As you say, YOLO. [Tag Ellie] on Cascade Hall

Freddie Zauberhexen

January 06, 2020 5:21 PM

As you say, YOLO. [Tag Ellie] by Freddie Zauberhexen

Freddie and Hana disagreed on lots of things, but today they disagreed about the Ball. The Ball. Hana seemed perfectly convinced that it was a marker of whether she’d done well enough at assimilating into American and Sonoran culture, whether her English was good enough, and whether she’d all around made a good enough impression. She didn’t seem to have any particular person in mind, but she still hoped that someone – maybe anyone – would take her to the Ball. She did not find it very funny when Freddie suggested she go with a girl friend or something if she was so desperate. As such, Freddie had taken it upon himself to prove to her that finding someone to go to the Ball with was easy.

He did have to admit that there was some measure of difference between himself and Hana. While Freddie was certainly not interested in the romance of a Ball, Hana was. She was taken by the whimsy of it all, and the potential. Additionally, Freddie was a boy. Hana insisted that that meant he could not relate at all, because he got to go with whomever he wanted and she just had to hope someone asked her. Again, Hana had not appreciated Freddie’s suggestion that she go and ask a boy then, nor that they just go together.

If not for the fact that such irritation was wildly out of character for Hana, Freddie might have been hurt by his sister’s attitude. In this case, though, he understood that it likely stemmed from. . . . maybe insecurity? Maybe just nerves? He could understand nerves, even if he rarely experienced them himself.

There wasn’t a lot Freddie could do except the only thing he could do so that’s what he was going to do. He had thought long and hard about how he was going to do this, because he was trying to prove a point but he also had to put up with someone all night. They’d presumably dance together. He had to pick someone that wouldn’t want a kiss because that was gross, but also that he could dance with and have fun with. His choices were narrowed to two people. He had considered asking Anya, but she was just… well it would’ve been a bit like asking Hana. Anya was his friend and his adventure buddy, but Anya also had her own friends and Freddie didn’t think she’d be interested in the Ball anyway.

He had another friend, however, who was sweet and pretty and nice, and definitely excited about the Ball even if she didn’t always show it, and definitely not annoying. Freddie could spend the evening with only one person besides Anya, so that’s who he decided to ask.

If it was romance Hana wanted, it was romance she would get. He’d fill the whole school with all the frilly weirdness she seemed so excited about. Or at least he’d try. There weren’t a lot of options at his disposal, so he’d settled on cutting up some paper into the rough semblance of flowers, and he’d tied them all together with one of Hana’s ribbons.

With his goal settled firmly in his mind, Freddie walked into Cascade Hall for breakfast and approached the Aladren table. It was early and not everyone was there, which was just as well because he was trying to prove a point, not make a scene. Plus… well, truth be told, he really did hope she’d say yes. He hadn’t really thought too much about girls as a species until Hana started talking about boys as a species, and now he sort of wondered what it would be like when he was older and cared a little more about that stuff. It wouldn’t hurt to be extra friendly to people that he did really think were pretty and nice. Ellie Alperton ticked all those boxes for him and even sort of made him feel warm if he really thought about it.

With a flourish, Freddie sat down beside her, grateful again for the mostly empty seats around Cascade Hall. He placed his attempt at flowers on the table between them and grinned at his friend. She even looked pretty today. But also, she was just his friend. He couldn’t quite get past that idea to get to where Hana was just yet.

“Good morning,” he beamed. “Do you want to do the dances with me? With me go to the Ball?”

22 Freddie Zauberhexen As you say, YOLO. [Tag Ellie] 1452 1 5

Ellie Alperton

January 07, 2020 6:03 PM

I am not sure I have ever said that by Ellie Alperton

Ellie was feeling pretty. She had managed to do a French braid around just the crown of her head, all the way around and without it being too bumpy or ugly to be seen in public, all in time for class. This was a first. She had been adept at a number of these hairstyles for quite some time but usually had executed them on other people, and usually for fun. The step up to making your own hands work backwards, behind your own head, and under time pressure was immense. She had paired it with a set of teardrop shaped pink glass earrings that she thought were very princess-like and set off for breakfast.

Jasmine was not immediately visible to show off her hair triumph too, and Ellie felt odd sitting at Crotalus without her, so she made her way over to her own table instead, helping herself to pancakes and strawberries.

She had not been there very long when Freddie appeared. She was going to wish him a good morning and all the usual things when something very unusual happened. He produced some rather messy paper flowers and asked her to go to the ball with him. Even before he corrected himself, his message was clear, even if she couldn't quite believe it. Ellie had pinned much of her excitement for the upcoming ball on the dressing up part. She had already got hold of some fashion catalogues and was looking at dress styles. She had redoubled her efforts to be good at styling her hair, and even ventured into looking up a few related spells. She had wanted to get good at both the basics of making her hair and her wand do what she wanted before she tried combining those two, especially as she was very scared of doing anything to damage her hair or make it go away. Her hair growing had been one of her last bursts of accidental magic and she wasn't sure whether drawing magic's attention to it might make it undo itself. She was feeling somewhat more confident after it not having vanished on her during first year, and given that some of its length was now presumably down to actual, natural growth. Still, magic and hair... Eep. But looking like an actual princess was a strong temptation, and that required all kinds of skills she didn't yet have, like curling and... bouffanting. However one did that.

In short, there had been plenty to occupy her mind without boys. She had thought, in the most abstract terms, about how a proper princess needed a prince (or another princess, if that was what she was into, but Ellie was not - at least, as far as she could tell). She had not tried putting a face to that idea though. She might have said it was because she had been too busy thinking about dresses instead but she suspected that was more an active choice on her part. To throw herself into those things she could control. She couldn't make boys like her, and she wasn't sure they would.

