Errand Mass Thread Sink or Swim? Closed

I am going to drown. There was no help for it. After being in line, I watched others strapped into a heavy jacket-like padding before they dropped into the gigantic casserole dish. Of course, there were students that knew how to swim and splashed their way from one end of the pool to the other while a teacher followed them to ensure they didn't sink. Afterwards, they were left to their own devices and started to have fun with friends or encouraged others as they took the staff's instructions seriously. Either way, part of me just wanted to grab my robe I had left on one of the tables and go back to studying. The rest, however, was eager to discover what it felt like to swim like some of the creatures I saw at my parent's magical creatures' rescue center. We would only nurse them to health before releasing them back into the wild since the center didn't have long term care facilities for such creatures. Although, I always admired how gracefully they would glide through water. Then, of course, there were the days where my family and I would have such fun in the rain. It didn't matter if we were in Dublin or the countryside. We would always have a fun time.

I was broken out of my thoughts when I saw I was next in line. After explaining that this would be my first swim, I was given a padded jacket thingy that i tucked underneath my arms before climbing the steps and sitting on the edge of the makeshift pool as I heard others call it. When I finally got the courage to slip into the water, I realized I made the right choice to tuck the jacket underneath my arms. I gripped the jacket tightly as one of the supervising staff in the pool approach and told me to kick out with my legs to move around or stay afloat. Cautiously, I took their direction and started to swim. It wasn't easy at first. I swallowed some water and grossed myself out as I debated how clean my companions in the pool may have been. As time went on, I discovered that swimming actually felt quite nice. It was a lot like standing in the edge of a lake with your hands floating on the surface. Except this time, my whole body was held only by the water beneath me.

After a few hours, I could confidently swim back and forth with the jacket. After all, I did have a bit of endurance from running around and doing chores at home. I finally reached a point where I needed a break, got out of the water for a bit and went to where I had set my things, glad for coming prepared. I sat at the table, grabbed the towel and quickly wrapped myself with it. There was also a book hidden in the robe should I have decided not to swim but instead leave for a more entertaining pursuit; I was glad to find that I wouldn't need it. I wasn't too worried about my hair as I thought I might return to the water before leaving for the day. After all, only two and a half hours had passed since I first stepped foot in the water. The morning had yet to fade into afternoon. Thinking now would be a great time for lunch, I looked around and saw some food offered on the sides of the room and was told I could take some. I was warned that it would be best to eat a little if I wanted to swim in the pool anytime soon. Since I was hungry, I sat eating and reading while waiting for my stomach to settle before returning to the pool.

More students had shown up over the course of this time and were happily greeted. It was late afternoon when I felt confident enough to swim around the food dish. I waved over a staff member who watched as I swam the required distance across to the other end and back again without help but with the staff following an arm reach or two away. I let out a cheer as I made it to the final edge and was congratulated before finally swimming alone.

During which time, I went to the side of the pool, tightly gripped onto the edge and let my legs relax. Experimenting with how I moved in the water. I did find that my legs could float upwards if I curved my core above my waist. As I stayed like that, I enjoyed the same feeling I had when I begun learning to swim. Supported and held up by the water below me.

I hope I can swim. Minnie thought desperately as she waited in line. She had had her Mum teach her when she was young, but she wasn't quite good enough to be confident. She looked at the water from her place in line. It looked dark and foreboding. I wish I payed attention more when Mum taught me. I didn't listen, and now I have to pay the price. She shivered. Stop thinking dark thoughts. Jack keeps saying it's bad for my health. She thought about Jack. Maybe if he were here, he could help me. He knows creatures, he would know how to swim by looking at water creatures. Come to think of it, I think he swims a lot. She smiled sadly. That won't help me now. Try thinking of Mum's tips. She thought back to when mum had been teaching her to swim.

