| Details for Lakeside Lounging |
| Summary: | A lakeside tree sees the ebb and flow of casual student conversation. |
| Date: | 09/23/1937 |
| Location: | Lake Shore, Hogwarts |
| Related: | None |
| Characters |
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There's a tree down by the shore, with roots that curve around a rock and then dip into the water to drink. On that rock, in the crook between large roots that she can lean back against, is a girl with a ponytail. The wind tugs at said ponytail, lifting strands of hair here and there, but not really stirring it too much, so it focuses more of its attention on the sketchbook she has open in her lap. Her left arm has to lay flat along the edge to keep the paper down while she works, her pencil traveling quickly across the page. Her tie pronounces her to be of the house of Ravenclaw, and she looks to be… maybe fourth year, since her limbs have started to reach that gangly stage.
Est approaches the lake from the Greenhouses, an open topped box in his arms. "Good afternoon, my lady!" he offers brightly, setting the box down a safe distance from the shore so it won't get wet. If Elspeth looks, she'll see it's filled with plants from the greenhouse, common potion ingrediants. He starts rolling up his sleeves, neatly folding them back.
"Excuse me!" Lois has been rounding the lakeshore from the opposite direction, pausing here and there to scoop up this lost artifact or that bit of abandoned old tat. By the time she reaches Elspeth's tree, the Sixth Year's arms are taking on the appearance of a mobile rummage bin: abandoned robes, four ties from three different Houses, two textbooks, a fetching lady's hat, and, sitting bemusedly on her shoulder, someone's lost pet rat. Still, she looks rather puzzled, and a little annoyed. "Have you seen spectacles lying around, by any chance? One of the First Years said she lost hers down by the lake, and of /course/ she hasn't a spare pair, the little nuisance."
Elspeth looks up to as she hears Est's voice, and smiles to him. "Hullo, Prince," she greets him. "What are you going to be brewing today?" Then her gaze shifts as she watches the prefect approaching. "I am sorry. I have not seen any spectacles. But I was not looking for any when I came down. Would you like me to help you find them?"
Est shrugs and grins. "I don't really know yet. Figured I'd just toss it all in there and see what comes out of it. I've been doing better, only exploded one cauldron so far." This is quite good for the Hufflepuff, by this time last year he'd already lost five. "Oh, is that them? Wait, no, it's just a shiny rock." Est picks up the object in question and tries to skip it across the lake. It sinks.
"No, but thank you for offering," says Lois, with a warm smile for Elspeth. "No need for two of us to worry about it." She glances down at her armload of lost-and-found for a thoughtful moment, before adding, mild as milk: "I'm not /entirely/ certain this wasn't a rather blatant runaround to get me away from the common room for a bit, anyway. It's almost as if they haven't learnt yet that there are six of us in the Tower, and we /talk/ to each other." She's only just looking up when Est's comments sink in. The Sixth Year raises her eyebrows. "That sounds… like a slightly impractical way to learn Potions."
The trio are all in the vicinity of a large tree by the lakeshore: Elspeth sitting amongst the roots with a sketchbook, Est with a box of plants, and Lois with an armload of miscellaneous lost items she's been collecting up from the shoreline.
Elspeth grins to Est, and then nods once to Lois as the older student waves away the offer. "I am not doubting you will return to see them perched on her nose." She does, however, close her sketchbook and stow it safely in her satchel. "It is the Prince method of potion crafting. Or crafting anything for that matter, it is running in the family, I think that is your expression, yes?"
Gabrielle will come from the courtyard, looking back over her shoulder, almost like she's being followed. She has her now blonde hair in a braid, and has her sketchbook in hand. she doesn't seem to notice the trio at first as she breaths a sigh of relief and looks out over the lake.
Est beams at Elspeth. "Good girl!" To Lois, he adopts the manner of a lecturing professor, a lecturing professor of thirteen years who likes to wave his arms around when he speaks. "Well there's learning potions and inventing potions. For the former there are recipes, and if you are looking for actual results it's often most expediant to consult someone else's work," It is a mistake to get Est going on a subject he has proficientcy in (or even just thinks he has proficientcy in, or feels like he could reasonably be expected to have heard of before), for he will keep going as long as there are other bodies in proximity. "But as for /new/ potions, well, you would be surprised at how well-accepted 'put it in a pot and smoke it' is as an experimental process." His voice cracks and gives out in the middle, but that doesn't stop Est from going through the motions and moving on when puberty ceases it's attack and his voice returns to an audible note.
