Back to School Diagon Alley Festival! – Log 2

[shnpc]

WHO: Anyone visiting Diagon Alley!
TONE: Festive and busy!
RATING: PG-13 for possible language
WHEN: August 23 & 24th
WHERE: Any and all of Diagon Alley
WHAT: There is a huge festival the whole week to let students get school supplies. People from all over are flocking to Diagon Alley for the best deals. That means you might meet new people or see old friends!
STATUS: Ongoing!
NOTE: Remember that this event is semi-open! Any HP AU character can have fun here, whether you're in the game or not, so have fun! If you missed the rush for the first log, here's a second chance to have fun, and start some of that September plotting!

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Around~

[eighttimeshandy]

[There are several places one could run into this delightfully charming young man. Why, you could be in the Apothecary, where he's carefully scrutinizing various animals preserved in jars, or purchasing questionable ingredients that are definitely not on the student list!]

[Or he could be in Flourish and Blotts, and wow, those are a lot of books related to the dark arts. He's not even attempting to hide them, either. And he's wearing an expression of perfect innocence as he's carrying them around, too.]

[You might also run into him as he's smugly emerging from Knockturn Alley, satchel bulging with... well... things. Some of which are pointy and kind of resemble medieval torture devices. Or medical tools. Some would claim there is hardly any difference.]

[And finally, but not least importantly, Twilfitt & Tattings, because someone takes this whole wizarding business a little too seriously and has a fondness for the sort of robes that flair out dramatically behind him when he walks.]

[His name is Eriq Slepner, and yes, he is kind of a melodramatic weirdo who is trying too hard to be "edgy" and "darque."]

at the entrance of Knockturn Alley

[syned_a_brik]

[Here's a 6th year Hufflepuff, who looks downright excited to see someone around his age in this area.]

Hey dere! Vot did hyu get? Anytink goot?

[eighttimeshandy]

[CRINGE. OH GOD YOU ARE THE LAST PERSON HE WANTS TO BE SEEN WITH, OGGIE, GET AWAY YOU, ARE RUINING HIS PERFECT AURA OF DIGNITY AND MYSTIQUE.]

Tools. For my experiments. A simpleton like you wouldn't understand. [He sneers, trying to edge away slowly. God, Oggie, why are you so... so you?]

[syned_a_brik]

[Oggie gives Eriq a critical look.]

Is hyu tryink to mix muggle und vizarding schtuffs again?

[eighttimeshandy]

[ . . . ]

Nnnnnnnooooooo?

[Yes, yes he is.]


I would never do that, what are you talking about?

[syned_a_brik]

[He attempts to wrap a friendly arm around Eriq's shoulders. Then in rather a loud whisper:] If hyu iz gonna be a dark vizard, hyu needs to get better at de lyink. Hyu is terrible at it.

[Back to his normal volume!] So vot did hyu get? Dey looks pointy. Vot does dey do?

[eighttimeshandy]

[Sob, no, Oggie, why are you touching him? He is so tormented, his life is suffering. Eriq blushes furiously, but he isn't really pulling away either? Just sort of looking as miserable as he can]

How many times do I have to tell you, Ognian, I'm not a dark wizard! I'm darque. [Not that there is any difference in the pronunciation]

[He lets out a long suffering sigh before opening up his bag to show Oggie his haul] Well, this is an artificial leech, and it's for drawing blood. And this one is a trephine for drilling holes in the skull to release pressure. You should let me use it on you, sometime, they say it makes you smarter.

[syned_a_brik]

[Eriq is such a funny guy.] Heh heh heh.

[Oggie's face lights up at the sight of the devices.] Hyu could use dem as veapons!

Hy tink vun of my cousins has vun of dese. [He taps the artificial leech.] She uses syringes mostly now, doe--sometink about dem beink more "efficient". Lotsa pipple in her office iz annoyed cause hyu gots to buy new vuns all de time. Dey tink iz beink vasteful.

[eighttimeshandy]

[Yes, funny. :I]

Nnnno, I don't think that's what I'll be doing.

[And then he stares at Oggie. Just stares] Yyyyyes, considering how many pathogens are bloodborne, I think maybe using syringes on the living is probably a good idea. But that's not what I have this for.

[syned_a_brik]

But da point is, hyu could. Is alvays a goot idea to know before sometink happens vot can be a veapon of hopportunity.

[Mechanicsburg is a very safe city, what are you talking about. :|] Vot does hyu vant mit corpse blood? Vampires dun vant it anymore den. Vot hyu gonna do mit it?

[eighttimeshandy]

Not really? I mean, yes, they are sharp enough, I suppose, but really, it's not like you can just - [He grabs the artificial leech, poking it in Oggie's direction] - thrust them out and do some damage. You'd have to hold the other person down and twist. That's not really all that effective. [especially not with HIS sticks for arms]

[point made (he hopes), he holds up the little device and examines it thoughtfully] Weeeeeeeell... that remains to be seen, you know? Blood is essential to life as we know it, after all. Perhaps the key to life beyond death is locked away, hidden in its depths.

