Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau
June 01, 2012 7:47 PM
Returning Feast by Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau
Midterm had been eventful with Angel now living in the house, but Kiva was happy to have helped him and her family was warming up to the idea of having Angel around. Emery and Chloe had had the luxury of growing up together since Jeff and Kiva had become friends shortly after the two were born, so they were going to have a difficult time accepting someone else right off the bat. Chloe seemed to have taken to him rather easily, but then, Chloe took to most people rather easily. Kiva sometimes worried about how easy and open she was with people. Emery had a much more difficult time with accepting new people, but he eventually grew to trust them. Kiva wasn’t sure how well Angel had accepted all of this since he was so quiet and withdrawn, but hopefully, with time, he grew to accept all of them as family. He was stuck with them for the next five years.She stood in front of the students waiting for them to all calm down she that she can get to the point of it. She couldn’t really blame them for being so excited. They had just spent the last two weeks at home, getting gifts of all sorts, probably had loads of sugar, and a crazy amount of free time that they wanted to tell all their friends about, which they could do… after the feast. Clearing her throat, Kiva cast the Sonorus charm on herself and called to the students to quiet down.
“Welcome back, everyone!” She greeted with a smile. “I hope that all of your midterms were eventual and full of good cheer. We have a few things to discuss before I can set you off to eat.” Kiva advised them all. “First, I would like to introduce to you are new Divinations teacher, Professor Lowrski. For those of you who would like to take her class, please be sure to advise your Head of House so that they can update your schedule.” Kiva waited for the murmurs to die down before continuing. “This year our Midsummer Event is the school concert. I’m excited to announce that we will be hosting this event in Phoenix and inviting your immediate family members to join us during the celebration. Because we are going to be showcases the school to your family, we are making it mandatory that all students participate in this Midsummer Event.” Kiva knew that she wasn’t going to have happy students with the announcement that it was going to be mandatory, but she felt that if the parents were going to be traveling to see them, they ought to have their children actually participating.
“Now, you don’t actually have to be on stage to participate. Backstage work, creating the show that you are going to put on, or whatever other role you may have at making this successful is just as well as being the person on the stage. We just want to make sure we are putting on a wonderful performance for your families in which everyone participates in. You are to choose how you do it. Whether as group performances or individual ones, we will be marking down what everyone is doing so that everyone is getting the proper credit and when the programs are printed, your families are aware of what your duties were.”
That was probably a lot for them to take in. That was alright. “If you have questions, please see any staff member or myself. Okay, that was all that I had to tell you, enjoy your feast!” And with that, the food appeared.
Subthreads: Wanting to get out (Tag Prof. Fawcett) by Maximilian Joshua McLachlan with Professor Fawcett, Josh McLachlan
Relieved by Lucille Carey with Aria Yale, Lucille
Returning with a sigh. by Heaven Baird
Complicated Contemplations by Lucian D'Alesandro, Aladren with Jay Carey, Lucian D'Alesandro
Feasting, and plotting, and wishing, and hoping. by Alicia Bauer with Cepheus Princeton, Cepheus
Return me to the Napa Valley, PLEASE! (TAG: Kirstenna) by Arista Thornton, Teppenpaw with Kirstenna Melcher, Arista, Arista
Returning to who I should be... by Addison Thornton, Teppenpaw
Funny being back by Clara Abernathy, Pecari with Sullivan Quincy, Sully
I don't mind the returning part of that. by Autumn Collins
Magic in the making! by Regina Parker with Madeline Parry, Derry Four
I have returned to feast by Thad Pierce
Oh joy. by Valerie Lennox
Are you kidding? by Amira Thornton, Pecari
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Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau
Returning Feast
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Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau
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Arista Thornton, Teppenpaw
June 06, 2012 8:27 PM
Return me to the Napa Valley, PLEASE! (TAG: Kirstenna) by Arista Thornton, Teppenpaw
Arista moped the whole beginning of Winter Break over the game that had ended so wrongly (if it was up to her to say it). She was mad and upset at the same time and she knew that she didn’t know how she really felt because of all the emotions jumbled up inside her. Yes, she had tried her hardest and Teppenpaw had STILL lost. It didn’t mean that her swollen hand from the Bludger hit on her tendonitis didn’t hurt. Or that the cursing under her breath so nobody could hear her (especially her very pregnant mother) made her feel better. The oldest Thornton knew that regardless of how hard she’d tried, she still didn’t get what she wanted. Some life lesson… she thought as she cursed again under her breath. She realized that the cursing actually only helped, in the moment, to feel at least a little better so cursing entered her vocabulary a lot more. She’d even, accidentally, let one or two slip within earshot of her mother (who thankfully didn’t hear her!).Addison, however, HAD heard her and that was when Addi stopped following her around like a lost puppy dog or a larger shadow with worry and actually told her off for cursing and moping around, which surprised Ris completely. Who is SHE to tell me not to mope?! she thought with anger at her slightly younger sister.
