You're gonna

taste the ground someday

You're gonna

taste the grass...

It was on a cloudy afternoon that Liang, for once, found himself outside without a book to keep him company. It shocked even him, but he'd found that he hadn't the mindset for reading for more than a week now. It had been unexpected, but Liang found that Hogwarts was adept at keeping his attention whether he wanted it to or not. There was always something new to catch his eye and his interests, and he had little to no time for leisure reading now.

Today was one of the days that he allowed himself to roam outside. He had seen some of the grounds, but for the most part his explorations had been limited to the inside of the school.

Of course, it just happened that the day Liang went outside, the skies chose to be grey and dreary. What could he expect — this was Britain, after all. But he regretted not taking a chance on a previous day when the sun was out and shining. It was certainly much better than trudging about on the damp grass, hoping that there was no rain threatening to soak him if he wandered too far. Needless to say, Liang was not keen on going too far out.

The Black Lake seemed like the most logical option. He had seen it once already... after all, the Durmstrang ship was docked there. Though he hadn't paid much attention the first time around, since he had still been feeling horribly sick from the voyage. But now that he was in a better frame of mind, perhaps there was something else worth seeing there as well. 

What he had not considered was the fact that someone else might be out and about in this weather as well. But — even from a distance — the moment Liang spotted the tiny pinprick of a figure making its rounds around the lake, he knew who it was.

Ion Zakharov was a name that he had become familiar with over the past year. He shared only a few classes with the older boy, but they were in the same house. He had oft seen Ion lurking about the dormitories, doing God-knows-what in the early morning hours. Ion might not know that Liang had been watching, but Liang was a light sleeper. He had seen Ion shuffling about the common room late at night, but he had never stayed long enough to ask. It was somewhat unsettling. 

But what intrigued Liang more than Ion's odd hours was the other boy's ability and sharpness. Without that, Liang might never have noticed him in the first place.

Liang thought of it as a little game. He wasn't sure how it had even started off — only that one day in Charms, he and Ion had somehow caught each other's eyes. And, somehow, it had rocketed off from there. Liang was excellent at Charms. 

So was Ion. And they both knew the extent of their own abilities, and each other's. And over the past year, Liang had become intimately acquainted with just how clever Ion could be. Classes had become a flurried contest of how could perform a spell or hex better than the other. It had started in Charms, and then somehow crept its way into their other classes.

And it was exciting. Liang hadn't thought classes would ever be much more than a chore (because despite his efforts and his grades, Liang never really enjoyed class). But somehow, Ion had made it into something much more interesting. There was at least some thrill in it. 

He stopped nearby to stand and watch, for a while, as Ion made circled the lake. Some part of Liang nagged at him to step up and to finally introduce himself to Ion. But... it had been almost an entire year, and Liang was still not so sure that Ion even knew his name. Liang did not often make it known, and if he did, he never gave the real one. But Ion surely knew his face well. Their little game had guaranteed that. And maybe it was finally time to get to know the student he'd been quietly competing with over the past months.

With that in mind, Liang made his way down to the path Ion had taken up into his running routine.

"On your left," he said simply, the only warning he gave before falling into a steady rhythm beside Ion.

He was not quite sure what to say beyond that, and so he simply kept running, trying to keep pace with Ion. Hopefully the other boy would pipe up with something soon, because while Liang was confident in his ability to outperform the boy in some of their academic subjects, he was certain he would tire out soon. He had seen Ion often on his runs, and there was no competing with that. 

« tag: ION ZAKHAROV  // notes: sorry for late post </3 »

★ made by elaina

Sure it's rough around the edges
It's the only thing you see

Ion was not used to getting caught in the rain while running so incredibly often. Usually it was obvious when it was about to rain and when it was not, but in the UK such things seemed to be less obvious. As far as he could tell it almost always looked like it was going to rain at some point during the day. He didn’t particularly mind getting rained on, but it did make things more complicated as it took time to dry off. Sure, there were spells to speed up the process a bit, but it was still an enormous pain. He was dealing with it though. After all, he liked running enough that getting drenched a few times seemed to be worth it to him. It was dreary today, but it wasn’t raining on him yet. He was going to hold out hope that it would continue to just be cloudy and not raining at least until he was finished running. Aside from that though, running around the Black Lake was actually rather nice. It was a change of scenery from his usual runs, and so he was coming to be okay with spending the year at Hogwarts. Perhaps one day if he was feeling particularly adventurous he’d go running through the forbidden forest. He’d probably get in trouble for it if he was caught, but he was also pretty sure it would be a fascinating adventure so maybe it would be worth it.

He contemplated what sort of creatures he would actually run into if he were to go on such a run while he made his way around the lake. The boy wasn’t trying to go particularly fast, no he was pacing himself to keep the run going longer. Still, he was keeping a decent enough pace though, one that would qualify it as exercise rather than simply strolling about the grounds casually. Though, really, considering he did this every day it was probably hardly considered exercise at this point and more along the lines of habit instead. Either way, blood was pumping and his heart rate was not resting, that was the point here and he was managing that much. At some point he would grow tired, but for now he was pretty okay with continuing the run for a while. Really he just needed to do something with the seemingly endless energy he always seemed to have, running had become a way for him to get rid of at least some of it. Though, somehow no matter how tired he was he still frequently ended up sleepwalking. Or simply talking and thus freaking out his dorm mates as he was sometimes better at holding a conversation while unconscious than he was while awake.

He was pretty focused on his run, so he hadn’t noticed someone falling into pace beside him until the younger boy said something. It was probably some sort of miracle he didn’t trip and fall directly into the lake out of surprise at that very moment actually. When he was focused on things, interrupting his focus had a slight tendency to end in disaster. If the focus was on running, he tended to land on his face, if it was spells they would simply either not work or backfire. Anyway, the boy was someone he recognized. If he remembered correctly he always gave his name as Nicolau he thought? That could have been wrong, he was always more focused on what the boy had been doing than what his name was. Either way, Nicolau was in his dorm, and the two of them had seemingly been in some sort of magical competition with one another for the last year so it was definitely someone he was familiar with. Ion loved competition, so having a classmate that repeatedly tried to outdo him in classes had been quite a thrill. Being challenged in class was about the only time he really excelled in half them, so it was kind of nice to have good grades simply because he was trying to out-cast a classmate. Otherwise he generally just didn’t actually care about class.

Upon being approached at first, he almost expected a race to be proposed, or to be shoved in the lake, and when it was just a statement of the boy being on his left he wasn’t really sure how to respond. ”Er…hello,” he said simply. The boy was keeping pace with him, so that meant he wanted to run with him? What else could it be? Nicolau wasn’t someone he usually saw while running, so he was guessing that there was some other purpose here. He did suppose he had just somehow missed the fact that the boy frequently went running, but he somehow doubted that. Did he possibly want something? ”Have you decided to take up running?” he asked idly. Perhaps it would be something else that the boy wanted to compete against him with.

