DH Skies
December 02, 2017 11:35 AM
The Final Play Off - Teppadren vs Pecalus by DH Skies
As Selina took to the pitch, she felt a strong sense of deja vu. Or was it still deja vu if you really had been there before - did it have to have that strange, unreal sensation? For the third time that school year, Teppadren would be facing off against Pecalus, as the former had won the second match, giving each side one victory and necessitating a play off.At least the weather was not on repeat. The stinging cold of winter had melted into a pleasant spring, one which was now on the verge of giving over to summer. It was a clear, bright day. With the mild Irish climate, Sonora’s temperatures never got up to the sweltering highs of real Arizona summer, and by some of the residents’ scales it probably barely broke into hot, but today was sure to be considered, at the very least, mild by most, and a little warm by some.
“Welcome to the final match of the season. As the teams stand at one victory apiece, this will determine who will take home the trophy this year,” she announced. Whilst it was strange to see the exact same combination of players come together again again, she hoped that the added thrill of the trophy being on the line meant that no one was feeling stale ahead of this match.
“Captains, shake hands,” she instructed. After that, she set the Snitch and Bludgers free, before launching the Quaffle with a sharp trill on her whistle.
OOC - apologies for the late posting of this match. It will run for exactly two weeks from the timestamp of this message. Any posts after that will not count. Please put your team name in the author line, and write it in your house colour. Details of how to do this and other rules can be found here
Subthreads: And now it really is my last game *sobs* by <font color=yellow>Capt Ginger, Keeper</font> with <font color=tan>Ben Pierce, Beater</font>, <font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>, <font color="yellow">Joe U., Teppad. Beater</font>, <font color='tan'>Ingrid W, Chaser, Pecalus</font>, <font color='tan'>Parker Pecalus Chaser </font>, <font color=yellow>Jozua, Beater</font>
Late to the party, but worth the wait by Eden Manger, Teppadren Seeker
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DH Skies
The Final Play Off - Teppadren vs Pecalus
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DH Skies
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<font color=yellow>Capt Ginger, Keeper</font>
December 05, 2017 12:29 PM
And now it really is my last game *sobs* by <font color=yellow>Capt Ginger, Keeper</font>
Eden had pulled through at the end of the last match, just as Ginger had known she could, and put Teppadren onto even footing with Pecalus for the season. Ginger had cheered loudly and sent a long detailed letter about the match to Jake. On the back of the letter had been an animated drawing of the match, much like she had done for Teppenpaw’s Sign-Up sheet at the beginning of the year, so Jake could see for himself how Tiny!Eden, the itty bitty hand drawn recreation of his sister, had caught the snitch.Now it was time for the tie breaking match.
Ginger was glad the weather today was being cooperative. It was just about the perfect day. Exactly the sort of weather she could fully enjoy playing her very last Quidditch game in.
“First off,” she started her speech to the assembled Teppenpaws and Aladrens gathered around her and her co-captain-for-the-year Jack Spencer, “I want to thank you all for a wonderful last season. I loved playing with all of you, and I wish you all the best today on the pitch, and ever after in your life.” She choked up a little bit and her eyes got teary and she was absurdly glad for the first time that Teppenpaw had not managed to pull together a full team this year because it meant she could wave at Jack to take over the speech while she blubbered like a baby.
She was still sniffling a little but had mostly stemmed the flow of tears when she was called over to shake Sammy and Alistair’s hands. Her voice was still a little cracked though as she wished them both a good game.
Then the game was afoot - or abroom, as the case may be - and Ginger went to go guard her goals for one last time.
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<font color=yellow>Capt Ginger, Keeper</font>
And now it really is my last game *sobs*
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<font color=yellow>Capt Ginger, Keeper</font>
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<font color=tan>Ben Pierce, Beater</font>
December 05, 2017 1:22 PM
Present for Captain Jack by <font color=tan>Ben Pierce, Beater</font>
Ben was kind of glad Winston Pierce was stuck sitting on the bench today. First of all, the kid clearly hated it, so that help ease Ben’s ego after Ginger’s ill-fated ‘family reunion’ only one week before. They were nominally on the same team this year, but Ben thought he might have been tempted to ‘not stop that bludger in time’ or ‘accidentally cause some friendly fire’ this game had the third year been in the air.Should not exist indeed.
Well, Ben had been doing his best to pretend Winston didn’t exist since then, but armed with a bat and a grudge and game known for violence, he couldn’t have promised to continue not noticing the New Hampshirite in the rush of adrenaline he always felt during a competitive game, and he didn’t really want that on his conscience.
