21 Feb 2022, 14:27
Finding Joy
Date: February 18th, 2022 Blue in English, Red in KoreanEun-ji had survived many flying lessons so far and despite her lack of passion for Quidditch she got herself some impressive grades. It was however becoming increasingly clear that just her technique simply wouldn’t cut it for much longer. The Ravenclaw did what she was told to do but always with a big caution. Caution, which was much appreciated during broom care but when it came to flying, you were supposed to let go a bit. Safely of course but still…Most kids had already figured that part out but Eun-ji just couldn’t seem to do so. Even those that were initially genuinely scared of flying or heights in general, looked more natural than she ever did. “You need to find joy in it too. Otherwise you’ll be stuck forever and it might become a problem once you actually need to fly somewhere.” Somebody said so. She wasn’t even sure whether it was the professor or one of her classmates but it bothered her. She liked to do well and even if she could not make it happen, Eun-ji wanted to make sure she did everything she could before giving up.
And so here she was, looking at the borrowed broom as if it personally offended her. Now…how does one find joy in something? It was not like she haven’t done that in the past but it was never planned. It just happened. In all honestly, perhaps her hesitance stemmed from a rather unreasonable fears. The witch worried about broken bones that could affect her ballet practice even though those could be fixed quickly by a correct healing spell. She was set on fire during her duel for god sake…how was a broken bone worse than that? Most likely because she had to bear the painfully slow process of healing a broken bone the muggle way before. When she was little, her parents worried healing her with magic constantly would be risky. Kids had no filter and she spent a huge part of her childhood in her father’s work place. Going around and telling patients there was a quicker way of fixing their ailments just wouldn’t do.
Sighing, Eun-ji called the broom towards her, catching it successfully. She suddenly wished she had asked somebody for advice before trying anything. Mordred was here with her as a moral support but he knew nothing about flying. He liked staying on the ground as much as his human did. “I should have stuck with the original plan and bought an owl…” She told her cat unhappily. She didn't mean that of course but it was true that the flying pet would be more appropriate given her current predicament.
@Aaron Jones
“There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men. My request is that you remember this” -Merlin
iNPC: Ye-jun Lee
22 May 2022, 01:58
Finding Joy
One of the Hogwarts school rules is that you can't recreationally ride a broom outside of the Training Pitch. This was a rule Aaron had broken quite a few times in the past two months, including now. As soon as he left the castle, he mounted his Moontrimmer and sped towards the Training Pitch. It was a much faster way to get there, and he didn't see anyone on the grounds that would snitch and get him in trouble. When he got in sight of the pitch, though, he saw someone already there.
The Hufflepuff lowered his altitude as he approached, and recognition dawned when he got close enough to make out that person's face. Eun-ji. She was one of the last people he expected to see here. He came to a descent and landed beside her with a grin on his face. "Hey!" he greeted, now noticing that her cat was there too. Mordred. The cat wasn't a fan of people as far as he knew, but he'd never been particularly frosty to Aaron. He waved his hand in the cat's direction, though he wasn't sure if that would help its impression of him.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Aaron admitted, his eyes traveling to the broom that Eun-ji was holding. Was that her own broom? In which case he'd be especially surprised. Or maybe it had been borrowed? From the school or a friend, maybe? "Are you practicing for something special?" he wondered, trying to think what it could possibly be. She had never spoken about having any particular interest in flying, so Aaron was clearly trying to figure out her intentions for being here.
The Hufflepuff lowered his altitude as he approached, and recognition dawned when he got close enough to make out that person's face. Eun-ji. She was one of the last people he expected to see here. He came to a descent and landed beside her with a grin on his face. "Hey!" he greeted, now noticing that her cat was there too. Mordred. The cat wasn't a fan of people as far as he knew, but he'd never been particularly frosty to Aaron. He waved his hand in the cat's direction, though he wasn't sure if that would help its impression of him.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Aaron admitted, his eyes traveling to the broom that Eun-ji was holding. Was that her own broom? In which case he'd be especially surprised. Or maybe it had been borrowed? From the school or a friend, maybe? "Are you practicing for something special?" he wondered, trying to think what it could possibly be. She had never spoken about having any particular interest in flying, so Aaron was clearly trying to figure out her intentions for being here.
@Eun-ji Lee Hunt
Aaron has a Calming Presence.Your presence simply puts others at ease, if it is your carefree personality or the trust others have in you, the result is still the same. With you there, perhaps through your encouragement, your allies are able to better focus.
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
23 May 2022, 11:55
Finding Joy
Date: February 18th, 2022 Blue in English, Red in KoreanEun-ji was too distracted to notice the figure flying towards the Training Pitch but she did register the movement as they landed. Despite thinking, she should have asked someone for advice just a few seconds ago, her newfound fight or flight instinct immediately kicked in. Should I just say I'm done practicing and leave? I could always try another time. Why does Mordred look so calm? While it most likely didn't register on her face, there was a million questions running through her head as she turned around to see who decided to join her.
