SCHOOL TRIP: Juniors

[goosemods]

SCHOOL TRIP: Juniors

As the junior class steps out off the Floo network, they're immediately hit by the humidity, in stark contrast with dry Utah. The excitement amongst the students (even if it's not totally unanimous) is palpable. They file onto buses, and soon they're on their way to the most magical place on earth. Everyone breaks out in high pitched teenage elation as the bus passes under the gate the proclaims this is the place where dreams come true. The Disney bus driver quips and jokes with the boisterous highschoolers.

Students are given packets that contain their hotel room key, park passes, allowance, a description of their dining plan and tickets, the itinerary, and a basic list of rules. For the most part, it looks like they'll have a lot of freedom, so long as they don't break any rules. "This is going to be great," Mr. Elmasty proclaims, who seems happy to be a kid more than a teacher this weekend.

HOW THIS WORKS

• The junior class is visiting Orlando, Florida! They'll be staying in the Pop Century Resort.


• They're in a block of rooms on the third floor of a set of buildings themed for 80's and 80's pop culture. The nearest swimming pool is themed like a 90's laptop.


• Staff presence: Ms. Rhee, Mr. Elmasry, Ms. Whittle


• Students will have to go through the North American Floo network, so they can't have any contraband in their bags, such as weapons or drugs. After arriving at the MACUSA Floo hub in Orlando, they'll be taken to their hotel on Disney property.


• For the two non-travel days, in the morning there will be a set school activity that's mandatory, and in the evenings students can do whatever they want to.
  • Friday: Our Body, The Universe Within / Orlando Science Center. Students leave at 9:00 AM, and return to the hotel at 3:00 PM
  
  
  • Saturday: Disney World. Just... go. The staff knows that's the only reason you're here.
• Juniors are given an allowance of $15 per day for food and leisure, as well as a Disney Dining Plan and a 3 day Parkhopper ticket to Disney World. Using the dining plan, students may spend "credits" on meals, allowing even those with minimal funds to go to expensive restaurants in Disney World if they strategize. Nice! Any room charges will come out of your character's allowance. They may spend their own personal money however they please.


• Curfew is 12:00 AM. Teachers will come through to make sure everyone is in their rooms. The only exception is for the students who are staying out later for "Extra Magic Hours" on Friday and Saturday night at the Magic Kingdom. Mr. Elmasry will stay out until 1:00 AM with students opting to do this, and he'll return to the hotel with them.


• Students are not allowed to take their wands into the Disney parks due to the International Statute of Secrecy. The staff give everyone a lecture reminding them about keeping their magic use under wraps.


• The park will be busy because it's Thanksgiving Weekend, and it will be decorated for Christmas already. The weather will be fairly mild for Florida, but still expect heat and humidity.


• ALTHOUGH THIS IS BEING POSTED ON 11/22, STUDENTS WILL NOT ACTUALLY BE LEAVING UNTIL THE MORNING OF 11/23!

Room 7359: Hazel / Susana / Cole

Room 7360: Austin / Samantha / Solomon / Regan

Room 7361: Bianca / Joanna / Milo / Isabelle

Room 7362: Gabriela / Evangeline / Charlotte

Room 7363: Madison / Ruby

Room 7364: Heathcliff / Spencer / Noel

Room 7365: Estella / Ira

Room 7366: Jefferson / Tristan / Zachary

Room 7367: Ariadne / Sebastien / Jade / Lucas

Room 7368: Calvin / Micah

Room 7369: Cassius / Todd

» DEPARTURE: Any scenes relating to leaving campus or arriving in Orlando can go here!

» THE HOTEL: Any scenes that take place at the hotel can go here!

» DAY TWO: EDUTAINMENT: Please just tolerate this one day of pretending the trip has educational value.

» DAY THREE: DISNEY WORLD: Your schedules are freed for an entire day in the Most Magical Place on Earth. You know, as far as muggles are concerned.

» GOING HOME: Time to pack up and return to Utah.

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Comments

DEPARTURE/ARRIVAL

[goosemods]

DAY 1: MAGIC KINGDOM (open to all)

[stclair]

Micah has never in his life been to Disney World before, but he'd spent his Muggle Tech hours leading up to this doing research. He read up on the best attractions, tips on navigating the parks, and how to best maximize the magic. They're not allowed to go until everyone's dropped off their things in their hotel rooms, and verified with a teacher that they're not taking their wands into the parks, which ends up taking up way too many hours.

Luckily, with it being Thanksgiving weekend, Magic Kingdom is open until midnight every night, leaving them with several hours before curfew and tomorrow's forced "edutainment." Micah walks with a cluster of his classmates through the gates, and snaps pictures of any of them who'll stand still long enough.

