Mortimer Brockert
September 10, 2022 9:25 PM
Returning Feast by Mortimer Brockert
As usual, Mortimer was glad to be back at Sonora after midterm. Yes, teenagers were irritating but he didn’t actually have to interact with them all that much. As opposed to the forced inane small talk with the general population of nincompoops that tended to attend parties. Or that was the majority of the human race. Not that he was hoping for or expecting deep conversations but really small talk was more mind numbing than any alcohol could ever be.Even worse was,of course, Eustace. Mortimer knew that saying that his son needed to be satisfied with the child he had and deal with it-especially given that Honora was two now-was advice he should take about having Eustace for a son, but the difference was that the child was only two and hadn’t done anything to deserve the disappointment had in her while Eustace had done plenty to make Mortimer disappointed in him.
Honestly, he did not understand how his son had turned out so awful. There were times that he’d almost wished that Vivien had cheated on him and that Eustace was not his son after all. However, then Gene, who was Eustace’s twin, wouldn't be either, and Mortimer was happy enough to claim him.He didn’t seem to have much of a backbone but the Headmaster supposed if he had a twin like Eustace, he wouldn’t either. Eustace probably ate his brother’s backbone in the womb.
And to make things worse, it was all so completely tedious-and not just in the way parties and small talk inherently were. It was also the same bloody thing every year. Mortimer was so completely bored by it all.
At least at Sonora, there were The Challenges going on. That was at least different. He’d always been weirdly fond of them, mostly because they kept everyone busy and busy students were not going to make as much trouble. Although, Mortimer supposed the most hard core of the troublemakers would find a way. Hopefully they would not do so during a particular Challenge event and ruin things for their teammates. Especially considering that one of those hard core troublemakers was on Olaf’s team, somehow. He sincerely hoped that Miss Thorn would confine her most obnoxious and vile behavior to the free time that she had left if she absolutely must do it at all. Either way, it was too bad that Mortimer’s grandson had to put up with her at all.
Still, the general population of the school, most of whom were admittedly not huge troublemakers anyway, would be less inclined to cause problems when, between the Challenges and their regular schoolwork and in some cases, preparing for the concert, they’d be too busy and probably too tired to cause problems.
Of course, Mortimer supposed they could end up having disputes around the Challenges themselves. Either because people on the same team did not get along-and they did not put known enemies together, for the most part, they didn’t put people together who had any sort of relationship whatsoever-or because people got competitive with those on other teams. However, Mortimer had not heard of that really ever being a huge issue, so he wasn’t worried about it. Besides, disputes between teammates, unless they were really out of control should be dealt with by the team leader and it would have to be pretty bad before it came to his attention,unless one of his grandchildren mentioned it in passing. Rivalries between those on different teams were likely pre-existing things where someone wanted to trounce their enemies.
The students entered and Mortimer stood, casting a quick Sonorous on himself. “Welcome back, I hope you have all had a nice break.” Of course, he didn’t actually care any more than he did every other time he had said that. It was just what people said. Despite the fact that he’d never really understood why people said those things that were just what people said. Still, as much as he never felt the need to say too much, he supposed he had to say more than just welcome back and people expected others to want them to have a nice break. Why they felt entitled to that, he did not know. After all, Mortimer did not expect them to care about his holiday. If one of the students said that they hoped he had a nice holiday, he’d probably be highly suspicious that they were up to no good. Or wanted something. Which was arguably worse.
“As a reminder, the school Concert is at the end of the year, so please continue your concert prep.” Honestly, he didn’t understand why people would want to do an extra concert performance when they already had the Challenges and schoolwork but at least Isla would get to put on her puppet show. And the concert was supposed to have Challenge highlights so he was just picturing a bunch of puppets running into age lines. Honestly, Mortimer had been shocked over just how few people had been able to figure that out and that it was mostly relatives of his that could. He could understand how a Muggleborn first year could miss it, since they had not been in the magical world that long, but really, others besides the purebloods had been in the magical world long enough that they should know about such things. Maybe it was a gap in their education and the knowledge that these things existed at least should be on curriculum, regardless of when they should be taught how to do them.
Mortimer sat back down and took the Sonorus Charm off himself, as the food appeared on the tables.
