The Camping Grounds on Labyrinth Gardens

Headmaster Bulla

October 18, 2008 1:12 PM

The Sonoran Fair by Headmaster Bulla

The day had dawned unusually cool for the summer solstice. It was almost, but not quite, enough that one could describe the day's beginning as being crisp. But there were no clouds, and quickly it started to warm up. By eleven it had become a very reasonable temperature, although as it generally peaked in the early afternoon there was still room for the mercury to rise some more.

The labyrinth Gardens had been a hive of activity for the past week, and even before then had seen more activity than usual. Today, however, all that work came to an end, and the business of the fair was finally set to start. Headmaster Manfred Bulla checked over the last minute additions to the entrance to the Labyrinth Gardens where the staff and students had gathered, before checking his watch and clearing his throat. A silent Sonorus later...

"Good morning," Manfred adjusted the spell a little to make himself easier to hear over the sounds drifting from the maze behind him. He sent a quick, mildly irritated glance over his shoulder. "Good morning," he tried again with better results. "And welcome to the quadrennial Sonoran Fair. I'm sure you're all very keen to get to the fun and excitement, so I'll try to keep this short. There are a few important notices that I do need to announce before I can officially open the fair. Firstly, I would like to thank our current Head Boy, Mr Zack Dill, and Head Girl, Miss Jennifer Zucchero. They have done an exemplary job this year and I both thank and congratulate them." He paused to lead a small, polite round of applause. "I expect that now you'll all be very interested in discovering who will be taking their place next year. If Mr Christobel Dupree and Miss Izabella Santoro - both of Aladren - could please make their way to the front..." He removed the Sonorus and readied the interim badges declaring the office that each would hold the following year while he waited for the two students to arrive. Izabella's appearance caused a raised eyebrow, but otherwise Manfred managed to remain unfazed. "Congratulations," he told them, presenting them with the badges. "I'm sure you will both do your house and, indeed, your school proud. We will, of course, be discussing your duties, but obviously not at this present time. Now," he said, addressing the crowd again with his voice re-amplified, "I think we'll give those members of the staff and the student body who are involved in running stalls a headstart so they can take care of any last minute preparations. If those people would like to enter the Labyrinth Gardens, I'll declare the fair open shortly afterwards. The elves at the entrance will be handing out your fair tickets. Remember not to lose those, as otherwise you will not be able to exchange them for items at the stalls or however you wish to use them."

Manfred shifted aside so that Bella could join those heading into the labyrinth and watched with an eagle eye as a small crowd passed through, making sure that it was only those whose names had been on the approved stall list. He felt a twinge of unease as Mateo and Jose joined their sister, and another as the Cravens elbowed their way through the crowd after Stephen. When the last of the stall operators had passed into the maze he glanced at his watch again.

The sounds behind him seemed to increase. There was a definite splash, and several loud clangs as well as some buzzing type of noise that he couldn't for the life of him place. The gathered students looked impatient to get started enjoying their fair. Members of staff still present looked much the same, and, at the back he spotted a familiar face. He smiled ever so slightly. A Prairie Elf came running out of the labyrinth's entrance and over to the Headmaster who inclined his head to better hear the message he was being sent. He nodded before straightening up, and with a few short words sent the elf scurrying back into the gardens.

"I think," he announced, "that we can safely say that they've had enough time to get ready. Please don't push, there is plenty of room and time for everyone to enter."

He moved to the back, leaving the supervision up to Professor Powell in her new Acting Deputy Headmistress role, so he could greet Kiva.

"You'll have to walk with me if we are to talk, I'm afraid," he said apologetically after the hasty initial greetings and polite comments on how she and her baby were looking. "I'm needed at one of the stalls." He made small talk on the way, mentioning this and that about small events that had been happening at the school since she'd left, asking how motherhood was going for her. "And here," he said spotting a much altered fountain, "I'm afraid, is my stop. Do enjoy the fair, and I'm sure we'll talk more later." He nodded at Kiva politely with a smile at little Emery before turning and letting his expression drift to mild interest. "Mr Baxter," he said, spotting the seventh year and his friends. "Mr and Miss Craven. I believe you were after my assistance."

Subthreads:

One thing still needed for my stall... by Stephen Baxter with Headmaster Bulla, Stephen, Bianca Tiblin

FREE SWEETS and Olympic Competitions! by Elly Eriksson with Meredith Lail, Lucas Smythe, Amelia Smythe

Dance Lessons, Pinatas, and Spanish Sweets THIS WAY! by Izabella Santoro and Brothers with Saul Pierce, Danae Dupree, Eavan Valentine

The CoMC Stall by Professor Fawcett with Holly Greer

The Games Booth by Zack Dill with Mia Kerova

The Camping Grounds by Laurie Cider with Ian Grimm, Renaye and Josh Warren, Ian Grimm (and Laurie Cider)

Fortune Tellers, Jugglers, and Musicians, oh my! by The California Pierces with Kaylie Brockert

Just Watching by Kiva Kijewski with Maria Pierce, Kiva

39 Headmaster Bulla The Sonoran Fair 2 Headmaster Bulla 1 5

Stephen Baxter

October 18, 2008 1:13 PM

One thing still needed for my stall... by Stephen Baxter

"Do you suppose he'll come?" Stephen asked the twins, speculatively looking at the seat suspended over what had been one of the school fountains. With some rather clever adjustments and transfigurations, if he said so himself, Stephen had managed to make the walls opaque and much higher while the twins had helped him bully the statue who usually held the central position to be off to one side and hold the target. It was useful having "convincing" friends at times, if a little odd that one of them was also his girl. He tried not to let it worry him too much though. There were, after all, plenty of other benefits.

Or there would be.

He still had a best memory from Sonora to make. Time was running out. Stephen frowned slightly, not really noticing straight straight away that his off-focus gaze was on Sorrel until he heard the voice of the Headmaster.

Stephen flashed her one of his disarming grins and, turning to focus on Professor Bulla, nodded emphatically. "Yes Professor," he said, without a trace of guile. "We were hoping, as I think you probably realised from the application, that you'd take a turn on that seat there. You can swim, right?"

39 Stephen Baxter One thing still needed for my stall... 49 Stephen Baxter 0 5

Headmaster Bulla

October 18, 2008 1:16 PM

I suppose that's me, right? by Headmaster Bulla

"I can swim," Manfred affirmed. On one hand he had severe doubts about whether doing this would be bad for his position of authority and respect in the school. On the other, it was for the Fair, and thus a good cause. Also, he mused - and completely separate from that fact that he had shown up, knowing all along what it would mean - it was getting warm. A dip in the fountain, presuming there was anyone with good enough aim, would almost certainly be quite nice. "On the seat, you say. I daresay, Mr Baxter, that it can be arranged. I just hope you've other people to sit up there as well, as I fully intend to enjoy this fair, and spending the entire time getting 'dunked' by the efforts of students will prevent me from visiting the other stalls."

With a dignified look at the three seventh years, Manfred lifted his robes a little to ease his passage to the seat, and took up position.

"Will half an hour of my assistance work, Mr Baxter?" he asked.

39 Headmaster Bulla I suppose that's me, right? 2 Headmaster Bulla 0 5

Stephen

October 18, 2008 1:21 PM

All ready to go - Roll up to DUNK THE HEADMASTER!!! by Stephen

"That'll be great, Professor," Stephen said, giving the thumbs up. He checked to make sure that the twins were ready with the balls and protective spells to protect the statue and moved in front of the stall.

"Roll up, roll up," he said in his best imitation of what he saw as a carnie. "Come on, come all, for the opportunity of a lifetime. You - yes you," he pointed at a student passing by, "can, for the small price of one fair ticket, have this opportunity to Dunk The Headmaster. It's a once in a lifetime chance, ladies and gentleman, and it's for a limited time online. Come on, try your luck. All you need to do is sent a banishing charm that that target there," he pointed at the target being held by the statue, "or you can throw one of the balls that my lovely assistant," he tried to ignore the look Sorrel gave him for that one, "has over there. Come one, come all! Dunk the Headmaster! You know you want to!!"

39 Stephen All ready to go - Roll up to DUNK THE HEADMASTER!!! 0 Stephen 0 5

Elly Eriksson

October 18, 2008 1:35 PM

FREE SWEETS and Olympic Competitions! by Elly Eriksson

The Fair had finally arrived and Elly was excited beyond belief. She just about managed to stand through the Headmaster’s speech, though she did fidget all the way through it. She applauded along with everyone else at the announcement of the new Head boy and girl, although she didn’t know Chris at all and she only really knew Bella because of Matt and Josh, and had only spoken to her once or twice.

Eventually, Elly and the other students running booths were granted permission to go set up their stands. Grinning at Caedence and Meredith, Elly lead the way to through to the area they’d been allocated. There were three tables set out, and a clear patch next to the stall for the Highland Games. The two larger tables were dedicated one each for England and Scotland, and there was a smaller table in the middle for Wales. Hoisting a rucksack off her back, Elly began to take out essential items.

“Here,” she said, throwing a t-shirt each at Caedence and Meredith. “Put these on.” Elly had skilfully charmed a shimmering Union Jack flag onto the front of each. She pulled one on over her own vest top and continued to set up the stall. “This too.” Elly passed a record to Caedence; she’d borrowed a school gramophone, to blast out a rather random mix of Scottish bagpipe music, Celtic panpipes, and rather more enjoyable music from the Weird Sisters.

On England’s table, Elly arranged a selection of information about Muggle culture, including bits and pieces about the monarchy and Shaekespeare, and some magic information, like The Creaky Cauldron in Stratford-Upon-Avon – the oldest magic shop in the world – and Camden Market, which contained many real magic shops, if a shopper knew where to look. Elly fixed some posters of English Quidditch teams to the front of the table with a charm she once used to prank the Pecari commons.

On the small Wales table, Elly placed a selection of familiar story books written in Welsh for students to look at. There was also a bowl of Bertie Botts beans for students to try if they dared, a tribute to perhaps the most famous Welsh wizard, and moving, fire-breathing figurines of a common Welsh Green and the lesser known Welsh Red dragon strolled over the tabletop.

Scotland was by far Elly’s favourite table. For a start she’d managed to collect quite an array of attractive Scots in kilts, which she eagerly displayed around the table. Plus there was some interesting information about Nessie, a huge water dragon living in one of the Lochs that the Muggles had occasionally sighted. There was also the Highland games: for one ticket, students could try their luck at the Stone Put – like a traditional shotput, but, as the name suggests, made of stone. The winner, he or she who threw the stone the furthest, would win the trophy made by Mere’s brothers, and a small box of chocolate frogs.

Of course, there were other ways for students to spend their tickets. There was food. The elves had come up trumps, and managed to procure some food rarely found within Sonora’s confines. For one ticket, students could purchase a drink, and a small plate of food. They could mix and match any from the selection, which included Irn Bru and haggis from Scotland, Yorkshire tea, apple cider, and Bakewell tart from England, and Welsh cakes, obviously from Wales.

Finally set up, Elly surveyed the stall. It didn’t look too bad, she thought. “Okay, Caedence, you’re in charge of the games,” she said. “Make sure you get down everyone’s name and their distance. Me and Mere will deal with food orders, and I’ll try and answer any questions,” she said. Hoping she’d covered everything, Elly took up her place and idly hummed along to the bagpipe music playing while she waited for the other students to arrive.
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0 Elly Eriksson FREE SWEETS and Olympic Competitions! 92 Elly Eriksson 0 5

Izabella Santoro and Brothers

October 18, 2008 3:00 PM

Dance Lessons, Pinatas, and Spanish Sweets THIS WAY! by Izabella Santoro and Brothers

Izabella Santoro pulled her top down over her chest, letting it come to rest against her stomach, only just covering her naval. Standing in front of the mirror in her room that she shared with Anna, Bella scrutinized her outfit. It was a traditional Spanish Salsa outfit and one that she had worn countless times at festivals, family gatherings, or just parties in general where there would be dancing. But, this would be the first time anyone at school would see this side of her. Well, except for Ben, but he was always a special exception to things.

The top was a simple black tube that ended before her mid-drift did with an attached sheer halter. While the skirt was a crimson red (salsa was a sensual dance, after all), with a zigzag design. Meaning, one side of the skirt ended half way down her thigh while the other was drastically longer and ended just below her knee. The skirt wasn't tight, thankfully; instead it flowed with the movements of the dancer. Normally, Bella felt comfortable in the outfit, but not today. Of course, it could be the fact that at school Bella only wore jeans and t-shirts, never anything remotely girlish except for her flare for pink. This was exposing a small amount of the delicate flesh of her stomach and showed off her legs. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she didn't think the Headmaster would approve.

She frowned as she looked at herself, a hand sliding over her shirt as she turned to look at how the skirt fell from behind. A frustrated sigh resounded. Bella wished she could be more like her sister, Sofia, who had absolutely no curves to her. Maybe then she wouldn't have to worry about how things looked when in certain clothes. Finally turning away from her reflection, Bella sat on her bed and slid into her golden heels. Although Bella was rather comfortable in her hot pink converse sneakers, she had no trouble holding her own in a pair of heels. She thanked her sisters for that. They made sure since Bella was a little girl that at every party she wore a dress and heels. It made dancing all the better.

Pinning the red flower in her hair, Bella completed her look and left the safety of her dorm room to enter the school and the awaiting Fair.

Jake stood with his younger brothers, tapping his foot impatiently against the Hall floor. Bella had asked them to meet her here so that they could get to the fair all at the same time. But, as usual, Bella was the one who kept them waiting. The twins were arguing over something, Jake wasn't paying all that much attention to the what, but their quarrelling was getting on his nerves. They better not be like this all day or else he'd be getting involved too.

