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sweetpinkpixie · 01-08-2021, 02:31 AM

Just as you enter the shop, in between all the chaos that may or may not have been going on, is a rather open area with a measuring tape that seems to be hovering in mid air. It wiggles and flies around, ready to measure the next customer to walk into it's range. The measuring tape will eagerly measure your height, the reach of your arm, and maybe even other strange measurements to help the wandmakers find the best wand for you.

In front of the counter there is the empty space that is designated as the fitting area. Here is where wands are fitted. After being measured by the magical measuring tape, you will be assisted by a worker who will then endeavor to fit you with your perfect wand and start pulling boxes from the shelves, which stretch back impossibly far and up so high that even the tallest people have to tip their head back to see the tops.

Long sliding ladders are attached to every stretch of shelves, and the wandmakers make great use of these to reach those wands which are tucked away high up. There seems to be a filing system of sorts, some kind of method to the madness, though most of the boxes are unmarked. Is it a colour code? Or is it shape? size? smell? Something else? Well you'll never know unless you get a job here. Luckily, and out of sheer necessity, these shelves have been bespelled so that wandboxes are not in danger of flying everywhere due to errant spells cast by children wielding their new wands.

Text Cut: wand fitting instructions

⌦ In order to receive a wand, please take the WAND QUIZ ONCE for the character who is here for a wand. Then, post your character being measured by the "magical measuring tape" ONCE in this thread. This thread is not one where you should interact with others, one post here please! It serves as our queue!

See the example post below, or look at other posts in this thread from previous terms.

Text Cut: example post

Jessica went into Ollivanders with more than her share of nerves, it was time for her first wand! The eleven year old made her way over to the measuring area and waited for her turn. Soon enough the measuring tape reached her and began zipping about, straightening with a snap and measuring out her height and, when she held her arms out, she watched it take a measurement of how long they were too. Fun! Did that mean her wand would be as big as her whole arm?

The girl stepped away from the measuring area and she eagerly waited for the shopkeeper to find her wand.

⌦ Please take the SORTING QUIZ first and wait to be placed in your house before taking the wand quiz! Your house effects your final wand in our quiz! This goes for current members who are re-sorting too, though you may take the quiz in advance if you know what your new house will be.

⌦ You may role play the magical measuring tape, but you may not role play for the shopkeepers. Ollivander does not work here!

⌦ After submitting the wand quiz and posting in this thread, please wait for a shop worker to assist you and your character in finding their perfect wand match. You do not have to RP to get your wand, but it is highly encouraged as a part of enriching your RP experience.

⌦ Please do not stretch the wand fitting experience out too long, it should not take more than three tries at an absolute maximum to find your character's match.

⌦ If we run out of time to complete the RP with you by the end of the RP summer, we will PM or VM your wand result to you, provided you have posted in this thread and responded to our efforts to interact with you.

⌦ If you have any questions, feel free to PM Felixir or one of the Diagon Alley Proprietors and they'll try to answer your questions as quickly and efficiently as they can.

⌦ Have fun!

Chelliephone · 08-14-2023, 02:28 AM

Aryan got a return smile when Drake caught his eyes, before his attention shifted briefly to Bryony and then to his sister who had made her way over towards him. He inched a bit closer to her, finding comfort in his twin's presence. Wand core? Honestly… he didn't even know what there all was so he just chose a random critter. "Um.. maybe an Occamy feather?" Was that an option?? "What about you? And what would do you think you'll get?" He was far more interested in the tree part.

It seemed like the time was way too short until the wandmaker (who truly looked kind which should have made Drake feel better, instead of further causing him to wonder if he was about to waste this man’s time) was offering the young boy a wand to try out. Moving away from his sister, reluctantly, he eyed the piece of wood suspiciously before glancing at the growing line behind him and realizing how rude it would be to dally. With a deeeeep breath, he reached into the box - grasping the handle and pulling it out. Just… holding it. He didn’t really DO anything with it, but hearing the instruction that one was supposed to give it a whirl (which he was taking literally and not as the expression it was probably meant as), Drake took an intake of breath and did just that.

The wand grew warm in his hand, which surprised him before he could determine if that was a good thing or not, and he found himself releasing his grip on it. Before then ultra PANICING that he just dropped a wand that he wasn’t even sure belonged to him and he dove for it with his free hand catching it once again. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He rushed out, giving wide eyes at the man. “I uh… is it supposed to be really warm to the touch?” He tended to be timid by nature so he would take the man’s expertise on this.

Kimothy · 08-14-2023, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Having just finished ringing up one more customer, Zeke allowed himself only the briefest of breaks. Only moments ago he had flicked his wand over his shoulder in the direction of the back room, and not the results of his efforts had appeared; a fresh cup of coffee, which levitated itself out to him and which he now plucked from midair and took a cautious sip.

Burning. Scalding hot. Almost undrinkable. Perfection.

Zeke took another grateful sip, then stored the coffee on a shelf below the counter and moved along to his next customer, consulting the measurements and briefly detouring to pick up potential wand options on his way.

"Hello there!" he greeted this girl, with his usual enthusiasm. "Ready to get started?" Of course she was. They all... well. Most of them were. Zeke popped the lid off the first box and held it out, so she could take the wand. "Give this a wave, and we'll see what's what."

Ascella didn't mind having to wait a few more minutes. It was very busy here, she figured, even more so during the summer. Wand maker man deserved a break too! Even if she was eager to have ice cream with Rosie already, it could wait.

"Hello, sir. That was very cool," the eleven year old said, smiling at him. She'd seen him levitate the cup of coffee from the back room, seen the entire thing happen before her eyes while she waited for him. "Did you use Wingardium Leviosa for it?" That was the most basic levitating charm she knew, and probably a very easy and reliable one for all wizards. And yes, sir, she was absolutely that kid who asked questions, which hopefully he wouldn't mind. Oh! And before she forgets her first question. "Why did the tape measure my head? Does it measure everyone else's head too?" It didn't seem to have measured Rosie's, but Ascella wasn't sure. She hadn't paid all her attention there, having been distracted briefly by the wand maker's floating coffee.

Anyway! "Yes, I'm ready." Ascella nodded as she carefully took the wand from the man. She marveled at the sight and feel of it for a moment. The first wand she's ever held! Well, aside from Dad's wand. Could it be? Could this be it? The eldest Archer kid gave it a wave, and a sudden burst of air came out of the wand's tip, surprising even herself. Hmm. "It's...it's alright, but I think not for me." The first wand wasn't a match, but that's okay! There's still time!

She offered the wand back to the man, smiling a bit sheepishly.

Harron Peasley · 08-14-2023, 01:39 PM

If she was old enough to have a wand, she was old enough to go and get it herself. That was how Billie felt, and it was exactly what she had told her parents who were now impatiently waiting outside. The eleven ~~and three quarters!~~ year old was impatient herself, and barely glanced behind her to ensure her sister was following her through the door of the shop.

"Come on, Brayla," she said, lips pursed together as she joined the queue. This was the best part of starting school, after all. And whilst she was impatient and annoyed, she couldn't do this without her sister - it just wouldn't be right. They did (almost) everything together, even the things they didn't like! How many times had Billie climbed a stupid hill just because Brayla wanted to?

Taking her place in the queue, the eleven year old couldn't stop fidgeting, going onto her tip-toes to see how long they had to wait, peering around the people in front of them, rocking on her heels. When she eventually reached the front of the line, it was an effort to stay still as the tape measure whizzed around her, and she giggled as it tickled under her chin. And then she turned to watch it move on to Brayla.

astrocat · 08-14-2023, 04:46 PM

This was Phoebe's Very Special Wand Moment. And while she usually preferred to explore on her own, for this store in extra-special-particular she had made sure she had Drewie-her-favorite-Stemp-House-adult present to hold her hand and take pictures for her photo album. Ascella probably could have taken pictures for her, but she was having her OWN Very Special Wand Moment and Phoebe didn't want to get in the way of that.

Her eyes lit up as she stepped into the store. It was SO busy and Phoebe immediately felt at home among the chaos. So many people! So many wands! She made her way to the measuring tape, trying not to bump into anyone tall, and then she was there. The measuring tape moved all by itself, measuring her feet(small) and shoulders(small) and arms(short) and legs(extra short). Drewie even got a picture of it measuring across her nose, which she thought was funny because she didn't need glasses.

Measurements finished, she retook his hand and went to the wand fitting area to wait for assistance. She was so excited that she almost couldn't- actually couldn't- breathe with the amount of excited words tumbling out of her mouth. Could she get another picture as she waited? Pretty please?

Daemon · 08-14-2023, 08:33 PM

Text Cut: laura & bill ♡

It's important to Brayla that everyone knows her hills weren't stupid at all, actually. They were great hills, with the best views and excellent picnic spots. Billie doesn't know what she's talking about. Anyway.

Despite her best efforts, Brayla was genuinely excited to be here. She was not excited about Hogwarts (really, not at all), because she simply had too much to do. Her calendar was packed, everything was going to be super ruined if she went off to boarding school for the next seven years. What about her ballet classes?? Her swimming tournaments?? Surely, SURELY, she wasn't expected to just not visit her beloved abraxans for a whole year. It was distressing. It was awful. She obviously wanted to see what Hogwarts was all about but was the price really worth it?? She didn't think so.

But getting her wand, this part she was excited about. She shuffled in behind Billie (after a final wave to mum n' dad, bye bye) with an "I'm right here Bill," and a tired, instinctive eye roll. Bray blinked slowly and took in the shop, a hand on her sister's elbow. Quaint, because it's Diagon Alley and everything is quaint, but also warm and inviting. She liked the mess. Great mess. After stepping back to allow the tape to measure her sister without interruption (that flick to her fingers wholly unnecessary by the way, she'd have let go of Bill's arm if it had just given her a second!!!), Brayla stood obediently as the overeager measuring device measured the most absurd bits of her body. Her toes (nails painted sparkly periwinkle weren't they cute??) had nothing to do with her wand?? Weird. "Do you think this same tape measured dad's toes too?" Brayla asked, resisting the urge to kick it. Because that would be rude.

Shanners · 08-14-2023, 09:07 PM

One of her siblings had said this was the most important day of her whole life. The day she found out if she really was magical or whether the letter was another joke courtesy of CC, Dia and Striddy. Part of her was worried, and that was why Maebry Grimaldi lingered outside of the door and then shuffled into Gen's side for a cuddle and a pep talk. The other part of her was ridiculously excited -- she had dreamed about getting a wand ever since she saw Win getting hers.

Now it was her turn. ~~And Melodia's.~~

With a palm flower squeeze, Maebry took off her wig and sunglasses, putting them into the hand that Larkin had extended toward her and headed inside to join the queue. It was only while she waited that she bent down to slip off her sandals and held them close to her. Her wand needed to be true to her, which meant that she needed to be true to herself. No disguise, no protection, no shoes. She needed to be Maebry.

In the time it took her to do that, and to look over her shoulder at the disguised Grimaldi brood outside of the window, it was her turn. The measuring tape moved quickly enough that Maebry mistook it's movements for asking her to twirl. The girl giggled as she gave one full twist and only came to a stop when the tape looped around her ankles to make her stop. "Oops! Heheheh. Sorry!" In an effort to stay as still as possible, she pretended she was Rhapsody staring down the press that waited outside of their gated property.