Of course, the day Addi had snapped at her their newest baby sister was born. They had been visiting Clara and Uncle Bryan out in Napa Valley on the Family Vineyard when it happened and the whole family had been touring the Wineries when their mother started feeling strange. Uncle Bryan knew what was going on and cut the tour short to take his sister to the hospital and Arista was told that she would be left in charge of the children, AGAIN.
This is getting really old… she remembered thinking as she tried to keep control of fourteen children including 13 of her sisters and Clara before Addison said she‘d do it. I can’t wait till I can get away from all this! her brain added to her thoughts. If Addi wants to do it, its all hers… she said to herself as she walked off deeper into the Vineyard and Addi herded the others closer to the house.
It seemed that at the present time, all Arista wanted was to get back to school and stop having to be in charge of her siblings. She wanted nothing to do with it anymore. She was getting too old to enjoy playing ‘Mom’ when she wasn’t anywhere near it.
Aerin Ryanne Thornton was born on Christmas Day around Noon in California and both Aerie and Alora were sent home within two days back to the Vineyards where Arista watched the others oogle at the baby and coo over her. Arista, on the other hand, stayed away. There was something about a sixteenth sibling being born that made the oldest girl resent a lot of things.
When the days got longer and longer with less and less sleep for all of them, she longed to be able to stay here at the Vineyards with Uncle Bryan and send Clara home with her family. She didn’t want to live in a zoo anymore and she was honestly half tempted to ask Uncle Bryan if she COULD stay with him till she had to go back to school. She spent a few days thinking about asking him, wondering what he would say and finally, she got up the courage to ask him.
Arista cornered Uncle Bryan on the Vineyards one day when the others were ogling over the baby, “Uncle Bryan?” she asked. “Can I stay here until we have to go back to school? Addi and the others can carry my trunk back to school… Please?!” Then it was all about the wait for his answer.
Thankfully, for her, Uncle Bryan said he didn’t mind as long as her mother didn’t mind so she ran off to find Alora over in the house, stopping her run to turn back to Uncle Bryan to shout, “THANKS UNCLE BRYAN!” before turning back around and running to the house.
Her mother had said that she wished she’d go home with the rest of them, but realized the pleading look in her eyes and Alora had relented. Alora realized how much stress the other children put on Arista and couldn’t begrudge her daughter a little bit of quiet time. “You can stay as long as Bryan is okay with it, Addi and Amira can help me at home, and Abi has become quite the little helper…” she said as she cooed at Baby Aerie who’d just woken back up again and was fussing quietly.
“Thanks Mom!” Arista said, giving her a quick hug and running out of the room, back out to the Vineyards where she just plopped down onto the ground and looked up at the sun in the sky. Home, this is home until I go back to school. Privacy, quiet, wow… she thought as she felt better already about everything, except one pesky little problem.
Teppenpaw still lost.
