Climbing... [open]

[melody]

Melody peeked out the oak doors still contemplating wither to go venture out or not. She was mentally making a pro and con list. Pros, fresh air, getting her bit of pented up energy relinquished, getting away from the stuffiness of the castle, and of course, encountering new foliage to escalade, as she was running out of suitable ones with squatty enough branches in which she could reach salacity. Cons, meeting new inconsiderate individuals, having to talk to older students then herself, and of course, the common fear from falling out of the tree.

All and all, she found her pro list more adequate to her present needs and wants. Plus, even for one with much intelligence to spare, she was thinking and reading beyond what her brain could capsite, and she was beginning to get a slight bit of pain in the middle of her forehead. In other words, a slight headache. Upon taking her first steps outside, she automatically felt a bit of content that she certainly wouldn't have experienced within the castle walls.

Melody allowed a small slightly crooked but contented smile to take control of her face as she heard a noise she had awaited all day. Peace. It was Christmas, and with Christmas came anxiety, and with anxiety of course came hectic, feeble attempts to finish off last minute present shopping and decorations. She was glad to get out in such a mess and roam around the school free from her parent's demands.

Melody's sea foam-green gaze caught a tall tree. The branches seemed low enough and the knots were organized in a strange yet interesting configuration. She had her eyes glued on the tree, and slowly, like a moth attracted to fire, she walked over, her long dark hair flowing behind her. At last she had reached the tree but the branches were a bit higher then anticipated. Impatiently, feeling as if her petite height had finally let her down, she jumped reaching for the branch near the ground, however missing. She tried several times, but each time failing more miserably.

"Merlin." She whispered as she continued at the branch.

((ooc: open ... Break thread btw))

[charonholler]

Although it was a bit too cold to be sitting around outside, Charon was enjoying the silence that snow often brought to a winter world. As he sat against the tree he also enjoyed the lack of that sunlight that often plagued him. And so he sat until a quiet, rhythmic thumping, almost like the sound of a muffled bass drum, aroused him from his thoughts.

He sat and listened for a moment and soon noticed the sound was coming from the other side of the tree. He peered around the trunk and saw a dark haired girl jumping at the branches. From the look of her, he knew that at the very oldest she was a 4th year. As he watched he observed how intent she was on her task, and he realized she wasn't likely to go away any time soon. At least, not without something to speed her along.

He got up and walked over to the girl and said, "What the crap are you doing?"

[melody]

Melody had not been expecting to be noticed by another student in any circumstance. She, thus jumped along with his comment, and surprisingly got the branch. Her hands grasped it, and she 'walked' herself up the tree, her feet in a motion that appeared to be walking up the trunk. She found herself seated quite comfortably on the tree leaning against the trunk.

Melody's green gaze looked back down and she answered in a single word in a voice to match her name, "Climbing." She strived to hide the smirk, as the answer had been a bit late but all the same adequte to answer his question. She took the opprunity to meet the new person by looking him up and down. Remotly attractive... interesting she thought to himself as she caught herself just staring at him.

It took alot for Melody to like a young male. He was tall to her, but not overly tall to be intimidating. His eyes gray yet welcoming. And last but not least, his frame built strongly but with 'runner' muscles rather then the football player types. She however did not look away, but a small smile curled her lips upwards. Yes she was too young, but all the same, who ever said that one can't have a childish crush on another?

[charonholler]

Charon admired the agility with which the girl had walked up the tree's trunk. It reminded him of some things his muggle gang members had tried while trying to impress each other. The main difference was that she had succeeded where they would often fail. And that she had looked a lot better in the process than they could have ever hoped to.

"I would think it's rather obvious that you're climbing. Perhaps the better question to ask would be why you're climbing," Charon said dryly.

Despite his annoyance he couldn't help but notice her staring and her enigmatic smile. Ever self-conscious around girls, he turned away quickly so she wouldn't see his face starting to flush. As he did so he cursed himself for not having better self-control.

