Maize Maze
 

Open.
 

*steals Józef*
 

<3
 

Wasn't there a rule about this getting lost thing? If you just kept going straight you'd eventually figure out where you were? It was something like that, Jó was sure, but going straight in a maze was physically impossible.

So maybe it wasn't straight? Maybe it was alternating turns - left, right, left, right - or maybe it was just right turns... But didn't that take you in a circle?

Merlin's pants, Jó was clueless.

Not that he was about to admit this to the young girl who was asking him about being lost. "No, course not! I know exactly where I am!" he said, enthusiastically grinning at the kid. "Shame if you're lost, though."

”Oh, good.” Anna smiled at the boy. She wasn’t going to apologize for assuming, even though he seemed a bit defensive over the fact that he wasn’t lost. It was a fair question. She was, after all.

She folded her arms. “It’s not a shame.” As much as she tried, a slight whine came through in her tone. She was a bit defensive too, maybe. “I’ve never done this before and the entire point of a maze is to get lost, isn’t it?”Of course that wasn’t true but she had this theory that if a person said something with enough confidence, others would believe it.

Also, she was sticking with this boy, okay? Now that she had found another person, she was going to stay. Especially if he knew the way out. Just in case, you know?

Ooh, look at Little Miss Defensive! Józef completely missed the irony of his internal mocking - after all, he'd started this whole defensive thing. "Is too a shame," he couldn't help but retaliate, as though he lived for winding people up.

Which was admittedly fun. As for the whole point of a maze? Józef laughed sharply. "Don't be daft! The point of a maze is to find your way out!" Was he ready to admit that he, too, had no clue how to do this? Nope.

With a shrug, Jó set off again, checking over his shoulder to see if the girl was following him. Not that he cared, of course.

Open to anyone!
 

“Is not.” The boy shouldn’t argue with her. She was eleven years old. She was basically a professional at arguing. She had her hands on her hips and attitude and everything.

Plus, he was just plain wrong. And mean. “I’m not daft.” She hurried after him, her little legs working quickly to catch up to him. If he thought he was getting rid of her that easily... well, he was wrong about that too. Surprise! “So, how do you get out?” She was trying to annoy him a little more, maybe, but also she was genuinely lost and she might’ve been hoping that he could lead her out of this maze.

Was she seriously giving him all that attitude? The thirteen year old raised an eyebrow - or both - and looked at the girl. Józef could do that, too, and indeed he did - both hands were on his hips as he looked down at her. "Is too!"

Take that, little kid. He glanced to his side as she caught up, and, without noticing, slowed his pace ever so slightly so she could keep up. Maybe he was good at heart... Or something. "You keep taking right turns," Józef said, with way more confidence than he actually felt. That, he had decided, was what he was going to do.

Vita <3
 

Indigo had been feeling... weird since the start of term. Since before the start of term, actually. It had been a few days before the start of term that this feeling had come over him. He didn't know how to describe it, really. By now he should have been used to it, but this was different than he usually felt. He had no idea what was causing it, and no idea how to stop it. It had been a few weeks now since this mood had started. He'd been isolating himself, barely talking or interacting with anyone besides a select few.

This was a place where Indigo went when he wanted peace, or to think. It felt like a good place to go now. Something had compelled him to. He wasn't sure if it was just habit or if a part of his brain thought he might need it. His feet carried him mostly of their own accord, wandering through the maze and paying no attention to where he was going or where he had been. If he was going to get lost then that would be a problem for future Indigo.

... Anna giggled. She couldn’t help it. The way the boy mirrored her stance and stuff, with his hands on his hips... it was kind of funny. Not that that made him right or anything, but still. “Is not.” Honestly, at this point she couldn’t even remember what they were arguing about. She wasn’t going to back down, though. It was a matter of principle.

The change in pace didn’t go unnoticed, and Anna was grateful that she didn’t have to walk as fast. She wasn’t going to say anything about it, though. Obviously. “If you do that, you’ll just go in circles.” Probably. She really had no idea. But there had to be a better plan than just taking right turns.

She was wandering, too. She felt thankful for the fresh autumn air, the silence, and the mindlessness that went along with walking through the maze. She wasn't particularly worried about making it out any time soon, taking turns in the moment without putting much thought into where they may take her. It was exactly the study break she needed. Thing was, it seemed her steps were taking her somewhere specific, after all. Or to someone specific, actually.

"Indigo!" She'd walked right into him, taking a corner while a little too lost in thought than was wise and she hadn't even seen him coming. "Sorry, that was my fault." Lucky she was shorter than him because a head-on collision would've hurt something awful and she was trying to avoid all headaches right now. "You okay?"

Thereos had found it quaint that Hogwarts had elected to grow its own corn crop at Hogwarts. A very extensive one at that. With Aquarius and Pegasus soaring high in the night sky, the centaur knew that the time of the corn crop was coming to an end. Which much left on the stalks, Thereos had brought his best woven basket of vine and ivy to collect some harvest and bring it back to the colony.

He had seen several students stride in to the corn crop with their inferior two legs, but none had come out yet on this day. Peculiar indeed.

Ignoring the entrance, the likes of he did not know were in existence, the centaur simply strolled in from the side of his choice and began pulling corn off as he went. Squeezing each first with else closed to sense the ripeness of each.
Walking in a straight line to reach the other side of the rows and rows of corn, Thereos just so happened to stride out from the thick coverage right in the path of this youngling.

"Thereos," the centaur replied limpidly as he removed another corn from the stalk and placed it evening in his woven basket. Unaware still that this was a recreational space and not simply a crop garden, the centaur gazed upon the youngling in blue with harsh brown eyes. "The path you seek is straight. Stay the course and do not wander from it and you will reach the other side." Or she could always wait until the sky had painted night and the stars come out to dance. Then she could chart her course using their guidance.

