<i>Professor</i> Lilac Crosby
August 20, 2010 1:34 PM
New is a good thing by <i>Professor</i> Lilac Crosby
It was a day like any other; a typical, normal day. Well, not really. Lilac woke up that morning in a new bed. She took a shower in a new bathroom. Her morning coffee had been prepared in a different kitchen, and not by her! It was so weird and new that Lilac didn’t completely know how to function. The twenty-six year old hadn’t done anything like this ever before, but she was definitely looking forward to her new teaching career.Dressed in a pale pink dress with an orange smock over the top, Lilac made herself ready for a new day. As always, brushing her short mess of brown hair was sufficiently difficult, but it got done eventually. Of course, new knots seemed to be ever forming on her small head, and Lilac threw her hands in the air, proclaiming, “You win! in a frustrated huff. Never mind that, she thought to herself, her plump lips comprising a smile. You’ve got a new job, a new life, a new paycheck to send home to Mother. Your stupid hair doesn‘t matter. Slathering on a light layer of make-up, Lilac was ready for her day.
Lilac found her way to the Transfiguration classroom --her classroom. She took a moment to stop and inhale the aromatic smell of her new life, the fragrance of her future. It wasn’t just her future, either. All of the students, current or hopefully ones soon to come as she was planning on keeping this job for a long time, would be relying on her to teach them how to transfigure things. That could be a matter of life or death sometime in their futures! Lilac wasn’t sure how, but she knew it could be one day. Maybe that was just her want to feel like it was important want she was doing. Truthfully, it was, but she didn’t always see it.
Her classroom was beautiful. With a little decoration, it could be even more so than it already was. Lilac’s feminine tough would most definitely brighten the room up, bring out its most admirable qualities. But this wasn’t a designer job, Lilac scolded herself for such thoughts. It was a teaching job! As long as her students would be able to learn, the classroom was perfect.
Sinking behind her desk and into the nice chair behind, Lilac inhaled deeply in admiration. She was so excited about what she made for herself. Now just find me a son-in-law! her mother’s voice rang through her ears. “Shut it, Mother,” she groaned out loud. Lilac suddenly thought she heard footsteps coming through the corridors, approaching her classroom. She was positive she didn’t have a class today; she’d just gotten there! Bolting to a standing position, Lilac presented herself just inside her doorway.
Maybe they just want to meet the new professor, she reasoned. Reason was always a calming thing, but a moment later and panic took over again when she realized something. Wait, I’m the new professor! Once again, she calmed herself, and Lilac took on her stone calm facial expressions and waited for the person to arrive. When she thought she heard them growing closer, she let loose a delicate smile. “Hello there,” she greeted warmly. “I’m Lilac Crosby. Professor Lilac Crosby,” she added. She had a title now!
Subthreads: OOC by Professor Crosby
I’ve always thought so by Medic Cleo Rocamboli with Lilac, Cleo
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<i>Professor</i> Lilac Crosby
New is a good thing
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<i>Professor</i> Lilac Crosby
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Professor Crosby
August 20, 2010 1:50 PM
OOC by Professor Crosby
...I can't type, as apparent in this post. This post is plagued by typoes, so if there's anything a possible replyer can't understand/doesn't know what it's supposed to be, just don't address that part. Thanks.
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Professor Crosby
OOC
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Professor Crosby
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Medic Cleo Rocamboli
August 22, 2010 5:33 PM
I’ve always thought so by Medic Cleo Rocamboli
Cleo Rocamboli had, at the end of last term, sold the apartment that she and her now-ex-husband had shared. The cottage she’d bought was beautiful. There was no other word for it besides ‘cottage’; it was stone and had a lovely vegetable garden around the side and a charming flower garden in the front. Two acres set just on the edge of an absolutely picturesque little lake, and it was all her own. Well, currently it was at the disposal of the elderly couple who was renting it from the Medic for the next few months, but in the summertime it was just Cleo’s. The thirty-nine-year-old did love living there.Oh, but of course she loved it at Sonora, too. Cleo really couldn’t imagine wanting to work anywhere else more than she liked working here. Working with the students was much better than working with patients—she got to see the students when they were happy and healthy too, which was always a bonus. And her coworkers were all really friendly; Cleo had been sad to see Janette leave at the end of last term.
