It grows on you. Like mold. on Crotalus Commons

Marissa Stephenson, Quidditch Captain

November 05, 2011 3:40 PM

Crotalus Quidditch Sign-Ups by Marissa Stephenson, Quidditch Captain

Marissa had spent, in what moments she had between being dragged from one place to another by friends before she left again and packing and repacking her things for the last time, the past few days working carefully on the Quidditch sign-up sheet, playing with colors and fonts on her computer to make it as perfect as possible and finally charming it a bit to get it just right before she finally had to rush out of the house ten minutes behind schedule to get to the transport center on time and make it to seventh year at all.

Now, looking at it again, she still wasn’t completely satisfied with her work, but it was better than nothing, and she was sure it could have been a great deal worse. Other people always thought her projects looked better than she did.

For the past two years, Crotalus had made it to the Quidditch Championship, and for the past two years, Marissa had failed to win for them because of Bludgers and the same meddling Aladren kid. Now, that meddling kid’s cousin – the cause of the Bludgers – was also a Quidditch captain, so it didn’t seem likely that the change in management was going to lead to much of a change in the Aladren line-up. This was their last chance – her last chance – to win. And while she had more badges than anyone in the year, and was going to graduate with good grades due to an awesome Transfiguration tutor and being sensible enough to pick up a bunch of independent studies instead of trying to struggle on with the standard curriculum….she wanted this, too, for Crotalus. She wanted to have mattered somehow while she was here.

Quidditch Sign-Ups

It’s that time of year again! Please sign up with your name, year, and your preferred position(s) for the Crotalus Quidditch team below. All players, new and returning, are welcome. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Captain Marissa Stephenson or Assistant Captain Samuel Bauer.

Thanks, and welcome to a new year of Crotalus Quidditch! Go Rattlers!

Beneath that, she’d signed up herself, to show how it was done: Marissa Stephenson, Seventh, Seeker

Subthreads:

Signing up. by Sam Bauer

Finally something to look forward to by Cepheus Princeton

Returning again by Topher Calhoun

For honor by Gareth Whitebriar

It grows on you. Like mold. by Nic Sawyer

Indecision by Linus Macaulay

Obsession by Renée Errant

16 Marissa Stephenson, Quidditch Captain Crotalus Quidditch Sign-Ups 147 Marissa Stephenson, Quidditch Captain 1 5

Sam Bauer

November 05, 2011 3:42 PM

Signing up. by Sam Bauer

Sam tried to make it a habit to at least glace at the bulletin board each time he passed it, but had been expecting to try harder than usual for the first day or so of term. This, however, proved unnecessary, since Marissa had been on the ball and gotten the sheet up after he’d only passed a nearly empty bulletin board once. He hadn’t really expected her to fall down on the job already, but since she was also a prefect and Head Girl, he’d been prepared to accept her getting distracted someday.

Though, he thought, absently touching the unfamiliar badges on the front of his robes, it wasn’t like he might not have the same problem once she graduated. The idea of him being Head Boy was ridiculous, but who would have called a Pecari beating an Aladren? And he was going to have to be prefect and captain at the same time, too. He still hadn’t gotten over that being really weird.

At least he had a year to get used to the first important badge before he got the second. Even if Marissa did end up piling responsibilities onto him – or he just ended up kind of taking some – he wouldn’t officially be captain until next year, but the prefect thing was already official.

Going over to the sign-up sheet, he grimaced at the sight of his full name and started to cross out the last few letters, but stopped with the quill just short of the paper. He wasn’t sure how Marissa might take that. Instead, he just wrote it the right way in his sign-up.

Sam Bauer, 5th, Chaser

16 Sam Bauer Signing up. 163 Sam Bauer 0 5

Cepheus Princeton

November 05, 2011 4:20 PM

Finally something to look forward to by Cepheus Princeton

Cepheus had been waiting and waiting to sign up for Quidditch. He had been checking the bulletin board almost religiously. He wanted to do something here that was familiar to him. Flying on a broom was almost like being at home, even if it was in a different setting.

When he saw the sign up sheet, he was glad. He was quick to sign his name. Though he wanted to be a beater, he had never played the position because his father had not allowed him. But it didn't matter. He was a good Seeker and besides, his frame was too small to be a beater. He didn't have enough strength in his small arms. He couldn't wait to grow up. But for now, he was the perfect body type for a Seeker.

