Headmaster Brockert

March 09, 2014 3:07 AM
Mortimer could not help but be internally thrilled that he was now completely the Headmaster, not that he'd let on his feelings about it show in any way. The position was all his now, which he was exceedingly proud of, and while he wouldn't be able to abuse that power to a great degree as he'd be far more likely to hang onto it that way, and more than anything he wanted to retain it. The Aladren alum was pretty far from being the family patriarch with not only Uncle Clifford's direct descendents, but his father's older brother, and his own two elder brothers and their sons standing in his way. Being Headmaster was almost as good as being patriarch, in some ways, and honestly made him consider himself a lot more important.

Admittedly, he even mostly respected his staff. Despite their lack of social status, they were at least more than competent at their chosen profession. Of course. beyond being polite and even what for him was considered pleasant, he still remained distant and was reluctant to allow any sort of softer side to his employees or students, something he hoped he could keep up when his grandchildren came to school. The only staff member he didn't completely respect was Lydia Chambers, but that had more to do with her age and choice of subject matter. Maybe if she offered to teach one of the real subjects that was in need of a professor instead of the most useless subject there was. As far as Mortimer was concerned, Muggle Studies ranked even below Divinations in that way. The halfbloods and Muggleborns already knew Muggle things and therefore didn't need the class. In fact, they had an unfair advantage in it, while purebloods really didn't in other subjects and it was a class no self-respecting pureblood would ever take. It was an accepted subject anyway to have as an elective, it was just a little unnecessary when Care of Magical Creatures and Defense Against the Dark Arts were more important subject. At least Miss Chambers was friendly and enthusiastic which though could be a bit of an irksome trait for people in general in his opinion, most people disagreed.

He stood to address the assembled mass. "Welcome all to the new term, whether you be a returning student or an incoming first year." Mortimer was not a man of many words, which made the next part of his job a tad annoying. Fortunately, it was all stuff that needed to be said, otherwise it would be totally pointless and he didn't like to waste his time with pointless blather. "The first order of business is to sort the new first years. Each of you will step up to our Deputy Headmistress, Professor Skies, who is also the Transfiguration Professor and the Crotalus Head of House. accept a goblet for her, and take a sip from it, which will temporarily change your skin color.. Then you are to join your house table." Really this was a bit silly, given that it was not expected at any other time of the year and even Mortimer wasn't so much of a stickler that he would say, give detention, for someone not sitting at their house's designated table or even truly cared enough to pay attention. "The colors you turn signify blue for Aladren, yellow for Teppenpaw, red for Crotalus, and brown for Pecari."

Once the Sorting was finished, Mortimer went on. "Next, I would like to call Thaddeus Pierce and Alicia Bauer up to accept their Head Student badges. Congratulations." The new Headmaster said as he handed the students their badges. "Now I would like the following students to come up, Anthony Carey VIII, Carter Browning, Effie Arbon and Wendy Canterbury." Once they had all joined him, he awarded each of them with their badges. Mortimer had to admit that while he highly approved of Mr. Carey and Miss Arbon, he wasn't too thrilled about the other two. Miss Canterbury was a Muggleborn and while Mr. Browning was from a decent family, he surely didn't behave as such. Despite it all, he had to put on a good polite face and keep his disdain to himself. "Congratualations to you all as well." He said, even forcing a smile. The Bauer girl might not have been pure, but at least she was intelligent.

"We also have a new Medic on staff this semester, Medic Edda Eir. Please to your best to make her feel as welcome as possible." Honestly, with all the departures recently, Mortimer was admittedly quite glad to have Edda. Even he had to admit that being qualified for the position was more important in this situation than being an important member of society.

"Finally, before we sing the school song" Somthing Mortimer found to be quite a silly and utterly ridiculous tradition. "I have one last announcement. This year's Midsummer Event is to be the Bonfire. Instructions to follow at a later date."

As sheets of music appeared in front of the students, he spoke up one last time. "Let us begin." Honestly, in his book, this was a little much. Students were really probably getting hungry by now. He personally didn't want to participate in the singing. Singing was not something that Mortimer did , considering it to be beneath his dignity. Still, as Headmaster, it seemed to be a necessary evil.


Every day we strive
Learning to survive
Life’s hardships and to solve its mystery.
Learning to defend
Our honour and our friends,
Flying high to meet our destiny
We will stand and face those who want to harm us.
We won’t let the world transfigure, jinx or charm us
I won’t fight alone, as long as you are with me.
Sonora be my home, my tutor and my spirit
Vasita quoque floeat; Even the desert blooms.


With that, a diverse array of food appeared in front of the students. "Please wait until your Head of House calls for you before leaving the Feast so they can escort you to your respective houses. With that, please enjoy the rest of your meal." Though to be honest, he wasn't sure he cared how enjoyable they found it. So long as there wasn't any bloodshed-which was sure to cause mountains of paper work and possible law suits, as well the chance of expulsions when Mortimer really wanted people's tuition, as did the Board. He sat back in his own chair and turned to his meal.
\r\n\r\n\r\nOOC-Welcome First years! Please do not post on any other board until your Head of House posts his/her welcoming speech, which should be up in a week's time. Have fun at the feast and remember the site rules. Happy posting everyone! I also apologize to the authors of Lydia Chambers, Carter Browning and Wendy Canterbury. These are solely the opinion of Mortimer and not myself.
Subthreads:
11 Headmaster Brockert Opening Feast 6 Headmaster Brockert 1 5


Lucrezia Renaldi

March 12, 2014 6:31 AM
Her sixth year at Sonora was about to start, and Lucrezia was kind of excited about it. The Italian had just realized this was her second to last year to attend the American school. It had to be said that Lucrezia would sorely miss her time at school since it was the time of the year where she didn’t live under the shadow of her perfect older siblings. Aimee, Alana and Carlo were what someone could describe at utterly perfect in every sense. The twins were already married with families of their own and Carlo was about to get married by the end of this year. Her older brother was studying in England while his bride remained in Calabria. Lucrezia was happy her older siblings were happy, but their perfectness was very hard to follow. The Italian was the fourth child of a prominent family which meant she wasn’t that important to her family’s future. Aimee and Alana had cemented their relationship with two important Pureblood families: one in South Africa and the other in Germany. But Lucrezia´s future wouldn’t really make a difference to the Renaldi’s standing so she was basically free to do a lot of things her siblings hadn’t or couldn’t. It was rather liberating.

