The first year Aladrens and me? on Quidditch Pitch

Selina Skies

May 06, 2023 10:23 PM

The Bonfire - Make a Wish by Selina Skies

Right now, it was Selina’s job to celebrate the end of term. And that was what she was doing. The incident with Xavier was as resolved as it could be, in that he had been sent away for further treatment, and the steps that had led to this happening had been investigated. It was never easy when something went badly wrong. In some ways, it became all consuming—for several days, dealing with the fallout of the incident had been Selina’s number one priority, and normal responsibilities and previous carefully scheduled plans had had to be roughly shoved aside to make room for talking to parents, investigating the incident, arranging counseling sessions… But at the same time, life didn’t stop. The rest of the world did not grind to a halt because of one person’s emergency. Being deputy head was always like keeping a series of plates spinning, and even this didn’t mean the rest got put away or could be allowed to crash down. There were exam procedures to run (with a tiny, overlapping hitch of removing one of the candidates from the roster), there was the bonfire to arrange. Selina’s heart hurt, but those feelings had to be packed away in the interests of keeping everything moving. Rather than having an acute attack of tears or sorrow, she carried it like a chronic weight throughout the week—the deep, dragging and ever present sensation of something being very wrong. The feeling spiked whenever her mind circled back around and actively thought about the situation, but then she put it away again.

It was both on her mind and distant from it as she prepared to welcome students to the bonfire. This was about everyone. It was a celebration. It needed her attention. But the ritual she’d been trying to work out had only just crystalised in the last few days, and she couldn’t say how connected it was to recent events.

“Good evening,” she greeted the assembled students. “Welcome to the end of term bonfire. As usual, we will have food available, including items you can cook over the small fires around the edge. We will be reserving the large fire in the middle for setting positive intentions.” Selina indicated the large bonfire in the middle. Around it, at a distance, sat smaller ones to make cooking easier, and so as to not muddle the purpose of the main fire—if fire was power and purity, then shoving a baked potato or a marshmallow into it wasn’t really appropriate. “Whilst fire can be destructive, and can be used to burn away things you want rid of, in many cultures, fire is seen as offering power. The idea of burning a wish in fire is said to transport the idea out of this realm, and lend it strength. Tonight, you are encouraged to make a wish on behalf of a classmate.” This was the part that had come to her in the last few days. The idea of setting a positive intention using the fire had been knocking around her mind for a long time, but teenagers often wished for selfish or unrealistic things for themselves—wishing someone would date you didn’t respect their free will, and wishing that you could get the best grades in the class couldn’t work if everyone wanted it. Not that the wishes would really have the power to make those things happen, but it didn’t feel like a positive act when Selina had so many concerns about what might be wished for. Hopefully, by transferring the focus to other people, they would give it more careful thought. It also carried a message of caring and community, which felt like a stronger message to send. “This ritual is optional. You may choose not to participate, or to offer wishes for multiple people. Other than that, you are free to enjoy the fire, socialise with friends, and enjoy the snacks.

“As a reminder, it’s a minimum of three per tent and no maximum. Please register your group with an adult by eight pm so we know that everyone is accounted for and can start assigning tents.

“Enjoy your evening.”

Subthreads:

I wish I'd been a better sister by Robyn Lundstrom with Patience Reed-Fischer

A Brief Moment in Paradise by Reighleigh Mae Thorn

Thinking of others by Lazarus Jareau-Fletcher with Leviosa Scurlock

The first year Aladrens and me? by Alexander Pierce with Quillan Arcadius, Desmond Brockert, Nicholas Pierce

We are doing what now? by Nausicaa Scapetello

This might be a little awkward (tag Chris) by Lenny Pierce with Christopher Brockert

Food! by Samara Crosby with Misty Brockert

We need to talk. [tag: Val] by Bonabelle Row with Valentine Duell

Here at the end of all things (Phillipe) by Jasper Brockert with Philippe Delachene

