Books...books are good. on Library

Professor McKindy

January 14, 2007 10:21 PM

Books...books are good. by Professor McKindy

Aaron McKindy leaned against one end of a bookshelf, gray green eyes skimming the glossary of a book on magical theory. After several months of teaching at Sonora Academy, he had been startled to realise that he had not yet visited the library. Having spent two and a half years as the assistant librarian at a Muggle school, this was quite the occurrence. Consequently, Aaron had decided to skip dinner to visit the library. The decision had been made two hours ago, and he was beginning to regret it, although he didn’t particularly enjoy the meal. Aaron was fairly certain his minimal contributions to whatever topic was being discussed hadn’t been missed. Rarely did he really socialise with his colleagues. Sadi had seemed nice when he met her, and Kiva was pleasant. Niobe was a bit over exuberant for his comfort, and Declan...Declan just made him nervous. He had spoken with the man approximately three times now, and each time had been uncomfortable in its own right. It had gotten to the point where Aaron felt his stomach lurch at the mere sight of the Astronomy professor. None of the awkwardness of any of their conversations had been the other man’s fault. The first time, it had been Aaron’s verbal misstep, the second was bad timing on Aaron’s part, and the third time....

Now that he thought about it, he was really running up a record here.

Shaking his head sharply to prevent himself from wincing at the memories of his various blunders, Aaron froze as he caught a glimpse of someone else, standing about ten feet away. He raised his head and met a set of eyes that had been staring disconcertingly at him.

“Hello,” he said slowly, still a bit unnerved. “Can I help you with something?”
\n\n

0 Professor McKindy Books...books are good. 0 Professor McKindy 1 5

Josiah

January 17, 2007 6:02 PM

taking advantage of boredom and an open thread by Josiah

Josaih leafed through the book in front of him. It had pictures of different spells and their effects. Hikaru, his fellow Teppenpaw, according to the rumor mill, had recently gotten in trouble. He didn't know why, the guy seemed nice. Maybe he was in a fight doing his martial arts thingy? Well, Josiah had barely a clue what martial arts is, so he didn't know if that could get him in trouble. His attention was diverted as the color pink appeared on his page. Josaih giggled slightly when he saw that it was a spell to change the colors of objects. The flower changed red, blue, green, then back to pink again. It reminded him of his charms teacher.

Charms. He sighed. His mother had reently sent him a letter demanding that he prove to her that he made a good number of 'proper friends'. Psh! Proper friends! Josaih doubted that there were more than ten total students who were pureblood. But that did set his brain in working mode. So far, out of all the teachers he knew, he liked his Charms teacher and his Head the best. Well, professor K was a great teacher as well, he thought, but she wan't as cool as Deck or McKindy. Besides, she took Teppers from him! He had sent Mo to his mother about that, and recieved a reply with a firm 'no'. He sent Mo again and begged that if he were to widen his social circle, that could he please keep the puffskein. His mother said that that would be a good idea.

So here he was, looking up spells that looked fun and interesting. Of course most of them seemed far too advanced. He didn't even know how to pronounce half of them, but they did cool things. Quickly he scratched down the color changing spell and wrote by it 'constant changes' to note that the colors were always changing liek those muggle light show nightlights. He grinned and near it noticed another cool spell. Corecio. It made a little ball of light in the hand that could be changed different colors. Cool! He wrote that down as well.

He sighed. Stupid mother and her stupid ideas! Now to 'widen his social circle' he had to think of something. Of course it just wasn't in Josaih's nature to say "Hi, I'm Josaih who are you?" No, he had to be fancy about it. He curced his flirtatious show-offey manner. It always got him in over his head! Just when he was about to abandon the whole 'charms club' theory, who should he see out of the corner of his eye other than the famous professor with his famous bubble hat himself?

Josaih looked over at the man. He was skimming the shelves himself. He shut his book softly, to not disturb the professor. 'What Spells to Try When You're Bored Out of Your Mind' shone up at him in bold red letters against a yellow background. Well, more goldish. The cover had attracted him because it was like his house colors. THen he just had to read it when he saw the title.

He tucked the book under one arm and stood up. The teacher looked pretty absorbed, so he waited watching as the professor browsed the books. He jumped a mile high when Professor McKindy spoke to him. Can I help you with something?”

"I-uh...Josiah Ashwood sir," He introduced himself as he walked closer to the teacher, "I-I just wanted to a-ask you if..." spit it out stupid!

"Ijustwantedtoaskifclubswereallowedandcouldyouhelpme?"

