Ready, Willing, and (hopefully) Able on Quidditch Pitch

Anne Wright

January 27, 2007 10:11 PM

Aladren Quidditch Practice by Anne Wright

Here we go again, Anne thought, jerking her ponytail a little tighter as she gave the team a smile and a nod and resolved not to let them see how stressed out she was. She couldn't believe anyone who'd been with her before had yet forgotten the disastrous previous season or forgiven her for it, and that was even before Kijewski and Romanova and tensions between two sets of team members were gotten into. Add in Geoff's inability to keep a straight face when the Dylan kid was mentioned, and Anne wondered if she would live long enough to see the Championship. Geoff said she would survive it just for spite, but she wasn't sure.

There was one small mercy in it all: none of the drama had come out from under the table yet. She had to work hard not to knock on wood every time she thought about that.

"Okay," she said finally, pulling the sign-up sheet from her pocket and smoothing it out nervously. "First things first. This is the Aladren House Quidditch team's first practice of the year, so if you're not an Aladren, leave." She paused briefly, then went on with her speech. "For anyone who doesn't know me, I'm Anne Wright, the team captain, so welcome, everyone."

How lame did that sound? She wanted to crawl under the stands, but that wasn't really an option. "Everyone from last year's team came back this year, but we do have some new people," she continued brightly. "Our three alternates are Hyana Kamiya, whose name I hope I pronounced right, Mika'el Romanova, and Robert Dylan." Geoff began to cough. Anne was grateful for a second small mercy. "Drink orange juice, Layne, I don't need you getting sick on me." He gave her a look that almost made her start laughing, but she moved on with the speech instead. It was just better all around that she not do anything to encourage gossips.

"For the new people, this is Geoff Layne, one of our Beaters. The other is Paul Tarwater." She gestured to him, and then to every other senior team member as she spoke his or her name. "Our Seeker is Zack Dill, our Keeper is Gray Markner, and the Chasers are me, Ben Stafford, and Zoey Welsh. Hyana and Robert will be working with us. Mika'el, you didn't specify a position when you signed up, so I'm going to put you with Gray. She's pretty good, so she should be good to show you the ropes. We'll let you get into it, then me and the other Chasers will start taking shots at you both to see what you can do."

She turned to Geoff and Paul next. "Beaters, you'll work with the Bludgers. It's up to you if you use one or two, but keep it under control. I don't want anyone here in the hospital at all, but if people have to get hurt, I'd prefer it to be Lexi Stafford or Gwen Carey who did the hurting instead of you guys." She gave Geoff a pointed look she was sure he'd understand, then turned to Zack, still at a loss for how to explain that meditating didn't qualify as doing something without actually saying it.

"It's basically up to you what you do, Zack, but try to get in some work with - uh - close turns." Another less-than-brilliant statement on her part, but it was as good as the next suggestion. Anyone who knew the first thing about Quidditch could tell at a glance that she'd never make much of a Seeker, and she had rarely played the position even in the informal matches with the Laynes. "The crowding got crazy a few times last season, so it'll be good if you can turn quick without needing a lot of room, just in case."

"Okay," she said again, putting her list back into her pocket a bit belatedly, "unless anyone has any questions or comments, we can get started." \n\n

Subthreads:

Ready, Willing, and (hopefully) Able by Mika with Grail Markner, Amy Fox

Finally! by Ben Stafford with Hyana Kamiya

16 Anne Wright Aladren Quidditch Practice 59 Anne Wright 1 5

Mika

January 28, 2007 7:35 PM

Ready, Willing, and (hopefully) Able by Mika

Mika sat in his wheelchair, back straight, as Anne spoke. He was smiling. Hyana might be surprised to see that he was smiling, even Anne might notice the atypical expression. Mika wasn't one to smile, even when he was happy, and here, listening to the boring beginning of the year welcome lecture, he looked as if someone had told him he was getting a puppy.

