Paradise (exceptions apply)
. ‧͙⁺ . *･༓☾ . ܁₊ ⊹ . ܁ ܁ . ⊹ ₊ ܁. ☽༓･* . ⁺‧͙ .
Date: August 1st
Diagon Alley, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Interacting with: @Esme Hestridge
Nico was happily skipping next to their parents, hugging their brand new books. They never particularly cared about shopping, but this time everything felt foreign, in a good way. Nico was just bustling with excitement at the thought of getting their wand and robes, which was supposed to be their next stop.
Supposed to be.
That’s because they saw it. The bright purple facade caught Nico’s attention right away, but even more so was the moving statue with the typical magician top hat - one that Nico always wanted to have. They quickly realised it’s a store, judging by the displays in the windows, but what displays they were! An abundance of moving figures, boxes full of candy, and bottles releasing brightly coloured clouds of fumes. They watched what looked like siblings leave the building, the older boy holding an open box of one of the pink candies, laughing at the younger one, who was crying and hiccupping bubbles of the same hue. Before the door closed behind them, a few tiny sparkles got outside just to fly higher into the sky and burst into fireworks right above the statue.
Nico’s mom suddenly seemed very interested in the parchment store across the street. Their dad picked up on it and focused his eyes on some point far ahead.
Neither strategy worked, for Nico jumped in front of them and started tugging on their mother’s hand. “Mom? Mom? Can we go in? Please it will just be for a minute, I promise I’ll be good, I beg-”
Nico was usually quite passive, but they had their moments and this was one of them. Rachel however was feeling sick in this busy, unfamiliar place, so she didn’t share her child’s enthusiasm. “Nico, we’re not here for fun. We need to get your school supplies and leave,” she said, stressing the last word. “Just looking at this shop gives me a headache.”
“Pleasee,” they whined, stretching the last syllable, “I can go in alone! Besides, in a place like this I might meet people from my school!”
Rachel threw her husband a pained expression. Phillip was torn. On one hand, he wanted to support her, but seeing the sparkles of excitement in Nico’s eyes truly melted his heart. He let out a sigh which turned into a groan. “Honey, I think Nico’s right. In a place like this they’re sure to be in good hands, this clearly caters to kids. I think it will be fine.” He did not even finish before he felt small arms wrap around him. It was decided - Nico would get up to an hour in Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, while their parents had tea in a nearby cafe. Before they could finish setting up the rules, Nico bolted inside.
Entering Weasley’s felt like being transported into a whole other realm. It was magical, in every sense of the word. Sure, Diagon Alley was a bit unusual in of itself, but after a bit you get used to its general aesthetic. This shop however was so far removed from anything outside, you truly couldn’t compare it. The second you stepped through the door all of your senses would get blasted with various stimuli - it is not recommended to go there if you’re sensitive to anything, really. It was full of chatter and cheerful music coming from seemingly every direction. It was difficult to focus on one thing, because every corner had something moving, flashing or sparkling. Even your nose wouldn’t be spared, especially if you found yourself next to the Dungbombs, or the various perfumes in the WonderWitch area - even if those were nicer, the mix was enough to make your head spin. On top of that, you had to be careful not to accidentally get hit by any self juggling balls, or people testing out enchanted snowballs on their friends.
Nico was having the time of their life. Finally being surrounded by kids their age, they felt comfortable for the first time today, despite all the noise. They were currently standing in front of a shelf and trying to decide whether they’d get more use of Exploding Snap or unstoppable fireworks. They had a limited budget, so while initially they picked up every other item they saw until they were carrying a neat stack of boxes, they soon realised it’s best to put some of the things away. They couldn’t make up their mind, every section had tons of trinkets that would’ve surely increased Nico’s quality of life. The only part they didn’t care about was the whole love potion stand, but even then they stopped to admire the phials of glowing liquids.
