Professor Kijewski
April 29, 2005 3:32 PM
Year 2, Lesson 1 (part 1) by Professor Kijewski
Kiva stood by her outside area for her classroom and watched her second years approach. They seemed a bit calmer than the first years had been. They were already used to the routine of classes, so they should do fairly easily within her class. The breeze was still as harsh as ever and the sun seemed to want to melt her away. She had removed her royal robes and stood in a black t-shirt and khaki pants.She waited patiently for the students to settle, her smile firmly placed on her freckled face. Her brown curls were still pulled into a short ponytail at the top of her head, but sweat beads were visible on her hair line. She vaguely wondered if any of the students were disappointed that their previous professor of COMC was no longer there and that she had replaced her. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, another gust of wind ripped through them and she patiently waited it out. “Good afternoon class. I am Professor Kijewski, however, you may call me Professor K. or Kiva if my last name is too hard for you.” She smiled sweetly at them before continuing, “Feel free to get as comfortable as you’d like, this class will be a bit more informal than your others. However, the first part of this lesson will be notes, so be sure to have a quill and parchment ready. Now, today we will be discussing these,” She turned around and pulled out a small box with holes in it. The box itself was moving visibly in her hands. She set the box down and looked around at her students. After a moment, she pulled the box opened and gently removed the creature within it.
It looked like a normal dog to just about anyone; a Jack Russell Terrier to be exact. She watched the students’ reactions to the dog before continuing, “This is a crup. Crups originated in the southeast of England. These creatures are fiercely loyal to their Wizard owner while being rather ferocious to any muggle. They are wonderful at scavenging and usually eat gnomes.” She paused here to wait out the harsh breeze and looked around once more at her students to make sure everyone was still paying attention. “If you wish to have a crup, you must take a test with the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to prove that you are capable of caring for these creatures in muggle-inhabited areas.” She paused once more and picked up the small dog.
“Everyone gather closer.” She placed the crup in the midst of the students. “Feel free to play with him. Just be careful of any Chizpurfle as they have a tendency to invade Crups and can destroy wands if they get to close.” She thought of something just then and walked to her large bag of supplies, “In fact, let’s study Rutter. Everyone take one of these, “She handed each of the students a magnifying glass, “See if you can spot anything. While we are doing that, can anyone tell me how to tell the difference between a crup and a non-magical dog? It’s okay if you can’t.”
OOC: I'm not looking for any right answers or any of that, so don't worry. However, I am looking at how well you write a response. Make sure each post is at least 2 paragraphs long, 5 sentences each. I know you all know how to do this, but I just wanted to remind you. Good luck, and have fun!
\n\n
Subthreads: It just <i>had</i> to be dogs, huh? by Mia with Tally Adams
this bites (if you're not careful) by The ones they warned you about with Do I really need an introduction?, Professor Kijewski, Stephen
Crups by Jake
watching by Zack Dill with Jenna Howard
Finally, a class were we might know something. by Zoey and Dillon
ATTENTION 2ND YEARS!!! (Part 2) by Professor Kijewski with Zack Dill, Mia, The Cravens
0
Professor Kijewski
Year 2, Lesson 1 (part 1)
0
Professor Kijewski
1
5
Mia
April 30, 2005 8:38 AM
It just <i>had</i> to be dogs, huh? by Mia
Mia was looking forward to the Care of Magical Creatures class. The professor from last year left but that cat creature was pretty cute. Mia had a thing for cats, especially her own cat. Silk hadn't bothered to follow Mia for this lesson and took to roaming the halls of the school instead. She didn't doubt that her cat knew more about the school than all the kids put together.Mia made her way to where the class would be taking place outside. She kneeled on the ground with the other students, enjoying the fresh air. It was warm out but there was a sharp breeze that bit at her face every now and again. Mia's long, wavy and slightly lighter brown hair was in a half ponytail and the rest of her hair that was out, wipped the sides of her face when the breeze came. She put her hand on her cheek to protect it from her hair and listened to the new professor talk. She went into her black, signed bag to get her parchment and quill since there were supposed to be some notes. Mia looked at her friends' signatures and inside jokes in the bright colors of ink one more time and smiled before turning her attention back to her professor.
"Oh jeez." Mia muttered to herself and lightly bit her bottom lip.
Any good feelings about the lesson drained away when Professor K opened her box and pulled out a small 'crup' as it was called. No matter what it was called it was too much like a dog. Mia wasn't really afraid of dogs, it was just that she and dogs didn't mix well. They never had and probably never would. She just didn't like the things especially after a particularly friendly and large one jumped on her when she was younger.
When she was informed about how they're ferocious to muggles, Mia's overactive imagination kicked in. She began thinking that since she was muggle born, the crup would already not like her and possibly attack her or something. She decided to just keep her distance for as long as she could. She kept a weary eye on the crup through the side of her small glasses while taking notes on what the professor said about it in her neat cursive writing.
Mia didn't get much closer to the creature when the class was told to and she thanked god that it wasn't placed down near her. Even when she took the magnifying glass she was handed, she let the other students go closer if they wanted to. She would just hang back a bit. Besides, she didn't want some Chiz-whatever destroying her wand as she had become rather fond of the wooden rod.
Mia just kept her quill ready for when someone had the answer to Professor K's question. She definitely didn't know save for the obvious that one was magic and the other wasn't. She wasn't sure if that answer would suffice. At least the professor said it was okay if she couldn't answer. She had a feeling she’d like Professor Kije- Professor K.
\n\n
0
Mia
It just <i>had</i> to be dogs, huh?
0
Mia
0
5
The ones they warned you about
April 30, 2005 2:36 PM
this bites (if you're not careful) by The ones they warned you about
The Cravens weren't sure what to make of Care of Magical Creatures. On the one hand, there were dragons, and Chimeras and other stuff that was cool and might eat you. On the other, there was fluffy stuff that was 'cute' to look at and which you were expected to coo over. As they were younger, the chances of getting something truly dangerous was limited, but - as there was a new teacher - they were approaching the class with open minds. In other words, they hadn't actively decided to play the teacher around, though they were more than willing to test to how far she could be pushed before she lost it/burst into tears if there wasn't anything else to keep them occupied in the lesson.The professor passed the first test, just about, in that she was wearing scruffy clothes and didn't look all fussed over her hair, cos it was just shoved up in a ponytail. Of course, these things were to be expected from a 'Creatures professor. She gained brownie points as she told them they could call her by her first name if they wanted (they would have called her 'Professor K' even if she hadn't said they could). It wasn't that her last name was too hard for them, it just made her cool. She also told them class was informal and they could get comfy... She didn't seem to be too bad. The twins stretched out on their stomachs, pulling out parchment, quills and ink so as not to be told off, rather than to actually work. They scribbled away when they thought Kiva was looking. By the end of her lecture, Sorrel had got down 'vishous little blighters' and Ash had 'Eat nomes.'
