Through the Corridors PV Claudia Gears Closed

19 Jun 2020, 13:05

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@Alina Rosier

Claudia liked to roam about endlessly through the castle. Maybe it was her curiosity that drove her, maybe it was because she needed something to do, but Claudia felt satisfied walking the endless staircases and hallways. She would sometimes stop to look at the paintings, especially if there were books or a cat in them. The pictures paid her no mind as she stared, caught up in frivolous conversations with the queen or knight next door.

That particular evening, Claudia was roaming about as usual when she’s heard something echo through the hallway. She couldn’t tell where it had come from nor what it was, as she had been sidetracked by something else. Claudia looked around but there was no one in sight. It must’ve been one of the paintings, she shrugged. It was likely one of the portraits farther up the corridor, talking to some kind of random passerby. Maybe they had been taking a nap and someone had startled them awake.

Meow, meow, meow.

Claudia froze. She’ could’ve sworn that she heard the distant sound of a cat. Claudia pressed her ear the the wall and heard the muffled sounds of talking. Was someone talking to their cat? Claudia rushed up the hallway, careful not to trip or look like she was running, and took a few turns to where she heard to voice. No one was there. Maybe it was just her imagination.

“....sure he didn’t wander off very far,” Claudia crept toward until she was sure the direction of the voice was before her. She crept toward the source of the amplified voice. She was sure there was a cat in her midst, and she did not want to miss seeing the little ball of fluff. “He did this once before and came back, correct? He’s mischievous, that one. He’ll be alright and I’m sure that he...”

Meow, meow, meow.

Another meow echoed through the corridor, and Claudia could just barely see a slightly blurry figure of a girl standing ahead. So something was missing, and there was a cat... Claudia gasped. What if a kitten was missing?! What a tragedy, what a mistake! The girl was probably talking to a painting or someone who had gone through this same procedure before. The girl’s kitten was missing!

“I have school work I should be doing, Dora. I can’t come back when i’ve Finished. I’ll just need to go to the library super quick and then after some research...” The girl didn’t seem that distressed, and Claudia realized that maybe her cat wasn’t missing after all. What if it was someone else’s? Her friend, or her sibling at Hogwarts could be missing a kitten! Just thinking of a poor, scared kitty was overwhelming for Claudia. The kitten must be near, as she had heard a cat. Or maybe it was the other girl’s cat?

“Okay, Okay Dor... I’ll help you find your kitten,” the girl said. So Claudia was right! A kitten really was missing! Claudia slowed her walk as she got closer and tried to act casual, hiding the fact that she was a mess inside.

Claudia approached the girl. She had to do something to help! No kitten should be as scared as the one right now. A kitten, all alone, without his or her owner... it was just too much for Claudia to bear.”H-hi. I, um, heard there was a missing kitten? Erm, if you need any help... I’m willing.”

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☆ Claudia Gears, First Year ☆
Confusion... personified; the awkwardness is real.

20 Jun 2020, 03:57

Interacting with @Claudia Gears

Alina turned toward the voice that offered a helping hand and she smiled widely in appreciation. "Oh that would be SO lovely! Really. He could be anywhere!" she said, still leaving out the part that he was a painting because she assumed it was known. "He's about this small," she showed with her hands, "and has colorings like this one," and she pointed to Artemindora in the painting.

"I think he headed off this way...at least he did last time," and she began walking. The other girl began to walk with her. "I'm Alina, by the way. Alina Rosier." Her pace was rather quick and she was looking down the corridor, to the left, to the right. She was watching each portrait they came to but it also looked as though she could have been looking around the corridors themselves.

"He's such a pesky little cat. His name is Orion...sometimes I just call him Rion. I mean, he knows not to wander off like this..." but she just sighed, frustrated at the animal.

Alina glanced back to the girl next to her. "Thanks for offering to to help," she sighed, realizing she had forgotten her manners in addressing the girl but the worry got the best of her. She hated that Artemindora was so worried about her kitten. "Do you have any pets at home? And oh, I didn't get your name."

Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.

