July 8th, 3:00 P.M.
In a cabin belonging to several fifth-year boys...


"How did we get talked into this?" Alvis muttered, to no one in particular.

The Turmalina had been barely a half-hour out of port from Phuket when calls from the crew alerted them to the danger of an incoming storm. Everyone was supposed to go back to their cabins. Their own cabins. And yet somehow, most of the fifth-years -- girls included -- had ended up in the same cabin, with hatches battened and doors locked. Now, as the deck rolled and tossed beneath them, they'd been gathered in a vague circle around floor, chairs, and bunks for a game of -- of all things -- Truth or Dare.

It had to be a girl's idea.

Alvis sighed. He'd managed to claim a spot on a bunk by virtue of it being his bed, and now sat cross-legged with his back to the wall. With the storm raging, it'd be too dangerous to send the girls out, and Exploding Snap would be a horrible idea. He supposed there must be worst ways to spend an afternoon inside...He adjusted his glasses and peered around at his collected classmates.

"Right then. So. Who goes first?"

Ambrose would have done better to look at the horizon as much as possible to deal with the rocking of the boat, but a distraction was as good. He was sprawled on the end of his bunk, propped up on his elbows, his feet off the edge, and there were far more people in the cabin than were meant to be, so he was sharing the top of the blanket with others.

"Go on then, get it over and done with." Ambrose sighed, sitting up a little more, crossing his ankles, "start with something tame, you girls think of the worst questions." He grinned at them, meaning no harm - he just didn't have a mind that was quite so devious... call him innocent...!

"If you had to hug a teacher, who would it be?"

Juni may or may not have encouraged certain people to meet inside this cabin-- the storm was a perfect opportunity for some well-needed 5th year bonding time. With Winnie and Nell in her cabin, there was very rarely a dull moment. But wouldn't it have been even more fun if she could cram as many fifth years in one cabin as possible? After all, the cabins adjusted for the amount of students accordingly (to an extent) and she wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor if she absolutely needed to.

Before going into lockdown, however, she had pilfered a fair amount of food from the dining hall's magical pantry, so that nobody would starve. If somebody had noticed (and to be fair, somebody probably did. Stealth was not among Juni's skills), they had not called her out, didn't care, or pretended not to notice.

She opened up her bag and pulled out pastries, bags of crisps, noodles in cups, a container of curry with some rice,and a couple bottles of sparkling cider and lemonade, of all things. Thank Merlin for extension charms.

And thank Merlin for truth or dare, this was bound to be fun.

Juni gave Ambrose a judging look. "Really? HUG? That's so tame, Ambrose."  She shook her head and made a tsking noise. "If puberty hadn't made you so gorgeous, I'd have more venomous words for you." Juni teased, opening a bag of crisps, "If I had to hug a teacher, it would be... Professor Storm. Just to make him uncomfortable. But if we're talking future teachers." She paused, "Rumor has it that Donovan's brother might be a professor in the fall. I'd definitely "hug" him." She declared, air quotes and all.

"Alvis. Truth or dare?"

A cabin fit to bursting with future fifth years, now that was a sight indeed. At least it had been for the miniature Hufflepuff. Ayla had definitely been enjoying the trip so far but she had been gravitating to the older students as of late, she was still finding it hard to connect to those in her year after her friendship with Blake had ended the year previous. So this was something sort of new for her and she was enjoying it so far though she wasn't sure how much she'd enjoy a game of truth or dare. Thankfully Tawse hadn't managed to sneak his way in. He had been annoying her the entire time they had been on the trip so far.

Ayla smirked at Ambrose's tame starter question. She gave him a sweet smile. Even as the years went by and puberty decided to favour the Gryffindor, he was still the sweet naïve kid she had met all those years ago on their first day at Hogwarts. She was glad that being in a relationship hadn't changed that for him (nor hormones for that matter, after all he was still a teenaged boy)

She chuckled at Juni's answer. She could only imagine the look on Storm's face if the Ravenclaw had actually hugged him and absently began devising a plot to get each of the fifth year girls in turn to hug him once the term had begun in September. Though the thought of Professor Donovan's brooding brother joining the Hogwarts's staff had piqued her interest. If there was ever a definition of Bad Boy, Rick Donovan was it. Although Ayla was sticking with her conviction to keep things uncomplicated with boys. She hadn't dated anyone her entire fourth year after all the disasters she had wrought with romantic endeavours in her third year.

