29 Jun 2019, 19:36
we need the tonic of wildness
After his breakfast, Louis had slipped away from the other Gryffindor students and ventured out onto the grounds. He’d wanted to spend the entire day roaming the castle, learning all of the places that were relevant to him along his way. There was no better place to begin than outside, he’d figured.
The sun was streaming down from overhead. It was warm beneath the dark robes that were draped over his lean figure. The top of his head seemed to tingle at the touch of the warmth, but Louis welcomed it. Had he a choice, he would have liked to have gone toward the Quidditch pitch to see if there were any students practicing their form. His nerves got the better of him, and he turned toward the massive body of water that seemed to stretch on further than he could see. The young wizard told himself that he could visit the pitch later on, that the sun felt better than anything in that moment, and the lake looked peaceful enough to hold his attention for the better portion of the morning. He’d taken one of his books with him to study a bit, but he wasn’t at all certain that it would hold his attention for too long.
A pair of birds fluttered past him swiftly. He followed their movements with keen grey eyes and smiled softly at the sight of them swooping and diving above the lake. Once he had found a place that he could settle into, Louis planted himself on the earth and breathed a soft sigh. He looked out across the water and wondered what strange and mysterious beasts might have existed beneath the calm lapping surface. Surely, in his seven years there, he would find out at some point if there was anything living in the lake.
The young wizard pulled his book from somewhere within his robes, as though he had discovered a secret compartment in there where a book could fit perfectly. Cracking the cover of it, Louis breathed in the scent of the pages. There was something different about the way the books there smelled. It was nothing like the textbooks from his primary school. Finding his place in the large text, he started to read as well as he could. There was a chance that attempting to study near the lake had not been the brightest of his plans. Every sound seemed to pull him from the pages and draw his attention upward. It was better than cooping himself up indoors all day, he had thought.
The sun was streaming down from overhead. It was warm beneath the dark robes that were draped over his lean figure. The top of his head seemed to tingle at the touch of the warmth, but Louis welcomed it. Had he a choice, he would have liked to have gone toward the Quidditch pitch to see if there were any students practicing their form. His nerves got the better of him, and he turned toward the massive body of water that seemed to stretch on further than he could see. The young wizard told himself that he could visit the pitch later on, that the sun felt better than anything in that moment, and the lake looked peaceful enough to hold his attention for the better portion of the morning. He’d taken one of his books with him to study a bit, but he wasn’t at all certain that it would hold his attention for too long.
A pair of birds fluttered past him swiftly. He followed their movements with keen grey eyes and smiled softly at the sight of them swooping and diving above the lake. Once he had found a place that he could settle into, Louis planted himself on the earth and breathed a soft sigh. He looked out across the water and wondered what strange and mysterious beasts might have existed beneath the calm lapping surface. Surely, in his seven years there, he would find out at some point if there was anything living in the lake.
The young wizard pulled his book from somewhere within his robes, as though he had discovered a secret compartment in there where a book could fit perfectly. Cracking the cover of it, Louis breathed in the scent of the pages. There was something different about the way the books there smelled. It was nothing like the textbooks from his primary school. Finding his place in the large text, he started to read as well as he could. There was a chance that attempting to study near the lake had not been the brightest of his plans. Every sound seemed to pull him from the pages and draw his attention upward. It was better than cooping himself up indoors all day, he had thought.
Last edited by Tatiana Crane on 15 Aug 2019, 01:07, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Closed for being inactive for over a month.
5 Jul 2019, 05:00
we need the tonic of wildness
Mac was standing in the shallow part of the lake, the murky green water reaching up to his knees. He was in a pair of knee-shorts and an old t-shirt, while his feet were left bare; his sneakers had been left behind on the bank as he entered the water. His blue eyes narrowed as he watched the water, so thick and murky that he could not make out anything underneath its surface except the dark silhouettes of fish and other such creatures flitting around his legs. Something small, and distinctly quadrupedal in shape approached him, stopping just a few feet away.
It felt like a wild west showdown. Mac stared the shape down, and it just seemed to stare back, waiting for him to make his move. After what felt like hours (which was, in reality, only a minute or so), he dove forward, hands diving into the water to grasp it out of the sand. He felt his fingers lock around around it, and it began to squirm wildly, the texture reminding him of a toad. Mac didn't want to hurt the animal, of course, so his grip wasn't too tight - unfortunately, this meant that the creature easily slipped away from him under the water.
