Not in Texas anymore on Labyrinth Gardens

Professor Nathan Xavier

September 16, 2016 2:57 PM

First Year Orientation by Professor Nathan Xavier

Nathan Xavier stood in the Gardens, directing students as they got off the flying wagons. "Please leave your luggage in the wagons. The elves will deliver your belongings to your rooms. First years, please head through there," here he would point through an opening in the labyrinths hedges over which hung a banner that read Welcome to Sonora! First Year Orientation. "Mingle, enjoy the food, meet your year mates. Older students, the Cascade Hall and library are open for your use, as well as your common rooms. If you need a password, please find your Head of House or one of your prefects; there should be one here in the landing area now, or in the Hall later." Then another wagon with another load of students would arrive, and the process would repeat.

Eventually, all of the wagons were accounted for and the older students had all spread out into the school while the first years were congregated together in one of the larger open areas in the labyrinth. Food and drink tables lined one hedge, with snacks and desserts of all forms, and even small sandwiches for those wanting something healthier and more filling. Another table had two piles of parchments weighted down with rocks and signs that advised this was where one went to get a map of the school and a class schedule.

Looking around as he entered the area, he could see some students had already collected their copies and many had accepted the invitation to eat and drink after their bumpy and potentially long journeys aboard the magical covered wagons that had flown them here.

"Your attention please, just for a moment," Nathan called, far more comfortable addressing this group than he had been speaking in front of any of the previous orientation groups he'd overseen. He attributed that to a year's worth of student teaching, an experience he hadn't been able to claim at this time last year. He was barely sweating, and the little bit he was perspiring was at least equally due to the bright Arizona sun shining down on them. The weather charms on the school and the shade from a couple overhanging trees cut the worst of the heat, but it was still late summer in a dessert. This was definitely good beach weather today but Sonora was sadly lacking a beach.

"First of all, welcome to Sonora Academy and the First Year Orientation. If you haven't gotten copies yet, there are maps and schedules there on that table." He pointed it out. "I am Mr. Xavier - er, Professor Xavier," he stumbled over his new title, still not used to introducing himself that way, "the new Herbology professor, Teppenpaw Head of House, and the groundskeeper."

"We'll be taking a tour of the school in a little bit, which will conclude at the Cascade Hall just in time for your Sorting Ceremony and then the Welcoming Feast, but first I'm going to go over some of the school policies and offerings, and then you'll have some more time to meet and greet amongst yourselves until it is time to head out and tour your new school."

"Academically, all first years take the same core subjects together: Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and now Herbology. We're a small school, so your year group will join with the second years for a combined beginners class. When you reach third year, you will move up into the Intermediate class and stay at that level until you take your standardized Critical Assessment of Talents and Skills, or the CATS exam, at the end of fifth year. After that, you'll have the opportunity to drop any subjects you do not want to continue into the Advanced level, which is where you will prepare for your Ridiculously Anal Testing of Skills, or RATS standardized exam, at the end of your seventh year. You will need to pass two RATS to graduate, but we strongly recommend taking at least three if you wish to continue your education at a college or apprenticeship. Starting at the intermediate level, we also offer additional elective courses and independent studies beyond the core classes you start with this year. If you find you need additional academic help, we also offer supplementary study groups that cover English as a second language, essay writing, and study skills. Please see your Head of House if you would like to enroll in that."

"Extracurricularly, the school hosts Quidditch teams for each House - Pecari is the team to beat this year - and the Library accepts student helpers. Beyond that, we've got quite a few student run clubs here, including a Book Club, Art Club, Baking Club, Archery Club, Science Club, a Fashion Club, a Sports Club," he paused, counting those off on his fingers to make sure he hadn't missed any. "Yeah, that's all the ones we had last year. And if none of those are what you are looking for, you can always start your own."

"I just mentioned Houses. There are four of them: Pecari, Aladren, Teppenpaw, and Crotalus. They are called Houses because that's where you'll be living for the next seven years, and your Housemates will be your family here. The Sorting Ceremony tonight will determine which of those you will be joining. Within each House, you will room with those of your year and gender. Each House has three prefects, one from each of the year groups fifth year and up, a Quidditch Captain, and a faculty member called your Head of House, any of which you can go to with questions or problems. Your House earns points whenever is members display exceptional classwork, good behavior, or participation in school activities such as Quidditch. Likewise, misbehavior loses points. The House with the most points at the end of the year gets the honor of hosting the House Cup in their commons the next year."

He took a deep breath and finished off with the key facts people probably wanted to know but which didn't fit together in any neat categories. "Small fare food like sandwiches and snacks are available upon request in the Cascade Hall at all times between 6am and curfew at 10, but larger meals are marked on your schedule and are only available then. All students are welcome on the House Quidditch teams; no experience necessary. I think most teams have openings and reserves are always reassuring to have."

"If you have any further questions feel free to ask me or one of the other staff members." He took a moment to indicate the other staff volunteers milling about the clearing who had chosen to help him chaperone the orientation. "In the mean time, enjoy the food and talk amongst yourselves. The tour will begin in approximately one hour."

OOC (Out of Character):
Welcome first years to Sonora! You can post a reply here to ask staff questions or meet your new classmates. This thread is intended for first year students to have a chance to try out posting and get acclimated to the site before we throw you into the big Opening Feast, which is open to the entire school population and can be a bit overwhelming. So post, enjoy, have fun! Everyone here is happy to help out, so if you've got a question, put it on the OOC or try to catch somebody in the Chatzy and we'll try to get you an answer as quick as we can.

Subthreads:

First Day Jitters by Sawyer Matheson with Florence Newell

Finally Arriving by Kit Reid with Ayla Tremaine

Not in Texas anymore by Magnus Graphorn IV with Salali Bly

I miss my friends by Isaac Song with Simon Mordue

The start of an adventure! by Victor Callahan with Kir McLeod

Things can only get better, right? by Winston Pierce with Luke Powell

1 Professor Nathan Xavier First Year Orientation 28 Professor Nathan Xavier 1 5

Sawyer Matheson

September 16, 2016 5:14 PM

First Day Jitters by Sawyer Matheson

The ride to Sonora had taken longer than Sawyer had anticipated. When he got off the wagon, he stretched his legs in relief. Frowning, he stuck his finger in a hole in his pants, right above the knee. When had that happened? It wasn’t unusual though. He had no idea what he ever did to cause such messes, but at the end of the day his clothes were always worse for wear. Even now, as he pulled off his jacket due warmer weather than he was used to, there was a stain under the elbow. Sighing, so much for a good first impression, he threw the jacket into his backpack and left it with the rest of his stuff to go up.

Joined with the rest of his fellow first years, Sawyer took the opportunity to look around. It already seemed quite different than Massachusetts. Some of the students even seemed different than what he was used to. His parents had told him that by going to a school further away, it would give him new learning experiences. It was a chance to see the world beyond their small magical community. He knew what they were saying was true and that leaving had been the right choice, but it was also a little overwhelming to be in a completely new situation. He hoped that he would fit in and be able to make friends. It was easy back home since everyone knew who he was. Here, he was starting over. But then, he thought, so was everyone else. He had to try and keep that in mind.

On the note of paying attention, the man who had introduced himself as Professor Xavier began speaking again. Sawyer tried to focus on what was being said. There were classes and extracurricular activities, like most schools, but it was the Houses that held his interest. He had read about them and he was worried about which one he would end up in and if he would be able to uphold the ideals of the House. He wanted to be a positive presence wherever he ended up.

When all the information was stated, Sawyer headed towards the snacks. Mostly, because he didn’t know what else to do with himself. He took a pretzel and made himself busy with getting some dip when someone else joined him. He gave them a lopsided grin. “Hi. This is kinda awkward, but my name’s Sawyer. So, what did you think of the speech? It sounds like the school has a lot going on. The clubs sound cool. Are you thinking of joining any?” He scratched his blonde head with his free hand. Yeah, he wasn’t good at introducing himself at all.

