CL The "Hush" Lunch Pv

ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ - ᴇʀɪᴄ ɴᴀᴋᴀꜱꜱᴀ

𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝟷𝟽 . 𝟷𝟷 . 𝟸𝟸

He could not believe he was still doing this shit during 4th year, but at the same time - he was not surprised at all.

What started out as simple means to satisfy his curiosity of the unpredictable ever so kind Hufflepuffs, became a frighteningly regular past time that became too pleasant to let go. To be absolutely fair, he was counting on Adlai Rod to cut ties with him first.

There were plenty of red flags about him.

1. He wears a Paperbag with no said explanation except those that were used in a tone too humorous to be serious. Such as, ‘ Oh, I’mn a bit shy tee hee’ or, ‘ People would be too distracted by my handsomeness. I’m doing them a favor’.
2. Mysterious past. Had rarely ever talked about his past. Even information about himself was hard to come by. All he shared was seemingly strong opinions on some students.
3. His full name was Papa MacaroO’ni. I repeat. Papa MacaroO’ni. It did not take a straight O student to know that was a fake name.

Despite all that, Adlai Rod- a hufflepuff through and through- still managed to befriend him. Never asked the most obvious questions like 'hey bro whats up with that paper bag over your head' or ‘why is your name so stupid’ . Even if she was suspicious, she hadn’t placed much importance on it. People tended to loooooooveee proving themselves right or calling out things they thought were mistakes. Hanako was no exception to that. Adlai, seemingly was. Maybe she had more focus on other things than being right all the time. Like enjoying their secret lunches and each other's company.

She was sorta stupid, honestly. But it was a good stupid. Because that stupidity has allowed this comfortable relationship between them to grow. It was comfortable for Hanako, certainly. He was glad to have someone dumb enough to believe his lies. It allowed him to be himself for once. A skill he has yet to acquire as ‘Hanako Tone’.

Truthfully, he had plans made last year where he would tell her the truth. That behind (realistically speaking, 'under' ) this paper bag , he was actually the guy in her club that sighs and rolls his eyes whenever she starts talking. The same one who ruined her party by jumping on an unsuspecting person and causing havoc, had unpredictable mood swings and who only lied to her multiple times about his identity only because he was too much of a coward to let go of his standoffish, selfish flamboyant facade. Something during the few last weeks of 3rd year had changed in his perception of relationships to make him realise that hey, it’s okay to depend on people, not everyone is out to toy with his surprisingly frail heart.

Course that was before his best friend double crossed him during the summer and told him to screw off literally right after they promised to be there for eachother. So regrettably, after a series of meltdowns and teen life crisis, he came back to school as a 4th year student with sleeping problems and a new fresh paranoia of opening up to anyone. It was inevitable (at least in his logic) to continue this little relationship he had with Adlai Rod the Hufflepuff.

At least he promised himself to keep the lying to the minimum. Yep, that’s right. He tentatively checked his wrist watch ( an item he only wears as Mac ). Not far from the designated lunch spot, Hanako hid behind anything he could find to comfortably count the time before he could actually arrive. Hanako was almost always on time, and if not, then it was on purpose. Mac on the other hand, had always arrived exactly 5 minutes after Adlai should have arrived. Just one of the many little lies he kept to a minimum. Obviously.

Once 5 minutes, passed, he made a quick glance around his surroundings before pulling his trusty old paper bag over his head. Paper Bag Chan has undergone some glow ups (and glow down’s) with each new paperbag. Today, Paper Bag Chan only adorned two large holes where Hanako’s eyes should be. Though it was quite the size, the material was thick enough to cast a dark shadow for anyone who attempts to look into his eyes. Perfect!

Hanako has officially turned into Mac. The transformation was not as aesthetically pleasing as he would like. But it was enough to fool Adlai, so it will do.

With a sudden increase in enthusiasm, Hanako ventured to their planned spot with his lunchbox in hand. Once he was for sure within Adlai’s sights, he signaled her a friendly wave before speeding up to where she sat. “ Hah.. sorry..late..againn..” damn he really didn’t have a lot of stamina did he. A bit of jog and he’s already out of breath. This has been sort of a predictable routine, so knowing he wasn’t really in huge trouble, he sat down across her.

“ But still, it was glad to see you Adlai. “ He admitted gently with a smile under that paper bag. And by ‘see’ he means whatever he could hear and sense about her presence. Two holes poked in a paper bag isn’t always a reliable way to actually see anything. But Hanako had learned to be more sensitive with senses other than sight. No doubt, it was currently Adlai that accompanied him. That- and he assumed if it was anyone else, they would have made a run for it once they saw a boy with a paper bag over his head heading towards them.

