DH Kiva Kijewski
December 07, 2006 11:12 PM
Lesson 1, Years 3-4 by DH Kiva Kijewski
Kiva was busy cleaning up the clearing after her first class had left. Even though they never did much but sit or stand around, the place always seemed disorganized when the group of students left. It could be because the crate was half dumped or parchments of papers were laying around, but it seemed more than that. Kiva liked to think that part of it was the students had an abundance of energy that she just couldn't keep up with, but perhaps it was all just in her head. Being as emotionally drained as she had been these last few months, perhaps Kiva was the dellusional one and not Simon. She could hear her next batch of students making their way down the paths, so she quickly finished what she was doing and turned around to await their arrival.\r\n\r\nWhen she was sure that everyone had arrived, Kiva greeted them all with a cheerful smile. "Good day everyone, I'm glad to see all of your familiar faces having returned for another year here at Sonora." Kiva said, pacing in front of them as she had done in her first lesson. "Today's lesson is going to be a bit different. Some of you older students might remember learning about the jarveys last year as well as gnomes. Well, this lesson is somewhat like that one only, not with Jarveys and not with gnomes." Kiva paused and moved around to a crate that was positioned on the table she had transfigured before running into Simon earlier that day. "I suggest anyone wearing jewelry or watches to take them off and hide them in your pockets or bags." Kiva worned before pulling out a creature.
\r\n\r\nThe creature was black and fluffy, sporting a long snout. Kiva thought they were the most adorable creatures, but she was sure some might find them to be rather ugly. "This is called a niffler." Kiva said, raising the one in her arms out a bit, though the niffler snuggled closer to her, causing her smile affectionately at it. "Nifflers are originally from the UK, but are exported around the world. They are sweet creatures and love attention. Their main purpose in the wizarding society is to find treasure. You see, they are attracted to glittery things such as gold or diamonds. Their snout allows them to burrow deep beneath the Earth's surface to find these so called treaures." Kiva explained.
\r\n\r\n"Most nifflers are owned by Goblins, since they run the banking systems, however, some people do have them as their own. I want to warn you all though, that nifflers should never be considered for a house pet. They destroy homes. They seek everything glittery, and will do what it takes to get them." Kiva said, trying to get them to understand just how destructive these creatures could truly be.
\r\n\r\n"Now, for this lesson, you will need a partner and one niffler between the both of you." Kiva said, waiting for the groans she was sure to come. She figured that by now these students ought to be used to working in pairs. "With the help of Si-Mr. Tellermen-there are gold coins, no they are not real gold coins, burried throughout the gardens. The group who finds the most coins will get a treat of their choosing, so long as it's agreeable and appropriate." Kiva anounced to them all. "Alright, find your partners, grab a niffler, and have some fun."
\r\n\r\nOOC: Okay everyone, I'm looking for how well you write your reponses (make sure they are at least 2 paragraphs, 5 sentences each), grammar, and how well you develop your character. Take your time and have fun! \r\n\r\n\r\n
Subthreads: In search of a partner. by Allie St. Martin with Adam Brockert
If I were a pirate, I'd so want one... by Dalila Bastet with Saul Pierce, Dalila
Oh the joys of fuzzy black things by Bella Santoro with Devian Dupree, Bella
Nifflers? My sisters are more destructive. by Guenther Heindrich with Briony O'Leary
I'm happy with the <i> real </i> gold I already have, thank by Jordanna Howard with Geoffrey Layne
It's <i>fluffy</i>! by Lexi Stafford with Anne Wright, Lexi
The Winners Revealed. by Professor K
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DH Kiva Kijewski
Lesson 1, Years 3-4
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DH Kiva Kijewski
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Allie St. Martin
December 08, 2006 11:48 PM
In search of a partner. by Allie St. Martin
Allie gave Professor Kijewski a warm smile as she entered the class clearing, but made no effort to head towards the front. She had never seen anything really dangerous in her first two years at Sonora, but she and her classmates were now third years. Two months of aging meant that they were no longer in classes with the first years, but Allie had no idea if that also meant more challenging and potentially dangerous material to cover in classes. Besides, even if a little caution hadn't been wise on its own, there was that the people in front were the most likely to be embarrassed.The other students began trickling in, third years and fourth years arriving singly or in groups. Allie exchanged smiles with her twin and waved shyly to Anne, who broke off what looked like an argument with Geoffrey Layne long enough to grin and return the gesture. Geoffrey hesitated, then gave her a polite, slightly disinterested nod. The beginning of the lecture gave her an excuse to turn away after nodding back a sight more cordially than he had. She really didn't see whatever it was Anne saw in him, unless her cousin's taste ran to excessive arrogance. Merlin knew that Anne could be plenty arrogant herself, sometimes.
