30 Oct 2020, 03:13
Fleurir et Taches
August 20, 2020
Interacting: @Nicholas McCowan
Mentioning: N/A
"Your school... What's its name again? Oh yeah, Hogwarts is really weird. Why would they send you to buy books at a gardening store?"
Jasmine shot a glare at the man, who didn't waste a second to start chuckling at his own appalling joke, if only it even deserved to be called one. A weary sigh escaped the girl's lips. Ever since she received her acceptance letter, her father hadn't missed a single opportunity to lightly make fun of the wizarding school and, while he was at it, anything remotely connected to it. It was as if the fact he went to Beauxbâtons implicitly obligated him to ridicule any institution that wasn't the french one.
Lately, he had made of Flourish and Blotts his primary prey, repeatedly announcing its confusing name made it obvious the bookstore was actually dedicated to gardening. In his words, Flourish, in french Fleurir, was a reference to the actual blooming of flowers, while Blotts was but only a fancy way of spelling blots, Taches; in other words, dirt spots. He didn't seem to get tired of his unnerving theory, mentioning it every single time Jasmine was unfortunate enough to speak the bookstore's name aloud, to the point she felt she could truly understand the dread the people of the Dark Age felt upon the mention of Voldemort's name.
The girl looked at her mother for assistance, only to catch her gazing endearingly at her husband. Love indeed made you blind. She knew for a fact her father's joke was nowhere near even remotely amusing, and yet she couldn't find the slightest sign of lassitude in her mother's eyes. It seemed she would be alone fighting in this war of nerves.
After a deep breath, she managed to laugh dryly, "Ha. Ha. Ha. How very funny dad, you truly impress me every day," before opening the door to the gard-... bookstore.
Jasmine couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself when she half-expected the scent of fresh dirt to waft through her nostrils upon her entering the place. It seemed those weeks of conditioning got to her in the most ridiculous ways.
However, she felt a sense of relief when all she could smell was... Well, she wasn't quite sure what she was smelling, but the knowledge it had nothing to do with gardening was enough.
Her parents at her tail, the girl started walking around the store, realizing she actually had to raise her head quite a bit to even glance at the top of the bookshelves. Just as she was opening her mouth to sound her worries, she heard her mother's sweet voice. "We'll let you explore a bit here honey, I have something to show your father. We'll be back soon!" The woman planted a kiss on her daughter's smooth cheek before stepping out of the place hand in hand with her husband.
Jasmine was used to her parents' lovebirds ways, thus she only nodded before getting back to the bookshelves in front of her. She figured she should start picking out the books she needed and began her search, her school supplies list in one hand.
She already had a few books in the cauldron at her feet when she encountered a difficult one. It was only after looking around the bookshelves several times and staring intently at increasingly unsettling titles that she realized the spine she was looking for was placed substantially higher than the precedent ones. Even at the tip of her feet, she was hardly close enough to touch it.
Not one to easily give up, Jasmine still tried adding every centimeter she could to her small height, desperately reaching for the book that was starting to seem like a Saint Gräal of some sort. Her fingers were still a shelf too low when she lost her balance. She leaned on the bookshelf in front of her, lightly grazing a spine she didn't recognize in passing.
A giggle sounded.
The girl turned her head swiftly, looking for a culpable, only to realize the giggle persisted, and seemed to come from... the bookshelf?
Captivated, she tried getting closer to it, the sound getting louder every inch, until it eventually stopped. It seemed to have come from one of the books. Could it be...? She raised her hand once again to lightly scratch the spine she accidentally grazed earlier, and indeed the same giggle sounded, if not a bit louder.
Startled, Jasmine took a step back, observing the strange bookshelf in front of her. She couldn't carry on this way, or she'd soon have half the books in the store screaming before getting any closer to the one she actually wanted. Defeated, she could still hear the persistent giggle when she turned in search of help.
Her eyes quickly set on the tall back of a boy in front of her. She didn't need to make any mental calculations to know he would reach the shelf she couldn't even touch without a struggle. Thus, she softly tapped on his shoulder before letting out her voice. "Uhm... Hey, would you mind helping me out?"
i speak in #7B46A3
31 Oct 2020, 04:41
Fleurir et Taches
Flourish and Blotts
20 August 2020
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
20 August 2020
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
Nicholas scanned the bookshelf, his eyes darting from title to title in desperate search of the texts that he required. His mind searching fruitlessly for the memories of the names that had been included on his school list. He had been daft to allow his father to take Travis to visit the joke shop, the one that's name desperately escaped him at that moment, it had started with a 'W' had it not? The boy had insisted that he was more than capable of finding the books on his own and he'd be quick to join the two of them at the other store once he'd purchased said items with the few galleons his father had given him. Yet, he'd blanked on half of the list, and now found his eyes staring blankly at the first year textbooks before him.
