So...not that Derf would ACTUALLY admit to this properly...but he had kinda sorta taken an interest in the indoor garden this term in the common room. Maybe it was the way Picketta - when he may or may not have sneaked her out from time to time - always looked so happy tugging on the strawberries (or boxing with them, he couldn't really be to sure sometimes) or the way he often found Stephanie and Farah there that did it...but Derf kinda liked it. Plus...there was no a solid reason for him to need to muck around in one of his OTHER favorite areas of the castle - the slug pit.

See. Derf knew about ecosystems. Mum had always been particularly keen on them and why the fourth year had a fondness for pests, both magical and mundane. Most saw slugs as creepy crawlies or shrieked at the sight of their glorious trails of ooze...but not Derf. Those secretions were glory paths of the decomposition of organic matter which THEREBY released nutrients which enrich the soil. You know, GOOD stuff.

Hence the Hufflepuff had arrived at the pit with a bucket in tow. Plopping down at the edge, he proceeded to slip his shoes off and roll up his trouser legs all while grinning at the wiggling gooey mass before him.

Exploring had led this first year all the way down to the dungeons. Today's exploration was a lone corridor that she hadn't found herself traveling down before. Her footfalls where mostly quiet except for the occasion bounce or skip between steps.

Was that a staircase?

Rylee didn't think she had ever used that staircase before. Curious about where it lead to she hurried forward only to stop suddenly as she reached the small flight of stairs. Slime? Goo? Had someone played a prank? Blinking several times she wandered a little closer to have a much better look.

That's when she not only noticed there were tons upon tons of slimy SLUGS all over the place but someone standing there in the goo shoe-less. "Hi! Whatcha doing?!" she chirped out in greeting wandering closer to get an even better look.. just not close enough to get slime all over her shoes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Exploring had led this first year all the way down to the dungeons. Today's exploration was a lone corridor that she hadn't found herself traveling down before. Her footfalls where mostly quiet except for the occasion bounce or skip between steps.

Was that a staircase?

Rylee didn't think she had ever used that staircase before. Curious about where it lead to she hurried forward only to stop suddenly as she reached the small flight of stairs. Slime? Goo? Had someone played a prank? Blinking several times she wandered a little closer to have a much better look.

That's when she not only noticed there were tons upon tons of slimy SLUGS all over the place but someone standing there in the goo shoe-less. "Hi! Whatcha doing?!" she chirped out in greeting wandering closer to get an even better look.. just not close enough to get slime all over her shoes.

Shoes and socks off, Derf rolled his trouser leg until it was up over his knee and gave his toes a bit of a wiggle before testing the, er, slime as it were by dipping just his does into the slithering mass when he heard a rather chipper voice from behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see just who it was. He kinda remembered her from the Sorting - always a keen interested in first years - but admittedly had forgotten her name and face when the Sorting Hat had not placed her in Hufflepuff. No offense to her or anything, there was just LOADS for him to keep up with this term and he sorta had to filter things.

"Slug collecting," he grinned while giving his bucket a few playful raps with his knuckles. "Wanna help?"

Slug collecting. Did she want to help.

Well duh!

Rylee smiled brightly nodding her head. "Sure! What do you want me to do?" Knowing what to do was extremely important since this wasn't her activity. Was there some sort of method in collecting slugs or could she just pick them up and set them into the bucket?

First though she wasn't about to get her pretty sneakers with the purple laces all slimy. Off went the sneakers which she set aside out of the way and than her socks which got tucked into her shoes. Now to roll up her pant legs just like she seen how his way, as high as she could which was about her knees. There. Perfect.

"I'm Rylee... and you're um Prefect... uhhhh..." she began. She knew this! She was sure she knew which one he was. Only maybe she didn't and that couldn't be a good thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Slug collecting. Did she want to help.

Well duh!

Rylee smiled brightly nodding her head. "Sure! What do you want me to do?" Knowing what to do was extremely important since this wasn't her activity. Was there some sort of method in collecting slugs or could she just pick them up and set them into the bucket?

First though she wasn't about to get her pretty sneakers with the purple laces all slimy. Off went the sneakers which she set aside out of the way and than her socks which got tucked into her shoes. Now to roll up her pant legs just like she seen how his way, as high as she could which was about her knees. There. Perfect.

"I'm Rylee... and you're um Prefect... uhhhh..." she began. She knew this! She was sure she knew which one he was. Only maybe she didn't and that couldn't be a good thing.