0 Sawyer Matheson First Day Jitters 365 Sawyer Matheson 0 5

Kit Reid

September 16, 2016 6:08 PM

Finally Arriving by Kit Reid

Before getting off the wagon, Kit pulled a compact mirror out of her small, white handbag. Holding up the mirror, she made sure no hairs were out of place and fixed her white headband. Pulling her lip gloss out, she ran a quick coat over her lips. She wasn’t allowed to wear actual makeup, but this gave her face a little sparkle. Satisfied, she put everything away and smoothed out any wrinkles in her pink with white polka dot dress. There, now she was every bit of the perfect image that her parents expected her to be. Taking a deep breath, she joined the other students.

Looking around, she assessed the situation. It was like a small party and in any party, it was important to make sure one was mingling with the appropriate crowd. Though, it was difficult to tell exactly who was the right sort simply by judging appearance. Thankfully, before it seemed awkward that she hadn’t talked to anyone yet, the Professor began speaking. She vaguely listened to what he was saying about classes. She would have preferred to have more options, but it sounded like they might have that opportunity when they got to the higher levels, which was actually exciting. She liked learning and already read at a fourth year level. Of course, she would never admit to that since she didn’t want to seem like some sort of nerd. She had an image to maintain after all.

Though, said image hadn’t been established yet. She took further opportunity to look around for appropriate contacts, which would have been much easier if there was some sort of universal sign that stated who was who. Once the speech was finished, she headed over to where the food was. It was a guarantee that at any party, most people would head towards the refreshments. Now, all she had to do was look approachable. She didn’t want to turn anyone off of being potential friends with her, especially because one never knew anymore by dress alone. There were proper purebloods that wore casual clothing and those that wore their best just because it was the first day.

When someone finally made eye contact with her, Kit smiled brightly. “Hi, I’m Kit Reid of the Connecticut Reids,” said just like her mother had instructed. “What a wagon ride! I thought I would never get here. We usually travel by apparition. My parents don’t like using floo, because it’s too dirty.” She gave a little nervous laugh. Kit wasn’t really outgoing at all and felt like she was rambling slightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t ask about you. What’s your name and did you have far to travel?”

0 Kit Reid Finally Arriving 363 Kit Reid 0 5

Florence Newell

September 17, 2016 5:21 PM

Same here. by Florence Newell

The wagon ride was surprisingly bumpy. Flo had expected something more gracious of their transportation, given the school’s highly wealthy population, but no. Not that she was complaining (or really had either the right to complain or anyone to complain to), but it was a surprise. And it certainly did little to settle her nervous stomach. Dustin and Makenzie was no help either, sitting on either side of her on the seat but silent, each pulled within their own little worlds. She was pretty sure they only even sat together so that they didn’t have to sit by anyone else.

That was fine. Florence totally didn’t need their support or anything. They had places here, niches that might be different now but still existed (no one with a heart could completely, turn their backs on them, right?), while she, an eleven year old, was braving a total unknown without any sort of familiar foundation beneath her feet. So yeah, she might have liked some words of confidence or at least some kind of reassuring smile, but both her cousin and her brother were too busy feeling bad for themselves to even notice she was on the ride. What a great start this was turning out to be.

They were separated immediately after arriving, Makenzie taking off into the Garden, Dustin strolling casually to Merlin only knew where, and Flo being required to stick around near where she was. She thought she saw a boy follow Makenzie deeper into the maze, which was probably good, assuming he was a friend. She didn’t have enough time to really worry, though, because she was quickly back to worrying about herself as she was guided to some sort of designated first year area.

The man who met them was considerably larger than the average eleven year old, and he might have been intimidating if not for the warm smile he wore. Florence decided that she liked him, though she liked some of the things he mentioned a lot less. Those CATS and RATS seemed a bit nerve-wracking, even for a bright girl like her and despite the silly name of the latter test. (Seriously, who put the word “anal” in the name of a test that determined if one could graduate?) At least some of the actual classes sounded interesting, and the variety of clubs was pretty impressive. So overall, not a bad school.

Now it was just a matter of being liked, but maybe that wouldn’t be too big of an issue either, since going over to get a snack already resulted in somebody talking to her. “It was pretty good,” she said of the speech. “I guess we’ll never be bored. I might join a couple clubs, depending on how much time I have with homework and stuff. What about you?”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Sawyer,” she smiled. “My name’s Florence. You can call me Flo if you want to.” She didn’t bother with her surname, both because he hadn’t and because her name was only, if anything, a weight against her at this point. She leaned toward him almost conspiratorially as she drew pretzels from their container and onto the plate she had grabbed. “And may I give you a word of advice? I think things are a lot less awkward if you just pretend they aren’t and don’t mention it being awkward. That’s what my dad told me, anyway.”

12 Florence Newell Same here. 362 Florence Newell 0 5

Ayla Tremaine

September 18, 2016 1:40 AM

And now the fun begins! by Ayla Tremaine

It had been harder to say her goodbyes than Ayla had imagined. Mostly because Aurelia was crying and clinging to her while Mother tried to settle a fight between Milo and Lenn, and Declan was crying because he was three. Not exactly the type of image you want to portray in front of a crowd of people, so it was for the best that Ayla’s father drove her to the wagon pick up point alone. He always seemed to be working, so it was nice to be able to spend a little time together, even if they didn't say much.

“Mind your manners, learn a lot, and don't forget the rules.” He'd said as he hugged his oldest child and sent her off to Sonora. Father had also given Ayla a gold locket in the shape of a heart. The idea was that every time she looked at it she'd think of the family, and how much they loved her.

She was wearing it now, as she prepared to step foot on Sonora grounds for the first time. She'd waited until most of the other students filed out of the wagon, and gathered her composure before stepping out and into the clearing with the other students.

Ayla decided to wear a swingy mint green dress that hit just below her knee. The top was floral lace with a gauzy illusion yoke and short cap sleeves, while the bottom was woven faille. She'd worried that it was a little too dressy for the occasion, but her mother insisted, plus it had pockets which supposedly made it more casual. The brown strappy sandals she wore helped too, and showed off the french tip pedicure she'd gotten with her mother the day before. Her flaxen hair was in loose curls that fell to her mid back, and she was allowed to wear clear mascara and lip gloss.

She brushed her hair back from her face and allowed her green eyes to scan the gardens, and her classmates. A few people had paired off, some were exploring the snack table, and soon Professor Xavier was welcoming them and explaining about the school. The more she heard, the more excited she became. Mother had instructed her to get as much as she could out of her time at Sonora, which included clubs and activities. There was so much potential for networking and building relationships!

It wasn't easy to figure out who was who based on appearances, but one could usually tell a pureblood by the way they introduced themselves. The Tremaines weren't against knowing people of other blood statuses, so it wouldn't do Ayla any harm to just be nice. As the speech wrapped up, she noticed how dry the air was compared to the Bay area. Hydration was an important part of good skin, so she headed to the snack table for some water. She noticed a girl in a really cute dress as she approached and smiled at her as she grabbed a glass of water.

Kit Reid was her name, and from the way she spoke and her lipgloss, Ayla had a feeling that she could get along with this girl. She had a plan when it came to making friends, girls her age first, and then boys. Because what fun would it have been to make friends with boys if you didn't have girlfriends to discuss them with?

“Floo is the worst.” She said with a smile. “I'm Ayla Tremaine, of the Palo Alto Tremaines. My journey wasn't nearly as long as yours. I can't imagine being in that wagon all the way from Connecticut! I love your dress, by the way. Do you think you'll join any clubs?” She asked, taking a sip of water as she let her gaze wander around the clearing before turning back to Kit.

