Closed Stargazer Circinus PV

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	This summer would prove providential for Pericles Dralt. It was a season of firsts, a time of change and renewal, luring him from his self-appointed hermitage and into the light alongside new friends. Dark evocations nipped at his heels: the sordid past of his maternal family, grim revelations in his clandestine research, and the all-too-recent loss of an eye. Yet as he arrived alongside @Evelynn Decipio and @Aly Salinger, one wouldn't think there was a single shadowy thought inside that upheld head of his. The too-tall teenager seemed happy to trail his girls wherever they wandered. He was doing just that as they hunted for a dorm, towering behind Aly and Eve while they walked, sleepy stare trailing from one tent to the next. His necessities were stowed in the leather rucksack on his back. When Aly set aside her bag to coordinate with other organizers, he had "stolen" it, and once Eve made the mistake of doing the same, it was taken in the other hand. Peri dealt with their protests by pretending not to hear them, meandering on with a glimmer of defiant humor in his eye. The wintry theme was a welcome respite from the summer heat. He found himself glad he hadn't skipped this camp, as he had so many others, though there was more than one reason not to this time. For one, Pericles had unexpectedly found himself in a newfound social circle. There was also only one more year until he was no longer bound by the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, and two until he was eighteen. This was one of his last summers as a teenager. Just once, the young heir wanted an excuse to act his age. While Peri could pretend to tolerate anyone as a tentmate, he was elated when the impromptu gaggle scooped up none other than his shadow, @Rebecca Lark. The now-sixth-year wasn't known as much of a hugger. Had his hands been free, he might have gone against that, or at least given her an affectionate touch to the shoulder. Instead he could only 'loom endearingly", staring down with a trademark tired smile and a mellow "Hullo again, Becca." Peri had elected to wear an ocular prosthetic resembling a sphere of hazy ice, complete with micro air bubbles and frost fractals. His boots left patterned prints in the snow as he trudged along like the world's palest pack mule. As they entered the tent, he kicked them against a rock, dislodging slush before stepping inside. "Rather auspicious, isn't it? The colors." Peri pointed out the red and blue sleeping bags before setting aside Aly and Eve's things. He opted for a cobalt bed closest to the door, wagering that if any threat chose to charge inside, he might be one of the first to face it. After shrugging off the ruck, he rolled his shoulders, a stoic expression working well to hide the fact that those bags were heavier than he- in an act of totally manly gallantry- had let on.
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Interacting: @Pericles Dralt | @Aly Salinger

Outfit: ✿

Mentioning: @

English | Irish

THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.

The rhythmic sound of Winnie Harper's large trunk bumping against the ground as she dragged it through the snow fallen arena could be heard even outside of the tent. When the redhaired Ravenclaw finally slid into the entrance she was wearing little more than a short pink summer dress and chunky My Melody heels. It would seem that someone didn't quite get the memo about the winter themed summer camp.

Her teeth were chattering by the time she had dragged the large trunk towards her Quidditch team mate, Aly, and plopped it down onto the sleeping bag closest to her (note: if Winnie has taken your planned spot let me know and I can edit this). "HI PERI, HI ALY, C-CAN'T TALK, I'M SO C-C-COLD!" Winnie announced, swinging open her trunk to start digging through it. All her winter clothing was pack near the bottom as she hadn't planned to use it for a few months. She tossed a variety of pink clothing into a pile next to her sleeping bag (feel free to say an item hits your character, here is her wardrobe pinterest if interested).

"C-Come on, where's my C-C-COAT?" She started to toss other items, accessories, onto the ground, pink ribbons, hair flowers, bracelets, necklaces, a clear bottle with a shimmery amber liquid inside of it rolled onto the ground and away from her, "Stupid Matt, kissing other c-c-chicks," she grumbled to herself as she saw the 'perfume' bottle she presumed he had gifted her roll away. "Just see what I do if he tries to tent with us!" She announced to no one in particular.

"Forget this." She grumbled, giving in to her predicament. Her teeth had stopped chattering and it was at least several degrees warmer in their tent. Stepping forward her pink clad form would shift and reform into something entirely new. A medium sized dog with a shaggy copper shaded coat would stride towards Aly. The pup whined and pawed at her leg, glancing over at her and then back towards Pericles, "HUG ME, WARM ME UP." It's blue eyes practically pleaded. In truth she was hoping her dog form's fur would be of some help.

𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙴 𝙿𝚄𝙿: STA: 10 | EVA: 5 | STR: 10 | WIS: 0 | ACC: 10 SKILLS: Claws, Bite ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ ꕤ

Carrying (or even dragging) suitcases was clearly a thing for Muggles (and testosterone-driven teenagers with an urge to show off their non-existent muscles). Thus, Dee had her luggage bobbing along with the help of a neat little levitation spell, her boots crunching satisfyingly in the snow with every step. Luckily, she wasn't one of those poor sods that didn't have a best mate on the camp committee (imagine), so she'd come prepared for what had likely surprised most of the other attendees. This was evidenced by the kids scurrying around in shorts and summer dresses, arms wrapped around themselves as they hurried to get to their tents. Thus she was wearing boots, jeans, and a jumper, and had the privilege of laughing at those less fortunate at her, pausing only for a moment when a student near her slipped and made a closer acquaintance of the frozen ground.

She was looking forward to this summer, she was, or so she told herself as she headed towards their group's chosen tent. But she still halted right in front of it, staring at it for a long moment with a smile so wry it looked almost pained. Circinus, the compass, was their theme. Meant to help sailors find their way, dancing across maps in graceful circles. Ironic, considering Dee had rarely felt more lost in her life. She'd cast her vote for the constellation with a sense of dark amusement, cynicism as bitter as coffee grounds, but she didn't think most of her tent mates had noticed. Aly maybe, if she hadn't been too distracted by the camp planning and hanging out with Peri and Evelynn.

Finally shaking off the sudden sense of gloom before it could darken this lovely (glittering white) day, Dee pushed through the tent entrance just in time for a bottle of amber liquid to come rolling towards her, bumping against her boot and coming to a rest. She blinked, heat from a campfire wafting against her face as she took in the setup, from the sleeping bags to the night sky above. Aly hadn't been kidding when she'd said they had gone all out on these - the cabins they'd had last summer paled in comparison. Shaking her head, Dee let her luggage settle down on the grass with a soft thud, then bent to retrieve the glass bottle, raising an eyebrow at it. It looked familiar, and she unstoppered it with a practiced motion to confirm her suspicion via scent - memory potion? Wisdom roll with DC 20 to identify the potion [she has learned it in class] - result 22, success. Replacing the stopper, she waved it at the group, questioning gaze sliding from Peri to Aly. "Who's giving away free potions?"

Only then - eyebrows rising even further - she noticed the rather large, copper dog sitting at Aly's feet, and she tilted her head, torn between amusement and confusion. "New pet? Ninka will be disappointed, he likes Dauncey." Liked annoying him, that was. Mentioned rat was currently sleeping in a side pocket of her messenger bag. There also clearly had to be another explanation for the dog, Aly adored her somewhat chonky cat too much to suddenly replace him. Plus, since when were there dogs at Hogwarts? Giving the sleeping bags a closer look to decide which one to occupy, Dealla regarded the explosion of pink clothing with mild curiosity. "Hey, where's Winnie?"

@Aly Salinger, @Winnie Harper, @Pericles Dralt

Considering summer camps had most frequently appended themselves either to the end of one school year, or the start of the next, the whole being dropped off at the door by her mother thing was one she hadn't had to endure for quite some time. And endure was exactly the way Evelynn would have put it. The soon-to-be sixth year had been fully prepared to settle down for the summer to cram for exams. O.W.L.s may have mercifully been put to rest in her rearview, but her GCSEs were scheduled for the end of the holidays. While she had done well to catch up--helped in large part from having been ahead in the first place--from her academic dip last year, there was still a great deal of polishing left to do. As far as she had been prepared for, text messages from Finnegan were to be her only real distraction from study.

Her mother, however, had had a different plan entirely. Which, if Evelynn was being candid, was entirely hogwash given that the continued pursuit of her muggle studies--as opposed to Muggle Studies--had been the woman's idea in the first place. And yet, her mother had gone so far as to decide that what Evelynn needed most was a social life, going so far as to invite two of her classmates for a several-days-long stay at her residence without first consulting her witch of a daughter. Granted, complicated feelings aside, their visit hadn't been entirely unpleasant. In fact, if she was being really honest with herself, as the memories of the previous year had come back in full upon her return home, the state of her studying was likely already in jeopardy the moment her foot had crossed the threshold. Conversely, their presence--and her irritation at her mother--had served enough distraction to pull her from the shadowed well into which she had been slipping again.

