Of Slumber parties and Secrets PV Closed

And so it began. Hjørdis turned her head to see a blue haired girl [ELENA JONES] that she recognised from her house come up and greet her. She politely thanked the professors for organising the event. It was pretty good to see Slytherins that were not incredibly rude to everyone they saw. Even if it was an attempt at sucking up to the teachers, Hjørdis still approved. It was simply respectful to be polite to your professors. "Evening Miss Jones, I hope you have fun here." She replied, short and sweet with a nod of her head.

As she glanced around, she spot some students stop to dig into the food. Hjørdis could not help but smile a little when her eyes fell onto a young Slytherin [NICO SHYMANE] who was stuffing her face with one of the cakes. The look on her face was like pure bliss, which meant that the Head of House had probably done something right at the very least. Of course she would never mention that she made it herself and was pleased the girl liked it but she was happy. Somewhere deep deep deep down.

Hjørdis turned her attention back to her present company as another figure [ANTON NAGAL] approached the Professors and greeted them. She gave a polite nod in returned, "Professor Nagal," She replied with a lot more ease as it just rolled off her tongue without a second's hesitation. She motioned towards the sleeping bags that Sorrel had left aside for other Professors that may have been joining, "If you didn't bring your own, you're welcome to borrow one of those," She explained, keeping everything incredibly professional. 

[EVERYONE] 

Turning to the groups that had arrived, Hjørdis stepped forward, "Before we get settled, we'll need to collect some firewood for later." The head of house instructed. She did not shout above the talking children. Yet her words were loud enough for everyone to hear. Any students still talking over her after she had started would certainly be on the receiving end of her glares. She motioned towards the enclosed firepits that had been erected around the camp. Hjørdis did not trust children around open fires after hearing about the infamous Hufflepuff Camp Out. The Hufflepost newspaper was a tragic read in her first week and she did not want to see the same plastered all over the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses. 

Knowing it would only get colder soon, the professors decided it was best to collect some firewood now. They needed to ensure that they had enough to survive through the night. "A handful of volunteers will be needed for this task. You'll find plenty around here. Don't stray away from camp and make sure to keep a light on you." Hjørdis instructed, motioning this time to the small glass holders that had been propped up on the side. There were three spare ones where she had indicated for people who did not know any light casting spells and needed one, "The rest of you should grab some food and get ready for a game. I believe Professor Wright has one for you all."

GUIDELINE FOR THREAD:
From here on out:
- Please post your stats in every post - or have them in your signature.
- Please state your 'ACTIONS' at the end of each post.
- You can do a maximum of TWO actions during each 'round'.
- A round will be determined by moderator's posts.
- I/Sorrel will roll to determine the success or failure of your 'actions' in each round.

Actions are anything physical. For example, picking an object up, looking around for something, casting a spell and so on. Talking to other players does not use up an action and you're welcome to interaction with as many people as you want throughout the event.

For the first task:
- You can choose if you want to collect firewood or stay with the group and play the game with Sorrel Wright.
- Anyone can go take part in either task but you cannot be in both places at the same time.

OOC: I apologise for the major delay in moderating this thread. As some of you may know, I had some personal reasons for not being active shortly after this thread was started. Sorrel and I will now regularly moderate this event. Any Gryffindors / Slytherins that haven't posted are welcome to join until specified otherwise by myself / Sorrel.

Elena darted away from the professors, having decided sticking around was a bad plan. Who else was there to talk to? Too many people Elena had never met but among the sea of students was one she did know. Alan Vanes, the boy from the owlery about a week earlier, that sounded like a good choice.

She walked up to him and smiled happily, "Hello Alan!"

It took a moment of processing to realise he was already talking to one other person, along with someone else Elena vaguely recognised from a thousand years ago and a thousand miles away.

"Hi." She waved to Arya, "I'm Elena, Elena Jones."

There was a Girl coming up to their group that he vaguely could remember from the Owlery. He did not really remember her name and felt bad to ask her, so he was rather relieved when she introduced himself to Arya after joining the group. Elena was her name, now he even remembered and hoped it was not a bad habit to not remember a name. Well at least he remembered her personality, as she had seemed to be a quite nice person.