“Which house do you think you'll be in?” She asked with excitement in her voice. “I'm personally hoping for Crotalus.”

5 Ayla Tremaine And now the fun begins! 367 Ayla Tremaine 0 5

Magnus Graphorn IV

September 18, 2016 2:17 AM

Not in Texas anymore by Magnus Graphorn IV

Magnus Graphorn IV stepped off of the flying wagon and surveyed the school grounds. He was the very first of his family to attend a formal institution in what was at least a century. Maybe more. Mag didn’t always pay the best attention in his lessons at the Ranch.

Growing up, he’d had no expectation of breaking that trend. His father, and his father, and even his father before him had been educated at Graphorn Ranch, where just about all children in the small, Dallas-area wizarding community had been educated for generations. It was where his Uncle Martin’s kids studied, and where his best friend, his cousin Malcolm, studied as well. But then his eleventh birthday came, and with it a letter. And his parents, and Gramps, and even Auntie Moira had all sat him down for a talk.

Graphorn Industries was more successful than ever, and while the family enjoyed vast wealth and great prestige in Texas, it was still a regional name. And so Pops had concocted this grand adventure for Mag. He wanted to give his oldest child a more cosmopolitan perspective on life, so that he could take the company to the next level someday. Mag had been enrolled in Sonora Academy, a prominent nearby wizarding school. It would be an excellent challenge, he was going to leave home, be on his own, meet kids from all over the country, all over the world even. Everyone agreed that it was an excellent opportunity for the oldest son of the oldest son of the Graphorn patriarch.

And that was how Magnus Graphorn IV came to plant his graphorn (the beast his family had hunted centuries ago and their namesake, not a person) leather boots on the ground in Arizona. Sonora was a much bigger school than the small class they had at the Ranch, and he didn’t know of anyone from the whole state of Texas who was here. Definitely a very big adventure.

But for an adventure, there seemed to be a whole lot of rules. There was paperwork to pick up, and then an adult who went on and on like an encyclopedia about everything a kid could possibly know about the school. The tall, blond boy only half paid attention as he got himself a glass of sweet tea. It was weird that they played Quidditch here. Mag always thought of that as a European game. Not that he was much of a Quodpot player either, he preferred riding winged horses, along with Gramps. Gramps had a stable of Abraxans on the Ranch, and after work he could often be seen above the Ranch, taking his grandchildren out for a flight. Mag hoped that the adults here were as cool as Gramps.

He took a sip of what he thought was sweet tea and frowned. Not sweet at all! Just disturbingly plain iced tea. Pretty much water. Now what was the point of that? He was disgusted - their house elf, Maisy, would never allow such a thing. He hoped that the elves here were up to snuff. Mag moved to place the glass down on a nearby table, where another student was taking a cookie.

“Those any good?” he asked, slightly skeptical and with a light Texas twang, before remembering his manners, “I’m Magnus Graphorn the Fourth,” he was all charm now, holding out a hand to shake, and blue eyes twinkling in an easy way, “How was your trip?” He didn’t mention where he was from, because that would just be redundant. All Graphorns lived in Texas. Besides, he was used to people knowing his family name, anyway.

0 Magnus Graphorn IV Not in Texas anymore 373 Magnus Graphorn IV 0 5

Salali Bly

September 18, 2016 4:55 PM

What is a Texas? by Salali Bly

The wagon ride was bouncy. Salali liked it, bouncing along with each hop. She had never been on anything like this--she’d only discovered cars recently, and this was even more special than those!--so this was really something wonderful for her. There were older kids on the wagon too, teenagers who dressed and talked funny. She supposed that maybe she was the funny one, but that didn’t stop her from scooching over and striking up conversation with anyone who would reply.

They arrived at the school, and Salali said goodbye to her newfound friends, bounding merrily in the direction that looked the most exciting. Conveniently, that direction happened to be the one she was supposed to go to, with a biiiiig banner that welcomed her. Salali liked feeling welcome. It was a fun, new experience.

The nice-looking man called for their attention, and Salali laughed a little. Her attention was a bit of a hot commodity, especially in such an overwhelmingly exciting situation. Not to confuse: she could focus when she was interested in one particular thing, but there was just so much all around her! She did manage to get the gist of what he said: tour of the school, magic classes, tests, clubs, something about houses and roommates. That was her favorite part. She liked roommates. She’d been alone for a very long time, so when she had gotten to live with other little girls at the foster homes, she had been very excited. This would be like that, but even more fun because she got to use the Magics.

She didn’t really get the whole thing. A nice man had come and talked to her about it. He took her shopping for school supplies, and Salali had been so happy that she held his hand most of the adventure. It was fun. She liked that nice man.

So far, she liked this nice man too, this Mr. Xavier Professor Xavier. She didn’t have much of a sense for how long an hour was, but she was already eager for the tour and hoped an hour wasn’t a very long time. For now, though, she could at least console herself with sweets. Salali didn’t have much experience with them, but any child of any upbringing could identify cookies when they saw them.

She was halfway through her third when somebody talked to her. “Ishgood,” she tried to answer through her cookie mouth. But she couldn’t even understand herself, so there wasn’t much way this kid could. She swallowed and tried again. “The cookie is very good!” she grinned happily, crumbs dotting her chin. Her voice, while loud, was also very crisp, her speech an obvious effort, like she hadn’t grown up speaking English and now, when she knew it, was overcompensating. (Because she was.) “I am Salali! My trip was nice. How was yours? Where do you come from?”

12 Salali Bly What is a Texas? 372 Salali Bly 0 5

Isaac Song

September 19, 2016 1:17 AM

I miss my friends by Isaac Song

Saying goodbye had been really hard before getting on the wagon to Sonora. Isaac almost wished he wasn't magical so he could go to the same middle school as the rest of his best friends. He knew he couldn't tell them he was magical either, but it had never mattered until now. Isaac was depressed throughout the whole wagon trip, a relatively short ride from Southern California. Isaac sat with his arms folded and his eyes gazing out at the blurred scenery trying not to cry about how unfair all of this was. It wasn't that he couldn't make new friends; he just really didn't want to leave his best friends behind.

When the wagon arrived, Lauren tousled his hair before leaving him with the other first-years. Isaac looked around at his classmates and wondered how they felt about all of this. It was cool, being in a magical school, and Isaac had never experienced anything like it. His mom was a half-blood like him, but she'd never been in touch with the pure-bloods of her family. Isaac never really knew why, but he'd never thought to ask. It was going to be weird meeting people other than his siblings who had magic inside of them just like him. Isaac wished that his friends could have had magic in them too; it just wasn't fair the way people were just born with it or not.

Jason, Dray, and Manny were all going to attend the same school together for six years, and even though they promised to keep in touch and write letters (even though they didn't fully understand why he had chosen such an archaic form of correspondence), Isaac knew it wasn't going to be the same. They'd be going to school dances together and making new friends and joining sports teams together--all while Isaac was learning how to use a wand at school and trying to make new friends. He wasn't afraid of not fitting in, he was afraid of missing out and his best friends moving on without him. His greatest wish was for the four of them to stay best friends for life no matter what.

Even though he felt bummed out and missed his best friends a lot, Isaac was naturally social and did like meeting new people. It was a little overwhelming since he'd never been to a social event like this before without his mom or Lauren. Isaac grabbed a parchment with the class schedule and went to grab a brownie and a cookie.

Isaac thought 'professor' sounded so formal, but he would just have to get used to it. He was looking forward to seeing the rest of the school, and as Professor Xavier rattled off what kinds of classes and extracurricular activities the school offered, Isaac first tried to stifle his laugh at the inappropriate word included in 'RATS,' then perked up. He was definitely going to join the Quidditch team, but first he had to learn how to ride a broom. He'd always dreamed of flying but had never had the chance. The other club that interested him was the Sports Club. After playing basketball and soccer competitively since he was five, Isaac hoped he could find some people who shared his similar interests. That was another awesome thing about his best friends: they all loved sports and three of them had played together in the same league.

