Two Bookworms in a table
12/06/26
@Robin Lockett
345 words
Coded by Melissa BlakeAh, finals. My favorite part of the year.
It means I made it. A whole year in the same school. No transferring, not being moved to older years. No one expects anything. The last final exams I took were for a senior level, and I was eight. The perks of being a prodigy, you could say.
Honestly, studying alone, though comforting, was also boring. You don't have anyone to talk to, and I don't think the wooden small doll your father sent you and you charmed to dance counts as a valid opinion on potions.
So, when Robin asked me to study with him, I couldn't find any excuse to say no. He was a great friend. We talked about books and other subjects we both liked. And I found out we have a lot in common.
An hour after lunch, I went to change my clothes. Today was freezing, ironic, considering it was basically summer now. Either the castle was particularly cold or I was cold. Dad said I always had my hands and feet cold, since I was a baby, so the second option was probably the right.
I changed my uniform for black jeans and a Ravenclaw hoodie, the one that appeared over my bed after the first night. When I arrived at the Study Room, my eyes inmediately began looking for the particular long hair of Robin.
I had to go through a couple of tables to finally find him. I smiled and sat in front of him, at the other side of the table.
"Rob, hi!" I greeted him with a smile. I had untied my hair from its braid, so now there were small waves falling over my shoulders.Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 4 | Wisdom: 7 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Last edited by Mikaela Hendricks on 10 Jul 2026, 21:55, edited 2 times in total.
Two Bookworms in a table
Date June 12, 2026
Time (afternoon)
Location Study Room, Hogwarts
Tags pv @Mikaela Hendricks
Colored italics are thought; colored "quotations" are spoken. Uncolored italics are usually books or songs etc., while uncolored quotations are usually meant to emphasize the included word or make it sarcastic.
Mikaela had become a friend. A good one. Robin still considers Corrine his “best” friend, they’ve been through a lot of absurd and otherwise events since the train. They support each other when one of them is feeling down, and their moods often affect one another. Mikaela, on the other hand, is a relatively new friend with a different importance to him. She isn’t involved in the more hideous parts of his life and comforts him with her very presence. Sounds like a very serious emotion, but it doesn’t feel heavy at all. Robin enjoys her company like any other close friend he had, but his heart lifts every time he lays eyes on her; a weight lifts every time he thinks about their time together. It’s a strange feeling, Robin had yet to find out its meaning. He rarely felt something unfamiliar, and would like to learn more about it, to turn uncertainty into confidence.
The urge to understand himself manifested in the form of an invitation.
Here he is, reviewing his potions notes with an intensity that seemed not entirely genuine. Of course he is studying for the sake of studying, but a foreign part of him is using this opportunity to distract himself from the abnormalities of his psyche. Robin wants to peer into the truth, but he is also scared of gazing too deep. A fear Lovecraftian in nature, maybe a bit over-dramatic for interpersonal relationships.
A cheerful greeting interrupted Robin's hesitant thoughts, the familiar voice putting a flat smile on his face, "Hallo, Mikaela." The girl called him by a nickname, and they are probably close enough for him to do the same, but it felt somewhat embarrassing still. Robin put down his potions textbook almost full with notes, then took out a black elastic hair tie to craft a small ponytail out of his inky strands. It's easier to move his head around this way, allowing him to stretch his neck to engage in over-the-table discussions without loose hair getting in the way.
Robin's fingers paused as he caught a glimpse of his study partner's loose hair. He searched his memory for a past instance where Mikaela's hair was untied, but couldn't seem to recall, or it just slipped his mind. Her hair is more obviously wavy when it's let down, while Robin hadn't quite noticed this trait as much when it was neatly tied in a braid. Her current state is not odd in any way, nor is it particularly striking in his opinion. Both braid and waves fitted her perfectly.
Robin lowered his arms and cleared his throat, turning his textbook around for Mikaela to see more clearly. "As you can see, the notes are purely more detailed instructions and guidelines I observed and experimented with, as opposed to in History and DADA, there are a lot of fun facts and generic additional info." Robin looked to the side, "I prefer clearer instructions when it comes to crafting potentially dangerous substances. Like how big of a cube does the recipe mean when it says 'cut into small cubes'?" The boy doesn't expect the question to be answered. Over the year he had gotten somewhat used to following his instincts, or when in doubt just observe the professor more closely. When he invited Mikaela to this study session, Robin mentioned that he'd be focusing on potions but other subjects are in no way prohibited. He'd probably want to take a break from it at some point anyway, or at least shift his focus to the chemical theories, applications, or histories of potions, instead of the recipes.
