#aureliusstarter

ripley had noticed them the moment they arrived. she had been tucked away against the corner of the deck when they’d come up over to the railing several feet away. it’s not like the astronomy tower was much of a secret - in fact, she found herself having to leave when someone decided to make it their makeout spot on the days there were no classes. still, it was midday, so the place was generally empty then. it was the first place she’d settled into on her earliest days in aurelius, so despite its rather popular status, she had a soft spot for it. “you know, if you stick your head out any further, you could end up falling,” ripley finally said, her voice soft but hopefully loud enough since no one else was here. she had no idea what kind of conversation starter this was, but she supposed she couldn’t back out at this point. her tone wasn’t anything harsh at least, it was maybe even lighthearted - joking, almost. “i don’t want to end up being a witness to an accident.”

percy wanted to keep a low profile, as much as possible since the events from this day. to his study session being ruined, to getting into a fight, the weasley wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. however, even percy had those moments where he could admit he needed help, especially medical. so he sat outside the office patiently, suddenly hearing someone else entering the room and regained his composure. “they’re a bit busy today. it’ll be a while. lots of accidents, it seems.”

"sometimes people tell you that something can't be set on fire, and they tell you this because they think it will stop you from trying to set it on fire," effie looked down at the burnt remains of what had once been a particularly ugly tapestry which had hung in her dorm room. "I, personally, have found that in those situations it is best to try and set that thing on fire anyway, just to check." her grin was perhaps verging on unsettling but that was overwhelmed by the clear pride she felt, and the honest belief she was imparting crucial wisdom to her fellow student.

who: anyone

location: one of the aurelius courtyards It was oddly warm outside. Strange, considering that they were at the brink of December and that there was a lingering chill in the air since the news about Madam Rosmerta's death came out. Over the past days, Colin regretted not getting off-campus housing. Every step he took around the castle these days and nights, he felt such a pervasive lump in his throat that left him constantly uneasy and unsettled.

Tonight, Colin sat on a stone bench in one of  Aurelius’s many courtyards. A beautiful ragdoll sat at the edge of the bench, fast asleep. The sky was darkening, cool purple mingled in with a dark blue that was fading into a black. Only flecks of orange were present. He sat at the furthest part of the courtyard, away arches that led into the castle. He had his legs extended out in front of him on the bench, his back against a pillar. One of his hands had its fingers curled around a cigarette while the other hand was pinching the edge of a textbook. Though, Colin hadn’t turned a page in that book for the last fifteen minutes. As much as he was trying to read, and grasp the abundance of knowledge in there, Colin couldn’t focus on the pages in front of him. His mind was clearly somewhere else and he wondered if it made sense just to call it quits and pull out papers to review for the Aurelius Tribune instead. There was so much to fucking do. These were the moments that Colin missed in childhood. He just needed a break. But didn’t everyone? Colin’s thoughts, thoughts that had nothing to do with the intricacies of how two-way mirrors worked, were disrupted by the movement that he caught in the corner of his eyes. Colin looked up to see who was approaching him. Zelda, the cat by Colin’s feet, stirred a little as well - peeking her inquisitive blue eyes open slightly, but just as quickly fell back asleep. Colin straightened up a little and nodded his head in greeting at the figure approaching his vicinity. "Hey."

*     𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆   :      viaduct   courtyard   ,   aurelius   institute.   near   a   food   tent   at   the   start   of   the   term   festival.

 ↳               ⸻         open   starter   (   no   cap   for   now   !   )     .

licking   the   remnants   of   a   treacle   tart   from   his   fingertips   ,      the   smile   he   offered   the   other   was   just   as   sweet   ;      crumbs   dotting   here   and   there   in   proof   of   just   how   much   he’d   enjoyed   the   treats.   while   he   hadn’t   expected   to   end   the   night   happily   bloated   and   curled   up   on   one  of   the   picnic   blankets   being   passed   out   by   house   elves   ,      there   was   also   nowhere   else   he   rather   would   be.