Isaac was familiar with the houses since his sister had told him about it before they'd arrived, but there wasn't one particular house he was hoping to get into. He finished off the brownie as Professor Xavier finished his spiel, and then turned to find someone to talk to. He approached someone and smiled, unused to this idea of small talk. "Hi, I'm Isaac," he said, trying to keep his tone friendly.

19 Isaac Song I miss my friends 375 Isaac Song 0 5

Magnus

September 19, 2016 2:46 AM

I'm glad you ask by Magnus

Auntie Moira would not be pleased with the girl that stood before Magnus, having always had an aversion to messy children for about as long as the boy could remember. Luckily for everyone, Auntie Moira was far away in Texas, along with her ideas about how young ladies and gentlemen should act like small adults. And even though Mag loved all his cousins, he thought that it was very lucky that Auntie Moira had no kids of her own.

While Magnus did not share his Aunt’s ideas about propriety - he had everything to do with his little sister’s current interest in all things bugs - the first year was thrown off by his classmate’s complete lack of concern with first impressions. Gramps had always told the children how important it was to make an excellent first impression. That is why he usually greeted guests to the Ranch from atop his biggest flying Abraxan, Misty.

“Well, I believe you,” he nodded, grabbing a chocolate chip cookie for himself and taking a bite. Crispy on the outside, melty on the inside. Awesome. He wouldn’t starve at his new school after all.

His accomplice’s accent and name were both very unlike the way the people he knew spoke, but again, compared to here that was a very small community. This was an idea that did not sit well with him. Mag disliked the idea that the world he knew where the Graphorns were Very Important was currently limited to a single state. But then, that was the goal of the adventure, now wasn’t it? Time to be pleasant, and make himself known. Piece of cake.

“Not bad at all,” he observed in his smooth way, “Pretty short trip compared to some, I expect. I am from Texas.” He added that last bit with pride. Mag had been disappointed to see that there were not many other students on his wagon from the southwest transportation center. For a state as big as Texas, he’d been expecting a better showing. As wagon after wagon arrived in the gardens, he was surprised by how many students kept pouring out. Where did they all come from?

“How about you?” he asked, genuinely curious, “Where are you from?”

It was a very big country. Though he had gone on vacations with his family outside of the state, he was starting to suspect that visiting was going to be very different from actually living with people from all over. Even more bizarre, there would be kids from a big variety of families. There had been the occasional Muggleborn that had been taken into the Dallas wizarding community when he was growing up. They were always grateful to finally find a community, a people that could show them the way to controlling their power. It must be a pretty big shock for those who didn’t know they had magic to finally learn, and then on top of that be whisked away to a magical boarding school. They had so much to learn. Mag almost felt bad for them. As a future leader of their community someday, it would be his responsibility to take in the Muggleborns of the surrounding communities and assimilate them into his culture. Perhaps it was a good thing to meet some here, so he would know what he would need to teach them someday.

0 Magnus I'm glad you ask 373 Magnus 0 5

Kit

September 19, 2016 8:47 PM

It should be interesting by Kit

“It was terrible! Part of me wished that my parents had sent me to a school on the East coast, however, they thought this would be better so that I could meet new people.” It went without saying that meeting new people meant making new connections with the right people. “But I already love how warm it is here. Back home, I would have had to have a light sweater.”

With Ayla’s introduction, Kit smiled with approval. The mere statement signaled that she was someone that her parents would most likely approve of. She wondered if her parents had already heard of the Tremaine family and made a mental note to ask them later. After all, any information obtained could prove valuable later.

“Oh, thank you!” Kit exclaimed. She shimmied a little to show off the dress. “I love yours too! I wasn’t sure if this side of the country was doing the same sort of style or not. I was reading Fashion Witch and it said the classic dress was in everywhere. Of course, accessories were personalized.” She touched the pearls around her neck. It was obvious to anyone that knew about jewelry that they were real since they weren’t all completely perfect.

Following suit, Kit picked up a water and took a sip. It gave her a moment to pause before she continued on, her thoughts running ahead of her. “It sounds like there a lot of clubs to choose from. If there’s Fashion Club, I might join that.” It may have sounded slightly superficial, but she did enjoy Fashion and she read all of the magazines. Though, she would have loved to join a brainy type club as well. She wasn’t sure if it would be approved of or not since in certain societal areas, being female and being smart weren’t necessarily approved of. However, she had recently read that some areas were becoming a little more progressive. “Are you going to join any?”

“Oh, um,” she twirled a lock of blonde hair around her finger. She had given quite a bit of thought to which House she wanted to be in and she was torn between two. “Crotalus, definitely.” She silently added, ’Or Aladren.’. Each one had its advantages. If she were to be in Crotalus, then maybe she would be popular and be able to make the connections her parents would approve of. However, if she were Aladren, then she could be free to learn and express the nerdy thoughts that she sometimes had. She felt like she might not be judged as much being around people more like her.

Kit glanced around at the other students. “Do you know anyone here?” It was mostly an invitation to gossip about the other students and to gauge what Ayla’s opinions on the others were so far. She didn’t want to make a mistake by saying anything about someone that she might know or who could belong to a prominent.

0 Kit It should be interesting 363 Kit 0 5

Sawyer

September 19, 2016 10:00 PM

We'll get over it together. by Sawyer

“I might join some clubs. I’m not really sure yet. I wasn’t in any back home, because we were usually doing some sort of event at church or community service,” Sawyer replied before stuffing another pretzel in his mouth. He was always involved in activities revolving around the church, but that might have had to do with the fact that his dad was a pastor. Because of how much time was spent there, Sawyer considered it one of his three homes. The other two involved his actual home and the restaurant that his family owned. It was great cause they always ate there after service. They even had their own booth.

“Maybe I’ll join Baking Club. I’ve done some cooking and baking.” Of course, everything he ever made was with help and only simple dishes to serve a lot of people like pastas and soups, but he did enjoy doing it. Plus, maybe if he learned more his mom would let him out at the restaurant. That would be awesome!

“Quidditch is probably what everyone will be joining though and I love going to games. Maybe I’ll try out for that.” He did love watching Quidditch, but he wasn’t sure if he would actually be good at the sport. He was a bit uncoordinated at the moment. It didn’t seem like he was always this way though. It seemed to have come on only recently as his limbs seemed longer than he actually needed.

He paused. She had said about homework. “Do you think we’ll get a lot of homework?” Who would remind him about doing homework? His parents, especially his mom, always nagged him about doing his homework. What if he forgot to do his assignments? Maybe he should start writing down things and trying to be a little more organized. He would have to try and remember to do that.

Sawyer looked at her with wide, innocent eyes hidden under a tousle of blonde hair, as if such a thought had never occurred to him. “My dad always told me to be honest.” It was said in such an open way that there was no hidden agenda in the statement. He was simply a good boy whose fault was that there was a little too much truth in his statement. Of course, Flo was trying to be helpful and she was probably right. Everyone was in the same boat so to say. “Since it’s already out there, why don’t we try being awkward together?”

0 Sawyer We'll get over it together. 365 Sawyer 0 5

Victor Callahan

September 20, 2016 5:59 PM

The start of an adventure! by Victor Callahan

The wagon ride to Sonora had been pretty cool, definitely more fun than floo travel (which was just over too quickly, even if there were cool effects!). The only thing that would make the wagon cooler – at least according to Victor – would be if they’d been going a lot faster (it was nothing compared to some brooms), but the destination probably made up for that. Victor had been eager to go off to Sonora for almost as long as he could remember. It wasn’t that he liked studying, but there would be people and friends and almost definitely adventures, all of which were sadly lacking at home.

