Dresden Academy

dresdenacademy @ 2012-05-16T23:33:00

2012-05-17T02:38:16Z

This game has closed. Please enjoy the archive!

Quodpot and Quidditch Results from April 7th

2012-04-11T06:31:20Z

In our continuing coverage of Quidditch Nationals: (Semi Final 2) Magia del Sol vs Big Sky at Big Sky [Montana, USA]
Del Sol took Big Sky in a surprising turn of events. The home crowd turned nasty and several students were sent to the infirmary before the end of the night. Del Sol clinched it fairly early on with the tenacious control of their keeper and serious offense of their bludging team. Big Sky was not pleased with the results, but despite a formal complaint Del Sol moves on in the tourney.

In local quodpot news: The Bears lost to the Falcons. This leaves the standings with the Falcons well ahead and representing Dresden as the Quodpot Nationals. Maybe next year Coach Walsh, seems Holden still has some tricks up his sleeve.

Owl Post: School Paper, March 30

2012-04-07T04:22:23Z

Early in the morning, a fleet of owls deliver the school's monthly newspaper to every student's doorstep.

March's highlights include a huge spread on Quidditch and updates on the Nationals (of which Dresden continues to be part). The gossip column is overflowing into adjoining pages this month, and much mention is made of the cancellation of the Spring Fling and Headmistress Hulett's announcement that the entire school is on probation until Spring Break. Students are also reminded of the upcoming dates:

Saturday, March 31st: Steven Suzuki turns 16
Saturday, March 31st: Quidditch Nationals - (Semi Final 1) Dresden vs Pacific Coast at Pacific Coast [California, USA]
Saturday, April 7th: Quidditch Nationals - (Semi Final 2) Magia del Sol vs Big Sky at Big Sky [Montana, USA]
Saturday, April 7th: Quodpot Final - Dresden Bears vs Dresden Falcons (Winner represents Dresden at Nationals)
Monday, April 9th to Friday, April 13th: Spring Break
Thursday, April 12th: Sighard Valemont turns 17
Saturday, April 21st: Quidditch Nationals - (Cup Game) Winners of Semi Finals (Venue TBD)
Saturday, April 21st: Quodpot Nationals - (Elimination Final 1) Prairie School vs Big Sky at Prairie School [Illinois, USA]
Saturday, April 21st: Quodpot Nationals - (Elimination Final 2) Blue Ridge vs Dresden at Dresden [New York, USA]
Sunday, April 22nd: St George's Way Daytrip
Saturday, April 28th: Quodpot Nationals - (Semi Final 1) Winner of Elimination Final 1 vs Pacific Coast at Pacific Coast [California, USA]
Saturday, April 28th: Quodpot Nationals - (Semi Final 2) Winner of Elimination Final 2 vs Los Alamos at Los Alamos [Texas, USA]
Wednesday, May 2nd to Friday, May 4th: Scheduling (all class levels)

Text to Addy

2012-04-04T09:13:40Z

Carly has some really creative verb usages.

Text to Bernadine

2012-04-04T09:01:43Z

How did your detention go?

The Dresden Inquisition

2012-04-02T09:04:04Z

Who: Prof. James Walsh, Prof. Templeton Morse, Madelyn, Tina, Anastas, Hawthorne, Cinna, Addy, Bernadine, Carly, Marina, Luka, and Sighard.
What: The professors begin the Dresden Inquisition in an effort to figure out who was behind the office party.
When/Where: During the day April 2nd. The respective offices of Professors Walsh and Morse.
Rating: SFW

It didn't take very long for the headmistress to feel her blood pressure reach an all new high. The students had done an impressive job of ruining her office and it was clearly a highly organized effort if only a handful of them had been caught.

She needed to set up the inquisition and she had two professors in mind who could do it quickly and effectively. She let them into her office to see the handiwork done and gave them the names of the students who had been caught covered in paint returning to their dorms in the wee hours of April 1st. From there they could ask the entire student body or simply weed out the obvious troublemakers to make an example of; either way she wanted this resolved.

Walsh opted to speak with students in small groups. He was intimidating enough that he didn't need to play the one on one card. At some point in the day, someone would squeal.

He started with the group of Hudson students who had been caught with paint on their clothes as they snuck back into their dorm. "Madelyn Cooper, Anastas de Kooning, and Christina French," he intoned, looking at them with his usual mask of cool. "Care to tell me what you were doing breaking curfew, covered in paint the very night that Headmistress Hulett's office was vandalized?"

Tina squirmed in her chair. "Painting party?" She offered in a barely audible whisper. That was what Rosenthal had assumed when he caught them sneaking back into the dorms. They thought they'd been caught when he escorted them into the building while talking at them, but it turned out he was very enthusiastically praising group projects and the way that recreational painting really supported personal growth and bonding. They almost couldn't believe their luck when he patted them all on the back and told them to ask him along to their next one, and to sleep well.

"Painting party," Anastas affirmed with a forced smile.

Maddy nodded enthusiastically. "You know us Hudson kids. Crazy about art."

Walsh folded his arms over his chest and stared at them, sweeping his eyes back and forth, waiting for one of them to fold.

Tina was trying her hardest not to shake like a leaf. She'd been covered in treacle fudge more than paint, but it was still a more than clear indicator of guilt. "It's really good for... for bonding."

"I needed the bonding, yes?" Stas said awkwardly. "It is good to know my fellow dorm-mates."

"Yeah," Maddy agreed. "It was a getting to know your resident Russian party."

Walsh nodded. "Mh-hm."

"It, um, really... supported our personal growth." Tina gulped. "Pe-- Professor Rosenthal is going to come to the next one."

"Perhaps you could have the next one before curfew. And maybe not in the Headmistress' office."

"We did not," Stas began...

"It wasn't..." Maddy said over him.

"We would never..." Tina squeaked unconvincingly. She knew she shouldn't have let Marina talk her into going.

"I don't need a forensics kit to test the paint on your clothes and match it to the paint in her office, because you and I we all know that you were there and you were painting and you had friends with you."

Stas leaned back. He could stonewall with the best of them.

Maddy frowned. She wasn't about to sell her friends out, even if she'd have to take the wrap for it.

Tina fought back tears. "Everyone shares the paint in the art rooms..." They really did. Rosenthal tended to discourage 'ownership' until it came to the final product, which was most unquestionably the property of the artist or artists involved.

Walsh shook his head just the same. "Regardless, you were caught breaking curfew. If that was the only breach in conduct I could certainly dole you a detention or two. As it is, I think it might be more fitting to have you clean the mess in the headmistress' office." He almost smiled

Stas groaned, but it could be so much worse.

Tina tried not to look relieved, given the magnitude of the cleaning job they'd just been slapped with. "We won't break curfew again," she promised, because that was at least one thing they definitely could not deny having done.

"Out," Walsh insisted, pointing to the door. "Straight back to your dorm rooms. No clubs today. I'll come collect you for cleaning duty after dinner."

Maddy struggled to wipe the look of horror from her face. They'd be escorted from dinner to clean the office and she wouldn't be allowed to any of her clubs for the afternoon. This sucked.

Tina shot out of her seat and skittered out of Walsh's office as fast as she could. As far as she was concerned, they'd gotten off lightly and she was grateful for it. She just wanted to be out and away from his terrifying gaze.

Morse on the other hand called students into his office one by one. He let them sit there in silence for fifteen minutes if they wanted, but he asked his set of questions, waiting for inconsistencies, weak excuses, and the truth to slide into place.

One of the most likely candidates for this organized rebellion was the last one he wanted to interview. "Hawthorne, please, tell me you had nothing to do with the vandalizing of Headmistress Hulett's office."

"I had nothing to do with the vandalizing of Headmistress Hulett's office," he replied woodenly. It was a flat out lie, but he hoped Morse would let it go. He hadn't been caught sneaking back into University Dorm, but he attributed that to dumb luck more than anything else. He needed to keep his nose clean in this affair lest he get expelled for using up his last chance.

Morse didn't buy it, but he wasn't going to press it with Thorn, not with their summer program on the line. "You don't know how close you are all stepping to the line," he urged. "You know the students stepped over it."

Thorn didn't need to affirm that he was included in the number of students who had stepped well and truly over the line. He nodded quietly.

"Stay out of trouble from this point forward," Morse instructed and dismissed him to call in his next victim for interrogation. "Cinnamynn Thompson."

"Professor Morse." Cinna tried not to look guilty (though she most definitely was) as she slid into the chair opposite the intimidating man's desk. She folded her hands in her lap, then unfolded them to rest on her knees, then crossed her arms in front of her and tucked her hands out of sight.

"Cinnamynn, how close are you to graduating from Dresden?"

She bit her lips shut. "A semester?" Unless she flunked a few subjects or seriously thought about university. "Well, a bit more than a semester."

"I'm just wondering why you'd endanger your graduation by doing something so risky, especially considering how important it is to your parents that you graduate and get a decent offer for a university and a cheering squad."

"You wouldn't!" She gasped. "You can't kick me out! I wasn't even there for most of it!" Her eyes widened and she clamped her hands over her mouth. Fuck! Fuckfuckfuck!

Morse sighed, because this one was just too easy to crack. He made a note on a piece of paper. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me Cinnamynn? Any accomplices spring to mind? I'm sure they'll give you an easier punishment if you just drop a few names."

She shook her head furiously, hands still glued to her mouth lest anything else spill out. She sat like that for a few moments while she thought very hard about the next thing she said before she incriminated anyone else. "I want a lawyer!"

Morse had to fight the laugh that was trying to break free from his throat. "This isn't a criminal matter," he attempted to soothe her. "You won't be serving hard time, unless you consider scrubbing Headmistress Hulett's hard time. You'd just be saving me a lot of time having to ask everyone else if they were there. I'd be grateful."

"I'm not a rat!" Even if it meant she had to scrub that stinky filthy sty of a room all by herself until it was clean, she wasn't going to tattle on her friends... well, if she could help it. She hadn't meant to tattle on herself but had. "Did... did she kill my Spidey?"

"I believe Professor Crinshlow saved the plant on your behalf, but just barely." Morse wasn't going to get much more out of Cinna and nodded her away. "Professor Walsh will collect you after dinner to clean the office. As of this moment you're not to go to your clubs and you are to report directly back to your dorm room until dinner."

She pouted, but intended to obey. Besides, cheerleading was no fun at the moment and the events committee quite literally had nothing to plan for the foreseeable future. "Yes, sir." At least she managed not to get anybody else into trouble, and for Cinnamynn Thompson, this was quite an achievement.

Walsh called in the next group, easily his most cantankerous group of the day. "Abernathy Ford, Adelaide Legaux, and Carly Travers." The silence that followed those three girls into his office was telling.

Bernadine took a seat closest to the wall. She'd perfected the art of her act, but she hadn't been in quite so dire a situation with a supposed enemy and a real one. She looked to Addy briefly, but then rolled her eyes obnoxiously at her in case Walsh was paying attention. "Can we get this over with?"

"Carly did it." Adelaide shrugged and crossed her arms, throwing Carly a glare that said 'this is for pissing me off lately'.

"Yeah, Carly did it," Bernadine chimed in. Because this seemed entirely like something Abby would do.

"Oh fuck off, bitches," Carly said, not even interested in the fact that Walsh was in the room. "It was those two cunts," she said, gesturing vaguely in their direction.

