otterant

[otterant]

[otterant]

ant squinted his eyes, knees bending as he lowered himself a touch closer to her level, as if the words out of his mouth next were a secret. as if it weren't already obvious to her, to everyone else, to whomever from his aura and bloodshot eyes alone. "on a scale of mashed to baked?" he asked, tone already light and strung with laughter. the smile that ultimately landed on his face answered it all, saying in it's own right, 'do you even have to ask?' "come on," ant laughed, head lulled. "no ways 'ya 'aven't got'ta marshmallow 'ta spare. just one? t'ink 'ya gots 'ta 'ave one for me."

melinda tilted her head to the side, as if that would help her see her tree in a whole new light. it was kind of helping her see her own vision. it was when she heard her ex mention marshmallows she turned her gaze back to him, angling her torso so she could fully give him her attention. his current state was a familiar sight, she could remember many days, nights, and even mornings of looking into those bloodshot eyes. "ant, just how loaded are you right now?" she asked, curiosity joined with genuine concern lacing her voice. "oh no no no, stay away from my marshmallows-- i'm not finished yet!"

[otterant]

ant wasn't all too familiar with the true ins and outs of the fandom he'd just quoted; really, the only thing next you could ask him to say was 'my precious' or reference a second breakfast— after that, we was a goner. "not a worry," ant shook his head slow and sure. "be as much'as 'ya wants. ey, i'll even let 'ya slap me when 'ya done, had 'nough." a smile fixed itself on his mouth, sitting so right. "reallys i will, but it's the good stuff so.... hmmm, givin' it a go 'ya might be singing a diff'rent tune in a min."

lord of the rings had always been a favorite of maisie's, making the famous phrase the perfect one to halt her in her tracks. approaching the hufflepuff, she offered an eye roll and a grin. "well, my mellon," she said, speaking the elvish word for friend (at least in tolkien lore), "how am i to say no to honorin' the great man for whom this festival is named? been a minute more than a minute for me, though." she'd always been more of a drinker than a smoker, usually only partaking in the latter at this very festival or parties in the hufflepuff dorms.

[otterant]

ant hadn't realized he'd been lurking perhaps a bit closer than wanted; see, he'd been too occupied with squinting at the titles, trying to get a good look. "ah, sorry. nah, don't 'tink so," he responded, finally taking a step back as the hufflepuff shook his head, though his eyes only flickered off the bookshelf and onto her for a brief moment. "just lookin'. kinda in dis race 'ta find 'da weirdest title 'dey got. 'ya know of any? best i've founds 'men who love dragons too much'."

Open: @fideliusstarters

Where: tomes and scrolls

there was something familiar and intimate about a book, even if you had never read it before. alice had skipped out on all other festivities, in favor of the familiar bookshelves of tomes & scrolls. it was a little busier than usual due to the festival, but it was comforting none the less. unsure how long she had had company, alice turned around to find someone lurking behind her. "oh, i'm sorry." she said, a look of surprise washing over her features. "was i in your way?"

[otterant]

ant had sat in front of his tree, but had there been much work to it? not if you counted a touch of tinsel and a singular ornament as work. somewhere in his decorating, ant had gotten distracted by the popcorn meant to be strung up and by the bits and bobs of everyone else's work. he'd had a mouthful of kernals when the someone on the station opposite him opened their mouth, causing him to sidestep and to tilt, to give the tree a look. that long was done with heavy lids and bloodshot eyes but the corners of his mouth stayed smiling. "i see da vision," he commented, nodding slowly. "makes me want a marshmallow."

event starter: open | @fideliusstarters location: dogweed and deathcap, decorating mini trees

"don't look, it's not finish yet!" melinda exclaimed to the person next to her as she tried her best to shield her tree using her arms, only to give up, chuckling as she went back to decorating her tree. "ok, you can look, but you've got to trust the process." with just a quick glance in their direction, she tried her best to give a serious look before then directing her attention back to the array of decorations in front of her.

