ARRIVAL: The game is now open!

[goosemods]

ARRIVAL

Summer is over, and fall is creeping in. It's the first of September, and every student of Gooseberry knows what that means. Some of them fasten new badges to their lapel excitedly, while others merely dread the inevitable hours on a bus, followed by months in class.

The people milling about and getting themselves to work or the grocery store mostly don't notice the colorful buses stopping in front of apartment buildings, or zipping into quiet neighborhoods. Teenagers drag suitcases and trunks on board, and the noise level inside rises with every new passenger. Eventually, it becomes a cacophony of gossip and reunited friends, and the city streets become forested wilderness and towering granite mountains.

There are four buses, which pick up students by year. This means that all the seniors are riding together, all the juniors are riding together, and all the sophomores are riding together. If you have a sibling in a different year, or live in close proximity to a student from another year, the characters had the option of making arrangements ahead of time to bus together. The school isn't particularly picky, as long as all students sign off and are picked up. (Check here for a rough order of when students get picked up, but if you want to handwave a different order for plot reasons, you totally can.)

Exchange students and students from Hawaii or Puerto Rico must find their own transportation to the mainland, after which a bus will pick them up at a designated spot as per usual.

The buses are large double-deckers which are painted like standard No-Maj school buses. Except that, of course, they're also emblazoned with the Gooseberry emblems. They work basically like the Knight Bus, meaning they move supernaturally fast and cannot be seen by muggles. They have long rows of acceptably comfortable seats, which are set up in blocks of four facing one another. The back of the bus on the lower level has an on-board restroom, which leaves something to be desired.

Below, the post will be divided into three buses, so go ahead and comment below describing what your character did, who they sat with, etc.! Have fun, and welcome back to school!

» Boarding: The Gooseberry bus pulls up to your home lightning fast, and the driver hops out to help with your luggage if you need it. Did anything happen as your character got on the bus?
» During the Ride: Did anything happen on the ride to Gooseberry? The drive will take anywhere from one to four hours, depending on when your character was picked up. The sights outside of your window are bound to be amazing, but they pass quickly.
» Disembarking: It's a little chaotic, with everyone in a hurry to get off this damn bus already. Did anything happen while your character got off the bus?

» Arrival at Gooseberry: Finally! You're here, and you're all together! Staff is ushering freshmen and new exchange students off to the lodge, while everyone else is greeting their Head of House. Each Head of House is making sure all their students have a sack lunch (which will meet all dietary concerns if you put in the request ahead of time) and they'll be heading to their cabins to settle in.

The game is now officially open! Feel free to start making journal entries and posting logs!

Comments

JUNIOR BUS

[goosemods]

BOARDING

[goosemods]

BOARDING; Chloe Shepherd

[cmdrchloe]

Chloe boards the bus with entirely too much luggage (a big suitcase, two smaller ones, a pillow, a purse, a laptop bag...). It's a lot to carry and in addition to herself and the driver, someone else (volunteer?) had to hop off the bus and help too.

[blinkah.insanejournal.com]

If Boston is a stop before Georgia, Holden probably gets out to help her in with all her luggage!

[sylla]

Sylla caught the bus close to the MACUSA building and was accompanied by her father and her older brother Bedwyr, who helped her on with her luggage, as she was occupied with murmuring to a new kitten she is bringing to school with her this year. She said her goodbyes and waved to them through the window as long as she could, and tried not to look too sad.

And her brother is kind of hot. Do with that what you will.

[evercreep.insanejournal.com]

Calvin probably was at the same pickup spot as Sylla, but patiently waited for the sophomore bus to reunite with his friends. He would have said hello, and expressed relief she was returning to Gooseberry too.

He tried to avoid eye contact with her extremely hot brother.

[puphart]

Kurt arrives at the MACUSA stop at the last possible moment, rushing hand-in-hand with his little sister (a tearful ten-year-old) and followed by their father (a startlingly handsome Man of Business™ with a face that plainly reads "I have many more important things to do.") He gives his sister a bear hug and she hands him a six-page story of her own authorship and illustration, titled Princess Sarah in the Niffler City, and asks Kurt to read it when he gets to school. The request is made, of course, between sniffles. Kurt's father helps him load his modest luggage onto the bus before the two exchange an awkward Men of Business Handshake™.

Once he boards the bus, Kurt finds the first empty window-seat and plops down without looking at who's nearby. He hurriedly distracts himself by reading his Magizoology textbook – or at least, by looking like he's reading his Magizoology textbook.

