22 Jan 2021, 05:12
Her First Train Trip
The noise of the multiple trains had bothered Amelia first when she stepped into the King's Cross Station with her father. As always, her father was dressed in his business suit despite the fact he would be working at home for the rest of the day. He ushered her to keep pushing the little cart of strange supplies this new school required her to bring and they moved through the crowds of onlookers. There was so much that attracted young Amelia's attention, from the massive clocks to the trains to the little children clinging to their parents. They finally arrived to the mysterious wall described in the Hogwarts letter. Both her parents were muggles and she lacked any connection to the wizarding world which resulted in a more detailed instructional letter on how to get to Hogwarts.
"It says to run at this wall and you'll end up at Platform 93/4. A unique way to get to school I suppose but not the strangest thing we've seen this week. " Her father admitted.
"Dad. I don't...[/color]" She looked up at him with big pleading eyes, "Don't make me go. Please... I want to stay with you and mum."
"I know pumpkin but you're a big girl now. It's time you went to a proper school. We-" His phone began ringing.
Like lightning, his phone was pulled out and he was already talking to someone from work. He motioned for her to get going and took a step back so she could have space. Amelia bit her lower lip and considered just staying where she was and refusing to go. Her imagination cultivated an image of two disappointed parents in her head and her feet taking a few steps forwards. Before she knew it, she was running towards the wall with all her might. She closed her eyes and waited for an impact but it never came. When she opened her eyes again, she was in a completely different station. The train before her was old and far prettier than the regular trains at King's Cross. The sign above her read, Platform 93/4.
Pushing her cart towards the train, she managed to empty it and carry her trunk and a few carry on items with her as she stood in front of the train entrance. Hesitantly stepping onto the train, she looked at the kids around her who gave impatient stares. Amelia rushed faster as she sped down the train hall and spotted an empty compartment, a little sanctuary. Shutting the sliding doors behind her, she shoved her luggage into the space above the chairs then plopped down in one of the seats.
Her eyes drifted towards the windows and she leaned on the side of the wall, just staring out the glass but never really seeing anything. Once again her mind was elsewhere, imagining what this new school might look like. Perhaps one of those old Victorian buildings with beautiful ivy creeping up the walls? Or maybe it would be modern with designer tech that people were so excited about these days.
She wondered what kind of school this place was if her parents were willing to send her so far away for it... Or maybe she was the only one who thought it strange being made to leave. Her thoughts swirled around in her head like a storm, making her focus on the fancy curtains as a way to distract herself. She started plucking at one of the threads and thought about how many threads there might be in one curtain.
"It says to run at this wall and you'll end up at Platform 93/4. A unique way to get to school I suppose but not the strangest thing we've seen this week. " Her father admitted.
"Dad. I don't...[/color]" She looked up at him with big pleading eyes, "Don't make me go. Please... I want to stay with you and mum."
"I know pumpkin but you're a big girl now. It's time you went to a proper school. We-" His phone began ringing.
Like lightning, his phone was pulled out and he was already talking to someone from work. He motioned for her to get going and took a step back so she could have space. Amelia bit her lower lip and considered just staying where she was and refusing to go. Her imagination cultivated an image of two disappointed parents in her head and her feet taking a few steps forwards. Before she knew it, she was running towards the wall with all her might. She closed her eyes and waited for an impact but it never came. When she opened her eyes again, she was in a completely different station. The train before her was old and far prettier than the regular trains at King's Cross. The sign above her read, Platform 93/4.
Pushing her cart towards the train, she managed to empty it and carry her trunk and a few carry on items with her as she stood in front of the train entrance. Hesitantly stepping onto the train, she looked at the kids around her who gave impatient stares. Amelia rushed faster as she sped down the train hall and spotted an empty compartment, a little sanctuary. Shutting the sliding doors behind her, she shoved her luggage into the space above the chairs then plopped down in one of the seats.
Her eyes drifted towards the windows and she leaned on the side of the wall, just staring out the glass but never really seeing anything. Once again her mind was elsewhere, imagining what this new school might look like. Perhaps one of those old Victorian buildings with beautiful ivy creeping up the walls? Or maybe it would be modern with designer tech that people were so excited about these days.
