CYUT Errand Group 6 PV Closed

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Cumulative Word Count: 284 + 855 = 1,139 /800
Clothing: Casuals

English | Mandarin | French | Quotes

An awkward pause, as the bespectacled Slytherin first year looked around for some kind of response. He received none.

A deep breath. Originally he had wanted to walk his way through a famous game and explain the thought process of the game, and the moves. But perhaps that would not be the best way to proceed given this crowd. Something more elementary might be better for this crowd in particular. And the faster he got away from this cold, the happier he would be.

“Well,” Ming said after a moment, trying his best to keep his disapproval from his voice when no one spoke up. “I suppose I’ll go first if no one is opposed.”

Again, he waited a moment to let anyone speak up if they wanted to, his eyes travelling over every member present. When no one spoke up, Ming approached the chess set, his grey eyes now focused on the board.

“The talent I want to talk about is chess,” he said absently, studying the board. Professor Orion had done him a favour by getting a hold of a chess set that did not actually talk. It made demonstrations much easier, and for that he was grateful. “One of the oldest board games, and one very easy to pick up but very difficult to master.”

Ming paused here, looking at the pieces. Did he need to give them a primer on how the pieces moved? Probably.

“Most people know the pieces, but chess is a game of strategy, placing you as the king of an army taking on another army of the same strength. To defeat them, you must capture their kin, and do everything in your power to keep yours safe and protected.”

Ming picked up the king and placed it upon the centre of the board. It was an intricate piece, though it bugged him that every set he saw had the Christian cross on the king.

“This makes the king the most important piece, even though he’s not the most adept or useful. A king can move one space in any direction.”



A small pause, as he looked up. It was fairly a boring explanation, but he wanted the basics out of the way. For the sake of being thorough.

“Next is the rook. It can move any number of places horizontally or vertically unless it is blocked by another piece.” Here, Ming placed a rook next to the king, to demonstrate its movement. “Fairly simple, so far.”



“Next comes the bishop. Where the rooks control the rows and columns, the bishops control the diagonals.”



“Next is the queen. The most powerful piece on the board. Queens are rooks ad bishops rolled into one.”



“Simple, yes? Well, next comes the knight. It can move two steps in one direction and one perpendicular, in an L shape. What makes the knight interesting, particularly to newer players, is that it can ‘jump’ over other pieces, so its movement can’t be blocked by other pieces.”

Here, Ming placed a knight in the centre of the board, surrounding it with other pieces to show what he meant.



“And finally comes the pawns, which are my most favoured pieces. The poor foot soldiers, often seen as the most expendable pieces. But they can be surprisingly useful since you get eight of them every game.”

A small pause, as he showed cleared the board. “Pawns can only march forwards, but unlike other pieces that capture opposition pieces in the same way they move, pawns capture diagonally.”



“Now ‘what is capturing?’ you might ask. It’s when a piece moves into a place occupied by an enemy piece, removing it from the game. The objective of the game, remember, is to capture the enemy king.”

Here, the first year finally stopped his one-sided lecture, to look up at his crowd. “A capture looks like this: pawn to e4.” Face impassive, the bespectacled first year studied this crowd as the pawn got up and proceeded to smash the black knight to pieces, before occupying the e4 square. It was, like much of the magical world, openly violent and barbaric, and he wanted to see how the other students might react to toy violence.

Seconds passed in silence, before Ming returned his attention to the board, filing away any reactions (or lack thereof) for later. Instead, he set up the board to a mid-game position.
“Those are the basics. A little more advanced is the idea of pins and forks and skewers. Here, consider this game.”



“Black has much more material on the board, and a lot of whit’s pieces are in off positions. But white has this one move that wins the black queen.”



Ming paused for a second to let them see it, before saying the move. “White can move the knight to d6, attacking the black king. Black has to move his king to safety, letting white win their queen. This is called a fork. And-"

Looking up, the first year realized that he had lost the interest of the crowd.
“How about an alternative - a game? I’ll play against any of you. It might be a better demonstration.”

OC note: here is a link to an actual chess game I'll play with the first person who clicks it.
Alternately, DM me on discord Pinkette#7644and I'll set up a game with you

Reducio

https://lichess.org/8bYsbXLK

A voice from behind him found Gray first before the two could introduce themselves. Turning his body slightly he looked back to the girl when she asked about his name, one of which didn't really have much meaning behind it other than his parents thinking it was a good name for him "Who knows, you could be right for all I care" Gray replied back with a shrug, his head nodding to her when she introduced herself to him "Evening... I hope you have prepared well for your performance"

In all honesty, Gray hadn't prepared for his at all. He was going in on a hitch and the hope that his voice was decent enough to handle the stress. Either way, whatever happens, is meant to be.

