[OPEN MINGLE] Or perhaps in Slytherin

[fulllifeconsequences]

Who: Slytherin House! (And friends and visitors, of course!)
Where: Slytherin Common Room, Quidditch Pitch, various places around Hogwarts
When: Duration of the event
Rating: G (will edit as necessary)
Summary: Slytherin open log!
The Story:



The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs.

The common room has changed, somewhat, from its historical description, thanks to the decorative powers of one Mettaton. Though it still extends beneath the lake and thus retains a greenish, aquatic cast, it's much more brightly lit, its cold, damp atmosphere replaced with dazzling MTT-brand warmth. Even the giant squid, occasionally peering in as it does its rounds of the lake, seems just a shade more glamorous inside such a charming space.

Students - and a ghost or two - can be found nestled within its confines, plotting mischief around the fire, studiously doing their homework (as good students do), or perhaps trading Chocolate Frog trading cards. Though Slytherin is not especially well-known for its wide-open, trusting nature, Slytherins are known for not snitching on each other; if a guest or two were to creep in for a while, then odds are, nobody saw anything.

Comments

[eatsyourscience]

Not terribly, no.

[He moves his own pawn straight ahead so that it's facing Frisk's. The two seem to sneer at each other, but according to the rules, neither makes any move toward the other.]

You did well at practice.

[determinedest]

[Two pawns, tête-à-tête, then? Seems strategically unsound, but Frisk doesn't begrudge that. They move another of their forward one square.]

Thank you. I know Pines would love for us to come out on top for Potter's last year.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji counters with a knight, the one further from his pawn, moving it forward and one toward the pawn. Chess moves are hard to describe.]

So would I.

[James is just.... Erg.]

As far as I'm concerned, there isn't really another choice.

[determinedest]

[chess shmess it's not like either of them are really invested in the game anyway

Again with the knights. People seem to enjoy bringing those out prematurely. Frisk instead focuses on constructing their pawn skeleton, a ragged semi-circle around most of their pieces.]

I think we're all determined enough to make that a reality.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji advances another pawn this time, sliding it up beside his knight and freeing his king-side bishop up to move next turn.]

You think we're good enough?

[Souji doesn't doubt that they are, and his neutral tone and expression communicate that. He asks offhandedly, mainly because Frisk's own mindset is going to make a difference as their seeker.]

It's strange knowing I'm not playing after this year.

[There's a bit of sentimentality in that sentence.]

[determinedest]

Of course we are. We have each other's backs.

[There's not a moment of hesitation to the words, their pronouncement firm and wholly confident.]

It won't be the same without you. [The words are quieter, but the sentiment is sincere. Souji's been a captain they know they'll always remember, and it will be strange to have someone else in charge.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji glances up at them.]

Here's my best piece of advice: don't let Chara be captain. Ever.

[He's joking. Sort of. A little bit.]

[determinedest]

[Frisk snorts playfully, shaking their head. In a similar vein, their response is mostly lighthearted, but the statement has more than a few sincere underpinnings.]

Don't worry. I don't think either of us could stand being in charge of the other.

[They've always worked best as equals, after all.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji has noticed that in his observation of them, both on and off the field.]

Are the two of you equally good at the same kinds of magic?

[determinedest]

More or less. Chara's much better at Herbology than I am. They take after Dad.

[Siblings, partners - whatever the case, they've learned well enough that the pair of them function best on the same footing.]

[eatsyourscience]

How much do you know about curses?

[The question seems to come from no where. Souji hadn't intended when he sat down to bring the subject up, but the idea that he'll be leaving the school soon makes him want to leave something behind.]

[determinedest]

[The question may seem spontaneous, but Frisk's head tilts to one side in an expression of neutral intrigue, as if he were simply asking them about their chess-playing strategy and not something as dark as curses.]

A little, [they admit evenly.] I know of the three Unforgivables, of course. But those are common knowledge these days, I hear.

[eatsyourscience]

Their existence or how to perform them?

[Souji's eyes are on the chessboard, as though considering his next move.]

[determinedest]

[Frisk drags their bishop across the board evenly in a diagonal line, capturing one of Souji's pawns and leaving one of their rooks vulnerable. Suspiciously vulnerable.]

Their existence, I'd imagine. The performance of said things is trickier. [A corner of their mouth twitches, but they contemplate the chessboard instead of looking up in his direction.] But then, like I said - that's just what I hear.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji counters by moving his own bishop across the board and assuming I'm visualizing the board even close to correctly smiles, just a little.]

Check.

[His smile slips again as he thinks.]

That's what you hear. What do you know?

[determinedest]

[Frisk frowns faintly before dragging their vulnerable rook upwards to take the fall for their king, presuming Souji follows through.]

Not much, I'm afraid. Second years aren't meant to be learning such things.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji turns his attention fully away from the board.]

Do you want to?

[determinedest]

[Their eyes flick up to meet his, dark and immediate.]

Yes.

[The word is almost silent, but the intensity of their stare is direct, sparking with a strange excitement.]

[eatsyourscience]

[For just a second, Souji wonders if this is a bad idea. He likes Frisk, which could be an incentive to teach them or not to. The unforgivable curses tend to leave a mark on people who use them. Besides, Frisk has something about them that makes him think they would do anything they had to under the right circumstances.]

I can teach you. On one condition.

[determinedest]

And what condition is that?

[They're not about to make any promises they don't intend to keep, after all. They can't simply tell him to name his price without knowing what price it is. They've a tenacity to them, a carefully-honed edge, that can be leveled against just about any problem, any obstacle, and allow them to envision and implement its dissolution.

They have a little something called determination.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's aware that, even if Frisk agrees to the condition, he can't force them to abide by that agreement. After all, he's not going to be seeing much of them when this year is over.]

Don't let anyone know you know them.

[He hopes it's implicitly clear that "anyone" includes Frisk's family, which, of course, includes Chara.]

[determinedest]

Duh.

[Their smirk is one-sided, laden with an excited bent. They're not about to tell Mom or Dad, of course - but Chara's an exception to every rule. Even if they're sure they're meant to be included in the scope of that "anyone" phraseology.

But Chara isn't just anyone.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji eyes them. Having been their quidditch captain for awhile now, he knows how Frisk and Chara function as two halves of a whole.]

You know what I'm saying here.

[determinedest]

And I said, duh.

[Their proverbial fingers are crossed, but c'mon. It's not like Souji's gonna have to worry about it after he graduates.]

[eatsyourscience]

[SIGH.

Well, Souji can hope for the best. He really does trust Chara for the most part--they just tend to do stupid and/or violent stuff at times. Frisk, being the calmer of the two, can at least leverage some about of control over that kind of thing. He hopes.]

Alright, then. Whenever you're ready.