Ah... she recognized the voice before she even saw the face that belonged to it. Sighing in relief the witch finally allowed herself to relax. “Hello Aaron,” she smiled at the boy. It was not particularly cheerful one but probably enough to indicate she was glad to see him. Mordred meowed, upon seeing his waving gesture. Her dad greeted him like this all the time. Edward loved animals just as his brother and daughter did but considering his place of work, he always tried to avoid getting too much fur on his clothes. The feline himself probably didn't mind too much. His cuddling sessions were reserved for his owner only. Still, he looked strangely content in Aaron's presence. Just like she was. Well they did say cats could understand human emotional cues so perhaps that’s why Mordred seemed okay with the Hufflepuff right from the get go.
Sighing again as her friend approached, she looked back at the broom. “Trust me...I'm just as surprised as you are.” She replied with a huff. There was a mixture of humour and frustration in her voice if anybody cared enough to analyse it. “I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you though. I didn't wake up today and decided I like flying all of the sudden. I still think others that can fly well are incredible but I'd much rather keep performing my dangerous stunts on the ground.” She was referring to her ballet practice of course. It may have seemed less risky to anybody that did not understand the craft but she had more injuries than she could count at this point so she'd beg to differ. “I was told my technique was great but every time I get on a broom I look like I want to burn it which first of all… not true. I don't enjoy destroying other people’s creations but also…It’s kind of undeniable that I’m not fond of it for rather nonsensical reasons.” Eun-ji knew that well enough but changing it wasn’t easy. “They said I should try to find joy in it in order to keep my 'O's but how do you do something like that on command? Also I’m talking too much. Why aren’t you stopping me? Sorry…you probably came to practice, right? Don’t let me stop you. I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually…maybe…I don’t know.”
Eun-ji was utterly mortified. She was usually a girl of few words. There were only two reasons that could make her talk this much. One, when someone brought up a topic she was especially passionate about and two, when she was talking about her shortcomings. The Ravenclaw always felt like she had to justify herself in those cases...now more so than ever. Her paternal grandma was somewhat strict about her failures but she meant well and Eun-ji knew that. Mrs. Hunt? Not so much. Of course, Aaron wasn’t Mrs. Hunt and he was not here to judge her but at this point it was a pure impulse, the witch had no control over to be honest. She should seriously work on that one.
@Aaron Jones
“There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men. My request is that you remember this” -Merlin
iNPC: Ye-jun Lee
30 Sep 2022, 10:45
Finding Joy
Aaron listened patiently to Eun-ji rant, unsure if he had seen her ramble like this before. Maybe just once before he had, but he couldn't correlate the reasoning other than she seemed upset. He wanted to interject some thoughts a couple times between her words, but he thought it was best if he let her get it all out. His brown eyes watched her expression carefully as she spoke, but it was her tone that got through to him most.
Eun-ji had been Aaron's friend for a couple of years now. Although they weren't the best of friends - as in, they didn't talk every day or about every detail of their lives - he still considered her to be a close friend. When they did talk, it was like no time passed and they launched right back into each other's lives like they had been talking every day. At least, that's how it felt to Aaron. And so, seeing her so off kilter about the flying was a concern - but not a surprise. He had seen her in flying classes before, and of course he had asked before if she even enjoyed the activity. What she expressed now was no surprise, but it seemed she was stressed because she was trying to get a better grade.
"Don't worry, it's not like I'm practicing for a grade or a sport or anything," Aaron said dismissively when she suggested that he would want to practice. The only thing he practiced flying for was his own enjoyment these days. The stress of Quidditch was lifted last year, and he had finally rediscovered his love of flying with the added excitement of his recently-discovered trick riding ideas. But, unlike Eun-ji, he had already found his joy in flying. Sure he had lost that joy for a bit over the last couple months before winter break, but he had found it again and it was stronger than ever. He wasn't sure if he could relate to Eun-ji in this moment, but he was going to try.
"I'd much rather help you. I mean, if you want help? Not that I can tell you exactly how to find joy in an activity you dislike, but maybe I can help reassure you or talk things through with you?" he suggested. He still remembered how happy it made him that only the second time they talked, Eun-ji had gifted him a good luck charm for his match against Durmstrang - that had meant a lot to him. He hoped that he could be here for her in a similar way now, offering support and encouragement.
"Finding joy in something on command does sound difficult, but maybe you have to just break it down? Like maybe talk about why you find joy in dance, and let's see if we can find something similar in flying," Aaron suggested. He wasn't entirely convinced that finding joy in something you actively disliked was even necessary, but he figured it would be best to start here before broaching that idea.
Eun-ji had been Aaron's friend for a couple of years now. Although they weren't the best of friends - as in, they didn't talk every day or about every detail of their lives - he still considered her to be a close friend. When they did talk, it was like no time passed and they launched right back into each other's lives like they had been talking every day. At least, that's how it felt to Aaron. And so, seeing her so off kilter about the flying was a concern - but not a surprise. He had seen her in flying classes before, and of course he had asked before if she even enjoyed the activity. What she expressed now was no surprise, but it seemed she was stressed because she was trying to get a better grade.
