Professor Skies
May 25, 2013 3:07 PM
First Year Flying Lesson by Professor Skies
Amelia had contracted some kind of vile 'flu bug and needed cover for the first flying class of the year. And thus, before she had met them yet in her proper capacity as their Transfiguration Professor, Selina was heading out to supervise the new first years on the pitch. She'd gone over with Amelia what she usually did; let the capable ones do their own thing, let the prim ones ride side saddle if they had to and don't let anyone die. It seemed straight-forward. On paper. Now as she stood on the pitch, she was starting to feel a little less comfortable. She was a competent flyer, having played Quidditch throughout her school years, and occasionally during her teaching career in staff-student matches, or else at family events. She was also, she hoped, rather more than a competent teacher. She could only hope, therefore, that teaching flying was not a task much more complicated than the sum of its parts, in which case she would be alright. Teaching things, however, usually was harder than doing them but as she was just guiding the students in a hover, she thought it would be manageable.“Good morning,” she called, once everyone seemed to have assembled. She had allowed a few minutes for stragglers, seeing as they were still bound to be finding their way, but started once she felt she had the majority there. “I am Professor Skies, and you will more usually find me in your Transfiguration classes. However, as Coach Pierce is sick today, I have offered to cover this class for her.” The first order of business was to take the register. She made her way from Bennett to Yesir, ticking them off as they answered.
“Right, those of you who are experienced flyers will have the opportunity to move away from the learners in a minute,” she phrased it carefully to prevent any of them haring off before she had finished giving them their instructions. “There is a basket of sports balls, including Quaffles, at the other side of the pitch. You may fly around or play however you wish within reason. Be aware of the beginners and be sensible. Misbehaving is not only discourteous to your colleagues who are trying to learn but, as with many situations you will encounter at a magical school, can be downright dangerous. If anyone misbehaves, they will spend the rest of the session on the bench, and suffer any other sanctions I deem necessary,” she informed them, her face serious. Although she liked to be upbeat and friendly there were certain things it just did not do to joke about, and safety warnings were one of them. “If you wish to spend the lesson in the non-learner group, you may make your way towards the other side of the pitch now.” The balls were placed near enough that she would be able to keep a reasonable eye on the group.
“Ok, beginners,” she said, turning to the remaining first years. “Before we start out, I would like to remind everyone that this is a flying lesson. It is not a Quidditch lesson and thus I cannot foresee it causing any problems,” she said, speaking at least as firmly as she had done when warning the other group not to mess around. “It is a compulsory part of your education and everyone is expected to put in their full effort. Everyone take a school broom. If you wish to have your seat adjusted to fly side-saddle, please raise your hand,” she moved through the crowd, making adjustments where requested.
“Now, place your broom beside you, hold your wand hand out above it and give the command Up!” she intoned, her own broom jumping to her hand as she demonstrated. “You will need to be clear and commanding, and feel a genuine intent to make the broom obey you. Once you have succeeded in this, your broom will stay in a hover and you can mount, either astride or side-saddle.”
OOC
Welcome to your first class! The structure of this will be the same as the feast, i.e. small threads starting out from this one. By posting in class, you will earn points for your house as posts are graded 1-5. The usual site rules of a minimum 200 words apply. However, if you write an average post, you will get an average mark. If you write a good post, you will get a good mark. The marking is based on how well you write, not how well your character does at the lesson. Relevance, believability, length and creativity are the key to a good mark.
If you are unsure what is expected of you please:
- Check the FAQ
- Check the 'dos and don'ts for class threads' post
- Ask on the OOC board
Remember that a teacher is present and would stop any situation before it got out of hand, so end posts at a point that gives me a chance to react if your character is getting into difficulty or misbehaving. If you wish to have your broom adjusted to side-saddle, you may assume that Professor Skies did this. Otherwise, as per usual, there is no writing for other characters.
Subthreads: Soaring through the air! by Chloe Jareau with Viktor Volkov, Crotalus, Chloe
Happy clouds floating by Ji-Eun Park, Pecari with Eleanor Vandenberg - Crotalus, Nellie Vandenberg
Fancy a race? by Leo Princeton, Crotalus with Dimitri Porter, Teppenpaw, Leo Princeton
Can I do something else now? by Emery Kijewski-Jareau
This situation is precarious at best. by Thaddeus Luther Leebridge III with Ava Fletcher, T.L. Leebridge
The moment I've been waiting for. by Tristan Spaulding, Crotalus
Wanna play catch? by Darina Porter
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Professor Skies
First Year Flying Lesson
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Professor Skies
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Leo Princeton, Crotalus
May 27, 2013 7:19 PM
Fancy a race? by Leo Princeton, Crotalus
Flying class seemed like the best class there could be ever, but he knew it was a lie. Growing up, Leo had been cursed with a flying instructor who had taught him how to fly properly while his parents had been busy with other things. He had hated his tutor with a passion and had done all he could to get out of lessons. They were mostly by himself, though Nellie had come to watch a few times, making it more difficult for Leo to slip past without a real excuse. By the end, his instructor had given up on him completely. But it was after his flying instructor had quit that Leo proved to be quite skilled at flying.Though he came from a prominent Quiditch family with Seekers running through his family’s bloodline, Leo had never touched a Quaffle in his short life. Every informal match his family had put together, Leo had found something better to do or he had been too young to play. Either way, he had never had the fierce competitive spirit as Cepheus nor the natural athleticism Rupert had inherited. So Leo, though he knew the rules or the game and the injuries that came from it, had merely watched on the sidelines. He was much more willing to go racing in a safe area that dare to get hit by a flying bludger or the like. Flying lessons here would be the easiest O he would get and Leo didn’t care for an O in any other subject, really. He was glad flying lessons didn’t include Quaffle-throwing or something. His flying tutor would have dared to put him through that sort of thing if Leo hadn’t gotten him so sick so many times.
