Crashing on in on Crotalus Commons

Anabel McIntosh

September 17, 2007 12:42 PM

Unpacking- First Years' Dormitory by Anabel McIntosh

Following the tour and introduction by her Head of House, Anabel quietly made her way to her dormitory. She had little worry that her trunk had safely arrived in one piece, having relied on such forms of magic when traveling with her parents. Pausing at the threshold, she breathed in deeply. This was where she would be spending the next seven years of her life, come good or bad. And the two people she had met, people she hoped would become her friends, were not even in the same house as she. She hoped that a good portion of her housemates would be just as acceptable. She had heard that Crotalus was known as the house for pure-blooded, respectable families and she only hoped that the rumor was true.

Squaring her shoulders, she turned the knob and entered the room. The first sight that caught her eye was the red and silver bedding that could be found all over the room. Whoever had thought of such a pairing was sadly lacking in the decorating department. She had luckily thought to bring her own bedding, a forethought which proved to be a blessing. Glancing around the room, Anabel selected a bed at the far end of the room, closest to a window.

Opening the lid of her trunk, she glanced at the magically enlarged interior and sighed with relief. Everything was just as she left it. Now, she only had to worry about unpacking. Kneeling, she had just gotten hold of the first stack of clothing to put in her wardrobe, when she heard another individual enter the room. Turning, she smiled while silently sizing up the person.

"Hello," she stated, rising to her feet. "I'm Anabel McIntosh of the Georgia McIntoshes. It looks as though we're to be roommates."\r\n\r\n

0 Anabel McIntosh Unpacking- First Years' Dormitory 120 Anabel McIntosh 1 5

Addie Laurent

September 17, 2007 2:01 PM

Joining by Addie Laurent

The potion that turned her red was evil. That was the only way to describe it. How else could something that separated her from her sister and best friend, Hannah, be labeled? What was she going to do now? She had been expecting to be in Teppenpaw, not Crotalus.

Hannah always made sure that she was included in the group at home. Now, she was going to have to try and make friends by herself. She knew her roommates weren’t going to like her. She weighed too much. She wasn’t as thin as the other girls or as pretty. Her mother always told her that she was beautiful with her dimples and long lashes, but she didn’t believe her. How could she be with the pudge she had for a belly and the baby fat on her cheeks?

The only thing she could do was hope that her roommates didn’t care about those things. Pausing outside the door, she arranged her chestnut curls into something presentable before turning the knob. Entering the room, she was surprised to find that there was only one girl there so far. She had been expecting more. This was much better, less chance of them ganging up on her right away.

The girl turned and smiled at her. That was a good sign so far. Then, she introduced herself with where she was from. Was she supposed to do that? She figured she had better follow the example in order to make a good impression.

“Hello,” she said slowly, “I’m Adelaide Laurent of the Louisiana Laurents. It’s nice to meet you.”

It felt odd to use her full name. Her family just called her Addie or Ad. Adelaide was only used when she was in big trouble.

0 Addie Laurent Joining 0 Addie Laurent 0 5

Anabel McIntosh

September 17, 2007 4:09 PM

Oh, Goody! by Anabel McIntosh

Anabel's eyes surveyed the girl, taking her in from her curly chestnut curls to her shoes. The girl- Adelaide, she said her name was- didn't seem to be lacking in manners or, at least, the usual rudimentary aspects of upbringing. Of course, Anabel wasn't quite sure if she had ever heard of the Laurents. It might have been a name she had heard in passing, one connected to a more prominent name, but she wasn't positive. She would have to push such assumptions aside, for the time being at least, as the girl was to be her roommate.

"It's very nice to meet you, Adelaide. I hope you don't mind, but I've gone ahead and claimed this bed. I have to say it is too bad that red is one of our house's colors though. Purple or blue would have gone so much better with silver, don't you agree?"

After offering the girl another smile, she returned her attention to the pile of clothes in her hand. "I'm not quite used to having to unpack my belongings myself. Normally one of our servants at home does it for me. It's definitely going to take some time getting used to this."

0 Anabel McIntosh Oh, Goody! 120 Anabel McIntosh 0 5

Cecily Smythe

September 17, 2007 5:07 PM

Pleased to meet you by Cecily Smythe

After the feast the first years had been led up to their commons, and given a welcoming speech from their Head of House. Cecily tried to listen but it was a little bit boring, so she wasn’t sure she’d caught all of what had been said. She had listened to where her dormitory was, though, otherwise she wouldn’t have known where to sleep, and that would have quickly presented a problem. Of course she could always have asked one of the older students so it didn’t even matter, really, but at least Cecily could say that she had been paying some attention if she could find her way to her dormitory without asking anyone.

Therefore, after having a quick snoop around the commons, Cecily headed up the stairs and took the correct hallway fo the girls' rooms. She paused at the door to the first years’ room – there was voices coming from inside. “It’s definitely going to take some time getting used to this,” one voice said. Cecily suppressed a giggle of excitement before pushing open the door to find two girls already in the room.