Thankfully, Jake spotted his sister making her way towards them. Although she was smiling, from her body language, Jake could see she was uncomfortable. Her arms were crossed in front of her and her shoulders were slightly hunched. "Hola, Izzy. ¿Cómo está?" Jake asked of her when she drew level with the three of them. Bella shrugged, "Bien." The twins immediately started in on what the plans were. Matt seemed excited about working the booth while Josh only wanted to make sure the setup worked. Jake remained mute on the subject altogether. Bella knew that he hadn't wanted to do this whole thing and only agreed because Bella had begged him. That went for Josh as well. Matt had agreed before Bella could even finish her proposal.

"Alright, let's see what you're wearing." Bella declared, taking a step back to have a better look at her brothers. Jake wore a pair of jeans, a black button down shirt, and black shoes. Although it wasn't exactly what Bella wished, it was as close as Jake was going to get, so she let it slide. Josh wore a more traditional Salsa outfit, all in black, while Matt wore a bright red shirt and black slacks. "I approve. Let's go before we're late."

The four of them left the school and headed into the sun. It had been cold earlier, but thankfully that had cleared up. Bella didn't know what she could have done to keep herself warm if it had remained cool. There was already a nice crowd forming around the entrance and Bella could just make out the headmaster over the tops of the students head. There were times when she absolutely hated being short.

The Headmaster began his speech with thanks to Zack and Jennifer. The Santoros, like everyone else, clapped for the current Head Boy and Girl (Jake clapped the loudest in support for his girlfriend) before quieting down again. For some reason, Bella had forgotten about the Head Boy and Girl nominations. They were the least of her worries, but now that Headmaster Bulla was talking about them, she felt a familiar flop of her stomach that occurred whenever she was about to sing in front of someone. Nerves, Bella absolutely hated the feeling.

There were few things that had Bella shy back, but hearing her name listed as Head Girl while her best friend was named Head Boy definitely had her standing rather still for a moment looking rather foolish while her brother cheered her on. It wasn’t until Matt ever so kindly gave her a shove towards the Headmaster that Bella started moving through the crowd of students. She gave the Headmaster a rather sheepish smile as she accepted the badge and elbowed Chris in the gut for congratulations. The acceptance was short-lived as the Headmaster excused her and the other stall participators to finish up any last minute fixings.
Bella led her brothers through the maze to their booth. The Prairie elves had done such an amazing job on everything. The platform for the dancing was smooth and big enough for more than just one couple. The piñata was off to the side in order to avoid anyone from whacking a dancer unintentionally. Even the booth itself with all the delights of the Spanish heritage (including food) were displayed for all the eyes could see.

"Bueno, bueno, bueno." Josh mumbled to himself as he looked over the display of art and food. Josh always had a knack for detail. Bella had him actually design the booth himself since he had taken such a liking for architecture.

"Jose, you'll work the display for me, Mateo, work the piñata, be sure no one hurts themselves, Jacob, we'll be dancing first together." Bella announced. The twins seemed relatively content with their jobs, Jake, however, was frowning slightly. It wasn't because he couldn't dance, but rather, because he wasn't all that excited about dancing in front of his classmates. "Mateo, flip on the Wizard Wireless Network for me." Matt did as his sister commanded and located the Latin station. Soon music filled their area just as they heard the students heading towards their booth. "Alright Jake, we're on."

OOC: Bella and Jake will be showing people how to dance, so feel free to interupt them as they twirl about.

0 Izabella Santoro and Brothers Dance Lessons, Pinatas, and Spanish Sweets THIS WAY! 0 Izabella Santoro and Brothers 0 5

Professor Fawcett

October 18, 2008 11:27 PM

The CoMC Stall by Professor Fawcett

Between doing paperwork (there seemed to be much more of it than there had been before he retired from teaching), going over various aspects of Fair preparation, teaching classes, worrying he hadn't done enough to prepare fifth and seventh years for their exams, and answering more letters than he'd had in years, John felt like a nervous wreck by the morning of the Sonoran Fair. Since most things made him feel like a nervous wreck, however, he wasn't very perturbed by it, and it hadn't got in the way of doing what he needed to do.

He applauded politely when the old Head Boy and Girl were congratulated on their performance and the new Heads were announced. The second elicited a bit more enthusiasm; Miss Santoro was in his upper-level class, and when it was the middle of the Dark Ages and he'd been in school, John had been an Aladren himself. Once the two sixth years had the badges, the individuals running booths were told to enter the Gardens, so John collected his helpers and did so.

Directions weren't his strong suit, but the very nature of the stand - a ticket booth beside a small stage and a ring of ponies - made figuring out where he was supposed to end up easy enough. Once he had himself and the helpers all in place, he began sorting everyone out as fast as possible.

"Miss Thistlegreer? If you could get on stage, please..." He had a feeling demonstrating mounting procedures on the model on the stage hadn't exactly been what Holly wanted, but it, like the western saddles, was how things had gone in the end. "We'll do a program after each group finishes riding - if we have a group too large to go together, you can assist the others between shows, and of course during their rest periods." He turned to the others. "Y'all wait to either side of the enclosure."

John paused to look his work over. "Excellent," he said, but then a thought hit him. Taking out his wand, he took off his glasses to check that he'd remembered to enchant them against breakage and dirt. That done, John put them back on with a nod. "Excellent," he repeated.

Soon, the rest of the student body began to enter the fair. Deciding the horses and the sign over the booth were enough in the way of attention-getting, John rehearsed what he was planning to say when students appeared until he noticed the children gathering. "Welcome," he said, smiling. "Rides are a ticket, and you'll need to watch Miss Greer give a little demonstration of how to mount your pony properly." Deciding there were about as many interested fairgoers as there were ponies, he turned to his staff. "The floor's yours, Holly."

0 Professor Fawcett The CoMC Stall 0 Professor Fawcett 0 5

Zack Dill

October 19, 2008 10:14 AM

The Games Booth by Zack Dill

Zack had spent a great deal of time planning this booth and Mia and Delany had both done a fair amount of work in it's preparation. Zack had spent most of the day before with Professor Huntley trying to get the Mario Kart set-up to work and finally they'd gotten the spells in place to get it to run properly.

Now, in the Gardens, there was a television, oddly not plugged into anything except the Game Cube, and it blared the opening sequence of the game. Four controllers sat ready for any ticket users to pick up and start playing. A large sign advertised that any player who won a race would get a free game in the other section.

Opposite the Mario Kart area, on the other side of his informational table, was another area with a wooden contraption that Zack, Mia, and Delany had made themselves. Zack and Mia had both tested it extensively and deemed it worthy of the name 'skeeball'. Another sign advertised that a ticket would buy three balls. Getting a ball in the center hole would earn the player five golden dice and an instruction packet on how to play yahtzee. Getting a ball in one of the other inner holes was worth a golden die.

Nearby there were also several board games set up, any of which were available for play for the price of a ticket, though no prizes were offered for those. Zack also planned to give out free chances to play them for answering trivia questions at the informational booth.

Between the two sections of games available for play, Zack had set up a table filled with books, dice, game demonstrations, and anything else he could think of that people might reference when talking about games. He'd even made up an entire poster describing some differences between games found in the magical world and those found among non-magical people. He had another for glossary terms like 'batteries' and 'game boy advance' that most people raised in the wizarding community probably wouldn't recognize. It was, in short, perfect for a muggle studies lesson.

Zack himself was manning the informational booth, ready to answer any question posed to him about any kind of game, or provide additional information to anyone browsing through the materials available provided. He would also pop quiz them if they seemed particularly interested in something, for a chance at a free game. Mia and Delany were covering the other two sections.

[OOC: Mia and Delany, you guys can pick which section you want to work in; the Mario Kart or the skeeball area.]

1 Zack Dill The Games Booth 40 Zack Dill 0 5

Mia Kerova

October 19, 2008 3:09 PM

Ready for fun? No magic? No problem! by Mia Kerova

Mia couldn't say she was feeling much better than she had been for the past two weeks, although her headaches were mostly gone along with the RATS. She definitely looked better too; her hair was freshly highlighted for the occasion. Her full attention was now devoted to the fair. She joined the rest of the students in the Labyrinth Gardens, giving applause where applause was due for the old and new Head Boy and Girl, and then went with Zack and Delany into the maze to complete their set up.

The game controllers were set by the television. On the other side, the skeeball machine that the three students created was still standing perfectly. The balls for that were put in their place. Mia took one and gave the machine a final trial. Just outside of center. Well, the point was that it worked. She replaced the ball with the others. On her person, Mia had a few of the prize gold dice of different numbered faces and there were more behind the games where only she, Zack or Delany could reach them. Zack had the informational area in the center covered. Delany would run skeeball and Mia made her way to the Nintendo side. They were ready to go.

Mia took her place by the television watching the screen run the start up scene while she waited for the students to arrive. She adjusted her tee shirt with pictures of a few of her favorite Nintendo characters. It was an old shirt she had to fix up and enlarge just a little. Those same characters and more decorated the nearby sign to make it stand out further. Once the students arrived and came near enough, she drew her wand and flicked it towards the sky creating a flurry of confetti over the Muggle Games Booth.

"Students of Sonora," Mia began with a beckoning shout. "Come see how the muggle half lives. No magic? No problem. Fun still abounds! Test your skills at skeeball. Grab a friend for some Mario Kart racing. Don't know what those are? Come and find out! You won't be disappointed. Try these games and more! Just one ticket! But beat your friends at a race and a game of skeeball is on us! Totally free!"

She made a flourishing gesture with her arms towards her station.

0 Mia Kerova Ready for fun? No magic? No problem! 0 Mia Kerova 0 5

Laurie Cider

October 19, 2008 3:19 PM

The Camping Grounds by Laurie Cider

The past two weeks had been spent in a blur of constant activity. First there were the packages upon packages that arrived over breakfast in the Cascade Hall. After three days of that, Laurie's prowess with the locomotor charm had reached near expert ease. The boxes were filled with cooking ingredients, charmed crock pots, dutch ovens, sandwich presses, and a whole litany of pre-made and stasis-charmed foodstuffs. Her parents had also sent along a trunk loaded with two magic-expanded tents, a never-empty fire-pit, a shrinkable ice chest, and three self-casting fishing poles. She had even sent out for the Fishpond Without a Pond™ field kit to let students try a hand at fishing and cooking their own catch.

The end result was that, on the day of the Midsummer Fair, a good hour before daylight had fully struck, the booth was in perfect order. First, there was the entry way, where either Laurie, Renaye, or Josh would greet prospective visitors. One of the tents was set up, its kitchenette transfigured into magical appliances only, and every horizontal surface covered in any of forty different Trenton Cider cookbook creations. A ticket would grant four items of choice and a small canteen of pumpkin juice (freshly made from a fully operating, self-crushing, pumpkin juicer). One could also use his ticket to visit the second half of the booth: the fishing pool. One could either follow the pathway as it snaked through the Gardens, or take a shorter broom ride to the camp grounds, where the firepit blazed, the fishing poles waited, and of course, the prize of the booth: the swimming pool Laurie and the twins had fashioned from damming up the stream. Students could try their hand at fishing, roast up a marshmallow for 'smores, or take a dip in the pool. The pool, at its deepest, was only five feet, but still offered a welcomed cooling spot from a day spent in the sun.

Because of the on site cooking and swimming involved, Professor Huntley had volunteered to oversee. Laurie imagined it didn't hurt that she had sent over daily samples of her father's creations for nearly two weeks.

Laurie lifted her gaze to the rosy-hued horizon and reached automatically for her sunscreen. There were only a few minutes before breakfast began down in the Cascade Hall; as tempted as she was to break into one of the pre-made goodies- there were Snitch Sandwiches, Bludger Nut Fudge, Tattlers' Takoyaki, Mayberry Muffins, Tinderblast Trifle, and a whole litany of other desserts, finger foods, and main courses- one of the twins would be returning shortly with their meals. She bit down on her lip briefly; she really ought to use this respite as a last minute chance to relax before the Fair officially began. She eyed the front table again; maybe just one taste wouldn't hurt. . .

~*~~**~~*~

"I think we'll give those members of the staff and the student body who are involved in running stalls a head start so they can take care of any last minute preparations."

Laurie took the Headmaster's offer and hurried off toward her booth, her mind already thinking of at least thirty different things she had forgotten to check- like whether or not they would have enough canteens, whether or not she would be able to transfigure more (her transfiguration skills were sorely lacking); did they remember to bring towels for people to use to dry off with after swimming- what if people wanted swimsuits? She couldn't help but fret, and it was only when she finally settled back into the camp grounds and found Josh and Renaye waiting for her that she began to calm down.

Everything would be just fine. The point of the Midsummer Fair was to have fun; everything else could be saved for later worries.

She shared a quick smile with her friends, plied another piece of Bludger Nut Fudge into Professor Huntley's hands (he was probably sick of the sweet by that point), and then took her station at the entrance. She would be taking the first shift at the front. Later on, she would trade with one of the twins in the back, and the third of their trio would get a hour or two to check out of the rest of the Fair's booths. The steady din that had pervaded the Gardens since after breakfast seemed to raise to a mild roar. Laurie took this to mean that the gates had been opened.

"Okay guys, here's to it then!" She raised a brief cheer with the Warrens before they headed on toward the back area.

She took her position behind the table holding the canteens and mess bags, straightened her ball cap, and affixed a grin as the first participant approached. "Hi! Welcome to the Camp Grounds!" Her shoulder jostled the brightly decorated sign that displayed the same name and the ticket prices below it. "You can try some of my dad's famous Cider recipes here, try your hand at the fishing pool out back, or, if you're feeling particularly up for it, both!"