She frowned slightly as she undid the backs of her earrings. Why did they have to take off their jewelry? It was an outdoor class, and moving in a skirt and keeping it and her blouse clean had gotten hard in the past, but she had never seen a watch hinder anyone. The frown became anxious when she realized the professor hadn't said where to put their things. Her mother would have her hide if she lost the earrings. Wincing as she did, she stuffed them into the inside pocket of her robes and hoped running and jumping wouldn't be part of handling the black creature Professor Kijewski pulled out.
She filed the basics away automatically, saving only the most important facts to let her pass. Her grades had actually improved since she stopped trying to remember everything, and if the broom wasn't broken, Allie wasn't going to try to fix it. It was hard to believe the thing the professor was holding could wreck a house, but if it went after glittery things the way Professor Kijewski was saying...jewelry shone, a little light could turn the crystalware into prisms, and many of the vases in the house were glazed or gold-edged or both. The tassels on some of the curtains and rugs had gold thread, and the tea service was solid silver. Eileen and Allie's mother would go into conniptions if any of those things or a thousand others Allie could think of were harmed in any way.
Then the dread word was spoken: partners. Teppenpaws had a reputation for friendliness and such, but while she wasn't as painfully, overwhelmingly shy as she had been when she came to Sonora, Allie still froze about fifty percent of the times she tried to deal with others. Her eyes flickered in Lila's direction for a heartbeat, then went to a neutral point above the professor's head. They had agreed - and it had been an agreement, not a case of Lila simply telling her what was what - that they wouldn't work together in class if it was avoidable. The united front put people off, and they had to socialize. Both parents had said so.
That left her with one thing to do, really: walk up to someone and ask. Her breathing became deep and slow at the thought. Closing her eyes, she turned her head, opened her eyes again, and refocused them on one person. That was who she was going to talk to. Wetting her lips uncertainly with the tip of her tongue, she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other until she reached where she wanted to be. For one moment, she thought she wasn't going to be able to say anything.
Anne and Gwen and Lila were all...confident, she supposed the word would be. They never seemed to have trouble with this kind of thing. Imitating one of them would never work, but maybe she could mix traits a little. She smiled, looking much more like Lila than usual. The features were identical, but only people who were just meeting them had much trouble telling the difference, or so it had always seemed. "Hi," she said, and was startled by the word choice as much as by the almost bright tone she'd said it in. "I'm Alexandra St. Martin, Teppenpaw third year. Do you have a partner yet?"\n\n
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Allie St. Martin
In search of a partner.
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Allie St. Martin
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Adam Brockert
December 09, 2006 12:32 AM
Um, I'll work with you.. by Adam Brockert
Care of Magical Creatures wasn't a favorite class of Adam's. It was outside and people tended to talk rather than listen to the professor. He wasn't so much worried about not being able to hear what the teacher said, as much as he was worried that they were talking about him. He believed they were probably saying nasty things of course, as nobody would ever say anything nice about Adam.The other thing he didn't really like was that there was the possibility of working in partners.It was bad enough that they might be dealing with potentially dangerous creatures,(though they hadn't yet,)but the idea that that Adam might have to work with somebody else, who'd probably end up hating him the way Echo had in Defense last year, petrified the third year so much that it made him sick to his stomach. Actually this was a fear that plauged Adam in pretty much every class.
