3 Mar 2025, 04:36
Afternoon Swim Party
Information and Rules
This roleplay is completely open to everyone and anyone, whether it's your first day or you're a seasoned vet. It is designed to help people make new friends, meet some new faces, build new relationships, and who knows what else. It's an open story, so feel free to bring your own secret agendas, and let's have some fun.
-Please participate in the poll, as it will determine the outcome of the initial post.
-Please only use 3rd person perspective
-Follow all Hio rules including no god modding or meta gaming
-Keep posts between 200 and 1000 words, not including quoted or copied text like lyrics, poems, etc.
This roleplay is completely open to everyone and anyone, whether it's your first day or you're a seasoned vet. It is designed to help people make new friends, meet some new faces, build new relationships, and who knows what else. It's an open story, so feel free to bring your own secret agendas, and let's have some fun.
-Please participate in the poll, as it will determine the outcome of the initial post.
-Please only use 3rd person perspective
-Follow all Hio rules including no god modding or meta gaming
-Keep posts between 200 and 1000 words, not including quoted or copied text like lyrics, poems, etc.
The snow had fully melted away, and the snow-covered lawns and forests surrounding the Hogwarts castle returned to hues of vibrant green. The sun once again was beating down on the world, and Thaniel could feel his seasonal depression lifting as he stepped onto the mountaintop courtyard overlooking the Black Lake. It was finally April, and though there was still a chill in the air, the bright sunny Sunday afternoon welcomed Hogwarts students of all ages back into the Spring air.
Thaniel passed through the groups of mingling kids in the courtyard, wishing he had made at least a few friends that year as he watched them laugh and tell stories to each other. His fear of failure had kept his nose pressed to every textbook he bought that year until he had nearly memorized every page. But not today. Today, Thaniel would embrace the loner lifestyle he had accidentally built and spend the day in the warm afternoon sun with or without friends.
He took a moment to appreciate the beautiful stone pillars and architecture surrounding the courtyard as he neared the top of the stairs leading down to the boathouse he had arrived at back in September. The stairs hugged the cliffside, zig-zagging down to the dark water below. Thaniel could see students along the various staircase landings taking in the views of the surrounding forests and hills. The water below was calm and sparkled with the reflection of the bright sun and though the thought of climbing back up the gigantic staircase seemed daunting, Thaniel wanted to feel the cool water of the Black Lake.
Thaniel's light brown curls tapped his shoulders with each step as he descended the long winding staircase in a light trot. Each landing offered another set of puzzled looks from students curious about where he was heading. Passing by them, he could feel his social anxiety peeking in his throat as his shaky voice climbed out of his winded lungs to offer a polite "How's it going?" As he passed the students on the 3rd landing of his descent, his breathy voice had gained confidence as it excitedly said, "Good afternoon! Just going to check out the water!" He could tell most of the students didn't care, but he had hoped at least a few would join him in his afternoon excursion.
Fifteen minutes later Thaniel had reached the boathouse. As he walked through the rickety wooden door, he couldn't help but notice that the building seemed much larger than it did from the top of the stairs. Its brick walls supported large vaulted ceilings and an old wooden steeple that had greeted him only months ago. Thaniel hadn't seen the boathouse since that memorable night. His eyes scanning the water inside, the smell of rotting dead fish pierced his nose as he spotted a lifeless trout bumping against the wooden pier that hovered above the water. The trout floated alone, bobbing up and down in the ripples of the water, and Thaniel couldn't help but stare at it for a second in disgust.
He walked along the pier's edge, staring into the water at the riverstones beneath the surface. Thaniel knelt as he reached the end of the boathouse and touched the cool water with his fingertips. It was, unsurprisingly, cold and unwelcoming.
Suddenly, a glimmering light caught the corner of his eye as it sparkled in the tiny waves of water emitting from his fingertips. He focused his eyes on it, the sparkle fading as the ripples subsided.
What was that?? he thought to himself, scratching his head for an answer. His curiosity peaked when Thaniel stood up and pulled off his sweater and t-shirt, struggling as it tangled around his wrists and neck. He dropped his pants and kicked them away from the edge before he sat on the edge of the pier, lowering himself into the water.
