25 Feb 2021, 17:28
Can't be too Difficult, Right?
December 27th | 4pm@Kazuo Shimada
What was there to do on a sunday for a little second year girl, who had already finished her homework? Opeila knew that some of the older students were off to Hogsmeade. She could have snuck off as well for sure, but she was rather reluctant to destroy the image of herself that she had shown to the professors since the beginning of this year. The Slytherin had done her best to not draw negative attention to herself and keep up her performance in class. It had definitely worked so far, her grades in most subjects were better than ever. Especially in Transfiguration, she had finally understood the basics and her constant A's from year one turned into perfectly good O's. Only flying was still not where she wanted it, but Opeila was complaining on a high level there- She would never say out loud that she was unhappy with her E. One can also go too far with one's ambitions, right?
Today she didn't want to focus on school, but on a different issue. A few days ago, Opeila had decided to participate in a game of ice hockey, that her friend Ruka had organized. That had turned out as... maybe not exactly a bad idea, but she had definitely made a bit of a joke figure out of herself. Half the game she had spent sitting on the ground trying to get up, guard the goal and not to get the puck into her face at once. There was no trying to deny it, the little Slytherin was a terrible ice skater.
Not that she let that stop her. On this sunday afternoon, Opeila once more went down to the Great Lake, her skates dangling from her shoulder.
Only minutes later she was on the ice again, a shaky figure sliding over the lake's surface.
(I just chose a date now, if you want it changed, I can do that)
26 Feb 2021, 06:50
Can't be too Difficult, Right?
For all that he had requested that he be allowed to remain at Hogwarts over the winter break instead of returning to London, he had found himself regretting it. He hadn’t seen his parents in months and though he would see them for New Year’s Eve, it no longer felt like enough. He wasn’t sure why but the solitude he had always been comfortable with before he had come to Hogwarts had become ill-fitting. Not that he didn’t still enjoy the solitude of losing himself in his books and his studies for hours at a time, but lately he had begun to desire companionship to counterpoint that solitude. It was a new feeling and part of him was fascinated by the change in the same way that he was fascinated by the behaviours of others yet part of him was also concerned by this new desire.
These thoughts had kept Kazuo from being able to focus on his studies and so after several hours of getting nowhere he finally gave up, deciding to head down to the lake instead. Since the hockey game, Kazuo had traded his morning runs on the weekends for a bit of time on the ice instead. It was a pleasant change of pace. He grabbed his skates and pulled on his coat, gloves and scarf, better prepared for the chilly weather that was so different from the winters he was used to. As he followed the path down to the lake, he remembered how much he had enjoyed the hockey game, the rush of competition, another new experience. He’d never really been interested in sports and that hadn’t really changed - he certainly wasn’t lining up to join the Quidditch team - but the adrenaline rush had certainly felt amazing. He hadn’t thought he was a competitive person, another revelation.
As he reached the edge of the lake, he spied another figure on the ice. He took a seat, trading his shoes for skates, watching Opeila as he laced them up. It seemed the Slytherin girl who had been his team’s goalie was attempting to improve her skills. With the hockey game over with and slim likelihood of another one happening this winter, he was curious as to why she would bother. It had seemed to him at the time that most of the players had been drawn to the ice because of Ruka more than the lure of hockey. What could her reason be for coming back down to skate? Had she discovered an interest in skating? Maybe she wanted to redeem herself? Or impress someone? Well, he wouldn’t get answers by sitting on the cold ground, watching.
He pushed himself to his feet and carefully stepped onto the ice, reminding himself that this ice was rough, not at all like the smooth rinks back home. He made his way over to Opeila in a smooth glide, circling around her with a grin. “Ohayo, Opeila-chan!” He greeted as he came to a stop beside her. “Have you discovered a love for skating thanks to Ruka-san?”
Outfit
Reducio
Interacting with: @Opeila Winters
Don't confuse my attitude with my personality. My personality is who I am; my attitude depends on who you are.
2 Apr 2021, 00:18
Can't be too Difficult, Right?
@Kazuo Shimada
Opeila had not been expecting anyone to join her. Most people had gone home over the holidays and many others had other things they'd rather spend their time for. The young girl had not seen the Hufflepuff arrive at the lake, she had not noticed him entering the frozen surface of the lake, but suddenly there he was, circling around her.
“Ohayo, Opeila-chan!”
Opeila looked up, turning her head to follow him with her eyes- a big mistake. Immediately she lost her balance, her skates moved forwards and she fell backwards. Grinning like the boy who was skating around her, she sat up. That was Kazuo from her ice hockey team the other day. She knew close to nothing about him but he had made a positive first impression back then. "Ohayo, Kazuo!", Opeila tried to greet him back the same way, raising her hand a little.
With that same hand she shielded her eyes from the sun when he stopped next to her and she had to look up to look at him. "I would love to discover my love for skating! But I guess, first I have to discover my talent for it." She chuckled. "I'm surprised that you are staying here over the holidays. I found that most first years tend to take all opportunities to go home and see their family. With boarding school life and being away from home still being all new and that. Or are you leaving at a later date?"
