Here! (and also a bit nervous) on Quidditch Pitch

Florence Olivers

December 22, 2013 1:19 AM

Quidditch Game II: Crotalus vs. Pecari by Florence Olivers

It was cold today. It was never as cold or as windy as Chicago, and Florence enjoyed the change though she would have much preferred warmer weather for a Quidditch match. It had snowed earlier in the day and had left the grass sprinkled with white and the air sharp and frosty. There was a light wind as well and Florence didn’t think the weather would be very forgiving to the spectators and the players alike. It didn’t snow often on the Sonora grounds, or so Florence thought coming from Illinois, but it did get mighty cold.

After such a relaxing break, she knew it would be a little difficult for students to get back into the swing of school again, especially the younger years. To keep herself in the spirit of sports, she had talked and played a little Quodpot with her older brother in the snow. Quodpot was very different from Quidditch, but it had helped to keep her excited for her the next Quidditch game. Florence was wrapped up in her warmest coat with a quick hot air charm to make her robes warm and toasty. She felt bad for the players, but she hoped morale would still be high in such a fast-paced sport. The Keepers would have to find a way to keep warm, but the Chasers and Beaters would be warm enough flying around.

She allowed the captains adequate time to make their speeches, hopefully kept short and sweet, before she announced the match. “Welcome to the second Quidditch game of the year,” she announced. “Today we have Crotalus, led by Linus Macaulay, against Pecari, led by Amira Thornton. Captains, please shake hands.”

Florence removed the Amplifying Charm and nodded at the captains. “Let’s have a good, clean game. Good luck to you both.” She picked up the quaffle and amplified her voice once more. “The match begins with my whistle and ends with the capture of the Snitch. Players, please mount your brooms. The game begins in three, two, one—tweet!” She blew hard on her whistle and threw the quaffle into the air with both hands.

The game had officially begun.

OOC: Players, remember to keep your posts clear, detailed, and realistic. Stick to the rules. Don’t forget to distinguish your name by team color. Pecari is tan and Crotalus is red. If you have any questions, refer to the rules or tag me on the OOC board.

Subthreads:

Rattlesnakes vs. Wild Boar. by Captain Macaulay, Chaser with Annette Pierce, Chaser, Annabelle Pierce, Chaser, Isaac Douglas, Chaser, Sasha Sinclair, Beater, Captain Amira, Annette, Chaser, Adam Spencer, Chaser, Leo Princeton, Keeper

It's all about Me. by Jade Owen, Seeker with Rupert Princeton, Beater, Cepheus Princeton, Seeker, Coach Olivers

Watching and waiting from the benches by <fontcolor="tan">ClaraAbernathyPecari Alternate</f with Atlas Primred, Pecari Alternate

Here! (and also a bit nervous) by Liliana Bannister, Keeper

0 Florence Olivers Quidditch Game II: Crotalus vs. Pecari 27 Florence Olivers 1 5

Captain Macaulay, Chaser

December 23, 2013 7:54 AM

Rattlesnakes vs. Wild Boar. by Captain Macaulay, Chaser

The outcome of the first Quidditch match had been disappointing, but not embarrassing, so there was a silver lining to the cloud of Aladren’s victory. Neither team had managed to score any goals before Aladren’s Seeker had caught the Snitch, and although Linus secretly wanted to blame Cepheus for their loss, matched as he had been against a first-time Seeker, he knew that his Assistant couldn’t really help how or when the Snitch decided to show itself. Linus settled on not bearing a grudge, and believed that this initial blow might, at least, encourage his team to perform with increased vigour in this upcoming game against Pecari. For their part, Linus hoped the opposition would be complacent by Crotalus’ defeat, and let their guard down sufficiently that beating them would be inevitable. He could be optimistic when the occasion called for it.

Unhappily, the weather was cold and bracing as his team gathered together for the start of the second match of the season. Linus had already cast a warming charm on himself, and he offered the service to the remainder of the other players, too; the younger students probably would not be able to cast the spell yet even if they happened to know the incantation. Then he cleared his throat to make what would be his second, and final, pre-game speech as Crotalus’ Quidditch Captain. “Good morning, everyone,” he said, his voice ringing out through the crisp air. “This is our last shot at the championship, but we do at least have a shot.” So long as they won this game, the overall winner of the Cup was still very much open. If they lost, however, they would be out of the running. There was a lot riding on the outcome of this match. “We did quite well in the last game,” he reminded them, though in saying so he didn’t feel entirely justified, as their performance had not been sufficient to win the game, “but I know we can do better. Chasers, pay attention to each other – this is a team sport. Beaters, the most direct way to maintain an advantage is to take out the Pecari Chaser, but if that doesn’t seem possible then focus your efforts elsewhere.” As the last game had demonstrated, when Seekers flew too close together, it could be impossible for Beaters to obtain a clear shot without putting their own Seeker in danger. Linus didn’t want his players to be hung up on an unachievable goal, not when there were so many other players to target.

At a loss at what advice he could offer his Keeper and Seeker, Linus didn’t make any attempts at all; instead he halted his spiel there, concluding with a hearty, “We can do this. Let’s not lose both games this season.” Usually they only had an opportunity to lose one… somehow losing two felt worse.

Linus contemplated this undesirable outcome as he headed over to shake hands with Pecari’s captain. If they lost this game, not only would he be Captain of the losing team, and graduate on a failure, but he would also be the first Captain in a really long time to lead his team to two losses within one season, thanks to the usual set-up of two initial matches followed by one championship game that had been in place since before Linus started attending Sonora. In the grand scheme of his life he knew it wouldn’t matter; he might engage in Quidditch at college if he felt like it at the time, but once his educational career was over, he doubted he would keep up the sport. He liked to be physically active, but there were plenty of other ways in which this could be accomplished, many of which would fit more easily into a busy schedule than a team sport that required frequent practise sessions.

As directed by Professor Olivers, acting Coach for the year, Linus shook hands with Amira Thornton, a girl he still didn’t know very well, despite almost seven years of opportunities for interaction, and offered no words to her, nor very little expression. All he wanted to do was to play the game, preferably win the game, and then enjoy the respite for the remainder of the term of knowing he had one less concern on his mind. With exams, college, concerts and who knew what else, it was a relief to have Quidditch over with, even though it was an activity Linus would admit to enjoying. He had plenty else to occupy the remainder of his time at school.

Mounting his broomstick (would he keep it after school, he wondered? Broomstick travel was rarely preferable when one could Apparate or use the Floo network, and was only better that using a portkey over short distances), Linus readjusted his gloves and readied himself for the whistle. When it came, he kicked off hard from the cold, solid earth, and raced into the bitter air after the Quaffle. As one of the more advanced players on the pitch, it did not surprise him that he reached the ball first, yet he was nevertheless buoyed by this minor victory as he tightened his grip on its red leather, shifting the globe to rest in the crook of his right arm as he made some progress down the field in the direction of the Pecari-kept goals. As usual at this very early point in the game, Linus was not so foolish as to hold onto the ball for any great length of time. He cast furtive glances around him to ascertain a suitable passing point, and then shifted the Quaffle once more to rest in his fingertips. He threw the ball without much further hesitation, hoping that it would remain on target and reach its intended recipient without any interference from the brown-clad opposition. If not, there would inevitably be the insupportable back-and-forth that accompanied the beginning of the majority of school Quidditch games he had witnessed, but it was always worth the effort to avoid this scenario. The sooner Crotalus managed to score a goal, the sooner Linus would renew his beliefs that they could, in fact, win this match, and therefore have a real shot at claiming the Championship Cup for their own.

