Posting A Letter {Lauri}

[Lauri Ylönen]

Lauri stretched out his back, arms, and legs a little bit. He knew how to stretch out pretty well. He wasn't too much of a sports person, but he did enjoy skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing. If he could get out to do those, he would. Although, he still was really excited to try quidditch and flying out one more time. He always did have a pretty adventurous side to him... sometimes it even got him in trouble. Then Lauri snickered at what Kat said about convincing people.

"That's very nice of you!!" he said and put his arms down by his side, he felt the CD in his pocket. "Oh!" he said and reached in to pull it out. He grinned nervously. When she asked him about her broom Lauri said. "Hehe, I don't exactly have a broom..."

[Katherine Finnigan]

Katherine, with broom in hand, smiled over at Lauri and watched as he stretched out as well. It was good that he actually did do a bit of stretching since she'd have felt bad for him if he got a serious muscle cramp. It'd have proven that she probably wasn't the best person to be teaching flying lessons. Hence she was rather glad that he knew the proper ways to stretch out to prevent that sort of problem. While he finished up, she carelessly shifted the broom back and forth in her hands. The sleek finish of her broom felt wonderful against the cared to skin of each hand as she waited patiently.

"Oh yes...can't forget about that," she giggled softly as she noted the CD. Katherine had been rather excited to hear his music but Quidditch usually did leave her without much else on her mind. Of the broom, though, she replied, "No worries. You can use my broom...otherwise, we can rob the Quidditch supplies shed. There's a load of brooms in there...but they aren't the good ones. It's mostly the early, early model that they use for first year flying lessons. Mine handles much better...here..." Holding out the broom, she smiled enthusiastically at Lauri and waited for him to take it.

[Lauri Ylönen]

Lauri began to feel his shy side when he placed his CD into the player and kept it on stop until they had gotten themselves situated. Surprisingly he had been more social today than he was normally. Maybe because he felt more comfortable with someone from his own house than a complete stranger from say, Ravenclaw. She was holding out the broom for him, but he didn't take it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to use one of old brooms?" he asked. "I would feel very bad if I fell and broke your broom!!!" He laughed softly at himself.

[Katherine Finnigan]

Oddly enough, Katherine could tell that Lauri was starting to act a little more shy and quiet than he'd been nearly all day. Then again, she put two and two together to come up with the assumption that he was second guessing whether he should be playing his band's music for someone he'd only just met. That and the fact he'd be just learning to fly really. With a warm, reassuring smile, she offered the broom a little more firmly.

"You won't break my broom. Trust me Lauri," assured the Hufflepuff, "But...even if you do, it'll just be an excuse for me to beg my parents to get me a new one. See...win, win situation." Kat had been practically dying for a Firebolt Thirty-six Hundred but there was no need for a brand new broom since hers was in perfect condition. That plus she didn't have the extra money just lying around...like some kids did.

[Lauri Ylönen]

Lauri laughed at Kat as she explained to him that it was okay if he broke her broom, and he cautiously took the handle. Even though Kat would be okay with him breaking her broom, he woudl still feel ridiculously bad about it. Lauri knew that he most likely would not break it, he's just always been really cautious about things.

"That's pretty funny," he said. "So... what do I do? Hehe, I mount it right?" At this point in the lesson, nearly seconds into it, he felt extremely stupid. He grinned and pulled out his wand, flicked it, and one of his songs started playing. "This song will probably be better than the rest because we got a DJ to fix it up and add cool effects to it... We called it "In the Shadows""

(OOC- For disclaimer AND if you want to check it out I'm going to provide a link to all the things, they're real songs and I ♥ The Rasmus
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjoTAddU_JM&NR=1 -Haven't actually watched this vid so no comments)

[Katherine Finnigan]

"Yes. First thing is to mount the broom like this," Kat instructed. Pretending to hold an invisible broom, she put her right leg over to mimick the movements of properly mounting a broom. It wasn't as though it was incredibly difficult to mount a broom but it was the way she'd been taught by her father in the beginning so it was how she'd always helped to teach others.

As the music began to play, she paused what she was doing to listen carefully. She didn't have the keenest ears when it came to music but she knew what she liked and didn't like. The more she'd listened, a small grin started to form on her lips. "That's bloody brilliant," she praised only half way through the song, "You lot are amazing! Would you mind if I got a copy of that and sent it to me cousin? I know you lot would probably get begged to play at the clubs. Probably headline and bring in more patrons too."

