Are There Gulping Plimplies..? open finished

IC Time: 12:01pm, October 13th, 2024

XXXJoseph laughed dismissively at her answer, noting that Gulping Plimplies might not even exist at all. Eonaria’s small smile vanished the moment she heard him mutter something particularly ominous. “…what are you doing?” She narrowed her eyes. There was no way he was about to-

XXXSplash!

XXX“JOSEPH?!” Eonaria screeched, stumbling after him into the chilly shallows as the Hufflepuff recklessly plunged into the depths of the lake. “BLOODY HELL, DO YOU HAVE NO BRAINCELLS??!?” She attemped to grab him but missed, beginning to panic. “You can’t see underwater! Also there’s dangerous creatures in there!! And you’re still wearing your clothes!!!”

XXXEonaria knew he most likely couldn’t hear her, the murky water muffling his hearing and sight. “If you drown, I’m attending your funeral just to yell at you- that is, if you even have a funeral- don’t die, you idiot!” The scene must have looked concerning for her mental health to anyone passing by; Eonaria was literally shouting at the lake. She stared at the water’s surface, the dust billowing and disturbed, her heart pounding. She couldn’t really see him through the layers of water reflecting the sunlight, and the lake was very cold as it swirled around her ankles, her shoes and socks thoroughly soaked.

XXXHow deep is he going to swim before realizing the futility? But honestly, who in their right mind jumps into a lake to see if Gulping Plimplies live in there?! Eonaria groaned, sticking a hand in the water where tiny plants grew out of the muck. Hopefully he returns soon... I really don’t need to be charged with second hand murder in my first year.

.・-: ✧☾♩♪♩♬　. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.　♬♩♪♩☽✧ :-・.

Cold. Terribly cold. And murky too. Did he mention the cold? Aimlessly clawing at the muddy water, Joseph held his breath, his once flowy robes clinging on to him like a ravenous predator, dragging him ever downward to his doom. Each movement felt like swimming through tar, the icy chill gnawing at his muscles, threatening to turn them into stone. Thick clouds of dirt drifted before his half-open eyes, stinging and blurring what little vision remained. How fitting, Joseph thought grimly, his face contorting into a frown. A final, breathtaking scene before the lake swallowed him whole.

Why had he even jumped into the lake in the first place?

His thoughts came slow, sluggish under the weight of the cold. Ignoring the icy cold seeping deeper into his bones, Joseph tried to focus,  releasing a stream of bubbles from his lips that barely moved. Right. Plimpies. He was looking for gulping plimpies, a myth no one ever truly believed in.

The inscription on Joseph's tomb stone was not looking good.

Forcing his way deeper into the lake, Joseph grit his teeth, his ears humming with the growing water pressure. It was hopeless, trying to find a Gulping Plimpy in these waters. He would have better luck trying to see through a thick blanket. Maybe it was time he returned to the surface where a shaken Eona was probably waiting for him.

Something below him moved.

Joseph's heart skipped a beat, his body momentarily fossilised by fear. It was a shadowy creature, a shadow darker than the water itself. A Gulping Plimpy? No, not rotund enough. Gliding through the water, the creature hadn't seemed to notice him yet. It was far too small to be the Giant Squid, far too humanoid to be a fish.

Unless... a chill that had nothing to do with the freezing waters ran down Joseph's spine. Could it be a grindylow?

Panic seized him. Joseph's limbs tensed, his movements faltering as his instinct to flee kicked in. Grindylows. The infamous, aggressive terrors of the Great Lake. Sometimes known for eating humans.

Joseph kicked harder, his body screaming in protest against the lake's crushing icy grip. The surface shimmered faintly above him, promising air, safety and a massive lecture from Eona. Still sounded more enticing than drowning in the lake with a Grindylow's razor-sharp jaws lodged into his foot. Every stroke felt like an eternity, his limbs burning and lungs aching for air.

Almost there, just a little more.

With a final, desperate kick, Joseph's head broke the surface. He gasped, gulping in a mouthful of fresh air - a welcome contrast to the suffocating depths of the lake.

His gaze flickered over to Eona, who was kneeling by the lake, looking angry enough to cause an explosion that could evaporate the entire Great Lake. Uh oh. Wasn't he in trouble now.

