Open Practice Makes Perfect

[Amanita Castillo]

"We should play Sorting," Amanita announced, kicking her legs against the climbing frame she was perched on and listening to the ping of her heels hitting the metal. They played Sorting plenty at home, Mum made an excellent Headmaster but Dad kept thinking it was funny to sort Ama into different houses each time which was not the point of the game. If he wasn't going to take his job as the Sorting Hat seriously, then she was going to need to find someone else who did. Impartially.

"Chel, you can be a student," she said, glancing at her sister. She'd got into trouble enough trying to exclude Morchella from the game, even if it didn't make any sense for her to be sorted when she was obviously too young, but fine. Amanita didn't want to get home and get in trouble, especially not when Dad had so much extra time on his hands to be annoying about it after he'd taken the semester off. "Hine, do you wanna be the hat or the headmaster?" They'd definitely need extra people at this rate, regardless of what Hinemoa picked, so Ama was already scanning the playground for any hopefuls to rope into the game as well.

 

[Morchella Castillo]

Morchella had been enjoying letting herself dangle from the climbing frame, but pulled herself up to sit on it as Amanita announced what they would be playing. She puffed out her cheeks as she said they were going to play Sorting. AGAIN. It was all she wanted to play these days, and it was getting really old.

But she perked up when her sister said she could be a student this time. "Yay!" She said, happy that the last time she had cried to her parents about not being allowed to play properly had worked. Amanita had made her be the stool and had tried to sit on her. It had not been very nice. Deciding to push her luck, Morchella pulled herself up a bit so she was closer to her sister. "Can I go first?" She asked, though she knew she was pushing it.

 

[Amanita Castillo]

Ama kept a close eye on where Morchella was swinging. It'd ruin the game if she fell off and while Amanita had plenty of practice also playing Hospital Wing with Mum, she wasn't looking forward to spending the rest of the afternoon trying to stop Chel from crying if she fell.

"No you can't go first," Amanita snapped, rolling her eyes. This was why she didn't like letting Morchella play, she never got the rules. Merlin little sisters were stupid. "Sorting is alphabetical," she said, enunciating the syllables as clearly as possible. "A comes before M so, obviously, I go first," she said, kicking her heels again smugly.

 

[Ulric Vale]

Ulric had found himself once more at the park, abandoned by his mother as she went to do some shopping. But the last time hadn't been so bad so he was feeling slightly braver this time around. Today he eyed the playground and cautiously approached. He jumped as some other kids screamed as they ran past him. He felt a wave of relief when he saw the swings were free and took a seat gratefully. He relaxed slightly as he gripped the chains in each hand. Carefully he pushed himself back and forth for a few moments as he tried to relax. He felt woefully exposed around so many other kids. He had been told it was an important step to making friends but he wasn't convinced if it was really worth it. He kept his head down staring at his shoes hoping someone else would approach him first, or no one at all. Either way he could say he tried.