A Tasty Treat on Magical Arts Room and Sports

Liliana Bannister

April 01, 2015 10:36 PM

A fuzzy-time party (Tag: Pecari Quidditch Team) by Liliana Bannister

Midterm had passed quicker than she had expected. Her stay in England had been rather pleasant and Grandmère had surprised her by inviting Vètil to the family’s annual Winter Ball and the two had spent an inordinate amount of time together since her cousins had been up to their usual antics again and something about Vètil kept her from wanting to join them in their sans parental consent revelry. She and Vètil had plenty of their own fun, that was true, but it rarely if ever descended into the sort of fun she was sure her parents would disapprove of. Even Levi, her beloved Levi, had dragged himself down to the likes of Carl. Strangely enough, quiet Joseph who usually allowed himself to be pulled into the ridiculous schemes of Carl (but also just as frequently Asher) since he didn’t like saying no, had been removed from the mischief. As Liliana and Vètil had twirled about the room, sometimes dancing, sometimes eating, always laughing, she’d kept a sharp eye out for Joseph, noticing that more often than not he was speaking to a dark haired witch who looked more than familiar.

Upon her return to Sonora, she’d wanted to keep an eye out for the witch in question, but having remembered the awkwardness that had been having a crush on Emrys Lucan all of a day and a half because she was certain it was he that she’d kissed last December when it had actually been his cousin, she refrained. Why that had ever happened she did not know—Wesley’s mother had called out his name while they were leaving so it was quite strange that she’d briefly forgotten that detail for a more attainable crush. That aside, though she was certain she saw the dark haired witch more than a few times in her classes, she kept herself from going up and asking her if she was there, especially since many families from Sonora had been invited and Portia Dobson might have made an appearance just like the entire Lucan clan had this time, not just Wesley and his mother.

Liliana had been thus consumed in her thoughts as she bustled about the little room, smoothing out table cloths and making sure each plate looked as appetizing as possible. The first day back at school, she had decided that since it was Rupert and the Anns last year of being at Sonora she really ought to host a small party in celebration of their win over Teppalus before they faced off against Aladren so that the team would definitely be in good spirits and not downcast should they lose. For this purpose she had entreated Atlas to help prepare different pastries as she wanted the party to be homey yet elegantly since Atlas had told her he’d never been to a fancy party before the Ball. The invitations themselves had been addressed to each player in her best handwriting on her best stationary since she didn’t really have much of an occasion to use it otherwise and generally liked all her teammates, excepting Jaime Park of course who rubbed her the wrong way, and held them in high regard—an honour to be sure since most of the time she didn’t enjoy the company of others.

The invitations were for dinner the first Friday after their first full week of school and indicated that they should dress nicely but not uncomfortably. She herself was in a thin grey dress that was easy to move in but was the sort she might go to church in during the summer if she were of the Christian faith (it was a tad too breezy for a temple service and she was certain her mother would have her head if she ever attempted to wear it to Beth Shalom!) Her fingers twitched in the skirt of her dress as she fidgeted in her seat and hopped up once more to check if the strawberry tarts didn’t look as good as they ought.

OOC: Permission to mention Atlas and Portia granted from their authors.

Subthreads:

Arriving fuzzy-time early. by Rupert Princeton with Liliana Bannister, Rupert

A Tasty Treat by Atlas Primred with Joella Curtis

10 Liliana Bannister A fuzzy-time party (Tag: Pecari Quidditch Team) 274 Liliana Bannister 1 5

Rupert Princeton

April 17, 2015 12:37 PM

Arriving fuzzy-time early. by Rupert Princeton

The only thing that had been on Rupert's mind since last term had been the scouts coming to potentially recruit Quidditch players for their professional leagues. He was only somewhat disappointed they hadn't attended the last match. Though Rup was proud that his team had won, his personal performance hadn't been quite on par. He hoped to get himself back in shape before their next match against Aladren. If anyone had impressed during that match it was the Chasers. What would truly solidify his legacy here would be leading his team to victory against the favoured winners of the Cup.

When Rupert received a lovely invitation after a brilliant holiday, he felt his affection for his team-mates swell. He was proud of them and knew he would treasure these memories in the future after he'd graduated. It was different, this Quidditch team; he saw his team-mates as his family more so than his own family back in England. No matter what happened in the next match, he knew he could never hold a loss against them.

Dressed in a blue button-down with a maroon cardigan and khaki pants, he made his way to MARS eagerly anticipating the evening. It was a sweet gesture to have a celebratory meal since their post-win parties had never really been as grand or refined since he'd joined the Pecari house.

