Professor Connell
July 18, 2006 1:11 PM
Lesson I - First and Second Years by Professor Connell
To Marian Connell, the first lesson of a new school year was, without a doubt, the most nerve-wracking out of any of them. When she had been a student, no matter what class was first that year, there was always the fear that she had somehow forgotten everything she had ever known about the subject, and would look like a complete fool. Now, as a teacher, the nervousness still stemmed from that fear, coupled with the fact that, by some twist of fate, all her previous beginning of the year classes had been for students who had attended Sonora at the same time as she. It had been hard enough to try and maintain some semblance of authority over the younger students. Teaching the ones who knew her previously, even if they were several years younger, had proven to be next to impossible at times.But those last few students had finally graduated, and she finally found herself with students who had only known her as a professor. She could finally leave her student days behind her once and for all. And that thought, along with the fact that the first lesson should be a relatively simple one, with just the first and second years, seemed to alleviate most of her worries.
Everything had been put to order long before the class was actually scheduled to start, so by the time the first students began to trickle in, Marian was sitting at her desk putting the last touches on the lesson plan for the seventh years, who had class later that day. She ignored the bustle and chatter until the last of the students seemed to have arrived. She stood up, but remained behind her desk as she began the customary beginning-of-school lecture.
“Welcome to first- and second-year potions. For the new students, my name is Professor Connell, and I am both the head of Pecari house and, obviously, the potions professor here at Sonora. There are only a few rules to go over before you may actually begin making today’s potion. First, every class will start off with a small lecture, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could pause your conversations for its duration. You may talk as much as you want while actually doing the work, so it shouldn’t be that difficult. Second, this is a potions classroom, and accidents such as spills and the like will happen. If something major does happen, you should alert me as soon as possible. If there’s nothing particularly dangerous about whatever occurred, then you will clean it up yourselves. If there could be a problem, then I or one of the prairie elves can get it. Along with that, horseplay is to be kept to a minimum in this classroom. May of the potions and ingredients can be dangerous, and the goal is to keep as few of you from being harmed as possible. That final rule is one of the most important, and the one I will least tolerate disobeying.
“This year you will be focusing on learning to make an assortment of relatively simple potions. The first one, which you will be making today, is called the Acclamazioni draft, one of the simplest of the cheering potions, and instructions can be found on page 37 of your text. You should have all the ingredients, daisy roots, fluxweed, ginger, and asphodel root, in your potion’s kits, but if for any reason you don’t have enough of something, there is a supply of most common ingredients in the black cabinet in the back of the classroom. You may choose your own partners, and you may work in groups of two or three. Begin.”
She had been debating whether or not to mention that excessive amounts of fluxweed would cause the potion to explode. It was a good warning, but her more recent experiences with the making of this potion had taught her that there were always a few who would take those warnings and intentionally do what they shouldn’t. Hopefully, this batch of students was the type that followed instructions almost precisely and didn’t feel the need to experiment.
OOC: Standard posting rules apply. At least two decent-sized paragraphs, so at a minimum roughly 8 lines of text. House points will be awarded based on post length, detail, etc. Be creative, and have fun.
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Subthreads: Accosting firsties and a potential partner by Saul Pierce with Echo Elms
Cheering potions? How incredibly appropriate... by Gil and Leo Idoya with Nikki Ramirez, Gil, Michael Tallow, Leo Idoya, Gil Idoya, Gil and Leo, Gil & Leo
Who wants to be my partner? by Elly Eriksson with Meredith Lail, Elly
One of my worst fears.... by Adam Brockert with Ginger Silverstein, Guenther Heindrich
Is ANYONE still after a partner? by Pepper with Helena, Geoffrey Spindler
Late to class and still has yet to find a partner... by Melanie Rose
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Professor Connell
Lesson I - First and Second Years
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Professor Connell
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Gil and Leo Idoya
July 21, 2006 7:47 AM
Cheering potions? How incredibly appropriate... by Gil and Leo Idoya
Leo found Gil waiting outside the portrait of Gunter the Zombie, one foot up against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest. He looked less than pleased – probably at the prospect of their imminent class, which was definitely not a favorite – but brightened when his twin joined him. He chattered blithely on about Muggle photography, of all things, and peppered the commentary with arbitrary questions about Leo’s house and doings. Leo replied with his usual pithiness, inwardly glad that Gil had put the argument from the other day behind him so completely. It couldn’t have been good for Gil’s self-esteem (already a bit shaky, in Leo’s opinion) to be yelled at by a girl, and in front of the whole of Cascade Hall.“So, Potions,” Gil said, some of the enthusiasm seeping out of his voice. “Peachy.”
Leo rolled his eyes and opened the door, motioning Gil enter ahead of him. “It’s really not that bad. Well, for those of us capable of sitting still for longer than five minutes.”
Gil stuck his tongue out at Leo, but went in anyway, taking a seat several tables back and off to one side. Leo sat down next to him, and they took out their potions kits and notebooks.
