Up Late on Aladren Commons

Sally

January 05, 2005 9:11 PM

Up Late by Sally

Everyone else in the common room had left, most likely to go off to bed. Sally didn't feel very tired, though. She felt very homesick, and a little nervous. Most of the things that she was dealing with were somewhat easy, like the classes, but she still didn't understand many of the 'understood' things.

I guess it's one of those, you're either born knowing it or you're not. She thought bemusedly, with regards to the blood situation. It seemed to matter so much to people. In fact, to some, like Elizabeth, it had an absurd importance. To others, though, it didn't seem to factor into their thinking at all.

She sighed, and gazed into the fire, a half-written letter sitting on the table in front of her. She wanted to write to her brothers, but they wouldn't understand. They couldn't. She was part of it, and it was still all a mystery to her.

Not for the first time, she almost wished that she hadn't gotten the letter from Sonora. She wanted comfort and security, and this place was anything but.

What does not kill us makes us stronger, she thought determinately as she picked up her forgotten quill.

\n\n

0 Sally Up Late 0 Sally 1 5

Zoey

January 06, 2005 2:15 AM

Can't sleep? by Zoey

Zoey climbed down the stairs and into the common room. She stretched out and yawned when she reached the bottom. She still wasn't used to sleeping in a different bed and sleep wasn't easy for her to get nowadays.

As she swept across the common room in her pajama bottoms and t-shirt. Her long auburn hair was loose and wild around her head from rolling over in her bed so much. Her hazel eyes stopped on a girl who was writing something in a chair.

Zoey sauntered over to her and sat down in a cushy chair across from her. She remembered her from their first night here and from breakfast the next morning, though she hadn't seen her since then except in classes, but those didn't count.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" She asked politely, hoping she wasn't disturbing her.\n\n

6 Zoey Can't sleep? 39 Zoey 0 5

Sally

January 06, 2005 4:12 PM

How did you guess? by Sally

Sally looked up, a bit startled. Then she relaxed. It was only Zoey, the girl that she had met her first night here. "Nah, not really. Everything is just so, well different here." she shrugged slightly. That was the understatement of the century.

"I'm trying to figure out how to write to my brother, and explain it all." she grinned again. "It might shock him out of a years growth, so I probably need to phrase it carefully.

"So, how has your year been so far?" she asked interestedly. \n\n

0 Sally How did you guess? 0 Sally 0 5

Zoey

January 06, 2005 6:01 PM

I'm pyschic, didn't you know? by Zoey

Zoey smiled at Sally. She knew exactly what she meant by all of this. Magic was definitely something else. She still wasn't used to it and they had been here for almost a week.

Still, classes weren't anything like what she was used to back in Vermont.

"So far it's been alright. Complicated and confusing, but alright." She indicated the letter Sally was writing, "I haven't even bothered writing a letter back home yet. I figured, it's best to wait until I'm used to it before I try to get the rest of my family used to it. Might be easier on them too." \n\n

6 Zoey I'm pyschic, didn't you know? 39 Zoey 0 5

Sally

January 06, 2005 7:54 PM

It's like I have ESPN or something by Sally

"Complicated does fit." Sally agreed, nodding slightly. "But it's not just in the classes. THere's a whole new level of prejudice and bias here. It's like some people have been training for this since they could talk, and others who still don't know how this world works. I'm one of the latter."

She reached for the indicated letter, and crumpled it up, tossing it into the fire. "There are some weird things going on. All of this pureblood/muggleborn stuff is really getting to me. My family wouldn't understand. ANd they'd just worry about me more. They already have enough on their plates. I'm fine."

She sat there in silence for a few minutes, watching the letter that she would never send burn, and then she strangely felt like she was severing ties. She couldn't be like her siblings ever again. SHe had gone in too deep. THe change was complete. She just didn't know what exactly she had changed into.\n\n

0 Sally It's like I have ESPN or something 0 Sally 0 5

Zoey

January 06, 2005 10:53 PM

I love that movie by Zoey

Zoey watched Sally burn the letter she had been writing. She felt almost shocked by her decision. Zoey made the choice to hold off from writing to her parents, but Sally abruptly decided against it because of whatever it was that had occurred.

