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The sky is overcast and the weather is drizzly with the kind of inconsistent rain that can't seem to make up its mind whether or not it wants to fall, or how heavily. About thirty feet above the ground, a giant bouncy net is stretched across almost the entire Training Area, leaving some room to fly up and around it to get to the sky above. Again, there are spare brooms here for those who forget to bring or borrow their own - Kamran has been having quiet words with those who make a habit out of it.
The bread is here too, in a levitating basket off to the side. The basket is unlabelled and Kamran makes no reference to it - it's been present in every lesson since the presence of bread was made mandatory, you know what's in there by now. You can take some if you wish, but be sure to replace the lid once you have some. To keep it fresh. And protected from the rain. Yes. Certainly not a subtle effort to keep it out of sight, out of mind, and out of mouth and nose for his lesson.
Professor Kazmi is stood at the usual place on the edge of the area, waiting for the students to arrive. As you approach, Kamran greets you with a "Think fast," or a "Heads up," and suddenly tosses a ball - about tennis-ball-size or so, appearing as though out of thin air - your way. Whether the ball is caught, or fumbled and needs to be retrieved, he follows up with, "Throw it back to me."
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OOC: Welcome to the second RPed Flying lesson of the term. Be sure to read the rules before posting. I'll be kicking things off in 24 hours, at the earliest.
Flying class wasn’t the same... not anymore. Flying was Mamie’s thing. Ash and Mamie weren’t friends anymore. Flying class just reminded her of Mamie. Mamie had betrayed her, just like everyone eventually did. That was the only thing she thought about in flying class nowadays. You could imagine what sort of fragile mood Ash was in to start with.
Getting things thrown at her didn’t really help. Ash was not expecting things to be thrown at her today. Well, she didn’t expect betrayal either. Who cared about her expectations.
Ash did not expect any of this, but she wasn’t surprised when it happened. Or maybe she was completely surprised. It was hard to tell.
Either way, Ash caught the ball reflexively, flinching as she did so. She was in no danger, but it still terrified her. She should have been on her guard. People are unpredictable. She was reminded of betrayal... there were spiders and potions and crying and guilt and mirrors. Betrayal was always right around the corner. The tennis ball thing was some kind of metaphor that had to do with betrayal. It was trying to tell her something, she just didn’t know what.
Here she was, staring into a fake tennis ball like it contained the secrets of the universe. Maybe it did... As she tuned back into the real world, she realized that she had been standing there for at least a minute. She threw back the ball. It was an expert throw, but it was so... unenthusiastic. “Heads up,” Ash said, unenthusiastically. It was as if she couldn’t even bother to move her mouth to talk. It was as if the words were... blurry. Or maybe like she was frozen. People talked like that when they were really cold. Well, her heart felt cold. That counted, did it not?
Ash stuck her hands in her pockets and walked past the professor to where she was supposed to stand, not in the mood for a greeting.
doesn't proofread tweets | #wrongaboutcereal | #siriusly? | emo to the extremo
Kinsay James loved playing in the rain, so she was all sorts of excited for the flying lesson today. But first and foremost: Puddles. She was going to jump into some puddles on her way to class, simply because she could. So it was with muddy shoes and a big grin with which she eventually made her way to the Training Area. Instinctively she made a move towards the levitating bread basket, but before she had the opportunity to make it, the "heads up" warning was given.
O___________O
MEEP!
So heads up it was. Literally.
With her head.
Managing a ..... somewhat successful headbutt, she sent the ball right back in Mr. Kazmi's ~ general ~ direction (ish) and went back to business as usual. Basket as usual. Because she wanted some of the yum banana bread. "Hi, Mr. K. Isn't this weather the very best?!" She chirped, reaching into the basket.
__________________
Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Lemon!
Raspberry Jam | #ChocolateFrogFamous | Ultimate Fangirl
This Gryffindor had organised her life much more since that one flying lesson before, when she forget to pick up a broom before class and totally humiliated herself. She had arrived well on time, broom in hand, appropriate footwear, and an attitude that was ready to learn. Of course, that was a lot to remember, so when she was greeted with a ball being thrown at her, Remy was nawt prepared.
Her natural instinct was to move out of the balls way, and that’s what she did. Perhaps Quidditch wouldn’t be a future career path for this first year. “Ooops.” She quickly picked the ball off the ground and threw it pathetically back to Professor Kazmi.
“Hello, Professor.” Remy smiled and was brave enough to stand beside Kinsay James, who she also smiled politely at.
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who could love me, I am out of my mind___________________________ _________________throwing a line out to sea to see if I can catch a dream
Otter This World ♡ Catpurrccino ♡ Slotherin ♡ Pandamonium
The rain didn't bother Dahlia one bit. Neither did any mud or puddles she may or may not have accidentally on purpose have wandered through. Sorry not sorry mud splattered not so white anymore sneakers. Her hair was pulled back into a french braid and in her hand was her broom from home.
The first thing her bright blue eyes wanted to do as she reached the training pitch was take in any signs of what the lesson might be about. This was cause for distraction from Professor Kazmi throwing a ball directly at her. Had it not been for the called out 'Think fast' she may have taken a tennis ball to the face.
Luckily for her the warning had been enough and her reflexes were good. No, she didn't catch it perfectly. However, Lia raised left hand since it wasn't carrying her broom in an attempt to not get hit and catch the ball. The ball hit her wrist but that was enough for her to fumble with it and keep it in the air so she could catch it. With a small laugh and a light grin the second year tossed it back. "Good afternoon, Professor. And nice toss!"
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Bread!
The bread basket did not go unnoticed by Victoria Gellar. She was enjoying its presence all the time. IT WAS JUST THAT GOOD. And she proooomptly replaced the lid as instructed as she chomped down on a piece, her other hand carrying her broom over her shoulder.
And no, she did not THINK FAST ever so the ball whizzed past her, and she shot Professor Kazmi a deadpan look. "I was NOT ready, Professor." And now SHE had to go get it? There was grumbling, for sure, as she beeeeeent over to retrieve it...and...threw it back with all the grace of a hippo doing ballet.
Meaning, the ball probably did not get thrown in a straight path and she was tallying the amount of things she was hORRIBLE at here at Hogwarts. She may be a fair flyer, but she could tell Quidditch was not in the stars for her. How sad.
__________________
"You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough."
Roman Gellar ● 1st Year ● Slytherin
Cold and drizzly was not Avalon's weather of choice for a flying lesson. Though she had played enough rainy day Quidditch that she knew to wear proper attire. Nimubs 4000 in hand and hair tied back in two braids, she tromped down to the training grounds, mud splattering on her shoes all the way. She was a bit preoccupied with the suspended net that she nearly got clunked with the ball.
Heads up, indeed.
