Lakeside Rest
|
Thomas spent some time thinking about where to go, only to find some reason not to. Too many students, foo far away, too dark, or just outright forbidden. He was running out of places to go and so decided to head back to the common room. On his way there he looked at the many portraits and tapestries adorning the castle walls. One in particular caught his attention, it was and old tapestry depicting some sort of naval battle against some sea monster. It looked like it had seen better days, with some colour fading here and there, and some ends looking strained. There was also a burned patch, maybe the remnants of some fight? Or a prank gone wrong? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be fixed, so probably some powerful magic was involved. Or something dark. A war did happen here several decades ago, after all.
Speaking of that war, wasn’t the grave of Albus Dumbledore on the grounds? Maybe that would be worth the look. Hmm… yeah better than spending the day in the common room. To the Great Lake I go. And so with a new destination in mind, Thomas turned back on his heels and went back in the direction of the Entrance Hall, it was to his knowledge the closest way out. The castle’s layout was still a mystery to him, and sometimes he was certain the rooms themselves moved around. Or maybe he just wasn’t paying enough attention to his surroundings? At least even he knew the Grand Staircase was changing all the time, much to his annoyance. It was actually the main reason he made it a point to always leave early in the morning, these steps couldn’t be trusted!
Enchanted steps aside, Thomas was finally outside, and well on his way to the lake’s shore. He realised that apart from the day he came to Hogwarts for the first time, he had never come back to the Great Lake, which in hindsight was a great shame. The lake was a murky shade of green, making it look like a wet spot on a the green apron that was the surrounding emerald hills. He could spot a few trees here and there, and several boulders along the water’s edge. That looks like plenty of great spots to just enjoy the day… Maybe I should do that instead? That tomb isn’t going anywhere, and I actually have all day, so… Yeah, relaxing it is!
After finding a suitable tree to sit in the shade of, Thomas brought out his trusty notebook, and opened it to a blank page, unsure of what to fill it with. Usually drawing is more of a way for him to put his feelings on paper, to put some distance between him and them so that he can process them, but today he was feeling like just drawing what was in front of him. The lake was actually quite normal amidst the usual chaos of Hogwarts, and that made it pop out more in his opinion. Of course, he knew the lake was home to plenty of dreadful creatures, he had seen some of them through the Potions classroom’s windows, but the surface itself mas much more mundane. With an idea in mind, Thomas took out a pencil from his pocket and began drawing some lines across the paper, looking up every now and again.
Last edited by Thomas Lancaster on 24 May 2026, 19:47, edited 2 times in total.
Suspended in a frigid fantasy
Sta 6 . Eva 7 . Str 5 . Wis 10 . Arc 6 . Acc 6
Prodigal Charms | Calming Presence
Lakeside Rest
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Mentions: @Thomas Lancaster WC: 291 xxx Hex code: #0050b4 ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧x
x
Skylar sighs as she breathes in the fresh morning air. The cold stings her face in a refreshing way, her hair flowing in the cool breeze. She had decided to take a trek to the Great Lake, searching for inspirations to draw. Her sketchbook hangs loosely in her hands, her pencil tucked behind her ear. The leaves crunch beneath her shoes as she ventures forward, passing a canopy of trees until she reaches the edge of the lake.
Gently, she crouches down and brought her hand to the surface of the water. Ripples echo through the calm waters, the cold passing through her fingertips. She hums quietly to herself as she looks around her surroundings. Birds fly overhead in a V-shape and the wind rustles the leaves. This is a nice place to draw.
Skylar always had a fondness for art. It reaches places where words tend to fail. The scratch of quill against paper also soothes her in a way that she cannot describe. Drawing makes her remember things, makes her cherish moments. By drawing a scene, it captures it in a forever snapshot, never changing and stuck in the moment of tranquility. It brings her peace knowing that her memory is forever safe between the pages of her sketchbook.
As she meanders along the lake's bank, she notices a figure sitting under a tree. He also appears to be absorbed in something, looking up every now and then. From the looks of it, he is drawing as well. Slowly making her way towards the boy, Skylar catches his eye as he looks up.
