Galloping into the New Year Errand

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So far the International Magical Olympic Games hosted by Koldovstoretz had been quite fun. Harvey had gotten a kick out of the torch lighting and the feast at the opening ceremony was something he'd be thinking back on for some time to come. Who knew the once picky little goblin would turn out to be quite the foodie!

While the setting of the foreign school had been a bit underwhelming at first, the scene was starting to grow on him. Harvey was used to the grand castles of Hogwarts and Durmstrang or the majesty of the Beauxbatons chateau. When he first arrived at Koldovstoretz he was a little taken aback by just how...simple it all was. Reading a bit into the history of the school would soon offer an explanation as to why, but surely these days they could build a school, like, above ground? But further exploration of the grounds had lightened him up towards it all. The lake was beautiful, especially this time of year, and the surrounding forest with the Ural mountains far off in the background all lead to some very rustic vibes. Not Harvey's cup of tea and that surely wouldn't change anytime soon. He preferred luxurious, pristine interiors with a cityscape out the window or something tropical like Tenūsa as long as vile monsters weren't trying to end your life, but he let his inhibitions go and began to enjoy his surroundings.

Harvey would be attending some sort of hockey game later this evening. Some sort of muggle sport involving a rubber puck, ice skates and wooden sticks to slap around. Sounded a bit brutish, much like he felt about Quidditch, but he'd be there to root on any friends or acquaintances. However, there was an event that had caught his eye on the itinerary that seemed rather interesting, the Lunar New Year! Now, Harvey admittedly knew very little about Chinese culture, so what better way to get introduced. If he wanted to be an international businessman one day it would serve him well to know as many cultures and customs as he could.

So, his first stop was of course to the snack table. What an interesting array of little treats for them to enjoy. First there were some sort of candied root vegetables. His sweet tooth often led him to fine chocolates, cakes or cookies, so this idea seemed strange a first. Then there were some biscuits. The Englishmen inside him would be very pleased with that, but it was the Bak-gwa that stole the show! Sweet, savory, meaty. It ticked all the boxes for Harvey and he'd throughly enjoy some free time in the resting area before a crafting station caught his eye.

Harvey wasn't into crafting really, but over the past year he had really found a love for fashion and dressmaking. While he was not talented in the actual construction of the garments it did lead him to seeking out crafty-like things. He'd grab a few red squares, a brush and the ink dish before finding another place to sit. The boy could be heard chuckling away to himself as he attempted the work. No one would be wanting to hang his first two attempts, but he left the area quite pleased with the third. He'd leave to go hang it above his bed before preparing for the nights hockey game.

Koldovstoretz was really quite a school. Natasha had always wanted to go to Russia but had never imagined that she would go to the wizarding school. It was much colder than Hogwarts, but she got used to it.

She was really excited to watch the figure skating and ice hockey events which would take place later. She used to love watching the Olympics with her family back home. Her mom had been so surprised by the athletes.

It really looked like magic, what years of hard work and dedication could do. And the magical world was holding a similar event!

Before that however, there was a Lunar New Year festival, which Natasha would definitely attend. She loved asian food! It was so rich in spices and tasted amazing. Great Britain really was missing out. They had such boring food compared to the east.

She went to the festival that day. A lot of people were there and various sections were placed. She immediately went to the food section of course!

She took a few of the items, including a chicken bak - gwa. She had expected momos and noodles, these were things she had never heard of. Hopefully, it tasted good. She went to the rest area and ate some of the goodies on a picnic mat.

A few trees had a red decoration on them. She flipped it to find some famous characters of Hogwart's history. After eating all of the stuff she brought (it was really good), she went to the arts and crafts station.

A Chinese calligraphy station was set up. That must be hard. She had never tried to learn Chinese before, but she could tell that it was hard. The letters were so complicated and even the sounds were hard to do. There was also so many different letters.

She only had to copy it on the calligraphy thing. But still. She probably would make tons of mistakes. Oh well, might as well try. After trying to copy a very curly letter, and failing miserably, she gave up.

