Flying, what fun on Quidditch Pitch

Coach Cooper

April 06, 2005 9:48 PM

Name that maneuver... by Coach Cooper

The coach went out to check the pitch, as was her custom before any lesson. Today she found the air was a little warmer than usual, and the grass was dryer, crunching slightly under her feet. It was no big deal though, Sonora was in Arizona, and they were bound to get their hot spells. The dry ground would make for a good kick-off. Even though it was a little hot outside, she figured things would go well.

She went over her mental checklist. Brooms on the ground and ready? Check. Own broom in hand? Check. Flying goggles? Check. Hair pulled out of face? She frowned; she always forgot to put her hair into a ponytail. It wasn't that the brunette was fashion-conscious, far from it. But her hair did tend to get in the way when she flew, so tying it up with a rubber band; she hopped on her broom and flew up several feet in the sky.

“Ten minutes before class starts, perfect,” she muttered, checking her watch. It gave her just enough time to fly around the pitch for a while. She loved the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair. Slowing down, accelerating, increasing altitude, then diving down just a foot off the ground, she loved everything about flying.

After a while she picked up more speed, and started to do a high-speed zigzagging movement. This was a maneuver perfected by the Australian Woollongong Warriors, used to throw off opposing chasers. As she continued around the pitch, she noticed some students start to enter the pitch. She smiled, continuing on as if she didn’t noticed them. She wondered if anyone could name the move she was doing.\n\n

Subthreads:

the Woollongong Shimmy by Christobel Dupree with Dalila Bastet, Chris

Umm... the funky chicken??? by Fawn Summers with Juliet Lee, Fawn

I'm not nervous...I'm excited! by Earl Valentine with Asher Tallow, Earl

what am I doing here again? by Zack Dill

Flying Here I Come! by Maggie Lynch with Mckenna Fallen, Maggie

Back down to Earth we go... by Coach Cooper with Juliet Lee, Jordanna Howard, Gwenhwyfar Carey, Anne Wright, Zack Dill, Bella, Laura Keaton, Catherine Raines, Earl Valentine, Rachel Tibbs

0 Coach Cooper Name that maneuver... 0 Coach Cooper 1 5

Christobel Dupree

April 06, 2005 10:34 PM

the Woollongong Shimmy by Christobel Dupree

Chris headed to his first class of the day, Flying. He was ecstatic. The idea of just being near a broom. Back home, he had had basic flying lessons and every time, he had felt the thrill. He loved feeling the wind on his face and the adrenaline rushing through his system. He couldn't wait to learn beyond the basics, but he knew he had to prove to the professor that he was ready.

When he entered on the field, he noticed a woman, almost positive it was the professor, flying and performing the Woollongong Shimmy. Chris knew it was that move from his nearly obsessive study of Quidditch. He loved the game. He knew all of the logged moves and was hoping to someday be able to perform them. Judging by the way the professor was performing the move flawlessly, she would be the perfect person to ask for extra help in the matter.

Deciding to try to make a good impression, Chris headed to a broom. He stood near it, not daring to touch it until instructed to do so. He grabbed his googles and placed them on top of his head, ready to be pulled down when needed.

For the rest of the time, he watched with longing, wishing he were the one up in the air, flying.

\n\n

0 Christobel Dupree the Woollongong Shimmy 54 Christobel Dupree 0 5

Dalila Bastet

April 06, 2005 10:51 PM

Flying owns all... by Dalila Bastet

The air was hot on Dalila Bastet's face and the giant cherry-shaped clips holding back her chin-length hair streaked an unnatural blond glistened in the sun as she walked onto the Quidditch field for her first ever flying lesson. Although, she had grown up with the magic of her mother and grandmother, no one had let her touch a broomstick unless it was to sweep. Shw knew what Quidditch was, how to play, and how not to, but only by the few books she had managed to buy with the meager allowance her father supplied to her once a week.

There were already a couple of students situated underneath a woman looping around in the air by the time Dalila had reached the brooms. She glanced at the enchanted sticks lying motionless on the hot grass and chose one next to a boy she didn't know who hadnt noticed her as he was staring intently at the witch in the air. Dalila pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and loudly called over to him.

"Hey, you! Hi, I'm Dalila," she stated as she held out her hand.\n\n

0 Dalila Bastet Flying owns all... 60 Dalila Bastet 0 5

Fawn Summers

April 07, 2005 4:54 PM

Umm... the funky chicken??? by Fawn Summers

Fawn walked out to the lawn where the Flying lessons were supposed to be, the dry grass crackling under her sandals.
Her long, braided hair blew in the slight wind and she looked up, seeing an odd sight. A woman, most likely their instructor, was doing an odd sort of zigzagging maneuver in the air. Either she was mental and thought she was being attacked by invisible Bludgers, or she wanted to have a bit of fun before the horrors of teaching first years how to fly. The girl figured it was the last one.

Walking over and standing across from a pair of students she didn't know, the Cherokee girl watched the lady continue in her impressive flight. Fawn wished that she could learn to do those things, it looked like a lot of fun. The only thing she had ever flown was Pepper, her winged horse. She'd never been on a broom before, though she loved to watch Quidditch and Quodpot games. But her grandfather said it was too dangerous and she was too young to play. Perhaps she could try out for Quidditch this year! She was older now and going to have proper Flying lessons and everything!

Just then, she heard someone walk up next to her. Turning, she saw an unfamiliar face. "Hi," she said cheerfully, "Have you flown before? I'm really looking forward to it!" Perhaps the newcomer could give her a few pointers, or possibly even become a new friend.

\n\n

0 Fawn Summers Umm... the funky chicken??? 0 Fawn Summers 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 07, 2005 5:18 PM

Oh, Oh, The Macarena! by Juliet Lee

Juliet walked onto the Pitch, a sense of dread and anxiety coiled deep inside her belly. It wasn't a pleasant sensation. It didn't help that her supposed flying teacher was now performing a sort of unorthodox, zig-zag technique that looked severely difficult for someone of her little skill to execute. Oh joy.

It wasn't that Juliet despised flying. In fact, a small psrt of her was actually anxious to try out the sport. However, it was the fact of having to learn something new and making a fool of herself in front of other people that sent her mind reeling. Juliet was the type of person who valued everyone else's opinion greatly. She was an incredibly shy person and hated being the center of attention.

She was interuppted from her morose thoughts by a cheerful voice behind her.

"Hi. Have you flown before? I'm really looking forward to it!"

Juliet whirled around and came face-to-face with a girl who was obviously another first year. The stranger looked as if she had some Native American blood in her. Deciding that it was better to embarass herself with a comrade than alone, Juliet allowed a small smile to spread across her face.

"Somewhat. I just hope I don't humiliate myself out there. Or break any body parts. Especially ones I'll miss."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee Oh, Oh, The Macarena! 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Fawn

April 07, 2005 5:25 PM

Or the Disco Duck! I love that song! by Fawn

Fawn laughed as the girl said, "Somewhat. I just hope I don't humiliate myself out there. Or break any body parts. Especially ones I'll miss." She truly hoped she was joking. Flying didn't look that dangerous, it wasn't hard flying on Pepper. Then again, the broom wouldn't be kind and try to keep you on it if you fall.

"I've never flown on a broom before," she said, "I'm really nervous, to be honest. It looks like fun, but I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon!" The raven-haired girl indicated their teacher, who was still dodging imaginary Bludgers or something. "I would like to try out for Quidditch, though. I think it looks interesting."

She thought it might be hard to learn to fly, and, like the other girl, hoped that she didn't lose any vital limb or something. Then, realizing that she had completely forgotten her manners, she smiled and stuck out her hand for the other to shake, saying, "Oh, my name's Fawn, Fawn Summers. I'm in Teppenpaw, how about you?"\n\n

0 Fawn Or the Disco Duck! I love that song! 0 Fawn 0 5

Earl Valentine

April 07, 2005 7:29 PM

I'm not nervous...I'm excited! by Earl Valentine

The sun blared into Earl's deep brown eyes and the pale green grass cruched dryly underneath his high-top converse. The Quidditch pitch looked exactly as he had imagined...well not exactly, but there was grass and bleachers and hoops, so it was close.

Earl shielded his eyes from the harsh rays and walked over to where his fellow first years were standing by brooms and staring up into the cloudless blue sky. He glanced up too and saw a witch flying in crazy zig zags and wondered if she were okay. He shrugged. There wasn't much he could do if she wasn't, he shouldn't worry.

He wandered to the broom closet to him and sighed. It was dull and the twigs were sticking out oddly. He had hoped for something better, but as long as it could he wouldn't complain.

HE sighed again as he stared at the witch. "When are we gonna start flying?" he asked loud enough for most of the people there to hear them.\n\n

0 Earl Valentine I'm not nervous...I'm excited! 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Zack Dill

April 07, 2005 8:00 PM

what am I doing here again? by Zack Dill

Flying was an optional class for second years. Well, sort of. The announcement he had seen on the subject was sort of vague. His impression was that if you were terrible at flying, you were expected to come, but everyone else was welcome to come for fun if they so chose.

This, to him, seemed to suggest that everyone should be there. Because, logically, those who were good at flying would enjoy it, want to do so, and get points for doing something 'fun'. Therefore, those people would come of their own free will, while those who didn't want to come were the ones who were terrible, which meant they'd have to come anyway. So, in conclusion, all second years would probably be here.

Zack Dill, who stood less than four and a half feet tall at twelve years old, was one of the people who were terrible at flying. Not that his lack of height or strength seemed to be a limiting factor for broom riding, but he just simply wasn't very coordinated. It didn't help that none of the school brooms liked him.

Wearing a very glum look, he meanandered among the brooms laid out on the ground, trying to identify one that he hadn't used yet. He found Spaz (named as such for the reason that was obvious) and quickly moved away from that one, located Bones (named for its laziness) and moved on after an uncertain hesitation - he was moderately fond of Bones as it had been the first broom Zack had ever flown on and at least Bones hadn't been as terrifying as Spaz - and came to a stop next to a broom he hadn't had the displeasure of riding yet.

He gave the thing a suspicious look and a frown that he thought adequately conveyed his unspoken sentiment, *I know your kind have a pact to embarrass me, and I'll be watching you.* He doubted it would do any good, but the warning had been tendered.\n\n

1 Zack Dill what am I doing here again? 40 Zack Dill 0 5

Maggie Lynch

April 07, 2005 8:19 PM

Flying Here I Come! by Maggie Lynch

Now here was a class Maggie was sure she wouldn't have any problems with. Having a huge family did have its advantages. She'd been on a broom since she was at least six. She and her cousin Laney had at roughly the same time. She'd wanted to go see Laney play at her school a couple of years ago, but they never ended up going.

But nevermind that. This class would simply be fun. She already knew how to fly, already knew the game of quidditch. Having thirty cousins was great when it came to family quidditch cups. They had enough for four teams. Even Clyde gave up being a jerk when the played quidditch. Laney was the best seeker in the family, but Clyde, man he was vicious with a beater's bat. Put him and Ronan together and they were almost unbeatable. But keeper was her position.

With all the thoughts of family and quidditch running through her head, Maggie made her way onto the pitch. Her father had kept her broom at home, saying studies came first in the first year of school. There was a long line of brooms and an even bigger crowd of people. She wandered up to the group and waited to snatch a broom, nothing compared to the one she had at home. "What exactly do we do in flying lessons." She asked the person standing next to her, hoping she didn't sound totally cluless.\n\n

0 Maggie Lynch Flying Here I Come! 0 Maggie Lynch 0 5

Asher Tallow

April 07, 2005 10:14 PM

Fly? And kill myself? No thank you! by Asher Tallow

Her brothers had done it, but yet, her brothers did most anything that risked bodily harm to themselves. They had grown a Tangle Tree two summers ago and took turns dodging its tinuous arms. Asher learned most things through hands on contact, and she certainly learned that particular lesson: if you wanted to break bones, there was no better way than to launch yourself off the ground with only an inch thick twig to fight against all of gravity's perverse force.

Asher Tallow would pass on that particular experience, and no disrespect to the Quidditch instructor, but there would be no getting her off the ground.

Still though, she was obligated to at least attend, and when someone was finally dashed down to their death, she could always sit back and point out the facts of life. She strolled on into the pitch, her feet scuffing tread marks into the closely cropped grass. She folded her arms and waited for the woman flying overhead to fall off her broom as only nature could intend given the dizzyingly sharp turns the instructor was making.

At least, Asher was pretty sure the woman was the instructor. There was always the chance otherwise especially given the odd nature of most adults. A voice cut into her thoughts, and she turned in recognition.

"When are we gonna start flying?"

It was that boy from the Feast- the boy from her house. "Hopefully never." She grinned suddenly and pointed up to the still spinning instructor. "I don't know about you, Earl Valentine, but I'd prefer to spend my first term at school without breaking my neck."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Asher Tallow Fly? And kill myself? No thank you! 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5

Earl

April 07, 2005 11:52 PM

Scared are you? by Earl

"Oh great," thought Earl. It's Asher again. Just try to act nice...just try." He convinced himself to look at the girl he had found so annoying at their first meeting in at the Feast. "Hey, Asher. You really don't wanna fly? What's the fun in keeping your feet on the ground? There's no risk. I'd rather try my skills in new territory. You know, see how long it takes to break something."

He smiled widely, picked up the broomstick near his feet and held it up to Asher's face. "Sure you don't wanna try?" Earl let out a small laugh and straddled the broom, pretending to fly. Suddenly, the broom started to rise. Earl let out a yell as he rose two feet into the hot air. Quickly getting hold of himself, he grinned michieviously and leaned forward. Somehow he knew what to do. The broom rocketed towards Asher at a fast pace, stopping short a few inches from her. Earl laughed loudly.

"You don't think that's fun?"\n\n

0 Earl Scared are you? 0 Earl 0 5

Asher

April 08, 2005 12:49 AM

A coward? Me? Well...maybe by Asher

Asher stared, her eyes nearly crossed at the broom handle pointing like a spear at her navel. It hovered there, suspended by no string or levering device. It simply floated, the body of Earl Valentine sitting upon it, and she couldn't help but marvel. This...this was magic. Quidditch wasn't new to her; she had seen flying brooms all her life. She had bandaged up her brothers everytime they managed to crash and splinter their beloved brooms into the a tree or got tangled up in the tire swing.

But this, this was something else all together. And she couldn't understand why this felt so different.

"Sure you don't wanna try?"

No...she didn't want to try. She didn't want to get up on that flimsy broomstick, make a fool out of herself and end up slamming into the ground or falling off. She really, really didn't want to try.

"You don't think that's fun?"

No...she didn't think it was fun. But. But, just maybe, she was missing out on something. Maybe there was something to this whole flying thing that it took trying to understand it. Maybe...

"Sure you don't wanna try?"

Steeling herself, Asher backed up a space, blindly grabbed a nearby broom, and tried to ignore how very frgaile it felt in her small hand. Gazing back at the still grinning Earl sitting so easily on his broom, she squared her shoulders.

"Okay, Earl Valentine, teach me. How do I do this?"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Asher A coward? Me? Well...maybe 1466 Asher 0 5

Mckenna Fallen

April 08, 2005 3:04 PM

Flying! Yay! by Mckenna Fallen

Mckenna stood enchanted watching the instructor flying around the pitch. She'd flown before of course, but the novelty of flying, rushing through the air, just had never worn off. She found even just watching someone fly mesmerizing.

"What exactly do we do in flying lessons."

Mckenna turned to face the girl beside her and smiled. “I'm not sure myself to be honest. We'll be doing nothing if the instructor doesn't hurry up and come back to earth." Mckenna smiled at the girl. She hadn't seen her at the feast, And it was always nice to meet someone new "I'm Mckenna by the way. I'm in Pecari."\n\n

0 Mckenna Fallen Flying! Yay! 0 Mckenna Fallen 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 08, 2005 3:58 PM

I've never heard of it, sadly sniffles by Juliet Lee

"I've never flown on a broom before. I'm really nervous, to be honest."

The stranger's confession made Juliet smile. It was a relief to know that she wasn't the only one inexperienced in Quidditch. So at least she wasn't the only one who was going to look like a moron on a broomstick.

"I've never flown either. Um...m-maybe we can both fly horribly together." Juliet suggested, feeling extremely self-conscious.

"Oh, my name's Fawn, Fawn Summers. I'm in Teppenpaw, how about you?"

At that bit of information, Juliet's face brightened up. She desperately wanted a female friend in her own house. Robbie was nice, but it just wasn't the same because of the whole seperate gender issue.

"Really?" Juliet gushed, her mercury eyes glittering. "I'm in Teppenpaw as well. Juliet Lee."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee I've never heard of it, sadly *sniffles* 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Earl

April 08, 2005 6:39 PM

Not as chicken as I had thought... by Earl

"Okay, Earl Valentine, teach me. How do I do this?"

It really wasn't what he had expected to hear. He was waiting for the scream, the terror, the running away like most girls would do...but this? And she wanted him to teach her! The only reason he knows what he's doing is because he used to spend time at his cousin's house. Even though his mother was a Squib, all her siblings had ended up with the full blast of magic talent. His cousins only let him fly so he could get the quaffle if it soared out of bounds. Earl wasn't really any good, but he could try.

He gazed at Asher, pale faced and determined, the broom clutched tightly in her hands. He scratched his head as he thought. "Well, I guess the first thing you do it get on," he stated slowly. "Then you gotta push up with your legs a little." Earl had the broom lower so he could get off. He remounted and showed her how to push.

"Ok...I guess you should try, now." \n\n

0 Earl Not as chicken as I had thought... 0 Earl 0 5

Asher

April 08, 2005 8:52 PM

I prefer starlings myself... by Asher

Asher watched and soon began to see the error of her sudden courage. He didn't have a clue! He was as lost as she was! How dare he make it look natural and easy, and trick her into agreeing! But she was determined; she had said she would do it, and now she was committed. Stupid, stupid Tallow pride. Gosh darn her family and its stupid Gaul roots. Why couldn't she have ancestors that acted like the Swiss? They never got involved in anything and made truck loads of money.

The only thing she would get from this would probably be a cracked skull.

"Well, I guess the first thing you do is get on."

Gingerly, making sure never to let the flimsy stick out of her grip, she lifted one leg over the handle and waited for the next instruction stiffly.

"Then you gotta push up with your legs a little."

Asher watched as Earl demonstrated what he meant by 'push up with your legs.' She thought it looked a bit ridiculous. Pushing up your legs? Her legs? Push up to what? Like just jump? Into the sky? With this dinky bit of wood? She balked for a second and then thought of her brothers and the ease in which they flew. It'd be something else to return during winter holiday with the ace of now flying up her sleeve.

And then Earl gave his last instruction. "Ok...I guess you should try now."

Try she did. She took a deep breath, shut her eyes firmly, and, with the feeble broomstick grasped like life itself, pushed. It took her three seconds to realize that for the first time in her life when she had gone up, she had not gone back down. She carefully opened one brown eye and blinked in amazement. There, a good four feet beneath her, was the pale green grass of the pitch. Her feet were not touching. Her feet weren't even close.

Asher Tallow was flying. And gods, but it was terrifying.

And oh so sweet.

She simply stared for a few more seconds and basked in the strange mix of exhileration and tickling fear. But all things must move forward and shortly, she would want to do the same.

"What's next, Earl Valentine? How do I move forward?"

\n\n

0 Asher I prefer starlings myself... 1466 Asher 0 5

Fawn

April 08, 2005 8:57 PM

Aww, how sad. It was big in the 70s. by Fawn

Fawn gave a smile as her companion suggested that they could 'fly horribly together'. That sounded great, at least she wouldn't look like such a fool by herself, she'd have company. After all, brooms were made for sweeping, not flying, and she was sure she'd end up falling off and breaking her neck or something like that on the first try.

Then the girl, to Fawn's surprise, said that she was in Teppenpaw as well! Her name was Juliet Lee. "Wow," Fawn said to her, "That's great! I've only met one person from my house so far, an older boy. It's very nice to meet you, Juliet. Now at least I can have someone to talk to in the common room or dorm. Have you met any of our other roommates yet?" Fawn smiled and thought that she might have just made her first friend here at Sonora.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Fawn Aww, how sad. It was big in the 70s. 0 Fawn 0 5

Maggie

April 08, 2005 10:58 PM

now if we could just get to the flying part... by Maggie

Maggie returned the offered smile as the girl next to her answered her probably very obvious question. She laughed at the girl's joke. It did make sense. The way this class was going so far, all they would get to do is watch the Coach do that move she could never remember the name to.

"I'm Maggie." She returned politely. "Teppenpaw." She smiled. She liked her house so far, but then again she hadn't really met anybody else, the one person she had met was what she was going on. It was nice and quiet though, lots of time to sketch. "Ohh, I wish she'd hurry up, I want to fly again!" She half laughed, half whined. "Watching isn't nearly as much fun as doing."\n\n

0 Maggie now if we could just get to the flying part... 0 Maggie 0 5

Coach Cooper

April 08, 2005 11:40 PM

Back down to Earth we go... by Coach Cooper

More students started to arrive, and the coach figured that she better go back on the ground now. Besides, her stomach was getting a bit queasy as she hadn't practiced the Woollongong Shimmy in quite a while. She lowered herself back to the ground, coming to a slow halt in front of where most of the students were gathered.

"Good morning everyone," she said, "I'm Coach Cooper, your flying teacher. I know that you all have different levels of experience flying. For those of you who have never flown before at all, this will be an experience like none other. And for those of you who are more experienced, it never hurts to go over the basics," she greeted, "Now, getting down to business- as I'm sure you're all eager to fly," she said, dropping down her broom in front of her, "Everyone get next to a broom- it doesn't matter which. Hold your dominate hand over the broom like so," she demonstrated with her own broom, "And command it "Up". Now, it's alright if you don't get it in the first couple of tries, calling your broom can be harder than it looks. But once you master that, you master your broom," and in a quiter voice she added "usually." But, she didn't want to scare off the firsties and some second years who had attended, so she didn't go to deep into that subject.

"Once you have your broom in your hand, put one leg over the handle, and kick off. The ground is pretty hard and dry today, so it will make for a better kick off. We will hover for the air for a while, and you may fly around the Quidditch pitch, but try to stay with a buddy. Once you have had enough, point the handle downward to get back on the ground. So, the whole thing is like this," the coach called her broom, did a kickoff, hovered low in the air and flew slowly around slowly for a second before speaking again, "Good luck, and have fun."\n\n

0 Coach Cooper Back down to Earth we go... 0 Coach Cooper 0 5

Mckenna Fallen

April 09, 2005 2:16 AM

Finally, we can fly! by Mckenna Fallen

Mckenna Smiled. "Nice to meet you maggie" Mckenna turned back to watching the instructor when the girl spoke again.

"Ohh, I wish she'd hurry up, I want to fly again!" "Watching isn't nearly as much fun as doing."

"Actually I disagree, I find watching can be just as good if not better." Mckenna glanced back towards the instructor and found she'd landed. She did what the instructor said and mounted her broom.\n\n

0 Mckenna Fallen Finally, we can fly! 0 Mckenna Fallen 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 09, 2005 9:23 AM

...and I've never been more terrified! by Juliet Lee

"Wow. That's great! I've only met one person from my house so far, an older boy. It's very nice to meet you, Juliet. Now at least I can have someone to talk to in the common room or dorm. Have you met any of our other roommates yet?"

"Yes, actually. Robbie Bates. He's a first year also." Juliet craned her neck so she would have a better view of the field but she didn't spot the signature messy, brown curls that belonged to the Teppenpaw first year.

"He doesn't seem to be here right now. Oh well. I guess flying wasn't his thing." Looking sheepishly down at her trembling hands, she added:

"I can't exactly blame him."

She was soon interuppted by a loud, boisterous voice that seemed to call the attention of every student on the Quidditch field. Juliet turned and noticed that the flying teacher had finally landed and was giving out instructions.

"Everyone get next to a broom- it doesn't matter which. Hold your dominate hand over the broom like so...And command it "Up". Now, it's alright if you don't get it in the first couple of tries, calling your broom can be harder than it looks. But once you master that, you master your broom...usually."

Oh gee, that was comforting. After Coach Cooper finished explaning the basic techniques of flying, Juliet gulped and looked down at the broom that lay by her feet.

"Well...I suppose it's now or never." Holding her trembling hand over the broom, she announced in a meek voice:

"Up." It didn't budge. Feeling a bit startled, Juliet cleared her throat and commanded in a louder voice "Up." It continued to lie there, motionless. Feeling panic well up in her stomach, she frantically called out: "UP!"

The broom suddenly sprand to life and the handle shot up...effectively smacking Juliet right on the forehead. Juliet squeaked and clapped a hand over her face, while the broom suddenly dropped back onto the ground. Rubbing the tender skin, Juliet hissed in pain.

"Well that went well." She muttered. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee ...and I've never been more terrified! 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Earl

April 09, 2005 11:45 AM

Fly like an eagle by Earl

"What's next, Earl Valentine? How do I move forward?"

Once again Asher had surprised him. The horrible instructions he gave actually worked! She was now floating serenely beside him. Still pale faced, still gripping her broom so hard Earl was afraid dents would be left in the wood, but with an excitement that wasn't really there before.

"Maybe I'm not as bad a teacher as I thought," he whispered to himself. He put his attention back on Asher. "Move forward? Well, that's easy." Earl sounded a lot more confident than he felt. "You just lean forward a little bit. The more you lean forward, the faster you go. Like this..."

Earl leaned on his broom a little and stared moving towards Asher. He turned the broom a bit and leaned over his broom more. He rushed past her and ended up halfway across the field before he remember to stop. He waved wildly and sped back to his pupil.

"Sorry I forgot to stop for a second. To do that you just gotta lean back. It's pretty easy." He grinned widely. "Okay, your turn."\n\n

0 Earl Fly like an eagle 0 Earl 0 5

Jordanna Howard

April 09, 2005 12:34 PM

...and we would like to stay there by Jordanna Howard

Jordanna was not happy to be here. The coach was a rude show-off, and Jordanna didnm't want to fly anyway. She might mess up her hair and outfit, both of which she had worked very hard on this morning. Besides, she could possibly break a nail!

But Jordanna had to be on her best behavior, otherwise the teachers might send back a bad report. And if that happened, it would take her extra whining to get the new diricawl feather mattresses for her and Nicoletta. And Jordanna could not take another night on that middle-class mattress in her dorm.

She walked up to one of the newer looking brooms- all of them looked like they were used before. She was disgusted, people like her shouldn't have to use used brooms. But the sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could sit in the stands and relax, perhaps even work on a tan.

