Turning Ordinary Games into Wizard Games: Promise not to blow anything up.....intentionally

Lugging his backpack full of materials to the park, Raven looked around and decided that the tree made a good spot. He liked sitting under them. Thunking his bag down not being all that particular careful with it, he soon followed his bad, back now resting against the tree. Pulling the bag to him he opened it and started to pull out the things he'd carted all the way from his home. In it was plaster board, cards, paint markers, pencils, etc.

Setting the plasterboard on his lap he took the pencil and began to outline how he wanted the board to look like. He was going to have so much fun converting this into a wizard version. That was one of the things the boy loved doing. Making muggle things magical. It drove his mum buggy that was for sure. That wasn't his intention at all; it was an added bonus! As soon as he was done marking it in in pencil, he picked up the exacto knife and began cutting.

Crunching of leaves let him know he wasn't alone. A shadow fell across his board blocking what he was doing. He blinked and looked up shading his eyes with the hand not holding the exacto knife as he looked up to see who it was.

Oh Wizard God he had a knife. That is the first thing Cass notices as she walks up to Raven. What is it with friends and knives? Do they not know they were renowned for chopping people's digits' off? Nevertheless, she creeps up without thinking to make her presence that known. Then again, she is walking up to him face on. Can't have been more obviously not oblivious if she wore big red shoes and a massive curly wig.

He'd only laugh, anyway.
The boy had changed, but only a little. Just subtle differences, not that she is able to make out what in particular. Just different. Oh well, she thinks as she licks her lips almost nervously. At least there was a familiar (somewhat) face.

When he looks up, she rolls her eyes.
"Making yourself a birthday present?"

He knew that voice and the way it was said. A grin split Raven's face as he set the board and knife aside, jumping to his feet. "Hey, Pia!"

He hadn't seen her in awhile! Not since their last joint birthday party. It had been a scavenger hunt that Raven had gotten lost during. He wasn't very good when it came to directions. He was a more make it up as you go along kind of person. Not to mention he had no sense of direction.

Grabbing her hand he pulled her down to sit with him. "Look what I'm making! Remember when we got together and we were talking about the different games? Muggle versus Wizard? Well, I was trying to make some Muggle board games more...wizard like. Whatcha think?"

She pats his back and rolls her eyes just like had shown her to. "Really, Pia?"
Not that she was complaining. Infact, she was practically beaming!
"I really didn't think I'd get to see you before Hogwarts. But I have and that's brill."

As she is so cruelly made to sit against her will down next to him she takes a look more in depth at what he's doing. "Oh, wow. You really did end up doing it! Wow, this is the best reunion ever!" She claps and does a small sat down bow. Oh, if only Bradley were with her now. He'd have a field day. Or park day. What ever this Cenetary thing was. At least it wasn't a cemetary, she was sure of that. She had checked before she took a step in.

"And where did you get that knife from mister? I would've thought that your mum had enough sense not to give you anything half pointy," she says with a toothy grin.

Giving a snort, Raven shook his head and smiled back. “You can get them at any hobby shop, Pia.”

He did have to agree with her that it really was brilliant that they got to meet again before going to Hogwarts. It had actually slipped the boy’s mind that they were the same age and therefore would be more than likely going to Hogwarts at the same time. He wondered if they’d get sorted into the same house. Probably not, but it would fun if they did.

Giving the girl the paint markers and cards he asked, “Want to do the honor in making the cards? I’m sure you’re drawing is better than mine.”

Raven’s mother hadn’t wanted to let him buy the pens because she recalled the disastrous episode with the white paint from when he was knee high to a grasshopper. His puppy eyes and promises that he wouldn’t use them in the house at all got her to let him have them.

"Oh! Right!" He handed over the pencil he'd been usuing earlier as well. Just incase she wanted to use it first then go over it with the paint markers.

"As long as I'm not expected to take you to St Mungos, I'm as happy as a pineapple," she adds, although she knows if he did lose any digits she'd probably be bawling (not that she'd admit it) and offer her Ezee Go-Kiddie broom as transport.

"You're giving me responsibility?" she says, unable to hide the incredulity in her voice. This was a far cry from eight year old Raven. He did all the work- out of choice while she watched or inevitably got in the way. She happily accepts however, and begins matching up colors to their respective cards.