"Oh man, that's cold..." he shivered through clenched teeth. The water was only a foot deep at the edge, but with one step towards the mystery light, his foot slipped down a steep embankment, and the water quickly became much deeper. His head dipped beneath the surface, and he felt his feet hit the rocky lakebed below.
"Shit!" he yelled, as his head popped back above the water's surface, his voice echoing beneath the pier. "That's deep!" He kicked his feet and climbed back up on the shallow edge, turning to find the shimmering mystery item he had seen before. He held his breath to help him remain still as he scanned the deep water below for any sign of light, water dripping from his shivering chin.
"Where'd it go??" he asked out loud.
3 Mar 2025, 19:43
Afternoon Swim Party
| ———— |
・❥・  ・❥・•Veela Allure in Effect• —date. [ 04/06/25]———event. [Great lake Swimming!]——————------------------------ Spring couldn’t have come sooner, and to celebrate the (supposedly) warmer weather, Sebastian and Jameela, a hufflepuff girl, decided to take a walk down to the great lake. They might have underestimated just how cold it still was. Dressed in shorts and short sleeves the second the sun peeked out, they were now freezing. At least Sebastian looked good while suffering, but moments like these reminded him just how much England sucked compared to California. “Ugh, I wish I brought a jacket,” he moped as they stepped into a shadow-heavy stretch of the hike. ‘Hike’ was an ambitious word for their little excursion—the walk wasn’t even that long, but Sebastian had never been into physical activity. Not that he had to be. He looked great without it. He’d seen heaven and hell with his own eyes just walking the many stairs to his class and worse— His –short– life had actually flashed before his eyes when he had to walk back up to the common room. Imagine what running would do to him. However, when they reached another sunny spot, it didn’t feel so bad. When they reached the stretch of cobbled beach and the on-the-verge-of-collapse boathouse, Jameela turned to him with a grin, ready to high-five for making it this far, like it had been some monumental achievement. Well, it kind of had. “Yay us!” He agreed, but their attention turned to where they heard shouts. A boy was in the water, his head bobbing in the distance. A fucking madman if he’d ever seen one. “What’s he doing, Seb? Is he drowning?” Jameela wondered, worriedly. Sebastian raised a hand to block out the sun, gaping in his direction with squinted eyes. “Maybe? It must be cold as fuck in there… No one would swim willingly.” Yet neither of them were in a hurry to run over there to make sure that wasn’t the case. They both stood there for a moment, not exactly the brightest pair, just watching the scene unfold. Finally, Jameela’s voice broke the silence. “He IS drowning, Seb! We have to save him!” They descended the little dock, peering over the edge to see if he was dead yet or not– thank god he wasn’t! Only then realizing that he knew the guy, from his kissing party. “Oh! Hi Thaniel! Are you drowning?” Just to make sure… “Do you know him, Seb?” Jameela asked curiously. Having forgotten the reason they ran over here in the first place, he said casually: “Yeah, he was at my kissing party! It was fun, right? I mean, you could probably benefit from some more practice.” That was probably the truth for most people there! tag. [@Thaniel Finn ]—( codes by uly. )— | ———— |
Last edited by Sebastian Drake on 3 Mar 2025, 23:15, edited 1 time in total.
Matisse Montfort | Beauxbatons
3 Mar 2025, 20:48
Afternoon Swim Party
"Am I drowning?" Thaniel said, his eyes still searching beneath the surface of the water. "No... I'm not drowning." he laughed. Without taking his eyes off the spot of the glistening mystery item, he stood up to show the newcomers he was actually just sitting in the water. His skinny pale body, dripping with water, was greeted by a gust of cool air. His small muscles twitched in a shiver as he turned to notice his 'savior to be', Sebastian Drake.
Oh crap, it's HIM!? he thought to himself. Thaniel and Sebastian had met only a month ago when he caught wind of a 'kissing party' Sebastian was hosting. He was trying to ignore the strangely lustful feeling he got when he looked at Sebastian when he remembered he had abandoned his clothes on the dock, and he was standing in front of TWO people in his underwear.
"Sebastian!" He said, surprised, plopping back down in the water that now felt warmer than the outside air. "Hiiii!" He felt his face turn red.
"No... I was just... I'm not... I wasn't drowning," he said, pointing into the water. "I was looking for something. Something I saw."
Thaniel felt his face grow hot when Sebastian's friend asked how he knew Thaniel.
