Selfish alturism (tag Tepp firsties and maybe Saul) on Cascade Hall

Pepper Jones

September 10, 2007 12:59 PM

Selfish alturism (tag Tepp firsties and maybe Saul) by Pepper Jones

Pepper Jones looked forward to the start of term for a rather odd reason. Unlike most people, her highest priority wasn't getting to see all her friends and catch up from summer. Unlike some slightly geekier people, it wasn't that she was dying to get back to the library and start classes again. Pepper looked forward to the start of term because it meant a new intake, and a new intake meant getting to play shepherdess. After years looking after a clutch of younger siblings, it was the role she clicked with best, and she was absolutely in her element when she had someone to look after. The morning after the opening feast, she had gone into the first year girls' dorm, and sent a message to the boys', announcing that she would be walking down to the Cascade Hall shortly, and was willing to show the way to anyone who was a little unsure. After breakfast, she had told them, she would also be willing to drop them off to their first class.

A gaggle of first years, amongst whom she had attempted to germinate some conversation, now followed her along to the Cascade Hall, where she guided them over to Teppenpaw table. Before taking her own seat, she couldn't help but sneak a glance over at the Pecari table. Saul had been known to guide the first years of his own house down on the first day. It would have been quite a good oportunity to talk to him, if he was doing it again. After the Runes/Divination class last year, she wasn't quite so anxious about just striking up a conversation with him, but having a reason to would be big a help - she was surprisingly shy when forced out of her comfort zone, and Saul needed no looking after. A little tiny toe-tip of her couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed, like she was using the first years to help her bump into Saul, but she told herself that it was silly, because she would have done this even if she'd had it categorically stated to her that it wouldn't take her into his way.

"If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask me," she reasurred the first years, "Even if they seem silly - I come from a Muggle, non-magical," she added, just in case some of them hadn't come across the term yet, "family, so I was utterly clueless when I arrived."

OOC - hey firsties, feel free to post here, saying you've come down from the commons with me. Chat amongst yourselves or to Pepper.

Subthreads:

Glad to have guidance by Rilla White with Holly Greer

This way, Pecari children by Saul The Guide

13 Pepper Jones Selfish alturism (tag Tepp firsties and maybe Saul) 74 Pepper Jones 1 5

Rilla White

September 15, 2007 9:10 PM

Glad to have guidance by Rilla White

Having just finished combing her hair, Rilla looked up when she heard an older student enter her dorm room. She was a bit surprised and hoped it wasn't time for hazing her something. Pleasantly surprised Rilla finished getting ready and went down to follow the girl to breakfast. Being so new to the school and not knowing anything about it, Rilla was willing to take any help she could get.

Getting to Cascade Hall Rilla looked around. Some didn't seem as excited and talkative as they had last night. Rilla assumed this was due to the early hour. She wasn't usually a morning person herself, but this morning she was excited. It was her first day and that meant all kinds of new beginnings. She was excited to see what her professors were like and learn some magic. Her mother had tutored her but she hadn't taught her much. Mainly it'd been magic history, the dull things.

Rilla glanced at those around her and wondered how she might make conversation.

0 Rilla White Glad to have guidance 116 Rilla White 0 5

Saul The Guide

September 19, 2007 1:14 PM

This way, Pecari children by Saul The Guide

The previous two years, Saul had guided the first years to their first class (Comec, both times) from the Pecari common room. Unfortunately, he hadn't allowed enough time and this had made him late to his own first class. Based on rumours he'd heard about how Pepper did it with her charges, Saul had decided to alter his plans a bit.

He arrived at the common room earlier than ever before and summoned the first years as they came down from their respective dorms and announced that they were welcome to come with him on a guided tour past the Care of Magical Creatures class spot to the Cascade Hall for breakfast. And that's what he did.

He brought the kids out of Pecari Commons, through the gardens, pointed out the clearing where Professor K held her class (coupled with a somewhat rambling commentary about snifflers and treasure hunting pirates) and some other important landmarks such as Elly's Swing and The Hedge That Looks Like My Uncle Harvey If You Squint along the way.