"What made you dredge this plan up, Rae?"
Funny, Cass had only been thinking about it the other day. His pencilled attempts makes her grin toothily and bite on her plait. She marks in some margins and peers over his shoulder to see what the infamous puppy-eyed Raven Drake was doing.

Making a face at her reference to a pineapple, Raven shook his head. He hated pineapple! Stupid yellow fruit. Dragging his mind away from that he laughed at his friend's delight. "Of course, Pia. You are more responsible than I am...I think."

Canting his head to the side, the eleven year old thought about that and nodded. Yes, she was definitely more responsible than he was. She actually read warning labels while he just read enough to know what not to do to cause immediate harm....sometimes not even then actually.

"As for how I came about it...you gave me the idea actually." Flashing her a grin he pulled out a piece of paper than had muggle games written on it. Across from them were written their wizard counterparts...for the most part. Chinese checkers had Gobstones across from it. Solitaire and other card games had Exploding Snap across from it and so on.

"I want to make em all wizard games. You're the perfect person to help me, if you want."

Cass thinks about Puppy-Rae's words. Responsible. She spells it out in her head, elongating the syllables. Is she responsible? She did throw Bradley up in a tree in her last birthday and had to hear him croak like a lonely sack of warts until bedtime. But when her Mum left her Oak Matured Mead out while she went to see to the toad, she could have drank it all, but she didn't. Cass had wanted to, but she wanted to feel responsible

So she just had a sip.

"I gave you the idea. Right, of course I did... I don't remember this," Cass admits bashfully, keeping in consideration that she doesn't always remember everything she's done. It's helpful when you're in trouble, anyway.

She gulps at the idea of such a responsibilty and squints up at Raven. "Are you sure you want me to screw this up?" She swallows the last bit of the question realising it isn't that important as a smile creeps up on her face. "And so how long have you been working on this? Did you even eat breakfast this morning?"
((OOC: laughed my head off at the third paragraph. ))

Raven nodded and grinned up at his friend. "Oh yes, it's all your doing, Pia."

In fact, the boy clearly remembered that it had been her who had suggested or commented about turning a particular muggle game into a wizarding one. He knew they both had some scraps of paper with ideas on it somewhere, he'd lost his in the black hole that was his room. Not sure if she still had her copy, he shrugged confused by her next question.

"What do you mean screw it up? If anything, that's my department." Out of the two of them, he was the one who was usually always in trouble. "Like I said. You're the better artist."

"As long as that's a good thing, Raven and I have no qualms," Cassopeia says, grinning at the thought.

Cass does a smirk. "Oh I know that's what you master in. I think seeing as I had to make do without you for a while I inherited a few traits. I have so many tales to tell you on the train. I think my brother hates me for all the small time pranks I've played," she grins broadly. She ignores the comment about being an artist. Saying thank you would just make her awkward. Best to say nothing.

Cass takes her time working around the pencilled in corners. She decides she likes this red. It's a sort of vermillion and she isn't sure, but if there's still a house at Hogwarts with a red pattern on it somewhere, she wants to be in that one.

Red reminded her of a lot of things actually.
Cass sits bolt upright and puts the pencil and paper on the grass, then deciding the pencil can be a good paperweight. "Raven, Raven! It's you isn't it!"

She realises it is the obvious, but it's her thought process. "I have something for you in my knapsack. Think of it at your birthday present. Well, it is your birthday present, but it's late." Cass holds the small envelope in her hand and thinks about putting it back in her bag. It isn't much, but she's worked on it, and with that in mind closes the gap and shoves it into his lap, not waiting for him to put his stuff down to accept it.

Hearing that his friend had 'inherited' his traits, Raven laughed. It was nice that some of his tendencies rubbed off on her. It was only fair since some of her traits rubbed off on him! Smiling at just the mere mention of pranks and that she had played them on her brothers of all people, well he just had to hear about those! Maybe they could continue on their streak when they got to Hogwarts? Maybe even make it into their record book? That would be something. If you can't become famous, might as well be infamous, or something like that.

When Pia suddenly shot up and stated, "Raven, Raven! It's you isn't it!" the boy blinked up at her confused. She was confusing sometimes and he had to puzzle out what she meant, but that was what he liked about her. She was different and that was always fun.

Eyes widening a little when she mention birthdays and that it was for him, he picked up the red envelope. A grin graced his features before it was replaced by a small frown and he gazed back at the girl. "But Pia, I don't have anything for you..."

