Jona stared confused at Callista, trying to recall a time he might've been mad at her. It was hard to say these days. It seemed like everything made him mad in less than a second - and then was forgot a moment later! "Well, um, thank you, Callista." He looked down at the bag of treats. "I'm really sorry. I, er, don't remember being mean to you, but if I did then I'm sure I didn't mean it. But...if you're gonna give me a bag of candy every time I make you feel bad then we might just have to become mortal enemies!" He laughed at his own joke as he was already pulling open the treat bag. He offered it to the others to share with after grabbing something small first.

“Nah, nothing new over there.” Fade glanced over what was looking at. “I’ve never messed with wax before. Well besides sticking my hands in it and peeling it off… Sorry, is that weird?” His cheeks turned a bit more red just as Nimah () and Blade () approached. The other boy had enough parchment in his arms to last a while, Fade was impressed. “Oh um, it’s called Phoenix Oolong.” There was more on the label but it was in an Asian language Fade couldn’t read. “It’s a real big tin, we can all try some later maybe.” He shrugged and grinned at Blade. “You left some paper for the rest of us, right?”

"I do nee know Jona, but hey its nice to have good memories," Zoe replied. She smiled at Callista giving Jona some sweets. And the boy offering to share. "No thank ye, I just bought some myself. Shall we head to another shop? Everyone went to get quills."

"Glade you enjoyed yourself," Blade said. He picked a handful of inexpensive quills and put them into his basket. He noticed the seals and wax. Hmm, he should get something like that since he'd be sending letters. He looked for one of the cheapest options. It was odd, shopping with a budget in mind. He wasn't one to spend ultra frivolously, but also liked to go with things that had a little more panache. The quills in his basket now were kinda dull and boring. Maybe he should pick at least one really nice one?

"Hmm sounds interesting," Blade replied, "I don't think I've had anything other than Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea myself." He looked up from the knobs he'd been inspecting hoping to find a good price--not wanting his letters opened easily and blushed with Fade's words. "Yeah there's still some more..." He did have a healthy chunk.

"Mortal enemies, huh?" Callista laughed softly. "I might have a longer memory than is good for me. But perhaps it's good for you!"

Sauvage laughed and said, "Eet eez normal." Then she thought on it a moment and added, "Well, for you." She looked backed longingly at the knobs, not any one in particular but just at the memories they collectively held for her. "I always loved writing letters as a girl, but I deed not 'ave anyone to send zem to. My only friend lived not far from me and 'e 'ated receiving mail." She touched her fingertips to the glass, as if she could caress the fond memories. "And so, my grandmozer would always let me sign 'er letters for 'er. And when we were done, she would 'eat ze wax and let eet drip while I waited wiv ze stamp to seal it. I liked ze sought of turning mere wax into a beautiful art zat represented ze privacy and secrecy of a letter." She blushed a little then, realizing she had gone off on a fantastic tangent.

She heard Blade and asked, "Oh, are you expecting to be sending a lot of letters?" She thought this could be good. One bad package did not completely take the joy out of sending parcels for him after all. She smiled a bit with relief.

Jona swung his head low to look up at Zoe through his lashes. "We're going already?" He looked around at Callista and the rest of the shop forlornly, knowing full well that he, as an independent person, could stay behind on his own. He was just, well, playing - as he always did. "Do we have to, mooooooom?" He added for extra theatrical measure then clapped his hands together in a pleading motion.

"Well we do nee have to go," Zoe said to Jona. "Callie and Toru can venture around without us till the tea party.

Blade was surprised when Sauvage mentioned writing with such passion. She really didn't talk like this in the common room. "Neat." He found a plan seal and wax for discount and slipped them into his basket. When Sauvage asked if he was expecting letters he shrugged. "I don't know... some but some of this paper is for composing music. I'm starting a small business," he replied. "I need five pieces of nice parchment for advertisement in the common rooms." The clerk heard this and brought over some nice parchment and a good size. "Yes, I'd like those please."

Jona smiled all goofy at Zoe and shared it with Callista and Toru. It was his "I won!" smile. Talking to Zoe again: "But, ya know, you don't have to stay with me if you wanna go somewhere else, too. I could spend all day - no, the rest of my life in this place. But, I don't wanna make you stay too if you wanted to go other places."

@/Raven "Oh?" Sauvage sounded very interested. "What kind of business would zat be? I would love to 'elp you out."