Lois gives Elspeth an amused nod, murmuring, "I don't doubt it. Especially if she's being sat on by one of my compatriots for whatever prank it was she had in mind." As Elspeth explains the method to the Hufflepuff's madness, the older girl gives Est - and Est's box - a mild look of prefecty disapproval that is only modulated a /little/ by amusement as his defense turns into a mini-lecture. "That's as may well be," the Gryffindor says, as soon as he's fallen silent (or just paused for breath), "but you might hurt yourself, you know - or someone else. Do please be a little more careful with your experiments than tossing them in a pot!" After a moment's pause for thought, she adds, not unkindly, "Maybe you should talk to Slughorn first."
Elspeth leans back against the tree, her arms wrapping around her satchel. Something about her posture indicates that she is ready to duck down behind the enormous roots for cover should the need arise. "I think that Est is hoping to give Professor Slughorn a surprise when he presents his new potion," she offers, managing to keep a mostly straight face. At the arrival of another Raven, she looks up. "What have you done to your hair, Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle will look up and smile, almost in relief when she sees her housemate,"Oh!Hello Elspeth! I decided I wanted a change!Do you like it?" she'll start to walk over, but slows when she notices a certain boy who's who the group,"Am I interrupting anything?"The smile is still on her face, but it has dropped some.
Est waggles his eyebrows - BOTH eyebrows - at Lois, as proof he hasn't been hurt -too- bad. "Slughorn likes this stuff. Well, he likes when I bring him stuff that works." Which hasn't actually happened yet, though Est has managed not to kill the potions professor. "I like it; it's nice!" Est says to Gabrielle, beaming at her in a slightly manic fashion, which is probably not helping his case.
Lois merely meets brow wiggle with motherly disapproval. "You'll burn those eyebrows off, see if you don't." She's looking at the box like she's wondering if she should Do Something about it, but Elspeth's greeting of Gabrielle - whom preoccupied Lois had previously not noticed - distracts her. "Oh," the girly girl enthuses, "they're right, your hair looks lovely!"
Elspeth nods to Gabrielle. "It is being pretty on you," she offers quietly, but her attention is fastened on Est out of the corner of her eye. It seems that she is not unfamiliar with the spectacular things that happen when the Princes are around.
Gabby's smile will brighten alitte at the compliments, "I figured after being blue, blonde would be nice,"She's referrring to the pirate fight, where she ended up out within minutes, covered in her own house's color.And then her smile will drop completely, "Although Ria said she liked it….that has me worried." she'll tuck a loose strand behind her ear, as she does that, her right forarm can be seen through her unbuttoned sleeve, and it's all smudged up with charcoal(very usual for her).
Est laughs. He is well familiar with Prefect Looks. "Ria… she's a Slytherin prefect? She's not a bad sort, for a Slytherin. Just as hard on her own house as any of the others."
"She liked the blue? Or she likes the blonde?" Lois asks Gabrielle to clarify, before adding, "not that it really matters if she likes it or not." There's no especial disdain in her voice here for Ria's Slytherin status - she says it more as one might tactfully impart a Very Special Lesson. Following Elspeth's gaze, the prefect watches Est laugh, thinks about it for half a second, and then shifts her load of lost possessions onto one arm. With the newly freed hand, the Sixth Year raises two eyes to her fingers, points them back at Est, and then back at herself. She's /watching you/.
A pleasant tree by the lake shore is the current host of a small gathering: Elspeth, sitting amongst the roots, with Gabrielle, Est and Lois nearby, all in the midst of a conversation.
Fingers to /eyes/, of course. Fingers to /eyes/.