826/ Liang Hongxi Tseng / notes: no worries

You're gonna

taste the ground someday

You're gonna

taste the grass...

Liang was mildly amused when Ion responded so outwardly to the sudden company. He had never deliberately addressed the other student, except in passing the hallways. Even then, it was just a small gesture: a nod, perhaps, or a half-wave that he never stayed around long enough after to see if Ion returned it. So it was strange to watch Ion so closely now, to see him interact and react with Liang himself. And in such an apparent way. Somehow, that wasn't how Liang had imagined him.

Then again, Liang had oft seen Ion immersed in his assignments (not of the written variety, as Ion seemed to do much better with spells and the like). It seemed that he was the sort of person to put all his focus into what he was doing, and that was something to respect, indeed. It was interesting how alike in little odd ways they were. And yet, Liang still puzzled over Ion's character.

A pause. Then: "Em, hello."

From there, he lapsed into silence. There wasn't very much to say... even if he had thought that he would be able to strike up conversation with more ease when it came to someone like Ion, someone he'd known for almost a year now. But perhaps he had been wrong. After all, it wasn't as if he actually "knew" Ion other than the exchanged glances in the classroom and constant attempts to outdo each other. That might have become routine, even something that Liang looked forward to each day, but it didn't mean that he could claim to mean anything to Ion.

And Liang might be gifted with pleasantries and carrying himself with professionalism — but when it came to certain characters like Ion, he wasn't sure what to do with himself. It was already intimidating, to a degree, to take the initiative to introduce himself to a new person. Liang did not often take interest in others. He had so many other things to focus on, and when he finally did resurface from his studies to look around, it seemed that the social world around him had already moved on far ahead. It wasn't worth the effort to try and keep up.

Ion was something different and even more difficult to puzzle. He had an air of privacy to him, one that Liang understood well and had, up to this point, respected. The two of them had never spoken despite their months-long game. 

"Er... not quite." Liang was far from the athletic type, and he was already starting to feel sweat pool on his brow. His heavy clothing didn't help much, either; he was bundled up in his scarf and extra winter robes. He never did well with the cold, but in hindsight his choice of clothing was too much. "I'm not one for running, much. I suppose I was more interested in talking...?"

It came out more of an inquiry than anything firm or resolute, but it would do. He was losing too much breath to sound very certain of himself, anyway. His accent was starting to slip as well... a few more minutes, and he would start falling behind. And wouldn't that be embarrassing.

« tag: ION ZAKHAROV  // notes: they're both so awkward RIP »

★ made by elaina

Sure it's rough around the edges
It's the only thing you see

When people approached Ion, generally it was because they were more social than he was. He basically never took the initiative for such things, and the fact that he and the other boy had basically been at this for a year and still hadn’t spoken meant they were probably very similar in that regard. Liang had taken the initiative to say something to him, but it wasn’t hello and there was no follow up to it all. Were they just going to run in silence then? He did suppose that was fine, even if it was somewhat awkward. The fact that they both seemed to be failing miserable in such a basic social situation probably said a lot about both of them. He had noticed the boy sometimes gave him a wave or a nod, and he usually at least partially returned it even though he was pretty sure the younger boy was gone before even seeing it. The fact that he personally had no idea how to really make friends probably contributed to the fact that he legitimately saw nothing overly odd about this. When it came to social situations he just sort of followed the other person’s cues for what to do. One would think after six years he would pick up some degree of social skill, but apparently that was not the case with Ion.

They had managed to say hello to one another, and then returned to quietly running. What could they even talk about? Directing a conversation was not his strong suit that much was obvious, but it was also obvious that this was not Liang’s strong suit either. It was quickly becoming a train wreck in slow motion honestly. Finally he broke the silence himself though with a question of whether the boy had decided to take up running. It seemed less than likely, but right now nothing else was coming to mind for what to say so it would have to do. At least it would probably get the conversation started. If not, well, then he had no idea what the hell plan B was. Apparently the answer was no, and considering the boy was hardly dressed for running in the first place, this probably shouldn’t come as a surprise to him. He settled with giving the boy a slightly puzzled look as to why he was running with him then. Personally he had a tank-top and scarf on opting to not wear most of his robes to go running. The cold didn’t bother him much, and he warmed up enough while running that it didn’t bother him until he stopped. Though, even then he’d been known to flop over in a pile of snow if he warmed up enough during his run. It depended on how invested in the run he was really.

Then the real intention here was stated and Ion blinked. ”Oh,” he said, a pause for a moment and then, ”would you like me to stop running then?” he asked with a slight tilt of his head. The answer to that was likely yes, and so he slowed to a stop as he could tell the boy was kind of doing a bit of huffing and puffing through the statement. ”What did you want to talk about?” he asked simply after giving Liang a moment to catch his breath. He did suppose there was a chance that he wanted to just talk in general, but he couldn’t imagine that alone being the reason for coming up to him while he was running. Surely there were better times to approach someone if you were athletically challenged.

606/ Liang Hongxi Tseng / notes: this conversation is almost painful lmao

You're gonna

taste the ground someday

You're gonna

taste the grass...

For a while, Liang thought that he might have to resign himself for what would be a long, painful run. If Durmstrang's physical training courses had him easily out of breath and in normal attire, he could only imagine how disastrous this would turn out. He wasn't sure how long it would take Ion to run out of steam, but judging from the little he'd seen... it would take a long, long while.

He was going to die.

Then Ion proposed that they stopped, and oh, thank God. Liang wouldn't have been able to hold out for much longer if Ion had not suggested stopping. Not that he would ever admit to it, though.

"Yes," he managed, "Please. Just a breather — I won't hold you up for long."

He assumed that Ion would like to keep running. After all, Liang had only thrown a wrench in Ion's plans by showing up out of nowhere and, well, demanding conversation. He'd let Ion run off after a bit. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what he even wanted to ask the other boy, or what Ion might like to talk about. He took a second to steady his breathing, sifting about in his head for ideas.

"You're Ion, correct?" At least there was no room for (nor risk of) getting that incorrect. Liang's memory was sharp enough to retain a few tidbits of information about anyone who was interesting enough to capture his attention. And in response to Ion's question: "Not anything in particular? I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Nicolau. I believe we're in the same Charms class, for one."

... As if that weren't obvious. Ion had obviously noticed him in the class long ago, if their long-lasting battling of wits indicated anything. Wasn't Liang a genius. At least he had the excuse of the short jog to cover the flush on creeping up into his cheeks. Or maybe not — it was embarrassing that he'd be out of breath and red all over after a few minutes of running.

That was the one thing Liang absolutely hated about Durmstrang. Physical education was something he had hoped to escape from when transitioning over from the Muggle schooling system, but there seemed to be even more of it in that little nook of the wizarding world.

