Janette Wolfe
April 16, 2010 5:11 PM
Beginners Transfiguration (Ist and 2nd years) by Janette Wolfe
Janette entered her very own classroom, a bubble of excitement lifting her spirits. She couldn't wait to meet her students. Teaching has always been something she had wanted to do, and now that she was here, she felt wonderful.Her bright blue robes swept the floor as she approached her desk, sitting behind it. Her eyes skimmed over the roster, though she had probably looked over it fifteen times already. She was nervous, she had to admit. How would they react to her? Would they be bothered by her tattoo's? Or would they be in awe? Were they behaved? Would she have to deduct points?
She shook her head, hoping for a bit of clarity. Everything would be fine. As the students began entering the room, a sudden calmness and serenity enveloped her. She stood and grinned, her arms wide open. her eyes friendly and inviting. She watched the students sit down, and as every murmur was silenced, she began.
"Welcome to Transfiguration! My name is Janette Wolfe, and I am your professor. You may call me Professor Wolfe, Professor Janette, or even Professor Jane. I'm not particularly picky." As she said this, she walked out from behind her desk so she could see them better.
"Transfiguration is a rather dangerous art- fooling around during the lessons won't be tolerated, I'm afraid. As some of you may know, Transfiguration has different branches. Some of these are Animagus, which is significantly dangerous, Animate to inanimate, vice versa, Cross-species, and Conjuration- to name a few. Now, this assignment will be relatively new for the first years. But for the second years, it will act like as a review." Janette finished with a smile. She skimmed over the student's reactions, whether they were pleased or annoyed mattered little to her. What did matter was that they got this right.
"Let's begin." Janette began. "You will notice three randomized objects your desk. They have different qualities about them that I want you to take note of. Examine them and jot down all the details you can think of. For example, write if it is smooth or rough, soft or not, light or heavy, and so one. Pay particular note of the colors.
"When you are finished taking your notes, point your wand at the object and imagine it changing into something similar. I don't want you to change it into anything alive, simplicity is best at the present moment. However, the changed object must have some similar qualities of the original object. For example, I am going to change this button," she held up a red button, slightly transparent and with swirls of white, "into a pebble. Like so."
Holding her palm out for all to see, she made the elaborate wand movements, slightly exaggerated for the benefits of the first years, and tapped the button and said, "Mutatio."
Janette held it between her fingers so that the students could see the difference of the button. It was now a pebble, slightly red in color. It was the same color as the button as well.
"You pronounce it Moo-tay-shio. Before you cast the spell, it is crucial that you keep in mind the item you have, and the item you want it to be. If you do not, something will go wrong, and it will likely seem disfigured. When you are finished, turn them in as well as your notes. Do not worry about transfiguring them back- your magic won't sustain the transfiguration for long."
Janette smiled comfortingly. "I realize it may seem like a huge task, but relax. Everything will be fine. Don't be afraid to ask me anything if you need it. Be creative, and good luck!"
OOC: Usual rules apply, ten sentences minimum. Don't worry about the notes, I'm not expecting an essay. Use details, your imagination, and have lots of fun!
Subthreads: Brainstorming by Marian Parker with Starbuck Gregory, Marian
So. Very. Frustrated. by Rachel Bauer with Nadi Roth
I am a beginner... by Sophia Randolph with Tobar Brishen, Sophia
Riddle me this by Neal Padrig, Pecari with Mariana "Ray" Ravenmore, Aladren, Neal
Attempting a good grade and friendly conversation by Dani Adair with Nicodemus Sawyer, Dani
Just like... magic! by Ellie with Cosette Miller
Taking notes by Dmitri Petrovskii with Tristan Volkmann, Professor Janette Wolfe
Low Expectations Bring Greater Reward by Charlotte Waverly with Samantha Hamilton
Back in my natural habitat by Jane Carey with Autumn Collins, Jane
This is called "ignoring things I don't like." by Raines Bradley with Demelza Eagle
First classroom experience by Kirstenna Melcher with Brian Moore
Making a mess of things.... by Jessica Zeworth [Pecari 1st Year] with Brad Hayman (Aladren)
0
Janette Wolfe
Beginners Transfiguration (Ist and 2nd years)
0
Janette Wolfe
1
5
Neal Padrig, Pecari
April 18, 2010 8:40 PM
Riddle me this by Neal Padrig, Pecari
A riddle: how are a toothbrush, tweezers, and a small bottle of dish soap all similar to each other? An answer: besides the fact they all have to do with personal hygiene, they were all also targets for today’s Transfiguration lesson. According to Professor Wolfe, who looked as happy to be there as the most excitable first year, was smiling through all the instructions. Though, or course, Neal struggled to pay attention a bit seeing how he was more fascinated by what her tattoos were instead of the assignment. So much for paying attention.Neal was lucky to have caught the important bits of the lesson, so he ignored the pictures he already started to doodle on his parchment and took note of what the items were and their physical qualities and their colors. He left enough room to write what he was about to change each one into it.