Back where it all began (tag Quincy) by Bertie Jackson

This is so much fun! (Yarielis) by Piper Wilson with Yaniel Ayala Velez

I wish everyone would go away by Olaf Brockert with Phil Carson

A quiet realisation by Yaniel Ayala Velez

This is nice. by Ida Stanford

Happiness for some, I guess by Iris Cobb

Just lingering by the fire by Lyla Holland with Gwendolyn Brockert

An important wish by Ian Malone

Gaming was good by Bertie Jackson with Philippe Delachene, Valentine Duell

13 Selina Skies The Bonfire - Make a Wish 26 1 5

Alexander Pierce

May 08, 2023 9:08 PM

The first year Aladrens and me? by Alexander Pierce

Alexander arrived at the bonfire, with a pretty solid plan for who he wanted to tent with. Nicholas was an obvious choice that hardly bore mentioning, and the only reason he did think it specifically was because they hadn't been sharing a room for most of this year. He was mostly okay with that now, but it had definitely required an adjustment.

Two, however, was a forbidden number. Tents started at three people and moved up from there. They needed more than just the two of them. But that was fine. There were other people here they both liked. The first year Aladren boys were a good set. He played Quidditch with Quillan, and chess with both of them. Anyone who liked chess was worth sharing a tent with.

He arrived on the Pitch with his overnight bag. He had considered waiting for Ida so the two Crotali of their year could walk into the bonfire together, but he was anxious about securing his overnight arrangements, and sent her a mental apology and just headed out by himself. He'd try to meet up with her at some point tonight, but first he needed to make sure his plan got put into motion before somebody else decided Quillan and Desmond were good potential tentmates. He really should have talked about this with them earlier, but it had never seemed like quite the right time.

So he entered into the gathering crowd with a mission. He wasn't sure if they'd all walked in together as a roommate group - Alexander couldn't help a frisson of envy that they got to share a room with each other all the time while he was alone in his, though that had its own advantages, too - or if he just got lucky while they were passing near to each other, but he approached the three first year Aladrens. "Hello! Did the four of us want to stake out a tent somewhere before all the good ones go?" He was pretty sure the tents were all fairly equal to one another in quality - in as much as a tent could be considered of good quality - but they did have a variety of outside appearances, and he thought that if he phrased it like a done deal, they wouldn't question him being a part of their group.

1 Alexander Pierce The first year Aladrens and me? 1566 0 5

Quillan Arcadius

May 09, 2023 11:52 PM

Obviously by Quillan Arcadius

Quillan was excited for the bonfire—as he expected everyone else was. After all, what was there not to like? There was a big fire. He couldn’t quite identify why that was so appealing, but it was. Perhaps it was some primal level that he was supposed to have civilised past, but given that adults were sanctioning enjoying the pretty, dancing warmth, he couldn’t see the harm. There was food. Perhaps a little rustic, but one was allowed to bend the rules of fine dining just a fraction for things like picnics. And he would get to camp out with his friends, which would be just like sleeping in their dorm, but with Alexander joining them, and the stars above. It all sounded great.

And, presumably, had minimal to no required reading. He could fake looking through a book if they had down time where everyone was doing that, but he was unlikely to be caught out by how much he struggled with it. That was another reason why he liked the idea of the bonfire—it symbolised the end of his first year, which he had survived. Maybe even more than that. He wouldn’t say he was quite thriving as he had with his personal tutor, who could tailor everything to his way of doing things, but his work arounds were working well enough for now, and he had friends and Quidditch—things he wouldn’t have had if he’d been privately tutored at home.

He made his way to the pitch with his roommates, though wasn’t surprised that Alexander found them before they’d really had a chance to do much other than be welcomed to the event.

“I don’t know how much choice we get,” he said, when Alexander asked about scoping out the tents. “But we could register our group with Professor Skies and then ask if we’re allowed to scope them out a bit.” Getting everything settled and sorted sounded like a good first step, and he was keen to see where they were sleeping. “It’ll be good to see what they’re like at any rate.

"Do we want to do the fire thing?" he asked. Much as he didn't want to introduce writing into his evening, it was one sentence, and one he presumably wouldn't have to show to anyone. "I know it's not real, but my sister will be starting next year, and I'm sure she'll think I've done her terribly wrong if I don't at least try putting luck on her side where I can." He said it with a smile, sure that Ursula wouldn't really have a major strop over it, but he would feel like a bad brother if he didn't cast a wish for her. And hopefully it being to appease a baby sister covered any issues with it being 'immature' or not properly intellectual and Aladren-like.

