Athens

Athens
greece

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and its earliest human presence started somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Kian feels more at ease with Elouan here when normally he has the tendency to overthink or be overly strategic about his words and actions when he is around the other boy. Being in Greece certainly helps – Kian understands that he has the home advantage but aside from that he has also grown more comfortable around Elouan and is a lot more confident that they mutually appreciate this friendship. The two spent most of the morning and early afternoon in Athens because Kian wanted to let Elouan rest a bit after traveling here from Brittany. The trip to Lipsi would require going via Floo, which Kian knows is not as exhausting as a portkey but nevertheless he would not want their schedule to be too hectic. That, and he did not want Elouan to have to worry about getting soot on his outfit so he had called his mother's contact on the island to make sure that the fireplace was clean and would not do anything to ruin Elouan's aesthetic. He considered maybe just foregoing the trip altogether and just spending the whole day in Athens, but Kian did promise him that he would show him his favorite beach and he does not intend on breaking that promise. Even if Mel insists on spending more time with Elouan (probably to embarrass Kian further) and he seems to be getting along with Demi nicely. If only Aven had come home too. "Here," he says, extending his hand for Elouan to take as the two of them approach the fireplace in the Macmillan home. The floo powder is in Kian's other hand, ready for use. "Take my hand."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

His optimism had started to dwindle in regards to him *ever* visiting Greece. Spending long periods of time in Brittany is a terror to one's often positive attitude and he is rather fortunate that Greece didn't have a similar effect on Kian. His surprise has energized him throughout the trip thus far, diminishing most of the effects from the portkey— much to their benefit. He has bounced alongside the other boy all morning, following him around the streets and only jumping in front of him in order to chatter off his siblings' heads. A noteworthy event was when the older one complimented his attire, which he had spent hours arranging in advance and even includes an amethyst bracelet chosen specifically for his friend's eye. He has noticed the similarities between him and his older sister, which delighted him assuming that that symbolizes some sort of closeness between them. In general, it has been pleasing to see Kian in his own habitat and watching him use Greek... Oh, Elouan has spent far more energy on not starting to pine after his straight friend— far, far more than he had to spend on anything else. "Oh?" he lets out in surprise. Floo is disgusting, so the hesitation feels warranted. Elouan glances down at his hand, feeling his heartbeat pause before reaching out and grabbing it. "Okay!" He smiles, twisting his wrist a little bit to let the bracelet draw attention. It occurs to him that he should not be attempting to do so with someone he isn't certain could be an option to him. Elouan is terribly great at failing, isn't he? At least it feels like it.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Kian smiles a bit to himself once Elouan takes his hand, but he ducks his head to hide his grin before clearly enunciating the name of his desired destination and tossing the green powder to their feet. The two disappear into the green flames before reappearing in a (clean!) fireplace in a small building on the island of Leipsoi. It is a government building, but even so it is very peaceful and there are not many people in the lobby. The island is very idyllic and small and not many locals nor tourists frequently visit, which Kian has always appreciated but he is especially glad now that he is with Elouan because it means that they can enjoy without having to worry about crowds. He steps out of the fireplace first, not letting go of Elouan's hand as he helps the other boy out. "Nice bracelet." he says, glancing down at it before letting go. "Did anything get on your clothes? I asked them to make sure that the fireplace was clean so that it wouldn't dirty your outfit." Kian knows full well that nothing got on Elouan's clothes but he feels the need to make it known that he went out of his way to do this. He has a crush on Elouan and as far as Kian knows, his chances with him are very slim. He does not very easily give up though, so of course he is still trying to earn his favor like this.

