Chocolate Leaves PV Annie Finished

Well it had been quite a sight waking up to a girl shifting nervously in front of you. She'd rub the sleep out of her eyes, her red and black flannel button up shirt lay falling off one of her shoulders. "Mmmf.. Calli? Huh what're you doing here this early?" Annie adjusted her shirt and tried to flatten her hair realizing the girl had seen her in shambles, blushing in embarrassment.

After Calli explained today was her birthday Annie's eyes lit up. "Of course I'd love to spend the day with you! We can go wherever you want- Oh it'll take me a few minutes to get ready. I'll meet you down in the Common Room okay?" Annie grinned and hopped off her bed, nearly slamming her head into her bedside shelf as Calli left the room. After a few moments, she emerged in comfortable and warm clothes against the cool fall weather as well as tame hair. With that the two girls exited the Common Room and made their way towards the grounds.

Grounds

Upon making it to the grounds they sat down and just stared off in silence. Breaking the silence, surprisingly was Calli. Ah yes the go to weather conversation starter. To not make it any more awkward, or maybe more so Annie replied. "Well, it is fall after all. I'm not the biggest fan of this weather but I can't complain as it isn't snowing yet." She chuckled lightly. Next thing she knew was that the weather conversation turned to leaves. Annie sighed, fondly remembering the different shades and shapes of orange, yellow and red leaves around the grounds at this time of the year. Her hand brushed by one on the ground, picking it up and twirling it between her fingers. "I bet they are." She mumbled.

Annie's gaze turned to where Calli had probably been sitting. She held out the leaf to her and in her empty hand clumsily reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Happy Birthday." The breath she exhaled floated into the air like fog before disappearing, a smile playing on her lips.

@Callista Lovis

Interacting | @Annie Morgan	The most important girl in the world | Mentioning
Date: 11.03.2021	#000080 | Hex

Callista hummed aimlessly, swinging her legs. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that, at the end of the day, these students are really just children. It's easy to forget when they display such incredible acts of bravery and loyalty, but Callista is only just turned 13, and Annie is not much older. But in this wintry light, casting small shadows on the ground, just the two of them... they seemed much younger. They were two children, only just having crossed the line to adolescence, playing with the idea of love.

"You don't like the weather?" Callista turned to her, surprised. Contemplating a bit, she reflected that Annie seemed more like a summer girl than a fall one. "I've always liked fall. It's like... a time of change, whether it's for the good or the bad." Maybe it was just her overthinking, but she had always been one to make deep connections that other people never really seemed to understand.

The movement beside her attracted her gaze, turning from watching the fluttering leaves to Annie's beautiful, beautiful hands. Her words jolted Callista out of her thoughts. Oh. Shoot. She had never let Annie's blindness bother her. It made life more difficult, but it ultimately didn't affect her personality, so why should it influence the way Callista saw her? Still, she had always been careful not to make her upset over what she had lost. Now, with a single comment, Callista worried that she might have ruined everything. Barely a murmur, her tongue stumbled over itself, managing to get out, "Ah- s-sor-"

"Happy birthday."

Oh. What... is this feeling?

All of a sudden, she forgot how to breathe. The rest of the world faded away, leaving just her and Annie. Annie, who was beautiful in every which way. Annie, who gave her undivided attention to Callista, who sent her small, heart-stopping smiles, as if they shared a secret only the two of them knew. Annie, who became the star she orbited around, who somehow slipped into her life as fluidly as water. Annie, who somehow, miraculously, wanted to spend time with a girl like her.

"T-thanks." She took the leaf, spinning it between her fingers absentmindedly. It was textured, with small ridges, and a deep golden colour that faded into patches of lighter yellow. What used to be a light pink quickly erupted into a fiery red, coating her cheeks like powdered sugar on a freshly baked cake and dipping onto the tips of her ears like molten chocolate. Her heart, beating wildly, threatened to leap out of her chest and abandon her like her voice.