And then he saw that their captain was the Seeker and Cepheus groaned. Well, he was definitely not going to get the position if the bloody captain was a Seeker. Biting his lip, Cepheus was extremely tempted to write "beater" next to his name. But he didn't want his father to find out. Chaser? Cepheus did not like chasing anything, much less a quaffle. He bit his lip and then stopped, remembering his father saying that it was a sign of indecisiveness that a Princeton should never show. He wracked his brain instead, trying to think of what to write. Finally, he came to a decision. He would not get the Seeker position, but he wrote it down anyways, and next to it, the forbidden position he wasn't sure he wanted.

Cepheus Princeton, first-year, Seeker or Beater

40 Cepheus Princeton Finally something to look forward to 216 Cepheus Princeton 0 5

Topher Calhoun

November 05, 2011 4:57 PM

Returning again by Topher Calhoun

Topher walked across the common room, still enjoying the novelty of being a third year and out of the youngest group of students at Sonora, and stopped short just inside the exit to it when he caught sight of colors on the bulletin board. Backing up, he found himself looking at the Quidditch sign-up sheet. Marissa had posted it, and Marissa and Sam had already signed for their positions.

A new year, a new captain, a new team. This was going to be Crotalus' year - if they could get a new Chaser. That might be a problem. Being only as good a Beater as he had been last year would be a bigger problem, though, because it was the Bludgers that kept getting in Marissa's way every Final. He was a little worried about that. He had been practicing over the summer, but didn't know if it would be enough. He guessed he'd find out soon enough, though, if the new person, whoever he was, who'd also beaten him to signing up didn't steal his spot. He didn't expect that to happen, but it was much more likely than the firstie getting Marissa's.

He scrawled his name on the list, the 'l' and the 'h' in his last name kind of blurring together and a few other letters looking weird but the whole, he thought, being clear enough for Marissa to figure out what it meant. Then he went on to supper, glad to have that out of the way so he didn't have to remember to do it anymore. Once homework picked up, he was going to have enough other things to remember.

Topher Calhoun, 3rd year, Beater.

0 Topher Calhoun Returning again 192 Topher Calhoun 0 5

Gareth Whitebriar

November 06, 2011 2:50 AM

For honor by Gareth Whitebriar

Having a single roommate had proved to be acceptable, and Gareth woke up refreshed. He’d spent about an hour last night getting unpacked and putting everything away. For a boy he was surprisingly tidy. Mostly that was his mother’s influence, she hated anything out of place and even house elves didn’t work fast enough for her sharp eye so all the children learned at a very young age to pick up after themselves.

Gareth wanted to get a better look at the garden maze that morning and as he passed though the commons room a sheet of parchment posted on the announcements board caught his eye. His feet led him reluctantly to the board, blue eyes read swiftly over the tryout sheet. Taking a slow deep breath Gareth added his name to the list. Many of the others signed up are all older years, perhaps I’ll be a reserve this year? He hoped. Playing Quidditch was as much of a requirement for the males of the family as not playing was a requirement for the females. Gareth was young, tall for his age, and already strong, he would do well at the game. He would do well.

Gareth Whitebriar – First year – Beater or chaser

0 Gareth Whitebriar For honor 0 Gareth Whitebriar 0 5

Nic Sawyer

November 07, 2011 8:12 PM

It grows on you. Like mold. by Nic Sawyer

Nic walked by the sign-up sheet several times in the first couple of days of the new term. Each time, he slowed down to look at it. He continued to do so even when he saw two new names on the list that hadn't been there last year (had his name been short for Nicholas instead of Nicodemus, he would have wondered what kind of a name was 'Cepheus' but felt he had little room to talk). Two first years should have been sufficient to make him loose interest. One replacement for Charlie, and one for him. That neither seemed interested in Keeper was irrelevant. Marissa would sort out which to put in Chaser and which in Keeper, and that would be the end of it.

But he continued to stop as he passed by and look at it. Each time, he slowed more than the time before, even when there was no change to the list.

Eventually, his feet came to a full stop entirely, entirely without conscious intention to do so. *I don't even like team sports,* Nic reminded himself, and then his feet resumed their previous journey.

However, the next time he passed by, they again came to a stop all on their own volition. *I'm bad at it,* he discouraged himself. It was common knowledge he was Sonora's worst Keeper since Grayson Wright. He'd even been told so directly during Insult-Your-Neighbor-Day in Divination class. He moved on. (Later, over lunch, he would console himself that he had been getting better.)

The third time he found himself just standing in front of the sheet, there was even a quill in his hand. Earlier, he had smiled at Rachel Bauer in class and had come to a horrible realization. He would have no way to impress Rachel Bauer if he didn't save goals against enemy Houses. This time when he walked away, he had left some ink behind.

