You Can Cabin With Us
| xxxxx | After eleven years (and a few months) of waiting, and pining, and hoping, and dreaming, Kahira Valerian was finally, finally at Hogwarts. She'd have to wait another month yet to get Sorted into Slytherin, which meant another agonising month of twiddling her thumbs and tapping her toes until she could finally do everything she'd dreamt of for ages: watching the mermaids in the windows of the commons, decorating her dormitory with her longtime best mate @Nova Vancourt, and, best of all, wearing Slytherin emerald without having to steal it from her brother @Blaize Valerian, just to name a few. Kahira was ambitious to a fault, a planner beyond anyone's wildest dreams, and she very nearly had her entire Hogwarts career already formed in her head. Straight Outstandings in her classes, but especially in Potions. Top of her class. The first in her year who would be granted unrestricted access to the Restricted Section for new and exciting brews. Maybe a stint on the Quidditch team if she was feeling particularly rebellious. By the time she walked the stage of the Great Hall as a graduating seventh-year, the spare she had been all her life would be no more; her parents would finally realise that she was the heiress they'd been waiting for, a smart, capable, beautiful, human daughter. And it was all beginning right here - right now - at camp. The redhead burst through the door into her empty cabin, her bestie Nova in tow, with an earsplitting grin across her porcelain face. The two girls had travelled together to camp, naturally, and had immediately checked the lists to see into which cabin they had been placed; Kahira was relieved to find that their group would only be four, further relieved to note Nova's name written just below hers, and even further relieved to recognise the surnames of the other two girls who had been placed with them. She didn't know the girls, per se, but certainly knew of the families, at least tangentially (in the Italian girl's case). Clearly, the camp organisers were onto something. Surely, they had chosen two other elite pureblood ladies to room with Kahira and Nova; they would all four be sorted into Slytherin, and together would show the world exactly what a pure pedigree was worth. She peeked into the four bedrooms, each with a pair of beds, and came back out to the common room, barely sparing a glance for the portraits and maps on the walls; her eyes were all for Nova as she offered her best mate an excited grin. "So, what do you think? Separate rooms, or should we practice for the Slytherin dormitories and share one?" |
xxxxx |
| xx |  | xx |
|
Last edited by Kahira Valerian on 2 Sep 2026, 21:06, edited 1 time in total.
| kahira valerian second gen | _____________________ | shop | ___________________ |
You Can Cabin With Us
@Kahira Valerian, @Idalia della Torre, @Caitríona MacDermott / Aug 1st, 2026 / outfit / magical law enforcement cabin
┕────────── · · ──────────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ──────────── · · ──────────┙
It was easy for Nova to compare herself to her childhood friend. Kahira and Nova often seemed similar on the outside, preppy rich girls who carried status and ancestry. But their biggest difference wasn't their aesthetic disagreements; it was deep down, who they believed they were. Kahira was confident that she was going to prove herself here at Hogwarts; in her eyes, everything was falling into place. But whether it was the icy ignorance she received from her brother or the deep, undeniable gut feeling that Slytherin would not be her home, Nova had to constantly squash down her worries in order to appear as confident as her redheaded friend. Just catching her first glimpse of the castle on their way here had suddenly made the young witch quite nauseous, and she fought back a dizzying sense of deja vu.
She had never been here before, so why did she feel this place was so familiar? Of course, her family and countless other companions had described it, praising the institution as the greatest wizarding school in the world. But that wasn't quite it, and the brunette couldn't deny that this feeling, as well, was familiar: the feeling of knowing something, but not quite knowing why, and, even stranger, often not quite knowing... what.
It was a good thing, she guessed, that she had grown up an actress. Despite the thoughts in her head battling with her feelings, Nova's expression remained neutral, her eyes absorbing her surroundings and her appearance, as always, tailored near perfection. Her hair silky, her subtle makeup lightly done, her skin glowing, and her summer outfit tidy, Nova refused to share with anybody the sense of impending doom. Even though she knew she should trust this feeling based on a (albeit short) lifetime of existing with it and its tendency to be correct, the young girl desperately didn't want to believe in the notion that soon, every plan she had made for her future was going to be derailed.
Kahira marched into their cabin, and Nova followed, taking the space in. The interior was well designed, and Nova decided she liked their theme. It was more of her friend's palette, but for a temporary residence that was nice enough, she didn't really mind. The brunette didn't bother pointing out to her friend how good the navy and forest green looked together, her mission of convincing Kahira of blue's superiority forever futile. Even Kahira's suggestion of practicing for Slytherin carried her confidence, speaking the future as if it was something already decided, already set in stone.
Perhaps it was this fact of uncertainty, then, that scared her. Nova decided that must be the case, and that soon, when Kahira was right and they were sorted into Slytherin, this uncertainty would be slain and her doubts along with it.