Hmm… well, the red toothbrush would do just as well becoming a red hairbrush. Neal performed the spell a few times before getting it right on his forth. The tweezers became scissors, which took even longer, probably because they were given edges and were enlarged quite a bit. The blue soap, he decided, would become shampoo. But changing the labels and contents were a lot more difficult than he originally anticipated – instead of taking a couple of minutes and mounting frustration, the transformation took at least ten minutes. He was sure, with his messy robes and hair, the bags under his eyes, and the bloodshot veins in around his pupils that instead of looking like he needed sleep he probably looked like a deranged workaholic or something.
Once his notes and items were finished, Neal decided to go turn them in quick so he could get back to drawing or something until the period was over. He was ready to go gather his items (they all fit his new theme: hair care, he thought with a smirk) when someone transformed his hairbrush right under his nose. He stared at it, not believing someone had just done that.
“Excuse me,” he said in his flat tone to the person beside him, “but you just transformed one of the objects I already transfigured and was about to turn in.” He raised a brow at them, waiting for their excuse.
0
Neal Padrig, Pecari
Riddle me this
0
Neal Padrig, Pecari
0
5
Mariana "Ray" Ravenmore, Aladren
April 19, 2010 5:55 PM
Riddles are fun. by Mariana "Ray" Ravenmore, Aladren
Trying to find her way to the Transfiguration classroom hadn't been difficult. She had listened to the Head of House's introduction and payed attention to every detail. She just didn't want to get lost. If there was one thing she hated, it was getting lost- because that meant she would be late, and that meant her parents would be disappointed in her and scold her for her unladylike behavior. Mariana sighed as she sat down in one of the empty seats.As the professor introduced herself, Mariana could feel her eyes widen. She was covered in tattoos! It wasn't that she thought they were bad, the colors and the inking was a strange form of art. Writing was apart of art too, and besides, the teacher seemed nice enough. She was grinning and smiling and she was just so.. nice, and friendly. She didn't look like what her mother would call a heathen...
Professor Wolfe began explaining the assignment and Mariana listened carefully so she wouldn't be confused. She took out some parchment and a quill, along with her wand, as she looked down at her three items. A hair brush, a small baby doll, and a little wooden puppet. She took notes of them, their texture, the colors, and how large or small they were.
What could she change the hair brush? Maybe she could turn it into a wooden horse... Yes, the bristles could be the mane... With a clear image in mind, Mariana closed her eyes had a clear image of the wooden horse in mind. She then pointed her wand at the brush and said, "Mutatio."
When she opened her eyes, she grinned with absolute glee, finding the hair brush fully transformed into a wooden horse. She couldn't believe she had gotten it on the first try! But her glee was turned to horror when the person sitting next to her said the hair brush had been his. And already transfigured.
"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry!" Mariana whispered. She wasn't crying, but she was close to tears. She turned away. She was fully expecting a scolding, or being hit. She couldn't be locked inside her room, but... Mariana nibbled on her lip, rubbing the falling tears away.
"I really am sorry, I thought it was mine..."
0
Mariana "Ray" Ravenmore, Aladren
Riddles are fun.