"Dear, can you get in your bathing suit? The fabric is magic and fits whatever size and age you are. It is also nice and has lovely plant patterns on it. I need you to swim." Mum held out the bathing suit, which Minnie reluctantly put on.

"But Mum, I don't want to learn to swim. There are no lakes in our part of London, and I don't like going to the pool." She complained.

"Lil and Jack are doing it so you'll have company. Do it and like it." Her Mum replied sternly.

"Yeah! I won't be having fun without a partner in crime!" Jack said mischievously. When Mum looked at him sternly her added, "and a partner to swim with." Lil laughed.

"Come on Minnie, you can do it! I think I'll love swimming with you! Or learning and failing, depending on how we do." Minnie giggled too. Maybe it won't be so bad. She thought against her will. Maybe I'll have fun. So she put on the bathing suit.

"I'm ready Mum! Where are we learning?" She grabbed her arm.

"Were going to use floo powder to go to the lake, okay?" Minnie nodded. Her Mum grabbed a bit of powder from a pot and threw it into the fireplace. "Jump in." She said happily to Minnie. Minnie went in and her Mum told her to yell the Amarzon lake. She did, and the next thing she knew, she was spinning, spinning, spinning. She fell at Amazon Lake.

"That was weird." She said to her siblings.

"Yes!" Jack said, which was enough for both of them, so Lil didn't need to join in. "What are we-" But he didn't get to finish, as Mum had thrown him into the lake. He sputtered for a bit while Lil and Minnie laughed. But Minnie didn't laugh for long, as she was thrown in the lake too.

The water was cold and deep. She sank for a bit before pushing her arms to come up. She stayed underwater for a few terrible seconds before rising to the surface to breathe. Minnie started coughing, trying to get the water out of her lungs. When she'd regained control of breathing, she glared at her Mum, who was watching. "Now you can rise above the surface. Can you stay there? A tip for treading water is to push your arms down and kick your legs back and forth. That will keep you above longer. Now, to swim, move forward, kicking your legs. Move your hands in an arc above you, which will move you forward easier. That's the ticket." Minnie was exhausted. "Now I wan-"

"Minnie Duke!" Minnie's thoughts were stopped when she was called. Oh ginger newts. She walked up to the water, wearing the same bathing suit from her memory. She walked to the waters edge, and plunged in. To her surprise, she swam above the surface easily. I just need to remember her tips and I'll be fine. She kicked her feet back and forth to tread water for a bit, then kicked her feet to move forward. It was surprisingly fun to swim across the water, and she did it with ease. I did it! She thought. I can swim!

WC=668

Dean stepped into the Great Hall, his eyes widening in awe at the sight that greeted him. The usually grand and historic hall had been transformed into a makeshift swimming pool, the long house tables pushed aside to make room for the large, water-filled dish in the center. The air was filled with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation from the students gathered around. He watched as Dusana, clad in vibrant red and yellow like a muggle lifeguard, directed the students with a firm yet encouraging tone. Her whistle hung around her neck, ready to be used at a moment's notice. Dean couldn't help but admire the ingenuity behind using an engorged casserole dish as a pool. The idea was both bizarre and brilliant.

As Dusana explained the day's activities, Dean's gaze drifted to the pool. He wasn't the strongest swimmer, but the idea of practicing in a safe environment was comforting. He watched as Dusana and the prefect, Xailah, prepared to assist the students. Their presence seemed to reassure those who were hesitant. He hadn't done much swimming back home but he'd had a few classes with his school and he did okay in the waters. However, when he'd heard there would be lessons, he'd immediately signed up, happily so.

The arrival of Professor Méabh Regan added a new dynamic to the scene. Dean observed the subtle tension between her and Dusana, but his attention quickly returned to the task at hand. He listened intently as Dusana outlined the goal of crossing the pool unaided. The challenge seemed daunting but achievable.

Dean noticed some of his classmates nervously approaching the pool. He empathized with their apprehension. When Dusana offered floatation devices to the nervous students, Dean felt a surge of gratitude for her thoughtfulness. The devices, strange as they were, seemed to provide just enough confidence for the students to take the plunge.