She wondered what kind of school this place was if her parents were willing to send her so far away for it... Or maybe she was the only one who thought it strange being made to leave. Her thoughts swirled around in her head like a storm, making her focus on the fancy curtains as a way to distract herself. She started plucking at one of the threads and thought about how many threads there might be in one curtain.
26 Jan 2021, 01:48
Her First Train Trip
@Amelia Cullen
All stories had beginnings. There was a time before Valentine was the Demon First Year. Before he took upon himself the mantle of Gryffindor Duelist and steeled his resolve with fire. Before the thirst for challenge awakened within him like the beast he would ultimately serve tamer to, the flaming red lion that was his emblem of war.
He appeared as he might've many months ago when he was Jackson, a muggle-born kid with no idea what the heck was going on with his life. Before all of that, he was a simple academic, a child plucked from a life he knew and displaced into one that he didn't belong in. He was dressed in a loose-fitting cotton jacket that seemed to wear him more than he wore it. A set of relaxed jeans contradicted his tense aura.
"Sorry," he knocked on the door to Amelia's compartment before taking a cautious peek into the room. However troubled he was, he had been raised with manners, something that he would come to be quite proud of. "The other compartments are loud. Can I join you?"
He had no idea what to expect behind this door. All he knew was that it was far less boisterous than the group of albino-heads that had been mockingly catcalling him from one car down.
Discord: Valentine#6117
26 Jan 2021, 03:49
Her First Train Trip
When the boy opened the door and knocked, Amelia jumped in surprise at the sudden appearance of the stranger. Was he a witch too? Or a wizard? Whatever they called boy wizards... He mentioned how noisy the other compartments were and asked if he could join her. She silently nodded, then leaned against the window and gazed up at the passing landscapes that flew by like lightning. There was a moment of awkward silence before Amelia decided to speak.
"We don't have to eat frog soup or something... will we?" She asked.
When she got her letter the girl had gone to the library to read up on witches and witchcraft. The majority of books she found were all about fairytale witches or the witch trials. The fairytales described disgusting frog soups and other gross foods and potions. Meanwhile the books over witch trials were horrifying and gave her nightmares for weeks. Even now she didn't want to think of it, in fear her nightmares would return.
"And we won't have to do any goat sacrifices right?" Amelia questioned in a half whisper, "I like goats. They're nice."
Her own mind had done more than enough to scare her for these past months. It wasn't until she received some of her books that she began to realize being a witch wouldn't be all bad. However, if pointy hats, flying brooms, and owning familiars were real then she wasn't entirely safe from the rest of witch lore. Maybe this is what she got for researching at non-witch libraries.
"We don't have to eat frog soup or something... will we?" She asked.
When she got her letter the girl had gone to the library to read up on witches and witchcraft. The majority of books she found were all about fairytale witches or the witch trials. The fairytales described disgusting frog soups and other gross foods and potions. Meanwhile the books over witch trials were horrifying and gave her nightmares for weeks. Even now she didn't want to think of it, in fear her nightmares would return.
"And we won't have to do any goat sacrifices right?" Amelia questioned in a half whisper, "I like goats. They're nice."
Her own mind had done more than enough to scare her for these past months. It wasn't until she received some of her books that she began to realize being a witch wouldn't be all bad. However, if pointy hats, flying brooms, and owning familiars were real then she wasn't entirely safe from the rest of witch lore. Maybe this is what she got for researching at non-witch libraries.
26 Jan 2021, 13:49
Her First Train Trip
@Amelia Cullen
"Probably not, but maybe worse," he replied with a thoughtful shrug. If past experiences had taught him anything, it was that preconceived notions were often just that, notions. Besides, the society he had seen so little of seemed to run on similar ethics as those taught in the muggle world.
He had been lost in his thoughts up until now. Being a muggle-born in a pureblood's world was exceedingly lonely in the initial period. Whereas everyone already seemed to have connections via a parent or a childhood acquaintance, Valentine had with him only his lonely thoughts and reflections. He looked to Amelia, whose anxious countenance seemed closer to his own than the purebloods a car down. It was understandable that they were both afraid. After all, they were eleven-year-old children taking a train that didn't exist to a place they had never seen in a world they had never known.
"I'm Jackson," he found himself blurting out randomly. He shared his name because it was the only thing he believed to still be true. He had learned that men could walk through walls and that trains could compress and expand depending on the capacity needs. He was already beginning to question the truthfulness of the facts he had been told about most of the known world.
