Fire (nm) on Quidditch Pitch

Headmaster Brockert

July 13, 2014 4:45 PM

Bonfire! by Headmaster Brockert

His first year as Headmaster had not been easy, and while Mortimer wasn't necessarily all about doing things the easy way, this had been completely, unreasonably difficult through no fault of his own. It was that blasted Charms facility. They had basically made everyone's life miserable, and he hoped they paid dearly. They might have apologized but he had some ideas of where they could stick their bloody apology.

It had made Mortimer's work load increase, getting matters with that sorted out and while Selina had helped him tremedously, she couldn't do everything either. They'd been buried in paper work regarding the incident. Therefore, the staff hadn't been able to get done the stuff that had to be done, and normally would have been. It irked him a great deal. Mortimer supposed he could have asked the rest of the staff to help more, but he'd been embarrassed enough to have to ask Selina.

The day had started with a "field day". Initially, the Headmaster had not known what that meant and his nephew, Toby, whose idea it was, had had to explain it to him. Apparently, it was a day when students would play silly games. How quaint. Still, it was a miracle that they'd come up with anything at all, besides the giant fire and camping out on the Pitch. Mortimer supposed he was glad it was good for something yet, since Quidditch no longer seemed to be as big a deal at Sonora as it once had been.

There were five events that students could participate in. A sack race, where students jumped around in sacks. An egg and broom race, which was a relay race where teams of four students, flew around passing an egg back and forth. A hot dog eating contest, which allowed students to engage in gluttony and jam as many hot dogs down their gullets in a certain amount of time. If they threw up before time was over, they were out. A three-legged race, where apparently, two students would be tied together and...race. Finally, students could enter in a scavenger hunt. This event took place in the Labyrinth Gardens on the grounds that it would be more interesting than running around the pitch. House points and prizes would be awarded. Mortimer had to admit, to himself only of course, that watching these things might be kind of fun. None of the events were mandatory, and students who didn't want to participate could spend the time watching or talking to each other.

Once night had fallen, Mortimer addressed the crowd, giving them the basic information, as he had earlier in the day. Two speeches in one day did not thrill him. Obviously, he wasn't afraid of public speaking, he just found it a more irritating part of his job. He had to be...pleasant and relatively cheerful. Things that went against his basic nature. Eventually, Mortimer would probably accquire better acting skills, but not right now. He did, however, manage to make his face more neutral and less...sarcastic and borderline sinister looking. The Headmaster even managed to force a smile, probably, in part, because such a difficult year was over.

"Welcome to tonight's annual Midsummer Event, the bonfire. I hope you all had fun." He hoped that didn't come across sarcastic, Mortimer actually somewhat meant it. Happy students were a good thing. Especially as the next part would probably not make some people too happy. "I regret to inform you that due to previously unforseen circumstances, we are unable to announce the Head Students and House point winners at this time." Bloody experimental charms facility, he resented it wholeheartedly, and hoped the incompetent institution was closed down. "In part though, the house points have not been totalled yet as we are still going through today's events and awarding points from that. Head Students will be announced at next year's Opening Feast" This part was true, and hopefully at least the smarter and more logical students would be able to realize it. "Dinner will be served shortly." It would be a buffet style event, which would include organic, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan food-apparently a new policy- as well as the normal yet not fancy fare. One food however, would not be served. Hot dogs. He figured students would have had enough of them. "Then the bonfire will begin. One more thing, I would like to congratulate the seventh and fifth years on successful completion of their exams. Go enjoy your meals" With that, Mortimer released the students to their meals and conversations, while yearbooks were handed out.

OOC-I apologize profusely for the lack of House winners and Head Student winners. While Morimer blames the earlier plot IC, I do not and accept full responsibility. House points will be awarded to all those participating in events, much like in classes. The yearbook link will be provided on the OOC board this week, by Amelle who has kindly continued to manage this. Please thank her, once the link goes up, as she did this on her own and most likely spent a good deal of time on it. Please do not burn yourself, as the staff would be watching and prevent any catastrophic events, as well as serious injuries during the events. The scavenger hunt will be posted in the Gardens. Have fun!

Subthreads:

Hot Dog Eating Contest. (nm) by Headmaster Brockert with Aria Yale

Egg and Broom Race (nm) by Headmaster Brockert

Sack Race (nm) by Headmaster Brockert with Charlie B-F-R, Teppenpaw, Clark Dill, Aladren

Three Legged Race (nm) by Headmaster Brockert with Wendy Canterbury, Rupert Princeton, Wendy

Fire (nm) by Headmaster Brockert with Waverly Canterbury, Henny B-F-R, Effie Arbon, Charlotte Spencer, Arabella Brockert

11 Headmaster Brockert Bonfire! 6 Headmaster Brockert 1 5

Headmaster Brockert

July 13, 2014 4:46 PM

Hot Dog Eating Contest. (nm) by Headmaster Brockert

11 Headmaster Brockert Hot Dog Eating Contest. (nm) 6 Headmaster Brockert 0 5

Headmaster Brockert

July 13, 2014 4:47 PM

Egg and Broom Race (nm) by Headmaster Brockert

11 Headmaster Brockert Egg and Broom Race (nm) 6 Headmaster Brockert 0 5

Headmaster Brockert

July 13, 2014 4:47 PM

Sack Race (nm) by Headmaster Brockert

11 Headmaster Brockert Sack Race (nm) 6 Headmaster Brockert 0 5

Headmaster Brockert

July 13, 2014 4:48 PM

Three Legged Race (nm) by Headmaster Brockert

11 Headmaster Brockert Three Legged Race (nm) 6 Headmaster Brockert 0 5

Headmaster Brockert

July 13, 2014 5:21 PM

Fire (nm) by Headmaster Brockert

11 Headmaster Brockert Fire (nm) 6 Headmaster Brockert 0 5

Wendy Canterbury

July 15, 2014 10:53 PM

Looking for Rupert by Wendy Canterbury

It had been one crazy year and Wendy was almost glad it was over. The freedom from academia had thrown her off a little, but it wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't had the responsibilities of a Prefect. It was flattering the professors thought she could handle the work, but it was a lot and she had spent all winter break recuperating from the stress she had been under. Wendy had been looking forward to the Midsummer Bonfire all term and now that final exams were done, she was ready to relax and have fun. When she went back home, she'd be working at the bakery again, so she wanted to start her break as soon as she could.