The Italian sat down on the Crotalus table after a rather bumpy ride from her Great-grandparents house. It was a tradition for her to spend the last two weeks of summer vacations with them. Lucrezia adored her Grammy Bianca because she spoiled her rotten though it was kind of difficult to entertain an old man like her great-grandfather Ignatious. He was a very difficult man, but he kind of had a soft spot for her probably because she spent a lot of time with them. It was nice listening to their history lessons about everything, especially about their family. The Crotalus found it sad that their surname would be long gone after her great-grandfather died. He was the last male with the Randolph surname, but nothing could be done at this point. Unless he miraculously produced a male heir.

After she got comfortable on her seat, Lucrezia smiled at her housemates and waited for the Opening Feast to start. The Italian was a very friendly person, but today her happiness was taken to a whole new level. At sixteen, her curves were starting to show the body of a woman instead of a girl. She was rather pleased with the way she looked. Her olive skin paired with her hazel eyes and long brown hair made her a very pretty sight. She had seen how the boys looked at her back home, and she had loved the attention. She thought she was even prettier than the common blonde Carrie. How she hated her roommate. The Italian looked quickly where Carrie was sitting and smiled at her. Her nemesis would surely scowl back at her, but Lucrezia loved making her mad. It had become a game for her, and Carrie deserved it. She was a foul human being, and she needed to have a taste of her own medicine. However, now that a relative of hers was managing the school Lucrezia was sure the other girl would be less than tolerable. Power would go to her head like the little brat she was, but she knew better. Lucrezia had heard all about her family from her great-grandfather Ignatious and it wasn’t pleasant. It was rather grim and scandalous, and Lucrezia couldn’t believe Carrie felt she deserved the world when her family was basically in ruins. The Randolph´s and their branches didn’t really associate with the Brockets. It was better for her, really. Lucrezia would hate to have to spend more time than she already did with the brat.

During all her musing she missed the new Headmaster’s – gross – speech, so she just smiled at the incoming new members of the Crotalus house. She really was a friendly girl, and since it was time to eat her smile got bigger at the prospect of it. The Italian got a hamburger and some fries to start her 6th year at Sonora, and after the first bite she looked at the person beside her, “Hi!” she said in her still accented English. “I hope you summer was as lovely as mine,” she finished before taking another bite of her very American dinner.
0 Lucrezia Renaldi Back for my 6th year 231 Lucrezia Renaldi 0 5


Cepheus Princeton

March 12, 2014 11:57 AM
Cepheus had spent the summer exercising to pass the bland summer. He had taken to lifting weights, swimming and going on runs with Rupert, and the two lads had bonded through their strenuous workouts. Rupert was much more serious about his exercise than Ceph was, and it had been nice to have that motivation to continue persevering through all the soreness and hard work that the English lad was unused to even though he walked everywhere in the country.

The muscles that had come about as a result were not nearly as visible on Cepheus's thin body as it did on his more brawny brother, but his arms were firmer and slightly thicker. He had been able to lie out in the sun as well during a holiday in Cannes and had come back to Sonora with a slight tan and brighter blond hair. He was one of the lucky ones in his family who tanned before he burned and not the other way around. His father, for example, was not so lucky and Mum had to administer burn creams on his back for days.

It was Cepheus's last year at Sonora and he was unsure how to feel about it. He had come to terms with his duty as the Princeton heir, but now that he was preparing to graduate it seemed all the more real. He was expected to find a witch to marry in the next six years before he would be allowed to take on the major patriarchal training. The proper wife, according to his parents, were essential in the decision-making process. Working alone would never do for a Princeton patriarch with the belief that two heads were better than one, though Cepheus was inclined to disagree. At least he wouldn't be forced into a marriage, though the pressure would continue to rise. Eventually he supposed he'd have to propose to Theresa who seemed to be the only one interested in him as of yet.

There were more disappointments in store for the Princetons when the Prefects were announced. A muggle-born had received the position instead of his brother, a decision which Ceph found difficult to understand. Cepheus would have expected more from his seemingly pure-blood Headmaster, but apparently the staff had even more power than Ceph had realised. He didn't care much for any of the other news, though he was expecting his notice that he was now Quidditch coach some time soon, unless Professor Olivers had decided to revoke that privilege from him too. If that happened, Cepheus would quit Quidditch altogether.

The formalities were over and Cepheus was looking forward to filling his stomach. He was knackered as usual after the long trip and couldn't wait to rest. His attention was snatched by Lucrezia, a pure-blood he hadn't really noticed before except in passing her in the common room with a polite greeting. Cepheus had always loved the Italian witches, though he had never actually pursued a relationship with any of them as he had an American girlfriend, but the familiar feeling when he was in the presence of a pretty girl came over him and his charming smile was reactionary. Lucrezia was incredibly pretty and Cepheus was surprised he hadn't noticed before.