Today was to be no exception. Adam's heart sank and a wave of acid welled up in his belly. He knew nobody would want to work with him. Especially if they remembered the pumpkin incident. He was probably the most despised person in his whole grade. Ginger and Pepper probably would even find other people to work with since lots of people liked them.
Adam began to quake as one of the St. Martin twins approached him. Naturally he wasn't sure which one it was. He didn't know them very well. Lila was in his house, and she made him nervous. She seemed like the type of proper pureblood that Adam wanted to avoid more than he did most people.
"Hi,I'm Alexandra St. Martin, Teppenpaw third year. Do you have a partner yet?"
He felt a tad relieved. It wasn't Lila, it was Alexandra. Though Adam wasn't quite sure how that would be better, but she did say she was in Teppenpaw. "Um, no." Of course Adam didn't have a partner. "I'm uh, Adam Brockert, third year Crotalus. Uh, I-I'll work with you." Though after this you'll never want anything to do with me ever again, he mentally added. Nobody but Kaylie would probably be able to stand him very long, Adam was almost positive about that.
\n\n
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Adam Brockert
Um, I'll work with you..
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Adam Brockert
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Allie
December 09, 2006 4:37 PM
Thankee, sir. by Allie
A momentary swell of pride at having taken the initiative was crushed by embarrassment over forgetting to curtsy and anxiety over remembering that she could still wind up looking a plain fool. She kept smiling as best she could, mentally repeating the mantra that most people were nicer than Morgaine or, though she felt horribly disloyal for even thinking it, Lila. Most people didn't go out of the way to make anyone who so much as looked at them the tiniest bit the wrong way look stupid. Even so, the smile still widened when the answer was agreeable. Nervous, but agreeable."It's nice to meet you," she said. "You can call me Allie, if you like." Talking always got easier once she had started, if only because of formulas. It was the next part of the routine small talk, but Allie didn't ask if he knew her sister. It was sort of hard to go through three years of sharing a House and a year with someone without at least figuring out her name, and twins stuck out. Not everyone knew them - most people didn't, actually - but Allie was prepared to wager that everyone in the third year knew about her and Lila.
She didn't know much about Adam at all. He was quiet, but that wasn't overly uncommon with Crotali. He got upset easily, if she was remembering things right. He had a relative - a sister, she thought - who was the Teppenpaw prefect. Not much to base a conversation off of, really. If you had to do things in groups, class had to be the best place to do it, because working could be used to excuse a lack of good conversation, not like with parties. "I'll go get us a niffler," she said. It wasn't something she would normally do, but the nifflers didn't look very threatening, and what she had seen made her think he was probably even less willing to interact with the creatures from which the class got its name than she was.
She began stroking the niffler's dark head as she went back to Adam. "It's a pity they don't make good pets," she said, hoping to ease any awkwardness. "It kind of reminds me of a big, black version of Nana, almost." She felt herself start to blush. There was no calling rambling anything but rambling. Maybe she should have left things as they lay. "Nana's my puffskein," she added, hoping to at least make her rambling less confusing. "Do you think we should just turn it loose and see what happens?"\n\n
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Allie
Thankee, sir.
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Allie
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Adam B.
December 13, 2006 11:20 PM
You're welcome, mam by Adam B.
"Er,it's nice to meet you too." Adam replied. "Allie.Uh, you can call me Adam. My name doesn't work with nicknames but that's ok."Oh Merlin, he was babbling. He sucked so bad at conversation. That had to be the most idiotic thing he could have said. Adam turned bright red, as Allie left to go get the Niffler. He had that familiar desire to flee, to run away because he'd made an absolute fool of himself and Allie was probably laughing at him on the inside and thinking what a dork he was. Adam felt like he was going to throw up.
For a few awkward moments after she came back with the animal, Adam looked down at the ground. Then Allie began to talk again.
"Nana's my puffskein,"
He looked up at her. "You have a puffskien?" Adam asked. He actually smiled a little. "I have one too. Mine is named Peanut." He hoped she wouldn't laugh. Even though Allie had one too, Adam was still a guy . He was probably supposed to have a more ferocious pet, but he didn't want one. He loved Peanut to bits and really like puffskiens in general. In fact, he was even a little jealous that the first and second years got to keep the ones they'd had in their COMC lesson, even though he already had one.