0 Captain Macaulay, Chaser Rattlesnakes vs. Wild Boar. 0 Captain Macaulay, Chaser 0 5

Annette Pierce, Chaser

December 23, 2013 10:38 AM

I would think Boars would trample Snakes by Annette Pierce, Chaser

She had played in games before, of course. Annette had been the one to play both of Pecari's matches that first year that had caused so many problems and somehow branded Annabelle as the one who was Quidditch-mad. The next year had been a reprieve and last year they had thumbed their noses as current pureblood conventions and both twins had played. Since then the New Hampshire Pierces had gone into a small political revolution.

The twins had barely known whether or not they were even welcome home when school ended last spring, but they had taken their normal wagon home and when they got there, Mother was waiting.

The family had broken ties with WAIL. The Anns were not only allowed home but given their own brooms and were allowed to practice flying them with Thaddeus. Wesley was not happy about any of it, but he and Uncle Marcus had been outvoted. WAIL, after all, was downright wrong on a number of their opinions - or so Uncle Thesius, who was largely regarded as the smartest person on the Mountain had claimed - and most of the family either recognized this or took his word for it. Mother had reportedly been sat down by Thad's father and they went over all the scientific and historical facts of why the Heritage Society was right and WAIL was wrong, somewhat surprisingly, she changed her vote to support the Anns' return.

It wasn't that Mother didn't care for them. Annette knew she did. It was simply that she considered propriety a bit more important and Belinda had clearly demonstrated that Quidditch was not a lady-like pursuit so she had forbidden it with threats of harsh consequences if they followed the path of their disgraced sister rather than their respectable one. The twins had never doubted that she meant it and had been prepared to never return home.

It wasn't that they didn't care for Mother, either. They did. It was simply that she had always been a bit more formal than she was loving (plus, well, she couldn't tell them apart), and they considered each other the most important part of family they had. As long as they were together, location did not really matter. Leaving the mountain permanently would have been hard, but they were Pecaris. They could adapt.

But they didn't have to. They were here today, still representing the New Hampshire Pierces, with brand new brooms of their own. That was what made today's game special for Annette. She was here proudly, with the full (well, almost full - Uncle Marcus and Wesley still weren't too happy about the change) support of her family.

She barely felt the cold. First of all, New Hampshire had been colder. Secondly, excitement and anticipation crowded out whatever cold she did feel. She heard Amira's speech, and Professor Olivers', but she was already thinking about the game ahead, shifting from foot to foot out of impatience rather than cold.

Finally, the whistle blew and Annette kicked off. Now a fourth year, with a fair amount of experience, and an entire semester of Amira's hard training under her belt, she reached out a hand for the Quaffle, but Linus was there first. She turned and followed after, nodding to Annabelle to cover Isaac while she tried to block a pass to Victor.

Annette hung back a little, trusting her shiny new broom to push to speed quickly when needed, hoping that Linus would see Annabelle right in Isaac's face while Victor seemed more open. Sure enough, soon the ball was passed and put on a burst of speed to intercept.

It wasn't an entirely clean interception. She caught the Quaffle more on her forearm than her hand, but she still managed to pull it to her chest, hugging it tight to keep it from dropping. She turned her broom around, in a reasonably tight roll, then straightened out and headed back the other way.

She dared not go too far with it. Crotalus had lost to Aladren a few months ago and they were no doubt eager to redeem themselves by trying to beat Pecari and she had no intention of making it easy for them. She maneuvered her new broom to a position for a good opening to pass to one of her fellow Chasers. It was a short pass, both to minimize the chance of interception, and because she still wasn't great at throwing the Quaffle very far. This, though, she felt she could manage, and she tossed the ball toward her teammate, certain the pass would reach its mark so long as nobody interfered.

0 Annette Pierce, Chaser I would think Boars would trample Snakes 0 Annette Pierce, Chaser 0 5

Annabelle Pierce, Chaser

December 23, 2013 11:02 AM

We ought to watch out for their fangs, though by Annabelle Pierce, Chaser

Practices were all well and good - that is, they were exhausting and unending and difficult, but all in the good way that meant she was pushing herself to the best of her ability - but Annabelle kind of hated actual games. The first year, she had been kind of mad at Annette for playing both of them and not giving her a turn, but that had been before she played one.

Games were nerve-wracking. The pressure was so much higher. And if Pecari lost, she felt guilty for not being a better player despite all the practice they put into it.

So, on top of it being a miserable cold day, Annabelle was also dreading the inevitable whistle that would start the game. She took a moment to give herself a warming charm, and pulled the brown Quidditch robes tighter around her as Amira spoke, but the Captain did not go on long enough to delay that game starting whistle, and Professor Olivers spoke too, but only to review the most basic rules of the games for the spectators. Then the game had begun.

Annette was off like a shot, because the younger twin was crazy like that and actually enjoyed the added pressure of a game, but even she didn't manage to get to the Quaffle before Linus Macaulay, who had longer arms and a taller torso. By then, Annabelle was at least off the ground and she caught Nettie's nod toward the first year Crotalus chaser.

She felt kind of like a bully, dodging the little kid's flight path, but she kept herself between him and the Crotalus captain, preventing the older Chaser from making a pass in this direction, manipulating him into throwing the other way, toward Annette, who was better at interceptions than she was, since (a) Annette was crazy and liked the added pressure of games and (b) Annette was crazy and liked to push her broom to unreasonably high speeds very quickly.

Once the intercept was made, Annabelle turned around easily, because maneuvering was what she was best at, and got a little bit ahead of her sister, and hopefully outflew Isaac as well so he wouldn't intercept her sister's pass.

He didn't. The ball came to her and she caught it as they had done a million times in practice. She pressed forward, but she wasn't a real fast flier - mostly because she was afraid of the highest speeds her new broom was capable of - so she didn't go very far either before deciding it would be better for Pecari if somebody else had the Quaffle for a little while.

She tried to find an opening to one of her teammates, and, spotting one, she threw the Quaffle toward them. It was a longer pass than she was really comfortable making - both because she didn't have any better arm strength than Annette did, and because it provided openings for Crotalus to get in there - but she wasn't sure she was going to get a better chance to pass before a bludger came for her or the Crotalus Chasers blocked all passing opportunities. She just hoped the brown clad Chaser didn't need to lean over too far to catch it.

0 Annabelle Pierce, Chaser We ought to watch out for their fangs, though 0 Annabelle Pierce, Chaser 0 5

Jade Owen, Seeker

December 23, 2013 3:18 PM

It's all about Me. by Jade Owen, Seeker

It had not been encouraging to Jade that Aladren had won their first game against Crotalus. If the line-up had been the same as last year, then she wouldn’t have been in the least bit surprised – hey, she probably would have bet all her worldly belongings (which didn’t amass to a great deal, but she could hardly help that) that Aladren would have won. Yet with Thad playing Seeker, not Arnold Carey, the Pecari had really believed that Cepheus stood a good chance at catching that Snitch. She actually felt a little sorry for him that he hadn’t. While she didn’t hold any real grudge against Thaddeus personally – he was the Worst Sort of Pierce but it was hardly his fault that he came from a long line of inbred degenerates, and he did hang around a lot with Alicia Bauer, and Jade couldn’t understand why anyone would do that of his own free will, but then she spent a lot of time with Jorge, so knew she was in no position to comment on preference of company – she would dearly have loved to see Aladren finally beaten. Ah well, it the responsibility was evidently going to be hers, in what would presumably be the last match of the year, when Aladren played Pecari. In comparison, the match against Crotalus felt like a warm-up round. Jade wasn’t intimidated by Cepheus as the opposition; she’d caught the Snitch more times than he had, and she believed that Rup would do his best to knock Princeton Senior off his broom if the occasion called for it. Rup was good like that.

