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Post by Sophia Stark on Oct 11, 2008 4:33:45 GMT -5
Sophia loved the way libraries smelled. She loved the way books smelled. To her she associated books with knowledge and Merlin she yearned for knowledge. She yearned for many things actually but books were the easiest to attain by far. Relationships and human interaction on the other hand were harder goals to achieve.
She didn't think she was socially awkward but she assumed that perhaps she was. Her background certainly was strange with a pureblooded Slytherin mother and her father who was completely muggle. So she didn't really fit with the purebloods or the mudbloods but some murky area in between.
Still, who was she kidding? That wasn't the reason people didn't talk to her...no...she knew that she couldn't carry a conversation for longer than ten minutes without discussing something that would stimulate her intellect and most of the time people didn't want to talk about Plato...if they knew who he was, and they didn't want to talk about Godric Gryffindor either. They didn't want to discuss foreign policy or the diplomacy or anything to do with the government wizzard or muggle and the truth was if philosophy, politics, humanity, etc. were all of the list then what was she supposed to talk about? And with who?
No, she was better off with her books. That was her playground and she was safe there.
Turning down another isle in the library she bumped into someone, "Oh! I'm so sorry about that." she said looking up to catch eyes with whoever it was.
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Feb 6, 2009 15:42:05 GMT -5
Books were a haven to Ivan as well. Anya's condition made it difficult for him to make and keep friends. And while he loved his sister deeply, the turmoil of lycanthropy had caused him to seek shelter in books. He read everything he could get his hands on, from poetry and the classics to intellectual reading, and even the occasional mystery novel.
His favorite things to read were poetry, but he seldom admitted that aloud. It wasn't natural for a boy to like poetry. But he loved the beautiful imagery it created, the turn of phrase, the rhythm of it. He liked poems that rhymed, and ones that didn't. They all said something to him.
Right now he had his nose in a book of Shakespeare's sonnets as he walked down the aisle. So absorbed was he in the words of the Bard that he didn't even notice that Sophia was coming until they collided with each other. He dropped his book and bent to pick it up before meeting the girl's eyes.
"No, there is no need to apologize," he said in his thick accent. "I am the one at fault. I was not watching where I was going. I am sorry."
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Post by Sophia Stark on Feb 7, 2009 4:26:03 GMT -5
He was more like solid muscle that it felt as if she had run into a wall rather than another person. Her eyes still hadn't traveled up his frame so the first impression she had of him was that deep voice in a thick accent which knocked her even more off her equilibrium.
"Oh um..." she blinked then let her eyes travel up to his. Red flushed her cheeks he was...very handsome and slightly unassuming. He looked like he should have been one of those football players she had read about in books.
"mmhmm" she nodded averting her eyes again.
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Feb 8, 2009 2:29:32 GMT -5
Ivan blinked down at her. She had seemed perfectly fine a moment before, and now she seemed unable to speak. He couldn't imagine what could cause such behavior. He didn't realize that he could seem imposing with his solid mass of muscle or his deep voice and thick accent. And he certainly didn't think that he was handsome. He was a humble guy, and never realized what other people, especially girls, might think upon seeing him.
"Are you all right?" he asked. "You are not hurt, are you?"
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Post by Sophia Stark on Feb 10, 2009 14:53:20 GMT -5
She shook her head quickly, " Hurt? Me? No." she answered him. "Fit as a fiddle." she nodded, her throat went dry and she could feel herself tensing up it wasn't just that he was extremely attractive, but the fact that she was normally very shy helped to form this explosion of nerves racing through her. "I um didn't hurt you did I?" she asked then went a little red, her? Hurt him? How was that even possible?
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Feb 13, 2009 18:36:38 GMT -5
Ivan laughed, a deep rumble that came from low in his throat and shook his entire body. "No. No, you didn't hurt me. You're just a tiny thing. I just... sometimes I don't know my own strength."
He smiled shyly as he looked her up and down. She was pretty, with large, expressive eyes that seemed to take up most of her face. There was intelligence there, despite the fact that she seemed to be a little nervous and unsure of herself.
He liked her immediately. Holding out his hand to her, he said. "I am Ivan. What may I call you?"
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Post by Sophia Stark on Feb 13, 2009 21:24:41 GMT -5
She turned redder as he began laughing and bit her bottom lip as she was fond of doing. She never particularly thought of herself as a tiny thing but she was rather mousy and in comparison to someone like Ivan she was a relative rabbit staring at a dragon, she didn't like that imagery. In fact she was quite nervous until he smiled, he might have been big and nearly booming in the aura that surrounded him but that smile was shy, his whole manner was shy, nearly like she was shy and suddenly she was eased.
She put her hand in his a bit more confident this time, "Stark...I mean Sophie...uh Sophie Stark."
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Feb 14, 2009 1:12:50 GMT -5
Ivan smiled. "Sophie," he repeated. "It is a pretty name. Greek, isn't it? It means wise."
He had always been interested in names and their origins; it was just another area of study that fascinated him. He also liked to learn about word origins and language... in fact there were few subjects that didn't interest him in some way. "I am sorry, you must think me terribly dull. I read a lot of books."
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Post by Sophia Stark on Feb 15, 2009 7:47:27 GMT -5
"Yes!" she said a little enthusiastically, "Yes it does!" she blushed remembering herself she shrugged a little, "Not many people know that."
When he continued and told her that he read a lot of books her stomach nearly did a flip and she could feel her smile simply widening, " No, no you're not dull at all." she promised him, " Why...I must have read everything in here." she blushed again at her overly enthusiastic replies.