So sorry for the wait!
6 Apr 2021, 23:56
Can't be too Difficult, Right?
His greeting had distracted her and he couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped past his lips as she landed on her butt. It turned to a grin as she echoed his greeting. It wasn’t much, just one word repeated and she probably didn’t even know what it meant beyond the context of a greeting but it made him happy. Most students just gave him blank stares and weird looks, after all.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to surprise you,” Kazuo replied, offering her a hand to help her back to her feet should she accept it. “If you can enjoy it enough while falling to want to find your talent for it, I think it’s safe to say you love it. Like anything physical, it just takes practice but I think you’ll be able to get it. Just in the hockey game alone, I think we all got better the longer we played.”
Kazuo considered her questions about winter break, a slight frown creasing his brow before he banished it. The one thing he hadn’t wanted to think about and here he was being questioned about it by a practical stranger. Just his luck. He gave an apathetic shrug as he considered what to say. “My parents are coming to get me for New Year’s Eve because there is some important party they want to drag me to but otherwise, I chose to stay here. I thought it would be better since we don’t celebrate Christmas like you do here. Gave me time to study over the break. Besides, I’m used to being on my own.” It was a pretty straightforward answer, conveniently avoiding the regret he was feeling for his decision. He gave an amused chuckle as he considered the other first years. “I’m not one of those firsties who don’t know what to do the moment their parents are out of sight. What about you? Staying at the school?”
Once Opeila had regained her feet, Kaz would offer an arm. “Since we’re not in the middle of a crazy fast game, it should be easier for you to find your feet. Less stress and people threatening to hit you with pucks and spells.” If she accepted the arm, he would start skating slowly with her, willing to be her crutch should she need it.
Outfit
Reducio
Interacting with: @Opeila Winters
Don't confuse my attitude with my personality. My personality is who I am; my attitude depends on who you are.
22 Jun 2021, 00:28
Can't be too Difficult, Right?
@Kazuo Shimada
Opeila chuckled and gladly accepted his help to get back on her feet. "You're fine. We both know I would have ended up down there, if not now then in a few seconds for another reason." Still smiling, she wiped her wet hands on her trousers. It really was cold when you fell...
Kazuo's frown made the Slytherin regret her question seconds after it slipped out. She could understand not wanting to talk about family. Didn't she get awkward herself whenever someone asked her? "You don't have to answ-" She shut up again when he did.
"I understand. I only ever go home for summer holidays, other than that... Hogwarts is simply the more peaceful place to be in most cases. Well, I hope your party will be nice!"
When had she been to a party outside of Hogwarts the last time...
"I'm not a firstie anymore, remember? I don't fall under that category either.", Opeila joked when he asked her in return, but then added a more serious answer. "I... I'm not wanted where I live now. It's... Well, basically I'm a bit of an intruder, the people I am staying with never volunteered to take me in, you know? They owed my grandmother a favor. I'm fine with staying here, I've always been good on my own. I prefer being here with my friends." Her smile did not falter. She really was okay with that.
Opeila took the arm he offered, grateful for the support it gave her. "Thanks- Hey, I think I did pretty well though! Did you see that Curse I hit Cash with? And Henry too?", she defended herself. With Kazuo at her side it was a lot easier to stay on her feet. Only a little support really did help significantly.
7 Jul 2021, 07:07
Can't be too Difficult, Right?
He chuckled at her admission that she would likely have fallen anyway then nodded along as she explained her own winter plans. Or lack of plans, he supposed. “Well it’s some fancy pureblood thing so it will probably be boring but since we’re new to the London scene it’s important for us to show up. Politics and all that.” He explained with a roll of his eyes. He wasn’t expecting much from this party, it was really for the adults after all. “That sounds rough. I’m sorry your… adopted family? I’m sorry they don’t want you around. I admit, I’m enjoying my dorm a bit more now that it’s empty.” He added with a grin. “Definitely more peaceful than usual. It’s good that you have friends to spend your time with. My mother says that sometimes family is what you choose to make, not the blood that connects you.”
As they began to glide slowly across the ice he gave her another grin. “You definitely did well. Certainly better than some of the others, all things considered. I was pretty impressed with our whole team, honestly. We managed to figure out how to work together far quicker than the others. Even losing Lydia to that damn Bogie curse didn’t stop us. The others seemed more obsessed with picking fights than playing hockey.” He let that thought linger a bit as he thought back to the game. His opinions of quite a few of the players had formed from watching how they had behaved on the ice and most of those opinions weren’t favourable. “Too bad Gray got injured, he seemed like a decent player.”
“What were your thoughts on the others?”[/color] He asked with curiosity, genuinely interested in her opinion of the game and its players. “And what made you decide to join in? Do you know Ruka well?”
@Opeila Winters
Don't confuse my attitude with my personality. My personality is who I am; my attitude depends on who you are.