He wouldn’t miss anything about home. Okay, maybe that was a slight lie. He’d miss Jehan, or rather he’d worry about Jehan. Victor wasn’t the most thoughtful of people, but he always made an exception when it came to his little brother. He hoped Jehan would cope without Victor there to comfort him, protect him, and to hide Jehan’s misdeeds from their parents. Jehan was different, he was special, and he was always doing things that his parents would disapprove of. Victor spent a lot of time covering up for these things, and he was sure Jehan would struggle without him there.

But Jehan wasn’t here, and there were people to meet and food to eat, so Victor pushed aside his thoughts of Jehan aside and tried to tune in to the last few minutes of the professor’s speech. A lot of what he was saying sounded familiar, as his father had spent ages making sure Victor knew everything he could about Sonora. It hadn’t seemed to matter that Victor didn’t care about being prepared, so he’d dutifully sat and listened to his father, or rather pretended that at no point at all had he been distracted by the view out the window. That hadn’t been his fault anyway. Outside was just more interesting! Finally the professor’s talk came to an end, just as his father’s had eventually (it was an art, learning to sit through them) and then the food was calling Victor, who hadn’t eaten for a couple of hours so was, of course, starving. It was hard being an 11-year-old boy.

The chocolate cookies just seemed to be calling his name, so Victor decided to make a pit-stop there before finding someone to talk to. One of the kids nearby looked fairly normal, so Victor confidently approached them (why on earth would he be scared of a classmate?). “I’m Victor Callahan, of the Idaho Callahans,” he introduced himself, smiling cheerfully. “Are you glad to be here? I reckon it’s going to be a lot more fun than just being at home.”

9 Victor Callahan The start of an adventure! 368 Victor Callahan 0 5

Kir McLeod

September 21, 2016 2:17 AM

Definitely experiencing new things by Kir McLeod

Kir stretched, working the crick out of his neck after the long wagon ride from the east coast. So. Here he was. School. The thought of it was mostly exciting. It was an adventure he felt he’d been preparing for most of his life - being thrown into this big melting pot of people from all different backgrounds, and negotiating that as best he could. To be fair, most of his life he’d been mingling with all sorts, there was just one exception here that he had rarely dealt with in person… Society Purebloods. At least, those still clinging to their families’ outdated views. He’d met plenty of the type who’d given up on them.

He wondered what they would make of him. He imagined they would write him off as someone of little importance unless he chose to educate them on his background. He doubted many of his classmates were memorising the annals of ‘Historic Magical Families of Great Britain and Northern Island.’ According to this volume, his family had become extinct when the two children of the main McLeod line ‘disappeared,’ and the family’s home passed to a line of cousins. Even in the unlikely event that they were familiar with that particular volume, there was little reason for them to connect him with those McLeods. After all, it wasn’t an unheard of surname outside their family - he wouldn’t say it was common but there were people who possessed it without being related - and, after all, the book said that his father and his aunt had ‘disappeared,’ not run away, set up homes in Boston and Vermont, and founded a charity to help other Purebloods who wanted to do the same. The McLeod Foundation had its fingers in a number of pies, all relating to civil rights, and it was just about possible that others would have heard of them from that, and might think to query or connect him to it. They were unafraid of lobbying for their causes, and the charity’s name ended up in the papers a good deal. He doubted that Pureblood families were broadcasting to their children that there were people willing to help them in the event of their disownment, but they might be familiar with them as those ‘crazy liberals’ who got entangled in bills relating to women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, minority rights and so on.

Kir was one of the last to assemble, having come from so far away, and there wasn’t much time to mingle before the welcoming speech. A lot of the information was standard, regardless of where one went to school, be it Hogwarts, Salem or Sonora. There were four houses, there were core subjects and electives, there were exams in fifth and seventh year. He even knew some of the Sonora-specific details, such as the subjects, and house names and characters, having read the school literature. The point of most interest was the clubs. ‘Extra curricular activities’ had been mentioned but he supposed that, as they were run by students, it wasn’t easy to keep the list up to date. It was exciting to know that there were wider options than ‘Quidditch’ or ‘spectating Quidditch.’ Not that he was against doing either of these things… He probably wouldn’t sign up unless really needed but he would definitely support his house. It was just nice to know there were other options. Personally, he liked the sound of being a library monitor and a member of the book club…

Once they were free to mingle, he made his way over to the maps. He was tempted by the snack table too but it seemed fairly busy at present. This probably added to the general air of seriousness that Kir gave off. Though he was generally friendly and open, he tended to have more on his mind than the average eleven year old. He was rather aware of all the injustices the world had to offer - more from trying to save it from them than personal experience - and tended to think a lot about the meanings and impacts of his actions, and it showed in his eyes. For now, they were busily scanning his new environment, taking everything in, but when they weren’t doing that, his thoughts turned inwards. ‘Vacant’ was rarely a term that would be used to describe Kir’s expression. His clothes also gave the image of someone quite proper and tidy. Although his father had left the rigours of the Pureblood world behind, this had not resulted in a huge diversification in the available boys’ clothes, merely widening the selection from slacks and polo shirts to include jeans and t-shirts. However, his father hadn’t really seen it worth the minimal effect to change his lifelong habits - tastes which had, naturally, passed to the younger generation, and which meant that Kir was sporting neat grey trousers and a maroon polo shirt. With his blond-brown hair neatly combed, he looked every inch the respectable young man.

It wasn’t long before one of his classmates joined him. The other boy introduced himself in the standard Pureblood way, and Kir tried not to stiffen. Even though they didn’t agree with Pureblood values, he didn’t want to upset anybody… His dad had explained to him before he left that asking for help was sometimes hard; that was magnified who knew how many times over if you didn’t like the person you had to ask. Who knew which of his Pureblood yearmates might consider making a move in the future that would require his family’s help? It was a huge leap to make. Some would stand on the verge of it. And they would be so much less likely to take the plunge if they personally disliked the very people who could rescue them.

“I’m Kir McLeod,” he introduced himself, for now deciding to go as far as giving his surname, which wasn’t likely to lead to many deductions, but not to add ‘of the McLeod Foundation’ as that invited the whole big topic to be opened up. It was hard not to. It felt a little like cowardice - to avoid difficult subjects, to agree by omission - these weren’t things that were usually in his nature. But it was probably smart to get to know people better before bringing up politics.

“Yes,” he agreed, when the other boy asked if he was excited to be here, glad to find some common ground that they could easily talk about. “I’m sure it will offer a lot of new experiences,” he agreed, “Is there anything you’re particularly excited for?” he asked.

13 Kir McLeod Definitely experiencing new things 366 Kir McLeod 0 5

Ayla

September 21, 2016 3:16 AM

I definitely hope so! by Ayla

“Welcome to the Southern United States, where it rarely gets below 40 degrees.” Ayla said with a smile. “I’ve heard that Connecticut is really pretty though, and you guys get snow. We don't get snow in my part of California. That's pretty clever of them, though, sending you so far away in order to make cross continental connections.” As she said that, it finally dawned on her that she was going to be away from her family for an extended period of time. She'd been so excited that she hadn't even considered that she'd be alone for the first time in her life. “Are you worried at all about being homesick?”

The way Kit spoke about her fashion choice, along with the revelation that she also read Fashion Witch, made Ayla feel really good about the other girl. They definitely seemed to have a lot in common so far. She leaned forward slightly to get a better view of Kit’s pearls.

“Thank you! Your necklace is lovely as well. You can't go wrong with pearls. Do you read Teen Witch too?”

Ayla's mother told her to get as involved as possible, and make a lot of friends, so the prospect of clubs was pretty exciting. “Fashion club for sure.” She said with a smile as she tried to recall the rest of the last given by the professor. “Book club, yes. Baking club, maybe if it's using magic. Art club, yes. The rest I'm unsure of. Maybe archery? But likely not science. I think that's all of them.” She had hoped for something more musically inclined, but she would be alright without. Between classes and all the clubs she planned on signing up for, she was bound to be busy.