0
Mariana "Ray" Ravenmore, Aladren
0
5
Neal
April 19, 2010 8:25 PM
I couldn't agree more by Neal
The toothbrush-turned-hairbrush made a beautiful wooden horse, but the fact of the matter was that Neal hadn’t been responsible for the change. The girl next to him was behind that transformation, and she seemed quite proud of herself as far as Neal could tell. Not that he wasn’t glad to see her perform the spell so well – it was a more detailed and difficult object to mold something into than his hairbrush had been to make – he just wanted to turn his things in and go onto drawing or making up riddles or something more entertaining now that his work was finished up.Once Neal had pointed the girl’s error in taking his object, he almost felt her mood change for himself. She whispered that she was sorry and looked to be close to tears as she turned away from him. He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering why he had to keep making girls cry. If it wasn’t his looks that had girls upset, then it was… well, he wasn’t too sure why the girl next to him was crying. Maybe she thought he was ugly or weird enough to sob at, too? He never thought he was ugly – just his bloodshot eyes and the bags under them with everything on him being in disarray – but he could be missing something.
Or maybe… maybe this time it had nothing to do with his looks. Was she upset about something else? He probably sounded a little mean, he thought. His flat voice did have a way of coming out with more attitude sometimes then he meant to portray.
"I really am sorry, I thought it was mine..." she repeated, her voice sounding so disheartened that Neal stopped rubbing the back of his neck and reached into his tan knapsack.
“Eh, don’t worry about it, alright? I need more practice anyway. If anything, you’re helping me, so thanks.” He gave her a reassuring smile as he took out a spare quill and laid it on his desk. “Mutatio,” he said while concentrating hard. The quill had transformed much more smoothly into a hairnet then the other items had. Neal went back to fix his notes, flashing her one more smile to let her know it was alright.
0
Neal
I couldn't agree more
0
Neal
0
5
Mariana
April 20, 2010 5:32 PM
Peices to the Puzzle by Mariana
Mariana smiled as he did- she felt stupid, though. She couldn't help but be reduced to tears whenever she made a mistake. Her parents were strict purebloods, and well... shaking her head, Mariana looked for another object to transfigure, since the hairbrush obviously hadn't been hers. Looking aside, she found that there was a small crystal, blue in color. It was as hard as a rock, and cold, too. Mariana scratched out her notes on the hair brush before turning to her three items."I'm sorry about crying and everything," she told him, her voice soft. She didn't speak often, so it came out soft and raspy. "I hadn't meant to startle you.. It's just... never mind. Thank you, though, for not being angry with me."
Blushing slightly, she turned away from him and envisioned her doll turning into a raven- a raven with startling blue eyes, like the doll. The hair were as black as the feathers of a raven, and though the eyes tended to be black as well, she was sure the teacher wouldn't mind. After all, Professor Wolfe did say to be creative. So, she waved her wand as instructed and whispered the words 'Mutatio' once more, watching the baby doll turn into a small inanimate raven. It's feathers were slicked back and shiny, and it's blue eyes open, observing the alive world around it.
She turned next to the wooden puppet. The puppet was simply made out of oak wood with shapes for the hands, arms, head, feet and torso, and balls making up the joints. Maybe she could turn it into a doll? Or a marionette with strings? No, they didn't have similar qualities, not really. She bit her lip, afraid of failing. What would her mother say if she failed? Mariana whimpered at the thought. It wasn't pleasant. Well, she would think of it later. She needed to think on what to change the crystal.
Looking over to the crystal, she wondered if she could simply change it into a button. Professor Wolfe had never said anything about it, but she did say something about being creative. Maybe a glass eye? The thought was random, but she recalled reading a poem by Poe, with a blue eye. Yes, she would do it. Closing her eyes and imagining the electric blue eye, Mariana whispered the words as she pointed her wand at the crystal. When she opened them, she was proud to know that crystal had turned to a blue eye made of glass. She picked it up, turning it in her hands.
"My name is Mariana, by the way," she said, introducing herself. Her father and mother had taught her manners, and in her fright she had forgotten them. "I.. could you help me with this? I've no idea what to change the puppet into..."
