Errand Paper Cuts PV Søren & Dealla & Rafael

Søren had no idea what origami was. Was it some muggle tradition or had he been living under a rock this whole time? He asked some of his pureblood friends who shrugged him off, not really interested in the topic. There would surely be some information in the library, whether it was in the Muggle Studies section or someplace else. He had half a mind to go there and do some research, but the laze hit him like a bludger. He didn’t enjoy school work in the first place and giving himself an extra assignment was not worth it, he decided. Still, the pureblood was not happy about his lack of knowledge in muggle affairs. How was he supposed to be friends if he couldn’t relate? To be fair, his parents would probably tell him off for wasting time befriending the muggleborns, but this knowledge just fueled his interest in becoming closer to them.

Strolling into the Great Hall with a relaxed strut, Søren was met with groups of students scattered around the tables, playing with pieces of colored paper. Some of them had fashioned these papers into weird-looking objects and were now drawing on them. Further confused, he approached one of the tables and saw a few sheets with instructions on them. Saying hello to the group with the sheets, he picked a few up and inspected them. By looking at the expected finished products, he recalled faint memories of a party enhanced by décor that resembled these objects, but they were animated. Spotting the house elves patrolling the area, he presumed that they would be able to charm the folded structures.

Deciding that this activity was worth trying out, Søren surveyed the area for any groups that he would feel comfortable with. Debating between a few of them, his eyes trailed to a far corner of the massive room where a familiar scowl-painted face sat. He did not catch her name during their first encounter at the Blossom Ball, but the dark-haired girl’s attitude interested Søren. Maybe it was possible to begin his attempt at befriending some non-purebloods with this girl. Returning the sheets to the group he was standing at, he made his way down the narrow rows, picking up a stack of green paper. He sat down across from the girl, who he knew would surely hate his presence here. Placing his elbows on the table and cupping his face in his palms, he spoke.

“Whatcha making, cupcake frosting?” he chuckled out the last few words in reference to their Blossom Ball meeting where she took a tumble to the ground and ruined her shirt with cupcake frosting.

WC: 442 / 800

@Calanthe Choi
@Dealla Prince
@Rafael D'Spacito

@Calanthe Choi
@Søren Silverwood
@Rafael D'Spacito

Dealla was in a fantastic mood. She had really been on her way to go outside, to enjoy the weather, and maybe look for someone to get in trouble, um, to go exploring with, but that had led her right past the Great Hall, where the lively buzz of voices and flashes of colour from inside attracted her attention. It took Dee only a second to decide to change direction, skipping into the Great Hall instead of out into the sunshine.
Just inside the doors, she paused for a second, taking in the animated chatter and stacks of coloured paper on the tables, already in a bit of disarray from many hands digging through them for the colours they wanted, before stepping closer to a table to have a look at what was going on.

Origami, huh? Dee had heard of it - the girl next door back home had had a two weeks long phase of folding different Origami animals, before she had started whining about how annoying it was, and stopped soon after - but she had never tried it herself. It sounded fun, though, and Dee was always open for a challenge.
The different activities offered at Hogwarts from time to time had been a surprise, but a welcome one. It was a nice way of trying new things, and this in particular seemed somewhat challenging - which was a lot more fun if she had someone to compare herself to.
She let her gaze sweep through the Hall - maybe there was already someone she knew around? - and finally settled on a girl and a boy who were off to one side, with a rather large space between them and anyone else. Neither of them seemed familiar, so they were probably not in Ravenclaw, but who was she to let something like that stop her? They looked like they could use some more company, she decided.

A quick scan of the available tutorials told Dealla that the dragon looked by far the most complicated, so obviously that was what she chose, along with a rather carelessly selected piece of turquoise paper, and then she was off to meet her new victims, urr, acquaintances.
Before she was close enough to hear anything spoken, and thoroughly unaware of whether the atmosphere invited others to join the pair, Dee announced her presence with a cheerful "Hello! Do you mind if I sit with you?", and plopped down on the bench next to the boy without bothering to wait for a reply.