\n\n
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Adam B.
You're welcome, mam
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Adam B.
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Allie
December 19, 2006 10:34 PM
Let's pretend I put something witty here. by Allie
"Of course it is," Allie agreed, nodding as Adam asserted that his name was one of the harder ones to shorten. "I've only got a nickname because Alexandra's the longest name in my entire family. My brother and sister won't answer to anything but their whole names." Not quite true - they would, sometimes, let her call them Li and Albie - but it was rare enough for that permission to be granted that it might as well have been. The rest of the St. Martins, with the exceptions of the Careys and Eileen if one cared to count them, were even worse suited to nicknaming.She was starting to feel a little desperate when Adam just stared at the ground despite her efforts at diplomacy, but was saved from feeling like a total idiot by hairs when he responded to Nana. Allie found herself smiling warmly at him when he mentioned his Peanut. "They're such dears, aren't they?" Nana had been her main source of comfort those first rough days at Sonora, when she had still been half in shock about being separated from Lila. "And they're so easy to take care of that even I can't mess it up. I heard the younger years got them for the first lesson this time around, like we did." Morgaine had gotten in trouble for making fun of her during that lesson, as she recalled, but decided not to mention that. "Much better than flobberworms, don't you think?"
She looked at the black ball of fur still resting in her arms. "I suppose I'll just...let him go," she said, rather lamely in her opinion. "I don't know any more about these than Professor Kijewski told us. Lila always says I should read up on things before the start of the year, but I never do." She reddened as she realized she probably shouldn't have mentioned that, either. "It should find its own way." Daddy always said a firm, confident tone of voice was best, and that if she acted like she knew what she was doing and talking about, other people would believe it, too. Allie couldn't get down what he called a firm, confident tone of voice, and she wasn't sure she believed in his idea, but it was comforting to think of, in a way. She released the niffler in the direction of a pathway and crossed her fingers for luck.
A few minutes later, the niffler - she wanted to give it a name, but didn't know if it was male or female - came running back to spit something that glinted gold at her feet. "Look!" she said, pointing, forgetting to be reserved and dignified. "He found some! Good niffler, go on, get some more!" She realized she was almost bouncing up and down and immediately dropped her heels, turning red enough to almost pass for a newly-Sorted Crotalus. "Oh, um, I'm - sorry?" It sounded almost more like a question than an apology. "I didn't mean to get so overexcited." \n\n
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Allie
Let's pretend I put something witty here.
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Allie
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Adam B.
December 29, 2006 10:53 PM
I'm not always too witty with titles either. by Adam B.
"It's weird," Adam replied. "My dad is the only one in my family who goes by a nickname, yet his name is shorter than my mom's or two of my sisters. Everyone else goes by their full name. But, my brother and two other sisters have short names too."His face flooded with color when Allie smiled at him. Apparently, she didn't think there was anything wrong with him having a puffskin. "Yea, I really like them." Adam replied. Wow, he'd finally met someone he had something in common with, who also seemed nice."I heard they got to keep theirs. I mean, I already have Peanut, but I don't know. I just think I'd have enjoyed getting another one since I like her so much. You know what I mean?" He felt slightly moronic again. Nothing ever sounded good when it came out of his mouth. Adam hoped Allie wouldn't start thinking he was dumb. Well, he probably was and he sure didn't have any conversation skills, but he didn't want for people to think he was. Besides, Allie seemed so nice. "And if I can't screw it up, nobody can." He blurted out. Adam had meant to make her feel a bit better really -not that she seemed depressed- but now he was wondering if he should regret that remark. After all, now Allie probably thought he was incompetant, which would probably make her wish he wasn't her partner.
"That sounds like a plan." Adam replied. "I don't know much about them either, but you really don't know what you're going to be doing so how do you know what to read up on?" He didn't mention that he sometimes did read stuff before hand. Adam liked to read,he needed to read. It was the only escape he truly had from reality, which he felt wasn't very good.
