Professor Sophie O'Malley
October 29, 2016 3:40 PM
I see a cauldron and I wanted painted black~ [Years I-II] by Professor Sophie O'Malley
Sophie was at her very best for today’s lesson, although what she considered her best was a far cry from most people’s standards. She had made an attempt to push up her sleeves, but her thin little arms could not support the bunches properly, so, though hastily rerolled now, their edges were lined with messiness that rose from brewing potions. Her blonde ponytail, notable for its relatively impressive length, was a haphazard mess. A splash of something green stained her left cheek. And she was grinning ear-to-ear. Sophie loved brewing potions.“I have been very busy today,” she announced merrily to her first and second years. “As you see, each pair of desks has three cauldrons currently brewing over small flames. To that end,” she added, “you’ll have to forgive me for being a little out of sorts. I filled those all this morning.”
“You’ll note,” the small woman went on, “that each cauldron is black. That, my dears, is a delicate little illusion. They’ve been painted that way. In truth, one of them is gold, one of them is silver, and one is pewter. Your job for today’s exercise will be to determine which is which based on the progress of the potion simmering within them.”
“Each is brewing a Girding Potion. Can anyone tell me what that particular potion does?” It wasn’t one that they had personally brewed, as it was technically at the third year level, but it was, however, included in their latest reading chapter of their textbook. When the correct answer was procured, Sophie continued. “Great! Now, as I said, these samples were brewed just today by yours truly, which means the one in the greatest quality cauldron should be just about done. The other two will be at varying stages of simmering. “Would you please take this stack of worksheets and pass one to everyone?” she asked the student seated nearest to her desk. “They just have a few questions for you to answer about the cauldrons. Basically just ‘which is which?’ and ‘Justify your answer’.”
“I encourage you to partner up so that you can discuss this, and also because there’s only a set of cauldrons per two people.” She was not going to brew three potions per student. That was way too much work when she believed the kids worked better in pairs anyway. “Also, one last thing,” she added quickly. “I shouldn’t have to say this, but don’t touch the cauldrons. It’s kinda cheating to try to figure out the metal texture beneath the paint anyway, but as you can imagine, they are very hot.” Sophie paused, checking the progress of her worksheet-provider. “Okay, I think everyone’s got a worksheet. Go ahead and get discussing, my little cauldron detectives!”
OOC: Relevant information regarding the Girding Potion: the most complete one (gold) should be decidedly green, and as quality of the cauldron drops and therefore time required increases (silver, then pewter), it will be more blue. So gold cauldron: green potion, silver potion: blue-green, and pewter cauldron: mostly blue. The order they sit across is, left to right, pewter, gold, silver. Be good, follow the rules, and have fun!
Subthreads: Which one is which? by Kit Reid, Aladren with Victor Callahan, Crotalus
But black is so gloomy. (Tag Ayla Tremaine) by Simon Mordue, Crotalus with Ayla Tremaine, Teppenpaw, Professor O'Malley
I'd rather it painted red. by Farrah Welsh (Aladren) with Amelia Layne, Aladren
Here we go again... by Kellen Mormont, Aladren with Jozua Sparks, Teppenpaw
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Professor Sophie O'Malley
I see a cauldron and I wanted painted black~ [Years I-II]
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Professor Sophie O'Malley
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Simon Mordue, Crotalus
November 01, 2016 4:49 PM
But black is so gloomy. (Tag Ayla Tremaine) by Simon Mordue, Crotalus
Simon had quickly realized that a lot of people in the outside world cared much less about cleanliness than he thought was appropriate, but he was still shocked to see a professor as one of them. Professor O’Malley looked as though she had not washed her face or combed her hair all day, and her sleeves were a mess, too. Potions was a messy subject (though that didn’t, he thought, explain her hair), but why had she not washed before class?The world, he thought, was much more complicated than it had seemed in his lessons at home. Professor O’Malley did not inspire the same intense desire to return to the neat confines of his schoolroom at home that some things did, but he was still distracted by the green splotch on her cheek and the disorder of her hair as he sat down and looked between her and the cauldron already set up in front of him.