Magical Theory! That was one of them for sure, Nicholas reasoned and reached out to add the book to the rather measly collection in his basket. He should have at least asked for the list, that way he wouldn't be racking his brain trying to recall what he was required to buy. The tome was grabbed and dropped into his collection without any ceremony or thought, merely another book among the rest. As soon as he had it placed, his mind was back to the task at hand, desperately attempting to recall what the name of book he needed for Potions was. It had such a generic name that it had been instantly lost to the boy's memories the second he'd read the letter.
It was merely another event in a day that was quickly going far from the way that Nicholas had desired. The first issue had been that Travis had insisted on accompanying them to London, citing the fact that he'd be at Hogwarts soon enough, and he had the right to learn what he would need. Of course, that meant that every shop they'd visited, his younger brother had needed to have something purchased for him. The worst had been when Nicholas was getting fitted for his school robes, the younger boy had all but begged for a set of new robes for himself. The process of choosing and then fitting had been so painfully boring that Nicholas found he'd almost ground his teeth into dust. Fortunately, his father had noticed the distressed look upon his face and had quickly offered to take the younger boy on an adventure of sorts. Nicholas would be free to enjoy shopping in the way that he liked, with little thought toward exploring and a dedication to speed. It was ironic, that the favour that was supposed to expedite the process had only seen to drag out even further.
Thus, Nicholas found himself truly annoyed as he moved through the bookshop, entirely unaware of the rhyme or reason to the sorting system. Surely there was some sort of categorisation that he'd not figured out? At this rate his father would return with Travis before he could finalise his purchase and he'd be forced to endure the mild teasing his family so loved. Worse yet, if the whole day were to go this slowly, there was no way they'd be back in Belfast before supper.
So it was that he was in a foul mood when he was shocked out of those thoughts by a light tap on his shoulder. He almost jumped, but restrained himself from moving, instead flicking his head around in an awkward movement that was much too fast to seem well-practiced. The girl who had tapped him seemed to be roughly his age, with Eurasian features. However, where Nicholas was tall, she was short, and they had an odd disparity to their height.
She spoke, asking for his help with something. In response, the boy blinked and altered his stance so he would stand face-to-face with her, trying to make up for his odd response earlier.
"Uh, yeah, sure," He said sheepishly, with the awkward tone of someone who hadn't been expecting conversation, "What did you need help with?" The boy's accent was thick, as if almost stereotypical, and of course he was entirely ignorant of such a fact.
Magical Theory! That was one of them for sure, Nicholas reasoned and reached out to add the book to the rather measly collection in his basket. He should have at least asked for the list, that way he wouldn't be racking his brain trying to recall what he was required to buy. The tome was grabbed and dropped into his collection without any ceremony or thought, merely another book among the rest. As soon as he had it placed, his mind was back to the task at hand, desperately attempting to recall what the name of book he needed for Potions was. It had such a generic name that it had been instantly lost to the boy's memories the second he'd read the letter.
It was merely another event in a day that was quickly going far from the way that Nicholas had desired. The first issue had been that Travis had insisted on accompanying them to London, citing the fact that he'd be at Hogwarts soon enough, and he had the right to learn what he would need. Of course, that meant that every shop they'd visited, his younger brother had needed to have something purchased for him. The worst had been when Nicholas was getting fitted for his school robes, the younger boy had all but begged for a set of new robes for himself. The process of choosing and then fitting had been so painfully boring that Nicholas found he'd almost ground his teeth into dust. Fortunately, his father had noticed the distressed look upon his face and had quickly offered to take the younger boy on an adventure of sorts. Nicholas would be free to enjoy shopping in the way that he liked, with little thought toward exploring and a dedication to speed. It was ironic, that the favour that was supposed to expedite the process had only seen to drag out even further.
Thus, Nicholas found himself truly annoyed as he moved through the bookshop, entirely unaware of the rhyme or reason to the sorting system. Surely there was some sort of categorisation that he'd not figured out? At this rate his father would return with Travis before he could finalise his purchase and he'd be forced to endure the mild teasing his family so loved. Worse yet, if the whole day were to go this slowly, there was no way they'd be back in Belfast before supper.
So it was that he was in a foul mood when he was shocked out of those thoughts by a light tap on his shoulder. He almost jumped, but restrained himself from moving, instead flicking his head around in an awkward movement that was much too fast to seem well-practiced. The girl who had tapped him seemed to be roughly his age, with Eurasian features. However, where Nicholas was tall, she was short, and they had an odd disparity to their height.
