20 Oct 2023, 19:54
An Unsurprising Friendship
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ℝ ℙIt was bound to happen eventually─▪────────────────────────▪─
ReducioInteracting with @Colin McCoire
Qrow | #064107
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Despite the seemingly messy appearance of the greenhouses, the Slytherin often found themselves inside them whenever they could, after all, Qrow had always enjoyed plants, the damp earthy smell that hung, quite pleasantly, in the air was rather comforting and the warming light of the sun wasn’t half bad either.
A friend of theirs had once compared the child to a reptile after seeing them almost doze off one sunny afternoon; after all, snakes were cold blooded and enjoyed the warmth. Though, whilst usually enjoying being inside the greenhouses, Qrow wasn’t entirely sure what lead them to the back of them - actually, that was a complete fib, they absolutely knew what they were going there for, and that was some peace and bloody quiet in order to hash out a plan that had been literal months in the making - it wasn’t necessarily somewhere that the Slytherin had ever thought much of, which, come to think of it was likely why it was the perfect place for the scheming second year to hide with their notebook.
If they had never thought of hiding behind here to escape the watching eyes of prefects and teachers, it was pretty unlikely that many others had too.
The young metamorphmagus sat, knees up to their chest with a notebook was small notebook balanced precariously on their legs. Bound in green leather that had faded with age, and covered in the odd bits of magical cello tape where it was falling apart, the notebook was clearly well-loved. Doodles and magically animated photographs could be seen to litter its pages as the Slytherin turned through the journal in an attempt to find the specific page they were looking for.
Finally, they landed at the page they had been searching for, the writing neatly written in cursive Gaelic, but not in any specific order and likely riddled in spelling mistakes (bloody dyslexia). Doodles and ink blotches filled gaps and somewhere amongst the supposedly ‘organised chaos’ was a half ticked checklist of items, including but not limited to;
Just as their quill went to tick off another item on their list, the book was snatched away from them.
- Red Curtains
- Gryffindor bedding
- Crayons
- Invisible ink
- And a fuck tonne of red and gold glitter
“OI!”
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Last edited by Qrowley Beithir on 20 Oct 2023, 23:09, edited 1 time in total.
20 Oct 2023, 21:47
An Unsurprising Friendship
Reducio

Colin ran down all the way from the Owlery where he'd sent a letter home and had delivered some of his famous owl treats! There were none left! Oh, the poor owls, he thought. Better hunt up some more! With that thought in mind, Colin knew right where he had to go.
"To the Herbology gardens! WOOOooooOOOooOO!!!"
It had been a while since Colin went hunting near the greenhouses, and owl treats seemed like the perfect opportunity to reacquaint himself with that part of the castle. For the most part, students kept themselves to the greenhouses proper for class. But Colin loved the various gardens behind and around them. There were of course flowers and fruit trees, but also herb gardens and loads of wild flowers! Yes! That was the place he had to be!
Colin's unbuttoned shirt flew behind him as he ran full speed across the grounds, his satchel bouncing along at his hip! In no time at all, he dove into the thicket of heather and blue bells not far from the green houses. There he stilled himself. His heart pounded with excitement as his nose picked up the scents around him. His heard the faint rustling just ahead. Something lurked there! And it must be stalked!
The sound diminished. Whatever it was, it was moving away. Colin had to think fast! It was heading to the left. Colin ducked out of the thicket, dashed along the dirt path and dove back in! Ah! A bushy tail could only mean one thing! The owls would have a yummy snack later! Colin's leap was good --- but the squirrel heard him!
"EEP!" Colin squeaked. Colin's fingers missed the bloody little beastie by a half inch! "OOF!"
The squirrel dashed ahead! Colin slithered and sprawled along on his bare belly in pursuit! There! Just ahead was the wall of one of the greenhouses! Gotcha now, ye little bugger, Colin thought! He reckoned the squirrel would head right, over towards the trees, so he dug his toes into the earth and leapt!
"OOF! Hunting is soo much easier in wolf shape!" he told the nasty little squirrel. He scrabbled forward, his left hand reaching for the squirrel! "Come back here!" The squirrel dodged right! Colin right hand reached out! The squirrel suddenly stopped! There was nothing for it now! Colin fell onto the squirrel and --- bit down! He rolled and sprawled to a stop and landed on his knees --- right next to a befreckled red headed girl! He hoped they hadn't noticed the squirrel in his mouth. That he tucked away in his pocket with a laugh.