The news that it was going to be a field day as opposed to a sit-down-and-talk bonfire was exciting. Wendy appeared on the Quidditch pitch in colorful harem pants and a plain white shirt, her blonde hair loose and a little longer than she usually liked it. Though she wasn't necessarily athletic, Wendy did love field days and running around playing games. The only problem with doing that in Arizona in the summers was the intense heat, but the evenings were a different story. Night tag had been one of her favorite games to play with her elementary school friends. Running around Phoenix at night wasn't exactly considered a safe activity, but she hadn't cared so much back then with both parents working late and Waverly watching over her. It was weird now that she was the one who was supposed to be in charge and making sure her classmates weren't making any silly mistakes. She still had to get used to it.

After hearing about the list of games that would be going on, Wendy decided to do the three-legged race. It was a game she had played several times before, making her a little more confident about it. Since she had grown a little older, Wendy was beginning to feel a little more self-conscious around people and didn't want to look stupid falling off her broom or throwing up after a hot dog eating contest.

As always, Wendy had arrived alone. She wasn't necessarily bothered by it, but it would be difficult to do a three-legged race by herself. She looked first to partner with Carter, having seen little of him this past year, but spotted Rupert first and ran over to catch him. "Hey Rup!" she greeted him, smiling. "Do you want to join the three-legged race? It'll be a ton of fun, I promise!"

Lately she had been spending a lot of time with this British kid and she liked him. Her sister liked to tease her about the boys she was friends with, but Wendy usually didn't mind her too much. Still, she couldn't help but think he was pretty cute.

19 Wendy Canterbury Looking for Rupert 245 Wendy Canterbury 0 5

Waverly Canterbury

July 16, 2014 1:12 AM

Saying my goodbyes by Waverly Canterbury

Just two weeks ago, Waverly had received her first rejection letter. It would have been a big blow, getting rejected from one of the five universities she had applied to, if she hadn’t already received three acceptances. Three out of five was not a terrible outcome, even fantastic since she had been accepted by her first choice. In September she would be moving out of Arizona for the first time to attend a magical university in North Carolina to pursue a career in Muggle Relations. It was a big step, both moving away and deciding to stay in the magical world, but this way she could keep the world she was born into close and practice her magic freely.

Sending her first deposit to the university hit a chord in Waverly’s heart, as if this was the sign of the end. Her secondary schooling was going to be over very soon, and on paper she was moving on though her heart was still trying to catch up.

There were lots of things on Waverly’s mind as she walked onto the pitch, feeling somewhat sad, a little excited, and very sentimental. After she had finished taking her final exams, she had gone back to her dorm room and cried. It was stupid, crying, but now everything was officially finished. Her bags were almost all packed, her duties as Prefect done, and she had nothing left to do but enjoy herself. Though bonfires were supposed to be a low-key event, Waverly had dressed up anyway in an emerald green dress with a gold necklace, her brown hair tied in a side ponytail and her favorite pearls hanging on her ears. The world felt surreal as she walked in her gold sandals, feeling the grass brush against her feet. It seemed as though everything was saying goodbye.

It was a happy event, almost like a fair or the field days back in elementary school, and Waverly watched everything with forlorn eyes. Goodbye, goodbye. She would find her friends later on, but at the moment she reflected back on her seven years at Sonora. She had met so many wonderful people, had been introduced into this world at such a young age; she had discovered powers and a work ethic that never would have been awakened in a regular high school. She had come in as a young, naïve girl; she was leaving as an accomplished, studious witch. More than ever she wished Jorge hadn’t left so prematurely. She would have liked to say a proper goodbye to him and Jade, they being the first two classmates she had ever encountered here. Waverly liked bookends, but it seemed as though she wasn’t going to get a full one this time around.

As she walked around, hoping to bump into one of her friends soon, she decided to stop by the bonfire and warm herself a little. Though she knew there were magical weather charms around the school, Arizona nights were still chilly. As she warmed her arms, Waverly noticed someone standing next to her. “This year passed by pretty fast, don’t you think?” she commented, her bright green eyes reflecting the firelight.

19 Waverly Canterbury Saying my goodbyes 218 Waverly Canterbury 0 5

Henny B-F-R

July 16, 2014 5:23 AM

It hasn't been seven years (tag Alicia, Thad and/or Ceph) by Henny B-F-R

Henny tucked her yearbook under her arm, wanting to save it for a moment down the line when she needed something to cheer her up. Perhaps the wagon ride home. It was strange to think she would get on there tomorrow and not return here at the end of the summer. Instead, she'd be heading to Boston to start her literature degree. It was at a magical university but the programme was quite liberal and also included Muggle literature, and comparisons between the two, which had always been an area that interested her.