Alan was okay with her joining the group, but took a careful look around at Eris and arya to see whether they would be against someone else they did not know joining or he supposed they had not met yet, since after all she had introduced herself to Arya. Did she know Eris? Did Eris know her? Did they get along? He really hoped so as he did not want anyone to fight here. With a small smile he waved towards her, wondering if they could be friends.

”Hey...”, was the insecure whisper that left his lips as he greeted her, noticing her blue hair. Of course he would remember her with a hair like that, she would stand out everywhere... except maybe at an ocean.

Grey speckled eyeballs scanned over the pages of a dingy brown leather-bound book, whose cover no longer gave away the title. Grasping the sides of the textbook firmly, Blaire read the same sentence for a second time. There was too much noise being made tonight in the Slytherin common room to get much studying done. Usually Blaire did her homework in the school’s library. Tonight, she had thought she would possibly try to socialize with some of her housemates. When that plan went sour, she hoisted one of her many textbooks from her bag and claimed a chair close to the fireside. Now there was a group of second years crowding around the warm hearth talking excitedly about something. Flicking her eyes up towards them Blaire cleared her throat absurdly, hoping they would take the hint and move their conversation elsewhere. This of course did not happen.

Giving up on the idea of finishing up her last bit of homework, Blaire was just about to retire to her bed for the night when she caught part of the girl’s sentence. Something about a slumber part and Gryffindor’s… Was that tonight? Stopping at the landing that led to her dormitory Blaire turned her head back towards the open room. There was a peculiarly smaller amount of Slytherins congregating about tonight. Blaire had signed up for this slumber party weeks ago at the behest of her mother. Breathing a sigh, she glanced around again before trudging up to her dorm to change and grab her things.

After slipping into a warmer sweater and pulling on her old worn out brown boots Blaire pulled her unruly curly hair into a bun atop her head securing it in place with a hair tie. Grabbing her pillow, she tucked it securely underneath the crook of her arm. Removing her school books from her bag she replaced them with a few comic books and her journal, then hoisted it over her shoulder. Before scampering off she reached into her trunk and removed a fuzzy scarf from deep inside. Wrapping it around her delicate neck she begrudgingly set off.

As she made her way across the grounds she shivered, clinging to the scarf tighter hoping it would trap some of her body heat underneath. The cold brisk night air chilled the young girl to her bones. Quickening her pace, she could hear the chatter of excited children grow louder as she neared her destination. Blaire was sure she was going to be the last to arrive, not spying anyone else on her journey down to the clearing. This didn’t help set her nerves at ease. Blaire hated being late. But she seemed to always be rushing somewhere lately. Either it being classes, or breakfast, Blaire seemed to always arrive just seconds before that final bell tolled.

Entering the clearing Blaire smiled ever so slightly at the sight of it all. She was slightly thrilled at the idea of sleeping out under the starry night sky. Blaire saw Professor Jensen, their head of Slytherin house speaking to the group of children. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible so no one would notice her late arrival she dumped her bag and pillow onto an empty sleeping bag and joined everyone else. Not quite feeling like playing a game just yet, Blaire darted her eyes about the large open area spotting some fallen tree limbs. Making her way over to where the extra glass holders were, she picked one up. Should she wait to see if anyone else would join her in her quest to find fire wood? Deciding to make her way towards the edge of the tree line, she stopped not far from the watchful eyes of the professors and began scooping up limbs into her free arm.

Actions: picking up firewood- open to interactions

MODERATOR'S POST

Persephone Nicholas picked up one of the lamps, so she could start collecting some firewood. She waited for her friend to join her, deciding not to venture out alone. As she stood near the lamps, she noticed that the nearby ground was a bit damp. There was a piece of firewood not too far away from her. It was soaked in a little puddle. Did it rain recently? Finding some dry wood might be a bit more of a challenge that she had anticipated. Perhaps there was some in the woods though. She was still in the camp, after all. 

Blaire Newton picked another lamp, securing herself some light. She did not wait for anyone but she did not venture too far from the group. The Slytherin stood within the eye line of the Professors. She spotted some firewood and picked it up but... it was damp. Looking around, she spotted a huge pile of... what looked like woods in the distance. It was hard to tell from far away but it could have been a pile of firewood that had already been set up for the event.

