I won't back down now. on Quidditch Pitch

Captain Alistair Johnson

May 22, 2016 3:21 PM

Crotalus Quidditch Try-outs! by Captain Alistair Johnson

Alistair felt very positive as he set up for the Crotalus Quidditch try-outs, having been filled with confidence by the number of names on the sign-up sheet. There were a couple of key names missing from previous years but he went with the assumption that they were just being lazy and were not quitting the team. Quitting was not an option.

“Good afternoon and welcome to the Crotalus Quidditch try-outs. I’m the team captain Alistair Johnson so I’ll be running team practice during the year,” Alistair spoke confidently, wearing the friendliest smile he was capable of without looking idiotic. He was aware that he still had yet to pick his Assistant Captain which was something he’d never had to do before since he and Liac Reinhardt had been co-captains of the Teppalus team previously. His initial thought had been to appoint Isaac Douglas, simply because he liked him more than his other options, but he doubted the older boy would be at all keen. Unfortunately Isaac had never seemed a very keen member of the team and Alistair didn’t think his skills were of a high enough level for his age to warrant such status. Additionally, the seventh year was much older than Ali which defeated the whole point of the Assistant Captain taking over from the Captain when he left. The only viable option Alistair really had was Arne Reinhardt, who the new Quidditch Coach had actually recommended, but the fourth year was reluctant to appoint him. Not only did Arne not seem like an appropriate choice in terms of character but he hadn’t actually played a match at Sonora since being promoted from reserve, although if the challenges hadn’t have gotten in the way he might have had the opportunity.

“Thank you for joining us,” he looked specifically at the new faces in the group. “I expect that Crotalus will finally be able to field its own team this year, which we have been unable to for at least the past five years. If we have any walk-ons, please give me your name and preferred position.”

“Alright then, before we get started I’ll run you through a complete warm-up,” Ali hoped that everyone knew the importance of a warm-up and how to carry one out properly but he thought it best to lead the way just in case. “We’ll start with jogging a lap of the pitch. Please stay with the group and remember that this is just a gentle jog to raise your pulse and muscle temperature.” He felt the need to express this in case one of the younger students felt overly competitive and tried to race around the pitch before having completed the warm-up. He set off to lead the group at an appropriate pace, expecting everyone to follow.

When they returned to the spot at which they had started he ran them all through a series of static stretches, telling them exactly what positions he wanted them to hold and for how long. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust their own knowledge of stretches but he knew that warm-ups could commonly be overlooked and rushed. Whilst static stretches weren’t the most sport-specific, they were the safest method and did the job for his amateur team. “I expect you all to make sure your muscles are always stretched properly before practice and matches,” Alistair told them as they did as he instructed. “Stretching is primarily done to prevent injuries but you will also find flexibility benefits which is an important component for Quidditch.”

“Now you may mount your brooms,” Alistair told the group, ready to complete the final two stages of the warm-up in the air. “There are school brooms provided for those who have not brought their own. I’d like you to fly a couple of laps around the pitch, weave through the scoring hoops each time you pass them. It is not a race but I will be assessing the quality of your flying. Once you have done that, weave through the poles I have set up and then return to me for your next instructions. Please be safe and wait your turn to fly through the poles.”

Whilst the group mounted their brooms and flew off to complete the task, Alistair remained on the ground so he could observe them all and make notes on his clipboard. It was a simple task but Alistair watched critically, judging their control and their awareness of teammates. He had set up some long tall poles in a line near one end of the pitch, just before the scoring area, magically altered to be the same height as the goal hoops.

When everybody had returned safely to the ground, he quickly gave instructions for the main part of the try-outs so they didn’t have to wait around for long. “Those trying out for Chaser positions, please follow Isaac Douglas’s lead,” he chucked Isaac a Quaffle, signifying who he was talking about. “I want you to practise passing the Quaffle to one another from the centre circle until you get to the poles. Once you’re there I will send up some more Quaffles so you each have one and then you can take it in turns to weave through the poles to the scoring area and shoot. The Keeper will be waiting for you by this point.”

