Closed Poi and Potential Pals

[Heemi Blenheim]

Hēmi had situated himself in the student lounge, a bag of supplies emptied out on the top of a table he sat at. It had been a while since he'd made poi*, but if there was one thing he missed at Hogwarts, it was the connection to his own culture. He had greater talent at harakeke** weaving but he figured he'd give this a go. He took some yarn and began measuring the amount he'd need, using his arm as a reference point. He started to plait the yarn with different colours, deciding on the Hufflepuff ones for this first poi. His fingers moved quickly and accurately, almost as if by instinct. Hēmi was involved deeply, and his thoughts started drifting. He had trouble being at Hogwarts. Classes didn't appeal to him and he hadn't made that many connections. He guessed it was his fault - he was a bit too soft spoken, a bit too disengaged with actually learning. He much preferred his time away from Hogwarts. He just lacked connection here. He thought to himself, one more shot. One more shot to make a connection with someone - something that feels genuine, and authentic, and not flimsy. He wondered if it would actually happen, but here he was, definitely approachable, though still deep in his work.

*here's an article on what poi are, for those curious/unfamiliar
**flax
ooc: here's a video tutorial for making poi at home, Hēmi is doing it slightly out of order of this one but it's a general guide.

 

[Charlotte Astor Williams]

Charlotte didn't normally hang out in the student lounge, but she was looking for more places to explore in the castle. Today, she had found herself there crocheting again, this time working on a hat for Margot that had been specifically requested before she left for school again. She had almost had time to finish it, but it was easy enough to send it back home by owl. As she stitched, she looked around the room at what others were doing and noticed a boy also crafting. She recognized him from their house but wasn't sure of his name. From her chair, which was near enough to his crafting area, she began her question. "What are you making?" she asked curiously.

 

[Heemi Blenheim]

Hēmi looked up, noticing someone familiar but who he couldn't remember talking to before. He felt oddly shy for a moment - the girl was pretty, and Hēmi was starting to notice that about girls. He quickly recovered though. "Just some poi," Hēmi said, then wasn't sure if she'd know what that was. But he also wasn't sure how to ask about that without coming across rude. For a moment, he seemingly just stopped talking as he deliberated. He then got distracted, noticing she was crocheting. It was something his mum and aunty did a lot together. "Oh, crochet, huh?" he asked, gesturing to what she was doing. He didn't make further comment, feeling a little awkward.

 

[Charlotte Astor Williams]

Charlotte's eyes brightened at the idea of making poi. She had done it once or twice with her dad's parents, but ever since the divorce, she didn't see them as much. "That's really cool!" she replied back, but the boy seemed to be focused for a moment, and she went back to her crochet until he interjected. "Yeah, my sister wanted a colorful hat so I've been making her one," she said, holding out the semi-finished project for him to see. "I'm Charlotte," she replied, introducing herself.