"Up," she commanded, holding her right hand over the broom. It wasn't hard for her to master the broom, her voice was always quite commanding. She caught the broom in her hand, and mounted it. She couldn't wait to get this over with, she never really liked flying.\n\n

0 Jordanna Howard ...and we would like to stay there 65 Jordanna Howard 0 5

Gwenhwyfar Carey

April 09, 2005 3:09 PM

Well, it could always be worse... by Gwenhwyfar Carey

Gwen gave her broom a very doubtful look and then she gave her clothes an even more doubtful one. This would be her luck: her very first class and she was already doomed to fail. She wanted to give vent to hysterical laughter when she heard Coach Cooper's words of encouragement. Her parents had never let her on a broom in her life, claiming that it wasn't ladylike. All she could do was make the best of it, though. Gwen prided herself on accepting what couldn't be changed.

Grimacing and trying to forget the fact that she was in heels and a skirt, she put her hand over the broom and said "Up!" as clearly as she could, though she knew that her accent would come on all the thicker because of her nervousness. Nothing happened for a moment and she frowned at the broom, focusing on it as much as she could. "Up!" she repeated, and the broom rose to her hand. Now she had to mount it, some way or another.

Getting on it wasn't as hard as she has suspected it would be. Maybe she could do this. It could always be worse. No matter what was happening, it could always be worse. That was her motto, and she felt that it was a good one. She was an avid player of Psycho Dice, and she was going to use the same concentration that she used in the game and to get the broom up to make herself enjoy this. Turning to her nearest neighbor, she whispered, "Sorry to bother you, but am I doing this right?"

OOC-Psycho Dice is a game invented by Jim Williams, the shooter-guy in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. You concentrate on certain numbers coming up, basically. It's got nothing to do with magic, and I'm not sure it even works. Thought it would be a nice touch for Gwen, since she's from Savannah.\n\n

0 Gwenhwyfar Carey Well, it could always be worse... 63 Gwenhwyfar Carey 0 5

Connor Pierce

April 09, 2005 3:16 PM

Good motto by Connor Pierce

Connor had been feeling more and more nervous by the hour about the flying lesson since he heard about it. Put him on a horse and he could do anything, but he wasn't sure that riding a broom was quite like riding a horse. Why did wizards want to make everything so complicated for him, anyway?

He listened to the Coach's instructions closely and managed to summon his broom after only three tries. The blonde Crotalus girl standing next to him got hers up in two, but he didn't envy her that. The longer the broom stayed on the ground, the longer he stayed on the ground, and the longer he stayed on the ground the happier he was. He was surprised when the blonde turned to him and spoke, asking if she was doing something right-he supposed mounting her broom.

"I wouldn't know, Miss," he said. "I'm what they all call a Muggleborn, though I'm not sure what that means except for that I wasn't raised up with magic. I was thinking of asking you the same question." He realized that he hadn't introduced himself and nodded politely, wishing he had a hat to tip. "Pardon me for not introducing myself, Miss. I'm Connor Pierce, Pecari. I'm afraid I don't know your name."\n\n

0 Connor Pierce Good motto 68 Connor Pierce 0 5

Gwenhwyfar

April 09, 2005 3:43 PM

Such a gentleman by Gwenhwyfar

Gwen raised an eyebrow when the boy-Connor-started calling her Miss. She couldn't tell if it made him sound more like a house-elf or an old-fashioned gentleman. She finally decided on the latter option, not least because his voice was significantly lower than that of any house-elf.

"Pleased to meet you, Connor Pierce," she said. "Not many people here do know my name at this stage. It's Gwenhwyfar Carey. You're got a pretty good idea of what Muggleborn means, I think, but don't feel bad about not having a clue about what's going on. I'm what they call a pureblood-born and raised all-magical-and I haven't got a clue either." She smiled, hoping he didn't think she was flirting with him or something. In Georgia, people started talking about who liked who and all that junk by the time they were ten, but she didn't know about how those things went in any other place.\n\n

0 Gwenhwyfar Such a gentleman 63 Gwenhwyfar 0 5

Connor

April 09, 2005 4:32 PM

It's all in the home training,ma'am by Connor

Connor blinked when the girl said her name. Gwenhwyfar Carey. The name Gwenhwyfar immediately sent him back to Texas, where he and his younger sister Beverly had poured over battered copies of King Arthur books. Gwenhwyfar had been King Arthur's beautiful but deceptive queen, a woman he hated and one Bev felt sorry for. He immediately felt more comfortable talking to her just because her name reminded him of home and his sister. Stupid reason to like someone, but she seemed nice. He wondered if the name fit her or not, if she knew that she was named for the mythical High Queen of Britain, but didn't think he ought to mention it.

A more immediate problem than what Gwenhwyfar Carey did or didn't know about her name hit him. He wasn't altogether sure he could say it the way she had, or if it would be rude to call her by her first name, given that they had just met. His mama had told him to always call a girl 'Miss' until she gave him permission to call her by her name, and he thought he'd do well to trust his mama in this situation. "Pleased to meet you, too, Miss Carey," he said, noting that his Texas accent was lighter than her Southern one, but not by much. He smiled in return, hoping she didn't think he was too forward.

He had seen her during the feast and at breakfast and had managed to come up with a small number of facts about her,just as he had with most people he had seen. She was pretty, had a very heavy Southern accent, had apparently made three friends in less than twenty-four hours, was in Crotalus, and now he knew her name. He was not unhappy to see that she seemed friendly, if a bit talkative. Connor didn't have anything against talkative people;their presence meant he generally didn't have to say very much. "You scared of heights, Miss Carey?" he asked, glancing up towards the unreachable heights of the sky's blue dome above him. "I never have been, but I've never only had a broom under me, either." \n\n

0 Connor It's all in the home training,ma'am 68 Connor 0 5

Anne Wright

April 09, 2005 4:54 PM

Back in the Air by Anne Wright

Although she tried her best to hide it, Anne had been thrilled to hear that they were going to have a flying lesson. Her mother had ingrained a love of being in the air into her when she was so small she had to be held on front of Mary Wright on the broom. She hadn't been on a broom since before her mother died and she felt somehow that flying again would be a form of tribute to her mother's memory, not to mention a way to have some fun for a change.

She tied her long black hair back out of her face with the first piece of cloth she pulled out of her pocket, which happened to be a handkerchief. She knew it looked a bit strange, but she didn't particuarly care. Coach Cooper's speech made her smile. The very true words made her remember her first time she had ever flown, and it was like nothing else. The mix of feelings flooded back for a moment, making her smile change from one of agreement to one of pure joy. The moment passed and she put her hand out over her broom and said, "Up!" a little more loudly than she had intended. It took all her willpower to keep her from turning redder than a tomato, but the broom did come. Half laughing with delight, she mounted and kicked off into the air.

\n\n

16 Anne Wright Back in the Air 59 Anne Wright 0 5

Gwenhwyfar

April 09, 2005 6:35 PM

But of course... by Gwenhwyfar

Gwen allowed her gaze to follow Connor's to the sky. "I don't know if I'm afraid of heights or not," she said seriously. "I've never done anything that would give me a chance to find out. I'm hoping that Coach Cooper meant that it would be a good feeling in her little talk."

She smiled again. "As for the Miss Carey thing, go ahead and stop that right now. You'll have me calling you Professor if you don't. If you can't say my first name,don't worry. I go by Gwen here, except to my enemies." She thought it best not to include that all her enemies so far seemed to hate her without bothering to learn her name. "Gwenhwyfar's the mythological malignant spirit of chaos that decends every century or so on the earth in the form of a beautiful woman to wreak havoc on the world. I'd like to think I'm not a malignant destroyer, if you know what I mean."

She tucked a few stray threads of hair behind her ear and gripped her broomstick. "So, do you want to go up first or should I?"
\n\n

0 Gwenhwyfar But of course... 63 Gwenhwyfar 0 5

Asher

April 09, 2005 8:58 PM

Or a sparrow in the rain by Asher

Asher listened intently and tried to ignore the delicate feeling that came with being off the ground and not racing down to hit it. She tried to ignore the thinness of the broom handle, and she tried to ignore the nagging feeling that Earl Valentine might be as new to all this as she was. Such thoughts didn't inspire confidence, after all.

She watched as Earl demonstrated how to move forward, and then zipped up across the field. Her stomach made a literal flop and for a second she was sure he would fall off. Going so quickly, he had to fall. She was sure of it. Instead, he rounded back around and grinned.

"Sorry I forgot to stop for a second. To do that you just gotta lean back. It's pretty easy."

Just forgot? Pretty easy? These were not reassuring words in the least. Then her ears picked up the instructor's words. Asher ignored Earl for a moment and listened for Coach Cooper's lesson. She listened and quickly gathered that the Coach was not any more help than Earl was when it came to overcoming the nervous knot in her stomach.

"Good luck, and have fun."

Good luck? She wanted to scream; that was not helpful in the least! How was luck supposed to save her from crashing into the ground? How was luck supposed to prevent her from suddenly veering off and slamming into some one else? Asher did not like it when people said words like 'good luck' and her life was on the line.

"Okay, your turn."

Her attention snapped back to the present. Earl Valentine was watching her, his grin still in place, and obviously waiting for her to follow his example. Gritting her teeth, she did as asked.

"Right. My turn. Okay then, here goes no-" her words were cut off by the sudden movement of her broom as she leaned ever so slightly forward. The movement so startled her that she nearly fell forward and off her broom. Before Asher had a chance to thank the gods for that small favor, the broom reacted to her near fall. With a jet fast burst of speed, the broom shot out into the middle of the pitch.
With the wind whipping her braid across her face and terror preventing all speech, she only just managed to pull up on the broom and avoid careening into Coach Cooper.

The upward pull made her broom take a sudden vertical climb that had her pressed tightly against the handle in hopes to somehow straighten it. She tried to think of how Earl had worded it. "...The more you lean forward, the faster you go."

Okay then. All she needed to do was lean back a bit and the broom would slow down. With her eyes tightly shut, she began to slowly sit back up straight. From behind the darkness of her shut eyelids, she felt the broom respond by gently leveling out. She cracked open one eye and saw to her great relief that she had somehow managed to turn the broom back in the direction of her waiting housemate.

Her stomach erupted with a swell of different emotions once she finally brought the broom to a stop. Fear at having nearly attacked her instructor, terror at having surely tested all bounds of gravity and having survived, and lastly, most surprisingly, exhileration.

"Earl Valentine..." she began slowly, almost wonderingly, "that was fun. It was actually fun."
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Asher Or a sparrow in the rain 1466 Asher 0 5

Fawn Summers

April 09, 2005 10:10 PM

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, and pain! by Fawn Summers

Ah, so Juliet knew someone else from their House. That was good, maybe she could introduce Fawn to him later. She really needed to meet some more people. None of her friends back home came to Sonora, all of them went to schools closer to home. But she wanted to come here because this was where her father and grandfather had gone. Still, it was hard to make new friends.

Just then, she was brought out of her rambling train of thought as the instructor landed gracefully from her daring airshow and told them the basics of flying. Say 'up', straddle the broom, kick off, fly a bit, come back down. Sounded simple enough to Fawn. The problem was, things aren't always as simple as they sound. "Well... I suppose it's now or never," Juliet said nervously, and the tan girl nodded in agreement. "No time like the present." she said, sounding far more confident than she felt.

She reached her left hand over a broom and stated firmly, "Up!" There was no reaction, not even a twitch, from the pile of twigs. She tried again, this time with more feeling. "UP!" Still nothing.

Perhaps it was sleeping. Do brooms sleep? Fawn poked it gently with her sandal-clad foot just to be sure it was awake. It still just sat there like... well, like a piece of wood! It seemed to be mocking her in its determination to remain on the ground.

"Grrr!" she exclaimed angrily, "UP! GET UP!" The broom wiggled around on the ground and she felt encouraged. "Please get up?" At that, the broom hopped up and landed neatly into her palm! Apparently it was a proper broom and wanted to be treated as such, with manners. "Hey, look!" she said, turning to Juliet, "I actually got it to-"

Fawn was stopped in her tracks as there was a loud 'whack!', which was a result of her new friend's broom flying up and smacking her on the forehead! "Well that went well." was the girl's sarcastic reply.

Trying not to laugh, the braided first year could only hide her small smile behind her broomless hand. Putting on a straight face, she said, "Well, it could've gone worse. You're lucky, at least it didn't take out your eye or something! Are you alright? Do you need to go see the nurse?"\n\n

0 Fawn Summers The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, and pain! 0 Fawn Summers 0 5

Connor

April 09, 2005 10:35 PM

On one hand and then the other... by Connor

Connor thought that Gwenhwyfar meant her comment as a joke, then he caught the serious note in her voice. This girl had really lived her life without taking risks, it seemed. Though he was a bit of a risk-taker himself, he felt something like a connection to Gwenhwyfar. If she had never done anything that would determine if she was afraid of heights, he was willing to bet she didn't have many friends-another loner, trying to fit in here.

He had to repress a laugh when she threatened to call him Professor if he kept calling her Miss Carey. He was startled when she told him to call her Gwen. It seemed that the standards his mother had drilled into him about how to treat girls didn't apply wherever Gwenhwyfar came from. Still, if she wanted to be called Gwen, then he'd call her Gwen. "Thanks," he said, sounding a little less perfectly polite now that he had established that Gwenhwyfar was all right. "I only knew the version where Gwenhwyfar was King Arthur's wife, but either way it's kinda hard to say. Real pretty, Mi-er, Gwen-but hard to say."

He hesitated at her next question. On one hand, he didn't want to seem cowardly, especially not in front of a pretty girl, but on the other, he really did not want to find out if this flying business went over as smoothly for him as it had for the coach, risk-taker or no risk-taker. He finally found a midway point. "Why don't we go up at the same time?"\n\n

0 Connor On one hand and then the other... 68 Connor 0 5

Zack Dill

April 09, 2005 10:40 PM

because I did so well at this last year by Zack Dill

Zack gave his chosen broom another hard look. It was going to act up, that was a given, but he had yet to figure out how. He put his hand out over it (his left hand, since he was left handed, and had she mentioned that last year? He couldn't remember), nudged a toe under the long wooden shaft, and said, "UP!"

At the same time, he gave the broom a little upward kick, in case it had as much trouble understanding English as some of the other brooms he'd tried before (he wasn't saying any names, but the worst offender's initial was 'Bones'). Between the command and the kick, the broom handle jumped up into his hand on the first try. He nodded in self-satisfaction, pleased that after a year of flying lessons, he finally had the trick of it.

Broom in hand, Zack straddled it and prepared to launch into the air. With a final fortifying breath and warning squeeze on the handle, he pushed off the ground. Again, he managed to achieve the desired result; staying in the air. Much as Arthur Dent had, Zack had first managed the feat accidentally, and had since mastered the fine art of missing the ground.

'Missing the ground' and 'controlled flying', however, were very dissimiliar animals. Not only were they not in the same species, they were in altogether different families. Zack's hover was anything but elegant. In fact, he didn't so much as hover as dart back and forth at varying heights and speeds over an approximately circular area that had a diameter of about ten feet.

He decided this one's name should be Helix because of its tendancy to drift downward and to the right, which in turn caused Zack to fall into a spiral when he didn't pay enough attention to compensating for it. \n\n

1 Zack Dill because I did so well at this last year 40 Zack Dill 0 5

Earl

April 10, 2005 1:42 AM

more like a baby sparrow by Earl

Earl's heart jumped to his throat as he watched Asher careen through the students, almost hit the coach, fly straight up and somehow manage to end up exactly where she had started. He gave a huge sigh of relief. It would have looked bad if he had tried to teach a fellow student something and ended up sending her to the hospital wing.

"Earl Valentine..." Earl's heartbeat quickened. He was in for it now. Asher would freak out, convince the coach he had tried to kill her under the context of flying lessons and he'll be back home faster than you could say Quidditch But, once again, Asher Tallow had surprised him with what she had to say. "...that was fun. It was actually fun."

Earl waited for a second to make sure she was serious. Apparently she was. The grin that had left Earl's face when he had first seen her jet throug the air, returned with full force. "There, you see? Flying is great! And you were afraid you'd fall off..."
\n\n

0 Earl more like a baby sparrow 0 Earl 0 5

Chris

April 10, 2005 8:56 AM

Doesn't it though? by Chris

Chris was about to reply to the girl next to him when the woman landed back down on the ground. She explained that they were to command their broom into their hand, which was something he already knew how to do. Once they mastered this, they should hover in the air abit and they could even fly around the pitch, as long as they stayed with a buddy.

His head facing towards his broom, he gave a side glance at Dalila with his forest green eyes, before saying, "Hi. I'm Chris Dupree."

Turning his gaze back at his broom, he commanded the broom in an authoritative voice, "Up."

The broom jumped off the ground and into his hand. He hated the feel of this broom. It was nothing like the smooth, polished wood of the one he had back home.

Turning now to completely face her, he asked, "Have a partner?"

He hoped she didn't. He hadn't been the best at making friends since he had arrived.\n\n

0 Chris Doesn't it though? 0 Chris 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 10, 2005 2:29 PM

Oh, that's reassuring by Juliet Lee

"Well, it could've gone worse. You're lucky, at least it didn't take out your eye or something! Are you alright? Do you need to go see the nurse?"

Juliet continued to nurse the red spot on her forehead and turned to look at Fawn, who looked like she was having a difficult time supressing the giggles that were threatening to come out. Feeling extremely embarrassed. Juliet noted that Fawn alerady had her broom firmly clutched in her hand. It made Juliet feel extremely inferior and self-conscious.

"No, no need to get the nurse." She let out a deep, heartfelt sigh.

"I wish I wasn't so...inexperienced with magic. Then this wouldn't be so hard."

However, feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to make her broom lift up. She reached her right hand over the broom again and cleared her throat. Making sure to enunciate and speak in a firm voice, she commanded "Up!"

This time, the broom jerked sharply and then slowly drifted towards her palm. Hmmm...that was odd. Usually, brooms either stayed on the ground or quickly shot up into the flyer's hand. Nevertheless, Juliet had correctly summoned it and that was all that mattered.

"Yay! I did it."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee Oh, that's reassuring 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Asher Tallow

April 10, 2005 3:00 PM

You know in some countries, sparrow is a delicacy by Asher Tallow

Asher grinned back in return. She had thought Earl Valentine hadn't much liked her at first, although she wasn't sure why. When she had heard that Christobel guy making fun of his name, she couldn't help but respond. It was the natural order for her. She liked to help people, and as the only weapon in her disposal was her words, well then, be prepared for the verbal onslaught.

She hoped Earl Valentine had changed his mind. 'Course she had Laura and Gwen from her house, and Juliet from Teppenpaw, but if she wanted to make a strong front against the Hens as she now called them, she would need boys from Crotalus as well.

"There, you see? Flying is great! And you were afraid you'd fall off..."

She managed a laugh despite being all too aware of her still precarious pose on the broomstick. "I'm still terrified, you dope. But you were right, Earl Valentine, I was missing out. Just wish my brothers were here so I could rub it into their faces."

Asher wondered how Mikes would react. He'd probably just try to knock her off and then laugh at her. The jerk...

"I've got a truck load of brothers," she explained. "And they all play Quidditch by the numbers. I was too afraid to join in, what with how they were always tumbling off and landing in thorn bushes or the Tangle tree..." she trailed off and fought off a flush.

Gingerly, she leaned forward and the broom moved a microscopic inch northward. Feeling triumphant, she asked, "You have any brothers or sisters, Earl Valentine?"\n\n

0 Asher Tallow You know in some countries, sparrow is a delicacy 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5

Gwenhwyfar

April 10, 2005 3:45 PM

There's Never a Perfect Balance by Gwenhwyfar

Gwenhwyfar tried to repress a laugh. Was she really standing here in class chatting with a Muggleborn she barely knew about the meaning of her name? She couldn't help but wonder if there were any other obscure meanings for Gwenhwyfar, but she decided that it really wasn't worth the research. She was glad that she seemed to have broken the ice, since he didn't sound so formal anymore.

She couldn't help but raise one eyebrow a little when he proposed that they go up at the same time. "I can work with that," she said. "If I look like a perfect idiot, don't tell me. They call me the Princess of Savannah back home, and you know how us royals are: we don't like being criticized." She smiled to let him know it was a joke, then kicked off from the ground and thought for a brief moment that she was going to pass out when she realized she was airbourne.\n\n

0 Gwenhwyfar There's Never a Perfect Balance 63 Gwenhwyfar 0 5

Dalila

April 10, 2005 4:59 PM

Indeed it does. by Dalila

As Dalila waited for an answer, she saw the coach land gracefully on the parched grass and tell them what to do. This was it. Her first time on a broom. She stared at the one next to her, situated her hand over the handle and yelled "Up!" very enthusiastically.

The broom rolled over, but stayed on the ground. Dalila gave it an evil look and tried again. "UP!" she cried louder than before. The broom shot up into her hand, making Dalila wince. She looked back over at the boy she had been trying to talk to. He was finally talking back.

"Hi. I'm Chris Dupree. Have a partner?"

"Good." she thought. "He seems nice." She gave him a warm smile before responding. "Well, Mr. Dupree, I do now. So, you've ever ridden one of these things before? I haven't."
\n\n

0 Dalila Indeed it does. 0 Dalila 0 5

Earl Valentine

April 10, 2005 5:09 PM

I think I prefer chicken... by Earl Valentine

After the little insite into Asher's homelife, Earl could only think of one thing: What the heck is a Tangle Tree? But her question brought him back to more relevent matters.

"I got three brothers and a sister. My older brother is huge jerk and kinda hates magic. My younger brothers are twins. They're both five and completely crazy. My sis is nine and she's gonna be coming here in two years, so you might get to meet. We're really close for some strange reason."

Earl felt as though he had talked enough about his family and zoomed around in lazy circles to have something to do. "So...how much is a truck load or brothers, exactly?"\n\n

0 Earl Valentine I think I prefer chicken... 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Asher

April 10, 2005 6:32 PM

Sparrow sounds kinda crunchy anyway by Asher

Another person with a ton of sibs- Asher couldn't help but grin. And Earl had twins in his family, too! Well, technically her Mikes and Sams weren't twins, but the three of them made a nice set of Irish triplets, exactly nine and a half months between the three of them.

"I've got four brothers, two older and two younger. But I generally throw my dad on in that group. He's practically an older brother as it is, what with how he's always acting. He's the one who first suggested planting that Tangle Tree. The big dope," she added affectionately.

Not paying much attention, Asher leaned back on her broom and barely noticed as it reacted to her movement. She was getting used to this whole suspended in the air with a twig for support thing.

"But that's great then. When my Sams comes along, he'll be in the same year as your sister." A thought occurred to her and her brow scrunched up as she considered whether tact was needed to ask her question. She shrugged and brushed the idea off. Who really cared anyway? "I'm curious. Are you the only boy Crotalus this year?"\n\n

0 Asher Sparrow sounds kinda crunchy anyway 1466 Asher 0 5

Earl Valentine

April 10, 2005 6:48 PM

The only goose in a flock of ganders by Earl Valentine

"I'm curious. Are you the only boy Crotalus this year?"

The question had taken Earl by surprise. Was he the only first year boy in Crotalus? He thought for a moment. He was. "Wow...I guess I am. I never realized that until now." He tried to hide his horror by adding. "No wonder I have a room to myself. I just thought they had run out of room for me and stuck me somewhere random. At least I'm bunking with the girls. I mean you're ok, but most girls..."

Earl blushed at the thought of ten or so girls surrounding him and tried to quickly change the subject. "So your brother is the same age as my sister, huh? Well, I'll tell her, so she won't be so scared to come here." His smile was forced. To keep himself from getting any redder, he took a couple laps around the field before returning to Asher and letting her answer.

\n\n

0 Earl Valentine The only goose in a flock of ganders 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Asher Tallow

April 10, 2005 7:24 PM

They are a buncha Hens, aren't they? by Asher Tallow

Poor Earl Valentine! Asher couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She thought it was bad enough being stuck with so many girls and she was a girl. She couldn't imagine not having any other boys around at all. All she had ever known were her brothers and that one Filmahn girl that worked at the llama farm. Of course, there had been Asher's mom as well, but-

Oh well, didn't much matter. Not now anyway.

Asher watched as Earl blushed up a storm and took off around the pitch. Poor guy; he was probably terrified. She would have to reassure him that not all the Crotalus girls were as horrible as the Hens. She waited until he brought himself back to the ground before launching into her comfort speech.

"From the girls I've met, they're not all too bad. Laura Keaton- have you met her yet?- likes baseball and stuff, so she's alright. And then there's Gwen." Asher pointed to the stylishly dressed girl looking rather surprised to have survived her broom launch. "She may look like the Hens, but she's okay. Not at all what you might expect."

Asher beamed. "And then there's me. So don't worry, Earl Valentine, you won't get too hen-pecked this term, I promise."\n\n

0 Asher Tallow They are a buncha Hens, aren't they? 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5

Earl

April 10, 2005 9:33 PM

Hen pecked is right! by Earl

Earl stared at the girl Asher had pointed to. Fancy hair, overdone make-up, and way too much jewrely for an eleven year old. It made him shudder. Just the thought of Eaven dressed like that sent chills up his spine.

But he could be wrong about her. He thought Asher was a stuck up know-it-all the first time they had met, and now she's his friend. All girls couldn't be horrible.

"Yeah...I guess you're right. I mean, you're not horrible at all. You're kinda like...my friend. I've never had many friends that were girls. This is a little weird."

Earl had a oddly confused look on his face as he stared at Asher. It was weird. He really had never had a real friend that was a girl. This would be an interesting year indeed.\n\n

0 Earl Hen pecked is right! 0 Earl 0 5

Asher

April 10, 2005 10:03 PM

Take a hatchet and clean out the roost by Asher

Weird was right, but probably not for the same reasons Earl was thinking of. Asher was thinking of sitting on a broomstick for the first time in her life despite having witnessed her brothers float along for years. She was thinking of having made her first female friends ever. And she was thinking that she really liked Earl's last name. It sounded funny on her tongue, a slight buzz as she said the last syllable that tickled and made her want to say it again.

Hopefully, he wouldn't mind too much if she kept saying it all the time.

"It is kinda weird, isn't it? I mean, I only ever had my brothers. Ever. So I'm not too used to all these girls, but I'm a girl, too, so it shouldn't be too bad. Right?"

She shrugged and practised using her toes to make the broom move forward and then back in quick succession. Ha! That was fun, too!

"And of course I'm your friend. I wouldn't have butted in at the Feast except I thought that Christobel guy was making fun of your name. You are my house mate after all, and we're supposed to stick together. Right?"\n\n

0 Asher Take a hatchet and clean out the roost 1466 Asher 0 5

Earl

April 10, 2005 11:34 PM

Ok...now you lost me by Earl

Earl listened to Asher talk and float back and forth on her scraggly, old broom. It was kinda mesmerizing. The hot air, Asher's quick back and forth movements, her voice...Earl fell into a momentary stupor and slipped off his broom. Luckily, he was only a few feet off the ground, but it hurt nonetheless.

He hastily brushed off his robes and climbed back onto his broom, floating there as if nothing had happened. However, a blush crept onto his cheeks that he couldn't will away. He tried to ignore by continuing the conversation.

