Family Affair
Chapter 1 Do I have a choice in the matter?
Taiko was up early on the day of the Quidditch Junior League Championships. For the third year in a row, her team, The Lady Valkire, had to play the Wolf Dormitory Snow Wolves. The Snow Wolves never won against the Valkire. They went for power generally, not talent or intelligence. There were only two girls on the entire team, Maricia and Avril. Taiko and Maricia had been rivals since Taiko had transferred, with her mother, to Salem. She dressed in the Red, Gold, and Blue of Valkire Dormitory. Then she looked in the mirror as she brushed her hair.
Taiko didn't know why, but she kept expecting to see somebody else there with her. But there was only Taiko. Her hair was long, black, and a bit wild. Her eyes were as green as emeralds, fox green her mother had said. And of course, there was the crescent shaped scar that stretched around from her forehead to the upper portion her right cheek bone.
Taiko had gotten that scar when she was two. Her father had saved her in the final battle before the Death Eaters surrendered; the Battle of Dragon River. Her father had died saving her from a Death Eater named Lucius Malfoy. Taiko's mother said that he had taken a Toge-ken, the thorn fist, to the chest. Toge-ken was almost always used on the arms and legs. To hit the head or body with it would almost certainly cause a killing blow.
It's a new day
But it all feels old
It's a good life
That's what I'm told
But everything
It all just feels the same
Taiko walked downstairs to the Round Table room. There were four Salem Co-ed Dormitories; Valkire, Wolf, Bear, and Fox. Each one had a separate dormitory and a Round Table room, where they could socialize, do homework, etc. The special part about it was the round table itself. There was a map of the campus on it. On the map were tiny, moving dots showing where all the members of that particular dormitory were. That didn't include the teachers, but it did include the guests. All guests showed up on all maps.
Oji and Belili hailed her when she came downstairs. Belili played keeper on Taiko's team. Oji was a Student Diplomat. The Diplomats enforced discipline and assisted the teachers. There was a male and a female one for each year above fifth. "Taiko! The Headmistress was looking for you!" Oji came striding across the floor, as always, with a book tucked under his arm. Belili grunted something. This was Belili's first championship.
"What are you reading this time?" Taiko asked with a chuckle.
"It's a new theory on Arithmancy." Oji grinned proudly. "Professor Forma gave it to me. She says that I've got the makings of a true Arithmatist."
"I don't understand how you could do all that stuff." Belili rolled her eyes. "I mean, I look at one page and my brain goes dead."
"Its really very simple." Oji said huffily. "I wonder what your mother wanted to see you about."
"Whatever it is it can wait. Breakfast is almost over." Belili's stomach growled.
They made it to the Mess hall, only to be greeted by, "Ohhhh Tiger, you're in trouble!" Maricia came flouncing over, sneering at Taiko. Tora was Taiko's last name, and it meant Tiger. By Taiko's Native Japanese customs, Tiger was a courteous form of address.
Belili was bound by no such courtesy. "Fuck off Maricia. Taiko's behavior is none of your business."
"You'd better not eat too much Ferret Queen, you won't be able to get off of the ground. Especially considering how much your mother needs to lose..." Taiko and Oji had to drag Belili away from Maricia in order to prevent a fistfight.
At my high school
It felt more to me
Like a jail cell
A penitentiary
My time spent there
It only made me see
When they got to the locker room, Taiko and Belili changed so fast, Taiko half expected to put her robes on backwards or something.
They managed to make it onto the pitch in time. "And here comes the Valkire team. Rei, Diana, Belili, Taiko, Sei, Miya and Zaki!"
"One fourth the school is boo-ing." Belili stated, eyes wide.
" Yeah guess which quarter!" Taiko smirked.
"And the Wolfpack Team; Maricia, Clark, Avril, Bart, Stev, Sherman, and Grant" Ishtar, Diana's elder brother was commentating.
"The Team Captains will shake hands." They did.