And there it is. "Cinderella's Castle!!!!" Micah spends exactly two seconds oohing and aahing before he lifts his camera again and asks for his friends to model in front of it.

THE HOTEL

[goosemods]

First night; open to multiple

[of_mice_and_men]

Eve sat outside of the hotel on the first night, doing something she'd done the first night she'd spent at Gooseberry. She sat cross legged, in a tank top and jean shorts this time, her hands on her folded knees, her eyes closed and just breathed. Back home, there would be a chill to the air, and the sky would've blackened like expansive bruises by midday, clouds heavy with water. Here, it was somehow muggy in November. The air moving in and out of her lungs felt different than London, and Hogwarts and Utah, and she just wanted to fully appreciate it. She wanted to appreciate it because she wasn't sure she'd ever return to Florida. She'd heard it referred to as the arsecrack of the states before, but it was still a place on earth, a place specifically far away from London, and for that she was grateful.

Night One; Room 7367

[novelling]

Among the nice new things her however-many-times-removed great aunt provided Ariadne for this new school year is a MacBook, which Ari has lugged with her to Orlando. She's a newcomer to computers, but a quick study, and unfettered internet access is something that's in short supply at Gooseberry. In fact, besides a few short days before term started, this is the first time she's had it. And whatever a normal teenager would use the internet for sans chaperones... well, she's doing this.

She's laying on her stomach on one of the two beds in the room, cross-ways and taking up the whole thing as if to claim her territory. She knows she'll have to share it, which she's trying not to think too much about. It's all fine and good when they're just sitting around, talking about their plans for the weekend and their opinions on Star Wars, but sharing a room with boys is just not something she's used to doing. And sharing a bed with anyone is something she's never done at all. Everyone else seems fine with it, but she's not quite at her ease, and she's still fully dressed even though they're settling in for the evening.

She'll need to get ready for bed eventually, change into her pajamas and take off her make up and all that. But she can distract herself with scrolling through repetitive headlines about the next Star Wars film for a little bit longer. Or she could, if anyone had anything interesting to say about it.

"There's nothing," she tells the others, shutting her laptop and rolling over onto her back. Besides the recently released title of the film, there's not much new information at all, and a year seems like an unbearably long time to wait, to her. "Maybe I'll just write it myself," she suggests.

Night One: Room 7368

[evercreep]

Calvin rolls his trunk into the tiny room, careful to drag it in far enough so that his roommate can get his own luggage through the door. It's cramped, but clean, and covered in bright colours that would appeal more to someone about five to ten years younger than either of them. Despite this, Calvin is excited. He's been trying to maintain some scepticism, but it's difficult when so many of his classmates are over the moon. He hardly knows any of the characters they're cooing over, and he absolutely will not be wearing mouse ears, but...

"This is fun," he concludes, and sits down on the foot of the far bed. His old steamer trunk (a hand-me-down from an uncle) is desperately out of place here. "Everythin's very... colourful. So many giant cartoon statues, lots of large letters with outdated slang plastered all over the buildin', hideous employee uniforms... Fun." His mouth says fun, his tone says amusingly tacky, I kind of hate it. "Do the, ah, actual parks look like this?"

DAY TWO: EDUTAINMENT

[goosemods]

Micah & Calvin visit Fake England

[stclair]

Honestly, Micah was pretty psyched to visit the Muggle Science Center and run through the Preserved Corpses Expo, but all of his plans had been Disney-World-related, so he's pretty eager to get back to it. "It" being Epcot, Micah's only chance to travel outside the country this year.

After forcing Calvin to stop several minutes so Micah can take photos of the giant golf ball, they're back on track. "Okay, so, that's Canada—" Micah consults the brochure in his hand, as though all the red-and-white flags weren't enough of a clue. "—which means, geographically, we'll be entering the United Kingdom next."

Epcot Hide and Seek; Open To Errybody

[aftokaiafto]

"Okay," Tristan says, brandishing a map at the assembled hide and seekers with gusto. They're standing beneath the shade of the Epcot globe that he was reasonably sure there was a more appropriate name for. "So here's what we're gonna do: all y'all split into groups of two, three max. Future World East and West are out of bounds, but the Future Plaza is safe zone. When a hiding group gets found, they become the new seekers. Group that gets found the least wins and gets to pick dinner, extras on me. Isabelle and I will take first round as seekers."

He checks the time on his phone and pockets it, grinning broadly at them.

"Meet back at the Showcase Plaza at six! Y'all got 'til the count of twenty."

He closes his eyes and turns his back to them, counting aloud.

"One...two...three..."

Edutainment Is The Worst: Heathcliff and Open

[heathclifflacey]

Heathcliff had been excited to get away from school and learning and feeling like a dope that doesn't understand anything, so when he figures out that part of their trip is going to be spent at two different scientific museums, he looks utterly miserable. Because this is suddenly like every family vacation he's ever been on and that's the last thing he wants.