As he watched his classmates begin to swim, some with graceful strokes and others with more tentative movements, Dean felt a sense of camaraderie. With a deep breath, he decided to join in, ready to face the challenge and improve his swimming skills, all under the watchful eyes of Dusana and Xailah. He jumped in, softly, trying his best to not startle anyone. The sensation was exhilarating, a mix of freedom and slight trepidation. He briefly touched the very bottom of the pool with his feet before swimming back upwards to breach the water, taking a big gulp of water. A grin smacked itself on his face and he looked around, waddling a little.

Around him, the Great Hall echoed with the sounds of laughter and splashing. Some students were expertly gliding through the water, while others clung to their floatation noodles, their faces etched with determination. Dean felt a surge of pride at being part of this motley crew of novice swimmers.

Dean decided to try a few strokes, his arms moving in a slightly awkward but earnest way. He wasn't the most graceful swimmer, but he was making progress, and that's what mattered. As he swam, Dean couldn't help but feel a hint of a mischievous feeling glide up his spine. Here he was, in a magical swimming pool, in the middle of the Great Hall, learning to swim with his classmates. It was moments like these that made his time at Hogwarts so special. And this specific moment had the very perfect circumstances to end in a flurry of games and fun.

After a few laps, Dean floated on his back, looking up at the enchanted ceiling, which today mirrored a clear blue sky. He let out a contented sigh, feeling the tension in his muscles ebb away. This was more than just a swimming lesson; it was a spa day.

Inara was scared.. She had learned swimming with the Muggles, but she hadn't swam for a while and she was scared she had forgot how. Everybody always said it was "Muscle Memory" But she didn't believe that. Inara watched the other students swim and immediately felt embarrassed. What if I make a fool of myself? She thought. When it was her turn, she also received a padded Jacket thing that looked like what Muggles would call, "A Life Vest" but she wasn't sure if they still called it that in the Wizarding World. Probably not. Breathing Heavily, she looked down at the water and calculated silently... how deep was it? 5 ft? (Oh wait she was taller than 5 ft) 10 ft? (That may be a problem) 20? She decided not to overthink it, which was really hard as a Ravenclaw. She would always overthink everything. Taking a slow, deep, breath, she jumped. She felt the cool water beneath her and she had fuzzy memories of diving down the deep end of the muggle pool when she was 6. Inara laughed. Maybe they were right! it is Muscle Memory! She thought silently. Overjoyed, Inara swam over to where everybody else was, then decided against it and swam back to where the other students were about to dive. "Come on!" She said encouragingly. One by one, the other students jumped. She tried talking to some of them, and she was hoping to make new friends! After a while she decided to leave the pool and maybe come back later. She was so glad she had taken the opportunity to swim again, and she hoped things like this would happen more often at Hogwarts. She sat down and read for a while, watching the other students swim, and she felt a feeling of pure relaxation and joy. A few hours later, Inara decided to get back into the pool. She tried to remember the swim strokes she had learned at the muggle swimming class... She remembered they had odd names.. Butterfly.. Breastroke.. Freestyle.. She laughed. Then she saw how the other students were swimming gracefully to the other side. She felt a pang of embarrassment.. She could swim, but not that gracefully and she hadn't even swam to the other side yet! She jumped into the water and was even more embarrassed to hear other people laughing.. she wasn't sure if it was at her, or something/someone else. Distracted, she began to sink.. And Everybody stopped laughing... Luckily, she started to float up again because of her life Jacket/Vest or whatever they called it here. This was even more embarrassing.. Of course, she was glad she hadn't drowned and was still alive, but it was still very, very embarrassing. Inara quickly got out of the pool and continued to read her book, trying not to look at how beautifully and gracefully everybody else was swimming.....she was so lost in her book... until she realized it was way past time to be back at the castle because she couldn't see anybody. She didn't know what time it was, but she quickly grabbed her things and headed back to her common room, hoping she wasn't too late.. Inara panicked, what if being late would lose her house points! She hadn't even gotten any yet! Picking up the pace, she rushed to her common room, but nobody was there! Odd.. she thought. Then she realized she had made a mistake, it wasn't time to go back quite yet! Everybody was just at the far end of the pool, and she didn't see them because of her horrible eyesight. Relieved, she sat back down and continued reading. Even though she was a bit embarrassed torwards the end, she still enjoyed being at the pool, and she decided she would come back if this happened again.