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

His reaction is lackluster, but buildings are not of interest to him. After all, he was raised in one of the most beautiful homes imaginable. Most buildings become unexciting after that. It becomes less impressive when his bracelet is *blown off*, frowning instantly and gently pulling his hand from out of his as he steps out of the fireplace. It's confirmed! Even this attempt at preserving his clothing has not convinced him otherwise. It's confirmed that he must not be interested. "I don't think so..." His words are quiet as he twists and turns to verify that his clothing is soot-free. When it has been confirmed, he becomes quite impressed, but is more so depressed by the fact that this is going to waste. It isn't inherently a *waste*, but it would have been cute had it been done in romance. Having good boy friends is the worst. "Thank you!" His voice becomes more chipper, but his smile is more modest. "How considerate!" Elouan turns to pretend he is appreciating something about the building's interior, fixing his hair absentmindedly as he spends the time actually just collecting himself out of his disappointment.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Kian watches Elouan as if trying to gauge his reaction, then leads the two of them outside. He is tempted to take Elouan's hand again but there is no sensible reason to, which frustrates Kian but not enough to do it anyway. Instead, he keeps his hands to himself and looks back to make sure Elouan is following him. Leipsoi is a very small island and almost immediately they are graced with a view of the ocean and wide array of white and blue buildings. "This is Leipsoi." Kian's accent is more prominent here but it does not make him very shy. He has always been of the opinion that his accent was weird sounding, but Elouan mentioned that he liked it that one time over chat and since then he has been more appreciative of how it sounds. He leads Elouan down a staircase into the the main street, which goes along the harbor. "My favorite beach, Katsadia, is near here. We'll probably get there in ten minutes." He had chosen this specific office to Floo to so that they would not have to walk for very long. "Maybe when you come back – " *When*, not *if*. " – I can take you to the marine life sanctuary, too. It's a bit far from here, so we'll have to save it for the next time you're in Greece." It is very nice having Elouan here in his home country. "That way you'll be able to see some of the more exotic animals, but I'm am fairly sure there will be hippocampi at the beach." Kian is trying very hard to contain his excitement, but it is obvious simply because most of the time he sounds so dead. "And maybe flying seahorses? The last time I went, I saw a whole herd. I think you would enjoy those."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

"Leipsoi," he repeats quietly and mostly to himself, attempting the accent the best he can muster considering his own. He stares open-mouthed at the scenery before his expression becomes far more pleased and rather smug, following behind him and descending the stairs with grace. It is for the best that he did not attempt to hold his hand for he would have been rather sure of pulling it from him again. Leipsoi is a *beautiful* distraction though and it captures much of his attention. "Katsadia," he whispers again, smiling to himself when he believes he has gotten it correct. He listens intently to the rest of his words, but consumes them cautiously. He is easily distracted once more by the thought of flying seahorses, cooing in excitement. "I have never seen flying seahorses before. Oh, those sound *so cute*," he chimes. His steps become bouncier before he flattens out again, exiting the staircase and floating to be his friend's side. Staring at him, he grins for a long moment before turning and subconsciously moving a little bit ahead of him. Admittedly, his excitement is *so cute* too, but he holds onto that thought as an act of preserving their friendship. It is difficult to hold in his gushing considering he is someone so dramatic and full of emotion. "What are hippocampi again?" He wants to question *What if there isn't a next time?* because of the need to wallow, but Kian would not know what he is wallowing about and so he does so silently.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Kian is excited to get this opportunity to talk about his second favorite magical creature (nothing can beat the kraken, after all). "Top half of a horse and bottom half of a giant fish." he explains, "They are actually very common in Greece. I know the merpeople have successfully tried to domesticate them, but there aren't much merpeople in Katsadia so the hippocampi we will be seeing there will be free." A lot more dangerous too, a voice that sounds suspiciously like Kian's father says in his head. "When I was much younger, I tried convincing my parents to let me bring one home. I was six and didn't realize that wouldn't be a good idea." He is embarrassed and as a result his eyes become a bit more purple than blue, but he looks down to avoid it being noticeable and it fades soon enough. "A baby hippocampus is called a tadfoal." he adds after a couple of seconds. Elouan seems like the type of person who would appreciate that.

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

"Awww!" He laughs, turning to catch a glimpse of his face. His embarrassment is noticeable, but Elouan still lingers on it for a brief moment before snapping out of it. It doesn't occur to him that there is much of anything to be embarrassed about. "Tadfoal is *so cute*. Aww," he repeats, frowning as his face slips down into a dramatic pout. Creatures' names tend to be so disgusting, so the change is welcomed and only highlights how much he adores it. "Will we see tadfoals? I love the *miniature créatures*," he says, holding his fingers out to gesture how small. His accent strengthens as he voice rises in pitch, attempting to prove the cuteness factor of something so tiny. He loves those miniature glass animals and has a whole collection let alone seeing little breathing babies. He could die. "Oh, Merlin! What if we see little flying seahorses?" Any hesitancy he had started to accrue during their time in Leipsoi disappears at the large distraction that is itty bitty seahorses. He continues to pout, staring up at Kian expectantly.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

