Pure and Otherwise PV Nicandro

Reducio

OOC note: thanks for writing the starter! Also I apologise in advance if anything is phrased awkwardly or doesn’t make proper sense, I need to stop writing in the middle of the night, rip

Nicandro speech hex code: #003d03
Word count: 445
Date: 7th September, 2026

Coming here had been a decent idea. It was fairly quiet, mostly empty and resembled a classroom enough to get Nicandro to enter his productive state. Which, comsidering the past days, had been increasingly difficult, and the new year had barely even started. That was absolutely intolerable, since the boy aimed to excel in all classes. Anything less would be a joke. He didn’t know what had kept him this distracted, but it couldn’t continue like this. With a huff, he had sat down at an empty table, spreading out his homework in front of him. His spine had started out straight, but by now, his posture had sagged and, somehow, his elbow had ended up on the table with his hand supporting a heavy head. Forcing himself to focus, he read over the questions at least twice before noting down his answers in neat, clean curves and bows. After a while, his focus started to drain. It was no use to force concentration longer than necessary, and he had finished enough to be somewhat satisfied with the results. Plus, he didn’t want the rest to be of poor quality due to it. Nicandro would simply have to continue some other time.

Quietly, so as not to disturb anyone, he got ready to pack his things and leave, carrying his stuff under one arm. He was halfway out when his eyes caught on a girl hunched over, face partially buried in her hands, mumbling to herself about something he was too far away to understand. Her expression revealed how incredibly preoccupied she was, though. Now, Nicandro wasn’t exactly the most social young wizard, but even he couldn’t resist a bit of curiosity and a jab. He hesitated only for a moment before making his way over to the desk she was seated at, peering down at her with a thoughtful expression. A name wouldn’t come to mind, and he wasn’t sure whether he had seen her around before. Maybe he had, maybe he hadn’t. If he had, she certainly hadn’t left a grand impression.

“That,” he said, gesturing at her, “must be very tedious homework if it makes you look like it’s eating you alive despite not even being on the table. And desperate enough to even talk to yourself in hopes that the answer will feel bad for you and eventually come to you on its own. Or are you lacking motivation and trying to procrastinate?” He let out a slightly mocking huff. There was no way any question could ever be that difficult. He could bet a thousand chocolate frogs that she was likely making it much more complicated than it actually was.

XX

@Nicandro Henderson Monday, September 7th, 2026 [WC 326] English ~ Japanese ~ Parseltongue ~ Snake ~ Thoughts

XXXShe was jolted out of her mumblings by someone's comment about her work. She didn't think she'd ever met this boy before, indirectly or otherwise, and the judgemental look on his face wasn't helping matters. She vaguely remembered him coming into the Study Room and sitting down, but hadn't paid him any attention past that. Yuzu peeked the very tip of her snout out to try and pinpoint the newcomer. Eonaria quickly nudged her back down, hoping the motion had been nonchalant enough.

XXX"The homework isn't actually the problem," Eonaria said firmly, putting her parchment back on the table before suddenly becoming self-conscious of the boy reading her notes. She quickly rolled it back up, avoiding eye contact and instead picking a random spot on the boy's shoulder to look at. "You see, the practical is what's actually bothering me, though I'm hoping reviewing the theoretical will help with the actual, ah..." She swapped topics in an effort to save herself. "I'm not actually talking to myself!"

XXXOh, even worse. Lovely. "Why must you bother me?" Eonaria finished almost despairingly, hoping he would pass over that part. He even looked like he was about to leave, his own belongings tucked under one arm. "What ails me is none of your business. Who are you, anyway?" It wasn't meant to be a jab, but she wondered if it came out that way. The way he spoke made her feel rather small.

XXXNow wait a minute. Was she going to take snark from a kid who was not only shorter than her but also looked like he didn't get enough sleep to fuel an ant? Eonaria wanted to say something cool, but her words escaped her. Maybe she could think of something later. It didn't prevent a small bit of disdain from showing on her face, though. She could not back down from this. The older she got, the more unacceptable it was to get trampled over!

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Reducio

OOC note: wait that’s actually such a crazy and cool fun fact! let me store that in my memory

Nicandro speech hex code: #003d03
Word count: 473
Date: 7th September, 2026

When the girl looked up, visibly surprised by him approaching her, Nicandro didn’t offer a smile. He simply listened to her rambling, noticed her discomfort and observed her nervous movements with a raised eyebrow. “The homework is not the issue?” He repeated what she had said, tilting his head slightly. “No, yeah, now I’m curious about what could possibly be that frustrating. What is it?” He placed his own books on her table neatly to be able to cross his arms over his chest.

