[ Peter hadn't expected Christmas gifts β at all. He has the scarf draped in his lap because he's been looking at it again, when he sends Luna a text: once again in the later hours. ]
Hey, Luna? Thank you for the present. That was really nice of you
At my school, everyone gets sorted into houses. They're a bit like teams, I suppose. But you're with that team for your entire time at school. Each house values a set certain qualities a person has. Hufflepuff is the name of one of those houses.
[ He doesn't mean that to sound ungrateful β he's just surprised that she did! (Though really, is it that surprising, Peter? It seems very Luna to gift things.) ]
Oh, that's pretty cool. We didn't do anything like that at my school. Except picking teams at P.E.
I actually asked Sodder for the wool to make it. I used the basket. So I suppose I paid with blood rather than money. The wool's actually magical. Put it on, you'll see.
[ That doesn't sound much better, really. She swears she's going to pay with something other than blood one of these days. ]
I don't think it's a thing in a lot of schools. Not in America, at least.
Ravenclaw. It's a house that favours wit, intelligence and creativity.
[ She believes that translates to: 'the nerds' of Muggle high schools, basically. ]
You have to offer the basket something in return for what you want. Blood seems like a poignant option but anything could work, I supppse. Something you collect for the sole purpose of it being an offering.
[ There's a really bizarre chill going up Peter's spine, causing him to feel cold, to actually start shuddering. It's weirdly familiar, and he's grabbing the nearest blanket to draw around his shoulders. ]
That's really scary Are you okay, though? How much did you have to use?
[ ....Maybe using his sister's notebook to summon her spirit that time was kind of along the same process? ...Fuck, this is all still so weird. But for real, is Luna okay? She seems okay, sure, but... Fuck. ]
[ It takes him a couple seconds to grasp what she means by that but then β Oh. ]
Oh Yeah no I know, I'm sorry
[ Why's he so damn cold? (Hello, Paimon. Guess you're up now.) ]
It's just a scary thought to have to give something up like that? Like... from your own body, I mean
[ But Luna is a witch, he knows that. She knows about spells and runes and.. and all that sort of thing. And yeah, this sounds like something straight out of some witchcraft book, so maybe it's no surprise that she doesn't see it as particularly abnormal. ]
I'm glad you're okay. I just don't want you to be hurt because of me.
[ Okay, sacrificing hair is no less horrifying to him β but clearly this is something she's okay with. He's just going to wrap himself up more tightly in the blanket and stop directing his fears outwards. He's definitely not stopped fretting, though.
But then... what she says next. Ah. ]
It's really nice, Luna. I can't believe you made this yourself. You said if I put it on.. it's magical?
[ At least in the warmer seasons there'll be plenty flowers and berries she can use instead. She is rather attached to her hair, even if she has an awful lot of it.]
I like making things.
And yes! The wool has magical properties. Unfortunately, spells I'd do are only temporary so I asked for something a little more permanent.
[ He does trust her. He's still afraid ofβ so much. But Luna's not scary. He trusts her.
So Peter slips out of the protection of his blanket and carefully puts on the yellow and black scarf, draping it over his shoulders, then loosely tucking it around his neck. And.... it's warming, like a little heating pad, drawing a surprised gasp from him. ]
[ He might not see her face right now, but she's absently smiling to herself. It's a reaction she's genuinely happy to see from him. He's... had a somewhat mixed introduction to magic when it comes to being around her.
This is something good though, she thinks. And she's glad for it. ]
[ He's only able to repeat those correctly because he has the note she left on the scarf in front of him, and he can scroll back and look at Ravenclaw in his texts. ...This is probably the last time Peter will correctly say these words. ]
It sounds like you're the smart house. What's Hufflepuff like?
The explanation for Hufflepuff, though... that has him pausing for a few moments. Luna really feels that way about him? Admittedly, Peter's not used to taking compliments or... even just nice remarks. It feels foreign to him, and he tends to shy away from it naturally.
