Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau
March 15, 2013 6:10 PM
Returning Feast by Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau
Kiva waited quietly for the student body to settle down. They had all returned from their Christmas/New Year’s break and she was sure they were rather excited to show off all their new gifts that they had received. Christmas at the Jareaus’ house had been equally chaotic. It was hard to find gifts for Angel and Ayita as they seemed rather uncertain by it all, so instead, they did outing and allowed them to pick and choose what they wanted. They were teenagers, so, really, it was probably better that way anyway. Emery and Chloe celebrated happily as ten year olds did. It was difficult to believe that the two of them would be starting Sonora next year. And the baby turned 6 months and was utterly adorable. Maybe now that Harper was a little older, Angel and Ayita wouldn’t be so distant to her. They needed to bond with her just as much as everyone else. It was something that they would need to work on.That was neither here nor there though. Feeling that everyone had amble time to say their ‘hellos’ Kiva stood and called for everyone’s attention. “Good Evening everyone and welcome back. I hope your holidays went on smoothly and you all received the gifts you were wishing for.” The happier the students were after a stay with parents, the better the start of the term would be for them all.
“First, I want to congratulate you all for making it through our first challenge presented to you. Our lovely librarian, Ms. Diaz and your Charms Professor, Professor Olivers, were kind enough to put all of that together for your benefit. “ Kiva paused to allow for applause for the two staff members before continuing. “Our next challenge isn’t too far from now, so let’s see if this little break had caused any of you to become a little stale on your team work.” Kiva mused. She did hope they understood that this was meant to be about team work and nothing more than that. The team that worked together, was the team that won in the end.
“Coach Pierce has informed me that there was not enough interest in her Exhibition Match despite the shameless display of emotion some of you showed at the Opening Feast, so the Exhibition Match has been cancelled. If anything changes regarding Quidditch, Coach Pierce will send out notices.” Kiva advised them all. “Captains, make sure you keep up with representing your badges and keep your team spirits high this year and work with them how you see fit.”
Kiva gave a thought for a moment to make sure she covered everything, before adding, “Team scores for the first challenge will be provided to me soon. Once I get them, I will post team rankings. Maybe this will be a great motivational resource to work with your team come the next challenge.” Kiva commented lightly. “Enjoy your meal, everyone. The Prairie Elves were very excited for your return, so they made quite the feast.” With that, they were dismissed to enjoy their dinner and to return to their conversations with friends.
Subthreads: Somewhat overdue [Tag Addi] by Josephine Owen with Addison Thornton
Getting back into the swing of things. by Brianna Japos with Linus Macaulay, Linus, Brianna
Back in business by Waverly Canterbury with Theresa Carey, Waverly
I'm glad to be back by Wendy Canterbury with Annabelle and Annette Pierce, Wendy
A question for Reggie by Derry Four with Regina Parker
On the hunt for sauce... by Francesca Wolseithcrafte with Anthony Carey VIII, Anthony Carey
Quietly watching by Megan Brownbriar with Rupert Princeton, Meggie
Let's do this. Again. by Adam Spencer
Second Thoughts by Andri Thornton
Cloud Nine (take two) by Aubrielle Thornton
Pretty Princess by McKinley Andrews
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Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau
Returning Feast
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Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau
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Megan Brownbriar
March 19, 2013 6:41 PM
Quietly watching by Megan Brownbriar
Megan Brownbriar entered Cascade Hall with her head held high even though the Midterm was not the best time of her life. Sure, it wasn’t the worst either, but to see her betrothed actually walk up to the girl he was caught in the Yearbook with really upset her. She’d even tried to be a lady, like Cepheus and his family wanted and needed from her. She hadn’t done anything remotely un-ladylike either. Nothing of the sort. Sitting next to him at the dinner part of the ball was awkward (as far as she could tell, from both sides). She didn’t speak unless directly spoken to, and when she was, she politely answered the other person with as short an answer as she could have gotten away with. After the Ball, she went back to spend the rest of the weekend with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins at their house before returning home.Meggie got to spend some time with her Aunt, time she relished as a growing young girl without a mother. The ladies got to go shopping (where Meg got her Christmas presents from them, and where Meg also picked up her present for Eris). Her roommate was nothing but nice to her, she’d even brought back a Christmas Cracker for her the year before. This year, Meggie was determined to do the same, but also bring a present for the other Teppenpaw. She’d found a picture frame that said ‘Roommates’ in a pretty multicolored cursive letters, and inside it she put a picture of the two of them together from the year before. She thought Eris might like that and only hoped she really did.
