The amazing talking doll (tag Shinohara and Makenzie) on Crotalus Commons

Araceli Arbon

January 08, 2015 7:48 AM

The amazing talking doll (tag Shinohara and Makenzie) by Araceli Arbon

She stepped into the Common Room, keeping her eyes focussed ahead, trying to look relaxed. She was just returning to the Crotalus Common Room. A place she knew. A place she had already spent a year. There was no need to seem overly excited, even though she was tingling at the thought of it. She sat for the head of house speech, finally letting her eyes rove over the room whilst people’s attention was directed elsewhere. She drank it in. The rich reds and silvers made her feel warm inside as she considered the possibility of spending long, sociable evenings chatting by the fire, mixing with Careys, Brockerts, and all sorts of other proper people. There were the Princeton boys too, who seemed to have a habit of starting rumours about themselves but she still couldn’t help but be curious about them. She had been known to all of them before but not a part of this. But now she was. She could belong.

She was almost tempted to stay but she thought that most people would not be inclined to linger around after a long day travelling and a long evening eating. She waited for the main rush to go and then headed to the stairs, checking it was quiet as she took a little sip from the bottle in her pocket.

Getting a first year at the Opening Feast had been a nice way of easing into things. It was dipping a toe in to test the water. Now it was time to take the plunge. To interact with people who had met her before, who had ideas about what that meant… Her performance at dinner had not been flawless and she couldn’t let go of the fact that she had hesitated when giving her year, however fractionally. She had to do this perfectly.

She walked into the room marked for second years, and over to the bed at the foot of which sat the trunk that she recognised. She took a deep breath, knowing that putting off the moment when she did this would only make it worse.

“Good evening,” she intoned, her voice soft but…. existant. Araceli had got good at one thing in first year, and that was avoiding people and the situations in which she would not be able to escape speaking with them. Even when she hadn’t managed that, she had just floundered and failed. She had communicated on very rare occasions, as best she could, through little notes - mostly thanks and apologies - but her room-mates had never heard her voice. She swallowed, waiting for their reaction and trying not to cast her eyes over the possessions around her bed. It so strongly resembled the paraphernalia of first year, though the robes were a little bigger, and she had a few personal supplies stashed in a hidden compartment of the trunk. There was nothing there that should not have been, yet the picture was off somehow…. It lacked symmetry and completeness. She wondered how long it would take one of the girls to realise that it was not something that was there that should not have been but the fact that something, or someone, was missing. Throughout her first year, Araceli had had one close friend. Outside of class, you rarely saw one without the other. It was true, she had tried to cross paths with her room-mates as little as possible, so perhaps it was something they hadn’t picked up on. She supposed it depended how much they had watched and observed her. That was something she couldn’t really know and factor into her calculations on how to behave now. The unknown variable worried her. As did the possibility that they might wonder why Honey, her beloved Maine Coone, wasn’t with her.

13 Araceli Arbon The amazing talking doll (tag Shinohara and Makenzie) 290 Araceli Arbon 1 5

Makenzie Newell

January 09, 2015 2:12 AM

Here comes the stunned audience by Makenzie Newell

In a funny way, being back at Sonora did not feel the same. Something about no longer being the bottom of the hierarchy provided Makenzie with an altered outlook; no one, at least in her experience, had ever been outwardly hostile when interacting with first years, but nonetheless, the knowledge of one’s status as the bottom could affect one’s self-esteem a bit, and she found it rather relieving to no longer be in that situation. Indeed, she much preferred this new status as a second-year student. With it came a broader sense of belonging and the opportunity to see what she had been: the nervous, scurrying, colorful kids rushing off to begin their new adventure. But now Makenzie knew what her adventure held, and in a funny way, being back at Sonora felt… right.

So for the second time, the redhead moved into her dormitory. She supposed she could unpack later--or even have House Elves do it for her, really--but after the feast, she really had nothing else to be doing, so she proceeded posthaste to transfer her things from trunks and bags to drawers and closet. And she did it by hand, because at this point in Makenzie’s magical education, it was probably actually faster to do it this way than taking the time to cast Wingardium Leviosa on every item she brought along.

