Humble Beginnings Arrival Thread Koldovstoretz

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Emma looked around with wide eyes, surprised at the amount of people gathering. She hadn’t thought there would be so many and this was only one of the schools that would be arriving. Emma focused on the girl who seemed to have heard her quietly spoken welcome and decided to respond, which Emma was thankful for. It made her feel less like she was talking to herself and maybe this wouldn’t be that bad.

Waving shortly, she said ”Hello.” She blushed slightly as she realized she had already kind of said that, and was really repeating herself, but then she looked at the student with tilted head, and scrunched nose, unsure of what the words she was speaking meant.

She only knew some gaelic and that did not sound like gaelic. But why would it? The students were International, and if she recalled correctly Koldovstrovez was the Russian school. Thankful when she spoke English again, Emma quickly answered, ”I’m sorry, no. We learned some gaelic in school, but I haven’t really had the opportunity to learn Russian. I’m Emma, first year Hufflepuff, how are you?” Emma extended her hand to the student in front of her, ready to shake. Look at her, making conversation and not making a complete fool of herself.
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Protestations meant nothing to Erin, it would seem, the older beauty systematically dismantling Nicholas’s feeble attempts to back out of the situation to which he’d been dragged. Comments as to the misbegotten kiss he’d shared with the previously rainbow-haired Ravenclaw sent the second year boy into a spluttering fit, the words failing to form as he coughed and choked on each stillborn syllable. He wanted to die, he’d been entirely stupid to try and get ahead of the curb by taking the fight to the blonde fifth year, all he’d achieved was hastening his social destruction. Such was the way of things, his sole positive experience had been ripped from his grip so swiftly that he’d been foolish to cling to it. Embarrassment was so much more his style.

He couldn’t muster anything more than his pitiful ‘Hi’, even as Aurora shot back with barbs. Accusing him of wanting to see her suffer, of coming before her with Erin as some form of gloating. He wanted to bite back, wanted to snap at her, but he’d been entirely disarmed before he could even enter the arena. Nicholas held no verbal weaponry with which to spar, Erin had seen to that. What pitiful offence he may have been able to muster had been ripped from his grasp and cast asunder.

More than that, however, was her own defence of the cupcakes. She’d claimed she hadn’t made them, merely decorated them. But that meant… He didn’t want to think about what that would mean, it would be a step too far, an admission that his anger had been misplaced and misguided, and he’d already taken more than enough of a beating to throw self-loathing on to the pile. That was far too difficult, no, that factoid could be ignored. At least for the time being.

In any case, Nicholas was far too distracted by Erin’s responses to Aurora. On one hand, her assertion that they weren’t dating filled him with an odd sense of relief, the admission that her interest had been purely to piss him off somehow lifted a weight from his shoulders. As if confirmation of something he’d already known. Although, those feelings brought their own sense of frustration. Why should he care that Aurora knew he wasn’t dating anyone?

On the other hand, her accusation that he was in love with the other girl sent him spiralling once more. He wanted to protest, hell, he even tried to, but instead found himself flung at the girl before he could think straight. Even a last second movement to twitch away did nothing but make his trip more theatrical for their foreign visitor, and unless she dodged it, Aurora would find Nicholas all but falling on top of her. All sprawling gangly limbs and bad vibes.

The last comment the older girl had left him with had rattled him even more than the physical violence had. Meal? What on God’s green Earth did that mean? It took him a moment to think it over, shudder, then realise where he was.

Whether he’d fallen on top of Aurora, or she’d avoided him entirely in her search for a place to hide, he was on his hands and knees. The picture of absolute indignity.

Swiftly, Nicholas would right himself, dusting himself off with all the grace of a particularly perturbed mutt and speak to the air, words intended for Aurora and her suitor alike, “Yeah, right, okay. No need to ‘scuse yourself, I best be off.”

He didn’t even have the right frame of mind to be catty. He was rattled, flustered and three types of indignant, and so it was that he left.

@Erin Ryan & @Aurora Ranvier

Leaving thread

Russian|English@Emma Wynn Sorry about not having an image of Kamila last time.

"Oh sorry," Kamila gasped, "I do speak better Russian than English, but It was rude of me to come in as a guest to your school and expect you to know my language." Seeing the Hogwarts student's extended hand Kamila realized that. She was gesturing towards her. Kamila shook the Hogwarts student's hand.

This was going better than Kamila originally thought it would. The students were warm and friendly, and the landscape and castle were simply beautiful. Hogwarts was way better than Kamila expected it to be. She found it magical and was already looking forward to exploring the castle and socializing with the students of Hogwarts. At that moment she remembered that she was socializing at Hogwarts already, so Kamila left her mind and came back to the conversation.

Then Kamila added, "I am Kamila Yavlinsky, she paused and then added, "I attend Koldovstrovets as you probably already knew." Kamila turned and looked at the castle then she continued speaking, "Do you like your education at Hogwarts. I have heard many different things about your school some really great and some terrible." Kamila waited for a response hoping that she had not acted rude or unfriendly towards Emma.

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Emma blushed, feeling a little bad that she had possibly made the girl feel even a little bad about speaking presumably her native language. Looking down, she said quickly, “No, no it’s fine really. I can’t just assume that everyone feels comfortable speaking in English. Maybe you could teach me a few words in your language? No pressure or anything.” Emma raised her hands, and her eyes, looking earnestly at her, hoping to convey that she didn’t want to make her do anything she didn’t want to. And honestly maybe she would rather practice her English.