"Yes it was lovely, thank you," he replied, though it seemed like a much lovelier summer right now than it actually had been. "Spent most of my time at home in Surrey, but I took a holiday in Cannes with my family for a week. Did you have a lovely summer, then? You're from Italy, aren't you?" Cepheus would have given quite a lot to have a summer home in Tuscany instead of the French Riviera. Perhaps he ought to suggest that to his grandfather in the next month as his birthday came around.
40 Cepheus Princeton And all the experiences that await us. 216 Cepheus Princeton 0 5


Lucrezia

March 12, 2014 7:26 PM
Lucrezia had never seen anyone at Sonora as a prospect for marriage. The Italian had seen everyone as a potential friend, with the exception of Carrie of course, but seeing her housemate looking so manly made her spine tingle. The Crotalus smile widened at his presence. If she had learned something over the years was that she was extremely attracted to boys and that had been shown every summer when she stalked his brother and his friends all around their Manor. Carlo had never found it very amusing since she usually got in the way of their fun. The little sister became a burden for the group of older males. She never understood everything they did while they moved around, but she liked watching them play Quidditch. It was fun to be a cheerleader. However, Lucrezia had never had a boyfriend or anything of the kind. It had always been only male friends. Boys she had grown-up with and had become her partners in crime while she was back home in Calabria.

“I’m glad you did,” she responded genuinely happy about his news. “Yes I am from Italy,” she responded to that question first. “I spent most of my time back at Calabria because one of my sisters gave birth to her baby, but then spent a few weeks at our beach house in the French Riviera.” After finishing with her explanation of her summer she ate a French fry since she was still starving and kind of embarrassed about her choice of food in front of such a cute guy.

“It was fun. I got to spend time with my family and friends.” Lucrezia added after swallowing the small treat. Her family had purchased a beach house in a magical community built in a small island in the French Riviera near St. Tropez. According to her father the families that summered there were only the best of the best of the European pureblood families. It was very exclusive. Lucrezia didn’t really care about those things. She just wanted to have fun.

Her hazel eyes subtly checked Cepheus out from the rim of her pumpkin juice glass as it touched her lips. Her friends had told her she was a flirt, but she honestly didn’t do it on purpose. It came naturally to her, but she preferred to see it as natural friendliness and openness. The Crotalus honestly liked most of the people she spoke with and liked making friends. It was more because she rarely got that attention back at home and relished on it when people gave it to her, but mostly she believed in the innate goodness of everyone around her.
0 Lucrezia Hopefully good experiences! 0 Lucrezia 0 5


Cepheus

March 14, 2014 12:20 PM
Cepheus had never thought there was any harm in looking at other witches. He wasn't blooming married to anyone yet and he had always gotten along better with witches than other lads. As a result, he'd always been a bit of a flirt and enjoyed being so. It kept things interesting and the particularly pretty witches were always fun to banter with if they had any brains in their head. It didn't mean something romantic had to happen between them, obviously, as Theresa was his first girlfriend and he was in no way looking to seduce Alicia, but pretty girls were lovely company to keep.

Lucrezia's response was encouraging and engaging. "You've got a house in the French Riviera as well?" asked Cepheus, genuinely interested. "Where about?" The area around St. Tropez was a well-known holiday spot among the elite pure-blood community, but the Princetons hadn't summered there in years. They much preferred the more comfortable summer home in Cannes, and even then they never stayed for very long. It was much busier in Cannes, but a nice break from the calm countryside where the Princetons regularly resided.

Summer homes were common for the pure-bloods in England that the Princetons knew, particularly for those farther north. The most popular places to summer seemed to be Italy or the French Riviera for most of his relatives; the coast was always a treat, though Cepheus didn't particularly prefer the seaside to any other part of the world. It was a nice place to spend hot summer days, but not for the rest of his life. It was, however, better than India. Anything was better than India where it was dirty and crowded and always, always so busy. Cepheus had been there several times with his father to oversee their tenants and landlords who ran the flats for them, and he had never had an agreeable experience to date.

"That does sound like fun, and my congratulations to your sister," he added. "My brother's learnt Italian over the past two years and enjoys practising with the other local Italian-speakers in Cannes." In his peripheral he noticed she was eating a hamburger and chips, and Cepheus thought it odd she would enjoy that sort of food. He'd always had the notion girls like her were very particular in what they ate, witches like his mum and Theresa and his female friends from back home. It was almost refreshing to see, though Cepheus didn't bother commenting on her food choice or directly looking at it in case she was embarrassed about it. Witches were temperamental and sensitive creatures for the most part; the pure ones, anyway. Even his brilliantly sarcastic mother had a sensitive spot when it came to her figure.

Ceph put together a plate of chicken breast on salad and green beans, opting for the healthier choice. After playing Quidditch for six years, he had grown accustomed to eating a strict diet during the season. As captain, he would implement that change so Crotalus could hopefully make him proud this year—if he indeed was Quidditch captain this year. "I always find the trip from England a long one," he said conversationally as he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice, "and I'm always knackered when I arrive. The travel time from Italy must be even longer. But you seem well and coherent." He smiled at her. "I'm fortunate enough to have two other brothers to suffer with on the trip, though, so it's never lonely." Most times Cepheus wished he were in a separate wagon than his brothers, particularly the invariably moody Leo, but that was a minor detail.

He paused to let Lucrezia talk some and took a sip from his glass, his blue eyes involuntarily moving down to look into his drink out of politeness. It wouldn't be proper to be caught looking, though Ceph was more than pleased with the company he was keeping. He momentarily forgot to look around the hall for his girlfriend. "You've got a very pretty name," said Cepheus, "and unique. What's it mean?"
0 Cepheus I think there's potential. 0 Cepheus 0 5


Lucrezia

March 15, 2014 7:53 AM
“Thank you, the baby was adorable,” she said with a small smile before feeling worse about her choice of food as he saw Cepheus serving himself what she should have been having. Her mother had always tried to make her eat better, but Lucrezia had been blessed with a rather fast metabolism – which her sisters totally hated!—and she exercised regularly. So, the Italian could enjoy the more filled carbohydrates food the world had to offer. It made her happy to have something her sisters coveted. The Crotalus wasn’t really jealous of her older siblings, but it was kind of hard not resenting them from time to time. For the most part she loved the freedom her status gave her. She didn’t have as much Pureblood duties as the twins and Carlo. It was awesome.