As she insisted that she hadn’t been talking to herself, he let out a dry laugh. “Sure. So what are you talking to, hm? Ghosts? I can’t see any. Oh, you must be hallucinating then. Chatting with imaginary friends? Merlin, this world is more hopeless than I had originally thought!” His finger tapped his temple to emphasize how insane it sounded. “Sorry, you’re making your state sound much worse than it is.”

She was perfectly right though: This was her problem, not his. And if a stranger was acting weird, he really didn’t want to ruin his day with it. Alas, if this was a medical emergency, he knew that not checking it out would get him in more trouble than avoiding the situation would help him. Plus, maybe he would’ve actually been willing to help her find the solution to whatever she was up to, if she hadn’t been so dismissive. “I wanted to see if you were all right, in need of help. So to say, I was almost… worried,” he replied to her likely rhetorical question, putting a strange emphasis on the word, “that a fellow student is seeing things and requires aid. Really, if you don’t want to draw attention to you, try to appear a little less strange. Talking to nothing does not do the trick.”

He shrugged, his eyes wandering towards the door. If she didn’t recognize him, she was most likely not worth being around anyway. Most pure-bloods would be vaguely acquainted with his family. However, It was still worth spreading his name and collecting those of others, for it was never too late to be educated properly and broaden one’s network, and simply limiting himself to people he got along with decently wasn’t the best strategy for that. Everyone was important somehow, a few people considerably more than others, but after all, everyone shared the same oxygen and could change the course of his life in a way he might not know now. Who knows, perhaps she could be useful later. With that in mind, he turned his gaze back towards her, ignoring the way she was staring insistently past him and not meeting his eyes. Instead of forcing eye contact, he looked at the wall while speaking in a calm and slightly disengaged voice. “I’m Nicandro Henderson. And you are?”

XX

@Nicandro Henderson Monday, September 7th, 2026 [WC 503] English ~ Japanese ~ Parseltongue ~ Snake ~ Thoughts

XXX"It's only Potions! It's not that bad, anyway." Had she been overreacting over her notes? Yes. But sometimes you just need a bit of complaining to make yourself feel better! Eonaria frowned when the boy put his books down on the desk. This was her space for the time being! ...so does that mean he's not leaving anytime soon? Uh oh. It was like planting a stake in the ground. She had to fix it, fast. Maybe if she sounded boring enough he would go away, or at least stop interrogating her.

XXX"You know what?" Eonaria said, taking in a deep breath to calm herself down. "You're right. There aren't any ghosts or imaginary people around, and maybe I seem a little odd. But there's nothing wrong with me." She hadn't had any imaginary friends, even as a child. Well, I did sometimes talk to the curtains when they didn't hang right, but it's not like I expected them to have opinions or anything!

XXXPerhaps she did have a problem. What? No, no.

XXX"Thank you for your concern, but I think I'm done for the day. I don't need any help. I'm not seeing things." Eonaria kept her voice firm and decisive while still maintaining that generally polite undertone. Why was he talking like that?? "I will... keep that in mind." Right, because you can just advise people to appear less strange and that'll work. Didn't lots of people talk to themselves, or at least think out loud? It had seemed common to her.

XXXNicandro Henderson. At first, it seemed about as ordinary as any other name. In fact, it was a lot more normal than most of the people she talked to regularly. But...? Wasn't that last name definitely somewhere in that long list of families she knew? Eonaria met a lot of people she thought she was supposed to know, but this condescending boy was actually someone she recognised. Although, not personally, obviously. What do the Hendersons do? She knew they were some of the purest of the pure lines, but beyond that, not much.

XXX"Oh," she said out loud. She hadn't done the greatest job at concealing her expression that time; She probably looked like she was blanking. Eonaria was tempted to shriek 'you??' but that likely wouldn't go over well. "I'm Eonaria Kabukimono," she said, the metaphorical fire dimming even further. "It's a pleasure to meet you." That was technically the correct phrase to follow an introduction, but right now? Like this? She probably shouldn't have said that.

XXXThe Kabukimonos were more of a background kind of pureblood family. Their impact on the Wizarding world wasn't overly magnanimous in any way, but it was respectable enough. Mostly Potioneering and whatnot. Oh, my, wasn't it even more of a disaster that that was the specific subject she was struggling with at the moment? Despite Eonaria's childhood endeavours into her mother's Potions lab, from which she was usually promptly shooed away, she had clearly not inherited such skills.

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Nicandro speech hex code: #003d03
Word count: 552
Date: 7th September, 2026

The young Henderson almost pitied the girl sitting by the desk. She seemed to be uncomfortable at best, maybe even a little embarrassed. Perhaps his approach hadn’t been the kindest, most tactful introductions he had managed to make so far, but that was hardly his fault. Her behaviour was engineered to provoke comments. “You did seem odd, but it’s relieving to hear that you’re apparently sane enough anyway.”

