18 Jan 2020, 15:24
Virtuosities in Variations
Reducio
6:15pm | 14th December
Abilities
Lovely Creature | Evasive Manoeuvres | Monster Hunter
At this time of day, students were in the great hall having their dinner which left the hallways deserted. The fourteen year old would take the emptiness of the vicinity to her advantage. Her footsteps padded softly along the corridors of the fourth floor as she approached the rehearsal room. In her hand clutched a simple drawstring bag. Right outside the the room, Aurelia would peer through the ajar doors, once she was sure that no one was within its premises, Aurelia would slip in.
On the black leather piano bench, Aurelia would place her bag before emptying the contents, which were not many. Only her cherry wood wand and a pair of shoes the bag had contained. The shoes were not ordinary. The were in a soft pink colour that was pleasing to the eyes. Her hand brushed against the silky satin enveloping the shoe. The feel of the soft fabric brought much nostalgia. It seemed like forever since she last worn them — which was during the summer break.
Before she was admitted to hogwarts, Aurelia was enrolled in a private muggle boarding school which specialises in teaching its students the forms of arts, dance was among the extensive categories. A talent Aurelia rarely publicised; she was adept in ballet. However, within the past few months of the school semester, she hadn’t performed so much as a twirl. Today, she finally decided it was time she had some practice.
The black flats she worn was quickly replaced with the pink shoes. Thankfully, her feet hadn’t grown during the past months. Aside from the footwear, she was not at all in ballet attire. She had set aside the bulky Gryffindor robes and was in a plain blouse and pleated skirt. She would make do with what she had.
Starting in first position with her arms bent gracefully in front of her, balancing on the ends of her toes, Aurelia began to move. Starting with small petit movements, it would seems as if she was floating across the room. The room, it spun around with her with every turn. After about 5 turns, she then transitioned her small circles, to a more elegant turn, the pique. Extending her right leg at a slightly wider angle to progress across the smooth wooden floor. When she had reached the center of the expanse, she did an elegant pirouette, and concluded her dance with an arabesque, her left leg extended impressively behind her.
To her dismay, it would feel that she was still moving with the world around revolving. The spinning had made her dizzy and off balance And fourteen year old ballerina could not hold the exquisite position as her balance was thrown off and she stumbled to the side. Fortunately, she had the nearby wall — or rather mirror — to support herself. Her back leaned against the cold metal as she waited for the uncomfortable giddy feeling to fade. It was evident that her skills had rusted from the lack of practice.
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“One can never be too careful,” STM — 5 | EVA — 19 | STR — 5 | WSD — 12 | ARC — 5 | ACC — 9 |
Lovely Creature — Evasive Manoeuvres — Monster Hunter — Terrible Presence
19 Jan 2020, 10:20
Virtuosities in Variations
icarus' frown seemed even more downcurved than usual, his brows knit together tightly as he scowled at the oak surface of the slytherin table. at first glance, the boy looked like he'd come down with the flu with his skin as pale as the pristine white shirt beneath his robes and a heavy flush painted across his cheeks. the slytherin boy couldn't eat with his stomach in knots, so he instead pushed his potatoes from one end of the plate to the other with his fork. a letter was clutched in his other hand, crumpled slightly from icarus' tight grip on it. the envelope had previously been sealed with a brilliant silver wax seal that depicted a sable intertangled with wolfsbane flowers, making it obvious who sent the damning letter.
hello dear, the letter began with the familiar neat, cursive handwriting of his mother. i hope this letter finds you well. this is a reminder that our annual winter ball is only three days away and it is expected that you'll attend. in addition to our usual guests, several powerful ministry officials will be attending as well. seeing as you are the eldest of our children and eventual heir, it is important that you distinguish yourself. failure to do so...well, i hope i wouldn't have to mention the consequences as failure is not an option. your father and i expect nothing less than perfection from our eldest son. we are eagerly awaiting your return. love, mother and father.
despite the lukewarm ending to a rather cold and distant letter, icarus couldn't help but to feel chills run along his spine. it was not his mother's aloof words that felt like ice against his soul, but what it implicated: dancing. in previous years, icarus managed to avoid having to dance at his family's annual ball by entertaining guests with an excellent charming façade. now that he was approaching his teenage years, it was expected he would partake in more formal activities rather than being forced to keep his younger siblings in line. it would take a miracle for icarus to learn dance without stepping on the toes of his partner and finding himself an early death from embarrassment. he was sure that if he had to face a boggart, it would no longer be an impossibly large spider, but the thunderous laughing of an audience who had seen his poor dancing ability.
