30 Dec 2020, 01:57
Lost in Thought
Reading in the library next to @Taylor Haywood
On this particular day back from holiday break, many of the students were meeting within the Courtyard or on the Grounds to talk about their short time away from school. They were sharing what they did, who they saw, and even what presents they got from their family members.
Now Simon had a rather nice Christmas, thank you, but he had seen one of his friends from Hogwarts over the break and saw two more since returning already. One of the things that he missed beyond anything being away from Hogwarts was being away from the library. He had a curious mind - the type were questions would randomly pop into his head and he didn't hesitate to google them only at Hogwarts there was no google - there were reference books.
Currently he was trying to grasp the concept of wizarding money. He gathered a few books from the shelves and brought them over to the seating area. There was a girl already there with dark hair who was reading and he sat down quietly nearby.
Only it didn't stay that way.
It wasn't intentional. Simon just got lost in the reading and was now tapping on the the front cover of the hardbound book next to him as he read the one open in front of him. Slow taps at first but his fondness and love for music seemed to take over and anyone could now pick up the melody of what he was thinking of. Surely it was disturbing to anyone nearby - although again, never his intent.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
30 Dec 2020, 02:12
Lost in Thought
Taylor hadn't had a particularly good Holiday break as her grandpa was sick and she did not get many presents. Still, she was happy to have been able to see her father and grandfather and already missed them very much. Her favorite present was a bookmark that had a picture of her mother on it and she had decided that she might as well come read, one of her favorite things to do.
She had been reading for about 15 minutes when a tall boy with fluffy brown hair sat down near her. Taylor tried to ignore him but kept glancing at him, trying to see what he was reading. He's quite tall, must be a second year. she thought to herself, going back to her book. She had nearly forgotten he was there when the boy starting tapping his fingers rhythmically. Can't he see people are trying to read? she thought to herself but soon enough she could tell what song he was thinking of and it was one of her favorites. Taylor hadn't sung in a while but it was one of her favorite things to do. She started humming along to the song quietly, hoping no one else would notice, a smile creeping onto her face.
@Simon Kincaid
She had been reading for about 15 minutes when a tall boy with fluffy brown hair sat down near her. Taylor tried to ignore him but kept glancing at him, trying to see what he was reading. He's quite tall, must be a second year. she thought to herself, going back to her book. She had nearly forgotten he was there when the boy starting tapping his fingers rhythmically. Can't he see people are trying to read? she thought to herself but soon enough she could tell what song he was thinking of and it was one of her favorites. Taylor hadn't sung in a while but it was one of her favorite things to do. She started humming along to the song quietly, hoping no one else would notice, a smile creeping onto her face.
@Simon Kincaid
Taylor Pearl Haywood
30 Dec 2020, 02:20
Lost in Thought
Slowing to an end with @Taylor Haywood
At first it was almost like background noise. He was so out of it with his subconscious tapping and her humming went along with the song so perfectly that he didn't even take notice of it. As he got toward the end of one segment of the book, that's when his mind sort of came back to reality and he picked up on her humming and that drew attention to his tapping. He realized it was the same song though and looked over to her and smiled.
If she had been offended, she wouldn't be humming along. Still, there were some important elements at play:
1) This was the library. It was a place for peace, not book tapping.
2) She was reading. There was a book in her hands and her eyes had been cast down to the words on the pages, a bookmark in her hands as she read.
and 3) She had been there first.
Who was he to come along and disrupt her from her reading. He owed her an apology. He ceased his tapping. "Uhh," he paused, unsure what to really say. "I hope I didn't disturb your reading. I sort of...got absorbed in the monetary world of wizards and lost myself somewhere along the way. I think it's quite safe to say I won't be going into wizarding economics." There had to be such a thing, right? Probably so. It was crazy how many wizarding variations there were to things.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
30 Dec 2020, 03:07
Lost in Thought
The tapping stops, so she stops humming, almost sad in a way, but she continues reading along. "Uhh, I hope I didn't disturb your reading. I sort of...got absorbed in the monetary world of wizards and lost myself somewhere along the way. I think it's quite safe to say I won't be going into wizarding economics." she heard the boy say to her. She looked up at him, stunned that he would talk to her. "Ah yes, wizarding economics." she said with a slight laugh, "Is there anything you need particular help with? I'm still fairly new to it as well but maybe we can learn together. And you weren't disturbing my reading at all, it was actually enjoyable." She had never met this boy before but found him rather intriguing. "My name is Taylor by the way. Taylor Haywood." Taylor stuck out her hand for a handshake. The boy shook her hand firmly, similarly to how her father did. She had grown up needing to always greet her father by shaking his hand, one of him many rules
When she stood next to him, she noticed that he was at least a head taller than her. Taylor knew she was short but this boy made her feel like a house elf. "How'd you get to be so tall? Mind giving me some tips?" she said, standing on her toes. She was making an effort to be nice, her father had told her to make friends, hopefully it was working
@Simon Kincaid (my color is #BF00BF by the way)
When she stood next to him, she noticed that he was at least a head taller than her. Taylor knew she was short but this boy made her feel like a house elf. "How'd you get to be so tall? Mind giving me some tips?" she said, standing on her toes. She was making an effort to be nice, her father had told her to make friends, hopefully it was working
@Simon Kincaid (my color is #BF00BF by the way)
Last edited by Taylor Haywood on 9 Jan 2021, 21:09, edited 1 time in total.
