Tuning Fork
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TUNING FORK @Erast Yanx|xEvpraksiya Publishing Housex|x23/02/2026x|xWC: 497 OUTFIT/OOC NOTES; hufflepuff robe, white button-up blouse, black midi skirt, white socks, and black loafers |
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. | verity𝓣he thing about having a large-scale event such as the International Magical Olympic Games was that, once everyone comes back, they're generally too exhausted to do much else. Which worked for Vera quite well. She hadn't gone to Koldovstoretz, not wanting to exhaust herself with her duel in the morning and then rushing over to another continent. It was a bit of a bummer, though, not going with her friends and potentially having a better time than... whatever Tenūsa had going on. The school was beautiful, of course! Just... waking up to vines overtaking their homestead was not a pleasant experience. Not being at Koldovstoretz meant Vera had the entire Hogwarts grounds to herself (along with a fair few students who also didn't go) for an entire week. She sat around the Hufflepuff common room, went up and explored hidden passageways, practiced in the ballroom without worrying about who might judge her choice of practice room. The last week was magical. It would be a few more days before the rest of the Hogwarts students would get back into the swing of things. It would be a few more days before the halls would flood with a sea of green, blue, yellow, and red robes. So, Vera headed up to the fourth floor, violin case in one hand and sheet music in the other. She pushed the big wooden doors with her shoulder, closing it with her foot in one swift motion as she breathed in the scent of wood. Vera had focused more on her harp playing since discovering the rehearsal room, but she figured one of her smaller string instruments deserved some attention. It was her own instrument this time, not one from Hogwarts' collection, though the only difference really was that Vera's violin had her name carved into the space between the bridge and the chin rest. Verity T. Engels. Nothing too fancy, but nothing simple either. She had been tempted to put all sorts of stickers on it, but her father had talked her out of it. Violins looked cleaner with minimal decoration, he'd said, and she agreed. Though the image of a colourful violin was still something she hoped for. Vera put her sheets on a music stand and then set her case on the floor, opening it up to take out the instrument and its bow. She went through the motions, crushing a small piece of rosin and running it along her bow string, then testing the sound. Then, she approached the piano and placed her thumb on the middle C, working her way to the left and pressing on the A key. She hummed the note once she let go of the key, using her chin to hold her violin in place as one hand turned the pegs and the other moved the bow down the strings. Occasionally, she would press the key and hum it again until her violin sounded right. She continued, letting the sound fill the room. |
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ACTION; tuning violin with the piano [1] minor appearance shift / [2] skilled transfigurer STA 5 | EVA 7 | STR 2 | WIS 7 | ARC 3 | ACC 7 |
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Tuning Fork
TUNING FORK
A PV with: @Verity Engels
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Returning to Hogwarts from Koldovstoretz had been shocking. His body had acclimated smoothly into the Siberian cold, and the snowy climate had been a perfect break from the gloomy, damp weather of the United Kingdom. Cue his return: Almost instantly, Erast’s hair became unflatteringly flat yet frazzled all at once. Even his books and charts that followed him on his trip seemed to have been trapped in the state between dampness and dryness. It was admittedly depressing to have his morning view of Koldovstoretz’s open campus replaced by a foggy window.
However, the worst only arrived the day after his return, for a letter from his governess had came to him via owl. At first, it was the standard business of asking him about his health and studies. It would have been alright if that had been the end of it, but then this line ended her fussing: “I have no doubt that you have maintained your diligent practice of your instruments even during my absence.” Oh dear. He almost lost his meal of bland breakfast foods right then and there.
Now, Erast would not say that he had been slacking on his instrument practice. Yes, the past few months had been devoted to perfecting what minimal ice skating ability he had, so as to not embarrass the legendary senior who had paired up with him, but even then, his body recalled how to play the standard piano pieces, and the 21 strings of the guzheng were still as familiar to him as his own fingers. It was just that, when it came to the violin… Well, if the dust on it didn't form a 3cm layer, maybe miracles truly existed. He hadn't even unboxed the new bow that he had brought with him to Hogwarts after winter break.
If Erast had been a stronger person, he would have left the violin to rot. It was, after all, only an extension of his education as a prospective heir and hardly had any effect on his current education. This was what his mind logically knew, but his body found itself in the hallway leading to the Rehearsal Room just 1 hour later. It was almost embarrassing of how easily a letter bended his will.
Walking briskly, he dusted off his untouched folder of sheet music with one hand whilst trying to pry open a small tin of resin with the other. It would be a quick hour-long practice, and he would be right back out after to mail some promised contraband – sweets from the merchants at Koldovstoretz – to his sweet sisters. No more, no less, with no funny business.
The gentle knocks to the wooden door were for courtesy, but as soon as he used the side of his shoe to nudge the door open, it became clear he was not alone. Single notes of a piano rang clear and wavered in the air, the sound separated by experimental draws of a violin. A glance towards the room's piano revealed a fellow student dressed in Hufflepuff robes, confidently tuning her violin. The blonde girl had a familiar face, being one of their house’s duelling captains. Verity Engels, he heard from passerbys. She had an elegant face and demeanour, reminding him of the scholarly beauties in his books. It was her, a muggleborn witch, who single-handedly saved his friends from a harrowing encounter with devil's snare at Tenūsa. It was unfathomable, but intriguing! She must be quite the wonder, like a heroine from his novels. Erast paused for a moment, wondering if he should turn around before it was too late to save his face before such a genius.
“Hello.” A polite greeting left him out of habitual courtesy with a slight nod. Erast then turned to retrieve his violin and bow from their respective, equally pristine casings. The violin was a custom-made one gifted to him by his mother. While undoubtedly the skilled work of luthiers and lovingly paid for by his mother, he hadn't developed much fondness for the instrument as his governess had hoped.
After many awkward minutes of trying to drag every inch of the bow’s hairs across the small block of rosin, Erast lightly tossed it back into the case and adjusted the bridge to prepare the violin.
Erast rested his sheet music folder on a nearby stand, resting the violin atop his shoulder and lightly positioning his chin on the chin rest. His actions were poised, unlike the unease seeping into his chest.
Then, as soon as he drew the bow across the strings, a horrible, trembling squeak of 5 different pitches was heard.
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