Arrival Thread - Magical Schools - May 2021 Arrival

Irina speaking in English
Irina speaking in Russian
Others speaking

Interacting with @Lucia Fox

Irina liked the girl. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence, but now she didn’t think the same. But she kept this to herself. After all, Lucia did have the same dark hair and nose as her. And still, Hogwarts was British, and her father was English.

Moving on, Irina thought it would be nice if she properly introduced herself. “Yes, I’m from... the conservatory. Wait- do you mean the Russian one? She smiled. The Conservatory was a nice name for her school. “Oh, and please don’t make me try and pronounce it. I’ve been going there for nearly a year, and I still can’t do it.

She knew she should be able to pronounce a Russian word. Her father often spoke English at home, and her mother never really said anything to her, so she had struggled with learning the language. She was much better described as a British girl living in Russia. Because, after all, that is what she sort of was. She knew she belonged here, in Hogwarts. Back in Russia, she had always felt apart from everyone else, and now she knew why. Her British heritage held her here. Because here, she felt at home. She now knew that she would enjoy her stay here.

Banner by Lucia Fox

Interacting with: Enzo Delcroix @Akari Kato
Color: #374776

Oh, so the boy could speak English…in fact, he was very good at it. The words he had chosen to use weren’t as good however. Usually, Carolyn would rely on her never-ending patience and perhaps apologize again but tonight, something ugly bubbled under the surface. Something she didn’t yet fully understand. The tone and overall demeanor of the boy reminded her of Annemone. It has been only couple days since she escaped the clutches of her maternal grandmother and she was not in the mood to be lectured again. Sure, her furry friend acted pretty rudely towards the boy but the cat didn’t even touch him hence his harsh words felt like an overreaction. Not to mention she DID in fact train him and she did a damn good job. When the Ravenclaw first got her pet, Mordred was not afraid to scratch and bite but she taught him such behavior was not allowed. He still hissed or growled at some people but she’d also seen him cuddling with strangers, which she never thought would be possible before.

Frowning, Carolyn shifted her full attention to the Beauxbatons Academy student. It was apparent he was not interested in any further discussion and in the past, the Ravenclaw would just let it go. Today however, she didn’t feel like it. “I am actually…thank you for your input,” she said with a fakest smile she could muster. The expression felt foreign on her face yet it also came somewhat naturally. When did that happen? “To a kid like you, he would most likely show no mercy in the past. You know, cats are smart. The know who is worthy to be in their presence who is not.” She added in a perfectly calm voice. It was not her usual calmness though. More often than not, her general nature was soothing to others, this time she sounded different. Cold and calculated. She was also lying. That particular statement was not entirely true when it came to Mordred. Carolyn still didn’t know how he chosen his “victims”. She had seen him act like a douche towards people she herself actually liked. The boy, sitting next to her didn’t need to know that though. Deception...That was also one of the things she didn’t do often, only when she really had to. This meant her grandmother probably had more power over her than she initially thought. What would her parents think if they saw her right now? Surely, they would be extremely disappointed by her behavior.

[font=Monotype Corsiva]Roleplaying as iNPC Enzo Delcroix
English: #D2691E
French: #BF8000 + Italics & Bold
Interacting with: @Carolyn Hunt
Mentioning: N/A
[/font]

[font=Monotype Corsiva]What part of Enzo's previous observation was an invitation to continue this so-called conversation? Had he not made it clear enough that he had not been keen on speaking anything more to this girl? Well, apparently not.
Enzo eternally groaned while he turned back to look at the girl. He watched her as she replied to him with a smile that he, unfortunately, knew all too well. It was his go-to look to get his mother off his back whenever she dragged him along to meet all her high-class friends after all. So you could say that it somewhat amused him to see it on someone else. However not a speck of emotion showing that, set across his face.