"Of course there are people who've been ready for this to come. For people who have been raised with magic in them, this is nothing more than the next logical step of their life. For you and me, it's more complicated than that. This," She gestured to their surroundings for emphasis, "is a whole new world for us and something that will probably confuse and have us feeling naive and stupid for many many years to come, but it's something we must face and endure if we wish to continue our lives as magical beings." Zoey paused and looked closely at Sally, hoping she didn't upset her or bored her. She frowned for a moment while something clicked in her head,

"What pureblood/muggleborn thing? And what prejudices and biases for that matter?"\n\n

6 Zoey I love that movie 39 Zoey 0 5

Sally

January 06, 2005 10:59 PM

Who doesnt? by Sally

Sally looked back up at Zoey. Had she not had any problems yet? Well, it must just be her own luck.

"There's a definete prejudice here against them. I ran into this guy, and we got into a bit of an argument. He was acting superior just because he was a pureblood. There's a word some of them have here. Mudblood. In case you haven't heard it, it's another way of saying muggleborn. Filthy blood. THins like that.

"Then, there was a girl I made friends with named Elizabeth Lavine. SHe was really nice, but apparently her family was one of those big pureblood fanatics. SHe recently decided she couldn't be friends with me and a few other muggleborn girls anymore, or couldn't even talk to us, just because of our heritage.

"That's why I burned the letter. My family wouldn't understand. Sometimes I think that there might be more then what there appears to be. The hostility seems to be growing. I have nothing to compare it to, but with some, it's pretty high. I can't burden my family with that. They don't need to worry about me any more then they have to."

Sally met Zoey's eyes, nad then looked away. If Zoey had encountered anything like taht, she would know. If she hadn't, well, then Sally had probably just shocked her. But it was better to know before hand then to be completely unprepared. It hurt less that way. Sally could testify to that.\n\n

0 Sally Who doesnt? 0 Sally 0 5

Zoey

January 06, 2005 11:26 PM

people who don't understand it by Zoey

Zoey watched Sally as she spoke about Pureblood/muggleborn issues. She only knew the basics when it came to it. Whatever she read and her conversation with Jenna. But, she didn't understand it fully and she had yet to experience it. The way Sally spoke about her ex-friend, Zoey was grateful that she hadn't yet.

"Why is a muggleborn's blood filthy? Aren't we all magical, shouldn't we all be equals?" Zoey frowned. She grew up in a small town and never had to deal with discrimination or prejudices. Things like this had never been an issue Zoey had to deal with.

"And those who are half and half, what about them? Where do they fit into all this?"\n\n

6 Zoey people who don't understand it 39 Zoey 0 5

Sally

January 06, 2005 11:34 PM

Re: people who don't understand it by Sally

Sally kept staring at the flames. It was hard to admit to herslef that this world wasn't perfect. She had wanted a chance to start over, but everything just kept haunting her, refusing to relinquish it's hold on her life.

"I only know the basics, too." Sally admitted. "Most of what I know I've heard from others. But it's similar, if you know the story, to the Spanish and the Indians in California and Texas. You were considered purest and better then eveyrone else if you had pure Spanish blood, but half and half is only a little better then being fully Indian.

"It's just the way of our world. Prejudices will be passed on from generation to generation, modifying themselves to fit whatever time they live in.

"I suspect some of the muggleborn stuff is that purebloods mostly have families in high places, and they have connections we don't. Not all are like that, though. It shouldn't matter, but it does.

"As far as half bloods, well, I suspect it depends on the occasion, and the person. It's all wrong, but there really isn't a way of stopping it. It's the price for our new world.\n\n

0 Sally Re: people who don't understand it 0 Sally 0 5

Zoey

January 07, 2005 8:15 AM

Yup, that's what I said by Zoey

Zoey nodded as Sally spoke. It made sense to her. They had been studying the civil rights movement in school last year before she had found out she was a witch. She knew all about prejudices and racism even if she had never experienced them herself.

Being a tall, white, red-headed female, one couldn't have much biasness toward her in her small town in Vermont. She usually could just blend in with the crowd, which suited her just fine.

"Well, we'll get prejudices no matter what world we're in. It's sad that humanity is that way even after thousands of years. If it hasn't changed by now, I doubt it ever will. I guess now we just have to learn about all different prejudices, new laws, new rules, a whole new way of life now that we are involved in the magical world." Zoey's frown deepened. She hadn't thought of all that until now, "Now that I'm thinking about it, seems like far more work than that letter made it out to be."\n\n

6 Zoey Yup, that's what I said 39 Zoey 0 5