"It's okay," he assured Allie, as the girl began petting the Niffler and apologized.He wasn't sure why she was apologizing. She wasn't doing anything wrong. If anybody was doing something wrong, it was probably Adam, though he couldn't figure out what. He tentatively reached out to pet the creature on the head. It licked his hand and he smiled. At least animals seemed to like him, for some strange reason, even if people didn't. Perhaps he should go see if he could go help with Professor Deck's cat again. \n\n
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Adam B.
I'm not always too witty with titles either.
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Adam B.
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Allie
January 01, 2007 10:49 PM
They're one of the hardest parts of roleplaying. by Allie
"Wow," Allie said, blinking at the description of Adam's family. "You have a lot of siblings." And how was that for obvious? "I've only got two - a twin sister and a little brother, Lila and Alban. I'm the eldest." She only held that honor by three and a half minutes, but her father insisted that it made a difference, and it wasn't Allie's place to argue with him. "Two of my cousins live with us, too, though, and the whole family's in and out all the time."If one could say nothing else of her family, one could say that they were a close-knit group. Of Allie's grandfather's eighteen descendants, eight lived under one roof with his widow, and two of the remaining ten were dead. Aunt Natalie and her seven Whitefields were among the most common in-and-outers, and Alban I's sisters weren't infrequent visitors, especially old-maids Cecilia and Paulina. The more distant lines weren't quite as close to their cousins, but they did see them more than just at the family reunions. Allie had never thought about liking or not liking it; it was just the way things were.
"I think I do," she said when Adam talked about how it would have been nice to get another puffskein. "And it would be like a sister or brother for Nana and Peanut. I always wonder if they get lonely while we're in classes or at parties or whatever." Allie didn't always trust her own logic, but it made sense. If Nana could be happy, then it stood to reason that she could feel other things, too.
Adam's abrupt interjection drew her attention sharply back to him. "That's what I always say," she said. "Daddy says it's not good to, though. He says everyone's good at something." She smiled at him, then, shrugging in a what-can-you-do fashion. "I can draw a little, but that's about it. I'm not very good at magic." Or any of her other classes here, but she figured she'd been comforting enough without bringing up her sad inability to produce a decent potion.
Allie thought the question about the material was rhetorical, but it was best not to be too sure. The best efforts of her mother and her etiquette tutor aside, she had never fully gotten the intricacies of speech and conversation down pat. "I don't know. I'm not sure Lila does, either. It was just the right thing to say, I think." She shouldn't have said that. She knew she shouldn't have said that. Even if it was, in all probability, true.
"Mama says that a lady shouldn't get excited like that," she explained despite what she decided to read as Adam's disownment of any offense. "I always forget. I'm bad about forgetting things." Tucking her dark hair back behind her ears, she began counting the bits of fool's metal the niffler had collected, not bothering to calculate what the values would have been if they'd been real. If she'd understood the professor, they were being judged based on how many coins their niffler found, not what they were worth. \n\n
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Allie
They're one of the hardest parts of roleplaying.
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Allie
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Adam B.
January 13, 2007 6:36 AM
I know. by Adam B.
"Uh, yea. I do. I'm the second eldest." Adam replied awkwardly. He really didn't know what else to say. "My cousin moved in with us last summer too. He just graduated from Salem." He didn't really want to expand on why Marshall was staying them. There were some things one just didn't talk about and his cousin's family life was one of them. Adam didn't even know exactly what went on at Aunt Rachel's but he knew Marshall and his dad didn't get on and that Uncle Liam was terrible to both Adam's cousin and aunt. "We don't see the others as much." And for that I am grateful, he added silently. The fact that his mother's relatives weren't very nice to him, wasn't something he felt comfortable talking about to someone he'd just met."Yea..I mean, do you think they like, spend time with the other pets that people have in our houses? Or are roommates' pets? I don't think my roommate has one." Adam never talked to his roommate much. He was, of course, certain that the other boy didn't like him even though Adam at least realized Geoffrey wasn't going to kill him in his sleep.
