Selina Skies
August 07, 2021 9:08 AM
Bonfire - Let's Get Cooking by Selina Skies
“Good evening,” Selina addressed the students. The relatively simple set up behind her of tents, an as yet unlit fire, and food, belied the thought and effort that had gone into this year’s event. The bonfire should have been one of the easier events in the rotation. After all, it was ‘stick a bunch of tents on the pitch, light some wood on fire.’ Even the main issue of making sure no one got hurt should have been relatively self-managing with eleven to eighteen year olds, though they had put a barrier charm around the fire just to be on the safe side.That element of ‘health and safety’ had not been the primary concern this time around. Again, it was eleven to eighteen year olds they were dealing with…
“We will launch our celebration and our evening activity, which will be a camp cook out, shortly. Before that, some logistics… Tents are divided based on gender, as per your dorm assignments.” She was fairly sure that wording both accurately assigned the trans and non-binary student populations to their correct tents. “As a reminder, there is no maximum occupancy on tents, but there is a minimum occupancy of three.” This year, given the number of openly same-sex relationships occurring between students, the tent-sharing policy had needed to be revisted. Or rather, the existing tent rule would be firmly reinforced, and they would have to hope that a solid portion of gooseberries put a damper on anything more than hand-holding. “Beds are single occupancy, and similar charms to the dorm room corridors are in place to enforce this.” In this case, the spell related to the number of occupants, which was strictly capped at one. This only applied to people getting into the bed between the covers, so groups could still sit on the beds to chat, paint nails or—if they realised this loophole—make out and do inappropriate things. There was no such thing as a perfect system, but it was the best they had been able to come up with. She had debated whether or not to specify the bed rule, as she thought it was more likely to get people thinking about it than deter them, but had erred on the side of not wanting anyone to get a nasty shock—after all, she could envision a perfectly innocent scenario where someone was having a bad dream and wanted the comfort of a close friend; the last thing they needed was dumping abruptly onto the floor.
The other pause for thought was how to make the bonfire ‘interesting.’ Selina wasn’t sure why having a large fire and a camp out wasn’t a change enough from the normal routine by itself, but it seemed like they had to work out how to make every iteration of the event unique. She wasn’t fully convinced that was what the founders had had in mind when they had decided to celebrate summer with a rotation of four simple events, but apparently that was the expectation. Luckily, everyone had been happy with the suggestion of a simple cook-out.
Well, all the staff had been. She wasn’t sure how some of the students would respond to the suggestion that they prepare their own food. She thought it would be rather good for all of them, though she wasn’t going to force anyone.
“As stated, for the bonfire, we will be having a camp cookout. As well as the main firepit, there are several smaller pits laid. Once you have taken a seat by them, they are charmed to respond to ‘fire please’ and will ignite themselves. There are several food types on different trays with instructions, which you are welcome to take back to your fire and cook.” These ranged from simple things like hot dogs which basically needed reheating, to more complex things like chilli—although the complexity level had still been taken down a good few notches with most of the slicing done, meaning the only real thing the students would need to do would be combine it in a pot and supervise it. The food fell into the categories of things that could be wrapped in foil and shoved in a fire, put on a stick, or combined in a single pot. “Prairie elves and teachers can help if you’re not sure what to do, and there will also be some pre-prepared supper items to compliment your meals, or for those of you who don’t want to cook. The elves are only here to help guide you, not to do it for you,” she pointed out, though given their tendency to want to serve she thought that keeping them from doing the work might be a struggle even for those students who did have good intentions and only wanted a little guidance.
“I hope you will enjoy your evening. I declare the bonfire...open.” With a wave of her wand, the main pile lit itself.
