(Banner by Leo Noxley)

Date: 3 January 2025
Location: Tenūsa

Word Count:
813 words out of 400 words

A January day where it was warm was shocking. The pleasant warmth that only greeted Britain's countryside in the first weeks of summer rested on Althea's skin like a blanket, and she found herself adoring the climate that Tenūsa was located in. Althea had never been out of England before, even though she had family who lived abroad, so when she had been told that Hogwarts would be having a joint event with Tenūsa, the wizarding school located in Oceania and Maritime South-East Asia, Althea could barely suppress the fizzling excitement that had kept her awake before the day of the event. Despite the ordeal that was her first experience of travelling via portkey, which had stirred up a type of motion sickness that she had never felt before, the Hufflepuff found herself amazed by the sheer difference in atmosphere and environment once the English winter chill shook its grip off her. Her surroundings immediately cemented the fact that they were oceans away from England, with impressive wooden and stone infrastructure resting amidst rich, green vegetation and embraced by nature.

The Tenūsa Open Day event began with a series of local performances that Althea watched with an embarrassing amount of wonder and amazement. She, admittedly, had limited experience with cultures beyond her own, and she found herself unable to do much but silently admire the foreign art forms presented to the crowd. Once the performances had concluded, she found herself swept into the atmosphere of another wave of exciting performances, but this time, by her own fellow students. One by one, vaguely familiar Hogwarts students and students from the other wizarding schools stepped up onto the stage to showcase a unique part of their culture. From a Hogwarts student proudly displaying plates of well-made pumpkin pasties to a confident cello prelude from a Beauxbatons student, Althea found herself drawn into the open, warm space that had formed with this surprisingly effective display of cultural exchange. A step forward. She was even more impressed when her previous informal racing and Quidditch teammate, Avery Gray, also stepped forward to play a musical piece from her hometown of Wales. Another step forward. Althea had once been a part of her local children's choir. If she dug deep into her early childhood, she recalled her humming along as her father hummed and murmured the lyrics to her mother's favourite comfort song by her bedside in the dark of night. The song's lyrics drifted through her mind as the students upon the stage came and went, drawing her closer to that enticing exchange. Peer influence and pressure were a dangerous thing. For others, it may make someone shrink and reject courage in favor of conformity. For Althea... It made her daring.

By the time Althea comprehended what her body had done without her realising, she was already standing in the modest queue leading up to the stage. She tensed as she was shuffled along with the moving line. She was mortified. What has she done, throwing herself into this, with nothing but a loose plan that rode on the impulsive nostalgia of her childhood? She looked back, saw the line, looked to the front, and saw herself dangerously approaching the stage. Crap. She fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. Well... Would it really be so bad if she did a little, five-minute-long performance? She grew up on the song, loved it so deeply that its lyrics sank into her flesh, and it rose from her memory as easily as drawing a breath.

Then, the staircase up to the stage appeared before her. Althea tightened her jaw. You only live once, she supposed. The Hufflepuff stepped up on the stage, spending a total of 5 seconds facing away to do the simplest of vocal warm-ups before reaching the centre of the stage. Pointedly, she avoided the waiting eyes of all of the audience, and looked at a tree behind the audience stands. "Good day, everyone. My name is Althea. Althea Valeden," her introduction was politely stiff, and she held back a grimace. "I am a student from Hogwarts, and I'm also half-Chinese, so... I'm going to sing you a song. It's called <<月亮代表我的心>> The Moon Represents My Heart."

Althea took a deep breath, and with a voice rich as butter and smooth as velvet, the lyrics rolled off her tongue.

"你問我愛你有多深... You ask how deeply I love you" Each lyric brought on another layer of warmth that embraced her soul from within, bringing to the surface memories of her father and something much, much further, but equally comforting. Slowly, a subconscious smile had formed on her softened expression.

Once the last lyric left her throat, Althea's frame instantly froze up once more. Stiffly, she thanked the audience, swivelled on her feet, and left the stage. Oh, word, how embarrassing... She needed a drink of water, and she was NOT doing whatever she did again for a long time.

——————————————————————

Tatiana had not planned on taking the stage, no.

That was the first real truth that had pulsed in her chest as the applause had died down from the last performance, the lanterns swaying overhead in their warm, jewel-toned glow. The humid air was curling along her skin, coaxing stray strands of dark hair from her braid as the dukun onstage had swept aside a set of drums with one fluid levitation spell, the space opening before her. An invitation.

She had not come here expecting to share anything of herself, not really, but culture wasn't only about nations and holidays and geography, right? It was also the little pieces a person carries without even meaning to. And as for Tatiana, that piece had lived in a polished wooden case that she'd been clutching since her arrival.

