12 Jul 2022, 19:46
A breath of fresh air
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Charles slipped from the tent's entrance, he could have gone with the others to the bbq. The teen thought about it, his heart throbbed. To be included in a group of fellow durmstrangs, all he ever wanted but he promised his friends that he'll meet them there. That he'll hang with them there.
Walking alone. Through the field of tents for the bbq. Black jeans, black shirt, black trainers, and his classic black jacket. Covering the charcoal strains and holes now laid patches over it. The patches featuring the Horntail Horde, Durmstrang quidditch team, and ravens. Eyeliner lining his eyes as his nails featured a dark red color with black tips.
His paced slowed. Walking alone. Eyes darted before falling in front. The chatter around, the voices of those he knew and didn't. The maze of tents, scent of food.
The blonde walked. His mind abuzz. Waiting to see his friends, to greet them once more and smile at their presence but also circling back. Circling back to those in the tent. The other Durmstrangs. Should he turn back? Return to them? His dreams of finding a group among schoolmates felt so near but what about his friends? The other who felt like family. The group he stuck with the past few years. What about them?
Walking alone. Charles watched groups of students pass, the chatter. Smiles. Laughter. The signs of togetherness. Of happiness. Watching. He remembered his friends... those he cares for... Cassie... Ro... Haley... Drew... the ones he stuck by and the ones who stuck by him. Attending camps and balls together. The ones who felt like family. The ones who would probably be sharing a tent together. A tent. The teen wished he could be in, imagining the fun and laughter they would share. The pranks they would pull and dares they would ask. The memories they would create. All... all without him.
Walking alone toward the bbq. He questioned. Did he choose wisely... staying with the durmstrang hexwizard team. Did he make a error? A mistake? Choosing to stay with them. Choosing to stay with a group he only just started to know... a group he hadn't seen before the tournament... before Yefim asked him to join the team.... the teen questioned... did he cause himself to falter.
Walking alone. His mind raced. Chest tighten. The teen pocked up his pace, rubbing his chest with his right hand through breaths as he walked. Flashes of faces. Of colors. Speed increasing. Minutes passing. The teen rubbed at his chest, walking. Breathing through the flashes of color.
The pressure. The feeling of running into another. Charles stepped back, dropping his hand as he looked upon who he ran into as he spoke"apologies, I wasn't watching and got distracted. Are you alright? Deeply sorry for my error, anything to make it up maybe a chocolate?" Taking a chocolate from his pocket that he took from his tent moments ago, now offering to the one he bumped.
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander
14 Jul 2022, 22:59
A breath of fresh air
Alec MasonOutfit
The first day of summer camp people were always rushing. It was nervous excitement, showing up and checking in, meeting up and sharing tents with friends, getting settled in and situated, having only a few minutes to catch up with friends before everyone began eagerly making their way to the bbq. Getting caught up and swept away in all the excitement was far too easy. There was barely any time to stop and slow down, take a deep breath, and relax. Alec let his friends and tentmates go ahead to the bbq without him, understanding he needed a few minutes of downtime along in the tent. Sitting in silence Alec took a deep breath, he felt his tenseness from the last month depart as he breathed out. He didn't take long alone in the tent and eventually found himself following in their footsteps and exiting the tent. Feeling better Alec began to walk towards the bbq in confident strides.
Alec should have been watching where he was going but he was distracted so easily. He wanted to take the walk over to glance at all the other tents and marvel over the outside of each. He could hear the buzz in the air, distant conversations, the sounds of people chattering and Alec catching bits and pieces as he walked past. Alec's head turned as he caught distant sounds of laughter. The sound of laughter and the sight of the smiles of the group of strangers made Alec's lips form into a smile as well. Joy was infectious, like a yawn. Today was perfect, the sun was bright, the weather warm but not humid, all of the people. Alec could have gone on forever walking through the rows of tents, there was something about watching people when they looked so in their element.
Alec should have been paying more attention, of course he didn't and only a few seconds had passed before a stranger collided into him.Alec's gaze fell to his left arm and his right hand instinctively went to the left arm arm rubbing the place that had been hit. “It's okay, it happens to everybody at some point. I'm alright, it's nothing to write a healer over.” He spoke, his smile having not faltered, chuckling when he was offered chocolate. “It's a kind offer and I appreciate the gesture but no thank you,” Alec had never been offered chocolate the last time a person ran into him. Really the only thing Alec wanted now was to know why the stranger conveniently had a piece of chocolate on them in the first place.
Looking up from his arm, Alec's gaze settled on the other's face. Not a stranger? He looked somewhat familiar. Alec paused pursing his lips as if how he knew this person was on the tip of his tongue. It wasn't long before Alec's eyes lit up in recognition, “the water fight last summer, and the fall ball prior to it, that's how I know you.” All of that was so long ago, it had to be close to almost a year ago. So much had happened since and he'd only ever met the other person twice, Alec was surprised by own ability to recall it. “Charles, right?” Alec asked, wanting to make sure. Alec eyes looked over Charles carefully, pausing when he noticed the nail polish. “Your nails look nice.”
Charles had asked about Alec's nails at the ball a while back, it certainly was interesting to know he painted his nails now. It was silly Alec thought it to be rebellious or anything close back then. It's rebellious if you're not supposed to do it but the factor dies out over a while. More than anything it could be considered a form of self-expression. Either way, not important, he had something else on his mind right now. “Are you attending camp to compete in one of the summer sports games?” He was making small talk, Alec didn't know what he was trying to accomplish with making small talk but he carried on with it anyway.