"Uh...yeah, right!" He stated a little too loud. A couple of people nearby looked over curiously, but turned away again when they realized there was nothing of interest to stare at.

"It's ok that you butted in. Really. I'm over that. I'm mean, like you said...we're house mates and we gotta stick together." He thought for a minute before adding, "I kinda know how my sister feels now...the only girl in a house full of boys. Like you."

\n\n

0 Earl Ok...now you lost me 0 Earl 0 5

Fawn

April 11, 2005 3:24 AM

I thought you'd think so! by Fawn

"No, no need to get the nurse." her friend answered her concerns with a sigh. Fawn was glad to hear that Juliet wasn't too badly injured and didn't need medical attention. She was worried, but it seemed that mostly the girl had suffered from embarassment.

"I wish I wasn't so...inexperienced with magic. Then this wouldn't be so hard." she said. Well where did that come from? Did Juliet think that everyone else knew a lot about magic? Most of them had never been on a broom before, like the two of them, and a lot of them were muggleborn and didn't even know about magi...il they got their letters!

"I'm really sorry for almost laughing." Fawn told her honestly. "I didn't mean to, it's just that the same thing happened to my cousin when he first tried to fly. It was just really odd that it happened to you as well. I didn't mean anything by it."

"And don't worry about being inexperienced with flying and stuff," she said. The first year hadn't done magic before either, except on accident occasionally and the time when she went to buy her wand, and she was sure that most people here were the same. "We're all inexperienced with magic. Why else would we need to come here then? I've never done magic in my life. Well, not on purpose anyway. So you shouldn't feel embarassed, none of us really know what we're doing."

That was true, no one except for those whose parents had let them and taught them to do magic had any experience. They were all first years and none of them knew what they were doing. Fawn especially felt out of place. She had grown up thinking that she was going to be a squib since her mother was a muggle who feared magic. She wasn't even sure that she belonged in the magical world at all until she got her letter of acceptance.

Just then, Juliet managed to get her broom into her hand. "Yay, I did it." she exclaimed happily, stopping Fawn's depressing train of thought. She looked like she felt accomplished, that was good. The braided girl thought that her friend was going to be feeling bad for the rest of the class for one simple mistake. Now she was smiling and that was much better.

Grinning at her companion, Fawn said, "Great job! I knew you'd do it." The problem was, though, that now that both of their brooms were in their hands, they were expected to mount and kick off. That would be a bit harder. It would require going into the air and not falling horribly to their deaths.

"Well," said the tan girl nervously to Juliet, "Are you ready to fly? Because I'm so not. I'd really like to just run right now." But she bravely decided to try it anyway. After all, she was a Summers! She couldn't let a little thing like falling horribly to her death scare her into quitting! Putting one leg over the handle while holding the broom with both hands, she managed to mount it without incident.

Feeling incredibly silly just sitting there straddling a broom, she wondered how you were supposed to get into the air properly. What if she kicked up and the broom just sat there? Or what if it got angry and threw her off? Or what if it shot into the air really fast and flew her off to Romania or something?

Still, she couldn't just stay on the ground. Fawn held her breath and closed her eyes, then kicked off the hard, crunchy ground and into the air. She promptly fell back down to her feet, the broom not rising a bit. The raven-haired girl jumped up again. Nothing happened, the broom still remained where it was. Getting aggravated, she hopped up and down quickly several times in anger. If anything, the broom seemed to get more stubborn, not moving an inch. Calming herself, she took a deep breath and tried to think positive thoughts. This time, silently pleading for it to work, she kicked up once more.

Opening her eyes, she saw that she was hovering about four feet off of the ground. "Wow," she said, turning to Juliet, "I'm flying on a broom! This is interesting. It's different than flying on a horse. For one thing, how do you steer?" She wasn't actually flying, just sitting in midair, but at least she had gotten the broom up! Now the only problem was getting it where she wanted it to go. It didn't have reins, how did you make it rise?\n\n

0 Fawn I thought you'd think so! 0 Fawn 0 5

Asher

April 11, 2005 6:32 AM

A roost holds hens, a hatchet removes hens wink, wink by Asher

There was a slight pause and then down Earl went, and instantly, Asher stopped moving herself, but thankfully not from a fall. He didn't seem too bothered by it though, just brushed himself off and saddled back on in. He looked flushed, but Asher was feeling a bit warm herself what with being outdoors and all.

Although, for Arizona and the desert, the pitch was much cooler than she would have ever thought possible.

"I bet your sister will get along with my Sams. Sams is big on making things- he's real good with clay."

She reached into her jeans pocket and withdrew a small paw shaped stone that whose glossy surface glanced off sunlight in quick little rays. She held it up for Earl to see and pointed to the tiny inscription in the middle.

"So you're never without us. Love Sams," it read, and she gazed at it fondly.

"It's a paw print, each of the toes being one of us. He made it as a going away gift for me. I'm really going to miss them this year."

She frowned uncharacteristically and stared down at the small lump in her hand, willing herself most fervently to not cry in the middle of the quidditch pitch and most especially in front of Earl Valentine. It just wouldn't do. Blinking furiously, she pushed the paw print into Earl's hands, hardly noticing that the broom moved at her touch, and stabbed a finger at the middle paw toe.

"See, Earl Valentine, the middle one's me. Sams made it red. Pretty neat, huh?"\n\n

0 Asher A roost holds hens, a hatchet removes hens *wink, wink* 1466 Asher 0 5

Bella

April 11, 2005 9:32 AM

Flying, what fun by Bella

Bella stood at one end of the line of students. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail to keep out of her eyes when she was in the air. Today she wore the school uniform, but had been smart enough to throw on shorts beneath the skirt. Who would be dumb enough to wear a skirt without shorts? Of course, as she watched the other students, apparantly there were some who had.

Bella shook her head sadly at them and returned her attention to the coach. She seemed like a nice lady and Bella could understand why Jake liked her well enough. She was actually going to let them fly, even if it's only for practice.

The brooms all looked old and worn out, but Bella chose one at random and stood beside it. Flying was something she could do as she'd had done it many times before. But she was nervous now and wasn't really positive about herself at the moment. She placed her left hand over the broom and opened her mouth, "Up" Her lips moved but no sound came out. Slightly embarrassed and hoping nobody had seen her, she tried again this time making sure something came out, "Up!"

The broom twitched and hovered slightly, but didn't rise to meet her outstretched hand. Trying it again and again with more and more confidence, the broom finally made it all the way. She a proud smile upong her face, Bella turned to see how everyone else was getting along before mounting her broom and kicking off, being sure to stay only a few feet from the ground.\n\n

0 Bella Flying, what fun 0 Bella 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 11, 2005 10:49 AM

A Bird's Eye View by Laura Keaton

As Laura walked out onto the pitch, she took a good, deep breath of fresh air. She loved being outside, which was half the reason she loved Quidditch so much; the other half being the sheer adrenaline rush involved in diving fifty feet at breakneck speed. She had been flying since a very early age, her mother being a fanatical Quidditch fan. The fact that she had grown up in an old, 19th century farm house in Massachusetts, surrounded by miles of fields and away from Muggle eyes, had made flying an almost daily occurrence in the summer. Still, Laura treated flying lessons just like any class, and gave the instructor her respectful attention.

Once they had been instructed on how to summon the broom, and told to strictly adhere to the buddy system, Laura stepped up to a random school broom. She had done this a thousand times, she thought, but she still worried that it might not work. Putting her right hand out over the broom she said, “Up,” quite firmly, as if ordering a dog to sit or lay down. Immediately her fingers grasped the slender broom handle and a smile sprung to her face. Swinging one leg over the handle, she kicked off the ground softly, not wanting to rise more than six feet without having found a buddy. Hovering at that height, she looked around for one of her friends, or at least someone else who looked to be in need of a buddy.
\n\n

0 Laura Keaton A Bird's Eye View 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 11, 2005 3:31 PM

I suppose you're oblivious to sarcasm by Juliet Lee

"I'm really sorry for almost laughing. I didn't mean to, it's just that the same thing happened to my cousin when he first tried to fly. It was just really odd that it happened to you as well. I didn't mean anything by it. And don't worry about being inexperienced with flying and stuff. We're all inexperienced with magic. Why else would we need to come here then? I've never done magic in my life. Well, not on purpose anyway. So you shouldn't feel embarassed, none of us really know what we're doing."

Juliet listened to Fawn's entire monologue with a thoughtful expression on her face. The dark-skinned Teppenpaw had a point. One of the things that Juliet still needed to learn was how to not always take things so personally. She couldn't help it though; it was in her nature to be very sensitive to other people's opinions.

"I wasn't upset about you laughing at me. There's nothing wrong with thinking something is funny. Laughter is good for the soul, after all." Juliet managed to crack a small smile at her own mediocre joke.

"Thanks for trying to comfort me. It was really nice of you."

"Well...Are you ready to fly? Because I'm so not. I'd really like to just run right now."

Juliet couldn't agree more. It was as if Fawn had read her mind using unqiue telepathic powers. She watched as her comrade swung her leg over the handle of the school broom and squatted. It looked like a very awkward position to be in. Finally, the Cherokee girl bent her knees and then promptly jumped up, obviously thinking that the broom would automatically levitate into the air. However, she was surprised to feel her feet suddenly touch the ground again. Growing aggravated, Fawn continued to jump up and down.

Juliet mimicked Fawn's previous actions, placing a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling. Finally, with an almighty hop, Fawn lifted off the ground.

"Wow. I'm flying on a broom! This is interesting. It's different than flying on a horse. For one thing, how do you steer?"

This was one of those moments when Juliet wished she possessed the ability to raise one eyebrow.

"Flying on a horse? You've flown on a horse before? What horses have you been riding?" She asked, her tone teasing. She then realized that since Fawn was already up in the air, it was obviously her turn to kick off. Juliet slowly lifted her right leg and placed it on the other side of the broom handle. She straddled the broom and then, squeezing her eyes shut, kicked off the ground with all the strength in her legs.

Surprisingly, Juliet didn't feel the sensation of hard ground under her feet. Cracking one eyelid open, she surveryed her surroundings. She appeared to be levitating five feet off the ground. Letting out a small squeal of delight, she turned to Fawn with a look of pure joy.

"Obviously, I'm much better at kicking off then getting the actual broom into my hands."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee I suppose you're oblivious to sarcasm 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Earl Valentine

April 11, 2005 6:35 PM

Ok...now I get it! by Earl Valentine

The little clay paw gleamed in the morning sunshine. Earl held it to his face and looked carefully at it. It was really good...for a paw, anyways. It apparently had real sentimental value for Asher. It made him remember that his sister was a thousand miles away, in a dingy little house in the middle of Los Angeles. He really missed her. He should write.

He heaved a deep sigh and carefully handed it back to Asher. "It's great. My sis, Eavan, is an artist too. Only she writes. She also likes making these weird bracelets out of string. She's really good at both, but I doubt she could make anything with clay except like a rock or something." He smiled sadly and subconsciously leaned forward on the broom a little, making it move a few iches towards Asher. \n\n

0 Earl Valentine Ok...now I get it! 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Asher Tallow

April 11, 2005 9:23 PM

Hey Laura! waves Down here! by Asher Tallow

Asher shaded her eyes as a sudden burst of sunlight sent a glare over her vision. When it finally cleared, she could make out a new addition to the student piled around the pitch. Dirty blond hair in pony-tail? Check. T-shirt? Check. Really good with broom? Check.

Yep. It was Laura alright.

Leaning back toward Earl, she pointed to her friend. "See that girl there? The one with the pony tail? Yeah, she's in Crotalus, too, and she's not at all like the Hens."

Cupping her hands over her mouth, she called out loudly, "Hey Laura! Over here!"

In her enthusiasm though, Asher forget that her hands were keeping her steady on the broom and as soon as the words left her mouth, gravity reminded her of its presence. Her upper body careened heavily to the left, and blindly she reached out for a hand hold. With her legs clamped around the broomstick and her hands holding onto Earl's broom handle for dear life, she hoped quite sincerely that they weren't nearly as high up as it seemed from her position.

"Earl Valentine, a little help please!" she gasped and closed her eyes tightly.\n\n

0 Asher Tallow Hey Laura! *waves* Down here! 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5

Chris

April 11, 2005 11:01 PM

Re: Indeed it does. by Chris

Chris gave a grin when he heard he now had a partner. Now, hopefully, he would be able to keep her as one. It seemed everyone took things he said the wrong way or didn't understand them.

'So, you've ever ridden one of these things before? I haven't.' She had said.

"Yeah, I have, but don't worry. I'm not that much ahead. I learned only basic flying moves. I really want to learn all of the Quidditch moves. My parents wanted me to wait until I had better control over my magic before learning them." He was about to talk more about Quidditch when he remembered that he might be talking to a muggle-born. So, he continued with, "No offense, but do you know what Quidditch is?\n\n

0 Chris Re: Indeed it does. 0 Chris 0 5

Earl Valentine

April 11, 2005 11:04 PM

happy to help by Earl Valentine

Earl craned his neck to see who Asher was waving to. A blonde girl with a ponytail was at the other end of the pitch. Asher called her over to his chagrin. No matter what Asher said, there could not be very many nice girls at Sonora. Asher was just a chance happening. Fate had decided to make just a few decent girls and Asher happened to be one of them.

He was still watching the blonde girl-- apparently named Laura-- when he felt his broomstick lurch forward and heard his named being yelled out. "Earl Valentine, a little help please!"

Asher had lost her balance and was now dangling half on her broom half on his in an attempt to keep her self from falling the whole five feet to warm grass below. Earl couldn't help but laugh. "It's only a few feet! Don't be such a scaredy cat."

He almost regretted his words when he looked back at Asher's pale, frightened face and her desperate attempts to regain balance. He sighed and grabbed hold of Asher's arms trying to pull her into a sitting position. "Just hold still for a minute, won't you?" Suddenly Earl felt himself slipping ever so gradually off his broom. He tried to straighten up, but screamed instead as he once again fell to the ground. \n\n

0 Earl Valentine happy to help 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Nicoletta Dupree

April 11, 2005 11:10 PM

If only all our wishes came true... by Nicoletta Dupree

Nicoletta knew Jordanna was not thrilled to be here. She couldn't exactly say she was either. It wasn't that she was completely against the idea of flying. She enjoyed watching Quidditch games with all of the very nice looking boys playing, and she knew her brother enjoyed it, but to someone who had no interest nor real use for flying, at least one her own, she didn't see the point in learning.

Standing next to Jordanna, beside her 'loaned' broom, she said in her 'I mean business' voice, "Up!"

Spring to life, the broom flew up to her hand. She grimaced when the wood touched her hand. Who knew who or what had touched this broom? Muggle-borns or half-bloods or lovers of those could have touched it.

She pushed the unpleasant thought out of her mind. It wouldn't due to think about it right now. After all, she had a new bed to think about.

Mounting her broom, she shot a look of distain over at Jordanna that clearly said 'This is obviously ridiculous, and the sooner we get out of here, the better.'\n\n

0 Nicoletta Dupree If only all our wishes came true... 64 Nicoletta Dupree 0 5

Dalila

April 11, 2005 11:15 PM

Do I know what Quidditch is? by Dalila

"No offense, but do you know what Quidditch is?"

Dalila smiled. "Of course I do! It's only the greatest sport ever! My mom told me all about it. It's just that no one ever let me on a broom. It was too 'dangerous'" Dalila added emphasis to this by adding in the air quotes, her broom stuck into the crook of her arm.

"My mom even took me, my dad and my grandma to a Quidditch game: Sweetwater All-Stars against the Haileybury Hammers. It was amazing!" Dalila spun around making her broom fly as if it were a muggle toy.

Well, anyways," she said breathlessly after stopping. "maybe you could help me, so I don't make my self look like an idiot." Dalila habitually pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and smile at Chris.
\n\n

0 Dalila Do I know what Quidditch is? 0 Dalila 0 5

Asher

April 12, 2005 3:08 AM

Help! Please? by Asher

Asher could feel it. She sensed it the minute Earl Valentine started laughing. She was going to fall. He didn't reassure her one bit when he mentioned that the ground was only a few feet below. It was ground! It would hurt!

She refused to open her eyes however, and even when Earl started pulling on her arms, she kept them tight shut. She felt his hands close over her arms. She felt as he started to lift her to a better position. And she felt it the second he started slipping. Instantly, her eyes flew open and she grabbed onto his wrists tightly.

There was a sudden wrench as his weight pulled down on hers, but her broom proved stubborn and held its height perfectly despite the sudden addition of another eleven year old's pounds to its responsibility. Asher stared down at Earl's face, down to wear his feet rested midair only a few inches from the ground.

"Wow. I mean, wow," she breathed, face flushed from hanging upside down. Her braid flew over from her shoulder and dangled annoyingly over her mouth. With a restless puff, she tried blowing it out of the way and gingerly shifted her hands over Earl's wrists.

"Uh, Earl Valentine, do you mind if I let you go now?"\n\n

0 Asher Help! Please? 1466 Asher 0 5

Maggie

April 12, 2005 11:39 AM

Yes! by Maggie

Maggie nodded in half agreement at McKenna's comment. She still though actually flying was more fun than watching, but watching could be interesting. Her attention was diverted was the coach finally landed and instructed them on what to do.

She meandered over to a random broom and stuck out her left hand. "Up." She commanded simply. The broom hovered slowly into her waiting hand. She rejoined McKenna and mounted, kicking off to hover a couple of feet from the ground.

"Want to take a lap around the pitch?" She questioned.
\n\n

0 Maggie Yes! 0 Maggie 0 5

Fawn

April 12, 2005 2:59 PM

No, I find the thought of falling to our doom humorous. by Fawn

"Flying on a horse? You've flown on a horse before? What horses have you been riding?" Juliet asked. That's right, Fawn realized, most people aren't used to their horses flying. It seemed odd to her that a horse wouldn't fly, apparently to everyone else it was the opposite. She turned to respond and saw her friend kick up into the air successfully on her first try!

She said happily, "Obviously, I'm much better at kicking off then getting the actual broom into my hands." Lucky her, Fawn wasn't very good at either so far. Perhaps she'd be good at something else? Like crashing to her doom onto the ground after flying high into the air? She hoped not.

"Wow," she responded, "You make it look so easy! Are you sure you haven't flown before?" Now that they both were in the air, though, apparently they were expected to know how to fly around. It didn't seem easy, she still didn't see how one was supposed to get it to go up higher into the air.

"I really have no clue what to do next." she said to Juliet. "How are we supposed to get higher up so that we can fly around?" Perhaps they were supposed to pull upwards on the handle? This seemed logical. She tried it, holding on with both hands and pulling.

The broom rose slowly into the air, surprisingly not flipping her over or dropping her on her head! Hey, it wasn't so hard! Wanting to turn around, she pulled to the left. Shockingly, the broom obeyed and turned jerkily in a circle so that she was facing her fellow Teppenpaw. "Hey," she said optimistically, "This isn't as bad as I thought! I haven't died yet!"\n\n

0 Fawn No, I find the thought of falling to our doom humorous. 0 Fawn 0 5

Mckenna

April 12, 2005 3:26 PM

Race Ya! by Mckenna

"Want to take a lap around the pitch?”

Mckenna smiled. “ Last one round the pitch is a rotten egg!” Without even waiting for Maggie's reply Mckenna Sped off, accelerating hard to keep the lead.

Mckenna loved flying, the wind rushing in her ears. There really was nothing better than being in the air, well sometimes. A sharp grimace passed her face as she counted the number of broken bones she'd received over the years.\n\n

0 Mckenna Race Ya! 0 Mckenna 0 5

Maggie

April 12, 2005 5:11 PM

Hey! by Maggie

"No fair!" Maggie shouted as she shot after McKenna. Flying was one of many things she enjoyed doing outside, but it was the only one that involved any kind of physical activity. She wasn't weak, just unathletic at anything besides quidditch. Keeper her position and she was darn good at it.

She enjoyed the feeling of the late summer air rushing by as she tried to catch McKenna. She laughed as she managed to reach the end of her partner's broom. "Ha nice try!" She yelled, evening out with McKenna.\n\n

0 Maggie Hey! 0 Maggie 0 5

Earl

April 12, 2005 5:37 PM

I":m te one who needs help now! by Earl

Earl felt himself fall. Gods was this going to hurt. Falling twice in one class is going to leave a fwe bruises. But he didn't fall...well he didn't hit the ground anyways. He opened his eyes to find himself staring into Asher's eyes. She was upside down holding him by the wrists as she dangled from her broom.

Ear tore his eyes away from Asher and looked down. He was only a few inches from the crunchy green grass of the Quidditch pitch.

"Uh, Earl Valentine, do you mind if I let you go now?"

He looked up again. Asher's face was no longer white, but pink with exerted energy and the blood that was rushing there from being upside down. "Yeah...let go!" he yelled.\n\n

0 Earl I":m te one who needs help now! 0 Earl 0 5

Asher

April 12, 2005 6:01 PM

Uh, Coach, HELP! I don't wanna break my head! by Asher

Asher did exactly as Earl asked and let go. Now he was fine, but her problem was still ongoing. Now she hanging upside down from her broom, certain to land on her head if she let go. And no way was she limber enough to flop herself right side up. She eyed Earl and wondered if he'd be willing to cushion her fall. She blew at her braid again. Probably not.

She tried swinging herself, but the first bit of movement only served to make her slide down her broom's handle. Bad decision, then. No more movement. Well, her hands were free, maybe she could just pull herself right. But doing that meant swinging again, and she was near enough to the broom's end as it was.

Asher was in a fix. Puffing furiously at her braid, she stared down at the now safe Earl and figured that her face must be beet red after hanging upside down so long. It was then that the worst thing possible happened. The absolute worse. Even worse than having to hear that annoying Briar jerk talk again.

"Earl Valentine," she said, her voice unbelievably calm, "I think I'm going to fall now."

And she slipped. Right off.\n\n

0 Asher Uh, Coach, HELP! I don't wanna break my head! 1466 Asher 0 5

Jordanna Howard

April 12, 2005 7:00 PM

yes, then I wouldn't be on this muggle-mobile by Jordanna Howard

Looking down at the ground, Jordanna could see that Nicoletta was disgusted as Jordanna was. Well, almost. No one could be as appalled as Jordanna, so used to getting the best of everything and now having to use an old, probably muggleborn-used broom. It just wasn't right. And anyone who couldn't see that was blind.

"Well," said Jordanna, "Come up here so we can get down. That way, I don't have to sit on this muggle-mobile much longer- which totally doesn't match my outfit, by the way." She folded her arms, for extra emphasis, almost forgetting that she was a few feet in the air. She fumbled for a second, but was able to manage sitting on the muggle-mobile properly. With good posture, one could sit on anything- that's what Mommy always said.\n\n

0 Jordanna Howard yes, then I wouldn't be on this muggle-mobile 65 Jordanna Howard 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 12, 2005 7:03 PM

Hardy-har-har... by Juliet Lee

"Wow. You make it look so easy! Are you sure you haven't flown before?"

Juliet laughed good-naturedly at Fawn's incredulous tone and confirmed the girl's statement with an emphatic nod.

"I'm pretty sure. At least, not consciousl-" Juliet would have launched into a small soliloquoy had it not been for the fact that Fawn was, at the moment, preoccupied with directing her broom upwards. Her mouth dropped at how gracefully Fawn handled the sweeping utensil. The first year was obviously a natural.

"Hey! This isn't as bad as I thought! I haven't died yet!"

"Well, that's a good sign." Juliet giggled in reply. Finally deciding to try it out for herself, Juliet mimicked Fawn's earlier actions by slowly lifting the broom handle. The broom jerked upwards in a sharp motion, causing Juliet's body to slam forwards onto the handle. This was obviously the wrong thing to do because the broom suddenly shot off like lightening, with Juliet helplessly clinging onto it for dear life.

If she had been in any different situation, the Japanese girl would have promptly screamed bloody murder. But this was different. She wasn't on a runaway horse or a car that had broken its brakes or a train that had suddenly sped out of control. She was on a rickety old piece of wood and around 20 feet up in the air. Juliet was far too terrified to scream. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee Hardy-har-har... 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Coach Cooper

April 12, 2005 7:13 PM

there's a spell for everything by Coach Cooper

If there was one thing the coach always remembered to bring, it was her wand. She found that gravity had a certain habit of never failing, and students a habit of sometimes falling. So it was always good to have a wand and knowledge of a couple of decent charms around when a bunch of firsties were on the loose for the first time. Who knew what could go wrong?

Watching the students like a mother hen with her chicks, she was suprised nothing had gone wrong so far. Yes, there had been the occasional mishap in calling a broom, but so far, nothing too dangerous. And then she saw a girl with a braid, who looked like she was about to fall. She was only a few feet off the ground, nothing lethal, but it was sure to lead to a couple of broken bones, or a broken neck, or concussion. And Tabitha was not going to let that happen. Then the girl began her fall.

Unfortunately, she wasn't close enough to catch the girl, but was quick enough to pull out her wand.

"Immobulus!" she shouted, pointing her wand at the girl. She reminded herself to thank Merlin again for allowing her a strengthi in charms. The spell was a freezing charm, and should freeze the girl in place. But the coach rushed to her on top speed, just in case.

"You alright there?" she asked, her voice full of worry. She would hate to have a student get hurt on their first flight at Sonora.\n\n

0 Coach Cooper there's a spell for everything 0 Coach Cooper 0 5

Earl

April 12, 2005 8:02 PM

This is gonna hurt by Earl

Earl fell to the ground with a soft 'thud'. "Well, that wasn't so bad." he thought to himself. He looked up and watchedas Asher tried to wrestle herself up into a sitting position. Her face was unbelievably red from Earl's point of view.

He heard his name spill from Asher's mouth. "Earl Valentine, I think I'm going to fall now." The words barely even registered when he saw her slip from her broom and fall.

He watched in slow motion as she traveled from the broom to him. He grimaced in pain as Asher landed on top of him; the wind knocked out of him, he managed to let out a rhaspy "You ok?"\n\n

0 Earl This is gonna hurt 0 Earl 0 5

Asher Tallow

April 12, 2005 8:09 PM

Holy spatula! by Asher Tallow

It was the strangest feeling: she was falling, and then, she wasn't. No boom of impact, no crunch of bones, no squashed Earl underneath her- although, Asher hadn't really though Earl would dive under her. There really hadn't been time for a heroic rescue, er, physical self sacrifice. Instead, her ears rushed with air for a second and then total stillness. Her eyes unscrewed open and she saw that the ground was much closer, yes, but she was no longer moving face first toward it.

She was frozen midair.

"Holy cripes, Earl Valentine, did you do this? This is amazing! What a rescue!" Asher almost felt giddy, what with having hung upside down so long and nearly landing her first broken neck. It made her babble. "Although, I would have appreciated a little warning, something along the lines of: 'Yeah, Asher, don't worry about falling. I know a real handy spell to freeze you up.'"