Alvis studied Juni as he took a pastry, judging the amount of wicked in her eyes. Juni didn't have a cruel bone in her body, so her offers couldn't be too bad. Still, Ambrose was right. Girls could be awful, especially after such softball opener. She could still throw a curve. "Truth."

"What is the stupidest thing you have ever done in public?"[1]

Well that wasn't so bad. He'd done plenty of stupid things in public, to be sure.  But when he went digging, nothing came to mind. He remembered angry things, sad things, things he'd done that seemed awful at the time, and yet not a one of them struck him as 'stupid.' Like forgetting to study before an exam, he found himself faced with no answer and blank white noise to be had.

He shook his head, annoyed with himself for screwing up so early. "I can't think of anything. Dare."

She dared him in a low, conspiratorial whisper, punctured with giggles and a profoundly evil smirk. Alvis made a face and shoved her arm without putting any real force into it. "Seriously? Gross, Juni. That's unsanitary."

Still. He'd passed on the Truth. There was no getting out of it now...He groaned and set his pastry aside. "Fine. C'mere, Ambrose."

Without waiting for a response, he swung onto the opposite bunk and gave Ambrose a shove before grabbing for the Gryffindor's ankle. Best to get this over with fast as possible. If that meant pinning Ambrose to the mattress, then so be it.[2]

1.	Courtesy of Kelly, via PM.
2.	From the same PM -- "I dare you to lick Ambrose's right foot."

Nell was used to crowds - after all, she'd been performing in front of them from a young age. Still, the amount of fifth years packed into the cabin was verging on overwhelming, with many people lying on the floor and across any other surface they could find that was remotely comfortable. Nell herself was on her stomach on a spot of floor close to where Juni sat, her eyes closely watching every food item that her friend pulled from her bag. The stolen feast was enough to elicit a growl from Nell's stomach and she instinctively snatched a bag of crisps as though her life depended on it.

"Ugh, you're an angel," she told Juni just as the other Ravenclaw questioned Alvis. Nell ignored what was happening around her for a moment as she was lost in her bag of crisps, the single most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on. Propping herself up on her elbows, Nell ate a couple of (or several) crisps. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she was confined to the cabin.

It wasn't until she had finished her snack that Nell tuned in to what was happening in the cabin. It was at that moment that she watched Alvis attack Ambrose and make a grab for the Gryffindor's ankle. She thought about asking Juni just what the dare had been, but decided that a surprise would be much more interesting. Either way, it was brilliant and Nell couldn't help but laugh out loud. Maybe she should have been paying attention to what was happening in the game of Truth or Dare, because as far as she could tell, this was just the beginning of the chaos that was to follow. In her experience, Truth or Dare never ended peacefully. 

Somehow Connor had talked Nico into cramming into the rather cramped cabin. It probably had something to do with him appealing to his desire to see what was sure to be an absolute trainwreck in person. His morbid curiosity caused him to do all manner of out-of-character activities.

But, now that the truth or dare game had begun, he was definitely not regretting his decision. Truly, all of these rather hormone-crazed individuals in close quarters with one Ambrose Pepper. It was only a matter of time before someone dared him to seven minutes in heaven. Unlike his friend Nell, who was currently distracted by the great bounty of food provided by Juni, Nico surveyed the room attentively behind his sleepy countenance. And so when he witnessed Alvis pounce on Ambrose, he smirked victoriously. It had begun.

"He didn't waste any time complying with that dare, huh?" Nico muttered softly. "Juni, you clearly know what your audience craves. Poor Ambrose, though. At least give him time to grant consent, people."

"Really? HUG? That's so tame, Ambrose." Juni exclaimed in response, and the Gryffindor gave a shrug.
"Easing us into it, y'know."
"If puberty hadn't made you so gorgeous, I'd have more venomous words for you." At this declaration, Ambrose's eyebrow's shot up towards the brown mop of fringe above them. Juni had to be joking, hah, he wasn't pretty. Girls only said that to boys when they were joking.