OOC:

Participants- feel free to invent food names for the Cider treats, wage battles of will against the fish in the pond, or ask for swimming lessons in the back. You can pester the booth helpers (Renaye and Josh Warren and Laurie) for assistance, or just write your own free interactions. Everything is hands-on and open for creative interpretation. Have fun!

Josh and Renaye and Professor Huntley- feel free to godmodd Laurie's actions or instructions as you like; it's your choice of where you want to station yourselves and for how long.

Everyone- huzzah and have at it!

0 Laurie Cider The Camping Grounds 0 Laurie Cider 0 5

Meredith Lail

October 19, 2008 6:05 PM

Join us, one and all! by Meredith Lail

For a short while, Meredith had been worried the trophy wouldn't arrive on time. She had hesitated to write home about it mostly because she was unsure of how to phrase the letter to her brothers while including the typical beginning of "How are you?" and "How's Daddy?" and such. But it arrived a few days prior to the fair and it seemed to be approved by her booth mates. Max and Anthony weren't only out to make mischief, especially in recent days. They created fantastic things when they put their minds to it.

Meredith carried the trophy in its box to the Labyrinth Gardens where the students were forced to listen to the Headmaster's speech before the fun could begin. Mere giggled at Elly's eagerness to get to their booth within the Gardens. The ones who had booths to set up were finally let in so Mere followed her friends to their space. She only just had time to put the box down on the Scotland table before her special shirt was thrown at her to put on. Mere gladly obliged and continued to set up, removing the trophy from its box and displaying it by the information on the Highland Games.

It was a feux crystal goblet real enough to sight and touch, but not as easy to break. It measured a foot high and half a foot across. Two wings jutted out from the sides of the goblet that curled at the tips to cradle a small crystal stone in each wing. The stem led to a white base with a gold plaque that read: Sonora Academy Midsummer Fair Highland Games Champion.

When everything was ready, Mere saluted after Elly gave out the tasks orderly.

"Sir, yes sir!" she laughed and did a quick stretch. She had already stretched more intensively earlier. She moved to the front of their booth tables to where she would be the most visible to passing by students as they entered the fair grounds. Nothing could be done until they got students at their stall. She gave herself some room and then did a short sprint into an aerial cartwheel. She raised her arms as she slid to the ground in a split. She ignored the slight twinge in her knee. It had been getting better as she continued practicing.

"British food and fun for everyone!" she announced loudly during the routine. "Get to know our awesome neighbors overseas!"

0 Meredith Lail Join us, one and all! 0 Meredith Lail 0 5

Saul Pierce

October 20, 2008 5:44 PM

Not afraid to make a fool of myself by Saul Pierce

Though not technically aligned with any of the fair booths, Saul followed the other booth workers into the Gardens as soon he and everyone else was done cheering for the new Head Boy and Girl and the Headmaster released them into the Labyrinth. His family was covering a couple different areas, doing everything from fortune telling to juggling to acting as wandering minstrels.

He stopped in at his Aunt Tina's fortune telling booth and helped her to arrange the gauzy material that was meant to lend the area a bit privacy between the fortune-teller and her clients. He added a simple enchantment to it to let it flutter mysteriously even when there wasn't any wind and helped her decide to go with the fake Romanian accent over the fake French one.

Leaving her to deal with the final touches of her make up on her own, Saul moved on to the Unfab Four who elicited his help in stashing their instrument cases somewhere out of the way. Grumbling about being treated like a pack mule (which was, of course, all he was good for when it came to the musical performers), he dragged the four empty cases to where Simon was to ask where he should put them. Simon showed him to a maintenance shack and Saul shoved the cases in with the rakes and fertilizer. They walked back together to the main fair grounds together as fair-goers started appear.

Simon nodded toward a decent sized dance floor that was set up near where they came in, and asked in sudden curiosity, "Hey, does your musical curse impair your ability to dance?"

Saul gave him a sour look. "I did just fine with Briony last year."

Simon return the look with one of pity. "Hate to break it to you, kid, but that wasn't dancing. That was drunken swaying without the excuse of actually being drunk." He seemed to consider it for a moment though and then pushed Saul onto the wooden floor. "But you weren't completely hopeless in your timing. You might just be tone deaf and not completely beyond redemption. Go see if those two can teach you anything."

Saul stumbled two steps onto the floor and turned back and gave his a cousin a look of have-you-completely-lost-your-mind? "Salsa dancing? You want me to start with salsa dancing? Why not sign me up for belly dancing?"

"Close enough. What? You're not afraid of making a fool of yourself, are you?"

Shyness was never something Saul had ever been accused of in his entire life. "No!"

"Then go and learn something to impress your red-headed girlfriend with."

"Fine. I will." He turned and started walking toward the two Santoros demonstrating steps and movements that Saul knew perfectly well were quite beyond his ability. He turned back and added, "So there!"

Ever the mature one, Simon responded to this childish comeback by sticking out his tongue and then pointed his wand at Saul and transfigured his clothes around him so that the fifth year was now dressed very much like his roommate was. Saul looked down at what had once been a green "I'm With The Band" t-shirt and jeans, to take in what was now a bright red and black Spanish outfit. With ruffles. He turned to give Simon a final glare, but secretly he thought he stood a better chance of not looking like a total idiot if he was at least dressed like the part.

Reaching for one of the tickets he'd been given for his half-wandering/half-helping rounds of the fair (which he was glad to see hadn't been transfigured with his clothes), he approached Jake and Isabella, and asked, "So is it a ticket for a dance lesson?"

1 Saul Pierce Not afraid to make a fool of myself 82 Saul Pierce 0 5

The California Pierces

October 20, 2008 6:18 PM

Fortune Tellers, Jugglers, and Musicians, oh my! by The California Pierces

Whereas last year, only Regina Pierce, Harvey Tellerman, and the four Nowhere Men had come out to Sonora for the end-of-year festivities, this year, for the fair, the entire clan had shown up at the school to provide entertainment. They were dressed as clowns, stereo-typical fortune tellers, colorful jugglers on unicycles, period renaissance actors, and in normal street clothes of both muggle and magical styles.

Some carried guitars, some banjos, others accordions, fiddles, flutes, woodwinds, dulcimers, hand-held drums, and any other kind of instrument they could play and carry at the same time. Jugglers moved among the crowds with colorful balls, clubs, and even gleaming swords flipping through the air between them.

The fortune tellers had set up stationary areas for giving free readings to the fair-goers. Some used tea, some tarot cards, others crystal balls, a few others did palm readings, and a handful had even more esoteric means. Divinations students would recognize them all, however. Those students, however, might notice that the readings given were not much different than any fourth year could have made and even less accurate. But the California Pierces with real Talent were not the ones telling fortunes.

Those were walking around doing slight of hand tricks (a useful skill learned to go along with their Sight enhanced poker playing) and making bets amongst themselves on the Mario Kart games. Younger Pierces were running water amongst the performers so that entertainment could continue without stop or interruption. More culinarily inclined Pierces were side by side with prairie elves, manning food stalls that provided cotton candy, popcorn, funnel cake, hot dogs, gyros, pizza and a variety of other snacks and foods that no fair would be complete without.

All together, there were approximate thirty extra people in the Sonora Gardens filling just about every role from entertainer to support staff.

OOC: If you want to get your fortune told, watch the musicians/jugglers, buy cotton candy, take bets on the Mario Kart games (over 18yrs only please), or otherwise interact with any of the Pierces aside from Saul or Simon post in reply here.

0 The California Pierces Fortune Tellers, Jugglers, and Musicians, oh my! 0 The California Pierces 0 5

Kiva Kijewski

October 20, 2008 11:32 PM

Just Watching by Kiva Kijewski

OOC: Sorry, I don't have her seeing the booths just yet and didn't know where else to put her since she isn't really participating in the other events yet. BIC:

Kiva stood at the back of the crowd with Emery laying in the Infantino SlingRider that had been a gift from one of her father’s friends. She used this carrier more than she did the stroller and that was because she felt more of a connection with Emery when they were snuggled close than when he was lying in the stroller. She had her stroller, of course, shrunk and in the pocket of her jeans along with her diaper bag where they would remain until her arms grew tired or Emery grew hungry. She had been gone well over a month, but it felt as though she had never left. She was so wrapped up in being a new mom, but she still missed being a teacher as well.

Standing in the back, gently rocking Emery, Kiva was able to see most of the students and the Headmaster. She was glad to have been invited to the Fair and even happier that she had been allowed to bring Emery along with her. Of course, that may be because she enjoyed showing him off to people. A new mother never saw any flaws in their babies. Kiva was no exception. But, she was also was grateful to have an excuse to leave her regular routine. She had bought a small house in Albuquerque back around Christmas time, but hadn’t had the time to really work on it. Her mother and some friends had dealt with the furniture, the painting, and other less important things for Kiva while she was at Sonora. But, that didn’t mean everything was all set and done. Being out of the house was a nice change of pace.

The Headmaster called for everyone’s attention, which meant the festivities were about to start. A first thing first was the business of the Head Boy and Head Girl. Kiva was pleasantly surprised to find that two of her Aladrens were announced. She cheered with the rest of the crowd, keeping most of her excitement to herself. It wouldn’t look right if she was to show too much enthusiasm for Chris and Bella, but she would be sure to seek them both out while she was here to congratulate them in person.

Shortly after the announcement and the stall members had left, Manfred set everyone off to have a good time at the Midsummer’s Fair. Kiva waited for the crowd to push forward before she was even going to try to make her way into the maze. While she waited, Manfred met up with her with a greeting. She returned the gesture and thanked him for his kind remarks before walking with him into the maze.

The walk was nice, and getting caught up with everything was a double plus for Kiva. Having been gone for as long as she had, Kiva felt completely behind with everything. But, the Headmaster was kind enough to keep her in the loop and made her feel rather at ease being at the fair instead of being an outsider looking in. She paused in step when Manfred ended their conversation, glancing over at Stephen and the Craven twins with interest before bidding farewell to Manfred. She wanted to wish him luck with whatever it was he had gotten himself into, but thought that it may suggest that she didn’t have faith in the seventh years. Even if that was the case.

Kiva continued on her way, watching the vendors with amusement. Simon’s family was all quite entertaining and he seemed to fit right in with them. A product of his environment. That could be said for Saul as well. She wondered momentarily if Saul would also become an entertainer of sorts when he left Sonora. It seemed something he would do so well at. He certainly kept the other students entertained. Whether on purpose or not was yet to be determined.

Emery was asleep in his carrier, at least until she came upon the music, which startled him awake. It didn’t take her long to calm him down though. He was never a fussy baby. A couple of rocks back and forth, a few whispered words, and a gentle kiss had Emery content in her arms again, watching what he could see with his bright green eyes from his position in her arms.

Smiling at the students as she walked, Kiva spotted a free bench and decided to take a break. She was no longer pregnant, but Kiva’s back still seemed to like to think she was. The good thing about sitting though was the Kiva had a view of the festival and could simply watch for the time being.

6 Kiva Kijewski Just Watching 5 Kiva Kijewski 0 5

Holly Greer

October 21, 2008 2:52 PM

Not quite what I had in mind by Holly Greer

After finding and greeting Cecily, Holly politely listened to and clapped at the appropriate points of the Headmaster's speech. Due to in part the fact that she knew none of the people getting talked about but mostly because she was highly excited to see her first equines since Christmas break, her attention to the Headmaster was limited however. She was glad to get dismissed early and followed Professor Fawcett into the Gardens with the other booth workers. She moved right to one of the ponies, petting its cheeks and stroking its mane, and sent a smile of pure happiness over towards Cecily. Though significantly smaller than her own Wendy, the pony was a welcome sight and Holly immediately felt much calmer than she had in months.

Professor Fawcett called her name (given how rare it was for anyone to call her by the hyphenated name she used on her schoolwork, it took her a second to realize he meant her) and she turned away from the pony to look at the stage area where there was a western saddle fastened to the back of a model pony that wasn't even a very good depiction of one.

She gave the horse model and Professor Fawcett dubious looks, but she was good. She was calm. She would not take it as a mortal insult that she couldn't even demonstrate the mounting procedure on a real horse. She wouldn't. There was probably a perfectly logical reason - like the ponies can't get up on the stage - for why she was forced to show how it was done on a fake.

Suppressing the knowledge that a ramp was a technology even wizards had, Holly fussed with the girth and cinch to make sure they were sufficiently tight and the stirrups to adjust them to the appropriate length for her height. Once those met her specifications, she double checked her own appearance.

She'd sent home for her full equestrian outfit, so she had on her riding boots, her riding breeches and chaps, her riding jacket with her old equestrian team's name still embroidered in the lapel, and of course, her protective velvet helmet despite that she wasn't even going to be on a real horse. She gave another unhappy look at the Western saddle that completely clashed with her English apparel, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it.

Once they had a large enough crowd waiting for a ride on the ponies, Holly made a point to mention that one should never sneak up on horse and that one should always approach from the front and mount on the right. She demonstrated the approach and then narrated what she was doing as she slowly and deliberately mounted up onto the fake horse.

Once seated in the saddle, she straightened her spine and sat up with a perfect posture that came as second nature when straddling a horse, even a fake one. She continued the demonstration by pointing out the key details about keeping one's heels down, sitting straight and balanced, and how to use the reins.

