Sensational Ilvermorny Arrival Closed

Karilyna officially hated sailing. Though she may have appeared otherwise, being far smaller than average for her age, the girl was afraid of very little and boats were no exception. In fact, she originally hadn't at all minded travelling in such a manner; after being forced to travel by the accursed method with none other than their infinitely annoying headmaster, though, she couldn't help but change her opinion. Drastically. On Karilyna's part, the long days at sea had been filled with complaints and boredom, Phyllis being the only thing that had stood between her and the depths of insanity. When they'd been further whisked away to an unanticipated shopping excursion, followed by several changes in transportation, Karilyna had been driven into a thoroughly foul mood. Both unwilling and unable to sleep for long on the road, she'd spent the majority of most nights wide-awake, unusually pale cheeks and deep eye circles the only result.

But the thestral-drawn ride to Hogwarts had revived the young Thunderbird and soon enough, she found herself before the castle that arguably didn't deserve her anticipation. After all, her first visit to Hogwarts had been a year ago, where she'd been naïve enough to go to the Masquerade Ball - and got absolutely crushed by a door. It wasn't even a story worth telling since it hurt her dignity just as much as it did her tiny body, and ultimately, it had definitely been far from an enjoyable experience.

"Be careful, this school is dangerous."

Well, duh. As the wise words of their headmaster rang out, a smile curled its way across her face, the normal sense of adventure that had been quickly draining away over the past days returning in a rush. Having come to Hogwarts already, which already was more than most of her fellow Americans could claim, Karilyna would be lying if she denied having any concerns. The previous year's Masquerade itself had been enough to set an alarm blaring through her brain, and the following months had seen Hogwarts only building its reputation for danger and misfortune. Still, it was unusual for Plott to speak so calmly, so normally, and despite her tendency toward headstrongness, she heeded his words.

Still, it wasn't enough to deter Karilyna from complete excitement, brown eyes dancing as she prepared to disembark the carriage. She wasn't about to be scared, whether or not she ought to be. As Phyllis exited in front of her, Karilyna hurriedly drew her hood over her head, shivering. Although it was October and not yet very cold, she was from Arizona and thus used to a much warmer climate. Pulling the strings hard, she rolled her eyes as she heard Phyllis' call. "Gosh, I'm coming!" she exclaimed, flying out of the carriage and onto the grass below.

"So whatcha think?" she asked, catching up with her friend. "You gonna get murdered by a door this time?" Though she rarely brought up the subject herself, she didn't mind a little banter with Phyllis; besides, the taller redhead had signed up for broom racing. She probably wasn't scared of doors.

Karilyna tilted her head back, following the towers as they rose far into the sky above. Despite a carefully-hidden bit of caution deep down, excitement swelled as she took in the people and the castle, possibilities for new discoveries waiting to reveal themselves to the curious girl. Life was an adventure, after all.

Getting out and seeing the world, visiting Hogwarts and England and all, was more of her parents' coaxing and other outside forces prodding her to go, rather than Jayden's own pining for it, though curiosity had been the deciding factor in signing her up for this trip. Overall, why not? Plus there was certain competition to be held that had enticed Jayden to come on board. Showing off every school's finest. It was rarely admitted, but always an underlying motive in the atmosphere that secretly appealed to her. Jayden was confident she would help make Ilvermorny proud.

Embarrassment wasn't something that came easy to her. Frankly, she found Headmaster Plott to be quite entertaining, even looking up to him somewhat. Flair and grandeur certainly caught her attention, no different than the amount of enthusiasm she put into her own spellcasting. Better to have an exuberant Headmaster than a dull, quiet one.

She didn't put up much of a complaint during the cruise, making the most of the time and enjoying what she could of the ocean view, having never sailed or left the States before. A wee bit of sea-sickness and wobbly legs was cured before switching into a new wardrobe of Muggle style clothing to blend in with the crowds of London. Then came the Train and Hogsmeade. Jayden was one of the few who didn't protest against the notion of fireworks. Not that she would call herself an attention seeker, but a firework spectacle would've simply been marvelous to watch, rather than the marching band, which was a little more of an ear-sore. Honestly, fireworks would have been a more spectacular visual.