And he didn't, he realized as his eyes quickly scanned the things he'd brought to the park. Typically in true Raven fashion, he hadn't thought ahead, only to what he needed at the time. He didn't have anything to give her in return and it didn't matter that it was late. He still should have thought of it. Trying to think what he could give her, he thought of the only thing he could think of. "When we pull our first prank at Hogwarts and gain notoriety I promise you can be the boss!"

Promise made, he opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside. Seeing it, he had to laugh recalling their last scavenger hunt game. Pulling out the silver chain from under his shirt that never left his neck he proudly showed Pia the silver rings on there. One in particular.

When Raven doesn't open the envelope, but immediately says he hasn't anything for her, her smile doesn't move. It isn't that she is expecting anything- maybe she was- but with Raven you can never be too sure anyway. Nothing's set in ink, which is why Cass is taking extra care around those pencil lines.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, bud. I got platefuls of custard and pureé. All a kid needs. Oh, and Bradley of course. He did an ace trick with a meat cleaver."

Cass snorts at Raven's comment about leading the onslaught at Hogwarts. She's forgotten that Raven gravitates to being in charge. It's easier that way, anyway. Not her fault she tends to make mistakes. She itches her ankle at this thought.

Exaggeratedly whispering and trying to look ominous she says, "flip it," as he holds the parchment of their last Scavenger hunt out. "and hold it to the light."

Because written in a special ink she might or might not have spent most of her savings on, were the words Hunt two: it begins on the train.

Against her airs and graces, she did blush a little at the presentation of his necklace. Amongst a family heirloom of his was the one she'd gotten him, ages back. Now she thinks about it, it was a silly thing to buy a kid at the age of seven a ring. Actually, it was really stupid. In all fact she hadn't remembered it until now.

"Blasts from the past, eh?" she says, cutting out a card square.

Cauliflower Mash Pureé...that was something Raven would never forget. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was just something that couldn't be forgotten. Not when it was your best friend's favorite food but also because of the taste. It was just something that stuck with you whether you wanted it to or not.

A frog- no- toad, he recalled rightly last time he'd called Bradley a frog, with a meat cleaver....Not something he was altogether sure he wanted to be witness too. Lizzie Borden froggie style? Shaking his head to get those thoughts away, after all when he saw Bradley again he did not want to spazz and have to tell Pia why.

Reading what was written on the card, Raven grinned at her and mindful of his lapful of project as well as Pia now holding a something sharp and pointy, he resisted giving her a hug. "A good blast, Pia. It's one of my treasured item," the boy nods.

Cass mumbles something about the ring being a stupid idea but not being glad about it. However, something that has been on her mind since seeing the Puppy Eyed Prankster in the park surfaces fully. "Did you know we were both going? To Hogwarts I mean."

Her brother always talks about Raven, and a few of the other kids they saw around and about when they were younger. They were always sparse in Matlock. You couldn't move for penioners, though.

She marvels at the work he's done in the short space of time she's been here, and this tells her he hasn't been here for that long. Hm. Odd place to sit, in a park like this to do a board game, then again knowing Raven if the thought had struck him it'd take a lot to get him to stop thinking about it.

Raven seriously thought about it. Did he know that they’d be going to Hogwarts? Not really since his mum and dad had argued about where he should go. He knew his father wanted to put him in Durmstrang and his mum didn’t want him to go to any magic school at all! That was back when they were both together though.

“Well,” he replied honestly. “I knew you’d be going to Hogwarts.”

He had hoped he’d go to Hogwarts. From what he’d heard Durmstrang sounded rather gloomy. He for one didn’t want to become a vampire in training. Or become a mole person. That was just so not him. He liked being outside in the fresh air. Not because he was sporty because he wasn’t. More like it gave him ample places to set up pranks. Although he’d heard his mother would rather have him outside then inside. His step mum had pretty much summed it up the same way.

“Dad wanted me to go to Durmstrang and if not there then into Slytherin if I was to go to Hogwarts. Mum was a Hufflepuff and wants me to be in any house but Slytherin.”

Stuffing the envelope and card into his bag, he turned his attention back to the board and continued cutting and making adjustments. “What about you, Pia? Think you’ll be a crafty clever ‘Claw? Or a ferocious impulsive Gryffindor? A sneaky cunning Slytherin, or a hardworking no one knows what a Hufflepuff is?”

