The Gemini's Gift Open Finished

@Breana Oliveire @Xailah Alptraum @May Moonstar @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood @Meenauh Silmataurea

Breana wouldn't have much luck sneaking out from under Pericles' notice. When he caught her eye from a little ways away on the grounds, he raised his hand to wave, encouraging her to join with a gesture. There was a familiar buzz: the happy hum of having a few friends near, though beneath it, a lingering anxiety which he did an exceptional job of masking. Her fear of being unwelcome- an interruption- was dismissed with an immediate "Not a'tall." It appeared, regrettably, as if she wasn't the only one with cold feet.

Xailah implied a decision to depart. A faint frown, lasting only the duration of a flicker, came and went. Peri seemed pensive before reaching out with a cautious calmness, donning the sort of delicateness one uses when handling a precious yet fragile object. Or a bomb. "You don't have to stay if you don't have the time," he tried to reassure, sliding in a reason as if to suggest he hadn't guessed the real cause for her flight, "but I would like it if you could." Her smile was matched by one of vivid relief. Once Xailah chose to stay, he sent an appreciative nod her way, relaxing the hands which had unknowingly stilled upon his box in anticipation. If there was any gift he could hope for, it was a moment of peace among some of the students he knew and liked. Pericles had learned a bitter but crucial lesson at the bootleg ball: he could not automatically anticipate all of his friends to like one-another, even if he liked them. They didn't need to become mutual acquaintances; so long as they could tolerate each other just long enough for him to enjoy their company on his birthday, he would be pleased as punch. A thought struck; he had more to discuss than just the mystery present.

"Actually, I'm relieved to see you. I've been hoping I'd have a chance to talk with some of you-" two he did not know well just yet, so supposed it wasn't important to them "-and it looks like I'm lucky enough to find you all at once. I won't be going to summer camp." Pericles smiled, a wistful expression, the type worn when one is trying to force themselves to cope with an unfavorable situation. "Father says he's tackling some family affairs, he wants to take me along. I would be really grateful if you'd send me an owl about what I'm missing, how folks are faring, that sort of thing. If you're going." With that unfavorable tidbit hanging in the air, he acted eager to swap the subject, at last listening to May's eager insistence that he finally open the present. A clueless expression wandered her way once the girl mentioned a birthday song- he looked as lost on the concept as Xailah- though her question concerning the un-popped balloon sent him speculating. "I wager my parents may have cast a durability charm on it," Peri supposed. "I'd try to pop and test the theory, but I didn't want to risk wasting the balloon when I could give it away." He handed her the silvery string before pulling at his parcel.

A fine gift was watching folks he knew and cared about mingling. The young wizard watched Aida, Meenauh, and Xailah interact for a beat before remembering why he'd come out in the first place. Once the single stitch holding the balloon, bow, and blue fabric wrap together was undone, the bronze ribbon slipped away easily. Breana brought a present of her own making, something unexpected, eliciting a low "Oh!" of pleasant surprise. Before taking it, he reached to wrap the ribbon around her wrist, saying- unless she pulled back- "Here: maybe you could use this in your embroidery, or add it to an accessory, like that exceptional hat of yours." It was tapered at the ends, unlikely to fray any time soon. "I don't have any party favors," he confessed to the others in a way which implied those were the "norm" for any birthday he'd had, "but I'll see what I can do." When wished a happy birthday, he answered with an honest "Thank you, Aida," and folded the cobalt fabric on a knee before offering it out. "Blue suits you," he complimented. It was their house color, and besides, he didn't need any more kerchiefs.

Beneath this was a box made of sturdy wood, grayish brown in color, perhaps walnut wood. Pericles inspected its brass hinges and clasp, examining the lid. There was a hand-carved cluster of grapes etched into it. Flicking this ajar, he found a small drawstring pouch, which he plucked from the box before offering the empty container to Xailah. "I don't think this is a very valuable antique," the boy admitted, "but it would be excellent for hiding trinkets in. Look- this compartment lifts. You could hide an extremely small secret beneath it." Loosening the drawstrings on the bag, Peri poured the content into his hand before balling it into a fist. The little bag was offered to Meenauh with an insistent nod. "It isn't very large, though I suppose you could hide dice in it, or a handful of sickles." The Ravenclaw was not content to expect his prize until he had portioned out "party favors". With this done, what was waiting beneath the silk ribbon, satin kerchief, wooden box, and velvet bag...?

