| Shrake
Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Rohan
Posts: 12,678
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Louis Bracken
Gryffindor Sixth Year
Ministry RPG Name:
Daphne Richardson
International Cooperation
Ministry RPG Name:
Natalie McKinley
Environmental Protection
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|  Mini Activity Sardines ♥ BHB ♥ Dallie ♥ Grumpy ♥ MY SUN AND STARS ♥ i love julia
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Originally Posted by griffin  It was nice to see the outdoors, even if it was a fake outdoors. Cordelia hated being stuck inside. Outdoors was where you could play quidditch and run around. Everything was so boring around here now that they couldn’t go outside, and she hated how grounded she felt without quidditch. It was like a part of her had been ripped out. Chill lesson today, yes! ‘Chill’ lessons were the best kind of lessons because you didn’t have to work too hard for those. What were things she couldn’t live without? Easy, there was an obvious answer to that one. Cordelia energetically waved her hand around in the air. ”Insulin! I can’t live without insulin! Literally because I have Type 1 Diabetes and my pancreas doesn’t make insulin, so my insulin pump delivers insulin to me and I also have to check my blood sugar several times a day. If I didn’t take insulin I would die.” It was a lot more complicated than that and there was a lot more she could say to explain type 1 diabetes, but she didn’t have enough time to go into depth during class. Explaining further now would just be opening a metaphorical jar of flobberworms. Cordelia had completely missed the point of things they metaphorically couldn’t live without, but Professor Fuller-Thompson hadn’t mentioned it as one of the most basic needs and for her insulin ranked higher as a basic need than sunlight and probably even above shelter. Sleep too, sleep was for the people who weren’t busy trying to be their own pancreas all night. It was very rare that she got a full night of sleep without interruptions to wake up and treat a low or give an insulin correction. Ah yes, the diabetic girl. She would obviously need insulin to live every day, so that was a very good point. Piers nodded when she finished. He didn’t mind that it was literal - his question was open to responses from both literal and metaphorical answers. ”Good, thank you.” Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack His words had sobered her up very quickly. Because ultimately, while she was not fond of her Head of House, he was the Professor and she was the student. She knew that. She respected authority. She followed the rules and never dared to toe-the-line. And his firm words were a reminder of that. Though she was still quite unhappy, the Slytherin immediately found herself uncrossing her arms and softening the look on her face.
He had scared her a little bit, actually. She didn't like being singled out like that. Had everyone heard him? It was so incredibly mortifying. So as to not receive anymore of his unwanted attention, Nina quickly sat down on the grass, tugging at her skirt to make sure it covered every place a skirt ought to cover. She still wanted to take part in the lesson, even though she knew she'd hate it because there was a chance they'd learn something new. That wasn't something Nina could ever pass up. That and she would never be one to skip a class. It's not something she'd do. Not ever.
But Professor Fuller-Thompson was wrong about one thing. Despite things being a little rough, Nina always wanted to learn. In fact, she found it far easier to learn when they were surrounded by the mist because it meant that learning was a distraction from thinking about all the bad things. When she didn't want to remember what it felt like being stuck outside in the boathouse, she turned to her Arithmancy textbook. When she didn't want to be around the girl's in the Gryffindor dormitory, she found an isolated corner to work on advanced Runes theory. Though she never did any of this in public, she was far more immersed in her studies now than she had ever been.
Classes were now a welcome distraction too, despite the antics of her Professors. Because lessons were like a breath of fresh air that kept everyone busy. The weekends dragged on for ages, but the weekdays felt finite. Though her lessons were often thought provoking, Nina typically chose to stay quiet. The only lessons she really chose to speak up in were those of Defense because Headmaster Trent was beautiful and she'd never want to disappoint him. Besides, the questions posed to the class were typically quite obvious, especially silly ones such as this current one which was far less fact based than it was opinion oriented. And in Nina's own (ironic) opinion, opinions had no place in lessons. But she didn't want Professor Fuller-Thompson to call her out or to tell her she could leave or to make anyone look at her while she tried very hard to not stick out like a sore-thumb. And so she did raise her hand to offer an answer (with a heavy amount of hesitance), but not necessarily because she wanted to. "Personal space," something that was growing increasingly difficult to find.
Look, he was trying to do everyone a favor here and just have a nice day and not make them think too hard. Her mood was going to ruin that if she didn’t change it. Which was why he invited her to leave.
