26 Oct 2022, 02:09
Intrusion
September 2nd, 2022
7:00 pm
Gwyn was in quite the peculiar place for someone with her usual propriety. The abandoned girl's bathroom on the second floor was a horrible, horrible place. It was filthy, heavily vandalized and, if the rumors were to be believed, haunted. Of course, it being haunted was far from an issue. Ghosts were quite common at Hogwarts, after all. In every way that mattered, the abandoned girl's bathroom was downright repugnant.
It certainly wasn't a place for a young lady such as Gwyn, but she was here by necessity. She needed privacy for what she was doing.
She was standing with perfect posture before an old, cracked mirror examining every inch of her own face, frowning in displeasure. It wasn't that she didn't find her own face pleasing. She could appreciate that she was objectively okay-looking. Her issue was that the face in the mirror was her face.
In the face of Gwyn's first display of accidental magic, the girl's mother had made a startling discovery: she was showing signs of being a metamorphmagus. It had, according to Mother, only lasted a second, but, apparently, when Gwyn had had an uncharacteristically angry outburst, her eyes had changed colors. In a quick instant, her eye color had apparently traversed all the options of the rainbow, before lingering on red and returning to normal once she'd calmed.
After that, Mother had insisted that mastering this ability (and keeping it under control) was to be Gwyn's number one priority at Hogwarts. Because of this, the girl had taken meticulous notes in Transfiguration class, and now she was in a dirty, old abandoned bathroom, trying to make her eyes change color at will.
Unfortunately, as she looked into the mirror, all she saw was a normal, brown-eyed girl. Her stupid eyes refused to cooperate with her. How was she meant to do it? She didn't even know how it was supposed to feel to change her eyes, so how was she supposed to learn to control it?
"Damn it!" she swore, only daring to do so because of her solitude.
As she glared into the mirror, her attention was pulled away at the sound of the door swinging open.
Oh no.
"Who's there?" she called toward the entrance.
26 Oct 2022, 04:09
Intrusion
Huffing and puffing, Lexie bolted up the stairs to reach a familiar door. The abandoned toilets, famous for being cursed, but a cool place to hang out, supposedly. She had no time to think about that however, since she felt like she was about to throw up. Flying practice had gone horribly, and Lexie had badly embarrassed herself. She knew these things happened, and was normally pretty okay at laughing at herself and taking a joke, but there was a good chance Gryffindor's Quidditch captain had seen her fall off her broom mid air.
As she pushed open the door, she could've sworn she heard someone curse, but she brushed it off, thinking, no hoping, she heard wrong. But as her foot entered the musty room, she saw a dirty blonde haired girl, who demanded to know who was there. The puke at the back of her throat declined at Lexie's surprise, which she was insanely grateful for. Throwing up wasn't one of the best first impression, in fact, it might be one of the worst.
The girl stared at Lexie and Lexie stared back. The abandoned bathrooms were almost always empty, though it seemed every time Lexie would enter the room, someone would be in there. It took her a second to realize she had been asked a question and was supposed to reply. "Uhh..." The way the girl had asked seemed more like a rhetorical question, but Lexie couldn't be sure. "I'm Lexie..? Who are you?"
Lexie then realized the next logical question this girl would ask would be what she was doing here and she sure wasn't going to tell her, so Lexie decided to beat her to the punch. ''What are you...doing here?"
As she pushed open the door, she could've sworn she heard someone curse, but she brushed it off, thinking, no hoping, she heard wrong. But as her foot entered the musty room, she saw a dirty blonde haired girl, who demanded to know who was there. The puke at the back of her throat declined at Lexie's surprise, which she was insanely grateful for. Throwing up wasn't one of the best first impression, in fact, it might be one of the worst.
The girl stared at Lexie and Lexie stared back. The abandoned bathrooms were almost always empty, though it seemed every time Lexie would enter the room, someone would be in there. It took her a second to realize she had been asked a question and was supposed to reply. "Uhh..." The way the girl had asked seemed more like a rhetorical question, but Lexie couldn't be sure. "I'm Lexie..? Who are you?"