He hesitated a moment, standing there slightly lost. It was obvious that the girl was trying to end the conversation as quickly as she could, and Nicandro was trained enough to notice the signs. The fact that she had become defensive, that she was trying to convince him that she was finished even when she wasn’t, told him enough. And he had been taught to not overstay his welcome unless necessary in terms of pressuring. Since he didn’t want anything of her in particular, he did best to let it go.

What saved the conversation and her honour in Nicandro’s eyes was that she obviously recognised his last name. Her reaction was satisfying enough and combined with her own introduction, he put two and two together. “Ah. A fellow pure-blood, then.” The boy offered her a somewhat less condescending half-hearted smile, as if she had risen in reputation in an instance and turned into much more pleasant company. “Eonaria Kabukimono. Quite a nice name. Rings a bell. Potions?” Oh. He snorted at the absurdity of the situation. Guess that talents aren’t always inherited. ”A pleasure indeed.” For a second, he closed his eyes, forcing the next words out. Apologising was strategically smart if he wanted a smoother start, he convinced himself, but there were certain things that would never be easy to say. 'Sorry' must be at the very top. “I’m sorry for my presumptions earlier.”

Now a lot more interested in staying a little longer and to make new connections on his own, without his parents shadowing him and forcing interactions on pure-blood events, such as the ball before the start of the new school year, he grabbed a chair and sat down. Owen and Gwynn would surely encourage it and be proud of their son’s initiative.

“Well, potions is overrated. It isn’t my favourite subject either. Though there must be worse.” He thought about the different options for a moment before coming to the conclusion that each class he’s had so far was at least a little fun. There was this one subject that started next year, and the thought alone made him roll his eyes in annoyance and anticipated boredom.

“Muggle-Studies, for example. I’ve heard people in third grade talk about it, and I’m quite fortunate to be in second year where they don’t teach that. I can’t possibly imagine anyone voluntarily studying those creatures.” He placed his arms on the table, getting comfortable, and supported his chin with a hand. “Really. I’m scared of anyone who likes to attend the classes. Muggles are already everywhere, sticking their noses where they don’t belong. We’re not even safe at Hogwarts. Can you believe they are convinced they’re the gods of earth while being the most oblivious organisms down here? All that magic going on around them and they’re entirely unaware! And their blood…” A shiver ran through his body and he grimaced.

XX

@Nicandro Henderson Monday, September 7th, 2026 [WC 546] English ~ Japanese ~ Parseltongue ~ Snake ~ Thoughts

XXXEonaria was a little affronted by Nicandro's assessment of her sanity, but it was funny-- or strange-- enough to make her laugh.

XXX"Oh, thank you." She was glad he recognised her as well, as it might've been worse if he had no idea who she was. No one had ever complimented her name before. "It's fine. I mean, I forgive you." Assuming he didn't still secretly think she was crazy. Eonaria was relieved he at least had the decency to apologise, although it looked like it was taking him a bit of effort. It was surprising to realise that Nicandro actually wanted to keep talking to her, but she adjusted her chair accordingly to make more room for him. Thankfully, it seemed Yuzu had stopped trying to wiggle free and gone back to sleep.

XXXPersonally, she absolutely loved learning about most things, but Muggle Studies? About... the way Muggles have to physically traverse everywhere? Something something? She wasn't really sure what went on in Muggle Studies, but it didn't sound appealing. Why learn about boring Muggle inventions when there were magical creatures to take care of? And ancient runes to study? Admittedly, some of those runes perplexed her upon first glance, but that was easily remedied by time and hard work.

XXX“I don't understand the purpose of the Muggle Studies class at Hogwarts. Surely that investment could be put into something else, like... Wandmaking! Or Foreign Studies?" Learning about the other wizarding schools and their customs was something that intrigued her greatly. “Maybe even Foreign Languages and Latin!” Latin could assist in recognising the effects of spells you didn’t know yet, before they hit you, which was much more helpful than… rubber ducks.

XXX"Wait, what? There aren't Muggles at Hogwarts." Eonaria frowned. That would be insane! She was glad there weren’t Muggles walking around their Wizarding-only communities. That would defeat the entire purpose of them.

XXXWhen Nicandro began uttering complaints about Muggles, Eonaria’s first thought was that this was rather sudden and unnecessarily aggressive. But wasn't this what her parents had been urging her to do for years now? Make good connections with other purebloods, even if it was over something like Muggles? Seized by the sudden desire to improve his opinion of her, Eonaria joined in with the slander. "I know, right? Imagine walking through London and not even seeing the Leaky Cauldron. There's an office at the Ministry just for managing the trouble they get into. And the Department of Muggle Relations! Why do we bother?" She scoffed at the notion, brushing off the small pit of guilt in her stomach.

