Open RP: Lake/grounds

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

((Sarah needs to be more social, feel free to come and talk to her. I'm on IRC if you want to chat about it first. xD))

Reaching the end of the section in the book in her lap, Sarah's gaze left the page and traveled out over the lake. Thus far, she had been what she considered successful in learning, despite having had no classes to attend. She had discovered books in the library that apparently were the last texts used when classes used to happen regularly and had been using them as an outline to steadily make her way through the coursework. This self-guided independent study, even in subjects she did not care for much, was more initiative than she had in her first year of college, but then, that hadn't been necessary in a school where they had classes. So far she had determined she was average at wand work and surprisingly good, in her opinion, at Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. It was hard to judge the latter, of course, with only written work and no classes to interact with the creatures, so perhaps she'd have to track down a way to do so. It was the former, however, that she was most concerned with, as there were still things she had questions on and knew she could use a teacher... she just had not gotten the nerve to do so yet.

She sighed, leaning back against the tree as she looked around, unable to concentrate and go back to her book. There were not many people around where she sat, as it was not close to the lake or the castle, but there were enough to observe. That had become one of her favorite non-studying activities, as the temptation to know more about the people from different times and places and races was far too great to resist.

Comments

[catremistrae.livejournal.com]

"Well then, you're in luck. I'm the professor for Care of Magical Creatures. Unfortunately, I won't be teaching the class over the summer, since I'm leaving for the States next week. If you want, I can set you up with a reading list and the name of my teaching assistant."

He turned to Data, determined to at least be civil. "I'm a Ravenclaw."

[a-tin-solider.livejournal.com]

((agh fuck wrong account))

"As am I," Data said in response, trying to sound interested and pleased at the prospect. Not that he could be pleased or displeased, mind you. "And what are the thestrals you mentioned earlier?"

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah nodded, incredibly pleased. "Yes, thank you Professor Grant, I would really appreciate it," she said, eyes alight. One less academic obstacle down... and only one more to go. She turned back to Data at his question, happy to be able to tell him.

"Thestrals are winged horses, black and skeletal in appearance and carnivorous," she said, flipping through several pages before offering the book to Data so he could see the animated illustration. "They are invisible to anyone who has never witnessed death before, and they used to pull the carriages for Hogwarts, before the students began arriving without the train. Many people think they are bad luck, but that's really just their association with death. They are actually very useful, as they have a fabulous sense of direction and, magically, can fly very fast." She gave him a sheepish look. "And I'll stop now, I tend to get carried away at times after learning all of this."

[catremistrae.livejournal.com]

"No, that's good. It means that you're excited by what you're learning, and that's always a good thing. Have you read up on any other animals?"

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah grinned. "As many as I have been able to since I arrived here," she said, gesturing to the small stack of books at the base of the tree. "I made a list from the older textbooks the librarian showed me and have been working my way through it after reading brief descriptions of most of the creatures on the list."

[catremistrae.livejournal.com]

"I've got a lot of books in my office, but at the moment we're short on actual animals. In the barns I have about a dozen flesh-eating pegasii, which are close cousins of the thestral. My predecessor left them behind when he was popcorned, and I haven't been able to get rid of the damned things. They're taking up valuable space. I've also got tribbles, and in the lake there are kelpies, which are water spirits that look like horses."

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Despite her attempt to keep from embarrassing herself in front of the professor, Sarah bounced slightly on her toes at the creatures he named, unable to contain her excitement. She had been more than a bit disappointed at being unable to see a thestral, but the pegasii she could see.

"Do you think I might be able to see the barn before you go, or with your assistant when he or she is free?" she asked, and then looked to Data, not wanting to leave him out. "Perhaps you could go too if you are interested in the class? I'd love it if you could!"

She turned back to Grant, all smiles. "And, of course, I would appreciate borrowing any books that you would let me."

[catremistrae.livejournal.com]

"It would have to be a pretty quick tour, and it would have to be this week. My assistant's name is Oz, and if you can get more than two words out of him you should consider yourself to be lucky. He knows a lot about the animals, but keeps his mouth shut most of the time."

He paused for a second. "Let me get back to you about the books."

