20 Feb 2022, 16:21
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
Soon to meet @Freya McCarthy
"Not now, Rascal," Simon said as the little rat squeaked at him. He strummed a few more chords on his guitar and paused, not really liking how that sounded. No. He backtracked, going back to the line before it, playing it, and adding on a different ending. Better - but still not quite there.
The rat squeaked again.
Simon looked up from his guitar at him and smiled. "I don't suppose you're trying to sing along, are you? You're bored. Is my song that bad?" he teased.
Simon closed his notebook and set his guitar gently down on his bed. "Alright, we'll go get you some fresh air." When Alexa Mackenzie had owned Rascal, she often took him outside for some fresh air and a chance to sniff around and explore. Simon tried to keep up with that tradition.
He slipped on his hooded sweatshirt. It was rather chilly that day, but the sweatshirt was more to help shield the sun than to provide warmth. This dhampir just didn't seem to be too sensitive to the cold weather. He knew Rascal was pretty resilient too, but he still slipped on one of the sweaters he had for the guy and pulled it down to straighten it out so it would be more comfortable for him. "Looking stylish as always," he said to him.
Simon grabbed his bag and placed it over his shoulder, placing Alexa Mackenzie's Hufflepuff scarf inside to be a sort of soft place for Rascal to snuggle in, and then picked up the little gray rat and put him inside.
"Let's go." Out of the Hufflepuff area of the castle they went, down one flight of stairs, out of the entrance of the castle, and to the grounds. Today they'd be headed to the Great Lake, where Simon first found Rascal after the accident. It was always a nice place to visit now and again.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
20 Feb 2022, 17:02
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
It was finally the weekend and boy was Freya glad it had arrived. She felt like this week had been particularly challenging and she wasn't sure why. In potions class she just couldn't get the boil-cure potion right. Maybe she had boiled it for too long she didn't know, all she knew was that she had to go back after classes on Wednesday to try again. She did finally manage to do it but did not appreciate having to stay behind when everyone else was relaxing, having fun or hanging out with friends. With a sigh Freya rolled off her bed and approached the window by her bed. It looked so lovely and fresh out today and she was wasting the day laying on her bed like a horned slug.
Freya walked over to her wardrobe and tugged on her black waist hugging jacket, wrapped her hufflepuff scarf around her neck and tugger on some black boots. Before leaving her dorm room she stuck her wand into her back pocket and then proceeded to make her way out of the castle. She wasn't particularly going anywhere, just letting her feet and mind take her where she subconciously wanted to go. Quite often Freya found herself at the owlery to see if her sister Sofie had sent her an owl, but today she wasn't heading that way. When she looked up Freya realised she was heading towards the great lake. "Could be fun I guess." Freya continued on towards the lake, passing older students who were laughing and joking around, couple of them making out which just made her feel a little awkward.
Down the stone steps she briskly walked, the wind whipping her hair back behind her. Freya wrapped her arms around herself. "I really should have worn a jumper." She said as she felt the icy cold wind seep through her jacket. Still she was just going to have to make do, she could not be bothered to go back to the dorms for a jumper. As she approached the lake she could see a boy there, looked a little older than her but not by much. When Freya was close enough she recognised the boy, he was a Hufflepuff and pretty certain his name was Simon or something beginning with S, however he seemed like a lovely guy as did most Hufflepuffs. It was definitely a quality that they seemed to have in common. Freya approached him and gave a soft friendly smile. [color=800080]"Hey! I'm Freya. You're Simon right?"[/color] She said, her Irish accent coming through strong. She really hoped she got his name right because that would just be embarressing if she didn't.
Last edited by Freya McCarthy on 20 Feb 2022, 17:19, edited 1 time in total.
20 Feb 2022, 17:18
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
Meeting @Freya McCarthy
He glanced over his shoulder once he heard her approaching and smiled at her introduction. "Hey Freya," he said as he turned and began walking backwards now, but that allowed him to be able to extend out his hand to her. "Yea, Simon Kincaid." He would have asked confirmation that she was a Hufflepuff but then he saw the colors on the scarf around her neck and well, that would just be silly. Unless she was borrowing one from a friend, her house pride was right there. "Always nice to meet a fellow Huffleuff," he decided to confirm it.
"What brings you out to the Lake?" he asked. She seemed to be by herself, with her engaging in conversation, so he didn't think she was probably waiting for someone or meeting up with them. He walked with her until they came to the fallen tree area where he always placed his belongings down. One part in particular was perfect because three trees together sort of created a triangle and that was a perfect sort of enclosure for Rascal to be in where he wouldn't wander off too far.
"I've been out here a lot lately," he said as he rested his bag on the top of one of the fallen trees and opened the top flap. He thought back to the icecapades session with Winter Wolfhartz and several first years and how he recreated Dirty Dancing with Clair Fernandez. And then there was the whole Top Gun thing with AngelFyre McCubbin.