Oh well then that must have sealed the deal, she thinks sarcastically, not without good humour. For her it wasn't even much of a choice. Her name'd been down on there since she was born, like any other kid of magical ability in Britain, though of course there were exceptions like Raven who hadn't been one hundred percent decided on Hogwarts since infancy.

Cass imagines Raven in the horrendously dark and bleak pictures of Dumstrang in the equally dark and bleak uniforms.The stupid high collars that made all the kids on the picture her Mum used to waft in her face to frighten her if she had been caught being naughty look like vicars (her Mum seemed to be a little vague about the fact Cass was a girl and Durmstrang was dominated by boys, but Cass supposes that must've frightened her enough to be still a little fearful of the place now).

"I don't think I would have liked it if you would have ended up there," she admits. Not only would she not have seen him seeing as he lived (now only in the summer) in Kerry, Ireland, but that she was sure he would have turned out bad at that place.

Cass pats her pile of cards and tried to make them neat as she finishes speaking. Talk about good timing. "I don't exactly know what houses there are, really."
She laughs outright at the 'smart claw' house. Yeah, that'll be the day. Ferocious? More like feeble. Sneaky and cunning sounded fun though. She could work with that title. And the fourth?

"Don't you know what one that is? Or is that the one no-body speaks of?" she says ominously. "Well, either way, I'll make it my business to find out what's so great about that one. You have me at my word, sir!"

As she says this, she feels a little bit of acting is needed here, and so provides her audience of one with some. She stands boldly upwards, opening her legs wide with her hands on her hips as one unsheaths a very heavy and extremely invisible blade and hoists it into the air, fighting back the urge to say 'gyar'. "At my word sir. And wouldst thou join me on the most noblest of quests?"

Cass figures if you say it interestingly to Raven you've pretty much got him beat. Then again, her figures aren't that great.

Grinning up at his friend, Raven sets the board and knife aside. Standing he goes to where Pia was standing and pretended to doff his cap did an exaggerated bow. Straightening he replied, “Thy quest sounds most intriguing and most honorable.”

Kneeling and bowing his head he continued. “I shall deem it the most importance to help thee on thy noblest of quests, milady.”

This was why he loved being friends with Pia. She was just plain fun!

"That's because it noble, and honest, and er-"
What other words did knights say other than that?
"-ace. Yeah?" She looks at Raven to see if he approves of the word. He does a slight nod. Cass likes this game. She likes it mucho grande. Up until when Raven says milady.

Ultimate dishonour.
At lightning speed, she unsheaths her dagger this time, and quite out of character places her invisible for stealth weapons on the floor to adjust her deceptively invisible plates of armour and chain mail, then rigidly picking the blades back up again.
"You foul peasant dragon breath grindy slayer!" she says, waving her sword in his face. "A scratch for the knave!"

Cass won't notice for a while that she's actually forgotten what she was doing and is now really truly trying to hit Raven with an air sword. Or dagger, don't underestimate those.

Realizing he’d made a mistake, Raven should have known better than to call her milady. That had always been a big no no with Pia. Even when they were little she would change moods when you called her girly. It was an insult to lump her in with all those other giggly girls and such. Eyes widening when the girl lunged at him he blinked when he felt something graze his cheek and hastily got to his feet.

Feeling something dripping off his cheek, the boy knew it was probably caused by Pia’s anger and her magic. He’d done stuff when he was upset without meaning to. But that was why they had to go to school to learn to control it so accidents didn’t happen right? Knowing he deserved it though for forgetting that his friend wasn’t just anyone but someone completely unique, and her own self, Raven didn’t take offense.

Pulling his own ‘sword’ Raven stood in en guard position. “Blaggard! How dare you attack your vassal and brother in arms!”

Grinning to show Pia that he still wanted to play the game he lunged as if he was holding a sword, then changed it to an upward slice.

Cass thinks that the best way to scare Raven is to have him cornered, but since he's stood up and still in front of the tree. Well, might as well circle the tree. She comes around full circle and stares him down, noticing him bringing his hand to his face.

She's about to laugh and tell him that's very good play acting but she isn't sure now. Then again, what was she supposed to have hit him with? Air? Or maybe her extremely invisible-only-to-Raven weapons were actually real? That was sort of doubtful, but wouldn't that be cool!