His icy glare noticeably hardened even more at her response. A kid like him? What was that supposed to mean? Any form of underlying regret that he might have had for engaging with this girl instead of ignoring her and pretending he didn't speak English dissipated as quickly as it came. He was not about to let that slide.
"Did you actually think that I would care whether or not I'm 'worthy' to be in a cat's presence?" He asked rhetorically. He then rested his head back on his head nonchalantly before continuing on in another grumble.
"Keep your cat and your silly remarks to yourself, s’il te plaît please"

This little encounter was nothing new to Enzo. People constantly got angry over what came out of his mouth (or in his mother's case what didn't come out), but what could he do about it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He was literally just stating the plain ol' truth. It really wasn't his problem not even in the slightest that people weren't able to take a bit of criticism here and there.

Interacting with: Enzo Delcroix @Akari Kato
Color: #374776

The boy groaned upon hearing her speak but Carolyn couldn’t care less. He started it. If he looked irritated but let it go, the witch would have done the same however since he felt the need to comment on it, she didn’t feel too guilty about her own reaction. Of course, this meant that the unpleasant interaction wasn’t over. Great. The Ravenclaw definitely wasn't happy about that but she wasn't about to give up now. "Did you actually think that I would care whether or not I'm 'worthy' to be in a cat's presence?"Carolyn actually snorted at the boy’s reply. “Oh no, I don’t doubt for a second that you don’t. In fact, It seems to me that you don’t care about anybody but yourself,” she retorted. Most likely false assumption of course yet at this very moment he sure acted like it. Still, very few people lived their life, not caring about anything or anyone. Although her own grandmother appeared to be one of those people at times. It felt like she worried about her family's reputation without really caring about the actual people in it. It was hard to say what was going through that woman’s mind and to be perfectly honest, Carolyn wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

"Keep your cat and your silly remarks to yourself, s’il te plait. The Beauxbatons student successfully interrupted her train of thought. “Right back at you kid. Since you obviously enjoy giving unwelcome advice, let me give you one in return. If you are not interested in interaction with others…” because he clearly wasn’t. “...don’t start one in the first place.” She finished coldly, finally dropping the fake smile. She was also done talking to this boy. It was clear nothing good would come from it anyway. Instead, she turned back towards her sketchbook and got to work. She would like to finish the drawing in peace thank you very much. And if she was a bit more aggressive with her pencil… well…it was nobody’s business. She would still make sure the final product looked good. Hopefully the French boy would leave her alone now.

Mentioning n/a
Interacting With @Ami Procoppio as Maksim Preobrazhensky
Closed to interactions excluding the above

Gah.

A violet and pale-yellow gradient would be painted along his back come sundown, sore and so intensely sensitive that for the next couple nights, Levi would be sleeping on his right side bearing a pained scowl with every unconscious twitch. The muscular international student had affectionally—hopefully, that is—clapped the shorter boy’s back, sending a shooting sting in each direction and knocking him forward, taking a step with his left foot to avoid hitting the Great Hall’s hard floor face first. Straightening his back, he’d gently sway side to side in an attempt to restore his balance, broken by the tall student’s stunningly strong hit, backed by muscles for days.

The older boy was much less enthused about interacting with the Levi Drakos than the younger brunet had hoped he’d be. Was there not something alluring about his introduction? Shame, that’d need to be revised. Rather than meeting eyes and nurturing an enduring ache from the awkward angle, his dark eyes were elsewhere in the grand room, desperate as they glided over unknown faces and, perhaps, one known. Without a stepping stool and a pair of extraordinarily powerful binoculars, it wouldn’t be possible for Levi to deduce what was reflected in the gaze but slight disappointment. The “friend” formerly mentioned? Doubtful. There was a distinct vibe that if such an excuse had been apparent, the international student’s flawless skin would be fading into the crowd of chattering teenagers before Levi could cough up his following words.

“Red is also my house’s theme color, Gryffindor.” He noted in return to the older boy’s apparent attempt at making conversation. In this strange purgatory of small talk and mindless banter, Levi would need to remind himself of his purpose, establish this if nothing but a lie: I exist.