But there was no hiding his dirty chest and belly from her, or the strands of ivy and flowers in his hair and shirt. The wolf fang necklace dangled from his neck, swinging like a pendulum as the boy caught his breath. The two raven feathers in his braid bobbed and twisted in the slight breeze. He knew the other kid was a Slytherin too. Maybe second or third year? He caught sight of the battered journal in the red head's hands. It was old --- very old looking.
He reckoned he still had the element of surprise. "Yoink! Wot's this then?" he asked in his best English accent.
"OI!" came the surprised response to Colin's 'borrowing' the book.
Colin crouched down on the ground in front of his housemate. There were wizarding photos and all kinds of scribbled notes. "Cool! Gaelige?" Colin smirked. He wasn't expecting that at all! He almost never wrote in Gaelige but he could understand and speak it. "Red sheets? Gryffindor bedding?" Colin looked up from the list. "What's all this? Looks like a Christmas list to go with Luci's Gryffindork pyjamas!"
Colin laughed as he read some more. "Oo. Invisible ink!"
The eyes see not what i can write,
neither day
nother night!
Hagstone round
or rune reknown
or spell reveals the words alright!
Colin blinked. He smirked as he uttered the poem. Clearly there sat before him a potential friend! He examined the girl closely. He spoke again, his voice low.
Hair of flame in waves of fiery sea
Eyes of green like mine in mirror see
Morrígu
Badb
Macha
Who is this that sits in front of me?
Queen or Crow or --- who are thee?
Colin sensed that perhaps this was a kindred spirit in some way. He closed the book gently and held it upon his long slender fingertips. He presented it back to the girl before him, as if presenting a gift to ancient Irish queen.

@Qrow Beithir
Keep your mind in hell; and don't despair.
Cursa McCoire
Rigel McCoire
20 Oct 2023, 23:08
An Unsurprising Friendship
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ℝ ℙ"A fellow mischief maker?"─▪────────────────────────▪─
ReducioInteracting with @Colin McCoire
Qrow | #064107
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The white haired thief crouched down on the ground in front of them, and had it not been for anything other than their own morbid curiosity - and the fact that this boy was most definitely a fellow snake - the Slytherin likely would have struck the boy, taken their book back and stalked off back to the dungeons.
Whoever he was, Qrow recognised him and honestly, they weren't sure whether that should worry them.
He seemed to be around the same height as Qrow, maybe a tad taller, though it was difficult to tell when they were both on the ground. His eyes a greenish-grey, set in a rather intense stare that, had the second year not already been used to such a look after growing up around their own father, likely would have had them squirming. Instead, they stared back with just as much intensity, snake-like eyes taking in the boy's appearance for anything that could link him to a name.
He was rather wild looking; the contrasting shades of green from his kilt to his shirt, as well as the odd shaped necklace that hung around his neck and dangled in front of his bare scar-covered chest gave him the appearance of somebody who lived and breathed the natural world.
Actually, the more they looked, from bitemarks to scratches, the boy before them seemed to be covered in scars.
How had he gotten those?
They had definitely seen him before.
His messy platinum blond hair with the braids and feathers were too unique for the child to forget. If they remembered correctly, the last time they had seen him, they had actually been in the greenhouse; though back then, Qrow had been too stuck up to really pay much mind to someone that they didn’t have to; something they were beginning to deeply regret as they desperately searched their memories for a name.
"Cool! Gaeilge?" The boy smirked, snapping the redhead out of their own thoughts, and for a moment, the younger snake found themselves mildly panicked.
He knew Gaeilge.
He could understand everything they had written, and all those months of planning could wash down the drain in an instant.
Fuck.
Their anxiety was quickly pushed aside however, as the boy continued, more curious than chiding as they had expected him to be; perhaps he wasn’t going to tattle on them.
"Red sheets? Gryffindor bedding?" He asked, looking up from the list.
"What's all this? Looks like a Christmas list to go with Luci's Gryffindork pyjamas!"
At that, a laugh of disbelief bubbled up and Qrowley tried desperately to stifle it, but the air still escaped through their nose, emitting a rather undignified snort. They covered their mouth with one hand, laughing silently before they dropped it to tug at the blonde dyed strands of hair at the front of their head, using it to hide their now flushed face.