This just wasn't her thing. She went to the other part of the Arts and Crafts section and tried her hand at making mini lanterns. She was pretty good at it and made a nice little lantern to take back to Hogwarts.

She also tried making a fish. It was a bit harder than the lantern but she also did that. Then she picked up her fish and lantern and returned to the rest area and sat down.

Word count - 421

Cassie is thrilled when she hears the news that there will be an activity for Lunar New Year.

She can still remember clearly when her father explained her last name to her when she was five. Many, many years ago, Cassie's great great great... countless greats grandfather came to Britain from China and met her whatever how many greats grandmother. That's why she has her last name that seems a bit strange-- It comes from the Chinese surname 江(pronounced as Jiang)

Ever since then, she never lost her interest in Chinese culture. She had read lots of books about it, and, luckily, she gets to visit China herself with her parents last year, since her father went there for business issues. Last February, she celebrated Lunar New Year with her parents in China. She gazed in awe at the beautiful fireworks that lit the sky. Red Lanterns and Chun Lian(春联) can be seen everywhere. That night, she totally fell in love with this festival.

She wanders around the place where the activity is held with a big grin on her face. Every single activity seems so interesting. She stops at a stand to make art crafts with red envelopes. She LOVES making things by hand. She started a crafts stand at Summer Camp once. After examining a finished lantern for a while, she is sure she knows what to do. She folds a piece of red paper lightly, and uses a pair of scissors to cut some openings in the middle. She sticks the two ends of the paper together, and adds a yellow thread for decoration. With a colouring pen, she draws some curves and lines to create a lovely pattern. It doesn't take her much time to make another, which she carefully draws some hearts upon-- she's going to owl it to her parents after the activity ends.

Ooh! she spots a stand where students can make there own spring couplets. For the first time in her life, she picks up a brush for calligraphy. From a book she read before, she knows that the way to hold such a brush is different from the way we hold normal quills. Only then does she realize how difficult it is to control such a brush without training. She tries to write the character 春(spring) but ends up creating an abstract painting. She laughs at her work.

Getting tired of all the walking, she sits on the grass to have a rest. The sun rays shine on her, making her feel cozy and comfortable

waiting for interactions with @Erast Yan

Made by Skylar Astor

Zephyr was so used to waking up early, regardless of where he was, it was the same thing; he would wake up earlier than his alarm clock. That morning was the same. He and his friends, Max and Harumi, agreed to take a walk early in the morning. For someone who grew up in the Muggle world and lived as a Muggle all his life, he was only starting to find out that there were a lot of other wizarding schools and joining the International Magical Olympic Games gave him a chance to visit another school and meet new people from different parts of the world. How cool is that?

Being at Koldovstoretz for the Olympics gave them a whole new experience. Since it was Russia, the air was colder than he was used to, cold enough to wake him fully the moment he stepped outside. "It's really cold in here compared to the UK. Brr!!" He adjusted his scarf and beanie as he walked beside Max and Harumi, and put his hands in his coat pockets as they explored the place. He's a morning person; it's easier to think and relax because there aren't many people this early, and being outside makes you feel more awake and alert.

They've walked past the Residential Yurts and toward the Strugs when he noticed the red decorations tied to trees near the lake. Who wouldn't notice that when the colours stood out against the white ground and grey sky? He didn't think too much about it since it was the Olympics; he assumed it was just normal festival decor for the Games, but when they got closer, he saw paper charms, lanterns, and a long table set up with food. "What do you think it is? You don't think those decorations are for the Olympics, do you?" He asked his friends as he slowed down. He overheard other students talking about the Lunar New Year, but never actually saw a celebration up close. “Lunar New Year?” Glancing at Max and Harumi, “Do you want to check it out? I mean, we're already here, might as well join the celebration?” He was already curious.

When you talk about celebration, naturally, anyone would be drawn to the food section, right? Who wouldn't? It was long and full of things he had never tried before. There was a round container divided into sections, labelled 'Box of Togetherness'. He walked straight there and read the labels, then looked at his friends, excitement written all over his face. "Well...how about we try all these? Looks yummy to me." Without waiting for their reactions, he started picking up small pieces of everything he thought tasted good.