*****
The day came ever closer to having to go back to school, and Ris wanted nothing to do with leaving Napa Valley and the Vineyards, especially to relive her loss over and over again as she had done the last bit of the previous term. Then again, I can talk to Kirstenna and we can maybe keep practicing anyway, that way we won’t stink too bad next year… she thought as she made it a point to take a mental note to talk to Kirstenna.
Her thoughts didn’t stop her from taking Clara out to try to give her flying lessons. Arista had wanted to give it a try since it seemed her cousin had a hard time with it and she hated to see Clara have trouble with anything! Arista enjoyed her time with only Clara and thought that as the cousins got to know each other better that she wished Clara was her sister, not her cousin and that she lived out here on the Vineyards instead of in Oregon.
Maybe it was because it was so much quieter at Uncle Bryan’s, or maybe it was because she was finally able to do what SHE wanted to for a change, that Ris loved being at Uncle Bryan’s and was tempted to ask him to let her apprentice or something for him either with his business or at the Vineyards for summer. She held her questions in though and decided it would be better to send him a letter during term to ask him instead of asking face to face.
When the day came to go back to school, she and Clara got onto the Wagon from the pick up point and Arista waved and shouted out the window to the getting smaller and smaller Uncle Bryan due to the wagon going further and further away from them. “THANKS UNCLE BRYAN! LOVE YOU!” she shouted, glad that she and Clara were the only ones on the wagon so far.
“I love the Vineyards, wish I could live here all the time…” she’d said to Clara with a sigh and the cousins chattered on about their time together, the note Brielle had sent via owl to let Ris, Uncle Bryan and Clara know that they’d gotten home safe and Aerie had slept most of the way back. Abi had added a little message to Arista that she didn’t show to anyone else though too. It was about their father’s reaction to little Aerie and the little note had made Arista sullen for a little while until she realized that surely Clara and Uncle Bryan would find out. She pretended not to be mad and went on with their daily things before leaving for school. The chatter on the wagon got louder as other children got on and finally they were at school and Ris left Clara by the Pecari’s and went off to the Teppenpaws, finding a seat near Kirstenna, thankfully.
Good. she thought as she spotted Professor Kijewski-Jareau in front of them, looking as if she wanted to talk to the lot of them. When the Sonorus Charm was put on herself, the Headmistress welcomed them back and introduced them to the new Divinations Professor, then told them about the Midsummer Event. Arista rolled her eyes. Yay… she said, dripping with sarcasm at finding out she’d HAVE to participate.
“Whatever… Maybe I can do a song or something? What will you do?” she said, turning towards Kirstenna, wondering what she’d want to do. Kirstenna had a beautiful voice, Ris had heard it in the MARS rooms, and the fifth year bet that she’d use it, or at least hoped she would…
Food arrived in front of them and Professor Kijewski-Jareau told them to enjoy the feast and she turned away from Kirstenna long enough to grab the tongs inside the spaghetti bowl in front of her and waited for her answer as she piled pasta onto her plate.
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Arista Thornton, Teppenpaw
Return me to the Napa Valley, PLEASE! (TAG: Kirstenna)
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Arista Thornton, Teppenpaw
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Kirstenna Melcher
June 08, 2012 9:53 PM
I'm not sure I have that ability. by Kirstenna Melcher
Midterm had pretty much passed as always for Kirstenna. The circus had performed in Milwaukee and she'd gotten to be her dad's assistant. Doing the acrobatics that her mom's family did was fun and all, and the Teppenpaw was quite capable of them-though there had been a period where Kirstenna had been quite afraid of them, after she fell and hit her head-but nothing beat magic.She'd also gotten to go sightseeing in Milwaukee. Certainly, the sixth year had seen these sites before but Kirstenna still enjoyed it immensely. This year she'd gotten to go to the Domes, the museum, and the Pabst mansion. She'd been to the first two before, she loved the museum. The Teppenpaw might have not seemed like a museum sort of girl, but she really liked the rainforest, Streets of Old Milwaukee and the European Village exhibits, though she found the rainforest dome unpleasantly hot, which was a shame since it was so pretty. The mansion had been new to her but Kirstenna had enjoyed it as well.
