House of Toads PV Group 1 Errand

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Toads. The slimy animals were never Thora's favorite, honestly, but they weren't half bad. Several times had she observed other people's reactions to the pleasantly smooth-skinned animals, and it seemed that not many people seemed to share her view. True, she'd grown up on a farm and wasn't at all uncomfortable around animals. True, having been bullied for her entire childhood, the Larkston farm's pastures and its animals were typically one of the little girl's favorite places of refuge. But still, frogs deserved a little respect.

Thora hadn't too much exposure to frog care, and at first, she really didn't care much since they weren't exactly the cutest animals, however innocent they actually were. But she'd joined Frog Choir--mostly on the premise of meeting new people and getting to know more people she had met recently--and at least a little knowledge would be nice. After all, useless knowledge was better than none at all, wasn't it?

So Thora had signed up for an errand. It was kind of habit for her to jump at every opportunity for any reward at all, though, so it shouldn't have been surprising to anyone. Of course, a little extra pocket money would have been nice, but house points were just as great. Actually, at this point, it was even more motivation for Thora to participate. House spirit was something that was never absent at Hogwarts. Every student seemed to have it, or at least get pulled into the sometimes friendly competition between houses. Thora herself hadn't been too keen on it upon her arrival, not only because she didn't feel very much like a cunning snek, but mostly because everything was just so new. Still, the girl had adjusted quickly and was now very, very much proud of her house. And if building tiny houses for sweet little frogs could earn her house points, she was up for it.

It wasn’t at all like Thora didn't have homework to do. No, she had loads of it, and in fact, the little Slytherin was trying her best to ignore the pile of books with parchment sandwiched between the pages that was currently lying on her bed, waiting to be opened. But a commitment was a commitment. The overly-committed girl had tossed her name on the sign-up sheet as quick as it went up, and she wasn't about to conveniently "forget".

It seemed that the brunette was the first participant there, as only a tall boy stood silhouetted against the bright sky. Thora didn't know him but assumed he was a prefect of some sort that was supposed to help them or at least instruct them. After all, they had already seen the disaster and chaos that rose when a bunch of little Hogwarts students ran around unsupervised. It wasn't pretty, and people almost died. Hunching and shrugging bony shoulders under yet another hoodie she'd found in her trunk, Thora tried to hide from everything. From the cold air to the thoughts running rampant through her mind. Why couldn't she just escape from it all?

Finally, a few more people trickled in and the prefect began explaining. He didn't introduce himself, but that was fine with Thora. Weren't people with prefect badges supposed to be trustworthy? She'd met enough prefects, though, and supposed it couldn't be a scam. Why was she being so paranoid? Thora had recently started bringing herself out of her blue funk and trying to at least be a little more positive. Being surrounded by people she knew, some better than others, certainly helped. But crafting little houses, while an art she wasn't exactly the most skilled at, was fun. And she was doing it alone, with no one she knew. Well, she supposed she could meet people. But when you couldn't even get a full sentence out to a stranger, how were you supposed to make friends?

So as the boy left the students to their devices, Thora steeled herself and stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Thora," she said with a smile, scooping up a clay pot and an admittedly small handful of rocks. She blushed slightly as a few stones dropped between her tiny fingers. Carrying her supplies to an open area of grass just next to the Greenhouses--the first one, of course--Thora got to work, cutting out a rather large hole. The girl smiled a little wider as she found that she actually enjoyed the work. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

WC: 743

@Thora Larkston, @Katrina Walker, @Adamina Scasson, and @Jo Morgan

Ever since she had started at Hogwarts, Evelynn had felt tentative. As though a line existed to tether her to her muggle world, to hold her back from overcoming her insecurities about whether she actually belonged here. It had been a grind for her initially, a routine of attending classes, keeping her head down to work, studying in the library and seeking solace in the dungeons. It had suited her well enough. Had kept her out of trouble and out of the lime-light.

Now, however, at the midway mark of the first school year, the daily status quo had gone out the window. She'd gotten a taste of the break in pattern with her first effort to aid Professor MacTavish with the gathering and drying of herbs from the school gardens. Since then, Evelynn had been on the look-out for other such opportunities. Extracurricular lessons with Professor Zahid had been among the first chances she had jumped at. Crafting in the great hall and decorating the common room prior to the holidays had been another. She began attending Quidditch matches, dove into the Potter case, joined the S.W.A.G Club, and even initiated the Liberation Club. And now, the next break of monotony had presented itself. Her mother had encouraged her to branch out; she'd be proud.

