8 Apr 2020, 01:51
Freshly Hatched Eaglets
Aly was beaming so hard that the excitement practically shined out of her face like a glowing spotlight as she sat down at the long Ravenclaw table for the first time. The blue-and-bronze Ravenclaw crest had shimmered into existence on the left shoulder of her robes, and Aly took a moment to run her fingers over it in soft admiration, completely speechless for the second time that day. It was rare for Aly to be quiet at all, but to be stunned into silence twice in less than a few hours? Well, it was practically unheard of. But she had dreamed of being Sorted into Ravenclaw House, dreamed of dozing off in the tower common room looking up at the starry-painted ceiling, dreamed of answering riddles for seven years ever since her father Benjamin (a Ravenclaw alumnus) had begun to tell her tales of the House. And now... now she was finally here.
She was so excited that she nearly missed the next Sorting before remembering to look for her newest friend- Reynolds, Reynolds, I mustn't forget his name- at the Hufflepuff table right behind her. Aly craned her thin neck around to see, light green eyes scanning up and down the groupings of students clad in yellow and black like strangely striped bumblebees. But she couldn't quite remember what Reynolds's face looked like off the top of her head, only vaguely recalling his light brown hair and blue eyes, and plenty of the Hufflepuff students facing away from her had the same color hair and similar frames. After a moment, Aly gave up. She would see him around the castle... and if she didn't, she would track him down! After all, the Salinger girl was not about to give up her first real friend that easily!
Instead, she looked back to watch the Sorting. As another trembling first-year approached the Sorting Hat's stool, Aly's thought process was blatantly interrupted by a loud grumbling from her stomach that sounded much like the roar of a dragon or the starting up of a motorbike's engine. Aly pressed a hand to her stomach- she hadn't eaten anything since the Cauldron Cake, her favorite, that she'd devoured in under a minute on the Hogwarts Express. No wonder her body was crying out for more nourishment that wasn't just sugar. But Aly knew something her stomach seemingly didn't... according to her parents, there was dessert at the end of every Hogwarts feast.
Her thoughts almost instantaneously turned to strudels and pies, but then the boy in front of her- er, he would be beside her when they shifted to face the table, she supposed- turned around, no doubt alerted to her presence by the loud growl from her stomach. Aly cringed. He hadn't heard that, had he?
Aly offered a weak smile that was as bright as she could muster in the face of such potential embarrassment. "Er... hello," she managed, keeping her voice low so as not to interrupt the Sorting. Again, the quietness was a miracle in of itself, as 'quiet' was not a word in Aly's vocabulary. "My name's Aly- well, Alyssa Salinger, but you can call me Aly. Everybody does."
WC: 531
takes place Sept. 1, 2019
She was so excited that she nearly missed the next Sorting before remembering to look for her newest friend- Reynolds, Reynolds, I mustn't forget his name- at the Hufflepuff table right behind her. Aly craned her thin neck around to see, light green eyes scanning up and down the groupings of students clad in yellow and black like strangely striped bumblebees. But she couldn't quite remember what Reynolds's face looked like off the top of her head, only vaguely recalling his light brown hair and blue eyes, and plenty of the Hufflepuff students facing away from her had the same color hair and similar frames. After a moment, Aly gave up. She would see him around the castle... and if she didn't, she would track him down! After all, the Salinger girl was not about to give up her first real friend that easily!
Instead, she looked back to watch the Sorting. As another trembling first-year approached the Sorting Hat's stool, Aly's thought process was blatantly interrupted by a loud grumbling from her stomach that sounded much like the roar of a dragon or the starting up of a motorbike's engine. Aly pressed a hand to her stomach- she hadn't eaten anything since the Cauldron Cake, her favorite, that she'd devoured in under a minute on the Hogwarts Express. No wonder her body was crying out for more nourishment that wasn't just sugar. But Aly knew something her stomach seemingly didn't... according to her parents, there was dessert at the end of every Hogwarts feast.
Her thoughts almost instantaneously turned to strudels and pies, but then the boy in front of her- er, he would be beside her when they shifted to face the table, she supposed- turned around, no doubt alerted to her presence by the loud growl from her stomach. Aly cringed. He hadn't heard that, had he?
Aly offered a weak smile that was as bright as she could muster in the face of such potential embarrassment. "Er... hello," she managed, keeping her voice low so as not to interrupt the Sorting. Again, the quietness was a miracle in of itself, as 'quiet' was not a word in Aly's vocabulary. "My name's Aly- well, Alyssa Salinger, but you can call me Aly. Everybody does."
