To Walk into the Lion's Den
Percival sat at the long table of the great and mighty Slytherin household. It was a fact that brought no sense of anything great. He had a frown on his face as he cut into his steak. Knife and fork tightly held between his long and nimble fingers. The boy did not have to look up to know the table was mostly empty. Those who did have the misfortune of sitting near him were drastically bent away from him. Forcing themselves over to carry on their conversations. His frown did anything but grow lighter, he thought by now he would be used to sitting alone. Used to the deafening silence of Hanako's absence. Used to the stares..
The boy cut his streak a bit more aggressively than required. Sticking the freed piece into his mouth. His gaze drifted toward the cream puffs that sat layered up in a small tower off to his right. In his younger years, it had been a blessing to eat something so uncontrolled. Though now it was only a simple reminder of how out of control he had been. He was not too sure when he had begun to dislike the feeling of being swept away by his emotions. Anger fueling him and pulling him around like a violent storm. Maybe his Uncle was right. Maybe all he needed was for his Uncle to take back control. The boy speared a potato placing it in his mouth with narrowed eyes. He wondered when that had become so ingrained in him. This summer had changed him in ways he could not truly express. Though, the boy could not discern why he felt that way. It was not as if anything crazy had occurred while on break. Percival huffed slightly as he shook off the strange feeling. Instead, focusing on filling up his glace with the water jug. He was probably just being paranoid. Just a silly and stupid feeling that had no reason to be there. Yeah...that makes sense. The boy would nod ever so slightly, reconfirming his thoughts outwardly.
Mentions: @Avery Chen
"I doubt you'll remember me with a smile."
iNPC Mikael Halldorson
To Walk into the Lion's Den
Man, was he starving! Sweat trickled from his brow and onto his quidditch shirt, his windswept dark hair messier than ever. It felt good being out on the pitch in the spring, enjoying the sun and warmer air as he flipped and dipped to practice dives. During Slytherin's last match, he realized that some of his teammates had improved their game at a faster pace than he had, and the small boy refused to fall behind. Seeing the success of those certain teammates had only inspired him to push himself harder.
"Hi, make some room, guys!" he called out, trying to dive into a tightly-packed group of classmates huddling together at dinner. Head steaming with sweat, and cheeks rosy with exhilaration, he tried to squeeze himself onto a bench, but a girl wrinkled her nose at him and his drenched workout clothes. Getting the message, he raised his hands palliatively. "Yeah yeah, I got it! Not right after quidditch!" Chuckling sheepishly, he headed down the table to look for an emptier section, and quickly found one, strangely, with multiple open seats -- as if it was made for him. Perfect, now he could emit his stench however he wanted.
It was only when he sat down that he realized why this section was so sparse. He recognized the boy to his right, the one with brown, wavy hair and almost got up to leave himself. However, he fought all his instincts and decided against it. Of all people, he didn't want Rainwood to think he was scared. No, he was going to sit right here, sweaty odor and all, fearlessly, with the boy who had tossed a dungbomb into his room and blinded him on the Hogwarts Express.
Hell, maybe he'd even strike up a conversation with his teammate, because he was in such a good mood, so magnanimous, and so pumped with endorphins tonight. Seeing Rainwood now, he wasn't quite sure how he felt. Somehow, the older boy didn't seem quite so antagonistic these days, sitting on the dining table bench by himself and minding his own business, seemingly in his own thoughts, not tripping anyone. It almost made Avery feel guilty for ignoring him in a huff after his teammate so helpfully and skillfully knocked so many pairs of Gryffindors off their brooms during their last match, giving the boy no acknowledgement whatsoever. In that instance, saying anything positive to Rainwood just felt so wrong, after hating him for so long. Furthermore, how could he possibly face the fact that Rainwood had improved at quidditch so much more than he had? His body and mind told him to just fly away. But now, his rudeness seemed to hang over him like a dark, awkward cloud as he sat right next to his teammate.
He needed to break the ice. Unfortunately for Rainwood, sitting in silence during a meal was not something that Avery Chen could accomplish. Heaping a bunch of potatoes, meat, and veggies onto his plate, he looked sideways at the older boy. "So, they say that you have to eat well to play well. Is that one of your secrets to getting better at quidditch?" he asked, partially curious about what Rainwood had been doing to improve, while also implying that he was going to give Rainwood some credit for his good play, in hopes of partially making up for the way he had snubbed his teammate during the Gryffindor match. However, maybe Rainwood would take it badly, thinking that he was implying that Rainwood only got better because he was... eating. Those words could be interpreted into whatever way the listener intended.
Maybe reeking next to Rainwood and conversing with someone who never wanted to talk to you wasn't going to end well. Avery might earn himself another dungbomb or maybe even a black eye, but our boy had a thick skull, which made it difficult to crack.
