Evidently, Sophie was obligated to post a signup sheet for Quidditch despite the lack of matches. The idea of the signup did not bother her so greatly; while she intended a more slightly relaxed atmosphere as opposed to her typical, rigid, game-preparing structure, it would be fairly nice to know who intended to show up.
Still, given that there were no games, there would be no policy for anyone who signed up and then skipped practice. This year was about self-motivation; if someone did not want to come a particular day, there was no need to force them. One could not improve if not for oneself. No one was going to put in effort for her and really change anything. The seventh year could try to force them however hard she wanted, but facts were facts.
Sophie dragged her quill across the parchment half-heartedly. Occasionally it felt extremely difficult to push through this situation; Quidditch just meant so much to her. The Headmistress had sent a memo that scouts would attend practices if captains provided schedules, but a lot of good that would do. Practices did not mean as much as games. It was the pressure and adrenaline of a match that pushed a player that extra mile. All scouts at practices would do was make things worse.
Her signup list was going to be brutally honest. There was no reason not to provide the fractured team with all of the facts.
PECARI QUIDDITCH SIGN-UP Obviously, you probably all know my sentiments on the situation. This year will include strictly practices, more or less in the form of workshops. We will work hard, as we do every year, with a bit of additional tactics. If you’re interested, sign up with your name and year. Put your position if you feel compelled. First practice will be held next Saturday at ten am.
Name: Sophie Jamison Year: Seventh Position: Captain
Sophie did not even bother to attach her beloved title of “Keeper” to her name; there was no point, really. She did not anticipate being in front of her hoops much at practices, instead focusing her attention on the other players, what help they personally needed. Her run was over. She was not a player any more, her last round snatched right out of her fingers. This year, she was a coach.
Subthreads:
Re: Obligatory Quidditch signup post by Rupert Princeton
Here, at least in spirit by Jade Owen
Wow, we're an enthusiastic team. by Mellie Goodwin
Signing my name... by Amira Thornton
0Captain S. JamisonObligatory Quidditch signup post0Captain S. Jamison15
Rupert was completely torn apart by there being no Quidditch. For the first week he had been dragging his feet around, depressed. Quidditch really did make up most of Rupert's life. When he was at home alone for very long periods of time, he either played with his pets or flew on his broom. He flew, mostly, and practised his beating tactics by himself or had his father pay for his private Quidditch tutor to give him extra lessons on the side. The poor tutor didn't know that he was currently grooming the next famous international Beater.
When he saw the sign-ups, he decided to write his name even if he was still a tad depressed about there being no actual games scheduled. Rupert signed his name, wondering if Adam would sign up too, and then sighed loudly. No Quidditch would make him still depressed. Those challenges had to be something special if they were canncelling the precious games for it.
In all honesty, Jade had not been so completely devesated about Quidditch being cancelled this term. She had witnessed many agonized outcries at the feast, and had thought the whole thing to be rather melodramatic. Yes, she enjoyed playing Quidditch, and she would defend her position to her very death, but if there was a blanket ban on the whole game for everyone, then nobody was going to lose this year. Which meant that Aladren couldn't possibly win and rub it in the faces of everyone who ever lived. All in all, Jade considered that to be a good thing. It simply gave her more time to brush up on her skills to not allow that particular scenario to ever happen again.
Naturally, it therefore made sense for her to continue going to practise, even if it would mean more time spent with Amira. Sometimes a person just had to take a deep breath and take one for the team... in pecari's case, that was applicable to every team member, having to put up with a bossy drama queen of an Assistant Captain. Okay, Jade could quietly admit to herself that Amira had actually been fine last year, and not at all the nightmare authority figure that the fourth year had been imagining, but nobody else needed to know that. Regardless, Jade was happy to stay in shape and attend practises even if there wasn't the opportunity to play a real game. She needed to maintain her position, having fought tooth and claw to get it, so she added her own details to the list:
Jade Owen, fourth year, Seeker
She noted that stating her position was optional, but Jade was actually not interested in playing Quidditch unless she could keep her Seeking position, so she might as well let others know that, too. She still held some concern that Amira might turf her out next year, but at least there were still three hundred and sixty five days left before Jade would need to worry about that. One more year of knowing for certain that she was Pecari's Seeker, on paper and in spirit, if not in games.
Mellie did know, or at least have a pretty good idea, of Sophie’s sentiments about the Quidditch situation, and privately, she thought her team’s captain, like a lot of other people, was being way too melodramatic about the whole thing. It was just a game, for goodness’ sake, one maybe three Sonora students in ten years would be good enough to play professionally, and they were getting something in its place as well. Besides, what good did making it obvious, even on the sign-up sheet, which Professor Levy was sure to see, that one was really annoyed about something do? Maybe it was just her mother, but Mellie had always gotten the impression that being like that just made adults dig their heels in even harder than they would have otherwise when it came to not giving people what they wanted.
Still, no one was asking her opinion, so she hadn’t offered it, not really having the energy or skill to get into a huge argument with anyone about the issue, or really any issue. Mellie knew her talents, and arguing just wasn’t one of them.
She wasn’t sure if she should sign up. What if that was taken as being one of the people who were being crazy about things? She really did not want that to happen, especially if the staff decided to hand out jobs to the new prefects in some part of the group thing and maybe decided to give her the bad one. With her luck, there was a good chance of that, anyway, but tempting fate still didn’t sound like a whole lot of fun to her.
In the end, though, habit and feeling bad for the tiny list came out on top, so one day, she added her information – Mellie Goodwin, 5th, Chaser - and then walked away quickly, as though hoping this would keep anyone in authority from realizing she had done it.
16Mellie GoodwinWow, we're an enthusiastic team.206Mellie Goodwin05
Amira had been going back and forth in her mind whether to add her name to the sign up sheet for Pecari Quidditch Team. She'd finally realized that as Assistant Captain this year, even though there were no games, if she didn't sign up, she'd most likely lose her Captaincy for next year. That's not going to happen...
This was going to be a year for practicing. And like she and Sophie had decided, it would be like a workshop. The Pecaris as a whole would be more well versed in every position and that was going to be their weapon. Pecari would be able to play anyone at any position, the other teams wouldn't know who'd be playing what in each game. It was a perfect plan.
Amira knew that Sophie was upset, she was too, but it was the way it was this year and they couldn't change it. Sophie had wanted (Amira could tell) to do something with Quidditch after Graduation, but now she knew it was almost impossible. Sure, Headmistress Kijewski-Jareau put up a sign saying that scouts would still come to practices, but Amira knew how much that would really count for. Arista had spoken her anger to Amira about that very topic and Mir knew that Rista and Sophie felt the same way about what was going on. She felt bad that she would get her chance next year, but Sophie and Rista's were taken from right under them.
Mira walked to the sign-up sheet and read the words on it. She knew how Sophie felt about it, and it showed in the sign-up. Underneath Rupert's, Jade's and Mellie's which were beneath Sophie's, she added her own.
Amira Thornton, Fifth Year, Assistant Captain
Amira followed in Sophie's path of not putting a position on there. What was the point anyway? Especially since they were all going to be learning every position. Next year she'd be the one deciding who would play what, and when. For now, we learn it all... she thought as she walked away from the list.
0Amira ThorntonSigning my name...208Amira Thornton05