"I could use more paper," Callista said thoughtfully, "though it's true that we don't have to go everywhere together. Still, I've been doing a lot of sketches lately...though, while part of me wonders if I oughtn't have gone to the post office last, and left Naoto at the shop till after the party, and another part of me wonders if I oughtn't send Naoto back up to school with all this stuff! But I won't, because his cage is a bit much to ask him to carry."

She glanced at Zoe, grinning. "I should be careful around you, every time we go anywhere together I always end up shopping! Not that I'm not a big shopper to start with."

"Alright, if ye wanna stay here," Zoe said, "that's fine Jona." She laughed at Callista's words. "Why do we nee send our parcels down at the three broomsticks? I'm sure they'd let us set some things in the staff area for a few hours. Are ye calling me a shopaholic?"

Since they would see them soon Blade said, "I'm offering music lessons, music theory, and music composed for individuals. I figured even during break I can write music for other students." He didn't add that he also was planning on job hunting and would need parchment for those letters. For his own music he was going to buy another composition book at the music shop.

"I think I'm saying we enable one another." Callista laughed. "I wasn't planning to go to the Three Broomsticks--Madam P has a back parlour, though, and if the lunch rush is over we might be able to stow things there. How much do you all plan to eat before the party even starts? You know there will be sandwiches, salads, scones and pastries, right? Or is this just a butterbeer craving?"

Toru frowned a bit when the others mentioned Blade wasn't really himself today. That was the best about Blade's charm was he knew who he was and always pulled it off. It was Toru's polar opposite characteristic. However, they politely excused themself and went to find their friend. They would be sure to be at the party in time.

They quietly left Honeydukes and headed to the parchment store. Toru moved toward the others when he heard Blade was making a business plan. It was odd since Toru knew he was from a good family and money wasn't an issue. Perhaps he was gaining experience in business like the Weasley twins did all those years ago? They would ask when there weren't others around. "I-I could draw t-the posters for y-you..." Toru offered softly.

"Oh I was just gonna ask if I could set my stuff down," Zoe said, "was nee gonna eat or drink anything. I'm waiting for the party." She blushed. She giggled. "We are enablers though."

Blade looked behind him to see Toru was now there. "Hey. Er..." he said as he blushed. It felt like his heart was in his throat. He was expecting to make them on his own and now he suddenly had lots of offers. "Uh... Yeah... okay. I was thinking of two galleons a month for four lessons. And prices vary on composed music."

"I sink..." Sauvage blushed as she looked at Fade then turned back to Blade, hoping the gesture did not reveal her intentions. "I sink I would love eet eef you could compose a piece for me. But, we can talk about zat later!" She waved away the though with her hand. "Eez zhere anysing else you need 'ere?" The question was meant for all.

"Then it's decided." Suddenly Jona felt all grown up. "You guys do you thing and I'll meet you at the tea place in...what? An hour?"

(and all)

Blade nodded. A customer. Well that was a very good start. "We can speak later, yes." He went over to the inks and picked up a few inks. "Nimah, you're colour changing ink is here." He picked one for himself as well. "I think we're done." He went up and paid for all his stuff.

"Alright," Zoe said, "then have fun Jona. Callie, quill shop then?"

Fade listened as told them about her past in a dreamy voice. He had the chance to meet her grandmother over the summer and could imagine them sitting in the sunlit study writing letters on her father's desk. “Maybe I, er, we could get her a set for Christmas.” Really Fade just needed to know what ones she liked so he could buy them, or find one like it later. Hell maybe he could figure out how to make one custom.

His eyes went wide when Blade () mentioned writing music, and offering lessons. “That’s pretty cool, I’m sure lots of people will sign up.” It not to learn how to play, just to have some time alone with the mysterious newcomer. Fade shifted while feeling a little immature for having no future business plans of his own. Lots of students seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives. Where as Fade was only just now getting used to being comfortable in his own body.

A soft voice spoke up from the sidelines. Fade was a little surprised to find Toru () wearing so many ruffles. This kid really was way more brave than they gave themselves credit for. However Fade wasn't sure if this was a normal, non-uniform look for Toru and decided to keep any comments to himself. Either way, the outfit was giving Fade fun ideas to try and draw out later in his designated clothing sketchbook.

He tilted his head slightly when Sauvage made mention of Blade composing a piece of music for her. He hadn’t ever really considered commissioning a piece of music before. “How much does something like that cost anyway? Maybe depends on how long it is…” Fade was thinking out loud and tapped his chin. “Oh yeah.” He smiled at Sauvage. “I gotta grab some ink, be right back.” He slid away down the aisle and returned a minute later with a bottle of half black and half blue ink. No matter how much you shook it, they always remained separate.

