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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Paul
February 04, 2009 8:50 PM
So this is what stupidity feels like. by Paul
Paul felt the Bludger rush past him, and looked on it with confusion. He’d just hit that thing. He swore, he’d just hit that thing. The throbbing in his forearm couldn’t be imagined, there was no way… he’d hit that Bludger. Or his arm was shaking for nothing. No, no he was certain he’d hit something, and that now seemed less welcome than hitting nothing. With the bile pushing against the back of his throat, Paul looked up to see exactly what he had hit, if it wasn’t that Bludger. And felt at that moment he might actually puke.The Quaffle. He’d hit the Quaffle.
Everyone was still, Coach Fox blew the whistle and Paul knew exactly why. His fault. What kind of idiot, what kind of absolute fool was he to do such a thing? He wished he had that sheet of black hair from the years before, he could hide himself. Now, all he could do was crouch, knocking his forehead against the broom handle and let out the string of swears that were quiet enough so no one could here, but bad enough that if one did hear they’d be shocked to hear it from Paul’s rusty voice.
There was one thing he could think of, Anne would maim him, and though it was something he was used to he didn’t look forward to it. People could laugh, he didn’t care about the laughter, but the possible anger and disappointment he would be faced with… Some would call this karma. But, as much liked to believe in karma, it was hard when he was the one getting kicked in the face while his sister sat around happy as a clam. Instead, he blamed it on what this entire year was centered on. “It’s the end of the world,” he muttered to himself. “That’s the only explanation for anything.”
He was still, looking up now, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes as he watched Helena Layne take the ball. No, he couldn’t even watch that, instead he picked out the Bludgers, and sank down in his broom, his eyes on the cursed one he missed. He’d get that one after he knew what happened with Helena. The cheers and aws would switch sides, but Paul wasn’t looking. He was focused on forgetting that stupid Quaffle, and the embarrassment it now carried with it. Okay, he had to keep his head, he had to sink back into not caring. But… it was so hard.
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Paul
So this is what stupidity feels like.
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Paul
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Chrissy Hollister, Aladren Beater
February 05, 2009 2:39 AM
Just be glad I'm not my cousin. Or Lily. by Chrissy Hollister, Aladren Beater
Chrissy was pretty excited for game day. While when she initially signed up her first time back at Salem, she had done it because her team had been short a player, she know did it because she had grown to enjoy the sport. Plus, Chrissy playing Quidditch drove Samantha crazy, and there were few things, most of them academic, that she enjoyed as much as that.Furthermore, if she had to put up with her twin much longer, Chrissy was going to hurt her. Badly. She needed to get out there and slam a few bludgers at someone else instead. She needed to get her anger and aggression out in a way that was socially acceptable to most people, because the alternative was definitely not. Chrissy had never considered herself violent before, that had always been more of a Bettina thing but she'd never shared a room with Samantha before either.This morning had been particularly irritating being game day and all, but instead of taking her voice away as per usual, Chrissy let it go, because she wanted to stay angry.
She would really like to win but it was most important for her to do well personally. While Chrissy tended to care more about her studies than what others thought of her or being popular or anything like that, she was downright embarrassed by having Samantha as a twin. She was convinced that people would judge her by her relatives and she couldn't deny being related to someone who looked like a warped version of herself like she could with Steven. Thus, she was worried people might get them confused and the only thing worse than that in Chrissy's book, would be flunking every single class.
It was also important to her to do well at things because she really was good at them or worked hard at them. Chrissy wasn't self-delusional about her own talents. Thus she wanted to do well at Quidditch because she was a good enough beater, even if she wasn't the very best there was. (Not that she might not be the best there was, Paul was pretty good, but Chrissy hadn't seen the other teams.) She didn't want to do well because of her family name or bloodline or looks or anything like that.
