Great Gates of Hogwarts: Ilvermorny Arrival Open

@Maggie Parker, @Elzabeth Gillan, @Lark Flaer, @Gem Stuart, & @Katrina Walker

To say she got some primal amusement out of seeing her friends stand up for the sanctity of their little group was an understatement. She was grinning so wide she thought her cheeks might split. She wasn't insecure about them, not by any means. Their group had been through too much already (from explosions to pranks and the occasional bout of sentimentality) for that to have any hold on her. I mean, it was practically an inside joke that they'd all dated at some point or another. The likelihood of them splitting apart after so long was so unlikely that Delia hadn't even paused to consider it. Still, it made her happy that Owen, Gene, and Don were willing to stand up for them, especially to one so vanilla as this boring little girl.

"Yeah, sorry," Delia said. Her voice gave away the fact that she was decidedly not sorry, but honestly she didn't care. She knew from the side-eye that Gene had given her before that she wanted to use the girl, Iris, as a pawn (or bait, which sounded much better), but frankly, Delia couldn't stand her. "Now shoo," she said, making a dismissive motion with her hand. "You're not wanted here."

Turning back to her group, she grinned. "So!" She punctuated the exclamation with a clap of her hands before slinging one back in its place around Don's neck. He'd have to get used to this because Delia sure as hell wasn't going to give up. "Our imminent marriage aside, how were your carriage rides? Terrorize anyone interesting?" Hopefully the girl would get the hint and leave already.

@Thora Larkston and @Teiki Laurent

Phyllis decided there was no point staying in the carriage any longer. That would just be weird. Besides, Karilyna seemed really excited to check the new school out and she didn't want to dampen her friend's mood. So, a few seconds later, she was standing out in the slightly chilly night air.

"Havoc? Well, I suppose we could do plenty of small stuff. And it would be cool to do something bigger. But, I mean, there's twice as many people to catch us, and we're supposed to be 'representing our school', so..." she said in response to Karilyna's question. Although a quick glance around the lawn proved otherwise--some third year boy was literally rolling around in the dirt. Other than that, there was a large cluster of older students, including a certain blonde-haired third year who's robes the duo'd dyed rainbow-colored about a week ago (and from what she could tell the others were being quite rude to her).

Across from the carriages, towards the castle, was an annoyingly large crowd of Hogwarts students. Didn't they have somewhere else to be? And couldn't they do something other than stare at the new arrivals? Then again, if she had been in their position she would've likely done the same thing. So, what to do until they were let inside so they could eat and sleep after being cooped up all day? Well, there was always her pen pal, Saskia, but with the low-light and swarms of people, she doubted she'd find her right now. But then a girl caught her eye with long light brown hair--Astrid, fellow 1st year Thunderbird. Phyllis admittedly felt a bit guilty. They literally shared a dorm, but they'd barely gotten to know each other. Especially since she was standing all alone, Phyllis figured this would be a good time to strike up a conversation. Besides, they would be fellow outsiders at Hogwarts for the next, what, two months, so they might as well start off on a good note.

With a quick becoming gesture of her hand, the redhead strode over. "Hey, it's Astrid, right? Oh, and I'm Phyllis in case you forgot, and this is Karilyna," she said, gesturing to her partner. "Do you mind if we hang out with you until Plott gets it into that thick head of his to let us inside?"

@Bridget Collins and @Thora Larkston | Playing as dNPC Astrid Kovac

Astrid had found some simple amusement in watching the big group of older years play around. It helped pass some time, at least. Astrid had remembered to bring a jacket, but the fuzzy inside seemed to be growing weary, as it started to get colder for Astrid. She knew she should've probably tried to make a few more friends before leaving Ilvermorny, but she was okay with being in the cold.. for a little while.

As Astrid's patience towards their headmaster was whisked away by a slight gust, she noticed a few people walking towards her. She knew they were first years because of the Sorting Ceremony, as well as them sharing a dorm with her. So, she naturally assumed that their personalities would be somewhat similar to hers. Whether that was actually true or not could be decided later. When they reached her, the red-haired girl, Feli- no that wasn't right. Astrid felt a little embarrassed about not knowing the name, but was it entirely expected? Inwardly, she shrugged, listening to the girl speak.

"Hey, it's Astrid, right? Oh, and I'm Phyllis in case you forgot, and this is Karilyna. Do you mind if we hang out with you until Plott gets it into that thick head of his to let us inside?"

Astrid laughed. "Yeah, it's Astrid. He'd better let us in soon or he's going to have students storming the castle. Nice to meet you." Astrid personally liked her joke of sorts, but she didn't really know her fellow Thunderbirds all that well. Trying to keep the conversation going, she decided to continue with her joking manner, and wait to see how the others felt about it.

"So, how did you enjoy the month at Ilvermorny?"