“We could be roommates!” The young blonde said excitedly, clasping her hands around her cup. “There is a slight chance that I could go Teppenpaw, but will see. I'm so anxious to find out.”

Her green eyes scanned the ever growing group of first years as Kit asked her if she knew anyone else. “Not yet! The loud girl with cookie on her face was on my wagon though, as was another boy, but I was listening to older kids talk about their summers mostly. Did you know they had a ball last term? I'm so sad that I missed it!”

“What about you? Anyone you're familiar with?”

5 Ayla I definitely hope so! 367 Ayla 0 5

Kit

September 22, 2016 1:13 AM

New Friend. :) by Kit

“Oh, it is so pretty, especially at Christmas! We put up twelve different trees and have a huge party. My dad always hires performers to put on a production of the Nutcracker and we have absolutely the best dishes. You have to come!” In her moment of excitement, she grabbed her new friend’s hand. “Please say you will. It’ll be so much fun.”

“But yes, just saying that is making me homesick already. I miss my parents, of course. I also miss Sir Beauregard. That’s my horse. He’s a Friesian and he’s my baby. He’s going to be so lonely without me.” Kit made a slight pouty face. “I’m going to have to be sure to write him a letter every week so he doesn’t miss me too much.” Kit’s family owned other horses, but Beau was special and he was all hers. “Do you have any pets?”

“Yes, I love Teen Witch. Last month’s issue was fabulous with the entire serious on updating boring uniforms. I don’t know if I’m bold enough to do the actual alterations that they did on some of them, but I can definitely do the accessorizing.” She wished she was brave enough to do things like alter the hemline or make the robe sparkle, but she didn’t want to get into trouble her first year and end up being labeled as some sort of rebel.

Oh! Ayla was interested in Book Club! Kit could have jumped for joy. It seemed her fears were unfounded as her new friend seemed interested in joining a lot of the same things that she was interested in. “Book Club definitely sounds like fun, but I think I’ll skip on Baking Club. Art Club, I might, but I don’t think I would be very good at it. The last time I tried drawing, it ended up just being a bunch of stick figures. Are you good at Art?” She wasn’t really sure what to say about Archery. She didn’t know if her mother would approve or not, but it did have a sort of romanticism about it. It was like something out of a novel. She could just picture a warrior using his bow and arrow and saving the damsel in distress. She nearly sighed at the thought.

“I hope we both get into Crotalus then,” Kit stated decisively, as if there were no other option. “We can have late night talks and make sure our outfits are always perfect.” She could just see it now. They would be able to be fashion icons.

“No, but there a couple of them were on my wagon.” She adjusted the pink plastic frames on her face and glanced over to the one boy she remembered seeing. She hadn’t talked to him, because she wasn’t sure if they were the same age or not. She had felt a bit out of place on the wagon with other kids talking to kids that they knew. But now that she was looking at him, he looked rather ordinary and she dismissed him out of her mind.

“Back to this ball…I didn’t know that. But honestly, it might be a blessing that we missed it. Can you imagine any of the boys here making a worthwhile date?” Kit would have loved to have gone to a ball, but she didn’t want to go without having someone to dance with. It would have been rather embarrassing to have to go alone and sit out on all of the dancing. “Maybe they’ll have another one sometime.” She didn’t want to get Ayla down about the ball though. Maybe when another one came around, they would be able to have proper, maybe even older, dates. That would be something!

0 Kit New Friend. :) 363 Kit 0 5

Simon Mordue

September 22, 2016 1:23 PM

I'm sorry. by Simon Mordue

The wagon had been dim (Simon preferred to think this was for the sake of authenticity rather than to hide inadequate cleaning) and deeply uncomfortable, but it had had one thing going for it: it had been confined. It was only when he stepped off of it and into the Labyrinth Gardens, brown eyes blinking like those of a startlingly anthropomorphic mole as he emerged into the bright sunlight, that Simon felt something which, had he not been a gentleman and a wizard and therefore above such emotions, he might have identified as panic start tying knots in the pit of his stomach.

There were people everywhere. Most of them looked like they knew what they were doing. The others who didn’t look like they were doing looked, from his perspective at the moment as he tried to get his bearings, for the most part far more comfortable about not knowing what they were doing than Simon was. He felt sweat beginning to form on his forehead and didn’t think it had much to do with the weather, warm though that was. He wanted to magically adhere himself to the clothes of the wizard giving directions, the most helpful-looking figure he could see, but suspected that this would not, all evidence considered fairly, help him achieve the goal he’d been sent to Sonora to achieve. Instead, then, he tried to discreetly wipe his hands on his unfamiliar new green robes, prayed that there wasn’t dirt all over the back of them from riding in a wagon and that everyone else wasn’t going to laugh at him about it if there was, and went under the banner welcoming him and all the other first years to Orientation.

The clearing he found himself in was both quieter and less crowded, which was both a good and a bad thing. Simon felt a bit stupid and useless hanging around on the edge of a crowd of people – or just the edge of his younger sister and her favorite cousin; Sylvia and Nathaniel had a way of giving him the impression he was intruding even when he was the one who’d been in a room first – when he wasn’t sure where to go or how to invite himself into the conversation, but a smaller group meant he was much less likely to be completely unnoticed if he didn’t succeed in talking to someone.

At home it was easy. He mostly only saw his own tutors or his parents’ friends – Mother let him sit beside her and share tidbits off her plate at tea parties sometimes, and Father would, even more rarely, invite Simon into his office to show him off to the other men for a few minutes – and since they were all adults, they had the right to speak to him first, so he always knew what to talk about. It wasn’t too bad with just Sylvia, either – they had Exploding Snap in common, anyway, plus he always knew how to act because of their respective roles in the family. This, though, was like a little crowd of Nathaniels, or maybe even miniature versions of his uncle, Nate’s father; he felt sure he was going to feel clumsy and stupid and a bit inadequate around them.

Professor Xavier gave him a brief reprieve from that by explaining things about the school while Simon looked over his class schedule and nibbled on a cookie. The days looked really long to him, so he was glad to hear they could get snacks in the Cascade Hall between meals. As the professor finished, Simon folded up the papers and transferred them to his pocket, but before he could even begin to wonder if that was the right thing to do or not, another boy approached him.

”Hi, I’m Isaac.”

Simon thought for a moment and decided that this informal introduction – Father had said school was much less formal than society – meant that he probably did not need to bow to Isaac. Instead, he inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. “Hello,” he said. “I’m Simon – Mordue,” he added quickly, remembering that people weren’t automatically going to know his surname here. “Of Oregon.”

Isaac had not offered his surname or place of residence. Had he just forgotten, or – Simon realized the possibility with a start – was he one of the Muggleborns? Simon knew they, well, existed, and supposed he had seen a few when he’d been shopping without knowing it, but he had never spoken with one before – that he knew of. He thought his tutors had all been poorer full-blood wizards of one degree of another, though his mathematics tutor’s comment about not having any plans for Christmas last year were a little suspicious now that he thought about it. He had never thought of it before because Mr. Swift had been his favorite teacher ever; Simon was going to miss him.

“What do you think of the class schedule?” asked Simon, thoughts of Mr. Swift leading him back to the paper in his pocket as he looked for something neutral but not utterly boring to say. Should he have put the paper in his pocket?

16 Simon Mordue I'm sorry. 369 Simon Mordue 0 5

Victor

September 22, 2016 1:39 PM

It's probably good for you by Victor

Well. Victor had misjudged the boy before him a little. His introduction suggested that he was not, in fact, society, but oh well. He was better to talk to than nobody at all, and as far as he knew there wasn’t a rule in society that said you had to completely ignore those who didn’t belong. Besides, he had asked what Victor was excited for, and that was an interesting conversation.