As Kiv called them forward, both kids abandoned their notes to look at the crup. It wasn't that they were overly interested (it was cool in that it savaged Muggles, but it was basically just a dog) but it was better than sitting still and quiet.
"Wonder if it'll be so fond of wizards if I whack it on the nose..." said Ash, taking the magnifying glass he was handed. "Poke-a, poke-a!" he laughed, tapping the crup's nose lightly with the handel of his magnifier. It looked perplexed and licked its nose, backing off slightly. Ash went to poke it again, and the puppy nipped playfully at his magnifier's handle.
"Whoa!" said Ash, jerking his hand back. Sorrel made to poke at its hip, snatching her hand away just before it tried to nip at her. She did this several times, causing the puppy to gamble around in circles.
"It don't seem so vicious," she commented, laughing. "It looks more like it's chasing its... Hey, it ain't got a tail!" she said, inadvertently answering Kiva's question. Not wanting to be out done by his sister, Ash tried to think of something else about the crup that was different.
"I guess it can tell the difference between Muggles and wizards, if it mauls Muggles right?" he said, rather lamely, "Hey, if the wizard what owned it was related to Muggles, and it's loyal to the wizard, right, would it attack their family?" He didn't exactly sound disturbed by this. If anything, he seemed more... hopeful.
\n\n
0
The ones they warned you about
this bites (if you're not careful)
0
The ones they warned you about
0
5
Tally Adams
May 01, 2005 7:25 PM
Sun and Wind and Crups, oh my! by Tally Adams
Tally walked eagerly down to the COMC class area walking along side her friends and classmates. She had always been fond of animals and somehow connected learning about animals with healing humans. She still couldn't figure out where she had connected the two, but the thought continued to stay with her.It was a gorgeous day out, minus the wind, and Tally was happy to be outside and enjoying it. Even if that did mean she had to go to class. She had her long brown hair pulled back to keep from smacking her in her face from the fierce wind that blew. Warm as it was, the wind was rather bothersome. She walked up to their professor, a young looking woman who looked normal in the muggle clothes she was wearing, and took a seat next to Mia.
She listened intently to Professor Kijewski. Nice lady who was willing to let them call her by her first name. Not something she'd actually do, as she believed in respecting her authority, but Professor K. she could do. Tally pulled out some parchment and ink and wrote down what Professor said about the Crups. Tally loved crups almost as much as she loved frogs. Had she not grown up living most of her life as a muggle (but knowing the magical world too) she would have asked for one from her father. But, because of her muggle friends and neighbors, her family was Crup free. They were lucky to even be able to keep Angel. Luckily though, Tally's father could put a disillusionment charm on her whenever Tally's friends came over for a visit.
Tally moved closer to the Crup and gently pet it before moving back to her spot beside Mia. She knew the answers to the questions, but the twins beat her to it and she hadn't really felt like saying anything. Though, she thought poking the thing was a bit much, but she kept her mouth shut. Deciding to just let everyone else play with the creature, Tally turned to Mia, "Hey, this class shouldn't be all that bad, right? I mean, she seems nicer than Dione at any rate."\n\n
6
Tally Adams
Sun and Wind and Crups, oh my!
41
Tally Adams
0
5
Do I really need an introduction?
May 02, 2005 9:54 AM
Ah, but the real question is, does it make a nice hat? by Do I really need an introduction?
Stephen had followed along behind his friends Sorrel and Ash as they trailed over to where the class was being held, fidgeting with his brown baseball cap every three or four steps. If it wasn't that the angle was wrong, it was that the sun was in his eyes or that the brim was rubbing his skin uncomfortably, or that a bit of sweat caused by that walk through the warm outside air was dripping down, and in wiping it away he would knock his hat again. He pulled it off, frowning, then pulled it back on again, this time backwards. After squinting for another three or four seconds he pulled it back around the right way. By this stage they had apparently arrived at the class.Frowning slightly, he pulled at the neck of his green school robes, dragging his finger around it, trying to get some air between himself and the material as he flopped down beside Sorrel. The professor this year looked a bit different to last years; and she didn't have one of those crazy cat critters with her. Stephen felt momentarily disappointed as she started to speak before being distracted by her name. He considered whispering to Sorrel, asking if he had heard right. Was her name really Professor Coujyouski? It seemed a bit weird, especially considering how hot things were at the moment. Kind of like her name was mocking them with its frosty imagery.
He tried to think of it, to think of snow... someone or other had mentioned that if you thought of it being cool it was. It didn't work.
And then she said the magic words.
Taking them to heart, Stephen shifted back onto his feet for a second, shucking off his too hot robes, and tossing them aside. A moment later, they were joined by his sneakers. Seconds after that one sock, and then another took up position on top of the pile.
He flopped back down on his stomach, knees bent and toes wriggling in the air. It wasn't much cooler, but it was a definite improvement. Absently fiddling with the neck of his t-shirt (sweat plus collars equalled itch) he caught sight of a box. A moving box. A box that was moving by itself.
"What's in there?" he called, even as the Professor started to answer the question. A little doggie was pulled out of the box, and Stephen wondered what was going on. It was one thing being presented with a cat, and being told that it was in fact not a cat, but a sneezle - or a keneezle, or something like that - but now they were bringing in dogs and saying they were magical too? It didn't look magical... leastways, it didn't look magical from here...
And what did it matter? It was a dog, and Stephen knew what to do with dogs. Dogs were there to be played with! This little guy, he reckoned, would really go for a game of catch. So, while his friends besides him scribbled away as far as he was aware, Stephen looked around him for a stick. A stick that wasn't his wand. Or Sorrel's because she would kill him. Or Ash's, because Sorrel would kill him. Spotting a suitable stick behind him, Stephen surrupticiously picked it up while the Professor Ski mentioned something about muggles. A moment later, a particularly harsh gust almost took his cap right off his head. Dropping the stick in his haste, Stephen pulled the cap off and stuck it under his shoe for safekeeping, snatching the stick back up again before he moved back into his previous position.
The professor was saying something about a department.
Stephen was trying out a high pitched whistle. Owen, a boy who lived around the block from Stephen, had this cool whistle that made all the dogs in the neighbourhood come running. Stephen and his friends had all had a go at it, and tried to hear the sound that the dogs heard, but none of them could make out anything except Jimmy, and Darren - who lived three doors down on the other side of the road - reckoned that it was all because Jimmy's ears were big and they let the sound echo about more.
For his first effort, Stephen managed was a great deal of air. Second time around he got some sound, but that wasn't what he wanted. He continued trying to get it right, even as the others went up into a huddle around the professor and the dog, but got his interest perked up when he spotted something being handed out.
He stuck the stick into the back pocket of his cargo shorts, and pushed his way forward. The magnifying glass he found himself presented with looked fairly ordinary. But then, apparently this pup which looked fairly ordinary too wasn't. He reached in, scratching the dog's ears and then looking at them through the magnifying glass before Ash and Sorrie set the dog to moving around.
Laughing slightly at their antics, Stephen moved around the circle a bit, stopping as Sorrel spoke up.
