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Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Jan 14, 2008 18:15:57 GMT -5
He filled her mug and deposited the pot.
"Well, thank you. I'll see what I can do about cheering up, although I don't think I'll need to look much further. I suppose I should start by maybe getting into some clothes that doesn't make me look like a Sith Lord. Last thing I want to end up looking or acting like is Hayden Christensen." he muttered in the end, smiling at his own private joke. He looked to Kel and smiled. "I'll try to cheer up, no need to worry. I just needed to let off some steam after my visit to Or...to someone. And besides, it's been ten years since my own dad died. I've gotten over it. Haven't forgotten him-"
He looked to one of the portraits on the wall; there was an older man with shorter black hair, stockier build, that held an eight year old Nicholas atop his shoulders, laughing.
"But I think on the more positive things, you know? Anyway. Enough of my ranting. I have a visitor, and a Lady at that." he said, some of his old self bubbling up. "I have a reputation as a fun teacher to hold up, don't I?"
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 14, 2008 19:30:45 GMT -5
Kel listened, slightly lost, but tried to look as if she would. She was confused by the 'Sith Lord' comment, but still listened intently. She looked at the picture when he did, but kept her eyes on it, marveling at how alike they were, especially in comparison now that Nick was grown up.
She smiled happily when he said that he was going to uphold his reputation as a fun teacher. She was glad it was mostly back to normal, and stored her confusion about what he was about to say before he changed it to "someone". She wondered if it could possibly be Orynn, as he had been acting odd, too. . . but she brought herself back to the present.
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Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Jan 14, 2008 19:50:18 GMT -5
Nicholas took a sip and eagerly leaned forward, holding the mud in both of his hands.
"And so, tell me about this snow ball fight I've been hearing about. It sounded like quite the event. I kinda wish I could have been there." he said, grinning a bit.
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 14, 2008 21:51:52 GMT -5
At the mention of the fight, Kel's eyes give a dastardly glint.
"Ooh, it was legendary. You really would have loved to be there." Kel took a fortifying sip of her hot chocolate, then dove into the epic story.
"So, it really started on one of the staircases. - I think it was North Tower, but I'm not sure - I helped Fayette Varenne - she's a fourth-year Hufflepuff - when a Slytherin bumped into her. She had spilled her bag, and I helped her get her stuff back into it. Then, while we were just sort of getting introduced, Arcturus MacDougal - he's a red-haired Scot, Ravenclaw third year, I think - came up to us. Then we started socializing, there was a scene with Professors MacLeod and Taikal, then we decided to have some fun. We determined to meet up by the lake for a snowball fight.
"Then, at the meeting place, I thought I had arrived first. I decided to peg whoever came out next with a snowball, and hid behind a willow tree with a perfect snowball. Then, someone taps me on the shoulder and I scream bloody murder. After I get that out of my system, I turn around and see Arcturus' overly red hair behind a bush, so I politely inform him that he's a git. Not in so many words, but I think he got the idea. Then I laugh, because it was perfect! I mean, I almost wanted to see the look on my face when I felt that tap!" Kel laughs for a minute here, then gulps a bit more of her hot chocolate, taking a pause, looking over the rim at Nick.
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Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Jan 15, 2008 12:57:51 GMT -5
Nicholas listened intently, nodding and laughing at some of the antics these students were up to. Of course, Arcturus would have been involved; the young Scot had boundless energy constantly bubbling inside himself and was always on the lookout for some sort of adventure (or sometimes misadventure).
"And did anybody else join into the snowball fight? Or did you two just duke it out between yourselves?"
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 15, 2008 15:02:27 GMT -5
"I'm getting to that part!" she told him, then picked up where she had left off.
"So, Arcturus broke cover, hitting me with a snowball as he ran by. Then, he hit Stevie Copeland - he was in a little trench, making a fort, we hadn't noticed him - with another 'ball and ran up a hill. I was going to hit Stevie with a snowball, but when I ran over and saw it was him, I dropped the snowball and hopped into the fort to help him. We built up the defenses while Arcturus gathered snow at the top of the hill. We didn't know it, but he was making a huge ball of snow. He pushed it down the hill, so we abandoned ship and ran up towards him, one to each side. We were going to hit him with a bunch of snowballs, but he ran after his big ball of snow and jumped into it, making it explode into a big ball of snow. He jumped into our fort, so we made our way up to make another one at the top of the hill."
Kel gulped some more of the - now lukewarm - chocolate and kept going with the enthralling tale.
"I peeked over the top of our walls after we had done a bit of work, and I saw Fayette finally coming out. I was going to peg her, but she jumped into Arcturus' fort, and apparently they banded together. Now, I thought this was a bit unfair, because they're both older than us, but I kinda figured that we'd be able to whup 'em anyway. So I went back to working on the walls, and next thing I know, there's this weird kind of 'whoomph' sound beside me, and I turned and saw Arcturus running away from our fort, whooping and hollering. So, naturally, I hit him a good one on the back of the head. I also chucked one at their fort just in case Fay was covering him." Kel lost herself for a minute with the picture of the large Scot with snow all over the back of his flaming head, grinning.
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Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Jan 16, 2008 0:03:23 GMT -5
"Sounds like quite the pitched battle. Although, Arcturus giving up the high ground is a bit of a bad idea. From that position, strategically speaking, you could to much more damage with much less effort. Not to mention, have a good deal more range on your opponents that are downhill. Piece of advice should you ever be stuck downhill; use trebuchet methods and fire up and over instead of directly at. Although, his idea on running in behind the wake of his giant snowball..." Nicholas said, leaning back and grinning to himself as though remembering something. "Dangerous, but it can work."
