Well, it was nice while it lasted. on Cascade Hall

Headmaster Brockert

July 27, 2018 9:25 PM

Opening Feast by Headmaster Brockert

So far the year was off to a decent start. No student altercations, no complaining parents and they even had a solution to their Quidditch "problem". (As far as Mortimer was concerned, there was no problem, as he didn't consider Quidditch all that important but others disagreed including his own son Eustace, but Eustace's opinion didn't matter one whit as far as Sonora went. He didn't even have a child here. Unfortunately, people whose opinion mattered more also cared but as long as he didn't have to do anything with it and nobody was forced into playing, it was okay with him.)

In other news, he had not one but two granddaughters attending Sonora this year and thus as the first years were brought in, he surveyed them with a bit more curiosity. They had better treat his granddaughters with the respect and decency that befitted them. Actually, Mortimer wasn't all that worried about Topaz, she could take care of herself but Allegra was an awfully jumpy child.

Once everyone seemed to be in attendance, Mortimer placed a Sonorus charm on himself and began to speak. "Welcome to Sonora for the new first years and welcome back for all older students. First years, you should have recieved a blank badge at the end of Orientation." At least they hadn't gotten it when they first got there, some were liable to lose it. "You will dunk the badge in the Sorting Potion and it will turn the color representing your house which are blue for Aladren, yellow for Teppenpaw, red for Crotalus, and brown for Pecari. Afterwards, you may join your house table." He noted where Topaz and Allegra were sorted with pleasure.

After the first years had been settled, Mortimer continued."Would Joseph Umland and Nevaeh Reed please come up and get your Head Student badges?" He couldn't help but be displeased with the former's new badge. Hopefully Mr. Umland had worked on his anger issues within the last few years " In addition I'd like to call up Emerald Brockert, Kir McLeod, Victor Callhan and Isaac Song to recieve their prefect badges. Congratulations." His face beamed with pride as Emerald took her spot on the stage along with her classmates and recieved her badge.

"We have two new staff members to announce tonight. Professor Brooding will be taking over Potions and Coach Reilly will be taking over for Quidditch. I trust you will all treat them with the respect they deserve." Blatant lie, he didn't expect teenagers to be respectful one little bit, but let that be a warning to them. " I am pleased," Another blatant lie, he couldn't care less, "to announce that this year instead of each house having it's own Quidditch team, as we've had trouble with that within the last few years, that we will instead be having an All Star Team, made up of the best Quidditch players in the school that will be playing against teams from other schools. More details will be posted in your common rooms.

"In addition, this year's Midsummer Event will be the Fair. Details on that will also be posted in later in the year. Now we will sing the school song." Yet another blatant lie. They would be singing the song, not him. Lyric sheets were passed around and the song began.

Every day we strive
Learning to survive
Life’s hardships and to solve its mystery.
Learning to defend
Our honour and our friends,
Flying high to meet our destiny
We will stand and face those who want to harm us.
We won’t let the world transfigure, jinx or charm us
I won’t fight alone, as long as you are with me.
Sonora be my home, my tutor and my spirit
Vasita quoque floeat; Even the desert blooms. .

That done, he dug into his steak and bourbon.

Subthreads:

Well, it was nice while it lasted. by Evelyn Stones with Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Harper's Quest III: A Welcomed Escape by Gary Harper with Amelia Layne

What's the point? by Julius Astley, Crotalus with Cleo James

Let's try this socializing thing again. by Katerina Vorontsov with Dorian Montoir

Is it too late? by Tabitha Hawthorne with Mary Brooding

I think we should be friends [Tag Zevalyn] by Ness McLeod with Zevalyn

All back to not as before. by Grayson Wright with Tarquin Fox-Reynolds

It's an outrage (tag Ben) by Kyte Collindale with Ben Pierce

Of brides and bribery, mostly. by Tatiana Vorontsova

The wanderer returns by Jehan Callahan with Heinrich Hexenmeister

Get out clauses (tag Joe) by Kir McLeod with Joe Umland

11 Headmaster Brockert Opening Feast 6 Headmaster Brockert 1 5

Evelyn Stones

July 27, 2018 10:24 PM

Well, it was nice while it lasted. by Evelyn Stones

From the cauldron of potion to her seat at the Pecari table, Evelyn could hardly breathe. It had taken her a long time to start the walk and it wasn't until someone-- she didn't even see who-- reminded her in a quiet whisper that that damning brown badge meant she was a Pecari now did she start that journey. She wondered at the metaphor in that.

The world had seemed so small before Sonora and so impossible once she'd arrived. For a moment, she'd made a friend and found a flicker of potential in this place and, if she was honest, in this whole magic world. Now that she was placed in Pecari, a House about which she knew nothing and who's reputation and standing in her new friend's eyes was unknown, she felt like she had sunk back into darkness. She supposed she should call the student 'Ness' and not 'my friend,' because she didn't really know whether Ness would want to be friends with a brown-badged table-traitor.

Oh how she longed to sit beside the other Alandrens and know that everything was going to be fine. Instead, she sat at a table full of unfamiliar faces, except a first-year she had seen in the gardens, and did her best to hold back her tears as she listened to Headmaster Brockert finish his speech.

The hall erupted into song and Evelyn realized she actually was teary-eyed when she couldn't see the song lyrics on the sheet in front of her through the blur in her eyes. What a disaster.

Food appeared but she hardly found herself hungry anymore. How terrible that even the best things in life could have all their goodness sucked out by one lousy potion. She liked potions, usually, but this one had done her a great disservice. And what did a potion know about her personality or her potential anyway? Stupid potion.

She was thinking these things when she noticed the student beside her looking at her. Sighing and taking a small piece of roast from the dish in front of her, she hoped this might make the person look away. When it didn't, she snapped.

"What do you want?" she demanded, glaring at the student. She hoped that her orange lipstick frightened them, that her white hair was a mess, and that her green eyes were rimmed with red as tears threatened to appear there. She hoped she looked terrible and that they would leave her alone. She also knew that she was too old to be a first year, but small, and that she likely wouldn't look frightening even if she wanted to.

She sighed again. "I'm sorry," she muttered, looking back at her food. "I didn't mean to snap at you. Why are you looking at me like that, though?"

22 Evelyn Stones Well, it was nice while it lasted. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 7:29 AM

The way I see it, it's only just begun. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi had had no preference in terms of houses when he walked into the hall for the sorting and subsequent feast. His only hope that the house that he did end up in was with people who were friendly, nice and had a sense of humour or his trick-playing would be very dull indeed. Malikhi was not cruel and didn't want to upset anyone with his pranks. They were designed to make people laugh but nothing was worse if it backfired and he ended up causing misery instead. So, when his name was called, he strode confidently up to the Sorting Potion and dunked his badge in with no hesitation. Upon pulling it out, the badge had changed to brown and with a smile, he meandered over to the Pecari table.

He was pleased when the speech wasn't a long one. He wanted nothing more than to pile his plate high of delicious food and dig in and he was happy when it seemed that the Headmaster either wanted to do the same or the man was considerate enough of the students whose stomachs were rumbling. He took part in the song, though his voice was somewhat off-key and he didn't really know how fast he should sing despite having the words but he tried nonetheless. When that was over, he was happy to start helping himself to some delicious looking chicken breast, mashed potatoes and, to Malikhi's utter delight, Yorkshire pudding.

He was just about to start eating when he noticed something out the corner of his eye. Or rather, someone. With wide eyes, he realised that he recognised her - after all, who could forget the bright orange lipstick she wore? However, unlike at orientation when she had seemed cheerful, chatting to her friend, she now looked miserable. Malikhi was very confused. They'd only just sat down. What on earth could possibly be upsetting her?

He jumped when she suddenly snapped at him, obviously having caught him staring at her. If he had needed any further confirmation that the girl was upset, he had it in the watery bloodshot eyes and the snarl of her lips. He was rather alarmed. He didn't deal very well with people who were upset and he wasn't entirely sure what the problem was.

After a moment, she seemed to recede and had muttered an apology to him. Was this what all girls were like here in America? If that was so, Malikhi felt that he would either end up treading on eggshells around them or avoiding them altogether. They seemed rather scary.

"I, uh," his voice came out awkward and a little squeaky and he blushed. He was ashamed at having been caught staring. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I noticed that you seemed upset. I want to know why. So, why are you upset?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari The way I see it, it's only just begun. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 28, 2018 11:59 AM

Is everybody here...nice? by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn stared back at the boy with nerves drawn into his expression. His reply had surprised her and she could feel her brain processing this information, slowly, as if it weren't willing to accept that it had been wrong beforehand. She had come to Sonora quite convinced that she would be the laughing stock of the school and certainly not friend material for any respectable student. Her schema was changing, though, and she was embarrassed to have been so rude before.

"I'm so sorry," Evelyn replied, practically just a chirp. "I'm sorry, I really thought you were picking on me. I'm so nervous, and I think I'm being a brat about it."

She took a moment to wipe her face with the sleeve of her robe, grateful to find only tears and no snot or anything there. She was careful not to smear her lipstick.

"I didn't expect to get Pecari," Evelyn admitted to the boy. "And I was hoping to be sorted with my friend, because I don't have any other ones and that seemed like it would be nice."

The boy had a plate of food in front of him and seemed eager to get started on his first-year. She recognized him from orientation but hadn't caught his name. Again though, anyone who liked food that much had to be worth at least one conversation.

"My name is Evelyn," she said. "And I'm really really sorry I snapped at you."

22 Evelyn Stones Is everybody here...nice? 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 12:13 PM

Well, I don't know about everyone... but I think I am? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi was absolutely convinced that girls were some kind of different species to his own gender. The girl next to him had done a complete u-turn in her emotions and had now managed to compose herself and perk herself up. It was bizarre and Malikhi wondered if girl's emotions were some kind of magical force all of their own. When she explained that she was sad because she didn't get sorted with her only friend, he sort of understood but, at the same time, he didn't. Couldn't she just make new friends?

"Okay," he began, before putting some delicious creamy mashed potato in his mouth and swallowing. God, it was delicious. "I'm sure that being sorted with your friend would have been nice but the way I see it? Getting sorted into a different house is kind of good as well because you can make more friends which is a good thing."

He turned his eyes back to her, searching her face nervously for any more tears. He was a bit wary of her and didn't want her to burst into tears again. When he didn't find any trace of any, he let out a relieved sigh and gave her a broad grin instead. "If you want, I'll be your friend!"

For other people, making friends might not have been that easy but, for Malikhi, it truly was. It was just as simple as saying 'I like you, let's be friends'. He didn't understand why people had to complicate things.

He finally had a name to a face when she introduced herself as Evelyn and received another apology. He waved a dismissive hand about her apology and then stuck it out for a handshake. "I'm Malikhi. Malikhi Hill and now, you have another friend!"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Well, I don't know about everyone... but I think I am? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 28, 2018 12:28 PM

I really don't know if I am, but I'll try! by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn smiled and copied her new friend by shoveling mashed potatoes and roast onto her plate. She did cast one furtive glance around the room to see if she could spot Ness at the Alandren table, but only spent a moment. In that moment, she decided firmly that she would still be friends with Ness, and that she wasn't going to let fear rule her here. Of course, the prospect of living fearlessly sounded terrifying.

"I like your perspective, Malikhi," she replied, doing her best to copy his pronunciation. He'd been nice to her, the least she could do was say his name correctly.

Evelyn wasn't convinced that he was being friendly because he wanted to be friends, and couldn't push aside the worry that he was just trying to make her stop crying, but decided not to dwell on it. The food was delicious and she maybe had two friends now.

"Are you excited to be here?" she asked, glad to finally have an answer she was comfortable with if he returned the question. "You're excited for food at least!"

She took several large bites, surprised at how hungry she was after having eaten so much in the gardens just a little while before.

"This is amazing," she groaned. Salad, corn, roast mushrooms, and an assortment of other goods found their way to her plate. She hoped she wasn't too disgusting, consuming such quantities at once, but anyone who was as excited about a feast as Malikhi seemed unlikely to judge her.

Taking a breath, she sat back enough to see his face comfortably, and waited for his answer.

22 Evelyn Stones I really don't know if I am, but I'll try! 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 1:20 PM

Trying is all that anyone asks for. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi was amused by Evelyn. She seemed to be rather eccentric, not that he hadn't already guessed that when he'd seen her in the gardens with the bright orange lipstick. He felt that on anyone else, the colour would be an awful choice but, for some reason, the vivid colour seemed to suit her. Now that she'd calmed down, he felt a lot more relaxed and was more than happy to shovel food into his mouth at the same pace she was. He was pleased to have met a girl who seemed to love food as much as he did, seeing as most of the girls he'd met (though, he had to admit, that hadn't been many), seemed reluctant to eat an entire sandwich.

"I'm excited," he managed to get out, in between bites and he agreed with her assessment of the food. It was indeed incredibly delicious. "I can't wait for dessert! I hope they have profiteroles and ice cream!"

He helped himself to some more Yorkshire pudding with another ladel full of gravy and decided to slow down on the eating front, if only so he and Evelyn could actually hold a proper conversation. Otherwise, what was the point of having made a friend if you subsequently don't talk to them?

"I'm looking forward to Charms lessons, I think," he elaborated on his answer. "And Potions. I think they could be really helpful for, uh, some future plans of mine if you get my meaning."

A grin spread on his face, this one having a mischievous quality to it and he sent her a conspiratorial wink. Then, he chuckled and had another forkful of mashed potato. "What about you? What are you looking forward to?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Trying is all that anyone asks for. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones, Pecari

July 28, 2018 1:47 PM

That's not true, sometimes they ask for halfsies. by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

Dessert sounded wonderful. "I'm a sucker for brownies. Honestly, a good brownie is totally unbeatable. But I'd take profiteroles and ice cream, too!" Evelyn admitted.

She smiled, doing her best to match Malikhi's pace with the meal. At least he didn't seem grossed out or anything. Quite the opposite in fact. His gravy and Yorkshire puddings looked amazing though, so she took some for herself from the cornucopia in front of them.

Then the question turned, as it tended to, to magic. Evelyn stifled a groan. Although she was interested in why he was so eager to learn these things and what his future plans might be.

