Professor McFarlan
September 23, 2007 5:50 PM
Third Year Class by Professor McFarlan
The third year students were greeted by the now familiar stars and planets. The recliners were replaced by desks. There would be some writing to do. Professor McFarlan stood, leaning on the edge of her desk. Dressed in emerald green robes and comfortable ballet flat shoes, she greeted each returning student with a smile and exchanged pleasantries with a couple that seemed to be glad to be back at school.When the class came to order, Professor McFarlan touch the crystal with her wand and the great yellow star grew in prominence. Brightening the room (but not painfully so), it dimmed all the other glowing objects in the universe. Flares, like tongues of fire leapt from its rolling, boiling surface.
“Hello, welcome back to Astronomy.” Professor McFarlan said, genuinely glad to see the students again. She’d found that she had actually missed them over the summer. “As you remember, last term we studied our closest neighbor, the moon. This class will be devoted to the sun.
“If you remember, we discussed last class that magic is gender specific. The moon’s magical energy is female. The sun’s energy is male. Great Helios rules the day. We mark time by its path across our sky. We depend on its light and warmth for our very lives. It is our only true source of light. The strength and duration of its rays on the atmosphere determine our seasons.
“While not as changeable as the moon, the sun’s strength is changeable and different spells and potions react to its seasonal phases. In the winter when the sun’s light is at its weakest ancients lit bonfires with special woods to beg the sun to return and bring spring. Today, many holidays mark their heritage from those ancient times. Christmas, Chanukah, and Yule are a few examples.
“In spring the sun’s magical energy strengthens and, as we talked about in Charms last year, the Vernal Equinox is a perfect time for fertility, love, and artistic spells. Summer solstice, the sun’s most powerful time, increases the strength of combat spells and wizards enjoy several weeks between Beltaine and Lughnasadh where their powers increase in strength, peaking midsummer. This time period is also and excellent time for construction, magical and muggle. Autumn marks the fading of the sun’s magical energies. The veil between this world and the next thins and is the time for harvesting, preserving and remembering, hence spells and potions in these areas work the best.
“Now I would like you to refer to the third chapter of your textbooks and compose an essay about the sun. The more details the better. You might wish to put write about the sun’s circumference, distance from Earth or you may include solar flares and sunspots. Again, any myth, legend or magical facts you may want to add are also welcome. You may work in groups or alone, but I want a parchment from each of you.”
OOC: At least two paragraphs, the more imagination and detail, the better. Have fun.
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Subthreads: Sunny days sending the clouds away by Eavan Valentine with Danae Dupree, Eavan
Walking on sunshines, whoaa... by Red Aarden with Nikki Ramirez
The sun is shiney by Echo Elms with Professor McFarlan
Slipping in last minute by Elly Eriksson
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Professor McFarlan
Third Year Class
1467
Professor McFarlan
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Eavan Valentine
September 28, 2007 10:56 PM
Sunny days sending the clouds away by Eavan Valentine
Eavan liked astronomy if nothing, but for the fact that it had the most interesting classroom setting out of all offered at Sonora. She liked walking in from the normal, boring hallway into the vastness of space. Though she was disappointed to find regular desks had replaced the comfy recliners this year.Choosing a desk at random, Eavan sat down and pulled out her textbook, ink and quill. They were learning about the sun this term. This made sense considering last year they learned about the moon.She wrote a fair bit of notes, but everything was rather garbled in her hurry to get everything down.
Setting her quill down and sighing, she grabbed her book and flipped it open to the third chapter and read. After finishing the chapter she tried to stat the essay, but it was slow-going.
Scratching out her fourth attempt at a first paragraph, she gave up, deciding that a list of the sun's qualities would be a better way to start.
Staring at her finished list, Eavan turned to the person next to her.
"Hey, how far have you gotten on the essay?"