It was just his luck. If he had been invited to Hogwarts, there would have been little of that to deal with.

Maybe he should have waited until Ion came inside, but Liang was hardly inclined to speak to the other student when they were in the dorms, anyway. It just felt odd given the past few situations he'd found himself in with Ion in the common room. He wasn't inclined to have a repeat of the time he'd dropped and nearly tripped over his own books when he'd stumbled into Ion knitting silently in the dark. Liang hadn't even noticed until he heard the telltale click of the needles, and he'd nearly had a heart attack right on the spot.

Needless to say, he hadn't stuck around. He'd quietly picked up his books, then turned tail and walked right back into bed.

It was embarrassing. Half his encounters with Ion outside of the classroom weren't worth ever mentioning again. If Liang introduced himself here, far away from any place he might ever associate with a horrifically humiliating moment, then he could at least temporarily pretend they'd never happened.

"But yes, it struck me that we never properly met. I have to say, I'm impressed by your spellwork."

Academically, in classes that surrounded reading more than practicing any actual magic, he had found little to challenge Ion on. The other simply didn't seem interested in it. It was a shame, really. Ion could have made those class periods much more interesting as well. 

« tag: ION ZAKHAROV  // notes: time for this loser to try and actually try and talk to someone lmao »

★ made by elaina

Sure it's rough around the edges
It's the only thing you see

Ion knew his ability to run for distances was not particularly common, and it was painfully obvious after a few minutes that this boy was athletically challenged to some degree. If he was actually awake during morning training he probably would have realized that previously. For the most part though he managed the training they did while still at least half asleep so he hadn’t really noticed anyone else’s physical ability or lack of for that matter. Since Nicolau wanted to talk though, and that would likely be hard if the boy was huffing and puffing all over the place out of breath, he decided that proposing they stopped was probably the best course of action. He was told he wouldn’t be held up for long and he shrugged. ”This was going to be my last lap anyway, finishing it matters little,” he stated idly. Really he should probably do some level of homework if he was being honest, but he had gone running instead to procrastinate a little. Not to mention, he used it to burn off a bit of excess energy that he always seemed to have. This was evidenced by the fact that he wasn’t out of breath and had only moderately worked up a sweat despite his several laps around the lake.

He was asked if he was Ion and he nodded. ”I am,” he confirmed simply. Apparently he didn’t want to talk about anything in particular though, but simply wanted to introduce himself. ”Oh, well yes we are. I suppose it would probably be a bit unusual to not eventually introduce yourself to classmates you magically compete with in class…” he said as if the thought had just occurred to him now. He had just assumed that was how their relationship of sorts worked, but perhaps that really was just plain unusual. Then again, most of his relationships with people were very likely considered unusual to some degree. The boy did not do social well, and that much showed with how he dealt with people. It really hadn’t even occurred to him to approach Nicolau before now, as it just wasn’t really something he did. He almost always waited for someone else to approach him, and there were very few exceptions to that. Having to partner up in class came as an exception out of necessity for instance. Whether he knew a classmate or not, needing a partner kind of forced one into talking to them.

It was fortunate for Nicolau that Ion was pretty oblivious to embarrassment, as it meant he hadn’t actually noticed the blush across the boy’s face. Really he was more focused on hoping the boy didn’t just sort of pass out from running in inappropriate attire. That was entirely possible after all, but he seemed to be mostly fine so perhaps it wasn’t a real concern due to when they had stopped running. Though, considering they shared a dorm he did think while he was running was an odd time to choose for approaching him. Surely he could have just waited until he got back and avoided the whole scenario? Perhaps he had decided to pick this moment to approach him for a reason, or it was possible that this moment was when he had decided to work up the nerve to approach him. Thinking back, there were a few times when he had seen the boy in the dorm that said boy had just immediately turned back around and went to bed rather than whatever it was he was planning to do with the books he brought down. Either way, at the moment he had caught Ion off guard, so he gave him some level of credit for his timing choices.

Apparently they had technically never really met. It had never really occurred to him, but that seemed to be a recurring theme with him when it came to any sort of social situation. He smiled slightly when the boy complimented his spell work. ”Yours is pretty impressive as well,” he returned. Their competition had been going on long enough for him to be able to admit that. The younger boy kept up with him, so obviously he had some degree of skill. ”Admittedly, our competition has been the most effort I have ever put into classes,” he said with a slight shrug.

724/ Liang Hongxi Tseng / notes: they are trying so hard.

You're gonna

taste the ground someday

You're gonna

taste the grass...

It was a good thing that Ion seemed to be a non-judgemental person, or at least he knew how to hold his tongue and how to keep his face stoic. If only for the sake of politeness. Liang wouldn't have liked being openly criticised about his fitness; few held back their opinion on such a thing when Durmstrang was so focused on training their students physically. Liang had never been the recipient of any such comment, but that didn't mean that he was unaware of the pitying glances cast his way during those classes. It was nothing disturbing, and most of his peers at Durmstrang kept silent, but Liang did not receive criticism well in any form.

Ion, on the other hand, seemed to have no opinion at all. That was refreshing enough that Liang allowed himself to bend over slightly, hands on his knees as he struggled to breathe evenly.

"Ah. I see."

So he hadn't interrupted anything. But this also meant that he was left with ample time to speak to Ion, which... now that he thought about it, he was not sure that he wanted. It wasn't that he was intimidated by Ion, or that he disliked the other boy, but Liang really had little to say.

Well, he had dug himself into this hole. He could have waited and prepared, maybe come up with a list of things to ask Ion, but no. He just had to do this now. He might as well deal with the trouble he had reaped for himself, then.

It was not so out-of-place to Liang that they had never spoken. In fact, Liang had been the one to allow much of that to happen. Had he been someone even slightly more sociable, it was likely things would not have happened this way.

"Not so. I tend to keep to myself, so I apologise if I made myself scarce. I have been interested in introducing myself, but never found the chance."

That was much better than saying "I actually was not interested in approaching you because I'm not very good with words, or with approaching people". The current conversation was by far his favourite compared to the alternative.

The compliment was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Liang had not often been told by others that he was skilled in magic. Such praises were brief and came only from his professors. It was strange to hear it come from another student, but Liang found the compliment easy to accept. It was remarkably straightforward, little of it false or overdone.

It was appreciated.

"Thank you. You've made my year quite interesting as well. I must admit that up to that point, I hadn't had much interest in my studies. It's a pleasure to share classes with someone of your skill level."

It wasn't even sugarcoated. All of Liang's words were true; and he really did have no interest in most of his classes.