"She's right!" he said, astonished. "Where's his tail? Did you chop it off? Poor guy having no tail." How could the little fella show he was happy without a tail to wag? It seemed a cruel and hard thing to do to a dog.
Stephen moved back to the outskirts of the crowd and pulled the stick. Then, giving up attempting the high pitch, he let rip with a piercing whistle. From amongst the crowd of his classmates, Stephen could just see the ears perk up. He grinned. Least he could do was let the dog be a dog, even if he didn't have a tail.
"Here boy, fetch!"
The stick flew over the students, and was picked up by another gust of wind...\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
39
Do I really need an introduction?
Ah, but the real question is, does it make a nice hat?
0
Do I really need an introduction?
0
5
Mia
May 02, 2005 2:31 PM
The sun and wind I can deal with. The crup... by Mia
Mia watched some other students go closer to the crup and even though it seemed nice enough, she still wasn't about to go near it. She took her hair out of the half pony and for the moment it was out completely she thought she had begun to cook the back of her neck. She quickly threw it up in a messy bun just as Tally sat down next to her and spoke. Mia laughed a bit at her comment."I think just about anyone is nicer than Dione. Well, maybe not Bulla. He seems a little stiff too, no offence." Mia added since Professor Bulla was the head of Tally's house though she didn't know how high in regard Tally held him. "But I sure hope we get another one of those cat creatures to look at. I can deal with cats. Dogs, not so much." Mia said with a small smile and a shrug.
Mia put her parchment down and put her bag over the corner to keep it from flying away in a gust of wind. She then sat down all the way and pulled her knees up to her chest instead of sitting on her legs. They were beginning to fall asleep under her. She began fanning herself with her small hand while she watched the antics with the crup continue. Stephen had joined in with a game of fetch and Mia couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes and laugh.\n\n
0
Mia
The sun and wind I can deal with. The crup...
0
Mia
0
5
Jake
May 02, 2005 2:46 PM
Crups by Jake
Jake sauntered down the pathways to where they would have their Care of Magical Creatures class. He wasn't really paying much attention to his peers, lost in his own amusing thoughts, but occasionally he would look up or catch someone's conversation. The wind was a bit harsh today, but the sun made up for it as it beat down on them in it's Arizona glory.His robes would whip out around him whenever the wind picked up and he had to blink rapidly because his eyes would feel dry and itchy. But it was a nice breeze mixed in with the warm sun.
When they reached their destination, Jake stopped and took in their new professor. No one else seemed to be listening much to her and he frowned slightly. She was new, yes, but she seemed decent enough. She certainly wasn't calling any of them dimwits and she seemed like she might have a sense of humor. Besides, she had magical creatures and that was all that Jake cared about.
He sat and took the proper notes, listening to the Professor (who was cool enough to let them call her by her first name since her last name seemed impossible) and occasionally looking up to see what everyone else was doing. He surpressed a laugh when he saw kneazle boy strip down and spread himself out on the grass, but he reframed. The twins were being themselves and everyone else were grouped about. He brought his attention back to the front when the Professor anounced what they would be doing today.
He looked up to see her set the crup down in the middle of everyone. He was fairly close enough to get in a few pets before the Cravens started poking it. It was actually entertaining to watch as the pup seemed to walk in circles. Both of their exclaims, plus kneazle boy's comment, made Jake look at the crup more closely. He knew about crups from having friends who had them as pets, but he didn't no everything. The no-tail thing surprised him. He picked up his magnifying glass and looked at the crup more carefully. This class was starting to amuse him, and, even with random discoveries, he might actually come out learning something.\n\n
6
Jake
Crups
42
Jake
0
5
Tally
May 02, 2005 11:14 PM
Crups aren't so bad. by Tally
Tally laughed with Mia and settled into the grass beside her. All in all, it wasn't such a horrible class and they got to spend their hour sitting out in the nice sun playing with a cute little crup. Tally could find worse things to do with her time."Bulla isn't so bad. He's rather quiet and a great dancer." Tally said with a giggle. She pictured watching her Head of House doing the funky jig spectacularly. he respected Bulla for all that he does around the school. Plus, her love for charms sort of made him her obvious favorite.
"Crups aren't so bad either. They are just like little dogs, loyal to their owners and mean to everyone else. They are fun to play with and have around. Actually, doesn't Reiner have a crup? I could have sworn I saw him with one..." Tally scrunched her face in thought and looked around for some sort of confirmation. Shrugging slightly, Tally decided to take a page out of Stephen's book. She took off her school robes and laid them out behind her. After they were laid out flat, she stretched out across from them and watched the clouds.
"So, Mi, how about some girl talk? I haven't had one of those for awhile." \n\n
0
Tally
Crups aren't so bad.
0
Tally
0
5
Zack Dill
May 03, 2005 8:59 AM
watching by Zack Dill
There was a science to selecting just the right seat. The back row was to be avoided at all costs because that's where the troublemakers sat. The front row was for the people who wanted to look good. The middle was constantly being observed since the teacher's eyes would have to pass over them to get between the front and the back. Therefore, it was the second row on the extreme left that Zack took his seat.He pulled out a notebook and blue papermate pen (fine tipped) and leaned forward on the edge of his seat so as to be able to reach to top of the blank page. He took her introduction ("Professor K or Kiva if my last name is too hard for you") as a challenge to use her full surname so underneath her name - which he had written on the inside cover of his notebook when he got his class schedule - he added in the phonetic cues to help him remember how to pronounce it.
As the lesson began in earnest, Zack took his usual extreme level of detail in his notes. However, unlike probably everyone else in the class, his were not written in English (or any poor excuse of language that tried to pass itself off as English). His were written in a unique mixture of Sindarin, Kling-on, and his own made-up language that filled the blanks when the other two failed him.
For example, he didn't know how to say 'dog' because, to his knowledge, neither Kling-ons or grey elves had dogs, nevermind crups. (Well, Kling-ons might, but he didn't think he should use their form of the word b**** in his academic notes since it had other dirtier connotations - not that anyone here would be able to read Kling-on, but it was the principle of the thing.)
'Chizpurfle' and 'Rutter' he didn't translate because any words that Zack didn't understand were probably beyond the scope of the average notebook thief. Besides, he was pretty sure that 'Rutter' was the crup's name.
Even when he finished taking down the notes, and armed with his own magnifying glass, Zack did not approach the crup. He stayed at the edge of the crowd (so as not to stand out as not participating) and was careful to always keep at least three or four other students between him and magical dog.
Kijewski had said that the little beasts were violent towards normal people, and both of Zack's parents were normal. His brother was normal. Everyone he'd ever met up ontil last year had been normal. The crup might smell that on him, especially since his sneakers and the clothes under his school robes were all made in Hong Kong or something. By normal people using normal people technology. \n\n
1
Zack Dill
watching
40
Zack Dill
0
5
Mia
May 03, 2005 2:52 PM
Humph, says you. by Mia
Mia looked at Tally with a raised eyebrow when she mentioned Bulla being a great dancer. She didn't think she could imagine him dancing at all and she didn't think she wanted to so she let that go."That's just the thing though," Mia started on Tally's comment about the crups "crups are like dogs. I don't cope with dogs so well. I'm definitely a cat person."
