gooseberryhigh | SCHOOL TRIP: Seniors

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SCHOOL TRIP: Seniors

SCHOOL TRIP: Seniors

Ah, Paris. The city of love. This weekend it will be host to Gooseberry's senior class as part of their school trip. The weather's a little rainy, but not cold. The clouds and afternoon drizzles add a bit to the ambience.

Students are given packets that contain their hotel room key, museum pass, allowance, a map of the city and its Floo network, the itinerary, and a basic list of rules. For the most part, it looks like they'll have a lot of freedom, so long as they don't break any rules. "We want you to explore the city as independent young adults," says Mr. Calderon-Boot. "We're trusting you, so don't let us down."

HOW THIS WORKS

The senior class is going to Paris, France! They'll be staying at the Hotel Les Theatres. Rooms can either have two twin beds, two queen sized beds, or one queen sized bed.

Staff presence: Mr. Calderon-Boot, Mr. Merrill, Ms. Lilywhite

Students will have to go through international magical customs, so they can't have any contraband in their bags, such as weapons or drugs. They will be travelling via the Floo network to the Parisian Magical Transportation & Travel Station, after which they'll be taken to their hotel.

For the two non-travel days, in the morning there will be a set school activity that's mandatory, and in the evenings students can do whatever they want to.
- Friday: Palace of Versailles, the Catacombs. Students leave at 9:00 AM, and return to the hotel at 3:00 PM
- Saturday: Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame. Students leave to see the city at 9:00 AM, and return to the hotel at 3:00 PM
Students are given an allowance of €40 (~$50) per day for food and leisure. They have student passes to get into museums, gardens, etc. with no charge, and the hotel has a free continental breakfast. Any room charges will come out of your character's allowance. They may spend their own personal money however they please.

The staff are aware that many of the seniors are of legal drinking age in France. They simply ask students not to overdo it, and to contact a staff member if they ever get stranded or drink too much. They won't get in trouble.

Curfew is 12:00 AM. Teachers will come through to make sure everyone is in their rooms. Reid Wainwright has a curfew of 10:00 PM as a consequence of skipping Cotillion.

ALTHOUGH THIS IS BEING POSTED ON 11/22, STUDENTS WILL NOT ACTUALLY BE LEAVING UNTIL THE MORNING OF 11/23!

Room 508: Adeline / Riley / Antonia / Ursula

Room 509: Cameron / Casper

Room 510: Wilde / Ulysses / Iliya

Room 511: Casey / Phineas

Room 512: Sybilla / Veronica / Phoebe

Room 513: Mackenzie / Sofia

Room 514: Ennis / Yancey

Room 515: Jaime / Lachlan / Oscar

Room 516: Kurt / Reece / Reid

Room 517: Lilika / Webster / Roxanne

Room 518: Olivia / Avery / Dominic

Room 519: Chloe / Saira

» DEPARTURE: Any scenes relating to leaving campus or arriving in France can go here!

» THE HOTEL: Any scenes that take place at the hotel can go here!

» DAY TWO: Palace of Versailles, the Catacombs: Art! Culture! Dead bodies!

» DAY THREE: Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame: Oh my god so much art and culture!!!!

» GOING HOME: Time to pack up and return to the states.

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

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Being responsible at Gooseberry has been an uphill battle for Jaime, so now that he has a chance to let loose he's definitely taking advantage. The club he's dragged Ennis to has been just what he needed - loud music, lots of dancing, and lots of people. Oh, and alcohol. The last two drinks he's had haven't worn off just yet, but he's pulled the Ribbonfin along with him back to the bar anyway. It's a little quieter here, and Jaime has won them a pair of seats along the edge of the bar top with a few winning smiles and a bit of shouldering through.

"Ennis!!" He sounds excited, as though he's just seeing the other boy for the first time that night despite the fact that they've been together the whole evening. "Are you having fun??"

Though normally shy and reserved, Ennis is not immune to the siren call of teen rebellion. Lately, he's been seeking these opportunities out more and more; those few unsupervised hours in New York had been amazing but being set loose in Paris for a long weekend was a dream come true. He's been knocking back drinks each evening and having the time of his life, whether out in a bar or up in his room, shitposting with Yancey back in their room.

