I think you might just be too nice because that sounds horrifying, I mean, as far as I can understand that relationship stuff is confusing enough without the brain teasers. That sounds nice, though I am only on number five so Iâm not sure if theyâll extend the same courtesy. Did you have a long night or are you one of those caffeine addicts that gets the horrible migraines without their fix?
Oh Beau. I know Beau. I got hit with the âHi Hungry, my nameâs Beauâ one yesterday and I think I mightâve actually smiled. How embarrassing.
Who knows, it might be the right stroke for far quirkier folks. I canât imagine the kind of tactics you and your sisters mightâve had to endure. Nah, not migraines. More like... small brain explosions. Fitzgeraldâs essays donât exactly ease them either. Anyways donât worry, theyâre suckers for pretty girls with unhealthy vices, so Iâm sure they wonât deprive you.
I am so sorry. I really shouldâve known better than to let them have âMonday Man Morningsâ with my dad.
Well, they havenât given it to me in exactly those words. More moans and sighs and thoroughly pleased smiles.
Godric. No wonder your hairâs so big and luscious; itâs the only way to cover up that ego, isnât it?
Iâm gonna pick the safe road and not argue with that. Again, I appreciate it, but Iâll save passing down your, uh... knowledge... for when theyâre ready for that level of trauma.
Peter smiled slightly, getting more and more into his creation as it went on. He was in one of those moods where nothing could bring him down except for himself, and he hoped to stay like that for a while. He was beginning to think of a proper way to conclude the song, in the meantime letting his fingers do what they wanted. Peter had just come up with what he thought was the perfect ending, when his train of thought was derailed by a sudden croak. His fingers slipped and hit harsh, dull notes in an anticlimactic ending. He looked down at his hands incredulously, disappointed that he didnât see this untimely interruption before it happened as well as disappointed that he couldnât play through it. Not turning to see who is was, he chuckled once under his breath, âIâm not sure whether to be happy for that or sad. My first musical partner was a frog. But Iâm glad that he enjoyed it.â
Abby opened her mouth to answer, but, once again, Vlad cut in with another croak. Maybe her grandmother was right; it probably was time that she tried to teach her toad some manners. Lips twisting into a small frown, she noticed the way that the boy didnât turn around. She paused before skirting around the piano, and most likely did a bad job hiding her surprise. âPeter,â she blinked, before offering another smile, âHi. Sorry. You probably donât know me. Abby, Iâm in Hufflepuff. And this is Vlad. He really-- We really enjoyed it. Never wouldâve guessed that heâd be your first duet though, what with you having James and Sirius. Arenât they the ones always caroling along with Peeves in the Great Hall, and the West Wing, and the Astronomy Tower, and literally anywhere else that has amazing acoustics and a disgruntled McGonagall?â
Quite suddenly, she became aware of how silent the room was now without the music. She had no idea what heâd been playing, it was a tune that she for some reason hadnât recognized, but that didnât change the fact that she missed it. Turning to Vlad, Abby quietly whispered for him to hold in any further comments, before facing Peter again. âThat was a beautiful song,â she blurted out, âIâve never heard it before. Iâm, um, really sorry again. Are you going to finish it? Personally, I canât ever decide what my favorite part of a song is, but thereâs just a thing about the endings that never fails to draw out some goosebumps. But then again, beginnings are usually what bring on the butterflies... And in the middle, when it hits the climax, or crescendo, or bass drop, itâs like flying...â
I umm⊠I had a sister⊠Iâm an only child now.Â
Twelve. Except on Mondays and Thursdays. Ever since theyâve learned how to charm beards on themselves, there hasnât been a Herbology class that theyâve gone in without them 'in tribute to Professor Sageâ. On those days, theyâre about four.
Oh. ... You know, I have a toad. And, um, I canât believe Iâve actually never asked him about it, but I suppose he had tons of siblings as well, before coming home with me. Anyways, heâs really good at singing, especially songs that really require emotion, you know? I like to think thatâs his way of expressing himself. Whatâre your hobbies?