WC: 531
takes place Sept. 1, 2019
| Aly Salinger's ency |
| | |
STA 10 | EVA 14 | STR 5 | WIS 19 | ARC 7 | ACC 18 Charmer • Keeper’s Catch • Paragon of Health • Lovely Creature • Foulplay • Keen Eye who's afraid of little old me? |
| | |
8 Apr 2020, 03:08
Freshly Hatched Eaglets
The Great Hall truly was a sight to behold. He hadn't been able to take it all in upon his first arrival, getting too caught up by the dozen, possibly hundreds of candles hovering above them. But now as he walked toward the Ravenclaw table, he was able to take in everything else around him: the four long tables, the banners overhead, the windows that went almost as high as the ceiling itself, the ceiling which was invisible? Or was it missing entirely? He had been so entranced by the candles that he failed to notice that the starry sky was twinkling above. It was so much more than he'd imagined. Charlie sat down at an open space of bench at the Ravenclaw table beneath the blue eagle banners.
Immediately his head turned back to the sea of students still waiting their turn. Lilia, the girl he'd met on the train, was still waiting to be sorted. "Ravenclaw...please get Ravenclaw..." he found himself thinking. If she ended up in his house, he'd have at least one friend. Should she end up elsewhere, well... they could still be, but it would surely be harder. After all, the headmaster had just told them that their house would be their 'second family'. Charlie began to look up and down the table, looking for someone who might look friendly, and more importantly, could take a joke.
"Eilertsen, Lilia." Charlie's head turned back to the front of the hall as a familiar blond girl made her way to the stool, and the hat was set on her head. The new Ravenclaw crossed his fingers and watched for a moment until... "Gryffindor!" The word caused his stomach to drop. His first friend at Hogwarts, and who knew when he'd see her again? His attention turned from the next student when a loud growling sound caught his ears. Charlie looked to his left and his right, trying to figure out where the noise had come from, when he saw the girl beside him - behind him? No definitely beside him - holding a hand to her stomach, he knew, and it made him realize that he was getting hungry too. He hadn't eaten since the train: some strange, and yet delicious, candies he'd never heard of before. Hopefully they'd get to eat soon.
Until then, he offered the girl with the curly hair a friendly smile, his braces catching and reflecting the light of the many candles. "Hey there, Aly, I'm Charlie," he replied. "Well, Charles, but...since I'm not quite forty yet..." he continued with a small laugh. "Any idea when we might eat?" It was a valid question, given their clear mutual hunger, and his eyes quickly popped back over to the almost depleted crowd of waiting first years.
Immediately his head turned back to the sea of students still waiting their turn. Lilia, the girl he'd met on the train, was still waiting to be sorted. "Ravenclaw...please get Ravenclaw..." he found himself thinking. If she ended up in his house, he'd have at least one friend. Should she end up elsewhere, well... they could still be, but it would surely be harder. After all, the headmaster had just told them that their house would be their 'second family'. Charlie began to look up and down the table, looking for someone who might look friendly, and more importantly, could take a joke.
"Eilertsen, Lilia." Charlie's head turned back to the front of the hall as a familiar blond girl made her way to the stool, and the hat was set on her head. The new Ravenclaw crossed his fingers and watched for a moment until... "Gryffindor!" The word caused his stomach to drop. His first friend at Hogwarts, and who knew when he'd see her again? His attention turned from the next student when a loud growling sound caught his ears. Charlie looked to his left and his right, trying to figure out where the noise had come from, when he saw the girl beside him - behind him? No definitely beside him - holding a hand to her stomach, he knew, and it made him realize that he was getting hungry too. He hadn't eaten since the train: some strange, and yet delicious, candies he'd never heard of before. Hopefully they'd get to eat soon.
Until then, he offered the girl with the curly hair a friendly smile, his braces catching and reflecting the light of the many candles. "Hey there, Aly, I'm Charlie," he replied. "Well, Charles, but...since I'm not quite forty yet..." he continued with a small laugh. "Any idea when we might eat?" It was a valid question, given their clear mutual hunger, and his eyes quickly popped back over to the almost depleted crowd of waiting first years.