"Baby seahorses are called fries." he comments, focusing on the path ahead of them before looking down at Elouan to see him pouting. He is ridiculous, and somehow still so attractive. It's absurd. The path has begun to get more and more sandy, so Kian knows they are close, and the pair ascend another short staircase together which gives them a better view of the city. A couple more minutes and they will be there. Kian tries to remember one of the questions from the list off the top of his head, before settling on one. "We will probably see many 'miniature creatures' later." he says, "I always see tadfoals whenever I visit. The baby seahorses are not that rare either. I come here often, so I'm pretty sure. I used to go a lot more when I was younger and then I started attending the Academy, but I would still visit as much as I could. Then we moved and it got more difficult of course, but at least I was able to come home for summer break. My favorite memory has to be coming here with my sisters right before we moved to the UK." He pauses. "What's your favorite memory?"

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

"Fries!" He gasps, clutching his heart as he spins to face him and continues to walk backwards for multiple strides. His heart cannot manage this knowledge. "Why is someone only telling me this now?" He frowns, furrowing his brows together. It's difficult to tell if he is truly upset because a small part of him actually is. His life could have been so much better with this fact in it. "Will you point them out to me? Please do," he pleads, spinning around again as he starts to get unsure of where he is going. He turns just in time to dip behind his friend, hand gracing the side of his arm as he narrowly misses someone else going in the opposite direction. When he notices the touch, he burns with embarrassment. It has become far more crippling all of a sudden. He falls alongside Kian again, but fails to hide his face and stares at him flushed in the face. "My mother interrupted my dance lessons once and then we danced together. We weren't around each other often then. My siblings were more of a priority since their increased responsibilities required more attention." Elouan was an accident too. Fittingly, he seems to have a lot of accidents of his own. He huffs a little bit before smiling brightly. "I love my mother! It was nice spending time with her not with my siblings or our other relatives... and doing something we both love. I remember she was so excited when I became invested in ballroom dancing." It was so sweet and he remembers his little bustling gay self bouncing with glee when he insisted he wanted to continue his lessons. "What's yours?"

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Kian smiles at how absurd Elouan is being, ducking his head again to hide how amused he is. He fails to note how flushed Elouan is because he is still so entertained by how much the knowledge of *fries* has seemed to brightened Elouan's demeanor. It is so endearing, Kian thinks. "It is probably that beach trip my siblings and I took before going to the UK. They don't normally go with me - it's not really their thing. Mel let me talk to her about the hippocampi and only interrupted to poke fun at me twice." Kian chuckles at that. "If not the beach trip, I'd have to say one of my best memories happened around the time I was eight. Back then, Mel and I would bring home stray cats and hide them in her room. Then Aven told our mom." He makes a face. "But before she did, it was pretty fun. We must've had a dozen by the end and her room was completely overrun. Kind of like a cat cafe. Speaking of – we should go to the one in Moonstraw sometime this term." Kian shrugs, trying to be nonchalant. "Seems fun."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

Fittingly, his sister Avenie would have done the same to him and the thought brings more amusement to his face. His brows raise at the mention of the cat cafe, clapping his hands together in front of him as he tries to remember what he is talking about. "Moonstraw has one? We should go then!" He smiles, immediately considering his intentions with this. "We could invite some of our friends? Since we haven't all spent time together in a while." Sometimes he worries about the fact that they're almost all together, spending their summers with one another and doing fun things. What if he was replaced? He doubts it, knowing he is worth their friendship, but he also dreads not understanding all of their references and not being able to monitor the differences in their dynamics. "It would be fun! I love cats. I have one at home." His cat is ancient though, meaning he has been leaving them at home while at Hogwarts. Even if he doesn't have his friends in Brittany, at least he has his cuddling partner again. "Were you able to keep one?"