"I'm sorry for that," Joseph croaked, not sorry the slightest bit as he gradually made his way back to dry ground.

@Eonaria Kabukimono

IC Time: 12:03pm, October 13th, 2024

XXXTroubled, Eonaria trekked a few steps further into the lake. Yeesh, he’s definitely far down… wait a minute- does he even know how to swim?! She winced at the freezing water, the chill penetrating to her bones. Eonaria leaned closer to the surface of the water, where a disturbance was taking place in the depths. “What the- is that you, Joseph?”

XXXI should probably fetch him out, but I can’t exactly see very well down there…

XXXJust then, the water exploded- no, it didn’t explode, it just, ah, splashed very dramatically. Joseph burst out of the water, looking much worse for wear and a little drowned. Eonaria glowered at him, causing him to croak out an apology. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or sob.

XXX “What were you thinking?! No, were you even thinking at all?!? Why would you jump into the Great Lake in October??” Eonaria groaned, wading out of the shallows as Joseph also stumbled back to the shore. “Well- okay, did you find anything? Did you get attacked? Did you drown?” She prodded him aggressively in the ribs. “No more diving for Gulping Plimplies!!” I mean, he doesn’t look too hurt.. other than being extremely waterlogged. Ack, he’s probably still freezing! And so are my ankles! A chillier breeze seemed to brush over them. Eonaria sighed, wrapping her cloak over his shoulders, which admittedly, had unfortunately gotten dipped in the lake at the hem.

.・-: ✧☾♩♪♩♬　. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.　♬♩♪♩☽✧ :-・.

Interacting With: @Joseph Sims
You write very well Also I took a very long time to respond too It’s winter break so I’ve been on every day but also procrastinating my life away, so-

Dragging yourself out of a lake was the opposite of fun, even less so than nearly drowning in a lake. You were never close to drowning, silly. Joseph thought, a grin spreading across his dripping face. Of course, there had been no need to worry he'd meet his end in the depths of the Great Lake. Whatever threats lurked there, Joseph's swimming skills were clearly superior. Skills Eona obviously undermined, from the way she was yelling her head off.

"Yeowch!" Joseph cried, feeling a sudden pain jolt up his torso from his ribs where Eona had just forcefully jabbed him. A look of mild annoyance flashed across his face as he clutched onto his ribs to reduce the throbbing pain. "Yeah, just got attacked by you," Joseph replied grimly, a wry smile sneaking onto his face. Not even the grindylow had inflicted as much pain on him.

"To answer your other questions... I did find something. Not a Gulping Plimpy though," Joseph added hastily before Eona could get hopeful. "And no... I wouldn't be standing here if I had drowned."

Promptly falling to the earth, Joseph enjoyed a fresh mouthful of air, nodding profusely as Eona told him off for diving into the lake. Yeah, yeah he wouldn't do it again. In front of someone who had so much to say, that is. Maybe he should make a run for it while he still could before the Gryffindor girl realised diving into the lake without supervision was against the rules.

Be grateful, knucklehead, she's just concerned for you, Joseph thought to himself, his gaze fixated on Eona. Well wasn't it heartening to know at least one person would care if he died a little more than his family.

Her expression was complex and unreadable, as though she was torn between throwing a party and using him as her personal punching bag. Joseph wondered what was going through her head. What had she been up to while he had been beneath the waters? He wasn't sure he wanted the answer to that question - it might only make him more glad he wasn't around to see it.

"Hey, at least it was fun," Joseph justified, beaming a little too widely. "Sure, it was exhausting, maybe even a little dangerous, but still, surprisingly fun."

Massaging his aching limbs, Joseph pressed his feet against the squelchy soil, never so thankful to be on dry ground. Another rule broken. Not yet a notorious rule-breaker but hey, progress is progress.

@Eonaria Kabukimono

Thanks lol your replies are really funny~ sorry I know my replies are getting a lil late but I'm a lot more busy now

IC Time: 12:04pm, October 13th, 2024

XXXEonaria scoffed at Joseph's joke, though she couldn't prevent a small smile from showing. She prodded him a couple more times for good measure, grinning. "Alright. But what did you find, rare algae?"