0
Mariana
Peices to the Puzzle
0
Mariana
0
5
Neal
April 21, 2010 4:42 PM
Answer to a question by Neal
With all his transformed items and notes dealt with, Neal took out an orange notebook (something considered very ‘muggle’ at this school, even though he thought it was more useful than toting parchments around) and started to sketch in whatever came to his mind. He noticed the horse was still between himself and the girl beside him, noting how she seemed to have found another object to work with instead of claiming the horse she’d made. He couldn’t help but wonder what the Professor would do with it once everyone left the class. Keep it? Use it for another class? Transfigure it into something else?The girl beside him spoke up, and he gave her his attention as best he could. She spoke so softly, yet her voice had a rough quality to it like she’d been screaming all morning. Neal’s brows furrowed when she apologized for crying and startling him and they furrowed even more when she thanked him for not being angry with her. He wanted to tell her that she had nothing to be sorry for and certainly no reason to thank him, but he was worried he might offend her. De decided to simply nod his head and bit and played along. “It’s fine,” he told her delicately.
He watched her face flush as she started to shift her attention to her doll. He sighed and went back to his own mindless drawings. His attention only diverted two more times: once when he noticed, with another sigh, that Tristan’s desk was on fire and again when the girl next to him whimpered to herself. Was she having a miserable day, he wondered, or was she always so morose?
"My name is Mariana, by the way." Neal blinked at his drawings before turning to look at her. Hmm, well, she didn’t seem to be on the verge of tears anymore, but that didn’t mean she was in good spirits yet and wanted to make full blown conversation. That meant that she wanted either advice or to apologize again. "I.. could you help me with this? I've no idea what to change the puppet into..."
Aha, so advice was what she was after. His eyes roved over to take the wooden puppet in. He compared it to the raven and blue eye she’d made – both very well done for someone’s first go at a spell. Always one to appreciate a good theme, he brainstormed for a brief second before tapping the table to get her attention. “How about you make it into a wooden cage, like the ones birds are kept in?” An eye could be in a raven, a raven could be in a cage – it was a new theme, a new riddle, he was glad to rise to the challenge. He had no doubt in his mind she could do it – he’d seen what she could do first hand, after all.
Before she performed the spell, he turned back to his notebook and told her, “Oh, and I’m Neal.” He kept his head bent over the pictures he was drawing as he gave her a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Mariana.”
0
Neal
Answer to a question
0
Neal
0
5
Mariana
April 21, 2010 6:38 PM
But more questions have yet to be answered. by Mariana
“How about you make it into a wooden cage, like the ones birds are kept in?" Neal had said. A cage, she thought. Mariana glanced from him to the puppet. Yes, a cage would do beautifully. She could just imagine it. The bars wouldn't be wooden, but the bottom would be. An inky black... chipped... Closing her eyes, with a clear image in mind, Mariana whispered the word and opened her eyes to find an inky black cage. The bottom was made of wood, slightly chipped as if clawed at. The bars itself were actually wide enough for a bird to enter, however, there was barbwire, weaving itself along the cage so the bird couldn't get out.She smiled. Yes, a cage. It fit so perfectly. Inspiration struck her, and she decided to give the bird, they eye, and the cage a back story. It would only be for her to read, but she liked writing stories for different things. Or perhaps a poem. Poetry did always suit her, except, there were already poems written about ravens, even stories about blue eyes. Still, she wanted to write, and write she would.
There once was a raven who longed for freedom. It sat in a cage, dangling from an oak tree as it gazed longingly at the open sky. It yearned to fly through the air, to stretch it's wings. But the poor raven couldn't. The little raven was trapped inside the cage, tormented since birth for being an ugly, imperfect little thing.
The bird was trapped by two humans- one man and one woman, who believed the little raven imperfect. So they trapped the raven inside a special cage. The cage's bars were far enough apart so that the little bird would be able to fly away, but the tiny thing couldn't. There was harmful, spiked wire that weaved in and out of the bars so the bird couldn't escape.
The bird knew it could break away one day, the day it turned beautiful. But the raven was scared. The raven wanted to break out now, so it could fly high in the sky as birds were meant to. But what if the raven was caught? What if the raven was hurt? So the little bird stayed inside it's cage, awaiting the day someone might free her.
She finished writing and pushed it aside. She was here, in Sonora, yet she was still sad. She was so tired of being sad and helpless. She wanted to be free of the burden her parents had placed on her shoulders.
"Um, if you're finished," she said to Neal, "I can take your items and notes for you... It wouldn't be a bother, I mean... as a thank you, for helping me."