Don't say the kissing party, don't say the kissing party... Aaand he said the freak'n kissing party. Thaniel's mind raced, listening to Sebastian explain.
What he said next made Thaniel's head explode with questions.
More Practice!? What does he MEAN? Was he paying attention to my kissing?
"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad," Thaniel argued. "It was my first time!"
He felt even more embarrassed now as he realized he had just told ANOTHER person he was a virgin kisser. He tried to avoid looking at the girl standing with Sebastion, hoping she wouldn't notice what he had just implied.
"Who's your friend?" he asked, deciding he should probably acknowledge her before things got too awkward.
@Sebastian Drake
Oh crap, it's HIM!? he thought to himself. Thaniel and Sebastian had met only a month ago when he caught wind of a 'kissing party' Sebastian was hosting. He was trying to ignore the strangely lustful feeling he got when he looked at Sebastian when he remembered he had abandoned his clothes on the dock, and he was standing in front of TWO people in his underwear.
"Sebastian!" He said, surprised, plopping back down in the water that now felt warmer than the outside air. "Hiiii!" He felt his face turn red.
"No... I was just... I'm not... I wasn't drowning," he said, pointing into the water. "I was looking for something. Something I saw."
Thaniel felt his face grow hot when Sebastian's friend asked how he knew Thaniel.
Don't say the kissing party, don't say the kissing party... Aaand he said the freak'n kissing party. Thaniel's mind raced, listening to Sebastian explain.
What he said next made Thaniel's head explode with questions.
More Practice!? What does he MEAN? Was he paying attention to my kissing?
"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad," Thaniel argued. "It was my first time!"
He felt even more embarrassed now as he realized he had just told ANOTHER person he was a virgin kisser. He tried to avoid looking at the girl standing with Sebastion, hoping she wouldn't notice what he had just implied.
"Who's your friend?" he asked, deciding he should probably acknowledge her before things got too awkward.
@Sebastian Drake
3 Mar 2025, 22:47
Afternoon Swim Party
────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────
Reducio04-06-25
Reducio@Thaniel Finn Sebastian Drake
ReducioGreat Lake
Reduciospeaking
thinking
all other dialogue
They blue-eyed girl sighed contentedly, gazing ahead absent-mindedly. The Great Lake glittered welcomingly, but one spot shone particularly bright. Adeline squinted, suddenly being pulled from her blissful trance. What is THAT?
The young girl wondered to herself, contemplating whether or not to pursue the glistening orb. She quickly realized, however, that someone else had also noticed, and, apparently, had decided the risk of catching a cold in the chilly waters was worth it. Adeline chuckled to herself as the young boy stumbled below the water's surface, popping up with a loud obscenity. Adeline didn't recognize the boy, she found it odd but shrugged it off, Must be the quiet type.... Adeline decided to approach him.
As the girl drew closer, another pair of students approached the boy, they seemed familiar with eachother. Addie swallowed her nerves as she approached, over-hearing bits of conversation.
Did he just say... kissing game? Adeline blushed at the novelty- these two had definitely met. Adeline shyly approached the group, taking note of the initial's boys blushing. How cute.
Addie stepped in just as the Shaggy haired boy asked the other girl her name, accidentally interrupting him. "Hey! what's up... guys?" She slowed her speaking as she realized she had interrupted the shaggy-haired boy. She gulped awkwardly."My bad... I was just going to see if anyone was interested in finding out whatever... THAT is." The girl pointed towards the shimmering spot.
She hadn't meant to be so.. invasive. Hopefully the group would understand, and fingers crossed they would want to pursue whatever that thing was, with her.
Last edited by Adeline Spinks on 4 Mar 2025, 00:49, edited 1 time in total.