The present was wrapped nicely and placed in her trunk to give to her roommate when they got back upstairs. She didn’t think lugging it down to the Hall would make any sense. Besides, she wanted to give it to her in private anyway. That way they could pull the Cracker too.
Meg sat down in an empty chair at Teppenpaw’s table and watched Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau until she spoke. The fourth year was still relatively quiet, What’s the point in talking anyway? Especially if nobody really cares enough to listen? she thought, glancing over to Cepheus before turning to see who’d sat down next to her. Others had been chatting around her, but she really didn’t reply unless someone spoke directly to her. When the Headmistress started talking, Meggie listened and nodded in all the right places of her speech.
The Teppenpaw was upset to hear about the Exhibition Match not happening, but it wasn’t as if she could have signed up for it. She knew better than to try even. When the Prairie Elves were mentioned, Meggie looked at the plate in front of her and smiled as the food appeared. This was what she’d been missing. They cooked much better than her older siblings did, that was for sure!
At that point, she felt someone tap her shoulder, and she turned to see who it was.
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Megan Brownbriar
Quietly watching
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Megan Brownbriar
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Rupert Princeton
March 21, 2013 2:55 PM
Actively participating by Rupert Princeton
The midterm had been considerably boring in Rupert's point of view. Most of his break had consisted of the men in his family, excluding him and Leo, planning the ball. Rup and Leo had spent a lot of time together playing and talking. His younger brother was planning to attend Sonora next year and Rup couldn't wait. He wanted to introduce his little brother to all the cool and interesting people he'd met so far.During the midterm, he had watched Megan a bit. She was his older brother's betrothed and though he wasn't supposed to tell anyone, he had always wondered how it would be like to be forced to marry someone. Awful, probably. Rup felt bad for her. She had to be hitched to Cepheus for the rest of her life. She hadn't seemed very happy during the ball either and he wondered if it was because Cepheus had said something bad to her. Or if he hadn't said anything to her at all.
They were not in the same house nor were they in the same classes so Rup never really interacted with her. Whenever he saw her in England, she was usually there because of Cepheus. Rup didn't fancy asking his brother how he thought of Megan, but he was curious how she thought of him. And since she was going to marry Ceph someday, he, as the younger brother, ought to get to know her.
Rup flashed a smile at her as he sat down and listened to the headmistress's speech dutifully. He saw his brother looking bored, but his people-watching was temporarily interrupted by the headmistress announcing the cancelling of the Exhibition Match. Rupert's brown eyes narrowed in annoyance and he sighed angrily. Practises didn't make up for all the matches he would be missing. He couldn't just train and expect to improve.
The next challenge was mentioned, but Rup forgot all that in lieu of the food that appeared soon after. He put meat and potatoes on his plate and, as an afterthought, put some carrots. The green beans were near Megan so he tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Megan?" he asked, forgetting to call her by her family name. He never kept up the normal manners for purebloods here because he just didn't care enough. Sonora had become his safe haven from the pureblood claws.
"Can you pass the green beans?" he asked, and received them with a big smile and a "thank you." He hadn't forgotten all of his manners. "How was your midterm? Did you have any fun at the ball? I didn't. I thought it was really boring. But I hope you liked it."
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Rupert Princeton
Actively participating
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Rupert Princeton
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Meggie
March 27, 2013 2:41 PM
Stumbling with my words by Meggie
Megan's mind whirled in so many different directions until the tap on her shoulder brought her back out of her thoughts. She turned to see who'd been tapping her and saw Cepheus' brother, Rupert there. He'd been asking for the green beans. "Oh, sure." she said, handing him the bowl. "They are pretty good..." she said, pointing the the pile of them on her own plate."You're welcome." she said to him. "Midterm was alright, I guess..." she started, before he asked about the ball. "It was a ball..." she said with a small shrug. "I'm not a big fan of trying to act like a stuck up woman, so it wasn't easy, really..." she started, slapping her hand across her mouth. She'd realized a second time who she'd been talking to. "Oh... Uhm... I mean... It was really great and all..." she added, biting on her lip and reaching for her chain around her neck that held her mother's old wedding ring.
