Handmade, Tailor Fit
Backdated: Backdated: July 11th, 2026
@Matilda Nowell
@Matilda Nowell
It was an unusually hot and dry summer in London, and walking down the streets of Diagon Alley was no exception. Most everyone donned weather appropriate clothing, and while Solène’s current governess, Astrid, attempted to sway the young girl to wear shorts, she refused. Instead, Sol decided to wear a loose-cut pair of black slacks and an olive, short-sleeved t-shirt with two black stripes running horizontally on each sleeve. This was not ideal for an 84F (29C) degree day, but Sol did not seem bothered despite preferring the colder months in the year.
“Miss Solène, I believe that we should do robes first. I know there are many places to choose from; however, the reputation of Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions suggests that it is the best.” Bell-like and heavily French-accented, Astid suggested, never ordered. Not that she was incapable of ordering; rather, she felt it best that young Solène make her own decisions. This was one of the reasons they got on so well, because one of the things Solène hated most was having people decide and speak for her. “Thank you, Astrid. If you have heard good things, then I trust your judgment.” Her dry yet soft voice responded, not quite as heavy as her governess but still making her nationality obvious.
As they continued walking, they came across a few other shops that seemed to showcase the richest fabrics and complex designs. Yet, if one were to examine the hemlines more closely, one might notice that those clothes would require mending far sooner than one would like. Regardless of the fact that she required simple robes for school, she could not imagine that any robes those shops sold could hold up to the rigorous beating that her classes might put them through. Even on top of all of that, she heard that Hogwarts had great dueling teams and that would certainly put any article of clothing through its paces. Magical mending or not, she wanted quality.
Soon enough Gringotts and Madam Malkin’s came into view. The large paned windows lined the street, showcasing robes frozen in action. It was easy to see that this unassuming shop had the quality that they preferred. The shop was modest, to say the least, but it had an almost ancient aura resonating off it, and for a mere clothing store, it would not be denied customers. “Yes, I think this will do nicely.” Sol voiced to no one in particular as Astrid reached for the door and opened it, allowing Solène to step inside. As the door closed behind them, a shopkeeper greeted them lightly and asked for one moment as they finished with the pair of soon to be students they were working on, allowing Sol to peruse their wares in the meantime.
Last edited by Solène d'Estienne on 20 Aug 2026, 20:01, edited 1 time in total.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ENCY ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ | Stamina 4 | Evasion 6 | Strength 2 | Wisdom 8 | ArcPower 10 | Accuracy 5 |
Abilities| Perfectionist
Handmade, Tailor Fit
It was insufferably hot. Matilda's father was with her, and he had just been telling her that in all his life, he had never experienced heat like this in England. It had been so hot that parts of the English rail system had been literally melting and causing derailments because it simply was not designed to withstand the consistent heat they'd been seeing. As they walked past the record store next to the Leaky Cauldron, Matilda wondered how much money she could make if she could invent an air conditioning charm.
She had made a poor choice for her attire but didn't care. She had on a white tank, black leather jacket, bleached blue jeans, and black ankle boots. She had no makeup on because she knew it would have instantly melted off in this blistering summer sun. Her ginger bangs were evenly combed down towards her eyes, and the rest of her hair was up in a short ponytail. To finish off her look, she had a gold necklace on and a pair of black Ray-Ban Wayfarers. In her mind, she looked as cool as James Dean.
"In here, father," she said to her old man as he walked by the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. He had not gone with her the first time she'd come here, so his muggle eyes missed the venerable old establishment completely. They walked through, and she used her wand to open the arch into Diagon Alley. She could tell that her father, who was not easily impressed given all he'd seen and experienced, was amazed by some of the things he saw in the shop windows - he didn't understand them, but he knew the scale and variety of magical objects was astounding.
As they walked along the shops, Matilda tried to figure out where she wanted to go first. Ollivander's wasn't necessary this year; she was very happy with her cherrywood and Snallygaster heartstring wand. She directed him into the Apothecary so they could refill her potion supplies. There were all manner of strange things there that she fantasized about using to cook up some dastardly brews. After that, they walked past the Magical Menagerie. Barf, who had been happily jogging beside them on his leash, excitedly greeted a couple of fellow crups who had their cages in the shop window. She gently tugged at his collar, and he fell back into line and kept walking. "Good boy, Barf," she said happily, bending down to scratch his ear.