Re: BOARDING

[cecaelian]

Ursula made it quite clear that she was Not Pleased about the bus' delay in arriving in Los Angeles. When she finally did board the bus, she was in such a controlled and lady-like huff that she tripped on the final stair and her skirt flipped up. She tried to find an empty seat to sulk by herself in, but ended up sitting with VOLUNTEER. Teasing? Comforting? Your choice! ensued.

[catseyenebula.insanejournal.com]

Katya, the spoiled, had far too many bags to get on the bus and because Alaska is far away by the time they got to the stupid state the bus was pretty full. She got separated from Riley so ended up sitting next to (help someone!), the poor unfortunate soul that has to deal with her chipper personality. She's super pumped to get back to school.

Re: BOARDING

[thecourtier.insanejournal.com]

Dom turns up with his freshman sister, Marie-Anne, having got permission to travel together. He hauls all of her luggage on board and ushers her inside.

[blinkah.insanejournal.com]

Holden got picked up in front of his mom's South Boston apartment building and rushed in as quick as he could, with just his broom bag, one duffel, and his turtle tank. Sorry you had to drive into a shabby muggle neighborhood! He didn't keep you there too long.

DURING THE RIDE

[goosemods]

[cygninae]

Reid is entertained for hours on end by just staring silently out the window. Or at the very least, he doesn't look any more bored than usual.

[threatens]

Sy slapped him on the back of the head and told Reid he missed him. ❤️

[riledup]

Riley is a total Mean Girl to Fresh Meat Chloe while they're stuck in Oregon, because she's bored and needs others to feel worse than her.

DURING THE RIDE; Chloe Shepherd

[cmdrchloe]

Chloe just keeps checking her phone as they blow through no-maj cities, trying to make use of what signal she can while she can.

[puphart]

Kurt would have spent the first little while pretending to read his textbook while mentally working out the first steps in his New Kurt project. Something eventually clicks in his brain and his head whips around dramatically. Where is Chloe?! THERE IS CHLOE!

He immediately zooms over and plunks down beside her while trying (poorly) to downplay his very excited grin. He doesn't say anything because he wants to see how long it is until she gets bored with her phone and notices him there.

Kurt would make a terrible spy.

[catseyenebula.insanejournal.com]

Katya gets bored easily so she brought a small book of trashy fiction but cleverly written in Russian as to hide her shame of terrible choices. Also she brought a pizza and a selection of candy as well as a few apples she is willing to share with those around her. It's a long ride okay?

[sylla]

Sylla already felt homesick and pouty an hour into the bus ride, and kept to herself reading a book on animal totem theory, and feeding snacks to her kitten, who had already claimed the seat next to her.

He took to attempts at wandering around the aisle, when Sylla had to bolt up after him and carry him back to their spot. She's a little bit new at this cat ownership thing, and he's cranky and restless after a Portkey across the Atlantic and being cooped up for so long.

[blinkah.insanejournal.com]

Holden pulled his hoodie over his head and passed out as quick as he could. Better to sleep through it than worry himself sick over everything.

Feel free to prank him!

[catseyenebula.insanejournal.com]

He might have ended up with a crow on his head saying hello once or twice before it flew away.

DISEMBARKING

[goosemods]

[threatens]

The second the bus stopped, Sy was off like a shot to grill Ms. Vector on who made Coppertale Quidditch captain this year. But not before trying to bully RANDOM PERSON WHO REPLIES TO THIS POST into bringing Sy's bags to his cabin. Feel free to ignore him and leave his luggage back by the bus.

OR HEY THROW IT ALL IN THE LAKE but then Sy will punch you.

[catseyenebula.insanejournal.com]

Katya will stand around trying to make fluttery eyelashes at someone to help carry her massive bags and if that doesn't work, she is not below bribing with candy. If no one helps the tiny girl will make the trek a few times sadly.

[sylla]

Sylla was one of the last off the bus, as her kitten Madoc escaped in the melee and she had to pry him free of climbing up one of the window curtains to wrangle him back into his crate. But she was glad to finally have the fresh air, and carried her kitten's crate under one arm and Leviosa-ed her luggage through the air to her cabin with her wand. Because no way in hell is a tiny girl hauling a trunk bigger than she is across the ground.

She also kept an eye out for mice on her way to her cabin, as she wants to give Madoc something to hunt and kill and have fun with. Sorry, Ebonhide junior girls. Nobody should have given her a pet with a predatory instinct.