If there was enough room, they would’ve surely started running around to make sure they saw everything there was to see, and tried all of the kinds of sweets there were available for tasting. Halfway through the store though, they noticed something in the corner - a small sign that said “Muggle Magic Tricks”. Could it be that this place had something specifically for them? They headed in its direction.
This section was nowhere near as crowded as the main area, and therefore much quieter. The small shelf seemed to be mostly untouched, the boxes a bit dusty. It did not look like they needed to be restocked fairly often. The products themselves were things Nico was more familiar with, decks of (not exploding) cards, handkerchiefs and all that. It felt strange to see something so regular in a place they were completely unaccustomed to. Nico picked up one of the decks and started unconsciously flourishing them. Usually it was a bit tricky to do with brand new cards, but these laid in their hands perfectly. It reminded them a bit of home.
They were caught completely off guard when they realised they were not actually alone. They were so focused on the shelf that they didn’t notice a light-haired figure standing to the side. The girl looked like she could be around Nico’s age, which would normally make them feel comfortable enough to chat, but this time Nico got a bad feeling. They got the impression that she was displeasured, but they couldn't tell for sure. Curiosity got the best of them though. Surely it can’t be because of them - and besides, they should really start making friends in this world they were going to be a part of from now on. A little chat couldn’t hurt. “Hi! This place is great, isn’t it? I’m Nico. I’m going to Hogwarts this year,” they said, coming up to the girl with a smile.
. ‧͙⁺ . *･༓☾ . ܁₊ ⊹ . ܁ ܁ . ⊹ ₊ ܁. ☽༓･* . ⁺‧͙ .
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ability: charmer
sta 3 eva 9 str 3 wis 6 arc 6 acc 8
Paradise (exceptions apply)
| E | ✧  ✧location. weasley's wizard wheezes. date. 1st of august, late morning. mentions. @Nico Dawson.  Esme had been, more or less, excited for all of the stops on the Hestridges’ shopping list. Of course, most of them were on it because of necessity — there was no better Diagon Alley book store than Flourish and Blotts, no tailor better suited to Hogwarts’ uniform standards than Madam Malkin’s, and of course, there was not one better wandmaker in London than Ollivanders’. Her father would have had his opinions on Potage’s Cauldron Shop, sure, but overall, their shopping trip there proved fruitful. Esme had nothing bad to say of Diagon Alley, both now and during any of her prior trips. Really, there was only one shop that she had not been keen on going into, and it was the one she now stood in front of with her mother. Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. The storefront was an offensively bright shade of purple, and the exterior was decorated with a giant statue of a wizard lifting a top hat. Esme wasn’t sure if it was coming from the outside or from the clients already inside, but the entire area around the shop seemed noisy — laughter and chatter felt audibly louder, even if she could not prove it. She halfway expected carnival music to start playing the moment she entered. Esme’s father, Thomas, had gotten out of the downright discordant environment before they even approached the shop, with an excuse of having to grab some more money from Gringott’s, “trusting” Esme and Eleonora to figure out the matter of getting the rememberall on their own. At that moment, Esme found she envied him, and mentally cursed herself for not clinging and asking if she could go with him instead. To one side, a group of teenagers were threatening each other with enchanted snowballs. Esme only watched briefly, but was fortunate (questionable) enough to catch right as, predictably, one of the boys got too eager, and the snowball hit his friend square in the face. The group quickly laughed only for a moment before reality hit and they huddled together to try and work out who would pay for the merchandise they just unwittingly used. Turning away from the (definitely) unfortunate group, she bumped into a giggling gaggle of tweens; a few girls no more than two years older than her were discussing all the potential uses they could come up with for extendable ears, paying no mind to the fact they stood in the middle of the walkway and were barely letting people pass. Wherever Esme turned was a different sensory nightmare. She could feel a headache coming on annoyingly quickly: they'd barely took two steps, and she was already feeling all the stimuli getting to her. This place was loaded with a cacophony of bright colors, music, and a dizziness inducing