Headmaster Bulla

September 06, 2007 9:35 AM
Manfred Bulla, Headmaster of Sonora Academy, remained seated until the last of the first years had been sorted. While the rest of the school had been able to wander into the Cascade Hall relatively at ease, the first years had been held back until the feast was ready to start. At this time they were presented with goblets containing a clear bubbling potion and told to drink up. As happened every year - regardless of some of the more wild stories that some of the students both past and present liked to spread - not long after taking the potion a most remarkable change took each and every student. Rather than remaining their usual colours, their hue from top to toe (including their hair, skin and, according to one curious little boy several years ago, even their nails, teeth and tongues!) altered to reflect the dominant colour of the house they were to join. A bright blue for Aladren, deep red for Crotalus, muddy brown for Pecari and sunshine yellow for Teppenpaw. The effect didn't last for too long, generally no longer than a few minutes, but it was enough that the houses were obvious and the new students could be welcomed by their new housemates. When it was clear that the colours were fading and that seating was being settled, Manfred rose from his seat in the middle of the staff table, took a moment to be certain that his appearance was still neat and orderly and cleared his throat pointedly.

"A new year is upon us," he said, once the students had quietened down. "A new year, and with it new students and new challenges await you all. To our new students, welcome. I am Headmaster Bulla. I'm sure you will enjoy your time here at Sonora Academy, and hope that you will work hard and do your new houses proud. To our returning students, this is a new year to work hard and strive to reach your potential, to make new friends and seek new goals. Indeed, after midterm I will have a very exciting announcement for you all - one which I am sure you will all be terribly curious about until then!" He smiled at the room. It was indeed a very exciting little secret that he was sitting on, but they would learn that for themselves soon enough. It would be something for them to look forward to, and hopefully would inspire them to work hard and enjoy all sorts of areas of the school life. "But that doesn't mean there aren't any announcements for now. Would Mr. Christobel Dupree of Aladren, Miss Jordanna Howard of Crotalus, Mr. Connor Pierce of Pecari and Miss Alexandria Stafford of Teppenpaw please come to the front of the room."

While they were making their way to the front Manfred moved around the staff table, pulling a small box out of his pocket and opening it when all four had gathered around.

"Congratulations," he informed them in a voice intended for them rather than the room at large. "You have all been selected to serve as Prefects for your houses. Remember this is a position of both privilege and responsibility. You will have the power to give and take points, and will be expected to assist your Head of House if a situation arises. I'm sure you will do us all proud."

He handed them each their prefect badges, bronze metal embossed with the badge of Sonora and the word 'prefect' underneath, then straightened himself back up to address the school once more.

"These four will be joining the ranks of Sonoran Prefects. I'm sure you'd all like to offer them some form of congratulations, but as the feast is about to begin I will ask that it not be in the form of mashed potatoes, or indeed any other projectile food. Without further ado," he waved his hand and the feast appeared on each and every table, enough different dishes and drinks that it was unlikely that any of the students would be able to complain about lack of variety. The Prairie Elves under the direction of Tuppy had clearly outdone themselves. "Enjoy."
Subthreads:
39 Headmaster Bulla Let the Opening Feast Begin! 2 Headmaster Bulla 1 5


Lucas Smythe

September 09, 2007 1:59 PM
Lucas absentmindedly drew circles on the table as he watched the new first years being sorted into their houses. He watched his as his cousin, Cecily, took a sip from the goblet, and narrowed his eyes a little as she began to glow red. He had hoped to be in Crotalus himself, but his brains obviously outdid his powerthirst where sorting was involded since he had become an Aladren.

He watched Cecily, gritting his teeth a little. His parents hadn't been completely thrilled when he was sorted into Aladren, but it wasn't like they were angry with him either. Once they've heard about Cecily's sorting though, he was sure that he'd be hearing their speech on the subject again.

Life at Sonora was sure to be a little less normal this year - if it was ever normal to start with, that is, but with Cecily here..? She was sure to make his life more interesting to say the least, but whether for better or worse, he was almost certain it would be the latter.

She was annoying - she hadn't stopped talking at him the entire journey to the school. Maybe he would have replied every now and then had he got the chance, but she was keen to blabber on continueously the entire way.

Lucas sighed and pushed his fringe from his face. He decided to ignore Cecily for now and focus on the first years that were turning blue, and whether any of them looked worth talking to.

As all the first years began taking their seats, Bulla stood up and began his speech. Lucas listened half-heartedly, only perking slightly when he mentioned something about a surprise or... or something.

