Errand Mass Thread Sink or Swim? Closed

'Thoughts' "Speech"

Great Hall

Elisa used to enjoy swimming a lot, but after coming to Hogwarts, she never got the chance to practice that hobby again, tho sometimes the thought of swimming in the Great Lake did come across her rebellious mind, she wouldn't mind swimming among a bunch of grindylows as she had heard by other students. Still, the young girl simply never had a chance to pursue it, but the moment she heard about the swimming classes, Elisa had to join them, she simply loved swimming and diving and maybe pretending to drown but that was an activity that she wouldn't be trying today, maybe next time.

Elisa slowly walked into the Great Hall while doing her daily dose of overthinking, the Hall was full of students, the house tables were pushed to the side, and in the center was the so-called pool which looked a lot like an enlarged casserole dish in which water was filled and a bunch of pool noodles, a muggle object. which according to Elisa was a peculiar item, resembling a lengthy, cylindrical tube crafted from a material that feels strangely soft and pliable to the touch on the side, ' Nurse Sabo has put up some hard work for these classes but how creative of her to use a casserole dish to make a swimming pool' she thought while slowly looking around the Great Hall, everyone was getting ready for swimming,

While in the center stood Nurse Sabo wearing a red and yellow swimsuit was very bright, maybe to alert people of her presence, Elisa slowly joined the crowd that surrounded the Nurse after placing the small bag she had in her hand which had a water bottle and towel in the side where other students belongings were kept and slowly stood there at the side, the young girl was not at all paying attention to Sabo's lecture, Elisa was just paying attention to her swimming suit, it was new, she remembers getting her Hogwarts letter just 2-3 days after buying it, her mother had owled it to her just the previous day, it wasn't easy for her to convince her mother into owling her swimsuit, but the clever Slytherin had taken the help from her grandfather with whom no one could argue. Deep inside Elisa did know that her mother might be currently cursing at her and her grandfather but not like Elisa cared any less. After a while of thinking, she finally heard Nurse Sabo tell them to go swimming,

Excited Elisa slowly walked towards the swimming pool which obviously was a casserole dish and slowly stepped inside, the water was warm, but deep inside Elisa had wished that it was cold, It would have been a great sight of students feeling utter shock when they enter the cold water and then when the chillness hits, that would add the cherry on top for sure according to Elisa who slowly moved her hands and legs and began to swim, it felt so great to be swimming again, she can't even remember when was the last time she went swimming,' In next Summer holidays, I am surely going swimming.' she thought,

After a couple of minutes, Elisa decided to swim a bit faster but before that, she had to tie her hair which she had forgotten to tie due to her excitement, She slowly stood up and left the pool and went towards the place where she had previously kept her mini bag, Elisa at first picked up a towel to dry her face and then took out her rubber band from the bag and slowly tied her delicate yet easily tangling hair into a bun and went back to the pool, Elisa yet again slowly entered the casserole dish and started moving her hands and legs and started swimming faster then before,

After a while of swimming Elisa finally stopped and simply went near an edge leaned against the wall of the pool and slowly started looking at her surroundings, hours passed and everyone seemed to be tired, Afterall swimming does make a person both satisfied and tired as it requires the usage of both the legs and hands.

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Admittedly, teaching the kids at this school how to swim was probably not a bad idea. Although it was technically forbidden to swim in the lake without staff supervision, a surprising number of students still found themselves in over their heads each year - although between the traditional first year boat ride across the lake and the fact that this year's fall ball had also involved those same boats, perhaps they shouldn't be surprised that the kids kept almost drowning.

So at its core, Méabh approved of this errand. She might even have offered to help if the one organising it hadn't been the one and only Dusana Sabo, which of course meant that she wouldn't touch the errand with a ten foot pole, and that she had to check it out, both at the same time. It had already been worth it to see Dusana's face tense when Méabh had walked in during her opening speech.

There wasn't much else for her to do. Despite all that Méabh liked to pretend, she didn't think Dusana was incompetent. She likely wouldn't have bothered keeping up a several years long rivalry if she'd thought the other woman stupid or incapable. So it wasn't really that she was here because she expected that the nurse would drown the children, although she might pretend so just to annoy Sabo. Really, she didn't have to do much for that. Her presence alone should do the trick.