Still, several hours in a car with those she was still getting to know and a too-nosy mother trying to facilitate conversation all the way from Windermere to London for camp was not something she had signed up for. She had been only too eager to depart the vehicle, cutting off any sort of proper farewell, to make a beeline towards the entrance of the camp and was quite content to walk abreast of Aly with Pericles trailing behind them as they meandered their way onto the summer camp grounds. Or perhaps it was winter camp to which it should have been referred. Naturally, given her presence on the planning committee, Aly had forewarned both her and Pericles of the paradox of this camp's theme, but even aware of what was awaiting them, Evelynn had to pause within the grounds, rather awestruck by just how significant of a transformation they had managed to impart upon the stadium.

As they walked, Evelynn had found herself in the company of her own thoughts. Tents and stands and concessions and various other structures sprawled across the grounds, entirely blanketed by pristine white that shimmered by the reflection of the sun. There seemed to be even more children than usual, and she noted sigils and crests of schools she did not know. Some were vaguely familiar; others entirely foreign. Snow crunched underfoot with every step, overlapping hundreds of others that had already come before them. Laughs of delight sounded about them, snowballs whizzing past; while others screeched or complained about the chill, sending verbal curses for not having been warned of the seasonal shift. She paid them all little mind, only half aware of obtaining an itinerary and the direction to select a tent. Her gaze was on the tents themselves, awed by just how many variations there were and horribly curious as to how they appeared within.

It really wasn't until the knocking of boots to kick off packed snow battered down that haze of distraction that Evelynn became aware that they'd not only made their way to what was evidently their selected tent, but also the acquisition of the young Miss Lark [and possibly Finnegan if he writes having joined along with her]. Not only that, but the possession of her shoulder pack had been replaced by a cup of hot chocolate. It was then that vague memory reminded her that she had actually noticed Pericles shoulder her back when she had set it down to look over the various events--none of which had sparked her interest--while Aly had disappeared to confirm plans with her fellow organizers.

"Thank you," she murmured to Pericles on entering the tent herself, relieving him of her bag and leaving him to his claimed territory near the front.

Having no desire to be the one tripped over if anyone decided to sneak out or sneak in, she stalked inwards. Again, however, she found her gaze wandering, pace slowing to a stop before she'd hardly gone a pace. Five years at a magical school for witchcraft and wizardry and still there were times when she found herself entirely overwhelmed by the scope of what that magic could do. Had she not known any better, she would have sworn she had lost sense of time and place and had been walking through the day until nightfall had settled. Of course they had elected to claim a tent of the celestial persuasion. And by the configuration of the stars above, it appeared it was even accurate. A hazy smile tugged at her lips.

"...mn?" Drawn from her admiration by the sound of her name, Evelynn tore her gaze from the heavens to fall upon the second interloper of her summer plans. Comprehension dawned slow as molasses to the question that had been posed. Lips parted with a silent ah, before the lioness offered a demure smile, inwardly breathing a defeated chuckle at the sight of the smiling countenance that could turn the entirety of the stadium from its winter wonderland back to a former state of flooded piracy if she wasn't careful, for the way its warmth could melt even the hardest of ice. "Very well," she acquiesced, stepping off again to stake her own claim to the red bedroll that Aly had pointed out for her to take.

Of course, there wasn't much setting up needed. The grand extent of it was simply to set the shoulder bag containing just about all of her possessions upon a low table nearest her bed and take a seat upon the fire-facing chair next to it. The warmth of the central flames and the shelter afforded by the deceptive tent walls was enough to stave off the enchanted chill of the exterior, and she was in the process of removing her scarf and gloves as the wild strawberry mane of a familiar face trekked almost defiantly into the tent. Evelynn brows shot up at the sight of her, faint lines of pity etching themselves between her brows. Clearly, dressed as she was as though ready to take a stroll down the boardwalk of a resort beach, Miss Harper was one of those who had been on the insufficient side of information delivery.

Evelynn watched in silence as the girl lugged in her trunk. Though why she was carrying it around herself and not having Pride do it for her was a mark of curiosity. Or at the very least, made use of a levitation charm to lessen the burden on herself. Her musings would be interrupted by a sudden projectile flying her way. Hands leapt up just in time to prevent what was apparently a fluffy white bunny...purse? from connecting with her face, and she looked up to see Harper in the midst of a frantic hunt through her things, belongings--so many pink belongings--littered everywhere. Reaching forward to place the rabbit on the ground, however, firelight glinted off something glass and vaguely round, its liquid contents a shimmery copper.