She grinned, deciding, "We should practice for when we're in Slytherin." The young girl was hesitant to share her sleeping quarters with strangers once her time at Hogwarts truly began, but this would be a way for her to ease into cohabitating with others. Plus, she trusted Kahira and it wouldn't be the first time they had a sleepover. "I hope the other girls come soon," she said, making her way into one of the rooms and sitting down on a bed to claim it and test its comfort level. An itinerary laid on the bedside table, and she took it into her hands, looking at it and adding, "And that they're like-minded."
With a short read over the paper in her hands, Nova made a couple of mental notes for events to attend. "Find the Traitor sounds fun," she remarked and crossed her legs and continued scanning through the list of events. "I can't wait to be a duelist, but I suppose Hogwarts doesn't participate in the summer games anyway."
You Can Cabin With Us
Department of Magical Law Enforcement, seriously? Idalia scrunched her nose a little as she read her cabin assignment. Did they do research about students' families for this? The young witch wasn't exactly thrilled by the Ministry theme of summer camp, but being assigned to Law Enforcement was an extra kick. She could already hear her Nonno (grandfather) saying this was a sign.Saturday | 1 August 2026 | Hogwarts Campgrounds
@Kahira Valerian, @Nova Vancourt, @Caitríona MacDermott
With a small shake of her head, Idalia turned her attention to the names listed beside hers. Kahira Valerian. Nova Vancourt. Caitríona MacDermott. Although she had never met them directly, Idalia recognized that they all came from pureblood families. That was a good sign, an easy common ground to bond over. Were they all incoming first years? Would they all get along?
"I'll see you later, then," a brief goodbye to the taller girl beside her. Noelle Marsh, her sister. Of course they had arrived together, but Noelle had warned Idalia that they would likely be separated by cabin assignments. Now that it had been confirmed, Idalia braved the crowds alone in order to find her cabin. She was a bit surprised by the excitement in the air - it was palpable and infectious. Friends were reuniting after summers apart, new connections were being made, and literal magic was in the air.
By the time the brunette stepped through the door of her assigned cabin, her hopes were high. Idalia really wanted the start of her Hogwarts journey to be a positive one, and in her mind, that all depended on finding a solid group of friends before school started. Camp felt like exactly the place to do it, which was the main reason she had decided to attend. Her dark eyes took in the navy and forest green vibes. It was a nice space, very organized and impressive looking. She took a mild interest in the photographs on the wall, but she was most pleased to see the fireplace in the center of the room. As a person who felt cold often, she loved a good fire.
Voices? Idalia turned down the hall to the bedrooms, coming to a stop outside the first room where two girls were chatting. If she had arrived first, Idalia would've prioritized checking out the other bedrooms and laying claim to the best, but now her priority shifted. Make a good first impression, and make new friends.
"Hello, I'm Idalia della Torre. Pleasure to meet you both," Idalia introduced, a polite smile appearing on her lips. No teeth, of course. Her accent was English, but her Italian came out specifically when introducing her name. She would let them introduce themselves, and she would volunteer the fact that she was an incoming first year if the topic of age came up. But as they spoke, Idalia's dark eyes would be taking in their outfits, their mannerisms, their style. All important information.
It was evident they knew each other, which was mildly disheartening. Preexisting friendships were hard to break into, as she knew from experience, but not impossible. She'd just have to make a good impression on both of them. She loved Kahira's hair immediately, and Nova was wearing a cute cardigan not unlike her own. But denim? An interesting choice. It wasn't an opinion she would dare verbalize. Instead she would share the more genuine compliments in her head, "I like your necklace, Nova." and "That shade of green really compliments your hair, Kahira."
"So we're waiting on one more, a Caitríona MacDermott? Are either of you familiar with her?" she asked. Idalia was a little nervous they would say yes, in which case it would mean she'd be trying to worm her way into an existing trio friendship. Talk about impossible.
Outfit: Sleeveless white top with black and brown pattern. White front-tie cardigan. Black skirt. Black Mary Jane flats with white socks. (reference photo) Hair: Two French braids leading into loose curly pigtails. (see banner for reference)
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
1st Gen PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
You Can Cabin With Us
──── |
date: 1st August 2026 place: Hogwarts Campgrounds interactions: @Kahira Valerian, @Nova Vancourt, @Idalia della Torre mentions: N/A |
──── |
This was wrong. Very, very wrong.
The thought of attending Hogwarts had haunted Caitríona ever since she received her letter a few months ago, and she had initially been more than content in waiting another month before being all but forced to attend her worst nightmare. She had even started concocting a master plan to get out of ever attending that dreaded school, which involved something along the lines of begging her mother to unenroll her now or else she'd run away, before her mother had squashed any idea of potential freedom by knocking on her bedroom door a mere week ago with the proposal of attending summer camp.