Walsh cleared his throat, it was the quickest warning he could think and the only one he would offer before practicing his silencio charm on their voice boxes.

Addy snorted. "Ask anyone in the school; she did it and was telling everyone all about it." Then, recognizing that annoyed little hitch-and-cough noise he made when he was ready to unleash on an unruly class, silenced herself. Maybe Carly wouldn't pick up on the cue, and wouldn't that be satisfying?

"I may be a first class gossip, but I'm not the idiot in this room," Carly said pointedly and then found that her voice wasn't working anymore.

Bernadine didn't know about the power of the silencio charm and started laughing. "No, we reserve that title for Legs over here," she said perfectly in character and then her voice shuttered to a halt.

"Oh girls, girls. Really?" He held up his hand because it was useless for them to try and speak anyway. Thankfully Addy knew better. "I don't care if any of you were in the office last night. To be honest, I'm kind of impressed that you manage to live together without burning the campus down." He leaned back against his desk, and racked his brain for a more suitable punishment for these particular students. "I think instead of helping the others clean, you ladies need to spend a little time getting to know each others finer qualities. You'll report to detention this evening with two pieces of blank parchment and writing supplies. By the end of the night I expect two essays from each of you. Both essays will focus on one of your fellow detention mates and will consist of 500 words about their best qualities. No bullshitting. No giving up. You will find something to like, or at the very least admire in each other and you will elaborate upon it. You will do so in silence. If you fail to do so you will come back every evening this week until the essays are finished and meeting my standards. Am I understood?"

Addy was trying not to smirk at being the only one with her voice left, but that triumphant feeling soon vanished. "Are you serious? None of us can do that!" She could write both essays on all of Bernadine's best qualities, but the best qualities of Abernathy (as that was who Bernadine was supposed to be and who the essay was supposed to be about) and Carly? She could manage a sentence or two if she was allowed to bullshit. But he specifically banned that.

Walsh shot her the same warning glance that had preceded his previous charm. "You'll have to try. Why don't you spend the afternoon in your suite playing nice and figuring out what you'll put on paper." He opened his door and gestured them toward the exit. "Straight to your dorm. Straight to dinner. Straight to detention. And you're to stay in each other's company until this is finished. Even if it kills you."

Carly rolled her eyes particularly hard, but as she couldn't speak to argue she just frowned her way out of his office. Come hell or high water she was going to finish those essays tonight. She wasn't going to spend a single moment more that she had to with the hick and the shrew.

Addy trailed after Carly and Bernadine. "It might, you know. Kill us that is."

Bernadine tried to stifle a giggle and then realized it didn't matter. Her vocal chords were still locked and only the shaking of her shoulders indicated her amusement. Her problem was twofold, if only because she had to compose glowing essays on Abernathy's enemies and still keep it true to Abernathy's voice. They all had their work cut out for them.

The two of them stalked off to the dorms in a manner that would appear that they were ignoring each other rather completely; absorbed in texting their friends about the bullshit they'd just been handed down as punishment.

Except, in this case, that just happened to be each other. Fuck me, B. I don't know anything nice about AB except u. Addy tapped out, already wondering what in Satan's handbag she could possibly write about in either essay.

Bernadine tried not to laugh at this, considering they'd just been punished and her voice was starting to come back to her. She's got spunk, she texted in reply. And then: and a moral code that she follows to the letter. It was a start.

Yeah but Carly. wtf for that. No seriously. Addy wondered if 'is a faster means of spreading information than the invention of the telegraph' counted.

She's a crowd pleaser, Bernadine joked. She flicked a quick sideways glance to Addy before ducking into her room. She left her door open even though none of the girls she lived with were about to wander in for a chat. She's got a talent for drama.

Addy wrinkled her nose. Bernadine had a way of taking what was true and truly awful about Carly and phrasing it in such a way that it didn't sound so bad at all. Which made her wonder what the flipside of the nice things she said about her entailed. I wonder what she's gonna write about us.

Trying not to think about it. Then she did think about it. She'll say you're an athlete and that I know all of the most creative curse word combinations. Because at least that much was true about Abby.

She snorted. I hope it takes her forever to think of that and she gets stuck in detention with it for DAYS. She flopped down in her desk chair and looked at the wizarding web idly. Should put up a locked recquest. 500 words of nice things about Carly, will pay.

When Morse called in Marina Beauchamps he hadn't quite expected the level of cheerfulness she brought with her. They were all in a boatload of trouble and she seemed resolutely and determinedly above it.

"I did it. I was there," she confessed before the latch had even shut on the door.

Morse frowned at her. "Did you have help?"

"Oh yeah, all kinds of help. I learned this charm just last week to orchestrate paintbrushes to dance. It's like that Disney movie with the dancing brooms and Chernobog."

He shook his head at her; he was going to get nowhere with Marina. "Report for cleaning duty after dinner. Professor Walsh will be collecting you."

Marina grinned and gave him a thumbs up. After learning that all the Hudson kids were going to be stuck cleaning she thought she'd throw her oar in. They were her favorites after all. She bounced out of Morse's office and back to her dorm, shrugging dubiously to the students who were still waiting for an interview with Morse or Walsh.

They had discussed the possibility of the aftermath. Sighard assured Luka that he wasn't going to take the fall, that in fact neither of them would. He had very little in the way of scruples, at least the sort that would allow him to fall on his own sword, though certainly enough not to impale a friend to save himself.

He suppressed his grin as Luka passed him on the way out of Walsh's office. "All clear," Luka whispered just out of earshot of the professor. His part of the bargain had gone over well. Now it was up to Sighard to keep his mouth shut and his story straight.

Professor Walsh welcomed the student in with a stern look. Luka had been particularly unforthcoming about his role in the destruction of Headmistress Hulett's office, though he had no doubt about his involvement. Unfortunately, short of confessions and the circumstantial evidence against a few of the Hudsons, there was not much that could be done except to wave the students on their way with a very strict warning. Walsh didn't expect to make much headway with this one either.

"Sighard Valemont. Please, take a seat."

Sig popped into the chair facing Professor Walsh's desk. He'd always been rather impressed by the coolness this guy exuded, his bad assery despite being a teacher (one of the enemy). "How's it going today?" he asked, rolling his eyes back to the hallway where students were lined up for the inquisition.

"Some interesting leaps of plausibility in the constant denials. I honestly wonder at how very stupid you seem to think we are." The most refreshing 'denial' he'd heard all day was one along the lines of 'you know I was there, but you can't prove anything and that's the point of this entire exercise'. Because, really, it was. "I don't need to ask why this happened."

Sighard shrugged as genuinely as he could manage. "I don't think you're stupid at all." And that was about as close to telling the truth as he was going to get today. "Student rebellion, huh. Nature of the beast." He smiled, not too much like a cat in the henhouse. "Those crazy kids getting up to shenanigans again."

Walsh closed his eyes and shook his head. These children couldn't even imagine the ways in which they were throwing the fragile respect back in the teacher's faces. Dealing with each of them individually was giving him sound mind to send them each into Hulett's office with a toothbrush and some water in shifts for days on end until the place was clean again. "Let me guess. In your dorm all night. Studying hard."

"Playing chess online with this chick from Brazil," he replied. "I have never wanted to checkmate so bad in my life."

"Of course." He didn't believe this story for a second, but there was nothing to tie Sighard to the crime scene. "I've always found online chess boring, myself. It's nothing on a good set of exploding Wizard's Chess, even with animations."

"Can't play with chicks in Brazil with a regular board," Sig answered. "Unless of course you're in Brazil." Now that would be an alibi. Which would get him into even more trouble. He rolled out his best boyish grin and shook his head. "Maybe this summer. When's your next apparation weekend?" He was this close to being old enough for his license.

"Cancelled indefinitely until behavioral issues are sorted out," Walsh answered smoothly, never once forgetting the subject at hand. "Unfortunate for those who applied themselves over the semester, but you know how it is. Nature of the beast."

"Ah, that is a shame." He shrugged again, because it seemed to be the best punctuation for his sentences. As much as Sighard liked to be in the thick of it when the gauntlet was thrown down he had a feeling that this last gesture was it for awhile. The students would risk another lockdown, or worse. Clearly, they'd gotten their message across. "Did you need anything else?" he asked so politely that it could only be construed as Sighard dismissing himself.

Walsh shrugged back. "Nothing you can help with, it seems." If only they had been able to talk the board of governors into letting them administer veritaserum before these interviews-- now that would have been a totally different afternoon. Far less 'I was in my room studying' (which was a blatant lie on any given day) and much more 'yes I was there and this is exactly what I did'. He couldn't care less about Hulett's office, and was honestly just a touch surprised that this was all they had gotten up to in revenge for her tightening their freedoms. It was their attitude towards the teachers that had nothing to do with it that was getting his hackles up. He shook his head again, and waved towards the door. "Just go."

Sig nodded, holding in the urge to take a bow for one of his finest works of mischief yet. He couldn't take all the credit. Or any of it if he wanted to keep from spending the next three days scrubbing paint off walls with a toothbrush. "Thank you," he said as he skipped out the door.

Office Party

2012-04-02T03:22:31Z

Who: All of the students
What: The kids pull of a rather impressive protest/April Fool's prank
Where/When: Jillian Hulett's office. After curfew on April 1st.
Rating: NSFW

It took Luka exactly one afternoon to formulate a plan. The timing was almost perfect and after spit-balling around with Sighard he had a grand smirk on his face. The students would be ripe for rebellion by the time he activated the plan that Sighard codenamed: Hurricane Hulett.

They were going to have a party during their grounding. They were probably going to get caught. The upshot was that they'd all be there and as their headmistress said, she couldn't very well expel the entire student body. But the best part was that they were going to do it in Jillian Hulett's office.

He devised a charm with his top advisers that would allow the students to stand vertically on all of the walls and ceiling to maximize space. All they had to do was wait for the perfect day: April Fool's, and their plan was a go.

Sighard made sure he was on the ground floor of this one. Luka assured him that if anyone pointed fingers he would take the blame. Sig didn't really care about that. Let them try to expel him; he had other options. He was in this for the fun of it, the sheer joy of planning a massive rebellion and making sure that all of the upperclassmen would get involved.

He went into the risky business of setting up portkeys that would send students from their dorms directly to Hulett's office and then zoom back to the dorms for another load. He made sure each dorm had at least one, an innocuous looking bit of paper or a donated shoe for the effort. He was pleased to find that the students were as into this as he and Luka.

At the appointed hour he used the Champlain portkey and arrived in Hulett's office to find that Luka was already busy putting the final touches on the walls and ceiling. He had buckets of paint already cracked open and was wearing a white t-shirt and old jeans as he'd instructed all of the students to wear as well.

They weren't just having a party in Hulett's office. They were going to redecorate.

Bernadine had her doubts about this party, but the instructions insisted that all of the upperclassmen had to attend in order for any of them to be safe. She waited for Adelaide to take the University portkey; she could play up on the need for solidarity during the rebellion and then they could go back to 'officially' hating each other after. She had on Abby's rattiest flannel shirt and a pair of jeans with holes that were getting ready for the garbage. "Ready?" she asked the other girls who were about to grip the scrap of paper left in their shared suite.

