[x] Sokaris.
Alright, picking this one in the end.
Before Hermione zeroes in on her, we should secure the pivot of the group so the four can work together once more. Not sure if Ernie would have what it takes to make her back down. And unleashing Natsumi on her might end badly since she didn't like what she saw of Hermione and Shinji during Flying class. Shinji, on the other hand, can intimidate her into giving up on the Eastern girl.
So are we like sorta giving up on appeasing Hermione, considering stealing h̶e̶r̶ ̶g̶i̶r̶l̶ her friend would probably worsen our already unstable relations with each other?Originally Posted by Daiki
On the bright side, Hermy will at least EXPAND HER SOCIAL LINKS
I think she is setting up to become our rival / archnemesis, so why not give it a nudge. Could be interesting considering there is already a bunch of Ravenclaws who have it for Miyuki. Not that I advise in antagonizing the whole house, as I wouldn't mind befriending Nigel or keep the working relationship with Sokaris.
That's mostly Cho's friends. It turns out that dragon to face does not make friends. Who knew?
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
Life is an adventure. You never know until you try.
[x] Sokaris
A natural choice, even without considering our alter's obsession.
[x] Sokaris
From the moment Slughorn began noting his stipulations for the second week's assignment, Shinji had already more or less settled on who he was going to approach to be his partner.
'Sokaris. I more or less have to grab her, or someone like Granger will steal her away...'
He'd noticed the brunette eyeing the dusky-skinned Ravenclaw ever since he, Natsumi, Ernie, and Sokaris had all been recognized by the Professor as doing outstanding work, as if Granger suspected that their success was all due to the purple-haired girl.
'That damn Granger is looking down on me. Down on all of us...' he thought to himself, his jaw tightening as he remembered how she had tried to sabotage him before. Dropping those books in the library and leaving him to deal with Madam Pince's wrath. And of course, how she'd thrown a fit to draw Sokaris' attention, so the purple-haired girl would be her partner during flying lessons. 'She thinks she's so high and mighty, but I don't see her in the library studying. Or getting Outstandings.'
He slipped a note to Natsumi, who he was sitting next to, asking her to partner with Ernie this time. She glanced at him and nodded, though her expression clearly wondered what he would do - whereupon he glanced over at Sokaris.
He noticed Granger, who had apparently been watching him, frowning as she saw him looking over at the dusky-skinned Ravenclaw, and found himself taking a savage joy in how she flinched from his lupine smile.
When Slughorn finished up his instructions and gave the class time to assemble into pairs, Shinji was already on his feet, making his way over towards Sokaris, who hadn't bothered moving at all, save to turn in his direction, as if expecting him. Hermione all but darted across the room, reaching her a moment before he did, glaring at him defiantly as if challenging him not to take another step forward - that Sokaris was hers. That willfulness - that presumption that he would just back down - was galling, so Matou Shinji kept on walking, his every step deliberate as he looked her in the eye and smiled, baring his teeth.
Granger flinched, but stood her ground, though as he made his way to Sokaris' side, he saw the girl become paler and paler, her limbs trembling as she sought to stay standing.
The very same way she'd acted in the library.
This time though, he wouldn't bother addressing her.
"Sokaris," he said pleasantly, greeting the dusky-skinned Ravenclaw.
"Matou," the other replied, looking at him expectantly.
'Well, if she wants it, there's no reason for me not to ask...'
"Want to work together for this project?" the boy inquired, playing his part.
"You would not be...unacceptable," the other answered neutrally, nodding.
"But...Sokaris...!" Granger squeaked out, only to fall silent, her eyes widening in horror as Shinji turned his attention on her. "You don't...if he's making you..."
"Granger, your assistance is not needed," Sokaris said, without turning to look at the brunette, who staggered, almost if someone had knocked the wind out of her, even though the Egyptian girl's statement had been said quite matter-of-factly, devoid of anger or any other emotion.
"The library then?" Shinji continued, deciding to follow Sokaris' lead and act as if Granger had not spoken.
"Yes."
"I will see you there, Sokaris," the boy confirmed, giving her a small smile, as Hermione just stood there, her expression blank, seeming utterly lost.
The rest of his classes go on and on, with Shinji thinking that Wideye would indeed be helpful, since once again he slept his way through history, though after a small eternity, they end, leaving Shinji free to go to the library, where Sokaris was already waiting, a small pile of books before her.
"You have a recipe in mind," she stated, her eyes seeming to look right through him.
What does Shinji say? (choose one)
[ ] Show her the recipe he copied from the annotated book, passing it off as something he worked up
[ ] Show her the book itself, revealing it as the source he and Natsumi had obtained a recipe from before
[ ] Ask what she had in mind, since he knows she crafted her own
[ ] (write-in)
"Also...would you mind working with the others again?" Shinji asked sheepishly, as the other Hufflepuffs come into view.
"Do they have a recipe of their own?" she inquired, her voice almost curious. "A useful one?"
She seemed to imply that if they had nothing to offer, then she wasn't particularly interested.
"Ah...yes," Shinji began, though he fell silent as she looked at him. "Uh, that is..." he tried again. "Look, last time, you and Ernie brewed and researched a recipe of your own devising, while Natsumi and I worked on one of ours," he managed. "I imagine that we could do a similar arrangement again, only with Natsumi and Ernie working on one, and you and I on the other."
"I see," she says noncommittally. "Is it simply recognition you desire, Matou? Or respect where you had none? Is this what drives you to partner with me?"
It was Shinji who almost flinched, the question on the tip of his tongue dying unspoken as he was fairly sure she would not answer. At least, not if he didn't answer honestly.
Still, what was the truth?
The truth was...
How does he answer? (choose up to two)
[ ] He just wants to learn her methods
[ ] He thinks they made a good team
[ ] He enjoys her company - it keeps his inner demons at bay
[ ] He wants to earn recognition, yes, but not everyone else's. Hers.