As for today’s game, Jade was in reasonably high spirits, concerning its outcome as well as its potential enjoyment, whoever the victor turned out to be. To say that it was cold would be an understatement, but Jade was from upstate New York, and was hardly put off by a light covering of frost. She was well kitted out in thermal wear beneath her robes, and had further accessorised for the occasion with a couple of warming charms. Her ears were, admittedly, colder than she would have liked, but she had tied her hair back into two tightly-plaited dark brown pigtails to keep her vision unobstructed as she flew. Her insides, on the other hand, were pleasantly warmed, thanks largely to the hot breakfast she had consumed, which consisted of several pancakes with lashings of syrup, and two mugs of scalding hot black coffee. Until only recently she had considered the drink to be akin to Skele-Gro in taste (and she’d consumed enough of that particular medicine to develop a genuine distaste for it), but then she’d discovered the little buzz she experienced after each cup, and now the taste didn’t seem so bad. Oddly enough, any attempts to temper its bitterness with cream or sugar only made matters worse, which, coincidentally, suited Jade’s temperament: she didn’t like anything too fussy.

As usual, Jade arrived early to the pitch so she could select her preferred broom from the school’s supply. She did her best not to scrutinise others’ brooms too closely, in case she discovered that some lucky wretch had received a new broomstick for Christmas. Jade had asked for, and had been granted, a sewing kit and a book of haberdashery spells (which was second-hand, but she didn’t care) for her gift from her family over the holiday. She had used her baking club knowledge to gift chocolate, orange and cinnamon cookies to everyone she cared about enough to exchange presents, and had never once mentioned that it would be nice to play at least one Quidditch game on a broomstick that actually belonged to her and that didn’t entirely suck. It was never going to happen, and besides, since she’d carved her initials into this particular broomstick’s handle during her first year, Jade felt as though she practically owned it, anyway. It was a decent little broom, and she was accustomed to its foibles and idiosyncrasies so that they worked together well as a team. It was a shame that the rest of the Pecari team didn’t perform quite so fluidly, but they had made definite improvements over the first part of the year during practises, so Jade was cautiously optimistic that they would wipe the proverbial floor with Crotalus. It would be sweet.

It would also be a delight next year when Amira had graduated, and Jade didn’t have to listen to her anymore. Their animosity was, by now, out of habit, rather than any real complaint. Amira could play Quidditch well, and wasn’t always completely idiotic, but jade would nevertheless be glad to see the back of her – she’d put too much effort into disliking her for them to ever stand a chance at getting along. They worked together amicably for the sake of Pecari, of course, but the moment a game or practise was over, Jade returned to regarding Amira with a distant dislike. That was life, and there were some balances that ought not to be messed with.

At length, the captains were finally finished harassing their teams and fondling each other’s digits. Ignoring any last-minute words of encouragement that might be forthcoming, Jade swung one lanky leg over her broom, and settled herself comfortably into position. On the sound of the whistle, she kicked off from the hard ground and rose steadily, feeling the wind burn her cheeks as she slipped higher through its gentle resistance to rest above the Chasers, already passing the Quaffle to and fro. Jade elected to begin the game with a cursory circuit of the pitch, serving the dual purposes of seeking the Snitch and reminding her body how to fly after the midterm break. She flew calmly, purposefully, and yet with rapt attention that held her body rigid. She would undoubtedly engage in some pointless banter with Princeton at some point, but she wasn’t going to seek him out… not just now, anyway; she was currently enjoying the peaceful freedom of the sky.

0 Jade Owen, Seeker It's all about Me. 0 Jade Owen, Seeker 0 5

Isaac Douglas, Chaser

December 24, 2013 1:09 AM

We have natures that in time will venom breed, at least. by Isaac Douglas, Chaser

Lying was, Isaac knew, essential for the orderly functioning of society, or even a household – the worst days he’d ever experienced had all involved someone in his family deciding to be honest about something; in the Layne-Bauer-Douglas association, there was just no way doing that could ever end remotely well – but he had always assumed there were limits. That at a certain point, it just became ridiculous, it stretched willing suspension of disbelief further than much anyone was going to go. At that point, he had always thought people, unable to lie, just said nothing at all.

Maybe that was true, maybe it wasn’t, but if it was, then clearly, he and Macaulay had different ideas about where the line lay. Isaac guessed it was a captain thing, but really, to say they had done well last time? Not only had they lost, and Isaac could not forget his own little contribution to that, but Princeton had lost to Loser Boyfriend, who, until recently, had been a Beater, usually pretty much the opposite of a Seeker. That was not doing well, that was…well, he approved of honesty no more than the next person, but really, there was nothing for it but to say that that was really doing pretty badly, he thought, if one felt the need to say anything at all.

On the bright side, he thought glumly as he shivered through the captains’ handshakes, at least this tendency, if it was a tendency and not a fluke or attempt at putting the best on things like Momma or Rachel might, meant that maybe the captain wouldn’t take it too hard (or, more specifically, hard out on Isaac) if Alicia’s stunning taste in acquaintances failed to get them anywhere again and Isaac was again unable to do anything to keep all the negative attention on its proper object.

He got into the air without too much incident, but promptly found one of the Pierce girls – that family, he thought petulantly, had apparently been put on this earth to annoy him, first through their heir being likable by Alicia’s standards and now through this – right in his way. He had no chance of getting the Quaffle, he saw. No chance, right now anyway, to try making himself Not The Guy To Yell At Later.

He hoped, since he was stuck with it, he could at least turn it to his advantage to the extent of making himself Not The Guy For The Pecaris To Hit A Bludger At. Screwing his courage up to the sticking place, he flew faster and, though the aforementioned procedure had not given him the nerve to try intercepting, did try after she passed to make himself too much in the way for her to be practical to pass back to, or, he hoped, him to aim at without risking her unnecessarily. She was, he had already seen, a better flier than he was, so he doubted it would work for long, but even a minute of relative safety which looked somehow useful at the same time was better than nothing.

16 Isaac Douglas, Chaser We have natures that in time will venom breed, at least. 273 Isaac Douglas, Chaser 0 5

<fontcolor="tan">ClaraAbernathyPecari Alternate</f

December 27, 2013 11:48 PM

Watching and waiting from the benches by <fontcolor="tan">ClaraAbernathyPecari Alternate</f

Clara woke up to the sound of something chirping at her and glared at her alarm clock. It was chirping soo loud she was almost sure if it were any louder it might have woken up everyone in the dorm rooms. Clara grumbled to herself as she reached over and switched it off. She had known their game against Crotalus would be coming up soon, but she wasn't quite prepared for it to be that day. We just barely got back and they're expecting us to fly around and play in the cold the fifteen year old complained to herself as she made her way into the bathroom to shower and get ready. Despite the fact that she had requested to be benched this time around she still had to dress in her Quidditch robes and bring her broomstick. Clara braided her unruly hair down her back so that if she had to go in and play that day she could at least see what she was doing. Once she was dressed and about as ready as she would ever be, Clara made sure to grab her game gloves and broomstick before heading out of the Pecari dorms. She crossed past the gardens and into the building heading for Cascade Hall.

Once in the hall, Clara picked herself up some pancakes with syrup, bacon and scrambled eggs. If she was going to be sitting outside on the bench in the cold she was going to have a full stomach. Clara finished up her breakfast and after grabbing her broom she made her way outside to the Quidditch Pitch for the game. Clara couldn't help thinking about her less than stellar performance in last terms game as she headed out to the pitch. It had been her first time actually playing against other kids who weren't entirely related to her. She tried playing it at home with her cousins during the summer months, but knew that it was pretty much a lost cause since you needed to have some aptitude in flying and she had none. Well that wasn't so much true anymore. She could now fly around on the darn blasted thing thanks to her boyfriend Lucian. If it hadn't been for his patience and encouragement (not to mention the pink crash helmet he gave her) she might never have been able to get herself up off the ground let alone flying. Clara shook her head smiling at that thought as she entered the pitch from the players entrance.