"I think it looks pretty both ways," Elspeth says quietly. Finally deciding that distance may be the better part of valor, she shrugs her satchel onto her shoulder and pushes herself up by pressing her hands to the trunk of the tree. "I think I will go to see if Lan wants to learn any more German, now." With that, she makes a wide semi-circle around Est and heads back towards the castle.
"Thanks Elspeth!,Gabby laughs, "Ria liked the blonde. She was actually very worried that I might have turned my hair green for some reason." She'll shift her sketchbook to her other arm and snicker at Lois giving Est the "eyeball".
Speaking of Ria, here comes the nicer Sykes twin. Although it doesn't take much to be nicer than Ria. Kaiden walks along the grass, whistling softly to himself. At the moment he's wearing a pair of linen shorts and a white button-down that's left open. Seems he's come to get a little more swimming in before it gets too cold.
Ophelia has been walking around the edge of the lake. She's carrying her shoes, and until now has been walking with her feet in the water. But as she nears the tree she turns, heading toward the group. She smiles brightly, noticing Gabrielle, and calls out, "Hello! I think I definitely like this new hair, you're so much easier to spot now!" She's grinning, and heading over to join the group, when she catches sight of Kaiden and just stops, staring.
"See you, Elspeth." As Elspeth leaves, he meets Lois' gaze. For a moment he's confused, then affronted. "Didn't do anything!" he objects, flinging his arms open wide so as to show his perfect innocence. "Not a thing!
"See you, Elspeth." As Elspeth leaves, he meets Lois' gaze. For a moment he's confused, then affronted. "Didn't do anything!" he objects, flinging his arms open wide so as to show his perfect innocence. "Not a thing!" His voice hits an octave common to little girls in indignation.
"Because blue and yellow - well, blonde - make green?" Lois asks of Gabrielle, "Or for some other reason?" The departing Elspeth is given a friendly little wave with her recently freed hand, before Lois starts to redistribute the weight of her armload (an assortment of lost-and-found objects left in the area, from the looks of it) back into both arms, meanwhile giving Est a Look. "Yet, you mean. You haven't done anything /yet/." She's just smiling warmly at the incoming Ophelia when the Ravenclaw starts staring; naturally, Lois follows the path of her gaze. And stares herself.
There is a beat. And then the Gryffindor manages, "Did you… lose your robe, Sykes? I've found a few."
Kaiden spots Ophelia and beams brightly at her, running over to give her a hug, "Hey, Ophe!" He wraps his arms around her and picks her up off the ground a little bit before setting her back down and letting her go. He furrows his brow at her and says, "You okay, Ophe? You look a little pale. You sick?" He presses the back of his hand to her forehead. He looks over to Lois while he does this and says, "What? Oh, no. It's back in my room." Somewhere.
Gabby will shrug, "I'm not sure what her thought process was with it.She was really nervous about it though. She'll look up to Ophelia and smile and wave, and will start to answer when she sees her stop, she'll look to see what everyone is staring at, Kaiden, will pause for a moment, then deftly turn back with an annoyed look on her face.Unfortunatly, now she's facing Est. Gabby can't seem to win right now.
With Lois' help, Ophelia manages to recover from her stupification and smile again. She's starting to say something to those under the tree when suddenly she's picked up, and only a small half-protesting squeak makes it out insead. Once on the ground again she grins wryly, "Nooo, I'm quite alright, thank you." Turning away to avoid the dazzling sight of the shirtless Hufflepuff, she looks to Gabrielle, and frowns curiously at the annoyed look. "Is something wrong?"
"Exactly, yet!" Est says, in a convincing display of fake anger. "Once I've done something, go crazy with your looks, but until then I'm innocent! Innocent as dew!" Complete with accusing pointing finger. He picks up his box of potions ingredients and storms off in a huff. After three paces he laughs and turns around to walk backwards. "Haha, I'm going to figure out what I can make with this." He winks at Gabrielle. "Later, Evans!" He turns to walk forwards again, and cackles his way back to the castle. He's winning her over, Est is sure of it.