Rupert walked into the room a tad earlier than the rest and spotted Liliana right away. He'd had an inkling that she'd been the one behind all this after crossing off the Anns, Adam, Jamie and Atlas as potential hosts. He made his way to her, smiling widely. "So you're the one in charge here, I'm assuming," he said, looking around with the pleased grin still on his face. "It all looks lovely. Can I eat one of these? I'm starved." He waited for her nod before picking up one of the tarts. "Did you make these?"

OOC: Was unsure which MARS room they were in.

40 Rupert Princeton Arriving fuzzy-time early. 248 Rupert Princeton 0 5

Liliana Bannister

April 28, 2015 5:53 AM

Responding punctually in fuzzy-time. by Liliana Bannister

A hand tugged her back to her seat as Liliana went up to check on the tarts and she sighed as her body collided with her chair again. She leaned back, turning her head and letting it hang loosely as she looked at Atlas with tired eyes. “Thanks for helping me out with this,” she said softly, smiling. “I’m really lucky to call you my best friend.” She squeezed his hand lightly and closed her eyes. “You know,” she said as they sat there quietly waiting for the rest of their team to arrive. “Next year we’ll be three players short. I can’t believe it. It’s just not going to be the same. Why do people have to grow up and graduate, Atlas, hmm?”

“Things would get boring here if everything stayed the same,” Atlas replied. From the tone of his voice, Liliana could tell he was smiling even though her eyes were closed and she opened them lazily, letting her face match his grin. Despite the pleasant look on his face, he was no doubt feeling the same bittersweet taste in his mouth and Liliana sighed. “But don’t be thinking about that stuff now, there is still a year left with everyone,” Atlas continued, pushing Liliana’s doubts aside. Besides,” he added standing up from his chair as he let go of Liliana’s hand and moved around his chair carefully. “Aren’t hostesses supposed to be all chipper and stuff?” Liliana rolled his eyes at him but she wasn’t annoyed, not really and she was sure that by now Atlas was able to tell the difference between her annoyed eye roll and he amused eye roll, and sure enough, he responded to the silent gesture with a sly smile, the type he had when he was hiding something. She narrowed her eyes but he didn’t relent.

“Which reminds me, I forgot a desert back in the club room, I’ll be right back,” Atlas said as he turned to exit the room. “Oh, and don’t you dare get up from that seat again. Depend on me a little and enjoy your hard work.” She frowned after him, and looked back towards the table full of baked goods, itching to try one and itching to fix the arrangement. No sooner had she decided to disobey Atlas, however, then the sound of the door opening got her attention. She snapped her head quickly back, ready to say an apology and give an excuse as to why she had deliberately disobeyed her best friend when she saw it was actually her captain.

Liliana relaxed and greeted Rupert with a smile, pleased that he thought the food looked good. “Hey Rupert,” she said, twisting her hands behind her back so she wouldn’t have the urge to grab a tart and eat too. Her mother had taught her it was proper to wait for all her guests to be served before eating and so she had decided to wait until the rest of the team arrived before serving herself. “Please, go ahead. Atlas helped me with the baked goods, he runs the baking club.” She bit her lip, a little nervous about hosting her first party on her own. “He actually helped me to set this all up, but he had something he had to go do but he should be back soon.”

She nodded and turned back to the tarts. “You look nice, by the way,” she said, happy that so far her invitation instructions had been followed. Her fingers untwisted themselves from behind her back and reached up to grab a bit of the braid and wrapped it around her pointer finger. “I’m glad you came.” It was odd to feel so awkwardly formal with her teammates, and she dropped her hair before gesturing to the table. “I’m going to sit while we wait for the rest of the team if you would like to join me?”

It was odd to think that Rupert and the Anns were graduating and that Adam Spencer would be Captain next year. She was starting to feel sad that the team was ending and that they would be looking for new players once again. She also wasn’t looking forward to having to work with Jaime Park on as close a basis though Keepers and Seekers didn’t interact too much if he was going to move up from reserve to starting it would mean slightly more contact. “I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she said once they were settled in. “I mean, I’m glad you’re the first one here because it would be awkward to talk about it with the others here.” Liliana didn’t know why, but she was embarrassed about her want to switch positions. Almost as though it were ungrateful to even think about it. In addition, if she were to switch positions then it would likely mean a first year in the hoops and even though she was a little small for her age, she still had three years of experience in the hoops.