@Percival Rainwood
To Walk into the Lion's Den
Percival being rather busy did not notice that Avery Chen had made his way to the Slytherin table. His loud obnoxious tone blended in with the constant chatter of four houses combined. The boy cut himself another piece of food to eat, rather interested in eating quickly. Meal time had become nothing more than a horrid affair. With the chance of running into Hanako an ever-present threat, he did his best to keep and maintain his distance. The boy's mouth twitched downward as he thought about the dark-haired boy. How badly he wished he could make the other hurt as he once hurt, and yet...his dreams were never accomplished. Maybe the boy truly did not care for him. With his stupid stoic face that refused to hold any guilt. Percival placed his fork in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Was it too much to ask for the other to burn too?
The boy noticed movement from the corner of his eye, bringing him forth out of his dazed thoughts. Percival's brows furrowed as he began to wonder who exactly decided to sit next to him. It must be some dumb first-year who couldn't recognize a predator. All gleaming teeth and sharp eyes. Though that was easily dismissed, usually by this point most people knew to stay well away from him. A plague that everyone wanted to avoid. To keep away the one rotten apple. Percival huffed in an annoyed tone at the thought. As if he would poison the other apples.
Percival turned his head slowly to the left as the mysterious student spoke up. His brows furrowing in confusion as he realized just who was sitting next to him. Avery Chen. It was just his luck that the annoying imp of a boy would follow him here too. Not that he hadn't just spent an hour with him practicing Quidditch. Despite his Uncle's protests he had not barred him from continuing to play Quidditch. As long as he maintained hi studies. It was the only reason why he had endured a rigorous schedule over the summer break. Training both his mind and his body. It left him tired, and yet he endured. The boy had hoped for reprise once the school year started. Though, all hopes of a simple school year had been dashed by one letter. It was the one reason he was trying to eat so fast.
The boy blinked at the other with a rather blank face. It was something unexpected. To be honest it seemed almost insane. For the boy to not only sit next to him, but talk to him as if they were close acquaintances. As if he hadn't almost ripped the boy's head clean off after a grueling season of benching. Percival's eyes narrowed suspiciously as his gaze flicked over the boy's form. Looking for deceit or thinly veiled malice. The way the other had ignored him during their latest match had not been lost to him. Despite proving the other wrong, he had garnered nothing. Damned if he did and damned if didn't. It was a fact that did nothing but pull forth the ire from his chest. Worming around in a familiar and intoxicating way. Something that did nothing but sour his tongue with disgust. "I guess. Though I've been practicing all summer so it was bound to happen." he spoke. His words started grumpy though slowly eased into a more neutral tone. "Finally admitting that I'm good?" he spoke haughtily.
Mentions: @Avery Chen
"I doubt you'll remember me with a smile."
iNPC Mikael Halldorson
To Walk into the Lion's Den
As Rainwood turned to look at him, the small boy almost felt a shudder down the length of his spine. Even though the older boy’s gaze was innocently scrutinizing, Avery couldn’t shake the feeling of a predator’s icy stare, given their history. It took all his courage and pride not to slide to the other end of the long table.
He braced for whatever might come next. Perhaps a sneer and a verbal lashing? A plate of food to the face? However, the snide remarks and brutal acts never came. Instead, Rainwood’s response was innocently disgruntled but honest: He supposed he had eaten well, but his skills had mostly improved through relentless practice over the summer. The normality of the beginning of a conversation almost took Avery by surprise. Although he had hoped for a conversation of some sort to ameliorate the damage he had done during the Gryffindor match, he didn’t expect it to come so naturally from the boy he deemed an arch-nemesis.
Avery blinked back at the boy sitting next to him with precedented suspicion, though he tried not to let it show with more than a flicker to his gaze. What he saw was no more than a simply grumpy boy, at least for the moment. With that, Avery’s shoulders relaxed, and he turned to his food with renewed furor, stuffing potatoes into his mouth while considering what Rainwood had just said, then finally choking at the older boy’s haughty and almost teasing question — a type of countenance he hadn’t thought possible coming from Rainwood.
But he quickly recovered, an amused grin wiping away his momentary confusion — a playful one that he would frequently display when bantering with friends. “Excuse me?!” he exclaimed in mock surprise. No, he would never admit that Rainwood was good at quidditch to his face, not ever! Maybe when Avery Chen was awarded MVP of the Slytherin Cloud Cobras, maybe, just maaaybe, he’d tell Rainwood that he was pretty good.
