Did you see that? on Fast and Furious

Professor Taransay

July 29, 2016 6:00 PM

Fast and Furious (nm) by Professor Taransay

Subthreads:

Hoping to be more social. by Jack Spencer with Jax Donovan

An Angry response (Tag Sammy) by Gia Donovan with Sammy Meeks

Chance encounter in the halls by Ginger with Abigail De La Garza, Abby

Monitoring the Library by Clark Dill with Araceli

Being laughed at by Raine Collindale

Transfiguration by Ben Pierce with Kyte

Did you see that? by Jamie Park with Sammy Meeks, Ben Pierce, Liliana Bannister, Joella Curtis

Attempting to make more friends by Farrah Welsh with Anonymous, Tess

Dinner time! by Gabriel Valenti with Kyte

Bright, sunny day by Arianna Valenti with Lily Spencer, Arianna

It's not flowing today (MARS 5) by Louis Valois with Tasha DuBois, Madeleine Dautin

Library by Kira Spaulding with Alistair Johnson

Prefect duties (tag: Aiden) by Joella Curtis with Aiden O'Neil

Care to join? (tag: Jack Spencer) by Alistair Johnson with Jack Spencer

Sébastien in the library with the rather evil essay by Sébastien Évreux with Arianna Valenti, Arianna

Tear free by Georgia with Tess Whittaker

Bored. Need walkies. by Ingrid Wolsiethcrafte with Joella Curtis

On a bench in the gardens by Nevaeh Reed with Cassius Riker, Cass

Thinking of summer. by Emilia-Louise Scott with Louis Valois

9 Professor Taransay Fast and Furious (nm) 33 Professor Taransay 1 5

Jack Spencer

July 29, 2016 6:17 PM

Hoping to be more social. by Jack Spencer

Jack walked down into the library and saw his classmates. He'd been hoping to create his own group of friends to study with. It would be most helpful during big exams like their CATS next year, and though Jack was quiet when he was introduced to a new environment, he thought of himself as a social person.

"Hi mates," he said as he joined the table. "Have you done the Potions homework yet?"

OOC: Open to anyone willing to do study sessions and/or play Quidditch with Jack.

40 Jack Spencer Hoping to be more social. 299 Jack Spencer 0 5

Jax Donovan

July 29, 2016 8:20 PM

An attempt to be social by Jax Donovan

When not in class, Jax was usually in the MARS Sports Room working out and, if not in there or the hall, then in the Library studying. He was an Aladren after all. Most days, his sister or friends would join them in a mini study session, which was just as well with him, but today there was an extra body that he was surprised to see. His roommate.

"Hey Jack." Jax greeted. "I'm just finishing up the Transfiguration essay now before I move onto the Potions one." Jax advised. "Potions is easier to write about, in my opinion." He added.

6 Jax Donovan An attempt to be social 296 Jax Donovan 0 5

Gia Donovan

July 29, 2016 8:26 PM

An Angry response (Tag Sammy) by Gia Donovan

Gia was so upset about the confrontation that had occurred during the Fashion Club meeting. She had already been so unsure of herself when going to the club because she hadn't been too sure as to what she could have offered and then Emmy-Lou had to talk to her that way and make her feel even more unwelcome with her fake smile and rude tones. Hot tears of anger fell from her eyes as she stomped down the hall.

"Was I wrong? Did my question seem so out of place?" Gia asked her best friend.

((OOC: This is going off our chatzy talk that Sammy would have left with her__

6 Gia Donovan An Angry response (Tag Sammy) 308 Gia Donovan 0 5

Sammy Meeks

July 29, 2016 8:39 PM

Who ever thought I'd be the one pacifying? by Sammy Meeks

"Nah," came Sammy's casual answer. She shoved her hands in her pockets as she strolled along at her friend's side. Admittedly, she wasn't altogether sure what had even happened; it kinda seemed like Emmy and Gia had been fighting over nothing. In fact, they had seemed to agree, really. It was just tone.

Girls were weird.

She noticed Gia tearing up, so she grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze of solidarity. "Hey," she smiled. "Screw her. We'll just make our own club or something. No worries. Okay?"

12 Sammy Meeks Who ever thought I'd be the one pacifying? 310 Sammy Meeks 0 5

Ginger

July 29, 2016 8:41 PM

Chance encounter in the halls by Ginger

Ginger meandered down the school corridors on a Sunday. She had nowhere particular to go and no rush to get there. She smiled at the people she passed, but stopped abruptly when she saw the next student to cross her path. "Oh! i love what you did with your hair!"

1 Ginger Chance encounter in the halls 302 Ginger 0 5

Clark Dill

July 29, 2016 9:28 PM

Monitoring the Library by Clark Dill

Clark was better than he'd ever been about not crashing the second the clock struck 9pm (a quirk of his alien biology that puberty seemed to be negating, thankfully) but the last hour of his library shift was always difficult and the one on Saturday night seemed worse than all of the others. The last five minutes before the library closed just before curfew took effect were the longest of each week and all he wanted to do was go up to his room, close the drapes around his bed, ward out Oliver, and drift into blissful unconsciousness.

Instead, he was checking out a last minute student with a stack of what he assumed was research material. He stamped out the due date (wizarding libraries had sadly not upgraded to computer tracking systems), and said, his brain and tongue having their own network outtage, "Weeks two due from today. Night have good." His ears told him there had been something very wrong with his statements and he shook his head trying to clear out the cobwebs. "Merlin, I need sleep. Due in two weeks. Good night."

1 Clark Dill Monitoring the Library 277 Clark Dill 0 5

Raine Collindale

July 29, 2016 11:35 PM

Being laughed at by Raine Collindale

A lot of Raine's favourite clothes were home-made, and the dress she had on today was made of long strips of mismatched fabrics. Like patchwork, only... taller. She knew it wasn't exactly fashionable but she liked looking at all the different patterns.

As she'd walked along the paths, she was sure she'd heard a giggle from one of the benches she'd passed. She hadn't confronted the person but had looked round to see who it was, and was fairly sure they'd been looking and seen her seeing them... Now, as she walked back up the path to go in for dinner, she rounded a corner and found herself face to face with that same person.

13 Raine Collindale Being laughed at 327 Raine Collindale 0 5

Ben Pierce

July 30, 2016 2:17 AM

Transfiguration by Ben Pierce

THUNK. Ben grimaced. That was not the sound of a wooden spoon tapping lightly against his desk. That was the the sound of a stone spoon clunking loudly against his desk. Rock to spoon hadn't sounded like a terribly difficult assignment at the beginning of the class, but as a second year with only a couple months left before he became an intermediate, his was supposed to be made of wood. Now with only ten minutes left of the class period, Ben's rock looked the part but it was only surface deep. It clunked like stone, it felt like stone, and it was far too heavy to be anything but stone on the inside.

He had been trying all period to make it wood and he didn't know what else to do.

Dropping his forehead to his desk's surface and clunking his skull against it a few times wasn't helping progress his assignment any but it was kind of helping to release a little frustration so he did it anyway.

1 Ben Pierce Transfiguration 339 Ben Pierce 0 5

Kyte

July 30, 2016 3:54 AM

Sucks to be us by Kyte

"That's how I feel about pretty much every piece of homework," Kyte observed, as Ben smacked his head against the table.

13 Kyte Sucks to be us 335 Kyte 0 5

Jamie Park

July 30, 2016 6:03 AM

Did you see that? by Jamie Park

In the time it had taken them all to have a quick post-match shower and any essential debrief, the common room had been strewn with streamers, and plates of snacks had appeared. Pecari sure knew how to throw a party, and didn't waste time in getting one started. Post match was Jamie's favourite time, where he got to be hero of the hour, someone everyone liked.

He grabbed a muffin from the table, grinning from ear to ear.

"Nice catch, right?" he grinned at the nearest person. "Didn't want Manger on my tail, so I went well left but kept my eye on the ball the whole time, which is pretty tricky," he added, keen to relive the best moment of the match.

13 Jamie Park Did you see that? 284 Jamie Park 0 5

Sammy Meeks

July 30, 2016 6:16 AM

Duh by Sammy Meeks

“Suuuure was,” Sammy replied unenthusiastically, clearly just humoring him. “I mean, yeah. I know. I saw. I was like fifty feet away from you.” She didn’t look at him while addressing him, brown eyes looking through the Pecari gathering to see if Joella was around. She’d assumed their Assistant Captain would want to attend the victory party, so that was the basic reason she even came along. It would be worth it to listen to Jamie brag if she could at least spend some more time with Joella.

12 Sammy Meeks Duh 310 Sammy Meeks 0 5

Hippo

July 30, 2016 6:21 AM

Just awful by Hippo

Ben stopped banging his head but left it on the table as he turned it just enough to look up at Kyte. "Did it ever help?"

1 Hippo Just awful 339 Hippo 0 5

Jamie Park

July 30, 2016 6:22 AM

You're duh by Jamie Park

Sammy didn't seem super impressed. Jamie frowned. Hello? Had he, or had he not, just won them a place in the finals? The least she could do was be a little grateful, or enthusiastic.

"And now we get to play the finals," he added, cos obviously Sammy had like... taken a Bludger to the head or something, if this was her mood during a victory party. "The least you could do is like... smile or something. Show some house spirit." By which of course, he meant, heap praise on him.