She barely minded what company appeared. Uzume and Araceli lived here too, so it was only natural that they should enter as well. Makenzie happened to like both of her roommates, though her personal interactions with them had been a bit scarce, so she did not have quite the deep connection she had hoped for. She spoke to Uzume on a somewhat regular basis, but Araceli had proven a very different story. In fact, Makenzie was unsure if Araceli was even capable of speech after the year of silence she had endured. Despite this, she felt attached to the other Crotalus; something about Araceli--and not just the silence--vaguely suggested something fragile about the girl, and Makenzie felt inclined to protect her as best she could.This was, in fact, the reason that she had done very little at the ball; most of her time had been spent observing her roommate and Olivier Westley, whom she did not particularly trust with Araceli. (Of course, Makenzie did not particularly trust any boy with her.)

With her back to the entrance, Makenzie hung up her dresses and blouses, idly humming a quiet tune to pass the time. Much to her surprise, an unfamiliar voice sounded behind her, offering a soft, “Good evening.” She turned around expecting a first year who had wandered into the wrong room, but the person she found, while the voice was foreign, was an easily identified figure: Araceli.

At first, Makenzie simply blinked. “Oh, uh, yes. Good evening to you too,” she fumbled, abnormally flustered thanks to this abnormal occurrence. She was traditionally a rather eloquent speaker, at least for a twelve year old, but she was caught so off-guard that her usual ease had evaporated. “Did you, uh… Did you just speak?” She hated to be blunt, but her incredulousness seemed to take precedence over manners. (Today seemed to already be a day of wildly fantastical events.) “You... seem different. I guess, uh, you had a nice summer, then?” Her green eyes subtly searched for back up, confirmation that she was not making a big deal out of nothing she anticipated to find in the form of Uzume, who, since Makenzie had not been paying too much attention, may or may not have been in the room.

12 Makenzie Newell Here comes the stunned audience 291 Makenzie Newell 0 5

Araceli

January 09, 2015 4:59 AM

Playing my part by Araceli

For a moment, all was calm and serene. Makenzie was only half listening, her attention on the clothes she was unpacking. But the voice caught her, whirled her around. However soft it was, however bland the words it had uttered, Makenzie’s full, fierce attention was on her now.

“Yes,” she said softly, when Makenzie asked whether she had spoken. She didn’t need to fake the shy glance down at the floor, her cheeks turning a little red as she did so. It was a question she had been very thoroughly prepared for but she still felt very awkward answering it, especially to a real person, and not just for practise. Father had said that a little awkwardness was good though. They wanted people to think she was just adjusting naturally. She needed to blush, to be coy, to be intimidated and worried. All these things were good. But, she wondered, what if they simply did not believe her? It was something she had not voiced to Father. Failure, as had been so harshly demonstrated, was not an option. “I… I practised a lot. Over summer. Building my confidence,” she explained. Hopefully the shorter, simpler and more hesitant it was, the more convincing it would be. And perhaps, pleased for her with her new found voice, her room-mates would not be inclined to probe too much. They would be happy for happiness and not wish to disrupt it. She was still a fragile little creature, whom too many frightening questions might scare back inside her shell, and no good person would want to be the cause of that.

“How was your summer?” she asked, hoping that her answer sufficed for both Makenzie’s lines of questioning. She certainly didn’t wish to dwell any longer on the differences her room-mate could see.