Subthreads: Oooh chili! by Bridget Ferguson with Hilda Hexenmeister
This has certainly been a year. by Valentine Duell
Finding my fellows (tag: beginner male) by Hansel Hexenmeister with Xavier Lundstrom
On patrol for troublemakers [Staff member] by Osvaldo Alamilla
Hey, boyfriend by Philippe Delachene with Freddie Zauberhexen
Well, it's about time by Iris Cobb
Yo, what's wrong with you? [Stanley] by Bonabelle Row
I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! by Topaz Brockert with Billy Cobb
This is the best by Sophia Priory with Ellie Alperton
Waiting for someone by Sadie-Lake Chalmers with Dathan Fischer
This is fine. Everything is just fine. by Giselle Duell with Katerina Vorontsov
An opportunity worth missing. [Oz] by Henry Spellman with Oz Spellman
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Selina Skies
Bonfire - Let's Get Cooking
26
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5
Bridget Ferguson
August 07, 2021 5:48 PM
Oooh chili! by Bridget Ferguson
Bridget could not wait to go home tomorrow. She was really looking forward to spending time with her parents this summer, especially her mother. Mama had gotten sick between midterm and the present-the Teppenpaw would have been more surprised if she hadn't- but she was better again now.And yes, she did know it was unusual for a seventeen year old to want to spend time with their parents. Sophia didn't seem very inclined to spend time with hers, for example. However, in Bridget's case, there were extenuating circumstances. It was different for her, given her mother's illnesses, she treasured every moment she got to spend with her. Most people had healthy normal parents, she did not. She wished more than anything that she did,but that wasn't the case. Of course, if Bridget had, she might not appreciate them because she wouldn't know any better.
Besides, at this point in her life, her dad was actually fun. Granted, he had been when the sixth year was little too, but in a different way. Now, they spent time together drinking and hanging out and that was a total blast.
Also, she knew that things could be so much worse and that in some ways, Bridget actually had it pretty good. She remembered last year, at the concert, where she had talked with Lorena and found herself to be completely disgusted by the Aladren's parents. Her own parents had had good reason to not come, but the younger girl's had not . People who had a problem with their child being magical, the way Lorena's mother did, really pissed her off. Especially, since the woman had married a wizard! Even if she hadn't known at first, why did they stay together once she found out the truth? And what did she expect, having children with said wizard? If at least one of the parents was magical, the children usually were too! That was the norm. Also, her father should have come anyway. Especially as Lorena, unlike Bridget herself, had been actually performing!
Not to mention all that her own father had been through at the hands of his father. The Teppenpaw loathed her grandfather for it. She resented both of her biological grandfathers for an awful lot but at least her maternal grandfather was kind to her and her mother. Not that Grandfather Ferguson was mean to her, exactly, as Bridget hadn't actually spent any time with him, nor did she want to given what spending time with him had done to her father and grandmother.
Her attention was fortunately diverted from these thoughts when Deputy Headmistress Skies began to speak, discussing logistics for the night. The sixth year was sure that Sophia would share with the other German speaking girls again but that was fine with her. She planned to share with Jezebel once more and she was sure that there was a third person around somewhere.
Actually Bridget was more intrigued by the concept of cooking her own food. As a wealthy pureblood who had several house-elves who usually did that, she'd never actually tried it before-indeed, the only person she knew who cooked was Connor's fiance, Peyton-but figured the principal was similar to cocktail crafting and potions.
Also, she was hungry.
The Teppenpaw made her way over to the chilli ingredients once the deputy headmistress was done talking. "Hi." She greeted the person next to her. "Are you planning to make your own chili too?" Bridget asked.
11
Bridget Ferguson
Oooh chili!
1448
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5
Hilda Hexenmeister
August 07, 2021 9:40 PM
This is bean soup? by Hilda Hexenmeister
Hilda's favorite of the midsummer events was the bonfire. This was not so much because of the fire itself, which was fine but not terribly interesting, but because the last one was where she made real genuine friends beyond just Johana Leonie. Johana Leonie was still her rock and closest friend, but the other German Tent Girls had moved from tolerable acquaintances to people she genuinely liked four years ago, and she was hoping tonight would be another such bonding experience.First though, there was food. More interestingly, it was food they needed to cook themselves. Uncle Karl was not so well off that he had a house elf, and neither had there been one at her parents' home before everything went wrong (though she was reasonably sure they could have afforded one), and now that she was responsible enough, Uncle Karl had taught her some basics on how to make food edible without burning the house down.
Uncle Karl, however, was not what one would call a versatile cook, and there were about six meals they cycled through. He could cook those six meals quite well, but they were all he would cook. There was far far more variety at Sonora, so while many of the food on offer tonight looked vaguely familiar, even in their uncooked state, she didn't necessarily have names for most of them.