[ ] That she's right about him, but Natsumi and Ernie are another story
[ ] (write-in)
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
She wants the truth, then I give her the truth.
[X] Show her the book itself, revealing it as the source he and Natsumi had obtained a recipe from before
[X] He wants his families recognition after being passed over as Heir because of his lack of circuits.
[X] He just wants to learn her methods
Sion willl see thru any lie or any withheld information so hiding the book is pointless. And at this point I think she has pushed him enough for him to revel his family issue and his magus background as he already said Magus terms in front of her and she reacted to them. So I think this allows us to go for the underlining truth and spill it to her. She wants his motives and there they are.
I think we should avoid the combo of Her Recognition and her company as that leads down a similar path as the last route. I can accept one of them but both is too much.
While I don't mind opening up to Sokaris, I think it's hardly the best moment to spill Shinji's past when Natsumi and Ernie are within earshot. Unless you don't mind doing that in their presence. But I would still pick a more appropriate moment to do that, like after a shared meal in the kitchens or something.
[x] Show her the book itself, revealing it as the source he and Natsumi had obtained a recipe from before.
[x] He just wants to learn her methods.
It's simple, if her methodology is superior, he too wants to learn that. Why settle for sub par?
[x] He thinks they made a good team.
Former assignment proved that there was strength in team effort. Splitting the amount of work improves focus. They can cover each other's inadequacies and quality check respective essays and end products.
Hufflepuffs stick together (and she is one of them now).
Last edited by Daiki; January 6th, 2018 at 08:32 AM.
[X] Show her the book itself, revealing it as the source he and Natsumi had obtained a recipe from before
[X] He wants his families recognition after being passed over as Heir because of his lack of circuits.
[X] He just wants to learn her methods
[x] Show her the book itself, revealing it as the source he and Natsumi had obtained a recipe from before
[x] He just wants to learn her methods
[x] He wants his family recognition
Puffs or not, we're still magi and don't reveal everything at once. Yes, we long for family recognition. Details? Maybe later, on the equivalent exchange basis.
Special Encounters
Since I don't intend to write a third or fourth alternate of the Matou Shinji series, I thought now might be a good time to talk about the special characters that Shinji could have encountered, depending on the House he was sorted into and other early choices he made. Each House had at least one character that he could befriend, though in some cases, other choices may lead to him not encountering this individual/these individuals.
Ravenclaw
Sion "Sialim" Sokaris - Since you've gone through the main timeline, you all know who she is by now: Sion Eltnam Atlasia, the fugitive Vice Director of Atlas, and sole survivor of a joint Church-Atlas mission to fight a certain vampire. She comes to Hogwarts in pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone, the legendary artifact of Alchemy originally created by one of her ancestors, and is making use of TATARI's abilities to appear younger than she truly is. As you can imagine, this has a bit of a cost...
Nigel Wroxton - A muggleborn who was originally part of Cho Chang's class (and thus is one year older than the other first years), but was forced to take an extended leave from Hogwarts due to the combination of a severe case of Dragon Pox, and him being unfortunately allergic to the usual treatment. He was hospitalized for many months and remained in critical condition, and was eventually cured through the efforts of Albus Dumbledore, who expertise in Alchemy (and experimentation with Dragon Blood) proved crucial in devising an alternative. Having been discharged from St. Mungo's, he has been cleared to return to Hogwarts to continue his education, though his illness and long hospitalization has left him with both a lack of stamina and a...sensitive gut (he cannot tolerate the food in the Great Hall). Further, he has trouble making it through a day of classes without becoming exhausted, and for medical reasons, is exempt from attending Potions or Herbology classes. His mind is as sharp as any Ravenclaw's, however, and he is supplementing his education with studies in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. His circumstances leave him feeling rather isolated from his peers, as he doesn't fit in with the other first years, nor with his former classmates.
Hufflepuff
Tsuji Miyuki - The only daughter of the prominent head of a certain multinational conglomerate, Tsuji Miyuki (who hails from Japan, but came over when she was quite young) was raised as a young lady of what some might call the nobility. She is an accomplished student, with a specialization in Transfiguration, and is the best student of her year across all the Houses of Hogwarts. This did not sit well with certain Ravenclaws (i.e. the friends of Cho Chang), who thought a mere Hufflepuff should know their place and began a campaign of harassment and bullying to try and discourage her from reaching beyond her station. But while Miyuki is never one to begin fights, she believes quite firmly in being the one to end them, and when a group of her enemies cornered her one day, threatening to make her hair fall out (or worse) if she refused to give up the secrets of how she was "cheating", she acted, turning their handbags into miniature dragons, resulting in her assailants being sent to the hospital wing. Within the House of Hufflepuff, she is known for the consultation hours she provides - and her willingness to help anyone who earnestly requests it of her, her taste for fine tea, and for being the only Second Year with dedicated space in one of the greenhouses, as she is working on a personal research project that has both Professor Sprout and Professor Slughorn quite intrigued.
Suzuki Natsumi - One of Miyuki's closest friends, Natsumi is a Japanese girl born in Britain, and is the eldest daughter of the conglomerate's General Counsel and one of its chief accountants. She has a peculiar and intuitive grasp for mathematics that few her age would expect, though she tends to downplay it in conversation. She is a rather practical, down-to-earth kind of girl who may be somewhat timid around strangers (especially males her age, who she has little to no experience with, having spent most of her formative years at all-girl boarding schools), but has a passion for defending the weak and downtrodden. She can be quite merciless to bullies, a trait some may find surprising given how nice she is, but then she is also a bit of a Star Wars fan, and takes some inspiration from the example of Darth Vader.
