25 Nov 2022, 13:52
Jupiter Unmoving
Thursday nights were always welcome as they were spent out of the normal hours. She got to pad through the corridors of the school to make it to the Astronomy tower, which from the depths of the Slytherin dungeons was quite the trek. It had happened on more than one occasion that Alora had been late, but a few months had led to a better understanding of how the school worked. Or perhaps she had just garnered some speed.
The night sky had always fascinated her, there was no doubt about it. There was something in the shimmering of stars like small diamonds haphazardly strewn across a dark veldt that called to her. Night had always been her time from a young age. Never one to wake up early, and always one to stare at the moon and wonder why it followed her around when they drove around town. There was something comforting in the waxing and waning of the silver orb overhead.
Wrapped in the emerald throw her aunt had sent along with her for the journey, Alora watched the sky. She tried to find Mars shining brightly over Orion and even outshining Sirius as they were being pointed out. Soon they were tasked with finding Jupiter That much she'd garnered from paying attention while trying not to be distracted. Every time she walked into the tower, there was just so much to take in. It was a lot and impressive. Especially in the eyes of a young eleven-year-old girl from the wrong side of the tracks of Falmouth.
Most days, she wasn't quite certain she fit with the others in her house. After the initiation, she'd met whimpering messes and elitist snobs. Neither of which appealed to her. As self-preserving and self-serving as she could be, that didn't mean she had to be a sourpuss. Vinegar hardly attracted anything after all. What Alora needed was friends, and more than that, people who were more knowledgeable about what was going on around her than she did. There were layers to this society she had yet to uncover. Efelion had taught her a lot and she appreciated his friendship. Perhaps she'd go to the Ravenclaw table to have breakfast with him come morning. It wouldn't be the first time she did.
"Hey," she gave a small smile and a wave as she noticed a Ravenclaw beside her. "Want to team up for this? I'm kind of at a loss, but I won't hold you back, I promise," she added. She knew sometimes that seemed to be this unspoken fear of the Ravenclaws. Alora was smart in many ways, and though she was still learning to read the sky, her memory was otherwise great. She knew all sorts of numbers and facts, but that didn't really do anything to help her did it?
STA 8 • EVA 8 • STR 4 • WIS 6 • ARC 6 • ACC 8
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
26 Nov 2022, 11:19
Jupiter Unmoving
Cynthia grimaced. This Slytherin girl wanted to team up with her? Uhmm… no thank you. Yet she did her best to hide her displeasure. The girl seemed so eager. ‘Of course! I’m supposed to be studying Jupiter. I’m Cynthia. In the future I want to pursue a career in astronomy. What’s your name? What are you studying? What do you need help with? I can help you catch up if you need it.’Oh! You accidentally spelled my name wrong I didn’t get tagged.
Of course, Cynthia wasn’t curious about what the girl was studying. She mainly wanted to know the girl as a person. Whether Cynthia wanted to be friends with her, that sort of thing. She studied the girl closer. She was surprisingly short for her age. She would have guessed about just 140 centimetres or even less. Her face was very pale, but if you look at it close enough, you can just make out some freckles. Her features were quite soft and frankly, she looked a bit like a pixie. Was that good or bad? She supposed the girl was pretty in her own strange little way.
As for her house…. Cynthia had always been a secret admirer of Slytherin. It was mysterious in its own way. If she wasn’t Ravenclaw, she’d definitely be Slytherin. She had met two Slytherin’s before. One turned out to be a friend, the other an enemy. She found them too unpredictable.
@Alora J. Graves
A heart as cold as ice; a mind as hard as stone.
1 Jan 2023, 23:10
Jupiter Unmoving
House rivalries were still something she didn’t quite grasp. Her best friend was a Ravenclaw. It made her wonder what Effy had been getting up to. She’d spent so much time with her serpent peers of late, she had felt like they’d drifted. It hadn’t helped that she was still learning so much with school, and the school itself. Hogwarts was quite the venue.
“That’s so cool. I can barely think beyond the exams coming up to even consider all the options of work out there,” she offered sheepishly. It was a lot to take in. Growing up, she’d had the whole I want to be a dancer, a doctor, and an astronaut phase, but now there were far more options. Dragon tamer was a thing, and though it sounded great, even she knew that wasn’t up her alley.
"I was so engulfed in my sketches for Mars that I missed the way to see the moons of Jupiter," she admitted, tucking a strand behind her ear. "I like drawing," she added. She was good at it too. Even her letters were works of art when she was bothered to do them right. She liked pretty notes, which often required effort, detracting from the class. Sometimes she could manage, others... well, there she was. A lost little kitten.
