Amy Fox
January 28, 2009 1:47 AM
Quidditch Match 2: Aladren vs. Crotalus by Amy Fox
The second game came during the first weekend in March. February had been full of freezing temperatures but it had slowly gotten warmer to where the mornings were mild and the days were only a bit warmer, with temperatures only rising to the upper 60s.February had also been a busy month for Amy, as it had been packed fully of practices and matches held on pitches throughout the US. It looked as though her comeback to Quidditch had turned out to be positive and that the League would keep her on for another year. The papers continued to question when she would return to her old self but she had learned that she valued her place too much to jeopardize it.
Standing in the middle of the pitch, Amy surveyed her surroundings. The stands were slowly being filled with spectators dressed in blue and black, or red and silver. Banners and noisemakers were beginning to appear.
As the players of Aladren and Crotalus began to make their way onto the field, Amy could hear people calling out for their houses, their friends, their peers. There was an air of excitement building, the anticipation becoming thicker by the moment.
Retrieving her broom, Amy waited for the teams to circle round before she addressed them all, "Alright y'all, I shouldn't have to say this, but you know the rules. There will be no dirty plays and no cheating. As usual, captains, be sure to have your reserve players on hand should you need them. Also, if anyone gets injured, I've been instructed to inform you that you should make your way over to the medic's tent and Wolfe will help you.
"This game will continue until the Snitch has been caught. Captains, I want you to come forward and shake hands before returning to your teams." Moving to the chest of Quidditch balls, Amy carefully opened the lid, releasing the snitch and bludgers in a timely fashion.
The quaffle was safely stored under her arm as she mounted her broom and rose into the air. "You all know the drill. On the count of three, the whistle will sound and the game will begin.
"One, two, three!" She lobbed the Quaffle high into the air as the whistle sounded throughout the pitch. The game had begun.
Subthreads: I'll call this an auspicious beginning. by Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser with Geoffrey Spindler, Crotalus Chaser, Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser, Geoffrey of Crotalus, Paul Tarwater: Aladren Beater, Geoffrey Layne, Aladren Keeper, Amy Fox, Geoffrey the Red
I guess being bored is a good thing by Earl Valentine, Crotalus Keeper
[Spectator Thread] An Unlikely Spectator by Chelsea Brockert with Holly Greer
To those who wanted me to be hit by a bludger... by Alexis Ashwood-Seeker with Fox
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Amy Fox
Quidditch Match 2: Aladren vs. Crotalus
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Amy Fox
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Geoffrey the Aladren Keeper
February 04, 2009 10:08 PM
...Gone by Geoffrey the Aladren Keeper
The Quaffle had no more than left Geoff's hands before the whistle blew. Apparently, he and the other Geoff would get to face off once more, only without the hectic pace of the normal gameplay. Anne, who had almost gotten the ball back for Aladren, looked murderous. So much for her attempts at Miss Calm-and-Normal-on-Gameday.Geoff Spindler held the Quaffle a moment, as if thinking of what to do with it, and did not take the shot. Instead, the Crotalus captain passed it to Helena.
This struck him as a little unusual, but he supposed it did not much matter which Crotalus Chaser had the Quaffle if it was impossible for an Aladren to take it away. It might, in fact, be better for him that it was Helena; she'd made some shots over the years, but not many goals. A tendency toward performance anxiety might've had something to do with that.
Based on the frown she wore, said tendency was kicking in. He watched her carefully, sure she would give herself away before making the shot. That was the one upside of penalty shots: with one definite Chaser to focus on, it was easier to see what that Chaser was doing.
Because he was watching closely, Geoff saw his sister look right, as though summing up the distance. He decided she'd have looked that way longer if she was feinting. That - to his detriment - proved to be a bad decision. He caught the wrist movements indicating she would actually go left, but too late; she managed to make the goal.
Since she was his sister, he decided to be charitable about it and not make any rude gestures upon seeing her delighted smile. Instead, he just grabbed the Quaffle and - hopefully for the last time this game - threw it hard toward the blue Chaser he estimated the Crotali would have the hardest time intercepting it en route to.