"This is such a stupid idea," Addy muttered mournfully. She hadn't said anything on Luka's journal while the ideas snowballed because she was still keeping that awkward distance, but now she wished she had. He'd had some crazy ideas before, but this was a new level of ridiculous. Academic suicide, too. The idea was that Hulett couldn't expel them all-- but she'd punish the instigators to hell and back if she ever found out, and with the way gossip spread around Dresden, she had little doubt that would happen.

She put her finger on a corner of the paper, and the room started to spin as the others joined in. Soon they were crammed into Hulett's office, standing on the wall opposite the window overlooking the commons.

Bernadine let go of the paper and as soon as all of the hands were removed it disappeared, whizzing back to the University dorm to pick up another load. It was dark in the room, the lights hadn't been turned on yet, but when she looked down she saw the outline of glow tape in the dark room (not tape, paint, the more she looked the more she was convinced it was paint). A drop zone had already been painted on the floor and they were ushered from it by the MC of Transport, Sighard.

"Ladies," he said quite congenially. He flicked his wand carefully along the floor to the cluster of paint cans and supplies. Lumos illuminated the strip of glowing paint that lead the way and circled the cans. "If you would pick up a paintbrush and find yourself a little artistic spot. We'll get things underway as soon as we're sure everyone's here."

Addy groaned. So a forbidden party wasn't enough. They had to destroy her office, too. They were going to get themselves killed. "Whatever happened to just stuffing puffskeins under the door?"

"Not enough of a statement," Sighard replied and then returned his attention to the gathering crowd in the drop zone.

Bernadine stayed glued to Addy's side. "Stick with me," she whispered. If they were going to get crucified, at least they'd be together.

"Have you ever dealt with a room full of puffskein shit?" She argued after Sighard, but he was already gone and instructing the next group on how to vandalize the office. She pursed her lips and turned her head to the side to whisper just loud enough for Bernadine to hear, "This is going to be a total disaster."

"We're in it together, though. I don't think the kids at my old school would have organized such a blatant rebellion and stuck together."

Addy couldn't decide if that was a lack of solidarity or just some common sense. Nothing she could lay claim to at any rate, because here she was, paintbrush in hand, ready to go down with this ship as big a sinking as it was going to be. "Know many dirty limericks?" She asked with an almost resigned sigh, starting to write on the wall about a wizard from Punt.

Bernadine laughed. "Not one for poetry," she supplied. "Maybe I'll paint some flowers." Then she remember she was supposed to be Abby not Bernadine. It was easy enough to forget in the dark. "Fucking flowers," she added to clarify. "I'll paint them in all kinds of nasty positions."

"You'd know!" Carly yelled from somewhere nearby. "Nasty positions I mean." But then she was laughing in an almost friendly way and turned back to smear a handful of melted peppermints along the window casing.

Addy shuddered and gagged loud enough for both Bernadine and Carly's benefit, and got started on the one about the witch who owned twenty ducks.

Anastas found his way toward the girls once he'd heard Carly's little outburst and bumped Bernadine's hip. "The trouble I get into for you," he teased and started adding penises and gigantic breasts to all of her flowers.

"So much for keeping him out of trouble," Addy rolled her eyes and stepped back from her wall of filthy rhymes. "I forgot how this one ends."

"And quacked they didn't give a fuck," Bernadine supplied. Then she was laughing at the silence around her and the fact that Anastas was most definitely staring at her in amazement. "I like jokes," she said and swatted him with her wet paintbrush.

Addy just raised an eyebrow. "Should I put up the one about Morse or is that crossing several lines?" She twirled the paintbrush in her hand thoughtfully. "It'd go so well next to that guy," she mused, jabbing it towards Bernadine's latest flower.

"No, but put one up about Walsh. He's bad ass enough that he'll see it as an homage!"

"I don't know a limerick about Walsh! Only the one about Morse! And I'm kind of horrified that I know it." She started writing it up anyway.

There is a professor named Morse,
Who is a student favourite of course.
Not because of his classes,
Or how he kicks asses,

Her writing became particularly hideous towards the end as she started giggling like a lunatic and covered her face with her spare hand.

Bernadine was trying to lean close enough to the wall to read it. Anastas strained over her shoulder, hands wrapping happily around her waste. "It's too fucking dark," she said, at which point a perfectly rectangular light appeared and she could finally read the last bit of Addy's chicken scratch.

But because the man's hung like a horse!

Anastas was laughing so hard, he didn't hear the chaos happening below them, but he did turn to the source of the light and found a very disapproving teacher. "We're caught," he whispered, half between desperation and horror. He squeezed Bernadine tighter to him as if he could protect her from whatever punishment this particular teacher might rain down.

Maddy wasn't going to miss this, was even a little bit excited when Anastas de Kooning sidled up near her and frowned at the abandoned shoe that was their portkey. She lost him quickly in the crush of bodies inside the office. It was too dark to find the people she wanted, so she grabbed a brush and popped up to the ceiling.

"Yo Maddy, you going to charm your dress up?" Riley stood underneath her and smacked a dab of paint onto the end of her nose.

She laughed at him and shook her brush so it would dribble paint along his side. "And give everyone a show? Baby, they haven't paid for their tickets."

"If you don't charm it up, it's going to fall down. Gravity, and all." He offered her a very innocent grin, as if he didn't mind this outcome at all.

She hadn't been thinking about gravity in three dimensions. "Oh hell," she said and then did as he suggested, charming the skirt to float by her knees no matter where she happened to be standing. "How's the view from down there?" she asked. Most of the kids near her had found a spot and were crouched on the ceiling to paint in earnest now, some of them using their wands to light the way, some of them swirling paint around in the dark without care.

He grinned. "Not as awesome as it had the potential to be five seconds ago," he teased. "We should tie paintbrushes to all the dancefags and get 'em to give us an interpretive dance commentary on what they see down here. It's art squared."

Arnaud made a noise like disapproval. "The dancefags, Riley?"

"Hey, I didn't come up with that one. He started it." He pointed to a longhaired student from the dance group, swaying away in his own little world as he painted long, semi-phosphorent curls around the light fitting on the ceiling. "Take it up with him."

"Reclaiming it, man..." the boy replied drowsily.

"Reclaiming my ass," Arnaud replied smartly and flicked some paint at both of them.

Maddy giggled. "Oooo. I should write that on the ceiling. One of the Vagina Monologues. Reclaiming Cunt." She turned to her work giddily and got to writing it out. She had the whole thing memorized, considering it was one of her favorites. "Though honestly, a proper lady would never use that word in a sentence."

"A 'proper lady' wouldn't use the subject of the monologue either," Riley pointed out. "Good thing we're past all that 'dictating how a lady should act' bullshit, right?"

"Never said I was a lady."

Arnaud snorted. "You're about the closest thing to a lady I can think of," he interjected. He didn't have Riley's problem with 'roles and etiquette.'

"How many ladies do you know?" she asked, both amused and horrified that she was his idea of a lady.

"Arnaud's a classy guy," Riley said in support of Arnaud's statement. "He knows loads of ladies. If I were a lady, I'd make him be my GBFF."

"But you are decidedly not a lady," she replied with a wink he wouldn't see in the dark.

"No, Mads, he's something else altogether," Arnaud agreed with a grin.

"I could be a lady," he started to protest, but then the door was opening and right then he was more an active participant in a destructive protest than he was anything like a lady. He reached up to the very extent of his height and snatched the paintbrush out of Maddy's hand so that at least she could argue that she didn't have any tools of vandalism on her.

Veronica was beyond the point of doubt. She had worked herself into a straight tizzy. She could end this rebellion right now and tell Jillian Hulett what the students were up to. It was part of her job, being student body president, to look out for the others and make sure they were happy with their student experience.

But they weren't very happy, were they? Despite her reservations and the certainty that this would lead to an even worse lock-down (and possibly getting her deposed from being the student body president) she picked up the Putnam portkey and arrived at the party in her least smart clothes. There were already voices all around her, some of them coming from above her. She found a spot on the wall and then realized she could walk up it. There was one corner left unoccupied and she made herself comfortable with a paintbrush that had to be dripping on someone below.

"Snacks? Snacks?" Braden was wandering around offering people items from his recent St George's Way stock-up. "Be sure to leave crumbs everywhere! I want chocolate melted into that cushion, stat!"

Veronica giggled nervously and made her way towards Braden's voice. "You have chocolate?" she asked shyly, accidentally pushing her paintbrush into his side when she couldn't quite see the outline of his body. "Oh. I'm sorry. I think I've just... You might be a bit blue around the middle."

Thorn heard this exchange from his spot near the windows, keeping lookout for any teachers. He would call the signal to douse any lit wands and push people to cover the glow tape. So far the security guards seemed content to make their rounds elsewhere on campus. "Did everyone just hear that?" he said loudly. "The student body president just BLEW Braden."

"You're not chewing that Droobles I gave you!" Braden yelled back. "The curtains aren't gonna gum themselves!" He turned back to Veronica, voice lowering and softening. "I have chocolate." He opened up a bottomless satchel he'd brought along and reached around inside of it. "Hmm... acid pops... jelly slugs... ew." He made a face and pulled his hand out of the bag, shaking something goopy and dark onto the floor. "Melted brownie."

"Probably wouldn't want to eat it then," she giggled. "Maybe I can use it to fingerpaint. I've always hated that ugly painting of her behind her desk. Unnerves me whenever I come in here."

He grinned. "Oh, no, you're safe. She's out. Probably visiting another painting." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to point at the frame on the wall behind the headmistress' desk. Currently it showed an empty backdrop with no subject. "But you should totally get your inner artist out and paint her a new one! Go Monet on that sucker."

Veronica, maybe feeling impulsive from the dark or the giddy rush of being horribly bad, leaned up on tiptoe and planted on a kiss approximately on his cheek. "That's a great idea!" she said and pushed her way through the crowd to the empty painting to work her magic.

Braden beamed after her, and shoved a handful of leftover suckers from Valentine's Day at the nearest student. "Suck on these and stick them to everything."

Marina laughed at Braden. "Honey, I don't just put any old thing in my mouth to suck."

He offered her the suckers again. "Please suck on these and stick them to everything?"

"Just so long as you don't tell everyone I put things in my mouth at your request," she teased and took a handful of the lollipops. She took a tentative lick and smiled at him. "Hey, this isn't so bad." Then she giggled, an entirely insidious sound. "You're not so bad, Braden. When did you get so cute?"

Oh right. He forgot that the Valentine's candy had a secondary effect. "Oh, you know. Ladykiller." He laughed an dug around inside the manbag for a different type of hard candy to stick places. Finding some honey pots, he offered her those. "Trade you back for the hearts?"

"Oh my shit, Braden Croft!" She slapped him lightly, cheerily almost. "Did you try to seduce me with love potion pops?" She pushed them back into his hands and took the offered honey pots. "Give these to someone else, Casanova!" Then she was off on her way, dropping honey pots wherever she bumped into a piece of furniture and giggling all the while.

He took back the heart pops and absentmindedly put one in his mouth. "Wait. Marina! Come back!" He trailed after her like a lovestruck puppy.

Tina popped her head up from behind Hulett's desk at the mention of Marina's name, and laughed to herself as she saw Braden practically floating along behind her friend. She shook her head and returned to pouring treacle fudge into the keyhole of the lock on the desk drawer.

"Oh my goddess," Marina said when she finally noticed, only because Braden had bumped into her backside when she stopped suddenly. "Take that thing out of your mouth! Right the fuck now," she added when he continued to look at her like a mooning fool.

