Headmaster Brockert

December 30, 2017 5:12 PM
Today was the Midsummer Event. This year they were having the bonfire and...well, that was about the extent of it. The festivities this year more or less included a barbecue-though there was food there for any vegetarians amongst them , including barbecued tofu which sounded quite distgusting, along with the gluten-free and allergy crowd, if there were any students falling into those categories-and some circus performers for entertainment. The choir and the orchestra would also perform and then the students would be camping out in tents and generally hanging out around the fire, roasting s'mores.

So it wasn't the most organized event ever. But then, it was bloody hard to come up with ways to make every event different each time. As it was, Mortimer didn't know why they couldn't repeat the way something was done if all the students who'd done it the first time around had graduated. It would still be new to the current batch.

At least next year was just the Ball. As much as Mortimer did not enjoy them, he had to admit it was nice that they didn't have to come up with a way to make them different every time.

Now the students were gathered out on the Pitch. He placed the Sonorus Charm on himself and spoke. "Welcome to the Bonfire. Have a good time." There were no announcements to make so Mortimer stepped down and got in line for the barbecue. It wasn't steak but admittedly, he would enjoy it.

OOC- Please do not cause any serious incidents with the fire as the staff will be watching to prevent such things. Tents are any number you want with a minimum of two. Have fun!
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11 Headmaster Brockert Bonfire! 6 Headmaster Brockert 1 5

DH Skies

January 06, 2018 6:19 PM
After the bonfire had been in swing for about an hour - giving everyone time to chat to their friends and grab some food - Professor Skies took to the podium. She placed the sonorous charm on her voice, calling everyone to attention.

“I hope you are all enjoying the festivities,” she smiled, managing a good deal more sincerity to the sentiment than the headmaster usually achieved. “You can continue shortly, but first we would like to announce the winners of this year’s House Cup. And, in order to celebrate this victory, some of our visiting performers will be giving a workshop to the winning house.

“And so, with a total of one hundred and fifty seven points. Congratulations to…. Teppenpaw! May I have Professor Xavier and the Teppenpaw prefects on stage to collect the house cup?” she asked. The trophy would be entrusted to the head of the house, or sent up to the castle for the evening, but it was nice to include some of the students in its presentation.

“Members of Teppenpaw house, you may make your way into the roped off area behind the stage here to practise your circus skills.”

In the roped off area, several performers were waiting for the members of Teppenpaw house. A few were still entertaining the rest of Sonora with their fiery antics - juggling clubs, spinning poi, twirling flaming hoops. Those assisting with Teppenpaw house would be teaching the same skills, but without setting anything alight. Or, at least, that was what they had been instructed, quite firmly and repeatedly. And they had smiled, and nodded and promised. And they wouldn’t. At first. Not until anyone looked like they’d really got the hang of it. Or like they’d really like to try…

OOC - Congratulations Teppenpaw! You may write for the circus performers. Don’t die. Attract the attention of a professor if you start a fire. You may also post earlier or later parts of the evening if you wish your Teppenpaws to be mingling with others or doing something else.
13 DH Skies House Cup Winners 26 DH Skies 0 5

Lauren Song

January 06, 2018 9:13 PM
It felt a little too sad admitting that Lauren had spent the last day of final exams crying in her room. She was way more sentimental than she thought. Taking down the decorations in her room almost felt like she was giving something up or finally facing the truth: it was time to grow up. She still didn't know what in the world she wanted to do with her life and it kind of scared her. For the short-term, she had agreed to visit her dad in Korea and spend the summer with him to see how she liked it there. If things went well, then maybe she would end up working their or something for a year. But, if she was really being honest, she didn't want to do that. She wanted to find a job back in California and figure out what she really wanted to do.

Being this indecisive was annoying and she had written her mom really long letters complaining about it and ranting about different interests, but none of it really seemed to help. Her mom wasn't all that sympathetic either since she had wanted to study medicine ever since she was a teenager. Lauren had talked to her roommates about it too, and she hoped maybe they would give her insight over the next year as they exchanged letters about what they were up to. Maybe she could travel for the next year, if she felt brave enough to do it on her own.

The bonfire was a bittersweet Midsummer event. It was her second favorite, after the ball, but it reminded her of being so young and innocent at Sonora. There wasn't that much going on this time, just a few circus performers. Lauren went to the barbecue and ate a lot. If it was going to be her last meal here, besides breakfast tomorrow, she was going to take advantage of it. She couldn't wait to make s'mores later tonight.

It felt like about an hour when DH Skies announced that Teppenpaw had won the House Cup. Lauren squealed and jumped up. Looking for her roommates, she joined others in the roped off area. Her eyes widened at all of their equipment. Doing a safe activity first sounded like a good idea. Glancing at her roommates, hoping they would join her, she decided to try the unicycle. It looked super cool when the performers used it and juggled at the same time.