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Eavan Valentine
Sunny days sending the clouds away
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Eavan Valentine
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Danae Dupree
October 04, 2007 3:29 PM
Are you sure they're going away? by Danae Dupree
Entering the astronomy room, being used to the stars and planets, the first thing noticed was that the recliners were replaced by desks. Danae made a slight face. One of the enjoyments of the class were the comfortable recliners. Giving a sigh, she drudgingly sat at one of the desks, waiting for the lecture to begin.When it did, she pulled out some parchment and a quill to take some notes about the topic of the day – the sun. Last term, when they had learned about magic being gender specific, she had thought it strange and thought no differently this term, but wrote it down anyhow, along with the sun’s various aspects on spells. She wanted to do well in her classes this year, because with Lucie here, she knew her parents would be comparing, even though her sister was two years behind. Now, she regretted not getting better grades her first two terms.
Of course, she didn’t look forward to writing an essay either and unfortunately didn’t know anyone that would help her through the drudgery. Taking out a fresh piece of parchment, she wrote down a couple of facts about the sun, but didn’t get much further before she lost her focus on the subject and allowed herself to daydream.
It was broken when she heard a nearby voice asking, ’Hey, how far have you gotten on the essay?’ Her eyes turned to a girl that she only knew by name due to having classes with her, but had never been formally introduced. Giving a slightly exasperated smile, she said, “Not very far. How about you?”
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Danae Dupree
Are you sure they're going away?
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Danae Dupree
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Eavan
October 07, 2007 12:54 AM
unless they plan on doubling back... by Eavan
Eavan smiled and shrugged. "My essay is more of a list; but I think I've got a very good list started up. I'm not very much of a writer."The girl looked familiar, but Eavan realized that it was probably from three years of classes with the girl. She couldn't remember ever talking to her. With so few people in the school and all the Pecari third years forming such a tight-knit group, Eavan had been without very many friends for a while. She just had Gil and her brother; and both of them were slipping away from her.
"Y'know we've been in all the same classes for three years and we've never actually met." Eavan grinned at the girl and turned her body to talk to her better.
"I'm Eavan Valentine. Teppenpaw. Third year. And a Virgo among other things. Who are you?" she asked, hoping the girl might end up being an actual friend.
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Eavan
unless they plan on doubling back...
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Eavan
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Danae
October 08, 2007 3:26 AM
That would be rather dreadful by Danae
Danae gave a grin. “Well, you’re ahead of me. I just managed a couple of things about the sun. I’m not much for writing either.” She scrunched up her nose.The girl’s next words were odd, but true. How did one go for three years of being in the same classes and never having met? Actually, it wasn’t that hard to figure out. At least, not on her part. She nearly always worked by herself, avoiding others, because it seemed that everyone was friends with her roommates. She couldn’t begin to imagine the popularity that they possessed. She was lucky to be noticed at all, even by her own family. They had Devian and Lucie. She just felt unnecessary.
However, for the moment, she had the potential of making a friend, something she desperately needed, especially coming into the formidable teenage years. She gave a small chuckle at the other girl’s enthusiasm. Then, she said, following the pattern, “I’m Danae Dupree. Pecari. Third year. And a Cancer. Oh, and my favorite animals are turtles.”
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Danae
That would be rather dreadful
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Danae
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Eavan
October 22, 2007 10:13 PM
Almost as dreadful as a delayed post by Eavan
"Turtles?" Eavan asked. "That's kinda cool. I've never met someone whose favorite animal was a turtle. Most people go for puppies or tigers. I happen to be fan of butterflies, myself." Eavan suddenly pulled up her book-bag and held it up for Danae to see. It was a plain gray bag, except for a large yellow butterfly crudely sewn onto the front."My brother got it for me for my birthday. I'm working on way to charm it to make the wings flutter." Eavan held it up a moment longer before dropping it back down onto the floor.
"You wouldn't happen to know of a spell that could do that, would you, Danae?"
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Eavan
Almost as dreadful as a delayed post
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Eavan
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Danae
October 23, 2007 7:30 PM
Maybe by Danae
Danae couldn’t really explain her affinity for turtles. She supposed that part of the reason was that turtles remind her of her. She wasn’t obsessed with them though. It wasn’t like her purple comforter was covered in them or anything like that, but she did have a nice collection of figures.Most were ceramic ones, but she also had a couple stuffed ones on the shelves as well. Andon, a small stuffed one that had been with her forever, was resting safely in her trunk. She would die of embarrassment if her roommates ever found out. She was thirteen and therefore too old for stuffed animals.
