Divers Alarums and Excursions OPEN

Speech -- Thoughts

Pam smiled at Kaitlyn, more than a little glad to see her, "It's good to see you too!" She splashed about in the water rather absent-mindedly, looking at everyone else who had come. There were a handful of familiar faces, to her luck.

She noticed Brookline, the Ravenclaw she had bumped into a few days ago in the Great Hall during breakfast. The girl looked alright, she noted, compared to how she had looked back then and Pam smiled as she returned her wave.

Then Pam spotted someone wearing a full-out tshirt and shorts, and found herself wondering, What? Will that guy swim in those? Won't that be uncomfortable? Pam figured that she had probably stared at his back for a good sixty seconds before the boy turned around and Pam caught sight of the familiar face.

Oh, Joseph—

Looking back on it, Pam decided that it was a very Joseph thing to do, showing up to a swim in a tshirt. The not-really-social boy suddenly got a lot cuter in her eyes. He definitely wouldn't have been if I hadn't known him from before. She was judgemental like that.

Grinning at her thoughts, she raised her hand to wave him over, "Hey Joseph! It's been a while!"

Word Count: 313

Mentions: @Archer Duncan ___________________________Extra: Italics= thoughts

He sympathized with her, the water feeling like it was 2 degrees. Guess he isn't going away.
Welp, at least I won't be awkwardly swimming alone.

Ah, she was correct, the boy did swim. Of, course he swims Graci, why else would he come here? He tested the water, “Let’s do this thing.”

The boy jumped in the water, splashing her. She was glad she had remembered to put her hair up, otherwise she would've looked like a drowned rat.

He seemed to be a bit stronger of a swimmer then her, but she didn't mind, he was probably older so it didn't matter.

“I’m not really one for, like, public bathing. If only we had a race....”

"Me neither, I wouldn't mind a race, though, I'm not a very fast swimmer."

"You coming?" Graci didn't know if he was still talking to her, he had a distant look in his eyes. So she didn't respond, but she did come further out into the water, thinking she would warm up a bit if she got moving.

Nope, just colder. Gosh, the wind actually makes if worse. After this, Graci decided, she wasn't going to do anything but sit by the fire, she wanted to be so warm and cozy it felt like her bones were gonna melt. Not literally, that sounded almost painful, but she knew what she meant.

Joseph turned at the sound of a voice, his gaze landing on a tall figure with dark curly hair - wearing, to his relief, clothes that clearly weren't meant for swimming. So he wasn't the only one, after all. Maybe they'd feel less out of place if they dove into the water together.

Brushing a loose strand of hair away, Joseph nodded along, listening intently as the stranger spoke.

"Castelobruxo huh," he repeated, trying to keep a friendly smile. So they are a foreign student... He'd seen students from other schools around Hogwarts, sure - but his actual conversations with them had been, unironically, next to none. Mayhaps this was a chance to fix that.

"Yeah, I'm a student at Hogwarts, nice to meet you," he added, stretching out his hand for a shake. "Mhm, guess I'm swimming in these," Joseph shrugged, resisting the urge to glance down at his clothes. "Could be worse - the last time I went lake-diving I was fully clad in robes. And hey, here I am chatting with ya." He barked a laugh, before continuing, "you should take a dip too! I mean, what better way to welcome spring, right? Maybe even learn to swim - if you're up for it. No pressure, of course." He quickly added, offering an encouraging grin. Joseph knew better than to push. After all, learning to swim hadn’t exactly been smooth sailing for him either.

He would have continued rambling on about his experiences if not for the cheerful voice calling out his name from behind him. It was Pam - the girl he had met months ago in the Astronomy classroom - now donning a swimsuit as she waved in his direction. “Pam! Hey there,” Joseph called out, beaming as he waved back. “Let’s go join the rest,” Joseph said excitedly, gently nudging the student from Castelobruxo he had been talking to a moment ago. “It’s time to meet the rest of the swimming crew.”

Interacting with: @Pamela Graham @Ariam Vargas @Aston Beckett
Open to interactions!

𝕽uth hadn't been entirely sure whether the note had been true.

The Boathouse? Ruth mused as she made her way down. It had been some time since she had came back to it. The last time must have been last year, when the boats had transported them across the lake to Hogwarts. She paused at the entrance of the Boathouse. It looked much different in daylight. The Boathouse was decorated with ivy that Ruth had been too excited to notice on her first night. The tall, pitched roof loomed a shadow over her figure, and the details of the ancient stonework peeking out from behind the layers of green ivy were no longer invisible to her. Ruth pushed the soft, curtain of ivy at the main entryway aside, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

It was jam-packed, especially for an event so early in the morning, on a bloody weekend. Ruth could only wonder how many people had such keen eyes to be able to notice the miniscule bulletins on the common room boards.