XXXEonaria watched as Joseph collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. "Seriously, what happened down there? You look like the giant squid tried to eat you." She highly doubted such a thing happened, but once she took a closer look at the Hufflepuff, she could tell he had probably gotten attacked- or at least frightened by something. Eonaria groaned when Joseph added that it was surprisingly fun, accompanied by a mischievous smile.

XXX"Fun drowning, right. Do you tend to jump, literally and figuratively, head-first into danger often?" She crossed her arms. "Also, in case you haven't noticed, we're both freezing out here. Cold water with cold wind is not a good combination- even worse for you, since your head got soaked."

XXXEonaria attempted to drag him to his feet by the arms, but obviously failed. That was definitely not how you were supposed to pick up a person; It only places tension on the arms. She let him go with a sigh. "Alright, Mr. Mischief Jose. Are you going to head to the castle to warm up or are we gonna sit here and wait for a Gulping Plimpy to jump into your arms?"

.・-: ✧☾♩♪♩♬　. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.　♬♩♪♩☽✧ :-・.

Interacting With: @Joseph Sims
Dat's okay

Joseph waved off Eona's enquiries about his adventures in the lake, a broad smile etched across his dripping face. It wasn't much really. Not much that concerned her, at least. "Maybe you should go in for a little dive yourself if you're really so curious what's in there," he shrugged his shoulders, trying to push his way back onto his feet but to no avail. It seemed his aching limbs were groaning in stubborn refusal.

"It was a lot more fun than you think, trust me," Joseph breathed, chuckling to himself. "Other than of course, those moments I thought I was about to die. But it's all worth it in the end. After all, what's life without a little risk and thrill?"

Tugging a handful of clingy algae off his shirt, Joseph shuddered as the chilly breeze swept through him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Joseph was soaked from head to toe. Clearly nature had as much empathy for him as the cat perpetually glowering at him back in Arisaig. Either way, as much as Joseph often disagreed with Eona, she was right about one thing. He did need to return to the castle to warm up, and badly.

"Alright let's head back," Joseph relented, forcing his sore feet to support his body weight once again. He had a bad feeling Eona would fix him with a glare if he decided to limp back to the castle. Well, too bad for Joseph's feet then. He'd have to pretend the lake hadn't affected him the slightest bit. "You lead the way, I suppose," Joseph suggested, crossing his arms. He could only hope he didn't look as waterlogged as he felt.

@Eonaria Kabukimono

IC Time: 12:05pm, October 13th, 2024

XXX"No, no. Absolutely not." Eonaria declared when Joseph suggested she go see for herself. "I will not be mirroring your ridiculous actions and jumping into the lake anytime soon, thank you very much." Then she paused for a moment to eye him, somewhat concerned at his daring perspective on life. Personally, she didn't feel like getting into danger, but perhaps it was inevitable.

XXX"I don't think the thrill of half-drowning is worth potentially dying... Maybe you'd do better in Gryffindor, with that kind of outlook. Wait a minute. I'm in Gryffindor. No, never mind, please stay in Hufflepuff. As long as you don't actually die, I guess I can't force you to not jump into lakes." Eonaria sighed. Joseph looked like he would take a good seven minutes to drag himself to the castle, and that was more than enough time to catch a cold.

XXX"Do I need to carry you there?" She deadpanned. Of course, she did not have the strength to pick someone else up, much less carry them to the castle, but she could at least support his weight. Sort of. Eonaria began walking backwards towards the castle, keeping an eye on Joseph to see whether he needed help getting back.

.・-: ✧☾♩♪♩♬　. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.　♬♩♪♩☽✧ :-・.

Joseph had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at Eona's dry question before he regained enough composure to speak again. "I can walk fine, thanks," he remarked, giggling a little.

Sure, he was tired. Okay, really tired. After all, he would admit his inexperience at swimming, coupled the freezing temperature of the lake had sapped a ridiculous amount of energy out of him. And whatever creature it was down there that had scared the daylights out of him... let's just say it didn't help much either. But still... the last thing he needed was to become the subject of ridicule in every student's gossip that week. Furthermore, by the time Eona had somehow managed to carry him back to the castle he wouldn't be sure whose limbs were hurting more anymore.