@Maggie Parker @Lark Flaer @Gem Stuart @Catriona Staverly

Hunter looked at the intruder with judging eyes. Their friend group had been together for a while and some lonely girl wasn't about to change that. "Maybe some other time?" His tone suggested otherwise. Frankly, he liked the group the way it was and the thought of someone new coming in made a frown cross his face.

There was just too much history with this group for someone else to join in.

Hunter walked around Delia who was hanging off of Don and stoped by Genevieve, smirking at her. Out of all of the girls in their group, Gen had been one of the only ones he hadn't really dated. Even when they were eleven-year-old kids and would only date for a few weeks.

Hunter had learned his lesson though, most of the relationships he had gotten into hadn't ended well mostly because the girls were clearly only interested in him for his looks or his music abilities. One girl had even asked for a song about her, it didn't take him long to break it off with that one.

"Our imminent marriage aside, how were your carriage rides? Terrorize anyone interesting?"

"Mine was a bit lonely, not going to lie. I missed you guys." He threw his arm around Gens neck, making a pouty face. "No one on my Carriage was interesting." He had gotten stuck with people he had never talked to before, so let's just say it was a quiet ride.

RPing As Genevieve Davis -- @Catriona Staverly @Gem Stuart @Maggie Parker @Elzabeth Gillan

Not bothering to hide her smile as Delia shooed the girl away and Owen gave his own advice, Vi tucked her hands under her crossed arms. It was chilly here, Iris wasn't wrong, but she certainly welcomed it. Colder weather just meant comfier clothes and blankets, warm fires, cozy time inside. This seemed more like home to her.

"Our imminent marriage aside, how were your carriage rides? Terrorize anyone interesting?"

Evie stifled a laugh. Imminent marriage, Vi admired the way Delia knew what she wanted and would always go for it. Evie tended to hang back depending on the situation, atleast if it was a more serious one. Boys were always an off and on thing for even before Illvermorny. She had never taken any of them serious and often made it her mission to simply steal away the attention of any boy that she found cute or just to annoy a girl she didnt particularly like. Hunter had been the exception. Never letting herself admit it aloud, other than to Lia of course. He was... different.

"Mine was a bit lonely, not going to lie. I missed you guys."

Evie leaned into her friend as his arm slung around her neck. She pinched one of his cheeks gently and laughed.

"Poor you!" She teased. Grinning she rested her head against Hunter, her heart thumping a little harder against her chest. Even after these years being around him she still felt giddy.

"I know what you mean, my ride was rather uneventful." She hadn't known anyone else in the carriage and assumed the Headmaster had separated the group for reasons.

"What about you guys? Oh man... I wonder where they have his bunking up?" She could only hope they would all be able to stay together for that.

@Bridget Collins; @Teiki Laurent

Karilyna hurried alongside her friend as Phyllis introduced the pair to Astrid, a fellow first year. Oh yeah... the girl thought as she guiltily remembered another brunette first year in the dormitory. In her defense, there were way too many girls in the dormitory. But still, shouldn't she have recognized a fellow first year Thunderbird? "Hi, Astrid," Karilyna said. 

As Astrid continued on about the Ilvermorny kids storming the school, Karilyna had to agree. She wasn't exactly bothered by the cold, but it definitely wasn't the most comfortable temperature out here. "So, how did you enjoy the month at Ilvermorny?" Astrid asked. 

Glancing at Phyllis before answering, Karilyna said, "It was a little different than I expected, but I guess it's nothing too unexpected. Honestly, though, if you have a ton of teenagers in a magical school, bad things are bound to happen, right?" the Thunderbird ended her sentence with a smile. Karilyna was no stranger to mysterious happenings or funny pranks. In fact, those were her forte. "How's the month been for you guys?" Karilyna directed the question back at Astrid and Phyllis.

Glancing over her friend's shoulder, she noticed a large group of snotty older students talking. They seemed to be kicking some girl out of their conversation. Was that Iris? Karilyna looked back at Phyllis and Astrid as she remembered their amazing robe-painting prank. Too bad Iris hadn't worn the spectrum-adorned robes to Hogwarts. She would've made quite an entrance. 

@Catriona Staverly & @Maggie Parker & @Lark Flaer & @Elzabeth Gillan

Don decided against saying anything else, his group had really taken the cake for standing up for the solidarity of the smallness. He was pleased, but also felt a little guilty– and then not at all. It did put him in a bad mood, so he stayed quiet for a good portion, albeit the occasional smirk or ugly face he pulled. His friends were savages, and he couldn’t remember where they even got it from. Rich fucks.

