29 May 2020, 12:01
Double Take
Down just at a safe distance of the lake's edge was a blanket and everything one might want for a picnic lunch: plates, cups, cutlery, small tea towels, napkins, salt and pepper, sandwiches wrapped in brown paper, cheeses, salads, sweets, and a chilled beverage. It was set up in a fashion that could be photographed for a magazine but that was how Alina Rosier worked when it came to planning something - or at least how she hoped it would turn out in the end.
The weather couldn't have been planned any better either. With Summer days approaching, the Scottish Highlands had taken a break from a recent heat wave to provide a mild afternoon with a refreshing breeze, so much that one might even decide to wear a jacket. It took away any chance at the thought of swimming that day, but the Giant Squid was probably thankful for that as it loomed somewhere within the waters of the nearby lake.
When Clifton would arrive, he would see the setup but not either of the two girls that he was to meet for lunch that day but they were not far. All he had to do was look up and he'd see them. Surely he'd hear them.
It was somewhat of a big day. It was a day that Clifton was going to meet Alina's twin sister Bella, but also a day that Alina and Bella had dedicated to spend together - a sort of thing much neglected those many months of their first year of Hogwarts. It hadn't been intentional, but the House system of the school had separated them into different Houses and therefore had made it more difficult to interact. Shaky ground had occurred when Alina begged Bella not to tell their father of her House and while that brushed over some over time, new setbacks seemed to show themselves. Being in different Houses was starting to shape who the girls were although they really weren't aware of it yet. They were still more alike than not and still as competitive with the other as ever.
"YOU'RE GOING TOO HIGH!" one of the girls shouted to the other as she watched her sister climb yet another limb higher in the large tree there by the lake. There was a laugh as the girl looked down, "No," she corrected the other, "you're not going high enough!" Being high up as they were brought them a good vantage point and they could see the dark blond boy approaching. Each stayed in place and gave a wave to him down below as he grew closer.
Last edited by Alina Rosier on 13 Jun 2020, 04:20, edited 1 time in total.
Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.
29 May 2020, 19:15
Double Take
Seeing Double - with @Alina Rosier
Even if he didn't see either of the girls right off, Clifton knew he was headed in the right direction. Even from afar, the picnic looked so perfect he almost didn't want to touch it.
He heard someone shout from somewhere above him and looked up to see that the sisters were up in a nearby tree. They waved to him as he approached and he smiled, waving back. Though it gave him the weird sensation that he was seeing double. They were even more identical than he'd imagined. Same hair length even. He'd like to think he'd never mix up one for the other, but... Well, he'd just have to do his best.
Clifton reached the foot of the tree and instantly took to climbing it in order to catch up, excited to already have an adventure underway. His beach town didn't always have the best climbing trees, but the athlete and explorer in him figured it couldn't be too hard.
He reached Bella first. At least, who he thought was Bella. It was a safe bet that Alina was the one clear up near the top. After all, a girl who could tackle a full suit of sword-wielding armor probably wouldn't hold back when it came to heights.
"Hi," he greeted cheerfully. "Bella, right? I'm Clifton. But I guess you already knew that." He looked up to where Alina was and then smiled in challenge and began to climb higher. He took a separate path of tree limbs so as not to overweigh them and then seated himself on a branch across from her.
"Crazy meeting you here," he joked, loving the way she had said it back in that creepy storage room.
Then he looked back down at the other twin. "Hey Bella. You coming?"
I do all my own stunts, but never intentionally.
30 May 2020, 00:29
Double Take
Higher and higher with @Clifton Troublefield
Bella was surprised when the boy began to climb the tree with them. Most boys would just stand there on the grass under the tree and beckon them, but Clifton actually came to where they were. When he reached her, he introduced himself quickly with a "Bella, right? I'm Clifton. But I guess you already knew that."
She did already know that. Alina had first talked about that boy since meeting him in her Common Room after the Pixie encounter and she really hadn't stopped talking about him since. Bella knew all about the invitation to the Secret Blossom Ball, their Secret Secret Blossom Ball, their trips to the Trophy Room, and more. Sometimes she felt she knew more about the boy than Alina did!
Alina said he had warm brown eyes that welcomed anyone's gaze and made them stay awhile and she was right. She managed a smile out in response to him and then watched as he continued to climb the tree further up to Alina. They were both crazy.
Clifton got up to the same level as Alina and she smiled, liking how he used the same line on her as she had on him. He then called out to Bella to encourage her to come up further. "Yeah, Belle...we're waiting! In fact if I recall correctly, I'm ALWAYS waiting on you!" Waiting on you to be born, waiting on you to get ready, waiting for you to get the courage up to climb higher" she called back to her sister, revealing at least that Alina was the older of the two...even if only by a couple minutes.
Bella narrowed her eyes at the both of them and wasn't about to be shown up by two Hufflepuffs. "It's not ladylike to boast, Lina," Bella yelled back up to her sister. Bella always worried about things like that, being proper, being ladylike. Alina liked to mind her manners most times too, but she also wasn't going to let that get in the way of having a good time.
