xeno .

❛ i mean, you could claim that anything's real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist! ❜ ❛ yes, you could. i am glad to see that you are opening your mind a little. ❜

[xencs]

aciiers:

  ❛   𝑔𝑎𝑏𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑝 ,    𝑦𝑒𝑠 ,   𝑜𝑓  𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 ,  ❜     sirius  drawls ,    though  there  is  sincerity  behind  it .    remembering  everything  lovegood  throws  at  him   would   be  a  gift  worth  having .    at  the  next  abrupt  statement ,    sirius  gives  a  snort ,    shrugging  at  xenophilius’  suggestion .      ❛     could  very  well  be  the  case ,    ❜     he  says ,    sitting  back .    he  hums  at  the  assertion  of  figuring  his  family  affairs ,    still  at  the  point  of  finding  the  idea  rather  funny  either  way .      ❛      maybe  i’ll  need  to  invite  you  sometime .    i'd   say   sneak  you  in ,    but  that’s  a  lot  of  effort  with  very  minimal  results ,    considering  we’d  very  likely  get  caught .    my  mother’s  adding  to  the  traps  laid  out  almost  every  month  or  so .    ❜

sirius  nods  long  and  slow  as  xenophilius  goes  on  about  his  astral  projections .      ❛     outer  space ?    i’d  think  so  too ,  really .    can’t  imagine  much  of   anything   interesting  happens  for  a  while ,    if  astronomy  is  anything  to  go  by ,    ❜      he  agrees .    he  turns  to  xenophilius  with  a  smirk  then ,    when  the  thought  crosses  him ,      ❛      you  visited  the   dog  star  yet ,    then ?   i’ll  be  personally  insulted  if  you  haven’t ;    it's  supposedly  rather  close .    ❜

xenophilius nods. “it’s actually quite opportune, too. i’m due to start a few summer jobs. i can interpret cards for your family, or maybe tutor one of your relatives. my prices are pretty low, but for the black family, i’ll make it steeper. i know you all have the capacity to pay me large sums. i will make my labour as expensive as i can.” and that’s a promise!

“very uneventful up there,” he agrees. “the stars are only good for maybe predicting things that could happen in the future. according to my astronomy work this week, my luck will soon improve in my relations with a pretty girl or i’ll find a cool-looking shrub. i really hope it’s the first one.” xeno tilts his head. “you know that the dog star is just a star, don’t you? it’s the same as all the other stars, just slightly brighter. it’s not shaped like a dog at all. i don’t know why you like dogs so much.”

[xencs]

frcnklcngbottom:

“who was it?” he questioned, frown tugging at his features as the boy pulled out his own wand to assist, but the boy had himself separated before frank had to do anything, “i haven’t given out a detention in ages and as much as we fail to enforce it - hogwarts had a zero tolerance for bullying–” merlin, kids had the ability to be the worst of the worst out there and he tried to swallow the sympathy that was building up for the boy - no one liked to be pitied.

“i don’t know.” he shrugged. “it doesn’t matter to me. you don’t need to punish them.” for a moment, it sounded as though xeno was opting to take the high road, until he followed this statement with: “but if i may, i’d like to request permission to jinx or hex my bullies back. i mean, it’s not bullying on my part if they started it. i’m simply retaliating, am i not?”

[xencs]

charityfaithfull:

Intuitively, she knew he must be thinking more than one thing. At least half of them she would find ridiculous. The other half could often lead her into a depth-filled conversation she knew he could misinterpret. Lighter words, lighter tones, and being direct as possible was Charity’s way towards seeing a civil side of the boy. Words of excitement, words that usually she usually engaged with to fuel ideas and exploration had lead them to a stranger place before. “I’m fine.” She nodded. “Have you still been…” careful words, “writing? You always seemed very dedicated to it.”

“Yeah, I have! I’m poking around for the sake of my writing, actually.” Xeno let his smile grow wider. Though he was beginning to take himself a bit less seriously, he still had to consider whether or not he wanted to tell her about his day’s schedule. He decided not to tell her after all. “It won’t be your kind of thing, but... that’s alright.” He nodded to himself. 