There was even a grudging sort of amusement on the Potions professor's face as she examined the oversized casserole that Sabo had set up as a makeshift swimming pool. It was... creative, at least. Or perhaps Xailah Alptraum had been the one to come up with the idea, it seemed too humorous for something Dusana would do. The Gryffindor prefect received a nod and a small smile, as would any student who met her gaze.

As she watched, the errand really progressed rather smoothly. There were a few cries for help, but a group of the younger students quickly rallied themselves to function as lifeguards, and seemed to manage those few cases just fine. There wasn't even much for Xailah and Dusana to do. Which Méabh took as her cue to saunter over to the nurse where she was watching the students paddle around in the water, a bland smile on her face. "So, whose casserole dish did you abduct for this little spectacle?" she inquired, fully aware of the curious faces all around them.

Attire: Usual weekend kit: no shirt, kilt, no shoes, wolf fang necklace, feathers in his braid.

Reducio

10 December 2023

Colin had been entirely hyper since waking up this morning! After all, today Nurse Sabo had arranged for some swimming practice in the great hall of all places! Surely, she'd have some kind of magical swimming pool arranged, and Colin was so excited about the prospect of swimming some place warmer than the lake! The lochs of Scotland were fine for a quick dip on a chill winter's day, but for a proper end of year swim, something inside was exactly what he needed!

The advertisement on the bulletin board said something about "bathers". He had no idea what that even meant. He reckoned Clair probably knew, but there was no time to find out now, and no time to waste in getting up to the great hall! He left Greebo napping on his bed and tore through the commons at nearly full speed! Then it was along the corridor that led to the incredibly high stair well! Colin charged up all 543,936 steps that lead up to the ground floor of Hogwarts Castle, and burst through the stone portal with yips of pure joy!

It was only a short distance from there to the great hall, and before Colin's bare feet made the turn into the place, his green and black plaid shirt was already off, being waved overhead like the flag of a victorious army! Kids had gathered a little way away, and Colin wriggled out of his kilt and tossed his clothes into a heap under one of the tables! "WoowOOOooOooO!! Indoor swimming! Long overdue, I'd say!"

There were quite a few kids in front of Colin, so he couldn't see what they were swimming in, but Nurse Sabo made it clear that all they had to was swim across and then they'd be free to swim as they pleased! Colin did notice that Nurse Sabo seemed weirded out by something. Maybe someone had drowned already? He looked towards one side. He smirked. It was only Professor Regan. Oof. Potions Professor Regan! Colin had long been convinced that he wasn't cut out for potioneering!

As kids started dipping into whatever the swimming pool was, Colin decided to make his way through the wee firsties. He was tall and skinny and pretty easily slunk through the mob. "Comin through laddies! Slytherin on the way! Wotcha! Professional ace swimmer comin through!" And when he did get up front, he let out an appreciatively enthused "WHOAA!! It looks like a cooking dish! Huh. I reckon anyone that drowns will be boiled up and fed to the Trolls!"

SPLASH!!

Colin slithered into the water like a snake and began his trial swim! Oh! Such luxury was this! Colin was soooo loving it! The water was warm! There were no squids or grindylows to dodge! He wouldn't have to set anything on fire to warm up after getting out of the water. Hopefully no one would drown this time --- but at least he had experience rescuing drowning girls! And best of all, he didn't have to worry about being caught by Prefect or Teacher and given a detention for doing what just came naturally to him!

As he swam along, he dove down towards the bottom, then came up and broke the surface with another splash! "Oi!" he said. He found himself with a familiar Gryff lad and red haired girl that he could swear he'd seen in the owlery, but not in any classes. Probably a second year, though he didn't know her name. "Ayo! Isn't this brills! They're actually letting us swim!! Inside!! I'm Colin! I know I've seen both of you around in the corridors!"