It was hard for Levi to pinpoint what had drawn him to the pillar of the male species. Was it so shallow as his height, heavenly crafted skin, the scent of desperation and true adolescence? Or was it something in his eyes—which Levi was surely blind to from a foot beneath their level—but something that called to him, nonetheless? Lingering in the doorway was a sort of cry for help and the young kid, craving the glamour of a ball for years to come, was the first responder. No matter what it was, he stood before him now, easing toward an empty section among the magnificent tables and praying his smaller frame would not be submersed in the large, intimidating creatures that gradually flooded in from the various international schools.

It was a breath of fresh air when he slipped onto the seat, leaving a generous gap beside him for the bulky frame of his soon friend and ally. Without the sweaty shoulders of thrilled students rubbing against his jaw, Levi was free to rest his elbow on the table and inhale deeply, expecting the isolated, acquainted aroma of axe body spray.

Levi, the intellectual, listened courteously as the beefy guy introduced himself as Maksim, followed by an array of syllables the lion wouldn’t dream of pronouncing. It was fortunate that he would not need to, yet fated that when twilight consumed the remaining sun and curfews bell rang, he’d be spending time not only treating his battered spine but sounding out the complex middle and surname. Perhaps writing it on his hand if destiny said they’d meet again. He’d offer a charming smile, eyes squinted shut for barely a heartbeat. “Levi Drakos, a year one here.” As though that isn’t obvi—what had he just said?

Kind…
Little…
Boy…?

A lifetime of practice. Of learning how to interact with others in a way that left a denting impression and a subtle trace of desire, of devotion, appealing to human nature’s most inner yearning to be handled special regardless that they were just a bouquet. Nothing more. A thousand roses, the lovely and lucky girl would not be able to choose a single bloom and say ‘that! that is my favorite!’ Scarlet blurs, and Maksim had dyed them with this bloodshed, the essence of the kind little boy. Levi was certain his eye had twitched, becoming lost in the labyrinth of his own making, the mantra: if nine hundred and ninety-eight of those roses are wilted, it will be much easier to choose….

Maksim’s mouth gradually tightened, sporting an expression almost reminiscent of distaste. Great. The shorter of the duo could feel the upcoming ball and crowning jewelry slipping between his fingers, thin oiled silk, and clenching his fist only wrinkled the material as it continued to fall away. The interaction needed to be saved: not by ill judgement nor the beheading of the Ground’s blossoms, but by charisma. His charisma.

Roleplaying as Durmstrang iNPC Arjan Oberoi

Interacting with: Rudolf Novikov (@Adam Harringtom), @Maria Dee, Cassanora Browne (@Hugh Lowe) and Madeleine Nakamura (@Aaron Jones)

He had already started to resume eating, giving the girl a chance to sit down if she so desired it. After her comment about spilling juice on her hand, he avoided shaking it. It was impolite to do so but gross, he preferred not to touch it if that was the case. Besides, he was immediately disappointed by the introduction she gave. Hufflepuff... That was Serena's house if he recalled correctly. Which, by default, made it the crappy one. He had kind of lost interest immediately, in all honesty.

Arjan gave the most innocent expression known to mankind. A simple raising of his eyebrows, a 'hmm?' look with big beautiful eyes staring at Novikov, who looked at him as though he wanted to say more about this idea of his. But the boy was far too polite, it seemed. It looked like both of them valued maintaining an outward appearance of civility. Oh, how fun this was going to be. Of course, Arjan would hate it if the tables were turned but for now, it seemed like the cards were in his favour. There was just one issue... A rather major one but that was fine, he had time to figure out how to solve it.

However, as the conversation continued around him - whilst he was just busy eating his food - he found himself growing prouder at the moment. Arjan could not help but quirk an eyebrow as he heard Novikov's words, inviting the girls nearby to join the tour. This was going even better than he expected. Oh, he appeared to have underestimated Novikov's use in this... How useful he was turning out to be. Maybe he was secretly a sly devil. Who knew?