13 Jamie Park You're duh 284 Jamie Park 0 5

Sammy

July 30, 2016 6:25 AM

No, you? by Sammy

“Bro, I have, like, heaps of House spirit!” she fired back immediately, tearing her eyes away from the crowd and settling them incredulously upon him. Sammy sighed, a startling contrast. “Good job,” she conceded. “It’s gonna be awesome in the finals. She clapped a hand on his shoulder and gave him a cautious, friendly smirk. “Just don’t get a big head, okay? It takes a whole team to win a game. I mean, I probably saved your ass like four times this game alone.”

12 Sammy No, you? 310 Sammy 0 5

Ben Pierce

July 30, 2016 6:31 AM

Good job by Ben Pierce

Ben could not keep the grin off his face as he walked around the victory party, carry a plate heaped high with delicious food. Spotting the man of the hour, he head over and grinned widely at Jamie and Sammy. "Great job, guys! Good catch!"

1 Ben Pierce Good job 339 Ben Pierce 0 5

Jamie

July 30, 2016 6:33 AM

No, your mum by Jamie

Jamie couldn't help the little grin at Sammy's firey reaction. It was like when Ji-Eun rose to the bait, there was just something satisfying about it. Had a psychologist had a chance to have a crack at him, they might have reasoned that it was because Jamie was so poor at making genuine emotional connections with other people - the same way a crying toddler will escalate when its otherwise unemotional parents shout at it, because bad attention is better than no attention. Jamie, however, remained blissfully unaware of his own emotional short-comings, and just reasoned that it was cos it was kinda fun.

And he got the congratulations that he had wanted and deserved. Even if it came with some whole team blah blah.

"Yeah, sure - except when you were diving off to save Joella. Threw some tricks in there to make sure Tobi couldn't get on my tail while you were away," he explained, although his manner had shifted. Now that Sammy had given him his little pat on the head, he said in a much more matey way, a grin on his face. It was just banter, rather than point scoring.

"You're not a bad beater for such a pipsqueak," he acknowledged with a wink.

13 Jamie No, your mum 284 Jamie 0 5

Sammy

July 30, 2016 6:37 AM

THANKS I'M OUT by Sammy

A semi-indignant but mostly playful gasp formed on Sammy’s mouth, but before she could respond to the pipsqueak comment, her little buddy Ben Pierce popped over and said hello. And he congratulated Jamie. That was good. As much as she was actually--surprisingly--kinda having a fun time talking to the Seeker, she decided it was Ben’s turn to stroke Jamie’s ego now.

“Ben! Nice to see you! Here, how about you keep Jamie company? I was just heading off to get a drink.” She stood up, gave Ben a quick hug, waved goodbye to Jamie, and disappeared through the Pecaris strewn between their position and the concessions.

12 Sammy THANKS I'M OUT 310 Sammy 0 5

Kyte

July 30, 2016 6:38 AM

Teachers are sadists by Kyte

Kyte pondered the question for half a beat. He was actually pretty sure he'd been talking metaphorically. He couldn't remember a time where he'd actually tried hitting his head.

"Dunno... Guess I did it so hard I don't remember. So, at least that's a painful memory I don't have to live with," he ad-libbed, following his train of thought down the funniest track he could think of. If he couldn't help Ben, perhaps he could at least make him laugh. Though that said, his own spoon wasn't looking in bad shape. Unfortunately, he had no idea how he'd really done that. Sometimes he just could.

13 Kyte Teachers are sadists 335 Kyte 0 5

Jamie

July 30, 2016 6:44 AM

Congratulations all round by Jamie

"Thanks, good job too," Jamie grinned at Ben. He wasn't sure he could name a single thing he'd actually noticed Ben do during the match but even Jamie's thick skull had had enough manners drilled into it to say 'well done,' back to one of his team-mates.

13 Jamie Congratulations all round 284 Jamie 0 5

Ben

July 30, 2016 6:49 AM

Whoa by Ben

A girl just hugged him! Ben stared after her for a moment before Jamie returned the congratulations and he shook himself back into the moment. "Thanks! I was busy watching the Quaffle when you did your thing, so I missed it," he sounded very disappointed and glum about this. "How did it go down?"

1 Ben Whoa 339 Ben 0 5

Araceli

July 30, 2016 6:53 AM

Studying hard by Araceli

Araceli gave Clark a vague smile and a mumbled 'Hello' as she deposited her large stack of books on the counter. She had made unsatisfactory progress on her essay and wasn't sure which of the volumes she'd need to finish.

Weeks two due from today.

She blinked slightly at Clark's muddled words but the meaning was clear enough. One thing, one thing which had gone very contrary to her etiquette tutors' teaching, that had been drilled into her at CASSMA was that it was the message that really mattered, not the neatness and tidiness of the delivery. It didn't matter if someone stammered. It didn't matter if you had to write it down because the words wouldn't come out. It didn't even matter if you missed your pleases and thank yous. So long as you got your message across. Clark though, hadn't been exposed to such schools of thought, and felt the need to correct himself.

"Words can be tricky sometimes," she whispered - partly because they were in the library and partly because it was hard to use her full voice for such a... controversial statement, one which came so close to admitting she had ever been anything but the perfectly eloquent human everyone had seen for the last few years - giving him a sympathetic smile. "Sleep well... Clark." Having been denied her own name for so long, she had come to realise that names could be powerful, even if they weren't powerful names in the sense she'd been taught, like Brockert, or Carey. It could be comforting to hear your own name. To know you were known by those around you.

13 Araceli Studying hard 290 Araceli 0 5

Ben

July 30, 2016 6:55 AM

Parents who think you should get all Es are just as bad by Ben

Ben smiled, not quite reaching a laugh, but bouyed enough to sit up properly again. "I hope you got that concussion treated, man."

1 Ben Parents who think you should get all Es are just as bad 339 Ben 0 5

Jamie

July 30, 2016 7:03 AM

Whoa indeed by Jamie

"You missed it?" Jamie asked, with open mouthed incredulity. Although he quickly got over it, as Ben's next question was just the opportunity he'd been waiting for...

"So, I was marking Jake pretty closely - it doesn't matter how good you are if you're at one end of the pitch and the Snitch shows up by your rival's head, your done" he explained, lest Ben should think he'd been sticking by Teppenpaw's Seeker through lack of confidence. "But then I saw it. Glinting down about midway between us and the Chasers. But I couldn't look directly at it - gives the game away if you snap your head round suddenly. It's pretty tough to learn that kind of control because that's such a natural instinct. But I moved round, like I was stretching out a crick in my neck, just having a little, casual look around to get my eyes on it properly, make sure I was right. I was. But I still didn't want to give the game away to Jake, so I kept left, diving well at angle but watching it all the time out of the corner of my eye. I've worked a lot on my timing over the years," Jamie added, enjoying the rapt attention he imagined he had from someone as young and impressionable as Ben, "So I knew just the right second to turn, so sharply I nearly got whiplash, and snatch it right out of the air," he grinned.

"And now we get to play the final. Excitied?"

13 Jamie Whoa indeed 284 Jamie 0 5

Clark

July 30, 2016 7:04 AM

Good night by Clark

"Yeah," he agreed when she whispered her reassurance, partly because words could get tricky sometimes and partly because he couldn't remember Araceli talking to him much before, and it was surprising and pleasing that she was going above the standard pleasantries now. "Thanks, good night, Araceli," he returned her name for his, feeling like maybe they were half friends now, since she'd used his.

1 Clark Good night 277 Clark 0 5

Kyte

July 30, 2016 7:06 AM

I don't thin I have those by Kyte

Ben was vertical again. Kyte considered his job well done. Clowning had always been his back-up profession, for when he got too old to be a stunt-rider, but being funny out loud was different. He was glad to find he might have potential in that skill too. It wasn't a circus art but it was always useful.

"I fall off stuff a lot," he shrugged, "I'm used to it. Is your head ok?" he checked. He was pretty sure someone wouldn't really whack their head hard enough to hurt, but it had sounded pretty loud and it was sometimes hard to judge that kind of thing.

13 Kyte I don't thin I have those 335 Kyte 0 5

Ben

July 30, 2016 7:11 AM

Triple whoa by Ben

Ben listened in rapt attention, trying to imagine the play as it was described. "Sweet." He shifted his plate to his left hand and held up his right for a high five. "Yes! We are finally going to put Aladren down!"

1 Ben Triple whoa 339 Ben 0 5

Jamie and Ingrid

July 30, 2016 7:17 AM

Everything is awesome by Jamie and Ingrid

Ben was the perfect audience, giving Jamie the attention he needed for the sweet moment of victory to feel truly complete. Not only had he won but he was popular for doing so. He high-fived Ben enthusiastically.

"Yeah. Dill's got it coming."

Ingrid hadn't really intended to enter the zone of Jamie's ego, but she'd wanted a drink. She had just finished pouring it when she heard him and Ben talking about Aladren.

"Theodore too!" she added, when Jamie said Dill had it coming. "Good game, guys," she added, with a grin to both of them. By the looks of it, Jamie's head didn't need swelling any more, but she wanted to say it to Ben, and she couldn't well leave the Seeker out. He had just handed her a chance to kick her brother's ass after all.