Ruth clenched her towel tighter, head lifting up to admire the wooden beams crisscrossing far above her head, the high, vaulted ceiling reverberating some of the laughter and splashing coming from the deck subtly. The air was cooler in the Boathouse, considerably damp. The scent of lake water and old stone caused her to finally acknowledge the scene before her. Most of the people were in the water, and Ruth found herself recognizing many of the faces. She dwelled on Joseph, the boy donning on something other than the Hogwarts school robes that Ruth was more used to.

She contemplated of making her way to him. After all, she did want to inform him of how well she had been treating Mandy and that Sol really likes her. Maybe even a tad bit jealous. Joseph's tips on pet rock care were tedious at best and took an awful load of time and consideration, which might have tipped off her Great White Owl a smidge. The thought made her chuckle to herself and shake her head, footsteps quickening to reach him first.

That is, until he was joined by another. Ruth frowned, her pace slowing slightly as she took in the person standing before Joseph.

They were quite tall, with a posture that gave off the kind of stillness that made her second-guess whether to approach or steer clear. Her eyes were drawn to their black hair, the curls catching the light in soft coils, then to the way they stood--spine straight, shoulders easy yet precise-- that made her shiver. Oh, but she was curious. Joseph seemed to exude a friendly demeanor towards the student, which ebbed at her. From where she stood, she couldn't hear what the two were saying at all.

Just as she took a step closer, a familiar voice rang in the air and Ruth's eyes darted towards the waters. Pamela. Ruth glanced over at Joseph, noticing their approach towards the girl, then decided that she'd rather sit alone somewhere further and relax for a little while. Socialising started to look more like an errand as time went by and she just couldn't be bothered with it that morning.

Or that day, for that matter.

With an abrupt change in decision makings, Ruth turned away from the friendly faces and made her way to the opposite deck, where it was slightly less crowded.

Mentioning: @Pamela Graham, @Joseph Sims and Ariam Vargas @Aston Beckett@@@
Please owl for interactions.

Interacting with: @Lyanna Oak Mentioning: @Joseph Sims and @Kaitlyn Connor Date: 04/05/25

Word Count: 229

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Avery smiled when she saw her best friend, Lya, walk onto the Boathouse deck. This day was actually going to be fun with her. Maybe Avery could get her mind off everything that had been happening lately since her best friend would be there with her. She had to have fun at least once. Even if it felt like her world was crashing down around her. "Lya! It's good to see you! Are you excited to swim?" Avery asked her best friend. That's when Avery noticed that the Boathouse was starting to fill up. She saw many familiar faces around her. She waved as her friends Joseph and Kaitlyn came into her vision. It had been awhile since she had seen Joseph and it was nice to see him again. It looked like this was going to be a chaotic day. Avery watched as some boys pushed each other into the water while others jumped in and did tricks. Avery smiled. It was fun to see how happy they were. It was also fun to see that they didn't even have a care in the world. That's what Avery wanted. No, needed, to feel. Even if it was just for one day. That's when an idea popped into her mind. "Hey Lya, you want to go swimming and show everyone what we can do?" Avery asked her best friend.

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Reducio

Action: Casting the Water-Heating Charm

Interacting with:
no one yet; open to interactions, preferably from 4th years and up

STA 11 | EVA 12 | STR 6 | WIS 12 | ARC 10 | ACC 14
The Muggle Condition | Fearless | Advanced Casting
Wandmaker |Perfectionist | Spell Spread

banner by Matthew Campbell || interacting as Hans Jenssen

If the water could carry a shock from his fingertips, into his veins, and energising his whole body it would have.

“That’s fine,” Hans reassured the doubtful brunette, voice drawling out into a laugh “I’m Hans by the way.”

Graci would find expectant eyes turned on her as she edged forward with reluctance, barely making an ounce of progress, but an insignificant speck treading water in the vast expanse of the Great Lake. “Hate to break it to you, but if you’re cold, the best way to warm up is to start moving.” Though with full rights to dawdle herself, Hans harboured second thoughts for standing around as his muscles twitched, only partly from the temperature while the call of the water lured him further into its depths, body urging to rediscover the movements that once came as easily as second nature.

Feet kicking into motion with arms pulling a relaxed breaststroke, his back lurched as Hans disappeared under the murky water. Closing his eyes against the incoming stream and lakebed muck, he shook his head, fingers vigilant by his sides as, evading the crowds, he found a secluded route opening into the greater stretch of the lake. Soon the commotion slipped away behind him, drowning in the nothingness of the sheer darkness behind shut eyelids. But a stranger to their distant laughter and chatter, he relished in the utter silence being submerged granted.

The only programme broadcasting tonight were his own thoughts.