Taking a deep breath, Callista tried to calm her erratic heart rate, starting on a new line. The leaf turned in her delicate fingers, showing a new side. "You know... I never really go out on walks. I'm not much of an athletic person in general, but I was... scared, I guess. To take a walk here. Isn't that funny?" It really wasn't, but a smile played on her lips anyway. It seemed so absurd, now that she was sitting here with Annie, her fears and worries melting away in the warmth of her presence.

Stats: Sta: 6 | Eva: 8 | Str: 3 | Wis: 9 | Arc: 7 | Acc: 7
Abilities: Perfectionist | ...
Actions: Talking, blushing, being hopelessly in love

Annie could feel Calli's hesitation, her voice carefully choosing each word as she talked to her. Annie on the other hand either came across cool and collected or stumbled over her thoughts when trying to turn them into words. "Ah it's not that I don't like fall, the leaves changing colors is very beautiful it's just that I don't like the colder temperature. More of a stay inside and drink hot cocoa type person." Annie let out a small laugh, the air quickly freezing her breath as it turned into small swirls of hot air.

"If you weren't stuck at Hogwarts what would your ideal birthday be?" Annie asked the girl, curious of her answer. It wasn't fun being stuck at school for your birthday, but being around someone you liked made it better.

Annie would then pause at her next statement. "Our grounds our so pretty though, I mean I guess it also depends on when you have time, each year it seems to get more and more busy. I don't think athletics have anything to do with it honestly." She mentioned encouragingly, trying to not make her feel down. She'd reach out, missing once but then grabbed hold of her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't be afraid. You are one of the strongest, most intelligent and funniest people I know okay?" Annie smiled lightly, her words were genuine and she hoped Calli could tell that.

Annie kept her hold on Calli's knee, not so much in a possessive way but it just felt right. Being with her all the time. She wouldn't tell herself this but she had grown quite fond of the girl in more than just a little sister sort of bond.

"I love.. sweaters. Yup another reason why I like the fall. Mhm. So many different colors and patterns. Warm too.

What was that? What was I about to say? Annie had to shut herself up and physically slap a hand over her mouth before spouting out more nonsense. She would process for a few minutes in silence, her mouth slightly opening and closing like a fish without water, unseen thankfully to Calli. Had she seen it the younger girl might've thought she was having a stroke. Nice save.

@Callista Lovis

Interacting | @Annie Morgan	The most important girl in the world | Mentioning
Date: 11.03.2021	#000080 | Hex

Callista nodded along to Annie's words, understanding. "I like staying inside too, and hot cocoa is always a bonus." But as a cold breeze tickled her chin, billowing through her hair, she added, "I've always like the cold weather better than the hot, though." A smile flickered across her face as she reminisced. "When I was little, I used to pretend I was a dragon, breathing out wisps of icy air."

Annie’s question prompted Callista to fall silent, deep in thought. Memories of past birthdays flickered through her mind like videos on replay. Thoughts of staying inside with her family, watching the leaves float to the ground, crossed her mind. Sometimes, the snowfall came early, and she and Aurora would build mini snow people in their backyard. Usually, they would go out to eat a nice dinner, and if it was a weekend, they might go somewhere special. In elementary, all of their birthdays were written neatly on the wall, and their home room would have a small celebration with cupcakes or other sweets. Callista had never been a big fan of that, liking neither sweets nor attention.

Eventually, she settled on an answer, the words coming out slowly and thoughtfully. “I think that the best birthdays are ones that I get to spend with people I love. It doesn’t matter what we do because the important part - for me, at least - is the atmosphere and the people.” It sounded like something from one of those holiday ads that preached, “Spend the holidays with people you love with savings from all purchases!” The thought crossed her mind that the people she loved might go beyond family.

At Annie’s encouragement, a smile formed on Callista’s face, small and genuine. With a laugh, she replied, “You think I’m funny?” She couldn’t really recall anytime someone had called her funny. She had always considered Annie the funnier one in their relationship, but maybe it went both ways. Even though Annie didn’t know why she disliked the grounds, Callista appreciated that she was trying to give her support in the best way she can.