If this oddball of a boy was talking about Lucian Mornstern, Qrow decided right then and there that they would do everything in their power to befriend him. Truce or no truce, Gryffindor pyjamas were certainly something that the redhead was most certainly putting away for later use. Right now however, they needed to know who this familiar Slytherin was.
"Oo. Invisible ink!" He continued, blinking with a smirk as he uttered something under his breath; it had sounded rather poetic, and the metamorphmagus found themselves rather upset that they hadn’t fully heard him.
Suddenly, he spoke again, his voice low, but loud enough to catch this time.
“Hair of flame in waves of fiery sea
Eyes of green like mine in mirror see
Morrígu
Badb
Macha
Who is this that sits in front of me?
Queen or Crow or --- who are thee?”
Definitely poetic then.
The younger Slytherin found that they couldn’t help but feel some sort of odd connection to this boy before them. They were similar in a way, and while Qrow couldn’t quite understand in what way that was just yet, they had a feeling that this was the beginning of something exhilarating.
Finally, he closed the book gently, holding it out on the tips of his fingers, presenting it back to its rightful owner.
Qrow took it, a smirk of their own creeping onto their face.
“Quite the poet, aren’t you?” they asked, mischief shining in their eyes. Yes, this boy was certainly something, and if his appearance and odd way of starting up a conversation had given the second year an insight to anything, he was certainly the type of person that they wanted to befriend.
Sticking out their hand, they introduced themself.
“Name’s Qrow Beithir; pronouns they/them”
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21 Oct 2023, 01:38
An Unsurprising Friendship

Colin could feel the girl's eyes on him. Not the way Clair might look --- or certain other girls --- this one looked at him with interest. Curiosity. He realised that she could see the bites and claw marks and scars and burns on his skin. As well as the dirt! It didn't bother him. She wasn't examining him the way that boy had. Hunter. Colin remembered in hospital. That one had a notebook. Odd.
Anyway.
He returned the red head's frank gaze. Her ears were pierced --- Colin had thought about that, but wondered what would happen if he Changed with them still in? Well, Luci would laugh at him for sure! Tes too, probably! She was wearing some kind of britches. Colin had no idea what to call them or how they worked, but they seemed to hitch up round her neck. Probably Muggleborn, he thought. He'd really have to ask! Hm. He wondered if the slingy bit around the neck was to keep them from falling off. And of course, big black Doc Martens! Colin had to keep his own hidden from the fire wielding wand of Dan Palmer, but he didn't mind so much. He'd hardly ever worn shoes at home anyway!
But more interesting than anything was the journal. This girl was quite the writer. Quite the schemer! He'd raised his eyebrows at a point or two, of course. He'd joked about Luci's choice of sleepwear, of course! But this girl had written quite a few interesting things in here. He caught a few very interesting references. Certain names. Colin smirked. Yes. One of those names he knew very well indeed!
Colin thought back on these things as he held the book out to the girl. "Quite the poet, aren't you?" she said. A genuine smile crossed Colin's lips and he showed her all his fangs. He stuck out his chest proudly and nodded happily. Most kids who'd heard him, when he got into one of these moods, just thought he was weird. Not this one! His heart thumped. Had he found someone who could be a deep friend? Like Fyre Angel? Like Clair? Like Jarael had been?
Colin almost wiggled like excitable puppy who'd just been patted on the head!
With a suddenness this strange girl in the britches held up round her neck shot her hand out towards Colin so fast that all he could do was fall back on his backside!
"YEEP!!" he squeaked! It took him a moment to recognise the gesture. He remembered in first year, how Jarael had laughed with joy because he thought it was a Muggle greeting. Well, his dratted cousin Hamish had told him as much! But then she added "Name's Qrow Beithir; pronouns they/them."
This really caught Colin off guard! No one had ever introduced themselves this way to him before. He stuck his hand back out towards Qrow's and grabbed it, but forgot what to do with it from there. "Colin McCoire!" Colin knew to say that much. "Er." Then it came to him: Pax had taught him this first year, but he'd forgotten all about it. He called her they too sometimes. Must be a girl thing, Colin thought. Suddenly he sat up straight! He remembered how Pax had explained all of this to him! "Er. Are you a demigirl, too!? Anyway, it's a great pleasure to meet you! So." Colin looked around. "What brings ye down here to the herbology gardens, lassie? I usually run up into the high country, meself, but these gardens are really awesome too!"