0
Mariana
But more questions have yet to be answered.
0
Mariana
0
5
Neal
April 21, 2010 8:14 PM
Some puzzles don't have solutions by Neal
Neal watched Mariana get all caught up in what looked like a daydream. She went back to ignoring him and transfigured her cage. The transformation itself was definitely not something a first year should be able to pull off, though. Changing wood into barbed wire is unheard of for their level – at least, Neal had thought that before this class. Now he wasn’t so sure. People, whether magical or not, always had a way of surprising him somehow. She was reminding him of that.She went back to writing so Neal went back to his drawings. He was so bored of sitting around doing nothing, he contemplated asking Professor Wolfe for extra work. But then he’d run the risk of it being busy work and leaving him more bored than he already was starting to feel. No point wasting his time on obligations, he thought with an eye roll.
Neal caught a glimpse of Ellie, who he noticed earlier. She had been upset when she first met Neal too. It was a bit unnerving to keep meeting people when they’re not feeling so great. Neal only hoped that he hadn’t lost his ability to make others feel better, since he seemed to be able to do okay with that. He’d never thought of himself as a comforting person but he did try to fit the role when it’d pop up best he could.
Mariana spoke to him when she was done writing. "Um, if you're finished, I can take your items and notes for you...” Neal tilted his head a bit and studied her. He hadn’t been expecting that. She continued, ”It wouldn't be a bother, I mean... as a thank you, for helping me."
Neal gathered his things and passed them over to her, making sure she had everything organized and wouldn’t trip and fall on her way down or something. “Hey, thanks, that’s real cool of you.” He sat back down and tapped his quill to his notebook paper, watching to make sure she was okay with all that stuff. When she sat back down, an idea came to mind. He flipped to a blank sheet of paper and smiled at her mischievously. “Mariana,” he began, drawing lines for a game of Hangman on his clean notebook paper, “how familiar are you with the muggle game called ‘Hangman?’”
0
Neal
Some puzzles don't have solutions
0
Neal
0
5
Mariana
April 22, 2010 7:59 AM
That is when it is difficult to understand. by Mariana
OOC: Sorry I didn't make it clear, but there are wires in the puppet. I used that for the barbwire and bars. I just wanted to clear that up. ;)Mariana placed her raven inside the cage, and then the glass eye next to it. She then took Neal's own items, smiling slightly at the rather odd theme, and both of their notes. Handling the items with care, she walked to the teacher's desk and placed them on her desk. She was currently helping another student, who apparently caught their desk on fire. Secretly, Mariana wondered how someone could manage that, but then anything was possible. Quickly returning to her seat, Mariana took her small story and stared at it, analyzing it for mistakes. Seeing that there was none, she placed it in her bag delicately. She would write that in her leather journal later.
She watched as Neal turned to a white sheet of paper in his muggle notebook. If her mother and father knew she was associating with a halfblood, or muggleborn, she wasn't sure, they would lock her in her room for a week with little to nothing to eat. But she didn't care. Neal was nice, and she never cared for the pureblood supremacy that her mother and father dedicated their entire lives too. She believed in equality for all- not just purebloods.
“Mariana,” he said as he drew some strange lines on the paper, “how familiar are you with the muggle game called ‘Hangman?’”
"Hangman?" She murmured. We aren't trying to hang a man, are we?" He drew lines underneath the strange object. What sort of game was this? She had never heard of it before. Of course, she knew witches had been hanged by Muggles in the Middle Ages, and those had been dark times. Her great-great-great-great-great-great-great aunt had been hanged. But this wasn't anything like it, she supposed.
"I know nothing of it. How do you play?"
0
Mariana
That is when it is difficult to understand.
0
Mariana
0
5
Neal
April 25, 2010 9:48 PM
The more impossible, the more fun by Neal
OOC: No, you were fine, I just missed that detail is all. I caught it then. If anything, I should be apologizing :) But it’s fine, we can just chalk it up as Neal having an out-of-character moment and missing a detail XD That seems like an alright way to handle that, I think.It didn’t take long to finish setting up the game and thinking up a word on the spot. When he did get done drawing his lines in, Neal rubbed his quill on his wrist as he tried to do a quick summarization of the game in his head. He looked at her when he got his thoughts in order, glad she seemed willing to give the game a go even though it was new to her. This obviously meant she was pureblood, and Neal had met enough purebloods to know they didn’t typically enjoy anything muggle. She must be different then, he thought with a smile.
