Books Books Books Errand

Word count: 421/200
Mentions: @Mateo Sáez thank you for putting this on!!! this thread makes me so happy!!!!
Interactions:
@Kim Sato || @Hades Schweighöfer || @Taisia Stroudefielde taisia cause i think you'd like the promise of a movie... together
open to other interactions!!

Kim asked if she was dressed as someone, and bailey smiled a small smile. "yes, as Jo March - that also explains the hair." she laughed, before clarifiying "jo march from the book 'little women'. its one of my favorites!"
Bailey was still by Kim's side, per usual, when a familiar friendly face showed up near them. It was Hades, and bailey smiled at the fourth year hufflepuff. He teased Kim about looking like a squirrel, which bailey had to admit - it was rather accurate.
She scrunched her face trying to remember the last time she had seen @damion white. Bailey said in reply "i don't think i saw him in the common room on my way out... it is possible that he was in his dorm, or in a classroom or the library studying. or outside.... i really don't have any idea, sorry."
Bailey was sad she couldn't help more, but she had told the truth - she had not a single clue where damion was. She had to admit - she was surprised he hadn't shown up, he had been another person who was and had been close to kim.
Back at their spot, puffie hopped over to bailey and she smiled. Closing her book momentarily she picked the little puffball up. She cooed "hiiii little guy" softly while scratching his head.
Bailey smiled even wider if that was possible, as she heard her friend @colin mccoire from all the way across the room. She made a mental note to introduce him to the How To Train Your Dragon series.
Then colin came over to bailey and kim, and she smiled. He really was adorable, in the way that a good friend or a brother was. Not like kim... no one was like kim.
"heyy coco!!" she said cheerfully.
Bailey then spotted Damion, and smiled. She said "heyyy damion!!! how are you!! hades just asked where you were - looks like you already found him though!"
She smiled again at the mention of one of her favorite books, charlie and the chocolate factory. "i have, its so good!!! All of the books ive read by Roald Dahl have been amazing!!!"
Bailey almost cackled when kim asked, confused, what a movie was. She eventually finished her laughing enough to say "a movie is like a long magical picture, telling a story. typically an hour to maybe four hours, if, no WHEN you visit me at home i can take you to the cinema and we'll watch a movie together.. your mind will be blown!!!"

Rose grinned at the thought of the series. It was definitely one of her favorites, one she held near her heart. They were the kind of books that you couldn't put down, even when you were rereading them. Rose found that, in particular, truly impressive. Her new acquaintance complimented her outfit, even though it was quickly put together. Rose smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I'm actually pretty proud of it, too."

The redhead's eyes widened. "I know! Plus, there were a lot of people that I really like in books that would either be really obscure to do- like in realistic fiction books- or just really complicated. I am all for costumes, but I wasn't going to wear a ballgown to a school event," she said, laughing a little bit. "But you're right- it's so hard to pick."

"Oh, nice! I like it. I think you put the character together pretty well," she responded. She tried to remember if she had read that book. She was pretty sure it was a fairly popular book because of how familiar it sounded, but she couldn't say that she had read it before. "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... I'll have to put that on my list of books to read," she said. (Because, yeah, there was a list.)

Chaska's ears perked up at the attention. And if there was one thing that Chaska loved, she loved attention. She stood up as the green-eyed kid exclaimed about how cute she was. She blinked her big, silver eyes at them, as if saying that she knew. Rose laughed. "Don't boost her ego too much. Someday I think she's going to be convinced she can fly or take over the world or something. But yes, of course you can pet her- she's really friendly." If a hand was extended to her, Chaska would take a short sniff, and then rub her cheek against it, leaning into any pets given. Rose murmured under her breath, "Silly kitty." Chaska always made life a little more interesting. Especially on days where she just wanted to be alone- well, not really alone. Sometimes she just wanted to not talk to anybody or use any social energy. Chaska didn't require either, which made her the perfect companion for reading, walks on the grounds, and doing homework. She almost couldn't remember her life at Hogwarts without the silvery cat, even though she hadn't even had her for three years yet.