He brought out the gray rat from his bag. "This is Rascal, the coolest gray rat to ever hit this place. He's a gentleman, don't worry,"he implied he was nice. He lifted the rat from his cozy sweater bed and held him up for Freya to see before placing him in the fallen tree area.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
20 Feb 2022, 17:51
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
First thing Freya noticed about Simon was his smile. His whole face lit up making him appear warm and welcoming which he definietely seemed to be. She shook his hand, her smile growing "Nice to officially meet you." She said and slipped her hands into her pockets as she walked along next to Simon. They carried on walking along the lakes edge, heading towards some fallen trees that make a sort of triangle shape. It is a good place to hang out. On weekends some students would sneak out after dark, starta small campfire and tell ghost stories to see if any of them were actually true. The students were well aware that that wa against the rules but teenagers would be teenagers. Freya hadn't done that.......yet, maybe one night when she felt brave enough she would risk it. The guilt of getting caught though and causing Hufflepuff to lose house piints however was over powering.
As Simon asked her why she came out to the lake she looked up at him, her neck crainging back as he was quite abit taller than her as was most of the students here. Freya was not very tall at all, however she had her bold personality to compensate for that. "I was bored in my dorm room so thought I'd come hang out down here. I love being outside and by the water. Make me feel.....free I supose." Freya didn't mean to sound depressing, just that she missed her sister and didn't really have any friends so she found herself hanging out with the magical animals alot which she loved, but conversation was very one sided. As they got to the fallen trees Freya clambered up onto one of them and sat with her feet dangling half a foot off of the ground.
Simon mentioned he had been out here alot and so had she, she frowned a little thinking it was odd they hadn't really run into each other until now. Her attention was brought back to Simon when he pulled a grey rat out of his pocket. She looked down at Rascal and smiled, he really was cute. She gently gave a quick stroke with her finger before Simon set the rat down to explore. "What a handsome fella." Freya watched as Rascal sniffed around and ran in and out of the little holes in the tree then quickly turned her attention back to Simon. "You know there's suposed to be merpeople in the lake, that true?" She asked raising a eyebrow. Freya had read about merpeople and how they could not talk above water. She found them fascinating but knew they could be quite dangerous along with the grindylows.
26 Feb 2022, 16:24
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
Talking with @Freya McCarthy
"I don't know about merpeople but I've heard others having issues with the grindylows in the Lake and then there's Herman, of course - the Giant Squid," he looked over to his fellow Hufflepuff. Herman was something he had overheard some of his third year friends call the Giant Squid, but he wasn't certain how widespread that name was throughout the school or not. Still, he was determined to help continue that small tradition on.
"Honestly, I don't spend too much time out here, or at least I didn't used to before Rascal. My friend Alexa Mackenzie owned him before me and she always brought him outside. He likes the fresh air. I'm trying to keep the little guy happy," he said as he glanced back over to make sure Rascal wasn't wandering off but sure enough, he wasn't. Rascal would be safe where he was and happy exploring his little territory there.
That was one of Simon's current goals - making sure a little gray rat was happy. That poor little gray rat, who had its life changed forever in a moment. Those last moments, either being tossed out of an open car window or somehow scurrying out just in time before the vehicle fell against a frozen lake and descended into icy waters. A little rat, who somehow ventured from Inverness, Scotland, all the way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he would discover Simon Kincaid and Simon would discover him. It would be a part of his dear friend Alexa Mackenzie that he could hold onto for a little while longer, and a task at rat ownership where he would take on what the girl could no longer.
Simon looked over to Freya and gave her a soft smile, one that didn't reach his eyes but he also wasn't filled with complete sadness. He was coming to terms with the death of his friend and his strong solid faith helped him in that respect. Still, he missed her, and sometimes being at the Lake was difficult because it's where he found out about her passing in a newspaper from his friend Henry Knight and its where he found Rascal.
"The water of the Lake is interesting, I think. Sometimes when I'm at ease the water seems to mimic that and it's so slow that it's motionless and mirrors the clouds in the sky perfectly. Other times when I'm agitated, the waters are full of rippling waves. It's almost like it reads you." Right now, if one looked out in the distance, the water was still but there were small gently waves coming in towards the lake's edge.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
27 Feb 2022, 14:59
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
Hmm Freya bit her lip as she thought for a bit. Maybe, once she had learned how to ofcourse, she could explore the great lake and find out for herself. However those grindylows were going to give her trouble if she ever did manage to succeed. "Yeah I heard about grindylows. Not sure I would ever like to come across any. Can be quite nasty." Said Freya looking out to the water. She glanced back down at the cute little grey rat sniffing around and getting a good bit of exercise. Freya looked back up at Simon and asked "How come Alexa no longer owns him?" As soon as she asked the question she did wonder if she should pry, but Freya was always a curious girl, it was in her nature. She hoped Simon would tell her but if he didn't then maybe she would find out one day when they knew each other better.
