Criticize me PV Mars completed

@Lizzie Verdine

Mars had no plans for the afternoon. Classes had come and gone, the sun slowly making its way across the sky as the day plodded on and now, it hung just past overhead, sending a ripple of sparkles through the lake.

Outdoors had always felt more like home to Mars. It was too cramped inside, too many people hurrying to get somewhere. Besides, there were always a couple of wizards running through the halls blasting hexes at each other, treading on people's toes and dropped books. Out by the lake, the wind blew breezily through Mars' red-dyed hair, whipping it up into their eyes. There weren't many people out today, so the grounds were quiet, with only the occasional chirp far in the Forbidden Forest, growl from the Care of Magical Creatures class, and— a guitar. Huh. It seemed someone was singing under a big oak tree on the crest of the hill.

Giving in to their curiosity, Mars treaded up the grassy field. It was a feminine voice, smooth and pretty. But the song she was singing— a muggle song, and an older sounding one too. Smiling under their breath, they neared the foot of the tree.

Sat underneath, amidst a pile of parchments and a jumper, was a Ravenclaw girl. She looked, not old, but maybe just mature. She could have been a Third or Second year but something about her just seemed to scream First. Her light blonde hair hung to her shoulders and she was clutching her guitar in pale hands.

Mars caught a few words of a sentence she seemed to be saying.

"Cassie... I knew you would." Well, she seemed a little out of it. As Mars came into proper view, the Ravenclaw looked up. Wide brown eyes took them in. A faint blush seemed to creep up her cheeks, probably just from assuming the wrong person. Then, she smiled.

"Hello. I'm Lizzie. You are?" She had stopped strumming, but the dredges of the song she had sung were still swirling in Mars' mind.

"Mars." They eyed her up and down, taking her in. "Some music taste you've got there, huh?"

interacting with @Mars T'ien
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Lizzie looked at the girl (or she thought it was hard to tell). They were a Ravenclaw with dyed hair. Why does everyone have died hair or is it just natural and I'm dumb? They looked a bit Chinese but did not want to offend the student in front of them.

"Well it's nice to meet you Mars. Uhh.. Actually, Yes I do have a weird taste in music. Bit old. Queen, Beatles, stuff like that." She said while pulling a few strings as the guitar lay beside her, "You don't like them? That's totally fine. I just want to know." Lizzie didn't care if they didn't like her style as long as they didn't make fun of Freddie Mercury and John Lennon for being dead.

The blonde stuffed some parchment into her shoulder bag. "Do you want to sit? Please sit." She said pushing away some hairs from her eyes. She hated having long hair but she hated short hair even more. Her brothers once cut her hair like her Father's. It did not go down well. Lizzie hated it. She looked like a feminine boy but the bad kind. She had then vowed to never cut her hair shorter than her shoulders ever again.

"So what brings you out here?" She asked patting the grass beside her while moving her guitar over to the other side of her body. She was trying to be nice and hopped it worked otherwise that would be hella awkward for Lizzie and Mars in front of her. It was a gesture that her mother had taught her in her very early years. "Always ask people to sit, Lizzie, it's polite." She used to say. It made Lizzie ocassionally hate manners. Manners were boring sometimes.

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As they introduced themselves, Mars caught Lizzie staring at their hair, then at their face, a slightly confused look on hers.

"They/them pronouns hun, if that helps," they smiled. Something about this girl seemed a bit out of it.

"Well it's nice to meet you Mars. Uhh.. Actually, Yes I do have a weird taste in music. Bit old. Queen, Beatles, stuff like that," the Ravenclaw plucked at the strings of the guitar she'd laid beside her. "You don't like them? That's totally fine. I just want to know."

Mars wrinkled their nose just a tad. There was nothing inherently wrong with old muggle music—in fact, Mars was a sucker for a song or two. Lizzie's taste was just... very mainstream old. And listening to that all the time... not their thing.