Brows furrowed for an entirely different reason then, suspicion immediately sparked. Ever since they had learned of its properties, the Memory Potion had been one with which Evelynn had grown increasingly familiar. Not only was it useful in times of academic review (no, she never used it to cheat on tests), it was particularly advantageous when chronologizing in minute detail within her journal the various events and information circling the darker aspects of the school. Especially when it came to interviewing a peer who happened to have been ideally situated as an observer for one thing or another, but who had a memory like a sieve. Perhaps it was because of the frequency of her own use of the potion that it didn't occur to her as odd that it might also be in the possession of others.

Besides, the unmistakable whining of a dog. "When did you become an animagus?" Where Harper had once stood was now a copper coated ducktrolling retriever, and no doubt her question would indirectly answer those posed by the newly arrived Prince. She would, nevertheless, raise an open hand to gesture in the direction of the dog upon the inquiry of Winnie's location. "Good morning.." She stopped herself from referring to her by her surname, but as employing her given name felt uncomfortably informal, elected not to continue with a name at all. A polite smile attempted to smooth over the pause. "It will be nice to share your company off the piste," Evelynn greeted amiably.

Turning back to the dog pawing pathetically at Aly, Evelynn shook her head and pursed her lips before diving fingers into one of her boots to withdraw her wand. "If you are really that cold..." The wand pointed itself in Winnie's direction, and with the uttering of Aer Calidus sent a jet of hot air in her direction to ruffle her fur. "You never joined the League of Aspirant Animagi," Evelynn casually noted. "Were you not interested? Or just unaware? You could still join, if it would interest you. Pericles hosts events now and then, and your experience completing the ritual would be invaluable for those younger pupils seeking to do the same."

July 15, 2024 | Morning Summer Camp, London Quidditch Stadium, England

Interactions: @Winnie Harper Mentions: n/a

PV

Frigid air filled the lungs of the sixth year Ravenclaw as he took a deep breath, holding in the air for his chest to expand while simultaneously contracting from the cold. For those unaccustomed to cold winters, the sensation would undoubtedly be uncomfortable. For Cassius who hailed from the West Riding of Yorkshire, it was absolutely bliss. The organizers had truly outdone themselves with the theme of a winter wonderland in stark contrast to the heat of summer that much of the country was now experiencing. Even with the knowledge that he would be arriving someplace cold, it had been odd packing winter clothes for summer camp and even more odd to be wearing a peacoat, turtleneck, and scarf in the middle of July. His boots, which crunched in the snow with each step, should have been in storage for at least the next several months but here they were. It was altogether a peculiar situation to find oneself in but it was also an adventure and Cassius loved adventure.

Of course, this was not a true adventure in which he fantasized of negotiating with artifact dealers in opulent middle eastern bazaars or trailblazing through an Amazonian rainforest. This was summer camp, a wholly safe and rather low stake environment where some degree of luxury and comfort could be afforded. That is why he had two second years carrying his trunk and matched luggage behind him as he took his time exploring the campground and the maze of tents. Oh, of course he could have just cast the levitation charm on them and pulled them effortlessly behind him, but he was on vacation. Who really wanted to pull luggage around on vacation? Besides, Cassius was becoming increasingly certain he was allergic to manual labor.

After some mild sightseeing and getting a lay of the land, Cassius arrived at the entrance to one of the Stargazer tents. The constellation was one of familiarity to him, as it would be to those with an adventurous spirit. Circinus. A constellation depicting a draftsman’s compass that might not have guided ships, but certainly guided experts in finalizing grand plans. Fitting, Cassius thought to himself as he approached the tent flaps and stepped inside.

“Hello ther–!”

A pink cardigan impacting his face silenced the remainder of his grand entrance and introduction as a sock, also pink, hit soon after. “Uh… I…” He managed to get out, his slight shock at having been immediately assaulted by clothing causing him to stumble his words. He recovered quickly though as he leaned over to pick up the articles of clothing. “Good day all,” he began. “I think you misplaced these,” he said with a friendly grin before gently tossing them back over towards @Winnie Harper. The humor of the situation was not lost upon him and was made all the more amusing when the girl in question then transformed into a dog.

He blinked, thinking to himself, What in the world have I gotten myself into?

The student porters entered soon after, providing a much welcome pivot for Cassius as he turned to direct them to place the luggage in a vacant spot near one of the tent walls. “Thank you, lads,” Cassius said, giving each of them eight sickles out of his coinpurse for the trouble. “You will be trying out for the duelling team, yes? What’s that? Do I want to know your names? No. It is much more important to remember faces and the character of a person! Aha. Now off you go. Enjoy the hot chocolate.” He quickly ushered the pair out of the tent, closing the flap behind them. Content in the knowledge that they had departed, the Ravenclaw duelling captain turned towards his fellow camp mates with a kindly smile. It was good to see they were all thus far from the prestigious and dignified House of Ravenclaw – save for one other. Not everybody could be perfect.