She spoke, asking for his help with something. In response, the boy blinked and altered his stance so he would stand face-to-face with her, trying to make up for his odd response earlier.
"Uh, yeah, sure," He said sheepishly, with the awkward tone of someone who hadn't been expecting conversation, "What did you need help with?" The boy's accent was thick, as if almost stereotypical, and of course he was entirely ignorant of such a fact.
Vae Victis| Speech: #5C2B2B
I am best reached through discord
I am best reached through discord
1 Nov 2020, 04:02
Fleurir et Taches
August 20, 2020
Interacting: @Nicholas McCowan
Mentioning: N/A
Jasmine initially thought the boy might have been angry at her gesture when his head briskly turned her way, but soon was relieved to spot nothing of the sort in his eyes. She however remarked he looked a bit younger than she had anticipated, considering she had to raise her head quite a bit to meet his gaze, making her even more so aware of her own small height. A bit of awkwardness could be heard in his voice, as well as an accent that unconsciously made the girl smile. Had it been any other occasion, she would have asked him about it, but there were more pressing matters.
"Well... There's a book I can't seem to reach." She then turned a bit to point at the tome, her head hung in shame. It was painfully obvious to the eye that her fingers reached nowhere near the shelf she was indicating. "It's the red one, I think its name was...", she glanced at the list still in her hand, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I'm pretty sure." She shifted a bit to better face the boy. "Could you please... get it for me?" The girl tried to hide the embarrassment on her face, without much luck. Jasmine ordinarily wasn't someone to get easily flustered, but she despised asking for help, especially from strangers, as it felt to her like a reflection of her own failures and shortcomings. Moreover, the book she had accidentally scratched earlier didn't seem to stop giggling, further rubbing salt in her wound.
Unable to keep ignoring the incessant chuckle, she shot a glare at the wretched thing before looking back at the boy. "Uhm, maybe you should be on your guard when touching it, I'm pretty sure the books in this area aren't normal. I only barely grazed this one and it's cackling like a wicked witch." In full honesty, she did touch it twice, but she didn't expect it to be so dramatic the second time around, unwilling to fall silent as it previously did. What a weird feature to add to a book anyway.
i speak in #7B46A3
1 Nov 2020, 05:38
Fleurir et Taches
20 August 2020
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
Nicholas's eyes tracked down from the shorter's girls face and toward her extended digit, before scanning from her outstretched hand and toward the book that she had pointed towards. She made her request clear, and to the point, it seemed that she merely lacked the height required in order to retrieve the book. Of course, the boy was happy enough to help, it was no water off of his back and may even distract him from the fact he'd need to try to remember what books he was supposed to be collecting. Wait, did she say "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?" It was as if a light bulb went off in his head, that was one of the texts he was supposed to be collecting, the girl in her request for help had inadvertently helped him. For that he was more than grateful.
It was the next sentence that came from her mouth that perplexed the lad, and that look of confusion was painted all too much on his face. A cackling book? He'd been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't even recognised the sound at first, but now it was blatant to his ears. Sure enough, one of the books upon the shelf was giggling, and even to the wizard-born boy it was an unsettling sound. He could feel the chills run down his spine at the sound, the sensation distracting him momentarily.
"Oh, uh, yeah," he answered, aware of how that was now the second time he'd given an awkward response in almost as many sentences.
Turning his mind and his eyes away from the odd book, Nicholas reached up, his height and the added benefit of his toes allowing him to grab the red-coated textbook without much difficulty. With a wordless smile he handed the book to the short girl, before giving the shelf a second once-over. A second copy of the same book sat situated next to the one he had retrieved earlier, the last of its kind in this section of the store. Nicholas was almost certain other copies would be scattered through the shop, but he didn't particularly care to look now that he had it. He deposited the copy, now his, with the rest of his books with a similar lack of decorum as he had earlier.
With that out of the way, the boy found himself looking once more at the cackling book, before swiftly putting the thought out of his head. Perhaps it was better he didn't know.
But there were things he did need to know, namely what books he needed to get for school. The fact that the girl was looking for at least one of the same textbooks as him gave him a quiet confidence, perhaps she had an idea as to what he needed to buy. It would bruise his ego to ask, but not as much as it would if his family returned before he could collect them all.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be getting books for Hogwarts would you?" He asked, his tone a bit more relaxed than it had been earlier, "Do you know what's required for the first years... I may have entirely forgotten the list."
The same hand that had grabbed the books now scratched awkwardly at the back of his head, sheepish embarrassment at his forgetfulness obvious.
