@Thora Larkston | @Katrina Walker | @Illowy Magnard | @Nico Shymane

The Hogwarts summer camp had arrived. This year, of course, it wasn't at Hogwarts. A relief, really, as Bridget didn't want to wait around for the hags to kill her. The train ride had been pretty uneventful--she hadn't managed to fall asleep but she'd read and watched the countryside pass out her window. Today had also marked the first time Bridget had taken a portkey, yet another magical transportation method that was much faster than Muggle methods.

Surprisingly, the Slytherin second year, or rather third year now, had taken the initiative to sent up a tent with a few girls in her year. It wasn't that she was typically a follower, but she tended to ride solo and had never been one to organize a group of people.

Now that she had two friends, the first few people to invite had been plenty easy to determine. Thora and Katrina had thankfully both said yes. After that, she'd asked Illowy. Bridget couldn't consider her a friend quite yet, but she liked the time she'd spent with the other girl, even if much of that time had been spent researching the spider curse. And, maybe after this she would be able to call Illowy Magnard a friend. Nico Shymane would be the fifth and final member of their tent. It was true that Bridget wasn't particularly close to her, but they had been on the Quidditch team together for a year, so they knew each other well enough from that. The problem with being a pretty reclusive person was you didn't have many friends and four seemed just a little too empty of a tent, so the offer had been extended to the red-haired Prefect, and she'd agreed.

It was slightly scary, grouping four girls she wasn't sure had ever met or could possibly be enemies, but she assured herself it would be fine. Plus, Nico was a Prefect, and while she didn't want to force the girl into any leadership position outside of school, that authority could help if things got too bad. Which she really hoped didn't happen, since spending all camp with that kind of tension in the air wouldn't be fun.

Now that they were here, just outside the London Quidditch Stadium with the sun sinking below the horizon, it fell on her to find a tent for them. "I'll go find us a tent, be right back," she addressed her tent mates. Levitating her trunk so it would be easier to move, she ran out ahead to scout for a good one. Other groups, many of them larger, fanned out and picked their residence. It was a bit chaotic but eventually she found an empty tent that, in her opinion, was perfect.

From the outside it was nothing fancy, a white canvas tent that she, if it was a Muggle tent, would be loathe to stay in for several weeks with five people. However, this was the magical world, and peeking between the folds of fabric that made up the entrance, it was clear the inside was much larger--not huge, and not the largest tent, but definitely leaving plenty of room for them. The sight brought a smile to her face--perhaps she'd been a witch for two years now, but magic was still amazing her.

The left side was lined with five bunk beds providing places to sleep for ten students, the maximum capacity. Since this tent would only house five, they could each have their own bunk bed if they wanted and wouldn't have to argue over top and bottom bunks. The back right corner was perhaps her favorite part, home to a haphazard pile of cushions that, once arranged, would be absolutely perfect for reading. The rest of the room was empty, leaving room for their trunks, pets, and anything else. As a bonus, strands of lights hung from the tent ceiling, making it all seem quite cozy.

Setting her trunk down, she made her way back to the rest of her group. With a wave of her hand, she led them to where they'd be staying. If Bridget was being entirely honest, she was a bit nervous about all this. What if they didn't like the tent she'd chosen? Should she have gotten their input? Too late to turn back now.

Holding back the tent flap to let them in, she mustered a smile. "Here we are. I guess we can just pick our beds for now..." she trailed off, unsure of herself. Then again, it wasn't really her job to guide them through what to do. From now on, they could just be normal tent mates enjoying summer camp.

Katrina was still not ready to leave the school, even when she was sitting on the stairs leading down from the school watching the trains arrive with her trunk on one side and Boomerang on the other. Even as she watched students pour from the door and happily chat and plan out meetings for later that summer. Even when the Professors waved the students over and Katrina stood and followed the hoard. Even as Katrina took a seat alone on the bus, glad to have the time to herself. It really didn't set in until the sharp blow of the whistle and the rumbling of the train wheels began.

The countryside began traveling past and Katrina was only focused on something she couldn't see outside. Her memories. Minutes formed into hours. The sound of chit chat began to slow until it ceased all together as students slipped into slumber. Katrina stayed awake, occasionally wondering if Bridget was sleeping too or if she was as awake as Katrina was. Bridget was the only person Katrina knew that was coming to the cabin, well-- besides Thora, but Katrina still wasn't sure where they stood.