array of different scents, and she refused to wait until her displeasure got even more serious to try and find a break from it all. Esme turned to her mother and barely muttered something about going to look for the rememberall in another section before shuffling off; still perfectly postured, but distinctly quicker now, desperate to find a slightly quieter spot. A specific spot towards the back of the store caught her eye — the wall there was lined with shelves of wizarding chess sets and some other items labeled “muggle magic tricks”. Esme made a beeline for it, naturally. The sight of the familiar black and white checkered pattern brought her some moment of reprieve, and it seemed not many people cared for muggle tricks, leaving this part of the store… well, not empty, per se, but far less crowded than anywhere else she saw. Having found her refuge there, Esme took to inspecting the chess sets on the shelves. To her disappointment, though certainly not to her surprise, she found they were decidedly not as high quality as the one she had at home. The packaging was glossy blue cardboard, and with a slight movement, she could hear the pieces rattle inside. The contents felt lighter than what she was used to — though not like she could have high expectations, given she could be sure they were definitely cheaper as well. Still, she lingered; this place was the only place in this store Esme could actually hear her own thoughts, and she wasn’t keen on letting go of that quite yet. Besides, her mother had seen where she went, and would be sure to get her when the time came. Esme’s (relative) peace was disrupted when she turned her head to the site and was met with someone approaching. For a moment, she thought she was safe to ignore the stranger, but she very quickly heard them speaking, and after another split second, it was all too clear they were addressing her. “This place is great, isn’t it?” She almost choked her own reply, blinking momentarily as they continued to speak. “I’m Nico. I’m going to Hogwarts this year.” She took another few moments to analyse the figure in front of her. Skinny, a bit below average height, meaning Esme found herself looking slightly down from her own rather tall stature to meet their eyes. Nico, as they had introduced themself so very unceremoniously, had messy black hair that fell in their face — not that they seemed to mind at the moment, judging by the optimistic grin that split their face. For whatever it was worth, it looked as if their comment about Weasley’s being great was painfully sincere. Esme straightened her back, giving them a tight smile; overenthusiastic as they seemed, there was no reason to be rude — especially to a future classmate. “Hello,” she cleared her throat. She waited for them to extend her hand, as it would have been customary according to all her beloved rules of etiquette, but quickly realized they were not going for the gesture; she relieved them of the duty and offered her own, instead. “My name is Esme. I’ll be attending Hogwarts, come fall, too.” “Are you also here to do your school supply shopping, then?” She added politely.  wc. 1015 notes. none. ✧✦✧ |
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| alluring.___ability.___ability. ability.___ability.___ability. |
xxxxxxxxx | xxx | stamina. 5__evasion. 4__strength. 2 wisdom. 7__arc power. 5__accuracy. 7 |
Paradise (exceptions apply)
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
Interacting with: @Esme Hestridge
Nico clumsily shook the girl’s hand. She was way more dignified than them to say the least. Her inflection and choice of words made her sound like an adult, but Nico was simply glad that she was also indeed a Hogwarts student. Even so, they suddenly felt a bit unseemly in her presence. Regardless of whether any deeper feelings come with it, if a remarkably pretty girl with impeccable manners greets you in such a graceful way, it’s pretty natural to wish to impress her to some degree. Especially if she may end up being your future classmate.
They straightened their posture and slightly raised their chin in an attempt to match her formal attitude which must have looked a tad uncanny considering they were still, well, them - with messy hair and jeans which clearly showed signs of wear. While they had to focus on staying upright, such things must have come naturally to Esme, whose pristine attire along with perfectly maintained platinum hair and an almost regal expression suggested coming from a background much unfamiliar to Nico. For a second they wondered if she actually was a noble, or perhaps an elf from the movies their cousin liked. Either way, they at least tried to appear more presentable as she spoke further. “Are you also here to do your school supply shopping, then?”