There was one thing that looked like a skinny bratwurst, which was on Karl's six meal list (the bratwurst, not the skinny American version) and - good, they had actual bratwurst, too - and she was sure she could handle making those at least, but she kept walking around to see what else was on offer.
As she got to one of the other tables, Bridget greeted and spoke to her. "Hello," she returned, careful of the vowel in the word, and gave her year mate a smile. There was not really anybody at the school that Hilda disliked, but Bridget was friends with Sophia and that gave her a boost up on some of the others. "I yet decide not," she admitted when asked if she was going to eat the chili. "Chili is the bean soup, yes?" she questioned. "Has spice?" she added, because there were other kinds of bean soups, too, that were blander than the one she was thinking of. Hilda preferred a fair bit of flavor in her food, though not too much, and chili - if it was what she thought it was - could sometimes have a bit too much heat, or it could be wonderful.
1
Hilda Hexenmeister
This is bean soup?
1433
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5
Bridget Ferguson
August 08, 2021 6:53 PM
That is one way to look at it. by Bridget Ferguson
Bridget returned Hilda's smile. The Pecari was more Sophia's friend than her own, but she liked the other girl okay. Actually, come to think of it, there wasn't really anyone she really disliked at Sonora. There was at least one person's mother she disliked, despite having not actually met the woman but no other actual students. Although she supposed there were a few people that she was wary of, but still, she didn't actively dislike them.She supposed that she was so...conscious of the serious issues in her own life that she didn't have the energy to waste on disliking people unless there was a really good reason. Like, Bridget felt that she had a good reason to dislike Grandfather Ferguson and a good reason to dislike Lorena's mother. She did not have good reasons to dislike her fellow students and supposed that she was probably genuinely more accepting and non-judgemental in some ways than others were. That was probably why she was in Teppenpaw.
Of course, the sixth year also wasn't especially close to anyone other than Jezebel and Sophia and that was probably also because her focus tended to be worrying about her mother. Unfortunately, it was probably too late to change that now, which in all honesty, made her a bit sad. Bridget would have liked to have been closer to more people but it just hadn't happened for her. The fault of her upbringing and background all over again. It was not just the worries about her mother, it was all the other stuff too. It was the fact that she just wasn't normal and didn't have a normal family. In her own head, she was an Other, and it had kept her from getting close to most people for fear that they would judge her for it.
It was simply another thing to blame her grandfathers for. Bridget hated Grandfather Ferguson outright and this was just another reason to do so. Her feelings about Grandfather Culhane were a tad more complicated because he was good to her and actually acted like a grandpa was supposed to, but he deserved a share of the blame.
Honestly, Bridget did worry for her future marriage prospects too because of it all. And honestly, Grandma Cora deserved some blame too. She had gotten disowned and married a Muggle though thinking that way did make the sixth year feel guilty because Grandpa Clayton was the best grandpa of all. He was warm and loving and-unlike certain other Muggles who married magical people that she could think of-accepted all of his magical family members.
However, that was still going to hurt her marriage prospects-and Bridget genuinely did want to get married some day. Maybe she'd get lucky and someone would actually like her, an idea that she found borderline ridiculous and hysterical. Still, there were probably other scandalous types or newer purebloods that would like the Brockert connection.
Anyway, none of it was relevant in the moment and preventing her from having a nice conversation with her classmate-although her lack of German language skills might. Still, Hilda had to have decent English by now"Well, that's one way to think of it." Bridget replied. "You can make it without beans too. I tend to like mine with black olives. Both my aunt and our house-elves make it that way." Aunt Patience basically used canned chilli and put shredded cheese, black olives, a type of Muggle-made chips called Fritos and sometimes sour cream in it. Their house-elves used an old secret recipe which also involved black olives. Bridget was unsure if the black olives were an original part of the house-elf recipe or if they just put them in because the Teppenpaw and her father both liked it that way after having the kind Aunt Patience made.
"I see there are brautwursts too." She added. "I get those when I visit Sophia and her family. They're like, a staple in Wisconsin because of all the people there with German ancestry." Bridget had picked up at least that much. After all, that was why her cousin had chosen to study German as opposed to a different language.