The train pulled up and everything became a bustling blur as they took a portkey and entered the campground. Katrina spotted Bridget and made her way over letting her friend choose a tent. There was still too much going on for Katrina to focus or make any decisions. When Bridget gave a wave, Katrina headed over, mind still elsewhere.

The tent Bridget chose was pretty plain, small if one where to ask Katrina. However, when Bridget pulled aside the white fabric to display the interior, Katrina gasped in wonder. The inside was huge. Against one wall was five bunk-beds. One corner displayed a corner with several cushions that Katrina assumed she would be in much of the next twenty days. There were several stands of string lights that filled the room with a pleasant ambient light. Katrina knew the moment she set eyes on the room, that she was going to love this place.

"Bridget, this looks great!" Katrina couldn't help but gush as she ran her fingers across the upper bunks. The mattresses were pleasantly plain, ready for each person to customize. Katrina looked back to the girls, "Is it alright if I take this one?" Katrina put her hand on the bottom bunk, farthest from the door and closest to the reading nook.

She swung her sadly light trunk onto the bottom bunk and plopped herself down. The second
third year slipped the bag under the bed, eye brow raising as it hit something under there. Katrina dropped to all fours and drew out a huge box. "What's this?" Katrina murmured, opening the cardboard box and looking at a variety decorations. There were several strings of lights and a couple different colors of bedding material-- teal, pink, purple and a few others too. Along with the decorations was 10 Chocolate Frogs, 10 small bags of Bernie Bots Every Flavor Beans and 10 medium sized bags of Jelly Slugs. "Hey, look at this!" Katrina turned to the rest of her tent-mates and handed up the candies, tossing two of each at each person. "We got candy!"

With a silly grin on her face, Katrina tore open a package of the jelly slugs, popping one in her mouth. She pulled out the teal bedding material and began making the bottom bunk, thankful that she would actually have bedding for the night. After she was finished, Katrina tucked her trunk under the bed.

"So, I'm Katrina Walker," Her words hung in the air as she looked at the five girls. Bridget, Thora, a girl Katrina recognized as a prefect and a girl Katrina hadn't officially met.

This is actually going to be a fun summer, Katrina thought, taking out another slug and munching down on it.

@Thora Larkston | @Bridget Collins | @Illowy Magnard | @Nico Shymane

@Katrina Walker @Bridget Collins @Thora Larkston @Nico Shymane

@Katrina Walker | @Illowy Magnard

At Katrina and Illowy's reassurance, Bridget felt herself relax. It only made sense that they would like the tent since, from what she could tell, they had similar interests. Perhaps they too could picture the cushion pile as a reading nook. She watched as the girls claimed their bunks, Katrina opting for the one farthest from the entrance and Illowy the one closest to it. Interesting. She absent-mindedly wondered if their was a reason for those choices, perhaps a subconscious one.

Bridget made her way to the center bunk, dropping her heavy trunk on the bottom bed. The Slytherin was extremely thankful for such spells as the Levitation Charm--otherwise, she wasn't sure she'd be able to carry it since it literally held everything she needed over the course of the school year. Scaling the side of the bunk bed, she pulled herself up to the top bunk, where she'd be sleeping. The girl had always had an affinity for higher places. It was why she was often seen climbing trees or perching atop the monkey bars even though her mother kept telling her not to. Between the fact she was on the shorter end and liked being the one looking down for once and the vantage point for observation it gave her, you simply couldn't keep her on the ground. Now, she wasn't seen climbing quite so much as she just didn't have time, but she loved flying and, at this particular moment in time, appreciated the complete view it gave her of the tent.

Climbing back down, she crossed to Katrina's bunk where she'd discovered a chest filled with bedding and candy. She grinned, accepting her ration of sweets. The jelly slugs and chocolate frogs she tossed back towards her trunk, but she opened up one of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. A risky choice, but right now, surrounded by current and potentially future friends, one she felt like taking. At best, she'd get one she actually liked, and at worst, she'd give her tentmates a laugh.

Cautiously, she selected one. It was red in color--perhaps strawberry or cherry if she was lucky. Popping it in her mouth, she chewed down on the bean. Her nose wrinkled as the flavor hit her tongue and she swallowed it down as quickly as she could. Oh no. Even though she'd swallowed it as soon as possible, her mouth was still burning, eyes watering. "Shoot... spicy." The incoming third year had never been a huge fan of spicy foods, nor could she understand people who did; why would you want to feel like you mouth was on fire? And now she had a problem--there wasn't anything around to wash it down with.

