Being disturbed on Crotalus Commons

Lutece Anthony

December 23, 2006 10:01 AM

Being disturbed by Lutece Anthony

Lutece Anthony carefully re-read the last paragraph in 25 Great Keepers of the Americas and added a final broom type to the list in a small pink notebook on her lap. Although it was only mid-November, she was already doing research for her Christmas List. After all, with nonwizarding (Dolan called them 'Muggle') parents, you couldn't start too early at hinting at brooms. Except for a few very elite models, Lutece knew her parents had the money to afford all the brooms on the list. She still didn't understand most of this magic junk, didn't even believe in most of it, but Quidditch was truly amazing.

With a soft hoot, Aphrodite, her Northern Hawk Owl, landed on the arm of the chair she was sitting in, dropping a thick envelope in her lap. Lutece smiled and rubbed the bird's head, taking a neatly wrapped owl treat out of her robe pockets and handing it to her. The bird hooted again and flew off.

Eagerly, Lutece opened the envelope. As expected, it was a letter from her twin siblings, Grace and James, giving her the latest information on fashion at home. James had even included some sketches! In addition to being the family genius, he also had a certain flair for drawing. Between Grace and James, Lutece was provided with fifteen descriptions and drawings of what all the important people were wearing back home, as well as a few questions about what school was like. She would reply to those later, though. Pouring over the sketches, Lutece hardly noticed the footsteps approaching her until somebody hit the back of her chair full force, knocking her sideways and her letter all over the ground. Lutece stood and turned around, coolly indignant.

"Have you ever considered watching where you're going?" she asked the person. "You just knocked some very important things over." Then, remembering something she had read, Lutece graciously added, "But I forgive you."\n\n

0 Lutece Anthony Being disturbed 100 Lutece Anthony 1 5

Riley Garraway

December 29, 2006 8:15 PM

Oh, I'm so sorry! by Riley Garraway

Riley had been in a rush. She hadn't been watching where she was going, busy fiddling with something in her bag. Her hair had been falling out of its pony-tail and was really distracting her and making her uncomfortable and...oh, things were just not going well! Not right, then at least. Flustered as she was, Riley hadn't realized where she was going until she collided with something hard and unforgiving... something like the back of a chair.

"Oh!" she gasped, reeling backwards. There was a rustle of paper as it fell to the floor, whispering in protest, and the air was tinged with an aura of indignation. It made Riley's skin crawl.

"Have you ever considered watching where you're going?" someone spoke. "You just knocked some very important things over."

"I... I'm sorry!" Riley hurried to apologize, stooping down to pick up said papers. She chanced a glance at them as she arranged them into a neat pile; there were a few sketches, nicely drawn, she noted, and what seemed to be a letter. "I didn't look where I was going and-"

"But I forgive you."

Riley looked up at the person she'd disturbed, and saw that it was a girl, a housemate whom she had yet to meet. If truth be told, she had yet to meet most of her female housemates; Jordanna was the only one she knew, and not very well. She'd been sort of given the impression that Jordanna didn't like her very much, but then again Jordanna seemed to generally carry a condescending air, so she decided not to think too much on it. Like she was now. Damn.

"I'm sorry," Riley apologized again, handing the papers over. She blushed a little, which brought out her faint and few freckles. She hoped the girl wasn't mad at her. She'd been forgiven, though... so maybe it was okay. Where had she been going again? Hadn't she been in a rush? Oh, whatever, it didn't matter anymore. Riley sighed.\n\n

0 Riley Garraway Oh, I'm so sorry! 0 Riley Garraway 0 5

Lutece

December 30, 2006 3:05 PM

You ought to be. by Lutece

Lutece carefully rearranged the papers the girl had handed to her. They were out of order. Hadn't she noticed that? After all, the sketch on page four obviously didn't go with the description on page six. Come on! The skirts were absolutely different. Obviously this girl had no sense whatsoever of the important things in life. Attention to detail was vital when you were trying to make a good impression.

Obviously nobody had told the intruder that. Lutece ran her critical blue-green gaze over the newcomer. The hair was a mess, she had obviously been looking for something in her bag, and she was blushing and apologising over and over again. Euegh. In a strange way, Lutece almost felt sorry for her. She did have to start building contacts somewhere, though, and the weird crippled kid from Charms probably wouldn't cut it. Dolan and Jen were a start, but she had not really met any girls in her year, though. And there was no doubt that the newcomer was a first year. For the most part, that was because there was no way that any person not a first year could be that uncontrolled.