13 Araceli Playing my part 290 Araceli 0 5

Uzume Shinohara

January 13, 2015 3:58 AM

I too am trying my hand at acting. by Uzume Shinohara

As expected, Uzume had spent much of her vacation toning any skills that had fallen out of use during her time in America- in between dance lessons of course. The scrolls she used to practice with at Sonora were a great help to learning the forms, but now with the completion of her first year of magic training she would finally reap the fruits of her labor. The first week she had gotten back to Japan, she had been presented her Shoshinsha mahou-tsukai no sensu*. It was an intimate ceremony; Uzu performed her skills, both dance and magical in front of the women of the house hold, and after a critiquing from her mother’s former sensei, she was deemed worthy of moving up in rank. However with such an honor, meant more difficult lessons. Spells would now be incorporated into the dances, and with the choreography not getting any easier she would need to work even harder to be the best. Despite this, she surprisingly looked forward to the upcoming challenge, now that her skills were finally on par with the other dancers her age, even if her footwork was a little sloppy.

Uzume sat on her bed, studying the level 12 dance scroll. Just because she was a second year didn’t mean she could be skipping her morning practices. She carefully studied the moving figures, all the while listening half-heartedly to the rustling of fabric accompanied by a soft hum from Makenzie. Although she wasn’t sure what the tune was, the relaxed atmosphere was enough to make the corners of the dancer’s mouth turn up in a smile. The calm before the storm she hypothesized. However it wasn’t long before her grin disappeared, figuratively slapped off her face by the blonde Crotali. Uzume almost couldn’t believe her own ears for a moment, and quickly peered up from her scroll. Eyes locked on the girl whom had finally found her voice.

Before deciding if she should jump into the…fun, Uzume listened attentively to the idle conversation, examining both parties from her place on the bed. Makenzie’s bluntness only served to entertain Uzume. She admired that her roommate wasn’t going to let Araceli get away with the fact that she had remained mute for an entire year. As for the girl in question, Uzume could only grow angrier as the discussion continued. Although she knew more than anyone how much a person could change in one summer, this was just too good to be true. The idea of a fragile girl like Araceli being on her level of inner strength was not even laughable it was just sickening. Uzume could feel her chest tighten, accompanied by an animalistic rage akin to a dog baring it’s teeth. However, one would have never known just how annoyed she felt in that instance, as the only reaction she allowed herself was the upward movement of her left eyebrow.

Suddenly a flash of emerald caught her attention as she noticed Makenzie’s eyes search the room. Taking a short breath she took it as a sign to enter into the conversation. She moved off the bed with the short concise movements that were necessary when wearing a kimono. Although just one year earlier she would have raced to get out of the green robes, a year’s time had made her much more accustom to the binding quality. The tapping of her feet preceded her arrival into the conversation as she walked the little ways from her bed to where her roommates stood.

“Sorry to intrude,” Uzume said in a soft voice. She tried to stand about an equal distance from both girls, hoping to slip naturally into a 'friendly' exchange. Interrogation meant careful consideration of ones placement. “But I would really love to know more about your summer Araceli-chan,” she continued, hoping that by adding a cute suffix like -chan that Araceli would feel less frightened by her sudden questioning.

“Although Makenzie and I still don't know each other that well yet, we still got a year to break the icicle. I would really like to get to know you better too,” she said in a shy manner, while covering her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono, a common action that she had seen her mother do many times before. “After all, we are roommates. You and Makenzie are the first girls I really got to talk to, so I would really love it if we could be close," she said to both girls now.

Hearing her own mouth say such sweet words made her sick to her stomach, resulting in an authentic shy smile that she hoped would quell any suspicions her roommates had about her intentions. Even though she didn’t completely realize it herself, her words did bare a certain amount of truth to them. For the most part she thought girls were petty and annoying, but she found Makenzie oddly tolerable, so much so that she had begun to actually enjoy her presence. Then there was Araceli who… puzzled her. Not necessarily in a bad way, nor a good way. She just puzzled her. Now that the doll had finally talked though, Uzume hoped that she might be able to get a clearer opinion of the girl.

OOC:
*A novice mahou-tsukai dancer's folding fan.

0 Uzume Shinohara I too am trying my hand at acting. 292 Uzume Shinohara 0 5

Makenzie

January 13, 2015 11:59 AM

What talented roommates I have! by Makenzie

OOC: As a warning, I typed this on my iPod, so if there are any weird or bothersome typos, that's why.