The school was dangerous, hmm? Jayden had to raise an amused eyebrow at that. If anything, Plott's warning was a flattering compliment to her. Not everyone in Ilvermorny was given the opportunity to be here, if they couldn't be trusted to hold their own against whatever danger Hogwarts posed. Besides, danger went hand-in-hand with magic anyway.

Stepping out of the carriage, Jayden would follow after the conglomerate of other Ilvermorny students, not so much the talker, mainly scanning her whereabouts (noticing a blonde head of @Erin Ryan out on the Grounds?) and inspecting the entrance of what was to become her new lodgings until the end of the month. She might have been biased but… Ilvermorny's architecture was far more superb compared to the old Castle, in her mind.

"What?" Jayden snorted with a chuckle as she overheard Karilyna Kawahara (@Thora Larkston) call out to Phylicia Stanwood (@Bridget Collins) beside her. "Who got murdered by a door?" Regardless if the two heard her (followed by asking about how said girl got "murdered" by a door, if they did), Jayden would shake her head in bewilderment. She had heard stories, way too many of them to occupy her on the boat ride, enough to catch her up on what had happened during Ilvermorny's previous visits to Hogwarts. Perhaps for good reason she didn't volunteer then. She was glad not to have gotten entangled in those messes.

Another mystified shake of the head would follow as Jayden noticed August Henry's (@Paisley Brown) compliment towards @Hjørdis Jensen, the white-haired lady that was standing by a ways. One of the Hogwarts staff, she assumed. Seer and Veela flashed through her head, guessing at the young woman's identity. While the compliment wasn't untrue, the gesture of a deep bow seemed a little bit much to go out of one's way for. Jayden would give a tiny awkward smirk and shrug of her shoulders before turning her attentions elsewhere.

Open to interactions

Kit had initially left his territory of the castle's interior for the simple pleasure of coming to observe, meet, and greet the visiting students of his alma mater. He had arrived in thick winter robes and cloaks, as the weather of Scotland was much colder than what he was used to even when the season wasn't decending into autumn. Though the dark robes were simple, black, and unadorned, his face itself seemed to be distinctive enough to make up for the rest of him.

Apparently showy as Ilvermony seemed to be, his ears were riddled with silver piercings. There were bright blue tattooed swirls on the crest of each of his cheekbones underlying each eye which themselves were odd with one the same blue as the tattoos and the other so dark brown as to look almost black. His hair was black, swept back from his face and wavy down to the curled tips that were about the length of his chin. Most characterizing of all, however, was what seemed to be a default Cheshire grin that stretched across the open planes of his face; only seeming to wax and wane briefly with changes of his expression, but almost never to fade.

At a height of 6'3" or 190.5cm tall, the young man - perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties - could have looked rather imposing but for his casual, laid-back demeanor and constant, easy-going smile. He had been wandering at the fringes of the gathering students, watching with fond fascination in the wake of the marching band, when he caught sight of another outlier observing the same group not too far away. Glancing at her out the corner of his peripheral vision, although she wasn't wearing her uniform and he was still rather new as staff to Hogwarts, he thought he recognized her both by reputation and by having caught sight of her before in passing. His smile broadening slightly, the caretaker decided to approach.

"Hello, there. Miss Ryan, is it?" he hailed, raising an arm from his cloaked form in greeting as he drew closer to speak with her. "I don't believe we've properly met. I'm Kit Paine." The swarthy fellow lowered his arm, extending it to offer a hand for a handshake if she chose to take it. "Everything alright over here? I'd have thought you'd come to greet Ilvermony, but you seem determined to keep your distance." He chuckled softly. "We wouldn't want to make our new guests more nervous than they already are by standing around and simply watching them, would we?" Kit, as an artist and fellow observer, had learned first-hand how silently watching people from a distance as a stranger could result in making them extremely uncomfortable.

"Why don't you come say hello?"

Interacting with: @Hjørdis Jensen @Andrew Vance

"Ahh." August simply nodded understandingly, coming out of his bow gracefully. Of course, he knew nothing of asking people to dances, as he had never done it, but he supposed it would be difficult. After the head of Slytherin asked her question, he nodded. "Yes." then her perked up, his ears largely noticeable as they seemed to stick out of the sides of his head. He looked like a pesky 6-year old, in a way. His tousled hair and small features only added to that illusion. "There's a lot of scope for fun around here, isn't there? Looking around already I can see why Plott-I mean Headmaster Plott wanted to stay for so long. his mind wandered for a moment, thinking of all the wonderful things he could do. There was running, practicing spells, adventuring, and there was even a forest! "Are we allowed in there?" he asked, pointing to the group of trees. His attention had snapped back as quickly as it had gone.