Reduciosry a bit late, im less active in the summer so reply time would be around a week (just a heads up)
Two Bookworms in a table
12/06/26
@Robin Lockett
297 words
Coded by Melissa BlakeSigh. Well, he was right.
There was a reason why I loved potions so much, being my favorite subject in Hogwarts. There was something in the instructions that demanded perfection and, for once, there were no open questions or an error chance. No, at all.
In potions, lasting one more second could end up in something very unexpected and, without a doubt, unwanted. That's what I liked about it.
I shrugged as I leaned forward to see the book.
"Wait, no, haven't you seen..." I left the question hanging in the air as I reached for my bag.
Robin said that we would be focusing on potions, so I came prepared with all the material I had about it (which was, honestly, a lot).
I picked up a book from my bag. It was medium-sized, one that I bought second-hand when I went for my books at Diagon Alley for the first time. It had the same contents about potions that you could find in any other book, but this one had little notes and illustrations from prior students (I noticed from the variety of handwritings) that helped in the preparation of the potions.
I opened it in front of him, turning it around for Robin to see.
"Uh... Here." I showed him, my finger tapping in the page. "I found this at Diagon Alley, second-hand. Helped me a lot during my first days in here."Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 4 | Wisdom: 7 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Two Bookworms in a table
Date June 12, 2026
Time (afternoon)
Location Study Room, Hogwarts
Tags pv @Mikaela Hendricks
Colored italics are thought; colored "quotations" are spoken. Uncolored italics are usually books or songs etc., while uncolored quotations are usually meant to emphasize the included word or make it sarcastic.
The book presented to him was quite the masterpiece. Robin is used to buying new books instead of second-hand ones, so he never considered how useful used textbooks can be in situations like this. His own Magical Drafts and Potions is quite messy. Robin compiled notes and tips he either asked about or figured out himself, but some of them were later proven to be ineffective. Not usually wrong, just that there were better ways to approach them. This well-loved textbook, on the other hand, didn't have large amounts of words crossed out. Despite the variations in handwriting, it was relatively well-organized. Written notes and illustrations were relevant, some even included real-life experiences and recommendations.
"This is great." Robin genuinely complimented the previous owners of this book, it was a miracle that none of them decided to break the chain of diligence and draw inappropriate doodles between the lines. "I'd like to copy some of these notes, if that's alright."
Robin hovered his quill over the limited blank spaces on his textbook, hesitated a moment, then switched it out for another notebook. Smaller, almost empty. The first few pages were random thoughts he recorded, those can be ripped out later, or not. Most of them were hasty scribbles, but some could be made out if one squinted hard enough or just had a keen eye for handwriting.
After thanking Mikaela again for the life-saver, Robin peered at her side of the table thoughtfully. "Is there anything I can help you with? Hope I can also contribute to this session." The boy played with some loose strands of hair behind his right ear, another sign of his awkwardness. Robin really wants to help his friend as much as she helped him, but from his limited impression of the fellow Ravenclaw, she might not need any help.corrine likes paul liked likes(?)
paul likes(?) corrine
they awkward with each other and don't talk (???)
they look miserable bc they don't talk or they don't talk so they look miserable?
remember to look up:
- how to take care of a cat
- (above) + specifically at hogwarts
- practice tests for owls
- publications of current hogwarts professors
- muscle practice for more normal smile doesn't work
From him, at least.
Reduciobtw i added the notebook contents pretty last minute (partly to have more words and partly just to add more flavor) but don't feel like you have to reference or react to all of the items, i just thought they could be potentially interesting topics of conversation if we had nothing else to say:)
review session: um hello?
Two Bookworms in a table
12/06/26
@Robin Lockett
463 words
LMAO NOT ROBIN HAVING THE WHOLE GOSSIP IN THERE
Coded by Melissa BlakeI just leaned in a bit more over the table with my arms crossed as he wrote down the notes in a notebook, trying not to see what else he had written in there.