"I'm from Manchester. Are you English?"
He had a vague hunch based on the accent, but he wouldn't risk making quick assumptions. For all he knew, this girl was from an alternate reality of earth.
Discord: Valentine#6117
26 Jan 2021, 15:13
Her First Train Trip
For a moment before climbing onto the train, Valencia felt a twinge of fear. It was subtle, but still existent nonetheless. Her cold eyes stared blankly at the compartment windows, the faint silhouette of students chatting just behind the glass. It was a rather exciting moment for all of the first years here, but something felt.. off to Valencia. She turned on her heel to face her mother again, her eyes lowering at the thought of her father not being able to make it. It was safer for him to stay home, she knew this, but it still hurt at the thought of not being able to hug him before she was sent away to who knows where.
With a kiss on the cheek from her mother, Valencia was ushered onto the train with a gaggle of other shouting 11-year-olds, all pushing and shoving to pick the seemingly best compartment. Her eyes rolled in response, dragging her trunk through the tight and narrow hallway. It was then that she stopped in front of a compartment door, the large see-through rectangle on it displaying two children riding together. She figured this to be her best chance at getting somewhat of a pleasant ride, and as such slid the door open.
The Dhampir looked at the girl first, and then the boy. It seemed that she was intruding on a conversation, though one comment couldn't help but make her laugh. Goat sacrifices.. What was this? A cult? Her head shook back and forth for a moment until she brought her eyes back up to meet theirs.
"Yes, he's right. Sometimes if you're caught after curfew they throw you in the abandoned forest for a night as punishment." She said, trying to keep her giggles to a minimum. Valencia really had no idea if that statement were actually true or not, and she hadn't much of an idea as to what the Abandoned Forest was anyway apart from her mother telling stories of it.
"Anyway, do either of you mind if I ride with you both?" The red-headed girl inquired, offering a tight lipped smile.
Dive down deep into her sound.
𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗞. Dhampir
𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗞. Dhampir
26 Jan 2021, 21:49
Her First Train Trip
[quote]
His words were less comforting than what she was hoping for. Not having to worry about goat sacrifices or toad soup was good but the idea of something worse made her feel uneasy. Another kid entered the compartment and mentioned about how they would be thrown into an abandoned forest for misbehavior. Her face grew a little pale at that idea as she imagined getting tossed into a darkened forest filled with unknown creatures.
"I don't mind." She stuttered out.
Shoving those dark thoughts out of her head, she instead focused on keeping up a conversation with these kids. The red-head girl had an air of elegance about her, or maybe it was just the neat clothes. Meanwhile the boy seemed to be friendly and extremely talkative.
"Scottish," She replied quietly.
Amelia glanced down to her shoes, trying to avoid saying something else that would target her as dumb or bring out something else that would scare her before they arrived at school. However, she knew silence was no way to make friends and one of her parent's instructions was to make friends. They wanted her to develop a social group inside the wizarding community.
"So um, do you guys know about Hogwarts?" Amelia awkwardly asked, "I mean of course you do. We're going there."
This was one of the times she wished she had her mother's talent for speaking. Her mother could go off about any topic or bring herself into any group. If she just had one inch of her parent's skill... Then she remembered one of the topics she'd researched when trying to prepare for school.
"If you could choose to vacation anywhere, where would you go?" Amelia asked.
She had read the entirety of How to Make Best Friends At School, the gilgirl's edition from one of the libraries. It was a pink book made for younger children that was filled with basic conversational questions that nobody in real life would actually ask, or risk sounding like a school teacher trying to get the class to socialize.
@Jackson Valentine @Valencia Deathstout
His words were less comforting than what she was hoping for. Not having to worry about goat sacrifices or toad soup was good but the idea of something worse made her feel uneasy. Another kid entered the compartment and mentioned about how they would be thrown into an abandoned forest for misbehavior. Her face grew a little pale at that idea as she imagined getting tossed into a darkened forest filled with unknown creatures.
"I don't mind." She stuttered out.
Shoving those dark thoughts out of her head, she instead focused on keeping up a conversation with these kids. The red-head girl had an air of elegance about her, or maybe it was just the neat clothes. Meanwhile the boy seemed to be friendly and extremely talkative.
"Scottish," She replied quietly.