He was here, sitting on the quiddich pitch, about to go up in the air and fly, play, practice! He was going to play quiddich! Okay... he was going to bench-warm for quiddich, but hey, he honestly hadn't been sure they'd let him get even that far. Yeah sure, he was being given the gentlest position on the team, but what the heck did he care? In all honesty, it was probably the best place for him to start. If he was good at it, wonderful, if not, it was a stepping stone to another position.

He nodded when he was introduced, his eyes seeking the person he was to be partnered with, nodding to her when he met her gaze. When Anne was done speaking, Mika piped up.

"Please, just Mika." He grinned.\n\n

0 Mika Ready, Willing, and (hopefully) Able 0 Mika 0 5

Grail Markner

January 29, 2007 5:47 PM

Well I hope you're able if I get sick! by Grail Markner

Grail pulled Nikki's broom from the other girl's side of the room, and headed out onto the Pitch. She was glad, it was Quidditch practice time. And Gray had practiced by playing soccer goalie with Libby, one of the twins. She felt that, even though her position of Keeper was held a few hundred feet above the position of goalie was held, and even though she had to protect three large hoops rather than one small goal, Gray felt she'd improved from last year on her position.

She knew how to block a goal. Pretty well, in fact. And after explaining Quidditch to Libby, her sister had set up three soccer goals for her to protect. So Gray knew how to block three goals, at the same time. Also, Libby's help didn't come without a price, therefore Gray now knew how to take some pain (certainly not a bludger raging at her, but maybe a Quaffle thrown too hard). Now all Gray had to do was transfer her practice in the air.

Gray would not make a mistake like last time. She wanted Aladren to win. Therefore, she would do her best to protect those goals, and make sure that she didn't disappoint her teammates. Even Ariel had quieted down enough for Gray to listen to Anne, the Captain, so she knew what to do. Apparently, the insanity was nice enough to allow Gray one chance to not make a fool of herself. Or maybe Martin was holding her back? Whatever, Gray just took the best of it.

She smiled when she was introduced to the reserves as the Keeper, and looked over at Paul expectantly when he was introduced, as well as grinning over at Zack since she did like the odd boy after talking to him last year. Paul... that boy she hadn't been able to figure out. He seemed to avoid Gray. What an odd one he was...
But Gray knew she just had to ignore that. He was a Beater and she was a Keeper, they would have little to no contact during the game, just how the black haired boy seemed to want it. Gray did however realize she was staring at him when his cold eyes met hers, and she looked down with a blush.

Whoops.

Gray listened looking down and found she had to teach a boy named Mika. Now, while Aladren wasn't known for having word travel fast, Gray had already heard from around that Mika was the Russian boy in the wheelchair. Kavin had, actually, confirmed that. Also confirming that he didn't like the boy, that he thought the boy was stuck-up and was a cliched handicap. Gray had to frown when she heard she was working with him, even if she didn't know her half-sister's half-brother that well she couldn't help but trust Kavin's word.

Maybe he was wrong. But either way, Gray was nervous as she appraoched the boy. "Mika?" she said with a light, nervous, grin. "I'm Gray, Keeper. Here to teach you the ropes of Keeping in case I ever break a bone or get sick," gently she laughed. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm danger-prone. So you may get a bit of air time. Anyway, ready to fly?" And then with a little hesitation and a blush she added, "Uh... do you need help getting on your broom?"\n\n

0 Grail Markner Well I hope you're able if I get sick! 0 Grail Markner 0 5

Mika

January 29, 2007 6:15 PM

Of Course by Mika

Mika would have been flat out shocked, had he heard what Gray was thinking. first of all, he had never even spoken to Kavin, at least as far as he would be able recall, of course, he had met a lot of people recently. Further more, he would have been ready to punch the boy out. Had he known what Gray was thinking he would have almost been ready to go looking for Kavin to show him just what this 'handicap stereotype' could do. Namely, rearrange his face. Furthermore, aside from his HoH, Mika had yet to speak to a professor, so how he could be a suck up would have been beyond him. All in all, had he been psychic, he would have been dang curious how Kavin had acquired any opinion of him at all.