“Allow the half-blood to explain,” he said, with a flourish of his quill as he tapped his paper then. “As I said, it’s a muggle game used to pass time, and all you need is something to write with and something to write on. One person, which I guess is me to start out with, thinks of a word. I then make one separate, little line on the page per letter so you only know how many letters are in the word. You’re job is to guess, letter by letter, what my word is until the words spelled out.”
He pointed to the box he had set up to draw on. “There’s a catch, though. For every wrong letter you guess that isn’t in the word, I add on a piece of a stick figure, which is supposed to be the hanged man. So once every part of him – his head, legs, arms, and face – is drawn on, then you lose and I win. Nothing too gory, just enough to get the idea across.”
He bit his lip when he realized how this might not sound as exciting to a pureblood as it did to his muggle classmates when he went to school. “It’s not as gruesome and boring as it sounds, just a way to pass time if you’re still up for it.”
0
Neal
The more impossible, the more fun
0
Neal
0
5
Mariana
April 27, 2010 9:56 AM
Riddle me this, then. Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk? by Mariana
"I see..." Mariana murmered. This game truly sounded strange, but she was eager to learn how to play. She was bored since she had turned in her assignments along with Neal's. The hairbrush turned horse still sat between them, so she could do something with that, but she'd rather play the muggle game. Besides, after that, what would she do?Possible write more, she mused.The fact that her parents wouldn't find out probably had a hand in her eagerness, honestly. Who was there to tell them? The Professors did not know them, the Headmistress didn't, and not one student knew of them, either. She could be as wild as she wanted (which wouldn't be much) and her parents would never know. True, if she got too out of hand the Headmistress would probably alert her parents of her behavior, but she doubted it would go that far.
Her parents had sent her there to get them out of her hair, basically as far away from them as possible. Though the truth of it saddened her, it was just as much of a blessing. She was free from her parents. Free of their curses, free of their beatings, and free from their harmful words. She would do her best to make them proud... but at the same time, she would do what she wanted.
For once since arriving at Sonora, she smiled a true smile and nodded at Neal.
"I would love to play." She looked at the lines on the paper and asked, "Is there an 'E'?"
0
Mariana
Riddle me this, then. Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk?
0
Mariana
0
5
Neal
April 27, 2010 3:25 PM
Simple: they both have legs by Neal
Mariana seemed to contemplate the game to herself, and Neal waited patiently (alright, impatiently, but he looked patient) for her to make up her mind. It was honestly too easy for him to get bored with things, and he didn’t feel up to working alone when an opportunity to be bored with someone else presented itself. Back at his muggle school, this was a popular game to pass time with. He figured it’d be fun for him to get to show some of the muggle world, even an insignificant part. He hadn’t gotten to really do it yet, and he had a feeling it’d be hard to do.The girl sort of shocked him with how warm her smile was. It was completely not he what he was expecting, having thought she’d more or less just prepared himself for unease. He flicked back out of his stupor when she guessed a letter.
He looked down at the four lines he drew – he figured an easy word would be worth starting off with so she got the gist of the game – and marked the letter ‘e’ on the second line. “Lucky first guess,” he joked. “If you’ve got a knack for this, is it safe me for me to guess you were sorted into Aladren?”
0
Neal
Simple: they both have legs
0
Neal
0
5
Mariana
April 29, 2010 9:35 AM
That is one I haven't heard before. by Mariana
Mariana nodded. "And what are you?" she asked, "Pecari?" she guessed, glancing at his robes. Mariana turned back to the game. Four letters, and 'e' is the second letter. Dead? Mead? Perhaps it is lead? They all rhyme, sure, but she doubted that it was dead or lead. Well, he was a half-blood. Maybe it was lead? Then again, Neal liked themes, she had guessed as much with his items he transfigured and his own suggestion for her items. She wouldn't know for sure he was going with a theme until the next round, however."L?" she guessed.
This game was certainly interesting, she noted. It was simple, yet a fun way to pass the time. Of course, she could be reading right about now, but she didn't feel like it.
