15 Aug 2022, 21:55
It's Not Real
Is this actually happening?
There's no actual way that there’s a platform nine and three quarters.. or a school of magic. This is a whole prank to get me back for the one I pulled during the summer. It’s kinda cool to see everyone run when I touch a flour bag. Or this is a dream. A very, very, VERY detailed dream. Yeah, that’s what it is. There’s no way that this is real. No matter how real it felt when I gained a magical wand from a store in a whole shopping area for magical people.
Yeah. It’s all a dream.
…..
As we walk towards the platforms, I look to somehow magically see a platform nine and three quarters that was actually a thing the whole time, only to see a platform nine and ten. Confused, I see Mr. Meletino walking towards platform 9 and run up to him to ask:
“Uhm, Mr. Meletino, where are we going?”
But he only looks back at me with a smile.
We walk onto platform nine, wedge through the human obstacle course, and stop at a pillar.
“Here we are!” Mr. Meletino exclaims.
Wait, what?
“Mr. Meletino,” my sister asks, while an energetic Kieran wiggles and squirms in her hands, “where exactly is here? Aren’t we looking for a train platform?”
“We already found it dear,” Mr. Meletino says, smiling again as lifts his hand to point at the pillar, “Now we just need to go through the entrance.
No.
He couldn't mean?
"Trust me."
He takes the handle of the trolley cart and moves back from the pillar, motioning us to follow.
"Hold on tight," he says once we reach him, "and on the count of three.. run."
I look at Maia, and I know my sister is thinking the same as me:
This is crazy.
"One"
We're running at A STONE HARD PILLAR!
"Two"
Goodbye world, nice knowing you.
"Three"
We run straight at the pillar as fast as possible, and just inches away from it, I shut my eyes tightly, ready for impact.
I'm ready.
…
Still ready.
…
What?
"Faye! Look!"
I open my eyes. We had stopped running, but instead of a pillar, or the ceiling of a hospital room, I saw a platform. But it wasn’t like the platforms that we normally see. This platform was solitary, with no other platforms beside it. Instead, there were brick walls encompassing it all. There didn’t seem to be a door, which was confusing for we had to have come from somewhere, but then I saw that others were coming through the brick wall. Wait, what? How is that possible? I don’t dwell on that matter long, for I hear a loud whistle and turn to see a huge steam locomotive. Had we gone back in time to the 1960s? Near the train, I see a huge crowd full of different families saying goodbye to their kids with huge trunks and luggage. Some even had owls and cats. And at this point, I accepted that this was real. It was all real. A magic school. Wizards and witches. MAGIC. And I was a part of it all. And apparently a certain disappearing family member was too.
“Faye!”
Mr. Meletino’s voice awoke me from my thoughts.
“The train is going to leave soon, you should get on”
He gives me a humongous hug.
“Once you get on the train, find a compartment for the ride and you’re set. At some point a person will come with food, then use some of the money you have, but not all. And remember-”
“The gold ones are the Galleons” I say, remembering all that Mr. Meletino taught me.
He smiles.
“I know you can do this. You are going to become an amazing little witch. And if you ever need me, don’t hesitate to mail. I hear their owls are very friendly.”
I smile and turn to Maia. She gives me a sad yet mischievous sibling grin and holds her free arm out.
“Get in here.”
I give her a hug and feel a tug on my hair.
“I didn’t forget you.” I say as I give my baby brother a kiss on his small head. He giggles and smacks my face with his tiny hand.
“Ow.”
“You got this.” my sister says, as I back away, looking at them all. The train whistle blows again and I see families start to rush.
“Bye you all. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I make my way to the train, looking back to see my family waving. The train whistles once more but now I’ve gotten on the train, and give my family one last wave goodbye, and start making my way through the train.
•✧•
There are many people on the train, and most of them know each other already and are sitting with them. As I walk by them, I see that all of the compartments are filled with people, and I hope that at least one of them is empty. Almost at the end of the train, I thankfully find an empty compartment, sit inside, relax, and think about the journey ahead.
@Esmeray Rosslyn
•-Stats-•
• Stamina: 7 • Evasion: 5 • Strength: 7 • Wisdom: 5 • Arcane Power: 5 • Accuracy: 6 •
• Stamina: 7 • Evasion: 5 • Strength: 7 • Wisdom: 5 • Arcane Power: 5 • Accuracy: 6 •
Last edited by Faye Flynn on 2 Sep 2022, 00:53, edited 1 time in total.