The Crotalus blushed a bit as her hazel eyes looked down at her meal once again, she was suddenly not feeling that hungry anymore, but she dismissed that feeling a few seconds later when her stomach demanded more food. She internally shrugged. It wasn’t like she was fat, anyways. It wasn’t okay to be embarrassed by something as simple as eating a hamburger because really, it didn’t hurt anyone. Not even her. She sixteen year old placed her left elbow on the table and rested her face on the palm of her hand while she listened to Cepheus talk while picking random French fries from her plate. The older boy sure had a nice accent, and he had a gazillion questions for her. She hoped she remembered them all to answer back when he finally gave her the time to do so since it was very impolite to interrupt someone, specially a male.

“Lets see,” she started to talk trying to decide what to answer first. It was terribly difficult, so she decided to start with the last question. “My name means benefit and profit,” she said with a small laugh. Her name wasn’t something very meaningful… or maybe it was. “But thank you, I rather like it too.” Her lips tugged further widened her smile.

Now on to the next question, “My family recently bought a house in a small island not very far from St. Tropez. The magical community there is small. I think no more than 10 houses. Papa says the other 9 houses are very important families from Europe. I don’t really know them that well since its new and all. We also have a Villa in Tuscany,” she said it without a hitch. The Crotalus had never liked flaunting her family’s wealth to strangers, but she was certain Cepheus could relate to it. Her Granpapa Ignatious had mentioned something about his life, but she didn’t really remember what.

The sun-kissed Italian took another bite of her hamburger quickly before continuing with the conversation. Her hazel eyes were full of happiness and excitement at the prospect of making a new friend. The older boy had always been kind of someone she knew from her house, but she had never talked to him before. It was nice chatting with someone that could relate to her life outside of the school. The 6th year swallowed and smiled, “Oh you make the trip in a day?” she asked in awe. No wonder he looked kind of frazzled. “I always come two weeks before school starts and spend that time with my Great grandparents. Maybe you have heard of them, Ignatious and Bianca Randolph,” she mentioned casually. She knew they were very important in America, but didn’t know if a foreigner like her would know them. “Actually, their granddaughter, Catherine, married into an English family, the Edwards,” she added to her family history. Lucrezia knew the Edwards were a notable family in the European Pureblood circle. Very important and all, and were kind of related to her by political ties.
0 Lucrezia I think so too 0 Lucrezia 0 5


Cepheus

March 15, 2014 10:56 AM
Benefit and profit. That sounded about right for a pure-blood witch's name. Cepheus smiled as she continued on about her summer home around St. Tropez. Cepheus knew of that area quite well, but he had only been there once or twice. His family had owned a summer home there and kept it up more to fit in than actually enjoying the area. His mother was particularly fond of the French Riviera whilst the men in his family preferred the country much more. A compromise had been made, and that was why they took holidays to Cannes. "That is exclusive," replied Cepheus with interest. "My family owned one of those, but sold it two years ago to put it back into the market. We hardly used it and thought it better to add to the economic stability of the place than drain our money on an unused house." Though his family was wealthy, incredibly wealthy, they were also good with money and didn't like to spend unnecessary Galleons.

"We much prefer Cannes, anyway, but even then we don't go summer there often. My grandmother was sick most of this summer so our trips were limited." She didn't ever travel anyway, being so afraid of Portkeys and loathing any other mode of transportation. But she'd needed more than a house-elf to take care of her and so his mum, usually the instigator of their holidays, had to stay home and act as her nurse.

Coming in early sounded much more practical and Ceph almost wished he had relatives in America that he could stay with. "Yes, sounds mental, doesn't it? It must be nice coming in that much earlier and seeing your great-grandparents and adjusting back to the States. Time changes and all that." Then he remembered why he was attending school here at Sonora instead of England.

He and his brothers were supposed to help branch out and align with some of the American families. His relatives hadn't built a home outside of the U.K. or Europe and Scorpius, his grandfather, was hoping to conquer America with his grandsons. Staying here was out of the question for Cepheus, which he was glad for, but there was some hope Rup would find a nice, pure American witch to settle down with and start a Princeton branch here that was muddled with mudbloods.

The Randolphs sounded familiar, but Cepheus himself wasn't familiar with any of the American pure-blood families except those he'd encountered here at Sonora. But he knew exactly who the Edwards were and raised his head in acknowledgement. "Yes, I know of the Edwards. I'm quite certain I heard of that wedding taking place too, though of course I didn't attend." Listening to her talk with her Italian accent was fascinating and Cepheus wanted to hear her talk more. He wasn't fond of the American accent all that much, except sometimes when Theresa spoke, and he enjoyed the diversity of accents and languages he heard in London when he took trips there and the other few international students here at Sonora. Others like Lucrezia.

"Are you looking forward to anything in particular this year?" he asked before spearing his salad. "You're a sixth year, aren't you? That means so difficult exams for you at the end of this term, luckily. I know a few Aladrens who always seem to be preparing for some sort of exam whether they've got one to look forward to or not." His best friend was one and there were often times Cepheus thought her mad. But she was Head Girl now along with the other assiduous Head Boy so there really wasn't anything he could say about their overachieving tendencies. At least she helped him study hard and keep up his marks. He ate a forkful of his salad and watched Lucrezia as she spoke, surreptitiously admiring her looks and the way she spoke.
0 Cepheus Glad we're on the same page. 0 Cepheus 0 5


Lucrezia

March 18, 2014 7:42 PM
“I hope your grandmother is doing better,” she commented on his statement and friendly patted his hand to try and seem comforting. Lucrezia really didn’t know how to react to that since Cepheus had sprung that sad bit of information on her. The Italian didn’t really know much about his family since her focus had always stayed in Italy. She hadn’t seen the need to get to know people’s backgrounds, unless her great-grandparents told her to. Plus, her parents had always told her that None-Pures weren’t supposed to be ostracized since there weren’t many Pures to begin with and everyone deserved a chance for friendship. The Crotalus was allowed to be friends with None-Pures, but that was as far as it went. In other senses her family followed strict Pureblood traditions. The only family she knew extensively was Carrie’s, but that was because she loathed the girl and needed ammunition when needed. The Brockets were full of juicy gossip and her great-Grandfather Ignatious was all too happy to share with his little great-granddaughter.