"Your future plans sound dastardly," she said, noting his grin and wink. It would've been hard to miss those clues.

She thought for a moment, images of climbing trees and picking out the brightest socks she could find, smearing on the most intense lipstick available running through her head. Perhaps being dastardly with a new friend would be fun.

"I'll tell you, but I want in on your plans," she said eagerly, leaning towards him. "I'm lousy with spells," the admission didn't hurt so much now somehow, "but I'm great with potions and herbology and I want to help."

She realized then, that he'd actually asked her a question. "I'm most looking forward to meals, to friends, and to practical magic," she said.

22 Evelyn Stones, Pecari That's not true, sometimes they ask for halfsies. 1422 Evelyn Stones, Pecari 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 2:07 PM

I'll share mine, if you share yours... by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi agreed enthusiastically with Evelyn. Anything that even remotely involved chocolate was delicious - profiteroles, brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate biscuits, chocolate mousse... Oh, he was now daydreaming about dessert and he hadn't even finished the main course. He was getting ahead of himself and, to bring him back into the present, had a mouthful of delicious, succulent chicken breast. How did they make this food so good? And addictive? Malikhi was willing to bet there was some kind of magic involved. It seemed like a reasonable thought. He'd seen his mother use magic when cooking a meal at home and wondered idly if magic indeed had a flavour... If he put his wand near his mouth and inhaled a spell, what would it taste of? He voiced these particular musings to Evelyn to get her thoughts on the matter.

He was surprised when she said she wanted to take part in his future, trouble-making endeavours. That had not been something he'd expected and he blinked, the surprise evident on his face. The thought was interesting though. He'd never had a sidekick or a partner to help in such instances. He grinned widely at the thought. With someone to help, he could make trouble on a grander, more explosive scale. That'd be awesome.

What did confuse him, though, was that she thought she was lousy at spells. They hadn't even started classes yet and she was already making assumptions about her magical ability when they hadn't even learned anything. He knew a few small spells, things that his mother had taught him when he'd first got his wand but apart from that, he knew very little else. For all they knew, he could be rubbish at both Charms and Potions and that'd be the end of his magical prank-pulling dreams forever!

In the end, he decided not to quiz her on it, in case it set her off into a fresh round of tears so, instead, he stuck out his hand and grinned widely. "I officially call us partners-in-crime!"

After that, she told him that she was looking forward to meals, friends and learning practical magic. He quite agreed with her and told her so. After all, she was already experiencing delicious food and had already made two friends so he'd call that a success so far. As for the practical magic, well, they'd just have to see how the lessons would go. Hopefully, they'd be able to sit together.

"Hey," he nudged her gently. "In classes, would you maybe want to sit together?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari I'll share mine, if you share yours... 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 28, 2018 3:14 PM

That sounds fair. by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn wrinkled her nose at the thought of tasting a spell, but decided the idea wasn't the worst she'd heard. She still preferred to let Malikhi try it first, though.

He looked so excited that she'd be interested in his shenanigans and Evelyn couldn't pretend it wasn't exciting. He seemed like a good person to hang around for some entertainment, though, and was probably a genuinely nice person as well.

He didn't comment on her assertion that her spellcasting was weak, which she appreciated, and his question about sitting in classes together made her smile.

"How do classes work?" she asked, feeling celebratory and shoveling yet more food onto her plate. She thought then of liquids and poured herself a massive cup of juice, downed it, and poured another. "Do we take them by year or by House or both?"

She thought of Ness and was surprised to find a knot of guilt in her stomach. She'd like to sit with Ness, but wanted to be friends with this boy, too. She wondered how well that would work. She'd never had one friend to worry about, let alone two.

"I'd love to sit with you," she said after a moment. "It'd be nice to have a friend in class, and I suspect you'll keep classes interesting at least."

She winked back. She suspected it was awkward looking, but didn't worry too much about that. She was more worried about Ness, but she was sure that Ness could join them. That's why she had two sides! One for Malikhi, and one for Ness. She hoped.

22 Evelyn Stones That sounds fair. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 3:45 PM

Fair exchange is no robbery. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi copied Evelyn in her drink-pouring and helped himself to something that was purple and also fizzy and, when he tasted it, was delicious and sweet. He'd made a good choice, it seemed, as it was the perfect accompaniment to his meal. He clinked his goblet against hers to toast to their new friendship and new adventure that was beginning at Sonora and with a grin, drank some more.

"From what I read in the folders we received at orientation, classes are separated into three groups, depending on year. So, there's the Beginners, that's us and the second year and then years three, four and five are the Intermediates and then the Advanced classes are for years six and seven," he explained, pleased with himself that he did actually remember something from the green folders they received. "I think it's because Sonora's not exactly a big school, so it's easier to just group us all together. I think it's good though. You have more opportunities to make friends and, uh, pull a few tricks as well."

He let out a bark of laughter which was quite loud and perhaps attracted more attention than Malikhi had intended but he wasn't perturbed by it. He just grinned at a few of the people who'd turned to look before helping himself to some parsnips and carrots. His mother would scold him if he didn't eat his vegetables as well as everything else he packed away in the bottomless pit he had for a stomach.

He was pleased to hear that she'd like to sit with him as it guaranteed that he was with someone that he definitely got along with and Evelyn was very nice, despite the awkward teary meeting they had earlier. Malikhi just hoped that he could keep her smiling for a long time to come.

"What do you think of the teachers?" he asked, turning his eyes to the front of the hall where they were all seated. "The Headmaster seems kind of grumpy but the rest all look okay. I think Professor Wright was alright but I hope some of them are a bit more interesting than him, no offence to the guy. What about you?"

OOC note - Speaking of teachers, I've set up an OF thread for Mary and Tabitha as discussed :)

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Fair exchange is no robbery. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones, Pecari

July 28, 2018 6:31 PM

Robbery is definitely robbery though by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

Evelyn had forgotten entirely about their green folders, and sort of wondered if she'd even opened hers yet. At any rate, she wasn't sure where she'd put it. She grinned sheepishly, and gratefully, at Malikhi. "I'm glad you know that," she said.

Evelyn liked the way he laughed; he was comfortable in his own skin and comfortable around her, which naturally put her at ease. Really, the whole thing was an incredible experience. As she relaxed, she got to enjoy more of the beauty of the hall around them and the sheer amazement that filled her from eating what she was eating, talking to whom she was talking, and experiencing Sonora as a whole.

Malikhi was easy to talk to and she felt doubly awful for snapping at someone so nice. At the same time, she supposed he should see her angry, feisty side if they were going to have any real sort of friendship. She eyed him for eating his vegetables and decided she would get back into caring about health and whatnot tomorrow. Today was for feeling less like she was dying and carrots always made her feel like dying. Nasty orange turds.

"To be perfectly honest, I like grumpy," she admitted to Malikhi, eyeing the professors with him. "At least you know what he's thinking. It's the nice ones you have to watch out for." She eyed the new professor, Mary, who was happily chatting away to a witch in white.

"Professor Wright seemed nervous or dull or something, but at least he'll make charms a bit less intimidating. I wouldn't want to take that class from anybody real scary, you know?"

Evelyn smirked at the thought of growing up and becoming a professor herself. "I bet Professor Wright has a secret sense of humor. Not saying we should pull anything in his class," she said, winking, "but I suspect he'd only dole out a punishment through laughter."

Malikhi was a good guy, and hadn't yet lectured her about anything. Between him and Ness, everyone at Sonora seemed wonderful. She was sure that wouldn't last, but wanted to bask in it for now.

"Is the purple stuff any good?" she asked, eyeing his drink. "I wonder what they taste like together...." Grabbing a glass and pouring it half full of the purple fizzy stuff, she raised her eyebrows at Malikhi and smirked as she reached for a jug of orange fizzy stuff and poured it on top. The mixture bubbled ferociously and then turned a rotten shade of green. Evelyn grimaced.

"Give me your glass," she said. "I'm not trying this alone."

22 Evelyn Stones, Pecari Robbery is definitely robbery though 1422 Evelyn Stones, Pecari 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 6:51 PM

Well, is a crime a crime if we don't get caught? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi was still focused on the teachers, listening with half an ear to Evelyn. He rather agreed with her assessment of Professor Wright. Maybe the man did have a secret sense of humour that would take something spectacular to draw out? Malikhi thought that they would have to start coming up with something to pull in class to test the theory. Maybe not against the teacher himself as that truly was a risky move but something...

He turned the idea over in his head some more but, deciding to leave it for now, he turned his full attention back to Evelyn, who now appeared to be curiously staring at the drinks. Before he had a chance to answer her question in regards to his own purple drink, she was busy mixing purple with orange and creating something that looked awfully like snot and then demanding his own goblet.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, he offered it and she filled it up and his own drink had now turned the same shade of snot green. He pulled a face at it and swirled it around his goblet. It seemed to have turned kind of thick and sludgy. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Evelyn.

"We're so going to regret this," he told her but the grin on his face expressed that he was still willing to risk it. "On three? One... two... three!"

He downed his drink and the reaction to it was instantaneous. He started spluttering and coughing. The mixture was vile and tasted something rather like bananas that had gone bad along with sour, rotting grapes. Not helping his own situation, he started laughing which only made his coughing fit worse. Well, if they didn't attract attention before, they sure did now. He offered his goblet to Evelyn.

"Fancy any more?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Well, is a crime a crime if we don't get caught? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 28, 2018 7:04 PM

I don't think that's how criminal justice works by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn was too grateful to find that Malikhi had also drank his nastiness-- rather than pretending and laughing at her when she drank it herself-- to notice right away how terrible it was. It was the sort of texture you'd expect brownie batter to be, and nobody wants to drink brownie batter by itself. She hated to compare it to something so delicious, either, as she might have believed it had come out of the business end of a Devil's Snare.

"Merlin's saggy bottom," she choked. "That's the foulest thing I've ever tasted."

She laughed, pushing his proffered seconds away. "No way," she said. "But I'll bet you a chocolate frog you won't drink the rest without throwing up."

Evelyn wasn't sure whether she wanted Malikhi to take her up on this challenge because she wanted to see him throw up, or not because she didn't have any chocolate frogs and would have to go about buying one off someone else in order to get him one.

She was surprised at how easy it was to ignore the the other students looking at them, and surprised at how many of their faces showed interest rather than disappointment. Perhaps Pecari wasn't such a bad place to be sorted.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind, and her eyes grew wide with anticipation. "What do you mean it's terrible?" she asked, false innocence dripping from her voice. "It's only soda from lunch, Professor. I was only trying to be nice leaving some on your desk for you."

She grinned at Malikhi, proud to have come up with something dastardly, particularly one that pointed towards their rudimentary, albeit accidental potions skills. She wondered if the concoction reacted the way it had because of magic, or simply because the school cooks enjoyed messing with students who got weird about mixing their drinks. It seemed rather odd to do on purpose, considering the popular Muggle drink, 'graveyard,' where all the sodas get mixed up.

"If we each brought a glass of the different ones, then it's just an accidental mix up, right?" she laughed.

22 Evelyn Stones I don't think that's how criminal justice works 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 7:27 PM

How do you know? Are you the police? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi laughed as she refused and put his goblet back on the table, out of reach of anyone else. No one else should be subjected to such foulness. He also turned down her bet. It wasn't that he didn't believe that he could drink it without throwing up because he could, he absolutely could. He just... didn't want to show off in front of everybody. Yeah, that was it. Satisfied that he'd perfectly justified himself to, well, himself, he grinned at Evelyn.

At her implied suggestion that they basically poison one of their teachers, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was dealing with someone just as tricky and mischievously minded as he was. It was just too perfect. A prank having emerged because she'd decided to mess around with some magical drinks. It was just so good.

"You're completely right," he agreed, nodding. "If anyone had to be my pranking partner, I'm glad it was you."

He smiled at her, revealing his teeth (well, except for the couple he'd left at the front). He really quite liked her and was pleased that she'd been sorted into Pecari and that he had as well. He idly wondered what it'd be like if they hadn't met each other. He doubted that he'd have a partner-in-crime so soon. He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts. There was no point thinking like that.

"I'm happy to have met you, Evelyn," he decided to tell her. There was no trace of a smile on his face as he was being completely sincere.

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari How do you know? Are you the police? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 28, 2018 7:38 PM

Yes. Stick 'em up! by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn grinned, satisfied that she had won a hypothetical chocolate frog from Malikhi. He didn't know it, but his friendship was tacit agreement to these sorts of bets. She wouldn't hold it to him just yet though.

"No one HAD to be your pranking partner," she replied, preferring not to be the favorite by default. "But I'm glad to be prime choice."

Held back one full year due to her parents' insistence that it would be good for her, Evelyn was all of twelve years old, practically a woman. Her small build and freckled face meant she could have passed for nine or ten, but in that moment, Evelyn felt all of her twelve years. She thought it odd that she enjoyed Malikhi's smile and his serious face just as much. It seemed that the happy face should be the preferable one.

She thought her name sounded safe in his mouth, which was good. Names should be safe in people's mouths. Mouths are such funny places. All warm. Probably. She wasn't sure. Malikhi's mouth was probably warm.

Blinking hard and trying to pretend she wasn't blushing, Evelyn smiled at her new friend. Friend. Such a safe word in her mouth.

"I'm happy, too," she said. She didn't want to say his name again. She'd said it already, but it seemed different now. She was afraid her teeth would get in the way or her tongue would be in the wrong place.

The whole thing seemed terribly uncomfortable and Evelyn swallowed hard, reaching for the nearest thing to drink. A lump had formed in her throat and she only managed to squeeze out a quick, "So do you play broomsticks? I mean Quidditch?" before swallowing a mouthful of green soda sludge and bursting into another fit of coughing.

It was entirely impossible to turn any more red.

22 Evelyn Stones Yes. Stick 'em up! 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 8:11 PM

Alright, I surrender. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi eyed Evelyn. At eleven years old, he was only just learning about relationships and love. The love like his parents had for each other. Not, he hesitated to add to himself, that he loved Evelyn. No, he merely liked her. She was a new friend and she was nice and she had good ideas for pranks. He liked her and that was it. He just liked her.