"You alright there?"

Coach Cooper's voice cut through her muddled mind like a knife through butter. Thankful coherence clicked, and from her awkward, upside down, midair angle, Asher managed to see the flying instructor's worried face posed slightly to her right. Terribly embarrassed, Asher flushed a deeper shade of red, and reacted as she always did in such situations: sarcastically.

"I'm just wonderful, Coach. Thanks a bundle, but can I get down now?"

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Asher Tallow Holy spatula! 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5

Earl

April 12, 2005 8:23 PM

OOC by Earl

Ok, and I'm sorry, my post last shouldn't count...I didn't read the Coach's post first and they don't go together. I guess I'll have to rewrite it. \n\n

0 Earl OOC 0 Earl 0 5

Connor

April 12, 2005 9:33 PM

Where are the Scales of Justice when you need them? by Connor

"The Princess of Savannah? Should I fall to my knees, or would calling you Your Royal Higness suffice?" Connor felt himself growing red in the face almost before he finished talking. He was going to be saying every thought that came into his head at this rate. "Never mind," he said hastily.

He was relieved that even though he had only known such a thing was possible for two months, he still managed the getting in the air part about as well as Gwen did. There was a moment of unease-was he out of his mind? He was perched on a thin piece of wood in the air with a good bit of distance between him and the ground!-but then the adrenaline kicked in. This was better than football, better than riding, even. This was heaven. As he glanced over to see how Gwen was doing at this, a small bit of his lingering hostility towards the Wizarding World dissolved.\n\n

0 Connor Where are the Scales of Justice when you need them? 68 Connor 0 5

Anne Wright

April 12, 2005 9:39 PM

Fantastic, isn't it? by Anne Wright

Anne was in the process of rising higher when she abruptly remembered that they weren't supposed to fly around without a companion. Glancing around, she didn't see anyone else alone in the air, so she descended as quickly as possible and found herself hovering next to a Crotalus girl she thought she had saw at the Opening Feast at about six or seven feet.

"Hi," she said, face flushed and eyes shining with the happiness flight always brought to her mixed with a little embarrassment over forgetting the teacher's instructions. Some kind of Aladren she was turning out to be. "I'm Anne Wright, in Aladren. Ever flown before?"\n\n

16 Anne Wright Fantastic, isn't it? 59 Anne Wright 0 5

Catherine Raines

April 12, 2005 10:00 PM

Hopefully to remain there... by Catherine Raines

Catherine had been shocked when she heard that their first class would be a flying class. She had been taught all her life that only witches with no stature or sense of propriety flew, but she was expected to. Her father would throw such a fit when he heard about this...

For a moment, she considered just walking out of the pitch, but eliminated it as a course of action almost immediately. She had to keep up appearances, and showing displeasure too openly was against the unwritten codes that bound all the Raines' and possibly all purebloods. She couldn't repress a sneer, though. Glancing to her immediate left, she could tell that Jordanna and Nicoletta were about as happy to be here as she was. She had definitely found herself the right group of friends. The loser crew, as she had dubbed them, were all getting into enthusiastic conversations with their flight buddies and seeming to enjoy this.

She summoned her broom impatiently, mounted with a grimace of distaste, and levitated a full five feet off the ground, feeling certain that lewd mudblood boys were staring up her skirt. She moved the broom in a small, controlled circle and then moved back towards the ground as quickly as she decently could. They couldn't say she had rebelled or anything of the like. She had flown, and now she was finished flying. Dismounting, she waited for Jordanna and Nicoletta-she wasn't sure where Skyla had gotten to-to finish so they could go do something more appropriate for girls of their position in life. \n\n

0 Catherine Raines Hopefully to remain there... 66 Catherine Raines 0 5

Adam Whitney

April 12, 2005 10:22 PM

BELLA!! by Adam Whitney

Adam walked out onto the pitch with everyone else. He had only met a boy named Conner, who seemed alright with him. But now was his chance to meet other people. Except, he didn't. He saw Bella instead. He had grown up with her and her brother and new her so well that the three of them were like best friends.

Adam grabbed a broom and tossed it down on the ground beside him. The brooms weren't anything special. Most looked rather old and shotty, but it was a broom and that was all that mattered. Adam loved to fly and he loved to search for that little golden treasure whenever he played quidditch. He was rather good at him if he didn't say so himself.

But now wasn't the time to think of that. He raised his right hand over the broom and commanded it to rise. It amazed how he still had such trouble sometimes with different brooms when it came to calling them. It seemed as though no one else was really having that issue and Adam couldn't see what he was doing wrong and they were doing right.

By the third time though, he had the broom firming gripped in his hand and was mounting it with eagerness. Soon he had joined his classmates in the sky. "BELLA!" Adam bellowed to her and flew toward where she was. "BELLA! LET'S FLY!" He said with his goofy grin.\n\n

6 Adam Whitney BELLA!! 69 Adam Whitney 0 5

Bella

April 12, 2005 10:54 PM

ADAM!!! by Bella

Bella had been hovering slightly watching everyone else on their brooms. She knew how to fly, she had been flying for most of her life. Granted, she wasn't the best and probably could use a bit of work, but she still knew how to fly.

She was amused as the snobby looking girls flew around in skirts with their noses in the air as though they were better than everyone else. Bella didn't care for such things. Her grandparents had made such a name for the Santoros in three different countries that she knew were she stood with the purebloods. Being pretty and wearing indecent things weren't necessary for Bella to make an impact in the world. She was content to stay in the shadows until further notice.

BELLA The familiar shout of her best friend drew Bella's attention and she turned to see Adam flying in her direction. The grin spread quickly over her soft features and eagerly matched those of her friends. BELLA, LET'S FLY!!

"ADAM! HEY!" Bella said, giddy all over for having finally caught up with him. "Where have you been?"\n\n

0 Bella ADAM!!! 0 Bella 0 5

Jim Dickens

April 13, 2005 4:00 AM

I can do sommersaults on my broom. Wanna see? by Jim Dickens

This was the coolest class yet. 'Course it was Jim's first one at Sonora, but still, it was definitely the coolest one yet. He had on his special vest- the black one with all the pockets and zippers- and his lucky purple sneakers with the blue laces. They were his lucky sneakers 'cause they were the ones he wore when he took his first cliff dive without breaking his arm. He got a patch for that, too, a big orange one that Mr. Barts wrote on with a black marker: Cliff Dive Without Bodily Injury. It was the best.

But this was pretty neat, too. His dad had a broom, but he only used it to dance with, and his mom sometimes used one to get the tea pot off the stovetop, but that was it. Never had his parents used a broom for flying, and now he was flying, and it was super neat. He tried standing on the handle at first, but it was harder to steer that way. Then he tried hanging upside down, and that was the best. Everyone was upside down, and the ground was, like, a trillion leagues below him.

Jim sat up again and heard the lady coach person say something about partners. His ears perked up instantly. Buddy-system! He knew all about this. Rule number five in the hand book for Tiger Scouts said: Buddies are your friend. Always have a buddy! He pushed back his blond hair from his sweaty forehead and looked for a buddy. His brown eyes finally fell on two girls who had their mouths all pinched up and cheeks sucked in. Ah, Jim knew what was wrong with them.

Definitely leukemia. But he had his gummy vitamin for that. Happily, he flew his broom in their direction. One of the pinch faced girls said something about getting down and a muggle-mobile, which sounded really neat whatever it was. Hurriedly, he pulled out his vitamin vial and found two of his vitamins. He flipped back around on his broom, until his head fell just about level with the other girl's. He grinned into her face and held out the vitamin.

"Hi. Eat this. You'll feel much better, I promise." His grin widened and the sun flashed onto his braces. "I'm Jim. Who are you?"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Jim Dickens I can do sommersaults on my broom. Wanna see? 0 Jim Dickens 0 5

Adam

April 13, 2005 9:36 AM

The Love of my life! by Adam

Adam slowed to a rough stop next to Bella. These brooms didn't want to seem to work properly. The entire time he was flying to Bella, his broom wanted to go left instead of straight. It was bothersome after a few moments, but Adam ignored it. He took anything that came his way with a shrug and a grin.

The grin that lit Bella's face was noticeable. She had been staring off somewhere else looking bored, but Adam knew how to change that. "I've been flying, duh!" Adam said jokingly. "Nah, I've been meeting people and exploring. You should explore with me, Bella! This place is huge!" Adam said with much enthusiasm. "Plus, I met a kid named Connor, he seemed cool. Have you met anyone? Wanna fly now?" Adam asked, switching topics with a snap of the fingers.\n\n

0 Adam The Love of my life! 0 Adam 0 5

Tally and Chrissy

April 13, 2005 9:52 AM

it's not you, it's the brooms by Tally and Chrissy

"I don't feel like flying Chris!" Tally exclaimed as her best friend pulled her from the school and through the paths to the Quidditch pitch.

"Since when?" Chrissy asked dubiously. "You love to fly.

"I just don't."

"Well to bad, I do and as my best friend you are obligated to do this with me." Chrissy said rather smugly. Tally sighed and let herself be dragged to the pitch without another word.

When they arrived, they saw it completely covered with first years. Tally immediately went to turn around and leave, but Chrissy held fast to her. "A few first years won't hurt you, Tals." Chrissy said and then pulled her into the middle of the field. They each stood next to a broom and called it to them. Tally's took a little more time because the broom was a bit shotty and didn't want to fly directly to her hand. Never a good sign.

They both easily kicked off and flew a few feet in the air. Occasionally they would do a lap or so around the pitch, carefully avoiding the first years, when Tally caught sight of another second year, who also seemed to have a shotty broom.

"Hey Zack!" Tally called out after racking her brain for his name. She had only met him once in class, but she felt it necessary to say hello anyway. Second years had to stick together after all.\n\n

0 Tally and Chrissy it's not you, it's the brooms 0 Tally and Chrissy 0 5

Mckenna

April 13, 2005 10:07 AM

Looks like you need practice by Mckenna

Mckenna Snorted as Maggie caught up on her. She really thought she could win that easy? Mckenna grinned evilly as she kept her speed just right to stay even with Maggie. Mckenna gripped her broom handle tighter as she finished off the first half of the lap.

Without a words warning Mckenna accelerated hard on her broom and flew ahead so she was directly infront of Maggie. Blocking any way for Maggie to overtake her.

Mckenna turned to Maggie with a mocking grin. " Looks like you need a little more practice!" Mckenna laughed and stuck her toungue out at Maggie. She certainly was gonna make this easy.

\n\n

0 Mckenna Looks like you need practice 0 Mckenna 0 5

Maggie

April 13, 2005 11:56 AM

that's what you think... by Maggie

Maggie returned a wicked grin, unfazed by McKenna's little burst of speed. "So want to play like that?" She kept grinning as they finished half the lap. The bend in the pitch would be her key to get around.

As she approached the turn in the oval of the pitch, Maggie tucked in toward her broom and shot to McKenna's left, taking the straighter inside path rather than the outside.

She laughed as she met McKenna head to head for a second and pulled ahead. "How's the end of my broom look?" She teased, hoping this wouldn't turn into a serious race. Her competitive streak ran deep, but she did know how to have fun with it.\n\n

0 Maggie that's what you think... 0 Maggie 0 5

Bella

April 13, 2005 1:12 PM

The Man of my dreams! by Bella

Bella shook her head at Adam with amusement. He was always going on about something or other. She greatly sympathized with whoever had to deal with him in the dorms.

She took off without a word to him, knowing that he would follow close behind. Her broom jutted every so often and it caused her to grip it in a vice like way. She had never worried about falling off since she had first ridden a broom, but this broom was bringing back her old feeling.

Calling out to Adam, "I met Jake's friend, Liz, and my roommate, Anne. Other than those two, I haven't spoken to anyone." Bella shouted.\n\n

0 Bella The Man of my dreams! 0 Bella 0 5

Mckenna

April 13, 2005 3:45 PM

So you wanna play it the hard way, Huh? by Mckenna

Mckenna shook her head. When would people ever learn. Playing the speed game with Mckenna was like playing with fire. Speed and manoeuvring were Mckenna's greatest strengths, and Maggie had just signed her own death warrant. Sure Maggie was ahead now, and she'd go along with it for now.

Mckenna accelerated once again and flew head to head with Maggie Copying her acceleration patterns so she stayed at exactly the same speed. "You know, I shouldn't of underestimated you, your no beginner." Mckenna Smiled as she just finished 3 quarters of the lap. "But then again, Neither am I" Mckenna plunged downwards and turning upwards accelerating ahead of Maggie.

She needed to hold her last burst of speed for as long as she could if she was gonna win.

In a final burst of acceleration Mckenna finished the lap first. Maggie only a metre behind her.

"oww!" Mckenna laughed, grimacing as she rubbed her fingers.
"From now on you can win! Racing you hurts my fingers."\n\n

0 Mckenna So you wanna play it the hard way, Huh? 0 Mckenna 0 5

Maggie

April 13, 2005 4:09 PM

what other way is there? by Maggie

Maggie laughed and only watched as McKenna sped past her. Well no big deal, it was only for fun. She shot upward for a minute before flipping back to join the ranks of the ground lovers.

"Been on a broom for four years." Maggie grinned as she landed. "You're not so bad yourself." She laughed and flexed her own fingers. She had a tendency to grip too tightly.

"That felt great!" She smiled again, already missing the air rushing by. She had to try her hardest to get on the quidditch team. If not she might burst.\n\n

0 Maggie what other way is there? 0 Maggie 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 13, 2005 5:11 PM

I'm ready for some altitude! by Laura Keaton

Laura was still looking below her for a flying buddy, when suddenly a pair of feet appeared next to her, followed by the rest of a girl who was descending rapidly from above. Her face seemed flushed from adrenaline and excitement, and she controlled her broom well enough for Laura to assume she had flown frequently before.

"Hi. I'm Anne Wright, in Aladren. Ever flown before?"

Laura smiled over at her potential flying partner. “Hi,” she returned the greeting. “I’m Laura Keaton, in Crotalus. I haven’t been flying in over a year, because my family had to move to a suburb near Phoenix, but I used to fly all the time when we lived in Massachusetts. Do you want to be my flying partner? I’ve been dying to get some altitude.” Laura looked upward with a look of longing on her face.
\n\n

0 Laura Keaton I'm ready for some altitude! 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Chris

April 13, 2005 6:17 PM

Glad, you do. grins by Chris

Chris had to grin at the enthusiasm Dalila showed for Quidditch. He felt the same way. He was shocked though when he learned she had never been on a broom, but glad to know it wasn't her own doing. His sister had only taken broom lessons that were required of her and no more, but then again, it was deemed, in the higher social circles, that pure-blood girls do not ride a broom more than necessary, as it is distasteful to do so. He thought it was rather ridiculous.

'Well, anyways, maybe you could help me, so I don't make my self look like an idiot,' she had said.

"No problem," Chris said, pushing his jet-black hair out of his eyes, as he mounted his broom, "We can start slow until you feel mroe comfortable. I suggest only hovering about two feet off the ground at first."

He kicked off and hovered slightly off the ground, waiting for Dalila.\n\n

0 Chris Glad, you do. *grins* 0 Chris 0 5

Nicoletta

April 13, 2005 6:29 PM

Not really... by Nicoletta

Nicoletta stared in distaste at the boy in front of her. He obviously had some, if not all, mudblood in him, judging by his clothing and the strange bits of metal in his mouth.

'Hi. Eat this. You'll feel much better, I promise. I'm Jim. Who are you?' He had asked her.

Trying to hold back a sneer, she said in a superior voice, "My name is Nicoletta Dupree, and I am not going to eat anything offered by you. You're a mud-muggle-born, aren't you, or at least a half-blood?"

With that, she flew up to where Jordanna was waiting for her.

Hovering next to her friend, she said, "I can't believe that...that mudblood had the nerve to try and talk to me."\n\n

0 Nicoletta Not really... 0 Nicoletta 0 5

Dalila

April 13, 2005 6:58 PM

here I go... by Dalila

Dalila watched Chris as he mounted the broom and pushed off. He was now hovering a few feet above the crunchy green field waiting for her. She shrugged her shoulders and straddled her broom as well. With a hearty kick, Dalila shot off the ground and into the wide blue expanse, more commonly refered to as the sky.

She shrieked with delight as she soared up. Screw only two feet off the ground; Dalila wanted to go higher. She tried to rise as fast as she could, but ended up only being able to go about 15 feet in the hot, desert air. She didn't really know how to go up without pushing off something.

The broom began to descend and Dalila sighed. She became parallel to Chris, and between excited breaths, managed to yell out, "That was great! I want to do that again. How do you go higher? Or sideways, for that matter."\n\n

0 Dalila here I go... 0 Dalila 0 5

Jordanna

April 13, 2005 6:58 PM

I second that by Jordanna

The first thing that came to Jordanna's mind was one word- "freak"! He wore a strange looking vest and sneakers with colors that didn't match. On his vest, she eyed a patch that said something about cliff diving. Combined with the odd bear-shaped candies he was offering her and Nicoletta, Jordanna was able to conclude that this was not a completely sane person she was dealing with.

"I'm sorry, but I don't take anything from strange-" she was about to say 'strangers' but thought it best to leave it at strange, "people like yourself." She gave him a look that clearly said "leave or I'll make you". If he didn't understand that, than he was stranger than she thought.

Jordanna was pleased when Nicoletta finally joined her in the air. She tried to ignore the fact that Nicoletta had said 'mudblood'. Not that she had a higher opinion of them, it was just that Jordanna felt that she had a certain amount of classiness, and the word mudblood wasn't classy. It could be used for private conversation, but not in public. "You know how strange their kind can be," she said smoothly, "Now that we're up here, we can go down." With that, she steered the muggle-mobile to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the ground she let the broom drop. She wanted to touch the thing for as short a time as possible. She hoped the insane cliff boy would go away.\n\n

0 Jordanna I second that 0 Jordanna 0 5

Jim Dickens

April 13, 2005 7:06 PM

I can tango, too. Watch! by Jim Dickens

It was even worse than Jim thought. The leukemia had obviously spread to such an extent, that the Nicoletta girl's vision was disappearing. She hadn't even seen his vitamins. This was very, very bad, Jim thought sorrowfully. But then he perked up. At least, Nicoletta could still talk! She still had her voice! Her throat hadn't shriveled up shut, yet, like leukemia normally did.
There was still time, yet.

The Nicoletta-girl flew past him, and so he flopped back up straight and parked up next to both of the girls. He beamed at them both and held out the vitamins again. "I can tell you're sick, Ni-co-letta. See, it's on your face," he pointed to her very sick face. "Soon your skin will wrinkle and your hair will fall out. Better take this."

He turned to the other, deciding to say hello to her upside down. He scratched at his pug nose and pointed to her face as well. "You, too. All your hair will just 'poof!' vanish. I've seen it before," he nodded somberly. "Excepting, last time, poor Margaret started getting splotchy skin, too. It was very sad."

He itched his nose again and tried dangling from just his legs. Neato. "Which house you in? I'm in Pecari. Pe-ca-ri, like mar-ti-ni, only, not really, 'cause I don't think we're allowed to have alcohol here, except in case someone gets buried in a snow drift and then a big dog will bring him alcohol, but that's it."

\n\n

0 Jim Dickens I can tango, too. Watch! 0 Jim Dickens 0 5

Earl Valentine

April 13, 2005 7:09 PM

That was close [tag: Asher] by Earl Valentine

Earl flinched as she waited for Asher to fall head first on top of him...but it never came. He looked up and saw Asher, frozen in mid fall. That was strange. People don't usually just stop in mid air...unless it's in a cartoon or something.

He saw Asher smile at him and start babbling about how he had saved her. But he hadn't don't anything...had he? "No he thought quickly. "I think I would've known if I could freeze things.

Then he heard the Coach, and he understood. He hadn't done anything. The coach had 'saved' Asher from that truely horribly 5 foot fall.

"...can I get down now?" Earl heard Asher say. In one second, Asher had tumbled on top of him. The only thing he could think to say was, "Ok...you can off me now."\n\n

0 Earl Valentine That was close [tag: Asher] 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Anne Wright

April 13, 2005 9:10 PM

Up, Up, and Away! by Anne Wright

Anne grinned widely when she heard Laura say that she had once been a frequent flyer. "Pleased to meet you, Laura," she said. "I've been on a broomstick since before I could walk. Mama would hold me on the front of hers." She laughed. "That was fun. I'm from South Carolina, and I'm probably as out of practice at flying as you are."

She gave the ends of her handkerchief hairband a tug to make sure it was still in place, her dark eyes lit up with barely suppressed laughter. "Sorry if I seem a little hyper," she said. "It's just been so long since I was flying, not since Mama-" she cut off. She couldn't talk about that. She cleared her throat a little and smiled. "Sure," she said to Laura's offer. "I just remembered that we had to have flying buddies. How high do you want to go? As long as there aren't any dragons or other flying animals at that altitude, I'll go."\n\n

16 Anne Wright Up, Up, and Away! 59 Anne Wright 0 5

Jordanna Howard

April 13, 2005 9:52 PM

I'd rather watch you go away by Jordanna Howard

"You, too. All your hair will just 'poof!' vanish. I've seen it before,"

That was the very last straw. She had been most gracious in just brushing him off, thinking him loony, but that stopped now. No one, and she meant no one, ever threatened her hair in any way, shape, or form. This was the last straw. She was feeling very frusterated- why wouldn't this loony loser just go away?

She fingered at her wand. At home, she had only been taught magic theory. She had learned a couple of spells, but never had the chance to use them. She couldn't wait to start using her knowledge. And here was this freak, just egging her on.

From the ground, she pulled out her wand and pointed it up at the boy. Her whole facial expression had changed from one of disgust to one that said clearly "one step further and you're dead mean". At least, she thought it was clear. She didn't know what the insane mind would think of it...

"No one, but you, is sick," she said in a stern voice, "Now if you would please go as far away from us as humanely possible, I think you would find that most beneficial for all of us. I ask of you again- leave."

\n\n

0 Jordanna Howard I'd rather watch you go away 65 Jordanna Howard 0 5

Jim Dickens

April 14, 2005 6:04 AM

I know a neato trick. Watch it! by Jim Dickens

Jim knew this game very well. It was one the older kids with the really stiff collars were always playing with him back on the island. It was kind of like Keep Away, only it was called Snatch Away. The older kids would stand around, real stiff, and hold stuff out or point it at him and normally say something like: Either go away or I'll beat you with this violin case! or If you're not gone by three, my pen is going into your eye! It was a great game, and normally Jim was able to grab the pen or violin case before it hit him.

This wasn't any diferent from that at all, and he was on a broom, too, which was alot faster than his legs. The sick girl, not Ni-co-let-ta, said the magic words just like the stiff kids used to do, and so Jim decided to play along. He hadn't known that everyone knew Snatch Away; he thought it was just an island game. He grinned and ran his tongue over his braces. This was going to be fun, but he had to be sneaky. Stealthy even.

So Jim screwed up his nose and scratched his head. "Okay then. That's fine. I hope your hair doesn't fall out. Bye Ni-co-let-ta and her friend!"

He turned his broom away slowly, sliding forward to actually sit properly, before turning it sharply and diving straight down to where the girl- not Ni-co-let-ta- stood with her wand held out. He buzzed down right over her head and grabbed the wand with a loud whoop.

Laughing, Jim circled back around over head and waved down at the girl- the one that wasn't Ni-co-let-ta. "I won! But hey, how come your wand is different from mine? Mine's blue and has pictures on it. But yours just looks like wood. Didn't you want to decorate it? And hey," he added after switching back to hanging upside down, "I still have the vitamins for you. That way your hair won't fall out."\n\n

0 Jim Dickens I know a neato trick. Watch it! 0 Jim Dickens 0 5

Jordanna

April 14, 2005 3:16 PM

wand stealer! by Jordanna

What was this kid's problem? It was infuriating to Jordanna, she was being so kind- why do people go and make things harder on themselves? Stupid muggleborns, maybe they truly were born without any tact,' she thought. Yes, that must be it, they didn't have tact. Otherwise, they would realize their presence was unwanted in the magical world, and only allowed because some purebloods pitied them.

But that- that piece of dirt had gone so far as to steal her wand! Stealing was a crime, and not just in school. If this got back to Daddy, there would be a lot of trouble for this pile of dirt someone had gone so far as to call a school. No muggleborn would dare even stay in the school then.

But first, Jordanna had to retrieve her wand. And she wasn't going to go back on the muggle-mobile to do it. She would have someone else do it, someone with the power to enforce punishment for this wrong done to Jordanna.

"This is it- I'm calling the coach," she said, glaring at that loony, then she turned to Nicolleta, "Remind me to make my sister thoroughly polish my wand when I get it back."\n\n

0 Jordanna wand stealer! 0 Jordanna 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 14, 2005 6:17 PM

Into the wild, blue yonder! by Laura Keaton

Laura’s smile flickered for a second when she saw her new friend falter over something that had happened to her mom. However, Laura immediately put the smile back on, determined not to let the other girl see that she had noticed. Laura completely understood not wanting to talk about sensitive subjects, and would never push the issue. Instead, she focused on the issue at hand: flying. Although definitely not prejudiced against Muggle borns, Laura was happy that she had found a buddy with flying experience, willing to go to whatever height.

"I just remembered that we had to have flying buddies. How high do you want to go? As long as there aren't any dragons or other flying animals at that altitude, I'll go."

Meeting a dragon while on a broomstick could be exciting, Laura thought, if you lived to tell about it. However, she wasn’t willing to pit the old, beat up school broom against anything more than a bird, never mind a dragon.

“Is as high as Seekers play alright?” Laura responded. “I don’t want to get points taken for flying too far on the first day of lessons.”
\n\n

0 Laura Keaton Into the wild, blue yonder! 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 14, 2005 6:32 PM

OOC- ( to Asher) by Laura Keaton

Ok, so only now did I see the whole, Yo Laura, post. Sometimes I can be highly oblivious. Just wanted to let you know I wasn't ignoring you. Once Anne and Laura get into the air, I'll try to steer your direction, as long as that's ok with Anne, who can feel free to disagree.\n\n

0 Laura Keaton OOC- ( to Asher) 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Jordanna

April 14, 2005 7:56 PM

ooc by Jordanna

argh! my author spelled Nicoletta's name incorrectly. don't worry, she will be severely punished for this.\n\n

0 Jordanna ooc 0 Jordanna 0 5

Asher Tallow

April 14, 2005 8:00 PM

Thanks for the catch, Mr. Valentine by Asher Tallow

Asher all but lept off of Earl and to the grass beside him, her face flushed and throat a particularly bright shade of red. She hadn't thought when she asked Coach Cooper to put her down that the spell would just evaporate! She rubbed her jaw, sore from where it slammed into Earl's shoulder blade.

"Thanks for, um, cushioning me." She scowled at her broomstick. "Stupid broom." She gave it a slight kick and quickly jumped back as it launched almost immediately back into her grip. "Holy cripes, it's possessed!"