[quote]Walking along the halls of Hogwarts, Tracey had been hearing whispers from other students about near drowning's in the Great Lake, which had shocked Tracey. The very quiet girl knew that a lot of people at the school were raised in the wizarding world, but never would've thought that they'd never learn how to swim! Being born in the wizarding world, but then moving to the muggle world, Tracey learned how to swim from her father, and her mother enjoyed it a lot, like she did. When she also heard whispers of a swimming lesson in the Great Hall, Tracey made her way to her dorm.
Once in the Ravenclaw common room, Tracey made her way to her dorm, put her school bag down, opened up her trunk, and searched for her swim suit. She was very glad that she had brought it with her. Once dressed, she took a bag of extra clothes with her and made her way down to the Great Hall. When she got there, she saw not a lot of people gathered in the Great Hall, but Tracey did see the new school nurse dressed in the colors of what a muggle lifeguard would wear. Tracey was glad that some people would be a lifeguard, but she didn't feel like helping other people how to swim, she just couldn't. Once more people had gathered in the Great Hall, Tracey began feeling nervous, but tried her best to not let it show.
She then heard the nurse speak, which got her out of her little trance. She listened carefully, and nodded to what the nurse was saying. She then looked at the prefect that the nurse was talking about, then saw the Potions Professor come into the Hall. She then heard the nurse continue and once she was done. Tracey looked around the hall and placed her bag down on the side, and looked at the casserole dish which was their pool.
"Should I jump into the pool? But, there are many people watching. I mean, I can swim, but I don't want to swim in front of everyone. Maybe I'll wait until someone else jumps into the pool? No, I shouldn't do that. I'm probably the only one who knows how to swim! Maybe, I should just jump into the pool, hopefully I don't drown," Tracey nervously thought while looking around the room.
While she was too busy thinking, Tracey looked back at the pool and noticed that other people were already in the pool. Tracey was glad that there were some people at this school that knew how to swim, she also noticed that some people were putting on lifejackets which made her happy. Tracey went over to the edge of the pool, and dipped her right toe into the water, making sure that it wasn't cold. She then took her toe out of the water and decided to see if she could still do a trick that she used to do all the time at home.
Tracey backed away from the pool, and when she was far away from the pool, she stopped, and ran towards the pool. When she was close to the edge, she jumped and did a front flip and landed in the water. After about a minute or so, Tracey resurfaced with a big smile on her face. She then noticed that people were starring at her and wasn't sure if they were amazed or not. Tracey then began swimming around the pool, practicing everything she had learned from her father in the muggle world and was glad that she was still able to do the front flip dive trick that her mother had taught her how to do.

december 10th 2023; interacting with @Raizel Voltrouz and @Zach Zaphiere

When people think of water, they think of the calm element, the people who embodied water and their elegance. When people think of water, it was something important that kept them hydrated and alive. When people think of water, they think of the rain and the pitter patter of the droplets on the windowsill.

But if you asked Alyssea what water was to her, the memories would come flooding back. Literally. The fabric of her dress would cling to her skin like the heartache of a loss. Every breath felt like it was suffocating rather than freeing her. And when she opened her eyes, she saw those shiny and beady balls stare right back at her. It had taken a while to get over the events of the fall ball, the one she'd participated in planning and failed spectacularly, but even remnants of almost drowning followed her. It didn't help that two weeks later, just as she figured she was getting over it, she had to save Clark from almost drowning in the lake.

