Closed Running In The Right Circles

[Audrey Beauchamp]

The good and also bad thing about Oz being at Hogwarts was now things were back to normal. Unfortunately for Audrey, normal was dismal. As far as she was concerned, her parents saw fit to ignore her and leave her to suffer. The only bright spot was now that they were situated in New Zealand, she could actually go outside and 'bother someone else for a change'. So with one of her father's beater's bats in hand - specifically his good one, from when he'd been the toast of the South African national team - she leisurely strolled around the park, hitting each tree she passed with the bat as she went. She was formulating some good pranks to play on her parents in her head. Or on unsuspecting kids. A sly smile crept over her face. Practicing for Hogwarts already.

 

[Toby Oikawa]

The only reason Toby was at the park was because his governess had deemed it necessary he get some fresh air after being cooped up inside for too long. Which was ridiculous. He had plenty of fresh air inside away from this stupid country and it's stupid inhabitants. The sooner his parents realized New Zealand was a waste of time, they sooner they could go home. But, for now, Toby was stuck here and he was somewhat struggling to deal with it. His governess had more or less ditched him at this point, or in other terms, Toby had told her to bugger off. And now he was alone, he could go and investigate what the loud 'thunking' sound was. It didn't take him long to find the source, raising his brow at the girl holding the bat. "Aren't you supposed to use those to hit bludgers, not trees?"

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

Audrey looked at the scratched paint with mild sarisfaction. Her father always kept this bat in pristine condition, treating it like his child. When his actual child was languishing and suffering. They could barely bother to look over her schooling. "I'm practicing my swing," she replied as a boy about her age made a comment. "I'm going to be a pro beater, just like my mummy and daddy." To punctuate, she slammed the bat directly into the trunk of the nearest tree, scratching the paint on his name. Only the 'Beauchamp' was easily visible. It wasn't a major name in Quidditch, but her parents had enough of a legacy from knocking each other out in a Warriors/Thunderers game and then announcing their engagement soon after that they'd lived on that story for ages. "Do you have a bludger collection? I do. Wanna hit 'em at joggers?" They were under lock and key, but Audrey knew how to get her way.

 

[Toby Oikawa]

When it came to Quidditch, Toby never much cared for the beaters or the chasers, certainly not the keepers. Why would anyone want to play anything else other than seeker? They were the ones who got all the glory, the centre of attention. And that was exactly why Toby had always had his eyes set on that position and nothing else. "No, why would I have a bludger collection when I don't practice as a beater?" That was just ridiculous. He didn't need a bludger collection. "I have a snitch collection." Not so much as a 'collection' as just two of them, a spare just in case one happened to fly away and he couldn't find it again. Which had never happened. He turned his eyes back to the girl, "I would, however, quite like to see that."

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

I'm so sorry I had an RSI and writer's block!! rp is hard

"Oh, you're a seeker, are you?" Audrey asked, idly. It seemed to track, seekers were prissy glory hounds, always just out for themselves. (Audrey conveniently ignored the irony there, also ignoring the fact that she didn't know this boy in the slightest). "Guess you're going to have to be prepared to dodge." In truth, Audrey didn't even know if she wanted to play Quidditch, even less actually as a beater, but it seemed like it was expected of her. If she did it successfully, her parents would probably praise her, but if she did something else she'd feel proud of herself for rebelling. Difficult choices for a young girl. His comment gave her pause, though. She was used to making outlandish suggestions and getting ignored or shot down. Not anyone actually encouraging her. She blinked a couple of times, before grinning - a slightly lopsided grin with at least one tooth missing. "Well, I was gonna swap this one with my dad's favourite, but..." she pulled out a box from her backpack. It was a screaming bludger she'd managed to buy at the joke shop, still in her bag because she hadn't had the opportunity to make the swap. "What's your name, anyway?"

