Meet the family (tag Kira) on Library

Chuck Fintoc and Daniel Fintoc

July 21, 2016 4:45 PM

Meet the family (tag Kira) by Chuck Fintoc and Daniel Fintoc

Chuck was at a loss with what to do with himself. It was difficult being out of the loop and thus not able to comfort those in need. At first he had been most displeased that Emmy-Lou had actually left the school without telling him first but the note he had received to explain her absence just made him feel sad. Irrelevant of the fact that they weren’t actually blood relatives, he was her brother and it was his job to protect and be the shoulder for her to cry on.

The fourth year hadn’t expected to be invited to William Taylor’s funeral himself - although he was rather close with the Curtis family, he had never got much opportunity to know Rolene’s fiancé (who had seemed almost as busy as she did). That didn’t mean the news didn’t affect Chuck in any way, however, as he’d heard a lot about the young Australian man over the years from both Emmy and Joella and was therefore aware that they would be very cut up by the dreadful incident.

The redhead felt rather on edge, keen for Emmy to return to Sonora so that he could be there for her, and also for Joella. He found himself even more distracted from his studies than usual so decided to meet up with Dan in the library on Monday evening (the day following his stepsister’s sudden departure) to see if the presence of his younger cousin might settle him and help him catch up on homework, if not cheer him up and distract him from thoughts of the girls and their unfortunate loss.

“What are you working on?” Dan asked. He was glad that Chuck had arranged to meet up with him, even if it was just as a homework companion. They weren’t in the same class so weren’t working together but it was nice to make studying a sociable thing sometimes. Although given the current circumstances (Dan had been informed of Emmy’s situation by Chuck yesterday), he wasn’t sure whether Chuck wanted him to sit quietly and look pretty or to chat with him like nothing was wrong.

“Transfiguration,” Chuck replied with a slight grimace. Transfiguration had to be his least favourite subject - it was just too damn difficult, and boring, which really didn’t help.

“Ouch,” grinned Dan, for once not acting all snobbish about school work. Usually he would have suggested that he found the subject rather easy and delightful just to better himself over Chuck but truth be told, that class required a lot of brainpower for him too. “I’ve got some research to do for Charms,” he told Chuck, flicking through a heavy book to find some relevant information that wasn’t in the mandatory textbooks for that class. “What’s the betting that Professor Perrault will be setting us an essay on the Memory Charm some time soon?” he muttered, but he wasn’t really as bitter about it as he sounded. The Charms professor seemed rather fond of essays and since it was Charms, a subject Dan looked particularly favourably upon, he couldn’t really complain. After all, Daniel did like to remind people that it wasn’t just about practical results but also getting good grades in theory that made you the real master of magic. He longed for the day when he was as knowledgeable, and generally as all round amazing, as Professor Perrault.

“I thought you liked Charms,” Chuck looked up from his parchment.

“I do,” Dan smiled. “I was just trying to humour you.”

“Humour me?” Chuck snorted questioningly.

“Well, you know,” Dan shrugged. “I was trying to be a kindred spirit, moaning about homework.”

Chuck laughed, although subsided abruptly when he got shushed by someone. “I appreciate the sentiment. Now, I don’t suppose you’re any good at Transfig?”

“Well,” Daniel puffed out his chest and if Chuck didn’t know better he would have thought it a joke but Dan saw himself as no way comical. He stood up and leant across but didn’t understand what he saw in Chuck’s book. He frowned, not wanting to admit defeat.

Chuck just laughed him off it again. “You’re crap at Transfig, clearly,” he said, “now stop wasting my time.”

Dan pulled a face and sat back down in his chair. “Fine, don’t have my help,” his retort only mocking offence. “But for the record, I’m actually rather good at Transfiguration - I’m just two years younger than you so haven’t covered that stuff yet.”

Chuck hadn’t looked at his work for a while and was busy glancing around the library to see if there was anyone nearby to help him. Seemingly he was in luck as Kira happened to walk past at just that moment. As far as he was concerned she was a bright young witch - he knew she got good results from her wand in class. And he really liked her. She was one of the quieter people he knew and he liked that about her. Chuck himself came across as a loud person and he thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his uber friendly and outgoing friends who were always a good laugh but at the same time he appreciated the quieter sorts of people. He liked being quiet too sometimes, which might surprise most people, and this was another reason that he enjoyed the company of animals so much.