Fortunately, though, her replacement had arrived. Although Cleo was no longer one of the newer staff members—May, Ichabod, and Jackson had come to the school after she was employed there—the Medic remembered what it was like to be new. As such, she thought it would be a nice welcome to Sonora if she brought Lilac Crosby a sort of “housewarming” present. When she’d moved into her new place in June, her friends and family and some of the people living nearby (they weren’t geographically close enough to be called neighbors, Cleo thought) had brought her gifts from oven mitts to fruit baskets.
Since cooking was one of her talents as well as something she liked doing, Cleo had made a small chocolate and raspberry cheesecake for the new professor of Transfiguration. She had even put a spell on the plate to preserve the cheesecake for much longer than it would normally be good for. It was, actually, a variation of a Healer’s spell used to store complex potions for a great amount of time, but Cleo had modified it for her culinary purposes. She knew, of course, that Sonora’s Prairie elves could probably make a cheesecake better than hers, but the Medic had always thought there was something nicer about a homemade gift. And the top of the dessert hadn’t cracked in the oven, which Cleo was proud about.
Cheesecake in hand, Cleo made her way to the Transfiguration classroom. The woman rarely visited the classrooms, since teachers (for the most part) were more than capable of coping with any injuries that may occur in their classes. It wasn’t too difficult for Cleo to navigate her way to her destination—she had never been this way before, but it certainly wasn’t the Labyrinth Gardens. The Medic had admittedly gotten lost in there a few times.
When she could tell she was nearly there, the Medic stopped to make herself a little more presentable. She smoothed down her rust-colored hair (no effect) and adjusted her robes (marginally effective). Instead of the ordinary white Healer’s robes, today Cleo had on sky-blue robes with little yellow duckies on them. She knew some Muggle pediatricians who had fun patterns on their scrub caps, and the thirty-nine-year-old thought this sounded like a great idea. Her patients may not be young enough to appreciate it, but Cleo thought it made the Hospital Wing a little brighter.
Apparently the new teacher had heard her coming, for the young woman was waiting for her in the doorway. She seemed very reserved at first, but broke into a smile after a moment. “Hello there. I’m Lilac Crosby. Professor Lilac Crosby.”
Cleo smiled. She remembered what it was like to be proud of a new title. “Good morning, Professor Crosby,” said the russet-haired woman, smiling. “I’m Cleo Rocamboli, the Medic… I just wanted to unofficially welcome you to Sonora.” She offered the dessert to her new colleague. “I thought you might like this as sort of a housewarming gift—it’s a cheesecake with raspberry and chocolate swirls. Ought to stay good for three or four weeks, so don’t worry about having to eat it too fast.” Cleo had made it small intentionally, since it was only for one person.
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Medic Cleo Rocamboli
I’ve always thought so
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Medic Cleo Rocamboli
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Lilac
August 22, 2010 9:35 PM
Thinking is very important in education. by Lilac
“Good morning, Professor Crosby.” Lilac squealed internally. She was just so excited about this new experience. Now she was actually talking to another staff member! This was amazing! Externally, of course, Lilac kept that smile firmly on her face, besides that suggesting really nothing more than a general, typical pleasure. She quite often refused to offer anything more than a general smile or perhaps laugh of pleasure, besides that preferring to keep mostly to herself. However, when thoroughly engaged, the brunette could be rather talkative.“I’m Cleo Rocamboli, the Medic… I just wanted to unofficially welcome you to Sonora.” Oh, Lilac wondered, why was she bothering to contain her excitement? It didn’t matter. If anything, it would effect her position positively. She gave into her happiness, letting her plump lips spread wide and show her decently white smile. “Nice to meet you, Medic-… Err, mind if I just call you Cleo? You just calling me Lilac would be fine, as well.” Formalities were such a bother. Plus, Lilac felt that the faculty should be a family. In a family, first names worked.
