2 Oct 2019, 05:29
Food for Thought
Private with @Max Avery
Backdated to Monday, September 2, 2019
xxxxThe first day of the year was always the most hectic.
xxxxManoeuvring around rowdy first years that had decided to congregate near the entrance, a slightly bag-eyed Phaedra made her way inside the Great Hall and in the direction of the two rightmost tables, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, to scope out a spot for lunch. Seeing the few heads scattered inside and the lack of intolerable chatter, she was relieved to know that she had arrived relatively early for the lunch-block.
xxxxShe and her friends had spent yesterday's evening in a full cabin on the Hogwarts Express, but with the amount of fun everyone was having during the journey, Phaedra and Max hadn't a chance to breach deeper into the topic of his disappearance. Frankly, she didn't know what to expect from it, but the situation must've been something serious if he felt compelled to discuss it in person rather than writing. It was a smart move, though— as two children of notable families, letter interception was a risky thing.
xxxxDespite the apparent severity of the matter, however, Phaedra felt an odd sense of flattery that Max trusted her enough with whatever he needed to say concerning his summer. In the corridors after a filling Welcoming Feast, Phaedra could only offer Max a brief invitation for lunch the next day before the students were whisked away to their common rooms. Her slumber that night was quite the stressful experience; what felt like hours of twisting and turning did not cease until she finally, then still in a post-satiated daze, confronted her denials—
xxxxShe fancied Maxwell Callum Avery.
xxxxMerlin, it sounded so strange for her to admit to herself, but it was the truth. The way her dormmates whispered of boys whilst unpacking eerily resonated with her. She mirrored every alleged symptom of a crush right on the nail; from finding Max's face, smarts, and conversation all wondrously pleasant down to feeling those knots in her stomach whenever he was near. Phaedra believed the phenomenon was aptly named, too, because "crush" certainly sounded like a warning. Romance could hurt, couldn't it? How utterly terrifying.
xxxxLetting out a long sigh to calm her nerves, she chose the empty seats of Gryffindor closest to the staff table and house point counters, far from anyone else to eavesdrop. Once there, she wasted no time in swinging her legs over the bench and dropping her bag by her feet. "I'll have a water. Thanks," she muttered at the table, before straightening her skirt over her knees. The wooden surface instantly granted her the goblet and she hastily put it to her lips to drink.
xxxxDrumming her fingers on the table, Phaedra brought the cup back down after a sip and stared at the table's markings, grip on the goblet tight. Max was punctual enough that she'd just wait for him. It'd be rude to eat without and glancing around like a lost puppy would make her look obvious.
5 Oct 2019, 22:56
Food for Thought
[quote]
[quote]
It was odd to be back after what felt like nearly a year of being away. Logically, Max knew it had been only a couple of months, but after the summer he'd had everything that fell behind it felt as distant as the stars in the sky.
On the train ride over, Max had been spaced out as his friends spoke and had joined the conversation with only a few words of small talk and a couple of chuckles. Whereas last year he'd come to school wild, this year he'd come more retreated into himself than ever before. There was so much to think about, so much changing in his viewpoint, that he scarcely had time to spare to consider his feelings instead of the rationals behind his thinking. It was an unfortunate thing he was coming to believe a weakness; he simply didn't understand matters of the heart the way he understood matters of the head.
The quick invitation Phaedra had slipped him felt heavy in his pocket as he stepped into the Great Hall, the paper mingling with the tiny box he'd packed away to hand to her for her birthday. He didn't know how much he could genuinely tell her; the emotions he'd stolen away with from the summer were neatly packed into the back of his head and speaking about them would be like kicking box upon box of hidden things over. What would spill out was impossible to know - if there was one thing he could distinctly feel that left him with no confusion, it was fear.
Phaedra was his best friend, and he respected her more than almost anyone else. Every time they spoke it was matching wit-for-wit, and she was able to draw laughs out of him in a way no one else could. She was the kind of person you could sit in a comfortable silence with without feeling the need to fill it, and he loved being around her. Some of the emotions he felt towards her were confused too, caught up with everything else, and he dared not examine them closer at this point because it would be counter intuitive to their already-great friendship. All this to say, if he was as truthful with her as he wasn't with himself, he expected it would all fall apart.
No emotion, no emotion ever, had been successfully drilled into him for years, and she was a pureblood just the same as any no matter how different she was from the rest. Since he couldn't accurately predict her reaction if he slipped up, this whole meeting had him on edge as if it would decide whether they remained friends or not. It would be like navigating particularly troubled waters; sailing ahead with truth and trying to avoid rocking the ship with any waves of emotion. His hand tightened around the invitation.
