The staff of Hogwarts had wanted to do something special to kick off the term. They hired someone fresh out of Hogwarts to lead the activities.

The new member of the staff smiled gleefully at the students who came up to the Great lake campsite. There was a fire pit, magical tents set up all over the place--and even a few non magical tents for the adventurous types. Games of both wizarding and muggle were present as well. Pets were welcome as well, which was probably little surprise to those who knew the activities leader.

Zoe Parker, formally of Ravenclaw, was decked out in a yellow bee shirt with matching bee print jeans and a cute little black and yellow head scarf and yellow sandals. Her trademark teal hair was in a cute bob perfect for the summer. Her style had been developed thanks to the help of several friends and some modling jobs. She also was a freelance journalist on the Quibbler.

"Hi, everyone!" the slightly shy girl said. She gained a little more confidence over her last term at Hogwarts. "Thanks for coming. We've got tons of food and drinks and ye can even cook things over the fire! Oh and if anyone's interested, I have some flobberworms we can race!" It probably sounded like a joke to most people, but she had made little jerseys for the worms with numbers on it and even a little race track.

** Please remember to register your student for RP. Also, remember PG13, and staff is present to prevent shenanigans 😉 If you have any comments or questions feel free to ping me or in OOC which is off set with two parentheses on each side, like this ((Out of character Comments)). Remember to have fun too. We like fun! This will most likely run two weeks unless we need more time :) I suggest subscribing to the thread :)

((upd8ed mar's eyes & nose from her profile pic since we got some new things since i last made her, hope thats ok. this way her eyes are the right colour lol))

Tamara approached the lake with the rest of her fellow students -- or to-be fellow students -- uneasily. Her uncle had suggested she sign up for this summer programming as a way to get her introduced to Hogwarts, and she had agreed mostly because she had heard quidditch was going to be somehow involved. As it stood this seemed more like some form of camping setup, which was okay in theory, though it still seemed pretty... social. Not that she didn't like social. She just didn't like being told to be social.

At least she looked absolutely rad, which, to be honest, was a given. She squinted around the campsite at the various activities, the, eugh, smiling staff member who actually on second thought looked kind of familiar-- were those flobberworms in tiny racing jerseys? Okay, that was really cute. She would have to go win at flobberworm racing.

Her attention turned to her fellow students, many of whom, as usual, were shorter than her. She felt awkward being the first one to act if she didn't have to be, though if that's what it took to go coo over adorable flobberworms-- but still, she waited a couple moments, hanging off to the side of the crowd and also taking the moment to silently judge everyone's fashion choices.

Mallowsweet trots up the the other students gathering by the lake. She feels pretty prepared for this camp out thing (she was born in the forbidden forest after all), with a magical valise full of fresh fruit, marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, and, of course, lots of sugary doughnuts. Laughing out loud at the sight of flobberworms in racing jerseys, she waves to Zoe and looked around for someone else she recognized. Outfit Not Found

Though camping was pretty uncommon for Toru Mizushima, Blade had insisted it was pretty fun, and it was at the Lake, which was Toru's favorite place to be at Hogwarts. The second-year Hufflepuff approached the camp and gave a small wave at Zoe. They glanced curiously at the two girls who had arrived, and weren't entirely familiar with. Toru had seen Mallowsweet before at Hogwarts, but had never actually been introduced to each other. Perhaps they could get to know each other this trip. The other dark-brown haired girl was new entirely to them and looked incredibly intimidating.

Toru made their way to Zoe and gave her a big hug. "I-I had heard rumors that t-there was a n-new activities d-director at the school. I didn't t-think it'd be you!" They giggled softly and smiled at the former student. "Jona i-is gonna be o-over the moon."

((I'm subscribed to the forum, and will check it when I see a new post has been made, so only ping me with mod questions. Thanks! :) ))

Mar hitched up the backpack slung over her shoulder. Now that things were happening it felt like she could move, and it seemed like they weren't being directed to do anything, so... still keeping an eye on her fellow students she slunk over to the flobberworm table.

(Maybe there was some fashion competition in the form of the redhead in the full trenchcoat in summer. But her purview didn't really clash with that, and more than threatened she felt admiring of their dedication to their aesthetic. And that person with the dog had a cute t-shirt, at least. She was not about to judge the literal child, though they did have cool hair. The centaur had a little more of the normal look she was expecting around here, school t shirt, though they also had a cohesive accessory scheme.)