Her hand flew up to protect her face instinctively, grabbing the ball out of the air just in the nick of time—but not without a flinch. "Whoa, trying to break our nose, Professor?" she replied with a laugh, tossing the ball back to Kazmi. As she wiped a few raindrops off her cheek, the Ravenclaw headed over to stand by Dahlia, giving her housemate a wave in greeting.
Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Heath kept his eyes in the skies as he made his way to flying class, school broom in hand. It looked like it could start pouring rain at any moment! He hoped it would hold off at least until the end of the lesson if it did because flying in gray rainy weather sounded incredibly dangerous! Or maybe that was the idea. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if Professor Kazmi had intentionally chosen a bad weather day for the lesson. Maybe they were going to learn how to fly in rainy conditions?
His curiosity was piqued even more when he saw the net, but the professor's voice jerked him out of his thoughts before he had time to think about it. What-? Oh! He saw the ball coming toward him and held up the hand that wasn't holding his broom in an attempt to catch it. His fingers brushed the ball, but he wasn't quite fast enough to grab it before it sailed past him. He hurriedly picked it up. "Hello, Professor," he greeted, preparing to throw the ball back as instructed., "Heads up!"
He threw the ball back and went to stand near Ash, giving her a polite nod in greeting. It was only then that he noticed the bread basket, but he chose not to partake. He didn't want to fly on a full stomach!
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Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
Claudine sincerely hoped that she wouldn’t catch a cold. Though, she had been in a situation where there had been a constant shower of water raining down on her and she’d survived. As she approached the gathering, her gaze traveled over the entire set up. Kazmi always had the most interesting of these. There was the bread container as usual but Claudine decided that she’d skip having some for now, and would do so at the end of the lesson instead.
The ‘Heads up’ surprised her as did the ball heading in her direction. The Snakette managed to catch it with both hands. Grinning, she tossed it back to Kazmi. “Hi, Professor.” And there were Ash and Heath. She went to join them. “Hi!”
Broom in hand, hair braided, and glasses Imperviused to keep the drizzle from making her eyesight worse again, Margaret was perfectly cheerful as she arrived at flying class. Neither Ashley Fox nor the weather could keep her down.
"Hello, Mr. Kazmi," she said brightly, nearly dropping her broom as she caught the ball he magicked at her. Um. Why?? Fun, but...why? She tossed it back to him with a quizzical look, then took a glance around to see who'd arrived so far.
Ash.
She took a shaky breath, then made a beeline for the lidded basket of bread, queuing up behind Kinsay to get some strawberry bread. Maybe some cinnamon bread, too, for something sweet. "Hi, Kinsay," she said quietly, fidgeting with her grip on her broom while she waited her turn to reach into the basket and grab her bread.
Flying class wasn’t the same... not anymore. Flying was Mamie’s thing. Ash and Mamie weren’t friends anymore. Flying class just reminded her of Mamie. Mamie had betrayed her, just like everyone eventually did. That was the only thing she thought about in flying class nowadays. You could imagine what sort of fragile mood Ash was in to start with.
Getting things thrown at her didn’t really help. Ash was not expecting things to be thrown at her today. Well, she didn’t expect betrayal either. Who cared about her expectations.
Ash did not expect any of this, but she wasn’t surprised when it happened. Or maybe she was completely surprised. It was hard to tell.
Either way, Ash caught the ball reflexively, flinching as she did so. She was in no danger, but it still terrified her. She should have been on her guard. People are unpredictable. She was reminded of betrayal... there were spiders and potions and crying and guilt and mirrors. Betrayal was always right around the corner. The tennis ball thing was some kind of metaphor that had to do with betrayal. It was trying to tell her something, she just didn’t know what.
Here she was, staring into a fake tennis ball like it contained the secrets of the universe. Maybe it did... As she tuned back into the real world, she realized that she had been standing there for at least a minute. She threw back the ball. It was an expert throw, but it was so... unenthusiastic. “Heads up,” Ash said, unenthusiastically. It was as if she couldn’t even bother to move her mouth to talk. It was as if the words were... blurry. Or maybe like she was frozen. People talked like that when they were really cold. Well, her heart felt cold. That counted, did it not?
Ash stuck her hands in her pockets and walked past the professor to where she was supposed to stand, not in the mood for a greeting.
What a great day today was turning out to be.
Turned out, Kamran didn't need that return heads up. He was waiting, Merlin, must have been a full minute before the ball came back his way, so he was ready for it. Kamran plucked it from the air. "Morning, Miss Fox."
Had he noticed any tension between a couple of his students? Maybe, maybe not. He did try to keep track of the Hogwarts dynamics just to make his own life easier, but as long as it didn't affect his lesson or happen right in front of him, actually dealing with student drama was not Kamran's division. That was a Head of House thing, probably. As for the rest, quick reactions were one hundred percent necessary in flying, and, unfortunately for Fox, they did need to be tested if he was going to be happy for them to fly. Today particularly.
Not that he'd stop anyone who had issues. It would only tell him they had things to work on.
SPOILER!!: Kiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack
Kinsay James loved playing in the rain, so she was all sorts of excited for the flying lesson today. But first and foremost: Puddles. She was going to jump into some puddles on her way to class, simply because she could. So it was with muddy shoes and a big grin with which she eventually made her way to the Training Area. Instinctively she made a move towards the levitating bread basket, but before she had the opportunity to make it, the "heads up" warning was given.
O___________O
MEEP!
So heads up it was. Literally.
With her head.
Managing a ..... somewhat successful headbutt, she sent the ball right back in Mr. Kazmi's ~ general ~ direction (ish) and went back to business as usual. Basket as usual. Because she wanted some of the yum banana bread. "Hi, Mr. K. Isn't this weather the very best?!" She chirped, reaching into the basket.
Well, that was one way to do it. Kamran's own reflexes were tested there, when the ball came back much quicker than he'd initially expected, but he reached out and snatched it. Almost overextended to get it, just by the way, given how wide it went. And wouldn't that have been a wonderful start to the lesson. But it was all fine today.
"Morning, Miss James," he replied, straightening his robes and watching her retrieve some bread. "It's certainly the best weather for some things." Like growing plants, ending droughts, and puddle-jumping. The diplomatic answer.
SPOILER!!: Remy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emzily
This Gryffindor had organised her life much more since that one flying lesson before, when she forget to pick up a broom before class and totally humiliated herself. She had arrived well on time, broom in hand, appropriate footwear, and an attitude that was ready to learn. Of course, that was a lot to remember, so when she was greeted with a ball being thrown at her, Remy was nawt prepared.
Her natural instinct was to move out of the balls way, and that’s what she did. Perhaps Quidditch wouldn’t be a future career path for this first year. “Ooops.” She quickly picked the ball off the ground and threw it pathetically back to Professor Kazmi.
“Hello, Professor.” Remy smiled and was brave enough to stand beside Kinsay James, who she also smiled politely at.
"Better luck next time, Miss Gaeltheos," Kamran called to the girl as she retrieved the ball, and caught it when it came back his way, with a nod of thanks. The implication here was that there may or may not be more projectiles of a similar sort in this lesson. Maybe. "Though I have to admit, the avoidance tactic works perfectly well in this context."