unable to sit still with any longer without going absolutely mad, icarus shoved his plate aside and stood up, uttering his farewells to his fellow slytherins as he made his way to the large oak doors of the great hall. once past the doors, the boy began to pace the cobblestone floor with his face furrowed in thought. what am i going to do? i haven't taken a single dancing lesson in five years, how the hell am i expected to master ballroom dancing in three days? i might as well start digging my grave now.
his incessant pacing was only upsetting his knotted up stomach further, forcing the young boy to stop in his tracks to take a moment to steady himself. catching a glimpse of his disheveled self in the reflection of a polished steel shield, icarus vainly tried to fix his tousled hair to no avail. thankfully, the halls were virtually empty except for the occasional student passing by to make their way to the great hall for supper. the slytherin fidgeted with the green collar of his robes and made his way to the boy's lavatory to freshen himself up before heading down to the slytherin commonroom.
after walking for a few minutes, icarus found himself on the fourth floor where the boy's lavatory was just a few feet away. as he was walking to his destination, the boy heard stumbling footsteps and a loud thump that came from beyond the doors of the rehearsal room. forgetting about his original mission, icarus crept towards the door, his hand closed around the hilt of his wand in case something dangerous was causing a ruckus in the room. careful not to make a sound, he opened the door as gently as possible, looking around with wide emerald orbs to find the source of the commotion. his gaze fell upon a girl leaning against a mirror, looking almost as dizzy he had been just a few moments ago. not wanting to startle her, he cleared his throat softly before speaking.
"are you alright? i heard a noise while i was walking outside in the hall. you're not hurt, are you? i apologize for not knocking first, i thought maybe the windows had become unlatched in the wind."
hello dear, the letter began with the familiar neat, cursive handwriting of his mother. i hope this letter finds you well. this is a reminder that our annual winter ball is only three days away and it is expected that you'll attend. in addition to our usual guests, several powerful ministry officials will be attending as well. seeing as you are the eldest of our children and eventual heir, it is important that you distinguish yourself. failure to do so...well, i hope i wouldn't have to mention the consequences as failure is not an option. your father and i expect nothing less than perfection from our eldest son. we are eagerly awaiting your return. love, mother and father.
despite the lukewarm ending to a rather cold and distant letter, icarus couldn't help but to feel chills run along his spine. it was not his mother's aloof words that felt like ice against his soul, but what it implicated: dancing. in previous years, icarus managed to avoid having to dance at his family's annual ball by entertaining guests with an excellent charming façade. now that he was approaching his teenage years, it was expected he would partake in more formal activities rather than being forced to keep his younger siblings in line. it would take a miracle for icarus to learn dance without stepping on the toes of his partner and finding himself an early death from embarrassment. he was sure that if he had to face a boggart, it would no longer be an impossibly large spider, but the thunderous laughing of an audience who had seen his poor dancing ability.
unable to sit still with any longer without going absolutely mad, icarus shoved his plate aside and stood up, uttering his farewells to his fellow slytherins as he made his way to the large oak doors of the great hall. once past the doors, the boy began to pace the cobblestone floor with his face furrowed in thought. what am i going to do? i haven't taken a single dancing lesson in five years, how the hell am i expected to master ballroom dancing in three days? i might as well start digging my grave now.
his incessant pacing was only upsetting his knotted up stomach further, forcing the young boy to stop in his tracks to take a moment to steady himself. catching a glimpse of his disheveled self in the reflection of a polished steel shield, icarus vainly tried to fix his tousled hair to no avail. thankfully, the halls were virtually empty except for the occasional student passing by to make their way to the great hall for supper. the slytherin fidgeted with the green collar of his robes and made his way to the boy's lavatory to freshen himself up before heading down to the slytherin commonroom.
after walking for a few minutes, icarus found himself on the fourth floor where the boy's lavatory was just a few feet away. as he was walking to his destination, the boy heard stumbling footsteps and a loud thump that came from beyond the doors of the rehearsal room. forgetting about his original mission, icarus crept towards the door, his hand closed around the hilt of his wand in case something dangerous was causing a ruckus in the room. careful not to make a sound, he opened the door as gently as possible, looking around with wide emerald orbs to find the source of the commotion. his gaze fell upon a girl leaning against a mirror, looking almost as dizzy he had been just a few moments ago. not wanting to startle her, he cleared his throat softly before speaking.
