Coach Amelia Pierce

February 22, 2010 4:46 PM
It was mid-spring when the final Quidditch game of the year was scheduled to be played. The April Saturday dawned warm and sunny, if a bit windy. The occasional cumulus cloud cast shadows over the pitch from time to time, but they floated past fairly quickly, leaving the droplets on the grass gleaming. A early morning shower left the ground a little muddy but the rain had cleared up by the time the elves started serving breakfast in the Cascade Hall. Coach Amelia Pierce guessed that, between the now vibrant sun and the day's warmth, it would be mostly dry by the time the game ended. For now though, she was careful where she stepped.

"Good morning, everyone!" she called out as the captains finished their pre-final game pep-talks to their respective teams. "Everyone ready for a good game?" she asked in lieu of the usual rules summary and admonishment to follow them. Everyone on the field knew what they were doing by now. "Would the captains please shake hands?"

Once Paul and Elly did so, Amelia reached down to release the snitch. It glimmered just overhead for a long moment, and then darted away out of sight. Next, she let out the bludgers, and they flew up into the air, making a much more direct and obvious path into the playing field above. Lastly she picked up the Quaffle, looked at the two teams of blue clad Aladrens and brown clad Pecaris to make sure none of them were tying their shoes or anything.

When they were all looking back at her expectantly, she raised the whistle to her mouth, and started the countdown, "On the count of three. One. Two. Three." At the last number, she blew the whistle and threw the Quaffle up into the air, just as a gust of wind blew through the Pitch, sending it more diagonally than she'd meant it to go.

But the Chasers were off and the game was on.


OOC: Y'all know the rules by now. Play nice, kids.
Subthreads:
1 Coach Amelia Pierce Quidditch Final: Aladren vs. Pecari 20 Coach Amelia Pierce 1 5


<font color="brown">Elly Eriksson, Seeker</font>

February 24, 2010 3:52 AM
This was her final year at Sonora, which meant her final year as being Pecari's Quidditch Captain (it had acually been her only year of being captain, but who was counting?), and this was the final game of the year. All in all, Elly was pretty chuffed to have got her team into the final match, but moreover she was filled with an overwhelming desire to win. Partically so she could finish the year on a high, and partially because she just couldn't stand losing to Paul Tarwater.

After an early breakfast and invigorating shower, Elly met her team down on the pitch, her broomstick in hand and Quidditch robes gleaming in the April sun. "Morning everyone," she greeted her team cheerfully, signature smile firmly in place, signature red curls tamed back into a tight braid (all the better to see you with, my dear). "Beautiful day, but awful Quidditch conditions," she remarked to the assembled players. "It rained last night, so the ground is soggy, making it evil to get a good kick-off. Don't push it too hard - let Aladren get the Quaffle if necessary, just steal it back before they score, okay? Sun is shining, which means don't look up. Bit breezy out here too, so stick to short passes where possible - we don't want the Quaffle straying off course."

These were things she knew her team already knew, but it couldn't hurt to recap and remind them. "As for the Aladrens, the Chasers are steadily improving," - in a similar situation to the Pecari team, the Aladren Chasers were mostly inexperienced, but that didn't mean they weren't getting fairlt decent at the sport - "but the Keeper can be easily intimidated, so run with that if it works." Elly spared the briefest moment to be glad Anne Wright wasn't around to hear her say that - no matter how important Quidditch was, she assumed that Pecaris ganging up on her younger relative wouldn't be appreciated.

"Caede, Mel," Elly addressed her Beaters, "take out all the Chasers if you can. They don't have a reserve player." When playing Aladren there was the small issue with taking out the Seeker, because said Seeker was the Headmistress' daughter. "Caedence, if you want to aim for their Seeker, go ahead." As a seventh year, doing so was far less likely to hurt her reputation. "Demelza.... it's really up to you. I can handle the Seeker, so if you just want to worry about knocking those boys off their brooms, be my guest."

As the coach called her over, Elly spared one last bit of advice with her team. "Be awesome," she said with a wink. "We can do this." Then she headed over to where Coach Pierce made her shake hands with Aladren's captain. It was probably the briefest handshake Elly had ever had with anyone, and certainly the most physical contact she'd ever had with Paul. She didn't wish him luck, nor did she make any scathing remark; she just smiled and hoped he was picking up on her telepathic chanting of we're going to beat you, we're going to beat you.

