29 May 2020, 11:10
Misjudged
Ileen was in a bad mood. A very bad mood. It was just not her day. Otherwise it probably never would have come to this. Today she did not sit in the second row as usual, but had chosen a place further back in the classroom. The light of the sun painted patterns on the floor of the classroom and made the floating dust glitter in the air. As always, when they practiced spells, the room was filled with movement and voices that recited magic formulas with varying degrees of passion. The students, eagerly flicking their wands, brought dynamism to the air with their movements and made the dust dance.
The young Slytherin had slept very badly last night and the lack of sleep tore at her nerves. She was tired, sad, angry and confused - and there was a reason for all of this: Yesterday she had received the letter from her parents, telling her that they would go back to New Zealand without her. And that had hit her really hard. For Ileen, who had had to leave her beloved homeland to move to London, this was a serious breach of trust - yes, it was almost treason. She felt abandoned and alone.
So it was no surprise that she had a hard time following the lesson today, although Charms was her favourite subject besides Transfiguration. The calm concentration, the focus and the exact execution required in these two subjects fascinated her and corresponded to her character. She had enjoyed the lessons and so far she had been fine with the spells.
But not today. The Levitation Spell they were supposed to practice with a piece of cake just wouldn't work. Frustrated she flicked her wand. “Wingardium Leviosa!”
The plate didn’t move. A lump formed in her throat. How could she start over if she wasn't even able to do simple spells? In that moment she felt very lonely. As lonely as every 11 year old probably felt, whose parents left without any real explanation and told their child to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. It wasn't that she didn't like it here, but she just felt betrayed.
With wrinkled string, she peered over at her classmates. Some of them had already succeeded. That made her even more unhappy. She didn't want to fall behind.
She knew that she wasn't concentrating properly and still couldn't change it. She flicked her wand again, this time a little more energetic. “Wingardium Leviosa!” Her piece of cake didn't start to float, but slided across the table and hit the boy in front of her on the head.
Great. That can only get better!
@Thomas Baines
Last edited by Ileen Knight on 1 Jul 2020, 19:07, edited 1 time in total.
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
31 May 2020, 22:00
Misjudged
Thomas himself had been working hard this Charms lesson, even if he wasn't met with promising results. Perhaps it was the rather long incantation that the spell had. Perhaps it was the precise wand movement. Perhaps it was the boy's ever-growing irritation with the spell, to the point that he was struggling to focus. At this point, it was nigh impossible to tell, likely due to the latter factor's blinding characteristic. He was unable to think critically about what was causing his mistakes, and his typical perfectionist demeanor was starting to make him lose his composure. He grumbled bitterly to himself as, time and time again, his spellcasting failed him. If it weren't for the fact that he was in the classroom, he'd certainly set the object of his frustrations (the cake that refused to levitate) alight with Incendio, a spell he mastered much sooner.
However, due to the watchful eye that Thomas was likely under as a student, he couldn't let himself lose his composure simply due to his own failings. It was convenient, then, that a final blow to his rather haphazard control over his temper was dealt. He heard a rather unappetizing splat as his peer's cake hit the back of his head, followed by a second as the confection hit the floor. There was a moment's silence as Tommy reached back to inspect his hair, now messily coated in residue from the incident. It was as if he was incredulous, unable to understand what had happened.
Then, the anger inside of him awoke. The ball of fury that had been knotted in his chest mixed with the bitterness of failure in his throat. The two ingredients festered to produce a visceral, toxic reaction from the boy. Thomas whipped around, his desire to shout only mitigated by his lack of desire to get in trouble, and he met Ileen's eyes if she should allow eye contact to be made. Another beat of silence passed before he spat out, contemptuousness poisoning his tone, "And just what do you think you're doing? You do know the goal is to make the cake levitate, right?"