“Now, who is ready for some summer shenanigans?” He said with enthusiasm as he plopped down comfortably on one of the sleeping bags nearest the entrance.

⋄ Banner made by Aly Salinger ⋄
⋄ July 15th, 2024; Morning | London Quidditch Stadium ⋄
⋄ Interactions: @Pericles Dralt & @Winnie Harper | Mentions: @Aly Salinger, @Evelynn Decipio, & @Finnegan Connor ⋄

𝓒lad head to toe in the warmest clothes she owned - two jumpers and a hoodie layered over top of each other, winter boots, a pair of blue, handmade mittens, and a pair of puffy, white earmuffs - Bex slowly meandered her way through the camp, periodically checking things off on the little checklist she'd been handed. Everything seemed to be accounted for and going to plan. All the tents were up and functioning, and so far, she'd heard no complaints that any of the charms on them were malfunctioning or failing to work at all. The tent-sign ups looked like they were going efficiently enough, and no fights had broken out in the line, which was a plus. Any day where first years weren't casting Incendio at each other was a good one, in her books. The only complaint she'd heard at all, so far, was the rather prevalent gripe from campers that they'd packed for summer's sunshine rather than winter's biting winds, and would now be left out in the cold.

Unlike most of the other unfortunate campers who were arriving unaware of this year's rather chilling theme, Bex had experienced the debatable pleasure of helping to plan this monstrosity, so at least she'd had a heads up when it had come time to pack. Let the record reflect that the winter theme had not been her idea. Prone to becoming something less than useless the second the temperature started to take even the smallest of dips, winter was not even in Bex's top one hundred summer camp theme ideas. She'd been horribly outvoted, though, because what was life if not unending suffering?

She'd only signed up in the first place because she'd seen Aly's name on the list, or she likely wouldn't have even come to camp at all. Her dad, however, was thrilled to sacrifice his allotted one month of awkward custody time with her if it meant she'd be spending more time in the magical world, and compared to a summer of stubbornly silent breakfasts and pretending she'd gotten a phone call anytime she ran into him in the hall, she supposed this was probably the more preferable of the two unappealing options, even if this one did come with soggy socks.

Had she mentioned that she hated winter? She hated every minute detail of it with a passion bordering on zealotry, and as such she could already tell that this was going to be a long month. (Also, she swore that she'd forgotten something. She'd made a mental note to do something when the theme had been chosen, and for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was. She'd forgotten to tell Finn.)

It was amazing how much you could miss your friends after just two weeks away. When Pericles, Aly, and Evelynn met up with her near the tent sign-ups, it felt like a weight that she hadn't even realized she'd been carrying had slipped soundlessly off of her shoulders. "Hullo, Pear." She'd greeted him, as the other two women wandered off. Pericles truly seemed to get taller every time she saw him, which was really annoying. She'd hardly gotten any taller at all, and constantly felt like she was staring up at a skyscraper. She liked his new eye, though, an icy spheroid that was a perfect tonal match for the festivities around them. "You've sure got a lot of bags. I brought that many to school in September, but they were really hard to get on the train." She'd packed comparatively lightly this time, at least if her fledgling magpie tendencies were taken into account, with just two muggle rolling suitcases, a backpack stuffed far passed its safe occupancy level, and Crumb's folded enclosure under one arm. Carting her luggage around reminded her a bit of hiking, though hopefully the weather would be much nicer than this on her eventual trip.

"Is your eye cold?" She asked Pericles, squinting up at him in consideration. "Or is it just fake ice, like a marble?" While she was personally attached to both of her eyes and was fond of their current placement in her skull, she did have to admit that Pear's prosthetics were pretty cool. She wondered if she could find him one that looked like a snitch.

Once the group went off in search of the tent of their dreams, they were subjected to Bex's very helpful commentary from her observations during the planning process. "I won't step one foot into a Winter Carnival tent, they're haunted for sure. The Gingerbread Houses, too, maybe, but I don't have any proof of that one. Southern Hemisphere is the only warm one, it's genuinely horrid. There're thirteen cold ones, can you believe it? There's fires and stuff, but s'not the same."

Ultimately, they chose one of the Stargazer tents, which, while not nearly as warm as the Southern Hemisphere ones, did come equipped with a broom rack, so that was nice at least. She was sure that Casper would appreciate getting to spend some quality time with the other brooms, as she so rarely got the opportunity to socialize it. She had to admit, though, the celestial ceiling was rather lovely. After crossing the threshold, she couldn't help but stop for a moment to gaze up at the stars in admiration; she scanned the sky for Cetus, but it looked like today was a summer stars day.