As the words left her lips, whatever front Nico was trying to put on cracked and shattered instantly. “What?! There are school supplies to get here of all places?” They threw her an exasperated look and started frantically digging through all their pockets to find the supply list they’ve been checking every two minutes today, before finally pulling it out, creased and wrinkled from being shoved into a back pocket when they first ran into the store. They struggled to unfold the sheet before scouring the text. There it was, between the more obvious items like the wand or a cauldron, a mysterious remembrall did in fact have a note suggesting it could be found at Weasley’s. At this point they had the list memorised, so how could’ve they forgotten? Their grip on the paper tightened as they stared at it.
Earlier, Esme tried to mask her displeasure with a smile, but an observant viewer would’ve noticed that as polite as she was, she did not give off the feeling of being too impressed by Nico’s display of disarray. At least now, with the supply list in hand, it became more obvious how a person as elegant as her found herself in this particular establishment, and it did not seem to be for the same reason as Nico.
They looked up at her with eyes that a nice person would describe as endearing, but an objective one would call pathetic. “I got some pocket money for personal shopping… I didn’t realise the remem-something could be here! I was just excited to enter this place,” they uttered with shame, and hesitantly placed the playing cards they've been messing with earlier back in their box on the shelf. With the sudden mandatory expense they’d have to calculate what they could buy all over again, as convincing their mother to give them more funds and let them go back would be a near-impossible endeavour.
Still, Nico seldom felt embarrassed. They came off as shy when speaking with adults, yes, but that was rather an issue of lack of understanding - grown ups were much harder to please after all. Nico always felt judged or graded like in school, which did not bring good memories as they weren’t the best student. If asked, Nico’s teachers would say they liked the distracted but overall good kid, but of course, they had no way of knowing that and instead stayed convinced all grown ups were scary. With their peers however, moments of true shame were few and far between, but this was one of them. Nico sincerely wished to leave a good impression on the elegant girl but so far, they did not have much hope of salvaging their image.
They looked at the paper again and let out a sigh which contained more emotion behind it than just the distress caused by the missing supplies. There wasn’t much they could do now, so they decided to focus on the main issue which was obtaining the object, so of course they’d ask someone who was more knowledgeable about the state of affairs than them. “Sorry Esme, have you by any chance found the remembrall yet? And is there anything else I forgot about?"
wc: 762
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ability: charmer
sta 3 eva 9 str 3 wis 6 arc 6 acc 8
Paradise (exceptions apply)
| E | ✧ ✧mentions. @Nico Dawson. Nico shook Esme’s hand; their hands were either shaking from nerves or genuinely vibrating from excitement. Esme was inclined to believe it was the latter: even as they straightened their posture and raised their chin slightly, their expression betrayed just how enthusiastic they were. It could be endearing, perhaps. In Esme’s current state, however, it was just a little… much, so to say. Especially since they weren’t able to keep their manners up for long. The moment she so much as mentioned school supplies, they were shocked — eyes widening, jaw coming to a slight drop. She halfway expected to see them genuinely start jumping up in glee, though the way immediately went searching through their pockets was similarly frantic. Esme took a slight step back, for fear they’d suddenly start flaying their arms around. Nothing she would have done in a more… organized setting, sure, but she had a feeling they wouldn’t notice the few centimetres of movement, preoccupied as they were with fishing a crumpled piece of paper out of their pocket. “Yes,” still trying to be helpful, she offered, “the remembrall is sold here.” She bit her tongue, opting not to add unfortunately to the end of the sentence, not wanting to cause any offense to the clearly far more enthusiastic Nico. She waited, politely, as Nico stared down the unfolded piece of paper intently, the only sign of her impatience at the other child’s, ah, demeanour and lack of organisation was the slight