Another quick glance over her shoulder, a GRIN and a big double thumbs up to her most favourite family.

Waddles · 08-15-2023, 02:08 AM

Diagon Alley was...overwhelming. They hadn't even been to the book shop yet, only the bank, and the sheer number of people--of witches and wizards--filling the street made Kenneth immediately grateful for the relative calmness of the wand shop. It was a good thing his uncle was directing their day, because Kenneth would have gotten lost or given up before too long.

The number of boxes of...wands, he supposed, stacking the walls was a little chaotic, so the short, bespectacled, barely-eleven-year-old boy squeezed his eyes shut while he waited for his turn.

When it was his turn and his uncle gently pushed him forward, Kenneth's eyes widened at the sight of the measuring tape zipping about. He instinctively squeezed his eyes shut again, but peeked out of his right eye to...keep an eye on the measuring tape's activities.

Felixir · 08-15-2023, 02:30 AM

SPOILER!!: SilverTiger

One more customer dealt with, and again Zeke stopped to take a quick few gulps of coffee before he moved on - the mug was enchanted so that its contents would lose no more than a couple of degrees of heat, a gift from his husband and one which turned out to get used most. He plucked the parchment out of the air as it flew across to him with its measurements, scanning through the information before giving a nod, and releasing it to go and record the next batch.

Stowing away his mug of coffee again, Zeke disappeared off into the back shelves, but reappeared and approached this next customer within a couple of minutes.

"Hello there," he greeted her, bearing a friendly smile and a few wand boxes. "Big day, eh?" He set the boxes down on the counter, but kept hold of the one on top of the stack, and removed the lid. "Let's try a few wands out, shall we? Just take this and give it a wave, and we'll see what happens. Tell me if it feels right, or if you'd like to try another."

With that, Zeke held the box out to offer its contents to the girl, handle-first, smiling encouragingly.

SPOILER!!: kayquilz

In no time at all - well... not no time... there were plenty of customers to tend to and Zeke was determined to give each their due attention, and avoid rushing their special moment - the wandmaker himself had appeared.

"Hello, young man," he said rather kindly, setting a small clutch of boxes to one side and plucking one decisively from the mix. He'd seen the measurements, and immediately gone on the hunt for the best candidates. Perhaps optimistically, but then again, he wasn't above going on the hunt for one or two different options if one of these wands indicated he was way off base. "Ready to get started? If you'll just take this wand, give it a wave..." Zeke opened up the box, and held it out to offer the wand that was nestled inside of it. "... and let me know what you think."

SPOILER!!: Lissy Longbottom

No fire... no fire please. A lot of wood in this place; and those spontaneous fires that occasionally occurred did not do wonders for Zeke's blood pressure. Fortunately, he had quick reflexes.

... Not that quick though - wand down! wand down! - but he had been lulled into a false sense of security by the initial lack of response from the wand.

"Hm, I'm of the opinion that's not the one. No matter," Zeke said bracingly, stooping to pick up both the rejected wand and the still-boxed one that had briefly taken issue with the lad. Both he set aside, to be checked and/or cleaned later, before he considering the other candidates he had collected, ruling out a couple. Perhaps a matter of the core... "Let's try this one," he went on, picking up another box and, again, holding it out for the boy to take the wand inside. "Same again, sir, if you please."

SPOILER!!: Lottiepot

If Zeke was fazed by this young man's apparent lack of enthusiasm, it didn't show - but it was very unlikely, as there had yet to be a child to pass through the shop who could truly take the wind out of his sails. Instead, he adjusted his energy accordingly, albeit slightly. Just part of the process.

Upon the first trial, Zeke noted the faintness of that glimmer, and kept his very witty observation - about the aptness of a wand reluctant to respond - very much to himself. It didn't really work like that with wands (and the few times it did, it was always accompanied by the wand owner knowing that said wand was the right one), and in any case, he had the sneaking suspicion this boy was not the type to appreciate his brand of (excellent) humour.

"Right you are," he said instead, giving a slight nod and taking the wand back, and setting it to one side. He considered their options, based on that performance, and picked up another, again offering its contents to the boy without lifting it from the box instead. "Perhaps this one will be more receptive."

SPOILER!!: FearlessLeader19

Goodness gracious. For a moment there was no small amount of confusion, and the wandmaker himself was to exception to that. There came the muffled clatter of a box set on the counter, and then, a moment later, that fetid smoke cleared again. Zeke was stood, one hand holding his pocket handkerchief over his mouth and nose, the other holding his own hawthorn and unicorn hair wand aloft, having just dispensed with that strange smog.

"Not that one, I think," he said lightly, uncovering his nose and mouth again, so that the boy could see his smile, just as friendly as it had been before. He took the first wand back, placed it back into its box, and stowed his own away again. "But that's helpful nevertheless, so..."

After a few seconds considering the other options, Zeke picked out a second, and again offered the wand inside the box to his young customer. "Same drill. Let's see if you get on a little better with this one."

SPOILER!!: Chelliephone

"Not to worry," Zeke said to the boy, while acknowledging privately to himself that he seemed exactly the type to worry regardless. Still. It was always better to reassure, even if he suspected it would be in vain. "Perfectly alright. I've seen much worse."

He'd have picked the wand up himself, but the lad was quick off the mark with that. Zeke considered his question thoughtfully. "Well... some do describe a sort of warm, tingly feeling, from their fingers all the way up to their shoulder, when a wand has chosen them. If it's uncomfortable or unpleasant, it might not be the one - it's likely you'll just know if it's the right one." After another pause, he picked up another of the boxes and opened it up, just in case. "Do you think that one feels right, or would you like to try this one, and see how they compare?" He held the box out, offering the second for him to take if he felt so inclined. "You're very welcome to do so, if you have any doubts." The most important thing, after all, was to ensure his customers felt confident, happy, or comfortable with the wand they left the shop with.

SPOILER!!: Kimothy

"Why, thank you," Zeke replied to the girl with a warm smile (warm, maybe, but nothing on that coffee of his. "Not quite; it's enchanted to prepare itself, so there's a few little charms at play there." And plenty of fine-tuning to get the process right, though he decided not to expand on that.

Because they had a wand to- Oh, not quite yet.

"Many people, yes, but not everyone. For each measurement it takes, it decides which other measurements it needs, and which it doesn't. As to the precise why, well... the tape measure works in mysterious ways." That is to say, trade secrets and all. The kind of thing that varied between establishments, in terms of exact approach. But Zeke, eyes twinkling, grinned so that the child would at least know he was not bother by her curiosity.

Now they had a wand to get to.

But, evidently, this wand was not the one.

"Not to worry. Plenty of other options for us to try," Zeke replied, nodding and meeting the sheepish smile with a more encouraging one of his own. He held out the wand for it to be placed back inside, then turned and, after a moment's consideration of the options, picked up a second box. "Maybe you'll get on a little better with this one," he said, removing the lid and again offering the wand inside.

SPOILER!!: Harron Peasley

Unless Zeke was very much mistaken - and he might be, he could be mistaken sometimes... not about wands though, thank you very much - this young lady and the girl ~~glued to her hip~~ who had entered just behind her were twins. Made him think of his own girls, as this eventuality often did, and Zeke allowed himself a moment to wonder what they were up to (including a quick scan of the shop, as they could occasionally be found right here) before consulting with the measurements that flew his way.

After a couple of minutes - if that - Zeke emerged from the back shelves with wand boxes stacked in his hands. He didn't really think he'd need so many, but it was always good to plan ahead, in case a wand's reaction sent him down a completely new avenue.

So. This young lady first, though Zeke intended to get both wands fitted at more or less the same time. "Hello there," he greeted the one who had entered first, smiling broadly. "I have some wands for you to try." Or just the one. Sometimes it was just the one. Zeke took up the first wand, one of the more likely candidates, and offered the wand inside it to the girl. "Here you are; give this a wave, and tell me if it feels like the one." And perhaps they would see. It... it was likely that they would see.

SPOILER!!: Daemon

... and, with the first wand tested by the first possibly-twin-possibly-sister, Zeke turned to the possibly-twin-possibly-sister who had accompanied here. Again, he smiled - and hopefully it was as warm and inviting as the rest of Diagon Alley.

"And for you as well," he said, choosing not to intrude and address their earlier comment about the measuring tape and the toes. Oh, Zeke knew the measuring tape predated him in terms of the shop by many years, but that was where his knowledge of the matter stopped. Also, it wasn't a question directed at him. Anyway. Wand.

He plucked a box from the stack he'd brought over, double checked the label to ensure it was the one he'd eyed first, and opened it up to offered the wand inside of it to the girl. "Same again. Give this a wave, and tell me what you think."

SPOILER!!: astrocat

It would have been easy to get lost in all the measurements and mixing up customers during this busy period - especially on the particularly busy days - but Zeke was perfectly at his ease. Oh, how his husband liked to mock him for the time he devoted to order and cleanliness - obsession was the word he used. Zeke didn't actually mind that, but all the same, those habits of his meant he could easily stay on top of things.

So he was still in that easy breezy mood (or at least, whatever his version of that was) when he checked the next lot of measurements with only a break break to take a single sip of coffee, and did his usual tour of the shelves for the most likely candidate.

"You next, my dear," he said now, setting the wand boxes down on the counter and sending an encouraging smile her way. Yes, yes, come on over. "I think we'll try this one first." Zeke took up a wand box and opened it up, presenting the wand inside to the young girl. "You know what to do? Give it a wave, and we'll see what happens. Tell me what you think, if it feels like the right one."

And they would go from there.

SPOILER!!: Shanners

Was it just him, or did this girl look familiar? Zeke was good with names and faces, though that mostly applied to those he had personally seen or interacted with. A man of popular culture, he could not honestly claim to be, though he scanned through newspapers and Mathias' gossip magazines often enough ... and yet not enough for him to make the connection here. Glancing at the family (or so he assumed) through the window, in search of a face he might recognise from a past wand fitting, didn't help him riddle things out either.

Well, not to worry. The important thing was the wand. The name would come later, when the records wrote themselves up; maybe he'd refresh his memory then.

"Hello!" Zeke's cheery voice preceded him as he joined the girl, carrying with him a clutch of wand boxes. "Ready to get started? You can pop those up on the counter, if you'd like," he added, nodding towards the sandals that the girl seemed reluctant to wear (again, something nagged at his memory). Better to avoid having them be a trip hazard with possible unexpected magical effects on the horizon.

Aaand without further ado, the wandmaker presented the first wand, still inside its unlidded box, for the girl to take. "Give this a wave, and we'll go from there. Sound good?"

SPOILER!!: Waddles

Zeke would surely clutch his pearls to hear anyone call his organisation system chaotic, though he was aware it could seem exactly that way to the untrained eye. But a system, there was. Zeke was a man of systems.

He also could not read minds or hear unspoken thoughts, and so would continue being none the wiser. Having consulted the last set of measurements, Zeke had traversed the shelves on the shop floor, going up a ladder or two to find what he was looking for, and now finally stopped to call this young man forward.

"Your turn, my good sir. Let's see if we can't find you a wand." With that, and a smile, he took up one of the most likely candidates and removed the lid from the box, holding it out to present the wand inside it to the boy. "You'll need to take the wand and give it a wave, and we'll see how it responds. If it feels right - or wrong - just let me know."

laurange · 08-15-2023, 11:13 AM

SPOILER!!: Felixir

Rosie looked on as Ascella was presented with a wand to try, and the subsequent underwhelm, cogs in her brain whirring. Was it something you just knew? The littlest Woods had no way of knowing -- sure, she was a very impulsive, intuitive person in general, but she rarely knew things in her bones.

