You'll Need to Be Still, Like a Statue PV Percival R. Locked

Outfit

Percival blinked slowly as he turned the vanilla-colored page of the book he held. The weather was pleasant, and he had made it a mission to enjoy it while it lasted. Just cold enough for it to be comfortable to wear a thicker sweater, but warm enough that the breeze did not bite into exposed skin. Times like these he wished he did not have to reside underneath the lake, and instead was able to open a window in the dormitory to allow the warm sun in. A relaxed feeling overcame him, something he had not felt all summer. A chance to actually indulge in the laziness of a new year. Albeit far more alone than he had been the previous year. The thought of Tone soured his tongue, and he dismissed the boy from his mind as if he was waving him off. If Tone wanted to play such games so be it. He could play just as well, and he would make sure he won after beating Tone down to an unreadable pulp.

The thought filled him with a sense of warmth something that filled up the coldness that Tone had left in his wake. Percival clenched his jaw before returning to his book. It seemed better to simply pretend everything was fine. That he didn't need the other boy, and that he wasn't missing the comfort of having someone who seemingly understood him. How many times had he thought someone finally understood before they had inevitably left him behind? It felt like far too many times for it to be acceptable anymore. The twittering of birds caught his ear, and he glanced up at it with mild wonder. Birds seemed to always have it easy. Able to fly away from the constraints and pains of life. Sometimes if he thought hard enough he would be able to grow wings and fly high in the sky. Away from crazy Uncles and ex-best friends. Though, he didn't want to leave Ileen behind. Percival frowned slightly before smiling to himself. He would just have to teach her, wouldn't he? Then they can both fly.

Percival glanced up quickly taken out of his thoughts as someone tapped his shoulder. His brows instantly furrowed before melting into something less irritated as he waited for the other to explain himself. Though, it seemed that his explanation would not come any time soon as the boy told the other he needed some 'favor'. He was not too sure what the boy's favor entailed or why he thought he didn't look busy versus anyone else here. Percival was very tempted to say no. Especially, after the other boy claimed he would have to move to the ledge in order to complete the other's request of being a reference. Percival's eyes instantly perked up at the bribe of sweets. Despite, knowing it was a clear bribe he could not help but feel happiness bloom across his chest at the thought of getting something delicious. Something that could help turn around his day. "Alright, but I want the candy now." he demanded as he sat up moving the ledge the other had pointed out. "What do you want me to do?" he asked feeling a little bit lost. It wasn't every day someone decided to use him as a reference.

Interacting with: @Alec Mason
Mentions: @Hanako Tone, @Ileen Knight

Easily Alec was able to grasp the stranger's attention with a quick tap on the shoulder. He seemed quick to anger, irritated immediately to find that whatever he had been doing seconds earleir before Alec had arrived was now being interrupted. The stranger's face softened at the offer of sweets, they perked up, Alec smiled, noticing the way the stranger suddenly seemed enticed to do Alec a favor at the prospect of sweets from honeydukes. Oh how convenient it was for Alec that the other just so happened to have a sweet tooth. The odds were in Alec's favor. He could only hope the stranger was a patient one, he had a feeling he was going to run into trouble going past the half hour mark. What with the way he had reacted when Alec had shown up. The demanded immediate payment and Alec would stop for a moment, staring at the other and blinking, his eyebrows furrowed. That was somewhat rude, right? It couldn't be just Alec who would have take than as rude. He didn't mind giving the other sweets first... It was just- er- Had Alec picked the wrong person? His concerns were only increasing. The stranger was a slightly grumpy person, no? Alec had to wonder who would hang around him if he seemed to be such a downer all the time.

When Alec regained his composure, he still seemed slightly flustered but nodded slowly. “Of course, just don't eat it all right away.” Alec spoke, handing off the baggy of sweets from Honeydukes to the other. Alec watched as the stranger stood up, making his way to the edge of the fountain Alec had pointed towards, the Gryffindor went on to explain what he meant. “I can't imagine having a mouthful of sweets looks very flattering.” Sitting down the other asked what Alec wanted him to do. Alec took a few steps closer to the fountain and the ledge where the other was sitting, keeping at a distance in order to take in the bigger picture.

