Amy Fox
February 26, 2006 4:25 PM
Flying Lessons: Lesson 1 by Amy Fox
Amy couldn't believe it. She truly couldn't believe it. She, of all people, had been chosen to teach. Of course, the subject was flying, but that was beside the point. She wasn’t the type to teach anything, let alone a group of first years who didn’t even know how to fly.She didn't fit the part. She didn't look like a professor, she didn't dress like a professor and she most assuredly didn't act like one. Her hair was thrown into a half-hazard bun, wisps of the multicolored mass falling around her face. She was openly chewing a wad of gum, a fact that would have sent her mother to an early grave.
Amy’s eyes glanced over the brooms and equipment she had already set out, mentally making sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything. She didn't belong at Sonora and she definitely shouldn't have gotten this position, but here she was. Sighing heavily, Amy paced the field as she waited for her "students" to arrive. Students...she couldn't believe that she was actually going to have students in a matter of moments.
Of course, she knew that she only got the position through various connections. She should be grateful, really. She was in need of a job, any job, at the moment- but this...this was just silly. She was a Professional Quidditch Player- a Beater at that. What did she know about teaching students? How was she supposed to…to deal with a bunch of nose miners that were more likely to cry and spew snot than suck it up and fly like a man?
It was just about time for the lessons to begin the students to arrive. In truth, she didn't care if they actually bothered to show up. It'd be simple. She’d just smile, fail them and move on. To her slightly disappointment, the students started to enter the field. They were coming. Great.
As soon as the last straggler found their place, Amy placed her finger and thumb to the corners of her mouth and let a loud, shrill whistle sound through the pitch. Upon hearing silence, she smiled.
“Good,” she muttered more to herself than to the class. “Hello, I’m Amy Fox. I’m your flying instructor for the year. I’ve no doubt that some of you will recognize me; however, please wait until after class for questions. Got it?”
Smacking loudly on her gum, Amy froze. Oops, she knew she had forgotten something. Blushing slightly, she planted a smile upon her face as she quickly swallowed the gum. Grimacing slightly as the slimy wad slid down her throat, she waited until it had stopped before she continued.
"Er, yeah. You’re not going to need your brooms just yet so just make a pile over there,” she said pointing in the general direction of the large pile of brooms that had already been dropped on the pitch. “Once you’re done I want you to separate into groups. Um, you Als can go over there. Crots, you get behind me and, um, you Paws go to the right. Oh yeah, Pecs, just go wherever everyone else...doesn't...or whatever." Impatience seeped through Amy as she waited for the students to follow her instructions. She bounced slightly on the balls of her feet, her robes moving in waves around her feet.
Upon realizing that they had finished, with only a few mishaps, Amy looked them over slightly confused as to what she should do next. “So,” she began slowly, drawing out the word as she tried to find something to say, “I’m going to quickly cover the rules. They’re pretty simple and if you follow them, we’ll get along just fine. One,” she started, placing her forefinger in the air, “don’t talk while others are talking. It’s rude, plain and simple. This covers: don’t talk when your classmates are talking, don’t interrupt and don’t talk when I’m talking.” At this, she looked at a particular student who was whispering to their friend. “Got it? Good.”
It was at that moment that she realized that a large number of the students couldn’t really see, as she had placed them behind her. Sighing heavily, she rolled her eyes and addressed the groups. “Hey, everyone just move in your groups to where you can see me. Do it fast though so we can get on with the lesson. And, uh, sit down.” Backing up a few paces, in order to give the students more room, she waited a moment before beginning once more.
Adding a second finger to the air, she continued, “Two: Don’t do as I do. Do as I teach. I am not to be used as an example; I’m just here to make sure you know the basic rules of flying. There will be no funny business.” Hearing a small snicker, Amy’s eyes narrowed as she tried to find the perpetrator. “Something funny? I didn’t think so.” Scowling slightly, Amy began to pace in front of the class.