It was the next sentence that came from her mouth that perplexed the lad, and that look of confusion was painted all too much on his face. A cackling book? He'd been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't even recognised the sound at first, but now it was blatant to his ears. Sure enough, one of the books upon the shelf was giggling, and even to the wizard-born boy it was an unsettling sound. He could feel the chills run down his spine at the sound, the sensation distracting him momentarily.
"Oh, uh, yeah," he answered, aware of how that was now the second time he'd given an awkward response in almost as many sentences.
Turning his mind and his eyes away from the odd book, Nicholas reached up, his height and the added benefit of his toes allowing him to grab the red-coated textbook without much difficulty. With a wordless smile he handed the book to the short girl, before giving the shelf a second once-over. A second copy of the same book sat situated next to the one he had retrieved earlier, the last of its kind in this section of the store. Nicholas was almost certain other copies would be scattered through the shop, but he didn't particularly care to look now that he had it. He deposited the copy, now his, with the rest of his books with a similar lack of decorum as he had earlier.
With that out of the way, the boy found himself looking once more at the cackling book, before swiftly putting the thought out of his head. Perhaps it was better he didn't know.
But there were things he did need to know, namely what books he needed to get for school. The fact that the girl was looking for at least one of the same textbooks as him gave him a quiet confidence, perhaps she had an idea as to what he needed to buy. It would bruise his ego to ask, but not as much as it would if his family returned before he could collect them all.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be getting books for Hogwarts would you?" He asked, his tone a bit more relaxed than it had been earlier, "Do you know what's required for the first years... I may have entirely forgotten the list."
The same hand that had grabbed the books now scratched awkwardly at the back of his head, sheepish embarrassment at his forgetfulness obvious.
Vae Victis| Speech: #5C2B2B
I am best reached through discord
I am best reached through discord
2 Nov 2020, 03:07
Fleurir et Taches
August 20, 2020
Interacting: @Nicholas McCowan
Mentioning: N/A
Jasmine didn't miss the troubled look of the boy upon noticing the cackling book, feeling a sense of sympathy towards him. It was strangely reassuring to know she wasn't the only one puzzled as to the existence of such a book, as she was beginning to believe having lived in a predominantly Muggle family had made her overly sensitive to ordinary wizard matters. Then again he might have been just as clueless as her, perhaps even a Muggle-born, but in her books, he was an ally just the same.
She took a step back to watch his hand reach the spine she had been staring at for the last few minutes with horrifying ease, considering her own full efforts and struggling ended up useless. Her breath momentarily stopped at the instant his fingers touched the cover, fearing another giggle situation, or worse. Who knew when it came to this bookstore. However, no worrying sound escaped the book as she feared, and it fell upon her hands without a hitch. Grateful, she responded to the boy's smile with one of her own. "Thanks a lot!"
Her gaze turned confused as she watched him reach out and take the last copy of the exact same book, to put in his own selection. It seemed he needed it too. But then, wouldn't that mean he was a first-year as well? The girl contemplated the possibility for a while, before eventually determining he could also have taken the book for a sibling. He did look young enough to maybe pass as an eleven-year-old, but Jasmine's ego didn't allow her to accept the two of them, considering their remarkable difference in height, were the same age.
Her hopes however gradually thinned as she heard his request, and looked at the rest of his meager collection. All required books listed in the parchment she held in her very hand. The sibling theory felt less and less probable, and the girl had to face the possibility her first thought might have been right. "Oh, so you're a first-year too?" She looked at the boy again, not daring try and calculate their height difference, as to protect her own feelings. The girl was aware she was short, even for her age, but she rarely had to face the fact in such a brusque way. Bitter, she silently tried to cheer herself up by remembering her mother had been similarly small at eleven, yet grew up to be a relatively tall woman. All hope wasn't lost.
Repeating the fact a few times eventually sufficed to clear her mind, letting her realize gleefully she'd get the chance to repay the boy. Thus, it was with a bright smile she responded. "Well, since I am getting books for Hogwarts and it seems you are too, we can simply use my list together. The two of us would probably be quicker anyway." Her previous embarrassment over having had to ask for help finally eased. She'd be more than happy to feel useful at last. It was therefore with more confidence that the girl opened her mouth once more. "By the way, my name's Jasmine." She glanced at the pile next to him before raising her eyes again. "Which books do you already have?"
i speak in #7B46A3
4 Nov 2020, 07:58
Fleurir et Taches
20 August 2020
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
Nicholas nodded at the girl, his own theory about their shared year level being confirmed by her response, "Aye, I am." The words were short and to the point, after all he could hardly think of an appropriate reason for further elaboration.
In a sense, he was somewhat glad he'd managed to get himself into the annoying situation of forgetting his required texts. It was frustrating to be sure, but at least it allowed him to meet one of his future classmates prior to actually attending Hogwarts. Thankfully, he wouldn't be getting on the train with at least some knowledge as to who would be attending the school with him.