She started and stopped herself several time before getting a full, clear sentence out. “I know we’re here to have fun and not talk business, but what do you think about my switching positions?” she tilted her head a little before continuing. “It’s not that I’m unhappy as Keeper, in fact I do love playing, but part of me kind of wants to try out being a Chaser. I mean, since I’ve player Keeper for so long, I know how a Keeper thinks so that could be useful during game time, and I know you won’t be here next year so it’s not your call but you’re still my captain and I just wanted to know what you thought about it before I talked to Adam.” She fidgeted in her seat as she waited for Rupert’s response, telling herself that no matter what his reaction was—positive or negative, she was going to keep her head up and not hold any resentment for what would be an honest opinion.

OOC: Mention of Atlas approved and written by his author.

10 Liliana Bannister Responding punctually in fuzzy-time. 274 Liliana Bannister 0 5

Rupert

May 05, 2015 1:44 PM

Fuzzy-time is a lovely moment. by Rupert

Rupert didn't think it was his place to pry into the personal lives of others, but he'd always had an inkling that Liliana and Atlas were more than friends even if they didn't know it. Atlas seemed to follow her around like a puppy eager to please. They were friends, certainly, but Rupert was looking forward to hearing when they finally got together. For now, he was pretending he didn't notice a thing except how nervous she seemed about this party. "The tart is wonderful," he said. "Wendy's sister used to run that club, didn't she?" He finished off the tart and brushed the crumbs off his hands. "Atlas must be busy."

He hadn't had the opportunity to meet Wendy's sister during his holiday in Phoenix, but he had visited her parents' bakery. It was a lovely place and bringing some of that expertise to Sonora had been a brilliant idea. Rup was glad that his team-mate was continuing that baking tradition. "Thank you," he replied when she complimented his attire. "You look very nice as well."

Rup joined her at a table, feeling somewhat nostalgic suddenly. He wasn't sure when he would see Liliana and the others on his team again. If he didn't hear anything back from the professional leagues here in America, he would have to return home and it would most likely be a long time until he returned. It was frightening; at least if he stayed in the United States he would be able to visit Sonora as an alumnus.

There was something Liliana wanted to ask and Rupert leant in slightly, eager to help in any way he could. He wondered briefly if it was something about Atlas, but that would be too premature. In any case, why would she need any love advice from him? It wasn't as though he had loads of experience. Besides, Liliana seemed quite competent in his opinion and could easily figure out how to manoeuvre her love life.

Switching position? Rupert was trying to figure out how that related to Atlas in any way, but he realised she meant Quidditch. Obviously.

So she wanted to be a Chaser. Rup leant back in his seat thoughtfully and rubbed his bare chin. It wasn't his place to sort out next year's team, but if she was looking for advice he wasn't going to refuse. With he and the Anns gone, there would be a spot open in the trio. Adam would be slightly devastated by the end of this year after working so closely with Annette, but it didn't mean he could create that same bond with Joella or, perhaps, Liliana.

"I don't see why that would be a problem," said Rupert finally. "The team will have to shift a bit next year anyway and with three new spots to fill there's loads of room for moving around and trying out new positions. Since our team has grown stronger with each member in their position for two years now, it wouldn't have been beneficial to switch positions this year, but next year is your golden opportunity." Rup smiled at her. "Of course, I'm not Adam and it is his call, but I'd say go for it. I think you'd make a brilliant Chaser; you seem to pick things up quickly."

0 Rupert Fuzzy-time is a lovely moment. 0 Rupert 0 5

Liliana

May 05, 2015 11:51 PM

Lovely moments make me feel fuzzy. by Liliana

Liliana smiled, pleased that Rupert enjoyed the tart Atlas has taught her how to make. "Thank you," she said, blushing slightly. She was unused to getting compliments on a party she hosted even though when she was younger Levi had always remembered to say her tea parties with fake tea and invisible cookies were wonderful. As Rupert mentioned his girlfriend's sister, Liliana nodded. She remembered Waverly well--she had been the first person to talk to Liliana at her very first opening feast and Liliana only had good things in her memory regarding the muggleborn. "I believe so," she said, frowning slightly in thought. "Though I wasn't a part of baking club so I wouldn't know for sure--you could ask Atlas when he returns, he would know."

She glanced towards the door, wondering briefly what pastry it was he had forgotten since everything they'd planned on bringing seemed to be there and when she'd gone over her list she hadn't missed anything out. Perhaps it was a surprise for the team? The idea made Liliana happy--the little things Atlas did were one of the reasons why she considered him to be her best friend. He was incredibly thoughtful and he always seemed to know what to do or say or give. Even though at times it could get annoying, she reasoned, and whenever he waxed poetic about Ann Marie she wanted to roll her eyes because he gave the impression he was the first person in the universe to have discovered love, but then again Ann Marie was likely the first girl to show any interest in him so it made sense. Kind of.

