Closed Sampan Abducent Marine PV Dee

It was a Saturday afternoon and Dee was... bored. It was an odd feeling to her, an uncommon occurrence. Her time at Hogwarts so far had been filled with more extracurricular activities than most people would think possible to squeeze into a single day. That had changed a couple months ago. When her summer break had ended, Dee had returned to Hogwarts without any of the positions she'd held before - prefect and duelling captain no longer. It was still unfamiliar to her; many of her habits hard to shake. Leading the duelling team through practice, giving advice along with useless commentary was no longer her job. She didn't have the authority anymore to push around other students when it suited her anymore either, although that didn't mean she didn't attempt to anyway. It still worked sometimes, especially on the younger kids, even without the silver badge glistening on her robes.

Instead she had spent three weeks at the beginning of the school year in a coma, and returned pale and shaken. Sleeping was necessary but unpleasant, recurring nightmares haunted her dreams. Some of her vibrancy had fled, leaving her looking as if drained of colour... at least, in comparison to her previous self. Obviously, she still outshone the majority of the Hogwarts student body, with no effort spared.

She was still writing for the Headliner, but she didn't currently have any article deadlines for that, either, which left Dee's Saturday oddly... free. She didn't think she liked it much. Of course, she could have gone looking for her friends. Spent the day laughing with Jack, or chatting with Aly, or reading with Pericles. Instead, she was wandering the grounds. Really, she just missed being busy.

It wasn't a very nice day out, clouds in the sky, cold enough that her breath puffed out in front of her but not the right climate for snow. Not spectacularly windy, just a little... dreary. As a result, there weren't many students about, either, most were hurrying to get where they were going rather than linger.

An exception of the norm was standing by the shore of the lake, looking out over the water, the slight waves that rippled across it. Dee paused, squinting at the back of the boy, trying to place if she knew him. A few steps to the side, trying to get a different angle. Was that a Ravenclaw crest on his robes? He seemed familiar, as if she should recognise him... Oh. Ooooh.

A sudden grin spread on her face, sharp and impish, and there was a new bounce to her steps as she made her way closer. Dealla did recognise him, and for more reasons than one, all of them promising this encounter to be highly entertaining.

Without much of an effort to be unnoticed, she stepped up beside the boy, tilting her head to one side and regarding him without so much as a greeting. They hadn't spoken before to her knowledge, even met at all, really. What she knew, she knew from Sam, and frankly, she thought her younger friend had over-promised. Although in all fairness, it would be tough living up to Samantha's gushing.

"So," she said after an extended moment of staring. "You're who they hired to be my replacement, huh?" She pretended to consider, tapping her chin in thought. There was a teasing lilt to her voice, indicating that not all of her words should be taken at face value... if he was the type to pick up on such things. "Not gonna lie, I feel like they could have done better. Why are you staring at the lake by yourself?"

@Bubba McGarry

As Bubba watched his little boat slowly sail across the lake towards him, he wondered if this is what inventors felt like the first time they built something and it actually worked. The feeling of awe, the pride, the overwhelming sense of actually accomplishing something. He knew that it really wasn't that big of a deal, how many thousands of ships and been built and sailed before? It probably wasn't even thousands, more like millions, maybe even tens or hundreds of millions by now.

Still, this was different. This was his ship, his creation. Based on a few diagrams and pictures he'd taken what basically amounted to a few pieces of trash and made them sail. Sure, it wouldn't be able to ferry more than a few flobberworms or maybe a pixie (although he doubted the little ship would survive contact with a pixie) but it was a boat, his boat. It floated, and it was actually sailing. He just had to hope that the wind didn't shift before it got to him. It had just occurred to him that without the twine attached he had no way of getting it back short of going out and getting it. It was far too cold to trudge out into the lake and get it (plus it was against the rules and we couldn't have that), and he hadn't learned a summoning charm yet.