Okay, um maybe he should try breaths and breaks inbetween words, "I-I mean, are clubs alowed? And well, can you help me out sir? M-my mother wanted me to make a club, see, or something to get my social circle widened. She said that she'd say yes to keeping Teppers, my puffskein, if I did. And...well, I really do like charms. It seems so truly cool" He said that with genuine enthusiasm, "And I thought that it would be apropriate to ask you seeing as you are the Charms teacher and all" Good, you got out a whole sentance!

He held his list for the professor to take if he wanted. It had anything from changing your hair color to growing your toenails out ten times faster than normal. It also ranged in difficulties from first year to well past graduated. HE took several calming breaths, and he felt the familiar hotness of the cheecks telling him his face resembled a tomato. Not that apealing against his shock of orangey-red hair. \n\n

0 Josiah taking advantage of boredom and an open thread 0 Josiah 0 5

Professor McKIndy

January 18, 2007 6:00 AM

Can't say that I'm sorry you did. by Professor McKIndy

Aaron vaguely recognised the boy from class. A first year, he believed. It was a bit difficult to distinguish some of the first years from the second years, though; both tended to be rather short and excitable. He closed the book on magical theory gently, replacing it neatly on the shelf. While had had not yet met the librarian, they had a tendency to be a bit overprotective over the neatness of their shelves. Not necessarily without reason, but it was still a fairly good idea to put books back properly, especially in a magical library, where anything and everything could be charmed. Aaron himself had designed a few charms for libraries over in Italy was a project in his final year of school.

Trying to process the boy's quick, breathless remark, Aaron was a bit relieved when the boy--Josiah Ashwood--repeated it more slowly. From how he explained it, Aaron would be willing to bet that the boy was either a pureblood, or a halfblood with ambitious parents. Either way, it sounded a mess that he did not want to get involved in. Pureblood politics and scheming made Aaron more than a bit uncomfortable. He was almost positive that clubs were permitted at Sonora; there was an older student forming a band. Could he really say no to an enthusiastic first year wanting to learn more charms? The study session with Hikaru had gone well. It would be an interesting opportunity for the younger students. Aaron somehow doubted that the older ones would be interested.

"I understand why you want to create a club," Aaron said, skimming the list proffered by the boy, and making some quick spelling changes with a tap of his redwood wand. "But it is a considerable amount of work. You would have to advertise for the club and continue compiling lists of spells, as well as some other things. I will help you, if you still want to do the club. Where and when were you thinking of having it?"

Some of the charms would probably have to go, though. They seemed too akin to some jinxes than was safe to teach students, while others had dangerous side effects. Looking up from the paper, Aaron realised with a guilty start that the boy was blushing.

"It's a good idea, I think," he said quickly. "I know a student or two who would definitely be interested. It would be a pleasure to help you with this, really."

Merlin. He was a new teacher; it wasn't even Midterm yet. Why was the boy coming to him? Surely another teacher would be better. Bulla, or Niobe, she had done charms work, hadn't she? Declan was surely one of the more approachable teachers for the students. Yet, Josiah was asking him to help. How could Aaron really say no?\n\n

0 Professor McKIndy Can't say that I'm sorry you did. 0 Professor McKIndy 0 5

Josaih

January 18, 2007 6:09 PM

^_^ Well, that's good! by Josaih

Josiah all but hugged the charms teacher. He was going to help him! He really was going to! He put one hand to his cheeck. Still a bit hot. He was sure, however, that the blush was fading. That was good. He didn't want to blush at his professor. That would be...well embarasing. He giggled nervously and listened as the teacher described the troubles of starting a club.

Where and when where you thinking of having it? Oh no! He didn't even think of meetings and times! His face grew hot again. He hadn't even gotten things up and running and he was screwing it up! Oh stupid! Stupid! He mentally slapped his forehead vowing to physically do it later.

"I-I dunno..."He cleared his throat. 'Mother would kill you if she head 'i dunno come out of your mouth!' a little voice in his head seemed to say. it would be a pleasure to help you with this, really Oh! So he didn't mind that Josiah was a lamebrain who couldn't, even after all his diction lessons, spit out a sentance! That was good news.

"W-well, there are a few options. We could have it in the gardens, the Hall, the charms room" His mouth fell out in a small 'o' of embarassment, "I-I don't mean to presume, if your classroom isn't somewhere you'd like kids doing stupid spells..." He apologized. "Either way, I was thinking that since we mostly have afternoons off on the weekends, that would be a good time. And the work wouldn't be too bad. My friend, Hyana, might be able to ask a Pecari to hang a sign in her dorm room, and I could hang one in mine and maybe ask Hyana to help,"

"And...well, you don't have to directly help...not if you dont feel comfortable. I do apologize for assuming so much," He bowed down a bit, "You see, mother just wouldn't let me have Teppers if I didn't make more friends and widen my social circle. I could care less whom she calls 'good friends' really. Hyana is a muggleborn, I think, well he mother is a muggle, so I don't care...of forgive me! I ramble too much!"

