Dublin Summer Meetup! Group PV

Hexcode - Zyk: #800000 | Muggle: #808000 - I will not be moderating posting order, do as you please!

Right foot pushed forward, hitting the street pavement bellow him as he skated over the bridge of the River Liffey, pushing himself along while dodging stray muggles that walked passed, passing gazes of annoyance by his presence thereupon a skateboard. Approaching the curb at the end of the bridge and to the street crossing that led the shop opposite, he'd look at the traffic and noticed a gap in the cars and pedestrians when he was going to pass the street. A little smile curled at the edge of his lips, a foot would be popped down as he lifted his board and kicked the board with his front flip as he road over the edge of the curb, a 360 hardflip was achieved as he crossed into the road, crossing over the clearing to the other side with a raised fist into the air with his achieved trick.

A quick ollie over the opposite curb and he'd skid his board to a stop and step off of it, popping his foot down once more to knock the board into the air and catching it underneath his arm. Zykeal was dressed in a typical fashion of the muggle skaters you would see in everyday life, a pair of skinny blue jeans that had various rips from his falls, dirty white vans and a shirt he had one of the printing pressers make in his homework that he found quite humorous given the situation that said 'Trust Me, I'm a Wizard'. It took some convincing to get his mum to allow him to wear such an obvious shirt to the meet up that he had, with her help, constructed, but, she allowed it as his argument was that it'd play along the theme that they'd be having a Dungeons and Dragons club meeting.

With his board underneath his arm, he pushed in through the doorway of The Winding Stair an a little bell chimed as he crossed the threshold. Of course, the 12-year-old had his aspen wood wand tucked into his waistband, hidden by the overlapping shirt over his jeans, as a wizard it would have been ridiculous not to carry it for those 'just in case' moments in life. As he entered, the single muggle server was sitting in the chair to the left of the bookshop that was downstairs, reading a paper and seemingly waiting for the group's arrival. As the door closed behind him, Zyk turned and greeted the muggle, "Oy' Mate!" he said, a bright smile showing those pearly white teeth splayed across his features, "I'm Zyk, my moms told you bout my club ya?" he offered, reassuring the muggle that it wasn't just anyone barging into the store, despite his appearance.

The muggle stood slowly, eyeing Zykeal up and down for a quick moment over the paper that they were reading, "Ah, yes, Miss Lane had explained everything to the owner and I'm here to make sure you guys have everything go smoothly," they nodded, standing up and setting down the paper that they had, "The bookstore is free to look around for you and your friends. The refreshments are upstairs and that is where I'll be tending too," and a hesitant pause was given before the muggle continued, "you lot won't be too much trouble to me will you?" a suspicious gander at Zykeals appearance was given once more, clearly a bit untrusting of the boy with such a punk look to him. The muggle was about the same age of Zyks mother, maybe had just turned 30 by the appearance of them, but, they seemed a little posh in appearance as Zykeal could think.

Zykeal kept the smile upon his face as he nodded to the muggle, "Ah nah mate, we're just a bunch of geeks is all, no troubles here," he offered, trying to reassure them as his eyes were torn from them, golden irises filling with the different books and objects that were cluttered around the bookstore of the bottom floor, "This place is great!" he exclaimed, clearly Zykeal was excited for this meet up. The summer so far had been a great one with his muggle crowd that he'd grown up around, back to the easy life of skating and just young troublemaking. A quick look around once more and he spotted the winding stairs that the place was named after, "I'ma go check everything out," he mentioned, giving a little nod over towards the muggle before he shifted his way up towards the stairs. The muggle gave an affirmation that Zyk didn't hear and seemed to follow him up to the next level where the cafe area was.

Bright eyes noted the display of the cafe and the pastry display that was set out upon a long table at the backside of the seating area. Zyk would set his skateboard down in a corner, resting it upright against the wall and he turned back to the muggle who had positioned themselves behind the bar where the drinks would be served, "This is great!" he exclaimed, clearly excited still as his demeanor expressed. Thinking he'd rather be downstairs to greet those that had signed up on the flier, he'd wave over towards the muggle and call out, "I'll wait for the group downstairs," he offered, then moved once more to head down the stairs once more where he'd settle himself where the muggle had previously sat upon and waited for the people who had signed up, not one that he knew personally.

Outfit Refernce: Outfit | Skateboard: Board

Hex code: #0000BF

When Miranda's parents had agreed to take her with them when they visited Dublin to pick up some new animal or other, she had been extastic. Sure, it had taken a while to convince them, but in the end, it had all worked out! So that was how she found herself walking along the streets of the city, asking nearby pedestrians if they knew where to find the Winding Stair Bookshop.