"are you alright? i heard a noise while i was walking outside in the hall. you're not hurt, are you? i apologize for not knocking first, i thought maybe the windows had become unlatched in the wind."
20 Jan 2020, 14:07
Virtuosities in Variations
The lashes on her lids fluttered as Aurelia shut her eyes closed, embracing the transient darkness. The spinning from the numerous twirls had not yet ceased. It was ideal to dwell in the serenity of darkness than within the disorienting gyrations of her surroundings. Most often, for the adept ballerina, the dizziness would fade within a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, with the absence of practice, Aurelia couldn’t determine how long it would last. A couple of minutes perhaps?
The sound of the cough, although light, seemed to echo through the relatively empty rehearsal room. It had caused the eyes of the fourteen year old to snap open and her body to instinctively turn to the source. By now, the dizziness had diminished. A boy with dark hair and green eyes whom Aurelia assumed was younger, stood by the threshold of the wooden doors. Her cheeks seemed to flush a light shade of pink at his explanation. Indubitably, the sound the Slytherin was referring to was the unladylike stumble she ungracefully performed a few moments ago.
It was quite nice of him that he thought on inquiring of her condition with much concern. But nevertheless was embarrassing since he had walked in on her in the middle of an unsuccessful practice session. There was no reason to fabricate the fact that she had been dancing. After all, on her feet were still the satin ballet shoes.
“Not at all, I am more than alright.” Aurelia claimed one in a light hearted laugh, trying to ease the atmosphere. “I was merely dancing. The pirouettes were a tad bit disorienting. ” Her right index finger twirled in the air mimicking the dance manoeuvre. “The lack of practice, I suppose. ” The Gryffindor, lifting her shoulders in a light shrug.
“Anyways, I have had enough practice for today.” Removing her pointe shoes, she made her way across the room to her bag. This boy was now one who was aware of one of her few secrets. She rarely told anyone of her skill at ballet.
The sound of the cough, although light, seemed to echo through the relatively empty rehearsal room. It had caused the eyes of the fourteen year old to snap open and her body to instinctively turn to the source. By now, the dizziness had diminished. A boy with dark hair and green eyes whom Aurelia assumed was younger, stood by the threshold of the wooden doors. Her cheeks seemed to flush a light shade of pink at his explanation. Indubitably, the sound the Slytherin was referring to was the unladylike stumble she ungracefully performed a few moments ago.
It was quite nice of him that he thought on inquiring of her condition with much concern. But nevertheless was embarrassing since he had walked in on her in the middle of an unsuccessful practice session. There was no reason to fabricate the fact that she had been dancing. After all, on her feet were still the satin ballet shoes.
“Not at all, I am more than alright.” Aurelia claimed one in a light hearted laugh, trying to ease the atmosphere. “I was merely dancing. The pirouettes were a tad bit disorienting. ” Her right index finger twirled in the air mimicking the dance manoeuvre. “The lack of practice, I suppose. ” The Gryffindor, lifting her shoulders in a light shrug.
“Anyways, I have had enough practice for today.” Removing her pointe shoes, she made her way across the room to her bag. This boy was now one who was aware of one of her few secrets. She rarely told anyone of her skill at ballet.
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“One can never be too careful,” STM — 5 | EVA — 19 | STR — 5 | WSD — 12 | ARC — 5 | ACC — 9 |
Lovely Creature — Evasive Manoeuvres — Monster Hunter — Terrible Presence
27 Mar 2020, 10:09
Virtuosities in Variations
icarus studied the girl in front of him with curiosity, recognizing her from the occasional brief shuffle they shared in the halls with other students or the occasional passing through at the library. it was clear she was an older student, otherwise he would've seen her more frequently. despite the blush that tinged her cheeks, the boy could tell she held the confidence of a pureblood like himself. despite their differences in year and house, as seen by the gryffindor robes laid out on the floor, the slytherin had a premonition that perhaps they weren't so dissimilar. "ah, very good. i suppose it sounded more painful than it actually was."
the slytherin was relieved at the girl's answer, and perhaps more relaxed now that she didn't seem irritated about his intrusion. her gentle laughter immediately dissipated the embarrassment that hung heavy in room like humid air, allowing the boy to relax his tense shoulders and casually lean against the doorframe. he cracked a smile of his own, shamrock-green eyes squinting in the slightest way in a rare sight of amusement.