Gryffindor
Amber Noel - At first glance, one might think that Amber Noel is a soft-spoken Muggleborn girl who mostly talks to her brother and does much not care for her peers in the House of Lions, with Ron Weasley famously saying that she was a stuck-up bint who considered herself above mere commoners, since she did not want to speak to him on the train. Perhaps she was simply offended by his manners, however, as she belongs to the peerage of the United Kingdom. The daughter of Anthony Baptist Noel, 6th Earl of Gainsborough, she can trace her lineage to Robert Noel, a loyal knight who fought alongside William of Normandy in his conquest of Britain - and though she is not the heiress to the title (that honor going to her elder brother, Henry Robert Anthony Noel, Viscount Campden), she is still entitled - and rather partial to to the courtesy title of Lady Gainsborough. She has a fascination with cards, especially tarot, and is an excellent musician and fencer for her age. A brunette who likes the color red, she is usually easy to pick out from the crowd for her poise, if not for how she wears her hair almost like a braided crown, with segmented bangs, and her striking green eyes. Notably, she has quirk of signing formal documents not as Amber Noel, but as A. Gainsborough (as she noticed that this gets a much faster response).
Phelan Noel - The twin brother to Amber, Phelan is somewhat more outgoing, though he is very protective of his sister. He is intrigued by such things as magic, having learned some magic tricks as a child, and has a way of talking people into doing things they sometimes regret, even when they should know better. One example, which affected his sister - and which she holds a bit of a grudge for, is talking her into joining Gryffindor because it was the house of Lions - the House of the Brave, and also the most patriotically British, as the Royal Coat of Arms had the Lion and Unicorn. He was somewhat disappointed that magical school did not involve more in the way of adventures, crawling through dungeons, or slaying terrible beasts, as waving a wand around leaves something to be desired compared to a proper sword. Needless to say, he was quite happy when Quirrell's challenge did not involve wands, but cunning. His aim is to become one of the greatest adventurers magical Britain has ever known - surpassing the legacy of the great Gilderoy Lockhart (whose books he treasures), and notably, he was one of the students disappointed that the Sorting was done by a grubby old hat, and not through say, some trial by combat.
Slytherin
Selina Moore - A young Muggleborn girl with a thirst of adventure, Selina is, as you might expect, a lover of adventure/fantasy novels, and grew up watching her older brother and their friends play D&D - becoming familiar enough with the rules that she was often asked to substitute for a missing player or handle some NPCs for the group. She is fascinated by the history of magical Britain and wishes to put together a role-playing adventure rooted in the lore of the wizarding world, and also has an appreciation for the versatility and potency of potions, given that her usual D&D character was an Artificer. Wands are useful now and again, but to her, they seem like something of a crutch if a wizard or witch can't fight without one! As one of the few Muggleborn in Slytherin, she is not on good terms with Draco Malfoy, especially after they got into an argument on the Hogwarts Express regarding the importance of wands. A petite blonde with mischevious green eyes who wears her hair in a long ponytail, she is playful and daring - but most of all ambitious, as she wants to know the hidden histories of the world, starting with the mysteries of Hogwarts.*
These are the initial set of special encounters, though Nigel is sealed if you use ofuda, and Selina is not an option if Shinji and Harry are both in Slytherin, as the Boy-who-Lived overshadows everyone else. Miyuki - and the option of joining Hufflepuff - is only really available if you buy used goods, and did not buy the Ofuda tome. The Noel twins - and the option of joining Gryffindor - are only available if you buy new goods, and for an extra, buy something besides an extra tome.
*Due to an unfortunate bet about Draco made aboutMudbloodsMuggleborns needing to know their place in front of the rest of the Slytherin First years - one he lost, as he performed worse on Quirrell's challenge than her, Draco may only address or speak of Selina using terms she approves of. Currently, this means he must address her as Mistress or Your Highness, and must speak of her to others as Lady Selina.
Last edited by alfheimwanderer; January 6th, 2018 at 11:58 PM.
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
What does Shinji say? [x] Show her the book itself, revealing it as the source he and Natsumi had obtained a recipe from before
How does he answer? [x] He wished to learn her methods; [X] He wants his families recognition after being passed over as Heir
"I see," the purple-haired girl responds noncommittally, though she makes no protest as Natsumi and Ernie make their way to the table. She greets them with a nod apiece, and then asks if Shinji wishes to work on calculations with her, or if he would prefer to simply obtain books and write, as per last time. "So long as you are not a burden, the choice is of little consequence."
Which does he do?
[ ] Work on recipes and calculations - its a chance to learn her methods
[ ] Work on finding resources and helping Ernie - Natsumi is on better terms with Sokaris, and he's still feeling a bit uncomfortable from her questioning
[ ] Propose doing some of both
[ ] Ask her preference
At the end of the week, Shinji, Ernie and Natsumi all receive a missive from the Defense Professor, requesting the pleasure of their company for a gathering of minds. The note is fairly brief, but mentions that since they have distinguished themselves by having minds more supple and resilient than those of their peers, he would like to offer them the opportunity to discuss topics of their interest.
Does he...?
[ ] Accept the invitation
[ ] Decline it
Last edited by alfheimwanderer; January 8th, 2018 at 01:00 AM.
[x] Work on recipes and calculations - its a chance to learn her methods
[x] Accept the invitation
[X] Ask her preference
[X] Accept the invitation
[X] Propose doing some of both
Not the most optimal choice to pick as it might reduce understanding in learning the basics of Sokaris methods and increase work load. But there are two important skills that need learning here, the mathematical method of optimizing from Sion and researching and breaking down the underlining principles down to level of the average person. Its not just good enough to be that genius but you need to be able to write the paper and explain your results so that others can follow along. So many of the more respected scientists I can think of, are not just noted for their higher end thinking but also in their ability to break things down for others.
Another reason I can think of doing both, is to prevent someone from being over specialized in one aspect. By switching roles in the project often we prevent a similar situation that Hermione ran into during the Hogwarts potion champion trials, where she was good at one important aspect but ultimately fails because she never attempted the other aspects.
[X] Accept the invitation
I know I am going to regret accepting this later. At some point we are going to overload Shinji by attempting too much. We have done it before. Learning Occlumency, learning potions from Sion, going to class and dealing with the stress that caused as a result of the Boggart; all takes a toll on Shinji. Especially if we want Shinji to still be more social with others than when he was a Ravenclaw and not be focused solely on Sokaris for life.