"On my whistle!" Professor Falkner, the flight instructor told them. "And please Avril, make it a clean match this time."
Avril, the Wolf team captain, simply sneered, shaking her long, silky black locks from their neat plait. It was her trademark pre-game wolf shake.
The whistle blew. Falkner kicked open the trunk that contained the quidditch balls. Taiko leapt off the ground, twisted a spiral around the path of a bludger, then soared out of its reach.
"Aaaaannnnddd Sei Shonagon has the quaffle! She passes to Rei! Who passes to Tanya! Back to Sei and... ooooh! Bludger by Wolfpack Beater Grant! Its Avril with the Quaffle, passes to Bart, passes to Stev, reverse pass to Avril! AVRIL SCORES!!"
Taiko sailed upwards, squinting around for the snitch. As always when she flew, she felt indomitable. The elation of flight was incredible. She flew between the rings of her own goal post. "How you doing 'lili?"
"Great!"
That I don't ever wanna be like you
I don't wanna do the things you do
I'm never gonna hear the words you say
And I don't ever wanna
I don't ever wanna be you
Taiko grinned, then ducked out of the way as Bart Linos shot the quaffle their way. Belili caught it and passed it to Sei Shonagon. Sei, Rei, and Diana shot down the field towards the goal. As Taiko spiraled upwards again, she saw the snitch. Flattening herself against her custom Firebolt (which she'd named Greased Lightning,) and shot towards the snitch.
Don't wanna be just like you
What I'm saying is
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
Don't wanna be you
Maricia shot after her and below her. She would reach the snitch first. She would? Taiko would rather kiss a squid than let her do that.
"Go to college
A university
Get a real job"
That's what they said to me
But I could never live the way they want
Taiko twisted her knees around her broom and hung upside-down beneath it, which followed the snitch at a mere thought. She stretched.
I'm gonna get by
And just do my time
Out of step while
They all get in line
I'm just a minor threat so pay no mind
Maricia was zooming closer, closer. The Tanuki Twins, Miya and Zaki rammed both bludgers out of the way.
Do you really wanna be like them
Do you really wanna be another trend
Do you wanna be part of that crowd
Cause I don't ever wanna
I don't ever wanna be you
Time seemed to slow down. At the exact last second. Taiko's fingers closed on the snitch. She pulled herself back up on her broom just in time to avoid being hit with the bludgers again and crashing into the stands.
Don't wanna be just like you
What I'm saying is
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
Don't wanna be you
Taiko landed only to be almost crushed beneath her friends. The Tanuki twins were first on the ground. Then Rei, Sei, and Diana, and finally, Belili glomped her in an excess of joy.
Shake it once
That's fine
Shake it twice
That's okay
Shake it three times
You're playing with yourself again
Then Taiko was scooped up on the shoulders of her fellow Valkire. They carried her to where her beaming mother presented her with the gold, silver, and bronze Salem Junior Quidditch Cup, for the third time in a row.
You
Don't wanna be just like you
What I'm saying is
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
You all got to feel me
Sing if you're with me
You
Don't wanna be just like you
[Be just like you]
Taiko showered off in the locker room and made her way out, still toweling her hair dry. That move was one of her signatures, the Monkey Swing. She stopped. A kind looking old man with sparkling gray eyes and half moon spectacles was waiting for her.
"Ah, Taiko, your mother is waiting for you in her office, if you'll kindly show me the way?" The man arched an eyebrow, and his tone made it a question.
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
You all got to feel me
Sing if you're with me
"Okay, sir." Taiko didn't recognize this man. He was probably a visitor from another school, Taiko thought as she led the way to the screaming eagle that marked the entrance to her mother's office. "Exploding Snap."
Another loser anthem
[Whoa]
Another loser anthem
[Whoa]
Another loser anthem
[Whoa]
Another loser anthem
The door opened. And Taiko knew instantly that she was very likely in deep trouble.
