But For A Stone (A Matou Shinji Series AU)

[Daiki]

Thinking it over, I think we can pretty much accomplish socializing during club sessions too. It probably changes who we would interact with though.

When it comes to affinity, I see more appeal to the Mock ICW and Dance clubs because that would fit with a charisma-oriented Shinji. Learning the way of rhetoric and moving with elegance both sound like a decent way to complete his repertoire, the latter might even serve in a more practical way if he can include some of that magic dance style into his fighting movements.

My personal preference though, I would rather go with Mountaineering since it adds survival points.

I don't want to double on potions that much and I'm not sure Shinji is ready to learn dueling from another teacher at this point.

I suppose I'll go with [x] Dance, since it sounds different from what we usually go for. And since we invested in luxury robes for important events and picked the charisma path, I think it's a decent pick. Even more so if you want more Amber point.

[shanagan]

[x] Dance

[alfheimwanderer]

So far we're at

[1] Mentor
[2] Excursion
[2] Dance

[Skull Leader]

No thank you on the dance class. It smacks of Shinji dancing with a girl, blushing the entire time. And while I agree it might earn points later with say Amber for learning how to dance, I suspect that he loses just as much when his eyes start to wanders away from his ah...girl...friends. Amber has already expressed concern on this regard. She is not Luna and will not be a fountain of forgiveness.

Shinji can find dance instructors given that the girls he hang with basically all know how to dance and some of them might even be willing to teach him.

If I had to pick a club, I would be all for ICW. I would switch my vote to that if people wanted to do it.

[Desann]

I still prefer Excursions too. Dance will probably be what Skull Leader said, and honestly I think that at least on summer vacation Shinji better to relax and have fun instead of studying.

[alfheimwanderer]

While we're waiting...

Choices, Part 4...

After the Masquerade Party at which Shinji was framed, we had the lovely reception at the Ministry, where Shinji was introduced to Tonks, opening the way for her to be involved in some winter adventures, as well as some things in year 2. He also met and made an...impression on Lucius Malfoy - or rather, Amber made an impression on him, which may or may not involve him twitching at her talk of commoners.

But I'm sure you're more interested in the Christmas Challenge. As previously stated, the two possible challenges were greatly shaped by the stats that Shinji chose to prioritize - Wisdom and Charisma. The Defense of Hos challenged Shinji's leadership abilities, while Surviving the Crash was a trial that took into account common sense and whether one had the will to break through illusions. He had no strong preference here, leaving it up to whoever he ended up working with, so he was given a choice of three groups - Ron + Phelan for Surviving the Crash, Amber + Natsumi for Defense of Hos, and Selina + Ernie for Defense of Hos - each of which was designed to give him a different role to play. Working with Ron/Phelan, he would have assumed more of a leadership role, since Phelan (grudgingly) admits that he was the one who wasn't wounded and (belatedly) got them medical treatment. Working with Amber + Natsumi, he would have had less agency, and would have been coordinating things more closely with Amber, the Base Commander. With Selina and Ernie, he had something of a balance - he had autonomy as a leader in his own right, but still was subordinated to Selina in a sense.

With the Defense of Hos scenario, there were a number of roles to play, with certain people more or less suitable for each one. If Sokaris had decided to participate, for example, her skill at calculations and working mechanisms would have let her be a superb Artillery Officer (probably leading to the Dark Lord just happening to die from a stray shell while flying to engage the brooms). By contrast, someone like Phelan is more a Wall or Wing Commander, as he is the sort who prefers being in the thick of things - though he also does better with direction. Out of the group that was picked (Selina/Ernie), Selina was best suited either for Base Command or Logistics, the former because both boys will at least listen to her, and Logistics, because she is quite capable of organizing unruly groups and getting them moving. Ernie was best on the Wall, as he's not the most clever or charismatic person in the world, even if he is stalwart and able to stand his ground.

After the Challenge, Shinji had a choice to attend either the Xmas Gathering of Minds or the Slug Club Xmas Party, each of which had pros and cons. At the Gathering of Minds, of course, he learned to skate, had his first kiss, and received some very fine gifts indeed. At the Slug Club party, he would have met Lockhart as well as Dagworth-Granger, met some more of the current movers and shakers, and perhaps have been able to spend some time with Miyuki as her companion for the evening.

Which leads directly into where to spend Christmas. Staying at Hogwarts would have allowed him more interactions with Sokaris and a chance to learn about things going on behind the scenes. Going to Fuyuki would have had him roll a Will Check not to flip out at his family, which if passed, would lead to him reporting directly to Zouken and asking him about the Soul Magic tome - with the...archmagus telling him what he remembers. Zouken worked for some years to reconstruct the techniques used by the Russian "Hero of Light", to see if any of the works of his enemy could be used to rejuvenate the Matou bloodline - or prevent soul degradation, since techniques which manipulated the spirit so directly weren't all that common. Sadly, he had failed - and so too had Byakuya's wife, for all her talent for healing and necromancy (which was the other reason he'd offed the useless woman, as with the birth of a son who was no magus, she'd failed him for the last time).