She examined the flobberworms instead, choosing her favourite, which was very hard as they were all very adorable. She wanted to pick them up and let them crawl on her but held back from getting her big meat hands in worm territory. Accidentally hurting them would be unthinkable. They seemed a little confused to be wearing jerseys, just crawling around all over each other as flobberworms are wont to do, and occasionally picking their little heads up towards the sky.

Okay, maybe if she just put her hand near and the worm touched her first... She held her hand at worm height and made unsuccessful worm cooing noises, prepared to spend several minutes being ignored by worms in the hopes of being blessed by one crawling on her.

Pushing black sunglasses back into his sandy hair, Sebakhin Omari arrived on the scene. He had traveled to Hogsmeade a few days prior and had just finished the formal tour of the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Almost as much of a mouthful as his own school, Alexandria Academy for the Arcane Arts. Tossing his backpack down beside one of the many tents not realizing or caring if it were a magical tent, he was eager to partake in these strange new activities strewn about the site.

There was already a small gathering of students and… Was that a real centaur? Curiously he approached, head tilted, wearing what some may consider to be a charming smile. “Hello, sorry to be rude. Are you also an exchange student?” His accent was enough to assume he came from somewhere in the middle east, but his pronunciation of the English language was decent. “My name is Sebakhin.” He bowed his head slightly, a standard greeting if she chose not to extend a hand to shake.

@/Turokai (( Am also subscribed so no need for a ping unless you really wana XD //edit// forgot to add his pic. oop. ))

Mar stood there for a couple minutes coaxing the worms before one climbed on her hand. Stars instantly struck her eyes. The little fat worm was wearing a pink and orange jersey and Tamara was in love!

She only tore her eyes away from the worm, a lump of absolute affection forming in her throat, when others approached the table.

'We can-- have them?' she asked, her voice rising a few octaves of its own accord. Only speaking did she suddenly remember that her accent still didn't quite match up with most others' here. Oh well. WORMS. An instant montage of worm adoration flashed through her mind, herself and -- Breakfast? Communist Manifesto? Future Garage? there were so many good worm names. Them completely ignoring her because she was essentially a giant piece of furniture in any number of settings, by the lakeside, at the mall, in the garden. Sharing a sandwich. Watching Let's Read Homestuck.

Happy Hardcore! The worm's name should be Happy Hardcore, with a jersey like that. Except maybe the jersey colours were proscribed, and it was more of an emo worm? Maybe even a joth worm. She would have to do some soul-searching and deep attempts at worm psychic connection.

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As interesting as Flobberworms Racing sounded, Toru had other priorities the minute they saw the dark waters of the lake had them instantly moving toward the dock. It was almost instinct to head there and took every ounce to not just leap into the frigid waters without their insulated wet suit. Instead Toru gently kicked off their white ballet flats and sat on the dock with their feet and ankles in the water. The Great Lake was basically their Home Away From Home Away From Home. Meaning Hogwarts was their Home Away from Home, and the lake was their Home Away from Hogwarts. It was going to be nice catching up with the Selkies and the Giant Squid several whole months before the actual school semester began!

They hoped that Lorcan would also be participating in the summer events, as they enjoyed spending time with the older student. They had plenty in common, after all. However, Toru was also hoping to make some new friends as well on this trip if they could overcome their shyness with strangers.

and (( If you're coming! ))

((pings no one then at the moment since all pertaining to reply are subscribed))

Blade’s brow rose again when he saw the boy approach and speak from somewhere obviously not within the UK. An exchange student. Okay… whatever. He was getting bored already and stalked off to find a nice isolated place to put the tent up. Within moments it was up and Blade stored his gear in it. The tent had locks on it and he planned on keeping people out if he could. Only Toru and his friends were allowed to come in—this was his place of sanctuary away from the masses. He came back over to where Toru was and found his new sibling was already communing with the water. The lake was definitely a good place to get away from the droves if needed.

Lily backed away a little shyly. Asking why anyone would want a pet wormed seemed bad social graces. She detected the familiar accent in the punk girl’s voice but she seemed preoccupied with worms so Lily decided to leave her alone. Now she stood in the middle of all, feeling like a fish out of water and wondering what to do.

“Aye, ye can,” Zoe said. She was pleased someone wanted a worm.

