A Manual for Getting Lost
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❛ Art Deco — Allure in Effect ❜
Date: June 25, 2026 | Words: 700| Dialogue: #aa5713
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“Some people look before they listen. And others don't even listen at all.
The advice had come one ordinary afternoon, uttered by her mother with the same casualness with which others might recommend taking an umbrella before a storm. However, for Stelle, it had become one of those phrases that survive for years, hidden in some corner of her memory, waiting for the right moment to resurface.
Being half-Veela had never bothered her; she had been raised to be proud of it. Her family never spoke of that heritage as a quirk or an advantage, but as simply another part of herself, as natural as the color of her eyes or the way she laughed when something struck her as genuinely funny. For years, that explanation had been enough. Until Hogwarts arrived. And then something worse came: adolescence. During her first year, she had discovered an uncomfortable truth. People watched her far more than they listened to her. Upon returning home from vacation, she had spent days trying to find the right way to phrase her concern. She finally ended up asking it at dinner.
"Why does it seem like no one listens to me?"
Her mother didn't even seem surprised. As if she'd been expecting that question since the day she was born. But Stelle didn't like the answer. Not because it was cruel, but because it was true. Then came the advice: Seek out interesting things to do, and you'll have interesting stories to tell. It was simple, so simple it was irritating. And that's precisely why it worked.For months, Stelle began seeking out new experiences with the enthusiasm of someone collecting treasures. Not grand heroic adventures or extraordinary feats, but small stories that could survive a conversation. She learned that the best way to capture someone's attention wasn't by being the most beautiful person in the room, but by becoming the person with the best story to tell. And so, when Pam told her about the international event in Castelobruxo, the decision was surprisingly easy.
A new school, a different continent, unfamiliar people, an immense magical jungle, and a game of Capture the Flag that promised to end in organized chaos. It seemed exactly the kind of experience her mother would have approved of. So, against all odds and with a suitcase far too heavy for someone who would only be there for a few days, Stelle set off. She arrived shortly before sunset. The sky was tinged with shades of orange and gold that seemed to melt onto the treetops. The jungle stretched in every direction like an endless green ocean, so vast that it made even European castles look modest. The humidity perfumed the air with the scents of damp earth, exotic flowers, and lush vegetation. Strange sounds echoed in the distance: the calls of unfamiliar birds, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and creatures that would probably be much more interesting from afar. Stelle observed everything with wide eyes. This was exactly what she had come for. A story, perhaps several, maybe enough to fill an entire summer.
However, the excitement had one small drawback: she was completely lost. She dragged her suitcase through groups of students speaking different languages. Uniforms of varying colors appeared and disappeared in the crowd. Some seemed to move with the confidence of those who knew every corner of the place; others, like her, looked around trying to pretend they knew where they were going. Naturally, no one was managing to fool anyone. She adjusted the headband holding her curls back as she tried to spot a familiar face. Pamela, any of her Hogwarts classmates, or even a professor. But the world seemed to have conspired to hide everyone she knew.
"Perfect," she muttered to herself.
It was funny how an adventure could feel both gigantic and tiny at the same time. Then she bumped into someone. It wasn't a particularly dramatic collision, although her suitcase had come dangerously close to becoming a blunt weapon. She took a small step back and looked up, adjusting her headband once more, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.
"Excuse me," she said with a somewhat embarrassed smile. "Could you help me?"
@Luuk Tjin-A-Wing
You make me wanna make you fall in love───⊹ |
Stelle Mims - Huffelpuf |
A Manual for Getting Lost
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xx.. |
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Last edited by Luuk Tjin-A-Wing on 1 Jul 2026, 03:21, edited 1 time in total.
| PC: Ebony Vetra | sta 6 | eva 12 | str 4 | wis 8 | arc 6 | acc 9 |
A Manual for Getting Lost
For a moment, Stelle thought the boy was going to leave. She saw it in the hesitation of his shoulders, in the almost imperceptible way his body seemed to lean to one side, as if he were already choosing a different direction from that unexpected conversation. It wouldn't have surprised her. The place was teeming with students, professors, and visitors, all walking with the haste of someone afraid of being late to a once-in-a-lifetime event. Asking a stranger for help was always a small leap of faith, and all faith accepted the possibility of silence as an answer. Yet he stayed. The words came slowly, spoken with an accent Stelle couldn't immediately identify. English seemed to travel a different path before leaving his lips, like a river that had learned to meander around stones instead of flowing through them. It sounded pleasant, sincere, perhaps a little uncertain, but authentic.