11
Bridget Ferguson
That is one way to look at it.
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0
5
Hilda Hexenmeister
August 12, 2021 9:05 PM
Mine English tries best. by Hilda Hexenmeister
'Bean soup with spice' was not necessarily the way she thought about chili, but it was the best she could put it into simple English words that she knew off the top of her head, so it was going to have to suffice. Anyway, it did seem like they were talking about the same foodstuff, so that made it good enough of a description for her, and she made a kind of bobbing motion with her head that was not quite agreement and not quite disagreement that this was at least how she could talk about it if not how she thought about it.She made an educated guess that an ah-liv and an Olive were the same thing, as it didn't seem like a completely ridiculous thing to throw into chili and they sounded similar (and English was very prone to ignoring the final Es in their words and pretending they weren't there when spoken, which seemed quite rude really), though she'd never had chili with olives in it before. Not that she'd had a lot of chilis in her life for comparison.
"Mine Uncle makes not chili," she admitted her lack of experience with the dish. "I eat it only here. Every week, he makes Bratwurst." It occurred to her she was about to return to Utah and a very very limited menu. Bratwurst was abruptly entirely unappetizing, even though she usually liked it very much. "Today, I eat different food."
Even if it was too spicy, chili at least wasn't something she was going to be eating every six days for the next three months. She picked up a bowl and began to collect ingredients.
"Wisconsin?" she verified again, the state with many other Germans. "Maybe I live there when I graduate." She had no intention of living the rest of her life on a snake ranch, but she wasn't sure if quite enough time had passed to make returning to Germany a safe option. "Some speak Deutsch - nein, German?" she asked hopefully.
1
Hilda Hexenmeister
Mine English tries best.
1433
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5
Bridget Ferguson
August 15, 2021 7:25 PM
You're doing just fine. by Bridget Ferguson
OOC: cw-*sighs* Abuse (child, spousal, house-elf) and neglect alluded to, and alcoholism. It's Bridget, so while she's not being awful like Topaz, the usual CWs apply. BIC:
Bridget nodded. "Yeah, that is one of the nice things about Sonora, you get to eat food here that you don't get to eat at home." Okay, so, she did get a wide and varied menu at home. They had lots of house-elves who had been in their family for years and that knew how to cook a lot of different things.
Which was a good thing too, since otherwise she probably would have starved to death a long time ago. Dad did not cook at all. He had never been very good at Potion-alright,in fact he was absolutely utterly abysmal at it- so he certainly didn't try to attempt something that used similar skills when he didn't really have those skills in the first place! That was a huge part of the reason that even as a small child, Bridget was making her dad drinks out of the cocktail crafting books that her cousin Nora had given him. Which given his crappy abilities in Potions, was something of a ridiculous gift, but to be fair, had probably contributed to the Teppenpaw developing said skills herself.
And her dad's lack of cooking/potions/drink making skills wasn't even taking into account his level of impairment due to being pretty much constantly drunk.
As for Mama, obviously impairment of a different kind was a huge factor even though she could, if she was well-which she often wasn't, of course-make a few simple things. So, therefore, Bridget's situation being what it was, she would never have survived without house-elves to cook for her. Now she might be able to make her own food, but as a child? It would not have happened.
So, basically, anyone who complained about her family having house-elves, or not doing things for themselves could basically shove off with their sanctimonious crap. Not only would she not have survived-or possibly would have been taken away from her parents due to neglect, a thought that legitimately made her sick to her stomach-Bridget had genuinely bonded with their family's elves, who also, being house-elves, enjoyed serving wizards and witches as long as they were treated humanely. And they were. Obviously, she couldn't speak for every elf owned by a family member-as she was certain Grandfather Ferguson must mistreat his elves as he'd mistreated his wife and son, so yeah,it was a logical inference to make-but the ones in her household were.
Bridget nodded."Yeah, a lot of people in Wisconsin have German ancestry, though a lot of it's probably from far back, like relatives who came here like, over a hundred years ago. There might be some who speak German, like Sophia. That's where she lives." Which Hilda likely knew, as she and Sophia were friends.
11
Bridget Ferguson
You're doing just fine.
1448
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5