Her touch, cool and reassuring, felt like lightning. Callista was acutely aware of Annie’s hand on her knee, and her heart grew excited at the action, practically doing cartwheels inside her rib cage. She had the odd desire to place her own hand on Annie’s, to transcend the fabric that separated them and bring their skin together. She imagined that doing so would feel like fire burning in her veins, not the unpleasant type that occurs when you’re actually set on fire in duels, nor the tickling, harmless kind from magical flames, but a wholly new and different sensation.

“I love…”

Her heart was getting a workout today. In the blink of an eye, it went from doing cartwheels to speeding up, pulsing quickly. A faint, almost undetectable, ringing sounded in her ears as she stared at Annie. Her eyes widened, just a tiny bit, and air stopped coming into her lungs.

“… sweaters.”

Callista blinked, and just as quickly as it had come, the moment was over. It slipped through her fingers, evaporating into the cold air. She exhaled, and her airways began to work again. The ringing disappeared, leaving just Annie’s voice, and her heart slowed down. For a few moments after, it was just silence.

Then, starting slowly but quickly speeding up, a smile appeared again, and she began to laugh. It started out quiet, as if Callista was trying to hide it, before spiraling out of control. Her laughter filled the air, warm and sincere in contrast to the chilly breeze. “Ah…” She took a deep, calming breath before continuing, “Sorry, I like sweaters, too. It was just… surprising.” The grin still hung on her face, the last vestiges of laughter hanging in the air. Her eyes twinkled, alluding to the brief moment of joy. “I haven’t laughed like that in a while.”

A second later, she said, sincerely, “Thank you.” Not just for making me laugh, but for being here, with me. For comforting, encouraging, and smiling for me. For always being there.

Stats: Sta: 6 | Eva: 8 | Str: 3 | Wis: 9 | Arc: 7 | Acc: 7
Abilities: Perfectionist | ...
Actions: (Still) being hopelessly in love, talking, laughing

Annie let out a small laugh, was it to relieve tension? Perhaps. "Doesn't every kid do that at some point? I mean dragons are cool and knowing that they actually exists makes it even more fun." She rambled slightly before listening to Calli's reply on birthdays. The brunette didn't seem to be that fond of birthdays, but neither was Annie. Most people over exaggerated them but half the time she just wanted to stay inside and be left alone. Not to mention April was a weird time for birthdays. Not hot nor cold, or well it was more cold than hot if anything but couldn't go swimming or do much outside unless it was a nice day, but the chances of that were pretty low being that it rained a lot around her birthday.

Annie bumped Calli's shoulder slightly with hers. "Well thanks for spending your birthday with me, I feel honored." An after thought hit her when she thought about the words the younger girl just spoke. So if she likes spending birthdays with people she loves.. does she love me? Nah.. She shook her head lightly before tilting her head at Calli's half-question.

"Duh. You are super funny. Even if you don't think so you get me to laugh which sometimes can be hard especially when I can't make myself laugh some days. She paused, tip-toeing closer to the "sweater" topic again. "We should go sweater shopping sometimes, there's a little square down by my home town with some nice shops. I'm sure my parent's would like to meet you too. Prove to them that I actually do have friends." Annie smiled lightly, a semi-teasing sparkle in her usually dull eyes. Her tone was in fact serious though.

Then what happened next threw her off-guard. "What? No no you seriously don't have to thank me. Ah-" Annie' rubbed the back of her head, feeling slightly embarrassed. Before debating anything further and getting awkward she melted into Calli's arms, wrapping them around her smaller torso and hugging her. Her head leaned into the crook of her neck, smiling into her shoulder blade. "I should be the one thanking you." She mumbled before closing her eyes, enjoying the moment.

@Callista Lovis

Interacting | @Annie Morgan	The most important girl in the world | Mentioning
Date: 11.03.2021	#000080 | Hex

"Ah, I forgot dragons actually do exist. It's crazy how my fantasies seem to be coming alive before my eyes." When Callista had first been introduced into this new world of magic, she had been awestruck. Everything seemed to defy science, and her beliefs were shaken. The professor's words and her own experiences at Hogwarts left a deep impression on the young girl, and she had been ecstatic. She was still a young, impressionable girl with dreams and fantasies, but she had been humbled and scarred by her journey. It helped her treasure these moments even more - the little ones, like a brush of a hand or a gentle smile, that reminded her of what was important.