“Hello,” she greeted them, her brown eyes sparkling as she looked round the room. There were plenty of beds – she was obviously going to be sharing with a lot of other girls. “I’m Cecily Smythe,” she said, smiling brightly at the other girls. She didn’t add ‘of the Illinois Smythes’ to the end of her name, firstly because she wasn’t in the habit of doing so, having never spent time in the company of those not already acquainted with the family, and secondly because anyone who would value that knowledge was probably already aware that all the Smythes were based in Illinois.

“There are an awful lot of beds in here,” she proclaimed in a voice tinted with both awe and horror. She began fidgeting with the tuft of chestnut brown hair at the end of her tight braid. “I’ve never had to share a room before.”

0 Cecily Smythe Pleased to meet you 122 Cecily Smythe 0 5

Anabel McIntosh

September 17, 2007 7:34 PM

Three Brunettes? by Anabel McIntosh

Walking to her wardrobe, Anabel deposited the neatly folded clothes before moving back to her trunk. Sadly, her lavender comforter was located at the bottom, so she'd have to wait before she could get rid of the red monstrosity. She was just about to comment on her dislike of the color when another girl entered the room and joined them.

Smiling, Anabel pushed a lock of her straight brown hair behind her ear as she waited for the girl to greet herself. Smythe. Yes, she had definitely heard of that name before. The family was from father north, of that she was certain. Upon hearing Cecily's comment about the beds, Anabel laughed, her blue eyes twinkling.

"I know. I've never had to share a room either." She spared a glance around the room, once more noting the number. "I've also never had to unpack for myself," she added, making a face at her trunk. "I'm Anabel McIntosh, by the way. It's nice to meet you. I hope you don't mind, but I decided to grab this bed as it is by a window."

Stepping around her trunk, she took a seat on her bed. "So, what do you think of all this red? I have to say, I think it goes horribly with silver."

0 Anabel McIntosh Three Brunettes? 120 Anabel McIntosh 0 5

Laurie Cider

September 17, 2007 7:36 PM

Crashing on in by Laurie Cider

Laurie trailed up the stairwell in significantly better spirits than when she had first entered the common room. Her emotions having stabilized, her brown eyes finally had the opportunity to take in her surroundings. Everything was done up in the house colors, silver and red, with ornate snakes thrown in here and there. If she took out the rattlers that served as an all too common theme, the entire area had a Christmas-y feel to it, as if there should be tinsel and ornaments strewn about. If anything, the overwhelming abundance felt mildly stifling. The place had some charm, though. . .
Strands of female bodies continued to surge past her, and Laurie tightened the strap holding her canvas bag across her chest. She caught sight of her trunk disappearing out of view into a doorway on the next landing, and she hurried to catch up to it. She threw herself through the doorway and stopped abruptly.

The room was nearly ten times the size of her bedroom at home. Her room was originally intended to have been a small adjacent study to her parent's master bedroom, however, once her brothers finished elementary school, she was moved into it. It had just enough space to fit a daybed, a book shelf, and a jimmied corner desk for her computer and Playstation 2. The small area left behind allowed her some carpet space to lay on her stomach and read. She had no closet, only Rubbermaid drawers under her bed.

But this room, the room she was to spend the next seven years sleeping and living in- this was something else!

Laurie swept past her three roommates in her excitement. She twisted her mom's army bag off from her shoulder and tossed it onto the closest bed. Grinning, she addressed the other girls, "Is this sweet or what?"

She pushed and dragged her trunk over to the bed's side and marveled at the rich woodwork on her dresser. While snakes weren't of her normal preference, seeing as they all but flourished unwantedly in Florida's balmy climate, she still had an aesthetic appreciation for the time and patience it must have taken to carve the tiny scales that lined the reptiles that decorated the entirety of her bed and dresser. Unless, of course, the decorating had been done with magic and not by grunt labor. In that case, she'd just admire the creative thought process that must have led to it.

Laurie quickly realized she was getting caught up in a mental ramble-fest. "Sorry about that," she apologized aloud. "I'm Laurie Cider. No one's claimed this bed yet, right?"

0 Laurie Cider Crashing on in 0 Laurie Cider 0 5

Anabel McIntosh

September 17, 2007 7:51 PM

Er...welcome. by Anabel McIntosh

Anabel had just finished remarking on the odd color choice when another girl practically stormed into the room and then abruptly stopped. Anabel's brows immediately rose to her hairline as the girl seemed to take in her surroundings instead of politely introducing herself.

When the girl finally turned toward them and said, "Is this sweet or what?" Anabel found herself dumbstruck. It wasn't until the girl apologized and introduced herself that Anabel regained her sense.