"Can you show me how to ride that?" she asked a guy in colorful tights, and he nodded. There was no wall to hold herself against, so the guy held her hand as she mounted the unicycle. It felt shaky and she fell right over.

"It takes practice balancing first," the circus performer said and Lauren nodded, rubbing her sore knee. "Just hold onto me and balance first. Once you get it it's a piece of cake."

Lauren tried again, feeling shaky. This was definitely harder than it looked. "It's super cool," she said, smiling. "At least, it looks super cool. If I learn how to ride today, I'm going to have to buy a unicycle when I go home." Maybe joining the circus could be another option--a really farfetched one, but an option nonetheless.
19 Lauren Song Trying a balancing act 303 Lauren Song 0 5

Raine Collindale

January 08, 2018 5:05 AM
She was still alive. And the CATS were over. Professor Xavier had helped her believe that all was not lost, and she had gone into a couple of the exams with a clearer head than others, but she still wasn’t sure… For now, Raine felt that the best thing she could do was put it out of her mind. And that was actually surprisingly easy… Yes, it was easy to dread the results, but right now there was such sheer relief that it was over that she felt like dancing. And she did. When she first got to the fire, she went and basked in its warmth, spinning in circles and grinning, not really caring what anyone thought of her.

She knew that some members of her family were here, providing the circus entertainment, but she didn’t seek them out at first. She would see them lots over the summer, and for now she was happy just being in her own head - it was a while since that had been such a comfortable place to be - or with talking to her friends. However, when DH Skies announced that Teppenpaw had won the house cup, she went with her housemates - partly because, in spite of the word ‘may,’ it coming from the deputy headmistress made it feel like a direct instruction, and partly because she wanted to see if she recognised any faces who were helping out.

“Starr!” she beamed, breaking out of the group of Teppenpaws to run forward towards a young man, a head shorter than some of the taller seventh years with a short black ponytail. He dropped the juggling clubs he’d been holding in order to lift her off her feet in an enthusiastic hug.

“Hey there, Raindrop,” he smiled, kissing her on the cheek. Setting her down again, he asked. “Where’s Kyte?”

“Different house. Hasn’t earned the honour of your company,” she grinned.

“Ah, yes. Your school’s weird tribal b-s.”

“Come meet my friends. Well, some of them aren’t in my house either but…” she took his hand, pulling him over to a familiar face.

“This is Starr,” she introduced him. “He’s my brother, and he can juggle real good” she explained, telling Starr the chosen housemate’s name in return.
13 Raine Collindale A familiar face 327 Raine Collindale 0 5

Jozua Sparks

January 16, 2018 11:18 AM
Jozua was pleased that his House won the Cup, but he wasn’t entirely convinced that learning to do circus things was really a great reward for it. To Jozua, that sounded like something that would result in more injury than fun.

He was barely competent at Quidditch even after four years of practicing. He was somewhat overweight- not seriously so, but enough that his face was decidedly round and he thought more people would choose to describe him as chubby rather than fit. He could handle a wand just fine, but anything requiring more athletic prowess and coordination than that was likely to result in Jozua falling flat on his face.

So it was with some trepidation that he followed the rest of his Housemates for their ‘award’ such as it was.

“So what do you want to try?” one of the performers asked, coming up to him, doubtless under the reasonable assumption that Jozua was looking for a circusy thing to do.

“Something that won’t kill me?” Jozua suggested doubtfully.

The circus lady laughed like he was joking. “Come on, I’ve got just the non-lethal trick for you.”

Jozua followed her, figuring she had a better idea for what he should do than he did, but not entirely trusting that his idea of nonlethal would entirely match that of a woman who presumably made her living hanging upside down and playing with fire.

She led him over to an area with a variety of hula hoops. Jozua blinked at them. “Hula hoops?” he questioned doubtfully.

“Haven’t ever seen or even heard of anyone get killed twirling a hoop,” the lady told him, a hint of a grin twitching at the corner of her mouth.

Jozua considered this and decided it was probably accurate. “All right,” he agreed in resignation. He picked up a green hoop. “What do I do? And I’m not shaking it around my hips.” He figured he ought to put that out there right off the bat.

She laughed and picked up a hoop of her own. “Start by twirling it around your arm.” She demonstrated.

It didn’t look too hard. Jozua tried. It spun off his arm and rolled away on its side, making him need to chase after it. Once he had recovered the hoop, he returned for further coaching. Obviously, even hoops were not for amateurs.
1 Jozua Sparks Trying something nonlethal 348 Jozua Sparks 0 5