Zenith of Zen PV Sylvain Indarys Finished

Hexcode= #507091

OOC Permission Obtained from @Robyn Finley for the blankets

Muted footsteps echoed throughout the ghost town castle of Hogwarts as Sylvain made his way to the Library. Although his heart was recently crushed by news from home, his outlook for the holiday season itself remained much the same. He would be spending it with the people who enjoyed spending it with him. Mostly that meant Flash, but now it meant Robyn too, and soon it might mean more. Had he been building up friends all year just to find himself in a new family? He would fantasize about living in the Hogwarts library as he walked. Snuggling behind the shelves in one of the blankets Miss Finley provided. It was a decent fantasy to say the least. Decent enough that he decided to make it a reality.

It was no mystery to him that Flash would be in the Library today, they had after all agreed to it a month ago, and although he himself had an incident at the Ball; (one involving many pipe cleaners, a murderous doll, gorgeously long locks and of course... fire), He had heard about Flash's fight second hand through a rumor. Rumors were as common as fires. Sylvain did his best to remain aloof about it the whole time of course. Ever since Flash had yelled at him for discovering his real name (can you then imagine how it felt to find out what you thought was your real name wasn't the very next year), Sylvain had prodded him less and less about what shenanigans he was up to, and started to focus more on his own well being. Mostly his school work.

Classes and finals were easy enough this semester. He'd done the homework and gotten the grades, most of them E's but some O's and the odd A here and there. Not that he was a perfect student, far from it truth be told, but the effort he put up, as was needed to be pleased with himself, was more than enough to earn him the title of Prefect and he still hadn't properly celebrated that with his best friend. Hell, Syl had hardly noticed the change in his life at all but change had happened. One or two patrols, some minor responsibility during the lock down, and a sense of urgency when the school got tense was about the worst of it, but the pay and bathroom were worth it. He had become comfortable in his role.

Much of that comfort, he owed to his rigorous schedule and co-prefects. Classes, homework, meal times, homework, classes. Rinsed and repeated until it was time for his duties, then after duties, he would spend his evenings relaxing. There were many in those first two months that he had started to look up to, but none of them as much as Mr. Iwasaki and Coach River. Winter break was a welcome mix to his schedule, mostly because it meant more time to spend with his friend and more time to relax but also because it meant presents and hot chocolate. Hmmm, Hot Chocolate.

"Flash!" Sylvain shouted across the library, forgetting himself and his surroundings as he spotted his best mate amidst an ocean of books. Sylvain thought to himself for a moment how much ambition Flash must have to pick out every single book he wanted to read ahead of time. The way he figured it, most of the time, Sylvain resorted to reading what was required next to that he seldom chose to read at all. When he did, it was mostly nerdy stuff about poisons, dragons (fantasy ones, not the magical creatures) and knights (again, fantasy ones, not the real ones).

Beaming with excitement, Sylvain dashed across the library practically prancing with joy to spend yet another winter with the ambitious and sensitive Flash Holmwood. Chuckling as he got close, Sylvain set down his satchel and asked the nearest elf to grab the pair a blanket or two from behind the desk. "Robyn said I could have some blankets, please?" Sylvain fished a present out from his bag, it was simple and cheap, but the new allowance that came with being a prefect meant having loads more money to spend on his friends. "Hope you don't mind, but I got you a present."

Mentions @Flash Holmwood

Permission to God Mod Flash Opening the Gift Requested

Hexcode= #507091

"Go ahead and open it," Sylvain said excitedly. It was actually fortuitous that he hadn't brought him one in exchange, as this kind of gift demanded a specific one in return.

As Flash peeled back the brown paper, untying the string impeding his progress, it revealed a lockpicking knife. "There's actually a bit of folklore about gifting someone a knife," Sylvain said as he made himself comfortable among their palace of books. "They say that if someone gives you a knife, you're supposed to give them a coin, otherwise you risk cutting the ties that bond you." He raised his eyebrows dramatically as he tilted his head to one side mocking the severity behind such superstition. Even though Sylvain knew magic was real, he hardly believed the tall tale.