@Persephone Nicholas @Blaire Newton

Interactions : Luigi Largo (but AFK), Blaire Newton / Picking firewood

Persephone smiled at the teacher for the lamp and turned to see that she couldn't see her newly acquainted classmate anymore. Frowning, and disappointed at being left out like that, she pouted slightly. Maybe he had seen another friend of his in the small crowd, but warning her beforehand would have been the polite thing to do.

She looked down, testing the lamp and searching for firewood. She saw a piece of wood lying next to her, and crouched to examine it. Wet and unusable. She shrugged and looked at the sky ; the weather was clear but wondered if finding suitable firewood wouldn't be a much more difficult of a challenge than anticipated.

She looked around and saw a girl that, too, had picked a lamp from the Head of House. She smiled slightly and approached her.

"Hey, um, Blaire, right ?" she said, raising slightly her lamp and squinting her eyes to be sure it was her. She hadn't talked to her classmate before, despite them being in the same House, but it was still good to see a known face. "Do you want to go and pick firewood together ? I, um. I'm Persephone, by the way, if you don't remember my name," she added a bit shyly.

The wood that was cradled in Blaire’s arm soaked through her sweater quickly. Blaire realized immediately this wood was no good. Dropping it to the ground she sighed, she hadn’t realized it had even rained today. Clearly though, she now noticed the soft squish of the ground beneath her as she moved about. Scanning the skyline of the open clearing, her gaze landed on the tree line. The trees were so dense in the woods it created almost a canopy above, surely blocking out most of the rain. From where she stood, she could make out a few piles of what she thought was fire wood.

The professors had warned the children to not stray too far… But the wooded area couldn’t have been too far from the safety of the clearing. And plus, it was useless to try and collect firewood from here. Blaire was certain if not all, most of what was on the ground was soaked too. Turning her head back she looked at the professors first, avoiding any eye contact, then back towards the tree line, carefully weighing the pro’s and con’s in her mind.

Before she could step forward though she was startled by a voice, for she hadn’t heard her housemate’s approach. Smiling, Blaire nodded ever so slightly at the mention of her name. She recognized the girl at once, she had seen her in the dormitory and at meals in the Great Hall. Blaire couldn’t recall their introduction, she was grateful the girl stated her name, Blaire didn’t want to seem rude by not remembering it. She had met so many people this year, it was hard sometimes to recall everyone’s names. Maybe that was why she had until this point avoided the awkward interactions.

Clearing her throat, she raised her hand slightly in a sort of awkward wave. Why she had made that gesture, Blaire wasn’t sure… ”Hey, um yeah, sure. But, actually, I was going to try and venture into the woods to try and find some dry wood.” Blaire said casually, nudging her head in the direction of the tree line. Raising her lamp ever so slightly, she faced Persephone. ”We wouldn’t need to go too far in, I think I can see some wood from here even.”

Blaire took a few steps towards the woods, taking a deep breath. Her sisters had always warned her that there were things that lived in the forests surrounding Hogwarts. But what could harm them this close to such a large group. Their head of house was within throwing distance now. And, truthfully, she didn’t fully believe the stories her sisters had told her. For all she knew, they had been trying to scare her. Now that didn’t surprise her at all. The night was already starting to get colder, she swore she could almost certainly feel the temperature drop. They would need to light fires soon, or risk everyone freezing in their sleeping bags. Making her mind up she started off towards the woods, glancing back at her classmate. ”Coming?”

Interacting: with Persephone | Actions: moving towards the woods

She was a latecomer, as usual. Perhaps the golden-haired girl was waiting for all of the work to be done--obviously, she was not late enough. She now had to choose between playing a game and picking up firewood--and she would rather do neither. If she didn't want to play a game, she would have to pick up firewood, but she honestly didn't want to go into the woods alone. She knew that others would be in the forest, but... no. Especially not since there would be spiders.

Koko edged towards the forest, where there would be firewood waiting, at least hopefully. She scanned the other children, analysing what she was doing, and she saw a fellow Slytherin drop some soggy wood. So this wood was apparently too wet to use. Koko strode further into the woods, keeping the Slytherin in sight. That way, someone could hear her shout for help if something bad happened, but she would be far enough away so that they would be scouring as much distance as possible.