So when the very nice shopkeeper man offered her a box, with the wand in it, she steeled herself and reached for it. As her hand drew closer to the box, there was something inside that told her NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES. But the wandmaker surely knew best, so she pushed past it and reached into the box, wrapping her fingers around the slim wooden handle...

...and then immediately jumped back, her hands still very empty. Shaking her hand out, as though shocked, she looked between the box and the shopkeeper with some trepidation. "Is it supposed to burn? I'm afraid I don't know a whole lot about wands, but I don't think this one likes me." And then, a beat later. "It definitely did not like me. It wouldn't even let me pick it up. I think I offended it, somehow? I feel like it slapped me. Is that even a thing a wand can do? IT FEELS ALIVE BUT IT'S LIKE IT HATES ME."

This was very distressing. What if her Hogwarts letter was a mistake? What if this was all a mistake and she was actually a Muggle like her ma? It's okay if it was a mistake, people make mistakes, but actually WHERE WAS HER MA? WHY WASN'T SHE HERE? Probably because Rosie swore up and down that she would be just fine, and that her ma could get the more boring parts of the start-of-term shopping done while she was at Ollivander's with Cella and yes they would be SUPER responsible.

That was besides the point. This wand had hurt her feelings.

Harron Peasley · 08-15-2023, 11:37 AM

Text Cut: ooh look twin wand time ♡

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daemon

It's important to Brayla that everyone knows her hills weren't stupid at all, actually. They were great hills, with the best views and excellent picnic spots. Billie doesn't know what she's talking about. Anyway.

Despite her best efforts, Brayla was genuinely excited to be here. She was not excited about Hogwarts (really, not at all), because she simply had too much to do. Her calendar was packed, everything was going to be super ruined if she went off to boarding school for the next seven years. What about her ballet classes?? Her swimming tournaments?? Surely, SURELY, she wasn't expected to just not visit her beloved abraxans for a whole year. It was distressing. It was awful. She obviously wanted to see what Hogwarts was all about but was the price really worth it?? She didn't think so.

But getting her wand, this part she was excited about. She shuffled in behind Billie (after a final wave to mum n' dad, bye bye) with an "I'm right here Bill," and a tired, instinctive eye roll. Bray blinked slowly and took in the shop, a hand on her sister's elbow. Quaint, because it's Diagon Alley and everything is quaint, but also warm and inviting. She liked the mess. Great mess. After stepping back to allow the tape to measure her sister without interruption (that flick to her fingers wholly unnecessary by the way, she'd have let go of Bill's arm if it had just given her a second!!!), Brayla stood obediently as the overeager measuring device measured the most absurd bits of her body. Her toes (nails painted sparkly periwinkle weren't they cute??) had nothing to do with her wand?? Weird. "Do you think this same tape measured dad's toes too?" Brayla asked, resisting the urge to kick it. Because that would be rude.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

[Unless Zeke was very much mistaken - and he might be, he could be mistaken sometimes... not about wands though, thank you very much - this young lady and the girl ~~glued to her hip~~ who had entered just behind her were twins. Made him think of his own girls, as this eventuality often did, and Zeke allowed himself a moment to wonder what they were up to (including a quick scan of the shop, as they could occasionally be found right here) before consulting with the measurements that flew his way.

After a couple of minutes - if that - Zeke emerged from the back shelves with wand boxes stacked in his hands. He didn't really think he'd need so many, but it was always good to plan ahead, in case a wand's reaction sent him down a completely new avenue.

So. This young lady first, though Zeke intended to get both wands fitted at more or less the same time. "Hello there," he greeted the one who had entered first, smiling broadly. "I have some wands for you to try." Or just the one. Sometimes it was just the one. Zeke took up the first wand, one of the more likely candidates, and offered the wand inside it to the girl. "Here you are; give this a wave, and tell me if it feels like the one." And perhaps they would see. It... it was likely that they would see.

... and, with the first wand tested by the first possibly-twin-possibly-sister, Zeke turned to the possibly-twin-possibly-sister who had accompanied here. Again, he smiled - and hopefully it was as warm and inviting as the rest of Diagon Alley.

"And for you as well," he said, choosing not to intrude and address their earlier comment about the measuring tape and the toes. Oh, Zeke knew the measuring tape predated him in terms of the shop by many years, but that was where his knowledge of the matter stopped. Also, it wasn't a question directed at him. Anyway. Wand.

He plucked a box from the stack he'd brought over, double checked the label to ensure it was the one he'd eyed first, and opened it up to offered the wand inside of it to the girl. "Same again. Give this a wave, and tell me what you think."

It would have been easy to get lost in all the measurements and mixing up customers during this busy period - especially on the particularly busy days - but Zeke was perfectly at his ease. Oh, how his husband liked to mock him for the time he devoted to order and cleanliness - obsession was the word he used. Zeke didn't actually mind that, but all the same, those habits of his meant he could easily stay on top of things.

So he was still in that easy breezy mood (or at least, whatever his version of that was) when he checked the next lot of measurements with only a break break to take a single sip of coffee, and did his usual tour of the shelves for the most likely candidate.

"You next, my dear," he said now, setting the wand boxes down on the counter and sending an encouraging smile her way. Yes, yes, come on over. "I think we'll try this one first." Zeke took up a wand box and opened it up, presenting the wand inside to the young girl. "You know what to do? Give it a wave, and we'll see what happens. Tell me what you think, if it feels like the right one."

And they would go from there.

Sometimes, Brayla's hand on her elbow annoyed her. Like when she was trying to do something, and the clinginess was interfering. Most of the time, though, Billie liked it. It made her feel smug, like a leader. She was older by mere minutes, but little gestures like this reinforced that she was the elder, was the boss. So today she allowed it, though she couldn't help but smirk a little when the tape measure flicked at her sisters fingers. The ritual of it all was over too soon, though, and Billie pouted a little as she turned to watch the tape measure work with Bray, feeling (for once) like she wasn't the main character. At her question about Dad, Billie's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Gross, Bray. I hope not." Or that they'd at least cleaned it.

When the wand guy walked over, she beamed her brightest smile at him. "Given we're identical, what's the likelihood of our wands being similar?" she asked straight away, back straight as she surveyed the boxes in his hands. Of course, their personalities were distinct, but Billie liked to think they were similar enough. Their family could tell them apart, but it was fun to prank the teachers at school (or it had been, they should try it again once they got to Hogwarts!) and she was pretty sure Reuben had no idea who was who. But then again, Reuben wasn't exactly the quickest bludger in the crate.

As for the wands... Billie decided she would look at all of the others before she turned to the wand the wand guy was presenting to her. She squinted at the boxes, but given she knew next to nothing about the instruments it didn't tell her much, and so she ended up taking the wand from him sooner than she'd thought. When she did, it seemed to fit into her hand as if it were made for her, and she waved it without hesitation. Not a lot happened, but a stream of pink! sparks did fly from the end. And she couldn't let go of it - or, rather, she didn't want to. That feeling that it was made for her? This wand was part of her, she was sure.

"I'll take this one. Thank you."

Daemon · 08-15-2023, 01:22 PM

Text Cut: twinnie billie and wand person

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Unless Zeke was very much mistaken - and he might be, he could be mistaken sometimes... not about wands though, thank you very much - this young lady and the girl ~~glued to her hip~~ who had entered just behind her were twins. Made him think of his own girls, as this eventuality often did, and Zeke allowed himself a moment to wonder what they were up to (including a quick scan of the shop, as they could occasionally be found right here) before consulting with the measurements that flew his way.

After a couple of minutes - if that - Zeke emerged from the back shelves with wand boxes stacked in his hands. He didn't really think he'd need so many, but it was always good to plan ahead, in case a wand's reaction sent him down a completely new avenue.

So. This young lady first, though Zeke intended to get both wands fitted at more or less the same time. "Hello there," he greeted the one who had entered first, smiling broadly. "I have some wands for you to try." Or just the one. Sometimes it was just the one. Zeke took up the first wand, one of the more likely candidates, and offered the wand inside it to the girl. "Here you are; give this a wave, and tell me if it feels like the one." And perhaps they would see. It... it was likely that they would see.

-
... and, with the first wand tested by the first possibly-twin-possibly-sister, Zeke turned to the possibly-twin-possibly-sister who had accompanied here. Again, he smiled - and hopefully it was as warm and inviting as the rest of Diagon Alley.

"And for you as well," he said, choosing not to intrude and address their earlier comment about the measuring tape and the toes. Oh, Zeke knew the measuring tape predated him in terms of the shop by many years, but that was where his knowledge of the matter stopped. Also, it wasn't a question directed at him. Anyway. Wand.

He plucked a box from the stack he'd brought over, double checked the label to ensure it was the one he'd eyed first, and opened it up to offered the wand inside of it to the girl. "Same again. Give this a wave, and tell me what you think."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harron Peasley

Sometimes, Brayla's hand on her elbow annoyed her. Like when she was trying to do something, and the clinginess was interfering. Most of the time, though, Billie liked it. It made her feel smug, like a leader. She was older by mere minutes, but little gestures like this reinforced that she was the elder, was the boss. So today she allowed it, though she couldn't help but smirk a little when the tape measure flicked at her sisters fingers. The ritual of it all was over too soon, though, and Billie pouted a little as she turned to watch the tape measure work with Bray, feeling (for once) like she wasn't the main character. At her question about Dad, Billie's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Gross, Bray. I hope not." Or that they'd at least cleaned it.

When the wand guy walked over, she beamed her brightest smile at him. "Given we're identical, what's the likelihood of our wands being similar?" she asked straight away, back straight as she surveyed the boxes in his hands. Of course, their personalities were distinct, but Billie liked to think they were similar enough. Their family could tell them apart, but it was fun to prank the teachers at school (or it had been, they should try it again once they got to Hogwarts!) and she was pretty sure Reuben had no idea who was who. But then again, Reuben wasn't exactly the quickest bludger in the crate.

As for the wands... Billie decided she would look at all of the others before she turned to the wand the wand guy was presenting to her. She squinted at the boxes, but given she knew next to nothing about the instruments it didn't tell her much, and so she ended up taking the wand from him sooner than she'd thought. When she did, it seemed to fit into her hand as if it were made for her, and she waved it without hesitation. Not a lot happened, but a stream of pink! sparks did fly from the end. And she couldn't let go of it - or, rather, she didn't want to. That feeling that it was made for her? This wand was part of her, she was sure.

"I'll take this one. Thank you."

"Maybe it also measured GRANDAD'S toes." Ha. Brayla wasn't the least bit fazed by her sister's disgust and could have happily continued hypothesizing about many more toes that had been measured if the shopkeeper had not arrived.. She glanced at Billie as she asked her question, nodding enthusiastically once she'd finished. Brayla would also like to know the answer to that, please. And if the answer was no, she privately hoped their wands would at least physically look good together. Imagine if they clashed? That would be terrible. New fear unlocked.