Clara saw her team gathered together for Amira's pre-game pep talk and walked over to join them. She nodded as Amira spoke to show that she understood what her cousin was saying. Once Amira finished with her pep talk Clara watched her cross the field to where Thad stood with Professor Olivers. It felt kind-of weird being out here on the pitch without coach Pierce. Professor Olivers was doing an awesome job as far as Clara could see, it was just a little weird without Coach Pierce. Clara shook that thought out of her head and headed over towards the benches to have a seat with the other two alternates, Brandon and Atlas. Clara smiled at both of her teammates and turned her attention back to the field when she heard the starting whistle. Clara took a moment to cast the warming charm that Waverly had taught her in baking club on herself to starve off the cold and made herself comfortable. She glanced up towards the Pecari goals glad that Liliana was seated there on her broom instead of Clara. Clara couldn't help thinking about how bad she had bombed it when she had been in that very position the term before. She had only signed up to play because her cousin needed more volunteers. She had accepted the Keeper position because she had thought it would be the easiest to do. Little did she know that she was quite wrong about her assumption.

Clara had spent most of the game scared stiff that she was going to either fall off her broom or miss a vital goal when it was thrown at her hoops. The other thing that had deeply worried the newbie flier was the fact that there would be angry little metal balls flying all around being aimed at people. She hadn't been extremely worried that Lucian would have hit one in her direction, but she couldn't say the same for his fellow Aladren Beater. From what her cousin Arista had always told her if the other team wanted to cripple a team the best way to do so would be to take out their Keeper or the Seeker. Without those two players the other team was sure to win and since she had been in one of those two spots, Clara had been especially worried. Because that had meant that both she and Jade were targets. While Clara was pretty certain by now that Jade could more than handle herself, Clara had not been as confident. She had just hoped to survive her experience playing if nothing else. For the most part she had actually succeeded at that goal. She had managed to survive the game, but had taken a nasty blow to the back of her head thanks to a goal Francesca had tried to make for Aladren. Clara had known going after it would end up hurting her somehow, she just hadn't known how until it was too late.

Clara had managed to catch the attempted goal, but in doing so had spun herself around striking the goal backwards and bouncing her head off the metal ring. She had sat there for a moment while she waited for her vision to clear before claiming she caught the quaffle and falling of her broom. The blow to the head had knocked her out cold. Clara vaguely remembered waking up on the Pecari bench with Medic Bailey beside her. It had not been one of her more shining moments. They had lost the game shortly afterward. Clara hugged her robes to her despite the warming charm as she watched her teammates fly around the pitch. She booed from her seat when she saw Crotalus get their hands on the quaffle first and cheered in her seat when Annette (she was partially sure it was Annette, although it could have been Annabelle for all she knew) intercepted Linus' pass and took off with it. Clara almost had to envy the two sisters, they were fantastic players! They made it look soo easy. Clara watched anxiously as the Anns flew down the pitch a-ways towards the Crotalus side. The first Ann passed off to the other and Clara held her breath as the other Ann almost missed the pass. Clara sighed with relief when Annabelle? caught her sister's pass just barely. “Oh thank goodness!” Clara had mumbled to herself when she saw the Pecari Chaser tuck it under her arm and fly off with it. Clara felt more on edge watching from the sidelines than she had from in front of the goals. To try and relieve some of her tension she shouted encouragement to her teammates.

“LET'S GO PECARI!” she cheered from the bench at the top of her lungs. “WE'VE SOO GOT THIS!” She felt her throat go a little hoarse, but it was worth it if they could pull out the win. Clara dropped her arms slightly and frowned when she caught sight of the Crotalus player flying very close to one of the Anns. “What is that guy trying to do?” she wondered aloud to herself. She had no way of answering her own question. All Clara could do for the time being was watch and wait.

0 <fontcolor="tan">ClaraAbernathyPecari Alternate</f Watching and waiting from the benches 232 <fontcolor="tan">ClaraAbernathyPecari Alternate</f 0 5

Sasha Sinclair, Beater

December 28, 2013 8:13 PM

Snakes are sly and hide well. We strike at any moment. by Sasha Sinclair, Beater

Sasha tried not to think about the hard pit at the bottom of his stomach. It was difficult to do since it felt heavy and made him feel nauseated. Sasha was nervous. They had lost the last game and Pecari’s team had more senior members on it than he recalled Aladren having. Of course, he could be wrong. He might be getting the details mixed up. Sasha hadn’t slept well the night before. He was going over all their strategies that they had practice the night before. His mind just wouldn’t stop. He didn’t want to lose another game. He didn’t want his team to come off of the three participating houses to not win a single game. That would have been humiliating. Sasha didn’t want that for his first year at Sonora. He didn’t want such a smeared start to his Quidditch career. He could say the first loss was due to having never played a game before, but a second? No that just wouldn’t do.

Sasha had sat in the Hall mixing around his breakfast. The pit in his stomach refused to allow him to even think about eating it. He knew that it may be a mistake, his stomach might suddenly decide that it really needed food right in the middle of the game, but there wasn’t much to be done. He was nervous enough to believe that if he ate before the game, the food would somehow find itself in the middle of the pitch. Sasha was not about to become that player. He would just have to deal with a hungry stomach when it came to that point. For now, he could only focus on the game ahead of him. He really had to make sure he was at the top of his performance as the youngest beater. He did not want to let his team down.

After he got into his uniform, Sasha spent some time with warming up and doing stretches. The last thing that he wanted to do was let his muscles seize up in mid-beat or too sore after word once it was all said and done. His father told him that he had to be absolutely prepared when going into anything, both mentally and physically. He could not appear weak or unprepared. Sasha was not going to be intimidated or look a fool in front of the other team or his teammates. It just was not allowed to happen. So, he was going to stretch to prepare his body and relax his mind and hope the nerves fall away as soon as he was in the sky. That was all that he could really do.

The weather was not the best to be playing in. It had apparently snowed which Sasha had missed entirely, and the air was bitterly cold. He was not estranged to this type of weather. Sasha had spent several days in Russia during the holiday to visit his mother’s family. Russia’s winters were bitter. Not so much in central Russia, by Moscow, in recent years their winters had been pleasantly mild. But his mother’s family was from northern Russia, where it was often below 0. His parents had to make sure their warming charms were constantly checked and redone so that they did not get frostbite or ill due to the cold whenever they were outside for long periods of time. He hated it. He hated the cold. Where he lived in Scotland, the temperature was hardly below 40 degrees. He didn’t understand why anyone would want to live somewhere cold.

Sasha accepted the charm that his captain offered, knowing that he would need it for at least some of the time. Mostly, just the beginning of the game. Eventually, his body would warm up just from playing and then he’d have to worry about sweat and the cold weather, which also never mixed very well. He felt the weather was going to make it a lose/lose situation for him.

He nodded along to what their captain was saying; only half listening because he knew every Captain was obligated to give a prep talk speech before every game. He already knew what he needed to do, already knew what they needed to do, he didn’t like having to be reminded of it just before he was to lift off into the air and face his components. It just meant that he had more to worry about on his mind than he felt he really ought to at this point and time. But he could be at least respectful enough to his Captain to pretend to be paying attention.

He went off to shake hands and Sasha prepared himself for the inevitable. He tightened his gloves and swung his bat to remind himself of the feel of it. He was confident in his beating abilities. He had been doing it since he could remember. That was not his worry. His worry was for everything else. He mounted his broom when commanded and readied himself for lift off. It didn’t take long for the whistle to blow and Sasha felt himself airborne. That first rush of air was always exhilarating and reminded him of his love for the sport. Even if it was frigid cold air.