Then the whistle was blown and, taking her own good advice, Elly didn't try to kick off to hard. She rose gently and calmly into the air, in what was probably the most graceful manouevre of her whole life so far, both within Quidditch and without. Keeping her eyes open for the Snitch and the opposing Seeker, Elly began to circle the game.

0 <font color="brown">Elly Eriksson, Seeker</font> Pecari for the win! 0 <font color="brown">Elly Eriksson, Seeker</font> 0 5


<font color="blue">Jera Valson, Seeker</font>

February 26, 2010 8:32 AM
Jera still hadn't really recovered after the shock of catching the Snitch in the last game against Teppenpaw; she did not expect to be that lucky twice. Unless the Aladren Chasers worked especially hard, and the Beaters managed to take out the Pecari Keeper, and possibly the reserve, too, Jera didn't see how they could win this game. Yet, on the other hand, their previous win had given her an unexpected surge of hope - she almost felt reckless, like she could take on the world and never mind the consequences. For a general timid person this was quite a feeling to have.

During Paul's opening spiel, Jera tried hard to listen but she had jittery nerves unlike she'd felt since her first ever game, two captains ago. She wasn't sure yet if she was one of those people who performed better under pressure; maybe today would tell her for certain.

As she looked over the Pecari team, looking far more confident than the bookish Aladrens, Jera thought the teams were quite well matched. Obviously Pecari's Seeker had a lot of experience on Jera, but the Aladren had the smaller Seeker's build, and a newer broomstick. Not a faster one, but it was newer, if that counted for anything. With her euphoria this morning she might even come close in daring to the Pecari opposition - come close, perhaps, but not match. Jare valued her life and limbs a great deal more than winning Quidditch, which was possibly Aladren's main difference from Pecari. They could maybe play this to their advantage, but Jera had never been any good at tactics. Games like Quidditch were too unpredictable for making rigid plans.

Steadying herself on her broom ready for take off, Jera consoled herself that she was a good player, she had won games before, and she would win this one, if she could. When the whistle blew, Jera kicked off not as hard as she'd have liked, because the ground wasn't all that hard, but then she gained speed and soared into the air, blue robes billowing behind her. Let the games begin!
0 <font color="blue">Jera Valson, Seeker</font> Don't get cocky 0 <font color="blue">Jera Valson, Seeker</font> 0 5


<font color="brown">Elly Eriksson, Seeker</font>

March 09, 2010 5:19 AM
Flying had not always been something Elly loved - for a start, she hadn' been aware of its existence until she was eleven years old. In her first experience on a broom, she had been dreadful. Not the most graceful of creatures, Elly had fallen off several times while hovering stationary. Neverhtless, she had more determination than any other person she knew, and she had the Cravens to thank for whipping her rather rapidly into shape as a decent Seeker. Since making the team in her second year, Elly had developed the love of flying. There was nothing in the world that compared to the feeling of being free, able to make the broom execute your will and whim, controlling speed, height, direction to your own desire. It wasn't that Elly liked to be in control as such - the point was that she could do whatever she wanted on her broom. That sort of freedom was intoxicating.

Of course, Quidditch did come with some restrictions. Elly had to avoid bludgers, and catch the Snitch. The first was proving easy thus far, as nobody had hit a bludger near her yet. Her propensity to keep mobile in Quidditch games often made this a trial for Beaters, anyway. Like they say: a moving target's hard to hit. So whil she was Snitch-searching, Elly didn't keep still. She flew round them game and over the game, keeping a vague eye to see Starbuck catch the Quaffle - good girl - and wondering whether Caedence and Demelza would just take out the whole Aladren team. Wouldn't be much competition in that, though. Although Elly would enjoy winning, it would be pointless without the competition.

No sign of the Snitch as of yet. Elly glanced ahead to where Aladren's Seeker was flying; like Elly, Jera didn't seem to like staying still, either. The redhead thought the other Seeker was in equal danger of being a Bludger target. caedence was just mean when it came to beating, and Elly didn't forget that Paul was a beater on the Aladren team - there was a fair chance both Seekers would be taken out before the end of the game. Though they presumably would have to return to the game to finish it. Elly was already playing her reserve, and she didn't think Aladren had one. Maybe she could swap out a Chaser... no, don't get distracted. Cross that bridge if you ever come to it, she told herself.