He pulled it out from between his lips obediently. "Anything for you," he promised dreamily, the effects of the mild potion still lingering. He didn't even notice the door opening because he was too mesmerised by her face.

Luka waited for the first few waves of students before he started his masterpiece on Hulett's desk. He was scrawling out a manifesto, the statement of purpose for this little gathering in her office.

You've shit on the study body for the last time. We will not be disrespected. We will not be treated like your children. We're not here for your amusement. We're not here to enjoy your dictatorship. We're here to learn and grow. To struggle and find our own way. You've effectively blocked that off. And yeah, we're terrible. We're awful. We've been in a few messes this year. But we're figuring it out and we're making it work. You're just standing in our way. Do us a favor and step out of it.

Yours,
Dresden Academy.

He grinned, crossed his arms over his chest and made a circuit around the room making sure the students had chucked their reservations aside and were now simply enjoying the chaos. In the dark they could be anonymous, one mass working together to send a very pointed message. All together they had safety, at least until it started to shake apart and they turned on each other like they tended to do.

At the moment, Luka didn't care. It was the first time in his life like he felt he was accomplishing something even a little worthwhile. He leaned found a spot near the landing zone and sent Sighard on his way to make a little chaos of his own. From this vantage he could enjoy the bits of art that had been drawn in glowing paint. Most of the paint wasn't light reactive, but some of the students had found it and from what little he could see in the darkness this was going to be spectacular.

Cinna arrived late, cradling a big sack of... something. "I GOT IT," she bellowed, and then remembering that she was supposed to be undercover, looked embarrassed and squeezed the burlap bag. "It's sleeping," she told Luka with a grin, peeling it open slightly to reveal a mass of long, twitching tendrils. "We'll leave it in the bag until we're ready to leave, and then put it out and go. She comes in and turns the light on... it'll go nuts."

Luka grabbed a hold of Cinna and kissed her cheek happily. "You're a genius!" he said gladly. Their rebellion was very well near the end. They'd have to get out of here soon or risk getting caught. He was just about to find Sighard when a rectangle of light appeared as the office door opened. "What the fuck?" he said, thinking it was an idiot student checking out and heading into the hallway. Sig had a whole stable of return portkeys ready to go.

"Shut that!" Cinna squealed. "You're going to wake the--"

It was too late by then, the bright shaft of light fell upon the open sack which contained the Spider Weed. The long, spider-leg-like vines started thrashing and flailing around, knocking students over left right and centre as it tried to escape the bag and find a nice dark place to hide.

Robin Fortin had a tendency to wander around the interior buildings at night with a bottle of fire whiskey and a dime bag in his back pocket. The security guards rarely bothered him and he stayed away from the student dorms. One of his favored spots of late was Hulett's office.

She had a comfortable chair, quick internet, and a computer with a very impressive monitor for watching porn. He was just ducking in for his nightly entertainments and was stopped short by... He couldn't tell exactly what. There was a press of bodies, too many bodies, some of them in places they shouldn't physically be allowed to be. There was the smell of snack food, as if a candy shop had exploded inside the office and something beneath it, something distinctly chemical. It was the smell of paint, he realized as the light fell on a group of students writing obscenities on the wall.

He was torn between extreme amusement and extreme anger. If anybody would be asked to clean this mess up, it would surely be him. Then again, hadn't the students given that uppity bitch her comeuppance? "The fuck are you kids doing?" he asked and flicked on the light much to their horror.

"Exercising our first amendment rights," Luka replied boldly.

"Exercise your fifth amendment rights," Addy hissed at him from over by the limerick wall.

Shell looked over from the window she and Carly were smearing with melted, messy candies. "The right to bear arms?"

Weeds was amused, the darling idiots were going to get themselves hanged if they were caught. And he certainly wasn't going to watch porn in here, not surrounded by the mess they made. "How about we say I didn't see anything and you all go back to your dorms and climb into bed like the good little hooligans you are?"

This was a perfectly reasonable and completely beautiful proposal. The majority of the students held their breath while Weeds slowly backed out of the door and closed it behind him.

"Time to execute Operation Get the Fuck Out of Dodge," Sig called and opened his bag of return portkeys. "Get 'em while their hot. I've got a Hudson group leaving the station at... Right the fuck now." He held up a rather beaten up frisbee with a pair of tongs and waited for the closest Hudson kids to line up and put their hands on it.

Bernadine pushed Stas off the wall before he could protest. "Go on, get out of here." She hazarded a very quick kiss and watched as he disappeared into the crowd and hopefully back to his dorm.

"I got a new favourite faculty member, I swear," Addy breathed, heart still pounding from the utter panic of being caught. "Taxi! Can I get a ride to University Girls, please!"

"Coming right up ladies," Sig called and pulled out a red mitten with a hole in the thumb.

Carly wasn't missing her ride and sidled up beside them. "Ladies first," she said and started reaching her hand out.

Bernadine laughed so loudly that for a moment she forgot the sheer panic they were all in to get out of the office. "I believe you meant bitches first, and by all means, don't let us stop you." But then they were all touching the mitten and the office chaos disappeared to be replaced by the familiar surroundings of the dorm.

"Next up, Putnam people in the house," Sig called and so on down the list, alternating dorms and portkeys as he did. They were down to the last two keys, the master for himself and Luka. He was surprised to find that Arnaud had hung back, though he could have evac-ed several portkeys ago.

"You didn't have to stay," Luka said quietly. He wasn't willing himself to get caught, but he fully intended to be the last man out. If anyone was taking the blame he was going to step up to it.

"I've got your back," Arnaud replied with a silent idiot implied.

"Come on gentlemen. Let's hit the road and save the congratulations for the particularly brilliant shade of red Hulett's going to be tomorrow. She'll match her house!"

Sig tossed them the Clemons portkey with the tongs and took a hold of his own with a big grin, disappearing just as they caught the old, misshapen, half-deflated soccer ball between them.

The office was dark and empty once more, save the slowly calming Spider Weed settling down under Headmistress Hulett's desk.

Quidditch Results for March 31

2012-04-01T07:27:00Z

Dresden made a good show of it, but couldn't overcome the quidditch juggernaut of Pacific Coast. It's been an interesting year for our quidditch teams and since quodpot has been opened to University students, I can safely imagine our quidditch teams will open up next season as well. This finishes the season for Dresden, but we made some impressive headway in the league this year.

Next week, the Bears vs the Falcons to see who represents Dresden at the Quodpot Nationals.

A Game Changer

2012-03-26T04:04:19Z

Who: Mother Criss and Kiefer Hulett
What: She invites him for tea and elicits his support for her plans.
When/Where: Wednesday afternoon, March 21st. Her classroom.
Rating: SFW

The air in the divination room had always been a bit stifling. Criss didn't rely on incense for her work, but she liked the scent of it, the heavy feel in the air. It set her mind to the import of her abilities and seemed to keep the students focused.

This afternoon it was surprisingly devoid of such scent. The old woman had opened a window overlooking campus, her dark colored curtains whispered back and forth under the guidance of a light breeze. These wonderful temperatures might hold out a few more days, at least until the weekend. With the students locked in their dorms, miserable moods abounded; this was Mother Criss' simple way of saying she understood. They needed the fresh air.

Kiefer Hulett found it disturbing more than surprising, perhaps a sign of the times. Mother Criss had never struck him as much of a game changer, but then he'd made the mistake early on, thinking she was only a peculiar old woman gifted with divination. He learned as quickly as his forerunner that she was an institution at Dresden and not to be trifled with.

When she requested his presence in her classroom this afternoon he arrived with a gift, a simple reminder of his gratitude. The school was still open because of her guidance and his willingness to accept it. He could see that Jillian was too shortsighted to trust in her; that was something he couldn't talk his niece into.

Mother Criss accepted the token for what it was, a bag of powder that she was certain Kiefer went to some expense to curate for her. It had medicinal uses and other amusing properties she could extract at her leisure. She offered him a seat and the customary cup of tea. She could read his leaves for old time's sake.

Kiefer figured out after a moment of silence what was going on. "You've found a replacement then?"

The laugh that sounded in the room was unexpected and almost unnatural. Mother Criss rarely found herself amused anymore. "That's what I always liked about you," she said with a hint of the tender sentiment she carried for this particular Hulett. He was a gifted wizard and talented man. "You can see the forest and the trees, never one at the sake of the other."

He shrugged humbly. It was one of the qualities he cultivated to during his time as headmaster. Big pictures and small, they all fit together and each needed to be considered.

"She might need a year or two to adjust. A bit green around the wizarding community. I don't have much time left with her," Criss sighed. "And I can't trust the sorting to Octavia. She doesn't have enough scruples."

"But your protege does?"

Mother Criss shook her head slowly. "Principles," she replied. "She'll have the best outcome in mind, for the student and the school." Sometimes they weren't always the same thing; it was a balancing act Criss had perfected over the years. "Your niece won't agree to it."

"If you think I have any leverage..." He trailed off and frowned. No, Criss knew he wouldn't have any leverage with Jillian. "You're going to do something about that, aren't you?"

The smile blooming on the old woman's face was more disturbing than her joyful laughter. "Her reign had to end eventually. I'd feel better knowing she's gone before I am."

"You think Irene will approve?"

"She won't be chosen by the board of governors," Mother Criss answered, though she hadn't intended to be so honest. "Try as she might her efforts to unseat her sister have served my agenda far too well, but they won't do very much for her."

Kiefer didn't find this as good news and he wondered what other agenda Criss might have beyond merely replacing herself. "And how long have you been trying to wrest control of the school from my family?"

Mother Criss smiled at him demurely. "Kiefer dear, even you must admit that neither of your nieces are up to the task."

Whether or not he agreed, they were talking about the family legacy. Deposing Jillian and refusing to crown Irene was disrupting that line. There were other options, one of Irene's sons might be up to the task, but they were all in other parts of the country living their lives independently of the family name. "Have you divined her replacement?"

She sipped at her tea, now sufficiently cool enough to enjoy without burning her mouth. The little pause afforded her a moment to decide. "You'll be pleasantly surprised."

Which meant she wasn't going to tell him. He sighed dramatically, leaning back in his chair to observe the pleased way that Criss puckered her lips. Working with her for just over quarter of a century had given him an uncommon level of insight into her moods and the way in which she divulged information. Only ever as much as she wanted. "All this trouble just to find a suitable replacement for you," he mused aloud, hoping he might coax her into spilling more details by dancing around it.

"We could just charm some old object to do it, like every other magic school," she shot back with the usual grace and charm she exhibited. It wasn't the only reason why she was trying to secure the right to choose her successor.

She could see the direction Dresden was headed in and the possibilities of another course. Ousting the Huletts certainly did her cause some good, but it wasn't the only good. She leaned back in her chair and eyed him appraisingly. "She needs more time. I'm buying it at a heavy price."

Kiefer definitely didn't understand that cryptic comment, but he could tell that Mother Criss was nearing the end of what she'd share openly with him. "So why tell me?"

Once again she was reminded of why she had always preferred Kiefer to the other Huletts. He had an innovative mind, always careful to consider every angle, always looking for a way to make things work. "I'll need your support when the board of governors return their decision. And I'll need your help once again when I try to convince our new headmaster of my replacement."

It didn't sit all that well with Kiefer, being carefully manipulated into place. At least Mother Criss was being upfront about it. "That's all?"