@Ileen Knight
However, due to the watchful eye that Thomas was likely under as a student, he couldn't let himself lose his composure simply due to his own failings. It was convenient, then, that a final blow to his rather haphazard control over his temper was dealt. He heard a rather unappetizing splat as his peer's cake hit the back of his head, followed by a second as the confection hit the floor. There was a moment's silence as Tommy reached back to inspect his hair, now messily coated in residue from the incident. It was as if he was incredulous, unable to understand what had happened.
Then, the anger inside of him awoke. The ball of fury that had been knotted in his chest mixed with the bitterness of failure in his throat. The two ingredients festered to produce a visceral, toxic reaction from the boy. Thomas whipped around, his desire to shout only mitigated by his lack of desire to get in trouble, and he met Ileen's eyes if she should allow eye contact to be made. Another beat of silence passed before he spat out, contemptuousness poisoning his tone, "And just what do you think you're doing? You do know the goal is to make the cake levitate, right?"
@Ileen Knight
Evasive Maneuvers II // Wandmaker // Terrible Presence
STAMINA 7 // EVASION 21 // STRENGTH 1 // WISDOM 15 // ARCANE POWER 15 // ACCURACY 13
Hex: #1C4587
1 Jun 2020, 19:28
Misjudged
Instead of apologizing, Ileen clenched her teeth to stop the frustrated outburst that was dying to get out of her. Today everything came together – and not in a good way. Her mood was already on the verge of collapsing the whole time anyway, and it didn't take much to put her out of balance once and for all.
“Damn it”, she pressed out between her teeth and examined the damage she had done. Her cake was gone, that was for sure. Her mood got even worse when she realized that she had to ask for a new piece now. And the Ravenclaw, who got involved in her failure, seemed more than upset by her little misadventure.
In the moment he whipped around she recognized the boy. It was Thomas, a rather silent student, who, to her annoyance, had mastered the last charms even faster than she had. He was one of those who always gave her the motivation to outdo them. They had never talked before, but that was about to change. His eyes sparkled when he tempted her and, with that, took away the last bit of self-control she had left.
“Oh, sorry! Couldn't you have told me this earlier? I was SO sure the goal was to throw cake at someone else's head. My bad!” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. The fact that she hissed instead of raising her voice was only due to the fact that she did not want to draw the attention of Prof. Vernatis. It was as if a dam had burst inside her that let all the pent-up emotions flow out – although she knew better, she could not help but take out all her disappointment and frustration on the boy who looked at her with contempt.
She noticed that some of the frosting still stuck in Thomas' hair. Instead of feeling bad, it gave her grim satisfaction. Who did he think he was, anyway?
“And what do you do since you obviously can't do either? Neither levitate, nor hit someone with it? You do realize that it's supposed to move in at least one direction?”
She was not bothered by the fact that, at that moment, she gave up her role as the exemplary and inconspicuous student. It all just had to go out. Out. Out. Out. And with Thomas, she had unintentionally found a valve. Most likely, she would regret all this.
Only when she had let her feelings run free, she did realize how much they had weighed on her soul. It was a miracle that she had not shattered into a thousand pieces.
Interacting with: @Thomas Baines
Mentions: @Artemis Vernatis
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
10 Jun 2020, 00:53
Misjudged
Thomas' scowl only grew with Ileen's taunting words. However, he was quick to restrain himself and attempt to rein in his temper. His expression faltered a bit as he struggled to keep it neutral as a result, but he put up a decent enough fight. It was as if he wasn't even listening to what she had to say, and his eyes seemed to unfocus as she prattled on and on. Something he noticed was that his dismissiveness towards people's temper made them more upset, a fact that brought him more joy than he cared to admit.
Still, after a moment's silence, as he listened to what Ileen had to say about his poor spellcasting, the boy couldn't help but get just a bit peeved. It was something he was quite sensitive about, for better or for worse, as he worked absurdly hard outside of class to make sure he progressed just as fast as his peers, if not faster. After all, though it wasn't the boy's fault he was muggle-born all but in blood, Thomas was not about to let such a fact slow him down. Full stop.