* * *

When Evelynn finally arrived on scene, her face was flushed rose with the chill of the winter air, Gryffindor scarf wrapped snugly about her neck, and gloves already on hand, ready for work. She wasn't entirely certain what to expect with the errand, so she had come prepared to face the elements.

"Hello, Professor," she offered to MacTavish as she filed into the greenhouse.

And then, "Good morning," to the student with the prefect badge pinned to his robes. She didn't recognize him, but given that he was standing up front with the prof and arranging some supplies, she gather he must have been assisting in some way.

Filing in amongst the other gathered students, Evelynn allowed herself to be one among the crowd. A few of the faces were vaguely familiar, but most were not. She entertained herself with people watching for a while as stragglers made their way in, but directed her attention forward the moment that Professor MacTavish began to speak, keen to hear what this errand was all about.

Toad houses! That explained a lot, actually. Such as the collection of clay pots at the front that she had thought they might have been using for the repotting of plants in preparation for spring. And the rocks and decorative pieces that hadn't really fit in with that hypothesis. Not to mention the big toad that she then spotted, sitting comfortably in the shadows of what she assumed was an example of one of these toad houses. She watched as the Prefect moved from his station of supplies to the toad, picked him up and placed it atop his head of all places. Evelynn cast him a quizzical look. She wasn't quite certain how she'd feel about having a toad on her head. A cat, she had done in the past, but they were warm and fuzzy. A toad seemed…unpleasant.

When the students had been separated into groups, and the Prefect had finished his preamble, Evelynn strode smoothly forward awaiting her turn to select supplies. A pot, some dirt, some rocks… those seemed pretty standard. It was the decorative pieces on which she found herself somewhat hung. She pictured the minimalist interior of her own home, and considered withholding from gaudy decorations altogether. But then the image of a fairy garden came to mind, one that she had seen set up so beautifully in the garden of a next-door neighbour. The whimsy of the scene had left her with such a warm feeling at the time. She decided this was what she wished to attempt to emulate. Thus, when it came time, she grabbed a broken pot, smooth rocks of various sizes, pebbles, dirt, bits of dried moss and twigs and string, and several other items.

Making her way to the area of the greenhouse where her group was to assembled their toad houses, a smile spread across her lips as she imagined the final project. She was the second individual to arrive.

"Oh, hey Thora," Evelynn greeted, recognizing the girl as the Slytherin she had bumped into -- almost literally -- outside of the Potions classroom the week previous. "How are you?"

Evelynn sat herself down nearby and arranged her things. The first thing she did was to center the clay pot in front of her. It was one of the less pristine pieces. There were cracks in its walls, some holes where the walls met base. Evelynn was okay with that, and had selected it intentionally, in fact. She had decided to make a frog cave to spare herself accidentally breaking it all over again in any attempt to cut out a doorway. As a result, though, she wanted to make sure there was some opportunity for drainage in case water were to accumulate inside. Nobody liked a flooded home. Still, she didn't want the cracks all over it, as that would only increase the rate of degradation.

Pulling her wand from her pocket, she pointed at the pot and stated, "Reparo."

The cracks knitted themselves back together nicely, as did some of the smaller holes. The larger ones remained as they were given that the pieces were missing and couldn't be repaired. Stowing her wand back away, Evelynn set the pot on its side upon the ground so that the holes were underneath and hidden.

Word Count: 940 | Total Count: 940

Katrina grumbled as she made her way down the stairs from the Gryffindor Common Room. She bristled as she tied her red and gold scarf around her neck and pushed open the massive doors. The icy chill of the weather caused the lion to pull her cloak closer and shove her red hat farther on her head. She trudged to Herbology with her black shoes dragging on the grass. The cold and the wind and the overcast weather just annoyed the 12-year-old as she walked.

She wasn't going to Herbology class-- she was merely doing an errand for a professor. At this point, she was debating why she had even wanted to. They were supposed to make houses for toads. Katrina didn't know why they needed homes, she just wanted to help out… when they signed up.