He wasn’t sure whether or not he should be relieved to find a potion already done on the table in front of him. On one hand, he found brewing potions in the room, where everyone would notice if he didn’t chop his ginger root finely enough and it caused a problem, stressful. On the other, what if Professor O’Malley wanted them to fix errors in other people’s potions? If that was it, Simon suspected his problem was not going to be making sure he followed directions well enough. If that was it, he would have to demonstrate comprehension of concepts, possibly with another person on one of them since there were two desks and three cauldrons. He thought he understood the concepts well enough, but somehow it was just…easier to think of writing it down for Professor O’Malley than discussing it with one of his classmates. Irrational, he knew – Professor O’Malley was a person and therefore just as capable of judging him as his classmates, and since his father had said she was a Mrs. O’Malley on top of being a professor, maybe even capable of causing him more problems than his classmates ever could – but even so….
Reluctantly, Simon added discuss magical concepts I think I understand with Victor and Winston to his mental to-do list. His father and tutors, with the partial exception of his favorite, were in agreement than he needed to force himself to do things he found nerve-wracking, and also get other pureblood boys to respect him now so they could respect him when they were all adults. The actual assignment, when Professor O’Malley explained it, did not involve a practice run for having those talks with his roommate, but Simon wasn’t sure if he liked it better or worse than he would have such a practice run. He knew the book usually said what color or texture a potion should have at given stages, but he was pretty sure it was going to be a bit more complex than just finding the right page in the book, some kind of guide to which metal affected the same potion how. They were going to have to think. In pairs.
Simon perked up a bit when Professor O’Malley told them how to cheat and he saw an easy solution to the problem with doing so that she mentioned. There were charms, he knew, to make it possible to handle very hot objects without burning oneself. He deflated again quickly, though, as he realized that unfortunately, he didn’t know it, or even how difficult it was. It was just one of those things he’d taken for granted until suddenly, there wasn’t someone there to do them for him anymore. Trying not to feel too badly about this, he looked to see his partner of the day and found, to his relief, a somewhat familiar face. It was mild relief, as he didn’t think he had yet made the acquaintance of the face’s owner – indeed, the reason it was familiar was because he’d seen it on the wagon to Sonora – but he was sure she was a fellow first year, which was enough for some relief to his way of thinking.
“Hello,” he said with a small smile. He was not really a grinner, not like his father’s brother. He had inherited more of his looks, he thought, from his mother than anyone. “I don’t think we’ve met yet, but we were on the same wagon. I’m Simon Mordue, of the Oregon Mordues.” Not that there were any others that he knew of, but the form of introduction was just a way, he had learned, of letting others know he was from society. If they responded in kind, he could safely assume they were, too. If not, then it was less likely. This was an important thing to know.
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Simon Mordue, Crotalus
But black is so gloomy. (Tag Ayla Tremaine)
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Simon Mordue, Crotalus
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Ayla Tremaine, Teppenpaw
November 02, 2016 2:20 PM
I agree, pink is the new black! by Ayla Tremaine, Teppenpaw
Ayla hadn’t slept very well. Albus insisted on kneading any bit of skin she didn’t have covered up, including her face, so she had to create a cocoon with her blankets. That created an entirely different problem, as she didn’t feel like she could breathe with her face covered. She eventually managed to fall asleep, but when she woke up and looked in the mirror, she realized she had her work cut out for her. It took time, and a lot of skin care products, but Ayla managed to make herself look refreshed and put together. She chose a black chiffon knee length dress with ruffled trim, short sleeves and a white collar over nude tights with little black cats on them. All under her forest green school robes, of course. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a sleek high ponytail and today’s accessories included black ballet flats and, as usual, her locket.The Teppenpaw first year wasn’t as big into academics as most of her peers, but she figured that potions was going to be one of the classes that would be useful to her in the future, so she probably needed to pay attention. She’d much rather talk and get to know people better, but she was at school after all. Learning was kind of required. She noticed an empty spot next to one of Victor’s roommates, and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to really meet him. She recognized him from the wagon ride too, so that was even more incentive to get to know him better. She smoothed out her robes and sat down, instantly wrinkling her nose as the scent of the potions brewing in front of them.
