Never been so nervous on Quidditch Pitch

Captain Rupert Princeton

August 21, 2014 4:54 PM

Pecari Quidditch Try-outs. by Captain Rupert Princeton

It was Saturday, 9:50, and Rupert had about finished preparing everything for the try-outs today. He was very pleased that his house-mates hadn’t failed to create a full team on the sign-up sheet. He only hoped they all would show today. Joella Curtis was the only first year and Atlas had been a reserve the previous year, but Quidditch was all about improving and at this level it was all right if they weren’t the best. As long as they had passion for the sport and a competitive spirit, that was all Rupert could ask for. He did have Adam and the Anns to rely on to train the relatively new players, and Liliana would be an adequate Keeper. It was a promising team to begin with, and he was glad that at least one first year had been brave enough to sign up.

Rupert had told Adam his plans for the try-outs yesterday and had allowed him to sleep in. There wasn’t much to prepare and Rup had wanted to warm up on his own before opening up the practise. After running around the pitch a couple times, the English lad picked up his clipboard to look over the sign-up sheet again. He would be making notes all over it as soon as the warm-ups were over and the real practise began.

When ten o’ clock hit, Rupert looked at his watch and tossed his bat up into the air. His broom was beginning to get slightly worn out, but it was tried and true. For the try-out, however, though it was assumed that those trying out would bring their own brooms, they wouldn’t need it for a beginning workout. “Good morning,” he said as his future teammates began arriving. It was no guarantee that they were on the team just by coming to the try-out, but unless they were really terrible or were a threat to the game or to others, Rupert liked to think that most, if not all, were going to have a spot.

At ten o’ five, Rupert decided to begin and asked Adam to join him at the front. “Hello everyone. Thank you for arriving promptly. For those of you who don’t know, I’m Rupert Princeton, the team Captain, and Adam Spencer, the Assistant Captain.” He didn’t think introducing Adam as his cousin would make a good first impression even if many of those who had been on the team were already aware. They were the only two Brits on the team though they didn’t look alike, but Rup by no means showed any favouritism towards him. It was Coach Olivers who had recommended him, after all. “For today’s try-outs, we’re going to begin first with an endurance run to get warmed up – that’s two laps around the pitch – and then a few laps around the pitch so I can see how well you fly and how competent you are on a broom. Afterwards, we are going to split into groups. Those who are trying out for Chaser please go with Adam and Annette.” Adam was going to lead them in flying down the pitch throwing the Quaffle back and forth between them. When they reached the Keeper, a different person would practise throwing the Quaffle into one of the three guarded hoops. “The one trying out for Keeper will be at the hoops on the left side of the pitch blocking the Quaffle the Chasers will throw.” Liliana was the only one who had signed up for the position and Rup didn’t think he wanted to change that. She wasn’t bad at her job.

“Those trying out for Beater, there is a charmed target that will be flying around on the right side of the pitch. There will be one bludger released for you to hit and aim it at the target. Please do not hit the Chasers. Your job is also to protect your teammates. And for those interested in being a Seeker, I will shortly be releasing a Snitch. Bring it to me as soon as you catch it; I’ll have a timer on me to time your progress.” Rup wasn’t certain if Annabelle had ever played the position of Seeker, but he certainly hoped she had some experience with catching small, nearly invisible things.

“I will be going around monitoring everyone’s progress and taking notes. So do your best,” said Rup, putting down his clipboard on the ground. “Without further ado, let’s begin our run. You can leave your broom on the ground near mine for now. If you don’t have a broom, there are a couple of school brooms near the shed over there that I brought out.”

OOC: Walk-ons are more than welcome. Rupert will be the invisible observer, so feel free to follow his instruction and be creative (and realistic) about the try-out. For the Seeker, you can assume Rupert would have marked down whatever time you say in your post and would have released the Snitch again for you to find. Good luck!