“I thought you might like this as sort of a housewarming gift—it’s a cheesecake with raspberry and chocolate swirls. Ought to stay good for three or four weeks, so don’t worry about having to eat it too fast.” Again, the twenty-six year old found herself smiling. “That’s very sweet of you!” she replied happily. “I love cheesecake, but then again, who doesn’t?” Swiftly transfiguring a pencil into a fork with a flick of her wand, Lilac took a bite of the small cheesecake. (Being the transfiguration professor already had perks!) “It’s delicious,” she mumbled, her mouth full. Remembering her manners, she chewed quickly and swallowed, a light blush decorating her pale cheeks.
“So,” she went on, sitting the cheesecake and transfigured fork down on her desk, “Any real trouble-makers I should be warned about? I mean, are these kids well-behaved? For kids, of course,” she added quickly. Though Lilac had less than massive amounts of experience with children, she knew they could be unruly and wild at times. Sometimes, however, they were behaved. “Should I be worried?”
Keeping the mood light, Lilac smiled to her newfound companion, “What’s it like here? I mean, I’m sure you’ve been here longer than I have, so what’s it like to live at work? I bet no one’s ever late.” A light-hearted chuckle. “How long have you been Medic, by the way? Sorry if I seem to be prying. I’m just really eager, you know? It’s a whole new thing; this is my first teaching job.” At the same time as saying so, Lilac hoped she didn’t sound to inexperienced or juvenile. Her enthusiasm was just so far getting the best of her.
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Lilac
Thinking is very important in education.
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Lilac
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Cleo
August 27, 2010 6:47 PM
I couldn’t agree more by Cleo
The new professor seemed as warm as any of the other Sonora staff members, and her reception made Cleo smile in turn. Though she of course had interacted with her fellow staff members—Amelia in particular, since Cleo patched up all the victims of Quidditch injuries—the Medic had not really made friends with any of them. She could definitely see herself being friends with Lilac, though.“Nice to meet you, Medic-… Err, mind if I just call you Cleo? You just calling me Lilac would be fine, as well.”
“Of course,” Cleo said, smiling. “‘Cleo’ is just fine. Honestly, I even let some of the students call me Cleo—my last name is just a mouthful.” This would most certainly not have been the case if the thirty-nine-year-old had changed her name when she’d gotten married. ‘Ma’ was a lot simpler than ‘Rocamboli’, but Cleo had been reluctant to part with her long last name when she and Teo had tied the knot. The divorcee was glad she hadn’t—she would’ve just had to change it back, anyway.
Lilac said she loved cheesecake, bringing a smile to Cleo’s face. It had been unlikely, but a small portion of the woman (who was, of course, used to such medical restrictions) had been concerned that her new colleague may have some kind of prohibitive food allergy, such as lactose intolerance or gluten sensitivity. She had worked with patients who followed very specific diets due to allergies, and her older brother had a shellfish allergy. This was a fairly easily-managed allergy, fortunately—shellfish wasn’t usually a big component of one’s diet, so Jarrett just excluded scallops, crabs, shrimp, and other seafood from his bill of fare. This wasn’t too hard to do in non-coastal Cody, Wyoming.
It did surprise Cleo a little when Lilac quickly made herself a fork so she could sample the cheesecake. At least, the response was a little eccentric—though maybe Lilac was just nervous and eager. She did seem enthusiastic and ready to use her skills, which Cleo knew would make her a good teacher. Students better excelled if their professors made them excited about their subjects.
Cleo smiled as she listened to her coworker’s question, waiting until the other woman seemed to have finished speaking before she answered. “No one’s gotten detention as far as I can remember—I never had to patch up any people who’ve been in duels—although I’ve heard the Pecaris are supposed to be trouble.” At least, that was the House where some of the more daring students were, but as far as Cleo could tell Aaron did a good job with them.