Yet meeting new people, I cannot resist this event. Much like how Shinji cannot resist this event in the search for answers to what happen and because someone *gasp* distinguished him above his peers.
Last edited by Skull Leader; January 8th, 2018 at 01:42 AM.
[x] Propose doing some of both.
Remember, teamwork. Even though Shinji wants to learn, the idea is also to cement the group anyway. There should be more opportunities so it's not such a big sacrifice to split his attention here.
[X] Accept the invitation.
I personally would have refused if only Shinji was concerned here.
But I don't think he would simply shrug when the guy who gave him one of the biggest scares of his life suddenly invited his friends for supplementary lessons. May as well attend, hoping that he can at least prevent either of them to get in trouble.
As for a meta reason, I think it's one of the rare events where we get to interact with Selina. The twins and Nigel may also be there.
Not that even Natsumi has had a chance to "specialize." It's not as if this is Snape's Potions Challenges, after all!
Indeed. When he snapped in third year, confronted by a Boggart, Matou Shinji threw every last explosion ofuda he had at the figure of his greatest fear and laughed, only to eventually return to himself when Pansy embraced him from behind.At some point we are going to overload Shinji by attempting too much. We have done it before.
Imagine what might happen if he snaps this time around...
Lady Selina will indeed be there. She seems to have struck up something of an unlikely friendship with Lady Gainsborough, after an amusing incident where the latter mistook the former for nobility, with Draco as her manservant.
Last edited by alfheimwanderer; January 8th, 2018 at 05:59 AM.
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
[x] Propose doing some of both.
[x] Accept the Invitation
Chapter 5. Exploration
Matou Shinji stood at the window of the first year Hufflepuff boys dormitories, staring out at the still dark sky and the land below, swallowed in shadows. His head throbbed with the beginnings of a headache, and his body felt sluggish and unresponsive this morning, as if reminding him that he hadn’t slept particularly well.
‘Not that I need the reminder,’ the boy thought mirthlessly. ‘It isn’t as if this is something new.’
What was new was that none of the other first-year males were awake, but given that it was a Saturday and there were no classes scheduled, he could hardly blame them for sleeping in. He would have done so himself, if his body would have let him.
Alas, while westerners were used to having the luxury of a two-day weekend, he, being a proper Japanese boy, had grown up going to classes every day of the week except Sunday, and it seemed that simply being informed that things had changed was not enough to break a habit that had been years in the making.
‘I wish it was…’ he thought with a heavy sigh. ‘I haven’t been sleeping enough. Mostly because of the…’
Dreams? Memories? Nightmares?
Whatever they were, they centered around the mass of worms that was his grandfather’s true form. Sometimes they would come for him, tearing him apart. Sometimes they would come for Natsumi or Miyuki, with the bodies of his friends melting before his eyes as he was forced to watch, as a demonstration of how weak and useless he was. Sometimes they would come for an older woman who felt somehow familiar, but who he didn’t recognize.
‘I may need a Dreamless Sleep potion if this keeps up,’ he mused, shaking his head. ‘I can’t…I can’t…’
Even now, when he was awake, the images lingered in the back of his mind, never fully going away unless he was engrossed in some other activity, like working on potions, or studying anything aside from Hogwarts, A History, as the history text – like Professor Binns’ lectures – just sent him to sleep, back to the world of nightmares that plagued his slumbering mind.
‘At least I don’t have to worry about sleeping again for a while…’
Not with his housemates breathing, turning, and snoring all around him, sounds which seemed all the louder in the absence of anything else.
‘Since I’m up, I may as well do something,’ the boy reasoned, his shoulders slumping as he sighed. ‘Maybe a shower? And then afterwards, I’ll figure out something I can do with that Mopsus potion, maybe.’
There had to be something he could do with a potion that would let him control things with his mind, as well as give him Seer-like powers, whatever that meant.
With a yawn, a now showered and properly dressed Matou Shinji made his way through the underground tunnel from the boys’ dormitory to the common room, pulling open the heavy circular door which barred his way, only to pause as he realized that someone was already there, sitting at the table closest to the crackling flames of the fireplace and bent over…something.
‘A girl…?’
So it was indeed, with the boy recognizing the figure as Natsumi as he padded towards her, though her hair was unbound today. She didn’t seem to notice him, given how she was apparently writing in her journal, if indeed that was what the slim green volume with gilt-edged pages in front of her was.
Beside her was a slim glass vial of pearlescent liquid, which in the dim light almost seemed to glow.
‘Mopsus? Did she have the same idea I did?’
So that he didn’t startle her, he deliberately made some noise as he walked, before making his way over to one of the overstuffed armchairs upholstered in yellow and black that were scattered about the room.
“You’re up early,” he remarked casually, glancing at the chestnut-haired girl.
“It’s a habit,” came the soft reply. Natsumi didn’t look up from what she was doing, as her hand continued to move. “Early mornings on weekends are some of the only times one has any privacy at a boarding school. Especially when you have a roommate.”
“Boarding school, huh?” Shinji echoed, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve been to one of those.”
“Besides Hogwarts?”
“Yeah. It was…a few years ago,” the boy mentioned, as he turned his attention to the flames, finding the way they danced and flickered arresting, almost hypnotic. “My mother had died a little while ago, and my family had…some other things to take care of.”
‘Like adopting the Tohsaka castoff into the family, and training her as the new heiress,’ he thought bitterly. He was aware that a Holy Grail War had occurred while he was away as well, but he didn’t know what had happened there, or if anyone from the Matou had participated.
He hadn’t thought to ask, and neither the man who called himself his father, nor the Matou patriarch, were the type to just volunteer information.
“That must have been difficult for you,” the girl said quietly, though the sounds of scribbling continued unabated. “Was this in Japan?”
Shinji grimaced.