"You're the reigning head of the family; you have all the pull I'll need."

"And you think I'll just turn on my nieces and go with whatever the board of governors say?"

Mother Criss offered him a most uncanny smile. "No, dear Kiefer. I think you'll take your time considering it. And when the board finally does consult you and you've had your say, you'll understand why I asked you before there was even an inkling it was about to happen."

He had never underestimated her ability, nor her talent for getting her way. It was why she was the most feared and respected professor on campus. "You'll be leaving a very big hole," he said quietly. "And trying to fill it with a vaguely green young student."

Mother Criss's wrinkles deepened alarmingly, her smile almost feral. "She's a force to be reckoned with, this one. And she doesn't even know it yet. She doesn't have to fill my shoes. She has some of her own."

And with that Mother Criss felt confident that Kiefer was convinced enough. She wasn't about to reveal that her replacement was one Miss Bernadine Ford, a young woman who didn't even realize yet that she was a witch, and more than that, Bill Ford's progeny.

Kiefer's objections would have to wait for another day, another day of tea and convincing arguments. He could tell he was being dismissed and bowed gently to the grand lady. "Thank you for the invitation," he said politely.

"I should thank you," Mother Criss replied, "for your continued support." She watched him leave, her thoughts drifting back to her young charge. She had a long way to go and not very long to finish her training. This summer would be the crucial tipping point in Bernadine's education. It would push her over the edge into the witch she was meant to be.

The Cheerleaders' Decision!

2012-03-26T03:47:55Z

Who: All the cheerleaders except Carly
What: A decision is made about the leadership struggle
Where: Cinna's dorm
When: Evening of March 23rd, when the Spring Fling Dance should have been happening
Rating: Language and adult themes

What should have been the Spring Fling instead became a quiet night in for most of Dresden Academy. With the revocation of freedoms and the imposition of forced curfews the campus had become depressing and quiet of late.

None were quite so affected as poor Cinnamynn Thompson. Her Spring Fling dance had been ripped out from underneath her despite months of careful planning and altogether impeccable behavior during the school year, thankyouverymuch. She felt it entirely unfair that they were being punished for things that had happened outside of school grounds on break.

Even the few activities they were still allowed to participate in had become strained and unenjoyable. Particularly cheerleading, thanks to that awful harpy Carly. Something had to be done about her-- part of the reason they were being punished at all was because of how unendingly awful she was! She was a menace, and had to be stopped.

She sent owls and texts out to all the cheerleaders except that hateful cow asking them to cram into her dorm once they found the coast clear so they could come to a decision. Perhaps Professor Olivier was hoping they'd give up on ousting Carly from the captaincy, but really she'd just given them a reason to unite-- if they could come to her with someone else they wanted to be captain, she would listen. So, their course of action was clear: they had to choose someone to be their leader.

Marina snuck out as soon as Rosenthal was distracted by something shiny and artsy. It wasn't hard living in a house full of artsy types who seemed united in the effort to hornswaggle their beloved houseparent. If anyone had the run of campus during this dreadful lockdown it was clearly the creative types. She plopped onto Cinna's bed woefully and sighed so dramatically it almost made her giggle. "So what are we going to do about this bitch?"

Cinna produced a notebook from underneath her bed. "Here's a list I prepared earlier!" She said, flourishing the pad around with a grin. She brought it up to her face and started reading, ticking off the ones she said aloud with a dramatic flick of her pen. "Replace her shampoo with gravy. Release wild dogs." She looked up expectantly. "No? Okay. How about." She flicked a few pages forward. "Steal all her skanky dresses and take them to a discreet tailor, who will re-seam everything an inch smaller so she thinks she's getting fat. In the meantime, we re-line her shoes with fabric comprised of microscopic razors. Then, we replace her shampoo with gravy..."

Marina liked where this was going. "Brutal, grotesque, I like it. Now see," She leaned forward on the bed, closer to Cinna's masterful plans, "here I thought you were being the mature one. And you've been plotting her demise from the start. She'll never see it coming."

She laughed uproariously. "Me, the mature one?! Oh my god, what have you been doing?"

"You should see her computer," Tina said impishly, having just made a daring escape from Hudson House whilst a teacher's back was turned. "There are three folders of links to webpages labeled 'how to kill someone and not get caught' misleadingly titled 'hot lesbian porn'."

She shrugged sheepishly at Marina. "I was looking for your Herbology notes and got distracted!"

"And went straight to my lesbian porn stash," Marina teased back. "Clearly, that was a good place to hide my devious plots." She giggled ridiculously at the idea of Tina hoping to find something good on her computer. "My porn is in the folder labeled homework."

Cinna pointed an accusing finger at Tina and howled with laughter. "Did you find the notes?"

"I couldn't find her homework at all!" Tina blushed and giggled. "It was probably in the 'dicks' folder; I didn't look there."

"My homework is in the 'homework' folder," Cinna revealed matter-of-factly. "My porn is in the 'recipes' subfolder of my 'wedding ideas' folder."

Marina made a fake gagging sound. "The future Mr. Thompson won't even have a say. She's had her wedding outlined since year one." She imagined Cinna spending her every waking moment perusing bridal magazines so that in five or ten years she'd have the perfect wedding.

"Excuse you, it is GENIUS. Who goes looking in the 'wedding ideas' folder of a girl's computer? It's boy poison and other girls just gag. I could hide Megaupload in there and no one could ever get to it."

Tina giggled again. "Maybe they should look there. Sounds like it would be an interesting wedding!"

"Seriously!" Cinna agreed, laughing. "Right now that folder is lingerie and fucking. Oh, and this one picture of an awesome cake I saw on Tumblr. But mostly lingerie and fucking."

Brenda froze at Cinna's door. "Um, I thought this was about Carly?"

Marina groaned, because it was just good fun imagining Cinna trying to look for porn and avoiding finding scantily clad pictures of her mother. It was a minefield. "Can we just never talk about her again? Kill her in her sleep, maybe."

Lyanna walked in behind Brenda at the most opportune moment of the conversation. "I'm not up to a murder" she said quietly, though the look in her eyes said she'd like nothing better than to have Carly's throat wrapped up in her hands.

"Well, we can keep it in mind for if nothing else works," Cinna said dismissively. Carly was getting obnoxious to the point that Cinna wasn't entirely sure that she was still opposed to a murder. "Come on in, guys!"

The rest of the cheer team soon joined them, and they all crammed up on Cinna's bed and around the floor to make heads or tails of this problem they'd been having.

"I think it's pretty clear that Olivier and Morgendorfer by extension aren't going to kick the bitch out," Cinna started, taking charge as always. "We're going to have to give them a better option. An only other option, basically. We need to vote on who our real captain is going to be. They can say it's Carly all they like, but we're not following her."

The other girls nodded, most of them agreeing, but then some of them wanted the honor of being captain and how could they decide fairly between them? "I nominate you," Marina said cheerfully. She'd gone to all the trouble of organizing them to oust Carly, after all.

"Ohmygod! I was going to nominate you!" Cinna reached over and punched Marina playfully. "You put your ass on the line at training that day and got us all to follow, so you'd be like an awesome captain, amiright guys?"

Marina grinned: "no fucking way." Then she laughed, because she could almost see it now. Maybe she'd have enough pull to get their coaches into some more artistic cheers, adding new dance moves to their repertoire. "What if we put our names in a hat? No voting bs. Just good old fashioned chance."

Cinna nodded agreeably. "Seriously though, even the worst any one of us could be is better than the best we already got."

"Well, I don't think I'd make a very good captain," Tina said timidly. "So maybe I'll just write my choice down instead of me." She wanted Marina to be their leader.

"Me either," said Lyanna. "I mean. I don't think me, not you," she explained to Tina quickly.

Cinna started ripping up pages of her notebook. "Okay then," she said, passing out slips of paper. "Write down who you want to be the new queen bitch. If it's you, that's cool, if it's not, that's cool too. As long as we have someone we can all agree to stand behind."

Marina nodded, writing her own name on the slip of paper. Lyanna jotted down Cinna's name, some of the others followed suit, while others wrote their own names on the tiny slips. "Do you have a hat, Cin?"

"I do!" Cinna rushed at her closet and pulled out a glitter-covered hatbox. Given that there wasn't much in the way of closet space at school, it had been charmed to be bottomless, and hold every hat (or shoe, or bag, or wayward packet of candy) she happened to store in it. She dug around for a bit until she found a hat that would do the job nicely.

"Names in! Last call for new captain!" She waved it around under everyone's noses until every last one of them had dropped in a piece of paper with a name on it. "If any of you wrote Carly down just to fuck with us, I swear I'll rip out your hair," she warned them all, before shaking the hat around to try and mix up the slips a little. "Who wants to draw?"

Brenda volunteered gamely, and jumped up to pull a slip from the hat. She smiled as she read it, and turned it around to show the others the loopy red handwriting with the heart-dotted 'i'.

"Congratulations, Marina!"

Marina giggled before any other reaction could take place. "Well now you bitches are stuck with me," she teased. "When are we telling the coaches?"

"ASAfuckingP," Cinna said firmly. The sooner Carly was off their backs the better. "They'll probably want us to be all 'united' and shit for the game tomorrow, but that's the last time she's stomping all over us."

"After the game," Tina agreed. "And then next practice, we answer to Captain Marina!"

Marina saluted them all in army style. "We'll be the roughest, toughest, baddest ass squad this side of the Mason Dixon." Which set her to laughing again, because she'd never drive them as hard and terribly as Carly liked to. She only hoped they'd still like her as a captain and maybe embrace some of her crazy ideas. "Just, you know, instead of assassination attempts tell me when I'm being a bitch and I'll back off."

"Oh, you better," Cinna threatened. "Or we'll replace your shampoo with gravy..."

Quodpot and Quidditch Results from March 24th

2012-03-26T03:02:14Z

Continuing coverage of the Quidditch Nationals:

It wasn't a big surprise that Big Sky took the win over Victoria College considering Big Sky sits in the esteemed second rank of the seeding. It was still a tight game, Victoria put out their heavy hitters and kept the score lively, parrying back and forth with Big Sky until the snitch was snatched.

With that win, Big Sky will be moving on to play against Del Sol in the semi-finals.

Blue Ridge made a good show of it, but they couldn't overcome Pacific Coast, the top ranked team in this year's quidditch nationals.

Next week will pit our good old Dresden Herons against the top champ, Pacific Coast out in California. It'll be a match to watch ~~and sadly none of us are allowed to go~~.

In local quodpot news:
The Falcons beat the Bears soundly ~~(and provided the only real entertainment we've had since being grounded)~~. Final score was 37 to 13.

It Almost Sounded Like I Love You

2012-03-23T10:30:06Z

Who: Anastas and Bernadine
What: Anastas makes a decision.
Where/When: Bernadine's dorm room. Friday afternoon.
Rating: SFWish (discussion of sex)

Anastas had a decision to make.

The recent lockdown of campus wasn't making things any easier. He couldn't very well pop off to see Diana. It wasn't as if he was going back and forth between them without a conscious process each time. He knew what he had to do and he armed himself, guarded his thoughts as he learned more about how his relationships between both women worked.

His last visit with Diana had been horribly strained and ended with her ultimatum. His last visit with Bernadine was between classes this very afternoon, smirking at her at she passed in Abby's borrowed clothes and pretending to tell off some freshman for being in her way. He could only sneak in the slightest touch, a hand on her elbow as she walked by.