"If I had to hug a teacher, it would be… Professor Storm." Ambrose couldn't withhold a giggle at the thought of Juni throwing her arms around the old bloke. He saw Ayla laugh as well, and a look crossed her face which made Ambrose believe she was imagining just the same!

"Just to make him uncomfortable."
"You'd lose your arms before that happened." He muttered as Juni continued, shaking his head.
"But if we're talking future teachers. Rumour has it that Donovan's brother might be a professor in autumn. I'd definitely 'hug' him." Ambrose screwed up his nose as the girls swooned.

"Alvis. Truth or dare?" Hah, this would be good, though if the girls asked if Norling had done anything remotely squishy, he'd probably have to say no, from what Ambrose had observed, Alvis and Zoe Torret had been a meeting of minds, rather than lips or hands.. or worse. But with Casey, well…

"Truth." There was a murmur amongst the group, punctuated by the munching of jaws on the stash of food.
"What is the stupidest thing you have ever done in public?" Alvis, do anything stupid? What? Ambrose peered over at his classmate with intrigue. Posed with the same question himself, Ambrose would have to concede they'd all witnessed his stupid things.

"I can't think of anything. Dare." There was a low whisper that crossed between Juni and Alvis. Ambrose didn't catch it.
"Seriously? Gross, Juni. That's unsanitary."
"What did she say?" Ambrose asked to anyone who heard.
"Fine. C'mere Ambrose."
"WHAT?!" The Gryffindor suddenly sat up bolt upright, his hands out in front of him. "I'm NOT kissing NORLING!!"

Alvis was upon him all of a sudden, and Ambrose continued to struggle, though Norling was going for his feet.
"What - what do you want with my FOOT?!" His sock came off and a warm, but luckily for Alvis, relatively clean foot was revealed.

Kelvin still wasn't sure how everyone had ended up in his cabin playing truth or dare, but it meant that there was no where to hide.   Which was only a problem once he realized who all he was going to end up playing truth or dare with.  Sure Ambrose's first question was innocent enough but looking around the room at the other almost official fifth years, he was screwed.

Sitting on his bed, he couldn't help but laugh at the thought of anyone giving Storm a hug.  Then again, a Slytherin had asked the professor to the yule ball last year.  The thought of hugging their current captain however elicited a much deeper feeling.  He hoped the man wasn't actually going to be a professor though, he was already distracting enough on the ship, let alone the front of a classroom.

Kelvin breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't picked next, though, he ran through a dozen embarrassing moments he could have named before Alvis claimed to have none and changed to dare.  And then attacked Ambrose's...foot.  "Wait what's...I don't even.  Connor, pass me a drink, would ye?"  He said after getting his friend's attention since he was closer to the pile of food and drink.

"I'm sure there's less santitary places I could have you lick!" She commented, tossing a bottle of lemonade at Kelvin. Howevver, her aim wasn't great, and the drink bounced off of Connor's head before landing next to Kelvin. Juni shrugged apologetically, but she knew that Connor would survive.

She picked up a chopstick and began to make sl0w jabbing motions at Nico, scooting closer and closer to him with each jab. She knew how uncomfortable he was with the idea of a slow murderer with an inefficient weapon. Even if he didn't show any emotional response towards it at all. "A dare is a dare." Juni replied to Nico brusquely, "It's not like Alvis enjoys being an ankle-grabbing toe-licker. In fact, I admire his dedication." She tossed the chopstick in Nico's general direction. With her horrible aim, it probably hit an unsuspecting bystander.

Then Juni's focus switched to Alvis; he was so close to licking Ambrose's bare (and thankfully clean) foot.

Squished up between Kelvin and Juni like a particularly sexy jelly, Connor was the loudest to catcall as Alvis advanced on the Gryffindor with intent, loudly hooting “GEDDIT, NORLING” with what seemed to be the lungs of a howler monkey. “ ‘E’s gettin’ it–!”

Though a storm raged outside and the cabin was packed like a tin of sardines, Connor was happier than a sweaty ballsack right now, positively beatific; at least half of his best mates were present, there was food in very close proximity, and, well. They were on a boat, in the middle of a storm, playing truth or dare—a game fecking ripe for mayhem, considering how many of Connor’s absolute faaaaaaaaavorite people were present. (And would only be better, of course, in his presence.) Despite Norling’s less than stellar start, shit looked like it was fixing up t’ be a promising night–

Thunk.