He quite liked her eyes though. They were an intense shade of green and incredibly expressive. They completed her face. He paused in his thoughts, wondering where that sentence had come from. 'Completed her face'. Of course they did. You couldn't have an incomplete face, a person with no eyes. That'd be weird and creepy. However, there was something about Evelyn's eyes where they just suited her so perfectly. You could tell how she was feeling just by her eyes. Malikhi found that rather helpful as he was a bit dense and unless the obvious was on display, he was likely to miss it.

She'd just asked him about Quidditch when he realised that she'd pick up his previously discarded goblet of green sludge poison and before he could stop her, she'd taken a drink and was coughing. He thumped her on the back, hoping that would help.

When he thought she'd calmed down again, he moved the goblet away from her and answered her. "I do play Quidditch. I'm a Chaser. I normally followed the England team but they're a bit rubbish. They didn't even qualify in 2014," he muttered sullenly. They were truly awful. "I still support them, though. I mean, it's England. We don't know when we're beaten you see. What about you? Know anything about Quidditch?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Alright, I surrender. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 28, 2018 8:28 PM

What does one do when one has a surrendered boy? by Evelyn Stones

Well if she hadn't said stupid things before, turning the conversation to a subject she was clueless about meant she certainly had now. Her back was sore and her face felt like it was leaking and she wondered if it would be immature to hide under the table.

"Ness wants to be a Chaser, too, I think!" she blurted. "And early iterations of the Quaffle featured straps, as Gripping Charms weren't employed until the late 1800s."

What a stupid thing to say.

"I know a bit about the history," she murmured. "But not so much about what's going on now."

She hadn't thought too much about his accent until he reminded her of his English background, and Evelyn wondered if that was part of his charm. He was precisely the type of person that stood out because of who he decided to be, not because of who he was. That was an important distinction to a girl who was a disappointment but who decided to be a...never-giver-upper.

Stupid.

At least he hadn't made fun of her yet, and that was a good thing.

"Am I allowed to be obnoxious when you play?" she asked. "One of my favorite things to do back home was to go to baseball games and things with my mom, and we'd always dress up in bright colors and tutus and high socks and cheer as loud as possible. Quidditch is much more exciting than baseball, and I'd rather watch you play than like...Derek Jeter or something."

She was rambling again. Why was she rambling again?

Her own voice berated her in her thoughts, insisting she get it together. Malikhi was nice and fun and utterly not worth being stupid about. She sat back in her chair and took a breath through her nose, forcing herself to look calm. She'd managed to almost stuff herself with dinner items and the soda had turned her stomach a bit, so she felt she had a fair excuse to lean away from the magic buffet in front of them.

Lacking confidence didn't mean she needed to lack poise. She'd shown a vulnerable side to Ness, but something about Malikhi brought out the more determined side of her, reminding her how important good friends are. With this in mind, she listened eagerly to Malikhi's response, and remained calm. More than anything, she was just so grateful to have a friend.

Even if that friend was a pretty blonde with a pretty smile. And probably warm.

22 Evelyn Stones What does one do when one has a surrendered boy? 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 8:58 PM

Anything you want. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi blinked and was now rather confused again. She seemed to be kind of upset again and now she was going on about somebody called 'Ness' and the history of Quidditch which, in fairness, he hadn't bothered to learn about. It wasn't like he was ever tested on Quidditch in the 1800s. It was quite funny though that she knew something like that despite not knowing much about the actual game itself. He smiled at her. "We make quite a team then. I can play the game and you can share facts about it. We'll take the Quidditch world by storm."

Then, she was suddenly on about baseball and what she would do when she went to matches with her mother. He had no idea who Derek Jeter was as he wasn't interested in baseball and knew nothing about it. Still, he could help it when his chest swelled with pride when she said that she'd prefer to see him play over whoever this Mr. Jeter was. He grinned widely at the thought of her cheering for him during a match.

"I'd like it if you were cheering for me," he told her. "And it'd be cool if you dressed so bright. I'd be able to see you when on my broom and I could wave to you and everything!"

He was pleased that she wanted to watch him play despite not knowing how good or bad he was. He was still wondering about this 'Ness' person she mentioned earlier and decided the best thing to do was just ask her.

"So, who's Ness?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Anything you want. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 28, 2018 9:15 PM

That's a dangerous promise by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn watched as confusion and...fear? played across Malikhi's face. Of course, she'd probably be scared too if he suddenly started talking about 19th century magic in sports. She wondered whether he had grown up around Muggles, but decided not to push it. He hadn't pushed about her background, she wouldn't push about his.

"Yes," she agreed sarcastically. "Quidditch fans are known for attending games to watch and discuss historical trivia. I can see how I play into this plan."

A smirk danced around her lips and she hoped Malikhi knew she was teasing him.

"You are only allowed to wave if you don't fall off your broom," she said.

The idea of him falling made her nervous, although the idea of dressing in browns and golds or whatever colors and wearing 'Hill' on the back of her shirt like a jersey did make it a little better. She wished Pecari had a more exciting color than brown or gold. She'd either look like a bludger or a snitch.

Evelyn was surprised when Malikhi asked about Ness, and another wave of guilt washed over her. She supposed that Ness was probably doing this same thing at another table, making new friends with new people, and getting to have a good time as well. It wasn't wrong of her to make new friends, was it? They'd only known each other for a bit, and it wasn't like she could only have one friend in the world. Of course, her track record didn't exactly bode well for more than that, but still.

"Ness is the one I was talking to in the gardens at orientation--" Not that I noticed you in the gardens "-- we were eating sandwiches and chatting. Ness got sorted into Alandren." She frowned at the thought. "I thought I'd get sorted with Ness, but didn't. I'm happy about being in Pecari with you, though." She smiled and realized she genuinely meant it.

She thought of how mischievous Ness was, and wondered if her two friends would get along. The thought made her jealous, but she was also glad to know that she could probably talk to Ness about such things as pranks and jokes and not be lectured for it either. She'd managed to find two open-minded friends.

Evelyn thought of the conversation she'd had with Ness before, and fixed Makihli with a careful gaze. "I want all in on your pranks. Our pranks." She chose her words with particular caution. "But I don't want to hurt anybody or be mean. Those aren't the fun sorts of pranks. I don't think you're mean, but I just want you to know where I'm at." She wanted to shrug and look cool and firm. She wanted to look as steadfast as Ness.

Instead, she looked like Evelyn, and Evelyn searched Malikhi's face, worried she'd upset him. Would he think she thought he was mean? Would he turn out to be mean and not want to be friends? Perhaps, if she was lucky, he'd be exactly the sort of playful sod she thought he was, and they could have a great time.

22 Evelyn Stones That's a dangerous promise 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 28, 2018 9:45 PM

Promises are only dangerous if they're broken. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

To Malikhi, it seemed that Evelyn was coming out of her shell and he couldn't help but feel that maybe it was because of him. She was teasing him now about what he thought was a great plan and, knowing that, he grinned at her. She was a lovely person and she was funny too and Malikhi wanted to keep her smiling. After all, that's what friends did, right?

"I promise I won't fall off," he replied and with one finger, drew an 'x' over his heart. "Cross my heart and hope to die... Well, maybe not die."

Dying was definitely a bad thing. Dying would mean that he wouldn't be able to see Evelyn any more and that would just be awful. So, definitely no dying.

When she told him about Ness, he recalled orientation and remembered that she had been sitting with another girl. She had seemed quite nice and cool too. He looked over to the Aladren table and spied her, with her very short hair. Yes, she did indeed look cool. That must've been the friend she'd been upset about not getting sorted with at the start of the feast. For a moment, Malikhi was worried in case she still didn't want to be in Pecari but she calmed his fears saying that she was happy about it. He was happy about it too.

Then, she suddenly got serious and Malikhi panicked when she talked about their pranks hurting people. He didn't want to do that, either! He just wanted to make people laugh and not truly hurt anybody. With wide eyes, his words came out in a panicked rush, "I'd like to work on pranks with you, that'd be great but I don't want to hurt anybody. Not ever!"

His eyes bore into hers, wild and panicked. He had to make her understand that he wasn't a mean person and that it would be lovely and nice if they could work on pranks together and he definitely, absolutely did not want to lose her as a friend.

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Promises are only dangerous if they're broken. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 29, 2018 12:23 AM

I promise to keep my promises by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn searched his face for a moment before nodding to herself. He seemed sincere, but there was only one way to tell.

"Pinkie promise?" she asked.

She thought to demand this, but couldn't bring herself to speak sharply to him. She thought to tell him to do so, but she couldn't bring herself to accept that he might just do it for her. Instead, she asked, wanting to just know what he wanted.

She wanted him to want the same thing, though. Did that make her manipulative or bad? She supposed there was a reason she wasn't a Teppenpaw.

Her insecurities were easy to forget among laughter and sludge soda and a myriad of other oddities and memories, but they came rushing to the forefront of her mind when she remembered how little she had mattered to the wizarding world so far. She hated to imagine that she didn't matter to this one particular wizard.

However, the rational part of her brain knew that wasn't the case. She could see in the worried lines of Malikhi's face that he cared, and she could hear in the nervous rise in his voice that she mattered to him. So why was this all so bloody difficult? And so easy?

He looked so scared and Evelyn worried that she'd done something wrong. That she'd hurt him.

"I don't think you're bad," she said, offering a shy smile. "I just...I know some people don't have a good idea of what's a funny prank and what's not a funny prank. I don't want you to think I want to hurt people either!"

What if he thought she was assuming that because she had some terrible history of hurting people? Ugh.

She nudged him with her elbow, and offered her pinkie out to him again. "Come on," she said. "Partners in crime have to know each other real well, right?"

22 Evelyn Stones I promise to keep my promises 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 29, 2018 7:57 AM

Where does one keep a promise? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi blinked at her when Evelyn stuck out her pinkie for his to link around. It was quite funny, to see her with such a serious expression on her face with her little finger held out expectantly. He hadn't done pinkie swears in years, the last one he ever made being to his mother several years ago when he swore that he did not take cookies from the jar in the kitchen without permission. He hadn't been lying then - it had been his father, sneaking the delicious cookie treats into his office - and he wasn't lying now. He was not a mean person and his pranks were never intended to injure or maim someone. All Malikhi ever wanted to do was laugh and make people laugh. He wanted to do it now. He wanted to make Evelyn smile again, like she had been when they were experimenting with the fizzy juices or when she'd been teasing him about what he still believed was a great Quidditch-world taking over plan... but she wasn't laughing like that. Not at the moment and Malikhi didn't know if it was because she thought that underneath all his smiles and good humour, she thought she saw someone who wasn't very nice. He was starting to doubt his own niceness, something he'd never done before.

Then, he heard her say that she didn't think he was a bad person and he was pleased. Well, no, if he told the truth, he was far more than just pleased. 'Pleased' did not accurately describe the way that the weight of his own doubt, of his own concern that he wasn't a nice person was lifted from his chest or that he felt like he could breathe normally again because Evelyn wasn't about to run screaming out of the hall because he was truly a horrible person and she wasn't. She was still sitting there next to him, still her little pinkie out, waiting for him to make his second promise of the day to her.

He smiled again, but this one was softer, kinder. There was no mischief in it and no hidden plans. He was just Malikhi and she was just Evelyn and they were partners-in-crime, solemnly swearing that their pranks were not created in a bid to hurt anybody. He stuck out his pinkie and wrapped it around hers, sealing the promise together. A stray thought entered his mind that she had very soft skin and that, in comparison with his own hands, her fingers seemed quite small.

They released their pinkies from each other and were quiet for a few moments... It was nice and peaceful, their small bubble of contemplative silence in amongst the rowdiness of the rest of the hall. However, Malikhi being Malikhi couldn't let silence reign for long as he had an idea and turned to her, eyes sparkling bright. He slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer to whisper in her ear...

"What would happen if we put a spell on the mixed juice?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Where does one keep a promise? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 29, 2018 5:18 PM

In the front right pocket. by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn had been right, although she tried not to think about that. As she had guessed, Malikhi was warm.

She'd been thinking of Ness when they were quiet. She'd managed to see through the students and noticed Ness talking to an older student that she could only assume was Ness' brother's girlfriend. That was supposed to have been them both, and she was reminded again that she was fraternizing with a friend she wasn't supposed to have made. But Malikhi was so nice.... She thought they'd get along but wasn't sure, and what if they didn't?

So when Malikhi pinkie promised to be a nice prankster, and his warm hand lingered near hers for just a moment, Evelyn was thinking only of him. And when he let go and they lingered near each other for just a moment, Evelyn was thinking only of herself. She thought that was rather horrible of her.

Before she could sink into the increasingly familiar feeling of guilt, she found more warmth. Or perhaps more warmth found her. There was an arm and a whisper and a question, and Evelyn definitely wasn't paying attention to the last of these. After a moment's thought, though, she got it.

"What kind of spell?" she whispered back, worrying at the thought of doing any magic. She kept her voice light, though, and imagined Malikhi holding a cup of bubbling green soda. The thought made her laugh. "I'd love to see a growing charm or something. Just imagine if it kept getting bigger like some giant, fizzy slug."

She turned her head to look at him, pulling away some to avoid being so close to his face. "Do you know any spells already?"

22 Evelyn Stones In the front right pocket. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 29, 2018 5:44 PM

Not the left? Over the heart? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi quite liked, for a reason that he could neither understand nor explain, having his arm around Evelyn's shoulders. She seemed to fit rather comfortably into his side and she smelled rather nice, kind of like a garden... Well, more specifically, she smelled rather like the flowers that Malikhi knew his mother grew at home. Then, suddenly, Malikhi felt kind of weird that he was basically deliberately smelling Evelyn. Malikhi decided the best thing to do was take his arm away - which he found, he rather didn't want to - so that he didn't do anything else weird.

She'd asked him about spells and Malikhi clocked that she'd need an answer so he cleared his throat, ready to reply.

"My Mum taught me the wand-lighting charm... uh, Lumos and also, how to send up red sparks if I ever got lost or in trouble... I think that's Vermillious. I'm not sure if either would affect our concoction but the wand-lighting charm might be helpful to see if magic tastes of anything though. It's harmless as it's just light."

