, they come w-with the treat!". He hoped the explanation he offered made sense. Alan went on to explain about how the cards would list facts about events or famous beings of the magical world. He also explained about special collectible packs that would contain dragons and other creatures specifically. He never entirely lost the stutter, but it seemed the longer he spoke about it, the smoother his voice got and the less he would stumble over words. But it was not about the confidence in speaking and more about the flow and once he got into it, he rambled on with pieces of information. He did not speak for long either, not wanting to bore the other kid, but he had admittedly spoken more in one piece of text, than he had done in a while.

"W-wait!", he exclaimed as he watched the Ravenclaw rip open the wrapper with little care, Alan's eyes snapped open and he lunged forward trying to grab pick up the freed chocolate frog mid-jump. Heeding the other kid's warning, Alan swirled around and saw the door, which was what the chocolaty frog was quickly heading towards to. With a fast stumble he pushed himself out of his seat as he made his way towards the door. At least second, he was able to push his body against the door slamming it shut immediately as the sound of the heavy door echoed throughout the room. The frog in its jump crashed against the door, breaking into pieces as Alan breathed in heavily. He scooped up the pieces of chocolate and threw them into the trash can that stood close to the entrance of the room that was full of crumple up paper and pergament. Still breathing heavily due to his unexpected sprint for the door, he turned to Sylvain with a goofy grin. "Th-That was close, a-apologize about n-not explaining it b-better!", he offered, freely taking the blame for the situation. Sylvain did not know about these candies, he should have probably been more clear about it. He was glad however, that the frog had not been able to leave the room, that would have been horribly. Scratching the back of his neck lightly, he stepped closer to the younger kid with a light smile. He was curious what card would be inside of the wrapper and hoped it would be worth this trouble.

It was those last few seconds as Alan slammed the door shut that ran like the hourglass had emptied of sand. Sylvain felt an immediate surge of happiness that the frog had not escaped. Although he would scrounge the last few pieces of chocolate from the trashcan once Alan had left. Sylvain couldn't let the sweet go to waste.

It was after his thought to retrieve the chocolate escapee from the garbage bin, that shame found its way across Sylvain's face. His ears glowed a hot red, and his cheeks burned with embarrassment. Then, instead of getting upset and yelling at his inattentiveness, Alan assumed the blame? Sylvain felt odd that the third year student was being so kind to him. After all, he had blundered his way into the room and been a nuisance ever since. Did the Gryffindor really enjoy his company? He worried on in silence.

Turning back to the card he had unceremoniously abandoned within the discarded wrapper, Sylvain plucked the cardboard piece from its container. Peering at the card Sylvain answered the self imputed scapegoat's question. "It's a cyclops!" Sylvain said excitedly. He had heard of Odysseus and his adventures, so obtaining a card with relevance to them felt as though it completed something important. "I'll treasure it forever Alan."

The two sat and sorted out the mess that Sylvain had made of the study hall, and with Alan's help, the two had the collection back together in no time at all. Sylvain stayed relatively quiet for most of the organization, mostly because he was entranced by the cards themselves, but also for the reason that he did not know whether to apologize more and if that apology would be accepted.

"I would love to see your collection again sometime Alan." Sylvain said, his mind having sidetracked and finally making it's way back to the present moment. He picked his next words very carefully though, as he truly meant it and wanted Alan to accept their meaning. "I never blamed you and I would like you to let me be responsible for this mess I caused. I want you to forgive me, even if you don't think I did anything wrong."

The third year took no notice of the other kid's monologue, wiping his hands to get rid off the chocolate dust covering his fingers as he focused his attention on the other boy with a lighthearted smile. Without doubt there was not a single ounce of judgement within his eyes; their clear green bright and sober mirth. "A c-cyclopse?", he wondered in amazement as he took a peek at the card in Sylvain's hands. He probably had around of dozen of them by now, but he knew how happy he had been about his first card when he was but a mere child. He had not much opportunity of leaving the premises of the Vanes Manor, but his father would often bring back a chocolate frog after work and give it to him and in a way that used to be good enough for Alan. By now he had no idea what exactly has been depicted on the first card he ever had, but he remembered the pride he took in a single on top of that quite common collectible card and could relate to the other child in front of himself now.