“So... Leo...” Gil began after a few moments of relative silence, in which his brother had been sharpening the nib of his quill. “Um. About that Quidditch thing....”
“Forget it.”
“But – ”
“Shh,” Leo hushed as the professor began to speak, not looking at his twin. Gil frowned slightly, but shrugged. At least Leo didn’t seem angry about it; a little upset, yes, but not ticked. That, Gil could work with.
He couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of their assignment, though. Grinning and barely restraining a giggle, he grabbed quickly for his wand – the wizarding equivalent of touching one’s nose to avoid being picked. Leo looked over suspiciously. “I s’pose this means we’ll have to test the potion on you, O Brother Mine,” Gil laughed lowly. Leo glared; Gil just grinned harder, and slightly wickedly.
When the professor finished, Leo flipped open his textbook and pushed it to his right so Gil could see it to. “All right... so you start mincing the daisy roots, and I’ll take care of the fluxweed,” he said. Gil didn’t mind being ordered around by the older twin, at least not in this aspect; his potion-making skills were next to naught, and Leo had always shown an affinity for the intricacy of the subject.
After they’d been working for a few minutes, though, Leo swore softly. “I’m out of asphodel root. Can I borrow some of yours?”
“You borrowed it over the summer for one of your experiments,” Gil said. “And don’t swear.” Leo rolled his eyes. “Asphodel root? I’ll go get some from the cabinet. How much?”
Leo consulted the text. “Um... a small handful.”
“Right. How kind of you to be specific,” Gil said, mocking Leo’s usual acerbic tone. He went, though, and halfway to the cabinet looked back at Leo and stuck out his tongue, knowing how much that sort of behavior in public grated on his twin’s nerves.
Unfortunately, the bag of another student chose that moment to animate itself via some sort of wandless, wordless spell, and threw itself in front of Gil’s feet, probably with malicious intent. He landed with a not-so-muffled CRASH on his back, staring dazedly up at the ceiling, his cheeks burning with mortification.
“Ow.”\n\n
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Gil and Leo Idoya
Cheering potions? How incredibly appropriate...
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Gil and Leo Idoya
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Nikki Ramirez
July 23, 2006 8:00 PM
E.all of the above by Nikki Ramirez
When Nikki entered the classroom, about half of the seats were taken. Including two situated beside each other occupied by the Idoyas. She was glad to see that they were talking to each other again. She took a seat a few rows back from them. Soon after Nikki sat down, the professor began speaking. She seemed to be the knid of teacher that was serious about her subject, and at the same time laid back. Nikki had found that she liked that kind of teacher, because she could both learn and have fun, something which Benito claimed to be impossible but Nikki had found otherwise.Then the professor told the students which potion they would be working on that day, and that they would have to work in groups of two or three. 'Oh great' Nikki thought 'Just my luck.'
Nikki stood up to find a partner. Unfortunately, as she did so, she knocked over her bag. More unfortunately, someone just happened to be walking by at that exact moment and tripped over her bag. Even more unfortunately, when that person looked up, she could plainly see that it was Gil. Nikki covered her mouth to avoid: A.laughing, B.cursing, C.yelling, D.making a complete fool of herself, or most likely, E.all of the above.
"Oh my God," Nikki said worried "I'm so sorry. Are you all right?" \n\n
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Nikki Ramirez
E.all of the above
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Nikki Ramirez
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Gil
July 23, 2006 8:31 PM
Oh, I'm just peachy, thanks. by Gil
Gil's head hurt a little, but not nearly as bad as his elbow, which had crashed into a table across the aisle on the way down. And his vision wasn't full of little sparkling pixies, which in his experience (being the clutz he was) told him that he most likely wasn't concussed, and wouldn't need a trip to the infirmary. His elbow, which had ached something fierce before, was even starting to feel better.He'd only just rolled up into a sitting position when the blond girl who had called him an ano was standing over him, aghast and apologetic. Gil was so surprised by this turn of opinion (complete about-face, more like), that he just blinked in shock for a moment.
"Oh... uh, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," he said, climbing to his feet. He was still blushing hot enough to cook an egg on his forehead, and he rubbed the back of his neck, grinning embarrassedly. Great. As if she hadn't thought him enough of a jerk, now he had to go and trip spectacularly right in front of him. True, she hadn't made the best first impression on him, either - but Leo liked her, he could tell, and Leo didn't like many people. Gil trusted his brother's judgment. Besides, he didn't want to go an alienate his twin's only friend at Sonora right after their argument had ended!
He was so caught up in this worrisome chain of thought that he didn't even realize he was now frowning and absently wringing his hands. Until, of course, he remembered that Nikki was still standing in front of him. His embarrassed grin returned, as did his blush. "Just - uh - needed some asphodel root."
He turned his back to her quickly, too humiliated to even contemplate whether she'd find that rude or not, especially in comparison to Leo's manners, and made the last few steps to the cabinet. He quickly grabbed a handful of asphodel root and started back towards his desk, before looking back at Nikki.