After what seemed like almost half an hour wandering through the streets, she finally chanced upon a muggle who kindly led her to the store, before leaving her with a smile and a wish for her well-being.

Miranda watched him go, then turned to face the small shop. It was an altogether nice place, with a cozy and almost antique feel. She made her way to the door and opened it, barely noticing the sound of the small bell ringing to announce her arrival. In fact, it might've taken Miranda close to a full minute before she managed to pull her gaze from all of the books. It was nowhere near the amount held within Hogwarts, but since Miranda hadn't been to the school in a while, she was still amazed by the sheer amount. Most of her reading material came from books her parents gave her when they collected them during their travels - in fact, she didn't remember ever going to a bookstore before.

"Oh, hello," the blonde girl said when she caught sight of a boy with a t-shirt reading "trust me, I'm a wizard" (@Zykeal Lane). "Is this the right place for the Dublin Summer Meet up?"

Her gaze bounced around the room, then focused on the boy (@Henry Knight) that the one with the odd t-shirt had been talking to before she interrupted. "Henry!" Miranda exclaimed, happy to see a familiar face. "It's nice to see you here!"

Outfit:

Reducio

Hexcode: #004000

If his current feelings were to be described, it would be a mix of wariness and excitement. Two emotions that clashed as the Trojans and Greeks did for a beautiful woman, but went together with little problems so far. The wariness was obviously needed. Dublin was safe enough, not much different aside from the accents. Muggles would be annoyed at the site of presumably drunk men singing Queen in the local pub, insurance salespeople yelling their lungs to the death about the deals he must know of, and a kindly looking old woman asking Leonard if he was lost. Luckily for him, he was not lost. He hoped. His father had been reluctant enough to let his perpetually panicking twelve-year-old out on the streets, but he’d been reassured enough to go on to discuss about prices of pastries without his son.

He brought out a map from his pocket. It would’ve been easier if it were a phone, but apparently the twenty-first century was unknown to his parents, despite both being halfbloods. If it weren’t his tie that tipped them off, it would’ve been the fact there was a child that was using a god-to-honest physical map. No matter, The Winding Stair was somewhere close, it seemed. Just North. Or maybe South. After staying at Hogwarts for even just a year, he’d been forgetting most of Geography.

He checked again. North.

Leonard checked himself in a puddle of what seemed to be water. First impressions mattered a lot, and from what he’d seen of the flier, he knew nothing of the people here. Of course, that was scary. No preparation meant even more chance of ruining everything and ending with four more people who hated him. There was no need to increase the odds, they were already stacked higher than every deck of cards in the world put together. No matter. The emerald tie was pressed to the heavens, the sleeves were rolled enough to make sure he didn't seem like going to a formal event, but not so short as to make him look crazy. He debated on opening the vest, but that would've just been an embarrassment.

He cleared off once a woman started clearing her throat. Clearly nobody appreciated his sense of fashion. The audacity.

Once he went inside, a sense of wonder hit. It was almost as though he was back in Diagon, for all the magic he could feel. Bookshops had a way of doing that. If he weren't here for one reason only, he would've settled down and read a few books.

Awaiting him was a boy with hair the colour of something not quite blonde, but close to it. He was wearing a shirt with one of the most incredible captions of the century, surely. Leonard already liked him. Along with the light-haired boy was a girl with hair around the same shade and an endlessly cheery demeanour. He only recognised one, and that was one who he had complicated relations with. Not the best start, but not the worst either.

"Hello," he said, waving a hand in greeting with a smile. "I'm assuming you're Zykeal Lane. And you'd be Miranda? Unless Miranda's a boy's name. I've nothing against that. And, Henry," he nodded to the boy in question, wearing a faded green jacket. "Didn't know you'd be joining the Dublin meet-up. That's what we're all here for, yeah? If so, we're waiting for one more person, right?"

@Zykeal Lane @Henry Knight @Miranda Everest @Leonard Oaksworth

The tram squealed to a stop, a flashy sign on the station telling the young redhead she was finally at her stop. Since she lived more on the outskirts of the city, she'd had to take a bus and then the tram into the city's center, where she would then have to walk the rest of the way to the bookstore. She didn't mind though. She'd been taking buses and trams by herself since she was 10.

She followed the crowd onto the platform, and across the street. Once safely on the other side, she pulled a wrinkled sheet of paper out of her pocket and stared at it. Her mother, knowing she had some issues with navigation, had hurriedly scribbled the directions to the bookshop including which bus and tram to take and where to go after she got off the tram. It had proved very helpful multiple times on that trip. Lizzie wasn't sure what she would've done without it. That wasn't true. She would've gotten lost without it.

