25 Mar 2024, 13:18
A New Approach
Awaiting the arrival of @AngelFyre McCubbin
Monday, 8 April 2024
With the arrival of Spring, the sun made it's appearance earlier in the mornings these days, shining warmth and light down on the Scottish Highlands. For those that left Hogwarts, students and staff had just returned to Hogwarts and it was a Monday so that meant a day full of busy classes. Before everything got back to every day routine, Simon had something planned.
A couple hours before breakfast would be served in the Great Hall, he picked up a tin can that rested next to his bedside stand in his small little private room of a dormitory located in the Hogsmeade Home section of the Hufflepuff Dormitories. Bringing it close to his mouth, he attempted to contact his girlfriend AngelFyre McCubbin through the Hogwarts' intra-dormitory Kincaid-McCubbin Telecommunication Network.
"Peace Dove to She Wolf. Come in She Wolf," he said and smiled. It was usually AngelFyre that was contacting him so he wasn't entirely sure that he was doing this correctly. "Peace Dove to She Wolf," he used nicknames that were their unofficial 'call names' that were established earlier on in their relationship.
Then Simon began to sing a song called "A Beautiful Morning" from 1968 by a group called The Rascals.
"It's a BEAUTIFUL morning, ahhh
I think I'll GO outside for awhile - and just smile
Just take in some CLEAN fresh air, boy
No Sense in staying inside
If the - weather's fine and you've got the timeeee
It's your chance to wake up and PLAN another brand-new day...."
"I planned something for us this morning before we partake in breakfast. Meet me on the Grounds, just off the path towards the Quidditch Training Pitch. Bring your broom!"
Her sleeping patterns, or lack there of, where quite similar to his own so he was pretty sure that she'd be up. He had been up for quite some time - in fact, been up, been to the Grounds of the Castle to set up the details of his plan, had showered, and now was attempting communication.
His Rascal, stretched inside his Hufflepuff scarf made into a bed and yawned, stirring awake now from his singing. Simon patted him on the head gently and then began pulling out these little biscuit like cookies from a baggie that Aunt Maggie had sent. Long ago, Rascal had begun refusing his crispy rat pellet food and his aunt had designed a special diet meal for the little guy - consisting mostly of apples, grapes, carrots, bananas, and strawberries. He began sniffing the air after catching scent of his breakfast.
Simon sent them down in his little food bowl and glanced over to the water to make sure there was some there. Plenty. "Morning to you, too, Rasc," he said as he placed the can to his chest, not needing it to pick up those words.
He then set down the 'phone line' since he already told her his plans and where to meet. Now, he just needed to ensure that he was there before her.
"I'll be back after morning's breakfast and collect you before class," he said softly to the rat. He had just woken up so he didn't want to startle him, but also, he took more care with the small rodent these days. He was getting older and Simon wanted to take extra care.
And to the Grounds he went and he did get there before she did. There'd be a row of trees that led the way towards the Quidditch Training Pitch and he draped a rope between some, placing some flowers for attention upon it and adding photographs of the two of them together. As she got closer to their meeting place, she'd then see ribbon hanging down from other trees in spring-like colors. Finally, there in a small clearing of trees was some furniture that he had set up to give them a nice comfortable space to enjoy their morning. And that's where he stood, fully clothed, with a sign in his hands, and awaited her arrival.
The sign was homage to her joining the Hufflepuff Broom Racing Team newly this season, a nod that he was certain she would understand. Plus, it was an entirely true statement as well.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
31 Mar 2024, 02:26
A New Approach
@Simon Kincaid Has Been A Busy Bee
8 April, 2024 - first morning back from Easter break
This was the first morning back at Hogwarts after arriving back last evening from their Easter vacation. AngelFyre, pre-vacation, had been both eager and scared to go home because that is where her memories of Grandma Ruth lived and breathed. Well, that is not precisely true. Grandma Ruth lived and breathed within her each and every day, but everything was so much more vivid when she was at home. Pictures of where she had once stood or sat, what she was wearing, the look on her face as she laughed at some silly thing AngelFyre, or even she herself had done, washed over her sometimes all at once or trickled into her conscious thinking slowly and silently. What AngelFyre had come to realize, however, is that those memories were becoming less and less bittersweet and just simply sweet. Now her feelings of dismay over her grandmother's death were circling around guilt. Guilt that she did not feel worse than she did. Guilt that she could laugh and love and be happy in the absence of someone who had been so much a part of her daily life for her first 11 1/2 years .