30 Aug 2022, 23:11
It's Not Real
⠀ [ september 1, 2022 ] ✦ @Faye Flynn LOOKING UP AT the Hogwarts Express didn't feel quite so daunting as it had last year, much to Esme's relief. Of course, it probably helped that she was more used to magic now, and that she'd spent the past month at the summer camp hosted by the school, but she liked to think that it was all because of her new companion, Cinder.
Cinder was the grumpy little kitten that Esme had bought at the beginning of the summer, maybe about a week in. When they'd first arrived at the pet shop, he'd glared at them until he caught Esme's eye, causing her to wander over and eventually end up buying him. Not before laughing at his scrunched up face and causing the kitten quite a lot of confusion, however. (He'd been attempting to intimidate them, not make them love him! At least, this is what Esme suspected he'd thought back then, but she couldn't be entirely sure.) Still, he was here in her arms, along with the rest of her luggage as the now second year started to say her goodbyes to her family.
It was a little weird, the whole thing. She'd spent the past month away from them, and the month before that with them, so it felt like both a hello and a goodbye at the same time. Hugging her parents and older sister all at once, Esme gave them all kisses on the cheek and flashed a bright smile that had to be at least 7 times stronger than it had been the previous year. "You'll be alright?" her mother asked, smile a little wobbly. "And keep writing to us like you did last year, won't you?" It felt weird, thought Leanne, last year they were the ones trying to reassure Esme, not the other way around. The sudden burst of confidence was making her nervous—she didn't want her daughter to be hurt or startled back into her normal anxious state if something bad happened. And although she exchanged a look with her sister and husband, she didn't let those thoughts show on the outside. It wouldn't do any good.
Esme gave them a reassuring smile. "Yes, I'll be fine! And of course I'll keep writing. I'm sorry I didn't as much near the end of last year, I'll write lots more this year," she promised. Turning to Milo and Steph, she wrapped them in a hug as well. "Ouch Es, stop it!" her brother protested. She didn't listen, and he didn't want her to anyway. When they let go, Esme kissed her aunt on the cheek but couldn't reach Milo before he squirmed away, running to hide behind Paisley who rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "We'll miss you," she said quietly.
After giving everyone one last hug and reassuring them a few times with the strange confidence that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, Esme waved goodbye and stepped onto the train. "Love you!" she called back, laughing to herself at the face Milo made in return. It was nice, their family like this.
Cinder squirmed out of her arms and dropped to the ground, landing neatly on his feet. Still smiling, the gryffindor followed her kitten towards the very back of the train until he stopped in front of a random compartment. Opening the door, she slipped inside... and then stumbled back a step in surprise. "Faye?!" There was no way.
Her eyes wide, a bright grin on her face once more, Esme put her luggage away and sat down across from the other girl. "This is so cool! I haven't seen you in years, how have you been? It's okay if I sit here, right?" She was sure it would be—the two of them had been the best of friends a few years back, when Esme's family still lived in Manchester. They'd had to move away abruptly, and she'd never gotten the chance to say goodbye... but now she didn't have to! "When did you learn about magic? Or have you always known? I started here last year!" A barrage of questions, excited exclamations, and smiles. Even Cinder's constant mews for attention couldn't distract her like they usually did.
And throughout it all, not once did she suspect that the other girl might not return her excitement.stamina 7 | evasion 6 | strength 4 | wisdom 7 | arc power 8 | accuracy 8 ✦ [ stats ]⠀
⠀⠀⠀ability 1⠀⠀⠀ ability 2 | wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything? stamina 7 | evasion 6 | strength 4 | wisdom 7 | arc power 8 | accuracy 8 | ⠀⠀⠀encyclopedia⠀⠀⠀ shop link tba |
2 Sep 2022, 00:42
It's Not Real
•-Stats-•Getting settled into the compartment, I look out its window to see clusters of families giving final goodbyes and hugs. I try to find my family, and see them in the middle of the crowd, watching the train. It might not be like other families, with loving mothers and living fathers, but it’s the best, and I’m extremely grateful for them. Lost in my thoughts, I don’t hear the compartment door open, but I do hear my name being called. "Faye?!" I turn around to see a person, a little older than me, but familiar. Very familiar. They put their belongings away and sit right across from me. They have a huge smile on their face, which makes me feel bad, for I’m still trying to figure out who they were. "This is so cool! I haven't seen you in years, how have you been? It's okay if I sit here, right?" Wait. What? "When did you learn about magic? Or have you always known? I started here last year!" And that’s when it hit me. The face. The voice. I know who they are.