Whoever said time heals all wounds lied. Alyssea would remember that wound for eternity and it would sting every time she touched it, whether prompted or not. Instead, it should be "time makes wounds bearable".

The last errand she did (and also her first) was plucking weeds from the grounds with a fellow badger. Nothing near the water and something she could stomach while still recovering. This next errand was... a surprise, to say the least.

Plucking weeds was normal, but learning to swim? Maybe word got around after the ball that most Hogwarts students could not swim. Alyssea had some skills, enough to help her survive the ball, but certainly nothing flashy that could win relays back in Muggle school swimming sports. She took the announcement of the errand with a raised eyebrow and a pinch of salt. Might as well give it a try.

She wasn't going to do this errand alone, however. Nope. She was dragging her friends Raizel Voltrouz and Zach Zaphiere to the Great Hall. The three of them had met after the fall ball, with Alyssea getting a stern talking-to for "leaving them behind at the lake". In her defence, the guy who helped her escape the beast that grabbed her told her to swim to the shore and keep herself safe, to which she complied. If only she got the guy's name after all that. She never saw him again even as the international students left Hogwarts two weeks after the day of the ball. Anyways, they had all fallen into the lake at some point in the evening so Alyssea thought it fitting to bring them along for this errand. After all, it was gonna be a great bonding experience; they hadn't hung out together properly since Alyssea's first duel against Zach.

Once they had settled in, listened to the nurse's instructions, and took note of how Nurse Sabo ignored Professor Regan's entrance (how strange), she got up and headed towards the pool. It impressed Alyssea somewhat that they had managed to fit one into the Great Hall with the tables pushed to the walls. Where did all the water come from? The lake had frozen by this point.

(She thought of how fun it would be to skate on the frozen ice of the Great Lake. Was that allowed? It wasn't technically swimming in the lake which wasn't allowed in the rules. Of course, she'd have to conduct thorough checks to make sure it wouldn't break under her weight... whatever those were.)

Turning to Zach and Raizel, she said, "Do you guys know how to swim?"

word count: 609/600

Interactions ❯❯ @Alyssea Brown | @Zach Zaphiere | @
Mentions ❯❯ @ | @ | @

❂《 ⌜ December 10, 2023 ▎ --:-- ⌟

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This was supposed to be one of those days, a day to sit back and do nothing. Her plans were simple: find a spot somewhere in the castle and just laze around. Yes, Raizel had no intention of doing anything right now, even duelling practice. Lately, she had been feeling rather down, the cold weather of December somehow giving her a melancholic vibe despite the festivities that it brings once Christmas hits. Not in the mood for practice, not even activities so she certainly wasn't expecting herself to be joining in on this errand that the Nurse, the Potion Professor, and the Gryffindor Prefect had prepared for the students.

Swimming lessons, does she even need them? Well, honestly speaking, yes. She badly needs it. Two times she had fallen into that lake already. One, when she decided to have some fun with Fang Hui-Ying and Elsian Cox, a tightrope tied between two brooms over the lake and they would have to cross it. Fun but dangerous. She was lucky that Elsi gave them… what were they called again? Pool noodles to keep them from drowning. If she knew she would end up doing this swimming lesson, she would've looked for Elsi and borrowed one of those. Hopefully, the coordinators brought with them some floating device for the unfortunate.

Second time was rather… hilarious in its own way. What came over in her and Zach Zaphiere's mind was beyond her comprehension. She couldn't swim yet she agreed to rescue those that had fallen off of their boats along with the Ravenclaw boy. It didn't end well for them of course. Both of them fell off as well but unlike her friend, she wasn't grabbed by the creatures that were swimming around, trying to drown people during that night. Apparently, Grindylows were grabbing students here and there. That was probably the only time that she managed to swim and she wasn't even aware of it. All she cared about was to get to the surface and get back on that boat. They met up with one of their friends that night too, Alyssea Brown. She can swim, that much she knows, she watched her swim so fast that night. She didn't even notice them. One good thing about that night was… she swears she saw merman but who knows.