It was on the run, and Mac could do nothing but follow his instincts and dive forward, nose-diving straight into the water to grab it. The Ravenclaw was gasping as he rose back up to the surface, triumphant as he held the critter firmly in his hands. He shook his head, spitting and stammering in an attempt to get the lake water out of his mouth.
In Mac's hands was a rare catch; a great crested newt, slippery and wet as it tried to escape his clutches. They didn't have them in Ireland, so the little creature was quite new to him, and the chance of to see it up close had his heart racing. "That's it, little guy," he said as it stopped squirming, its big, amphibious eyes staring up into his own. They reminded him vaguely of a solar eclipse, pools of solid black save for the ring of fire-like amber in its center. He could not help but smile, huffing out a small laugh as he ran his fingers over its back. There was a reason it was called the warty newt; its skin was speckled with rough little bumps that made for a gross, yet fascinating texture under his fingertips.
"I suppose I ought to let you go now," he said to the amphibian as he waded his way up to the bank, so enamored by the creature that he didn't notice the young boy just a few feet away from him, his nose buried in a book. "I bet you've had quite enough of this, yeah?" With that, he set the little amphibian down on the sand. It scurried away from him, as fast as its little legs could carry it. Mac watched with a smile on his face, giddy and filled with glee. The smile quickly fell, however, when he realized that his shoes were missing from where he'd left them.
With just the slightest hint of panic in his blue eyes, he looked around for any sign of the lost sneakers. Oh, dear. Could they have been washed up by the water? This was bad, really bad; they were the only pair he'd thought to pack. His gaze fell on a young boy, around his age, if not a year younger. He had dark hair, with bronze highlights that the sunlight brought out in full. At the moment, he was curled up underneath a tree with a book in his hands. Mac didn't want to interrupt the boy while he was reading, but on account of being the only other person present, he was the best lead the young Ravenclaw had at the moment. "Excuse me," he asked, despite his embarrassment at being seen in such a state. In an attempt to make the situation a little better, he ran a hand through his sopping wet hair and brushed it out of his face. "Did you, um- did you see a pair of shoes over here? They're a pair of white sneakers."
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5 Jul 2019, 07:33
we need the tonic of wildness
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[font=Book Antiqua]Shoes, why were there shoes, and why were they left close enough that they were getting towards sopping wet, Elena had moved them further up to where she was doing her thing, reading, hanging out in her tree hammock, all good.
A Gryffindor showed up at some point but that didn't annoy her, too high up away from problems in the tree. It'd been a while as the winter drove her out of the tree and into the castle, and most of spring too, and summer was just cold. Who knew when it'd warm up, not Elena, who before now was in the bitter cold and bright summers of London. She hummed, it almost sounded like it was nice that way. Lies.
Then some kid came barreling up out of the water screeching about shoes, Elena looked down and whistled sharply, "Shoes? I found a pair down by the shore, they were getting wet so I grabbed 'em."
Elena leaned out of the tree, showing off her blue hair, and held up the shoes, tied together by the laces, her eyes sparkled and a joking tone entered her voice, "I was gonna flog them for a profit but I suppose this once I can do a good deed."[/font]
I'm weak my love.
6 Jul 2019, 01:13
we need the tonic of wildness
Louis had noticed the other fellow who had waded out to their knees in the shallow section of the lake. He had squinted against the sun to see just how far the stranger had gotten. When he’d first seen the lapping waters, he had millions of thoughts that had raced through his mind. The one that stood out the most; what could possibly be living in there? Surely, if there were magical beasts that prowled the forbidden forest, there would have been creatures that did not even breach the surface of land, but dwelled in the depths of the swell, watching only from beneath. His muggle mother had insisted he take swimming lessons when he was younger, and he had become quite proficient in it. He wondered when a hot day would tempt him to leap into the deepest end he could find.
The familiar thought crossed his mind, causing his attention to rise from the book and toward the young man in the water. He seemed to have captured something, though Louis could scarcely make out what it was. The Ravenclaw seemed pleased with it, anyway. The dark waters seemed to glitter at the touch of the sun from overhead, and Louis was forced again to lift his hand and shade his eyes. It seemed in those few moments – blind and sleepy from the sun overhead – the boy who’d been in the waters had trotted up the shore a ways and was calling out to Louis. He squinted and looked down at the other fellow, leaning closer.