"Um... the professor said we could work in threes. Would you like to join Leo and me?" he asked somewhat diffidently (though he tried hard to cover that up). Hopefully Leo wouldn't mind. Gil didn't think he would, but... well... his twin was hard to fathom, sometimes.\n\n
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Gil
Oh, I'm just peachy, thanks.
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Gil
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Michael Tallow
July 23, 2006 11:59 PM
Cutting in, because that's what I do. by Michael Tallow
Michael ignored the majority of the lecture; his mind was focused on far more important matters: matters that caused his eyebrows to tighten and his eyes to scowl without object. Someone- some brainless, mindless, soulless, graceless fool of a someone!- had trampled over his nearly completed scaled model replica of the Siege of Sevastopal. It had taken months to mold the city walls and paint the mouths on the miniature fleet-men. Weeks of time and energy to properly shape the skuttled ships that once manned the Black Sea Fleet. It was to be his final addition to his Crimean War exhibit. And someone had destroyed it.It was no excuse that it was left in the Pecari common room unwatched or unnoted; nor was it a viable excuse that he had left it on the floor. People ought to be smarter than the average neanderthal- it was the Siege of Sevastopal for Dymphna's sake! Not another toy left about discarded.
He had left it drying, and after lunch, found it crushed. Potions was a subject left for less important times. First he needed to find out if it could possibly be salvaged, and second, he needed to find the culprit and destroy the person in as complete and thorough a manner as possible. Inflicting great amounts of pain would come as a necessary bonus to the deed, naturally.
The only hiccup in his scheming, though, was his present setting: the Potions classroom. It meant he must complete his assignment, whatever that was. Michael hadn't been listening for a reason- he had revenge to dream up. Still, grades, while unimportant in the general state of things, could only be given if work was completed. He must find someone to work with. Or, he mentally added after glancing the room once over, someones.
His eyes finally lit upon a pair one seat over to his left. The pair appeared organized, prepared, and most likely not needing his involvement in any way. Once one of the boys left, he snatched his potions kit from his table top, a spare quill, and landed himself neatly beside the previously unknown of student. Michael skipped normal introductions and instead opened his ingredients' store, well stocked and as of yet untouched.
Unknowingly, his hand landed on a jar labeled by his sister's reckless hand: root of asphodel. "What's needed next?" he asked in a genuinely disinterested voice, and as was his typical way, managed to miss the entire drama that went on but a few seats away. \n\n
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Michael Tallow
Cutting in, because that's what I do.
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Michael Tallow
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Leo Idoya
July 24, 2006 1:07 AM
Straight out of the blue, that one. by Leo Idoya
Gil had just slid out of his seat and headed off to fetch the necessary asphodel root, and Leo was very careful shredding the last bit of fluxweed into perfectly even proportions, peering out of one eye (the other closed) so as to better focus. If they weren't all the same size, he knew, the bits of fluxweed wouldn't dissolve at exactly the same moment, which would throw the whole thing off balance.A loud thump and a sudden apology caught his attention - especially because he recognized that warm accent as Nikki's. He looked up, but didn't turn around. After the incident in the gardens, he really wasn't sure what to think. He was still angry at how she had reacted, challenging the place in life he had always known as his own - but then again, he couldn't help but feel bad. He hadn't been far enough away to hear her last despairing, miserable comment - I hate America.
He squirmed uncomfortably in his chair as she asked if someone was okay, and was moments away from turning back - she was (or had been, anyway) his only friend at Sonora, after all. Right then, though, an unfamiliar boy dropped into the empty seat and deposited his quill and potions kit on the desk. "What's needed next?" he asked boredly, not even bothering to introduce himself.
Leo blinked, frowned, and glared in quick succession. How unutterably rude! Despite the boy's own lack of courtesy, though, Leo had been raised, if not to be amiable - oh, how that word rankled him now - then at least to have impeccable manners in every other way. He couldn't turn the boy away, not only because it seemed most others had already paired off, but also because he had exactly what was 'needed next' in his hand.
"That," Leo said shortly, motioning curtly with his chin towards the jar in the boy's hand. He finished tearing the last of the fluxweed and turned in his seat to call his brother back from the now unnecessary errand. "Gil - "
He stopped cold. Gil was blushing furiously with a stupid grin plastered over his face and one hand rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly, and the person his oh-so-charming grin was aimed at was Nikki. Leo's throat tightened inexplicably, and he looked away, clearing his throat. So that's how it was going to be - yet again - was it? Fine.
Seething and feeling unexpressibly betrayed, Leo turned back to the strange boy. "Stir the potion widdershins exactly thirty-two times," he read from the textbook. "At a medium pace." Not looking to see if the boy did as Leo directed, the Idoya heir took the jar of asphodel root and began to mash it into a fine, moist pulp.\n\n
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Leo Idoya
Straight out of the blue, that one.