“I didn’t say you were good, but — I mean, anyone with eyes can tell that you went from benching to making a few Gryffs fall off their brooms, which is mathematically more than you did last year, right?” he replied, trying to stress the objectiveness of his prior comment and its implications, and downplaying the subjective aspect. ”And maybe, you know, the Gryffs weren’t feeling their best that day, flying around in a haze, who knows.” But, it was undeniable that Rainwood could successfully ricochet twice in a row without a certain level of skill, so he continued in a huff. “All I’m saying, is that it was very helpful that you were able to take out so many players for us and it was a rare sight to see on the pitch at all, you know?” Then, he sat back and crossed his arms with a bemused smile, challenging Rainwood to make more of what he was saying and stoke his own ego on that, but his appreciation for his teammate was clear.
“By the way, Erin is graduating at the end of this year,” he mused, words somehow flowing from that mouth of his as casually as if he was talking to any other teammate. “You feel ready to take on the role as our most senior beater?” he asked, knowing that Erin Ryan left big shoes to fill. There was hardly anyone who didn’t cower at the sound of her bat, behind which she carried monstrous strength and devilish ferocity.
@Percival Rainwood
To Walk into the Lion's Den
Percival blinked slightly in surprise at the dark-haired boy's attitude. He had by far already accepted that the boy was too stubborn, or too stupid, to find him frightening. Something that he had learned after countless of threats. Teeth gnashing like the wild dog that he was. To try and get the other to stop poking and prodding where he should not. Yet nothing seemed to work. Or at the very least the other was good at masking how he felt. He wondered how happy and confident the other truly was, and how much of it was all a bold-faced lie.
A hesitant look spread across his face before morphing into one of confusion as the boy continued to talk to him. It seemed so strange seeing the other converse with him so regularly. Though his interest fell flat as the other did his best to annoyingly not give him the praise he so rightfully deserved. The last game he had felled so many red coats, that the sky ran red. An achievement that he did not take lightly especially after finally moving his way into the limelight. He needed to be the best, if not for himself, at the very least to prove to his Uncle that he should be allowed to still play. Not everything could be old dusty books and libraries, not that his Uncle ever agreed. Percival frowned slightly at the notion.
Percival snorted at the boy's words before replying, "Oh yes, they must have flown in such a haze. You know next time I think I'll just take it easy and let you handle them." he said loudly punctuating the air near Chen's face with his fork. Percival would hum in thought at the boy's words. "I guess you aren't wrong. Generally ricocheting doesn't occur very often." he spoke his eyes narrowing at the boy's relaxed appearance.
If the boy had time to dwell on such thoughts he would have felt the familiar spark of frustration and anger that swelled deep inside his very being. Yet, the boy's next words completely swiped away his thoughts. Percival would find himself frowning as he listened to the news of Erin Ryan graduating. Not that he wasn't surprised, she was far older than him. Being a few grades above him, he could still remember when he had first come to this drasted school. When he had first seen her flying through the air. Strong. It had been the driving force for his want to join the Quidditch Team. To become even half of a strong beater, and yet his time to share the skies with her had been very short. "Honestly, I will miss her. She was a great beater." he spoke plainly a frown pulling at his lips. Inwardly noting that he would have to train far harder if he was to ever get close to her level. "I just hope the one filling my shoes will at least be semi-decent. What was their name again?" he asked snidely before a smile crossed his face. "I feel like our team is getting younger and younger. Though, I guess it is par for the course with people graduating." he hummed. "How do you feel for the upcoming season?"
Mentions: @Avery Chen
"I doubt you'll remember me with a smile."
iNPC Mikael Halldorson
To Walk into the Lion's Den
Avery grinned as Percival indignantly shot back with a challenge, amused by how accurate of a put-down that was. Indeed, there was no way Avery could down four Gryffindors with two swings of a beater bat himself. He was just a saver, and hardly a very competitive quaffle grabber or scorer. Diving and saving teammates from plummeting to their ends was his specialty, and making others plummet to their ends was hardly something he did. "Ah, no, I'll let you handle taking them out, thank you very much," he said brightly, very conscious of his own limitations. "Gotta give you the chance to do what you do best." Yes, ricocheting didn't occur very often, especially successful ones, and even Avery had to admit that.
There seemed to be a shift in the mood as Avery redirected the conversation to the changes on the team with graduation. It was actually something Avery had been thinking about a lot recently. Their team had many senior members who would inevitably leave Hogwarts to the next adventure in their lives, leaving their team with only their legacy. How would the team dynamics and strategy change? Would they remain as competitive as they had been this year?
He further relaxed into the melancholy atmosphere as Percival admitted he was going to miss Erin Ryan. Avery nodded, finding that they at least agreed on some point. This was a sentiment that they would both share, in their admiration of what Erin had been able to achieve.