“ How have you been recently? Anything new that has happened to you since the last time we hung out?” As he wasn’t hungry just yet, he rested his unopened lunchbox by his side, much more eager to hear Adlai’s answer.

@Adlai Rod

Date: November 17th, 2022
@Hanako Tone

Adlai Rod was not stupid. She knew the two of them looked odd together while they sat and ate their lunches in the outdoor club area, but that is also why they choose to eat in the outdoor club area. During the prime lunch hour very few people were near by to look and gawk at them.

Unscrewing the lid of her thermos Adlai watched silently as a stout little boy with a bag over his head ran into her direction. From her persepctive he had a very funny run, almost like that of a penguin. "Hah.. sorry..late..againn..” the boy said as he huffed and puffed. He sounded like Adlai whenever she reached the top of the owlery stps, completely winded. Taking a quick sip of her drink she proceeded to smile, "It's ok!" She was used to her friends late arrivals to their lunch meetings. Something she had taken notice too though was that he seemed to arrive around the same time everyday. Maybe the lesson he has before lunch is a bit far from here? - she wondered.

“How have you been recently? Anything new that has happened to you since the last time we hung out?” He asked her. Screwing the lid back onto her thermos she turned herself so that she was directly facing Mac. "I'm glad you asked because I have big news." She said, taking a pause for dramatic effect. "I signed myself up for the Hufflepuff Broom Racing team!"

"I haven't heard anything and I doubt I'll be accepted right away since the team is full and has been full for a long time, but I hope someday I get to join." She looked down at her hands as she began to twiddle with her fingers. "There is one problem with my application though..."

"I applied a bit on impulse and um- well, I'm afraid of heights." Adlai had admitted to herself that what she had done wasn't the brightest thing to do for someone in her position, but admitting it to someone else felt entirely different. A portion of her was afraid that she was going to be shamed even though she didn't mind if she was laughed at.

Adlai knew she was lacking in skills, after all she didn't have the best grades and wasn't all that social with the own members of her house. So some part of her hoped that joining one of their magical sports teams would help her make the bonds she had been attempting to make since the day she arrived to Hogwarts.

"I'm thinking of applying to join the Hufflepuff Dueling Team too though! Just in case things don't go well with Broom Racing."

ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ - ᴇʀɪᴄ ɴᴀᴋᴀꜱꜱᴀ

𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝟷𝟽 . 𝟷𝟷 . 𝟸𝟸

The simple act of asking anyone how their week was going would be considered an odd act if people knew him as Hanako Tone. It was a habit picked up from his years of wanting to stand out among crowds through abrasive or ridiculous quips. People tended to remember him more if he poked fun at unnecessary things about them, from his experience. It correlated nicely with how he would avoid making friends in general. But as the years passed, that too had passed. Well, not entirely - since he still wouldn’t say such simple things as Hanako. But things were different with Adlai. As Mac, it was easier to allow himself to be comfortable with just getting to know you friends without needing to make everything memorable. Not everything had to be about him. And he was learning that slowly, through.. His uh.. Disguise.

“ Wowwww~” He gave her a series of gentle claps “ Now look who’s breaking out of their comfort zone and joining sport clubs~” he chuckled through his lighthearted mockery. But in all honesty, he really was proud of her. “Kidding. It’s not common for older years to sign up sports for the first time. It’s always great when they do”.

"I haven't heard anything and I doubt I'll be accepted right away since the team is full and has been full for a long time, but I hope someday I get to join." She looked down at her hands as she began to twiddle with her fingers. "There is one problem with my application though..."

“ ..?” Hanako allowed her space to continue whatever she was about to reveal. While doing so he decided it was the best time to bring out his lunchbox now. While his lunch with Adlai proves to be one of the most relaxing times for him, it was also the day for the saddest lunch. Adlai’s religion didn’t allow her to eat specific foods. While he respected that, he never felt right eating stuff like meat or chicken in front of her. All on his decision entirely and he continued to hope Adlai never brings up why his lunches were so basic or else he’ll might actually need to lie about being on some strict diet or something.

Today’s lunch: Bread and butter. Oh, well. It’s quantity will make up for it’s quality.

"I applied a bit on impulse and um- well, I'm afraid of heights."

“ Psfttstttt “ Okay, sorry. He could not hide his surprise at the little problem with her application. “ Haahah sorry sorry! I didn’t mean anything bad by it. It’s just …hmmm how do I put it..” he pondered a few moments for the correct words. Something he does not do regularly. It wasn't that necessary when being considerate of other people's feelings was just in the way of getting his point across.

