Food for the Soul PV Gem Stuart Complete

@Emerly Pine

Gem had barely even woken up, and he already knew today was going to feel long.

He'd maneuvered his way around, clacking up a message to his mam on his typewriter, folding it up nice and neat before stuffing it into an envelope. He signed his name on the back, all that, and kept it in his back pocket for the next time he'd get to the owlery. He decided at the last moment that he'd go on over to breakfast today instead of huddling up in his room, dragging his feet along the rooms, saying his hello's and goodbye's to anyone he knew. Out the common room, hopping around the moving staircases, and through the small hall he went.

There was nothing out of the ordinary, it seemed. Just... wandering around, smiling and waving at the portrait's lingering gazes, sweeping past people, all of it was just like any other day at Hogwarts. He'd just made it to the very front of the Great Hall when someone had stepped up to him right at the same time.

"Oop- sorreh-"
"Go 'head."
He took the time to look up, a young boy with hair about the same length as his, only fluffier, piercing grey eyes, and... a tear, rolling down one of his cheeks. One tear turned to two, and then they were pooling in, one after the other-- shite, should he ask why? He furrowed his eyebrows, all concerned like an overbearing mother, so much so that he very discreetly gestured to a corner so they weren't blocking anyone's way. He didn't know how much weight he was carrying, if he asked right there, he could've just broken down in front of an entire hallway of students. Not ideal.

"Hey, mate, you all right?" He spoke barely above a whisper, just so they wouldn't bring any attention to themselves. He knew the very last thing any teenager wanted was for people to notice they were carrying any emotional burden. This... Slytherin was likely no different, poor thing.

Maybe a lot of fellows his age, especially Slytherins, would try his absolute best to avoid any semblance of weakness, cover his face and lash out at being questioned by a stranger, or run away to an abandoned place to beat himself up for not being stone-faced having let something like this happen. If others did that, fine, he'd done the same every now and again. However, Emerly remembered as he followed the person's gesture and stepped back out of the way it shouldn't be like that. Maybe if he'd given himself more time to stop and think about how he was feeling, he could have dealt with it all earlier so it wouldn't have escalated so quickly and manifested at such an odd time.
He raised a hand to his head, gazing off at the floor and the passing feet. He'd been busy, so very busy in trying to step in with the motions of the new school he seldom paid attention to how this sudden, dramatic change had effected his psyche.
"Hey, mate, you all right?"
He abruptly looked up, surprised. He'd almost forgot he had company. His sight still swam a little, and his voice sounded like he had a cold, but he managed to smile genuinely despite the downpour, discerning a kind-looking face peering out from under furrowed brows, "No, I don't think so." The smile dissipated as quick as it had arrived. He looked away again, oblivious that he'd switched the book in his hands, and that like the tears, three four-leafed clovers slipped out from its pages and onto the ground by his feet.

@Emerly Pine

There were millions of reasons to start crying out of nowhere, Gem had been guilty of doing exactly that every once in a while. Humid teenage mediocracy coming out in the form of regular breakdowns, he knew the feeling all too well. He wanted to come up with reasons that he'd been crying for, rejection, something feeling missing, or just because-- but that hadn't become his business until now, if it even really was.

He wished he hadn't seen him smile, it just made it even sadder. Gem was never one to act out of pity, but he couldn't help it right now. This boy looked... sad, depressed as hell, even. That smile, while moderately genuine, was just sad. The honesty was refreshing, though. He'd give him that.

"Wull... if ya want to, I can grab some food from e' Great Hall and we can sit out here an' talk it out, small therapy session, so it's all quiet n' no one eavesdrops, how's that sound? Uh- I'm Gem, by th' way. Gem Stuart." He held a warm, welcoming hand out, a sympathetic smile making its way on his lips. He didn't know a damn thing about this kid, but he knew himself well enough to know that this was right. Kindness was always the right route (it was corny, but he lived by that), whether it be for self gain like his father often did, or out of the mere kindness of one's heart, like Leland. This was definitely the right decision. He almost didn't notice the little clover that fell out of his book - how quaint, unique. He hadn't ever seen one before, not until now.

He bent down, picked it up and held it between his pointer and thumb, observing it carefully.

"This is... wicked, where'd ya get this from? I've never seen one before."