But it makes him feel oddly... happy, that she thinks of him that way. Of course, being Peter, he's hopelessly awkward with conveying this. ]
Thanks. I mean, I don't know if I'm that nice But you're the nicest person I know, so it's easy
[ ...Good job, Peter. He's trying to give you a compliment, Luna. He's... trying. ]
Speaking of your world, I ran into one of those things you warned me about. The soul sucking things? Everything was okay. I was with Professor Dearborn And we got rid of it
I'm quite sure of it. You being that nice, I mean.
Hufflepuff is a good house. Newt and Theseus were in that house in school. I'd like to think I've made a good judgement adding you to it.
[ And honestly? She's quite charmed by that. She knows he's trying but having someone think of her as a nice person β it's quite touching to hear from someone her own age. Not weird, not strange or odd. Not Loony. But a nice person. It kind of makes her heart swell.
Although: what? ]
Dementors? You encountered a Dementor?
[ It might not come across in her texts but she is... horrified at the thought. Forgive her for the flurry of questions that come in at lightning speed, Peter. ]
[ It really does mean a lot to him that Luna sees him in that way. Especially since he knows she wouldn't just say something. If Luna says it, she genuinely thinks so. Even if he can't quite agree β thinking of himself as good and nice is... wrong, like he's taking it away from someone who truly deserves those titles. Still. It makes something under Peter's chest ache in a gentle, but deep, way.
But he's aware now that what he's just told her is frightening, and he's quick to try and reassure herβ ]
It's okay We're both okay, I promise. We were walking together and ran into one Something happened. Like... these animals appeared, and they protected us It was a lot like the Patriots thing you described, except we're not magic so I don't really know how??
But I found out I can call it out again. I got some kind of weird whistle thing? Wait, I can show you
[ Peter switches his own feed to video so Luna can see him where he's sitting cross-legged on the bed. ....Sorry about the state of his...everything. There's a small pile of discarded clothes on the bed, not filthy, but definitely pre-worn. Seems he just has been leaving them there when he takes off his clothes... His hair is also an Absolute Mess, thanks to the fact he'd showered a couple hours ago and hadn't brushed it at all. The untamed curls are like little tentacles sticking up and rearing in places.... There's a 50/50 chance his hair is sentient and bloodthirsty.
But this is important, and worth exposing the horror of Peter Unkempt to her.... The boy reaches for the whistle that had appeared in his room following the Dementor incident, and does what Ben did, which is give it a soft blow. After a few seconds, a small, glowing light manifests right there, and settles into the shape of a... black trapdoor spider. ]
This thing scared the Dementor thing. [ Good description, Peter. Lots of adjectives there. He looks up at his Fluid while the creature slowly crawls up into his lap. Though most people would be pretty averse to this, Peter doesn't seem afraid of it at all, thankfully. ]
[ Seeing the word 'Patriots' had certainly distracted her for a moment. It's not overly important, though β she's more interested in these animals of theirs. Admittedly, she does know something about that, having dealt with someone else earlier in the month who'd called forth some kind of Patronus of their own β and they had used a whistle, too.
In turn, Luna too appears on her bed, propped up by pillows β the room illuminated in a warm, soft light. It's... oddly quiet around her, considering she shares the space with three others and a small menagerie of animals. She's still for a while, watching the screen with wide eyes, waiting to see what he means to show her. There's still concern, though β considering he's faced a Dementor. Even surviving such a thing isn't a pleasant experience.
Peter puts the whistle to his lips and she blinks finally at the gentle glow of light. It is like she's seen before. She pauses, sitting up a little β the quiet shuffling of papers as she moves something out of her lap and places it on her bedside. It might be the holidays, but of course she's doing her homework.
A spider...? Luna's lips part in quiet awe for a moment before a slow smile spreads across her face. ]
He's lovely. [ What a curious little fellow. ] It's... it's funny, I've actually seen something like that. There was a boy from school β we encountered Dementors and he had a whistle like that. His creature was a hare, though. I thought it was maybe something from his world, butβ
[ Is this something Deerington does? ]
Maybe all Sleepers have their own Patronuses, here. Or something that works similar.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text | un: P.Graham
Hey, Luna?