Now, I'm not gossipy. At least, I try not to be. It's just that... Gossip sometimes comes to me. Like now, for example. It's not my fault that Robin had the whole thing written down!
But I wouldn't ask him about it. I had no idea who Corrine was, not to mention that Paul, but they were probably Robin's friends if he had access to that kind of... Information.
Which made me realize two things: How lonely my love life was... And how little friends I had. Sky's love life was, to say it kindly, poor, and mine was not in discussion. And I wouldn't ask her if she had something with someone. No, if my sister wanted to share it with me, she'd do it... In her own way and time. As for me...
I came here to study, make contacts, connect with my mom, I don't know! I'm not ready for a love life yet. I'm too young, not to mention the fact that dad would die from a heart attack (a real one this time, I hope) if he knew about it. No, studies first, love second.
Plus, who would ever look at me like that? Don't be ridiculous. No one would ever like a freak, abnormally different girl that didn't fit in her own nest. That's... Stupid. If I were a guy, I wouldn't even look in my own direction.
I cleared my throat. Focus, Hendricks.
"Some tips from the book helped me. A bit, at least. I have a text like this one for Herbology and DADA as well, but this one is my favorite. It's... The most accurate one, in my opinion." I said, raising my eyebrows a bit.
The Herbology one contained good tips regarding safety and ways to interact with the plants, but it was a bit... Inaccurate. Last time I tried to do as it said, I almost lost a finger. And the DADA one... I had my opinions about that one.
"It's like they made a collection or something like that in the second-hand section of the store." I tried to make a little joke about it, a small laugh escaping my lips before I could even notice it.Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 4 | Wisdom: 7 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Two Bookworms in a table
Date June 12, 2026
Time (afternoon)
Location Study Room, Hogwarts
Tags pv @Mikaela Hendricks
Colored italics are thought; colored "quotations" are spoken. Uncolored italics are usually books or songs etc., while uncolored quotations are usually meant to emphasize the included word or make it sarcastic.
Robin noticed that Mikaela was sort of quiet when he copied the notes. Well, not like she's characterized by being talkative, but still. That's when he realized that on the page next to the one he's writing on contains notes on what he should look into in his free time, but also the confusing relationship between his friends. Technically one of them is more friend than the other, though that hardly matters. Robin nudged his glasses with his non-writing hand and tried to ignore the silence, he was glad that it broke shortly after.
Mikaela cleared her throat and commented on the other used textbooks that seem to form a collection. Robin listened with interest, intrigued by the DADA one specifically. He was curious what made it inaccurate, wondering if there were any secrets hidden between the lines. Probably not something too extreme though, that'll surely be purged by the Ministry already. There's likely a division of sorts exclusively looking into educational material to make sure there aren't dangerous or restricted information being distributed.
An imagined gust of wind gently brushed past Robin's cheeks as his study partner laughed at her own joke about the collection. Truthfully, Robin didn't find it too funny, but he still had the urge to smile at the sight. The boy's left eye narrowed a bit, not out of suspicion or anything negative, just the patch of skin connecting his eyelids and mouth slightly moving without the latter producing even a smirk. It's a softer substitute to his normal smile that either makes his mouth flat and cheeks wrinkly or forces out the most disgusting expression one can imagine.
As opposed to Mikaela's throat-clearing, Robin gulped to prepare for starting conversations. He was still hesitating on whether or not he should ask, but curiosity took over once again. It already ruined his mental stability once, but it didn't kill him yet. Also, this is just a casual follow-up question, nothing dangerous.
"How were they inaccurate, by the way? Like outdated, or maybe the previous owners didn't pay too much attention in class so they just wrote them wrong?"
Reducioi realized that i didn't add much substance to this reply after the fact:( mainly some internal stuff, sry bout that
Two Bookworms in a table
12/06/26
@Robin Lockett
292 words
Coded by Melissa BlakeI just shrugged, sighing slightly.
"Well, the Herbology one has really bad tips on transporting plants, last time I tried one of them, I almost lose a finger..." I smiled. "And the DADA one... the illustrations seem to be pretty accurate, but the information seems to be based on rumours. You have to triple-check it with everything you have on hand, it's not a reliable source." I finished my explanation.