Next year, he was seriously going back to Beating.
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Geoffrey the Aladren Keeper
...Gone
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Geoffrey the Aladren Keeper
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Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser
February 07, 2009 2:54 PM
Too late, Aladren. Missed your chance. by Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser
The quaffle went in! After a hollered whoop for Helena and Crotalus' first goal, Oliver readied himself for the Keeper's throw. Aladren's Geoff aimed for the Chaser with fewest opposition near them - a good plan in one respect, but Oliver had guessed that's where the Quaffle would be aimed and he was ready to get there first.As the Keeper let go, Oliver coaxed his broom into its path, and though he didn't manage to catch the ball, he stretched out an arm and managed to bat it out of the Aladren Chaser's reach. Momentary success, but Oliver didn't pause to think about it as he dropped a few feet, feeling his stomach get left behind, on a quest for the ball he didn't catch. This time, when he reached out, Oliver managed to scoop the quaffle back in his arm, and held it to his chest, keeping the other hand firmly on the broom handle. Doing his best to avoid being bludgered or tackled, he dropped yet lower as he turned before shooting skywards back towards playing height.
Having intercepted the Keeper's throw, he was already close to the Aladren goals, but didn't think he was in the best position to shoot. So when he looked up to see another red player not far away, Oliver slammed his broom hard to the side, almost stopping midair, and threw the ball immediately: a little upwards, a little to the side, but not a great distance. Even as the ball left his fingertips Oliver rose back to playing height and sought out the Aladren players, ready to stop the quaffle again if necessary.\r\n\r\n
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Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser
Too late, Aladren. Missed your chance.
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Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser
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Geoffrey the Crotali
February 07, 2009 3:14 PM
You snooze, you lose by Geoffrey the Crotali
Oliver was getting a little predictable, Geoffrey mused as he caught the Quaffle neatly and immediately swerved to avoid being hit by a Bludger. He chanced a glance over his shoulder, gave the Beater who had sent the ball his way a cheeky salute and considered yelling something to the twins about how they could try doing something with the bludgers to, like - and this was clearly a strange and new idea - protecting their team from them! But that would wait.After the game, if they didn't get their act together beforehand.
It was getting crowded around the Aladren goals. Anyone would think that all the action was happening here, Beaters, Chasers... Geoff Layne hovering in front of the goals and undoubtedly watching his every move. Poor Earl, stuck at the other end with nothing to do but watch. Stephen had used to complain about that problem. Not when he played Crotalus though, Geoffrey recalled with pride.
There was a sharp whistling sound and Geoffrey dropped like a stone, but not fast enough.
He managed to retain his grip on the Quaffle, but only just. His arm, on the other hand, was hurting something fierce, for all he'd only been grazed by the Bludger thundering past.
He wasn't going to get the chance to try for a goal this time. Not at the moment, anyhow. He needed a moment to get his momentum back, but taking that moment while holding onto the Quaffle would be a mistake. It was too late for a Porskoff Ploy, besides which no one was below him on in a prime position to be there in a timely fashion.
Geoffrey took another glance over his shoulder, and based on what he saw, shifted the quaffle to his left hand and made a reverse pass. It wasn't as strong as he'd have liked it to be, but then he was right-handed.
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Geoffrey the Crotali
You snooze, you lose
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Geoffrey the Crotali
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Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser
February 07, 2009 4:53 PM
And other such comments by Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser
As he glanced swiftly between the Aladren Chasers and the quaffle, Oliver flinched as he saw the bludger hit his captain's arm, the warning that was forming in his throat already too late.Slowed from his recent manoeuvre, Oliver hesitated a split second longer before making his decision. Geoff wouldn't be able to make a decent shot if the bludger had done much damage, and right now Oliver was more likely to retain his team's hold on the ball by assisting Geoffrey than by marking the opposition.