Mocking aside, Sylvain warily peeped about for the house elf in tow with their requested blankets. It seemed to him that the elf was taking their time to return. Still he spoke in a whisper, hoping that Flash shared his curiosity of the unknown. "I got it so we could try to sneak into the forbidden section... If you wanted to. Try not to get it confiscated in the mean time." It wasn't often that Sylvain had openly talked about breaking the rules, in fact, it was an increasingly risky pattern of behavior that had only recently reared its head sometime around the start of this year.

Being a prefect had brought him several newly found freedoms, but he still had no access to the forbidden section. The idea of unfathomable wisdom, knowledge, or magic locked up in some private area of the library turned the normally curious scholar into a devious spy. Never mind the consequences, consequences which were almost certainly less painful than the unknown. "What do you think? Wanna give it a go some time?" A mischief of his own flashing through his eyes while settling his hand on Holmwood's shoulder.

Mentions @Flash Holmwood

Hexcode= #507091

"There is certainly some truth to that." Sylvain said in agreement with Flash's assertion that wizards oft underestimated muggle's methods. Having grown up in muggle household on the fringes of muggle society, Sylvain felt as though his life had given him a unique perspective of his options as a wizard. It was then that he realized how important it was not to forget what made him different. His life was an exception to the paranormal and he had the Indarys's to thank for that. Even if they weren't in a position to support him anymore, they had loved him despite his oddity.

He shrugged in a vapid attempt to answer whether lock picks opened charmed doors. "Guess you'll have to try it and see. I almost envy your chance to experiment with it. Let me know how it goes would you?" It was now when he realized the gift he had gotten for Flash was gotten more out of his own curiosity and was gifted more in the hopes that Flash might be brave enough to follow through on his hypothetical experiment. Sylvain was chickenshit when it came to breaking the rules, but being something about Flash made that anxiety go away. It was a bit embarrassing and though he felt quite ashamed, he kept it to himself when Flash thanked him for the gift. "You're welcome." He said with a beaming grin. He was pleased to hear Flash was even remotely interested in his gift. "And Merry Christmas."

As Flash drew the blankets over himself, an attractive proposition that reminded him of what he himself desired, Sylvain made for the spot nearest him so as to join in the cozy comfort of their storybook palace. Settling in next to his friend, Sylvain looked quizzically at him when Flash asked if he intended to study, or to relax, then after a few moments Sylvain looked like a deer in headlights. He had to ponder whether or not they would be quietly reading together like last year, or if perhaps this year they might try something new. It would hardly do to try the same thing twice, but how could he suggest they do something different when Flash already seemed interested in maintaining the status quo?

"Actually," he started after composing himself, his face catching up to his wandering train of thought. "Do you think it would be fun to take turns reading something new together?" He didn't really have much stamina for reading out loud on his own and the thought of reading something one of them had already experienced was a bit dull, even if it did teach him something new about Flash. It was much more efficient for him to learn alone, and far more interesting to make discoveries together. That much he was certain of. "No pressure if you're not interested though. I could just as easily stick my nose into some firsthand account of dragons or get a head start on next semester's required reading."

If he had spoken with his feelings out in the open, he would have admitted to preferring to spend the time with Flash now that they were cozy. Just the two of them in the moment. Just as strongly however, he felt as though he couldn't say so without the meaning of his sentiments becoming lost in pursuit of Flash's interest. Sometimes his suggestions caused the magic of the moment to be lost in expectations. "What are you reading there anyways?"

Mentions @Flash Holmwood

Hexcode= #507091

They way Flash tucked the knife away left Sylvain with absolutely no doubt that Flash would take good care of the gift given to him. Seeing his smile, Sylvain would return it in kind, the two of them smiling at one another in childish glee for a brief moment. It was different than the way Flash usually smiled. To Sylvain it would be one of those few moments Flash let his guard down and his inner child shine through. He seemed happy.