He could have been throwing anything at her. Like a rotten egg. Or a hot potato. Or bees. It was interesting to see whose reflex was to catch, and whose was to dodge. Or headbutt.
SPOILER!!: Dahlia
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kolyander
The rain didn't bother Dahlia one bit. Neither did any mud or puddles she may or may not have accidentally on purpose have wandered through. Sorry not sorry mud splattered not so white anymore sneakers. Her hair was pulled back into a french braid and in her hand was her broom from home.
The first thing her bright blue eyes wanted to do as she reached the training pitch was take in any signs of what the lesson might be about. This was cause for distraction from Professor Kazmi throwing a ball directly at her. Had it not been for the called out 'Think fast' she may have taken a tennis ball to the face.
Luckily for her the warning had been enough and her reflexes were good. No, she didn't catch it perfectly. However, Lia raised left hand since it wasn't carrying her broom in an attempt to not get hit and catch the ball. The ball hit her wrist but that was enough for her to fumble with it and keep it in the air so she could catch it. With a small laugh and a light grin the second year tossed it back. "Good afternoon, Professor. And nice toss!"
Kamran let a smile tug at his mouth as he witnessed this catch, and reached to pluck the ball out of the air as it came back to him. He wasn't trying to catch them off guard, only test their reactions, so it pleased him more to see them catch the ball (or dodge or headbutt) more than to be taken entirely unawares, even if there was a slight fumble.
"Morning, Miss Donovan. Thank you, and nice catch." Maybe that sounded sarcastic - Kamran could be rather dry - but it wasn't.
SPOILER!!: V
Quote:
Originally Posted by kayquilz
The bread basket did not go unnoticed by Victoria Gellar. She was enjoying its presence all the time. IT WAS JUST THAT GOOD. And she proooomptly replaced the lid as instructed as she chomped down on a piece, her other hand carrying her broom over her shoulder.
And no, she did not THINK FAST ever so the ball whizzed past her, and she shot Professor Kazmi a deadpan look. "I was NOT ready, Professor." And now SHE had to go get it? There was grumbling, for sure, as she beeeeeent over to retrieve it...and...threw it back with all the grace of a hippo doing ballet.
Meaning, the ball probably did not get thrown in a straight path and she was tallying the amount of things she was hORRIBLE at here at Hogwarts. She may be a fair flyer, but she could tell Quidditch was not in the stars for her. How sad.
Well... Kamran supposed a broom in one hand and bread in the other meant that actually catching the ball would mean a sacrifice some students would be unwilling to make. At least it missed her entirely.
"Yes, I can see that, Miss Gellar," he remarked mildly, but the casualness disappeared briefly when he had to take a few steps to catch the ball. "We'll get those reflexes warmed up soon." Consider that a promise. Such a lovely Flying Instructor.
SPOILER!!: Avalon
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireheart
Cold and drizzly was not Avalon's weather of choice for a flying lesson. Though she had played enough rainy day Quidditch that she knew to wear proper attire. Nimubs 4000 in hand and hair tied back in two braids, she tromped down to the training grounds, mud splattering on her shoes all the way. She was a bit preoccupied with the suspended net that she nearly got clunked with the ball.
Heads up, indeed.
Her hand flew up to protect her face instinctively, grabbing the ball out of the air just in the nick of time—but not without a flinch. "Whoa, trying to break our nose, Professor?" she replied with a laugh, tossing the ball back to Kazmi. As she wiped a few raindrops off her cheek, the Ravenclaw headed over to stand by Dahlia, giving her housemate a wave in greeting.
Oh. There was some quick thinking, or finely honed reflex. Or a little of each. "Morning, Miss Sinclair," Kamran replied with a small smile, and caught the ball as it came back to him. "I would never wish harm on my students." Again, might have sounded sarcastic. Again, it wasn't. But these kids knew how their professor could be by now.
As an aside, this drizzly rain was getting just a little bit irritating. Kamran checked the sky, to see how likely it was that the heavens would totally open any time soon, but it just seemed like they should expect more of the same.
SPOILER!!: Heath
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy
Heath kept his eyes in the skies as he made his way to flying class, school broom in hand. It looked like it could start pouring rain at any moment! He hoped it would hold off at least until the end of the lesson if it did because flying in gray rainy weather sounded incredibly dangerous! Or maybe that was the idea. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if Professor Kazmi had intentionally chosen a bad weather day for the lesson. Maybe they were going to learn how to fly in rainy conditions?
His curiosity was piqued even more when he saw the net, but the professor's voice jerked him out of his thoughts before he had time to think about it. What-? Oh! He saw the ball coming toward him and held up the hand that wasn't holding his broom in an attempt to catch it. His fingers brushed the ball, but he wasn't quite fast enough to grab it before it sailed past him. He hurriedly picked it up. "Hello, Professor," he greeted, preparing to throw the ball back as instructed., "Heads up!"
He threw the ball back and went to stand near Ash, giving her a polite nod in greeting. It was only then that he noticed the bread basket, but he chose not to partake. He didn't want to fly on a full stomach!
Oh, so close. But also, close enough - it wasn't so much the catch that was important here, but the attention these students paid to their surroundings. A little mean of Kamran to spring it on them when they weren't even flying, but...
... he had nothing.
"Hello, Mr Jones," Kamran replied, ready to catch the ball again, which he did, and then nodded his thanks.
SPOILER!!: Claudine
Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19
Claudine sincerely hoped that she wouldn’t catch a cold. Though, she had been in a situation where there had been a constant shower of water raining down on her and she’d survived. As she approached the gathering, her gaze traveled over the entire set up. Kazmi always had the most interesting of these. There was the bread container as usual but Claudine decided that she’d skip having some for now, and would do so at the end of the lesson instead.
The ‘Heads up’ surprised her as did the ball heading in her direction. The Snakette managed to catch it with both hands. Grinning, she tossed it back to Kazmi. “Hi, Professor.” And there were Ash and Heath. She went to join them. “Hi!”
Nice to see Blaze smiling - or grinning, rather. Kamran didn't know what it was, maybe he just got the impression the girl didn't do all that much unbridled grinning, but yes. Nice to see.
He supposed, in that sense, he could say something similar for the other students too, except there was a little uncertainty there, in some contexts. But... Kamran wasn't going to concern himself with that right now, not right before his lesson.
"Hello, Miss Blaze," he greeted the Slytherin, catching the ball in cupped hands, and looking for his next arriving student while she joined her friends.
SPOILER!!: Mamie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waddles
Broom in hand, hair braided, and glasses Imperviused to keep the drizzle from making her eyesight worse again, Margaret was perfectly cheerful as she arrived at flying class. Neither Ashley Fox nor the weather could keep her down.