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Kian is delighted to hear Elouan's excitement, but that joy is soon crushed when he starts going on about how they can invite the rest of their friends. "I meant just the two of us." he clarifies immediately. There is nothing to lose really from saying this, Kian thinks. "But we can invite the others, too. You're right that we haven't spent time all together in a while." Kian does not know why he is so disappointed especially given that he should've deemed this a lost cause ever since Elouan said that he was into somebody that Kian did not know of. "We *were* able to keep one, but Aven is his favorite human so he's currently staying with her and my father in London." Traitor, he thinks. Soon, they reach another staircase to descend. The beach is waiting at the bottom, and Kian's annoyed mood is lightened by the sight of it. "We're almost there."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

His heart stops when the message is reaffirmed, but he guesses that...well, he is the one out of the friend group that he's closest to and he might not be comfortable being around all of those people! "If you would be more comfortable just the two of us—" *together* "— then we don't have to invite them. They will never know." He smiles kindly, believing that was the most appropriate response. Elouan struggles with collecting himself, not wanting to create a scene by getting stressed over something he cannot change. It just feels wrong that he has to go through this. Since when were straight boys so nice? "Oooh," he coos in excitement. He had been waiting to see Katsadia for a while now and is expecting it to be extraordinarily beautiful.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

It *is* extraordinarily beautiful, and will be even more so later when the sun begins to set. The two descend into the sand, and all the while Kian keeps his eyes fixed on Elouan. He has seen the beach before and is more interested in Elouan's reaction. He is in a good mood once again now that Elouan has mentioned that they do not have to invite the others, but he acknowledges that Elouan probably does miss his other friends and they are not terrible to get along with. "We can do something on our own another time." he says, "I like all our friends and going to the cat cafe all together would be nice. It was a good idea." Kian feels the need to reassure him of this so that Elouan can see that Kian gets along well enough with his friends. He wouldn't want to give him the impression that he would not be able to integrate himself into their little group. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots what he believes could be a herd of the flying seahorses, but they need to move closer to the water to be sure. He extends his hand to Elouan again though there is no real reason to do. "Come here."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

It pleases him that he is so willing to go spend time with them considering he was so adverse to the idea months ago. He wonders if him and Molly have formed a better relationship by this point and hopes so in order to continue good friendships with both of them. Satisfied, he smiles. He drifts closer to his taller companion to give himself the ability to stare down at the sand and watch his steps, which have become less graceful on this new surface. Beaches aren't foreign to him, but he has never figured out how to appear cute while walking on them. "W-Wait," he stutters, the first time in a while. Stopping, he stares at the beach and his face lifts in awe as he coos quietly to himself. Elouan returns his line of vision towards his friend before noticing his hand is extended out for him. It confuses him, but he dismisses it as just a hand waving him over perhaps. When it occurs to him that he is still standing there, he frantically shakes his head, causing his blond hair to sway across his face. "*Digarez!* *Désolé.* Sorry," he repeats as he moves to be right by Kian's side. "I'm sorry. What is it?" He stares up at him, smiling sheepishly.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Kian's hand drops back down to his side rather pathetically and his heart sinks a bit, but Kian doesn't let it faze him that much. He will probably dwell on it later, but now is not the time to feel bad because he does not want to enter a foul mood and accidentally take it out on Elouan by suddenly going dead on him. "Oh, there's a herd of the flying seahorses over there, I think." he says, trying not to sound too disappointed. He does a very good job of it, and even smiles a little as he points it out to Elouan. "Let's go? So you can get a closer look."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

So humiliated, he is too far gone in his own head to notice any hint of disappointment on the other boy's face. It's a good thing considering he wouldn't have known how to respond. At the mention of flying seahorses, he smiles more genuinely and turns to try to spot them. He doesn't, so he faces him again and only smiles more to demonstrate he is excited nonetheless. "Please! Please, I don't see them," he admits, laughing lightly though it dies out quickly. When they begin treading through the sand to get closer, he falls a little bit behind as he stumbles through it. Very quietly, he sings to himself though admittedly also to Kian. "*I want to know where it isss. I want you to show meee.*" It tickles him though his embarrassment only grows as he rushes to be by his side, then switching to humming the tune to the well-known song.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Though his pride has been wounded, Kian notices Elouan stumble and he waits for the other boy to catch up with him before offering his arm. "You can hold onto me so that you don't fall." he says. This isn't even him trying to make a move anymore, mostly because he feels quite defeated already at this point. He's about to continue walking, not that it matters because the herd seems to have spotted them and flitters on over to the pair. One zooms past Kian's face and he scrunches up his whole expression in surprise before relaxing again. When he opens his eyes, they are green out of shock, but he blinks twice and it fades back to blue. He has seen them before and is thus not so amazed, his mind focusing instead on Elouan's singing voice. It occurs to him then that it will take him painfully long to get over this crush. "It looks like they saw you struggling and decided to come to you." he comments, watching Elouan's reaction.