[xencs]

henrvkas:

           alice  crouch  in  the  hallways  near  curfew  was  a  common  enough  sight,  one  of  a  few  prefects  that  stuck  to  their  schedule  and  duties  in  earnest , she  often  took  on  more  than  her  fair  share  of  what  others  dropped ,  picking  up  the  extra  shifts  that  needed  covering . it  was  a  useful  trick  though ,  being  the  prefect  always  on  call ,  always  the  face  expected  around  the  corner  when  you  hear  those  telltale  footsteps ;  no  one  ever  noticed  when  she  alice  crouch  wasn’t  quite  mean  to  be  there .  such  was  the  case  tonight, she’d  just  been  out  for  a  wander . a  forgotten  half  pack  of  smokes  she’d  rediscovered  in  an  bag  burning  a  hole  in  her  pocket . habit  taking  her  to  the  nook  behind  the  greenhouses  she  and  her  cousin  used  to  frequent , alone , or  so  she  thought .

           “  xeno , what— what  are  you  playing  at ?  ”  she  called  out , slipping  the  back  back  into  her  pocket .  merlin ,  why  did  this  have  to  be  the  boy  that  thought  of  himself  as  her  ex ?  “  stop it  ,  ” she  half  snapped , alice  had  never  been  a  girl  of   vanity ,  she  much  preferred  leaving  that  area   of  things  to  ivy , this  form  of  flattery  —  this  was  NOT  the  way  to  her  heart .

he sighs. “alright, so i’m... doing something. nothing dark, nothing illegal. i’m sorry if i’m breaching curfew. i mean, i have no idea what time it is right now.” his eyes jump to the booklet in front of him as he realised that it very clearly displays the words YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS RITUAL BEFORE THE ELEVENTH HOUR OF NIGHTTIME ENDS. he slaps it away, chuckling sheepishly. “that’s just a fiction book. i’m not... this isn’t a ritual. just practising some spells.”

he breathes in. moments pass. “...okay, alright. i’m attempting to summon a creature. but it’s a friendly creature! it’s called the woodsmaster, and i only get a few chances per year to summon it. it’s supposed to have mastered all the elements of the forest, so it brings an abundance of natural gifts.” quickly, he studies her. well, he’s bluffing right now, but it’s worth the risk: “you’re not here for prefect duties, are you?”

[xencs]

see-celia:

Celia watched with her head tilted just a few feet from where the boy stumbled, with her mouth agape at the sight of him. “Are you sure you’re all right? If I fell like that I know I’d be very bruised, and probably would hurt my knee. It’s why I can’t climb trees anymore, I always fall.” She looked back over him, taking a few steps forward before turning her head to see if anyone else was around. “What happened…exactly?”

Xeno’s forehead crinkled at Celia’s response. He didn’t know what to say, really. “Maybe you should stop climbing trees. Why do you climb trees?” he asked. “Is there anything good to be done or seen on branches? Anyway, it’s just some people who stole my special telescope and hexed it.” He shrugged. “But I’m alright now.”

[supernalior-deactivated20200817]

closed starter for @xencs​ !

“i need your opinion on something.” pandora announced without ceremony as she scooted to sit right next to xenophilius at the study hall. granted, they had other classmates that would be vastly more interested in the matter, but she always trusted xeno’s insights–alright, perhaps not all of them–but she never denied that he was smart. she slid her parchment right under his nose to show him her work. “i’m inventing my own potion that does not use anything from or of magical creatures. i think it would be a right sight for when we do n.e.w.t.s. i need a substitute for fairy wings.”

[xencs]

xenophilius frowned when he saw the sheet blocking the book he had opened. he was absorbed in another text, and so his mind was floating in a different space. all noise was drowned out as he focused on what he was perusing. his eyebrows unknitted the moment he caught sight of pandora’s face, however. “oh, hello,” he said. if he knew her a bit less, he would probably be falling over his feet around her presence. but they were friends. he relaxed around a friend. in spite of this, however, the thump beneath his chest rang louder in his ears, and his cheeks grew pleasantly warm, as if he’d taken several sips of butterbeer.

“uh,” xeno said. he looked into her eyes, voice dropping an octave as he concentrated, “it depends on what properties of the fairy wings you’re seeking to emulate.” a smile slowly stretched on his face. “as you know, fairy wings are used in beautification and girding potions. they enhance appearance as well as physical fortitude. i’ve found that moondew is a fine alternative for the latter purpose.” his intentions for substituting the wings with moondew weren’t so noble, more because wings were rare and expensive, and he often needed cheap tools for protect himself as he roamed forests in search of his elusive creatures. but she didn’t need to know that. thoughtfully, he hummed. “i’ve never needed a beautification potion, but... as unglamorous as it is, neem oil has restorative properties. it could potentially be used as a fairy wings alternative for looks-altering brews.”