Offering a small smile, she gives the boy a little wave. "Hello there! Would you mind if I joined you? My name is Skylar. Skylar Blue."
x
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
sta • 5 | eva • 6 | str • 4 wis • 7 | arc • 7 | acc • 6 |
Shop | ENCYCLOPEDIA | Gallery I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. |
Prodigal Flying Learner| Y2 | Y3 Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 |
Lakeside Rest
|
|
|
Offering a small smile back, he replied “Not at all. Nice to meet you, I’m Thomas. Thomas Lancaster” He then decide to move his belongings to his other side, making more space for Skylar. “Did you come here to draw too?” he asked noticing the pencil tucked behind her ear. He’d tired doing that once, but his pencil kept falling so ever since, he just kept it in his pocket. He thought it was pretty cool that she could do it.
His gaze then turned back towards the lake, it’s murky green waters shimmering in the morning sun looking like some sort of emerald kaleidoscope. Or maybe a jade mirror? That could be interesting hmm… Mirrors were like windows in a way, and so if you consider them to be windows, they they could also be be an entrance. Well this one in particular has Merfolk in it so, yeah it’s basically the entrance to their... territory? Kingdom? Queendom? Hmm… that could be a fun read.
Quickly enough, what was meant to be a simple drawing of the Great Lake became something else entirely…
Suspended in a frigid fantasy
Sta 6 . Eva 7 . Str 5 . Wis 10 . Arc 6 . Acc 6
Prodigal Charms | Calming Presence
Lakeside Rest
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Mentions: @Thomas Lancaster WC: 288 xxx Hex code: #0050b4 ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧x
x
“Did you come here to draw too?” The boy, Thomas, asks.
Skylar nods in response, gazing over the Great Lake. "Yes, actually. I often come here to draw. The lake offers really nice inspirations..." Skylar trails off as she notices how Thomas grown quiet. From the looks of it, he appears to be deep in thought. She tilts her head in curiosity at the boy, watching as his hands begin to move across the page. Images of Merfolk appear at the tip of his pen as the simple drawing of the Great Lake turns into a story. Skylar slowly sits beside Thomas and watches with wonder as his blank page turns into an underwater kingdom.
"Woah, that is cool." Skylar whispers. She looks towards the lake, its calm waters reflecting the clear sky above it. Tilting her head up, Skylar watches as the puffy clouds roll past. The sun's glow filters through them, like a window.
Well, if Thomas can draw an underwater world... She thinks to herself. Maybe I can draw a kingdom in the skies.
Taking her pencil from behind her ear, Skylar begins to draw on a new page. She sketches grand castles on top of the clouds, adorning them with intricate details and decorations. Angels with wings and mythical creatures surround the place, making her little world appear even more magical. Bridges made of rainbows connect the cloud islands, and the sun's light bounces off the mystical fortresses.
Her eyes were narrowed in concentration as she focuses on her drawing, completely engrossed in the world she created. Eventually she looks up from her drawing, nearly finished except for a few finishing touches. She turns to Thomas, wondering how his Underwater Kingdom has progressed.
x
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
sta • 5 | eva • 6 | str • 4 wis • 7 | arc • 7 | acc • 6 |
Shop | ENCYCLOPEDIA | Gallery I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. |
Prodigal Flying Learner| Y2 | Y3 Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 |
Lakeside Rest
|
|
|
He imagined an ancient city lost to the waves, some massive stone structure made of pillars, arches and broken walls. Most of it was covered in moss and algae after many years of exposure to the elements. The architecture gave off a feeling of grandeur, as if the building was a ceremonial site of great importance in ages past.
At the center was a glowing altar, framed in fragmented pillars suspended in the water and light blue crystals glowing in the murky depths, giving a sacred feel to the scene. At least that's how Thomas felt about it. Solf light filtered down from above, bathing the landscape in blue light, like he had seen in aquariums before.
He added Merfolk swimming around, maybe they had settled in, or maybe they had built the temple in the first place, Thomas wasn't sure of it, but he figured that leaving it to interpretation was more interesting. Then he wanted the place to feel more lived in, so in spots around the temple he added small details like Merfolk items he had seen in a book when he was younger.
Finally, Thomas added small details like drifting particles, and bubbles to the scene. He felt like it added to the sense of depth and stillness he wanted to draw. Happy with his drawing, he gave it a quick look over. Then, he looked to his side as he was curious about what Skylar had decided to draw.
What he saw were castles floating in the clouds, connected by rainbow bridges and all sorts of mythical creatures were flying around. Thomas really liked the feeling of wonder pouring out of the paper, it was like he was much younger again and his father was reading a fairy tale to him for the first time.