There was absolutely no way she was going to risk another terrible-tasting bean, so she ran over to where she'd thrown the other candy, ripping open a chocolate frog and shoving it in her mouth. She probably looked rather stupid doing all of that, but the chocolate definitely helped as it slowly melted and took the burning sensation away.

Turning back to the other girls, she did something she didn't do a lot. She laughed. Because, frankly, it was funny. She realized it had been a long time since there had been anything to laugh at, and even when there was, the dark cloud of danger hovering over them, making it hard to muster even a smile. Maybe this was the change they needed.

@Bridget Collins | @Thora Larkston | @Katrina Walker | @Illowy Magnard

Truth be told, the dhampir was quite surprised having received an owl from her fellow Quidditch player, Bridget. Nico didn't know her very well but they did occasionally share some words in team practice and the locker rooms. Small talk, mostly. Her owl was kind. Kind enough to convince her to try this out.

It was going to take place outside of schoolgrounds. A place away from that cursed school, Hogwarts. Of course, everyone who lived or stayed in it, was going to London aswell. But atleast they'd be in a different setting.

Being transported in a portkey to the camp, Nico felt slightly dizzy. She never could get used to this kind of transportation. It made the world spin in an unnatural way. Arriving their together with the other girls she'd stay the few nights with, Nico looked around. For now she didn't feel the energy to converse with them. The sun had started setting and this time of the day was perfect for a creature of the night. The sun was the gentles and a soft light rested upon the many fabric roofs of the many tents around them.

Bridget ran off to fetch their tent and it didn't take too long for her to return. She seemed very excited about it. Curious Nico followed the girls, walking the last in the group. Her eyes scanning the area around them, watching the many other students, excitingly moving into their small homes.

Stopping infront of her new home, it looked small. Would they all be able to fit in there? It made her uncomfortable. For a moment, the dhampir wanted to talk to Bridget about looking for another tent, but she soon came to realise, that this was no ordinairy tent. Of course. Magic. The inside, was way bigger than it seemed. Her eyes grew big as she watched the interior. It was... like a dream. Everything they'd ever wish for, was present. Nico wasn't much of a reader but atleast the lights made her feel warm and mooshy on the inside. A sensation she hadn't really experienced in a while.

'It does look really nice. Wow...' Carrying her one sporty luggage bag, Nico wanted to look for a bunkbed she'd dib on. The other girls already quickly made their pick. She didn't mind. It gave her more time to decide. Eventually she chose one between Katrina and Bridget. Nico didn't mind. She wanted to mingle. To relax with others that really seemed to want her around. A nice, pleasant change of pace. Gently placing her bag down, she unzipped it and allowed a small fluffy ball to run up her shoulder, Pip. A purple pygmy puff. So many new smells for him to take in. He eagerly wiggled its nose as he explored the tent just by scent for now from on Nico's shoulder. 'It's nice, isn't it, Pip?' She softly spoke, not feeling completely comfortable to chat with the others yet. She just listened and had caught the candy that Katrina had thrown at them with bliss. This felt so different than the time at school.

She felt no pressure. Not any fear. It felt so nice. Next from her bag, she pulled out her shark plushie. It was nearly as big as her. Nico didn't really think about what the other girls would think. This was normal to her. Everywhere she went, she always had something to cuddle. Eyeing at her bunkbed, she felt rather excited to later sleep on the top bed. Pip was already ahead of her, climbing up the sides, rolling around on the matress. Nico couldn't help but smile softly.

Her attention was pulled back to the other girls by Bridgets laugh. Apparantly she had eaten something that... really didn't do her any good. Yet, she laughed. It wasn't a mocking laugh or a pitty laugh. It was genuine. This was good.

They were all here for a good time. They deserved it.

Katrina finished up the bag of candy and tossed the wrapper in her pocket, leaving that to deal it later. She sat down on the bed, rumpling the sheets. Katrina pulled up her legs into a crossed position, resting her arms in her lap.