@Henry Knight
21 Jul 2022, 21:55
A breath of fresh air
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The blonde had lost touched with reality. The spot he stood, those around and the faces passing by. The echoes of voices circling around, the brush of students passing by. They blended together, becoming one before invisible. Unable to notice those closest to him or stop himself before colliding with another.
The sudden pull back to reality. The lad of curly hair and soft eyes, mind finding a blockade of recognizing him. Instead catching the arm he reached for, the words touched his ears as he held the chocolate bar to the lad. Eyes watching, nodding as he spoke"apologies still, I should have been watching where I was going," a nod to his words on the chocolate. Slipping it back within his inner pocket of his jacket, the brush of the wrappers from the other sweets. The teen could offer another? Deciding aginest it as he brought his eyes to the lad. Wait, he knew this British lad didn't he?
The words recounting past meetings. The water fight and the prior fall ball... the one he spoke to a lad with interesting nail polish, the one who inspired him to do his own. The teen stared, a soft smile presented on his lips about half way as he nodded toward his words. Agreeing as he spoke"Yeah and Alec? Correct?" The teen haven't had the best experiences among hogwarts students but there were the sliver linings. The few that outnumbered the many. Staring at Alec, has his mimd forgotten the lad or at least how cute he appeared.
His nails? The teen dropped his eyes to them, sliding the other from his pocket. Eyes on the red and black tips, still not believing that he did it himself with a little help. The teen looked back up as he spoke"thank you, inspired by you." A small, soft smile as the blonde crossed his arms loosely over his chest. Suddenly forgetting of his current destination, reason for attending the bbq that night.
The teen smiled at Alec, the words as he spoke"yes, I play on the durmstrang quidditch team and I believe we're aginest hogwarts this time," a pause as the teen offered a small nod toward Alec and ask"are you attending the camp to compete in a match as well?" Small talk. Shouldn't be too difficult right? The teen shallowed, hus chest tingled as he took a step forward and spoke"Were you walking to the bbq? Perhaps I could join you?"
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander
25 Jul 2022, 03:33
A breath of fresh air
Alec MasonOutfit
Despite the young teen's insistence that really bumping into people happened to everybody, and implying there was no need to apologize. Charles would insist on his apologies speaking of the fact he should have been watching where he was going. There was no way he could have known he was going to bump into Alec, one cannot be vigilant at all times, still it was one of those things where Alec ended up appreciating the sentiment of what the other was saying. Besides, Alec hadn't accepted the chocolate, the least he could do was let the other apologize and feel better about it. Situation over, the end.
Alec would bring up where he thought he knew the other from, the fall ball that one year and the water fight. Alec had never been amazing with names and he supposed it was luck that he been able to correctly remember who Charles was as he confirmed it for Alec. Charles would then ask to check if he remembered Alec's name, “correct,” Alec spoke, nodding in confirmation.
When Alec brought of Charles's nails, complimenting them, Alec would find out a new piece of information. Inspired by Alec? He was wearin- That - that was a lot to take in. Alec assumed he would supposed to be flattered, any other person in Alec's situation would be. Strangely enough, he was flattered. Who wouldn't be?
Charles mentioned he played on the durmstrang quidditch team and that they were facing off against Hogwarts this time. The word quidditch was like music to Alec's ears. It didn't matter if he'd never play quidditch, he quite liked talking about the sport. “You play quidditch, what position do you play?” The most important question, it was almost like a get to know you question. You could learn a lot about a person from what position they would play, even if this wasn't Alec intent when posing the question. He would smirk, “maybe I'll come watch the match, I wouldn't mind rooting for you either.” School loyalty was nothing in such a matter, root for good people and good players, it's simple, and quidditch, it wasn't as if fellow students would make a big deal about it.
He would ask if Alec was coming to camp to compete in a match as well. Alec laughed, “well, it's not a quidditch match if that's what you mean.” He couldn't come watch a match if he was participating in it. Alec would make a motion of waving his hand around as if to wave a wand. “I'm a duellist. I fared well in matches over the last school year. . . Meaning I get to participate in the duelling tournament.” Alec kept vague, Alec loved duelling just as much as he enjoyed talking quidditch, though he worried if he kept on speaking of duelling he would bore Charles with it.
Charles asked if Alec was walking to the bbq, asking if he could walk with Alec there.What a pleasant surprise, Alec smiled. “I don't see why not. Having a little company on the way to the bbq would be nice,” it would keep the walk down to the bbq interesting. It gave Alec to do a little 'get you know you' interrogation while they walked. It was fun to learn about other people... Especially since for the most part Alec's shyness in social settings had dissipate.
They would begin to walked and Alec would start out with his line of questioning. “How long have you been playing quidditch for?” If you played the sport if meant something to you, hence why how long playing the sport would also matter to a person. It was therefore an important question.
“What's your favorite part about playing quidditch?” There were many aspects, and the questions he was asking were beginning to remind him of the survey duellists had filled out for the Gryffindor yearbook. Was it not an important question though? From the playing of the game, to the sport of it, the team. It was important!
Alec would spend a few minutes in silence as they walked, having received an answer by now he would be trying trying to come up with another question. When Alec finally did his eyes would light up and he would glance towards Charles. “Oh, here's another fun question,” he would say, he would gently nudge Charles on the arm as he began to speak. “If given the chance, would you do quidditch professionally? You know a big time quidditch star... Maybe end up competing for the quidditch world cup or something.” As Alec recognized, it was rare a person ever ended up taking a sport and going pro with it. Let alone rare they ended up succeeding if they did. His question aimed for best case scenario. Why not keep all his questions light-hearted and fun?
@Henry Knight