Malikhi was silent as he pondered both which spell would affect their green sludge and also, his return to the thought of what magic would taste like, if indeed it would taste of anything. Eventually, he decided that the best thing to do was to simply test both theories then and there and he produced his wand from inside the sleeve of his robes and pulled their previously discarded goblet of sludge closer.

He gave Evelyn a slightly nervous glance, partly because he had no idea what would happen and also because he'd never performed magic in front of anyone else but his own mother. He swallowed thickly and pointed his wand at the goblet.

"Well, here goes nothing..." he murmured. He screwed his eyes shut, deciding that it was better not to watch his attempt in case it was truly disastrous. "Vermillious!"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Not the left? Over the heart? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 29, 2018 6:27 PM

Pockets are more practical by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn didn't know she was holding her breath until she wasn't anymore, as Malikhi moved away. She chastised herself, finding this whole thing utterly ridiculous. Day one and she was losing her mind. How was she going to make a friendship work if she turned into a bloody weirdo when Malikhi was around?

The next year, with all its possibilities, suddenly came to mind. Staying up late in the library, nestled between Malikhi and Ness, falling asleep eating brownies in the Common Room with Malikhi... there were too many good memories to make to fall apart now.

Evelyn took a deep breath and watched as various emotions ran across Malikhi's face. She wanted to ask him if she was the only one feeling like she'd lost her mind somewhere between crying over a brown badge and making a new friend, but what if he hadn't? What if she was the only one feeling like a crazy person.

If she was honest with herself, she didn't know what all these feelings meant. She still thought of Ness and their conversation about growing up and marrying people and going to hell in a handbasket. She wondered what she'd like to be, or have. A girlfriend? A boyfriend? Something else?

She didn't want to worry about any of it, and focused on the way Malikhi shot her a nervous glance before scrunching his eyes shut. It was in precisely that moment that Evelyn realized she probably should have stopped him from attempting whatever he was about to--

Boom.

It wasn't particularly loud, nor particularly messy, and Evelyn was sure that it went largely unnoticed in the din of the hall.

The fizzy green sludge had erupted from the glass, evidently forced out by the pressure of red sparks that burst from Malikhi's wand. Evidently he was a fair spellcaster so far, and the explosion sent the contents of the glass onto his face. Apparently, though, exposure to air resulted in the instant gelatinizing of the sludge, as it landed in strings in his hair, on his face, and on his robes.

At first, Evelyn was quiet, watching to see what his reaction would be. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth had fallen open when a surprised gasp escaped. However, before Malikhi had collected himself enough to reply, Evelyn lost it.

It started with giggles, tickling their way out her throat as she leaned away from the mess. Then, as she thought to help Malikhi extricate himself from what was essentially strings of snot, she found that she couldn't even restrain herself to just giggles. Her hands covered her mouth as she laughed, and tears streamed down her face.

Her belly hurt to laugh so hard and she tried to wipe her face on her sleeves, pushing back her hair with a rough swipe of her hand.

"Oh, Malikhi!" she cried, laughing and laughing and laughing.

22 Evelyn Stones Pockets are more practical 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 29, 2018 6:53 PM

But aren't hearts safer? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

What Malikhi felt, when he heard the small explosion, was instantaneous regret, followed by the warmth of the contents of his goblet hitting him, mostly his face, hair and down his front. He was lucky his mouth hadn't been open or he was sure he would've swallowed some and the prospect of swallowing any more sludge was a prospect that Malikhi wasn't a fan of. He coughed, waving a hand in front of his face to try and dispel the funny smell that was lingering around his nose. He could feel a blush colouring his cheeks. That had clearly not gone well.

Then, he heard laughing. Loud laughter, coming from his right and that was the point at which he opened his eyes. His face was impassive as he watched Evelyn howl with laughter, clearly tickled pink - the brightest pink, he thought, if the colour of her cheeks was anything to go off - and he could see tears rolling over her cheeks again though this time, to Malikhi's delight, they were happy tears.

Pleased that he had been able to make her laugh, to truly make her laugh. If he was honest, it wasn't quite in the way he'd planned to do it but he was pleased that he had been able to make her laugh. Then, suddenly, he got a mischievous grin on his face. So, she thought him being covered in sludge was funny, did she?

"Oh, I'll show you funny, Linney," he growled playfully before beginning to tickle her sides.

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari But aren't hearts safer? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 29, 2018 7:24 PM

But softer, too by Evelyn Stones

As it turned out, laughing, crying, blushing, and breathing, aren't easy to do all at once. Evelyn hated to be the center of attention, particularly when she hadn't met any of the other members of her her House yet. These two facts together meant that a deeper shade of red rose in her face when she found a snort escaping through her laughter.

She did her best to restrain a shriek as Malikhi attacked. She'd never been particularly ticklish, but the effort alone made her laugh harder, not to mention the fact that they were cramped onto the Pecari bench and she didn't quite have room to escape. When she reached for his arms to push him away, giggling as she did so, she opened her eyes and found a face still covered in green slime.

"Malikhi, that's gross!" she laughed.

As it turned out, his name did feel safe in her mouth after all. This thought somehow managed to find a place in her giggle-addled brain, and she realized she'd just received her first nickname. Somewhere behind her sternum, just off to the left, something like a smile blossomed. She didn't have a word for it, although gratitude came to mind. She couldn't help being grateful for the goodness of this silly new friend.

A new nickname was a bit like a good joke-- explaining it ruined it. Evelyn didn't know this, never having received a nickname before, but somehow she could feel it. She decided not to comment on this new name, accepting it with a quiet smile, instead. Her eyes, she was sure, were warm.

"You're going to get us in trouble," she laughed, pushing his arms away by the wrists. "I don't know if there's a rule against that, but someone's going to look over and think we're fighting." She snickered at the thought, and smiled at Malikhi. "Do you want help? You've got it in your hair."

Evelyn considered waiting for an answer, but at this point, that seemed unnecessary. Instead, she patted him on the shoulder, what she hoped was a friendly gesture, and then reached for his hair. Removing strings of sludge was harder than she'd expected and she turned towards him, bending one knee to lay it across the bench so she could use both hands to untangle the goo from strands of gold hair.

"Are your pranks always this messy?" she teased.

22 Evelyn Stones But softer, too 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 29, 2018 8:00 PM

Doesn't that make them a comfortable place to be? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi chuckled to himself as he leaned away from her, stopping his attack. Seeing her laughing like that made Malikhi equally as happy. She seemed to just come alive, with her bright eyes and nice smile. It was in that moment that Malikhi decided that that is how he always wanted to see her - laughing and smiling and only shedding tears when they were happy ones. He thought that she looked prettiest like that and he thought about telling her so but decided against doing so. He felt it was kind of weird to even be thinking it and didn't want to make the air between them weird by saying so.

Malikhi accepted the offer of Evelyn's help and inclined his head in her direction so it would be easier for her to help. Her fingers were gentle on his hair as she removed the foul bits of sludge and he found that he quite liked that feeling. The feeling of her fingers combing through his unruly hair. He blinked, unsure why he was feeling such things. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed her question.

"They can be," he answered, truthfully. He was reminded of the time when he had tried to cover his father with a bucket of PVA glue and pillow feathers - that had backfired when a young Malikhi had left it balanced on a doorframe so long, he forgot and had run into the room and ended up looking like a deformed chicken. "Are you prepared for that, Linney?"

He don't know where the nickname had come from but he liked that it his name for her and no one else's.

"What do you want to be when you grow up? Would you take a muggle or a wizard career?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Doesn't that make them a comfortable place to be? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 29, 2018 8:34 PM

But a harder place to keep things by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn smirked letting herself slump into a more relaxed position. She considered that it was probably rude to sit sideways on a dinner bench, and sighed softly before turning to sit properly at the table.

"I'm not sure anyone can really be prepared for you," she admitted, smiling again at how casually he used the nickname. "But I'll give it a go."

She thought again of Ness, and worried whether Ness would be prepared. Was Evelyn prepared for Ness not to be? Or what if they... no. That wouldn't happen.

The question of careers caught her off guard and she pulled a thoughtful expression. If she was honest, she doubted her magic would ever be good enough for most wizard careers. Spellcasting was a basic requirement for many of these jobs, unless she could get a desk job or something.

"A muggle job sounds nice," she mused. "But I don't think I'd like to hide this part of my life. Maybe if I married a muggle, but I don't think that will happen. Maybe, though. My dad did!"

Realizing how much life she had ahead of her was a bit dizzying and Evelyn took a breath before continuing.

"Honestly, I'm just hoping they'll let me graduate at this point," she laughed. "What about you? What do you want to do?"

22 Evelyn Stones But a harder place to keep things 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 29, 2018 9:38 PM

I think you'll find that my heart is quite big. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

When Evelyn's hands left his hair, Malikhi felt kind of sad. It had been nice, almost relaxing, feeling her fingers comb through his messy hair. He ran his own fingers through it now, pushing back the hair that had fallen in front of his eyes but that made absolutely no difference as it only flopped back over his forehead and messed up the rest.

He grinned at her response. She'd basically just told him that he was unpredictable and he liked that thought. To be a pranker, being unpredictable was an absolute must otherwise, what was the point? Well, Malikhi didn't see one. He wouldn't be a prankster if it was easy to guess what he was up to.

He was surprised by Evelyn's response about careers though and the part about her marrying a muggle and potentially hiding the magical part of herself stired up something within him, an emotion that didn't swell up within Malikhi very often... Anger. He grasped her hands, holding them tight as his eyes burned with intensity.

"Don't..." words seemed to fail him for a minute, the anger he was feeling taking over. In the middle of the red mist, a worry slipped through that he might be clutching her hands so tight that he could be hurting her and, instinctively, he let them go. He turned his face away, lowering his head, his hair completely hiding his eyes. "Don't hide something that is a part of you. It's not right. It'd be like you not wearing your orange lipstick anymore. It's wrong... I'd marry you myself before I'd let you do that, Linney."

Malikhi, being only eleven, did not understand the gravity of the statement he'd just made and wasn't really aware that he'd made it at all. He just had to make sure that Linney understood that it would be wrong to hide that part of her. He wasn't angry with her, not at all. He just hated the thought of Linney being anything else except for... well, Linney.

He answered her final question in a quieter voice, his head still bowed. "I've always thought I'd like to be a cursebreaker... or an auror."

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari I think you'll find that my heart is quite big. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 29, 2018 10:16 PM

I'm pretty small, too.... by Evelyn Stones

Malikhi's sudden intensity surprised Evelyn and she was sure she looked frightened. However, she was more surprised when he released her hands. When Evelyn's father was angry about something, he was much less likely to let it go without hurting her. She clasped her hands in her lap and rubbed them together nervously, stomach clenching.

"We never had to hide anything from my mom," she whispered.

She hated the idea that it might be wrong, somehow, to marry a muggle. She supposed that Malikhi wasn't angry about that part, but about hiding, which she understood. But she and her mom had hidden more from her wizard father than anybody else, and she couldn't see past the idea that it would somehow be wrong to marry a muggle. She didn't even know if she wanted to get married at all!

Evelyn fluttered at Malikhi's profession but didn't like that he offered to marry her to save her from...what? Making her own decision? Doing something he didn't like?

She didn't like to think of him as someone who would do that. The rational part of her brain knew he was trying to be kind and that he didn't mean it in a hurtful way, but she found that she was hurt. Determined not to cry again, she followed his change of subject.

"You'd probably be good at those," she murmured. "Your uh... Your spell was strong and that's... that's good."

Evelyn hated the way her shoulders fell forward into a slump and the way her head dipped. She was ready to accept a torrent of words or other, more hurtful things, that she knew Malikhi likely wouldn't deliver. But that's not something she could help.

"You're excited for Defense Against the Dark Arts then?" she asked, wishing she could say it normally.

Her hands were still warm, just like Malikhi, and she wasn't sure what she thought about that.

22 Evelyn Stones I'm pretty small, too.... 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 29, 2018 11:21 PM

Then you'd fit in my heart. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, a technique his father had taught him to help whenever he got upset. The idea was that it supplied more oxygen to the brain which in turn, should help with making the mind clearer and also calm down. He felt that his heart was racing, the anger he'd felt having been so white hot and intense. The blond hadn't experienced anything like it. There was something about Linney that affected him.

He looked up at her, wide-eyed, when her voice was no louder than a whisper. She seemed to be close to tears and Malikhi clenched his jaw. He'd caused that. He could see the traces of fear on her face and the way she was looking at him caused him to feel a strange, unfamiliar ache inside his chest. It was uncomfortable and unpleasant and Malikhi wanted to make it go away. He had no idea what it was but he felt crushed by it.

"I..." he started, but for once, even Malikhi didn't know what to say. He supposed he should start with apologising but that was something that Malikhi didn't do very often - he didn't upset many people - so he wasn't entirely sure how to begin. After a few more moments of reflection, he sighed deeply. He moved as if to reach out for her hands but remembered his previous actions and decided to place them firmly on the table instead.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to tell you what to do, Linney. I just..." he sighed heavily again and looked up at the ceiling momentarily, as if that would hold the answers. "It's your choice who you marry, of course, but don't hide any part of you from them. It wouldn't be honest."

Hoping he'd managed to convey that he only wanted her to be happy and didn't want her to be forced into choosing her magical side or the person she could end up loving, Malikhi looked away from her. There was silence for a moment as he reflected on what he just said. Then, he decided to add, "Everyone deserves to be happy, Linney... Even you."

Then, he turned to face her completely and he stretched out his arms, holding them open. "Hug?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Then you'd fit in my heart. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 29, 2018 11:40 PM

Can my heart come, too? by Evelyn Stones

Very little in the world upset Evelyn as much as she did. Whether it was her extremely poor magical abilities, her apparent lousiness at making friends, or her ability to hurt the people she cared for, Evelyn did not trust herself with much.

So when Malikhi Hill, her second friend, a boy with a friendly face and devilish smile was no longer finding reasons to smile and it was her fault, Evelyn found that she didn't like herself at all.

She didn't want to thank him. She didn't want to say what would feel like 'thank you for hurting me and then taking it back' because that's not how hurt works. She also didn't want to ignore the fact that he had tried and that he was sincere.