Katrina took a moment to look around the tent, adjusting herself to her temporary home for the first of many times to come this summer. It was pretty cozy, the space ideal to the young girl. It was somewhat secluded and also near enough to other people if she wanted. The lights were a fantastic touch, adding a warmth and comfort to the room. Sure, she would rather have a room to herself, but that wasn't really an option in any tent. And better yet, the people she was with all seemed to be pretty mellow.

There was Bridget. Honestly, Katrina was happy considering Bridget her friend. Bridget had seen Katrina in all of her weakest moments. Sure, she hoped she could help her friend at some point, but now, their friendship was stable. Katrina had leapt at the opportunity to spend a chunk of her summer with her friend. Well, a portion of her summer with Bridget and a few of her friends. They were to spend the last bit of the summer together at Bridget's house too.

Then there was Thora. Katrina wished that they could be friends. But after the accident in the beginning of this year, she knew their relationship would never quite be the same. Still, Katrina was ready to restart, to build trust. Hopefully by the end of all of this, they could be on better terms, maybe even be able to consider each other friends.

Next, Illowy. She had just introduced herself. The girl had a dark, almost marbled black markings across her face and a few other places. Katrina was slightly worried to what had caused those. She wouldn't be the one to ever bring it up. Especially since Katrina herself had a small scar that made her so uncomfortable when people brought it up. She couldn't even fathom how awkward it would be to have so much clearly displayed. Even though the scars seemed very menacing, the girl herself seemed pretty nice and calm. She also had a cat, so Katrina had no worries that Boomerang would be entertained.

Finally, there was the Prefect. Katrina hadn't ever met the girl, but had seen her around a enough to recognize her. Katrina idly watched as a pygmy puff bounced up and played around, causing a half smile to touch Katrina's lips. When the girl went into her bag again and drew out a--rather large-- shark plushie. Katrina actually smiled fuller, the admiration filling her eyes. Anyone willing to take out that adorable shark had to be not threatening.

Katrina felt herself start to relax. Boomerang had been sniffing around the tent, getting acquainted with the space as well. He started at the first bed, the one Illowy had claimed. He leapt onto the mattress, walking around the second year, sniffing at her jelly slugs before leaping off to greet Bridget. He wound himself around her legs, giving her a confused look when she laughed. Boomerang made his way over to Thora, purring a bit and rubbing himself on her trunk and bed, claiming her spot as part of his territory. He then wandered off to the Slytherin Prefect, purring up at her pet pygmy puff and rubbing himself on her shark plushie before heading off toward his owner. He leapt beside Katrina and lay himself down, promptly falling asleep-- clearly pleased with his new surroundings.

"Sorry about all of that, Boomerang sort of has a mind of his own," Katrina blushed, sufficing a strained laugh, realizing that Boomerang had been invading people's space. She picked him up and plopped him on the top bunk along with her Gryffindor sweatshirt that he loved so much. May as well let him have a bed of his favorite material. He quickly cozied into her shirt, purrs fading into silence as he fell asleep.

Katrina took out her sketchbook from her sadly light trunk, flipping idly through the pages. Memories of each one flitted through her mind nostalgically. There wasn't too much of a conversation going on yet, so she felt comfortable getting herself situated for now.

@Thora Larkston | @Bridget Collins | @Illowy Magnard | @Nico Shymane

@Bridget Collins @Katrina Walker @Thora Larkston @Nico Shymane

OOC - I'm so sorry for how late (and lengthy) this is. I tried to respond to most people's dialogue/actions, so I apologize if things got a little mixed up in the process and the order is a bit off

Thora quite frankly wasn't sure what to think of summer camp. Last year's had definitely been fun, although it'd been overshadowed by her parents' apparent disappointment of her being a witch, and she had no doubt this one would be the same ─ fun. No ─ this year's was sure to be better. While the end of her first year had seen a near-friendless, shy girl with a still-disappearing paranoia of meeting strangers into summer, she was no longer so scared. Events ─ the two balls and the Slytherin attack, mostly ─ had certainly had their negative effects, sending her into a downward spiral and total avoidance of social interaction after each, respectively, but they'd also awoken a bit of something like courage that had previously been totally absent from her character. She wasn't brave, no, but it would be suffice to say that she'd departed from the castle with a glint of excitement in her eyes, rather than the paranoid look of the hunted.