"I- well," she started, her eyes darting to the others, "it's fine, Laurie. I'm Anabel McIntosh, of the Georgia McIntoshes. It's nice to meet you." She pushed herself off the bed, giving the other girl a half smile. "I suppose it's easy to get excited by the room. We were just talking about how strange it will be to share it, but I guess it is pretty big and we'll all be in here for several years. I don't think anyone's claimed that bed yet, either. I've got this one right here," she said, placing her hand back on her bed. \r\n\r\n

0 Anabel McIntosh Er...welcome. 120 Anabel McIntosh 0 5

Renaye Warren

September 18, 2007 6:36 AM

Another one! by Renaye Warren

Renaye was happy to retreat to her dorm after the excitement of the first day. Really, the start of term feast and everything that came along with it? It was too much for one day. Well, maybe not, but it was tiring, nevertheless! The trunk she was tugging behind her was becoming quite the nuisance. Why did it insist on getting caught on anything in its path? Raye gave it on firm tug as she reached the first year landing. Shouldering her broom, she turned the handle of the door in front of her, ready to throw this trunk somewhere, or else out a window. As she entered she found four girls already in the room. She smiled at them, looking around for a place to put her trunk.

"Hey," she said to the girls. "I'm Renaye Warren." She took her beloved broom off her shoulder and leaned it up against a bed that appeared empty. She didn't add the accustomed "of this states family..." because she didn't know. They didn't talk about their bloodline at home and she really didn't care. Plus, it seemed kind of stupid. How was everyone suppose to know every family that existed in every state? And couldn't there be more than on pureblood Smith family or something? It just didn't make sense to her...

"So," she said, trying to start a convorsation. "Who likes and/or plays Quidditch?"

0 Renaye Warren Another one! 0 Renaye Warren 0 5

Anabel McIntosh

September 19, 2007 8:09 PM

The more the... by Anabel McIntosh

Anabel was coming to realize that trying to hold a conversation with someone on the first day of school was practically impossible. With interruptions by incoming roommates, it seemed almost futile to hold a discussion until all had entered and settled themselves.

As the latest entered the room, Anabel instantly noted the broom that was swung over the girl's shoulder. Anabel only hoped she wasn't the type to drone on and on about Quidditch. Flying was fine, if one did it at a sedate and leisurely pace; however, when one added in extreme speeds, metal balls and exertion which obviously caused one to sweat, Anabel was inclined to stay away. For a guy to do such things was one thing, but for a girl- who was meant to be dainty and refined- it should be unheard of.

Taking her gaze away from the broom, Anabel offered the other girl- Renaye, she said her name was- a smile as she introduced herself. Anabel was just going to respond, once Renaye had leaned her broom up against the bed when Renaye spoke one more.

"Who likes and/or plays Quidditch?"

The corners of her lips strained to curve downward. Instead, she kept the smile planted on her face and used her hand to push an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear. It was time to introduce herself. "Hello Renaye," she started, "I'm Anabel McIntosh, of the Georgia McIntoshes. It's nice to meet you." She then paused for affect. "And to answer your question-" Here she added in a well-practiced giggle. "-I enjoy Quidditch. My Uncle Brent plays professionally and so we go to games every now and then. They're fun to watch, but I have to say I really don't think I'm for playing. You get all...sweaty." She smiled, her nose crinkling and her eyes twinkling. "That's just me though," she ended with a shrug.

0 Anabel McIntosh The more the... 120 Anabel McIntosh 0 5

Laurie Cider

September 19, 2007 10:31 PM

. . .Crowded. by Laurie Cider

"I'm Anabel McIntosh, of the Georgia McIntoshes. It's nice to meet you."

Laurie struggled to understand her roommate's introduction. The most anyone made of intro's back home in school had been cursory things like, "I'm so and so, I'm ten, and I just got a new Nintendo DS." Sometimes people might mention where they lived, like if they lived on Indian Beach or on Ana Marie Island further south, but those were rarities, as most everyone came from the same zoning areas. Georgia McIntoshes? Did that mean there were Minnesota McIntoshes, or Oklahoma McIntoshes? Was there a clan of McIntoshes out there somewhere with a bad reputation that made it that Anabel needed to qualify her last name?

To the best of Laurie's knowledge, her dad's family was scattered all over, although her Uncle ran the family nursery from North Carolina. Anabel's next words made her shake her head in disagreement.

"Sharing's not too bad, actually. When I was younger, I shared with my brother, and it was kind of nice sometimes to have company around. Not that privacy isn't fabulous," she hurriedly added, "but you'll get used to this real easy."

Absently, she wrapped the hairband on her wrist up and around her loosed dirty blond hair, pulling the strand away from clouding her face. Her eyes widened in surprise and then recognition as another body rambled in, a broom thrown over the girl's shoulder: it was Josh Warren's sister! She was glad to see the girl unload her things on the bed next to hers. Somehow, Laurie felt Josh's sister had a slighter more normal feel to her than some of the other girls she'd met in her house.

"Hey, I'm Renaye Warren."

Laurie nothing mentioned of where Renaye was from, and it immediately relieved her. She had pegged Renaye rightly; thank goodness for normalcy. Despite Anabel's polite greeting and smile, Laurie felt it a little too. . .well, plastic to be sincere. It felt like when store clerks call out their greetings. Practiced: it felt practiced.

"Who likes and/or plays Quidditch?"