Word Count: 423/800

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Interacting With: @Calanthe Choi @Søren Silverwood @Dealla Prince
Mentioning: Vladimir Athatanos • Willow Anderson

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[font=Segoe Print]To start off, paper cuts really sucked.

Perhaps such was the reason the Gryffindor Captain had never had an affinity for homework and what such entailed. He simply wasn’t well-versed in the fine arts of paper and pen – perhaps the child was diseased, cursed at birth, in the way he was unable to comprehend what was written in his lesson books, write what he really meant to say via letters to his friends and loved ones. That was okay. He knew he had strengths in other places, strengths that made him great in the eyes of his peers. Still, it wasn’t any consolation to say that he was, what some described as, daft. Though he may have long since come to terms with such disturbing facts, that didn’t make them any less comforting. It was for these reasons that he barely scraped A’s in his lessons, the bare minimum for succeeding in the wizarding academy. A challenge was a challenge, one he was happy to accept.

The day, to put it simply, was rather bland in the eyes of the young Captain, what with Quidditch-killing humidity reeking about the air, lack of homework to complete, and available friends to pester, at that. Wandering about the many facets and halls of Hogwarts, it became ever apparent to the thunderbird that there was nothing to do with his time, no activity or errand to captivate the attention of the rowdy child on such a tiresome day. Another curse befalling his consciousness, compliments of the universe and its despised antics. Or perhaps the antics were his own, the boy’s subconscious reaction to what had happened at the Blossom Ball all those many days ago. After all, the happenings of such a horrible event would be difficult to forget, and for a long time – the evidence was all over his face, taking the form of a black eye, and a rather nasty split lip. Vladimir Athatanos, as it seemed, was far stronger than the Captain ever could have anticipated. However, the shady Ravenclaw, as he had soon found out, had been the least of his manifold problems, as events had obviously taken much worse turns. After hearing of the events of the Masquerade Ball, such events really shouldn’t come as a shock.

Thankfully, there was some alleviation for the child’s frantic boredom – as it seemed, there had, in fact, been an errand underway, unbeknownst to the young Gryffindor. He would shortly be brought up to speed, however, as he strode through the doors of the Great Hall – the evidence was all over the tables, unlimited craft supplies, only supported by the harrowing about of fellow students using them to create… origami animals? A strange sight to the boy, one that left his eyes wide, a curious look upon his features. Was it that an activity was taking place, one he hadn’t previously known about? Was this his escape from his own dooming thoughts, a way out of the anxiety that was slowly suffocating his livelihood?

Such thoughts were rather perplexing, and for a moment, the boy was left to ponder what this meant. A source of entertainment, perhaps? A chance to catch up with a friend? At the very thought, the boy’s eyes darted about, in search for one of his beloved fellows. Alas, at first glance, it seemed as if the Hall was bare of a familiar face, a fact that weighed on the boy slightly, a frown tugging at the ends of his lips. However, that wasn’t to say that a group hadn’t caught his eye. One double-glance was all he needed to pique his interests – a small group presided only steps away from him, close enough to inhabit, should he choose to meet a few new faces.

Now, on a typical day, perhaps he would have overlooked such a group. They seemed to be preoccupied with themselves, after all, and who was he to intrude? He certainly had better things to do, after all, more productive actions to partake in. Alas, he was desperate, as his actions were far too limited for comfort, his mannerisms restless and eager. For interaction, for something to occupy his attention, for something to alleviate his only growing anxiety. He needed a way out, an outlet. Something to focus on. Well, it seemed as if the group had unwillingly and unknowingly accepted the call to arms. Perfect.

Strutting forwards with careful steps, he approached the small group amassed, eyes surveying his new peers with a curious gaze – it was then, that he would properly take into account who he was looking at. A pretty Asian girl, with long sandy-black hair and pretty brown eyes, a girl he had never met before. An Asian boy, choppy black hair and similar brown eyes, another unfamiliar face, though the boy’s countenance reminded him greatly of one of the many K-pop singers that seemed to pop up on his YouTube browser during his time away from Hogwarts. And, joining their company, was a lovely brunette, porcelain skin, crystal blue eyes. Another question mark of an acquaintance. The whole lot were rather pleasing to the eyes, he noted absently, although it could have been him – it wasn’t unlike the boy to be attracted to everything with two legs and a decent face. Such acquaintances were enough to captivate his attention, as it seemed, for the words shortly left his mouth, mischievous and lilting in tone. “Mind if I join you lot?” he would ask, flashing one of his charming smiles – the same sort that seemed to work on everything alive and with feelings. He was quite handsome himself, after all, a visual charmer, if he’d ever learned anything. Would the group be disturbed by his presence? Happy to see him?