Approaching the portkey, though, some of the fear had returned. While she was able to adjust rather quickly to new things, she wasn't exactly a fan of them. Things were just fine in their proper place, with a perfect balance of disturbance ─ enough to keep life from being mundane, yet not so much that everything was thrown off-kilter ─ and likewise, Thora definitely preferred familiar ways to new ones. Though it was true that she had not much experience in transportation in general, she knew she'd never travelled by portkey. She most likely had come across the subject in a book, and therefore somewhat understood the gist of what a portkey did, but what was knowledge without experience?

Now, that didn't mean that she wished to travel by portkey. Although she supposed it might actually be a nice ride, it was both a downright confusing method of transportation (though of course, it was a necessary step in their journey) and a leap into uncharted territory. What if it didn't work? What if they were whisked away to the wrong place? What if─

But she couldn't think about that now. Summer camp was going to be great fun ─ certainly a more enjoyable experience than her months at home would be, she was sure ─ and this was just a step they had to take. And so, before she could overthink further, they were whisked away, wrapped in threads of color like she'd never seen before.

An unusually disoriented Thora stared out into the campsite, curious green hues scanning over the huge field of tents. She was glad that Bridget had reached out to her already concerning tent arrangements ─ had she not, Thora was quite sure that she would have a properly miserable time. Though considerably more social than previously, she knew full well it would be difficult for her to take such initiative. Even she understood her weaknesses, of course. Wonderment was evident in her smile as she studied the ocean of settlements, for it was a new start and chock-full of opportunities. The Quidditch stadium was amazing as well ─ she'd only known the sport for a year but had come to love it in the short time, and the full-sized pitch was rather awe-inspiring. This was going to be perfect.

Pulled out of her reverie by her best friend's wave, Thora blinked the last vestiges of confusion from her eyes, starting hastily towards the simple structure which would be her home for the following weeks of a golden summer. It didn't seem like anything special, but then again, she didn't know what exactly to expect, not having stayed in a tent for any length of time before. She'd grown up with little, though, so the small, homey tent was just fine with her. In fact, she rather liked it, a fact that dawned on her as steadily as she approached. Sheets of alabaster canvas were draped just so, creating a tent she knew she would be proud to call hers ─ well, partially hers, of course.

Her eyes widened as she peered inside as if expanding to observe all that there was. In all that she'd found herself caught up in, the brunette had just about forgotten about how truly wonderful magic was. While the tent had seemed a humble, almost pathetically small sort of accommodation from the outside, that impression was quickly disregarded in the face of the interior. Bunk beds were aligned perfectly against one side with ample room otherwise, proving that the tent was in fact many times larger than a first glance would suggest. Looking up, her eyes met fairy lights strewn about, casting a warm glow across the interior like spun gold. She grinned at the admittedly Muggle touch; it seemed they were a fairly common decoration nowadays, even here in the clearly magical tent. The pillows were an intriguing touch, to be honest, but she was quite sure they could rearrange them artfully. But that was for later.

First, her surroundings.

A pink lemonade-colored tinge rose to her cheeks as she glanced around, remembering that she was far from alone. No doubt they were all already used to the ways and uses of magic, whether Muggleborn or wizard-born, and had moved on without a second thought, whereas she still stood amazed by what all was inside the unassuming abode. Oops. "Looks lovely," she offered Bridget a grin and a thumbs-up, who had claimed them the tent Thora so already loved. Ah, and then the bunk-picking. It was probably a good thing that there were five entire beds, rather than simply five bunks, for while she tended not to care whether she received the top or bottom bunk, it was completely the opposite with her sister. Being the elder, Thora was quite aware that if she really wanted something from her sister, she'd have to take it forcefully. Still, though, she tended to be laid back, not minding what she ended up getting. There were bigger things to worry about, really.

Crossing over to the only bed which remained, she tossed her belongings atop the bottom bunk (she was neither strong nor tall enough to get them all the way onto the top one in one go), more carefully settling a small cage beside it all. As the unmistakable squawks of a certain Eastern Screech owl reached the girl's ears, she turned back to the bird behind slender bars of metal, shooting her something between a glare and a look of sympathy. After all, she hated to restrain her beloved owl so, but there simply wasn't another way to take her with her. "Shush," Thora whispered, positioning the cage as to not allow it to fall off the precarious bunk, yet also so that the bird could properly feel the light of day. "I know you hate this, but there's no other way," she fixed a sterner gaze upon her pet. It was normal for one to talk to their pets, right? Eh, whatever. She was pretty positive she'd heard seemingly one-sided dialogue from others with animals in tow before, anyway.

