30 Nov 2023, 08:42
Just Decompressing
Interacting with @Willow Byrne
Thoughts: Italics
Spoken: #006400
It was just after three o'clock, and Corinthia's Defense Against the Dark Arts class had finally wrapped up for the day. Huffing, the first year burst out of the confines of the classroom and bolted towards the courtyard, a pounding headache growing in her temples. Large packs of students pushed against her as she ran, casting strange looks her way. Corinthia didn't care; she didn't want to spend another moment sitting on her hands at an uncomfortable desk.
The vast courtyard stretched out before her, promising freedom and the chance to stretch her legs. The day was cloudy and rather chilly, with small patches of frost adorning the cobblestones and enormous fountain. Dashing towards the fountain, Corinthia tossed her satchel to the side and immediately began to do several sets of step-ups. Her mind raced a million miles a second as she exercised, swirling with thoughts of dinner, upcoming exams, her homework, Coraline, and dragons.
She'd promised Mam she'd be good this year, and she had been so far. No verbal outbursts, no getting up from her desk to pace, no letters home from disgruntled professors. However, she was desperate to release her pent-up energy after every class, and wasn't sure how much longer her willpower would last before she'd crack and get on her professors' bad side. She was already a bit of an oddity to the other students around her, always bouncing and spinning around, talking loudly and quickly, asking too many questions...
On and on her mind raced. "One, two, three, four; a-one, two, three, four," she shouted out, ignoring the titters of amused students around her. Treating her step-ups like a military march was the only way to enjoy them. Her calves burned with exertion, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her mother insisted that she exercise multiple times a day to "burn off" the hyperactivity, but it didn't necessarily make her less restless. It did, however, give her something to focus on besides her nerves.
As she continued, Corinthia lost track of how many steps she'd taken, stuck in a never-ending hypnotic loop of stepping up and down, up and down. She noticed tiny, intricate patterns carved into the feathers of the fountain's right-facing griffin statue. Must've taken years for the founders to make those, she wondered in amazement. How long did these griffins take? Why griffins? Why not unicorns or famous wizards or...?
Losing her footing, Corinthia foot skidded on the fountain's edge. She lurched forward, yelling out in surprise. Her head hit the edge of the fountain hard, and tiny stars flashed in front of her eyes. It certainly didn't help her headache one bit. "Ow!" She groaned, pushing herself upright and rubbing her forehead tenderly. Thankfully, her hand came away dry. At least she wasn't going to bleed to death in the courtyard for all to see. However, the spot where she landed felt sore to the touch, and throbbed intensely. She'd probably get a nasty bruise the next day.
More than her head, Corinthia was deeply concerned about her left ankle. It had twisted strangely when she landed, and was beginning to swell. "Rats," she murmured under her breath. She'd managed to make it this far into the school year without any trips to the hospital wing. At least it didn't feel like anything more than a sprain; she'd dislocated limbs many times before, and those were always agonizing.
Irritated and feeling self-conscious, Corinthia brushed herself off and gingerly pulled herself to her feet, trying to ignore the stares and guffaws of students around her. Her face burned a deep shade of crimson. She sat at the edge of the fountain, rubbing her sore ankle and trying desperately to appear dignified.
Thoughts: Italics
Spoken: #006400
It was just after three o'clock, and Corinthia's Defense Against the Dark Arts class had finally wrapped up for the day. Huffing, the first year burst out of the confines of the classroom and bolted towards the courtyard, a pounding headache growing in her temples. Large packs of students pushed against her as she ran, casting strange looks her way. Corinthia didn't care; she didn't want to spend another moment sitting on her hands at an uncomfortable desk.
The vast courtyard stretched out before her, promising freedom and the chance to stretch her legs. The day was cloudy and rather chilly, with small patches of frost adorning the cobblestones and enormous fountain. Dashing towards the fountain, Corinthia tossed her satchel to the side and immediately began to do several sets of step-ups. Her mind raced a million miles a second as she exercised, swirling with thoughts of dinner, upcoming exams, her homework, Coraline, and dragons.
She'd promised Mam she'd be good this year, and she had been so far. No verbal outbursts, no getting up from her desk to pace, no letters home from disgruntled professors. However, she was desperate to release her pent-up energy after every class, and wasn't sure how much longer her willpower would last before she'd crack and get on her professors' bad side. She was already a bit of an oddity to the other students around her, always bouncing and spinning around, talking loudly and quickly, asking too many questions...