Once Pear had selected his sleeping bag from the litter she trailed after him, nabbing the one to his left. After freeing Crumb from where she'd been curled up asleep in her innermost hoodie pocket and setting up the basics of her little ferret palace, Bex begun the arduous task of unpacking her nesting doll-esque bags, and as such missed the influx of tent-mates that followed in after them. She was in the process of weighing whether or not to put a hat on over her earmuffs - she'd cut her hair short a week ago, and was still getting used to the new length; she swore her head felt colder now, but from a logical standpoint this made absolutely no sense - when she was suddenly hit in the head from behind, her vision going dark. Her first and most immediate response was panic; while two weeks at home with her mum and Leo (and, more specifically, two weeks away from Pear and Finn, during which neither of them had ended up dead or maimed) had done wonders in regard to easing some of her paranoia, it was impossible for her to forget that the danger here was always very real. She frantically clawed at her face, pulling the assaulting object off of her head before holding it up for her perusal.

It was... a dress. A, uh, very frilly dress? It had a pale pink corset, with puffy sleeves and an assortment of pink ribbons, and a purple skirt made from multiple layers of sheer fabric. "What the hell..." She murmured. "Is someone doing Tangled cosplay?"

She turned around to confront her assailant - she wanted to believe that Aly didn't own anything like this, but she didn't know what to think anymore - only for each and every one of her thoughts to tip blissfully out the window at the sight of a beautiful red and white dog. The retriever appeared to be accosting the various occupants of their tent in an effort to be pet, an effort that Bex was more than happy to accommodate. Tossing the dress aside and throwing herself down on the floor next to the canine, she held her hands out in pious offering for the dog to sniff. Should the dog be so inclined, she would happily devote the next few minutes of her life to petting it. "Did one of you get a dog? I thought they weren't allowed at school."

It was only after Eve addressed the dog, asking it if it was an animagus, that Bex managed to put the pieces together. As she was familiar with both Pear and Dori's animal forms (and, while she hadn't ever seen it herself, she was certainly familiar with Jack Warren's), she was able to put the pieces together fairly quickly. "Are you... a person?" She asked the creature, scratching it behind the ears. She supposed it must be, or else Evelynn had, apparently, just really wanted to be in a club with a dog. Same, honestly.