He's lost count of the number of drinks he's had tonight, but what's important is that he's having a damn good time. Alcohol lowers his inhibitions and a room full of strangers he'll never see again means he's not so hyper-focused on what they'll think of him. Ennis has been dancing his little heart out and has somehow acquired no fewer than ten glow bracelets during their adventures in this club.

When Jaime pulls him along, Ennis lazily waves to the people they had been dancing alongside but eagerly follows after him like a little duckling. As they take their seats, Ennis can't stop grinning at his friend.

"I'm having the time of my life!!" he gushes, running his fingers through the front of his bangs to style them back into his quiff. "Do you want another drink?? We should get another drink!! Oh-- and water?? Rosy said."

Edited (CATCHING UP ON REPLIES TODAYYY) 2017-11-26 18:17 (UTC)

Ennis's response has Jaime grinning even more than he has been; he worries more than he's willing to admit about how those around him are doing, so it's reassuring (and exciting) to know that his normally more reserved friend is managing such a people-heavy place, and even enjoying it.

"Deeeeeeeefinitely more to drink," he says, catching the eye of a bartender currently in the middle of making drinks. "And... water, I guess. But I do not want to fill up on water. We should get food, when we leave. And maybe drink more. And go home and watch a movie! And." Jaime stops abruptly, shifting to face Ennis more, an elbow leaned on the bar. "What do you want to do also, though?"

Nia is wearing sunglasses for two reasons:

It looks hip.
The dark circles under her eyes have an event horizon.

She nurses a large cup of white coffee, fingers wrapped tight around the mug for warmth, and occasionally glances at the croissant in front of her. Oh, croissant. You will be eaten. Eventually. Your fate is inevitable. As soon as Nia works up the strength to eat you.

Instead she stares out at the street and watches people wander by. It's very French - she's like 80% sure it's very French. Sitting in a Parisian Cafe with a coffee and a croissant, people watching. It'd be perfect if she didn't also feel like shit.

"Three days and I haven't scored a single French girlfriend or boyfriend," she jokingly laments to the people at her table.

[Feel free to start your own cafe scenes under this heading if you wanna??]

Edited (too much white space) 2017-11-25 17:49 (UTC)

Phin glances up from his sketchbook, in which he's been drawing particularly interesting looking old people and what he imagines their patronus forms would look like (as it turns out: mostly dogs, hideous monkeys, or the odd parrot). This is an exercise in ignoring a hangover, or something that would definitely be one if he were slightly more unlucky. Perhaps it'll hit him worse later, when they're somewhere important.

"You've still got tonight for breaking hearts."

"A hail mary play in the fourth quarter," Nia, who knows less about football than she does about quidditch, says with a thoughtful nod, like she's just been given a great idea. "Sounds like a plan."

She leans over, popping her sunglasses up with her index finger to peek at Phin's sketchbook. "People and dogs?" She asks, gaze flicking up to his face.

Phineas has no idea what Nia's just said.

He pushes his sketchbook toward her when he realizes she's looking, reaching for his mug of coffee instead. "Guessing at patronus forms. That bulldog one's my favorite. Some people have just got a certain... face."

He squints at her, playful. "D'you know yours? Could do a portrait. Free, for a bite of that croissant."

Letting go of her coffee, she pulls the sketchbook closer, careful, like she's afraid she'll smudge it. And though her eyes are hidden behind her shades, which, honestly, look ridiculous, her lips do tug into a grin. "These are great, new kid. Love the parrot. Very accurate."

Eyes still fixed on the sketches, she slides her croissant toward him. "Pretty sure it's a peacock. Only got a partial...manifestation? Formation?"

"I'm good at birds." There's been loads of practice: Lucy and her frank, expressive little self, Lachlan's parakeet, denizens of the owlery. Actually, he'd half expected his own patronus to be a bird, until it came out a coyote instead.

Phineas takes a bite of the croissant with little ceremony, then trades it for his sketchbook once it seems Nia's had enough of a look. He wipes a few crumbs from the tabletop with a sleeve and turns to a clean page. "Yeah? Think it's funny how some get the gist of it before they see it. Mine didn't look like anything at all till I had the spell right."