13 Jamie and Ingrid Everything is awesome 284 Jamie and Ingrid 0 5

Ben

July 30, 2016 7:19 AM

My mom's a doctor by Ben

Ben chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. The desk top is a little loose so it sounded way harder than I was actually hitting it." He thunked his spoon against it again in demonstration. "See? Barely tapped the thing." He rolled his eyes a little and shrugged, as he admitted, "Granted, it's still rock, but even so."

1 Ben My mom's a doctor 339 Ben 0 5

Kyte

July 30, 2016 7:24 AM

So, surely she's too busy to notice your grades? by Kyte

There was the potential for a caveman skit. Or for some kind of 'your spoon rocks,' pun (amusing and affirming at the same time) but Kyte couldn't work out how to angle the conversation towards those, and timing was crucial to make anything funny.

"Yeah..." he nodded, as Ben pointed out that his spoon was still a long way from ready. "I mean... it looks great. If we can just somehow convince Professor Skies to just look at it, you'll probably pass.... Could you maybe tell her you accidentally made it red hot somehow in the process?"

13 Kyte So, surely she's too busy to notice your grades? 335 Kyte 0 5

Gia

July 30, 2016 7:53 AM

Yeah, buy it was bound to happen by Gia

Gia smiled when she felt Sammy's hand take her own and squeeze it. It was comforting to know that she had someone here who had her back. Gia rarely ever spoke out against someone and when she did, Gia second guessed her actions afterwards. She was thankful to have Sammy at her side.

Her eyes widened in surprise at Sammy's suggestion. Gia stopped suddenly and turned to face her friend, taking her other hand too. "Do you mean that?" Gia asked, her teary eyes wide in excitement. "You'd start a club with me?"

6 Gia Yeah, buy it was bound to happen 308 Gia 0 5

Farrah Welsh

July 30, 2016 10:27 AM

Attempting to make more friends by Farrah Welsh

Farrah hesitated at the door to the hall, looking around to see if she spotted anyone she was friendly with who might allow her to share a meal time with them. It had not been easy making friends here since Farrah felt like an oddball, but she did have Georgia and she liked Killian. But she wanted to make even more friends.

Spotting someone whom she knew to be nice and hoping her sudden appearance didn't bother the other student, the brunette wandered over to the table with a bright smile on her face, "Hi, do you mind if I join you?"

6 Farrah Welsh Attempting to make more friends 344 Farrah Welsh 0 5

Gabriel Valenti

July 30, 2016 12:28 PM

Dinner time! by Gabriel Valenti

Gabe practically ran into Cascade Hall. He had just finished flying practice with his younger cousin, and he was starving. Getting her ready for the big Quidditch game was proving to be a lot of hard work. Time for a late dinner!

Dark eyes locked in on a big bowl of maceroni and cheese, and he made a beeline towards the table. Luckily, there was an open seat.

"Hey there," he said to the kid sitting closest to the bowl, "Mind passing over the mac n' cheese?"

0 Gabriel Valenti Dinner time! 330 Gabriel Valenti 0 5

Anonymous

July 30, 2016 1:12 PM

Re: Attempting to make more friends by Anonymous

Tucking into a nice spot of lunch, Tess felt happy. She'd had a great time at the girls' day with Nevaeh, Raine and Nat the other day, and felt like she was starting to finally make some close friends. Farrah choosing to sit next to her made her day even better. She knew the other girl from class, but unfortunately they'd never got to have a good conversation. However, that seemed to be about to change. "Hey Farrah," she greeted the other girl with a friendly smile. "How's it going?"

0 Anonymous Re: Attempting to make more friends 0 Anonymous 0 5

Arianna Valenti

July 30, 2016 1:23 PM

Bright, sunny day by Arianna Valenti

It was an especially warm and sunny weekend afternoon, so Arianna put on shorts and a tank top and headed out to the Gardens. She needed a break from the classes and clubs and purebloods of Sonora for a while. After walking around for some time, she found a fountain with a nearby bench.

She decided to lay down on the bench and get some sun. One of the perks of going to school in Arizona had to be having an awesome tan by spring.

Arianna had been laying on the bench for just a few minutes, when she noticed someone blocking her sun. She lifted her sunglasses and sat up.

"Hey," she said in a neutral tone.

0 Arianna Valenti Bright, sunny day 343 Arianna Valenti 0 5

Louis Valois

July 30, 2016 1:39 PM

It's not flowing today (MARS 5) by Louis Valois

Louis huffed in frustration as, for what seemed like the millionth time, he made a mistake. He crashed his hands down on the piano in frustration, creating a somewhat hideous sound. He'd picked up a book of modern piano pieces in a muggle music shop over the holidays, as ever eager to find new pieces to add to his repertoire, and was today attempting Yiruma's The River Flows In You. It wasn't the hardest piece Louis had ever played, and he normally loved playing the piano, but for some reason he was struggling a little. Still, deciding he should have piano lessons had been, according to Louis, the one thing his parents had done right during his childhood so far.

Taking a deep breath, Louis tried again. And promptly made the same mistake on the second page. He was just about to howl out his frustration when he heard a noise behind him, and turned to see someone there. "Oh, um, did you want the room?" he asked, a little flustered by having been discovered, especially on what was not one of his best days.

9 Louis Valois It's not flowing today (MARS 5) 314 Louis Valois 0 5

Jack Spencer

July 30, 2016 3:34 PM

Let's see if we can do this. by Jack Spencer

Jack joined his room-mate and brought out his books. Though he hadn't spoken much to Jax, sharing a room with him gave Jack some level of comfort. "I agree," said Jack. "Transfiguration essays are always asking why whilst Potions essays are more concrete. I've always preferred Potions class more anyhow." After a moment, Jack turned to Jax again. "Are you taking anyone to the ball?" he asked. Now that Jack had a date secured, he was much less afraid of that question.

40 Jack Spencer Let's see if we can do this. 299 Jack Spencer 0 5

Liliana Bannister

July 30, 2016 3:39 PM

Let's kick some hawk butt! by Liliana Bannister

Liliana was so, so proud of her team! She had even grabbed Jamie Park in a bone crushing hug after the game, kissing his cheek in a moment of elation she now regretted since she was certain it only stroked his already very large ego. At least she hadn't gone and planted on right on his mouth! She would have never lived that down, she was certain of it.

She poured herself a cup of punch and made her way over to the little gaggle of Pecari Quidditch players. She slung and arm around Ingrid Wolseithcrafte in a rather friendly manner and smiled widely. "Talking about Aladren's downfall?" Liliana asked, giving Ingrid a friendly side-hug. If only Theodore was as pleasant as his little sister, she thought to herself.

10 Liliana Bannister Let's kick some hawk butt! 274 Liliana Bannister 0 5

Tasha DuBois

July 30, 2016 3:48 PM

That's kind of the point, it doesn't have to. by Tasha DuBois

Tasha carried her trumpet along with her, as she was going to the music room to practice. Along with trying different foods, it was her passion.

However, once she arrived she noticed Louis Valois already sitting there. "Well, yeah, but I don't want to throw you out."

11 Tasha DuBois That's kind of the point, it doesn't have to. 323 Tasha DuBois 0 5

Madeleine Dautin

July 30, 2016 3:52 PM

Does it flow ever? by Madeleine Dautin

Madeleine had big plans for the day. She was behind in her language and music studies since Sonora was such a good place for exploring and because she was so tired from speaking English all day that when she did have the time to practise or study she was just too exhausted. But that day she was feeling rested enough that perhaps she could attempt a bit of playing.

So she gathered her music sheets together and grabbed a sweater to through over her thin blouse in case she got cold and set off to MARS, room 5. A cacophony of notes assaulted her ears as she went to open the door and she grimaced, wondering who it could possibly be that had made such a terrible racket. When she saw the bent over head she had to refrain from sighing. Of course it was Louis.

"No, it's quite alright," she said. Bastien may not have liked Louis for a variety of reasons and because of their alliance she also was not supposed to like him. But he was still a Valois and he was still her senior and so she still had to keep up appearances because she was a Dautin, after all. And Dautins had, if anything, perfect society manners. "You can continue with that...song?"

10 Madeleine Dautin Does it flow ever? 340 Madeleine Dautin 0 5

Kira Spaulding

July 30, 2016 3:54 PM

Library by Kira Spaulding

She sat alone in the corner of the library, trying to read the book she'd found but more unable to concentrate. Kira wished the whole year would just be over already. Stupid ball. All it was doing was making her feel worse about herself than it already did.

And she'd have to go through this all over again in four years! Great! Except then Kira would be a seventh year so anyone she was friends with at all would have graduated.

A loud crack sounded nearby and she nearly jumped.

11 Kira Spaulding Library 320 Kira Spaulding 0 5

Louis

July 30, 2016 3:55 PM

It's reassuring you think so! by Louis

Louis sighed, perhaps a little dramatically, which was hardly unusual for him. "You'd probably be doing anyone within earshot a favour, I'm playing awfully today." He made a face. "You know those days where you just can't seem to get something? I seem to be having one of those days."

"You're Natasha, yes?" he asked, sort of remembering her from classes last year. "Is that a trumpet, or cornet, or something similar?" he asked, nodding at her case. Louis was always interested in music, and wished he could play more instruments.