The match began and she took off into the air, looking around for a bludger to hit at the opposing team. Before Chrissy could find one, she noticed Paul going for something and trying to get one of the Crotalus Chasers. Had he just hit the Quaffle ? Granted it was a way of keeping it out of the goal but didn't he realize that wasn't legal. It was sort of a Bettina thing to do. Chrissy's cousin had never been one to follow the rules. Granted, Bettina would probably do something like her beater bat, sneak up behind the goals and knock an opposing Keeper in the head while her team went for a goal. In this instance she would knock the Crotalus Chaser in the head before he could shoot. And she would definitely beat Paul senseless after the game for hitting the wrong thing and from what the seventh year had heard about Anne, she might just do the same thing to him that Bettina would. Chrissy herself was more by-the-book when it came to Quidditch.
However, there was nothing in said "book" that said a Beater may not slam a bludger at the opposing Seeker as hard as she could, and as Chrissy came upon a bludger, that is precisely what she did.
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Chrissy Hollister, Aladren Beater
Just be glad I'm not my cousin. Or Lily.
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Chrissy Hollister, Aladren Beater
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Alexis Ashwood, Crotalus Seeker
February 07, 2009 5:43 PM
I'm just glad that I'm fast. by Alexis Ashwood, Crotalus Seeker
Alexis Ashwood was sitting on her bed, staring at the other sleeping girls. She hadn’t been able to sleep much. It was the first Quidditch game she would actually be playing in. Her mother had somehow found out that she had been playing Quidditch. She had interrogated Josiah and he hadn’t told on her. So she wasn’t going to tell on him, yet.And she was going to keep playing, at least until the end of the year.
She pulled her red hair into a ponytail after getting dressed in the Quidditch uniform thing. She had managed to eat something, too. All in all, Alexis was nervous. It was a new feeling for the overly self-confident girl. It bothered her that the majority of her roommates didn’t agree with her playing Quidditch. She had felt the same too, once upon a time. But then she had started playing, for reasons she wouldn’t really admit, and discovered how fun it was. The best part was catching the Snitch. She felt so accomplished, which wasn’t very common for her at Sonora. If they knew, she was sure that one or two of them would change their opinions.
Listening to their captain’s speech, Alexis hid the grin on her face. Being a more experienced Seeker was definitely a plus. And their Beaters were totally amazing. Sure, the Warrens, especially Renaye, weren’t the epitome of pureblood status and behavior, but they were really cool. Before they headed out on the Pitch, she gave Renaye a confident Alexis Ashwood smile. Crotalus was definitely going to win.
Aladren had the Quaffle first, but Alexis didn’t care. She was up in the air, glancing around for the Snitch. She registered Crotalus scoring at one point. She was being too focused, though, because it was almost too late when she heard the Bludger coming towards her. She turned her head sharply, noting it’s location, then dived towards the ground. She then made a sharp turn on her broom, noting that the Bludger was not trying to kill her anymore. Still, that bothered her. Where were Josh and Renaye? They were supposed to be taking care of this whole Bludger thing so she could focus on the Snitch!
She slowly flew back up to her normal position, glancing around again. She noticed the opposing Seeker, then smirked. She located one of the Warrens and made a quick decision. She flew as fast as she could past the opposing Seeker, hopefully looking like she had seen the Snitch. Hoping that the other seeker was following her, Alexis flew close to one of the Warrens.
Hopefully they would get the hint and hit a Bludger at their closer target. But she could only hope.
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Alexis Ashwood, Crotalus Seeker
I'm just glad that I'm fast.
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Alexis Ashwood, Crotalus Seeker
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Josh Warren, Crotalus Beater
February 10, 2009 6:29 PM
Wish Sonora had an Auto-Save feature... by Josh Warren, Crotalus Beater
OOC: I had my post all nicely typed out, and that horrible frozen-screen occurred. And then, to my horror, the internet bar said NOT RESPONDING. Had to rewrite this THREE times. Hatred. Internet hatred. Sorry for the delay in posting, see my OOC post :)BIC:
Josh had woken up late, on the most important day of the year. It was the Quidditch game, and for some God-forsaken reason his alarm hadn't gone off! Josh glared at his alarm clock for a few moments, trying to figure out why it hated him so. Turns out he had mistakenly set the alarm on PM rather than AM. Josh ran a frustrated hand through his black bed-head hair and let out a groan. He kicked off the blankets, not really bothering to keep quiet. Zane knew the game was today. He would understand. Josh was adorned in his uniform in record time and burst out the door. He was halfway down the stairs before he turned around, cursing his stupidity on this crucial day. After doubling back and snatching up his broom, Josh was on his way to Cascade, feeling sufficiently irritated. Toast in hand, he blazed the trail to the pitch, checking his watch every thirty seconds. He couldn't be late...