Obviously, the only book that I had brought with me was the potions one, but I could recall some of the things mentioned in there. For example, in an empty page of the book, someone had left a very specific description of a Banshee. It was later scratched and corrected so many times by so many students that the letters were unreadable now. So I have no idea if the description was accurate or if it was just some random student's boggart.
However.
"I could lend it to you. I mean, you're the best student at DADA. Maybe you could help me find out which things are true and which ones are not. Maybe we could even help the future generations." A small glint lighted up my eyes. I liked that. That's what a Prodigy would do. I know that, if the doctors in charge of me heard me right now, they'd give me approval looks. Expectations. I can't bring myself down.Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 4 | Wisdom: 7 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Two Bookworms in a table
Date June 12, 2026
Time (afternoon)
Location Study Room, Hogwarts
Tags pv @Mikaela Hendricks
Colored italics are thought; colored "quotations" are spoken. Uncolored italics are usually books or songs etc., while uncolored quotations are usually meant to emphasize the included word or make it sarcastic.
The Herbology one wasn't too suspicious, it just sounded like a careless error on the original owner's part. Robin glanced at Mikaela's hands when she mentioned the finger accident, somewhat relieved that there wasn't a visible cut on her skin. When she described the DADA textbook, Robin raised his eyebrows slightly. Indeed, rumors aren't a great source of knowledge when it comes to formal learning, but it's nonetheless interesting especially if you can keenly pick out its connections to reality.
"Oh, that would be . . . interesting, yeah." Robin reached a palm behind his neck and turned his head back to the notebook in front of him. Mikaela's assessment of him being "the best student at DADA" wasn't too far off the truth, still, the casually swept-over praise and subsequent glint in her eyes sped up his heartbeat for a couple of seconds. "Semester's almost ending though, if we want to dive any deep we'll have to wait till we come back in the fall."
Wait till the fall. A simple sentence containing a confident anticipation that they'd meet again in their second year. Robin felt embarrassed again thinking about that . . . but they will, right? Book recommendations, study sessions, casual chats, it was all very relaxing for Robin at least.
Speaking of, like if reality manifested into a train and hit him straight in the face, the boy took a deep breath and stretched his back. He checked again to see if he got all the important Potions notes transcribed. For it being the main goal of their meeting, they haven't studied much yet. Technically Robin got a lot out of it, mainly the notes, but Mikaela was helping him the whole time. Maybe I should start revising potion ingredients so she can do what she came here to do too. Hope I'm not slowing her down.
Reducion/a
Two Bookworms in a table
12/06/26
@Robin Lockett
418 words
Sorry for the long ahh internal monologueI nodded. That wasn't a yes... but it wasn't a no either. Good.
As Robin seemed to go back to his studies, I did the same. Potions was easy for me. Easier than the other subjects, at least, which also scared me a little bit. I don't have a good past with being weirdly good at that sort of things.
Anyway. There's nothing bad in studying a bit more, right? Go through everything you know, just in case you're forgetting something. The silence was comfortable. Too comfortable, being honest. Robin was a great company.
I hummed as I scanned through another notes from my own books and research. Saints, if I keep going like this, I'm gonna end up working in something potions-related. Wait.
This is the first time I acknowledge my future. I never actually thought I'd have a good one.
The muggle teachers and doctors kept telling me that it was going to be... complicated. In one hand, you have the teachers, telling me that I was a disgrace. That I had a great mind to waste it on stupid things. The bold ones used to say that I'd always bear on my back "the cross of being what I could have been". On the other hand, the doctors said that my future would be bright. That, if I kept behaving and learning so fast, I'd be famous before turning thirteen. That the world would know my name.
But I never knew what I wanted for myself. Did I want to be remembered, or to be forgotten?
I decided I was not going anywhere. But now, considering how easy it can be for me to understand something as Potions... maybe my future was closer than I thought.
The silence between Robin and me stretched for a few more minutes, as we both got busy on our things. It was almost... calming. My storm of thoughts vanished after a few seconds. I only stood up a few times to get another text. The stillness only broke a couple of times to ask another question before we both went into another moment of focus.Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 4 | Wisdom: 7 | Arc Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6
Two Bookworms in a table
Date June 12, 2026
Time (afternoon)
Location Study Room, Hogwarts
Tags pv @Mikaela Hendricks
Colored italics are thought; colored "quotations" are spoken. Uncolored italics are usually books or songs etc., while uncolored quotations are usually meant to emphasize the included word or make it sarcastic.
