31 Aug 2023, 10:04
Diverging Behaviours
Renelle stared blankly at the blackboard in front of her , which had something written with elegant, slanted handwriting. In her opinion, anyway. Probably some notes about the class they were discussing. Her head was titled sideways, cheek rested on one hand. In the front of the classroom, their professor droned listlessly on about whatever they were studying. She honestly wasn’t sure, although it had been more than hour since class started, and they were almost done for the day.
She almost felt a bit bad for the teacher— Professor Melisande Lennox, Renelle remembered her name was. She had probably worked really hard on preparing this lesson. However, all that effort was in vain, for Renelle firmly believed it was impossible to take a subject like history and make it fun.
Suddenly, a loud booming sound snapped her out of her thoughts. Class was over already? Boy, time sure flies when you don’t pay attention and make up random pet names for your hypothetical future lizard, Renelle mused. She didn’t even like lizards that much.
At any rate, class was over, and Renelle started stuffing her textbooks into her bag, not bothering to wait to see if the professor was going to announce homework. She would just ask someone later. Hopefully, the professor hadn’t noticed Renelle’s over enthusiasm for the end of class— one of the perks of always sitting at the far back. She just hoped none of the student sitting around her had picked up on her obvious disengagement with History of Magic.Interacting with @Damian Hills
Last edited by Renelle Dalton on 6 Sep 2023, 10:58, edited 4 times in total.
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
31 Aug 2023, 18:47
Diverging Behaviours
“Diverging Behaviours” - Interacting with @Renelle Dalton - Outfit: school robes
It was almost hilarious how Damian was so much into that class of History of Magic: as usual he had his textbook and all his notes taken in previous lectures on his desk - one in the front rows of course - a new quill, his bottle of ink and some blank sheet of paper on the other side of the table, ready to be used to write every single word the professor was about to say.
He looked almost like a statue as he didn’t even flinch during the entire class: he had spent the hour taking elegant and clean notes, asking a few questions here and there and paying great attention to the professor. When the lecture was over, he was a bit sad: the topic was so interesting he wanted to spend even more time hearing about it.
Damian started collecting his belongings making sure that the ink he had used during the class was completely dry before putting the pages inside his leather bag and walked a few steps towards the door of the classroom when he noticed someone throwing her books randomly in her bag and who looked like she had no idea what the professor taught them.
Usually he didn’t care about people slacking off and sleeping during classes, as long as his grades weren’t affected by their behaviour people could fail every class they wanted to. But this time something was really bothering him: maybe it was because he had recently joined the History of Magic club and hated how one of his favourite subjects was so despised by many students; for whatever reason, he felt the need to go and confront the girl about her behaviour.
He approached her coldly, stopping his walk right behind her, and spoke. “Excuse me, don’t you think your behaviour in class was a bit disrespectful to the professor?” he said, trying to ignore the thought of those poor books she threw just a few moments before.
✿ Damian Christopher Hills ✿
1 Sep 2023, 00:56
Diverging Behaviours
What the hell?
That was what was going through Renelle’s head as she stared up incredulously at the random boy who had just had the nerve to approach her, someone he had had no previous interaction with, and criticise her. Seriously?
Renelle stood up and was pleased to find that she was several inches taller than the boy. She raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m sorry. I really don’t see how that concerns you?’ As she spoke, she continued stuffing everything in her bag carelessly, then zipped it up and slung it over her shoulder, ready to leave. She did not want to suffer here under this boy’s scrutiny any longer than she had to, and at any rate, being late for class would not help her in any way.
She recognised this boy as one of those students sitting right up in the front of the class earlier (it was easy to observe people in the back of the class). As she recalled, he had been remarkably focused, not even moving much and scribbling down basically every single thing Professor Lennox has said.
Renelle didn’t like judging people- others may perceive the boy as a good-two-shoes, teacher’s pet, but the way she saw it, if he wanted to bore himself to death, what was it to her? It was just such a shame this boy could not return the favour.@Damian Hills
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
1 Sep 2023, 16:56
Diverging Behaviours
“Diverging Behaviours” - Interacting with @Renelle Dalton - Outfit: school robes
If Damian wasn’t particularly interested in that girl before and just wanted to make her understand that wasn’t a good way to behave during class, he completely changed his opinion when she started talking, and most of all how she kept throwing her stuff in her bag, almost as if she didn’t care to wrinkle or rip some pages in the go. He couldn’t really understand how someone could have been that carefree during such an important lecture; he was even a member of the club, and she looked like she couldn’t care less about that subject.
He didn’t care at all that she was slightly taller than him, that wasn’t intimidating at all and he kept looking at her with a cold expression on his face. “It concerns me because we are all in the same room, and as a collective of people we should all behave well. If you don’t care about the lecture, your loss. But at least pretend to be following instead of clearly sending the professor messages about your boredom.” he explained, trying to remain calm.