He supposed he would know shortly. Without so much as a second thought to permissive gesture, he sat himself down beside the brunette, taking a piece of paper into his hands – yellow, much like the color of the badger house. If he were going to risk papercuts, the best he could do was make something out of his actions. He would make a badger, specifically for his newfound friend Willow. After all, she certainly deserved it, especially after what she attempted at the ball. Biting his lip, his eyes shortly narrowed, a look of somewhat determination now crossing his face. He would have to impress her with his artistic skills, he decided. This was going to be the best origami animal the world had ever seen. [/font]

Word Count • 1085/800 [Completed]

Origami • Badger

When Calanthe finished skimming through the dragon instructions, she was not surprised to find that she could not understand it. The abstract diagrams started out easy enough, but as the steps increased, Calanthe’s capacity for following through decreased. She contemplated scrapping the dragon idea and picking something a little more practical.

A snake or a raven might be less challenging, right? No one said anything about getting more money for extra difficulty… But the green paper is so far…

The closest pile was positioned right next to a group and the other stacks were even further away. The same went for any of the other colours. Plus, she had spent a concerning about of time daydreaming about her dragon looking like Smaug while going over the directions. She wasn’t going to give up on this now.

Gods, I sound my mother.

The thought alone would have generated enough adrenaline to push her off the bench, towards another stack of papers, but Calanthe stayed where she was, backside firmly planted.

I’m going to bring Smaug to life, dammit.

Slamming the instructions down, she dragged the stack of purple closer to her and slowly started making her way through the task.

Fold here. Crease here. Bend here. Pull here… Oh… this isn’t so bad.

Calanthe’s eyes moved back and forth between the instructions and her growing creation at a rapid pace, but her hands moved slowly. Her movements were hesitant as she situated her fingers perfectly before making a single crease. Lining up the edges of the paper proved to be a stressful endeavour, but as she pressed the fold down and allowed the paper to settle, she admired the lack of overlap.

It’s soothing, alright.

This errand definitely reminded Calanthe of sitting in her home’s basement, across from her father. Her brain would hurt from the constant shifting of her eyes from what she was holding to the miniature she was trying to recreate. But when she found the line, she held it with ease, breathing out as her paintbrush glided over the surface of the clay to create golden décor for the figurine’s ensemble. She was thankful that the errand brought back good memories and for once, she did not push the thoughts of her father away.

Completing the first two steps of folding, Calanthe reopened the purple sheet, smoothed it out and returning her attention to the instructions. This step seemed to be more difficult, so she prepared to make her movements as still as possible. Lining up the paper along the creased lines, she steadily pressed down and –

“Whatcha making, cupcake frosting?” and smashed the paper down on the wrong side of the crease. Whipping up with a snarl, Calanthe was alarmed to see someone join her – not just someone, but a person she had hoped to never have contact with again. She huffed loudly, glaring at the black-haired boy who had dared to sit across from her while snatching the ruined paper and crumpling it up.

“Did I say you could sit there, mosquito?” With a growl, she tossed the purple ball at the boy’s face without breaking eye contact. She did not know his name, but his annoying attempt at trying to make conversation with her at the Blossom Ball reminded her of a mosquito, so the name stuck. And she had no intention of learning his real name. Prepared to tell him off again, another nightmare entered her field of vision. A brunette girl – a first year, Calanthe determined when she recognised the girl’s face from her classes – approached the table with a bright smile on her face. The cheerful expression irritated Calanthe and her lips curled up into a snarl as the girl plopped herself down next to Mosquito without waiting for a reply from either of them. Though she was sure Mosquito would have been glad for the extra company.