Already facing the goals, Oliver kicked in more speed to catch up with the quaffle. Ever accelerating, he pulled closer to his captain's side and caught the quaffle as it was thrown back to him. Oliver kept the ball in his fingertips as he passed Geoff, knowing it would only be a second or two before it was released again. Hoping the reverse pass would be enough to distract the Keeper, even if only for a moment, Oliver flew directly for the center hoop. Probably half a second too early, he aimed for the right hoop - his strongest side - and allowed the quaffle to sail from his fingertips.
Oliver's aim had always been good (although sometimes flying and dodging bludgers made it less perfect), but then it wasn't a simple as getting a ball through a hoop; a sixth year on a broom would be doing his best to stop it. Unless the Warrens took him out.\r\n\r\n
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Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser
And other such comments
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Oliver Abbott, Crotalus Chaser
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Paul, Aladren
February 08, 2009 3:59 PM
urging me to drop off the face of the earth by Paul, Aladren
Paul had gotten over his previous embarrassment fine enough, well fine enough for him. In a normal situation where he had just embarrassed himself, he would have dropped down to the ground and slunk off trying to look unnoticeable. It was what he had done enough times before, after all, because it seemed the safest thing to do then. Not in this game. He liked his skin, and he normally liked being alive. Anne maiming him for a stupid move would be okay compared to Anne completely murdering him for abandoning them in the middle of something he’d already screwed up.Chrissy was doing… a lot better than him. Her initial target hiding over by the Crotalus Beaters, making it impossible to catch the Seeker and knock her down. But he needed to hit something. Paul thankfully saw a Bludger in his area, hitting the captain of the Crotalus just as he passed the Quaffle (ugh, even the sight of that horrid ball) to Oliver. But, with his shaking arm, he took care to hit the Bludger this time, and hit it over to the pale boy. Paul was, unfortunately, too late. It was the taking care, the nervousness that yes this was the Bludger that made him slower, and when the hit came it turned into his sore arm. A hiss between his teeth, the curses bit down when he noticed his second mistake.
Paul dropped down and circled that area, just hopping Layne would get to the Quaffle before it went through the hoop again. It was the best Paul could do right now, hope things got better. Hope that Aladren finally got ahold of that stupid red ball. He spotted his Bludger again and tailed along, searching for the next thing to hit.
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Paul, Aladren
urging me to drop off the face of the earth
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Paul, Aladren
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Geoffrey of Aladren, Keeper
February 08, 2009 10:09 PM
Don't do that! Their team is still standing! by Geoffrey of Aladren, Keeper
A few months earlier, Geoff had picked up one of Anne's big Muggle Studies books out of curiosity and read about a game called "ping-pong". He had not really seen the point of it, but he remembered that it involved people hitting a bouncy-ball or something like it back and forth. If Aladren was as good as it was going to get, Geoff thought he and the three Crotalus Chasers might very well have invented a new sport: Ping-Pong for Wizards.It was one thing to lose the Quaffle to the enemy. Two out of three Aladren Chasers were new, and no team, regardless of talent and experience, ever held onto the Quaffle for a full game. It was another thing, though, to not be able to take the ball out of the immediate vicinity of the scoring area. That was not good.
Admittedly, that had been an...interesting move on Abbott's part, but still. If he had been Aladren's captain, the team of Chasers would have been due for a lecture after the game about watching what the opponents were doing, dammit. As it was, he could only hope they were sufficiently embarrassed.
He watched the Quaffle go to Spindler - their best shooter. Geoff kept his eyes fixed on the Quaffle, determined not to miss again. He had a moment's hope that things might start, at last, to go right again when Spindler failed to miss one of the Bludgers entirely, but he managed to retain the ball and throw it. Backwards.
For a moment, he couldn't see the Quaffle. That was bad. He found it with Abbott as the fourth year, apparently copying his captain, flew straight at him. Instead of going left as OtherGeoff and Lena had done, though, he went right a touch too soon. For the first time in this apparently cursed game of Quidditch, he managed an actual save.
About time, he thought, between satisfaction and the lingering irritation, throwing it back toward the blue side and hoping for a better outcome than his first two attempts to return the Quaffle to Aladren. Ping-Pong for Wizards had the potential to interest sociologists, but Geoff failed to find it amusing.