"I was just making sure I knew what I was doing before I made a mistake in front of everyone. Watch this," he retorted, raising his wand and making the appropriate motion. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Sure enough, Thomas' cake did end up floating, and after letting out a small sigh of relief, he allowed a contemptuous smile across his face. Admittedly, he was worried he was going to make a fool out of himself and botch the spell. However, either through luck or skill, the specifics unimportant in this scenario, he succeeded.
"See. It's not that hard," Thomas taunted, barely resisting the urge to follow up on his jab with something ruder. No, not now anyway. He'd learned from the last time he had gotten into this situation with Breana in the halls... So long as he didn't escalate the fight, he couldn't get in as much trouble. Probably, at least. Realistically, he was already escalating the situation simply by mocking Ileen in response, but Thomas' ego didn't allow himself to see such facts.
@Ileen Knight
Still, after a moment's silence, as he listened to what Ileen had to say about his poor spellcasting, the boy couldn't help but get just a bit peeved. It was something he was quite sensitive about, for better or for worse, as he worked absurdly hard outside of class to make sure he progressed just as fast as his peers, if not faster. After all, though it wasn't the boy's fault he was muggle-born all but in blood, Thomas was not about to let such a fact slow him down. Full stop.
"I was just making sure I knew what I was doing before I made a mistake in front of everyone. Watch this," he retorted, raising his wand and making the appropriate motion. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Sure enough, Thomas' cake did end up floating, and after letting out a small sigh of relief, he allowed a contemptuous smile across his face. Admittedly, he was worried he was going to make a fool out of himself and botch the spell. However, either through luck or skill, the specifics unimportant in this scenario, he succeeded.
"See. It's not that hard," Thomas taunted, barely resisting the urge to follow up on his jab with something ruder. No, not now anyway. He'd learned from the last time he had gotten into this situation with Breana in the halls... So long as he didn't escalate the fight, he couldn't get in as much trouble. Probably, at least. Realistically, he was already escalating the situation simply by mocking Ileen in response, but Thomas' ego didn't allow himself to see such facts.
@Ileen Knight
Evasive Maneuvers II // Wandmaker // Terrible Presence
STAMINA 7 // EVASION 21 // STRENGTH 1 // WISDOM 15 // ARCANE POWER 15 // ACCURACY 13
Hex: #1C4587
17 Jun 2020, 23:14
Misjudged
It got worse. Her heart was already beating fast in her chest and she noticed her cheeks getting hot with anger. She just got a red face. And Thomas did not make it better - no, he made it worse. While she got upset, he didn't even seem to listen to her, as if it was beneath his dignity to deal with her defense, which admittedly was more of an attack. First, he moaned at her and then he wanted to make her look stupid by ignoring her. Ileen was furious. And most of all she was annoyed by the fact that she had let herself be carried away by her temperament, but still couldn't fight it anymore.
That her anger just went nowhere kept leading her on. Against her better judgment, she tried to provoke a reaction. And it seemed she had hit a sensitive point he couldn't ignore. Her eyes narrowed, as the Ravenclaw boy raised his wand to demonstrate how smart and great he was. Huh. She really hoped that his magic would prove him wrong. But – no.
Her frustration reached new heights when he actually managed to make the cake float. Fate wanted to give her a wipe today and make sure that she got into trouble in the end. Well, she was on a good way to get there very fast. Glaring at Thomas she crossed her arms. “Well, probably you should also think, before you speak. That would be a great improvement!”, she snaped.
Then she raised her wand. Under no circumstances would she let him outdo her. Especially not after he's been talking precociously. “Pf. Can’t be that hard, if you manage to do it. Watch me!” She looked around. Since her piece of cake was smashed on the floor, she needed something else. Luckily, she still had the plate.