3 Mar 2025, 23:06
Afternoon Swim Party
| ———— |
・❥・ ・❥・•Veela Allure in Effect• —date. [ 04/06/25]———event. [Great lake Swimming!]——————------------------------ Sebastian giggled at his reaction, though not quite understanding to what extent the boy was embarrassed by his presence. He wasn’t even particularly fazed by his lack of clothing, even if that might be the reason Thaniel jumped back into the water. It was still, he figured, cold as fuck. “No, not that bad, but I could tell,” he said with a playful smile, teetering on the edge of sultry. Of course there was no malicious intent behind his observation, only some constructive criticism that could, depending on Thaniel, lead to good things. That was up to him, however. “There are worse things to practise-” Sebastian began, but was interrupted by Jameela quickly chiming in: “Oh, I need to practise too!” Wide-eyed and hopeful, the naive girl looked from Sebastian to Thaniel, pleadingly and clearly not realizing what she was asking of him. “Will you practise with me?” Scandalized, Seb turned to his friend with betrayal in his eyes, who he honestly saw as a bit of a younger sister needing protection despite being the same age. Whatever protection Sebastian could provide, who barely could take care of himself, was debatable. But… Sebastian considered it for a second. Thaniel was obviously not a raunchy fuckboy, so how bad could it be? They would have to discuss this… later. Realizing Thaniel had asked him a question, he turned back to him. “Oh, this is Jameela. She’s like my sister. Well.. not an actual sister, but you get it?” They were both air-heads. Like dumb and dumber. Another girl approached from behind, making him jump a bit, startled. Sebastian glanced at her, but he had no idea who it was. No one from his house, then. “Hi, we’re discussing a potential meetup for kissing practising,” he pulled out his ass, so casually they could be talking about the weather, “You could join us?” However, the girl seemed more interested in finding out about the water. He followed her fingers pointing down in the depths. “What exactly are we looking at?” Warily, he glanced down at the dark, murky water with a skeptic look on his face. It didn’t seem very pleasant, nor like you’d find anything else than seaweed and slimy fish. He'd much rather be kissing! tag. [@Thaniel Finn@Adeline Spinks ]—( codes by uly. )— | ———— |
Matisse Montfort | Beauxbatons
3 Mar 2025, 23:46
Afternoon Swim Party
Thaniel lowered his face in the water as if to make himself disappear.
'Not that bad??' he thought with confusion.
Before he could respond, Sebastian's friend unabashedly blurted that she, too, needed practice. Thaniel's eyebrow raised in judgement before he realized his face was speaking for him. Straightening his readable face before anyone could notice, he stood up again.
"Well, look at that. Another girl wants to make out with you," he said, as if the girl's response couldn't have been timed better. Thaniel thought back to how one girl at the kissing party couldn't keep her hands off Sebastian and how obvious she made her intentions.
As Sebastian explained who his friend/sister/thing was, another girl he had never seen entered the old boat house. Thaniel's eyes darted to the lifeless trout bobbing next to the dock, and he suddenly realized how ridiculous he must look standing in his wet, muddy underwear next to a dead fish in an old musty boat house.
The new girl seemed slightly embarrassed as she explained her intentions. Hearing that she, too, was curious about the mysterious shining object beneath the water made Thaniel's eyes widen with excitement.
"That's what I'm in here doing!" he explained, his embarrassment fading. "But no pain, no gain! Whatever it is, it's mine if I'm the only one freezing my ass off to find it. I'm Thaniel, and this guy is Sebastian. Like he said, he's pretty obsessed with snogging." Thaniel said, lowering himself back into the water to continue his search.
He wasn't really into kissing guys that he knew of. Then again, he had never really kissed anyone outside of the stupid 'kissing game' Sebastian had hosted in February, so he wasn't sure what he was into. He did know that the thought of kissing Sebastian was growing heavily in his mind, and he needed to change the topic quickly before he ended up in another awkward kissing party. However he felt about kissing, Thaniel imagined that it would be a lot better without so much pressure from a group of judgy teenagers and a stupid empty bottle to decide your fate.
Thaniel pressed his nose back to the water's surface, and with his face hovering just above it, he began searching again for the light source below. "I lost it again! It's shallow here by the dock, but it's deep in the center. At least 10 feet," he guessed.
'Not that bad??' he thought with confusion.
Before he could respond, Sebastian's friend unabashedly blurted that she, too, needed practice. Thaniel's eyebrow raised in judgement before he realized his face was speaking for him. Straightening his readable face before anyone could notice, he stood up again.
"Well, look at that. Another girl wants to make out with you," he said, as if the girl's response couldn't have been timed better. Thaniel thought back to how one girl at the kissing party couldn't keep her hands off Sebastian and how obvious she made her intentions.