Once he had filled his plate, he looked around and noticed the picnic area, where mats and low wooden tables were available for them. “Let's go sit over there?” he asked. “It looks nice. We can just relax for a bit before going back to our yurt.” By the time they returned, the rest would probably be awake by then. Adding a few more pieces of the candied lotus seeds and another kueh kapit on his plate, only then did he walk over to one of the picnic mats, unroll it and sit down. He put the plate of food in the middle and folded his legs. "This is great idea, isn't it?"

He reached for a piece of kueh kapit, "This one's like a wafer crepe, crisp and very thin." When he bit into it, it snapped easily. “This one’s good...” Offering the container slightly toward Max and Harumi. “You should try it.” He tried the chicken bak-gwa. It smelled smoky and sweet at the same time. He tore off a small piece and chewed slowly. It was savoury, sticky, and there was a sweetness that came after. “This might be my favorite yet. Here, have a taste too.”

He didn’t know much about Lunar New Year traditions, but he liked all the decorations he saw so far. People from different schools gathered together, sharing food. There was no competition here, just enjoying the food and time with friends. There was also the section where students can try creating lanterns and another one that looked like fish? "That looks interesting..." he pointed at one sample display of Zodiac lanterns. "I'd like to create one too, you two want to try that? After we eat, of course."

Banner By Skylar Astor

Reducio

Interacting with:	@Zephyr Deakin & @Harumi Everdane
Dialogue:	#770B08
Date:	17.02.26
Words:	673

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It was early morning, and the most important day of all in the event. It was the day of the hockey games after all. Giddy with anticipation and excitement, Max could barely hold still. Despite the early hour a few friends thankfully had agreed to take a walk around the grounds. The air was cold, as it was every day so far. So chilly in fact that it almost felt painful drawing a deep breath. He was no idiot though, so he was appropriately dressed for the weather.

Looking around as they walked, he could not deny that it was a good sight. All the buildings scattered around, and Lake Bear of course. He was pulled back into the moment by Zephyrs comment. He nodded as he adjusted his own scarf too. «Yeah, I hope they at least have a bit of a summer, cause otherwise I don’t know how they survive!» He joked with a bit of a chuckle.

Drifting off to his own world once again he did not notice anything different as they closed in on the lake. Decoration had been put up for the games before they arrived a few days ago, so nothing about it signaled that this was something different. What he did pick up on however, was the smell of food. One would think the boy had not seen a meal for days by the way he perked up. He barely picked up on the conversation the others held, but nodded enthusiastically at the suggestion of checking it out. «Yeah, lets. Worst case we just get told to leave, right?»

Finally his eyes picked up what his nose had detected long ago. Food! It looked to be a nice spread too. Round boxes filled to the brim with all sorts. Just as eagerly as his friends he started filling his plate. «Oh, that smells so good!» He moved along «I bet that’s really tasty!» The comments was just as much for no one as they were for his friends. He made sure to stack quite a bit of candied winter melon before they moved along to sit down somewhere.

Looking around, Max did first not spot where the extra mats were. Thankfully Zeph seemed to make good use of his eyes and brain and located it. Max followed, eyes greedily on his plate. Was that so strange? It looked tasty, and smelled even better. Finding his seat on the picnic mat, he put his plate down to properly inspect one thing at a time.

He went for the chicken bak-gwa first. Savory before sweet after all. The flavor all but exploded in his mouth and he rolled his eyes in pure delight. «That is so good!» He gestured with the pieve of meat still in his hand and his mouth half full. It was not that he did not want to share what he had put on his plate, more the knowledge that all three of them had their own. But when Zephyr offered his plate, he could not be any less welcoming. So he pushed his plate forward a bit before going for the kueh kapit. «It does look like a wafer crepe!» He agreed before biting into it. He chewed thoughtfully before nodding «Tastes sort of like one too». He gestured at Harumi «Have you tried it yet?»