Sasha turned his broom to see where the chasers were. He saw the creepy Pecari girls flanking two of the Crotalus chasers. That meant that they would not be the best targets. Sasha found himself a bludger and found a brown player that was free from the red ones. Throwing his arm back, Sasha felt the force of the impact as metal met wood and watched the bludger shoot off towards the player he had intended. Once it was off, so was he, he had teammates to look after, after all.

6 Sasha Sinclair, Beater Snakes are sly and hide well. We strike at any moment. 0 Sasha Sinclair, Beater 0 5

Liliana Bannister, Keeper

December 30, 2013 7:51 PM

Here! (and also a bit nervous) by Liliana Bannister, Keeper

When Liliana had found out it had been snowing and there was still snow on the ground she had been delighted. It seemed that her first Quidditch match would be in similar conditions to the weather back home in London (she still didn't quite consider Connecticut home though she had lived there for a year now). She excited bounced to Cascade Hall to help herself to a large breakfast in order to play well. Her cousins had always told her that it was important to be full and have a good, hearty breakfast so that hunger did not distract one while playing. After having jogged back to her dorm, she sat on her bed and clasped her hands together and criss-crossed her legs.

"Repeat after me, Liliana," she said to herself, hoping her dormmate was either still asleep or at breakfast. "You will do well in the match today. You will preform well because that is what Bannisters do. Nothing short of perfection is expected of you." She repeated these lines to herself over and over again almost like she was trying to hypnotize herself into doing well.

When it came time to get ready, she took a deep breathe and neatly tied her hair back in a braid with a Pecari gold ribbon and used a hair staying charm she'd begged her mother to teach her over the break in hopes that her hair would not get in her face and block the Quaffle from site. She had practiced the charm every day with diligence since she had been taught it, but still was unsure that it would work- she had never been quite good at focusing unless it was during Quidditch, and still had difficulties producing full charms.

She tried to listen carefully to Amira's speech though her mind did wander a little as she thought about letting her family down. However, as she mounted her broom to get ready to play, she saw,, out of the corner of her eye, her mother waving at her from the crowd. (As Liliana would find out after the game, her mother had not in fact been there but rather hosting a luncheon for the wives of her father's corporation, but the mirage had greatly helped her boost her confidence). She rose into the air on her broomstick determined to put on a good show for her mother who had never really cared much for Quidditch.

Liliana watched as the Pierce twins (she still had issues telling them apart) circled the field, one of them with the Quaffle in hand. She hoped they would score so that the first points would go towards Pecari and she could feel a little more relaxed in her Keepers position. The twin threw the Quaffle to another Pecari player and Liliana crossed her fingers they would catch it. She watched as it arched in the air and wished with all her might for a catch. If Pecari won this match then wouldn't that be a lovely game for her Mother to catch?

10 Liliana Bannister, Keeper Here! (and also a bit nervous) 274 Liliana Bannister, Keeper 0 5

Rupert Princeton, Beater

December 31, 2013 5:22 PM

I won't argue with that. by Rupert Princeton, Beater

If Rupert was being completely honest with himself, he was nervous about this match. Playing against Cepheus he had done before, but never with Leo or Adam on board as well. Two of his brothers and his cousin, all of his male family members currently attending Sonora, were in this match and that was unsettling. Though his relationship with his brothers had been growing more and more distant with time, he still didn't want to knock a bludger into his older brother with malicious intent nor see dam throw the Quaffle right at Leo in an attempt to get it past him. This could very well pass as one of Rup's nightmares.

Nevertheless, the match still had to continue and Rupert knew well enough that when it came time to do his duty, he would carry it out without hesitation. Cepheus ought to know Rup would never want to intentionally hurt him on a regular basis; it simply came with the territory and Rupert's duty as the Seeker's Beater. Why he had taken that role in the first place was still unknown, but he didn't regret it. It was a bit odd with his custom-made bat in hand and knowing it had been a gift from his brother's former betrothed. It felt as though Megan had given Rupert her permission to hurt Cepheus after all her former betrothed had done to her. Family matters were a mess and that was all Rupert could understand from it. He was glad to be back at Sonora and he couldn't deny it.

At breakfast Rup consumed hot eggs, small sausages, jam and toast not to mention two glasses of orange juice. It would give him enough energy to play and was light enough to keep him from feeling lethargic during the match. He had watched Jade drink what looked like black coffee and had cringed slightly. Rup had never had a taste for coffee though it seemed as though the acquired taste came with age, but drinking it black looked like suicide for one's intestines. But to each their own; Rupert focused instead on preparing himself mentally for today's nightmarish match. Over the past he had grown up quite a bit. His shoulders had broadened, the top of his head almost reached Cepheus's nose and his voice had gotten deeper. Physical growths made Rupert's bones ache, but he had taken it as a sign to work himself more, resulting in powerful arms and legs and a slightly bulkier build, a noticeable difference from his tall and lanky older brother.

The warming charms Rup had learnt were helpful, thanks to their coach and Charms professor who looked cosy in her wear. Already his face and ears felt the unforgiving chill, but it was nothing he didn’t know coming from England. The brown and gold knit cap he was wearing, a convenient Christmas gift since he wasn’t expected to move nearly as quickly as the Chasers or the Seekers, was pulled down so his unkempt blond hair was completely out of sight. His broken wrist had healed nicely over the first couple weeks of school, but even now he was still in danger of straining it or spraining it if he put too much pressure or worked it too hard. During the healing period where it stayed wrapped up Rupert had practised hitting with his right arm, but it was weak and his aim was off instead of spot on as it should have been. Today, however, would be the day to test the limits of his left wrist and pray that he wouldn’t injure it again in the midst of this match. That was another one of Rupert’s nightmares undoubtedly.

After the captains did their pre-game duties and Professor Olivers had announced the match, Rupert kicked off after Jade and followed her closely. He hoped she didn’t attempt to banter with Cepheus. If she did he would be obliged to acknowledge Cepheus and seeing the Crotalus Seeker as his brother would make it all the more difficult to separate his personal life from the pitch. For now he simply saw the red and gold-clad Seeker as his opposition, impersonal just as Rup tried to be. However, Rupert chose to stay on the defensive side and did not pursue any bludgers to send them hurtling towards the Crotalus Seeker. He waited instead for any move from Bennett to protect his charge from. He didn’t doubt Jade’s ability to catch the Snitch quickly once it made itself known; all he had to do was protect her from any iron distractions.

0 Rupert Princeton, Beater I won't argue with that. 0 Rupert Princeton, Beater 0 5

Cepheus Princeton, Seeker

December 31, 2013 5:28 PM

Losing Momentum. by Cepheus Princeton, Seeker

Once Cepheus had come to terms that he had lost the match again the term before to a brand new Seeker, he had given up all hope in his Seeking skills. He had been very cool to Thad for the weeks following, but his distracting holiday had helped Ceph to keep it at the back of his mind. Quidditch losses over the past six years had unfortunately grown on the Crotalus and this most recent loss to Thad had solidified his subconscious decision to no longer put so much effort into a sport he was simply destined to lose. Cepheus did not believe in destiny except on special occasions, and this was one of them. Since he had no control over his inevitable Quidditch losses, he had might as well accept them.

The break had been eventful to say the least, though less in activity and more in the subtle pure-blood battles. The news of his relationship with Theresa had been announced to his family unceremoniously at dinner one evening and Grandfather, after intense interrogation about her family background, history and blood status, had been silent on the subject thereafter. There were no more talks of betrothals, nothing about the Careys and her American heritage, but Cepheus could feel his grandfather's eyes watching him throughout the duration of his holiday. But at that point, Cepheus hadn't even cared. The secret was out and official – he had broken the good news to Theresa before the term had ended and he didn’t feel any burden on his shoulders to keep it a secret any longer. There were other things to be grateful for as well, things he hadn’t thought of or appreciated until the holidays. There were his mates, his ability to fly, his education taking place far away from his family, his wealth and blood-status; it was easy for Ceph to focus only on the bad of the world, but when things were going well, everything looked fantastic.