He nodded to Isaac to get started with the Chasers whilst he gave everyone else their instructions. “Beaters, I have released a dummy for you to use as target practise,” Alistair told those trying out for the Beater positions. If they looked up they could already see the charmed dummy moving about in the air above them. “I will release a bludger when you’re ready but please keep to the opposite end of the pitch to the Chasers and the Keeper. If you each grab a bat, you can also get started.”

“Seeker,” he gave a strained smile. “I’ll release a timed snitch for you so bring it back to me when you’ve caught it.”

“And last but by no means least, Keeper,” the smile he gave Makenzie Newell was much more pleasant. Alistair was too grateful to worry about how her perfectly ladylike status might be affected by joining the team. “If you get padded up then you can head up to the goal hoops and wait for the Chasers to reach you. They’ve got one Quaffle at the moment but I’ll chuck them up some more before they get shooting. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure they take in turns to take their shots. Just do your best, OK?”

Alistair didn’t have a lot of faith riding on Makenzie Newell’s Quidditch abilities but he knew he could be surprised. At the moment, he felt lucky about just potentially having a full team to be too wishful and expect them to actually be any good. Alistair was fully prepared for having his work cut out for him and felt ready for the challenge.

OOC: Welcome to try-outs! Walk-ons are welcome. Posts should be creative, realistic and 200 words minimum. Beaters, you can assume that Ali released the bludger when you’re ready and the same applies for Seeker assuming he released the snitch. If there turn out to be multiple Seekers, more snitches would have been released accordingly. Chasers may also say that he threw up some more Quaffles when appropriate.

Subthreads:

I won't back down now. by Makenzie Newell with Daniel Fintoc

Getting started again. by Isaac Douglas

8 Captain Alistair Johnson Crotalus Quidditch Try-outs! 306 Captain Alistair Johnson 1 5

Makenzie Newell

May 24, 2016 4:16 AM

I won't back down now. by Makenzie Newell

Makenzie expected to wake up with a bad feeling in her stomach, an intensifying regret and realization that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. But to her surprise, she woke up feeling rather numb to the whole thing. Like much of the things that had come before it, this was just her life now. A necessary evil. All part of the plan, where the ends justified the means. She was going to disappoint her parents for what was quite realistically the first time in her entire life, but it was going to be worth it to stop outshining someone who deserved the very best.

Araceli deserved the earth, the moon, the sun, and all the stars. She was a pure, sweet, innocent, and gentle soul who was going through more than Makenzie could even imagine, let alone understand. And Delphine was a courageous, dedicated, strong, and amazing young woman who had given everything up to help her little sister. And while no one else could ever know about their sacrifices, Makenzie knew. And she knew well that, while the school seemed to think that she was perfect, the Arbon sisters were genuinely better people than her.

Makenzie braided Shino’s hair like she always did for Quidditch, but it was followed by the additional chore of having to braid her own. Her pale fingers trembled slightly as they turned to her own orange waves. When it was done, she looked blankly upon her reflection, not quite sure at whom she was looking. Braided hair, a t-shirt, and pants--or, more accurately, gauchos, as she’d basically charmed a skirt together--decorated the unfamiliar girl in the mirror. For a half a second, she wondered if this was how Delphine felt staring at Araceli’s reflection. Then she felt guilty for even comparing.

Together, Makenzie and Shino went down to the Pitch. It felt strange--almost like betrayal--to go somewhere with Shino and not Araceli, but then again, she supposed if Araceli came to this particular event, the whole point of Makenzie’s going would have been ruined. (Of course, she hadn’t told Araceli why she was trying out for an athletic team, although she imagined it couldn’t be too hard to figure out, knowing about one another what they did.) At least her fingers, now gripped with nervous tension around the handle of the broomstick she hadn’t ridden since Flying Lessons, had stopped shaking. That was a good sign… right?

The running lap and stretches weren’t too difficult. Makenzie had never considered herself an athlete as it wasn’t ladylike, but she did keep her body in optimal shape, for both health and appearances. One more than the other, obviously, and it wasn’t difficult to guess which.

She took the laps in the air quite slowly, re-familiarizing herself with flight. She was not by any means a bad flier--she had done decently well in Flying Lessons and could have done better if she had allowed herself--but she was a little rusty from the years between flights. But by the end of the second lap, she found herself rather graceful, looping easily among the goals. That was definitely a good sign, since that was where she was hoping to be.