"Uh, not particularly. That's an... acquired taste. But hey, I mean, like what you like but you should know, if people make fun of you for it... well, that's up to you to defend," they put simply. That seemed like a sensible enough answer. They didn't particularly care was Lizzie thought of them in the long run, they didn't care with anyone, but it was always better not to make enemies, especially not ones you might run into again.

Mars eyed the girl, following the motion of her hand patting the ground beside her as she asked, "So what brings you out here?"

Mars smirked and shook their head. The grass looked a little wet beneath the shade of the big tree and they'd had enough experiences with grass flies and stains to fill a lifetime.

"That's okay. Standing's fine by me. There's a nice breeze going up here anyway," Mars excused, "and I'm up here 'cause the Ravenclaw Common Room feels like it's going to suffocate me someday." Mars glanced at the guitar in Lizzie's lap.

"Was that you singing earlier?"

interacting with @Mars T'ien
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"Oh thank you." She smiled up at the person (?) standing in next to her. Lizzie did not discriminate against people who had decided what their pronouns were or what sexuality they were. It just was all a bit jumbled for the blonde girl. She didn't even know what being gay was until she started at Hogwarts so how would she know what she was?

She nodded her head at Mars, "Everybody I've met so far has been pretty nice about my music taste. Some were Indie people other Pop others classical. Everybody is different. Just as long as they don't comment on how the people I admire are old enough to be my Granddad and also make AID jokes." She huffed. It was a trait of the boys back at home to make fun of her for liking (as an Idol) 70 year-old men.

Lizzie shrugged her shoulders after the fellow Ravenclaw shook their head, "That's fine I guess. I don't mind being sat on a a wet patch. It's not like I'll die." She laughed slightly and shook her head of the hair in her face, "The Common Room is nice until you get the book nerds in there."

Don't get her wrong, she loved books but just didn't want to read them 24/7. She knew a lot about the Wizarding World already but it was not her fault that she was considered dumb and stupid sometimes. She had bad eye-sight. Meaning she couldn't see things others could which made her a bit slow.

"Just then?" She plucked a few more strings, "Oh, I was playing 39' by Queen. It's a fantasy story in the form of a song. It's about men going to Mars in 1939 and come back a hundred years later but they have not aged. The main man is devastated because his wife has died and he is the same age as his Grandchildren." She smiled. It was a very smart song. She thought of it as a story where the other could not find the right words to use in a book and instead wrote about it.

@Lizzie Verdine

Mars snorted.

"Anyone who makes AID jokes just has bad taste," they said, wrinkling their nose, "And hey, if you want to walk around all day looking like you just rolled down a hill, be my guest."

The grass was beautiful, yes, long and rippling under the wind, almost like a green sea, but standing suited Mars better anyway. They turned, gazing out over the crystal lake. The sun's rays reflected easy off the water's surface, the reflection of the mountain sharply defined in the waves.

Lizzie said something about the song she had been singing early. 39' by Queen, something about space travel and old men coming back the same age as their grandchildren. Lizzie really had a thing for old men, huh?

"Bit of a hopeless romantic, are you?" Mars asked, turning to her and shooting a grin. Anyone who liked plotty songs like that usually were. Julius definitely was, as much as a nine-year-old boy can be at any rate, and he listened to such songs. Mars smiled at the memory of him sitting up in the window sill, gazing wistfully over the gray city before Nereus came to jump-scare him right out of his seat. God those two were real idiots.

Mars looked down at Lizzie again, wind blowing through their red-dyed hair. They stared at the guitar in her hands, and then at the pages nearly blowing away beside her. As the blonde Ravenclaw continued to stare right back, one of them got loose from under her jumper, flying out into the air.

Taking an automatic step, Mars snatched it between quick fingers before it could fly out of reach. They brought it back down to their chest.

"You should be more careful with your things," they mentioned offhandedly to Lizzie. Seeing handwriting scrawled around the page, they scanned it. They struggled to hold back a bit of a laugh; they were song lyrics written across the parchment. Hopeless romantic indeed.

Mars held the page out to Lizzie between two fingers.