He watched the girl approach and saw her slightly nervous smile, and wanted to bang his head on the nearest wall. He smiled back politely instead. "I am Mika," he nodded in confirmation. "And I do not need any help onto my broom, thank you." He wheeled his chair a few feet away, out of the way, and put on the breaks. He stood, slowly, carefully, gripping his wheelchair, and with concentration, mounted his broom, sitting easily enough on it, all things considered. \n\n

0 Mika Of Course 0 Mika 0 5

Amy Fox

January 29, 2007 7:05 PM

OOC by Amy Fox

Mika,

I need you to wait until matters with the Headmaster have been resolved before you continue posting on this thread.

Thank you,

Amy Fox\n\n

0 Amy Fox OOC 0 Amy Fox 0 5

Ben Stafford

January 29, 2007 11:04 PM

Finally! by Ben Stafford

There was little doubt in Ben's mind that it was going to be a good day. That morning, he'd gotten up earlier than usual to go through his habitual morning routines; brushing teeth, showering, eating breakfast- the works. He'd marked the day in his mind long before, knowing that its arrival would finally bring him to the first quidditch practice of his fourth year. Ben was almost aglow as he made his way onto the sunny pitch, his trusty broom tight in grip.

He stood patiently as Anne introduced the past team to the newbies, a ritual he'd become accustomed to in the past years. Ben was leaning on his broom handle, relaxed. He always made an effort to smile to Anne while she delivered this schpeel, because it always felt like she was nervous in giving it. Not that Ben really knew her well enough to calm her nerves or anything, he'd just always felt that it was easier to talk to happy-looking people than unhappy ones. Ben waved a hand as his name was called off of the list of senior team members, just for future reference for the young'ns.

A short laugh burst from Ben just as Anne told the beaters to leave the injuring to Lexi. He shook his head slightly with a goodnatured air. He knew his twin could be rough, and certainly violent in a quidditch game, but she was a beater- it sort of came with the territory. If a stupid chaser doesn't have the presence of mind to look behind her before she got whacked in the head, she doesn't have what it takes to play the game.

Ben shrugged off the thought, however, its negative feeling clouding his sunny thoughts of quidditch. Besides, he didn't personally know Elizabeth, and he knew she was a fair opponent. Everyone makes mistakes now and then, he reminded himself. He finally made his way over to where Anne was standing while the other team members went off to their designated areas and tasks, sitting casually on his broom.

"Captain?" he asked with a grin, nodding towards the sky as if asking for permission to start their practice. \n\n

0 Ben Stafford Finally! 58 Ben Stafford 0 5

Hyana Kamiya

February 02, 2007 10:30 PM

I know the feeling by Hyana Kamiya

Hyana stood behind the others, holding her broom close. It was the Nimbus 2001 that she had borrowed from Josiah that she never got to return. She really hoped that he would be okay with her using it. She slightly adjusted her black hair, making sure it was still in a ponytail. She had read almost every book in the library about quidditch strategies, and playing, and she felt completely ready to start practice. Of course, she was still shy. When Anne mentioned her name, she felt at least one person's gaze turn to her. She turned slightly red and waved. This was her team. It was time to start being herself.

In the back of her head, she thought, Anne seems much nicer than Fox...what am I scared for? She listened to the speech, and even laughed when the beaters were told to leave the injuring to Lexi. She must be a very good beater. She thought to herself with a smile. This was going to be fun.

"Unless anyone has any questions or comments, we can get started." Anne said. Hyana mustered up all of her courage and went over to her fellow chaser, Ben. He was standing by Anne. She took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Hello." She said, her slight Japanese accent sounding weird. She was using such a...strong voice. "It's very nice to meet the two of you. I'm Hyana, but you guys probably figured that. I can't wait to get started!" She said, holding out her hand to the both of them. Be yourself Hyana. Be yourself.\n\n

0 Hyana Kamiya I know the feeling 0 Hyana Kamiya 0 5