“Three: I expect you to listen to my instructions. There is a chance that you will get hurt, but that chance won’t be as big if you actually listen. I’m not going to be sympathetic if you’re foolin’ around and you get hurt. I’ll just tell you to suck it up and move on.
“Four: you will be on time to my class. Don’t come ten minutes early unless you have an appointment and definitely don’t come late. Your grade will be penalized if I have to stop my class in order to wait for you to put on your gear and grab a broom. Is that clear?” Coming to a stop front and center, she gazed out into the sea of faces. Faces that belonged to students that most likely thought she was evil at the moment.
“Finally, five: please make sure you participate. Participation plays a great part in your grade. I will not bite off your head if you have a wrong answer. I also don’t have a stash of Beater bats and Bludgers inside my pockets to attack you with. Have fun but be mindful of the other rules,” she ended with a smile. ‘Did I forget anything?’ she silently asked herself. Shrugging slightly, she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her robes
“Now, just to answer a few questions that I’m sure you’re going to ask. Yes you have to take flying lessons. Yes you will fail if you don’t show up and no you can’t get out of them. Yes, you have to fly; you may not sit on the sidelines and watch. No, I don’t care if you get hurt.
“I don’t care if you’re a girl and I don’t care if you think flying is a man’s sport. I don’t care if your parents think it’s silly. And I certainly don’t care about what you think. Got it?”
Placing her hands firmly on her hips, she waited a moment for the grunts and whispers to die down before she finished. “Any questions?”
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Subthreads: About FACE! short, demanding, & military issue so it seems! by Melanie Rose with Amy Fox, Ginger Silverstein
I cower, perhaps with fear, but with utmost respect by Geoffrey Spindler with Amy Fox, Geoffrey, Eduard Grimaud
keeping quiet by Zack Dill with Guenther Heindrich
So I'm a 'Crot' now, am I? by Lila Gringe
Send lawyers, guns and money to get me out of this! by Adam Brockert
Flying Lessons Part 2 by Amy Fox with Zack Dill, Lila Gringe, Geoffrey Spindler
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Amy Fox
Flying Lessons: Lesson 1
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Amy Fox
1
5
Geoffrey Spindler
February 27, 2006 1:53 AM
I cower, perhaps with fear, but with utmost respect by Geoffrey Spindler
Geoffrey had of course noticed the name at the bottom of the parchment for signing up for this class, but for some reason hadn't quite got to the point of associating it with the notorious Quidditch player Amy Fox until he got down to the field. The face was unmistakeable - there had been enough pictures in the magazines (particularly after the incident when three spectators had ended up needing midi-wizard attention after a spectacular bat into the stands; he as fairly certain - not entirely sure, but he could check quickly enough when the class was over - that she held some kind of record for injuries inflicted on opposing teams) to make her instantaniously recognisable. It was enough to stop the pudgy eleven year old boy in his tracks.There was a real life Quidditch player teaching him to fly.
There was a real life Quidditch player teaching him to fly.
He went through all his pockets, trying to see if he had some spare parchment in case she was going to give out signatures, but was unable to find a single one. Muttering under his breath he made his way to where the rest of the first years (and what might have been a couple of older students) were standing, and winced as the loud whistle ripped through the air.
The next few minutes passed in a daze, her words barely taken in before he shuffled off with the other Crotali to stand in a group behind her. It came as a shock when one of the girls, a Teppenpaw, he thought, started to mouth off. It was entirely strange. Weren't Teppenpaws supposed to be walkovers? That's what Mother had always said. This girl though... he thought he recognised her from disturbances in other places as well, other classes. Didn't she know she was talking to a Professional Quidditch Player? To Amy Fox of the Florida Heliopaths. Well, formerly of the Heliopaths. The Teppenpaw girl was probably a Muggleborn, he thought condescendingly. Mother had mentioned them too.
The only thing that really gave him pause for thought was when Miss Fox said, “I don’t care if you’re a girl and I don’t care if you think flying is a man’s sport. I don’t care if your parents think it’s silly. And I certainly don’t care about what you think. Got it?”