Finally, she convinced her dad to get a new set of dress robes at Madam Malkin's. She handed him Barf's lead to hold so he didn't get fur all over the fabric inside the shop. She opened the door and immediately saw a girl who also was too cool for shorts looking at the merchandise. Matilda wondered if she was her type of people. She walked over to a nearby rack and started browsing, saying nothing so she could wait to see how the girl responded.
Interacting: @N/A
Mentioning: @Solène d'Estienne
Handmade, Tailor Fit
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Solène’s fingers trailed across the soft fabric on a dress robe, admiring the brocade and embroidered designs when the door opened. Instinctually, her eyes moved to the door, landing on a red-headed girl in a leather jacket. The girl was a bit taller than her, likely a little older, but ultimately that was impossible to discern at just a glance. There was, however, something about her. Something that didn’t quite make sense. Simply fascinating. Adrenaline surged as she fought the urge to rush over to this girl and start asking questions. Calm down, she isn’t an experiment. Eyes dropping back to the fabric between her fingers, allowing herself a breath. Good. Now we can approach.
Despite being inside, she was still god-awful hot, and despite her namesake, she was just not built for the heat and sunshine. As she calmly started walking toward the other girl, her ringed fingers brushed through her long, dark brown hair, pulling it into a messy bun with a thin black scrunchy that had previously resided on her wrist. “Style truly is pain, is it not? Cute boots by the way.” Much cuter than her plain black sneakers. Once her hair was secure, she would extend her hand in greeting. “Solène.” She offered her name in greeting.
Typically, Sol would not be this direct, and making the introduction first? Practically unheard of. There was just… Something about this girl that she couldn’t ignore. Is her hair extra shiny? Skin smoother than normal? Is it that she is just too pretty? No matter how Sol thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out, but she loved a mystery.
Rings
Reducio
Last edited by Solène d'Estienne on 24 Aug 2026, 14:32, edited 2 times in total.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ENCY ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ | Stamina 4 | Evasion 6 | Strength 2 | Wisdom 8 | ArcPower 10 | Accuracy 5 |
Abilities| Perfectionist
Handmade, Tailor Fit
Matilda was instantly in heaven as she began browsing the racks. There was every color of fabric she could ever imagine and she knew if she had her way she'd basically have her father buy the entire store out (something that he could probably do with his Scrooge McDuckian pile of money; she often wondered if he'd ever just dived in), which would be a fun career for a burgeoning fashionista such as herself. Still, her dreams of grandeur and bringing dress robes to Milan, Paris, and New York would have to wait because the girl she'd noticed the second she walked in had begun to walk over to her. She was clearly willing to sacrifice function over form in one area in this heat, she could see, as the girl put her hair into a bun.
As the girl approached, Matilda let go of the emerald robes she had been checking out. She thought they would really bring out the green in her eyes, but she could worry about that later. She quickly checked herself in the mirror - good enough given the heat, but not great - she adjusted her bangs slightly and turned to face that girl as she began to speak.
Matilda had been correct; this was indeed one of her people. One must sacrifice for one's art, and to her, fashion was art. "One sometimes has to suffer for one's art, do they not?" She answered the girl's question with one of her own. She had picked up a French accent from the girl as she spoke but couldn't place the region. She wasn't too worried about it; it was bound to come up in conversation eventually if they talked for long enough. She smiled as the girl commented on her boots, "Thank you, they have the dual virtues of being cute and comfy."
Matilda extended her hand in return as the girl introduced herself. "That's a very pretty name," she said with a smile as she shook it. If Solène cared to notice, a few crup hairs would be visible stuck in the sleeve of her jacket. "I'm Matilda, it's very nice to meet you."
Interacting: @Solène d'Estienne
Mentioning: @N/A
Handmade, Tailor Fit
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As she got closer, this girl only became more fascinating. She had never felt more of a pull toward another human. It was not that the girl wasn’t capable of being ignored, but more so her curiosity that demanded answers. That, she found, was much harder to ignore in her life, and it often managed to land her in trouble. Nothing life or death, but then again, she hadn’t been to Hogwarts yet.