Eventually, they did make it to their destination of the Cascade Hall and they even had enough time to eat breakfast, too, which Saul was rather proud of. He was about to bring them over to the table where he normally sat when he spotted a familiar red-haired girl and he grinned, waving for the kiddies to follow him. "We'll go sit with the Teppenpaw first years so you can get to know some people from other Houses, too."

Reaching them, he grinned brightly at the fourth year girl sitting with them. "Heya, Pepper!"

Turning to his own charges, he gestured for them to take seats. "And if you have any questions, be sure to ask," he told them and found a chair for himself that was close to Pepper's. "Fancy meeting you here."

1 Saul The Guide This way, Pecari children 82 Saul The Guide 0 5

Holly Greer

September 20, 2007 11:57 AM

This guy is a freak (wotw) by Holly Greer

The older boy who had introduced himself as Saul Pierce had lead them from the Pecari Common Room to the dining hall. She wouldn't have come along, except for two problems (a) she hadn't been sure she could find her way back through the gardens to the main school building, and (b) that suit of armor was no doubt still waiting outside and she didn't want to go past it by herself.

So she followed the boy and he'd talked a lot and she wasn't sure how much of what he said she should believe because she recognized at least one malapropism and two complete falsifications in his commentary, and that was just of the parts where he spoke in words that she knew. Anything magically related went completely over her head.

She was glad when they finally got to the dining hall. She thought about moving away from the group of Pecari's, but then he was saying something about mixing with other Houses, and she thought she'd try to meet a Teppenpaw, as that was the one group she hadn't encountered at the Opening Feast.

Spotting one that had combed her hair nicely and didn't seem to have too terrible table manners, Holly sat down beside her with a polite good morning and collected a piece of toast and began smearing it with jam before introducing herself. "Hello. I am Holly Thistle of the Hollywood Thistles," she stated in the formula used by the girls she had met last night. Her boring name, Holly Greer, she had decided, would only be used to put on top of her schoolwork. Everywhere else, she would go by her preferred name.

1 Holly Greer This guy is a freak (wotw) 123 Holly Greer 0 5

Rilla White

September 20, 2007 11:27 PM

He is? by Rilla White

"Hello Holly." Replied Rilla trying to be polite. This girl seemed a bit to bubbly for her, but she'd give it a shot anyways. No sense being rude at any rate.

"I am Rilla White.. umm, I fear I know little about my family background. All I know is I am stuck with someone who claims she is my mother. I have never seen a birth certificate and sometimes hope we are not truely related." Rilla grinned at this. Well, she was a bit odd and she knew it, but if that worried people it wasn't her fault. She couldn't do anything about it. She was just Rilla.

"As I assume you know, I am a Teppenpaw and also a first year. Nice to meet you and all. I don't know much about this school, so we'll see how I do." Rilla glanced around the tables seeing who else was around. She wasn't really quite sure how to make conversation. She'd never had many friends but the only children she'd ever been around were all muggles.

Though, at the time she hadn't known a muggle was a muggle. Her mother blamed some of her issues on the fact she was raised around muggles. She wasn't really prejudice, she just didn't think the muggle children had been good role models. In Rilla's mother's eyes muggle children had very little expected of them and therefore weren't very motivated and got into loads of trouble.

0 Rilla White He is? 116 Rilla White 0 5

Holly Greer

September 24, 2007 10:15 AM

Absolutely. by Holly Greer

OOC: If Holly came across as 'bubbly' that was a mistake on my part. She should come across as slightly snobby and self-centered. BIC:

Holly nodded politely as Rilla introduced herself and explained that she didn't know much about her family background and didn't care a great deal for her mother. Holly couldn't sympathize. She thought her mother was great. "I am a Pecari," she admitted, suspecting this was a terrible crime based on the way Chelsea had spoken of her House's reputation, "Though I have it on some authority," Chelsea's, of course, "that I am not typical of the House."