On and on her mind raced. "One, two, three, four; a-one, two, three, four," she shouted out, ignoring the titters of amused students around her. Treating her step-ups like a military march was the only way to enjoy them. Her calves burned with exertion, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her mother insisted that she exercise multiple times a day to "burn off" the hyperactivity, but it didn't necessarily make her less restless. It did, however, give her something to focus on besides her nerves.
As she continued, Corinthia lost track of how many steps she'd taken, stuck in a never-ending hypnotic loop of stepping up and down, up and down. She noticed tiny, intricate patterns carved into the feathers of the fountain's right-facing griffin statue. Must've taken years for the founders to make those, she wondered in amazement. How long did these griffins take? Why griffins? Why not unicorns or famous wizards or...?
Losing her footing, Corinthia foot skidded on the fountain's edge. She lurched forward, yelling out in surprise. Her head hit the edge of the fountain hard, and tiny stars flashed in front of her eyes. It certainly didn't help her headache one bit. "Ow!" She groaned, pushing herself upright and rubbing her forehead tenderly. Thankfully, her hand came away dry. At least she wasn't going to bleed to death in the courtyard for all to see. However, the spot where she landed felt sore to the touch, and throbbed intensely. She'd probably get a nasty bruise the next day.
More than her head, Corinthia was deeply concerned about her left ankle. It had twisted strangely when she landed, and was beginning to swell. "Rats," she murmured under her breath. She'd managed to make it this far into the school year without any trips to the hospital wing. At least it didn't feel like anything more than a sprain; she'd dislocated limbs many times before, and those were always agonizing.
Irritated and feeling self-conscious, Corinthia brushed herself off and gingerly pulled herself to her feet, trying to ignore the stares and guffaws of students around her. Her face burned a deep shade of crimson. She sat at the edge of the fountain, rubbing her sore ankle and trying desperately to appear dignified.
The fairies exchanged me for a human baby
30 Nov 2023, 16:23
Just Decompressing
Thoughts: Italics
Speech: #0300b3
@Corinthia MacAllistair
Willow slung her bag over her shoulder as she left the class that had just come to a close. The hallways thronged with rushing, noisy people going places and meeting their friends. The Ravenclaw girl considered going to the library, but she knew she had enough books she needed to read as it was, and decided to go out into the courtyard for some fresh air. She needed to spend her time somewhere other than the library or Ravenclaw Tower, anyway. Slipping one of her prized novels from her bag, Willow prepared to spend a nice afternoon outside on a bench, reading undisturbed.
It was a relatively nice day, not too bright and full of winter's whispers of frost and maybe even the beginnings of snow. There wasn't much snow to be had in Willow's home in Ireland, so she was looking forward to the thick layer that would grace Hogwarts later on. The shouts of the students drifted into background noise as she broke into the courtyard, where it was refreshingly quieter.
The courtyard was full of people, though not nearly as crowded as the rambunctious halls of the castle. The girl pulled her winter cloak around herself to block out the eyes of students and the bite of the chilly air, searching for a suitable place to settle and begin reading. Not too long after she had sat down and opened the volume, she caught sight of someone falling hard onto the courtyard ground, smacking her head in the process.
The girl pulled herself to her feet, and Willow recognized her- it was Corinthia, who had spoken to her in the common room a few days previously. Closing her book, Willow got up and went over to the other Ravenclaw; she hoped Cory wasn't hurt.
"Hi," she said softly, eyes wide. "Are you okay?"
Speech: #0300b3
@Corinthia MacAllistair
Willow slung her bag over her shoulder as she left the class that had just come to a close. The hallways thronged with rushing, noisy people going places and meeting their friends. The Ravenclaw girl considered going to the library, but she knew she had enough books she needed to read as it was, and decided to go out into the courtyard for some fresh air. She needed to spend her time somewhere other than the library or Ravenclaw Tower, anyway. Slipping one of her prized novels from her bag, Willow prepared to spend a nice afternoon outside on a bench, reading undisturbed.