Cepheus’s oddly pleasant disposition was coloured, however, by this upcoming match against Pecari. With his new mindset, Cepheus wouldn’t care a whit about it, but the problem was Jade’s protecting Beater was his brother. Rup was the most sensitive out of all of them in that he cared about how others felt, but on the pitch his brother was a monster. The only hope Cepheus could possibly have was that Rup’s broken wrist hadn’t healed quick enough to give him the same strength and power in his arm that he’d shown during his individual practises over the holiday. Either way Rupert was certainly one to keep an eye out for.

It was freezing on the pitch, but it put colour into Cepheus’s pale cheeks and would keep him from staying idle. He had dressed warmly and it was lucky he’d remembered his gloves. He’d almost forgotten them in his rush to make it on time. The speech Linus gave was only half-heard in Cepheus’s attempt to find Theresa and Alex in the stands. He wasn’t certain Alicia was going to come, but he expected the other two there, one being his girlfriend and the other his house-mate respectively. Whether he won or lost, he would still have someone there to support him and that was all he really needed. It was fascinating how much his mindset towards Quidditch had changed since his first year.

The kick-off was shrill and Cepheus rose into the air. He spotted Jade and his brother, but Cepheus first made his way to the Crotalus hoops. “Buck up, Leo, and don’t freeze to death,” were the words he offered his youngest brother before flying off again to stay warm himself. Poor Leo, but really, poor Cepheus. It was difficult having two brothers who had no qualms of carrying out his demise, though only one would feel bad about it afterwards.

Cepheus rose high into the sky where he would be able to see any bludgers headed his way and rubbed his hands together. The air was a bit thinner up here and colder. The biting wind didn’t help any, but it certainly kept him alert. With Paul nearby to protect him, Cepheus didn’t think it too dangerous to be so open, but the thought of being struck with an iron ball made him fly down to the level of the Chasers. When he looked over at the mess of them flying about, he spotted his cousin as well. All the male Princeton relatives who were currently attending Sonora were playing the match. It was nothing short of a family affair, this, and just what Cepheus should have expected. With a sigh, he rose up once more and flew off to another section of the pitch, keeping his eyes narrowed for a glimpse of gold.

0 Cepheus Princeton, Seeker Losing Momentum. 0 Cepheus Princeton, Seeker 0 5

Captain Amira

January 04, 2014 7:18 AM

So does lightning by Captain Amira

Her stomach hurt. Her throat hurt. Her head hurt. But what was worse than both of those things was that this could be the last game of her school career. Amira Thornton, Captain, Ex-Seeker, Chaser and Beater. Seventh year Pecari, with brilliant red hair and her older sister's hand-me-down robes. Amira had been stupid before, very stupid and had gotten mad and in her anger, she'd hurt her head so badly that she'd lost her Seeker spot. She'd hated herself since them because of it. BUT, she was now Captain and this could possibly be her last ever game at school. If Pecari lost, there was no other chances for her to play. Her whole career led up to this day. This game.

This was it.

If Pecari won today, that showed that she was a good captain, that she'd done her job, and was going to leave them in good hands. They had all had time in each area and that would make them stronger for it. Sure, people thought she was crazy for doing it, but she wanted them more well rounded for when she left. She wanted to leave Pecari (and school) on a good note. Of course, it would be pure dumb luck as well. Jade would have to catch the snitch (which Amira knew was a good possibility) for them to win and she had faith in her Assistant that she could do just that.

Though, that was also what worried her too. Her assistant...

Amira and Jade had never gotten along, anyone who knew them, knew that. However, that didn't mean that Amira hadn't tried to get along with her. She didn't want to ask Jade to be her assistant in the first place because of it, but she didn’t want to seem like a huge jerk, so she asked, as suggested. It was hard for the two of them to work together, from both angles, that she knew. But they’d done it and they’d do it at least for one more day.

This was the day of the game, just after they got back to school after Winter Break. Her holiday was strange enough for her to begin with. Her Uncle Bryan got married and two of her sisters and some cousins were in the Bridal Party. Clara, her cousin, and ex-Keeper now alternate, had literally fallen over her own dress walking down the aisle and Amira had shaken her head and sighed when it happened. But that was Clara. She loved her cousin, but she was a bloody klutz!

Amira kinda hoped that benching her might help her confidence (even though she’d ASKED to be benched) and help her to realize that she really could be an asset to the team, even AFTER Amira left school. She wasn’t sure if it would, but it was worth a shot to try!

Amira went to the Hall, but she couldn’t eat. Her stomach hurt too badly, and she worried that she was going to throw up in the middle of the game if she did eat. Instead, she sipped on some hot water to warm her insides and soothe her throat. She knew it was cold outside, it was winter, after all and she had dressed in layers (just as she’d suggested to her team at the last practice) and had done the warming charm on herself as she walked outside the doors to the Pitch.

Once she and the other Pecari’s had reached the Pitch, she waved them over to her for her pep talk. Her voice was crackly as she spoke, but she had to give her pre-game speech and she knew it. “Okay. Firstly, after I’m done talking, if any of you need the warming charm, come to me and I’ll put it on you. Secondly, we’ve worked hard to get here today. We have a full team AND Alternates.” She started, swallowing hard to try to coat her throat with something.

“If we win today, we play Aladren in the finals. Now, we have some new players, but we also have really, really good players amongst all of us. You have all worked very hard to come to this point and I want you to know that even if we don’t win today, I’m still proud of each of you for how far you’ve come.” Amira paused again here and cleared her throat. “We’ve got the practice time, the teamwork, the talent AND the drive to win. Clara, Atlas and Brandon, we’re going to need to hear you cheering for us and keep an eye on the game. Any one of you may need to jump in at any time. Jade, you’ve caught the Snitch many times, today would be a great time to do it again… Lilliana, you have what it takes to be a great Keeper, just keep that in mind. Tell it to yourself over and over again. Annabelle, Annette and Adam, you’ve got the flow between you, use that to help us win. Rup, you and me, we’ve done this a million times, but this time it’s big. We have to be sure to keep our eyes on our teammates. You watch over Jade, I’ll stay to the Chasers again.”

Amira turned back to the team as a whole and with another clearing of her throat, she spoke. “This one gets us to the finals. This one will show Sonora who Pecari is and can be. Are we winners?!” she asked them, putting her hand into the center. “Hands in everyone. One, two, three, PECARI!” she called, as loudly as she could.

She hoped their hands came into the center and that they understood what she’d said to them. Coach called the Captains to her. Amira walked towards her and Linus and took his hand, shaking it, politely yet with an inner strength she had, even though she wasn’t feeling well. She had no problems with the other seventh year and she didn’t wish him any ill will. Mir just wanted her team to win very badly. She didn’t speak and neither did he. But when Coach Olivers spoke to them, telling them to have good clean games and with luck wished on them, she picked up the Quaffle.

Amira walked back to her team and mounted her broom. She flew into the air, bat in hand, ready for Bludger hunting and watching out for her Chasers and for Lilliana. Linus caught the Quaffle right off and he threw it. When he did, Amira watched as Annette flew forward. She knew what the fourth year was up to and she smiled to herself. She heard the telltale sign of the black ball nearby and Mir turned to look for it, missing what had happened by her Chasers. It wasn’t near her Chasers or Keeper, so she left it be for the moment, choosing to stay defensive this early in the game rather than offensive. Annabelle had the Quaffle (and Amira was proud of herself for actually being able to tell the twins apart now on the Pitch, she couldn’t do that on the ground, but up in the air, she knew which was which) and was passing it. Though Mir didn’t see who’d ended up with it as she saw the Bludger come back towards them.