Nervously, she dropped it back down to the ground and stepped away from it. "I don't think it likes me, Earl Valentine. Oh, but hang on- are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need to go to see the nurse?"

\n\n

0 Asher Tallow Thanks for the catch, Mr. Valentine 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5

Earl Valentine

April 14, 2005 9:14 PM

You're very welcome by Earl Valentine

Asher rolled off of Earl, Earl tried to catched his breath as Asher yelled at her broom. He watched as her broom continued to try and get her to grasp it again. He laughed through his pain. Something really hurt.

"I don't think it likes me, Earl Valentine. Oh, but hang on- are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need to go to see the nurse?"

Earl moaned audibly. "I don't need to go see the nurse. I'm fine...really. I just need to walk it off." He tried pushing himself up, but fell back down again, clutching his side.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow..."
\n\n

0 Earl Valentine You're very welcome 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Anne

April 14, 2005 9:55 PM

OOC by Anne

It's okay by Anne. As long as she and Gwen Carey don't speak just yet, there won't be a problem. There's a bit of a story behind Gwen and Anne. They've been planned by me and her author to technically meet in about, oh, a week to two weeks real time, and that's where things get...interesting, if things work out right. (Anne and her author exchange devilish grins.)\n\n

16 Anne OOC 59 Anne 0 5

Asher Tallow

April 14, 2005 10:50 PM

You're a star, a real star! by Asher Tallow

She heard Earl's cry and felt the guilt slam into her full force. This was all her fault! First losing her balance, then knocking him off and finally falling on him. What an absolutely lousy way to make a friend...

"Oh jeez, Earl Valentine, can you walk? Or should I get the nurse?" She knelt down next to him and peered at him worriedly. He was holding his side and looked pained. "Is it your ribs? Oh cripes, I crushed them didn't I? I have really hard elbows, I know."

Asher hung her head and pushed her stupid hair out the way impatiently. "I'm so sorry, Earl Valentine. Tell me what I can do."\n\n

0 Asher Tallow You're a star, a real star! 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5

Earl Valentine

April 15, 2005 6:26 PM

A star is born by Earl Valentine

Asher's face was really close to Earl's. Her hair was curtining his face from view and she looked really upset. Was he dying? Naaa...people can usually tell when they're dying, right? If that was the case, then Earl Valentine was definately NOT dying. And the realization that he wasn't made him feel better than any medicine could.

"I'm so sorry, Earl Valentine. Tell me what I can do."

He thought for a second. What could she do? "Asher- just help me get to the hospital wing?"\n\n

0 Earl Valentine A star is born 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Anne

April 15, 2005 8:04 PM

(sings)It's a great day to go and fly! by Anne

"Seeker height's fine," Anne said, looking up at a few other students who were flying around. "I don't think any of us want to lose more points than we can help. It won't do much for endearing you to your dorm mates." She laughed. "In the Muggle world, teachers are obliged to keep you alive. Your parents can sue the heck out of them if anything ever happens to you while they're in charge.Maybe it's the same way here." She blushed a little. "I, um, haven't always been part of the pureblood world. I was raised incognito."

She decided to change the subject quickly. If she started talking, she'd say more than she ever meant to. The absolute last thing she needed to do was blurt out the whole drama of her family during flying class. "So, have you made many friends yet?" She asked, allowing herself to start heading upward a little and watching Laura carefully to see if she was going to follow.

\n\n

16 Anne (sings)It's a great day to go and fly! 59 Anne 0 5

Gwenhwyfar

April 15, 2005 10:41 PM

In a museum somewhere, I guess by Gwenhwyfar

Gwen laughed at Connor's joke. "You can fall on your knees and call me Highness!" she shouted as he joined her in the air. A thought struck her and she laughed again. "Hey, remember that thing you said about my name? Arthur's queen and all? All works out nicely, doesn't it?"

She looked at the ground and felt a rush of exhilaration and dizziness. The view from the air was incredible. She was going to have to do this more often. She gave Connor an excited smile. Sonora was more than she had ever dreamed. She, Gwenhwyfar Carey, the loner, had friends, fun, and the whole world ahead of her. She was finally home. \n\n

0 Gwenhwyfar In a museum somewhere, I guess 63 Gwenhwyfar 0 5

Asher Tallow

April 16, 2005 6:57 AM

Hopefully not a falling one by Asher Tallow

Asher remembered the night Jamie broke his leg. She was eight then and he ten, and the two of them decided to play Secret Agents and spy in on whatever it was their older brother Danny liked to do in the attic every Saturday. Danny had started his sneaking away forays in mid October that year and it was nearly Thanksgiving then. So she and Jamie climbed up the stacked trunks and hat boxes in the western corner and planted themselves overhead on one of the wide beams that looked down into the lofted room. Danny crept in, a round box in hands, nearly an hour later. Their spying made it barely past the opening of the box when Asher tipped forward, suddenly unbalanced. Jamie rushed to grab her, missed, and fell. Asher landed a second later, directly on him. Jamie's leg was broken in three spots, and, after mumbling about her needing to eat less, he promptly passed out.

She learned later, after her father found a Healer in Waxonberry to fix up Jamie's leg, that Danny's secret project was the knitting of a scarf for her Christmas present.

It was a strange thing to feel so tangibly the emotion of guilt as an eight year old and yet not even understand the depth of the concept. All Asher knew then was that her brother Jamie got hurt because of her, and that something like that should never happen again. The memory reared up, ever so potently, as she offerred her shoulder to Earl for a support. Once again, her clumsiness had hurt some one. It made her feel angry at herself, but mostly, it made her feel very bad. It made her throat feel tight and her chest buzz in an odd way. Friends weren't supposed to hurt each other.

She bit down on her lip and kept her eyes downcast. Careful to move slowly and not hurt Earl any farther, she whispered again. "Did I hurt you badly? I'm really sorry, Earl Valentine, really sorry."

OOC: Wanna continue this in the Hospital Wing? Just post there if yes.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Asher Tallow Hopefully not a falling one 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 16, 2005 8:12 PM

They look like ants down there by Laura Keaton

"In the Muggle world, teachers are obliged to keep you alive. Your parents can sue the heck out of them if anything ever happens to you while they're in charge. Maybe it's the same way here. I, um, haven't always been part of the pureblood world. I was raised incognito."

Laura sensed some tension in Anne’s voice as she talked about the way she was raised, and how quickly she changed the subject. Secretly Laura wished she could have been raised incognito as well. Not knowing her pureblood relatives was no loss to her; in fact, it would probably make her happier.

"So, have you made many friends yet?"

Laura wasn’t sure how Anne defined many, but Laura thought she was doing quite well in the friend department, considering how shy she usually was. “I’ve made friends with two girls who are also in Crotalus, Gwen Carey and Asher Tallow, as well as Juliet Lee who is in Teppenpaw. And now I’ve met you.”

She was following Anne as she ascended up to Seeker height. Laura watched as many of the other students below them slowly faded away to the size of ants, though there were a few others who had ventured higher as well. Laura leaned forward slightly on her broom, starting it moving parallel to the ground instead of vertical after they had hit Seeker height. She looked back to make sure Anne was still with her; she didn’t want to loose her buddy.

“So what do you like best about Sonora so far?” Laura asked, trying to keep conversation.
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Laura Keaton They look like ants down there 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Anne

April 16, 2005 9:24 PM

The school looks like part of a Christmas village by Anne

Anne was relieved when Laura let the subject of her unusual raising drop. Sometimes she felt that a conversation was like her and the other person trying to make their way to each other through a minefield and the slightest false step could lead to setting off an enormous explosion. It hadn't shut her up yet, though. Putting aside her thoughts, she nodded as Laura listed her friends.

"I've talked to one of my roomates and to a guy at the Feast, but that's it for me," she said. "I'm a social disaster waiting to happen, usually." She laughed. "I haven't had time to decide what I like best about Sonora yet, but I'm willing to bet it'll be the library. I'm also a bookworm."

She reviewed the list of names Laura had mentioned, wondering if any of them were people she was supposed to know. Asher Tallow and Juliet Lee meant nothing to her, but there had been another that sounded familiar...she gasped as if she had been hit in the stomach with a Bludger and felt every bit of color drain from her face. It would be too much good luck for it to be a coincidence. She had hoped to put this off much longer, but how many people with that name could there be in the world?

"Gwen Carey! Not Gwenhwyfar! Is she here? Where? She's supposed to be in Valdosta!" Anne glanced around the pitch, seeing several unnaturally perfect and over-dressed girls, any one of which could have been Gwenhwyfar. Her hands tightened on the handle of her broom until the whiteness from her knuckles spread to other parts of her hands. She knew her drastic overreaction had probably freaked Laura out. She took an unsteady breath. "Sorry," she said, somewhat calmer. "I'm not a total fruitcake. You just caught me off guard. I wouldn't have ever seen Gwenhwyfar Carey becoming friends with anyone who qualifies as a human being. Do you see her around?" She half-dreaded getting an answer. This would be her luck.

OOC: Don't worry, this was a planned thing. It was going to be even more dramatic, but Gwen and I decided that would be unrealistic even for Anne. lol.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

16 Anne The school looks like part of a Christmas village 59 Anne 0 5

Adam

April 17, 2005 11:55 AM

The Man of everyones' dream! by Adam

Adam's grin grew wide as Bella shot off with her broom. He took off after her, trying to gain speed, but doing a lousy job of it with this old rickety broom. Every-so-often his broom seemed to need to punch the air in order to say afloat and he would burst forward and almost fall back to Earth. But those moments were rare and made him laugh with glee.

"I've met Connor, his one of my roommates and that's it. Seems nice. He's...he's...a Mugglenorn" Adam said that last word in a harsh whisper when he finally reached Bella's side after his broom had given a nice jolt of speed. He hadn't found anything wrong with anyone being a muggleborn, but he had never met one and had always wanted to know what they were like. Besides the weird words about appliances and ecklecticy, the other boy had seem like he could be fun to have as a friend.

"How are the bookworms? Any fun?" Adam asked with a teasing smile which turned into an almost frightened look when his broom decided to chose that moment to punch the air again.\n\n

0 Adam The Man of everyones' dream! 0 Adam 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 18, 2005 3:02 PM

Christmas in the desert, maybe by Laura Keaton

Laura listened as Anne told her that she thought her favorite part of Sonora would be the library. Laura had yet to enter the library at Sonora, but hoped she would like it as well. She had a funny feeling that some of the girls in her dormitory would be more worried about having zits than studying for a test, which wouldn’t help Laura at all. She had to have nearly absolute silence in order to study.

The two girls continued to fly high above most of the other students, though Laura nearly fell off her broom from shock when she heard Anne speak next.

"Gwen Carey! Not Gwenhwyfar! Is she here? Where? She's supposed to be in Valdosta!...Sorry, I'm not a total fruitcake. You just caught me off guard. I wouldn't have ever seen Gwenhwyfar Carey becoming friends with anyone who qualifies as a human being. Do you see her around?"

Laura wasn’t sure if the fact that, according to Anne, Gwen never made friends with anyone who was human, was an insult or a compliment. She eventually settled somewhere closer to a compliment, since certain purebloods would never see Laura as qualifying as human. It was, however, clear that Anne held some sort of animosity toward Gwen, and Laura thought Anne’s reaction was similar to what Laura imagined her own reaction would be to find out one of her pureblood cousins was at Sonora. Pureblood family rivalry, perhaps? Laura knew it could happen, as the Sanice part of her family held a huge grudge against the Milton family. The only thing her mother could have done that was worse than marrying a Muggle was marrying a Milton.

“Gwen seems really nice,” Laura told Anne, attempting to stand up for her friend but not discriminate against a new one. She scanned the ground, trying to distinguish one ant from another. Squinting, she could make out a few of her dorm mates looking disgusted at having been made to fly. Gwen, Laura was happy to see, wasn’t among them. Laura continued to scan the pitch below her, before finally spotting Gwen hovering just a little above the ground with a guy Laura didn’t know. Laura couldn’t help but smile at how uncomfortable Gwen looked to be riding a broom in a skirt; yet another reason skirts were evil pieces of clothing.

Laura looked back over at Anne, trying to decide whether Anne wanted to know where Gwen was in order to avoid her or to confront her. Laura really didn’t want to have to pick sides. “Gwen is below us, flying around with a guy I don’t recognize,” Laura told her, pointing in the right direction. “Just promise you aren’t going to go beat her with a broomstick or anything.”
\n\n

0 Laura Keaton Christmas in the desert, maybe 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Elizabeth

April 18, 2005 5:38 PM

Brooms? Did someone mention quidditch?! by Elizabeth

Entering the sunny and bright atmosphere of the Sonora Quidditch Pitch, Elizabeth took a deep breath. Closing her eyes and taking another breath, she felt the slight breeze play with her slighty shorter ponytail and the gently warming sun shine on her face. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and beautiful days like this one was turning out to be were the oppourtune times for quidditch practice.

All of a sudden, a whole lot of noise errupted from the other side of the pitch, and Elizabeth snapped her eyes open. The new quidditch players of the first years were out and about, taking their first flights. It sort of bothered her at first, but when she thought about it, Elizabeth realised they were the next generation of potential Pecari house quidditch players. A grin spread across her tan face at the thought of house teams. This year they'd get the chance to show everyone that Pecari wasn't just a bunch of monkeys, but monkeys who could play quidditch.

Taking flight, but keeping her already established distance from the firsties, Elizabeth noticed that she wasn't the only second year looking for some playing time. Tally, Chrissy, and Zach were in the air, and she waved cheerily to Chrissy, the only one she really knew. A short burst of speed got her to the middle of the pitch, and close to the two girls.

"Hey Chrissy, Tally." she said, smiling then looking towards the first years, "They look alright for a bunch of new firsties, don't ya think?" \n\n

0 Elizabeth Brooms? Did someone mention quidditch?! 0 Elizabeth 0 5

Anne

April 18, 2005 7:52 PM

Haul in some artificial snow and it'll look the same by Anne

Anne gazed in the direction Laura had pointed and settled on the golden-haired girl who was flying with a boy as being Gwenhwyfar. She had heard someone mention that Gwenhwyfar was a regular freak of nature, born with fair hair and blue eyes in the uniformly dark Carey family. She couldn't repress a shaky laugh when Laura asked her to promise she wouldn't try to beat Gwenhwyfar up with a broomstick or something.

"No worries there," she said. "I wouldn't do it anyway, but even if I wanted to it wouldn't be in my best interests." She grimaced bleakly and then told the truth. "Gwenhwyfar Carey is my half first cousin," she said flatly. "My grandmother, Eileen St. Martin, was first married to Edwardius Carey, with whom she had a son, Alasdair. When he died, she married Alban St. Martin, with whom she had a daughter, Mary. Mary was my mother, and Alasdair is Gwenhwyfar's father. He refused to acknowledge Mama's existence after she married Daddy until after she died, back in February.The Careys hate me for being related to them, and they sent Gwenhwyfar to spy on me, to ensure my good conduct."She laughed harshly.

She could vividly remember the family reunion, held in Beaufort less than a month after her mother died. Her grandmother had gone up to a hawk-nosed and cruel-faced man, beaming and asking him where "Our Gwenhwyfar" was, ignoring the little dark-haired girl at his heels. The man had said shortly that she had come down with a mild case of the flu and couldn't be there, so he had brought his other daughter Morgaine instead. Anne had been presented to Morgaine, who was instructed to make her feel welcome to the family. Anne could still see Morgaine's oddly colored eyes holding an expression of total seriousness when she told Anne that if Gwenhwyfar came to Sonora that fall, it would be for no other purpose than to ensure that Anne didn't disgrace the family and that Gwenhwyfar was not a good person to cross, because she didn't play fair when it came time for revenge.

"I've never met Cousin Gwen, but her sister reassures me she's not someone you want to walk behind you. I'm a Carey girl, and so is she. I'm her natural competition. People have been telling me about how she's going to pull out all the stops to make me pay for being her cousin since Mama died, and even Mama once warned me to watch out for Uncle Alasdair's daughters. Maybe Gwenhwyfar's a decent person, maybe not. I'm a little bit afraid to find out." She looked up from a concentrated study of her hands. There was too much bad blood between Anne and the Carey family for it to be explained, but there was one thing Anne could settle on right now. "We can still be friends, can't we?" \n\n

16 Anne Haul in some artificial snow and it'll look the same 59 Anne 0 5

Gwenhwyfar

April 18, 2005 8:59 PM

OOC by Gwenhwyfar

You guys feel free to join me and Connor. We need something to liven up our conversation! lol. I know we're a bit ahead of schedule, Anne, but I think it'll work better.\n\n

0 Gwenhwyfar OOC 63 Gwenhwyfar 0 5

Anne

April 18, 2005 9:45 PM

Re: OOC by Anne

Yeah, you're probably right. I even have a really good idea for how to make it work even better than the original plan. We'll all have a nice little chitchat, if it's okay with Laura.\n\n

16 Anne Re: OOC 59 Anne 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 19, 2005 7:17 AM

OOC by Juliet Lee

Mind if I join as well? My other friend seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. I could just say that I was shooting off and then rammed into one of you guys. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee OOC 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Bella

April 19, 2005 4:18 PM

Yeah, in Your dreams more likely by Bella

Bella rolled her eyes at Adam's obvious excitement about meeting a muggleborn. He was just like his father. Both held Muggleborns on some sort of pedestal, believing them to be of something magnificant merely because they could live in either worlds. She, herself, had met a couple before and hadn't seen them any differently than herself.

She knew muggles too, having them as neighbors. LA was a rough city to live in, especially the area her grandfather had decided to build their house in. She didn't have anything against them, but didn't understand them either. But, she suppose that was how it would always be.

"Connor? Don't know him. I'm sure he's nice though..." She said before giving Adam a stern look that turned into hysterical laughing as Adam shot forward on his broom. "That goes for MAKING FUN OF ME!" Bella shouted after him.\n\n

0 Bella Yeah, in Your dreams more likely 0 Bella 0 5

Chrissy and Tally

April 19, 2005 4:35 PM

Well...just you did...now by Chrissy and Tally

Chrissy had turned to see Tally shout a hello to Zach. She remembered him from...charms? Or Transfiguration, she couldn't remember which. It was so like Tally to be pleasant to just about everyone...even if she was in a mood.

She happened to turn her head again in time to see Liz wave in their direction. A large smile overcame her face and she waved back to her. "HEY LIZ!" Chrissy shouted across the field to her. It was good to have some companions on the field to protect themselves against the youngins.

Tally shot her head around as Chrissy shouted. Her green eyes focused on Elizabeth. She didn't really know her, but she knew Chrissy was friends with her. She waved back with a smile and she and Chrissy took off to get closer to the other second year. Hopefully Zach would know it was okay to fly with them too.

They both followed Elizabeth's eyes to the first years, Chrissy had a look of someone who knew they were better than those, but not because of blood, but more for age, while Tally had a look as though she wanted to be anywhere else.

"Yeah, I suppose..." Chrissy began. "Some seem a bit prissy though, don't they?" Chrissy asked them, her eyes trailing to some of the girls an stopping every-so-often to some of the boys, giving them all a hard look over. "The ones in my house seem to think they own the world. And we only have one boy. Poor kid..." Chrissy stated, trailing off.

Tally was still looking at the first years when the chaotic feeling hit her again as it had at the feast. She gripped the broom handle tightly, her breaths came out in short rasps. Her brom shook with her body and she closed her eyes to block everything out.

She was high up in the air and her own fear nearly outweighed the excitement of the first years. It passed quickly. So fast, in fact, that someone had to be looking directly at her to have known what had happened. The only side-effect of what had happened was that she was shivering. She would have to write her psychologist again to tell her of this episode.

"Yeah...they have...potential." Tally said, trying to stop the cold feeling she had.\n\n

0 Chrissy and Tally Well...just you did...now 0 Chrissy and Tally 0 5

Anne with Gwen's approval

April 19, 2005 4:52 PM

Re: OOC by Anne with Gwen's approval

The more the merrier. We can probably get some interesting stories going out of all this... (schedules appointment to plot with author) Anyway, feel free to join us, Juliet. \n\n

16 Anne with Gwen's approval Re: OOC 59 Anne with Gwen's approval 0 5

Elizabeth

April 19, 2005 8:24 PM

Yeah, well... now that I've brought it up... by Elizabeth

A quick laugh and grin met Chrissy's loud response. Tally also greeted her, but not as enthusiastically. But that was fine, she recognized they hadn't spent too much time together, but Tally seemed like a very nice girl. She'd just never had the chance to see her. Elizabeth also watched as a bit of disdain made it's way into Chrissy's voice when speaking about the new Crotalus girls.

Elizabeth couldn't disagree, really. They were the kind of girls Elizabeth was supposed to be- the wealthy 'everyone-else-is-trash-' prissy girls who wouldn't have known real fun even if it came up and smacked them across the face. She knew from growing up with two brothers true fun didn't come from dolling yourself up and flirting with boys, it was playing quidditch with them and being their friends. That philosophy was what separated Elizabeth from all the other rich pureblood girls she knew, Chrissy and Jen being exceptions.

She shrugged, however, at Chrissy's comments. "They're just like their mothers are, and how their mothers were, and so on. It's really not their fault they think that. Honestly, it's all the trash that their family shoved down their throats that got them to thinking that way." she blushed slightly, noticing that she was seeming a bit hypocritical. "I mean, it happens to all of us, but at least I don't let myself get prissy like my cousins."

All of a sudden, Elizabeth felt a rather strange vibe through the air. It was weird: it wasn't the wind changing or anything, it was just this mood change. The air around them was suddenly very tense, and looking from Chrissy to Tally, Elizabeth noticed that Tally was shaking slightly. It was an odd experience, but she seemed to be steadying herself, and Liz decided to not say anything about it.

"Yeah, I guess. Some of them at least... That Whitney kid is supposed to be really good... Jake Santoro was telling me last term that he played on his league team, and he was good. So that's good... As for Pecari, I'm not sure how our new recruits are looking." She grinned, trying to lighten the atmosphere. If Tally wanted to explain what was going on, Elizabeth was going to let her do it on her own time. Besides, she had her own experience in having painful secrets, and she knew that it was the person involved who needed to tell people, not others asking. \n\n

0 Elizabeth Yeah, well... now that I've brought it up... 0 Elizabeth 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 19, 2005 10:14 PM

I feel like I'm in a soap opera! by Laura Keaton

"No worries there, I wouldn't do it anyway, but even if I wanted to it wouldn't be in my best interests. Gwenhwyfar Carey is my half first cousin. My grandmother, Eileen St. Martin, was first married to Edwardius Carey, with whom she had a son, Alasdair. When he died, she married Alban St. Martin, with whom she had a daughter, Mary. Mary was my mother, and Alasdair is Gwenhwyfar's father. He refused to acknowledge Mama's existence after she married Daddy until after she died, back in February. The Careys hate me for being related to them, and they sent Gwenhwyfar to spy on me, to ensure my good conduct.”

Laura’s head swam with so many names, but she managed to grasp the important concept; Gwen was Anne’s half cousin. And Anne seemed convinced that Gwen was only at Sonora to keep tabs on her. Laura, however, just couldn’t wrap her head around that concept. Gwen just did not seem like that type of a girl, especially since she was friends with a Muggleborn and a Half-blood, which surely would be against the ‘good conduct’ Gwen was supposed to be watching for. Then Laura picked up on something else Anne had said; that her mother had died in February. Laura wasn’t sure what she should say, if she should defend Gwen, or say sorry about Anne’s mother. Before she could say anything though, Anne was talking again.

"I've never met Cousin Gwen, but her sister reassures me she's not someone you want to walk behind you. I'm a Carey girl, and so is she. I'm her natural competition. People have been telling me about how she's going to pull out all the stops to make me pay for being her cousin since Mama died, and even Mama once warned me to watch out for Uncle Alasdair's daughters. Maybe Gwenhwyfar's a decent person, maybe not. I'm a little bit afraid to find out. We can still be friends, can't we?"

Laura hadn’t expected that question. Of course she wanted to be friends with Anne, but she was afraid she would end up stuck in the middle of a family feud. She would have to choose who to eat with, hang out with, and work with in class. Laura now appreciated how nice it was to have friends, but also some of the problems associated with friends who didn’t get along. “I hope we can still be friends,” she finally responded sincerely, “but I don’t want this to lead to a situation where I’m going to have to choose between you and Gwen. And I hope you don’t mind me saying, but since you’ve never actually met her, maybe you should give Gwen the benefit of the doubt first. I know you said her sister warned you about her, but maybe it’s all just a big misunderstanding.” Laura was trying to rationalize what she just heard. It just didn’t make sense. Gwen seemed too nice to get mixed up in family drama like this, never mind actually agree to spy on someone. “She’s right below us, and there’s no time like the present. Plus, with me there, maybe there doesn’t have to be a big scene or anything.” Laura gave Anne a half-hearted smile. She was trying to get rid of the thought that had kept creeping up since Anne had revealed her suspicions about Gwen; maybe Gwen was just pretending to be Laura’s friend.
\n\n

0 Laura Keaton I feel like I'm in a soap opera! 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Jordanna Howard

April 20, 2005 2:59 PM

if only all wishes came true by Jordanna Howard

OOC: The other posts below got confusing and no one is posting, so her I am!

BIC: Before, Jordanna had only assumed that muggleborns were disgusting, rude, and altogether impossible. Now that she had actually met one, she came to a different conclusion. Muggleborns were disgusting, rude, completely impossible, insane, and had little taste as far as fashion went. And she was quite glad to get away from the one that had approached her.

Looking to get as far away from that filth as possible, she walked quickly, but without any destination. She tried to make it look like she had somewhere to go, and picked a random spot to walk to, so it wouldn't look as if she were wandering. People like her just didn't wander, it wasn't very becoming. Then she saw Catherine. 'Now there's someone who has retained their sanity and is not a loser.' she thought. Jordanna changed her destination, and walked over to the other girl.

"Hello, Catherine," she greeted cooly, her voice holding a touch of sarcasm "Have I mentioned how much I completely ,i>loathe muggleborns?" This wasn't a joke, she seriously could not stand those people! Why Sonora let them in, she didn't know.\n\n

0 Jordanna Howard if only all wishes came true 65 Jordanna Howard 0 5

Anne

April 20, 2005 8:33 PM

The Plot Thickens... by Anne

Anne listened to Laura while keeping her eyes on her cousin. She knew it was foolish, but she wanted to be able to see where the other girl was at all times. She nodded when Laura finished.

"It's cool," she said. "I don't think it'll get out of hand-family loyalty, you know.The Careys don't like me, but they do admit that I'm family." Anne smiled wryly. The Careys couldn't reject her without breaking the code. Disowing someone was allowable, but not allowing that person's children a chance to come back into the fold was a violation of the unwritten rules."I'll try to give her the benefit of the doubt." She couldn't bring herself to return Laura's weak smile.