The smaller Hufflepuff glanced over their shoulder when they felt the vibrations of someone walking on the old dock toward them. They flashed the older red-headed boy a brilliant smile as they relaxed with the water. "It's a-a good d-day f-for a swim." They commented. Blade would know that everyday was a good day for Toru to swim. Heck, even Toru could stay in the bath for hours if something wasn't said. They were a literal and proverbial fish out of water most of the time with their linage and all. They patted the weathered wooden dock beside them invitingly. "Want t-to join m-me for a s-sit?"

Blade sat down with ease and relaxed a little. "I'm surprised you're not in yet. Put the gear in the tent and locked it. So when you're ready we can dive in and go swimming." He knew the family secret. Plus he also loved swimming and sea life. "You look happy. I mean about the camp, not the water. Though if they'd let you, I'd be stuck hovering you around in a tub, huh?" he teased with playful nudge.

'Wow,' Tamara said softly. Her gaze briefly flicked from the worm to the person speaking to her. They definitely looked familiar, though she still couldn't quite place from where. However they were currently in pretty good standing in her books, being both young and an obvious worm-fancier.

Speaking of which-- Music genres still seemed like a good avenue of worm name, even if Happy Hardcore wasn't quite it-- Deep House? Dubska? Glam Rock? Oh yeah. This worm was a Glam Rock.

'Their name is Glam Rock,' she said out loud to finalize it as she turned her hand to stop them crawling off of it. 'Uh, can you give me some advice on worm care?' She didn't want to maltreat her new best friend. Well, additional new best friend. Hopefully Gun, her pleco, would be okay with a new sibling. In all likelyhood Gun wouldn't care.

Mallowsweet smiled happily when Sebakhin introduced himself, she was still unsure of herself around wizards, and tended to be shy of approaching others first. "Hello" she replied extending her hand as her Gryfindor roommates had taught her. "I'm Mallowsweet. I was from the River Herd in the forbidden forest, but the other centaurs kicked me out when they discovered I could do magic. Hogwarts took me in. It's nice to meet you. I don't recognise your accent, are you from abroad?"

Flora McGovern hastened along the now familiar path to the Great Lake, a smile on her face and a bag of supplies for the camp-out slung over her shoulder. She’d never dreamed that her summer would be spent at Hogwarts as well as the regular school terms, but she had been excited when the owl had come delivering the letter about the special Quidditch event. Her bags had been packed in a flick of a wand and she had been ready to leave so fast that her father had pretended to get upset that she was so eager to leave home again. Of course she would miss her parents but this was a special chance and the young witch had no plans to miss it. The thought of missing the event made her think about her cousin Drew. His note had been vague and Flora honestly wasn’t sure if he was planning to attend or not. She knew that he wasn’t that crazy about Quidditch and he did have a part-time summer job, but still…surely he would come. He hadn’t been in the dorm yet though. She shrugged. Oh well, it was his loss if he didn’t show up, she thought and skipped the last bit to the lake where people were gathering.

Arriving near the tents, Flora saw a girl she didn’t know with a service dog and smiled politely, wondering who she was since she looked about Flora’s age. Then she spotted an older girl with lovely blue hair that looked like…”Zoe?” she called. Flora had met the older girl in her first term at Hogwarts, though she wasn’t sure if Zoe would remember her. Flora had always admired the older girl’s hair and had practiced hard so that she could now charm her own hair to be different colors.

The sound of wings filled the air near the near the lake and a trumpeting whinny resounded over the water as a magnificent Aethonan soared toward those now gazing up at the sky. Astride the animal was a dark haired youth with a wide grin on his face. The winged horse settled gently and gracefully on the grass and the rider, in a less graceful move due to his lean, lanky frame, dismounted and stroked the horse’s neck lovingly, whispering to his friend before turning to face the humans who were staring at him.

“Hi, everyone,” Drew Wilder greeted, tossing back his long dark hair much as one of his beloved equines would toss their manes. Seeing Zoe, he called, “Zoe! You’re looking great! It’s good to see you again.” He gave Flora a wink. “Did you think I wasn’t coming?” he asked. “I had to finish a few things and decided to arrive in style since I was late.”

Flora rolled her eyes. “What ever happened to the shy, quiet cousin that moved here from the US?” she asked.

“He came to Hogwarts and everything changed,” Drew laughed. Looking around his smile widened as he spotted Mallowsweet. “Hi, Mallowsweet!” he waved at the lovely young centaur.