After the man had finished speaking, Lucas turned to the person next to him - a new first year, as it happened. "Hey, welcome to Aladren," he said, offering his usual weird half-smile and removing his fringe from his eye once more. "I'm Lucas."
0 Lucas Smythe Here's to another year? [Tag: an Aladren first year] 96 Lucas Smythe 0 5


Thomas Fitzgerald

September 09, 2007 7:38 PM
Though the paintings there didn't move, the windows weren't covered in water, and the people were, for the most part, a lot older, the vestibule and Cascade Hall made Thomas think of the capitol building in Missouri. He had only seen it in person a few times, but between them and his grandparents's pictures, he still remembered what it looked like and found himself reminded of it. He had to work hard not to laugh at the look he imagined would cross his grandfather's face if, in a moment of monumental stupidity, he made bold enough to compare the capitol to anything magical in front of the old man. His grandfather didn't much like magic.

Like many others in the line of first years, Thomas eyed the chalice he was given suspiciously. Logic said it was probably a potion, and he'd read more than enough of his Potions textbook to know that he didn't necessarily want all of the things that could go into potions inside him. He'd taken potions when sick before, but that was before he'd read what went into some of them. As all the others were starting to drink, though, he made a face and drank the entire dose at a normal pace, careful not to gulp it and make himself sick.

He watched with interest as his hands and arms started to turn blue. The people around him were also turning colors left and right, some of them the same sapphiry color that he had. It was like they were four separate species, only vaguely shaped the same. Shaking his head at the thought, he made his way to an empty seat. He listened politely to what the Headmaster had to say, was just as interested as the next person what the "surprise" they might have after midterm was, and turned eagerly to the feast once it made its appearance. It felt like a lot longer since he'd last eaten at home than he knew it had been.

He was sampling a baked potato when the boy next to him - not another first year, he thought, but not much older in any case - turned to him and spoke. "Thanks," he said. He thought it a stroke of luck to have ended up talking to a person from his own House. It was more practical than the alternative. "I'm Thomas." He did not see any need to announce that he'd been named for Thomas Jefferson. He knew the family was proud of all his grandfather had done in his life, but it seemed like it was taking it a little far to name every male grandchild he had after a Founding Father. "Is the food always this good?" he asked.
0 Thomas Fitzgerald Hear, hear. 109 Thomas Fitzgerald 0 5


Lucas

September 10, 2007 4:50 AM
"Thanks, I'm Thomas." The other boy offered in reply to Lucas' welcome. Lucas smirked a little as the first year continued, asking about the food.

"Well," Lucas pondered that for a second or two, "yeah, I guess so, but after you've been eating it all year then you kinda get used to it and it's not so special anymore, if you get what I mean... it's hard to say since I've only been a year myself, though," He smiled a little - it seemed that he'd learned to actually speak to people this year as opposed to last year's stammerings and pointless nonsense that always managed to escape his lips. Either that, or this was just luck.

"Sooo..." Lucas began again, half wondering what to eat and half paying attention to the other boy. "Where are you from? I'm from Illinois."

Pushing his fringe from his eye, Lucas ignored the younger boy long enough to begin eating and to stealthily glance around to the Crotalus table to see what his cousin was up to and, though he hated to admit it, to see if she was doing alright.

He turned his attention back to his food and wondered whether it was healthy to eat if he wasn't actually all that hungry. Possibly not, but it tasted nice.
0 Lucas Well... yes. 0 Lucas 0 5


Thomas

September 12, 2007 7:10 PM
The degree of idiocy inherent in making dinner conversation about dinner didn't escape Thomas' notice, but it was a bit late to do anything about it. He nodded, cutting a steak as he did. "Yeah," he agreed, mentally noting Lucas's year. "A couple of my cousins kept telling me school food was awful, but another one said it was all right. Glad to see Abby was right about something, for once." He'd always found Abigail and her better-than-thou attitude annoying, but he could be prevailed upon to admit it when she was right.

The question about where he was from caught Thomas halfway through a mouthful of meat. His parents had drilled decent manners into him, so he finished it before making a reply. Quite apart from the rudeness of it, it was usually either hard or downright impossible to figure out what people who talked with their mouths full were getting at. "Missouri," he said finally. "My mom's from Illinois. It's not too bad where my grandparents live." That was stretching the truth a little, given how much he preferred home, but...

"This is supposed to be the smart House, isn't it?" Thomas asked. "Mom and Dad were both Crotali, but my Aunt Ava was in Aladren." Of all the people he could resemble, he found it odd that it was her. Ava wasn't, or so he'd always been told, intentionally unkind, but the fact remained that her fan club's membership was extremely low. Her life revolved around the possibility of profit, and she was infamous for buying cheap presents and returning expensive ones she was given. Thomas liked money, but not that much.
0 Thomas My title generator's broken down. 0 Thomas 0 5