As he was processing his feelings of wonder and accomplishment, as well as his ingenuity, he heard the sounds of someone approaching him. He hoped someone wasn't about to come by and try to pull him up for doing this. He really didn't think it was against the rules. He wasn't swimming or littering, he was just sailing a boat, what could be more natural? Still, there were plenty of people who loved to piss on your parade around here. Then he remembered, he was a prefect, and if anyone short of a professor came over to hassle him he could just tell them to sod off.

Not bothering to look away from his boat, the footfalls stopped next to him and a voice he instantly recognized spoke. He'd never talked to her before but she'd been a prefect and he'd heard her bossing around other students. "Well, I'm smarter, cuter, and much more stylish... so I think they did alright." He said with a smirk, still not bothering to look over at her. When she asked why he was staring he couldn't help but chuckle, to him it was a quite dumb question so he shot back with a quippy but good-natured, "What... do they not have boats where you come from?"

At last, he looked over at her, still with the same smirk on his face, "Dealla."

Interacting: @Dealla Prince Mentioning: @ N/A

Bubba didn't even turn to look at her, which, frankly, was rather rude. Dee was at the very least deserving of some attention. His retort, however, had her smile widening. Well, at least he wasn't at a loss for words when unexpectedly insulted, which would have immediately disqualified him both as an appropriate choice for a Ravenclaw prefect - they were, after all, the house of wit - and as a suitable candidate to be Sam's boyfriend. Promising.

"Doubtful, unlikely, and you wish," she replied cheerfully, although honestly, style was usually the least of her concerns. She tended to throw on whatever she pulled out of her trunk first, and chose to dazzle with her charm and wit instead. It had worked decently well for her so far.

The mention of a boat managed to get her attention on the water for the first time, and she squinted, recognising the miniature boat bobbing on the slight waves of the day. Well, that was actually kind of cute, or at least that's what she thought until he chose to address her with her full name.

Dealla twitched slightly, as if he had jabbed her with something pointy, an unpleasant shiver running down her back. Her amused gaze sharpened into something more akin to a glare. Accident or purpose? She'd never made a secret of her dislike of her full name, but then, they'd never spoken before. Still, she had enough of an ego to be sure that if he had heard of her, he'd heard that she usually went by a nickname. Well, if it came down to weaponising names, she didn't see how she could lose against someone named Bubba. "My reputation precedes me, I see," she observed pointedly, then gave him a sunny smile. "What else have you heard about me?"

That little interaction also precluded any possibility of her complimenting his boat right away. "That's supposed to be a boat?" she asked instead, skipping a few steps to the side to get a better look, then making a show of shading her eyes against the non-existent sun to make it out. "Didn't they tell you that littering is against the rules? It's even illegal in some countries."

Dazzling @Bubba McGarry with her undeniable charm

Bubba could immediately tell that this was going to be a fun conversation. Dee was clearly quite adept at giving as good as she got which was always fun. Some people could dish it and not take it and he couldn't deal with them. Dee just seemed fun. Still, he was concerned that she was a bit full of herself, not really but she was coming on a bit strong. From what he could see she'd just thrown on whatever was available before she'd decided to go for a little walk. Still, no need to go bashing her, he could come up with another good-natured retort. "It must be tough," he began as he looked out over the lake, watching his ship sail toward them. "You get a little older and they replace you with someone younger and more efficient, like an old ship being called into drydock for the last time before they break her down for scrap."

"Hmm... What else have I heard about you..." He said in mock contemplation as he turned to face her again with a mischievous smirk on his face, "Well... you're supposed to be a good duelist, a decent writer... what else..." he said as he scratched his chin in an absent-minded fashion, trying to give the impression he was struggling to remember, "You're allegedly funny but the jury's still out on that." He said with a casual shrug of his shoulders, "There was something else..." He said, acting as if he were trying to jog his memory before snapping his fingers in a eureka moment, "Aha! And I've heard you're not a big fan of being called Dealla." He said with a jovial smile.