Subthreads:

Never been so nervous by Joella Curtis with Adam Spencer, Liliana Bannister

There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach. by Atlas Primred

0 Captain Rupert Princeton Pecari Quidditch Try-outs. 0 Captain Rupert Princeton 1 5

Joella Curtis

August 22, 2014 3:48 PM

Never been so nervous by Joella Curtis

Joella Curtis felt, to say the least, somewhat nervous as she made her way to the Quidditch Pitch, broom in hand. There was an excited bounce in her step but her fist was white as it clenched tightly around her expensive broom handle. She had spent much of her first week at Sonora checking the Quidditch team sign ups on the noticeboard of the Pecari common room and didn't know whether to feel proud or afraid when she realised that she was the only first year down on the sheet. Friday night had been spent trying to lower her hopes so that she could not be disappointed whatever the outcome of today's try-outs were.

Rupert Princeton came as a surprise to her. She had made no mental image of what the Pecari Quidditch captain may look like or anything but whatever she was expecting it was not an English accent. It changed nothing of course, only interested her as growing up in Tennessee she had come into little contact with anyone from overseas.

Joella's next surprise was to find that even the prospect of flying two laps around the pitch was daunting. She had been perfectly capable of doing so during her flying lessons but now she was required to do so in front of several older, much more experienced flyers who had likely been on the team in previous years, her confidence failed her. Joella shook her head as if these nervous feelings would just drop out of her ears and she tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She felt almost ashamed of herself and hoped no one noticed her falling to pieces. Once on her trusty broom Joella calmed a little and after a speedy lap with her dirty blonde hair whipping back from her youthful face her nerves were almost forgotten, just not quite. Her second lap was therefore much more controlled and hopefully more impressive to the expert eyes of Rupert Princeton. She did several more laps after that, tempted to show off with a few tricks but deciding not to as she would most likely get them wrong or come across as cocky and childish - silly, imperfect tricks were not what a Quidditch team was looking for and most definitely wouldn't impress those who knew what they were talking about when it came to flying.

When Joella returned to the ground she wasn't completely satisfied with her laps and hoped that the captain had watched her later ones rather than her hasty first. However, knowing her luck he would have noticed her earlier nerves as they had held a strong influence over her flying. She was the only first year here anyway so was bound to have the most attention as no one knew at all what she was capable (and incapable) of. Joella resolved not to dwell on this thought and forced herself to become focussed solely on the task in hand. She was here to play her best and nerves would definitely not help that.

It was with relief that she understood the Chasers would be separating from the rest of the group. One would have thought that being in a smaller group would increase nerves but the prospect of having a Quaffle in her hand excited Joella. Flying a broom had been something no one ever really thought a lot of on the Curtis farm. There were always plenty of brooms lying around for the kids to practise on when they were younger and family games of Quodpot had been a frequent activity. Joella's flying was therefore decent enough, nothing hugely special but she was confident in it. For Joella it had always been the Quaffle that singled her out. It had taken some practise and a lot of help from Franki but she had eventually conquered the Chaser position. Of course she still had a long way to go but that was only to be expected. Franki had always told her that she had the ideal physique for a Seeker but Joella much preferred to be right in the centre of all the action, shooting Quaffles through hoops. She had a good aim that could only improve with practise and her skinny frame was balanced and agile.

8 Joella Curtis Never been so nervous 295 Joella Curtis 0 5

Adam Spencer

August 23, 2014 1:25 PM

You'll soar through it. by Adam Spencer

For Christmas last year, Adam had received a brand new broom. They weren't cheap, at least the sort his father approved of, but Adam's age-old broom had finally be given away -- that is, his youngest sister Lily had been overjoyed to take it off his hands behind their mother's back. She was only seven and had a nose for mischief. The new broom wasn't in the same condition as it had been several months ago, but it still looked sleek and sharp, and flew like a dream. His cousin had been kind enough to allow him to sleep in and Adam had accepted the offer after a hard week of classes. He was a fifth year now and had different titles that had been added to his name. It was a lot to take in the first week, but Adam didn't doubt he would pull through whilst balancing the responsibilities of Prefect and Assistant Captain. Eventually.