She concentrated all her energy on it. All her anger went into the desire to prove that she was at least as good as he was. “Wingardium Leviosa!” The plate trembled briefly, then it rose staggeringly into the air. With bitter satisfaction she glared at Ravenclaw. “You see, I’m –“
In that second the plate was shaking - and then shattering into tiny pieces of dust. It was pulverized. Just like that.
Ileen clenched her teeth so hard that her jaw hurt. Her lower lip began to tremble and angrily she bit it. She would have liked to bury her face in her hands, but her pride wouldn't allow that. Agitated, she returned the look of the Ravenclaw. She could well imagine him laughing at her in his mind. His piece of cake was still floating. "So? Are you proud now?” She looked at him with disgust. He, who had been the last spark that ignited her rage.
Interacting with: @Thomas Baines
Sorry for the late reply! I vow to do better
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
21 Jun 2020, 20:38
Misjudged
Thomas didn't balk as Ileen's words grew harsher, his glare not moving from her own. He was not about to let the Slytherin win this encounter, not if his life depended on it. Sure, Tommy shouldn't have been quite so concerned about his pride given the situation, but the boy's ego rivaled that of any self-respecting Gryffindor. He inherited it from his father--who had been a lion during his tenure at Hogwarts--and it was only bolstered by the hard work he put into his classes. In his mind, being haughty was simply justified. Unimpressed by Ileen's taunts, he sat, totally unwavering.
The sound of the plate shattering startled the Ravenclaw, and in spite of his impassive demeanor he jumped a bit. Thomas steeled his resolve once more, sure, but Ileen may have already noticed his reaction. Before she could comment on it, though he replied to her question. "I was proud before I saw you fail." In his mind, Thomas didn't need a reminder that he was a better spellcaster than many who he encountered. His proficiency was a product of hard work, and hard work alone. Arrogance aside, Thomas worked very hard to make up for his muggle upbringing, and he had a sense of superiority that rivaled the average pureblood at this stage. In fact, it may have been worse, since he genuinely believed he earned the right to feel superior.
He held his wand in his hand, slowly pointing it towards her in a warning. Thomas didn't want to be caught unaware just like he had with his duel with Breana. Having learned from such mistakes, he was not eager to let Ileen get the best of him.
@Ileen Knight sorry this took so long!
The sound of the plate shattering startled the Ravenclaw, and in spite of his impassive demeanor he jumped a bit. Thomas steeled his resolve once more, sure, but Ileen may have already noticed his reaction. Before she could comment on it, though he replied to her question. "I was proud before I saw you fail." In his mind, Thomas didn't need a reminder that he was a better spellcaster than many who he encountered. His proficiency was a product of hard work, and hard work alone. Arrogance aside, Thomas worked very hard to make up for his muggle upbringing, and he had a sense of superiority that rivaled the average pureblood at this stage. In fact, it may have been worse, since he genuinely believed he earned the right to feel superior.
He held his wand in his hand, slowly pointing it towards her in a warning. Thomas didn't want to be caught unaware just like he had with his duel with Breana. Having learned from such mistakes, he was not eager to let Ileen get the best of him.
@Ileen Knight sorry this took so long!
Evasive Maneuvers II // Wandmaker // Terrible Presence
STAMINA 7 // EVASION 21 // STRENGTH 1 // WISDOM 15 // ARCANE POWER 15 // ACCURACY 13
Hex: #1C4587
25 Jun 2020, 21:50
Misjudged
@Thomas Baines
Ileen narrowed her eyes and glared at the young Ravenclaw. Under the table, invisibly for Thomas, she clenched her hands to fist and dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands to distract herself with the pain. That he had flinched when she had accidentally destroyed her plate had given her a grim satisfaction.
But this feeling only flickered in her for a short time before it was pushed away by the anger his words stirred up in her. He really wanted to piss her off, didn't he? And he really seemed to mean every word. How arrogant could you possibly be?