Thank you for the present. That was really nice of you
And hey, what's Hufflepuff mean?
text; un: quibbler
At my school, everyone gets sorted into houses. They're a bit like teams, I suppose. But you're with that team for your entire time at school. Each house values a set certain qualities a person has. Hufflepuff is the name of one of those houses.
no subject
[ He doesn't mean that to sound ungrateful β he's just surprised that she did! (Though really, is it that surprising, Peter? It seems very Luna to gift things.) ]
Oh, that's pretty cool. We didn't do anything like that at my school. Except picking teams at P.E.
Which kind of house are you?
no subject
[ That doesn't sound much better, really. She swears she's going to pay with something other than blood one of these days. ]
I don't think it's a thing in a lot of schools. Not in America, at least.
Ravenclaw. It's a house that favours wit, intelligence and creativity.
[ She believes that translates to: 'the nerds' of Muggle high schools, basically. ]
no subject
Wait you
used blood in that thing?
Like your own blood??
[ Give him a minute, he'll get back to everything else; he just has to...... process this. And fret hard about it. ]
no subject
[ Of course. ]
You have to offer the basket something in return for what you want. Blood seems like a poignant option but anything could work, I supppse. Something you collect for the sole purpose of it being an offering.
no subject
That's really scary
Are you okay, though? How much did you have to use?
[ ....Maybe using his sister's notebook to summon her spirit that time was kind of along the same process? ...Fuck, this is all still so weird. But for real, is Luna okay? She seems okay, sure, but... Fuck. ]
no subject
It's only a bit of blood. What's so scary about that? Girls deal with more blood than boys do, anyway.
I suppose I offer enough until it feels right. But it's never a terribly huge amount.
[ There's a pause, though. He does seem... worried. ]
I'm perfectly alright, Peter.
no subject
Oh
Yeah no I know, I'm sorry
[ Why's he so damn cold? (Hello, Paimon. Guess you're up now.) ]
It's just a scary thought to have to give something up like that? Like... from your own body, I mean
[ But Luna is a witch, he knows that. She knows about spells and runes and.. and all that sort of thing. And yeah, this sounds like something straight out of some witchcraft book, so maybe it's no surprise that she doesn't see it as particularly abnormal. ]
I'm glad you're okay. I just don't want you to be hurt because of me.
no subject
[ How very modern of him! Most boys don't know about things like that. ]
I suppose it might be, but I don't mind. Maybe I could offer some of my hair next time, sounds a little less morbid.
And I know that, but I did it because I wanted to.
no subject
But then... what she says next. Ah. ]
It's really nice, Luna. I can't believe you made this yourself.
You said if I put it on.. it's magical?
no subject
I like making things.
And yes! The wool has magical properties. Unfortunately, spells I'd do are only temporary so I asked for something a little more permanent.
Try it on, you'll see.
[ Warming magic, Peter. It's nice, trust her. ]
no subject
So Peter slips out of the protection of his blanket and carefully puts on the yellow and black scarf, draping it over his shoulders, then loosely tucking it around his neck. And.... it's warming, like a little heating pad, drawing a surprised gasp from him. ]
Oh, wow
This is incredible
It's literally warm!
no subject
This is something good though, she thinks. And she's glad for it. ]
Much more prepared for the cold weather, I think.
Merry Christmas.
no subject
So Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, huh
[ He's only able to repeat those correctly because he has the note she left on the scarf in front of him, and he can scroll back and look at Ravenclaw in his texts. ...This is probably the last time Peter will correctly say these words. ]
It sounds like you're the smart house. What's Hufflepuff like?
no subject
[ More names he'll likely get wrong at some point. Luna doesn't mind. ]
Hufflepuffs are known for their kindness and loyalty. And like I wrote in your little note: they're patient, just and hardworking.
I just thought it suited you best. You've been very kind and patient with me.
no subject
The explanation for Hufflepuff, though... that has him pausing for a few moments. Luna really feels that way about him? Admittedly, Peter's not used to taking compliments or... even just nice remarks. It feels foreign to him, and he tends to shy away from it naturally.