Refraining from mashing together another purple sheet and aiming it straight at the girl’s forehead Calanthe decided to ignore the two bodies across from her and continue. If she could speed through the origami by tuning them out, she could get out of here and safely into the confines of her dorm within a half an hour. Sounds plausible. She would only make it past the first step before the third interruption of the day pulled her attention away from the dragon.

Rafael D'Spacito had strutted over, his words and actions echoing the brunette’s. Calanthe would be lying if she said she hadn’t heard of him. He was the captain of her house’s Quidditch team after all, and while she could confidently say she had no intention of partaking in cheering on the Gryffindors, Rafael’s name had not escaped her attention. She spent most of her time in the dorms and the gossip of the term’s exciting Quidditch matches was a regular topic for her dormmates at night. Despite remembering the boy’s name, though, she knew nothing else about him other than his position and hoped it would continue to stay that way.

Eyeing the three intruders sitting across from her, Calanthe took in a sharp breath that escaped through the gaps of her gritted teeth.

“You’re testing me today, Pelor,” she hissed, fingers still pressed down on a crease. With a tight blink, she turned her glare back on Mosquito. Most of her anger fell on him. Had he not sat across from her with his big, goofy grin, it was unlikely that the others would have approached the table. The Slytherin’s bright nature was attracting, drawing in others. It was the complete opposite of Calanthe, whose scowl could scare anyone away. Holding him in her gaze for a few silent seconds, she tore her eyes off him and looked down at her creation, continuing to fold and crease.

“Why bother asking to sit if you’re going to sit anyways?” The question was directed to no one in particular, but the venom in her voice was enough to convey her feeling.

Word Count: 1003
Total Word Count: 1380/800

Søren expected a hostile reaction from the girl, but he was still taken aback by her expression that resembled an angry wolf. Her growling quip brought a cheeky smile to his face and he placed one of the green sheets in front of him. With a glace downward, he felt a projectile hit his face. A ball of crumpled purple paper fell onto the green sheet in front of him. Looking up to meet her eyes, the defiance in them widened the grin on his features. “I didn’t ask, cupcake frosting. These tables are free game,” he countered, “You’re so weak, cupcake frosting. Was that supposed to hurt?” The girl opened her mouth, as if to retaliate, but she was interrupted by a new voice.

It belonged to a familiar girl with large brown hair. Søren didn’t know her, but her face did pop up in his classes, so it was safe to assume that this young lady was a first year just like him and Cupcake Frosting. Before he or the girl across from him could respond, the new girl sat next to him. His eyes took a quick glance at Cupcake Frosting as he knew this could only spell trouble. There would be an insult or a ball in the face for this new girl, he was sure of it. Surprisingly, Cupcake Frosting did not make a move. Instead, she hung her head downwards and restarted her origami. Frowning, Søren wondered if she was tired of him. That was probably the case, as her fingers deftly moved across the purple sheet she was working with, folding with ease, totally ignoring him and the new girl.

Letting out an inaudible sigh, he turned his attention to the girl beside him. About to reply, he spotted a boy approaching the trio. He was even more familiar than the girl and it took him a second to recognize the boy’s face from Quidditch matches. Twisting his face, he recalled the final match of the term where his house faced off against Gryffindor and had taken a beating, losing by 10 points after five rounds. But Søren had to admit, the guy was a brilliant player. His words and actions were hilariously similar to the girl that had sat down before him.

“Yeah, sure. Everyone’s welcome,” he smiled, knowing how irritated Cupcake Frosting was in this moment. He dragged the snake tutorial towards him with a finger and gave it a read while talking. “I’m Søren, by the way. Søren Silverwood,” he said with a pointed look towards the girl sitting across from him. Maybe now she’d stop calling him Mosquito. Looking up at the two who had joined them, he said, “And who might you beautiful people be?” He was most definitely not a fan of not knowing people’s names and these two faces were ripe for the picking. At Cupcake Frosting's muttered words, he gasped in a mocking manner. "Ignore her, please. She's cranky on... well, she's cranky everyday, I think."