Having eaten his fill, and still eating a bit more, his gaze started to drift. He noticed the decorations, the color was not easily missed. There even looked to be a sort of craft station where students were making decorations of their own. «I could give it a go» He agreed. «Those fishes look sort of cool…»

He popped a piece of candied winter melon in his mouth as he studied a few of the decorations closer. It really did look fun. He had little talent in this sort of craft, but that would not stop him from trying and having fun. Brushing off his hands after finishing the last piece of food, he stood. «You ready to head over?»

☆made by Skylar Astor☆

Harumi was never a morning person, she preferred staying up late and waking up whenever she wants, and no matter how much she heared the muggle saying "The early bird gets the worm" it didn't change anything, she wasn't a bird nor a worm, can't she just wake up whenever she wants? She'll still finish all her tasks for the day, just a little later.

----But that didn't mean she can't wake up early, if she wanted, and tried, she can wake up with the rising of sun, which she kind of did today, and the past few days too, she was so eager to spend every moment here, in Russia and Koldovstoretz, exploring, walking, or just hanging around, whether alone or with friends.

----Today was one of those days she was hanging with friends, "it's always more fun with friends" was her opinion regarding most things at this point. And toddy she had agreed to take a walk with Max and Zephyr early that morning, before the hockey matches start in the evening.

----So, here she is walking besides Max and Zephyr, the cold air enough to make sure she doesn't fall asleep while walking, knowing herself, that's entirely possible. "it's indeed pretty cold here, I'm not complaining though" She says before grinning, she absolutely loves cold weather, and she probably made it pretty clear to everyone.

----As they walked towards the strugs leaving behind the residential yurts, she saw lots of red decorations tied to trees, lanterns, charms, and lots of food were also present, she wondered if it was some event she didn't know about.

----She looked at her two friends to see their reaction. "No, I don't think it's the Olympics, it's probably something else" She answered Zephyr who asked them what they think, honestly looking at it, it seemed to be some kind of activity, she was curious to know what's it about.

----That's when they overheard students talking about it, it seemed to be about the new year, the lunar new year, and not the one that comes with Christmas and was celebrated ages ago already obviously. "I definitely don't mind joining! Let's explore it!" She said enthusiastically, she loved learning about other cultures, whether it's other magical cultures or muggle ones, she's always curious.

----She took a quick look around, the food section seemed to be full of Asian food, Chinese to be exact, she looked around to see everything there was to choose from, she didn't want to upset her stomach so early in the morning, especially with the hockey match later this evening, thankfully all the foods seemed to be light snacks, so it shouldn't upset her stomach, hopefully.

----"Everything really does look good" She agreed, still looking at everything and deciding what to get.

----She picked a few of the snacks that piqued her interest, candied lotus seeds and roots, candied winter melon, and chicken bak-gwa, but the Kueh Kapit was the thing she got the most of, she really liked wafers after all, usually she'd eat chocolate or cream wafers, muggle ones mostly, she liked how they're so crispy.

----She followed the two boys to the picnic area, her thoughts drifting to random things like her usual, though this time she was thinking about the Chinese culture, she never really learned alot about it, unlike its neighbour Japan, which she enjoyed learning about alot, especially its muggle culture.

----Finally seated, she looked at her plate, she tried the chicken bak-gwa first, it was sweet and savoury, Harumi really liked the taste blend. After trying a few of the other things she brought she tried the Kueh Kapit. "It tastes good, I brought so many of it, do you want more?" She said answering Max and Zephyr, who also seemed to like the wafer crepe, she then offered her plate in case they finished the ones they brought and wanted more.

----When she finished eating, she looked around at the activities, there seemed to be many DIY related things to do. "I'm not that good at art related things" She admitted. "But I don't mind trying."

----Seeing Max stand up, she followed him and stood as well, ready to go try the DIY work. "I'm ready" She said answering Max. "You, Zephyr?"

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The IMOG had certainly been a blast for Tatiana. With an upcoming figure skating competition, her spirits had been high though her energy not so much as she had been practicing on the rink by herself the rest of the day, accompanied with passing students who wished to spend their times skating with friends or practicing like herself. Due to this, she had unfortunately missed the torch lighting event and the opening ceremony, which she'd heard from the buzz was undescribably amazing.