Before she could even explain what she needed, the boy reached for his suitcase. Stelle blinked, surprised. He let go almost instinctively, though a second later he felt a pang of remorse. The suitcase slid down just a few inches before coming to rest in his grasp. It must weigh considerably more than it looked. He'd packed far too many clothes—as always—a green-covered notebook, several books, a small wooden box filled with family photographs carefully wrapped in cloth, a set of watercolors he insisted on bringing even when he doubted he'd ever use them, and, of course, an unreasonable amount of sweets that his grandmother would have considered absolutely essential for any trip. He didn't want to faint from low blood sugar. Perhaps he had overdone it a bit. An embarrassed smile slowly crept across his lips.
"Thank you so much... but you didn't have to carry all of this." His voice retained that gentleness that seemed to flow effortlessly when he spoke to strangers. He'd never understood why some people thought courtesy was a mask. For her, it had always been the exact opposite: a simple way of showing himself as he truly was. She carefully adjusted the headband that held her curls in place, more out of habit than necessity, as she looked up at him again. Only then did she notice something: the boy was avoiding eye contact. Not in that distracted way someone might observe the scenery while conversing, but with an almost meticulous determination. His eyes seemed to find any other place to rest: a tree, the crowd, some invisible point behind his shoulder. Stelle wasn't offended, nor uncomfortable; she was simply curious.
Her mother used to say that everyone had a different way of protecting themselves from the world. Some talked too much. Others kept quiet. Some laughed before feeling happy, and others needed a long time before confiding a single word. But she didn't let the words escape her mind. There was no reason to rush anything. She only gave it a brief try and carefully searched for his eyes; they were hazel and almond-shaped, completely opposite to her own. But then she turned her gaze to the immense forest surrounding Castelobruxo. She had imagined what it would be like many times, read every book she could find about the school, asked teachers who had never been there, and built in her mind a castle surrounded by jungle that she now discovered was far more beautiful than any illustration had ever managed to depict. And yet, none of those images had prepared her for getting lost the moment she arrived. The treetops swayed gently in a warm breeze that carried unfamiliar scents of sweet flowers and leaves newly opened to the sun. In the distance, a bird sang, its trill unlike any she had ever heard in Scotland. In fact, she had never known such a warm place in her life. It was curious how an entire continent could announce itself solely through its sounds. She smiled again.
"It's my first time here. Although I suppose that was already quite obvious." She immediately paused for a second, thinking. The boy didn't seem very familiar with English, and he was speaking too fast. It was the excitement; she'd already forgotten what she'd said. Had she introduced herself? Had she even told her what she needed help with? She turned her attention back to the boy.
“My name is Stelle. I came for the capture the flag event, though I’m sure you already know that. I read that… there was a feast? Although I’d love to explore the place before I go.” She didn’t immediately extend her hand to greet him; something in the boy’s posture told her that such a direct gesture might be too intrusive. Instead, she bowed her head slightly with a simple, almost old-fashioned courtesy.
“I’m from Hogwarts. Do you study here?” The question was uttered unhurriedly, leaving enough space for silence to linger between them if she so desired. Stelle had never felt the need to fill every gap in a conversation. Some silences weren’t awkward; they simply allowed people to breathe. While waiting for a response, she discreetly observed her surroundings. The green uniforms of Castelobruxo appeared among the visitors like new leaves in a garden full of different flowers. He heard fragments of languages he didn't understand, distant laughter, the squeak of suitcase wheels, and the constant murmur of the jungle mingling with all those human voices. How extraordinary it must be to study there for a whole year.
"My grandfather came for an auction a few years ago, but we didn't really believe him when he told us what he'd seen. I should apologize. Although I should apologize to you too. I… I didn't mean to hit you." He thought that the boy surely knew hidden trails, specific trees that bloomed in certain seasons, animals that only appeared at dawn, and places where the forest held the most beautiful silence. He felt a small flicker of envy, not bitter, but the kind that arises only from admiration. His eyes scanned the crowd again before returning to him.
"I didn't even ask your name, and you're carrying my suitcase. It really wasn't necessary." The sentence ended with a smile as bright as it was resigned. A small pang of embarrassment pierced his chest. What if she'd talked too much? It wasn't unusual for her enthusiasm to lead her to string one question after another before she realized it. The thought came to her suddenly, causing her to barely frown. She was trying her hardest not to overwhelm him; the last thing she wanted was to scare him off with a barrage of questions. If she decided right then and there to drop her suitcase, turn around, and disappear into the crowd, she probably wouldn't be able to blame him. After all, she'd bumped into him unintentionally and hadn't even had the courtesy to introduce herself properly.
@Luuk Tjin-A-Wing
You make me wanna make you fall in love───⊹ |
Stelle Mims - Huffelpuf |