tapping of her foot. Her gaze soon drifted away; not necessarily to allow them to take care of their school business uninterrupted, mostly caused by plain boredom. The chess boards she had been looking at were the most obvious kind of cheap, but the checkerboard pattern held some sort of familiarity, and the designs the figures had weren’t half bad, either. Of course, they would have looked better carved into ivory or a rich mahogany grain, rather than the current plastic molds they were made with, but in a shop like this, you probably couldn’t be too picky. “I didn’t realise the remem-something could be here! I was just excited to enter this place,” Nico spoke, and Esme’s attention returned to them. Their expression was pitiful — they had gone from overly excited to deeply sad, even embarrassed. She couldn’t quite understand why; well, she could have, if not for their demeanour up to this point. Being in this place was deeply humiliating for her, but it did not seem the same for Nico. “Right, yes,” she replied, almost on instinct. “I got that. You mean the rememberall,” she provided, enunciating as clear as she could. Her tone did not hold any judgement, exactly; or, well, not any more judgement than it had held for the entirety of this short conversation. Esme really did not care much for making Nico feel bad about themselves, annoyed and overstimulated as she was. “Like… remember all, just without the ‘e’, and said as one word. Since it's a memory device. Um, this little glass ball that fills up with red smoke whenever you forget something. They do come in handy,” she conceded, hoping that came off more genuine and helpful, though she was unsure if Nico would particularly care or even pick up on her tone. They seemed far more preoccupied with looking around Weasley's like it was paradise — and they’d just been kicked out through the pearly gates, no longer having enough to get… whatever they were getting. Esme hadn’t cared enough to pay attention. It was back on the shelves, now, anyway. Still, they piped back up again — it was like watching a spin top in action, never quite falling before tumbling right back up. They now seemed somewhere between embarrassed and still trying to make a good impression; not as much as they did at the beginning of the conversation, sure, but their tone once again turned polite rather than entirely sullen, posture less deflated than it was mere seconds ago. Frankly, their resolve, if nothing else, was admirable. “Sorry Esme, have you by any chance found the remembrall yet? And is there anything else I forgot about?" Esme shook her head. “I'm afraid not, no,” she replied, glancing out to the rest of the room. Weasley's remained colorful and loud as ever, and she could feel her distaste multiplying as she considered having to go back out there and look for the remembrall once more. The idea of pushing past the crowds of children and teens alike, all giggling amongst themselves about the most inane of pranks… suffice to say, it was not the thing she wanted to do most in life, and that was putting it mildly. “My mother is currently helping me look for it. I just wanted to have a look at the chess sets in the meantime.” she added. She didn’t know how to reply to Nico’s second question immediately — she had absolutely no knowledge of their current state of affairs, beyond the fact they wore clothing she only saw muggles wear in passing before, and very clearly needed a haircut — but finally figured that it couldn’t hurt to try and help again. “Well, there’s nothing besides the remembrall to get from this place, if my memory serves,” Esme said, tone cautious, but polite as ever. She stepped a bit closer and produced her own neatly folded supply list from her pocket. “What other stores have you been in so far?” wc. 917 notes. none. ✧✦✧ |
H |
| alluring.___ability.___ability. ability.___ability.___ability. |
xxxxxxxxx | xxx | stamina. 5__evasion. 4__strength. 2 wisdom. 7__arc power. 5__accuracy. 7 |
Paradise (exceptions apply)
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
Interacting with: @Esme Hestridge
Esme’s irritated foot tapping went by without notice as the child was too preoccupied with their own issues, their anxious fidgeting only stopping when the girl spoke further. “Um, this little glass ball that fills up with red smoke whenever you forget something.” Something akin to relief came over Nico as they listened to the explanation. God knows it sounded like the most useful object on the supply list - not that the rest wasn’t handy, but rather that Nico had a suspicion they would end up getting the most use out of this particular thing.
