14 Sep 2023, 12:21
An Unplanned Swim
It was just after the last lesson of the day, Transfiguration, and Renelle had decided to go to the Great Lake for a walk right before dinner time. The castle was starting to feel increasingly stuffy, especially when one had been trapped inside the entire day, stuck in ann endless circle of lessons and boredom. Sometimes, she envied those who actually enjoyed their academic studies, though she could not imagine sharing the same opinion. It certainly made the school days easier, at any rate.
But there was no use dwelling on the past right now, or the future for that matter. As she strolled by the perimeter of the infamous lake, the Ravenclaw took in deep breath, sighing contentedly. Autumn was definitely her favourite season by far, with its chilly, breezy air and red-and-gold leaves falling down like pieces in a puzzle. It was just a shame that this particular time of year also symbolised the beginning of the school year, but nobody’s perfect.
She stopped right before the murky depths of the water, gazing out into the horizon. The sun reflected off the water, almost appearing to form an illuminated path of sorts. It truly never ceases to amaze Renelle the beauty of the nature— most of the time, everyone, including her, rushed about, with no time to simply appreciate what was around them.
Needless to say, the dark-haired girl was in a very good mood at the moment, which was a rare sight indeed for her. However, she should’ve known that nothing good ever lasts, beautiful moments least of all. Out of the blue, Renelle suddenly felt something crash into her— hard. So hard that she was knocked clean into the freezing lake.
Perhaps it was lucky the first year had at least only fallen into the edges of the water, meaning she could still grip the perimeters. The water, cold and darkness closing in around her only lasted a single second, because the next, Renelle had pulled herself up, spilling onto the shore, coughing and spluttering. The evening air suddenly stung with coldness. “Who.. the.. hell…” she gasped in between great heaves of breath. Whoever it was who had managed to miss a whole person in front of them and resulted in her falling into the lake at this time of year, was going to pay.Interacting with @Ava Winchect
Last edited by Renelle Dalton on 16 Sep 2023, 15:17, edited 1 time in total.
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
16 Sep 2023, 04:32
An Unplanned Swim
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Was it smart to be zooming around the school, weaving around students on a shiny Nimbus 1700? Most likely not. But how else was she supposed to practice her broom racing skills before the race? Students were a fine obstacle, why make it difficult and create her own obstacles.
What was the worst that could happen? She crashed into someone? That wouldn't be that bad, if anything it would be funny. Very funny. Ava could just point them towards the nurses, and then be back to practicing. It would've been more fun practicing with someone else, but she suspected Colin had convinced the entire team to hate her, and she had no idea who played in the other houses. Plus, practicing with an enemy team should've been an instant 'no', not an 'I have no idea'.
She continued weaving around students, and soon she ended up near the lake, flying in its direction. There were few students in this area of the school, and it was smooth flying. She zoned out, thinking about what the race would be like. She didn't even know when the race was, or who she would be against, but she was practicing already.
It was clear she wasn't paying attention, and it became even more clear when she felt her broom handle slam into something, and she went careening off the front of her broom towards the grass. She was almost in the lake, her face close to the water. She could see something--no someone in the water, and she scrambled onto her feet and away from the water. Her hair was rippling a mixture of red and pink, from her absolute embarrassment and her anger with herself. Her eyes reflected the lake water, from magic or from the black color they had turned it was unsure. She turned and ran back to grab her broom, but not fast enough. She could hear the person she had pushed getting out of the lake.
328/200September 15th@Renelle Dalton
16 Sep 2023, 15:17
An Unplanned Swim
Not hearing a response only made Renelle madder. Who was this person, thinking they could just push someone into a lake and then ignore them? Finally pulling herself up onto the shore entirely, the Ravenclaw slumped on the ground in exhaustion. And it was cold, too.
Looking around, it was only too obvious who the culprit of this attack was. Another girl around her age, maybe a first or second year was a few inches from her, gripping a broomstick in her hands and looking rather disheveled. For some reason, the simple sight made her blood boil: what right did this girl have to look disheveled? Renelle was the one who fell in the freaking lake, for god’s sake! And what was up with that horrible choice of hair colour? Who on earth dyed their hair red and pink? Was it even allowed?