Laurie grinned in reflex. While she had yet to see Quidditch played, nor had she ever tried her hand at a practice broom, seeing as none of her brothers could fly and her dad had his thing about heights, she nevertheless enjoyed her sports. She swam on the local YMCA swim team, played tennis in seasonal youth tournaments, and had little league every spring and summer to keep her busy. She hadn't seen any signs of prospects in those regards at Sonora yet, and her dad made no mention of intramural sports during his school days, so Laurie figured Quidditch was about it.

She was bent to reply, when Anabel spoke again, her mannerisms appearing a tad off to Laurie's tastes. She fought back a sigh once the girl had finished. Well, duh, exertion does that to you. A body sweats so it can aspirate. She didn't want to come across rudely, though, seeing as she was to room with Anabel for the next seven years, so she was careful in her reply, and addressed Renaye directly.

"Hey, Renaye- I think I met your brother downstairs, Josh?- I'm Laurie, and to your question: I have never played Quidditch, and I don't know if I like it or not, as I've never seen it either." Under her breath, she added, in a tone for only Renaye to hear, "I am so glad you're in here with me. I don't think I come from the same planet as these girls."

0 Laurie Cider . . .Crowded. 0 Laurie Cider 0 5

Renaye

September 20, 2007 5:07 PM

No, no. I believe the word is "merrier." by Renaye

Renaye looked around at the girls who she would be with for the next... many years. She really hoped they got along. How much would it suck if they ended up fighting? Well, if someone really deserved it... As she looked around she spotted one face that looked pretty familiar. Another girl spoke up though. She introduced herself as Anabel McIntosh of the Georgia McIntoshes. Oh God. She was hardcore pureblood and Raye just... wasn't. Nevertheless, Raye returned the smile, brushing a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. She wasn't going to make judgements...

In response to her Quidditch question, Anabel said, "And to answer your question-" Here she added in a well-practiced giggle. "-I enjoy Quidditch. My Uncle Brent plays professionally and so we go to games every now and then. They're fun to watch, but I have to say I really don't think I'm for playing. You get all...sweaty."

Raye blinked her green eyes. "I don't mind the sweaty. You just take a shower. But your Uncle plays? I mean, really plays? How cool is that?"

Somehow, she got the feeling that Anabel's first impression of her wasn't all that... impressed. Ah well. You can't win them all, but it doesn't hurt to try. Another girl spoke up. The one she'd seen before.

"Hey, Renaye- I think I met your brother downstairs, Josh?"

Renaye grinned. "Oh you met Joshie!" She exclaimed, purposefully throing in the "ie" to his name. He hated that. "Yeah, we're twins." She was starting to like this girl already.

"I'm Laurie, and to your question: I have never played Quidditch, and I don't know if I like it or not, as I've never seen it either."

Never heard of Quidditch? Never seen Quidditch? What? "Oh no..." She said, patting Laurie sympathetically on the head. "Well, I'll just have to educate you!"

"I am so glad you're in here with me. I don't think I come from the same planet as these girls," Laurie added in barely a whisper. She understood.

"Don't worry, we'll cover each others' backs," she said with a grin. Friends: plus one. Laurie was pretty cool. She was going to need to get to know the others. No judgements.

0 Renaye No, no. I believe the word is "merrier." 0 Renaye 0 5

Cecily

September 22, 2007 1:15 PM

Merrier? You think so? by Cecily

The room was starting to fill up quickly. Other girls began to claim their beds and so Cecily hurried to do the same. She clambered up onto the bed that was second closest to the large window (because Anabel had already taken the one right by it), and sat cross-legged, playing with a corner of the red bedspread. It wasn’t anywhere near as nice as her silk eiderdown at home, but it was a fairly nice bed. Cecily thought she could probably get used to it, and she could always send home for her own blankets if she decided she wanted them.

Cecily tried to keep track of the introductions, but there were a lot of people, and she was fairly bad at remembering things like other people’s names, anyway. She figured that after they’d been sharing a room for a few nights she would know them well enough. The whole concept of sharing was pretty terrifying at that moment though; one of the girls said she’d used to share with her brothers. How horrible! Why in Merlin’s name would anyone choose to share a room with a boy?

After the last girl came in, Renaye or something like that, the girls started talking about Quidditch. That game again – the boy Cecily had sat next to at the feast had talked about Quidditch. Well that was fair enough – he was a boy, and they tended to like sports. Cecily’s own father went to watch Quidditch games occasionally. But why would the girls want to talk about Quidditch? That Renaye girl sounded as though she even played herself. Cecily felt the need to speak up.

“Isn’t Quidditch for boys?” she said loudly to the room at large, her brown eyes wide and unblinking. “Not that I really care because I’m not very interested in sports, but isn’t Quidditch a boys’ game? They try to knock each other off their brooms and things. Why in Merlin’s name would you want to watch any of that?”

0 Cecily Merrier? You think so? 0 Cecily 0 5

Addie

September 22, 2007 2:27 PM

Not really by Addie

Bombardment was the only word that described what happened in the next few moments. One minute, Addie had been working on making conversation with an obviously sophisticated girl and the next she was lost in the shuffle as a crowd filled the room. Shying away, she had chosen one of the beds off to the side and not to near any one else, as she wasn’t sure who, if anyone, was going to be her friends.