9 Louis It's reassuring you think so! 314 Louis 0 5

Farrah

July 30, 2016 4:05 PM

So far, so good by Farrah

Theresa Whittaker or Tess, as Farrah was certain she liked to be called, greeting her in a friendly manner, which she took to assume that it was ok to sit and eat with her. Tess was one of the older girls who Farrah thought everyone liked because she was so friendly and she was older, which might mean that if Farrah gets to be better friends with her, she might be invited into the older year's events. "Hi Tess." She returned, "everything is going okay with me. How are you doing today?"

6 Farrah So far, so good 344 Farrah 0 5

Tasha

July 30, 2016 4:07 PM

Glad I could help in some way by Tasha

Tasha nodded. As a fellow musician, she understood having an off day. "Correct, but you can call me Tasha. Oh and it's a trumpet."

11 Tasha Glad I could help in some way 323 Tasha 0 5

Jax

July 30, 2016 4:11 PM

I'm not the best at this by Jax

Jax nodded along to what Jack was saying. Transfiguration was always trying to have them explain the why and how, but Potions typically just asked them to explain the effects of a potion or what would happen if someone stirred it the wrong way. It was definitely a lot less thought process for essay writing. The practical work could be considered equal though.

The sudden change in topic surprised Jax a little bit, but he answered without any hesitation, "Laila Kennedy." Most people knew they were friends, so it might not be a stretch to see then going together. "How about you?"

6 Jax I'm not the best at this 296 Jax 0 5

Alistair Johnson

July 30, 2016 5:06 PM

Oh hello. by Alistair Johnson

Alistair had headed to the library at the end of the day to select himself a stack of books that he might find useful for writing the latest essay that Professor Perrault had rather typically set for homework.

He often preferred to do his actual essay writing in his dormitory where he knew he would not be disturbed but other elements of studying could be enjoyable in the company of others in the library or the Crotalus common room, provided they did not require a great amount of focus.

Having set a stack of books gently down on one table, he noticed a cold breeze and went to close the window. It shut with a loud noise and as he turned away he spotted Kira Spaulding sitting in the corner reading alone.

"Good evening," he smiled courteously. "Sorry, I didn't see you there. Did you want this window open?"

8 Alistair Johnson Oh hello. 306 Alistair Johnson 0 5

Sammy

July 30, 2016 5:07 PM

I suppose by Sammy

"Yeah, of course," Sammy chuckled. "And we can make the others join it, so that's already enough for, like, half a club." Laila, Joella, and Chuck seemed to be the kind of people who were always up for anything, and Jax, although begrudgingly, basically did whatever Gia and Sammy wanted.

"It'll be fun!" she said with a grin, swinging Gia's hands back and forth merrily.

12 Sammy I suppose 310 Sammy 0 5

Louis

July 30, 2016 5:07 PM

It flows sometimes, honest! by Louis

Louis nodded, noting Tasha's name correction for future use. "That's cool," he replied, standing up from the piano stool and starting to gather his music together, several books and loose sheets being scattered around. "Have you been playing it long?"

He turned to Madeleine, who had also appeared. The music room seemed popular tonight. Louis hadn't really seen much of Madeleine recently, despite being in the same house. The only time he really spent any time with her was the wagon ride to Sonora, and neither she nor Sébastien had seemed particularly keen on conversing. He'd come to the conclusion that Sébastien wasn't particularly fond of him, but was hoping that Madeleine didn't see him in the same way. "In theory it was a song," he said. "Although it wasn't going quite as planned. In my defence I've only just started playing it, though!"

9 Louis It flows sometimes, honest! 314 Louis 0 5

Jack

July 30, 2016 5:19 PM

Neither am I. by Jack

Jack was surprised to hear that his room-mate was attending with Laila. Jax seemed like the quiet sort, and he wondered how Jax had gone about asking her. "She was in my group last year during the challenges. I was so glad when those challenges were over." He only had terrible memories of his cousin and condescending 'leaders.'

"I'm going with Caelia Lucan. Her brother's dating my sister, but she and I have never spoken much. It'll be fun, I think. I've never attended a ball with my own date before."

There wasn't much else Jack could say on the topic, but he turned to the chapter in Potions they were supposed to be writing on. "How did you do brewing the Calming Draught last week?" he asked. "I got a couple points off because I don't think I put in enough moonstone." Chatting about studies or sports with his Aladren house-mates was one of Jack's favourite things to do these days.

40 Jack Neither am I. 299 Jack 0 5

Joella Curtis

July 30, 2016 5:21 PM

Prefect duties (tag: Aiden) by Joella Curtis

Joella was back at school and had chosen to keep herself even busier than ever to keep her mind off things so she could stay focused on preparing for her CATS (which she wasn't really doing despite knowing she should be).

The fifth year jogged down the empty corridors, slowing to a walk again as she rounded the corner to where Aiden O'Neil would be waiting. She'd accidentally lost track of time in the MARS sports room and was late to her prefect duties that evening, scheduled as joint patrol with Aiden (who she was very glad was a Teppenpaw and therefore the chances of him showing any annoyance at her tardiness were hopefully minimal).

"Hi," she said when she reached him, pausing to catch her breath (running about was not something one needed after a good workout). "Sorry I'm late - how are things going? I haven't missed the only exciting episode of the entire year of prefect duties, have I?" She grinned at the last part, evidently joking. Being a prefect could get very boring and she kind of wished there were more disobedient students to add some fun to her job but at least it gave her the opportunity to get to know nice people like Aiden better.

8 Joella Curtis Prefect duties (tag: Aiden) 295 Joella Curtis 0 5

Tess

July 30, 2016 5:22 PM

And getting better (I've remembered the name and subject!) by Tess

"It's going pretty well," replied Tess cheerfully. "Although I have got a little more homework to do this evening than I'd like." She frowned at the thought. Whilst she was quite bright, Tess preferred spending time with people rather than writing long essays. "I made the mistake of thinking it would be easier to work alone on that potions essay," she added, sure that Farrah would understand she meant the one on the origins of a chosen potion as they were in the same class. "Which probably made it harder for me, but I've got most of the research done now at least."

9 Tess And getting better (I've remembered the name and subject!) 338 Tess 0 5

Lily Spencer

July 30, 2016 5:35 PM

Those are my favourite! by Lily Spencer

Lily loved bright sunny days. They were perfect for climbing trees and romping around the gardens doing make-believe. Ever since the weather had turned nice, she'd spent every moment possible outside. Lily thought she'd like to live permanently in a tree house one day, but only in the summers and autumn.

Lily was skipping outside from the school when she saw one of her classmates lying on the bench. Feeling silly, she went and leant over her, pretending to be looking at an insect. "Hi," she said when Arianna finally acknowledged her. "There was an ant in your hair, but it leapt off," she said. She stood back and raised her arms, soaking in as much warmth as possible. "Are you tanning?"

40 Lily Spencer Those are my favourite! 357 Lily Spencer 0 5

Alistair Johnson

July 30, 2016 5:41 PM

Care to join? (tag: Jack Spencer) by Alistair Johnson

Alistair could not make his team train as often as he did himself or whenever he did. Irrelevant of whether or not they would be willing to, it was unlikely that their schedules could allow for such frequent team practices.

Therefore he had to make do with practising by himself very often but he was fine with that. Alistair was used to it and he rather liked being able to focus on himself instead of having a whole group to coach, not that he was complaining about his responsibilities.

Alistair headed out to the Quidditch Pitch with his broom in hand and a quaffle tucked under his arm. He spotted Jack Spencer along the way and paused, knowing that the two of them were on opposing teams but then thinking what did it matter. Crotalus were not in the finals so wouldn't be playing Aladren again at least until next year.

"Hey, fancy joining me?" he asked his yearmate. "I was going to do some shooting practise on the pitch since it's free. It would be handy to have a Keeper to practise against, so we could take it turns." They were both Chasers so he knew he should make sure Jack benefitted too.

8 Alistair Johnson Care to join? (tag: Jack Spencer) 306 Alistair Johnson 0 5

Aiden O'Neil

July 30, 2016 5:43 PM

Something that is surprisingly dull by Aiden O'Neil

Aiden stood waiting at the meet point for Joella Curtis to join him. Aiden knew her from classes and such but had never really spoken to her until they became Prefects and had to monitor the corridors together. As the year went on, he found himself enjoying her company and he could understand why Joella was so popular amongst the student body.

She was late today though, so he was waiting a little longer than usual for her to arrive. This meant that he had more time to sit there and fret about his feeling regarding a certain someone and that was time he wasn't ready to commit to.

Joella finally did appear and Aiden gave her a big grin, "Oh, you missed the usual. I stopped a duel, broken up an illegal potions exchange, and saved the school of a hostile take over." Aiden replied easily. He pushed himself off the wall and began his duties with her. "I take it you were wrestling a dragon?"

6 Aiden O'Neil Something that is surprisingly dull 287 Aiden O'Neil 0 5

Sébastien Évreux

July 30, 2016 6:03 PM

Sébastien in the library with the rather evil essay by Sébastien Évreux

Sébastien was torn between the desire to hit something, break something or eat something as he struggled with the transfiguration essay the beginners class had been set. His work had to be perfect, or at least almost so - his father expected the best from him, and to be honest so did Bastien too. He wasn't stupid (although he was, in all probability, less academically gifted than he'd like to consider himself).