The next set of instructions made it feel the most real. The way Alistair smiled at her, so warm and appreciative--she knew she was completing the roster, had also thought of that when she signed up, House loyalty and what all--in a weird way brought to mind the way her father looked at her, and she felt a pang of guilt. But she didn’t have time, and it was too late to turn back now, so she put on the unflattering, uncomfortable padding and made her way to the hoops.

It seemed to take forever as the Chasers passed the Quaffle down the Pitch, slowly but surely approaching her and the rings. She felt her heart beating in her throat, its rhythm increasing and increasing until she thought it might simply burst. But then someone got close enough to shoot, and every noise faded in an instant, leaving behind only panicked, white silence. Makenzie couldn’t consciously process what to do, too inexperienced for deliberate thought, but her body seemed to react naturally, propelling her toward the Quaffle without her really telling it to do anything. By some act of God, she got herself between the ball and the hoop toward which it hurled.

Thwump. The Quaffle smashed into her chest, knocking the air from her chest slightly, her arms engulfing it. Despite the physical evidence, she didn’t seem to realize for a moment that she had caught it, her grey eyes darting around as if in search of it until finally she looked down. Then she scanned for Alistair, a small grin spreading across her perfect lips. She tossed the Quaffle away and, beginning to breathe regularly again, moved back to the neutral position between the three hoops.

The next shot she did not stop so cleanly; Makenzie didn’t react so automatically, and it took a bit longer to get near it. All she could get on it was a single hand and forearm, which only managed to deflect it. She didn’t get possession of it, but she did manage to get it away from its destined ring. Admittedly, it might have been deflected directly through the lower ring, to the left of this one, but after making contact, she had lost sight of it. Still, the point remained: she was not atrocious. In fact, to the surprise of no one more than herself, she was actually somewhat…. good.

OOC: Mentions of Shino approved by her author.

12 Makenzie Newell I won't back down now. 291 Makenzie Newell 0 5

Isaac Douglas

May 25, 2016 9:36 PM

Getting started again. by Isaac Douglas

There was little love lost between Isaac and Alistair Johnson, but Isaac had to admit that the younger wizard was possessed of an admirable level of self-control. If he knew when to fold them or how odd the whole situation looked, he never showed it. Isaac, who had been raised to believe that keeping one’s outward composure under any stress was the key to all success, respected that about Alistair, even if he would never mention it to the captain himself.

Respecting it a little, though, didn’t mean he couldn’t also be a little frustrated by it, as he was today. He wanted to know what was going on in Johnson’s head about their new arrival, but the captain wasn’t reacting to Makenzie’s presence. Isaac also wanted to know what on earth had inspired his old Challenge teammate to join their merry (for a given, mostly untrue, value of that term; he missed the Teppenpaws, they were more enjoyable than most other Crotali) company, but he didn’t expect her to say and even less expected that he would ask, though he had made sure to welcome her to the team before practice started. Isaac didn’t know what Alistair or the others particularly thought about girls, at least of their own sort, playing, but currying favor with them wasn’t something Isaac much cared about and it was very much in his family’s best interests right now for someone who seemed pretty proper to him to join the Crotalus team. If the pro-female-player faction became more popular and socially acceptable than the alternatives, then the social status of those who had supported said faction from the beginning might well increase, and since Isaac’s youngest half-sister happened to be married to such a person….

A long shot, Isaac knew, especially considering he strongly doubted the Heritage Society considered his sister a welcome and valued member of their organization, but since his family was not nearly old enough to flourish under the alternative, it was the more prudent option. Besides, Isaac had liked working with Makenzie last year, so that between that this, he was considering – if closer observation didn’t turn up any romantic ties, anyway – asking her to the Ball. Bit of an age difference, but not enough, he thought, to inspire any serious talk as long as they acted with some decorum, and it would be convenient.

After warm-ups and the first flight drill, he caught the main Quaffle Alistair threw to him. He didn’t really see why everyone was going to get one, particularly if they were only going to try for goals one at a time, but one of Isaac’s major life principles was to avoid caring about things enough to quibble. It wasn’t always possible, but he did try.