The only interest he had, he forced himself to cultivate. It was because he had to do it, not because he enjoyed it in any way. Liang was a fan of logic, of puzzling through problems and of progressing through the path to his future that he had made for himself, but if he could have less busy work? That would be welcome. He could pursue his own interests and advance further in specific fields that he wanted to work in, but requirements were requirements. For the most part, Liang only took the heavy course load to present himself in the most desirable light. If one wanted to make it further, one must show himself off like a prize, a product that someone would actually want.

That was the way business and the working world operated. This Liang believed strongly.

"I am curious... I believe I've heard your surname somewhere before, but I can't quite place it. Zakharov? Do excuse me for not knowing, I am sure it's someone important. I was raised mostly in the, ah — the Muggle world."

It was with blind eyes that he had moved to a new country and begun studying at Durmstrang in the same year. It seemed that no matter how much information he absorbed, however, he was never able to know as much as children who had grown up here. Even after a full five years, he was still somewhat ignorant.

« tag: ION ZAKHAROV  // notes: if this little nerd can keep a conversation going I'll be surprised tbh :/ »

★ made by elaina

Sure it's rough around the edges
It's the only thing you see

Watching Nicolau trying to catch his breath, Ion noted mentally that it really should have been obvious sooner that the boy wasn’t trying to take up running and instead wanted something from him so he needed to stop running. Not only was he not dressed for such an endeavor, but starting a running career by trying to keep up with him would have actively been a good way to pass out from exhaustion, or considering how the boy was dressed heat stroke wouldn’t have been out of the question. He’d always had too much energy, and Durmstrang actually helped him direct some of that into productive physical activity, but it was very likely that someone like Nicolau would not actively have that problem and so would have no real reason to do more than was required of them every day. Perhaps he needed to work on his observation skills. He could observe when that was where his focus was, but as his focus had been on running, it had honestly gone over his head up until they had started talking and Nicolau had started having trouble catching his breath. That was partly his own fault, and partly the other boy’s for not flat out asking him to stop in the first place. Perhaps it was pride, or simply because he didn’t know how to ask someone to stop in what might have been the middle of their run without sounding moderate levels of rude. He supposed he appreciated that he had gone until Ion brought it up if that was the case.

He almost asked if the boy was okay, but decided against it. Unless he was asthmatic, he would catch his breath eventually, or he would pass out and Ion would have more than a slight problem on his hands. That was something to deal with as it came though, and he really just hoped they had a conversation instead of a medical emergency. He did mean it when he said it was his final lap, and really didn’t care if it was interrupted. He was running to procrastinate on homework, if someone wanted to have a conversation at him instead then that also completed the same purpose. It just killed time. He couldn’t tell whether the boy was pleased or displeased that he was fine with skipping his last lap, but Ion supposed that also hardly mattered. He had interrupted his running, and now that he had Ion for an unspecified length of time they could have a conversation of sorts. Or well, as much of a conversation as Ion could hold, which was admittedly not a whole lot.

Ion did think it was probably a little odd to not even introduce yourself to someone who was supposedly a class rival of sorts. They apparently knew one another’s names, but little else. Perhaps this was an attempt to remedy that. Apparently Nicolau didn’t find it that odd simply because he tended to keep to himself. ”I personally don’t generally approach people either, so I suppose we’ve both made ourselves scarce simply because we prefer to keep to ourselves,” he noted with a shrug of his shoulders. He did suppose that was how they managed to go an entire year without a formal introduction. They seemed to have a decent number of things in common, perhaps if one of them had taken the initiative months ago they would actually be friendly enough for this not to be a moderately strained conversation. Part of him sincerely doubted that, but perhaps in a few months he would find out one way or another. Surely by then the two of them would figure out how to actually talk to one another.

He was thanked for his compliment and told it was a pleasure to share classes with someone of his skill level. If he had shared classes with Ion his first year, he probably would not feel that way considering how often he set things on fire. Oh well, the compliment stood now that he was old enough to control his magic. ”Studies really are very boring. Learning would truly be more fascinating if we weren’t tested on it. Sharing classes with someone who actually challenges me has certainly made them of at least moderate interest,” he said idly. The professors didn’t really challenge him, they just expected him to retain the information and then spit it back out later. Nicolau actually challenged him with it, and that meant he actually acquired a vested interest in it if only for the sake of competition. He had no problem learning new things, as evidenced by his numerous absurd hobbies, it was when he was tested on it that he took issue with them. Nobody would ever try to test him on his ability to knit.

Then the boy was asking about his last night and he sighed slightly. ”I grew up in the magical world, and I honestly don’t know much more about my father or what it is he does than you do. I know he used to teach at Durmstrang before I was born, and I know he deals with some sort of wizarding company business now. The only time I really see him is when he feels the need to lecture me over my hobbies and life choices,” he noted with a vague frown. It was possible that Nicolau was referring more to his step-mother, but he didn’t really know what it was she did either and she hadn’t tried too terribly hard to get to know him when he was younger. Thus, now it hardly mattered to him, and he really was just trying to graduate from school and leave the house forever.

954/ Liang Hongxi Tseng / notes: I should be in bed. oops.

You're gonna

taste the ground someday

You're gonna

taste the grass...

Liang regained his breath quickly, and Ion was kind enough to refrain from commenting. Liang found himself thinking that even if he disliked the company of others on his better days, maybe Ion could be a decent companion. The older student wasn't a talker, and he cared less about Liang's imperfections or embarrassments. Liang was unable to tell yet if it was because he didn't care or that he simply wasn't aware, but either way that was fine by the younger boy. Ion was intelligent, and he could be a good ally. Liang filed the thought away into the back of his mind to mull over later, then returned his thoughts to the conversation.

"In that case, better let than never. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

It was unbearably formal, and Ion was bound to either react anxiously to it (as most people did) or ignore it altogether (the more likely option, given the characteristics Liang's new friend was showing). But then again, that was just Liang's character. He both disliked pleasantries and found them comforting. To Ion, they might come off as time-wasters, though. It was hard to tell with him, but Liang might pick up on the cues if he spent more time conversing with Ion.

And while they were on the topic of challenges...

"Certainly. I much prefer application. After all, what use would History of Magic be out there in the working world, outside of school? ... well, that is, unless you plan to be a historian." Which Liang certainly wasn't in the slightest inclined towards. He cared little for the subject, only putting hours into the essays so that his pristine academic record could remain so. He had never liked Muggle history either, and for a few unrealistic months had hoped that the wizarding world did not require studying history. He had, unfortunately, been wrong. "Speaking of which, what is it that you plan to pursue? For a career, that is."

Liang himself was certain that he wanted work in the Ministry of Magic -- the exact position, he was unsure of. But once he was there, he would have plenty of time to work his way up. That was no mystery to him at all. What Ion looked forward to doing once he was graduated from his seventh year at Durmstrang was of more interest to Liang. Surely Ion had many promising opportunities ahead of him, with that sort of talent.

To the topic of Ion's father, Liang only had a response of: "I... see. That's a shame."