Mia watched Tally as she spread out her robes and laid back on them. It was a tad warm for the dark green robes to stay on. Mia followed her lead and took the robes off as well. She was wearing a light blue fitted tee with stretch jeans that were a bit too long. Only the tips of her brown boots could be seen from under the hems of her jeans. The breeze felt really good now with her hair up and the air actually hitting her arms. Mia rested her head on her knees when Tally continued. She smiled into her knees when Tally used a nickname.
"Girl talk? Like what?" Mia brought her voice to a lower volume "You found a boy you like?" Mia teased.\n\n
0
Mia
Humph, says you.
0
Mia
0
5
Tally
May 03, 2005 4:05 PM
Humph? *laughs* great word! by Tally
"I'm more of a frog person myself." Tally said with a smile. Tad was now sitting quitely somewhere in her room and waiting for her return, "But I like animals in general. I mean, if my dad would ever let me get an animal with fur, it'd be a dog, but he won't." She sighed loudly. Not that she had much to complain about. Her father refused a dog for good reasons. With Josh and him being gone on assignments and her here at school, they had no where to put the dog while on long absences."You found a boy you like?" Mia's comment caused a stir in Tally. She immediately hopped onto her elbow, her high ponytail bouncing off the back of her head, while exclaiming in a loud voice, "WHAT?" She blushed rose when she realized how loud she had been, lowering her voice she continued,
"No, I don't think so..." She had started to notice boys, but she had only assumed it was because of Chrissy, who decided that boys were only meant to bring happiness just this past summer. She gave Mia a playful smile, "Have you?"\n\n
0
Tally
Humph? *laughs* great word!
0
Tally
0
5
Mia
May 03, 2005 4:41 PM
*bows graciously* Why thank you. by Mia
Mia bit her bottom lip to keep herself from cracking up as loudly as Tally had exclaimed. She didn't think anyone had paid it any mind. She just rolled her eyes and put her chin back to her knees when Tally asked her the same question. She really wasn't so interested in guys. She didn't think she needed to be.She was only twelve. She was a pre-teen and thought of boys as teenager issues. She had a good year or so of freedom before she had to worry over stupid things like that. Besides, she didn't think she was on such a great footing with the boys here who seemed to still think girls had cooties or something. As usual, most of her friends turned out to be girls.
"Nah," Mia began with her chin still on her knees and hugging her legs "I haven't really been looking at boys like that. I mean, I have some guy friends but I don't like like any of them y'know? They're just some of my friends." Mia stopped before she sounded like she was in denile or something.
She lifted her bright hazel eyes and glanced over the crowd. There weren't many boys and the few that were here, she barely knew. She knew Stephen well enough because they were in the same house and he was a funny kid. She didn't care to know Ash because he didn't care to know her and that suited Mia just fine. She always got a little flustered when she even vaguely thought about either of the Cravens. She had briefly talked to Zack but that had been interrupted by the Cravens and the rest she didn't know so well.
Mia shook her head and turned back to Tally.
"I don't think I'm ready to think about boys yet." she said exasperatedly but with a laugh before falling backwards onto the grass next to Tally and letting her eyes close.\n\n
0
Mia
*bows graciously* Why thank you.
0
Mia
0
5
Tally
May 03, 2005 10:30 PM
Why, you're welcome by Tally
Tally noticed Mia roll her eyes at her question. Well, she had asked first, so she should have expected it in return. But, Tally just shrugged and laid back down on her robes."I've got loads of friends who are boys. They are just easier to hang out with. Er-no offense." Tally said, looking sideways at Mia. It was true, at home, other than Chrissy, Tally had all male friends. It was here at Sonora that she had started to make friends who were female. Except in her own common room, there, she was friends with the boys. But, it's not like she hadn't tried, her roommates just kept to themselves it seemed.
"You should try hanging out with Chrissy sometime, Mi. It's boys this and boys that. Plus, back home, all the neighborhood girls would giggled and point and come to talk to the boys all the time. It was really annoying." Tally said exasperately. "I mean, honestly, the boys just that they were nutters. You would think they'd get the hint after awhile, but no, they just kept coming right back."\n\n
0
Tally
Why, you're welcome
0
Tally
0
5
Jenna Howard
May 03, 2005 10:53 PM
bad memories of crups by Jenna Howard
Jenna sat in the corner of the class, she had always had a tendency to keep from being in the middle of things. She was by nature an introvert, felt a bit overwhelmed when surrounded by people. So, to the corner it was.Jenna quickly started taking notes. She had been looking foward to this class almost as much as potions. That was mostly because some creatures were used to help make potions, and some creatures needed to take potions. Having insight into these animals and their properties would not be a bad thing at all. Besides, this was a class where no wand was required. Jenna especially liked that.
Crups were animals familiar to her, as she had grown up in a magical household. And the one that she had met didn't seem to like her very much. But that was no suprise, most people before Sonora didn't really seem to like her, seeing as most people she knew were her family members. But the crup she remembered had a forked-tail, not tailless. She wondered what sort of mishap the crup in fron of them had gotten into.
As others went to go and pet and play with the dog, Jenna walked up closer to the front of the class, but didn't join them. It was strange, almost foreign to her how people could show such affection to animals, like petting it. Coming from a home where people hardly ever hugged, or showed emotion made her like that. To her, the crup was just a specimen to study, nothing more, nothing less.
"I never liked crups," she muttered, "Especially after Uncle Will's completely ruined my potion."\n\n
0
Jenna Howard
bad memories of crups
46
Jenna Howard
0
5
Mia
May 04, 2005 2:20 PM
You're very polite unlike some people I know. by Mia
Mia stayed quiet with her eyes still closed while Tally spoke. She said boys were easier to hang out with then girls. Mia couldn't see how that was possible but for Tally it must've been a whole other story."No offense taken." Mia slipped in before Tally kept talking.
Mia couldn't help but smile to herself while Tally described the girls she knew. They reminded her of the girls back in Jersey. Well most of the girls back there. The popular girls, so to speak, were always giggling over guys when she went to school with them.
"Well I don't know if I can deal with boys this and boys that just yet but that's about all some of the girls back home thought about. The popular girls if you want to call them that, at my old school only thought about boys. They always said they were 'going out'" Mia used finger quotations "with one of the popular boys. They had their own little clique there, those boys and girls. Oh wow, they were the most annoying kids in the whole school but somehow they were called the popular ones. Go figure."
Mia was never one of the popular girls and never wanted to be one. She couldn't stand people like that and sometimes had the strongest urge to give them a good hitch kick in the jaw. She and her friends were more outsiders than anything else but that suited them just fine.