[xencs]

Xeno took his telescope from the corner of the school in which a few bullies had hidden it. “Really? Stealing and hiding my special telescope again? Can’t any of you come up with something new?” As he moved to walk away, however, he stumbled; someone had cast a hex on his telescope, and his feet were stuck together.

“Ha, ha, very funny. At least there’s a bit of originality today!” He produced his wand and separated his feet. “I’m fine!” he said as he stood up. Not that anyone was necessarily asking.

[xencs]

call-me-gilderoy:

As the corridor cleared of students walking to their next class, Gilderoy noticed Xenophilius yelling into the middle distance. He walked over to his fellow Ravenclaw and snatched the newspaper out of his hand. “Fine journalism, eh? Seem a little light on the content. I’d suggest more editorial, maybe an interview or two. Of course, I have a very busy schedule but I’m sure I could move some stuff around providing the right photo could be taken for the front page.”

“You know, I had a newspaper once when I was in second year. It was quite lovely if I do say so myself - printed on lilac paper. Of course it was before its time, only ran for one issue.”

“Merlin,” Xeno muttered. A testament to the rampage Lockhart’s ego had gone on, was that Xenophilius Lovegood —— normally the subject of vexation —— found the other boy’s presence to be a nuisance. Under his breath, Xeno uttered words expressed by many a Hogwarts student about himself: “Not you again.” His fingers met his temples, miming a headache. He sighed.

“I heard of that paper.” Did he really not recall how Xeno was one of the Ravenclaws whose passion for writing he had exploited and used for his own vanity newspaper? “Can’t say I was much of its fan.”

[xencs]

aciiers:

    ❛   𝑝𝑟𝑦  𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 ,  ❜     𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑠   𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠  ,   extending  a  hand  out  in  deep  bow .      ❛     we  can  exchange  tips .    i’d  love  to  see  what  father  would  say  if  he  came  home  to  aunt  lucretia’s  necklace  covered  in   —   what  was  that  the  other  day    —   garbpimp  dust ?    anyway  —    ❜       he  shakes  his  head ,    sitting  a little  straighter  to  think  this  through .    it’s  been  a  while  since  he’s  given  the  dark  objects  littered  about  any  passing  thought .      ❛      i’ve  no  clue  what  the  half  of  them  do ,    honestly .    but  let  me  think  .  .  .   my  mother  used  to  make  us  sleep  by  having  this  creepy  little  music  box  open  all  night  in  our  rooms .    it  plays  some  off - key  melody  and  you’re  passed  out  with  terrible  nightmares  until  someone  closes  it .    oh ,    and  there’s  the  arachnid  tongs .    half  the  objects ,    really ,    will  try  and  bite  or  pierce  you .    our  clock  doubles  as  a  riffle  too .    ❜

sirius  cocks  an  inquisitive  brow  at  the  derivation  in  topic .    mind ,    he  hasn’t  heard  of  astral  projection  and  spends  most  of  his  time  listening  to  xenophilius  deciding  on  how  much  to  take  at  face  value .    that  finale  certainly  isn’t  helping ,    and  sirius  has  to  pull  his  lips  together  to  stop  from  horrifically  laughing  again .      ❛     pure  rubbish ,    really ,    ❜      he  acquieses ,    nodding .      ❛      i  wouldn’t  listen  to  muggles .    our  biology  is  different .   so  you  did  it  then ?    the  body  separation ?    ❜

“gabprimp dust,” amends xeno, patiently, because the other male actually listens to his theories (even if for amusement). he listens to sirius rattle off some of the things the black clan store in their households. xeno pauses, meditating on this new information. then, he says in an even tone, “to be honest, your family may just be weird.” he explains, “i’m interested in great truths, remember? we’re both from strange families, it’s an established fact. not very interesting.”

he says, “i’ll still look into your family’s affairs, of course. those items you mentioned, i think, are probably common in the dark arts market; yet there still may be a larger picture i’m missing.” as soon as sirius talks about astral projection, his train of thought accordingly shifts. “i’m still a novice. during my first few attempts at managing my astral travels, i’ve only been able to go to outer space. i know the people down here romanticise the cosmos, but i don’t see what the fuss is about, personally. it’s just fire, fire, and more fire. i found it rather boring as well.”