WC: 442 + 501 = 943 / 800

@Calanthe Choi
@Dealla Prince
@Rafael D'Spacito

@Calanthe Choi
@Søren Silverwood
@Rafael D'Spacito

Dealla didn't recognize the boy who sat down on her free side in much the same manner that she had just claimed her spot in the group, at least not beyond the vague recognition of him probably being a first year which she had also gotten from the other two. She might have, if she had even slightest interest in Quidditch - which she didn't. She had never been to any of the games, nor paid as much as a tiny bit of attention to the cycle of news and rumours surrounding the sport and anyone involved in it.
Regardless, Dee never minded having more company, so she returned the new boy's smile with a brilliant one of her own that set her blue eyes sparkling. "I don't!" She could, however, only speak for herself, since she wasn't all that sure that her presence at the table was very welcome. The pale black-haired girl across the table had completely ignored her so far except for a rather intimidating scowl which Dee promptly decided to ignore, and the other boy had not said anything yet, either.

When he did greet them, and welcomed them, too, Dee relaxed and turned her smile to him. One friendly face overruled a hostile one as far as she was concerned. "Oh, I'm glad. Hi, Søren!" she replied brightly. "I'm Dealla Prince, but just call me Dee, please? I like my nickname much better. And hi...?" In light of the unwelcoming glare she had received from the girl, Dee assumed she wouldn't get an answer from her, so she turned to the other boy instead with an enquiring look and the tentative upwards lilt of a question in her voice.

The Ravenclaw dared another glance across the table to where the girl had already started folding her origami with a sort of determined concentration. If not for the content of her foul-tempered words, Dee would never have guessed that they had been meant for her - and the new boy, she supposed? - as she was still being persistently ignored.
Dee blinked in response to Søren's words, and lowered her voice slightly as if trying to not scare a wild animal. "Does she have a name, too?" she asked, a trace of amusement in her voice. "Have you been friends for long?"

Then, finally remembering what they were supposed to be doing, Dealla spread her instruction sheets over the table, but soon realized that she might have underestimated the difficulty of this. Not that the folding should be a problem - at least she didn't think it should, she had inherited her mother's steady hands and eye for detail - but reading the instructions? That might pose a bit of a challenge. Her eyes were drawn to where the black-haired girl was already busy folding, creasing, and unfolding her paper, and then recognized the set of instructions in front of her.
"Oh!" she realized with a grin, leaning forward over the table so far that the tips of her long hair brushed across the top of the polished wood, hostility shrugged off in light of this discovery. "You're making a dragon, too? Cool - we can compare our results! You have a head start, but I'll catch up."
This simple observation was enough to fire up her competitive nature, so she sat back in her seat to inspect the first steps again critically. They seemed clear enough, and she started bending one corner of her paper to the opposite one with precise fingers. A strand of hair slipped from behind her ears into her face, but she paid it no attention.
"What are you going to make?" she asked the others.

Word Count: 1038/800

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Interacting With: @Calanthe Choi @Dealla Prince @Søren Silverwood
Mentioning: Willow Anderson

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[font=Segoe Print]“Why bother asking to sit if you’re going to sit anyways?”

The steady tone of disdain emanating from the lips of his fellow Gryffindor was quite irritating in nature, specifically in the way that it was directed at him, and him specifically. [Of course, with an ego as large as his, it was impossible for the young Captain to register anything other than such misguided facts.] Who did she think she was, to so blatantly disregard the presence of a celebrity? It wasn’t Rafael thinking highly of himself, more of him simply stating the facts as they were, and nothing less. Such a phrase demanded retribution, justice. The ill words tugged at the tip of his tongue, stirred at the contents of his stomach, beckoning at his raging anger, a bubbling volcano ready to blow at the drop of a coin. Yet, he’d been learning more and more lately, how far the words of a silver tongue could go. He certainly didn’t want to make enemies out of neutral acquaintances, not unless provoked. There was no need to stir the tranquil waters, cause ripples. More ripples, anyways. Rather than scowl at the young Gryffindor across from him, he allowed a grin to take over the expanses of his face, eyes easy and mischievous in nature as he spoke. “Jeez, what’s up her ass?” he muttered, seemingly to himself. However, one aware of the situation would be quick to realize that the words were very pointedly mentioned, in the hopes of garnering a response. A Gryffindor didn’t dance around problems, but faced them head on. Too bad the first year didn’t have the emotional capacity to play games with a cub.