"Don't worry, it's not like I'm practicing for a grade or a sport or anything," Aaron said dismissively when she suggested that he would want to practice. The only thing he practiced flying for was his own enjoyment these days. The stress of Quidditch was lifted last year, and he had finally rediscovered his love of flying with the added excitement of his recently-discovered trick riding ideas. But, unlike Eun-ji, he had already found his joy in flying. Sure he had lost that joy for a bit over the last couple months before winter break, but he had found it again and it was stronger than ever. He wasn't sure if he could relate to Eun-ji in this moment, but he was going to try.
"I'd much rather help you. I mean, if you want help? Not that I can tell you exactly how to find joy in an activity you dislike, but maybe I can help reassure you or talk things through with you?" he suggested. He still remembered how happy it made him that only the second time they talked, Eun-ji had gifted him a good luck charm for his match against Durmstrang - that had meant a lot to him. He hoped that he could be here for her in a similar way now, offering support and encouragement.
"Finding joy in something on command does sound difficult, but maybe you have to just break it down? Like maybe talk about why you find joy in dance, and let's see if we can find something similar in flying," Aaron suggested. He wasn't entirely convinced that finding joy in something you actively disliked was even necessary, but he figured it would be best to start here before broaching that idea.
@Eun-ji Lee Hunt
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
15 Oct 2022, 15:01
Finding Joy
Date: February 18th, 2022 Blue in English, Red in Korean“That doesn’t make it any less important.” Eun-ji retorted kindly but without a hint of hesitation. She didn’t do ballet during school year for a grade or a competition but that didn’t make her practices any less meaningful. She still hated it when something interrupted her training. It was not all about the reward but about the process as well. It made her feel at peace and happy even in the most difficult of times. It also helped to keep her in shape. Surely, Aaron felt the same about flying as she did about dancing...or at least somewhat similar? Perhaps she was just projecting. Then again, had their situation been reversed, she would have done the exact same thing as him and stuck around. The Ravenclaw didn’t have many friends but she would always make sure to take proper care about those few she did have. If they needed help, she’d always be there to offer and listen to their ramblings.
“Thank you,” Eun-ji finally properly smiled at the boy. He was as kind as ever. It didn’t really answer his question but that’s just how she was and Aaron probably knew as much by now. Eun-ji never had failed to recognise when she needed help but at the same time, she couldn’t really bring herself to outright ask for it. “I’m not sure if you’ll be able to either but I appreciate you trying anyway.” She said instead before listening to what he had to say. To be fair, his words did make sense to her. It was a good approach in theory and yet…Will this actually do anything? It didn’t feel like it would but she was willing to give it a try. If nothing else, she could always simply take a moment to enjoy their talk. Having conversations with Aaron was always so calming to her, which was a huge help in itself. “Hmm…It’s a bit hard to put into words…” The witch tried to picture the exact moment she discovered the joy in dancing. “My paternal grandma was your stereotypical Asian grandmother and she always wanted me to excel at something classical. I tried piano, I tried violin and then almost every other orchestra instrument you can think of but it never really stuck with me. I was decent at piano but I think grandma knew I thought of it as a chore and it would lead to nothing.” She paused then not wanting him to think she didn’t appreciate the craft. “Don’t get me wrong. I do love the piano and I have great admiration for anybody who can play any musical instrument but it simply wasn’t my thing. Sitting or standing up for hours was nothing but a dreadful experience for me.” Eun-ji wasn’t a jittery person, quite on the contrary, however that didn’t mean she liked being stuck in one place repeating the same thing over again and again. She wanted to explore new things and steadily make progress. In dancing, even if you got stuck at one move, you could always do others and perform beautifully before you eventually got the hang of that one. Eun-ji liked that a lot.
Refocusing on the topic at hand, the Ravenclaw remembered the happier part of her childhood memories and continued her story. “As a last resort, she took me to a mixed classical performance simply to see if I would get excited by anything at all and of the dance numbers was a ballet piece from Nutcracker. I was instantly drawn in by tat one. The music, the movement, the stage decorations…it just felt magical before I even knew magic existed. I heard people whispering how difficult ballet was and yet the dancers made it look so easy and graceful…almost as if they were floating and I immediately wanted to try and see if I could do it myself.” She looked at Aaron then not sure if any of that sounded helpful. “I suppose discovering I had a natural talent as well as the endless desire to one day perform on the stage like that myself helped me enjoy even the most difficult parts of the learning process.” The witch glanced at the broom lying next to her but felt nothing. “I wonder if not having a goal and thinking it might jeopardise the joy I already found prevents me from enjoying the flying lessons.”
It sounded plausible but even if that was the case, what could she do to solve it? Keeping her outstanding grades was sort of a goal for sure however it was something other people instilled in her. While she couldn’t imagine having anything below that, it wasn’t because she woke up one day and decided striving for a perfect score made her happy. It was something she was supposed to do and eventually she got to the point where she just knew getting worse grades would genuinely make her unhappy but she didn’t think it was a strong enough of a goal to get her over her cautiousness when it came to broom flying. If it was that simple, she would have gotten better already.
@Aaron Jones
“There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men. My request is that you remember this” -Merlin
iNPC: Ye-jun Lee