“Ugh!” Pain bloomed across his head. Even worse, the hit put a dent in his fantastic, magnificent hair. “Uggghhh,” he throatily wailed, Adam’s apple bobbing with gusto as he covered his face. “Ugh, I’ve been hit.”

"I'm NOT kissing NORLING!!"

Alvis wrinkled his nose, shoving Ambrose's arms out of his face and pinning the Gryffindor to the bunk. The girls might think Ambrose was hot stuff, but Alvis didn't see the appeal. Then again, it was hard for him to see Ambrose as anything but the little brat who'd broken his childhood toy, made him cry, and spent the better part of the last school year trying to ruin his friendship with Casey.

Still, he'd have taken the kiss over this. Mouth-germs, whoever they came from, at least belonged in mouths. Feet spent all day stewing in their own sweat and picking Merlin-knows-what off the ground. Holding Ambrose's now-exposed foot, Alvis made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. He closed his eyes, stuck out his tongue, and reluctantly licked the instep and arch, which seemed the least likely to have come in contact with the floor.

"Blech." With the deed done, he dropped Ambrose's foot back and clambered off the bunk, wiping his tongue off on his sleeve. Across the room, Connor moaned in pain -- another casuality of their barely-restrained chaos.

Alvis thrust a hand at the pile of goodies and beckoned, "Cider. Please. Now."

Someone passed him a bottle. Alvis swigged from it and stumbled to the bathroom, the rolling deck lending him the decent impression of a drunk. He swished the fizzy liquid around his mouth, spat into the sink, and did it again just to make sure the taste of foot was completely gone. Then he returned to reclaim his spot on the other bed.

Still swigging cider, he pointed to someone at random. "Your turn. Truth or dare?"[1]

1.	Next poster feel free to claim it! Highlight below to choose your fate: Truth - "Tell us about your first crush." Dare - "Do a handstand." (as the boat continues to pitch...)

Picking up the lemonade, Kelvin would have said thanks to Juni, but Connor's wailing would've drowned it out.  Which was not abnormal in general.  "Not that hard," he said nudging his friend in the ribs.  "Want to get out of here and get your head looked at?"  His voice hopeful for a chance to escape the cabin without getting tossed from the trip.  Then it was too late.  He groaned as Alvis's finger pointed at him.  "Et tu? "

He wasn't really sure which would be safer with Alvis, probably both but he was going to err on the side of —"Fine.  Truth."

"Tell us about your first crush."

Kelvin couldn't help but look at Connor, who was suddenly much too close, and his face turned bright red, before he remembered he technically had had crushes before his best mate.  He just hadn't realized it at the time, but they still counted. And he thanked Merlin for his good luck that it wasn't his most recent or current crushes, since those were certainly more embarrassing considering the company.

"He was one of my father's students, and he...ah...tutored me in muggle English history."  He swallowed the lump in his throat and continued.  "He was 20, I think, and he played football and he spoke Old English.  I didn't realize I had a crush on him at the time."

Barely looking where he pointed, he said "Truth or Dare?[1]"  Hoping that his face wasn't as red as it felt and trying to come up with something to ask or dare one of his friends.

1.	Truth - "Describe the strangest dream you have ever had in your life." Dare - "Sit perfectly still for one minute, while Connor tries to make you move."

"Describe the strangest dream you have ever had in your life."

Ambrose curled up his nose and his eyes looked upwards as he tried to think back. There were a few dreams he could recall, but none of them were strange or worth repeating. Well, strange as in genuinely, amusingly strange. There were a number where he was getting told off, or had blown something up and was running away, but they were interpretations of his waking hours.

"Argh. Dare, go on."

Oh Merlin - sit perfectly still for one minute while Connor tries to make you move. It couldn't be worse than Alvis licking his foot, could it? Ambrose resigned himself to the middle of the group where he sat cross legged, and took a deep breath.
"This is going to be the longest minute of my life." Ambrose proclaimed, resting his hands in his lap and wincing. "Sitting perfectly still on a rocking boat is easier said than done, mind you. Who's timing, I don't trust Connor to time this!"

He prepared himself for the worst.