The First Year couldn't help but snort and giggle when Raven retorted, ready to retaliate. If she had ripped his face off with air, what was she expecting? Raven to cry and push her over?
Sometimes, Cass thinks she's spent too much time with Alex.

When Raven slices in an upward motion she clutches her arm and whimpers, then putting the offending arm behind her back and making a sound effect for her dagger falling into the grass.

"Brother in arms? Nay sir! I see only vermin of the lowest gouda."
Gouda doesn't sound right there, but it sounds good. Cass does what she would call a menacing smirk which more looks like squinting.

"You better watch my foot work, Mr Drake! Bradley's taught me a thing or two."
He hadn't. And you could tell a bit as she stuttered forward and held the sword out like a lance. "For Narni- er, Hogwarts!"

Gouda? Raven had to stifle a laugh but his amusement showed on his face as he grinned at the girl. Bradley taught her footwork? At that, the boy nearly lost it. He could just picture his best friend hopping around like a frog and doing a bizarre sort of fighting that way.

“Vermin? You dare to call me vermin when you betray your fellow?” Pretending to be outraged, he declared, “Thou art the villain here. Speaking of honor when you have none thyself!”

Making the sounds of clashing swords, as they would have met with Pia’s charge, Raven spun away and spotting some sticks smirked. This would be fun! Holding up his finger to indicate a break in their play, “Just a sec, Pia.”

Trotting over he went and grabbed them and gave them an experimental swing. Listening to the ‘whoosh’ sound he smiled. These would do perfectly. Going back to his friend he tossed her a stick and resumed play. Getting in a èn guard position he gestured with his other hand for the girl to try again.

(OOC: ROFLMAO! For Narnia! You're awesome!)

"You are the villian, baby," she says, slowly slipping into her badly rehearsed Manhattan accent. "Tru- and tru-. All along." She does a deep laugh and inwardly laughs at herself. How could she produce a laugh like that?
"Who needs 'onour when you gots a hungry blade?"

Cass stands motionless when Raven puts his finger in the air to pause and tries not to laugh. She's doing well so far. Raven throws a stick her way and she makes an overly dramatic deal of catching it. There's keeping blood in her.

"Bring it, streetrat," she says venomously, putting her hand behind her back and holding on to the bottom of her plait.


((OOC: Oh, come on, you've known that since August.))

Not able to place the accent his friend was using, Raven gazed at her curiously before shrugging it off and just continued to enjoy their game. He had to put his hand to his mouth to cover his laugh though seeing that she was as enthusiastic as he was about their reunion and getting to play together once again.

Muddling through what Pia had said, he stuck his tongue out at her. “You still try to claim innocent yet thou art the one with the bloodied blade.”

Standing as regally as he could which in reality he didn’t think pulled it off quite well. “If I be the villain than I proudly claim to be the outlaw Robin Hood you vile sheriff.”

"Raven, it's a stick," she blurts, before coughing and regaining composure. Of course this sticky blade made of blady stuff was covered in blood. Cass doesn't seem to like that they're playing make believe and he's pointed out on her make'd believe object that there's blood on it.

"Yeah, well your tutu and princess crown look too shiny for me," she said smugly, "tell me princess, now when did you last do a bit of sword dancin'? Seems like you've been lazing around the palace for far too long letting the hardworkers of the Earth attend to your every whim!" At this, Cass lunges, heaving for his knee caps.

"No, you're viler."

Oh, so he wants to lay claims to characters, does he? She wonders where that's come from. "Pick whichever character through history you like, streetrat. You'll live a streetrat, and you'll die a streetrat."

About to pout at Pia for breaking character he smiled seeing her get a hold of herself. Although he wasn’t very happy to be called a princess. A tutu, really? He shook his head. “I think you need to get your eyes examined, Pia.”

Nearly laughing when he recognized the last insult, he brought his stick to hit the girl’s blocking it from catching his legs. “My swordplay is excellent thank you very much. And I’d rather be a street rat than a villain since most street rats are actually hero’s in disguise.”

That’s how it was in the books he read even the muggle movies. It was always the poor least expected person that was the one to do awesome things. Unlocking his ‘sword’ from his opponent’s, Raven took a few steps backwards then brought the stick up for a downward slash.