The other girls turned around, introducing themselves as Madeleine and Cassanora. They seemed quite young themselves, likely around the same age as the other girl. Well then. This was turning into a party. He wondered how many people they could drag into this... It needed to be bigger. Perhaps he could drag a Ravenclaw or Slytherin in, that would work out better - right? He had no idea how to figure out who was in which house though. He really ought to pay attention to Hogwarts students and their uniforms or houses but he kind of... did not really care. Maybe this was enough though.

As he was thinking, he continued to eat when he heard the words Dee said. Well, well, well. This was even better. He leaned back in his seat, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice - hiding his smirk behind the glass. One of the Beauxbatons girls mentioned something about her father, randomly. Oh wait- Head of... Hufflepuff? Ugh. Why was everyone a Hufflepuff here? Serena would love this. It was annoying. No wonder she liked this school...

Placing the glass down, he smiled towards the Beauxbatons girls. "Oh, those are beautiful names," He responded kindly, "Arjan Oberoi - and this is my friend, Rudolf Novikov," He introduced in return, taking a sip of his glass.

"Oh no, no, please, I insist you go with them, Novikov," He immediately started to say, regardless of whether Novikov had a chance to reply or not, "I know how much you were looking forward to a tour here and I would hate to be the reason you get left out. Besides, I actually do need to catch up with someone so I, sadly, wouldn't be able to give you the tour right now myself either. The architecture of this castle is incredible, rumoured to even be the best castle in the whole of Europe. I think you would be fascinated by it - and with your ample knowledge of European architecture, I am sure you could provide a great deal of insight for these girls,"

What he said next was actually a little surprising. He rarely spoke of his sister. In fact, he basically did not. Novikov might not even be aware of the fact that he had a sister. He did not actively hide it but she was a disappointment, in his eyes so it was not something he bragged about. Nonetheless, it could work in this case. What he said about her and Hufflepuff did not need to be true for this to be something he said.

He downed the rest of his juice before continuing, "My sister speaks highly of Hufflepuff, saying they are excellent explorers and incredibly good guides. I am sure Miss Dee here will be able to provide a satisfactory tour for you. She also mentioned them being the friendliest and most inclusive house too, I think they'd hate to exclude you from something you would, obviously, enjoy. That would be such a shame, right? And these two girls seem lovely. I am sure you will have a great time," He rambled on and on, throwing the fellow Durmstrang into it. Yes, there were multiple claims in his words. All truths, in his mind.

For Novikov, he made claims of how knowledgeable in European architecture the boy was and how much he was looking forward to this tour. A part of him was curious to see if the fellow fifth-year would go along with the nonsense and actually go on this tour - or to cave in and run away. He was very curious to see what he could get Novikov to agree to. But if he did go, perhaps he could impress his tourmates with this claim. It did not have to be true for the claim to work. He just needed to fake enough confidence to fake knowing everything about architecture. That ought to be enough. Or he could even play the modest route and say Arjan was exaggerating. Arjan was mostly testing to see what would happen. He had lost interest in the girls as soon as he heard the word 'Hufflepuff' - and the 'second year' did not help.

He also gave a look towards the Dee chick, just to see her reaction, as he finished speaking. He intentionally made a point about how 'friendly' and inclusive Hufflepuffs were whilst the Dee chick was being rather rude by specifically trying to exclude him, for her. Of course, he was secretly very grateful for the excuse to escape. This had worked out perfectly if he did say so himself! Admittedly, he was the only one saying that. The plan had not been thought out nearly enough and he changed the result he wanted halfway through it. However, now, it was perfect in his mind. The only thing missing was a few more people, ideally from Ravenclaw or Slytherin. However, he was not entirely sure who fell into that house that he could rope into this - except the fourth years he actually knew of that house and there was a specific reason they were being kept out of it.

A minute or two later, he managed to finish his meal. With that, he looked towards the girls, "Well, excuse me ladies. It was lovely to meet you both, I'm sure I'll see you around" before looking over to Novikov. There was a look on his face that basically said 'your move' - though he might not recognise it - and a nod of his head. Oh, how curious he was to see how this worked out...