She could... and was... going on with the business of living her life. It just happened that way, and she had no more power (or desire) to stop it than she had to part the Red Sea.
AngelFyre knew that is exactly as it should be. As it was all meant to be. Yet it still caught in her throat in the moments that it washed over her. She and Simon had only been separated for 21/2 days this break, and if she was being 100% honest, AngelFyre had never been happier... and that was really saying something because ever since meeting that boy of hers, that never been happier notion was the predominant state of being she existed within almost day in and day out. That it could, and did, get better, even in the face of great sadness and loss, was a miracle to her. And because she was a girl of deep faith and believed in miracles, she knew by whose hand this miracle had come and was continuously shaped.
And she was forever thankful and grateful.
Their time together over their break had been almost completely theirs. Practically uninterrupted time to relax, play, travel, explore, learn, share, snuggle, kiss, and grow. It had been just perfect. It started off with Simon's Aunt Maggie's beautiful wedding, but then as Aunt Maggie and her new husband set off for their honeymoon, Simon set off for a week and a half with the McCubbin clan in her village home of Stenton. She knew he felt like he had a lost an ally in Grandma Ruth, but truly, AngelFyre felt he underestimated how much her folks had grown to care for him. Simon knew the plans he and AngelFyre had spoken of about their future, so perhaps he let that too often color the way he thought her folks actually felt about him. Whatever the case, she hoped he had left there knowing the truth of it at this point in time.
All of this was going through her mind as she had just walked into her dorm room from having returned from the Prefect's Bathroom. Her hair was mostly dry and she was about to finish it off with a hot air charm when she heard Simon over their Hogwarts Telecommunication Network. A huge smile busted out on her face in a room that was likely too small to completely contain it as she heard his voice using their call signs. They had shared those with each other on the evening they became an official couple, 2nd April, 2022, the evening of that year's Spring Ball celebration.
She ran over to her bedside table and grabbed the tin can, thrilled to be talking to him at all, but especially in the morning. That was not their usual tin can talk time. "Peace Dove, this is She Wolf. I read you, love. Over." Then she waited a couple of seconds and he started singing to her as her smile only grew wider. She had no idea what he was up to, but she did not care. She knew the song and was bouncing along to it while holding the can up to her ear and singing with abandon. She could do that without throwing him off because he was singing into the can and would not be able to hear her caterwauling. Even over their non-existent satellite connection, the fuzzy-muzzy reception could not dispel his ability to transfix her with that voice of his.
When he had finished, she heard him tell her to meet him down by the turn off just before the Quidditch Training Pitch and to bring her broom. "On my way, Peace Dove. And Oh! I love you. Over and out." She set the can back down and ran over to the mirror. No time to dry out her hair, so up it went into a loose-looking, but secure bun. She knew he always preferred her hair down, but if they were going to practice flying maneuvers this morning, her hair was going to go up anyway. Might as well make it look half way presentable here and now instead of doing it on the fly. Ha! That pun was actually not intended, but it was a good one, and she giggled to herself.
Simon had mentioned some maneuvers over spring break he wanted to work with her on before their next race, but she had no idea he was this keen on getting to them so quickly. As she got closer to where he told her to go, she began to notice the beautiful colored streamer ribbons blowing gently in the morning breeze. That was her first indication that somethinhg maybe more than broom practice was in store and when she turned onto the path proper and saw all the flowers and photographs he had hung up, her heart just melted. She knew this had to have taken him a good long while to complete, even with his extraordinary dhampir speed and reflexes, but she found herself slowing down, looking it all over and enjoying seeing once again the photographs of their past.