So why exactly did Alyssea decide to drag her into this and not just her, but also Zach. Guess it could be fun but for Raizel who had been trying everything to stay cheerful and failing miserably, she highly doubts it. As much as she wanted to hang out with her friends, she's afraid of bringing down the mood with her current state. It's just been rough for her nowadays. She wasn't sick but just so out of it. Things that she finds joy in weren't doing it. Last time she tried being cheerful was running around in a dragon suit but at the end of the day, she still feels so down, too exhausted to keep the mask of smile on her face.

One more try couldn't hurt she supposed and guessed that made her accept her fate of participating in this errand along with Zach and Alyssea. Hey, at least at the end of this, she'll know how to swim, survival chances will increase hopefully. She still looked rather sleepy when they arrived in the great hall, making her wonder how the heck did they manage to create a pool here. Turns out, they used Engorgio on a casserole dish and filled that with water. The sight at least made her whistle in amusement, mentally reminding herself to get better in using Engorgio. Who knows, maybe it'll help her one day.

Her gaze went from the pool, to the Nurse, Dusana Sabo when she started talking and ignoring Professor Raegan for some reasons and then to Alyssea when she asked a question. She laughed at that before answering. "Nope." This is gonna take a while, that's for sure.

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⌜ Sink or Swim ⌟ | ⌜ WC: 667/600 ⌟
««««« Dialogue | #800000

SPEECH
self | thoughts | "others speaking"

INTERACTIONS AND MENTIONS
none

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Ophelia has lived at the coast since she was born. Her hometown of Dublin, Ireland was famous for its beautiful beaches and she'd practically grown up swimming. Back home, her family had gone to the beach every weekend in the summer. It had become a sort of tradition for them. When the sun started shining, find your bathing suit, because you were about to need it. Those family outings were some of the fondest memories Ophelia had, and the ones that came to the forefront of her mind whenever she thought of her family.

So when the new school nurse had announced that she was holding a group swimming lesson for the students of Hogwarts, Ophelia had counted herself in. The one wonderful thing about swimming was, you didn't have to talk to people to have fun. And, being the introvert that she was, she wouldn't talk to people unless she absolutely had to.

The lessons wouldn't necessarily be lessons for someone who knew how to swim, like Ophelia, but she'd decided that it would be fun. Even if she was forced to learn basic strokes with the other students, at least she would be in the water and enjoying her time.

Ophelia had brought a single bathing suit to Hogwarts, and not in anticipation of this lesson. Her mother had told of the Great Lake and how students were allowed to swim there. The suit wasn't anything fancy, just a black long-sleeved top and swim shorts, but it was more than enough.

Getting in the pool, Ophelia closed her eyes. The water was oddly cool, giving her skin a creeping sensation. She took a deep breath, then plunged under the water. Bouncing on the bottom of the makeshift pool, she came back to the top and started treading water, breathing as she did so. Her brown hair had already gotten stuck to the side of her head, covering her eyes. Pushing her hair out of her face, she looked around. Students, like her, were already climbing into the water. Some, like her, seemed at home in the water, already starting to swim laps. Others looked nervous about being in the water. Others still lined up to receive a floatie from Nurse Sabo.

Ignoring the others, Ophelia flipped onto her backside so that she was staring up at the ceiling of the Great Hall. She floated peacefully like that for a moment or two before flipping back. Race ya! She heard her younger brother Felix's voice in her head and she suppressed her homesickness, trying her hardest just to enjoy the moment. She started with her favorite stroke, the butterfly, which she'd learned from her Muggle swim teacher as the "dolphin kick." Her head bobbed up and down as she swam. Next, she went onto backstroke, flipping onto her back.