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Geoffrey of Aladren, Keeper
Don't do that! Their team is still standing!
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Geoffrey of Aladren, Keeper
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Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser
February 10, 2009 5:08 PM
Keeping this interesting. by Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser
When she lost the Quaffle to Spindler, Anne didn't know if she should laugh, cry, or just start hexing people.As the game went on, she began to consider doing all three.
Her team was going to pieces. Paul couldn't tell a red ball from a black one, Geoff couldn't catch, and she didn't even want to think about how brilliantly she and her two fellows were doing as Chasers. The only things that could have made things worse would have been an announcer and damage to her Seeker.
At least Jera was safe. If she could only stay that way and catch the Snitch, Anne was more than prepared to let Paul's faux pas with the Quaffle go. She would have to make a note of it, ask what had gone wrong there, but she could, and would, be generous if they could only win.
The third time around (it had to be some kind of record for Sonora), Geoff finally managed to properly block a shot. At last, Fate decided to acknowledge her need for something to go right. When he returned the Quaffle to play, Anne didn't hesitate in going after it. If she ran over Abbott, Helena, or even one of her own Chasers, that was their problem, not hers.
No such collision occurred, however, and she managed to get her hands back on the Quaffle. Refusing to get caught up in the wave of euphoria that caused, she went up in the air as quickly as possible to avoid the swarm of Crotalus players, wrapped one arm securely around the Quaffle, and took off.
Though the disasters of the first part of the game were at least as much her fault as anyone else's (well, except the mess with Paul; she'd had nothing to do with that), it was hard to think of passing the Quaffle again. Aladren had to have at least one shot on the goals, and the Crotalus team had interception down to an art. However, it was very rare for anyone to fly the length of the pitch with the Quaffle without being flattened, and getting killed would not help the Aladren cause. Wishing with all her might for a little more luck, she made eye contact with another Hawks Chaser, took her right hand off her broom, started to feint right, and passed the Quaffle left.
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Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser
Keeping this interesting.
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Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser
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Renaye Warren, Crotalus Beater
February 10, 2009 6:40 PM
Me too. by Renaye Warren, Crotalus Beater
Renaye woke the morning of the game with a shock. She was on time! On time? That sort of thing never happened on such an important day. Had the universe decided to play a trick on her? The sun was shining; her uniform was on the foot of her bed, her broom was leaning on the wall beside her, in plain sight, she had plenty of time for a shower, maybe even time for some strategizing with Alexis. Renaye pushed back her blankets with silent care, as was the usual in her dorm, like stepping through a mine field. On her way to the shower room, her green eyes scanned the outdoor sky. This was too good to be true. Maybe the sneaky Aladrens had found a way into the Crotalus dorms and put her under a sleeping charm. Maybe Cecily decided this was the perfect time to seek revenge and put a Sleeping Dust in her bed. Or maybe fate was smiling upon her today…In a matter of twenty minutes, Renaye’s long blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she was dressed in her uniform. It took all her will-power to actually stop by Cascade and grab some nutrition. Her mind was on the pitch. If it was up to her, breakfast would be skipped and she would be on the pitch already. It didn’t take long for her feet to take her to the pitch, however. The stands had begun to fill with early-birds, making Renaye's heart pound. There was so much time to burn before the whistle sounded. But the time passed quicker than expected. The blonde girl returned her brother's thumbs-up. She was ready to show what they could do as a team. He better be ready too.
"You woke up early, I see?" She said with a wink. The teams assembled, ready to kick off. Renaye was almost too caught up in the sights around her. The distraction almost made her miss the whistle. She was a quarter of a second off, but it mattered not. She was in the air. The Quaffle was sent from Crtolus to Aladren possession, but Raye was looking for an entirely different ball. Her eyes were on a bludger that, whether or not the other team could see it, had her name all over it. The Aladren captain was not too for off. What a devastating thing it would be for the Aladrens to have an injured captain... The would be a Crotalus plus, right? Renaye took in a slow breath, building her energy into her arms as she cranked back a hit that would send the metal deathtrap straight towards Anne. As she and the bludger closed the dangerous distance, Raye swung.