Lexie then realized the next logical question this girl would ask would be what she was doing here and she sure wasn't going to tell her, so Lexie decided to beat her to the punch. ''What are you...doing here?"
Word Count: 219 | Interacting w/@Guinevere Bwye | Text colour: #4d8451
*insert inspirational quote here*
26 Oct 2022, 15:21
Intrusion
@Lexie SerenoGwyn couldn’t get a good look at the girl who’d barged into the bathroom because of the dim lighting and fairly late hour, but she could get a vague sense of the girl’s most prominent characteristics. For instance, she seemed to be quite tall, making the upper-average-height Gwyn feel small. Though, admittedly, that could be the light.
The girl introduced herself as Lexie, and Gwyn found that to be quite the pretty name. Far better than boring, stuffy old Guinevere.
“I’m Guinevere, but you can call me Gwyn,” she responded, eyeing the newcomer carefully. It wasn’t necessarily suspicious that the girl had come to the abandoned girl’s bathroom. After all, Gwyn herself was here. Still, the urgency with which the girl seemed to enter was a bit alarming.
Before Gwyn could attempt to ask the girl’s purpose, Lexie beat her to it.
As she tried to think of an excuse to hide her little ‘gift’ of metamorphmagic, Gwyn approached the taller girl slowly. As she got closer, she noticed the girl seemed a bit ill.
Concerned, Gwyn quickly changed the subject and walked to the girl with confident strides, lifting her hand up to attempt to check the girl’s forehead for a fever.
Gwyn shook off a burst of deja vu, instead looking into the girl’s green eyes.
“Are you well?” she asked, “You look pale. Come, you should have a seat.”
She gestured to a particularly large bit of rubble, indicating that she intended to lead Lexie there. With a purpose in mind, Gwyn reached for the girl’s hand.
I wasn’t sure of her specific height, but I left it vague that Lexie is taller than Gwyn because she’s a half-giant!
26 Oct 2022, 18:20
Intrusion
Maybe she was reading too much into it, but it seemed to Lexie like the girl, who introduced herself as Gwyn, avoided her question. To be fair, if the question was flipped and Lexie had to answer, she would also avoid the question. Lexie watched as Gwyn neared her, and touched her hand against her forehead, and she jumped back. She blushed bright red when she realized Gwyn was just checking for a fever, so she had to apologize. "Sorry, I thought.. uh.." she trailed off, deciding to move past it and answer Gwyn's question. "I'm fine, I was feeling a bit ill, but I'm okay now. Thanks."
She didn't take her hand, but sat down as she had been asked, and awkwardly played with her fingers. Lexie was sure Gwyn still thought she was unwell, but she was determined not to tell her exactly why she felt so bad. She had felt enough humiliation as it was, why add more to it? But her mind flashed back to the events that took place earlier in the day.
Taking off from the ground, the sound of the wind whooshing past her, the ball flying towards her, being knocked off her broom. Lexie was lucky a professor was nearby, who charmed her to slowly levitate to the ground and not splat on the grass. No one said anything, except ask if she was okay, but she knew what they were thinking. An unexperienced little girl, who had know idea what she was doing. She would've thought the same thing.
Lexie was brought back to reality as she started to cough, a cloud of dust had fallen from the ceiling. She used her hand to wave away the dust, and then looked back at Gwyn, waiting for her to say something. "Soo, you come here a lot?"
She didn't take her hand, but sat down as she had been asked, and awkwardly played with her fingers. Lexie was sure Gwyn still thought she was unwell, but she was determined not to tell her exactly why she felt so bad. She had felt enough humiliation as it was, why add more to it? But her mind flashed back to the events that took place earlier in the day.
Taking off from the ground, the sound of the wind whooshing past her, the ball flying towards her, being knocked off her broom. Lexie was lucky a professor was nearby, who charmed her to slowly levitate to the ground and not splat on the grass. No one said anything, except ask if she was okay, but she knew what they were thinking. An unexperienced little girl, who had know idea what she was doing. She would've thought the same thing.