A few minutes after asking his question, August turned away. "It has been wonderful speaking to you, ma'am. I hope we can see each other again soon. For now, though, I have to go talk to them. August pointed to @Andrew Vance. "Because they look interesting. Thank you, professor!" he said, and bounded away, towards his classmate, Jayden.

"Hi! Did you like the ride? Are you sick?" he asked eagerly. "I'm not sick, but I'm tired. Do you think we'll sleep on the floor here? Or in the halls? Wouldn't that be fun? I know I'm talking super extra fast, but I can't seem to stop!" his mind seemed to explode out of his mouth before he could do anything about it. While waiting for Jayden's reply, he ran his fingers through his blue hair, looking around yet again. There were so many people to talk to-he didn't want to miss anything!

A perky grin spread across Jayden's face as soon as August came bounding over to her side. Her eyes lit up, devoting their attention to the bubbly little boy, while softening kindly in fond recollection of her little brother Forrest - five years old at the present - whose short height and small features (and boundless energy) resonated in August as well.

"It's all right," she replied with a chuckle, assuring August she didn't mind his chatter, while in a soothing tone to help him simmer down. The boy was a pleasant ray of sunshine, unlike many of the travel-worn students who were so far keeping to themselves.

"I think we'll be sleeping on the Grounds. Campgrounds? I believe, that's what I've heard." Jayden looked around, scanning the acres of field and forest in the distance. "I suppose we'll be sleeping in tents, I think." It was her best guess, from what intel she had gathered, mainly waiting on others to show her the way. Jayden wasn't entirely sure herself. "I wonder where the other schools are?" She half thought to herself with another glance around, searching for any other student bodies. Excitement and nervous anticipation welled up within. She was looking forward to meeting new people, seeing what the other exotic schools - Ilvermorny's competition - were about.

"I was." Jayden put on a sheepish smile, though not at all ashamed to admit. "A little seasick when I got off at first, but nothing a little tonic from home couldn't cure. I've never sailed before." But before her discussion could ramble forward, she remembered to introduce herself. "Jayden, by the way. You are…August?" As a third year, Jayden naturally kept tabs on any newbies that waded into her domain. Particularly the boys. In absence of her little brother, she had fostered a big sister protectiveness and mentorship over the younger years that enrolled in her Club. "I suppose we'll be seeing each other in the Duelling arena sometime," she said with a friendly smirk.

The lie was said so smoothly that it seemed to be believed by the boy whose name she did not actually know (@Paisley Brown's iNPC August). That made things easier. Now she just had to stay away from the Ilvermorny Headmaster so she was not actually forced into any sort of conversation with him. Though... she really ought to spend time with him to try and figure him out. There was far too much mystery around him. She just... would prefer not to. There were far better people to spend time with.

She smiled and nodded politely as the boy claimed that he could see why the headmaster wanted to stay. She could not work out why anyone would leave their own job's responsibility for many months and go elsewhere but that not something she voiced. It was not the sort of thing she would do, in general, so she simply failed to understand that logic. It made her suspicious of Plott but she did not need to express these concerns to a child.

"I am glad you like it here," She replied politely before following his finger to the group of trees. Ah the Forbidden Forest. Telling a student it was forbidden always sparked their interest but it was forbidden for a reason, "No, the forest is off limits for your own safety." She replied nonetheless, hoping that the students actually understood that. They would have received a full list of school rules that were expected to be followed, even as guests but she had no idea if they would follow them.

Hjørdis nodded as the boy turned to leave, "Yes, of course, go ahead," politely excusing him from having to talk to her. It was not common that students enjoyed chatting to her. She had no issues with people just avoiding her. In fact, she was secretly hoping no one spoke to her as she was only here to watch the school from the distance. Was it fair to judge the entire school based on one incident that happened last year when they arrived? No, not really. Especially not when disasters happened commonly in Hogwarts. It was much more likely their own fault than Ilvermorny's. However... their headmaster had caused far too much suspicion to be thrown onto them.