“Hey Kira!” he leant back on his chair, pushing off from the table slightly, as he called over to her, again perhaps too loud for the environment but Chuck wasn’t the sort to be embarrassed from attention being drawn to him. He did lower his voice, however, upon realisation that he was perhaps a little too noisy for the library, although only for Kira’s sake because the last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable about any part of their friendship. “Fancy lending me a hand with some Transfiguration work?”

When Kira approached, he thought he should be a bit more gentlemanly (she was a lady after all). “Kira, meet my cousin Daniel,” he waved a hand in gesture towards Daniel. “Daniel, meet Kira.”

The mood that Chuck had got him in gave Daniel half a mind to be as exuberant as to kiss Kira’s hand but he thought that might be one step too far. “A pleasure to meet you,” is all he said, accompanied with a friendly smile, as though he were a mature adult and that hadn’t sounded at all silly coming from a pre-pubescent tween like himself.

“Now, have you or have you not done this Transfig homework?” Chuck prodded at his mess of books and parchment to indicate to the topic that he was working on. “And also, have you or have you not got morals?”

“In other words, can he copy yours or can you at least help him,” Dan interjected with an explanation of Chuck’s questions, grinning when his cousin shot him a scowl in good humour.

OOC: This post utilizes fuzzy-time a little as I have posted Joella in Cascade Hall as being back.

8 Chuck Fintoc and Daniel Fintoc Meet the family (tag Kira) 333 Chuck Fintoc and Daniel Fintoc 1 5

Kira Spaulding

August 04, 2016 8:12 PM

I could easily reciprocate that. by Kira Spaulding

Kira sighed to herself. All she wanted was for the year to end, for the ball to be over so she ouldn't have to think about it for another four years. So she wouldn't have to feel bad anymore. Of course, next time would be worse, since her odds of getting a date next would be even lower and her friends were both older than her. Though Kira supposed it didn't matter because they had dates and she didn't so either way she was going to be alone there and unlike at Spaulding functions, she couldn't hide in the corner with a book to keep herself entertained with while everyone forgot about her anyway.

At least, though, she probably wouldn't have to worry about the opening dance next time. Kira didn't think for a second that she'd get Head Girl or prefect. Which, come to think of it, wasn't an entirely bad thing. She really didn't want to dance in front of everyone that way. Besides, she'd probably just mess up the rest of it too.

Unfortunately, Kira couldn't do what she really wanted, which was to retreat and curl up in a little ball asleep until the ball was over. She had to continue with her day to day life, attending classes and doing homework. None of which she had much enthusiasm for. As much as the Crotalus liked to learn to do new spells, the truth was, a lot of the ones that she was learning now, she'd went ahead and started working on last year. Usually, she tended to be ahead on such things since she mastered them easily and that made her happy. Now Kira had nothing to help her feel better about herself.

Not to mention that it seemed as if the professors were assigning more essays this year, possibly as a conspiracy to ensure that the third year really didn't have as many chances to counteract how the ball made her feel by being able to excel in spellwork. In all likelihood there probably wasn't a difference, and Kira was just imagining it. Still, sometimes she felt like the universe itself was never going to let her be happy. Happiness was likely reserved for Kelsey and others like the older Crotalus too. People who must have deserved it more for whatever reason.

She heard a voice call out to her then and looked up to see Chuck with a boy she recognized from the common room and classes last year. "I suppose so." Kira couldn't help but smile a little. For whatever reason, the Pecari seemed to think she was smart. She didn't quite get why as she'd never really considered herself anything special in that department-or rather in most departments really. It wasn't as if she were in Aladren and she was younger than Chuck was so it was surprising to her that he'd come to her of all people for help. Kira couldn't help but feel complimented.

"Pleased to meet you." She replied to Daniel, smiling yet, both because it was the polite thing to do and because it made her happy that Chuck thought she was smart. It was a rather strange feeling given that so far this year Kira probably seemed to be smiling about as often as Headmaster Brockert did. She did not, however, curtsy because Daniel hadn't bowed-something she didn't really care about even if people like Kelsey did.

"I-I haven't started yet." Kira replied. Morals? What a strange question. She tended to think she did. Then Daniel explained it quickly. Was that it? Did Chuck just want to use her to cheat off of. Then again, she supposed it was flattering that he thought she was smart enough to cheat off of. "Well, we could work on it together. I mean, that was what I was going to work on now anyway."