He inclined his head a few times. Oh this teacher probably just wanted to go back to his books! 'I shouldn't have asked! I don't really know him that well! Why did I bother him?' he thought worriedly.\n\n

0 Josaih ^_^ Well, that's good! 0 Josaih 0 5

Professor McKindy

January 20, 2007 11:48 PM

Gah! I'm here, really I am.... by Professor McKindy

"No, it's fine," Aaron said as the boy babbled on. The child obviously felt fairly uncomfortable talking to him. He did wish that he had Declan's obvious knack for talking to students in a way that made them feel at ease, as he had done with Hikaru. It would make life much simpler. "I don't mind you using my classroom, if that is where you would like to hold your club. As for helping directly, I can assist you as little or as much as you would like. It is certainly understandable that you wish to keep your puffskein."

Aaron had never owned a puffskein. Sheepdogs were his thing as a boy; his brothers had gone for cats. Still, some of the cousins had them as small children and seemed to adore the squashy things. Unfortunately, Aaron also understood exactly what the boy was going through with pureblooded, parental pressure. It was the same thing that had eventually caused him to go into teaching instead of playing for the Italian Quidditch reserve team. The only thing that concerned Aaron was the possibility of being accountable to some pureblooded parent over this club.\n\n

0 Professor McKindy Gah! I'm here, really I am.... 0 Professor McKindy 0 5

Josaih

January 21, 2007 2:32 PM

don't worry, I know RL is quite the jerk by Josaih

Josaih could have hugged the Professor. HE really could have. He just couldn't believe that the Professor would say 'yes' without something like "Well you have to be a bit older" or "I don't want to get involved if this is between you and your parents". Nothing at all like that! He resolved to jump a little bit into the air. Rather girly of him, he would have to admit, but this was going to be so totally awesome!

"Thank you so much! Oh thank you Professor! You're now my favorite! There is so much to do, isn't there? Well, I do need a longer list of spells, we need to keep this going on if people respond, don't we? And signs, yeah we could do to make some signs. Umm, do you think that I should start by looking for not so advanced spells? like...that color changing one? That can make things look like muggle light shows? glowing different colors and all? That looks so cool, you know. Is it tough? Oh this will be so fun!"

He had trouble stopping the flow of words from his mouth. It was a bad habit of his. Once he got excited it was like the Josaih Channel; all Josiah all the time. \n\n

0 Josaih don't worry, I know RL is quite the jerk 0 Josaih 0 5

Professor McKindy

January 23, 2007 10:17 AM

All too often, I'm afraid by Professor McKindy

Aaron barely stopped himself from jumping as the boy suddenly burst out in a flood of questions and comments. He hadn't thought a puffskein would be that big of a deal. They were viewed as a sort of disposable pet in most wizarding circles. Puffskeins were never in short supply, they stood up to most things, and were really little more than breathing teddy bears. Still, if there was one thing Aaron understood, it was the troubles of dealing with pureblooded parents. Really, no matter the motivations, it wouldn't do much harm to have a charms club. It might even stop some of the experimentation that was inevitable in a wizarding school. After all, that had been the point of Hikaru's detention; this was not entirely different.

"Just make sure you run the spells by me before finalising them," Aaron cautioned the boy. "If they are too dangerous or the side effects too severe, it probably would not be a good idea to be learning them. You might want to take a look at some of the simpler crafting charms; those are generally fairly easy with nice results. Charming things to glow different colours isn't usually that difficult. As for signs, I would suggest them. If you have friends in other Houses, perhaps you could ask them to pin the signs up in the House commons."

Regardless, Aaron would probably speak with Hikaru about joining. It was certainly a better alternative than hexes and the boy picked up on things rather well. Some of the other students could probably benefit as well.\n\n

0 Professor McKindy All too often, I'm afraid 0 Professor McKindy 0 5

Josiah

January 24, 2007 3:59 PM

Now my internet is on the fritz.. by Josiah

Josiah smiled from ear to ear. "Thanks and thanks again! Oh you are the best Professor ever!" Josaih said, "thanks!" he added once more. "If there is anything I can do to repay you, let me know!" He said suddenly remembering teh whole tit-for-tat process.

"Goodbye," HE said with a polite incline of his head. There was so much to do! Signs to make, dates to set up, and a band to compete with. Oh this would be so fun! HE jumped up and down a few times. Grabbing the book he was using, he checked it out along with a stack of about six or seven others. Time to look up spells!\n\n

0 Josiah Now my internet is on the fritz.. 0 Josiah 0 5