Taylor Pearl Haywood
30 Dec 2020, 03:24
Lost in Thought
Introductions with @Taylor Haywood
He smiled a little. "No tips," he couldn't even say eat your veggies because he didn't like vegetables, just as he couldn't say drink your milk because he mostly drank only water. "Good genes, I suppose," he said, but he knew his Aunt Maggie was shorter than he was, and his mother had been rather petite as well. Perhaps he got it from his father. He surely didn't know.
"I could probably lift you up. I suppose that could be a temporary fix," he laughed; joking, in a sense. He could most likely pick her up. Simon was not only tall for his age but he had always been strong, always been fast, always seemed a bit more mature in both looks and personality.
"Pleasure to meet you, Taylor," he said as he brought his hand into hers to shake. "I'm Simon Kincaid. First Year, Hufflepuff." It was pretty apparent though. While he had taken off his cloak with the Hufflepuff emblem, he still had on his uniform dress shirt and tie with Hufflepuff colors.
"And no, don't really need any help. I just get all these random questions in my head about the wizarding world and currently it's about the money." He shrugged. "This whole thing is pretty new to me. I didn't know any of it existed until I got my letter. I was literally throwing myself down a flight of stairs before getting on the train not believing it were true. Sometimes I think I'm still skeptical."
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
30 Dec 2020, 06:06
Lost in Thought
Taylor was happy that she had possibly made a new friend. He was joking around with her. That is what friends do right? "My dad never wanted me to be magical, just wanted me to be normal y'know? But my grandpa told me everything about the wizarding world and of his time here at Hogwarts. It always fascinated me so I was so happy when I got my letter." Taylor loved talking about her grandpa, it made her feel close to him. As she thought about her family, she felt herself close off again and she played with her locket.
Taylor tried to snap out of it and change the topic. "Simon is a nice name. Like Simon Cowell, he's funny, and mean. Just like you. The funny part not the mean part." She mentally kicked herself for saying that. She didn't mean to insult him it just kind of came out of her mouth. "I can't beleve you're a first year like me i thought you were at least a second year. I look like a baby compared to you it's honestly kind of concerning." She stood on top of one of the chairs to be face to face with Simon. "Now I'm taller than you." Taylor said with a smile. She always needed to stand on things to reach something but she was terribly clumsy so as she went to step down off the chair, she slipped and fell to the ground.
@Simon Kincaid
Taylor tried to snap out of it and change the topic. "Simon is a nice name. Like Simon Cowell, he's funny, and mean. Just like you. The funny part not the mean part." She mentally kicked herself for saying that. She didn't mean to insult him it just kind of came out of her mouth. "I can't beleve you're a first year like me i thought you were at least a second year. I look like a baby compared to you it's honestly kind of concerning." She stood on top of one of the chairs to be face to face with Simon. "Now I'm taller than you." Taylor said with a smile. She always needed to stand on things to reach something but she was terribly clumsy so as she went to step down off the chair, she slipped and fell to the ground.
@Simon Kincaid
Taylor Pearl Haywood
30 Dec 2020, 15:16
Lost in Thought
Attempting to rescue @Taylor Haywood
Just before she hit, his hands came to her waist and he helped slowly guide her to the ground instead of a painful sort of thud. That was another good reason to have Simon around was his fast reflexes and movement. Just good genes again, he supposed.
"Careful there, Tay," he said, kneeling down beside her. "You alright?" he smiled to her kindly and hoped she wasn't embarrassed by it because there was no need to be. In doing so her book had dropped and the bookmark fluttered to the ground as well. He reached over and picked both of them up, setting the bookmark on top of the book and looked over it. There was a woman on it and not just like a ballerina or something generic, but probably someone quite special to Taylor Haywood.
"Who's this?" he asked, figuring there was a story with it. It was a pretty picture of a pretty woman and surely she was someone that meant a great deal to her. He handed both items over to her. After all, with Taylor being a Ravenclaw, you didn't mess with their books...their books or their bookmarks. Still, maybe Taylor wasn't your typical Ravenclaw as she hadn't murdered him for disrupting her reading.