“No, actually,” he replied, his lips pressing together as he remembered what a shock those first days had been. “They sent me abroad for a while.” He paused, shaking his head. “To Britain, actually.”
“Is that why your English is so good?” Natsumi questioned, raising her head as she turned to look at him. “Miyuki’s was a bit poorer when she first came.”
“You’ve known her for a while, then?” the boy asked, blushing a bit as their eyes met.
The chestnut-haired Hufflepuff smiled.
“Yes,” she answered simply. “I was her first friend. In Britain, anyway.”
There was a wealth of meaning hidden in her words, but Matou Shinji knew that he couldn’t even begin to interpret the complexities there.
“Ah…was she always so serious and dependable?” Shinji decided to ask instead, figuring it was a harmless enough question. Dependable – that was definitely a word he would associate with the older Hufflepuff girl, as she not only seemed to have everything figured out, but generously offered her time for consultations with others. Even someone like him, a transfer student who knew little of what to expect in this strange new world.
“Not always,” Natsumi admitted with a quiet laugh, a sound that Shinji thought quite pretty.
Shinji looked at her expectantly, but the girl just turned back to her writing and changed the topic.
“And what about you?” she asked.
“Me?” the boy remarked. “I don’t think I’m that dependable, really…”
The chestnut-haired girl laughed again, something that really should have made him feel annoyed – though it really just made his chest feel rather warm.
“I mean that you’re up early too, Matou.”
Shinji smiled wryly at that.
“Well, that’s habit too,” he explained.
“Oh? From when you went to boarding school?”
This time, it was Shinji’s turn to chuckle.
“No…Japanese schools don’t get Saturdays off,” he related, a wan smile stealing across his lips. “And once I’ve woken up, I can never really go back to sleep.”
“Except in history.”
“Well. There’s that,” Shinji conceded. “But yeah, it’s not me wanting alone time or something. I just got used to getting up for class on the weekends.”
“…right. Miyuki was like that too, a long time ago,” Natsumi noted distantly, as she finished her writing and closed her journal. “She’s sleeping better now though. Or I think so, anyway.” The girl shook her head. “Anyway, since you’re up, what are your plans?”
“I don’t know,” Shinji admitted, with a helpless shrug. “I hadn’t really made any. Maybe…I’ll play with the Mopsus potion and figure out what its good for. I hadn’t really decided yet.” His smile was a bit lopsided this time, given that this extra bit of free time wasn’t entirely a blessing. “What about you? I see you have Mopsus with you too.”
“I was going to explore the castle. After all, this is a magical school, so it has If it’s a magical school, that must mean there are hidden places, right?”
“And you think Mopsus would help you find them?” Shinji asked, somewhat skeptical. “Doesn’t that just let you move things with your mind?”
“It’s supposed to give you Seer-like powers too,” Natsumi corrected, her features bright with excitement. “Telekinesis and future sense – kind of like a Jedi.”
“A Jedi?” Shinji echoed, raising an eyebrow as he tried to remember where he’d heard the term before.
“Did you ever watch Star Wars?” Natsumi asked, her eyes almost gleaming.
Matou Shinji wracked his memories for whether he had or not. The name seemed familiar, and he thought he remembered seeing something like that involving Rebels and a Death Star, but that was a long time ago, in a land far, far away. His recollection was a bit fuzzy, but he thought he remembered someone with telekinetic powers in that.
A figure in a black suit who looked almost like a samurai, and moved like he was a practitioner of kendo.
“Oh, so…like Lord Vader?” he hazarded.
Natsumi seemed…almost amused at his example, the corners of her lips twitching upwards, threatening to become a wide grin.
“Close enough,” she admitted, “Vader was a Jedi once. And he is my favorite character.”
“Huh, so Mopsus does that, huh? Neat,” Shinji mused aloud. “No sword skills though?” he teased. “No becoming more powerful than an enemy could possibly imagine if you get struck down?”
“No,” Natsumi said, waving his words away with one hand, while hiding her mouth with the other. “Not that I think any of the teachers are going to strike us down, unless we go into the Forbidden Corridor on the Third Floor.”
“Heh. Well…that’s true.”
“So um…” the girl trailed off, her expression a little shy. But a moment later she tried again. “Would you want to come with me? It might be more fun than going alone.”
Shinji, put on the spot, hesitated. After all, it was the first time a girl had invited him to do something with her, alone, and—
“I-I understand if you don’t want to,” Natsumi continued, looking down with her cheeks tinged red, with what he could see of her face…seeming disappointed by his lack of an answer. “Or, if you have something else to do…”
She trailed off.
“T-that’s not it at all!” Shinji blurted out, a little embarrassed himself now. “I just…wouldn’t you rather ask Miyuki-senpai?”
The chestnut-haired girl pouted and puffed out her cheeks, an expression the boy from the east found quite endearing.
“Miyuki doesn’t like getting up early in the morning on weekends,” she stated, shaking her head. “Besides, she has to work on her personal project in the greenhouse today.”
“Mm…do you know what she’s working on?” Shinji inquired, thinking that it was unusual for a second year to have a personal project that needed space in the greenhouse.
“I know she grows some of her tea there,” Natsumi replied, shaking her head. “Besides that, I don’t really know.”
“She grows tea?!” the boy exclaimed, eyes wide. “Is that where she…?”
“Mhm,” the chestnut-haired girl confirmed.
Shinji whistled.
“That’s where she gets such nice tea leaves from. I hadn’t really expected that,” he noted, nodding slowly to himself. “That must be a lot of work.”
“Well, we are Hufflepuffs,” Natsumi offered. “Hard work is what we do.”
“True enough,” Shinji said. “Anyway, I’d love to go exploring the castle with you.”
Natsumi seemed rather pleased by this, the smile on her face evoking a surge of warmth inside him.
“Shall we go then? While everyone else is still asleep?” she asked, as she rose to her feet. “I just have to put away my diary first, if you don’t mind waiting a second.”
