• Matthias had always enjoyed the carnival, but this year the freaks that the affair boasted only served to remind the lad that he wasn’t normal. At eleven years old, the young Simpson had not yet indicated any sort of magic, and with Hogwarts letters less than two months away, the shy boy was terrified that his owl would not come.
  
  Perplexed, the boy looked around himself, realizing only now that he was alone in the crowd. Goliath and Bernard, with whom he had arrived, had disappeared amidst the unfamiliar faces in the park—if Matthias were a betting man, he would have said Goliath had run off and Bernie had been forced to chase him down—which was still swathed in the pinks of sundown.
  
  This was not good.
  
  While perfectly safe in the care of his brother or of a nanny, Matthias felt decidedly ill at ease in the foreign crowd, and almost as soon as his brothers’ absence hit him, he could feel the anxiety begin to well up within him—the quickening heartbeat, the progressively more challenging breathing, the sharp sound of ringing in his head.
  
  And then nothing, blackness, as the eleven-year-old fainted.

It was one of Aurelia's absolute favorite times of the year. The Summer Solstice! She would be practically bouncing up and down if it were not so unladylike. Making her way through the crowd with Gwenyth, the witch did her best not to take anyone's eye out with her parasol, though when her go to habit was to fiddle with it when she was over-stimulated in a crowd, that was a bit of a feat to be held.

"Oh but Gwenyth can we not stop by each booth today, this is one of the best times of the year! We haven't got anything else to do today, have we?" Ever the patient woman, Aurelia's companion sighed and smiled.

"Miss you're entirely too eager, and do not forget, the healer has instructed you to limit your activity while your shoulder heals."

Aurelia resisted the urge to bit her lip and pout -- really! Although it was a rather deep cut, the healers fixed her up in no time, and with magic, she was feeling much better than she would have if she were a muggle. Honestly! Still though, Aurelia settled on looking about, rather than retort to Gwenyth.

It was then, that the 20 year old saw a small boy just slightly ahead of them, and furrowed her brow, wondering where his attendant was. He was awfully young to be wandering about himself! "Gwenyth, where do you think that - oh my!" Aurelia's sentence got cut off immediately as an automatic cry escaped from her throat when the boy suddenly crumpled to the ground in a dead faint. "Oh goodness!"

Ignoring the slight ache in her shoulder, the witch and her chaperone hurried over to the boy. "Gwenyth we must do something!" Although Aurelia wasn't a healer, she knew quite a bit about healing from helping James with his illness. Kneeling down by the boy, the witch checked that he was still breathing before pulling out some smelling salts. "Please, young sir, are you alright?"

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Matthias Simpson - 06-11-2014

• Mattie ‘came back to life’ with a start, head narrowly avoiding a collision with the hand that had held the salts for him. It took the boy several long moments to ascertain what had happened—though upon realizing he must have fainted, the boy could feel his heartbeat quickening yet again. Girls fainted, he thought with dismay, not boys!
  
  The woman who had helped her (oh, she was pretty! That didn’t help.) was speaking to him, and it took Matthias a moment to process her words. Finally, he was able to nod vigorously, too shy to say anything and too awkward to just ignore her, cheeks pinking in mortification at the entire experience.

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Aurelia Wallingford - 06-11-2014

Oh dear. Ohdearohdearohdear. Aurelia looked around trying to locate his attendant was, but no one stopped to claim to know the poor boy. Biting her lip, and looking at him with pale blue eyes, she removed the smelling salts from under the boys nose and put them back in her purse. Well, at least he was awake. But...could he speak? Aurelia looked back up to Gwenyth, who had taken her fan out and was fanning the both of them. "Gwenyth, can he...?" Well goodness -- it would be even more of a disaster if it turned out that the boy couldn't talk. She wasn't sure how they'd find his care taker if he wasn't able to talk!

Turning towards the boy again, Aurelia tried not to crowd him and let him get some air. His cheeks were quite flushed, which the witch presumed was a result of his recent fainting spell. "Are you able to speak?" Aurelia said kindly, a small smile playing upon her lips.

