Chameleon | Open

[Tigran Razi]

Sunday, August 26th 1973
During The Grand Opening
A couple hours into the event

He stood off to the side of the shop helping customers as he blinked occasionally in the shock of it all.  He’d visited more museums on school field trips than he’d ever been to toy stores as a child - making this unlike anything he was used to.  It seemed almost alive and even grander now than when he’d wandered in and helped Jasper on various things over the summer from prank product development to setting up things.

Being supportive aside, he’d thought Jasper’s idea was some rich spoiled kid idea which he’d supported purely as he had enough rich cousins he knew it could work in this world.  Seeing the store and the products all he could do was walk around during the opening in surprise that it was working.  As in actually working in a way unsupported by illusions of influence that he suspected made some of his cousins endeavors actually work.  A surprise that would go forever unmentioned.

With a smile he said “ Don’t overlook the chameleon chalk in your prank planning. “  Then he picked up one of the containers of chameleon chalk holding it up for a second purely for deliberate pause.  Tilting the container towards the other person so the label still showed clearly he said “ It makes hiding things in the execution phase easy such as hiding vial with a smoke potion in the hands of a statue with chameleon chalk so people don’t see it.  Then use one’s wand to break the bottle from across the room letting off the smoke. “

While he didn't work here, he certainly wanted to help his friend sell stuff on opening day as he relaxed wearing a dark collared shirt and a simple pair of jeans so that he'd not stand out in the crowd.

[Eryon Thornley]

Eryon was exploring Diagon Alley, a magical place that felt like a dream come true. But that would change when he started Hogwarts next week. For now, this was the best adventure ever!

“…to Jaspers Jollie! …mark…world!”

The words caught his attention, and he hurried to the brand-new store. It was bursting with color and sound, just like the owner would have described it. Once inside, Eryon was delighted to see all the cool stuff on display. He took a moment to look around, his eyes landing on a pack of dancing rubber bands.

“Don’t forget the chameleon chalk in your prank plans,”

Eryon blinked and turned to see the speaker an older boy holding up a tin of chalk, and Eryon couldn’t resist getting closer. He listened carefully as the boy explained.

“It makes hiding things ........ off the smoke.”

Eryon studied the tin, imagining all the possibilities. “Does it work on everything?” he asked, his voice low. “Like, could you use it on something moving, or does it need to be still?”

He tilted his head, thinking about the details. The explanation seemed simple enough, but Eryon couldn’t help wondering about the limits—what it could and couldn’t do. “This is amazing,” he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. “I mean, if it works like you say… it’d be great for, um, practical uses. Not just pranks.” He shifted his weight, lightly tapping his foot against his leg as he gazed at the tin once more.

[Tigran Razi]

He saw the interest in the boy before him and realized not long ago he’d been as small as he was towards the beginning of his Hogwarts journey.  Though it wasn’t time for such thoughts even if he was days from starting his last year in the castle.  No he was debating the word anything.

With a smile he said “ It’s worked on everything I’ve tried it on. “  Or at least the final version of the product had, even if he suspected Jasper had tried it on far more things than he had with him not asking the results of those tests.  It must have passed as it was a product.  Then he added quickly “ I haven’t tried moving and it takes a bit for it to blend into the surroundings so I suspect that won’t work well. “

With a smirk he said " Remember the practical uses stuff when you are at Hogwarts. So what's the prank idea you got? " As he fully expected all these products to find their way to the castle and next term to be a nightmare with them.  Though as a causer of a good number of these nightmares he was excited to see it all in action.

[Eryon Thornley]

Rye listened closely, his gaze fixed on the tin of chalk as the older boy spoke. "It’s worked on everything I’ve tried it on," the boy said, and Rye couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement at the idea. It sounded almost too good to be true, but the way the older boy described it made it seem like anything was possible.

“Blending in probably takes time to work properly?” Rye said thoughtfully, his curiosity bubbling as he tried to imagine all the ways the chalk could be used. Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, the boy smirked and asked, "So what's the prank idea you got?"

Rye blinked, his expression blank for a moment. “Prank idea?” he echoed, sounding genuinely puzzled. “I wasn’t… um, I didn’t have one, really.” He frowned slightly, glancing at the tin as though it might provide him with inspiration. “Why? Are we supposed to come up with one?”

The realization struck him a beat later, and his eyes widened slightly. “Wait, is this part of the store opening? Like… a contest or something?” His voice was a mix of curiosity and mild embarrassment. He glanced around, as though expecting to see some kind of announcement he’d missed.

Quickly shifting topics, he added, “Do you, um, own this shop? Or are you just helping out? I mean… you don’t look old enough to run it.” His gaze flicked briefly to the boy, then back to the chalk. “Are you still at Hogwarts?” He hesitated, unsure if he was being rude by asking too many questions, but the curiosity was hard to contain. The store itself was fascinating, but the older boy’s confidence in explaining the products had caught his attention just as much.

[Tigran Razi]

Walking into a store without even a rough idea wasn’t something he did.  Though apparently it was something that at least today seemed more common than he’d of ever expected.  Which was good, as Jasper’s products almost packaged ideas for basic pranks and even if someone was so thick they couldn’t think anything the opening was going to end with a prank-off that would provide ideas for days.

He said “ I always find it more fun to imagine the products in use myself. “ A truth as his mind always went to practicality.

As for the contest he wasn’t eligible to win.  Or even if he was he shouldn’t have been having played a hand in creating many of the products - thus knowing more than a couple off label uses for them.