"You're right about one thing," she said, squaring her shoulders. "There is no time like the present. I can't go around ducking behind desks whenever she's in a room, and I don't think I could stand it very long, anyway. If you're right, then she has a sister who likes to freak people out. If I am, then God help me." She shook her head despairingly at her weak joke and strange humor, then angled her broom towards the ground so she could descend to her cousin's level to have their first meeting.

Flying lower and hoping Laura was still with her, she reached the same level as Gwenhwyfar and her friend, who handled a broom with about the same level of expertise as Gwenhwyfar herself. She didn't recognize him, but that was hardly a surprise. Facing her cousin, she was startled to notice a striking resemblance between them. They both looked like their mutual grandmother, Eileen. "Hello,Gwenhwyfar," she said. "You probably have no idea who I am, so I'm going to tell you right now. I'm Anne Wright, your Aunt Mary's daughter.I would say pleased to meet you, but I don't know if I am or not." It occured to her that she probably sounded like a complete jerk, but she felt defensive and plotted against and could only hope Laura, Gwenhwyfar, and Gwenhwyfar's other friend would understand that. Relaxing visibly and falsely, she waited to see what kind of response she could expect from her latest long-lost family member.\n\n

16 Anne The Plot Thickens... 59 Anne 0 5

Catherine Raines

April 20, 2005 9:35 PM

There would be an awful lot of paradoxes by Catherine Raines

Catherine was just considering whether or not she should attempt to go find a mirror so she could check her hair when she noticed a boy,obviously muggleborn, start talking to Jordanna and Nicoletta as if he wasn't aware that he wasn't welcome. From what she could tell, 'bizzare' was the only word to describe him, from his clothes to his actions. Probably one of those Pecari lunatics, she thought to herself scornfully. Her father had told her all about the four Houses, and he had been very firm that while Crotalus was the only House worth being in, Pecari was definitely the worst. They were notoriously insubtle, wild, and full to the brim with mudbloods and half-bloods.

To her slight surprise, Jordanna approached her when she had apparently had all she could take of the lunatic. She caught the faint note of sarcasm in the other girl's greeting. "Hello,Jordanna," she replied, pitching her voice so Jordanna could hear but eavesdroppers would have to make themselves quite obvious in order to make out her words. "You've mentioned it now, and I must say I'm glad at least one other person in this school shares my view on them. If any proof was needed that they're not fit for any kind of society, that one who was talking to you provided it. I had never even seen one until I came here, and I wish I never had to see another." She tossed her hair over one shoulder, feeling the weight of it shift and tilt her head back a little. Her hair had always been her favorite feature, and that trick wasn't the least of the reasons why. "Do you think I should go rebrush my hair before our next class?" she asked. "Outdoor classes do the worst things to a nice hairdo." \n\n

0 Catherine Raines There would be an awful lot of paradoxes 66 Catherine Raines 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 22, 2005 1:43 PM

Crashing the Party by Juliet Lee

Juliet clutched onto the broom so tightly she feared that the wooden handle would have fingermarks when she finally stopped flying. She reminded herself to never in a million years approach another janitorial instrument. That was...IF she lived through this horrific roller-coaster ride. The broom zig-zagged back and forth and executed vertical dives as if it had a mind of its own.

Juliet was so utterly absorbed in mentally writing her will that she didn't notice another student several feet away from her. When she finally did, it was too late to issue a warning. The psychotic broom caused her to collide with the stranger, sending Juliet flying off her handle.

Her right arm blindly groped for something to hang onto. Out of sheer luck, she felt her fingers brush the broom handle and the latched on with a vise-like grip. She was now hanging onto her broom with one hand and being suspended about twenty feet from the ground.

"C-Can someone PLEASE help me up?" Juliet managed to choke out.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee Crashing the Party 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 22, 2005 2:39 PM

Better than crashing into the ground by Laura Keaton

Laura had followed Anne down to find Gwen, and had listened to Anne’s forced and formal sounding introduction. She was waiting to see how Gwen answered, and gauge what sort of impact this family feud would have on her own friendships with both girls. However, before Gwen could even reply, Laura saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head quickly, she saw a panicked Juliet Lee heading in her direction full speed and with no control over her run away broom. Knowing that there would be no time to move, darn these old school brooms, Laura instead braced herself for the impact. As the two brooms met in mid air, Laura tightened her grip to keep from slipping off as the jolt rocked her broom violently. Her left leg was throbbing from where Juliet’s broom handle at collided with it, but the important thing was that she had managed to stay on her broom. Juliet, however, hadn’t been so lucky. The impact had tossed her from the broom, leaving her dangling by one hand.

"C-Can someone PLEASE help me up?" Juliet whimpered.

Laura continued to ignore the ache in her leg that she knew would leave a lovely bruise tomorrow, as she maneuvered her broom over to Juliet. There was no way one of these old school brooms would be able to hold two people, besides the fact that Laura had never tried riding with two people before. So, instead of going down to Juliet’s level, Laura went over to Juliet’s now stable broom. Pulling her own broom parallel to it, she swung her right leg over Juliet’s broom handle so that she could control both brooms at the same time. Leaning over, she offered a hand to Juliet.

“Grab my hand and I’ll pull you up and we’ll get to the ground together.”
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Laura Keaton Better than crashing into the ground 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Jim Dickens

April 22, 2005 6:44 PM

It's not dirt, it's a bandaid. beams by Jim Dickens

OOC- sorry Jordanna; I figured Coach Cooper was going to come in and smite me down. Guess I figured wrong. Will loop back into things. Forward and onward!

BIC-

Jim had to admit, once the girl- not Ni-co-let-ta- left, the game stopped being fun. The game wasn't fun at all, in fact. He straightened on his broom and shoved the extra wand into his jacket pocket. Normally, the way it worked was the girl would chase after him and throw something at his head, probably a rock or a maybe a shoe since they were outside, and he'd fall off the broom and then give her back the wand. That was just how the game went. She wasn't supposed to walk off and leave him alone.

He circled back around and tried to listen as she spoke with another girl with lots of hair. The hairy girl seemed really worried about all her hair, and Jim wondered if she might not have halitosis, because wasn't that what people with halitosis normally did? Mess around with their hair alot? He wasn't sure, so he floated a little closer. The hairy girl's voice was low but he caught the last bit of her speech.

"...that one who was talking to you provided it. I had never even seen one until I came here, and I wish I never had to see another."

Jim reared back from where the two girls spoke and stretched out over the thin support of his broom. The hairy girl had never seen one of what? Did she mean him? Now he was really confused. It made no sense; he wished he had one of his mom's ginkgo biloba drinks. Those always made his brain work better. He scratched his nose, pushed back his hair, and tried blowing through his teeth to make that neat whistling sound he could make when saying 'flamingo.' It didn't work, but then-

DING!

Now he understood! Jim looked down at the two girls in sympathy. They had never met a Tiger Scout before. They probably were scared he'd use some of his super secret skills on them or something. He snickered and ran his tongue over his braces. He'd explain it to them, plain and simple, and then they wouldn't have to be scared.

He swooped down and jumped off his broom, landing in a tumble of hands, feet, and one jar containing multi-colored vitamins. Before either girl could respond, he held out the wand, palm opened.

"Here's your wand back," he said cheerfully. "Sorry I took it. But you don't have to be scared or anything. Tiger scouts don't hurt girls. We protect them from things like dragons and pygmies and cannibal dinosaurs." He beamed at the hairy girl. "I'm Jim. You have a bunch of hair. Does it get all stiff too when it gets sweaty? Mine does." He flicked his sweat matted bangs for effect. "See? So...whatcha going to do now?"\n\n

0 Jim Dickens It's not dirt, it's a bandaid. *beams* 0 Jim Dickens 0 5

Chrissy and Tally

April 22, 2005 7:08 PM

We can talks lots about it. by Chrissy and Tally

Chrissy followed Liz's gaze over to Tally. Immediately Chrissy knew her to be having another one of those...those..fits. She gave Tally a questioning look that only a best friend could give and understand. Tally herself stared back at Chrissy to showed her not to ask.

Tally turned to Elizabeth and gave her a small apologetic smile. She blushed a bit from embarrassement. "Sorry, had a bit of an anxiety attack. Happens I guess." Tally lied. She felt horrible about it and knew she didn't always lie well. Than again, she never really lied to begin with. It also didn't help that Chrissy shot her a look that blatantly called her on her lie, but Tally chose to ignore it. She felt that it was best to only have a select few know about her...abilities. She didn't want to be considered a freak because of it.

"Anyway,"Chrissy cut in, "I'm not sure how Crotalus will fair when it comes to Quidditch. A couple of the girls looked like they could do well, but I don't know about the rest. Or the boy for that matter."

"Yeah, and I've only met one of the first year girls from Teppenpaw. She seemed nice, but I know nothing of her abilities. But, it's not that huge of a deal. I mean, you've got me, Jake, and Dillon. So, just need to find four others who are decent on a broom."

"Not to mention good catchers, batters, and throwers." Chrissy teased.

"Like you've got it better? Let's see who you have..." Tally screwed her face up in thought, "You...possibly Jenna H....Jennifer...and....I believe that is all."

"Shut it." Chrissy said laughing. She turned back to Liz, "What about Pecaris, anyone for sure yet? And what about Aladren, anyone know about them?"\n\n

0 Chrissy and Tally We can talks lots about it. 0 Chrissy and Tally 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 23, 2005 8:40 AM

Took the words right outta my mouth by Juliet Lee

Juliet's right arm was now experiencing that wonderful prickly feeling a person got when they were overexerting a body part, a telltale sign that it was going to go numb in approximately one minute. She felt deliriously light-headed from both the altitude and the adrenaline rush so she barely heard it when a voice called out to her from above.

“Grab my hand and I’ll pull you up and we’ll get to the ground together.”

Juliet craned her head up and her eyes registered her friend, Laura Keaton, balancing on both Julet's broom and her own. The Crotalus first year looked very odd trying to sit on two brooms but, at the moment, that wasn't very high on Juliet's list of priorities.

She began to somewhat sway back and forth so she could propel herself closer to Laura and reach her hand. However, that sudden motion caused her to slip further down on the broom and she let out a small squeak. It took all her willpower not to look down because she knew that when her eyes connected with the ground, she'd lose all strength in her right arm.

Straining her arm as much as she could, Juliet extended her arm so severely that she heard her elbow crack as she tried to touch Laura's fingers. Nevertheless, she continued to push herself forward until her fingers warpped themselves firmly around Laura's.

"C-Can you pull me up? I'm not the lightest person in the world."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee Took the words right outta my mouth 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 23, 2005 4:39 PM

Darn gravity! by Laura Keaton

Laura watched as Juliet struggled to reach her outstretched hand. Laura wanted to reach farther, but she knew to do so would upset her own center of balance, and to end up having both of them dangling from their broomsticks would not help matters at all.

Juliet, after nearly falling, finally managed to grasp Laura’s hand, but at the same time inquired "C-Can you pull me up? I'm not the lightest person in the world."
Laura hoped she could pull Juliet up, but if she couldn’t she could always just go to plan B; just as soon as she thought it up.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to try and pull you up now. But if it doesn’t work, I’ll just think of another way to get you on the ground, other than gravity.” Laura had to admit to herself, after adding that last bit, that it probably had not been reassuring. However, her sense of humor was always strange, even in serious situations. What was that thing her mother was always telling her to do; oh yeah, think before she speaks. She’d have to work on that one.
Laura slowly started pulling on Juliet’s arm; she didn’t want to yank Juliet’s shoulder out of her socket or anything painful like that. As she continued to slowly pull Juliet up, Laura started unconsciously leaning back on the brooms, trying to get the correct leverage to lift Juliet up. However, there is only so far one can lean back on a broomstick before gravity starts to take effect. As soon as Laura felt her body start to fall backward, she threw all her weight forward in a gross overcompensation. Thankfully, the scare had only increased her grip on Juliet’s hand, instead of causing her to let go. However, Juliet was now dangling back in her original position, since Laura was practically hugging her broomstick. Straightening up once more, Laura pondered the current situation and cursed the fact she hadn’t been born a boy. Bigger muscles would make this a lot easier.

“Umm, I think you were right about the pulling you up thing. But don’t worry; we’re just going to switch to plan B.” Taking her mother’s advice, for once, Laura didn’t blurt out that she still didn’t have a plan B. Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the throbbing in her leg, and the blood rushing to her extended hand, Laura forced her mind to try and think of another solution. This was always the hard part, getting her brain to look at something from a different angle.
\n\n

0 Laura Keaton Darn gravity! 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Connor Pierce

April 23, 2005 7:11 PM

Need a hand? by Connor Pierce

Connor had come up with what he considered a very fitting analogy for Sonora Academy and the Wizarding World: prison. It had taken him from his family permanently, he was under someone else's control twenty-four-seven, and it turned out that they even had the hour a day outside, on this...Quidditch Pitch. The other students were his fellow inmates, though the fact that many of them, raised in the prison system, aka the Wizarding World, considered their transfer to Sonora for seven years of their sentance to be a vacation muddled the picture a little. That and the fact that he couldn't picture his flying buddy Gwen Carey in a prison jumpsuit without laughing like a madman.

He was thinking about the little prison he was trapped in when he saw a black-haired girl he didn't recognize and a blond he thought he'd seen somewhere come flying towards them. The black-haired one faced Gwen and introduced herself as Anne Wright, seeming a little aggressive and ignoring him. Before Gwen could answer, though, a fourth girl came flying out of nowhere, her broom completely out of control, and crashed into Anne's blond friend.

She fell off her broom and seemed to catch a hold of it by one hand by sheer dumb luck more than anything else and immediately begged for help. He started to move, but Anne's friend had already started an attempt to get New Girl back up. An attempt that soon proved itself unsuccessful, nearly sending them both plummeting to the ground. Anne's friend told New Girl that they were switching to plan B, but showed no signs of it. He knew he was taking the chance that one or both would hand him his head on a platter for interfering, but he also knew the impossbility of the two managing to hold on much longer. Maneuvering his broom over to Anne's friend, he muttered, taking care to keep New Girl from overhearing, "I think we could probably get her up between the two of us, Miss. We can just leave Miss Anne and Gwen to their quarreling for a moment and get your friend outta her current position. What do you say?" \n\n

0 Connor Pierce Need a hand? 68 Connor Pierce 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 23, 2005 9:32 PM

A knight in shining armor by Juliet Lee

“Don’t worry, I’m going to try and pull you up now. But if it doesn’t work, I’ll just think of another way to get you on the ground, other than gravity.”

Juliet shot Laura a weak smile, understanding that the nervous Crotalus was just trying to lighten the mood. But, considering the situation, humor was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. Laura started pulling her up but not without overexerting her left arm even more than it had been previously. Having to support her entire body on one, scrawny, meager arm was not a pleasant sensation. Juliet gritted her teeth against the pain and tried to pull herself up with her right arm as well.

However, she didn't notice that Laura was leaning dangerously far on her broom and was caught unprepared when the first year suddenly snapped her upper body forward, causing Juliet to drop back down with a shriek. She continued to hold onto her broom handle in a vice-like grip and sucked in a shaky breath.

“Umm, I think you were right about the pulling you up thing. But don’t worry; we’re just going to switch to plan B.”

It might have just been paranoia, but for some strange reason, Juliet had a feeling that Laura was lying and there really was no "Plan B" in motion. Nevertheless, it was sweet of her friend to reassure her. However, reassurance was not getting Juliet any closer to safety.

"I think we could probably get her up between the two of us, Miss. We can just leave Miss Anne and Gwen to their quarreling for a moment and get your friend outta her current position. What do you say?"

Juliet's neck immediately snapped up to attention when she heard a masculine voice. She noticed a male first year hovering nearby Laura, looking every bit the shining hero. SHe couldn't help but feel a bit reassured now that there was a little testosterone added to the rescue crew.

"I-If it makes any difference, I approve wholeheartedly! My arm is starting to get numb." \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee A knight in shining armor 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Catherine Raines

April 23, 2005 9:46 PM

I revert to the wishes subject. I wish you would take a hint by Catherine Raines

Catherine was shocked when the bizarre mudblood came flying over to them, holding out Jordanna's wand and cheerfully explaining about how something called a tiger scout didn't hurt girls but protected them from dragons and pygmies and cannibal dinosaurs. She had previously assumed that he was just a mudblood stepping out of his place, but now she was quite sure he was also insane. Muggles and their occasional genetic mutation children lived like barbarians, it was true, but surely not even all of them were this...this...she couldn't even think of what he was. Insane came nowhere near describing it.

She thought she would faint when he actually spoke to her. If he had appeared to be even a half-blood, she would have demanded to know if he was fully aware that he was speaking to Charles Raines' daughter, but it was obvious the name Charles Raines would mean nothing to him. Instead, she drew herself up to her full height and gave him a cold, cutting look down her nose, a look her mother, hick that she was, had somehow managed to perfect on house-elves. Around anyone else, Lila Raines didn't have the backbone of a flobberworm, but she had learned the look from her mother and taught herself to give it to anyone she deemed to be less than herself.

"What I do with my time," she said, "is none of your business. And if you thrust your company on me again, I will prove to you that I don't need a whatever you claim to be in order to be protected. All I need is my wand." She pulled it out and twirled it between her fingers in an ominous gesture she had seen her father perform many times. It didn't have quite the effect in her slim, definitely feminine hands as it did in his, but she was sure that it came pretty close. "Get the picture?" Not waiting for a response, she turned back to Jordanna. "Have you ever met Annette Beauclere? She's a little younger than us, but she has impeccable taste. Her parents held the most excellent party over the summer in Springfield, and I thought you or some of your family might have been there." \n\n

0 Catherine Raines I revert to the wishes subject. I wish you would take a hint 66 Catherine Raines 0 5

Connor Pierce

April 23, 2005 10:25 PM

Damsel in Distress by Connor Pierce

"I-If it makes any difference,I approve wholeheartedly! My arm is starting to get numb."

Connor nearly swore out loud when the girl who had fallen off her broom spoke up. He hadn't meant for her to hear what he said to her friend for fear of scaring her with the probablys in it. Still, she would have had to have found out that he was part of saving her neck sooner or later, as he hadn't really expected either of them to turn down his offer.

"Talk," he told the girl still on her broom in an undertone, cutting the small talk when he heard the comment about the dangling girl's arm going numb. "Just talk. I'll try to steady her, but if she panics, all three of us are up the creek without a paddle." He didn't wait for his fellow rescuer to demand to know if he knew what he was doing. He was just going to pretend this was the time Beverly almost fell out of the treehouse again and hope that the one still on her broom didn't decide to punch his head in once her friend was safe.

"Miss?" he said to the dangling girl. "It's all gonna be fine, Miss, but you need to hold on to your friend for another minute or two, all right?" He started to fly towards dangling girl. "Talk!" he hissed to blonde girl. "She probably trusts you!" This was where he used everything he had managed to learn in eleven years of having a sister drawn to accidents and being related to cops.The rather funny and random thought that he was acting like he did this every day occured to him, but he pushed it aside. Stray thoughts were a really bad idea just now.

Praying that his newest numb-armed friend wasn't going to panic and start the whole kicking and screaming routine, he flew down and behind her. "Miss, I'm gonna get ahold of you, all right? The point is to get you back on your broom and take a little of the stress off your arm." Refusing to consider failure as an option, he manage to get ahold of dangling girl's waist. "Miss Girl-On-Broom, start tryin' to pull her up again. I'll help from down here." As he started gradually moving upwards with dangling girl, another random thought occured to him. If this didn't work, their families would be relieved of funeral and burial costs because they'd probably hit the ground so hard they would stop going down at about six feet under anyway. \n\n

0 Connor Pierce Damsel in Distress 68 Connor Pierce 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 24, 2005 3:33 PM

Or he could be your Romeo, cause you're Juliet, haha, a jok by Laura Keaton

Laura still hadn’t formulated plan B yet, when the boy who had been with Gwen appeared beside her.

"I think we could probably get her up between the two of us, Miss. We can just leave Miss Anne and Gwen to their quarreling for a moment and get your friend outta her current position. What do you say?"

As much as Laura hated to ask for help with anything, she knew Juliet’s life could possibly be at stake here, so she swallowed her pride and was about to accept the boy’s offer when Juliet herself spoke up.

"I-If it makes any difference, I approve wholeheartedly! My arm is starting to get numb."

That girl must have excellent hearing, Laura thought as she stared down at the still dangling Juliet. The rescue boy ordered Laura to talk, apparently in hopes of keeping Juliet calm, while he flew down to talk to Juliet himself.
Talk! Talk about what? A subject would have been nice, like the weather, or the Red Sox, or something.

“You know, I fell off my broom at home once,” Laura cringed as the words spewed from her mouth. Once again, this was probably not the most intelligent thing to say in this situation. “But I survived,” Laura reassured. Of course, she had only fallen from like eight feet up, but when you are eight years old, that’s really far.

"Miss Girl-On-Broom, start tryin' to pull her up again. I'll help from down here."

Laura hoped pulling Juliet up meant she could stop talking, since it was definitely only making the situation worse. Squeezing her legs awkwardly around the two broomsticks she was still straddling, Laura tried to better balance herself this time before starting to pull up on Juliet’s arm. It was easier this time, thanks to rescue boy lifting half of Juliet’s weight from below.
As Juliet was slowly pulled up toward Laura and the waiting broomsticks, Laura shifted all her weight back to her own broomstick. Using her free hand, Laura pushed down on Juliet’s broomstick, hoping that Juliet would be able to swing her legs back over it and steer safely to the ground.
\n\n

0 Laura Keaton Or he could be your Romeo, cause you're Juliet, haha, a jok 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Elizabeth

April 24, 2005 8:11 PM

Naturally! by Elizabeth

Accepting Tally's weak smile, Elizabeth smiled back, "It happens to everyone." she said with slight reassurance, noticing that Chrissy looked at Tally immediately as if to catch her friend in a lie. It was common behavior in twelve-year-olds, so even the most unattentive person could have noticed it. Elizabeth ignored the urge to ask the obvious question that certainly would have followed, had she let her tounge loose and continued on with Chrissy's question.

"Well, on the Pecari team we've got Sorrel and Ash, who're pretty awesome Beaters, and I guess Stephen as Keeper, and me as a Chaser. I know there are others that play, but I haven't seen them do so. As for Aladren, I have no clue... does anyone in that house play quidditch? They all seem like the shy, quiet type." she replied, grinning.

Their team really did look good- and this year they'd get a good group, she could tell. Elizabeth took a moment to gaze across the field and examine the newbies. Some looked formidable, others look like they had severe cases of vertigo, and being on what they thought to be unstable brooms was enough to make them blanchwith fear. All things being equal, however, Elizabeth sized them up to be a pretty good group. The better would outweigh the lesser. Hopefully. \n\n

0 Elizabeth Naturally! 0 Elizabeth 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 25, 2005 8:14 AM

Ha-ha, that's a knee slapper! by Juliet Lee

Juliet wanted so badly to switch arms and give her numbing right arm a break, but that would most likely result in her colliding with the hard, unforgiving ground. She tried shifting her right arm a bit, hoping the motion would at least jolt it back to life. No such luck.

"Miss?"

Wait, was he talking to her? It wasn't everyday that a boy referred to her as if she were a thirty-year old woman with a bad hip.

"It's all gonna be fine, Miss, but you need to hold on to your friend for another minute or two, all right?"

Juliet didn't know how to respond to a remark like that...then again, it might also have been the fact that her head was beginning to spin in that delightful way it always did when she began twirling around in circles for no reason or sniffed her mother's perfume too long. So she settled for giving the boy a weak smile and nodding.

"You know, I fell off my broom at home once......but I survived."

Was that HONESTLY supposed to make her feel better? Juliet figured that Laura was just trying to cajole her. Obviously, the Crotalus didn't work well under pressure.

"Miss, I'm gonna get ahold of you, all right? The point is to get you back on your broom and take a little of the stress off your arm."

Juliet nodded her consent and felt the boy's arms encircle her waist. Immediately, her back stiffened. If she had been in any other situation, Juliet would have leaped out of his embrace and ran for the hills. She wasn't the type of person who willingly hugged large amounts of people. The only people she'd ever hugged in her life were her parents. And now...only her mother. But it was either this...or end up as an Asian pancake on the ground.

"Miss Girl-On-Broom, start tryin' to pull her up again. I'll help from down here."

Instantaneously, Juliet felt Laura begin hauling her up while the boy began raising her at the same time. She felt her spirits soar as her damned broom grew closer and closer into her line of vision. When she was near enough to swing her legs over the handle, she shakily tried to support herself by placing her hand on the boy's shoulder and lifted her leg over the broom. Finally, she slid out of his grip and landed PLOP on the broom.

The sudden motion caused her to wobble and she immediately threw her arms around the nearest person. After she realized what she had done, she blushed and snapped her arms back to her sides and clutched onto the handle for dear life.

"Thank you so...so...much. I-I was really scared there."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Juliet Lee Ha-ha, that's a knee slapper! 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Gwenhwyfar Carey

April 25, 2005 9:21 PM

He's more of a Lancelot anyway. j/k. by Gwenhwyfar Carey

OOC: Sorry guys, school's been crazy. Everything was due last week!

Gwen had stared at Anne Wright in blank shock for a long moment when the other girl flew up to her with Laura and introduced herself without the slightest bit of apparent hesitation or awkwardness. Morgaine hadn't lied; Anne Wright was going to be a worthy opponent, not because of her wile but because of her lack of it. Honesty was the only thing a true Carey couldn't fight.

She had just barely recovered from her initial surprise and opened her mouth to speak when Juliet came hurtling out of nowhere and crashed into Laura, falling from her broom. Gwen had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stop from screaming, which would have only made matters worse. Forgetting all about her cousin, she stared, horrified, as Laura attempted and failed to get Juliet back on her broom. This was not good. This was beyond not good. If either Laura or Juliet lost their grip, there was a very good chance Juliet wouldn't survive the fall.

Quite abruptly, Connor flew over with remarkably good control of his broom-a fast learner, the irrelevant thought flashed across her mind and was gone-and, for lack of a better way to put it, took charge of the situation. Pecaris liked having things done quickly and effectively rather than dithering. It was amazing how many irrelevant thoughts could pop up in a moment of crisis.

She gasped aloud with relief when Juliet finally managed to get back on her broom. Apparently, Sonora wasn't going to let her escape from drama, because the whole situation had certainly been dramatic. She was nearly unseated herself when Juliet grabbed ahold of her in order to keep from falling again, but managed to steady herself quickly. The last thing she wanted was to be the next damsel in distress.