It was a relatively nice day, not too bright and full of winter's whispers of frost and maybe even the beginnings of snow. There wasn't much snow to be had in Willow's home in Ireland, so she was looking forward to the thick layer that would grace Hogwarts later on. The shouts of the students drifted into background noise as she broke into the courtyard, where it was refreshingly quieter.
The courtyard was full of people, though not nearly as crowded as the rambunctious halls of the castle. The girl pulled her winter cloak around herself to block out the eyes of students and the bite of the chilly air, searching for a suitable place to settle and begin reading. Not too long after she had sat down and opened the volume, she caught sight of someone falling hard onto the courtyard ground, smacking her head in the process.
The girl pulled herself to her feet, and Willow recognized her- it was Corinthia, who had spoken to her in the common room a few days previously. Closing her book, Willow got up and went over to the other Ravenclaw; she hoped Cory wasn't hurt.
"Hi," she said softly, eyes wide. "Are you okay?"
I've lived a thousand lives and I've loved a thousand loves. I've walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time- because I read.
3 Dec 2023, 09:21
Just Decompressing
@Willow Byrne
Thoughts: Italics
Spoken: #006400
Corinthia looked up at the sound of a familiar voice, her eyes meeting Willow's. She blushed harder, averting her gaze. Why did she always get a horribly-embarrassing injury at the worst times? She hoped her new friend wouldn't think of her as a horrible klutz--the problem was, that's exactly what she was!
"I'm...erm...yeah, just decompressing. My ankle, that is. 'Cuz I twisted it," Corinthia replied awkwardly, stumbling through her words. Her ankle was beginning to turn a rather nasty shade of purple, and her toes cramped in her too-tight winter boots. She wished the ground could open up and swallow her--or at least her stupid injured limb.
"By the way, sorry to ask...you wouldn't happen to have an ice pack on you, would you? Or know any good healing spells? I'm not exactly keen on going to the hospital wing today." She was not far enough along in her classes to know of any good healing charms. Perhaps if she approached Professor Fresnel the next time she had Charms and asked politely, she'd be more than happy to oblige her with one.
While waiting for Willow to respond, Corinthia noticed for the first time the book she held. Curiosity piqued, she leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the cover. "Whatcha reading? It looks interesting."
As she spoke, tiny flurries of snow began to fall, dotting her eyelashes and stinging her cheeks. She blinked them away, cursing her luck internally. I better not be forced to limp back to the castle to stupid dinner with my stupid twisted ankle, Corinthia thought.
Thoughts: Italics
Spoken: #006400
Corinthia looked up at the sound of a familiar voice, her eyes meeting Willow's. She blushed harder, averting her gaze. Why did she always get a horribly-embarrassing injury at the worst times? She hoped her new friend wouldn't think of her as a horrible klutz--the problem was, that's exactly what she was!
"I'm...erm...yeah, just decompressing. My ankle, that is. 'Cuz I twisted it," Corinthia replied awkwardly, stumbling through her words. Her ankle was beginning to turn a rather nasty shade of purple, and her toes cramped in her too-tight winter boots. She wished the ground could open up and swallow her--or at least her stupid injured limb.
"By the way, sorry to ask...you wouldn't happen to have an ice pack on you, would you? Or know any good healing spells? I'm not exactly keen on going to the hospital wing today." She was not far enough along in her classes to know of any good healing charms. Perhaps if she approached Professor Fresnel the next time she had Charms and asked politely, she'd be more than happy to oblige her with one.
While waiting for Willow to respond, Corinthia noticed for the first time the book she held. Curiosity piqued, she leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the cover. "Whatcha reading? It looks interesting."
As she spoke, tiny flurries of snow began to fall, dotting her eyelashes and stinging her cheeks. She blinked them away, cursing her luck internally. I better not be forced to limp back to the castle to stupid dinner with my stupid twisted ankle, Corinthia thought.
The fairies exchanged me for a human baby
4 Dec 2023, 19:40
Just Decompressing
Thoughts: Italics
Willow's Speech: #0300b3
@Corinthia MacAllistair
Willow felt terrible to see Corinthia's swelling ankle, but unfortunately, she was not very adept at healing spells. She thought for a moment, not wanting to do nothing for the other girl. Oh! She did have a first-aid kit in her bag- her mam, a muggle nurse, had insisted on her bringing it. As she started to riffle around in her bag for it, she was, for the first time, glad she had brought it.