She gave a grin when Eavan confessed her own love for butterflies. “That’s really cute,” Danae said sincerely. “I don’t, but I bet my brother would. He’s really smart. He’s in Aladren.” The only problem would be convincing Devian to do it, because he would want to know what was in it for him, which there really wasn’t anything. She didn’t mention this to Eavan for fear of scaring the poor girl.
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Danae
Maybe
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Danae
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Eavan
October 23, 2007 10:47 PM
Just a maybe? by Eavan
Brother? Eavan hadn't even thought to ask Earl if he knew a spell. It just showed how much further apart they had grown. Even just a year before, Eavan went to him for everything; told him things, she'd never tell anyone else. He was her best friend. Maybe that was the reason she had never made good friends with anyone. She had had everything she needed in her second oldest brother.And over the summer, when Earl had gotten his first girlfriend, he abandoned the friendship; or, more likely realized that hanging around his little sister was stupid when you were 15. He had grown up, and Eavan to follow suit.
"Do you think your brother would really help me?" Aladrens were smart. If Danae had a brother willing to help, it would be a lot better than trying to force her own brother(who was only about average in school) to be of assistance.
"It would be nice to have a brother that was smart. I think I might be smarter than my brother. It's a weird feeling." Eavan admitted with a grin. She usually didn't think of herself as smart at all, but it was nice to know she didn't stink at everything. Earl had Quidditch and drawing. She had squat.
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Eavan
Just a maybe?
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Eavan
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Danae
October 24, 2007 1:08 AM
I really can't decide which is worse by Danae
’Do you think your brother would really help me?’Danae chewed the inside of her cheek. That was a hard question to answer. Their father had taught Devian far too well for her liking. Whenever she ever asked Devian for any help, he expected something in return. Usually, the result was half a month’s allowance, which was a good reason why she often didn’t ask. Though, why it should really matter, she didn’t know. It wasn’t like she ever really spent the money unless it was on books or turtles. Her parents provided any thing else that she needed, or her siblings needed, such as clothing, parchment, ink, and so on. Sometimes, she wondered why he wanted the money, but was smart enough not to ask.
“I think so,” Danae replied gingerly. It was really her fault for suggesting her brother could help. She knew he could, but she also knew the cost. She supposed half a month’s allowance was a sound investment for a friend and it wasn’t like Eavan would ever have to know. Though, it did seem to cheapen the friendship slightly, but Danae reasoned it away with the fact that she was doing a good deed, something that didn’t get shown very often in her. “He’s usually in the library studying, so I could probably ask him after this class.”
Danae smiled back at Eavan. She wished she was smarter than Devian than maybe her parents would care enough to notice. It wasn’t like it would take away from the greatness that was Devian. He would still be the eldest in their immediate family and the second male in line. If anything happened to Chris, then Devian would become Head of the Family. She gave a small sigh. Was she even smarter than Lucie? She didn’t think so. It wasn’t like it would detract from her either. She was the baby of the family, which meant she got away with so much more. Being the middle child really sucked.
Changing the subject, she asked, the assignment mostly forgotten, “What else do you like to do?”
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Danae
I really can't decide which is worse
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Danae
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Eavan
October 30, 2007 3:49 AM
Flip a coin? by Eavan
Grinning, Eavan began to talk faster than she usually did. She was making a friend and Danae was helping her so soon after meeting. Hopefully her brother would be just as nice."Great! If he agrees we could meet in the library. And tell him that I'd be really grateful if he helped me out. He can choose the time. I'm pretty free." Eavan finally settled down, once she realized that she was talking so fast and that smiling too much kind of hurt her face.
'Well, I don't really think of what I like to do," Eavan replied truthfully. "I do what feels good at the moment." Eavan lapsed into silence for a moment, before adding "I like reading these adventure stories my dad got me for Christmas last year. They're all about this girl who finds a Time Turner and goes back in time to help people. And I like waling around outside. It doesn't seem interesting, but when I'm outside, I go into daydream mode, so the time passes quickly."
Eavan paused and took a deep breath. It's been a while since she's talked to someone about something other than classwork. It was nice.
So, enough about me...what do you like to do?"
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Eavan
Flip a coin?
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Eavan
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5