“Did you push me into the lake?” she demanded, stalking forward. “How does someone even miss an entire person right in front of them?” She didn’t mention the terrible hair colour- it wasn’t like it was her hair, who was she to judge? Well, it was difficult not to, but keeping that judgment to herself was something she could do.
That wasn’t going to stop Renelle from yelling at this girl, though. “Why are you even flying here, anyway? What happened to the whole Quidditch Pitch? Unless it disappeared or burned down in a horrible fire, why aren’t you training there?” She was really on a roll now, almost unable to stop. “Or did you kill someone so now you can’t show your face there? I doubt it!”
Glaring at her assailant, the first year hazily wondered how someone could possibly think that it was a good idea to fly their broomstick at the Great Lake, where it was only to easy for someone to fall in. Seeing as she did. If everyone who played sports was like this, Quidditch and Broom Racing were over.Interacting with @Ava Winchect
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
16 Sep 2023, 17:33
An Unplanned Swim
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She should've ran away, because now she got to face an angry first year, or so she guessed. It was too late for her to run so she planted her feet in the grass, away from the water. "I didn't mean to push you in the lake." She said defensively, glaring back with the same weight. When she noticed that the first years eyes kept jumping to her hair, she glanced at it and saw its pink red color. She cursed under her breath, and took exactly three deep breaths. It was the last one, and running her hands over her hair that returned it to normal color, a normal shade of brown that didn't make her stick out like a sore thumb. She glanced at her nails, which were still the same color. "I know this sounds weird, but what color are my eyes?" If she had a mirror, she would've seen that they had changed to red and pink, as if the color had shifted from her hair to her eyes.
"I was flying over here because I needed obstacles to dodge. I'm a broom racer, practicing in a quidditch stadium would make no sense." She rolled her eyes. Then her face drained of all color, when she realized what the last comment had been. 'or did you kill someone'. She bit her lip, drawing blood. "I- who did you hear that from? I would...never." Not now, at least. Her eyes glazed over, remembering something first year had probably never heard of.
254/200September 15th@Renelle Dalton
17 Sep 2023, 02:44
An Unplanned Swim
Oh my god. Did this girl actually kill someone? Her earlier comment had been throwaway, just something random she came up with in her rant. But the girl’s reaction had been a huge surprise- turning pale as a sheet and mumbling something incoherent. If it weren’t for that reaction, there was no way Renelle would’ve actually bought what she said to heart.
But that was impossible- right? If someone had been an attempted murderer, there was no way they would’ve been sent to Hogwarts. It was ridiculous. She tried to remember if there had been any rumours about this kind of thing, but that was the problem with being a first year who’d only been at school for barely two weeks- you never heard stuff.
"Wait, did you actually kill someone?” No way to know for sure unless she asked, right? Asking such an outright question was uncharacteristic of the Ravenclaw, but this was an uncharacteristic situation. Suddenly, her eyes drifted back to the girl’s hair. It was no longer pink and red, but a perfectly normal brown.
Renelle blinked. What? Did her hair just change colour? It was a shame she hadn’t been paying careful attention earlier, or she might have a definite answer. “Umm.. I might be going crazy, but did your hair change colour? And as for your eyes…” Oh, god. She really hadn’t been paying attention, because it was only then did the first year realise that the girl in front of her’s eyes had changed, to a rather terrifying and unnatural shade. “…Uhh, are they supposed to be red and pink?”
It was funny how quickly one could forget about something that had irked them so much a minute ago, especially when there were now more interesting matters to think about. Renelle seemed to have completely cast aside the incident with the lake, and was instead focusing on the mysteries of the hair and eye colour, and murder. Changing one’s physical attributes- she’d never came across someone like that before.
But being from a wizarding family meant that you knew a lot about special talents that other wizards and witches might have, and this was not unheard of. Incredibly rare, though- it seemed far-fetched to believe that this random girl who pushed her into a freezing lake could be a Metamorphmagus.Interacting with @Ava Winchect
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
17 Sep 2023, 05:04
An Unplanned Swim
Ava could tell that her reaction had triggered another reaction, but in the girl this time. That reaction made her blush, a soft pink filling her previously white skin. The curiosity of mood changes within Ava could become an entire study. There was so much to learn about Ava, and her mood swings were a key part of her. There were things that could trigger such a reaction within her, it was startling.