Subthreads:Aladren
I feel older now. by Phil Carson
Ugh, why? by Nausicaa Scapetello
Teppenpaw
Nothing happening here by Philippe Delachene
Continuing on by Valentine Duell
Crotalus
Home again by Lyla Holland with Iris Cobb
Two challenges down by Sadie-Lake Chalmers
Pecari
It's weirdly good to be back by Oz Spellman with Billy Cobb
End of an era (tag Mab) by Xavier Lundstrom with Mab
Staff
11
Mortimer Brockert
Returning Feast
6
1
5
Xavier Lundstrom
September 14, 2022 3:52 PM
End of an era (tag Mab) by Xavier Lundstrom
Xavier enteted Cascade Hall in remarkably good spirits. Coming back to school had always felt something akin to being imprisoned or punished. Even when he hadn't been feeling that melodramatic, it was still a place that sapped his spirits. This time though, he was excited to be back. He wanted to see Oz, more than he ever had before, but whereas his friend (now boyfriend?) had always been the silver lining to his otherwise grey and stormy existence here, he was now one of several reasons Xavier was happy. His studies were going well, especially in divination but also his other classes too. His challenge team was excelling. He... was a long way from saying he belonged in this world, but he no longer felt that he vehemently did not.He took in a seat in the hall, a little miffed that Oz wasn't sitting with him. As that wasn't an option, he went towards his other Pecari default. He guessed he should make the most of being able to sit with her while she was still here...
He let the non-existent speech wash over him, then turned to the much more interesting food. He grabbed a quesadilla.
"Your last one of these," he noted to Mab, wondering whether she had enough attachment to the place to have any particular feeling about that. "Do you know what you're gonna do after here?" That was more interesting... The idea of wizard careers was still utterly baffling. He had just about got to grips with being a school age wizard - he couldn't imagine being a grown up one. Luckily, he had many more years to figure that out.
13
Xavier Lundstrom
End of an era (tag Mab)
1529
0
5
Mab
September 15, 2022 6:21 PM
I guess by Mab
Mab was still a little surprised her team was doing as well as it was. She didn't think it was because of her astounding leadership abilities, but it did make her feel pretty pleased with both herself and her team. They had done quite well finding each other in the maze, she thought, even if age lines had proven to be a little more of an obstacle than they probably should have been. Luckily, Jasper had recognized it for what it was, and a simple finite from her wand had resolved allowed Xavier into the area with the defeated pogrebin which, obviously, had been well over his level, and she should have figured that out sooner, but age lines were not a thing Bel had ever used in child handling - even with Reilly - and though Mab had heard of them, she hadn't had enough first hand experience with them to recognize them in action. She probably would have figured it out eventually, but Jasper had fortunately been there speed things along more efficiently and put them solidly into second place.She had almost, dare she say it, enjoyed the first challenge and was almost looking forward to seeing what came next, though she wasn't overly hopeful that it would fall so nicely into her team's - and especially her own - skill sets as the first one had. Still, they were a fairly well-rounded and self-motivated group, so she thought they should be able to handle whatever the teachers threw at them next. Maybe.
Mab looked up as she sensed someone nearing her claimed space at the table, but relaxed and let the scowl that she used to secure and quiet buffer around herself fade as she recognized Xavier. She didn't quite smile at him, but the lack of growling was almost the same thing and a welcome.
"Hi," she said as she allowed him to sit next to her. There wasn't much time for awkwardness or conversation before the Headmaster gave his two statements that passed as a speech, and then the food arrived and Xavier noted that this was her last feast. She . . . wasn't going to miss them, she didn't think. There were things about Sonora that she probably would miss, but everyone sitting too close together and talking too loudly all at the same time wasn't one of them. The food was fine and plentiful, but now that she was getting enough food at home regularly, that wasn't quite as astounding as it had seemed when she was eleven.
She hummed noncommittally and shrugged when he asked after her plans for what she wanted to do with her life. That was still a work in progress. "I applied to an auror training program," she shared. Aware that he was a changeling like she was, she explained, just in case he hadn't picked it up yet, "That's like a magic cop, but with more chance of dying horribly from a dark creature or dark magic. It's what my adoptive mom does. I don't know if that's what I really want to do, but I haven't thought of any better ideas yet."
1
Mab
I guess
1473
0
5
Xavier Lundstrom
September 19, 2022 4:11 PM
To the future by Xavier Lundstrom
Magic cop. Huh. That wasn't what Xavier would have thought. Something about Mab had always seemed quietly rebellious - she didn't seem to answer to anyone but herself. It didn't fit with the idea of being an upholder of rules for the system, especially when those rules were wizard ones.She was talking about it more like it was an adventure, like it was being paid to take Defence Against the Dark Arts for the rest of your life. That part, he could understand, but the cop thing...
"Chasing down creatures, duelling bad guys... upholding wizarding law?" he asked, not quite able to stop his face and tone Doing A Thing on those last words. "Sounds like a blast," he said, sounding more sarastic than anything else. He tipped his head, trying to relieve the knot of tension he could feel building.
He also didn't want Mab to die. He hoped she was just joking. Cops did die in action sometimes but he hoped that was a rarity. Though with the magical world, and its cavalier approach to safety, who knew? He could look into it... He could do some crystal gazing or a tarot spread to check whether this was a terrible idea.
13
Xavier Lundstrom
To the future
1529
0
5