She flushed and hoped that Rupert wouldn't tell on her to his family. She really had been trying to be a lady for Cepheus and she didn't want to ruin that, or her chances. It wasn't as if there were other girls who wanted Ceph as well as her, some maybe even more than her. Megan just wanted to make her father proud of her for something... He was all she had left and she wanted to get his love back.
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Meggie
Stumbling with my words
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Meggie
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Rup
March 27, 2013 9:20 PM
At least you're being honest. by Rup
Megan's response was refreshing and Rup almost laughed at her description of what was expected of her at balls. Rupert could be polite and sweet and charm the pants off of anyone, but he hated every second of it. He wasn't the sort to manipulate someone to get what he wanted or pursue a friendship just to gain future familial connections. Rup liked being himself, as quirky and strange as he was. It was his true self that was not acceptable in the pure-blood community which was why he had been kept under house arrest for so long.Cepheus was good-looking and charming and sometimes Rup wondered if Megan was attracted to him that way at all. He couldn't understand why anyone would be attracted to Cepheus's personality, however, but that was just his humble opinion. Being betrothed was bad enough, but being betrothed to someone who seemed to fancy another girl was even worse. He felt bad for her, Megan, and he wanted to make her feel less awkward if not around Cepheus, then around him.
"Don't worry, I won't tell my parents you said that," he said, grinning to put her at ease. "I hate balls too. I feel like I get dressed up like some doll just to be paraded around for a night. If my family ever heard that, they'd be in a state." He snorted. "Merlin, I can just imagine them. They'd be horrified with how I act here." He shrugged as he began cutting his potatoes. "Did you do anything fun afterwards?"
If Megan didn't want to talk about the ball any more, Rup wouldn't make her. He hated talking about dances and balls anyway. Living in a world with balls as a sole source of entertainment and social connection-making, Rup had always known he would be expected to attend those 'sources of entertainment'. Maybe he could do something his cousin Ryan had and elope with someone to another country. Only without the eloping bit. It was slightly less possible for him, he being the next in line to the patriarchy after Ceph, but it was still an idea. "I hope you had some actual time to have fun during your Midterm. I know preparing for the ball ate up most of my holiday. Are you looking forward to the challenges at all? And, more importantly, do you play any Quidditch?" Any seemingly respectable witch would say no, but Rup didn't believe in that. Anyone could play Quidditch and his family was seen as a bit more liberal with that belief. He commended the Princetons for that.
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Rup
At least you're being honest.
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Rup
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Meg
March 28, 2013 1:53 PM
I always try to by Meg
Megan watched Rupert, horrified that she’d actually said what she’d said. “I can’t believe I did that! Please don’t say anything to your parents or to Cepheus!” she said quietly, but in an almost begging tone of voice. But the look on his face wasn’t also of horror in any way. In fact it almost looked like he wanted to laugh at her. She looked at him, wondering exactly what he thought of everything that had bee said and had happened, but almost too afraid to ask it!When Rup said that he wouldn’t say anything, she sighed. She was glad that he wouldn’t say anything, though she wondered if he felt the same way that she did? When he grinned and went on to tell her exactly what he thought of Balls, she grinned back at him. He feels the same way I do! she thought, mentally breathing a sigh of relief. “Well, just as you won’t tell on me, I won’t tell on you. I can promise you that.” she said to him, holding a new respect for her betrothed’s little brother. She almost even wished to be betrothed to Rupert, even though he was younger. At least he could understand her!
“Well, after the Ball I went back to my Aunt and Uncle’s house. I got to have some much needed girl time with my aunt and I had a little fun with the cousins. I’m sure you’ve met Gareth and Enion, right?” she asked, sure that Rup had at least seen the boys, even if he hadn’t met them or gotten to talk to them. She waited for his answer before she went on. She may not like to be a stuck up snob, but she was polite (and to her, that was what counted). Rup went on asking more questions and Meggie wasn’t sure which to answer first, so she chose to go in order.