She started putting away her things, as the others talked, but she listened, interjecting her own thoughts into the conversation without saying anything. She couldn’t imagine sharing a room with a boy. It seemed a little gross to her, truth be told. She shared a room with Hannah, but that was different. Hannah was a girl and her best friend. Though, the last year without her had been interesting and now she would only be sharing a room with her over breaks.

Then, there was the whole discussion over Quidditch, which seemed to be viewed quite differently by her roommates. Some viewed it as one to watch, others to play. And a girl on the bed near Anabel asked if it was for boys.

Not meaning to, Addie said, “My sister plays Quidditch. She was on her House team last year.” Hannah had told her all about it, including how awful she had felt for disappointing them. She had tried to assure her sister that she probably did her best, but it didn’t help much. Then, realizing what she had said, because she didn’t want the more worldly roommates to think poorly of her, as she wanted them to like her, she added, “But I don’t like to play.”

0 Addie Not really 0 Addie 0 5

Renaye

September 22, 2007 3:06 PM

I guess I'm out voted then. by Renaye

Renaye got the feeling that all of them might not be the best of friends. Renaye felt like she was being judged, and she didn't like that. If she needed to, she would tell them exactly what she thought, but right now she was going to be as nice as possible. At least, until she heard, “Not that I really care because I’m not very interested in sports, but isn’t Quidditch a boys’ game? They try to knock each other off their brooms and things. Why in Merlin’s name would you want to watch any of that?”

Raye blinked. She really hated that stereotype. Being pureblood didn't help either. Because of her bloodline (and being a girl) she was suppose to prefer to sip tea and knit, like a lady, rather than flying. Who chooses tea over flying? Throw in a bludger, and Renaye was set for hours of fun! She was about to respond when another girl spoke up.

“My sister plays Quidditch. She was on her House team last year. But I don’t like to play.”

Man... She was about to be majorly outvoted. Hopefully Laurie would be on her side. But, Quidditch was for everyone! Why couldn't girls do what the guys do? Renaye was just as good at Beater as Josh, and that was saying something. Irene was a great chaser and seeker. She had even played last year. Renaye wasn't one to hold back what she felt. If she disagreed, you'd know. Knowing full well she was about to possibly deduct points from the Respect Chart, Renaye spoke,

"Why does Quidditch have to be only for boys?" She said, feeling very protective of her sport at the moment. "Why shouldn't girls be allowed to play the sport, just like the guys do? I think it's a crazy amount of fun and, forgetting modesty for a second, I think I'm pretty good at knocking people off their brooms. If the players are good, then they don't need to worry about getting knocked off their broom." Renaye opened up her trunk and pulled out her green fleece blanket that smelled like home. "It's okay if you don't like it," she added, "I just don't take stereotypes well."

Renaye was suddenly wishing to go and find Irene. She was feeling way out of place here. Quidditch was what she was good at, and now that it didn't seem accepted here, all she wanted to do was take Josh and leave for Pecari. Irene would get it. She was always there for her, especially when Raye's parents decide to hightail it to another continent. She hoped Josh was having better luck than she was...

0 Renaye I guess I'm out voted then. 0 Renaye 0 5

Laurie

September 22, 2007 9:14 PM

Crowd seems kind of wrong now. Mob sounds better. by Laurie

Oh wow. . .Laurie was getting the distinctive feeling that lines were being drawn, and it was only the first day. She could already pick up on the vibes; she and Renaye were plainly the odd ones out. When the slightly chubby brunette who had claimed the bed off to the side spoke up, Laurie felt a momentary warmth for her. By the girl's dress and manner, it appeared that she was of the Anabel-type, as Laurie was now designating it in her mind. The good will wilted slightly once the brunette had modified her statement.

Plainly, Renaye had managed to open a real can of worms with her attempt at an ice-breaker. Who would have thought a sport would bring up such controversy? Laurie had yet to come across anything like it so far. Girls did just about everything boys did, back at her elementary school. They all had gym together, the little league was integrated, her swim team was co-ed, and the medley relays were always mixed. Even her tennis lessons at the club were gender combined. It was positively antiquated to think that because effort and sweat and some force were involved that it meant boys-only.

She quickly chimed in to second Renaye's opinion. "Honestly, it's practically medieval to say it shouldn't interest girls. There are very few things that boys can do, that girls can't. And just because it gets a little rough sometimes doesn't mean girls aren't just as capable of returning the blow. I mean, look at Serena Williams; not only is she super tough on the court, but she does her own fashion line and cosmetics."

Laurie stopped, her breathing leaving her lips in little pants. She wasn't one for speeches, nor was she one to be rude or step out of place, but these girls. . .it was like that old movie with the men who replace their wives with robots. It just wasn't natural to hear girls her age talk like that! Yes, well maybe, if they simply said something like, 'Ew, gross.' But certainly not this whole 'girls should wear pink and knit' and 'boys should never cry and like chopping wood' thing.