"Great!" he chirped, lips curling upwards and revealing a toothy grin. "Well...it's kinda self explanatory right now. Just gotta carefully scoop them up with your hands and set them in the bucket." If he were better with weather charms he would do a little bit of manipulation to make the conditions a little more optimum for the mollusks....but this would do. "Just don't force them if they seem stuck to something, you know?"

Hopping to his feet, the Hufflepuff pulled his wand out and flourished it a little to send a little ball of light into the air to help illuminate the area a bit better. Dungeons were dark and stuff, yeah? "It's Derf," he nodded. No prefect. "Just Derf."

Scoop them up with her hands and set them into the bucket. If that was simple enough instructions then nothing was. Rylee nodded fast. "Got it!" How hard could it be to pick up slimy slugs and put them into a basket. Not hard at all. Plus it would give her a great excuse to get all icky and dirty. "I won't. If they don't want to come off easily I'll leave them where they are." Slugs were slugs but that didn't mean she wanted to harm them on purpose.

From her position on the ground where she was still sitting she lifted her head back to take in the little ball of light he just cast above them. "Whoa... what spell is that?" she whispered staring at in awe. That had be a useful charm for sure!

Prefect Derf, that was it! Wait, no Prefect. Just Derf. "You got it, Derf," Rylee gave him a bright smile. "You can just call me Rylee or whatever you want to... I'll answer to pretty much anything." Within reason of course.

Getting to her feet she looked around for the largest pile of slugs. It would be easy to pick them up if they weren't being taken off the walls or something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Scoop them up with her hands and set them into the bucket. If that was simple enough instructions then nothing was. Rylee nodded fast. "Got it!" How hard could it be to pick up slimy slugs and put them into a basket. Not hard at all. Plus it would give her a great excuse to get all icky and dirty. "I won't. If they don't want to come off easily I'll leave them where they are." Slugs were slugs but that didn't mean she wanted to harm them on purpose.

From her position on the ground where she was still sitting she lifted her head back to take in the little ball of light he just cast above them. "Whoa... what spell is that?" she whispered staring at in awe. That had be a useful charm for sure!

Prefect Derf, that was it! Wait, no Prefect. Just Derf. "You got it, Derf," Rylee gave him a bright smile. "You can just call me Rylee or whatever you want to... I'll answer to pretty much anything." Within reason of course.

Getting to her feet she looked around for the largest pile of slugs. It would be easy to pick them up if they weren't being taken off the walls or something.

Nodding, relieved but stiiiiiiiiiiiill that sort of fellow that would keep a careful eye on her juuuuuuuust in case, he grinned at the first year and caaaaaarefully slipped his feet into the slimy floor and wiggled about a little so his feet would swim between slugs and not squish any when he eventually did stand up.

"Oh...um...Bluebell Flames," he nodded with a sheepish hair ruffle. He had only somewhat perfected it recently, so the praise he felt was a little unwarranted but appreciated all the same.

Answer to pretty much anything? That seemed like a, you know, dangerous sort of thing. Still, the fourth year smiled at his slug collecting companion. "Rylee," he repeated. "Pleasure." Truly. He knew a fair few who would have gone running in the opposite direction or made uncomfortable faces at him for this, er, pastime.

Now knee deep in slugs, Derf simply bent over and gingerly shoved his hands into the mass and waited for a few to stick to his hands and arms.

Rylee glanced over her shoulder to watch what Derf was doing. Perhaps there was some sort of technique the older boy used when collecting slugs that would be much more effective than just trying to pick them all up. So far he wasn't doing very much but that didn't stop her from being just as observant of him as he was being of her.

Bluebell flames? Well that explained the color and why they looked so pretty. "Can those be used for warmth too or only light?" Curious little cubbie she was.

Nods. "Mhmm, Rylee." Or any other cute variation of her name like Ry or Lee were the two most common. She gave him a bright smile still watching him... more closely now that he was bending down to pick up the slugs. All he had done was make his way deeper into the mass of slime and slugs and stick his hands into it. Simple.

Rylee carefully inched forward, sliding her feet into the gooey mess of slime that was slugs. Wiggling her little toes around with a giggle. It felt really weird but not so much that it was a bother to her. Bending down she slipped her hands into the area of slugs and wanted to see what would happen. "This isn't to hard. I'm going to be in real need of a nice long shower and bubble bath after though." More giggles as she looked over at Derf and smiled.