11 Kira Spaulding I could easily reciprocate that. 320 Kira Spaulding 0 5

Chuck Fintoc and Daniel Fintoc

August 15, 2016 11:01 AM

Do you have to? by Chuck Fintoc and Daniel Fintoc

“Great!” Chuck beamed at Kira when she agreed to work on the homework with him. “I suppose that’s the best way to do it.” Copying got one nowhere in life and this way ensured that he worked through it properly and understood what he was writing down. Kira working with him meant he’d have someone to keep him on the right track. His initial thought was that she might keep him focused as well but who was he kidding, people were distractions but he’d rather work with company than alone, especially the company of Kira who he was getting to like more and more the better he got to know her.

Have a seat,” he pulled out a chair for her before trying to sort his books out to make some room for her at the table. “Sorry, I’ve made a bit of a mess,” he apologised, it occurring to him as he did so that most of his books were probably unnecessary. “I’m not even sure I need all these books.”

He tried to buckle down and work through the Transfiguration work with Kira, a younger student who he should probably be ashamed of asking for help but he wasn’t. Chuck wasn’t in the habit of having such feelings and this was Kira Spaulding - who could possibly be ashamed of accepting her magical superiority?

“So, you like Transfig?” Chuck asked casually, knowing he probably should be focusing on the task in hand a bit more but thinking he shouldn’t be deprived of a little small talk at least. He’d always thought Kira seemed like a bright witch - she seemed to do well in class - so he imagined she might actually have a preference for what he considered to be easily the most difficult subject taught at Sonora. “I’m more of a Care of Magical Creatures guy myself,” he added with a smile. Animals were what he knew and he was pretty chuffed that he got the opportunity to study them at Sonora. It was something of a respite from the chore of most other classes, not that he was ungrateful for those of course.

Daniel couldn’t help smiling into his own work as Chuck chattered on. He thought it a strange pairing, never having imagined that Chuck would befriend someone like Kira Spaulding. She seemed the total opposite to his other friends, like that crazy muggleborn Sammy Meeks who had proven herself to possess the most bizarre Quidditch “tactics” ever (according to his captain, anyway).

After a while of working on the utterly boring homework (although Kira’s help did make it a much more endurable task), Chuck pushed back his chair from the desk and stood up. “I’m going to take back some of these books, seeing as they’re just wasting space,” he said, really just because he wanted something to do and not because he was particularly bothered by them. He stacked together the library books that they didn’t need and disappeared with them. Perhaps he might find Gia on library duty, just one more distraction from getting on with his work (and a very pleasant distraction at that). It was hard to concentrate on one thing for too long, when all he really cared about was how his stepsister was coping and wishing he could be there for her.

Dan glanced up from his work when Chuck got up and shook his head, smirking at Kira. “He’s hopeless,” he said but it sounded more affectionate than offensive. “Forgive him, he’ll come back in a bit. Chuck’s just not one for sitting still and getting on with his work. He’s a rancher at heart, loves to be doing something physical all the time, y’know.”

The second year paused, reflected for a moment on what he’d just revealed and whether or not it really gave Kira an accurate insight into his cousin’s true nature. It wasn’t like Chuck had concentration problems generally or anything, but it wasn’t unlike him to want an excuse to stretch his legs either. “Chuck’s not stupid though, don’t let him fool you,” it wasn’t something Dan would ever say when Chuck was within earshot but it was the truth. “He’s actually pretty smart when it comes to a lot of things, just not all that booksmart, I guess.”

Not many Fintocs seemed to be all that booksmart, mainly because they had no need to be, so that had always been Daniel’s thing. Therefore when he’d started at Sonora, he’d been a little surprised to find he didn’t end up in Aladren and wasn’t top of every class. He wasn’t doing badly or anything and didn’t really struggle but that was mainly because he had the dedication and determination to put in the time and effort required to completing more difficult work. Daniel knew he’d have to work so very hard to achieve what he wanted in life. He was always jealous of Chuck and had learnt to live with it for the most part, but it didn’t change the fact that his older cousin had everything he wanted and more handed to him on a plate without having to do anything but be himself. Chuck never seemed to care what others thought of him and there was a large part of Daniel that admired him for that.

8 Chuck Fintoc and Daniel Fintoc Do you have to? 333 Chuck Fintoc and Daniel Fintoc 0 5