After listening to the instructions, she went to grab her materials. The tired girl almost bumped into Thora. She quickly scuttled away not wanting to be nice to anyone. She just wanted to drown in her misery. In her hands was a handful of dirt and a medium sized clay pot. The girl found a spot near some trees and plopped herself down.

Everything was going wrong. Everything. She had woken up late, for her alarm didn't go off, and missed breakfast. She had barely made it to first period before the bells rang. Each class droned on and on and she fell asleep during potions. She had never done that. Ever. Katrina had never slept in any class her entire life. She woke up blushing and with her face half smooshed when a rambunctious Slytherin threw something at her. The Professor luckily didn't see her asleep, but she had missed part of the lesson. Her last class period, she had received a low grade on her test-- that was the breaking point. After classes she raced to her room and buried her head in her pillow. Boomerang, her pet kitten had jumped atop her and scratched her back on accident. She moped the rest of the evening and did some of her mountain of work before scrambling to this errand which she didn't even want to do.

Katrina shoved the clay pot down and made her first house. A whirlwind of bad emotions brewed inside her. Katrina wanted to cry, scream, and melt into a puddle of sadness. She was tired, angry, resentful, embarrassed and not wanting to be there. She felt the emotions bubble up and finished the first house.

She sat back on her heels. Slowly, she made her way back to get more materials and almost ran into someone.

Word Count: 440

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Interactions: @Evelynn Decipio | @Katrina Walker

A perplexed expression found its way onto Thora's face. An eyebrow quirked and her brow furrowed as she glanced at her work, wondering what she was supposed to do with it. Typically, her creativity was not something the girl lacked--in fact, it was part of her personality itself--but something just seemed to be draining her ideas. She couldn't think. Well, at least she had succeeded in finally cutting a jagged hole with a stick. A slightly sharpened stick she had sharpened shavings off of with a pointed rock.

Thora'd had a rather irrational paranoia of spears and pocketknives ever since the Masquerade Ball. After seeing two stabbings--accidental, yes, but still tragic--the sharp objects stirred up something in between fear and rage in the young girl. Even scissors gave her flashbacks. Most would call it stupid, and Thora would believe them. She was just a scared little girl in a big world, after all. So, it hurt a little even just to use the even the thin stick to cut into the clay bowl.

"Hey, Evelynn!" the girl said brightly as she spotted the redhead walking by. She'd met the Gryffindor just the previous week in the hallway, where she had practically wasted an hour of the other girl's work. It had not been one of Thora's brightest moments. It would've been nice to converse with Evelynn a little bit, maybe get to know the girl a little better, but it seemed that there were other people. Of course there were other people.

Enter Katrina. She didn't look in a great mood--in fact, her current state could only be describe as an anxious wreck. And while Thora liked to consider the two as enemies, she couldn't anymore. Was she wary? Of course she was. The Gryffindor probably ranked among the top students at Hogwarts she tried to avoid. But Katrina had proved herself enough that Thora was willing to approach her. Especially if she looked like that.

And then a girl Thora had probably never seen before during her time at Hogwarts showed up, sitting herself next to Evelynn. So much for a conversation. Between walking around, classes, and meals, the Slytherin had seen most everyone at the school. Names were a different story, but at least she could recognize her fellow students. So as mystery girl began to work rather violently on her house, Thora couldn't help but grimace.

Sure, creativity was always, always helpful, and the prefect in charge had reiterated that, but hitting a clay pot with a stick? That was a little excessive. And then came the glitter. Merlin, what was that girl up to? Thora wasn't one to be rude, and certainly didn't show any of her dismay at the amount of sparkle going on the originally natural-looking house, but it was quite clear that she did not share the girl's taste.

Tomboy was the closest word to stereotype Thora. True, crafts and painting were well in her expertise and she had no problem with them, but anything girly was a big no-no. Sparkles, unicorns, hot pink, whatever. Thora hated it all. The student appeared to be younger, and her enthusiasm was certainly welcome in the cooler atmosphere, but the glitter…

Examining the small handful of pebbles she had grabbed in her first sweep of the supply area, Thora sorted them into lighter and darker tones. Perhaps she could make a sort of alternating pattern? She'd always been told that she had an eye for design, for detail. While the snek was ever the first to doubt herself, she decided that she had better put it to good use, if it was really true.