"Phaedra," he greeted as he approached the table with a warm smile, none of the inner conflict showing on his face. He'd at least gotten a good sleep thanks to buying the Potion for Dreamless Sleep, so there were no lingering nightmares in his eyes as he sat down and set both elbows on the table, leaning forward so he could keep his voice low enough that no one else could hear. "I'm glad we can finally have some time to chat alone. I suppose I've tortured you long enough with wondering what your gift is."
It was odd to be back after what felt like nearly a year of being away. Logically, Max knew it had been only a couple of months, but after the summer he'd had everything that fell behind it felt as distant as the stars in the sky.
On the train ride over, Max had been spaced out as his friends spoke and had joined the conversation with only a few words of small talk and a couple of chuckles. Whereas last year he'd come to school wild, this year he'd come more retreated into himself than ever before. There was so much to think about, so much changing in his viewpoint, that he scarcely had time to spare to consider his feelings instead of the rationals behind his thinking. It was an unfortunate thing he was coming to believe a weakness; he simply didn't understand matters of the heart the way he understood matters of the head.
The quick invitation Phaedra had slipped him felt heavy in his pocket as he stepped into the Great Hall, the paper mingling with the tiny box he'd packed away to hand to her for her birthday. He didn't know how much he could genuinely tell her; the emotions he'd stolen away with from the summer were neatly packed into the back of his head and speaking about them would be like kicking box upon box of hidden things over. What would spill out was impossible to know - if there was one thing he could distinctly feel that left him with no confusion, it was fear.
Phaedra was his best friend, and he respected her more than almost anyone else. Every time they spoke it was matching wit-for-wit, and she was able to draw laughs out of him in a way no one else could. She was the kind of person you could sit in a comfortable silence with without feeling the need to fill it, and he loved being around her. Some of the emotions he felt towards her were confused too, caught up with everything else, and he dared not examine them closer at this point because it would be counter intuitive to their already-great friendship. All this to say, if he was as truthful with her as he wasn't with himself, he expected it would all fall apart.
No emotion, no emotion ever, had been successfully drilled into him for years, and she was a pureblood just the same as any no matter how different she was from the rest. Since he couldn't accurately predict her reaction if he slipped up, this whole meeting had him on edge as if it would decide whether they remained friends or not. It would be like navigating particularly troubled waters; sailing ahead with truth and trying to avoid rocking the ship with any waves of emotion. His hand tightened around the invitation.
"Phaedra," he greeted as he approached the table with a warm smile, none of the inner conflict showing on his face. He'd at least gotten a good sleep thanks to buying the Potion for Dreamless Sleep, so there were no lingering nightmares in his eyes as he sat down and set both elbows on the table, leaning forward so he could keep his voice low enough that no one else could hear. "I'm glad we can finally have some time to chat alone. I suppose I've tortured you long enough with wondering what your gift is."
"There’s something brittle in me that will break before it bends."
Fearless | Poison Resistance
STA - 7, EV - 5, STR - 1, WIS - 9, ARC - 10, ACC - 8
Fearless | Poison Resistance
STA - 7, EV - 5, STR - 1, WIS - 9, ARC - 10, ACC - 8
11 Oct 2019, 03:56
Food for Thought
xxxx"Maxwell," she greeted after clearing her throat. She attempted to mirror his seeming formality, but it was nearly impossible for her to be serious when it was just the two of them and no parents hovering over their shoulders. Unconsciously, she straightened her posture as he took a seat directly in front of her, before sitting the water goblet to the side to avoid speaking over it. Phaedra then placed her hands onto her lap, ignoring the urge to fidget or pick at her nails. "I'm glad you could meet with me."
xxxxLighting up, she gave an enthusiastic raise in her shoulders when he immediately brought up her gift. Phaedra hadn't any real need for anything in particular, and every year, she found herself less interested in specific items she likely already had, and more in money to collect for her own general spending. This was the year she could visit Hogsmeade for the first time, after all. Regardless, it was the thought that counted, and with Max being her best friend surely he had put enough thinking into his present because she believed he knew her better than anyone else. "Torture's an understatement. When your birthday rolls along, you'll see how it feels, mister. I'll hint at your gift /two/ weeks ahead, how about that?"
xxxxNonetheless, she would lean forward to tell him, "But you know... you didn't have to, so thank you."
xxxxHer birthday present wasn't the reason why she invited Max. Truth was, she was rather looking forward to him filling in the details of his disappearance. Being inquisitive about most things was a habit of hers, so much so that in her greed for knowledge, she often disregarded the idea that her behaviour could be interpreted as malicious prying. But Max's summer could come later, and Phaedra would continue with their current topic in an effort to keep the conversation flowing as seamlessly as possible— pleasantries should always come before the potentially heavy stuff.
xxxx"Should I... should I close my eyes?"