"Um," she began, suddenly shy, "What's it like? Being a half-blood?" She didn't mean the question in any derogatory way, she was just curious. All she knew was a world of hate and disappointment, ball gowns and wine. Would it be different, with a half-blood? Or was it the same? Plus, she honestly wanted to get to know Neal a little bit more. What about his parents? Were they like hers? Or were they kind, like the parents in some of the books she has read? Mariana took a deep breath, hoping he wasn't offended with her question.
0
Mariana
That is one I haven't heard before.
0
Mariana
0
5
Neal
May 02, 2010 1:42 PM
I get that a lot by Neal
“And what are you? Pecari?”Neal gave a curt nod. “Got me,” he said. Not that he ever thought he’d wind up in sorted in the House he was, but that’s where he was. He thought, with his nerdy hobbies and all into consideration, that he’d wind up in Aladren for sure on his first day. But he wasn’t disappointed, being in Pecari was still great. He couldn’t complain since everyone he lived with was interesting. At least, everyone he talked to so far in his House had been. And it wasn’t as surprising as if he’d been sorted into, say, Crotalus. That verdict would’ve just been too mystifying to even begin to grasp.
When he heard the letter ‘l’ suggested he laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, but that’d be your first letter wrong.” He marked it on the side of the paper so they wouldn’t forget she made the guess and he drew his first line. Neal wondered how long it’d take her to guess his word. After all, he came with the word after guessing something she’d do if he hadn’t asked to play with her.
The game must have left Mariana’s mind for a moment because she suddenly looked awkward. Strange, why was she so anxious all of a sudden? Just because of one wrong letter? "What's it like?” Neal tilted his head in confusion until she elaborated. “Being a half-blood?"
Oh. This was a talk he knew he’d be getting somewhere down the road. Actually he was surprised his roommates, both purebloods, hadn’t already asked him this question. Maybe it was because they didn’t care, what between Dorian’s happy-go-lucky attitude about the present and Tristan’s Quidditch obsession, asking about what he did back home must be a waste of time to them both. Not that he minded. Now he was on the spot, he tried to think of how to properly sum it up for her.
“It was okay, I guess. It’s not like I didn’t know what magic was until I got my letter, I grew up with it. My dad does magic all the time back home and my mom loves to watch him mess around with spells, so as long as it stayed in the house it was a good thing. I just couldn’t talk about it anywhere else.” He frowned. “I’ve got some problems, I guess, that make me look weird. Notice the red veins in my eyes or the bags under them yet? Well, it wasn’t too bad, since it kept people from really wanting to hang out after school at my house, so my dad’s secret was kept safe. And mine sort of, since I started to do some strange spells without realizing it when I was younger.”
He smiled at her. “I have been to the ‘magical’ places a few times to see some professional Quidditch matches or some of my dad’s friends. So I just had a taste of two completely different worlds, I used to both. I guess it makes my decision on what to do after Sonora a bit harder since I could go either way pretty easily.” Then it occurred to him that she lived a completely different life than he did. Curious as always, he had to press just slightly. “So what about you? What’s it like to be a pureblood?”
0
Neal
I get that a lot
0
Neal
0
5
Mariana
May 02, 2010 7:45 PM
Me too :) by Mariana
Mariana shrugged, looking down at the line. She killing a man. An imaginary man of course, one with no life. He was just a drawing. Nothing more, and nothing less. Still, if 'l' wasn't in there, it could still be mead. Mariana closed her eyes, ignoring his question for a moment. He liked themes. What contained themes? Poetry. And novels. They contained themes. Movies, as well, though she had only heard of movies recently because of a previous conversation. Movies often originated from books, and he was a half-blood. Maybe he liked books. Maybe he liked to read?She perked for a moment. That wasn't something she had considered. Books had themes. When you read them, you would find them, if you examined it close enough.
"R?" She asked, just to be safe. She couldn't be sure, but it was a better guess than lead or mead.
Mariana wondered what she should say. She could tell him the truth. But he was a stranger. She didn't know him all that well, other than his name, his house, and that he liked themes. She wanted him to be her friend, but she wouldn't get that if she went and told him her life story.