20 Jun 2020, 13:43

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@Alina Rosier

Claudia watched as the girl turned toward her. She was a Hufflepuff, with eyes that seemed to glow in the corridor and dirty blond hair. Well, at least Claudia thought it was dirty blond. The light of the corridor was dimly lit, and so everything looked darker. The hair looked like a light brownish color, and when Claudia lit up the corridor in her brain it took on the appearance of dirty blond. The dim light also contributed to bright things looking brighter, which was why the Hufflepuff girl’s two eyes seemed to be brighter than they were. On the other hand, Claudia with her mostly black apparel must look like she was made out of shadow. Maybe if she covered her face and put on gloves, she could be almost invisible!

“Oh that would be SO lovely! Really. He could be anywhere!” the girl smiled. What was with Hufflepuffs and their smiling? One thing was for sure, if Claudia was stuck in a room of Hufflepuffs she would be easy to pick out from the crowd. Even if all of them wore the same clothes and acted the same way, someone would easily be able to tell Claudia was a fake. Her smile would be the only one forced, and she would be quietly reading instead of engaging in social activity like the rest.

“He’s about this small,” the girl referenced, hovering her hands apart to demonstrate, “and has colorings like this one,” the girl continued, pointing to the mother cat in the painting next to her. Claudia imagined the small creature and melted from the cuteness. Figuratively. Not literally. Claudia figuratively melted from the cuteness. Otherwise there would be a puddle of Claudia-goop sitting on the floor. Ew.

“I think he headed off this was... at least he did last time,” Claudia followed as the girl started walking. “I’m Alina by the way. Alina Rosier.” the girl started to pick up the pace, walking faster than the average person, as if she had a place to be. Or a kitten to find. Claudia skimmed the corridors with her, looking side to side for the missing kitten. She thought it was strange that they didn’t stop to look in the little holes and other hiding spots, but maybe the kitten couldn’t fit in them.

“He’s such a pesky little cat. His name is Orion... sometimes I just call him Rion. I mean, he knows not to wander off like this...” she sighed. Claudia just shrugged in turn, because that’s how cats were.

The Hufflepuff girl turned back to her, “Thanks for offering to help, Do you have any pets at home? And oh, I didn’t get your name.”

Claudia wanted to tell the girl to brace herself for a tsunami of information. Or more like misinformation. Somehow, she always made a simple introduction into an ocean of talking. It wasn’t that she was talkative, more like the opposite, but her social awkwardness made her stutter and forget her words. “Oh. No problem. If it’s a cat, I’ll always be w-willing to help. My name’s Cl-Claudia. Gears. Yeah... um... yeah. Ravenclaw. Cak-caw! Cak-caw!” Claudia recited, sounding more like a strangled crow than a raven. ”N-no idea why I did that. Erassse that from your minddd,” she hissed, wiggling her fingers at the girl, “Wait. That’s a snake. I’m not... Nevermind. J-just ignore me. As for pets... I - sadly - have none. A-at least... at least at the moment. I’m saving up for one. A cute little bundle of fluff!” she said, whispering the last sentence.

They continued down the corridor for a little bit in silence. Claudia felt like she needed to talk to redeem herself or something, but she didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, she felt a flash of inspiration, “So, uh, you were talking to a Dora about getting a kitten back. Is that Orion’s mother? Or his owner...?” she asked. For some reason she could remember the cat’s name, but could barely remember Armila’s. Or was it... Alina? Claudia didn’t know.

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☆ Claudia Gears, First Year ☆
Confusion... personified; the awkwardness is real.

20 Jun 2020, 15:21

Interacting with @Claudia Gears

Claudia was a unique one. Well, it seemed that a lot of the students at Hogwarts were unique in their own way. She had met her adventure loving friends in Clifton Troublefield and the other Hufflepuffs, she had her close confident friend in Rose Moon of Gryffindor, and she had her telling-random-animal-facts friend Meredith Ready in Slytherin. Claudia seemed like much of a contrast compared to Alina herself but Alina didn't care about that sort of thing. She loved people and she loved getting to know people who were genuine, no matter what they were.

Claudia Gears had her at 'cak-caw' and Alina thought it was brilliant. "Oh, Dora's the mother cat. She was the one throwing a fit in the corridors. I'm sure you heard her. The whole school probably heard her, honestly. I swear...." she shook her head at how loud that cat could be sometimes. "You know, that kitten is JUST like her, I don't know why she's so worried. She once wandered off too and I had to go on a search for her. Like mother like son, I suppose," she sighed.