When posed the question, Sol would nod in agreement, and a smile spread across her lips. Not an experiment, no, but a mystery. After all, she wasn’t some kind of mad scientist who dissected things or attempted to create other human beings in a basement. No, she simply wanted to know about anything and everything, and it was clear that this girl had something about her. “Indeed, they do, if it is to be good.”
When Matilda reached out to take her hand, Sol’s eyes looked down for a moment, catching the detail of the animal hairs on her jacket. They didn’t have many places to stick to, but threads and general static made them noticeable. “Thank you, your name is pretty as well.” A truth. She did find the name pretty. When their hands would release from the shake, Sol would take a brief moment to check on the location of her governess, Astrid. Upon first look, it would be clear they were not related. "This is our first time school shopping, so she is lingering a bit closer." Spoken quetly more to herself because it hadn't been intended to be said out loud, but she also didn't seem to be bothered that she had. Astrid was, in fact, lingering nearby as a good caretaker should, but not close enough to be intrusive. “Do you have a pet?” She inquired, motioning toward the pet hair. Sol loved animals, probably more than she liked people, but she didn’t have a pet yet. Some day soon, she was sure, but not yet.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ENCY ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ | Stamina 4 | Evasion 6 | Strength 2 | Wisdom 8 | ArcPower 10 | Accuracy 5 |
Abilities| Perfectionist
Handmade, Tailor Fit
Matilda was picking something up from Solène; she just wasn't sure what it was. The girl seemed to radiate this aura of insatiable curiosity. It was something that Matilda could relate to, as she was also fascinated by the world around her. She had an urge to take things apart just to see how they worked. When she was a simple Muggle child, this wasn't really an issue, but in the wizarding world, some things just couldn't be taken apart like that because of... well... magic.
She nodded in response to Solène's comment about suffering for art. "Indeed, and if it's not good, what's the point?" She asked, trying to sound more sophisticated than she was at this point in her life. "The greatest sin is looking ordinary." She had been raised in a family and prepared for a part of society where appearance was everything, and her greatest fear was looking plain. This was why, among other things, she was wearing a leather jacket in weather that was clearly meant for a swimsuit and living in the pool.
She was definitely starting to like this girl. Well-mannered and caring about things in life that mattered (at least when you were 11 or 12), she might finally be able to make a Hogwarts friend. At her parents' behest, she had been trying since she got there, but not many people seemed overly fond of her, not that it mattered to her, most of them weren't her sort of people anyway. She had been trying to make some Slytherin friends, as they seemed to be most discerning of the sort of stock one should come from. She returned another kind smile as Solène complimented her name.
As Solène spoke of her, Matilda's attention turned to the older woman with her. She could tell by looking that they were not related. Nanny? Governness? She actually felt a tinge of sorry for the girl. Even her chronically busy father had been able to carve time out to come with her today. She decided that if she was really that interested, that's a question that could be saved for later. "That's a sensible thing, to be honest," Matilda said after a brief thought. "Last year was my first time in Diagon Alley, and it's all amazing, but it's also easy to get lost."
She had not realized that she had crup hairs on her sleeve, but also wasn't surprised. Since she'd gotten Barf he shed anywhere and everywhere, and no matter what she did to keep clean, she always wound up with some hair on her. She didn't love it, but she did love Barf, and a little hair made it worth it. "I do," she said with a broad smile. "His name is Barf, and he's a half crup. I got him when I started at Hogwarts last year." A tinge of excitement had entered her voice when talking about him. She normally tried to keep her stiff upper lip and be reserved, but when it came to her fur baby, she was incapable. "He's outside with my dad right now if you'd like to meet him."
Interacting: @Solène d'Estienne
Mentioning: @N/A
Handmade, Tailor Fit
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In Sol’s opinion, she was the pinnacle of ordinary; she certainly didn’t see herself as extraordinary or standout from the crowd. So, when Matilda stated that, 'the greatest sin is looking ordinary,' she found it interesting. However, it did not look as if the girl was insulting her directly, and she likely had no idea it could have been taken that way in that moment. Moreover, Sol didn’t take it as one. Others’ opinions of herself rarely mattered; they came and went with the breeze. Unless, of course, you were her uncle, and then it mattered tremendously.