"Hello, Mr. Kazmi," she said brightly, nearly dropping her broom as she caught the ball he magicked at her. Um. Why?? Fun, but...why? She tossed it back to him with a quizzical look, then took a glance around to see who'd arrived so far.
Ash.
She took a shaky breath, then made a beeline for the lidded basket of bread, queuing up behind Kinsay to get some strawberry bread. Maybe some cinnamon bread, too, for something sweet. "Hi, Kinsay," she said quietly, fidgeting with her grip on her broom while she waited her turn to reach into the basket and grab her bread.
Which she would obviously then eat.
Kamran waited until Turov had the ball before returning the greeting. "Hello, Miss Turov." He caught the ball. The quizzical look, he could handle. Actually, he could have handled betrayal as well, or really... probably any other reactions from those taken unawares, given the progression of things so far.
He watched her for just a moment, noting where her eyes landed, and then left her to it. And the bread. Not his division, not until it caused problems where he could see them.
There were plenty of nearly-nailed-in-the-face moments today, but so far the closest thing to that had been James' headbutt - all things considered, and especially given how super relaxed some of these kids and Kamran had been of late, he was calling that a success. And he would continue keeping the bread in the sealed basket for his lessons. Obviously these two things were not connected. At all. Obviously.
The exercise had been part warming up reflexes, and part hint at what was to come, but it was also very useful in subtly checking to make sure his students were not too zen to fly today. Kamran probably would have sent them up in the air anyway, actually, as he was feeling perfectly alert at least, but it was useful to know.
Time to get a move on.
"Alright everyone, attention this way," Kamran said to the gathered students, setting the balls aside, where they floated away to pile themselves neatly on the floor. "Thank you all for humouring that little exercise in reactions. We'll circle back around to the significance of this in a few minutes." He paused, resisted the urge to sweep the drizzly rain droplets from his hair, and folded his arms across his chest instead. "Flying isn't for everyone - though it's always a useful skill to have regardless - and some people simply hate it. I'd like for you to tell me, even if you love it, what's your least favourite part of flying? Alternatively, why do you think some people prefer to avoid flying entirely?"
This, for the record, was very useful information to know. Kamran had never feared flying, there was very little he disliked about it. Aside from the question pertaining to the lesson topic, it was just very helpful to get these perspectives, especially when it came to teaching reluctant flyers. But anyway. "I'm thinking specifically about flying on a broomstick, but if you have answers about magic carpets, winged horses, anything else magical in nature, I'll accept those too."
OOC: Class has now started, and late arrivals = IC consequences, but you can of course play like your character was here the whole time if you want to jump in after this point. My personal circumstances are rough at the moment and I'm very scattered, so if any of my posts are unclear or I misunderstand something in one of your posts, please let me know and I will fix. Feel free to answer one or both questions. I'll be moving us on in about 24 hours.
__________________
Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!
Teapot Occamy| gryphons&giraffes&goats,OH MY | chaser of the truth | flutiful❧
Heads up? Devin tilted his head up towards the sky when he heard that direction, wondering what it was that he was supposed to be looking at. There was a pretty neat cloud. Was that what the professor wanted to show him? Or did the professor want him to notice the net that he presumed was some sort of safety device? His thoughts on clouds were abruptly interrupted when a ball hit him square in the chest. ”Ow!” Devin looked down to the ground where the ball had landed at his feet after hitting him. Oh. OH. That’s what the professor had meant. Catch the ball. Oops. Looked like he needed to get his head out of the clouds. Devin leaned down to pick up the ball and threw it back at the professor. He wasn’t very good at aiming though so the ball went considerably off course and a lack of power behind the throw gave it a rather short trajectory. There was a reason he preferred board games to sports games.
Quote:
Originally Posted by professor
"Alright everyone, attention this way," Kamran said to the gathered students, setting the balls aside, where they floated away to pile themselves neatly on the floor. "Thank you all for humouring that little exercise in reactions. We'll circle back around to the significance of this in a few minutes." He paused, resisted the urge to sweep the drizzly rain droplets from his hair, and folded his arms across his chest instead. "Flying isn't for everyone - though it's always a useful skill to have regardless - and some people simply hate it. I'd like for you to tell me, even if you love it, what's your least favourite part of flying? Alternatively, why do you think some people prefer to avoid flying entirely?"
This, for the record, was very useful information to know. Kamran had never feared flying, there was very little he disliked about it. Aside from the question pertaining to the lesson topic, it was just very helpful to get these perspectives, especially when it came to teaching reluctant flyers. But anyway. "I'm thinking specifically about flying on a broomstick, but if you have answers about magic carpets, winged horses, anything else magical in nature, I'll accept those too."
What was his least favorite part about flying? The answer to that was not easy. Not easy to openly talk about anyway. Flying class brought back memories to him of what should have been an innocent fun lesson turning to a horrific moment. A moment in which the very institution that he had trusted to protect and educate him and his peers had failed his classmates so very badly. The time when he witnessed his friends and classmates getting their brooms blown up beneath them with no care taken at all to ensure they wouldn’t be injured from the fall or worse. Seeing his peers treated so unfairly while he had been allowed to keep his broom really ruined flying for him. For him flying was something he mostly just did in lessons but some of the people who were deemed unworthy to fly needed to be on a broomstick just as much as they needed air in their lungs. Some of them were talented quidditch players. Some of them were enjoying the magic of being able to leave the ground behind them for the first time. Devin didn’t care as much about flying beyond it being just another class, and a decent way to get in some outdoor exercise. So what made him so much more “qualified” to be on a broomstick? The time of the people who had imposed those rules was past them now, but his bitterness for flying lessons and his memories of how it made him feel remained. How was he supposed to explain all of that? So, instead Devin opted to remain silent although the expression on his face likely revealed that he was deep in self-reflection.
“Morning.” Ash muttered in professor Kazmi’s general direction. It was not implied in her response that it was a GOOD morning... in fact it kinda implied the opposite. But Ash was pretty sure that it was the morning, which was why ‘morning’ was the perfect greeting. Because it was the morning, get it? Ha ha.
You know what else was funny? In an awful kind of way? The question. Her least favorite part of flying. What a cruel joke. Well, Ash refused to answer. Her answer had probably spread around the WHOLE ENTIRE CASTLE by now, and she wasn’t going to talk about it. It was nobody else’s business what she thought the worst part of flying was. She remained coldly silent, and pretended to be ‘deep in thought’ or whatever, which wasn’t very far from the truth. She also gave subtle nods to Heath and Claudine (her friends that she didn’t hate), so that they would think she was totally fine. That was... maybe a little bit more of a lie.