( Stamina - 5 | Evasion - 8 | Strength - 4 | Wisdom - 6 | ArcPower - 5 | Accuracy - 7 )
13 Apr 2020, 19:08
Freshly Hatched Eaglets
The boy whose quiet Sorting her loud stomach had disturbed had begun to speak to her, introducing himself to her as Charlie. Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, Aly began to repeat to herself mentally. She was in fact quite terrible at remembering names- though she liked to think it was something that made her so very Aly. And now that she had met two boys who honestly looked sort of similar in under an hour- first Reynolds in the boat crossing the Black Lake, with his pale skin and light brown hair, and now Charlie here in the Great Hall, with his pale skin and light brown hair- Aly instantly knew that she would mix them up if she forgot to focus on the names. But anyway, the two boys were clearly in different Houses, which was a big difference between the two of them. Reynolds had been Sorted to Hufflepuff, and Aly herself was sitting right next to Charlie at the Ravenclaw table. They likely could not have been more different if they tried. Aly resolved to simply look at their robes colour later in the year if she forgot which one was which.
She opened her mouth to answer his question about when they would eat, though in truth she didn't have a time frame herself or else she would have been able to answer her stomach when it had asked the exact same thing. However, her attention caught on Charlie's mouth before she could put any words together in her head to say aloud. There was something on his teeth. Something... strange. It looked like some sort of metal wire with odd brackets placed upon each tooth. Aly wouldn't have noticed it except for the fact that it was glinting in many places from the candlelight, reflecting the golden glow directly into her eyes. "What in the world is that?" she blurted out, not realizing that she was about to speak until the words left her mouth, and leaning in slightly to squint at the boy's mouth. "On your teeth? I've never seen anything like it before! Is it stuck or-"
Too late, she realized that she was invading the personal space of a complete stranger- and not only that, but also closely examining his teeth, of all things. Aly flushed red to the roots of her curly hair, the embarrassed blush obscuring most of her thick, leafy freckles for a few moments before it began to fade slightly. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed a bit more loudly, which earned her a few nasty looks from students around them. She quieted self-consciously. "I didn't mean to- er- sorry about that, I can't really control being curious about things. It's just so interesting, and- er- uh-" Aly turned back to the table and straightened the empty plate in front of her, trying not to look like a complete buffoon. "Um, the feast should begin when everyone's been Sorted. Can you see how many first-years are left up there? That should give you a rough idea."
WC: 505
She opened her mouth to answer his question about when they would eat, though in truth she didn't have a time frame herself or else she would have been able to answer her stomach when it had asked the exact same thing. However, her attention caught on Charlie's mouth before she could put any words together in her head to say aloud. There was something on his teeth. Something... strange. It looked like some sort of metal wire with odd brackets placed upon each tooth. Aly wouldn't have noticed it except for the fact that it was glinting in many places from the candlelight, reflecting the golden glow directly into her eyes. "What in the world is that?" she blurted out, not realizing that she was about to speak until the words left her mouth, and leaning in slightly to squint at the boy's mouth. "On your teeth? I've never seen anything like it before! Is it stuck or-"
Too late, she realized that she was invading the personal space of a complete stranger- and not only that, but also closely examining his teeth, of all things. Aly flushed red to the roots of her curly hair, the embarrassed blush obscuring most of her thick, leafy freckles for a few moments before it began to fade slightly. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed a bit more loudly, which earned her a few nasty looks from students around them. She quieted self-consciously. "I didn't mean to- er- sorry about that, I can't really control being curious about things. It's just so interesting, and- er- uh-" Aly turned back to the table and straightened the empty plate in front of her, trying not to look like a complete buffoon. "Um, the feast should begin when everyone's been Sorted. Can you see how many first-years are left up there? That should give you a rough idea."
WC: 505
| Aly Salinger's ency |
| | |
STA 10 | EVA 14 | STR 5 | WIS 19 | ARC 7 | ACC 18 Charmer • Keeper’s Catch • Paragon of Health • Lovely Creature • Foulplay • Keen Eye who's afraid of little old me? |
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14 Apr 2020, 04:22
Freshly Hatched Eaglets
Charlie brought a hand to his mouth, covering his smile at once. He wasn't embarrassed to have braces by any means; they were unbelievably common coming from the muggle world. Most of his friends and classmates at his old school had had them, he just had not yet considered the idea that they might be odd or out of place at Hogwarts. Did wizard children not require them? Were they just naturally gifted with perfectly straight teeth in their mouths? Or perhaps there was a spell they used to take care of the problem magically. If that were the case, Charlie wanted to learn that spell as quickly as possible. The new Ravenclaw still had at least another year with these train tracks across his smile.