As Sebastian explained who his friend/sister/thing was, another girl he had never seen entered the old boat house. Thaniel's eyes darted to the lifeless trout bobbing next to the dock, and he suddenly realized how ridiculous he must look standing in his wet, muddy underwear next to a dead fish in an old musty boat house.
The new girl seemed slightly embarrassed as she explained her intentions. Hearing that she, too, was curious about the mysterious shining object beneath the water made Thaniel's eyes widen with excitement.
"That's what I'm in here doing!" he explained, his embarrassment fading. "But no pain, no gain! Whatever it is, it's mine if I'm the only one freezing my ass off to find it. I'm Thaniel, and this guy is Sebastian. Like he said, he's pretty obsessed with snogging." Thaniel said, lowering himself back into the water to continue his search.
He wasn't really into kissing guys that he knew of. Then again, he had never really kissed anyone outside of the stupid 'kissing game' Sebastian had hosted in February, so he wasn't sure what he was into. He did know that the thought of kissing Sebastian was growing heavily in his mind, and he needed to change the topic quickly before he ended up in another awkward kissing party. However he felt about kissing, Thaniel imagined that it would be a lot better without so much pressure from a group of judgy teenagers and a stupid empty bottle to decide your fate.
Thaniel pressed his nose back to the water's surface, and with his face hovering just above it, he began searching again for the light source below. "I lost it again! It's shallow here by the dock, but it's deep in the center. At least 10 feet," he guessed.
4 Mar 2025, 00:27
Afternoon Swim Party
────✦────
Clothes Style: Edwardian
Wearing: Black vest | White poet shirt | Red scarf | Black pants
The Great Lake was possibly one of Sinclair's favourite places at Hogwarts. It was often quiet, serene, yet overflowing with life under the still surface of the waters; a hidden world masked under the gleaming sun's reflection. And, whatever little sounds of rippling from fish kissing the surface was pleasing to hear once in a while as she spent her time there whittling away at a piece of bone or horn.
It was bright outside but not completely warm. While the tomboyish young gryffindor would've preferred the murky overcast skies of England in spring, she isn't picky when it comes to the lake. From her shaded bench under one of the trees with her scarf draped over her shoulders, she heard someone jumping into the water at the boathouse. Then, came the little distant chitter-chatter of more students around the area. Why were they gathered around like that? Sinclair preferred not to intervene and just continued to observe and listen for now, continuing to carve her chunk of antler into a twisted ornament.
But the sound of the splash tickled her mind, and Sinclair eventually found herself approaching the group, peeking around the door of the boathouse. One of them pointed into the water. Looks like there's something in there? This piqued Sinclair's interest- The people? Nope. But possible...sunken goodies? Who knows what that could be! Bones? Some lost belonging? Old stuff, covered in algae and aquatic moss, it's figure worn down by nature... She'd seen these students around school, sure, but never had the interest in interacting with them- until now, supposedly. Still, she took more interest in whatever object they were looking at. She only properly overheard the last part of what was said. "That's pretty deep. Did you get a proper glimpse of it?" Sinclair leans by the door, her brow slightly raised in question.
────✦────
"Speech." Thought. Emphasis.
Interacting with: @Thaniel Finn
| ____ | ✦✦ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 |
STA: 5 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 10 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7 |
____ |
4 Mar 2025, 01:38
Afternoon Swim Party
To Addie's immediate relief, the group of students quickly welcomed her into their conversation. This moment of ease was short lived, however, as Sebastian quickly flustered the young Ravenclaw with more talk of kissing. "You could join us?" He quipped, causing Adeline's blue eyes to widen, and her face to flush bright red. "Oh no, you don't want ME involved in that." She blurted, quickly realizing how off-putting that could come across."I just mean... you guys just think you have no practice.." She trailed off, hoping they would get the picture.
Reducio04-06-25
Reducio@Thaniel Finn @Sinclair Carver @Sebastian Drake
ReducioGreat Lake
Reducio
speaking
thinking
all other dialogue
Thankfully, Thaniel broke the moment of silence. "I lost it again! It's shallow here by the dock, but it's deep in the center. At least 10 feet." He seemed sure enough of it. Deciding to take advantage of the moment, and the fact that it was a Sunday, Addie decided to join the boy in the water. She had never swam in the lake, and this was the perfect first-swim story- plus the possibility of uncovering a secret. who could blame her? "I'm coming in." the girl stated excitedly, her smile a bit skewed as she tried her best to ignore the unfortunate trout she had just noticed bobbing about in the lake.