Go down Millennium Walkway, it should end at a street. Cross the street and take Bloom Lane. When you see the water, take a right, and continue down that street until you see the bookshop.

Very straightforward directions that were easy to follow. It was great, and she made it to the bookshop without any wrong turns, which she found quite surprising. There had only been a few times when she had successfully made it to her destination without getting lost. Then again, most trips she took, she didn't have directions to follow.

As she stood at the crosswalk, waiting for someone to take pity on her and let her cross, the reality of the situation she was about to be in hit her. She was about to spend a couple of hours with some kids she'd never met before. None of the names on the sign-up sheet had looked familiar to her. What if they didn't get along? What if everyone else there knew each other and she was the odd one not in the friend group? All of the unknowns made her nervous. At the same time, though, she was excited. Excited to meet new people and possibly make some friends. Or even if she didn't make friends with them, she at least got to talk to some people that weren't her siblings or family.

Finally, a kind soul stopped to let her cross, and she jogged across the street. She didn't give herself any time to second-guess her decisions before she pulled the door to the shop open and walked in. A little bell tinged, announcing her presence. Although she wasn't much of a reader, awe washed over her as she examined her surroundings. All the different types of books sitting quietly on the shelves and the sheer aesthetics of the bookshop made her wish she'd brought her sketchbook to draw it.

Off to the side, she spotted a group of kids around her age. They had to be the meetup group. She could hear them talking, but couldn't quite make out what exactly they were saying, but it became clearer as she walked closer. One of the boys was saying something about how they were waiting for one more person. Blood rushed to her face as she realized she was the last to arrive. In her defense, she did live pretty far away from the city center, but that didn't stop her from feeling embarrassed about being the last to arrive.

"Is this the meetup?" she asked, as she neared the group. There was no one else in the store, so unless she'd come at the wrong time, or to the wrong place, it was obviously the group, but it didn't hurt to double-check, right? "I guess this is everyone, if I'm the last? I'm Lizzie, by the way." she added with a smile.

color hex: #140096

outfit
ooc:

Reducio

just wanted to let you guys know that i will be very spotty with responses/may not respond until mondayish (: i've got some family stuff

@Zykeal Lane | @Miranda Everest | @Lizzie Callaghan | @Leonard Oaksworth | @Henry Knight

Upon seeing the sign-ups for the meetup in Dublin, the blonde knew that she just had to attend. The Winding Stair was a historic spot that she'd been to anytime her family was in Dublin, which was quite often since they lived close by. No one on the list sounded familiar but it was easy to let her guard down, especially in a muggle establishment.

Sometimes it felt safer in the muggle world than in the magical one. Bad things happened everywhere however. As she opened the door, the chime went off signaling another patron entering. The shopkeep was friendly enough, showing her where everyone was already waiting for her. ”I’m sorry I’m late,” Dymphna began, shuffling forward to sit her bag on the table. ”I’m Dymphna but feel free to call me Dymph.”

Seeing their faces didn’t bring any names to mind so she figured she hadn’t met them before. She was likely older (and taller at 5’7) than the rest of the group, going into fourth year in September. Even if some of them were Irish, her family didn’t typically know many Wizarding Irish families outside of the Purebloods. It was due to centuries of blood prejudice that kept them mingling but things changed for the better before Dymphna was born. They hadn’t exactly stopped working with those families though, continuing to work alongside the Stavrous even now.

Everyone was dressed typically muggle but one of the boys shirts made her look again. It would be a joke to the muggles, or so she hoped, but it was too on the nose for her tastes. Her wand was tucked safely away in her updo, looking more like a nerdy hair accessory than an actual wand. If something were to happen, she would be able to access it quickly. ”So,” Dymphna sat, her long legs crossed, ”which if you set up this meetup?”

#134f5c | outfit

@Henry Knight | @Dymphna Teague | @Lizzie Callaghan | @Leonard Oaksworth | @Miranda Everest

It wasn't too long before the first of the sign-ups to arrive. Zyk was sitting on the cushioned chair still and reading over a muggle magazine, there was a fascinating article on published Irish literary of the 19th century and he didn't even notice the door being opened until the bell chimed overhead. Peeking those golden specks over the top of the magazine, he viewed a boy of roughly the same age as him and a wide smile crossed over his features as he tossed down the magazine to the coffee table in front of him and stood up enthusiastically, grateful not to have been stood up. As there were no confirmations with the other students as he really didn't recognize any of them from the list, he had just based this meeting on the hope that they could all make it.