Perhaps it was just a touchy subject. The way Ion phrased it, it didn't sound as if he and his father were close. Liang understood the feeling, in some way. He wrote to his mother by owl still, as she knew how to use them and was able to receive them. But he had heard nothing from her husband -- his mother refused to speak about the man or how he felt about Liang studying magic now. And his father had not written by post, either.

Liang preferred not to speak about it any more than he had to. And if Ion's situation was similar in even the slightest of ways, he could respect that. He spoke no more on the subject. Instead, he ventured a slightly more cheerful topic:

"I don't suppose your father could complain about knitting. Your hobbies seem healthy enough. He ought not to bother you about your life, either. Where is it you learnt to knit, anyway?"

Five years ago, Liang's advice would have been completely different. But he had long moved away from Zhongshan, and he had grown out of that frame of mind in which his parents could lord over the decisions of his life. And whatever Ion wanted to do, who was Liang to complain.

As long as the other boy didn't get in his way (which was highly unlikely, as Ion seemed uninterested in anything else but a good contest), Liang thought a little bit of personal freedom might be good for Ion.

« tag: ION ZAKHAROV  // notes: lol I need to sleep more instead of posting, but sleep is for the week »

★ made by elaina

Sure it's rough around the edges
It's the only thing you see

Ion wasn’t quite used to formal introductions, so he just sort of blinked in response. Granted, he wasn’t much used to introductions at all so that probably didn’t make matters any better. It definitely was a late introduction all things considered, but that hardly mattered much. Though, really, if it had gone too much longer they might never have gotten an introduction at all as Ion would have graduated. Perhaps that was part of the motivation for Liang to introduce himself now of all times. ”Likewise,” he said simply. How else did one respond to such? Then there were comments on how awful History of Magic was and that it was really not particularly useful. ”Unless you actually want to teach History of Magic, it isn’t particularly useful so far as I can tell,” he mused simply. It was certainly his least favorite subject, and it was by far his worst. ”Perhaps I’m biased in finding it useless though, I’m dreadful at it,” he said with a sigh. He wouldn’t use the class though, so he didn’t really see any point in getting high marks in it. It was just so boring, that he nearly always ended up falling asleep through it.

Then he was being asked what he wanted to do as a career and he had to pause. ”…I…don’t know,” he admitted with a frown. It was his seventh year, and he still had absolutely no clue what it was he really wanted to do with his life. ”I tried to fool myself into believing I could be an obliviator once upon a time, but I’ve long since accepted I don’t have the patience for the paperwork involved in it.” There was a sigh and he crossed his arms across his chest. ”I should probably figure that out, but I really have no ideas,” he admitted with a shrug. Perhaps this meant he wasn’t particularly ambitious, but he also just knew he was incapable of sitting still for long periods of time. He would do best with something involving charms, but it would also have to be something where he wasn’t stuck working in an office all day. There would be no paperwork involved either. Maybe he could just make charmed knitting creations. That was probably something he could handle, as he seemed to never grow bored of knitting or charms. ”Have you decided what you want to do yet?” he asked simply.

The topic had moved to his father, and he really didn’t like talking about the man. There was a lot of strain in their relationship, and rightfully so in some parts. Neither of them made an effort to understand the other, and Ion often went out of his way to aggravate the man these days. Nicolau said it was a shame and Ion shrugged. ”My step-sister might know. Maybe I’ll ask her at some point,” he conceded with a slight frown. It was likely that she would be taking over for him if it ever came to that, so surely she knew something. He wasn’t particularly close with her either, but he at least was on speaking terms with her. His father he was simply on yelling terms with and that was about the extent of their interactions. This arrangement was perfectly okay by him though, as he had never really been close to the man. He did kind of wish he got yelled at less, but that also meant he would probably have to change the vast majority of his personality. Thus, he sort of just accepted that this was how their relationship would work.

Nicolau’s next statement just made him sigh. ”My knitting is his biggest complaint, I kept up with it as a hobby because it irritates the hell out of him. And I quote ‘knitting is for girls’,” he said with a roll of his eyes. ”I knitted him a scarf once, my step-sister said he about popped a blood vessel when opening it,” he stated simply, but there was a vague smile on his face. He did moderately enjoy causing some level of torment to the man. ”The maids taught me. They taught me lots of things to try and keep me from getting into trouble,” he said with a slight shrug. It was either they entertain him, or he set the lawn on fire, so they did try to keep him at least moderately entertained.

736/ Liang Hongxi Tseng / notes: I slept all day ugh.

You're gonna

taste the ground someday

You're gonna

taste the grass...

The response was as short and sweet as Liang had expected. If not, it might have turned awkward, and that wasn't where he wanted this conversation to go at all. But they kept talking, and they moved right on past their formalities without much trouble at all. A good thing, too, because with anyone else Liang would have gotten bored with the pleasantries already. It was a routine, not something he liked that much.

"Paperwork is quite dull. History of Magic has proved that enough for me." Liang did not actually mind doing paperwork all that much, but he opted not to say that aloud. When it did not come in such large quantities and when the subject was not something he hated, busy work could be somewhat comforting in its familiarity. "You would have made a fine obliviator if there was less paperwork involved. I don't see the need for all of it, but it is how it is. Though it is unfortunate."

Liang realised that beyond the small bits of consolation (if one could even call it that), he was ill-equipped to give advice as to Ion's situation. Liang himself had always been sure of his general direction in life, and had looked down upon those who either did not seem to care, were unsure, or did not know what they wanted to do at all. To learn that Ion had little idea after scrapping his original plan...

Well. Liang's opinion of the older student was certainly no less – he found Ion interesting enough to put that aside – but he was suddenly hesitant to respond. Ion was proving to fit in few of the categories Liang had established for himself. A true outlier, if Liang ever saw one.

"It's not such a worry. Perhaps you could take a year off. Go somewhere different, somewhere refreshing. There is nothing wrong with having a bit of a break from all this."

Liang himself would never take this advice, and he had never imagined giving it to anyone else. But in Ion's case... well, he had real skill. A special case, not just a slacker who had little potential or motivation and only wanted to run from responsibility. A year off might actually be good for Ion.

"... I'd like to work in the Ministry of Magic. Where I end up, I don't particularly mind. That is where I would like to be, regardless of what field or what position."

It was much of the the truth. There was more to it, of course, but there was no reason for Liang to reveal the more intricate details of his own plans. In actuality, there was truly not much more to it other than Magical Law Enforcement... his reasons for it, however, would be less than savoury in the opinions of most.

Most people nowadays, however, tended to place any intention other than pure philanthropy in the "less than savoury" group. It irked Liang. Was power and influence not desirable? He doubted they weren't, but the fact that so many people claimed to despise them was maddening.

Liang wanted money, security, and power. And he was not opposed to actually using the "less than savoury" means of getting it. Corruption existed in politics, and that was true anywhere one went.