Lexie was brought back to reality as she started to cough, a cloud of dust had fallen from the ceiling. She used her hand to wave away the dust, and then looked back at Gwyn, waiting for her to say something. "Soo, you come here a lot?"
Word Count: 316 | Interacting w/@Guinevere Bwye | Text colour: #4d8451
*insert inspirational quote here*
27 Oct 2022, 01:17
Intrusion
@Lexie SerenoApparently, Lexie wasn't ill after all. Gwyn had her doubts, but it really wasn't her place to argue, so she just retracted her hand and watched the taller girl sit on the rubble. Well, at least she was taking it easy. If something had happened, it wouldn't do for her to lose consciousness or fall or something.
"You're welcome," she said feeling a bit out of her comfort zone. She wasn't normally very good at comforting other people, especially when she didn't know what was bothering them. She mindfully avoided her nervous tic of fiddling with her fingers and maintained her posture, but she couldn't help thinking that there had to be something she could say or do.
When the awkward silence became a bit much, Gwyn made her way back to the mirror. One glance into the filthy, damaged glass showed that her eyes were still, unfortunately, the normal brown they always were. She'd heard that emotional stimuli could affect metamorphmagi, but apparently awkwardness wasn't enough of an emotional response. Figures.
A glance at the other girl in the room showed that she seemed to be quite thoughtful, but the pensive behavior of Lexie was interrupted by a coughing fit. Even in the dim light, Gwyn could see the heavy dust in the air.
The silence seemed to be bothering them both, because Lexie asked quite the cliché question, and Gwyn almost giggled at the absurdity of the whole situation. Here she was, alone with this girl in an abandoned, haunted bathroom and they were having themselves quite the awkward moment of silence. After a quick little chuckle, Gwyn decided to approach the subject of the other girl's situation once more.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Gwyn asked, hoping she didn't sound as awkward as it had felt to say it. She knew it was as cliché as the 'come here often?' line, but if she was lucky, maybe the girl would open up? She watched Lexie expectantly, with just a dash of hope in her eyes.
27 Oct 2022, 01:49
Intrusion
The sound of Gwyn giggling caught Lexie by surprise, though maybe it shouldn't have. The question "do you come here a lot?" was an awkward, stupid question, but she honestly had no idea what to say. This was not the way Lexie liked to meet people. She preferred somewhere that wasn't filthy, perhaps in a common room or literally anywhere else, and with someone more charismatic. It wasn't that Gwyn wasn't, it was more that Lexie was the least charming person she knew, and for a conversation to be smooth and easy, the other person typically had to be very charismatic.
Before she knew it, Gwyn had turned it back onto her! If the two girls kept doing this, they'd be in this haunted bathroom forever. Having half a mind to just answer "no I don't", Lexie came up with a better idea. "How about this," she said, with a small smirk on her lips, "I'll tell you why I'm here, if you tell me why you are."
Not waiting for an answer, Lexie started, "I thoroughly embarrassed myself at flying practice." Saying it out loud made it sound like the most stupid problem one could have. "I mean, like badly. I've always wanted to be a sports player, Quidditch in specific, and this just made me...doubt myself? I don't know." Great, now she was confused about why she was upset.
Lexie looked up expectedly, thinking she'd be waiting for Gwyn to say her piece to even the score. Instead she felt guilty, she hadn't even asked if Gwyn agreed with the deal. "You don't have to tell me why you're here. It's ridiculous, you barely know me. But, thanks for hearing me out."
She got off the rubble she was sitting on, stood up and dusted herself off.
Before she knew it, Gwyn had turned it back onto her! If the two girls kept doing this, they'd be in this haunted bathroom forever. Having half a mind to just answer "no I don't", Lexie came up with a better idea. "How about this," she said, with a small smirk on her lips, "I'll tell you why I'm here, if you tell me why you are."
Not waiting for an answer, Lexie started, "I thoroughly embarrassed myself at flying practice." Saying it out loud made it sound like the most stupid problem one could have. "I mean, like badly. I've always wanted to be a sports player, Quidditch in specific, and this just made me...doubt myself? I don't know." Great, now she was confused about why she was upset.