Ophelia quickly realized, however, that this was a terrible idea, since she had near misses of hitting many of the other students. It wasn't as if there were lanes here, and it was up to her to respect the swimming area of others. Switching to a safe freestyle, she swam a few laps, enjoying the freedom the water gave her.

She closed her eyes, her brain automatically moving her arms and legs, as she started thinking about her family back home. Her mind filled with the vision of one of the wonderful beaches in Dublin. Felix, her younger brother, was in front of her, mixing the sand with water to create a substance that was easier to build sandcastles with. Her father, Grayson, arrived next, wading into the water and dunking himself in, just like Ophelia had a moment ago. Cecelia, her mother, came into the make-believe scene last. She'd never been much of a water person, so she was in a chic sun dress and a pretty sun hat.

Opening her eyes and stopping her swimming somewhere in the middle of the makeshift pool, Ophelia tried her best not to think more about her homesickness. Her mind's usually endless buzzing of thoughts quieted slowly as she fell into the mindless rhythm of swimming.

Kick. Kick. Swing arms. Kick. Swing arms. Kick. Kick. Swing arms.

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695 words

december 10th, 2023

sink or swim?

10 December 2023

Harmony hesitantly entered the Great Hall, caught sight of the many students already there, and immediately felt quite regretful about her life decisions. Pause. How much of that had she done during her short time at Hogwarts so far? Way too much. Maybe it was time for her to grab life by the collar and shake it, screaming “GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” Not that she had any experience with home invasion, but, you know, if it worked then it worked. Anyways, she wasn't going to regret this. She was going to have a wonderful time playing in the pool and brushing up on her swimming skills and spending time with her closest (and almost only, but that didn't matter) friend at Hogwarts. Harmony would have had a slightly-not-as-good time if she had to go alone, and she mentally celebrated the Fall Ball giving her a good kick in the direction of Flynn.

As her parents had wanted to give the Hollins sisters a good balance of both magical and Muggle worlds, Harmony had been sent to Muggle swimming lessons as a child. She despised them but somehow made her way all the way to the highest class and dropped out before she could be wrestled into competing, so therefore could swim enough to not drown. She could not swim very fast, though, and had not been to the pool in forever. She'd spent her entire last trip playing mermaids with Melody, anyways. Which brought her here, where it seemed many students had not been fortunate enough to receive torture- ahem, swimming lessons, and were being given life jackets. Maybe if Harmony pretended she couldn't swim, they'd give her a life jacket too? They were so much fun! No, she scolded herself, she was going to practice swimming and get in some exercise and then have a great time splashing and attempting to coerce Flynn into playing mermaids with her.

“Is that… a giant food dish?” She muttered in shock to Flynn after catching sight of what looked like handles on opposite ends of the pool. “I hope it's been washed,” she said, only half-joking.

She set her bag, containing an extra towel and a change of clothes, down by a wall, kicked her sandals off to squish under her bag, and shrugged off the towel she wore, revealing a plain black one-piece and purple shorts she'd frantically asked her parents to send over as she began hearing whispers of swimming. 
“Can you swim?” She asked Flynn, reaching into the depths of her bag and fishing around. Maybe she'd know if their boat had capsized in their rush to reach shore at the Fall Ball, but she was glad it didn't, and that she didn't know, and that now there was a safe place to find out anyways. She pulled out a hair tie she didn't particularly like and contemplated the merits of  pulling her hair back into a ponytail or leaving it to float and flow in the water, finally deciding to just leave it for now and tie it up later if it became annoying.
“I haven't gone swimming in such a long time,” she admitted to Flynn, now lifting her gaze to watch those already in the water. “My mum used to make me do a set amount of practice before I could play, and I was always so slow”

Interacting with: @Flynn Montgomery
WC: 563 - more posts to come to hit WC

Did anyone get the reference I made? Wink wink ; )