OOC: OOC - you can assume that Professor Skies takes their registration and tells them that, yes, they are welcome to have a nose around the tents if they want to.

13 Quillan Arcadius Obviously 1570 0 5

Desmond Brockert

May 10, 2023 9:38 AM

Of course! by Desmond Brockert

OOC: CW-some ambiguous victim blaming BIC:

Desmond was not entirely sure about this sleeping outside in a tent thing. His family did not camp. The idea of Mother with her designer clothes and manicured nails sleeping on the ground was quite ludicrous and Father preferred to do something a bit more intellectual. Something that used brains rather than-ugh-brawn.Desmond.had always associated camping with more…sporty types. Like one had to be physically tough to face the elements and survive in the wilderness. That was so not his thing at all. While he did not consider himself weak , he very much felt intellectual pursuits were more important, more worthwhile.

Besides, the Quidditch pitch was hardly the “wilderness”. True, it was not Desmond’s favorite place but nor was this something where they had to be out in the middle of the woods worrying about wild animals attacking, just the Pecaris (and Leo) playing stupid pranks. Which was actually something that he found far more appalling. Actual literal wild animals could not help themselves. Humans who acted like that had chosen to behave in such a manner.

To be honest, though, the idea of actually sleeping out in the woods kind of scared him. Like even though the more obnoxious poorly behaved students might irritate him and he felt that they needed to take responsibility for their behavior and make better choices, at least they would not eat him or give him rabies.

At least Desmond had friends to share his tent with. He was sure that he would be with his roommates and Alexander. As much as he sort of…worried that they would become closer to each other than to him because they all-for some unfathomable reason-all played Quidditch and he didn’t. At the same time though, he had to wonder if Alexander felt similar because the rest of them were Aladrens and he was a Crotalus. Although Nicholas was his twin brother so they would always have a stronger bond with each other than they would with him or Quillan.

It must have been nice though to have a sibling like that. One that you could have a true connection with. Part of him wished that he had someone like that, someone in his family that he could discuss intellectual topics with and that he could be proud of. Okay, he had his father, but someone closer to his age. Instead, Desmond got Liesl who was interested in all the wrong things-and he didn’t mean that in a way she just wasn’t an intellectual, he meant she was odd and embarrassing- and Olaf, who was super intelligent but seemed to want to be a hermit.

But maybe he could have that with his friends. He knew how lucky he was, some people got into year groups where they were the odd one out like Angelique, who still moaned about her Sonora years in a melodramatic manner even though she was super popular in pureblood circles and happily married. Still, Desmond knew it must have been rough to spend seven years stuck with people you had nothing in common with, even though he sort of thought his cousin should let it go. He would personally have not fared well with that group either.

Although, one who was on the outside looking in would think his classmates were the same as Angelique’s, a bunch of jocks, but honestly, they were people he really did feel like he had a lot in common with even if they did play Quidditch and he did genuinely like them. They were intellectuals like him, not people like Leo.

Desmond arrived on the Quidditch pitch with his two roommates where the three of them were quickly found by Alexander who suggested that they stake out a tent. Quillan then suggested they register with Professor Skies. “That sounds like an excellent idea” He was less certain about this whole thing than Quillan seemed to be, and seeing the tents might help him feel a little better.

Then Quillan brought up the Bonfire ritual and wishing for something good for his sister. Which was really nice of him although Professor Skies had said classmates and Quillan’s sister wasn’t even a student yet. And classmates indicated who you were in classes with, so making wishes for the other Beginners.

However, then Desmond spotted Liesl, dressed in what he thought might be one of the Challenge outfits that Uncle Cory had bought for her, a t-shirt with an eye on it and some leggings that had a pattern of bats. Which was her comfortable clothing look and still cringey from his perspective. Possibly more so than her usual gothic style since it was so…relaxed. Which admittedly made sense given the environment because certainly nobody would want to get their good clothes dirty . Even he was dressed somewhat casually just not to the level of his older sister.

If only Liesl would just be…normal. Her life would be easier. And so would his. He genuinely believed that would be the right thing and for her own good. Mother would stop being mad if the fourth year just behaved herself instead of constantly making things worse and bringing these problems on herself “I might do it for my sister too. My older one.” He had decided to admit to being Liesl’s brother earlier in the year because it felt wrong to lie about it and there were a lot of people who could easily blow his cover on that. Jasper would probably do it on purpose too since he’d become so protective of Liesl and would be pretty mad at Desmond if he pretended that.