Thankfully, Adeline's outfit for the day consisted of a tank-top, cardigan, and a pair of shorts- not too much to have to remove. Adeline shrugged off her cardigan and kicked off her sneakers onto the dock, her socks peeling away as she did so. Shorts and a tank it would be. As the girl turned towards the door to stash her belongings, she was startled to see another student, a girl with dark, short hair and amber-hued eyes. Adeline let out a tiny gasp, followed by a short and simple "Joining us?"
4 Mar 2025, 08:57
Afternoon Swim Party
| ———— |
・❥・ ・❥・•Veela Allure in Effect• —date. [ 04/06/25]———event. [Great lake Swimming!]——————------------------------ It took a few seconds for Sebastian to understand what Thaniel was insinuating, and when he did, the gear in his head was visibly turning. Wait, what? He had completely misread the situation. Actually, he was quite horrified that he thought Jameela had meant she needed to practice with HIM?! He just called her basically a sister! Respectfully... Jam was a pretty girl--- But that would be weird as fuck! Disturbed by that mental image, he tried to shake it off, only to be distracted as more people joined them, eager to see what might be lurking at the bottom of the lake. He'd invited one of the girls to join them, but she'd just looked at him with wide-eyed horror, like he was absolutely crazy. Why not, he wondered? Either way, he shot the other boy a narrowed look, trying to gauge if he was trying to make fun of him or not, claiming he was obsessed with snogging. He wasn't obsessed. But even if he was, what was wrong with that! It was his turn to watch in wide-eyed bemusement when the other girl stripped down---though not to the same extent Thaniel was--- and joined him in the water. These people were crazy. "You should join them, Seb!" Jameela told him, nodding at the two student bobbing on the surface. Sebastian glanced at her in incredulity. "Why would I do that?" "What if there's a diamond down there?" Good point. His mouth practically watered, greedily, at the thought of finding a diamonds, or some ancient, priceless jewelry. That was bound to be worth a fortune! Nevermind that the chance of finding diamonds in this part of the world, in this random ass lake, was next to none. Suddenly, he was ripping off his shirt and shorts, leaving himself in nothing but a pair of classic white boxers before plunging in—except it wasn’t so much a plunge as a painfully slow descent. Clutching the nearby ladder, he took one cautious step after another, groaning dramatically when the ice-cold water grazed his skin. "Holy fuck!" he called out in a way that sounded more indecent than he'd intended. He was dying, he was sure of it. It was that cold. Then quickly he pulled himself together, clenching his jaw. "If that's a diamond, it's mine. Dibs." tag. [@Thaniel Finn@Adeline Spinks ]—( codes by uly. )— | ———— |
Matisse Montfort | Beauxbatons
4 Mar 2025, 10:34
Afternoon Swim Party
Thaniel pushed himself back into the center of the boathouse, his body fully submerged with only his head sticking out, his feet disappearing into the inky black water beneath him.
"Do it! Get in!" he shouted, daring the new girl to join him. His voice echoed again under the pier, and Thaniel realized she was actually going to do it! He tried not to look as the girl pulled off her cardigan, unsure of what would be exposed underneath. "What's your name?" He asked, realizing he was about to swim with a girl whose name he still didn't know.
Before she could answer, another girl appeared in the doorway, someone else sharing in his curiosity of what was hiding in the water below. "Did you get a good look at it?" she asked.
"I didn't, no. I just saw it shimmering." he answered, nodding at the other girl who was storing her clothes safely on the dock. "She's about to get in and help find it. It's pretty far down there. Come help us."
Thaniel was excited that so many people were interested in helping but also worried he'd have to share the reward with everyone just as well. He was also happy that more people showed in time to distract him from his thoughts of snogging Sebastian. 'Now whose obsessed with snogging?' he asked himself in his mind.
He felt his eyes widen when he heard Jameela suggest Sebastian help, and he could tell his face had frozen in shock. "I'm sure it's not a diamond..." he said, trying to quickly talk Sebastian out of joining in. "Besides, the water is super cold. I don't think you could-" Thaniel turned away as Sebastion started pulling off his clothes, his face turning beet red. He listened with his back turned as each garment landed on the wooden dock with a soft thud.
