little sparrow

reagan 'ray' longbottom ravenclaw. sixth year. gives out kindness for free. sarcasm sits on the tip of her tongue. your resident random facts generator. dumbledore's army member. ━ ━ ｛ ☀ ｝ ━ ━ ❝ so let's leave the weeping to the willow trees and throw our tears to the sea. ❞

[reaganlongbottom-blog]

nibsvascos.

Warm, light brown eyes lit up as he tried to picture just how big and wonderful the world was. However, they quickly became heavier as he was reminded with the realisation that the world wasn’t always as wonderful as he believed it do be. “That’s why we go to school, right? And why we have libraries? My grammy used to tell me how important books are, because you’re always learning… And everything you learn is super valuable and super useful!” A sad smile graced his lips. Then, he looked once to his left and once to his right, suspiciously, as if he was loaded with the world’s most important secret, before leaning in to whisper into Reagan’s ear. “I… can’t swim.”

The world was vast. So vast that it stretched on beyond their limitations a human beings. There were things beyond their comprehension. War amongst their own kind was one of them. Reagan could prattle off the details of the witch trials of the 1600s with ease, but she could not factually explain why it was that wizards always wound up in a cycle of violence against one another. “Your grammy was a wise one, Nibs. Everything we learn is valuable. And each life is valuable too.” At the exposing of his secret, Ray gave Nibs an easy smile. “You know what? I’m not much of a swimmer either. Think it’s too late for us to grow fins?”

[reaganlongbottom-blog]

kindheartings.

“Oh, please, you never know, Ray!! I’m t e l l i n g  you, you’ll know some random fact that’ll save someone’s life one day – I promise you that. But da’s right about your SPONGEY mind,” after their hug, she looped her arm through Reagan’s and laughed. “Nuclear bikinis?? I think everyone’s just excited they’ve gotten to break out their bikini’s after the holidays. But, you’re right, it’ll get messy if someone does. – – How are you enjoying the party??”

“Well, perhaps a fact could get me out of a pinch where magic or wit otherwise fails me.” Sucking in the information was easy to absorb; it was keeping the information to herself that proved to be the trouble. “Wearing bikinis in Scotland near the end of October is positively scandalous.” Yet nothing of the school’s term had been traditional. “Mmm, it’s alright, I suppose. I’ve been enjoying bits of conversation here and there. Are you having a good time, been mingling with anyone special?”

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mcntagucs.

“I can’t believe we’re actually having this conversation.” Shrugging, Dmitri decided to humour her. “But I suppose you should include in your pro/con list that most paper is treated with harmful chemicals, such as chlorine, which can increase the chances of cancer when ingested in large amounts in up to 93%. So it’s probably best to keep the textbooks — or any other kind of paper, for that matter, out of your diet.” He paused to give her a brief smile before answering her question.“I’m from Brighton.”

Reagan was unsure of how to take his statement, but when he continued her line of thinking, she decided to take it positively. In fact, she was encouraged by his own knowledge. “Mm, the concentration of chlorine may not be very high, but it would still be toxic enough to increase your risk. I prefer to consume textbooks with my eyes, so I’m sure it won’t be a problem for me though.” When he mentioned where he was from, her smile brightened. “Oh wow. So you probably spend a lot of time at the beach, huh? My family went on a day trip there once, but I spend most of my time building sandcastles with a moat.”

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amosisms.

              “ Sheer will and a bit of weird, squishy stuff, maybe?? ” He offered, with a small smile. “ They’re kinda’ MAGIC in themselves. Without the actual use of it. Yeah, I guess something cool as that just shouldn’t be tampered with. You know what’d be cool?? A jellyfish patronus. I mean, I dunno’ what that’d say about a person considering they’re brainless, but those little guys in that silvery light?? That’d be sick. ”

"I have always wanted to go to an aquarium to see them up close without having to, you know, dive into the water to actually see them too up close.” Mentally picturing the jellyfish being cast from a wand, she hummed her agreement. “That would be pretty. Especially if the light zapepd out of their tentacles. Though it’s true: I’m not sure what a jellyfish patronus would represent. You know, it is said that jellyfish protect some other fish and let them ride on their back, so perhaps a patronus of them could represent someone who perhaps may not have as much wit, but who is a shield for others.”

[reaganlongbottom-blog]

mcntagucs.

Dimas looked at the bird like she was crazy. Her behaviour wasn’t unnatural amongst the people of his house, but he still found the habit of vomiting information abstractly amusing. “Did you SWALLOW A TEXTBOOK or something?” He asked, hands coming up to tie his hair. “Are you a one or a four, then?”