Alec tilted his head, he would take a few steps back. It was the position he wanted. At once the other had hit it perfectly, spot on, though something wasn't right. He frowned. Alec found himself have troubling figuring out why it didn't look right, the way he needed it to. His eyebrows kneaded together. “Huh,” Alec whispered, turning his head down to look at the sketchbook in hand, he would envision what he had in mind, then look back up at the stranger. “You're fine really,” Alec spoke this his voice quieted at the and and he still seemed troubled. “Try to stay still. I don't expect you'll be able to keep the pose, but keep to it as best you can. You're sitting perfectly... perfectly but,” Alec eyes narrowed, as if squinting would make the problem pop out to him, make it suddenly. His gaze flickered from his in-person visual reference to the sketchbook and what he'd envisioned in his mind. Alec's method worked, somehow. Upon realizing the problem, Alec lit up, as if a light bulb had suddenly flicked on in his head.

“Oh- well- there is one thing,” Alec spoke a smile found it's way edging back onto his lips. “You're a little tense looking.” Alec explained, a nervous habit, he would awkwardly rub the back of his neck as he revealed this information. He was trying to be gentle with how he went about it, knowing telling someone to stop looking tense often had the opposite affect. “Try to relax your shoulders, relax your body in general.” Alec offered in attempts to help, pausing before adding, “think running through meadows of flowers or ocean-side waves if that helps. Or take a deep breath maybe?” Alec suggested, knowing he wouldn't be able to get it right with someone who looked this tense. Was the stranger naturally this tense looking? Alec hoped he wouldn't have to spend long on this.

@Percival Rainwood

Outfit

Percival stared at the boy confusion seeping into his facial features as the boy stared at him in an awkward manner. It seemed that he had somehow flustered the other boy. A part of him grew amused as he wondered if the boy was merely overtaken by his beauty. It was something he was quite used to at this point. Girls and boys growing red at his mere attention. It amused him as much as it slightly irked him. The boy quickly took the bag of sweets quickly. Like he had been starved of sustenance for far too long.

Popping one into his mouth he would roll his eyes at the boy's reasoning. Though, would head the advice and place the bag of sweets upon his now closed book. Sitting up on the stone the boy would look back towards Alec. Studying the other for a second as the other studied him. Shifting slightly he tried to find a comfortable position. Once he felt he was as comfortable as possible he stilled. Percival s brow furrowed as he heard the boy muttering to himself. "All right, I'll do my best." He offered as he did his best to keep himself from moving. Though, amiss his thoughts of staying still, it appeared that he had tensed up a little too much.

Percival blinked slowly before nodding at the suggestion. Breathing in deeply and letting it go he did his best to loosen up his posture a bit. "I've actually never been to the ocean." He said vaguely. His brows furrowed slightly before almost shrugging at his comment. "At least not that I remember of." He added afterwards. "Have you been?" He ended up asking to find himself growing bored slightly.

Interacting with: @Alec Mason

The other did their best to loosen their posture, heeding Alec's words and suggestions the stranger did their best to heed his words. Alec eyes watched the stranger loosely. Alec was disinterested in the fumbling about it took to get a good model for visual reference. It was the excited impatience of a child in Honeydukes, unable to wait long enough to get to the transaction process and pay for sweet, stuffing their mouth the second they get their hands on it. In other words, as friendly as Alec was, he wasn't a fan of the process, at least he knew the end result would make it worth it. The stranger breathed in deeply and exhaled. Alec nodded encouragingly. They made progress, this was much better. Even if the non-tenseness almost seemed... forced? Alec wasn't going to badger his peer about it. This was as good as he was going to get. Alec could work with this.

With a satisfied hum, Alec looked down from the other to his paper, beginning to lightly sketch the outlines of a person. Rude or not the stranger was getting the job done, Alec didn't require politeness for this particular task. Alec's mind would begin to wander as he worked of the beginnings of the light sketch. Every so often, looking back up at his visual reference to help with minor details, filling in the visual block his mind prevented. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes into this routine when Alec was pulled from his head space, his thoughts. Curious as to what this could have been about Alec's eyes flickered over to the stranger, listening in on the voice that had caused the interruption.

"I've actually never been to the ocean."

And that was on his mind because Alec had been talking about the ocean. Alec was only repeating what everyone said in books! He didn't know if visualizing the ocean worked, he hadn't tried. Though never going to the ocean didn't prevent the visualization of the ocean. The other's voice sounded as if the realization had just come to them, however they didn't seem bothered by it, made more apparent by their almost shrug.

"At least not that I remember of."

Alec wondered if it hadn't yet become apparent that the other was practically talking to themselves. Merely voicing thoughts aloud. The other's words were but small bits of information Alec would lack the investment to remember later. However as of now, Alec was momentarily interested and quirked an eyebrow. He cast an amused look in the other's direction, before Alec could pry and ask questions to satiate his curiosity, the other asked one first.