She sighed lightly, and tugged on her pony tail. Eh. . .forget them, she sermoned mentally, and focus on something positive like. . . She glanced to the bed next to hers and saw Renaye still working at unpacking. "Hey, so you'll teach me how to play then, right?" she asked brightly. Her roommates can just sit back and play at being future mommy-homemakers. They'd be the ones missing out, not her.

0 Laurie Crowd seems kind of wrong now. Mob sounds better. 0 Laurie 0 5

Renaye

September 22, 2007 10:56 PM

I dunno, I kind of like the sound of "Mafia." by Renaye

OOC: Renaye doesn't know about tennis, but... Serena Williams. I like her about as much as a nice trip to the dentist's. [ /sarcasm]

IC:
"Honestly, it's practically medieval to say it shouldn't interest girls. There are very few things that boys can do, that girls can't. And just because it gets a little rough sometimes doesn't mean girls aren't just as capable of returning the blow. I mean, look at Serena Williams; not only is she super tough on the court, but she does her own fashion line and cosmetics."

The 'Laurie' column on her Repect Chart just got a nice big gold star. Raye would have to talk to her later when she wasn't all on the defense. She really thought that they could be great friends! Renaye thought that she could introduce Laurie to Irene and all of the people Raye had met over the summer. It would be fun. Maybe they could join the soccer thing together... Maybe. Raye still didn't know what she was into.

"Hey, so you'll teach me how to play then, right?"

Renaye grinned brightly. "Of course! You can use my broom after Flying Lessons. The school brooms probably aren't that great, and we're not allowed two feet of the air without passing the lessons," she made a face. That rule about first years and flying was... Wow. "On her nerves" was getting there, but it was more of a "insanely irksome and infuriating".

"I was so mad that we couldn't try out!" She said, laying her blanket onto the bed. She grabbed some picture frames from her trunk. One was Irene and herself, arm-in-arm on the first day they met. The other was a picture of Uncle Mike, Josh and herself, and Elaina, all standing on a huge snow hill in Michigan. The last one was of her parents in front of the sparkling city of Tokyo. She placed them on the counter as she spoke.

"My brother and I are beaters. We played on our neighborhood team. Josh breathes Quidditch and I pretty much do too. So, with Karma being my friend, the year we come they ban first-years from trying out." She turned around, finishing her little vent. "I might have to go have a chat with Coach Fox..."

0 Renaye I dunno, I kind of like the sound of "Mafia." 0 Renaye 0 5

Anabel McIntosh

September 23, 2007 1:48 AM

Pot, Kettle? I prefer Skillet. by Anabel McIntosh

One thing was instantly certain about Laurie and Renaye: they were going to be those type of roommates that openly wanted to be different. Renaye was your renegade Muggle-loving pure-blood, quite like her cousins, while Laurie was your typical Muggle who wanted to jump right into the wrong things. And Anabel knew that they didn't like her just as much as she...well, she was rather apathetic towards individuals such as them in general. They would not be influential in terms of networking and it was obvious that they had nothing in common with her.

They only ruined themselves in her eyes even further when they basically attacked poor Cecily for offering a very valid opinion. Anabel leaned more toward the group of people who believed that Quidditch was for boys as well. Her cousins Leslie and Lizzy would definitely disagree with such an assertion and Anabel was almost positive that her Uncle Brent would feel the same as well. But Anabel knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that girls were supposed to be ladylike, and one could rarely be ladylike when on a broom. And the potential for injuries alone was enough to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground.

Finally finding a break in the conversation, Anabel decided to cut into the conversation when they began to discuss Coach Fox. "Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," she warned. "You must not have heard about Coach Fox if you want to go and talk to her about something like that." Leaning forward with the thrill of gossip, Anabel looked at the girls with a broad grin as she started speaking, "I heard that a few years ago Coach Fox was a professional Quidditch player down in Florida. She's from the Florida Foxes, if you didn't know, and she played Beater for some team down there. Well, she's got a bit of a temper and attacked several fans and reporters with a Bludger. So-" Here she shrugged. "-you might want to stay away from Fox. I don't think she'd like you trying to tell her how to do her job."

Turning away from the girls, Anabel moved to her trunk once more and began to remove another pile of clothing from her trunk. She knew that she'd have to leave some of her clothes inside of it as she was almost certain that they wouldn't all fit into the exceedingly small wardrobe that the school had provided. While she moved from trunk to wardrobe, Anabel found herself relieved that Cecily had chosen the bed closest to hers. She wasn't quite so certain if she could have handled seven years beside the weirdos.

Pausing after she had hung up one of her pairs of school robes, she took a seat on her bed and decided to begin a conversation with Cecily. "So, Cecily, what do you like to do for fun?"