She hadn't once pressured him to choose. Maybe she already knew; maybe she was just enjoying whatever time she had with him. He couldn't fathom what it was like to know the future and be so happy just to be in the present. That was the mystery to Bernadine, one he didn't even want to figure out. It was just a comfort to know it was there, part of her, like the complex web of lies she was living to learn her craft. Bernadine wasn't just a mystery, she was a living, breathing paradox of a human being. A girl who never lied in her private life, but existed at Dresden under the pretense of an impressive un-truth.

He puzzled over his girlfriend dilemma on the way back to his dorm once classes were done. The teachers had been watchful in the early part of the week, but now that the students were lock-stepping some things escaped their notice. Like a Hudson senior walking past his dorm and ducking into University House.

He grinned as Bernadine let him in her room, closing the door before any of her suitemates noticed his presence. They settled on her bed with little need for words. They each had studying to accomplish; it was just nicer to do it together. He cracked open his backpack while she turned back to her book, elbows brushing, thighs laying the slightest shift away from each other.

His mind turned to sex, even though the book in front of him had nothing to do with it. He hadn't been having sex with Diana. Not for a lack of want, more through a resistance of will. It was just as well while he sorted out his allegiances and which woman had stolen his affections more thoroughly. The problem with Bernadine Ford was that she wore down every last ounce of his resistance.

He could wrap his arms around her, lean into the slightest shiver and her finger was always on his pulse setting it racing. A single glance had him questioning why waiting was so important anyway. It wasn't as though they'd ever agreed it wouldn't get physical or that they'd take their time.

He should be having these thoughts with Diana. That's what his brain kept arguing. Lovely, brilliant Diana. She deserved someone whose skin felt like fire every time she so much as looked at him.

Bernadine deserved it too, just that he hadn't expected it would be him fulfilling this honored position.

Laying in bed had become their new habit together, just as they were this afternoon. They'd spend hours in her bed, sometimes with books piled between them, studying and breaking every now and again for kisses. Even being on lock-down hadn't stopped them from trying to steal these treasured afternoon moments.

Bernadine set down her ancient tome on divination, lent from Mother Criss' personal library. She leaned across Anastas' lap, obscuring his view from his own book and rested her arms easily on his shoulders, her face full of sweet tempting.

For a moment he wondered if she couldn't read minds as well. She had this uncanny ability to know exactly what to do, exactly when to do it. He leaned down closer, hand quick to remove the book between her body and his lap. His other arm curled around her, holding her to him so that she couldn't escape so easily if she tried. "I cannot be sure you do not possess some kind of magic."

She laughed lightly. "Me either, but I think it only works on you."

He caught her lips, quick and needy. "I would not want it to work on another."

That desire for possession caught her, surprising in its gentle force. It wasn't an overpowering command, merely a simple need that she be the only one to share this with him. Her limited experience with relationships hadn't prepared her for the quick swoop of her stomach at the slightest touch, the way she couldn't seem to get him out of her head.

The tryst with Thorn and Cinna was fun, but only something she tripped into. It wasn't intentional in the least. This was something new and unexplored, to finally desire someone and take steps to secure his affections for herself. She wanted to hold out for his answer, his final decision on which girl he would choose, but those gentle touches and hot kisses warred with her resolve.

He wanted to decide too, more than either woman could know. He hadn't been the type for monogamy before meeting either of them, but he wanted to try. They both knew his habits, knew what he was capable of, and still they trusted him with their hearts. Looking at Bernadine through heavy lidded eyes, feeling that burning desire pulsate through his veins; he realized that his body decided before his mind could catch up or his heart could admit.

When he kissed her now he knew the answer. He pulled back just enough to stop their lips joining again. "It is you. You know that, right?"

She shook her head shyly, not willing to take the logical leap with him, though her heart rate sped up and her ability to say no to him washed completely away. "I'm me," she said quietly.

"No," he answered patiently, loving her humility all the more. "You have my heart. I give it to you."

She stopped breathing a moment, shivered into his fingers as they moved lightly over her face in fascination. She pressed her lips up into his fingers and then replaced that delicate touch with the urgency of her lips. Their studying was going to wait until after she assured him that her heart belonged just as much to him.

The Mandatory Assembly

2012-03-19T03:52:35Z

On the advice of Professor Morse and what he assured her was a group of esteemed professors, Jillian Hulett assembled the student body in the Grand Ballroom. House parents took attendance as the downtrodden students filed in and took their seats. It seemed as though the threat of detentions until summer vacation was taken seriously. Eventually everyone was settled and quiet.

Sitting behind Jillian were the most intimidating professors of Dresden Academy. A calculated move at best, but beyond being highly strategic it settled Jillian to the task at hand. She could lecture the students and they might listen, but chances were they'd take her more seriously with their awe inspiring professors on board.

"It's been brought to my attention that a majority of the student population is behaving well outside the established code of conduct."

Right to it then. Irene Hulett smirked from her spot on the floor, just off to the side of the raised dais. She wasn't going to miss this assembly for anything.

"When you were invited to Dresden Academy it was expected and agreed upon that you would abide by the very simple rules we set forth. You are to present yourself as diligent students and functioning members of wizarding society. I can't say that your recent behaviors have impressed your value as continued members of our community."

She offered the gathered students a very stern frown before continuing. "I cannot very well expel the entire student population and close our school, though an example must be made." She waited until the murmurs of malcontent died off. She had no doubts about the student reaction to her proposal; it was the harshest and also fairest sentence she could dream up to get the point across.

"Until spring break campus will be on lock-down. All student privileges have been revoked. You will go to classes, to clubs, and then directly back to your dorms to study. The spring fling events and dance have been canceled. Sporting events will carry on, but at the earliest indication of trouble they can just as easily be canceled."

She waited until the outrage reached a reasonable volume to talk over. "It could be worse," she threatened. "If you prefer." She waited again while this thought resonated. No one wanted it worse than this particular punishment. "That will be all. Back to your dorms."

And with that, the students were duly punished and dismissed.

Student Bulletin: Posted everywhere on Sunday

2012-03-18T12:22:47Z

Dear Students,

In light of recent behavior on and off campus there will be a MANDATORY assembly to discuss our school code of conduct in the Grand Ballroom on Monday directly after tenth period. Attendance will be taken, any absences will result in detention for the rest of the school year.

I respect that you will take this seriously, arrive on time, and match your behavior to the standards I have come to expect of Dresden Academy.

Thank you,
Jillian Hulett
Headmistress

Blood in The Water

2012-03-18T12:02:44Z

Who: Irene Hulett and the shadowy Board of Governors
What: Irene starts planting the seeds to get her sister sacked.
Where/When: A secret boardroom off campus. Sunday March 18th.
Rating: SFWish

Irene smirked at the circle of shareholders seated among the board of governors. Dresden Academy's finest, the grand and mysterious board that operated outside of Jillian Hulett's reach.

"Ladies, gentlewizards, I've assembled you here today to discuss the recent function of the Academy."

Now that she had their attention, she listed off the myriad of ways that Jillian had failed Dresden. The student population gone wild, the budget crisis barely resolved, dragging out the tough decisions over the fall semester, and most importantly shying away from the most innovative ideas she'd heard all year.

"These are not the qualities of a true leader and I feel I cannot allow my sister's lapses in attention to our fine Academy to continue to escape your notice. It grieves me to be the one to inform you on all of these failures, but I feel that I must for the good of the school, demand that swift and serious action be taken."

Mumblings followed her pronouncement, but she expected as much. These folks were never very fast movers. Still, the seeds had been planted in fertile soil. Depending on how this mass assembly went on Monday... Those chords of discontent could spread and finally put an end to Jillian Hulett's reign as headmistress.

Now if only Irene could guarantee that such a thing would happen.

Sharks In the Swimming Pool

2012-03-18T10:41:59Z

Who: Professors Morse, Rosenthal, Olivier, Montgomery, Walsh, and Dr. Dawkins and Mother Criss
What: Morse and Criss hatch an idea for a summer program for university students. They rope the other uni profs along and stumble onto the idea that maybe they need to have a school wide assembly addressing certain, recent batshit behavior.
Where/When: A boardroom in Dresden Hall. Friday March 16th.
Rating: SFWish (FREE PRESS)

Pete Rosenthal had no idea what he was doing sitting in this stuffy boardroom, assembled with the university professors as if he was one of them. He had in fact started the whole thing, but for the most part since Pepper's graduation he had nothing to do with it. "Technically," Morse argued over the phone earlier in the afternoon, "you are one of us."

He missed his initiation, but it happened right about the time that Hawthorne Nikitin had stumbled out of favor with Gerard Best and became his TA. He supposed that technically that included him in the program, but he only reported to Morse about Thorn's capacity to assist in his classes. He didn't really have an opinion on how their peculiar university program was run or why or how the budget cuts might start affecting their ideas.

Budget cuts were always a big deal and Jillian Hulett never seemed to stop breathing down their necks about it. That was the main concern of Templeton Morse as he sat at the very end of the table, palms flat on its surface. How was he going to convince Jillian to shift some funds or work harder for donations from parents to help fund his little pet project.

He looked across the table and then beyond that to an aged leather chair holding his partner in crime. Mother Criss frowned at him as if she already knew the outcome of this ludicrous meeting. She had a way of getting her way and this summer program idea was going to happen, for Bernadine Ford's sake more than anyone else. Mother Criss would give up next year's salary to help that girl; though she'd never tell another soul.

Dawkins was present, also mildly perplexed. He thought perhaps they were here to discuss the current state of their student body population. The bullying was at an all time high and the weekly breakups seemed twice as melodramatic as they'd been last year. Their students were spiralling out of control and there was little the professors could do to wheel them back in.

The meeting being called at all had been some surprise to Walsh, but he was game to attend. There had been quite a few shake-ups and turn-arounds in the university program over the past year, and it was probably for the best that they meet up and discuss the program as a whole and make sure they were all on the same page with regards to keeping it functioning, and in a capacity that would best benefit the students.

He had made sure to force Clive Montgomery into attending as well-- after all, as of the start of March he was now also one of the university professors, even if only to the value of a single class per week. The surly, humorless teacher agreed to join them in the meeting, but only if it didn't take too much time away from his afternoon-- there was a meeting of the honor society later, and those students deserved his time far more than any wayward subject-hopping university student.

Professor Olivier joined the others somewhat later than expected. She and Maria Morgendorfer had been discussing the sudden and drama-filled turn that the latest cheer practice had wrought and what might be done about it, and she'd lost track of the time. She was the last to arrive to the meeting, and she flew into the room with as much grace as she could manage, taking the last available seat.

Morse looked around and jumped in. The university program had never had a clear leader, perhaps because it was born in the free wheeling mind of Pete Rosenthal who looked entirely uncomfortable and out of place at the table, though he had the most right to be here. "I've asked you all here to discuss the direction of the university program. I've had an idea and it just happens that Mother Criss stumbled upon a similar thought. We'd like to open up an advanced summer session for some of our more... demanding students."

Rosenthal frowned, not knowing what Morse actually meant. "Like university summer camp?"

Dawkins leaned forward in interest; this was a turn of events. "And you think our headmistress will agree to this?"