[thotgamer-deactivated20211030]

[xencs]

charityfaithfull:

Charity sat up in place. She didn’t pity him, he was better than that; and she wasn’t one for dramatics unless they were written. “I’m glad to hear that.” Her fingers dawdled over the edge of the book before taking light hold of it again. “I wasn’t really reading it, I guess.” She truly believe they could be friends for as ridiculous that she once believed him to be to actually engaging in conversation with hm. “I thought I was going to read today and I just didn’t…taking time to not do things can be important, too.”

“Hmm,” the Ravenclaw boy pondered aloud, “I don’t know what that’s like.” He was constantly in motion, his mind buzzing to no end. But he could respect that others’ minds worked differently, especially when they respected the way his did. He was so sure that Charity thought so low of him, and maybe she did back then; but they were growing up, and with that came emotional development. He would learn to be nicer too. “Are you feeling relaxed?” he asked, imbuing his tone with earnest sincerity.

[xencs]

tdtvnks:

“ ARSEHOLES WOULDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT ! “ ted shouted after the crowd of students, flipping a couple of the ruder ones off with one hand and patting his mate on the back with the other. the cheek of people these days, honestly. never mind it was his friend’s work they were trampling over, the least they could do was not litter.

“ here y’are mate, they wouldn’t know good reading if it hit them over the head. “ pulling his wand from his robe pocket, he pointed it at the muddied copy of the quibbler and muttered a quick SCOURGIFY, brushing away the the last pecks of dirt that his spell didn’t catch. “ easily fixed, eh. practically brand new. although i’d check all your drawings are still there, actually, my spells tend to get a bit excited. might’ve taken some of the ink away with the dirt. “

“i’d love to hit them over the head, alright.” though his words were coarse and unpleasant, xeno was calming down. a slight, wry smile spread across his visage. they were kindred spirits in more than one way -- their shared fascination with conspiracies being one of those -- but sometimes, it also helped to simply be in the company of one who sympathised with the occasional need to punch snobs in the face.

xeno glanced at the copy. he spent a minute rifling through the pages. “...well, i have other copies,” he said, a gentle means of letting the other know that his casting of scourgify wiped away most of his original text and drawings. nonetheless, ted put forth some effort to alleviate xeno’s sadness, a kindness he still did not encounter often. he was thankful to have people like these in his life now. friends. “this month, i wrote about umgubular slashkilters. have you heard of them? probably not, because people at the ministry work hard to keep them under wraps.”

[xencs]

aciiers:

    𝑎  𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡'𝑠   𝑝𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒   𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠      with  the  slow  blink  of  sirius’  eyes ,    and  soon  he’s  hunched  over  his  own  stomach  in  laughter  he  can  no  longer  contain .      ❛     they-    they ,    yeah   .   .   .    yeah ,   no ,    they  certainly   would   have ,    if  they  had  one ,    ❜      he  manages  to  wheeze  out ,    the  last  few  chuckles  coming  out  with  a  breath .      ❛     we  do  have   plenty   freakish  objects ,    though .    a  small  hoard  in  our  attic  would  fit right  in .    maybe  it  still  belongs  to  my  uncle  alphard .    i  always  had  the  impression  he’s  helped  draw  the  line  at  the  number  of  howlers  i  get  sent .    ❜

xeno is uncertain as to why sirius is laughing. he thinks it’s quite sad, really, the way the gryffindor is treated by his family. but before he can provide some words of commiseration, his ears perk up at sirius saying his family has ‘plenty’ of freakish objects. his speech speeds up. he may as well be vibrating. “such as what? um, what objects does your family have?” for a moment, he pauses. “i understand if you’re not allowed to say anything, though. i mean... i am going to pry, but you don’t have to say anything. i’m prepared to fend off whatever creatures or items your family may use against me.”

he tells sirius, “if i die, that’s on me. not your fault at all.” instantly, he follows this all up with, “have you ever wondered what it’s like to die? i’ve always been interested in joining the spiritual dimension. lately, i’ve been reading about astral projection.... it’s when you separate your consciousness from your body. i think i do that quite a bit, but one of the muggleborns in my class told me her parents are ‘therapists’ and i’m probably ‘dissociating’ due to ‘trauma.’” he shakes his head, chuckling. “are those even real words, am i right?”