"Mahlioz. That's beautiful," Rose said. It was such a pretty and unique name. Rose liked her name, and thought it suited her, but it was nowhere near as cool as Mahlioz. "It's nice to meet you. And yes- both Chaska and I use she/her pronouns." Rose hadn't asked the cat, of course, but she wasn't really sure Chaska cared what you called her- she knew she was a princess. "Do you have any pets?"

Once Mahlioz had answered, Rose asked, "I assume that you like books? What would you say your top three books are? If you just had to pick three," Rose said. Just asking Mahlioz to pick one was absolutely cruel, especially for somebody who seemed to like books just as much as Rose did. Putting somebody on the spot like that, making them choose one book out of the millions- no, probably billions of books out there... it was near impossible. So Mahlioz only had to choose three.

Reducio

If you want, feel free to godmod Chaska letting Mahlioz pet her, purring, rubbing on her, things of that nature

From the expression on Rose's face, Mahlioz knew that her new acquaintance had chosen the right costume. It was obvious the series was one she adored - Mahlioz decided she would try it out someday soon. And it seemed the redhead agreed that there were too many characters to choose from (although how they dressed narrowed it down a little). "Actually, I think that would've been a great idea," she joked about the ballgown. She wasn't usually sarcastic around people she didn't know well, but she always felt at home in the library.
"Thank you," the young Slytherin added when Rose complimented her outfit. She was also pretty proud of it (although she wished Ford had a sword, because swords were cool) but wasn't sure whether it was out of place here. She nodded. "Definitely do, it's a whole series of five books but the first is the best. It actually came from a TV series, weirdly enough, but it's been turned into a movie and even a video game." She knew she was probably rambling, but she didn't mind. It was an amazing book. "And I'll put the Lunar Chronicles on my list then." Mahlioz grinned.

It was clear that Rose's cat was an attention seeker. Chaska looked up at Mahlioz through her silver eyes - magnificent ones, by the way - and the Slytherin could nearly hear her thoughts going Yes, I know, I'm the most amazing creature on the planet, what about it? Cats. But Mahlioz didn't mind in the least, because this one was too cute to deserve any less. The first year laughed and leaned down to pet her. "Thank you - and honestly, she's a cat, I think her ego is already too big to be boosted any more. What makes you think she hasn't already taken over the world?" Mahlioz's father absolutely despised cats, but Mahlioz loved them. And respected them. It was obvious just by looking in their eyes that they knew what they were doing and that they were smarter than the average human.
Her mind started wandering to other pets... she was going to get one this summer. She wondered whether it would be a cat. She couldn't decide just yet, because cats could be annoying and very sure of themselves (so much so that they may just take over her life without her realizing), but they were also beautiful and intelligent - well, most of them anyway. Chaska just seemed to be here for the cuddling. "You're adorable, aren't you?" Mahlioz told the animal with a smile, before standing back up again to talk to the fourth year.

"Oh - thank you," she said. Her name was out of the ordinary, that she knew. "I like your name as well, it may be used a lot but I think it sounds beautiful too." She nodded, then shook her head. "I don't have any pets, but I'm planning on getting one this summer," she explained, smiling at the thought. "I have no idea what animal though, I can't decide. What made you choose a cat? ...Or was it Chaska that chose you?"
Mahlioz's new acquaintance then asked the question of the century. Top three books... it was easier to pick than just one favorite, but still way too hard to decide. "Um..." the first year said, her mind racing with all the books she could choose from. "Er... um... can I pick three series instead? The Aru Shah series by Roshani Chokshi is definitely up there, with..." she paused, thinking. "Probably the Vega Jane series, by David Baldacci? And... and Iron-Hearted Violet, by Kelly Barnhill." The last one was her only choice that wasn't a book series. She knew that technically, she'd chosen ten books altogether if you counted each book, including all those in the series. But only three books was too difficult. She still wasn't completely content with her choice. There were so many other good books! She hoped she hadn't disappointed Rose too much with the fact that she'd chosen two series. "What about you?"