Leo joined the others on the pitch and checked his fingernails as the professor took roll. He was very glad Coach Pierce wasn’t teaching today. He had been disgusted that she had even wanted to lead them to the Crotalus commons being as ill as she was. Didn’t she know better than to infect others with her germs? When the time came to grab brooms, Leo had his custom-made broom from a big entrepreneur his family proudly supported and watched smugly as others scrambled to grab a school broom. The pure-blood witches had an excuse, he supposed, but the wizards certainly didn’t.
Professor Skies dismissed the experienced flyers and Leo left with the group, wondering how he could escape this class. He was certain these professors were at least a bit more competent than his tutors had been, but he could never be sure till he tried. At least while he was stuck here, he could have a bit of fun. Leo carried his broom nonchalantly, but proudly, ready to show it off at any moment. He approached someone who looked like they were a bit reckless. He was brilliant at finding out personalities from first impressions and he hoped his assumption of this classmate’s look was correct. Finding someone who was willing to break a few rules was always the first step to having fun. “Hello. I’m Leo Princeton, of the Surrey Princetons. Want to race?” he asked immediately.
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Leo Princeton, Crotalus
Fancy a race?
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Leo Princeton, Crotalus
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Dimitri Porter, Teppenpaw
May 28, 2013 11:30 PM
Absolutely! by Dimitri Porter, Teppenpaw
Dimitri had a weird time with the first few days at school. It took him a bit to get used to sleeping in a new bed in a strange place. Yeah, he was used to sleeping in a tent for the events he and his family went to for the SCA, but that was only for a few days. This was for a much longer period of time and his parents weren’t nearby. Sure he had his cousins all over the place here at school and his twin sister, but it was still weird. He figured once classes started up he would have an easier time adjusting (or so he hoped). He heard about the first class starting and was a little excited about it being flying class. He was actually pretty good at flying and couldn’t wait to do it here at school. It was very rarely that he got the chance to use his broom at home. He got to do it at his grandparents place in England, but it was a little different here. Here he would have the chance to fly around near the Quidditch field, at his grandparents place there was just empty fields and trees.He woke up the morning of his first class ever at Sonora and dressed slowly in his robes. He made sure that he was clean and polished for his first class. He didn’t want to look like a slob. His mother would have been very displeased if he had. He grabbed his favorite flying broom and headed down to the common area. He headed out of Teppenpaw Commons, shaking his head at the fact that they had to dance their way into the Common room to begin with, and headed down the hall towards the door leading outside. He made his way towards the Pitch and let out a deep breath he had been holding as he joined his fellow classmates on the Pitch. He listened politely to the professor introduce herself, but really didn’t want to join the newbies. He had a lot more flying experience than that and wanted to do something fun. He followed the group of more experienced flyers and was preparing to mount his broom when he heard someone talking behind him.
Dimitri turned to see one of the other first year boys moving closer towards him and introducing himself. “Hello, I’m Leo Princeton of the Surrey Princetons,” the boy introduced himself. Dimitri wasn’t unfamiliar with the name. His grandparents were mildy acquainted with the Princeton family in Surrey. His grandparents were acquainted with a lot of European families in one way or another. “Its great to meet you Leo,” he replied politely. “I’m Dimitri Porter of the Tucson Porters,” he introduced himself as well. He gave Leo a polite head nod as a greeting and grinned and Leo’s question. He had been hoping for something like that and here was his golden opportunity. “Want to race?” Leo had asked him. Dimitri was excited about the prospect. “Absolutely,” he grinned mischievously at his would-be new friend. “You say when and I am soo ready to go,” he told him. Dimitri waited semi patiently for the cue to fly. Whether he won the race or not, he was going to have himself some fun. He couldn’t wait.
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Dimitri Porter, Teppenpaw
Absolutely!