But he saw her face and body language change. He saw her attitude change... And he was grateful for it. When she raised her hand, he nodded at her and waited for her answer. Which was accurate for a lot of people, he was sure. ”I feel that,” he said simply, and then moved on. Quote:
Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi One thing that he liked about Hogwarts was that the Professors would do anything to create an illusion that all was fine. The changing the classrooms in to beautiful outside landscapes was one of those things and honestly, Dorian appreciated it. Of course they had to face the truth that the school was under a slow attack once again and that they were definitely not safe. But the Ministry was going to handle it so all they could do was sit back and continue to learn.
Another reason why he liked that the Professors changed their classrooms was because he truly missed the outdoors. He missed going for his morning run on the grounds and although he worked out in the training room, it was not the same. The sun was another thing he missed. Something he did not realise until the professor had mentioned it.
As the first question was asked, Dorian thought for a moment. What could he not live without? Well, he did not have anything that he couldn't live without...was that a bad thing? Perhaps his puzzle books? He loved those and he felt empty if he did not have one with him at all time. But that answer would pale in comparison to Winklebleck's life saving insulin. Seriously, you can not go up against something that would save a person's life if they did not get it in time.
But metaphorically speaking he could not live without his puzzle books and Ammonite his purple toad for years. He would take a crucio curse for his pet. Even though he had his answers, he did not speak them. As he waited for another answer, the professor’s eyes scanned over the face of Dorian. He didn’t seem to want to voice the thoughts in his head though. That was alright. Quote:
Originally Posted by Ginevra Daisy didn't want to reveal her answer especially after hearing Cordelia's answer and even Nina's but decided to just be brave and reveal her answer. She raised her hand and replied with, "I can't live without music. Whether I'm listening to it or I'm playing my drums, music is the perfect emotional release and remedy to help me cope at times with life's challenges or to just enjoy the day." Ah, music. He knew somebody would say that. Piers nodded at the answer. ”Perfect, thank you.” Quote:
Originally Posted by 2111jen Austin started to think. What could he not live with out? Well, if it was a year ago, he'd be writing "my notebook" down because you know, he used, still uses it to communicate. (Not as mucu anymore.). So what metephorical thing can he not live with out. Uuuuuuuh. He kept silent for now. He couldn't think of one. Austin did seem to be thinking of an answer, but Piers wasn’t surprised that he didn’t volunteer to speak. That was okay, though. Quote:
Originally Posted by lazykitty Was that a smirk on Archer's face? Why, yes, yes it was. Was said smirk at Professor Fuller-Thompson calling out Nina? Duh. Everyone was suffering here, yet she was the only one using it as an excuse to be as unpleasant as possible. What a twist, considering that there were probably more than a few people that thought it'd be Archer herself driving everyone up a wall.
Aw, there went all her answers. Even fresh air was pretty much out, considering that it could be tied to oxygen, since said element was in air. Not to mention the 'metaphorically' added in there. So it was time to think of something else. "Quidditch. I miss the thrill of a good game." And the wind blowing across her face. And the sunlight...... Great, now she was sad. Piers was going to pretend he didn’t see the smirk on Archer’s face. Moving on. Quidditch was what she missed, of course. He was sure a lot of people missed that right about now, especially in the summer. ”Right, thank you.” Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimothy A metaphorical need? Hmm. Drewett found this question interesting, and it actually made him go on a pretty deep spiral of self-reflection as he tried to figure what one thing he couldn't live without. Metaphorically, of course. He also quite believed these metaphorical needs, while metaphorical as it obviously suggested, were necessary in their own way.
The Ravenclaw raised his hand, finally able to pull himself out of his overthinking spiral."Memories, sir....or at least, photographs," Drewett shared. That shouldn't really come off as a surprise, but other answers that he had considered sharing were books and comics, among other things. But photographs was closer to his heart. To home.
Yeah, sure, Drewett Gunter was quite a softie too. Unsurprising. With the next raised hand, Piers called on the Ravenclaw. ”Memories?” He repeated with an intrigued nod. ”Good, thank you.” So he was the sentimental kind then. Quote:
Originally Posted by hermionesclone Relax? Not stress? A chill lesson? ALL of those sounded like a good idea to Lucas. And, if he was being honest, this was starting to sound more and more like a picnic to him, just minus the food. And if that was the case, he almost wanted to lean back and soak up as much of this 'sun' as possible. Who knew how long it was going to last, right?
Sigh.
A sinking feeling fell into the pits of his stomach at that, and then at Fuller-Thompson's words about sunlight being something else that was important to survival. He squinted up at the sky, this time being uncomfortably aware of how little sunlight they'd gotten. Did he remember the last time he was out in the sun? Or when he'd seen blue skies? Not really.