Nobody warned her Sonora would be so emotional.

"Thank you for caring," she said, deciding that the full truth would be better than just a 'thank you.'

She was quiet again when Malikhi said that 'even she' deserved to be happy. It was as if he knew that she didn't believe it. There was no way he could've known, but maybe...just maybe... he understood.

"I'm not mad at you," Evelyn told him truly, finding more strength in her voice. "I'm glad we're friends."

When he offered her a hug, Evelyn found herself surprised again. She wasn't used to affection like this. Ness had been kind and warm, and certainly shown an affection towards her, but not like this. Evelyn's mother hugged her sometimes, but that's different.

For a moment, she was reminded of the boys at muggle school who would try to trick girls into hugs so they could feel... she wasn't sure what. But they always seemed like it was a treat to squish themselves against her. The thought made her shudder.

But Malikhi wasn't one of those boys. He was kind and his eyes were soft and full of concern. He faced her directly, exposing himself to her will. She got to decide this time.

"I might cry," she warned, only half joking.

And then she decided. She didn't turn on the bench, afraid that they would bump knees and it would be weird. Instead, she reached over to her side, wrapped her arms around her new friend, and hugged him. He was still warm, and she got warm, too. He smelled like her new friend, and that was her new favorite smell.

He also smelled a bit like fizzy sludge, but that was a separate issue.

"Thanks, Malikhi," she murmured, pressing her face into his shoulder.

22 Evelyn Stones Can my heart come, too? 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 30, 2018 12:08 AM

It can beat next to mine. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi smiled tenderly, relieved that she was accepting his hug. For a terrifying moment, he thought that the damage he'd done was actually irreparable and he had made and lost a friend in the same day. That would've been quite the feat.

"You can always cry on my shoulder," he murmured to her as he hugged her back, her floral scent filling his nose. It was comforting to Malikhi and, despite the fact that he was a boy and flowers were girly, he liked it a lot. It was the smell of her, of Linney and he liked that. She was his first proper friend at Sonora and that made her special to him. She was his Linney.

When they parted, his usual smile was back in its proper place and his eyes sparkled with the mischief that they always held and they were sitting next to each other, two new Pecaris, embarking on a new journey that Merlin only knew where it would take them. Malikhi was extremely excited to find out, though he hoped it wouldn't involve him getting covered in any more green sludge. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be forgetting that incident for a long time.

There was a spread of desserts now laid on the table in front of the pair and Malikhi was delighted to see the stack of profiteroles that he had been craving earlier on in the meal. He piled his plate high and started to dig in, all previous notions of upset forgotten. He paused only momentarily to spear one on the end of his fork and offer it to Evelyn.

"Want one?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari It can beat next to mine. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 30, 2018 3:00 AM

Like a drum by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn felt better now, and took a breath to reorient herself to the physical space. She was reminded suddenly that there were other students, other Pecaris and members of other Houses, that there were professors, and that there were so many possibilities. She doubted her fears would leave her, but at least she wasn't consumed by them just then.

Her eyes grew wide at the array of desserts now available, including a plate stacked with brownies nearby. She could tell even from where she was seated that they were the gooey kind with extra chocolate. It had been far too long since she'd had a treat like that.

Before she could decide to reach for them, Mailkhi was offering a strange puffy pastry, chocolate and cream oozing from the inside. They were beautiful in the careful, delicate way that all the food at Sonora was so far, but Evelyn hadn't actually had one before.

"Yes please!" she said, eager to try something new. "But not one you've jammed your fork through. Can I have the plate?" Evelyn laughed at the prospect, somewhat horrified at the prospect of a pre-stabbed profiterole. That was like waking up on a snow day and finding out that someone else had already walked through your yard, disturbing the pristine whiteness. It just wasn't okay.

"Brownie?" she asked, hoping to pay back the offer.

Evelyn wasn't often able to enjoy these little luxuries and years of nervous habit pushed her to grab an extra brownie and shove it in the pocket of her robes. She'd missed the chance to do so with something from dinner and didn't want to risk being hungry later on. She knew that Sonora was not like home and she'd probably be fine, but thinking more of home made her miss her mom and she wanted to make sure she was looking out for herself if her mom wasn't there to help do it.

22 Evelyn Stones Like a drum 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

July 30, 2018 9:54 AM

Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. by Malikhi Hill

Malikhi shrugged as he then popped his offered profiterole into his mouth, the cream filling spilling out over his tongue and mixing with the rich chocolate and the sweet puff pastry. With his free hand, he pushed the stack of profiteroles - well, what remained of it after piling his own plate high - over to Evelyn. At her offer of a brownie, he reached over and plucked a particularly delicious-looking one that was large and thick and gooey looking.

Malikhi, when it came to food, frequently only thought about himself. He, admittedly, was a bit of a glutton, always having second and even third helpings to try and fill his bottomless pit of a stomach. It was lucky, really, that he kept in shape by being active through playing Quidditch or generally running around when playing pranks or he was sure that he'd be a lot bigger round his middle. However, just for a moment, his attention was diverted from his plate of chocolate goodies just in time to see Evelyn taking one brownie for her plate and then taking a second and slipping it into the pocket of her robes.

If it had been Malikhi to have done this, it wouldn't be surprising as he looked the type to go around sneaking food into his pockets for later but he was a touch surprised that it was Evelyn who was doing the stealing... Well, taking. Could something be stolen if it was on offer for them anyway? Malikhi wasn't sure and he wondered if he should ask her reasoning behind it.

Deciding that that was one thing he could just let go, he didn't query it. What he did do, though, was wait until she wasn't looking in his direction and took a second brownie and copied her, wrapping it in a napkin and slipped it into his own pocket. Linney clearly like the brownies so he hoped that he could surprise her later when they'd gone up to their dorm rooms by giving her a second one and then it would make her smile.

Then, he spotted some strawberries speared with cocktail sticks across the table, sitting in a circle around a bowl of melted chocolate and his eyes lit up. Profiteroles temporarily forgotten, he reached over to pull his new treat closer. He chose a particularly succulent looking chocolate and submerged it into the thick chocolate, before raising it above the surface and letting the excess drip back off and into the bowl.

With excited eyes, he turned to Evelyn, holding it towards her. "You have to try this! Open wide!"

20 Malikhi Hill Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 30, 2018 4:13 PM

Tssss by Evelyn Stones

Chocolate covered...strawberries? Evelyn wrinkled her nose. She had begun to trust Malikhi, but something as odd as this made her wonder if personal trust shouldn't extend to food choices.

She also wasn't precisely sure how to eat the thing. Certainly she didn't want to get stem in her mouth, although she wasn't sure if this particular berry still had its stem, but she also didn't want to get chocolate on her fingers. The other option was to bite at it where Malikhi was holding it out, and that seemed like an awkward choice.

"Is it good?" she asked, mostly rhetorically. She blinked once at Malikhi, aware that he had essentially offered to give her the strawberry, and decided she shouldn't act so silly. 'Open wide' meant just that, and she didn't need to be so weird.

Opening her mouth and maintaining eye contact with the strawberry itself, Evelyn leaned forward and chomped into the strawberry as Malikhi stuck it out for her. Maybe he was trustworthy after all; the strawberry was delicious.

"That's amazing," she said around a mouthful of oozing chocolate and tender berry. "Whoever thought of that is a genius! All the food here is incredible."

She thought again of the cheese sandwiches she'd had with Ness, and worked her way forward through the meal. Everything was delicious and she felt fuller than she had since she could remember. She was sure Ness was enjoying the food as well, knowing they had bonded over such things. She craned her neck but had lost sight of her first friend, and frowned.

Turning her attention back to Malkhi, she smiled again. "What else can you dunk in that sauce? I feel like I just want to drink it! But at the same time, I kinda want to save some for more strawberries because that was so good!"

22 Evelyn Stones Tssss 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 30, 2018 4:47 PM

Re: Tssss by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi laughed at her expression as she eyed him, holding out the chocolate-covered strawberry. There appeared to be a mixture of distrust and curiosity but he didn't understand why. He'd only shown and given her delicious treats whereas she was the one who got clever mixing magical juices and basically inventing a poison. His stomach churned slightly at the thought of the sludge that he'd tasted and also been covered in.

When she asked if it was good, Malikhi simply raised his eyebrows and gestured to the strawberry. He wasn't going to influence her thoughts on the sweet treat - she'd either love it or hate it but he wanted her to find out for herself. He wanted to learn things about her and he figured that the best place to start was with the food spread that was laid out in front of them.

Clearly her own curiosity won out over her distrust and she took a bite and he grinned when it was obvious that she enjoyed it. In a way, he hoped that it showed to her that he was a trustworthy person... Well, except when it came to tricking people with his pranks. However, Linney was the exception. He didn't want to prank her, if only because she was now his partner-in-crime.

"So," he began, turning back to his previously abandoned profiteroles. "Tell me about your family."

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Re: Tssss 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 30, 2018 5:33 PM

You can be the bass line by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn thought Malikhi looked happy, and that made her happy. She'd been such a ball of nerves when she'd arrived at Sonora, and between Ness and Malikhi she'd gotten to dive back into her curiosity. She'd asked questions about things she never thought of, she'd tried new foods, and now she was being asked again to think of things she wasn't sure how to talk about.

She supposed it was fair that others were curious about her as much as she was curious about everything else. Lots of things came to mind when he asked, and the question seemed to linger in her ears for a minute.

What struck her is how differently she'd reacted to Ness' same question. What was the difference? She supposed she'd known about Ness' family before she said anything about her own, and she'd not really said that much then, either.

"My mom's a muggle," she said, although Malikhi already knew that. It wasn't the whole story but it was good enough for now. "We live in a real small town and I've known the same people my whole life. Most of them are kind of old, and really good wizards, so I never fit in."

She thought of the few people she'd known well, like Sarah in Kindergarten, but who had eventually faded from her life, leaving her alone with just her family. The thought made her sad, but she didn't want to be sad, so she changed the topic.

"I showed Ness but I don't think I showed you, check this out," she said as she pulled up her left sleeve. "I love to climb, much more than I like being on a broom, although I can do both. But I love climbing trees and one time when I was younger, I didn't land very well."

Evelyn giggled, the way she always did when she remembered falling from a branch a little higher than she would normally jump from.

"It's such an adrenaline rush to fall," she admitted. "But I caught a branch on the way down and landed badly on my arm."

Her sleeve up, she held out her left forearm, where tangles of gnarled skin knotted their way from wrist to elbow on the inside. With the lights of Cascade Hall glistening the way they did off the chandeliers, every ridge stood out, and Evelyn held it out proudly. Reds and pinks showed in thinner patches of skin, where sharp whiteness stood out in the thicker areas.

"I was young and we still didn't know if I was particularly magic at the time. They didn't want to risk any magical remedies," she admitted. "So my mom took care of it instead, with muggle methods. I think my dad also wanted to prove a point and make me stop climbing, but no one could keep me out of the trees."

22 Evelyn Stones You can be the bass line 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

July 30, 2018 6:16 PM

Only if you listen... by Malikhi Hill

Malikhi looked at Evelyn's arm with a look that was a cross between morbid curiosity and reverence. He was also somewhat stunned that a girl like Evelyn, the one who had been miserable about not being sorted with her friend and who was small and tiny and looked like she could break like a twig if you touched her the wrong way, had such a momento on her arm, all because she'd climbed a tree. He really, really wanted to touch it.

"Can I...?" he gestured to her arm and, after a moment's hesitation, she held it out to him as his answer. He smiled slightly and, gently, tenderly, took her by the wrist in one hand and with the other touched her scar. He traced the scarred skin, fascinated by how it felt, knotted and twisted and yet, strangely, still kind of smooth. To Malikhi, it was cool and yet, he also felt kind of sad that something had happened to her that at the time would have caused her pain. He didn't like to think that Linney would have ever been in any kind of pain.

"You prefer climbing to broomsticks?" he asked her, finally letting go of her arm. "That's interesting. I've never climbed a tree but I love riding a broomstick."

He grinned at her and pointed to the back of his head. "I don't have a scar but I fell off my broom when I was first learning to ride. I didn't fall far but there was blood!"

20 Malikhi Hill Only if you listen... 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 30, 2018 6:35 PM

Me? Listen? by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn watched Malikhi's face as he touched her scarred arm, but wasn't sure she could identify what he was thinking.

"I can't feel that," she admitted. "I don't have any feeling at all on that part of my arm." She grinned, feeling a bit like a superhero who just had one arm dropped in something radioactive instead of their whole body. She doubted Malikhi would understand the reference.

When he released her arm, Evelyn pulled her sleeve back down and nodded as he spoke. When he finished, she couldn't help laughing. Sarcasm came to mind and she wondered if he'd be offended.

"I feel like there's something to tease you about if you've taken a bad fall to the head," Evelyn told him. "But obviously it didn't mess you up too bad." She smiled, hoping it was a good combination of joking and complimenting.

Why did she want to compliment him? She put that thought aside.

"We should practice together. Ness flies too, and all the first years take flight lessons together, right? The three of us could get together and play? Help you two get on teams!"

Evelyn loved the idea that she might've managed to find two friends. Two whole friends! The idea of just the three of them against the world was exciting and she could only imagine what they'd get up to.

22 Evelyn Stones Me? Listen? 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 30, 2018 8:10 PM

Yeah, I doubt you'd listen either. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi felt kind of sad when Evelyn told him that she couldn't feel anything where her arm was scarred. He couldn't iimagine not feeling something. It was a terrible thought in Malikhi's mind. What if he wasn't able to feel hugs? Or the wind or the sun? What he wasn't able to feel a profiterole on his lips ever again? That was Malikhi's kind of hell.

"Does it bother you? Not feeling anything?"

He wasn't sure how he felt when she talked about having flying lessons with this Ness person she mentioned periodically. She'd said earlier that Ness was a chaser and he'd privately thought then that he didn't like that. Evelyn had said that she wanted to cheer for him and he liked that. Something about thinking that she would cheer for somebody other than him made him feel... not quite right. He felt something welling up inside him, something that made his stomach churn and, for some reason, the thought of someone else, another friend, made him feel sick.