With that, he excused himself from the table and made his way to the exit. He had something important to do - and Dee had given him the perfect excuse to leave without being impolite, he was going to take advantage of it. But as he made his way to the door, he found himself standing in front of another student that he did not quite recognise [AMAURY - @Cecily Quinn]. Arjan paused, waiting for the kid to move out of the way so he could leave.

RPing as Durmstrang iNPC Rudolf Novikov

interacting with
Arjan Oberoi (@Serena Towers) | @Maria Dee
Cassanora Browne (@Hugh Lowe) | Madeleine Nakamura (@Aaron Jones)

Yes — oh, hell yes. Everything was all coming together. The Beauxbatons girls, introducing themselves as Madeleine and Cassanora, took to Dolf's tour idea better than he'd thought they would; to be honest, he'd been afraid of being slapped or labeled a creep. He barely remembered his manners in time to return Madeleine's smile with a polite one of his own before turning eagerly to the Hufflepuff whose arrival had started this whole thing. Maria. She hesitated for a second, threatening to topple Dolf's hasty construction, but agreed to be their guide. She'd show the sights of Hogwarts to Madeleine, to Cassanora, to Dolf, and — the kicker — not to Arjan. It sounded like she wanted nothing more to do with him, which Dolf considered absolutely reasonable. He also considered it a victory in the best possible way.

Dolf readied himself to accept the invitation and toss his win in Arjan's face. But when he looked back at his schoolmate, he saw something terrible. There was no fluster on the boy's cheeks. No revenge in his eyes. No trace of anger at having been out-maneuvered by Dolf. The Ukrainian felt his heart race as Arjan lowered his goblet. He listened as it became clear that the other boy was playing a whole different game.

"I insist you go with them, Novikov," said his competitor. "I know how much you were looking forward to a tour here and I would hate to be the reason you get left out...with your ample knowledge of European architecture, I am sure you could provide a great deal of insight for these girls..." Arjan told the story so convincingly that Dolf could hardly believe it. He'd always thought of Oberoi, at the most basic level, as a big dumb brute. Now it was painfully obvious that he was not dumb or a brute. He spun his words like an expert — and now Dolf remembered that Arjan was rich, he was a pureblood, of course he was good with words. It was the first time in a while that he'd misjudged somebody so severely. Who knew there was anything to be found under the surface of Arjan Oberoi?

By this point Arjan's attention was back on Maria, saying something nice about Hufflepuff, making it harder and harder to back out of this tour now that Dolf had organized it. He wasn't just outplayed, he was trapped in his own snare. After all those words about the kindness of the house, about how lovely the girls were for agreeing to such a trip, how could Dolf break the whole thing up? He couldn't, and Arjan had to be counting on that.

Dolf needed a moment to think, so he raised his goblet again, taking a drink that would excuse him from talking for a short while. Meanwhile, Arjan finished his meal and excused himself, casting a pointed look and a nod at Dolf before sauntering away. If there had been any question on whether Arjan knew what he was doing, that was a clear answer. Dolf felt like they were playing a big game of chess. People chess. And when it came to people, Arjan had the unfortunate advantage. Dolf was forced to play catch-up.

There was a moment of silence, and Dolf felt that it was on him to say something, to address the many claims Arjan had made about his "passion" for architecture. The Ukrainian boy set down his cup, cleared his throat, and looked between his three companions for a moment as he created an excuse. "Sorry about my...friend. Well, not really my friend — my classmate, I guess. He's a pathological liar."

Sure. Why not?

Dolf laughed, embracing the idea. "We never know what Arjan is going to say. All that about me and the history and the architecture — totally made up. He gets it out of nowhere." Careful, don't want to be rude. "But, I mean, a tour is still nice. Thank you."

He decided that was enough, and having talked himself into trouble once already, Dolf sat back and waited for the girls to take the lead. It really would be nice to see Hogwarts from a familiar perspective. The tour was a great idea. The only problem about it was that it felt like Arjan had control. He'd won this one without a doubt — but it had been fun going head-to-head with him. Even if it was stupid, and meaningless, and more than a little manipulative.