“Well, if you have to do that, why don’t I go get Ernie?” Shinji replied, thinking that he didn’t want the other boy to feel left out, since he’d been part of the group whose work had let them win the Mopsus Potion. “And we can drop by Ravenclaw Tower to see if Sokaris want to join us.”
For a long moment, silence reigned, with Shinji beginning to think that perhaps he had said something wrong, until—
Natsumi sighed, shaking her chestnut tresses as she turned away, and opened the door to the girls’ dormitory.
“Ok. Just don’t take too long,” she called to him. “Or I might just leave you behind, Matou-kun.”
As one might expect from being a Hufflepuff, Ernie Macmillan was not exactly one of the most ambitious students at Hogwarts. But then, he never had been, as he knew he wasn’t nearly as intelligent as some of his peers – an assessment that had been proven quite correct when he’d ended up working with the brilliant Sokaris – and despite his house’s fixation on hard work, enjoyed his moments of leisure perhaps too much.
In his experience, weekends were made for sleeping, eating, and perhaps having fun with friends, as humans were not meant to wake up when there was no compelling reason. It just wasn’t right to ask someone to rouse themselves before the crack of dawn on a weekend – it was downright criminal, in fact!
He’d thought his housemates would more or less agree, given that such was what any right-thinking student his age should think…
…which was why he was so confused to wake up suspended in the air in only his pajamas, his feet unable to find purchase on the floor, or anything, as he floated – floated? – vertically towards the door to the bathrooms.
‘What in the name’s of Merlin’s socks…?’
He was about to sputter indignantly when a very familiar voice spoke from beside him.
“Quiet, Ernie, or you’ll wake the entire dorm.”
‘Matou…?’
More confused than ever, the pureblood turned to the side to see Shinji casually moving his hands – with the door as he did.
‘What?’
His sleep-addled brain, still confused by what was going on, was slow to catch up, as the other boy gestured and sent Ernie floating through the opening, before following silently along and closing the door.
Suddenly, what was happening became clear: Matou had taken his dose of the Mopsus potion and was using it to levitate him for some reason.
But…why?
“What is going on?” Ernest Macmillan hissed, loudly enough to convey his displeasure, but quietly enough not to wake everyone up, because then they’d all be angry at him. “Where are you taking me?”
He stared daggers at the Japanese boy, but the other only laughed – an eerie sound that unnerved the pureblood Hufflepuff.
‘He’s laughing? Has he lost his bleeding mind?’ the pureblood thought indignantly.
“You told me you would get up,” the other said, quite matter-of-factly. “That you just wanted five more minutes. And when, when you didn’t, five minutes later, you said it would be fine to give you help.”
“Wha…?” Ernie blinked. “I-I didn’t say—”
“You did,” the other replied with absolute certainty. “I was there.”
“When…?”
“When you were laying in bed just now!” Shinji answered him, exasperation writ across his features. “I mean, you kind of mumbled so it was a little hard to understand what you were saying, but when I asked again, you said the same thing. Twice!”
Ernie sighed.
Embarrassment didn’t begin to cover what he was feeling right now.
“…and why are you trying to get me up so early? On a Saturday?”
“Because Natsumi wanted to explore the castle, using Mopsus to see if there were any hidden mysteries we could discover?”
“Like what, the Chamber of Secrets?” Ernie shot back peevishly. “You think a bunch of first years will find something that all our teacher missed?”
Shinji stopped in his tracks, letting his control slip as Ernie was jolted unceremoniously back on his feet – barely keeping himself from falling over from the sudden need to support himself.
“I don’t,” the boy from the east admitted, “but I thought it might be something nice we could all do together after this very, very long week. I mean, we won the potion through our effort, why not celebrate a bit?”
“…well, if you put it that way,” Ernie groused, though he couldn’t get too mad if it was just Shinji being a bit overenthusiastic. “I at least have time to take a shower, right?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t you?”
“Good,” the pureblood answered, running his fingers through his somewhat oily hair. “I’ll meet you and Natsumi in the common room in a few minutes then?”
“I’ll see you there.”
The group met up some time after that without further incident, with Ernie rather insisting that at this rate, they might as well invite Sokaris along for the adventure. So, after taking Mopsus – and getting the basic hang of their abilities – the trio headed to Ravenclaw Tower, where Natsumi got them past the password riddle easily enough.
Sokaris, however, was nowhere to be seen, and a furious Hermione Granger, incensed at the invasion of the Tower by Hufflepuffs – or at least, one certain Hufflepuff – demanded that they leave, since Sokaris wasn’t in – and even if she was – wouldn’t want anything to do with people who could only leech off of her brilliance.
Natsumi step forward, her expression clouded and angry as began to raise her hand, only for Shinji to stop her with a touch on the arm.
“Granger’s not worth it,” he said quietly, with the Japanese girl visibly drawing in a breath, before releasing it in a single exhalation.
“Ok,” the chestnut-haired Hufflepuff agreed meekly, before turning her back on the bushy-haired Ravenclaw and all but storming out, followed by the others.
“So…where to now?” Shinji asked, as they walked back down the stairs. “Do we want to visit the Forbidden Corridor?”
“…can we please not?” Ernie said dryly. “I don’t really want to die a very painful death.”
“Did you have something in mind, then?” Natsumi questioned, glancing at the pureblood inquisitively.
“Just that there is a haunted bathroom on the first floor,” the pureblood answered with something like a shrug. “One that hasn’t been used by anyone in years.”
“Oh?” Shinji asked. “What, is this related to the Chamber of Secrets you mentioned?” he joked, only to see that the other boy was completely serious.
“Well, that’s the thing. Moaning Myrtle, the ghost who haunts the bathroom? She was a student here last time the Chamber was opened,” Ernie admitted. “As well as the last victim. My gran went to school with her…”
“Huh,” Shinji said. “That kind of sounds promising. What do you think, Natsumi?”
“Let’s go!” the young brunette said cheerfully.