Chapter 1 Do I have a choice in the matter?
Taiko was up early on the day of the Quidditch Junior League Championships. For the third year in a row, her team, The Lady Valkire, had to play the Wolf Dormitory Snow Wolves. The Snow Wolves never won against the Valkire. They went for power generally, not talent or intelligence. There were only two girls on the entire team, Maricia and Avril. Taiko and Maricia had been rivals since Taiko had transferred, with her mother, to Salem. She dressed in the Red, Gold, and Blue of Valkire Dormitory. Then she looked in the mirror as she brushed her hair.
Taiko didn't know why, but she kept expecting to see somebody else there with her. But there was only Taiko. Her hair was long, black, and a bit wild. Her eyes were as green as emeralds, fox green her mother had said. And of course, there was the crescent shaped scar that stretched around from her forehead to the upper portion her right cheek bone.
Taiko had gotten that scar when she was two. Her father had saved her in the final battle before the Death Eaters surrendered; the Battle of Dragon River. Her father had died saving her from a Death Eater named Lucius Malfoy. Taiko's mother said that he had taken a Toge-ken, the thorn fist, to the chest. Toge-ken was almost always used on the arms and legs. To hit the head or body with it would almost certainly cause a killing blow.
It's a new day
But it all feels old
It's a good life
That's what I'm told
But everything
It all just feels the same
Taiko walked downstairs to the Round Table room. There were four Salem Co-ed Dormitories; Valkire, Wolf, Bear, and Fox. Each one had a separate dormitory and a Round Table room, where they could socialize, do homework, etc. The special part about it was the round table itself. There was a map of the campus on it. On the map were tiny, moving dots showing where all the members of that particular dormitory were. That didn't include the teachers, but it did include the guests. All guests showed up on all maps.
Oji and Belili hailed her when she came downstairs. Belili played keeper on Taiko's team. Oji was a Student Diplomat. The Diplomats enforced discipline and assisted the teachers. There was a male and a female one for each year above fifth. "Taiko! The Headmistress was looking for you!" Oji came striding across the floor, as always, with a book tucked under his arm. Belili grunted something. This was Belili's first championship.
"What are you reading this time?" Taiko asked with a chuckle.
"It's a new theory on Arithmancy." Oji grinned proudly. "Professor Forma gave it to me. She says that I've got the makings of a true Arithmatist."
"I don't understand how you could do all that stuff." Belili rolled her eyes. "I mean, I look at one page and my brain goes dead."
"Its really very simple." Oji said huffily. "I wonder what your mother wanted to see you about."
"Whatever it is it can wait. Breakfast is almost over." Belili's stomach growled.
They made it to the Mess hall, only to be greeted by, "Ohhhh Tiger, you're in trouble!" Maricia came flouncing over, sneering at Taiko. Tora was Taiko's last name, and it meant Tiger. By Taiko's Native Japanese customs, Tiger was a courteous form of address.
Belili was bound by no such courtesy. "Fuck off Maricia. Taiko's behavior is none of your business."
"You'd better not eat too much Ferret Queen, you won't be able to get off of the ground. Especially considering how much your mother needs to lose..." Taiko and Oji had to drag Belili away from Maricia in order to prevent a fistfight.
At my high school
It felt more to me
Like a jail cell
A penitentiary
My time spent there
It only made me see
When they got to the locker room, Taiko and Belili changed so fast, Taiko half expected to put her robes on backwards or something.
They managed to make it onto the pitch in time. "And here comes the Valkire team. Rei, Diana, Belili, Taiko, Sei, Miya and Zaki!"
"One fourth the school is boo-ing." Belili stated, eyes wide.
" Yeah guess which quarter!" Taiko smirked.
"And the Wolfpack Team; Maricia, Clark, Avril, Bart, Stev, Sherman, and Grant" Ishtar, Diana's elder brother was commentating.
"The Team Captains will shake hands." They did.