On the contrary, he would much rather create some paper creatures. The boy would slowly resume his work on the small origami badger, soft yellow paper folding with ease beneath his careful pianist’s hands as he worked, whistling away a familiar tune to pass the time. The badger was coming together, the boy noticed as the moments wore on, slowly but surely, a fact that put an easy smile on his face. And with every fold of the paper, he felt pride within himself, the excitement of his ex-friend fresh on his overactive imagination. Willow had been angry with him last time they’d talked, the events of the ball having showered the young Captain in a negative light. He hadn’t been thinking clearly, which was more than evident in the way he had acted. No origami creature could fix the rift the young boy had torn between the two, but then again, his efforts weren’t meant to fix. Rather, he wanted to further his apology, find himself a reason to go see her again. Willow was one of the few relationships he valued, be their connection short-lived. Which meant, he was willing to endure the little things, if it meant restoring what had been lost.

In the midst of his work, the voice of an acquaintance had soon met his ears – specifically that of the Slytherin boy. The young Captain had had a vendetta with the Slytherins for quite awhile, and for a multitude of valid reasons, the very thought making his face sour in the slightest as the snake cheerfully offered his name. He’d been tricked by that façade before. On a normal day, the boy might have found himself ignoring the boy’s offer altogether, simply going on with his work as if he hadn’t been disturbed in the least. However, something pulled at his attention, words dancing on the tip of his lips – he could do nothing but succumb to his impulses, opting to nod at the boy who introduced himself. “I’m Rafael,” he would respond solemnly, biting his lip as he carefully worked on his origami creation. “But most people just call be Rafa, or ‘Bird. You can call me either, whatever you’d like.” He would shortly hear the name of his other acquaintance, the pretty Ravenclaw girl. Dealla, a strange word when he mouthed it to himself. Not necessarily bad. He would look up at the both of his new acquaintances, nodding at the both of them with a tentative smile. “Søren, Dee,” he spoke, repeating their names respectively. “It’s quite nice to meet you both.” Both of them held a likeness in his mind, a familiar air. Where had he seen them before? Was the familiarity all in his imagination?

Then, at the questioning sound of the Ravenclaw girl, regarding whether or not Hell Woman had a name, he could do nothing but stifle a snicker, biting his lip as if to trap the rogue noise in his throat. Unfortunately, the impulse had stricken him far too quickly – a curt snort escaped his sinuses in that moment, and he could do nothing but look down, trying to fight the grin that was slowly and acutely creeping onto his face. He could only imagine what horrid names the cub could possibly have, awful, horrendous titles that could match the ill personality she had so disgracefully demonstrated. Such thoughts were amusing, and he entertained himself with them for a moment, trying to imagine what the girl could possibly call herself However, he would not further indulge the acquaintance of his fellow Gryffindor, instead opting to quietly continue construction on his badger. It was almost finished, there were minimal fixes to go… [/font]

WC • 1979/800 [Completed]

OOC • Again, apologies for the wait. Haven't been feeling well. Post wasn't the best, will try to write something better in the future. Hope this hasn't inconvenienced anyone~

Part of Calanthe wished that Mosquito would turn the two newcomers away. He was clearly interested in continuing his correspondence with her and she would have liked it if, in their short few meetings, he had come to understand that she had no interest in interactions with other people. Even during this occasion, her reluctance to even look at him should have clued him in. Right?

When the Slytherin offered welcomes to the intruders, Calanthe made up her mind about him.

He’s a no-good, good-for-nothing scoundrel who wants to antagonize me. That’s it.

But mosquitoes worked better in swarms, it seemed. Shutting her eyes tightly, Calanthe removed her hands from the paper sculpture before she could crush it. The Quidditch captain just had to go and open his damned mouth, didn’t he? Anything else, and Calanthe would have been able to ignore it. Drown it out. Throw him a pointed look and get back to business. Something. But the boy’s words irked her to no end.