“All right,” he said to the other Chasers. “I guess you heard all that?” This with a tilt of his head back toward Alistair. “Let’s get to work.”

He felt a little peculiar leading the passing exercises in the circle – they hadn’t been back at school long enough for him to associate assertiveness with anything other than being made fun of by Rachel or Alicia at best and being mocked by his father at worst – but it was his place and he sort of enjoyed it as he made the first toss to one of his new companions in the center circle of the Pitch.

As he did, it occurred to him that Alistair’s actions might not be quite so incomprehensible as he’d thought – he could be going easy on the second year and Makenzie, giving them a chance to get used to the basics before they got to passing while maneuvering and keeping up with who had the Quaffle before it was thrown. That was…oddly kind, he thought. Alistair would never be his favorite person, but he was certainly interesting. He decided to let the new try out against the new first when they went to the goals later and take his shot after the newer Chasers.

16 Isaac Douglas Getting started again. 273 Isaac Douglas 0 5

Daniel Fintoc

May 27, 2016 3:04 PM

I see... by Daniel Fintoc

It was strange seeing Makenzie at the Quidditch Pitch but Daniel smiled at her anyway in brief greeting. He couldn’t help it really, she had that effect on him (and probably the rest of the school too). He didn’t have the chance to say anything, however, because Alistair was prompt getting started. There was something slightly different about the captain but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Perhaps it was just the fact that Alistair too had smiled.

Alistair was organised as ever and Daniel followed the instructions keenly. He kept close on the captain’s heels as they jogged a lap of the pitch but was glad when they were finally allowed to get up in the air.

He flew his two laps of the pitch, weaving in and out of the goal hoops easily, but carefully so as not to get in anyone else’s way. The twelve year old used the first lap to warm himself up and then kicked the speed up a notch for the second lap, although had to slow down at the goal hoops so he didn't crash into them. His work with Alistair last year had paid off and whilst the older Crotalus was a bit of a tyrant sometimes, Dan had to be grateful for the time he gave to Quidditch and his team. The poles were more of a challenge because they were close together and there were more of them than there had been goal hoops but Dan managed to get through them fairly gracefully, he thought.

The second year was rather nervous about shooting against Makenzie but he was also keen to see how she fared as Keeper. He would have told her that he'd “go easy on her” but he didn't get around to doing so because Alistair sent him off to do some passing with Isaac pretty much straight away and Dan didn't want to say it in front of the captain, or the rest of the team for that matter.

The passing with Isaac went smoothly, that was one thing he had been able to easily practise at home with his brother or cousins, depending on who was willing. Once they reached the poles Dan had possession of the Quaffle so he assumed he was to go first which was a little nerve-racking but he could handle it. He was fairly sure he was guaranteed a spot on the team but there was still pressure to do well at the try-outs all the same. Dan weaved through the poles, having to give slightly wider birth because he didn't want to knock into one and drop the Quaffle, especially with both Alistair and Makenzie watching. He did clip one of the poles with his leg as he got to close but fortunately it was not on his Quaffle side nor enough to unbalance him.

Before he knew it Daniel was in the scoring area with Makenzie. He took his shot, a little hastily but still with potential to score. Makenzie seemed to save the goal rather easily and he blinked in surprise, rather embarrassed and wishing he had made his comment earlier about going easy on her (since it would provide him with a good excuse now, not that he wished to undermine Makenzie’s skills). Dan knew his shot hadn't been great, which Alistair would no doubt have noticed, but Makenzie seemed quite competent. He glanced down at the Alistair, who seemed to be watching Makenzie with the trace of a smile upon his lips. The young Crotalus frowned, not sure if he was jealous of Makenzie for so clearly being the captain’s main focus or jealous of Alistair for being of a similar enough age to Makenzie that she could possibly become attracted to him if he continued to show her this much interest.

Dan’s negative thoughts were shut down when the Quaffle was thrown back to him and he watched the next shot be taken.

OOC: Kind of replying to both Makenzie and Isaac's posts.

8 Daniel Fintoc I see... 333 Daniel Fintoc 0 5