At the question, Lucas tore his eyes away from the sky and focused on the Professor, instead. What couldn't he live without? Metaphorically? Easy. His hand was up in the air before he could stop himself. "Emma. Emma Dakest. You know, my older sister." Sixth year. Gryffindor. That Emma. "I mean......... I know people grow apart but she's always been one of my best friends and......" His voice kind of trailed off as he started realising how much personal information this was. Sure, Emma knew that she was his favourite - she had to! - and she had been his best friend since the very start but he was starting to get a little embarrassed at the idea of sharing all of that in front of everyone, y'know? It was enough to make his heartbeat quicken and his ears turn red.
To make it worse, the Gryffindor didn't think he was done. Not yet, anyways. "I guess, if you're looking for an object type..... thing or something that's not alive," Stop talking, Dakest. "uh, I guess the quiet could work. It's peaceful to me, y'know."
Could a blackhole swallow him up now? Please? He wasn't asking for much here.
Emma? Yes, he knew Emma. He was familiar with the Dakest family and... well, he was glad to see that it meant so much to Lucas. It was.. Kind of funny, actually. Like, in a cute way? Piers tried not to smile. ”Yes, family... and quiet time. Both very important.” Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireheart Avalon was beyond relieved that Professor Fuller-Thompson had a relaxing lesson in mind for the day. And she felt like jumping for joy at the feeling of the sun on her face, even if it was just a charmed object. The past few weeks had been beyond stressful, and the young Ravenclaw didn't know how many more tough lessons she could take. She was almost looking forward to heading home at the end of the term. At least she could resume her normal peaceful existence back in London.
As she tilted her face toward the artificial ball of light, she felt inclined to agree with the professor's notion of sunlight. But what else couldn't she live without? Her family, of course. But that seemed a bit cliche. Fashion maybe? Or perhaps books. Both good options, but they seemed a little shallow. "Creativity," she said finally after raising her hand. She had a lot of things that she loved, and all of them somehow involved ideas and imagination. Without expressing herself through her writing or her clothes, she wouldn't have an outlet for her individuality. And that would be truly dreadful indeed. Piers called on the next hand that rose up and was mildly surprised by the answer. Was this girl a Ravenclaw. ”Okay, interesting,” he commented quietly.. And then moved on. Quote:
Originally Posted by spiral_star Although the interior is not the real thing but it was the best thing they had in a long while. Rosie began to stare at the surrounding. The grass are green and the sky is too high, it feels nice to look at it. Then her eyes directed back to the professor who started the lesson. She nodded when the professor told them not to stress that much. As much as they don't want to, things are still happening and they're not really going away as the students hope it does. Now for the first question raised, hmmmm... metaphorical needs, huh? Rosie blinked.
Metaphorical needs....People does have different answers for this. It will depend on the situation they have.Rosie thought hard and long. She seems to remember books and paintings but then again that just doesn't seem like the right fit. "Pets" she raised her hand to reply in a soft voice, enough for the professor to hear it. When you have no one to talk to, pets are really good. They comfort you and they know when you are sick.
He also expected this answer, at least once. He agreed with it too. ”Pets have a way of making life better, don’t they?” He missed all his dogs. Quote:
Originally Posted by Hey Ju As soon as professor Fuller-Thompson said about 'metaphorical needs', Anna's mind went straight to Quidditch. Archer voiced that before she did, however, so the Gryffindor could give a different answer to throw in some variety, but it just wouldn't be the truest of answers, you know?
She could say 'the outdoors', but that wouldn't be specific enough. If she could hang out outside but without Quidditch, it wouldn't be enough. "I agree, Quidditch is on the top of my list. And running, I suppose. And um, my family." She started gesturing towards the Hufflepuff prefect and adding the other part just so her answer wouldn't be identical. Also the family bit was good too, she thought, and it was true. "My broom."
She had gotten some hassle from other professors for giving identical answers before, and she wasn't in the mood for any more hassle by now, to be honest. Another quidditch answer, which he had predicted. He nodded at the response and replied with a simple ”Good, thanks.” Quote:
Originally Posted by TakemetotheBurrow She'd seen it, heard it, and Vita chanced a brief glance at the younger slytherin, eyebrows raised. She hoped their head of house's tone alone would persuade her to get into the lesson, she also wondered if he'd been that harsh because she was one of the students he was in charge of looking after. It wasn't ideal, being called out that way by someone you had to see a lot of the time, so the seventh year hoped Nina could get back in Fuller-Thompson's good graces and soon.