He sniffed, watching the Ravenclaw with a growing sense of unease. He recalled his uncle's warnings to look out for Pure-bloods. A lot of the time you couldn't tell what a student was unless you asked. Though he tried to stuff it all down as nothing more than scare tactics- a part of him remained stubbornly closed-off. He raised his eyebrows at the swarthy, good-natured individual's invitation.
"I... I don't shake hands." he stammered, raising his eyes from the one that was presented to him. His gaze turned a little frosty and he raised his chin ever so slightly, as if he could make up for the barely-noticeable height difference between them. Against his better angels, he gave a small grimace- why was he doing that? Was he trying to convince everyone that all Slytherins were unfeeling snobs? Wasn't he trying to do the exact opposite?
Whatever it was, the facade quickly crumbled away like a sandcastle swept by rouge wave. His frantic gaze darted from the clover in the slightly taller boy's hand and back to his book. He flipped it open. Finding it devoid of his collection he slapped it shut and backed up. He pushed hair behind one of his ears distractedly, scanning the ground, turning, and finally darting down to pick up another clover. Try as he might, he searched frantically for the last one- the first one, the largest- it was gone.
He got up, so utterly disappointed he resembled that famous Muggle meme of a frowning cat, "I... got that one you're holding after I arrived here. You could probably find one too, if you... if you looked hard enough..." His tone betrayed his regret at losing one of the clovers he'd brought to his grandmother. He inhaled, "Anyway, even I know when to throw in the towel. Thank you, I could do with some food right now as well." he put his hand on his hip and raised another to pinch the bridge of his nose, "If only they allowed computers, phones, and radios in Hogwarts... it's alright if they don't but a little music always helped me calm down. Your name's cool, by the way. Your parents must have really liked you to have named you after a precious stone."

@Emerly Pine

Gem was getting loads of mixed signals from this kid, all that trouble, and he hadn’t even told him his name. He felt his face fall a bit, some semblance of confusion making its way on his expression... what in the goddamn hell was he talking about? Phones and computers? He’d heard of them, sure, but he never actually used one. This kid was a muggleborn, no doubt in his mind for that.

“...Your name's cool, by the way. Your parents must have really liked you to have named you after a precious stone.”

Gem tried not to crinkle his face up. He very desperately wanted to lie, say he was absolutely correct about that, that he was deeply appreciated by his parents and that they’d named him after a pretty ole’ stone, but that just wasn’t the case, and it showed.

“Ehm, ha. Actually, it’s cos’ of the band Oasis? Gem Archer, me dad’s a big fan. Did you say music?” He didn’t feel like telling his new friend that his parents were embarrassingly good at neglecting him, instead scratching the side of his head, handing the clover back over to his new friend. “I’ll- actually, wait here. Joost wait here, I’ll go get us some food. And somefin’ else. Don’t go anywhere.” And he was rushing to the great hall, snatching up as much food as he could without being questioned. He was walking out with a very generous amount of food from the Ravenclaw table by the time he got back, all wrapped up in a napkin.

He sat right next to his new friend, setting the food in front of them. He watched his expression closely, hoping to gain some kind of trust in doing that. He seemed... really unnerved, suspicious. He decided a good antidote to the lingering tension would be music, as the young Slytherin forementioned he was a fan of.

“Um, well... I have a radio- a wireless one, if that does anythin’ for you? Wot kinda music do ya like, huh? ‘N if ya don’t mind me askin’, what’s yer name?” While he spoke, he reached into his sweater to pull out a wireless radio, and though the speaker was grainy, it worked. Lucky him, he supposed. “I don’t have anythin’ to play muggle music wiv, not yet, but... you might find somethin’ good... I wish they’d find ways to charm muggle items, or... somethin’ like that, but not yet...”

After nodding, Emerly looked behind him and, realizing they had been standing by a sort of ornamental tufted bench pushed up against the gilded portrait-strewed walls, slowly lowered himself onto it to take a seat, placing the other clover in his book and setting it on his lap.
He looked around, wondering if he would return. Less and less students were meandering toward the Great Hall, and Emerly's attentions were affixed to the beautiful, glimmering chandelier reflecting light off the fireplace when the Ravenclaw made his second appearance, smuggling spoils of his raid like a jumble of treasure on a napkin in front of them. Emerly looked at it all as it were exactly that, and turned with surprise and delight when he mentioned and pulled out the radio.
"Wow! So they have them here too?" his smile froze and he and quietly turned a questioning eye to the raided breakfast, then at the other boy, as if to wonder if it was allowed to eat there. He eventually shrugged it off. He smiled again, this time as if he had forgotten what had made him upset, "I'm Emerly Pine. My pa's pretty into music as well. So long as it's good I don't mind. Ma's an artist, painter- but they both need to put food on the table, so...." Emerly had suspicions that the Ravenclaw was aware he was at least some degree Muggle- but since the fellow seemed so interested in the latter's music he figured it wouldn't matter so much. He seemed trustworthy. "I'm more interested in what your favorite bands and music are. You can play them if you'd like, if they're on." looking thoughtful, he added, "Thank you for bringing the food, checking up me, everything. I feel a lot better. Probably will a lot more soon, a good song or a well-played instrument can do a lot for a person. Do you play anything, by any chance?" He slightly inclined his head toward the static, and straightened, "I can have some of this, right? I'll be quick, I hope I'm not keeping you from anything." he inquired at the food.

