Awar shook her head, "I've got to go study as well. I'll be off to the library." She hugged her cousin tightly. "I'll see you later, Presley!" She gathered her things and skipped off before the waterworks started.

Excitedly and a bit impatiently, Jory listened to the instructor go on about changing into bathing suits. "That'll just waste time,'' he thought. "I'll use the water repelling charm.'' He raised his wand and tapped his head.

"Impervius!'' He was ready! He watched Mr. Higareda call the merpeople.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver Ninja

A screen sits off to one side along with boxes of girls and boys bathing suits.

Gavin had been given permission to use the old supplies students had used a few terms before for this part of the seminar. So heading down to the lake he knew the items would be there waiting. "Those of you who wish not to use the bathing suits given and are old enough to know the charm, can feel free to use water repelling charms to keep their clothes dry."

Moving to the water's edge, he called in mermish so the merpeople would know they were there, and splashed a little in the water with his hand.

Feel free to post complaining, changing, using charms, etc. Have fun with it! You get to play your own merpeoples, there isn't anyone (that I know of) that will be coming to play with us. HAVE FUN! Gavin's around to give a hand in any way.

Er, no.

No. Lottie was not wearing that swimsuit. She had one in the dormitory, couldn't she get that real quick and enjoy the rest of the day at the lake?

This was all hypothetical, though, because it seems nothing was truly planned as far as HOW exactly they were going to practice the Mermish language. Even if she still kept on pronouncing things with the one worksheet she decided to keep at hand.

Either way, the charm was Impervius, right? There were people here who could do it for her...and, unless they went underwater, she saw no point in making her clothes waterproof.

Not yet, anyway.

Smiling at the girl as she did impervius, "They will be able to hear you above the water just fine. So as long as your there with them they will be happy to have a chat with you. Feel free to try it under the water as well, if you wish. It might surprise you at the difference of the tones."



Giving the next few students who appeared a smile, he nodded encouragingly as a few merpeople appeared. Time for the fun to begin!

Minerva followed the class down to the lake. They were actually going to try to talk to merpeople.. really. This was going to be fun, Minerva was smiling excited to try this out when she saw the suits they were going to put on. Oh.. those were the same horrible suits that Professor Williamson made them use a few terms ago.

Minerva went over and picked one of the ugly old suits up and found an empty screen. She was not looking forward to wearing this, maybe she was glad Ethan decided not to be part of this seminar, she did not want him to see her in this out dated mess.

Once she had the suit on she joined the rest of the class, pulling out her wand she got ready to do the charms needed to get into the lake. She really had to go swim in that lake, well maybe the would see the squid again.. She liked seeing him, he was super nice... She hoped she could remember some sayings to say to these merpeople, she didn't want to get down there and feel stupid.

After Mr. Higareda had apparently finished calling the merpeople, Jory waited anxiously for them to appear. It seemed like ages before a few heads broke the surface. "They're here!'' he exclaimed. Could he now go try no speak to one of them? That's what Mr. Higareda called them there for right?

Jory approached the edge of the Lake cautiously. There was one right there, close to the edge. "Er, hi there,'' he said, and waving. He momentarily forgot that he had to speak their language. Shuffling the worksheets in his hands, the Puffer tried to form his first mermish sentence. "Fan Jory. Em fan?''

Hoping he had gotten that right, Jory waited hopefully for a reply.

Minerva pointed her wand, "Impervius!' okay now that she was ready, she saw Jory jump in.. She followed her friend and got into the water as well. Seeing the merpeople, Minerva froze. What were the words again. She lost them in her excitement. Smiling at the merpeople she searched her brain, what was it.. what was it..

Looking over at Jory she heard his words, yes that sounded right and she looked back at the merpeople and copied what Jory said hoping he was right, because her brain was a blank at the moment. "Fan Minerva. Em Fan?" Yes, she had no clue exactly what she said at the moment, but at least she could try to act like she knew.

Eliza eyed the box of used swim suits and then looked back at their Mermish teacher. Um....no. Used bathing suits? I mean, I guess they're clean and everything but...that water repelling charm sounds better. She looked around and watched a few of the other students cast it on themselves. Doesn't look so hard...but I don't want to turn myself into something by accident. Maybe this is a good chance to get to talk to Minerva more? She spotted the Hufflepuff in the water next to another Puffer... Jory, she thought. She walked to the water's edge and spoke to the girl she'd come to know pretty much as "Ethan's Girlfriend". "Hey Minerva! How's the water?" she asked playfully. And onto business. "So that water charm...Impervius right? I just point at myself and say it?" She mock cast the spell on herself to show Minerva what she intended to do. "I mean, as fashion forward as those suits are..." she laughed and shot a small smirk towards the box of girls swimsuits.

Minerva was feeling very awkward with the merperson, she wasn't sure she even said anything correctly and by the looks of the merlady she wasn't sure she even understood. She just was swimming looking at Minerva like she was an alien or something. When she heard her name she turned in the water and was thrilled for the distraction. Looking at the merperson she gave her a smile and then turned to Eliza. "Hey Eliza, the water is actually warm. I was swimming the other day." She had liked swimming at the dock and hoped to get there again before the end of term.