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Dimitri Porter, Teppenpaw
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Leo Princeton
May 31, 2013 10:57 PM
Brilliant! by Leo Princeton
Leo had introduced himself to a well-dressed wizard and he smiled. Hopefully he wouldn’t be the sort to tattle on miscreants. Dimitri Porter. Leo had heard the family name, but not of Tuscon. Dimitri was probably from a Porter branch in the States somewhere. It was of no importance so Leo promptly forgot about it as Dimitri agreed to a race. It would be a promising start to the term if Leo didn’t get into trouble on his first day, but he wanted to leave class so badly. Flying class was ridiculously irrelevant for him as Leo wasn’t planning on playing Quidditch or flying very often. It was something to think about, escaping class.“Brilliant,” he replied and mounted his broom. “Let’s go three times around the pitch. On three. One, two—” He cut himself off at two and zoomed ahead, making his way around. If Dimitri asked, Leo would just blame it on the broom. His broom had been created for speed and that was why he loved racing so much. It was a great way to show off not only his skill at flying, but his broom’s immense power. It was glorious, the feeling of power.
As of now, Leo didn’t fancy Sonora very much. He liked it better at his manor in the country where they had wild creatures roaming about and his own bed to sleep in. He had wanted to bring his house-elves, but his father told him that was an absolutely ridiculous idea. He had wanted to bring his cat, Bonnie, too, but his mother was too fond of Bonnie to let her go halfway across the world with her irresponsible son. Leo could forgive the house-elf ordeal, but he was still a bit bitter about leaving Bonnie behind. However, he did not want to dwell on unpleasant feelings. He was trying to soak up the feeling of power in flying.
He made one quick round of the pitch, then two as he picked up speed and ended after the third. He landed roughly on the exact spot they had started, stumbling a bit as he tried to keep his body from involuntarily moving forward without his broom. When his mother had purchased it for him, she had been a bit hesitant to give it to him at his young age, but he wouldn’t have anything else. Leo’s blond, wavy hair was wind-blown and his cheeks were pink from the adrenaline. “Blimey, did you see how fast my broom went? That was brilliant.” He grinned at his opponent and stuck out his hand. “Good race, mate,” he said. It wouldn’t do to make enemies on his first day here either. “Want another go?”
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Leo Princeton
Brilliant!
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Leo Princeton
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Dimitri Porter
June 01, 2013 5:46 PM
Ready...Set...Go! by Dimitri Porter
Dimitri mounted his broom and prepared himself for the three count to go. Whether he or Leo counted it made no difference to him. Leo began the count and Dimitri was ready to start on the three count when he saw Leo take off on two. Either he started a second too early or he had said the three part and Dimitri had just missed it. Either way he was a second behind Leo. He took off like a shot after the other boy around the pitch as Leo had suggested. He had no idea how much (if any) trouble they were going to get into for doing this, but he really didn’t care. It was certainly much more fun than doing what looked like “normal” flying lessons. Besides Dimitri had already been through those and he was already good at flying. He fought a little to keep up with Leo who seemed to have an extremely fast broomstick. He made a mental note to ask him where he got it from.He circled around the pitch poles the first time, riding right on Leo’s tail and almost passed him a couple of times in the second pass around the poles. He was right alongside him, but couldn’t seem to get in front. He was a little frustrated by that, but it really didn’t bother him. He was enjoying the feel of wind whipping through his robes and hair as they flew. He rounded the poles for a third time and was coming back to the finish line, touching down a half a second or so behind Leo. Dimitri was a little out of breath when they landed. He had flown fast before, but this flight was intensely fast. When Leo stuck his hand out Dimitri gladly took it. “Good race mate” Leo commented as they shook hands like good sports. “Blimey, did you see how fast my broom went?” he asked. Dimitri nodded impressed.
“That was an awesome start,” he told Leo appreciatively. “You didn’t even get to say three before your broom took off,” he laughed lightly. He nodded immediately when Leo asked if he wanted another go. “Absolutely,” he told Leo cheerfully, taking his hand back. “I might even win this time,” he joked. “I doubt it considering the rocket you’ve got for a broom, but we’ll see. Maybe I’ll get lucky.” He winked at Leo and re-mounted the broom. “Okay…on the count of three we’ll do three more passes around the pitch,” he told him. “Ready…Get set…GO!” he yelled, kicking off the ground and taking off into the air. He would try to win this time and if not he still wouldn’t be upset. After all this was only for fun. He made the first pass around the poles sailing through the air and felt like a comet soaring through the sky. He buckled down on the broomstick and leaned into the turn as his grandfather had shown him to. He felt like he was a bolt of lightning shooting through the sky.
He made the next two passes with the same break-neck speed all the while hoping he didn’t actually break his neck. When he rounded the last turn he glanced around to see where Leo was at. Upon spotting him he grinned and kept flying turning back to watch where he was going. When he reached the finish line he set back down in almost the exact spot they started from and was just about wheezing he was soo out of breath. He had just flown six passes around the massive pitch and loved every waking minute of it. “Wow! Now that was Fun!” he said happily wiping a little of the sweat off of his forehead with his handkerchief he always carried in his pocket. “I don’t know about you, but I would love to do that at least one more time. What do you say?” he asked playfully.
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Dimitri Porter
Ready...Set...Go!
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Dimitri Porter
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