"I'm Lutece Anthony," she said coolly, rising and offering her free hand to the girl. "I haven't seen you before."\n\n

0 Lutece You ought to be. 0 Lutece 0 5

Riley Garraway

December 30, 2006 3:36 PM

Re: You ought to be. by Riley Garraway

Riley watched the girl rearrange her papers... Riley must have messed them up, despite her attempts to right the situation. What other reason would someone who had already forgiven her have to look at her in such a belittling way? Maybe this girl was like Jordanna, with a generally condescending nature. Riley didn't know if she could handle another person looking down on her... She fingered the silver bracelet on her wrist, reminding herself that she still had at least one good friend, if all else failed.

With that thought, she managed a smile and willed her blush away. The girl introduced herself as Lutece Anthony. Riley took the hand extended to her, trying to make her grip confident. She succeeded, for the most part. "I'm Riley Garraway," she said firmly. "It's nice to meet you... I don't believe I've seen you before, either. First year?" Her almond eyes smiled amiably, even as her lips were only turned up slightly. \n\n

0 Riley Garraway Re: You ought to be. 0 Riley Garraway 0 5

Lutece

January 02, 2007 5:25 PM

O, the joys of procrastination by Lutece

OOC: Sorry for the wait. Although I can't imagine why, I seem to respond much better while trying not to do my homework.

BIC:

The girl fiddled with her bracelet, then smiled and introduced herself. And perhaps it was the attempt at displaying some common courtesy, perhaps the implication that the girl thought she might be older than first year because she had to ask, but either way, Lutece found herself warming to this socially challenged girl. Riley was her name, which Lutece thought to be fairly unfortunate. Riley was a boy's name. That might account for her distinct lack of pride in the way she looked and acted. James said that there was a lot that could be determined from how a person dressed, psychologically speaking, and he was the family genius.

"Yes, first year," she said. "Wait. Were you in McKindy's class the day we did levitation charms with the fourth years? Working with that Asian kid that got in trouble?" As she asked this, Lutece was gathering up her stuff. If she was going to make any difference with Riley at all, they would need to be in the dorm. That was where all of her hair stuff was, and her lipgloss collection. Lutece's parents had proscribed any sort of makeup until she hit at least fifteen, but lipgloss had been a staple of her life since the age of seven.

"If you come up to the dorm with me, I can help you with your hair and stuff," Lutece offered. Well, not exactly offered. It was more of an order than an offer, made in what her sister Grace called her 'mandatory volunteer' tone. Still, it displayed a modicum of friendliness while assuring that Lutece got what she wanted, which suited her just fine.\n\n

0 Lutece O, the joys of procrastination 0 Lutece 0 5

Riley Garraway

January 02, 2007 10:07 PM

All right, then. by Riley Garraway

OOC: Hehehe, it's okay, I know the feeling.

BIC:

Riley smiled a little more. No, this girl was no Jordanna. She may have seemed it at first, but now Riley was finding Lutece to be, possibly, a warmer sort of person. Maybe. The waters needed a little more testing before she cemented any definite opinions Lutece, but for now things seemed to be going okay. She might make another friend after all. "Mhm, that was me, working with the 'Asian kid'," she laughed shortly at the blunt term, "... Hikaru." She briefly flashed on earlier that day, remembering Hikaru carelessly setting off the hex and
getting caught by Professor McKindy. It had been a rather frightening experience, her first brush with Sonora Academy sanctions, and probably would have been even more so if she had been in Hikaru's place.

Bringing her focus back to the present, she heard Lutece talking about going to the dorms. "If you come up to the dorm with me, I can help you with your hair and stuff." Riley blushed at the remark's implications about her appearance. Did she really look that unkempt? Sure, she'd been in a hurry, not paying much attention (obviously, since she'd been careless enough to run into a chair of all things), but did she it show that much, that someone else would offer to help her fix it? She laughed to herself, somewhat in amusement and somewhat to hide her embarrassment. "That... would be nice," she said, sounding sincerely grateful. Again she willed her blush away, her feckles no longer standing out against the redness.

Riley closed her bag and situated it on her shoulder. "The dorms it is, then." With that, she started towards the staircase, expecting Lutece to join her.