There were other people around as well, some that were familiar but no one that Drew had really gotten close to, and he saw a few new faces as well, including a boy near Mallowsweet and a girl near a dog who looked like a first year. He gave her a smile, knowing what it was like to be new and feel like you’d been dumped in a huge goldfish bowl with everyone staring at you as you tried to remember how to swim.

(and all since I know the others are subscribed)

Lily thought the name was cute but also felt small and unneeded in the area. The punk girl was older than her for starters and she still worried about her chicken eating the girl’s new friend. Making a friend would definitely be hampered by your pet eating said person’s new pet. She sighed as she got a little further away. What to do? She felt so alone, so foreign.

Zoe was more than happy to relay worm care to the girl and dived into how to care for the flobberworm. When the name was announced Zoe gave an appreciative ooh. “I love it. Perfection for ye’re little friend.”

Lily gave a little gasp of awe when the horse-girl called herself a centaur. They existed? Wow! The young girl thought of about fifty questions for the—now how would she call herself? A mare? Girl? Lily had lots of questions for the student but she was too shy at the moment to come chat with the pair. Plus she was afraid she'd blurt out something like 'Can I ride on your back, or tell me all what horses think.' And then there was the boy. She did wonder where such an exotic sounding accent from the boy came from. His hair reminded her of some video games she played. When her parents allowed her to play them. They were very careful and required her to be a certain distances to play and some types of games were a flat out no. Lily looked up at the new comer with pink hair and smiled shyly back. Now this girl looked closer to her age than the teen and staff member at least. She added a tiny wave as her nerves started to get the better of her—a faux pas at this point was terrifying.

Zoe smiled at Flora. “Hi Flora, how are ye?” she responded. “I’m the new activities director.” She bit the side of her lip out of habit. “Having a nice summer? Yer cousin coming?”

When Drew arrived she giggled. “Oh look he’s here now. Hi Drew. Ye doing okay? Lovely horse there,” she said itching to pet it, but stayed put. “Thank ye. I’m happy to be back. Yer hair seems to get longer each time I see ye. Competing with yer horse are ye?” she asked with a wistful voice that could easily be taken for friendly banter or hopefulness.

Lily was still rooted in place and beginning to feel even more out of her element than before as she watched a boy arrive on a winged horse! Flying horses? Would surprises ever stop? Lily loved horses and was one of her favourite hobbies was equestrian. So she really wanted to see this horse up close, pet it, and even ride if possible. Show jumping, dressage--she loved mostly all of it. Then the boy gave her a smile and the girl waved her hand slightly and smiled back. Were the smiles from the pink-haired girl and this new black-haired boy just friendly nods or invitations for chatting? She wasn’t sure. Lily didn’t like feeling so discombobulated. She was fearless in her opinion, aside from some shyness. Yet right now she felt so alien that she just didn’t know what to do in the slightest.

"Ooh look, an aethonan!" Mallowsweet exclaimed. Forgetting herself at the sight of the magnificent chestnut winged horse she pulled Sebakhin around to look. "Flying horses are rare to see in the forest, I've only seen one once before. Let's go over and see if Drew will let us pet her." The centaurette waved back at Drew and looked hopefully at her new acquaintance, hoping that Sebakhin would be interested in the pegasus too.

(and all)

Lily's feet move on their own accord as Mallowsweet suggested she and the exchange student go and pet the winged horse. She walked with them without realising she was doing it. She desperately wanted to check that horse out and she was now near the centaur as well.

Private Outfit

Ylva was very hesitant about the trip since there were going to be a lot of people present. But since it was such a great location, she just had to go. Running late, as always, Ylva arrived with her Great Dane. Two rabbits were dangling over her shoulder, since she went hunting before arriving, in her animagus form of course together with her dog. Everyone seemed to already know each other or busy doing something. Shy as she is, she just waved at a few people she recognized and searched for a more secluded place to set up her old wornout tent. She chose a spot close to the water. Magnus, her Dane was all about water and it didn't take long before he was already kneedeep exploring the lake. As her tent was standing proudly after all this time, Ylva started a little cooking fire. There must be someone here who likes freshly caught rabbit, right?

A little conscious, she scratched her neck as she watched the other students and teachers having fun. But it was too early for her to introduce herself. She is after all a timid wolf at heart.