0 Anabel McIntosh Pot, Kettle? I prefer Skillet. 120 Anabel McIntosh 0 5

Renaye

September 23, 2007 2:29 AM

Tomato, Tomato (that doesn't really work when typed out...) by Renaye

Renaye was sure she was already in the wrong direction here, and she knew she'd gotten herself into it. Honestly, she really didn't care. She'd rather be with Irene and Josh. She decided she really had enough with this convorsation. It would only end even worse and she had already gotten Laurie on the Outsiders gang with her. She felt bad about that... Maybe Laurie wanted to be accepted with the others. Renaye had just messed it up for her then... Renaye listened though as Anabel spoke.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," she warned. "You must not have heard about Coach Fox if you want to go and talk to her about something like that. I heard that a few years ago Coach Fox was a professional Quidditch player down in Florida. She's from the Florida Foxes, if you didn't know, and she played Beater for some team down there. Well, she's got a bit of a temper and attacked several fans and reporters with a Bludger. So-" Here she shrugged. "-you might want to stay away from Fox. I don't think she'd like you trying to tell her how to do her job."

Renaye bit her lip to keep from saying, "I know her story. Quidditch is sort of my thing." Instead, she replied,

"Thanks for the advice. But playing Quidditch with my brother is more important to me than a silly detention. My parents' shop could donate supplies too. I think it's in her intrest if she listened..."

Raye was going to leave it at that. She was almost done unpacking and could do the rest later in an... emptier room. She turned to Laurie and said,

"Hey, you want to head to the Gardens or something? I was going to get Josh and you could meet my cousin, Irene," Renaye said. If she stayed in here longer she might bash her head against a wall... Though Crotalus was her house, she had a feeling she may be hanging with Pecaris...

0 Renaye Tomato, Tomato (that doesn't really work when typed out...) 0 Renaye 0 5

Cecily

September 24, 2007 12:04 PM

Fried green tomato? by Cecily

The other girls in the room were mean. Very mean. Cecily couldn’t help but draw her arms around her waist as if to shield herself from their tirade. That silly Renaye girl talked about how she liked knocking people of brooms, and she had said before that she didn’t mind getting sweaty. How had her parents raised her? They obviously didn’t give her enough love if she had to resort to violence for fun. She said she hated stereotypes – Cecily wasn’t completely certain what that meant, but she thought it was like saying all girls liked unicorns and all boys liked dragons. Cecily knew that wasn’t true, and saying that Quidditch was for boys wasn’t like that all. It was a violent sport and you had to play it flying on broomsticks – why would girls want to play?

Another girl gave her opinion then, and Cecily disliked her immediately. She was obviously Muggleborn and really had no idea what she was talking about. “You have no idea what you’re taking about,” Cecily told her in a matter-of-fact voice.

When Anabel started talking about the school coach, Cecily felt simultaneously scandalised that a woman could behave so abominably, and triumphant that at least she had been right about Quidditch being a boys’ sport. Those silly girls in her dorm could play if they wanted, that was their choice, but Cecily wasn’t going to give any sympathy when they got knocked off their brooms.

“So, Cecily, what do you like to do for fun?” Cecily blinked and turned towards the voice. It was Anabel, the only other positively nice girl in the room (Cecily hadn’t made up her mind yet about the chubby girl, who’d been fairly quiet so far).

Cecily smiled, tossing her brown braid over her shoulder as she turned to talk to her roommate. “I like animals,” she said, eagerly, “and I spend a lot of time looking after them. I have a pony at home, and a squirrel monkey and an owl and a crup and a puffskein and a rat,” she said, counting the animals off on her fingers as she listed them. “I have my other rat at school with me.” Here Cecily paused at clambered off her bed. She trouped over to her trunk, and carefully picked up a box resting on top of it. The cage was covered with a deep red velvet cloth to stop the rodent within being scared by his surroundings. Cecily carried it back to her bed, and, once she’d sat back down, pulled the cover off, revealing a sleek black rat. “This is Ulysses,” she said, introducing her pet to Anabel. “I had to leave his brother at home because the mean Headmaster would only let me bring one pet,” she said, pouting heavily.

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Anabel

September 27, 2007 8:29 PM

Eh, fried something by Anabel

"Thanks for the advice. But playing Quidditch with my brother is more important to me than a silly detention. My parents' shop could donate supplies too. I think it's in her intrest if she listened..."

Girls like Renaye truly made Anabel wonder how some parents raised their daughters. Of course, her cousins Leslie and Lizzy were into Quidditch as well, but they were also trained in the art of etiquette and could easily hold themselves in a respectable manner at a ball. It was somewhat disheartening that Lizzy had accepted the leadership position of captain of her house at Salem, but Lizzy had always been rather...different. Anabel had a feeling that this Renaye girl and her cousin would have gotten along splendidly.

"You'd...I'm sorry, I must have heard that wrong," Anabel stated, fighting the urge to stare in horror at the other girl. "You'd take a detention for Quidditch. It is only a year, after all." Shaking her head in consternation, Anabel realized that Renaye was saying something to Laurie about the two of them leaving the room. She thanked her lucky stars.

Remembering that she had asked Cecily a question, Anabel returned her attention to the other girl. Resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands, Anabel listened intently as Cecily began to list the number of animals she had at home. As the list only grew in number, Anabel's eyes grew large in amazement. "Wow," she exclaimed. "You have a lot of animals."

