PV Picturesque October ILLYA YORNIKOVYCH closed

Carolyn was nearly finished with her sketch when a voice brought her back to reality. Not just any voice either. It was clearly laced with Bulgarian accent, which she recognized well after the summer camp. She was of course aware that the Durmstrang students arrived to Hogwarts and she had seen them wandering around but had yet to talk to one. Being naturally curious about other cultures as she was, the young witch definitely wanted to get to know them. Especially since she was a mix of two cultures herself. What she lacked however, was the courage to approach any of them. Well…apparently the odds were in her favor today.

Carolyn slowly lifted her head to look up at the stranger. Thankfully, his steps were loud enough to alert her of his presence so she was not entirely caught off guard. He is quite handsome, the witch noted absentmindedly. "Oh... Hello," she greeted the boy with a soft smile. She knew how to be polite even if she wasn't the best at talking to strangers. It was fortunate that her pet became the conversation starter. She always found it easier to talk about animals. "His name is Mordred," Carolyn revealed without any hesitation. She then looked at her fluffy friend to check his reaction. He didn't try to approach the boy but his head was titled to the side, obviously curious. That is a good sign, the girl thought immediately. “Unfortunately, he is not very friendly when it comes to people. Although, he seems to be okay with you. It will most likely take him a bit longer to decide,” she said apologetically. “Ah, but where are my manners,” she said while setting her sketchbook aside and standing up to offer the boy her hand. “I’m Carolyn. I hope you are enjoying your stay here,” she said with a smile, hoping he would accept her hand. She would feel extremely embarrassed if he didn’t.

Carolyn knew some of the Durmstrang students weren’t too impressed by Hogwarts and they were not afraid to show it. She generally tried to avoid those types. It was somewhat admirable how proud they were of their own school but it was also disrespectful towards their host. All the staff here did their best to accommodate their guests. Not to mention they and had to manage the ball preparations at the same time. It probably wasn’t easy. This one however seemed okay so far. Unless he just pretended to be and came here to tease her. If that was the case though, he definitely chosen the wrong girl. She would not give him the reaction he wanted. That was just not something one could do easily when it came to Carolyn. In fact, it was very hard to crack her calm composure. Well, I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see. She never liked people who were quick to judge others without really getting to know them and she would always make sure not do it herself.

OOC: I wasn’t sure about the accent. Please let me know if he doesn’t have one and I will fix the post.

“It’s nice to meet you too Illya,”[/b] she said reciprocating his grin with a smile of her own. Ah…the compliments…she never quite knew how to react to those. Carolyn tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear to buy herself time. It was quite long, reaching the lower half of her back and the wind didn’t make it any easier on her. “Really? I always thought it’s a pretty boring name. Especially compared to my classmates here,” she admitted begrudgingly. “But…thank you. It’s very kind of you to say.”

“But thank you, I am enjoying this place. It is a lot ...” It was Illya’s turn to be thankful apparently but he seemed to be struggling finding the right words. Carolyn didn’t blame him, she actually appreciated the effort and admired his courage to put himself out there even if his English wasn’t perfect. “Don’t worry about it. I get what you mean,” she said encouragingly. “I remember when my grandparents started teaching me Korean. Learning new language is not easy but honestly, using it is the best way to master it. Mistakes is how you learn.” It was probably her inner Ravenclaw talking but Carolyn didn’t want him to feel embarrassed. She also hoped that sharing the fact that she had a similar experience might make talking to her a bit easier for the boy. “I’m doing well, thank you. The weather is lovely. It’s nice to be outside for once. Sitting in the library or being copped up in the ballroom constantly probably isn’t the best way to spend all of my free time... I tend to forget myself sometimes,” she chuckled quietly. It was true. Whenever she started working, time passed her by without her even noticing. Thankfully, the sun was strong enough to lure her out today. “How are you? Have you got everything you need here?” She asked with a smile.

Interacting with ILLYA YORNIKOVYCH ( @Reid Kovacs )

OOC: No worries, it happens. I have written Russian instead of Bulgarian accent so… No idea why I did but it should be fixed now.