🅵 I N N E G A Nxx🅲 O N N O R
xxxGRYFFINDOR THIRD YEAR SC 24

Summer Camp 2024

xx

With his index finger, Finnegan tipped his too large sunglasses down his nose and squinted at blinding snowscape stretching out before him. Summer Camp. Summer Camp. He glanced over his shoulder, relieved to find that his sister Rose had already darted off, keen to escape his orbit and make friends of her own. Already he heard his mother's nagging voice in his head, warning him to look after her. Well, she nagged him about a lot, including his grown out hair, his table manners, and the endless arguments he had with his sister, which were never even his fault to begin with. He wondered if he should have recommended her to get a ball and kick it at someone's face before she could run off. Two years ago, that had proven to be an effective way of making friends, but then he supposed only George Henry would take such a thing as the equivalent of shaking hands. Like hitting a small bump in the road, his thoughts turned toward the Hufflepuff boy for a moment, vaguely wondering if the upper year still enjoyed playing tour guide and telling tall tales about fearsome clapjaws. Perhaps he ought to honour George's legacy and scare a few bright-eyed first-years with stories of the vicious monsters that liked to gnaw at people's faces, but a more pressing concern was nibbling at his toes. The same slippers that had trudged along mediterranean beaches, scooping up warm sand that slipped between his toes, now carried fistfuls of snow. There were precisely two ways to deal with the situation, one was to let out a startled cry, make a scene, curse the organisers and find somewhere to get changed; the other was to play it cool. Not wishing to be put in the same basket as a gaggle of loud, distressed girls behind him, he opted for the latter. Hands in pocket, sunglasses back up his nose and silently clenching his jaw, he made his way to the reception, taking larger strides whenever he thought no one was looking. Underneath a snow-covered pine adorned with twinkling fairy lights a stout wizard with impressive whiskers stood upon a wooden crate, eyes scanning a long roll of parchment, striking off names as students filed in. The pitiable look being thrown his way (and that of several others, who had made the same mistake) did little to alleviate his suffering, though the joy of queueing made up for it. By the time he pushed past the flap of the tent, his nose and ears had turned a distinct shade of red while his feet had turned faintly purple. The tent he'd been directed to had looked small and frosted from the outside, but was the opposite inside. A wall of warm air greeted him and a smokeless fire at the center illuminated the beds circled around it. Was he the last to arrive? It was difficult to tell through the darkened veil of his sunglasses which he had refused to take off. Any of the witches and wizards present in the tent would be forgiven for thinking he was some stray muggle tourist who had carelessly wandered inside. Thankfully, or perhaps worryingly, he had his wand out, which he used to direct his luggage toward the remaining empty bed. Bobbing up and down through the air, two bags landed on the mattress with just enough force to make his presence known. It might've taken him two years and a very patient June Selwyn to stop his levitation charm from flinging things around wildly, but he was rather pleased with the result regardless. “It's a bit nippy out,” he said, seemingly to no one in particular. Behind his shades he was looking pointedly at Rebecca Lark, though it was impossible to tell from the outside. Lowering his wand, he scanned the tent and found that there was only one face among those present he didn't immediately recognize (@Cassius Eden), maybe two if you counted the yapping puppy. Since when were dogs allowed at Hogwarts? Apparently he was completely out of the loop on rule changes, not that he had a particular knack for rules, but if he'd known about this one, he would've brought a husky. Near the entrance was Pericles Dralt, a name and face that had seared itself into his memory since April. The Ravenclaw, dapper and tall though he was, had never before caught his attention. For a while hushed rumours had made the rounds about their connection, but there was none. Not in blood, not in house, not in cunning, not in age or appearance, not in demeanour, not even in the manner of their suffering. Dralt had knowingly confronted danger, it had not come waltzing into his life uninvited. Their only tangible connection sat crouched on the floor, her usually frizzy hair tamed and bobbing gently from side to side while she scratched the puppy's floppy ears. Eveylnn Decipio was perhaps the most constant factor in his life as of late, and a self-inflicted constant at that as he had taken up residence in her dormitory to escape Elsian Cox's wrath. Arguably he had merely exchanged one evil for another. She didn't throw pillows at his face but she possessed the uncanny and uncommon ability to unnerve him, even unsettle him if she so desired. The fact that she was the most capable witch he knew played no small part in his admiration, though he had mostly sought her out for her skill as a seeker. Days of begging had resulted in exactly one game where she had very capably warmed the bench and watched the rest of Gryffindor get swatted by a bloodthirsty Jorah, before she had resigned again. On that note, his gaze flitted over to Aly Salinger who had at least made it off the bench. Her position on the team had changed two times over but one thing had remained abundantly clear, she was an annoyingly good flyer and unfortunately showed no signs of quitting. Could she be bribed? He had tried his luck before, trying to woo Ms. Harper with a crown of flowers in hopes of exchanging them for the Ravenclaw team's strategy but that effort had borne little fruit, except for a lingering interest in the redhead. Where was she? He had been quite happy to see her name on the list of ragtag misfits, though perhaps redheads just had that effect on him. Ms. Prince had never really entered his orbit in earnest before, but his hanging around Rebecca had inevitably seen him hang around the Ravenclaw table where he had caught a few faces and names in passing. In all honesty, he had believed her to be a fourth-year at most as she was rather short and contagiously energetic (something which only seemed to last up until fifth year, hence his guess), even now he struggled to believe she was in the same year as the likes of Dralt and Decipio. She too seemed to be wondering where Winnie had gone, and what was that about free potions? Without a Winnie to woo and because he felt no special inclination to let Rebecca know her treacherous and deliberate prank on him - by failing to mention the camp's theme - had worked, his attention turned to the inhabitant of least familiarity and most interest. “You must be Cassius,” he stepped forward and finally took off his shades. He would have offered a handshake if the boy had been standing, but for now a curt nod of recognition would have to do. “I am ready for summer, well was I suppose” he said while gesturing vaguely to his ill-chosen attire, “but it seems someone got the seasons mixed up. This is more gaming weather, you should subscribe to my channel by the way, and don’t forget to smash that like button, hey Bex, did you sub yet? You said you would. Anyway," out came his wand again, this time pointed at himself. "Aer Calidus," then it was stowed again.