Catching up with Jera, Elly couldn't resist the urge for some gentle distraction techniques. Shouting past the wind to the Seeker in blue, Elly said, "Hey, have you seen this little gold ball with wings? I've lost it and I'd like it back!"
0 <font color="brown">Elly Eriksson, Seeker</font> Give me one good reason 0 <font color="brown">Elly Eriksson, Seeker</font> 0 5


Caedence

March 12, 2010 1:36 PM
This was it, the final game of the year. This was also the final game of her quidditch career. This was what would make or break the last seven years Caedence had been at this school. She’d really come far since she was a little kid in more ways than one. Thanks to the twins, her first coaches, she’d learned she was a fair hand at a chaser. And she also learned that bludgers did not like her. Or rather they liked her, just broken and falling off her broom. Not cool in the least!

But outside of quidditch she had grown as well. The first couple years at this school it would have been lucky if Caedence didn’t get kicked out before graduating. Now, thanks to her friends and teachers Caedence was on her way to being a wonderful person in the world. And Caedence was going to play her heart out this game to make everyone who helped her proud. No one, Caedence was sure, wanted the quidditch cup more than she did today.

The conditions were as Elly described them. Muddy ground, but really it wasn’t like Caedence wasn’t used to kicking off in muddy conditions. She’d played in a storm one year before, as a chaser, so she knew what she was doing. And she wasn’t scared of the kids flaking out either. Caedence felt like her team… well Elly’s team, was being left in great hands. She hoped things only continued to improve in the team. Perhaps she’d come back to Sonora once or twice to check in on the kids. Caedence listened to Elly’s speech, lashing her hair into a braid and clipping on her favorite jade hair clip onto the end of the braid. She’d discovered that, strangely, she liked how a layer of eyeliner looked on her eyes and she had read that Egyptians used kohl to keep the sun out of their eyes. So she had, earlier, applied a little. She was going to love the look on Elly’s face when she noticed Caedence’s eyes.

It was time to kick off. True to Sonora’s style, things did not start off slowly and gently. The ball passed from one person to the other and back again. It was quick, but Elly told her that she was okayed to go after Alarden’s seeker. Caedence give half a hoot who it was, everyone had a target painted on their back and Caedence was more than willing to introduce said target to a bludger.

Demelza was doing a fairly good job of keeping things, so Caedence kept her eyes on Jera. Caedence really wished that Paul didn’t have a beater’s bat. Caedence would like to put a bludger right between his eyes. She growled in frustration as Paul hit a bludger towards Caedence’s chasers. She didn’t think that Dem wouldn’t get it, but Caedence couldn’t assume. But she could see a bludger really close by that would be perfect to hit Jera with. Swearing under her breath Caedence decided to go for the Jera hit.

Her shoulders tensed with energy and threw all the force she could muster into hitting that ball. With a mighty crack, the ball hurled towards Jera. It looked like it was a good hit. The aim was on. Now to pray things went well after that. Caedence looked back down and hoped that Demelza was out there doing a great job like Caede knew she would be.
0 Caedence Can i butt in for a quick second? 94 Caedence 0 5


Juri Dahlgren, Aladren Beater

March 12, 2010 2:40 PM
Previously being a beater would never have worked out for Juri. He had always been a rather quiet boy, more interested in his musical mechanics than anything else, but somewhere in the last three years that had all changed. He had become increasingly angry, increasingly aggressive. Maybe it had to do with his mother’s new beau, whose daughter was, ironically or perhaps ideally, a member of the opposing team. Or maybe it had to do with all the hormonal changes that were supposedly happening to him. Whatever it was, hot blood raged through his veins telling him to do harm. And oh, how he wanted to listen. He wanted to take out the entire Pecari team, but no, the Aladren in him, the logic, the piece of him that failed every time he was near Lita, screamed that the best strategy was to focus on the Seekers. One to protect. One to take out.

