🏬 Our muses go christmas shopping! ( for orien @eaudedouleur )
date: december 24, 2023
time: 10:37am
place: diagon alley
Dennis couldn’t believe. First off, he was technically freelancing nowadays, so he wasn’t sure quite how he’d gotten roped into the Prophet’s annual secret gift exchange. Still, that wasn’t the unlucky bit—-drawing Rita Skeeter’s name was. Dennis wasn’t one to judge—-well, he was, but even so, he tried not to overtly hate many people, but Rita was an exception he’d make every time. In fact, some freedom from her overbearing personality was one of the best things about no longer being tied to the Prophet—-thought int he world of journalism, no one could truly escape Rita Skeeter.
“Last minute gift shopping for you, too?” He recognized Orion from the office, giving him a nod in greeting before turning back to the pile of silk scarves on the table before him, turning to the shop assistant for help, “Er…. d’you have anything in a …bold print? The bolder, the better.”
The only person Orien has finished buying a present for was...Orien. About a week ago, they'd bought themself a nice new broom. (As if Orien didn't have three in perfect condition at home!) It wasn't that Orien forgot he had loved ones: mum, Viv, classmates, colleagues. And he did love them! Unfortunately, nothing had struck him as a Christmas present yet.
And among the fabric section, Orien was on the lookout for a lovely new cloak...for Orien. Treating himself was obviously nothing new.
"Going for a new fashion direction? Personally, Dennis darling, it makes your eyes pop." Orien knew it probably wasn't for him. It was just fun to play along. “You look lost, like a stray puffskein.” Although, Orien stopped their tongue from offering help just yet.
for @kittyscarter!
sugarplum’s sweet shop
dec 29th, morning
“It’s Christmas,” Lysander whined, as he looked up and around the shelves. He was interrupting something Kitty was trying to say. Sometimes, he could be rude and assume things. His face was scrunched up in disgust. "Please don't talk about school. I just want to choose some sweets and forgot for a day that I've got an absurd pile of homework to do."
evening, december 27th 2023 / oxford then london / open!
The sky was a low, thick white. Snow threatened, and cold snicked down the back of Lucy’s neck as she wound her coat more tightly around herself. She very much didn’t want it to snow. She wanted a whole night of clear skies so she could meet the others and starwatch a while, probably with some leftover Christmas brandy or champagne involved.
Christmas at the Burrow had been tense, tense enough that even she noticed. Or maybe tense was the wrong word. Just full of empty spaces where people ought to have been, and the knowledge that those people were never coming back made her stomach hurt. She wanted to watch stars and forget it all.
As ever, she shut the thought out of her mind before it could fully form. Grimacing at the cold, she hopped off the steps and struck out from her building towards the quiet alley she liked to apparate from.
Less than five minutes later, she strode out from an alleyway in London, tucking her wand carefully down the side of her boots. A kid rushing past with a toy helicopter reminded her of drones, which prompted a stray thought about lunar modules, and quite soon Lucy was deep in thought as she walked, oblivious to the person coming towards her.
It was difficult to discern whether Orien's fashion was bought in Diagon Alley or a muggle vintage shop. In a way, their fashion sense did a good job of concealing their status as a wix on London's streets. As Orien breathed air in and out — like a dragon, how fun — there were accompanying wisps of steam. Yes, Orien had gone to a coffee shop for a drink. Yes, they could easily conjure one up. But fuck, did they love a good chai latte with fifty grams of sugar.
Orien's black boots had a completely useless metal attachment on it. It was purely aesthetic. Every step Orien took had a quiet scratch accompanying it. Thump, scrrr, thump, scrr. Orien walked, gaze towards the ground, fascinated by the sounds with the wide-eyed curiosity of a waddling toddler.
Thump, scrr — then, the uncomfortable lurch of water leaping out of their cup. Orien's heart skipped. Their tea-latte! What they'd spent hours working a muggle bar job to earn!
Without a second to think, Orien's wand was out of his jacket's inside and the paper cup with its content was frozen mid-air. Orien thought the Ministry department was in it for him.