âOkay, so say condom instead of rubber? I donât know. Get McGonagall to set up a sex ed seminar or whatever. Itâd still be less awkward than when she tried to teach us how to dance.â
âWhy would you change it? Sex is not a happily ever after. Itâs mundane. People do it every dayâ sometimes more than once a day. Thereâs nothing romantic or happy about it unless youâre sticking it to the old cliche that âitâs better when youâre in love.ââ
âOkay, true. Youâve got to admit though, sheâs surprisingly limber for a woman her age. Iâm pretty sure it was only awkward because you guys couldnât even hope to keep up.â
âI know itâs not a happily ever after, but itâs still got some parts of the âhappilyâ. Like, yeah, you can dilute it to just needing a stress relief, or the result of succumbing to an urge -- whatever. But youâre not doing it for nothing. Parts of you has to want it. And Iâm not going to try and tell them what theyâre supposed to be feeling if they ever decide to do it, but I donât want them to immediately expect âthen endâ. You know?â
âYou know what I realised the other day? Â Well not the other day, just a few hours ago actually.We donât think anything of it, but we know what to do when we have to go the toilet. We automatically think to go the toilet, isnât that weird? I just find how the brain works quite fascinating. Weâre so fascinating, itâs so cool.â
âRight?! Itâs just all very neat how we came so far from whichever origin theory one may prefer. Especially considering that most functions of living creatures are involuntary, too! And, well, muggles -- theyâve got classes about this. Human anatomy, and biology, and zoology, but itâs still so mysterious. Who knows what else we may be capable of, or already are doing, without our own knowledge? And weâre only using ten percent of our brains! Itâs like weâre all our own little uncharted labyrinths.â
I guess not. Tried telling him not be to too loud about his opinions around the castle, but you know boys these days. So unruly, so disrespectful.
Yikes, any conversation with Gunther Oswald, especially an ask out, is probably some degree of unrecoverable. Well at least it would make things slightly interesting around here, I mean, the fact that this is not only keeping my from a nap but is also incredibly unoriginal is enough to make a girl tear her hair out. No problem, remind me what year theyâre in again?
And apparently donât value their important limbs.
Nah, he wasnât... too bad... When I said yes, he sent me a âthank youâ riddle text that I couldâve sworn had the answers to my Divinations final. Thatâs very true though, and Iâm sorry about your nap. Do you, um, want to head down to the kitchens with me? I was just about to get some coffee, and the house elves always draw little hearts in chocolate syrup at around my eighth cup.
Second. Beauâs the one in your house -- heâs probably the kid thatâs running around telling everyone dad jokes. Itâs kind of horrifying how much he loves them.
Do they have any specific magical affinities? Sheâs good with transfiguration, but best at healing spells.
What class do they excel at? Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures.
Where did they learn their abilities? She learned the ability to be around animals from her dad. Apart from her teachers, Abby learned a lot about spells (especially the ones that had to do with healing) from her mom and grandmother. And as exasperating as they can be, she also picked up a few amusing ones from her brothers.
If they have an income, where does it come from? When sheâs in London, her dad. When sheâs in Sweden, her mother and grandparents. And they all try to outbid each other in her and her brothersâ Gringottâs vault.
RESOURCES AND ABILITIES, GENERAL:
Why do they have their resources? How long have they had them, and how have they served the character over time? (Ex. Contacts, money, political power, fame, etc.)
The Tyler-Vinterfield name doesnât really come with a big reputation around Hogwarts. Her dadâs a veterinarian, so if anybodyâs heard of him then their pet mustâve had a horrible case of diarrhea and he helped it out. If theyâve heard of Vinterfield, then they must have purchased some ridiculously overpriced dress robes from Vinterfieldâs Vanity (which supposedly specializes in a secret sewing technique that her Great-Great-Great Uncle Torgeir Vinterfield was rumored to have dueled a dwarf for, and her grandmotherâs pride and joy). Her grandmother always swears that she would be much more popular if she just went to Durmstrang, where apparently every fashionable witch is walking around with their glittering robes, but Abby highly doubts either statement.
HOME LIFE:
Where does your characterâs family live? Describe the space.