She was excited about the possibility of meeting a new group of people, and having a wider world than Sonora in which she might find people with whom she had more overlapping interests. However, that didn't mean saying goodbye to her old friends was any easier. In some cases, the only connection they had was Sonora, or some more specific part of it, like being Aladrens together. She could hold onto Waverly, their worlds overlapped. She hoped she would hold onto Alicia too. They had been best friends for seven years. That had to count for something and be more than a product of being in the same place at the same time. There were times though, when it wasn't going to outweigh the fact that she just wasn't on the right list of people to invite to parties in the circles that Alicia moved in. And Thad and Cepheus moved in the same ones. It would be far easier for the three of them to remain friends with each other than it would be for them to remain so with her. At times that made her bitter, at times simply sad. Sometimes she just resigned herself to it. Tonight though, she was determined not to be maudlin. She was determined to make the most of the pleasure of that company one more time.

Spotting a familiar face, she made her way over.

“This is it,” she commented. It was hard to know what to say to sum up seven years and the fact it was all coming to a close. “Does it feel strange to you?”

13 Henny B-F-R It hasn't been seven years (tag Alicia, Thad and/or Ceph) 211 Henny B-F-R 0 5

Effie Arbon

July 16, 2014 6:40 AM

What the world makes of us by Effie Arbon

Effie was hungry after a day roaming around the outdoors, which she had taken the scavenger hunt as leave to do. She was under no illusions that she would have won any prizes for efforts, as she hadn't torn round as fast as she could manage. Instead, she taken the time to enjoy a leisurely and lengthy walk, keeping her eyes open for items on the list. However, when the speech ended, there was bound to be a scrum for the buffet table and she had no desire to be rudely elbowed around by people she wouldn't usually condescend to be within a yard of. Therefore, she took her yearbook and settled herself delicately by the fire. She had deliberately avoided light colours for the occasion, knowing the risk attached to this event of grass stains and smoke. She had opted for a green lacey dress with an a-line skirt that fell just below her knees. It was sleeveless with a small white collar.

She kicked off her black pumps enjoying the feeling of the grass between her toes. School had allowed her to become more comfortable with such informalities even in the presence of proper company. The company was proper but the event was not, and thus little breaks in what was strictly decorous were allowed.

She studied yearbook. It seemed her yearmates deemed her to be serious and princess-like – and a pretty princess at that. Whilst it didn't strictly matter – it wasn't like it was the society pages – it was nice to be well thought of. It was especially nice to know that someone thought her pretty, and she wondered who it was. Effie's face was pleasing, in a startled deer-ish sort of way. With her large eyes, set in a pale face, it was possible to see why someone would find her attractive, though she was very definitely of a type, and not the sort of girl who would appeal universally.

She returned her attention the yearbook's pages, wondering how Araceli would fair next year. Bashful leapt out. Perhaps well behaved if people noticed her sufficiently for that, and if she wasn't deemed ill-mannered by society types. Araceli had all the correct knowledge of etiquette but when it came to applying it, she tended to fluff it. Effie could see if was merely shyness getting the better of her but she worried how it might come off to others. Really, her sister had many things to offer – she was sweet and caring, and a very good musician, but Effie doubted many people would get to see that side of her.

With a sigh, she closed the yearbook. Slipping her shoes back on, she stood, turning to go towards the buffet table, only to find herself face to face with someone who had been heading in her direction.

13 Effie Arbon What the world makes of us 238 Effie Arbon 0 5

Rupert Princeton

July 16, 2014 7:28 AM

Looking for Wendy. by Rupert Princeton

It was almost time for the term to end and Rupert was looking forward to the summer. This year had been much too intense for his liking, what with a magical mishap in the beginning, an overwhelming amount of work in his classes, his exercise and studying for his CATS. Upon finishing his exams, Rup would have liked to sleep for days to recuperate from the mentally stressful weeks that had passed, but the bonfire was instead thrust upon him and he was obliged to attend. Any normal day Rup would have been delighted to find games to exercise the competitive spirit that had been suppressed all year, but today he wasn’t in the mood.

He walked around with his hands in his pockets after dinner, unusually reserved. Anyone could have mistaken him for one of his less enthusiastic brothers, disregarding his colourful trousers. His white shirt, green trousers and loafers made up an unusually conservative ensemble for him, but today wasn’t really about dressing up to impress his peers. Rup waved at some of the friends he saw as he wandered aimlessly, keeping an eye out for a particular blonde head.

Rup had taken a look at the yearbook before his wandering. They had captured a good photograph of him, not to mention the flattering ones of Wendy and her sister. The awards had always been most interesting, and Rup was amused to find Cepheus under the criminal category. It was a promising start for the future patriarch. Unsurprisingly, Rup had been excluded from the Class Gentlemen category, though he wasn’t certain what defined a gentleman or princess. Perhaps conservative clothing, pure blood and a reserved demeanour? In any case, it wasn’t exactly a coveted award and so Rupert moved on.

All of the Princetons had received the title of Class Flirt, and Rupert tried not to laugh. Wouldn’t Mummy be proud of her attractive sons. The category of Best Couple attracted his eye next, and he found his photo staring back at him next to Wendy’s. That was when he shut the book and commenced his wandering.

It was beginning to get a little dull and he had only been wandering for a bit. Maybe in a few minutes if he didn’t run into any of his mates he would head back up to his dormitory. In just a few, the blonde head he had subconsciously been searching for popped up, surprising him. Her enthusiastic greeting lifted his spirits slightly and he smiled before furrowing his brows. “A three legged race? How do you play that?” He imagined a bit of magic attaching a third leg to him and the uncomfortable rush to the finish as a three-legged mammal. It was amusing to imagine.