Bella began to climb higher to join them and Alina looked to Clifton and winked before also heading higher up.
Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.
31 May 2020, 00:57
Double Take
A pretty (short-lived) view - with @Alina Rosier
"It's not ladylike to boast, Lina."
Clifton smiled. Guess the manners thing was in the family. It made sense with some of what Alina had told him about her childhood. He'd have to do a quick cramming session on proper manners before visiting her house. Just in case.
Though, admittedly, he was glad to have found the twin with the wild streak.
He quickly caught up to Alina and matched her pace, occasionally glancing back at Bella. She soon caught up too but, competitive though she was, Clifton could tell she wasn't in her element this high off the ground.
But the view was terrific. He could see a lot more of the green, sloping school grounds, dotted with students enjoying the nice afternoon. And the rhythmic ripples of the Great Lake beneath them.
"I can see why you guys do this a lot at home," he smiled, enjoying the sudden summery breeze. He glanced over to see it run through Alina's hair. It gave him the sudden, weird urge to reach out and touch it. A stupid idea when climbing a tree.
Clifton cleared his throat."So, Bella, what's Slytherin like? I have a couple friends in that house and it sounds like you have a pretty amazing Common Room," he said, mostly just out of casual conversation. A conversation that never went anywhere because the next thing they heard was a loud SNAP.
Oh gosh. I don't know, the one one the right? Haha.
I do all my own stunts, but never intentionally.
31 May 2020, 15:33
Double Take
Free Falling with @Clifton Troublefield
If a tree grew at its roots, did that mean the bottom of the tree was more sturdy than the top? Maybe they had climbed too far. This tree wasn't the same as the ones that grew around their home and she should have been more careful...but stopping to think wasn't really one of Alina Rosier's better qualities.
The branch from under her broke, snapping loudly and quickly and she screamed, as anyone would, and was thrown downward onto another branch. Bella, who was still a little ways down from the other two cried out, "Lina!" but there really wasn't anything she could do. Alina hit branch after branch until finally a more sturdy branch caught her fall and she laid there, not wanting to move because of the pain. "We...should probably...start that picnic now," she said softly, maybe not even being heard from the two above.
It was still a dangerous situation for Bella and especially Clifton who was even higher. If one branch up high broke because of Alina's little weight, the others might do the same. Bella, just a bit lower, offered her hand out to Clifton, glad to hear her sister's response to at least know she was okay. Well, conscious anyway.
Bella didn't really know if Clifton needed a hand down, but still she worried since he was the one higher up, thus on the same sort of branches Alina had just been on.
Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.
31 May 2020, 16:23
Double Take
Coming back down to reality - with @Alina Rosier
Clifton could only stare for a minute. He had tried reached out and catch her when she fell, but hadn't been quick enough. Thankfully, she was small enough to not fall the whole way. But what if she had? What if that bigger branch hadn't been there? It really was a long way and Bella's hesitancy suddenly made a lot more sense.
He knew Alina was okay. Mostly. But the close call jarred him just a little. He was more used to bad things happening to him during adventures, not someone he cared about.
He gave Bella a grateful smile and took her outstretched hand. He probably could've just as easily climbed down himself, but he had a new appreciation for caution. And, frankly, he was lucky she wasn't shoving him out of the tree instead. After all, this was kind of their "sister time" or whatever they called it and he certainly hadn't done anything to keep Alina from climbing higher.
He carefully came down from the thinner branches and then both of them hurried toward Alina.
"Are you okay?" It was probably a dumb question, but Clifton asked it anyway. She was pretty scraped up and had clearly had the air knocked out of her, but the fact that she was still talking about the picnic was a good sign that she hadn't broken anything.
Without even waiting for an invitation, Clifton began helping her off the branch. He knew she was perfectly capable--she was Alina--but that didn't matter. Something in him just needed to be there and to know that she was okay.
I do all my own stunts, but never intentionally.
31 May 2020, 16:33
Double Take
Almost time to get this picnic started with @Clifton Troublefield
Once all three were back down on the ground, Alina came into Clifton's arms. He didn't hesitate to wrap them around her and she stayed there, frozen in the moment and just keeping her head against his chest because she was scared and she didn't get this scared very often. She didn't like showing her vulnerability but he had seen it before - and wasn't scared off. Bella had seen it too, but in other ways.
She finally let the poor boy breath as she let up some from squeezing him and looked up to those eyes that she loved so much to stare into. "Our picnic would have been ruined if you had to get me to the Hospital Wing," she smiled to him, glad he was there for the emotional support.
She pulled herself up and kissed his lips softly before taking his hand and leading him over to the setup. "I think I've got everything we might need," she stated, still going over it in her head if there was something that was forgotten.
Bella came beside them, attempting to fix her hair and get all presentable again. Fixing her hair, her clothes, making sure everything was back into place. She fussed about herself and her looks far too much whereas Alina was the more natural of the two. It was only when she noticed Bella that she realized she probably looked a total mess there with scratches all over her face and everything - all there in front of him.