In truth, he had never expected Winston to like him. Their family ideologies were too different. He didn’t particularly like Winston either. But he’d been willing to give the kid a shot when Ginger invited them into the same space and he’d been metaphorically slapped in the face for the trouble.
Ginger now, she was a good sort. He tried to catch her eye on the other team, to shoot her a thumbs up of good luck for her last game, but she was looking all choked up and preoccupied with her own people so he just shrugged to himself and refocused on his own graduating captain and gave Sammy a grin and thumbs up instead.
Soon enough the whistle blew and he took off, scouring the field for one of the bludgers. There. He smiled in predatory glee and got there first.
By now the Quaffle squabble had sorted itself out though Ben couldn’t immediately spot who actually had it. Instead, Ben fired his bludger in the direction of Captain Jack Spencer, figuring that the strongest and oldest of the opposing team’s chasers was a good target regardless of who actually had the Quaffle.
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<font color=tan>Ben Pierce, Beater</font>
Present for Captain Jack
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<font color=tan>Ben Pierce, Beater</font>
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<font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>
December 05, 2017 4:15 PM
Not my favourite gift. by <font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>
It was Jack's last match and he couldn't believe it. These past several years of playing Quidditch was so close to being over. Though Jack hoped to work at a school as an educator one day, as well as coach Quidditch, he knew it wouldn't be the same as playing on a team with his peers. The weather was beautiful outside and his chest felt tight knowing this was the beginning of the end. Jack took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. His anxiety attacks had decreased greatly over the years, and now only his palpitating heart told him how nervous his body was at being on the pitch again.Eden had redeemed their team in the last match and he was proud of her. Though he would have liked to have a full Aladren team, he'd grown fond of their hybrid 'Teppadren'. The name, though jarring at first, now had a nice ring to it.
It was just as lovely as it looked outside, the perfect sort of weather to play their last match in. As his team assembled, he looked to Ginger to start off their pre-game speech. She was clearly emotional about it, and whilst Jack was not very good at comforting sobbing witches, he stepped over and put a hand on her back to show some support. Her speech had a very final tone to it, something that Jack didn't want to dwell on just yet.
"You all did brilliant the last match and I want to see that same brilliance again today. We've done well as a hybrid team and I've been honoured to be your co-captain with Ginger. Now let's earn that House Cup, shall we?" Jack led his team to cheer, hoping to raise their adrenaline, before walking with Ginger to shake hands with the other team captains. He wished them luck with a friendly nod and returned to his team to take his position.
At the whistle, he leapt up on his broom and snatched the Quaffle out of the fray before bursting through the tussle towards the Pecalus hoops. Since it was still early in the match, Jack had his bearings about him to notice the bludger coming straight for him. His heart leapt into his mouth and he envisioned the iron ball smashing into his head. No, no, no! Jack started panting and he had a vice-like grip on the Quaffle as he flew on before he realised his hands were shaking.
This was not good.
He had mere seconds to make a decision. Jack's head jerked to find the nearest Teppadren Chaser and he threw it at them before dodging the bludger by jerking to the side. He was breathing hard, feeling relieved he was unhurt, but he didn't doubt the bludger would be back. Jack had to trust one of the Teppadren Beaters to get it off his tail, but he hoped to outfly it as he continued following the Quaffle. He gripped his broom handle harder to keep his hands from shaking violently, hoping it would pass soon.
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<font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>
Not my favourite gift.
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<font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>
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<font color="yellow">Joe U., Teppad. Beater</font>
December 05, 2017 8:52 PM
I'll help you regift it. by <font color="yellow">Joe U., Teppad. Beater</font>
Intellectually, Joe had known for some time that his main captain and his new co-one were both seventh years, but he didn’t really think about it until Ginger nearly broke down in front of them all. Intellectually, he also knew that as a Teppenpaw, he was supposed to be willing to comfort people who were distressed and the House like a large, cheery extended family, but his actual family was mid-sized and inclined to frown slightly at most spontaneous demonstrations of emotion. Comforting people was something he felt as thoroughly unsuited to as de-ticking fwoopers.Luckily, Jack seemed more competent, both patting her shoulder and taking over the speech, allowing her to do what Joe would have wanted to do and collect herself without everyone’s eyes fixed on her. Jack’s last point was a bit odd – would they both get a House cup, then, if they won this match, or was it just a casual shorthand, leftover from more regular times, for ‘win more than Pecalus’? Didn’t much matter at the moment, though, so he put it aside for the moment. They had to win before it became a relevant consideration.