Colin smiled happily. Clearly he and Qrow had a lot in common already. He wondered if they'd become good friends.

@Qrow Beithir
Keep your mind in hell; and don't despair.
Cursa McCoire
Rigel McCoire
21 Oct 2023, 11:52
An Unsurprising Friendship
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ℝ ℙ"This could be the start of something fun"─▪────────────────────────▪─
ReducioInteracting with @Colin McCoire
Qrow | #064107
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The boy smiled, a proper smile that allowed Qrow to see his rather sharp teeth. They were close enough that they could smell the boy's breath and the younger student was abruptly reminded of the time that their dad Hephaestus had brought home a dog that was all too comfortable with having its face only a millimetre from the child's own.
Still, teeth that sharp, were nothing if not curious and they had been around enough odd smells to ignore it.
He seemed to preen at the redheads' response to his poetry, sticking his chest out proudly and nodding. In all honesty, they had been honoured - they had never heard poetry about themself - and the odd boy had thought of it so quickly. If anything he had a gift.
It took everything in the metamorphmagus’ power to not laugh at the poor lad as he fell down from his crouched position and onto his backside with a squeak from the shock of the younger students' attempt at an introduction.
Who was this oddball? Had he never heard of a handshake? It wasn’t even as if it was a muggle thing - Qrow had been shaking hands for years at all the fancy parties and galas that they had to attend with their family, and all the people there were pure-bloods - perhaps this boy really was just wild…
He was certainly amusing.
Finally, he stuck his hand back out towards Qrow's and grabbed it, simply holding it. Taking the initiative, the redhead shook their hands once, before letting go.
"Colin McCoire!" The lad replied, seemingly having recovered from his earlier shock.
Something clicked in the younger student's head as the boy finally introduced himself. They had heard that name before; Colin McCoire was the name of Lucian Mornsterns roommate, and a third year at that - they had know he was older, having seen him around last year, though never in one of their own classes - It was also a name that often seemed to follow Lucians whenever the metamorph caught ear of those interesting rumours that seemed to float around about the boy. If those rumours were true, it would explain the scars and sharp fangs.
"Er..." The boy started, seemingly confused.
Qrow was almost certain the boy, Colin, was about to ask what pronouns were, though to the redheads surprise, he suddenly sat up straight, apparently already having a slight understanding.
"Er. Are you a demigirl, too!? Anyway, it's a great pleasure to meet you! So." Colin looked around. "What brings ye down here to the herbology gardens, lassie? I usually run up into the high country, meself, but these gardens are really awesome too!"
It had been a while since Qrow had had to explain such things to somebody that was just innocently confused rather than painfully ignorant and set in their old-fashioned ways. Though, they had to admit, confusing the stuck up old pure-bloods at parties was always fun; people always found it rather difficult to purposefully misgender them - being a metamorphmagus allowed them to change their physical appearance to oppose whatever anybody had said, and while they preferred they/them pronouns, they weren’t entirely bothered if others were used - but Colin wasn't like those people.
“It's a pleasure to meet you too, though I'm not a demigirl, no.” They replied, shaking their head with a light laugh. He was a little confused, but he had spirit, Qrow could give him that.
“I’m genderfluid. Sometimes I feel more like a boy and sometimes I feel like a girl; though I generally avoid gendered terms for convenience. Sometimes how I feel can change so quickly that it just makes sense for me to avoid words like ‘girl’ or ‘boy’ so that I’m not changing my pronouns a dozen times a day. I mean, in the end; I’m just… me!”
They paused, mulling over their response for his other question.
Bugger it - he had already seen the notebook - no going back now.
"As for why I'm out here behind the greenhouses… Well" They held up the notebook as if it held the answer; technically, it did, but it was doubtful that Colin was a mindreader…
"It seemed like a good place to hide from nosey prefects and teachers. You've seen what's in this book; plotting revenge on the person who gave you detention last year isn't exactly 'rule abiding' though, something tells me you know a little bit about rule breaking yourself, huh McCoire? Don’t suppose you’ve got any dirt on Avery Levert, do you?"