xx

Stamina 10 ✶ Evasion 10 ✶ Strength 2 ✶ Wisdom 4 ✶ Arcane Power 5 ✶ Accuracy 10

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	While he wouldn't admit it, Pericles was pleased to have @Rebecca Lark's literal and metaphorical poking back in his life. He had often wondered what it would be like to have a younger sibling. With Becca as a persistent companion, he wouldn't have to wonder ever again. Her loud comment on the many bags he carried elicited light sarcasm, just enough emotion to his voice to be deemed theatrical. "Well, I couldn't fit all of my boots into one. I do love a good set of boots." She asked about his icy eye, and Peri smiled vacantly, meeting her squint as he tapped the prosthetic with the end of a fingernail. The blunt sound produced was that of keratin to glass. "Like a marble. See?" Her prattling tent commentary was heeded with polite interest, though as their path crossed the Gingerbread tent, he briefly froze in his tracks. His real eye grew glossy, too, and he stared for a time, falling a few paces behind the group before realizing it and moving on. A more blatant endearment overcame him as @Dealla Prince joined their midst. "Dee," he had sighed fondly, as if Peri hadn't seen his designated duel partner in ages, though a few weeks was a long time in teenager. He maneuvered through the wandering pack to ask how her summer had gone, only to linger alongside her when she regarded Circinus with a strained expression. Peri stooped to whisper, lightly nudging her with an elbow: "We can ask the others to choose a different tent, you know, if you dislike it that much." Pericles was shrugging out of his coat when @Aly Salinger handed him a cup of cocoa. He inhaled in its steam and exhaled a contented thank-you, then breathed across the surface to cool it, watching her carry on excitedly over the rim of his mug. A glimmer of vicarious joy sparked in his eye, warm with humor as she said he'd scream over the weekend ceiling. "Unlikely, unless we'll be watching the heat death of the universe, or an imploding star." Spending frequent time in Peri's company was the one way one would learn to discern when he was genuinely clueless, and when he was being a facetious troll. There was a ring of laughter to his tone as he quietly reassured, "I'll look forward to it." The celestial trifecta was briefly reunited when @Evelynn Decipio joined them. Peri passed over her bag, smiling and tilting his head in a gracious gesture, only to wear a faint frown while he watched the duo leave him for the far end of the tent. Cot placements were inconsequential, his rational side reasoned, considering they were all in the same room. Still, it felt strange to be apart from them after the past few days of near constant companionship. Pericles would pout in silence. It was a silence almost immediately broken as @Winnie Harper burst into the tent, so cold she could barely chatter out a hello. In no time, she was muttering for her lost coat and griping over a guy. Peri regrettably didn't know much about his fellow Ravenclaw aside from her incredible fashion sense and perpetual boy troubles. What opinion he did have was influenced by her less than reputable connections. Was the pretty-in-pink Winnie secretly deceptive as the boys who toyed with her heart, or was she a victim in the slimy machinations of scheming manipulators? Not a question for the present. As Peri stepped from his spot to offer his jacket, she took the form of an exceptionally charming dog. At first he could only watch her paw his pantleg with a stunned stare. Then he crouched, sitting on his haunches with wide wondering eyes, an impressed smirk easing into place. He looked for Eve, enthusing "There's three of us." Peri's animagi bias was showing. To be fair, it was one hell of an accomplishment, and spoke well of what Winnie could achieve. When he heard Eve endorse joining the League, he sent an appreciative look her way. "She's on the roster; we just haven't had the pleasure of her company in recent gatherings is all." Not one to pressure anyone into activity, he moved on from the matter, turning back to begin unpacking his things. Pericles was setting what looked like a terrarium by his cot when Dee's question caught his attention. He looked back at her, then the potion, only to answer with a mute shrug. He hesitated to nod at the arrival of their mutual, @Cassius Eden, known as the captain of the duel club he'd just departed and a fellow attendee of the Dark Wizard Society. @Finnegan Connor trailed in last. Pericles knew him as Becca's friend, and understood Eve had taken him under her wing, in a funny juxtaposition to how Becca had seemingly appeared under his. He also understood that they had both been stabbed at the last school ball. When the boy walked by, various shades of pink and purple while muttering about the chill, the Ravenclaw's eyes- silver and ice- trailed after him with an unreadable expression. Once he entered arm's reach, the coat he was about to offer to Winnie was thrust out in a last-minute gesture. "Assuming you didn't pack for inclement weather," the odd upperclassman observed. "I have spare jackets, if you're in need of one. They may be a little long, but with a light touch of the Shrinking Charm, I'm sure I could make it more comfortable." His smile was polished, though the steadiness of his stare implied he was trying to get a read on the rising Gryffindor. Inquisitive, and void of malintent, yet faintly prying. Pericles possessed a distinctly aquiline tendency to study others.
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