She was a little surprised when the professor started the lesson. Ayla cocked her head to the side slightly, as she curiously looked over the small woman. She looked very...put out? Didn’t they have elves or helpers or something that could have helped get the lesson ready? She appreciated that Professor O’Malley felt passionate about the class to the point where she’d sacrifice her image, but surely whatever it was on her face couldn’t be good for her skin. She wanted to raise her hand and let the professor know, but she’d already started the lecture, and Kit was already answering a question that Ayla didn’t know the answer to. So Kit really did fit into Aladren after all.
The young blonde took a worksheet, and pulled her quill out of her bag as she scanned the questions. This appeared to be more about cauldrons that the actual potion, but she wasn’t going to argue the point. She was glad when Professor O’Malley gave them the go ahead to talk, and even more so when Victor’s roommate introduced himself as society. She shouldn’t have been surprised, he was a Crotalus after all.
“Yes! It’s so nice to finally officially meet you, Simon.” Ayla said with a dimpled smile. “I’m Ayla Tremaine, of the Palo Alto Tremaines. What part of Oregon are you from?” She asked, more interested in him than the lesson at hand. She wanted to ask about his family, hobbies, goals...but she figured she should probably also at least feign enthusiasm about solving the case of the cauldrons. Obviously Kit was super smart about this sort of thing, Ayla felt like she needed to at least give it her best effort. She didn’t need a society boy to think she was dumb. Particularly if both of his roommates were as well.
“So, how are you with potions? Though I guess this more about cauldrons.” She added, leaning forward to get a better look at the brewing liquids, while trying to avoid the fumes. “They are all different colors. Do you think it’s a reaction to the metal?”
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Ayla Tremaine, Teppenpaw
I agree, pink is the new black!
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Ayla Tremaine, Teppenpaw
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Simon
November 02, 2016 2:59 PM
I think I prefer green. by Simon
Palo Alto. Simon had to think for a terrifying moment to remember which state that was in. Geography, no matter how hard he tried, just was not one of his stronger suits.He did, however, know his own state reasonably well, he thought. “Sort of between central and west,” he said. “My family lives in the countryside, not a city.” His father had inherited the house, which had left his father’s brother to a townhouse, though the two were linked by, at the very least, by the treehouse his sister shared with their cousin Nathaniel. The two of them were always bugging the adults to let them go see each other, so said adults had finally just built an enchanted treehouse either could reach from his or her own house to share. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”
Her next question was a challenge. Simon guessed he was going to get that practice for discussing concepts he thought he understood with Victor and Winston sooner than he had expected when he’d first heard the lesson. He took care not to think too much about it, though, lest his head start spinning from all the changes of opinion he’d had in the past ten minutes. “I think I understand what we’ve been taught before today,” he said, hedging his bets as much as he felt he decently could.
Ayla’s third question, to his relief, was factual again, not an opinion piece. Discussing ideas might not be so bad after all, at least compared to evaluating his own strengths and weaknesses…he had, he thought, to stop thinking about this, or else he would end up getting his roommates’ attention later and then standing there frozen with his mouth open like an idiot. That would be bad. “It could be,” he said. “But – since the potion, the same potion, that is, is brewing in all three cauldrons, I would think that it isn’t really reactive. I read once that different metals get to different temperatures at different speeds, so I th – believe that the key is to figure out which stages these potions are at, and how high the temperature should be when they’re at that stage.” He didn’t think he made sense by the end of his sentence, but refused to backtrack. He didn’t think he was expressing it well, but he did think he was at least in the general area of a good idea. “Though either idea could be right,” he said. “Do you think Professor O’Malley has any books about cauldrons in here? I know I saw a section on cauldrons somewhere in our textbook….”
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Simon
I think I prefer green.