He wet his lips, chewing the inside of his cheek. His friends knew him as an outgoing, obnoxious little dude, ever since they’d met. He wasn’t always sure they knew about his ability to communicate with anyone else, though... he’d known these people for years, but everyone else at Ilvermorny just sort of... existed in his mind. He didn’t like much of anyone, and not much of anyone liked him– a mutual relationship between him, and everyone else. The short answer was no; he didn’t torture anyone, or even attempt to make new friends. He didn’t want new friends, and he didn’t care what would happen after they graduated and went their separate ways. He didn’t care, because without them, he amounted to nothing. That didn’t bother him. That was when he started thinking about how he felt like he didn’t really fit in, and there was no reason to, either. Everyone dated each other, everyone liked each other, at one point in time, right? But he was the class clown. No one liked the class clown outside of fiction. God, this was terrible. He wanted to shut up, it got dark for absolutely no goddamn reason in particular.

Geez, picking on someone really brought out the little baby in him, didn’t it?

“No, sadly. Everyone else had a huge bug for a head, and they only spoke in ‘bzzz’ing. It was so sad, I felt so alone. So lost... I can’t be the lord of the flies without you! All of you, my humble... uh, spiders? I don’t even know what would even be considered a lord of the flies.” His joke sort of fell flat, and his expression definitely said so. Maybe he was tired, maybe he needed caffeine, maybe he needed sugar, but everything down to even his body language felt like the inside substance of an opened soda can that stayed on a counter for a week, and then was suddenly chugged by a hungover, desperate-for-hydration frat boy. Flat soda. He would kill for some soda pop right now, actually. He decided to stay mostly quiet until he got his spark back, maybe that weird, mildly upsetting happening just brought him down. He didn’t even feel guilty, he just got grumpy and moody because his happy place was infiltrated. Maybe he was just irritated being surrounded by people he didn’t know for a good handful of hours and it was just hitting him... yeah, that had to be it.

"Go eat some soap," Iris said walking away, purposely loud enough for him @Maggie Parker to hear. The Thunderbird walked away looking more confidant then she felt. She wandered away finding someone else to talk to. Obviously they didn't want anyone new. She made a mental note to stay away from them.

She sighed and saw the first year again, maybe she could find a way to talk to her. She did seem pretty mature for a first year. Especially compared to the people back there. Those jerks acted like stuck-up babies. She rolled her eyes and approached the first year, hopefully they could talk normally.

She was usually pretty good with groups. Obviously they were set in their ways. Being here had made her so jumbled up. Ugh, she wasn't usually kicked out without a reason.

She approached the first year- who was now talking to two other girls, Iris was determined to talk to someone nice. She approached them with a smile. Hopefully they were more mature than those jerks back there.

She waited by the side of the group, using her technique of waiting before they invited her. She hosted a small friendly smile betraying her seething emotions. Those special people back there would pay.

@Thora Larkston @Teiki Laurent @Katrina Walker

Reducio

No, Teiki, you're totally fine, it was actually great .

@Gem Stuart, @Maggie Parker, @Elzabeth Gillan, & @Lark Flaer

Delia was never the most perceptive or caring in their little group, but she could definitely tell something was wrong. The shift was apparent in the way Don's joke fell flat and his face fell.

Nicolas, her brother, did this sometimes, when they were at one of their mother's endless parties (named so because they never ended). After a while of tolerating the annoying questions and simpering remarks he just shut down and sat in a corner for a while. The first time this had happened, Delia just left him there, to his own devices (mostly because she hadn't noticed; she was too busy tripping ladies in high heels and running before they could catch her). The second time, however, Delia was banned from the party and relegated to drink duty where she sat, scowling. She noticed him and, thinking she'd save him (and herself) from their collective misery, she snuck out from behind the table and smuggled him outside with her. It was all very adventurous.

And then there was nothing. Nicolas had just sat there, staring at the moon from the tree he'd scampered up moments before, like an extra branch. It was annoying and weird because he wouldn't talk to her, no matter how much cajoling she tried. Eventually she gave up and climbed up next to him. It was remarkably nice, despite the fact that every single fiber of Delia's being was screaming at her to move.

The moral of the story was, sometimes it was better to leave people alone. But Delia was never good at following anyone's advice, least of all her own. (She knew the idiot that suggested those things was obviously wrong, anyway.) But this time, instead of pestering Don to the point where he would most likely throw himself off a cliff to get away from her, she simply caught his eye and winked before saying to their little group, "I'm going to go see if there's a way to sneak in to the castle without Lazarus catching me. Don, you wanna come with?" She was giving him an out, and if he took it he could leave and brood Nicolas style or whatever else he wanted to do. If he didn't there wasn't anything else she could do. Besides, she'd been itching to explore the grounds further (for both a passage inside and to see if she could find the Quidditch field. Vi would understand (and she was probably too enamored with Hunter to care much), Delia knew that much. Owen... well, she could explain her reasons to Owen later.