Closed Don't You Worry About a Thing PV Vera Caird

Outfit: worn grey-ish hoodie, black cargos, brown leather boots, brown flannel, satchel	Speech: #22706f, Czech/Slovak
Mentions: @Maisie Gemmell

For once, Vera finished all her homework in random bouts of energy during the week and over the weekend found herself floating, jumping from one thing to another in order to entertain herself. On that exact Saturday it meant getting up much later than she usually would and getting ready so she wouldn't have to be heading back to the Ravenclaw Tower before evening.

She stuffed her journal and a random Herbology book, which she probably should've returned to the library already, along with her walkie-talkie in her satchel, got dressed, and that was that. She was good to go.

The late breakfast in the Great Hall was followed by mindless thumbing through the pages of the book she brought and watching the occassional stragglers pass her by on their way to get on with their own days. She liked her free time on Saturdays. The only issue was that it always made her feel like a caged animal. How was she supposed to rest? Not do... things. Her parents always said she had to much energy, but this was different.

That's why she started with the walks in the first place. It took about three weeks for her to get acquainted with the Grounds. Once that was done, her wandering took on a much similar form to what she'd been doing at home which, admittedly, was not always for the best. Some days she'd just dig around in the ground for nothing in particular or run along the lake. Some days she'd be sitting by the Whomping Willow and tossing rocks for the branches to swipe them away. One of those days she was going to get hurt, but until then everything was allowed.

Her walks have not been that different since she posted the note for people to join her. Nobody really did. At this point she didn't expect anyone to join either, so there was no apparent pressure to heading out. She finished her lunch at the Great Hall, which she had yet to leave since breakfast, just as two rolled around and packed up her little nest of books, satchel and all, and headed out.

There were some people in the Small Hall, mostly passing through, and a girl leaning against the wall. She decided to stick with her promise and just crash on the stairs - waiting for ten minutes to see if anybody shows up wouldn't hurt her. So, out came the book again as Vera stretched out over three of the middle stairs, leaning on the elbow of the hand that was holding her book. She wasn't insane enough to start asking random people if they wanted to join her.

Stats & Abilities:

Reducio

STA: 7 | EVA: 5 | STR: 4 | WIS: 7 |AP: 6 | ACC: 6
Muggle Condition

There were enough people in the small hall that it was hard to recognize someone she'd never met before. What did this mysterious walker look like? There was, of course, the distinct probability that she'd seen her in a class or passed her in a corridor. But that didn't mean she knew exactly who Vera, the undersigned was.

People were passing and going and the probability that she would find this girl seemed to be shrinking every passing second. Eventually, she went back up to re-examine the letter: the stairs from the small hall, it had said.

Maybe it was better, in this instance, to take things literally then. Straightening up, Maisie started to walk over in the direction of the stairs. These two were somewhat busy, but there was a girl who managed to just plop herself right in the middle—and with a good book too. For a moment, she craned her neck to see if she could spot the title.

Then, she approached. "Hey, do you like walks?" she asked with a friendly expression, hoping she'd come across the right person. And worse case, if this wasn't Vera, maybe they'd like to walk anyway. It was a fairly non-partisan activity. And if it could help her get to know more people, especially someone who knew a thing or to about the game she was about to play, that would be all the better.

As she stood with a hand out stretched for the girl to take, a flicker of familiarity came over her. They must have passed in the Common Room or a corridor, though she didn't know when. Now was as good a time as ever to make a new acquaintance.

@Vera Caird

Outfit: worn grey-ish hoodie, black cargos, brown leather boots, brown flannel, satchel	Speech: #22706f, Czech/Slovak
Mentions: @Maisie Gemmell

Encyclopedia of Toadstools didn’t sound like much when she first checked it out of the library the week before. In all fairness, it was an impulsive decision at its best as the name just caught her attention in passing. However, couple days into reading (or mostly looking at cool pictures and skimming the texts) it turned out to be a pretty solid choice. The thing kept Vera hooked when she needed a distraction.

That’s exactly how the other girl found her - somewhere between imagining what flesh-eating mushrooms would look like and reading about water-spreading spores. The small, friendly “do you like walks?" just barely drew her out of her focus on the book.

She looked up dumbly, the heavy book falling shut over couple of her fingers that still held onto the page she was reading.

“Mmm-hm… huh?”

Vera clocked the outstretched hand a little too late for her own liking, but it still made the puzzle pieces slot together. One could almost imagine the click as she suddenly sprung up to her feet.

“Oh, walks? Yeah!” That might’ve been a bit too enthusiastic. “I like walks, yeah,” she continued in a somewhat more muted fashion.

“You read the note?”

This probably would’ve been a good place for her to introduce herself instead, but alas, the question was already out of her mouth before her brain managed to catch up. In her shock she also definitely left the girl's hand hanging. Oh well. Vera wasn't prepared for anyone to actually show up and with each word it was more and more apparent, she was sure.

Stats & Abilities:

Reducio

STA: 7 | EVA: 5 | STR: 4 | WIS: 7 |AP: 6 | ACC: 6
Muggle Condition

The other girl was slow to respond and Maisie thought, for a moment, that she'd gotten the wrong girl. After all plenty of people could be waiting pleasantly on the stairs for no reason at all. She could have been sat there herself.

But there was then an enthusiastic recognition, and finally a pointed question confirming she'd found the person she had been looking for. "Yeah, I saw your note," she explained, "And, well, I thought it might be nice to have someone else to go exploring with." That was true, but she passed the notion of the Quidditch match for now—at least until she felt a little more comfortable.

"I'm Maisie," she introduced herself, "I think I've seen you in the common room." And with this new Ravenclaw on her feet, Maisie started to move. Turning her head, she looked around to see where was the best way to go. After all, the staircases did like to change.