It was true, he couldn’t care less if someone wasn’t studying or following the class, but for some reasons the thought of the professor catching someone behaving like that really rubbed him the wrong way: maybe it was because of his strict parents and their lectures at home, and just the thought of behaving like her with them sent a chill over his spine.
“By the way, how can you not be interested in these classes? It’s so charming to listen to all those stories from the past and how they shaped our present.” he added, and stopped right before starting babbling non-stop about it. It was pointless anyways, he doubted she could have been interested in hearing some more History of Magic.
✿ Damian Christopher Hills ✿
2 Sep 2023, 03:36
Diverging Behaviours
Great, now this boy thought that he was the professor’s own personal assistant, with it being his responsibility to make sure everyone was as into this boring lecture as he was. As he rambled on about how everyone needed to behave perfectly during class, Renelle was inwardly dying at how she was almost certainly going to be late to her next class. Just awesome.
Renelle had never been a very talkative person, preferring to merely observe or do her own thing. Maybe it was a result of all this people watching, but she had always been quite good at gouging people’s feelings. And right now, this boy was trying to maintain a cool facade, but he was pissed.
It was funny, really- normally, Renelle was the cold, detached one in conversations, with the other person animatedly trying to get her to open up. Yet now, this boy was taking that spot as well. The only difference was that he had a bit of a temper.
‘By that logic,’ she raised an eyebrow. ‘Everyone is on the same planet, and as a collective of people, we should all behave well. Doesn’t seem to be quite the case, though, does it?’
‘And it’s really quite easy to not be interested in these classes. Perhaps you and I have a different understanding of the word ‘charming. If you want, I could tutor you in the English language, because you seem to be sadly misinformed on a lot of words in the most basic vocabulary.’
Renelle honestly felt a bit bad for poking at this boy like that, but he really was rather annoying. And she was going to be so late.Interacting with @Damian Hills
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
3 Sep 2023, 13:41
Diverging Behaviours
“Diverging Behaviours” - Interacting with @Renelle Dalton - Outfit: school robes
Why was she trying so hard to make him angry? He thought it could have been such a simple interaction, it only required a few minutes of talking, but she was making everything harder. He didn’t understand what was so difficult to get in his words: he didn’t care if she wasn’t interested in History of Magic, he was simply annoyed by her behaviour in class, and wanted to make her at least pretend to be paying some sort of attention.
He almost laughed at her words, she was literally proving his point. “Um, yes. Exactly. We should all cooperate and be concerned when someone doesn’t behave well.” he replied, this time with a tiny bit of acid in his tone. He was trying to contain his temper, but as everyone knew he wasn’t really good at it. At least he wasn’t experiencing any change of hair or eye colour for now, that was usually a pretty unambiguous sign that he was about to explode.
“So, yes. Your behaviour in class is also my concern. But if you don’t care, I guess I will have to report to the professor or your prefect.” he added coldly. He was definitely crossing the line; Damian wasn’t really the type of teacher’s pet that reports to them the names of the kids who talk without permission, he was used to mind his business and let people fail their classes, but since he was starting to get really pissed off his thoughts were also a bit faster than his common sense.
A menace like that would have probably only brought more chaos and rage instead of ending the discussion, but the bomb had already been dropped.
Damian smiled sarcastically after that last phrase. “Aw, thank you for your concern, I’m good. If you and I have a different understanding of the word ‘charming’, maybe that’s why you can’t focus during classes, you don’t understand what the professor is teaching?” he replied with a false caring tone. That behaviour was also way outside his character, but he just wanted to send back the provocation to the owner.
✿ Damian Christopher Hills ✿
3 Sep 2023, 13:59
Diverging Behaviours
Normally, Renelle did not like to get into arguments with people she barely knew. Or anyone, really- she just did her own thing and ignored everyone around her. Which was why she wasn’t sure how she’d gotten herself in such a big mess.
From the tone in which the boy was replying to her now, Renelle could tell he was close to losing it. She had honestly never wanted to go this far, but she’d never met anyone this meddling and annoying either.
Renelle decided she was just going to reply to his taunts one last time before trying to stop it. ‘Oh, so you want to report me to the professor?’ she smiled with fake sympathy. ‘For what? Do you expect them to simply take your word for it when you tell them I haven’t been paying attention? Any proof at all?’
‘And funny that you would mention me perhaps not understanding the teacher, I was just about to say the same to you. Why were you so hanging on to everything the teacher said? In fact, correct me if I’m wrong, but that seems to suggest that you don’t understand her? Maybe I wasn’t as desperate for anything at all to write down, because unlike you, I’m actually smart enough to get it.’
Renelle paused. Okay, if what she’d said earlier wasn’t going to make the boy explode, this certainly was. She honestly wasn’t sure she wanted that to happen, though.