"Ah. A pocket watch!" Pericles sounded pleased, albeit not surprised. Given his inclination towards the unexpected, it was perfectly plausible to assume he had hoped he'd be wrong. "A metronome was a clever guess...." Eyeing the familial crest carved into the surface, his voice faded, attention absorbed by the brass timepiece. This was set to the side so he could open Breana's gift. It wasn't given the same suspenseful examination, only a moment of turning it curiously in his hands, then he began the process of carefully coaxing the paper open. It seemed Pericles wasn't much a fan of shredding presents apart; he took his time, trying to keep the wrapping whole for some unfathomable reason.

Mentions: @Xailah Alptraum @Meenauh Silmataurea @Pericles Dralt @Dealla Prince
OOC Note: It was decided that the date of the ball could in no way coincide with the arrival of the new CoMC prof, which occurred officially much later. For this reason the fate of the mosp is detailed here.

Interacting with @May Moonstar, @Xailah Alptraum and @Pericles Dralt

As Pericles waved his hand to the young lass, she felt a sense of ease. She at least knew the most important person of the day wanted her to be here. A small breath of relief escaped the freckled child as not only did the boy solidify his want of her to be here, the Hufflepuff also explained the situation to her. It was his birthday! Luckily her educated guess did steer her on the right path. "Ah yes, no birthday would be complete without a couple of people singing in different keys and missing a whole lot of cues." Breana jested with a light chuckle. "Won't be awkward at all, surely." Breana shook her head to herself at her flimsy joke.

Of course, there was still the medium-sized elephant in the room, which was Xailah and Breana. For a moment, she felt guilty as Xailah was about to make herself leave. Breana didn't want that for her. At the very least the Ravenclaw wanted to find common ground with her, even if the lioness deemed her "useless." Thankfully, that opportunity may present itself in the near future, as the senior opted out from leaving, and in fact, sticking around and sitting next to Pericles. When they turned their attention back to the "bomb," Xailah mentioned Pericles scattering into bits, which made Breana pull off a playful grossed-out expression. "Oh my days, can you imagine? It'd probably look like a butcher shop gone wrong if that were to happen! Plus, the poor bench would have scorch marks. They might take ages to get rid of, I reckon." She shuddered before laughing.

Then Pericles brought up the subject of him not joining the summer camp. Breana wasn't surprised, but she was still a bit saddened by the news. "Don't worry Per, I'll send ya an owl and maybe even roast a s' more in your honor!" She smiled, giving him a playful finger gun his way before realizing he might not understand what she's doing. She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her head quickly in hopes of hiding what she did. Unfortunately, it did bring out her impromptu gift in a better view for the lightly freckled boy to see.

As Pericles took it from her, only then did she realized something that drove her inner thoughts into overdrive: She was the only one that brought a present. "Oh fudge nuggets, he's gonna see this crabby lil' present and doodle, Merlin save me." Still, the ever clever child kept her face neutral (or at least tried to), only for it to break into a pleasantly surprised looks as Pericles gave the ribbon to her. Breana grinned wide, looking up at him with a small nod. "I'll see what I can do. I mean, bronze is probably trending around this time, right?" She said, making sure it's secured in her wrist for now.

Breana looked over at the birthday boy's present, wondering what is in that gift herself. The Gryffindor had a good guess, a metronome might be a nice thing to have. Does Pericles play an instrument? He probably would if a metronome was one of his friend's guesses. The Gryffindor senior wasn't that far off, as Pericles showed it to be a pocket watch. Personal, from the looks of it, as it has some fancy engravings on it.