ReducioThat was a dumb mistake. Sorry! Also, so sorry for the delay! New Year, more replies, promise!
STA 8 • EVA 8 • STR 4 • WIS 6 • ARC 6 • ACC 8
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
2 Jan 2023, 13:35
Jupiter Unmoving
‘Exams… yes.’ That made Cynthia frown. ‘One of my friends is a fourth year. He must be nervous about graduating, with the OWLS and all that. I don’t know anyone who already took any tests though. I think I can get through most of my OWLS, but for subjects like Flying and herbology… that’s just so hard for me.’ She recalled her first herbology and flying lessons… she didn’t even fly! Then of course… transfiguration. ‘I don’t like transfiguration either… its too, sciencecy, if you understand, with atoms and such.’ ‘I suppose my second favourite class is charms. I’m interested in becoming a duellist, you see?’
Well, she was getting sidetracked. ‘So… uhm, yeah.’ She scanned the other girl’s name tag. ‘You’re Alora write?’ Cynthia leaned over to see what Alora was sketching. ‘I like your work. I love doing watercolour, especially when I’m drawing scenery. I really like your sketch, but don’t worry, we can still look at Jupiter’s moon’s now. Would you mind handing me the telescope?’ She pointed to the telescope, which Alora had propped up next to her.
Cynthia waited patiently for Alora to pass her the telescope. ‘Only for sake of conversation, but would you mind telling me your blood status? I’m a pureblood, but I really hate it when other purebloods belittle muggles. I mean, if you want to do a muggle job you can, and your status won’t matter.’
@Alora J. Graves
Well, she was getting sidetracked. ‘So… uhm, yeah.’ She scanned the other girl’s name tag. ‘You’re Alora write?’ Cynthia leaned over to see what Alora was sketching. ‘I like your work. I love doing watercolour, especially when I’m drawing scenery. I really like your sketch, but don’t worry, we can still look at Jupiter’s moon’s now. Would you mind handing me the telescope?’ She pointed to the telescope, which Alora had propped up next to her.
Cynthia waited patiently for Alora to pass her the telescope. ‘Only for sake of conversation, but would you mind telling me your blood status? I’m a pureblood, but I really hate it when other purebloods belittle muggles. I mean, if you want to do a muggle job you can, and your status won’t matter.’
@Alora J. Graves
A heart as cold as ice; a mind as hard as stone.
12 Jan 2023, 21:24
Jupiter Unmoving
When her partner frowned, Alora tried not to stress over upsetting her. Exams sucked, she was the first to admit that. It certainly was a source of anxiety for herself, and she didn't want others to feel that way too. Had she already messed things up? She tried not to overthink it. "Yeah I can only imagine that..." she nodded. Knowing upper classmen was smart. That was certainly a venture worth looking into. Making friends that were older, wiser, that might have copies of old exams...she definitely needed to make it happen.
"I love flying, but then I've always had a need for speed," she grinned. Herbology was okay, not her favorite, but she got by. "I like the idea of Transfiguration, but I'm not sure I'm quite ready for physics and thermal dynamics and like magic all at the same time and for that to make sense, yknow?" She gave a sheepish smile. It was certainly a fascinating branch of magic, but it was also super complex to be teaching it the way that it was being taught, but that was above her pay grade.
"Duellist huh, that's neat," she nodded. Charms was neat too but before she could discuss it much further her name was being said. Another smile and nod followed. "Yeah, you're...Cynthia?" She was pretty good with names, usually. "Oh, thanks," she grinned. "Watercolor is nice, paint in general is nice, I'll draw with just about anything I can get my hands on."
At the request, she carefully handed the telescope over, and kept close. She was curious to see how well they would note Jupiter's moons. The telescopes of Hogwarts were definitely better than any muggle one she'd had access to. "Oh..." she blushed. "I..um...I'm not sure...you see mum doesn't have magic, but she's born of a magical family and I never knew my dad," she bit her lower lip. Had she said too much? Should she have just said half-blood? Muggleborn? She didn't know. She was fairly certain she was listed as Muggleborn, but then for all she knew she could be.
STA 8 • EVA 8 • STR 4 • WIS 6 • ARC 6 • ACC 8
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
22 Jan 2023, 09:13
Jupiter Unmoving
She noticed Alora’s distort expression. ‘Hey, don’t worry. We all hate exams. My mother don’t believe in them. She says they bring out the worst in us, but I don’t really understand what she means by that.’ Enigmatic, her mother was. Very intelligent, but sometimes, that makes it hard to understand her. Of course, Damion, the fourth year she had mentioned, probably did not struggle with flying, as he was in the Quidditch team. ‘You know, many think that all the best schools are looking for all-rounders. They’re not. I’m not an all-rounder at all.’