"pirouettes?" icarus' head tilted inquisitively, then nodded in understanding after the girl demonstrated the dance with a twirl of her finger. a slight chuckle rose from his throat, his thin shoulders shrugging together nonchalantly, "aye, i understand. still, your little hand "demonstration" was far more graceful than the brief moment i studied ballroom dancing." it was only fair in the boy's eyes that he'd reveal his own embarrassing shortcomings in dancing after intruding in on her practice.
in the awkwardness of their first encounter, icarus had completely forgotten about his own endeavors...and introducing himself. not wanting to seem rude, he quickly spoke up again, leaving his spot next to the doorframe as he stepped further into the room. "my name's icarus by the way. icarus sable." normally, he wouldn't bother to mention his last name but he felt it was important to establish his blood status amongst another pureblood. "it's rather ironic, but i was hoping to use this room to practice dancing myself. unfortunately, books can only teach you so much about technique and well...let's just say i'm lacking in that as well as a good teacher. it's either practice as much as i can before my family's ball or conveniently sprain my ankle before then." his eyes lit up with a plan, "say...you need practice and so do i. why don't we practice together? of course, if you're already done for the day, you can watch me stumble my own feet so we can be even." he offered with a grin.
the slytherin was relieved at the girl's answer, and perhaps more relaxed now that she didn't seem irritated about his intrusion. her gentle laughter immediately dissipated the embarrassment that hung heavy in room like humid air, allowing the boy to relax his tense shoulders and casually lean against the doorframe. he cracked a smile of his own, shamrock-green eyes squinting in the slightest way in a rare sight of amusement.
"pirouettes?" icarus' head tilted inquisitively, then nodded in understanding after the girl demonstrated the dance with a twirl of her finger. a slight chuckle rose from his throat, his thin shoulders shrugging together nonchalantly, "aye, i understand. still, your little hand "demonstration" was far more graceful than the brief moment i studied ballroom dancing." it was only fair in the boy's eyes that he'd reveal his own embarrassing shortcomings in dancing after intruding in on her practice.
in the awkwardness of their first encounter, icarus had completely forgotten about his own endeavors...and introducing himself. not wanting to seem rude, he quickly spoke up again, leaving his spot next to the doorframe as he stepped further into the room. "my name's icarus by the way. icarus sable." normally, he wouldn't bother to mention his last name but he felt it was important to establish his blood status amongst another pureblood. "it's rather ironic, but i was hoping to use this room to practice dancing myself. unfortunately, books can only teach you so much about technique and well...let's just say i'm lacking in that as well as a good teacher. it's either practice as much as i can before my family's ball or conveniently sprain my ankle before then." his eyes lit up with a plan, "say...you need practice and so do i. why don't we practice together? of course, if you're already done for the day, you can watch me stumble my own feet so we can be even." he offered with a grin.
10 Apr 2020, 08:47
Virtuosities in Variations
In truth, stumbling into a mirror especially from built up momentum of a pirouette had caused quite an impact. Nevertheless, nothing short of what Aurelia could handle. She had faced far worse than a stumble, bad burns and Dhampir bites to name a few. Despite the situation being a tad bit embarrassing for her, it was nice that the boy whom she barely acquainted with had arisen some concern to her accident.
Aurelia was one who had many secrets, monster hunting being one of them and the art of ballet another. The realisation that this boy had now acquired her secret made her more intent to leave the vicinity. However, although cordiality seemed genuine, it did not help now that he stood right at the entrance, his figure barricading her only way out.
Aurelia knowledgeable of other pureblood families, coming from an aristocratic family herself. Her parents made sure she memorised a whole list of them with the intention that their daughter would act in a proper manner when encountering any fellow purebloods. This was exactly the case. Her eyebrows rose intently when the Slytherin introduced himself. Sable, she would have heard of.