"Songwriter, are you?"

interacting with @Mars T'ien
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Lizzie laughed, "I normally do roll down a hill but not today." She smiled and shook her head. She did like rolling down hills. It just depended on her mood that day. Her legs get tired quickly so there was no other option than sitting down on the slightly wet grass.

She nodded her head frantically, "Yes. You could say that. Except, I have never been in a relationship to be able to write about it. i just take my parents experience for instance." She loved writing her parents love story into songs. They turned out very well. Lizzie just had never had the time to ever perform them in front of anyone.

The blonde girl quickly gasped while some parchment flew into the air but sighed at the sight of Mars catching one. Even if the song on that parchment might have never made it to being in an album she liked to keep stray lines to implement in other songs. "Oh thank you. I will be more careful." She shut her shoulder bag while grabbing it from Mars.

"Uhh.. Yes I do write songs. I want to be a musician when I'm older." She smiled and stood up abruptly. Lizzie wiped her hands on her skirt and lifted her bag onto the shoulder, "It was getting a little boring sitting down while you were up here." She lent her guitar against the tree she was just leaning against herself.

"Do you play anything? Write?" It would be nice to let Lizzie have some other friends who also played an instrument. She dd play a few herself but got a bit lonely when playing alone. She had yet to find someone who was willing to play with her.

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Mars smiled. They were glad Lizzie was cool enough to go along with their little joke. There were too many wixes around campus who'd probably hex them for it, serious or not. Honestly, some wixes needed to hike up to the top of those snow-covered mountains in the distance and just camp out for a few days. Then, maybe, they'd learn how to chill.

When Lizzie told them she'd never been in a relationship, Mars could help but laugh a bit. What 11-or-12-year-old was going through relationship drama? Except... well, Mars didn't dwell on other people's problems. It was too draining anyway.

They didn't fake the smile they flashed when Lizzie mentioned she wrote songs about her parents. Well, wasn't that adorable.

"They must love each other a whole lot, huh?" they asked. Maybe there was a small pang in their heart at those words. They couldn't remember why. They didn't know their parents, not beyond a recognition that they existed. As far as Mars' knew, they'd been crazy enough to bring six children into the world in six years and then—it was all hazy after that. No sense in feeling grief for people they barely knew.

They turned back to Lizzie, pulling themselves out of their own thoughts, hand still clutching the parchment. Lizzie smiled and nodded enthusiastically at their question about writing the piece. After handing it back to her, Mars grinned.

"I hope you make it real big. But, you know, if you want to make it in today's world, you might have to abandon all the songs written by old guys.

Lizzie stood, leaning her guitar against the tree. Then, she leaned against it too.

"Do you play anything? Write? she asked quizzically. Mars smiled, thumbing at their robes.

"Yup, but I just picked it up," they nodded at the guitar leaning against the tree, "Guitar, same as you. I sing as well. And I've got—what was it the book called it?—perfect pitch, I think. That's certainly helpful, though it doesn't make up for lost time."

Mars smiled a little sadly. They'd always loved music. There was just something about it that made them feel so at peace. Like they were living through nostalgia that wasn't theirs. But they'd never had the time to dedicate to it, unfortunately. There were too many brothers to chase and too much homework to complete. They weren't as familiar with the strings and chords shapes as they would have liked. Perfect pitch was only helpful when you actually knew how to make the pitch.

But now, they supposed, they had all the time in the world to dedicate to music, past the existence of homework. One of the good things about boarding school, if they tried to find any.

They nodded at Lizzie again, taking in her standing form. She probably would have been taller than Mars, had they not been wearing three-inch heels.

"How long have you been playing?

interacting with @Mars T'ien
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Lizzie laughed and nodded her head, "Yeah they really do. Maybe a little too much for my liking.” She shook her head and smiled. It was hard to understand why they wanted her have six children so close to each other. It was a bomb in the making. A bomb that was ticking away and about to explode.

She turned to Mars and grinned while pushing some hair out of her face, “I really hope you get far in what you want as well. I’m sure I’ll outgrow these old men soon enough.” She laughed yet again and looked out across the lake. It was very beautiful. She closed her eyes and listened to the birds singing.