Her hand had almost managed to reach Billie's arm again when the wands were offered. She dropped it immediately, moving to give her sister space to try her wand out first. She held the wand the shopkeeper had offered her by her side, her arm limp as she watched Billie swish hers around. The grip felt all wrong in her hand but Brayla had no time to think about it because Billie was doing MAGIC. Brayla gasped at the pink sparks that her sister produced (all by herSELF OH MY MERLIN) and looked at her with wide eyes. "That was so COOL Bill! Let me tr-" Brayla barely begun lifting her arm to copy her sister's wave when the wand simply removed itself from her grip and floated back into the box.

Uhm. What? "I didn't do that!" Panicked eyes looked between Billie and the shopkeeper, fearful they wouldn't believe her. "I didn't!!"

Kimothy · 08-15-2023, 02:11 PM

Text Cut: Wand Maker Man and Best Cousin Friend

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

"Why, thank you," Zeke replied to the girl with a warm smile (warm, maybe, but nothing on that coffee of his. "Not quite; it's enchanted to prepare itself, so there's a few little charms at play there." And plenty of fine-tuning to get the process right, though he decided not to expand on that.

Because they had a wand to- Oh, not quite yet.

"Many people, yes, but not everyone. For each measurement it takes, it decides which other measurements it needs, and which it doesn't. As to the precise why, well... the tape measure works in mysterious ways." That is to say, trade secrets and all. The kind of thing that varied between establishments, in terms of exact approach. But Zeke, eyes twinkling, grinned so that the child would at least know he was not bother by her curiosity.

Now they had a wand to get to.

But, evidently, this wand was not the one.

"Not to worry. Plenty of other options for us to try," Zeke replied, nodding and meeting the sheepish smile with a more encouraging one of his own. He held out the wand for it to be placed back inside, then turned and, after a moment's consideration of the options, picked up a second box. "Maybe you'll get on a little better with this one," he said, removing the lid and again offering the wand inside.

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurange

Rosie looked on as Ascella was presented with a wand to try, and the subsequent underwhelm, cogs in her brain whirring. Was it something you just knew? The littlest Woods had no way of knowing -- sure, she was a very impulsive, intuitive person in general, but she rarely knew things in her bones.

So when the very nice shopkeeper man offered her a box, with the wand in it, she steeled herself and reached for it. As her hand drew closer to the box, there was something inside that told her NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES. But the wandmaker surely knew best, so she pushed past it and reached into the box, wrapping her fingers around the slim wooden handle...

...and then immediately jumped back, her hands still very empty. Shaking her hand out, as though shocked, she looked between the box and the shopkeeper with some trepidation. "Is it supposed to burn? I'm afraid I don't know a whole lot about wands, but I don't think this one likes me." And then, a beat later. "It definitely did not like me. It wouldn't even let me pick it up. I think I offended it, somehow? I feel like it slapped me. Is that even a thing a wand can do? IT FEELS ALIVE BUT IT'S LIKE IT HATES ME."

This was very distressing. What if her Hogwarts letter was a mistake? What if this was all a mistake and she was actually a Muggle like her ma? It's okay if it was a mistake, people make mistakes, but actually WHERE WAS HER MA? WHY WASN'T SHE HERE? Probably because Rosie swore up and down that she would be just fine, and that her ma could get the more boring parts of the start-of-term shopping done while she was at Ollivander's with Cella and yes they would be SUPER responsible.

That was besides the point. This wand had hurt her feelings.

"Wow." That's all Ascella had to say. Except not really, but the other thing she was about to say was her asking the wand maker man to teach her how to do that spell, or series of spells. They would be very useful. But as much as she wanted to know, she simply tucked that question away in her head so she can ask Dad about it instead. Dad would know, too. She didn't want to take too much of the wand maker man's time. He was a busy bee.

....Except, again, he says the tape works in mysterious ways. Wording like that only made Ascella more curious. She didn't really have a particular reason for wanting to know, she just wanted to know. "Don't you want to know, though, sir? The tape's mysterious ways?" Because Ascella did. It can be that mysterious. Surely there's something that makes the tape tick. Or, well, not really tick. Tapes did not have cogs and screws like a clock, but you get it.

The man's smile was absolutely reassuring, and so the smile on Ascella was now less sheepish and more real. She swayed in place as she waited for her second, while also looking back at Rosie. Once the next wand was offered to her, Ascella accepted it and held it firmly in her hand. "Maybe," she replied to the wand maker, smile still on her face, before giving it a wave like the last one.

With the wave of that wand, bubbles erupted from its tip, which made Ascella widen her blue eyes. "I did that?" Something about this was potentially exciting, she could feel it all the way from her tippy toes. She lifted her free hand and poked at one of the bubbles. "Pop!" See, she was making her own sound effects for it, too. Rosie, Dad, Uncle Reuben! Did you see that? "I'd like to make more bubbles with this one forever, sir." That was Ascella's way of saying that yes, it's the one. This is it. She hoped it wouldn't be too expensive, too. It was a genuine worry.

Ascella turned to Rosie again, then took her cousin's hand to give it a squeeze. "It's okay, Rosie, the first wand didn't like me either." She tried to be as assuring as she can manage, even though wands probably didn't work like that. They just want a forever wand-wielding person. Better a perfect match than a forced match, right?

astrocat · 08-15-2023, 06:51 PM

It was her turn! Phoebe had to take some VERY big deep breaths so as not to freak out. It was her turn! It was her special moment! And as a kid who often felt like she didn't receive enough attention, as a kid who spent much of her life being overlooked and forgotten about (at least in her own mind) and deemed to be not-a-problem-kid, she was very much enjoying the full attention of Drewie AND the shopkeeper, which was TWO people JUST thinking about HER. Awesome! She stepped forward as confidently as she could and took the wand being presented to her. She gave it a proper wave and-

Nothing happened.

She gave it a few more not-so-patient waves, but still. Nothing.

Oh no! She looked between Drewie and the shopkeeper. What if this meant she wasn't really magic and her Hogwarts letter was a big mistake and she got kicked out of Hogwarts??? What if she got kicked out of Stemp House??? What if she got kicked out of... THE WHOLE UNIVERSE??? Surely not!!! Say it wasn't so, Drewie!!! She was about halfway through signing to him- anxiously asking if he was SURE she was really a witch- when she realized he couldn't understand and switched to a whispering tone that she thought was quiet but was actually very much audible because she wasn't very good at whispering. "What if I'm NOT magic, Drewie? What if I can't get my wand or go to school with my friends and- and- and-" She was VERY worried about it and was already starting to make big tearful puffskein eyes and take the most anxious ever of deep breaths when Drewie gave her a hug and reassured her that it was actually very, very normal to not get the first wand as a match and that it didn't mean she wasn't good at magic.

Oh. Carry on, then. She gently put the wand back in the shopkeeper's box. "I don't think this particular wand is the right fit for me. May I have a different one, please?" Anxious-about-not-being-magic-enough who? Phoebe wasn't anxious at all, and had NO clue why anyone would think so. And she was also nowhere close to tears, and she definitely didn't have to wipe her eyes on her sleeve, because she wasn't stressed out at all.

(She was a little stressed out and embarrassed about being stressed out but still stressed out and teary but embarrassed that she was a crybaby and she was pretty sure she needed a pep talk. It was just.......... a very big and important day for her and she just really wanted it to go right.)

DuckyLinJi · 08-15-2023, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Ah, now here was a face Zeke had seen before. He had a memory for names and faces (surprisingly useful in his line of work), though sometimes it took a little longer to place the exact context in which he'd seen them. This boy, though, he was sure he'd noticed milling around the shop from time to time in the past. It wasn't common, but it wasn't that unusual either. More often he recognised the kids from their having spent years (not all at once, mind you) pressing their noses against his otherwise very clean windows in order to peer inside.

"Hello there, young man," Zeke greeted the boy with a smile. "Today's the day, then, hmm? Let's give you some wands to try out then, why don't we?"

Because he'd consulted the measurements between sips of coffee which was, again, safely tucked away under the counter, and sought out the best one or two candidates, plus a wild card. It was from this selection that he chose one wand box and lifted the cover, turning to present the wand inside to the boy. "Give it a wave, and tell me what you think, sound good?"[/color]

He had visited Diagon Alley several times since discovering he possessed the same magical gift as his mother when he was about six years old. And going to the wand shop had become something of a ritual. But this time, instead of looking in through the windows, he was getting his own wand!

Sohrin returned the shopkeeper's smile before turning to face his mother, hoping she was watching him as he waited for the shopkeeper to hand him a wand to try. The eleven-year-old stood on his tiptoes, peering over the counter to see him pick a few boxes and reached for the wand. "Okay," he said nervously, waving the wand in the air.

Sohrin had expected boxes to fly off the shelves, to break the store's windows, or to turn the counter into a sheep with the amount of accidents and bad luck he usually had. However, none of this happened; instead, an overwhelmingly positive feeling washed over him, and the boy smiled. "It's like meeting an old friend again"he said as if he was an old man himself. "What kind of wand is this?" he asked, the more he examined it, the less he desired to part ways with it. "Do wands have names, Mr.Shopkeeper?" And if they did, how did he find the name of his wand?!

*Kolyander* · 08-15-2023, 11:55 PM

Even standing beside Aryan and clutching at his arm, it was clear to see that Bryony couldn’t stand completely still anymore no matter how hard she tried. Her excitement was growing more and more by the moment and now that the four of them were all waiting their turns to get their wands, well.. Standing still wasn’t completely necessary anymore anyhow, right?

“Of course we’re different,” Bryony agreed with a sweet giggle. “That doesn’t mean our wands still can’t be similar somehow.” It was true that her and Aryan and her were very much different but that’s what made them work! He balanced her out in ways that no one else could. They were the best team and if all she had was a few more minutes left to hope that something in their wands would somehow match up, well, she was going to cling to those minutes. Like always no matter what was happening around them, Ary knew just what to do to capture her attention and hold it. “For me?!” Bright blue eyes sparkled as she eyed the paperclip he was still working on. How many of his pink paperclip creations did she have now? Quite a few of them and she treasured them all.

When the wandman made his appearance in front of them with boxes of wands, this little girl's eyes lit up. However, it wasn't quite her turn yet. Which meant, yes, everyone guessed it.. all the bouncing around in excitement as accepted as the paperclip dragon (who she had named Anya simply because it was the first name that came into her head). "I love her, Ary! Thank you!" This was the cutest little dragon she owned. He was lucky he was busy getting his wand now or there would've been a tackle hug happening. Speaking of wands though… Bry began to cough and pressed her face into her arm.. yet somehow she was also.. giggling? "I don't think that wand wants to go home with you." She patted his shoulder. "The next one will be it."

With all the dark smoke gone, she was able to watch Drake get a wand too. Which he had dropped but.. did he like it? Bryony gave him a tiny grin. "It's okay, Drake. It jumped out of your hand.. I saw it." Cue a playful twinkle in her eyes. See, lookit her being nice!

When the wandmaker man turned to her, Bryony beamed up at him, hopping on the spot. "Hello, hello! Yessss, please!" Of course she wanted to try one of the wands, Mister. That was why she was here just like everyone else. The small blonde reached her hand out to take the offered wand, her fingers closing around it. It was strange, she didn't feel anything at all for this wand but truthfully, she had no idea what she was meant to feel. So without giving it too much thought right away, she gave it a brilliant wave through the open space in front of her. Nothing at all happened. Not a spark, smoke, lights or anything! Nothing at all. Just like what she had felt when she picked it up.