They came to a more brightly lit corridor which was nice because it was easier to see the portraits now. Alina glanced over at what she hoped would be a new friend and smiled to her. "So what kind?" she asked, not realizing how vague of a question it was until it left her. "The ball of fluff. What kind would you want to get?" There were many animals that would fall into this category and Alina was sure it would be something adorable.

Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.

20 Jun 2020, 22:07

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@Alina Rosier

Claudia marveled at the sight of them. What an unusual pair, Alina and her. One, a Ravenclaw with no social skills whatsoever and who tried the hide from the world; the other, an enthusiastic Hufflepuff who could be pictured as skipping through the halls. Two total opposites, working together to find the same thing. Or the same who. A passerby would probably wonder what the two of them were doing together. Maybe they would think Claudia had threatened the girl, maybe they would think that Alina was with Claudia out of pity. But no one would think that it was just a chance encounter and that they were looking for a pet.

“Oh, Dora’s the mother cat. She was the one throwing a fit in the corridors. I’m sure you heard her. The whole school probably heard her, honestly. I swear...” While Armila - Alina? - shook her head, Claudia wondered about Dora. It was strange, as she hadn’t seen a cat anywhere. Except for in the painting the Hufflepuff had pointed out, no other cats or kittens were in the corridor. Claudia must have missed her or overlooked her - after all, she had heard the faint meowing of a cat. “You know, that kitten is JUST like her, I don’t know why she’s so worried. She once wandered off too and I had to go on a search for her. Like mother like son, I suppose.” Alina sighed.

Claudia nodded her head in acknowledgment. Cats could be like that sometimes. They were very curious and tended to play with thing s they weren’t supposed to. Their mischief often got them in trouble. Even so, Claudia loved the little fur balls. They were just too cute to resist! Claudia had been in an extreme dilemma about which fluffy pet to get: a Pygmy Puff, or a kitten. Even to this day, she still frequented between the two. But her mind was set. At least, she thought it was.

“So what kind? The ball of fluff. What kind would you want to get?” the girl asked curiously. Claudia blushed at the realization that the girl had overheard her. Claudia didn’t seem the type to like furry things, and her parents thought her odd for it. As she was withdrawn and a goth, it was out of character for her to like the furry animals. But she did - how could she not?

“A-a Pygmy puff. A purple one,” Claudia said shyly. Pink was too girly for her, but she did like purple. It was her favorite color. “I don’t know if they have shades... but I want a kind of... magical color. W-well, purple is magical. For a little beastie. ‘C-cause, you know, it isn’t natural. But kind of like a... galaxy color I guess? A dark purple, or a bluish-purple. Kinda. You... probably don’t know what I’m talking about.” Claudia felt foolish and suddenly wanted to divert attention from herself. Under the disguise of searching for the cat, she hid her flushed face.

“And you?” she asked. The girl seemed like the cat type - or maybe that’s was just because they were looking for a cat. Maybe a golden tabby. Something golden would suit her - at least, Claudia thought. “What pet would you like?”

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☆ Claudia Gears, First Year ☆
Confusion... personified; the awkwardness is real.

21 Jun 2020, 14:36

Interacting with @Claudia Gears

"I think I get it. A sort of cosmic mix of blue and purple with some shimmery-ness," she spoke of the galaxy sort of coloring. "I think that sounds beautiful and I'd like to think pygmy puffs come in that." And it would be a good fit for her! Dark and rich and deep but still adorable all the same. Alina smiled to the girl.

"I don't know...sometimes I don't think I'm fit for a pet. I can barely pull myself together some mornings," she said and they turned down another hall. How far did Orion go?! She stopped to look at a painting of three older men who were gathered at a table, perhaps to drink, perhaps to play a game of cards. "Have you seen a kitten pass by? Calico colorings?" she asked them. The three men looked to one another before all shaking their heads no.