Lexie looked up expectedly, thinking she'd be waiting for Gwyn to say her piece to even the score. Instead she felt guilty, she hadn't even asked if Gwyn agreed with the deal. "You don't have to tell me why you're here. It's ridiculous, you barely know me. But, thanks for hearing me out."
She got off the rubble she was sitting on, stood up and dusted herself off.
Word Count: 311 | Interacting w/@Guinevere Bwye | Text colour: #4d8451
*insert inspirational quote here*
27 Oct 2022, 02:20
Intrusion
@Lexie Sereno"How about this? I'll tell you why I'm here, if you tell me why you are."
That wasn't what Gwyn had expected, but the smirk on the other girl's face felt strangely like a challenge. A challenge she couldn't refuse.
...a challenge she should refuse, though. Was it really safe to admit that she was a metamorphmagus? Surely here, at Hogwarts, she was safe enough, right? After all, magic was common here. Surely it wouldn't hurt, right?
Thankfully, it didn't matter for now. Lexie broke the silence immediately on her own, which was quite the relief. Gwyn turned her body fully away from the mirror to face the girl who was venting from her pile of rubble. It was quite the predicament. Before she could response, the taller girl seemed intent on telling her that her own reasons for being here were to remain her own. It was kind of her, but Gwyn felt pretty guilty after hearing the poor girl exposing her heart as she had.
"I, well, I've never been allowed very many passions such as quidditch for you, so I can't say I know the feeling of losing confidence in such a way, but we've only just arrived in Hogwarts. You have plenty of time to continue practicing and improve yourself."
Gwyn paused, a flash of a memory returning to her and eliciting a small smile.
"It's like, hmm, well, it's like my old muggle friend from Wales. He was obsessed with rugby, but he was so very clumsy. One day - and forgive me, for I'm no rugby expert - he took a particularly strong hit and the other boy landed right on top of him, breaking his leg. After it healed, months later, he was already playing rugby again. I suppose what I'm saying is that it's important not to give up. We grow best when we face adversity."
Satisfied with her little rant, Gwyn offered a sheepish smile to Lexie.
"Forgive my words, I was apparently quite fond of them," she joked, unsure of what to do with her hands.
"I, er, I suppose it's only fair that I tell you why I'm here too. It's not too terribly scandalous, I'm afraid, but I was simply trying to change my eye color. Apparently, Mother thinks I'm a metamorphmagus - that's a witch who can change parts of their body at will into other forms - but I can't seem to figure out how to make such changes happen! It's terribly frustrating, but apparently not frustrating enough to elicit a color change!"
That was... probably a bit much. Living alone with Mother for so long had left Gwyn terribly lacking of social interaction, other than Aidan and a few cousins, so she'd been admittedly overeager.
"I apologize for the rant," she said sheepishly, "But tell me, what caused your passion for quidditch? I've never seen a match, but I've read all about them. Did you play often at home?"
28 Oct 2022, 03:26
Intrusion
Gwyn's words were comforting, and Lexie felt touched that she cared enough to sympathize and comfort her. The touched feeling left as quick as it came, and it was replaced with surprise as Gwyn told her that she might be a metamorphmagus. She had never met anyone who had a...talent. Was that the right word? It felt wrong, a talent was something like drawing, changing form was, in Lexie's opinion, a superpower and the coolest thing ever. But Gwyn seemed frustrated with herself, and it didn't seem like the right time to bombard her with a dozen questions, even if she was curious. Plus, Lexie felt it was only fair to say some reassuring words to repay the favor.
"I'm sure it just takes practice." Lexie repressed a sigh, that was very original. "I just mean.. well, I don't know much about being meta..something, but I do know about being frustrated at not being able to do something you're trying really hard to do. And in my, very limited experience, the more you attempt to force an outcome, the more the universe will resist." She took a deep breathe, realizing she should probably be taking her own advice but continued, "Just, don't stop trying or give up, but I doubt putting so much pressure on yourself will help."