"I don't think this one likes me, Mister wandman." She stated unnecessarily, holding it back out to him. It's alright, there were still a few more wands to test out still, right?

FearlessLeader19 · 08-16-2023, 12:14 AM

SPOILER!!: Bry <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Even standing beside Aryan and clutching at his arm, it was clear to see that Bryony couldn’t stand completely still anymore no matter how hard she tried. Her excitement was growing more and more by the moment and now that the four of them were all waiting their turns to get their wands, well.. Standing still wasn’t completely necessary anymore anyhow, right?

“Of course we’re different,” Bryony agreed with a sweet giggle. “That doesn’t mean our wands still can’t be similar somehow.” It was true that her and Aryan and her were very much different but that’s what made them work! He balanced her out in ways that no one else could. They were the best team and if all she had was a few more minutes left to hope that something in their wands would somehow match up, well, she was going to cling to those minutes. Like always no matter what was happening around them, Ary knew just what to do to capture her attention and hold it. “For me?!” Bright blue eyes sparkled as she eyed the paperclip he was still working on. How many of his pink paperclip creations did she have now? Quite a few of them and she treasured them all.

When the wandman made his appearance in front of them with boxes of wands, this little girl's eyes lit up. However, it wasn't quite her turn yet. Which meant, yes, everyone guessed it.. all the bouncing around in excitement as accepted as the paperclip dragon (who she had named Anya simply because it was the first name that came into her head). "I love her, Ary! Thank you!" This was the cutest little dragon she owned. He was lucky he was busy getting his wand now or there would've been a tackle hug happening. Speaking of wands though… Bry began to cough and pressed her face into her arm.. yet somehow she was also.. giggling? "I don't think that wand wants to go home with you." She patted his shoulder. "The next one will be it."

With all the dark smoke gone, she was able to watch Drake get a wand too. Which he had dropped but.. did he like it? Bryony gave him a tiny grin. "It's okay, Drake. It jumped out of your hand.. I saw it." Cue a playful twinkle in her eyes. See, lookit her being nice!

When the wandmaker man turned to her, Bryony beamed up at him, hopping on the spot. "Hello, hello! Yessss, please!" Of course she wanted to try one of the wands, Mister. That was why she was here just like everyone else. The small blonde reached her hand out to take the offered wand, her fingers closing around it. It was strange, she didn't feel anything at all for this wand but truthfully, she had no idea what she was meant to feel. So without giving it too much thought right away, she gave it a brilliant wave through the open space in front of her. Nothing at all happened. Not a spark, smoke, lights or anything! Nothing at all. Just like what she had felt when she picked it up.

"I don't think this one likes me, Mister wandman." She stated unnecessarily, holding it back out to him. It's alright, there were still a few more wands to test out still, right?

The boy shrugged. He guessed it was true, they could still have similar wands, him and Bry. But he was slightly skeptical about it being a possibility. Time would tell shortly of this. As for her paperclip dragon, Ary knew she’d love it; he was usually making her dragons since he knew she really wanted one {didn’t she already act as though those at the Reserve were already hers though?}. “You’re welcome.”

SPOILER!!: Zeke! <3

Ary had almost killed everyone and he was so sorry!!!

;_________;

Eyes watering slightly, both because the thought of harming everyone was detrimental to an eleven year old and because of the smoke, he stared around at the shop. OH SWEET HEAVENS! All was right with the people, with the wands, with everything! Ary had never known such relief in his life. “S-sorry,’’ he said in a barely audible tone. “And thank you.” A hand gestured at the shopkeeper’s own wand which had been used to clear the smoke.

Ary supposed he should have spoken up about the heaviness of the wand he had been given to try, but there was no use crying over spilt pumpkin juice now. With great caution, the second wand was picked up. He noted the immediate difference from the first: this one felt as though it were an extension of him, it felt comfortable. Ary gave it a wave, feeling confident about the outcome.

At once, a shower of silver confetti rained down from above. His face lit up in a brilliant smile.

This was the one. Yup. Surely the shopkeeper knew this too?

SilverTiger · 08-16-2023, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

One more customer dealt with, and again Zeke stopped to take a quick few gulps of coffee before he moved on - the mug was enchanted so that its contents would lose no more than a couple of degrees of heat, a gift from his husband and one which turned out to get used most. He plucked the parchment out of the air as it flew across to him with its measurements, scanning through the information before giving a nod, and releasing it to go and record the next batch.

Stowing away his mug of coffee again, Zeke disappeared off into the back shelves, but reappeared and approached this next customer within a couple of minutes.

"Hello there," he greeted her, bearing a friendly smile and a few wand boxes. "Big day, eh?" He set the boxes down on the counter, but kept hold of the one on top of the stack, and removed the lid. "Let's try a few wands out, shall we? Just take this and give it a wave, and we'll see what happens. Tell me if it feels right, or if you'd like to try another."

With that, Zeke held the box out to offer its contents to the girl, handle-first, smiling encouragingly.

The demeanor of the wandmaker hadn’t exactly stopped the bouncing coming from the petite girl, but it also had relaxed her the slightest bit. Arienne didn’t know why, but she trusted him to find her the wand that suited her best. He just seemed trustworthy, and nice. “Hi! Mhm, it’s a really big day”, she responded brightly, eyeing the boxes he had brought up to the counter as if they would tell her something. Like just the boxes would accept her, the specific box holding her wand. It was all sort of magical anyway, so why wouldn’t it be that way.

The box he had opened first hadn’t projected anything her way, though. But again, she thought he knew what he was doing so maybe the box was just a box. She had nodded in response tohis suggestion they try the wands, boosting herself up on her toes to peer into the box as he held it out, and subsequently carefully grasped the handle of the wand inside…

Bzzt!

“OW!”, she exclaimed, dropping the wand back into the box as her eyebrows drew together, obviously trying not to cry. She very much didn’t want to cry in front of all these people. She didn’t want to disappoint Grandpa Albert, or any of her family. But the electric shock coming from the wand had hurt!

Waddles · 08-16-2023, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Zeke would surely clutch his pearls to hear anyone call his organisation system chaotic, though he was aware it could seem exactly that way to the untrained eye. But a system, there was. Zeke was a man of systems.

He also could not read minds or hear unspoken thoughts, and so would continue being none the wiser. Having consulted the last set of measurements, Zeke had traversed the shelves on the shop floor, going up a ladder or two to find what he was looking for, and now finally stopped to call this young man forward.

"Your turn, my good sir. Let's see if we can't find you a wand." With that, and a smile, he took up one of the most likely candidates and removed the lid from the box, holding it out to present the wand inside it to the boy. "You'll need to take the wand and give it a wave, and we'll see how it responds. If it feels right - or wrong - just let me know."

Both eyes opened as the shopkeeper called him forward and handed him a wand. A wand. Kenneth took it gingerly from the man, staring bug-eyed at the instrument, then at the man. He was supposed to just....wave it? This thing that supposedly channeled everyone's magic and made things happen? He wasn't trained for this, who knew what would happen if he just....

Kenneth took a deep breath and gave the wand a spirited wave, left to right, a rather uncoordinated motion that would have hit the wandmaker if he stood any closer.

It. Felt. Amaaaazzzzzzzing.

Kenneth felt like he'd drank a big gulp of fizzy water and that it was bubbling out of his ears. Like he'd been covered in mud and suddenly was sparkling clean. His hair felt lifted off the nape of his neck in that way he always wanted but could never achieve, even when he'd just had his hair cut. He felt simultaneously like a weight had been lifted and that someone had draped a comforting blanket over his shoulders. He looked back at his uncle, wondering if he looked different too, but his uncle just looked bored.

Clinging tightly to the wand, this one, the one he hoped he'd get to keep, Kenneth gave the shopkeeper a toothy smile and a thumbs up. "It's right," he said, his voice small but confident.

*Nordic Witch* · 08-16-2023, 05:51 AM

It was with mixed feeling that petite, dark haired 11 year old Emmie entered the wand shop with her left hand clutched in her auntie's for suuport. She was supposed to do this big wand thing with her parents here, but now they weren't here for obvious reasons hence the mixed feelings. Was it okay to feel super excited, and happy? Auntie Laurel had reassured her so, but it was hard to shake off the sadness.

Emmie was trying to count all the wand boxes in the shop, but gave up as her auntie gently pushed her forwards. It was her turn to be measured. As the measuring tape began zipping about Emmie stood very still as it worked methodically, even measuring the distance between her nostrils, and how long a strand of hair was. Confuzzling, but Emmie let the tape have it's way until it was done.

*Lottiepot* · 08-16-2023, 02:13 PM

Of course he was right. Elias was rarely ever wrong and on the occasion (in his opinion) that he was incorrect he would argue until he was blue in the face that he was the one in the right. Either that or he’d remove himself from the conversation entirely.

Zeke was correct about not appreciating humour though, Eli was a scarily serious boy unless something really piqued his interests. But right now all these children around being loud and obnoxious was grating on his nerves and he wanted to get through this whole ‘experience’ as quickly as possible. So hopefully the Wandmaker was at least competent at his job and this next wand would be appropriate.

The eleven year old reached his hand out to pick up the wand, curling his hand around the handle and holding it up in front of his face. The instant his fingers touched the wood it felt like an electric shock radiated up his arm and through his body to his core. It wasn’t painful, in fact it was more like a warm glow that was bathing his blood. There wasn’t a fanciful fanfare as a reaction, there was no levitating boxes and explosive fireworks and whatever else expectations these kids had when getting their wand for the first time.

But it felt right.

For the only time since he had stepped into the premises did Elias’ lips turn into a small smile as he looked back at the Wandmaker. “This is the one.”

Shanners · 08-16-2023, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Was it just him, or did this girl look familiar? Zeke was good with names and faces, though that mostly applied to those he had personally seen or interacted with. A man of popular culture, he could not honestly claim to be, though he scanned through newspapers and Mathias' gossip magazines often enough ... and yet not enough for him to make the connection here. Glancing at the family (or so he assumed) through the window, in search of a face he might recognise from a past wand fitting, didn't help him riddle things out either.

Well, not to worry. The important thing was the wand. The name would come later, when the records wrote themselves up; maybe he'd refresh his memory then.

"Hello!" Zeke's cheery voice preceded him as he joined the girl, carrying with him a clutch of wand boxes. "Ready to get started? You can pop those up on the counter, if you'd like," he added, nodding towards the sandals that the girl seemed reluctant to wear (again, something nagged at his memory). Better to avoid having them be a trip hazard with possible unexpected magical effects on the horizon.

Aaand without further ado, the wandmaker presented the first wand, still inside its unlidded box, for the girl to take. "Give this a wave, and we'll go from there. Sound good?"

"Hello!" Maebry was equally as cheery, smile widening as she caught sight of the wand boxes in his hand. Were they all for her? Were they all her options? Was one of those the wand? Was her newest and forever best friend in one of those boxes? Of course it was! She quickly popped her sandals up on the floor, toes stretching and scrunching against the floor when she returned.

"I'm very good at waving! I do it at the--" at the cameras and the fans. "at the flowers in my garden!" And just to prove it, she gave him her brightest smile and the biggest wave possible. Hello hello hello!!!! See! Very good.