Weston Tyler lives exactly where you would imagine a middle-aged, conventionally attractive divorced man with three magical children may live. The woods. He lives in the middle of the woods. Itâs nice though; the floor plan is spacious and there are enough windows that natural sunlight always seems to be streaming inside. Not to mention the fact that Abby got a lot of say on how it should be decorated. Itâs just rugged enough for her dad and brothers to deem it as a âbachelor padâ, but smells nice enough to avoid the whole âman caveâ label. The nearest neighbors are about ten miles away, and the nearest town is just over the really big hill. Weston also built a small barn at the back where he takes care of whatever injured animal Abby and her brothers take home, and also where they store their broomsticks.
Magnolia Vinterfield, on the other hand, lives exactly where you would imagine a pureblooded witch who ran off with a muggle would live. Very, very near her parents. Itâs not right in their manor though, thank Godric, just the little villa on their property. Itâs cozy; just big enough for three people, a few pets, and a very frazzled house elf to move around each other. Just like at her dadâs, Abby technically has her own room. The only difference is that she has to share this one with a portrait of her Great Great Aunt Vellusa, who snores. Loud. And in German. Since thereâs no wifi in a five mile radius of the house, Abby and her brothers sometimes have to sneak out to the muggle town and sit in the bookshops or coffee places and say that they were just wandering around near the pond for six hours.
SMALLER DETAILS:
How are they with technology? Sheâs good enough to be able to help her grandpa and dad whenever they ask, and she knows how to use all the apps on her phone. The Music, Voice Memos, and 94% apps are probably the most frequently used.
Have they ever been publicly acknowledged for anything? Her dad was featured in Veterinarians Today once, and she was mentioned as âhis faithful sidekick in kicking Lyme Diseaseâs buttâ. She was going to be congratulated for being in Frog Choir for seven years in a row, but it was decided to just do it during practice instead of in front of the entire Great Hall (much to her brothersâ relief).
Is there anything theyâve deliberately sought to improve at? When she was younger, she tried her best to be more understanding about the position her parents were in. She always strives to be more present in class, to be more indulging to her grandmother, and to be the kind of sister that her brothers will come to if they need help. She also tries really, really hard to be friends with the Giant Squid and understand Vladâs different croaks.
Do they speak more than one language? Sheâs fluent in Swedish as well as English, and (she hopes) frog croaks.
Well, I mean, doctors and nurses really donât have the time to be baby-ing their patients⊠Theyâre really there to inform and help. The best way to do that is to just.. Well, be up front about it. Like ripping a bandaid off. I actually read about it before my mum could properly give me âthe talkâ.
Not super lame. Siblings are siblings and all have their own dynamics. Youâre just trying to help your brothers.
See, thatâs what I wouldâve figured, but in the case of my mum itâs kind of her specialty to cast a permanent sticking charm on the band-aid instead. Sheâs a healer, by the way. But, yeah, same. I just remember being put-out not knowing which websites were actually giving me legit information though, so Iâm hoping an actual conversation will save the gremlins from the same fate.Â
Oh, shoot, I shouldâve recorded that. Do you have sisters, then? Or only child?
From a medical perspective⊠Be up front with them. Yeah, theyâre gonna laugh and make lewd comments, but if you dumb it down too much theyâre not gonna take it any seriously at all.
Or at least⊠Thatâs what my mum says. I donât have any brothers, but my mumâs a nurse practitioner back home.
Is she? Thatâs so cool! And, well, Iâm not entirely sure if âtake it seriouslyâ is even in their vocabulary yet, but considering that you donât look irreparably scarred Iâm guessing that your mumâs version will work either way.Â
... So from your objective point of view, how big of a super lame older sister am I being?Â
âHmm⊠You sit them down on the couch and tell them that when a man and a woman, or a woman and a woman, or a man and a man, etcetera, love each other very much⊠They fuck with a rubber or else babies will happen. The end.â
âWell, except for the ârubberâ part. Kind of have to be detailed with that, and everyone knows that the contraception and protection spell that circulated around a few years ago was not fool-proof. And, okay, changing the last part to something that at least sounds like âand they lived happily ever afterâ; yay or nay? âThe Endâ just makes it sound so... mundane.âÂ
Youâd be surprised. I spent a full hour explaining the difference between catcalling and complimenting to a member of my own house and he just gave me that little confused brow wrinkle. The stupidity is strong in these parts.