‘A ghost, huh?’ the boy from the east thinks to himself uneasily as the group of three approaches the allegedly haunted bathroom on the first floor. Growing up in Japan, he certainly knew of yūrei – the spirits of humans which lingered in the world due to unfinished business – or due to failing to receive the proper funerary rites, and of course onryō, spirits so consumed by wrath that they sought to exact vengeance on any living beings they encountered.
As such, when he had come to Hogwarts, he had been somewhat unnerved by the sight of so many yūrei during the Welcome Feast, as well as the fact that each House had a yūrei assigned to it. In the case of Hufflepuff, this was the Fat Friar, a choice which sat ill with the boy given what he knew about what members of the Church thought of those who could use mysteries not imparted by their God.
Why, the Association and the Church had fought a long war against one another, which had only ended about 150 years ago, when the two sides had negotiated a non-aggression pact. Well, it had ended officially anyway, though Shinji – like any magus – knew that this only meant that the current conflict between the organizations was something of a shadow war, with assassinations, reprisals and other such happening in a very off the books fashion.
‘I don’t know how most of the other ghosts here died, or why they’re at Hogwarts to begin with, but if this Myrtle died here, murdered…’
Was it possible that the reason others avoided the bathroom was that this Myrtle was an onryō, a spirit of malice?
The boy found himself wishing that he had purchased the book on ofuda techniques he had been offered by the proprietor of The Dust Pile, the great bookshop of Mahoutokoro, instead of one on protecting the mind and organizing his thoughts.
‘I thought it would probably be too much for me to learn an entirely different way to channel my prana, but here I am, about to walk into a bathroom haunted by an onryō.’
Sometimes, Matou Shinji questioned his choices in life.
The door wasn’t locked, which reassured the boy a bit, since surely if this Myrtle were dangerous, the Professors would have found a way to keep students out of her domain.
‘…though given that the Third Floor Corridor is considered forbidden on pain of death, I’m not sure about that,’ he thought with a niggling sense of unease.
And the moment they stepped inside…
"Hey!” a shrill voice rang out as a pale specter rose out of the floor, making the boy step back reflexively. “What are you three doing here?” She spun about, hovering around them as the air grew cold in her presence. “Two of you are boys! Go use your own bathroom!”
“T-that’s not…” Natsumi began, speaking up, when neither of the others dared.
“Oh, I see,” the presumed onryō declared, in tones dripping with sleazy satisfaction. “You brought them here, didn’t you?”
“Well, we’re here on an adventure—”
“I knew it,” the specter declared, invading the chestnut-haired Hufflepuff’s space, with her face so close to the other’s that Natsumi almost thought she could feel the ghost breathe.
Though of course, ghosts didn’t breathe.
“I knew it,” Moaning Myrtle repeated. “You brought them here.”
“I—”
“You brought them here, so you could all do nasty, unspeakable acts,” the specter said with a puerile giggle as she openly leered at Natsumi, her eyes roving up and down the undeveloped Hufflepuff. “Didn’t you, little girl? You per-vert”
But the shade of Myrtle Warren soon fell silent when one of the others let out a bark of dark laughter, with Matou Shinji stepping forward – and through her – forcing her to back up and re-form herself.
“Really?” The Japanese boy snorted. “Is that what you’re accusing us of doing? It sounds to me like you have a very dirty mind. That you are the pervert.”
Myrtle snarled at the accusation, outrage, indignation and raw hurt flitting across her features as she glared at the three students – especially at the Japanese boy who dared to insult her in her own domain.
“You…!” she hissed, her ghostly form turning a very interesting shade of dark silver, her hands forming themselves into claws. “It’s not funny!”
But Shinji only kept laughing.
"It's not funny!" the specter repeated, beginning to rise into the air. “You dare…you dare make fun of me! My life…my life was nothing but misery and now you come here to laugh at me? I'm going to tell Filch about what you're all are up to,” she hissed, her lips drawing upwards into a cruel smirk. “About how you three came to this bathroom and how I caught you all committing depraved, lecherous acts!”
Turning about with a huff, Moaning Myrtle began to make for the wall, only to freeze in midair, a look of shock appearing on her face as her hands reached for her throat, as if trying to pry off an invisible set of hands.
'Huh? But...she's a ghost...' Shinji thought to himself, feeling rather confused. 'How...'
Glancing to the side, he saw Ernie looking similarly astonished, so it couldn't be the other boy doing something.
'It can't be Natsumi, can...?'
And then his mind froze as he turned and saw the chestnut-haired girl beside him with her arm raised, her hand outstretched as if gripping something tightly.
Something like a throat.
'Is she...?'
Shinji looked back at Myrtle, only to find that the ghost was writhing in mid-air, her mouth flapping open and closed, as her hands clawed desperately at the invisible hands on her neck. But try as she might, she couldn’t get out any words – any cries for help, any demands, any threats – and neither could she free herself.
"Uh...Natsumi?" Ernest Macmillan asked dumbly. "What…exactly are you doing?"
"Stopping this monster from carrying out its threat,” came the cold response.
"But..."
"It’s a yūrei, practically an onryō. And it threatened us,” the girl continued, her expression hard, even as her hand squeezed tighter and tighter. “It has no right. No right at all to bully people who weren’t the ones who killed her.”
“Bully?"
"I’ve never liked bullies,” she added, tightening her grip yet further, as Myrtle's eyes budged out, the specter’s expression one of agony. "Whether it's a person or an evil spirit wearing one's shape, they pick on people because they think they’re weak."
"Um..."
"If she wants me to stop, the spirit just has to promise that she'll stop trying to get us into trouble," Natsumi stated calmly, her voice oddly calm as she regarded the apparently suffering ghost. "Ghosts shouldn't need to breathe anyway, so she's probably just pretending to choke to make us feel bad. Aren’t you, Myrtle?"
The ghost frantically shook her head, as if rejecting the assertion, but did nothing else. The chestnut-haired Hufflepuff, quite annoyed that the ghost wasn’t showing any signs of surrender, was just about to clench her hand into a tight fist, when Shinji intervened.