She was starting to feel a little frustrated and propped her bag on the bench to pull out her cellophane baggie of lemon drops. Alina popped one into her mouth and then held the bag out to the Ravenclaw. "Lemon drops make everything better," she said to her. It was her little catchphrase and honestly, it was 98 percent true to her knowledge in life so far.

She kept the lemon drops out and then brought her bag back over her shoulder so they could pursuit the search. "So how're you liking life at Hogwarts in Ravenclaw?" Alina inquired. She really didn't know many Ravenclaws and those that she had met didn't seem anything like Claudia.

Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.

21 Jun 2020, 20:06

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@Alina Rosier

“I think I get it. A sort of cosmic mix of blue and purple with some shimmery-ness,” Alina addressed, speaking of Claudia’s color choice, “I think that sounds beautiful and I’d like to think Pygmy Puffs come in that.” Claudia felt slightly better, but she was still embarrassed to be daydreaming about a fictional color for a pet. She felt like she was talking too much, however, and wanted to divert attention.

“And you? What pet would you like?”

“I don’t know.... sometimes I don’t think I’m fit for a pet. I can barely pull myself together some mornings,” the girl said she they turned into another hallway. She nodded. Some people weren’t cut out to own pets, but they could at least admire from far away. The main reason Claudia had decided on a Pygmy Puff was because they were easier to take care of - and interesting too. Claudia had always wanted a magical pet, but never could because of her brothers’ muggle friends. Hogwarts was finally her chance to experience that!

Claudia felt suddenly worried for the cat. Had they taken a wrong turn? Overlooked a hiding spot? There were more than a billion places Orion could’ve hid in the castle. Claudia scanned the room, turning into a circle as Alina asked some paintings for help. Judging by the silence she had retrieved, they hadn’t seen Orion.

As if the Hufflepuff had noticed her worry, Alina suddenly took out a bag of lemon drops. The girl popped one in her mouth and offered the bag to Claudia. “Lemon drops make everything better.” she stated. Claudia hesitated for a bit before relenting and plucking out a lemon drop herself. She trusted the fact that the lemon drops weren’t poisoned, as Alina had taken one from the bag at random.

“So how’re you liking life at Hogwarts in Ravenclaw?” she questioned.

Claudia shrugged, “W-well I guess it’s ok. I like being away from home, honestly. The library is amazing!” Claudia’s eye sparkled as she thought of the high bookshelves and packed areas. Well, packed with books anyway. The library was usually sparsely populated, with most of the other students in their common rooms or socializing. The only time Claudia ever saw the library crowded was during tests or when students were studying for the end-of-the-year exams. Then whoever couldn’t fit in the study room would go out into the general area. When that happened, Claudia would visit the library very early or very late. She would run to the library to beat the other students and she would pull all-nighters just to be able to have some peace and quiet.

“I... everyone’s so nice here. Willing to help. I-I just feel overwhelmed, like I can’t live up to it. Well, being a Hufflepuff you won’t understand. Or you’ll say y-you do... but, uh, you really don’t or whatever.” Claudia mumbled. She waved her hands in front of her to show that she was fine. “But, uh, it doesn’t bother me.”

“So what about you? So far.”

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☆ Claudia Gears, First Year ☆
Confusion... personified; the awkwardness is real.

27 Jun 2020, 20:53

Interacting with @Claudia Gears

Alina had never really been aware at how helpful she was, how accepting she was of others despite their differences, or how loyal she could be to her friends. She had a lot of traits of the Hufflepuff house although she didn't really always see it. "Me? I don't know," she began, giving it a quick thought. "It's okay, I guess. I like that the Common Room is just off the kitchens and its always bright and welcoming. My dorm is separated by different rooms so I only have one roommate to worry about instead of a whole trove of girls. Still, I'm not sure Hufflepuff and I really fit together. Even my twin sister got Slytherin. My dad and grandparents were there too."

But she shrugged. It really wasn't as bad as she first made it out to be come the beginning of the school year. She smiled over to the girl and then paused, seeing something behind her. "Look!" she pointed to the wall behind the girl. "Down there, along the path," she meant the pathway in the portrait. It had a woman walking along a path, her back to them, and in the muddy pathway were little pawprints. "I bet that's Orion's."

[Word Count: 205]

Let your confidence shine, pretty girl.