“I got to have fun, sure, if you can count watching my little siblings most of it as fun.” she shrugged. “It’s not always bad, but its not always fun either. It’d be different if Momma was still…” she started before stopping altogether. She reached all around her for a new topic and remembered the questions he’d asked her. Her voice at the start was hoarse, full of emotion, and Meggie hated that. She didn’t want to let her emotions out to Rupert, or to anyone. “The Challenges? I guess it should be interesting…” she started, trying to pull herself together.
In all honesty to herself, she hadn’t given the last two Challenges a bit of thought. There were much more important things on her mind than that. “And I’d love to play Quidditch… Its just not something my father wants for me or my sisters… My cousin Briar got-” she started, before she made a visual shiver in front of him. “Well, she got disowned for playing and then…” Meggie looked down at her feet, wishing she knew of something else to say that would change the topic of conversation away from something that would most likely make her cry!
What is this? Why is this happening? I’ve been doing so well lately! she thought, as she searched again for something to change the topic of conversation to.
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Meg
I always try to
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Meg
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Rup
April 02, 2013 12:21 PM
I don't think I'm ready for a tearful confession by Rup
Meg seemed nice enough if not a little preoccupied with being someone she wasn't. At least from what Rup could pick up. He believed in doing things the way he wanted to which could very well get him disowned in the future. He came from a very close family, however, and he wasn't sure if his mother would stand for it if Father wanted to disown him. At least he had his mother on his side. But it was easier for Rup to be free because he wasn't in line for the patriarchy and because he was a wizard. He had come to see with his cousins back in England how different it was being a wizard rather than a witch. He had female relatives who believed in gender equality and all, but they were distant and his grandfather only put up with them because they were his siblings.Rupert himself believed that witches could do things that wizards could. They couldn't wear trousers or ugly clothes out in public if they wanted to be seen as respectable, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with them playing Quidditch or talking with wizards. He was not a prissy boy and he couldn't completely understand wizards or witches who were. It was just silly to him.
As Rup ate, Meg told him about her holiday and nodded when she asked if he knew Gareth and Enion. He knew of Gareth more mostly because his older brother was best mates with him. He didn't really know Enion all that well, but they were in the same year.
Spending time with younger siblings counted as fun for Rupert. He absolutely loved his younger brother even if he spent less and less time with Leo now. They always had fun together and, though Rup was much sillier than Leo, they got along well. They were much closer than either of them were with Cepheus.
Apparently Meg's holiday was coupled with something that happened with her mum and Rup stopped eating as he watched her try and pull herself together. It was clear that something had happened with her mum. Maybe her parents were divorced? Her mum was gone? Merlin forbid, was she passed on or something? Rup couldn't ever imagine his mum not being around.
Rup finished chewing as he listened to Meg's woes about not being able to play Quidditch. He hadn't realised how different the Princetons were from other pure-blood families by how liberal they were with Quidditch and who could play. His grand-aunt was the blooming matriarch of the Princetons in Scotland. It was unheard of in the pure-blood circles his family ran in, but they didn't speak of it much. According to Father, it wasn't like his grandfather had much of his choice. Apparently grand-aunt Norma was a fright to be dealt with and therefore a perfect matriarch.
"Lucky you'll be a Princeton soon enough then," said Rup as if that was supposed to be of some consolation. "My parents don't care who plays, wizard or witch." It was really weird to say the first bit out loud, but it was just an unspoken fact. "Don't cry. I'm sorry about your mum, whatever happened with her." He was apparently good at touching sensitive subjects. He would be a bit embarrassed at making a girl cry in the dining hall.
The last thing he wanted was to make his brother's betrothed cry in a public space. He made a mental note not to ask about her mum or Quidditch, though he was very interested in learning about hearing her experiences with both. "We can talk about something else," he said with a smile. "How many little siblings do you have?" They had to be fun and safe territory.
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Rup
I don't think I'm ready for a tearful confession
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Rup
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