Rilla's speech patterns suggested she might be upper class as Holly was, but she hadn't used the upper class introduction formula that Anabel and Chelsea had used, so either she was a pureblood muggleborn like Holly was, or she wasn't pureblood at all. The statement about not knowing her family background suggested it might be the later.

"Are your parents separated then? Mine got divorced when I was very small. Both are remarried now. All four of my current parents are muggles, and all eight of my current grandparents are also muggles." She stated this proof of her purity proudly. "I live with my father. He's a lawyer and filthy rich. My mother is an actress who stars in movies and is also filthy rich." There, she had established herself as upper class. Now the ball was in Rilla's court to confirm or deny her own family's station.

1 Holly Greer Absolutely. 123 Holly Greer 0 5

Rilla White

September 24, 2007 12:32 PM

Not chatty is he? by Rilla White

Rilla listened as Holly said she was a Pecari and explained that she wasn't typical of the house. "I know little about what's typical for houses here. I can assure you I don't blame anyone for the house they're in."

After Holly explained that her parents were separated and that both of her parents were wealthy Rilla wondered if the girl was a snob. She'd run into girls in muggle schools that insulted everyone who didn't have the latest outfit or the best shoes. Personally she'd never understood this herself.

"My mother is I guess what you could call and aclaimed witch. As for my father, I've never met him. I don't know if he's alive and my parents are separated as you put it. Or if he's no longer living." Rilla found herself unable to say the word dead. She always kind of imagined her father out there somewhere. A man the oposite of her mother who would indulge her and who looked a little like she did.

Hiding a frown, Rilla went on. "My mother won't ever speak of him. Anytime I try to bring it up she gets angry or finds something I should be doing instead of 'badgering her with questions'. Someday maybe she'll tell me."

"As far as being rich, we definitely aren't filthy rich. When I am home I live in a large room in a large house with many more rooms then we ever use. It's an old style home probably built back in the 1800s by the looks of it, I really don't know. The type with the huge porch in the front. Whoever built it was surely very wealthy at the time it was built, but now I am sure it's not worth that much."

"You wouldn't know we had any money looking at me though, or by the way my mother handles money. When going shopping for school when I asked for something not on the list she went into a tyraid on how galleons weren't conjured out of thin air." Rilla grinned at this. In some ways her mother amused her, she was just so odd. Sometimes for sure she could also be pleasant.

0 Rilla White Not chatty is he? 116 Rilla White 0 5

Holly

September 24, 2007 2:03 PM

Surely, you jest by Holly

Listening to Rilla explain about her missing father, Holly immediately reached two conclusions. It was either a great tragedy or a terrible scandal. The first and favorite of her theories was the one she often tried to pretend was true about herself (except, of course, she knew both of her biological parents and all four of her biological grandparents, so it was very nearly an impossibility unless someone was lying). "Do you suppose he's a prince and he and your mother had a beautiful romance but then he had to go back to his kingdom to become king? It would be just like in the Princess Diaries."

The admittedly very remote chance that this was true was enough to make Holly immediately like the Teppenpaw girl and the wary distance she'd been keeping until she could figure out if Rilla was 'good people' or not melted away. "Have you ever had a tiara? I could lend you mine if you ever get a chance to visit his palace."

1 Holly Surely, you jest 123 Holly 0 5

Rilla White

September 24, 2007 7:22 PM

Well, he's not talking much by Rilla White

Rilla tried not to let her confusion or amusement show as the girl asked if her father was infact a prince who had become king. "I guess it is, possible. I am afraid I've never heard of the Princess Diaries though."

Rilla wondered if this girl was always so easily excited, at any rate she seemed to be fairly friendly. Rilla didn't really hope for close friends at Sonora, but a few people who didn't pick at her might be nice. At the muggle schools Rilla had been to she'd never really had any friends, everyone found her odd.