Callista let her head tilt slightly as she listened to her friend. When the topic turned to the prospect of meeting Annie's parents, she began to stumble over her words again. "Ah- I wouldn't- I just-" She cleared her throat, starting again. "Sorry, it's just that meeting new people is... kind of scary. Especially when they're someone's parents, and you want to make a good impression. And I tend to get super awkward, so... I'm not really the best at this whole meeting-parents-thing. But..." Here, she hesitated, unsure if she should continue. "I think... that would be nice."

She parted her mouth, her eyes cast off in the distance and contemplating, but she was interrupted by something that caught her completely off-guard. Her brain quite possibly short-circuited, and she froze like a deer in headlights. Her arms hung stiffly at her side, and it took her a couple of seconds to blink and look down at Annie, wrapped around her like a koala.

Then, a couple of seconds after she blinked, her brain began to run again. Callista's face was no longer pink - it was a bright red flush that threatened to seep into her hair. It covered her ears and almost her entire face, and she attempted to stammer out coherent words while wrapping her arms awkwardly around Annie.

Eventually, she gave up on talking and settled for just resting her arms around the fourth year and relaxing, enjoying the embrace while it lasted. Callista melted into the hug, closing her eyes and gently resting her head on Annie's.

The breeze rustled fallen leaves around them, and the sun continued to shine. The world continued to move around them - the sky was still blue, the wind still blew, and the chilly air still coursed through their lungs. But the two of them remained in their embrace, frozen in time and breathing in sync. Callista rested in the easy silence between them. Rarely was there ever such a silence, where it was so comfortable that neither felt the urge to break it. She relished it, caressing the moment as gently as she did with Annie. And there they remained, together.

Stats: Sta: 6 | Eva: 8 | Str: 3 | Wis: 9 | Arc: 7 | Acc: 7
Abilities: Perfectionist | ...
Actions: Short-circuiting, melting, hugging

Annie's head tilted to the side as Calli thought about dragons. She could imagine the girl's eyes slightly sparkling in excitement. The wizarding world was quite fascinating and very vast. Many things they had still not learned and several things they never would learn. Ever since she learned magic was real, all those boring mundane jobs seemed out of the picture. Perhaps she could work with magical creatures like dragons. Her younger self thought that although loosing her sight did affect a lot of things including her future career. Shaking her head a bit she'd clear her thoughts and instead let a comfortable silence fill the space between them.

Letting go of the hug she'd keep one of her hands clasped with Calli's, her heart beating a little quicker than usual. "And you don't have to come over if you don't want to- seriously no pressure at all. I just thought it'd be nice to introduce my parents to my girlfriend." Annie paused after her sentence. "That is if you agree to it." She smiled nervously, using her other hand to scratch the back of her head slightly awkwardly.

Surprisingly, she wasn't shaking, or stuttering or sweating like crazy but her chest felt like it might explode with how quickly it was beating. Her face had already been pretty red because of the cold that nipped at her uncovered face but it certainly had doubled in it's shade, making her look like she severely sunburnt herself. But alas that wasn't the case. For one it was the middle of winter but two she had broken out in a blushing mess.

It wasn't like she would get rejected right? Right..? Annie had been picking up on a few signs that Calli might've liked her but she wasn't positive. Ultimately she just brought up all her courage and confessed whether or not she was right about her feelings.

"Not to put you on the spot, but what do you say?" Annie asked, her head remained tilted, looking somewhat like a hopeful puppy.

@Callista Lovis

Interacting | @Annie Morgan	The first snowfall | Mentioning
Date: 11.03.2021	#000080 | Hex

Only when Annie let go did Callista open her eyes again. The silence still hung between them, luring her into a dreamlike state where she hovered between reality and fantasy. Her eyes were clouded with something akin to wistfulness, and contrary to before, her heart was pumping slowly, setting a lilting beat that left her breath even. Despite the cold, she felt warmer than ever.