"That was close," she said. "You all right, Juliet, Laura, Connor?" She remembered Anne again, and had to work hard not to shrink back from her friends. God alone knew what sorts of things Anne had been telling Laura, but Gwen knew the best she could hope for was being portrayed as a manipulative, pathological, fanatical pureblood racist with an agenda. That was one reason why she had hoped to avoid other Southern purebloods;the name "Carey" meant something in the South, and it wasn't something good. Her father was notorious for his underworld kingdom and his dabbling in the Dark Arts, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

She had hoped to make a fresh start here, as just plain Gwen Carey who no one knew from beans. She was going to turn herself around and get out of her world. Anne's appearance had brought her plans to a screeching halt, though. Anne was a pariah, and the best way she could prove herself to the family was to ruin someone else-in this place, Gwen. Gripping her broom handle hard, she closed her eyes and focused on not slipping back into the carefully constructed facade she called Gwenhwyfar. It was too late to be Gwenhwyfar, but it wasn't too late to become an outcast, which she refused to do. She had made her choice, and she would stick by it. \n\n

0 Gwenhwyfar Carey He's more of a Lancelot anyway. j/k. 63 Gwenhwyfar Carey 0 5

Connor Pierce

April 25, 2005 10:00 PM

Nah, I'm just the Lone Ranger. another joke. by Connor Pierce

"Thank you so...so...much. I-I was really scared there."

Connor shrugged a bit uncomfortably. Now that all the drama associated with Dangling Girl's near-death expirience was over, he was feeling decidedly stupid. This would probably be the part where either she or her friend slapped him really hard.This kind of thing would have been a lot easier if he could quickly get lost afterward, like the Lone Ranger or something.

"Er...you're welcome," he mumbled, every 'don't talk more than strictly necessary' instinct he had kicking in simultaneously. "It was kinda clear it wasn't no picnic you were having there." Why, why couldn't he have gotten at least a few of his mother's talkative genes? His mother could outtalk any filibusterer in the history of the Senate, but he could barely put a sentance together. Beverly would have been appalled by the steady worsening of his grammar over the past sixty seconds. He silently blessed Gwen when she spoke up once Dangling Girl let go of her.

"That was close. You all right, Juliet, Laura, Connor?" He would have been happier if she left his name out of it, but she had provided a distraction.

"Fine," he said, and caught a glimse of her face. She was hanging onto her broom for dear life with her eyes shut, not looking very well herself. He almost asked her if shewas all right, but decided against it. The last thing he wanted to do was draw more attention to himself.\n\n

0 Connor Pierce Nah, I'm just the Lone Ranger. another joke. 68 Connor Pierce 0 5

Jenna Howard

April 25, 2005 10:09 PM

we can't always get what we want by Jenna Howard

Jenna came to the flying class in hopes of improving her skills. She had learned quickly that one thing her mother did not want her daughters doing was trying out for the house Quidditch team. So naturally, Jenna was going to try out for the house Quidditch team. But first she needed to learn how to fly better.

This year was a little better than the first. The broom answered her command after only her third try. Then she kicked off and became airborne. After experience from last year, she had gained a little more control in flight. True, her flying was still kind of jerky, but it was an improvement from last year. Actually, it was hard not to improve from last year, she was so bad at it. But she didn't want to dwell on the past. Riding around on her broom by herself was fun, she wanted to enjoy it. And then she saw Jordanna.

Jenna had hoped to see as little as possible of her sister at school. So far, she had been successful in doing it. But she couldn't help but notice a boy in flight holding her sister's wand. She almost knew for sure it was her's, how many people could have ebony wands? That was high-end stuff. And Jenna didn't want to be judgemental, but she didn't think that boy had gotten himself an ebony wand.

And then that meant that the boy had stolen the wand from Jordanna. Jenna couldn't help but smirk a little, she enjoyed seeing her sister in trouble. But then her conscience interfered, she knew she should get it back. Jenna sighed- it wasn't fair. Why did she have to have a conscience, when if Jordanna were in her position, she would probably laugh and walk away?

Quickly and quietly, the brunette, came from behind the boy and with a quick swipe, firmly grabbed the wand.

Have you ever met Annette Beauclere? She's a little younger than us, but she has impeccable taste. Her parents held the most excellent party over the summer in Springfield, and I thought you or some of your family might have been there."

Who was that girl? Obviously one of those well-to-do girls Jordanna had become friends with. Notice, it was not the friend, but she, her sister, who was saving the wand.

"I believe that I've heard of the Beauclere family. Will, Fara and Annette probably made an appearance at the party. Preston and Vanessa probably were there too," Jenna answered for her sister. \n\n

0 Jenna Howard we can't always get what we want 46 Jenna Howard 0 5

Laura Keaton

April 26, 2005 7:28 PM

Or you could be insert fav super hero here by Laura Keaton

Laura heaved a happy breath when Juliet finally managed to climb back onto her broomstick, though she held onto it with vice like strength. She had wobbled slightly, but had prevented falling again by throwing her arms around Gwen’s neck for stability, then went back to her death grip on the handle. No wonder her broom had been out of control when it had been held like that.

"Thank you so...so...much. I-I was really scared there."

Laura smiled back at Juliet. What had she expected them to do, let her fall to her death? A thank you wasn’t necessary, Juliet was her friend, and it had been completely instinctive to help her.

"That was close. You all right, Juliet, Laura, Connor?" This time it was Gwen who spoke up.

Connor, so that was rescue dude’s name, Laura thought. Well, since they had helped save someone’s life together, she thought she should at least introduce herself to him, so he could stop calling her Miss Girl-On-Broom.

“You’re very welcome, Juliet,” Laura said, first to the Asian girl who was still holding her broom as if it would buck her off at any second. “And yes, I’m fine Gwen,” she responded to her other friend. “And, Connor,” Laura extended a hand, “I appreciate the help with saving Juliet. Sometimes I’m too thick to ask for it myself. And I’m Laura Keaton, just so you know for any future rescues.” Laura looked around at the group of students, all still hovering twenty feet above the Earth. “And may I suggest a change of venue, back to solid ground. I’m sure Juliet would very much enjoy putting her feet back on terra firma.”

Juliet wasn’t the only reason Laura thought the Earth was a better place to be at the moment. Gwen looked a bit ill as well, and she had still yet to reply to Anne’s introduction. Laura wasn’t sure how much animosity might appear between the cousins, and though she didn’t think either of them knew any magic yet, really didn’t want to find out one did when they cursed the other one off their broom stick.
\n\n

0 Laura Keaton Or you could be *insert fav super hero here* 0 Laura Keaton 0 5

Catherine Raines

April 26, 2005 9:31 PM

OOC-Jenna by Catherine Raines

Um, Jenna? That bit in the end, where you're talking about the Beaucleres...is there actually a rp character somewhere named Annette Beauclere, or a Beauclere family? Thing is, I made the name up off the top of my head, and after the fiasco with Connor's last name, I couldn't tell if you were just adding on to what I said or if we have another messy name situation here.\n\n

0 Catherine Raines OOC-Jenna 66 Catherine Raines 0 5

Jenna H

April 27, 2005 8:57 AM

ooc by Jenna H

OOC-Nope, no Beaucleres that I know of. I just made that part up, although one of the characters from the Howards (Will) is an actually rp character on another site. No messy situations here.\n\n

0 Jenna H ooc 46 Jenna H 0 5

Chris

April 27, 2005 11:12 AM

And you were great by Chris

Chris was pleased to see the ease to which Dalila took to flying. She may not be what would be called a natural, but with a little practice, she would be great. Perhaps, even better than him.

When she became parallel to him, she asked the tough questions, 'How do you go higher? Or sideways, for that matter."

Taking a deep breath, he had to think for a moment. How did one explain it?

"Well, it's through magic. You're hovering now by magic. The magic that is running through you and through the broom. So, to go in different directions, you would will yourself to go that way and tip the broom for the angle. Does that make sense?" He knew it probably didn't sound like it did. Maybe through an example, it would work better. "For instance, we want to go higher, so I would pull the broom back against me for the angle and I would lean in the direction I want to go. I want to go forward, so I'm going to lean in."

Chris pulled his broom back so it was at a fourty-five degree angle and leaned forward on it. He felt the magic coursing through his body, as he willed himself to go higher. He stopped at about three feet higher and looked down at her.

"Now, you try."\n\n

0 Chris And you were great 0 Chris 0 5

Juliet Lee

April 27, 2005 4:50 PM

It's a bird...it's a plane... by Juliet Lee

OOC: Sorry about that. Math exam. -_- <----note unhappy face.
BIC:
"Er...you're welcome. It was kinda clear it wasn't no picnic you were having there."

Juliet's face turned beet red when she heard Connor's nonchalant statement. She knew he meant no offense but hearing him say that made her relive the fact that she had practically RAMMED into Laura and dangled from her broom like an idiot for close to fifteen minutes.

"That was close. You all right, Juliet, Laura, Connor?"

Juliet turned her head and took in the sight of Gwen, a concerned expression gracing her features. She could only nod in response, too mortified by her previous actions to open her mouth and speak. She couldn't believe how absolutely clumsy she was. No one else's broom had spazzed out of control like hers did and it caused Laura and the other boy to risk their lives to save hers. She sincerely hoped they didn't think she was a ditz and avoid her, afraid that she might give them all Ebola with her bad luck.

"You're very welcome, Juliet.And yes, I'm fine Gwen. And, Connor...I appreciate the help with saving Juliet. Sometimes I'm too thick to ask for it myself. And I'm Laura Keaton, just so you know for any future rescues.And may I suggest a change of venue, back to solid ground. I'm sure Juliet would very much enjoy putting her feet back on terra firma."

"That's for sure. I don't think I'll be approaching any brooms for a while, even if it's just for sweeping." Juliet stated with a sheepish smile. Taking a page from Laura's book, Juliet turned to Connor and offered her hand.

"I'm Juliet Lee, the idiotic girl with no hand-eye-coordination. Thanks for the rescue. I really owe you one, Connor. The same goes for you, Laura."

\n\n

0 Juliet Lee It's a bird...it's a plane... 0 Juliet Lee 0 5

Dalila

April 27, 2005 6:39 PM

Yay...now more flying! by Dalila

Dalila stared at Chris for a few seconds in confusion. Just will the broom? It seemed a little strange considering she didn't think she willed the broom to do anything to just go up, but after a moment she smiled nodded and tried her best to do as Chris had instructed.

The example helped a lot more than the words did. She could see it and that made it real. She repeated the movements Chris had done just moments before and found herself flying diagnally upwards. She laughed as she changed directions, now zooming off to the right more. Then the left, then right again, until she turned around and came back to where Chris was waiting.

"That was absolutely amazing! I love flying so much. I can't believe my folks never let me on a broom before." Her amber eyes were sparkling and her breath was fast as she stated this.

"Do you think they'll allow first years on the Quidditch teams? I just have to be on it."\n\n

0 Dalila Yay...now more flying! 0 Dalila 0 5

Chris

April 27, 2005 6:48 PM

Sorry, it's been so long by Chris

Chris watched in amusement as Dalila zoomed to and fro on her broom. He was glad, but not surprised, that she had picked up his example so quickly.

'Do you think they'll allow first years on the Quidditch teams?' She asked.

"I don't know if they do or not. I hope so. I wonder how they divide everyone up. I've heard some places do it just based on how many people try out, however, I've heard other places do it by house. Speaking of houses, which house are you in? I'm in Aladren," he said, speaking rather loudly to compensate for the wind around them.\n\n

0 Chris Sorry, it's been so long 0 Chris 0 5

Dalila

April 27, 2005 6:58 PM

That's ok... by Dalila

He was sure. Dalila's heart sank just a littlebit. She wanted tyo be on the Quidditch team now. She wasn't a very patient person. The thing about how they divide teams up was unusual, however. Her mother told her that at her school, they just used houses, but Dalila had never thought about what happened when not enough people wanted to play. It was inconceivable.

Dalila snapped out of her thoughts as Chris asked her a question. What house was she in? Dalila had to think for a moment before she remembered the name. She was absolutely horrible with names. It's why she always did poorly in History.

"I'm in Teppenpaw." she answered as the name formed in her head. "So, you're in Aladren? Is the common room nice? Do you fall through the floor if you go into the wrong hallway? That happened to me." she smiled as she practice moving her broom back and forth.\n\n

0 Dalila That's ok... 0 Dalila 0 5

Catherine Raines

April 27, 2005 8:20 PM

OOC by Catherine Raines

Whew! Glad that worked out okay. I'll swing back into the story.\n\n

0 Catherine Raines OOC 66 Catherine Raines 0 5

Catherine Raines

April 27, 2005 8:34 PM

Sad but true, especially in school by Catherine Raines

"I believe that I've heard of the Beauclere family. Will, Fara and Annette probably made an appearance at the party. Preston and Vanessa probably were there too."

Catherine took in the newcomer in one look, noting immediately the Crotalus badge on her robes. She spoke as if she and Jordanna were related, almost. Catherine inclined her head slightly. "They're quite influential in Illinois," she said. "Annette's brother Andrean is the heir to a small fortune, or so the rumor goes. The Beaucleres are somewhat notorious for never letting on about anything. My name is Catherine Raines. I don't believe we've been introduced." The last sentance was spoken almost as a question.

She looked back and forth between the other two girls, trying to discern any resemblance. They both had gray eyes, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Catherine's own mother had gray eyes, and she was hardly a Howard. In all probablility, no one at Sonora would have the faintest inkling who the Robinonds were, even if Catherine had been willing to admit she was related to them. She finally opted to play the waiting game. If Jordanna and the girl who had rescued her wand were related, it would soon be apparent.\n\n

0 Catherine Raines Sad but true, especially in school 66 Catherine Raines 0 5

Connor Pierce

April 27, 2005 9:23 PM

And this is the part where Gwen asks what a plane is... by Connor Pierce

OOC: Know where you're coming from...mine's on Monday and Tuesday, meaning on Sunday night Anne will perform the semester-end ritual of forcing me to study.

BIC: Connor was slightly taken aback when Girl-on-Broom-Laura Keaton-introduced herself and held out her hand. He decided against addressing her as 'Miss'. She reminded him a little too much of Stephanie Miller, a girl who had once tried to beat him up for referring to her as Miss. "Connor Pierce," he said, shaking her hand a bit awkwardly. "No offense or anything, but I'm hoping there won't be many more rescues to pull off," he said, attempting a joke. Anything to lighten things up a bit, even if it meant relaxing his usual rigid system of formalities while surrounded by girls.

"That's for sure.I don't think I'll be approaching any brooms for a while,even if it's just for sweeping." Danging Girl-Juliet-had recovered her powers of speech. He had been berating himself mentally when he saw that his attempt at a reply to her earlier statements had apparently only flustered her worse, which made it surprising when she spoke to him. He didn't think so many people had spoken to him in twenty-four hours time before in his life.

"I'm Juliet Lee, the idiotic girl with no hand-eye-coordination. Thanks for the rescue.I really owe you one, Connor. The same goes for you, Laura."

Finding a response to something like that without sounding like a complete idiot proved itself to be a challenge. "Don't worry about it," he mumbled, aware that they probably couldn't understand a word he was saying. "These things are kinda easy to fall off of." He hadn't fallen off one yet, but he thought that it was logical to assume that anything with the width and shape of a broom handle would be very easy to fall off of, especially when he recalled the momentary...unbalanced...feeling he had gotten when it first occured to him that he was actually hovering high in the air with nothing under him but a bit of wood.

This wasn't getting them anywhere, and every word he was saying was probably making his situation worse. "Well," he said. "I think you got a point, Laura. Probably better if we all went back to earth now, and maybe I can figure out what I did with my ability to speak clearly." Wincing, he felt obliged to add, "That was a joke." \n\n

0 Connor Pierce And this is the part where Gwen asks what a plane is... 68 Connor Pierce 0 5

Jim Dickens

April 27, 2005 10:00 PM

It's a lonely road...this road of mine by Jim Dickens

The venom was practically potent, and even Jim Dickens, the boy who liked to think of epidemics as a friendly tug of war with nature, could feel the insult. It stung in an unusual way, as if there was some great meaning he was missing. His round cheeks curved along with the downward pull of his lips, a motion not frequently visited on his cheerful features. The frown felt foreign and he knew of no vitamin in the jar around his neck that could cure this particular sickness.

Thankfully though, he remembered as he twisted the broom up and away from the three girls, his mother had a cure-all. When the illness was without a name, it was simply time for another game. Or something like that. Jim figured that meant it was time to find another friend to play with, maybe someone who didn't look as sick as those girls did. He glanced down again. Or had as much hair.

Jim lifted both hands and circled his fingers to make binoculars, naturally pressing the makeshift glasses to his eyes and peering across the pitch for a prospective friend or two or nine. He saw a group playing with pretending to fall off their brooms; looked fun, but...then his brown eyes noticed a pair: a black-haired girl and a blonde boy, smiling and talking with their brooms zigzagging about. He grinned.

Without looking back at the three girls who were yacking it up below, Jim leaned back and guided his broom toward the pair with his knees. He was about to make some friends, he was positive. The bad feeling he had just earlier faded entirely away.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Jim Dickens It's a lonely road...this road of mine 0 Jim Dickens 0 5

Anne Wright &Gwenhwyfar Carey

April 27, 2005 10:04 PM

It's not our fault we're purebloods-blame our authors! by Anne Wright &Gwenhwyfar Carey

Anne was getting herself ready for a fight when her not-so-dear cousin's attention was drawn away by the sudden drama of some Teppenpaw girl falling off her broom. Gwenhwyfar's reaction seemed genuine, but Anne wasn't going to let herself get softened up. In a moment of either pure spite or pure stupidity, Morgaine Carey had introduced her to Allie and Lila St. Martin, a pair of obnoxious twins they were related to and who were, apparently, Gwenhwyfar's devoted sycophants. The first useful thing Allie and Lila did in their lives was give Anne hard lessons in how her new family percieved her and would treat her-best friend around adults, trash amongst themselves. She knew she was being judgemental, assuming that because Gwenhwyfar allowed Allie and Lila to lick her boots that their philosophies were a mirror of hers, but she felt she had cause. She had no way to know who to trust, making it safer to trust no one.

Handling her broom deftly, she moved in to a position where she could observe unobtrusively once the Teppenpaw girl was back on her broom, courtesy of Laura and Gwenhwyfar's first victim, a guy she addressed as Connor and who mumbled a lot. She noticed Laura looking at Gwenhwyfar, and looked herself. The Carey girl looked like death warmed over.

Ignoring whatever the others were saying, Anne moved her broom a little closer to Gwenhwyfar's. "Good act," she said, sparing her cousin nothing. "Now that you've made yourself out as the concerned princess, we can get back to business."

Gwen was startled out of her mental battle by Anne speaking to her. Opening her eyes, she considered the other girl. Anne was a dark mirror to her, or near enough. Business, Anne said? Gwen would give her business. She had been willing to let Anne go about her affairs without interference, but the quandary Anne had put her in caused Gwenhwyfar to surface. If Miss Wright wanted to play dirty, then Miss Carey would teach her the meaning of the word.

"Although you probably won't believe it, I'm not acting," she said coldly. "Juliet's my friend. I think it's natural to be a little bit concerned when one of your friends falls off a broom,but I'm just a heartless Carey, after all. We wouldn't know anything about that, so we have you wonderful Wrights to tell us all about how humans interact." The sarcasm was thick enough to cut with a butterknife, and the air between them seemed to crackle with tension. It was Connor, speaking to Laura, who broke it.

"Well,I think you got a point, Laura.Probably better if we all went back to earth now,and maybe I can figure out what I did with my ability to speak clearly. That was a joke."

"I hope you can hold back on telling me what an awful person I am for being your uncle's daughter for another few seconds, Anne, because I'm going to relocate to the ground now. I think we've had enough airbourne drama for one day, and I really wouldn't like the catfight to start this high up." Not waiting for an answer, she started flying towards the ground.\n\n

16 Anne Wright &Gwenhwyfar Carey It's not our fault we're purebloods-blame our authors! 59 Anne Wright &Gwenhwyfar Carey 0 5

Jim Dickens

April 27, 2005 10:15 PM

Heya! Let's play blind man's broom! by Jim Dickens

Jim circled the pitch the once, probably because he wasn't using his hands to steer and his knees weren't nearly as steady when it came to direction. There were a few near misses, but he figured the ground wouldn't hurt too much, and what's a broken bone or five? But he did want to meet the boy and girl he noticed, so finally after the fifth dodge, he sat up and brought the broom back to where the two were talking. He sat, hovering and waiting for a bit, not really listening, and grinning like a fool. He was watching them, of course- to check for any diseases they might have like agraphobia or appendicitis.

He stared, lifting his hands into binoculars once more and after a good thirty seconds of intense appraisal, Jim was certain: they were a-okay, one hundred percent disease free. At least, they were for the moment.

He lowered his hands and inched his broom forward the half foot necessary to bump into their space. Beaming cheerfully, he announced his findings. "Hi! Guess what? Neither of you have appendicitis! Or agraphobia. But, you know, if you did it's okay, 'cause I have the cure in my jar." He pulled out the concealed jar from under his t-shirt. "I'm Jim. From Pecari. Will you be my friend?"\n\n

0 Jim Dickens Heya! Let's play blind man's broom! 0 Jim Dickens 0 5

Bella

April 29, 2005 8:15 AM

Blind man's broom? by Bella

Bella was still laughing as Adam's broom lobbed away on it's own accord, taking him around her as he held on for dear life. It really was quite amusing.

So amusing, in fact, that Bella hadn't noticed the other boy who had parked himself not far from them and watched them as if they were some grand play for him to enjoy. Had she noticed him, her laughing would have ceased and she would have flown further away to avoid any such awkwardness. But this wasn't the case.

She had turned her broom slightly so that she could watch Adam's progress with his broom when another broom and boy blocked her vision. Her smile faultered and her dark eyes met the strangers. And strange he was. He took her off guard that when he finished his little speech, she sat on her broom, open mouthed, and speechless. Of course she didn't have appendicitis and she wasn't really sure she even knew what agraphobia was. What a strange thing to say to someone. Especially someone whom you don't know.

But it was his next question that brought Bella out of her stupor and broke the ice for her. "Will you be my friend?" Such a thing that a 3 year old would say. And definitely not something she thought she would ever hear. The question brought a hearty laugh out of her. No disrespect to him meant, but a laugh all the same. When she finally could contain the laughter (though still grinning madly) Bella nodded her head to him,

"Sure, friends. I'm Bella Santoro and that's," she made a gesture towards Adam, "Adam Whitney. I'm glad to see neither of us have appendicitis and agraphobia. Makes life easier, I'd say."
\n\n

0 Bella Blind man's broom? 0 Bella 0 5

Tally and Chrissy

April 29, 2005 8:27 AM

So let the talking begin by Tally and Chrissy

"Yeah, I think Pecari is the one house that really doesn't have to worry about finding people to play." Tally commented with an understanding nod.

"Yeah, it is the house for the crazies after all." Chrissy said playfully teasing Liz. Tally giggled at the small joke. One of the very few jokes amongst the entire school.

"Actually, Zoey wasn't all that bad of a Chaser. She just needs to learn to control the broom and become more confident. Actually, thinking about it, the same would go for Zack. His build is perfect for seeking, he just needs to feel more comfortable with what he's doing." Tally said as she thought over Elizabeth's question.

"What about that hyper-ish girl. What was her name...the muggleborn...you got lost with her once with Mia..." Chrissy started.

"Sally?"

"Yeah, Sally, does she play at all? She seemed like the type."

"Doubt it, she broke her arm last year when we first had lessons. Plus, she didn't play during the practice match last year." Tally told both girls.

Both girls scanned the field. They amused themselves by watching a group of first years get themselves out of a perdicament, which could have been easily solved had they just lowered the brooms slowly until the dangling girl's feet touched the ground. The rest of the first years seemed to either detest the brooms, hate them because they nearly fell off them, or were professional broom handlers and they streaked off around the pitch.

"Seem like drama-queens to me." Chrissy commented from beneath her breath. Tally rolled her eyes to Liz. Of all the people Tally had come to know, Chrissy was the only one she knew who didn't like change or competition. She was aggressive and mean about the whole thing, but Tally had grown accostumed to it all.

"Relax Chris. Remember, we're older than them, we've got more power."\n\n

0 Tally and Chrissy So let the talking begin 0 Tally and Chrissy 0 5

Jim Dickens

April 29, 2005 9:33 PM

Yeah, you know, you make your broom blind and run around! by Jim Dickens

Bel-la. Jim tried the name with his mouth, running the two syllables across his teeth and against his braces. It tickled his gums, the final 'la' landing with a pleasant tonal ring that made him think of church houses and grandfather clocks. It was a nice name, he decided. A nice name for a friend to have. And Adam, too. There was another nice name for a friend. Adam and Bella. His friends.

Jim smiled and tucked away his jar of vitamins, their necessity not needed at the moment. Neither of his new friends looked sick in the least.

He nodded enthusiastically to Bella's reply. "'Makes life much easier. 'Specially if you had agraphobia, because then your nails would fall off, and I figure there's not much good about that, unless of course you don't like nails and then it'd be good. I suppose so."

Jim did a quick flip under and over his broom handle, his moves reminiscent of a small monkey for all that they seemed to natural. "Hey, do you think we'll get to play quidditch in here? Or maybe we can play tag- that'd be real neat on brooms, don't you think?"\n\n

0 Jim Dickens Yeah, you know, you make your broom blind and run around! 0 Jim Dickens 0 5

Jordanna Howard

April 29, 2005 10:31 PM

Re: It's a lonely road...this road of mine by Jordanna Howard

Why did she have to come! Why? Jordanna could have easily just gotten the coach to handle everything- why did Jenna have to be the hero? Jordanna decided that her older sister was trying to set out the territory or something like that that said Jenna was superior than her. Or she was just being nice and rescuing the wand for her. Nah, couldn't be. Besides, Jordanna didn't want her wand to be saved by Jenna. Then she would have to thank her. She needed to think of something really good to say... well, that was easy.

"Jenna could you be a darling and now that you've gotten my wand from that insufferable muggleborn- who thankfully left- get yourself off that dirty old thing and polish my wand- would you? I don't want to touch it, after that muggleborn got his filth all over it. Oh, Catherine, how could I forget, this is my sister, Jenna Howard, second year Crotalus."

There were two breeds of Howards, the tall blond type, and the smaller brunettes. But they all had the same stone gray eyes, the same sharp features, and eyebrows with a slighty inward incline. Jenna's features were softer than most, but unfortunately for Jordanna, still recognizable as a true Howard.\n\n

0 Jordanna Howard Re: It's a lonely road...this road of mine 65 Jordanna Howard 0 5

Fawn

April 30, 2005 1:18 AM

Yo ho ho? And a bottle of rum! by Fawn

OOC: Sorry it took so long to reply, computer's been down. Oh, and I'm afraid I don't know the name for the foot-holder thingies on the broom, so I'm just going to call them stirrups, k? BIC:

Fawn watched as Juliet tried to get her broom to rise up. Suddenly, the broom jerked up and took off like a shot! The poor girl looked terrified beyond belief and was clinging to the broom for dear life!