Sol would nod in agreement and offer a confirming, “Mhm.” When Matilda spoke about Astrid being sensible, she was, of course, correct; it was always sensible for an adult to stay relatively close to their charge. Then Matilda gave her the clue that she likely hadn’t lived a life in the wizarding world, not that there was anything wrong with that. Just something to note. They grew up in different worlds and therefore would have had different experiences, references, cultures. However, there was still a bit of highbrow air about her. The way she structured her sentences and chose her words. “Yes, it can be quite overwhelming the first time. I don’t remember when my first time here was, but it was a lot to take in.”
When Matilda confirmed that she had a pet, excitement lit up in Sol’s eyes, even if the mention of her dad being with her brought a bitter thought to her heart. The name of her half crup made Sol raise a brow, but maybe the name was some act of rebellion. “I would love to meet him, one moment please.” Turning in Astrid’s direction and raising her chin just enough to indicate she was looking for her attention, she asked, “[Astrid, it looks like the seamstresses might still be a while; may I go just outside the door with Matilda and her father to meet her half crup?]” Astrid would think for a moment, looking at Matilda before finally nodding. “[Yes, but please don’t wander off, I will come and get you when they are ready to fit you for your robes.]”
“[Thank you.]” After the small exchange, Sol looked back at Matilda with a smile and nodded. “Astrid will let us know when the seamstresses are ready for us. I am good to go as long as I don’t go anywhere else.” As long as Matilda made for the door, Sol would follow behind her. It’s not as if this were a 'hey, kid, wanna meet my dog and eat some candy' strange danger situation.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ENCY ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ | Stamina 4 | Evasion 6 | Strength 2 | Wisdom 8 | ArcPower 10 | Accuracy 5 |
Abilities| Perfectionist
Handmade, Tailor Fit
Matilda assumed that Solène was from a wizard family, given the familiar way in which she spoke of Diagon Alley. She had to resist the urge to ask about five million questions at once. She could only imagine what it was like growing up in this world. She just couldn't imagine taking things for granted like everyday occurrences when she still had to pinch herself to remind herself that this was real. "It's such an amazing world to inhabit, especially after being brought up sure in the knowledge that magic was not real and witches and wizards only existed in fairy tales," she said with a mixture of whimsy and amazement.
She was even more excited at the prospect of Solène wanting to meet Barf. She was a big believer in the idea that you can tell most of what you need to know about a person by judging solely based on how they treat animals. The fact that she wanted to go out and meet her Barf was, to her, a good sign. "Of course!" She exclaimed as Solène asked her minder if she could go out and meet him. They looked well practiced at this mode of quiet, unobtrusive communication. She couldn't place their relationship but could most definitely tell that she was not Solène's mother. She was smiling broadly now at the thought of her boy making a new friend.
As they turned to walk outside, she addressed the minder over her shoulder, "Thank you, Ms. Astrid. We'll just be outside." With that, they walked out the door. Her father was standing outside holding Barf's lead. He was a handsome, greying man of about 40, wearing blue jeans and an open-necked, cream-colored shirt. "First of all," she said, looking between Solène, "Solène, this is my father, Richard." She turned back to her father, "Dad, this is my new friend Solène." She said the last bit with a beaming smile; she had far too few friends and got very lonely at the castle. Richard gave Solène a warm nod and a smile.
Barf, meanwhile, was going absolutely crazy at the prospect of even more attention. "Heel!" She whistled to get his attention. "Heel, Barf!" She said again; this time it took, and he stopped. "Sit," she said firmly, then added, "Stay." Finally, she turned to Solène. "Solène, this is Barf, short for Barfolomew," she said with a wide smile and mischievous giggle. "Just let him give you a sniff then I'm sure he'll let you pet him."
Interacting: @Solène d'Estienne
Mentioning: @N/A
Handmade, Tailor Fit
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Astrid nodded in approval when addressed by the young girl. It showed that she was respectful, which made her approve all the more of this budding, dare she think, friendship. Solène knew people, because of course she did, but to say she had any real friends was not something she could truthfully say. She didn’t know what it meant to have a friend or to be one. Those were life experiences she would need to learn with time. Ironically, without even knowing it, Matilda was taking the perfect approach to Solène. Come in too fast, too excited, and she likely would have been driven off. Matilda kept her cool, held herself back for the moment, and it would very likely eventually take hold. “You’re welcome to ask me questions, if you’d like. I will answer them to the best of my abilities, but I also did not grow up in a stereotypical wizarding home.”