“ When I said it’s nice to break out of your comfort zone, I didn’t think it would be to this extent. Though I can happily say I’m impressed nonetheless. Impulsive. But impressive. Don’t worry, once you’re used to flying you just don’t get scared anymore. Once I t- I mean there was a friend I knew who taught a first year how to fly on a broom. The kid had major fear of flying. But eventually, he got it. So you’ll be fine. But uh, just … how much exactly scared of you of heights?”

And this was an example for the downsides of being under this new identity. He could not share his personal experience. Everything he did had to be covered up by ‘ Oh yea my friend was’ or ‘ my distant relative used to-’s. It would turn out bad if Adlai realised Hanako Tone did those things as well. As suspicious as it sounded, it was the only thing he could do. He was troubled enough that he couldn’t share anything more than this. His encouragement may have held more weight if she knew he was a duelist that had to wait as a wait listed for a whole year.

But that was not possible. And most likely, never will be.

At least the chances of it seemed minuscule before Adlai sprouted out her next few words. The bread and butter sandwich Hana held dropped back on his lunchbox just as his jaw did. “ Sorry, you said what? Duelling?” He would be unable to hide the fear that was laced in his words.

@Adlai Rod

Date: November 17th, 2022
@Hanako Tone

"Really?" Adlai inquired while listening to her friends story about a first year getting over their fear of heights before answering Mac's question. "It's bad, I throw up whenever I get back down from the owlery and my legs feel weak even when just going up stairs." Adlai started to explain. "I think it has to do with the fact that where I grew up didn't really have anything other than two story buildings. Only when my family moved to Wales did I start to get these feelings, it's awful."

She then noticed the difference in tone when it came to her friends speaking. Adlai had never heard Mac sound scared before but she couldn't help but assume that, that's what it sounded like. "Yes, dueling. Why? Is everything alright?" She asked, even though she didn't expect a direct answer from Mac. They always spoke in riddles and dodged questions like a cartoon character did bullets, it was rather impressive but also rather annoying but Adlai would never say so and would never intentionally let it show.

"I've seen dueling matches before, I know how gruesome they can be so you don't need to worry about me signing up for something I don't know anything about it." Adlai said, her gaze casting down to Mac's dropped food. Bread and butter, his lunches were always so scarce. She then looked at him and frowned. Every time she saw him he seemed ten times slimmer, it was worrisome. Even though she knew he was the same year as her she still viewed him as a little kid, mainly because most of the time he acted like one. So, dipping her fork into her own lunch box she speared a hefty bit of steamed vegetables onto it before scrapping it into Mac's lunchbox. "You really should eat more, you're getting to skinny."

"And besides being skinny, if you want to grow any taller you need to eat more too!"

ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ - ᴇʀɪᴄ ɴᴀᴋᴀꜱꜱᴀ

𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝟷𝟽 . 𝟷𝟷 . 𝟸𝟸

As Adlai explained just how bad her fear of heights was, he showed a grim expression. Which she coudln’t see. Yknow. Because of the paper bag. “ Eeerrr.. That bad, huh?” He let out a little laugh. “ It’s worse than that kid I mentioned. Wait. did you get sick when we first met too? Remember the Trick o Treat event? Didn’t we climb up the astronomy tower too? But I guess when you explain your background like that, it does make sense “

He of course, could not relate. He lived in a pent house all his life. Looking below was just another view for him. . Sure, he had feigned cowardice during his early 1st year of flying lessons. But that was only in hopes to get out of the class. He may be half blood, but he had grown up in a muggle environment. Flying brooms were a big no. Definitely not his thing. Like most of the sports he was pushed into trying out when he was younger. “ Well, I mean. You’re not going to just let this be, right? I assume you have some sort of… plan when you signed up for broom racing? Not as in back-up plans. But more like, plans to prepare yourself for broom racing?”

"Yes, dueling. Why? Is everything alright?" She asked.

“Yea. Yea I’m fine” he was not fine.

Hanako was in dueling. He was in dueling. If Adlai joined, it was inevitable that they would see each other more often than they already do. What if she picks up some hints that he was Mac? Not to mention Ileen was in dueling too. And Ironwoods, recently. Two people who knew his identity as Mac. They both had agreed to a certain extent to just keep it a secret, but you couldn’t trust anyone. Especially not those two!

Nononononono he could not let that happen. Alright, time to discourage her by giving her all the scary details about dueling.

"I've seen dueling matches before, I know how gruesome they can be so you don't need to worry about me signing up for something I don't know anything about it."

Not the time to scare her into joining. Damnit. Plan B Plan B!