 

[Toby Oikawa]

"Of course," he responded, as though that was obvious now he had given her the information he had a snitch collection. He wouldn't have one of those for no reason. Though he did have to fold his arms a little as she decided to comment on the dodging aspect of things. "I shouldn't have to worry about dodging if the beaters are the least bit competent." It was supposed to be their jobs to protect the seekers from being hit in the first place. And saying that was just his own little dig at this stranger. She was the one waving around a beater's bat. And the arms remained crossed at her next words, raising his brow slightly as she started rummaging around in her bag. "Oikawa Tobio," he responded almost automatically, pausing for just a moment to realize how that was wrong. He was in New Zealand, they didn't do the surname first name thing like Asia. "Tobio Oikawa. Toby." Then he looked expectantly at the girl, hoping he wasn't going to have to spell it out to her. One name should be returned with another.

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

Audrey tossed the box up and down, starting to think it might have been defective. Or that she was supposed to put a spell on it to make it actually start functioning like a real bludger. It wasn't shaking or anything, and she certainly didn't hear any screaming yet. She frowned a little as she looked at it, rolling her eyes as she saw a spell was involved. Of course it was. And she wasn't even allowed to do magic yet, she didn't have a wand and her parents weren't going to let her get one until virtually the day before she had to go to school. So unfair! "Yeah, shouldn't," she echoed, in a kind of bratty way as though to imply he'd have to anyway. She pulled out the limp bludger from the box, tossing it up in the air like she was serving a tennis ball and hitting it across the way when it came down. It let out the most pathetic cry before dropping listlessly onto the ground a little way away. "Aw, boo, that sucked." She looked back at the boy, noting the odd way he'd introduced himself. Japanese, she assumed. The one benefit of her parents jobs was they at least came across interesting people. "Audrey. Audrey Beauchamp." She looked at her hand, holding it up cautiously. "Do we shake hands like boring grown-ups now?"

 

[Toby Oikawa]

He did have to wonder what on earth the girl was actually doing with the box she was fumbling around with. But he didn't really care enough to actually ask about it. Besides, it made her look like an idiot and Toby certainly wasn't in the mood to try and point that out. People could go and make fools of themselves all they wanted to. It was actually pretty amusing when they had no idea about how they looked in the first place. He simply offered a little huff at the bratty comment, almost sticking his nose up a little as he refrained from rather rudely rolling his eyes at her. As it turned out, there was a deflated sort of bludger in the box and he watched, rather unimpressed, as she punted it with a bat, watching it sink to the ground with a listless crying sound a little further on. "Wow, nice hit," he couldn't help with a sarcastic remark unfurling his arms from across his chest as the girl finally paid attention to him, giving her name and hesitantly raising a hand. "Do we look like boring grown-ups?" He wouldn't mind not doing the whole 'polite introductions' thing if she didn't. Though he did have to pause. "Beauchamp, did you say? The surname sounds vaguely familiar."

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

((i apologise again ))

Audrey considered for a moment. She supposed there must have been some charm to it, but she wasn't able to do it yet because she didn't have a wand. Oh well. At least she'd put it away and be able to do it later on, save it for a better occasion. Once she was at Hogwarts, she'd have plenty of time to come up with even better pranks to pull on her parents and classmates if classes ended up boring. Still, the boy was now far more interesting than the miserable excuse for a bludger, and she brushed down her dress, giving a lopsided grin. "Nope! Luckily." She couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit at the comment, though at least knowing her surname was vaguely recognisable would serve her well at school. "Probably heard the story of how my parents met in the South Africa versus Australia World Cup match," she offered. "Knocked each other out and were married a month later. They've lived off it for years." Audrey was a little blunt about it, but when you'd heard the story so many times it got quite stale. "Your name sounds kinda familiar too."

 

[Toby Oikawa]

Well, it appeared as though he could get away with not using his manners for a little while. At least while his parents or governess weren't around to smack him upside the head when he forgot to say please or thank you just the once. Having to be so nice and polite all the time was just such a chore, especially when he was stuck dealing with idiots. Thankfully, this girl didn't seem quite like the idiots he was used to. And, as it turned out, she might end up being a valuable connection as she explained who her parents were. "Yes, the story does ring some bells," he did have to briefly wonder what it was like to have famous quidditch players as parents. Maybe he was ever so slightly jealous, but he wasn't going to bring that up. "My parents run Oikawa Shipping, it was one of the biggest magical import and export companies in Asia until we moved here." Not as impressive as having quidditch players for parents that was for sure.