"I've only ever really had girls as friends save for three guys. The girls I'm friends with don't care about boys and having boyfriends and things like that. My guy friends are just nice and funny guys. When we're all together it can be really weird for people who aren't used to us because we get loud and crazy but it's so much fun." Mia laughed as she reminisced about her best friends back in Jersey.
She hadn't been gone for so long and she already missed them a lot again. She was glad there were girls like Tally here at Sonora. She knew her friends would probably like her and thought in the back of her mind that maybe Tally should come by over the summer holiday.\n\n
0
Mia
You're very polite unlike some people I know.
0
Mia
0
5
Tally
May 04, 2005 3:47 PM
Um...thanks.... by Tally
Tally giggled a bit when Mia described the popular girls in her school and then her group of friends. "Back home, I'm considered the 'strange' one because I'm the girl who's friends with the boys." Tally said truthfully. "They either make fun of me for it or try to be all chummy so that they can get the juice of the boys. Makes me sick" Tally commented with a slight shudder to show her repulsiveness of the whole thing."I asked Josh about it once and he told me that I'm a guys girl. That the girls are jealous of me because I can be around the guys so easily. And then my dad said that someday, I'll end up being one of those girls I despise so much, but, I truly hope he was only messing with me." She said with a frown.
She laid there contently for a few moments when a thought popped into her mind, still looking up at the sky, Tally said, "It happened again, you know." She didn't give any insight as to what had happened, only assuming that Mia would pick up on it, "Out on the Quidditch pitch." Her voice sounded so detached that it neraly frightened her. "It was only for a moment, but...it was enough." Her voice sounded detached and forlorned.
"Nearly thought I'd fall off my broom." Tally said with a small laugh to lighten up the situation.\n\n
0
Tally
Um...thanks....
0
Tally
0
5
Mia
May 04, 2005 8:49 PM
*shrug* 'twas just a compliment by Mia
Mia opened her eyes and stared up at the clear blue sky. Anyone else being consisdered strange was a little strange to her but to all there own. She wasn't sure if that was the phrase she wanted. Oh well. Those girls that Tally had to deal with seemed like real witches but then Mia remembered that the term had become obsolete as an insult. She laughed at what Tally said about her dad. Her mother was already asking her about guys she might like but she knew her mother was mostly joking. Mostly.There were a few moments of silence in which Mia closed her eyes again and felt a small breeze blow across her. Tally broke the silence with a statement that made Mia jump into an upright position after it clicked in her head what Tally was talking about. She stared at Tally worridly for a moment but relalized she probably shouldn't make a big deal of it. An overprotective mother probably wasn't what she needed or wanted. A small smile of her own came across her face.
"At least you didn't actually fall off the broom. That'd probably hurt a lot more and a lot longer than being bombarded with emotions right?" Mia quietly added to help keep things light. "You're alright though, right?" Mia said being a bit more serious for just a minute.\n\n
0
Mia
*shrug* 'twas just a compliment
0
Mia
0
5
Professor Kijewski
May 07, 2005 7:59 PM
how about NOT terrorizing the creatures? by Professor Kijewski
Kiva stood off to the side watching all the students. She pulled out her notebook and pen (both things muggle, but both she thought to easier when studying living things than a parchment, ink, and quill) and started jotting down notes of the various students and their interactions with the crup.She noted those students who ventured over to the creature and interacted with it (even if that was poking at it) and those who had no interaction with it at all, but chose to stay off to the side and watch everyone else. She wouldn't mark them off for not touching the crup or anything like that. Kiva knew that few people actually wished to be around creatures, hard as it was for her to accept, she still had to acknowledge it.
She perked up and stopped her note writing when she heard one of the students answer her question. Probably not on purpose, but the question was answered. Shortly after that, another student spoke up, "That's correct...Miss?" Kiva said to the female, "Crups are born with a fork like tail. So, when they are born, the Wizarding family has to take them to have their tails removed in order to keep suspicion off of them." Kiva replied, turning her attention to the question the boy raised,
"That's right. Crups have the ability to sniff out muggles. Most wizards or witches who have muggle relatives can train their crups to behave themselves in their presence. However, I cannot guarentee their muggle relatives' safety." Kiva replied to him with a smirk.
Her eyes wandered over to the boy who had taken off his shoes and socks. He was an odd one, but she chose to ignore it. It was rather hot. He had wanted to play fetch with Rutter, she was fine with that, so long as Rutter didn't get too attached to the boy. Kiva didn't think the person who allowed her to use Rutter would be all to pleased if Rutter refused to go back home.
However, her anxiety raised a bit when she saw the crup tore after the stick as it was carried away with the wind. She hadn't wanted it to stray too far from the group. Kiva lifted her left hand (her dominent hand) to her lips, placing her index finger and thumb on either side of her mouth and blew. Her whistle was loud and demanding of everyone's attention, though she was only aiming for the crup's. Rutter stopped long enough to look back at her curiously before returning his chase with the stick.
Once he claimed the stick to be his, Rutter ran back to the boy who threw it. He teased the boy by running around in circles around his feet as if daring the boy to chase him.
Kiva sighed impatiently, "Try not to throw it too far." She called out to the boy, "As for everyone else, the rest of the lesson is for you to study the crup."\n\n
0
Professor Kijewski
how about NOT terrorizing the creatures?
0
Professor Kijewski
0
5
Stephen
May 07, 2005 8:48 PM
I'm not - I'm making friends. by Stephen
Stephen grinned in delight when he spotted the dog-critter running to him, stick in mouth. He wasted no time, mock-chasing the dog around, trying to get ahold of the stick again, but also enjoying the chase because chasing was fun. He tried to remember the dog's name, but other than the fact that it had started with an 'R' and was a silly name, he couldn't quite recall it. It needed a proper dog type name anyhow."Come on Rover," he cajoled, darting forward and sideways to head him off in his latest circle. "Gimme the stick, there's a good boy. You want me to throw it again? Do ya? Yeah? I know you do, 'cause you're a good dog aren't you, and you love to play 'cause that's what dogs are for."
He managed to get ahold of one end of the stick and had a great tug of war match with Rover over possession where neither seemed to have the advantage. Then, feeling it was definitely time to get the stick airborn again he stopped pulling for a second, then yanked it away from Rover when Rover loosed his grip to make an adjustment to his hold.
Laughing, Stephen launched the stick into the air again. "Fetch, Rover! Fetch!"
\n\n
39
Stephen
I'm not - I'm making friends.
0
Stephen
0
5
Tally
May 08, 2005 9:57 PM
Heh...compliments are not my forte by Tally
Tally almost laughed at Mia's reaction to her statement. Almost, if she wasn't so worried about how often these sort of episodes would occur and in front of how many other people. She was just thankful that Liz hadn't probed her with a million of questions to try to get the truth from her.Tally gave her a small smile for Mia trying to lighten the mood as Tally had, but gave a shrug at her question, "Yeah, I guess. I mean, it doesn't really hurt when it happens. It's just...frustrating. I'm suppose to use these techniques to block it all out, but they don't work very well. Plus, I did it infront of Liz. Next time, she might ask me questions. My dad says that it'll get easier, but I don't think it will. They just sort of...happen, without warning. How am I suppose to block something when I don't know when it's coming?" Tally questioned, but to no one in particular. Her frustration came out clearly with her every word.