[xencs]

charityfaithfull:

She tilted her head with a light squint besides the otherwise cloudy sky. “Who said Quidditch is what you had to be practicing?” Charity’s voice stayed gentle despite his perceived tension, his curtness towards her. Could that be childish, or was she just inconsiderate? No, that didn’t seem right either. “I’m in the practice of organizing my thoughts and I’m out here. You are allowed to be here for whatever reason you want.” She lifted herself with one elbow, allowing herself to prop up and see him more fully and let her book down towards the grass.·

Xeno took a deep breath. There was a part of him that was genuinely just awkward, but he knew this was unfair on her regardless.·“I’m not... mad or anything, Charity,” he said.·“Just... you know, Xenophilius Lovegood. Not the best at social interaction.” And his ego was bruised, but he rarely conceded to a bruised ego. He gave her a cordial smile.·“Are you reading anything good?”

[xencs]

11 pm. an hour before midnight. this, according to all his research, was the perfect time to summon the woodsmaster. he was in spider silk robes he had sewn himself, with a large leaf secured on his head via magic. “laevo vapum,” he said. nothing happened. “laevo va... who’s there!” he pointed his wand in the direction of the other presence.

through his smoky glasses, he took in the sight. oh, merlin. he would know that face anywhere, even in the faint light of the moon. he chuckled anxiously. “alice crouch...” he coughed. the grasshoppers on his head chirped. really not an ideal look for when a prefect, who also happens to be a girl you used to kinda date, is confronting you for breaching curfew. “i don’t know why, but you’re even more beautiful tonight than you usually are. has anyone told you?” @henrvkas

[charityfaithfull]

Yes, the March air was chilled. But it was cool enough for Charity to relax across the grass of the quidditch pitch, using her robe as a makeshift blanket. She was content in a cozy sweater, laying with her hair splayed across the ground, arms crossed to the book on her chest. The perceptive girl was deep in thought. She figured this was how philosophers must have spent their time, but that didn’t stop her senses from recognizing the nearby presence. “You may practice, I’d like to stay here though…. Good for contemplating.”

@petrificusstarter​

[xencs]

“I’m not practising. I’m sure you remember that I’m not on the Quidditch Team,” replied Xeno. He would’ve expanded upon what he was doing there, but he remembered she didn’t like it when he rambled. Normally, he never cared what anyone thought of him, but he had to admit this one stung. (Even more so because she was so cool around him, while he remained an embarrassed mess.) “I’m just... admiring the grass,” he said through gritted teeth. Anyone who’d spent more than a minute in his presence would know he was searching for creatures, as he often was.

[xencs]

aciiers:

    ❛    .   .   .   𝑖𝑠  𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡  𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡  ?  ❜     sirius  nods  along  to  xenophilius’  little  tirade ,    forcing  an  absolutely  straight  face .      ❛     and  what  use  would  a  stone  be  to  the  .  .  .   embercalf   society ?    ❜      he  asks ,    leaning  forward  and  taking  the  stone  in  his  hands .    in  theory ,    it   did   look  like  more  than  just  a  stone ,    but  whatever  magical  properties  that  encased  was  beyond  his  attention  span ,    much  preferring  to  listen  to  whatever  nonsense  lovegood  was  on  about  this  time .    he  could  never  quite  tell  just  how  much  of  these  little  rambles  were  based  on ,    well ,    anything    —    but  that  didn’t  stop  them  from  being  highly  amusing  to  listen  to ,    so  sirius  kept  prompting . 

xeno ponders. “i don’t know. there are a thousand purposes a stone could serve. i can’t just choose one based on conjecture.” to everybody else, he just has a screw loose, but in his mind, there exists a logical structure to his theories. “i would ask you, as i figured the black clan may have embercalves too. but you’re still alive, so your family probably does not own one.” he pauses for a moment, then elaborates -- without any malice or personal emotion whatsoever, said as though bluntly stating a fact: “i believe your family would send an embercalf to maim you at least. but you’re still walking, perfectly fine.”