No, I think itâs actually a prank. Someone probably changed it to âGryffindor rocksâ, but I would rather sleep in the courtyard than yell various forms of that at the door all night. Why canât Ravenclaw be the pranking type? I could get behind saying âRavenclaw rocksâ.
Thatâs... wow, his ignorance is both impressive and very, very concerning. He does know that your sisterâs in charge of the Feminist Club, right?Â
I donât know, can you imagine the sort of mental olympics theyâd force us to do if they started pranking? I still havenât fully recovered from the time Gunther Oswald used a riddle to ask me to the Winter Dance during fourth year. Anyways, if you ever do figure out, can you do me a favor and find my brother and tell him how to get in? Itâll take far too many chocolate cauldrons to convince him that itâs not âsuper freakinâ lameâ to share a bed with me.
I would happily volunteer my expert servicesâ which come with bonus colorful diagramsâ but I canât promise that it wonât devolve into advice on technique.
Mmm, while I do actually appreciate this offer -- theyâd be even more worse off not knowing how sex works as well as being bad at it, after all -- I think Iâll get back to you on that when they stop giggling at the word âdutyâ.
Hello, Caradoc. So this âexpert servicesâ title is one that someone other than yourself graciously bestowed, right?Â
Speaking from personal experience, I would draw lots of diagrams if I were you. Lots and lots of diagrams. Penny the Pregnant Pygmy Puff is definitely a no-go. Twelve year old boys want to feel mature, even if theyâre still making fart jokes.
Dear Merlin, the fart jokes... But, yes, that does make sense. And it would be a lot more informative if they were moving diagrams, right? Right. Okay. This sounds like a job for my trusty neon markers.Â
Would you like to help, Bertie? If youâre not busy, of course.Â
Everybody Gets There, Everybody Gets Their Way || Challenge 3
So hereâs the thing about being a child of separated, but highly involved, parents: you get twice the potentially awkward âso who and what -- but most importantly who -- is new in your life?â questions. Itâs a thing that both Abby and her brothers have learned to dread, going as far as orchestrating fool-proof ways to get each other out of said situations.Â
Surprisingly enough, however, there is one question thatâs actually never asked:Â
'So what are you going to do with your future?â.
Because Abby knows this one. Sheâs known it in her heart and soul and dreams for so long that itâs practically a part of her now. Itâs the constant drive, the grounding hope, that makes her feel like she can overcome anything because there isnât possibly a force in the world that can keep her from achieving this goal.Â
And with this confidence, she happily stepped into Professor Honeywhistleâs office with her arms full of pamphlets and a croaking toad in tow.Â
Sheâs not entirely sure how many times a studentâs plopped down seven yearâs worth of research onto the Charmâs professorâs desk, but if the nonplussed blink was anything to go by then it probably wasnât a frequent thing.Â
Abby just grinned at her though, smoothing down her skirt as she took a seat in front of her desk.Â
âGood morning, professor,â she greeted politely. Abby always liked Professor Honeywhistle. True to her houseâs reputation, the older Hufflepuff was always fair and good-natured during her lessons. And so when she greeted her back with a chuckle, sifting through the various leaflets pulled from magazines and printed articles, Abby didnât hesitate to smile wider and eagerly lean forward.Â
âSo Iâm assuming that you want to do something with animals?â Honeywhistle asked after coming across the fourteenth picture of a puppy. The professor raised her eyebrow though, when one of a blasted-ended skrewt came up.Â
Placing Vlad on her lap, Abby enthusiastically nodded. âYes, maâam! Both magical and non-magical, as you can see. Itâs, um, itâs kind of been a dream of mine ever since I was little? See, my father -- heâs a muggle -- heâs a veterinarian. Do you, erm, not to sound assuming, but do you know what a veterinarian is? Theyâre basically Healers, but for animals. I tried to find out if thereâs any true equivalent to that in the wizarding world; Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley obviously offers medicines and whatnot for sick animals of course, but sometimes itâs not enough, and--â