And now for the tentmates.

"Hullo," she scooted to the edge of the bunk to get a proper view of the others, "I think I know all of you, but anyway, I'm Thora." Relieved at the fact that she was not to tent with strangers, she allowed a smile to pull at the corners of her mouth, turning them upwards. Well, actually, she was comfortable with each of them at a different level, but all four girls were familiar faces.

Bridget, of course, was undeniably her best friend and likely one of the only people she trusted in the entire world. As for Illowy, she'd been one of Thora's opponents in her first and so far only duel, a humiliating defeat she typically disliked looking back upon. Still, the duel hadn't at all made her negatively disposed towards the other girl, and they'd been dormmates the rest of the year. Though Thora certainly couldn't claim to know her well, she seemed quite nice. Nico was her prefect and Quidditch teammate, and she rather enjoyed her company. With Katrina, things were… complex, to say the least. To be blunt, she'd avoided the Gryffindor for about a year because of a Flipendo and a resultant bookshelf to the head. Like all petty disputes, the incident had been a perfectly rational excuse for avoidance at the time, but a year later, Thora felt almost embarrassed at the pathetic excuse for a broken friendship. Whether or not they made it up, though, trust didn't come easy to the young girl with few friends. Although she'd pretty much already forgiven Katrina, healing wounds and rebuilding relationships would take much longer ─ excruciatingly long with Thora, in fact. But that, again, was for a later time.

Finally, she rose from her bottom bunk, intending to set up the top one a bit with apparently provided bedding. She glanced once more at Caoimhe (otherwise known as Kiwi, since it's immensely easier to say and spell), who'd quieted down, choosing to turn her feathery back on everything rather than squawk eternally. Oh, that bird was a character. Although she was quite small and bore a name meaning gentle ─ clearly a horrible idea, since it was quite misleading ─ the owl seemed to have a constant source of energy, always making sounds or bouncing around. Honestly, Thora'd briefly considered trying to leave her behind in the castle, not wanting to have to deal with an annoying bird all summer, much less have her irritate all of her tentmates. The idea had quickly been scratched, though, since she needed the convenience of owl correspondence ─ both at camp and back in Ireland ─ to contact her few friends. And Evelynn, for that matter. That information relay was a must.

She glanced over at Katrina at the mention of candy ─ apparently, there'd been a stash of sugar just waiting for them, along with the bedding. That was quite nice. Thora caught her portion deftly, depositing them immediately onto her bottom bunk. So perhaps training as Slytherin's reserve keeper for most of the past season had come in handy after all, improving her hand-eye coordination and all that. She rather liked sweets and had kept a few on hand ─ sherbet lemons and chocolate frogs, mostly ─ but didn't tend to consume too many at a time. Besides, sugar was always good to have available when idle ─ perhaps for when she watched the Quidditch match, or even chess combat. Smiling at her tentmates as they sampled the delectables, she crossed the tent and reached into the box, drawing out a sheet colored deep emerald. Perfect.

To be completely honest, she hadn't liked the color green too much before arriving at Hogwarts, preferring shades of blue instead, but being sorted into Slytherin had changed that. Wearing the color almost every day, after all, had to make a student either like it or despise it. Although the adjusting to her house had taken a short while, Thora had quickly come to be a proud member and could no longer see herself anywhere else. So, yes, emerald was now one of her more favored colors, and bedding of the same shade was quite neat. In fact, it just made the bunk seem a lot like her bed in the Dorea Potter dorm.

Her tentative smile broke out into an unbridled grin as Bridget laughed, having tried an apparently spicy bean. That was a sound she certainly didn't hear often. Of course, there were always good times, whether with the team on the pitch, with housemates in the dungeons, or just brief moments of joy, but the student body as a whole had seemed incredibly tense as of recently. Thora had either heard of or experienced much of the different causes of the constant apprehensiveness, and thus could completely understand it, but the feeling almost like a lack of joy was rather oppressive. So to be able to let go of Hogwarts and stress for a couple months, both physically and somewhat mentally, seemed to be doing them all good already.