•✧•
Years ago, when I was a kid, I didn’t have friends. Nobody had wanted their kids to be in contact with “The cursed child”. But one day, a new kid appeared. And she was my first friend. The kid didn’t know about the rumors about me, and she didn’t care when they found out. She was the first person outside my family who didn’t believe I was cursed. And because of that, she became my best friend. But one day, she disappeared. I waited all day in our usual meeting spot, only to find out later that they had moved away. My only friend had moved away without saying goodbye. After that, everyone believed that they had moved away because of me, making the rumors even stronger. And so I never tried to befriend anyone again. But the memories still stay with me. So I remember them faster than I wish I had.
"Esmeray"
Then I walk out of the compartment.
•✧•
It was an impulsive move, walking out of the compartment, but it was just too much for me to handle. I mean, I’ve been trying to forget her for years, and now she just pop up out of nowhere? I start walking through the train and peek at each compartment, hoping that there was an empty one that I had somehow missed before. But after reaching the other end of the train, not finding one compartment even close to empty, I knew I had to go back to the one she was in. I slowly start making my way back to the compartment, doing my best to take as much time as possible, allowing me to fully take this all in. And I realize the main reason I walked out. She acted like nothing happened. She acted like we were still best friends. Like she didn’t leave without telling me. She acted like she hadn’t left me to be alone, friendless, a curse. I look up to realize that I’m right in front of the compartment. I guess I can’t run away forever. I take a deep breath, and walk in, and sit down across from her.
@Esmeray Rosslyn
• Stamina: 7 • Evasion: 5 • Strength: 7 • Wisdom: 5 • Arcane Power: 5 • Accuracy: 6 •
Last edited by Faye Flynn on 3 Jan 2023, 23:58, edited 4 times in total.
2 Sep 2022, 05:36
It's Not Real
⠀ [ september 1, 2022 ] ✦ @Faye Flynn SHE'D BEEN IGNORING the confused expression on Faye's face up till now, whether consciously or not, but eventually it became all too obvious. There was no smile, not the bright grin Faye had given her years before, not anything at all. It was almost like... she'd forgotten her? But no, that couldn't be right. They'd been the closest of close for a year or two back when they were little, and Esme had always felt like that sort of friendship was one you couldn't forget, no matter how hard you tried. There was something so... magical, so special about your childhood best friends, in her mind.
Was it really possible Faye could have forgotten it all?
Or... was she maybe the one mistaken? Had she approached a random stranger, thinking it was Faye, when really all they were was just that: a stranger? It was a possible scenario, and one growing ever more possible each second the other girl didn't reply. After all, they had been only six or seven back then, how would she recognize her so many years later? She'd probably tricked herself. Missing Faye had been a constant pain for so many years, although Esme had tried to convince herself that it was cool, the way they'd been friends for one year and then not for any longer. Mysterious, the way the other girl had become this sort of dream-like idea of friendship in her head. Beautiful, like those tales of friendship and magic she'd read growing up where maybe, just maybe, they'd find each other again and things would be perfect.
Yes, she must have been wrong. And that was okay. That was so, totally, completely okay. She'd gotten better at interacting with people she didn't know at camp, and this would be no different. Except for the fact that she'd blurted out a bunch of random things she couldn't take back, and sat down without any regard to the other's opinion. But no, it was all okay. She could do this. "I'm so so sorry, I think I mixed you up with someone else. I can leave if—"
One word.
A few steps.
A compartment door sliding open, closed,
Faye.
Gone.
And that was all it took.
"Faye—" she was too late, she wasn't sure what to do, why had Faye just walked out like that?!?! What had Esme done? This wasn't how this was supposed to go, not at all. They were supposed to be the best of friends again. They had even more in common than before too, with the magic stuff, and maybe Esme could have helped Faye out and been confident in what she was doing because for once she might actually have helpful information and she would be helping her closest friend and the whole year would be better, and... and... thoughts swirling for seconds, minutes, hours, maybe. And then Cinder jumped into her lap and the door opened and—
Faye was back?