Walsh snorted inelegantly. "Only if it can be done for free, off-campus, without using any school resources, sure." The cuts made to the school's sporting programs were still fresh in the minds of many. "Were you hoping to rush them through, Templeton? Squeeze in a summer semester and see if we can't inflict them all upon the world a little earlier?" Though the option of accelerated learning was interesting, he didn't quite feel that very many of the university students at Dresden were emotionally mature enough to be let out into general society just yet.

"Money is nothing to concern yourselves with," Mother Criss spoke from the corner. You could hear a pin drop as the others suddenly remembered that she was even in the room. It seemed impossible that anyone would forget her presence, the spectacular printed turban riding her ancient head, the subdued, magenta velvet wizarding robes gracing her deceptively frail looking frame, the polished and peculiarly shaped cane that she leaned on as she pushed herself forward in the chair. This woman was not a forgettable one unless she wanted to be. In that same vein, her words were not to be questioned. "There are students in need. We will find a way."

Morse nodded gratefully to his unexpected compatriot. "Just so," he agreed. "Quite the opposite," he said addressing Walsh's concerns. "As you all know Hawthorne has been no shortage of surprises and challenges this year." He didn't need to rehash it all, and he was certain Hawthorne would trip up again. Morse had a better chance of protecting the boy if he was under his direct supervision at all times. "If he were to study with me this summer he could assist me in the fall and I believe this sort of study would do him a tremendous amount of good."

"Boy needs a good kick to the head," Montgomery interrupted gruffly.

"It's not just about him," Morse rushed on before anyone else could speak. "Mother Criss has a student in mind for summer work."

"That's still only two students. Can we really talk Jillian into keeping the school open over the summer for that?" Dawkins asked sagely. Of course, the less students to contend with would lower the cost of this experiment, but two didn't seem to tip the scales of cost effectiveness over value.

Walsh sighed. Adelaide had expressed interest in leaving school sooner rather than later, and this might prove a useful method of doing so, were she inclined to participate. "Adelaide might be interested," he offered with no small measure of doubt. He was fairly well certain that said desire to finish quickly didn't necessarily equate to sacrificing a summer vacation for it.

"I could see if Carly would like to stay over break," Olivier offered. "But my concern is that providing an optional summer session could disadvantage the students who choose not to participate. It would have to be set up and operated in such a way that it doesn't negatively impact studies for the students who then return after break."

"It might not be a terrible idea to try and rope in some of the incoming university students as well," Walsh mused aloud. "Perhaps offer them some guidelines; a little training on what to expect on their duties as assistants. They're still students, of course, but we're expecting a lot more of them and it might help to outline that and set some boundaries. After all, their extracurricular interactions with friends can impact their shared classes." He was sure that he didn't have to explain that one in detail.

Morse was practically beside himself that other teachers were interested and other students might consider it. "It would put the summer students a semester ahead, or give them that time to work on a subject that's not their intended core focus. Muggle universities do it to allow students to graduate early. It's not as if our university students study in groups. We wouldn't be expanding this program and offering it to the younger students, if that's your concern. It would be for university only."

Then he turned to address Walsh's idea. "That is a spectacular suggestion." It didn't even need to be the whole summer. "We could offer a two week, mandatory boot camp just before school opens in the fall." It would certainly do some good toward the credibility of their program. "We shouldn't need more than that to set out some basic guidelines for behavior and expectations."

"You forget we'd be giving up our summer vacation," Pete interrupted. He got a lot of his own work done during those hot, hazy months.

Dawkins leaned forward. "We could arrange a week long break in the middle. Or whenever, really; whatever you and your student agreed upon. We have the liberty to be more flexible with the way we've set our university up." It had never occurred to him before that such flexibility could be a good thing. Dresden had always been the odd man out when compared with other schools; for once he could see it as an advantage. "It would only interfere with your summer when you had a student who was interested and willing."

Walsh leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I can see Hulett giving thought to the boot camp. The summer study is going to take a great deal of convincing, though. Funding will be a serious issue."

"Ughhhh." Olivier slumped over the table and hit her forehead against the wood gently. "At this point in time, I'd happily tell her to take the funds from cheerleading and cut the entire program. Those girls are out of control."

Professor Montgomery pursed his lips so hard he thought his entire face might cave in. He was trying very hard not to agree with Pilar, because he'd been fighting to take funds from cheer for the honor students for so long anyway. Now was not the time to get into a debate over which programs were entirely unnecessary.

Dawkins didn't want to segue entirely away from the university discussion, but he had seen a general decline in the student population's morale as of late. "Do any of you know what's gotten into them lately? Not just the cheerleaders," he added quickly, realizing he hadn't quite articulated his thoughts. "This seems worse than the usual end of winter slump. It's beyond stir-crazy."

Morse didn't want to get away from the university idea either, but they seemed to settle most of the concerns, enough that he could bring them to Hulett. "I was thinking it was the time of year for it, but they seem particularly vicious toward one another at the moment. I was going to suggest to Professor Setzer that he cut the gossip column for the time being."

"Free Press," Rosenthal said with a hearty laugh. "He'd never go for it."

"Free fuckin' press," Walsh shook his head. "If he keeps that gossip column going, the other students are going to start exercising their right to sue for libel."

Olivier disagreed. "That would take too long. Ripping each other to pieces in the hallways is a much swifter way to exact satisfaction. It's only going to end with someone getting seriously hurt."

"No, then they'll just gossip about that."

Dawkins didn't want to hold an assembly in the grand hall about bullying. He also didn't want the school denigrating into further chaos. "Perhaps I should have all the professors make a list of the most troubled students and pull them aside to speak with them."

"All of the fucking children will be on that list. Some of the professors too, I imagine," Montgomery chortled. "Might as well lock them up in stocks for an afternoon."

Mother Criss cleared her throat. This wasn't the right group to solve this problem, but they'd have to do something about the student body in crisis. "I think an assembly will do the trick. Veer away from bullying," she said looking pointedly at Dawkins. "Perhaps have an open discussion about how out of control they've become. Threaten to take away all of their extracurriculars if it continues." A substantial threat might do it, though she doubted that would resolve the current course of chaos enough. Hulett's head was going to roll before long.

"That's not a viable solution though. Without the out-of-class activities, they'll have more free time to act out and more inclination to do so." It was out of Walsh's mouth before he realized that he'd just started arguing with Mother Criss.

Rosenthal clapped his hands over his mouth so comically that he was grateful all eyes were on Mother Criss for her reaction.

"We would never have to take them away," she pointed out simply. Only the truly gifted hooligans would see through the bluff and they could be handled with a suspension or two. "Perhaps it's about time we start doling out our punishments a bit more generously and stop handing out second, third, and fourth chances."

Morse frowned, considering who his university student was; Hawthorne Nikitin was on his very last of very many extra chances. "When I bring up the summer program idea I'll speak with Jillian about an assembly. I'm sure she's just as worried about our students." For the most part that had the meeting wrapped up. He ushered the rest of the professors out and was about to leave himself when the sound of a singular throat clearing caught his attention.

"You can sell your assembly and if you're very careful you can swing this summer program proposal past her without much of a fight," Mother Criss said quietly. "I'll convince her of the rest, but you have to know there are sharks in the water and it's already getting bloody." She rose with the aid of her cane and moved from the room so effortlessly he didn't think she actually needed the thing.

He was left alone for a moment feeling entirely out of his depth and suddenly aware that there was much more going on behind the scenes than he could ever guess at.

St. Patrick's Day Owl for Addy

2012-03-18T06:01:40Z

Tim sent Addy a four-leaf clover locket for St. Patrick's Day. It took him a while to find a clever enough owl to send it too.

The Worst Birthday In History

2012-03-18T05:04:57Z

Who: Luka, Arnaud, Anastas
What: Luka's birthday is horrible. He accidentally kisses his roommate and then runs off for a smoke and chats with Stas.
Where/When: His dorm room; the older kids' smoking hangout on campus. Backdated to March 15th.
Rating: NSFWish (lots of language, drug use, themes)

What compelled him to do it, looking back even an hour later he couldn't say. He'd shaken Pickle, which... What the fuck Adelaide? He had no idea what sending her owl to spend his birthday with him was all about. Sure he got attention all day long from all the girls because Pickle couldn't help being adorable, but it was a distraction.

Finally he managed to shut himself in his room with Arnaud, found the bottle of liquor Thorn left for him and started to drink in earnest. Arnaud offered him some of the good grass, his very special birthday present all the way from Jamaica and the boys smoked themselves silly.

Feeling loose and a little on edge, Luka leaned over in a moment of sheer insanity and kissed Arnaud.

Luka couldn't take it back and things were just going to be unbearably awkward even though Arnaud was the perfect gentleman. It took him by surprise, but he was gentle. He never expected Luka to kiss him, or that he'd like it despite it being the worst possible idea. They lived together; if this turned into something they couldn't just ask for new rooms when it ended. And with Luka Nikitin, relationships always ended. Before he could articulate any of it, Luka was pulling away, looking for his jacket, a packet of cigarettes and a lighter.

He apologized twice before leaving.

"It's all right," Arnaud said with a slight frown as Luka shut the door on him.

Nothing is all right, Luka thought. He punched the wall on his way out, bloodying his knuckles. Pickle was back and flitting very close to his ear. "Fucking Christ, Pickle. Go fuck off!" He jerked his bloody fist at the owl and felt terrible for scaring the poor, stupid thing off. Except that Pickle was sure to get a nice solid nip on his middle finger before flying away.

It was shaping up to be the worst possible birthday in Luka Nikitin's life.

Rushing down the lawn he found a quiet spot and lit up his cigarette. A lot of the older kids hung out here to smoke away from prying eyes and disapproving professors. Tonight it was mostly empty except for one other.

Anastas flicked his head up in greeting as Luka snapped his lighter to life. The scent of cloves drifted out of his mouth and the end of his dark cigarette. He'd come out here to think; his head was too clogged up with other thoughts. In another hour curfew would be up and he'd be forced inside again. He intended to enjoy the little amount of precious time he had alone, but Luka wasn't so bad to share it with.

They had enough in common and Stas seemed to get Luka's sense of humor. Add to it that here was someone he could speak Russian with. "Nice evening," he said in his mother tongue.

Luka laughed harshly, blowing smoke as he did. "Not so much." He picked his way closer to Anastas and leaned against a tree. There used to be a bench here, but the teachers discovered it and had it removed. The students made do with the trees, or the ground when it wasn't so cold. In a few weeks it would be nice enough to drop on the ground, but for now the ground temperature was still a bit below comfortable. "It's my birthday and I want to celebrate it by jumping off a bridge."

"That bad?"

"Worse," Luka answered in English. He shook his head slowly. "Of all the fucked up things. My ex-girlfriend decided to send her owl to keep me company today. I don't know if it was some kind of special torture or if she was really trying to do something nice, but it just... It fucked up my whole day."

"If it makes you feel better, I am caught between two girlfriends." Stas didn't think about it being such a secret, given the ruse of dating 'Abernathy.' He trust Luka, thought this might be a good time to show him how much.

"I thought you were with Abby?" Luka said with some measure of disdain. He'd never gotten along with her, and he wasn't terribly willing to give her another shot at friendship, even if she was dating Anastas.

"I am," he answered carefully. "But there was another girl I was seeing first."

Luka was sufficiently distracted to end his own little pity party. "Does Abby know?"

"She knows. She is surprisingly patient while I decide."