BIC:
She just couldn't believe it. After a year (likely her whole life) of silence, all of a sudden, Araceli not only spoke but actually sought a conversation. It all seemed very strange; Makenzie had a lot if expectations and hopes for the upcoming year, but she had not even imagined this in her wildest dreams. Yet here it was. Happening. In reality. She just... couldn't believe it.

The slightly hesitated response hardly clarified anything. Just one summer - a single season - to reverse such clearly deep-rooted problems? It seemed impossible. Personally, Makenzie tended to be a bit of a chatterbox, so she had no idea how Araceli had even remained silent that long to begin with, but she had. For whatever reason, it was different now. Such a dramatic reversal was simply mind-boggling to even hypothesize; Makenzie didn't think an entire year could teach her to be quiet, let alone one summer, and she figured it had to be rather similar to do the opposite. But despite all the questions and issues she had with the story, the redhead could not come up with any kind of more likely explanation. Plus, Araceli really had no discernible reason to lie to her, so she had no choice but to accept her version of this borderline miracle.

Fortunately, she didn't have to reply just yet: "Sorry to intrude. Makenzie smiled. Uzume would, she hoped, find a way to inquire politely the things Makenzie didn't know how to say. And without fail, Uzume did just that, expressing interest in more details about Araceli's summer while mentioning how she and Makenzie had more prior opportunity to befriend one another and maybe they could all get closer now.

Makenzie found herself nodding along as her roommate spoke, and when Uzume finished, she quickly and merrily added her own input. "I think that sounds lovely!" She cheerily stated. "Maybe this will be the year we all become great friends. What do you say, Araceli?" She liked being able to finally know what Araceli thought. Before, the only thing she knew for sure was that Araceli had liked the necklace she gave her for Christmas, and that was only because she was fairly confident she had seen her water it. But now they could all talk and truly bond. Makenzie was so glad to have such nice, sincere roommates!

12 Makenzie What talented roommates I have! 291 Makenzie 0 5

Araceli

January 17, 2015 2:32 AM

Enough about me, let's talk about you by Araceli

Araceli-chan. She wracked her brain trying to work out whether that was something she was supposed to understand the meaning of. She was sure it hadn’t been mentioned, been used before, and so she concluded that she was not. She decided not to question it right now, as she would sooner deflect the focus away from herself. Shinohara’s further questions made her deeply uncomfortable, though her comments did remind her that she, so far, knew her very little. That was one advantage, she supposed. She just had to play her…. abilities. Her shyness, her speech right. The actual content… People knew so little to start with, that she could say almost anything and it wouldn’t matter. The way of speaking was, for a time, going to be more important than the content, and that took some of the pressure off. Of course, it was better to stick to facts, so that she didn’t forget and contradict herself, but she could be more or less anyone she wanted and no one would be any the wiser.

“Yes, I would like that very much,” she replied softly, giving bot girls a hesitant smile when they asked about being friends. She thought about apologising for the previous year but she still struggled with knowing how to explain that.

“My summer wasn’t really that interesting,” she said, pulling her knees up and resting her head so that the curtain of blonde hair swung forward in a way very reminiscent of her first year self. She was allowed to still be that sometimes, and hopefully bringing it out now would make Shino back the hell off. The girl’s question was borderline rude, she felt. If she actually thought about it, Shino could probably make some pretty good educated guesses at the types of thing that might have been involved in this transformation... Medical professionals, psychology, speech therapy, life-style coaches teaching her confidence and assertiveness. Pharmaceuticals… All were reasonable guesses, but those subjects were somewhat taboo. No one was supposed to admit to needing that kind of help, and here Shino was, trying to stick her nose into what was clearly private and personal matters. Her question essentially amounted to ‘please give me a detailed account of your medical and psychological problem and its treatment.’

“I’m sure you summers were much more interesting. Did you go back to Japan?” she asked Shino, “I'd love to here what it's like there."

13 Araceli Enough about me, let's talk about you 290 Araceli 0 5