"Maybe I should go wash my face before we eat..." Alina said softly. After all, those two had to look at her the whole time! Surely bloody scratches weren't very appetizing. "It could give you two a chance to get to know one another? It shouldn't take too long!"
Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.
1 Jun 2020, 02:25
Double Take
Same face, different personality - with @Alina Rosier
Honestly, Clifton couldn't care less what she looked like right then, just as long as she was okay. But he knew presentation was a big deal for Alina and that she'd probably feel more comfortable washing up, so he gave her hand a small squeeze and smiled, turning to face her again.
"Alright. I guess if anyone asks questions, just tell them your boyfriend would make a terrible seeker and needs to work on his catching skills."
Then, a little shyly, he reached up and traced one of the scratches on her face. Her eyes softened in that way that made him feel all wobbly inside and that short little nervous laugh escaped him again. "I...I think you took the fall a lot better than I did," he joked. Sort of."Anyway, I'm really glad you're okay. I'll see you in a few."
She smiled, gave his hand a squeeze, and then hurried off toward the castle. Clifton watched her go long enough to remember where he and then turned back toward Bella.
"You were right," he admitted. "We probably should've stayed where you were. I'm sorry. That could've been a lot worse."
They made their way over to the picnic table and sat down on the blanket.
"You know, I still want to know what it's like to be in Slytherin. The friends I have in that house are really cool but they don't tell me much."
Silently, he also wondered if any of the lovey-dovey stuff, like Alina kissing him or him going all goofy, made her feel weird. Alina had said something about her sister being jealous about boys and all that, but Clifton didn't even have much of an apology for it. Just like he didn't have one for the table of Hufflepuffs when he'd pecked her on the cheek the first time. Or for his friends, Alec and Leo, when they seriously questioned his logic. Some things were just real.
Besides, how did you apologize for something--or someone--you were already working so hard to not brag about?
He set that aside for now. Whatever Bella felt about it, it was probably best to get to know her as herself. Not just as his girlfriend's sister.
Last edited by Clifton Troublefield on 1 Jun 2020, 04:49, edited 1 time in total.
I do all my own stunts, but never intentionally.
1 Jun 2020, 04:27
Double Take
Oversharing opinions with @Clifton Troublefield
Bella watched the interaction between the two without actually showing that she was watching. She busied herself with the things set out for the picnic. She wasn't much of a fan of it, whether it was because of jealousy that Alina had a boy before her or because her sister shared such a close bond with someone else - she didn't know.
When Clifton came to sit nearby, she looked back to where Alina had left from. "I am appreciative that she went to go wash up, one should always look presentable," she shook her head, disapproving at the the skewed hair and blood on her sisters face.
Clifton asked about the Slytherin house and she was curious who he knew that was placed in her house but she didn't ask. He had a asked her a question already and she should answer it. "I simply adore being selected for the Slytherin house," she grinned. "It is the perfect fit and full of so many like-minded individuals." Like minded for the Rosiers. "I could not imagine belonging to any other house. Ravenclaws only have wit and do not know how to have fun, Gryffindors think that they're almighty but in reality they try too hard, and Hufflepuff is full of misfits..." but she forgot a moment who she was talking to and paused. "...No offense," she said softly.
The slip up made her feel a little embarrassed and she looked to the boy, taking in his dark blond and those eyes that she could see why Alina was so fond of staring into them. "I really didn't mean it to sound so....badly. I just meant because they're not the elite like us, the brave like Gryffindor, or the intelligent like Ravenclaw." ...Still not helping.
Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.
2 Jun 2020, 03:59
Double Take
Talking Houses and Hobbies - with @Alina Rosier
Clifton only laughed and popped a lemon drop in his mouth. "I mean, you're not wrong. The friends I've made in my house are kind of all over the spectrum. It even took me a couple weeks to figure out what the sorting hat meant."
"It's a really fun house, but yeah I guess we can be a little hard to pin down. Except, you know, we're apparently all nice and warm and fuzzy." He smirked. It was the end of the year and still he was amused by Hufflepuff's reputation. Because hadn't Alina nearly given the Ravenclaw tutor a black eye? And hadn't he been the one to get his smart mouth knocked in while the Slytherin and Gryffindor stood gaping? But the things he heard about friendship bracelet events and the like you'd think Professor Browne had just ordered them all wholesale from Build-A-Bear.
"But I bet it's really refreshing to be in a place where so many of your classmates have similar ideas and mindsets. Especially if Slytherins are clever and cunning like they say. You guys probably have all kinds of fun. Plus, I mean, you've got the coolest mascot."
Elite was a new word for it though. Clifton figured it probably came from the Rosier family history. He didn't know much about it, only that Alina had been really upset about breaking the tradition. To the point that she hadn't even let Bella tell their father.
And here he was, a muggle-born Hufflepuff tripping and stumbling right into their pure-blood, Slytherin-elite life. But if Alina could be brave about it, then he certainly could too.
"So what do you like to do, Bella? Alina told me you guys do a lot of tree climbing and prank wars, but I'm sure you have things you do by yourself." As 'by yourself' was apparently a theme in their giant mansion.
I do all my own stunts, but never intentionally.