AngelFyre's attention became almost laser-focused on Puffie as soon as she saw the little puff. Puffie was probably almost as well known amongst the student body as Kim himself. Nodding in acknowledgement of Kim's "Yo," AngelFyre reached in her little hand bag and began to dig out one the home baked treats she usually carried with her for Rascal, Simon's rat.

"Kim, would it be okay with you if I were to offer a small treat to Puffie? Simon's Aunt Maggie owns and operates her own 5 star bakery in London called Crawfords. She loves Rascal and is always baking treats for him. The rat cannot get enough of them. Maybe Puffie might like them too?" she asked hopefully.

In case Kim might say it was okay or in case he was hesitant without seeing the treat first, AngelFyre continued to dig around for it while hearing Kim mention that he liked mysteries and then he mentioned James Patterson and she got very excited. "Oh, Patterson is quite good. I am not usually a mystery fan because they are generally written with too many red herrings or endings that make no sense, but Patterson is not a cheat like that. Another good author to read in the genre of mystery and suspense is John Grisham."

Finally locating the treat in her bag, she handed it over to Kim to give to Puffie if he wanted the cutie to have it. AngelFyre, meanwhile, bent down to pet the puff, assuming it would be okay for her to do so. As she reached out with her index and second finger to rub Puffie's head, she saw her watch... and the time... and decided it was time to call it a night. Gentle contact was made for a few pets and much cooing was done to calm the critter... or try to anyway... and then AngelFyre bid them all a good night as she exited for her dorm to settle down and read Chapter 1 of Arsenic for Tea.

------- ----------- -------

@Kim Sato

Poor Kim! Colin wondered why it was the nurse could mend bones in a snap or cure a case of slugs in no time, but here was a kid suffering from something he'd called allergies. And no one seemed able to stop the sniffles and sneezes! Colin was pretty sure he himself didn't have any of those, but he really felt bad that his friend had gotten some. Maybe some day some brilliant wizard would invent a potion that would cure allergies to cats.

As the conversation around them buzzed, Colin wondered if people had allergies to other creatures like kneazles or nifflers. His best friend AngelFyre showed up then, and Colin's eyes lit up. "Fyre Angel! What have you got? I got a muggle book about dragons! And you're just in time for the big revelation!" Kim had asked Colin what was in the wrapped package that his seanmamó had sent.

With the package on the table between them, Colin was very excited to see Kim's reaction. "This, my dear Kimmo," he said with just a hint of drama, as he crouched on the wooden seat framing the packet with his thin fingers, "smells absolutely delicious!" He eyed Damion, AngelFyre and Bailey. Who knows? Maybe Kim would share in the yummiliciousness that Colin could scent was enclosed!

The packet itself was wrapped in nondescript brown paper and tied with a bit of string. It was addressed:

KIM AOKI
care of Colin McCoire
Hogwarts

There was a short note written on the package as well: Colin McCoire, don't you dare try to take a nibble. This is for your friend Kim.

Colin smiled. "You see, I told her all about our adventure last year, the one with Sophia, Ileen and Valentin right? She seemed quite impressed by the magic that we made, but also by your capacity to tuck away the sweets! I mentioned that you'd never heard of certain muggle sweets, and I'm pretty sure that this packet contains, well, just open it and see for yourself!"

Reducio

@Kim Sato | @AngelFyre McCubbin | @Damion White

Rose grinned, the idea of showing up in a ballgown amusing to imagine. Yes, it certainly would have made an impression.

"You're welcome," she said when Mahlioz thanked her. Rose's eyebrows raised- it was a series. Something about any series was always intriguing to Rose. Each book had to have its own arc and story separate from each of the other books, but also a part of the entire arc and story. It sounded very difficult to pull off. A singular book didn't seem anywhere near as complicated as a series to write.