"They call it a gift, but it's more of a curse. Like the spider bite on Spiderman. It's a curse. I wish it upon no one."\n\n
0
Tally
Heh...compliments are not my forte
0
Tally
0
5
Mia
May 12, 2005 3:33 PM
Pep talks aren't really mine but I try. by Mia
Mia turned to lean on her side and propped herself up on her elbow so that she face Tally. She quietly let Tally vent what was bothering her. She even tried not to pull a face when Tally brought up Elizabeth whom she still wasn't on speaking terms with. A slight frown did form on Mia's face but she refrained from rolling her eyes as well which had become sort of a habit."I honestly don't think it's a curse, Tals." Mia began when Tally finished. "It might not be pleasant at times but I wouldn't call it a curse. I'm sure it can be convenient. Sometimes I wish I knew how people felt while I was talking to them. That way I'd know if they were bored of me talking and I could stop." Mia gave a cheeky smile to her friend.
"But really, not even the bite for Spiderman was a curse. I mean, he gained powers that he could use to help people. I'm sure you can find a positive to being an empath if you thought about it. And you said you use techniques to block it out right? Well how long have you been using them? Maybe it’s like…like learning a new spell. Maybe it takes practice before you get the hang of it but once you do you’ll be able to block out feelings you don’t want, if that’s how it works.”
Mia stopped while she piled through what she said, hoping it made sense. She could tell that Tally was frustrated with her power and that made Mia a little frustrated since she wasn’t sure if she was helping make Tally not frustrated. Mia remembered what she looked like at the opening feast when she was hit with the emotions of nearly everyone in Cascade Hall. She wished she could help Tally out some how but she doubted that she could do much. It wasn’t like Mia could go inside Tally’s head though she remembered how cool it would be to be able to see inside people’s thoughts when ever she wanted.
‘Talk about invasion of privacy.’ Mia thought and mentally laughed before speaking again. “How do those techniques work anyway?” she asked half curiously and half hopefully.
\n\n
0
Mia
Pep talks aren't really mine but I try.
0
Mia
0
5
Zoey and Dillon
May 12, 2005 5:38 PM
Finally, a class were we might know something. by Zoey and Dillon
The Welsh twins made their way down the paths following behind their fellow second year students. Zoey, her hair firmly bunched at the top of her head, lifted her freckled face to the sun and closed her eyes in a relaxed posture. Dillon, squinted into his glasses. The glare from the sun made everthing else hard to see. His already too long of hair was being consistantly assaulted by the wind."Bit breezy, isn't it?" Dillon asked his sister.
"Yeah, I don't think I've ever noticed it before. But, oh well, it feels sort of nice. Like being back home." Dillon shrugged at his sister's comment and they continued to make their way down to where they could spot their professor standing.
"Wonder what happened to the other professor."
"Maybe she got tired of teaching or had a better offer?" Zoey suggested, but both quieted down when their professor began. They listened intently and wrote out their notes as asked. This was Dillon's favorite class. He loved animals as much as Zoey loved books. But the feeling wasn't the same for Zoey. Yes, she liked animals...from a distance. However, she wanted to learn what she could about magical creatures.
Both were rather disappointed when all their professor did was show them some small dog. Almost as disappointed when their last professor should them a cat. But, as they pet the thing and watched the other students interact with it, they were surprised to find out that this dog really wasn't a dog at all. It was some Crup thing that had a forked tail and bit muggles.
"Am I the only one who thinks it's strange that magical creatures are just weird normal creatures?" Dillon said rather loudly to his sister, causing a blush to rise in his cheeks.\n\n
6
Zoey and Dillon
Finally, a class were we might know something.
39
Zoey and Dillon
0
5
Tally
May 16, 2005 7:51 PM
you're doing fine to me by Tally
Tally noticed the face that Mia pulled at the mention of Liz and she made a mental note to ask her about it later. Of course, she knew that there was something wrong with them as Mia had mentioned it being a long drawn out sort of thing, but Tally was curious and she didn't want something she didn't know about coming between either of her friendships with Mia and Liz.It was Tally's turn to pull a face when Mia said it wasn't a curse. To her, this was a curse. She didn't care how useful it could be, feeling every emotion that a person could feel all at once was terrifying and overwhelming and she didn't want to have it. "How could this be convenient? I mean, you can pretty much tell how a person is feeling by body language and facial expressions, so why feel them too?" Tally asked her. "If I'm happy, I don't really feel like feeling someone else's anger, or pain. You know?" Tally sighed and looked back up at the sky, blinking rapidly as the wind tore through the air again.
"Well, the bite is both a curse and a gift. He can't live a normal life because of it. Yeah, he can save people, but he's also in constant danger. I would rather be normal, oblivious to all emotions around me. It's hard enough dealing with my own." She was being honest, but she thought she might have said too much then.
"I've been doing the technigues since the beginning of summer. My Counselor has me doing breathing techniques, where I count to ten with slow even breaths. Kind of like meditating. I'm also suppose to do focusing techniques, where I focus on one emotion or object during the attacks and block out everything else. But, it's hard cause everything hits at once and it's all chaotic. Plus, when I practice, there is only my emotions and I'm not caught off guard by any of it. So, I don't know..." Tally said with a slight note of sadness.\n\n
0
Tally
you're doing fine to me
0
Tally
0
5
Mia
May 21, 2005 7:58 PM
If you say so, but thanks...again. by Mia
Mia frowned a bit while Tally spoke, basically countering everything she had said. She was scrambling in her mind for something else to say to bring up Tally's mood but nothing was coming to mind. That's why Mia was the listening ear for her friends but not the advice giver. She was never so great at that. She really wanted to make Tally see that this wasn’t a curse and it wasn’t a bad thing. She just didn’t know how to make her friend see that."It has its convenience. Like, you can't be so sure with body language." Mia began on her lame attempt at a pep talk. "People know that their body language can give away how they feel, right? So they'll have a different expression to make you think they feel one way when really they feel another." She had to stop for a moment to realize the hypocrisy of her words since that's what Mia did a lot of the time.
"But you can tell how people are really feeling instead of wondering if their body language is being false." Mia suddenly snapped her fingers as she thought of something else "And you don’t have to feel what someone else is feeling if you don’t want to right? Only when you get the big mass of feelings is when you can’t control it. And-” Mia broke off and contorted her face in thought.
She fidgeted with her small framed glasses and sat back up with a quiet sigh. She thought hard for more ideas but where ever she was headed with her little spech was lost and she could think of nothing more to say. She watched the crup playing around and hugged her knees again before speaking to Tally.
“Sorry Tals. I wish I knew what else to tell you.” Mia said with a slight tone of defeat. She gave Tally an apologetic smile and then there was a moment of silence while Mia watched the class.