And before she could talk herself out of it, she stepped onto the platform.

She kept her expression calm and composed that familiar quiet that people had often mistook for shyness. But really, she was just simply steadying herself, breathing through the patch of nerves that was prickling beneath her ribs. Her boots made no sounds on the wooden boards as she crossed to the center. She didn't say anything, she didn't need to. The enchanted microphone was shimmering, but she passed it entirely—talking wasn’t the part of her culture she wanted to share.

She set her violin case on the stage and opened it with care, the gleam of the instrument reflecting the golden lantern lights, its surface worn soft by years of touch. A violin crafted in a hidden wizarding village somewhere deep in rural Britain, carved by a wand, strung by hand, tuned by tradition. It was not muggle-madez the wood was humming faintly with magic as if it was greeting the island's air. Tatiana lifted it beneath her chin, closed her eyes for half a second, and breathed.

Then she played.

Not a well-known tune or anything formal, just a song she'd grown up hearing during gatherings that happens behind protective wards and old stone walls. A melody that was passed down by witches who had never walked muggle streets, who had brewed cider in iron cauldrons, and who had taught children to dance in midsummer fires. A song her godmother had used to hum absentmindedly while stirring potion batches that smelled of pine and honey.

The notes had rose clear and haunting, soft enough to blend with the jungle breeze, and strong enough to carry across the gathered crowd. The melody had shifted like weather, wistful, then brightening, then into something older, almost sorrowful. Her bow had moved with gentleness and precision, contrasting with her usually disciplined posture, revealing a side of her she rarely let others see. She didn't open her eyes until the final note had faded.

Tatiana lowered her violin, exhaling quietly. The stage had felt warmer than before, or maybe it was just the heartbeat in her ears slowing back to normal. Then, she nodded, a small one. Not a bow, not a flourish, just a simple acknowledgement, and stepped of the stage.

Her piece was played, her culture shared—and it was enough.

——————————————————————

(Banner by Leo Noxley)

Date: 3 January 2025
Location: Tenūsa

Word count: 372 words
Interacting with: @Kim Sato

Althea instinctively went to adjust and fiddle with her hair as she shuffled off the stage. The lingering bliss and nostalgic sweetness from her performance continued to warm her from within, though it did little to calm the anxious static that began curling up into her mind. What has gotten into her since her return to Hogwarts? She has been doing new, risky things since August! This can't be good for her heart.

The sudden voice approaching from behind made her startle, even more so when the boy's unexpected lilt of Mandarin Chinese registered in her head. “你过赞了，You flatter me” The humble dismissal left her without a second thought, as she turned to meet the owner of that voice. The face she was met with felt vaguely familiar, and the distinct, Northern Asian beauty surprised her after months in the British wizarding school. She tried to recall the presentations following her. The musical piece had been a girl, so... was he the boy who had been presenting about sweets...? Korean sweets?

“那首歌是我母亲最喜欢的一首歌。该赞的是她的好品味...That song was my mother's favourite. Her good taste is the one that deserves praise”Trailing off, Althea flushed at the realisation that she was rambling. "Sorry. Thanks?" She nodded appreciatively at the offered glass, taking a small sip and wincing at the cold. She eyed the refreshments table, wondering if she should offer water back to the other. Did she take his water? Oh gosh.

"Your presentation about Korean desserts was very in-depth. They looked amazing... The... Yakgwa?" She tried to pivot the conversation's direction towards the other boy's display, embarrassed at the attention, "Your Chinese is also very good. You're very talented." As mortified as she was at her stuff socialisation skills, the Hufflepuff felt really curious about the other boy, especially after how he specifically presented a piece of Korean heritage and something about a Japanese heritage. Not to mention his great Mandarin speaking skills. Kim Sato, what a special name. Her peers truly are incredible...

Althea returned the smile that Kim directed at her, feeling some of her anxiety dampen at his friendliness, "How should I address you?" She had spent enough time studying Japanese to know that the Japanese reserved addressing someone on first-name-basis for close friends and family, but for the other boy, she was not quite sure with his peculiar name.

Maira Anderson
TENUSA | YEAR 1 | 03.12.2026 | WC 540

MENTIONS Reducio None, open to interaction

OUTFIT Reducio

CREDIT Reducio Coded by Cirrus Nam Banner by Aly Salinger

˙⋆✮ ᴄᴜʟᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ ✮⋆˙

Lyudmila ran her hand through her long, cedar brown locks as the humid, summer breeze swept past her, her cheeks lightly flushed in awe as she smiled at the unfamiliar environment of Tenūsa. The landscape was blessed with the vibrant embrace of nature, with jade green and earth panning every inch of the landscape around her. She took modest strides to accommodate the moving crowd at the Opening Ceremony, standing still whenever she could to admire the beautiful, local performances that were showcased on the stage before them.