The girl seemed to be thinking the same, at least that was what Nicholas interpreted her offer for them both to use the same list in order to locate the remainder of the textbooks as. The boy smiled at that, relief visibly washing over his face. His shoulders released tension he didn't know they were holding, it seemed he'd been far more stressed out than he'd assumed.
"That would be fantastic, you're an absolute life-saver," Nicholas responded, before once more opening his mouth to answer her follow up question, "Good to meet you, Jasmine, you can call me Nico."
The next question caused slightly more confusion in the Northern Irish boy, it seemed he'd forgotten not only what he needed to get, but also what he had already collected. His eyes shot down towards the basket held absent-mindedly in his hand. His glance shot from dust jacket to dust jacket, examining the titles before moving toward the next. There was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the one that had most recently been added to his collection, but also Magical Theory, Hogwarts, A History and A History of Magic. Truth be told he'd only remembered that he'd needed to get the book on Hogwarts itself when he'd mistaken it for the last. He was sure there were at least a few more that he needed to find, there were definitely books required for Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts but he could not for the life of them recall what they were.
"So I've got Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Magical Theory, Hogwarts, A History, and A History of Magic," Nicholas answered, satisfied that he'd taken stock, "What do you have? Maybe we can trade information on where we found the ones the other doesn't have yet."
He followed the response with a non-committal shrug. He knew that he couldn't really offer much to the girl in terms of assistance, after all she was the one with the list and he most certainly was not. That being said, he felt it necessary to at least try to repay her assistance with some form of help, even if that help was minor.
In a sense, he was somewhat glad he'd managed to get himself into the annoying situation of forgetting his required texts. It was frustrating to be sure, but at least it allowed him to meet one of his future classmates prior to actually attending Hogwarts. Thankfully, he wouldn't be getting on the train with at least some knowledge as to who would be attending the school with him.
The girl seemed to be thinking the same, at least that was what Nicholas interpreted her offer for them both to use the same list in order to locate the remainder of the textbooks as. The boy smiled at that, relief visibly washing over his face. His shoulders released tension he didn't know they were holding, it seemed he'd been far more stressed out than he'd assumed.
"That would be fantastic, you're an absolute life-saver," Nicholas responded, before once more opening his mouth to answer her follow up question, "Good to meet you, Jasmine, you can call me Nico."
The next question caused slightly more confusion in the Northern Irish boy, it seemed he'd forgotten not only what he needed to get, but also what he had already collected. His eyes shot down towards the basket held absent-mindedly in his hand. His glance shot from dust jacket to dust jacket, examining the titles before moving toward the next. There was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the one that had most recently been added to his collection, but also Magical Theory, Hogwarts, A History and A History of Magic. Truth be told he'd only remembered that he'd needed to get the book on Hogwarts itself when he'd mistaken it for the last. He was sure there were at least a few more that he needed to find, there were definitely books required for Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts but he could not for the life of them recall what they were.
"So I've got Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Magical Theory, Hogwarts, A History, and A History of Magic," Nicholas answered, satisfied that he'd taken stock, "What do you have? Maybe we can trade information on where we found the ones the other doesn't have yet."
He followed the response with a non-committal shrug. He knew that he couldn't really offer much to the girl in terms of assistance, after all she was the one with the list and he most certainly was not. That being said, he felt it necessary to at least try to repay her assistance with some form of help, even if that help was minor.
Vae Victis| Speech: #5C2B2B
I am best reached through discord
I am best reached through discord
6 Nov 2020, 03:30
Fleurir et Taches
August 20, 2020
Interacting: @Nicholas McCowan
Mentioning: N/A
Jasmine kept a smile on her face as she heard the answer of the boy, her mind in a battle to stay positive by any means possible. So he was indeed the same age as her... The girl tried to relativize, reminding herself she was lucky to have found someone who would be in the same year as her as she went to Hogwarts. No matter his height, getting to know a future classmate was fortunate, as she'd at least now have someone to greet in the castle's hallways.
And being so tall probably meant he got hit by much more wind than she did. She couldn't be missing much.
The thought allowed the corner of her lips to rise a bit more as she listened to the thanks of the boy. "No problem, and you did help me just now." Besides, other than it being a golden opportunity to repay her debt, she didn't think she'd come to regret sharing her list with him, as he had seemed pretty nice until now. Thus, Jasmine was sincere when she added, "Good to meet you too, Nico!"