She had had one good friend in Kindergarten, but a friend at five was a lot different than a friend at 11. "Eventually I plan to find out who he is or was. I am far to curious not to try to find out about him. However right now I have enough problems without trying to search for my father. Also, if he's as hard to deal with as my mother, maybe I am fortunate only to have one parent. What were your other schools like?"

0 Rilla White Well, he's not talking much 116 Rilla White 0 5

Holly Greer

September 25, 2007 10:28 AM

Give him half a chance and he'll yammer on and on by Holly Greer

OOC: Unless completely unrelated titles count this is NOT a WotW entry. BIC:

Holly stared in consternation at the girl. She'd never even heard of the Princess Diaries? Okay, it wasn't as classic as, say, Cinderella, but she thought every girl knew the Princess Diaries. True, it was a movie and witches and wizards didn't seem to watch them, but it was Disney. Disney was magic. They advertised that all the time. 'Feel the magic' was their slogan. Holly had a season pass to DisneyLand and she was sure she'd felt it.

She almost missed what else Rilla was saying, but she tuned in just in time to catch the question about previous schools. "I went to a private school in North Hollywood for the sons and daughters of the rich and famous," Holly explained. "I was on the equestrian team." She smiled in fond memory as she recalled riding her white mare on the school's practice yard. "Wendy is the most beautiful horse in the world and she's a fantastic jumper."

The smile faded to an expression of melancholy. "I already miss her." She checked her watch. "I should be riding her right now, getting in a few laps of the grazing field before Daddy brings me to school. My half-sister, Molly, starts Kindergarten at my old school today, too, and I would have gotten to walk her inside to her classroom if I hadn't come here." Assuming, of course, that Holly had been permitted to return to school at all. If magic hadn't turned out to be real, the delusions might have been bad enough by now for her to be institutionalized.

Holly sighed and poked unhappily at her toast. "Molly's a total brat, but I miss her already, too." It was only a partial lie. Holly did miss her. A lot. But even though Molly could be bratty, she probably wasn't a total brat. There were just sisterly rites in effect and no eleven year old could admit to having a four-and-a-half year old as their best friend. The homesickness hit hard and fast and she had to bite her lower lip really hard to keep herself from bursting into tears. "Daddy and Courtney, too." Despite her best efforts, two large drops dripped down each of her cheeks and she hurried to wipe them away.

1 Holly Greer Give him half a chance and he'll yammer on and on 123 Holly Greer 0 5

Rilla White

September 25, 2007 12:32 PM

Oh, well lets not? by Rilla White

Rilla listened as the girl discussed her school. They were as much different as two witches could be Rilla thought, however she was starting to like this odd girl. Rilla who'd never rode a horse couldn't really sympathise completely with someone missing a horse, but family she could understand.

Of course, Rilla also didn't have much family to miss. Her mother was hardly around when she was home, and when she was around she was lecturing, tutoring, overseeing work, or hiding in her library. Other then that, they had a pair of house elves, which she could miss she guessed. And she had several private tutors that had taught her the theory on different types of magic since age eight. None of that could she miss.

"Your school sounds exciting. I am sorry about you missing your family though." Rilla didn't know what to do with the girl in tears. She cried a lot herself, but usually know one knew she was crying.

"I miss the couple I lived with when I was little. I lived with them for five years. They were a sweet muggle couple, they sheltered me but they were always very nice to me. Occasionally I get letters from them but I've never been allowed to visit. You'd think I'd miss my mother, but right now I don't."

Rilla handed the girl a tissue trying to be supportive. However, it was always awkward for eleven year old girls to really know how to actually help each other.

"You'll get to see everyone on breaks and you can send them lots of letters. Now that your sister is in school she'll learn how to write and maybe she'll send you something. Maybe the school has a PO box to get muggle mail even, or you can send your owl to pick up mail. Do you have an owl?" Upset people made Rilla nervous, and when she was nervous she tended to talk a little to much.

0 Rilla White Oh, well lets not? 116 Rilla White 0 5