Vaguely aware that her voice was doing that thing where it mushed and rushed her sentences together toward the brink of incoherence, Abby paused. And the hesitance was prolonged when a wave of nervousness washed over her, because it was always an uncomfortable topic when the difference between the muggle and wizard world was broached. Not that she expected the professor to start yelling at her or anything, but still.Â
Honeywhistle just continued smiling though, tilting her head the same way she did that made Abby immediately want to trust her during her first Charmâs class. Â
âI think itâs very nice that youâve obviously thought a lot about this. Iâve noticed that you decided to stick with Care of Magical Creatures for all seven years, so I canât say Iâm surprised. Not to mention the various reports of your attempts to befriend the Giant Squid,â the professor added with a glance that Abby instantly blushed under, âAre you planning on pursuing a career near mazoology, then?â
âOh, um, actually no. I mean, yes, but not immediately after graduation. I was actually hoping to attend a muggle university.â
âYeah?â
Regaining her confidence, Abby all but bounced her in seat as she sifted for the flier that had The Royal Veterinary College printed out in bold letters. âI know itâs going to take a few more years,â she shrugged, handing the paper to Honeywhistle, âBut thatâs alright with me. I want to cater to all animals, you see, and I wonât be able to do it in the muggle world without a degree and license. My father also told me that Iâll most likely have to take a bit more time to make sure I get a GSCE -- um, think of that as a sort of NEWT for muggles -- though I donât think thatâd be too much of a problem. I can always do online schooling. Anyways, so Iâll spend five or so years with that, but Iâll still make sure to learn more about Care of Magical Creatures.â
And this is where Abby usually loses people -- where they either give her a confused look or a tight-lipped smile that ultimately equated to âand how are you possibly going to make this workâ. But, just like with her friends and grandparents and the annoying little voice in her head that sometimes voiced her insecurities loud enough, she only bit her lip and plowed on.Â
âI know itâs a long shot, but... but some day, Iâm going to set up an office. And everyone will be welcomed there, wizards and muggles, as long as they want their pets to be given every opportunity possible to be cured of their ailments. Obviously I wouldnât reveal to the muggles if I were to ever use a magical means as treatment, but... Well thatâs the dream. In reality, I know that the Statute of Secrecy might make it impossible, and that I may have to... have to pick a world...â
She trailed off there. Abby knew that Honeywhistle was staring at her now, her warm eyes doing that thing that made her feel like the professor was possibly employing Occulumency. After a short silence that was interrupted only by the ticking from a clock somewhere within the office and a soft snore from Vlad, Honeywhistle cleared her throat.Â
âWell, there are a lot of wizards and muggles, who have been told that their dream job and reality didnât always coincide,â the professor smiled, gathering up the pamphlets and offering them from across the desk, âAnd I doubt either of them couldâve gotten very far if theyâd all listened to such a silly thing.â
Abby blinked, taking the papers back in a sort of daze. So hereâs the thing about being a child of separated, but highly involved, parents from different worlds: you sometimes ask yourself twice the potentially heartbreaking âbut how am I going to fit into bothâ questions. Managing to reign in the sudden swell of emotion rising inside her chest, she nodded and stood up.Â
She stuffed the papers back in her back along with Vlad, but then hesitated. Before she could come up with too many repercussions about it, Abby hastily reached across the desk and pulled Honeywhistle in for a hug. âUm, thank you, professor,â she mumbled, just as quickly pulling away, âIâll be sure to keep that in mind.âÂ
Patient - Abby learned at a young age that things donât always go the way you want them to, that people are going to disappoint you. And thatâs okay. Because she found that, as long as you stick with them, anything can still be salvaged. She doesnât feel resentment toward her parents, because she took the time to recognize that theyâre still good people that love her very much. She doesnât drop friends, because she knows that thereâs a reason that she was drawn to them no matter how many times they might not be the most perfect people. Sheâll sit through the most long-winded explanation about their life and death from any ghost, because she knows that theyâve got to keep themselves entertained when theyâre not almost evanescing on the spot.