"Have you been?"

Had Alec been to the ocean? If he had ever gone to the ocean, it would have been before he started Hogwarts. It had been long since Alec distanced himself from his past. Life before Hogwarts all came up as fuzzy memories, a blur. As if his life had never truly begun until he entered the walls of Hogwarts. Alec didn't answer. Instead he glanced down at his sketchbook to continue what he'd been working on. “Do you always offer your thoughts this freely?” Alec questioned casually as he worked. No one had to put a coin in this stranger, offer a sickle for their thoughts. Alec didn't mind the free service, it was entertaining. Though a piece of litter would have been able to keep Alec entertained. What? The bar was low.

Low bar or not, Alec was getting annoyed of calling the stranger 'the stranger' in his head. How impersonal, how vague. Alec would not continue to call his entertainment and visual reference 'the stranger'. Alec wasn't that heartless. “You know,” said Alec, speaking up suddenly, “I never got your name.” Words which were hopefully enough to prompt the other to give Alec their name. If not, Alec supposed he would have to move on, what person directly asks another person what their name is? Certainly not Alec!

At least Alec could follow his own prompting and give the other his name. Maybe they knew some other people looking for a quick bag of sweets in order to be a visual reference. They'd need a name to send people his way. “It's Alec.” Okay, not an incredibly clear introduction. Alec's face scrunched up, cringing internally. “My name is Alec.” There. Not that hard. Introductions didn't take as much effort as Alec was making it seem like they did. “Some people call me Ali,” namely Kim, “-but I'm fine with whatever.” The cursed introductions of an awkward teenager who'd dropped all formalities the second his last name began to sound unappealing. Not even a handshake. What a monster. Making a mockery of introductions.

“Enough about me,” no need to scare off this visual reference this early on, Alec still needed them. It would be a shame to have wasted a baggie of sweets because he scared off the visual reference this early. “You're the one who tried to start a conversation, I may as well continue it on.” Starting a conversation was the dangerous move, it wasn't Alec's fault the other didn't know when to stop talking. “Tell me, what is your deal, sweet tooth?” Alec supposed he could call the other a patron of the arts to soften the blow but they both knew that whoever Alec asked would have only been in it for. “Who are you, sweet tooth? What makes you tick? ... Other than bribery with sweets.” This was going to go well...

@Percival Rainwood

Outfit

Percival was not too sure what the brown-haired boy was thinking about. In truth, he was not too sure he actually gave a damn. Despite that thought, he could not help but wish the boy would at least say something. It was hard work carrying out a conversation, and he truly did not have enough patience for that task. Despite the long silence he could not help but find the situation a bit calming. He had always had an appreciation for the fine arts, and he wondered how well the piece would come out. It wasn’t as if this boy had a bad model. So it should at least look acceptable, as long as the boy’s skill held up to the test.

The boy could not help the small scoff that escaped his lips as the boy questioned him. Rolling his eyes slightly he would frown at the boy. “Are my words that much of a bore to you?” he asked though despite asking a question he was not really looking for an answer. The boy huffed slightly before shifting himself back into his previous position. “Cannot say anyone has told me I make for bad company,” he said. That was a hefty lie, he thrived off making other people regret ever meeting him. It was like a shot of dopamine any time he saw fat tears slip from unsuspecting eyes. Though, a part of him wondered how many people actually enjoyed his company. He used to have Tone, but now that bridge was burned up. How many bridges did he actually have? And how many were charred from his need to push people away from him the second they hurt him?

Percival did his best to ignore the feeling of emptiness that pulled his chest downward. Disliking the feeling at once. The boy instead focused on the other as he introduced himself. Alec… the name sounded somewhat familiar. Though, the reasoning alluded him. It was possible that they had shared a class together at some point. Or maybe he had heard the name in passing. The reasonings he made up put his mind at ease as he nodded ever so slightly. “My name is Rainwood, Percival Rainwood. Though I would appreciate it if you called me only by Rainwood,” he said in return.

His brow furrowed slightly as he listened to the other continue talking. The reasoning behind why Alec thought he was allowed to question him did not sit all too well with him. Though, in truth, he wasn’t too used to a stranger trying to understand him. The boy scoffed slightly before shrugging in answer. “I enjoy chocolate, so what? Does that make me a bad person?” he asked. No bite would be held behind his teeth. “You can’t tell me that you don’t like sweets.” he said in a disbelieving tone. “What do you think makes me tick?” he sarcastically asked.

Interacting with: @Alec Mason