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Matthias Simpson - 06-12-2014

• Well this was an interesting question.
  
  Physically, Matthias had always been very much able to speak. Sure, he had done so a bit later than his father had expected, and did so rather infrequently, but the mechanics of speech were all very sound where the boy was concerned. Unfortunately, he was never wholly comfortable—even amidst his family—and the building anxiety made mustering the words tricky at the best of times. Besides, though the lady had been very nice so far, what if he said something silly or his voice was strange and she made fun of him? It was all far too much.
  
  But if he didn’t speak he might never find his brothers. Mattie would have been quite happy if Goliath were lost to him forever, but Bernard was another matter—especially since his eldest half-sibling was his easiest route home.
  
  Rather more slowly this time, Matthias nodded again.

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Aurelia Wallingford - 06-13-2014

Well goodness, now she was troubled. Aurelia did her best not to look utterly confused, but it was to no avail. He could speak, but why wasn't he talking then? She hoped she hadn't offended him by asking, but he hadn't said anything. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, Aurelia looked up at Gwenyth again. Her companion merely looked as confused as her mistress was, and continued to fan both parties while simultaneously looking around for anyone who might have known to whom the boy belonged to.

Glancing back down, Aurelia smiled kindly again. "Would you be so kind as to grace us with your name, my dear?" Her blue eyes twinkled, though Aurelia was worried. How were they going to help him find someone he knew in this crowd? She supposed she could send up sparks, though since the boy seemed hardly injured Aurelia figured there was no reason to cause such a commotion. Biting her lip anxiously as she waited for his answer, the witch continued to alternate between worried looks at the young boy, and looking around for his chaperone, or relative that might be able to help them.

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Matthias Simpson - 06-14-2014

• Yes or no questions had always been Matthias’ specialty. It was amazing how far one could go by simply nodding or shaking one’s head, but one’s name, alas, was not included. But now he could not not reply without being horribly rude, and she was far more likely to get angry with him for rudeness than she was to mock his name (at least, he hoped). After several long moments, the little blond lad finally spoke.
  
  “S-s-s-simpson.”

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Aurelia Wallingford - 06-16-2014

The poor boy looked scared out of his wits, if not horribly confused and lost. Aurelia felt quite sorry for him, but at least they had gotten his name out of him, no? Giving him another kind smile, the witch held out a gloved hand. "See?" She said lightheartedly. "That was not so bad, was it? I don't bite, I promise you! Would you like some help up, Mr. Simpson?"

Children were such a joy, and Aurelia honestly couldn't wait to have children of her own. That of course required a husband, which unfortunately Aurelia did not have at the moment. It didn't bother her very much. She had a few years before, in the eyes of society, she became an old spinster, and she was quite content with living her life as it was. Aurelia was sure that if she was meant to be married, she would be. Turning her attention back to the adorable boy, Aurelia offered him another smile. "I do believe we have your attendants to find!"

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Matthias Simpson - 06-17-2014

• Matthias felt a surge of relief wash over him. With one simple word—his own surname!—he had managed to lead the kind (for he had decided she must be quite nice, if she was so keen to help him) lady back to a world of yes and no answers. The lad flashed a tentative smile before giving a nod of assent. He felt rather guilty that he could not be of more use to the pretty lady, but it wasn’t the first time shyness had prevented Mattie from being helpful, and he doubted that it would be the last.

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Aurelia Wallingford - 06-17-2014

Oh he was quite adorable! Aurelia beamed back down at him and looked around, careful to guard the boy from getting too jostled amongst the crowd. It was quite hot out, and although Aurelia tried to dress lightly, there was only so much one could do when required to dress properly. Luckily the fabrics were lighter, and helped a great deal. The witch snapped open her fan, hoping the heat wouldn't make her faint -- Merlin, the last thing they needed was a second person fainting on them. And plus, her instincts told her that the boy would be absolutely frightful to the bone if Aurelia did so.