Lost his shoes… That was an unfortunate thing to hear. The young Gryffindor jumped to his feet in a flash and sauntered forward so that he could close the space between them. He’d carefully closed and tucked the book in the nook of his arm. “You know the water might’ve taken them out,” Louis finally said with a gesture at the lapping waves against the shore. He wasn’t sure how far it’s reach was, or if that was something that changed all that frequently.
Before he could turn to start helping the boy search, a young woman had approached with the wet sneakers in hand. Louis glanced up toward her and flashed a quick smile. “There you are, she’s found them for you – or at least saved them from the fate I’d thought they had,” the young Gryffindor remarked, smile spreading. He turned back to the Ravenclaw and gestured with his hand for them to approach the kindly stranger. A few steps her way and Louis was able to get a better look at her. Slytherin girl, he was almost positive he had seen her before in the great hall or possibly passing from class to class. He didn’t know her name at all, but her face seemed familiar.
“It would be just like a clever Slytherin to think to save a young man’s shoes from a watery grave,” he said to her with a quick chuckle.
The familiar thought crossed his mind, causing his attention to rise from the book and toward the young man in the water. He seemed to have captured something, though Louis could scarcely make out what it was. The Ravenclaw seemed pleased with it, anyway. The dark waters seemed to glitter at the touch of the sun from overhead, and Louis was forced again to lift his hand and shade his eyes. It seemed in those few moments – blind and sleepy from the sun overhead – the boy who’d been in the waters had trotted up the shore a ways and was calling out to Louis. He squinted and looked down at the other fellow, leaning closer.
Lost his shoes… That was an unfortunate thing to hear. The young Gryffindor jumped to his feet in a flash and sauntered forward so that he could close the space between them. He’d carefully closed and tucked the book in the nook of his arm. “You know the water might’ve taken them out,” Louis finally said with a gesture at the lapping waves against the shore. He wasn’t sure how far it’s reach was, or if that was something that changed all that frequently.
Before he could turn to start helping the boy search, a young woman had approached with the wet sneakers in hand. Louis glanced up toward her and flashed a quick smile. “There you are, she’s found them for you – or at least saved them from the fate I’d thought they had,” the young Gryffindor remarked, smile spreading. He turned back to the Ravenclaw and gestured with his hand for them to approach the kindly stranger. A few steps her way and Louis was able to get a better look at her. Slytherin girl, he was almost positive he had seen her before in the great hall or possibly passing from class to class. He didn’t know her name at all, but her face seemed familiar.
“It would be just like a clever Slytherin to think to save a young man’s shoes from a watery grave,” he said to her with a quick chuckle.
7 Jul 2019, 16:17
we need the tonic of wildness
His heart dropped in his chest as the Gryffindor confirmed his fears. He'd thought he'd placed them far enough from the shoreline, though it was entirely possible that, somewhere in his head full of hot air, he miscalculated the reach of the Lake. Gone to the depths, they were, and then he'd have to go back to his cabin with his tail between his legs to owl his mother that he'd lost his only pair of shoes. But then, just like that, an angel called up from heaven - or at least, from the top of a nearby tree. A Slytherin girl, sitting up on one of the branches of a nearby oak, held up the shoes for Mac to see, and his eyes lit up at the sight of his worn-out sneakers.
"Oh! Yes, it would!" He said in response to the Gryffindor, sighing in relief as he looked up at the girl sitting in the tree. At the mention of pawning his shoes, he couldn't help but laugh, breathy and faint. "Well, I doubt you'd get anything for them, either way," he said with a sigh. "They're just about to come apart." Her vibrant blue hair shined brilliantly in the light of the sun in a way that was almost unnatural. Fitting for a young witch, certainly. She had this way about her that intimidated him for a reason that he couldn't quite place, though perhaps that was just part of the anxiety that came with meeting new people.
He paused for a moment, surely looking just as awkward and dumb as he felt, soaked from head to toe in lake water and standing barefoot in the sand. "Ah- could you come down here and meet me then? I could climb up there, but-" he bit his cheek, furrowing his brow as he looked the old oak tree over from stump to peak. "Well, I'm 'fraid that old branch might give way, honestly."