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Leo Idoya
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Nikki Ramirez
July 24, 2006 3:26 PM
August? Gray? Anyone? Little Help Here by Nikki Ramirez
Gil stood up apparently embaressed and assured Nikki that he was all right. She was about to turn and look for someone to work with. August maybe, or Gray, although to Nikki's surprise, her housemates never seemed to be around lately. Perhaps it was her outburst in the Great Hall. Or maybe it was because of Leo. But before she could begin her search, Gil was asking her to join him and Leo in the work on their potion.Nikki had to consider this. She had yelled at and insulted Gil in front of an almost full Great Hall. And she didn't think Leo was too pleased with her at the moment.
And Leo was the very person she heard yelling the next second, calling to his twin. On instinct, Nikki turned towards the person speaking. What she saw was the irritated Idoya heir, turning his scowling face back to his work, mashing asphodel root, which apparently he had recieved from the boy sitting next to him. Nikki pointed to the boy.
"Um...I think you already have a third partner" she said to Gil.\n\n
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Nikki Ramirez
August? Gray? Anyone? Little Help Here
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Nikki Ramirez
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Gil Idoya
July 24, 2006 4:10 PM
More drama. Yay. by Gil Idoya
Gil turned around at the sound of his name to see Leo looking around for him. An unfamiliar boy - Gil thought he might be a second-year - sat next to his twin, with a jar of what Gil recognized as root of asphodel in his hand. "Be right - " he began, but stopped at the look on his brother's face. " - There," he finished lamely as Leo turned back around and yanked the jar out of the other boy's hand."Um, I think you already have a third partner," Nikki offered, pointing at the second-year. Gil turned back and looked at her.
"Uh... yeah," he said, chewing his lip a little. Why had Leo looked so angry? Gil thought their argument was over! He frowned a little himself, irritated. Sure, Leo wasn't always an easy guy to get along with, but he'd never been so unpredictable and moody before. "I think Leo might still be mad at me," he said impulsively, looking at the Mexican girl in front of him. "And I know you don't like me too much, but would you mind terribly if I worked with you? I won't bother you, I promise."\n\n
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Gil Idoya
More drama. Yay.
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Gil Idoya
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Michael Tallow
July 24, 2006 5:51 PM
.I bask in it; mind you, I don't <i>revel</i> though. by Michael Tallow
". . .widdershins. . ." The word and the voice in which it was said might have thrown some for a bit of a loop. The average American might spend his entire life never encountering the superstition-laced lexeme; but that was mostly because the average American considered international travel to be going one state west. Michael's mother was Canadian, supersitious to a ridiculous extreme, and very silly as well. She used the word anytime they came close to a graveyard, or church, or monument, or even something in nature that resembled a cross."Don't go to the right, Michel!" she would say in her highly pitched tones of alarm. "Do you want all of heaven to see you?"
If not referring to his mother's prediliction for hysterical dramatics, the word took on very normal nuances: turn counter-clockwise. Which Michael did, his arm looping the potion's few already mixed ingredients in lazy, but constant, motions opposite to the sun's direction. He considered his partner after the eighth turn, watching as the asphodel quickly lost whatever original shape and texture it had under the pliances of the boy's hands. A first year, Michael decided after a brief weighing of thought. And based on the crest on the boy's school uniform, a Crotalus.
By turn twenty-two, he was tired of the class entirely. He had far better things to do than make a- His mind drew blank. What exactly were they making? His eyes shot toward the open textbook: a cheering drought? Michael's mind seethed in immediate dislike and suspicion. Potions always meant testing; teachers were so ingeniously clever that way.
"I'm not going to test it," Michael announced at turn thirty. "I don't need cheering; I'm perfectly fine the way I am. And," his hand finished the final turn, "finished."
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Michael Tallow
.I bask in it; mind you, I don't <i>revel</i> though.
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Michael Tallow
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Leo Idoya
July 24, 2006 7:53 PM
Kill-joy. by Leo Idoya
Leo stared down at the asphodel root, which was now so pulpy it ran through his fingers when he (attempted to) push the spreading mess back into its original pile. He grimaced; he'd gone a little overboard. Now the consistency wouldn't be right at all.As he attempted to rectify his mistake, he heard Nikki speak very briefly, and then Gil begin mumbling. The phrase 'work with you' made Leo's jaw clench tighter, though it was the only sign of emotion on his face. As his new partner reached the twenty-seventh stir (Leo was counting too, just in case, which had probably led to his over-mutilation of the asphodel) Leo glanced sidelong at him. He didn't spend enough time with his classmates to know whether this boy was a first or second year, but the patch was Pecari. Lovely. I'm to be stalked by the entire Pecari house for the rest of my life. Or, at least, for the rest of life at Sonora. If it wasn't Echo joining him for breakfast (what a disaster that had been), it was random Pecaris deciding that today they would partner up with that bad-tempered Crotalus boy. You know, the one with the popular, friendly, charming twin in Teppenpaw.
The boy spoke abruptly, jerking Leo so unexpectedly out of his thoughts that he actually jumped a little. (Only a little, though, he assured himself.) "I'm not going to test it. I don't need cheering; I'm perfectly fine the way I am. And - finished."