Mother wouldn't appreciate this, he knew. But then, she didn't like Quidditch, and she didn't approve of it, and .. he frowned. He wasn't sure she'd approve of there being a female Quidditch Coach either. But then, as an ex-professional player (for the moment at least)...
"Excuse me," he said, raising his hand momentarily and then dropping it along with his gaze. "I just wanted to know-" he cut off, feeling his whole face going red. He wasn't sure how she's take it, and, well, had never thought he'd ever get this close to a celebrity, but with a glance at his classmates, made his way over to the teacher, and continued in a low voice "I just heard, I mean... the brooms, they'll be able to take my weight, right?"
The last thing he needed to discover, particular if it were when he tried to mount a broom for the first time, was that his mother had been right about that as well.\n\n
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Geoffrey Spindler
I cower, perhaps with fear, but with utmost respect
79
Geoffrey Spindler
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5
Amy Fox
February 27, 2006 4:37 PM
The other side by Amy Fox
"Excuse me."Amy's head whipped around, hackles already on the rise after the attack from the other student. Were all of the students going to hate her? Not that she really cared, but being surrounded by glares and mental death threats might slightly hinder the classes.
Taking a deep breath as a way to calm her nerves, Amy finally took note of the boy just as he was lowering his arm. The insecurity. It was different than the hate. She neither reveled in it or hated it. It was just...different. She had seen it in her fans from time to time, but had never truly known how to handle it.
A corner of her mouth quirked upward, as a great deal of the angered tension seeped from her form. He was worried about them being able to hold him.
"Yeah, you'll be fine," she answered with a nod. "The brooms have been charmed ta hold ya. The air also helps ta hold ya up. I wouldn't worry 'bout it. 's that answer your question?"\n\n
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Amy Fox
The other side
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Amy Fox
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Geoffrey
March 03, 2006 10:07 PM
oh good.. so glad I didn't get yelled at by Geoffrey
"Oh. Right," Geoffrey said, feeling his face heat up even more, with both embarrassment and relief. "Thanks."He stood there awkwardly for a moment, then moved quickly back to where the rest of the Crotali were, and hid up the back of the groups. Here at least he shouldn't get too much unwanted attention. It hadn't been good, having to ask that question. Dreadfully embarrassing, really. Still. Wow, he was going to get to actually fly. Mother would be turning in her grave if she were dead. He wasn't entirely sure what his Grandmother would think, and Father, well, Geoffrey was considering whether he might be able to get his first full sized broom when he got to return home after this year was over. It might happen, after all he had allowed Geoffrey to look in that Quidditch shop on their wand buying expedition.
But now he was getting a little antsy and eager to have his chance at flying. Geoff leaned a little closer to the nearest person and asked in a low voice, "when do you think she'll let us try the brooms?"\n\n
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Geoffrey
oh good.. so glad I didn't get yelled at
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Geoffrey
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5
Eduard Grimaud
March 06, 2006 5:57 AM
Lets go fly a broom? by Eduard Grimaud
Grim had been hanging back in all his classes, trying to stick with the male side of the class. After the transfigurations outburst with Morgaine 'The Pain' Carey, as he now called her, he decided the boys were a far safer option, in case she had any friends.This was an excellent idea. Given the girl's rude outburst at the teacher, he had all the evidence he needed to declare most of the girls to be nut-jobs. And the fact that he was late for class meant that he was well disgused behind a group of Crotali. He held his broom in his left hand, eager to start flying. It was less of a lesson, than practice for the experienced flyer.
The boy he was standing next to asked him quietly 'When do you think she'll let us try the brooms?'
'I don't know,' responded Grim. 'That girl made her pretty mad. I hope soon, I want to get back to flying practice.'
Grim considered for a moment grabbing his broom and making a run for it. The desire to fly swelled up in his body. How could anyone not like flying? But he held back.
'Have you flown before?' he asked in an effort to make conversation.\n\n
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Eduard Grimaud
Lets go fly a broom?
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Eduard Grimaud
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5