To Robin, their talks are just as calming as the silence, just in different ways. They both provide a constant status, though one conceptually and the other physical. When the sounds around you decrease to only occasional page-flips and chair-pushes, serenity will creep up and surprise you pleasantly. Once you realize that you're at peace, you'd feel like it's been that way for eternity, despite it only having passed minutes or seconds. That is how silence calms the soul, but it cannot be achieved if your mind doesn't associate the person next to you with positive emotions.
During their quiet session, Robin successfully focused most of his attention on the material. Potions, as previously established, wasn't his strong suit. It was something he needed to revise but was also willing to spend his time to, as opposed to flying which he was arguably worse at. His mind sometimes wandered towards those random thoughts lurking around the corner, like would he accept an invitation from Mikaela to practice their flying? He would think not, but there's also an uncertainty mixed into that response.
He got mildly spooked when Mikaela stood up a couple of times. It was like she merged with the environment and all of that sinked down into the depths of Robin's consciousness when he emptied his mind to absorb potions material. The notes surprisingly helped a lot, Robin trusted Mikaela's judgement of their usability, but he didn't anticipate it being immediately effective. A section of his neural pathway linked to learning was somehow activated when he saw certain phrases, or an old concept described in a way he never considered.
Halfway into this almost surreal feeling, Robin remembered that this was precisely the urge he always had to devour knowledge. The boy forgot about it after a while, but now he remembered the joy of learning even when the subject isn't something you usually prefer.
Apart from a few questions usually asked by Robin, the study session proceeded with its newfound stillness. The two were not exactly still, as their hands flipped and wrote and their eyes darted back and forth. However, their hearts were briefly in the same place—both studying potions, both wanting to get a good grade, both working towards their ultimate goal.
At least that's what Robin felt when he glanced at his friend for a moment, when he saw a glint in her eyes akin to his when he thinks of his own future. Robin's ability to pick up human emotions and social cues can be hit or miss: he sometimes complains that they are too complicated and shrouded in unnecessary subtlety; other times he will have this feeling—illusion or not—that he's genuinely connecting with someone.
Indifference is just the ugly cousin of focus . . . Robin almost smirked aloud at his invented quote, or at least invented as far as he knows. If I have the ability to divert my attention to something other than whatever default I focus on, that also counts as caring, right? It was a simple and complicated question at the same time. It almost sounds elementary, some would blurt out a definitive answer quicker than they can raise their hands. Though it's also philosophical in nature, and everything remotely associated with philosophy can be debated over and over again from either side. More questions can stem from that single one, is caring for something that benefits me still just caring for myself, or if that something is a person, would it be caring for others? The boy despises his inability to care, but it's times like these where he rethinks his assessment. He still cares, it seems like, just selectively. Now the next question to ask himself is how and why—what are the required conditions for him to give a damn about anything? Would there be an instance where he cares for something not benefiting himself at all? It's an endless buffet of inquiries, possibly irrelevant to a mere twelve-year-old, and certainly irrelevant to potions studies.
Robin inhaled deeply to gather his thoughts, and exhaled just as deep to cleanse his mind. He took another look at Mikaela, she looks quite concentrated herself. His mind seemed to wander whenever he needed it to focus. He hurriedly looked back down, fixing his gaze on the notebook in front of him just in case she turns her head soon. But he wondered, he wondered for just a split second if this girl he looked up to and enjoyed the company of, had her own crises that she's unwilling to tell another living being. She surely has something on her mind, Robin doesn't deny that. After a combination of analysis and guesswork, the boy gave up and resumed his studies.
Her presence is comforting as is, there's no need to poke the fragile bubble.
Such a familiar mentality, putting himself first yet again.
Reducionah it's completely fine, I ooc love to read/write internal monologues! question though, is there anything else you think Mikaela and Robin can talk about or would this be a suitable end for the thread? Just asking since I personally didn't think of anything new as you can see from the also-internal-monologue reply lol