"That's pretty cool. It gives off the feeling of childlike wonder. You also put a lot of details in the architecture, it's impressive!"
Suspended in a frigid fantasy
Sta 6 . Eva 7 . Str 5 . Wis 10 . Arc 6 . Acc 6
Prodigal Charms | Calming Presence
Lakeside Rest
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Mentions: @Thomas Lancaster WC: 312 xxx Hex code: #0050b4 ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧x
x
Skylar smiles at Thomas's compliment. It always gives her a nice feeling when someone appreciates her art. Art is her way of expressing herself, and to hear someone compliment it makes her feel... happy, in a way.
"Thank you! Your art is also quite nice! I especially like the altar in the center. The glow and size makes it appear so grand and extravagant."
Tilting her head, Skylar looks curiously at the Merfolk inside Thomas's piece. They looked so realistic, down to the small air bubbles and rippling water. She swears she can see their bodies swimming fluidly in the lake.
"How do you draw creatures so realistically? I have been trying to improve my realism, but they always turn out a little... off." Well, that was a nice way of putting it. Skylar could draw animals and mythical creatures, but the moment it comes to anything humanoid, she suddenly forgets how to draw. Her renditions of people end up looking more like beasts from a different world. Not in a good way.
"I tried studying anatomy and proportions, so my portraits are getting better. But my specialty is still architecture and landscapes." Skylar sighs as she remembers her last attempt to draw humans. She had tried to draw a portrait of her mother for her birthday, but ended up giving up and drew a bouquet of flowers instead. The cursed images of her parents still sit at the bottom of her trunk. Maybe she can use them for Halloween or something.
Turning back to Thomas, Skylar lets out a helpless little shrug. "I remember when I was seven, I tried drawing a family portrait. I showed it to a friend and she started crying. I think I traumatized her, since she didn't want to come back. Looking back, it was pretty bad." Skylar states, letting out a good-natured laugh.
x
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
sta • 5 | eva • 6 | str • 4 wis • 7 | arc • 7 | acc • 6 |
Shop | ENCYCLOPEDIA | Gallery I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. |
Prodigal Flying Learner| Y2 | Y3 Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 |
Lakeside Rest
|
|
|
Still, he didn't expect a question about his technique so it took him a moment to think about it. "Well, anatomy and proportions are important, but if I had to add something it would be movement. Even if what you're drawing isn't moving, if you can picure how it would move, then that will help you represent it more realistically. That goes for faces too, for example if you can picture your subject talking, or even making silly faces you'll have an easier time drawing it. Well that's how I think of it at any rate."
After he had given his opinion, his mind remained stuck on the question, as if he had forgotten something. It was only a few seconds later that he thought of something else to add. "Oh! And when it comes to faces, or people in general; remember that we aren't actually symmetrical. I know symmetry is satisfying, but most people have an eye higher than the other, or maybe one arm is longer, or anything really. It's subtle, but if you ignore it you reach the uncanny valley, and that's unsettling, so maybe that's what upset your friend."
Then he closed his eyes and sighed, "To be honest though, I think people put too much value into realism. To me art is a way to express yourself, and I think that realism limits the power of expression. I mean, the world would lose much of it's appeal if you stripped it of fantasy, right?"
Suspended in a frigid fantasy
Sta 6 . Eva 7 . Str 5 . Wis 10 . Arc 6 . Acc 6
Prodigal Charms | Calming Presence
Lakeside Rest
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Mentions: @Thomas Lancaster WC: 385 xxx Hex code: #0050b4 ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧x
x
Skylar nods in agreement to Thomas. Though her art is not exactly abstract, it also is not completely realistic. She draws what she feels and remembers, not what the scene truly is. She feels imagination is one of humanity's greatest gifts. Their dreams and aspirations lead them to create this magical world, and it would be a crime to take away its fantasy and originality.
"I feel that art is a way to preserve your memories. My pieces may not be the most realistic or accurate, but I want them to make others feel. And if I am being honest, I draw more for myself than I do for other people. It is just... nice, in a way, to know that your dreams and ideas are safe within the pages of your sketchbook."
Her eyes trail off to the lake, whose shimmering surface was reflecting the orange sky. The sun was setting slowly, coloring the clouds a beautiful shade of pink and purple. Her mind is still pondering Thomas's previous statement.