Though he was tired, Rup thought he could spare some energy on a game for her sake. “Regardless, I’d be happy to join. Lead the way, Wendy!”

40 Rupert Princeton Looking for Wendy. 248 Rupert Princeton 0 5

Wendy

July 18, 2014 2:04 AM

Lucky we found each other! by Wendy

“You’ve never done a three-legged race before?” Wendy asked, her eyes wide. “Then we have to play!” She took his hand and led him along, releasing him once she was sure he was following. “The rules are simple: one of your legs is tied to one of my legs and then we have to run to the finish together. It’s a popular game at picnics and summer camps where I’m from.” By that she meant the muggle world of course, since she wasn’t exactly from a foreign country or anything like he was.

When she had approached Rupert, he had seemed a little out of it. “Are you okay? You look tired.” Maybe he was just having a bad day. Playing a game would snap him out of it, she hoped, unless he passed out from weariness or something like that. Wendy wasn’t sure what she would do if that suddenly happened. Or maybe he didn’t want to leave Sonora which was why he looked sad. Wendy didn’t know much about his family, but she knew that their siblings were both seventh-years that would be leaving school soon. Waverly was going to college in another state and Wendy would miss her dearly, but at least Wendy had her friends back home and her parents to keep her company. Did Rupert have all that at home too, or did he like Sonora better? Was he going to miss his brother? Wendy didn’t know all that much about pureblood families, but apparently not all of them were nice, or so Waverly had told her.

Whatever the reason was for his melancholy, Wendy wanted to make him feel better. “I’m looking forward to going back home and sleeping forever,” she said, feeling chatty. “I feel like I need a break after all this craze that’s been happening around here. It’ll be nice to see my friends back home too.”

The three-legged race was being prepared and she took a piece of sturdy yarn to firmly tie their legs together: her right leg and his left. Then she put her arm around his waist since she was shorter than him and smiled. “Ready to do this?” she asked. “I don’t think we get anything but fame and glory if we win, but that doesn’t seem like such a bad prize, don’t you think? Let’s practice walking around.”

A few minutes later and the race was about to start, so Wendy walked them over to the start line. At the spark of the wand signaling the beginning of the race, Wendy began to speed walk, hoping they wouldn’t trip over themselves too badly.

0 Wendy Lucky we found each other! 0 Wendy 0 5

Charlie B-F-R, Teppenpaw

July 20, 2014 10:47 AM

I hear Hessian's in this year... by Charlie B-F-R, Teppenpaw

The second half of the year had been a relatively pleasant whirl of not much, as far as Charlie was concerned. Sure, the teachers were piling the work on them, and there was a lot of catching up to do but he didn't have any important exams, so he'd tried not to let the crazy pace affect him too much. It was also a relief to have the teachers back. He hadn't really been responsible for anything during the first term, but the situation with Leo had made him uneasy and, overall, he just liked law and order. Before he knew it, it was the midsummer event, which was usually fun. This year's would be a little bittersweet as it was Henny's last one, though it was more likely the wagon journey tomorrow that would bring that to his attention, or perhaps the one back after summer without her. He planned to leave her to enjoy the bonfire with her friends.

Charlie was not an inherently sporty person. He could get a decent burst of speed on if he wanted to run but... well, he rarely wanted to. It also didn't help that at his previous school all of the boys who'd played sports at lunchtime had been the kind who picked on him, so he'd tended to hang out around the periphery of the playground whispering and swapping secrets with the girls. Still, the races on offer today did not sound overly serious, and would definitely be more fun to be involved in than merely sitting at the side watching, so he signed up for the sack race.

When his heat was called, he went to the line. There was one distinct sartorial disadvantage to this race, he thought, as he eyed up his less than stylish mode of transport. He glanced left and right at his peers stepping into the ugly things and pulling them up around their legs....

And now, on the catwalk, we have the new collection from Le Sac, he thought to himself, as he placed his elegantly shod feet into the bag, The predominant fabric is Hessian, a controversial choice, as are the bold, mainly shapeless designs. Some are calling it an exciting innovation, others are saying that... well, it looks like a bunch of people in potato sacks.

He snapped back to reality as the whistle blew, gripping the sack firmly and jumping forward with enthusiasm and gusto for at least the first few paces. Then he remembered how tiring sack races were, and how much effort was required to move oneself what seemed like the most pathetic of distances. The track, which had previously looked relatively short, seemed to stretch out before him and his little hops seemed to move him barely any closer to the finish line.

He pushed on, finding it was easier once he got into a rhythm instead of just manically going for it as hard as he could, and eventually huffed and puffed his way over the finishing line. Now added to his unflattering attire was, in all likelihood, a bright red face. He could feel the sweat along his browline. Ugh, racing might be 'fun' but it was a decidedly unattractive endeavour, he thought, as he gratefully stepped out of his sack. He didn't think he'd shamed himself terribly – probably somewhere around the middle of his group, but probably just below the cut off for going forwards. It wasn't a loss that hurt him terribly.

“That's probably enough looking like an idiot for one day,” he commented to his neighbour. “Well, for me anyway. Are you going in for anything else?”

13 Charlie B-F-R, Teppenpaw I hear Hessian's in this year... 252 Charlie B-F-R, Teppenpaw 0 5

Alicia Bauer

July 20, 2014 12:50 PM

Time flies when you're having fun. by Alicia Bauer

Even though the reality, the finality, of the next day’s departure had not set in yet, Alicia had to work hard to keep her cheery social smile in place at times during the Fair. If the future had looked as bleak as it had at the end of December, she was not sure she could have stood it, and even the knowledge that she had a happy, productive future to look forward to did little to alleviate the occasional waves of panic. She had gotten so used to thinking of this as the only part of her life that was going to be good at all that the idea of facing the next hundred and twenty years away from it was daunting.