Life was a joke and she was the punchline, wasn’t that true? Internally, Ash was laughing at the irony of it all. But externally, she was ‘daydreaming’. She took extra care to look sad and unfocused, because that usually meant people would leave her alone. She wanted them all to leave her alone. Mostly so that she could keep doing her own thing, but also because most people were mean. She just wanted to get to the flying part of the lesson and leave the almost-crying part behind. It didn’t really seem like that would happen anytime soon though. Sigh.
doesn't proofread tweets | #wrongaboutcereal | #siriusly? | emo to the extremo
After having selected two slices of bread for herself, Kins turned to give Mamie a small smile and a little wave before moving out of the way. She was a little surprised when Remy came to stand by her, but offered the younger Gryffindor a small smile too.
… Even though she still felt all sorts of guilty about what happened at the opening feast. Kins thought about that moment a whole lot. For reasons. In part because of what happened with Remy, but also because that’s where basically everything started between Ezra and Emm. Kinsay had a chance to stop the whoooole thing before it even started and because she didn’t, Ezra became Emm’s boyfriend. It was the start of so many terrible things. And Kinsay could have stopped it. She really, really could have.
But there’d be other times to fall down this spiral of thought because class was starting now and Kins usually liked what Mr. Kazmi had to say. Therefore, she’d pay attention. Emm would be really good at answering this question. Kinsay knew. But Kiz had answers too, so she raised her hand after taking a bite of bread. Which. Maybe wasn’t her best idea because she wasn’t done chewing when it came to her turn.
Trying to chew as quiiiiiiiiickly as possible (James kids are incessantly polite and it is so rude to speak with your mouth full), she held up her index finger and bounced around on her feet to signal that she was almost there. Please hold. Just one second. Please.
Almost there. Almost almost.
Okay! She was good now. ”Maybe they’re scared of heights.” Also. Could they learn how to fly magic carpets sometime too?
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Lemon!
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Remy was pleased and relieved when Kinsay smiled back at her. She didn’t think the older student would do or say anything horrible to her, she didn’t seem like a bad person. Maybe their first meeting was just one of those ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ instances. Besides, it was the Gryffindor, Emmerson, that was the mean one.
The first year nodded as Professor Kazmi started the class, she could understand why not everyone would appreciate flying. Heights was an obvious answer, one that she had overcome for flying purposes. “Weather could play a part, but I guess you can spell the weather.” Remy trailed off. Well, some people, like her, didn’t know weather altering charms yet.
She noticed the bread a little later than everyone else, but she definitely didn’t fancy it today. Especially during physical sports, she’d probably throw up.
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who could love me, I am out of my mind___________________________ _________________throwing a line out to sea to see if I can catch a dream
Violet had been enjoying the rain as she approached Flying Class (which she did not enjoy), when she was surprised by Professor Kazmi's thrown ball. Caught unawares, she was too late to catch it and it seemed to whizz right toward the center of her forehead for a few moments. But it missed and passed by her by several inches (or was it charmed to do that, she wondered) and sailed past her to land against a tree. Muttering to herself, Violet trotted over to retrieve it and then awkwardly threw it back to Kazmi, just barely landing it within his reach. "Sorry," she blushed, as she continued into the class area with her familiar school broom.
Then class started with a question--about what people don't like about flying. Well, Violet should be an expert on that. "What do I dislike most about flying?" she said when it was her turn. "Falling, that's what. And I think that's why a lot of people choose not to fly most of the time--if someone is not very good at it, they're afraid they might fall off or run into something and hurt themselves."
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Why did some people not like flying? A fear of heights was the first one that popped into Ivy's mind, but Kinsay had already covered it. That was a pretty common fear a lot of people had, so it made sense. But there were other reasons to not like flying too.
She raised her hand. "If someone's had a bad experience in the past with flying, they might avoid it forever after that because it reminds them of that experience." Like if they'd fallen off or been injured or...other bad things from not very long ago that she didn't want to talk about. Those things hadn't ruined her enjoyment of flying, but she had no desire to bring those memories up for herself or the other students either.
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if we fall, we will fall together; and when we rise, we will rise together__________________♥♥♥♥ together we are dangerous; together with our differences; together we are bolder, braver, stronger
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
Claudine's attention went Kazmi’s way though the balls floating away had her gazing at them for a while. Okay, so flying wasn’t exactly at the top of the list of things that Claudine would do for recreation. She simply liked it as it provided a challenge for her and like Kazmi said, it was a good skill to have. It turned out that she wasn’t half bad at flying as she thought she may have been.
The Slytherin raised her hand. “Stopping… braking…”Whatever you wanted to call it.. “Sometimes an obstacle just pops out in front of you unexpectedly. You either panic and not react, react while panicking and not being able to perform the braking technique correctly...either way, you can wind up crashing.” Kazmi would remember Claudine’s disastrous braking attempts during previous lessons.
Margaret grinned back at Kinsay and quickly grabbed one piece of cinnamon bread when it was her turn, stuffing it in her mouth almost immediately and following to stand by the Gryffindors. She frowned as Kazmi started talking about people not liking flying. That was nonsense. Flying was amazing. She loved everything about it, except having to stop.
Oh. And bugs.
She raised her hand once she'd finished her piece of bread. "Bugs," she said calmly. "I don't like swallowing bugs." She didn't really like them hitting her glasses, either, but what could you do?
Reflexes, eh? V wondered if she even HAD those. Maybe she did, though, because she found she that she wasn't really that clumsy, and that proooobably meant her reflexes with non-sporty things were maybe okay.
She would SEE.
But class was starting, and she didn't immediately see Lisa, Alfie, or even DANIEL...Serena, Remy, Ollie...hmm.
They had to be here, but Flying was also a little crowded. Mixed classes and such.
She raised her hand as he asked his first question. OH THERE WAS REMY. Victoria waved at her excitedly, noting that a lot of people mentioned fear being a component of their dislike of flying. She could totally see that, yeah. "I think my lease favorite part of flying is that it how well it goes depends on the person flying. If you're not a good flier, your experience will be baaaaaad. It all depends on YOU!" she nodded. ALSO MAGIC CARPETS ALWAYS SOUNDED SO COOL AND VICTORIA WOULD DEFINITELY OWN ONE WHEN SHE WAS OLDER.
It was legal, right? She couldn't remember. And she also couldn't remember EVER swallowing a bug while flying. "Do you fly with your mouth OPEN, Margaret?" she asked with a look at the Hufflepuff as if she thought Mamie was CRAZY even.
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"You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough."
Roman Gellar ● 1st Year ● Slytherin
Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Heath’s mood instantly brightened when Claudine appeared. Well, this was different! Usually he was the one to say hi to her first. “Hi, you,” he whispered, giving her the same greeting she always gave him, but there was little time for small talk.
Class was starting, and he turned his attention to Professor Kazmi as he spoke. He almost smiled when the man said flying wasn’t for everyone. That was so true! Frankly, he didn’t love flying. He’d gained some confidence in the subject, so he didn’t hate it like he used to. And he certainly agreed that it was important to learn - which was why he didn’t drop flying class. It just wasn’t his favorite. He considered the question. Personally, his reasons for disliking flying had more to do with his fear of heights in general than the actual broom flying itself, but that was one of the first things said.