"Oh, I..." he mumbled through his fingers, trying to curl his lips over his teeth. He wasn't quite sure what exactly it was that made him feel so self-conscious about the way the girl, the way Aly, had looked so closely at his braces and pointed them out. She hadn't laughed at them, she seemed more intrigued, more curious. She must have been a pureblood, like Lilia had been. Maybe it was just because it was such a clear and visible sign to the rest of the school that he was an outsider. "I... uh," he continued before lowering his hand. He'd spent his whole life refusing to be bothered by what people thought, he had no intention on starting now. "They're called 'braces'. They're a muggle invention that straighten teeth. A lot of kids have them where I come from.
"It's fine. Really. I've got plenty I'm curious about too," he smiled, though with a closed mouth this time. "I am the new guy in a whole new magical world after all." When Aly asked if he could see how many were left to be sorted, Charlie turned his attention back to the small crowd - if 'crowd' was still even an accurate term - still waiting in the center aisle. "I dunno, maybe seven? Eight?"
"Oh, I..." he mumbled through his fingers, trying to curl his lips over his teeth. He wasn't quite sure what exactly it was that made him feel so self-conscious about the way the girl, the way Aly, had looked so closely at his braces and pointed them out. She hadn't laughed at them, she seemed more intrigued, more curious. She must have been a pureblood, like Lilia had been. Maybe it was just because it was such a clear and visible sign to the rest of the school that he was an outsider. "I... uh," he continued before lowering his hand. He'd spent his whole life refusing to be bothered by what people thought, he had no intention on starting now. "They're called 'braces'. They're a muggle invention that straighten teeth. A lot of kids have them where I come from.
"It's fine. Really. I've got plenty I'm curious about too," he smiled, though with a closed mouth this time. "I am the new guy in a whole new magical world after all." When Aly asked if he could see how many were left to be sorted, Charlie turned his attention back to the small crowd - if 'crowd' was still even an accurate term - still waiting in the center aisle. "I dunno, maybe seven? Eight?"
( Stamina - 5 | Evasion - 8 | Strength - 4 | Wisdom - 6 | ArcPower - 5 | Accuracy - 7 )
15 Apr 2020, 07:11
Freshly Hatched Eaglets
The boy immediately covered his mouth as soon as Aly asked about the glinting metal on his teeth. She wasn't exactly sure why; perhaps it was a source of embarrassment? But why? It looked so very interesting- some kind of new contraption she'd never seen before! And when Charlie quickly mumbled in explanation that they were called braces, some Muggle invention used to straighten one's teeth, Aly's face lit up like a Christmas tree in a glowing smile. "Muggle, you say?" she repeated in an excited attempt at a whisper so as not to get any more angry looks. "And you're new here? You must be a Muggle-born!"
By now Aly was practically dancing in her seat. A real, live Muggle-born, the very first one she had ever met. Growing up in a family that was the mix of two historically pureblood lines- the Salingers on her father's side, and the Livingstons on her mother's- had made sure that Aly knew almost nothing about the Muggle world. Everything she had learned was only in bits and pieces from books she had nicked from her father's study while he'd been away at work. Muggles dressed all funny, for instance. Instead of Healers, they had something called doctors- 'dock tours', Aly was pretty sure it was pronounced- that used all kinds of primitive cooking tools like knives and spoons to make people better again. And Muggles didn't know anything about Hogwarts, magic, any of the magical creatures that Aly herself had grown up learning about... on the one hand, what a horrendous life to live, but on the other hand, imagine the creativity all of the Muggles must have had in order to survive without any magic! She was quite positive that all Muggles would have been sorted into Ravenclaw House just based on creativity alone.
She seized Charlie's arm through his robes out of pure elation. "If you're a Muggle-born, that means your parents are Muggles! What do they do? What is it like, living there? Oh, you must be so terrified, you won't know anything about the magical world!" she badgered. "Tell me, tell me, do Muggles really dress quite as mad as they say? And- and- oh, did a dock-tour put the braces on your mouth? Did it hurt? Do they ever come off?" Aly wiggled with excitement and beamed at her new friend. She could already tell he was going to have so much to teach her!! And with only a few more students left to go in the Sorting, it wouldn't be long now until she could speak in her regular loud voice and get to know Charlie over their first proper Hogwarts feast.
WC: 447
By now Aly was practically dancing in her seat. A real, live Muggle-born, the very first one she had ever met. Growing up in a family that was the mix of two historically pureblood lines- the Salingers on her father's side, and the Livingstons on her mother's- had made sure that Aly knew almost nothing about the Muggle world. Everything she had learned was only in bits and pieces from books she had nicked from her father's study while he'd been away at work. Muggles dressed all funny, for instance. Instead of Healers, they had something called doctors- 'dock tours', Aly was pretty sure it was pronounced- that used all kinds of primitive cooking tools like knives and spoons to make people better again. And Muggles didn't know anything about Hogwarts, magic, any of the magical creatures that Aly herself had grown up learning about... on the one hand, what a horrendous life to live, but on the other hand, imagine the creativity all of the Muggles must have had in order to survive without any magic! She was quite positive that all Muggles would have been sorted into Ravenclaw House just based on creativity alone.
