Sort Your Sims Ficfest Prompt #1
There's a new ficfest thing at simspiration that Marina's hosting (apparently Marina=Simspiration in my mind) based on the Pottermore thing going around, where people can give you prompts for your sims crossing over into the Harry Potter-ish universe.
Prompt: Birch wants into Gryffindor because the colors look like grilled cheese.
From: lauriempress
Rating: Universal/Everyone
Other: Curse you all and your distractions. And it's kind of sad how this is a completely crack-y crossover thing and yet this response gives a more in-depth backstory to Birch (admittedly with extra magic thrown in) than I've ever actually given otherwise.
Also: This has turned out massively depressing. I knew it would be, but I surprised even myself. Probably because it's Birch and that's not what you expect. Also, I seem to have lost the ability to appropriately paragraph things. I need to save my grammar ability for dissertations?
Word Count: 1240
Birch's life had gone through a lot of changes in the past few weeks.
The first Birch had known, his mother was calling him downstairs because a man had shown up at their door, asking to speak to him and his parents about a potential place at a special boarding school. At first he'd assumed that his step-father had finally arranged to get him out of the way for their proper family, while his mother assumed that his old school had had him tested for his odd obsessive behaviour and this would be a special school, but apparently it turned out that Birch was a wizard.
His mother had been angry at what they assumed was some kind of prank and told the man it was lucky her husband wasn't there, but she quietened down when he made their television levitate. Apparently Birch's biological father had been a wizard, which he hadn't mentioned and was probably why he changed his mind and suddenly left, before he could know Birch was going to exist. Birch had always wondered what his Dad did, but tended to assume it would be something like a salesman or a policeman or something - not a magician or an... aura? The man who'd come to talk to them mentioned some magic-y careers like that.
To start with, his mother wasn't interested; they'd expected him to go to a local school, the non-magic world was good enough, and she didn't really like the idea of sending one of her children so far away for most of the year. The man managed to talk her down sufficiently to at least discuss it with her husband when he returned and consider it a little more. But clearly she was hesitant to tell his step-father the whole truth if Birch wasn't going to be allowed to become a proper wizard anyway, so she left out the magic part of the boarding school story. Birch remained in the lounge with the wizard while they talked in hushed tones outside the room.
His step-father was depressingly receptive to the idea. He could hear his voice through the wall, saying how it was a great idea given Birch's condition and behaviour; Birch would be better off there and the rest of them would function better with him around less - his younger half-sisters wouldn't have to share a room anymore either.
The wizard took pity on him in the terribly awkward situation overhearing this, as Birch increasingly slumped into the sofa, and asked what he wanted. Birch replied that he thought being able to make things float was cool, and the man had smiled and told him that they'd be happy to teach him all that and much more. Birch had thought for a second before asking if it was possible to create grilled cheese sandwiches by magic - the anxiety was making him crave his traditional comfort food and he'd rather not have a panic attack without it, but he felt rude leaving the room with a guest alone and people talking about him just outside - and the wizard told him to wait a few minutes as he literally disappeared into thin air, then reappeared five minutes later with a freshly grilled sandwich. He kind of wanted that man to adopt him there and then, school or not.
In the end they decided that yes, they would be happy for Birch to go there, even if his step-father didn't know the truth about it. It wasn't stated outright in front of him, but it became increasingly apparent that the official story even amongst the family was that Birch was going to a special school to work with his unusual behaviours and obsessions, and apparently Birch couldn't really prove otherwise without possibly breaching wizard law about revealing magic to muggles, and if he said he was a wizard without proving it, people would only assume he was more crazy anyway.