In general, I won't talk about the decisions Shinji made about his finances, save that it is an achievement to be a homeowner at such a young age, and that were it not for the friends he'd made, he would not have these opportunities. I will mention the consequence of choosing Sakura as the person he dreamed of for his First Dream, as in Japanese tradition, the first dream one has in a year greatly affects everything in the year to come. Hence, because of the dream you forced Shinji to have regarding his sister, checks relating to mental/emotional control (including occlumency) will suffer maluses for a year. I am not joking when I say that almost anyone else would have been better for him to dream about.

At the Ministry Ball, the choice to take Natsumi instead of Amber was curious, but keeps things from progressing at too fast a rate to be comfortable as all of them fumble about with relationships. He did end up meeting Flamel, as well as Lestrange and Lily de Lune, with the first two more important if he'd chosen to study potions at Mahoutokoro, while the latter helps build up a few points with Selina (and makes him someone that Selina wouldn't mind inviting, since Lily is a bit curious about him). There was the possibility for some hilarious hijinks involving dancing with "Hermia Croft", given who she actually is, but alas...

The Final Challenges - we've discussed these enough times, but essentially your choice to take the Luck Potion early helped you gain Hermione's trust (or at least mellow out her anger and fear), at the cost of ensuring you wouldn't win the first time around. The choice to tackle Surviving the Crash and the events that happened therein allowed Shinji to confront his grandfather and his fears again, allowing him to manifest his powers in a somewhat more focused manner, which was critical to passing the final exam.

All in all, you didn't do too badly, for all that Shinji was not involved in the big events of the plot this time around. Perhaps he'll just live out the life of an everyday normal schoolboy and...nahhhhhh.

[alfheimwanderer]

Excursions or Dance, people?

[Malgos]

Excursions

Guess I'll tie-break.

[alfheimwanderer]

Excursions, it is then.

But which ones? There are a number available to participants of the program, after all, since people are known to like different things. Among the ones that Shinji may choose from are the following:

1) A Visit to the ICW HQ & the French Ministry of Magic: Much like the United Nations Headquarters in New York (and its offices in Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna), the Headquarters of the International Confederation of Wizards (in Paris) has a visitors' center and offers a number of guided tours that take one behind the scenes to see how the ICW maintains the Statute of Secrecy and keeps abreast of issues around the world. This particular excursion is sponsored by Magical France Foreign Affairs Minister - Monsieur Delacour.

2) Visiting the Grindelwald War Memorial/Museum: Explore the records of the greatest conflicts the wizarding world has ever known, and learn just how the dangerous revolutionary nearly broke all of Wizarding Europe through a combination of the international community's lack of preparedness/unity, and his personal brilliance. His various attempts to breach the Statute, including the attack in Manhattan, are covered in detail, with a preserved obscurus on display. Also shown are the wands and battle uniforms of his Dark Acolytes, eyewitness accounts of the final battle between Grindelwald and Dumbleore, a virtual reconstruction of the battle based on these accounts, as well as some of the ashes of Fawkes, which took a Killing Curse, giving the British Wizard the opening he needed to defeat the warlord once and for all. Also available, the accounts of former prisoners of Nurmengard, Ministers of the affected countries, even the testimony of one Newt Scamander.

3) Visiting the Côte d'Azur - Otherwise called the French Riviera, the Azure Coast is one of the most beautiful (and romantic) areas in the world, with a great climate, sea views, renowned culinary delights and above all, a love of the high life. It is also a place of great history, a place where cultures mingled and mixed. After all, the first contact between an Onmyouji and a French Wizard occurred at Saint Tropez, on one of the stops of the Embassy of Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga to the Pope in the early 1600s, with the eastern warriors making a strong impression on the West, as they "never touched food with their fingers, but instead used two small sticks that they hold with three fingers", blew "their noses in soft silky papers the size of a hand, which they never use twice, so that they throw them on the ground after usage, and they were delighted to see our people around them precipitate themselves to pick them up," and owned swords that cut so well that "can cut a soft paper just by putting it on the edge and by blowing on it." This trip goes through several of the resort towns, leaving some time to explore the good food and of course - to swim and play.

4) Paris, City of Light - No visit to France would be complete without touring the city of Paris, a great center for culture and art - as well as the historical home of Nicholas Flamel before his rise to prominence as the greatest alchemist in the world. Participants in this tour will visit, among other things, the Louvre, the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur, l'Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame de Paris, the Pantheon, the Jardin des Plantes, the Buddhist Pantheon, the Catacombs, and the Statue of Liberty.

5) Revoire, a Wizarding Village - Don't want to deal with the noise of non-magical Paris, or with all those non-magical folk about? Revoire, a village in Alsace, is a lovely place to visit, with picturesque views, good food, and friendly people. It is the source of the finest wizarding wines in the world, with the wizards of Alsace being the leading experts on magical viticulture, as well as home to fine craftsmen making everything from perfumes to furniture. One should be warned that minors are not allowed in the red lantern district, however. Notably, this is one of the stops for the train from Platform Seven and One-Half.