She had gotten gloomy enough at one point to participate in a sack race. Dignified such an event was not, but swearing at the bag, her dress, and her hair when it fell forward in her face had at least taken her mind off her separation anxiety for a while, and since everyone else had been laughing, she had laughed, too, hoping the old trick of acting happy would make her happier even though she was annoyed to have not won. It was her last night as Head Girl, she had to make it count, even if she didn’t have a specific successor to inspire yet.

Personally, she was betting on Aria Yale. Aria was bizarre and incomprehensible, but she was at least vocal – something Alicia had to have a measure of respect for, now that she no longer felt like the world was on the line. It had been a little harder to keep things in the proper perspective when she’d thought she was one of the few things keeping the lunatics from running the asylum and Aria had liked to disagree with her, then she had occasionally harbored hostile thoughts toward the sixth year, but in the abstract, she approved of anyone with the guts to argue, though she’d prefer they only do it with her privately and over books.

She was eating cherry-vanilla ice cream when Henny approached and she smiled ruefully at her friend’s remark. “I’m trying not to think of it like that at all,” she said. “I’m planning to take almost everything I actually like around here – which includes you – with me.” She made a face. “But yes, it’s incredibly weird and I don’t like it and I want to just put all the teachers and little kids back in the teachers’ box so we can just stay here all together forever.”

That was the first time she had come close to saying something like that, she thought, unless she’d really started babbling to Cepheus at some point, but she had realized pretty early on that he had enough of his own problems this semester and had so tried to keep hers off his shoulders more than usual. That had left Henny as her confidante, the person she could say, if half-jokingly whether she meant it that way or not, things that were not strictly, completely, shiningly appropriate, if still not as much so as she might have with Ceph.

It was, she thought, funny that the member of her clique she was planning to marry was in some ways the one she was least comfortable being at all honest with. Aphrodite was often described as laughter-loving, but sometimes Alicia thought it must be mocking laughter, having a good chuckle at them all for making it harder to get the very things they wanted. At least she was getting better about it, she thought. In time….

“But we'll be all right,” she said. "We can survive anything, right? We've already handled what kind of looked like the end of the world for a while...."

16 Alicia Bauer Time flies when you're having fun. 210 Alicia Bauer 0 5

Clark Dill, Aladren

July 20, 2014 9:47 PM

I don't know what that word means... by Clark Dill, Aladren

The year had come to a close. Clark had gotten into a groove once the school was no longer threatened by alien kidnappers seeking to steal him back to their planet. Sure, the story was that it was some kind of Charms facility or some such, and the professors were stuck in some kind of detention area, but that was clearly just a cover story, and not even a very good one at that. Obviously, the professors had been busy fighting, and eventually driving away the alien menace.

Dad almost hadn't wanted him to come home for midterm, since Clark's identity had been discovered, and the teachers clearly had the ability to drive the extraterrestrials away, but nothing had happened over the Christmas break, so Dad hesitantly concluded that the aliens really had been truly defeated and Clark was safe, both at the school and at home. It was a travesty, really, that the people able to do such a thing had been given such a bad rap that everyone else thought they'd just been stuck in a little room for months on end, and unable to free themselves from such a place while a bunch of students ran the school in their absence.

Of course, those students were to be commended as well. Clark was pretty sure - but not by any means certain - that the Heads and prefects were unaware of the alien threat, but that they also hadn't had any real idea of what was going on so maybe alien invasion was one of their theories. Despite that uncertainty and without any adult supervision, they had maintained their cool and kept the school running and Clark felt, now that he'd had half a year with real teachers for comparison, that they'd done a pretty decent job of keeping the younger students' education going even under adverse circumstances.

But now it was the end of the year, with only a midsummer bonfire left between his first year at Sonora and summer vacation. The midsummer event cycle had been revived at the school while Dad had attended, so the bonfire itself wasn't a surprise, but the field day events planned throughout the day were.

Clark was twelve - or, at least, he had been legally twelve since last November, though that was mostly guesswork since Dad wasn't sure when his actual birthday really was, as he'd been born on a spaceship while his mom was abducted - so he had a slight disadvantage competing against the other students at the school who could be up to eighteen years old now. This had definitely kept him from the hot-dog eating contest because (a) his belly and appetite were not nearly as big as a teenager's and (b) eating too much made him sick which didn't sound like a fun way to spend the afternoon at all.

The other events were not quite as intimidating to go up against the older students in, but he figured his best chance was in the sack race. He was tall for his age, so he had a pretty decent jump speed, and he was still only twelve, so he didn't have as much dignity to get worked up over as some hormone beholden teenagers might. Plus, he had really like the sack races he'd run in elementary school, so he even had a little bit of practice and familiarity which he didn't think some of the purebloods had, which was a nice switch around for the muggleborns, he thought. It wasn't often at Sonora that they had the advantage.

Anyway, the blond boy lined up with the other sack contenders at the start line of his heat. He put one foot into the sack, then the other, pulling it up to his waist without the slightest twinge of self-doubt or embarrassment. His black t-shirt was still proudly visible above the sack, the thinkgeek design perfectly legible (in honor of the bonfire, he had chosen the one that read "Non-flammable? Challenge Accepted"; he also favored this one for potions class, though he wouldn't have dared if it wasn't normally hidden under his school robes). He gave a couple of experimental hops in place to get used to it, then leaned forward, ready for the race to begin.