Then her stomach dropped as he quickly set it aside to focus on the crude gift she gave him. Just simply watching the boy unwrap the gift is making her face go red in panic. As the boy slowly unwrapped the gift, Pericles would have the fortune of seeing the wrapping paper be a part of her gift to him. It was a rather rushed art piece, the flowers' petals looking like they have six-pack abs on them, and some of the green colliding with the purple in an odd yet cute fashion. "I-- Uh, I remembered that when we first talked to each other that you wanted me to draw flowers for your letter, so I just thought I'd do it for your kinda birthday card... With my favorite flower." She said, awkwardly shifting her footing. "I-it's those ones with the colored leaves... I can't pronounce it but it's the only one that I can remember from memory, so y-yeah." Brean then cleared her throat as the paper soon revealed the actual present.

"It ain't much, but I figured you can use it, in case of well... you know, heh." She playfully chirped, hoping he can figure out what she meant by that. It was a cork, and from the look of the small object, it was stolen from the Great Hall. On on side of it, however, is a clumsily carved "P" engraved on it, similar to a stamp. The curve of the "P" was pointed, and it had a weird nub that made it look like an "R," which Breana instantly tried to belittle. "I dunno if you can use it for those wax stamps on letters, but if you're lazy you can just... Pop it in with ink and bam! Uh, heh... yeah..."

~Interacting with @Breana Oliverie @Pericles Dralt~

May giggled at Breana's comment, feeling a bit- well, odd. She had really meant to sing happy birthday, to be honest, but now everyone seemed a little- well awkward. She was lively, and loved to have a good party and fun, but she knew that those people were- well, important. Three prefects, one captain and a reporter. Meanwhile, she felt small, not height small, between them. She let out a long sight, but it did not help.

Again, she laughed at Breana's joke. Really, that girl was small but funny. She could make a gloomy day very happy, for once. "Imagine, with all of these things going on- no, I didn't want to bring them on this happy day Peri- that somebody would send you...I dunno...a birthday-well, forget it." May flushed of embarrassment, for she was trying to joke something. May wasn't the kind of girl that could make you laugh, or maybe even giggle. She was the kind of girl that followed other people's lead, that was all.

"I'll send you a birthday present, Peri, by owl. I'm just thinking about it you know. What do you-like?" she smiled. A quill would be nice. Maybe a very cool quill that she would find in Diagon Alley before summer. Or probably...well, May still did not know, but she didn't want to pass his birthday empty handed.

When Pericles opened the present, she looked at the pocket watch, wide eyed. "Wow, that's so cool! I mean, it will suit you well- you know- glasses," she pointed her index to his spectacles and smiled. She actually didn't feel that watch was that 'cool'. She would have preferred a broom or something. "Don't mind me. I'm just joking. It's a very cool watch Pear, and I hope you enjoy it." she smiled at him and went back to thinking what she would give him as a present.

Interacting with @Pericles Dralt

@Breana Oliveire @Xailah Alptraum @May Moonstar @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood @Meenauh Silmataurea

As intrigued as Pericles may be by the idea of a designated birthday song, he was looking between Breana and May with equal measures of humor and cluelessness. It was clear he hadn't the slightest idea what they were discussing. This, he supposed, may be a muggle tradition, and that thought captured his curiosity. May's long sigh was interpreted as something crestfallen. Was she Muggle-born? Perhaps she was homesick, wishing for some familiar tradition. She seemed to stumble awkwardly over her words, but rather than derive some sort of snide entertainment from the fact, he tried his best to be inclusive. "You can sing it," Pericles coaxed to the two with that delicate smile, "if you'd really like to." He had good intentions, even though the actuality of the situation was perfectly absurd. At the offer to owl him a present, the boy's freckled fingers waved the notion away. "You don't owe me a thing, May, but I'm very grateful for the offer. I think... it's just nice," he decided, sleepy eyes wandering from face to face, smile spreading, "to have a moment with others on my birthday. I'd almost forgotten it really, what with everything that's happened here at Hogwarts."

Though there were some in their midst he didn't know terribly well, the young wizard was earnest in his gratitude for their company. There was a weird sense of humor bouncing between them; the fact that they all managed to glean giggles out of the image of an explosion was really something special. Peri smirked, mellow expression taking on a sly shade, laughter hummed in his throat. Though it seemed dark humors were a fine mask for dark circumstances. As Aida was asked about her "creature", he could feel the mood shift. He was left listening, enraptured, as Aida detailed the events of that night. Hearing another perspective from the same event was almost surreal; he heard her confirm her intent to save the battered mosp, foiled by the absence of Professor Griffith (a frown twinged at that), ending in its watery burial. The fragile smile she offered him was met with a concerned crease of the brow. He offered her the deep blue kerchief, claiming it was a compatible color, though the way he pressed it into her hand was intended as a comforting gesture. If she were to dab her eyes with the thing, he would certainly pretend he had not noticed.