He continued ““My younger sister won’t be here for a few more years. However, my cousin Alma will be here next year so she’ll be in the same year as your sister, Quillan.” Technically Alma was a second cousin once removed but they still actually knew each other, as opposed to say, Charlotte or Misty. Still, he thought Quillan might think Alma was a first cousin,because non-Brockert people immediately assumed that you meant a first cousin, whereas Brockerts said “first cousin” when talking about first cousins and just ‘cousin’ for the distant ones or they added “distant cousin”. So from Desmond’s point of view, Uncle Cory’s children and Uncle Judah’s children were first cousins, Alma was a cousin and Charlotte and Misty were distant cousins.

However, he was pretty sure that other people didn’t think that way. Desmond wondered if he should be specific about his relation to Alma. Not that it was a big deal really but it bothered him a good deal when something was inaccurate. It bothered him to his very core.

11 Desmond Brockert Of course! 1572 0 5

Nicholas Pierce

May 12, 2023 7:52 PM

All my roommates in agreement, excellent! by Nicholas Pierce

Nicholas was excited about the Bonfire for two reasons.

I. One, of course, was that it was simply a new experience. The whole school, outside, at the same time, after hours, and something was going to be set on fire? He had a vague feeling this wasn’t as interesting as it seemed to him, but it still seemed pretty interesting to him, and that was all that mattered.

II. Leaving the dorms meant not being limited to association with their Housemates, and that meant more time with his brother. Obviously, this was a good thing. His only slight reservation was that it seemed likely his school roommates would join him and his home roommate, and it wasn’t guaranteed, after all, that this would go well. There was no reason for it to not go well, since they were all friends anyway, but he felt vaguely like he needed to micro-manage something right now and he didn’t know what that thing was, which was...a little uncomfortable, when he thought about it for a minute.

Thinking about the same unsolvable problem for too long, though, wasn’t really his style, so for the most part, he was just excited about the Bonfire. It was going to be novel, it was going to be fun, and then tomorrow, he got to go home. He knew he might well miss Quillan and Desmond at this point, just from sheer accustomed-ness, and that he wasn’t going to be anything like exempt from homework, but...he liked being at home. He liked his parents and his grandparents. He liked not worrying too much about Reputations and Family Honor and such things when he was just eating his dinner. He didn’t even necessarily mind going to the Main House, higher on the mountain, when they had to do that – he knew that the adults could all be...tense, sometimes, when they had to do that, but that didn’t often affect him directly and it was interesting, sometimes, seeing the museum-like demonstrations of the really old things that had belonged to Great-Great-Grandfather or Aunt Berta, or to talk to Berta or Hamlet. So today was good, and tomorrow was sure to be good, so what was there to not be excited about?

Alexander found them quickly, which got things off to a good start. Quillan and Desmond and Professor Skies all proved agreeable, which continued the trend of things going well. He listened with interest as Quillan and Desmond talked about their sisters, both older and younger, as the subject of the actual purpose of the Bonfire came up. This was always an interesting topic to him, since he was a twin and therefore in an at least slightly less-than-normal middle ground – he had a sibling, but had no idea (despite Alexander’s occasional insistence that a difference of six minutes was even worth noting in any context other than “a meteor hit Mt. Pierce and nobody’s left but us four, so now Dad’s head of the family and Alexander...well, he can’t have the heir’s house right now, because it and Wesley and the Other Alicia all just got flattened because of the meteor and also because Alexander is still eleven, but when he grows up and we rebuild it, then being six minutes older means he gets the heir’s house”) what it was like to be a younger sibling or an older sibling.

“I think it’s going to be a long time before anyone else from our family shows up here,” he commented after Desmond talked about his cousin being close in age to Ursula Arcadius. “And we don’t have any sisters, so….” He raised his eyebrows as he looked at his brother. “Is there anything you really, really want to happen next year?” he asked, leaving the determination of whether he was half-joking or fully joking to be determined in light of Alexander’s response.

16 Nicholas Pierce All my roommates in agreement, excellent! 1565 0 5