Mordred went back to playing with his pile of colourful leaves while his owner continued to speak with the boy. He seemed to let his guard down around the stranger and Carolyn didn’t have too much trouble doing the same. She was by no means naive or overly trusting individual but Illya looked like a decent person and he felt much less intimidating now that she knew his weakness. She found his struggling almost adorable. It was not that she enjoyed his suffering but he reminded her so much of her younger self. She remembered how frustrating it was to find the right words in Korean back then but she pulled through and she believed the Bulgarian boy would do the same. “Don’t worry, you’ll get there,” she encouraged Illya with a smile and waited patiently so he could get his point across. “

“Oh yes. Hogwarts is an amazing place,” she chuckled quietly along with the boy, happy that he didn’t take himself too seriously. “I have been here for some time but I’m still learning and finding new places.” It was a shame that she didn’t have anything to compare it to. “I would love to visit Durmstrang one day too. It sounds a bit intimidating to be honest but all the more interesting.” Carolyn wondered whether she would ever get the chance to see his school or any other for that matter. It would be amazing for sure. That was a question for another day though, for now, she was glad somebody else got to enjoy the adventure.

❝ Are you going to dance? ❞ Carolyn looked up upon hearing the question. She has been asking herself the same one for couple of days now. In all honesty, she was very excited about the ball announcement but then everybody started looking for partners and suddenly, she felt nervous and very out of place. She didn’t have anybody in mind and even if she did, Carolyn didn’t think she would be brave enough to ask. “Well, I think so? I do like to dance,” she admitted finally, chuckling at his humorous gesture. “It’s just…” Carolyn wasn’t quite sure whether she wanted to admit the next part. Well, at least he will be able to keep up with me. She realised that now it was her, who was having trouble with speech only it had nothing to do with language. It’s a bit embarrassing…going alone. Her brain finished the thought. She didn’t dare to say it aloud though. Illya would either laugh at her or pity her and neither reaction was very desirable. “Never mind, it’s not important.” The young witch cleared her throat awkwardly. “What about you? Do you like to dance?” She tried to mask her plight with another question.

There was an awkward moment after Carolyn’s stuttering answer but she only had herself to blame. Illya already struggled to understand English without her embarrassing mumbling. Still, it didn’t take too long to salvage the situation. Mordred was a welcome distraction and the boy didn’t dwell on it too much. In any case, she was glad he enjoyed dancing. Many boys couldn’t be bothered to even try. Unless he’s just being polite, her brain supplied almost immediately.

❝ I was going to ball, dance. I ... have no partner. ❞ Carolyn raised her eyebrows, looking somewhat surprised. She assumed their guests would have no trouble finding a partner and this one was quite handsome too. Perhaps it just wasn’t his priority and now he was running out of time. ❝ Will you attend the ball with me, Carolyn? If you do not have the partner yet. ❞ It took Carolyn a moment to process his request. He spit it out too quickly and his accent definitely wasn’t helping. Thankfully, the young witch was a good listener and her grandparents sometimes tried to speak English to her too so she was no stranger to rushed words and broken English. “Really?” She blinked in surprise. She was quite sure Hogwarts was filled with much more interesting girls than she was. Perhaps he just didn’t have a chance to meet them yet. If she was completely honest, Carolyn was selfishly glad he didn’t. “No…Yes,” she stuttered, blushing a little. She was usually very calm and collected young lady but this was the first time she had such interaction with a boy. “I’m sorry.” Carolyn did her best to regain her composure before continuing. She felt bad for her confusing answer after noticing the subtle worry in Illya's face. “I mean No, I don’t have a partner and yes, I would love to go with you,” she said with a smile. “Thank you for asking.”

She truly was grateful. Now she didn’t have to feel so nervous about attending the ball and she was also curious about her partner. Illya looked like an interesting individual and it was somewhat reassuring that he was not attending Hogwarts. That way, they would have plenty to talk about and if things turned sour between them, she wouldn’t have to constantly avoid him. Carolyn just had to hope one evening was not enough to regret his departure too much. Then again, the young Ravenclaw was usually not someone to get attached quickly so it should be okay. Right?