With the way life at Hogwarts played itself out, Sylvain could do nothing less than nod in agreement with Flash's sentiments regarding DADA. It was a class he had also taken care to spend a decent amount reading up on. Although his interest in potions came more naturally to him, Defense Against the Dark arts was far more practical in the average student's daily life. He chuckled a little as Holmwood put the book to the side. It was just like Flash to favor practicality over fun.

As Flash presented a selection of novels for the pair to read, Sylvain paid close attention to the covers. He was likely to read all of them once the two had split up, but how should he choose now that they were together? Now that they were both going to be entertained, what material did Flash find preferable? His eye caught on "The Hound of the Baskervilles." Immediately he fell back into his chuckle, giggling giving way to laughter. It was this one. He didn't know how he knew, but this had to be the one.

"Alright, we have to read this one." He declared after regaining his composure and selecting the book with what appeared to be a ferocious chihuahua on the cover. No doubt a terrifying beast amidst the pages that held its secret. "I have to say, Flash, you sure know how to pick em." Scanning the other covers, Sylvain pointed to Isaac Asimov's "Nine Tomorrows," his mind curious as to the book's contents. He had once read through the short stories of "I, Robot," another of Asimov's works.

"I recognize the author. I really enjoyed his ideas relating to the moral implications of sentient robots." It was a theme that had enraptured him and spirited him away to the dystopian future. Something that was perhaps true about this same book. Though the cover looked more like a scene from Lord of the Rings. An eye atop a looming tower. "What's this one about?"

@Flash Holmwood

@Sylvain Wyllt

Hexcode= #507091

"Of course you do," Sylvain said, assuring his friend that his insecurities weren't founded on evidence, but instead fleeting feelings. He would nod in affirmation while Flash explained that Sherlock was a classic. Though it was surprising he hadn't read many of them, Sylvain wouldn't think that unusual. However, Flash definitely struck Sylvain as some sort of prodigy P.I. The kind that got themselves into trouble digging to deep to uncover a mystery. The kind he wanted to work with when he grew up.

Asking after his own interests was probably a mistake on Holmwood's part, but the question would immediately draw passion from Sylvain. "Oh! Well, I enjoy a variety of reading." He thought, putting his hand to his chin and contemplating which ones in particular might be relatable. "Though my passions are in potioneering, so since I've had so much access to it I've grown only more fond." But that wasn't a satisfying enough answer, at least not for Syl. "Course, I also like to read fantasy books. Merlin, dragons, knights and the like." He smiled, the stoic half-smile of his meeting Flash's genuine grin.

"Then there's autobiographical history. Always a treat to read first hand accounts of events I can't go back in time to witness." The idea of time travel was one of the subjects he had been interested in only a short while back. H.G. Wells's "The Time Machine" being the tale of a scientist with a tragic past hoping to reverse the irreversible. "Honestly, Asimov looks right down my alley, but we can enjoy a good mystery together instead." After all, Sherlock was a classic and Flash had admitted to a keener interest in them. It helped to know that Sylvain had plenty of reading time up in Ravenclaw Tower after curfew.

Tucking himself into their cozy reading nest, Sylvain took ahold of "The Hound of the Baskervilles," and began reading once Flash had settled in beside him. There was no rush, but Sylvain wanted to do the majority of the reading. Last time, Sylvain had read over Flash's shoulder, and as a result spent most of his time waiting for Holmwood to catch up and turn the page. Not today. He would read aloud fluidly, only occasionally stumbling when he chanced across a word he'd not spoken before. Latin had already helped him considerably in terms of understanding new words the pair came across. Being a wizard came with a plethora of advantages, but being expected to read was perhaps the best of them.

Finishing the reading, having taken one or two breaks to stretch or run to the restroom in the mean time, Sylvain folded it closed with a thump and looked over to Holmwood to see his reaction. He wouldn't say anything until Flash had a moment to recover from the quirky way the book had ended. Sylvain, eagerly awaiting his honest opinion on the oddity that was their first Sherlock book, spoke up to illicit a response. "So, what'd ya think?" He himself hadn't found it all that informative or funny, but it was certainly an interesting way to end a mystery.

@Flash Holmwood