Another thing that they had most certainly heard about Colin McCoire, was that he was anything, if not a troublemaker. A smile graced their lips. Perhaps he could even teach Qrow a thing or two.
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23 Oct 2023, 19:47
An Unsurprising Friendship

Hmm. Qrow wasn't a demigirl, then. She explained further. Colin had never heard the term, but he thought about it as Qrow talked. He could empathise. He knew that he and Liam did girl things with Ciará just like she did boy things with them. Colin reckoned everyone was like this to some extent, and maybe Qrow was just more so! It was like his Seanmamó had said to him: some people think this way, some people think that way, laddie; but the wonderful thing is Cail, everyone is what they are! Qrow summed up feeling like a girl and then a boy and back and forth. I'm just me!
Now that Colin understood and responded with enthusiasm!
He smiled at Qrow again! "That's cool Qrow! Cos I'm just me too!" He stood up suddenly and howled. "OWOOOOOO!!" He jumped then landed back in his crouching position, in front of Qrow. They stared at one another. Colin was eager to learn what brought Qrow out here to the gardens. Eventually, they responded. Colin smirked. This sounded like it was going to be good!
"Nosy prefects and teachers!? Right? Most inconvenient!" he interjected. Clearly this girl was something of a kindred spirit!
Qrow continued and Colin's mouth dropped open.
"Oi! I remember this food fight! Well, I remember Luci calling Ava a cyclops. And I remember hearing the name Qrow! But I didn't know who it belonged to." Colin smiled. "Qrow in the house with gravy blouse and Luci got all carrot doused!" Colin intoned in a sing-song voice.
His eyes twinkled as she talked. "Aye! Le Ferret? Pfft. Bloody stuck up pure blood prat, that one! Wears formal attire to bed!" Colin chuckled as he thought about Qrow's plans for Avery Leveret. His thoughts turned towards the times he had interacted with the younger boy. Colin's brows knit slightly. There was something --- off --- about that boy. It would bear further investigation.
He looked Qrow in the eyes. His, pond scum green, theirs a sort of weird snakey green, locked. Wait. Were her pupils slit? Like a snake's? He said only four words in response to her last question.
"Next bloody Tom Riddle."

@Qrow Beithir
Keep your mind in hell; and don't despair.
Cursa McCoire
Rigel McCoire
25 Oct 2023, 12:41
An Unsurprising Friendship
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ℝ ℙI solemnly swear that I am up to no good.─▪────────────────────────▪─
ReducioInteracting with @Colin McCoire
Qrow | #064107
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"Oi! I remember this food fight! Well, I remember Luci calling Ava a cyclops. And I remember hearing the name Qrow! But I didn't know who it belonged to." Colin smiled, a song following his exclamation in a sing-song voice.
The redhead smiled.
That foodfight had been a complete misunderstanding based on an accident, and yet it had also been the beginnings of something wonderful. They had never expected to be on ‘okay’ terms with Lucian Mornstern of all people, and that incident had certainly made their friendship with Nora stronger. They were roommates with the girl now.
The boy’s eyes twinkled, and Qrow got the feeling that that look alluded to something mischievous. "Aye! Le Ferret? Pfft. Bloody stuck up pure blood prat, that one! Wears formal attire to bed!" The metamorph chuckled lightly at the play on Leverts name. That was definitely something that was going away for later - They were certainly sharing it with their fellow members of the ‘revenge party’ as they had taken to referring to their plot against Leveret.
Suddenly, the white haired boy looked into Qrow’s eyes, and not usually one for eye contact, they were oddly surprised to find that it didn’t feel so horrible with Colin. His eyes were a sort of pond-scum green colour, and honestly, they were pretty interesting to look at. Suddenly, he spoke up;
"Next bloody Tom Riddle."
Colin’s statement had caught them so completely off guard that they were completely unable to control themself from shifting as their emotions bubbled over.
Their hair, minus the newly dyed in white streaks, was now a cheerful shade of sunshine yellow, and their eyes no longer the toxic green that was normal of the Beithir family, but a playful shade of pink.
Qrowley cackled.
They honest to gods, cackled.
They hadn’t laughed like that in a while.
When their laughter subsided, their face was tear stained and they were left desperately gasping for breath.
“You, Colin McCoire, are a bloody riot!” They rasped out, their hair and eyes finally going back to normal as they calmed down.