Truth to be told, they weren’t half bad at memorising itself, contrary to what Esme must’ve surely thought of them by now. After all, they had practiced remembering details like the exact position of a card in a deck, or the precise steps needed to fool someone into thinking they can make objects disappear (which come to think of it, they probably wouldn’t need to fake once they get a wand). No, it was simply for times like these, when excitement would forcibly pry their attention away from whatever they were hoping to achieve. It’s as if the world was playing a cruel prank on them, giving them a sharp eye and a talent to take note of small details, and then making it redundant by offering so many distractions at any moment. If only there were potions for that.
They glanced back at Esme. As she stood in front of the chessboards she seemed to be right in her element, the crisp edges of her flawlessly ironed out robes almost aligning with the checkered patterns behind. Not a single hair out of place, and if it was, it must’ve been caused by the chaotic nature of the store rather than her own neglect. It was unlikely that someone like her could truly find the remembrall handy, as she seemed to have everything in order, including her own affairs. Nico almost felt bad that she had to make the trip. Almost, because who wouldn’t want to step into Weasley’s?
Regardless of Nico’s feeling about the object and whether it would prove to be as helpful for the girl as it would for them, both of the kids had to find it now. Or did they? “My mother is currently helping me look for it. I just wanted to have a look at the chess sets in the meantime,” Esme replied, leaving the other unsure of how to proceed. Should they stay in the muggle section until her mother comes back with news, or should they leave her and go look for it on their own?
Before they managed to ask for details, she continued with her answer. “Well, there’s nothing besides the remembrall to get from this place, if my memory serves. What other stores have you been in so far?” she inquired, pulling out her own supply list, with predictably immaculate fold creases. For a second Nico wondered if she also folds her tissues, before internally chuckling as they realised she looks like she uses an expensive embroidered handkerchief instead. They shook those thoughts away and looked at their list preparing to answer. “We first went to Gringotts, and we walked around for a bit to get to know the alley… So far I’ve got my books and the supplies from Potage’s Cauldron Shop. We were on our way to Madam Malkin, and left the wand for the end, as a treat.” They carefully retraced their steps from this morning and made sure they’re mentally checking things off the list.
The sequence of the stores was not random - it had been thoroughly debated with Nico’s parents in order to make the trip as pleasant as possible. The more thrilling things should be planned for the end, so that the child wouldn’t get tired and unmotivated too quickly. They didn’t particularly love going to bookstores, not for school books at least. That always came with dreading the new school year, seeing the stressed parents and fearing the new curriculum, but it had to be done. Hence even if Nico was enthusiastic this time, per tradition they visited Flourish and Blotts first. The curious Potage’s Cauldron Shop came second as they weren’t sure what to expect. The real issue was Madam Malkin - after realising they may need to take measurements and how many pieces they’ll need to try on, Nico, who already hated clothes shopping, dreaded the visit. Ollivander’s was left last, as the most interesting shop and a satisfying end to the trip.
Of course now the trip was extended by an additional stop, and how it went past them was unexplainable. Perhaps their parents planned a visit at Weasley’s but none of them imagined it could be as fun as this, and so it escaped Nico’s mind. But they were here now, and they had things to do. They thought back to Esme’s previous comment. “Um, since you haven't found the remembrall yet, would you like to look for it together? Maybe with the two of us it will be quicker.” They meant to follow the statement up with a polite smile, but with the prospect of exploring the shop in someone’s company, it turned into a cheerful grin. The girl was nothing but nice and helpful to Nico, so they wished to return the sentiment.