Sébastien was so focussed on writing the essay that he didn't notice somebody sitting down opposite at the library table he'd chosen, only becoming aware of their presence when they made a noise. His head shot up at once, scowling at the interruption before he realised what he was doing and smoothed his face into something altogether more pleasant. There was no point in scowling at people without good reason. What if you needed something from them in the future?

"I'm sorry, am I taking up too much space?" he asked, aware that his books were more than a little spread out, and looking for any excuse to pause on essay-writing for a few minutes.

9 Sébastien Évreux Sébastien in the library with the rather evil essay 350 Sébastien Évreux 0 5

Gia

July 30, 2016 6:04 PM

Have some faith! by Gia

Gia had never thought she could run a club by herself and not one that people would necessarily join, but with Sammy being involved, it was bound to be successful. She didn't want to step on Emmy's toes because the girl had definitely put the time and effort into her design club, do they would have to figure out a way to differentiate their club from her's.

She wasn't sure if Chuck would join because she wasn't sure of what his limits were, but the rest she was sure of. "It would be so fun doing something with you!" Gia exclaimed, jumping up and down before throwing her arms around Sammy for an excited hug.

6 Gia Have some faith! 308 Gia 0 5

Farrah

July 30, 2016 6:10 PM

Yes you did! by Farrah

Farrah gave an over exasperated sigh when Tess brought up homework as she was in full agreement with the other girl's assessment. Farrah was an Aladren, so studying was ingrained into her very genetics, but that didn't mean that she had to enjoy doing it.

"Tell me about it." Farrah replied. "I wasn't sure what to do at first because all these potions seem to be really weird concoctions that I don't understand the need for them." Farrah explained. "Georgia was doing one that says it's a love potion but then it says it doesn't actually cause love, but obsession. Like, what? Why is this a thing? You know?"

6 Farrah Yes you did! 344 Farrah 0 5

Joella

July 30, 2016 6:13 PM

We can get through this together. by Joella

Aiden was great! He had a sense of humour and that was the most important quality a person could have, in Joella's perfectly valid opinion. Although that didn't mean she failed to appreciate his good looks either, of course (something she still found surprising because a few years ago she would never have believed she'd consider Aiden O'Neil as hot, as unkind as that might sound).

She laughed in response to his joking. "Oh yeah, something like that," she said with intentional nonchalance to go along with the joke, still grinning.

"So, besides all your exciting prefect adventures that I've unfortunately missed out on, what's new in the life of Aiden O'Neil?" Joella wasn't particularly close with Aiden but that didn't stop her from digging for gossip, and neither did the fact that she had generally found her female friends much more interested in this particular kind of chatter. She'd been away for a few days and felt she needed to catch up. "Or anyone for that matter. I'm not going to lie, I'm craving gossip right now."

8 Joella We can get through this together. 295 Joella 0 5

Jack Spencer

July 30, 2016 6:30 PM

Always. by Jack Spencer

Jack was walking towards the MARS water room with a book under his arm when he passed Alistair. He acknowledged him with a nod and was about to pass on. However, Alistair's invitation intrigued him. He paused. Johnson was playing for Crotalus, and it almost seemed traitorous to practise with him. However, it wasn't as though they were going to play against each other again this year.

Jack could never say no to Quidditch anyhow.

"Sure. Let me go grab my things and I'll meet you there." Jack waved and rushed off to the Aladren dorms. He grabbed his broom and changed into more comfortable exercise clothing before meeting Johnson again on the pitch.

When he got there, he rose up on his broom, and waved at Johnson. "Whenever you're ready," he said, suddenly excited to practise with someone other than his team-mates or family members.

40 Jack Spencer Always. 299 Jack Spencer 0 5

Jax

July 30, 2016 6:35 PM

Glad we have that in common by Jax

Jax nodded. "I think everyone was grate ful when those things were over." Jax stated, giving Jack one of his usual smirks. His own team hadn't been bad and he usually found himself keeping watch on Raine because she had only been a first year and quite shy. His team had done fairly well too, but he hadn't been concerned about any of that.

Jax raised his eyebrow at the name that Jack dropped. He always thought of Caelia as one of those girls you could look at but never talk to. Her friend Kelseyville too. "Did you ask her or was it sort of mutually decided since your siblings are dating?" Jax asked, uncharacteristically for him. "I've never been to a ball, but I'm sure I'll hate it."

Jax finished up the last of his Transfiguration homework and set it aside to dry. "I did alright on it." He answered. Brewing was hard but considering how important one certain potion was to him and the difficulty it was to brew it, Jax brewed all his potions with accuracy. It was a slow process, but the end result was worth it. "How are you liking the new professors?" He asked.

6 Jax Glad we have that in common 296 Jax 0 5

Kira

July 30, 2016 6:36 PM

Hi by Kira

Kira suppressed a sigh of disappointment. First because it was Alistair Johnson whom she was not nearly as impressed with as Caelia or Kelsey was or as impressed with as Alistair seemed to be with himself. Secondly, because the person who'd come over was not over here because they were interested in talking to her.

Still, Kira would never be rude to someone-partially because she knew it was unladylike and Alistair was from a good family and she'd have to endure endless lectures from Kelsey if she was rude to him and partially because she didn't think it was a nice thing to do in general. Besides, he was being perfectly polite right now, it was just that Alistair was usually the sort of person who left Kira on edge.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I don't need it open at all." Actually, she had wondered if she had accidentally closed it without meaning to in the first place.

11 Kira Hi 320 Kira 0 5

Arianna

July 30, 2016 8:00 PM

Agreed by Arianna

"Oh," she said slowly, absent-mindedly checking her thick hair for more, gross bugs, "Well, thanks. Yeah, I definitely didn't want to do homework on a day like this." At least it had only been an ant, she reminded herself. She'd seen cockroaches in the city before, and those were super nasty.

All she knew about Lily was that she was on the Pecari Quidditch team, and that she kind of reminded Arianna of her little sister that one time in Transfiguration, even though they were just about the same age.

"Ready for the big game?" she asked, still a little surprised that she would be playing in the finals of a sport she hadn't even known about a year ago herself.

0 Arianna Agreed 0 Arianna 0 5

Aiden

July 30, 2016 8:17 PM

Will we be the new Wonder Twins? by Aiden

The one thing that Aiden could say about Joella was that she wasn't nearly as stuffy as some Pureblood girls that he had met in his. He half wondered if that was a Pecari trait to have for Purebloods since Scarlett was also not stuffy like her twin and he assumed that meant that Diana wasn't either.

"With me?" Aiden's heart jumped a little. He hadn't even talked to Tobi and Liac about his mixed feelings towards Savannah and what implications her comments when he asked her to the ball meant. He didn't know Joella enough to talk to her about it. "Nothing really. Just studying CATS. Prefect duties are the only time I get to live anymore." He said wistfully.

"I don't know if I'm the right person to ask for gossip." Aiden said with a laugh. He really didn't pay all that much attention to other people's social lives unless they were his friends. "I think the only news that I hear these days is about who is going with who to the ball."

6 Aiden Will we be the new Wonder Twins? 287 Aiden 0 5

Arianna Valenti

July 30, 2016 10:51 PM

Arianna in the library, pushing boundaries by Arianna Valenti

Arianna exited the Aladren common room, her tote bag fully supplied to complete her Transfiguration homework. She generally didn't like to study in the library - it was too quiet - and had been planning to work outside in the gardens when she saw Sébastien. She thought they had got on well that one time in potions class. He had been an interesting person, anyway. So she sat down.

The first year accidentally dropped her pen on the table, disrupting her classmate, who didn't look very pleased, at least not at first. He must really be focused on his essay, he needed to chill out.

"You're good," she said, looking around at his books, "Are you working on Transfig?"

Ooc: Assuming books on table are Transfiguration related.

0 Arianna Valenti Arianna in the library, pushing boundaries 343 Arianna Valenti 0 5

Georgia

July 31, 2016 12:19 AM

Tear free by Georgia

Georgia ducked into the bathroom to check her eyes before heading to class. She'd got a letter that morning from her mom. It was the first time she'd seen a letter signed from just her mom instead of both parents and had caused her to have a bit of a cry. Looking in the mirror now though, her eyes weren't puffy enough that she thought anyone else would know, which was good. She was about to head out when the door to the stall behind her opened...

13 Georgia Tear free 346 Georgia 0 5

Ingrid Wolsiethcrafte

July 31, 2016 12:29 AM

Bored. Need walkies. by Ingrid Wolsiethcrafte

Hour after hour of class. Hour after hour of homework... Ingrid hated being cramped up inside for so long. She was an energetic person and, whilst she didn't have any problems focussing for long enough to get her studies done, she was always glad when she got a chance to get away from the books and get outside.

It was mid-morning Saturday, and after a lie in and a late breakfast, she was bounding out the door of the school towards the gardens, ready for a good long walk. As she did so, she saw someone who seemed to be heading the same way.

"Hey, I was just going for a leg-stretch," she grinned at them, "You too?" Unlike some people, who liked to walk in order to be alone with their thoughts, Ingrid was in it for the exercise, and was - by nature - a people person. Thus a walk with company was much better than a walk alone.

13 Ingrid Wolsiethcrafte Bored. Need walkies. 322 Ingrid Wolsiethcrafte 0 5

Kyte

July 31, 2016 12:59 AM

Agreed! by Kyte

Kyte was happily tucking into his dinner when Gabriel plopped down next to him, asking for the mac 'n' cheese.

