First Annual Alumni Picnic
Date: Sunday, August 10, 2025
This thread is open to all adult characters. It's a picnic for graduates to network and get career advice from more seasoned witches and wizards. Alumni of all schools are welcome to attend.
This thread will also serve as a spectator thread for the alumni broom race. Feel free to comment on the race as it happens.
It was a surprisingly sunny afternoon in London. Ruckus hadn't been to the city in many years, but he remembered it as a gray and rainy landscape full of sodden muggles and wizards alike. The sun peeking through a few sparse clouds, the cerulean sky, the bright green lawn of the London Quidditch pitch, and a gentle breeze put the Hogwarts professor in a light mood. But today, he wasn't really a Hogwarts professor—he was an appreciator of sport and an event organizer.
He knew he could be successful at the former, but Ruckus was struggling with the latter. It had been a few decades since he had worried about what people would eat and drink and how to keep them happy. But he hoped the stakes were a bit lower than a Dublin pub—a few alumni had agreed to join a friendly game of broom racing and enjoy a picnic here in London. Ruckus hoped there would be a bit of networking, a little schmoozing, some career advice, and a whole lot of brutal racing. Having not gone to a wizarding school himself, he knew how difficult it could be to find fulfilling employment and community in the adult world—so Ruckus hoped today would be a small boost for those who had recently graduated.
The picnic was spread across a few tables: alcoholic beverages like ales, meads, wines, firewhiskey, and a concoction he perfected during his time as a barkeep ("The Ruckus Nail"); nonalcoholic drinks like butterbeer and lemonade; a variety of tea sandwiches; scotch eggs; a few charcuterie boards; and a selection of biscuits.
In the distance, the picnickers could see the broom racing track. It might have looked like a miracle that Ruckus got both a Whomping Willow and a Giant Squid in the middle of London, but he happened to know the folks who were setting up for the upcoming International Student Summer Camp and was given permission to give everything a little test run.
Ruckus would only have enough time to greet people as they arrived and wave them to a table before he was needed to start moderating the broom race. After the race was finished (and all medical emergencies seen to), he would make his rounds chatting to guests.
Reducio
@Samuel Sauber, @Dusana Sabo, @Xailah Alptraum-Leveret, @Koko Riddle, @Cyrus Darsel, @Howard White, @Galton Lansdale, @Arjan Oberoi, @Serena Towers, @Lavina Cloven, @Bridget Collins, @Ami Procoppio
“This is the dialectic—there is a very short distance between high art and trash, and trash that contains an element of craziness is by this very quality nearer to art.” - Douglas Sirk
also Della Barfield | Quentin Gagné
First Annual Alumni Picnic
S E R E N A - J O D H A - T O W E R S
you must forge your own path for it to mean anything
Mentions: @Cyrus Darsel
Win or lose, it did not matter to Serena. Not at this moment anyway. The first thing she did as she walked off the broom race pitch was head straight to find a healer. She needed to be free of this ridiculous jaw shut thing that was happening. Being unable to scream was annoying. Serena was a talker. She always looked forward to a good yapping session and enjoyed conversation. Without it, she was incredibly dull.
Hell, half of the time, she would literally talk to herself. Or to her pet rat, who was probably very tired of listening to her. This kid who cheated to remove her ability to speak sucked! What benefit did it have? She had no idea. She supposed it was to prevent her from screaming at him. Maybe he found her annoying, who knew, but she was pretty sure she had done nothing to upset him. Maybe. He did seem familiar so she was sure they had met but she could not remember being rude or annoying or anything that warranted being silenced!
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH" Serena's voice was loud as she groaned, finally able to open up her jaw. Freedom. It was so sweet. She flexed her jaw muscles, open, shut, open, to the right, to the left, back to the right, back to the left, shut, open, another "AHHHHH,". Yes. This was much better.
Exercising her mouth a little, she grumbled as she stood back up, "Thank you so much. That feels so much better," She suddenly launched into conversation with the healer, so grateful she could finally hear the sound of her voice again. The whiny sound of her voice was really something she missed when she was forcibly silenced.