This was what she had been yearning for– Change. A fresh view and unfamiliar terrain that she has yet to explore, with a foreign culture to experience and unrecognisable faces she had yet to assign a name to. It was exhilarating after a lifetime of the same meadows and lakeside views at her family's estate in the Russian countryside. Starting her journey at Koldovstoretz was fun and exciting in its own right, of course, but nothing beat the thrill of travel and the unknown.

As the local performances come to a close, Lyudmila wished she had requested for a magical camera before she had left her home for the school year. She was hesitant to spend the family's money on whims, and goodness knew how they showered her with gifts as is, but how she would love to record these memories to bring home for safe-keeping, to show her family that their "little lioness" was more than a cub that circled in her padded pen, and that she would grow to know more, learn more, and achieve more than all of them could ever imagine. For now, this exchange event was a step towards her road to success!

When students began to take their turns to present bits and pieces of their culture in front of everyone, Lyudmila tilted her head and her lips twisted into a small pout of puzzlement. Some sort of cultural exchange show? How odd. To be frank, she hadn't really gotten to the "friend-making" part of school life. She enjoyed chattering casually with her schoolmates, certainly, but when it came to sharing actual parts of herself and her identity beyond her favourite Quidditch stars and Muggle inventions, the brunette often froze up and subtly turned that spotlight away with a distracting laugh. She loved people, she did! It was just the fact that... People did not often like her, much less love her, once they know of the blood that pumped through her veins, and gave her that distinctive bold smile and the colour of her hair. It was this that made her worry too much before she even spoke, and she would end up scowling at whoever was looking at her! Ugh, just thinking about her predicament made her feel annoyed at this road block.

Huffing, Lyudmila plopped down on an empty seat and resigned herself to another bout of brainstorming. It wasn't all bad though, especially with the entertaining student showcase happening on stage. She perked up. Maybe the atmosphere will motivate her enough to think of something! Yes, she nodded to herself. There were so many diverse music acts and unfamiliar desserts shuffling on and off stage right now, surely inspiration would hit soon? Lyudmila was mentally determined. She will not stay silent and stay a sad loser forever! She just had to think of something... Anything whatsoever! She murmured under her breath, her hand cushioning her cheek, "Kalitki...? Sbiten...? What do I do..."

Reducio Speech (English): #6F0A6F Speech (Russian): #0f4d5c Thoughts: Italicized

Reducio Interacting with: Nobody (Open)

Reducio Location: Tenūsa Word Count: 580 words

The Isle of Divination was not just overwhelming by the sheer culture shock to the young Scottish boy but it was as if his wildest imaginations had leapt straight from his mind out to reality. Gone away was the harsh winter bitterness that the Scottish highlands had maintained, replaced by a humidity that made his hair instantly bound to life in a way he most certainly did not approve. This place wasn't just breath-taking, it was magic itself and he couldn't wait to explore every inch of it.

To say that Matthew's current holidays had been going less than to plan would be an understatement but since his and @Ruth Fairchild's little Christmas party his spirits had perked enough to get him here. Here where he would be reunited with @Siobhan McCarty and @Alphonse Toussaint his platonic soulmates. The holidays were hard for plenty but he knew that with friends like these and hopefully more to be discovered, that they would thrive in this lush setting. It would mark the start of a new year, and with what mess he had created in the prior, every moment now mattered.

Unable to find his companions in the roaring crowd Matthew opted to be brave, or perhaps his melancholy just needed a stage. Performances had always eased the young Scots soul and while he had never done it in front of an audience of this grandeur he was determined to make a new change this year. He would have to be bolder with his intentions if he wanted to keep his friends and self safe. So waiting patiently as marvel after marvel displayed the many facets of their own communities and spirits he took to the stage and darted straight for rich mahogany guitar.

With thoughts of his father being so poignant due to their lack of presence this holiday season he considered a rendition of their wedding song, to which he sung them down the isle. Yet, they had been less than open with him and communication was unsteady to say the least, thus his frustration and anger would only build by doing so. Instead he decided to play what felt true to him. With shaky fingers he began to pluck at the strings until his voice joined him and the rich folk verses came flowing through. Performing a modern indie folk song by Karine Polwart, Northen Sky was a song of reunion.

After all, that was what he was seeking here. The connection back to his home, the connection back to the people who made that home special. These friends he had made were in no way inconsequential, they made up his life, lent him strength when he needed and loved him through all, and he did have many, flaws. They were his northern sky, and he was finally coming home to them.