[melody]

Melody answered in the same tone as before, but maybe a bit more admirability, "Does one need an incentive to have a delectable time with the wonders of nature?" She turned away and took a book from her front pocket of her robes and a quill, drawing the scenery. Her quill made obvious scratches to the parchment, although it was unlikely to be seen from the ground.

Melody continued without looking down, "And I need something to draw besides the stuffiness of the castle... you can't really see anything else on the ground... elevation is key." Melody tended to jump around on the same topic, for she had never been either the most intelligent, nor the most sociable. She was just a quiet shadow lurking around the school only noticable to those who seeked.

Melody didn't notice the adolescents embarassment, for if she had, she would have directed some good natured fun at him. After all, what else was one to do with such a notion? Dis them? I think not. Instead she was drawing the lake, with precision of course, as she was a perfectionist, but as an artist, she hated her work. Strange teenager...

[charonholler]

Charon chuckled to himself at the girl's first answer. To him it sounded perfectly crafted for a smart aleck, yet with enough truth and respect in it that no one could get annoyed. Including himself.

He heard the quill scratching the parchment as she spoke of drawing and could not help but wondering what she was sketching. He started tapping quietly on his legs, a rhythm he had heard from a drumline once, as he walked to the other side of the tree again. Within a few minutes he had struggled his way onto a branch and was working his way around behind the girl. When he got there he snuck a look at her drawing and said, "Very nice. You seem to have captured the frigidity of landscape well."

After saying this he noticed that the branch he was standing on wasn't quite as strong as he had originally thought, and he found that he would be making an intimate acquaintance with the ground soon.

[melody]

Melody, said calmly before Charon had said anything, "I see stealth isn't your strongest point..." She had heard the scraping of the wood with his climbing. It wasn't the loudest of noises, but Melody possessed a nature that she was always ready and on top of the game. Melody just frowned. She personally didn't like the way the picture was going. She never liked the way the picture was going, but it didn't matter at all that much.

Melody however, being on guard for any sudden movements failed to notice the other occupant of the tree disappear suddenly until it was too late when she heard a noise at the ground. She looked down in slight annoyance, for she hadn't been expecting for a noise to large to pull her away from art. Her mouth made a small 'o' and instantly she felt panic. Was he ok? Did he hurt himself? A bunch of questions haunted her as she chewed her bottom lip slowly.

Melody hurled herself to the ground as quick as her odd skill for climbing would allow her, and she stood over him for a second before sitting on her heels to get a better look... "Ermm.... are you... ok?" She asked a bit hopefully. Damn, she would be in trouble if he was hurt.

[charonholler]

Lying on the ground, Charon was in little pain. He had landed on his feet, but was unbalanced. As he watched the branch that he had cracked break completely and fall next to him, he couldn't help but laugh.

He got up, still chuckling and said, "Yeah I'm fine. Watch out, though, that first step's a doozy." He then proceeded to brush the snow off his backside and said to the girl, "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to distract you. I'll try to find a quiter way to unintentionally commit suicide."

He extended his hand to the girl and said, "Well, if I'm going to disturb your work I figure you have a right to know my name. I'm Charon, or Rone for short."

[melody]

Melody felt the pain.... of the tree. She grimanced, as one of the rather large branches had cracked. She said a few words in her native tongue, Irish, "Sláinte an phobail seo fuinseog in éineacht le bhur cumhacht." a healing prayer before standing up, immediatly feeling like a toddler, as she was quite shorter then him... almost a foot. She looked down at her feet humbly upon hearing his name... Oh joy, now she wouldn't have to follow him around to find it like she had to do with other males in other schools.

Melody straightened out her pale green robes to match her eyes before saying calmly, "My name is Melody." Bowing her head slightly in polite intentions. "Yes... please do find a more quiet way... jumping from the west tower would work..." She nodded slightly in apprehension. At least he had a sense of humour, always nice rather then those overly serious beings she had seen. She failed to notice that she was one of those people.