Leo nodded tersely and dumped the fluxweed into the cauldron as the book directed; though the asphodel mush was congealing too slowly, he thought, glancing down. The book said it should already have a slightly gummy consistency, and when he touched it, it was still awfully runny.
"Clockwise now," he said, and then consulted the text again. "Fifteen stirs, slowly."
He didn't even deign to respond to the boy's claim that he wouldn't be the tester; the universe seemed to want him to take this cheering potion, and Merlin knew he could use a little good humor right now.
"Leo Idoya," he muttered, glancing briefly up at the boy before checking the asphodel again. Still too runny. Mierda. "Of the California Idoyas."\n\n
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Leo Idoya
Kill-joy.
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Leo Idoya
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Nikki
July 27, 2006 3:52 PM
What to do...hmm... by Nikki
Nikki was confused. She thought about Gil's offer. First he has a fight with Leo. Then she yells at and insults Gil in two different languages. Then she has a fight with Leo. Then Leo and Gil are friends again. Then she acidentally trips Gil. And now Leo was mad at Gil again, and Gil was asking her to be his partner.Nikki supposed she'd take what she could get. Besides, almost everyone else had already started on their potions. Frankly, Nikki was surprised that the professor hadn't come over to find out what was going on.
"Uh, sure, I'll work with you. I'm not quite as uncomfortable now as I was before." she said, only half joking.
As Nikki sat down and opened her potions kit, she wished there could be some solution to her dilema. Maybe another Leo. One that would open up and talk to her. One that was able to go an hour without getting angry. Oh wait, that would be Gil...but, he was the one that started this whole fiasco...wasn't he?
Nikki was confused.\n\n
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Nikki
What to do...hmm...
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Nikki
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Gil
July 27, 2006 5:50 PM
Good choice! by Gil
Gil waited a little anxiously for Nikki to either accept - not likely - or decline his offer. She seemed to be having a difficult time, probably due to the scene at breakfast the other day (though in Gil's defense, it really wasn't entirely his fault).He let loose a small sigh of relief when she agreed. "Great! Here, let me just go get my kit and my bag - " he said, grinning at her before turning back towards Leo and the older boy. His twin was just telling his new partner to start stirring clockwise, and Gil didn't want to interrupt. He closed up his kit and slung his bag over his shoulder, but hesitated briefly.
Leo didn't glance up from what he was doing, but did cock his head towards Gil a little, as if to say, I'm listening. "Look, Leo," Gil whispered, "I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you angry again, okay? But since we're only allowed to work in pairs or trios and you've already got this guy - " he motioned to the Pecari, " - and Nikki's still alone, I'm going to work with her."
"Have fun," Leo said, his voice completely nonchalant and inexpressive. "Oh, and watch for the conversions. She's used to metric."
"Metric - right. Got it. Thanks." Gil glanced one more time at his brother, who was now checking instructions in the potions textbook. Well, it was more than he'd expected; at least Leo wasn't freezing him out. His worries assuaged, Gil returned to the seat beside Nikki.
"So, I don't know about you, but I'm really not all that good at potions," he admitted, looking at her sideways as he opened up his potions kit and took out the jars he'd seen Leo using before. If Nikki didn't have asphodel root in her own jar, Gil could always just complete his earlier errand (hopefully without tripping this time). "So, mon capitaine, what should we do first?"\n\n
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Gil
Good choice!
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Gil
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Michael Tallow
July 28, 2006 4:28 AM
Kill-joy. . .that's remarkably. . .<i>apt</i>. by Michael Tallow
Michael began the second bout of stirring, irritated as he always was, but not specifically at the mundanity of his task. Stirring, he figured, was the sort of activity the bored, the otherwise occupied, or the incredibly dull normally gloried in, and as he was slowly becoming the first, was most definitely not the last, it only fell that the second best described the mind in which he went at his task. He stirred with the energy and aplumb of one completely uninterested.The introduction was of equal landing with the stirring. Michael simply did not care. Hurrah for name-sharing. Congratulations for friendliness. Or whatever it was his fellow housemates were all so keen about. He might have thought a Crotalus had more substance to him, if only for the fact that his sister's house seemed to made up primarily of spoiled princesses and posturing pre-pubscent adults. Michael was still only a child, still but twelve, and it was in his nature to cling to the nasty honesty of a child.
He did not want to make friends; he DID. NOT. CARE.
Ahem. Still though, as much as his thoughts bordered on the frighteningly and deceptively anti-social, he made the due reply that introductions receive:
"Michael Tallow. Not Mike, not Mikey, and definitely not Mickey. It's Michael." He paused, determined that he was on the tenth turn, and finished. "And last I checked most of my family either doesn't care about us or lives in Canada, which equates to the same thing: out of sight and out of mind."
He rounded out the final stir and placidly removed the rod from the cauldron. His eyes caught the flit of whispered words between what he observed immediately to be twins- his partner, Leo- he hated nicknames or any other such shortening of a proper name; you were given a name; it's a name, not a lifestyle- and his apparent brother did not appear particularly sunny.