But it makes him feel oddly... happy, that she thinks of him that way. Of course, being Peter, he's hopelessly awkward with conveying this. ]
Thanks.
I mean, I don't know if I'm that nice
But you're the nicest person I know, so it's easy
[ ...Good job, Peter. He's trying to give you a compliment, Luna. He's... trying. ]
Speaking of your world, I ran into one of those things you warned me about. The soul sucking things?
Everything was okay. I was with Professor Dearborn
And we got rid of it
no subject
Hufflepuff is a good house. Newt and Theseus were in that house in school. I'd like to think I've made a good judgement adding you to it.
[ And honestly? She's quite charmed by that. She knows he's trying but having someone think of her as a nice person β it's quite touching to hear from someone her own age. Not weird, not strange or odd. Not Loony. But a nice person. It kind of makes her heart swell.
Although: what? ]
Dementors? You encountered a Dementor?
[ It might not come across in her texts but she is... horrified at the thought. Forgive her for the flurry of questions that come in at lightning speed, Peter. ]
How?
How did you?
What happened?
Are you sure you're alright?
Is Professor Dearborn alright?
no subject
But he's aware now that what he's just told her is frightening, and he's quick to try and reassure herβ ]
It's okay
We're both okay, I promise.
We were walking together and ran into one
Something happened. Like... these animals appeared, and they protected us
It was a lot like the Patriots thing you described, except we're not magic so I don't really know how??
But I found out I can call it out again. I got some kind of weird whistle thing?
Wait, I can show you
[ Peter switches his own feed to video so Luna can see him where he's sitting cross-legged on the bed. ....Sorry about the state of his...everything. There's a small pile of discarded clothes on the bed, not filthy, but definitely pre-worn. Seems he just has been leaving them there when he takes off his clothes... His hair is also an Absolute Mess, thanks to the fact he'd showered a couple hours ago and hadn't brushed it at all. The untamed curls are like little tentacles sticking up and rearing in places.... There's a 50/50 chance his hair is sentient and bloodthirsty.
But this is important, and worth exposing the horror of Peter Unkempt to her.... The boy reaches for the whistle that had appeared in his room following the Dementor incident, and does what Ben did, which is give it a soft blow. After a few seconds, a small, glowing light manifests right there, and settles into the shape of a... black trapdoor spider. ]
This thing scared the Dementor thing. [ Good description, Peter. Lots of adjectives there. He looks up at his Fluid while the creature slowly crawls up into his lap. Though most people would be pretty averse to this, Peter doesn't seem afraid of it at all, thankfully. ]
no subject
It's a Patronus charm, Peter.
[ Seeing the word 'Patriots' had certainly distracted her for a moment. It's not overly important, though β she's more interested in these animals of theirs. Admittedly, she does know something about that, having dealt with someone else earlier in the month who'd called forth some kind of Patronus of their own β and they had used a whistle, too.
In turn, Luna too appears on her bed, propped up by pillows β the room illuminated in a warm, soft light. It's... oddly quiet around her, considering she shares the space with three others and a small menagerie of animals. She's still for a while, watching the screen with wide eyes, waiting to see what he means to show her. There's still concern, though β considering he's faced a Dementor. Even surviving such a thing isn't a pleasant experience.
Peter puts the whistle to his lips and she blinks finally at the gentle glow of light. It is like she's seen before. She pauses, sitting up a little β the quiet shuffling of papers as she moves something out of her lap and places it on her bedside. It might be the holidays, but of course she's doing her homework.
A spider...? Luna's lips part in quiet awe for a moment before a slow smile spreads across her face. ]
He's lovely. [ What a curious little fellow. ] It's... it's funny, I've actually seen something like that. There was a boy from school β we encountered Dementors and he had a whistle like that. His creature was a hare, though. I thought it was maybe something from his world, butβ
[ Is this something Deerington does? ]
Maybe all Sleepers have their own Patronuses, here. Or something that works similar.