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

At this point, it is quite mean of him to do this to him, he decides in a fit of angst. He wonders why, but at least appreciates that he is so comfortable with him as he swiftly reverts his decision. It's nice having straight friends who are not terrible to him. "Thank you," he whispers, reaching to hold onto him though he never gets to as the flying seahorses swim through the air towards them. He begins to yelp before shutting his hand over his mouth, staring in awe and briefly switching over to Kian to see if he is just as impressed. He is not, but this doesn't defer him from his previous excitement. "Aw, that is so sweet!" He whispers, extending his finger out to see if any of them will wrap themselves on it. "My little knight in winged armor." Elouan laughs to himself, glancing over at Kian again to see if he is still watching. "It is so cute, yes?"

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Of course Kian is still watching – how could he look anywhere else? Elouan's excitement is so endearing that Kian begins to get ahead of himself and imagine how amazed he will be once they come back here another time and Kian takes him to the wildlife reserve instead. The creatures there are far more exotic and would be even more amazing to behold, he thinks. Then, Kian thinks to himself again that it would probably not be wise to take Elouan to all his favorite places especially when the odds things will work out between them seem so slim at the moment. "Very cute, I agree." he says, mostly looking at Elouan instead. He shifts his focus to the herd when he realizes so that he is not that obvious. One of the seahorses wraps itself around El's finger and Kian smiles. "They seem to like you very much."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

It doesn't occur to him that he might be the one being commented on because his head is not quite so big. When the seahorse wraps around his finger, he reaches his hand out towards Kian to capture his attention without squealing. His face gives off the impression that he might burst with excitement, flushing as he grins. "I like them very much," he says quietly, not wanting to disturb it. He does not understand how seahorses hear, but is trying to play it safe. "This is so- so *soufflant*..." He could melt into the sand and become a piece of *corail* at this very moment, then be at peace. This is easily one of the best moments of his life thus far.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

After walking through the beach together for a while, Kian notices the sun beginning to go down and he stops in their stroll to check the time. "It's almost sunset." he says, "Here. Follow me." There is a specific spot Kian thinks is the best to watch the view from and it is not too far from where they are. He leads them up a rocky path until they reach a ledge not too far above the ground. He sits down near the edge and leaves space for Elouan to join him. He looks at the ocean, then at Elouan to make sure that he is still enjoying, before shifting his focus to a group of hippocampi swimming in the clear waters below. "Did you enjoy today?" he asks. He feels embarrassed that he is seeking validation like this, but he wants to be sure. "I haven't taken many people here before, so I'm afraid it might be underwhelming."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

After following him to the ledge, he sits down beside him without much hesitation and watches him as he stares into the ocean. When he turns to face him and they're staring at each other, he smiles kindly. Something is weird about him, he decides, but he doesn't want to start stressing himself out by worrying that it was him. "I loved it! It's been perfect," he comments cheerfully, not minding just watching him do his thing. He adores Kian's expressions especially when he seems so focused on something. It tickles him that his opinion matters so much to him and he grins to himself, tilting his head to the side as he turns to stare at the sunset. "It feels so nice and warm... and so beautiful," he muses, eyes closing as he continues to face the setting sun. "It was wonderful getting to do this together." Elouan opens one eyelid to catch a glimpse of Kian again.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

The word *together* is truly so cursed now that Kian cannot think of it in the same context as Elouan without feeling embarrassed. He manages to hide his embarrassment rather well and instead chooses not to acknowledge it. He notices Elouan looking at him and wonders then if Elouan has figured out his feelings and is having fun torturing him. That does not seem very like him though, so Kian kicks that thought aside. "This was a good day for me too," he says. "I'm glad we're friends. I appreciate that I can share this with you – this is really important to me. I don't know... It's hard for me to let people just... I'm not good at sharing things with other people so no one really sees me. Thanks for being patient with me. I value our friendship." This is rather romantic, Kian thinks, with the sun setting in the background. "I was discussing this with Mel the other day..." A lie, but it is the only explanation Kian can think of for all these questions. "What do you value most in a friendship? I think it's interesting how people's answers differ."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