OOC: Shall this be continued in a new thread for the dorm?\n\n

0 Riley Garraway All right, then. 0 Riley Garraway 0 5

Lutece

January 05, 2007 5:55 AM

And so does my author bemoan the end of term [in the Dorms] by Lutece

OOC: Nope. That's what titles are for! ^_^

BIC:

At least Riley had enough common sense to realise that she needed help, Lutece reflected as they made their way up to the first year girl's dorms. Lutece was in a dorm room across the hall from what she assumed to be Riley's, which was probably why she hadn't come across the girl before. Not that she socialised with her roommates much as it was, but she could at least recognise them by sight. They all had seemed fairly dull with what little contact Lutece had thus far, and she felt no need to further the boredom by saying anything besides a brief 'Good morning' 'Good night' and 'Yes, I know we have a Charms essay due Thursday'.

Lutece motioned Riley to sit on her neat bed as she went through her trunk to find the necessary items. Lipgloss, hair ties, hairbrush, comb, hairspray, a curling iron which she hadn't yet managed to get working here, and the sparkly hand lotion she had gotten from her paternal grandmother last year that smelled of mint. Maybe she could use her wand thing to curl hair, Lutece thought as she glanced over at her purse, in which the wand rested. She would have to look up a spell for that. From what she had seen of Quidditch practises thus far, Lutece would need all the help she could get to keep her hair in proper order after being on a broom. Should she ever get to play in a proper game which was doubtful, unless Earl contracted a sudden case of magical measles or something.

"Right," Lutece said from behind Riley as she started to brush the girl's hair after taking it out of its messy ponytail. "I was thinking maybe a sort of halfback. That way it stays out of your face, but it looks much neater and you look prettier. Your hair looks better down, anyway. Maybe a braided halfback...what do you think?"

Lutece honestly didn't really care what Riley thought of the idea, unless she had a better one, but it was best to make it seem as though she had a say in the matter. People took offense if you ordered them about too much.\n\n

0 Lutece And so does my author bemoan the end of term [in the Dorms] 0 Lutece 0 5

Riley Garraway

January 05, 2007 5:33 PM

Foreign objects. [in the Dorms] by Riley Garraway

OOC: Ah, I see. :D So should I tag it in each title, or is once enough?

BIC:

Riley glanced at the door to her dorm room as they turned away from it into Lutece's. It made sense to her now that she'd never seen Lutece around much. She sort of wished that they did share a room; she hadn't really made a friend of any of her roommates yet, and the thought was rather disheartening. Shaking away the feeling, she sat down on the bed as Lutece indicated, watching the girl go through her things.

Riley had never much encountered the things that Lutece was procuring from her trunk. There were hair ties and a brush and a comb, that much she could see. The other things were vaguely foreign. She assumed the iridescent and sparkling tubes were some sort of make-up... she couldn't tell what was in the bottle (it looked like a haircare product), and she hadn't a clue as to what the cylindrical metal implement was. She had seen make-up during her visits to the Muggle market, and someone had explained its uses to her. The memory was sadly unclear. Her mother had always used glamour spells to fix her appearance, and her grandmother had just never bothered with anything of the sort (not while Riley had known her, at least).

Lutece pulled Riley's strawberry-blonde waves down from their ponytail, and Riley winced slightly as a bit of her hair was snagged. When Lutece asked her opinion, she replied, "Whatever you think. I don't do much with my hair; I usually just put it up." She smiled a little sheepishly, and it was audible in her voice. "Typically, it's much neater than it was a few minutes ago. It was sort of tousled thanks to my rushing around. And of course, I just happen to run into someone and wind up making a first impression with my hair a mess." She laughed dryly, twining her fingers in her lap.\n\n

0 Riley Garraway Foreign objects. [in the Dorms] 0 Riley Garraway 0 5

Lutece

January 07, 2007 2:52 PM

To my author as well by Lutece

OOC: Nope. Once is enough.

BIC:

Of course she just happened to meet someone with her hair a mess! That's what always happened, which was why you always had to be prepared. It was like, Newton's fourth law or something. Hadn't Riley's mother ever explained it to her? Well, Lutece supposed that anyone who would name their child a guy's name couldn't be that into the important things in life.

"Your hair is nice," Lutece said, brushing it quickly and efficiently, frowning slightly when she came to knots and snarls. "If you do more things with it, then people will notice you more." The more noticeable you were, the more power you invariably had. Since it seemed unlikely that either of the twins would attend Sonora, Lutece had to start building her power base now. Obviously, anyone under her would have to have some sort of power over others, and it seemed best to start training them now.

Combing some of Riley's hair back, Lutece made sure to catch every piece of it that would even consider falling into the girl's face. She fastened the collection of hair, then looked at it critically. No, the braid would be better. The hair tie was quickly removed, the hair braided, and the fastener put back in place. Perhaps a nice clip...?