Now, lingering with the others and waiting to enter the exhibit, he makes no attempt to hide how much he doesn't want to be here. He stands with his hands shoved into his pockets and his head tilted back toward the ceiling as he huffs out, "So lame..."

DAY THREE: DISNEY WORLD

[goosemods]

Cole & Open

[colemoss]

Cole isn't entirely certain how he ended up where he is now. After a morning full of walking through the massive park with his friends and riding the rides and enduring the general chaos of the environment, he'd just needed a few minutes to himself. And, because he's seen artists scattered all throughout Disney World, he'd taken out his sketchbook and started to draw a nearby park employee dressed like a character that he didn't recognize. The park employee had soon moved on but his efforts had caught the attention of a passing tourist and she'd asked him to draw her too. So he had and then he'd given her the picture. And when she'd tried to pay him, he'd said no. That was okay. He liked to draw.

That had gotten things going. And now he's been sitting here and drawing portraits of strangers for...a while? He isn't sure. But that's okay. It seems to make them pretty happy.

Two Nerds Go On A Capital D Date

[bubblewrapped]

Gooseberry is as close to off the grid as Lucas is able to tolerate. Normally, his preoccupation is with the lack of wifi, but as Disney drew closer and, with it, the promise of a certain degree of freedom, other things sprang up as significant. Like, it's really hard to go on a proper date with your boyfriend when the only place to go is the cafeteria and you're in constant, close quarters with 158 other people your age?

And, okay, so, that naturally led to the realization that he and Bash have never been on a proper Date. Which detoured into an existential crisis about the nature of relationships. And how bad he is at this. And who lets sixteen-year-olds do anything, anyway. And oh my god they're going to share a bed together - oy vey ist mir, what was he thinking. But that was like five days ago, man, and Lucas is cool now. Sorta. Kinda. (Fake it til you make it, Lucas.)

Anyway, the point is, they're going on a date. An honest-to-god, dressed up sorta nice, food and small talk and, you know, whatever else you do on a date Date. And speaking of not knowing what the hell you're doing, the first thought Lucas had upon seeing Sebastien once they'd both finished getting ready was a breathless sort of jumble that translates roughly to, But soft, what light through yonder window breaks... And you know the rest and I'm not elaborating because he's an embarrassment, honestly. Still, Lucas tries very hard to convey this feeling, several times, with words and without success, because Lucas' insides feel like warm melted caramel whenever Bash looks at him.

"You, um, you know, you're like, wow," is the closest he gets to right, stammered as they re-enter the park. Lucas hopes a meteorite falls out of the sky and ends his pain. He squeezes Bash's hand, anyway, expression fond, if a bit owlish.

Joanna & open to multiple

[fillefidele]

Joanna is, despite her natural scepticism and sarcasm, having an absolute blast. With a fairly mellow hotel room (Greer has his head on right and she knows Isabelle, obviously, so she can't begrudge the former's girlfriend being in the room), she has nothing to worry about - AND they have Rhee, Elmasry and Whittle who are all pretty damned OK in Joanna's book.

Yes, she wears Minnie Mouse ears the whole time. Deal.

Madison, Open

[cupquake]

Florida weather is gross. This place is gross. Everything available to eat has like 3000 calories, children are crying and yelling -- or worse, laughing or chattering joyfully -- everywhere, and it's too early for Christmas decorations.

Now that they've been given a structureless day, Madison feels... lost? She didn't want to come here in the first place and has no idea how to enjoy herself, so she's sort of wandering aimlessly through the crowds, painting a sad, sullen picture in her pink mouse ears and expensive sundress. Maybe it'd make more sense to just go back to the hotel? She could lie by the pool and read or something.

A Lost Child & Open

[novelling]

Ariadne, as she predicted, does not particularly care for Disney World. She's willing to put up with it, since her friends seem to be having fun, but roller coasters and rides are not something she enjoys. And sitting out one particular ride has unfortunately separated her from her group. It's hot, damp, children are screaming, she's hungry, and she has no idea how to get in touch with Jade. She doesn't have a muggle cell phone. Her journal is in her day bag, but the teachers' warnings about the Statue of Secrecy are still fresh in her mind. She knows the laws are stricter here than in England, and she can't get in trouble for that kind of thing. She just can't.

So instead of trying to contact her friends via magic journal, she mills around awkwardly, wondering if she should just get food on her own. The entire junior class is in the park today, after all. She's bound to run into someone she recognizes sooner or later. Whether that person will be a friend is another matter entirely.