"Bet I'll still reach the castle before you," Joseph challenged, swinging his arms as though doing so could magically erase the fatigue settling in them. A rather cocky statement coming from someone just a step away from collapsing, but well needed all the same. Perhaps his fake confidence would be just enough to convince Eona that he was more than able to take care of himself. He didn't need to be babied around; he was already a 12 year old!

"Fine, you know what? I'll lead the way," Joseph decided, a hint of insuppressible doubt creeping into his voice. What was he doing? Acting all bold was only going to make him embarrass himself further. Joseph, after all, always managed to land himself in the most humiliating of situations, and he that certainly not going to change that day.

Yeah, nothing's gonna change if you continue being this pessimistic, Joseph.

Striding forward, Joseph winced as a sharp ache tore up his leg, reminding him exactly why this was such a terrible idea. Not good. Had he perchance sprained a muscle while desperately kicking up to the surface? Well, nothing time couldn't heal, but getting back to castle was going to be a problem for now.

@Eonaria Kabukimono

IC Time: 12:06pm, October 13th, 2024

XXXEonaria seriously doubted Joseph's proud statement, especially considering the delirious-sounding giggle that came afterward. "Uh huh," she replied skeptically. "What are you willing to bet? I'll take five Galleons." A little steep for something like this, but a bet was a bet. ...which was also an opportunity. Let's just ignore that for now. Eonaria quickened her pace, watching him stride forward with slight bemusement.

XXXThat's... quite a stiff way to walk. I don't think tightening your muscles is a good thing to do when you're soaked in freezing water. Her thoughts were immediately confirmed when Joseph's expression twisted in pain as he stumbled a little bit. "...do I need to call a professor?" Eonaria offered uncertainly. She wasn't about to let him limp back to the castle in his condition, and she wouldn't be much help. The wind (go away, wind!) began to pick up again, rustling the trees in the forest- well, what trees that still retained greener leaves- and causing a shiver to crawl up her spine.

XXXMost people would tuck their cloaks tighter around themselves, but this sometimes actually put strain on it, thinning the layer that covers you, so Eonaria decided to just try to ignore it. Unfortunately, Joseph had it much, much worse. She changed directions, coming back to his side. "Are you okay?" She asked. "Wait, no, you're probably not okay. Do you want my cloak?" Seriously! Lake diving in October!?

.・-: ✧☾♩♪♩♬　. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.　♬♩♪♩☽✧ :-・.

Joseph tried to straighten up, forcing a grin that probably looked more like a grimace. The chilly wind, unrelenting as ever, continued to nip at his exposed skin, causing a shiver to run through his vulnerable state. Not that he was going to complain about it. After all, it was his very own questionable life decisions that brought about such a situation. Though a certain someone seemed to be rather disturbed by his current circumstance.

Ignoring his chattering teeth, Joseph shook his head firmly at Eona's question, regretting doing so almost instantly as a wave of dizziness hit him. So much for being alright. "Professor? No, no, no - bad idea. That'd be equal to turning myself- " Joseph stopped abruptly, biting onto his tongue. He'd almost accidentally revealed that swimming in the lake without supervision wasn't allowed - a piece of information Joseph assumed Eona wasn't aware of, given the fact that she didn't seem well informed about the rules in Hogwarts. At least, he hoped she wasn't aware of it. If she was he might have to brace himself for another telling-off probably dry enough to bore surrounding trees to death.

Stumbling forward aimlessly, Joseph scowled at his legs, wishing they were anymore cooperative than a grumpy hippogriff. He was so close, about half of the road back to the castle already covered, but he was almost certain his fatigue would make the remaining distance ten times more agonising than whatever he had already endured.

Oblivious to the crunching footsteps beside him, Joseph gritted his teeth, his focus wavering between keeping his legs moving and ignoring the way his clothes were clinging to him like a second layer of skin. The biting wind was only making his senses increasingly sluggish, as though he had a heavy bricks strapped to his legs, threatening to send him sprawling to the grassy floor any moment now. Not good.

He almost did a double take when Eona's voice piped up from beside him without warning, offering him her cloak. "N- you know what, I really wouldn't mind," Joseph admitted, his tired expression betraying a slight grin. He'd be fine. He was sure of it. But right now, maybe he should stop overlooking the small acts of kindness coming his way.

@Eonaria Kabukimono

I think he'll be alright also sorry for making ya wait SO much T.T