Not wanting to be repetitive, he racked his brains for other reasons one might hate flying. He supposed some people might not like the uncertainty involved in flying. You never knew what was going to happen when you got on a broom, so there was a lot of potential for mistakes. That suddenly gave him an idea, and his hand shot up. “This isn’t my least favorite thing about flying,” he said, “but some people may dislike it because it’s not like recalling facts and figures in other classes. It isn’t something you can just read about and be instantly good at. It takes lots of practice and lots of mistakes, and failure frustrates some people.” Did that make any sense?
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Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...
Heads up? Devin tilted his head up towards the sky when he heard that direction, wondering what it was that he was supposed to be looking at. There was a pretty neat cloud. Was that what the professor wanted to show him? Or did the professor want him to notice the net that he presumed was some sort of safety device? His thoughts on clouds were abruptly interrupted when a ball hit him square in the chest. ”Ow!” Devin looked down to the ground where the ball had landed at his feet after hitting him. Oh. OH. That’s what the professor had meant. Catch the ball. Oops. Looked like he needed to get his head out of the clouds. Devin leaned down to pick up the ball and threw it back at the professor. He wasn’t very good at aiming though so the ball went considerably off course and a lack of power behind the throw gave it a rather short trajectory. There was a reason he preferred board games to sports games.
What was his least favorite part about flying? The answer to that was not easy. Not easy to openly talk about anyway. Flying class brought back memories to him of what should have been an innocent fun lesson turning to a horrific moment. A moment in which the very institution that he had trusted to protect and educate him and his peers had failed his classmates so very badly. The time when he witnessed his friends and classmates getting their brooms blown up beneath them with no care taken at all to ensure they wouldn’t be injured from the fall or worse. Seeing his peers treated so unfairly while he had been allowed to keep his broom really ruined flying for him. For him flying was something he mostly just did in lessons but some of the people who were deemed unworthy to fly needed to be on a broomstick just as much as they needed air in their lungs. Some of them were talented quidditch players. Some of them were enjoying the magic of being able to leave the ground behind them for the first time. Devin didn’t care as much about flying beyond it being just another class, and a decent way to get in some outdoor exercise. So what made him so much more “qualified” to be on a broomstick? The time of the people who had imposed those rules was past them now, but his bitterness for flying lessons and his memories of how it made him feel remained. How was he supposed to explain all of that? So, instead Devin opted to remain silent although the expression on his face likely revealed that he was deep in self-reflection.
Nothing? Well, alright, Kamran wouldn't push it. Even if Horton didn't look like he was thinking, he wouldn't have tried to draw an answer out of him. Not so long as he listened to instructions when the time came to actually fly, and took everything on board that was said before that moment.
SPOILER!!: Ash
Quote:
Originally Posted by astrocat
“Morning.” Ash muttered in professor Kazmi’s general direction. It was not implied in her response that it was a GOOD morning... in fact it kinda implied the opposite. But Ash was pretty sure that it was the morning, which was why ‘morning’ was the perfect greeting. Because it was the morning, get it? Ha ha.
You know what else was funny? In an awful kind of way? The question. Her least favorite part of flying. What a cruel joke. Well, Ash refused to answer. Her answer had probably spread around the WHOLE ENTIRE CASTLE by now, and she wasn’t going to talk about it. It was nobody else’s business what she thought the worst part of flying was. She remained coldly silent, and pretended to be ‘deep in thought’ or whatever, which wasn’t very far from the truth. She also gave subtle nods to Heath and Claudine (her friends that she didn’t hate), so that they would think she was totally fine. That was... maybe a little bit more of a lie.
Life was a joke and she was the punchline, wasn’t that true? Internally, Ash was laughing at the irony of it all. But externally, she was ‘daydreaming’. She took extra care to look sad and unfocused, because that usually meant people would leave her alone. She wanted them all to leave her alone. Mostly so that she could keep doing her own thing, but also because most people were mean. She just wanted to get to the flying part of the lesson and leave the almost-crying part behind. It didn’t really seem like that would happen anytime soon though. Sigh.
Really, this question was as close to a free pass as the kids here were likely to get, given there were no wrong answers. But still some of them opted not to have a go. And still Kamran would not force it. His eyes passed over Fox and on to the next student.
SPOILER!!: Ezra's BFF aka Kinsay
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack
After having selected two slices of bread for herself, Kins turned to give Mamie a small smile and a little wave before moving out of the way. She was a little surprised when Remy came to stand by her, but offered the younger Gryffindor a small smile too.
… Even though she still felt all sorts of guilty about what happened at the opening feast. Kins thought about that moment a whole lot. For reasons. In part because of what happened with Remy, but also because that’s where basically everything started between Ezra and Emm. Kinsay had a chance to stop the whoooole thing before it even started and because she didn’t, Ezra became Emm’s boyfriend. It was the start of so many terrible things. And Kinsay could have stopped it. She really, really could have.
But there’d be other times to fall down this spiral of thought because class was starting now and Kins usually liked what Mr. Kazmi had to say. Therefore, she’d pay attention. Emm would be really good at answering this question. Kinsay knew. But Kiz had answers too, so she raised her hand after taking a bite of bread. Which. Maybe wasn’t her best idea because she wasn’t done chewing when it came to her turn.
Trying to chew as quiiiiiiiiickly as possible (James kids are incessantly polite and it is so rude to speak with your mouth full), she held up her index finger and bounced around on her feet to signal that she was almost there. Please hold. Just one second. Please.
Almost there. Almost almost.
Okay! She was good now. ”Maybe they’re scared of heights.” Also. Could they learn how to fly magic carpets sometime too?
... Any second now. Any second. Really.
Kamran was about to good-naturedly tap his wrist to indicate that they really did need to get a move on, but James finally got there. He waited, half-expecting another question, especially given the delay, during which a dozen more questions might have occurred to her, but that didn't seem to be the case. He nodded instead. "Yes. A fairly common fear; I've taught a lot of students with such a problem. Not easily overcome, but many can grasp the basics regardless." The basics did not always require much height from the ground, so that much could be covered, at least. "Sometimes it might not be the height that's frightening, but what might happen at that height."
He didn't know, personally, and could only report on what he'd learnt over the years.
SPOILER!!: Remy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emzily
Remy was pleased and relieved when Kinsay smiled back at her. She didn’t think the older student would do or say anything horrible to her, she didn’t seem like a bad person. Maybe their first meeting was just one of those ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ instances. Besides, it was the Gryffindor, Emmerson, that was the mean one.
The first year nodded as Professor Kazmi started the class, she could understand why not everyone would appreciate flying. Heights was an obvious answer, one that she had overcome for flying purposes. “Weather could play a part, but I guess you can spell the weather.” Remy trailed off. Well, some people, like her, didn’t know weather altering charms yet.
She noticed the bread a little later than everyone else, but she definitely didn’t fancy it today. Especially during physical sports, she’d probably throw up.