Since the Cortalus didn’t know what to say about his sick grandmother she decided to change the topic into a happier one, like her great-grandparents. “Oh yes,” she exclaimed in excitement at the mention of her American relatives. “My great grandparents are amazing. They are so old that most of their stories are about people I didn’t even know. It’s a wonder they are still alive. Both are pushing the 100s now,” she finished with a little bit of a sad note. Yeah, maybe her great-grandparents weren’t a good topic. In reality they were more like her great-great-great grandparents. “And they love having me around,” she finished smugly.

Lucrezia took a small bite of her hamburger and wasn’t really surprised Cepheus knew about the Edwards. They were pretty well known in Europe, probably because they were ridiculously wealthy and had expanded their power to the USA. They were one of those families, but they weren’t a good topic of conversation right now. She just knew the basics. Her parents liked their children being versed in the topic of important families. They didn’t know everything, but knowing the basics would helped them sail in the Pureblood society. She smiled and continued with the conversation, “Yes, thankfully, I have a pretty relaxed year before RATS craziness. It’s amazing how quickly time passed. I’m already a sixth year. Next year is my last year here,” She said a bit sadly. She would be very sad to leave this place, but that was still a few months into the future. “You are graduating, aren’t you?” she asked before taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.
0 Lucrezia Seems like it 0 Lucrezia 0 5


Cepheus

March 20, 2014 4:31 AM
In relaying news about his grandmother, Cepheus hadn’t realised the effect it would have on his audience. In his head, Grandmother’s sickness was all over and much less serious than everyone had made it out to be. She was a needy, dramatic witch. Cepheus received Lucrezia’s condolences with a little nod of his head and a reassuring smile, more distracted by her pat on his hand than anything. “She’s perfectly well now, thank you. It was a bad case of the chills or something equally insignificant. My grandmother needed the best care, however, and my poor mother filled the role perfectly, though Grandmother had an entire medical team at her will. All working for my family’s hospital, you know. But there is a more personal touch that comes from family, from what I understand, and when I mean my grandmother needed the best, my mother proved to be the best for her, bless her heart.”

In truth, Cepheus had very little regard for his stiff-lipped grandmother who had never shown much affection except to her son. The only phrase Ceph had ever heard from her directed to him was, “Stop that,” followed by whatever action she caught him in. There had been very little love in his upbringing with distant nannies and all and Cepheus was not afraid to blame that on his grandparents and their arranged marriage. At the very least he had his parents to give him a little hope that love existed for some.

The mention of Lucrezia’s great-grandparents made Cepheus smile a little as he cut the chicken on his plate into a smaller piece. There was a pang of jealousy at her admission, but like all other pangs, he disregarded it and buried it under something nicer. “I don’t doubt anyone would love to have the pleasure of your company. You have a certain air about you that most girls don’t possess. Regality, perhaps. Confidence. I mean it, really. I’ve only been talking to you for a few minutes and I’m already entranced.” Cepheus smiled at her, the smile reaching his light eyes, before putting a forkful of salad into his mouth. The more Lucrezia spoke, the more attractive she was, and he adored her accent.

“Yes, I am graduating at the end of this year,” he said with a sigh. “Time does pass rather quickly and I’m almost as shocked as you are to find myself here; seventeen going on a year older next month and seeing my R.A.T.S. in my near future. Not to mention the beginning of my training to fill my father’s shoes as the future patriarch of the Princetons. Perfectly dreadful, if you ask me, but I cannot deny I’m looking forward to moving back to England permanently no matter what responsibilities come with it. I think I’ve had my fair share of American life, though I don’t mean to complain about it. Do you enjoy it here? I find it very different from Britain, and I miss the English culture when I’m at school. You must feel similarly, coming from Italy.”

It could be wrong to be flirting with an attractive witch with a girlfriend on the side, but talking with Lucrezia strengthened Cepheus’s resolve to end things with Theresa. On good terms, he hoped, but it all depended on how his current conversation ended. If Lucrezia proved to be a vain, air-headed witch, she would not do as a potential Princeton wife. Not that Ceph was thinking of that right away. Appalled at his own thoughts, Cepheus took a long drink from his glass, feeling the instinct to gag at the thought of marriage and trying his best to conceal it.
0 Cepheus What'll be next, I wonder. 0 Cepheus 0 5


Lucrezia

March 26, 2014 11:58 AM
A warm feeling soared throug her whole body as Cepheus complimented her. It ended in a bright blush in her cheeks. The Italian smiled embarrassed, but fully enjoying his words. Her older sisters had always told Lucrezia that it wasn’t anything better than a male’s attention. It made them feel important, like they mattered. Being a female in a Pureblood society was very hard. They didn’t have much of a role other than being a wife and mother. They were raised for that specific purpose, but that didn’t mean the females could fall back on the males. It was a very complicated relationship. Girls had to be smart and world savvy, but they still took the backstage. Her father had once told her that a girl’s intelligence was what kept the husband interested. The Crotalus really didn’t understand it that much. She didn’t think much of it preferring to not stress herself out. Lucrezia kept being herself and so far it had worked.

“Thank you,” she commented still blushing, but sincerely thankful for his words. It was nice to know that someone she hadn’t known forever saw her that way. She tucked a strand of her hair that had started tickling her nose behind hear. The Crotalus matched his smile before looking down at her dinner. She picked another fry and enjoyed it while Cepheus started talking about his last year. A sense of dread washed over her as the whole idea of graduation overcame her. The exams were going to be very hard, and maybe it was time she started studying for them. They weren’t that far into the future. Bad grades were a reflection of a bad education and family. No, she couldn’t let her family be ashamed of her.