Dolf couldn't deny it. He was looking forward to a rematch with Arjan. But there would be plenty of time for that. Right now, all he had to think about was not making an ass of himself in front of three of the most tolerant strangers he'd ever met.

[font=Monotype Corsiva]Roleplaying as iNPC Enzo Delcroix
English: #D2691E
French: #BF8000 + Italics & Bold
Interacting with: @Eun-ji Lee Hunt
Mentioning: N/A
[/font]

[font=Monotype Corsiva]Well, this was certainly shaping out to be a problem. As they continued conversing it became more evident that there was no way that his temper would allow him to let this go. He despised the idea of not getting the last word. Frankly, he felt that it would portray him as someone who could not back their own arguments, and he could not have that now could he?
Whether he was in the wrong or not, he was roped in this already and it was too late to even think of backing out.

"Bravo, bon travail good work, you have me all figured out I guess" He replied with a small jeering snort that could come across as more of a chuckle, but all the while his voice still kept its monotone rhythm to it. She was not completely wrong though, he did care about himself quite a bit. That wasn't exactly concealed. But on the other hand, it was not like he did not have the capacity to care for someone else, it was just that it was rather rare for him to find someone that would give him a good reason to do so. And anyway, keeping up the whole 'I do not care about anything or anyone' persona was just a habit of his by now.

"Hm, I realize that maybe you never learnt how to take a bit of - quel est le mot? what is the word?... eh feedback, but no need to be so defensive. It doesn't help your case" He responded, however, the last part of the sentence was stated in a hushed but more sarcastic way.
Now it was her turn to be visibly disinterested, but no matter, just as she had done with him he decided to continue. He let out a sigh and then with a shake of his head he went on. "All of this, for a simple complaint of mine? I really would have hoped that someone would have taught you better"
Honestly, he wasn't even exactly sure what he was implying, but he was sticking to it as long as it could possibly irk this girl.

Regular Text - English | Bolded Text - French
Interacting: Cassanora Browne (@Hugh Lowe), Rudolf Novikov (@Adam Harringtom), @Maria Dee, Arjan Oberoi (@Serena Towers)

interacting: @Serena Towers as Arjan Oberoi | mentioning: n/a

Another year, another school trip to the great Scottish castle of Hogwarts. While it wasn't Amaury's first choice to spend his valuable time palling around with Scotland's own magical lowlife, the now-annual excursions to Hogwarts with a number of assorted foreign schools was a prime opportunity for Amaury's favorite activity-- networking. Although he was plenty content with his family's connections back in France, it never hurt to have a few strings he could pull scattered through Europe and the United States. One never knew when they might be in need of cashing in a favor or two.

He approached the towering mahogany doors just inside the castle, behind which stood Hogwarts' Great Hall. He had experienced his fair share of the room last fall, amidst Beauxbaton's previous visit to the Scottish castle, but he had to admit, it was quite the sight to behold. Hogwarts may have been lacking in several ways, but the majesty of its Great Hall was not one of them.

As Amaury made to step through the doorway, he found himself face-to-face with a boy he didn't recognise [ARJAN]. He looked about Amaury's age, meaning he must have been from one of the several other schools currently being housed at Hogwarts. The French boy took pride in his connections; if he was from Beauxbatons, Amaury would know.

The two boys stood facing each other in the doorway for a moment, Amaury waiting for the other boy to move. "Excusez-moi," Amaury remarked as the boy appeared to be frozen in place, blocking his way. Amaury gestured with one hand to indicate that he wished to enter the hall, although the boy could likely infer that by the way that, clearly, Amaury was trying to step into the room before his path was obstructed. It was really a waste of both boys' time, Amaury thought, as he stood toe-to-toe with the foreign student. It would be better for all parties involved if the boy simply stepped out of the way.

excusez-moi | excuse me