All that he had to do was wait for the signal to be up in the air, though, in the meantime, exchanges between Captains was always amusing, especially when it came to the two present. At the moment, they looked more like escaped insane asylum patients than leaders, but they were Aladren and Pecari. None of that nice little Teppenpaw behavior here. No, if there were, then they would all be slaughtered, especially as Pecari had quite a vicious beater of their own. Though, with a little luck, age might have caught up to her and she may have mellowed out some giving him a fighting chance, as he seriously wanted to inflict some damage. Oh, yeah, and there was still that little task of protecting the Aladren Seeker. He really needed to focus on that, but if he took out their Seeker first, he really would have accomplished both since one couldn’t very well win without a Seeker.

With the wind swirling off of him, Juri set towards looking for a bludger. They were always the delight of the party and if he had his way, one would be within easy reach of the red one. Unfortunately, one wasn’t, but he did see where the Seekers were. He frowned. Jera really should be trying to keep her distance. He didn’t want to accidentally hit her when aiming for Elly. Not much thought was left to this, however, as he soon heard the oh so delicious sound he had been waiting for. The crack of the bat against the ball sounded like thunder to his ears and he grinned an almost manic grin, as though he should join the Captains in that asylum, but then Quidditch did bring out the madness in them all.

Unfortunately, the direction of the ball and his position had left Juri little choice, but to send the bludger away from his actual target goal. Chasing after the ball, he urged his broom forward in an effort to get ahead of it. The challenge was an adrenaline rush. His heart was beating in his chest. And there he was. Now in the path of the speeding metal and he welcomed it. Now all he had to do was….Yes, that was it! There could not possibly have been a more beautiful motion in all the world as the bat perfectly placed set the bludger soaring right towards the attention of his affection at the moment. He licked his lips nearly tasting the hit as if it were a piece of chocolate cake just dangling in front of him. Oh, please, let it hit.

All too soon his cake was taken away. Fudge pudge. And what was worse? There were now two bludgers heading in the direction of the Seekers. Not only his, but the other was clearly from the other Beater since it was heading in the direction of Jera, which was way ahead of his. All too soon he realized that he must have taken Paul’s bludger from him in an attempt to take down the vial red-haired witch and in his carnal desire had failed to notice the other Beater’s lightening. Before he could dwell too much on the situation for he already knew what he had to do, he just had to do it. He sped forward with more force than he could ever have imagined himself capable of. It was already apparent there was no way he was going to be able to stop the bludger. Absolutely no way. So there was only one thing left to do. The bludger was close to target. He swerved. The crack was unmistakably sickening.

Immediately Juri clutched at his leg while swearing the entire time under his breath. He really hoped that he had protected Jera and Elly was going to get it, because this pain really wouldn’t be worth it otherwise. Heck, he wasn’t sure it was worth it to begin with. He breathed in deeply trying to focus off the pain. He still had a job to do. One that he would hopefully do right now since he had messed up Paul’s plan earlier and screwed up big time with nearly letting Jera get hit, assuming she hadn’t been hit. Had she? He pushed his blonde hair out of his eyes while gritting his teeth to check. Please, please, please were his silent prayers that she had made it.
0 Juri Dahlgren, Aladren Beater Only if you butt back out 0 Juri Dahlgren, Aladren Beater 0 5


Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker

March 13, 2010 5:30 AM
If she was just left alone to do her thing and catch the Snitch, Jera would have been happy. She’d come to terms with the fact that she would also have to watch out for bludgers, but banter with her opposition? That was pushing things a little far. Pecaris were mental. Jera wanted to ignore Elly, because talking to her might distract her from Seeking, but already a response was forming in her head. ‘Yeah I’ve seen it, but I’m not letting you have it,’ she said to herself. She wondered whether a greater coincidence had ever occurred, as in that instant she saw the Snitch a little ahead, and a little way down. Perhaps it was some kind of magic, that’s she’d thought she had the Snitch and so it appeared... but probably not. Now was the problem – had Elly seen it too? If not, how was Jera going to get there without Elly notiving? Because Jera didn’t have any illusions; if Elly saw that Snitch, she was going to catch it. The older girl had more experience, a faster broom, and longer reach. Plus they had to dive a little to get there, and the Pecari’s extra weight would help with descent. Maybe Jera could distract her after all?