Melody ignored the hand offered to her, as in both France and Ireland, it was considered a rude thing to do, shake someones hand. For that custom originated in America. The polite thing to do would be to curtsy or bow, but she was feeling the need to do either. For you normally do that upon meeting someone of great importance, and she didn't feel the need to follow his parents instructions all the time.

[charonholler]

Charon put his hand down after a minute, deciding that she did not want his subtle offer of trust. Life on the streets had taught him that if someone was willing to offer you their hand, a hand that could be used in offense or defense rather than shaking, they were willing to trust you at least implicitly.

Although her words couldhave been humorous in another tone, hers sounded rather flat in his ears, and he had to wonder if she was serious. He decided to try another joke and see what sort of response he got. As he did so his personal distaste for verbal fencing began to arise, though he tried to quell it.

He said, almost mockingly, "I'm not sure that would be overly quiet. People tend to scream as they fall, and there's nothing to say that they wouldn't hit the walls of the tower with loud clunks, or land on someone below. And that would definitely make a noise, since people really don't seem to like being landed upon. Someday I shall have to find out why."

[melody]

Melody said in the same tone, "It was a joke." Blinking at him, she was lost for words... she could always try to climb the tree again, but then again she would have to be scared up again. That was the type of funny she was, serious funny. She could tell a joke, and keep a completely straight face and voice. Many who didn't know her would have to ask... but an interesting way to ask too.

Maybe he wasn't in Gryffindor as she expected. She always made first opinions quickly, and the sudden infactuation showed that. Biting her lip slightly, she picked up her 1/2 empty book, now all the ink smeared. Great, she worked a long time on that. But she could always fix them later. She stuffed it into her pocket, and stared up into his gray eyes.

"Yes but I think it would be more painful for the person that gets dead weight fallen atop of them with the strength of gravity and all... Literally." She was saying literally to the dead weight part, after all, a dead person was bound to hurt just about as much too. "Not to mention in pieces, not just at once."

[charonholler]

Charon was starting to be able tell when she was joking, and figured that she was joking now. He grinned, the sort of grin that was generally described as s***-eating.

"Indeed, it would be painful. Though the pieces thing depends on how they fall and how they twist in the air. It they land torso-first, the pieces thing doesn't matter nearly as much. If they land appendage first, however..." He cut out there and adopted a thoughtful look. "As for gravity, well, it's perfectly possible to figure out how hard they would hit, assuming you know the weight of the faller, the height of the tower, and the height of the person being landed upon. If you'd like we can always calculate and test our theories," he teased.

[melody]

Melody shook her head… Dumb headache coming back again. Why did he have to bring up such stupidity with math formulas. She thought she had enough of that back home in Ireland. “Yes, and while you do that, I will be merely making up stories about why you decided to do such an idiotic thing.” Boys, with fickle minds, it couldn’t be helped.

Melody once again, seeing that Charon was fine, went back to jumping at the tree. Yes, he had just been hurt, but she could not separate her love of the forest from her, no matter how good looking a person was. Scrambling back up the tree with no difficulty she began to contemplate the past event. She couldn’t believe she had stuck around so long to hear such jokes. For she was one to get cowardly and run away.

[charonholler]

Charon watched Melody climb and decided she would be no further threat to his relaxation. He sat down with his back to the tree and closed his eyes, listening to the silence. He was content to just sit and think about what the force of a falling person would be.

Assuming, of course, she didn't decide to drop some snow on him or something.

[melody]

((ooc: -hits head repetitly- I forgot about this thread-))

And what Charon had not been expecting happened, for as she climbed the tree she 'accidently' shook a branch, plopping down a whole lot of snow down to where Charon was. Giving an internal chuckle, she sat down on the branch, waiting for a reaction from the much older student. She hadn't even bothered to see if the snow landed on Charon, for she was trying her best to not fall from the tree.