Crossing over towards where the boy had just entered, he held out his hand so that he might shake the boys, "Oy' Mate, Henry is it?" he asked, the smile still bright upon his face, "Thanks! Names' Zykeal, but just Zyk is fine!" he continued, finding his voice to be a bit on the exciting side, but, not letting it bother him, "You're the first to arrive, but, I'm sure more will-" he barely got out this sentence as he backed up a bit, noticing that the door was starting to open once more and another figure entered the first floor of The Winding Stair. A girl he might have noticed from afar in London during the quidditch events had entered and immediately introduced herself, "Oh, well! Just pourin' in now aint' they?" he offered over towards Henry before shifting his attention onto the girl once more, "Right place, yep, Zyk is the name." he concluded, standing back a bit to make room for any more that streamed in.

Noting that the two wizards seemed to know each other, he smiled, glad that there was at least some who would be comfortable with each other at the beginning of their little gathering, it could ease any sort of tension on who would talk first regardless. With his introduction to the other two made, he noticed the door once again begin to open and another boy had entered. Noting on the list that this would be the last boy, he had committed to memory the names of all the students who would be attending and it left just one more that came to mind, "Leonard!" he exclaimed, excitedly and he made his way over to greet the boy properly, "Ya mate, just Zyk though if that's cool with you," he said, stopping to stand next to the guy before he noted the conversation between Henry and Leonard. They must all be in the same house to have known each other, he figured, even if he was wrong to a certain degree.

Nodding over towards Leonard to his words, "Got a couple more, was suppose' ta be just 5 ya know, but, added one more to make it all even out," he offered, a smile playing across his features and offering a light shrug of embarrassment. Hopefully, the addition of another wouldn't bother the boy. Figuring he didn't want to have them all standing in front of the entryway as more might possibly show up soon, he called to the group in a level tone, "Ya guys' can explore a bit if ya wish, we've got access to this place for some bit," he nodded, smile continuing to shine as he looked to each of them in turn, a side of happiness he didn't expect to see from himself as he had much needed a break from the wizarding community following the London excursion. Zykeal turned once more towards the door at the sound of another chime from the bell and a girl walked in that he sort of recognized, maybe he had seen her in his common room a few times but he couldn't quite place it, she was defiantly in his house though.

When she entered, she like the others questioned if this was the meetup and he couldn't help but stand straight in front of her with his 'I'm a Wizard' shirt and smile, "Nah love', just a bunch of weirdos in a bookstore," was offered jokingly, a slight chuckle coming from within him as he shook his head from side to side, "Just' jokin', you're in the right place Lizzie," he said after learning of her name, turning then to raise an arm to the other students gathered in the book store portion of the building, "Just waiting on one more, but, let's head upstairs and get some grub ya?" he offered, taking the lead and heading up the winding staircase that the establishment was named after. A simple beckoning wave was given as he stopped half-way up the stairs and offered a smile, "Come' on mates, muggle up here ain't too bad, be nice though," he smiled, then continued to jaunt up the stairs.

Upon arrival to the cafe, he'd walk over towards the server and offer a few words, "Heya, most of my friends just got here, missing one though, runnin' late ya see?" he said, nodding along with his words as he spoke them, "Can ya show her up here when she gets here, ya?" a playful smile was given, innocence incarnate. Assuming the rest had followed, he walked on over towards the select table of pastry dishes and started to navigate the complexities of the decisions of food choices he'd make. It wasn't until the rest had joined him, or didn't, that he noticed a few words being spoken downstairs and he turned towards the staircase to see the muggle leading the last member of their gathering up to where they were. The new girl who seemed to be taller and more mature than the rest of the group approached and introduced herself, Zyk wasted no time in walking over to stand in front of the girl as she introduced herself to the group.

Absurdly, he still had a pastry tucked into his mouth as she looked at his shirt and asked who had organized the meeting, "That'd be me," he said, taking the pastry from his mouth and offering it to her on accident, instead of his free hand that he would have offered to shake with. Instead of correcting his mistake, he just tilted his head to the side and figured he'd offer it instead, "Half eaten' still better than nothin' ya?" a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Regardless if she took it or not, he'd turn back to where everyone was mulling about and smiled. A quick move towards one of the open chairs and he pulled it out and took a stand upon it. In a theatrical manner, he waved his arm out and said aloud, "Our Dungeons and Dragons meeting has been established, welcome to The Winding Staircase," he said, smiling to the guests that had come. It made him elated that all had actually shown up, it was something he wasn't expected, but, one has to love when a good plan comes together.

OOC Note:As I'm sure this will be a lot of dialogue, hopefully, don't think you have to make extremely long posts or anything. I hope we all enjoy this thread! Have fun with it!

@Henry Knight @Zykeal Lane @Leonard Oaksworth @Dymphna Teague @Lizzie Callaghan