It was very normal for Lizzie to think that the Birds were giving each other concerts when really it was just a mating call. Except nothing could change her mind, “That’s fantastic. I sing and play the piano as well. Not as good as some people. I’ve only got to Grade 4.”

The blonde girl had always had a dream to at least get to Grade 5 on all instruments (that she played). It had nearly been for filled except it would probably take her another few years to get it due to her being at Hogwarts most of the year.

“I’ve been into music since I was five. I started singing way before that.” She laughed, it was a natural habit for Lizzie to have sung in the her house while her mum was tending the new babies and her father was off at work. It never sounded very good but what are you meant to expect from a toddler?

“I started the guitar at six and the piano at seven.” She answered, “I sometimes wished I started earlier or never started at all.” She closed her eyes as the sun went in them, “Imagine being a totally different person. If I never got into music I probably would be just like me roommates. Gossiping all the time.”

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@Lizzie Verdine

Mars smiled as they listened to Lizzie talk to about her family. There was nothing quite like the people you grew up with, be it positive or negative. They were glad that Lizzie seemed to have a good relationship with her parents.

"I really hope you get far in what you want as well. I’m sure I’ll outgrow these old men soon enough.” Mars grinned at the other Ravenclaw. They stuttered internally, realizing that this was probably the only Ravenclaw they'd had a full conversation with. Then, they shook it off and continued with their thought.

"Thanks. I'll let you know if I ever figure out what that is," they snickered a bit. In all reality, they hadn't given it much thought, what they wanted to do in the future. Hell, they hadn't known the wizarding world existed before this school year, et alone have times to consider the hundreds of magical positions. Then there was the question of whether to work in magic or with muggles. It was giving them a headache already, so they moved on.

"Ha, maybe that's for the best. But who knows, it seems that the old is becoming new again lately.

Mars mused at that thought. It was pretty true, especially in the muggle world. They supposed the magical one hadn't ever really gotten out of old traditions. They caught Lizzie saying something about piano and singing and how it was fantastic that Mars could play. The Ravenclaw grinned a little. Lizzie was probably giving them more credit than they were worth, but they'd take it. About Grade 4...

"I don't know, darling, "Grade 4" sounds pretty impressive on its own," they chuckled. Mars was incredibly familiar with people who seemed to tone down their own accomplishments. It was kind of annoying to be honest, though they couldn't really blame the person. They were the same way. On the flip side, however, braggers were much worse, so Mars didn't really mind in the long run.

While continuing to listen, they stared out over the lake. The sun had started to dip further down, casting its mellowed light over the rippling surface. Homework. Mars sighed. Right. They tuned back into Lizzie's words as she mentioned she'd always been into music. Mars smiled at the idea of a toddler Lizzie singing while her mother begged her to stop. Well, at least they had that in common. The love of music for a long time, not the singing toddler thing.

“I started the guitar at six and the piano at seven," Lizzie answered their previously asked question, but then continued on. “I sometimes wished I started earlier or never started at all.”

Mars watched as the other Eagle closed her eyes just as the sun passed over them, “Imagine being a totally different person. If I never got into music, I probably would be just like my roommates. Gossiping all the time.

Mars turned back to Lizzie. They'd never thought of it like that. They knew that a person's interests and hobbies played a large part in shaping their personality, but they guess they'd just never thought about not liking music.

They chuckled a little, saying, "Perhaps. I suppose it's a good thing you got into music then, you seem like a good person. The sun set its glare over the two Eagles again, forcing Mars to squint. Its appearance pulled at the little string of guilt resting in their stomach. Right, homework. Well, better make like a good Ravenclaw and wrap this up.

They cast a hand over their brow, shielding their eyes from the glare. Gesturing to the parchment lying at Lizzie's feet, they asked,

"Care to write your owl info down for me? I've got homework, and I'd probably shame the Ravenclaw name if I didn't get it in, so I should really be going. But we should keep in touch, yeah? Maybe play a song or two, if you've got time."