She seized Charlie's arm through his robes out of pure elation. "If you're a Muggle-born, that means your parents are Muggles! What do they do? What is it like, living there? Oh, you must be so terrified, you won't know anything about the magical world!" she badgered. "Tell me, tell me, do Muggles really dress quite as mad as they say? And- and- oh, did a dock-tour put the braces on your mouth? Did it hurt? Do they ever come off?" Aly wiggled with excitement and beamed at her new friend. She could already tell he was going to have so much to teach her!! And with only a few more students left to go in the Sorting, it wouldn't be long now until she could speak in her regular loud voice and get to know Charlie over their first proper Hogwarts feast.
WC: 447
| Aly Salinger's ency |
| | |
STA 10 | EVA 14 | STR 5 | WIS 19 | ARC 7 | ACC 18 Charmer • Keeper’s Catch • Paragon of Health • Lovely Creature • Foulplay • Keen Eye who's afraid of little old me? |
| | |
17 Apr 2020, 20:42
Freshly Hatched Eaglets
He wasn't sure she had even heard his count of remaining students, for as soon as the words "muggle invention" had come out of his mouth, Aly's face lit up, he mouth widening into long smile. "Muggle you say?" she whispered, or at least tried to whisper. Between the way she reacted to finding out he was muggleborn, and the way she had looked at his braces, it was no longer a question to her blood status. Aly was most definitely a pureblood, just as Lilia had been. Was he a rarity in the school, or was it just pure coincidence that the first two people he'd met were both purebloods.
Aly's clear excitement must have gotten the better of her, for soon after she asked - more told, really - him if he was muggleborn, she started with many more questions. Questions about his parents and what they did, how he felt about being a wizard, even a question about muggle clothes, which he didn't think was all that mad. It certainly wasn't any more mad than all the long cloaks and robes he'd seen wizards wearing in Diagon Alley. Even compared to these basic school robes, he was much more comfortable in jeans and a flannel shirt. She also asked about the braces themselves, and whether or not a... dock-tour had put them on? Did they not have doctors in the magical world? What did they do when they were sick?
"Well... my dad works in realty, so he sells people homes, and Mum works in a bank," he explained. He wasn't sure if these jobs were often held by wizards in this world, as he had only seen goblins working at Gringotts when he was there. "And I don't know about terrified, but I've definitely got plenty of questions myself, such as how do you straighten teeth here? These braces aren't forever, but, they stay on long enough. And if you don't know what a doctor is, where do you go when you're sick? And why are you so fascinated with muggles? I mean, nothing against them obviously, but you've got magic and unicorns and werewolves - are those real too? - and yet..." Of course, the more he thought about it, if you had grown up with stuff like that, the idea of people living without it would pique at least a little interest.
Aly's clear excitement must have gotten the better of her, for soon after she asked - more told, really - him if he was muggleborn, she started with many more questions. Questions about his parents and what they did, how he felt about being a wizard, even a question about muggle clothes, which he didn't think was all that mad. It certainly wasn't any more mad than all the long cloaks and robes he'd seen wizards wearing in Diagon Alley. Even compared to these basic school robes, he was much more comfortable in jeans and a flannel shirt. She also asked about the braces themselves, and whether or not a... dock-tour had put them on? Did they not have doctors in the magical world? What did they do when they were sick?
"Well... my dad works in realty, so he sells people homes, and Mum works in a bank," he explained. He wasn't sure if these jobs were often held by wizards in this world, as he had only seen goblins working at Gringotts when he was there. "And I don't know about terrified, but I've definitely got plenty of questions myself, such as how do you straighten teeth here? These braces aren't forever, but, they stay on long enough. And if you don't know what a doctor is, where do you go when you're sick? And why are you so fascinated with muggles? I mean, nothing against them obviously, but you've got magic and unicorns and werewolves - are those real too? - and yet..." Of course, the more he thought about it, if you had grown up with stuff like that, the idea of people living without it would pique at least a little interest.
( Stamina - 5 | Evasion - 8 | Strength - 4 | Wisdom - 6 | ArcPower - 5 | Accuracy - 7 )