| Grindylow
Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: [GMT + 1]
Posts: 14,114
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Rose Snakebark
Gryffindor Fifth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
JT Forsfelle
Slytherin Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Ariadne Rose
Hufflepuff Third Year
Ministry Department Head:
Violet Fawley
Ecological Protection  x3
|  Swedishfish Girl! Madame Librarian! Jess's Soul Sister! Sweetest Swede!
SPOILER!!: Student replies Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahlooo  Sitting back down, she opened the bottle while Vance asked a question.
Natalie raised her hand. "I feel like reading tea leaves is more obscure, but it's easier in a way? Because you just... drink the tea and there it is. But with this, you have to take off your nail polish, scrub your nails real good, put on the smelly oils and THEN you get your answer." A lot of work, obviously. Natalie was the first to answer. To Professor Vance it was clear that this was the answer of a lazy teenager like she herself had been once when everything seemed like a lot of work and just hard. Flashing a kind smile over to the snakette she said "Thank you Natalie. So you prefer tea leaves over nail readings since it means less work for you, interesting." Was it the same in other subjects too? Did Natalie just do minimum? Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack "Probably not," was her answer to the question their Professor posed to the class. 'Cause like no offense, but who had the time for that? The way Professor V raised the question made it sound like they all did tea leaf divination in their every day life. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm, anyone? When Zoryn gave her response Laurel tilted her head slightly as she waited and waited for an elaboration or even an example that never came from the lioness which just left her with questions that she hid. "Very insightful Zoryn, do you wish to share with the rest of the class why you probably won't use the nails reading outside the classroom?" Quote:
Originally Posted by siriusblackliveson He heard Professor Vance wrapping up the lesson when she asked a question. He thought about it for a second. "I mean any divination has it's place in the seeing of the future and what is, but I don't know nails change so frequently that it's almost like watching the weather channel." he stated, although he didn't know how many of his classmates sat and watched the weather channel. When your grandfather decided to quit working at the ministry and move to a farm, the weather channel is all the rage. Patrick brought forth a good natured laugh to slip over Laurel's lips in response to his answer. Beaming over at the snake with laughter still in her eyes she responded "Interesting parable Patrick and I actually see what your mean and it's true that the nails change as frequently as the weather." Channel though? He meant a muggle tv programme obviously? Quote:
Originally Posted by hermionegold Would Night ever really be using any of it in her life? "Professor, why does any of it really matter? I mean, it's not like I'm going to get--" she glanced back at the book--"cirrhosis of the liver, for example and be like, 'oh, I knew this would happen! I read my fingernails when I was eleven!' I would honestly be heading to the nearest hospital and seeking treatment."
She regretted saying that as soon as she did, because it probably hurt the professor's feelings. So back to Vance's original question..."Granted, if that did happen, I guess looking at my fingernails would be the easiest thing to do, to know what I was going into the doctor's office for. Since it's something that's readily available and all." What? What was Night sitting there and saying out loud about the noble art that Laurel put so much trust and faith in? She was a SEER and good one and the girl had the audacity to be rude. Eyes quickly flashing over and boring into to the badger girl she said sternly "5 points from Hufflepuff house for your rudeness Ms Dixon! I will not hear that nonsense in my class! Nail readings matter as does all other true predictions of the future. The predictions give us a foresight of the future, a warning of what will/might come. Many people whose futures I have read have thanked me after. Don't let your confusion for the divine art cloud your Inner Eye Ms Dixon." Still fuming Laurel didn't hear the girl's last words and turned to allow the next student to speak. Quote:
Originally Posted by Birchwoodmom “I don’t think I’ll be using Onychomancy in my day to day life. It’s a bit confusing for me and I don’t like my fingers being oiled or painted.” She was still trying to figure out how quick she would be able to remove the polish after class. “I think I’d be much more likely to read tea leaves. Plus, when you do that, you get to drink tea!” And, with tea, you could have cookies. Emmalyn really liked cookies and wondered if there was cookie crumb reading. That she would be completely on board with. Head still spinning with fuming thoughts that Night had ignited Laurel turned to stare at Emmalyn half expecting her to be rude too. Which she wasn't, actually she was sweet and she couldn't stay mad. Letting her face relax into a kind smile Professor Vance said "Good examples Emmalyn. Drinking tea is a favourite of mine too." Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimothy Vivian had just finished writing down her interpretations when the second question was raised. She had placed her parchment inside the basket and went back to her seat, taking with her a bottle of mood polish. Maybe she'd give it a try. It looked really pretty. But as for the question, she gave it a bit more thought. "I prefer tea leaves and palmistry to Onychomancy, professor," the prefect said, giving her honest answer. "I drink tea a lot, so it's not exactly new. There also isn't much preparation for palmistry as well, so anyone can do it anytime. And I had just painted my nails, Professor, but had to remove them...." So yes, she wasn't exactly a big fan of nail divination. Prefect Vivian was the next to answer and Laurel understood her reasoning, you couldn't like everything or every new divination technique. A smile pursed her lips as she turned her gaze to Vivian. "Good reasoning Vivian. Every divination technique we try out in class can't always meet your liking and approval." And she understood that most girls thought it a chore to remove nail polish especially when you had just applied it. Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegz
And now another question. Bel put her hand up, still trying to do her best in the lesson despite her obvious disbelief in the topic."I won't ever use the nail thing." She still thought it was very clearly NOT divination. "I think tea leaves and palm reading make a lot more sense, because they make LESS sense - they aren't things that can just be explained by illness, or environment, or even just your hygiene choices like all of this can." Literally all of it. The whole thing. Alllll of it.