"Evening Simon" he replied with a small nod back to Kincaid, who seemed eager to meet new people like Gray. On the other hand, the prefect didn't seem all that bothered. He had turned up to the show and that's all that mattered. And it was no surprise when Adelaide Barlow had spotted his lackluster attitude and enquired about it. Looking back to the girl he released a sigh in her direction and took his time to answer "You're not wrong in all honesty Adelaide, but as a prefect I guess setting an example is more important than sitting down doing nothing." talent shows were not his gig by any means, especially when he had to perform himself.

Before long Ming joined them, but he didn't notice the poor boy until he began to show off his skill. Gray walked up beside the fellow pureblood and folded his arms, analyzing the chess crash course he was offering to the students around him. Even though he had a decent knowledge of the game, he was still curious as to what the boy was offering, especially when he offered a game. Percival fell silent and looked around to see if anyone threw their hand up first "Well if no one is taking up the challenge I'll see what you've got" he answered nonchalantly, not bothered if he won or lost "But please, hold that thought for now. I'm going to get my performance out the way before I sit down"

Percival moved away from the board and slowly walked to open space. Loudly clearing his throat he'd try to catch everyone's attention, his eyes looking to see if everyone was paying attention "Okay everyone. I'm going to politely ask to not share anything about this performance. If I do find out anyone has spilled the beans, I'll ma-" Gray ended momentarily as he looked in the direction of the new teacher "Make your next few days quite uncomfortable" Percival warned in regard to Orion looking at him with a stern look. It was clear he needed to be careful, but at least they all got the message now.

Looking ahead of him, he took a deep breath and began to utter the words of his second tongue with grace. The sound of his voice was crisp and smooth as honey, which held up well considering he barely practiced for this at all.

Reducio

Casadh an tSúgáin
(Translated from Gaelic)
I did a trick
In O Domhnall's house last night
And a second trick
At the holstelry next door

Oh God Almighty
What drove me to this district?
When it's many a fine lass
I'd find in my own townland

I called into the house
Of my own true love
And the old woman put me twisting rope
'Til I was outside the door

If you'll be mine, be mine
Oh treasure of my heart
If you'll be mine, be mine
Before the whole world
If you'll be mine, be mine
Every inch of your heart
Alas that you're not
My wife this Sunday

My head is gray
And it's not from old age
Fair words butter
No parships anyway

I'm after you now for a year
And it's useless
And I'm like a deer on the moor
And the hounds are yelping after me

I'd plow, I'd toil
I'd sow seed in the clay
And I'd do a steady job
Beautiful, smooth and even

I'd shoe the maddest horse
Ever to walk on grass
And the woman still wouldn't elope
With a man who'd do that

Actions: Once finished, Percival would take in any kind of reaction from his peers. Then, he'd go back to Ming and take him up on his offer, while respectively watching the others perform at the same time as he played.

Word count: 800/800

Interacting with: @Hui Ming @Percival Gray Mentioning:

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Date: 23rd November 2021 Time: 6:00pm Outfit: x

Adelaide hadn't realized another person had joined the group until the boy had started talking about his talent. After she finished putting on her ballet slippers for her performance later, she made her way over to the chess set to listen to the boy's explanation. The girl had never played chess before, although she did find it quite interesting and found herself listening intently to the boy's explanation. After the boy had finished she said, "That's very interesting, honestly." He had offered a game, but Adelaide decided to not take him up on that offer just yet. Though, Percival had accepted the offer before anyone else could, "I might watch the game after my performance, if that's alright with you two."

Percival was the next to showcase his talent, her eyes followed him as he walked to an open space. She let out a soft laugh at his threat, silently wondering if he was actually serious about it or if it was just a way to scare them into not telling anyone. Although, she wouldn't tell anyone anyway, threat or no threat. She devoted her full attention to him as he started to say a poem in Irish, the girl didn't understand anything he was saying so it was unlikely she'd be able to even tell anyone what he had said. After he was done, Adelaide clapped. She looked around at the rest of the group, "Well, if no one else is going to go, I guess I'll go now then."

The blonde made her way back to the dance floor, "If you haven't already guessed, the talent I'm going to be showing is ballet. Many of you probably know someone who does ballet, as it's not exactly a unique talent in Hogwarts, but it is definitely one of my biggest passions and I'm excited to showcase it to you all," she paused, taking a breath before continuing, "So, I think the best way to do this so I don't bore you all to death with my rambling is to perform a dance. There isn't any music but I don't mind. Although, if any of you are interested in learning the basics of ballet or a couple of moves, I'll be more than happy to help. There is a wooden balancing bar to use, we could do a couple pliés and such if you want to," she suggested, smiling at the group before she prepared herself to perform the dance. Since there was no music, Adelaide decided that she would simply do a dance that she had learnt around a year or so ago, since it would be easier than improvising. Taking a deep breath, she started to perform. (OOC: please take a moment to appreciate this beautiful dance.)