“I miss Italy,” she responded to his question. “But I like it here. It’s so different from home and that makes it quite interesting for me,” she finished. In her 5 years in the states she still couldn’t understand much of the American culture. She guessed it was because they kind of lacked one. It was probably because Italian culture seemed richer than this one, but it didn’t make the American culture less important.

Lucrezia smiled, “It looks like you already have a very solid plan for graduation.” The sixth-year looked at the blonde that had been chatting with her for the Opening Feast. “Does it bother you that your family just handed you this life without consulting you?” she asked. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” Lucrezia didn’t want to come across as pushy or a gossip, but she was interested to know his opinion. Carlo, her brother, rather liked that his life was already set. “Also, if you don’t think I’m being forward, what will happen with Theresa once you leave the USA?” She knew they were dating, hell, the whole school knew it, but it Theresa seemed to be in some sort of family predicament from what she knew about the Careys from her great-grandpa.
0 Lucrezia the future us uncertain 0 Lucrezia 0 5


Cepheus

March 27, 2014 3:56 PM
Lucrezia’s reaction to his compliment made him feel pleased, not only because he had said something right, but because she looked so adorable blushing like that. It was different flirting with his friends, like Alicia or his friend Emma back in England. Feisty witches of that sort were fun to banter with, but not so much Cepheus’s type. Granted, he had known both of them for quite a long time, longer than he’d even been interested in witches that way. Maybe that was part of the reason why he couldn't think about them in that way. Lucrezia, however, he’d just met and already he wanted to kiss her. But Cepheus was not the cheating sort. He had more moral values and integrity than that. If Lucrezia gave him a good reason to break up with his first girlfriend, i.e. if she fancied him, he’d go through the break-up first, but he wouldn’t get into any clandestine acts with a witch on the side. Even if his reputation had been sullied somewhat with the whole triangle concerning his previous betrothal, he wasn’t like that with witches he actually fancied.

It was understandable that Lucrezia missed Italy; Cepheus had been there several times, all over, and he was still struck by the beauty of it. The countryside in particular was beautiful in the spring and the summer when all the vineyards were full of ripening fruit. Ceph wasn’t sure what it was about American culture that he didn’t enjoy, but he was also heavily biased against it. “Italy is really a lovely place,” said Cepheus before popping a carrot into his mouth. “I wouldn’t mind living there someday, if I had the chance.”

The very solid plan for his graduation was just as Lucrezia had said, and none of it had been planned for him. She asked a peculiar question and Cepheus hadn’t expected to be confronted with it after years of torturing himself over it. He had come to a liminal space where he didn’t have to think or deal with any of that future nonsense until it came into the present. He had the luxury of having it handed down to him and having the work done for him. As a younger teenager, he had felt trapped and had done all he could to break out of his prison. His relationship with Theresa had flourished on his side partially as an act of rebellion against his betrothal. Now that there was nothing to fight against, dating was becoming dull.

Lucrezia’s next question took Cepheus completely by surprise. They hardly knew each other and already she was asking such serious questions. He coughed in his surprise, glad he hadn’t been drinking anything right at that moment. Cepheus cleared his throat and took a sip of his pumpkin juice. “Excuse me,” he said, rubbing his chest and feeling a little embarrassed. “You get right down to it, don’t you? No, I suppose I don’t mind.” He took a moment, wondering how he ought to answer her question. This was an opportunity to answer her question diplomatically as he would in all the decisions he made as the patriarch one day. However, being honest had always come much easier for Cepheus with witches than with wizards and he enjoyed the conversations he’d had with girls when he’d exposed a bit of himself. That was how he and Alicia had become such great friends. He did have the gift of not turning red or stammering when he was allowing himself to be vulnerable unlike other wizards he knew as well, saving himself from at least some embarrassment.

“To be honest, I was bothered by my life plan when I was younger. But all that I’ve tried to do here on my own has failed, except in making the right sort of friends and in dating Theresa, I suppose.” But even that had been pushed along by his relatives. “I still feel a little trapped, but I’ve come to accept it. It’s my duty; I was born into this role just as other unfortunate wizards and witches were born to Muggles, and I’ve stopped trying to rebel against it. I’m only going to dishonour my family name if I rebel any more.” He smiled slightly. “I just focus on other things, knowing that I don’t have to worry about the future too much.”

Before answering the other question, Cepheus ran his fingers through his blond hair as he drew in a breath. “As for Theresa, I honestly don’t have a clue. I’m quite certain she wants to get married, but can you imagine getting married at this age? Even in the next year? It’s…it’s ludicrous. I don’t even know if I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

Cepheus shook his head. “Sorry, we hardly know each other and I’m telling you all this. It’s part of your charm, I’m telling you. You’re easy to talk to. But let’s keep this between us.” It was then that Ceph looked over at the Crotalus table, wondering if Theresa could hear anything over the cacophony of voices. He could hardly understand the conversations going on around him, so he highly doubted it. Curiously Theresa was sitting with Jorge Garcia, a lad Ceph didn’t know very well, and he wondered if Garcia was chatting her up. He frowned, but turned back to the conversation at hand. “Are you dating anyone here or back in Italy?” It was only fair he ask Lucrezia a personal question after she’d asked two.
0 Cepheus One could say it's our oyster. 0 Cepheus 0 5


Lucrezia

March 29, 2014 10:48 PM
“Don’t worry, I won,t” she said with a smile. It would be rather rude of her to repeat what he had confided in her. And she was still embarrassed about so straightforward with her questions. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line, it’s just that I am comfortable talking with you and since we come from a similar background I thought you would just understand.” Her explanation of why she had asked those things was kind of lame, but it was the best she could do after being complimented so much from a very cute boy.

She blushed a little bit again. The blush subsided after a few seconds and came back when he asked about a boy back home. “Not really,” she responded. “Papa says I’m too young, but I’m sure it’s almost that time of my lifetime soon,” Lucrezia smiled a bit referring to betrothal time. Every decent Pureblood girl needed a suitable husband to take care of her. It was only right. “But you are right; we are too young to get married, though I’m sure it isn’t that far into the future as we think.” She glanced at the table where Theresa was sitting again and wondered what the other girl thought about her chatting with her boyfriend, “If you don’t see a future with her, why don’t you break up with her? It’s kind of dumb to waste your time and hers, especially hers,” she advised. Theresa was a girl and therefore her options were more limited than Cepheus’ and it wasn’t fair she wasted her time thinking they had a future when they didn’t.

