On The Hunt (For Friends)
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However, today she was not only people watching. She was on the hunt. She had long believed that independence was something to be wished for, but it turned out she would need at least some acquaintances. She had been ashamed in asking someone she didn’t know to help her clean up her books, and she didn’t like sitting alone at the end of the Slytherin table. Granted, she was a loner — she wasn’t in any way a ‘people person’, and if company was boring then she’d usually insult them to get out of the conversation.
She watched, hawk-like, from the shadowy armchair, for a suitable person to start off with. Your approach is rather cold, her conscience whispered to her, you’ll never find someone this way. She could see it raising it’s eyebrows at her, so she quickly shut the book and strode over to the nearest person — a Hufflepuff boy, who looked a little as if he was hiding from the slim shard of light next to his table. She studied him for a second, then cleared her throat gently before asking, “Do you mind if I sit here?”
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's Grace | Stam 4 | Evas 4 | Stren 3 | Wisd 8 | Arc power 8 | Acc 8
On The Hunt (For Friends)
Introductions with @Anja Murtaja
Two weeks away from Hogwarts met Simon with many questions about vampires and dhampirs. All these questions couldn't be researched at The London Library or any of the local libraries near South Kensington. Just as he had done with questions about the general wizarding world, he jotted all of his questions down in a notebook so that he could research them at a later time.
Now that Spring Break had ended and he had returned, he was thankful to get back to the Library. It was almost like a second home to him during that First Year at Hogwarts. While so many students would enjoy the fresh air of the Scottish Highlands, he didn't have the luxury as the sunlight bothered him. In fact it was being quite the pest right now as a glimmer shone on the table, slowing inching its way over toward him as the sun moved across the sky. He had already moved his books over twice.
Simon was a little startled when he heard a voice of a student, asking if he minded if she sat there. He looked up to see a girl in Slytherin robes, brunette with dark grey eyes. He smiled to her kindly. "Of course not. Please do," he answered.
Simon was friendly. He was casual and carefree and liked to find enjoyment in anything he was doing, even if it wasn't much of anything. So he welcomed this opportunity to meet someone new. He even used his foot to push out one of the chairs at the table for her before standing up. "I'm Simon," he began but that's when he realized that the table was cluttered with his books. ...Vampire and dhampir books.
He quickly, almost too quickly, began to stack them up and hoped it just appeared he was trying to make room for her but in reality maybe she didn't need to gather the common theme of all of them. He put his notebook on top and then paused, knowing he probably now seemed awkward.
Now was the time to try and save it.
"Sorry. I'm Simon. Simon Kincaid," and he smiled as he held his hand extended toward her for a proper introduction.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
On The Hunt (For Friends)
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The block of soon-to-be-essay stared up at her, and Anja placed her quill to the parchment, but there was something bugging her. Looking back at Simon, she asked, “Could I take a look at one of these?” She hadn’t yet had the opportunity to look at any books about dhampires, despite her growing interest with the riots and such. She had been too invested in a Muggle fantasy book her friend had sent her, and books on wandlore. She didn’t quite know where her fascination for wandlore started, but it was an interesting and relatively unknown subject. Dhampires were a different kettle of fish — she knew exactly how that had started. First, the riots, then everyone rushing to defend themselves. However, she had simply taken an interest in the topic — after all, knowledge was power — and sworn to herself to one day read up on the subject.
Sensing that the environment had grown a little awkward, she said, “So, what’s your interest in dhampires? Have you been inspired by the riots?” Smiling, she continued, "Don't worry, a Slytherin always keeps her secrets — I won't tell."
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On The Hunt (For Friends)
Conversing with @Anja Murtaja
The riots. The riots sparked because of the article in the Hogwarts Headliner back in November. It was that very same article that sparked his interest in dhampirs because, well, it was word for word in correlation to his very self. That sparked more research and then the blood test - and it was downhill from there. He was sure of it and he wondered if that was the day his life forever seemed to change.
"Yea, all that stuff going on is pretty crazy, huh?" he said as he slowly moved his notebook so she'd have access to the books since she asked to see one. "A lot of the student body seems to be painting them as some sort of uncontrollable, bloodthirsty, murderous monsters. A bit harsh. I mean, there are straight humans that have done society and the world wrong on so many levels. Most of us are just here to do good and enjoy the time that we have on Earth."
Most of us?
What was he saying? It was almost like he was admitting something to the girl.
Simon grew a little frustrated with himself and was quiet for a few seconds as he tried to save the moment. "I hear you can sometimes see the Giant Squid swimming in the Slytherin Common Room. Sounds crazy cool. Is that true?"
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
On The Hunt (For Friends)
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Anja’s eyes narrowed a little at Simon’s use of words. It wasn’t as if she was prejudiced against dhampirs. In fact, she thought it would be rather interesting to have one as a friend.
“I agree. The treatment of these people makes no sense whatsoever.” Anja looked around, cautious of the librarian as her voice rose. “I personally don’t know any dhampirs, but none of them have done anything to me — and probably not to the majority of the student body either,” A frown formed on her face as she picked up one of the books. Its title was an example of the very attitude she had just been railing against. “I mean, look at this,” she said. “This guy obviously hates dhampirs, and this school allows the library to keep it. It’s not even in the restricted section! What kind of impression does that put on people?”