“Natsumi,” he said, turning to his friend – his first friend at Hogwarts.
“Yes, Matou?”
"...I think she'd had enough," the boy stated, seeing that despite Natsumi’s look of resolve, the girl’s body was trembling.
The girl stared at the ghost for a long moment, before glancing over at the Japanese boy, and with a nod, opened her hand.
Moaning Myrtle hung motionless in the air before the trio, her eyes glazed over as she looked in their direction, unseeing, utterly still.
"...what was that?" the specter asked after several long seconds, her voice nary more than a whisper.
"What was what?" Shinji answered, looking at the ghost challengingly, noting that Myrtle wasn’t shaking, wasn’t rubbing her neck in pain, wasn’t coughing at all.
‘Was she just pretending then?’
"You touched me," the ghostly girl continued, her voice low and hoarse. "You touched me...touched a young maiden.” Her face twisted into a rictus of fury. “You, you perverts!"
All at once, Myrtle explode into motion, rushing at the trio – intending to push past them, and out into the hall, but the moment she started moving, her form froze once more, jerking higher into the air – and then crumpling, her vaguely human shape being squeezed into the form of a small silver ball.
Said ball went spinning through the air, careening about the room, to and fro, becoming a blur – an then crashing through the sink – and the wall beneath it – into whatever part of Hogwarts beyond.
"Nooooooooo!” Shinji could make out faintly, the sound of the ghost’s shrill wail coming to him faintly, as if through stone, before it abruptly cut off. “What…a tunnel?” came a distant mutter, before silence fell once more, leaving the three Hufflepuffs alone in the bathroom.
"Let's get out of here.” The Japanese boy’s words resonated with the group, with Natsumi agreeing as she clings to his arm, and Ernie in no mood to stay after what he’d just seen. “Ernie, where to?”
“…let’s go to the Lake,” the other boy suggests. “Maybe we can…walk on water or something?”
Natsumi smiled weakly.
“Sure. That sounds fun.”
And so it proved to be, with the trio exorcising some of their worries as they experimented with the limits of what Mopsus could do for them as they left the castle. They used bursts of force to speed themselves up, to help them leap further, pull themselves forward, anchor themselves to keep from falling.
They made panes of force so they could walk on the surface of the lake – or least appear to – while playfully splashing each other, with waves they controlled with their minds.
At one point, Natsumi lost her concentration at after being hit by a rather large spear of water, and was knocked off of her small field of invisible force into the water.
Fortunately for her, she was quite capable of swimming – though of course, the Giant Squid, which lived in the lake, didn’t know that, and thought she needed help, enveloping her with its tentacles.
Shinji would have acted at once, but for the sight of the tentacles, which for some reason made his face go a little red.
But before he – or Ernie – could do something rash, the squid seemed to realize something was wrong, as it made a coo-ing sort of sound, and gently raised the girl up to Shinji, who held out his arms – and received her in something like a princess carry, with the help of the Mopsus Potion’s telekinetic control.
“…uh, thanks,” the boy said, nodding to the squid, even as he flushed violently.
The many tentacled monster faded from view, leaving the three alone again.
And in the silence…
“Heheh,” Natsumi giggled, with Shinji joining in, as did Ernie a moment later, at the sheer absurdity of the situation.
Laughter washed away the tension of the morning, and echoed over the lake, as the three walked – well, two walked, and one was carried – towards the other side of the lake.
“You can put me down now,” Natsumi whispered shyly, quietly enough that only Shinji could hear. She was rather red herself, just like the boy in whose arms she was being carried. “I know I’m probably…a little heavy.”
“Not at all,” Shinji replied, finding his words again. “It’s not so bad, really, holding you.” He said this carelessly, before backpedaling as he caught sight of her wide-eyed look. “I mean...um…no…you’re not…” He trailed off. “I can manage,” he settled for saying at last.
“Tehehe,” the girl giggled again. “If you say so, Matou-kun.”
He carried her till they reached the shore, her warmth driving away his inner demons for a time, keeping the memories of the past well at bay – mostly because he found it hard to think about anything else at all.
The rest of the day was a time of fun and adventure, with the trio eventually deciding to use telekinesis to sculpt first sand sculptures, and then rather intricate champions made of water, which they had duel one another in a mock battle worthy of the ages.
In the distance, a young bespectacled blonde peered at the group with clear green eyes, as she leafed through the pages of a book from under the shade a towering beech tree, at the edge of the lake.
Her lips curved upwards, and she laughed a little, a pale echo of the rich sounds of merriment that had come across the glassy surface of the water – and which were still coming.
‘That looks like fun,’ she thought to herself, clutching a vial filled with pearlescent fluid. ‘Quite a bit of it.’
What should Shinji write in his letter to Zouken, aside from asking his grandfather about any tips on binding ghosts? (choose one)
[ ] Ask about his mother
[ ] Mention his friends, Miyuki and Natsumi
[ ] Mention that he is doing well in classes and is recognized as one of the best
[ ] Mention the existence of boggarts and ask if Zouken knows anything about them
What would Shinji like to talk about in the greenhouse with Miyuki?
[ ] (write-in)
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
I won't be surprised if we see Draco floating about the Dinner Hall at some point, as punishment for not using the proper title with Selina, or Amber really.
[x] Mention that he is doing well in classes and is recognized as one of the best.
Much as I like the irony of Zouken helping out dealing with his Boggart version, I think it's best to promote Shinji's progress. By doing so, we confirm that Zouken was right to give Shinji a chance.
Family route, after all.
[x] Ask Miyuki if she knows of an efficient way to deal with Boggarts.
It has to be addressed at some point, and the earlier he learns the spell, the better his chance if another encounter happens.
Obviously, it all comes to naught if he either freezes or panic next time, so he should still work to get past the trauma.
Last edited by Daiki; January 9th, 2018 at 05:50 AM.
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