As she got closer to the clearing, she caught him out of the corner of her eye, standing with another big white sign in front of him. This time he was fully clothed, however, and before even reading it, she brought her hand up over her mouth and just laughed. Then she moved towards him while reading the sign. "Aww, love. That makes me so happy, and I bet I DO have an idea because mine probably races just as fast. Actually, faster since yours already beats slower than mine as a matter of due course." Then she let one thought enter and exit all in one smooth blip. When she saw him standing there with the sign, she was certain this was going to be another attempt to ask her to a Hogwarts Ball, but after briefly looking around, she saw no evidence of a question. What she did see was a comfortable little vignette set up in the clearing, off to the side.
"Eclectic chic. How lovely," she said honestly, but curiously. Then a thought to tease him struck her. "Wait. Have you been evicted? Expelled? Si-... Simon? Are you now homeless?" She suppressed her grin and her voice was even and strong, with the pitch perfect amount of genuine concern as she looked into the most beautiful, sparkling pair of cinnamon-bark colored eyes, and shook her head. "I know you said you were not sure where the finances would come from when it came time for us to marry and start our lives together, but my love, is this a little preview of things to come for us? No walls? Just a blanket of stars at night? Not that I am complaining, mind you, but it could be hard on the dhampir amongst us could it not?" and she broke character with a sly smile as she tip-toed up just a bit to capture those luscious lips of his between her own.
"Good morning, handsome. I hear it is a beautiful morning. I cannot disagree with that assessment at all."
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The magic is real.
11 Apr 2024, 13:02
A New Approach
Question to ponder to @AngelFyre McCubbin
He waited for her to finish with her little tangent of this being their home spot due to his eviction from Hogwarts, not minding it at all. He too could be known for some of that same waffling about with tangents and found it to be a fun sort of almost game that they did. "Yes, Simon Ezra Kincaid, Hufflepuff and Hogwarts' Worst was finally kicked to the curb," he said but then shook his head from side to side. The two were prefects and so therefore they were more rule followers than most - although the word was prefect and not perfect, one should note. These two, at times, had bended their small authority occasionally and took to some late night excursions or accessing certain private areas for snogging.
There were places within Hogsmeade, areas of the Grounds, places to pitch his Majesto Tent 500 and revisit their Summer Camp days, closets and alcoves all around Hogwarts itself, ambience of the Greenhouse, and not to mention his favorite make-out area of the Library. Among others.
"I suppose kicked to the curb at Hogwarts would most likely mean either condemning this dhampir to The Forbidden Forest, or I find somewhere for myself amongst Hogsmeade," and now that he said that, it didn't sound all that bad. For growing up in muggle London, it might be sort of fun to actually live and not just visit a wizarding town.
"I'll use my charm, if needed," and of course it wasn't because he wasn't really expelled or removed from Hogwarts, "to whomever needed later and get things back on track. I can't be kicked out now, there's too much going on," like an upcoming dance, "and I haven't even turned in my History of Magic essay that I worked three nights on."
Onto why they were here.
"I thought we could have a picnic breakfast out here. Or - rather - that you could." Simon Kincaid didn't often eat at meal times but there was enough there that he would find something that was palatable. They could at least enjoy a picnic breakfast together. "And maybe partake in a broom ride after."
"But that's all minor details of this morning, darling. All minor details: the picnic breakfast, the set up, the unconfirmed expulsion..."
He once again went over and grabbed the sign, bringing it in front of him in a way he had similarly held a sign to her before but with much more clothing this time.
"The important components of right now, the important components of this moment, consist of you,
me,
this sign,
and a VERY important question."
"You really do have no idea how fast my heart races when I see you, when I spend time with you, when I think of you, when I'm anywhere you are or even when not near. I am yours, AngelFyre Afton McCubbin, heart, body, and soul, and I would be delighted if you said yes to being my date for the Spring Ball."
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
13 Apr 2024, 05:03
A New Approach
Love Actually@Simon Kincaid
8 April, 2024 - first morning back from Easter break
Simon was not only quick on his feet when they were on a dance floor, but his mind was always just as quick to keep up with her nonsensical silliness at times. There was too much that was serious, stuffy, and outright dangerous in their daily lives at this school of magic that they both loved, so if she could keep herself and him smiling whenever possible, she would do it. That he not only tolerated it, but played along with it, never failed to make her heart sing.