So what was he excited for in particular? That was a hard question to answer! Obviously there would be lots of fun to be had at Sonora, girls to flirt with, and friends to make that would impress his father. Sharing a dorm would like a giant sleepover, he imagined, and would be much better than sharing a room with a little brother who had a tendency to fall asleep too quickly. Then there was the actual magic – lessons were boring, but on the other hand he did want to start spellcasting!

Victor was almost constantly cheerful and excited for most things life threw at him, and life at Sonora was no exception. He was a pretty optimistic and outgoing boy, and this was reflected in his slightly chubby baby face that seemed to always wear a smile. He was about average height, but with a mop of dark brown curly hair that resisted all attempts to flatten it nicely, much to despair of Victor’s mother. She spent a good deal of time trying to sort out Victor’s appearance, as he could apparently never look quite smart enough even when he tried.

“Everything,” he replied enthusiastically. “Meeting lots of people, doing cool spells, and some of the clubs sound pretty great.” He definitely wanted to get involved in some extra-curricular things. “Archery club could be cool and so could some of the other ones, though it’s a shame they only play Quidditch here,” he added. Broom racing was really Victor’s interest when it came to flying sports. “What about you, do you want to get involved with anything?” Turning the question back on Kir was only polite, and Victor had been taught that you should always be polite to people, no matter what their background was.

9 Victor It's probably good for you 368 Victor 0 5

Ayla

September 22, 2016 2:31 PM

Friends forever! by Ayla

Ayla couldn’t see a reason for her parents to object to her visiting Kit in Connecticut over the holiday. She was so excited, and hoped that they would let her. How lucky was it that she and Kit found each other the very first day?

“The instant we’re back in the common rooms I’m going to send my parents an owl and ask them. Your Christmas sounds so wonderful! We use weather charms around the estate, but it’s not quite the same. And then maybe you could come visit California over the summer!”

A frown appeared on the girl's lips as her new friend revealed that she too was a little homesick. Hopefully it wouldn’t last long, and being around people in the same position would likely help.

“Yeah, being away is going to be different for sure. I’m hoping that it’ll get easier.” Ayla perked up a little when Kit spoke about her horse, happy for a change in subject as thinking about her siblings, particularly the little ones, threatened to make her sad. “Ooo, Friesians are beautiful! We have a few horses in our stables at home, but they are largely because Milo wanted a pony when he was little, and my sisters love them too. I’ve learned how to ride, and the basics, but they are more my siblings horses than mine. I do have a cat though! I brought him to school with me, he hates being in his carrier so I hope they let him out soon. His name is Alby. He’s white, fluffy and the sweetest little ball of floof. I’m lucky I got to bring him, I’m so sorry you had to leave your baby at home. Do you have any siblings?”

“I just wish that Sonora’s robes weren’t so, green. Don’t get me wrong, I like green, but forest green isn’t the easiest color to compliment. Maybe we’ll learn some tricks in fashion club!” Ayla laughed when Kit told her about her art skills. “I’m not particularly gifted at actual art, I’m more of a musical spirit. With some of the clubs though, my participation is more a matter of being social than being interested in the topic, you know?” She was talking about archery in particular. The 11-year-old was a little boy crazy already, and she figured that would be a good place to make more male acquaintances.

Ayla bounced a little at the idea of what it would be like to actually be roommates with Kit. That was part of the fun of going away to school, building those relationships with your roommates. It was like having built in friends! “That will be so amazing! Promise we’ll still be friends, even if somehow we don’t end up as roommates!” While she didn’t like the idea at all, considering how well they were getting on, there was a little voice in Ayla’s head that always tried to prepare her for not getting her way. Maybe that was byproduct of having four younger siblings.

“Off hand, maybe not.” Ayla replied as she looked around the clearing, paying particular attention to the boys. “But who knows what Sonora holds in the way of second year boys.” She said with a smile. There were definitely some cute guys in her year, but it was hard to tell blood status based on looks. “I just want to wear a pretty dress, have fun with my friends, and maybe dance with a boy. I certainly hope they have other balls!”

5 Ayla Friends forever! 367 Ayla 0 5

Winston Pierce

September 22, 2016 9:27 PM

Things can only get better, right? by Winston Pierce

This day was not going as well as he might have hoped for his first day at his new school. It had started well enough. The house elves had pulled together a very nice farewell breakfast to celebrate his new journey which had been very delicious. Mother and Father had both declared their pride in him and voiced their certainty that he would do very well both academically and socially at Sonora. Even Caitlin, who was a baby and a girl (Winston was eleven and therefore much much older and wiser and grown-up than his eight year old sister), had wished him well and he hadn't even minded giving her a hug and peck on the forehead before climbing onto the wagon.

No, the problem was the wagon. The wagon ride had dragged on for ages, carrying the Northeast students to Arizona. And the seats were uncomfortable, and the wagon bounced jarringly, and he had started to feel a bit wagon-sick somewhere around Pennsylvania. He'd thrown up somewhere over Kansas or something and again possibly over New Mexico, and that was decidedly not the first impression he'd really wanted to make on the people he'd be living with for the next seven years.

He was so incredibly grateful to be getting off the blasted contraption, in fact, that in his haste to be done with the thing, he caught his sleeve on the door latch and tore his brand new school robe. The wagon, he concluded, hated him for no good reason at all. This could be the only explanation for its vendetta against him specifically. Nobody else seemed to have been made half as miserable as he, though honestly, he'd been far too miserable to notice much how the other kids were taking the wagon ride. That other Pierce had seemed to be doing well enough, though, and he'd not heard any complaints about them from Thaddeus or the Anns. The wagons must be liberals and on Thaddeus' side.

Well, that was kind of his mission wasn't it? He'd been sent to this school because - well, mostly because Salem had closed its doors and Father's alma mater of Durmstrang wouldn't have created many American ties. Thaddeus had gone here and consequently he had more domestic support outside of the mountain than Father did, and that simply had to change. Winston had to change that.

Filling two sick bags on the wagon ride and then tearing his clothing was not the best start, unfortunately. He did his best to hide the rip as he headed under the banner welcoming him to the school and the orientation program, and hoped he didn't still look too green from the ride. He grabbed a couple of salty crackers from the snack table and munched on them, hoping to settle his stomach and devoutly appealing to Merlin that they stayed down now that he was securely back on the Earth.

He was drawn to the table with papers and collected one of maps and schedules, looking them over mostly as a delay tactic before attempting to make contact with his classmates. The longer he spent on solid ground eating crackers the better he was feeling, and he didn't want his very first conversation with his peers to begin with a concerned inquiry into his health.

By the time the speech finished, though, he was feeling mostly human again, and he got a glass of pumpkin juice, figuring some fluids would probably help, too. He didn't quite trust any of the sugary confections yet to stay down, but he collected another plate full of crackers and this time added some cheese to them. This was probably a more grown-up selection of foods anyway, he consoled himself after spotting a tray of cakes that both made his mouth water and his stomach turn. *That'll be my reward for my first O,* he told himself firmly and moved away from the snack table before he added something to his plate that he'd regret.

"Hello," he greeted another student, figuring his window for avoiding socialization had expired. "I am Winston Pierce of the New Hampshire Pierces. Are you looking forward to studying here?" Holding a plate of crackers and cheese, speaking with his best diction, standing with his best posture, and hopefully holding his arm so the tear in his robe was not visible, he almost felt like guest at one of the business functions Father talked about. Winston Pierce was a man now.