Mia considered this some sort of loss and she hated to lose. She was frustrated and annoyed but remembering the whole topic of the conversation, she quickly calmed down though it was easier said than done. It was a fault of hers, but Mia could get worked up pretty easily a lot of the time. \n\n
0
Mia
If you say so, but thanks...again.
0
Mia
0
5
Tally
June 07, 2005 11:38 AM
I'm gonna be polite again and say your welcome. by Tally
OOC: So sorry about the delay! BIC:"I suppose that's true. Everyone has a way of decepting people and body language is one of them." Tally commented, startled by Mia's determination and what seemed to be excitement at her next comment. "I guess I can tell, if I concentrate hard enough on it. There's still so much for me to learn about the whole thing and it's all so confusing." Tally said quietly from beside her friend. It was nice of Mia to take the time to discuss this with her, to show her that she was a true friend.
"Have you ever seen Star Trek?" Tally remembered the show from when she was just a small child. Her father had been fascinated by it as had Josh. Every night Tally would sit with them and watch it together. "The Counselor on the ship, Troy, she was an Empath. My dad used to use her as an example of what it could be like if I learned to control it." A happy smile crossed Tally's face, "She was my favorite character. Her and Data." After a moment in her own thoughts, Tally shook herself and flushed with embarrassment, "Anyway, that's what it can be like if I learn to control it."
Tally sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking to herself and silently working through her problems with her abilities within her head. After a moment, she turned her head slightly so that she could have a better look at Mia, her green eyes rested on her briefly, "Thanks Mi." She looked away from her and back to the sky.\n\n
0
Tally
I'm gonna be polite again and say your welcome.
0
Tally
0
5
Professor Kijewski
June 07, 2005 11:48 AM
ATTENTION 2ND YEARS!!! (Part 2) by Professor Kijewski
Kiva walked among the students, watching them as they interacted with Rutter or each other. She couldn't help the delightful smile that overcame her as she watched. Observing creatures (minkind or other) had always been her passion and she received great delight each and everytime she was able to observe.Just as Kiva was about to proceed with the lesson and allow the students to care for the Crup on their own, the wind picked up again. Kiva gasped at the ferocity of the gust and stood bracing herself for a moment. She quickly blocked her head with one arm and called out to the students, "Okay, here's...what...I want...everyone to do!" She screamed out, hoping they could hear her. A dust storm could be very dangerous upon anyone who was caught in the middle of it during it's worst moment. It could be fatal even. She had learned from experience while she had spent some time in the deserts of Saudia Arabia. Dust storms were deadly over there.
Luckily, this one didn't seem so strong as those, but she needed to be precautious all the same, she had the students to look out for after all. "This," She gestured to the winds, "is a dust storm. I need for everyone to make their way, quickly and in an orderly fashion, back to the school. No shoving and no running. Don't lose anyone and keep to the paths. There's safety in numbers. Keep watch on those around you." Kiva paused and looked out at her students, making sure they all understood the seriousness of the situation. "Once you are inside, go immediately to your common rooms, NO DAWDLING!" Kiva called out to them before waving them off. She grabbed Rutter and placed him back into his box before rushing back up to the school with the students.\n\n
0
Professor Kijewski
ATTENTION 2ND YEARS!!! (Part 2)
0
Professor Kijewski
0
5
Zack Dill
June 07, 2005 1:51 PM
lightweight by Zack Dill
Even before the wind picked up, Zack had been leaning into it just to stay upright and he'd had to pack his notebook into his bag for fear of the pages ripping. The two straps were now slung across both his shoulders and the little bit of extra weight was enough to keep him grounded in the stiff breeze, though it only had the notebook and two textbooks in it right now.He was small to begin with and he was underweight as well. The Dills weren't well off and what food they could afford (or maybe it was just that his mom was a really bad cook) tasted so awful Zack usually let his younger brother (who could eat anything up to and including gravel and enjoy it) finish most of his plate.
All of which meant that Zack was both short and skinny, so when the large gust of wind swept across the COMC clearing, the very laws of physics mandated that there was no avoiding being blown up against a group of his classmates. He just didn't have enough mass to prevent it - and his altered and awkward center of balance due to his backpack wasn't helping. So he stumbled and tumbled and fell against one of the other second years.
A twist moments before collision turned him so that he plowed face first into their side and he wrapped his arms around them, hoping they wouldn't mind overmuch acting as his anchor. He himself had little intention of letting go. Arizona wasn't Kansas, but he wasn't ruling out the possibility of a tornado and he was already as close to Oz as he ever wanted to get.\n\n
1
Zack Dill
lightweight
40
Zack Dill
0
5
Stephen Baxter
June 08, 2005 5:32 AM
Anchor Extraordinaire by Stephen Baxter
Wow...Stephen stared at the great brown mass that was descending upon them. His t-shirt billowed around him, as the wild winds dictated and his hair went everywhich way - he was glad it was short enough that none of it landed in his eyes. With a sudden odd thought, he turned and spotted flapping near where he had dumped his bag. Bolting over, he threw himself over his pile of clothes, just in time to watch one sock sail off to where ever the winds chose to take it. His hat, freed from the wavering weight of his shoes by Stephen's rough landing also tried to make a break for it, but his hand flew out, snatching it out of the air before it could make good its escape.
Professor Ski was yelling something, but the wind took her words before they could reach his ears. This was a seriously strong wind... Stephen hoped that it wouldn't cause to much damage to the fort. Sure there wasn't too much to it yet, but that didn't mean he wanted to find it all in pieces when he checked up on it next.
"NO DAWDLING!"
The words cut through the wind, and the movements of her hands, obviously ushering the students towards the school finally clued Stephen into the idea that this might be a little more than just the coolest wind storm he'd ever been in. Frowning, he struggled to grab everything and stuff it into his bag - his other sock shot off at one point - but that wasn't too bad really, his hat and his robes, which he expected there would have been much more trouble over losing were safely tucked away and his shoes were dropped in after them.
The wind had one effect, Stephen noticed for the first time as he got back to his feet in one wind propelled movement, staggering as he did so. It was a dry wind, and not cool in the least, but it took the bite out of the humidity. His shirt no longer threatened to stick to his skin. Turning, he started to make his way back to the school when he was nearly knocked off his feet. Staggering again, with both the wind and now something else pushing him around, it took him a moment to plant his feet solidly so as to see what had happened.
"Zack, dude?" The words were carried away by the wind, almost before the emerged from his mouth.
It certainly looked like the little guy. And he'd clamped on as though dear life demanded it, which, Stephen supposed, it very well might. With his spare hand (the other was making sure that his own bag remained where it was, slung over his shoulder as he both hadn't had time to put it on properly, and never actually bothered with doing that anyhow... the wind was making things difficult this time though) Stephen grabbed hold of Zack by the handle of his bag and set off as quickly as he could for the shelter of the school.