"The one filling your shoes?" he asked rhetorically, trying to remember who it was that would be the second-string beater, racking his brain. "Oh, you mean @Ulysses Drake, the firstie." He caught the hint of snide in Percival's remark that they should at least be semi-decent and smirked in return, imagining what Percival might be feeling and also hoping that the new guy would be decent (they actually had one thing in common??). Going from an Erin-Percival team to Percival-firstie would be a big change: strategically, emotionally, and physically. "He seems pretty good for a firstie, but he's got a long way to go if he wants to do as well as you did this year," Avery admitted.
"The team really is getting younger. It can definitely be harder to coordinate with less experienced players," he sighed, almost forgetting that he used to be one of them, sitting on the bench as keeper and then chaser. "But I think the most important part is how engaged they are. How willing they are to contribute to the team and to improve. If they don't really care, they're not going to get better, and not step up to the plate during games," he said, tapping his chin in thought and using his brain for once. "So, I think we really need to focus on how to engage the members as a team." But this was easier said than done. "What do you think works best for engagement?" he asked, since they were now on this topic, and he was also curious what made Percival tick and kept him practicing with grit through grime. He was surprised and partially impressed that they'd begun this conversation at all, and somehow found himself hoping they could continue chatting like regular teammates, not dormmates who had been at each others' throats. "Threats to challenge them or encouragement for confidence building?"
@Percival Rainwood
To Walk into the Lion's Den
Percival could not help but roll his eyes as he saw the boy grin at his challenge. It seemed that while the boy was less annoying now than in previous years, he was still as arrogant as ever. He mused to himself on how he had avoided strangling the boy so far. He did not believe it had much to do with actually liking the other, but probably more to do with Tone. Though he would be lying if he said the other hadn't grown on him a little bit. Especially as the other caved in and gave him what he thought was well-deserved praise. He worked hard to get where he was, even if his Uncle never agreed with his decision to play. The older man always had something to say whenever he saw him in his training gear. How improper it was for a Rainwood to be spending his time flying around rather than studying Runes or some other boring subject. His Uncle practically oozed irritation that was far too cold and calculated for his comfort.
But, despite all his Uncle's comments and sneers, he could not find it within himself to put away his bat or his uniform. Especially as he seemed to improve with each game. The more he played, the more he wished to hold onto the feeling of the wind flowing through his hair as he cracked his bat against a bludger. He didn't want to study or spend his time following in his Uncle's footsteps. No. He wanted to be free. The boy could not help but be grateful that Avery seemed to share the same sentiment. Erin had been a great player, and someone he had strongly looked up to during their time sharing the skies. Her leaving made him realize their team was approaching graduation, and he himself would be graduating next year.
Percival nodded his head at Avery's rhetorical question. Glancing up only when the boy mentioned the firstie by name. "Yeah him." he spoke in an even tone, not divulging any true feelings of the younger boy. It was hard to admit, but he was a bit worried about the newcomer. It was always difficult when a new person joined to team, not to mention when they were so inexperienced. This threw the team in a lurch as they tried to pull the extra weight. All one could hope for was that their season wouldn't be absolutely garbage because of it. Percival regarded the boy with a raised brow as the other tried to bolster up the new beater. "Well... I guess that is all anyone can hope for." he chuffed before letting out a small laugh.
The boy sighed, bringing up a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. "The team definitely is, and it will only continue to." he hummed out thoughtfully. "Koko will be graduating soon as well." he spoke. "Not to mention I will be as well." he added on after a pause. Percival's brows furrowed slightly before he cleared his throat and did his best to focus on the other's words. "I can agree with that. You can't just sit around and want to be better. You have to be better." he mused as he brought up his fork to stab at his plate. "There's been some great players on this team, and they leave large shoes to fill." he added. Though the boy had stopped thinking about Ulysses and more about himself.
Percival blinked slowly at the boy's question, a bit uncertain of what would draw people in to give their all to the team. It was a bit strange speaking to the other so freely, and at that moment, he was reminded of it. Though he found it even stranger that he did not mind talking to the other boy. Considering his words, Percival tried to remember what had worked for him so well. His desire to prove his Uncle wrong had been a very great driving factor. Wanting to show the older man that what he was doing was worth investing in. Between that and losing a match so horribly, it seemed that the boy's first option was probably more correct. "I think the first one would prove better results?" he said with a smirk. "Though, honestly, I think adversity tends to force someone to prove themselves far more than half-baked encouragements." he sighed as he took a sip from his cup. "Don't you agree?" he asked the other boy as he glanced at him with a slight challenge in his eye.
Mentions: @Avery Chen, @Ulysses Drake
"I doubt you'll remember me with a smile."
iNPC Mikael Halldorson