Biting her lip, she looked back at the ground, letting the silence continue on, unsure what to say. She was debating how awkward it would be if she just turned around and left, but decided that she had come down to push herself outside her comfort zone and so she just needed to figure out some way to get the conversation going.

Emma looked up, smiling, very happy that the girl had started talking again. Emma had been coming up blank with any kind of conversation. Repeating her name, and trying to make sure she got the pronounciation correct the first time, Emma said “Nice to meet you Kamila, I’m Emma Wynn, first year hufflepuff.” Emma blushed slightly, adding “Not that you probably know much about our houses. I’m just so used to introducing myself like that.” Emma was just making one misstep after another it seems.

She was extra glad when Kamila asked questions, at least she could answer that and then ask the same. “I like it here. Admittedly I didn’t know about magic until last summer, but Hogwarts is quick to get you up to speed and the professors are very helpful. I’m really excited for classes and learning the different spells, especially transfiguration and DADA. Ummm….Defence Against the Dark Arts, I mean. Lots to learn. What about Koldovstrovets? I honestly didn’t realize there were other schools until the tournament was announced. But it makes sense.” Emma clenched her jaw slightly, bringing a halt to her ramble.
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Russian|English

"Oh I don't mind speaking English," Kamila replied not wanting to make Emma uncomfortable. Kamila was pretty good at speaking English and maybe she thought that this conversation would help her improve even more. "I don't think there will be a reason for me to teach you any words in Russian." Kamila paused a moment to make sure that Emma had understood her and then added. "I do not want to make this moment a language class."

Kamila waited for Emma to continue as she found herself once again staring up at the magnificent castle that was Hogwarts. "It's nice to meet you to." Kamila replied ignoring the bit about the Hogwarts house Emma had mentioned deciding to question her later about it.

"I like it here. Admittedly I didn’t know about magic until last summer." Great she thought to herself she had already broken one of her families rules for letting her go to Koldovstrovetz. Don't talk to anyone who isn't a pureblood. Kamila considered leaving the conversation but then realized she had already broken the rule. She was also enjoying this conversation and Kamila did not want to hurt someone's feelings over a stupid rule her blood obsessed family had created.

Kamila continued listening. "Magic is amazing there is always so much to learn and enjoy. It will probably make you feel better to know that I didn't know magic schools even existed until a couple months ago." Kamila paused to listen and then said. "Tell me more about the defensive darks arts and Hogwarts houses."

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Emma grinned weakly, realizing she truly had made a misstep already. Doing her best in her mind to shake it off, she listened carefully to Kamila’s words, wanting to stay present and not start her brain tearing her apart again. Well, at least not more than it already was. If she let it, it would become the only thing her brain could focus on and that led to some very awkward conversations. It was enough that at some point the conversation would be repeated in her mind and keep her awake. Emma really found the whole thing frustrating and so tiring, but she couldn’t figure out the best way to combat her brain. After all, it wasn’t like one could just remove it entirely. Emma’s grin brightened at the thought of removing her brain, struggling not to giggle as the image just wouldn’t leave.

”Perfectly understandable. And I mean obviously we have a common language. Though admittedly some of the English words can be quite strange on their own. I’ve always found discombobulated to just be an odd word, but so fun to say.” Emma’s ramble was at it again, and her cheeks tinted pink, not knowing where the word discombobulated had come from. Though there were stranger words she was sure, but they weren’t coming to her now. Emma looked at Kamila, noting where her glance seemed to lead, the castle. Tall and imposing, it had certainly added to the fear and anger Emma felt towards the whole thing, but now though it didn’t quite feel like home, it at least felt comfortable. “Intimidating, right? But it’s really quite nice. As long as you can figure your way about. I still get lost and it’s been several months. What does Koldovstrovetz look like? If you don’t mind me asking. ” Emma didn’t know if it was meant to be secret or all, but worst came to worse Kamila would share that. And Emma wouldn’t push the issue of course.

Emma grinned, happy to know that she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t known about other schools. “That does make me feel better.” Emma took a moment to think about it, swinging her arms behind her back and grabbing the elbow of one arm with the hand of the other, doing a kind of stretch but also keeping her arms from just dangling there. “Ummmm…so the professor is really kind of good about knowing that you need to have knowledge about the dark arts to defend against them, so we do kind of learn about the dark arts but it’s also a lot of learning more spells for protection, creatures and whatnot. The days with creatures of course are interesting, but I much prefer learning spells. It’s a bit more predictable now that I know the general idea behind casting them, like visualization, pronunciation and whatnot.”

Emma tapped one of her toes, looking down as she did so for a minute and trying to think of the best way to give a broad overview without going much into detail. “So, there are four houses, and you’re sorted by the sorting hat at the beginning of your first year. Gryffindor is more for the brave, courageous sort, Ravenclaw for knowledgable folks, Slytherin for the ambitious, and Hufflepuff for the kind and loyal. I mean that’s super basic, and everyone can have a bit of everything in them but it’s more so what the sorting hat sees as you value I think. I still don’t fully understand how houses are chosen, but in the end it always seems to work out. I don’t think I’ve heard of someone who felt they were sorted in the wrong house. Do you have something similar at Koldovstrovetz? Sorting or houses or whatnot?” Emma hoped that was a good overview. She had gotten used to everyone knowing about the houses and not really having to explain so it took a few moments to come up with an explanation again.
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