XXXIt was true, really. But Muggles and Muggleborns aren’t the same, are they? Eonaria kept talking. "Most of the Muggleborns I've met are terribly annoying.” That I know of. “They ask way too many questions. Explaining basic magical concepts to them is like listening to a quill tip scratching glassware." It's not that bad. "Honestly, all the books are right in front of them. They could at least read about the Wizarding World before coming in."

XXXEonaria didn't know what to say about the blood comment. As fond as certain people were of the slur for Muggleborns, she was 90% sure every human's blood was the same red colour. “Huh,” she commented instead.

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ty!! i like the new banner

Nicandro speech hex code: #003d03
Word count: 853
Date: 7th September, 2026

Apparently, Nicandro had managed to come across as sorry and sympathetic () enough for the girl to engage in a conversation with him this enthusiastically. So, the more or less sincere apology had worked. He’d remember that tactic in case there would be a next time where it could come in handy. The fact that Eonaria even laughed in his presence and seemed much more welcoming to him now loosened some of his own tension.

“I don't understand the purpose of the Muggle Studies class at Hogwarts. Surely that investment could be put into something else, like... Wandmaking! Or Foreign Studies? Maybe even Foreign Languages and Latin!” The girl said, making some of the most important points Nicandro could come up with himself.

“I know, that’s what I’ve been saying. It’s a completely unnecessary waste of time. We already know everything we need to know about them in order to be aware that the most sensible thing is to avoid them at all cost. Why even bother with anything else?” Attending Hogwarts was supposed to be useful, and that subject seemed to defy that purpose completely to him. “Those are great ideas, honestly. It would be certainly more important to learn to communicate better with wizards all across the world.”

When Eonaria seemed surprised by the comment about muggles being at Hogwarts, Nicandro shrugged. “Well, I’m just saying. Not actual muggles, as in present here, but they’re in so many textbooks and haunt the lessons like a plague.” He could barely restrain himself from making a sour face.

"Most of the Muggleborns I've met are terribly annoying. They ask way too many questions. Explaining basic magical concepts to them is like listening to a quill tip scratching glassware.”

“Ecactly!” He cheered in, studying her closely with a slightly tilted head. The 'most' had caught his attention. What was that even supposed to mean? Was there actually a muggle-born that wasn’t an absolute moron? He couldn’t imagine that. “Have you met a lot, then? I can’t say I’m much of an expert in interacting with them outside of necessity. Must be hell. I’ve tried to stay clear of them, honestly, but it’s not always that easy. In classes, they really do reveal themselves immediately, and are much more of a nuisance than help during group work. Good thing they can’t cheat off us during exams. Wouldn’t be surprised if they tried.“

“They could at least read about the Wizarding World before coming in." It felt much more relieving to hear that Nicandro wasn’t the only person with those experiences than he had expected, and it felt so good to rant about them with someone. Most people had other things to do, so gossiping was forgotten, but he had to get his frustration out somehow.

For a moment, Nicandro looked down st his hands, thinking about his own blood and upbringing. If everyone taught their children to study so diligently, named problem wouldn’t exist. “True. It’s the least they could do to make their integration at Hogwarts easier for all of us. It’s like they’re purposely trying to appear stupid and lost to evoke pity and then gain more friends easily or something. Arriving here with their strange muggle customs, throwing us off.” With a shake of his head, he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Some effort can be expected. That’s just straight up disrespect to assume we have all the patience and time in the world to explain every small thing to them because their little brains are either too overwhelmed to fathom it themselves, or too lazy. Which then slows us down and prevents us from studying quickly and efficiently.” All those times he’d had to listen to an explanation of the easiest concepts in lessons over and over again just because one of those ignorant muggle-borns still couldn’t get the idea of magic in their head! He sighed heavily. If there weren’t any of them at this school, he would’ve already known ten times the information on spells, potions, magical plants and, of course, history of magic.

“They might not be responsible for their tarnished blood, but they certainly are responsible for what they make of the opportunity granted to them and for their actions and aggravating personality. It would be a start for them to work on at least trying a little harder to make up for their families and disadvantage.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek, playing with his study material. The question he was going to ask might have an answer he didn’t want to hear, but he was too curious to not ask. And who knew when there was going to be a second opportunity to address it? Plus, it would tell him a lot about Eonaria depending how she’d react and answer. “You said earlier that 'most' muggle-borns that you’ve come across were intolerable.” The tone of his voice was deceitfully neutral. Is there actually one that was remotely fine?”

Not that he cared anyway. It was simple enough, just as his parents had always done well to teach him. Muggle-borns and half-bloods were nothing but filthy accidents. The latter originated from egoistic parents that could not distinguish between love and the much more important duty of a pure-blood towards the wizarding world, while the former was responsible for deceiving and manipulating a pure-blood into betraying their own bloodline. So, no, there was no way in hell there was a single mud-blood that was familiar to the concept of honour and therefore deserving of the label 'fine'.