So it was a secret, just between him and his mother. Birch was sure he'd heard before that sharing a secret could bring people together, but his mother obviously didn't like it - especially lying to everyone else in the house - and was very tetchy, particularly on the trips to London, where they'd claimed Birch's school was. Her short temper and frustration spoiled the trip to Diagon Alley, where Birch couldn't help but want to look at EVERYTHING, but felt like every moment he kept her there more than was necessary was hurting her, so things went quickly. He got the cheapest of everything on his list, as well as a supple, nine-and-a-half inch wand of hornbeam and phoenix feather. He also badly wanted a pet to take with him, but from the look on his mother's face, she was on the verge of snapping and changing her mind about the whole thing. Birch was forcing her to be a part of a whole new world she couldn't really be - and didn't want to be - a part of. So he stayed quiet and obedient, hid the books and equipment away in his room, ready to be taken back to London on the first day of term.
They were given directions on how to get to Platform 9 and 3/4, but she held back from walking through, unwilling to cross that boundary. Instead she took Birch's face in her hands, tears in her eyes, told him she'd miss him and that he could come home if he didn't like it, and it didn't matter what he was. He nodded and kissed her goodbye before pushing his trolley through alone, feeling like he was still somehow choosing to put her through this massive ordeal, like the way he was was always causing somebody trouble. Some momentarily-free adult helped him get his suitcase on board the train, and Birch remained more or less alone for the entire journey, though some others shared his compartment. He wasn't in the mood to talk. At least his mother had packed him a - now long-cold - grilled cheese sandwich for the trip. They usually didn't encourage him. He had no idea what he was going to, just that apparently he'd be good at it and everyone else would be better off with him away more. He felt a million miles away from his family, and anyone who cared for him, in every way.
So - when "Ryman, Birch!" was called out and he took that long trudge up through the huge hall of students and teachers (of whom he knew only one person at all) to an ancient hat which talked, and pulled it down over his dreadlocks and was asked, after barely listening to 'Ravenclaw' and 'Slytherin' getting dismissed, "do you have a preference?" - he didn't really have much of an answer to give.
He looked at the people at the tables and saw little difference, then at the symbols and wasn't particularly fussed by the animals either. He was beginning to panic under the attention and anxiety, face getting hot and eyes welling up until all the colours blended together on their banners. He really needed a grilled cheese sandwich-
"Which one is the red and gold?" he whispered quietly over the hat's worried attempt at consolation.
"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart."
Birch didn't care about that. "That one," he demanded.
The hat hesitated for a moment before declaring "GRYFFINDOR!"
Prompt: Birch wants into Gryffindor because the colors look like grilled cheese.
From: lauriempress
Rating: Universal/Everyone
Other: Curse you all and your distractions. And it's kind of sad how this is a completely crack-y crossover thing and yet this response gives a more in-depth backstory to Birch (admittedly with extra magic thrown in) than I've ever actually given otherwise.
Also: This has turned out massively depressing. I knew it would be, but I surprised even myself. Probably because it's Birch and that's not what you expect. Also, I seem to have lost the ability to appropriately paragraph things. I need to save my grammar ability for dissertations?
Word Count: 1240
Birch's life had gone through a lot of changes in the past few weeks.
The first Birch had known, his mother was calling him downstairs because a man had shown up at their door, asking to speak to him and his parents about a potential place at a special boarding school. At first he'd assumed that his step-father had finally arranged to get him out of the way for their proper family, while his mother assumed that his old school had had him tested for his odd obsessive behaviour and this would be a special school, but apparently it turned out that Birch was a wizard.
His mother had been angry at what they assumed was some kind of prank and told the man it was lucky her husband wasn't there, but she quietened down when he made their television levitate. Apparently Birch's biological father had been a wizard, which he hadn't mentioned and was probably why he changed his mind and suddenly left, before he could know Birch was going to exist. Birch had always wondered what his Dad did, but tended to assume it would be something like a salesman or a policeman or something - not a magician or an... aura? The man who'd come to talk to them mentioned some magic-y careers like that.
To start with, his mother wasn't interested; they'd expected him to go to a local school, the non-magic world was good enough, and she didn't really like the idea of sending one of her children so far away for most of the year. The man managed to talk her down sufficiently to at least discuss it with her husband when he returned and consider it a little more. But clearly she was hesitant to tell his step-father the whole truth if Birch wasn't going to be allowed to become a proper wizard anyway, so she left out the magic part of the boarding school story. Birch remained in the lounge with the wizard while they talked in hushed tones outside the room.