Lois stares at Kaiden for another moment before she shifts her burdens and thrusts someone's lost robe - some sizes too small for him, for the record, with a Ravenclaw's blue lining - towards the boy. "Yes, you did," she says, authoritative. "Think of the First Years." She's still holding it out when Est starts to leave, and briefly diverts her attention back towards the 'innocent' Hufflepuff. "You're going to burn your eyebrows off!" is her parting shot, eyes rolling heavenward in exasperation.
Gabby will snarl after Est, "Nobody likes you!" she'll turn back to Ophelia, "Nothing's wrong!Everything's fine!" It's probably alittle comical, with her cheeks flushing and her huffing."At some point , we need to talk. One of my projects has taken a bad turn, I need advice."She'll clench her hand around he book.
Kaiden smiles at Ophelia and brushes some hair out of her face that he put there and says, "Good. Can't have my ginger getting sick on me." He looks over at Lois and the robe, saying, "That'd even worse. Hugging the…contoures and such." He looks over at Gabrielle and quirks his lip, shaking his head slightly. He sits down in the grass without taking the robe and hums, picking at the individual blades.
Hephaesta passes Est as she wanders toward the lake shore, but doesn't seem to notice him, as her face is turned skyward. Her fingers fiddle with the dials and knobs on her goggles, and she is plainly not watching where she is going (and will end up strolling right into the water if she keeps on this direction). Still, she moves at her usual unhurried pace, clinking as she limps along.
And then, from seemingly nowhere (from the perspective of Hephaesta, at least, while anyone else could easily see him approaching) Ajax reaches out to gently lay a hand on his housemate's arm. "Whoops! Steady on, there. Don't want to pitch into the lake. Can't be good for the, er, mechanisms." He winks, grinning, and says, "So this is where all the interesting folk have taken to hiding. Have I missed picnic tea or some other delightfully informal event? I hope I haven't missed another food fight. I'd die of shame."
Ophelia blinks, trying to ignore her sudden blush as she looks at the retreating Est, then at Gabrielle. She reaches up to point questioningly at herself before suddenly beaming at her and dropping down to sit between Gabrielle and Kaiden, "Oh, is it a wand project? Do you need help with your wand?" She glances at Kaiden as she asks, almost as though judging his reaction.
"No, it has nothing to do with my wand! I need help with…"and then she seems Ajax saving Heph from the Lake, and will literally throw her hands up in the air," Merlin! I'm done!" She'll place a hand on her forehead, like she's getting a head ache.
Hephaesta balks partway down the hill toward the shore, looking Ajax's direction. She leans close to him, almost like she's looking right through him, then reaches up and pulls her goggles up to her forehead. "Oh, Selwyn. Hello." She looks down to where she was going, giving a little wince. "Oh, right. Thank you." Then she blinks, focusing on who she was headed toward, and her face lights up. She waves emphatically at the group under the tree. "I'm going to go say hello. Coming?" she asks Ajax.
Kaiden gives Ophelia a nod as she points at herself. He lays back on an elbow in the grass and looks over at Hephaesta as she limps closer to the water, "Gah, hold on." He stands up from the grass and walks over to her, but Ajax beats him to it. He smiles that charming smile of his at the two of them, saying, "Hey, cousin! Aaaand, you're Ajax, right?" He'll walk with the two of them back to the group, plopping down next to the ginger girl.
Does Lois flush just a little at the mention of 'contours'? No, no, of course she does not. Obviously that's just the flush of motherly indignation. "You're going to traumatize some poor innocent Firstie," she complains, glancing at Ophelia and Gabrielle in hopes of gaining their support, while grudgingly putting the offered robe back onto her arm. "Did you walk through the school like - ah!" Ajax (and also Hephaesta)'s arrival distracts her mid-sentence. To her fellow prefect, she says (commands), "/You're/ a boy. /You/ explain why he shouldn't be wandering about half naked. I have things to get to." With a brief smile at the group, she's off and bustling away.
Ophelia leans back from Gabrielle's frustration, brief dissapointment flashing across her face. This is quickly replaces by a small frown, which is turned in the direction of Gabrielle's apparent frustration. "Ajax! Hephaesta!" Beaming as she sees the other two Ravenclaws, Ophelia waves, "Come and sit with us!"
( If you have poses after this, feel free to add them! )