"I just thought it'd be nice to introduce my parents to my girlfriend."

Callista let out a vague hum of acknowledgement, one ear tuned to Annie's voice and the other hearing nothing but the whistle of the frigid wind. Despite considering herself more perceptive than most, she noticed the red that creeped onto Annie's face before fully comprehending what she had said.

As soon as she did, her ethereal state shattered. Her eyes widened slightly, looking at Annie but not really seeing her. Girlfriend. Callista's whole body tested up, and when she opened her mouth again, nothing came out. The cold seemed to seep through her layers and into her bones, leaving her with a chill that rendered her frozen.

"... what do you say?"

The question was so simple and so innocent, and the look on Annie's face broke Callista's heart. She shifted her eyes away from Annie, roaming across the fallen leaves and the withered grass. If Annie had said anything after posing the question, Callista wouldn't have been able to hear it. Instead of Annie's sweet voice or the quiet hush of winter, only static filled her ears.

Her thoughts were usually kept in neat lines of text with blooming, vibrant colours as the background. Now, they had been twisted around into a labyrinthine knot of jumbled colours that didn't match, and she couldn't pick apart the threads.

On some kind of instinct honed over 13 years, Callista managed to make some noise come out of her mouth. After several failed attempts at speaking, she managed to say, "T-Thank you for coming, but I- I think I should leave, it's really getting cold. U-uhm, I- I need to go." With that, she stood up abruptly, gently tugging her hand out of Annie's grasp.

Still refusing to meet her eyes, Callista did the thing she was best at - running away. Away from this feeling that she didn't understand, away from the person that made her heart go wild, and away from the border that crossed into uncharted waters.

Her pace quickened as she fled, leaves crushing into bits and pieces under her feet as the snow continued to fall. Why was it that she couldn't quite focus on where she was going? Why was it that as the snow began to fall, she herself seemed to fall deeper and deeper? Why did her heart ache like all the breath was being squeezed out of her lungs?

Only the muffle of the snow answered her silent pleas.

Stats: Sta: 6 | Eva: 8 | Str: 3 | Wis: 9 | Arc: 7 | Acc: 7
Abilities: Perfectionist | ...
Actions: Being flustered and confused, leaving thread unless stopped

As soon as their gaze had broken Annie knew what was coming. The bitter taste of rejection. Something she hadn't experienced in who knows how long. She paused. The numbing feeling beginning to creep over her. Her head turned, mouth opening to respond but Calli had already ran off.

Crap.

She rose to her feet, the crunch of freshly fallen snow could be heard in the distance. There was still a chance. Annie took a step in her direction but paused. Her body began to tremble.

"GOD DAMNIT!" She cried out, balling up her fists. Annie would kick the grass beneath her, ripping up a chunk of the turf with her shoes. Then she broke down. The brunette dropped into a crouch, hugging her knees to her chest as sobs began to wrack her body. Her stomach clenched in pain, although it wasn't actually physical. She emotionally was hurt.

"Did I push her past her boundaries? Gosh I'm such an idiot.." Annie mumbled to herself between small sniffles. Eventually she wiped her nose on her sleeve, granted it was bad manners and sat back down on the grass in a cross-legged position, reflecting in silence about the event that just happened. Maybe it wasn't the right time. Or maybe she wasn't the right person. Hell, if they didn't run into each other any time soon all of this could blow over and maybe they could go back to being just friends. Only time would tell. Time.. such a funny thing.

Her eyes began to get heavy. Maybe it was the over-abundance of spending her emotions and inadvertently getting rejected that made her energy run out. She merely rubbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve (not the same one she wiped her nose with) and laid her head back on the grass. The snow around her had melted and all that was left was damp grass. Her robes began to soak in the moisture but Annie didn't care. She was already fast asleep, a content expression on her face as her eyelids fluttered lightly. Such a tranquil position for a person who just got rejected.