"SOUNDS GRE--at. Sounds great." Well, she thought it sounded great. She had to give it a wave and then the wand would choose the witch -- which was her! She was the witch! Maebry reached for the wand in the open box, fingers stopping just shy before looking up and the man for just a moment before HUGGING him around his middle as tight as she possibly could. "I think you've picked the perfect one already, you know? It's your talent. Making witches and wizards whole with their wand." What a talent.

Felixir · 08-17-2023, 01:48 AM

SPOILER!!: laurange

Ah... "No, not supposed to burn. Which means I think we can safely rule out this wand." Oh yes, duly noted. Zeke placed the lid back onto the box and set it aside. Later one or both of the apprentices would help clean the rejected wands up and return them to their places. As for right now, Zeke did his best to be reassuring. "I'm sure you didn't offend it. Some wands are just a bit more feisty than others when a match isn't quite right. But that does give us an inkling on how to proceed."

Speaking of which, Zeke pulled out another box and opened it up. "Try this one. It may be a little kinder." Actually, he was very much hoping it would be, so that even if it wasn't a perfect match, the girl would not end up reluctant to try a third. He gave an encouraging sort of smile.

SPOILER!!: Harron Peasley

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harron Peasley

Sometimes, Brayla's hand on her elbow annoyed her. Like when she was trying to do something, and the clinginess was interfering. Most of the time, though, Billie liked it. It made her feel smug, like a leader. She was older by mere minutes, but little gestures like this reinforced that she was the elder, was the boss. So today she allowed it, though she couldn't help but smirk a little when the tape measure flicked at her sisters fingers. The ritual of it all was over too soon, though, and Billie pouted a little as she turned to watch the tape measure work with Bray, feeling (for once) like she wasn't the main character. At her question about Dad, Billie's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Gross, Bray. I hope not." Or that they'd at least cleaned it.

When the wand guy walked over, she beamed her brightest smile at him. "Given we're identical, what's the likelihood of our wands being similar?" she asked straight away, back straight as she surveyed the boxes in his hands. Of course, their personalities were distinct, but Billie liked to think they were similar enough. Their family could tell them apart, but it was fun to prank the teachers at school (or it had been, they should try it again once they got to Hogwarts!) and she was pretty sure Reuben had no idea who was who. But then again, Reuben wasn't exactly the quickest bludger in the crate.

As for the wands... Billie decided she would look at all of the others before she turned to the wand the wand guy was presenting to her. She squinted at the boxes, but given she knew next to nothing about the instruments it didn't tell her much, and so she ended up taking the wand from him sooner than she'd thought. When she did, it seemed to fit into her hand as if it were made for her, and she waved it without hesitation. Not a lot happened, but a stream of pink! sparks did fly from the end. And she couldn't let go of it - or, rather, she didn't want to. That feeling that it was made for her? This wand was part of her, she was sure.

"I'll take this one. Thank you."

A very good question, and one that was of interest in the wandlore specialism. "There are plenty of studies and research on that kind of thing. As far as I have seen for myself, it will always depend on the individuals in question; a higher likelihood of some similarities between the wands, but even that's not a given. Personally, I've never yet matched entirely identical wands to identical twins." But, also, there were plenty of other wandmakers around, and some who had seen exactly that phenomenon, and it called to mind questions about the likeliness of twin cores too. In the past, Zeke had also matched a few that complemented each other, or coordinated in some respect, between siblings as well as twins. "My own girls are identical too, peas in a pod, but I'm sure even they appreciate a distinction or two between them."

Now then, before he got too lost in the topic of his children - whom he avoided talking about too much, if he could help it, for though they appreciated his attention face to face, he was still mindful of their privacy - or the fascinating subject of wandlore, it was on to the wand itself.

And what a wand. Always delightful to see an immediate match. Zeke beamed at her. "You're quite welcome. This is clearly a match."

He held out the wand box so it might be replaced before he rang it up. "Now, this wand is 12 and a quarter inches of whippy red oak, with a snidget feather core. Oak is strong and powerful as a wandwood, and oak owners generally make excellent leaders; red oak in particular is drawn to passionate individuals." Hot-tempered also, but Zeke? He had tact. "It favours those with quick reactions, who are quick-witted and adaptable, and so makes for an excellent duelling wand - and doubly so with the snidget feather core - should you feel inclined to pursue that area of magic. Oak in general is well suited to protective and defensive spellwork." All in all, exactly the kind of wand a person might want on their side - similar to its preferred owner. "With the snidget feather core, this wand will be very responsive and consistent, well suited to Charms and, again, defensive spells, especially those that cater to evasion." And duelling. But Zeke had covered that already.

He smiled again, and gestured towards the price board. "The wand by itself will be 12 galleons, plus the price of anything else you might like today." But, also, "Will you be paying together or separately?"

_________

[12¼ inch whippy red oak with snidget feather]

SPOILER!!: Daemon

Interesting dynamic between these two, wasn't there? Not to mention, Zeke found himself having to hold back a smile at the this one's (he was tempted to say 'the younger twin', though of course he had no basis for that and was reluctant to make the assumption, but... found himself doing so anyway) dramatic gasp.

The wand returning itself to the box? Also amusing, but Zeke was a seasoned pro at not so much as smiling at the magical effects of the unsuccessful matches unless following the lead of his customer and how amusing they themselves found it. This customer seemed more worried than anything.

"I believe you," he said, in the most reassuring voice he could muster. "I think what's happened here is that the wand has politely declined this match. Which is nothing to be concerned about either." Such a considerate wand. Zeke put the lid back onto the box, and considered the other options at their disposal, based on what he had just witnessed. He picked out another, unlidded it, offered the wand inside.

"Perhaps this one will be more receptive. Give it a try, and we'll see how you go."

SPOILER!!: Kimothy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimothy

"Wow." That's all Ascella had to say. Except not really, but the other thing she was about to say was her asking the wand maker man to teach her how to do that spell, or series of spells. They would be very useful. But as much as she wanted to know, she simply tucked that question away in her head so she can ask Dad about it instead. Dad would know, too. She didn't want to take too much of the wand maker man's time. He was a busy bee.

....Except, again, he says the tape works in mysterious ways. Wording like that only made Ascella more curious. She didn't really have a particular reason for wanting to know, she just wanted to know. "Don't you want to know, though, sir? The tape's mysterious ways?" Because Ascella did. It can be that mysterious. Surely there's something that makes the tape tick. Or, well, not really tick. Tapes did not have cogs and screws like a clock, but you get it.

The man's smile was absolutely reassuring, and so the smile on Ascella was now less sheepish and more real. She swayed in place as she waited for her second, while also looking back at Rosie. Once the next wand was offered to her, Ascella accepted it and held it firmly in her hand. "Maybe," she replied to the wand maker, smile still on her face, before giving it a wave like the last one.

With the wave of that wand, bubbles erupted from its tip, which made Ascella widen her blue eyes. "I did that?" Something about this was potentially exciting, she could feel it all the way from her tippy toes. She lifted her free hand and poked at one of the bubbles. "Pop!" See, she was making her own sound effects for it, too. Rosie, Dad, Uncle Reuben! Did you see that? "I'd like to make more bubbles with this one forever, sir." That was Ascella's way of saying that yes, it's the one. This is it. She hoped it wouldn't be too expensive, too. It was a genuine worry.

Ascella turned to Rosie again, then took her cousin's hand to give it a squeeze. "It's okay, Rosie, the first wand didn't like me either." She tried to be as assuring as she can manage, even though wands probably didn't work like that. They just want a forever wand-wielding person. Better a perfect match than a forced match, right?

... Well now, wasn't this one a curious little bean? Zeke chuckled. "It may be the case that I already do. But I shall neither confirm nor deny." Perhaps maddening for a curious young mind to hear, but Zeke's eyes merely twinkled.

And even more so when he saw the signs of a successful match. Ah, bubbles. The bubbles were always fun. "Wonderful," he exclaimed, and then nodded. "You did indeed, and I daresay you'll go on to make many more with it. We've definitely found a match."

He held out the box for the wand's return, smiling warmly all the while. "Now then, this wand is twelve and three quarter inches of supple spruce, with a phoenix feather core. Spruce requires a bit of a firm hand to keep it reined in, as it often seems to have its own ideas about what magic it should be producing." Which could be infuriating, Zeke imagined, but that was why it only tended to choose those in whom it met its match. And considering the core, that was definitely for the best. "Well-matched and mastered, it is a wonderful tool to have to hand, intensely loyal, and capable of flamboyant, dramatic effects. Excellent for conjuration and creature magic, but not at all suitable to the Dark Arts." Not that he was suggesting such avenues were likely, but forewarned was forearmed. Literally, in this case. "Phoenix feather wands are capable of a great range of magic, but often take some time to master, and they do occasionally take the initiative to act on their own accord. All things considered, a fairly wilful wand. Difficult to tame, but powerful, and very versatile. Subject-wise, it's a core well suited to Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Come to think of it, even though he was sure such a wand would drive Zeke - with his slightly obsessive, control-freak ways - a little bit round the twist, he rather enjoyed that combination. In theory.

"The wand is price at 12 galleons, plus any other products you may want," Zeke added, with the customary gesture towards the inventory list. "Are you both going to be paying together, or apart?"

_________

[12¾ inch supple spruce with phoenix feather

SPOILER!!: astrocat

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

It was her turn! Phoebe had to take some VERY big deep breaths so as not to freak out. It was her turn! It was her special moment! And as a kid who often felt like she didn't receive enough attention, as a kid who spent much of her life being overlooked and forgotten about (at least in her own mind) and deemed to be not-a-problem-kid, she was very much enjoying the full attention of Drewie AND the shopkeeper, which was TWO people JUST thinking about HER. Awesome! She stepped forward as confidently as she could and took the wand being presented to her. She gave it a proper wave and-

Nothing happened.

She gave it a few more not-so-patient waves, but still. Nothing.

Oh no! She looked between Drewie and the shopkeeper. What if this meant she wasn't really magic and her Hogwarts letter was a big mistake and she got kicked out of Hogwarts??? What if she got kicked out of Stemp House??? What if she got kicked out of... THE WHOLE UNIVERSE??? Surely not!!! Say it wasn't so, Drewie!!! She was about halfway through signing to him- anxiously asking if he was SURE she was really a witch- when she realized he couldn't understand and switched to a whispering tone that she thought was quiet but was actually very much audible because she wasn't very good at whispering. "What if I'm NOT magic, Drewie? What if I can't get my wand or go to school with my friends and- and- and-" She was VERY worried about it and was already starting to make big tearful puffskein eyes and take the most anxious ever of deep breaths when Drewie gave her a hug and reassured her that it was actually very, very normal to not get the first wand as a match and that it didn't mean she wasn't good at magic.

Oh. Carry on, then. She gently put the wand back in the shopkeeper's box. "I don't think this particular wand is the right fit for me. May I have a different one, please?" Anxious-about-not-being-magic-enough who? Phoebe wasn't anxious at all, and had NO clue why anyone would think so. And she was also nowhere close to tears, and she definitely didn't have to wipe her eyes on her sleeve, because she wasn't stressed out at all.

(She was a little stressed out and embarrassed about being stressed out but still stressed out and teary but embarrassed that she was a crybaby and she was pretty sure she needed a pep talk. It was just.......... a very big and important day for her and she just really wanted it to go right.)