Amelia glanced down to her shoes, trying to avoid saying something else that would target her as dumb or bring out something else that would scare her before they arrived at school. However, she knew silence was no way to make friends and one of her parent's instructions was to make friends. They wanted her to develop a social group inside the wizarding community.
"So um, do you guys know about Hogwarts?" Amelia awkwardly asked, "I mean of course you do. We're going there."
This was one of the times she wished she had her mother's talent for speaking. Her mother could go off about any topic or bring herself into any group. If she just had one inch of her parent's skill... Then she remembered one of the topics she'd researched when trying to prepare for school.
"If you could choose to vacation anywhere, where would you go?" Amelia asked.
She had read the entirety of How to Make Best Friends At School, the gilgirl's edition from one of the libraries. It was a pink book made for younger children that was filled with basic conversational questions that nobody in real life would actually ask, or risk sounding like a school teacher trying to get the class to socialize.
27 Jan 2021, 07:36
Her First Train Trip
@Valencia Deathstout @Amelia Cullen
Valentine gestured to the newcomer with an affirmative nod of his head. Contrary to Amelia’s assessment of him after a mere two sentences of spaced dialogue, he was a quiet sort of boy who preferred speaking with actions rather than words.
“Should we be worried that the school is named after pigs and pimples?” he quipped. Even his attempts at humor were brief, lighthearted, with the intent to lessen the awkwardness in the room. Biologically speaking, warts are not pimples. However, we are eleven-year-old children and probably don’t know that.
The other girl, Valencia, had a different air about her than the one who was already there when he arrived. Amelia was confused and out of her element, quite like he was. This girl, on the other hand, was different, yet he couldn’t quite place how.
He shrugged in response to her question. He was never the sort to look beyond the pages of his books for enjoyment. If there were one place he’d love to go, though, it would be Japan for its culture and food. But that was something personal that he didn’t share easily. His gaze instead flickered to the other girl in the cabin, interested to see how she would react. While some felt that silence was deafening, it enabled Valentine to fill the air with his thoughts.
Discord: Valentine#6117
28 Jan 2021, 14:42
Her First Train Trip
"Lovely." She said with a grin, taking a seat next to the girl. When she answered the boy's question about being Scottish, Valencia found herself nodding unknowingly. She often did this when someone had something in common with her, a silent agreeance and acknowledgment to their spoken words. One thing she had immediately noticed was the other girl's timidness, as if she was nervous of judgement or something of the sort. Valencia supposed it was a valid fear despite not having it herself. No, she was quite the opposite. Not so talkative to be considered flamboyant, but rather confident in her speech.
"I practically grew up on my mother's stories about the place." Valencia answered, a faint smile resting on her face as she recalled the time she heard about her mother sneaking into other common rooms in her youth. However daring Valencia considered herself to be, she'd never try something to that extent. She didn't know what kind of punishments they handed out at Hogwarts, but she knew for a fact that posing as another house wouldn't give you too keen of a reputation.
She giggled lightly at the male's joke, making her wonder about the actual inspiration for the school's odd name. It could be a reference to its origin, whatever that may be, or perhaps it was just a weird play on of words. Either way, the name was indeed silly.
Another question now, this girl seemed to just be filled with conversation starters. Valencia wasn't complaining though, it would be dreadfully boring to sit in a train compartment in utter silence as they all try their hardest not to make eye contact. She'd never really thought about where she could go, as her family usually stayed in their manor and didn't venture outside of it. Her mind recalled back to the novels she read months prior, places with beautiful architecture and glamorous views.
"Venice perhaps, gorgeous city don't you agree?" She asked in response, assuming they knew where it was and what it looked like. More than likely they hadn't a clue where she was talking about, in which case they'd probably just nod their heads and not touch on it further.
"I think the most exciting thing about all of this is houses. Do either of you have an idea of which house you want to be sorted in?" A half-truth, really. The house system in its entirety seemed smart, yes, but it wasn't like she was excited to find out her house. Apparently, you belong where you belong, almost as if it were fate if you were to believe in such a thing. She had a vague idea of each house's motives, and could really only see herself going into Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Her wit would be easily matched if among the eagles, though she could be cunning all the same. It would interesting, that was for sure.
Dive down deep into her sound.
𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗞. Dhampir
𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗞. Dhampir