It had just plain been nice to get away from Sonora as well. To not think about Teppenpaw's loss and the increasing worries about people seeing her as a failure as a captain. To be away from the smugness of the Crotalus team. Not Sam, but she had a feeling Renee probably was. Possibly their Seeker too, from her limited impression of him, he seemed the smug type.
To be free from the shadow of the Imposter over her. It was safer away. Though Kirstenna supposed that there was always the chance that the Imposter would find her over midterm and murder her. Or at least kidnap her and put her in that hotel room in Gallup, New Mexico where she'd stuffed Brian-whom Kirstenna thought was probably dead by now-and the remains of the real Jannette Wolfe.
Now though, the Teppenpaw sat her house table, gathered at the Returning Feast with the rest of the school. She glared at the Quidditch Coach briefly, what was she even still doing here when she went around hexing students, especially those with powerful families? Of course, Kirstenna assumed that she'd probably just kill someone else and take their form anyway. Maybe even a student this time. Maybe even her. The idea made the sixth year sick to her stomach.
She grinned though, at the announcement of the new Divination teacher. That meant she would get to take that class again-and Kirstenna really enjoyed that class. Not only had it been totally interesting but well, she'd sort of like to know what was going to happen. To be one step ahead of the Imposter.
The news of the Concert only excited her more. Of course, Kirstenna had known it was going to be this year but now it seemed so much closer. Though she felt bad for those that wouldn't want to participate in a mandatory concert. Not everyone had the sort of talents that were useful for such a thing. Still, she couldn't wait to sing in front of everyone. Now to pick a song. Maybe Kirstenna could wear a dress made out of bubble wrap and sing Poker Face!
She took some nachos-which were a good deal fancier than the ones the circus served, more like a Mexican restaurant-when Arista who was sitting nearby began to talk to her. Kirstenna smiled at her teammate. She'd been very proud of and pleased with the other girl's effort. "Well, I'm definitely going to sing. What about you?"
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Kirstenna Melcher
I'm not sure I have that ability.
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Kirstenna Melcher
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Arista
June 25, 2012 8:55 PM
Oh well, was worth a shot... by Arista
Arista didn’t think she was too bad a singer, she just wasn’t a big fan of singing in front of other people. The thing with Ris was that if this was supposed to be something families were supposed to go to she knew that her father wouldn’t go unless it had anything to do with Alexander. Which this did not. And her mother had just had Aerie and then there was always the added issues about all the other little siblings and Aislynn’s doctors as well as Audi and Ashlings appointments and tutors. She wouldn’t be able to go either. What’s the point, really? she thought to herself as she sighed.There was no chance of not doing anything about participating though. It was mandatory. Ris looked towards Kirstenna and asked her what she’d do and as Kirstenna answered her, she spooned a pile of spaghetti into her plate.
“Well, I’m definitely going to sing. What about you?” Kirstenna answered.
“I guess I could sing too, but I dunno. There’s something about singing in front of other people that’s completely different than playing Quidditch in front of even more…” she said. “It’s not that I’m nervous, its just…” She started. “I mean, well, I guess I am kinda nervous.” she finished, a surprised look broke out on her face. “I wish I could Chase for this… I wouldn’t do too bad, would I?” she asked her Captain as a sort of joke, but still she wondered what the honest answer would be.
I wonder if I could do some sort of circus act or something with flying and all? she thought to herself. Maybe something with crazy stunts or whatever? she thought as she looked at Kirstenna waiting on her answer.
Once Kirstenna answered her, she looked to her Captain and asked, “What do you think you might sing?”
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Arista
Oh well, was worth a shot...