Adam arrived on the pitch five minutes earlier and took in everyone's appearance. The only face he didn't know was the first year -- he'd have to ask her name when he got the chance. It was easy to spot Rup's bright blond hair in the crowd, and his cousin wasn't afraid to take charge quickly. He really knew what he was doing. Adam would have to keep his cousin's instructions in mind for when he eventually became the captain. When Rupert introduced him, Adam smiled and gave a short wave at everyone. It felt odd being introduced to people he already knew, but he wasn't shy standing in front of them.

Once Rupert had relayed the instructions, Adam laid down his broom with the others and ran the two laps around the pitch alongside the rest of the group. Running had never been Adam's strong suit and he was huffing and sweating once they were finished. He was skinny, but not exactly suited to run laps like that. He brushed his fingers through his brown hair and wiped his forehead against his sleeve before grabbing his broom for the laps in the air. Once those were finished, it was time for them to break into smaller groups. Adam would be taking the Chasers, though he thought Annette would be better suited since she had more experience both on the Pecari team and playing the sport. The exercise was simple enough, however, but Adam liked having someone he could rely on just in case. It was unfortunate that Annabelle had decided to try out for Seeker as he had played with the Anns for as long as he had been playing Quidditch at Sonora. Alas, it was good news that there was someone new interested in the position.

"All right, Chasers over here." He rose on his broom and approached the first year. "Your face is familiar, but can I get your name again?" asked Adam with a smile. "Do you have any experience with Quidditch?"

As he and the first year spoke, Adam kept one eye out for Liliana to indicate that she was ready to block the hoops. Once she did so, he took the two witches to the centre of the pitch. "The most important part of being a Chaser is teamwork, as we all know. Get a feel for how you play with us, Joella. It would have been better if there were other charmed Chasers, but no matter. Annette, I'd like you to pass the Quaffle to her when we approach the hoops, but other than that I think we're ready to get started." Adam smiled at the two of them. "All right. Go on and I'll pass the Quaffle."

As soon as the two witches moved forward, Adam looked for someone to pass it to. An important element in passing the Quaffle along was eye-contact; if he passed it onto someone who wasn't ready for it, it would result in a lost ball or a scramble. He was curious to see how Joella would do, but they only had half the pitch to cover. That wouldn't give them enough time to pass the Quaffle twice per person. Adam began flying towards the hoops, sat up on his broom and tossed the Quaffle over to Annette. He flew by, grinning as he passed her, and craned his neck to keep an eye on the Quaffle.

40 Adam Spencer You'll soar through it. 257 Adam Spencer 0 5

Liliana Bannister

August 29, 2014 7:48 PM

We're soaring, flying. by Liliana Bannister

The morning of Quidditch try-outs, Liliana awoke happily. She'd seen a first-year sign up and Atlas was coming back too which meant she would no longer be the youngest girl (for once in her life!) and she'd have a year mate. This year was going to be good, she could just feel it. Upon arrival at the Pitch, Liliana greeted Rupert and the others, giving Atlas a small smile because he was still a little jumpy around her after her outburst during the Opening Feast.

Liliana completed the two laps around the Pitch relatively easily- after both Atlas and Levi had begun neglecting her that summer, Liliana had put all her energy into dance and Quidditch. She'd even picked up running which meant she'd gotten into shape enough to have the stamina to run laps around a Quidditch Pitch without clutching her sides in pain- a good deal if she said so herself.

After everyone was finished and Rupert dismissed them to begin their tryouts based on position, she turned to Atlas. "Hey," she said as she passed him to head towards the Keeper's hoops on the left side of the Pitch, giving his arm a little squeeze and she went. "Good luck!" Once she reached the hoops she mounted her broom and rose to her favored spot just slightly off right from the center and gave Adam a large thumbs up so that he would be able to start the Chaser drills.