Her thoughts still racing, Esme ignored the other student for as long as she could. She'd been feeling so confident, so ready for the year too! Why could she never get comfortable? Why wouldn't her thoughts just STOP for once, why did she have to panic like this all the time, why hadn't it gotten any better like she thought it had? All the "why"s weren't going away any time soon, but suddenly Esme was determined not to let Faye know this. "Oh, you're back." she said, as if the girl had only just returned. "I think I'm going to draw for a bit, if you don't mind." Everything was said in cool tone, not yet icy but far from the happy, excited one she'd used previously. Cinder seemed to notice, somehow, and gave his signature glare to Faye as well, although his owner didn't notice. Pulling out her sketchbook, angled far away from Faye so there was absolutely no chance she'd see, Esme feigned a casual attitude and tried to draw.
On the inside though, she felt close to tears. The rest of the year had better be amazing, because with Faye around and the two of them acting like this? After all her expectations? After thinking—promising—to herself things would be better? Esme was feeling pretty miserable already.
It seemed she wasn’t ready for her second year at Hogwarts at all.stamina 7 | evasion 6 | strength 4 | wisdom 7 | arc power 8 | accuracy 8 ✦ [ stats ]⠀
⠀⠀⠀ability 1⠀⠀⠀ ability 2 | wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything? stamina 7 | evasion 6 | strength 4 | wisdom 7 | arc power 8 | accuracy 8 | ⠀⠀⠀encyclopedia⠀⠀⠀ shop link tba |
4 Jan 2023, 00:02
It's Not Real
•-Stats-•
I was preparing myself for Esme's reaction to my sudden leave and return when she calmly says she was going to draw. Surprised, I managed an "Okay" in the softest voice possible as the compartment becomes silent. I sat down, confused but relieved, for I had no idea how I was going to explain why I left anyways.
•✧•
Not sure what to do, I looked around in every direction except in Esme's. As she drew in her sketchbook, she seemed as though she was a world away. My gaze fell upon her cat, who, to my surprise, was looking at me too, although only for a moment. It appeared to love its owner a great deal, which led me to wonder when Esme had gotten it. And before I knew it, piles and piles of questions that were previously suppressed due to other certain emotions broke into my mind. What was she doing here? How she did come to know of Hogwarts? Was she a witch too? Well, she must be if she's on this train, right?
A part of me wanted to ask her these questions, but the other part of me, the part that was mad at her, refused. I didn't want anything to do with her, but I was also curious. And perhaps a part of me missed her. Wait. No. What was I thinking? I didn't need anyone, especially not her. I had gone through most of my life without friends and I certainly didn't need any now.
Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn't hear the sound of a voice saying, "Anything from the trolley, dears?"
I looked at the compartment door and saw a person with a trolley full of strange foods. I assumed they were the trolley witch, and, recalling what Mr. Meletino told me about the trolley, I pulled out a small bag of wizard money my mother had apparently left for my sister and I in case we ever needed it. I guess was nice of her to do so, but I would've also liked for her to be the one to tell me about the wizard currency instead of Mr. Meletino. Don't get me wrong, I was so thankful for Mr. and Mrs. Meletino, but I would've also liked to experience this part of my life with the person who made it possible. But it was no use thinking about it now.
I glanced at each of the items on the trolley. I wasn't really hungry, but I was sort of excited to spend my first wizard money. So, with some struggle and much help from the trolley witch, I exchanged the correct amount of money for a box of what looked like jellybeans. I sat back down, happy about my first purchase and grateful for the trolley witch. I plopped a jellybean in my mouth and instantly regretted it. That jellybean did not taste like a normal jellybean but instead like vomit! I looked at the jellybean box only to see that vomit was actually one of the flavors, along with earwax and booger. I wasn't too surprised. It seemed that in this world, the unexpected should be expected. And I wasn't going to lie, I was kind of excited for it all. There were certain things (or should I say certain people) I hadn't expected to encounter on this weird journey. But if all of this had occurred only on the train, I was definitely curious for what my first year at Hogwarts was going to bring.
@Esmeray Rosslyn
• Stamina: 7 • Evasion: 5 • Strength: 7 • Wisdom: 5 • Arcane Power: 5 • Accuracy: 6 •