She quickly grabbed her things and made her way back to her gear, putting her broom away. With that, she made her way over to the picnic. Serena probably should have changed her clothes but she did not really bother to. Luckily, they had not really gotten dirty or anything. Plus, she did not actually bring anything fancy to wear. Fashion was definitely not her thing. But she was donning her race armour from head to toe and that was enough for her.
Making her way to the picnic, she made her way over to the drinks and food. Priorities were getting something to eat and drink but she also looked around to see if anyone else had arrived, since she needed someone to talk to. Being silent had been irritating her. She needed an escape. In particular, the part goblin looked to see if she could see that cheater that had done this to her. There was a line and he had crossed it! What did he even achieve? She had no idea. Plating several little sandwiches and grabbing a butterbeer, which she promptly gulped down to quench her thirst before refilling.
If she spotted Cyrus, the first thing she would do would be to march over to him, draw back her right hand and throw a fist directly into his face if she could reach it and he did not move out of the way.
PC: Serena Towers | iNPC: Arjan Oberoi | Other: Hjørdis Jensen & Xiomara Torres
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
First Annual Alumni Picnic
banner by pericles dralt!
« the stranger crusaders ain't ever wannabes... »
After a very rejuvenating performance in the First Annual Alumni Broom Race, Cyrus stretched out his tired muscles and happily relinquished control of the Pine Chopper he'd been using. Brooms had never quite been his thing anyway – too spindly, too unable to take care of his weight. He'd been glad to not be flying a lot in the race, if he were telling the truth.
He arrived to the picnic not really needing a lot of washing up. His hair flew about him, a bit mussed, but all in all, he considered himself looking quite spiffy considering he'd just been in a race. To be fair, he hadn't really done a lot, but... well, we can't all come out of trouble as sunshine-and-rainbows as Cyrus.
He had gotten so caught up in cheering for his team that he'd forgotten about the atrocity he'd committed during the beginning of the race. Cyrus's entire demeanour had shifted back to sunniness, the horrendous fear and identity crisis he'd worked through earlier forgotten. The picnic promised delicious food for his rumbling stomach, and it was with bright eyes and a wide smile that he sought to pick through his options, already craving strawberries and sandwiches. He picked out a sandwich and immediately started to dig in – oh, yum! It was ham and cheese with a bit of mustard, which made his smile widen. Unfortunately, it was difficult to remain smiling while eating, so he had to make a serious face while he focused on his sandwich.
Once he finished, he started to move over to a charcuterie board, but a fist quite horribly stopped him. He yelped and started to stumble backwards, but he was too late. The girl's fist connected with his face and caused a solid crunch. Cyrus's hand flew up to rub at his jaw – for someone so small, she certainly could pack a punch!
He opened his mouth, trying to assuage the pain. He felt around with his tongue to make sure no teeth had gotten dislodged when his jaws had clamped shut. The tang of blood alerted him to the fact that he'd actually bitten his tongue. He blinked tears out of his eyes, and, once the blurriness faded, he realised who had punched him. Any potential outrage he might have felt was gone – she was absolutely, 100% in the right.
'Hey, so. Uh. I'm so sorry. I don't blame you for punching me, uh, if you want I can bend down so you can get the other side of my face, too. You know. For the art of it.'
He knew he sounded ridiculous, but he had no idea how to make the situation better. Laughter had to be the best medicine... right?
He arrived to the picnic not really needing a lot of washing up. His hair flew about him, a bit mussed, but all in all, he considered himself looking quite spiffy considering he'd just been in a race. To be fair, he hadn't really done a lot, but... well, we can't all come out of trouble as sunshine-and-rainbows as Cyrus.
He had gotten so caught up in cheering for his team that he'd forgotten about the atrocity he'd committed during the beginning of the race. Cyrus's entire demeanour had shifted back to sunniness, the horrendous fear and identity crisis he'd worked through earlier forgotten. The picnic promised delicious food for his rumbling stomach, and it was with bright eyes and a wide smile that he sought to pick through his options, already craving strawberries and sandwiches. He picked out a sandwich and immediately started to dig in – oh, yum! It was ham and cheese with a bit of mustard, which made his smile widen. Unfortunately, it was difficult to remain smiling while eating, so he had to make a serious face while he focused on his sandwich.