She rather liked the guy, he was nice and she enjoyed working with him. She liked all of the team, really, but Adam stuck out a little bit more for her as he’d been the first to reach out to her off the Pitch at a Halloween Party her first year. Like herself both he and his cousin were British and she liked that she wasn’t the only one on the team. Granted, her parents had up and moved to the States shortly before she began Sonora which had put her in that sour mood at the beginning of her first year but she was over not going to Hogwarts anymore now and was actually kind of glad because she was on the Quidditch team and had made sort of a solid friend in Atlas Primred.

Speaking of which, keeping one eye on the Chasers who were beginning to head her way, Liliana cast a glance towards where Rupert was having Atlas practice hoping that her friend would make it onto the team. She turned back towards the approaching Chasers and got ready to defend her hoops. Part of her hoped they’d be able to make it past her because that would mean that they were ready for the school year. The other part absolutely did not want a single Quaffle to get through as it would be a testament to her skills as a Keeper. Either way she knew she was going to try her best to keep everything out because either way that meant their team would be prepare to take on the others. She really wanted Pecari to win the Quidditch Cup again like they had her first year.

10 Liliana Bannister We're soaring, flying. 274 Liliana Bannister 0 5

Atlas Primred

August 31, 2014 7:02 AM

There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach. by Atlas Primred

Atlas walked to the pitch the morning of try-outs feeling a little less chipper than usual. Ordinarily, he would have been excited and ready for the opportunity to show his skills, and hopefully get a spot on the team other than alternate; however, as he walked to join the rest of the would be team, he spotted Liliana’s smile, and instantly he felt his gut churn. Ever since the Welcome Feast, he had felt unbelievably tense around this particular British witch, and his fretting was beginning to take a toll on his psyche. He attempted to give her a wave, but felt even this was dripping with awkwardness. His entire problem had started with a simple enough gesture, he had given her a hybrid apology-birthday gift, which she had seemed pleased by. However, this trivial interaction wasn’t the cause of his fretting. The problem came when Liliana thanked him again in the common room, and with a hug to boot! Even so much as thinking back to the incident was enough to make Atlas blush, and unfortunately, unable to concentrate on Rupert’s speech. It wasn’t the first time a girl had hugged him, his mom and Katie did so all the time, but when Liliana hugged him it felt- different. He never felt awkward when he hugged Steven, but then again they didn’t hug too much anymore now that they were older. The two boys usually tried to stick with the ‘bro-hug’, partly because it was fun, and because they thought it made them look cool.

Atlas was quickly taken from his inner thoughts when Rupert dismissed them to do some laps around the field. Finally! Something to clear his head! He took off from the group, expecting it to be an easy run. Unfortunately, any thought of that night, no matter how minor, made him feel like he was going to vomit all over the pitch. As a result, he finished almost dead last, just barely holding onto his breakfast. “Maybe I just caught a bug?” he told himself. He knew it was a blatant lie, he wasn’t that dull, no matter how much people liked to believe otherwise, but what else could he do? It would have been easier if he could have told her why he felt so uncomfortable, but the truth is he really didn’t know. He was the one that had acted like a self-conscious fool for no good reason, it was his own problem to work out.

He wanted so badly to play this year, so he couldn’t let himself be distracted by such idiotic thoughts. Atlas tried with all his might to rationalize the situation so he could concentrate on the most important day of the year, but he wasn’t exactly the brightest bulb when it came to social interactions. After the first lap, his blatent denial of the situation was actually beginning to relax his nerves. In addition, thanks to a quick gulp of water from his canteen, his stomach was beginning to calm itself as well. He splashed a little water on his face as Rupert dismissed them to go to their designated places, for the first time all day, feeling ready for the tryout. Liliana on the other hand, must have sensed his concentration, and came by to ruin it with a quick squeeze of his arm and words of good luck. He tried his best to ignore the lingering sensation of her hand on his arm, and walked valiantly to the right side of the pitch. No matter what his problem was, he had to do his best today, even if that meant purposefully ignoring Liliana’s presence entirely.

OOC: Permission was given by Liliana’s author to write for her here.

0 Atlas Primred There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach. 276 Atlas Primred 0 5