It took the other, still soaking wet girl to form the question her mind had been working through. It took Ava half as long to reply, already having expected the question. Because people were predictable. They asked the same questions, over and over again. It was sickening, the repetitive style of it. Nothing was original. The questions you asked had already been asked, many times over. As discouraging as the thoughts were, Ava still answered. "I didn't." She answered as she was learning to do. With strength. Her voice never wavered, her fingers didn't shake. Ava remained stoic, for the first time.
Her hair, for once, became a welcome distraction. Anything was better than talking about regretful decisions, especially when they were her own. Her own decisions were worse than anything the school could conjure, be it train kidnappings, illegal potions or hags infiltrating each house. Not that any of that happened at Hogwarts, the most exciting things seemed to be the students causing havoc. "Good, my hair's back to normal." She muttered, eying the strands as if to chastise them for shifting colours. "Now as for my eyes, they are not supposed to be any colour but dull brown." Her voice was scolding, and it almost seemed that the words had shocked her eyes back to normal colours. Really, it was her own focus redirecting the colour down to her fingernails, which reflected the same colour her eyes and hair had been. A convenient way to hide her emotions, although it wouldn't last long. It was likely a single word could send colour flooding back into her hair and eyes, to sully her hard work.
Ava tipped her head to inspect her finger nails which slowly faded back to normal as Ava's temper cooled. "I'm sorry. For shoving you in the lake, and for my incredibly strong ability. And temper, that's strong too." The words were a bait, and the catch would be a lightened mood, maybe even a laugh. Maybe Ava was dancing around the first conversation, but she truly was sorry.
417/200September 15th@Renelle Dalton
18 Sep 2023, 10:06
An Unplanned Swim
As she watched, the girl’s pale skin flooded with colour, as if embarrassed or something similar. Okay, this was getting way too weird. What had started as a harmless fall into the Great Lake had turned into an awkward conversation with a potential murderer. Studying the girl, Renelle decided that this girl certainly didn’t look like a criminal. In fact, apart from the misshape earlier, she looked perfectly normal; Sirius Black had pulled off the madman killer image far better than she did, and he wasn’t even really guilty.
“They’re not, huh?” Renelle wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to the girl’s statement, so she settled for repeating the girl’s words like a parrot, except with a more sarcastic air. Oh, geez what a surprise. Really, who would purposely make their hair and eyes a kaleidoscope of too-bright colours? Especially pink and red. In her opinion, that combination belonged in a circus.
The girl was, as expected, not further elaborating on her strange ability, instead moving to apologies. As Renelle listened, she couldn’t help but think the girl’s apology skills were as good as her flying ones. “Yes, all very strong.” Her voice sounded a tad amused yet annoyed at the same time. “Maybe you should consider troll wrestling as a career path in the future. Or giant. Real potential.”
Now that the whole thing seemed to have blown over, Renelle wasn’t exactly sure what she ought to do now. Introduce herself? Leave? Take the stupid broom and throw it into the lake? All of those options seemed equally good, though the Ravenclaw felt herself getting swayed more and more by the last one, especially as a fresh gust of chilly air blew in her direction. Taking a tentative step toward the direction of the castle, she glanced uncertainly at the girl. “So.. I guess I’ll just leave now?”Interacting with @Ava Winchect
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
19 Sep 2023, 22:44
An Unplanned Swim
Why was it always Clair who found the rule breakers?
She had been sitting in a tree near the lake when she had seen someone zoom by. Her interest was grabbed, was that even allowed? Clair had been about to turn her attention away when she heard a slight splash.
Looking over again, it looked as if the broom and it's user had hit someone, into the lake.
Clair really did not want to get out of the tree, but she figured that a good prefect and person would go make sure that everyone was ok, and maybe make sure it was not a big fat ploy to make it look like they were no swimming in the lake.
Clair climbed down and headed towards where they two students were standing.
"Aye!" she called out when she was within a distance that she could be heard without calling to loud, pretty quickly she recognized one of the girls, Ava, but the other one was a new face to her.