Once he finished, he started to move over to a charcuterie board, but a fist quite horribly stopped him. He yelped and started to stumble backwards, but he was too late. The girl's fist connected with his face and caused a solid crunch. Cyrus's hand flew up to rub at his jaw – for someone so small, she certainly could pack a punch!
He opened his mouth, trying to assuage the pain. He felt around with his tongue to make sure no teeth had gotten dislodged when his jaws had clamped shut. The tang of blood alerted him to the fact that he'd actually bitten his tongue. He blinked tears out of his eyes, and, once the blurriness faded, he realised who had punched him. Any potential outrage he might have felt was gone – she was absolutely, 100% in the right.
'Hey, so. Uh. I'm so sorry. I don't blame you for punching me, uh, if you want I can bend down so you can get the other side of my face, too. You know. For the art of it.'
He knew he sounded ridiculous, but he had no idea how to make the situation better. Laughter had to be the best medicine... right?
« ...the weird and the novelties don't ever change. »
Date: 10 August 2025
Time: Afternoon
Location: London Quidditch Stadium
Mention: @Serena Towers
OOC note:
Reducio
So, I rolled in my silly little private server for fun, since I had every intention of Serena getting to punch him. Well, Tatsu gave them both nat 20s. I thought that was fun.
[pc] koko riddle · 'i was raised up to be admired.'
'hey! bom bom bom. got any grapes?' · cyrus darsel [inpc]
First Annual Alumni Picnic
S E R E N A - J O D H A - T O W E R S
you must forge your own path for it to mean anything
Mentions: @Cyrus Darsel
Serena huffed and puffed out almost a sigh of relief. Not being able to use her jaw to even welp made her want to show him how much it hurt. She was not necessarily against violence - she had been subjected to a lot of it throughout her life, especially in Quidditch or Broom Racing. But cheating by forcing someone to drink a potion was uncool. Her eyes narrowed at him some more as he spoke.
"I- Wh- Are you calling me short- or weak- or-?" She questioned, not entirely sure what he was talking about. She had managed to hit him without him needing to bend down so why would she need it now?
She raised her hand to point aggressively at him, when she realised that it kind of ached from hitting him. As the adrenaline started to seep away, the pain became a bit more noticeable. Immediately, she pulled her hand back and started to rub it with her other hand. How the heck did Arjan do this all the time? It stung... "Fu- that hurt... How the heck am I going to hold a hammer-" She muttered to herself. Maybe she should have used her hammer to hit him... Yes, that would have been nicer on her hands. Wait- what does for the art of it even mean?!
"Since when has violence been classified as art? What is this, some sort of poetic justice?" She responded, trying to figure out what he was talking about since she was pretty sure it was not really artistic to punch him.
PC: Serena Towers | iNPC: Arjan Oberoi | Other: Hjørdis Jensen & Xiomara Torres
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
First Annual Alumni Picnic
banner by pericles dralt!
« the stranger crusaders ain't ever wannabes... »
Oh, he just couldn't say anything right! But then again, how exactly did you apologise for literally shoving a potion down someone's throat? Guilt curdled in Cyrus's stomach like spoilt milk, and he chewed the inside of his cheek awkwardly. His tanned cheeks turned red like the strawberries he'd been craving earlier. He lifted his hands in a 'don't shoot' gesture, opening his mouth to try to rebuke the girl's question. 'N-no?'
Cyrus's gaze was then drawn to her hand. First because it looked like she was pointing at him, which he wholly deserved. Then, though, she pulled it back. Cyrus squinted. She began to rub her hand, almost as if it hurt, which... well, yeah, she'd just punched him. Of course it hurt. He would fish around in his pocket, but then he realised that pulling out his wand would either make him seem like an attacker or someone quite offensive, neither of which he liked. '...you good?' he questioned hesitantly.