Twisting the strap of her bag around her hand, she sits down at an unoccupied table and looks around. Almost anyone would do, at this point. Even one of the teachers. At least they'd be able to tell her if she's allowed to write in her journal right now.

DAY THREE: Jeffy & Essie vs. Fried Food

[racingstripe]

Okay, so, they like each other. That's been established. Like, kind of. It's been established enough. That was supposed to be the difficult part, the part that made them want to throw up (in a good way!!) and melt into the floor (also in a good way!!) and now there's just that big flashing question of WHAT NEXT? Is this... where dating happens? How does one transition from JUST FRIENDS to MORE THAN JUST FRIENDS when you can't really go on DATES that aren't just DANCES??

Jeffy is, basically, very confused, and he doesn't know why his sister keeps texting him to ask what he and Essie are up to at Disney when he definitely hasn't said anything to her about him and Essie because he doesn't even know what he would say and oh my god, she's just making it worse. Or is he making it worse?

Maybe he should do something with Essie. Like go on a date?? But not something super fancy, because that seems like too much, and they already did a fancy thing not that long ago, and also because Jeffy does not have enough money or enough strategic skill points to figure out how to spend his credits that wisely anyways, and once again, that is TOO MUCH. He and Essie aren't even, like, officially dating or anything (right???? he would KNOW if they were???), so that would be WEIRD but he wants to do SOMETHING and oh my god he's getting hungry, he needs to just say something so they can get some food.

"HEY," Jeffy says to Essie at what seems like an opportune moment, and hopes he wasn't just weirdly quiet for a super long time while he fretted over every aspect of this, "Are you hungry? We should get something to eat! If you want. I mean." He looks around for a convenient spot to eat, like this was something that just sprang into his mind right here and now, because he just happened to smell something super delicious. His eyes fall on a food stand serving the most quintessential carnival foods of them all: hot dogs, corn dogs, cotton candy, curly fries, and a general assortment of things both fried and sugary. Yep. There's the perfect date night meal right there. "That place looks super good."

The Most Boring Boy at the Most Boring Thing (Ira+Open!)

[ashworthless]

When he was about eight, Ira had come to Disney to celebrate his younger brother living to see age seven. He'd been pale, still struggling to breathe a little, and the whole thing had been a battle between Elias wanting to take off running through the park and ride every ride, and their mothers shoving him back into the wheelchair they'd secured for the day.

All of this had culminated in Ira convincing his little brother that the Hall of Presidents was actually cool, so that they could all sit down and have a rest from the arguing. They'd both discovered that it wasn't, quickly enough, but it was an agreed-on respite. They'd come up with quite a mythology about this place; that the presidents' souls actually haunted their animatronic figures, that only they could get them out. "Going to meet the presidents" became code for Elias is tired and won't admit he needs a break.

The memory is bittersweet enough. But it's why Ira's returned for the second time today, recording a small section of speech on his phone and then pausing over his brother's name, unsure what he'd provoke by actually texting it. To buy time, walks out of the "theater" and plays it back, sneaking as quickly as he can away from the hall, so when he meets up with one of his friends, he can say he was on his way back from a a much more exciting attraction. Abe Lincoln's narration coming from his phone says differently.

GOING HOME

[goosemods]

OOC 🐭 Questions, comments, concerns!

[goosemods]

Re: OOC 🐭 Questions, comments, concerns!

[evercreep]

Micah claimed Calvin for his first Haunted Mansion ride and Calvin also wanted to take Todd on a ""date"" at some point but OTHERWISE, CALVIN AND SPENCER ARE AVAILABLE. FOR THINGS.

Re: OOC 🐭 Questions, comments, concerns!

[racingstripe]

i have NO PLANS for either of my boys here. austin will :| the entire time, as he do, and probably spend a ridiculous amount of time just looking at his phone and watching youtube. pester him and make him do things and take super excited pictures next to this statue face. jeffy will =D =D =D the entire time and WILL LOVE EVERYTHING. INCLUDING THE EDUTAINMENT. HEY GUYS THIS SCIENCE CENTER IS GREAT!!!

IF YOU WANT TO DO ANYTHING GRAB EM, THEY'RE YOURS. I DON'T WANT TO OWN THEM ANYMORE.

Re: OOC 🐭 Questions, comments, concerns!

[aftokaiafto]

Can I interest you folks in a rousing game of EPCOT HIDE AND SEEK

Re: OOC 🐭 Questions, comments, concerns!

[lilwitchhazel]

Definitely thought the Austin starter said 'Austin and his butt'

Re: OOC 🐭 Questions, comments, concerns!

[theniceboy]

Fun fact is my sister is actually in Disney world right now Bc she (and her marching band) got to perform in the thanksgiving parade there today

Less fun fact is I had to Google rides Bc I've never been

Like is it just like six flags Bc I have no idea