"Sure," he grinned, passing it over. His own plate was heaped high with it, with some peas on the side, "It's pretty good," he added.

Gabriel was one of those people he knew of, rather than knew. He seemed nice, mostly based off the fact he'd got through a Potions class with Raine and she'd still been smiling at the end of it (Kyte kept an eye on these things). And whilst nice wasn't a bad thing, especially where his sensitive sister was concerned, it was a bit boring. He was pretty sure there had to be more to most people.

"Been up to anything exciting?" he asked.

13 Kyte Agreed! 335 Kyte 0 5

Nevaeh Reed

July 31, 2016 1:53 AM

On a bench in the gardens by Nevaeh Reed

Nevaeh didn’t have much in the way of vision, but she had as much for other senses as everybody else. And currently, she was sensing that somebody was looking at her. “I know what this is,” she announced with a friendly smile in the direction she assumed the person was. “You want to pet my dog.” Scout’s ears sat upright; he knew that dog usually meant him. Nevaeh patted the spot on the Gardens bench next to her. “Come on over.”

12 Nevaeh Reed On a bench in the gardens 325 Nevaeh Reed 0 5

Cassius Riker

July 31, 2016 2:12 AM

I didn't know we could have dogs here! :O by Cassius Riker

Cass had been intently studying a brilliant red flower, one that must have been non-native as he had practically zero idea what species it was, when he heard what was very distinctly dog-noises. He set his bag down in front of his specimen in order to not lose it and turned in the direction of the sound. Dog-noises were more often than not accompanied by a fluffy ball of happiness, which Cass was certainly not about to miss. Happily, his expectations were proven true by the panting german shepard. Cass’s happiness continued when he was invited to actually Pet! The! Dog!

“He’s such a beautiful puppy! What’s his name?” He said, kneeling in front of the dog and rubbing his shoulders gingerly. Cass mentally kicked himself for asking for the dogs’ name before asking for his owner’s. But at this point, oh well. There was a dog!

0 Cassius Riker I didn't know we could have dogs here! :O 326 Cassius Riker 0 5

Alistair

July 31, 2016 2:19 AM

Don't be too enthusiastic. by Alistair

Alistair hadn't expected Kira to disagree with him closing the window and she didn't. From what he had gathered, she wasn't a particularly outgoing girl which surprised him but it was interesting and refreshing to find someone of her type with such a character.

"What are you up to?" he asked casually, leaning against the wall next to her. "Work or play?" he added, nodding at her book to show he wasn't as stupid as to miss the fact that she was reading.

8 Alistair Don't be too enthusiastic. 306 Alistair 0 5

Nevaeh

July 31, 2016 2:21 AM

We can't :P by Nevaeh

“Scout!” she beamed happily. “He’s my service dog.” Nevaeh reached down and scratched his head. “He’s also very fluffy. I love him,” she laughed.

“Yours is Cassius, right?” They were in the same year and House, but she didn’t think they’d ever really had a conversation before.

12 Nevaeh We can't :P 325 Nevaeh 0 5

Gabe

July 31, 2016 2:27 AM

Oh good by Gabe

"Thanks!" he exclaimed. He didn't know Kyte very well, but he was twins with Raine, who was cool, and roommates with Ben, who was cool, and so must also be cool by association. It was pretty much scientific fact.

"Oh you know - turned the MARS sports room into a batting cage for a bit, went flying, luckily evaded all the homework," he listed as he piled more and more of the delicious cheesiness on his plate.

Kyte might be cool, but he was also a Pecari. And Gabe had been helping Ari train to beat Pecari. Gabe certainly didn't want to accidentally share out any information with the opposition. Ari may be an Aladren, and Gabe a Teppenpaw, but they were Valentis, and they had to stick together.

"How about you?"

0 Gabe Oh good 330 Gabe 0 5

Cass

July 31, 2016 2:32 AM

How'd you smuggle him in then? by Cass

“Yeah, Cass is good enough though.” He booped Scout (such a cute name!) on the nose before looking up to properly say hello to his owner. He recognized her after a second as Nevaeh, another second year from Aladren. They probably hadn’t spoken before, a fact which Cass blamed on his own hyper focus and shyness. If a subject caught his attention, he’d be on it for hours, rain or shine, until he was finished with whatever he had decided to do with it. That combined with his utter awkwardness around other humans had made it a challenge to really make friends so far.

“He’s so well behaved. How long have you had him?”

0 Cass How'd you smuggle him in then? 0 Cass 0 5

Joella Curtis

July 31, 2016 2:33 AM

Sounds fun. by Joella Curtis

Joella had a lot of work to be doing but before she could think about facing the dull Saturday ahead of her, she needed to go for a morning run.

She had to force herself out of bed and get dressed in her running clothes, feeling little motivation but by the time she got outside and fell into a rhythm she felt much fresher.

Having gone for a long run, she headed to the gardens afterwards as full cool down. She always liked to walk off properly after a run. The fifth year spotted her teammate Ingrid and she smiled in a friendly manner when the younger girl saw her too and spoke.

"I've actually just had a run," Joella admitted. "But hey, if you're walking, I'll join you while I cool down if you don't mind?"

8 Joella Curtis Sounds fun. 295 Joella Curtis 0 5

Kyte

July 31, 2016 2:38 AM

Food is an easy subject to agree upon by Kyte

"Sounds fun," Kyte smiled, when Gabe said what he'd been up to. He guessed it made sense for Gabe to continue his sporty pursuits even though his team had been knocked out because... well, sporty people were usually like that. "Especially the avoiding the homework part - that's very important," he nodded seriously.

"My sister and I did some training - circus stuff," he added. He was pretty sure most of their year knew what he and Raine's family did by now, even if they'd never been told directly. "She's good at keeping me on track with the more boring stuff like flexibility, though we helped with each other's tricks afterwards. Got a few good bruises," he grinned.

13 Kyte Food is an easy subject to agree upon 335 Kyte 0 5

Joella Curtis

July 31, 2016 2:44 AM

That sounds like a plan! by Joella Curtis

Joella had been close enough to Jamie to hear Sammy's first response to him (the lack of enthusiasm of which had surprised her immensely - maybe something was wrong with Sammy but seeing how well the third year had played today how could that be) but then got sidetracked by some other housemates congratulating her on the match.

By the time Joella located the star of the show again, Sammy had disappeared but three more teammates had joined him.

She smiled, making her way over merrily. "Aladren's downfall?" she repeated, catching the end of the conversation. "I like the sound of that. It's about time!" She slapped Jamie on the back in a congratulatory manner as she spoke and grinned at him. It didn't matter what problems she'd had with him in the past, the fact was that he'd just won them their ticket to the finals and she could not be happier.

8 Joella Curtis That sounds like a plan! 295 Joella Curtis 0 5

Alistair Johnson

July 31, 2016 2:54 AM

Brilliant. by Alistair Johnson

Alistair was glad that Jack agreed to his offer. He continued on to the pitch and did his warm up whilst he waited for Aladren to get his things and join him.

"We could do a bit of passing first, and then shooting?" Alistair suggested, thinking he might not want to take this session too seriously and work on tactics or something important with one of his opponents. Passing and shooting were key skills of the Chaser position so didn't give much away but were still beneficial to practise.

He flew on with the quaffle under his arm and then passed it to Jack pretty soon. It was more or less a warm up activity, flying not too far from Jack so they could pass frequently as they flew up the pitch. It also worked on receiving the ball mid-flight as the plan was to keep travelling at the pace they started and not drop the quaffle.

8 Alistair Johnson Brilliant. 306 Alistair Johnson 0 5

Gabe

July 31, 2016 2:56 AM

And the circus! by Gabe

Gabe perked up at the word "circus". He had heard mention of that being kind of Kyte and Raine's thing, but he didn't know much else about it, and it sounded amazing! It was almost enough to distract him from his food entirely.

Almost. He shoved a fork-worth of macaroni in his mouth and managed to chew and swallow before speaking again.

"That is so cool!" he exclaimed, "What kind of tricks do you do? Where do you practice? Can you teach me?"

0 Gabe And the circus! 330 Gabe 0 5

Joella

July 31, 2016 3:21 AM

I don't know what that means but it sounds awesome. by Joella

Joella smiled ruefully at what Aiden was saying. "That's fifth year for you I guess," she commented, believing that she could totally relate more than she probably did.

"Oh yes, the ball," if he read into her voice he might notice something amiss but she imagined he wouldn't think anything of it - not everyone spoke of the ball with utter delight meant in their voices. It wasn't that she no longer felt excited about the ball, only that she was still feeling a bit hurt by recent news concerning it (although she knew she shouldn't and it was very silly of her to).

"You're taking Savannah, aren't you?" It was more of a rhetorical question because she knew for a fact that Aiden was taking Scarlett's twin. "You feeling ready for this prefects' dance we gotta do?" she added with a grin, not that she imagined Aiden being a bad dancer given his background.

8 Joella I don't know what that means but it sounds awesome. 295 Joella 0 5

Tess

July 31, 2016 3:22 AM

And we agree on the weirdness! by Tess

Tess laughed in a friendly way at Farrah's confusion, completely in agreement. "I think I heard my mum mention love potions once, but I can't really remember what she said about them. I don't even get why any would want someone to love them in such an artificial and strange way!"