Simon looked a little frustrated, so when he asked about the Giant Squid, Anja answered. She wouldn’t normally have talked about the common room, but she felt some kind of sympathy with him. “Yes, you can. Sometimes it’ll just pass by, but one time I was studying and one of its tentacles bashed into the window. That was a little scary. Sometimes you can even see the merpeople. They like to gather around and watch us occasionally. Now, I hear you get drenched with vinegar if you don’t enter the Puff's password correctly. Seems rather Slytherin to me.”
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On The Hunt (For Friends)
Getting to know @Anja Murtaja
She was right about the discrimination. It wasn't just in the past November issue of the Hogwarts Headliner with the students of Hogwarts but it was in those books as well, okayed by some sort of staff member at some point in time. No wonder he worried what others would think - the cards were stacked up against him.
He was glad when the topic got off dhampirs for the moment because he was backtracking a bit in his mind about what he said and he realized that he pretty much let it slip. Did she notice? Of course she noticed - she seemed to be quite intelligent. Oy.
Simon decided to not worry about it for the moment. He would instead focus on the conversation and where it was heading. Merpeople watching? That would be interesting because then you would be able to watch them back. He had never seen one of the merpeople before, even to one of his few trips to the Great Lake.
She then mentioned how the trick to bid wayward students from the Hufflepuff Common Room seemed sort of Slytherinish and he laughed.
"There's a lot more similarities to Slytherins with us Huffpuffs than any other house, in my opinion," Simon smiled, thinking about that. In his mind it was true. Everyone saw Hufflepuffs as the sweet and the innocent but in some ways...much the same as those Slytherins. "Hard work, dedication, determination, loyalty, unafraid of toil. It's all there," Simon said.
"So tell me a bit about yourself, Anja. Where are you from? What sort of things do you do in your spare time? What's your family like?" he liked getting some basic information about people he just met, especially if they were a good potential friend.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
On The Hunt (For Friends)
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She couldn't lie — she was quite relieved when Simon asked her about herself, even if she saw her family as being really rather shocking in places. The family question — a bane on her existence. "My family is from Finland, mainly. I think it goes back about thirty generations in our area, but most of our estates were built since then. I don't think there's a single squib or half-blood in our family tree since the start, but I couldn't be sure. It's sad really." Anja looked down at the table. Her family, or at least her father's side, had been marrying cousins to cousins for generations to ensure the purest blood possible. In the not uncommon case where there was no suitable cousin, an arranged marriage would be orchestrated, and all parties involved simply lived with it.
"My parents moved to Oxford when I was born to ensure that I would get a place at Hogwarts. We could have gone and lived here, in Scotland, but our only estate here is rather too... old for mother. We go back to Finland from time to time, mostly a Christmas." Anja paused a moment. Here came the difficult part. While she had her suspicions about Simon, she wasn't sure whether she would allow herself to tell him about her father. Deciding instead to stall, she answered his question about her hobbies. "I enjoy reading, especially muggle fantasy. Figuring out how close they are to the truth is always interesting." She thought momentarily. "I guess I really like wandlore. The inevitability of it is fascinating." Think, hobbies! Perhaps she would just spill the beans. It wasn't as if her father was particularly shocking. Only slightly. A lot. Maybe. "My father is a convict. He spent about four years in Nurmengard for something horrific. He only just got out." She took a deep breath. "I helped him get out. My useless disappearing brother finally contacted me after six years to tell me not that he wanted to meet and make amends, but that my father wanted me to lie for him in an appeal trial he'd somehow wrangled out of the judges using his connections. He deserved much longer. I should never have helped." She let out a sharp breath. "I'm sorry. Enough about me. What about you? How's your probably relatively normal life?"
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On The Hunt (For Friends)
Normal talk with @Anja Murtaja
Relatively normal life. He glanced down at that because out of everyone he knew, from his muggle school back in London, to even there now at Hogwarts he was usually the outcast, the one that was different - the one that didn't have a relatively normal life in comparison to those around him. But with Anja talking of Finland, Oxford, most of her estates...disappearing brother and convict father - well, maybe his life was relatively normal compared to that.
"Crazy stuff. I'd love to learn more of the details sometime when you feel ready to share it," he smiled to her kindly. He meant that too. Everyone needed someone they could lean and depend on and Simon wanted to be one of those people for Anja. "But hey, that's the best part about having mistakes, we get to learn from them and they help us to grow and better ourselves."
"My relatively normal life..." he decided to go back to that since he could tell it was a big step just for her to mention what she had with him, "uhh...well, I was born and raised in London and haven't gone much outside of that except for a trip to the coast of England when I was a baby and now to Hogwarts. I live in the South Kensington area with my Aunt Maggie who is completely fantastic. I grew up with a love of learning of music - singing, playing the saxophone, guitar, and piano. I'd like to learn more some day. I've sang in my church's choir for many years and I enjoy reading and playing hockey." He paused. "Yeah, relatively normal life."
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)