Minerva swam closer to the edge so that she could understand Eliza better. "Yes that's right, just point your wand and say clearly Impervius, it's pretty easy I know you'll do fine." Eliza seemed like a smart girl and she was a ravenclaw so it would be an easy task. Minerva laughed at her joke, "Oh yes, we had to wear these wonderful things a few terms ago in Care of Magical Creatures. They are just stunning aren't they? I think they will make a comeback." Minerva laughed at her own jokes. "Go get your suit on and do the charm, maybe you can speak the language better. I think I'm doing wrong, this merperson just looked at me kind of strange."

"Thank you, Sir for clarifying." Alyssa thanked Mr. Higareda. She decided that she would first try to speak with them above water and then if they allowed it, she would try speaking to them under water. She would use the Bubble Head charm for that later.

Alyssa got excited when she noticed the heads breaking the surface of the water. The Merpeople were here. Alyssa slowly went to meet them.

She decided to first greet them. She first bowed to all of them, and then she put up her right hand with her fingers parted; forefinger and middle finger together, third and little pinky together. (yes she was using the Vulcan way of greeting) and then she attempted to verbally enunciate her greeting.

She wanted to say hello but couldn't find the word in the worksheet. Alyssa regretted not asking Mr. Higareda what the word for that was.

So she resorted back to the words she had practised in class. "Lle Ghood Lusa Em Li. (translated: It Good See You Here.)"

...she hoped she just hadn't insulted them.

She watched in wonder as the merperson Minerva had spoken to was just wading around near them. How had she not come to see these awesome people before? They're so neat! I wish I could swim underwater like that... She listened to Minerva's instructions and cast the spell on herself. "You know, I don't think I'm even privileged enough to wear them, so I think I'll just stick to my regular clothes," she said with a laugh. Annnnnd "Impervius!" she said as she cast the water repelling spell on herself, and carefully tip-toed into the water near Minerva.

"I'm not so sure I'm very good at the language either. I mean, the vowels are easy enough I guess, but the consonants seem tricky. Like how he said some of the j's are sort French sounding? I don't know about you, but I don't know anything about French. How about this though..." She took a quick look at the worksheet in her pocket and tried to sound out a phrase. "Fan Eliza. Em fan?" She wasn't sure if that was right, so she smiled nervously and tried another thing. "May-kee-fay!" (Maakeeffaa = pretty water) Um...um...what to say now? "Hr-oh-nn, hayh?" (Hron = swim, Heh = yes) She turned back to Minerva and shrugged. Her Mermish was broken as all get out, but that's all she had to work with.

Minerva laughed as she decided to just get in with her clothes. Well she was using the spell so it should be alright. "Water is pretty warm don't you think?" Minerva looked back at the merperson as Eliza got into the water. As she swam over Minerva looked back at Eliza, "I know it seems kind of hard. I don't know any other language other then English and just a few German words, because of Ethan." Min shrugged having no clue when it came to this different language thing.

She then watched as Eliza talked to the merperson. She was good, "That sounded great Eliza, maybe you can get a response from her, because I know she wasn't understanding me." Looking back tot he merperson she looked like she was a bit more interested, good did that mean Eliza did a great job, of course it did. Okay Minerva needed to try again. "Fan Minerva, Em Fan" Seeing if that would work Minerva looked to Eliza again as she spoke more words. Now Minerva thought she knew what she said, but wasn't sure. "What did you just say to them?" Minerva was curious about what was going on, because it looked like the merperson took interest now.

This impervius thing is pretty cool! she thought as she felt the water around her, but did not feel is soaking through her clothes. She looked up from the water and over at Minerva, "Yeah, it is a bit warmer than I thought it would be, for Spring in Scotland anyway." She chuckled, "I'm sure by a southerner's standards though it would be quite chilly!" She would've liked to have been on a hot beach somewhere personally, at least for a while anyway. She definitely had summer vacation on the brain. Back to Mermish, Eliza! she scolded herself to get back on task. "That's neat that you know some German! Ethan's a really nice guy. I'm glad you guys are together, cause you're both nice," she said with a smile. And just so Minerva could better understand Eliza's take on Ethan, because she didn't want her getting the wrong idea or anything, she added, "Ethan was really helpful and nice to me last year when I was brand new and didn't know anyone. And he's smart too." Yep, she approved of him. And she also liked Minerva as far as she could tell, so she hoped that she was making Ethan happy in return.


After Eliza'd finished her jumbled Mermish to the merperson near them, she turned slowly to Minerva with her shoulders raised and a very "ehhhhh?" looking face on. "Thanks...I-I don't know if I said it right." She cautiously eyed the merperson and saw that she was just sort of staring.

Then the merperson spoke back and said, "...Hayh."

Was that...disdain? She looked to Minerva again and explained. "I introduced myself, and said the water was pretty. Then I said 'swim, yes' which was completely stupid, but I didn't know what else to say and," she lowered her voice, "and I think it just...got sarcastic with me. Because it, er she, said yes all weird like... But I don't know."

She looked around for help from the seminar leader. What was his name again? Help! We're confused and having uncomfortable interactions with the locals!