Once she had finished, chest heaving, she stood still for a couple of seconds to let her audience react. She would smile and thank them before saying, "I also have my pointe shoes in my bag, if anyone would like to see them or to see a couple of moves on pointe. You can't try them on though." She walked off the dance floor, ready to see who would showcase their talent next.

Word count: (637 + 522) 1159/800
(Not including the OOC.)

This errand was exactly up Simon's alley. He was a people person and he gravitated towards others and the passions that they had for life. In his group he would have several new faces and students he had yet to meet so he was eager to see what they brought that night to share about themselves.

The first to begin was the only one hte recognized. It was a Slytherin student who quite rudely pointed out he was humming along to a song in his head one day in the Library. Simon's thoughts on the boy weren't the most positive, but he still gave him his attention and listened to what he had to say about the game of chess. It was a game in which Simon already knew, although he was far from a master at it. He tended to play the game in such a matter that it was play by play, not thought out strategy. His muggle friend Gabe beat him all the time back in London.

Another Slytherin was up next, a prefect from his House. For someone who didn't want to be there, he picked a rather interesting hobby, sharing some singing. - Not just average singing, but singing in Gaelic, and he promised they never speak of it again. He then went to challenge the other Slytherin to a game.

The next to go was Adelaide, the second to arrive at the group's meeting. She would be performing ballet and while yes, it was a talent shared with many at Hogwarts, it still didn't fail to impress him. He liked to dance but it was nothing like ballet. Ballet required not only the flexibility and strength, but also the fluidity and movment.

He had clapped for each one, whether it deemed clapping or not. He wasn't sure how much clapping one should do for Chess but he did so anyway. Now it was his turn and he wondered if he shouldn't have shared something else, like playing one of his original pieces on the piano. Oh well, he'd share and if any chose to learn, then so be it.

"I was going to walk everyone through the steps of how to moonwalk. Not like...outerspace up on the moon, but the dance, the moonwalk. Alright, so this is the moonwalk," he began by showing them the gliding sort of motion. Luckily that dancefloor had been brought there, not just for Adelaide's performance but he could use it as well, "and to do it, you'll want to start with your left foot forward and right foot back, then you raise your right heel. This is where you'll want your body weight to be on the balls of the right foot. Then keep your left foot flat," he showed as he talked through the steps, "as you slide it backwards behind your right foot. Then switch feet and shift your weight by dropping your right heel and raising your left. Keep your body weight on the left foot as you slide your right foot back. Switch and repeat.Remeber it's all about the secret of illusion. The body weight is on the toes of the raised foot. The sliding foot is always parallel with the floor, barely touching as it glides but never rests on the floor. The sliding foot is always flat. You want to smooth it out once you get the hang of it. The movements should blend together seamlessly so people cant tell when you shift weight from one foot to the other. Achieving a fluid moonwalk takes practice." He showed them several times, to anyone who might have been watching. If they didn't want to, that was their prerogative.



When he was done, he took a bow and then got off the dance floor. "I'm willing to answer any questions or help anyone that wants to give it a try," and then he stepped over to where the other dancer was. "Alright, while those two work their game of war," he spoke of the chess game, "show me some ballet."

Oh god, I'm late! I'm late! Della was so late that she considered not even showing her face, to save her some of the embarrassment. But she had worked hard on her presentation and she wasn't about to let all of that go to waste. She sprinted to the grounds; the cold chill of winter was already settling in at Hogwarts, but running allowed her to keep warm. In a fit of nerves for her "performance" today, she had stayed up all night preparing, thinking of all the proper ways to explain sketching. Sketching was something she had found intuitive so far, and it was difficult to put her methodology into words. Tired from the previous night, she had laid down on a cozy couch in the Gryffindor common and had fallen instantly asleep. She awoke suddenly at six o'clock sharp when the group was supposed to start.

Up ahead Della saw a group of people gathered with orbs of blue lights in mason jars floating around them. This was the place, and this was probably her group. As she approached, she first spotted Professor Lécuyer next to a table of snacks and supplies. He had laid out paper and pencils, just as she had requested. She entered the circle of students, out of breath, hardly able to get out a barely audible "Sorry, I'm late."

Della glanced around, she recognized Ming and Simon, but there were other students of all years that she didn't yet know. They probably thought she was a stupid first-year. Hopefully, Ming and Simon—well especially Ming—could forgive her lateness. She gave them both a discreet wave and smile.