Not sure how a chill lesson would help her excel on her exams, but willing to take the gift for what it was, Vita raised her hand. "A support system." She might not have a traditional one, not by a long shot, but she was appreciative and feeling lucky to have found a few people she could count on.
When one of his prefects raised their hands, Piers called on her. ”Ah, interesting, but good. Thank you, Vita.” Sometimes people’s families were their support system, but sometimes... people didn’t have family. Quote:
Originally Posted by Harron Peasley When he'd first entered the classroom, Józef had made an enormous, dramatic DEAL about the sunlight. Shielding his eyes and blinking all too much until he found his seat. But it was such a strange sensation after YEARS of being kept inside.
YEARS. And the outside was home to that which he couldn't live without. "Quidditch." he said, rather mournfully echoing the sentiment already mentioned by a few. That was what Józef couldn't live without, which was why he was SO VERY CLOSE TO DEATH RIGHT NOW. Hashtag dramatics. But Quidditch was what got him through the school year, and it hadn't been nearly quite as much fun without it. Was he bothered much about the danger, or what lay within the mist? Not particularly - he was just very angry that it prevented him from doing what he liked.
Lucas was cute, though, wasn't he? Saying he couldn't live without his sister. And the quiet - Merlin, how was the boy coping now that their Common Room was even more crowded?!
Hang on.... How was he coping sharing a dorm with him, one Józef Kowalski?!?!?! Quidditch, quidditch quidditch. Piers nodded a the mournful answer. ”There’s always gobstones,” he said, rather teasingly before deciding it was time to move on with the “lesson”.
Once he was satisfied with the amount of answers (and gotten three strikes for quidditch), Piers moved on. ”So, we all have things that we feel like we need in our lives in order to stay sane or actually, really stay alive.” Like insulin, for Cordelia, though she seemed to be the only one at Hogwarts with a medical condition like that. Merlin, did she feel ostracized...? Err, anyway. Distracted.
”When times get rough,” Piers continued, rubbing his palms together, ”whether that’s stressing over exams, or dealing with a breakup, or... a terrifying mist that prevents anyone from leaving the castle... it often helps to meditate. Meditation comes in many forms and often is different for different people, but the most common form of meditation is sitting still and quietly and attempting to clear one’s mind.” Something that was VERY, very hard for teenagers to do. Teenagers were so insanely angsty that it was nearly impossible for them to clear their minds. But you know what, he was gonna try. They needed it.
”Today, right now, we won’t be learning a new spell or a charm.” He was going to mix his Charms class with his Health and Wellness club because, at that moment, Piers felt these kids needed a health break more than they needed more work. Sue him. ”We’re going to meditate. So I want everyone to sit down in the position that they are most comfortable. Feel free to lay down in the grass as well, if that’s what you want. You’ll want to be able to be comfortable enough to relax completely.”
He waited a moment for all the students to get situated and comfortable, and he too sat down in front of the group and crossed his legs, sitting criss cross in the grass. ”Rest your hands in your lap or on the ground, wherever they can sit without you tensing your arm or shoulder muscles. Now... everyone close your eyes.”
To demonstrate, Piers rested his hands in his lap and closed his eyes.
”If it helps, imagine your happy place. Whether that’s your bedroom, or the beach... Imagine a place that makes you happy. Imagine how it feels, how it smells, what you can hear when you’re there. Put yourself in that place.” For him, it was back home, near the beach, sitting on a chair on his back porch, listening to the breeze. ”If thoughts of anything else come to your mind, just gently push them away. Focus on what brings you peace. Focus on each breath... In.... Out...... In...... Out....”
Piers counted his breaths a few more times before drifting into silence. He knew, as teenagers, that some of them wouldn’t want to participate. But as long as they were quiet and allowed others who wanted to, to, then he was okay with it. Then he was quiet for a long time. Depending on the students’ success of their meditation, they may not know how long. Was it two minutes? Was it ten? Fifteen? He was just going to let them sit quietly and just... breathe. Everyone just needed to breathe right now. OOC: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. Like we've mentioned, this lesson is going to be pretty chill due to the plot being a little intense and because I personally am in a slightly difficult headspace! We have now entered into our Mini Activity! Professor Fuller-Thompson is guiding everyone into a meditation - feel free to have your character join in or not! Class will move on in two to three days from this post. |