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Mar 24, 2009 0:34:48 GMT -5
Ivan didn't really react to her nervousness. He was really quite unaware of what his presence could do to a young woman, and he just thought that, perhaps this was how she always was. She was shy, but enthusiastic. And clearly very intelligent. As a true lover of reading, he could always identify with and admire someone who felt the same way.
Smiling, he cast his eyes around the room. "That is a lot of books," he remarked. "Surely you must live up to your name then."
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Post by Sophia Stark on Mar 24, 2009 16:24:26 GMT -5
She blushed nodding with her eyes averted, " Yes." she smiled, " And you? Are you fond of reading?" the question was out quicker than she could have stopped herself, but she wasn't thinking so much about what she was saying as she was interested in keeping the young person in front of her engaged in conversation. She had played the isolation card for too long and was very desirous of conversation.
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Apr 1, 2009 11:27:19 GMT -5
Ivan's eyes dropped to the floor and he smiled shyly. Most people didn't expect him to be much of a reader. With his muscular frame, people expected him to be more of an athelete. And although he enjoyed Quidditch and was quite good at it, his true love ws books. With books, you could go anywhere, be anything, at least for a little while.
"I adore it above all things," he said. "I may not have read all of the books in here, but I have read a great many. Perhaps you have some you can recommend?"
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Post by Sophia Stark on Apr 1, 2009 21:20:20 GMT -5
"Really...?" she was surprised by his love of reading but that only drew her closer to him, " Oh I...." she thought about what she might recommend still nothing really came to mind, she found herself a bit scatterbrained finally she found her voice, "Well...if you're not dead against it...I've been reading the muggle classics...Thoreau, Dumas, Hugo..." she said softly.
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Apr 1, 2009 21:29:15 GMT -5
Ivan't smile widened. "I enjoy muggle books, too. Hugo is quite good... I like The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Although, I think the English translation loses some of the beauty of the text. Not everyone can read in French, but I learned it as a boy, before my parents died."
He looked a little embarrassed now. "You must think I am just trying to... how do they say it... show off for you now? Or perhaps you think I am very dull?"
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Post by Sophia Stark on Apr 3, 2009 2:48:24 GMT -5
She laughed, rather easily now feeling more at ease with him, "Believe me, I feel a ton more comfortable knowing that underneath all that muscle you're a bookworm." she said fondly then blushed unbelieving that she had said what she said and tried to dig herself out, "I mean...like me that is, I...I'm rather dull or show offish to other people...I mean..I don't always articulate well or present my best side..." she sighed taking a breath, "Sometimes I think that I was only given half a brain...A witless ravenclaw...I have the social wings of a fly."
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Apr 5, 2009 22:27:28 GMT -5
But Ivan simply laughed. "Most people are the opposite," he said. "They expect me to be just a... as they say, a dumb jock. They treat me like I am stupid and don't know how to react when I prove that I am not. I like talking to you much better. I have more in common with you.. er... I mean, with someone who is smart. Perhaps sometime we could talk about books together."
Whether she had the social wings of a fly or not, Ivan found her interesting and charming. He definitely wanted to get to know her better.
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Post by Sophia Stark on Apr 9, 2009 14:32:30 GMT -5
"Well...you're so..." she didn't know how to put it delicately that he was built like one of the greek gods and how that explained why everyone thought he was an athlete. She shook her head, "I mean you look like you do play a lot of sports, or that you work out at the very least." the most athletic thing Sophie did was ride horses, but that was when she was at home, otherwise it was turning book pages.
"Yes. I'd like that." she answered in response to his invitation.
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Apr 12, 2009 1:18:57 GMT -5
"I do play quidditch," he confessed. "I even played beater on my old team at Durmstrang. It is probably the least strategic position... I hope that does not affect your opinion of me."
He seemed genuinely embarrassed. He rather hoped to try for a different position when quidditch started up again next year. The captain had just stuck him at the position because of his sheer size, but he would have preferred to play keeper.
"I will look forward to talking books with you." He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I understand there is a sort of... social event coming up... a dance? I imagine some other boy has already asked you, but if you are available, I would like to attend with you."
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Post by Sophia Stark on Apr 12, 2009 19:19:30 GMT -5
Sophia smiled, "Well, if you're in Ravenclaw, there must be a reason for it. Our house is lucky to have you on the team, whatever position you play."
Sophie had never been too adept at the game, she of course much rather read and wasn't very into sports, but from an observer's standpoint guys like Ivan were a rarity in her house. There were a few of them, brawny sorts, but overall she would imagine that a ravenclaw's best chance in Quidditch was strategy quicker jabs and speed to see them to victory, still a guy with Ivan's strength couldn't hurt.
She was dwelling on that strength when she interpreted his last sentence, "Me?" she asked, "You're asking me to the Ball?" surprise flickered over her face, then a range of other emotions. She had tethered the unlikely notion that Apollo might ask her...if for nothing else than the fact that they had been sharing notes for a while and had good chemistry, yet she didn't place much stock in it, only desires. She realized she was still waiting for Apollo to ask her without any clue whether or not he actually would. Now the boy in front of her who was far more man than boy had simply done so.
What was a girl to do? She was speechless.
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Post by Ivan Kresimir on Apr 14, 2009 23:52:41 GMT -5
Ivan was blissfully unaware of what his imposing size and good looks could do to a woman, especially one as shy and naive as Sophia. He was actually quite humble and he would never dare assume that girls would be attracted or interested in him. Therefore, he took her silence as a rejection.
"If you do not want to go with me, I understand completely," he said, faltering. "A pretty girl like you probably has boys lining up to take you to the ball. Of course you wouldn't want a boy who waits until the last minute to ask. It is fine. I can go alone. But perhaps you might be so kind as to save me a dance?"
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