Suddenly, a wonderful idea came to mind. This boy was a third year; he likely knew the insides and outs of Hogwarts and its rules by now, and this year, Qrow Beithir wanted nothing more than to ‘stick it to the man’.
On top of that, Colin seemed exactly like the type of person that the younger Slytherin wanted in their corner.
“Hey, Colin?” They started, a smirk gracing their lips as they looked back up at the older student, “I don’t suppose that you’re open to being my ‘mentor in mischief’?”
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25 Oct 2023, 14:31
An Unsurprising Friendship

Colin's stare shifted from Qrow's eyes to the middle distance of Elsewhere. The next bloody Tom Riddle. The implications of that statement were staggering. Or might it be a foresight? Colin was no Seer, yet sometimes he caught the tail of what was really happening. Riddle was a Slytherin too, right? He wondered: did no third or fourth year back then, in the 1920s or whatever, see what their housemate might become? He knew well enough that Riddle's shenanigans had split his own family and that his Da and Uncle and their friends fought against him. It would be about time...
Colin's attention was drawn back to the present as Qrow began to laugh. No. Wait. Was she actually cackling!? They sounded like the witches the Wyrd Sisters! A part of his brain squirreled that connexion away for later. But for now, Qrow's hair was actually turning colours! And the eyes, once sickly and green, were now a gay shade of pink!
"You, Colin McCoire, are a bloody riot!"
Colin returned Qrow's cackle with a subdued, almost hoarse laugh of his own. "And you, sister Snek, are a metamorph! That's top pocket!"
Colin smirked. His voice lowered.
Sunshine yellow daisies mellow!
Hair of snow and blood in meadow
Long the fields of battle fallow
Now her hair rests all whorley
ginger snaps and dragon snaps
and all things gay and curly!
Blood shall flow again below
neath sunshine yellow daisies mellow!
Qrow snapped him out of his reverie of the future. There was a smirk on their lips. Colin replied in kind. The girl was about to say something interesting. "A mentor in mischief!?" he asked in reply. His smirk turned into a genuine smile! Qrow had awakened something in Colin that had lain dormant for a long while --- since Jarael had left. These two were clearly going to be an influence on one another!
Colin leaned in close to Qrow. His eyes sparkled! He tilted his head slightly and gave her a nose doop!
Then he fell back into the fragrant herbs, looking up into the wide sky of blue! Colin laughed. The Sun felt nice on his bare skin.
"Aye! A'll be thy mentor in mischief Qrow Beithir! Thy brother in ophidianism!"

@Qrow Beithir || Mentions @Avery Leveret
Keep your mind in hell; and don't despair.
Cursa McCoire
Rigel McCoire
25 Oct 2023, 20:15
An Unsurprising Friendship
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ℝ ℙ"A brother in 'ophidianism'."─▪────────────────────────▪─
ReducioInteracting with @Colin McCoire
Qrow | #064107
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Colin McCoire was certainly something.
For one, he seemed to be rather confused by the prospect of pronouns, often changing what gendered term he referred to the younger Slytherin with each mention of them. Honestly, Qrow could hardly find it in themself to care, the boy barely seemed to be the type capable of prejudice.
Colin returned Qrow's cackle with a subdued, almost hoarse laugh of his own.
Secondly, He didn’t at all seem bothered by Qrows peculiar talent; they had met enough people that reacted with fear or disgust to the idea of a metamorphmagus. Most people feared the constant risk of identity theft that their kind ‘apparently’ posed.
And finally, he was most certainly smarter than he let on; if his poetry was anything to go off of, this boy had a gift.
Colin McCoire smirked. His voice lowered as another poesy left his lips.
“Sunshine yellow daisies mellow!
Hair of snow and blood in meadow
Long the fields of battle fallow
Now her hair rests all whorley
ginger snaps and dragon snaps
and all things gay and curly!
Blood shall flow again below
neath sunshine yellow daisies mellow!”
As the younger student snapped the boy out of his quiet mumbling of poetry with their question, Colin returned the redhead's mischievous smirk with his own and Qrow found themself hoping that these shared mischievous looks at one another were going to become a common occurrence.
"A mentor in mischief!?" he asked in reply, his smirk evolving into a genuine smile.