@Emerly Pine

So it did work, bringing all those offerings to uplift Emerly's mood. He nodded, taking a muffin from the Food Napkin while he messed with the radio, looking for any sort of station his dad or Leland may have mentioned once or twice that played music worth listening to. He listened while Emerly spoke, multitasking with his finger on the knob, his ears searching for a catchy melody and his pal's voice.

"Music I like, hm... vereh general," He chewed the inside of his cheek, brows furrowing in concentration. "Well, I like... rock, anyfin' wiv guitars in it. Some American muggle music, old Fall Out Boy, 'er the Garden, Nirvana, even, but I'm quite British so me favorite band is probably Blur. I love Blur, their music gets me goin', no doubt about that." His face lifted when he finally got a good station on - the Smiths, probably another favorite of his. He set the radio down in front of the two of them, taking the very last bite of what used to be a muffin.

"Go fer it, it's joost us, feastin' like kings." He waved at the food, his eyes twinkling a bit at the idea of Emerly possibly playing an instrument. "I do! I play e' guitar, and the piano, an' I sing! Me dad is in a band, they're called the Revolvers? Pretty popular out in the muggle world, s' far as I know." He'd wondered if Emerly ever heard a song, though he hoped he hadn't-- he was afraid of anyone at this school being a variation of fan of his father's work. The thought in its very own made him mentally shutter. Eugh.

Emerly reached for a few things and nodded as the Ravenclaw listed off a few artists, looking at Gem with a newfound respect when he listed off his musical talents. "No, no I don't think I have, though the name sounds familiar. What kind of music does he play? Maybe my parents have heard of them. I suppose you're a celebrity too, by association."
Eyes narrowing, Emerly held his book close to his chest, holding onto the fragments of some toast. He opened and closed his mouth, and turned to the other side so Gem couldn't see his face, "Speaking of that, I... play the harp mostly... My grandmother taught me, but my father wouldn't have me focus on just that... I don't mind drums either. My pa plays them, or at least tries to, with how busy he is... all I brought along here is my harp, but I stopped playing it lately. I've never stopped to consider if being called a cherub was an insult or a compliment so many times in my life, being an only child can make you take privacy for granted... guess I'll just take it as a compliment." he shrugged, opening the book and holding the clover Gem had held earlier, "By the way, do you want this? You seemed to really like it. I can find more. I was upset I just lost one of them earlier, but for all I know someone found it and it brightened their day. They say these four-leafed clovers are supposed to be symbolic of good fortune. Guess it's better I don't keep it all to myself, as a thanks for all the good fortune I've had just now, listening to good music, food from the Ravenclaw table!" he quirked a smile at Gem and looked back at the book, "You don't have to take it if you don't want to. I guess they are a bit of trouble, having to keep them pressed in books and all that."

@Emerly Pine

The harp. Golly, he hadn't heard of that instrument outside of movies or representations of heaven - they always seemed like the string version of a piano. And the drums. Hm, he'd heard of bands that had a guitarist and a drummer before, he felt like it could work. Christ be, he'd just met the kid and he was already planning on how to make their relationship musically-driven. Maybe he could get his dad to send a drum set... compelling.

His eyes trailed up towards the clover Emerly had offered, his eyes getting all big. He took it gently, marveling over it for a moment. He didn't know where to put it quite yet, so he ripped a corner off of the napkin and kept it safely tucked in there. He didn't know a thing about pressing flowers, he just knew it looked nice sometimes, if you did it right, anyway.

"Thank you! Ehm, I'll take the very best care ov it I can, promise. And not a problem, mate. You seem like a jolly ole' time, I wos just a bit worried, was all." He smiled gratefully, reaching over to grab a strawberry, nibbling on the very end like a squirrel. "Wot kinda music do you listen to, at least?" All of these questions really alluded to a one final one, which he was a bit nervous to push on him so suddenly. He liked his company so far, he didn't see any red flags or nothing he should look out for. He was reasonably suspicious of students that were raised around wizardry, but that seemed like any muggle-born that was new to the game.