Bel was clearly back to thinking about charlatans which her answer showed Laurel without much thought. Looking over at the badgerette she responded with a smile. "You've made your view clear Bel. I understand your reasoning even if I don't totally agree with it since I think nail readings can be purposeful in more situations than you might think just like palmistry or tea leaves." Laurel wasn't going to say anything about it out loud but personal hygiene, environment and illnesses were factors that affected interpretations of predictions. Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelsheen
Would he actually be using this? He was torn clearly "Professor...I think I'd like to believe the positive predictions about my nails, some of them seems to be ringing true...." specially the achievements he's been having for the last several years, wouldnt it be awesome if that continued into his adult life. "..... but then there are the not so positive aspect to my nails that I have a hard time believing, or maybe I really dont want to give it a second thought because its tied to my longevity. Having to be reminded about that specially on my hands which I see practically all the time, everyday, all year... its not a healthy way to go about life, at least thats not how I want to live my life." Terrified that death is waiting for him at every corner because his half-moons arent that big? Yeah thats one ticket to the crazy train he'd happily take a pass.
Tenacious brought up the fear with positive versus negative predictions. An answer with clear thought behind it. Smiling over at him Professor said "Thank you Tenacious for bringing up what is always important to consider with all predictions. It's easier and probably healthier to only put trust in the positive predictions as you put it rather than the negative ones to live without fears and sleep well. But my advice is to sometimes also look at the negative ones because that is sadly also a part of life." No life on earth could only be full of roses. Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessiqua
Besides the fact she just liked to study from her books, and write down her feelings and worries in her journal, she didn't think Divination was something she took as seriously as perhaps Professor Vance did, or at least hoped her students did. She lifted her hand, and said "I don't think I'll use it, Professor. I mean, if I notice my nails going red, or dark, or brittle I think I'll see a healer. I don't think I'd have thought about my nails and health before, so I think I might use it to indicate whether I needed to see a healer." Not ONLY in the case of things wrong with her nails, but if they WERE wrong she wouldn't ignore it.
Next to answer was Hanna and she like those before her didn't think she'd use the nail reading either but she said something thoughtful which made Laurel beam. "I'm glad to hear Hanna that the lesson seems to have opened up your eyes to the connection between your nails and your health and I think your thinking about it wisely too Hanna. To go see Healer Mcmillan when your nails take a different colour is what I'd advice too." Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoenixRising
And there was another question and it seemed most of her classmates didn't care for Onychomancy, but there was that small hufflepuff girl that was outright RUDE about it. Yea, Skylar fought rolling her eyes at her. Because even if you didn't like something or agree with it, that was no reason for rudeness.
"Probably not, Professor. It's just, nail divination seems to have a lot more variables than other divining methods and could change more readily than say palmistry. The lines on your hands? Not likely to change. But say you spill something on your fingers in potions class that leaves a stain on your thumb for like two weeks? That stain could give you a false reading. Or if one day you're playing and you chip a nail... does that mean you'll receive an unexpected gift, as opposed to the difficulties in a relationship? So yea, i think the variables that come along with Onychomancy are a lot greater than other methods." Skylar said in a much longer explanation than she had planned for. Skylar was the last student to answer and she brought up a point that none of her peers really had mentioned even if Bel sort of had been implying it. Smiling over to her Laurel responded. [b]"Good, good Skylar. You've brought up an interesting point. It is true that Onychomany has more variables that can change quicker than other methods. The many nail variables can lead to false readings yes, but also to more accurate predictions. It depends on your purpose for the readings and when and where you do them." Thoughts tumbled around in Laurel's head some fuming ones still as she let her eyes wander over the student faces. She couldn't plan when her true faux predictions of the future came but she one would now, at that moment just to see the look on some students faces. Maybe that would make them really believe in the art of Divination.
She needed to dwell later, it was time for the class to come to an ending. "Thank you all for a wonderful lesson this afternoon here in the courtyard. I gather that Onychomancy maybe wasn't a divination technique to everyone's liking, but if you give it time I think it might grow on you since your fingernails are always with you. Extra mood polish bottles will be found in the meditation room from this evening if you want one in supply, and this is also when your homework assignments will be posted. Class dismissed! You are free to go to your next class!"
On that note Laurel turned her back on the tables to start packing everything up, she assumed the students would not linger but go inside to the castle warmth.
OOC: Thank you all so much for participating in this lesson! I hope you had fun with it, like I had. I will keep the thread open for another 12-24 hours to allow for your students to leave. It was so fun to see so many faces in class. I hope to see you next time!
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