Getting down from the bed, Lutece dug in her trunk once more, coming up with a few snap-on hair accessories. "Would you like snakes or butterflies?" Lutece asked the girl, pulling out the clips that best matched Riley's outfit. \n\n

0 Lutece To my author as well 0 Lutece 0 5

Riley Garraway

January 07, 2007 3:33 PM

Murphy's Law. by Riley Garraway

OOC: 'K, thanks for the help!

BIC:

Riley blushed slightly and smiled when Lutece complimented her hair. "Thank you." She had to admit that it was one of the only things her mother had given her that she appreciated. "If you do more things with it, then people will notice you more." Riley wondered how much difference her hair style would actually make in being noticed. She was a fairly attractive girl, she thought, nothing too special but not terribly plain either. She had the look of her pureblood family- high cheekbones, fair skin (albeit freckled), and endearing almond eyes that could be a little frightening when a foul temper was called upon.

However, Riley decided that it couldn't hurt to do more with her hair. "You'll have to help me with that," she said in response to Lutece's remark. When asked about the hair clips, Riley's fingers immediately went back to the bracelet around her wrist. It was made of silver snakes, and their house symbol was a snake- wouldn't snakes be the most appropriate? "Snakes," she said. Not that she had anything against butterflies, or anything.

Riley's memory decided to jar her thoughts then, drawing out the image of that "terrifying" garden snake from so long ago, the snake the Leo had "saved" her from. She'd been little, of course the snake had seemed terrifying, as harmless as it was. And Leo had seemed so brave, the bravest cat I know, she remembered saying later that day to her grandmother. Her grandmother had just laughed kindly and patted her head, and then gave her a small speech on courage that still stuck with her to this day. Riley supposed that snakes really were appropriate for reasons that she hadn't realized before: snakes were her symbol of courage, of overcoming shyness and petty fears. She hoped she'd be able to do that this year, get over her social insecurities and become a well-known face in Sonora, a well-liked person. Hopefully her new friends and almost-friends, Hikaru and Lutece (and she supposed she could include Oliver and Matt and Jordanna, though she hadn't really seen them since the first night) would help her do just that. \n\n

0 Riley Garraway Murphy's Law. 0 Riley Garraway 0 5

Lutece

January 08, 2007 6:04 AM

Where would we be without it? by Lutece

OOC: No problem.

BIC:

Snakes it was to be. Although Lutece hadn't really noticed it before, when the hair clips were mentioned, Riley touched a silver bracelet around her wrist. Lutece couldn't really see it from where she was, but it was probably made of snakes or something because of when it had come up. It probably had something to do with snakes at some point, anyway.

Clipping the ornament on to the end of the halfback braid, Lutece looked at the back of Riley's head. It would be better if the curling iron would work. She probably could manage something with her wand. That would be a charm, right? Maybe next Charms class she could ask Professor McKindy. Worst come to worst, there was probably the library too. She had practically memorised every way to get to the Quidditch section anyway. There was probably some sort of section on charms like that somewhere.

"It looks much better," Lutece said approvingly, glaring at the small pieces of hair that had already made their way free of the braid. "Now close your eyes and mouth. If the hairspray gets in your mouth it tastes really nasty, and it stings if it gets in your eyes."

Barely waiting long enough for Riley to have the chance to comply, Lutece liberally applied the hair spray to the top and sides of the other girl's head. Hair spray was magnificent. It was the only thing that kept her hair relatively in one piece while practising Quidditch, and if it could stand up to top speeds on a broom about twenty billion feet up in the air, it could stand up to anything.\n\n

0 Lutece Where would we be without it? 0 Lutece 0 5

Riley Garraway

January 08, 2007 3:49 PM

We'd probably be much happier. by Riley Garraway

"It looks much better. Now close your eyes and mouth. If the hairspray gets in your mouth it tastes really nasty, and it stings if it gets in your eyes." Before Riley had the opportunity to ask Lutece what in the world she was talking about, a cold mist that smelled strongly of something unnatural surrounded her head. She almost coughed but followed Lutece's advice and shut her mouth tightly, screwing her eyes closed as well. When the spraying stopped, she hesitantly opened her eyes again, taking the chance then to cough the smell away from her face. She could taste some of the residue in the air on her tongue when she breathed; it was sweet, but chemical, a combination that made for something rather revolting.