His eyes lit up. Adam had an idea. He'd have to run it by Allie though. "Maybe if we win, we can ask Professor K.," he had a difficult time pronouncing her name and didn't want to ever sound stupid by saying it wrong in front of anyone. "if we can have some of the left over puffskeins." Adam looked at the ground, not wanting to meet Allie's gaze in case she didn't like the idea. He'd feel so bad if she didn't. He'd want to run away and hide and probably never be able to face Allie again.
Adam looked up at her again, still blushing furiously. "Y-you feel that way too?" He asked. It had never occurred to him that other people felt inadequate. He was usually around people who were pretty sure of themselves for the most part. Plus, Adam always felt himself that there was no way anyone could be as incompetant and worthless as he was. "I don't know what I'm good at." He looked down at the ground again. He was pretty decent in most of his classes, but somehow he still felt inferior overall. It was just that Adam felt himself constantly being looked at critically, that people were judging his every move.
"I feel like my sister is usually the one who knows just what to say too." He told her. He'd never thought of Lila as being the kind comforting helpful type, like Kaylie was, from the little he knew about her, but maybe she was different with her twin. That made sense. They were family, twins even.
"That's okay too." Adam responded. "I mean that you can't remember things. I mean, uh.." He trailed off. He really didn't know how to finish that sentence. Oh, dear Merlin was he ever socially inept! He just didn't want her to feel bad. Adam hated for anyone to feel like that, the way he often did. Nobody should ever have to be that miserable. He also wasn't sure what to say about what Allie's mother said. Her family must be different from his more laidback one, although he could imagine one of his aunt Dorthea saying that. She was mean and proper as could be. "And um, I don't mind if you are enthusiastic. It's really okay. My sisters tend to be enthusiastic." \n\n
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Adam B.
I know.
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Adam B.
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Allie
January 15, 2007 11:38 AM
I've lost the thread of title conversation again. by Allie
As the topic of family was nearing the point of exhaustion, Allie just nodded at Adam's analysis of his. The structure of internal St. Martin family life made it hard to grasp the concept, but the distance between them and her mother's family made it a little easier to see. Sarah St. Martin was not proud of her roots, and for good reason; her father had to work, her mother played at being a lady, and her sister was off her rocker. The only Gregory besides Sarah to do well was Uncle Robert, who'd gotten money and social status by marrying Aunt Paige.She considered the question about pets. "I don't know. They might, but I don't know if cats and owls and such might try to eat them. I don't think either of my roommates have any pets, either, but I don't know them very well." She didn't have anything against the other girls - Pepper seemed nice, and Briony being quiet was no reason to assume she wouldn't be - but they had never talked very much other than general pleasantries. She wasn't sure if she minded that or not.
Allie wasn't sure what Professor Kijewski - not to mention her mother - would say about Adam's idea of a reward, but since she thought them highly unlikely to win anyway, it would do for an idea. "That might be nice," she said, then giggled. "We'd have to put ribbons around one or the other, though, to tell them apart. That's what Mama used to do when Lila and I were little, especially when Grandfather's sisters would visit. Only Cornelia and Cecilia could ever keep us straight once we were introduced, and I think that was because they're twins, too." And that sentance had been a grammatical masterpiece...
The next question took a moment of deliberation before she answered it. "Sometimes," she said finally. "There has to be something you're good at. Maybe you just haven't found it yet." It was the same sad old song her father sang to her, sometimes, but it felt a lot better to say it than to hear it. She was glad of a change of subject. "Your sister...is she the Teppenpaw prefect? She looks nice." She didn't know Kaylie Brockert at all - she was afraid enough of the fourth years without associating with anyone any older - but she had seen the fifth year around and heard things about her, and it didn't make sense to pick mean people as prefects.
She felt herself turning red as Adam kept saying that various things were okay. She hadn't meant to sound...well, like she wanted him to start up with that. It felt odd. "Um...thanks." Not the proper form. She inwardly kicked herself. She was supposed to use the proper forms when talking to people outside the family. She looked towards the Gardens, where nifflers were shooting in and out with their findings. "Er - I think the niffler's coming back again." \n\n
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Allie
I've lost the thread of title conversation again.
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Allie
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