"Whatcha reading? It looks interesting." The other Ravenclaw asked, and Willow looked up. She was pleasantly surprised. Talking about books was something she was always comfortable doing.
"Oh, it's from the library. I just started it," She held out the book so Corinthia could examine the cover, glad that she had asked.
The air was frosty and bit at Willow's fingers as she looked through her bag, and small snowflakes settled on her shoulders and into her eyelashes. She was growing anxious that she had forgotten it. I should really become more organized, the redhead thought. Finally, she found what she was looking for.
"Um, I do have some medical tape," Willow said at last and pulled it out. She was pretty sure she knew how to use it, and her face burned when she realized that a few other students were watching them. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool out of herself by putting it on wrong. Perhaps she should have Corinthia do it herself. "Would you like me to put it on, or would you rather do it?" Willow asked the other girl.
Willow's Speech: #0300b3
@Corinthia MacAllistair
Willow felt terrible to see Corinthia's swelling ankle, but unfortunately, she was not very adept at healing spells. She thought for a moment, not wanting to do nothing for the other girl. Oh! She did have a first-aid kit in her bag- her mam, a muggle nurse, had insisted on her bringing it. As she started to riffle around in her bag for it, she was, for the first time, glad she had brought it.
"Whatcha reading? It looks interesting." The other Ravenclaw asked, and Willow looked up. She was pleasantly surprised. Talking about books was something she was always comfortable doing.
"Oh, it's from the library. I just started it," She held out the book so Corinthia could examine the cover, glad that she had asked.
The air was frosty and bit at Willow's fingers as she looked through her bag, and small snowflakes settled on her shoulders and into her eyelashes. She was growing anxious that she had forgotten it. I should really become more organized, the redhead thought. Finally, she found what she was looking for.
"Um, I do have some medical tape," Willow said at last and pulled it out. She was pretty sure she knew how to use it, and her face burned when she realized that a few other students were watching them. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool out of herself by putting it on wrong. Perhaps she should have Corinthia do it herself. "Would you like me to put it on, or would you rather do it?" Willow asked the other girl.
I've lived a thousand lives and I've loved a thousand loves. I've walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time- because I read.
7 Dec 2023, 05:46
Just Decompressing
@Willow Byrne
Thoughts: Italics
Spoken: #006400
Corinthia's eyes quickly scanned the book cover. It looked like an interesting read indeed, and the cover was stunning. Many of the books in the school's library--libraries!--were, especially the ones from the modest library in the Ravenclaw common room. She made a quick mental note to check out the book later to read once Willow was done with it.
"Lovely cover," she responded to Willow, grinning. The girl was rifling through her bag, so Corinthia waited a moment before continuing. "I'm working through Coraline right now, gift from my brother. Ever heard of it? The movie scared me too much as a kid, though."
It suddenly dawned on her that she had no idea if Willow was familiar with the Muggle world or not. Corinthia was so used to growing up around children who'd all seen the same films and read the same books, it never dawned on her that someone from a wizarding family might not be familiar with books like Coraline, or familiar with too many films. Or maybe Willow was Muggleborn like she was, and Corinthia wasn't just blathering on about nonsense.
Her ankle throbbed again, and she winced, rubbing it gently. "So, erm...you watch a lotta films, Willow? I'm Muggleborn, so I grew up on tons of them. What about your family?"
As she was musing, she saw the first year's hand emerge from the depths of her bag with a roll of medical tape. "Would you like me to put it on, or would you rather do it?"
Corinthia let out a massive sigh of relief, and stretched out her hand, taking the tape. "Bless you! I owe you big time. I can put it on myself, I get into accidents like this constantly." She unrolled a long strip of tape and began to wind it carefully around her ankle. "I have hypermobility syndrome, you know," she added, grimacing as she bandaged herself. "I break limbs super easily. I think I break my ankle at least twice a year, maybe more. I've popped my shoulder joint out of place, broke both kneecaps in one day once..." Corinthia trailed off, then stopped, meeting Willow's eyes awkwardly. "I'm so sorry! Don't mean to bore you with the graphic details of my medical problems. Thanks again for the tape."