He was not ashamed to admit all this, but he had to keep it quiet to avoid any more scrutiny than he already received. But what was so horrible about having power and using it, as long as he didn't use his power to do anything especially scandalous?

Liang decided not to say anything to the comment about Ion's stepsister, instead only offering a tilt of the head. A small bit of acknowledgement, which left room for Ion to say more on the topic if he would like to, but Liang was not particularly interested in Ion's stepsister. The word alone implied multiple possibilities that could be quite troubling. Ion could be illegitimate, or his sister could be; perhaps tensions could have existed, or still exist, between the parents. Simply put, there were far too many areas that could be difficult for Liang to work his way into without hitting emotional obstacles that could put a sudden stop to the conversation, and he was not all that invested in it.

Liang allowed himself a small smirk at Ion's next comment, however. 

"Oh? I used to sew with my mother when I was a boy. I occasionally made dresses. How scandalous, isn't it? If your father so bothered by your knitting, I would say he deserves it."

If Liang ever met his father again, that was exactly the sort of response he expected to give the man. The older Tseng had given up any part in his son's life the day he received his first letter from Liang, weeks after the boy had arrived in Durmstrang, and then had decided never to reply.

Five years of getting letters from only his mother. She often said in her letters that his father just had to heal from the shock (heal? And the shock of what, of Liang having bad grades for once in his life? The shock of Liang being a wizard?). His father just needed time, she wrote furiously. But five years had been enough, and Liang would take no form of blame for whatever shame or shock his father felt still. He could care less about the man now.

"Do it because you enjoy it. Though, it looks to me as if you enjoy it enough."

There could be harm from keeping up something just for the sake of spite, but if Liang was guessing correctly, knitting seemed more recreational for Ion than anything. It was impressive, just how much energy Ion seemed to have. Having something to do was good for the older boy.

Liang was starting to wonder what might happen if he didn't jog or knit all that energy away, though he suspected he did not want to know. That much energy could cause quite the disaster.

« tag: ION ZAKHAROV  // notes: me too, I woke up at 1PM and whoops there went most of the day and most of my motivation »

★ made by elaina

Sure it's rough around the edges
It's the only thing you see

At least they had finally gotten introductions over with. Perhaps it was a year late, but it had happened and now they could move on. Whether they would ever actually talk again seemed debatable considering how the two of them seemed to lean towards avoiding people. Though, seeing as he had been approached eventually perhaps not. Nicolau agreed that paperwork was dull, and this was exactly why he was pretty sure he could never be an obliviator. He’d have to write detailed reports on incidents, that much he was sure. It wasn’t as if he could just erase memories and that was it. No, there had to be protocols for it. Detailed accounts as to why it was necessary, who all had been involved, and if things had been done in the correct manner. Seeing as he had no attention span for recording and explaining all those fine details, he sort of gave up on wanting that as a career option. ”I wish it wasn’t necessary, but I suppose to prevent the wrong memories from being erased and making sure it was done properly in the first place…it becomes necessary,” he said with a slight sigh. Oh well, it just eliminated a career option, he’d figure something else out.

The other boy seemed to think he would have made a fine obliviator and he gave a slight smile. ”It’s use of delicate and challenging charms is why it interested me in the first place. The paperwork is all political red tape, and so I understand the need but I feel they could hire someone specifically for that aspect of it,” he stated with a shrug. He understood why they needed detailed accounts of things, but he didn’t understand why they couldn’t just hire someone specifically for that and have them tag along to write down all the info while the memories were erased by someone else. Surely that would be more efficient for people like him who would not give very good accounts of what happened at all. Detailed reports were definitely not his forte, and they likely never would be unless his attention span suddenly got considerably better. Maybe once he was no longer a teenager he would no longer have endless energy. He was sure some day that would go away and he would miss it, but for now he was kind of impatient to have less energy. It was almost annoying how he had to burn it off with activities just so that he could continue to function at school.

He was advised to maybe take a year off and he shrugged. ”That always seemed like such a lazy option even if I wouldn’t exactly be lazy during that year. Maybe I’ll travel the world though, it’s a thought,” he mused simply. He was pretty sure his father and step-mother would both be less than understanding about that plan, but he didn’t really have a whole lot of idea or direction for what he could do with his life. He was excellent at charms, but had very little patience for sitting at a desk or behind the counter of a store all day. He needed to move around and be actively doing things. Perhaps he could be some sort of wandering specialist in charms. Actually, he could probably teach it once he was old enough, that might be an interesting option for him. He’d have to figure out something to do until he was old enough for it, but perhaps eventually he could become a charms professor. It was an idea at least, that was a start.

Nicolau then explained that he wanted to work in the Ministry of Magic. Though, it would seem he didn’t particularly care where. He could probably be an obliviator if he wanted to be one, or he supposed he could work in just about any other department. It just depended on what he really wanted to do. It didn’t seem like he had a preference though. ”That’s a bit broad, but you do have a few more years to figure out specifics I suppose. Unless you also plan on taking a year off to travel,” he stated simply. It was a fair guess given that the boy was giving that advice to him in the first place. Though, he did suppose it was more than possible to give advice you had no intention of taking yourself. Nicolau didn’t really strike him as the type to take a year off, so perhaps he had no intention of doing so.

”Quite scandalous. His reaction is why I sent the gift in the first place. I almost wish I had gone home that year to see him blow up about it,” he said with a slight smirk. Ion avoided going home though, as he knew he would simply get lectured over silly things again. Thus, he stayed at the school during winter break, and then reluctantly went home during the summer. During the summers he just sort of tried to avoid running into his father. As much as he was unbothered by confrontation, it was really just exhausting having the same argument over and over again. He was told to knit because he enjoyed it and he shrugged. ”I do enjoy it, irritating him was sort of just a bonus that never quite wore off,” he said with a vague smile. ”The maids are just happy I’m not lighting everything on fire anymore really,” he stated simply. That had been a favorite childhood pastime of his, and it was one that the maids had avidly tried to keep him from pursuing.

937/ Liang Hongxi Tseng / notes: I hate being ill

You're gonna

taste the ground someday

You're gonna

taste the grass...

Round and around their conversation went. It was small talk, but... decent small talk. Not the vapid wanderings in which his peers' heads went. Maybe he was giving them less credit than they deserved; they were Durmstrang, after all, and the majority of the student body had a seriousness about them that they had either gone into the school with, or that Durmstrang had cultivated in them. But Ion was a different personality. Liang couldn't quite describe how it was he felt about his interactions with Ion, but it hovered somewhere between curiosity and minor delight at actually interacting with another human being.

It sounded pitiful when he thought of it like that, but oh well. He was making progress.

Liang was glad to see a smile from Ion. He had been wondering whether or not Ion was indulging him or actually finding some fun in the conversation. This made Liang marginally less nervous.