As Cecily went to retrieve her rat, Anabel scooted to the edge of the bed, in order to get a better glimpse. As the rat was revealed, Anabel leaned forward in awe. "He's pretty," she stated. "Trained rats make such good pets. I had one a while ago, but he ran away. Daddy ended up getting me a kneazle instead.

"I don't think it is fair at all that we could only bring one pet. I would have liked to meet Ulysses' brother. Is he black too? I only got to bring my silly owl. But I guess that's good so I can write Mom and Dad."

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Renaye

September 28, 2007 5:21 PM

Something fried by Renaye

"You'd...I'm sorry, I must have heard that wrong. You'd take a detention for Quidditch. It is only a year, after all."

Of course, they didn't understand. Renaye didn't expect them to either. She didn't expect them to understand that Quidditch was what her family was good at. It was something that, in this weird way, held them together. When Uncle Damon showed up over the summer, how did they get her through it? They put her on a broom and tossed her a Quaffle. It kept them linked to their parents even in the long times of absense. Renaye had gotten her broom, her baby, from her parents as a birthday present. Josh swore his was better, but Raye wouldn't hear it. Her Avalanche was a percision instrument. It was the ultimate gravity defying object in the history of ever. Her parents had bought it in Australia and shipped it over for hers and Josh's birthday.

Raye smiled and shook her head. "Only 364 days left then," she said, tossing her Magpies and Harpies posters onto her bed. She'd stick them up later. Maybe the Harpies weren't such a great idea to put up though... An all women team didn't sound like it would be too accepted here. But the Magpies were up. No question. Ever.

Raye turned to Laurie and jerked her head towards to the door. At that moment though, there was a shout heard from behind it that sounded like Josh.

"Raye! Get out here!

She waved to the others. "That's my cue," she turned to Laurie. "You coming?"

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Josh and Renaye Warren

September 29, 2007 10:18 AM

Stealing Renaye. by Josh and Renaye Warren

Josh stopped in front of the girls' dorm hallway. He didn't want to be dropped into the common room on his first day... That would suck majorly. Instead, he decided he would just have to call for Renaye. He wanted her to meet Zane. She would absolutely flip once she found out who his roommate was. He leaned forward and gave a shout,

"Raye! Get out here!"

He heard her say a quick goodbye and ask if someone was coming. Cool, more people. Josh was excited to be meeting new people, but he didn't want meeting new people to make himself and Raye into ordinary siblings who didn't really want to hang with the other. They were twins and, as cheesy and it sounds, she was his best friend. He really wished, really really wished, they could play Quidditch... It sort of kept them bonded. At least they had Irene to help with that. Raye appeared in front of him in no time.

"Hey!" She said brightly. "You want to head to the Gardens or something?"

Weird. It's telepathy. Crazy...

OOC: Laurie, if you're coming, we'll tag you in the Gardens.

0 Josh and Renaye Warren Stealing Renaye. 0 Josh and Renaye Warren 0 5

Laurie Cider

October 01, 2007 8:00 PM

Belated but attaching. by Laurie Cider

Laurie listening, growing more and more concerned for her future mental well-being. As much as she liked to follow the curve of things, it was quite plain that she had very little in common with the majority of her dorm room. She had intended, with all those gold layered roads, to make a good impression with her roommates, to make friends, and let Sonora become a comfortable second home. Instead, within moments of meeting the people she would be sharing quarters with for the next seven years, she had managed to alienate herself in almost every way. She didn't even know if she liked Quidditch or not yet!

Still, she thought with a tightening of her shoulders, her instincts were something her mom told her to always trust, and in the past, they hadn't led her wrong, so why distrust them now? There was probably more than a few reasons why her nerves were getting rubbed the wrong way by these girls' opinions. Besides, she mentally added, it wasn't as if she was entirely without friends; she had Renaye, and Renaye's brother Josh seemed just as nice.

Laurie decided to focus on the things of the present, like unpacking and writing that letter she had promised to her parents and brothers. It was going to be odd to have to depend upon owls for communication; she was so used to the immediacy of emails and messaging. She couldn't even use her cell phone to call her parents. Her dad had tried to prepare her for the culture shock:
"Laurel, believe me, it's going to be very strange at first. For every amazing point there is to the wizarding world, you're going to find ten things that frustrate you. Muggles have managed to speed things up, and wizards have never really caught up in that race. But we'll write all the time, and soon you'll too busy to notice the time."
She wished he had mentioned some of the other things, like the antiquated opinions on gender roles.

"That's my cue. You coming?" She heard Renaye say, and nodded in reply.

"To the Gardens? Sure, in just a sec, though. I want to change into a pair of jeans." She pointed to the twill skirt her mom had insisted she wear for her first day. "My mom thought I should make a good impression," she added with a roll of her eyes. "I'll be down in maybe five minutes."

OOC: Oh my gosh, I am in love with my friend's Iphone. I'm writing this while watching the Magic Kingdom parade. I am such a kid sometimes. I'll post next to your thread in the gardens.

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