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Simon
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Ayla
November 03, 2016 2:06 PM
Green is good too! ((Tag Professor O'Malley)) by Ayla
A society family that lived in the country, that was definitely an interesting set up. Ayla knew it wasn’t impossible, but being near a city had so much more potential for, well, socializing. Her mother always seemed to have some gala or benefit to go to, and was often traveling to San Francisco for one thing or another. Did that mean that Simon’s family had to travel long distances for things?“The country must be nice. We’ve only ever been to southern Oregon, I remember it being pretty though.” Ayla said with a smile, deciding it best not to pry into the details of Simon’s family just yet. “Palo Alto has some pretty parts too, but it’s on a bay, not green and mountainy as I remember Oregon being.” She added with a shrug, trying to make conversation outside of cauldron talk, even though she knew they had a worksheet to get through. She smiled and nodded when Simon answered her question about how he was with potions. The young witch couldn’t help but notice that Kit and Victor had paired up, and it caused a weird reaction in the pit of her stomach. Ayla quickly tried to brush it off, but couldn’t help but notice Victor smiling at her. Or at least she thought he was, she flashed a dimpled grin at him before turning her attention back to Simon.
The Teppenpaw girl nodded as Simon explained about the metals heating up differently. That made sense. Ayla vaguely recalled the professor mentioning that the higher quality cauldron would be nearly done. “I really should have paid more attention to what O’Malley was saying, but I think you’re on to something!” Ayla said brightly, turning momentarily to dig in her book bag for her potions book. “It would probably be helpful to know something about the potion that’s in there too.” She flipped through the pages, searching for the girding potion. “A book on cauldrons is a great idea, she might have one. I’ll go ask!” She said with a smile before making her way through the maze of desks and cauldrons to where Professor O’Malley was.
“Excuse me, Professor O’Malley? Do you by chance have a book on cauldron types my partner and I could look at?” Ayla asked politely, pursing her lips slightly as she considered whether or not to tell the professor about the green splotch on her face. “Also, you have something. Just there.” The girl added, tapping her own cheek to indicate the location of said something.
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Ayla
Green is good too! ((Tag Professor O'Malley))
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Ayla
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Professor O'Malley
November 05, 2016 12:44 AM
Green's always been a favorite of mine, as well. by Professor O'Malley
Being a teacher, like any profession, required a specific set of skills. Communication was key, given the necessity of lecturing. One had to be interesting and a little bit eccentric to keep the students’ attention, but getting too humorous or friendly could negatively impact learning as the students began to see the professor as more of a peer than an adult. It was a balance that Sophie personally struggled to achieve, given her somewhat goofy nature. A good professor was firm but approachable, friendly but authoritative.For more personal success and the sake of one’s sanity, it was also a good skill to have to be able to block out the chorus of chattering voices when the students were released for personal discussions. Remaining attentive to each and every voice in a classroom could easily cause a headache, or worse. To that end, Sophie, as many professors likely did, had sort of learned to tune out the echoing mess.
But when a student (a young Teppenpaw, if she remembered correctly, called Ayla) approached her desk, it was time to snap back into it. Sophie heard every word the little first year said, although there was a pause before her response as her brain suddenly remembered and frantically reminded, Hey, dummy, you have to answer. “Of course,” said the professor with a smile. “It’d be on the on the shelf just over there, next to the counter with spare ingredients.”
Her hand instinctively went to her cheek as the girl pointed out the mark on it. Pale fingers slowly scraped across it. “You are correct,” Sophie laughed, her tone genuine. “Thank you, Ayla. I’ll have to clean up after class. For now, you run along and get that book.”
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Professor O'Malley
Green's always been a favorite of mine, as well.