Koko hadn't taken a lamp, but being within eye's range of the others would allow her enough light before her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the woods. Koko bent down, seeing some wood, and picked it up, cradlingit in the crook of her arm. It didn't scratch her skin because she wore a jacket; nevertheless, it was uncomfortable. She kept walking until she found more wood, and she then saw the other girl moving toward a wooded area where there were piles of firewood.

"Oh," Koko said to herself. I should go folow them, she decided.

Andrew Vance enters thread

Andrew was excited to be attending a sleepover, especially one that was outdoors. Knowing that he would be safe and comfortable within the designated group and camping area put most of his fears at ease, but there was just the slightest possibility of danger and the unknown from the surrounding woods that made his imagination tingle at the prospect of a wilderness adventure. Not that Andrew was looking forward to encountering any real dangerous threats, but the fantasy of it was slightly thrilling. Or was it unnerving? He couldn’t tell which. Either way, Andrew looking forward to enjoying himself. Especially with food! Yes, food was always the best part of the sleepover experience. Would there be s’mores?...His mind wondered.

Along with his wand, Andrew had packed a few necessities in his shoulder bag and dressed himself in what he considered would be adequate-enough clothing suitable for a chilly night and exploring outdoors – hiking shoes, blue jeans, and a long-sleeved hooded sweater – although he had been assured that extra jackets and blankets would be provided for the students at the campsite. In addition, Andrew brought his pet rat, Penelope, with him to the sleepover. During the trek over, he had carried Penelope with him. Andrew had converted the main pocket of shoulder bag into a temporary carrier and sleeping bag for Penelope, stuffing a small blanket inside so she wouldn’t get cold, in case she wanted to burrow inside. Leaving a few inches of the main pocket unzipped, Penelope could poke her head outside of the bag for some fresh air and a sightseeing view, or climb out of the bag to perch on top of Andrew’s shoulder as he hiked along. In fact, most of the bag’s pockets were stuffed with rat food and chew toys for Penelope’s entertainment during the campout.

Once Andrew arrived at his destination, he picked his sleeping bag spot (he used one of the fake snakes inside one of “prank” toy bags – a black snake with a tan underbelly – curling its body around his pillow to mark his designated sleeping bag) and helped himself to a few chocolates (which he couldn’t resist, being the chocoholic he was) while Penelope stretched her legs out, scurrying on the ground within a radius from her owner. Andrew was familiar with the rules of freeze tag (being a Muggle-born and all), and while he didn’t consider himself to be much of a competitive type, he could hype himself up for a game of freeze tag, and looked forward to when the game would begin. But first… Firewood. Andrew had overheard the Professor’s call for a few volunteers to gather some. Andrew noticed two girls [@Persephone Nicholas and @Blaire Newton] each pick up a lamp to begin their hunt for firewood, as well as a third girl [@Koko Riddle] who trailed a little ways behind the other two, also joining the search for firewood. Well, so far, there were three girls seeking to gather wood. Was that enough people for “a handful of volunteers”?

Slinging his bag over his right shoulder and placing Penelope on his left, Andrew picked up the third lamp and caught up to the nearest girl [Koko Riddle] as he entered the woods after her.

“Need a light?” Andrew said chipperly, offering to share the lamp with the girl so they could go on a search for firewood together, or perhaps catch up with the other two girls ahead of them. Maybe they could form a group? But spreading out would probably be the best approach to finding the jackpot for some dry wood. Unless if the others had already found some – then they might as well join the others in helping to lug the dry firewood back to camp.

“Hi, I’m Andrew, but you can call me Andy, if you like,” he introduced himself in a friendly manner, while concentrating on his wood-picking task. Andrew hadn’t officially met the girl before, so he figured now was as good a time as any to make introductions. During his talk, Penelope would nestle next to Andrew’s shoulder, clinging onto him for the ride and eyeing the girl with bright beady eyes. Every so often, the rat would hop down into Andrew’s sweater hood that was thrown back, so she’d have a warm, safe “boat” to snuggle in, before getting restless enough to hop back onto Andrew's shoulder again.

ACTIONS: Searching for/picking up firewood

Interacting with: @Koko Riddle