Her gaze followed his own as he took count of the books next to him. His basket didn't seem very full, but to be fair, hers either, as it hadn't been too long since she had started her hunt. Keeping an eye on the list, she took note of the titles he enumerated, before going through her own collection. "I have Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Book of Spells, A History of Magic and Magical Drafts and Potions." She glanced at the parchment again before continuing, "None of us have The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, so we can look for it last. I can show you where to find Book of Spells first, I think I still remember where I took it."
Admittedly, her memory of the book's exact emplacement was a bit hazy, as all the bookshelves looked the same to her, but she thought remembering its general direction should be enough. Jasmine quietly tried to retrace her steps in her mind. This particular textbook hadn't been too hard to find, at least compared to some, thus she felt pretty confident. "Unless the books here also have the power to disappear, I think that one was closer to the back of the shop. It's a light shade of purple and pretty thick, so we shouldn't have too hard of a time finding it."
Before picking up the cauldron at her feet to begin the search, the girl glanced at their surroundings, noticing Nico's apparent lack of company. "Oh, by the way, are you alone?" She hadn't thought about it before, but she hadn't seen anyone next to him, which could be deemed unusual, as most children their age went shopping for school supplies with their parents. For all she knew, they might actually just be a bit further from them in the bookstore, but Jasmine couldn't help but get curious at the observation.
i speak in #7B46A3
Last edited by Jasmine Cassel on 10 Nov 2020, 07:46, edited 2 times in total.
7 Nov 2020, 09:59
Fleurir et Taches
20 August 2020
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
When Jasmine listed off the tomes she already had in her possession, the boy felt an overwhelming sense of relief. By luck or by fate, they had barely any cross-over in what they had already collected. That meant that they could easily point out the remaining books to one another and greatly reduce the time spent searching. Whereas not ten minutes ago he had been stressing profusely at the fact that he'd probably have to endure good-natured ridicule from his younger siblings for the rest of the night at his forgetfulness, he now found himself relatively giddy at the prospect of being able ot brag that he'd collected the entirety of the required collection without any adult assistance. Sure he had relied on the help of the girl he had just met, but that hardly counted, she was the same age and they were to be at school together all too shortly.
"Lead the way," Was all Nicholas had to say in response to Jasmine's offer to take him to where she had found their Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook first.
He was far from displeased with the scenario, he had entirely forgotten the book's title, so having what essentially amounted to a guided tour to the book's location within the shop was a blessing and a half. It seemed that there was definitely a benefit to not being alone.
Ironically, that thought seemed to also be upon his companion's mind, as she asked him why he was in fact alone.
He responded relatively sheepishly, "My dad took my brother to go and see the joke shop. I think it was an attempt to get the lad from making such a ruckus, you know? I don't think they'll be gone too long."
The boy blinked, as if realising something for the first time, "Speaking of which, why are you alone?"
It had entirely blanked his mind that the girl had approached him while he had been perusing the books alone, she herself also without parental accompaniment. Perhaps it had been because of his own similar situation that he'd failed to recognise that it was a rather unusual occurrence. But now that she'd drawn attention to it, he couldn't help but think about the coincidental nature of them both meeting whilst they were alone in the book shop.
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
When Jasmine listed off the tomes she already had in her possession, the boy felt an overwhelming sense of relief. By luck or by fate, they had barely any cross-over in what they had already collected. That meant that they could easily point out the remaining books to one another and greatly reduce the time spent searching. Whereas not ten minutes ago he had been stressing profusely at the fact that he'd probably have to endure good-natured ridicule from his younger siblings for the rest of the night at his forgetfulness, he now found himself relatively giddy at the prospect of being able ot brag that he'd collected the entirety of the required collection without any adult assistance. Sure he had relied on the help of the girl he had just met, but that hardly counted, she was the same age and they were to be at school together all too shortly.
"Lead the way," Was all Nicholas had to say in response to Jasmine's offer to take him to where she had found their Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook first.
He was far from displeased with the scenario, he had entirely forgotten the book's title, so having what essentially amounted to a guided tour to the book's location within the shop was a blessing and a half. It seemed that there was definitely a benefit to not being alone.
Ironically, that thought seemed to also be upon his companion's mind, as she asked him why he was in fact alone.
He responded relatively sheepishly, "My dad took my brother to go and see the joke shop. I think it was an attempt to get the lad from making such a ruckus, you know? I don't think they'll be gone too long."
The boy blinked, as if realising something for the first time, "Speaking of which, why are you alone?"
It had entirely blanked his mind that the girl had approached him while he had been perusing the books alone, she herself also without parental accompaniment. Perhaps it had been because of his own similar situation that he'd failed to recognise that it was a rather unusual occurrence. But now that she'd drawn attention to it, he couldn't help but think about the coincidental nature of them both meeting whilst they were alone in the book shop.