Thoughts: Italics
Spoken: #006400
Corinthia's eyes quickly scanned the book cover. It looked like an interesting read indeed, and the cover was stunning. Many of the books in the school's library--libraries!--were, especially the ones from the modest library in the Ravenclaw common room. She made a quick mental note to check out the book later to read once Willow was done with it.
"Lovely cover," she responded to Willow, grinning. The girl was rifling through her bag, so Corinthia waited a moment before continuing. "I'm working through Coraline right now, gift from my brother. Ever heard of it? The movie scared me too much as a kid, though."
It suddenly dawned on her that she had no idea if Willow was familiar with the Muggle world or not. Corinthia was so used to growing up around children who'd all seen the same films and read the same books, it never dawned on her that someone from a wizarding family might not be familiar with books like Coraline, or familiar with too many films. Or maybe Willow was Muggleborn like she was, and Corinthia wasn't just blathering on about nonsense.
Her ankle throbbed again, and she winced, rubbing it gently. "So, erm...you watch a lotta films, Willow? I'm Muggleborn, so I grew up on tons of them. What about your family?"
As she was musing, she saw the first year's hand emerge from the depths of her bag with a roll of medical tape. "Would you like me to put it on, or would you rather do it?"
Corinthia let out a massive sigh of relief, and stretched out her hand, taking the tape. "Bless you! I owe you big time. I can put it on myself, I get into accidents like this constantly." She unrolled a long strip of tape and began to wind it carefully around her ankle. "I have hypermobility syndrome, you know," she added, grimacing as she bandaged herself. "I break limbs super easily. I think I break my ankle at least twice a year, maybe more. I've popped my shoulder joint out of place, broke both kneecaps in one day once..." Corinthia trailed off, then stopped, meeting Willow's eyes awkwardly. "I'm so sorry! Don't mean to bore you with the graphic details of my medical problems. Thanks again for the tape."
The fairies exchanged me for a human baby
7 Dec 2023, 18:58
Just Decompressing
Thoughts: Italics
Willow's Speech: #0300b3
@Corinthia MacAllistair
Willow sat back so that the other girl would have room to work on her ankle, glad that she didn't have to do it herself. She watched Corithia wrap the tape and said,
"I'm a half-blood, so I know quite a bit about muggles. I grew up with films and muggle storybooks as well, though I had wizard ones too." She thought fondly back to her childhood when she had heard both Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump and Cinderella as bedtime tales. Is had been perhaps the best of both worlds; she was not ignorant about the magical community but also knew enough about muggle life to not look silly among them.
"Though I didn't like Coraline much, it scared me," Willow admitted, and rubbed her hands together to keep out the chill. "My older brothers and sisters always made fun of me for it,"
She had always enjoyed fantasy more than anything creepy; the sweeping tales of other worlds and amazing adventures had always resonated with her. "What's your favorite kind of book?" She asked the other girl curiously. Should she have a similar taste to Willow, perhaps she could get some new recommendations?
The Ravenclaw girl hoped Corinthia wasn't in too much pain as she waited for her response. "And I was happy to help," She added her friend's thanks, glad that she had been able to do something useful for her.
Willow's Speech: #0300b3
@Corinthia MacAllistair
Willow sat back so that the other girl would have room to work on her ankle, glad that she didn't have to do it herself. She watched Corithia wrap the tape and said,
"I'm a half-blood, so I know quite a bit about muggles. I grew up with films and muggle storybooks as well, though I had wizard ones too." She thought fondly back to her childhood when she had heard both Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump and Cinderella as bedtime tales. Is had been perhaps the best of both worlds; she was not ignorant about the magical community but also knew enough about muggle life to not look silly among them.
"Though I didn't like Coraline much, it scared me," Willow admitted, and rubbed her hands together to keep out the chill. "My older brothers and sisters always made fun of me for it,"
She had always enjoyed fantasy more than anything creepy; the sweeping tales of other worlds and amazing adventures had always resonated with her. "What's your favorite kind of book?" She asked the other girl curiously. Should she have a similar taste to Willow, perhaps she could get some new recommendations?
The Ravenclaw girl hoped Corinthia wasn't in too much pain as she waited for her response. "And I was happy to help," She added her friend's thanks, glad that she had been able to do something useful for her.
I've lived a thousand lives and I've loved a thousand loves. I've walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time- because I read.