"Don't worry," he shouted as reassuringly as he could. "I've got you."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
39
Stephen Baxter
Anchor Extraordinaire
49
Stephen Baxter
0
5
Mia
June 08, 2005 3:00 PM
You've got my attention. (Tals!) by Mia
Mia was glad to hear Tally agreeing with her at some point. She still sounded a bit down though as she started speaking. Mia shook her head but stayed quiet when Tally asked if she had ever seen Star Trek. She knew what it was but she never actually sat and watched it. That kind of thing bored her but she wasn't going to say that when it seemed like Tally was starting to cheer up.Mia looked over at her while hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees. She listened while Tally went on about one of the characters from Star Trek who was an empath as well. She couldn't help but laugh when Tally ended her little speech after seeming to be lost in thought for a moment. Mia didn't mind especially since her friend was smiling and that was only a plus.
There were a few minutes of comfortable silence where Mia looked back at the class. Then Tally spoke again.
"Thanks Mi."
Mia quickly looked back at her but she was already looking away. Mia gave a bright smile and looked at the sky too.
"No problem, Tals." she answered simply.
That's when the wind really started to pick up. It seemed to come quite suddenly and Mia wasn't used to winds as strong as what she and her classmates were being hit with. Professor K, who was walking nearby, started yelling for the students to get back to the school.
“Come on Tals!” Mia yelled over the noise of the wind. “We’d better get up to the castle fast!”
Mia quickly slung her bag over her body while at the same time grabbing her school robe and hurrying to her feet, her parchment gone as soon as she lifted her bag since she forgot she had been using her bag to hold it down. The wind knocked the loose scrunchy from Mia’s hair and her messy bun came out. Her long wavy hair was now whipping about and she attempted to keep it from flying around with her hand but some pieces got out of her grip. The strong wind was pushing against Mia’s slim frame and she was losing her footing but she planted her feet as best as she could. She didn’t begin going up to the school until Tally was ready and she could walk back up to the school with her friend. \n\n
0
Mia
You've got my attention. (Tals!)
0
Mia
0
5
The Cravens
June 09, 2005 3:34 PM
Abandon ship! by The Cravens
The Cravens' notes, such as they were, had been blown away by one of the smaller gusts long before the winds truly picked up. It was fairly safe to assume that no tears were going to be shed over this loss.They watched with delight as the wind visibly picked up, not only noticeable in the degree to which the trees bent over, but also in the dust and small debris that the wind was becoming strong enough to lift. They grinned as the crup's ears blew inside out, enjoying the general comedy and the idea that something cool and exciting could happen any minute - that tree was being forced so far over it looked like it could snap at any moment.
Then Kiv started yelling over the wind. She seemed to be flapping and looking kind of serious, which was a sign she was about to do something boring. Sorrel, who objected on principle to robes, on the grounds they looked like a dress, had kicked hers off near the start of the lesson, and was now aware of a slight stinging as the dust was whipped against her bare legs, but it wasn't enough to bother her. Neither twin could see the big deal. There were hurricanes all the time at home. Ok, they didn't venture out in them, but this was no way hurricane level. They watched Oatmeal Dude barrel into Stephen with continuing grins of mirth, wondering what everyone was getting so upset about. Besides the grit that was getting everywhere, they didn't see any problems.
In fact, the duststrom seemed to be having highly positive effects. Sorrel grinned as she saw her robes pick up off the ground. Possibly she could have run and grabbed them, but they were meant to be hurrying to the castle. It would never do to disobey a professor. She watched happily as they sailed clean out of view.
Ash thumped her in the back to attract her attention back to the matter at hand. Kiv was ahead of them and running. The students were streaming past them. They were in danger of being left behind. If they weren't careful, they would have the perfect opportunity to see what happened from close range.
They ambled up, making out they were fighting against the wind and trying to keep their balance, lagging to the very back of the group. As they headed towards the castle, the hedges of the maze came closer than they had been in the Care of Magical Creatures area. As they passed one of the many entrances they paused and quickly glancing to check they weren't being watched. It was unlikely. While their classmates had been told to look out for one another, most people either didn't like them much, thought they could fend for themselves or - in the case of the one person who was most likely to follow - were way up ahead and preocuppied with Zack...
OOC - I'll continue this on the paths (don't worry - I'll make it clear it's from here)\n\n
0
The Cravens
Abandon ship!
0
The Cravens
0
5
Tally
June 10, 2005 7:11 PM
Everyone for themselves! by Tally
Tally tried to hide the smile of pleasure she got when Mia solidified their friendship. Tally had had plenty of friends growing up, usually boys, but only a few who were girls. But here, she had tried very hard to stay friends with the girls. So far, the only ones she still continued to talk to on a regular basis was Mia. And Mia was probably the only one Tally could consider a real friend (besides Chrissy who acted more like a sister than a friend). Not to say that none of the others were friend worthy, Tally just hadn't spent much time with them.Tally jumped and protected herself when the wind whipped at her with a feirce anger that she momentarily forgot to breathe. She squinted around and noticed that everyone was jumping to their feet and gathering everything. She could hear the Professor yelling about something, but for some reason the words where lost on Tally. Tally just laid there protecting herself against the winds and didn't move until Mia screamed down at her.
Picking up her things quickly, Tally shoved her notes into her bag and threw her robes on hastily. She stood, pulling her bag on, and sidled up next to her friend. "Let's go!" She took off for the castle, following behind the other students, but keeping close to Mia. It was hard to manuver through the wind, Tally, who was no more than 70 pounds, was nearly knocked off her feet by the stronger winds and the dust stung her face and hands. Half way up to the castle, Tally turned to Mia,
"What's going on? What is this?"\n\n
0
Tally
Everyone for themselves!
0
Tally
0
5
Mia
June 11, 2005 9:26 AM
I'm not much of a loner. by Mia
Mia was glad that Tally was up and ready in a hurry. The wind was whipping at her and the dirt it picked up wasn't being so friendly either. Mia quickly slid into her school robe and hurried along with Tally and the other students to the castle.Mia noticed Tally was having trouble against the winds as well. She kept close as a just in case for her friend and for herself. In dark humor, Mia could almost hear her relatives saying "I told you so" about Mia being too thin which she probably was. She kept imagining herself getting picked up and whisked away by a particularly strong gust of wind. As they made there way back, Mia only barely heard Tally ask her what was going on.
"I'm not sure." Mia answered over the howling winds "I think Professor K called it a dust storm or something. All I know is that you don't get much wind like this up in Jersey unless it's a hurricane and I haven't seen many of those."
Mia didn't want to say much more because she got the uncomfortable sensation of dust and dirt in her mouth. It was about as bad as when sand from the beach got in there and you could feel the crunch when you spoke. Her eyes were stinging too as the dirt got past her small glasses so Mia shielded her eyes with her free hand and squeezed her lips tightly together as she raced along side of her friend. She was relieved that when she finally decided to look up again, the school’s front doors were not far at all.\n\n
0
Mia
I'm not much of a loner.
0
Mia
0
5