His honesty took her aback even when she had asked him the intruding questions. Lucrezia didn’t think he would actually tell her that much, but she liked it. It was refreshing to see someone just speak his mind. Diplomatic answers were usually boring and very well-rehearsed. However, she shouldn’t have asked such personal questions to begin with. They were practically strangers. Yes, they were polite to one another when they saw each other in the common room, but this was the first time they actually talked. In fact, she couldn’t phantom why they hadn’t talked before. He was a very interesting and nice fellow, and attractive to boot. The Italian smiled at him and relaxed on her chair feeling at ease with Cepheus. His straightforwardness made her feel secure with him, especially since lying was a very big part of the Pureblood world. Well, not lying, but embellishing things to create a very different vision from the truth. The pureblood way.

Lucrezia had come to see that the Italian Purebloods were kind of more lax in comparison to other pureblood societies. She didn’t know why, but they were. However, they took certain things too seriously: like revenge. She listened genuinely interested. His English accent was kind of mesmerizing, and she liked listening to it. She waited until he had finished before giving him her thoughts. It was only fair. He had shared and she had to do it to balance the scale.

“That’s a pretty positive and good way to look at it,” she gave her opinion of what he had said, and she meant it.” She knew a lot of guys who hated the life they had been given because they didn’t have a lot of freedom and their every move was dictated by the higher powers, but Cepheus seemed to have outgrown that phase. “We need to see the positive rather than the negative,” she even nodded to make her statement more solid. She didn’t know why she did it. “We live in a very small and constrictive society. I have been lucky because I’m a fourth child and my parents aren’t as strict with me as they are with my three older siblings,” she stated with a small shrug. She really was lucky. “But my brother, Carlo, never had his rebellious phase. He loves the life he was give,” she finished proudly. She really loved her family. They had their faults, but they were a little tight unit.
0 Lucrezia I have been told that before 0 Lucrezia 0 5


Cepheus

April 01, 2014 4:02 PM
Usually two pure-bloods from similar backgrounds beat around the bush more than anyone else. Cepheus had always learnt that keeping face and reputation was the most important in pure-blood societies. In front of muggle-borns and some half-bloods, one’s pure status was made known through their propriety and mannerisms, though the half-bloods and muggle-borns were not expected to understand. Pure-bloods, however, knew the ins and outs of their world and had a more critical eye. With adult witches and wizards, Cepheus had watched them play the game of veiling everything they really wanted to say, and then attempting to decipher what the other person meant through gossip. It wasn’t terrible or pleasant; it just was in the pure-blood realm and that was what Cepheus had always known. With his peers, however, he exercised a bit more freedom, freedom he would not have the leisure of once he graduated.

It seemed a shame to Cepheus that someone like Lucrezia had to look forward to a betrothal. She was lovely enough to snatch a bloke of her own and certainly wasn’t an idiot. The Princetons, though they were very strict about the patriarch’s lifestyle, were very relaxed about the others. Rupert and Leo did not have betrothals to look forward to, and Ceph was certain his cousins Charlotte and Lily had no plans for a betrothal either. They weren’t worth the trouble, was his grandfather’s reasoning; what was important was to bring them up with the right pure-blood values so they could choose their own respectable spouses someday. Cepheus had no doubt he could pull his own weight in that idea – after all, he was dating a respectable pure-blood himself. But it was tradition for the patriarch to be betrothed even if it was a simple formality as it had been for his parents.

Lucrezia’s question was reasonable, but Cepheus had to figure out once again how to answer it without offending anyone or acting as if he didn’t like Theresa. He did, really, she was a lovely girl and had a decent amount of brains. He was just getting bored with their relationship and much preferred her as a friend than a girlfriend. But how could he tell that to Lucrezia? Cepheus supposed he had shared enough of his personal issues for Lucrezia to feel comfortable enough to speak to him that way. She was quite bold and Cepheus had been startled by it initially, but he liked it. He had never liked the deeply prim and proper sort, though there was a solid line between respectful feistiness and a plain lack of manners.

“Do you speak to all your male friends this way?” he asked, smirking slightly. “I can’t imagine how you speak to them talking the way you do to a stranger. But I suppose we were never really strangers, seeing each other in the common room and the like for the past six years.” Cepheus sighed, dropping the flirtatious act momentarily and confronting the difficult question Lucrezia had posed.

“It’s not that easy, you know, breaking up with someone. I’ve never done it before and I don’t know how to do it properly. She’s got loads of brothers who wouldn’t mind shooting a hex at me if the time called, you know. Besides, my prospects aren’t exactly fantastic here either. The potential witches are either good friends of mine, or they’ve been disillusioned by my reputation concerning my former betrothed. That was a blooming mess. Anyway, if I date Theresa, my grandfather is less inclined to marry me off to the next respectable witch. He’s already got my wedding date planned out, you see,” continued Cepheus grimly. The familiar anguish of being unable to enjoy a relationship simply for what it was and not for marriage resurfaced, but Ceph pushed it back down again. Life as a pure-blood, as he continued telling himself, simply was and he had to learn to accept it.

It was odd to Ceph that Lucrezia was looking to be betrothed as the fourth child, but again he accepted the difference between their families. Most pure-bloods had differing ideas about arranged marriages; his family was a bit more liberal, with the patriarchs as the exception. “Looking at things positively is much easier said than done,” said Ceph, wondering how mad Carlo had to be to actually enjoy having his life handed to him on a silver platter. “That’s great for your brother; makes his life much easier.” Cepheus was unsure if his anguish would ever completely disappear; ever since he had come to Sonora and been introduced to different people who didn’t have to endure what he did, he had felt trapped. He didn’t see the cage he was confined in until he was exposed to what was outside of it.