As Simon spoke about the water adapting to his moods she thought maybe he a point and wouldn't be surprised if it did. After all this is Hogwarts, anything could happen. It was one of the reasons why Freya loved magic. The possibilities were endless. Smiling a little she kicked off her trainers and socks and then carefully walked over to the waters edge. "You may have a point there Simon about the water adjusting to your emotions. However I wonder how cold it is." Freya smiled back at Simon. It was the kind of smile that she was about to do something that she probably shouldn't do.
Flicking her hair back over her shoulders she began to make her way into the water. A sharp inhale of breath indicated that the water was absolutely freezing. Her toes pretty much felt numb instantly. Freya continued to slowly walk into the water, ignoring the bite of the cold water. She was used to cold weather, she was from Ireland after all. Glancing back at Simon she said "You coming in?"
5 Mar 2022, 00:11
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
Cold conversation with @Freya McCarthy
"Well it IS still Winter," he said as he brought out the scarf from his bag and placed it within that triangle sort of playpen he had going for Rascal just in case the rat wanted to get warm or snuggle up or something. Simon followed the girl to the water's edge and leaned down, dipping his hand into the water first to feel it. It was cold, very cold - but the cold didn't usually bother him.
He too then took off his shoes and his socks and placed them aside where they'd stay dry and came over to the edge. He rolled up his pant legs a bit and then sat down beside her, sitting down and easing into the water. "Not too bad," he said truthfully and looked over to her with a smile. He hoped that his lack of shock at the cold wasn't a clear indication that his body temperature was different and that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't human. Granted, in meeting a new friend it might be something they'd want to know. It might be something they'd pick up on - but it was certainly something that was difficult to talk about.
Most magical schools didn't accept dhampirs like himself. Hogwarts was the exception and still, right at this current time, there were things in the school newspaper, The Hogwarts Headliner, about how dangerous someone like him could be. There were things in The Daily Prophet about how dangerous someone like him could be. It wasn't something he openly admitted.
"So Hufflepuff. You happy with the Sorting Hat's choice?"
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
13 Mar 2022, 21:45
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
@Simon KincaidEven though Freya was generally a smart girl, she quite often didn't think things through, such as taking a dip in the great lake........in the middle of winter. Freya was also quite a spontanious girl and quite often acted on impulse, but she could be regretting going into the great lake. However, alot of muggles said that cold water therapy was good for you apparently, so Freya continues towards the water and inhaled sharply as the icey cold water ran up and over her feet. She paused for a moment as she acclimatised to the water. "Jeez that's cold! Maybe I should have thought this through abit." Laughed Freya as she slowly made her way further into the water. By now the water was up to her knees and she was very obviously shivering. She didn't dare go in any further incase she actually froze which she deffinitely didn't want to happen.
Glancing up at Simon, Freya frowned a little and noticed how he seemed not to even react at how cold the water was. [color=#80080]"Not bad? It's freezing! Like I feel like I may have already lost a toe."[/color] Laughed Freya again. She gave her head a small shake and began to walk slowly along the shores edge next to Simon. She noticed how he didn't answer her question about how he came to own Rascal. Maybe it was a awkard or upsetting explanation and considering they had only just met she wasn't going to push Simon to tell her. Rascal seemed happy and healthy and well looked after so that was all that mattered.
Freya was letting her mind wander about her experience she was about to experience at Hogwarts when Simon snapped her out of her thoughts. She smiled when he asked if she was happy she was in Hufflepuff. "Yeah I'm happy! People underestimate us badgers but they not as cute and innocent as they look." Which was true, badgers were survivors and could be vicious when they needed to be. Just because they may be cute, fluffy and chunky didn't mean they were a push over. "They are fighters and don't let anything walke over them or make them the victim. They are tough little shits." Said Freya smiling. "Hey what are the professors like here? Any that I should be on my best behaviour around? Asked Freya.
24 Apr 2022, 13:08
Sunday Afternoon at the Lake
Talking with @Freya McCarthy
"Nah, all the professors here are harmless," he said, feeling quite confident of that. "You know, I actually was out one night past curfew and misunderstandings were made and I ended up throwing a shovel at one of the staff," he glanced over to her slowly, feeling a little guilty still about that one. "It ended up hitting them right on the head and a trip to the Hospital Wing was warranted. I felt awful. Still do."
"Anyway, my point for bringing it up is that he was totally cool about it and I never even got detention. They all seem pretty chill to me. I like Professor Browne the most but I guess we Hufflepuffs are a little biased toward our Head of House." But he also randomly broke out into song which Simon could greatly appreciate and he seemed to always be there if students should need him. Simon hadn't really had a big conversation with him, but then again, he didn't seek out guidance from many. When he really had an issue at hand, he either handled it himself, went to his friends, or spoke to God about it.
"Think you'll venture out into any of the sports? Quidditch? Dueling? Broom Racing?" He would say broom racing was the best but then again he was on the broom racing team. Again, biased.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)