22 Oct 2019, 03:30
Food for Thought
[quote][quote]
"Oh, is that so?" Max chuckled, arching an eyebrow in the spirit of competitiveness. "Listen, young lady, I could just as easily decide to hold off another a week, so you'd better watch that sass." He laughed again, all appearance of formality disappearing between them as he removed the small box from his pocket and held it in one hand as if weighing it. He looked back and forth between her and the box as if considering whether or not she was worthy. Truthfully, he was stalling for time since he was worried about whether or not she'd like it. It had taken a lot of thought to come up with something Phaedra would like and he imagined that, as a pureblood, her expectations were high.
"Of course I had to," he said softly, voice low for only her ears since there were still a couple of people left. No one beyond his friends was allowed to hear him sound even the slightest bit weak. "That's what friends do, right? Remember each other's birthdays and treat each other on them. But yeah, I suppose you ought to close your eyes. It's time for the big reveal."
Waiting for her to do so, he swallowed nervousness as he cracked open the box to reveal what he'd bought a while back when considering the conundrum of a gift. It wasn't something incredibly expensive or eye-catchingly unique, yet something had drawn him to it that was bigger than cost or aesthetic. The idea, maybe? Either way... "You can open them. Happy birthday, Phae."
It was a small sterling silver charm bracelet, interlocking links creating an affect like a delicate chain to encircle one's wrist. Each link was delicately filigreed to give it some character, yet it overall it was simple and appeared to be missing something. Charms, maybe, since there wasn't a single one on it. "Before you say anything, it's not finished. You might think it odd, a charm bracelet with no charms, but that's why I thought it would fit. It's like a travel log; you can buy charms all over the world and fill it up to have a reminder of the places you went. I know it looks generic now, but you seem the type to end up becoming successful and going to all sorts of places. And for the first one..."
He stuck his free hand into his pocket to pull out a single silver charm, letting it dangle from his fingers as he awkwardly shuffled his feet. "The Birmingham coat of arms. You can't put it on until you come visit Birmingham, of course, but I thought it could be for the future if you want to come have dinner at our mansion."
"Oh, is that so?" Max chuckled, arching an eyebrow in the spirit of competitiveness. "Listen, young lady, I could just as easily decide to hold off another a week, so you'd better watch that sass." He laughed again, all appearance of formality disappearing between them as he removed the small box from his pocket and held it in one hand as if weighing it. He looked back and forth between her and the box as if considering whether or not she was worthy. Truthfully, he was stalling for time since he was worried about whether or not she'd like it. It had taken a lot of thought to come up with something Phaedra would like and he imagined that, as a pureblood, her expectations were high.
"Of course I had to," he said softly, voice low for only her ears since there were still a couple of people left. No one beyond his friends was allowed to hear him sound even the slightest bit weak. "That's what friends do, right? Remember each other's birthdays and treat each other on them. But yeah, I suppose you ought to close your eyes. It's time for the big reveal."
Waiting for her to do so, he swallowed nervousness as he cracked open the box to reveal what he'd bought a while back when considering the conundrum of a gift. It wasn't something incredibly expensive or eye-catchingly unique, yet something had drawn him to it that was bigger than cost or aesthetic. The idea, maybe? Either way... "You can open them. Happy birthday, Phae."
It was a small sterling silver charm bracelet, interlocking links creating an affect like a delicate chain to encircle one's wrist. Each link was delicately filigreed to give it some character, yet it overall it was simple and appeared to be missing something. Charms, maybe, since there wasn't a single one on it. "Before you say anything, it's not finished. You might think it odd, a charm bracelet with no charms, but that's why I thought it would fit. It's like a travel log; you can buy charms all over the world and fill it up to have a reminder of the places you went. I know it looks generic now, but you seem the type to end up becoming successful and going to all sorts of places. And for the first one..."
He stuck his free hand into his pocket to pull out a single silver charm, letting it dangle from his fingers as he awkwardly shuffled his feet. "The Birmingham coat of arms. You can't put it on until you come visit Birmingham, of course, but I thought it could be for the future if you want to come have dinner at our mansion."
"There’s something brittle in me that will break before it bends."
Fearless | Poison Resistance
STA - 7, EV - 5, STR - 1, WIS - 9, ARC - 10, ACC - 8
Fearless | Poison Resistance
STA - 7, EV - 5, STR - 1, WIS - 9, ARC - 10, ACC - 8