He looks at her carefully, then begins his sketch. Sunglasses. Those have got an emphasis. They make her look a bit like an alien, actually, in the crude lines of his style.

"It's a weird old spell," she agrees, picking at the flaky pastry and popping a bit of it in her mouth before turning in her seat to better watch Phin draw. "I'm sure there's some meaning behind that, too." Her voice drops low and dramatic at that meaning. Like, oh, yes, absolutely the sort of thing you write a treatise on.

There's something soothing about watching a person draw. And eventually, she's putting an elbow on the table so she can rest her cheek in her hand. As those caricature sun glasses come together, her smile ticks up. Nia pops her own dark specs up and away from her eyes with a flick of a finger.

"Nice," she says, grinning, volume dropping to a whisper. Not that it's necessary, but Nia thinks library volume somehow feels appropriate when you're talking to someone who's drawing. "That is speaking to me."

Phineas laughs, a low, contented sound. "Maybe we're just rubbish, is the meaning."

He sort of angles so that Nia can see better: a little bit of shading here, there. Her hair requires a few close glances.

"Think I've got the proportions right there?" Phin taps his pencil on the coffee cup in her tiny sketchy hands. It's practically half the size of her body, or the suggestion of her body -- there's just the shoulders, and then some swirling mist, as though she's a patronus herself.

Lachlan still isn't entirely certain why Ennis had been so keen to switch rooms for the night but he didn't mind and Yancey didn't mind and moving a few belongings from Room 515 to Room 514 hadn't been much of a hassle so...here he is. And, after spending the evening with the Ribbonfin boy wandering the Parisian streets and throwing back a few drinks at a nearby bar, he's forgotten any small inclinations he might've had to feel awkward about sharing a room.

Well. Mostly. He's got a few too many uncertain feelings and has been too clumsily bold toward Yancey in the past a few too many times to have forgotten completely. Still. He's enjoyed himself tonight and he's content as he sits on Ennis' bed, sipping from a bottle of water and flipping through the small bundle of photographs he took today. He's organizing them and labeling each one in a small, neat, certain hand. As impressive as Paris is, though, the ones with his friends are definitely his favorites.

After a while, he pauses and glances over at Yancey and smiles a little. "...This is your first time in Paris, innit? What do you think?"

Yancey is working with a light buzz, which means every neat little weird inspirational thing he gawked at while they were out and about is going to slip his mind after a good night's sleep. And that's why he pulled a notebook out of one of his bags as soon as they were back in the room and got to writing. He scribbles down everything he can remember while sitting cross-legged on his own bed. Phrases in shorthand and a lot of rough, not-technically-or-even-subjectively-good sketches filling pages rapidly.

"First, yeah," Yancey looks up, just long enough to flash a smile at Lachlan, before hurrying to finish a thought on the page. Then he flips the notebook shut and waves it in the air. "Very inspirational city. You've been here before, then, eh?"

Realizing that he's interrupted...whatever it is Yancey's doing over there, Lachlan flinches and waits in uncertain silence while the other boy finishes writing. His expression is sheepish by the time the Ribbonfin looks back at him. "...Aye. A couple of times. It's only about seven hours on a train from Edinburgh to here, so we came on holiday sometimes," he explains, one hand lifting thoughtlessly to touch the back of his neck before he adds, "Sorry. For interruptin' you. I can shut my gob if you're tyin' to work or something'."

"That's so cool," Yancey says, smile warm as he leans forward with interest. "Able to just take a train to Paris? Yeah, real cool. Back home, everyone goes up north for vacations? But 'up north' is where I live part of the year, anyway. And it's just cabins. So, it's not even that exciting." He gets a little lost on that train of thought, until he notices Lachlan's discomfort.

He laughs, embarrassed. "Oh, my gosh, my apologies. No, you're not interrupting. I just hate forgetting stuff that strikes me. And I know I'll forget it, so I try to write it all out." He scrubs a hand over his eyes. "That was real rude of me. Sorry. Um, all done now! What d'you want to do?"