She hoped her advice was okay and didn't sound too much like 'let me tell you how to live your life', because she barely knew how to live her own life, let alone someone else's. Lexie tried for a comforting smile, and awaited Gwyn's response.
"I'm sure it just takes practice." Lexie repressed a sigh, that was very original. "I just mean.. well, I don't know much about being meta..something, but I do know about being frustrated at not being able to do something you're trying really hard to do. And in my, very limited experience, the more you attempt to force an outcome, the more the universe will resist." She took a deep breathe, realizing she should probably be taking her own advice but continued, "Just, don't stop trying or give up, but I doubt putting so much pressure on yourself will help."
She hoped her advice was okay and didn't sound too much like 'let me tell you how to live your life', because she barely knew how to live her own life, let alone someone else's. Lexie tried for a comforting smile, and awaited Gwyn's response.
Word Count: 274 | Interacting w/@Guinevere Bwye | Text colour: #4d8451
*insert inspirational quote here*
31 Oct 2022, 23:47
Intrusion
@Lexie SerenoGwyn grinned at Lexie's advice and then chuckled, though it wasn't a rueful chuckle.
"Unfortunately, I have little choice in the matter. Giving up isn't an option, as this 'gift' will always be present. However, it seems as if you could stand take your own advice about lessening the pressure you place upon yourself."
As they spoke, Gwyn's hands were itching to do something. Idle hands were the devil's playthings, as the old idiom went after all. As they conversed, she stared at her left hand, focusing every bit of willpower she could muster into doing something to her hand. Longer fingernails, wider knuckles, at this point she would even settle for swollen wrists. She just wanted something to change.
She took a seat gently unto one of the other pieces of rubble, diverting her focus between her hands and the other girl in the room.
"May I ask you a question?" she asked, for politeness' sake. "Which position do you prefer in quidditch? My elder cousin plays quidditch at a different school, and she's quite the Keeper, though I find that I'm more fond of beaters. The unapologetic aggression seems much more fun than hovering in place, blocking the quaffle."
As she spoke, her hand remained unchanged, but it didn't bother her as much when she had someone else here to speak with, and Lexie wasn't wrong. It was surely all about perseverance.
She kicked her feet idly as she listened for the girl's reply.
1 Nov 2022, 03:50
Intrusion
"The point is, from the 10 minutes I've known you, I think you can do anything you put your mind to," Lexie smiled slightly, and she really did believe it. Gywn seemed deep in thought, fiddling with her hands, and Lexie wondered what she was thinking. She finally broke the silence by asking a question about Quidditch, and Lexie was glad for the change of subject. Mushy and helpful advice was not her forte, but she could talk about Quidditch for hours.
"Well, I guess you'd be fond of me, I'm planning to try out for beater. Not to brag but I'm very strong," she joked and flexed muscles. It was true, however, since beater was a non brainer, she was big and kind of brawny.
The feeling of her stomach rumbling made Lexie realize that the feast had probably started, and she looked out the window to barely see the sun setting on the horizon. She cursed, something she tried not to do in general but especially not in front of company. "Sorry. Just realized the sun is setting, I need to get to the Great Hall." She considered asking Gwyn if she wanted to come with her, but she thought maybe she would want to continue trying to get her ability to work.
But, Lexie still waited for a response before planning to head to the exit.
"Well, I guess you'd be fond of me, I'm planning to try out for beater. Not to brag but I'm very strong," she joked and flexed muscles. It was true, however, since beater was a non brainer, she was big and kind of brawny.
The feeling of her stomach rumbling made Lexie realize that the feast had probably started, and she looked out the window to barely see the sun setting on the horizon. She cursed, something she tried not to do in general but especially not in front of company. "Sorry. Just realized the sun is setting, I need to get to the Great Hall." She considered asking Gwyn if she wanted to come with her, but she thought maybe she would want to continue trying to get her ability to work.
But, Lexie still waited for a response before planning to head to the exit.
Interacting w/ @Guinevere Bwye
Word Count: 239
Color: #4d8451
Word Count: 239
Color: #4d8451
*insert inspirational quote here*