[Word Count 209]
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
30 Dec 2020, 15:32
Lost in Thought
Oh. My. God. I can't believe I just fell! I mean thank goodness he caught me but how embarrassing. "Uhm, yes I'm alright, thank you." She said as she dusted herself off. As she did so, she saw Simon reaching for her bookmark. Oh no, I hope he doesn't ask about it. But he did. Taylor gathered up the courage to tell him about her mother. She never really liked talking about her because it made her sad but this boy had a right to know she supposed.
"Well that, that's my mother. She was so pretty, wasn't she?" Taylor said with a sad smile. Her grandfather had always said they looked just alike. She thought that was the possible reason her father got upset easily around Taylor. "She uhm...well she died a few years ago. When I was six years old. That song you were tapping earlier, she had taught it to me. That is why i love it so much." Her mom had taught her many songs. Most of which she was not allowed to sing at home. Her father was quite strict about what she could or could not do. Singing was almost forbidden. Taylor took the book and bookmark from Simons hands and pulled them tight to her chest.
@Simon Kincaid
"Well that, that's my mother. She was so pretty, wasn't she?" Taylor said with a sad smile. Her grandfather had always said they looked just alike. She thought that was the possible reason her father got upset easily around Taylor. "She uhm...well she died a few years ago. When I was six years old. That song you were tapping earlier, she had taught it to me. That is why i love it so much." Her mom had taught her many songs. Most of which she was not allowed to sing at home. Her father was quite strict about what she could or could not do. Singing was almost forbidden. Taylor took the book and bookmark from Simons hands and pulled them tight to her chest.
@Simon Kincaid
Taylor Pearl Haywood
30 Dec 2020, 15:44
Lost in Thought
Sharing sympathy for @Taylor Haywood
There was just something about the way her voice changed a little when she talked about her that he instantly knew how special the woman had been in her life. She lost her far too early on and yet he could tell she had so many memories with her that she cherished and wished could have continued longer.
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Taylor," he said truly and there was sympathy in his voice to show he meant it. "In just so little time I can tell she meant a great deal to you. She must have loved you very much and I can tell you love her."
Love, not loved. Present tense. Maybe her mother wasn't still around but it was apparent that love was still there and in Simon's eyes, those we lost weren't gone, they were just away from us at the moment.
"I bet she's proud of you for being in Ravenclaw," he smiled. Again, present tense. "I read in one of the books not too long after first coming here that Ravenclaws have the highest success rate - not just here at school in Hogwarts but outside the world of academia - in the real world when it comes to professions and families and incomes and whatnot." Slytherin and Gryffindor were nearly tied with second in that author's view. Hufflepuff was last.
He wanted to ask about her family. If she lived with her father or if she had siblings but he really wasn't sure how one goes about doing so in a sensitive manner so he figured maybe he'd learn more about her the more they talked.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
30 Dec 2020, 16:03
Lost in Thought
"She was a Slytherin, my mom was, she never acted like one to me though. I was hoping to be in Slytherin but I am honestly much happier here in Ravenclaw." Ravenclaw was always her second hope because she always had a love for books and knowledge. "I'm not sure where Hufflepuff stands in all that but I can already tell you're going to be something great" Taylor said this, smiling brightly at him.
She realized that they had talked so much about her but hadn't talked about Simon at all. When Taylor felt comfortable with someone, which really wasn't that often, she could talk non-stop. Now however, she felt bad.
"Tell me about your family Mr. Simon. Do you have any siblings or pets, cuz i have neither although I would like a cat." Taylor always wanted a cat. She had always imagined curling up next to one and reading with it. She couldn't imagine Simon with a cat however. He seemed much more like a dog person. "Did you know that cats were considered magical in Ancient Egypt! And they would be dressed in jewels and bring the families good luck. And when they died, they were mummified." Taylor said, impersonating a zombie. Her eyes tended to light up whenever talking about history.
@Simon Kincaid
She realized that they had talked so much about her but hadn't talked about Simon at all. When Taylor felt comfortable with someone, which really wasn't that often, she could talk non-stop. Now however, she felt bad.
"Tell me about your family Mr. Simon. Do you have any siblings or pets, cuz i have neither although I would like a cat." Taylor always wanted a cat. She had always imagined curling up next to one and reading with it. She couldn't imagine Simon with a cat however. He seemed much more like a dog person. "Did you know that cats were considered magical in Ancient Egypt! And they would be dressed in jewels and bring the families good luck. And when they died, they were mummified." Taylor said, impersonating a zombie. Her eyes tended to light up whenever talking about history.
@Simon Kincaid
Taylor Pearl Haywood