[preanimator]

[The boy who walks up behind Eriq in Flourish and Blotts is ridiculously short for a sixth year, maybe 5'2" on a good day. However, he holds himself like he's six feet tall, and offers his opinion with unthinking arrogance.]

That one's utter rubbish. [his tone dry, pointing to one of the "dark" potions texts that the other boy's picked out] You'd do better with Arcturo's 'Practical Philtres', though the cover isn't quite as impressive.

[eighttimeshandy]

Sometimes, I like reading rubbish, Herbert. [Eriq sneers, not even bothering to look at which book he was indicating. He had no idea which one it was, but he wasn't about to let it show. He actually wants to impress the other boy, he has to look like he knows what he's doing] It's called entertainment. It's a thing I indulge in occasionally, and it's not like you couldn't stand to do the same.

[preanimator]

I hardly think it's entertaining to read misinformed tripe and know there are people out there who actually believe that not only are lethifolds are venomous, but that one drop of their fictitious poison will render the imbiber into a coma-like state from which they can only be revived by repeated attempts at impregnation by a sufficiently virile wizard. It's simply annoying. There are far more interesting things to do with one's time.

[And without so much as a by-your-leave, he'll pluck the book from Eriq's stack, holding it as though it were covered in cow dung, and replace it with a much more modest volume bound in boring grey.]

[eighttimeshandy]

......That sounds hilarious, actually. [Gosh, but he does enjoy the suffering of others! And okay, now he knows exactly which book Herbert was-] HEEEEEEEEY! Oh come on, Herbert! Where's your sense of humor? Do I have to strap you to a lab table and poke at you with things until I find it?

[preanimator]

[gives what he thinks is his best haughty look, though really, it mostly just looks pinched - he needs to actually practice it in a mirror instead of just giving people aloof glares] Oh, please, Eriq, you've been wanting to do that to me since second year.

[eighttimeshandy]

[Eriq will be haughty right back, then. And his expression will actually resemble haughty, because he does practice it in the mirror.] Yes, well. That's because such things should be found before they disappear too far up your ahem.

Now, if you'll excuse me... [he will just pick that book Herbert objects to so much back up and add it back to his stack. Anything that includes sex as a cure for anything has GOT to be good for a laugh. And a wank, but he pretends that he's above such things.]

[preanimator]

[Herbert wrinkles up his nose in irritation, both at being so casually dismissed, and because he's a bit jealous of his classmate who can actually afford to buy books just for entertainment value.]

Oh, yes, please excuse me for interrupting your serious and valuable research efforts. [snippily, then looking down at his own slim stack of required books with a scowl]

[eighttimeshandy]

[....Yeah, that really is a tiny stack of books. It kind of makes him feel vaguely uncomfortable in a way he can't really name.]

You know I'll share them with you, right? [Wow, he really did just blurt that out. Awkward.]

[preanimator]

[Herbert's shoulders hunch in a little, embarrassed at being caught out. He tries not to let it bother him that his family hasn't got a lot of money, and his Muggle mother doesn't see the point of buying books when there's a perfectly good library at school, anyway, but sometimes ... ]

I just told you that book was rubbish, why on earth would I want to read it? [flustered and turning a bit red, not looking at Eriq]

[eighttimeshandy]

[It's okay, Herbert. He may not have to worry about money, but that doesn't stop his muggle parents from really side-eyeing and questioning everything he brings home. At least Herbert has ONE parent who understands.]

[They definitely don't appreciate his Goliath Birdeater tarantula.]

[These problems are completely unrelated]

Because a laugh isn't going to kill you. And besides, you did add Arcturo's. That one's not hardly rubbish at all.

Flourish and Blotts. In line for the checkout.

[doctorkishitani]

Hello Eriq!

[And now he's going to lean over and peer at Eriq's pile of books because they don't look like required texts at all and that's intriguing. ]

I haven't read that one, but it looks very interesting.

[eighttimeshandy]

[At least half of them are trashy vampire novels. Including the one Shinra's looking at]

Yyyyyyyyes, I'm sure you haven't. [He's just not going to make eye contact with Shinra right now] They're for my, um, personal collection. I don't think you would be interested.

[doctorkishitani]

I see. My personal collection is mostly medical journals.

[He's going to lean in a bit closer and examine the pile just a bit more thoroughly.]

I didn't know you were so interested in vampirism.

[eighttimeshandy]

[He shrugs one shoulder dismissively] I've already read all my mom's. I don't really need to have copies of everything.

Immortal, ethereal beings above the filth and cruelty of humanity? I love them. They're so misunderstood. [Just like him!]