‘Flying? If you like that and speed, you should try broom racing.’ Cynthia said. She did not yet want to share exactly how bad she was when it came to flying. She did not yet want to share how she did not even fly. Yet, she felt, for some reason, comfortable around Alora. She wasn’t sure why, it was just a feeling. She decided to change the subject to something she was good at. ‘I like charms, because it gives me a feeling that there will always be a solution at your fingertips.’
Cynthia noted the girl’s blush immediately. ‘I see. I barely see my father or talk and interact with him; he’s always so busy and secretive. He works in the Department of Mysteries, but that’s all I know about his career.’ Would talking about William make Alora jealous? She changed the subject back to blood. ‘My parents are firm believers in blood purity, and I hate that, because it’s pointless and unfair. They’re very traditional, though I don’t see why this has to be a tradition; it’s so horrible!’
@Alora J. Graves
‘Flying? If you like that and speed, you should try broom racing.’ Cynthia said. She did not yet want to share exactly how bad she was when it came to flying. She did not yet want to share how she did not even fly. Yet, she felt, for some reason, comfortable around Alora. She wasn’t sure why, it was just a feeling. She decided to change the subject to something she was good at. ‘I like charms, because it gives me a feeling that there will always be a solution at your fingertips.’
Cynthia noted the girl’s blush immediately. ‘I see. I barely see my father or talk and interact with him; he’s always so busy and secretive. He works in the Department of Mysteries, but that’s all I know about his career.’ Would talking about William make Alora jealous? She changed the subject back to blood. ‘My parents are firm believers in blood purity, and I hate that, because it’s pointless and unfair. They’re very traditional, though I don’t see why this has to be a tradition; it’s so horrible!’
@Alora J. Graves
A heart as cold as ice; a mind as hard as stone.
23 Jan 2023, 01:20
Jupiter Unmoving
Alora could understand that. Anything that became competitive tended to bring out the worst in people. She would have had to care to achieve the best in her grades to have that be a source of bringing the worse out of her. Though competitive by nature, Alora didn't see school as something to be competitive. She instead felt like a communist on the matter. Knowledge should be shared, not hoarded.
"I uh...I'm actually an alternate," she blushed. Granted, she didn't quite have a broom yet, but that was just a technicality. She was saving up galleons, doing odd jobs where she could. She was stacking them until she could make that famous trip to Diagon Alley and buy herself a broom. That and a pet, but she still had to convince her mother about the latter. "That's...a really neat way of seeing charms; I like that," she said thoughtfully. It was one of those McGyver classes, after all.
Those seconds before Cynthia responded certainly had her heart race. Perhaps she shouldn't talk about her blood status or do like most and lie. "If we all stuck to tradition, we'd all be housewives married off to some chump," she reiterated something her mother said a few times. Her mother had many flaws, but feminism wasn't one of them. "I'm glad you don't believe in it, though I guess if I ever meet your parents, I'll be sure to lie," she smirked.
STA 8 • EVA 8 • STR 4 • WIS 6 • ARC 6 • ACC 8
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
23 Jan 2023, 05:25
Jupiter Unmoving
‘I believe in the quote, knowledge shared is knowledge gained.’ Cynthia said after a while. ‘Do you?’ As Cynthia received the telescope, she nodded in thanks and pointed it towards Jupiter. ‘Can you see Jupiter’s moons clearly? There seems to be a bit of overcast today.’ Actually, Cynthia preferred ‘bad’ weather; she hated the sun. In fact, some other children sometimes called her a ‘vampire’. Which, of course, was not true. She didn’t mind it though; never shrunk to their level.
Cynthia felt bad for Alora as she described herself as an alternate. She didn’t say anything though. In fact, it never worked when you said you were sorry when something bad happened to another person for two reasons. One, you can’t really be sorry because it wasn’t your fault. Two, that means you’re not genuine and it was better not to say it.
Cynthia smirked as Alora quoted, well, wherever she got her housewives quote. ‘That’s so correct. Where did you here that? They, as in my parents, are more traditional as in following pure-blood specific traditions, not in general, but I get what you mean.’ Of course, that wasn’t an excuse for them to be so stubborn. ‘They’ll accept you, if they see your talent, which you definitely have. If they don’t, they are wronging you. But no, you don’t have to. I don’t think you’ll see my parents anyways.’