WC = 607

@Linda Ramirez | @Alexander Mason

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Everything was going swimmingly, if she said so herself. It was even a bigger turnout than she had expected, and in the moments that more and more children streamed through the great wide open doors of the Great Hall, Dusana was grateful that she had made the casserole dish so large. It was large enough for nuerous children to to splash about, or in the case of some, start flailing about. Merlin and Morgana, she hoped she wouldn't have to perform any muggle cpr. What was that song they taught you to remember about chest compressions? Staying alive? How fitting. As she gave one last floating noodle over to a timid student, Dusana would attempt to rush to any students aid. But she needn't. The little lifeguard group, formed for this very event were there. And everywhere really. Which was good because she didn't have eyes in the back of her head.

What she did need eyes in the back of her head for was one Méabh Regan. Unfortunately, the potions professor had not got the memo that she was not welcome. Surely, the avid delight that Dusana had expressed when the other woman had flounced into the woman should have said it all. But no. She remained watching. Did she think Dusana was stupid? Incompetent? That she would let the students drown? Huffing under her breath, Dusana stood a little straighter, keeping her eyes on the pool and the students in the water. No distractions today. Méabh would not distract her.

Except she would. Because she was right there next to Dusana, towering over her like some godforsaken sunflower, expelling goodness and sunshine wherever she went, and making Dusana feel small, physically and metaphorically. It didn't help that Dusana was only two weeks in to this job. Keeping her eyes on the pool, Dusana offered her rival a quirk of her lips. "Who said anything about abducting. This dish was a gift. Someone kind enough to actually help me out." Was it a subtle dig at Regan? Maybe. But Dusana couldn't quite muster up the effort to care. Instead she continued to watch her charges in the water.

@Méabh Regan

Thank you to everyone for participating! Feel free to continue posting or make an exit as you wish. The rewards and sign up for this event have now closed. They will be delivered shortly.

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By: Beatrice Dupont

Word Count--- 398

December 10th, 2023 ---Date

Alex, dressed in all Spider-Man today, walked out of the common room, barefoot. He would not be needing any shoes today. He was a bit surprised at how cold the floor was. He knew it would be cold, as there was no indoor heating, Sadly wizards did not use any muggle things. It also being winter, made it all the worse. So he was rushing through the halls, trying to make it to his destination as fast as he could. It luckily did not take forever for him to get there.

The great hall. Were some kind of dish was enlarged to make a temporary swimming pool. Alex had no plans to swim in the lake, as he did not know what was in there. What type of creatures that could hurt him, things from his nightmares. He shuttered at the mere thought of it. But this, it was made by a professor. There would be no way anything dangerous would be there. And besides he knew how to swim, it would be easy. Just something fun to do before he headed home for winter break. Where most of the indoor pools he knew of would be closed.

All he needed to do before he could free swim was to go across it, easy. When it was his turn to go into the pool. He simply went in, there was no need whatsoever to wait. Entering the pool, he quickly did his swim the length off the pool. The faster he got that done, the quicker he could do what he wanted. Once that was done, he started to just chill out, do a bit of diving. Just overall enjoy himself.

It was on one of the dives that he popped up right into a group. A girl, and a boy. Both seemingly older then him. He was a bit out of place in his swim where compared to them. No worries. They were all there for the same thing right? "Hi, Im Alex." He said after the guy, Colin said his introduction. "It it's pretty cool. Reminds me of back home a little bit." He added on, Colin said he may have seen Alex, and the girl in the halls. But he could not recall seeing him. Speaking of the girl, Alex looked at her. "If you dont mind my asking, What's your name?" He aksed her.

10 December 2023

Reducio

I wrote some vague future-actions in my previous post to say that Harmony swam her full lap. This was so that Flynn could mention Harmony in his post as well without their little subplot moving extremely slowly. Upon reading about Flynn's flailing in the water, I am changing what I said she would do (convenient, seeing as she hadn't actually done it yet) so the actions in this post overrule the last paragraph of my previous one. The change of actions still line up with what Flynn has written

Harmony watched Flynn kick off, allowing him several kicks of space before kicking off herself to begin her unassisted lap of the pool. She kept an eye on her swimming student, seeking him out each time she lifted her head to breath(and having to watch out for his legs, lest she be aggressively kicked in the face), which meant she was close and ready as he started to flail. He'd been doing so well, too! Regardless, Flynn was flopping about, looking like he'd forgotten to breathe.