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8 Jul 2019, 08:56
we need the tonic of wildness
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[font=Book Antiqua]"Sure I'll be right down, just wait there!" Elena hung the shoes on the laces around her neck and held onto the branch before swinging down and rolling back up again. Street kid parkour magic came in handy for lighter purposes these days, like wowing some fellow students. Elena always liked using what she'd learned for fun instead of thievery, not that thievery wasn't also fun.
Elena turned and smiled at the gryffindor kid, not quite used to that kind of compliment, or any compliment which also made Slytherin sound nice. Hangovers from the decades past and all that, "Clever Slytherin? Well it is rare that I get complimented for embodying the good parts of my house. Thank you, that's really cool of you."
"The branch is good at holding weight but I figured I should come down here anyway. Too much time being antisocial already and all that. They're some nice kicks by the way I'm sure they would've sold for more than you give them credit." Elena unslung the shoes and held them out to Mac, "I'm Elena by the way, Elena Jones. Haven't seen either of you around before, first years or second years or both? Or third year I suppose, I keep forgetting that's an option."[/font]
I'm weak my love.
14 Jul 2019, 00:26
we need the tonic of wildness
The girl seemed rather cool about the whole thing. Louis found that appealing about her. The other young boy responded softly, pleased to find that his shoes had not been swept away by a rogue rush of water. It would have been a disappointing fate, that was certain. The stranger called out to her and asked if she could bring them down. Louis held up a hand and squinted against the sun, watching as the girl bounded down to them swiftly and adeptly. She was quick on her feet, it seemed. The young Gryffindor could not help but to smile as she approached. There was an easygoing confidence that she embodied so well, he was almost envious of it.
The girl was quick to hand over the young man’s shoes. She also was rather pleased that Louis had the mind to compliment the finer traits of her house. He glanced to her with a quick smirk and shrugged his shoulders, as though it had been nothing. Truth was, it really hadn’t seemed odd for him to call it out. “My dad was a Slytherin when he came here, so I was told quite a bit about the best parts of belonging to your house,” he explained to her as nonchalantly as he could. He had really only spoken with Margo in reference to how he had not followed his father into the Slytherin house and had instead been sorted into Gryffindor. He thought that if he made it seem as though it weren’t a big deal, then it wouldn’t be.
She introduced herself as Elena Jones. It was a nice name – suited her, it seemed, as well as a name could fit someone. The girl seemed then to be interested in how many years the two boys had attended school there. The young Gryffindor glanced toward the other young man with a curious twinkle in his gaze. He knew next to nothing about the fellow, except that he did not have the best management of his sneakers. From the few words that he had spoken, he seemed to be a nice bloke. There was nothing that would suggest their encounter would turn sour if Louis were to admit that it was his first year there and he knew almost nothing about the magical world, save for a few tidbits from his father.
“I’m Louis Graves. First year in Gryffindor,” he offered casually, then turned to the Ravenclaw boy and waited to see what he was called.
The girl was quick to hand over the young man’s shoes. She also was rather pleased that Louis had the mind to compliment the finer traits of her house. He glanced to her with a quick smirk and shrugged his shoulders, as though it had been nothing. Truth was, it really hadn’t seemed odd for him to call it out. “My dad was a Slytherin when he came here, so I was told quite a bit about the best parts of belonging to your house,” he explained to her as nonchalantly as he could. He had really only spoken with Margo in reference to how he had not followed his father into the Slytherin house and had instead been sorted into Gryffindor. He thought that if he made it seem as though it weren’t a big deal, then it wouldn’t be.
She introduced herself as Elena Jones. It was a nice name – suited her, it seemed, as well as a name could fit someone. The girl seemed then to be interested in how many years the two boys had attended school there. The young Gryffindor glanced toward the other young man with a curious twinkle in his gaze. He knew next to nothing about the fellow, except that he did not have the best management of his sneakers. From the few words that he had spoken, he seemed to be a nice bloke. There was nothing that would suggest their encounter would turn sour if Louis were to admit that it was his first year there and he knew almost nothing about the magical world, save for a few tidbits from his father.
“I’m Louis Graves. First year in Gryffindor,” he offered casually, then turned to the Ravenclaw boy and waited to see what he was called.