1 Winston Pierce Things can only get better, right? 370 Winston Pierce 0 5

Isaac

September 23, 2016 1:00 AM

It makes room for new ones by Isaac

At Simon's introduction, Isaac wondered if he'd messed it up in some way. Boys at his age weren't all about high society manners, but then again he'd never met any purebloods from that kind of world. However, it was too late to amend his introduction so he just went along with it. "I'm from California," he added, wondering if he should also relay his half-blood status as well as his family lineage. Joking aside, he didn't really see the importance of it; at least, he could care less about where his friends were from as long as they were fun.

It made him remember how he and his group had met back in kindergarten. It'd all started with two familiar faces at his school from his basketball league, an informal game of tag, and then Dray invited them all to his birthday and suddenly the four of them were best friends. Isaac hadn't worn the goodbye present the guys had put their money together to buy for him. It was far too precious to just wear around like his usual tennis shoes. Isaac had always liked being surrounded by people, but he always had his best friends to fall back on.

The topic Simon approached was kind of boring and Isaac didn't know what to say about it. "Looks interesting, I guess. I'm not used to having classes switching around like this, so I'll have to get used to it. My old school was just one classroom with one teacher and the same thirty or so students. Did you go to elementary school in Oregon?" Though this was something that Isaac assumed of all of his Muggle peers, he quickly realized through Simon's formality that it might not be common for the magical folk.

"I'm mostly excited for flying lessons," he said with a grin. "I've always wanted to learn how to fly and there's so much freedom flying on a broom. Have you done it before? Is it awesome?" Since he lived in the big city surrounded by a Muggle community, Isaac never saw anyone flying on brooms anywhere except for the occasional Halloween night if he squinted really hard at the dark night sky. Simon seemed a little uncomfortable, but Isaac didn't really know how to make him feel better. This whole orientation and waiting with strangers and being in a new place was enough to make anyone feel at least a little uncomfortable, even him.

19 Isaac It makes room for new ones 375 Isaac 0 5

Florence

September 23, 2016 4:39 AM

That sounds like a plan by Florence

The mention of church was, for some reason, a bit unexpected, but Flo couldn’t say she held it against Sawyer. If anything, it was an odd comfort. The Newells were not horribly religious, some fairly belief-holding, others less so, but she knew that the basis of almost every religion was to do good, so, coupled with the mention of community service, she got the distinct impression that Sawyer was a good person. She was relieved to find someone like him to talk to.

It was surprising as well to hear him talk about cooking and baking. Those weren’t traditionally masculine things, but he mentioned them so easily and comfortably. Of course, the Newells had a House Elf for that kind of thing, but occasionally her mother might do some of it. And she had taught Flo some things here and there, but never either of her brothers. Not her sister either, though, but Anastasia was still fairly little. Brett was just a year Florence’s junior, and Dustin was older than her.

“I don’t think it’ll be too bad,” she said of the homework. “My brother’s a fourth year, and my cousin is a sixth year, and neither of them have ever told me about anything too bad. There’s some essays and stuff, and obviously some professors are more fond of homework than others. I heard the Defense professor doesn’t do homework but gives a lot of quizzes.” Dustin was an Aladren, so he was default at least somewhat smart--personally she’d never found his intellect all that impressive--but Makenzie was a Crotalus, which wasn’t necessarily a dumb House, but intelligence wasn’t a requirement. She admired Makenzie a great deal, considering her the older sister she wished Dustin was, but her academic smarts were not something Flo had ever experienced to have much information on the topic.

Florence blinked a little. Honesty, aside from to family, had never been one of the utmost values of the Newells (although, given everything with Uncle Nelson this summer, maybe it should have been), but she had to respect the notion. “Awkward together?” she repeated, contemplating. “I think I like the sound of that.” The brunette smiled. Had she already made a friend? Maybe her worries about coming had been unfounded, after all.

12 Florence That sounds like a plan 362 Florence 0 5

Kir

September 26, 2016 5:45 AM

That's what I've been told by Kir

Kir knew about society purebloods in the academic sense. On paper, he knew what they were like. He knew that they didn’t actively snub everyone who wasn’t like them, which in a way made their racism even more insidious and unpleasant. They had the token Muggleborn friend or acquaintance they could hold up as a banner - “I’m not racist. I know lots of people of other blood types” - whilst continue to cling to the view that they were somehow better than those people. That they were worthy friends but one couldn’t marry them. He also knew that he would be meeting purebloods his own age. The papers were usually full of the older crowd - faces purple with indignation, spitting venom if they weren’t tactful, or unctuous, insidious poisons if they were. But now there was a curly haired boy his own age excitedly talking about meeting all sorts and joining clubs. The two mental images didn’t gel. The thought of Victor becoming one of those repellent old men made him sad but also seemed impossible. He was just so… normal. So like Kir.

“I’d like to join the book club and be a library monitor,” Kir admitted. Next to Victor’s list of possible pursuits he thought that sounded rather tame. Perhaps even nerdy. Kir was smart enough to know there was no shame in being smart but still… He was an eleven year old boy, who really wanted other people to like him. “Archery sounds good too,” he added, because it really did, “I’m not sure about Quidditch either. Like, if they’re really needing players, I’ll sign up but I’m not champing at the bit to play. Do you prefer Quodpot or something?” he asked. Victor’s phrasing had implied he would rather they had a different sport on offer, rather than not being very sporty, and Quodpot was the obvious choice as it was the major sport in America. He’d played a little of both, one sport coming from each parent’s side of the family, but only as a casual thing to do.

13 Kir That's what I've been told 366 Kir 0 5

Luke Powell

September 26, 2016 7:57 AM

Not sure if you're being positive or negative. by Luke Powell

Having one foot in the magical world and the other in the muggle world wasn’t always easy but Luke had never imagined he’d genuinely resent his situation. Only now he wasn’t so sure because, as exciting as this new adventure might be, he was having to give up more than just that muggle part of him. His mom had told him that time would fly and he’d be back home in the ocean again for Christmas before he knew it but Luke couldn’t quite bring himself to believe her. Surfing was his everything. It was what made him who he was and he didn’t know how he was going to cope without it.

He pretended to listen whilst the professor rambled on about boring school stuff because his mom had told him he had to be polite, but he didn’t really care. Right now he would much rather get lost in the gardens around them and explore all the parts of the school that they probably wouldn’t be shown on the tour.

As much as he wished the school didn’t have to be in a desert where there was no sea whatsoever, the eleven year old couldn’t help but be intrigued by his new unfamiliar temporary home. In spite of his hang ups and the strong likelihood of homesickness, Luke had to admit he was probably going to have a whole lot of fun here. He didn’t have to hide who he was from any of the friends he would make here and that was comforting to know.

Luke perked up at the brief mention of Quidditch. He had known that was the main sport played here so had made sure he was prepared. It helped that his mom’s cousin was on the Pecari team (captain now, he thought proudly) so fortunately Joella had seemed more than happy to give him some pointers and train him up a bit over the past year when she had learnt of his interest. He wasn’t too fussed which house he ended up in, so long as there were some cool guys in his dormitory, but being on the winning Pecari team with his aunt-cousin (he could never be bothered to remember the particular phrasing of the type of cousin that they were) did sound pretty awesome.

“Hey,” he nodded in greeting to one of the other first years who approached him. “Nice to meet you. I’m Luke Powell,” he supplied his own name, recognising the way in which his new classmate introduced himself but thinking it would be ridiculous if he did the same. There were numerous branches of the Powell family (some more influential than others) and his dad came from the North Carolina branch but since Luke himself was born and raised in California and was not a part of the special society which introduced themselves in such silly ways, he felt no obligation to try and pretend otherwise.

“Studying?” Luke smirked and shrugged. Perhaps there was something exciting about having a wand and learning to control and use his magical abilities but he’d learnt enough from elementary school about how dull schoolwork was and how uncool it was to like it. “Nah, I think the sports clubs and Quidditch sound like more fun. What about you? You like sports too?”

8 Luke Powell Not sure if you're being positive or negative. 374 Luke Powell 0 5