Hmm, it was fairly clear to Zeke that this was not the correct wand for this customer. He was unfazed by this, of course, part and parcel of life as a wandmaker (though naturally he aimed to get everyone fitted correctly on the first try, and possibly even had private competitions with himself to see if he could beat certain personal streaks or daily records of that nature).

Having tact, Zeke pretended not to hear the girl's anxious whispering - seeing as it was whispered and therefore clearly not intended for his ears - nor to see the signs of a tear or two being shed. But he did smile kindly when she returned the wand to the box, and he set it back on the counter. "Of course you may. Most customers get it on the second try, a few on the third. But no matter what, it's important we find the right one for you." Not to mention, it was more a reflection on Zeke than on the children, in the matter of how quickly they matched. Of course, certain young minds did not tend to think this way, especially not during such emotionally charged occasions. And he, for his part, was good at not seeing mismatches as failures, but as tools to learn.

Such as right now. Considering the way the first wand had failed to react, he had a good idea of where to go next. Zeke pulled another wand box from the counter, and again opened it up and offered the wand inside to the girl. "Let's see if this one suits you any better."

SPOILER!!: DuckyLinJi

In all honesty, Zeke was usually mostly braced for that sort of thing too - just as a precaution, because it paid to address it quickly, especially if 'that sort of thing' involved fire - but watched the testing of the wand with professional curiosity, and the shrewd eye of the wandmaker, rather than worry.

Not to be dramatic or anything, but that was the loveliest summary Zeke thought he might have ever heard. It was exactly like that, sometimes, yes. He beamed at the boy. "I'm very glad to hear it," he said, most sincerely. "As to names, I know that some magic folk do indeed name their wands, usually after a little time getting to know each other, but they don't come pre-named." So, have at it, essentially.

What these wands did already have, however, were their specific properties. Speaking of which, Zeke addressed the other question now, and gave the child the rundown. "So, this wand is exactly twelve inches of robust beech, with a unicorn hair core. Beech encourages learning and knowledge, and tends to choose those who are tolerant and open-minded, and wise beyond their years." Which Zeke thought rather apt, given the boy's initial statement about how the wand was like meeting an old friend again. "You'll find, if you take it as a subject, that rune magic is likely to be a strength of yours. Otherwise, beech is capable of a level artistry and subtlety in its magic that you don't often see in other wandwoods. With the core of unicorn hair, you'll find this is a good wand for charms, transfigurations, and healing spells, and consistent and reliable magic. And, again, very suited to subtle and delicate spellwork, than your flashes-and-bangs type of magic. A very charming combination."

... That pun? Not intended. He made it a lot, and seldom ever meant to.

Zeke smiled, and held out the wand to be returned to its box for the time being. "This wand is priced at 10 galleons, and we have a range of other products too, if you're interested."

_________

[12 inch robust beech with with unicorn hair]

SPOILER!!: Kolyander

Nothing? No matter. In fact, where an unsuccessful match occurred, that was something of a relief. Although... Zeke still thought of the one customer who had caused something to smash in this shop during an unsuccessful trial of a wand. It had unnerved him, and he never did find out what she'd done.

But this? This was fine. He took the wand back and smiled as he replaced it in the box. "I think it just feels you're not as compatible with each other as you might be with another wand," he said, and he meant it. The ones who didn't like the wielders? ... You tended to know about it.

Zeke set the box on the counter again and considered the other options he'd brought out, stroking his chin as he did so. Hmm... yes. "Let's try this one," he said, sliding out another box and removing the lid again. Once again, he offered its contents to the girl. "And again: give it a wave, and tell me what you think."

SPOILER!!: FearlessLeader19

In the back of his mind, Zeke wondered if that smell was going to linger. The smoke was gone, and he could no longer smell it, but had he fooled himself into thinking it was completely gone rather than just severely diminished. Probably he'd need to leave the room and come back to know for sure; if it was still an issue... well, he would never say no to a good clean of the shop. Those tended to be necessary after (and during) the summer rush, in any case.

At any rate, he made no mention of this, especially as the boy seemed like he felt bad enough already. "Quite alright. Par for the course, in this shop," he added, with a kind sort of smile.

One which broadened at the reception of the next wand - the confetti, the delightful smile. Oh yes, the shopkeeper knew it too.

"Looks like we have a match!" he said brightly, and launched into the details. "This wand is nine and a half inches of robust cherry, with a core of unicorn hair." A very beautiful wood, highly prize, and surprisingly lethal - depending, of course, on the witch or wizard who wielded it. No bad wands, et cetera, et cetera. "An excellent wand for healing spells, binding spells, and divination, plus it has an affinity for the earth element and all relating to it. It's also said that the cherry wand helps to keep its bearer 'down to Earth' - this wand wood in particular requires those with self-control and a strong will, and so the wand does its part by helping to keep its wielder grounded." Given the power in that wood, matching them to eleven-year-olds could be something of a risk, but Zeke felt certain it was not have chosen this boy to wield it if he were not - or did not have the potential to be - capable, regardless of how quiet he was on the outside. In any case, the core did temper things somewhat. "Unicorn hair cores make for very faithful wands, and the magic they produce is very reliable; generally they don't make for the most powerful magic, but you may find the wood gives your spells all the oomph you could want. With this core, your wand is well suited to charms, transfigurations, and, again, healing magic."

And that, as they said, was that. "The wand by itself will be 12 galleons, plus the cost of any other products you might like today." Zeke gestured towards the price board, smiled once more, and straightened up the other wand boxes on the counter out of habit.

_________

[9½ inch robust cherry with unicorn hair]

SPOILER!!: SilverTiger

Goodness. Now that was rather unkind; Zeke had half a mind to scold the wand - for all the good it would do. Instead, he put the lid back onto the box and set it back on the counter. "I think we can safely rule that one out. Are you alright, my dear?"

He eyed her with concern for a moment, before turning and picking out a different wand, making his deductions as regards the core they ought to be looking for. Zeke lifted the lid from the box, and offered that one instead.

"Here we are, perhaps this one will be a little kinder. Give it a wave, and tell me what you think, hmm?"

SPOILER!!: Waddles

In the pause that stretched out between the wand being offered and the boy trying it out, Zeke did his best to look reassuring with the smile and the 'go ahead' nod - while not appearing too pushy. Some kids needed to take their time, and few liked to be rushed through the process. Luckily, Zeke had this kind of thing down to a science.

Though he may have rocked back ever so slightly on his heels, just to ensure he wasn't about to get unintentionally stuck with the pointy end.

If the subtle shift in the boy's demeanour (again, not always noticeable, but again, down to a science) didn't tell Zeke they'd found the one, the boy's declaration unequivocally confirmed it. "Excellent," he said, rather earnestly. "I'm very glad to hear it. We have a match." He held out the wand box again, so that it might be put back inside for the part where he rang it up and money exchanged hands, though for a moment he wondered if the boy would be willing to part company with it.

"Now then, that wand is thirteen inches - exactly - of stiff black walnut, with a unicorn hair core. Walnut is a very handsome wood, very adaptable, and very versatile." It tended to pick the more intelligent, the overachievers, though this was not always the case. Just in case it wasn't here, Zeke opted not to mention it; it could mean unnecessary pressure for some of these kids. "Black walnut in particular is drawn to owners with good insight, and good instincts. One thing very important to remember is that it's abnormally attuned to inner conflict, and will lose power if it detects self-deception. But for those who are sincere and self-aware, black walnut makes for is one of the most loyal and impressive wands you could find, and is particularly well-suited to charmswork." See, that? That didn't count as unnecessary pressure. That was simply important to know, though Zeke could never be certain whether a black walnut wand was more likely to choose those less prone to self-deception, or those who needed the motivation to avoid it. He'd seen enough evidence for either to be true. But anyway. "The unicorn hair, again, is excellent for charms, as well as transfiguration and healing spells. Unicorn hair wands are very faithful to their owners too, very consistent, very reliable."

So then. Unless there were any questions (which, of course, he was always happy to answer)... "12 galleons for the wand by itself, and we have some other products also for sale," Zeke said, gesturing towards the price board.

_________

[13 inch stiff black walnut with unicorn hair]

SPOILER!!: Nordic Witch

It had been a most hectic day, and yet still Zeke was going strong. Thrived on it. He paused only to finish off his coffee (still hot, bless the enchanted mug), even as he consulted the next lot of measurements of the most recent customer to be measured. Mhm... okay... good...

Setting down his mug, he went off to gather a healthy selection of wands that fit the bill, those from which they would whittle down the search, and returned to call forward the next girl.

"Hello there," he greeted her, setting the wand boxes on the counter and smiling warmly. "Ready to find your wand? I have some here for you to try." And he plucked the most likely candidate from their midst, removed the live, and offered its contents to the young lady. "You know what to do? Just give it a wave, and we'll see what happens. It's helpful for you to tell me, too, if you think it feels right, or if you'd like to try another."

SPOILER!!: Lottiepot

Zeke wasn't so lofty as to believe he truly had a sixth sense for these matches, but years of experience and observations had given him a pretty good idea of what he was looking at even when the magical effects were not outward or obvious. Not every time, mind you, but often there was a shift in demeanor, a pause, an infinitesimal relaxing of the shoulders, a slight shift in the eyebrow region, and so on. And sometimes, it was the long pause of consideration between picking up the wand making any declaration, from those children who clearly knew their minds and were not afraid to immediately make them known, in whatever manner.

All this to say, Zeke had an inkling they had found the right one after a couple of seconds ticked by, and was pleased to discover he was quite right.

"Excellent," he said, holding out the box so that it might be put back inside. Not to try another, but to ring it up, as would quickly become more clear. Zeke didn't question how sure the boy was; when they knew, they knew. Wands were often like that.

Instead, he launched straight into the specifications - understanding well enough by now that this was a customer who preferred to get straight to the point. "This wand is twelve inches and one third of rigid walnut, with a streeler shell core. Walnut, as you may be able to tell, is a handsome wood, strikingly versatile and adaptable. They like to choose the highly intelligent, and the over-achievers." Which... well. Zeke had some suspicions here. Several suspicions. "These wands are good for cleansing and purification spells, and dispelling and reversal magic, and walnut also helps to amplify focus and intent. For a brilliant enough wielder, it will perform any task you ask of it." Which could be dangerous. For some personalities, the wand and wielder would end up in a kind of unhealthy relationship. Enabling and feeding off from each other. Naturally, he refrained from saying that part aloud. "Streeler shell cores make for wands surprisingly well-suited for Herbological endavours, and is also superb for Transfiguration and for use in potion-making." A core that tended to match with those who were highly independent... and those who might have issues getting on with others.

Hmm... no comment.

"The wand by itself is priced at 10 galleons." Zeke nodded towards the price board. "And we have other products and accessories available too."

_________

[12⅓ inch rigid walnut with streeler shell]

SPOILER!!: Shanners

Well, now, wasn't this girl just a ray of sunshine? Zeke allowed himself a good-natured chuckle, and couldn't quite help but to wave back. Just seemed like the thing to do.

Waving at the flowers? Delightful. He stood by, still smiling - the sunshine, it was fairly contagious - and, as ever, braced for any magical effect that was likely to come of an incorrect (or even a perfect) match. What Zeke was not prepared for, however, was to suddenly find himself caught up in a hug.

