Welcome to the official opening of the Granger Institute for the summer of 2019, and the beginning of our first event !! This is our Welcome Weekend for arriving students, and it’s going to provide lots of opportunity to get interactions rolling ! The event will be taking place from now through Sunday, with Granger Institute classes beginning on Monday. You will have from now through Sunday to start any event-related threads --- which is anything taking place from June 28th-30th. Although we’ll be moving forward in the timestamp after that, you’re still more than welcome to continue your replies for as long as you need to finish the thread ! We just ask that starters be posted within the event duration.
Below the cut, you will find the full details for Welcome Weekend organized by the date they occur. As you’ll see, there are a few open “roles” within the event. These are open to anyone, just message us here or on discord if you can see your character doing any of those actions. The roles for the event are entirely first-come-first-served.
Now, some general reminders for opening: especially considering that our group is starting out on the smaller side, there’s really no reason not to be interacting with everybody. Whether it’s through open starters (of course, please reply to any that have already been posted before you consider posting your own, and don’t forget to put a link to your starter in the #open-starters discord channel!) or private threads, make it a goal to have something going with every character.
In regards to the replies themselves, there are no expectations as far as length goes. Long replies are lovely, and so are quick two-sentence ones !! Also, if you want, there is the option of technology-based interactions ! Since the wizarding world has grown much more tolerant of muggle technologies, students texting each other wouldn’t be frowned upon here (that said, it isn’t completely widespread, especially when it comes to more traditional families, so it’s up to your discretion whether or not your character would have been introduced to cell phones by their family).
Okay, I’ll stop babbling --- see below for a full weekend schedule !! Please tag all posts during opening weekend as #event 1, all starters with #grangerevent, and all open starters with #grangerstart. Happy posting and plotting !! As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about any of it.
FRIDAY, 28 JUNE: MOVE-IN DAY
The Granger Institute is bustling with students, parents, and pets as everyone moves their things into the 3rd, 4th, and 5th-floor residences (see here for an explanation of how the residences are laid out). Once moved in, students are able to explore the grounds, including the classroom wing (which will be locked for the remainder of the weekend) to get a sense of where they’ll be living and learning for the next two months. Despite the buzz and excitement, the day goes on with relatively few hitches --- with the exception of [role A], who somehow manages to explode the pipe in one of the kitchen sinks while preparing their first dinner, temporarily flooding the 4th floor. The chaos lasts for about an hour before caretakers Mr. and Mrs. Quarles are able to clean up the mess. Thankfully, no one is hurt (aside from a few very traumatized cats).
SATURDAY, 29 JUNE: FIRST PARTY
The day is free for students to roam about the Institute and greater London as they please, which gives them room for some chaotic ideas. gallo ollivander decides to throw the first party of the summer starting at 10:00pm, in the most well-hidden student lounge so as not to draw attention from Mr. and Mrs. Quarles. With a healthy supply of liquor and great music, the rages splendidly for about two hours --- until it gets a bit too loud and Mr. Quarles comes stomping upstairs to put an end to it. Looks like someone should’ve cast muffliato.
Students are sent promptly to bed, but this doesn’t stop everyone. gallo manages to get the word out that festivities will be continuing at the Leaky Cauldron, and a sizable group sneaks out and keeps the drunken shenanigans alive for a few more hours.
SUNDAY, 30 JUNE: ORIENTATION & WELCOME DINNER
First, students meet in their separate courses and have a chance to receive syllabi from their instructors, go over class structure and expectations, and meet their mentors (if applicable). Then, everyone is given a tour of the library by shrunken head librarian Petey, who is informative but still rather crass. Finally, students gather in the great hall to hear welcoming remarks and an overview of school rules from Headmistress Maria Planas, Assistant Headmaster Lyle Benjamin, and Mrs. Quarles. Everything goes smoothly and students are eager to finish their orientation and transition into the dinner, when suddenly, chaos erupts. It seems that lia priestley was whispering to a friend during Mrs. Quarles’ long explanation of what is and isn’t allowed in the courtyard, and Magizoology Professor Vasiliev didn’t take well to this. He turns lia into a mouse and shouts “keep squeaking, see where that gets you!”, causing reactions of roaring laughter as well as horror. The temporary interruption is settled quickly, with lia being turned back to their regular self by Headmistress Planas, and Professor Vasiliev being asked to go home and rest until his first class on Tuesday.
With orientation over and everyone starving, round tables and a long buffet are whisked into the Grand Hall for the Welcome Dinner. Students and faculty all feast together until everyone is quite full and Headmistress Planas whisks the plates away with a flick of her wand, suggesting that everyone gets a good night’s sleep before classes begin tomorrow.
with helen having returned back to her own room after helping max move his stuff in, the boy had decided against lingering around the residences to meet his new neighbours, instead taking an aged and expensive bottle of red wine he’d packed for the journey into the courtyard. perched on a low brick wall, he sipped leisurely from the bottle, taking in the natural beauty of the outside. he was perfectly content, in absolute solitude, and he almost forgot where he was, and what he’d signed up for.
that was, until a fellow student emerged from a nearby archway, and he glanced up at her casually, not trying very hard to conceal his alcohol. with his free hand, he gestured ( lacking a great deal of enthusiasm ) in her direction, a silent and listless hello.
max knows he is probably not the only new student aimlessly wandering the corridors, hoping to bump into another soul who might know the right way to go, so painfully lost that he can’t even remember where he came from anymore. the knowledge doesn’t stop the growing frustration he can feel in his chest, though, and as a stranger turns the corner he all but apprehends her, completely blocking her path and waving a crumpled piece of parchment in front of her face.
‘ excuse me, ’ave you got any clue where this room is ? i am meant to be meeting someone ’ere at 2, i am a bit late. ’