Someone shouted "Go!" and he was off. Clark held the sack tight around his waist so it didn't fall off, gripping it at his navel as he surged forward, hopping at a good rate toward the finish line. He had a twelve year old's energy and an efficient jumping angle that brought him high enough to avoid ground friction but far enough horizontally to cover distance, and he whooped in excited joy as he hopped past a couple older students along the way.

Just before the finish, though, he got a little too enthusiastic and tripped over himself and he did a heels over head roll thing across the line that left him disoriented and dizzy so he wasn't quite sure if he won the heat or not, but he'd done well enough that he was pretty sure he'd advance if that tumble hadn't disqualified him for not hopping across the finish line.

He was still trying to figure out how to get up off his butt - the world was slowing down but still spinning, and his sack was wrapped tightly around him making it hard to move nevermind stand - when an older student asked if he was done looking like an idiot yet.

He grinned up at the guy, the world finally steadying now, "I'm not done yet," he disagreed, "Gotta at least stand first, then see if I made it to the next round, and, if not, maybe try the three legged race. Mind giving me a hand?" He held his own right hand up so the older boy could aid him by helping to pull him up to his feet again. Once he regained a vertical position, he should be able to just untwist the sack to get free of it.

1 Clark Dill, Aladren I don't know what that word means... 277 Clark Dill, Aladren 0 5

Aria Yale

July 20, 2014 10:08 PM

I don't understand the point of this. by Aria Yale

Aria had no plans of anything during the Field Day events or the bonfire. Her only goal was to find a tent that night and just wait to see who was left that would have to share with her. Other than that, she was just planning to wander around to see what was going on. Aria was not very close to anyone at Sonora, so she knew that she would be spending the day on her own, but did not take this in a negative way. She was rather used to doing things on her own now and merely looked forward to spending her summer with her friends back home.

Wearing a light-weight spaghetti strap romper shorts outfit that flowed gently with any breeze and hemp sandals, Aria walked slowly through the student body mass on the Quidditch pitch. She had decided to go back to her blonde hair and curls. She had enjoyed the straight red hair throughout the year, but she hadn’t felt completely herself with it. That morning, she had removed the charms from her hair and allowed the natural erratic curls to return to their full glory.

She had no idea what a ‘Field’ Day was, but after wandering around for a while, she came to the conclusion that it was just a bunch of random team games that people enjoyed to do. She thought they looked rather funny in the sacks or flying around with an egg on broom. She wasn’t sure if these were normal games for everyone; they never played them before while she was here. Still, if she had a partner for any of them, she wouldn’t mind giving the games a try.

As she wandered around the field, watching others enjoying the festivities, she paused in front of the hot dog eating contest. She was not sure what a ‘hot dog’ was, but by the looks and smell of the items in questions, she thought it was some sort of pork product. Being a non-meat eater, Aria had no intention of joining such a contest, but she was curious to know what it was about. She watched as others prepared for the contest. She did not understand how eating an odd looking item of food that had a weird smell would be fun for anyone, but it must be popular if the school decided to include it in their field day.

When the contest finally did begin, Aria regretted her curiosity to it. She watched as her peers began to shove the items of food into their mouths without really chewing. The thought of putting that into her mouth revolted her and she felt rather queasy standing in front of the table full of contestants. Aria brought her hands up and covered her mouth. She was too mesmerized by the disgust she was witnessing to actually move away from the contest and ease her discomfort. Just watching the contestants half chew on the meat, their cheeks puffed out to the point that they looked like chipmunks storing food for the winter, she nearly lost her appetite. “Why is this fun?” She asked the person beside her. “This is the most ghastly thing I have ever witnessed.”

6 Aria Yale I don't understand the point of this. 228 Aria Yale 0 5

Henny B-F-R

July 21, 2014 12:59 AM

Re: Time flies when you're having fun. by Henny B-F-R

Henny couldn't help the grin that flashed across her face at Alicia's plan. It was said jokingly, of course, but it contained confirmation of the issue that had caused her so much doubt... They talked about the future, of course, but she felt it had only ever been implied that she would be there. But Alicia was planning on taking her with her. In a metaphorical way, rather than the more literal way her joke made it sound, but she saw her as being there. It made Henny want to throw her arms around the other girl but she doubted that such public displays over the top affection would be very welcomed. Instead she slipped her hand through Alicia's and gave it a brief squeeze before disengaging again.

“That sounds like a good plan,” she managed, and then she had to stop talking because along with the big and very genuine grin on her face there were tears in her eyes and, if she spoke any more, she wasn't sure they'd stay put.

She gazed into the fire, trying to tune out all the thoughts that made her want to very pathetically and very publicly lose it. It was the end of school, not the end of the world and, as Alicia had confirmed, not the end of their friendship (though that was half the reason she was in danger of crying). Fire was hypnotic... It was a great way of thinking – just staring into the flames and letting your mind wonder. Unfortunately, that was precisely what she needed to not do right now. She needed something else to focus on.

“Mmm,” she nodded, to Alicia's comment about surviving the end of the world, brushing away the few tears that had made a bid for freedom.

“So,” she tried forcing herself to sound bright and focus on something else, “I saw you in the sack race. Did you go in for anything else?”