She took a deep breath. ‘Ok, I get it.’ Her voice was suddenly much calmer, without any hint of mocking. ‘You were just trying to make sure everyone took the most out of these lessons. I’m… sorry. For blowing it out of proportion. I shouldn’t have said all that stuff.’
Normally, Renelle was not one to apologise, but she wasn’t afraid to admit it when she was wrong. And she kind of was, in this case, although the boy certainly wasn’t innocent either.Interacting with @Damian Hills
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
3 Sep 2023, 21:38
Diverging Behaviours
“Diverging Behaviours” - Interacting with @Renelle Dalton - Outfit: school robes
Luckily for everyone she took a step back from the discussion exactly in the moment when Damian started losing his temper for good. He couldn’t believe the audacity of that girl to clap back with such ease. His increasing rage was clearly visible in the acidity and speed of his words, almost venomous at some point. “He could easily test your knowledge with a pop-quiz. There’s my proof.” he replied dryly.
His rational part was well aware that the best thing to do was simply to walk away and drop that pointless discussion: it was already clear that she wouldn’t change her mind at that point, and each word was only meant to bicker a bit more. He wasn’t actually going to report to the professor, he didn’t care at all to be honest; she wasn’t a Gryffindor, so if she wanted to fail and make her house lose some points, better for him, right?
Damian was just about to answer again to the next part, even angrier than before and ready to finally explode, lose the calm and cold image that he was almost always showing to all Hogwarts - someone in the Gryffindor common room might have already experienced his burning rage - and probably manifest his rage in a bright red in his eyes or hair as usual.
“You know wha-” he started, and immediately stopped at her sudden tone change. “Wait- You what?” he asked, confused. He didn’t really understand what happened and why she had suddenly decided to back down, he was convinced that the conversation wouldn’t have any positive outcomes, so the confusion made him finally shut up for a few good seconds.
“...Yes, exactly.” he recollected himself shortly after the tone change, and his voice also returned calmer, but maintaining a bit of confusion in his face. “I just don’t like when people show no care in what they are doing.” he continued, and moved the eyes from her to the ground, walls, or whatever was in the background. “...I suppose I also acted out of proportions...” he murmured the last phrase, hoping to not really be heard. Yes, to acknowledge being wrong was really a difficult thing to do for him.
“Is there any subject you like, here?” he asked after a while, trying to change the topic and ignoring that poor excuse of an apology he made.
Maybe the conversation could still be saved somehow.
✿ Damian Christopher Hills ✿
4 Sep 2023, 07:58
Diverging Behaviours
It was almost comical how taken aback the boy was at her apology. As Renelle watched, the boy started to give a retort, then stopped as what she had said dawned on him. He seemed so surprised he finally shut up for a good few second before collecting himself, and apologised while looking anywhere but at her.
This boy, much like herself, did not seem like the type to acknowledge themselves being wrong easily, and Renelle honestly could not understand how insults had turned into sorrys. She was going to have to look back on this interesting interaction later, but for now, she had something much more important to do.
“Thank you.” She inched a step toward the door. “But I’m really going to be late for my next class.” Thanks to you.
She was aware that she was ignoring the boy’s last sentence, but she really didn’t care enough to answer, and Renelle had never been one for small talk. At any rate, she might even be doing him a favour, what with how forced the question seemed.
Trying for a smile that was probably more of a grimace, Renelle speed-walked to the doorway, and exited the classroom, immediately heading to the place of her next class. It might be stupid, but she really hated running, no matter how sure the situation. It wasn’t like she could get any more late, after all.Interacting with @Damian Hills
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
4 Sep 2023, 10:58
Diverging Behaviours
“Diverging Behaviours” - Interacting with @Renelle Dalton - Outfit: school robes
The whole situation had calmed down way too quickly in Damian’s opinion: usually these kinds of talks ended in someone running away or a third party intervening to calm him down, but this time nothing really blew out of proportion to a point of non return. He also somehow managed to collect himself and maintain a cold look after the discussion.
His question found no reply though, he knew it may have looked like a random question for a chance of small talk, but his intention was actually to introduce another topic, but she cut his question short and thanked him. It was still a bit weird to see the fulminating change in acting, but the girl seemed to be in a real hurry and he clearly didn’t have the time to go deeper and discover more. “Um, okay. See you around, I guess.” he replied, and watched her go away.
He still was a bit annoyed at what happened even if at the end the situation resolved by itself, but who knows, maybe another occasion would bring the two together? They were both the same year, after all.
Luckily for him he didn’t have another class after that one, and was free to go studying somewhere else: if he had to rush somewhere, of course he wouldn’t have stopped talking and stuck so much to his point. He kinda felt sorry for her, he wanted to make her behave better in class, but ironically was the cause for her delay in class. Maybe on another occasion he could have done something to make up for it.
✿ Damian Christopher Hills ✿