"Th-They are f-from the Ancient G-Greek c-category", he explained and he also remembered that they were somehow defeated but the name of said hero was unknown to him. Alan had seen the card a lot of times now, but it did not stop the fact that he was unable to re-call some of its details. He was happy to hear that the other student liked the card so much, more so, said that he would treasure it forever. "I c-can get y-you a collector b-book for th-them in Hogsmeade?", he offered kindly. He assumed that the other student did not seem like someone to breach the rules and Hogsmeade was about the only place where he could get chocolate frogs from if they were not handed to him from some other person; like Alan.

While the two sat down in quiet and sorted through the cards, they got quite far with it. However it was obviously impossible to sort them out. Occasionally Alan would lean over to Sylvain to show him some of his cards he treasured the most or just believed were funny or interesting. There were quite a few interesting ones but also a couple that just were weird or obscure. He liked spending the time with the Ravenclaw and once his mind began to be sidetracked and concentrating on the task became exceptionally difficult, he shuffled the rest of the cards together and packed them away along with his Folio Magi and grinned at the other kid.

"I w-will forgive you th-then, if that m-makes you feel b-better", he said with a nod. He stretched his arms over his head, sighing as he found relief from the tension of sitting in a chair for what seemed like hours. "Th-Thank you a-again for helping me with th-those cards!" He said it sincerely, quite glad about this encounter altogether and hoped he would meet the other student again soon. "I h-hope I will be able to s-see you around?", he voiced his previous thoughts into a question, hoping to get a positive response.

Sylvain nervously looked to the trashcan where Alan had discarded the chocolate frog earlier. The third year only seemed interested in the card that came with it anyways. Sylvain had been interested in both, the chocolate and the card. For now, he pocketed the card. “Sure Alan, I’d love a collector’s book for these cards. It is awfully nice of you to offer to get it for me.” His gaze turned back to his senior, and he gave a polite smile.

Sylvain thought Alan was really nice, but he was having a difficult time talking to him. Constant apologies and stuttering made it hard for Sylvain to follow their conversations. He still liked the boy enough to want to be his friend, but it was obvious the pair had a hard time staying concentrated on any single topic of conversation long enough for it to become meaningful to both of them. If Sylvain wanted to be friends with Alan, he was going to need to conduct more research and if Alan wanted to be friends with Sylvain, he was going to have to keep himself focused.

Since Alan was going to get a gift for Sylvain then the first year was going to have to step up his game and bring Alan something as a gift too. “When uh- when do you think you’ll be able to get that Wizard Folio for me then? I kind of have some other stuff I need to do, and I’m really excited to get my own collection started.” Sylvain shifted in his chair and began to help Alan put away the majority of his collection. After all that sorting, Sylvain surely wasn’t going to let another disaster like the one where he entered the room happen again.

"I w-will forgive you th-then"

Finally after all that sorting, Alan had accepted Sylvain’s apology. He had begun to worry that Alan might not, so naturally he was delighted to have earned forgiveness. Those five words signaled to the pair that Sylvain wouldn’t be afraid of admitting he was wrong in the future if Alan would learn to hold him accountable. “The basis of any good friendship,” Sylvain thought to himself.

“Oh, my pleasure Alan. Honestly, I would’ve helped you even I hadn’t knocked them all over to begin with. Please do come seek me out when you get that folio you’ve told me about and I look forward to seeing you as well.” Sylvain let a rare cheek to cheek grin escape him. He was quite pleased to make the older student’s acquaintance. The two would definitely see each other again if the Gryffindor upheld his word. Sylvain just hoped he had enough time to find a suitable gift for Alan so they might exchange.

After the third year left the study room, Sylvain then quietly scooped the chocolate frog out of the trash and ate it in secret. Wiping his sticky chocolate fingers off on a spare bit of parchment someone had tossed out earlier. The chocolate was delicious, and the start to a brand new obsession.