He picked up his goblet and swallowed. It was probably just that disgusting fizzy sludge coming back to haunt him.

"So, besides falling out of trees and maiming yourself, what else did you do before Sonora? What's your Mum and Dad like?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Yeah, I doubt you'd listen either. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 31, 2018 4:09 PM

Of course not! by Evelyn Stones

"Not really," Evelyn replied, surprised that this would come to mind. She never really considered the fact that it might be a bother not to feel anything in her forearm, and she was far too excited about having proof of such a brutal maiming to worry about anything else. "It's been so long that I don't think too much about it. My mom was always worried if I wanted to help her cook, though, in case I burned myself and didn't realize." She laughed at the thought.

Then the conversation turned back to family. Evelyn wasn't sure if there was a particular reason that Malikhi didn't talk about Ness, or why he was particularly fascinated with her parents, but it was beginning to frustrate her. Not because he was asking, but because she didn't care to think about such things when her night was going well.

She wondered for a moment at the incredible happenstance of life's events. If she'd been sorted in Alandren, she'd be talking to Ness right now, and never have met Malikhi. The thought made her sad, but she supposed she was also sort of sad that she wasn't getting to talk to Ness more.

It had only been a few hours since she'd landed at Sonora, and the ups and downs of emotions were exhausting. She stifled a yawn in her cup, taking a drink to give herself a moment to think before responding.

"Mostly, I just spent time alone, reading, or playing by myself. I went to a Muggle school for a while, and that was okay but my parents had to take me out when I was getting older so they could try to teach me witchcraft." Memories of her days at home, practicing spells with her dad and potions with her mom stood out to her, but nothing was clear enough to feel important. "My mom was great with potions, although she couldn't always tell if she'd done something right or not."

Dangerously close to saying too much, Evelyn changed the subject.

"My dad worked a lot, and spent the rest of the time sort of...moping" because his daughter was a lousy witch "because he wanted to be at work more often." True enough.

"He loves his job and I don't even really know what he does. He's just gone a lot."

Evelyn forced a smile. "Tell me about your family, Kai! I don't know anything about them."

22 Evelyn Stones Of course not! 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 31, 2018 4:23 PM

Well, talking is always far more interesting. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi watched Evelyn closely as she spoke about her family, a slight frown on his features. There was no excitement in her voice, no endless babbling about how much she loved her Mum and Dad and how great they were. There was something about the way she almost seemed... reluctant to say anything about her family and Malikhi couldn't help but wonder if she was hiding something. He eyed for a moment longer before dismissing the thought. If she was indeed hiding something, then he wasn't going to force her to tell him. Still, the fact that she had spent a lot of her time alone. It didn't sit right with Malikhi, not one bit.

His attention shifted though when he realised that she'd given him a nickname. Whether she had done it consciously or not, the newly named 'Kai' didn't know but he found that he liked it. They now both had nicknames for each other and Malikhi felt that such a thing cemented their friendship. Nobody else called him 'Kai' and he was very happy that she was the only one to do so and privately, he wanted it to stay that way.

"My Mum is a witch, my Dad is a muggle," he told her, beginning to answer her question. "We all live in England, normally and I was supposed to go to school there but my Aunt, who lives here in America, wanted me to come here. She said that it would be good for me to experience a different culture. So, I'm glad to have met you... Maybe you could teach me about American things like that baseball you mentioned earlier?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Well, talking is always far more interesting. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

July 31, 2018 4:39 PM

But we can't talk at the same time! by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn was surprised to find out that Malikhi's dad was a muggle. They had something in common, except that Evelyn didn't really think that was a good thing in this case. Why had he acted so odd about marrying a Muggle when his own mother had? She'd been so defensive about her own parents and he didn't see the connection?

A decision was to be made, and Evelyn wasn't sure how important it was to her. She wanted to ask why he'd been so upset and why it was different for her to marry a muggle than for his mom. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't fair when she had tried so hard and would be just as well off with a Muggle as a magical person. She also didn't want to stir a cooling cauldron, and in that moment, her decision was not to comment on this revelation.

She did wonder at the fact that he was halfblood and hadn't heard of baseball, though. Maybe that was because he was English. His accent was rather adorable and she didn't mind explaining it to him.

"I'd like that," she said, smirking. "It's not a great sport, though, I think you'd like football better."

The thought of taking Malikhi to an American football game made her laugh, and she told him as much. "You can see all the people who paint their faces and where beads and feathers and silly hats, but they're all Muggles," she told him.

"But come on, tell me more. There has to be more about your parents than just whether they're magic or not. Who do you get on better with?"

Evelyn worried that she was being spiteful. She didn't know if Malikhi had a poor relationship with anyone in his family and didn't really want to make him upset, but sort of wanted him to understand how upset he'd made her. She was surprised to find such bitterness in herself, and it made her stomach turn.

"Only if you want to," she amended, deciding the better of it. "I know family isn't a happy topic for everyone." Like me.

22 Evelyn Stones But we can't talk at the same time! 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

July 31, 2018 8:37 PM

Well, we could try but it would be confusing. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi blinked, confused. She'd said earlier that she had attended baseball games with her Mum, to cheer for the players, no doubt. Yet, here she was saying that sport wasn't great? Why would she go to something that she didn't enjoy to the fullest? That didn't make any sense. What he did know was that he did enjoy football.

"Oh, I like football!" he said, grinning. "England haven't reached the final of the World Cup for years, though, which kind of sucks. So, that's two sports they suck at - Quidditch and football."

He shrugged, clearly not seeing it as a big deal despite his words. Which, it wasn't. Malikhi, as well as the rest of England, were accustomed to the team losing all the time. People tended to place bets more on how long they'd stay in rather than if they'd win the final. He did want to go to a football game with Evelyn, though. He thought that it would be fun, the two of them going together and having their faces painted with the colours of the team they would be supporting and wearing big hats. He was rather looking forward to such things, despite the fact that they hadn't arranged to go to one.

Then, she was asking about his family again, pressing him for more information. Malikhi didn't mind her asking, it wasn't like he had anything to hide. He just wondered why she was so interested. He had a sip of juice before telling her, "I'm closer to my Mum. She's a witch so she understands magic better than my Dad, obviously. It's not that he hates it or anything, he just doesn't like seeing something he can't understand but he's a great Dad. Though, he did try to frame me for some missing cookies once, but the truth was that he sneaking them into his office when Mum wasn't around."

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Well, we could try but it would be confusing. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones, Pecari

August 01, 2018 6:48 PM

It would be entertaining, though. by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

At first, Evelyn just listened, an amused smirk on her face. Malikhi seemed so excited to know about 'football' that she almost hated to burst his bubble, but she supposed that was part of learning a new culture. His parents would be so excited, she thought.

"Malikhi," she started, speaking slowly as she considered her words. A grin played at her lips as she continued. "So American football isn't the same thing. We'd call the football you're thinking of 'soccer.' We can go to a soccer game, too!" She didn't particularly like soccer, but it seemed rude to turn it down when he was clearly so excited. "American football is a bit like rugby, but not quite the same. We'll have to go and then you can see."

Just a few hours into her time at Sonora and she was making plans to travel to San Francisco with Ness when they were older, and making plans to go see various sports with Malikhi. Then an idea struck her.

"Oh! Ness and I were talking about how wonderful it would be to go to San Francisco! That's in California, and our parents probably won't let us go for a couple more years, but if there's three of us I bet we could go earlier than twenty or something. Then we could go see a 49ers game! They're the football team in San Francisco. My mom likes the Seahawks a lot better but they're further away. It would be so much fun to go together!"

Evelyn could hardly wait. Imagining them all three together, cheering at a football game, riding the streetcars, and so much more, was a beautiful thought. She wondered if her parents would allow it, but figured she wouldn't worry about that until they got to that point.

"Your dad sounds like he's a jokester, too," she said when Malikhi told her about his dad framing him for stealing cookies. "Did your mom find out?" She laughed, imagining Malikhi and an older woman that looked like him discussing strategies for catching an older man in the act of stealing cookies.

"Can I tell you a secret, Kai?" she whispered, eyebrows pulling together. "My dad tried to teach me a little bit of magic..." and got nowhere "...but I feel like I'm behind. Did you guys do anything like that? Am I way behind for not being able to cast any spells?"

22 Evelyn Stones, Pecari It would be entertaining, though. 1422 Evelyn Stones, Pecari 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 01, 2018 7:09 PM

I hope it would make you laugh. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi blinked at her, not quite understanding how football... wasn't football? And that football was actually some new, ridiculous sounding word called 'soccer' and that their football was more like rugby. So, what was rudby now called? Malikhi felt that life had suddenly become a lot more complicated than it had been five minutes before. Still, Evelyn wanted to go with him and that placated him. He liked the idea of spending time with Evelyn and the prospect of spending time alone with her, outside of school appealed to him even more.

Then, she mentioned Ness coming with him and suddenly, Malikhi seemed to like the idea a little less. He didn't know Ness at all, only knowing that Evelyn had made friends with her at orientation, that she had been sorted into Aladren and that she was a chaser like he was. Still, to avoid upsetting Evelyn, he smiled and nodded like it was a good idea despite the fact that his stomach churned uncomfortably. What was with him?

"We had to catch him in the act," he told her, when she asked about the Great Cookie Robbery, as Malikhi now called it in his head. "We set up this plan where me and Mum pretended that we had gone out shopping, we even put on our coats and everything and said goodbye to him but, instead of leaving the house, we just opened and shut the front door before hiding in the house. We saw Dad going into the kitchen and coming out with a whole handful of cookies! Mum was so angry and refused to bake any more for a whole week!"

He laughed heartily, the memory clearly being a fond one and then, once he'd settled, he asked her, "What about you? Did anything like that happen in your house?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari I hope it would make you laugh. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones, Pecari

August 01, 2018 7:39 PM

I like to laugh. by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

A whole slew of thoughts played across Malikhi's face and Evelyn found herself utterly incapable of identifying any of them. She wondered if her face was as complex when she was feeling things, or if perhaps she was imagining all of it. It wouldn't be the first time her own worries made her think someone was having feelings they weren't. When Malikhi changed topics, Evelyn went with him, glad not to have to worry about whatever he was thinking.

She reached for her goblet and filled it with more juice, feeling another wave of tiredness slush over her. Perhaps the sugar rush would keep her awake. She was enjoying her conversation and the feast wasn't over yet; she certainly didn't want to be drowsy.

"That's amazing! And I love that you had baked goods the rest of the time," Evelyn said, loving that Malikhi and his mom were able to have such a fun relationship. It made her a bit homesick to think of family and then, as he was wont to do, Malikhi asked her about hers again.

Tired as she was, this didn't sit well with her. She knew it wasn't Malikhi's fault that she didn't want to talk about family, but that didn't make it any easier to brush off. It also meant that she was faced with either lying to keep the peace, telling the truth and spoiling the mood, or telling him to knock it off with that line of questioning and also spoil the mood. None of these seemed like good ideas, but in the name of a good night, she knew which one was going to get her where she wanted to go.

Evelyn was going to lie.

And then she was going to change the bloody topic.

She'd read in a book that the best lies always have a grain of truth, or indeed are mostly truth. This was her basis as she started speaking, and she hated that she was a good liar. She knew Malikhi probably wouldn't see through her story, and kept up a friendly face to make sure of it.

"Not too often," she said. "But I remember one time, my dad and I were talking about how careful my mom always is to look good. Not in a vain way, but she likes to make sure her hair is all put together and her clothes are nice." She supposed that was sort of true. "But my mom was inside changing into her nightgown or something and my dad and I were sitting outside. When she came out to kiss us goodnight, my dad got up to hug her and I went around her other side and tickled her a whole bunch."

Evelyn let her eyes fade over, remembering a much different memory than what she was saying. "She was so ticklish and she loved to laugh, so it was a lot of fun. It turned into this play-wrestling match and I got to stay up late."

She could vividly remember being at her friend Sarah's house and watching this all happen with Sarah and her parents. It was a good memory, although it made Evelyn jealous at the time. It still did, if she was honest, but it would get the topic off her actual family and that's all she cared about at that moment.

"Which reminds me," she announced, making it clear that it was time for a new thread of conversation. She paused, realizing she didn't know what it supposedly reminded her of. Evelyn let a devilish grin spread across her face, hoping it would let the moment stall. "You haven't said a word about whether I'm behind or not. Does that mean I am and you just don't want to say? Come on, be honest."

She laughed, forcing down the acid in her stomach. She hated to think she might actually be behind, but it was true, he hadn't actually answered the question, and that was as good a topic as any. Besides, she really was tired, and thinking of something else wasn't something she had the energy for.

"Help a girl out, Kai, what sorts of spells should I have on my radar for this year? I have to start studying at some point if I want to catch up to you and your magic sludge sparks!"

22 Evelyn Stones, Pecari I like to laugh. 1422 Evelyn Stones, Pecari 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 01, 2018 7:55 PM

And I like to hear you laugh. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi listened to Evelyn's telling of an experience with her family with a content smile on his face. It was nice to know that she also had a nice family with fun parents. He couldn't imagine want it would be like if their parents weren't the fun-loving people that they, mercifully, were. Malikhi supposed that he wouldn't be the happy-go-lucky boy that he was and he'd probably be a lot more negative. Those thoughts didn't sit right with him. He couldn't imagine himself being a miserable, negative boy who didn't make people laugh. That wasn't him.

He was caught out when she came back to the question about magic and spells. He'd intentionally avoided answering, just in case he upset her and he didn't want to see her crying again. He wasn't very good when it came to crying girls and he definitely wasn't very good when the crying was as a result of something he'd said. He should've realised that Evelyn wouldn't have been deterred that easily.

He cleared his throat and then had a drink of juice, biding himself a little bit of time while he tried to work out how to answer the question. However, the only two ways he could come up with were telling her the truth or lying and he was a terrible liar.

"I'd try to learn the two that I know... That's the wand-lighting charm, Lumos and the one that I used on our sludge, that produces red sparks. That's Vermillious. My Mum also tried to teach me a levitation spell to help me move heavy objects and stuff but I wasn't able to cast it. She said I kept getting the pronunciation wrong. It's Wingardium Leviosa. I wouldn't worry about being behind though, Linney. Loads of people are not going to know any spells, that's the whole reason why we're here."