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Arista
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Kirstenna
July 01, 2012 10:32 PM
Sorry by Kirstenna
"Well, singing in front of crowds isn't for everyone." Kirstenna told the younger Teppenpaw. It was true. Some people were terrible singers. Some had okay voices but didn't think they were that good, which she figured was Arista's problem with doing so. Then, some people were terribly shy and really, Kirstenna didn't think it was fair to make them get up in front of a bunch of people.The more she thought about it actually, the worse the concert being mandatory seemed. Certainly, the sixth year was ecstatic to be a part of it, to sing in front of everyone. She didn't like to be arrogant, but Kirstenna knew that she had a really good singing voice. She'd been performing since she was little. She'd been born into the circus and been doing so her whole life.
However, she knew being onstage was not for everyone. Some people just didn't have that sort of talent or inclination. It was okay, they were likely to be good at other things and that was what made the world work. If everyone did the same things, had the same talents, there would be too people doing them and not enough doing other things that needed to get done. Everyone had their purpose in life, their role.
"I think the difference between singing and playing Quidditch is that when you're singing, it's just you. The focus is all on you, whereas Quidditch is a team effort." Or at least it was supposed to be. Kirstenna felt certain team members could have pulled their weight a little more. Of course, it would have helped if the Imposter's nefarious schemes were not at work as well. That was the main issue.
She also figured that Arista might have been more comfortable in a group. From what Kirstenna gathered, the fifth year was from a huge family, whereas the older girl was an only child. She was more used to being alone. It had been very difficult for Kirstenna's mother to even be pregnant with her . Not because the pregnancy itself was difficult, but because her mother couldn't perform during it.
The sixth year smiled at the other girl. "You would do excellent." She told Arista. "I really appreciated your efforts in the game." Kirstenna truly did. It wasn't the fifth year's fault that the Quidditch Coach was an evil sociopath bent on destroying them-particularly the sixth year-anyway she could.
"I'm not really sure what I'm going to sing yet." Kirstenna admitted. There were just so many songs out there to choose from.
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Kirstenna
Sorry
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Kirstenna
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Arista
July 18, 2012 8:06 PM
Eh, its alright... by Arista
"Well, singing in front of crowds isn't for everyone." Kirstenna said. Arista nodded her agreement. “That’s true. I mean, Not gonna lie or anything, I could NEVER see my sister Addison singing in front of US, not to mention other people!” the fifth year said. “Though, Brielle would do it in a heartbeat.” she added and smiled at the emphatic energy that her younger sister possessed. Arista herself, knew that she had a little bit of talent. She’d never say that she was really good at singing, not nearly half as good as Brielle, that was for sure.Arista knew that her better talent was flight. Chasing mostly, and she knew it. If only I could play Quidditch for the show… she thought to herself again as Kirstenna spoke about the difference between singing and playing their beloved game. “That’s true. Singing onstage is different, just as you said. And Quidditch is supposed to be a team effort…” she added, thinking about the lack of effort on the part of some of her teammates in the last game.
Ris mentioned that she wished she could Chase for the show and actually asked Kirstenna if she thought she would do okay. True, she didn’t really need to hear the answer, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to… Thankfully, it seemed that Kirstenna hadn’t taken it for a rhetorical question and answered Arista’s query with a smile on her face.
"You would do excellent. I really appreciated your efforts in the game." The oldest Thornton beamed at her Captain’s praise of her and the red-head couldn’t remember a time in the recent past where she’d been as happy as she was right then and there.
After the ear to ear grin actually faded enough for her to speak, Arista asked Kirstenna what she thought she’d sing. Kirstenna’s answer was much the same as Arista’s would be if asked the same question and the fifth year nodded to her. “I understand that feeling… Would you do something yourself? Or with someone else?” she asked, an idea forming in her head if her friend said she might sing with someone else.
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Arista
Eh, its alright...
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Arista
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