Once she finished that spiel she looked over to Professor Fawcett to see if he had anything else she should explain while she was still mounted. Once he finished adding anything she missed (and she made a mental note to include it for the next group of riders), she demonstrated how to dismount safely.\r\n\r\n

1 Holly Greer Not quite what I had in mind 123 Holly Greer 0 5

Bianca Tiblin

October 21, 2008 4:38 PM

A quick ghostly visit to the Headmaster by Bianca Tiblin

Bianca floated above the maze of the Labyrinth Gardens watching all of the excitement below. Her own excitement made her feel less shy about joining so many students for the fair though she kept a barrier of a few feet between herself and the student body as she descended upon the crowd looking her Summer Solstice best. There wasn't much she could alter appearance wise, but just for celebration's sake she checked herself in a mirror before going outside. Her braids were neat and her dress was tidy as always. She thought she looked quite nice for the occasion.

For months Bianca had heard whispers of all sorts of ideas for booths and they all raced through her mind as the Headmaster's speech commenced. She had seen students congregating with each other discussing their ideas and designs. She thought back to all of the fairs she had seen and hoped this would live up to her expectations. She was certain it would. With all of the planning and building and running around with friends, it had to. It was all so wonderful to see again. After the accident years ago...

Well, Bianca was just happy to see the Summer Solstice celebrations being held once more. They always made for great fun.

She was tempted to take a sneak peek of the different booths and see how all the planning had come to completion, but there were times when she liked to pretend she was a student again and had to wait with the others. So in the sky she waited, sitting with her legs crossed politely at the ankles. She applauded the Head Boys and Girls both old and new and when the remaining students were allowed inside the clearing the small ghost followed suit.

There was music playing from a number of different directions. Bianca began to sway to one of the tunes. There was delicious looking food on display in even more places. Oh if only she could still eat food. She saw Professor Kijewski had returned with her baby. What a darling it was. She saw ponies on a stage and smiled brightly at the sight with a cooing "oh!" She started in that direction when another sight caught her attention.

"Oh my goodness," Bianca covered her mouth with her hands as she laughed. She floated towards where a defined fountain once stood, now replaced with a tall cylinder more transparent than she was. Headmaster Bulla was inside sitting precariously over the water in the center and the statue that usually took precedence was off to one side holding a target. She was surprised that she hadn't heard of this booth. The Pecari students in charge must have been very good at keeping secrets. Also, it wasn't often that Bianca was found near the rambunctious Pecari Common Room to overhear any plans. As the students running the booth went about attracting contestants, the ghost settled to a hover by the Headmaster's side.

"Headmaster, are you truly going to allow them to drop you into the fountain?" Bianca asked, her smile still beaming. Her tone held a slight hint of disbelief only because it was such a shock, but it was lovely surprise to see Headmaster Bulla embrace the spirit of the fair in such a way. It would be a sight she didn't wish to miss.

0 Bianca Tiblin A quick ghostly visit to the Headmaster 0 Bianca Tiblin 0 5

Bella and the Boys

October 22, 2008 10:23 PM

Than you'll live a fulfilling life. by Bella and the Boys

Although Jake had been hesitant about dancing in front all of the school body, but once he started moving to the familiar beat, a grin could be seen clear as day on his face. Dancing had always been something that the Santoros could do rather well. It may not have come easily to them in the beginning, but since they had danced basically since birth, they learned quickly enough.

Bella spun, hips moving into the twirl, grinning just as widely as her older brother was. Music was Bella passion and dancing was an essence of that passion. Finding the beat, finding the rhythm, finding the step came relatively easy for her, which was why she had decided to do the dancing part of their stall. She could have just stuck to the food and to the piñata, but dancing would really draw some attention if it were done with entertainment.

They both paused in the middle of their dance when Saul caught their attention. Bella, still grinning, greeted him while looking over his outfit. “Now there’s someone getting into the spirit of things.” Bella commented. Matt, who was waiting by the pinata, stifled a laugh at the sight of his roommate. Ignoring her younger brother entirely, Bella gestured to Jake to take the ticket while she glanced out to see if anyone else was interested in a dance lesson. “Anyone else who is interested, it’s just a ticket, go ahead and give it to Josh at the booth and then place yourself somewhere on the dance floor.”

Returning her attention to Saul, Bella gently shuffled him to a spot before facing him directly. “I’m Bella. We’ll take it slow. I’ve been dancing the salsa since I was little and even I still find it to be a rather difficult dance to do if the basics aren’t explained. So, I’ll have Jake show you the steps while I explain them.” Bella nodded to Jake, who joined them, standing next to Saul. “The count goes like this 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7. The four doesn’t exist, it’s like a pause. Guys always start with their left foot moving forward on one. So on one, foot forward, two is a count, three your foot is back, four is the pause. On five, your right foot goes back, six is a count, seven your foot is going forward.” Bella explained, showing him with her own feet.

“I know it seems like a lot, but I’ll have Jake demonstrate while I explain again.”

While giving the count, Jake repeated the steps that Bella had just explained to Saul. They repeated this a few more times to be sure the steps and the counting was understood. “Okay, now you give it a shot. Remember, one is forward, five is back. When you’re ready, we’ll move onto the side step and then, from there, add in some flavor.”

OOC: I’m sorry if the explanation doesn’t work out well, it’s easier to see the moves than write them. Here’s a link to a video that shows the basic steps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCtEIGg9w8o
\r\n\r\n

0 Bella and the Boys Than you'll live a fulfilling life. 0 Bella and the Boys 0 5

Saul Pierce

October 24, 2008 2:34 PM

That's my plan [Ticket] by Saul Pierce

Saul grinned as Bella commented on his clothes, and he did a little spin to show them off as though it had been his idea all along to be dressed up - while secretly hoping that Simon hadn't done some something stupid like writing I ♥ Tofu on the back of his shirt. When Jake accepted the ticket without any comment, though, Saul figured his clothes were safely authentic . . . though Matt was laughing at him. Saul attributed that to the ruffles and disregarded it.

He listened carefully to Bella and watched Jake with far greater attention to detail than he had ever showed to any teacher in any of his classes. He'd had to learn choreography for the plays he'd acted in, and though this required more rhythm, it was actually less complicated, at least at this basic level.

"One two three, five six seven," he counted along as he mimicked Jake's steps, trying to commit it all to memory. "One two three, five six seven one, oops. Lemme try again. One two three, five six seven one, no. That's a silent eight between the seven and one, isn't it?"

Though he himself had never had any talent at all with music (unless one was counting the unique ability to make tortured sounds come out of any instrument he so much as touched), he had taken lessons for three years before he was deemed hopeless at age seven. He'd also watched a great many of his mother's dance practices throughout his childhood (she danced professionally with the family troupe). So even without formal dance training himself, he felt this was sufficient since-birth conditioning to have a natural feel for keeping a rhythm. And knowing when he was getting it wrong. Which he was.

Or maybe that first count was supposed to feel rushed and off-beat and he was just too used to eight-counts.

1 Saul Pierce That's my plan [Ticket] 82 Saul Pierce 0 5

Ian Grimm

October 24, 2008 4:22 PM

[TICKET] A case of curiosity. TAG one of the Warrens. by Ian Grimm

It had been his full intention to find a dark corner, slip on his prescription shades, and spend his day with a self-inking quill to paper. Somehow, though, when trying to slip past the edges of the boisterous crowd, he was caught midway and pushed into the Gardens along with the majority of the throng. Ian was not pleased when he found himself deposited across from what looked to be a group of costumed caravan workers.

He wasn't surprised to hear the crew was made up of California Pierces. His father's hidden room of records had a good section dedicated to the Pierce family's many branches.

Ian grimaced as his shoulder was jostled and his notebook knocked out of his hand. Grumbling silently, he picked up the book, brushed off the bits of grass caught in its pages, and sent the offending individual an undivided glare. But the offender missed his expression entirely and had disappeared behind what looked like a camp ground. There were tables with packaged foods and a growing line leading toward an area in the back. His interest piqued, he moved to join the line.

He was stopped by an unwelcome hand on his shoulder.

"Hi! To go to the back area, it's one ticket, please."

Not bothering to look at the speaker's face, he reached grudgingly into his pocket and withdrew a single ticket. "Here. What's in the back anyway?"

"Don't you know?" The girl's tone sounded curious. At his darkened expression, she hurried on. "Anyway, we've corralled off a swimming hole, and there's a fishing pond with a camp fire for cooking or roasting marshmallows over. If you want a quick swimming lesson, I'll be heading back in an hour or so to give one." As if to accent the fact that she was a swimmer, the girl shook her head, sending unwanted droplets of water over Ian's sunglasses.

The removal of his glasses to clean them warranted a short-lived squint in her direction. Even through the fuzziness of his normal vision, Ian was surprised with recognition. "Where are you from- the Boston area?"

The girl shook her head a second time, somewhat distractedly. There was a queue gathering at her table. "No, Florida. But listen, I need to get back to the booth. You can follow the path, or use a broom to head to the back area. Just ask for Josh or Renaye if you need anything."

"Hold on a sec-" he tried to say, but she had already gone off. Somewhat disgruntled, Ian decided to take the walking path, wanting the brief interlude to consider his thoughts. He could only vaguely place the girl's face. He must have shared a class with her during the past year, but there was something suggesting a greater familiarity with her than mere lesson interactions.

Carefully, he reviewed her internally. Wide mouth, brownish-blondish hair, rather nondescript. Brown eyes, lighter shade of the spectrum. Average height, average build. Long nose, well centered. Long fingers, clipped finger nails. Shabby tennis shoes. Really shabby t-shirt. Ian frowned; when listed, it didn't come together. Yet there was still an unmistakable sense of déjà vu about her. He had to have met her before, or seen her before, but, well, not as she was now.

He had gone to Orlando once when he was six, to attend a special function being held in conjunction with St. Jude's sister school, St. Agatha's at the Epcot Center. He supposed it was possible that he had met that girl there, and for whatever reason, his brain had retained the encounter these many years since. Improbable, but not impossible. He would need to write down his thoughts as soon as he found a dirt-free surface.

Before that, however-

Ian entered the back area of the camp grounds and wasted no time on observing the small crowd chattering around the fishing pond or the few braving the chilled swimming hole water; he even ignored the crackling fire-pit and the rich aroma rising from it. He walked directly to the person plainly overseeing the back area events and posed his question.

"That girl in the front, taking the tickets, what's her name?"\r\n\r\n

0 Ian Grimm [TICKET] A case of curiosity. *TAG* one of the Warrens. 110 Ian Grimm 0 5

Maria Pierce

October 24, 2008 11:10 PM

Giving the you something else to watch by Maria Pierce

Maria Pierce was twenty-two years old. She had never gone to school for a single day of her life. Having been thirteen when the State of California started to investigate the family for educational neglect and sixteen before Regina was finally slapped with the threat of jail if the younger kids weren't enrolled somewhere, Maria had been the last of the Pierce children to avoid a formal education.

She could have followed Simon's footsteps and gone to college for music or theatre, but she lacked her cousin's ambition and was content to stay with the family business. So today, for the very first time, Maria set foot on the grounds of a magical school. The sheer number of kids amazed her. As part of a family like the California Pierces, she thought she saw a lot of kids from day-to-day, but they had always been matched in numbers by the adults.

As she walked the crowds, twirling her purple and green devil stick baton around and against her control sticks, she was as much or more amazed by the people around her as they were of her. And they were all magical. How very strange. She supposed it must feel even weirder for her squib and muggle relatives.

Tossing the baton up into the air and catching it on her right stick with a pirouette that had more to do with keeping control of the baton's momentum than showmanship, her eye alighted onto a woman with a little baby in her lap. Maria smiled at them, and made her way over to their bench. "Hey," she greeted, having heard more than enough from her cousins to know this could only be the woman Aunt Regina called 'that nice young teacher Simon should ask out.' She doubted there were any other new mothers around the school.

Switching the right stick to her left hand and catching the baton in her right hand, Maria sat down on the bench beside them and waved one of the ends of the baton in front of the infant, laughing when the little hands reached for the purple and green foam tassels. Ambidextrous by training, Maria tucked away her control sticks and drew her wand, casting a quick cleaning spell at the tassels so the baby wouldn't end up eating any dirt that the tassels may have picked up.

"He -" Simon did say it was a boy, right? "- looks a bit young to be going here," Maria commented with a smile for the mother, as an conversation opener. She tucked her wand away with the sticks, considered offering a left handed handshake but the professor's hands seemed full already, so she didn't, converting the gesture into another playful bounce of the baton for the baby.

"I'm Maria Pierce. Simon's cousin." Which was no doubt perfectly obvious as the Pierces were the only strangers on the school grounds, Simon didn't have any sisters, she was much too young to be his mother, and it was too early yet to start claiming to be his Aunt. "Saul's, too," she added, slightly more necessarily, in case the common last name and their more similar appearances led the woman to assume she was Saul's sister.

It was a mistake others had made before; Maria had the same dark hair that Saul did, quite unlike Simon's sandy blond. With some of the cousins needing to go back six generations to find a common ancestor, the family ran the gamut of physical appearances. If chance happened to give two of them even a remote family resemblances, it was easy for outsiders to make assumptions that they might be more closely related than they were.

Maria bopped the tassels back towards the baby, letting him reach for them again. "He's adorable."

0 Maria Pierce Giving the you something else to watch 0 Maria Pierce 0 5

Danae Dupree

October 25, 2008 7:44 PM

Bothering Josh by Danae Dupree

Like most of the other students, Danae had come to check out the Sonoran fair. She clapped politely when the Headmaster mentioned Zack Dill and Jennifer Zucchero, two people that she only knew by the fact that they were Head Boy and Girl, respectively. Next was the announcement of the next Head Boy and Girl. She applauded enthusiastically for her cousin regardless of the current familial situation and she did as well for Izabella Santoro, merely for being Josh’s sister.