The crack of bat on bludger was one of the most satisfying things to hear. The signal of a good hit. Renaye glanced around for Josh, hoping to see the Crotali in control of both bludgers. Cool. Good job, brother. Raye held up a thumbs up and sped away. Maybe, if she was lucky, the crowd would give her the reassurance that she had done her job right.
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Renaye Warren, Crotalus Beater
Me too.
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Renaye Warren, Crotalus Beater
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Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser
February 11, 2009 8:23 PM
Gets dull when the risk of injury gets too low. by Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser
Some were more alert to it than others, but every Quidditch player eventually learned to the last note the sound that a Bludger made as it cut through the air. Anne was sure she'd heard it in her dreams, sometimes. It always seemed to have a malevolent edge, though reason said it was just her brain playing tricks on her because she knew what the noise was a forerunner of. Her reading insisted they attacked without a plan, hitting whatever got in their way, but it was easy to assume they had intelligence and a fondness for blood.Inherently evil-sounding or not, the whistling she heard as she passed the Quaffle was definitely that of a Bludger. It lead to three logical conclusions. One was that the Beaters had lost possession of at least one Bludger. The second was that, in all probability, a Crotalus Beater had seized that Bludger. The third was that she needed to start moving.
She sped up and lost altitude, avoiding the Bludger Paul or Chrissy had apparently lost. Maybe one of the Crotali would take the hit instead.
As the game was still going, though, she didn't look to see if she was right. Instead, she looked for the Quaffle. That was, and had to be, her focus until the game was over.
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Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser
Gets dull when the risk of injury gets too low.
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Anne Wright, Aladren Chaser
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Josh and Renaye Warren, Crotalus Beaters
February 11, 2009 11:34 PM
Our thoughts exactly. by Josh and Renaye Warren, Crotalus Beaters
Renaye bit the inside of her lip, contemplating her next move. She figured a mere hit wouldn't be so successful, but now the Aladrens knew they were in the game. The time had come for a strategy to be undone. Renaye looked around. It appeared that Josh's bludger had been avoided as well.... meaning that both Bludgers were open and ready for the taking. The blonde girl sped up, her ponytail whipping behind her. She was soon caught up to her brother's playing height, giving him an glance and holding up a hand, as if about to give him a high-five. Josh's pale blue eyes met hers for a moment and he nodded. They both set off, immediately continuing their persuit of the metal balls.Josh loved this part of the game. The twins hadn't had a chance to show what they were really made of yet. His Bludger, which Jera had avoided, though admittedly, she looked rather pale, was zooming off towards another target. Josh gripped his broom, his trusted boom, tighter, hoping to get to the Bludger before an Aladren could. On the other side of the pitch, Renaye was doing likewise. Motivation was etched in her features. For a
The twins found their targets. On Renaye's side, a crack could be heard as she hit the Bludger in Josh's direction, flying forward after it. Josh did likewise with his Bludger. All four were flying towards one collision point. Renaye's eyes were darting between the Bludger and her target. Josh and Renaye each pulled a single arm back, the other arm on the broom, ready to switch directions, summoned up their energy, and let loose on their Bludgers. Josh's Bludger, sent off with a great deal of power, was hurtling towards the Aladren Chaser in possession of the Quaffle. Renaye's Bludger blasted off the bat towards the small Aladren Seeker. She didn't know her name. She almost felt bad for targeting her so close after Josh, but this was Quidditch. Do or die, darling. Do or die.
Renaye cranked the handle of her broom upward, feeling her stomach turn as she made the direction change. Josh remained in his path, shooting forward through the point at which the action had taken place. A job well done, or so he thought. Just as long as the players kept their minds on the Quaffle, and not the Bludgers, they might get some success here...
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Josh and Renaye Warren, Crotalus Beaters
Our thoughts exactly.
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Josh and Renaye Warren, Crotalus Beaters
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