Josh reached the pitch as the team was assembling for the pregame speech. Right on time. He joined the group, taking in the motivating, competitive words of his captain, while his blue eyes observed his teammates. The attitude of the team was extremely important to the result of the game. If the team was feeling confident, the game usually went in their favor. If not... It might be a bit of a fight. Thankfully, most didn't look too put down. Of course, there was the pregame jitters, but that was always expected. Renaye, playing in her first real game, looked as if she was confused by her surroundings. He met her eyes and gave her a reassuring thumbs-up. Couldn't have his partner in crime down on a day like today.
The two teams met in the center, blue facing red, red facing blue. Josh braced himself, ready for the whistle. This was his favorite part. The sound rang through the stadium, shooting adrenaline through his veins. Josh kicked against the ground, his eyes looking for the newly released Bludgers. Renaye was close by, her Game Face on. Bat poised in one hand, Josh took off, searching for a bludger to smash.
In no time, his attention was caught by Alexis, catching up and flying closer by. Smart girl. That might not help find the snitch but… Josh looked around, finding a bludger speeding towards them. His eyes found the opposing seeker, not too far from Alexis’s original location. Pulling back his right arm, the third-year boy let his energy loose on the metal ball. The speeding ball was on target and furious. The new Aladren chaser would have to dive to find a way out and, judging on how distracted she appeared, that might not be happening all too quickly… With a thumbs up and an approving nod to Alexis, Josh turned back to the game, feeling more in the Quidditch mood than he had in a long time…
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Josh Warren, Crotalus Beater
Wish Sonora had an Auto-Save feature...
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Josh Warren, Crotalus Beater
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Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker
February 11, 2009 4:17 PM
Wish I had a Personal Beater by Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker
As the game went on, Jera started to calm down. Thus far, nobody had tried to take her out with a Bludger, which she knew was a possibility, considering her position on the team and what it meant if she did manage to catch her ball. Also, she hadn't seen this ball yet, so while that wasn't necessarily a good thing for her team, Jera didn't feel pressured to catch it right now, and that meant she was more relaxed, fliying without concern.That all changed in a heartbeat. The other team's Seeker, passed Jera by at speeds that would normally indicate the Snitch having been located. Jera knew it could be a trick, but that thought was only at the back of her mind as she, too, sped up, as she followed the other Seeker. Then a Bludger was coming at her, suddenly, out of nowhere. Panic gripped her. Jera wanted to stay on her broom - those metal balls looked like they could do some serious damage. She wanted to win the game for her House and do her team proud.
As human beings (and indeed all other living creatures) are innately programmed to promote their own survival, it could hardly be considered a surprise that Jera's mind jumped immediately to finding solutions to get her out of the Bludger's path. The Aladren beaters, in theory, could protect her, but they might not be near enough to do so. So it was up to Jera to save herself. Instead of following the seeker in front, Jera maintained her speed but veered sideways towards the game instead. Trying to stay ahead of the bludger, she flew over the Chasers and then in a move that made her want to vomit, she dove down, and flew back under the main game, returning to where she'd started. Buldgers didn't generally fly in curves, so Jera hoped she was safe. She almost didn't dare look, but she had to, to be sure. Whipping her head round, she was confident she'd lost the blasted thing. Gripping her brrom to steady her shaking hands, Jera knew her face must be pale as a sheet. But still she had to keep playing. Now she just had to find the other Seeker and hope that, as she was beginning to suspect, it had been a trap, and the Snitch was still to be found.
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Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker
Wish I had a Personal Beater
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Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker
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