Making her way over to the haphazard stack of pebbles, Thora was hardly looking where she was going. As she bumped lightly into another figure, she bit her lip. Not again. Twice in a week? This was just getting worse and worse. And backing away, Thora realized that it was Katrina. Was it her fault this time? The brunette didn't like being at fault and often apologized over, and over, and over, and over until she probably appeared as a little annoying kid. But sometimes, it was her problem.

"I-I'm so sorry," Thora squeezed out with a smile, "Are you okay, there?" Obviously, the Gryffindor wasn't okay. But Thora honestly didn't have anything else to say--she wasn't in the place to, anyways, not even knowing the other girl that well. Their friendship wasn't one she missed as much as others, and, well, Katrina had let her down. But right now, she could help. Even if a kind smile and a few words was all she could muster, at least it was something.

Maybe the other girls would know her better. Maybe they wouldn't. But Thora felt that she had done her part, at least for now. Collecting more stones and a bottle of glue, she returned her work, carefully spreading a thin layer of the sticky substance onto the surface of her bowl. Stone after stone was lovingly but quickly laid on as Thora worked to maintain the pattern. To her relief, it worked out.

Stuffing a bit of moss into the cracks, Thora tried to make sure that none of the glue was still visible. She didn't want any toads getting sick--sure, the innocuous glue probably wouldn't do a speck of harm to the frogs, but it was better to be safe than sorry. And with a final tuft of moss near the doorway, she was done. Green eyes flickering over her masterpiece, Thora straightened. It was time for another one.

@Jo Morgan, @Thora Larkston

Evelynn was almost taken aback with the near ferocious approach with which Jo took to the task. The redhead had been, not lackluster per say, but somewhat plodding in her own way. Thoughtful and methodical. Every stone and pebble was placed with care and consideration as to how it appeared in the whole of the image. She wanted it to be just right. Not that she thought that a toad would have any sort of appreciation for what she envisioned, but that didn't stop her from wishing to create something artistic. She had been so caught up with schoolwork and studying and practicing spells and trying to sort out the details of the Potter case that she really hadn't spent much time in the more creative outlets that she used to enjoy. So she took her time.

"Hey, Evelynn!"

Evelynn was in the middle of crafting a winding pebble pathway to the entrance when the greeting pulled her attention. She looked up to see a familiar face passing by. Offering a smile, she raised a hand in a brief wave and answered, "Hi, Thora," before returning to her work.

Next she worked on arranging and stacking some rougher stones off from the path into something of a well. Next to it, she built a little bench, going so far as to bend and tie small twigs into as elaborate a backing as she could. She collected some stiffer bits of wood to serve as fence poles next, then attached them together with crossed twigs to make a continuous fence. Around either side of the pot, she planted miniature gardens with herbs and grasses, and even added a sprinkling of the smallest little toadstools she could find.

As she was arranging moss to fill the space in what she would have considered its yard, she glanced over to Jo's creation, and frowned. It, too, had moss in front. And it was so…Evelynn didn't even have words to describe it. There were crystal-like stone pickets, stacks of stones that looked sort of like inuksuks, and glitter everywhere. It was while Evelynn was marveling at the brilliant chaos that Jo posed her question.

"Uh…" Evelynn stammered, brows lifting as grey eyes darted around the busy creation and wheels spun in an attempt to think of what else could possibly be added. It was then that it occurred to her that it sort of reminded her of a castle. Maybe it was the glitter that made that whimsical connection.

"What about a moat?" she suggested quizzically. "Or maybe a fountain of some sort? I dunno… Maybe some hedges or little plants to complement the stonework?"

Word Count: 440 | Total Count: 1380

Thora looked up as Katrina bumped into her. She apologized then asked if Katrina was okay. The kind look in Thora's concerned glance snapped her out of her mood. Instantly the clouds of worry and regret and annoyance vanished. It was like someone took a black wall and painted perfect, pure white on top covering all of the darkness. Katrina met her eyes felt much better, that was what she needed. Someone to care, it was even more powerful coming from the snek.