"Where shall we start?" Aurelia pondered, looking from one direction to the other. "Who are we looking for?" She inquired of the small boy. "Chaperone? Family member?"

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Matthias Simpson - 06-19-2014

• Matthias nodded again, mentally wincing at how useless he was. She was so kind to help him, and he could scarcely even say his name!
  
  When Mattie had been very young, but not so young that he could not work a quill, his mother had suggested he carry a chalkboard and chalk so that he might write messages when unwilling—or unable—to speak. The habit had lasted for some months, until Goliath had broken the piece of slate and Matthias himself had felt too embarrassed to ask for a new one. It was a decision he, at present, regretted a great deal.

Matthias is the most useless. But also the most adorable <3

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Aurelia Wallingford - 06-19-2014

Aurelia furrowed her brow worriedly when the boy merely nodded when she gave him two answers. He must not talk much, she figured, before giving a tiny shrug, mostly for herself than anyone else. She held a hand to him. "Can't have you getting lost again!" she chirped cheerfully, holding her parasol in the other hand.

"I'll tell you what, Mr Simpson," the young witch said, smiling down. "I shall ask you yes or no questions --squeeze my hand once for yes, and twice for no, alright? It will be easier for both of us if I can look around as well as ask you questions. Does that work for you?"

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Matthias Simpson - 06-20-2014

• If he were old enough—and not painfully shy—Matthias thought he might marry the pretty lady on the spot. Instead of being agitated by his lack of compliance, she had happily (at least, the lad hoped she did not mind!) found a way around it; it was not a degree of patience that he was often afforded.
  
  Rather in a daze, the young boy answered with a definitive nod, reaching gingerly to take her hand.

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Aurelia Wallingford - 06-20-2014

As the boy slipped his small hand into hers, Aurelia thought she would quite like to be a mother. Of course that would require a husband which she currently did not have. She had met a few gentlemen who were quite lovely and Aurelia found that she would not oppose being married to any one of them. And children were a true joy. At least if she did not have a marriage with love, she would transfer that love to her children.

And speaking of which...Aurelia looked back down at the small boy, and smiled again. He was quite adorable, though she wondered what made him not want to talk. Of course she was a mere stranger so that might have been a factor, but nonetheless she figured she had been kind enough that it wasn't her that caused his lack of speech. "Alright Mr. Simpson," she said brusquely, still fanning herself. Let's see...the carnival was divided into sections. There were the more mature tents that contained the burlesque dancers, but there were also sections that were slightly more appropriate for children. "Are your older brothers of age? Would they go to the fire breathers? Or would they go to the animals?" She beamed back down at him. "Remember one for yes, two for no!"

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Matthias Simpson - 06-24-2014

• One for yes and two for no was all well and good, but she was asking so many questions that Matthias wasn’t sure which to answer first—leaving the lad looking rather like a bobblehead as he just agreed to everything. He stood still then, thinking. Bernard would have followed Goliath, so it didn’t quite matter what the eldest Simpson cared for, but what the youngest liked best. Mattie and Goliath were hardly friends, but as his brother he knew the younger boy’s interests nonetheless.
  
  Still gripping the pretty lady’s hand tightly, the boy set off towards the petting zoo, attempting to drag his new friend behind him.

---

RE: Do You Believe in Magic - Aurelia Wallingford - 06-25-2014

This was just confusing. Aurelia wasn't sure what he was saying yes to now! Just as she was about to suggest something else to the little boy, she was tugged in a different direction. He was small and quiet, so his tug took the witch entirely by surprise, and she looked towards where he was leading her.

Her eyes followed to where he seemed to be headed, and she let out a cry of joy. "Oh do you like animals, Mr. Simpson?" she asked, her eyes glowing with excitement. Or maybe this was where his attendants were? Either way, Aurelia was quite pleased to be going towards the petting zoo, and eagerly let the small adorable boy -- who, quite frankly, was damn near capturing her heart -- lead her onwards.

---