SWIMMINGGEDDON.

[wwistful]

WHO: Murdoc Donoghue and YOU
TONE: Fun, WHIMSICAL, horrifying
RATING: PG-13 and onward
WHEN: September 7th
WHERE:  The Lake.
WHAT:  After this Murdoc realised the children (and staff) of Hogwarts were in dire need of swimming lessons.
STATUS: Ongoing

[GATHER AROUND CHILDREN it's a warm summer day and the lake is perfect for diving into your sudden but inevitable deaths. You should all be dressed in your swimming trunks (which you clearly have don't even lie) because Murdoc sure is. He's determined to conduct this in the best manner he can, though he wasn't quite expecting the turn out to be so large. People who can swim are welcome to become his assistants because he could probably use the help.]

Comments

[preanimator]

But what if she did? [Herbert insists, staring at the other boy with those intense dark eyes, the way he does a specimen sometimes.] Some girls like spiders - I doubt she'd care. And if all you were was the creepy boy at the back of the class, why would she let you touch her?

[eighttimeshandy]

[He stares back for a moment, unable to really argue with that logic, then simply gets up, not even bothering to gather his things] I don't even want to think about it. [And then he walks away]

[preanimator]

[Herbert blinks in surprise. Sometimes he really wishes he understood people a little better, because why would that make Eriq walk away? Doesn't he like all these girls he stares at, doesn't he want their attention? Isn't that how that whole thing works? He pulls himself to his feet and starts trotting after the taller boy.] You don't have to leave, we're just talking. [sounding confused]

[eighttimeshandy]

Well, I don't want to talk about it, Herbert. [He snaps, voice rising in pitch] It's bad enough I have these stupid emotions to deal with, I don't want to deal with you being all snippy at me too.

And I know you're going to be snippy because you're always snippy about girls.

[preanimator]

[The smaller boy falls silent, still trotting after Eriq, but after a few moments he reaches out and catches the Slytherin's arm, tugging on it lightly to try and get him to stop.]

[eighttimeshandy]

[He stops, of course, turning to give Herbert an exasperated glare] What?

[preanimator]

[Herbert doesn't really do apologies. In any case, he doesn't feel like he owes one, because he has no idea what he's done wrong. All he knows was that watching Eriq and Aranea touch each made him feel sick and furious and lonely and sad all at once, and he doesn't know why. But he knows that, for whatever odd reason, he'll feel worse if Eriq runs off now.]

You weren't done, you should sit down. [The smaller boy glances towards the lake to avoid eye contact, then shifts his weight from foot to foot, as if thinking about something else entirely, though of course he's not.] Anyway, you're never outside enough. You don't want to get rickets, do you?

[eighttimeshandy]

[Eriq stares]

[Just stares at Herbert]

[Stares into his soul]

[And sighs]

Like you're any better about being outdoors. [He sniffs, walking right back to his stuff and sitting down]

[preanimator]

I'm not the one who was about to go indoors. [Herbert sniffs, but his shoulder relax incrementally, and he follows to sit down next to Eriq again, book clutched tightly to his chest as though it can protect him somehow.] Anyway, that's what I've been telling people, but they all seem to think this is some sort of social event.

[rolls his eyes] And I had the mistaken impression it was some sort of lessons.

[eighttimeshandy]

[Eriq's right back to leaning against Herbert, his drawing journal left completely untouched. With everyone giving him a hard time, he really didn't want to finish the drawing anymore]

Please, Herbert, when is the last time any one of these lay-abouts actually put forth effort into their lessons? It wouldn't matter if their lives depended on focusing, they'd still find a way to party.

[preanimator]

Hardly an admirable trait. [letting his fingers lightly curl around the book instead of clutching, when Eriq leans into him, then hesitantly resting a hand lightly on the taller boy's shoulder] Which is why most of these idiots will go nowhere when school's over. It's all well and good now, with half the professors being disgraces themselves, but when they take their exams and have nothing to show for their time here ... hmph.

It's just such a waste.