Hitting it away from her teammates, she turned her attention back to them as she heard the noise again. The younger Crotalus Beater was hitting the black ball right at one of her teammates. Oh no you don’t! she thought to herself as she flew fast to intercept the black ball. She hit it with her bat as hard as she could, away from all the players on the Pitch. Her arm bounced back in a strange way, but she ignored it. It throbbed as she pulled the bat closer into her and flew towards her Chasers again, glancing toward Lilliana as she did so, to be sure that she was okay.

She knew that winning was important, but she also didn’t want anyone getting hurt if they didn’t have to be. The seventh year had a heart, though she always pretended that she didn’t.

0 Captain Amira So does lightning 0 Captain Amira 0 5

Annette, Chaser

January 04, 2014 11:30 AM

Pushing forward by Annette, Chaser

Annette pushed her broom forward once she saw that Annabelle had caught it. She flew faster than her sister did, gaining some ground and trying to keep herself open for a pass. She had managed to get a little distance from Linus when she heard the crack of a bludger and saw it heading toward her.

She tried to evade, and she heard another crack. Turning to look behind her, she was relieved to see Amira there and the bludger retreating harmlessly away. "Thanks!" she called in appreciation, glad to have been spared both the effort of a full out evasion and the chance that it might not even succeed.

Then she checked to see how Annabelle had fared during her moments of distraction and saw that she had passed the ball toward Adam in the meantime. Hoping he would catch it, she leaned forward on her broom, flying quickly ahead, to make up the distance she had lost to the bludger and to position herself for another pass closer to the Crotalus goals. She'd be stuck on the wrong side of the pitch if there was an interception, but if it completed successfully, Pecari ought to be well positioned for a shot at the goals soon.

It was a risk worth taking, so she moved forward, not waiting to see if Adam caught the ball, and taking advantage of the likelihood that the other players would slow down and hesitate to see the outcome of the exchange before pressing onward. Even if it didn't work to Pecari's favor, she trusted her shiny new broom to get her back even with everyone else well before the Quaffle made it back to Liliana.

0 Annette, Chaser Pushing forward 0 Annette, Chaser 0 5

Adam Spencer, Chaser

January 04, 2014 2:14 PM

Another pass. by Adam Spencer, Chaser

Adam could never separate his personal life to that on the pitch nearly as well as some of his team-mates. Rupert was particularly skilled at it, but he thought his cousin would have a slightly more difficult time with this match, playing against his brothers. Adam had never really played Quidditch with any of his siblings, Charlotte determined to keep her skirt clean and the others too young, so he couldn't imagine what it had to be like for Rup. At least for the Anns they were on the same team. If they had to play against each other, Adam couldn't even fathom the result. He was at the very least not remotely close to Cepheus or Leo, but Adam would still feel bad if he knocked Leo into the hoop or something with an attempt at the goals.

Practises with Amira had been brutal, but very helpful. He had improved loads over the past weeks both this term and the last. He thought she was a good coach, though their team wasn't as close as Adam thought a team ought to be. He didn't know much about Quidditch formalities still, however, even if he had been on a team for the past three years.

Breakfast was a leisurely affair since Adam had woken up earlier than he'd expected. He was nervous as he was before every match, but he forced himself to eat something in order to keep his energy up. As he walked onto the pitch, however, he regretted forcing himself to eat so much. His stomach felt stretched and Adam felt a little light-headed. This wasn't good for the first match of the term. He did some stretching to try and alleviate his stomach, but it didn't do much but make him not want to move for the next hour or so. Not exactly a great start.

The match started and Adam rose up into the air slightly delayed. He looked to see where the Quaffle had gone, his face slightly pale from his groaning stomach. He followed the Quaffle with his eyes before going in closer towards the Anns in order to catch any passes they made. They worked well together, but they made certain to include him in passes as well which he appreciated. Perhaps not today, but usually he appreciated it. It was a near impossible wish, but Adam hoped he didn't have to make any goal attempts today. His stomach was feeling worse and he was feeling lethargic and weaker than usual. Maybe trying coffee hadn't been a very good idea today of all days.

Unfortunately, the Quaffle came his way sooner than never. Ann, one of them, had made a risky pass, but he caught it in his arm and flew towards the goals. The other Ann was flying up ahead and Adam pushed on towards her, intent on passing the Quaffle to her. He didn't want to be the one shooting at the hoops today. His broom was fast and he made it to her in no time, making his way around the Crotalus Chasers. He threw the Quaffle to her and looped around the hoops once, his broom going too fast to slow down quickly. He hoped Ann had received the Quaffle without a problem; they were so close to the hoops she shouldn't have any problem making a goal unless Leo turned out to be a much more competent Keeper than he had been last year.

0 Adam Spencer, Chaser Another pass. 0 Adam Spencer, Chaser 0 5

Leo Princeton, Keeper

January 04, 2014 2:35 PM

Crossing my fingers for myself. by Leo Princeton, Keeper

It was freezing; there was snow on the ground, it had to be below zero degrees and they were forcing them to play this brutal sport for fun? Leo couldn't believe it. His oldest brother had had to carry him out of bed, sit him down and put his shoes on him before Leo agreed to get up and dress on his own. As soon as he stepped outside, he knew it was the worst decision he had ever made. His robes were warm, but his face was chilled. He was wearing earmuffs and Cepheus had cast a warming charm on him, but it wasn't enough. The sight of snow made Leo's mouth turn down and he began pouting. It was unfair. He hadn't even wanted to play and now he was forced to freeze to death up at the hoops. What sort of nutters were these Quidditch players, doing this for fun?

At breakfast Leo had hardly been able to drink a cup of orange juice. He had come down later than everyone else and was rushed out to the pitch by his team in order to make it on time. Leo groaned and pulled his knit cap down farther on his head so it covered his eyebrows. One gloved hand held his broom as he looked lazily and impatiently at Linus, the other stuck in his coat pocket as his foot tapped. The speech the captain was giving was dull so Leo looked over at the Pecari side to see Rupert and Adam there.

Leo had never really liked any of the Pecari members except for his brother. He had watched them during their practises during the fall and had observed them as well as many of his other classmates. Amira seemed too controlling; Jade was too wild and boyish; the Anns were just creepy; Adam was such a pushover; Liliana seemed like a people-pleaser. There was little Leo could see that he could gain from his observations except to avoid them and be glad he hadn't been sorted into Pecari even if it did mean being stuck in Crotalus with Cepheus. At least Leo was with people a bit more like him.

Leo went to the hoops to stay guard and the thought of injuries danced across his mind. A Quaffle in the mouth during the summer wouldn't hurt nearly as awfully as it would in the winter. Things, body parts included, were more stiff and therefore more liable to break in the cold. That was just common sense. Leo thought it was great luck that Teppenpaw had been excluded from Quidditch this year. It served them right for being so brutal the year before and Leo hoped Carter was suffering for it. He still hadn't forgiven him for that Quaffle incident though he thought less on his revenge nowadays with other pressing matters at hand.

The Quaffle moved around a bit, but Leo didn't notice at first. He was wondering whether the warming charms would dissipate in case Rup did manage to knock a bludger into Cepheus. That would certainly be a show and Leo hoped to see it happen. There was no telling how Cepheus would react to that or how badly injured he might be. Rup was a good shot, though with his injured wrist perhaps not as great as he had been before.

Adam seemed to almost materialise in front of Leo as his eyes snapped back to what was in front of him. There was a pass made and Leo crossed his gloved fingers in hopes that some Crotalus Chaser would miraculously swoop in and snatch it up before whoever that creepy Ann was made a goal attempt. Instinct would tell Leo to dodge and he most likely would follow it. He just hoped it wasn't yet apparent to anyone that most of his saves were failed attempts at dodging.