His step-father was depressingly receptive to the idea. He could hear his voice through the wall, saying how it was a great idea given Birch's condition and behaviour; Birch would be better off there and the rest of them would function better with him around less - his younger half-sisters wouldn't have to share a room anymore either.
The wizard took pity on him in the terribly awkward situation overhearing this, as Birch increasingly slumped into the sofa, and asked what he wanted. Birch replied that he thought being able to make things float was cool, and the man had smiled and told him that they'd be happy to teach him all that and much more. Birch had thought for a second before asking if it was possible to create grilled cheese sandwiches by magic - the anxiety was making him crave his traditional comfort food and he'd rather not have a panic attack without it, but he felt rude leaving the room with a guest alone and people talking about him just outside - and the wizard told him to wait a few minutes as he literally disappeared into thin air, then reappeared five minutes later with a freshly grilled sandwich. He kind of wanted that man to adopt him there and then, school or not.
In the end they decided that yes, they would be happy for Birch to go there, even if his step-father didn't know the truth about it. It wasn't stated outright in front of him, but it became increasingly apparent that the official story even amongst the family was that Birch was going to a special school to work with his unusual behaviours and obsessions, and apparently Birch couldn't really prove otherwise without possibly breaching wizard law about revealing magic to muggles, and if he said he was a wizard without proving it, people would only assume he was more crazy anyway.
So it was a secret, just between him and his mother. Birch was sure he'd heard before that sharing a secret could bring people together, but his mother obviously didn't like it - especially lying to everyone else in the house - and was very tetchy, particularly on the trips to London, where they'd claimed Birch's school was. Her short temper and frustration spoiled the trip to Diagon Alley, where Birch couldn't help but want to look at EVERYTHING, but felt like every moment he kept her there more than was necessary was hurting her, so things went quickly. He got the cheapest of everything on his list, as well as a supple, nine-and-a-half inch wand of hornbeam and phoenix feather. He also badly wanted a pet to take with him, but from the look on his mother's face, she was on the verge of snapping and changing her mind about the whole thing. Birch was forcing her to be a part of a whole new world she couldn't really be - and didn't want to be - a part of. So he stayed quiet and obedient, hid the books and equipment away in his room, ready to be taken back to London on the first day of term.
They were given directions on how to get to Platform 9 and 3/4, but she held back from walking through, unwilling to cross that boundary. Instead she took Birch's face in her hands, tears in her eyes, told him she'd miss him and that he could come home if he didn't like it, and it didn't matter what he was. He nodded and kissed her goodbye before pushing his trolley through alone, feeling like he was still somehow choosing to put her through this massive ordeal, like the way he was was always causing somebody trouble. Some momentarily-free adult helped him get his suitcase on board the train, and Birch remained more or less alone for the entire journey, though some others shared his compartment. He wasn't in the mood to talk. At least his mother had packed him a - now long-cold - grilled cheese sandwich for the trip. They usually didn't encourage him. He had no idea what he was going to, just that apparently he'd be good at it and everyone else would be better off with him away more. He felt a million miles away from his family, and anyone who cared for him, in every way.
So - when "Ryman, Birch!" was called out and he took that long trudge up through the huge hall of students and teachers (of whom he knew only one person at all) to an ancient hat which talked, and pulled it down over his dreadlocks and was asked, after barely listening to 'Ravenclaw' and 'Slytherin' getting dismissed, "do you have a preference?" - he didn't really have much of an answer to give.
He looked at the people at the tables and saw little difference, then at the symbols and wasn't particularly fussed by the animals either. He was beginning to panic under the attention and anxiety, face getting hot and eyes welling up until all the colours blended together on their banners. He really needed a grilled cheese sandwich-
"Which one is the red and gold?" he whispered quietly over the hat's worried attempt at consolation.
"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart."
Birch didn't care about that. "That one," he demanded.
The hat hesitated for a moment before declaring "GRYFFINDOR!"