"I’m not sure consuming textbooks would be particularly healthy. The paper itself wouldn’t be so bad since that’s mostly just plant material, but the ink would be bad in large amounts,” Reagan rattled on while well aware that Dimas was not poising a serious question. She merely read one too many books and browsed through one too many websites. “I suppose I’d be closer to a 2.5? I can doggy paddle my legs to somewhat stay above water, but that’s about it. And you?”

[reaganlongbottom-blog]

nibsvascos.

“That’s so cool, Reagan!” The absence of alcohol at a party where the majority were at various levels of intoxicated was more of a frustration than Nibs had imagined. However, when he drank he felt things more intensely, and when he felt things more intensely he cried. He looked at Reagan with a soft smile. “I mean, not the nuclear testing site thing, but it’s cool you know all these facts! You always know cool facts, huh?” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at the water. “Shall I tell you a tip top secret? You can’t tell anyone…”

Grinning over at Nibs, Reagan swung her feet in the water in delight under his praise. She liked knowing things, even if she was told that most of what she knew was information that she wasn’t going to get to use. “Not always. There’s a vast world out there, Nibs, full of information that no one will ever know.” That was part of the mystery of life, but at the mention of a secret, her eyebrows quirked up in invitation, “I won’t tell a soul. Ghosts included. Pinky swear. What is it?” She scooted closer to him to prevent anyone else from eavesdropping. 

[reaganlongbottom-blog]

amosisms.

                A muted smirk played on Amos’ face, listening to her rattle off facts. It reminded him of his older brother, the cautious one. The one that watched him swim when he was around: despite Amos not knowing how, despite bikinis being named after a nuclear testing site, despite the alcohol on Amos’ breath and it being 5AM. How the tides had changed, he thought to himself, kicking his feet in the pool on the  s i d e l i n e s.  “ Y’know, jellyfish are 95% water. Not as cool as yours, but it’s about all I got. ”

Jellyfish reminded Reagan of Spongebob, a show that was one of Reagan’s favorites to binge when she was feeling down. Sometimes, she wanted to live in a pineapple under the sea. But that could be the lack of sleep seeping into her brain. Speaking of brains     “Jellyfish also don’t have brains. So it makes me wonder what that other 5% is. Jellyfish are about as cool as you can get, honestly. It’s just too bad that we can’t really go around catching them with a net, magic or not.”

[reaganlongbottom-blog]

kindheartings.

“Ray, I’m actually amazed how you can remember all these random facts like this, it’s quite a feat you know. You may be the most BRILLIANT out of all us, “Jane went to give her sister a hug before sitting down next to her, “you might hurt some people’s brains though, people under the influence are especially susceptible to having brilliance BLOW their mind.”

"Da says that my brain is like a SPONGE that way, I guess. But facts don’t exactly make a career. Nor does it save lives like the talents of someone near and dear to me.” Reagan returned her sister’s hug, nudging her shoulder against the blonde’s. “Ah, and here I thought it was those nuclear bikinis that would do that. I sure hope no one has a real short fuse.”

[reaganlongbottom-blog]

bardonbella.

Natalia stared at Reagan with a blank expression on her face for a few moments. “Uh, honey, I am way too drunk for a school lesson right now.” she said before downing another firewhiskey shot. Dipping her toes in the water, she hesitated before jumping in. “Wait…are you supposed to wait an hour before swimming after drinking alcohol? Or is that just food?”

Reagan didn’t care much for the taste of alcohol, though she could perhaps enjoy a fruity margarita by the pool. “Oh. Yeah. Right, of course.” She knew that not many ( aka most everyone ) cared for random facts being thrown in their direction. Particularly when they were purposely trying to get their minds off things. “It was just food. That’s actually just an old wive’s tale though, so you’ll be fine. Save for the fact that alcohol does lower your inhibitions.”

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brobabyahn.

“ I bet it’s because girls look bomb in bikinis.” He grinned, taking a hand to swip across the water to splash her with.

"I’m not sure the usage of bomb in such a colloquial context existed back then,” Reagan commented with a purse of her lips before her face flinched as the water hit her. She flicked up her leg to splash AJ in turn. “But that’s clever.” She herself, however, was adorning a one piece. 

[reaganlongbottom-blog]

Perched over the edge of the pool, her toes dipped into the water, Reagan turned to the person beside her. “Did you know that one in five adults in the UK don’t know how to swim? And if that isn’t enough of a hazard, bikinis are named after a nuclear testing site called Bikini Atoll. A NUCLEAR TESTING SITE. And ironically enough, the crawl is considered the fastest stroke in swimming.”