wc: 895
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ability: charmer
sta 3 eva 9 str 3 wis 6 arc 6 acc 8
Paradise (exceptions apply)
| E | ✧ ✧mentions. @Nico Dawson. Esme listened, politely nodding along. There was something captivating to Nico’s unerring enthusiasm; the unabashed joy they seemed to hold at the mere prospect of being in a place that made Esme want to tear her own hair out. The way they spoke, too — whatever could be said of their perhaps a little overwhelming demeanour could not be remarked on when it came to the way they recounted their day at Diagon Alley. They did not miss details, and though Esme personally preferred to express herself with a bit more calm, she would not feel it unfair to call them decently articulate. “Well, with Weasley’s, that does seem to be all the places you need to go,” she confirmed. Then, in spite of her overstimulation and overall annoyance at the bright shop, beckoned by whatever sort of charm Nico seemed to possess once actually conversed with, Esme added, “My family is leaving Ollivander’s until the end, too. This is our last stop before we go there, actually.” She sighed, taking another glance around Weasley’s. The words prompted a moment of reflection for Esme. Her own day had been pleasant, really, outside of the downright staggeringly loud and colorful Weasley’s. They had gone to Potage’s, first: only fitting, considering the family trade in Potions, with the added benefit of allowing Esme’s father to be a snob about the standards of potion brewing equipment. Then, Flourish and Blotts, where her mother got to shine, happy about all the new arrivals in foreign languages that had made their way to the quaint bookshop. Afterwards, they haunted Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions — though Esme, unbeknownst to her parents, did take a quick detour and try to wander down Knockturn Alley. Try being the key word there — she was stopped by Maisie, a second year. Perhaps that was for the better, too; upon further consideration, Esme did end up deciding it seemed rather dirty and uninteresting. When Nico asked if she would like to look for the Remembrall together, she paused. It was not something she would usually be inclined to do: frankly, she had intended to sit with the chess sets until her mom let her know she found what was needed and they could finally leave. Now, though, considering the alright day behind her, and the admittedly quite nice Nico in front of her, Esme was feeling amenable. And though she believed wholeheartedly in her mother and her ability to find the rememberall, she supposed it would go quicker if Esme was, well, actually helping — and so would be Nico. She doubted their ability to curb their enthusiasm for long, but an extra pair of hands is still an extra pair of hands, however shaky. “Very well,” Esme finally agreed, offering a polite, subtle smile to Nico. “I am sure it will go faster, yes.” She pushed herself away from the chess sets with one last glance, and only mild longing written on her face — they were cheap plastic, after all. Nothing to write home about. Without much of a direction, she picked one at random, assuming Nico would follow as she wandered out back into the main shop floor. The area closest to muggle tricks & chess sets turned out to be pranks, and, a little further down, games; not something Esme would have ever cared for on her own. The shelves were currently being gawked at by mostly older tweens and teens — the group of boys Esme saw when she first entered were gone now, but it seemed homing snowballs were an ever popular item, even in the dead of summer. Perhaps it could have been a very roundabout way of cooling oneself, she supposed — though she suspected it was more than likely just a way of chucking ice at your friends even in the August heat. Games, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes also had plenty of. These Esme could count herself as more familiar with. Even if no one in her family, immediate or extended, were huge proponents of fanged frisbee, gobstones were a classic for a reason. She had plenty of fond memories of both being absolutely robbed by her older cousins and the more recent ones of finally winning some of her collection back; the first time she won against her grandpa was a year or so ago now, and Esme felt some childish amount of pride at finally having done so. Her eye was caught by the sets of Exploding Snap. Usually, the sets she saw were uninspired — especially in a place like this. The cards were meant to, well, explode, so having them be too ornate or decorative was an expense shops did not care for making; hence, Esme did not care for them in return. However superficial, she liked pretty things: a gleaming set of glass and marble gobstones was usually a lot more appealing to her than cheap card stock with cheaper ink to decorate it. These sets, however, seemed to be different than the usual make: two variants, one blue with silver edges, and one green with golden. The colors held a subtle, almost iridescent pattern, and the edges shined under the store's bright lights, captivating her attention. Esme picked up the blue and silver set with passive curiosity, idly turning it around in her hands. wc. 890 notes. none. ✧✦✧ |
H |
| alluring.___ability.___ability. ability.___ability.___ability. |
xxxxxxxxx | xxx | stamina. 5__evasion. 4__strength. 2 wisdom. 7__arc power. 5__accuracy. 7 |