Vae Victis| Speech: #5C2B2B
I am best reached through discord
I am best reached through discord
9 Nov 2020, 04:00
Fleurir et Taches
August 20, 2020
Interacting: @Nicholas McCowan
Mentioning: N/A
She might have been mistaken, but Jasmine felt Nico mostly gave off a rather calm aura, if not for the occasional awkwardness, thus his response made her smile at the thought of a smaller him acting like a poltergeist in Diagon Alley's shops. Especially imagining the two side by side, the difference was uncanny, and she could barely stifle the laugh in her throat.
"A younger brother?" The girl couldn't relate to the struggles of being an older sibling, as she was herself the youngest of her cousins, but she felt her father's dedication to making her life harder with every appalling joke already gave her enough of a taste. However, she wasn't used to putting up with a child's caprices, as she was generally the one who was expected to be a bit capricious. With a sigh, Jasmine thought her family had been blessed to have her as the youngest child, as she believed herself to not be too difficult. But... didn't every child think they weren't too difficult?
This left her with something to ponder on when Nico pulled a UNO reverse card on her and remarked she wasn't accompanied either. True, the girl had all but forgotten her own situation could seem abnormal to others, as she was so used to it. Taken aback, she laughed lightly before explaining, "Well, my parents left, probably on some romantic escapade, and told me to wait here. They said they wouldn't be long, but knowing them I probably shouldn't trust that..." Jasmine was aware what she said might give off the impression her parents were irresponsible, but she wasn't sure how to explain further. Actually seeing them would probably be an easier way to understand. Though her parents were very much lovebirds and acted like newlyweds, they only left her to her own devices when they knew she didn't risk any danger or was well accompanied, and because they knew she truly didn't mind. Thus, she still felt the need to add, "My dad went to Beauxbâtons, you see, so today was also his first time seeing Diagon Alley. They're probably off exploring." She wasn't going to help their case any more than that, though, as she still held a grudge over the gardening "joke".
The girl approached the back of the shop, finally letting her cauldron down at her feet as they reached the bookshelves. Focused, her gaze swept across the shelves as she tried to remember where exactly she found her own Book of Spells. After reflecting a bit, Jasmine took the thick tome from her pile to hold it in front of their faces, its spine facing them. "Alright, so it should look like this." Her eyes went from the book in front of her to the shelves several times until, dissatisfied, she put her hand up as high as she could and silently calculated the height of the tip of her fingers before turning to the boy, not paying any attention to the ridicule she might have brought herself. "It should be in the area between this shelf and the floor, or I couldn't have taken it." The deduction might not have been very useful, but Jasmine thought it meant at least they wouldn't need to break their necks trying to take a peek at the shelves close to the ceiling. Or any shelf above Nico's head, really. She could now only hope her indications would be enough, and that the books in this shop truly didn't disappear as she had previously speculated.
i speak in #7B46A3
19 Nov 2020, 00:40
Fleurir et Taches
20 August 2020
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
Nicholas nodded at Jasmine's rhetorical question, rather absent-mindedly at that. He was particularly used to having to deal with younger siblings, and the thought that the girl didn't have any siblings whatsoever didn't even cross his mind. After all, he had grown up as part of a large clan, siblings, cousins and younger aunts and uncles galore, it felt sometimes that his childhood home was more of a gathering ground of all matter of distant Irish wizards than it was a place of respite. It didn't occur to him that such an arrangement wasn't the norm. It was part of the reason he was so anxious to get to Hogwarts, even the crowded dormitory would serve as a more relaxed space than the madhouse he currently found himself in.
As Jasmine continued to talk, the boy wizard truly became aware of the differences in their own lives. The thought of his own parents running off on some sort of romantic escapade was entirely foreign to him. Sure, they were entirely loving and devoted to one another, but it seemed that everything they did had to involve at least one of their children. Hence why his brother had been brought along for their shopping trip, and why his mother stayed at home with his much younger brother and sister. He supposed she was probably trying to stop Skye from breaking yet another heirloom vase. The idea of such was amusing, even if Nicholas wouldn't have dared to act the same way.
That all said, the boy still cracked a wry smile at Jasmine's explanation as to her parents' whereabouts, "Beauxbâtons?" Nicholas asked, his mind trying to place the name, it was one of the other wizarding schools but he had never thought all too much about them, "That's the French school, isn't it?" He followed up. Truthfully the question was a wild guess, but the name sounded French enough to his untrained ear.
Regardless of her response, the boy accompanied the girl to the back of the shop. His eyes stared intensely at the book that she held before them, the colours of the particular tome doing their best to be burned into his mind, lest he forget its appearance within a few moments of removing his gaze. He understood her reasoning for showing him the book, but her next steps were rather confusing, as she raised her fingers up and appeared to be calculating something. Without realising it, Nicholas had cocked his head to the side out of confusion. When she spoke, it took a moment for her deduction skills to pierce the fog of confusion in his brain, but as soon as it did he instantly felt something of a fool for questioning her methods. She had managed to narrow down the shelves that the book could be on.