"Oh, Lucy." Orien realised it was fine. The street was empty. "What brings you to London tonight?" Their liquid was back in its cup in Orien's hand and the wix tucked their wand back. "Certainly not its nightlife," Orien teased. "Don’t think it’s quite the place for stargazing either."
for @keepschasing
the scamander home
dec 28th afternoon
“It’s not a Christmas present,” Lysander insisted. He had led her outside his family home and in the garden, where it was much quieter. He’d invited a few Hufflepuff students round for lunch to catch up and distract themselves from the current political ‘climate’. He handed Charlotte the box. “They’re shedded feathers from my parents. Thought you could use them as quills for the art you do, might be quite interesting. Merlin knows they don’t have another use.”
The fireplace lit up green and out came Lysander. “Tea, tea, tea,” he immediately said. He made his way towards the table they had agreed to meet at. There were more pleasant places to meet in Diagon Alley for a quick snack and drink. It was just quieter and cosier in the pub. “Hello, hello,” Lysander greeted before exhaling deeply. “I know we’ve got stuff to talk about, but I need some tea and chocolates after that journey.”
Looking for someone to get smashed with. I stole Firewhiskey and other things from the Prophet’s office party a week ago. I can’t stand it staring at me. It’s all in my flat. It needs to be downed. Let me know when you can come over.
❝ Fuck a gang affiliated with nothin’ but my name. ❞
CHUN SOOT? No, that’s actually ORIEN CHANG. Only TWENTY-ONE years old, this RAVENCLAW alumni works as a DAILY PROPHET REPORTER and is sided with THE NEUTRALS. THEY identify as GENDERFLUID and is a HALFBLOOD who is known to be RECKLESS, CONTROLLING, and IMPATIENT but also ADAPTABLE, WITTY, and CURIOUS. { LUNA, NINETEEN, GMT, SHE/HER }
about orien / connections / development / tags
hey pals! meet orien, ori or even OREO!!! cutie. hit me up on discord luna#4720
pronouns are they but he is also ok sometimes but usually only with strangers. orien identifies as a wix because “WIZARD is gender neutral like mankind but it can also fuck off” (we get it orien!!)
so listen, orien’s personality is as chaotic as his gender
always seems to have an opinion!! is it orien’s thought or just their attempt at pissing you off??? we will never know
in hogwarts (2013-2020), he was a piece of shit! very cheeky. always interrupting classes and stuff. definitely pissed off a few swotty ravenclaws.
played chaser for ravenclaw, very good on a broom. could also substitute for beater, if needed.
their best subjects were charms and defence against the dark arts. yeah, so, an aggressive bean.
currently works at the daily prophet as an apprentice of sorts. initially dreamed of being a quidditch correspondent (can ginny pleas retire? thanks!). spends most of the day taking care of the delivery owls, updating the paper with the proteon charm, or giving joke answers to the advice columnists.
politically, orien affiliates as neutral. they have a strong connection to muggle culture but if being a death eater sympathiser gets them career opportunities or just nice material things, then orien has little qualms about it.
they have a muggle flat in london. orien has a flexible part-time gig (at a gay bar) to pay it off but it’s a good landing pad for those needing a place to stay (OR HIDE HMMM?)
PLOTS & CONNECTS !!
death eater friends!! i want to see orien hang out with them as a journalism thing. but then, being exposed to it ruins his neutrality.
pick up quidditch league! calling semi-adults and quidditch enthusiasts.
friends. orien is so difficult, but someone must have the patience for their antics/flirtations/non-existence morality?
PETTY EXES, preferably masculine identifying for that Gay Drama but orien just loves to hate!
as the regime changes, the workplace (the daily prophet) has been stressful as the mouthpiece of a fucked-up ministry. Orien didn’t sign up for this shit so they’re going to be stressed and so they need someone to vent to.
So Orien’s biological (muggleborn) mum ISNT DEAD!!! She is going to reach out to Orien in the future ESPECIALLY as he starts developing blood purism. It will be angsty and emo af so come join his journey!
i’m just gonna copy and paste their shipper portion now.