Relieved, Lachlan laughs quietly too and gestures to the photographs in front of him, "If you're bein' rude, we're both bein' rude. Dinnae be sorry." He drops both of elbows against his folded knees and and smiles at the other boy. "I'd...like to ask what sort of things 'strike you'? If you don't mind. I'm curious. Since cabins... up north don't do the trick?"

"Oh, it's, um," Yancey raises his arms, looking a bit like a conductor. His hands hang in the air for a moment while he thinks of what he wants to say. And then, once he's figured it out, he attempts, with varied success, to illustrate what he's describing with hand gestures. "The lines of things. The repetition and color contrast - like all the old buildings with tons of wrought iron around windows and balconies? That was pretty cool. There's so many unique shapes in the architecture."

Then he laughs, walking his enthusiasm back a bit. "Gave me a few ideas. Um, did you get many interesting pictures?"

Lachlan isn't an artist. His brother has told him on more than one occasion that he doesn't have an artistic or creative or fanciful bone in his body. He might be right. But that just makes Yancey's enthusiastic answer all the more interesting to him. And, maybe, more endearing too. He gives a small nod and an uncertain smile that makes it clear he doesn't completely understand but that he's trying to. "Paris is diverse when it comes to architecture; it's got everything from Gallo-Roman to Baroque to Contemporary. Seeing it all side by side and blending together...it's pretty cool."

Then he glances down at the photographs and shrugs. "I'm not much of a photographer. But it's good to be able to look back on these things, you know?" He pauses, then offers Yancey a lopsided grin, "Dinnae tell your sister I said so. She thinks I should take pride in my pictures. I dinnae have the heart to tell her I probably just got lucky last time."

Edited (...Shame. :( ) 2017-11-29 01:51 (UTC)

Yancey's grin goes broad and sort of apologetic at the mention of a run-in with one of the twins. Still, he knows his sisters. Even if they are both evil in a Children of the Corn kind of way.

"Now, if it'd been anything else? Then I'd be suspicious of her advice. But Beans knows what she's talking about when it comes to pictures, Lach," he tilts his head to the side, hands back to moving about animatedly as he speaks. There's obvious fondness for his family in his warning. "Not photography, though."

He pauses, one hand hesitating before reaching out, across the gaps between the beds. "Mind if I take a look? Not that I have an eye for that stuff at all."

Lachlan grins, the expression perfectly articulating that he understands clever little sisters and that he has the same sort of affection for Maisie that Yancey has for London and Paris. But he still hesitates when the other boy asks him to hand over the pictures. His lips only thin for a moment, though, before he's gathering the photographs into a neat stack and leaning to offer them up. What was the point in taking pictures if he wasn't going to let other people see them, after all? "...Sure. If you want to. You've got to have more of an eye than I do."

Mostly, he's right about the photos. They've got decent composition and the subjects are always clear but nearly all of them are just mediocre tourist snaps that record the events of the trip and little else. There are some good shots of their friends and classmates, though, and a few taken in the gardens that might actually be better than good. But they're pretty rare.

Prepared to wait while Yancey looks through the photos, Lachlan glances toward the window and anxiously toys with a blonde twist of hair.

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SCHOOL TRIP: Seniors

DAY THREE: EIFFEL TOWER, THE LOUVRE, NOTRE DAME

NIGHT THREE: Ennis and Jaime Partayyyyy

NIGHT THREE: Ennis and Jaime Partayyyyy

NIGHT THREE: Ennis and Jaime Partayyyyy

MORNING: Parisian Cafe (Open All)

MORNING: Parisian Cafe [Nia & Phin & Open?]

MORNING: Parisian Cafe [Nia & Phin & Open?]

MORNING: Parisian Cafe [Nia & Phin & Open?]

MORNING: Parisian Cafe [Nia & Phin & Open?]

MORNING: Parisian Cafe [Nia & Phin & Open?]

MORNING: Parisian Cafe [Nia & Phin & Open?]

MORNING: Parisian Cafe [Nia & Phin & Open?]

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan

NIGHT THREE: Yancey & Lachlan