She made a face and looked over her shoulder at Lutece. "What was that?" Spying a mirror out of the corner of her eye, Riley rose from the bed and inspected her hair. Her prior aversion to whatever Lutece had sprayed on her head fell away, replaced by satisfaction and certainly gratitude. She admired the braid and the clip, the skill with which it was done something she would probably never be able to master herself. Or, she admired it as well as she could from her disadvantaged angle. When next she faced Lutece, she was beaming. "Thank you."
\n\n

0 Riley Garraway We'd probably be much happier. 0 Riley Garraway 0 5

Lutece

January 09, 2007 9:58 AM

Oh, I don't know.... by Lutece

Whoops. Apparently Riley hadn't used hairspray before. Did the girl live in the Stone Age? Lutece supposed she should have given the girl more time to obey her instructions before spraying the stuff on Riley's head. Still, what girl hadn't used hairspray?!

"It's hairspray," Lutece explained, pushing a piece of her own blond-streaked brown hair behind her left ear. "You use it to, like, you know...keep your hair in one spot. So it doesn't fall out or anything."

The hairspray had obviously gotten into Riley's mouth from with way she coughed and made a face. Lutece leaned over to her bedside table and shoved a book about Quidditch and two of Lisi Harrison's Clique books aside to grab some mint gum. She tossed it underhand to Riley who had just turned around to face her with a huge grin on her face.

"No problem," Lutece answered graciously. "The gum will help with the taste of the hairspray."

OOC: Please note that, as an author, I do not in any way promote the Clique series. If you haven't read them, I don't suggest it. If you have and enjoyed them, I hope you won't be too offended if I call it some of the worst rubbish I've read. *grin*\n\n

0 Lutece Oh, I don't know.... 0 Lutece 0 5

Riley Garraway

January 09, 2007 9:32 PM

In reality, who does? by Riley Garraway

Riley tilted her head. Hairspray... that sounds vaguely familiar, she mused. She smiled and patted her hair, which was now sort of sticky and stiff.

Riley sat back down on the bed, taking the gum and putting it in her mouth. The flavor overpowered the taste of the hairspray, much to her satisfaction. "Thanks," she said again, in regards to the gum.

"So, what do you think of Sonora so far?" she asked, attempting a conversation.

OOC: I've never read the series; can't say it sounds like a book I'd enjoy. I'll take your word for it, concerning the quality. :)\n\n

0 Riley Garraway In reality, who does? 0 Riley Garraway 0 5

Lutece

January 10, 2007 8:00 PM

Professor Yuma, I'd expect by Lutece

What did she think of Sonora thus far? Besides that it was clearly home to a collection of clinically insane teachers, creepy little 'prairie elves' that looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings, except with big ears, and the most amazing sport in existence? Not much. Of course, there was also this whole 'magic' thing that Lutece was still more than a bit skeptical of. There was also the distinct lack of electricity, and when she had tried to call home on her cellphone earlier in the year, it hadn't worked either. Granted, there probably wasn't a signal all the way out here. Wherever 'here' really was.

"It's different from my old school, that's for sure," Lutece began. "It's much bigger, to begin with, and the classes are obviously much different, but Quidditch is absolutely amazing."

Quidditch. Blast. She'd forgotten all about the practise that Jen had scheduled for today! Lutece figured that, if she hurried, there was just enough time to get to the Pitch only minimally late.

"Sorry, Riley," she said, standing up quickly. "I totally forgot--we've got practise today! I'll see you around," Lutece finished, hastening out the door.\n\n

0 Lutece Professor Yuma, I'd expect 0 Lutece 0 5

Riley Garraway

January 10, 2007 9:53 PM

Hmm, probably. by Riley Garraway

As Riley was about to ask Lutece about her "old school", the girl started and said something about practice- Quidditch practice, Riley assumed. And then Lutece was leaving the room, and Riley barely had time to call a "goodbye, see you later!" after her. Soon Riley found herself alone on the bed, looking around the room and wondering what she was going to do now. Well, she figured, it won't do me any good to stick around here. So Riley rose to her feet, checking her hair one last time in the mirror, before shouldering her bag and leaving Lutece's dorm en route for her own.

She pushed open her door and stepped inside, dropping her bag on her bed. The mattress squeaked in welcome. She sank down on it and stared out the nearby window. "If only I could remember what I was going to do before running into Lutece," she mused out loud. With a shrug, she ferreted through the folds of her robes, pulling out the half-pendant that Hikaru had given her. And then began her search for a chain to put it on, all the while with a personal smile on her face.\n\n

0 Riley Garraway Hmm, probably. 0 Riley Garraway 0 5