Jona waved happily to Callista and Zoe as they walked out of the shop, leaving him alone and feeling vaguely bitter surrounded by all the sweet things. He looked down at the bag of goodies Callista had given him. Grabbing a jelly slug and flinging it in his mouth, he set to wandering about the shop feeling lighter and more content with each step.

@/Raven Sauvage could not help but smile as Blade suddenly became all business. She nodded her head absent-mindedly.

Her attention was redirected and narrowed in on Fade as he spoke of getting her grandmother a gift for Christmas. The thought made her leap for joy; it was a wonderful gift idea and even more so because Fade had thought of it. And she told him just that. "I sink some kind of plant would be ze best to find for 'er in a wax seal. Wiv 'er always being quite ze 'erbologeest and all. Per'aps...a mandrake root? She grew zem for a time. She 'ad a way wiv zem so zat zhey would stop crying all ze time. But, zen again, she deed not really enjoy zem as much as ozers. Hm..." She bit her lip, a common habit of hers as she pondered on things. "Oh! I know! Yes, zis eez perfect!" She twirled to be face to face with Fad, noses a mere finger's length apart. "Leaping toadstools! My grandmozer adored zem as a child and would tell me stories about 'er following zem into ze woods. Now she would probably find eet funn seence toadstools are used in majeec energy drinks and she eez, well, not as spry as she used to be." She was quite pleased with the idea all around. The downside was that this store, as far as she could see, did not sell stamps with leaping toadstools on them. She would have to find that elsewhere.

When Fade returned with the ink, she snatched it from his hands after he bought. In an attempt to magically make the ink blend, she continued to shake it like a soundless maraca, but to no avail. Eventually, she gave up and returned the bottle to Fade if only a little disappointing.

Even with the calming potion the talk of Christmas was making Blade feel very alone. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "Thanks, I hope I do," he said. He'd need all the money he could get. He wasn't thinking of out of school future but more like immediate future. When Fade asked how much it cost, Blade nodded about piece length. "Yeah I was thinking on length and complexity. If its a long piece but easy, it'd be less than a long and complicated piece. I'd record it and of course give the sheet music."

Sauvage's talk was hard to ignore. He didn't have a clue what the end of term would be like, let alone Christmas. Quietly he fingered his parcels and waited for the others to finish their shopping.

"I don't think I'd feel right asking them to guard all this stuff without making a purchase," Callista mused, "but we are definitely enablers, Zoe. Quill shop it is!"

As much as Callista did like technology, the smell of parchment and ink always made her feel a little warm inside, and she really did need another sketchbook. She wasn't so fond of writing long essays by hand, but doing fashion sketches by hand on paper was just more comfortable and felt more real than doing them on a tablet. Which was probably why she hadn't brought one to school, though if she was going to apply to Bunka, she might have to reconsider that.

Naoto and Sabrina were both being awfully good. It made her just a bit nervous. She knew Madam P liked Sabrina and that Sabrina would have treats and toys at the tea party to keep her occupied, but even so...

Zoe snickered. "Then let's spend money." She slipped her arm through Callista's linking for solidarity and to be silly. "I suppose we could take the owls to the pet shop since we did buy 'em." As they walked she smiled. "I figured out a career. I think I wanna be a reporter. I could do ANY job then and write about 'em and all."

"Zoe, that's awesome!" Callista grinned. "I'm getting ready to apply to Bunka Fashion College and Vantan Design Institute in Japan." She lowered her voice, leaning in. "There are just not any schools in the wizarding world that teach design or fashion history. Everyone just opens a shop or apprentices themselves to someone who has a shop. Wizarding designers have kept some fantastic handcraft practises alive that the Muggle world has practically forgot about, but there's a lot of tailoring and cutting that you don't learn that way, and there are a lot of fibres we don't ever see or work with. I want to be able to draw on the best of both worlds."

She sighed. "I'm nervous about telling some of my Housemates about this, but they're going to find out eventually. At the same time, I know that I'm really lucky to have a family that's open to adapting the good things about the mundane world for wizards and witches to use. I always knew there were more purebloods with families like Liane Malfoy's than like mine, but hanging out with Blade has been an education."

She swallowed, as a thought suddenly came to her. "Oh no. Was it you that said he came out of the owl post looking sad, and without any parcels? You don't suppose he heard from his family, do you?"