“Yeah, I’ve seen it, but I’m not letting you have it,” she said aloud this time, keeping half an eye on the golden ball and half an eye on Elly. She was also aware of the cracks in the background – those Beaters were really earning their name today, by the sounds of it. If one came their way – who would it hit? The Seekers were fairly close already, and if one of them made a move for the Snitch the distance between them would be closed. What to do, what to do?

She made a decision: if the Pecari Seeker saw the Snitch before Jera even started moving towards it, she would catch it for sure. Whereas if Jera made a move now, her opposition might think she was feinting, and not realize her mistake until it was all too late. As far as she could tell, no goals had been scored thus far. It would be a 150 point win to whichever team caught the Snitch. Jera was determined that was going to be her.

With no warning or indication, she increased her speed, Snitch in her sights, broom angled down just a little to put it right in her path. As she moved, Jera’s pulse increased. She was fairly sure the other Seeker had seen by now, and was gaining on her. It was okay though; Jera had the Snitch within her reach. She reached out her fingers, felt them touch the ball...
0 Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker Goats butt, birds fly 0 Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker 0 5


Elly Eriksson, Pecari Seeker

March 13, 2010 5:31 AM
Elly hadn’t really been expecting a reply from the other Seeker. Aladrens weren’t really known for their fighting talk. Though when one came, albeit a little late, Elly couldn’t deny the wit. This kid was amusing, and Elly spared a moment to laugh out loud. See, Quidditch was fun. Who said being a Seeker had to be a lonely job? Here she was, chatting with the Headmistress’ daughter, while they were both competing to find the... wait, was that? There was a sparkle of gold not that far away from them. Barely daring to take her eyes off the Snitch – she was pretty sure it was the Snitch – Elly ignored the other Seeker for just a moment while she thought. She was fairly sure she would be able to get to it first. The younger player was smaller, to be sure, but Elly had the faster broom, and longer arms were on her side. She could hear Bludgers being batted not too far away, but the Beaters wouldn’t try and hit them when they were so close together. Right?

Within a couple of seconds Elly had made the decision to just go for it. Unfortunately, the Aladren Seeker seemed to have reached that decision already, and had half a second head start on Elly. No way was she going to let her last game be ruined by having the Snitch caught by a fourth year. Aiming her broom down a little, it wasn’t long at all before Elly was neck and neck with the other Seeker. She reached out her arm; Jera did, too. Then she felt the cool metal under her fingertips, but that victorious feeling didn’t automatically follow, as it usually did. She didn’t seem to be the only one to have caught the ball. She wasn’t even sure which of them had made first contact, but she didn’t have to find out. Elly looked at the blue Seeker, and didn’t even have time to read her facial expression before a Bludger smashed into her back with such force that it drove her directly into the other Seeker. It was about then that she blacked out.
0 Elly Eriksson, Pecari Seeker Seekers get smacked out of the air? 0 Elly Eriksson, Pecari Seeker 0 5


Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker

March 13, 2010 5:32 AM
Jera couldn’t believe it. She tried to pull the Snitch it, to hold it in her fist, but there was another set of fingers in the way. Both of them had caught the Snitch? That just wasn’t fair. Jera was sure she’d seen the Snitch first, and she was almost sure she had touched it first, too. How could that Pecari steal the win from, literally, right under her fingertips? Jera simply wouldn’t allow it. She refused to let go.

Looking towards the opposition as if to affirm her resolve, Jera was distracted. It was like time had slowed down – she saw a Bludger approaching them from over Elly’s shoulder. It was heading right for the Pecari Seeker, it was only feet away, and it was about to collide in what she was sure would be a very painful way. Jera felt a look of horror on her face, while she tightened her grip on the Snitch. She didn’t really had time to prepare herself any further than that before the metal ball made contact, sending Pecari’s Seeker forward so forcefully that for a moment Jera was sure the two of them occupied the same physical space. The breath was knocked from her, and she felt light-headed as she joined the other Seeker in an uncontrolled and completely broom-less descent towards the ground. It was probably no surprise to anyone, least of all to herself, that Jera passed out before she hit the ground.


(OOC: continued in Hospital Wing)
0 Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker Apparently so 0 Jera Valson, Aladren Seeker 0 5