"nice afternoon is it not?" she greeted when she was beside them, "Your not swimming are you?" she asked, rather calmly. She had no intention of giving a lecture. "As you may know, I'm Clair Fernandez. Ravenclaw Prefect." She smiled, "I heard a splash and figured I would make sure there was no rule breaking."
She looked at the girls, expecting a reason for a broom, and a soaked student. It did not seem like they were taking each other's heads off so she was really not too concerned.
(wc 261)
@Ava Winchect & @Renelle Dalton
WHAT IF I FALL? OH, MY DARLING
WHAT IF YOU FLY?
WHAT IF YOU FLY?
20 Sep 2023, 02:53
An Unplanned Swim
From her eleven years on this earth (which, granted, wasn’t that long), Renelle had observed a curious phenomenon. It was a funny thing, but it seemed that when someone rose to a position of power, they became less likeable as a whole.
Not to those who were already close to them beforehand, of course, just the random onlooker. There was no real reason for this, except a lot of people were naturally sceptical of authority figures, and having to implement rules and hand out punishments at times certainly didn’t help, either.
Listening to the Ravenclaw prefect introduce herself and state her reasons for coming over, Renelle couldn’t help but feel a rush of annoyance. Did they look like they were swimming? The first year didn’t know where this prefect was from, but where she lived, people did not swim in a freezing lake. In the middle of autumn. At night. With all their clothes on.
Quickly, she shoved the feeling down. The prefect, Clair, was just doing her job. She’d actually seen the third year around a few times, with them being in the same house and all. Wouldn’t Renelle have done the same if she were in the same position? Actually, the answer was no, but still. She couldn’t fault Clair for being a better prefect than she would have made.
Renelle straightened up. “No, we’re not.” Gesturing toward Ava, she continued, “Ava just flew into me with her broom, and I feel into the lake. It’s no big deal.” Could prefects give people detention? Being only at this school for a short while, she couldn’t remember, but felt rather jittery all the same. Trouble before two weeks were done. That had to be a new record. And not in a good way.Interacting with @Ava Winchect | @Clair Fernandez
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes
20 Sep 2023, 03:30
An Unplanned Swim
When she heard the call her head jerked to see her favorite prefect moving towards them. "Clair! Hello!" She called back as a grin spread across her face. It was nice to have a few friendly faces, especially when the unfriendly ones kept growing. She considered Clair a point of support for herself, and someone she could talk to. It was strange, after only just meeting Clair Ava had spilled out all her secrets to the older girl. Ava didn't know if it would have happened if anyone else had showed up, and it was too late to know now.
She let Clair finish speaking before she burst out. "You're a prefect now? Congrats! Couldn't have picked anyone better for the job!" At the same time the girl she had flew into explained that they were not swimming, and she blushed. "Definitely no swimming from me." Ava was tempted to come up with some crazy story as to why the other girl should be in trouble, probably involving a chase, fist fight and duel. But she didn't, because she knew transparency was key, with Clair at least. There was no way Ava could get in trouble...right? She tried to bring up the list of rules in her mind but it had been so long that she had no ideas what was off limits.
Ava's lip jutted out in a fake pout and she tilted her head to get some sympathy. "I was practicing my broom racing, because if I fail the team Colin's going to...well, I don't know! Just get really mad I guess." Her voice trailed off as her mind retreated, envisioning a mad Colin. Maybe losing a game wouldn't anger him as much as calling him out as a werewolf did, but logic didn't help a traumatized girl who would rather not have to deal with any extra Colin interactions.
Under her breath she muttered something she hoped Clair didn't catch, because she wanted to take it back immediately after saying it. "Not like you would know." This was a reference to the relation the two had and Ava was pretty sure they were dating. She blushed again, the same color creeping through the roots of her hair and the back of her irises.
She dropped the broom, dropped to her knees and put her hands together to beg. It was more of a show than anything, but who knew what the prefect would do. "Puuuuhhhh-LEEEEASE don't give us detention!" She bit back a smirk, trying to look as serious as possible. It was comical, almost.
428/200September 15th@Renelle Dalton, @Clair Fernandez