As they walked outside, Sol looked up to Matilda’s father and almost held out her hand for a handshake before thinking twice about it. This is a normal grown-up who probably does not shake children’s hands. Instead, she offered a very polite bow of her head in greeting. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr… Richard.” She hesitated and, in lieu of a surname, she filtered in his first name. Something she was clearly not used to doing.
However, her attention was quickly drawn to the tiny pup on the ground who seemed to be losing his little mind. She had been around other people’s pets before and read up on animals and their behaviors, but she didn’t have a companion herself. Not yet anyway. Sol watched patiently as Matilda commanded Barf, and when she was given the go ahead Solène slowly knelt, getting on both knees and tucking her feet under her butt. If she was correct, getting on his level was the best thing to do. “Hey there, Barf. I’m Solène.” Her dry voice came out extra soft as she greeted him, holding her hand out for him to come and sniff.
And as any overexcitable dog would, Barf came in a smidge too hot. This caused Sol to withdraw her hand and, in turn, Barf to back up a bit as well. “Let’s try that again.” Once more she held her hand out, and Barf came forward just as excited, but this time she was prepared for it, so she didn’t remove her hand. Barf would sniff her a few times before his slimy tongue left a trail of spit across the back of her hand. That’s when it was game over, and he was in her lap, half-wriggling, half-jumping around as she offered ear scritches. “He’s quite energetic, but seems like a good boy nonetheless.” She nodded at her own assessment. “I don’t have any pets yet, but I do want to get one as soon as I am able to.”
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ENCY ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ | Stamina 4 | Evasion 6 | Strength 2 | Wisdom 8 | ArcPower 10 | Accuracy 5 |
Abilities| Perfectionist
Handmade, Tailor Fit
Matilda smiled at being told she could ask Solène about what it's like growing up in a wizarding household. Even if her upbringing was not stereotypically magical, it still had to have been more magical than her Muggle upbringing. She just wanted to know what it was like. Did kids get to skip chores in magical houses since you can just magic the dirt away? Were they able to just have pickup games of Quidditch in the back garden? But enough of that nonsense; it was puppy time! She was very pleased that someone else was as happy to see her dog as she was.
Richard had been scratching Barf's favorite spot behind his ear when they came out. Matilda began to speak after Solène addressed her father. "Hi, Daddy," she said with a broad smile and an excited voice. "This is Solène. I met her inside while we were looking at robes, and she wanted to meet Barf." Richard smiled down benignly at Solène after the introduction. "Hello there, glad to see my daughter making friends."
Meanwhile, Barf was coming absolutely unglued now that a new friend had come to see him. She could instantly tell that Solène was a natural with animals. She knew how to approach them and, most importantly, she knew to let them approach you. Barf gave her a couple of sniffs and apparently decided that she passed the good guy test. Unfortunately, he got so excited at her passing that he went way too hard in the paint. "Sorry," Matilda said sheepishly as Solène prepared for her second attempt. "He gets really excited around new people!"
This time it worked; they were clearly getting along swimmingly. Matilda's only concern was that in his excitement, Barf would end up contorting himself into another dimension or something. "Well, it looks like Barf says you're okay, so I'll take his advice," Richard said with a wry smile. Then Matilda spoke up, "He's a very good boy until he isn't; he's always getting into stuff," she said, mock-pouting at him by the end. "But I wouldn't change a thing about him," she beamed.
Since Solène seemed to like him and was also interested in getting a pet, she figured she might as well tell her about Barf. "So I don't know how much you know about animals," she began, "But Barf is a half-crup, raised and bred by wizards." She paused as she bent down to give him a quick scratch on the ear. "Crups are born with two tails, but they use a severing charm to remove one so it fits in around muggles, but," she was careful to add, "They need to be very well trained to be around muggles because untrained they will be very aggressive towards them. Fortunately, Barf was smart and easy to train." Her father gave a look that said, 'easy is a stretch and I've got the scars to prove it,' but said nothing.
Interacting: @Solène d'Estienne
Mentioning: @N/A