Not too long after, everyone that hadn’t entered already got to enter and Danae followed along with the crowd. Everything she had heard promised that the fair would be fun and as she looked around she was sure she wouldn’t be disappointed. There were all sorts of booths. There were even fortunetellers, which intrigued Danae and she promised herself that she would stop there later. She had taken Divinations in third year when it was still being offered as an elective and had ended up adoring the subject.

Before she did that though, she wanted to find the booth Josh was doing with his siblings. She was curious to see what it looked like. Past a few more booths and she spotted it, but then it was hard to miss when Josh’s sister stood out with her striking outfit and dance moves. Weaving her way through the crowd, Danae got a bit closer to the booth. She was supposed to be looking for Josh, but ended up watching Bella dancing with a boy and she couldn’t help the small sigh that escaped her mouth. She would have killed to have curves like the older girl had rather than her thin frame.

Tearing her eyes away from the dancing, she spotted Josh and waved. A bit of maneuvering and she was close enough to actually talk to him. “Hi, Josh. The booth looks great,” she said with a smile. She really meant it too. It looked like a lot of hard work had been put into the booth with the design and decoration. She semi-wished that she had done a booth, but she wasn’t really sure what she could have done.

0 Danae Dupree Bothering Josh 91 Danae Dupree 0 5

Kiva

October 26, 2008 8:15 PM

That's very nice of you. by Kiva

Kiva, who had been paying more attention to Emery than the crowd passing her by, glanced up when she heard the greeting. “Hi.” Kiva greeted back with an equally bright smile at the younger woman. Considering Kiva didn’t recognize her as staff that meant that she was one of the many members of the Pierce clan. Of course, it also helped that she had been twirling around a couple of sticks only a moment ago, which was proof enough that she was here to entertain.

Kiva watched in amusement as the girl played with Emery. It was good that she had brought him along if only because he would get to meet new people. He’s not likely to remember them, but at least she had given him the chance to see other faces. For the most part, Emery only ever got to be with Kiva and her mother. On occasion, a family friend or visit came along, but it was usually just the three of them. But watching her interact with Emery had Kiva thinking that she really had to get out of the house more.

“I’ve decided to start his training straight from the womb.” Kiva joked. The truth was that Kiva planned on giving Emery both a muggle lifestyle and a wizard’s life style. Her father was a muggle and she was raised with a muggle background. Her mother, a witch, had given her the option of life as a witch, which, at the age of eleven, Kiva had taken by attending school at Sonora. She was planning on giving her son that same choice when he received his letter.

“It’s nice to meet you, Maria. I’m Kiva and he is Emery.” Kiva introduced herself and her baby, tilting him slightly so that he had a better view of his playmate. It was probably for the best that Maria indicating that she was both Simon’s and Saul’s cousin as Kiva was likely to think she may have been Saul’s older sister by looks alone. “There are so many of you, I don’t think I’d be able to tell who was who after awhile.” Kiva commented, looking out at the closest Pierces in her general vicinity. She was rather envious that they had so many to lean on when they needed to. “I only had my parents growing up and now it’s just me, my mom, and this little guy.” She glanced down at Emery, gently running her fingers around his cheeks.

Her smile widened at Maria’s compliment. “Thank you. He’s my little miracle.” Kiva looked at the young woman in front of her, “You must have an interesting life. Traveling around and meeting so many people, it must be quite a life. Especially with your family by your side. Simon and Saul certainly enjoy entertaining people. Must be in your blood.”

0 Kiva That's very nice of you. 0 Kiva 0 5

Maria Pierce

October 27, 2008 11:58 AM

I do my part by Maria Pierce

"Nice to meet you, Kiva," Maria returned with a warm smile, pleased to confirm that her guess had been right. This was Simon's friend. "And very nice to meet you, too, Mr. Emery," she added for the baby, giving another playful bounce, poke, and pull with her tasseled baton.

She didn't bother to comment on the remark about the size of her family. It wasn't so much that the Pierce clan was large - most family trees going out to sixth cousins or more were at least as numerous as them - as that they all lived and worked together like a modern day gypsy tribe (a fair number even dressed like gypsies). In fact, since the seventies or so, when a concentrated effort was made toward population control so that the family didn't explode to unmanageable numbers, it was the exception rather than the rule for any of them to have siblings.

There was more than enough cousin rivalry to make sibling rivalry redundant anyway. Still, she couldn't even begin to imagine growing up in a nuclear family with just two adults and maybe one or two other kids. It was nearly as anathema to her as going to school or living under a solid roof with a permanent address.

"You have no idea," she agreed on Kiva's comment that entertaining people was in their blood. "Talk about training from the womb." She laughed and lightly tickled Emery's chin with the tassel's of her baton. Maria looked up and spotted Grace and a small child who wasn't much more than a year older than Emery. She pointed her chin toward the pair, so that Kiva would notice them.

The toddler was dressed in the same bright colors as many of the other Pierces wandering the paths with juggling balls or devil sticks. Her baby fine black hair was tied up into spiky pigtails that her hair wasn't quite long enough to pull off and she was carrying two juggling balls that she would periodically throw into the air and try to catch. As Maria watched now, the little girl tossed them both up and managed to catch one and get bonked on the head with the other one.

She fell onto her bottom - the sound of her diaper cushioning her fall was audible even from the bench - and she laughed, holding up the one she did catch proudly. "See, Mamma!" Grace clapped and cheered for her daughter with an enthusiasm that Maria admired considering the woman was audience to that same feat about a thousand times a day. The little girl beamed brightly at the applause, eating it up like the showgirl she already was.

"Yoko catches one of them a little more than half the time," Maria told Kiva. "She can catch both of them about once in every twenty or thirty tries. In about four months, she'll be able to catch them every time and we'll give her a third ball so she can learn real juggling. She can also recite the ABCs though she still thinks it's just a song. We've also been teaching her to play a tin whistle and she's already better at Mary Had a Little Lamb than Saul ever was." Maria smiled fondly at the little girl as she got up and chased after the ball that had gotten away.

"She's our littlest right now. We're not sure if she's going to be magical or not. She's from the Tellerman branch. George can only do simple charms, and Aunt Gracie's a true squib, so chances are against it." This was stated with all the concern that she might have noted that Yoko probably wouldn't be the next culinary genius of her generation.

In their family, Saul's musical curse was far more crippling than not having magic. It was a useful skill but no more or less than the ability to draw. It was an interesting thing to speculate on, though, and she was pretty sure there was a betting pool on the subject going around. "But Simon and Neil surprised everybody when they turned out to have magical abilities so we're not discounting the possibility yet. She's a real ham, though, so she'll do great either way."

Maria smiled back at Emery and pulled the baton away from him enough that she could poke him lightly in the belly with its soft tasseled tip, hoping for a Pillsbury Doughboy giggle. "You gonna be a professor like your momma, eh, Emery? You've already been at school at least as many times as me."

0 Maria Pierce I do my part 0 Maria Pierce 0 5

Lucas Smythe

October 29, 2008 12:01 PM

Why, oh why, am I here? by Lucas Smythe

Lucas was having one of those days where he didn't particularly want to do anything at all, yet somehow he found himself joining the crowds at the fair. Though he wasn't sure if he'd enjoy it, he knew it beat lazing around in his dorm; plus he'd be disappointed if something exciting happened and he'd missed out on it all.

Glancing around, his attention was pulled in the direction of a girl doing some sort of gymnastics in front of a stall, on which there appeared to be some little dragons marching around the tabletop. Feeling that his interests were indeed sparked by the figurines, he casually wandered over, tripping slightly on his own foot on the way.

As he neared the stall, he brushed his blonde fringe from his eye. ‘I really ought to get this cut sometime,’ he thought, flicking away a few strands that had fallen back across his face, ‘it’s getting ridiculous.’

Arriving at the stall, he offered his usual friendly half-smile to the girls behind the tables and began scanning the set-up, though mostly watching the dragons parade proudly up and down. He couldn’t deny that he was mildly interested in the literature about the muggle way of life, it seemed very different to his own home and family life for sure.

His gaze then fell upon a bowl of sweets in a wide variety of colours, some of which looked less than appetising to him. As he was considering trying one, he had the sudden feeling that someone was behind him and, while that was ever possible since he was standing in front of a stall, he felt the need to turn around and find out for sure.

0 Lucas Smythe Why, oh why, am I here? 96 Lucas Smythe 0 5

Amelia Smythe

October 29, 2008 1:04 PM

So I can torment you, of course by Amelia Smythe

As the main social event of the year, the Fair was the only place for Amelia to be right now. True, it wasn't as refined as the ball last year that had made Amelia so insanely jealous of her older sister, but it was a celebration nonetheless, and so Amelia simply had to be seen. She'd dressed for the occasion in a simple white summer robe that buttoned all the way down the front and, despite her early deveopment, Amelia was still young enough to pull off. Her blonde hair was pulled into two neat braided pigtails and she carried with her a fresh notebook, just in case she spied something worth noting for a future newspaper article. She would be in her second year soon, and so Flatt could no longer disapprove of her being on the editing team.

Casting a furtive glance around the many stalls that had been set up, Amelia's attention was distracted somewhat when her eyes landed upon her cousin. She hadn't teased him in so long - with him being a third year and in a different house, Milly dudn't see much of Lucas at school - she simply had to go over and say hello.

With a boundful gait in her step, Amelia threaded through the other students to where Lucas stood in front of what looked like a cultural stand. She was about to prod him in the ribs when he turned round and saw her. "Oh hello, Lucas," Amelia greeted him with a sweet voice and wide-eyed smile. "I didn't see you there."

0 Amelia Smythe So I can torment you, of course 121 Amelia Smythe 0 5

Josh Santoro

October 29, 2008 9:38 PM

It's never a bother. by Josh Santoro

Josh had quietly placed himself behind the booth to take the tickets and to give out food if anyone wanted any. It was probably the boring part of the day, but he didn't mind it so much. Where he was, not only could he see those who decided to learn to dance, but also those who wanted to try a swing at the pinata. He could even see those who wandered by as they saw the other parts of the fair.

Eventually, he'd get a break from working the booth to wander around a bit himself, but Bella was going to work them all to the bone first. Of course, designing the booth had been all Josh. He didn't want anyone else's imputs and thankfully, none of them had minded that too much. Actually, they all seemed rather relieved that Josh had decided to take that job for himself. He figured, Bella already had things to do for the booth, like discuss the food options with the elves, making sure Matt understood that he wasn't allowed to hurt anyone with the stick, and blackmailing Jake into dancing.

Josh, who was currently too busy being amused at Saul and Bella, didn't notice Danae when she first appeared at their booth. In fact, he didn't notice her until she caught his eye and waved. Standing up straighter while she made her way over to him, Josh ran a hand down his shirt out of habit in order to be sure that all the creases were out. He grinned widely when Danae finally managed to reach the booth and greeted him.

"Gracias, Danae." Josh thanked her, looking rather pleased by the work that the elves had done for them and having dealt so kindly with Josh's nitpicking about the booth. "Bella let me have free rein with it, so I didn't want to disappoint her. And trust me, you do not want to disappoint Bella." Josh said, still smiling, but glancing at his sister. "She might look innocent when she smiles, but she's got quite the wrath."

Josh absentmindedly ran a hand over the back of his head, ruffling his hair slightly. He felt a little stupid standing behind the booth now, but knew he'd feel even worse if he had been the first one chosen to do the dancing with Bella. He honestly did not know how Jake could just so easily start dancing infront of his peers. Then again, Jake was used to being in the spotlight as the Quidditch Captain and would have to deal with it when he goes Professional as well.

And then there was Saul… who clearly felt no shame.

"I have to tell you now that if you want some food, hit the pinata, or dance, it's one ticket. Anything peak your interest or were you feeling sorry for me and came to keep me company for awhile?" Josh asked, mainly joking with her on his last point.

0 Josh Santoro It's never a bother. 0 Josh Santoro 0 5

Bella

October 29, 2008 9:41 PM

It's a very good plan. by Bella

Bella watched Saul try the steps that she had proposed for him to learn the basics of Salsa. If he couldn't get the steps, then there was no way they could add anything else into it. Which would be sad considering it could be such a fun dance to do, even with only the basics. She just hoped that Saul wouldn't need to count all the time as he was more than likely going to mess up if his hands were preoccupied and he had to do multiple things at once.

First things first though. "If it helps you to think of it like that, than sure. But your foot should be back in the starting position by 7 so that 1 can just start off again." Bella tried to explain. She could understand completely where Saul was coming from. Most people counted by eights. Music was counted by eights. Most dances were in steps of eight counts. It was just a more natural flow of things to be on an even step than on an odd step. But, eventually this would become natural and one wouldn't even realize that they were on the odds. Well, for most people with rhythm anyway.

"Here, we'll try it together. Don't worry about stepping on my toes." Bella took his hands and nodded to Matt to put the music on again. Sometimes hearing the beat made it easier for someone to learn the steps. "Remember, step forward with your left. And try not to look at your feet." She smiled at him as friendly as she always was, enjoying herself despite the possibility of losing a toe or two. Teaching something she had a passion for was fun. She could understand why someone would become a teacher. Sharing a passion with anyone was a wonderful high.

"Are you ready?" Bella asked, making sure that he was, she continued. "Alright, lead with your left and move with me, not against." Holding his hands, Bella guided him into the steps, hoping that dancing with someone would be easier for him than learning on his own.