{ooc: Sorry it took me so long to reply. I sort of lost the thread link. }

[Lauri Ylönen]

OOC- No problem!

Lauri did what Kat had demonstrated with the invisible broom and he followed her example. He had not remembered a thing about flying. The last time he was one a broom was the first time really, his first year at Hogwarts. He felt awkward on the broom, it was something that seemed so foreign to him, yet he should be a capable rider by now.

"I am sorry," he said. "But I cannot remember much about this, so you'll probably going to have to explain more about it than a normal person." He gave her another one of his sheepish grins at what he had just said, and about her comment about his music. "And thank you very much, and of course you can have a copy of CD! It'd be a pleasure and honor. Do you really think he would do that?"

Lauri was very excited about what Kat had just said. He squeezed his hands on the broom handle to release some of his energy that the excitement had brought. He also grinned very wide. He knew his friends were back at home right now, probably trying to DJ out more of the music and getting a CD published, and Lauri felt really guilty about not being there to help. If he could do something while he was away at school, he would feel as if he had made up to them all.

[Katherine Finnigan]

Giving him a reassuring smile, she replied, "No worries at all Lauri. Don't be sorry. I know loads of people who aren't too keen on flying. A couple of my cousins won't even touch a broom." Though, of course, she sometimes tried to pass it of as though she wasn't actually related to those cousins. It was hard for her to believe that anyone in her family could not fancy flying and Quidditch but, then again, everyone was unique and different people tended to enjoy different sorts of things.

"Trust me, I'm positive he'll do what he can to get you into a club. Liam's into music, even though he can't sing to save his life," she giggled softly, before putting her index finger to her lips and whispering, "Shh...but don't tell him that." Again, Katherine giggled about what she'd said. She absolutely loved her cousin Liam just like a brother so all of her jests were usually with the utmost affection...even if they sometimes sounded a little mean. Shaking off her giggles, she went on to say, "Really though, he's got friends who own and work in pubs and clubs all over Ireland so there'll be at least one to book your group...especially if they hear your music. Be fighting over who gets you first then."

Just barely realizing that she'd still been gripping her invisible broom, Kat laughed lightly at herself. It must have looked incredibly silly but she didn't mind. Now reminded that she was to be helping Lauri with his flying she said, "Alright then. Back to lessons here. Next thing you'll do is keep your broom level and lightly kick off from the ground...sort of like this." Once more, she mimicked the action of pushing off from the soft turf of the pitch.

[Lauri Ylönen]

Lauri laughed at Kat about some of her cousin's not touching brooms. He thought that was weird how she could love it so much and have such a great passion for it and then have relatives who wanted nothing to do with it. Then again, Lauri wouldn't really know. He wondered what it was like to have a magical family like most of the kids at Hogwarts, but he was a muggle-born.

"Wow, your cousin sounds great," he said and then laughed about her saying he couldn't sing. "And that is okay. I think everyone can be into music no matter if they can sing or not. Honestly, I am not a big believer in talent. I believe that everyone has the ability to do what they want if they truly try." He grinned and then looked at the handle of the broom."But that is really nice and I'd be very grateful." he added.

Lauri then watched her as she demonstrated the "kicking off" montion. He followed her steps and lifted off the ground. At first the broom wobbled, but he got his balance and hovered there. "Oooh," he said, looking at his dangling feet. "Last time I remember the broom going out of control instantly and me ending up on the ground, hehe."

[Katherine Finnigan]

Katherine had to nod in complete agreement when Lauri said that her cousin sounded great. She honestly wouldn't trade any of her family for all the tea in China but Liam was special. He was like a cousin, older brother and best friend all in one. Then again, they'd practically grown up together anyway so there was no reason she shouldn't think so highly of him. Smiling brightly, she gave her cousin one more thought before taking in everything else that Lauri had to say.