"That's certainly an idea," he nodded to Ion's idea. "It would be an option for people who are paperwork-oriented. Or those who want to deal with the field, but haven't the magical talent to do the actual erasing. Whether or not something like that will ever be implement, I have no idea."

It was a shame, too. Ion would have made a fantastic Obliviator. Liang considered, again, the level of magic that Ion had showcased in their past classes together. The fact that Ion could have certainly done his job perfectly... this Liang had no doubt about. He wondered if there was any way that Ion could get into the occupation, anyway. 

Well, once Liang was in the Ministry he might have the power to get Ion there. But he had yet to know the boy for very long, and he was not about to make any promises to someone he had little ties to. Liang preferred not to mix himself up in any of that business, anyway, and especially when Ion had yet to prove himself as someone that Liang might have much real emotional investment in.

"Who knows. Perhaps, once you've accomplished yourself, the Ministry will have interest in you. You could negotiate things with you. If it is something you truly would like to pursue, then I encourage you to do so."

He offered encouragement, anyway. Liang, after all, was no fan of giving up on dreams.

Well, "dreams", quote in quote. He had never been a believer in the word itself, as it suggested something intangible. Liang much preferred thinking of things in the realm of possibility, and when one made something seem much more realistic, then one had a higher chance of achieving it. Likewise, if one set his limits before he could even define them, then his chances of reaching his full potential were much, much lower.

Liang had seen much of this happen before. It was awful, just how much possibility and opportunity alike went to complete waste at the hands of the less competent.

Liang cocked his head at the idea that taking a gap year might be considered 'lazy'. With others, he might expect something less than useful to come of that year. But Ion seemed the sort of character for whom it would do much more good than harm. It wasn't that Ion was deliberately lazy; it seemed that he just had plenty of extra energy that needed an output. And the rigid institution of education did not entirely suit Ion.

"I don't suppose it would be lazy, if you could learn something good from it. Even in the Muggle world, people have pursued extraordinary options on their time off. And they have have much just continuing onto university, or doing simple desk work. Travelling the world might bring you much more food for thought than you imagine. You may find some exotic job that you enjoy?"

Travelling the world would definitely open up some new options for Ion. Liang was not sure what sort of "exotic" job might exist in the wizarding world, but he was sure there were plenty. And some much, much more out of the ordinary than what the Muggle world might present to a wandering student, that was for certain.

Ion, it seemed, did notice just how broad Liang's reply to his previous inquiry had been. But the older boy didn't look intent on pursuing the statement much further, luckily.

"It would depend on my position. I would take a year if a good opportunity presented itself, but I imagine I would move into the Ministry right away to figure out where I can fit. Either way. That, I will decide when I arrive at the moment."

Hm. So Ion was a rule breaker, aware of it, and took pleasure in it. Not much at Durmstrang, but certainly with his father. A rebellious character, with so much energy and a good bit of talent to go with it. Liang wondered what Ion might be able to do in the future with all that, what the older student might accomplish.

"I suggest sending him a lovely hat for Christmas. Something in pinks and blues. Delightful colours, judging from his taste."

Might as well give the old man something else to rage over. It didn't appear as if Ion was opposed to his current relationship with his father, if he was going so far as to dump more gasoline on the fire. And speaking of fire...

"Setting things on fire? With magic, or...?"

The idea somehow wasn't so surprising. Liang could seen, in his mind's eye, a tiny Ion running about his father's house, casting accidental spells on unsuspecting furniture and household objects until the staff were running around in a panic, trying to stop the child. Or perhaps Ion had done it with ordinary matches; either way, both weren't too difficult to imagine.

"That sounds rather fun. The most of what I did as a child was run around town to places where I shouldn't be. Your childhood must have been an adventurous one." 

The topic was an uncomfortable one to mention. Liang was trying to further the conversation, but receiving information often meant giving back in kind. He was throwing information of a similar kind to what Ion had offered to him, but speaking of his time in China was... less than enjoyable. It was nothing traumatising, but he certainly found no happiness in thinking about it.

Liang pulled from the inner pocket of his robe a fan that he had been carrying with him. He had had his hand tucked into his pocket in a guise of searching for warmth, and he had been toying with it for a while. He always did like to have something to do with his hands, so having the fan to fold and wave about was soothing. Even more so now, with the topic he was dealing with. 

And it did do wonders to hide his facial expressions, which made things significantly less awkward.

« tag: ION ZAKHAROV  // notes: whoop sorry for the late reply, school is destroying me. Hope you're all better!  »

★ made by elaina

Sure it's rough around the edges
It's the only thing you see

At least the two of them were talking, usually when he tried to converse with someone that wasn’t particularly socially inclined it just had a lot of silence while they waited for one another to actually attempt some semblance of conversation. He was much better when someone else directed the conversation. Really he just couldn’t direct the conversation to save his life, but they seemed to be just sort of moving through some small talk and getting somewhere with it. It wasn’t enormously interesting, but it also wasn’t completely boring either. Maybe once they got used to one another they could have more in depth conversations instead of just casting spells to outdo one another. He made the suggestion that they get someone specifically for the sake of paperwork, and Nicolau seemed to actually agree with it. ”Some people are much better at the writing part of school than the magic part. I’m not really sure where they usually end up when it comes to a job,” he said with a slight sigh. ”I suppose it probably isn’t a lot to expect someone to be at least moderately good at both, but it would certainly be more efficient if they sectioned jobs off more like that,” he said simply with a shrug. Nicolau commented about not being sure about the implementation of it, and he supposed unless it was suggested to them, they might not ever even think about it. ”Perhaps they’d consider it if it was suggested to them,” he said idly.

Perhaps once he was no longer a teenager his metabolism would stop being insane and he’d learn how to sit still for an extended period of time. He wasn’t sure much could ever be done about his ability to really only focus on one thing at a time, or his inability to really multitask, but maybe at least he’d stop having so much energy at some point. Nicolau suggested that maybe the Ministry would be interested in him once he traveled a bit and accomplished himself. ”I suppose I could take some time and just try a whole bunch of jobs to see where I might fit. If it turns out I truly do fit as an obliviator then so be it, but if not then I’ll figure something out,” he mused simply. That was an idea certainly. It might help him figure out where exactly to go and what to do with his life if he just sort of tried everything. That was how he had settled on his hobbies, so why not use it to settle on a career? It wasn’t as if his family didn’t have the money to lend him for such frivolous things in the first place. As long as his father didn’t disown him as soon as he was graduated he could probably manage that just fine. If he was disowned for one thing or another, then he’d just sort of have to pick a job simply so he didn’t end up as a hobo.