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari And I like to hear you laugh. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones, Pecari

August 01, 2018 8:11 PM

You'll hear it a lot, I'm sure! by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

Satisfied that Malikhi had accepted her story, Evelyn relaxed. As much as she enjoyed talking with him, the thought of a warm bed was beginning to sound even better, and she took another swig of juice and mouthful of whatever confection was nearest as Malikhi answered her question. He seemed hesitant to do so, but by the time Evelyn had time to think about this, she had bitten into a jam-filled tart and was listening to various incantations being suggested.

Dread made it hard to swallow.

She reasoned with herself that although Malikhi knew more incantations than she did, he obviously wasn't that much further ahead if he couldn't cast them all yet. She hoped that she'd be able to surprise her parents with some unknown magical ability but doubted it sincerely enough that she only considered the possibility every once in a while.

"That's good to know," she managed around a mouthful of strawberry jam and puff pastry. "I know not everyone will know much, but it's good to have a starting point, y'know?"

Magic and Evelyn had a difficult relationship, and sometimes she wondered if it's because she associated it so closely to her odd neighbors and grumpy father. The thought wasn't particularly encouraging. She hoped she'd eventually associate magic with Ness and Malikhi, and various others here at Sonora, but she wasn't sure how long that would take.

She was tempted to try out the wand-lighting charm, but wasn't willing to risk failure in front of her friend just yet. She could imagine her wand growing a mouth just for the purpose of laughing at her, and that sounded almost as bad as a Howler.

"In Hinduism, once people reach a certain point of Enlightenment, it's believed that they develop the ability to naturally levitate themselves. It's not magic, exactly, but part of the progression towards spiritualism and the gods," Evelyn rambled, trying to think of everything she knew about the more complex of the spells Malikhi mentioned. "There are other mentions of levitation in many of the world's religious and philosophical sects, though, including demonic movements reportedly only alleviated through the application of holy water."

Surprised that so much had come rambling out of her mouth all at once, Evelyn smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I read a lot about philosophy and religion before coming here. I don't know if it'll help any, but we can work on that spell together if you want." She searched Malikhi's face, wondering if she would find humor or irritation there.

22 Evelyn Stones, Pecari You'll hear it a lot, I'm sure! 1422 Evelyn Stones, Pecari 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 01, 2018 8:43 PM

Good, I'm glad. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi wasn't entirely sure that he'd understood everything that in amongst all the words that had suddenly come rushing out of Evelyn's mouth. He was only just about sure that he'd caught something about Hinduism (though he thought he'd heard Pinguism) and something else about demonic movements (he hoped she wasn't referring to him). Nontheless, he found himself laughing.

"I'd be happy to work on the spell with you," he chuckled, still amused by Evelyn's sudden spewing of knowledge. "And hey, anything about your Pingus there could help."

Every time the conversation turned back to magic, Malikhi found himself returning to the question of whether magic tasted of anything (and also, if he stuck a lit up wand up his nose, would the light come out of his mouth?). He voiced these questions to Evelyn to gather her thoughts but it seemed that her answers wouldn't matter anyway, seeing as he was already pulling out his wand and muttering Lumos. The tip of his wand lit up in a soft blue hue. With a curious look on his face, he reached out a finger to touch it, to see if it was hot. It was a little warm but it didn't burn him. This revelation made his eyes light up in excitement. There appeared to be no risk of shoving his wand into his mouth or up his nose.

"What do you think? Should I go for it?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Good, I'm glad. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones, Pecari

August 01, 2018 9:18 PM

I'm not clever enough to come up with new subject lines. by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

Evelyn blushed, glad that Malikhi seemed to find the humor in her spewing. She wasn't precisely sure what a Pingu was (although she thought it sounded a bit like Hindu), but didn't feel like it was important enough to ask just then. Besides, Malikhi was laughing, and that was enough.

Spellcasting didn't seem so terrible if she had some help, particularly help from her new friend. She was sure a study date with him and Ness would be a great time, and was eager for the opportunities. Of course, that meant they'd have homework, a task which she was less eager for.

Before she could mention this, Malikhi was lighting his wand and proffering it in front of his face. She was quite sure this was a terrible idea. What if it exploded? Although Evelyn was quite inclined towards experimentation, a few bad potions had taught her to be careful with magic, particularly when one is prone to accidental magic. She rarely displayed any herself, but wasn't so sure about Malikhi. What if he accidentally shot off sparks into his mouth instead?

She grimaced at the idea, trying to figure out how to express some concern. Then, she considered that he'd probably be more careful with her than himself.

"So you know how sometimes...young wizards and stuff can like...accidentally blow stuff up? Because they don't control their magic well yet?" she started, taking the honest route this time. "So yeah, I don't want you to kill yourself. But I'm pretty sure you'd be more careful with me. Let me taste it."

Without waiting for an answer, she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue enough to make it quite clear that she intended to be the guinea pig for this experiment. She knew her eyebrows were scrunching together and was sure it wasn't a particularly encouraging look, but at least it was a clear one.

"You wouldn't hurt me," she said, hoping to bolster his confidence. "I know that."

And again, she opened her mouth, prepared to find out what magic tastes like. Or have her head blown off by a novice wizard. One way or another, it was going to be a good experiment.

22 Evelyn Stones, Pecari I'm not clever enough to come up with new subject lines. 1422 Evelyn Stones, Pecari 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 01, 2018 10:31 PM

Well... uh... think harder? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi had been seconds away from sticking his wand into his mouth, regardless of the consequences, when in a twist of fate that he hadn't expected, Evelyn offered to be the guinea pig of this particular experiment. He supposed that fair was fair, given the fact that he'd been the test subject when it came to adding explosive magic to a goblet of sludge but this was different. It was one thing to experiment on himself, where he was the only one at risk of getting hurt. He wasn't comfortable with sticking a wand in her mouth. What if he lost control of his magic? It was only the wand-lighting spell but that didn't mean that he couldn't cause sparks to fly or it to burn her if he lost control or didn't concentrate. \r\n

\r\nHe eyed her, sitting there, waiting for him to stick his wand into her mouth, regardless of the consequences. It seemed like there would be nothing to deter her from this and Malikhi sighed, knowing that he had somehow lost this battle. He swallowed thickly, now more nervous than he had been before. He really, really didn't want to hurt her. Not Linney. He'd never forgive himself. He could feel butterflies in this stomach, making his insides feel rather like a washing machine on a high spin cycle. \r\n

\r\nThen, she said that she knew he wouldn't hurt her. \r\n

\r\nWhile that sentiment was a nice one, it really didn’t do much to assuage his anxiousness. His grip on his wand had become white-knuckle tight, almost as if he was afraid it would suddenly fly out of his hands if he didn’t keep a strong enough hold on it. Despite the fact that he wanted to know what magic did indeed taste like, at this moment in time, he’d rather back out of the experiment. He didn’t feel as confident anymore. However, it seemed like Evelyn wasn’t going to be deterred and was leaving him very little option. \r\n

\r\nMalikhi swallowed thicking and reluctantly, he moved his wand towards her mouth, trying desperately to make sure that the wand-lighting remained exactly as it was. Unfortunately and to Malikhi’s utter horror, as he was putting his wand into her mouth and she closed it, he felt his magic surge, a pulse travelling down his arm and through his arm. That had never happened when performing the spell before and, in that moment, Malikhi realised that something had gone quite wrong. Yet, it was too late to do anything about it.

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Well... uh... think harder? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones, Pecari

August 01, 2018 11:10 PM

My brains are tired. by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

As Evelyn waited for any recognizable taste to hit her senses, she had two thoughts, one more terrible than the other. First, what if not everyone's magic tasted the same? She would have to do this again just to verify. Second, and much more horribly, what if Malikhi didn't hurt her, but the spell itself was simply hot and burned her tongue?

Luckily, the latter of these was answered a moment later when she discovered that wands should be cleaned before being stuck in someone's mouth. She suspected she wasn't the only one with a brownie in her pocket when bits of chocolate dessert found their way into her mouth.

Finally, she tasted Lumos. It didn't exactly have a flavor, although she wasn't sure still whether that was on account of Malikhi's magic in general, or the spell itself. However, it wasn't something she'd forget.

It tasted like other sensations. Like the way a hot light bulb smells burning in a dusty room, and the way the summer sun feels on rosy cheeks. It was like a tasting the bright lights of 4th of July fireworks, but none of the sulfuric bitterness she might expect. She hadn't expected to taste feelings or sights or smells, and her eyes widened excitedly.

It did make her tongue tingle, though, so she wasn't too sorry to open her mouth and pull her head away. She took a deep breath, surprised at the way her mouth seemed to miss the brightness of the spell. Malikhi looked so nervous and she searched his face, examining all the brightness in his features, feeling more aware of light than she had been a moment before. And then she smiled. No, she grinned.

"Malikhi," she breathed, awestruck. "That's amazing. Probably really dangerous, but it's amazing."

Everything seemed brighter now, and she couldn't seem to stop smiling. Her tongue still tingled, but she wasn't too worried. She'd had an active wand in her mouth, after all, and a little weirdness was to be expected.

"You look so beautiful," she whispered, eyes still wide. "Everything is so beautiful. Your face is so bright! Did you know your face is so bright? Everything is so bright, Kai. You look beautiful."

She didn't feel tired anymore, but felt like she had already slept. It was like looking at everything in Cascade Hall as if a sunrise was lighting it up, reflecting off the crystal chandeliers and golden tones of Malikhi's hair and eyes. He really was so beautiful. Everything was so beautiful. Evelyn couldn't stop smiling.

22 Evelyn Stones, Pecari My brains are tired. 1422 Evelyn Stones, Pecari 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 01, 2018 11:32 PM

Aw, come lie down. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Something had gone wrong and Malikhi could feel the nerves bubbling inside him, churning in his stomach and making him feel rather sick. He swallowed thickly, not at all comfortable with the situation and could feel his hand starting to tremble as he grew more and more anxious. He was now wishing he’d been more insistent on doing such experiments on himself instead of putting somebody else’s health at risk. While he was curious about what magic did indeed taste like, the fact that it was Evelyn being the guinea pig was not sitting right with him at all. \r\n

\r\nEventually, and to his great relief that she seemingly hadn’t suffered anything dramatic, she opened her mouth, letting him take back his wand which he cleaned with a slightly disgusted look on his face. He had not considered the fact that mouths generally contained saliva. After cleaning his wand and putting it safely back in his pocket, he looked at her properly and it confirmed his thoughts that something had indeed gone rather wrong. \r\n

\r\nEvelyn looked like she'd been drugged up to her eyeballs, the way her eyes seemed to have a kind of glazed look to them, almost as if she was somewhere else entirely. She had a wider grin on her face than Malikhi had ever seen on her before and sounded like she was trying to say that he was 'beautiful' but her words were slurred together, almost as if she'd been drinking heavily. Malikhi was convinced that had somehow broken her. \r\n

\r\nThen, there was the cherry on top of the cake. \r\n

\r\nAs she continued to try and babble about how beautiful everything was, he managed to see that her tongue had turned a vivid blue. Clapping a hand over his mouth, he was in absolute horror and almost close to tears. He had somehow managed to cause Evelyn to become a blabbering mess, complete with glassy eyes and a blue tongue. It had only been a simple wand-lighting charm. He’d performed it lots of times before with complete success. How had he managed to screw up so badly and more importantly, how would he return his friend to her former state? Maybe a goblet of juice would help. He was somewhat concerned about her general state and her slurring words so he poured her a goblet of juice and handed it to her, supporting it with his own hands just in case she wasn't capable.

"Here, you'd better drink something."

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Aw, come lie down. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones, Pecari

August 01, 2018 11:43 PM

But the ghosts haven't tried the cobbler since the ballgame! by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

Apparently, Malikhi didn't like being called beautiful. She watched tears slide from his beautiful eyes-- noticing, of course, the way they caught all the beautiful light in the beautiful room-- and then he covered his mouth.

"Noooo," she groaned. "You're beautiful don't hide your face. The sun wants to say hi to your face. Isn't the sun so beautiful, Kai?"

Her tongue still tingled and she almost wondered at it, but there were too many pretty things to look at. "Isn't it so beautiful in my house?" she asked, raising her arms and gesturing around the room. "Welcome to my house, Kai! But don't wake my dad up, I don't want him to be mad at me again in case he gets mad and then if he gets mad he might hit me again and that's not beautiful at all. But Kai!"

Shrugging into her shoulders and wrinkling up her face in a grin, Evelyn patted Malikhi on the shoulder. "Malikhi, look at all the light."

Reaching for a spoon, she held it up between them, reflecting the light off the beautifully curved silver. It was so beautiful. "Malikhi, look at the fork! That's not a fork!"

She giggled as she put the thingy down. It was such a beautiful thingy. She leaned forward to see if she could see her reflection in it, wondering if her reflection was beautiful too. There seemed to be a whole lot of white. Her face and hair were white and she thought that was positively hilarious, so she giggled some more. Then she saw her orange lips and a dash of bright blue between them when she spoke.

"Kai, the mirror thingy is broken! But look how beautiful it is with all the thingies!"

Evelyn sighed happily, leaning all the way forward and putting her head on the table sideways so she could look up at Malikhi. "You're a beautiful thingy, Malikhi."

22 Evelyn Stones, Pecari But the ghosts haven't tried the cobbler since the ballgame! 1422 Evelyn Stones, Pecari 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 02, 2018 4:47 PM

I do not understand... by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi felt truly terrible at Evelyn's current state. He was trying desperately to get the girl to drink, hoping that it would help snap her out of whatever stupor she seemed to be in. Or, maybe food would help? He snatched a brownie from the nearby pile on the table and waved it in front of her face, hoping that her love of brownies was stronger than her current love for... well, everything that seem to glitter and shine and was considered to be 'beautiful'.

Which, at the moment, was his face.

He gave her a weak smile and laughed a litte. Despite the guilt he still felt tearing up his insides, he had to admit that her behaviour was rather amusing. At least he hadn't blown her head up or dissolved her tongue or maimed her in any kind of way. The butterflies and anxiousness in his stomach seemed to ease.