13 Henny B-F-R Re: Time flies when you're having fun. 211 Henny B-F-R 0 5

Charlotte Spencer

July 21, 2014 8:36 PM

Fortunate to Be Here. [friends?] by Charlotte Spencer

Just two days ago, Charlotte had received a letter from her mother that included sketches of dress robes and a list of tailors they were going to visit as soon as she returned to London. It was surprising how much Cassie had been doting on her lately, enough to make Charlotte feel almost embarrassed by the attention. The scare of the previous term had affected Cassie greatly, more than it had affected both of her children. If she, Adam and Uncle Corvus hadn’t so adamantly pushed for them to return to Sonora, Charlotte wouldn’t be here now. And all the fun she would have missed!

The Midsummer Bonfire was already bustling by the time Charlotte made her way down. She had sent notes to her friends, the few she did have, to meet her here, and she had made her way fashionably late. For the last event of the year, Charlotte had taken the time to curl her blonde hair and wear one of her nicer blue dress robes that would match her eyes. When she turned sixteen she would be allowed to wear makeup, but for now she accessorised the best she could without.

During the dinner when they received their yearbooks, Charlotte perused through it, blushing fiercely at the awards she had received for this year. Every one of her family members had been awarded Class Flirt, and Charlotte was offended by it. Was it because she talked often to a wizard? Or that she dressed well?

Charlotte should have realised even in the academic setting that witches and wizards could never merely be just friends. It was ludicrous to even imagine without there being some sort of romantic attachment. Only Charlotte highly doubted Adam saw either Ginny or Francesca as potential wives, and her oldest cousin, Cepheus, also had a close female friend, but he was romantically involved with another. Relationships were confusing, but regardless Charlotte did not want to be known as some lascivious flirt. It was below her status and dampened her mood slightly.

Once she was out on the pitch, still brooding a bit over the offensive award, she searched for her friends. She hated going anywhere on her own, her deepest fear being abandoned and forgotten whilst others were surrounded by their mates. She was grateful Adam had endured her company for so long, even if it was his duty as her older brother.

When she didn’t see any of her mates, Charlotte grew anxious. Had her note not reached them? Did they decide to slight her by abandoning her? She began to feel foolish for dressing up and arriving alone when she saw someone she knew approaching her. Her face brightened and she smiled in greeting, now feeling foolish for doubting them.

OOC: Wasn't certain who would consider Charlotte their friend besides Emrys, so stayed with the plural 'friends' in the post.

40 Charlotte Spencer Fortunate to Be Here. [friends?] 265 Charlotte Spencer 0 5

Rupert

July 21, 2014 9:10 PM

Now let's win this thing. by Rupert

It was strange how different the touch of one witch could be from all the others. Wendy released his hand before Rupert could even wrap his fingers around hers, but he followed along dutifully, looking forward to participating in an activity with her. Three-legged races did sound like a plausible game in the Muggle world, making Rup even more eager to play. Wendy certainly knew what would attract him.

She had noticed his tired expressions and he shook his head. "No, I'm all right. Just a bit tired from all the studying for CATS. I'm glad they're over." He smiled as if to reassure her that he would be fine. Wendy evidently took that as a sign to begin chatting, and Rup was fine to hear her talk instead. Normally it was Rup who was the chatty one, but he was glad for the break. "I completely agree," he replied, glad he wasn't the only one who felt weary. "I'm looking forward to sleeping for a good part of my summer."

Wendy took the initiative in tying them together and Rup watched her curiously. Her hair looked longer and she looked so pretty when she smiled. She put her arm around his waist and Rup cleared his throat before putting his arm around her waist in return. He wasn't easily embarrassed, but around Wendy his pale face did flush much easier. Rup was not nearly as tall and thin as Cepheus; he was stockier and stood at 177.8 centimetres, around 10 cm shorter than his older brother and his younger brother was catching up quickly. It would be a shame if Rup turned out to be the shortest Princeton, but he thought he'd still be the most athletic out of the three, and really, for a Beater that's what mattered.

"Doesn't sound like too bad of a prize," he replied. There was enough reward in simply walking around attached like this with Wendy. Their steps were unsteady and Rup almost tripped over their attached feet more than once. It was more difficult than it looked, walking like this.

Wendy soon led them back to the race and Rup smiled. "If things get too confusing, I'll carry you and get us to the finish," he offered. It wouldn't be too difficult carrying her. As a Beater, Rup had focused on working out his arms, and all of his exercise would certainly come in handy in scooping her up and getting them across. Just in case. Rupert didn't mind losing at times, but it still did scratch at his competitive soul just a bit when it did happen.

The race began and Wendy started them off on a walk. "Come on Wendy, let's try and go a little faster." He began to walk faster, hoping that soon they would get good enough to break into a run and reach the finish before everyone else.

0 Rupert Now let's win this thing. 0 Rupert 0 5

Alicia

July 21, 2014 9:50 PM

Repeating would be more fun, though. by Alicia

Alicia was not sure how Henny would react to her sentimentality, much less her desire to lock people back in the intruder confinement box, and was surprised when it was by approaching tears. Her eyes stung a little, too, as she squeezed Henny’s hand back, and she clenched her other hand in on itself so the pressure from her nails would help her get a grip. In private, tonight of all nights, it might not have mattered, but in public….

Well, public would always be public. Alicia was not sure she knew how to be completely genuine in public. Public was not her strong suit anyway. She did much better one-on-one, or at least with small groups. She thought she was almost okay with that now.

More, anyway, than she was with the idea of leaving. If anyone had ever told her she was going to truly miss sharing a room with another girl, she would have laughed, but she was going to miss that with Henny, at least. The other girls she would be happier without, but she’d gotten used to having someone around she could talk to, ask outfit opinions from (Thad was hardly badly-dressed, but she suspected his education did not extend to the ability to offer educated opinions about women’s fashions. Henny’s brother was going to have a very special kind of relationship someday if he ever decided to at least experiment with girls), and occasionally indulge in general girl talk with, in a way she never had felt comfortable doing with her two sisters.