With people walking past off on their way to class or some extracurricular activity, Maisie took a few steps in the direction that seemed to have the least amount of traffic. That would make for the best conversation. "What were you reading before? And don't say it was for an essay," she asked with a friendly, slightly humorous tone. Maisie loved reading and did enjoy academics, but she also knew friendship wasn't about that. It wasn't about things you had to do or read; it was about what you chose to do. And that would reveal far more about her new companion.

For @Vera Caird

Outfit: worn grey-ish hoodie, black cargos, brown leather boots, brown flannel, satchel	Speech: #22706f, Czech/Slovak
Mentions: @Maisie Gemmell

The girl's agreement made Vera smile lightly, people skills finally kicking in to her own relief.

"I'm Vera, but you probably already know that" she piped up herself in response. "We must've bumped into eachother somewhere, yeah."

The small smile lingered on her face as she shuffled her satchel back around her shoulders and jogged the couple steps to catch up with Maisie. She did seem familiar but Vera wouldn't be able to tell you where from. She looked about Vera's age, though, so class or the common room was the safest bet.

Maisie's question made her chuckle. "Might as well be." She held up the Encyclopedia of Toadstools for Maisie to see, bending her hand oddly with two fingers still holding onto her last page.

"But no, not for an essay. Just saw this earlier at the library and thought 'why not'." It says enough that it happened just a few hours after their first Herbology class and Vera was just plain out curious. She was always out in the nature, doing whatever 11-year-olds who like to dig around in dirt do, but knowing that there's so many strange new things she's never seen before out there just made her all the more eager to explore. As a whole, however, that seemed like way too heavy a thought to just blurt out like that. So Vera chose the safe path forwards.

She scuffed one of her boots against the floor tile.

"And what dragged you out for a Saturday walk with a stranger?" she asked keeping her tone light and offered the other girl another smile.

Stats & Abilities:

Reducio

STA: 7 | EVA: 5 | STR: 4 | WIS: 7 |AP: 6 | ACC: 6
Muggle Condition

With a light chuckle, she nodded as Vera held up the text. Perhaps some people found more academic titles fun in one's spare time. Who was she to judge? Besides, a book on toadstools might have some nice photos at least.

"And what dragged you out for a Saturday walk with a stranger?" Vera asked as they started to walk out of the stairway.

"Well, I like walks," she started conservatively. That seemed like a start rather than the admission she still hadn't really found a friend group. It seemed somehow a more difficult prospect here than it had been at her urban muggle school.

But she'd find a more comfortable topic, even if it too was not exactly easy: the upcoming match, which seemed to loom closer every day. "Do you play a sport?" she queried, "I signed up for an unofficial match and I don't know, I feel like it might all go wrong." Maybe Vera could understand even if she wasn't athletic. Being new, doing new things all in a new environment—surely this was the experience of every first year.

And yet, as they walked she hoped it would improve. She would meet new people and maybe over time they'd be less new. Things would make sense and Hogwarts would felt like a kind of home.

@Vera Caird

Outfit: worn grey-ish hoodie, black cargos, brown leather boots, brown flannel, satchel	Speech: #22706f, Czech/Slovak
Mentions: @Maisie Gemmell

Without much more to do with the book at the moment, Vera fished out a random piece of parchment from one of her pockets and stuffed it in as a bookmark. The book could take some time off in her satchel for the time being.

Liking walks seemed like a perfectly good enough reason to Vera, but there seemed to be more, the sentence ending on a high note. So she let out an encouraging "Hmmm," and kept her eyes trained at the corridor ahead.

She'd never been in this part of the castle. Lately her wanderings drew her mostly to the Grounds where she could explore and roam more freely. Hell, run and scream if she wanted to. But there was admittedly something to hearing their footsteps echo from the thick stone walls.

When Maisie spoke again, it almost startled Vera, too lost in her own thoughts for a bit there. "Do you play a sport?"

She shrugged her shoulders, somewhat pensive suddenly. "Not here. I- I don't really have the basics bunch of our classmates do." It was painfully true. Vera didn't often let herself think about it but it sometimes felt like running on sand while others were on the sidewalk next to you.

"I used to play football at my old school, though," she recovered quickly, sensing the other girl's uneasiness. "I was so scared for my first match! Even for the first practice." Vera had no idea if that was going to be any help. Frankly, it almost seemed to have the opposite potential, but maybe, just maybe... It was already out of her mouth anyway, too late to take it back.

"What sport is it anyway?" She was genuinely intersted here, however. Maybe they could figure something out together for the future and it would help both of them take the edge off.

Stats & Abilities:

Reducio

STA: 7 | EVA: 5 | STR: 4 | WIS: 7 |AP: 6 | ACC: 6
Muggle Condition

"I was so scared for my first match! Even for the first practice."

That was a sentiment that Maisie felt acutely as they walked. With a nod of acknowledgement, it was nice to know that she wasn't alone. "We've not even had a practice. It's an unofficial match so it's all a little spur of the moment. I don't even know anyone on the team," she explained. She'd seen the roster and seemed like there were a lot of younger students, who likely neither knew the sport nor one another.

"What sport is it anyway?"

"Quidditch," she answered succinctly. And after some thinking, "I suppose it's a bit like football," she mused, recalling Vera had mentioned that she had participated in this sport at school. Perhaps she might have some advice?

"What position did you play? I'm signed up for Keeper so hopefully I can kind of just watch and swoop up when I need to, you know?" Maybe Vera had a been a—what was the word again?—ah, a goalie? Or even she hadn't, maybe some other would still provide inside in this whole how-to-score scenario.

Meanwhile, the corridors seemed to fade into the background as they passed by the portraits. She wondered, for a moment, if any of them took any interest in their conversation, but it seemed like most were wrapped up in their own frames.

@Vera Caird