"Holy fuck!" Sebastian screamed.
Thaniel turned to see Sebastian slowly descending the ladder in his white boxer shorts, and though he felt like he had seen something he should have, he couldn't help but laugh a little at the funny sight. "I told you you couldn't handle it," he laughed, using Sebastian's own ego to taunt him. "If it's a diamond, then it's finders keepers!"
Feeling even more pressure to find the "diamond", Thaniel took a deep breath and ducked his head under the water. The water felt warmer to him now, and being underwater provided quick relief from the awkwardness of everyone stripping into their underwear on the dock above. He reached his arm down and fought to open his eyes, thinking of what kind of ocular disease he would contract from the rotting trout floating nearby. It didn't take long before Thaniel felt the smooth river stones on the lake floor greet his fingers, but it was pitch black and there definitely was no sign of any sparkling diamond. His head pulsated in the heavy water pressure, and Thaniel could feel his chest growing tight as his lungs ran out of oxygen. He turned upward and kicked his feet off the lakebed below and ascended to the surface.
"I can't see shit down there!" he said, spitting droplets of water through his short breaths, trying to accumulate enough oxygen to breathe normal again. He wiped his eyes and grabbed onto the ledge of the pier, his nerves growing again as he noticed Sebastian had made his way into the water with him.
"You try." he dared Sebastian. "It's hard to see where it is from in the water. Can you guys see it up there?" Thaniel asked, hoping the girls on the dock could help guide he and Sebastian to the "diamond" below.
"Do it! Get in!" he shouted, daring the new girl to join him. His voice echoed again under the pier, and Thaniel realized she was actually going to do it! He tried not to look as the girl pulled off her cardigan, unsure of what would be exposed underneath. "What's your name?" He asked, realizing he was about to swim with a girl whose name he still didn't know.
Before she could answer, another girl appeared in the doorway, someone else sharing in his curiosity of what was hiding in the water below. "Did you get a good look at it?" she asked.
"I didn't, no. I just saw it shimmering." he answered, nodding at the other girl who was storing her clothes safely on the dock. "She's about to get in and help find it. It's pretty far down there. Come help us."
Thaniel was excited that so many people were interested in helping but also worried he'd have to share the reward with everyone just as well. He was also happy that more people showed in time to distract him from his thoughts of snogging Sebastian. 'Now whose obsessed with snogging?' he asked himself in his mind.
He felt his eyes widen when he heard Jameela suggest Sebastian help, and he could tell his face had frozen in shock. "I'm sure it's not a diamond..." he said, trying to quickly talk Sebastian out of joining in. "Besides, the water is super cold. I don't think you could-" Thaniel turned away as Sebastion started pulling off his clothes, his face turning beet red. He listened with his back turned as each garment landed on the wooden dock with a soft thud.
"Holy fuck!" Sebastian screamed.
Thaniel turned to see Sebastian slowly descending the ladder in his white boxer shorts, and though he felt like he had seen something he should have, he couldn't help but laugh a little at the funny sight. "I told you you couldn't handle it," he laughed, using Sebastian's own ego to taunt him. "If it's a diamond, then it's finders keepers!"
Feeling even more pressure to find the "diamond", Thaniel took a deep breath and ducked his head under the water. The water felt warmer to him now, and being underwater provided quick relief from the awkwardness of everyone stripping into their underwear on the dock above. He reached his arm down and fought to open his eyes, thinking of what kind of ocular disease he would contract from the rotting trout floating nearby. It didn't take long before Thaniel felt the smooth river stones on the lake floor greet his fingers, but it was pitch black and there definitely was no sign of any sparkling diamond. His head pulsated in the heavy water pressure, and Thaniel could feel his chest growing tight as his lungs ran out of oxygen. He turned upward and kicked his feet off the lakebed below and ascended to the surface.
"I can't see shit down there!" he said, spitting droplets of water through his short breaths, trying to accumulate enough oxygen to breathe normal again. He wiped his eyes and grabbed onto the ledge of the pier, his nerves growing again as he noticed Sebastian had made his way into the water with him.
"You try." he dared Sebastian. "It's hard to see where it is from in the water. Can you guys see it up there?" Thaniel asked, hoping the girls on the dock could help guide he and Sebastian to the "diamond" below.