“ Well, yes I mean….its just I heard the Viridian Vipers are…a mean bunch, yea. Some of them keep it civil, but others are just off the rails. They would openly like- mock other houses. Being rude and all for no reason, even if they’re losing! Wasn’t that one kid who even flirts for no reason? Gross. Who does he think he is? It that really the kind of sport you want to sign yourself up for?”. He had never been so thankful that he was an absolute ass during dueling. And he was not wrong about his statement in the slightest. And he will continue to talk back behind his own back if that's what it takes to discourage Adlai from joining.

Adlai then proceeded to do something as unnecessary as bringing up Hana’s shortness. To which most of the time, he would retaliate because hello- like anyone who comments on his height, Hana considers it a personal attack. Thankfully for Adlai, he liked her enough to find the bit of humor in the joke.

“ Yes and that’s definitely not the first time I’ve heard that. But I’ll have you know I did grow a lot during the summer, alright? My lunch is doing plenty for me and it doesn’t need to be insulted today“ He laughed only to have in die down in an awkward silence once he had realised what he said.

Summer. The worst summer he’d ever had. Just talking about it forced him to come to terms that it indeed happened. Percival pushing him away, his parents divorcing, moving into a new home, finding out his dad despised him all this time, and everything was his fault. It was suffocating, even just thinking about it.

“ Um.. sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just remembered something..really stupid”

No, what’s stupid is that he was still being withdrawn whenever the topic of summer came up. Drawing a line just as he was about to appear even a tad bit vulnerable. Since returning to Hogwarts, he had not properly opened up to anyone about what happened in his summer, thinking it was insignificant. But really he knew himself well enough to know it was just the deep rooted cowardice in him. Just look at him now. Talking to a friend with a false identity and a disguise. Taking advantage of their trust in him so that he could be comfortable. A selfish coward, wasn’t that just a great combo?

But he wouldn’t pretend that all this ‘pushing down feelings’ was causing him uneasiness itself. And that thought in mind was that prompted him to say the next few words very gently.

“ Adlai. Can I maybe..tell you more. About my summer? I don’t know. I just rarely ever talk about it. But somehow I just feel like I want someone else to know about it, for once. I mean, feel free to decline. We can go back to talking about how you suck at flying. “ he joked a little at the end.

He dealt with it the old fashioned way of just pushing it down. That’s how its always been. But did it always have to be like that all the time? Maybe as Hanako, but as Mac….

@Adlai Rod

Date: November 17th, 2022
@Hanako Tone

"When we first met?" Adlai echoed her friends words back to herself while she searched her mind for the answer to that question. They had met nearly two years ago, Adlai had just gotten braces and it was Halloween. To her own embarrassment she remembered that her costume, which added a light tint of pink to rise in her cheeks.

"I think I was having so much fun that I wasn't able to focus on my fear back then." Adlai finally said before taking another sip of her drink. "And of course I'm not going to let this be, I have a friend who I know is very good when it comes to brooms. I'm hoping to ask her to tutor me if the time ever comes." Once she had finished speaking, she took a deep breath and drew her knees towards her chest and moves her lunchbox to the side of her.

As the conversation progressed and Adlai brought up her interest in applying for her house's dueling team, she took note to her friends shift in physical manner. After asking if he was alright, he merely responded with, "Yea. Yea, I'm fine." before going on to ramble something apparently atrocious about a team called the Viridian Vipers. Something to do with flirting?
Letting out a sudden snort, Adlai shook her head. "If it's me being flirted with you're worried about I can calm those nerves right now. Point number one being, out of hundreds of students going to this school, I am one of the only hijabi's here," she started.

"Point number two, all of the guys I have had a crush on so far have either been completely out of my league or gay. And point number three is that the only boy who had showed remotely any romantic interest in me within my four years of attending this Hogwarts has vanished into thin air! And to make it even better that same boy had asked me to one of the balls last year only to leave me within the first ten minutes of the party to go who knows where with who knows who..." With her voice trailing off, Adlai turns her face from her friend and towards the muddy, snowy, mess of a outdoor club area in front of her. "That was the first ball I was ever asked to, too." she noted softly before shaking her heard and looking back to Mac. "So, you have no need to worry about me being flirted with or me flirting back or any romance based feelings being mixed into school sports."

Once her tangent was complete Adlai laughed at Mac's retort to her light hearted critique on his height before her expression became rather neutral towards to heavy sounding words that followed. "Adlai. Can I maybe..tell you more. About my summer? I don’t know. I just rarely ever talk about it. But somehow I just feel like I want someone else to know about it, for once. I mean, feel free to decline. We can go back to talking about how you suck at flying."

"No, I'd love to hear about your summer!" She said, rather shocked that Mac would want to talk about themselves and their life.

Reducio

Hijabi = Individual who wears the Hijab, Hijab = Islamic headscarf (mainly worn by women)