"It's okay," she said. "Lonely, sometimes. My parents are..." she tapped her chin. "Strict, I suppose. Very. You're life sounds wonderful." She smiled at him. It was genuine, warm. "Your parents, too. It would be a convenient way of hiding your secret," she told him, referring to his eyes, "but weren't you ever lonely?"
That was something she would always and truly hate. Loneliness. Being alone for a moment bothered her, but she surrounded herself in it. It would be something she'd have to learn not to do, but it would take baby steps, she knew. She looked at Neal again. It was stupid, ignoring someone because of their looks. It was just as stupid as her parents hating muggleborns and halfbloods because of their parents. It wasn't their fault, and it wasn't like they hated their own parents. Besides, Mariana thought, they have no right to judge people.
0
Mariana
Me too :)
0
Mariana
0
5
Neal
May 03, 2010 8:00 PM
We're just good at being different by Neal
Neal whistled out lowly as he made to add on to his hangman drawing, but moved his quill at the last second to go and write the letter ‘r’ on the first line in his cursive scribble. He had a feeling that Mariana had a good idea of what his word was. If she didn’t just guess his word all together in her next turn, then surely her next two letters would be right-on. Either she was lucky guesser or she had, as Neal gathered from the assignment, a quick mind. Whatever it was, at least it made what could’ve been boring time-wasting somewhat fun for him.The Aladren kept quiet for a while, and Neal wondered if she was thinking about the game still or trying to figure out how she wanted to approach his question. Finally, she spoke. He couldn’t help but frown at her response. She didn’t seem to like talking about her life much, that much was obvious even from the few words she spoke about it. Although loneliness and strict authoritative parents were awful, Neal felt there had to be something else that was being left unsaid. Not that he’d point that out, but it made him wonder…
He blinked and stared back at her when she redirected the conversation at him. “Was I ever lonely?” he echoed, being taken off guard by the question. He hadn’t been expecting anyone to ask him that. He rubbed the feather of his quill and looked away from her and at his notebook. It was his turn to contemplate how to answer. “No one’s ever asked me that before,” he thought aloud, not really bothering to censor his thoughts. “I guess, in a sense, sure I was. I mean hanging out with your parents all the time and being somewhat of a social reject wasn’t always fun,” he said. He felt awkward talking about himself. He was so used to turning the spotlight on other people to try and figure them out, something about things he kept to himself were different to deal with. Not that he was ashamed or upset, just at a loss.
“I got used to being alone when I was lonely. That’s why I have so many solo-hobbies I guess. Drawing, reading, figuring out puzzles and riddles – you don’t need anyone to do those things.” He was worried he was coming off bratty or whiney, so he slipped into his flat typical flat, bored tone he took when speaking and put on his placid face. He smirked at her, very much ready to change topics. “And what kind of things do you get to do for fun, then?” He saw her writing something in her notebook earlier, so maybe she was writer, but he wanted to make sure.
0
Neal
We're just good at being different
0
Neal
0
5
Mariana
May 03, 2010 10:06 PM
It's such a wonderful thing. by Mariana
Looking down at the paper, Mariana grinned. Of course, it was read. She didn't know much other words that started with 're' and were four letters. Of course, there could be some, but nothing came to mind at the moment. She smiled again, enjoying her time with Neal. It took away the boredom, and it was fun. She felt like she was making a friend. She didn't talk to people much, her parents forbade it from her. But they weren't here, not now."Read," she said. "And that's the answer, along with what I do. I also write. I like writing poetry, or making up stories for the things I see. I observe people, study their habits. It's nothing that requires other people, too." She paused for a moment. Should she continue? Careful with her words, Mariana added,
"I know what you mean, being a social reject. My parents.. well, they didn't like me talking to others. I was locked inside my home most of the time, with no one but books and house elves for company." She smiled sadly. "It's sort of why I like Sonora so much. There are people, and you can choose if you talk to them, or if you dont. You can make friends, or you wont. It isn't demanded, or asked of you. You make the choice." She glanced at the paper.
"Is it my turn? Or are you going again?" Mariana asked him. That was the most she has ever told anyone about herself, and she wasn't sure of how he would react. Would he reject her, like her parents so often did?
0
Mariana
It's such a wonderful thing.
0
Mariana
0
5