Bully for them. They could drink the cheering drought. Which made him mention the idea verbally; he was forced to by the mere fact of it being a rather good sort of idea. "Since I'm not planning on testing it, and you don't look particularly enthusiastic about it, let's toss it off on them."
The them Michael referred to had just finally then regrouped. And the pair were looking perfectly exploitable. His lips almost managed an upward curve.\n\n
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Michael Tallow
Kill-joy. . .that's remarkably. . .<i>apt</i>.
1465
Michael Tallow
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Leo Idoya
July 28, 2006 2:05 PM
Wondering what I got myself into. . . by Leo Idoya
Leo did look up when his partner introduced himself as Michael Tallow - not Mike, not Mikey, and definitely not Mickey. He sneered in return; honestly. Did he think Leo wanted to start some lifelong friendship or something? Leo had no intentions of calling him anything as long as he could get away with it. The only reason he'd even bothered with the introductions was because his pureblood training had demanded it."Whatever you say, Tallow," Leo muttered, completely disinterested in the other boy's family issues. His mind was centered a few desks behind them, where a boy who looked deceptively like himself was currently mutilating the necessary ginger while chatting easily to a pretty blond girl.
Apparently Tallow could read minds, though; a moment later he spoke again. "Since I'm not planning on testing it, and you don't look particularly enthusiastic about it, let's toss it off on them."
Leo looked up then, lowering his pestle, and looked the boy in the eyes for the first time. "By 'them,' you mean...?" he motioned surreptitiously with his chin towards Gil and Nikki. His mismatched eyes narrowed then. "And what, pray tell, would be the point in that?"\n\n
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Leo Idoya
Wondering what I got myself into. . .
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Leo Idoya
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Nikki
August 01, 2006 12:28 PM
I have eyes; I have ears by Nikki
((OOC:Yay! I got to post by using a computer at the library. (If you read the OOC board you know I'm away from home and didn't know if I would get to post for a while.)))BIC: "Gil, stop. You're right, you're not very good at potions." Nikki scolded her partner. "You need to make those peices of equal size and approximently equal shape. No it doesn't say that in the book, but it's true. It's like salsa. You have to be presise and divert from the book just slightly to make it perfectly. Give me that."
She took the knife from his hand and pulled the cutting board in front of her. She pushed the cauldren in front of him. "Read the recipe and stir this. EXACTLY the number of times the book specifies." She said as though speaking to a young child.
As she did so, she could hear what Leo and that other boy were saying a few seats up. She looked for her book and realized that Gil had it. Perfect, his own was still in his bag.
"I'll be right back." Nikki said
She walked over to where Leo was sitting and reached around in Gil's bag until she found his potions book.
On her way back, she bent over to Leo. "I can hear you," she said. "And you're testing your own potion, not me or your," she paused, holding up the book and letting Leo fill in the blank for himself, "brother."
She walked back to her seat, sat down, and fliped through Gil's book to the correct page. \n\n
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Nikki
I have eyes; I have ears
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Nikki
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Gil and Leo
August 01, 2006 1:21 PM
...she scares <s>me</s> us sometimes. by Gil and Leo
Gil looked up, stunned, as Nikki snatched the knife from his hand and shang-hai'd the cutting board - all without breaking in her litany of mistakes he'd made and how to fix them. His face clouded for a moment, but then he decided that she must still be laboring under the delusions planted in her head by his lamentable conduct at breakfast. He opened his mouth to defend himself, then shut it again. Rinse and repeat. By the time he'd finally figured out what he wanted to say, though, Nikki had shoved her textbook at him and ordered him to read."Yes ma'am," he said, his tone a peculiar amalgamation of the offended and the meek. "Jeez... I'm not that much of an idiot. Or an ano," he muttered for her benefit. He looked up to see where she'd gone and found that his partner had abandoned him in favor of Leo - wait, no. Okay. She was just getting Gil's textbook out of his bag.
A few seats in front of them, Leo almost jumped out of his skin when, before Tallow could answer, Nikki appeared at his side. Without a word to him, she began to rummage around in Gil's bag; Leo's eyes followed her golden head and searching hands, but he looked away quickly, almost blushing when she stood back up, Gil's potions text in hand.
"I can hear you. And you're testing your own potion, not on me or your brother," she said very close to his ear. A little shiver ran through Leo - really, he wasn't that much of a touchy-feely person like Gil. Having people in his personal space just wasn't high on his list of Things I Like.
Her comment, however, made him clench his jaw. She thought so little of him to think that he'd actually entertained the idea? He wasn't that much of a berk, no matter how 'un-amiable' his behavior could get sometimes. Besides, Nikki was still the closest thing to a friend he had here. Merlin, that's sad.
"For your information, Ramirez," he hissed, "I wasn't going to anyway. Now you'd better get back before Prince Charming back there blows up the lab."
Without meeting her eyes, he turned back to the simmering cauldron.
"I," he said in a curt undertone to Tallow, "will be testing the potion, and if you say anything about foisting it or any other potion off on other people without their permission, I'll take it to the professor."\n\n
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Gil and Leo
...she scares <s>me</s> us sometimes.