Then, she let something slip.

Malikhi blinked and for a moment, he was unsure if he'd heard correctly. He was pretty sure that he wasn't wrong though and his nerves and anxiety dissipated in favour of focusing on Evelyn and the words that Malikhi was pretty sure had unintentionally slipping out of her mouth. He thought that she had a happy home life. Or at least, that's the indication that she had given, what with her story about tickling her mother and getting to stay up late...

Had she lied to him? Why?

"Linney, your father hits you?" he murmured in a hushed voice, trying to make sure that nobody overheard them. "Why? I don't understand. I thought you said..."

He was so confused and Evelyn appeared distracted and more interested in the spoon that she was now accusing of not being a fork. She was clearly out of it and he wasn't sure if she was even hearing a word he was saying to her. He sighed heavily, wondering what on earth to do next.

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari I do not understand... 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

August 02, 2018 4:56 PM

You weren't meant to by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn's foggy brain seemed to clear as the scent of brownies wafted through the air. It was a delicious smell and utterly not like the smell of hot light bulbs. Evelyn blinked and lifted her head from the table.

Malikhi was speaking in hushed tones and looking worried. Whether that was because of whatever she done since whatever had happened with the spell or because of something she'd...

Then she remembered.

She wasn't prone to swearing but a number of choice words ran through her mind before deciding it would be best to maintain that she'd only spoken nonsense. A plan in place great but then she crashed.

A moment of beauty and euphoria followed by a desperate crash into darkness. She took the brownie from Malikji with weak fingers as tears slrhng to her eyes. She knew, rationally, that she wasn't actually sad. But she still felt sad, and suddenly nothing seemed beautiful at all.

"Awe, Kai," she whimpered as the first wave of years leaked from her eyes. "This is terrible."

On the bright side, she was more conscious of the situation now and was careful not to cry too loudly or to draw too much attention. The last thing she needed was a professor to remember her as the girl who ate a spell day one.

"What happened?" She moaned. "I don't think that was just Lumos."

22 Evelyn Stones You weren't meant to 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 02, 2018 5:29 PM

Will you explain it to me? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi's eyes widened as he saw Evelyn crying. Terrific. This was twice in one night that the poor girl had become so upset to the point of tears and Malikhi was not sure how to deal with a crying girl. At least, she'd accepted his offered brownie and she was eating. He pushed a goblet of juice towards her as well, as fluids seemed like a good idea. Also, when he was sad and crying, his Mum used to rub gentle circles on his back to try and help soothe him. Maybe he could do that?

He moved closer to her and laid a gentle hand on her back and started to rub slow circles, hoping that he was indeed being comforting.

"It's my fault, Linney," he told her quietly. "I think I cast the spell wrong or something. I could have hurt you so much worse and I'm so sorry."

He hoped that she wouldn't be too angry with him. He'd just been so nervous and worried about casting the spell right and not hurting her that it turned out that he'd cast the spell wrong anyway.

It perhaps wasn't a good time to bring what she'd let slip earlier but given the fact that it would probably only upset her anyway, he figured that he might as well bring it up now. He let out a reluctant sigh. He was loathe to do this, to make her cry further but he couldn't shake it from his mind. "Linney... You said something about your Dad. You said that if we weren't quiet, you Dad would get angry and he'd hit you again..."

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Will you explain it to me? 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

August 02, 2018 5:46 PM

No, of course not. by Evelyn Stones

Malikhi's hand was warm and comforting as it made small circles on her back. Evelyn's mom did that sometimes and it was a welcome touch of familiarity. She managed a grateful smile before returning to tears.

She fought with herself to everything under control, and Malikhi's persistence helped focus her mind. She absolutely couldn't let him know the truth.

Taking a swig from the goblet Malikhi offered, she actually managed to stop crying and wiped her face on her sleeve.

"Don't worry," she said honestly. "It happens. It probably would be worse on yourself! At least you were trying to be careful with me." She gave another weak smile, knowing she wouldn't really be able to make him feel any better.

"I really don't know what I said," she added, leaning forward and holding Malikhi's gaze. "Other than something about a fork. But it really was beautiful up until it was awful!"

This time, Evelyn managed a more genuine smile. Whatever she told him, truth or lie, she had come to care about him. Seeing Malikhi so sad and worried made Evelyn feel sad too.

"I told you, my dad is good." She couldn't come up with anything better to say. What did people say when they got on with their parents? "We get on great." That seemed lame, too.

"But now we know! Tasting magic is a very dangerous thing to do!" She giggled at the realization that the now both been the victims of magical mishaps, and this was only day one. "How are we going to get through the rest of the week like this? Let alone the whole school year?" she laughed.

22 Evelyn Stones No, of course not. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 02, 2018 10:41 PM

You're quite infuriating. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi felt that Evelyn was deliberately avoiding the topic of her family and her tone indicated that she did not want to talk about them anymore. Malikhi was a nosy boy, wanting to know everything about a person. He supposed that it was because he himself was a very open book, having no qualms about sharing his personal life with other people. Though, as he pondered this, he supposed that his life had been a happy one and why would you have any secrets if you were happy?

He couldn't help but continue to worry about Evelyn though. Despite the fact that she'd said her Dad was good and that they got on great, he felt that she was only saying that to try and get him to move on from the subject. He realised that if she truly didn't want to talk about, he was not going to try and force her. What he did know was that if she ever decided that she did want to talk to someone about her problems, he would be there for her and ready to lend an ear.

He laughed as she asked about surviving the rest of the year and her pulled her into his side, wrapping a loose arm round her back. "Eh, we'll manage. After all, we'll have each other, right?"

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari You're quite infuriating. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

August 02, 2018 11:22 PM

You're welcome. by Evelyn Stones

Where Malikhi's touch had been soothing and welcome before, it now made Evelyn feel sick. Why should he be comforting her when she was lying? Why should he be kind to her at all?

Oh right.

Friendship.

Not that she was much of a friend. Evelyn knew she was ultimately condemning herself. She'd either remain stuck in limbo as the crappy friend who hid the truth from him, or she'd eventually slip up and reveal the truth, proving that she'd been lying. The only option was to maintain the perfect facade, and she made the decision right there not to let anything slip up again.

The harder part was not having anyone she could talk to. She thought of Ness, but would Ness tell Malikhi? Maybe a professor could help but the risk was too high.

Harder still was not sinking out from Malikhi's friendly touch. She wanted to scream. She wanted to hide amongst the clouds, where no one could know how stupid she was.

Once a disappointment, always a disappointment.

Swallowing hard, Evelyn reached her arm under Malikhi's, around his back.

"Of course we will," she said. "That's not going to change."

The words rose like bile from her throat and she blinked hard. This would be the last time she would make this mistake. She hugged Malikhi closer for a heartbeat before releasing him entirely, and it felt like a goodbye to whatever friendship they might've had. One built on honesty and trust.

He was still beautiful, inside and out, and Evelyn suddenly couldn't wait to be anywhere but here. She smiled.

22 Evelyn Stones You're welcome. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 02, 2018 11:55 PM

Re: You're welcome. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Malikhi still felt like something wasn't quite right between him and Evelyn. Where before there had been laughter and smiles and an easy air amongst them, the air now felt awkward and sad and Malikhi wasn't sure what he could do to repair it. When she pulled away from him, he suddenly felt cold, like someone had covered him in ice cream. He felt like the remark that she'd accidentally let slip about her father had caused this and he didn't like it.

He was worried about their newly found friendship. It wouldn't be strong enough to hold out if she chose to walk away from it as it was only a few hours old. She was his only real friend here at Sonora and he liked her. She was his new partner-in-crime. That had to count for something.

He took her hands into his own, needing to make her understand that he was there for her. That, despite the fact that they'd only known each other for a few hours, he would be willing to listen to any issues she had. He knew that he wouldn't be particularly useful in terms of advice or actual help but he did have shoulders to cry on.

"I am here for you, whatever's on your mind. I can't promise that I can help with anything but if you ever want to just talk, I'll listen."

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari Re: You're welcome. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

August 03, 2018 1:42 AM

Goodnight, Friend. by Evelyn Stones

Everything suddenly seemed to feel like too much and Evelyn found herself quite tired. It hadn't been a very long day, but it seemed to have spanned weeks and the weight of it all crashed onto her as Malikhi took her hands. His were soft and warm, and his eyes bore into her with liquid affection.

He seemed to genuinely care, and Evelyn wondered why she was so determined to hide things from him. She was fairly sure neither he or Ness would judge her for the relationship she had with her parents, and she was pretty sure they would help her if that situation arose. She thought perhaps she was embarrassed, and that was certainly true in part; she couldn't help blaming herself for being the disappointment that brought out such strong feelings in her father, even if his reactions weren't justified.

The truth felt worse, though, and made her actions seem petty. Guilt burned her cheeks as she realized she simply wanted to fit in. She wanted to be the girl with a happy family and a good home and strong magic and lots of friends, and she hoped that maybe she could make that happen by making it up. But that wouldn't work, and she knew it.

Well, the rational part of her brain knew it.

The rest of her wasn't willing to give up trying until it truly proved futile. Stubborn as she was, it might be a long time before that was proven.

"Thanks, Kai," she whispered, hating herself. "It really means a lot." And thus she spoke the truth.

Before she could say anything else, though, and really before she could think of what else to say anyway, her attention was drawn to the dismissal of all the students to their Common Rooms. Leaning forward, she spoke in a low whisper, close to Malikhi's ear.

Her voice was thick with emotion, and she hoped it sounded like gratefulness. After all, at the core, it really truly was. "You're a really really good friend."

Evelyn pulled her hands away and sat up straight, wishing desperately that she could focus on anything but her own thoughts.

22 Evelyn Stones Goodnight, Friend. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

August 03, 2018 1:31 PM

We'll see each other like... all the time. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

As Malikhi and the rest of the students were dismissed and free to leave the feast, the first years being led to their common rooms and their dorms, he felt that the evening and dinner he'd shared with Evelyn was ending on a sort of negative note. She didn't seem as joyful or as eager to talk to him as she had been over the course of the night and Malikhi couldn't help but feel like he'd done something wrong. The guilt over what he'd caused to happen to her as a result of a poorly cast wand-lighting charm was crippling and if that was upsetting her, he didn't know how he'd be able to make up for it.

On the other hand, she did kind of look tired and it had been a long day. For her, possibly more so given the crying and the moments of hysteria. It was probably a good thing that, at any moment, they would be shown the way to their common room and then she'd be able to go to bed and sleep. He hoped that tomorrow would be a better day for her. It wasn't like they wouldn't see each other again. Bumping into each other every day would probably be almost unavoidable, given that they were in the same house. Though he did hope that they wouldn't just bump into each other and would spend time together in the common room, studying together or generally just hanging out.

"Come on," he murmured quietly to her as he, like the rest of the Pecari table, rose from their seats. "Let's go see our common room."

Just as they were about to walk and leave Cascade Hall, he remembered something. He popped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the brownie that he'd saved for her. He offered it to her, thinking that she could do with the pick-me-up. "I saw you take one yourself, earlier. I don't know why but two brownies is always better than one, right? This is for you."

20 Malikhi Hill, Pecari We'll see each other like... all the time. 1423 Malikhi Hill, Pecari 0 5

Evelyn Stones

August 03, 2018 2:24 PM

That makes me happy by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn smiled, surprised at Malikhi's thoughtfulness. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised, and supposed she wasn't surprised that Malikhi was thoughtful, just that anybody would be thoughtful at all. She took the brownie gratefully and took a big gooey bite before saying anything.

She thought of everything that night before replying, and was careful to make sure every word was true. She wouldn't lie about anything she didn't have to lie about, and she didn't want to lie about this at all:

"I'm glad we're in the same house and I'm glad we met."

Evelyn hoped Malikhi knew she was sincere. She felt tight in her chest and wondered if that's what all friendships felt like. As they bumbled through the sea of students, Evelyn thought to look for Ness, but only for a moment. Tonight she was a Pecari.

Wrapping one arm around Malikhi's side, she gave him as tight a hug as her tiny self could manage. She turned her head to smile at him before letting go and walking out of Cascade Hall for the first time. More importantly, she walked out with her friend.

22 Evelyn Stones That makes me happy 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Headmaster Brockert

Opening Feast by Headmaster Brockert

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Well, it was nice while it lasted. by Evelyn Stones

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The way I see it, it's only just begun. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Gary Harper

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Is everybody here...nice? by Evelyn Stones

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Well, I don't know about everyone... but I think I am? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Evelyn Stones

I really don't know if I am, but I'll try! by Evelyn Stones

Julius Astley, Crotalus

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Katerina Vorontsov

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I'll share mine, if you share yours... by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

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That sounds fair. by Evelyn Stones

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Fair exchange is no robbery. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

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Robbery is definitely robbery though by Evelyn Stones, Pecari

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Only if you leave without me. by Mary Brooding

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Well, is a crime a crime if we don't get caught? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

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I don't think that's how criminal justice works by Evelyn Stones

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I won't leave you behind by Tabitha Hawthorne

Mary Brooding

But what if I fall? by Mary Brooding

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Alright, I surrender. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

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What does one do when one has a surrendered boy? by Evelyn Stones

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Then I'll pick you up. by Tabitha Hawthorne

Mary Brooding

Lift from the knees, not from the back. by Mary Brooding

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Anything you want. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

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That's a dangerous promise by Evelyn Stones

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I'll be careful, don't worry. by Tabitha Hawthorne

Mary Brooding

Then I will, too. by Mary Brooding

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Promises are only dangerous if they're broken. by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Tabitha Hawthorne

Good. I don't want to see you hurt. by Tabitha Hawthorne

Evelyn Stones

I promise to keep my promises by Evelyn Stones

Mary Brooding

Nor I you, dear friend by Mary Brooding

Dorian Montoir

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent by Dorian Montoir

Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Where does one keep a promise? by Malikhi Hill, Pecari

Tabitha Hawthorne

I'll look out for you. by Tabitha Hawthorne

blushes fiercely and dies by Mary Brooding