Harmony immediately stopped in the middle of her lap and tiptoed in the water, watching him with concern and frantically wondering if this constituted a red sparks spell. Or would it be green? Just as she spied what looked like a group of lifeguarding students, Flynn regained control of his limbs, remembered how to carry out one of the most vital functions of life, and continued with on his merry kicking way. Harmony felt ever-so-slightly irritated that her lap of proof had been uninterrupted but there were more important things to worry about so she spent the rest of Flynn's lap bobbing behind him to ensure he didn't accidentally render her friendless.

Fortunately, he completed his lap of swimming without further incident, even finding enough energy to joke about his moment. 
“Ooh actually…” Harmony knew Flynn was joking(she thought. Maybe she was wrong. Oh well), but handstands and flips sounded like fun things to do after she ensured he wouldn't completely wipe out. “Backflips would be really difficult, but handstands are fun! Forward flips too!” There looked to be plenty of space in the pool, so they wouldn't kick anyone. “We could do that maybe. But for now, do you know what Freestyle is?” Harmony instructed Flynn to repeat his previous lap but this time, while moving his arms to help propel him through the water, and taking a breath every three strokes. She demonstrated a few unassisted strokes before looking back at Flynn and encouraging him to try for himself. 

This time, as he swam, she would not attempt to swim alongside. Rather, she continued to bob along and watch his progress. Once Flynn finished his assisted lap, Harmony would take the noodle away and tell him to do it again but by himself, while she sat and floated along on the noodle like it was a severely bent broomstick. An upside to severely bent broomsticks is their hollow middle, which allows one to collect and blow water at their friends, an activity that Harmony partakes in immediately once Flynn completes his lap

Interacting with: @Flynn Montgomery

the idea of voluntarily standing upside down underwater seemed off to Flynn however the prospect of a new experience outweighed the things that could go wrong in the same situation, "you know what? sounds like it'll be fun, you've got yourself a deal"

Wanting his fun flippy and handstandy time with Harmony to start asap Flynn fully focuses on getting a basic grasp on swimming so he could complete the one unassisted lap that had been looming over his head since his initial flop into the pool. As Harmony elegantly demonstrated what he needed to do he watched intently to note any movements that would make him a better swimmer. With the pool noodle nestled firmly under him giving him the confidence of a season pro Flynn takes his turn to add arms into his movement, and while the movement was... rough around the edges it got him from point A to B which is what's important right now, as he swam some more his arms moved in a more uniform way and by the end of it he resembled a competent swimmer for once and was excited to complete his lap and finish this part of his training.

As he took of for his lap Flynn's movements were the best they'd been and he was moving through the water more efficiently then ever. although his form had diminished slightly since the start he finished the lap without flailing or forgetting how to breath. He sees this as an absolute win. after the guidance of Harmony he had willingly let go of the noodle for the first time since he was given it, the slight loss of stability initially scared Flynn as he felt like he was almost experiencing vertigo as his vision tunneled slightly and he began to feel a little woozy, however he snapped out of it and was able to float freely in the water moving from side to side forwards and back without the noodle.

He he goes his final lap unassisted this time, putting together all the steps Harmony had walked him through, as he pushed off signalling his start he moved through the water feeling free as the loss of the noodle also gave him more range of motion in his body and he felt free gliding through the water, his movements were still janky especially as he neared the end but his newfound enjoyment in the water and he was excited to finally come back to the wall he had started at fignifying his completion of the task.

He was welcomed as his head breached the water by a fanfare of water as Harmony had celebrated his success, while he was confused at first he was happy to be able to share his achievement with someone and finally be able to start doing the activities Harmony had been so joyously describing since before they even touched the water.

"well teach it seems I've passed the final test... what did you want to get to doing now?" Flynn was maybe a little too pleased with himself as he beamed a smile at his friend.

Interacting with @Harmony Hollins

▼ See information below ▼

Reducio

Don't know how to swim? Need to be rescued? The little lifeguards have you covered! An unofficial group of 6 young students has taken it upon themselves to help ensure no one dies during this errand. If your character needs rescuing or has some other need for a lifeguard, please use the steps below:

1. Owl Finnegan Conner on site using the form below.
2. If we have a rescuer available, Finnegan will confirm this back to you and make sure that you and your rescuer get in touch.
3. Rescues will happen within this errand mass thread, unless you and your rescuer decide to do otherwise.
4. Have fun and live to tell the tale!