It was a sad tale, that of the poor crispy mosp, and he admitted in his own melancholy to his impending absence that summer. Breana, bright as ever, cheerily offered to send him owls. "Thank you, Brea." He did not know her fingers were meant to be guns. It looked like an emphasizing point, and so he returned the gesture, firmly jutting both index digits right back. A little ray of hope had trickled through his metaphorical rain cloud, a beam which grew once Xailah admitted she and Meenauh would have offered to share a tent. Pericles smiled sadly at that, the concept a bittersweet one. He nodded once to talk of the homeward train ride. "I should like that," the boy murmured. It was a fine compromise, as was the idea of both Xailah and Meenauh joining in on the summer letters. The more he heard from them, the less lonesome his summer was sure to be, and besides: he liked writing letters, he simply hadn't had many persons to write to. Until now.

Between his gladness for their company and sadness for the summer, Pericles was in an especially charitable mood. He wished only for others to share in his delight of an unexpected gift. Aida's eloquent well-wishes were taken with a brief bow of the head, though Breana's regard of the ribbon made him loose an airy laugh. "I wouldn't know," the lad admitted with faux sheepishness, "but I should hope it's in fashion." He wasn't well-learned when it came to trends. How to present one's self properly, and dress to the (old standard) nines? To be sure. What was the latest "in" thing? That was a whole other world. Peri was still simmering over ways to incorporate more bronze into his wardrobe when the box was politely refused. "Oh...." Xailah's reasoning was met with an owlish blink, then a rare scolded-puppy-grade frown. If he could not use it to brighten her day, he was not sure what else to do with the thing, or so it seemed. He was awkwardly holding it in the air for several seconds before setting it on the bench at the side opposite her. "Well," the smile eased back into place, "you hardly need to give me anything back- that's what a real gift is, giving while expecting nothing in return. But I understand." He wouldn't press the matter, not here, not now. But a little notebook in the back of his head jotted down a reminder: find something supplementary to gift her later. Having an odd witch out on the gift-giving experience simply would not do.

With that in mind, Pericles persuaded Meenauh inward. Her awkward loitering, as if she did not belong, hadn't gone unnoticed. He was too polite to mention it aloud and too caring to let it go on. Encouragement was the driving force behind his grin as she accepted the gift, though the look softened as she apologized. For a moment, the twinge of sorrow in her voice inspired a brief alarm in him, worry bubbling up. Pericles hesitated, then swallowed it down, and then chose an altogether different approach than his typical compassionate comforting. He folded his arms and looked around, stating matter-of-factly, "Some of you are being rather silly. As you can see, I've already got a gift, so I shan't be needing any more." An attempt at sternness framed his face, though the ghost of amusement gleamed in his eyes. The facade was gone when the watch was revealed, and as it received compliments, he exchanged a few more thank-yous.
"Ah. Time pieces make the best gifts. You best keep your eye on it.
It might go missing when you're not looking."
"Is that a threat, 'Miss Alptraum'?" A grin quirked the corner of his mouth while she attested to her own cleverness. When Xailah's sharp wit wasn't wielded against an unsuspecting target, it was fun, like a game with rules they knew without discussing.