"It's no problem," Kat assured with a friendly smile. As she watched him kick off from the ground, she noted that he was just a little shaky at first but managed to get and keep his balance rather quickly. Smiling even more broadly, she praised, "Bravo there mate! You've got the first part down easy." Even Kat had to admit that she was rather proud of her friend's ability to keep the broom in the air and stay on it...especially after he admitted that he'd fallen off a broom straight away the last time he tried. "Care to start with a bit of easy flying or do you want to just hover a little longer?" asked Katherine after a moment

[Lauri Ylönen]

Lauri listened to Kat as she spoke. He could really tell that she loved everything about her family and heritage, maybe except the fact that her mother has to know everything she is doing. He found it quite interesting really, a lot of people that he met didn't like to talk about their parents or cousins, or even siblings. Lau would talk about his parents, but had nothing much to say. They were great people, very nice and supportive. They wanted to make sure Lauri wouldn't get hurt like most parents, and yet they weren't over-protective.

Lauri looked back down at his shadow on the ground and the broom wobbled again slightly. He gripped on to it a little bit tigther and then smiled. "I think I'm ready to try flying," he said, anxious to see how he would do. He felt quite confident today.

[Katherine Finnigan]

Katherine smiled proudly at Lauri, even when the broom shook a little beneath him. The fact of the matter was that he'd actually stayed upon the broom and kept it in the air. The flying instructor would never let the first years have a go at flying straight away. It was always a bit of hovering before landing. That was how the first few flying lessons always went. Mount. Kick off. Hover. Land. Then again, half the students didn't really get the first to bits until a week or two in. Rather than dwell, Kat asked, "Do you know the basics of landing? I mean, I think we should be sure you know how to land it before we get you too far off from here."

The more she thought about it, the more she considered her options for the future. Professional Quidditch was her calling and she hoped, more than anything, at least one professional team would see her potential and sign her. If not, though, she had no clue what she could possibly do with the rest of her life. That was, of course, until now. If nothing else, she could always teach flying and Quidditch...even if it wasn't at Hogwarts or in Europe at all. That would just be her back up plan though.

[Lauri Ylönen]

OOC- Sry i havent been on for a while. i've had rp block but i think im getting over it

Truthfully, Lauri had not given landing a thought, which was pretty dumb on his part. He laughed at himself and looked at her. He would have given himself a joking slap on his forehead, but he was too nervous to let go of the broom with one hand,

"Hehe. Landing would probably be good to start," he said. Every time he landed in class it was more of a fall and then slide off the broom quick;y as a dismount. For some reason when he was with Kat he was more comfortable on the broom. There were many reasons for this. He felt no pressure of failing a class, he was much older and more sterdy, and Kat wasn't intimidating like teachers can be. He figured he had a pretty good idea with how to land, but he'd wait for Katherin to explain to avoid any... accidents.

[Katherine Finnigan]

Luckily enough, she'd remembered the bit about landing before having him fly off on his own...especially since he agreed that learning about landing would be a good idea for starting places. For some reason, she was finding it hard to believe that she hadn't brought up the bit about landing sooner. It would have made sense considering landing was one of the basics involved with flying in general.

Giggling, she replied, "Ah, yes. Landing. Well, the first thing is to maintain your balance at all times. If you feel like you might fall or that you're going down too fast, just pull your broom level. Pull up if you feel like you're falling forward or going down too fast. Lean forward if you feel like you're slipping back or not going down at all. Nice and easy...steady and balanced. Ready?" Watching her fellow Hufflepuff, she took a few steps back so that he'd have plenty of space to practice his landing.

{ooc: No worries. I know how that goes so don't ever feel rushed to respond. }

[Lauri Ylönen]

Lauri listened to Katherine closely and he sat there, a little wobbly, with a concentrated look on his face. The second track on the CD came on which they called F-F-F-Falling. It was one of their pieces that they came up with together and had tons of fun doing. He smirked as the song came on because it was one of his favorites. Then, when she finished explaining to him on how he should land, he slowly but surely started to go down.

The broom began to lower and he felt that it was going to fast. So, like Kat said he began to pull up on the broom, but that he did a little too abruptly also, and he lost his balance. Instead of falling flat onto the ground, he caught himself and slid off of the side of the broom and planted his feet on the ground. He laughed, a little embaressed, but more so amused.

"Eh, sorry about that..." he said, grinning sheepishly. His head was slightly lowered and he had a few strands of his hair hanging in front of his face. "I for one am glad we practice landing before fly!" Lauri could imagine himself picking up speed and rolling right off the side like an unbalanced puppy dog.

(( youtube.com/watch?v=TEFsx9mFitY That's a fan made F-F-F-Falling video because their original video is mildly disturbing... ))