0 Bella It's a very good plan. 0 Bella 0 5

Danae

November 01, 2008 9:52 PM

It makes me happy to hear that. [TICKET] by Danae

“De nada,” Danae answered trying to practice her limited Spanish. Most of her vocabulary consisted of what she had acquired from listening to Josh when he slipped into the language and while she would never tell him so, she actually liked when he did. The more Josh spoke in Spanish, the more prevalent his accent tended to be, and quite honestly, what girl could resist such an adorable accent?

Besides, she had the advantage of being able to decipher some of the words due to the relation of the Romance languages. She was counting on this ability when she went to visit Josh in Spain over the summer. Otherwise, she might end up terribly confused when anyone spoke. Of course, this was contingent upon receiving full parental permission. She had already gotten the initial approval since they knew of his family in good terms, but her parents still wanted to meet his.

At the mention of his sister, Danae’s eyes shifted back to Bella. It was hard to believe that someone as tiny as Bella could be wrathful, but then she supposed she really didn’t know much about Bella, other than what Josh supplemented. Though, she really couldn’t be that bad since she had been named Head girl. On that note, her gaze returned to Josh and jokingly said, “That wrath could come in handy next year with keeping all the new firsties in line. She must be pretty excited being named Head girl.”

Danae grinned at Josh’s jesting. “Obviously, I felt sorry for you, can’t you tell? I mean, here you are surrounded by good music, delicious food, and wonderful dancing, I don’t know how you’re managing to survive,” she replied in a falsely pitying voice. Tucking back some loose strands of hair behind an ear, she gave real consideration to the possibilities. Did she want food, to hit the piñata, or to dance?

Looking once more to where Bella was teaching Saul, Danae immediately decided that dancing was out. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but where Bella made it look sensational, she had no doubt that she would look more like a stationary branch. Not to mention, she really didn’t know Bella or Jake that well, which was fine for some people, like Saul who appeared to be comfortable around anyone, but Danae much preferred to at least make a fool of herself with someone she knew well. So, no, she would not be dancing, but should she hit the piñata or get food?

That part was an easy decision, as she eyed the delectable looking treats. “I’ll have some food,” she said handing him a ticket. No one could really tell by looking at her since she was so thin (partly because of the diet enforced by her mom), but Danae loved to eat. On very rare occasions, she would even sneak into the kitchen to defy the diet and have things like chocolate, peanut butter, and banana sandwiches, which were her personal favorite. Plus, by choosing to stay and eat, she got to talk to one of her closest friends.

Once she had her food, Danae took a bite of one of her picks, the spinach croqueta. After swallowing, she commented, “These are really good. With food like this, you’ll never get me out of the kitchen when I visit.” While she was joking about staying in the kitchen, she was completely serious about how tasty the food was. She wondered if his meals at home were this excellent. If they were, she would be in paradise for this alone.

0 Danae It makes me happy to hear that. [TICKET] 0 Danae 0 5

Renaye and Josh Warren

November 02, 2008 8:25 PM

Will both of us do? by Renaye and Josh Warren

Renaye wasn't sure how she did it. Laurie, that is. There was so so much to do for the Fair, but somehow, with the help of Laurie's need for organization, they managed to get all the stuff situated. Now that is was all put together and the twins were sitting beside the makeshift swimming pool, Raye had to admit that they had done a pretty good job. The food they had brought smelt amazing and the Fishpond Without a Pond™ was set up and ready to be fished out. Renaye pushed herself up off the grassy Labyrinth and held a hand out to pull her brother up. The two snatched up the brooms they had borrowed from the school stash and flew (raced) back to the main tent. Renaye grinned over at Josh, smoothing her blonde hair as best she could. It was one of those days where the Crotalus girl felt like wearing her favorite black and white checkered shorts with a vibrant yellow shirt. It was one of those summer outfits that made the day a little better. Just because. Raye's green eyes swept the grounds. The crowds would be coming in any second. How fun.

Josh was doing his best to keep his hands off the Bludger Nut Fudge. Thanks to Laurie, this whole thing should go over pretty smoothly. Speaking of Laurie, Josh felt a smile catch onto the corners of his lips as she made her way towards the two of them, looking flustered, as she did whenever the subject of the fair and planning fell into one sentence. Beside him, Renaye gave an enthusiastic wave and Josh caught her eye, offering a smile. She was cute when she was frustrated-- Wow, did he really just think that? Josh Warren was a Quidditch guy... who just so happened to be friends with girls more than guys. No. He was not a pansy. Laurie joined their small group, allowing them to take a few more relaxed minutes before the crowd came storming in.

••♠••
The sun, thanks to Arizona, was burning hot in the sky as Josh took his shift in the back swim area. He watched enviously as person after person dipped into the refreshing swimming hole. Renaye was off scoping the booths, looking for some extra excitement and advertising the Camping Grounds. Josh's thoughts were in the air, however. This summer he was sure the Traverse Team was going to be undefeated. With Joe returning as Keeper (he'd have to watch him when he was near Raye), Raye and himself as beaters, Lynnie as seeker, and with Danny, Twister, and Andie all returning as chasers, they had States in their sights again. Maybe, if she wanted, Laurie might want to come to the game...

"That girl in the front, taking the tickets, what's her name?" Josh looked around, spotting the boy, first year he believed, who had spoken to him. He sent a glance over to the front tented area and looked back to the boy.

"That's Laurie Cider," he said, "She's the planning-genius who put this whole thing together."

0 Renaye and Josh Warren Will both of us do? 0 Renaye and Josh Warren 0 5

Ian

November 03, 2008 2:45 PM

The more the merrier! by Ian

The notebook came out by habit more than anything else. Ian carefully jotted down the name "Laurie Cider-" and then stood posed to continue the note-taking. He vaguely knew of the surname. The Ciders were a mixed family, for the most part. There had always been one child, per generation, to continue the Pureblood lines, generally the same sibling who inherited the expansive nursery the family most known for. He would need to research the family further when he returned home. Before that, though- he eyed his information source critically before placing the face; Joshua Warren, one of the Quidditch players from Crotalus. Which probably meant that-

"Is she in Crotalus with you?" His hand began moving again, ticking off questions as he verbalized them. "Muggleborn, halfblood, or pureblood? Has she always been from Florida? What does her father do? Are they in the herbology business as well? Is she an only child, or does she have siblings?" His questions were accented by the removal of his sunglasses, his gaze clinically inquisitive. It never occurred to Ian that his interrogation might be interpreted as strange or peculiar.

It probably played a fair sized part in the reason he was sorted into Aladren. Ian's need to know- and need to know now- had always been a driving factor in his daily habits. Curiosity was not to blame; he simply approached each new piece of information as a layered puzzle. The more details that were known, the easier to figure out the puzzle, and since each interaction struck him as a puzzle, it all fit very nicely together. Ian considered his notebook and then posed another query.

"How well do you know her, anyway?"\r\n\r\n

0 Ian The more the merrier! 0 Ian 0 5

Kiva

November 03, 2008 8:25 PM

And you do it well by Kiva

Emery's bright eyes stared at the strings that were waving in front of him. He was currently at the stage in his life where he was learning that he had limbs and that when he moved them in a certain way, they would do things. His arms were currently trying to reach for those pretty strings that tickled him pleasantly when they wiggled about above him. His legs kicked gleefully out in his excitement, jostling his mother every so often. Noises (which he had discovered early on) of excitement came screeching from his mouth as he tried so very hard to take hold of those funny little strings. He could hear all sorts of sounds all around him, including his mother. But for now, his only focus was on the strings.

Kiva looked in the direction that Maria had indicated to her. There, a few feet away, was the cutest little girl that Kiva had ever laid eyes on. When the girl fell, Kiva automatically went to stand up to help the girl (both as mother instincts as well as teacher instincts taking over), but stopped when the little girl laughed in delight and proudly showed off her catch to her mother. Kiva could have just hugged her by the look that was on her little face.

Yoko? That was an interesting name. Not that Kiva could really comment on it as she knew that her name often caused people to raise their eyebrows at her. Still, she wouldn't have picked Yoko to have been the little girl's name. Maybe Kelly or something equally as common. It was cute though. Fitting even with how outgoing the little girl was. She belonged in an entertaining family like the other Pierces/Tellermens.

She wondered, absentmindedly, how difficult it was to find someone with their type of lifestyle. Someone who was willing to travel with them or have their children in the entertainment business. She didn’t think it could be very easy. Remembering her years as a Researcher, the only people she was ever in constant contact with were the other researchers. There were a few who had families that they were estranged from. Even more who were either divorced or widowed. But most were single. Some dated, Kiva had gotten herself into a tangled relationship that ended terribly, but, more likely than not, they remained within their bubbles. Each were content to continue quietly in their studies. Thinking about it now, Kiva couldn’t believe she had never realized how lonely that life really was.

Focusing her honey eyes to the young woman beside her, Kiva took in her words. They were a rather odd family. When magical families came upon squibs or those of no magical blood, they were usually upset. Some even go as far as disowning them. But Maria spoke with little concern over the idea that Yoko may not have magic running through her blood. They were so liberal compared to others. It was quite refreshing. Some might have thought them rather whimsical in their beliefs, but Kiva could appreciate that they hold other things valuable rather than something that couldn’t be controlled by anything more than luck of the draw in genetics.

“She’s a ham. She’ll do well in the entertainment field.” Kiva commented, smiling in amusement at the little girl as she ran after the rolling ball.

The attention returned to Emery as Maria playfully poked him and although Emery wasn’t quite old enough to know how to work out a laugh, he did grin widely and make a loud squealing sound that Kiva had associated as his happy sound. Laughing herself at his fit of excitement, Kiva lifted Emery out of the sling rider to give him a proper view of the world. “The sky’s the limit for him.” Kiva commented. She was going to support him with whatever he chose. Or, at least, try to. “Would you like to hold him?” She asked, most people seemed to like holding him and Emery seemed to really enjoy Maria’s company.

“You never went to school, Maria?”

0 Kiva And you do it well 0 Kiva 0 5

Josh Warren

November 03, 2008 10:18 PM

shifts uncomfortably Merrier, yeah... :/ by Josh Warren

At the mention of Laurie's name, the boy pulled out a notepad. Maybe he was in the paper? Josh didn't put to much thought into it simply because, as his past encounters has taught him, there were some strange people at Sonora. That was partly the reason he liked it at the school, but it did make first impressions awkward/interesting. Next, the boy started shooting off questions, catching Josh off guard. Why did he want to know so much about Laurie? He felt his pale blue eyes narrowing in scrutiny at him, trying to find the best way to answer and get away quickly.

"Laurie," he began, "Yeah, she's in Crotalus with me. She's..." He shook his head, looking down the path for a glimpse of the subject of this conversation. "What's your name? Are you on the paper or something?" Josh thought over the questions (at least the ones he had caught in the string of inquiries) once more before answering, "She, um... Her dad writes cookbooks and she has two brothers, both older. I'm pretty sure she's lived in Florida her whole life..." Josh trailed off, the wheels in his mind turning. Just how well did he really know her? It was questions like these that made his stomach turn, made him doubt his thoughts more.

"How well do you know her, anyway?"

At this, Josh let himself smile a bit, "I like to think I know her pretty well. We're sort of... I don't know... together seems like a good way to put it. Do you mind me asking what these questions are for?"

0 Josh Warren *shifts uncomfortably* Merrier, yeah... :/ 0 Josh Warren 0 5

Ian

November 04, 2008 5:27 PM

I do have that effect on people. by Ian

"Ian Grimm, and no, not on the paper," Ian answered dismissively. His hand was busy jotting down the supplied answers and his thoughts on the answers as he went. Note: father writes cookbooks, two older brothers- halfblood def. To do: find family register, check Files. Reason: curious

"I like to think I know her pretty well. We're sort of... I don't know... together seems like a good way to put it. Do you mind me asking what these questions are for?"

In Ian's opinion, 'together' seemed like a rather vague answer to pretty direct question. Technically, standing as they were, one could describe them as 'together,' and that hardly translated into helpful knowledge. Plainly, though, the Crotalus had intended the word to imply that he and Laurie Cider were romantically involved. Whatever that meant. Ian held back from rolling his eyes; he still didn't understand the fascination with girls. He had only met annoying ones and then the exception that made the rule true.

"I don't mind," he finally answered. He paused and then sighed, deciding to answer the inferred question as well. "It's a matter of personal curiosity," he said by way of explanation, knowing full well that his answer would be both unhelpful and probably irritating. "Two more things: are her brothers students here? And what's her full name, not the nickname?"

Ian found it hard to imagine that parents would be so silly as to name their child a derivative of a name. It'd be like naming a child 'Ben' instead of Benjamin- or Nick instead of Nicolas.

0 Ian I do have that effect on people. 0 Ian 0 5

Maria Pierce

November 04, 2008 5:31 PM

Why, thank you by Maria Pierce

Maria smiled, pleased with the response Emery had given to her playing with him. Her expression lit up even more at the offer to hold him. "Absolutely," she said, putting down her tasseled stick and holding out her arms to take him. "Hey, there, Emery," she said, cradling him as she'd been instructed when Yoko had been that small. She offered a finger for his tiny little hands to hold onto, and smiled warmly at the boy, "You are so cute."

Glancing up at Kiva, Maria shrugged slightly in answer to her last question. "I'm the last of the old generation." Though only twenty-two, Maria often felt much older than her younger cousins who had all had to leave the family for their schooling. "It's strange now. The kids all leave come September, even the little ones. It used to be just Neil - Simon's brother - and then just Neil and Saul, but California law changed, so now they all go."