With many more years of experience behind him than his current choice of broom racing, after walking and talking swimming might have been the next thing he learnt. A rollercoaster of emotions and experiences to follow, yet he was yet to fall on the constant ascent. Until, of course, the suave entrance of Durmstrang Institute, a world of dreams and promises.

Despite the gnawing pain of watching such fruitful opportunities of his athletic prowess go to waste through lack of routinely training perhaps he had never fared well in their structured system in the first place. He loved his teammates, he missed his teammates, but perhaps it had been only for the best that he bid them goodbye. In hindsight, Hans had never felt better.

After what must have been a good fifty-something yards, his head finally broke through the water as he took a sharp gasp of oxygen. Slightly lightheaded after having not challenged his breath work for such an extended, chocolate eyes slid back towards the gathering of students before rising back to the horizon, just as he had done on every broom ride, hands combing the tousled wet hair out of his vision. Hans felt alone here, and for a boy as extroverted as he was, oddly enough, it was a pleasurable sort of alone.

Carried away by both the waves and his psyche only just then Hans would realise he would have been expecting too much he thought he could turn to find the girl behind him, but he had known the water for much longer than he had known her.

Mentions: Hans Jenssen @Archer Duncan ______---__---__---__Extra: Italics= thoughts

Hans, she was hearing new names every day. At this rate, nothing would be new. She'd never heard the name Hans before.

"I'm Gracilia," She replied, knowing her name was just as rare... probably because it was a type of long horned beetle.

And he was right, of course, telling her actually swimming would warm her up. But it was so cold. Was it really necessary to have a lake if it was going to be frigid 24/7/365?

"Alright," Graci grumbled.

He was already swimming away, quite fast. How am I supposed to catch up if he's a legit professional swimmer.... Well, better get swimming then.

She went under the water and swam to catch up.

He stopped and looked around, and she resurfaced, still a few yards away, "You could've told me you were a good swimmer, then I would've at least tried to keep up! Well, better than good, verging on professional, but that's not the point."

She loved the water, and swimming, but that didn't mean she was good at it. Not like he was, at least. Maybe compared to other students here, but not really.

Graci thought about how she had pleaded and pleaded for Zoe to come play in the water with her, back in Greece. But noooo, she would get burnt if she stayed out too long. She would, but in reality Zoe should've just put on more sun screen.

She remembered it fondly, often accompanied by the song 'Get in the Water' from EPIC: The Musical.

~Get in the water. Or I'll raise the tides so high, all of Ithaca will die. Get in the water.~

Extra OOC note: Yes, I said I was gonna be gone for the next few days, but I had already started this:)
If it's in-between ~~ it means it's song lyrics either being hummed or sung in her head

Colin, Liam and even Cursa swam out of the confines of the boat house, racing towards the spot where the stream met the lake. It wasn't far, but when they got out there, splashing and laughing, they turned and raced back towards the waters of the boathouse. They noticed immediately something strange. "Whoa!" Colin said as they reached the stone dock.

"The water got really warm!" said Cursa.

"Someone must not like our usual water temperature!" said Liam.

Colin looked around. Most of the kids were first and second years. Unless one of them had really been practicing the lumos trick, he reckoned none of them of would have been able to pull this off. He ducked under the water and headed closer in. With a splash he breached the surface and found himself face to --- legs? Colin looked up. A girl was standing in the water, tucking her wand away. She was cute. Not Emmi cute! But --- you know! She looked to be a year or so older than Colin.

He could hear Liam and Cursa messing around down at the far end of the boathouse and other kids enjoying the now warm water. He raised his eyebrow. "Did you do this?" He splashed the warm water at the girl. "Don't like our refreshingly cool water temperature lass? I'm Colin! You might as well get all the way in now, it's quite warm" Colin laughed merrily. "You know," he continued. "I'd never even thought of making the water warmer. Maybe I'm just used to chilly water!"

Interacting with: @Aly Salinger / Manu Macedo

@Aly Salinger: Sixth year Castelobruxo student Manu Macedo has cast aqua fervens on the waters of the boathouse. She was successful, and the water is now very cosy and quite warm!

Aren't you three lucky!?

@Archer Duncan
@Graci Laren
@Avery Gray

Maybe it was the sudden warmth of the water that attracted them? Or maybe it was all the activity that was churning up the water in the usually still boathouse? Or maybe it was by some sense other than touch and motion that they were drawn?

Surely, the question these three students would be asking first wasn't about senses! Unless it was their own sense of touch --- for each of you three have felt the cold, slithering sensation along your legs and feet! What is it!? What's going on??

Something cold, something slippery, something strong is reaching out for you in the depths of the water! Forget about idle chatter! You'd better do something! There are older kids around, right? You're wizards! You've brought your wands, right?