“You. You’re the pain in my ass that just won’t go away. Like a freakin’ hemorrhoid,” she looked up at the Gryffindor for the first time, committing his face to the part of her brain that elicits an irritated reaction. Calanthe could have gone on, but she decided against it, looking back down and continuing with her work. If the boy replied, she would just laugh coldly and shake her head. Her social interaction quota was nearing its limit and she desperately needed to get back to the dorms or one of her hideouts where she could fume alone and in peace. But she could not leave without completing Smaug.

Mosquito’s voice entered Calanthe’s earshot again, its cheerfulness almost causing the same annoyance she felt with the Gryffindor’s. She ignored his earlier comments about his intrusion into her alone time, but after he introduced himself, Calanthe gave him an exasperated look as if to say stop. At Rafael’s introduction, she scoffed.

Bird? What a stupid name.

By attempting to refocus on the origami and drown out the swarm before her, Calanthe missed Dee’s question to Mosquito, having no idea why Rafael snorted. If she had heard it, there would be no hesitation to deny any friendship between her and Mosquito. She most definitely did not consider the Slytherin to be a friend, not even a mere acquaintance. He was only a bug that could not seem to mind its business.

Dee was in a similar vein, unfortunately. Calanthe hoped her attitude thus far would warn the Ravenclaw away, but she was too kind for her own good. Calanthe almost felt bad. Almost. These three were really pushing her over the edge.

“Oh, sure. Should we braid each other’s hair and become study buddies while we’re at it?” sarcasm dripped from her stony voice, “What in fecking Pelor’s name would make you think that I want to compare results?”

Reducio

Mega apologies! Exams kicked my butt I'm back though! Hope you guys are still up for finishing the thread

Søren debated throwing himself onto the table, between the two Gryffindors. He didn’t know if Cupcake Frosting was the type to get aggressive, but there was no way he was going to let this get out of hand. He was never the peacemaker type, but he did know how hotheaded Gryffindors could get. His brother was clear evidence of that. Letting things escalate would not bode well for their chocolate frog rewards or his wish for a calm time to make a paper snake and get to know Cupcake Frosting.

He waved his hands wildly to call attention to himself. “Like I said, like I said. Ignore her,” he looked over to the Quidditch captain. He found it useless to try and stop Cupcake Frosting. She wouldn’t listen to him anyways. “Let’s just focus on making these...origamis, yeah?” he blanked on the word, unfamiliar with it. “Looks like you’re nearly done,” he said, motioning over to the near-finished badger, “It looks great! Have you done this before?”. He hoped he didn’t sound too forced. He wasn’t used to mediating conflict. In fact, he had probably never been near a conflict in his entire life. That was saying something, since Hogwarts students were much too prone to fights.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Rafa and Dee. I hope we can be friends,” he smiled, eyeing Cupcake Frosting across the way. She was giving him a tired look, probably done with this whole situation. Rafael looked like he was close to finishing. If he left, maybe she would calm down a bit, or at least get less aggressive. But he spoke too soon, as Dee unintentionally provoked the beast. Keeping his voice low to match her, he replied to her. “We’re not friends. Yet,” he gave a small laugh, “But I don’t know her name. She won’t give it to me. I just call her Cupcake Frosting because of this really funny thing that happened at the Blossom Ball.” He stopped himself from going any further because he doubted Cupcake Frosting would like that story to be told. Even though it happened in the middle of the dance floor, in the view of practically everyone.

He felt a facepalm coming on as Dee addressed Cupcake Frosting and the latter gave a trademark reply. Maybe he would try to talk to her in private from now on, where no one could cause this aggressive reaction. Raising his hand halfway in the air, he looked at both Dee and Cupcake Frosting. “I’m up for hair braiding, to be honest. Time and place?” he joked, with a sort of deadpan sincerity. “I’m quite basic, I’m afraid,” he said to Dee, flashing his untouched green paper, “I would be making a snake, but I’m not exactly sure where to start…”.

@Calanthe Choi
@Dealla Prince
@Rafael D'Spacito