▼ Rescue request form ▼
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Specifying your desired rescuer is optional. If no preference is given, a rescuer will be assigned to your emergency at random.

Code: Select all

Name: <insert your character's name here>
Post: <link to the post where you rescue/assistance>
Preferred rescuer: <Name  a rescuer if you have a preference. Leave blank otherwise>
Context: <Optionally provide some context about your character's emergency>

▼ Little Lifeguards ▼
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• Finnegan Conner, 2nd Year (leader)
• Madison Bennet, 2nd Year
• Remedy Norden, 1st Year
• Helena Rose, 1st Year
• Astra Norrick, 1st Year
• Rebecca Lark, 1st Year

▼ OOC Note ▼
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The moderators running this errand are aware of this group of voluntary lifeguard students and have approved them. Please note that the little lifeguards operate in an unofficial capacity. There is no special benefit or reward to making use of the little lifeguards, nor is anyone else prevented from rescuing students that take part in the errand.

A slight girl with long, chestnut hair and a noticeable spring in her step came up to him first. Had he missed her amid the gaggle of newly arrived first-year Gryffindors? She was practically beaming with confidence, knew his name and seemed eager to get going. Surely he would've noticed her before now if she'd been in Gryffindor too. "Hiya," he returned the greeting, taking her still wet hand and shaking it firmly. "A what now? A baby-" his thin brows cut into a hawkish frown before darting back up, "oh. Oh, yeah, I know him, he's in my dorm." He accompanied the terrible news with a practiced eyeroll, though he was quick to alleviate his adoring fan of any worry. "He's pretty alright when he's not trying to murder me." Still, he was glad for the support, even if it came in the shape of a uninhibited, delicate looking girl. He had a feeling Bex Lark was going to be a name to remember, if her eagerness was anything to go by.

No sooner than Bex had gone a-skipping back over to the pool, a second recruit arrived. The girl seemed a little paler and more restrained than the first, though by no means shy. Yet, the redhead was also a first year judging by her stature and she too seemed to know him. News of his duel with Avery had clearly been making the rounds. Was that why Ms. Lark had known his name? Back in his muggleing days, videos of snazzy football trickshots had never garnered him much of a following, but apparently petrifying Avery Leveret worked wonders. "Thanks and pleased to meet you Astra," he answered politely while he tried to keep himself from sounding too giddy about his newfound fame. "You seem all good to go, Ms. Norrick," he said with an encouraging nod. She had a chaser's build and he wondered if he might have to face her on the Quidditch pitch in years to come as she went back over to the pool, leaving a wet trail in her wake.

Third to answer the call was a face he recognized from class and the Quidditch pitch too. Madison Bennet had always been hard to miss and Finnegan knew of at least a couple other boys in his year who fawned over her in secret. If not for June, he might have joined his dreamy-eyed classmates in silently gawking at the pretty blonde. She seemed nice enough and the fact that she had answered the call only improved his opinion of her. Still, he was rather fine with just being vaguely acquainted for the time being, he had enough trouble staying focused on his assignments as it was.

He was just about to pack up and prepare to return to the pool himself - he had already seen Ms. Lark and Ms. Norrick jumping in from a distance - when a fourth and final recruit came up to him. The smirking face of Remedy Norden oozed with quiet arrogance and he prepared to be on the receiving end of some snarky comment or threat. The girl was Avery's family after all and though she was something of an enigma to him, one thing had been crystal clear: she was fiercely loyal. For a wink he was on the backfoot, unsure how to respond to the graceful, poised viper that had come snaking up to him. The outstretched hand, palm facing upward, made it clear she demanded something from him other than a handshake.

Finnegan wished he had left his pile of clothes nearer at hand, the girl had an uncanny ability to unnerve him and make him feel exposed. But with nothing within reach, he settled for crossing his arms over his chest, arching an eyebrow at her and standing up a little straighter to meet her fierce gaze. "You?"