But yet, here was Freddie. With paper flowers, asking her on a date. Clearly a premeditated decision, given the flowers. And the answer was easy.

"Yes! I would like that very much," she smiled, picking the flowers up, "Thank you."

13 Ellie Alperton I am not sure I have ever said that 1456 0 5

Freddie Zauberhexen

January 07, 2020 8:08 PM

But you said exactly what I wanted to hear! by Freddie Zauberhexen

Later, Freddie would wonder if it was significant that he didn't even think to look for Hana just then, and he didn't want to rub it in her face, and he didn't want to smirk. In the moment, however, he was just surprised at the sense of relief that flooded his chest. He'd had pretty high hopes - and thought he'd even had pretty high odds - that Ellie would say 'yes,' but to hear her actually do so was way cooler than he expected. The part that he thought was coolest was that she didn't ask a bunch of questions and she didn't put a bunch of qualifiers on it. They would figure everything out and that would be fine; for now, they could just be excited. He did sort of wonder if that meant she like liked him though. Eh, he could arguably not worry about that for another year or twenty.

"Das ist sehr toll! Danke, schönes Mädchen!" he said, grinning and showing off his signature dimples.

He wasn't totally sure if he was supposed to do something because a hug kinda seemed like a weird response, and he wasn't going to fist bump. She'd taken the flowers though, so her arms were full and a nice gesture had been made and he didn't have to figure it out. Plus she was smiling and Freddie didn't know a lot about girls, but he knew enough about smiles to know that was a good thing. "Have you a color you want me wearen? I like purple much."

He cocked his head, and smiled at Ellie a little more normally. He couldn't go around beaming all the time. "Thanks lots," he said, aware looking back that he had only thanked her in German. "I am doing so excite."

22 Freddie Zauberhexen But you said exactly what I wanted to hear! 1452 0 5

Ellie Alperton

January 10, 2020 9:00 PM

Oh good by Ellie Alperton

Sometimes, German almost sounded like words she knew. And then it would veer and manifestly not any more. People often said it was a rough language, but it was hard to think that when it was being accompanied by a dimpled smile. Ellie had no idea what had just been said to her, but a smile was a smile, so she gave one back and assumed that was mostly the right response, and that if there had been any expectation of a further response he would put it into a language she understood. She got the impression he was enthusiastic, anyway, about her saying ‘yes,’ although she had no idea whether that had much to do with her specifically and what she’d just done and how much was just… Freddie, and that being his default. Still, it made it easy to smile in return.

“Um. I don’t know,” Ellie replied, when asked if there was a colour that she particularly wanted Freddie to wear. She wasn’t sure if he was asking about just him wearing purple, or whether she would also be wearing the purple and he would then match it in his tie or something. But were they thinking about being matchy-matchy? Was it that kind of a date? Was it a date? He’d given her flowers. It was a date. But was it Date date?

“I like purple too. I didn’t pick a dress yet,” she offered, deciding to try just sticking to the facts. Facts were good. Freddie sort of reminded her in some ways of her brother. She sort of didn’t doubt that the messy flowers he’d given her reflected the absolute best effort and maximum patience he had for arts and crafts. Which meant he most likely wasn’t going to worry too much about the finer details of their outfits, and was almost certainly not reading as much into this as she was. This was probably just a friendly conversation and probably just a friend date.

Probably.

Hopefully?

Hopefully. Ellie wondered what sort of expectations boys had about girls at their age. And Freddie… Well, people always said girls matured faster than boys did, and - in the nicest possible way - she felt that was kind of clear in their interactions. This was just…. It wasn’t going to have to be complicated. She hoped.

“You’re welcome. And thanks for asking. I’m excited too,” she replied, still smiling. And it was true. This was just exciting. And maybe scary. And it didn’t have to be a big deal. Probably.

13 Ellie Alperton Oh good 1456 0 5

Freddie Zauberhexen

January 12, 2020 7:41 PM

I think so too. by Freddie Zauberhexen

"That is all good," Freddie said, shrugging comfortably. "Hana, my sister, she care sehr much about looking right for Ball. I want to dance right for Ball. I do not mind so much how look. You look nice no matter what," he added the last as if it were simply a fact, which it probably was to him. He was happy enough if it counted as a compliment for Ellie, but he wasn't trying to woo his friend, just be honest with her. That was what was nice about Ellie, so why stop now? Plus she really did look nice all the time. She did stuff with bows and sparkly stuff that Freddie thought would be really fun to try if he ever let his hair grow out. Today she had done something fancy with her hair that Freddie was pretty sure he'd seen Hana do sometimes but he didn't think Hana probably took as much time because this looked nicer. "You can wear dress or bag for potatoes. You still look nice."

He was pretty sure that was okay to say? Hana said she did not like that their robes looked like potato sacks, but she also didn't like wearing anything so big and restrictive in general, so he thought she was probably overreacting. A potato would probably be pretty happy in these robes and Freddie wasn't that much different than a potato. He just had limbs instead of eyes - well, he had eyes but not the same kind - and he was a little softer than a potato most of the time. He also moved around more. He was pretty sure potatoes couldn't do magic, but would have to ask Professor Xavier to be sure.

"I am glad you are excite," he smiled. He couldn't seem to stop smiling actually. "You eat?" he asked, gesturing to the table of food. "Do you want me go away? Or I can stay and eat with you?"

22 Freddie Zauberhexen I think so too. 1452 0 5