Many of the potions Tess had come upon during her research had been concoctions she would never have thought would be necessary to create. "The wizarding world definitely has some weird things in it, doesn't it?" Tess mused. Even after two years of living in the magical world, and having been aware of magic to a small degree during her childhood, she still found things that surprised her.

9 Tess And we agree on the weirdness! 338 Tess 0 5

Sébastien

July 31, 2016 3:43 AM

Sébastien in the library, panicking by Sébastien

Realising that it was Arianna Vakenti sitting next to him caused his smile to briefly be replaced by a look of confusion and panic, before he got hold of himself once more. It was Arianna Valenti! A quick glance around reassured him that Madeleine wasn't in sight. He did not want to rile his fellow French student and ally, but nor did he want to completely snub Arianna. He hadn't forgotten their conversation in Potions, and the word 'intrigued' still applied. She was just so confident and sure of herself, and the idea of being on bad terms with someone who could, one day, be useful to him pained Bastien.

"I, yeah, the transfiguration essay," he replied, remembering that Arianna had asked him a question. Really, Bastien, he scolded himself, where is your charm today? "Is that what you're working on? Do you need any help?" He really was not in a position to be offering help, but Sébastien didn't want Arianna to think he was struggling.

9 Sébastien Sébastien in the library, panicking 350 Sébastien 0 5

Kyte

July 31, 2016 4:39 AM

Surprisingly so by Kyte

Kyte grinned at Gabe's enthusiasm. Raine had been so worried that they'd be picked on and called 'circus freaks,' but most people at Sonora seemed really cool.

"I'm training to be a broom stunt rider. Raine does a lot of gymnastics and she's hoping to be an aerialist - like spin around in the air on one of those big hoops doing tricks and stuff. We sometimes practise in MARS cos it makes it easy to set up equipment, seeing as it does it all for you, but we like being outside, so we'll often find a quiet place in the gardens.

"Um... I guess. Probably," he nodded at Gabe's question. He'd never really thought about the idea of teaching anyone else, seeing as he regarded himself as such a learner, but he supposed he knew a lot more than everyone else at Sonora. "I'll let you know next time we're practising."

13 Kyte Surprisingly so 335 Kyte 0 5

Ingrid

July 31, 2016 8:42 AM

But I wasn't just running by Ingrid

Ingrid didn't manage to quite keep the look of incredulity off her face as Joella said she'd just had a run but would be glad of a walk too. Sure, Ingrid was an energetic person, but that was stretching it.

"Wow, that's some dedication," she laughed. She hoped Joella didn't think her lazy as a result of this remark, but she'd no doubt seen the look on Ingrid's face anyway, which said as much.

She set off, picking a path at random. Given that she'd been here a few years now, it was hard to get lost, but she still did her best, hoping the paths would surprise her with hidden treasures.

"What else do you do outside of practices?" she asked, curious about the other girl's training regime, although Liliana kept them busy enough that extra work wasn't really needed. "I climb," she added, wanting to make sure Joella knew she did something.

13 Ingrid But I wasn't just running 322 Ingrid 0 5

Gabe

July 31, 2016 9:24 AM

It would be weird if it wasn't by Gabe

Stunt flying was a thing! Gabe's eyes widened - why had nobody told him about this? He guessed it was probably a good thing that he had focused on the fundamentals at first, but he was a second year now, and no beginner anymore. He would have to tell Nat all about this, seeing as she was his usual flying partner. He was sure she would want to learn, too.

"So cool," he grinned, "Thanks dude. Maybe Nat will wanna come, too. It could be like a Sonora circus," he joked, although honestly he loved the idea.

Gabe loved how friendly students at Sonora were. As he continued to eat his food, he couldn't think of anybody here that he didn't get along with, especially not his own year.

"So, does your whole family do circus stuff?" He couldn't remember if Raine had ever mentioned it, and was not too proud to potentially repat the question, "How long have you guys been in the circus?"

0 Gabe It would be weird if it wasn't 330 Gabe 0 5

Kyte

July 31, 2016 9:42 AM

Some people think we're weirdos and throw things at us by Kyte

"Sure, the more the merrier," he grinned, eating a few more forkfuls of food. "I mean, it takes time to be able to do any of it, but there's sometimes tricks that look hard but are actually kind of easy, especially with juggling - once you've got the basics down." Even though Kyte was the dream-big, 'patience is a boring word' one of the twins, he'd grown up around this kind of lecture, which made it hard to talk about learning without some of that boring common sense coming through.

"Sure do, for generations and generations now, so Raine and I were born into it. Ever heard of Mr C's Magical Circus?" he asked, "It's ok if not," he added. He didn't want to seem like he was bragging about his family name, as he'd learnt in life that that was something the Wrong Sort of Pureblood did, and he didn't want to seem snobby to Gabe, who might have been Muggleborn - Kyte didn't really keep track, as it didn't matter to him. "We're a totally magical circus, although there's a lot of overlap with non-magical circus - you still have to be able to actually do your tricks, you can just add different kinds of flair."

13 Kyte Some people think we're weirdos and throw things at us 335 Kyte 0 5

Gabe

July 31, 2016 10:54 AM

Are they delicious things? by Gabe

Gabe nodded seriously, rarely put off by hardwork. Well, outside of classwork, anyway. If he put half as much effort in his academics as he did his sports, Zia Patrizia thought he could actually be a strong student. Sports were more fun, though.

"Nope," he shook his head unapologetically. Gabe had never seen a reason to be anything but proud of his family, he'd had a great childhood, his siblings were his best friends, and his parents always supported him in everything he did. It just so happened that, unlike them, Gabe was magic.

"I'm the first in my family to be magical," he explained, "Ari is the second," he assumed Kyte knew of his cousin from classes, "But none of our other cousins are." Maybe Elisa would turn out to be magic too, someday. She was the only Valenti cousin left under age eleven.

0 Gabe Are they delicious things? 330 Gabe 0 5

Joella

July 31, 2016 12:07 PM

Perhaps you should join me next time. by Joella

Joella chuckled, first at the look on Ingrid's face but also at the suggestion that her running made her 'dedicated' when it was actually just one of many ways to put off studying for as long as possible.

"Not as much as I used to do," she replied easily, "mainly because Liliana has us on a much stricter schedule so there's not so much need." Joella was glad that Liliana saw the importance of her players being in shape and also knew enough to make sure that they were.

The Pecari shrugged - there were many things she liked to do in her spare time (keeping up her fitness was as much a hobby as a necessity) but she didn't want to be one of those people who seemed to think activities were for bragging about.

"Well I do a lot of running, that's my favourite thing," Joella told the younger Chaser. "But I also do more intense workouts to build up muscles, as well as skill-related training so that I'm covering all key areas of fitness that are useful in Quidditch." She hesitated before adding, "and I've recently picked up boxing."

"You climb? That sounds fun!" Joella commented with interest. When she was younger she had enjoyed scrambling up rock faces and trees but never thought about it much so it was rather cool that Ingrid did this kind of thing on a regular basis (and probably to greater heights). "What sort of things do you climb? Sorry," she grinned, almost sheepishly because of her apparent ignorance, "I don't know much about climbing."

8 Joella Perhaps you should join me next time. 295 Joella 0 5

Tess Whittaker

July 31, 2016 12:10 PM

Sounds like a shampoo advert! by Tess Whittaker

Tess had made a quick detour to the loo on the way to her next class, but hadn't expected to be ambushed by a classmate upon leaving the cubicle. "Hey Georgia," she said as she went to wash her hands, never having properly spoken to the girl but knowing her name from roll call at the beginning of each class. She liked to learn the names of the new students, not wanting to have to bother with introductions all the time.

"You all right?" she asked, letting Georgia decide if she meant the question as a conversation starter or as a serious concern. Tess had noticed Georgia crying in potions the other day. She wanted to find out what was wrong, partially due to curiosity but mainly because, if she could, she wanted to help. She hoped nobody had been bullying the younger girl. Tess had been lucky enough to escape much prejudice, but she knew not everyone looked upon muggleborns as favourably.

9 Tess Whittaker Sounds like a shampoo advert! 338 Tess Whittaker 0 5

Arianna

July 31, 2016 12:16 PM

Well that makes no sense by Arianna

Arianna's dark eyes narrowed - something was up. Sebastien, who had previously been so poised and pleasant, did not seem very composed today. The Aladren refused to believe that her initial assessment was off, mostly because she hated to admit when she was wrong.

But why was he being so strange? Did he know that she had been talking to Louis at Science Club? She couldn't see how. Anyway, none of the information Louis had shared seemed to be particularly sensitive, at least not in regards to the Crotalus first year. All she knew was that Louis's family was apparently important enough that other French purebloods had followed him across the world for school.

"No," she started off confidently, because she was never one to accept help, whatever the situation, before more cautiously adding, "I was thinking we could get it done a lot faster together, if you are up to forming complete sentences, that is." She had been joking about the last part, but not entirely. There was always the risk he had decided to suddenly become completely dumb and dull. She hoped that wasn't the case.