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Gil and Leo
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Michael Tallow
August 04, 2006 5:51 PM
I don't particularly like sheep. Does that count as scary? by Michael Tallow
Michael's frown twitched. How old did this Idoya kid think he was? Fifty-two? Who used words like that anyway? Pray tell. . .honestly, it sounded like something from Doyle detective story. "The point is the obvious, Idoya: that by giving the potion to someone else to take, neither of us would have to. I thought that fairly apparent."His words were barely finished when the girl of the pair Michael had suggested foisting the potion off on strolled on up and declared their plan ruined. He shrugged at the girl's- Ramirez Idoya had called her- Ramirez's words. There were plenty of other groups that could be asked. She made it sound like he and Idoya were going to string them up and force the potion down their throats. An image of him cackling and running his hands together while muttering heinous foils flashed briefly. He didn't laugh.
The thought was unrealistic and quite too melodramatic for his personality.
Apparently, though, Idoya must have entertained such notions because when the first year next addressed him it was with the obvious thought that Michael had intended on forcing the potion on others- against their will.
"Idoya, you're lacking in common sense. Firstly, when did I ever say I was going to force someone to drink the potion? I simply said we could get someone else to test it. As in 'ask.' I suppose some due amount of manipulation might have been in order, but that's the person's fault if they fell for it." Michael's eyes widened slightly, his expression more than mildly patronizing. "Use your brain, kid. Or at least pay attention. There's no way I'd get away with stuffing a vial full of this stuff," he pointed to the simmering cauldron, "down someone's throat without the professor noticing."
He checked Idoya's page for the next step and fell into its preparations in a new mood of amiability. It was easy to be less rude when he found he had no stake in the conversation. Besides, Idoya was just silly enough to be interesting. Interesting enough that Michael even deigned to pass along some wise words that he lived by. "Feel free to be petulant, but really Idoya, if you want to act like you don't care, then you need to learn to not care."
It was Michael's adage for life, anyway. By not caring, he could act like he didn't care. It was much harder and far more stressful to pretend to not care; some feelings just can't be hidden, no matter how disciplined. That's what his sister didn't understand. But he did, and that's why he was perfectly fine being friendless and unbothered.
Less to pretend he didn't care about- er, that is, nothing to not care about.\n\n
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Michael Tallow
I don't particularly like sheep. Does that count as scary?
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Michael Tallow
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Nikki
August 04, 2006 10:12 PM
Prince Charming my A...pplause for Leo's partner by Nikki
((OOC: Yay!! I got to post again! Using my cousin's computer this time if anyone cares.))Nikki came dangerously close to grinding her teeth as she found her place in Gil's book. The nerve of that boy. Ramirez? He called her Ramirez now? And that Prince Charming comment. Ugh!
"You're right, you're not, well you know. In fact according to you're brother, you're Prince Charming. I DON'T KNOW WHY HE CARES." she intentionally said the last part loud enough for Leo to hear. She poured the next ingredient into the cauldren. "Sometimes I don't know which one of you to count a friend; your brother won't let me be friends with both of you. He's so JEALOUS" she wanted Leo to hear her, maybe say something to her. Something pleasent, if not amiable. \n\n
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Nikki
Prince Charming my A...pplause for Leo's partner
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Nikki
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Gil & Leo
August 05, 2006 9:36 PM
Response to both Nikki and Michael... wow I'm good. by Gil & Leo
Leo shot a swift glare at Tallow began a patronizing speech about his 'plan' for the cheering potion; his lips twisted briefly into a sneer when the older boy called him 'kid.' Merlin, Leo was only younger by a year - maybe even a little less!As much as Leo rebelled against Tallow's condescension, though, he had to admit that he was a little intrigued by the second-year's lack of interest, and especially by his advice. One of Leo's hands jerked a little as Tallow informed him that to convincingly act like he didn't care, he couldn't care. Maybe that was Leo's problem... he cared too much. And little as he liked Tallow... maybe he's got a point. Maybe I should try just... not caring.
It would certainly, he thought, resisting the urge to look back as Nikki's voice rang out loudly, make things much easier. So in keeping with his new habit, he resolutely blocked out the pretty blond's words - or, at least, tried to.
"I think we just leave it simmer now," he said to Tallow, his tone as nonchalant as he could manage, "until it turns canary yellow." No mention of Tallow's condescension or advice, or Nikki's outburst. Better.
-
Gil blinked as Nikki rejoined him and immediately began talking - well, ranting was almost a better word for it. Though at least she admitted she'd realized Gil wasn't such a jerk after all. That's something.
"You're right, you're not, well you know. In fact according to your brother, you're Prince Charming. I DON'T KNOW WHY HE CARES. Sometimes I don't know which one of you to count a friend; your brother won't let me be friends with both of you. He's so JEALOUS."
Oh. Well. That explained quite a bit. Leo wasn't mad at Gil - at least, not about the Quidditch thing. He... he thought Gil was stealing Nikki's friendship, maybe? Oh, no...