His needling had clearly worked as she was now talking down on his boat. It certainly wouldn't have a long and glowing service record, but it sailed and he was damn proud of it. Making something like that properly float, let alone sail, was an achievement in and of itself. He would not allow her to poopoo it. "That is a model of a Sampan... it is one of the oldest ship designs in the world but it's still widely used in East Asia." He said as he looked back across the water to his boat.

He scoffed at her littering comment, "It's a boat on the water, boats are meant to sail, hardly littering." He turned back to her and reassuringly added, "But if I'm ever in Singapore I'll be sure not to spit my gum on the sidewalk."

Interacting: @Dealla Prince Mentioning: @ N/A

So, apparently this kid liked boats. At least, that was what Dee inferred from his rambling about ships, and it was fair enough. She'd never insulted someone by comparing them to a boat, but she wasn't going to judge where the material for quips came from. "Ah," she said, smiling and giving a little twirl on the spot, spreading her arms for emphasis. "If you knew me at all, you'd know I'm far from retired. Really, you should be thanking me for quitting. In a way, I made you everything you are today." Unlikely he would see it that way, but a girl could dream.

So Bubba had heard about her array of hobbies, no surprise there. He earned a playful huff at what he had (allegedly) heard about her abilities, however. "You might have been misinformed there," she told him seriously. "I'm an amazing duellist, and an awesome writer. Here's some advice: Always fact-check your sources." Especially if those sources claimed she was good or decent. A mild smile at the jab at her jokes. There was no bite in this exchange; it was light-hearted, friendly, even. He hadn't disappointed, yet."Perhaps they should judge your sense of humour instead." The only hint of sharpness showed in her voice at the comment about her name. "If I were named after a prehistoric duck, I'd tread lightly."

Except Dee didn't tread lightly, ever, but instead only grinned at the small lecture about boats. In honesty, she thought it was pretty cool. The only boats she'd ever made had been of paper, and they only floated for about half a minute before they soaked full of water and went under. Perhaps she shouldn't be lecturing anyone about littering.

Squatting down by the shore, she watched the little boat bobbing on the water for a moment, then blinked up at its creator. "Aren't you curious about what I've heard about you?" She would be, but she was naturally curious about everything. Still, it seemed only fair to tell him, and that definitely wasn't an excuse to move on with the reason she had come over here and insulted him in the first place. Hence she didn't even wait for an answer before continuing. "I heard you have the preeeeettiest brown eyes," she began, in her best bad imitation of Samantha's voice, fluttering her own lashes at him mockingly. "And the cuuuuutest smile. You are pretty much the most wonderful boy in existence, on this planet or any other. Can do no wrong. Flowers grow wherever you walk. Birds respond when you sing... you get the gist." She smiled at him, humour in her eyes, but there was a small edge to it that hadn't been there before. "Sound familiar?"

@Bubba McGarry

Bubba's eyes swelled in faux adoration as Dee tried to take credit for basically his entire existence. He really hoped she was still just kidding, of course, if she didn't tone it down soon he would just have to assume she really was that arrogant. At some point, someone was going to have to knock her down a couple of rungs. Maybe it would be him? Only time would tell, still, he had to give her another witty repartee. "Oh. my. god. I am so sorry I did not immediately prostrate myself at your feet and thank you for giving my pitiful life meaning. I am truly #blessed."

As she extolled her many virtues, he enjoyed her confidence but he couldn't help but think she was just a little too confident. There had to be a chink in that armor somewhere and by the end of this conversation, he would find it. "I mean, first of all, Sam was the one that told me about your dueling... er... 'prowess'... so take it up with her." To exaggerate the amount of work he was putting in he would raise another finger as he went from topic to topic. "You're a Ravenclaw so, of course, you're an amazing writer. Saying a Ravenclaw is an amazing writer is like saying a Hufflepuff is a really good hugger or a Gryffindor has more balls than brains." Another finger, "My sense of humor is excellent but not to worry you only have to ask pretty much anyone to confirm that." He actually faltered for a moment when she said he was named after a prehistoric duck, "Not sure what's so prehistoric or fowl about my name but I was named after my dad's best friend, without home he wouldn't have met my mom, so I suppose I have him and not you to thank for what I am today." He finished off with a jovial smile.