[otterant]

ant shook his head, clearing a bit of the clouds that were dulling his focus. "was i staring? shite," he giggled lowly as he shook his head from side to side, now rising to his feet. quite easily, gia kim had captured his attention— not that he had all the much of it to offer in the first place. in a few strides, he was at her side, his head soon tilted sideways, eyeing the ornament she'd placed. "huh. me family always hangs 'des last. 'da real ones a'least. mum has a ting about peppermint." he shook his head in small movements. "never got it. nor 'da gingerbread eider. fa me it wad always 'bout'a good sugar one. eh, 'dat or a snickerdoodle."

where - dogweed & deathcap when - hogsmeade founders festival who - @otterant

the bright greenery of the mini pine tree brought a genuine smile to gia’s face. she loved this time of year. everyone was a bit kinder, softer. people were less judgmental of everyone, which was a big plus when it came to her family. one of her family’s favorite traditions was going to get the tree. dad would insist on no magic when they went out to the christmas tree farm to hack down a tree, only to tie it to the roof of the car, and carry it in the house so they spend all day decorating it. it was magical, even with the absence of actual magic. it was unfortunate she might not get to participate this year. gia sighed as she placed the candy candy ornament on the tree. the tree was bare, but that was only the beginning. other students were mulling around, some watching and others decorating their own tree. a familiar face stood out. “ant, if you’re going to stare, you can at least tell me if this looks right,” gia calls out, titling her head to get a better angle. “or help, but i do have a color scheme in mind.”

[otterant]

closed: @cfwinchester location: outskirts of hogsmeade, on a stone half-wall.

"thou shall not pass!" ant called out, echoing a cultural muggle phrase as he sat upon the stone, his one arm stretched out. his fingers had all been extended but soon shifted into a lackadaisical point, "ey, least 'ya shouldn'n. not if 'ye want to do right by me house. sees, cause from what i hears, hengist liked a good puff." how much of this story was invented or hearsay, ant would not comment on. he was simply operating off vibes this weekend, high and high-spirited vibes in particular. "'bout to christen a new spliff . hate 'ta do it by me-self. tell me you'll spare me 'da shame."

[otterant]

[otterant]

ant shook his head once, going to answer but stopping shy as more words spilled from his housemate's lips. despite books not really being his thing, he understood in his own way. "no, you sees, muggle wise i usually went for da movies or tv. books were more'a my sister's ting. tink 'da last one i picked up... yea, might'a been, dunno, the 'mazing maurice?" ant shrugged, hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers. "t'ink i might need 'ta work ma'self up 'ta your level. not sure but gots to 'tink little women might be a little 'ta much for me 'ta start."

open: @fideliusstarters. location: courtyard.

"do you like books... or reading?" astoria turned to the person who was sitting directly next to her, she wasn't going to let them answer as words continued to spew out, "specifically, muggle books are quite enchanting!" she rattled on with excitement, waving her hands around as she spoke. "i brought a few with me from home. they're really scarce in the library." she sighed heavily at the outrageous supply of muggle books in the library; astoria was such an unfortunate pureblood in these dire times! the library maybe had four, dependent on how observant she was. "would you like to borrow one? little women is really good."

[otterant]

💭

For every 💭 I receive, I will write one thought my Muse has had about yours.

"esme would have really liked her." and he hated how it popped up in the past tense, like his sister is gone, even though she is in her own way. not the end-all-be-all way. still, that thought is a collision of happy and sad, and it's fully evident in ant's expression.

@lcnebcnes

[otterant]

🎵- melinda

"don't you know I'm no good for you?" — when the party's over by billie eilish

"darling, can't you see i'm a broken man with addictive tendencies and I think I love you. but I don't ever think I can ever learn how to love just right. so run away from me, run as far as your dark brown eyes can see" — tribulation by matt maeson

"it was nice to know you, hummingbird" — hummingbird by the haunting

@melindaxbobbins

[otterant]

ASK MEMES: accepting the following…

they're a 10 but...

send a 🎵 and i will pick a song lyric

💭 one thought my Muse has had about yours

[otterant]

closed: @astoriiagreeengrass location: hufflepuff common room

ant had come to learn quickly over the years that first years came with a certain entertainment factor. he supposed part of it was an age thing, another the new environment. whatever that truth was, he'd been sat in the middle of the common room, tucked away with a flask as his entertainment played on for the night. when the couch cushion shifted at his side, ant, only half-looked away from the scene in front of him to eye astoria as she joined him. "'pparently, loraly hit on poppy's boyfriend. gave 'im a cuddle afta the masquerade. big scandal."