Unapologetically Passionate - She knows that Frog Choir isnât that cool. Everybody and their grandmothers know that Frog Choir isnât cool. But if thereâs one thing sheâs learned from that fact, itâs that she actually gives zero fucks. Sure, itâs been the cause of quite a few weird looks and people used to put tadpoles down her robes in her fourth year, but Abbyâs found that people tend to get over themselves when you just keep on having fun with it. She remembers that whenever she finds herself getting overly excited about other things (like Halseyâs Badlands album, or when she steps into a pet shop, or when the Giant Squid surfaces).
Determined - With two younger brothers and a very intimidating grandmother, you have to know how to stand your ground. Thereâs not a lot that Abby will consciously set her mind to, but to those that exist she goes 110%. Itâs how she got her own room (and the unbidden rule that nobody but her parents and grandparents can set foot into it without her permission) in both houses, and an O in Transfiguration, and the promise that her parents will both attend a family gathering together once a year no matter what.
Adaptable - Because sheâs got each foot firmly planted in both the muggle and wizarding world, Abbyâs ready to mold herself accordingly. Sheâs gotten so used to it over the years that she sometimes finds herself wondering if sheâs fake. Which is scary. But not entirely unwelcome, especially considering the fact that it helps her get along with almost everybody she meets and avoid lectures from her grandmother.
Optimistic - Itâs really hard to discourage Abby. Her parents havenât spoken to each other in a few months? Thatâs okay, distance makes the heart grow fonder (and the passing of angry letters fewer). Her classes are giving her eyes a permanent twitch? Nothing a few more cups of coffee and a study date with that cute Ravenclaw canât fix. A dark wizard is steadily rising to power and is possibly going to try to persecute her? ⊠Well, sheâs still working on that one, but at least she has a reason to really pay attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts now.
Flaws:
Submissive - Abby would rather be a follower than a leader. She just thinks there are people who can communicate, rally, and inspire to others better. This usually works to her advantage, because she feels comfortable in these kind of roles, but there are times where she wished she took the reigns a little bit (ie. whenever her grandmother tells her what to wear, or do, or study, or when it was suggested that they get t-shirts that were the color of troll puke for Frog Choir during her third year). Â Â
Self-reliant - Asking for help isnât really something she feels comfortable doing. Or knows how to do. Abbyâs just so used to trying to figure things out on her own, keeping things together on her own, that she didnât think she had any other option. So when she finds herself in a tough situation (like the time she accidentally bombardaâd some old family vase and couldnât get the reparo spell correctly, or when she got lost in the woods on the way back to her dadâs house), she usually waits for the situation to get even more impossible before finally breaking down and calling 911 (or her dad or the house elf).
Disregards boundaries - If you tell Abby that she canât do something, sheâll most likely wait until sheâs already halfway done with doing the thing before wondering âwhy?â. Itâs a constant flare of stubbornness that she doesnât really want to ever stamp down, but sheâll admit that itâs gotten her in trouble one time or another. Not that she ever learns her lesson afterwards, but she just finds the idea of two worlds that are very innovative and progressive in their own rights still having ârulesâ that pertain to race and blood and gender and sexuality as stupid.
Scattered - Abby is very excitable. Which means that there are a lot of things that she gets invested in. Sure, there are the few ones that remain a constant (see: Frog Choir), but itâs actually very hard to keep her focused on one thing at a time. Sheâs always multi-tasking, or always thinking about more than one thing, and so being around her can become a bit exhausting. Sheâs always on the move, whether that be mentally, physically, or emotionally.
Impractical -Â If the GPS says that the fastest way to the destination is to take a left, then Abby will take a right for the sole reason of âbut what if weâre missing something over this way?â. She isnât particularly interested in the best or fastest way to do something â she wants to find the way that will make it the most worthwhile. Of course, more often than not this just results in her finding the hardest way, but that doesnât bother her much.