She put a hand on Henny’s shoulder as her friend stared into the fire. A lot of things in her life were not making themselves at all difficult to walk away from, but her friends had always been exceptional.

Alicia laughed weakly when her performance in the sack race came up. “No, no. I think I got in my yearly quota of personal humiliation in just one event,” she said. Nervous energy. It could get the better of anyone, sometimes. “Did you participate in anything?” she asked.

16 Alicia Repeating would be more fun, though. 210 Alicia 0 5

Wendy

July 23, 2014 4:58 PM

Did we win? by Wendy

Wendy was pretty sure she understood how competitive athletes were. Normal people could be super competitive too without reason, but Wendy hadn't tapped into that side of herself. She wasn't athletic and usually avoided serious competitions. She liked picnic games and silly races because it was more for fun and not to be taken seriously.

That same mentality might not be the same for Rupert, but Wendy had only seen how serious he could be on the Quidditch pitch whenever Pecari played a game. Quidditch players had to be serious in order to decide to play such a dangerous game, she thought. Whenever Wendy saw a bludger approaching a fellow housemate too closely, she always covered her eyes. She couldn't imagine being the one on the receiving end of the iron ball or being under such pressure. There was no way Wendy could even imagine her pretty older sister playing this game, even though Waverly claimed she had her third year. It was madness, but maybe some people liked that. Rupert definitely seemed to.

His offer to carry her wasn't a bad idea; he could probably run faster if he just lifted her slightly and ran the rest of the way by himself. But that wouldn't be fair. This was all in fun, of course, nothing to take too seriously.

The pace was quickening and Wendy tried to hurry and match her step with his. "I'm with you," she said, tightening her hold on him and keeping her eyes on her feet. Tripping would be so embarrassing, not to mention the grass stains that would result, but it seemed that their little practice was paying off. They made it all the way down the marked track and reached the finish line with time to spare. "Yes, we did it!" she said, holding her hand up for a high-five. "Nice job, partner! What place did we get? I wasn't even looking at our competitors."

0 Wendy Did we win? 0 Wendy 0 5

Arabella Brockert

August 04, 2014 7:38 PM

I guess it's all over. by Arabella Brockert

This was it. Sonora was done and while there were a few things Arabella wouldn't miss-mainly schoolwork and Carrie-she felt really sad at the same time, leaving her cousins and sister-and a bit scared too. Who'd protect them from the evil threat of the soon to be seventh year Crotalus or any other issues that cropped up? Amity didn't want to, Arabella knew that. The Aladren had come to her crying and insisting she didn't want her older cousin to leave, that not only would she miss her terribly but she couldn't handle the responsibility of looking after them. Arabella had assured her that most didn't need it and Tristan and probably Gemma could handle looking out for Serena. Amity was perfectly okay with helping her own sister.

Now she had recovered from the RATS, which had been horrible, she'd done all right but afterwards she'd slept for like two days straight, finally getting sick from all the stress and exhaustion and ending up in the Hospital Wing for a few days. Now Arabella was all better though but she'd hated being ill, it wasn't something that happened often and she couldn't even remember the last time it had.

She was now looking forward to traveling a bit after graduation and for at least a year, Alex would be there with her. Arabella didn't know what she'd do after that, with both her best friend and betrothed in school. She'd visit some, she did want to spend some time getting to know Paul whenever she could without being too annoyingly clingy. After that, maybe she could go see Ryan and Sophie in London or bring Amity with her for the summer. There was always the island, the one on no Muggle map where pureblood society vacationed. Or she could even ask Theresa to come along with her and Alex. Arabella's soon to be former roommate probably needed to get her mind of Cepheus as much as possible. She deserved better, the Careys were one of the greatest pureblood families in America, equal to her own, and if Cepheus' family didn't want them, they were just European snobs, looking down on Americans.

Honestly, she'd never been that impressed by him and his arrogance, though she did recognize the betrothal itself wasn't his doing, just as she hadn't chosen Paul. Then again, neither she nor Paul had been with anyone else at the time. They didn't love each other, but they seemed to get on, and he was a good man from everything she'd seen, despite not being the most emotional. As far as the thing with Theresa and Cepheus went though, her sympathy went to her soon to be former roommate.

She'd taken it easy during the day, not joining in any of the games but now that the Pecari was feeling better, she couldn't wait to hit the buffet. When she'd been sick she hadn't been able to keep anything down, even water. Now, she was practically starving. Never had it been harder to be a lady and eat like one than right now. Arabella had always been a meat and potatoes sort of girl, and thankfully there were both available. Of course she'd go for the steak, she loved steak even if she had to take small lady like bites rather than devouring it. Well, she supposed she could savor it that way. Arabella also decided on a twice baked potato, loaded with sour cream, and nacho cheese. Not the healthiest thing imaginable, but considering she'd lost weight due to her illness, it probably wouldn't hurt her much.

As she sat, she looked around. She couldn't help feeling a bit sad. The Pecari had spent seven years with these people, though she'd not been close to all of them. She hoped to keep in touch with Alex of course but she'd even developed some affection for her roommates. And she really didn't want to leave her relatives, Amity most of all believe it or not.

Arabella sighed and cut off a bit of her steak managing to make it as lady-like as possible. She felt a bit less enthusiastic about it than she had just a moment ago. She sighed and someone spoke to her. Feeling just a bit embarrassed, she asked the person "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said."

11 Arabella Brockert I guess it's all over. 217 Arabella Brockert 0 5