Gaeltheos raised a good point, and one that was applicable to today's lesson too. "Absolutely, and most people will have their own preferred weather conditions." It depended, as ever, on the person and the situation. "Rain, sleet, and high winds can be particularly irritating. Dangerous, too."
Yes. Safety first, and all that. "You can indeed spell the weather, but in most contexts, this doesn't happen, and it's not such an easy fix if you're flying to travel." As they could all tell, Kamran didn't bother changing the weather from the less favourable conditions in his lessons; it would serve them to learn in all weathers. The only time he'd made such adjustments was that one awful year he'd had a class of very young ankle-biters students.
SPOILER!!: Violet
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadAlice
Violet had been enjoying the rain as she approached Flying Class (which she did not enjoy), when she was surprised by Professor Kazmi's thrown ball. Caught unawares, she was too late to catch it and it seemed to whizz right toward the center of her forehead for a few moments. But it missed and passed by her by several inches (or was it charmed to do that, she wondered) and sailed past her to land against a tree. Muttering to herself, Violet trotted over to retrieve it and then awkwardly threw it back to Kazmi, just barely landing it within his reach. "Sorry," she blushed, as she continued into the class area with her familiar school broom.
Then class started with a question--about what people don't like about flying. Well, Violet should be an expert on that. "What do I dislike most about flying?" she said when it was her turn. "Falling, that's what. And I think that's why a lot of people choose not to fly most of the time--if someone is not very good at it, they're afraid they might fall off or run into something and hurt themselves."
Kamran nodded when Blackthorne spoke, to confirm the question, and waited for an answer. An answer which, though it was no laughing matter, elicited a rare and subtle smile from the flying instructor. "I would have to agree with you. Fear of falling is a very big factor in why many people steer clear of flying." Which also tied into what James had offered her answer, the fear of heights. While for many people, just being high up was enough to trigger a fear reaction on its own, for many others it seemed to be the threat of suddenly falling from such a height. Factor in also that you were trusting a skinny strip of wood to keep you up in the air, and your own balance, and it was no wonder some avoided brooms like the plague. "Hold that thought just a moment, Miss Blackthorne."
SPOILER!!: Ivy
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl
Why did some people not like flying? A fear of heights was the first one that popped into Ivy's mind, but Kinsay had already covered it. That was a pretty common fear a lot of people had, so it made sense. But there were other reasons to not like flying too.
She raised her hand. "If someone's had a bad experience in the past with flying, they might avoid it forever after that because it reminds them of that experience." Like if they'd fallen off or been injured or...other bad things from not very long ago that she didn't want to talk about. Those things hadn't ruined her enjoyment of flying, but she had no desire to bring those memories up for herself or the other students either.
Kamran nodded along with this answer, particularly pleased with it as, as well as being applicable to flying, it could be applied to other contexts instead. "Absolutely, I've known many people in this exact situation." In flying, and in life too. Sometimes the avoidance was not exactly due to a specific event, but general fear, though Grimm had spoken more of bad experiences. "It's worth noting, in such situations, that if you have a bad experience like a fall or an injury, the sooner you get back into it the less likely it is that avoidance coping will take over. A few seconds of courage can make all the difference." This was why Kamran always encouraged his students to get right back on the broom after a tumble, and with minimal fussing over them, beyond ensuring they were not injured.
Really. All the difference.
SPOILER!!: Claudine
Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19
Claudine's attention went Kazmi’s way though the balls floating away had her gazing at them for a while. Okay, so flying wasn’t exactly at the top of the list of things that Claudine would do for recreation. She simply liked it as it provided a challenge for her and like Kazmi said, it was a good skill to have. It turned out that she wasn’t half bad at flying as she thought she may have been.
The Slytherin raised her hand. “Stopping… braking…”Whatever you wanted to call it.. “Sometimes an obstacle just pops out in front of you unexpectedly. You either panic and not react, react while panicking and not being able to perform the braking technique correctly...either way, you can wind up crashing.” Kazmi would remember Claudine’s disastrous braking attempts during previous lessons.
The corners of Kamran's mouth twitched, a tendency of his when students pulled in points or events from previous lessons. He could appreciate that, especially as Blaze was referring to a circumstance of her own, and how it all linked together.
"Panicking, crashing, even being nervous about potential obstacles, all reasons why someone might be hesitant to fly." Kamran nodded. "And a reminder that we learn to how to handle these obstacles in order to ultimately make flying easier, and less daunting. Good, Miss Blaze."
SPOILER!!: Mamie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waddles
Margaret grinned back at Kinsay and quickly grabbed one piece of cinnamon bread when it was her turn, stuffing it in her mouth almost immediately and following to stand by the Gryffindors. She frowned as Kazmi started talking about people not liking flying. That was nonsense. Flying was amazing. She loved everything about it, except having to stop.
Oh. And bugs.
She raised her hand once she'd finished her piece of bread. "Bugs," she said calmly. "I don't like swallowing bugs." She didn't really like them hitting her glasses, either, but what could you do?
Kamran nodded solemnly. Swallowing bugs was most un-fun. He might have replied that nobody particularly liked it, before he realised that that was probably not entirely true. One of the Flamsteeds had had a bit of a bug-eating problem in a previous lesson, but Kamran was not going to single him out right now.
"Definitely. There are charms you can place around your nose and mouth on days that the bugs are particularly problematic, but often these can be more hindrance than help. Best to get used to flying with your mouth closed-" And diving especially, just saying. "-and learn to withstand the sting when they hit you in the face."
Maybe it was easier, but they didn't need magic for everything.
SPOILER!!: V
Quote:
Originally Posted by kayquilz
Reflexes, eh? V wondered if she even HAD those. Maybe she did, though, because she found she that she wasn't really that clumsy, and that proooobably meant her reflexes with non-sporty things were maybe okay.
She would SEE.
But class was starting, and she didn't immediately see Lisa, Alfie, or even DANIEL...Serena, Remy, Ollie...hmm.
They had to be here, but Flying was also a little crowded. Mixed classes and such.
She raised her hand as he asked his first question. OH THERE WAS REMY. Victoria waved at her excitedly, noting that a lot of people mentioned fear being a component of their dislike of flying. She could totally see that, yeah. "I think my lease favorite part of flying is that it how well it goes depends on the person flying. If you're not a good flier, your experience will be baaaaaad. It all depends on YOU!" she nodded. ALSO MAGIC CARPETS ALWAYS SOUNDED SO COOL AND VICTORIA WOULD DEFINITELY OWN ONE WHEN SHE WAS OLDER.
It was legal, right? She couldn't remember. And she also couldn't remember EVER swallowing a bug while flying. "Do you fly with your mouth OPEN, Margaret?" she asked with a look at the Hufflepuff as if she thought Mamie was CRAZY even.