0 Arianna Well that makes no sense 0 Arianna 0 5

Abigail De La Garza

July 31, 2016 12:39 PM

Thanks for the confidence boost! by Abigail De La Garza

Abby usually wore her hair down but since she had plenty of time on her hands today she had decided to style herself two braids at the front, pulled together into a ponytail with the rest of her dark hair. She didn't often take the time to do braids because some were quite hard doing by herself and she didn't think Wu would be all that keen to help her (not because she was unhelpful but because she was still quite shy and Abby didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable by assuming any level of closeness just yet, even if they were roommates).

She was rather delighted, therefore, when Ginger Pierce actually noticed and complimented the efforts that she had made. "Thank you," Abby smiled appreciatively. Ginger was really a very lovely girl and accordingly popular too. She always looked nice but Abby wasn't sure whether to repay the compliment or not. "I'm not actually that great with braids and stuff so this is unusual for me," she added. "I swear some hairstyles require at least three hands!"

8 Abigail De La Garza Thanks for the confidence boost! 315 Abigail De La Garza 0 5

Ginger

July 31, 2016 1:20 PM

You are very welcome! by Ginger

"Some need four or five or more, I'm sure!" Ginger agreed laughing. During her first two years at Sonora, her go-to do of choice had been a pair of pigtail braids, but when she reached her teen years, she feared the style made her seem too childish and she had switched to the french ponytail she was now sporting (french braids being one of styles she felt required at least twice the number of hands that people were normally born with, and so she instead stareted with a half ponytail at the top of her head, then pulled in some more hair into an elastic further down her head, then pulled in the remaining hair into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck for a similar effect but without needing six hands).

"But that's gorgeous. I might steal the style sometime of you don't mind?"

1 Ginger You are very welcome! 302 Ginger 0 5

Sébastien

July 31, 2016 2:16 PM

I always make sense! by Sébastien

Well, at least she hadn't accepted his offer of help. That would have been awkward and embarrassing, showing him up a little. However, working together wasn't exactly the best case scenario either. If Madeleine found out that he'd been working with the girl she'd decided not to like, especially after having been warned, she would be annoyed. And Bastien really didn't want Madeleine to be annoyed with him. That would be dangerous and impractical.

Still, he had been struggling with the work. If he agreed to Arianna's suggestion - purely to complete the task faster, of course - he'd do a lot better than he would alone. Not that he'd ever admit it.

"If you think you are up to it," he returned, smiling yet challenging her, "that isn't a half bad idea. Although surely an Aladren should have no trouble with getting work done?" He felt back on the right foot now, still slightly on edge incase Madeleine somehow found out, but with his decision he'd regained some control of the situation.

9 Sébastien I always make sense! 350 Sébastien 0 5

Arianna

July 31, 2016 3:03 PM

Uh-huh by Arianna

Perhaps she had misremembered Sebastian being kind. Stranger things had happened. Like finding out she was a witch and being whisked away to Arizona, for instance.

"I believe in efficiency," she said smoothly, matching his smile with one of her own. If it was a challenge he wanted, it was a challenge he would have. She wasn't sure what kind of game he was playing, but whatever it was, she had to win. In the choice between fight and flight, there had only ever been one answer for the New York native.

"So," she reached down to her tote for her notebook and textbook, "What have you gotten up to so far?" Once satisfied that she had all her needed supplies, she looked up, and tossed dark curls behind her shoulder.

"Or," she looked him right in the eye, smiling politely, "Have you just been waiting for me to swoop in and save the day this whole time?"

0 Arianna Uh-huh 0 Arianna 0 5

Abby

July 31, 2016 3:28 PM

You probably don't need a boost but here's one.. by Abby

Abby was glad that Ginger, who appeared to have every aspect of life 100% sorted, still managed to relate to the difficulties of braiding one's own hair.

"Of course you can use it," Abby beamed at the older girl, even more flattered than before now that Ginger was saying she would actually like to wear her hair the same way. She didn't own the style after all but it was very nice of Ginger to ask her anyway.

"I'm sure you'd pull it off much better than I do," the third year added, not fishing for pity or more compliments from Ginger but honestly believing this to be the case. Even if Ginger was so confident and popular, it was probably still just as nice for her to receive compliments as it were for everyone else.

8 Abby You probably don't need a boost but here's one.. 0 Abby 0 5

Emilia-Louise Scott

July 31, 2016 4:56 PM

Thinking of summer. by Emilia-Louise Scott

Emmy-Lou had been best friends with Louis for a while now and she thought it about time that she invite him to stay with her at some point in the holidays.

"What are you up to this summer?" Emmy asked casually, peering at Louis over the top of a magazine in the common room one evening. The two of them were hogging one of the sofas, each with their own reading materials for a chilled out Friday night.

"I was wondering if you fancied coming to stay with me for a bit?" she expanded. She was excited by the idea of introducing Louis to her life outside of Sonora and expected him to feel the same way.

8 Emilia-Louise Scott Thinking of summer. 313 Emilia-Louise Scott 0 5

Louis Valois

July 31, 2016 5:07 PM

HYPE by Louis Valois

Louis was just reading a rather interesting book on muggle space exploration (inspired by the recent science club stargazing) when Emmy spoke, and all thoughts of astronauts and magical non-magical space suits were forgotten.

"Me come visit you this summer?" he asked, checking that he had heard correctly. "Emmy, that is a marvellous idea! You know I'll have no plans other than skateboarding and pretending I'm interested in the Valois business." As much as he loved his muggle friends, spending time with them did not compare to actually going to stay with his meilleure amie. "Will your family be OK with it?"

9 Louis Valois HYPE 314 Louis Valois 0 5

Emmy-Lou

July 31, 2016 5:19 PM

Woohoo! by Emmy-Lou

Emmy was pleased with Louis's enthusiasm and it showed in her face.

"Of course," she beamed, "they'd love to meet you!"

"Perhaps you should come and stay at the ranch," Emmy added on further thoughts. Louis would know that by "the ranch" she meant the Fintoc family's ranch in Colorado. "I mean, you're welcome to come to Santa Monica if you like," she hurried, in case Louis thought he wasn't welcome there, but she didn't mention her father's home in LA because she didn't want to go there herself, let alone inflict such an experience upon her best friend. "But there's more to do at the ranch, more people to meet, and it's generally more fun."

Emmy didn't mention the fact that it was bigger (although that was a given) and grander than her actual home in Santa Monica because she knew Louis would suck it up and try be humble wherever he went. Still, he was the Valois heir and she wanted him to be impressed.

8 Emmy-Lou Woohoo! 313 Emmy-Lou 0 5

Louis

July 31, 2016 5:43 PM

Ranch = riding? by Louis

Lots of people to meet definitely sounded good to Louis. Based on what Emmy herself was like, he imagined that her home was full of fun and lively people - very different to the detached and busy people in Louis's life back home. Also, staying on a ranch surely meant something very exciting would happen!

"If I come to the ranch we can go riding, yes?" Louis asked. "Can we ride Western style? I've always wanted to try it!" Louis had ridden quite a lot since he was young, his father having decided it was suitable for a young purebloods to be an accomplished horseman. He quite enjoyed a game of polo, and was comfortable around horses. However, the opportunity to ride Western had been something he'd always wanted, the different riding style seeming really exciting to him.

9 Louis Ranch = riding? 314 Louis 0 5

Emmy-Lou

July 31, 2016 5:51 PM

Of course! Lots and lots! by Emmy-Lou

Emmy laughed when Louis started talking about riding. "Of course!" she assured him. "Honestly, you could never stay with the Fintocs and not get on a horse." That was their preferred method of travel and, although they were cattle ranchers primarily, the Fintocs did dabble in horse dealing.

"We'll definitely be riding Western, yes," she nodded, very glad at how keen Louis sounded about that. She could ride both Western and English to a high standard but the Fintocs only ever did the former.

"This is going to be so much fun!" she exclaimed, half squealing in her utter excitement. Summer could not come soon enough.

8 Emmy-Lou Of course! Lots and lots! 313 Emmy-Lou 0 5

Kira

July 31, 2016 5:56 PM

Enthusiasm isn't my thing lately. by Kira

Kira was surprised when Alistair kept on speaking to her. She usually was surprised when someone did. "Play."

11 Kira Enthusiasm isn't my thing lately. 320 Kira 0 5

Madeleine

July 31, 2016 6:34 PM

If you say so... by Madeleine

Madeleine tucked her music older under her arm and nodded. The trumpet was not something she had ever thought of playing before and certainly not something that Maman would have liked. Too brash for Myrtille's delicate nerves or something along those lines. But Madeleine liked the shiny metal of the instrument and the loud, peculiar sounds it made.

She fretted for a moment--not only was she having a polite conversation with Louis Valois behind Bastien's back but she actually found his self-deprecating words amusing! This would not do at all... After all, it was his fault that Bastien was even at Sonora and, by transitive property, his fault that she was at Sonora instead of Beauxbatons with her beloved Léo!

"I've never heard it before," she said diplomatically instead, not wanting to have a rocky relationship with another member of the top-tier. Plus they were in the presence of Tasha DuBois who was another member of society and Madeleine really didn't want to give off any ideas to anyone who might seize the opportunity to upset the delicate balance of the top-tier families. The Valois and the Dautins had been at the top for as long as she or anyone could remember and Madeleine did not want to be the cause for the whole thing to come tumbling down. However, it wouldn't do either to welcome the Valois heir into friendly conversation with open arms lest Bastien hear about it.

10 Madeleine If you say so... 340 Madeleine 0 5