FAMILIAL: *the neighbourhood voice* you got daddy issues. Weisheng Chang was far older than Cho and was reaching in his late thirties when Orien was born. Ori lived with him for the first five years, and he wasn't a terrible father, just a terrible decision maker. He was a 'fortune teller' in muggle Manchester's Chinatown — so, he was an elaborate conman who just comforted muggle whites on their worries. [murder + parental death tw] He was murdered by a disgruntled (and probably racist) customer but Orien doesn't know the details past that. Since Orien's muggle mum had died in Malaysia, he went to go live with Cho. [/murder + parental death tw] Orien has a good relationship with their mother and sister @nerdjocktyrant and secretly super thankful for her, would’ve been a lonely child otherwise.
PLATONIC: Orien isn’t a reporter for the gossip (well, not completely). They’re just super interested in what motivates people, like they could’ve studied psychology or neuroscience if they were a muggle. It makes it a bit harder to be friends with them. Simultaneously, they don’t give a shit about you but Orien does care about how you act and your motivations. It’s unnerving and uncomfortable for some. Either way, Orien is a super fun person to be around. It just takes lots of patience to deal with their whims.
ROMANTIC: During their school years, they dated a few people here and there, never anything particularly serious. Although Orien likes to joke that they’re much better at being single. Commitment has never been their strong point, and neither has pure romance. Being in a relationship with Orien is just like being friends but sometimes you make out. It’s not like they can’t be giggly or have passion. Ori has just never had much chance to do so. So far, Orien is very focused on themself, hence paying attention to another partner tends to go awry too. [nsfw] all u need to know is that orien is a massive power bottom [/nsfw]
ANTAGONISTIC: lol too easy. everyone bothers orien and orien bothers all.
🎁 Our muses open presents together!
🎄 Our muses decorate a christmas tree together!
🏬 Our muses go christmas shopping!
🔪 Our muses choose and cut their own tree!
💃 Our muses go ice-skating!
🌁 Our muses play in the snow!
🍛 Our muses make a Christmas dinner together!
🍪 Our muses bake and decorate Christmas cookies!
👀 Our muses stay up waiting for santa!
🎅 One muse still believes in santa… how does the other handle it?
🔥 Our muses drink hotchocolate and cuddle next to the fireplace!
📺 Our muses watch Christmas films together!
🎨 Our muses make christmas crafts - snowflakes, snowmen and more!
🏠 Our muses decorate the outside of the house!
💰 Our muses go decortion shopping!
👪 Our muses go to the mall to sit on santas lap!
🎶 Our muses listen to christmas songs!
📥 Our muses sled down a hill!
⛺ Our muses make a gingerbread house!
🏂 Our muses go snowboarding!
🏡 Our muses assist at a homeless shelter on christmas!
👶 Our muses visit a childrens hospital and give gifts to kids!
🚙 Our muses drive/walk around to look at peoples xmas lights at night!
🎬 Our muses watch a christmas play together!
😱 Our muses get snowed into their house!
🍻 Our muses get drunk off of booze filled egg nog!
🐎 Our muses take a horse drawn sleigh ride!
👕 One muse forces the other to wear ugly, matching christmas sweaters!
🎼 Our muses go caroling!
🎊 muses attend a christmas party!
💏 Our muses meet under the mistletoe - Accidentally or on purpose is your choice!
Everybody has a distorted vision of wizard rock. That it is just party all night long, having fun at the pubs and drinking a lot. We, musicians, have no actual job and we are just a bunch of bums. They don’t see our effort to learn everyday one more song. To create. To expand our minds to something bigger, and then let the magical inspiration come to us, and boom… An explosion happens. Art happens. They don’t see how we suffer from exhaustion, because we are up all night making shows. When morning comes, beyond hangover, we are up making publicity and searching for producers or a way to live with art. I don’t see you complaining when you are cleaning the house and turn up the radio just to listen to some music, because you’re dreadfully bored. Or you’re in a bad moment. That’s why we’re here. To spread the news, the good feelings, the wise message we learn through life and this is the real magic. Not only what we do with our wands. It is also the sensation you feel when you are linked to a song, the melody come through your ears and you are instantly better.