“Tell me more about your family,” said Cepheus, tired of talking about problems he’d much rather forget for the time being. He would have to deal with each situation as it came and hope it didn’t all explode in his face. “How many siblings do you have?”
0 Cepheus Re: I have been told that before 0 Cepheus 0 5


Lucrezia

April 04, 2014 1:31 AM
Lucrezia blushed again for the umpteenth time since Cepheus had struck a conversation with her. He didn’t seem to be annoyed at her, but his comment certainly touched a nerve in the Italian. She had always been open and direct because it made communication easier and since any kind of relationships in the Pureblood world were based on more subtle hints she had learned to hate that approach. The Crotalus had rarely beat around the bush. It was exhausting trying to discern what everyone was talking about or what they needed out of a rather complicated set of sentences. Her sisters were masters in that particular Pureblood art, and she had always looked at them with a confused expression on her face. It was really her forte, but she had to make due, especially since it was the world she lived in, or she hoped to end up with someone that understood it better than her.

She listened to his explanation and nodded clearly stating she kind of understood. She barely did since she had never had a boyfriend before and didn’t know what breaking up with someone really meant. It sounded hard. “I am really sorry if I crossed a line,” she said apologetically. Her hazel eyes clearly reflecting her internal embarrassment for him to see. She didn’t really mean to pry. Her grandmamma would be scandalized if she was her right now. It wasn’t very ladylike to question a boy like she was, but part of her couldn’t help it. She liked conversation, but small talk was sometimes just boring. Besides, Cepheus was a fellow Pureblood, but also she had been pestering him for answers when she barely knew him. It was probably too soon. “I have known my male friends since we were children. I really am sorry, I just feel comfortable with you and automatically added you to my friends list,” she smiled a bit. “I am usually more relaxed with my friends, unless adults are present.” She tried to explain her lack of manners and hoped things would just end there. It was too much embarrassment for one night. Lucrezia

The Crotalus sighed, “I think it has more to do with the fact that Carlo has made peace with it and my parents have given us certain liberties not a lot of other Purebloods had,” She smiled proudly of her older brother. They were really fortunate in a lot of ways. The excitement about her family was obvious as her whole face lightened up at the prospect of talking about them.

“Well, I have three older siblings, the twins, Aimee and Alana, and Carlo. All of them are married, but only Aimee has a child. Carlos is finishing his education at Wesley Magical University,” she finished proudly. “Both Aimee and Alana are studying there too, but Aimee is taking a semester off.” Her parents were very keen on their children having a good education to fall upon if they ever needed for whatever reason. “I’m supposed to go there by the end of my seventh year, though I’m not sure about what to pursue,” she said with an excite smile.
0 Lucrezia The world is supposed to be a fun playground 0 Lucrezia 0 5


Cepheus

April 07, 2014 5:35 PM
It was refreshing how open Lucrezia was. She held no pretences and spoke her mind. Cepheus had never liked the conversational dance that went on in pure-blood communities. He and Rupert were odd in that way, that they hated the unspoken tradition. Yet Cepheus had the obligation to adhere to that social expectation while Rup had the freedom to speak his mind and wear ridiculously brightly-coloured trousers whenever he fancied so long as it was in the proper company. It was unfair, really, but Ceph was long passed that argument of fairness. Life was unfair and he simply had to deal with it.

Lucrezia apologised after his explanation - after all, what could she possibly say? - and Cepheus smiled. She was naïve, sheltered by her community perhaps, but genuine and Cepheus was won over by that and her looks. She reminded him briefly of the Spanish beauty that had graduated from Sonora years ago, though Lucrezia was much more open and much closer to his age. Whilst the Spanish witch had treated him like a child - which he had been -, he and Lucrezia were peers and, apparently, friends. "I'm flattered that you feel that comfortable with me," said Cepheus, smiling at her. "As I've said before, the feeling is mutual. I've always admired witches who aren't afraid to speak their minds."

Cepheus's distant relatives were made up primarily of hard-headed witches who had been subdued by the pure-blood system. There was Great-Aunt Norma who was always angry. She was incredibly bitter at society because of the role she had been subjected to as a witch. Though she was the eldest of her siblings, it was her youngest brother, Cepheus's grandfather, who became the patriarch of the family. The other two sisters of Scorpius were a bit mad, but the decisions that had been made to keep their line pure would have made anyone just a bit mental. At least their children weren't nearly as bonkers as they had been in their youth. Still, it was lucky that Ceph only had to see those relatives every two years. He had never liked them, though perhaps that was because of their vindictive personalities more than anything else.

The Renaldis sounded stable and sane and close. Lucrezia was the youngest in her family and was nothing like Leo. Ceph was sure any younger sibling was better than Leo. "All of your siblings are married?" During their university years? Merlin, Cepheus could hardly imagine getting married in the next four years let alone the next eight months! "Do you like having a niece or nephew?" he asked, unable to imagine how he would feel being an uncle. Both of his brothers were younger than him and were very unlikely to get married any earlier than Cepheus.

Furthering his education wasn't necessary since Ceph wasn't going into a particular profession other than business. He would be in the medical business certainly, but his grandfather and father had loads to teach him about it, making university seem trivial and a waste of time. "You'll excel in university, I'm sure," he said kindly. "And you've still got enough time to decide what you'd like to study. Any particular subjects you enjoy more than others here?"

After she had answered, Cepheus leant back, finished with his meal. "I can't believe I haven't talked to you till now, and it's my last year at Sonora. What a shame." He ran his fingers through his blond hair to move it off of his forehead and out of his face. Ceph leant forward with his arms crossed on the table afterwards and smiled at her. "We'll have to make up for the lost years and spend loads of time together. After all, it seems as though we were meant to be friends, seeing how comfortable we are around each other."
0 Cepheus So they tell us. 0 Cepheus 0 5