Nic Sawyer, Year 5, Keeper

Next time he walked by, the sign exerted a perfectly ordinary gravitational field that did not even slow him. It did, however, cause a very faint smirk to crease his face. *My spot,* his brain thought, informing his consciousness for the first time that he was starting to get possessive about the Keeper position.

1 Nic Sawyer It grows on you. Like mold. 165 Nic Sawyer 0 5

Linus Macaulay

November 09, 2011 8:56 AM

Indecision by Linus Macaulay

He still hadn't decided for sure that it was the right move for him at this time, but there were several factors contributing to his thoughts on the matter. The most compellin was that even if he did sign his name up here on this list, he could change his mind before try-outs, apologize to Marissa Stephenson, and there would be no harm done. It wasn't as if Crotalus needed him as a player to make up numbers - there were already enough people signed up to make a full team, and only one player had graduated last year, anyway - so Linus was sure nobody would resent him his indecision. On the other hand, if he didn't sign up and changed his mind, he could probably still show up to the try-outs, but the captain might have made some decisions already based purely on the sign-up sheet. Hence, Linus added his own details to those already there:

Linus Macaulay, second year, Chaser/Keeper.

As Sullivan had pointed out to him last year, Linus didn't have the right build for a Beater. Besides, his roomate already held the position last year, and Linus didn't want any rivalry with Paul over something so insignificant. The position of Seeker didn't hold much appeal - they were often prime Bludger targets and bore the brunt of the responsibility for the game, which were not scenarios in which Linus would be pleased to find himself. In addition, he wasn't an expert flier on a broom after only one year's experience, and there was already a Seeker for the Crotalus team.

Therefore the remaining options had been Chaser or Keeper, and truthfully Linus thought Keeper was his best bet. For a start, the current Crotalus Keeper was reputed to be awful, so Linus would not be disappointing anyone if he turned out to let a few goals in every so often. For another thing, he wasn't very good at steering a broom without holding on, and he thought Chasers needed to do that more than Keepers did. However, he didn't directly want to challenge a fifth year for his position, and the only vacant spot was for a Chaser, and even if he wasn't perfect at this stage, Linus would have time to practise before the first game of the year. All in all, he hadn't been able to make a decision between the two, and so left his options open. The captain could place him where he was best suited.

0 Linus Macaulay Indecision 205 Linus Macaulay 0 5

Renée Errant

November 09, 2011 2:58 PM

Obsession by Renée Errant

Renée blinked. 'Seriously, what the hell?' Though it was only a sign up sheet, no decisions had been made, she felt as if her place had been taken away from her. ‘Why do we already have seven names?’ Charlie was gone. Renée had gradually learned to accept that she was to be replaced but that meant six names should have been settled comfortably on the sign up sheet. Not seven. She glared at the most recent name. ‘Linus… what a stupid name.’ For some reason she thought of penguins wobbling on a strip of ice. Spinning around in dizzying circles, flopping down, giggling (she imagined that they would giggle) as they slid over sloping Ice Mountains. ‘Okay, so Linus is a good name.’ She made a mental note to owl her father and ask for a pet penguin named Linus.

She began to scan the rest of the names listed. Marissa and Sam had an obvious right to be there. Topher and Nic weren’t taking her place so she glared instead alternately at Gareth and Cepheus. ‘Now those names, I can’t figure out which one is stupider.’ What was the most offensive about both of them was that they couldn’t even decide which positions they even wanted. They should have been passionate about something and chose to either succeed brilliantly or fail miserably in that endeavor. She’d forgotten that in her first year she had tried out for both seeker and chaser.

Taking her self-inking quill, she rose her hand to the sign up sheet, quickly writing in her perfected elegant scrawl (Soledad had kept her occupied for hours forcing her to learn to write better) and she began to calm down. Honestly, she was up against first years. She would be okay. And she was a good chaser. ‘But I miss Charlie.’ Renée knew Quidditch wasn’t everything but… but Quidditch WAS everything! It was all she had now. Everything else in Sonora was stifled, sick, contained, structured. Especially the people. All she had was Quidditch where she was free to let loose without too much backlash. And Charlie could have taught her to become a better Chaser she was sure of it but now she was gone.

Renée Errant
Fourth year
Chaser

Renée paused. She felt the real need to honor Charlie. They were going to win this year and they were going to win in her honored memory.

Renée Errant
Fourth year
Chaser and Heiress to Charlie’s Chasing Throne

She’d practiced over the summer. And now every goal she scored would be Charlie’s goal too. With that little obsessive mental spiel over, Renée let her hand fall and turned to leave the common room. There was no time to lose. She needed to practice and better her skills right now.

0 Renée Errant Obsession 0 Renée Errant 0 5