Aurelia was quick to reciprocate the introduction, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Icarus. Aurelia Notresvace," No, that wasn't right. Ever since he parents divulged of her adoption in the Summer, it only proved to be a growing confusion whenever she encountered the instance to introduce herself to fellow purebloods. The Notresvace was a dead family after all, and questions would arise more often than not in these situations. "Formerly Aurelia Bezuidenhout." She clarified.
Extravagant balls were one of the many things purebloods were known for other than muggle discrimination, but that belonged in the lists of negatives. "Oh dear," the words had slipped her lips before the Gryffindor could even register. Not knowing how to dance was considered to be inappropriate ball etiquette, after all, dancing was the main activity for balls, other than the delectable food and politics of course.
It was quite obvious that the boy's suggestion for dance practice was merely an excuse for Aurelia to teach him the art given that ballet and ballroom dancing was too different skills. Nevertheless, it would be impertinent not to. After all, this was the perfect chance to finally get to know one from another blueblood family as her mother constantly encouraged her.
"It wouldn't be just your own feet at the ball," She put in. Having done so herself a long time in the past, Aurelia was aware of the price of sheer embarrassment that came with it. Thankfully for her, their dance partner had been her cousin and not one of those dashing boys whom her parents might have been considering to betroth her to.
"Ballroom dancing is simple, nevertheless requires practice to master. " Aurelia explained as she closed the distance between her and the Slytherin. There had not been an instance in which Aurelia had to teach someone to dance. Sure, over the years her parents had hired a dance tutor for ballroom dancing, but she was always the one taught and not the one teaching. Regardless, it was not too much of a difficult task. "Do you at least know the basic positioning?" She asked, her right hand extending loosely expecting for Icarus to grasp.
Aurelia was one who had many secrets, monster hunting being one of them and the art of ballet another. The realisation that this boy had now acquired her secret made her more intent to leave the vicinity. However, although cordiality seemed genuine, it did not help now that he stood right at the entrance, his figure barricading her only way out.
Aurelia knowledgeable of other pureblood families, coming from an aristocratic family herself. Her parents made sure she memorised a whole list of them with the intention that their daughter would act in a proper manner when encountering any fellow purebloods. This was exactly the case. Her eyebrows rose intently when the Slytherin introduced himself. Sable, she would have heard of.
Aurelia was quick to reciprocate the introduction, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Icarus. Aurelia Notresvace," No, that wasn't right. Ever since he parents divulged of her adoption in the Summer, it only proved to be a growing confusion whenever she encountered the instance to introduce herself to fellow purebloods. The Notresvace was a dead family after all, and questions would arise more often than not in these situations. "Formerly Aurelia Bezuidenhout." She clarified.
Extravagant balls were one of the many things purebloods were known for other than muggle discrimination, but that belonged in the lists of negatives. "Oh dear," the words had slipped her lips before the Gryffindor could even register. Not knowing how to dance was considered to be inappropriate ball etiquette, after all, dancing was the main activity for balls, other than the delectable food and politics of course.
It was quite obvious that the boy's suggestion for dance practice was merely an excuse for Aurelia to teach him the art given that ballet and ballroom dancing was too different skills. Nevertheless, it would be impertinent not to. After all, this was the perfect chance to finally get to know one from another blueblood family as her mother constantly encouraged her.
"It wouldn't be just your own feet at the ball," She put in. Having done so herself a long time in the past, Aurelia was aware of the price of sheer embarrassment that came with it. Thankfully for her, their dance partner had been her cousin and not one of those dashing boys whom her parents might have been considering to betroth her to.
"Ballroom dancing is simple, nevertheless requires practice to master. " Aurelia explained as she closed the distance between her and the Slytherin. There had not been an instance in which Aurelia had to teach someone to dance. Sure, over the years her parents had hired a dance tutor for ballroom dancing, but she was always the one taught and not the one teaching. Regardless, it was not too much of a difficult task. "Do you at least know the basic positioning?" She asked, her right hand extending loosely expecting for Icarus to grasp.
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“One can never be too careful,” STM — 5 | EVA — 19 | STR — 5 | WSD — 12 | ARC — 5 | ACC — 9 |
Lovely Creature — Evasive Manoeuvres — Monster Hunter — Terrible Presence