He seemed to be speaking from experience on that one, but obviously, not about a snowball fight.
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 16, 2008 22:32:20 GMT -5
Kel nodded in agreement to Nick's assessment of Arcturus' relinquishment of the high ground.
"So, back to the story:
After I whapped Arcturus, he dove back into our old fort and there was some quiet. Stevie and I worked on out fort some more, and I kept firing shots over the walls of their fort to keep 'em harried. I asked Stevie what we should do next, and he told me to make a distraction, so I grabbed a few 'balls and pretended to sneak down the hill. Apparently, Fay and Arcturus noticed me, 'cause Arcturus charged out, yelling like a banshee and fired off some snowballs while he was still a ways away. Fay was still in the fort, though, I could see a few snowballs flying.
Anyway, while Arcturus was coming up at me, I blasted him in the face and got down behind a bush to plan out my move. Feeling a slight wind, I tossed up a bunch of snow so hopefully Arcturus couldn't see me, then darted behind a handy tree."
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Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Jan 16, 2008 22:41:58 GMT -5
"Sneaky." he said, smiling deviously. "Using the terrain to your advantage. Not bad. And I suppose keeping him in a constant state of crazy worked to your advantage too, since he didn't take the time to notice anything. Good on you, Lady Lindenshield."
Nicholas leaned back in the chair once more, listening to the grandiose tale with a smile. These children were proving rather resourceful in these conditions, as much as for recreational and competitive purposes they may be. Part of him was rather pleased with their ingenuity at some points, and another was slightly jealous of their young freedom.
The bigger part of him wanted to be out there chucking snowballs.
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 17, 2008 20:14:21 GMT -5
{Sorry 'bout that 'double posting' problem; I was half dead from exhaustion. Too many late nights, too many late mornings. (I know, I know: if I slept in, how could I be tires? The answer is: I wasn't. I'm lying through my teeth.) Oops!}
Kel giggled at the devious smile on her professors' face, then went back to the story.
"I stood there for a while, hearing Arcturus blundering about a bit, expecting to see him any second. Then I heard him go away, and I waited a moment to race after him, or something - I don't really know what was going through my head, I just stood there not doing anything for a good bit - . I peered through the trees, trying to spot him or the hill with Stevie and Fay and the forts, but I couldn't see through the trees, so I headed back after a bit. When I had been going for a good bit and still hadn't gotten there, I stopped in a little valley and turned around. I made it back to the tree where me and Arcturus had faced off - I could tell where it was because of the scuff marks - and followed some footsteps back through the trees."
Kel took a sip of the cold hot chocolate, barely pausing in the thread of the tale.
"When I emerged from the trees, I was at the bottom of the hill. I saw Fay and Arcturus' fort, so I hopped in. There was nobody there, so I peeked over the rock to see what was going on. There wasn't anyone on the hill, so I pulled my head back in and made snowballs while I thought about this. I initially thought that Fay and Arcturus had charged up the hill and taken our fort by strength of numbers, and that Stevie was being held prisoner."
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Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Jan 20, 2008 17:56:14 GMT -5
Nicholas frowned, seemingly perplexed. "So, what did you do then? What happened to Stevie? And where'd the others disappear off to? What were Arcturus and Fay up to?" he asked, eager to know the next part of the story. He quickly filled his mug, and lifted the pot in Kel's direction, offering a refill quietly.
He seemed thoroughly enthralled in the tale.
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 20, 2008 22:17:40 GMT -5
{OOC: Since I don't actually know what happens next yet, I think I'll just reply when more has actually happened in the fight. But I think I'll accept your hot chocolate.}
Kel eagerly held out her mug for some more life-giving (figuratively) hot chocolate, going over the fight in her mind and getting ready to continue with the epic narrative.
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Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Jan 20, 2008 22:22:46 GMT -5
Nicholas poured her a cup of steaming cocoa and put it back down nearby. Taking a sip from his own, he chuckled briefly.
"You know, this whole thing reminds me of a mission back when I was with the Ministry." he said, smiling to himself.
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 20, 2008 22:59:05 GMT -5
Kel, her curiosity immediately piqued, asked "Really? Tell!" she gulped a bit more hot chocolate, the deliciously warm, sweet liquid sliding down her throat and warming her from the inside out. She was getting slightly sweaty underneath her layers, so she peeled off her coat, scarf and hat, stuffing them under her chair.
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Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Jan 20, 2008 23:17:19 GMT -5
Nicholas smiled sheepishly for a second as he scratched the back of his head, the way he usually would when he got a bit embarrassed or shy before continuing.
"Well, you see, we'd been alerted about a group of Dark Wizards who'd been at large for some time; a nasty old gang of ex-Death Eaters still thinking they were big shots and doing work for the old Lord Voldemort. Obviously, they'd deluded themselves to very dangerous extremes and had already killed several muggles and severely injured several half-blooded witches and wizards. So, we arrived at the designated area that was apparently one of their hideouts. What this place was, was an abandoned house, of course. We checked out the place from afar and actually managed to note the number of fugitives in there. The others waited outside while I managed to break in through the back. I make my way into the living room where they were at only a minute ago and they're all gone." Nicholas explained as he sipped his cocoa.
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