She watched Rupert carefully as he thought about her question, rubbing his chin as though he were Merlin. The little gesture could have meant anything and when Rupert finally spoke again she let out a breath of relief. "Really?" she asked incredulously. "You think so?" Having been plagued with learning difficulties her whole life, Liliana had never once been told that she "picked things up quickly." She burst out into a large smile. "Thanks, I just wouldn't want to make things any harder." Her first year she had been happy to gain a spot on the team with any position even though it was the Chaser position that she had secretly coveted but now that a third of the chasers were leaving it opened up a new window. " I'll talk to Adam then and see what he thinks. Cross your fingers for me?"

She shifted in her chair a little bit and, as though the thought had suddenly occurred to her, asked: "Are you planning on playing Quidditch professionally when you graduate? Because if you are I have to warn you not to join any other team than Puddlemere." She raised her eyebrows at him in warning. "Otherwise I shan't be able to support you. And as your former teammate, that would be quite awkward." Puddlemere was the favorite of her family and the team she had grown up watching, wishing to one day be a part of though she never really voiced this desire out loud. It was probably the best kept secret Liliana had, the other one being her admiration for the Harpies which, mainly due to their being an all female team, did not have the best reputation around her house.

OOC: Mention of Atlas okayed with author.

10 Liliana Lovely moments make me feel fuzzy. 274 Liliana 0 5

Atlas Primred

May 07, 2015 7:49 AM

A Tasty Treat by Atlas Primred

As Atlas walked back from the baking club room, which in reality was just the potions room, his thoughts floated back to Liliana’s words. Although he had given her the standard answer of, ‘it would be boring if nothing stated the same,” in truth, he didn’t mind the idea of it. He wasn’t exactly a creature of habit, but he was a little more uncomfortable with the idea of people stepping in and out of his life. Players leaving, meant new team members, which wasn’t bad- Atlas could always use more friends, but saying goodbyes left him with a long lasting feeling of Melancholy. It wasn’t like this with Jade, or Amira. He didn’t know them that well, and in truth, they honestly scared him a little with thier intense personalities (or what Atlas considered was a tense personalities). But the Anns and Rupert, the team just would be the same without them.

He bit his lip absent mindlessly as he walked the halls, back to the MARS room. Stopping before the door to the room, he fixed his tie, making sure it was strait and clean. Since Liliana insisted on the event being fancy, he took the opportunity to wear his house tie. It wasn’t really official or anything, just a nice tie he had gotten a while back with brown and gold. Besides the tie, he tried his best to keep his clothes dark, choosing a black button up shirt and black slacks, compelte with black dress shoes. He may have helped Liliana with the food, but it was her moment, so he tried his best to pick an outfit that would let him blend into the background.

Stepping into the room, he carefully balanced the tray of personalized cookies. He had spent some extra time on these, as he wanted to get them just right. The spell to make the pictures move presented Atlas with an extra baking challenge but it was definitely worth it when he saw the result. On each cookie there was a picture of his teammate playing their position, enchanted to move the same way an ordinary enchanted picture would. It was the first step to brining more magic into his cooking, a feat he had been trying to do since his start as head of the baking club.

By the time he returned to the room, the other team members had already arrived. Atlas walked by Liliana, who was now in full hostess mode. He flashed her a smile as he placed the cookies down on the table. He was secretly very proud of them, and hoped Liliana liked the picture he chose of her. Returning to his seat, he grabbed a red velvet cupcake since he had yet to try any of the desserts yet. Then turning to his neighbor, he offered them one as well.

“Would you like a cupcake?” he asked in a friendly tone.

0 Atlas Primred A Tasty Treat 276 Atlas Primred 0 5

Joella Curtis

May 10, 2015 1:39 PM

A great way to celebrate a win. by Joella Curtis

The Christmas midterm may have been full of parties but that didn't mean the prospect of attending yet another was anything but exciting when Joella returned to Sonora. In fact, she rather thought that throwing a party for the Pecari team was a fantastic idea, especially since they would be losing three valuable members (including the much loved captain) at the end of the year. Joella thought herself very much a live-in-the-moment kind of girl and therefore one that shouldn't dwell on such things but there were moments where she couldn't help but feel ominous about the team's chances next term.

It was in the second year's nature to be competitive and with that came a want to win. Of course, she didn't play simply to win but it was a reward she really wanted for Pecari. Aladren would predictably put up a strong fight but she felt that the Pecari team could really come out top this term.

Joella made it to MARS in good time. Wanting to wear something that bore at least one of her house colours, she had selected a smart white playsuit for the event which had a smattering of gold sequins on the shirt-style collar and a thin gold belt to match. It was a gift she had received over the break and hadn't had the opportunity to wear until now. It appeared that Liliana had done a good job with organising the celebration, the room nicely arranged and the numerous plates of food looking most tempting.

