rhapsody in blue

Attention immediately focused on the source of the noise, his pupils still blown wide in the darkness, hands left to clutch at the sheets of his bed. “Who are you?” he quips, evidence of a waver in his voice. “Am I still dreaming?” The male then glanced down to around where he’d dropped his wand, the shadows of the night stealing away his vision’s usual level of capability. Reluctant to leave his bed, he leaned over the edge to feel around for it, still fraught from the rather traumatising dream, barely able to focus on the girl by his door.

She, with her eyes more accustomed to the darkness of the room, walked toward Jongin; she noted the whites of his knuckles as he clutched his sheets. "Jongin, everything's okay now. You're awake," she said softly. She knelt down on the floor in front of him, picking up his wand and holding it up to him with hands that shook ever so slightly, as she looked for anything in his expressions that could help her read him. "Are you okay with telling me what happened in the dream?"

"Pardon me?" He asked softly, not wanting to scare the other by his sudden appearance. "May I, uh, ask what you’re looking at?" He nodded slightly towards the small booklet in her hand, one that he could now tell had ‘Playbill’ printed across the top.

Naeun was surprised when a voice interrupted her musings. The hum of the Great Hall had been but faint, but the voice she heard was clear. "Er--" she began, clearing her throat. "Pippin. It's a playbill of Pippin." She smiled up at him, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she held the book up to him. "Have you ever seen it?"

All right, doll. No turning back now. [ // he insists softly as he raises one hand. he brushes her hair behind her ear before he cups her cheek gently, yet, still a means to hold her should she try and retreat before he felt he’d adequately kissed her. he leaned in with confident pacing and captured her lips between his own. he doesn’t relinquish control this time. it’s his kiss; a kiss he imparts on yielding lips. he doesn’t push things too far, just a sweet symphony of lips and breath until he pulls away and finds himself a bit breathless as well. his eyes linger on hers before he slowly pulls back and removes his hand, knowing this time there’s no way she could be dissatisfied. ]

Wasn't planning on it-- ( ` she is surprised when he cups her cheek, feeling it warm slightly but hoping it doesn't show. she closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers, surprisingly soft and not as forceful as she though he'd be. when she feels him pulling back, she forced her heavy eyelids open and gives him a kind smile. ) That was... alright, I suppose. I must admit it was better than the first. ( ` she steps back when his hand drops and slightly tilts her head to the side, towards where she planned on walking to. ) I suppose I'll be going then?

Bringing her gaze back towards Naeun she purses her lips in thought, trying to find some, any way that they could both relieve at least a bit of the pain during long way home. ‘’How about we rid ourselves of these..’’ She raises a foot. ‘’..devilish beauties and make a quick barefoot escape back towards the tower?’'

"My feet feel so free!" she exclaimed, another--more genuine--laugh leaving her lips. She looked at Choa with a grin, nodding towards the stairs. "Are you ready for this?"

[ // Eyebrows rise, but his cat-like eyes lower, giving the pretty girl approaching him a blatant once-over. She wanted a kiss? No problem. ] First one’s on me, gorgeous…if you’d like another maybe then we can negotiate a price [ // he purs, half a wicked grin lifting the corner of his mouth, dark eyes glinting with mischief ]

Knocking twice, the door opened to reveal Rei. He lifted the small bundle in his left hand. “I brought some biscuits, want one?” 

A knock at the door caused her expression to immediately brighten up. "Welcome back, professor," she said softly. Eyeing the bundle in his hand, she stood up and walked around the desk and nodded. "Yes, please. Did you have a good meal? Also, I finished a few of the papers. They're coming out sort of alright."

She knew Naeun would be attending the Ball, but with the younger’s precious looks she thought she’d be accompanied by someone. Not noticing anyone around Choa quickly steps into action, dashing through the room until she found herself only steps away from the girl. ‘’Pretty ladies like yourself should not be wandering around alone you know.’’ She cooed softly, her lips curving into the warmest of smiles.

Naeun's dangerous thoughts towards her shoes were interrupted by a familiar voice and a warm smile. "I should say the same to you, but I suppose neither of us are alone now," she said, grinning at the older girl. She draped an arm over Choa's shoulders over-dramatically before resting her head on the other girl's shoulder. "You should carry me back to Ravenclaw tower."

naeun + hands

Somewhere in the depths of the Great Hall, where the dregs of intimacy are perpetually being shaken together, a girl, walking gingerly through crevices formed by full human bodies, drew back near the side of the room, held her dress aside, and watched the feet of those who danced, frisked, reveled and rollicked. Krystal knew not why she had attended the ball to begin with, for in spite of her adoration for dance, large crowds alarmed her in such a way that she could not put her finger on. Still, she admires the people, the twist of the foot, the pulling of scarlet hips. It was a party, which pertained to an atmosphere almost definitive of itself. Light manipulates shadows, the sighs of cloth gliding through air sounding as girls dip and spin.

It was in her fascination toward the unmelting ice sculpture that Naeun found herself smiling and walking through the crowds, only half-thinking; fabrics she usually would've been able to place simply brushed by and coherent words sounded like a buzz that passed between one ear to another. It was with the jab of an elbow to her arm that voice focused and her eyes moved from the ice to a girl of warm cheeks and memories of her favorite place in New York. "Krystal," she said as if testing the name--one she had not said in far too long--on her tongue. A polite smile raised the corners of her lips as she surveyed the girl with from head to toe, trying to notice what had changed since their days before Hogwarts. "No need to apologize. It's okay. I wasn't really looking either and um... I'm okay too, I guess." She shrugged. Memories seeped from the corners of her mind; memories of days in Central Park, braids and pigtails, and running around the apartment returned to her--faint memories in comparison to those she had of clothes and music, but they created a sort of longing inside her. "Hogwarts is Hogwarts, and well, you know that, right? How are you?"

Years of practice in the art of ballroom dancing familiarized Naeun to all the lifts, spins, and turns there could ever be, but still, she lost her balance ever so slightly as he lowered her to a dip.  A light blush of pink peeking out from beneath her mask, she smiled as she straightened herself up. "You, professor, are kind for offering me a dance. And I must admit that you're much better at this than most boys I've danced with. Did you spend all those months away becoming a master of the waltz?"

She noticed the faintest scent of wine on the man and wondered if such beverages were even allowed at the ball. Maybe it was prohibited for students but not so much for teachers. Even under a mask and the months she had not seen him, Naeun did not fail to recognize the presence the man carried with him. "But Professor," she started, offering her hand to him. "How kind of you to offer a dance, yet you are cruel as you keep your wine to yourself. Still, shall we?" Her smile remained as she nodded towards the dance floor.

"I’ll be back soon, I haven’t had supper. I trust I’m leaving my room in good hands. If even one book is out of place I’ll have to punish you and I’m sure you wouldn’t want that." Rei saluted and sauntered out the door, a grin befitting a fox on his lips. 

Her thoughts were short-lived when she was left alone, with only papers and the light of candles burning away to accompany her. Sighing as she picked up a quill and her first assignment to grade, she wondered if she should've brought food up for the professor. Then again, she wasn't really sure about what he liked. Or much else about him. "Punished?" she mused to herself, carefully writing out a T on the paper in front of her. "Hm, isn't grading papers punishment enough?" Humming to herself, Naeun let herself get lost in the ink and parchment--it would take more than a simple "hello" even from the professor to take her attention.