Colour him bemused, because as far as he could tell, she'd not so much as touched the wand yet. He glanced questioningly towards the window as he patted the girl on the shoulder, looking out at the group she'd waved at earlier; he thought he caught sight of a young man face-palming out there.

"Thank you very much for saying so," Zeke told the customer, still smiling as kindly as before. "That's a delightful thing for an old wandmaker to hear-" NOT that he was actually old, thank you very much. In his early 40s, he was still in the prime of his life. But to this girl? Maybe he seemed ancient. "-that's exactly what I aspire to. But I think - just to be absolutely sure - that you should give the wand a test run. What do you say?"

laurange · 08-17-2023, 06:06 PM

Text Cut: Wand Maker Man and Best Cousin Friend

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimothy

"Wow." That's all Ascella had to say. Except not really, but the other thing she was about to say was her asking the wand maker man to teach her how to do that spell, or series of spells. They would be very useful. But as much as she wanted to know, she simply tucked that question away in her head so she can ask Dad about it instead. Dad would know, too. She didn't want to take too much of the wand maker man's time. He was a busy bee.

....Except, again, he says the tape works in mysterious ways. Wording like that only made Ascella more curious. She didn't really have a particular reason for wanting to know, she just wanted to know. "Don't you want to know, though, sir? The tape's mysterious ways?" Because Ascella did. It can be that mysterious. Surely there's something that makes the tape tick. Or, well, not really tick. Tapes did not have cogs and screws like a clock, but you get it.

The man's smile was absolutely reassuring, and so the smile on Ascella was now less sheepish and more real. She swayed in place as she waited for her second, while also looking back at Rosie. Once the next wand was offered to her, Ascella accepted it and held it firmly in her hand. "Maybe," she replied to the wand maker, smile still on her face, before giving it a wave like the last one.

With the wave of that wand, bubbles erupted from its tip, which made Ascella widen her blue eyes. "I did that?" Something about this was potentially exciting, she could feel it all the way from her tippy toes. She lifted her free hand and poked at one of the bubbles. "Pop!" See, she was making her own sound effects for it, too. Rosie, Dad, Uncle Reuben! Did you see that? "I'd like to make more bubbles with this one forever, sir." That was Ascella's way of saying that yes, it's the one. This is it. She hoped it wouldn't be too expensive, too. It was a genuine worry.

Ascella turned to Rosie again, then took her cousin's hand to give it a squeeze. "It's okay, Rosie, the first wand didn't like me either." She tried to be as assuring as she can manage, even though wands probably didn't work like that. They just want a forever wand-wielding person. Better a perfect match than a forced match, right?

[QUOTE=Felixir;12551466]
Ah... "No, not supposed to burn. Which means I think we can safely rule out this wand." Oh yes, duly noted. Zeke placed the lid back onto the box and set it aside. Later one or both of the apprentices would help clean the rejected wands up and return them to their places. As for right now, Zeke did his best to be reassuring. "I'm sure you didn't offend it. Some wands are just a bit more feisty than others when a match isn't quite right. But that does give us an inkling on how to proceed."

Speaking of which, Zeke pulled out another box and opened it up. "Try this one. It may be a little kinder." Actually, he was very much hoping it would be, so that even if it wasn't a perfect match, the girl would not end up reluctant to try a third. He gave an encouraging sort of smile.

... Well now, wasn't this one a curious little bean? Zeke chuckled. "It may be the case that I already do. But I shall neither confirm nor deny." Perhaps maddening for a curious young mind to hear, but Zeke's eyes merely twinkled.

And even more so when he saw the signs of a successful match. Ah, bubbles. The bubbles were always fun. "Wonderful," he exclaimed, and then nodded. "You did indeed, and I daresay you'll go on to make many more with it. We've definitely found a match."

He held out the box for the wand's return, smiling warmly all the while. "Now then, this wand is twelve and three quarter inches of supple spruce, with a phoenix feather core. Spruce requires a bit of a firm hand to keep it reined in, as it often seems to have its own ideas about what magic it should be producing." Which could be infuriating, Zeke imagined, but that was why it only tended to choose those in whom it met its match. And considering the core, that was definitely for the best. "Well-matched and mastered, it is a wonderful tool to have to hand, intensely loyal, and capable of flamboyant, dramatic effects. Excellent for conjuration and creature magic, but not at all suitable to the Dark Arts." Not that he was suggesting such avenues were likely, but forewarned was forearmed. Literally, in this case. "Phoenix feather wands are capable of a great range of magic, but often take some time to master, and they do occasionally take the initiative to act on their own accord. All things considered, a fairly wilful wand. Difficult to tame, but powerful, and very versatile. Subject-wise, it's a core well suited to Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Come to think of it, even though he was sure such a wand would drive Zeke - with his slightly obsessive, control-freak ways - a little bit round the twist, he rather enjoyed that combination. In theory.

"The wand is price at 12 galleons, plus any other products you may want," Zeke added, with the customary gesture towards the inventory list. "Are you both going to be paying together, or apart?"

_________

[12¾ inch supple spruce with phoenix feather

Rosie nodded at the wandmaker, stiffening her upper lip and pointedly not looking at her dad or Uncle Brian, because if she did, she would CRY. What she did not want to do right now was cry. "But it burned me," she said, and then blinked rapidly. "Maybe it's just excited to meet it's new best friend and disappointed that it's not me. I wish it could be me, though. It was a very pretty wand. Did you make it? Did you make all of these?!"

There were a lot of wands here, and it was tempting to wonder how long it would have taken to fill all these shelves.

Distract, distract. And the wandmaker man was being very reassuring, and it really was helping a lot. Just like the squeeze her hand got from Ascella. Rose squeezed back, and felt some of the overwhelming feelings of failure melt away. She just wanted to be good enough. What if she wasn't good enough?

But you know who was good enough? Ascella Archer. Rose looked on in unmitigated wonder as the bubbles flew out of the tip of Ascella's wand, and felt something like hope bubbling inside her too. She raised a hand absently to one of the bubbles, transfixed, and then turned back to her ebullient cousin. Ascella's enthusiasm was contagious, it really was. "YOU are wonderful to have around, and loyal, and also fantastic and you love turles! You were meant to be!"

It was on this note that she turned back to the wandmaker man, who had gone to the effort of finding her a new wand to try, and peered into the box. This one, too, was very pretty. And if it were possible, she felt almost like the wand was staring back, as if it were as curious to meet her as she was. This one may be kinder, the wandmaker had said. "It definitely seems friendly?"

Reaching into the box and wrapping her fingers around the wand, the first and only feeling that flooded Brianna Rose's mind was relief. Sweet, blissful relief. First, she had thought that it was because the wand hadn't burned her, the way the last one did, but when she opened her eyes -- which she hadn't noticed she'd screwed shut in terror -- her hand looked different. Twisting it around and angling her head to get a better look, she saw that her seemed to be lit from inside with a pinkish hue. It made her look AND FEEL rosy. "Is this what it's like? If it's not, I don't want to know what it's like. I don't want to try any other wand. This is the one for me, sir."

The tears really were falling now, like it was meant to be. Like she was meant to be burned by the last wand so that this wand could comfort her. Rose launched herself at the wandmaker, wrapping her arms around his middle in relief and glee. "It feels exactly like coming home. Thank you!"

astrocat · 08-17-2023, 09:15 PM

Phoebe took a deep breath and picked up the next wand, which seemed to settle just right into her hand. She didn't really feel anything, though to be fair she hadn't tried doing anything. She was scared to try, because she was scared that she wouldn't get her wand on the second try like most people did (she had listened carefully to the wand fitter, but all she heard was that most people didn't need three whole tries and she didn't want to be different from everyone else any more times than she was already). But, well, she wasn't supposed to take all day. So she should probably start trying to use the wand, right? She was scared.

She wiggled it around, looking quite stressed out. Nothing. She paused, looking between Drewie and the shopkeeper for reassurance. She waved the wand around some more, but now she was discouraged and wanted to just give up.

Her shoulders slumped, and she felt all sad and worried again. She was never going to find the right one! "I think..."

Wait. As she reached to put the wand back, the tip started to glow softly, just a little bit and then more (Drewie snapped a good picture of the moment, thankfully). She was filled with the strong urge to not let go and she was afraid that if she did, all the magic would somehow slip away... so she clutched her wand with small white-knuckled fingers.

"Nevermind. Ineedthisone." She looked at the shopkeeper anxiously. Was glowing a good sign? Because she was so NOT letting go or leaving without it. "How much does it cost?" Did it cost infinity money? What if Stemp House wasn't going to pay for it because it cost infinity money? It was a silly thought, but... she hugged her wand just in case. "I can get this one, right dad- um, Drewie? Right?"

DuckyLinJi · 08-17-2023, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

In all honesty, Zeke was usually mostly braced for that sort of thing too - just as a precaution, because it paid to address it quickly, especially if 'that sort of thing' involved fire - but watched the testing of the wand with professional curiosity, and the shrewd eye of the wandmaker, rather than worry.

Not to be dramatic or anything, but that was the loveliest summary Zeke thought he might have ever heard. It was exactly like that, sometimes, yes. He beamed at the boy. "I'm very glad to hear it," he said, most sincerely. "As to names, I know that some magic folk do indeed name their wands, usually after a little time getting to know each other, but they don't come pre-named." So, have at it, essentially.

What these wands did already have, however, were their specific properties. Speaking of which, Zeke addressed the other question now, and gave the child the rundown. "So, this wand is exactly twelve inches of robust beech, with a unicorn hair core. Beech encourages learning and knowledge, and tends to choose those who are tolerant and open-minded, and wise beyond their years." Which Zeke thought rather apt, given the boy's initial statement about how the wand was like meeting an old friend again. "You'll find, if you take it as a subject, that rune magic is likely to be a strength of yours. Otherwise, beech is capable of a level artistry and subtlety in its magic that you don't often see in other wandwoods. With the core of unicorn hair, you'll find this is a good wand for charms, transfigurations, and healing spells, and consistent and reliable magic. And, again, very suited to subtle and delicate spellwork, than your flashes-and-bangs type of magic. A very charming combination."

... That pun? Not intended. He made it a lot, and seldom ever meant to.

Zeke smiled, and held out the wand to be returned to its box for the time being. "This wand is priced at 10 galleons, and we have a range of other products too, if you're interested."

While the shopkeeper was explaining the properties of the wand to him, his mother had walked over to the counter and stood next to him, ready to hand him the money once the price was determined. Sohrin felt a hand on his shoulder and smiled up at her as he showed her his wand before returning his attention to the shopkeeper. "I'm going to give it a good name" he stated. " When i know, I'll let you know!" he beamed.

Unfortunately, the pun had gone right over his head because he was too preoccupied with his new wand. A unicorn wand made of beech! His very own magic wand! He almost couldn't contain his excitement, but he did. He'd freak out later when he was at home and when he could show it to his father and little sister. She would be so jealous~ He'd then ride his bike over to his grandparents' house to show them as well. He hoped his grandmother would bake him a cake to celebrate!

While he appeared to be listening to the shopkeeper, he had actually zoned out into his own thoughts, but luckily his mother noticed and lightly squeezed his shoulder to bring him back "Oh! Uhm...Can I get it with a faux leather hip holster?" he asked. "A brown one. NO! Wait! Can I please have bundle #2 instead?" The question was directed more at his mother than at the shopkeeper, and he was relieved when she said yes.

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