"I feel the world loses its appeal when people fail to see its true beauty. There are just so many things that can be told about the world we live in, it is just how you perceive it. Imagination and creativity is what drove people to make their dreams into reality. I feel the world would be quite bland if no one did."
Looking back down to her sketchbook, Skylar's eyes trace over her fictional world. It almost resembles a scene from a story she once read. Now Skylar was no longer thinking of drawing. but of reading. Her mind begins to drift off into the land of stories, flipping through books and books of fantasies.
"Say, what books do you like to read? I have found this specific genre of books muggles call 'fiction,' and I have been obsessed with it since. It is a really nice change from the historical wizarding books we have. Have you heard of it?" Skylar asks curiously as she turns to Thomas. She does not know whether he is a half-blood or wizard-born, but maybe he knows of it. As a wizard-born, Skylar really did not have much contact with the muggle world. She was only able to learn about 'fiction' through some of her half-blood friends.
x
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
sta • 5 | eva • 6 | str • 4 wis • 7 | arc • 7 | acc • 6 |
Shop | ENCYCLOPEDIA | Gallery I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. |
Prodigal Flying Learner| Y2 | Y3 Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 |
Lakeside Rest
|
|
|
In the wizarding world fiction wasn’t common. Most books were destined for children, while the rest focused on muggles. And as it turned out, wizards preferred to speculate about what muggles did rather than ask them directly or read muggle literature. Also, given their generally patronising attitude towards muggles, anyone familiar with them would quickly dismiss these books as mere fiction.
Looking at the lake in the distance, Thomas thought of the question Skylar had just asked him. Recently he had taken to reading random books in the library, but he thought that it shouldn’t count, after all he didn’t necessarily like the books he had read. “Hmm, I like reading fantasy novels. They’re works of fiction set in well, fantasy so expect magic, epic quests and the like.”
“Of course, muggles don’t know magic as we do, so they make a lot of things up but they’re able to make a set of consistent rules.” He paused a bit, now looking up at the sky filled with clouds rolling over the castle. “But fiction is a vast genre, for example there’s sci-fi, generally on the opposing end of fantasy, hmm... think really advanced technology, usually space travel and the like.”
Suspended in a frigid fantasy
Sta 6 . Eva 7 . Str 5 . Wis 10 . Arc 6 . Acc 6
Prodigal Charms | Calming Presence
Lakeside Rest
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Mentions: @ Thomas Lancaster WC: 364 xxx Hex code: #0050b4 ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡ ༺❀༻ ｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧x
x
Skylar listens thoughtfully as Thomas talks about the genre of 'fiction.' From the sound of it, she must have been reading the fantasy part of it. However, what peaks her interest was his description of... what was it... sci-fi?
Despite wizards being wizards with all their magic and bravado, Skylar actually knows little about technology in general. Though wizards are often boast about being more advanced than muggles, the muggles are actually a lot more advanced in technology.
For ages, wizards had magic and enchantments to aid them. The muggles, however, did not. Therefore they had to search for an alternative, which is science. By using science, they were able to create all sorts of revolutionary inventions, some that are even used by wizards.
As expected, Skylar knows only what she had been taught in the wizarding world. The vast universe beyond the planet Earth is a mystery to her, aside from what they learn from astronomy lessons. However, even then they focus more on the magical and mythical side of science.
But sci-fi? That sounds like a whole new world that Skylar can indulge herself in. Yes, it is not true and fictional, but the imagination has to come from somewhere. How did the muggles do it? What do they make of space travel? What creatures do they believe live beyond the solar system?
Skylar appears lost in thought as her mind swirls with endless possibilities of the world. Sci-fi... Skylar may have to ask Thomas if he has any recommendations. If muggles already write such incredible fantasies without knowing what it truly is, Skylar is excited to see how their science fiction will be.
Eyes sparkling with curiosity, Skylar turns to her friend. Friend? Do they count as friends yet? Eh, she will think about it later.
"Do you have any good recommendations for sci-fi, per chance? The authors from the wizarding world do not really go into the whole space travel and scientific type of stories. If there is one thing muggles are better at, it is definitely in science. Many wizards just think magic is the only source of life, so we do not really get the whole... scientific view."
x
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
sta • 5 | eva • 6 | str • 4 wis • 7 | arc • 7 | acc • 6 |
Shop | ENCYCLOPEDIA | Gallery I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. |
Prodigal Flying Learner| Y2 | Y3 Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 |