It seemed that everyone had already done the meeting and greeting, and they had started on the tray of snacks. Though, it didn't look like Della had missed anyone's instruction because Ming volunteered to go first. Della couldn't help noticing that the Slytherin boy looked more disheveled than normal. Hopefully, things were going alright for him—from falling into the lake to nearly getting crushed to death at the ball, it had been quite the school year for both of them.

Ming began explaining how to play chess. His explanation was very thorough. Della had never played chess before; she followed with rapt attention, realizing that this was very much a game she could see herself playing. It was intimidating, though, to have to think so far ahead and plan one's moves, while being adaptable. Those were probably skills Della needed to work on.

After Ming finished, he offered to play a game with one of them. She briefly considered joining her friend for a game, but since she had never played, defeat was sure to follow. A third-year Slytherin—Della was pretty sure he was a prefect—took up the offer instead. Only after he had his performance as well.

The boy, named Percival, stood in front of them all and started singing. At first, Della thought she was hearing something wrong, but then she realized he wasn't singing in English. It sounded Irish—Gaelic most likely. His voice was nice, but it was doubly remarkable because he sang in another tongue with such ease. He made a threat that none of them share the performance—Della couldn't be sure why. Was he embarrassed about singing so well? Was the song a family secret? Della made a mental note to not even mention anything Irish around the Slytherin prefect just to be sure.

Next was a girl named Adelaide, a fellow first-year. She danced ballet. At the end of the dance, Della found that her jaw was open wide. The young Ravenclaw was mesmerizing. She clearly had been practicing this for several years. Della wondered how if ballet was as popular in the wizarding world as it was the muggle world.

Then Simon's turn. He also took to the dance floor—Della felt bad for him, Adelaide was a hard act to follow. That thought caused Della to internally panic a bit—she too would be following Adelaide. However, Simon seemed to take it all in stride. He demonstrated how to moonwalk. Della mimicked his movements, finding that she was close to doing it well. Maybe not King-of-Pop well, but it was surprisingly easier to execute than it looked. She gave Simon a big thumbs up.

It was probably seeing her friends succeed at their presentations, but Della felt brave enough to volunteer. "I can go next!"

She took out her personal sketchbook and pencils. "If you want, you can get a piece of paper and a pencil. Or just watching is fine too. If the giant squid pokes his head out, we'll try drawing him, but I also have some references of the squid that I drew the other day." She took a deep breath and began the tutorial. She started with the concept of understanding light and shading with on few simple shapes, and then explained how to apply to that a squid-like shape. "I think even if you get the proportions or shape of the animal wrong, it will still look pretty cool if you get the lighting right." She quickly finished by showing everyone how to add small details to the squid.

OOC: Della's tutorial probably looked a little like this and this.

Word Count: 863/800

D E A D L I N E

The word and errand requirements were met by the following students:
@Percival Gray | @Hui Ming | @Simon Kincaid | @Adelaide Barlowe | @Della Barfield

Rewards should be handed out before the end of the day. If you have any questions please feel free to owl me. I encourage all of you to continue roleplaying in this thread as I will not be locking it. Have fun, everyone!

Interacting with: @Simon Kincaid Mentioning: @Della Barfield

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Date: 23rd November 2021 Time: 6:00pm Outfit: x

The next to go after Adelaide was Simon, who told them that he was going to show them how to do the moonwalk. She listened intently to his explanation, mentally noting down the steps that he had talked about. She clapped at the end of his performance and smiled as he walked over to her. "I'd love to show you some ballet!" She replied enthusiastically before walking back onto the dance floor, hoping Simon would follow. "But first, I'd like to try the moonwalk. You can tell me if I'm doing it right, I've never done it before." Following the steps that she remembered Simon explaining, she put her left foot forward and right foot back, then raised her right heel. Her left foot was flat as she slid it backwards behind her right foot. She switched feet, as Simon had said, dropped her right heel and raised her left. Switch and repeat. Switch and repeat. Once she finished, she looked back up at Simon and smiled, flourishing her arms as if to say 'Ta-da!', "So, how'd I do?" She asked expectantly.

Her attention turned to the other girl who had joined the group slightly late. Adelaide was quite impressed with the girl's drawing skills, she was clearly very talented and definitely had a passion for drawing. She clapped appropriately at the end of the girl's presentation before turning her attention back to Simon. "First things first, have you ever done any ballet before? If you want me to teach you some moves, we'd probably have to start with some basic moves like a plie," she gestured to the bar as she said this, "unless of course you just want to watch me demonstrate some moves."