This time, the younger twin winced, and put a calming hand on the fuming girl's arm. "Nikki, calm down," he whispered soothingly. "Look, I know he can say stupid things sometimes - he's like me, doesn't think before he speaks. And I think he's not really jealous - he's scared. He's afraid you don't like him anymore. So he... oh, Merlin. I don't know." He shook his head, sitting back in his chair and returning both hands to his lap. He glanced up a moment later. "And you know, Nikki, no matter what Leo thinks, you can be friends with both of us."\n\n
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Gil & Leo
Response to both Nikki and Michael... wow I'm good.
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Gil & Leo
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Nikki
August 19, 2006 6:50 PM
Ramirez's theory of 'Leonardo-ity' by Nikki
Nikki spoke again, quieter, "I think he's mad at me. I told him he should remember that he's more than just 'the heir to the patriarch of La Familia Idoya.' I know he doesn't really want that to be his whole life but he acts like it is. He's not jealous of our friendship Gil, he's jealous of you. He wants to be able to make friends, and to be a kid, I just know it." she paused "Gil, I just want to know who he's doing it for. Is he trying to live up to your grandfather's expectations? Or trying not to become like your father, who's position as heir got skipped and passed on to Leo? Or protecting you?" She looked down."Or am I completely off track?" she asked "It's just hard. I'm used to everyone being themselves. But with Leo, it's like, whenever you think your close, it changes, whenever you think you can find the truth, he finds another way to hide it. I don't know." she was pouring out everything to Gil like he was a pensieve. But maybe in this case, Gilberto Idoya could be her pensieve, maybe he could help her understand his mysterious brother.\n\n
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Nikki
Ramirez's theory of 'Leonardo-ity'
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Nikki
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Gil
August 19, 2006 8:49 PM
And this, I'm thinking, is why you're an Aladren. by Gil
Gil winced as Nikki uttered that awful word - patriarch. His least favorite word in either of his languages. He'd heard it so many times it should by now have lost all poison, and it had from his father and grandfather - but these past few years, hearing it fall from his twin's lips... it was just painful, really. And Nikki had hit the nail smack on the head at least a few times with her analysis. Really, these Aladrens are almost scary sometimes they're so smart."You have to understand, Nikki," he said lowly, not wanting Leo to hear them. "Leo didn't have a choice, and he's been hearing this all his life. We're twins, yeah, and grew up together, but really, I was raised by Mami, he was raised by Abuelo and Papi. I can't fathom half the things he does, and he only does them because of them. He's not like that, not really. Not when he's just around me, when he feels like he can just be Leo and not Leonardo the Third." His voice became a little bitter, and he realized he might not be making that much sense to Nikki anymore. "Yes, he's doing it for Abuelo - or because of Abuelo, anyway. He's not afraid of being like Papi; he's much stronger than Papi, no matter what he does." That was the honest truth; even Leo II saw it. "And protecting me..." he pressed his lips. "He always has tried to. He almost got drowned by a grindylow once - it had gotten hold of me while I was swimming, and... well, he almost died, anyway."
A bitter smirk crossed his face, an expression not often seen there. It made him look much more like Leo, he knew, despite his warm brown eyes. "He's like a walking Shakespearean tragedy, isn't he? And eleven...." He shook his head. "And I know what you mean about Leo hiding everything. You'll get used to it eventually."
He looked up towards where his brother sat, stiff in his seat. "And don't pity him too much," he said, forcing his voice to harden a little. "He doesn't need any more drama."\n\n
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Gil
And this, I'm thinking, is why you're an Aladren.
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Gil
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Nikki
August 20, 2006 12:29 PM
No, this is why I'm an Aladren by Nikki
Nikki noticed Gil shiver a little as she spoke. Then when he responded, he said nothing about Leo being jealous of him. She wondered what was going on in Gil's head."Yeah, he's a Shakespearian tradgedy all right." Nikki agreed. "Maybe The Tempest. Actually, more like if Comedy of Errors was a tradgedy." Nikki had no idea whether or not Gil knew what she was talking about. He didn't seem like the kind of guy that would read Shakespeare, and she was positive that he hadn't seen any of the movies, considering he was pure-blood.
"But you're lucky to have him as a brother." she said "My brothers wouldn't risk their lives to save me. Benito would probably have been the one to throw me to the grindylow in the first place." But then, Gil had just said, or implied rather, that Leo was not the person he wanted to be around Gil sometimes. If he couldn't be himself around Gil, how could he possibly be himself around Nikki.
Nikki was beginning to wonder about Abuelito and Leo I now. Abuelito was the kind of person that was somewhere between herself and Gil. Had he been trying to figure out his friend too? Abuelito had always described the twins grandfather as, well, being like Gil. But the twins described him as more of a Leo. Was Abuelito wrong? Or had the other man changed? If he had changed, then why?
'I think too much.' Nikki said to herself 'But I really want to know.'\n\n
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Nikki
No, this is why I'm an Aladren
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Nikki
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