With a smile he said “ At the end of the opening there will be a great prank-off.  I’ve heard quite a few ideas whispered in the corners of the shop but so far they are all missing a creative pizzaz of theatrics. “ Seriously, he was hoping for more than smoke bombs and glitter.

Smirking he replied “ It’s my mate’s shop.  I’m just hanging about today to ensure some of the pranks I see at Hogwarts next year are next level funny. “

[Eryon Thornley]

Eryon’s brow furrowed slightly at the mention of “theatrics,” the word sparking an idea. “Theatrics,” he repeated quietly. “So it’s not just about the prank itself but… how you set it up? Like, the timing and making everything fall into place?” He glanced back at the chameleon chalk, clearly more interested in the mechanics of crafting an elaborate spectacle than in the prank itself.

“It’s sort of like telling a story, isn’t it?” he continued after a moment, his tone thoughtful. “You need to think about how people will react, what will catch them off guard. It’s not just the trick—it’s how you build up to it, how you make it memorable.” His gaze briefly wandered to the colourful chaos of the shop around him, where other customers were testing products and laughing at minor mishaps. “It’s a lot more complicated than it looks.” he murmured, almost to himself, a touch of admiration in his voice.

When Tigran mentioned pranks at Hogwarts, Eryon’s curiosity deepened. “Pranks at Hogwarts? Is that an elective?” The idea amused him and he let his question hang in the air for a moment before following it up with another. “Or are you…” He hesitated, the faintest blush creeping into his cheeks as he realized how silly it might sound, but his curiosity won out. “Are you the Hogwarts Prankmaster?” The words came out with quiet amusement, but his expression showed genuine interest, as though trying to figure out what kind of person would take pranks so seriously.

After a pause, Eryon ventured another question, hoping it wasn’t too many questions “What year are you in? And… what house?” He hesitated for a moment, wondering if the question was too personal, but the curiosity was too strong to hold back. “You seem like you’d have a lot of interesting stories about Hogwarts. Is it always… like this?” He gestured subtly to the vibrant shop around them, imagining a school filled with as much chaos and magic. “Do you get to do this sort of thing a lot—like, experiment and come up with clever ideas? Or is it all just books and classes most of the time?”

Eryon leaned closer to the tin of chalk again, his curiosity spilling over. “And this contest… do you think someone will actually pull off something theatrical enough to win? Like, really creative?” he asked with a genuine wonder at how far someone could push the boundaries of a prank.

[Tigran Razi]

He nodded.  How one set up the prank was sometimes more important than the prank itself.  He said “ Yes. How it is set up is what people remember, and what makes it a prank that is funny not something that is more malicious. “ 

Though he still didn’t get how buckets filled with things dumping on people counted as pranks.

He nodded as the boy seemed to be getting it.

Then he asked if it was a class at Hogwarts and he said “ Thankfully not.  Pranks are more of an art and it wouldn’t be fair to judge that academically. “ Plus, if it became a class the school would become more chaos than it already was.

He shook his head no and laughed when he was asked if he was the Hogwarts prankmaster.  He wasn’t.  He admittedly had little interest in pranks himself beyond his friends pulling him into them.  He said “ That title belongs to Jasper who owns this store. “

Then the kid set off running with questions about him and he just blinked and said “ Everything with pranks is experimenting.  I hope someone will pull off something original and theatrical, and I’m sure you’ll get plenty of interesting stories of your own journey at Hogwarts. “

[Eryon Thornley]

Eryon listened carefully, nodding his head as Tigran explained the importance of setting up a prank in a way that’s both memorable and funny, not cruel. Tigran made a good point, and Eryon couldn’t help but agree. He wasn’t sure he’d ever pull off a prank himself, but he understood the appeal.

Eryon realized he had been asking a lot of questions, so he decided to calm down and focus on the conversation. Tigran mentioned Jasper being the true Prankmaster and Eryon looked around the shop with a newfound appreciation for its chaotic charm. “I guess it takes someone with a lot of imagination to run a place like this.” he said thoughtfully. When Tigran talked about pranks being more of an art than a subject, Eryon couldn’t help but smile. “That makes sense,” he said. “Judging something like that in a class would probably ruin the fun of it.” The idea of Hogwarts being even more chaotic than it already sounded was almost hard to imagine, but it left him curious about what was to come.

As Tigran wrapped up with his encouragement, Eryon felt a small spark of excitement at the thought of starting his own journey. “Thanks,” he said earnestly. “I guess I’ll have to see what stories come my way.” He glanced at the chameleon chalk one last time, his fingers brushing over the tin. After a moment of hesitation, he picked it up and smiled. “I think I’ll give this a try” he said, more to himself than to anyone in particular. “Well, I’d better let you get back to… inspiring pranks or whatever you’re doing here,” he added with a grin. “It was nice talking to you.”

He started to turn, then paused briefly to add, “And good luck with the prank-off. I hope someone pulls off something theatrical enough to impress you.”

[Tigran Razi]

He had to nod as he agreed it certainly took a lot of imagination to run this place.  He couldn’t imagine taking the risk of opening a business like this himself mostly as his focus was purely on stability.  Though he said nothing as he assumed the boy meant instead the fantastical products in the shop.

With a smile he said “ Don’t be afraid to enhance some of those stories when they come your way.  Have fun with it. “

Then he smiled as the boy picked up one of the containers.  Then said “ It was nice talking to you too “ as the boy turned away.

With a smirk he said “ It all is impressive to me, and consider thinking up an idea yourself to try to impress Jasper. “  . Then he went to a nearby shelf and started organizing the products on it that had been moved about.