Summer camp?
It was absurd. Wholly and utterly absurd. Caitríona MacDermott did not attend summer camp, nor any activities that would involve time in the sun, or time surrounded by other people. She had made her resentment of the idea evident immediately, yet her mother had been persistent.
"It will be good for you," her mother had spoken in Irish, squinting against the darkness of Caitríona's bedroom.
"It is stupid," Caitríona had replied, "you know I don't want to go to Hogwarts."
This argument had continued all the way up until last night, with her mother insisting that it would be good for her to become familiar with the people she would be attending class with, and to settle in before classes began. That is what she had said out loud, at least, but Caitríona knew by now how to read between the lines, pick out the subtext her parents were too afraid to say out loud: it would allow Caitríona time to master pretending to be a pureblood, to fit in better than she ever would as her true self. Her father had eventually voiced his own opinion on the situation, siding with her mother, as if he could ever truly understand how Caitríona felt about this entire situation, about her entire life.
The back and forth had eventually irked Caitríona to no end, and she very, very reluctantly, agreed to attend summer camp, only because she did not want to look at the disappointment on her mother's face if she didn't go. Which leads us to the present moment, with Caitríona standing outside the Hogwarts Campgrounds, wondering if it's too late to change her mind. She should not have agreed to this, no matter how reluctantly it had been. She didn't belong here. She knew that, could feel it as if it was something tangible. Students around her were laughing, smiling as they greeted old and new friends, clearly overjoyed to be here, whilst she could only stand with both hands clutching the handle of her bag as if it were the only thing able to ground her.
According to her cabin assignment, she had been placed in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement cabin, alongside three other girls. The Ministry theme did not necessarily appeal to her, nor did the cabin, but it was the least of her worries right now. The only plus side she could currently note was four people being placed in a cabin of ten. With such a big cabin and so few people, maybe it wouldn't be terribly hard to avoid unnecessary interactions. The next thing she noticed was their surnames; familiar to her, not by any previous interaction, but by their pureblood status. Her mother had educated her on all the prevalent pureblood families she might meet at Hogwarts so she would be ready to interact with them, if the time ever came. The time was now, it seemed.
The minutes ticked by like they were mocking her as she stayed outside the Campgrounds, unwilling to head in just yet. Unfortunately, she could not stay here forever, lest she want to start burning in the sun, and the only thing she could currently do was to start looking for her cabin. It did not take her long. Once again, she lingered outside for a while, as if making sure the sign really did read 'Caitríona MacDermott' and her eyesight had not suddenly turned subpar.
When an uncomfortable amount of time had passed, enough to have her receive odd looks from passersby, Caitríona bit the bullet and entered the cabin. Already, she could hear chatter from one of the bedrooms. So she was late. Or they were early. Whichever it was did not matter, though it did allow her to briefly consider venturing to one of the empty rooms and allowing them to think that she wasn't going to show up. Then her mother's voice popped in her head, annoyingly, telling her that it was important to make a good first impression. Funnily enough, she did not know what a 'good first impression' entailed. A true pureblood would, though. At least she knew how to lie. She was getting quite good at pretending to be someone she was not. Maybe, after some time, she may not remember who she was before all the pretending.
She didn't care enough to really look at the decorations in the cabin. They might've been nice to anyone with taste, but that was one of the many things Caitríona lacked. Instead, she followed the sound of voices and stopped just outside the open bedroom door. Her eyes glanced at each of the girls in the room, all of them dressed to perfection. There was a palpable air of superiority in the room. Immediately, Caitríona knew she was out of place, with her unkempt hair, chipped, black nail polish to hide her unusual nails, and her all-black outfit. She caught the tail end of them mentioning her name, causing her to shift awkwardly on her feet, already feeling a little too seen.
"Hi." She said, offering them no more information. She didn't smile either, her mouth set in her usual frown.