However, there were many times where she read a book and wished it was part of a series, with three or four other books she could read. Some worlds, stories, and characters were so intriguing, Rose just felt like she needed more, and a single volume wasn't nearly enough to capture their true essence. But there were some books that she knew, despite how much she wanted a sequel, didn't need one. A one-off book with a conclusion that tied everything together, and when you put it down, it felt like a bittersweet ending, was an accomplishment for any author.

The redhead nodded in response to Mahlioz's explanation of the books. She smiled as the first year commented about the Lunar Chronicles. "Well, I am glad that I was able to recommend it to a fellow bookworm," she said.

Rose laughed a little at Mahlioz's words about Chaska. "That's fair. Though I think she would find taking over the world a little bit too much work. She seems pretty satisfied just being the princess of her own little world," Rose said, smiling.

Mahlioz complimented Rose's name, and Rose smiled again. "Thank you. It is simple, but it's definitely not the worst name." Then Mahlioz mentioned getting a pet over the summer. "Oh, really?" Rose asked, letting Mahlioz explain that she didn't know what kind of animal to get. "That... that's a good question. There were a lot of choices at the Magical Menagerie- the pet store in Diagon Alley, that is- and I knew I wanted a cat. They have always held some kind of mystery to me. I just saw her and..." Rose shrugged. "I don't know. She just seemed so friendly, but also with this quiet curiosity. She seemed perfect to me." Rose bent down to pick Chaska up. The silver cat rubbed her cheek against Rose's jaw, letting herself just be cradled in Rose's arms. Rose smiled at Mahlioz. "I'm sure you'll find a pet that's perfect for you, too," she said.

The first year asked if she could pick three series instead of three books, and Rose nodded. "Of course." Mahlioz listed her favorite series, and Rose tried to remember if she had read them before. She hadn't read any of them, as far as she could remember, but they sounded familiar, as if she had seen or heard of them somewhere. Rose thought for a moment before answering. "Definitely the Lunar Chronicles. And... 100 Days of Sunlight. My third would probably be the Hobbit. That book holds a lot of memories with me and my siblings," she said, smiling. "Yours sound very interesting, though."

Mahlioz was incredibly glad she'd come to this event. Not only was it full of books, but she got to meet a fourth year that was just as much of a bookworm as her, and bond over books! Of course she was shy, but it felt so nice knowing growing up wouldn't seperate her from her favorite novels and series. And Chaska was nearly as great as the books - a beautiful silver fluffball that she couldn't stop petting. Mahlioz laughed when Rose said the cat was probably satisfied with "being the princess of her own little world", and that taking over Earth was too much work. Cats.

The Slytherin was quiet as Rose recounted how she first got Chaska. Mahlioz nodded, smiling as the girl picked up her cat and cuddled her. They looked so content together. "I hope so," Mahlioz replied, before adding, "Thank you." There were so many pets to choose from, each more amazing than the next, but she hoped she would know which one to choose once she got there.

Thankfully, the fourth year wasn't irritated that Mahlioz had chosen a couple of series instead of books. She then listed her own favorites. "I've never heard of 100 Days of Sunlight, but I have definitely read the Hobbit," she said with a smile. She had yet to read any more of Tolkien's books, but she'd enjoyed the Hobbit. It had intrigued her - it was quite an old book, of course, so the writing style was completely different to what she usually read. She hadn't been sure if she liked it or not.
"Thank you, I do really like them." She wanted to go on a rant about how Aru Shah was amazing but how dare the author finish the fourth book like that and dang she couldn't wait to read the fifth one that had come out last spring but she stayed quiet. "Yours do as well," she said, trying to make her other thoughts stop taking over her mind.

Mahlioz glanced at her watch. As much as she loved being here, she really wanted to get back to her dorm and read the new books she'd gotten. "It was great to meet you, and I hope I will again," she told Rose with a grin, "but I should probably get going. Books to read, dragons to slay, adventures to go on, all that. ...Thank you for sharing your books, though. And your cat." She pet Chaska's head one last time as a goodbye, and then, still smiling her head off, left the Great Hall.

Mahlioz has left the thread.