"Pick the other girl," Luka replied.

Stas laughed. "I know you are not a fan."

"I doubt I ever will be. What even attracted you to her in the first place?"

We have history would have been a lie. Stas grinned as an incredibly simple and perfect answer came to mind. "You would not believe me if I told you."

Luka laughed. "Then I don't want to know." He shook his head slowly, took another long drag on his cigarette. He closed his eyes and figured if Stas could trust him with this secret (because it had to be secret or Shell Horton and Carly Travers would be all over this), then he could trust him with the final disaster of his evening. He had to tell someone and why not Anastas? "I kissed my roommate."

Anastas looked at him. He didn't know Luka's roommate offhand.

"Arnaud," Luka supplied at the puzzled look.

"Oh." Stas regarded him quietly and then smiled. "He is quite attractive, is he not?"

Luka laughed again, some of the tension released in that little moment. "I wouldn't have kissed him otherwise."

"You could do much worse," Stas agreed. "Was he the first?"

"Kissed him at that ridiculous party," he admitted. "During spin the bottle. I think you missed that bit."

"I missed quite a bit at that party." The kids at Blue Ridge thought they knew how to throw a barn burner, but he'd never been to a party like the one at Bernadine's house. He wondered if there would be more parties like that over the summer. "This one is in the vault," he promised when the silence lapsed.

"I appreciate it," Luka replied, switching back to English again. "I just can't quite believe how stupid today has been."

"Perhaps next year will be better?" Stas asked quietly. He finished his clove and tossed the butt into a small canister that the kids installed on one of the trees with a nail. Once a week someone would take the liberty of emptying and returning it, but no one seemed to know who.

"I fucking hope so," Luka answered. He shrugged, sighed as he finished his cigarette in record time. While he didn't know how he was going to deal with his own awkward situation, he felt better having it off his shoulders.

Quidditch Results from March 17

2012-03-18T03:44:30Z

Good news Quidditch Fans:
Dresden Academy won over Los Alamos. That's right ladies and gentleman, Dresden is heading to the quarter finals of the Quidditch Nationals! Maybe it was the home crowd, or maybe it was the impressive teamwork of our very own Herons, but the team clenched it and we're on to the semi-finals facing either Blue Ridge or Pacific Coast (depending on who wins their match up). It's a bit of a wait folks, until March 31st, but I'm sure we'll continue the proud support of our team until then.

Over at the Prairie School, another exciting match was underway. They faced off against Del Sol in the other quarter final match up. And despite the home field advantage, Del Sol took Prairie in overtime.

Birthday Owl for Luka

2012-03-17T03:09:46Z

Addy didn't think Luka would take any mail from her, so she sent Pickle to keep him company for the day. The little saw-whet followed him everywhere, tried a peep-hooting conversation, and was pushed away from many attempts at nuzzling.

Birthday Owl for Luka

2012-03-16T15:52:38Z

Thorny left his cousin a rather sizable bottle of booze on his desk.

hapy birthday bro! start thinking of a new tatt to get. it's happning this summer.

A few hours later an owl arrives with a hastily scrawled picture of an idea Thorn's had for their next matching tattoos. It's the sort that's best not described in mixed company or too much detail.

Tuesday afternoon, Dresden Campus. OPEN!

2012-03-13T17:35:31Z

The weather was nice enough that despite the occasional threat of rain, students dotted the lawns of Dresden Academy, milled around in between classes. He'd already heard teachers handing out detentions slip for students being tardy, lingering in the nice weather.

When the last class of the day let out, the whole lawn teemed with students. No one wanted to be trapped indoors after the long cold winter. This break of weather brought out frisbees and a volleyball set (replete with birdies and badminton rackets that were being passed eagerly between participants taking turns) that was surely going to be knocked down as soon as Hulett noticed it.

Amused by the whole scene, Sig decided to toss down his backpack and long slate gray coat for a go at badminton. It was such a muggle game, but then this school never bothered much with keeping their wizarding population shielded from such things. They rather reveled in how muggle friendly they were.

At the moment Sig was reveling in a rather impressive pelt of the birdie over the net. It happened to hit a passing student in the back of the head. "Shit! Sorry," he called out.

Email from Thorn to Professor Morse

2012-03-13T01:10:54Z

To: Morse is the Man (templetonmorse@dresden.edu)
From: Thorndog (hawthornenikitin@dresden.edu)
Date: March 12, 2012, 2:24 PM
Subject: summer thing

I though tt ove and i want to do you summer program idea. Train up so I can TA with you in the fall.

They'll Figure Us Out

2012-03-13T00:43:16Z

Who: Bill Ford and Veruca Kidd
What: Veruca's been looking at houses in Lake George. Bill wants to know why.
Where/When: Her house in NOLA. This very evening.
Rating: SFWish. Adult content and a smattering of language.

He didn't like taking the goddamn floo and he could still apparate, even though he'd given up his wand and stopped practicing magic altogether. It didn't erase the ability underneath his refusal. For years he insisted on traveling by muggle means, but this thing with Veruca had taken an interesting turn and he couldn't afford to pay air fare every time he wanted to visit her.

Not that she wasn't willing to pay his fare and bend to his muggle minded ways. Her only complaint was that his house wasn't a stop on the floo network, but Bill wasn't as well connected as he once was and that was an expense he wasn't willing to put forth. She could apparate in just as well as he did.

This afternoon found her lounging in bed while he looked something up on the internet. Sometimes he had to be a little sneaky to check up on his kids. Not in the terribly invasive nanny-cam way, but after the tip off from Walsh that they were up to no good on Abby and B's birthday; Bill thought it best to keep tabs on them by watching their wizarding web journals.

He shouldn't have been prying, but he was just as curious about what Veruca had been up to. It was a simple thing to click her browsing history and a hell of a surprise to find that she'd been looking up properties in Lake George and a few on the Way. He flicked his gaze to her, looking lovely as ever in a satin nightgown. He frowned despite how much he enjoyed the view.

"What's this all about?" he asked, turning the laptop to face her. It was a gorgeous property, too big for one person all on her own. It had enough bedrooms for Bill and his children and a few friends if they wanted. It was ludicrously priced, but he didn't doubt for a moment that Veruca had the means to pay for it.

She sighed. He'd pretend it was an accidental keystroke, but she knew better. Bill was being nosy and he knew all about the spying game. He was quite clever at getting to the bottom of any mystery. It should be quite obvious why she was looking at extravagant houses close to him. "It's all this apparating," she sighed. "I'm going to end up splinching the toes off my favorite shoes."

He snorted in reply and set the laptop back on her desk gingerly. It took him four strides to cross the room and slide back into bed with her. "You could have talked to me about it."

She flipped her hand in a twirl. So obvious. So you can talk me out of it? No. I'm done with this back and forth thing. "I was just looking," she replied idly, but her silky tone said that she'd already spoken with a real estate agent and was coming out next weekend to look at a few possibilities.

"V, don't you think it's a bit... Soon," he finished. They'd only fallen into bed during his trip in February. And after Walsh warned him about the party he figured that was entirely due to some subterfuge the girls laid on their aunt.

She sat up quite suddenly and stared at him for a minute, biting her lip and contemplating how much force she could put behind a slap and whether it would be worth the look on his face. Soon? Soon. It's been twelve years. They'd been flirting dangerously for years, more so in the past two years, though it hadn't been physical until just recently. Not for lack of want or trying. Bill had been holding back and then suddenly the dam broke and he was in her bed again as if he hadn't married her sister and had a family all those years ago.

He recognized the fiery look in her eyes. He didn't need to be a mind-reader to make the logical leap. She was furious that he'd even suggested this was a sudden turn of events. He was smart enough to recognize that this had been building for years.

"Billy," she practically cooed his name. It was her pet name for him, the one he recognized as her sweet and needy name for him. It was Bill when it was business. William when it was serious business. Billy when she was sweet-talking her way into something. She curled her fingers up into his curly mass of hair. He needed a haircut and to trim that ridiculous winter beard, but she rather liked him shaggy.

Damn you, he thought at her particularly hard. He was melting in that gentle caress and bending to her will. She was a seasoned practitioner at getting her way. If she wanted to move to Lake George nothing he could say would change her mind, even if it was the worst idea she ever had. "I'm not saying don't. I'm just saying that this is complicated."

"It's not going to get uncomplicated," she replied, shifting her weight to sidle closer to him. She'd waited long enough for him to come back around. She could feel the connection between them, still burning hot and bright the way it had when they'd first been together, before Violet complicated everything. "I just think it would be easier if I was closer."

He turned his head for a moment, just to escape that piercing gaze, but then he found he didn't want to escape it. His eyes moved back while his face stayed in place; looking at her sideways. A smile snuck onto his lips and he decided it was better sometimes to just give in. "Have it your way."

"Come with me. Let's look at some houses."

"Oh," he shook his head at that. There was the invisible line. It was one thing to move closer. It was another to play house, pretend they were looking together. He wasn't about to give up his cozy cabin in the woods. "No, V. This is all you."

She rested her hands on his bare chest, fingers easing their way through his soft mat of hair. It was disappointing, but not unexpected. Bill was quite set in his ways and wasn't about to sway in this regard. That would take a few more year worth of convincing.

Bill was never a fan of Veruca's need for opulence, but he understood it. He thought she was the kind of woman who deserved such luxury. She thrived in her palatial manor home; the secluded and homey cabin in the woods would just stifle her after a time. She needed big rooms to spread out in and adorn. Bill didn't; he liked simple living. It was a difference of opinion they were always going to stumble over.

"What should we tell the kids?"

He held his breath for a moment, because he'd been trying to avoid this very conversation. Hey kids, your Aunt Veruca and I have decided to shack up. Hope that's okay with you. They were still a bit pissed at him for lying about being a squib their whole lives. He didn't think upending their lives again by announcing his peculiar relationship with Veruca would go over very well. "I didn't think we were quite there yet."

Veruca smiled at him so fondly it came very close to breaking his heart. "How about I just say I wanted to be closer. They're almost all grown up, out of the nest anyway. They're about to start their own lives, Bill. They're not going to quibble about us moving on with ours."

For a moment he couldn't tell if she meant ours as in yours and mine or as in ours. There was a subtle distinction her southern lilt didn't quite belie. "I don't know about that," he said slowly. He figured they had a right to know, but not right now. Eventually, down the road, when things settled a bit and he and Veruca figured out if this would actually work. Then they could tell his kids. "I think... We should probably just... Keep it on the down low for now."

She laughed so easily, so light and happy. "They'll figure us out, Billy Ford."

He let it all go, all of his reservations about this entanglement, if only for a moment. For once he thought that it might not be such a bad thing. Leaning in he kissed that cheerful smirk from her face. Not such a bad thing at all.

Quodpot and Quidditch Results from March 10th

2012-03-12T14:13:20Z

Quidditch Nationals! First Round!

Blue Ridge faced off against L'Ecole Royal at the Canadian school and squeaked by with a last minute win. A disheartening loss for the Quebecois on their own field. Blue Ridge moves into the next round and L'Ecole Royal will have to wait another year for a shot at the trophy.

In Local Quodpot News:

The Bears squared off against the Falcons. In a reversal of fortunes, the Bears made a comeback after their brutal (and I mean physically brutal) loss as a newly formed team. Madelyn Cooper proved her worth and led the Bears to victory. Final score: 18 to 12