He looked back out at this boat which was now two-thirds of its way across the lake towards them as Dee asked if he was curious about what she'd heard about him. He turned back to look at her with an exaggerated excitement etched on his face. "Oh, by all means, tell me how great I am!" He said with a grin and then listened, while she did, in fact, tell him how great he was. He nodded with each positive character trait she rattled off he nodded and, at the end without missing a beat he responded, "Yeeeeeeaaaah... I am pretty great, aren't I?" He didn't necessarily believe it but he wasn't going to tell her any different.

Interacting: @Dealla Prince Mentioning: @Samantha Salwis

Dee smiled, dropping part of the act as Bubba went along with her silly proclamations. It would have been fun to actually see him do what he announced, but little chance that would happen. "Well, as long as you can see it now," she replied breezily, taking the comments in stride. Fine, maybe she liked him. Wasn't gonna change what she came here to do, though.

He seemed less impressed with her less clearly hyperbolic explanations about how great she was. She didn't mind, he had no reason to believe her, even if it was true. Despite her somewhat spotty duelling records in her second year, things had been going steadily up since then. Dealla hadn't lost a duel in over a year, and didn't intend for that to change anytime soon. The second stage of duels was due in January, and she was ready for whoever she was meant to set on fire next. "Sam better focus on her own duels, or I might have to take her job back," she snorted, amused. "You're welcome to watch my next match if you need convincing."

His next point, however, she disagreed with. She hoped it was overplayed, made for the sake of the argument rather than because his views were that one-dimensional. "Oh, so you're one of thoooose," she observed, drawing out the word to emphasise how little she thought of his words. "You've been here for over a year, you should have noticed by now that not everyone fits into neat little stereotypes. I've met Hufflepuffs more likely to punch you than hug you, and believe me, there are dumb Ravenclaws." Not to point fingers, of course. "Plus, being smart or studious doesn't automatically make you a good writer." A short pause, a raised eyebrow. "I'm curious, what's your hot take on Slytherins, Mr Cliché? They're all evil?"

Apparently Bubba had never heard of his namesake, Bubba the cave duck, so Dee's joke fell flat. It was a little sad, it had been a decent one. Not brilliant, would have been better if he were a ginger, but decent nonetheless. "Hm," she said, the sound non-committal. "If your pure existence is all you are, you might be more boring than you seem." Let him decide whether that was an insult or a compliment.

Admittedly, Dealla was a little disappointed by his lack of reaction to her basically calling him a Disney princess. Perhaps he hadn't grown up around Muggles, in which case she might need to adjust her references to match his background. Perhaps her impression of Samantha had not done its job, although she personally thought it had been just far enough to make her point. Dee paused for a second. "Those are things I heard about you," she pointed out. "I'm still waiting for proof on those. Fact-checking, remember?" At least the eyes had already been disproved, Jack's eyes were far prettier. "The bird thing might be a cool trick though, if you wanna show me. Anyway, you get one try to guess who I heard that stuff from."

Her attention turned back to the lake, where the little boat was slowly drifting closer. It was almost hypnotic, and gave her something to focus on. The humour faded from her expression a little, and she wrapped her arms around her knees. "Sam's my friend," she said quietly. They were friends again, now. Thinking back to the months when they hadn't been squeezed something in her chest, her next breath painful. "And she really likes you." He probably knew that, but it seemed worth pointing out. "She's... a lot nicer than I am. And also really, really naive. I hurt her once, accidentally." It seemed a silly thing now, things had happened since then that had set a lot of things into a different light. Perspective really changed a lot. "Don't do that."

Dealla exhaled, blinking herself free from watching the boat, then straightened up and turned to regard Bubba. Some of the cheerfulness returned to her voice, but the weight behind it stayed. "If you hurt her, I'll make sure you regret it."

@Bubba McGarry
Not gonna tag you, Sam, I know you're reading this anyway