As if he hadn't embarrassed himself enough, she started asking what he meant by 'the art of it'. Oh Cheez-Its, how would he even begin to explain a joke? That had to be the lamest thing ever. He ended up shrugging awkwardly. 'Well, I feel like I kind of deserve more than one punch. So, uh. Yeah.' The chuckle that accompanied his words was quite dry, by Cyrus standards. 'But also, the "art". Uh. I mean, if half my face is going to be purple, why not add some symmetry? Some pizzazz?'
Cyrus's gaze was then drawn to her hand. First because it looked like she was pointing at him, which he wholly deserved. Then, though, she pulled it back. Cyrus squinted. She began to rub her hand, almost as if it hurt, which... well, yeah, she'd just punched him. Of course it hurt. He would fish around in his pocket, but then he realised that pulling out his wand would either make him seem like an attacker or someone quite offensive, neither of which he liked. '...you good?' he questioned hesitantly.
As if he hadn't embarrassed himself enough, she started asking what he meant by 'the art of it'. Oh Cheez-Its, how would he even begin to explain a joke? That had to be the lamest thing ever. He ended up shrugging awkwardly. 'Well, I feel like I kind of deserve more than one punch. So, uh. Yeah.' The chuckle that accompanied his words was quite dry, by Cyrus standards. 'But also, the "art". Uh. I mean, if half my face is going to be purple, why not add some symmetry? Some pizzazz?'
« ...the weird and the novelties don't ever change. »
Date: 10 August 2025
Time: Afternoon
Location: London Quidditch Stadium
Mention: @Serena Towers
[pc] koko riddle · 'i was raised up to be admired.'
'hey! bom bom bom. got any grapes?' · cyrus darsel [inpc]
First Annual Alumni Picnic
S E R E N A - J O D H A - T O W E R S
you must forge your own path for it to mean anything
Mentions: @Cyrus Darsel
Serena wanted to stay in a bad mood, as she was still pretty angry with him, but he was being weird and confusing her with his weirdness. She did not understand what he was talking about. And when he seemed to show some concern for her, she furrowed her eyebrows and pouted like an angry child in a cartoon that was trying to be grumpy but ends up looking kind of cute instead. Her height likely did not help her, making her look even more like a little child than she did five seconds ago. "Yeah I just... didn't expect it to hurt that much," She grumbled, making it abundantly clear that she did not go around punching people often. Or at all. It was pretty rare, in fact. This may have even been the first time.
She blinked, he wanted her to hit him again? Was her punch that weak and ineffective or did he genuinely think he deserved to be hit again? Serena continued to rub her knuckles before shaking her head. It was kind of mean to hit someone who thought they might deserve it and if it was because she was weak or ineffective than a second one wouldn't have helped matters anyway. "It's uh fine. Besides, I think that asymmetrical art can be kind of cool too..." She muttered before pulling out a small broach she had in the front pocket of her bag. It was incomplete but it was a small design that she had been practicing, where the one side was a bit more plain whilst the other side had more intricate flower details. At some point, she had planned to finish it but this was as far as she had gotten in her practice and she kind of liked the fact that it wasn't perfect and matching on both sides.
Normally, she loved symmetry, in truth. But sometimes, it was kind of cool. This had a minimalistic look to it but still had intricate details. Though, she felt a bit silly showing him this broach now... what if he thought her creation was kind of dumb? "I made a dagger the other week too, which was intentionally asymmetrical and it looked pretty badass," Serena quickly added, trying to make herself sound more tough and less silly. Daggers were cool and badass, no? Meant she wasn't weak, right? She had no idea. She just wanted to stop making a fool of herself in front of a boy who probably thought she was pathetic and weak already!
PC: Serena Towers | iNPC: Arjan Oberoi | Other: Hjørdis Jensen & Xiomara Torres
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15
Part-Goblin | Evasive Maneuvers | Beastmaster | Paragon of Health
Sta: 10 | Eva: 17 | Str: 3 | Wis: 15 | Arc Power: 10 | Acc: 15