[otterant]

"'da plants 'tank 'ya for 'ya service," ant responded lightly, an obvious joke but the truth there none the same. and though the hufflepuff had come there to take care of something, that priority had fallen quickly as he found himself focused soon after on his ex-girlfriend. something felt good about talking to her. part of it was just that continued bit of caring that had never gone away, lingered since his very first year. but beyond that... he'd need a spliff before he was ready to tackle any of those thoughts. "oh i 'member. yous was always the one forgettin'. like 'dat time 'ya lost 'ya wand. or that other with 'da earrin'." ant shook his head. "like i said 'den, might want'ta put a bell on 'tings. hard 'ta loose track if it jingles, i'd think."

besides shuffling her feet, transfering her full weight from one to the other, it felt as if she was stuck in spot as she watched him move closer. though a good amount of time has past, it was one of those things where the history there feels like it happened just last week when he was close. she let out a sigh of relief, although she tried to cover it with a laugh, as he looked away, giving her a chance to shake herself out of the spell. melinda waved her hand at his thanks, "it's no problem, just happy i could help, plus i would not have been able to live if i contributed to this plant dying, or any other plant." the ravenclaw joined him at looking at the plant before she moved to make her way back to her own plant. "blessing in disguise, these gloves. let me know if you need me to misplace anything else-- i'm pretty good at that remember?" with a smile offered in his direction, she went back to making her observations, writing down a few notes, the original reason for looking for her gloves lost with time.

[otterant]

everest had been quite quick with it, clearly not all that concerned about his plants to be letting ant at them— green thumb aside, the two year differential could prove to be a factor. thank merlin she'd been there. as that thought crossed his mind, her mouth echoed a similar thought. "t'anks," he nodded, slow to approach but drawing closer all the same. "'ta start, surely would'a lost another ten lookin', so i'd be 'bouta few minutes poorer." ant looked away from her, finding it easier not to look her right on as he spoke, especially when it came to the topic of needing her. it wasn't that he didn't— in that moment— just that with their history, it dredged up some things. and ant had really come down here for plants, not some nostalgic feelings or heartbreak. "hells, might'a even missed 'im completely; gone watered and trimmed someone else's. ruined two in one go." he grimaced as he looked at the leaves in front of him, as if to apologize to it for the almost maybe. "good ting 'ya misplaced dem gloves."

"yeah? much appreciated." she replied with a nod. melinda pushed a stand of her hair behind her ear before she pulled on her gloves. she figured she could leave him to it, listen to him and return her attention back to the alihotsy in front of her. that had been the plan until his words trailed off, the witch could see the look on his face before her eyes landed on him once more, a laugh passing her lips and shaking her body. "he didn't tell you, of course he didn't." the ravenclaw pushed off her work table to move a few spots down. "it's right here. seriously, what would you have done without me?" she joked, raising a brow as her laughter calmed down. afterwards she realized how that sounded and quickly tried to correct it. "i mean, you as in you and everest and without me as in, in this greenhouse."

[otterant]

ant shrugged a shoulder while his fingers continued to trail along the edges of the planter boxes. "just tryin'a be respectful." then again, he had looked at her arse. old habit perhaps. best to blame the gloves. "not 'ere long anyways. just promised everest i'd check on 'is plants. which... tinkin' of..." ant stopped his trek, paused in the corner of greenhouse three and scratching at the top of his head. probably would have been a good idea to get directions. "'ya know which is his?"

she jerked around at the sound of someone answering her question. only a momentary glitch as she looked at him before she directed her gaze over her shoulder, reaching back to find that sure enough she had placed her gloves in her back pocket and completely forgot. "right, thanks." she shoved back the thought that he had been looking at her back pocket, feeling foolish, so she offered him a small smile as she waved the gloves in the air. "you know you can come in and do whatever you need to do right? i don't own the greenhouse." she chewed at her bottom lip after pointing out her observation that he stayed glued to the wall.

[otterant]

ant had taken not two steps into the greenhouse before spotting her. he'd considered tiptoeing back, backtracking before his ex-girlfriend got the chance to spot him. but something stopped him. it's been her question and how it wanted to conjure a chuckle. "if i's were you, i'd check me back pocket," he offered lightly, looking towards her and the spot of dragonhide poking out as he wandered in. though he hadn't gone with his initial plan and left, ant did leave some distance between himself and her, staying flanked to the wall. "can't say i 'aven't made dat mistake 'fore."

starter: open | @fideliusstarters location: greenhouse three

giving it was her seventh year, mel had a lot hand in different pots. she had a lot to do before she left school and entered the world, her parents were already preparing her spot in the family apothecaries. she was happy to follow in her parent's footsteps even if it wasn't exactly her passion to go into the apothecary business, but she knew she could dabble in other practices outside. all of that meant she had a lot of projects going on outside of her classes, which is why she was currently in greenhouse three observing the alihotsy she has just finished nursing. "bloody hell. where did i put them?" she muttered as she looked around, unable to find her gloves.