Yes, the second year thought, the two of them were clearly going to be quite the influence on one another…
Colin leaned in close to Qrow, his eyes sparkling with something akin to mischief, as he tilted his head slightly and booped them on the nose.
The metamorphs' eyes crossed as they looked at the spot that had just been poked, eyelashes fluttering in disbelief, before they looked back at their offender with furrowed brows; he was now laying on his back, eyes apparently focussed on the sky and mind quite likely elsewhere.
Qrowley joined him, their hair splayed out around their head and the sun warm on their face.
It would be getting colder soon, and even while the younger Slytherin usually fared well in the cold, they much preferred the sunny weather; it was a pity that the warmth was so rare in Scotland. There was irony in that, a child in the noble house of Salazar Slytherin, eyes like a serpent, their surname a kind of giant snake from celtic folklore, and of all things they so much enjoyed, it was laying in the warm rays of the sun like a reptile in the desert.
Finally, the boy replied.
"Aye! A'll be thy mentor in mischief Qrow Beithir! Thy brother in ophidianism!"
No, he certainly didn't understand gender in the slightest, they thought in amusement.
The child chuckled lightly. “Y’know, I don’t think ‘ophidianism’ is a word.” They responded with a smirk.
Qrow drifted off into a peaceful silence for a few moments, watching as the few fluffy white clouds drifted across the wide blue of the sky. It wasn’t awkward like most silences with new acquaintances, but rather relaxing instead; it was almost as if the younger snake had been friends with the elder for an eternity.
It smelled nice behind the greenhouses. Like dew and rich, moist earth. The gardens were pretty too - not as nice as the ones back home, but pretty all the same - it was a shame that the child had never thought of coming back here until now; an entire year deprived of such a wonderfully secluded area.
Suddenly, an idea struck the younger student, and they found themselves rolling onto their side in order to face the white haired boy beside them, and with all the stupid confidence and impulsive sureness of a twelve year old with undiagnosed ADHD, promptly said,
“I want to break every rule of Hogwarts.”
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6 Nov 2023, 21:10
An Unsurprising Friendship

Colin smiled. Qrow said: "Y’know, I don’t think ‘ophidianism’ is a word." His smile turned to a smirk. Colin turned his head slightly.
"What!? Of course it's a word, Qrow! Pfft. You're a Slytherin, you should know this! It means sssnakinessss!" Colin chuckled quietly.
It was weird. Colin felt this way with very few people. He watched as the high clouds floated above in the bright sky. He had no idea what Qrow meant about pronouns and all that, but that didn't matter to him! He might have to ask them later --- but for right now, all that mattered was that such things didn't matter. There was deeper connection. Colin could feel that. He felt that most strongly with Angelfyre and with Clair. With Regina. Interesting.
He gave Qrow a side glance.
Yes. They would be friends. He didn't know yet how strong the bond would be, how long it would last or if they would break it. But he felt in his heart that friendship between wolf and crow was the right thing. As Colin watched the clouds, he heard a movement next to him. Qrow. He glanced over. She had shifted onto her side. What were they up to? Colin smirked.
Only one way to find out!
Colin mirrored Qrow's position, turning onto his side as well. He shook his head to clear out the dead leaves. There was a look in the younger Snek's eyes. Colin knew that look. He had seen it others. He had seen it in himself! Qrow's ophidian eyes practically gleamed with mischief. "I want to break every rule of Hogwarts!"
Colin's eyes widened! Oh, there were endless possibilities here! Colin laughed merrily! A fellow mischief maker had been found, one willing to take the risks, and one that planned out the mischief! Excellent! Colin got up into a crouching posture, like a wolf ready to leap! He narrowed his eyes, searching Qrow's face. A metamorph. Could be fun! His smile broadened into a grin, and he showed Qrow all his fangs. He made his choice. With his voice lowered, he whispered: "I'm a werewolf!" He winked.
Then he reached out his left hand deftly dapped Qrow's freckly forehead and with a high laugh he leaped up and over them! "OWOOOO! Catch me if you can sucker!! If you want mischief, you've got to find him first!" And Colin took off running at full speed through the gardens and away from the place of meeting. He reckoned it was a good place to meet a new friend. He'd never forget this place or what happened here!

Colin leaves the thread, but gains an awesomé friend!
@Qrow Beithir
Keep your mind in hell; and don't despair.
Cursa McCoire
Rigel McCoire
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