“This is my third year at Sonora. I do like living here—it never gets boring, the food is great, almost everyone I’ve met has been easy to get along with, and you’re right, the commute isn’t bad.” She chuckled. “And as for it being your first teaching job… don’t worry about it. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t know what you were doing. All you have to do is show the students what you can do, and how.” Cleo hoped what she’d said would help Lilac—although she’d been doing counseling sessions with Holly Greer, the Medic didn’t really think she was the best person to give non-medical advice.
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Cleo
I couldn’t agree more
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Cleo
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Lilac
August 28, 2010 10:18 PM
Not even if you tried? by Lilac
Lilac had known she would miss home. It had practically been in the job description. Able to leave home, feel tremendously guilty about leaving your mother alone, and not come rushing back? Lilac had theoretically checked yes. Her mother was probably at home, receiving zero owls from that successful daughter of hers, learning nothing of what goes on in her daughter’s life. It was a somewhat random realization that she had been supposed to owl her mother as soon as she arrived at Sonora. A mental notation should be sufficient, she thought.“Of course. ‘Cleo’ is just fine. . . .” Smiling, Lilac replied happily. “Great!” she said. “I extremely despise formalities. I see now point to them among colleges --friends, if you will.” Lilac purposely added the final part about friendship. It was her subtly unsubtle way of requesting a friendship, and here would hopefully come the acceptation or rejection. She was definitely hoping for the first.
It took a great feat of strength to keep Lilac from trembling. Her excitable nature was getting the best of her, and her nervousness wanted to make its full appearance. The twenty-six year old was metaphorically shaking in her boots, and her body was physically trying to complete that task literally. She felt like a child on the first day of kindergarten, new and unknown to everyone, afraid to screw it up and be labeled a failure, but at the same time, eager to throw herself out there and get to know everybody… Okay, maybe a bit more advanced than a kindergartener, but that was basically how she felt. She wanted to come off as experienced and knowledgeable, yet young and relatable. All-in-all, as all humans do at sometime, Lilac just wanted to be liked.
“No one’s gotten detention as far as I can remember—I never had to patch up any people who’ve been in duels . . .” Lilac let out a sigh of relief; that would definitely be a good thing to know! “Great,” she breathed happily. “I’m not sure how I’d be able to handle fighting or misbehavior of any kind… I don’t like disciplining. I’d much rather they just all got along and enjoyed the merriment of my classroom.” She smiled at the thought of the perfect environment she wanted to create, if only for her classroom. Peace, calm, serenity, and education, all wrapped up into one, right? Like that’ll ever happen… she thought, and she thought right; she was way too excitable for any sort of serenity.
“. . . although I’ve heard the Pecaris are supposed to be trouble.” Great news. A house of trouble-makers could not be a good thing. “All of them?” Lilac asked somewhat involuntarily. “They’re all trouble-makers?” She could hardly believe it. Firstly, how could a fourth of the school be trouble-makers, all of them? Secondly, why would they sort all of them together, where they could plot against professors, like, say, the Transfiguration professor?! Calming herself down, she added more to herself than Cleo, “I hope I can handle them…”
“This is my third year at Sonora. I do like living here—it never gets boring, the food is great, almost everyone I’ve met has been easy to get along with, and you’re right, the commute isn’t bad.” That surprised Lilac; only three years and she seemed so knowledgeable? That must have been the sign of someone who was
“And as for it being your first teaching job… don’t worry about it. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t know what you were doing. All you have to do is show the students what you can do, and how.” Cleo definitely had a point there. Feeling much better, Lilac smiled, “That’s a good way to think of it. Thank you so much for that little piece of advice. I feel a lot better now.”
Feeling rude for having not asked before, Lilac added, “So, care to tell me about yourself?” It seemed out of the blue, but she continued shortly. “I mean, have any family? As you can probably tell, I’m a bit nosey. I hope you don’t mind. I’d just like to get to know you better.” With that, she kept smiling, anxiously waiting for a response.
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Lilac
Not even if you tried?
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Lilac
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