His eyes roved over her, searching for a reason, any reason at all why a wolf might be volunteering to guard sheep. Ms. Norden might have shown to care for her immediate family, but nothing about her suggested that she cared for anyone else. On the other hand, he had no reason to believe she was intending to aid drowning students in their demise, least of all right under the nurse's nose. So why then is she here? Maybe it was arrogance again, maybe she had enjoyed making a point of showing everyone that she could swim - her dark, damp hair told him as much.

"Fine." He uncrossed his arms, crouched down to his dwindling supply of whistles and armbands and picked up one of each. "You're the first to actually ask for these," he said right before dropping the whistle in her greedy hand. As soon as her fingers closed around it though, he would step forward, close the distance between them and grab hold of her wrist before she could drop her arm. "Hold still," he grumbled, without leaving her much choice. Stubby fingers grazed her skin as he put the armband on her upper arm and he just about resisted the urge to pull the straps uncomfortably tight. He wished he had something witty to say, but his throat had gone dry and all he could think about was the uneasy buzz racing through him. There was an undeniable thrill in standing so near to the mysterious girl, near enough to see the droplets still clinging to her skin, near enough for her to bite his head off if she had the mind to do so. He stepped back and forced an appraising look on his face. "There's tidy."

He spun around then, turning his back on her in what had to seem a cavalier move. In truth, he was deliberately taking his sweet time packing up the remaining gear to steady himself. What the hell had just happened? Twice now, the Slytherin girl had made him act without thinking, without restraint/ Something about her that pulled him in, a puzzle that demanded solving, a crooked thing that needed setting straight, a girl so opposite to him in every regard that it almost became appealing. He cursed under his breath, even just thinking that felt like a betrayal. He had to put her out of his mind and get on with the job he'd come here to do.

By the time he had packed back up and found his way back to the pool, his recruits had made good on their promise to help. He almost wished they would've left someone for him instead of being made to wait sitting on the edge, paddling water with his feet, trying desperately not to look in Ms. Norden's direction.

Soon enough, the exercise came to an close and he hopped off the dry end waiting until all of his little lifeguards had left the pool.

"Well done everyone," he said. "Now I know who to ask for diving up some treasure from the bottom of the lake." He smiled faintly, leaving it up to their respective imaginations if he was merely joking or not. "I wish I could say this all earned you some extra house points, but you'll have to make due with my undying gratitude for now. That said, I do have a little something for each of you. It might not look like much, but it may well come in handy some day..."
OOC note:

Reducio

@Rebecca Lark @Astra Norrick @Madison Bennet @Remedy Norden
You've all been sent a little gift for your rescue efforts (including everyone who didn't get to rescue someone). You should treat these gifts as having been given in-character by Finn to your character, though you are obviously under no obligation whatsoever to acknowledge the gift in your (future) writing.

ICly, Finnegan has taken note of all your characters' swimming abilities and may well find use for them in the future, after the winter break. Stay tuned!

Quinn was relived that she didn't have to deal with drowning kid anymore and she floated in the water for a few minutes taking a breath. Quinn kicked her legs and swam towards the edge of the pool. I should probably get out and work on my homework now. Quinn thought begrudingly. Quinn dove under the water for a minute then resurfaced and started swiming toward the pool entrence so she could climb out. It wasn't until she had gotten out of the pool that she noticed how many people were on lifegaurd duty. There were a few teachers watching the scene as well. Quinn grabbed her bag that she had put down before she went into the pool and shrugged on some flip flops. It was going to be a long walk back to the common room so Quinn stood and watched the pool for a few more seconds. Finnally Quinn gave a nod to one of the teachers-the nurse she thougth- and started up the stairs to her common room. On her way Quinn thought about how the afternoon had gone and how she had thought about her time in Ireland. Quinn smiled and trudged a little faster.
"Maybe I'll go swimming again later." She said to herself. What and interesting afternoon this has been. Quinn thought as she entered her common room. Quinn ignored the stares of people as they watched her dripping wet walk up to her dormitory. Quinn changed into a t-shirt and jeans then walked down the steps back to the great hall. People seemed to be leaving the pool and Quinn relized that her wild hair was becoming a monster from her time swimming in the pool. Patting her hair down, Quinn turned around and left the watery chaos in the great hall.