0 Leo Princeton, Keeper Crossing my fingers for myself. 0 Leo Princeton, Keeper 0 5

Atlas Primred, Pecari Alternate

January 05, 2014 12:58 AM

At the bench, but not really watching. by Atlas Primred, Pecari Alternate

“This sucks,” Atlas thought as he sat warming the bench. He had been trying since he got on the team as an alternate to keep his head up but as the game went on, all he could do was clench his jaw, rubbing his teeth together as he stared blankly off at his teammates flying around the pitch.

During Amira’s speech, even though he knew he was just over thinking it, he felt as though she was telling him that he wasn’t cut out for wizard sports. Not that he didn’t already think that. He pressed his forehead to his broom. It was the same one he had used the first time he had flown at Sonora. He gripped the old wood broom tightly, closing his eyes. It had been so embarrassing to tell his little sister and his mom that he “kinda” made the team. Although Amira said they needed them, he felt completely useless. He sighed heavily, returning his attention to the game. The Twins were off and away. They had seemed to be working so in sync. Back at home Steven had said that some twins where telepathic. Although at the time he tried to act indifferent, he wanted to seem like a mature brother in front of Katie, now he wondered if it was true. In truth he was really jealous of them. He envied how together they were, even in the game. His mind drifted away from the game, away from the disappointment, the grades, and especially Clara's cheering.

He imagined having a brother, a real brother, just like him. He wondered if he would like sports too. Of course he would. He pictured him practicing Quidditch with him, giving him pointers, and Atlas doing the same. In truth he just imagined having a best friend. He missed Steven and how close they used to be. Although above the surface everything was fine, he hated not being able to tell him about all the magic. He hated feeling like he didn’t have anyone to depend on. It was amazing how lonely he could feel with so many people around. “This really does suck,” he whispered under his breath.

He looked over at Liliana on her broom at the goals. “Fall,” he thought to himself giving her a stink-eye she wouldn't be able to see from that distance. It was an awkward feeling when a teammate hated you, and she definitely did. Why not hope she falls? Its not like she was all sweet and innocent like she tried to seem. “No!” he countered as he began to knock the head against his broom. He opened his eyes and looked down at his shoes and his team uniform. “I guess its not her fault that I suck,” he thought to himself. He took in another breath from the icy cold air. He had a warming spell placed on him, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t feel how cold it was still, or see his breath escaping with every sigh. He looked up just in time to see Adam trying to make an assist. However he quickly lost focus and just stared off once more into space. He could at least pretend to be in it.

0 Atlas Primred, Pecari Alternate At the bench, but not really watching. 276 Atlas Primred, Pecari Alternate 0 5

Jade Owen, Seeker

January 07, 2014 3:57 PM

Not to mention the game by Jade Owen, Seeker

It was a different playing experience, to be sure, to fly around on her own rather than sharing the space with another Seeker. She missed the banter, and somehow not exchanging verbal barbs made the game seem far less exciting, but Jade was open to trying something new every now and again. It wasn't entirely due to Rup and C Princetons having to be in the same spot while on opposing teams, but Jade couldn't deny that the thought had crossed her mind. If it came to it, she was sure that Rup would be loyal to his team and knock the Crotalus Seeker off his broom, as any good Beater should, but she didn't necessarily want to put herself in danger to find out... she didn't doubt that either of the red Beaters wouldn't hesitate for a second to unseat the Pecari Seeker.

As luck, chance, fate, or maybe even skill - she wouldn't be quick to rule it out - would have it, Jade didn't need force Rup into an awkward situation (and was a bit saddened by this; she even thought she might intentionally force it on him next year, instead). She spied a golden glint as she was making rounds of the pitch, more or less oblivious to the game below her, and, without trying to draw too much atention to herself, crept nearer, as fast as she dared without wanting to tip her opposition off to her potential find. Then, when she was convinced it was safe to do so, Jade hurtled forward to identify her prey.

It was, she had always thought, inevitable that the final game of the season ought to be between Alaren and Pecari (even in this more unusual game set-up). Admittedly things didn't always go to plan, but right from the first time she had ever played Aladren and beaten Arnold to the Snitch, Jade had been hankering to repeat the experience and take back the Quidditch Cup. It had turned out that Carey was actually a decent Seeker after all, and Jade had been unsuccessful in her efforts to best him (but then so had the other teams' Seekers, so at least she didn't stand out like a loser). Now he was gone, she really wanted to prove that her first year hadn't been a fluke, but Princeton's loss to Thad wasn't all that encouraging. The least she could do was make Princeton feel miserable by losing to both of them, and that looked like it might be possible.

Having ascertained that the golden glint was the ball she was Seeking, Jade hesitated no further; she flew flat out on her school broom, relishing the biting cold as the wind whipped her face, knowing that this sensation simply meant she was nearing her goal, and victory for Pecari, and a pleasant hot chocolate when they all got back inside. Before she had really registered it, Jade's fist had closed around the walnut-sized ball, and she let out an undignified cry of triumph. With the Snitch held tightly over her head, she whooped and called out in celebration, bearing even less resemblance to models of grace and decorum than usual.

0 Jade Owen, Seeker Not to mention the game 0 Jade Owen, Seeker 0 5

Coach Olivers

January 08, 2014 9:21 AM

Pecari wins! 150 - 0 (nm) by Coach Olivers

0 Coach Olivers Pecari wins! 150 - 0 (nm) 0 Coach Olivers 0 5

Florence Olivers

Quidditch Game II: Crotalus vs. Pecari by Florence Olivers

<font color="red">Captain Macaulay, Chaser</font>

Rattlesnakes vs. Wild Boar. by <font color="red">Captain Macaulay, Chaser</font>

<font color=tan>Annette Pierce, Chaser</font>

I would think Boars would trample Snakes by <font color=tan>Annette Pierce, Chaser</font>

<font color=tan>Annabelle Pierce, Chaser</font>

We ought to watch out for their fangs, though by <font color=tan>Annabelle Pierce, Chaser</font>

<font color="tan">Jade Owen, Seeker</font>

It's all about Me. by <font color="tan">Jade Owen, Seeker</font>

<font color="red">Isaac Douglas, Chaser</font>

We have natures that in time will venom breed, at least. by <font color="red">Isaac Douglas, Chaser</font>

<fontcolor="tan">ClaraAbernathyPecari Alternate</f

Watching and waiting from the benches by <fontcolor="tan">ClaraAbernathyPecari Alternate</f

<font color="red">Sasha Sinclair, Beater</font>

Snakes are sly and hide well. We strike at any moment. by <font color="red">Sasha Sinclair, Beater</font>

<font color="tan">Liliana Bannister, Keeper</font>

Here! (and also a bit nervous) by <font color="tan">Liliana Bannister, Keeper</font>

<font color=tan>Rupert Princeton, Beater</font>

I won't argue with that. by <font color=tan>Rupert Princeton, Beater</font>

<font color=red>Cepheus Princeton, Seeker</font>

Losing Momentum. by <font color=red>Cepheus Princeton, Seeker</font>

Captain Amira

So does lightning by Captain Amira

<font color=tan>Annette, Chaser</font>

Pushing forward by <font color=tan>Annette, Chaser</font>

<font color=tan>Adam Spencer, Chaser</font>

Another pass. by <font color=tan>Adam Spencer, Chaser</font>

<font color=red>Leo Princeton, Keeper</font>

Crossing my fingers for myself. by <font color=red>Leo Princeton, Keeper</font>

Atlas Primred, Pecari Alternate

At the bench, but not really watching. by Atlas Primred, Pecari Alternate

<font color="tan">Jade Owen, Seeker</font>

Not to mention the game by <font color="tan">Jade Owen, Seeker</font>

Coach Olivers

Pecari wins! 150 - 0 (nm) by Coach Olivers