She scoffed outloud when he dubbed himself Hufflepuffs' and Hogwarts' Worst. As if! "Kicking you to the curb is on the list of things that I feel confident will simply never happen. I would be less surprised, frankly, to find out that the Earth is actually flat or that the moon is made of bleu cheese," she stated quite adamantly. Knowing her thoughts had to be dancing in her eyes , she offered "I do like your idea of finding a place in Hogsmeade though." And she really did. As soon as he mentioned it, it felt like a security blanket solution to a problem she had long fretted over, but had not mentioned to him.
AngelFyre was a planner. She had a busy mind and she liked to, as her father had often encouraged her to do in her chess lessons, "game things out". Because she could do basic mathematics, it had not escaped her notice that she would be spending one truly miserable year here at Hogwarts during her 7th year. Simon would have graduated and would be off studying, most likely to become a Healer if his current thoughts on the matter stayed the course. She would be thrilled for him but devastated without him. Sure, he had spent a year and half here before knowing her, but that was different. They had not been together, so there was not anything for him to miss at that point. He was too busy being googly-eyed over magic and one Haley Rose. He would leave Hogwarts not ever knowing the dark cloud she was going to have live under.
But nine months apart almost stopped her heart every time she thought about it. If he were to take a place in Hogsmeade, that could be the perfect solution. He could study all week in London and they could be together in Hogsmeade on the weekends. It would not give them the time they had together now, but it would sure be better than what she had been imagining it was going to be like. This was definitely an idea to discuss in greater detail later. Like tomorrow. Next week at the absolute latest, and she chuckled.
Focusing back in on what he was saying, she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, a busy time indeed. Big important things going on and coming up, you say," like a DANCE she thought, not even close...yet... to despairing of securing a date for it. "It would indeed be a terrible time to be expelled as I am sure you have done some truly ground breaking work on your History of Magic essay. Three days you worked on it did you say? Why, I bet your name and handsome likeness end up on a Chocolate Frog card from the brilliance you are about to impart to the wizarding world from such devoted study on the subject," and she batted her lashes at him playfully while squeezing his hand three times gently.
He just cocked his to the side and slow rolled his eyes before straightening up and taking control of the conversation she had hijacked who knew how many times at this point. She listened and looked intently to the sitting area when Simon mentioned a picnic breakfast. "How marvelous! I love it! And the weather is perfect for an early morning broom ride. The sun will not be high enough to be too much of a bother to you, I hope," and AngelFyre, in her excitement, was about to lead him over to the food, but Simon had another plan.
He let go of her hand while talking of minor details and the moment he called her "darling", she missed entirely what he considered the minor details to be. Simon rarely called her anything but AngelFyre, so when he did use any other nickname or endearment, it stuck out to her like a lighthouse in a raging storm. She did not mind in the least that he mostly used her name. He had told her the very first night they met that he thought it was a beautiful name. He had told her since then that it was so lovely he preferred it to anything he could generally come up with in its stead. She adored the fact that he was the only one at school that called her by her name. Woofy called her by his own variation of it, Fyre Angel, and that was definitely lovely, but....
But hearing Simon say her name was always music to her ears.
He grabbed the sign. He was talking about important components and as she listened to his sweet words she knew her lips were curving into a smile. Her mind flashed to one of her favorite movies, Love Actually. In a favorite scene, Colin Firth's character, Jamie, proposes marriage to a Portuguese girl he loves dearly. Neither speaks the other's language very well, and the proposal takes place in front of a whole restaurant full of people, but even so, his proposal is so intimate and sweet and tender. In this moment it was just Simon and AngelFyre, at the edge of a forest, about to partake in a picnic breakfast in what could maybe pass for a private, outdoor cafe. All of that was different than the movie scene, but her fellow's heart on his sleeve expressiveness? Well, that was spot on.
AngelFyre was always incredibly moved by that particular scene. It was hard for the girl, who generally had no trouble putting words together, to describe how exactly it made her feel each time she watched it, but Simon had managed, in his sweet, irresistible way, to evoke those very same emotions within her in those moments. She knew he was not as much of a movie watcher as she was, and did not know if he had seen this movie or not, but she knew what the only answer she could give to him in that moment would be.
"Yes is being my answer."
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The magic is real.