Hope's Day
hope's day • backdated 1 june 2025--
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| ---- | The early June sunshine draped the courtyard in a sleepy gold that made the flagstones warm under Carina's shoes. She sat knees up to her chin on a low bench, a little paper-wrapped parcel held on her hands. It felt strange, celebrating a ferret's birthday, but then again, Hope had become something more than a pet in the months since Carina had brought her home last August. She'd been a comfort when she was too tired, and when Carina needed to feel like she belonged to someone. So if a ferret deserved a party, even a very small one, Carina decided she was going to give her one. She had chosen the courtyard because it was sheltered by beautiful walls and framed by tall windows, some opened to let in the warm breeze. A perfect halfway place between inside and out. If any curious passerby wanted to see what she was up to, well, so be it. She set her things in a neat line, a tiny dish of ferret treats, a little toy shaped like a mouse with a pink felt tail, and a folded scrap of parchment she'd spent too long debating whether to write at all. In the end, she'd scrawled a simple message: Happy Birthday, Hope. Thank you for making everything less lonely. Carina swallowed, feeling just slightly foolish, but she didn't regret it. She peeled back the brown paper to reveal a small ceramic bowl glazed in soft green, just the right size to be Hope’s very own dish. She set it carefully in the grass beside the bench. Hope herself was darting along the stones, her sleek white fur still reflects in the light. She paused every few steps to sniff at weeds, or to investigate an abandoned quill someone had dropped. Every so often, she lifted her bright eyes to Carina as if to confirm that yes, this was all for her, and yes, she was delighted by it. 'Don't go too far,' Carina murmured, though she was smiling. She reached down to smooth a hand over Hope's back. The ferret wriggled out from under her fingers and went to sniff the new bowl with a cautious little huff. It was quieter out here than in the common room, and for that she was grateful. She straightened her back and let her gaze drift across the courtyard. From where she sat, she could see the doors that led back into the castle, the archway that opened toward the greenhouses, and the slow procession of clouds passing overhead. Anyone could come walking out at any moment. She didn't mind if they did. Maybe? If someone stopped to ask why she had arranged a tiny birthday celebration, she'd tell them the truth: Hope deserved it. Simple as that. Carina leaned forward to break one of the treats in half and set it into a little green bowl. Hope immediately bustled over, her nose twitching, and began to nibble. 'Happy birthday,' she said again, softer this time. |
----- |
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
---thoughts • speech • 314words • [url=https://i.postimg.cc/JhfFqnRz/245eddc0b74348b3f16cf2dd90a84818.jpg]outfit[/url] @Victoria Blythe @Victoria Lena Jones
Hope's Day
interaction: @Carina Kaede,@Victoria Lena Jones
date: 1st June 2025
Victoria sighed as the sun shone brightly overhead, lighting up everything in its path. She hated the heat. And she felt terribly stifled. With a small pout on her lips, she pulled her long, wavy hair into a high ponytail.
She decided to distract herself by wandering through the castle, maybe exploring places she hadn’t properly paid attention to before. And at the top of that list was the courtyard.
The courtyard was a small escape for students who wanted to get away from the bustling corridors and lively classrooms of Hogwarts. The stone floor, worn down over time by footsteps and overgrown with moss, formed a circular pattern around a large, dry fountain that, despite no longer flowing, still stood tall and inspiring.
Victoria had passed by it several times and had always admired it, but today she figured there was no harm in sitting down and reading for a bit. She walked toward the courtyard slowly, not expecting anyone to be there.
Her eyes narrowed in mild confusion when she saw a ferret darting across the sun-warmed stones. It had to be someone’s pet, right? But why was it out alone—ah.
She looked up and spotted a girl sitting in the courtyard, her flawless black hair catching the sunlight just right. Victoria remembered her, she saw this girl before a few times at the Great Hall, though she never talked with her. The girl placed something into a small green bowl, and the ferret immediately ran toward her.
Victoria paused, observing from a distance. The girl's brown eyes, catching the golden glow of the sun, looked warm like honey—but there was something else there too. Something troubled, maybe. A feeling Victoria couldn’t quite name, but it certainly wasn’t joy.
And Victoria had a soft spot for people who didn’t feel quite okay. Whenever she saw someone like that, the cold, distant persona she'd spent years perfecting would falter—replaced by something gentler.
She quietly walked toward the girl, the icy look in her blue eyes softening just a touch.
Then she heard the girl say, “Happy birthday.” Was she celebrating the ferret’s birthday? Aww. That was… actually quite sweet. Maybe the girl felt a little foolish, maybe even self-conscious. Victoria wanted to support her.
She quickly picked a few small flowers and tied them together into a tiny crown—something her cousin had taught her to do. Carefully, she placed it on the ferret’s head, then glanced at the girl. Her expression remained unreadable and distant, but there was the faintest warmth in her gaze.
"Mind some company?" she asked softly.
Hope's Day
@Victoria Blythe @Carina KaedeIt was the beginning of June and the weather was starting to warm up. Being in the castle along with the heat was enough to make Tori feel suffocated. Tori did everything she could to avoid staying in the castle during these times.
After spending a boring time in the library, she went out. It was really boring to stay in the library outside of classes. She was slightly upset because she couldn't find any story books other than the books related to classes.
When she went outside, the hot air slapped her in the face. She really couldn't get used to this heat. Meanwhile, Tori had her eye on two girls and a very cute ferret standing nearby. She walked over to them, smiling.
"Hello. Isn't the weather beautiful? It's just a little warm. I'm not used to it, but it's beautiful weather. I said how hot it is. Anyway. My name is Victoria. Victoria Lena Jones. Nice to meet you. What's your name?"
It was a very strange conversation to begin with, but it was a beginning. It was a beginning. She gently stroked the ferret's head. "What's this sweet ferret's name? She's so cute. Isn't it a girl? It looks like a girl."