Pity, sure, but she felt that she would've been much more happier if she had won the competition rather than squeeze herself into a crowd of student during winter.

After drying herself up, she made her way to the grounds where she'd heard there was a gathering of students who wished to celebrate the Chinese New Years. Tatiana, knowing that she had not possessed any Chinese blood traced back to thousands of years back, wished not to go, but still did as she saw this as another opportunity to socialize with the higher years.

But, to much of her dismay, she could not spot any familiar faces at all among the mix of new and old students alike, and was instead met with quite a strong gust of wind to the face. So, with her cheeks stinging and turning a faint shade of pink, which seemed very noticeable in contrast to her awfully pale face, the girl trudged her way through the snow and towards a long table. This table was none like she had ever seen in other school events before, this one was made of smooth stone, the same ones their manor had back at London. And on top of it, were rows of stacks of bright red paper that Tatiana identified as those of the Chinese type, of course, and several mini newspaper-covered stations. Interesting.

On top were two hanging ones that had different Chinese Characters, another thing that she found interesting was how they were hung; instead of it hanging as a square as the shape suggests, they were instead tilted like that of a diamond, a tradition for them most likely. Wildly intrigued, she found herself wanting to learn how to write them, which was not at all rare, but not common either.

She found herself an empty table and seated there, preparing herself as though she actually knew how to control the rather odd pen that sat beside the red papers that she took as the writing instrument used. Without as much knowledge of the matter, she tried her best to mimic the strokes of the hanging Chinese Characters.

WC: 437

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Made by Skylar Astor

As they began tasting the food, their reactions were mixed, some of them were much sweeter than he expected, strong enough that he chuckled after the first bite. They weren’t that bad, just a little too sugary for his personal taste. But he enjoyed trying them, especially since each one was different. The chicken bak-gwa, however, became personal favorite from all that he'd tried so far. He was agreeing with Max’s earlier excitement about it. The kueh kapit also made an impression. When Harumi offered more of them, he thanked her and took another once he finished the food on his plate.

Just sitting there with friends, with the view of the peaceful lake, the lanterns hanging from branches, and the chatter around him, created a relaxed atmosphere which was opposite to the competitive energy surrounding the Olympic events. He realized how much he liked this just trying new food and learning about a celebration he had never experienced before. Even though he knew very little about Lunar New Year traditions, he could still appreciate the sense of community around it.

Eventually, their attention went to the craft stations where students were making decorations. There were paper lanterns, fish shapes, and zodiac crafts available for them to try. Max seemed interested in the fish decorations, while Harumi admitted she was not particularly good at art but was willing to try anyway. "I like arts and crafts." But it hardly matter in this situation, as long as they're willing to try and enjoy the activity. He finished his food quickly and threw the rest to the garbage bin before joining his friends. "Okay, let's do this!"

Once at the tables, there were a lot of options to try and he simply stood there unsure where to start. "This is tricky, I want to try them all..." But they didn't have enough time as his friends have a competition to deal with later. They needed all the rest or workout they would need to staying here for long was not ideal. He checked each and debated internally what to try until he settled with the red packet fish. They were simple and made from folded envelopes. Compared to the other decorations, the fish seemed manageable. "I’ll try the fish.” He told Max and Harumi.

He picked up one of the red packets and studied the example decoration. He also asked the people who manages the stalls how it's done before starting. Once seated on the available table, he started flattening the envelopes and folded them as required. Following the example, he cut a triangular notch near the back to form the tail. "That’s not so bad...” He grinned at his friends and then picked up a black marker and began drawing a few curved lines along the body to resemble scales. He didn't do a perfect scales but they looked good enough. He added a small fin on the side using a scrap of red paper and attached them with tape. The final touch was the eye. Once done, he held it up with satisfaction, bragging it to the two. "Not so bad eh? It actually looks like a fish. This might be the only one I manage without ruining it.” It may be simple but it had been surprisingly fun.