Nicolau expressed that he didn’t think it would be lazy if he learned something from it. ”I suppose that’s fair. As long as I don’t get disowned once I graduate perhaps I’ll travel the world for a bit. Maybe an adventure will help me figure out what to do with my life,” he stated simply with a shrug. Nothing like mortal peril to help you sort out your priorities after all right? Okay, perhaps that was a bit much, but it did kind of sound like fun. Maybe he’d go harass a dragon or something in the name of adventure. Was that a terrible idea? Yes, but it would also make for a hell of a story that was for sure. Anyway, enough about his lack of plans. Nicolau seemed to have at least more of an idea about what he wanted than Ion did. Especially seeing as he knew he wanted to go into the Ministry and then decide where he fit from there. ”Perhaps you’ll fit as an obliviator,” he offered with a slight smile. Wouldn’t that be something? If Ion ever got his life together, perhaps they would end up working alongside one another.

Ion actually snorted and then laughed at Nicolau’s suggestion of sending him a pink and blue hat. ”You know, I do have this pink, purple, and blue tye dye yarn I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with. Maybe I’ll send him a hat made out of it…I was initially thinking neon green with sparkles, but the yarn is really kind of growing on me,” he said with a grin. He had initially picked it simply because it looked completely obnoxious, but that was very much like him at times so it seemed to be working its way into something he actually liked. Maybe he’d make himself gloves or socks or something out of it.

He was then asked how he was setting things on fire and he grinned slightly. ”Mostly with a magnifying glass, but my first attempt at using a wand did set my father’s pants on fire…he was less than pleased. Eleven year old me thought it was hilarious,” he admitted with a vague grin. It was explained that all Nicolau did was run to places he shouldn’t be, and he wished he could run around in the outside world more. ”What sort of places? I wasn’t allowed to leave the yard, I was caught more than once trying to tunnel under the fence. I was given lots of hobbies to prevent that and the whole lighting everything on fire thing,” he said simply. Then the other boy had a fan, and Ion just blinked at it. That was an unusual thing to carry around in your pockets wasn’t it? He certainly thought it was, but perhaps it really wasn’t where Nicolau was from?

980/ Liang Hongxi Tseng / notes: it's cool still coughing, but no feeling of impending death at least...

You're gonna

taste the ground someday

You're gonna

taste the grass...

That was an interesting thought... sectioning professions into skill-specific areas. Liang could see how it might improve the workforce, and still more ways in which that might slow it down. But if it could be efficiently done, then why not?  

"Then I suppose that perhaps I will make such a suggestion. Once I am in a position to, of course. It is only a matter of putting the proper people into power. The system is only as effective as the ones who run it allow it to be."

It would only take an effective strategiser, someone who knew what they were doing. Though, those did seem to be few and far between lately.

A true shame, it was. Especially when so many people that he knew could be much more capable if they only just applied themselves.

He had interest in how Ion would turn out, however. From what he had seen, the older student had limitless potential. All that energy could be poured into great, great magic if Ion just found an area that suited him. 

Liang was of the opinion that Ion could really do whatever he wanted. With hope, that adrenaline and hyperactivity that Ion spoke of would die down a little one day... although, Liang had some suspicion that part of that energy was what made Ion's magic and skill so intriguingly good.

"And perhaps you will find something you like. Something truly exciting. I'm surprised that so many people shoot for office jobs. Are the imaginations of those today so limited? Of course I am not one to speak... nevertheless. Children used to dream of adventures and far-off places. It's as if our ambitions and dreams grow smaller with age."

Ion might find something different from the typical dreams of his classmate's, but it would likely be something that he would truly benefit to. That was always a plus.

It felt as if Liang was speaking out of turn, what with his goals lying in the Ministry of Magic. But it wasn't as if he was doing it just because his mind was limited... that was the one place he found real interest and purpose in. Even if his aims were purely for power and achievement, it would be worth his time if only he were able to make some sort of memorable different. A good one, hopefully.

”Perhaps you’ll fit as an obliviator," said Ion, and Liang nearly gave a start, out of surprise.

... an obliviator? He had never thought about that before. He had always assumed he would be in doing filing and paperwork. He was never one much for the field; he'd always been better at sitting inside and doing homework and papers, even when he was a child.

He had never really thought about anything different. Or, really, had never thought he'd be decently good at it to even think about it.

"I had never considered it... I suppose that would be a fine profession. Perhaps then we'll meet after graduation, if your adventures prove that being an obliviator is right for you."

Wouldn't that be interesting... working with Ion, actually working with him. Liang had watched his magic from across the room, but he hadn't considered how well they might be able to work together, if they tried.

Hm. That was worth thinking about. He knew that Ion wasn't specifically proposing that they work together, just that they would be in the same field, but... the more Liang thought about it, the more potential the idea had. He had never tried doing magic with anyone else. It would be an interesting project to see what sort of magic worked well with what.

Maths was all about combinations and plugging in different values, wasn't it? Would magic work like that?

He spared a quiet chuckle at the imagery of the hat that Ion described.

"Sounds like a plan. Might I suggest glitter bombs -- or whatever the equivalent might be in the wizarding world, if you have one? It would make a great present. The stuff is evil."

Liang imagined that they had more exciting equivalents here, since spells likely existed to get rid of something like glitter. He had seen joke shops when he had been shopping for his things for school. He hadn't had the chance to visit, nor did he have much interest at the time (he had scoffed at it, more like). But now if it caused Mr. Zakharov strife, he might have to do some investigation. His mind conjured images of an overly hypermasculine Russian man -- Ion was Russian, right? Liang wasn't sure -- with glitter stuck in his hair.

It was a delightful scene. And the one of Ion's father with his pants on fire wasn't a bad one, either.

"Seems like someone has an affinity for fire. Maybe there's potential, there."

Hmm... what sort of places did Liang run off to? It seemed too many to count, although now that he thought about it, perhaps Ion had had many more interesting experiences in his home alone than Liang had had in all his town. Though, perhaps since it was so normal to Ion, it might not have been a great experience as it seemed to Liang.

It was a shame that Ion had been forced to stay at home. Liang imagined that if Ion had had the chance to get outside and to see the world, he might have turned out differently.

It would at least have gotten him distance from his father.

"I didn't have much of an exciting childhood... compared to many witches and wizards, I'm guessing. I lived in a town in China. It's called Zhongshan. My parents preferred me in school whenever possible... I think they would have made me stay there all day, if they could. So I would run around town with a friend and explore the shops and restaurants, and anywhere that we could get to on our own two feet. It wasn't anything fantastic. We were children, after all. And other than that, my life was just grades and exams and papers." 

It wasn't a good memory. He had only truly liked his education when he had been allowed to take it into his own hands, and that was why he was still here. Liang suspected that if he had continued living in the Muggle world, his parents would have pushed him to the point that he was driven away from the prospect of school at all.

« tag: ION ZAKHAROV  // notes: sorry this took so long! Been a busy, busy time haha  »

★ made by elaina