"In my day," Maria stopped and laughed, shaking her head. "Merlin. You'd think I was forty or something. Anyway, until a few years ago when California's Child Protection Agency got involved, we followed the old ways. Unlicensed teachers. Student groups ranging from four to eighteen all together. School days that lasted for only an hour or two. The Three Rs - and Saul, for one, probably thinks writing and arithmetic do start with R. Chalkboard tablets. A curriculum that changes based on the students' individual skill sets, with far greater emphasis on music and astrology than math or English because that's what we use. Child labor and on-the-job training. No diploma, no test scores. All the training we need for what we do but none at all for what we don't. How Simon got into college, even as a music and theatre major, is beyond me."

Maria shrugged and took a moment to tickle Emery's belly and make faces at him. As it occurred to her that what she'd said could be taken as an insult, she tried to mend any damage she might have caused to her cousin's relationship with the school professor. "I mean that in the best way possible. I was just saying that Simon was the first and only one of us to ever go on to college, and our training and conditioning doesn't really lend itself to higher education. Heck, Saul had major transition issues just going into Sonora. He was taught to learn by example, practice, and performance, not by books, homework, and essays. I mean, Saul didn't even learn to read until about a year or two before he came here and he still isn't good at it."

Maria shook her head and was momentarily distracted by untangling a lock of her hair from Emery's hand. "No, buddy, that's mine. Here, you can hold this." She picked up the baton again, offering him the side she'd rested on her shoe and not the side that had been in the dirt.

Turning back to Kiva, she concluded with a somewhat wry look, "I love my family and can't imagine living any other way, but I'll be the first to admit that we're something of a cult. In the last a hundred and fifty years, only three of the cousins raised with us ever left to pursue a life and career outside of the family business, and that includes Simon. The other two got married to people who couldn't handle the lifestyle and wanted a more stable home for their kids. I think one works retail now and the other dresses up as a dwarf or something for DisneyLand."

Whereas she hadn't expressed any condemnation for Yoko possibly not having magic, these professions were clearly spoken as inferior paths of life. She sounded particularly disgusted by the idea of wearing a dwarf costume. "We don't really talk to them anymore, though. They went mainstream and their in-laws don't like us. They think we're shady and of questionable character." At this, Maria sat up straighter and sounded offended, despite that most of the in-laws' grievances were actually quite true.

Regina was creepy. The lot of them were permanently and proudly homeless. Many of them did dress oddly. Yes, that was marijuana and/or alcohol they could smell on some of the tents. Yes, they did have ties to Greenpeace. Yes, a handful of them did have criminal records from protests gone badly. Yes, several of them did spend enough time at gambling halls, casinos, OTB offices, and horse tracks to make a call to Gamblers Anonymous justified.

That wasn't the point. The point was that the disapproval was so great their own family stopped associating with them. It wasn't cool. The deserters deserved the crappy stupid jobs they'd had to find.

Fortunately, Maria had the same ability as Saul or Simon to hold onto negative emotions - namely, none at all - so a glance down at the baby in her arms had her smiling again and having a mock tug-of-war with the little boy over her baton. "You planning to be a strong man, eh, Emery?"

"Think he'll have any siblings, or is it just going to be him?" she asked, curious.

0 Maria Pierce Why, thank you 0 Maria Pierce 0 5

Josh Warren

November 05, 2008 4:17 PM

Now I'm just wondering whether that's good or bad... by Josh Warren

"It's a matter of personal curiosity." Josh nodded slowly, trying to keep a straight expression, something he was pretty sure he accomplished rather well. What did this kid want with Laurie? He hadn't heard Laurie mention an Ian before and to be honest, he was getting kind of weirded out. Did he have a crush on her or something? The thought put Josh on edge and he suddenly felt very protective of Laurie. It seemed Ian wasn't done with his questions, however. Josh silently wondered what the younger boy would do if Josh simply refused to answer his questions. He imagined he might be offended.

"No, they don't go here," he said in a tone that let Ian know he thought this was weird to him. "Are you... Are you friends with Laurie? I don't think I've heard her mention an Ian..." Josh resisted giving Laurie's real name, simply because it seemed so much like an investigation. Curiosity didn't seem like a valid reason. It wasn't like Josh didn't know. In fact, Josh really liked Laurie's official name: Laurel. It had a ring to it that just fit her.

"If you want," he began, "I could just go get Laurie? I'm sure she wouldn't mind talking with you about it." It was an odd feeling, revealing information about Laurie when she wasn't around. It was just basic stuff, but the fact that he was talking about her while she wasn't around... It was almost like he was betraying her. Josh ran an uncomfortable hand through his black hair, trying to pass it off as the heat rather than the frustration. Was it time to switch yet?

0 Josh Warren Now I'm just wondering whether that's good or bad... 0 Josh Warren 0 5

Josh

November 05, 2008 10:08 PM

You're easy to please. by Josh

“Muy bueno!” Josh complimented her. He knew that he had a habit of speaking in Spanish when he wasn’t paying any attention (although, he had spoken in Spanish just now since their booth was based on their heritage), but he never guessed how often he did. He really did need to start watching himself with that. He usually caught himself when he did it, but it still didn’t register just how much he was doing it. He didn’t know how Bella or Jake or any of his numerous siblings were so much better at maintaining their English when they were at Sonora. Most of the time, they were even able to water down their accents. But Josh and sometimes Matt seemed to be the exact opposite of that. He was surprised that the two of them hadn’t annoyed any of their classmates yet.

Although, if it were reversed and Danae continuously spoke French around him, would he have bothered trying to stick it out and understand her? Make the effort of learning it to better their friendship? Josh wasn’t exactly sure if he would or not. Chances were that he would. At least, he would try to learn the basics in order to keep a conversation with her. That’s what friends did though, right? They learned what they could to help with their friendships.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Josh commented rather lazily. “She told us that when she saw her name on the ballot that she was completely surprised. She wanted it but at the same time she didn’t.” Realizing that that may have sounded a bit weird, so he continued on in hopes that he can better explain himself, “She doesn’t like knowing she has that sort of responsibility. But, she didn’t think the others on the ballot would be the best candidates either. I think she’ll do okay though.”

Josh’s grin widened while Danae joked with him. “It’s a real struggle.” He stated rather matter-of-factly. He didn’t actually mind being where he was. Sure, it was probably better roaming around at the other booths and being able to experience the Fair as a whole, but Josh liked just standing there, watching people. He was a part of it and yet, he wasn’t. This thought reminded him of the conversation he had had with Cissy back in Defense. How it would be so lonely to be with a crowd but not with them either. This was different though because even though he wasn’t participating, people still engaged in some form of communication with him, making him a part of the festivities.

He took the ticket from her and allowed for her to take whatever food she so desired. Spanish foods were always made from the simplest of ingredients. Usually made out of necessecity of the little foods that people had around the house. Lots of fruits, vegetables, tortillas, sugar were used in the various foods and mixed with the right amount of spices, one could have the perfect tasty meal.

“You can help in the kitchen. Abuela and mama always ask Bella if she wants to help, but Bella’s not much for wanting to do that. “ Josh suggested to her. His female relatives loved to cook. Like music was to Bella, Quidditch was to Jake, girls were to Matt, and architecture was to Josh, cooking was for his mother and her mother and possibly for Hannah. It was something they enjoyed as individuals and as a group. “Glad you like it. Flan is one of my favorites, but I know people who aren’t used to it, they don’t usually end up liking it.” Josh commented as he looked over someof their options. “Hopefully, when you visit, you’ll find something of more interest than just our food. “ He joked.

0 Josh You're easy to please. 0 Josh 0 5

Kiva

November 06, 2008 11:20 PM

Why, you're welcome by Kiva

Kiva handed Emery over to Maria, carefully keeping an eye on where the younger woman placed her hands. Emery’s neck was growing stronger by the day, but it wasn’t quite ready to be without support just yet. When she knew that Maria had complete control of her son, Kiva took the time to remove the sling from around her shoulders, giving herself a break for the moment. She rested against the bench, her eyes on the musicians as they walked by, happy to be back at Sonora and back to her old self. Out of maternity clothes and back into capris and a shirt. Her body, something that she had always taken great care of, had returned to normal minus the small pouch that remained in her lower abdomen (something her doctor said wasn’t likely to go away anytime soon), something she wasn’t very fond of and Kiva had been so grateful to fit back into her clothes pre-pregnancy.

She listened while Maria explained how her family managed. How school had been the least of their priorities and that it wasn’t until the last few years when the younger bunch was forced into the education systems due to California laws. Her parents had always stressed the importance of schooling to her when she had been growing up. Her father had been the only one of the two who had gone off to college, but her mother had wanted Kiva to really experience a life of independence. So, school was what she did and when she graduated, she weaseled her way into a researching project that traveled around the world. She had done what she had wanted to do while following her parents rules.

Still, it was interesting to learn what other families did or expected of their children. For instance, Kiva never knew that Simon didn’t go to school until he went to university. It had simply never occurred to her to ask about his educational background. Simon was simply, Simon. The Entertainer. And one of the few staff members Kiva considered a friend. Kiva smiled at Maria as she tried to explain her reasoning on why Simon going to college was a miracle. “Saul does very well in my class. And, from what I’ve heard, does more work than might be necessary.” Kiva commented, looking rather amused. “And Simon has been very good to me over the years. Too good, sometimes. But, watching all of you together now, I can see they were taught from some amazing people.”

Kiva really did love their family. Regina intimidated her, that wasn’t much of a surprise though, but somehow, even Regina made Kiva feel welcomed when she was in her presence.

Maria switched topics on her family and answered one of the things she had been curious about. It seemed a rather small number for those who had left the family. But that just went along with her belief that their family was as fun and illustrious as they made themselves out to be. “It must be difficult to have family walk away.” Kiva commented. Though she had only her parents as family growing up, she knew that she had cousins out in the world whom she had never met. Her mother had chosen a muggle to love and as a result, her family disowned her. Kiva knew that her mother had suffered greatly at the loss of her family, but still believed that her life with Derk had been the right choice. Hearing the side of the family from Maria (a bit different than Kiva’s mother), Kiva wondered if her mother’s family equally suffered from the loss of one of their own.

The question surprised her even though it shouldn’t have. Maria wasn’t the first to ask. It seemed like no matter where she went, someone always asked her. But, it didn’t make answering the question any easier. Looking at Emery, Kiva’s expression softened noticeable, “I hope someday he’ll have a sibling.” Kiva began. “But… I also hope that when that time comes it’s with someone who equally shares the desire for a baby.” It might have sounded a little too sentimental considering the length in which she took to have Emery, but there was still a large part of her that wanted to find that certain someone.

0 Kiva Why, you're welcome 0 Kiva 0 5

Saul Pierce

November 07, 2008 1:36 PM

That's what I figured, too. by Saul Pierce

Thinking of the silent eight helped. He felt much more comfortable going to eight than to seven, even if the eight was barely there. He mirrored Bella's steps, still counting under his breath. When he got more comfortable with the rhythm and steps, he'd drop it, but for now it continued to be helpful for staying on the beat.

Following Bella's suggestion, he was careful not to look at his feet and really hoped that hers weren't under them when he stepped down. He didn't let it hamper his movements, though. He'd done enough choreography practices to know people got trod over when new things were introduced. It happened and didn't really hurt, people laughed, corrections were made, and then they moved on.

The music helped, too. By the third iteration, Saul had stopped counting aloud and even in his mind he was only marking the first and fifth counts. Bella's hands and motions also gave him hints about the timing, and by the fifth iteration, he was grinning at her, pleased with his progress so far. Sure, it was just six fairly simple steps, but after Simon's assessment of his dancing at the ball, he thought he was doing pretty good.

1 Saul Pierce That's what I figured, too. 82 Saul Pierce 0 5

Meredith

November 08, 2008 5:56 PM

Or so you can enjoy yourselves. by Meredith

Meredith inspected the crowd for any takers that she or the awesomeness of her shared booth had appealed to. She hoped a lot of people would come throughout the day. In the background of her thoughts, whatever song was playing at their booth was slowly working its way into her subconscious where she was sure it would be stuck for days. The bagpipe music was sort of grating to her at first, but once it got in her head she found it likable and hummed parts she knew. There weren't many she knew well so she ended up humming the same parts from just a few songs.

Before long someone seemed to take notice of the booth and started heading over. Mere smiled up at him as he passed. He was soon followed by someone else, a girl, who began talking to him. Mere double checked that no other potential visitors were following their firsts and then pushed herself up and skipped over to them to help Elly take care of whatever they might want. As she presented herself, she made sure her shirt caught the most amount of light to make the Union Jack sparkle more. It would probably be the flash in the air that caught someone else's eye.

"Welcome!" She smiled cheerfully. "Feel free to try some candy. Careful which ones you pick," she playfully warned as she gestured towards the bowl of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. "If you want some other food and a drink, and I think you'll like them by the way, it's only one ticket. Elly and I can help you with that. Caedence over there is running stone-put." Mere pointed to the clearing next to the tables where Caedence was in charge. "She can tell you everything you need to know if you want. It's a cool game and you get a chance to win that trophy." She indicated towards her brothers' creation.

"Can we help you with anything?"

0 Meredith Or so you can enjoy yourselves. 0 Meredith 0 5

Kaylie Brockert

November 08, 2008 6:41 PM

What does my future hold? (Ticket) by Kaylie Brockert

Kaylie wandered through the fair. It was hard to believe that shortly she would be graduating and leaving Sonora forever. It made her sort of sad. She shouldn't be so since it wasn't like there was anyone here that she was close to, aside from her own brother, whom she would naturally be seeing again but this had still been her home away from home for the past seven years. She'd spent more time during that period here than she had in Oregon. It made her wistful, yearning for how care-free childhood had been.