Tossing the sheets onto the top bunk so she could make it up later ─ being up high was always nice ─ she caught sight of an orange ball of fur. No, a cat. Right. Reaching down to run a hand down his soft back before he leaped gracefully away, Thora glanced up when Katrina apologized. "Yeah, it's all good," she echoed Illowy. Cats had never been the superior in her opinion on the perpetual dog-cat debate, but they were still cute. Besides, she appreciated most animals, and was perfectly comfortable with them around, having grown up on a farm. But as for Caoimhe… Thora had been quite pleased with the bird's silent sulking, but she'd swivelled around and caught sight of the orange cat, letting out a chirp as she did so. "Shush."

"I'm so sorry," the brunette glanced around at her tentmates apologetically, "This obnoxious ball of feathers is Caoimhe. Or Kiwi. She's slightly, uh, loud, but I'll get her to quiet down. Promise." Another scathing glare sent the owl's head back facing the wall, and the atmosphere was squawk-free once more. Phew.

@Katrina Walker | @Illowy Magnard | @Nico Shymane | @Thora Larkston
July 5th, 2020

It was several days after they'd arrived, the girls lounging around their tent. In the heat of the day with nothing else to do, they were cooped up in their magically air-conditioned tent. The pile of pillows in the corner she'd noticed on the first night had since been arranged into a sitting area, which was where Bridget was now, leaning up against the side of the tent. She was reading 'Magical Drafts and Potions', a book that she'd read several times before but was reviewing to identify the potions they'd be learning this upcoming year.

Bridget was the only one in the group without a pet--Katrina and Illowy had their cats, Thora her rather loud owl, and Nico some weird fluffy ball thing. While they were tending to the animal counterparts, she would stand somewhat awkwardly off to the side. The time wasn't solely an uncomfortable reminder of her continued absence of a pet, though; she paid extra attention to what Thora was doing with Kiwi since she finally had money enough to buy herself an owl this year.

The Capture the Base game had been the previous day, although none of them had gone. It wasn't because of not being able to get there on time, at least in Bridget's case as she'd been up before eleven, but she just... hadn't felt up for it. Competition usually excited her, but for once she'd declined the opportunity. She just needed a break, really. Chess Combat in a few days would be a different story and she had every intention to join that, if only for the sake of working on her casting ability.

Grand Pepperup Potion... that'll be useful. She looked up from her reading for a moment to survey her tentmates. Bridget couldn't help but smile a bit--this was positively the most fun she'd had in a while. None of them were particularly extroverted, but conversation was pleasant enough, and they were all content to sit in silence, too. All in all, she thought she'd done a pretty good job of choosing who to invite.

The first few days had chugged along slowly. Katrina had finally gotten used to waking each morning with a view of fabric. She would get dressed and ready for the day and settle on her bottom bunk or a bean bag and draw or journal or study. Katrina had finally gotten used to three meals a day, they weren’t large, but they were consistent. Right after breakfast, Katrina would go out for a run and come back before the heat finally settled in.

That’s where she was right now. Katrina had just come back from her run and settled on a bean bag somewhat close to Bridget with some old school papers that she was taking notes on in her journal. It felt familiar, the silence of studying. Sure, it was summer, but both Bridget and her obviously continued learning. Katrina was sure that she could recite this essay on ghosts backwards while running at this point. However, Katrina hadn’t had the time or money to get any new material.

Boomerang pushed through the flaps of the tent and came in. Katrina watched with mild worry as he climbed onto the bottom bunk and began licking leaves and mud from his coat of fur. Katrina remembered seeing him in her run, but she had figured he just went out, walked around, and returned. But it seemed he had had an adventure. If only she could actually control her feline.

Katrina bent over the edge of the beanbag to a small gathering of things and set her papers beside it. She drew her wand, a chocolate frog, and a book back into her lap. Katrina tore the package open and crammed the whole chocolate shamelessly into her mouth, tucking the wrapper and collectible thing in her pocket. She cracked the DADA book to Chapter 8 and twirled her wand in her fingers.

Every once and a while, Katrina would mouth an incantation or swish her wand. There wasn’t much magic she could do during the summer, but she hoped she could get a leg up on school work by imitating things.

It was slow, time was, “I wish summer were over already,” Katrina didn’t realize until after she had spoke that she had. The Gryffindor bit her lip and looked at her wand, avoiding making eye contact with anyone startled or confused by her quiet outburst. That was one way to start a conversation.

@Thora Larkston | @Bridget Collins | @Illowy Magnard | @Nico Shymane