@Alora. J. Graves
Cynthia felt bad for Alora as she described herself as an alternate. She didn’t say anything though. In fact, it never worked when you said you were sorry when something bad happened to another person for two reasons. One, you can’t really be sorry because it wasn’t your fault. Two, that means you’re not genuine and it was better not to say it.
Cynthia smirked as Alora quoted, well, wherever she got her housewives quote. ‘That’s so correct. Where did you here that? They, as in my parents, are more traditional as in following pure-blood specific traditions, not in general, but I get what you mean.’ Of course, that wasn’t an excuse for them to be so stubborn. ‘They’ll accept you, if they see your talent, which you definitely have. If they don’t, they are wronging you. But no, you don’t have to. I don’t think you’ll see my parents anyways.’
@Alora. J. Graves
A heart as cold as ice; a mind as hard as stone.
23 Jan 2023, 11:19
Jupiter Unmoving
That was another nice quote. She liked that. "I do," she nodded and leaned towards the telescope to see Jupiter and its moons. For a moment, she just focused on those little dots that showed despite the overcast. She was certain there were better days to witness them, yet this was probably the best she would see them. Way different than any muggle technology, that's for sure. "It's so pretty," she said gently. There was something moody about Jupiter. Perhaps it was those thick stripes across it or the yellow and orange moons that were strewn across it like a necklace.
"My mum," she smiled, pulling away from the telescope to start jotting her findings to her notes. She'd happily share afterward. Her gaze went to the dials to corroborate the distances and settings. "She has a lot of gems like that," she chuckled. Of course, she had some that were less so, like if you're going to marry a doctor, pick a plastic surgeon so he can keep you young. There were many layers to the Graves matriarch; not all were grand.
Alora still wasn't quite sure what all the pure-blood traditions there were. Even Efelion had been vague on the subject. "What kind of traditions?" she asked innocently. Perhaps they had some holidays like Eid or Hannukah, or something like that. After all, in her eleven year old mind that was about as far as traditions went beyond her mothers gems here and there.
STA 8 • EVA 8 • STR 4 • WIS 6 • ARC 6 • ACC 8
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
#219a82 | C A T 'S G R A C E + Muggle Condition
25 Jan 2023, 13:15
Jupiter Unmoving
Cynthia gave her partner a chance to look at the planet before scribbling down her own notes. ‘Can you see it’s moon’s clearly, with all the overcast and all? I can barely make out the planet itself,’ Cynthia admitted. Who thought that the mountains of Scotland experienced overcast too? It seemed so faraway from home. Home, she missed it, though Hogwarts was grander. But still, Hogwarts was not home. She felt that it was close to home, but still not home. She gave a slight nod as Alora told Cynthia her mother had said that. ‘Do you ever miss her? Your mother I mean. Do you ever miss home?’
Cynthia smirked once more as Alora asked about the traditions. ‘Yeah, some are weird. My father insists that if you like someone in Hogwarts and they like you back, your first date must be in Hogsmeade, regardless of your and your date’s year. I intend to follow that tradition, simply because I intend to sneak into Hogsmeade and buy all the sweets at Honeydukes. But still, the tradition has been going on for 10 generations, despite it’s silliness.’ Presently, Cynthia liked no one, not romantically. Perhaps she felt a bit inclined towards Oliver, but she didn’t feel like she should go out with him or anything. Of course, there was Sophie, and she could try to deny it, but she had always liked her a bit. ‘But there are crueller ones. Only a generation back did the Beaufort family abolish cutting of the heads of house elves when they were too old to carry tea trays. It’s an old pureblood tradition, that one.’
@Alora J. Graves
Cynthia smirked once more as Alora asked about the traditions. ‘Yeah, some are weird. My father insists that if you like someone in Hogwarts and they like you back, your first date must be in Hogsmeade, regardless of your and your date’s year. I intend to follow that tradition, simply because I intend to sneak into Hogsmeade and buy all the sweets at Honeydukes. But still, the tradition has been going on for 10 generations, despite it’s silliness.’ Presently, Cynthia liked no one, not romantically. Perhaps she felt a bit inclined towards Oliver, but she didn’t feel like she should go out with him or anything. Of course, there was Sophie, and she could try to deny it, but she had always liked her a bit. ‘But there are crueller ones. Only a generation back did the Beaufort family abolish cutting of the heads of house elves when they were too old to carry tea trays. It’s an old pureblood tradition, that one.’
@Alora J. Graves
A heart as cold as ice; a mind as hard as stone.