Not knowing what else to do, and seeing as how her Girl Scout training had never mentioned what to do in a situation such as this, she yelled, "Hang on, Juliet, I'm coming!" This would have been true if she had known the first thing about getting the blasted broom to move.

At first she tried to get it to go forward by pushing on the handle, but that made the dark girl drop forward into a dive! She screamed and pulled up on the handle just in time to stop herself from going 'splat' onto the field like she had feared. Getting it to raise back up wasn't that hard, but she still didn't know how to get it to go anywhere.

Gently shaking the handle like one would shake reins, she told the broom, "Hup hup, let's go!" That didn't work either, it just made the broom rock back and forth. Once it stilled, thankfully, she tried another approach. "Umm, forward?" she asked it politely. It did nothing but sit there, seeming to mock her, all the while Juliet was rocketing around in mortal danger!

"Come on!" she yelled at it impatiently, kicking her feet, which were in the stirrups, upwards towards the broom and managing to click her heels against the bushy twigs that made up the tail. Apparently it finally realized that it was supposed to be moving in some manner and moved forward... but with the speed of a slug on rollerskates.

She urged it on, "Forward, come on, you can do it! We have to go help Juliet!" Slowly it gained speed and she clung to it like a cat to a tree limb. Soon it had surpassed slug speed and was more at a speek akin to Chico Marx's piano playing. Well that was better, but not fast enough. Fawn kicked her feet a bit more and gave a triumphant yell as she noticed that she was catching up to her new friend.

In fact, as she noticed that, she saw that she was also going a bit fast for her liking. Soon she had pulled up close to Juliet, but the broom didn't slow down! It flew right past her, heading toward the hoops at the closer end of the field. "Ah, you're going the wrong way!" she yelled at the broom. "We passed her already, turn around!" The magical sweeping tool didn't hear her, or if it did it didn't listen. It just kept going towards the poles at breakneck speed!

"Woah!" she cried, pulling on the handle, "Stop! Halt! Cease! Desist!" Nothing was stopping it, she jerked on the handle in all different directions, trying to get it to stop, or at least turn and aim somewhere else. However, she felt her heart sink into her stomach as she saw that she was on a collision course with the closest hoop. "Gee! Haw! Anything, just turn!" she shouted, pulling desperately on the broom, trying to stray its course.

Nothing could prevent her from hitting it, and all she could do was close her eyes and pray as the wood hit the metal with a sickening crunch and she fell to the ground below.\n\n

0 Fawn Yo ho ho? And a bottle of rum! 0 Fawn 0 5

Anne Wright & Gwenhwyfar Carey

April 30, 2005 3:39 PM

The Deal (everyone involved in this thread read) by Anne Wright & Gwenhwyfar Carey

OOC: We've decided to try to wrap our role in this thread up quickly so we can get to our subplot, which is already beginning to play out a little bit. This is all from Anne's perspective, but Gwen's author came up with her parts.

BIC:Anne stared incredulously after Gwenhwyfar as she flew off. That girl had some nerve. Gwenhwyfar hit the ground hard, staggering and nearly falling flat on her face. Anne had to fight not to laugh. Landing beside the other girl, she dismounted gracefully and leaned back on her broom handle. "Don't try to play the parent card with me, Gwenhwyfar, because you won't get a reaction," she said pleasantly. "I don't care whose daughter you are, and I'm not going to cry because you still have your daddy and I haven't got mine. I met Uncle Alasdair at the family reunion, and I figured out that I would sooner be in the graveyard with Mama than be his daughter." She knew she was walking on dangerous ground, bringing Gwenhwyfar's family into it, but she couldn't repress the feeling that her cousin had been trying to bait her with the line about being her father's daughter.

Gwenhwyfar's eyebrows shot up. "I'm glad you can see far enough to realize you don't want to be my father's daughter," she said. "You wouldn't last ten minutes as a Carey, and that's the gospel truth." There was something almost like envy in the other girl's blue eyes. "Try being me sometime, Anne," she said for no apparent reason, a touch of bitterness in her tone. "You'll come away with a whole new idea of the world."

Anne couldn't believe what she was hearing. Gwenhwyfar didn't think she could be a Carey because it was hard? "What do you know about the world?" she demanded. "You've got it made, and don't try to claim you don't. You live in a mansion with your parents and siblings who adore you, though I certainly can't see why. You've got the looks, the money, the family, everything. My mother's dead and my father ran off to be a card sharp in Vegas, Gwenhwyfar. You've got everything I could ever want, so don't tell me that I couldn't live as you. Being you would be a vacation from being me."

She was surprised to see that Gwenhwyfar seemed to struggle with some violent emotion. "You think my life is perfect?" The blonde asked. "You know nothing about it. My parents have told me time after time how much they hate me. My sister thinks I'm cut out to be the first Dark Lady. My brother acts like I'm his mother. Yeah, I live at Bellevue and I can afford whatever I want. None of it's mine. Edmond will get Bellevue when Father dies, and Morgaine and I will be married off to whoever will have us as soon as we're through school. If you had to, you could make your way out to California and find your daddy's folks. Me, I'm stuck right where I am. I'm gonna be Miss Gwenhwyfar until I'm seventeen, then I'm gonna be Mrs. Somebody for the rest of my life, and through it all the only authority I'll ever have will be over house-elves." Gwenhwyfar's stare seemed challenging, as if she were daring Anne to do something rash.

"How the heck am I supposed to make my way to California if the St. Martin's kick me out?" Anne demanded. "Hitchike? Sneak on a Grayhound bus? Hide in boxcars like a hobo? Yeah right. I can't get out of it any more than you can." It felt crazily like she was identifying with Gwenhwyfar. "We're not so different, you and I," she said, stunned by the sudden revelation. "I just have a different view because I haven't always been part of our world. We're exactly the same."

"Not quite," Gwenhwyfar said. "I get the feeling we still see things differently. Even now, I can't help but imagine what would happen to me if you wrote home and told them about how many of the codes I've broken."

"Why would I go blabbing to Grandmother?" Anne asked. "You're the one who's spying on me."

"To save yourself," Gwenhwyfar said. "To get yourself into the fold. And who told you I was spying on you? Morgaine? Morrie doesn't know anything. I was supposed to, but I'm not going to. It would backfire. If I told on you, you'd tell them all about me, and I'm trying to turn myself around. If I can find someone to marry me who's not a pureblood fanatic, I might be able to get out." Gwenhwyfar smoothed a few strands of hair back, her eyes like sapphires. "Let's make a deal," she said abruptly.

"What kind of deal?" Anne asked suspiciously.

"More like a truce," Gwenhwyfar said. "Neither one of us will write home with anything incriminating about the other just yet. You give me till Christmas to prove that I'm telling the truth when I say I'm going against that life. If I can't prove it by then, feel free to pull out all the stops to ruin my life, because at that point I'll return the favor." Their eyes locked in perfect, granite-hard comprehension. "Deal?" Gwenhwyfar said, holding out her hand.

Anne hesitated. This could be a bad move, but it could be the move that saved her neck in the game. "Deal," she said finally, shaking her cousin's manicured hand. "Do your best to convince me that you're human by Christmas holidays." They let go quickly. "Don't expect me to sit back and let you maneuver me into a corner, though," she added. "I'm going to be watching you like a hawk until midterm."

"A true Aladren," Gwenhwyfar said, almost with the sound of a joke. "Watch away, hawk. I'm gonna prove to you and this whole school that just because I'm a pureblood and a Carey doesn't mean that I'm necessarily a prep." She switched her gaze to her friends. "I hope you guys don't hold this against me," she said simply, and turned to go put her broom away. \n\n

0 Anne Wright & Gwenhwyfar Carey The Deal (everyone involved in this thread read) 63 Anne Wright & Gwenhwyfar Carey 0 5

Catherine Raines

April 30, 2005 4:42 PM

Re: It's a lonely road...this road of mine by Catherine Raines

Catherine kept herself from showing surprise when Jenna Howard was introduced. Yes, she could see the resemblance now. Dealing with sisters could be a complicated operation; they would often band together to test an outsider. Jenna and Jordanna didn't seem to be that kind of sister pair, though, since Jenna had been told to polish Jordanna's wand like a maid.

"A pleasure to meet you," she said courteously. There was no way to know if either Howard sister had heard the rumors about her mother, but she was fairly certain that Jordanna, at least, hadn't. She felt herself developing a bit of a grudge against Jenna. The dark-haired sister wasn't giving Catherine anything she could use to figure out how much Jenna did and did not know about her family. "I've heard of your father, of course. Mine speaks of him with the highest regard." She would find out soon enough. Her mother might have lost her own claim to respectability by falling in love with a Muggleborn, but Lila's idiocy wasn't going to ruin Catherine's chances. She was a Raines, and the Raines family was known for its ability to rise above its circumstances.\n\n

0 Catherine Raines Re: It's a lonely road...this road of mine 66 Catherine Raines 0 5

Elizabeth

May 01, 2005 9:51 PM

Alrighty then by Elizabeth

A grin played upon Elizabeth's lips, the mischeivious one she reserved for display whenever planning something or when someone else was talking about her house. It was true, in all honesty, that Pecari was seriously the house of the crazies. Afterall, the rag-tag group seemed to only be bound loosely by the simple fact that all they had in common was that they were uncommon. Unique, one could say. But it was home, and the insanity that constantly followed every member of her house around gave her the familiar feeling of being back at home with her brothers and their antics.

"Yeah, well, it's home." she said in response to the Pecari joke, "And it does seem like everyone at Sonora likes making sure that we remember our insanity. As if we needed any reminding..."

When the subject of Sally came up, Elizabeth's body went subconsciously rigid. It was a reaction of fear or anything of the sort, it was just that her last encounter did not end well with the muggleborn.

Mudblood, a very small piece of her corrected viciously, a small part that seemed to have grown slightly over the summer. Sally is a filthy mudblood, Elizabeth, get it straight!

The little angry spot flared in her mind, and for one of the very few times, her conscious mind succumbed to the subconscious. It surprised Lizzie, since the only other times she'd really let her mean little subconscious get a bit of air was at the end of last term, when she nearly blew up at Sally, and when she faced off with Mia earlier that term. It was something she tried desperately to keep down, that little mean streak that was force-fed to her since she was very young.

Shaking her head slightly as if that would rememedy the inner issues, Elizabeth grinned again as the sly comment of "Seem like drama-queens to me" came. It was the addition by Chrissy that put her in a better mood. And with Tally reassuring Chrissy that they were more powerful, Lizzie breathed easier again, the angry flare forcefully mellowed to less than a flicker.

\n\n

0 Elizabeth Alrighty then 0 Elizabeth 0 5

Rachel Tibbs

May 01, 2005 10:09 PM

Yeah!!!!! by Rachel Tibbs

Rachel walked over to one of the brooms. She wished she had her mothers but that was not going to happen.

"Up." It stayed down but rolled a bit, biting her lip she said with more force "Up." This time it flew into her hand. "Good Broom." She put one of her legs over and kicked off the hard ground.

Rachel stayed where she was she didn't want to be the only one to stay but she decided something nice for being back on the broom. Rachel set of down to the other side gathering as much speed as she dared on the new broom. she tilted it upwards Andwent up. Rachel hadn't realised how much she missed being in the air. Rachel decided to land so she slowed her broom down and jumped off it at about 1 foot to the ground keeping a firm hand on the broom.\n\n

0 Rachel Tibbs Yeah!!!!! 0 Rachel Tibbs 0 5

Jenna H

May 02, 2005 3:29 PM

a lot of repetition going on here by Jenna H

Cool and collected. It was a talent that all Howards had, and one that even the most rebellious offspring possessed. And it was times like these that the ability to stay cool and collected no matter what was quite useful. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from Jordanna. Wait, yes she could, this was Jordanna, the spoiled brat after all. This kind of attitude was to be expected from her.

As for the other girl, well, Jenna smirked. She was trying to figure out what Jenna knew. It was obvious, it was the way everyone always spoke to her, thinking her to be dumb just because, well, she didn't want to go into why. but it was a ver silly reason. But it made Jenna used to being underestimated. That made it all the more fun to suprise people.

"Lovely speaking to you, Jordie, Raines," she nodded to each in turn, cool as a cucumber, "Although, if your father likes a conniving person like my father, then it might not be too great to talk to you. Ah well," she chucked Jordanna's wand to the ground, and added, "By the way, I believe the charm is 'scourgify'. Of course, you're going to need someone else to do it for you. Hopefully Catherine is not as brain dead as you pretend to be." And with that, she flew off.\n\n

0 Jenna H a lot of repetition going on here 46 Jenna H 0 5

Zack Dill

May 02, 2005 3:38 PM

finally making it over here by Zack Dill

Zack had heard his name called out, but it took far more effort than he had expected to convince the broom to turn enough that he could see who had said it. By the time he did so, there were three girls chatting with each other in the direction the shout had come from. Any of them could have said it, and, worse, he didn't remember a single one of their names, and they seemed to have forgotten him already, so it would be awkward to just yell back 'Hey!' now. They'd think he was trying to get their attention rather than return the greeting.

Fighting the broom's quirks he tried moved haltingly toward them, if only because they were his year mates and people who hung out with younger kids were all dorks. Okay, he was a dork, but he could pretend otherwise, couldn't he?

He put the thought of the D&D campaign he was already planning with two of the Alderaanian first years carefully out of his mind. Hey, they were both guys, and it was simple self-defense to get in good with the only other male members of your House. If the girls overflowed, the teachers might make him move in with those two and give up his own single-occupant-in-a-six-person-room spot over to the girls. It would be an interesting trick moving the room over to the girl's corridor, but Zack had faith that Sonora could do it. This place was freaky like that.

By the end of this thread of internal monologue, Zack had reached conversational distance with the three other second years. Vaguely, he'd been aware of some snatches of conversation that had drifted his way, and he felt he ought to say something, else they think he was just maliciously eavesdropping (or spying on the other houses for Alderaan, or something like that).

So he offered what he figured was probably non-essential intel on his House's Quidditch prospects. (The juicy intel that he wasn't revealing was that they probably all sucked and that they'd lose every match, but that might just be the paranoid gym-hating nerd in him talking.) "Yeah, I don't think Sally plays. It'll probably be Zoey and the new kids." He had no intention of playing himself. Of course, looking at the numbers, there was a good chance Zoey might have to convince either him or Sally or both to play just to get a full team. "I think Briar and Dupree play pretty well."

He had no proof of this, of course, but they had lighted up on his jock radar, so chances were pretty good that they had the athletic skills to back up their jock behaviour. Honestly, anyone who thought kickball sounded like a cool idea was either insane or athletic.

He tried to spot the two firsties out on the field, but the sun was in his eyes and it was hard to identify anybody. Zack shrugged and offered another morsel of information in leiu of pointing them out. "They at least knew what it was before coming here, which is more than I could say. Why don't you people play a sport like pingpong instead of some variation of basketball that involves the possiblity of falling to your death from great heights?"\n\n

1 Zack Dill finally making it over here 40 Zack Dill 0 5

Robbie Bates

May 02, 2005 8:04 PM

the sky is falling! by Robbie Bates

Of course Robbie just had to sleep late on the day they were doing flying lessons. He had only been on a broom a few times before, and he loved it. So he quickly changed into some new clothes and ran straight down to the Quidditch Pitch. There was no point trying to do anything about his hair, it was always messy anyway.

Looking around, he saw people already flying around. Some were falling, others looked like they knew what they were doing. He figured he could join the rest in the sky, and ask them what they were supposed to do when he got up there.

He held out his hand, and after a few determined tries he got the broom. He kicked off, and away he was. It felt good to be up in the air and the breeze was refreshing from the hot Arizona air.

He saw Juliet hovering above, and decided to go ask her what they were suppposed to be doing. She was quite a bit higher than he was.

"Hey Juli- woah!" A split second later he found himself hanging onto the broom with his right arm and leg that was wrapped tightly around the broom. His other leg was kicking fruitlessly in mid air and the arm was holding what was the cause of this incident- a falling girl.

Now, Robbie had never seen a girl fall from midair before. And from the looks of her, she was just in a crash. It was a good thing he was flying only about four feet off the ground, otherwise he wasn't sure he would have made it back to the ground.

Lying the girl flat on the ground, he patted her shoulder hard, "Hello? Can you hear me?" Without waiting for a reply, he yelled nervously, "Can someone help me over here- this girl looks like she needs help."\n\n

0 Robbie Bates the sky is falling! 0 Robbie Bates 0 5

Tally and Chrissy

May 03, 2005 3:38 PM

About time! by Tally and Chrissy

Tally noticed Liz stiffen slightly, but chose to ignore it. She had been nice enough not to question Tally when she had her 'episode', so Tally was going to show Liz the same courtesy. She jumped visibly on her broom when another voice joined in on their conversation Yeah, I don't think Sally plays... She turned and saw Zack making his way over to them and a smile lit her face, "Hey Zack, you made it over." Tally greeted him cheerily.

Chrissy, however, ignored a greetng and went right for his comments. "Zoey's the tall girl, right?" Chrissy asked, looking at Tally who nodded, "Who're Briar and Dupree?" She asked, this time to Zack.

"I think they're first years." Tally commented, "You don't plan on playing Zack? You didn't do so bad last year when we had that practice game."

"What's pongpang or whatever and that other thing you mentioned? The one with a ball." Chrissy cut in, she didn't like not knowing what others where talking about. Tally looked at her sternly before laughing. She rather enjoyed knowing the muggle world all her life as well as the magical world.

"Pingpong is a table game. You and one other person stand on either side of the table. There's a tiny net in the center of the table. You take a little ball and hit it gently to the other person with your paddle. The ball has to bounce once on their side though in order for it to count." She thought she explained it well, but looked at Zack to see if he could add anything. Chrissy still looked dubious.

"Doesn't sound very fun. And the other one?"

"Basketball. I don't really know much about it. You have a ball and a court...erm, a place to play. Two hoops, one on each end of the court. Then there are teams. Each team has to get the ball into the basket." She paused there and realization dawned on her face, "Hey, it is just like Quidditch, only on the ground and only one hoop per side."

"Well, either way, Quidditch is the best game ever. You'll learned to love it once you get used to it." Chrissy said to Zack. "I'm sure the others agree with me."\n\n

0 Tally and Chrissy About time! 0 Tally and Chrissy 0 5

Zack

May 03, 2005 4:51 PM

Quidditch on Alderaan by Zack

While Zack was generally considered a quiet kid, he had never counted himself as shy or timid. Perhaps a little cowardly on occassion, but those circumstances usually involved the risk of physical injury. In other words, if he had something to say, he said it.

He wasn't getting a chance to say anything.

Oh, he'd opened his mouth a few times, but he'd been beaten to the punch and without anything further to add, he'd just nodded and let it close again without uttering so much as a word. By the time the one with blond hair insisted he'd love Quidditch if he only gave it a shot, he'd stopped trying.

That comment, however, needed to be challenged. "Look, you're welcome to worship it all you like, but I'm not a sports guy." He was, in fact, a nerd and proud of it. Sadly, he wasn't able to find a pocket protector in the Alderaanian colours. "Only way you'll see me on a team is if there is absolutely nobody else who will play Seeker in all of Alderaan." He realized as he said the planet name from Star Wars that it wasn't the actual name of his House, but he didn't care enough to correct himself. This was the problem with giving things like Houses personal nicknames. Fortunately, he didn't have much opportunity to mistakenly call a Pecari a Picard.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Zack Quidditch on Alderaan 0 Zack 0 5

Tally and Chrissy

May 04, 2005 4:25 PM

How about manners in Aladren? by Tally and Chrissy

Both girls' jaws dropped in surprise. Tally had never heard anyone become so...demanding when it came to something as simple as a comment. Chrissy, however, quickly closed her mouth and glared slightly at him,

"No need to get your boxers in a twist. I didn't mean anything by it. Okay, you aren't a sports guy, that's an obvious one." Chrissy said rudely, while allowing her eyes to travel over his frame. "I've seen you before. You're the kid who never talks. I'm Chrissy."

Tally covered her face with one hand to hide the grimace she made when Chrissy opened her mouth. The girl may have been raised with manners, but she didn't always put them to good use. Deciding to change the subject, "Well, if you don't like sports, what do you like?"\n\n

0 Tally and Chrissy How about manners in Aladren? 0 Tally and Chrissy 0 5

Elizabeth

May 04, 2005 4:45 PM

Who knows... by Elizabeth

She watched as the boy flew over, the one that Chrissy and Tally were trying to contact before Elizabeth had flown over. She now sat, idly listening as the boy, Zach, was talking to Chrissy and Tally. When he said he wasn't much of a sports guy, Elizabeth couldn't help but inwardly laugh. It was no wonder- he didn't look like the stereotypical athletic boys who played Quidditch on a daily basis.

"Well, if you dont like sports, what do you like?" she heard Chrissy ask.

It made her wonder, really, what did people who didn't play sports do? Read, play Gobstones, or something odd like that? It was a puzzlement to Elizabeth. Her brothers used to never do anything but play quidditch, but since Brett was 22, he was working with the legislature more, and Javon at 17 was also involved with the government. But the two of them still played sports whenever possible, and the thought of boys doing something other than that was a bit hard to think about for her.

"Yeah, what would a guy like yourself do if you didn't play sports?" she asked, finally speaking up. She didn't know the boy, but something told her that introducing herself to him could potentially be a social mistake. Over the summer, she'd recieved countless harsh reinforcement speeched on the 'uphold the family honor, make friends which good purebloods' idea. It was slightly sickening, but it was life. That's just how it went. \n\n

0 Elizabeth Who knows... 0 Elizabeth 0 5

Zack

May 05, 2005 12:35 PM

ooc, sort of by Zack

I know class is over and we're not supposed to post anymore, but I figure Zack would have answered the question before they all headed back down to the ground. So for future referece, pretend I got a chance to post something like:

Zack stiffened in annoyance when the one calling herself Chrissy identified him as 'the one who didn't talk'. His offence was only heightened when both Chrissy and one of the other ones both asked what he did for fun, as if not liking sports was a serious character failing. He got enough of this s*** from his brother and the bullies at his real school, he didn't need it here, too.

"Y'know, books, movies, computers, and games," 'games', of course, meaning D&D and Magic cards, but admitting to these particular games meant an instant branding of 'geek' in normal circles or a blank stare here at Sonora, "are just as valid as sports as entertainment. Unlike sports, however, you need an IQ to enjoy them to the fullest extent."

That wasn't entirely fair, but Zack wasn't really in the mood to be fair. Just because he was short, weak, mildly asthmetic, and apparently lacking in the social skills required to work as part of a team or to get a broom to like him was no reason to treat him like a lesser person.

Sports required some strength and coordination to enjoy to their fullest extent and it was hardly Zack's fault that he lacked them.\n\n

0 Zack ooc, sort of 0 Zack 0 5

Fawn Summers

May 05, 2005 9:10 PM

Okay, chicken little! by Fawn Summers

Fawn was yanked from unconsciousness by the feeling of something hitting her shoulder. She wished it would stop, it'd be nice to go back to sleep. Just then she heard a strange voice from far away say muffledly, "-looks like she needs help." That woke her mind up instantly! Who needed help? Maybe she could be of some assistance. If only she could move.

It felt like her head was weighed down with an anvil and her arms were tied to elephants. Trying to get her body to get up and see who needed help, all she could do was roll her head and groan. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel like she'd just been hit by a Mack truck?

The raven-haired girl managed to open her eyes a bit and squint upwards, immediately wishing she could raise a hand to sheild her face from the sunlight. Sunlight? Why was she staring up at the sky? Shouldn't she be seeing her dorm room cieling? Why on earth was she outside? She then saw a shadowy figure above her, one she couldn't recognize. "Wha- what's going on?" she asked weakly, hoping that they could provide some answers.\n\n

0 Fawn Summers Okay, chicken little! 0 Fawn Summers 0 5

Robbie Bates

May 06, 2005 7:48 PM

ooc by Robbie Bates

i think that class is over. do you want to continue this in the hospital wing?\n\n

0 Robbie Bates ooc 0 Robbie Bates 0 5

Fawn

May 12, 2005 8:57 PM

ooc...why not? by Fawn

sorry, didn't see the notice before I posted. we can continue it there if you want. :) and thanks for stopping my character from splatting horribly on the ground!\n\n

0 Fawn ooc...why not? 0 Fawn 0 5

Coach Cooper

Name that maneuver... by Coach Cooper

Christobel Dupree

the Woollongong Shimmy by Christobel Dupree

Dalila Bastet

Flying owns all... by Dalila Bastet

Fawn Summers

Umm... the funky chicken??? by Fawn Summers

Juliet Lee

Oh, Oh, The Macarena! by Juliet Lee

Fawn

Or the Disco Duck! I love that song! by Fawn

Earl Valentine

I'm not nervous...I'm excited! by Earl Valentine

Zack Dill

what am I doing here again? by Zack Dill

Maggie Lynch

Flying Here I Come! by Maggie Lynch

Asher Tallow

Fly? And kill myself? No thank you! by Asher Tallow

Earl

Scared are you? by Earl

Asher

A coward? Me? Well...maybe by Asher

Mckenna Fallen

Flying! Yay! by Mckenna Fallen

Juliet Lee

I've never heard of it, sadly *sniffles* by Juliet Lee

Earl

Not as chicken as I had thought... by Earl

Asher

I prefer starlings myself... by Asher

Fawn

Aww, how sad. It was big in the 70s. by Fawn

Maggie

now if we could just get to the flying part... by Maggie

Coach Cooper

Back down to Earth we go... by Coach Cooper

Mckenna Fallen

Finally, we can fly! by Mckenna Fallen

Juliet Lee

...and I've never been more terrified! by Juliet Lee

Earl

Fly like an eagle by Earl

Jordanna Howard

...and we would like to stay there by Jordanna Howard

Gwenhwyfar Carey

Well, it could always be worse... by Gwenhwyfar Carey

Connor Pierce

Good motto by Connor Pierce

Gwenhwyfar

Such a gentleman by Gwenhwyfar

Connor

It's all in the home training,ma'am by Connor

Anne Wright

Back in the Air by Anne Wright

Gwenhwyfar

But of course... by Gwenhwyfar

Asher

Or a sparrow in the rain by Asher

Fawn Summers

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, and pain! by Fawn Summers

Connor

On one hand and then the other... by Connor

Zack Dill

because I did so well at this last year by Zack Dill

Earl

more like a baby sparrow by Earl

Chris

Doesn't it though? by Chris

Juliet Lee

Oh, <i>that's</i> reassuring by Juliet Lee

Asher Tallow

You know in some countries, sparrow is a delicacy by Asher Tallow

Gwenhwyfar

There's Never a Perfect Balance by Gwenhwyfar

Dalila

Indeed it does. by Dalila

Earl Valentine

I think I prefer chicken... by Earl Valentine

I've never heard of it, sadly sniffles by Juliet Lee

A roost holds hens, a hatchet removes hens wink, wink by Asher