──── |
speech: Irish, English outfit: x ooc note: N/A |
──── |
You Can Cabin With Us
| xxxxx | Kahira wouldn't have expected anything less of Nova, who had been a loyal friend since the two girls had been toddlers. "Practicing for Slytherin it is, then," she declared, tossing her large white purse onto the bed closest to the window without so much as asking her brunette companion which one she preferred. "Pity I didn't bring any of our décor." Nova had found a schedule for the camp, and Kahira wandered behind her to peer over her shoulder. "Oh, a whole weekend of Quidditch! What fun," she almost chirped, dismissive instantly of any of the duelling events. "And look, tonight there shall be a welcoming feast. Perhaps once our roommates arrive we can..." A voice in the doorway caught her attention, and Kahira glanced up to see an unfamiliar face: a girl about their age, with curly dark hair in two braids and a fashionable black-and-white outfit. As boring colours went, Kahira had to admit that the pattern and assembly of the ensemble was decently put together. This girl had style, and that meant the redhead liked her immediately. "Idalia! How do you do," she replied, inclining her head slightly forward - deferent enough for another girl of their status, but not so much as to offer even the slightest idea to the dela Torre girl that she may have been even a bit above Kahira. She pressed a hand to her chest, then fluttered her fingers in Nova's direction. "Valerian - Kahira Valerian - and this here is Nova Vancourt." The compliment soon after only made the girl more favourable in her dark eyes, and Kahira preened, twirling a lock of her curly ginger hair around her fingers. "Oh! I know. Doesn't it just?" As for the question about the MacDermott girl, Kahira could only shrug delicately. "I wasn't even aware the MacDermotts had a student at Hogwarts at the moment." The sentence had barely left her mouth before soft footsteps behind Idalia caused Kahira's dark gaze to flick out into the common area, and lo and behold, a fourth girl had arrived - if she could even have been called a girl. More like a wraith. Dressed head to toe in black, with chipped nail polish and a very strange haircut, the creature who had just walked into the room could in no way be a MacDermott... could she? Kahira raised an eyebrow as the girl said a soft hello - nothing else, no introduction. "I presume you would be Caitríona?" she said, her tone almost accusatory; still, as she gazed upon the girl longer, bare glimpses of potential came into her awareness. Decent bone structure. Good eyebrows. She needed a fresh manicure, a wardrobe do-over, and possibly a personality transplant, but if this girl was a MacDermott, she could certainly be a decent project for Kahira. The redhead repeated her usual surname-first name-surname introduction to the wraith, then pursed her lips, waiting. |
xxxxx |
@Nova Vancourt, @Idalia della Torre, @Caitríona MacDermott
| kahira valerian second gen | _____________________ | shop | ___________________ |
You Can Cabin With Us
@Kahira Valerian, @Idalia della Torre, @Caitríona MacDermott
Aug 1st, 2026 / outfit / magical law enforcement cabin
┕────────── · · ──────────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ──────────── · · ──────────┙
It wasn't long before the pair of childhood friends were greeted by the first of their cabinmates, a pretty dark-haired girl in a plain-coloured outfit. She looked put together well enough, and once Kahira introduced them (accompanied by a nod and measured smile from Nova), she complimented the wardrobe choices of both her new cabinmates.
Nova's hand raised to her collarbone instinctually, reminded of the amethyst necklace she had chosen that morning (or, more accurately, several days ago) to pair with her top. She honestly couldn't remember where she received it from, having so much jewelry she liked to pair with her outfits, but the amethyst crystal was supposed to help in clarity and peace, both things Nova felt she may need today. "Oh- thank you," she replied, her smile lingering and increasing in authenticity. "Your hair is really pretty," she returned, hoping her candor was apparent.
She was aware, even as Kahira lit up from Idalia's words, that there was a certain level of skepticism that could be healthily taken with her comments. In this first meeting, before the school year had even began, there existed a social hierarchy, at least in Nova's mind. They were all of a certain familial status that earned them a certain level of previous comfortability, knowledge, and experience (not to mention respect), but even Kahira and Nova seemed to have a leg up above Idalia, being so close with each other. These levels of power existed in every social encounter, whether one liked it or not, and it was the fortunate truth for Nova that, at least in this moment, she was not on the bottom.
As much as Nova wanted to fully believe Idalia's compliments were given in earnest, she couldn't help but wonder how much her comments were backed by a motive of acceptance. The young brunette had been to too many parties and told too much of business and social culture by her mother to really subscribe to the idea that not everybody wanted something in an interaction.
The group, however, wasn't a trio much longer, and after Idalia being very close to the elegant pureblood girl that Nova had expected after recognizing her surname, the brunette was soon surprised by the appearance of their fourth cabinmate. Even Nova had questioned if her own outfit with jean shorts was too casual for such an occasion, and felt slightly reassured that at least, of the girls with which she shared her cabin, she wasn't the most underdressed.
The girl only offered a painfully short greeting, and Kahira asked to confirm her identity. "I'm Nova Vancourt," the brunette added to her friend's subsequent introduction, her voice friendly and her mind searching for a topic of conversation other than "so who died?"
She crossed her legs. "How were your summers? Did you go anywhere interesting?" she asked, the question mainly pointed at the two girls she didn't know. Judging by the fact that Kahira already spoke enough for the two of them, it was a given that Nova knew what her friend's family had been up to over the holiday.