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Professor O'Malley
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Ayla
November 06, 2016 4:30 AM
Seeing green by Ayla
“Thank you! And you’re welcome.” Ayla said with a smile before turning her back to Professor O’Malley in order to continue her search for a cauldron book. She felt somewhat better after letting her know about the potion on her face, she would want someone to do the same for her, after all. The Teppenpaw girl’s green eyes scanned the bookshelf as she searched for the text the professor had mentioned. “Ah ha!” She exclaimed victoriously as she grabbed it from the shelf and made her way back to her partner and their potions. “Alright, Simon! We have the book!” She said with a grin as she set the text on the table and flipped it open to the table of contents.The Teppenpaw turned her attention to her open potions text, and skimmed the directions for color changes. “So, it looks like the girding potion goes from blue to green when it’s close to finishing. If green is the end goal, we can assume that that is the highest quality cauldron, right? And then this bluey green one would be the next best, and then the blue. I think.” Ayla was hesitant to make any assertions. She thought she had a good idea of which cauldron was which now that she had the book open in front of her, but she didn’t want to come off too bossy or be wrong. She liked the idea of them coming to the conclusion together and was interested in what Simon thought as well. “What do you think, partner?” She asked, looking to him with a smile.
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Ayla
Seeing green
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Ayla
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Simon
November 09, 2016 3:20 PM
So we have an old copper cauldron, then? by Simon
Simon nodded solemnly to the assertion that Oregon was green and mountainy. “The sea is lovely, too,” he agreed.He perused the steps to the Girding Potion while Ayla volunteered to ask Professor O’Malley about a book and returned with one in short order. He smiled, too, as she put the book down and began explaining what she concluded from it.
“I…well, I agree,” said Simon, trying to sort through his thoughts as quickly as possible. “A really thick-bottomed cauldron or a poorly joined one wouldn’t work as well. Here, though, since they’re different metals, I think how different metals heat is probably the, um, thing that makes them different?” His voice ended as though he were asking a question. He hated it when his voice did that. Father’s never did. “When I bought my cauldron, I remember seeing a sign that said brass cauldrons heat at a medium speed, and that gold and copper are very fast. I think?” He skimmed the table of contents of the new book, too. “If these are in order of speed,” he said, spotting copper, brass, and pewter on the list, “then silver is the very fastest, but do you think Professor O’Malley would bring this many sliver and gold cauldrons to class?”
As soon as he said it, he had thoughts. For one thing, Professor O’Malley was from a Family, so she might be able to afford such a thing, or borrow the cauldrons from one connection or another. For another thing, who was to say that every station had the same three cauldrons? There could be a number of mixes. Someone might even get a stone cauldron – Simon remembered seeing a glimpse of a something about one of those in one of the books in the library at home one of the times he’d dared to open a page of one of the books there he didn’t think he was really supposed to read. There were a lot of things he hadn’t thought of, but he had to start narrowing it down somehow, he guessed.
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Simon
So we have an old copper cauldron, then?
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Simon
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Ayla
November 12, 2016 1:54 AM
That's not on the list! by Ayla
Simon’s comment about the sea brought a smile to Ayla’s face. She definitely agreed. There was a certain kind of calm that could only be brought about by the rhythm of waves upon the shore and the scent of the ocean on the air. She missed it a little, now that she stopped to think about it. Thankfully, her attention was returned to their assignment as her partner started explaining different metals and how they heated up differently.Ayla didn’t know a thing about the different metals when it came to cauldrons. Jewelry, however, she could talk about at length. It seemed to the young witch that Simon knew what he was talking about, so she felt confident in his theories. “So, in order of worst to best, pewter, gold and silver?” She asked, looking to him for confirmation. If that were the case, then they’d just have to figure out which color sequence the potion went through. Or at least that’s what made sense in her head.
When he asked whether or not she thought Professor O’Malley would actually have as many gold and silver cauldrons as were needed for the class Ayla could only shrug.
“She said as much. It’d be expensive, but not impossible.” She added with a smile. She knew that schools often times received donations, either financially or sometimes just with products. She couldn’t really imagine a scenario in which someone would donate a dozen golden cauldrons, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. She knew from experience that sometimes big pure blooded families threw a load of money at different charities just for the prestige of being able to claim they did it later.
“It’d be a cruel joke if she just said that in her lecture and then mixed it up on us. With them all painted, I’m not sure how she could differentiate between them.”
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Ayla
That's not on the list!
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Ayla
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