Kamran squinted just ever so slightly, untangling this answer. If he didn't know any better, he'd have said it sounded like Gellar's least favourite part of flying was... responsibility. In a sense. Responsibility for one's own skills and their resulting experience.
He couldn't pull her up on it, of course. He'd asked a question and she'd answered it, and couldn't be wrong for her opinions and least-favourites. Maybe they'd, uh, circle back around to that way of thinking eventually.
Kamran did interject at that last part, however, noting Gellar's expression and tone and wishing to avoid judgement and conflict for at least a few more minutes. "It happens," he pointed out, perfectly calm. "Sometimes you don't realise you're doing it, or maybe you need to communicate with someone else while in the air, or maybe you just can't breathe through your nose, for whatever reason. Just one of those things."
SPOILER!!: Heath
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy
Heath’s mood instantly brightened when Claudine appeared. Well, this was different! Usually he was the one to say hi to her first. “Hi, you,” he whispered, giving her the same greeting she always gave him, but there was little time for small talk.
Class was starting, and he turned his attention to Professor Kazmi as he spoke. He almost smiled when the man said flying wasn’t for everyone. That was so true! Frankly, he didn’t love flying. He’d gained some confidence in the subject, so he didn’t hate it like he used to. And he certainly agreed that it was important to learn - which was why he didn’t drop flying class. It just wasn’t his favorite. He considered the question. Personally, his reasons for disliking flying had more to do with his fear of heights in general than the actual broom flying itself, but that was one of the first things said.
Not wanting to be repetitive, he racked his brains for other reasons one might hate flying. He supposed some people might not like the uncertainty involved in flying. You never knew what was going to happen when you got on a broom, so there was a lot of potential for mistakes. That suddenly gave him an idea, and his hand shot up. “This isn’t my least favorite thing about flying,” he said, “but some people may dislike it because it’s not like recalling facts and figures in other classes. It isn’t something you can just read about and be instantly good at. It takes lots of practice and lots of mistakes, and failure frustrates some people.” Did that make any sense?
As Jones began, Kamran nodded once to show he he understood that this was not a personal answer. And then again, in agreement. "I think you're spot on there. While it is useful to know some things in theory before getting onto a broom, the majority of learning is done in practice, up in the air. Those who prefer to research and consult books before delving into practical learning will struggle, and probably dislike flying as a result." All this to say that yes, he was following. Books had their place, but there was only so far they could take a person in certain subjects. There was simply no parallel to getting on a broom and learning by doing, no matter what a person's preferred learning style was.
"Failure can be incredibly frustrating, another valid point. Thank you, Mr Jones." That could even work as a nice segue, as a matter of fact. Maybe. Sort of.
Once it seemed that everyone who was willing to answer had had their chance - and after one last scan of the students' faces to see if there was anyone who seemed like they wanted to speak, but hadn't - Kamran took the cue to move things along.
"You've all raised some very good, very valid points." Very useful points, all filed away for future reference, clues on which part of the curriculum needed most attention. "I'd like to just go back to Miss Blackthorne's answer. Falling." No doubt there were a few in this class who already didn't like where this was going, that statement in tandem with the net above them, but that was fine. Mostly fine. It would more than likely be fine. "Falling, especially from a height, is often a major concern in flying. This is particularly true for beginners, but even experienced flyers are not infallible. An awareness and healthy concern about falling is often what will keep you aware of what you're doing while up in the air." He did not need to go into the kind of accidents that happened when students ignored the danger of falling and acted like they were invulnerable when on a broom. Spoiler alert: they weren't.
... Maybe he did need to go into that. Time would tell.
"In an ideal world, falling would be a non-issue, but these things do happen and there's no point pretending otherwise. Instead, we learn how to handle it." Kamran studied the faces of the students, looking for the dawning realisation, seeking out fear where he thought he was most likely to see it. "My question to you is this: how can we prevent falling in the first place? Or, if it happens anyway, what can we do to minimise the danger, stop the fall, or prevent a catastrophic meeting with the ground?" Too much? No? No, he didn't think so either.
Anyway, in case more scope was necessary. "Remember, flying happens in many different contexts - weather, height, speed, and reasons for flying can make a different - so consider that what might work well in one environment may be extremely difficult in another. If you'd like to build on someone else's answer, keep this in mind."
OOC: Your character can answer either or both of the questions. If you're struggling to think of an answer that's not been said, your character can also build on a previous answer by applying it to different conditions, and considering what might work better. I'll be moving us on in around 24 hours.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!
Teapot Occamy| gryphons&giraffes&goats,OH MY | chaser of the truth | flutiful❧
Oh no. He did not like where this was going. From the sound of it they were going to have to intentionally fall off their brooms today. Survival instincts did not make that easy. Despite being a Gryffindor, Devin still had at least some self-preservation instincts.
Devin pointed to the net above them. ”This net is, I assume, one way to minimize damage from a fall. A net is a good solution to prevent injuries in controlled environments like this class where there are lots of people who might not be experienced fliers and might be at higher risk of falling, but it’s not a practical solution for someone who is traveling by broomstick because the whole world isn’t surrounded by a giant safety net.” The idea of a giant net around the world was kind of funny. As for how to avoid falling off in the first place, well, his answer would be to just not be on a broom in the first place but he didn’t think that was the answer the professor was looking for.
Ash was paying attention. Mostly. So she noticed when V was being lowkey rude to Mamie. But the professor was handling it, and besides, Ash was telling herself she didn't care. So she didn't respond. she didn't even act like she saw it. She moved closer to Heath and Claudine instead, because they were her friends. If people were mean to them, her response would be quite different.
Okay, so this next question was pretty safe. It wasn't asking about her personally, so people were unlikely to laugh at her or call her crazy when she answered. "To prevent falling, I guess you should know your skill level. Like if you are super new to flying, it wouldn't make sense for you to fly in bad weather." To be completely honest, she didn't really know how to minimize the danger. She'd been living as a muggle for 11 years, and she missed a whole year of flying. Her approach to falling was 'hope for the best and try to hit the ground with your arms and not your head.' She didn't think Kazmi was looking for that. And people would laugh if she said that answer, even though it wasn't funny and she wasn't joking. So she'd just... keep it to herself.
This time, when she looked into the distance like her mind was far away in some other place, it was real and not a facade.
Raspberry Jam | #ChocolateFrogFamous | Ultimate Fangirl
Ah, falling. Yes, that definitely was the biggest turn off with flying. She had fallen off her broom a fair few times, but thankfully hadn’t achieved too much height just yet for it to cause any damage. Becoming a little distracted suddenly, Remy noticed V waving at her rather excitedly, and she returned her enthusiasm with a wave back.
“There is a spell, The Slowing Charm, that can prevent a fall from being too dangerous.” It required quick thinking, of course. Remy did a lot of reading about spells like these, they all sounded so cool!
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who could love me, I am out of my mind___________________________ _________________throwing a line out to sea to see if I can catch a dream
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Flying Lesson 2 - Drop 
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