Her brown eyes were fixed on his blue ones and she forced herself not to look away. No way. She wouldn’t lose her temper – she wouldn’t let him win this fight. With all her might she fought for her composure and bit her teeth so hard that her jaw did hurt. She was about to grab the cake and shove it in Thomas' face – what was he thinking talking to her like that?
When he pointed his wand at her, she was speechless for a moment. Even if they couldn't do much worse than spark each other, it was a gesture that lifted the conflict to another level. “Seriously? You want to fight me?” She snorted and raised an eyebrow to show how pathetic it was to her.
Perhaps the situation would really have got completely out of hand. In this respect it was a happy coincidence that the lesson ended at this very moment.
Ileen gave the boy a poisonous look before she randomly stuffed her books into her bag. She was not sad about the interruption. He had almost forced her to act - but only almost.
Angrily, she scowled at the film of dust that covered her table, which had once been her plate. Reparo wouldn’t work here anymore - it was probably irreparably destroyed. Still furious, she dug napkins out of her robe and began to clean her seat. She did not like to clean up in the presence of her opponent. It felt a little like admitting defeat, but she couldn't bear to let the house-elves do the cleaning.
She noticed from the corner of her eye that even in Ravenclaw's hair there were still cake and dust hanging in his hair, and with an angry mine she slammed a napkin in front of him as well. He should do whatever he wanted to do with it. She didn’t care.
She grabbed her bag and gave Thomas a look of despise. “That's all I need today. Someone like you. Thank you.” Her voice dripped with bitter sarcasm. Then she spun around with flying hair and strutted out of the room.
Ileen would leave the thread to the corridors unless stopped
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
1 Jul 2020, 05:13
Misjudged
Lowering his wand as the situation progressively deescalated, Thomas didn't say another word to Ileen for the time being. He sat there, a bit bewildered by her actions as she cleaned up her space. Slowly, the young wizard began packing his own things, occasionally shooting a glance backwards to check if the Slytherin was plotting something. Occasionally his eyes narrowed as if he was expecting some sort of treachery, but to his immense surprise, it never came. Needless to say, the boy was befuddled, even a bit disoriented by the fact that she didn't resort to fighting in the interest of simply leaving class on time. This reaction was likely spurred by the numerous arguments he'd gotten into with his classmates in the past; often, circumstances did not align in a way that things resolved so... Peacefully, if it could be called that.
The boy's confusion only worsened as she offered him a napkin. Even if the gesture had been done rudely, it was still kind in nature. Thomas was almost horrified by it, the way that Ileen was able to just maturely pack up and walk on. He'd been expecting, even preparing for a fight. The fact that the argument had been interrupted likely contributed to its oddly serene conclusion, but it was still baffling to the Ravenclaw student. Belatedly, Tommy started wiping the mess from his hair, begrudgingly accepting the fact that he'd simply have to be a bit disgusting until he took a proper shower. As Ileen left, he hesitated, before following her to confront the girl in the corridors.
@Ileen Knight Sorry this took so long, with the house cup I was so focused on homework and such!!!
The boy's confusion only worsened as she offered him a napkin. Even if the gesture had been done rudely, it was still kind in nature. Thomas was almost horrified by it, the way that Ileen was able to just maturely pack up and walk on. He'd been expecting, even preparing for a fight. The fact that the argument had been interrupted likely contributed to its oddly serene conclusion, but it was still baffling to the Ravenclaw student. Belatedly, Tommy started wiping the mess from his hair, begrudgingly accepting the fact that he'd simply have to be a bit disgusting until he took a proper shower. As Ileen left, he hesitated, before following her to confront the girl in the corridors.
@Ileen Knight Sorry this took so long, with the house cup I was so focused on homework and such!!!
Thread left!
Evasive Maneuvers II // Wandmaker // Terrible Presence
STAMINA 7 // EVASION 21 // STRENGTH 1 // WISDOM 15 // ARCANE POWER 15 // ACCURACY 13
Hex: #1C4587