"Makes sense," Was the only response he could offer.
Without much follow-up to those words, the boy began to scan the shelves for any book that somewhat resembled the Book of Spells. Why on Earth did this have to be so difficult? Wordlessly, he approached the shelves and began looking, his head shooting from side to side with a rather silly amount of speed as he desperately searched for the book. The boy wasn't aware of just how ridiculous he may have looked, after all, he was on a mission of sorts. Every now and again, his head would stop moving as he overlooked a spine that looked decidedly similar to the one that he was searching for. Yet, on two occasions where he was sure he had found the right book he found that it was some obscure text and entirely unrelated to his search.
Just as he was about to audibly grumble in frustration, the corner of his eye glinted. His neck snapped and to his joyous surprise, the book was there. The soon-to-be first-year all but yoinked the text from the shelf and shot a beaming grin to his companion. It seemed that as difficult as it had been, the girl's assistance had saved him on at least one occasion now.
"That's one!" He almost laughed, "So, what book do we want to get next? I think Magical Theory is somewhere around here as well, I found my copy on a pile in a back corner."
Interacting with @Jasmine Cassel
Nicholas nodded at Jasmine's rhetorical question, rather absent-mindedly at that. He was particularly used to having to deal with younger siblings, and the thought that the girl didn't have any siblings whatsoever didn't even cross his mind. After all, he had grown up as part of a large clan, siblings, cousins and younger aunts and uncles galore, it felt sometimes that his childhood home was more of a gathering ground of all matter of distant Irish wizards than it was a place of respite. It didn't occur to him that such an arrangement wasn't the norm. It was part of the reason he was so anxious to get to Hogwarts, even the crowded dormitory would serve as a more relaxed space than the madhouse he currently found himself in.
As Jasmine continued to talk, the boy wizard truly became aware of the differences in their own lives. The thought of his own parents running off on some sort of romantic escapade was entirely foreign to him. Sure, they were entirely loving and devoted to one another, but it seemed that everything they did had to involve at least one of their children. Hence why his brother had been brought along for their shopping trip, and why his mother stayed at home with his much younger brother and sister. He supposed she was probably trying to stop Skye from breaking yet another heirloom vase. The idea of such was amusing, even if Nicholas wouldn't have dared to act the same way.
That all said, the boy still cracked a wry smile at Jasmine's explanation as to her parents' whereabouts, "Beauxbâtons?" Nicholas asked, his mind trying to place the name, it was one of the other wizarding schools but he had never thought all too much about them, "That's the French school, isn't it?" He followed up. Truthfully the question was a wild guess, but the name sounded French enough to his untrained ear.
Regardless of her response, the boy accompanied the girl to the back of the shop. His eyes stared intensely at the book that she held before them, the colours of the particular tome doing their best to be burned into his mind, lest he forget its appearance within a few moments of removing his gaze. He understood her reasoning for showing him the book, but her next steps were rather confusing, as she raised her fingers up and appeared to be calculating something. Without realising it, Nicholas had cocked his head to the side out of confusion. When she spoke, it took a moment for her deduction skills to pierce the fog of confusion in his brain, but as soon as it did he instantly felt something of a fool for questioning her methods. She had managed to narrow down the shelves that the book could be on.
"Makes sense," Was the only response he could offer.
Without much follow-up to those words, the boy began to scan the shelves for any book that somewhat resembled the Book of Spells. Why on Earth did this have to be so difficult? Wordlessly, he approached the shelves and began looking, his head shooting from side to side with a rather silly amount of speed as he desperately searched for the book. The boy wasn't aware of just how ridiculous he may have looked, after all, he was on a mission of sorts. Every now and again, his head would stop moving as he overlooked a spine that looked decidedly similar to the one that he was searching for. Yet, on two occasions where he was sure he had found the right book he found that it was some obscure text and entirely unrelated to his search.
Just as he was about to audibly grumble in frustration, the corner of his eye glinted. His neck snapped and to his joyous surprise, the book was there. The soon-to-be first-year all but yoinked the text from the shelf and shot a beaming grin to his companion. It seemed that as difficult as it had been, the girl's assistance had saved him on at least one occasion now.
"That's one!" He almost laughed, "So, what book do we want to get next? I think Magical Theory is somewhere around here as well, I found my copy on a pile in a back corner."
Vae Victis| Speech: #5C2B2B
I am best reached through discord
I am best reached through discord