His fleeting visits to Hogwarts were always suspicious. He would leave after this, right? Why was he so interested in their school? She did not trust him one bit. Whether he deserved that or not was not something she knew but in her defense, she trusted very few people in the first place. He was just the furthest person from acquiring any sort of trustworthy status presently.

Roleplaying as Ilvermorny iNPC Lazarus Plott

Interacts with: Evanore Fairclay (@River Dewlight), Novus Esnos (@Lamik Fillestar), Phyllis Stanwood (@Bridget Collins), Karilyna Kawahara (@Thora Larkston)
Mentions tagged in post | Open to Other Interactions

Securing his luggage and ensuring it was closed, Lazarus quickly cast a spell over it to reduce the size after making sure everything was in it. He picked up the now much smaller object and placed it in his pocket so he could carry it around with him without having to worry about anything. The lack of fireworks was disappointing to say the least. He could not fathom why anyone would say no to such a fantastic idea. Some people really sucked the joy out of life, sometimes! He almost felt sorry for them but they simply could not understand how to live a life properly.

He understood, of course. He climbed out of his wagon once they approached the entrance. It was not as grand as he would have liked it but it would do for now. "Be careful, this school is dangerous," He had warned them, an unusual seriousness in his words. With that, he turned towards the castle - his cloak swooshing wonderfully in the wind - with a large grin plastered on his face as he observed the marching band once more. Lazarus walked forward, towards the gate in time with the beat of the band besides the open wagons. His arms swaying in rhythm as he landed every step to the beat of the drums.

"Miss Fairclay, care to join me in the march?" He called out to the small girl as she sat quietly in the wagon he was walking past. She looked nervous, twiddling her thumbs as she sat. He could help ease her worries! "Come, join me!" He encouraged her to step out of the wagon and march in with him, perhaps skip or dance in. Whatever she wanted! He accepted all kinds of entrances as long as they were bold and beautiful.

Firmly placing his hand on the shoulder of young Mister Esnos as he walked past him or putting his hand on the carriage that he was sitting in (depending on whether he had gotten out or not), "Well boy, what are you waiting for? Follow the band!" He encouraged the student to enter. Now that they were here, they had to enter in style, of course. Boldly and fabulously! "Yes, exactly like Miss Stanwood and Miss Kawahara over there!" He added with enthusiasm - and loudly, loud enough for the duo to hear, of course - as he saw the two students seemed to be keen to make a grand entrance!

If the students did not join in on this beautiful entrance, he would have to just make sure they looked fabulous for them!

From the distance, he spotted a few people from Hogwarts watching them. The afternoon sun hit his eyes as he observed them for a moment. It was rather unwelcoming of them! He did not expect much better but he took note that they were watching him nonetheless. Of course they were - he was a magnificent sight, after all! Shooting a grin over to the young girl [@Erin Ryan] and the taller man [@Kit Paine] that he did not recognise standing besides her. The unfamiliar man was most likely working here but Lazarus could not recall seeing him in his previous visits. He recognised the other lady that stood alone as one of the professors here - mostly by the striking white hair colour - though he could not recall her name. Johns? Jones? Something with J, he was sure. Ah it did not matter! He will be told later, he was sure.

interacts with: Plott and Nora @Hjørdis Jensen

Novus was still looking up at the castle as he heard a voice. Turning to face its source, he spotted Lazarus Plott. The headmaster seemed to be moving from student to student, attempting to get everyone more excited and more... well... Lazarus-y. It didn't seem like many were heeding the call, but the man was clearly determined. "Ya..." Novus responded softly. "Ya, I'm coming." The boy then got up and stepped out of the side of the carriage. He momentarily turned around and looked back at the direction from which they came. Then, after looking up at the sky for a bit, the half-blood turned around and began walking towards the castle.

There were a few people who were evidently waiting for their arrival near the gate, some of which he somewhat recognized and some of which he didn't. Were they there to ensure that everyone was safe, or was it just a polite gesture? Who knew. Regardless, they were there, so why not try interacting with them? "Excuse me." Novus called out as he approached who he assumed was a professor. "Is there any danger of last years... incident repeating itself?" It was definitely a loaded question, but it was also an important one.