Great hooves crossing the path between the rows of corn, Thereos began to slip into the opposite wall of stalks and husks.

"You may follow if you so wish but you must make yourself useful," he then nodded over his shoulder while plucking yet another corn.

Indigo was not paying attention to his surroundings, to say the least. He was vaguely aware that there were other people in the maze, but he was doing his best to ignore them. In fact, he found himself moving in the opposite direction. At least, moving away from younger kids who were talking loudly. The whole reason for him coming there was that he wanted to be alone. Except then he ran into something, which he quickly realized was someone. He was ready to turn in the opposite direction when he realized who it was.

"Vita." That was fine then. He liked Vita. In fact, he was actually happy to see her, which he wouldn't have been if she had been nearly anybody else. The collision had seemed to knock him back into reality, and he was more aware of where he was than he had been in a while. He didn't quite manage a smile for her at the moment, but hoped she knew that he was pleased to see her. "I'm fine." She was talking about physically, yeah? Since she had ran into him? Physically, yes, he was fine.

That was good to hear, though he didn't look fine. Something was definitely different and it worried her, considering things he'd told her in the past. Offering him a soft smile, Vita slipped her hand into his and tugged gently. "I hope you don't mind some company." She'd be walking with him now.

"Haven't seen much of you since we've been back.." She didn't want to push, but she was hoping some small talk might ease him into revealing what was going on with him.

"Of course not." He managed a small smile for her and squeezed the hand that she had slipped into his. "I never mind your company." And he meant that. No matter how he was feeling, he was always happy to have Vita around.

"Oh, sorry." Indigo shrugged a little, but he did feel kind of guilty. He definitely did want to spend time with her, she was one of his best friends, after all. He wasn't sure how exactly to respond to that, but after a moment of silence he decided to just be honest with her, as best he could at least. "I haven't really been in a... people sort of mood." Did that make sense? He wasn't sure exactly how to explain it, but he thought Vita might get what he was saying. "I'm glad you're here though. How have you been?"

"Is too, and I'm older than you so I'm right." And that was the end of... whatever it was they were arguing about. So she could stop giggling, thank you very much.

Józef pondered her response for a split second before shaking his head. "Nah, not in a maze. You just have to go in one direction and then you'll eventually come out." And if that didn't work... well, then, he would be tempted to blast a hole in the side of said maze and walk out that why. Honestly, he was regretting coming here in the first place right now.

Lissy/Nettie
 

Vita did get it, though his admission worried her a little. She wondered if something specific had caused this or if it was just the whole growing up thing that was weighing on him. It had been doing that to her lately and she certainly had moments where the best course of action seemed to be hiding out under her covers and away from the rest of the world. "'M sorry you're feeling like that," Was all she could really offer in return. If he wanted to keep talking about it, he would, and she was happy to let him change the subject if it made him feel better.

"I've been good. Being a prefect still feels a bit weird, but I think I'm finding my...groove? If that's even the right word to use." Did he get what she meant? "I'm not sure if anyone respects me, and I guess that's what my aim is? To get that, and to give respect in return." She led them around a bend and down another straightaway, shrugging a bit. "Studying hasn't been my favorite thing, but that's happening too. I'm falling in love with coffee because of it."

Indigo wished he could properly explain to Vita what was wrong, but the problem was that he didn't really know himself. There wasn't just one thing in particular, at least as far as he could tell, it was just this overall feeling. The growing up thing, yes that was definitely part of it. "It's alright... I'll be okay." These moods always passed, though this one had already lasted a pretty long time.

Indigo thought talking about her was better than talk about him, so he was happy to hear her start talking about herself. "Of course people respect you. Why wouldn't they? I think you're a great prefect." If anybody didn't respect Vita he would fight them. Indigo smiled a tiny bit at her coffee comment. "I definitely get that. I feel like all I've been doing is studying." To be honest, though, he didn't really mind it. He hadn't felt like being around people much anyway, so burying himself in his studies was actually a pretty good solution.

"I know you will." She trusted that he would, anyway. Her own experiences with these feelings allowing her to sound confident about it in the moment. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help, okay?"

"Thanks Indigo, but you're biased." He knew that, right? She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess I just feel like I haven't been in the school as long as some of the other snakes and I'm not sure if that makes a difference, you know?" It might. "Feel like helping me with Arithmancy sometime? I could use the guidance." She couldn't seem to keep at that particular subject for too long or her brain started to hurt something awful.

"Of course," Indigo said softly. He knew that if he really did need something, he'd always be able to count on Vita for anything. He'd always felt that she understood him in ways that others didn't always.

"Maybe I am but that doesn't mean I'm wrong." He smiled a little. Sure, she was right that he was a bit biased, but that didn't necessarily cloud his judgement about the truth of the matter. He saw things, and he hadn't seen anyone not respecting Vita. And if he did... he'd fight them. "I don't think how long you've been here has anything to do with it. Clearly someone thought you were the best person for the job and I, for one, support their judgement." He gave her a little shoulder bump and a smile, and then groaned when she mentioned Arithmancy. "I was hoping you'd be able to help me with Arithmancy. I just can't wrap my head around that stuff."

Anna scoffed. “That’s not how that works.” There were plenty of people who were older than her and not smarter. She was eleven years old, not four. And she read books. A lot.

She considered his logic again for a moment, quiet. And... okay, she really didn’t have enough of an argument to say otherwise. So he just kept following him. She was quiet for a moment, too, just letting him figure out how to get them out of their maze. That didn’t last very long, though. “So, hey, what’s your name?” As long as they were in this together, she may as well stop internally referring to him as the boy.