When everything gets more serious, he straightens and faces him more forwardly though his demeanor still remains calm and rather unintimidating. Vulnerability from the other boy is so rare, but it doesn't confuse him and he instead feels this deeper sense of longing once the confession has been made. Not smiling, his expression becomes more gentle as he listens and only afterwards does he start to worry about how to respond to such emotion. "I'm glad we're friends too, and I'm glad you shared this with me! It taught me a lot about you," he responds, going through his words slowly before smiling up at him. He searches his face and is reminded that tonight has made it more difficult for him to hide his blossoming feelings for him. All he will have to do is wallow about how impossible it is and he will move on with time. Unattainability is usually not attractive to him. "I wouldn't have wanted to miss this." A small frog swims into his throat. "I love seeing you." His smile is shyer this time and he leans behind him onto his hands as he faces the water, contemplating his answer. It's difficult considering he isn't too choosey when it comes to his friendships. While it isn't the truth, it so often feels as if no one wants to tolerate him and therefore he tries to tolerate most people. "Vulnerability! I love friendships where someone cares and listens and also wants to share with me." Seriously, he adds, "Thank you."

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

"I like listening to you." Kian says immediately. He focuses again on the sunset. It is difficult to look directly at Elouan when he is being vulnerable like this, but it helps knowing that the other boy appreciates it. "Personally, I appreciate it when my friends take pride in our relationships together. It's nice knowing someone wants to be seen with you." Kian considers to himself that this is kind of a very low standard, but he's learned that people are often disappointing and not capable of hitting the bare minimum most of the time. "You know," Kian chuckles, "I actually dated this girl who was really trying to sell me on the idea that being in a 'secret relationship' would be fun." It is funny to him in retrospect that he ever thought that would be a good idea. "So stupid. That did not end well. It wouldn't have regardless because I realized a couple months later I was not into girls at all, but still." Kian shrugs, not thinking this to be much of a revelation. "My point is – I appreciate that you enjoy hanging out with me even when other people think I'm difficult. Thank you.

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

His reaction is pleasant at first, appreciating the notion that he is listened to and that he enjoys it. It has sat with him since he was told his accent is nice and that his voice is missed. He tries not to mimic an English accent as much anymore as the French so compulsively fret over. When he hears his anecdote about his ex, he frowns and finds it significantly less amusing despite his friend's laughter. "I don't find you difficult," or at least not enough so to describe him as such. It is important he clarifies his position, but his mind is more preoccupied this the *news*. He leans forward, fingers beginning to mess with his bracelet as he listens again in his head. His heart starts to race the longer he sits on it, so he bursts out a response. "I'm terribly sorry someone did that." A beat, turning to stare at him. "And I hope you can forgive me for harassing about dating our yearmates. I- I know that's invalidating. *Eskuzit ac'hanon.* I'm so terribly sorry..." It occurs to him that this has brought about far more things to fret over than he was previously faced with and that thought is far too daunting. It bothers him then that he has put him through something that he has had to fight at home for so long. His anxiety looms over him again and he dips his head, blond hair falling forward off of his face.

Kian Eliades

caulerpa, sixth year
paintedred

Kian raises an eyebrow when he looks back at Elouan and waves his hand dismissively. "It's fine." he says, like it is no big deal. Truly, it isn't. "You were curious and I didn't clarify. It was kinda funny." The corners of Kian's mouth quirk up into a smile as he recalls all of Elouan's guesses. "Can you believe you thought that I liked *Agatha*?" he asks, laughing after he says her name. "I could never. God." Kian rolls his eyes just thinking about it. "And I don't really mind about the other things. The past is in the past and I was a lot more difficult back at the Academy than I am at Hogwarts." Not by much, though, honestly, but it is easier getting along with people at a school where your mother is not headmistress. "I've made better friends. I have you now. Everything is fine."

Elouan Pendragon

hufflepuff, sixth year § prince of brittany
ateleia

Flustered, he begins to blush and hopes that the dimming light from the sunset will disguise this. His little smile has him crumbling when he catches it, lowering his head again and once more beginning to mess with his bracelet. Another thing he must consider is that he does not seem too interested in him despite the torturing, or he doesn't understand how he could be anyways. "I *didn't*," he insists, trying not to sound whiny. For the time being, he succeeds. "I wanted to clarify! I hate Agatha and wouldn't want my friend dating someone so miserable." Using such strong language is meaningful for him, but he does hate her and he hates Arthur too. A part of him saying it does disgust him though and he considers correcting it before remembering who he is with. After breathing out, he lifts his head and smiles at him except facing him is so difficult. In general, functioning is becoming increasingly more difficult. "We have each other. We're on *Leipsoi*. Everything is good."