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

"I'm free, whenever you would have time to do even a quick tour," Sarah said as she clapped her hands together in a far less restrained show of enthusiasm, flashing Data an excited smile. "I'm sure we could find a time if you want to go as well, Data."

She looked back to Grant and nodded. "And I'm fine with waiting on the books, perhaps you could just contact me when you decide?" She frowned for a second and then blinked. "Do you have a house elf as well, Professor? You could just send the note that way."

[catremistrae.livejournal.com]

"Tomorrow afternoon, then. If that works for both of you."

"I do have a house elf, but I don't use him for sending messages. Is there something wrong with owls?"

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah nodded, glancing to Data to see if it would be for him too.

At Grant's question, she flushed just slightly in embarrassment. "I... well, owls are the one creature I really am not happy to be around... at all."

[catremistrae.livejournal.com]

"Oh! I'm sorry." He frowned slightly. "You're actually the second student I've met who doesn't like owls. Have you met a girl named Laura?"

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah nodded. "Laura Palmer? I met her at my sorting," she said and then suddenly grinned a bit. "So that's why she sends her mynah bird with her post instead of an owl. It's good to know I'm not alone."

[catremistrae.livejournal.com]

"Yes. Ms. Palmer's mynah bird makes an acceptable substitute. Have you thought about getting a bird of your own? I don't have anything else that's capable of carrying a message, so I'll send out my house elf for you."

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah smile softened in appreciation. "Thank you, I do appreciate you doing that. As for my own bird, I wasn't certain where to get one, I've not left the school grounds." And she had no intention of doing it either, for as long as she was here. Much safer that way. "Once I find a way to get one, perhaps I will."

[a-tin-solider.livejournal.com]

Data watched the interaction, trying to find the subtleties, as always, and picking up on none. Which didn't mean there weren't any. He had found that interactions between different genders tended to be even more complex than usual.

But he still nodded, hesitantly, in response to Sarah's inquiry.

"I would be very interested in touring the barn, if it is not too much of an imposition."

((Hmm. Data's seen death in his career: d'you think he'd see thestrals?))

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

"Oh, good," Sarah said, bouncing slightly once more as she grinned at Data, pleased they would be going together. She was still very curious about him, as he seems sort of... she could not quite place her finger on it, but almost stiff or mechanical in some way and she was curious as to why.

((I would say yes, I can't imagine why he wouldn't. It's entirely up to you, of course! I think it would be interesting to have him see them.))

[a-tin-solider.livejournal.com]

((Where's Grant? I been waiting on him...))

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

((I still haven't caught his mun on IRC, so I'm not sure, as I thought Grant was the last I mentioned it to her... we can do something else if you'd still like them to socialize and don't want to wait, perhaps rethread assuming Grant continued to the lake at some point?))

[a-tin-solider.livejournal.com]

((That'll work. I still haven't quite figured out etiquette here: for example, is it okay to have your character in multiple threads at once regardless of space/time difficulties?))

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

((It's okay to be as many places as you like, as long as you keep that in mind when you are in other RPs - I've overlapped a bit with Sarah this week in which later developments in older scenes changed the tone of newer scenes, but it worked out. Provided you aren't expecting anything too big to happen, it's pretty easily done and time in h_h is really 'forgiving' on many things going on at once (especially apps, which spread over days of real time but no one seems to often reference how long they are in game-time). This post is a good example, I'd say, as I have three simultaneous conversations going on, I just don't reference one with the other in detail if I can help it to avoid contradicting myself. I've mentioned Sarah making friends in events that occur after this day, but not been too descriptive - for example, haven't referred to Data as an android or detailed their interaction, as she's yet to ask him questions that would lead to her knowing he's an android and they have yet to get to have a one-on-one chat. If you talk mun-to-mun about older events that affect newer events, that's also helpful, as sometimes you can decide what's going to occur to be able to use that before it actually is RP'd... if the characters don't try and do differently after. ;)

And wow did I go on!! Sorry! *blush* I'll go ahead and reply to one of Data's earlier responses just to keep the threading above the other mini-scenes in this post, and we can go from there.))

[a-tin-solider.livejournal.com]

((It's all good. You were helpful. I mostly just wanted to know because I was getting kind of bored doing one thread at a time.))

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

((Definitely do as much as you'd like, we want to see Data! xD))