6) Quidditch Club Matches - With Quidditch being the craze of Wizarding Europe, why would one not have an excursion to see some of France's club teams practicing? Some of them even have Veela cheerleaders, which admittedly some boys like more than the Quidditch itself...

CHOOSE TWO OF THE ABOVE.

[Daiki]

[x] Visiting the Grindelwald War Memorial/Museum.
[x] Côte D'Azur.

Grindelwald, and his calling, would be an important piece of history to learn of. Especially since the man was interest in the nature of Obscurials - a topic that would likely pick Shinji's interest.

The Côte d'Azur because that aligns more with the idea I had of Shinji enjoying his vacation, by allowing his mind to rest after a rather draining first year and get back on his feet for the next. Southern France is a warmer place both in term of climate and folks being more welcoming over all. There is less to do than around the capital but it's likely that Shinji will find himself enjoying more traditional meals and simply have a better experience there. Don't mind the accents and some beaches not being made of sand and he should have a decent time there.

While Paris seems an obvious choice, with the panel of places Shinji could visit and experience, I think it might not be the ideal location for him right now. Sure, there's a ton to experience in terms of historical value and such, but it's a rather stressful and crowded city. Just imagine visiting New York during your holidays. Not exactly the most relaxing place, right? I could easily imagine him getting frustrated over queues that never end or the locals not being as friendly or helpful as they could be. Also pollution + summer heat / humidity doesn't combine well. Would probably be a better pick for winter vacation.

Still I think the Catacombs and few other places could double as wizarding mini-communities if you aren't going to visit the village or ICW HQ.

[shanagan]

[x] Grindelwald War Memorial/Museum.
[x] Côte d'Azur

[skulkidcachi90]

[x] Grindelwald War Memorial/Museum
For now.

[Desann]

[x] Visiting the Grindelwald War Memorial/Museum.
[x] Côte D'Azur.

[Skull Leader]

Not that it seems to matter much at this point but my picks are

[X] A Visit to the ICW HQ & the French Ministry of Magic
[X] Revoire, a Wizarding Village

To me these choices revolve around seeing how French side of things operate. After all Shinji at this point as been on a tour of the British MoM as well as explored their version of a wizard shopping area. So exploring their french equivelent seems like it would naturally fit for exploring this place's culture.

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] Visiting the Grindelwald War Memorial/Museum.
[x] Côte D'Azur

---

During the Côte D'Azur excursion - which will last several days - what activities will Shinji be undertaking? Please order from 1-6, with 1 being most important.

[ ] Wandering the streets with the group and taking in the sights (buildings, people, etc)
[ ] Souvenir shopping for his friends
[ ] Joining a group for a trip to the Alps
[ ] Attending the Nice Jazz Festival with Mlle de Lune
[ ] Just relaxing on the beach and taking time to think
[ ] Visiting Tarascon for the annual Tarasque festival for a bit of local color

[Skull Leader]

[ ] Visiting Tarascon for the annual Tarrasque festival for a bit of local color

I am not going to have Shinji go to a Tarrasque Festival and fight a Tarrasque. That is a little beyond his level at the moment. By a factor of a million.

Ok Selina is going to be so amused by this one...

[3] Wandering the streets with the group and taking in the sights (buildings, people, etc)
[6] Souvenir shopping for his friends
[4] Joining a group for a trip to the Alps
[5] Attending the Nice Jazz Festival with Mlle de Lune
[2] Just relaxing on the beach and taking time to think
[1] Visiting Tarascon for the annual Tarasque festival for a bit of local color

[alfheimwanderer]

I am not going to have Shinji go to a Tarasque Festival and fight a Tarasque.

You wouldn't be fighting a Tarasque at the festival :P

[Desann]

[1] Wandering the streets with the group and taking in the sights (buildings, people, etc)
[2] Just relaxing on the beach and taking time to think
[3] Souvenir shopping for his friends
[4] Joining a group for a trip to the Alps
[5] Visiting Tarascon for the annual Tarasque festival for a bit of local color
[6] Attending the Nice Jazz Festival with Mlle de Lune

[Daiki]

[1] Just relaxing on the beach and taking time to think
[2] Visiting Tarascon for the annual Tarasque festival for a bit of local color
[3] Attending the Nice Jazz Festival with Mlle de Lune
[4] Wandering the streets with the group and taking in the sights (buildings, people, etc)
[5] Souvenir shopping for his friends
[6] Joining a group for a trip to the Alps

I think 4 & 5 could be done at the same time.

[shanagan]

[1] Wandering the streets with the group and taking in the sights (buildings, people, etc)
[2] Just relaxing on the beach and taking time to think
[3] Souvenir shopping for his friends
[4] Joining a group for a trip to the Alps
[5] Visiting Tarascon for the annual Tarasque festival for a bit of local color
[6] Attending the Nice Jazz Festival with Mlle de Lune