"Thank you," the youngest member of the Pecari team smiled and took an offered cupcake from Atlas. "They look really nice," she commented politely on the cupcakes. "Did you make them yourself?" There wasn't a lot Joella knew about Atlas Primred but what she did know was that he ran the Baking Club and was a best friend of Liliana's so she didn't doubt he had helped out.

8 Joella Curtis A great way to celebrate a win. 295 Joella Curtis 0 5

Rupert

May 13, 2015 1:50 PM

Does this count as a lovely moment? by Rupert

Liliana was enthusiastic about Rupert's response and he couldn't help but smile. "I'll keep them crossed," he said, making the sign with his fingers. "I hope to keep in touch with all of you. You'll have to write me when you make your first goal." The door opened and a couple of other players entered. Rupert made brief eye-contact and smiled at them to say hello before turning back to his conversation with Liliana.

The question of where he was going to play after he graduated loomed over his head like a rain cloud. "I plan on it," he told her, grinning at her bias. "That would be quite awkward, wouldn't it? Puddlemere is my family's favourite as well. I haven't received an offer from them just yet, but my coach from the under-17's back in the U.K. told me it wouldn't be unheard of to receive an offer to join their reserve team. But I am hoping that during this next match a few American teams will ask me to stay and join them. America feels more like my home than England does now, and it would be ideal to stay near my girlfriend. If that happens, I'll be playing in a different league so you can root for both Puddlemere and an American team if you wanted to support your former captain..." He let his sentence hang, raising his eyebrows to guilt her into taking his playful offer.

Rupert sighed and leant back in his chair. "But if absolutely no teams want me, I'll be back in England practising tirelessly, possibly wondering where I went wrong." The thought of not receiving any offers had never occurred to him, but suddenly anxiety shot through him like a Stinging Jinx. Rupert smiled to combat the feeling. "But I'm not thinking that dismally just yet." He'd hardly be able to get through the term if he allowed those negative thoughts to cloud his mind.

"What are your plans for the summer?" he asked. "Playing Quidditch? Preparing for your position? Pursuing a certain someone?" Rupert didn't have too many chances to dig into the personal lives of his team-mates, but now was a good time to do so before he graduated. He watched Liliana's facial expressions closely, hoping for some kind of indication that there were juicy stories for her to share.

0 Rupert Does this count as a lovely moment? 0 Rupert 0 5

Liliana

May 30, 2015 3:23 AM

Yes, and another fuzzy-time abuse. by Liliana

Liliana was pleased with the idea of keeping in touch with Rupert—it seemed that her captain liked the team just as much as the team liked him and she nodded emphatically. “Of course,” she said. “Though if I don’t switch I’ll write with the news of my first saved goal of the year too. And I hope you’ll write us as well with news of your grown-up life?” She raised an eyebrow, a grin making it’s way across her face.

She watched some other teammates come in with Rupert and then turned back to him, raising her eyebrows. If no team wanted him? He had to be crazy. “You’re nuts!” she exclaimed. “What team wouldn’t want you? You give me their name and I’ll floo call them, you’ll see.” She shook her head, giggling. It was nice to relax and be silly with her teammates, and the surrounding environment made her happy. Rupert’s question, however, did not. How did he know about Vetil? She frowned, the smile leaving her face as she contemplated all the different ways she could murder Atlas for telling her secret to their captain.

“England and Quidditch,” she answered promptly instead. “I plan on playing loads with my cousins. Though only three of them will be coming back to our grandparents we’ll still be able to play two on two.” Likely it would be the twins versus herself and Levi, or if Levi forced them to split up she’d likely go with Isaac since their dispositions were more similar than that of hers and Joseph’s. “And after about a month of that Grandmère and I are going to France for the rest of the summer and yes I’ll be seeing Vetil there. though I don’t know how you found out about him. If it was Atlas I swear I’ll kill him.”

She held enough joke in her voice that Rupert would likely be able to tell she wasn’t 100% serious, but her words still held some weight. It wasn’t any of Atlas’ business who she snogged, especially as he had a girlfriend, and it irked her that he had seemed to take offense with Vetil and her casual dating relationship. She wondered how Vetil would feel about that too. When they’d run into each other at her grandmother’s Winter Ball they’d danced together and had a good time, but he had made no promises to her and she’d made none to him other than a parting “maybe I’ll see you this summer?” and a quick double cheek kiss since their parents were watching.

10 Liliana Yes, and another fuzzy-time abuse. 274 Liliana 0 5