"On my whistle!" Professor Falkner, the flight instructor told them. "And please Avril, make it a clean match this time."
Avril, the Wolf team captain, simply sneered, shaking her long, silky black locks from their neat plait. It was her trademark pre-game wolf shake.
The whistle blew. Falkner kicked open the trunk that contained the quidditch balls. Taiko leapt off the ground, twisted a spiral around the path of a bludger, then soared out of its reach.
"Aaaaannnnddd Sei Shonagon has the quaffle! She passes to Rei! Who passes to Tanya! Back to Sei and... ooooh! Bludger by Wolfpack Beater Grant! Its Avril with the Quaffle, passes to Bart, passes to Stev, reverse pass to Avril! AVRIL SCORES!!"
Taiko sailed upwards, squinting around for the snitch. As always when she flew, she felt indomitable. The elation of flight was incredible. She flew between the rings of her own goal post. "How you doing 'lili?"
"Great!"
That I don't ever wanna be like you
I don't wanna do the things you do
I'm never gonna hear the words you say
And I don't ever wanna
I don't ever wanna be you
Taiko grinned, then ducked out of the way as Bart Linos shot the quaffle their way. Belili caught it and passed it to Sei Shonagon. Sei, Rei, and Diana shot down the field towards the goal. As Taiko spiraled upwards again, she saw the snitch. Flattening herself against her custom Firebolt (which she'd named Greased Lightning,) and shot towards the snitch.
Don't wanna be just like you
What I'm saying is
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
Don't wanna be you
Maricia shot after her and below her. She would reach the snitch first. She would? Taiko would rather kiss a squid than let her do that.
"Go to college
A university
Get a real job"
That's what they said to me
But I could never live the way they want
Taiko twisted her knees around her broom and hung upside-down beneath it, which followed the snitch at a mere thought. She stretched.
I'm gonna get by
And just do my time
Out of step while
They all get in line
I'm just a minor threat so pay no mind
Maricia was zooming closer, closer. The Tanuki Twins, Miya and Zaki rammed both bludgers out of the way.
Do you really wanna be like them
Do you really wanna be another trend
Do you wanna be part of that crowd
Cause I don't ever wanna
I don't ever wanna be you
Time seemed to slow down. At the exact last second. Taiko's fingers closed on the snitch. She pulled herself back up on her broom just in time to avoid being hit with the bludgers again and crashing into the stands.
Don't wanna be just like you
What I'm saying is
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
Don't wanna be you
Taiko landed only to be almost crushed beneath her friends. The Tanuki twins were first on the ground. Then Rei, Sei, and Diana, and finally, Belili glomped her in an excess of joy.
Shake it once
That's fine
Shake it twice
That's okay
Shake it three times
You're playing with yourself again
Then Taiko was scooped up on the shoulders of her fellow Valkire. They carried her to where her beaming mother presented her with the gold, silver, and bronze Salem Junior Quidditch Cup, for the third time in a row.
You
Don't wanna be just like you
What I'm saying is
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
You all got to feel me
Sing if you're with me
You
Don't wanna be just like you
[Be just like you]
Taiko showered off in the locker room and made her way out, still toweling her hair dry. That move was one of her signatures, the Monkey Swing. She stopped. A kind looking old man with sparkling gray eyes and half moon spectacles was waiting for her.
"Ah, Taiko, your mother is waiting for you in her office, if you'll kindly show me the way?" The man arched an eyebrow, and his tone made it a question.
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
You all got to feel me
Sing if you're with me
"Okay, sir." Taiko didn't recognize this man. He was probably a visitor from another school, Taiko thought as she led the way to the screaming eagle that marked the entrance to her mother's office. "Exploding Snap."
Another loser anthem
[Whoa]
Another loser anthem
[Whoa]
Another loser anthem
[Whoa]
Another loser anthem
The door opened. And Taiko knew instantly that she was very likely in deep trouble.