The two were pretty close friends. Katrina would even dare calling them best friends-- one would have to do a lot to gain that status. But then, the lioness had messed everything up. They were in the library when Katrina had heard a sound in one of the halls. She freaked out-- as she was definitely not the bravest Gryffindor. In her fright, Katrina had cast the knockback Charm on Thora. It was accident and reflex, she had not meant any harm. But the damage had been done. Katrina had been struggling to apologize sincerely and leave the past behind. If the snake could care enough now to ask how she was, certainly Katrina could begin to rebuilt the torn trust.

"I... It's just been a long day," her response was quick and they both went their separate ways.

With Katrina trying to change her outlook, she had found many things very different. She often hid behind a mask of sorts. She also had heaps of guilt that she was struggling to shake away. Sure, the 12-year-old had went from a shy, nobody to a person willing to introduce herself to strangers, but that all came with a price.

The girl sat down beside her angerly dug hole. The pot lay perfectly on it's side in it and rested with the mouth open toward the tree to her left. After a quick glance at the creativity of the homes around her, she began to feel creativity flow into her mind. First, she placed a large bed of moss on the inside of the pot, almost like a thick green rug. It would serve as a bed and a warmer. She carefully crafted a wall of small sticks and twigs with a perfectly sized opening to the outside. The lioness used some craft glue to fasten it in place. With some pointers from other girls talking-- Katrina created a small path up to the door. She used her knuckle to make indents in the soft earth. She placed small pebbles in each like a stepping stone path. The girl took some leaves and covered the pot in them like paper Mache, using the craft glue to stick it on. The result, a homey pot with leaves, twigs, and moss. All natural and relatively well-looking.

Katrina strode over to the boy who had been giving instructions. He had said that they could use the frog for reference. She measured his body with a stick and returned to the pot. Sure enough, he would fit perfectly. A little chubbier and the amphibian would have to squeeze to get in, but it worked.

The Gryffindor sat on her heels and closed her eyes. The cheerfulness from a few moments prior disappeared, and the gloom shadowed her mind again. Katrina replayed the interaction with Thora in her mind and slowly, she was able to sweep away the darkness. Sure, it didn't work as well, but it was a start.

"What about a moat? Or maybe a fountain of some sort? I dunno… Maybe some hedges or little plants to complement the stonework?"

WC: 700 Total WC: 1175 Errand Complete!

@Jo Morgan

Evelynn returned to her own work for a time, continuing to build her vision of a little fairy garden. But as she worked, she found her attention drawn once again to Jo's creation. This time, it wasn't Jo's question that commanded the redhead's attention, but rather the appearance of a shift in strategy. The moat had been dug with swift ferocity, Evelynn noted. Instead of water, however, it was being filled with glitter.

Evelynn cocked her brow with a tilt of her chin. How curious. She flicked her gaze up to Jo's downturned face, trying to read her housemate's expression. It hadn't been lost on Evelynn that the glitter that had once graced nearly every surface of the creation was now being swept and shaken into the mote. Like feelings being cast aside to be drowned. Evelynn bit her lip, her own gaze dipping back to the moat, and then short-thereafter to her own work. She hoped she hadn't spoken out of turn. But she couldn't have. Right? She hadn't voiced her thoughts at how gaudy she had thought the display to be. But maybe her face had said it for her? Her brows crinkled in thought, not particularly pleased by that prospect. Her lack of control over her emotions tended to be her weakness, one that often got her into trouble or in over her head in various situations. But she thought she'd been supportive this time...

She cast a glance over to the moat again. It was actually turning out to have been quite a clever shift, she admitted. The glitter almost looked like the ripples of water catching sunlight. And the faint smattering of glitter that remained over the rest of the project...

"It looks like dew," Evelynn smiled, glancing up to Jo with what she hoped was a heartening expression. "The glitter now. Like a light covering of droplets of water just catching the first rays of sun on a clear morning."

But Jo's rising suggested that the Gryffindor was well and past over being here.

"Hey, wait!" Evelynn called after her, hastily finding somewhere to place her just-about-but-not-quite-finished project. She'd have to apologize to Professor MacTavish later, but it seemed like Jo was upset; and to Evelynn, that took priority.

"Hey..." Evelynn said again when she had caught up to Jo, her tone concerned and questioning. "You okay?"

Word Count: 400 | Total Count: 1780