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

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah looked up at the sound of a voice, eyes widening for a moment in surprise at the... well, creature before her, before she remembered her manners and offered him - at least she thought it was a him - a smile. this would be the first non-humanoid she had interacted with, but then, that really wasn't new to her, even if she had not done it at Hogwarts yet.

"Hi," she greeted cheerfully, "something I can help you with?"

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah nodded and closed her book, waving him closer. It seemed studying outside was accomplishing her desire to meet others better than being in the common room.

"That's fine, I happen to be interested in the same so I'm glad you asked," she said and held out her hand, unsure if it was still an appropriate gesture with a tentacled creature. "I'm Sarah, a Gryffindor and recently new here. And you are?"

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

"Well, it is very nice to meet you, Admiral ZEX," Sarah said, shaking his tentacle very gently and trying hard not to laugh at the ticklish sensation. "And no, I have never heard of the VUX, until today. So you are from a different universe in this reality, or a different universe in another reality... or some other confusing combination?" She grinned, still baffled that meeting people not included questions about universes and realities.

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah nodded, eyes alight with interest as he explained. It was all fascinating, but she did not want to be rude by questioning him more if he did not wish to go into detail. Even more fascinating was watching his head tendrils move, and she wondered if it was some kind of body language communication, like the girl she had met in the therapy session.

"I can understand that, about it not seeming so far away, as even though I'm from the recent past, I can go home when I wish, but I've met a few people, or heard of others, that are pretty much stuck here for one reason or another," she said, and looked out over the lake, her gaze thoughtful before she looked back to him. "It's good you can go home though, especially if others you know aren't here. Have you liked Hogwarts so far?"

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah noted the change, eyes still watching the tendrils curiously, although discreetly. ZEX is by far the most unique 'person' she had met yet at Hogwarts and is completely fascinated by him.

When he finished, she reached out and patted his tentacle midway up, hoping it translated into the same motion as patting someone's forearm. Though she had no idea of the shock of finding oneself surrounded by the enemy, she still knew the shock of confronting things just as startling in their own way.

"Still, it must be very hard for you, to be surrounded by so many humans when you aren't used to it," she said softly. "Even if it is something you looked forward to, that kind of change can be overwhelming."

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah pulled her hand back just a bit when he jumped, giving ZEX an apologetic look for the violation to his personal space. Again she noted the change in his head tendrils, as began to connect possible emotions to them in her mind. She did not pull back her hand completely, not wanting him to feel rejected, but left it sort of hovering near him as he spoke.

"Well, you don't have to be lonely," she said softly, giving him a smile. "Humans can be good companions if you find a few you like. And I understand, sort of, about not fitting in. I didn't quite fit in to my world as I grew older, but coming here helped that because I knew the stuff everyone thought a fantasy was real. Hopefully it will help you too."

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah regarded him with soft look, slightly sad that he felt he would be so readily rejected. She tentatively placed her hand back on his tentacle as she listened.

"Just because you are different-looking, doesn't mean you are ugly," she said with a sharp nod, as if her words alone could change the world. "There is beauty in everything and everyone, Admiral. I've been friends with people my family and friends would never be able to understand or accept, but that didn't make them any less of the people and creatures they were. If you want, I would be your friend."

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

A bright smile broke out across Sarah's face at his words, lighting up even her eyes that had remained slightly sad, and for the first time today she was focusing on something other than her own problems.

"I'm so glad," she said, and leaned forward, but stopped herself before she had wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She looked hopefully up at him. "Can I hug you? I'm sort of a touchy person, as you probably noticed, and it's hard to stop myself but I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

At that, Sarah smiled even wider. It seemed so completely... baffled by her request, the look enhanced by the surprise in his eyes - 'eye' she corrected herself - that she wanted to hug him even more. Closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on the upper part of one tentacle. She let the contact last silently for several moments, thinking he might need to adjust to the hug before appreciating it, and then pulled back just slightly to speak to him, but not far enough to break contact.

"There, see? World didn't even end," she said, her smile reassuring. She had always felt the strongest connection to her more, well, unique friends, and she hoped they would be good friends. It was a relief to be able to engaged in simple, uncomplicated emotion for once. "And just so you know, human hugs are best when you have as many as you like."

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Sarah simply grinned and hugged him again, a bit more emphatically that before now that she knew he was not so uncomfortable. His delight with the process made her feel particularly good, a way she had not felt in some time. Oddly, it made her miss her friends from the Labyrinth more than anyone else, for the affection she had for them was the same she felt growing for this rather unique new friend. After a time, she pulled back, but stopped when she felt a sharp tug to her hair. Eyes looking up as far as she could, she thought she found the source of the problem.

"I think we are stuck," she remarked, giving him a smile as she raised her hands to her hair, hoping he would not be unsettled by the predicament. She paused, looking at him from the angle that she could. "I won't hurt you by untangling us, will I?"

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Delicately, Sarah reached up, fingers first brushing lightly over the tangle above to determine what was hair and what was tendril. When she had done so, she began to unwrap her hair from them, allowing the tugging and pulling to be deflected onto her scalp rather than him.

"You are still okay, right?" she asked halfway through, looking at him before she continued, concern on her face as she had no idea if he was experiencing pain and not saying so, or that she had inadvertently hurt him in the process.