Much to his surprise, there was one more gift to open. Fortuitously, Pericles went about his weird picking and peeling rather than ripping the thing wide open, and he would be thrilled to find himself rewarded for doing so. "You remembered!" The boy beamed brightly; a material present was nice, though there was something especially satisfying about small things being remembered and reconsidered. Pericles squinted at the purple leaves, equally enthused about an opportunity to wield his weird knowledge of plants. "Is it a clematis? They're thought to symbolize ingenuity, what with the way their vines will cleverly climb around corners and over obstacles. And...." He rolled the present itself in his palm, focus fixated, seemingly tuning out Breana's belittling of the thing. The Ravenclaw considered the cork with more intensity than he had his watch, whose origins he already understood. What sort of bottle had it come from? He suspected pumpkin juice, or maybe sparkling apple cider, two personal favorites. What had the letter been carved with? It was endearing in its clumsiness. Though she fidgeted, muttering uncertainties, Pericles was content as ever. He deliberately tried to catch her eye as he looked up, stating with more solidity than his typical far-away nature allowed: "It's perfectly practical. I won't allow you to try and convince me otherwise." It was already deduced that this was something made on the spot, based on the speculations she must have made when he received his gift at breakfast. The on-the-spot ingenuity as a cherry on top of the gesture. "This was truly thoughtful... thank you again, Breana. You'll be seeing how well it works when we write this summer!" Placing the cork in the ash box, for the watch belonged to his pockets now, Pericles kept the drawing in his hand so that the wind would not be tempted to take it away.

During his unboxing, the young wizard was semi-aware of the exchange between Aida and Xailah. He glanced away from Breana when he heard Meenauh prompted to wait, only to shift his attention to their mutual Metamorph. She was given a long look. A pre-prepared gift, for him, on a day they did not know about...? The look was questioning. Another game, is it? "I ought to hurry up to the owlery, send my family word that I got their gift before father's owl takes off..." but he would play along. He enjoyed their puzzles. A nod, a grin, and he insisted "I'll come to your commons right after, if you two will be there for awhile."

@Meenauh Silmataurea @Xailah Alptraum @Pericles Dralt

Interacting with @May Moonstar and @Pericles Dralt
Mentioning @Meenauh Silmataurea

It felt nice for the Ravenclaw to create a sudden little friendship with the Hufflepuff girl. Breana gave the girl a small nod as she giggled along with their small little joke as if to say "Thanks for laughing along." She became pleasantly surprised as Pericles gave the group (or rather May and her) to sing the cheesy song. She looked at May, wondering if she'd be willing to join in. Either way, Breana's gonna lead it up and take the bullet of such embarrassment for her. "I mean, sure Per, if ya don't mind some off-key singing from me... Not much of a singer, but..." She looked over at the Hufflepuff, hoping that she might join in. Within a few moments, the girl awkwardly started to sing. It wasn't opera-worthy, of course, but at least the freckled girl knew how to find the notes. Her voice wavered a bit here and there, but at least she tried.

She ended it with a clumsy little chuckle, rubbing her arm before crossing it both. "Happy Birthday, Peri... er, yeah..." She held her hand out in defense. "Trust me, it's usually far more awkward than this!" Breana laughed it off as the group moved on. As the fair-skinned lad continued talking to his friends, Breana turned her attention to the Hufflepuff girl that brought up the singing offer in the first place. "I feel like you owe me something for singing it up here!" She gave her a playfully mean look before laughing and waving her hand as a hello. "I don't believe we've met... The name's Breana Oliveire, and thankfully, no I'm not in the Frog Choir... though I think me little pet Saps would have been a primadonna if he'd join there." She chuckled, turning back to see Pericles already holding out the wrapping paper/artwork she drew.

Breana felt her stomach turning and curling into knots as she watched Pericles's reaction to her gift. Her tension was quickly expelled as he beamed up as she explained her flower art. She pursed her lips in thought as Pericles asked about the flower. "Hm... maybe? It could be something I can write to you about in my future letters!" She smiled. "The search of my favorite flower's name... Quite a mystery, innit?" She said, with a playful little grin on her face. Then her second present was brought up. Again, the initial nervousness was washed away as the boy reassured her that he would use it over the summer. "I can't wait to see the stamping on your letters then!" She grinned. The freckled girl let out a soft sigh. Good, her presents were actually great choices. She makes a mental note to actually ask him over the summer for possible Christmas present ideas. Would he like graphic baseball caps, perhaps?

Then there was talk about the Gryffindor girl, Meenauh, having an already prepared gift for Pericles that she left back in the commons. She looked over at May, wondering if she was part of said birthday plan. Odds are for Breana that the invitation to join the venture isn't extended to her, so she just went back to talking to May for now. "So how'd ye come to know the man of the hour-- er... day?"