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

Audrey nodded, wondering what running a shipping company might be like. The type of job that would make you wealthy and powerful, for sure. Though now she wasn't sure if her parents would be around more if that's what they did. Probably not, in the long run. She shrugged, tapping the bat against her leg. "That's pretty cool," she said. "Bet it sucks that you had to move here, right?" She was blunt, but she wasn't as direct as she could have been. Just almost as direct. "Nothing much happens around here."

 

[Toby Oikawa]

Toby always knew that his parents, his father in particular, fully expected him to take over the company when he was older. But Toby, on the other hand, had other plans. Nothing set in stone of course, but he knew he didn't want to be in charge of some shipping company. He had greater things in mind for his future. "Well, we didn't move by choice," he offered, crossing his arms lazily across his chest, "It was necessity." While his parents hadn't divulged everything, Toby wasn't stupid. He could read newspapers. "Give it a few years and we'll probably be back in Japan." That is what he was hoping for. A few years for the heat to blow over and then they could go home.

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

So he wasn't here by choice. Now that was interesting. Audrey thought she would have to remember that if she was going to run across him at Hogwarts. Maybe look into this Oikawa Shipping if she could be bothered. Mostly her parents only kept newspaper articles relating to Quidditch, though, and they probably would say she was being a nuisance if she asked, so she wasn't sure how much luck she would have or if she really cared enough to search it out. "Least Hogwarts is probably more fun than Mahoutokoro." Though her parents had threatened to send her to somewhere like there or Durmstrang if she didn't behave herself. "I'm already working on Halloween pranks, but they're top secret." She couldn't help but look a bit smug at that. "Such a shame you'll miss my epic seventh year send off, but if you're back in Japan I guess it can't be helped."

 

[Toby Oikawa]

Already he was thinking of the day he could move back to where he properly belonged. Where he could easily understand the language and he knew the people and the streets and didn't end up getting lost trying to make his way home all of the time. Though when the girl insinuated the Hogwarts was better, Toby did have to fold his arms. "And how would you know? Mahoutokoro is way better than Hogwarts." It was the school he had grown up hearing about when he was younger, and now he was going to be stuck at some second rate wizarding school. Though he didn't mind missing this 'epic seventh-year send off' of hers. "Pranks are childish. If you are going to mess with someone, just hex them in the face or something." That sounded like a much better idea to him.

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

"Sure it is, if you're boring," Audrey retorted, though it wasn't like she had any real experience of the school. She'd never even been to Japan, except maybe a stopover for a Quidditch game one of her parents played in when she was too young to remember. But you didn't hear many wild stories about Mahoutokoro. Weird stuff happened at Hogwarts, and Audrey needed to be around it. "Yeah, hexing is fun and all, but it's all about the reaction. And the..." she paused, trying to think of the correct word. "The suspense." You had to build it up, after all. "Though a stinging hex...now that would be hilarious." As stuck up as this boy was, Audrey wasn't so stubborn as to not accept a good idea when she heard it. "Maybe with a conjured swarm of bees...really make it showy."

 

[Toby Oikawa]

"I'll have you know Mahoutokoro is known for it's outstanding Quidditch reputation and excellent wizarding education," he did have to point out rather stubbornly. Which is part of the reason he was so annoyed he was having to go to Hogwarts instead. He could already imaging all the quidditch and magical training he was going to be missing out of. Which was why he was just going to have to buckle down and make the most of what Hogwarts had to offer and try and wait it out until he could finally go to where he belonged. "You probably get some good reactions from just hexing someone as well." Depending on what kind of hex you used in the first place. "Or spiking their drinks with a potion that makes their hair freakishly long."