Plus, Kaylie was a bit anxious about the future. She had no idea what she would do with her life. What she really wanted to do was get married and have a family like her mother and most women in her family. She knew she'd be going off to SUM but she had no idea what she'd do other than perhaps major in Charms. If she had to do something, she'd rather it be that since it was the one thing Kaylie was truly good at...or perhaps she could work with children. She loved kids and really wanted a big family. Even if pregnancy wasn't the best thing for her physical state.

She surveyed the booths. The Santoros' was out for obvious reasons. Kaylie had never been much for dancing anyway. She was never very graceful on her feet. Chelsea was better at that. She, on the other hand, had struggled through the Teppenpaw jig for her first few years at Sonora. Kaylie remembered how hard it had been for her to get that down. It was now a struggle for her but for entirely different reasons.

That's when she noticed the fortune-telling booth run by the California Pierces. Kaylie approached it, a small smile finding a way to her face. Even if Divination wasn't known to be the most precise thing, Kaylie still had a certain interest in it. "Hi,um, I'd like to get my fortune read?"

11 Kaylie Brockert What does my future hold? (Ticket) 43 Kaylie Brockert 0 5

Amelia

November 09, 2008 5:17 PM

[ticket] I'm enjoying myself! by Amelia

Lucas was going to be in one of his weird sulky moods, Amelia could tell. Boys were so odd like that. There he was outside in the sun at a school fair, and Lucas had that look in his eye like he was just going to strop off. So typical. Amelia was just going to tell him what a cosmic loser he was, when a scarily chipper older girl introduced them to the stall. Amelia caught on pretty quick - it was one of those cultural booths. She liked the matching t-shirts.

"Can we help you with anything?" The older girl was one of those bouncy types. Pecari or Teppenpaw, for sure. Amelia smiled back at her.

"I love some food. Anything sweet," she said, passing over a ticket. Milly's curvy figure wasn't entirely due to genes. Sure, her Aunt was seriously chubby, but Milly's sister, Cecily, was thin as a rake. Milly loved to eat; she wouldn't deny it.

"You trying anything?" She asked Lucas. Then, because she still needed to tease him, Amelia said, "How about that stone-put thing?" She nudged him in the ribs. "Bet I could throw further than you." It was a completely empty threat; there was no way Amelia could beat her older cousin. Still, it might rile him up, and that's all she was aiming for right now.

0 Amelia [ticket] I'm enjoying myself! 0 Amelia 0 5

Meredith

November 10, 2008 12:45 PM

I'm oh so glad to hear that. by Meredith

Mere listened to the girl's request and nodded, her smile never shifting. Most of what they had were sweet things. That would be an easy order to fill. Mere pocketed the ticket and looked at the tables wondering what someone with a sweet tooth might particularly like. She had gotten to try everything beforehand as they were planning what to put out and thought back to what she liked.

Well they were nearest to the Wales table, which offered the Welsh cakes. Those were good and they were sweet. They were actually Mere's favorite of the foods. As for a sweet drink, the Irn Bru was pretty sweet. There were no rules against mixing the cultural foods, Mere thought with a smile. In fact, they basically encouraged their guests to pick what they pleased so she would mix Wales and Scotland.

She went to the Scotland table and poured the Irn Bru into a cup until the orange drink filled three quarters of it. She returned to Wales, asking Elly to hold the cup for her for a moment, and put two Welsh cakes on the plate. She took the cup back with a quick "thanks" that always accompanied a wide smile and handed the combination to their first customer.

"There you go. Some Irn Bru from Scotland and Welsh cakes from Wales. Enjoy!" Mere looked at the boy who was there as well. "Would you like anything? It's really good. And if either of you have any questions, Elly will do her best to answer for you. She's our expert."

0 Meredith I'm oh so glad to hear that. 0 Meredith 0 5

Ian Grimm (and Laurie Cider)

November 10, 2008 1:32 PM

And now for something good! by Ian Grimm (and Laurie Cider)

"No, I've only ever seen her in class," Ian answered, somewhat distracted. The re-adornment of his prescription sunglasses had provided an early notice that the object of his curiosity was current making her way toward them. Now that he had additional information, he wanted to retreat to a shaded area, preferably free from other people, and consider the source of his curiosity. He was not yet prepared to actually speak with her yet. He would save that for a later time, after he had cleared his mind from its murkiness.

"If you want, I could just go get Laurie? I'm sure she wouldn't mind talking with you about it."

"Maybe so, but she's already coming over here, so I'm going to go. And, for your assistance," Ian reached into his back pocket and pulled free a business card size slip of paper. The small card was crafted on entirely white paper, the only text made up of three lines in a simple black font.

Ian Grimm
Grimm Inquiries, Sonora Academy Branch
Voucher for one complimentary consultation.

"Here." He pushed the card into the older boy's hands. "In exchange for your help."

Ian didn't wait for a confirmation and quickly ducked back into the exit queue, pretending an interest in the pathway. He had two pages worth of notes to pore over; maybe he'd get something to drink before that. . .

~*~*~*~

Laurie smiled in greeting as she edged up next to Josh. "Are you okay? You look a little annoyed. Was that first year bothering you? He seemed a bit. . ." she bit her lip, considering, ". . .off, I guess."

She hadn't thought much of it at first, but after the younger boy had made for the back area, her mind kept re-visiting his strange reaction to her. Sonora Academy had its fair share of socially stunted individuals, a lacking some ascribed to eccentricity. It was more than possible that the kid was just another oddity. Still, though, she felt troubled; it was as if she had missed something glaringly obvious, something she ought to have known immediately. The feeling was vaguely reminiscent of déjà vu, only she hadn't the slightest idea why. Or maybe-

Laurie gave herself a mental shake; it really wasn't worth the worrying. Besides, she came to the back for a reason. Namely, the boy standing beside her, looking adorably put out. She smothered the urge to kiss him on the cheek; her cheeks warmed all the same.

"You up for a break? I placed an honors jar up at the front to take care of anyone just wanting food." She glanced around briefly, shading her eyes. "It was looking pretty busy back here, so I thought I'd come and give you a hand for a while."

She spoke with good intentions, but her eyes kept trailing off toward the swimming hole, whose clear waters beckoned enticingly in the warm mid-afternoon sunshine. "Or maybe there's time for a swim. . ."

0 Ian Grimm (and Laurie Cider) And now for something good! 0 Ian Grimm (and Laurie Cider) 0 5

Eavan Valentine

November 10, 2008 7:02 PM

Bothering Matt by Eavan Valentine

Earl and Eavan were squashed in the middle of the crowd of students; Eavan more so, since Earl was tall enough to see over the crowd to where Bulla stood at the entrance to the Gardens making his speech. Earl had forgotten all about the announcement of the Head Boy and Girl, so when Chris and Bella were called up, he had no idea what it was for. Hearing that Chris had beat him out for the top position was hard to take. He'd already not gotten the Captain position for Crotalus, nor did he get to be a prefect. And now, not Head Boy. It's not that Earl really wanted the responsibility, but he wanted the recognition. Eavan glanced up to see a silently seething brother and gently wrapped her arm around his waist, giving him a hug before the mass of students began moving and Eavan had to relax her hug for fear of losing her balance.

Once the crowds had thinned enough for them to walk freely, they stared at the booths around them. Eavan caught the sound of salsa music above the din and, grabbing Earl, forced him to follow her to the stage where Bella and Jake were dancing. Matt had previously mentioned that his family was doing a booth. They watched them dancing for a few minutes before Eavan saw Matt manning the pinata in a bright red shirt. It was the most dressed up she'd seen him, well, ever. Eavan turned to tell Earl that she was going to go over to say hi to her friend, but he wasn't paying attention to her. Eavan followed his gaze and lo and behold found him staring at Bella Santoro dancing. She elbowed him in the ribs.

"You need to start liking girls that are more in your league...and single." She grinned when Earl playfully shoved her back. "I'm gonna take a look around; you wanna come or are you gonna stay here." As he said this Earl took a glance back at Matt before meeting Eavan's eyes. They look worried.

"I'm staying here. See you later." Earl ruffled Eavan's hair and disappeared into the crowd. Eavan turned back to find Matt again. It was easy with the shirt he was wearing. Slowly, Eavan worked her way through the crowd, finally managing to get to the pinata.

"Matt! Don't you look fancy," she teased, though she suddenly felt under dressed in her khaki shorts and blue tank top.

0 Eavan Valentine Bothering Matt 86 Eavan Valentine 0 5

Josh

November 11, 2008 5:44 PM

sigh of relief Thank God you're here! by Josh

Only seen her in class? Josh repeated the sentence in his head, his imagination reeling into overdrive, something he was noticing was happening increasingly often. This Ian kid was weird. Not in the Pecari-weird kind of way when weird was defined as peppy and obnoxious. Ian was weird in the creepy way where he felt insecure sharing the same air with him. He observed Ian, trying to figure him out. He didn't seem to have any worries about what was going through Josh's mind and was focusing strictly on Laurie's life history. Josh shook himself out of his reverie when a card was placed into his hand. Voucher for one complimentary consultation....? Was he a counselor or something? When Josh looked up, Ian had vanished. Starting to get fed up, the black haired boy shoved the card into his pocket and let out a sigh. What was going on?

Josh's irritated thoughts were distracted, thankfully, by a familiar female form. He half-forced a smile as she stood next to him. "Are you okay? You look a little annoyed. Was that first year bothering you? He seemed a bit... off, I guess." Josh let out a frustrated breath.

"He wasn't bothering me," he said, looking over at her, "But he was weirding me out. Do you know Ian Grimm?" He reached into his pocket and held out the card. "He was asking all kinds of questions about you." Josh felt a stab of irritation, but brushed it off as best he could. "I don't like him." His spirits lifted when Laurie offered the swim he had been dying for.

"That would be amazing," he said. "Some of us haven't grown up in Florida so we're not use to southern heat." He grinned as they began the walk to the pool-like structure. The summer sun had been taking its toll on him for the past hour. It wasn't that he couldn't take the sun any other day that made it unbearable; it was the availability of the pool that made the sun seem so much hotter. It beams cascaded down to earth, falling on the people on the ground. Josh let his vision fall on Laurie, her hair still damp from her last swim. He felt his hand twitch towards hers, but the action of moving it felt like so much more than the few inches between their fingers.

As they reached the edge of the pool, Josh realized how releiving it was that the twins had already been swimming with Laurie in Florida. He had warn his swim trunks to the fair, just in case free time (like now) happened to open up. Josh collapsed onto the ground and submerged his feet into the water. He felt the water cool him almost immediately, also washing away the frustration that had been bugging him so recently. He patted the ground next to him and leaned back on his hands.

"So what's your plan for the summer?"

0 Josh *sigh of relief* Thank God you're here! 0 Josh 0 5

Headmaster Bulla

The Sonoran Fair by Headmaster Bulla

Stephen Baxter

One thing still needed for my stall... by Stephen Baxter

Headmaster Bulla

I suppose that's me, right? by Headmaster Bulla

Stephen

All ready to go - Roll up to DUNK THE HEADMASTER!!! by Stephen

Elly Eriksson

FREE SWEETS and Olympic Competitions! by Elly Eriksson

Izabella Santoro and Brothers

Dance Lessons, Pinatas, and Spanish Sweets THIS WAY! by Izabella Santoro and Brothers

Professor Fawcett

The CoMC Stall by Professor Fawcett

Zack Dill

The Games Booth by Zack Dill

Mia Kerova

Ready for fun? No magic? No problem! by Mia Kerova

Laurie Cider

The Camping Grounds by Laurie Cider

Meredith Lail

Join us, one and all! by Meredith Lail

Saul Pierce

Not afraid to make a fool of myself by Saul Pierce

The California Pierces

Fortune Tellers, Jugglers, and Musicians, oh my! by The California Pierces

Kiva Kijewski

Just Watching by Kiva Kijewski

Holly Greer

Not quite what I had in mind by Holly Greer

Bianca Tiblin

A quick ghostly visit to the Headmaster by Bianca Tiblin

Bella and the Boys

Than you'll live a fulfilling life. by Bella and the Boys

Saul Pierce

That's my plan [Ticket] by Saul Pierce

Ian Grimm

[TICKET] A case of curiosity. *TAG* one of the Warrens. by Ian Grimm

Maria Pierce

Giving the you something else to watch by Maria Pierce

Danae Dupree

Bothering Josh by Danae Dupree

Kiva

That's very nice of you. by Kiva

Maria Pierce

I do my part by Maria Pierce

Lucas Smythe

Why, oh why, am I here? by Lucas Smythe

Amelia Smythe

So I can torment you, of course by Amelia Smythe

Josh Santoro

It's never a bother. by Josh Santoro

Bella

It's a very good plan. by Bella

Danae

It makes me happy to hear that. [TICKET] by Danae

Renaye and Josh Warren

Will both of us do? by Renaye and Josh Warren

Ian

The more the merrier! by Ian

Kiva

And you do it well by Kiva

Josh Warren

*shifts uncomfortably* Merrier, yeah... :/ by Josh Warren

Ian

I do have that effect on people. by Ian

Maria Pierce

Why, thank you by Maria Pierce

Josh Warren

Now I'm just wondering whether that's good or bad... by Josh Warren

Josh

You're easy to please. by Josh

Kiva

Why, you're welcome by Kiva

Saul Pierce

That's what I figured, too. by Saul Pierce

Meredith

Or so you can enjoy yourselves. by Meredith

Kaylie Brockert

What does my future hold? (Ticket) by Kaylie Brockert

[TICKET] A case of curiosity. TAG one of the Warrens. by Ian Grimm

shifts uncomfortably Merrier, yeah... :/ by Josh Warren

sigh of relief Thank God you're here! by Josh