The game got underway quickly, with Jack seizing the Quaffle and Ben Pierce hitting a Bludger toward Jack. In class, Joe felt confident that he would consistently outperform Ben; out here on the Pitch, he respected the guy as probably a bit superior to himself and certainly not worse at their mutual task than he was. Time to work on earning his keep here, he supposed. He flew in quickly, swinging at the Bludger - always take out the Seeker was, he’d gathered, the universal first rule of Beating, but he’d been taught, anyway, that the second rule was don’t hesitate or you will be the one who gets his head knocked in. He knocked it away from Jack, at least, though it was not aimed at any particular Pecalus Chaser – just a direction that wasn’t toward one of the people on his team. That would do for now, anyway, though it was now time to start searching for his next opportunity to hit the Bludger in more productive fashion.
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<font color="yellow">Joe U., Teppad. Beater</font>
I'll help you regift it.
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<font color="yellow">Joe U., Teppad. Beater</font>
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<font color='tan'>Ingrid W, Chaser, Pecalus</font>
December 06, 2017 6:42 AM
And I'll take whatever else you don't want by <font color='tan'>Ingrid W, Chaser, Pecalus</font>
Ingrid had been surprisingly pleased by the outcome of the previous match, given that she had been on the losing side. Sure, it would have been nice to win, and she had gone into that match with the slight tingle of knowing that it could have got them the championship. But it also would have meant the Quidditch season was over. Now they had one final match, and with everything on the line, it really got the adrenaline pumping. Ingrid was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and the kind of person who thrived under pressure. The atmosphere for this final match was her absolute element, and made up for any of the lack lustre feeling that being on a hybrid team, and playing the same match again, might have given her. She was also aware that for her, the Quidditch captaincy lay on the other side of this game. It was Sammy’s last and, barring completely flunking all her RATS, the older girl would be graduating at the end of the year, passing on the title to Ingrid. How much better it would be to go into next season with a win to their name. Or, at least part of their name.She had made sure to give Lily some words of encouragement as they changed for the game. Although of course the official pre-game speeches were up to the captains, and there would be enough of that with two of them on board, Lily was the person on the team she felt closest to. They had similar backgrounds, and understood the feeling of being Quidditch playing girls from Pureblood families, and the complicated mix of advantages and disadvantages that came with that… Clearly she and Lily had advantages over people like Parker, who had never flown before, or even people like Ben who, whilst they grew up with magic, sometimes had limited places to explore that. The years of flying and of knowing the game were clearly an advantage. But it could be tough dealing with other people’s attitudes, although it had been a pretty smooth ride for her on that front. She knew Lily had taken her first loss pretty badly, but Ingrid hoped she’d matured as a player and been able to get past the most recent defeat, and was ready to come out fighting. Good luck, she had wished her. Eden’s a decent Seeker. But you’re better.
She waited for kick off, the sun shining down, though she had a feeling it wasn’t just that that was warming her. It was a big moment, the passing of the torch, a match day, a final, plus there was the emotional as well as temperature boost provided by the sun’s rays… Everything just felt good.
She mounted her broom, scrambling for the Quaffle as the whistle blew, but finding only a knee in her face instead. She disentangled herself, searching for the ball, and saw it was speeding away with Jack Spencer. Ingrid sped after it, although she remained alert to the rest the action. She heard the crack of wood on metal, and turned to see that Ben had aimed a Bludger at the Aladren boy. She went wide, not wanting to get mixed up in that, leaving the Bludger room to latch onto its target. Figuring that Jack wouldn’t want to deal with both a the Quaffle and the impending Bludger, she tried to stick close to the next nearest Teppadren player. Her instincts were right as, distracted or pressured by the Bludger, Jack threw the ball across to his teammate, and Ingrid swooped in, snatching it out of the air. Using her free hand, she pulled hard on her broom, leaning in as she quickly turned it one hundred and eighty degrees, and rocketed off away from Jack, the Bludger, and the Pecalus goal.
She took the ball back across the centre line before looking around for a teammate and making a pass.
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<font color='tan'>Ingrid W, Chaser, Pecalus</font>
And I'll take whatever else you don't want
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<font color='tan'>Ingrid W, Chaser, Pecalus</font>
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<font color='tan'>Parker Pecalus Chaser </font>
December 07, 2017 11:28 AM
Is there a gift return area? by <font color='tan'>Parker Pecalus Chaser </font>
Soft one way, spikey the other. Parker fingered the feather again in his pocket.Last game Parker hadn’t played particular well. He hadn’t been terrible, but he had not been at his best, and he was determined to play better this game. The first game they had won, he had the piece of the Juniper tree in his pocket. The second game he had nothing. He decided, since he was going to be flying around, maybe the feather was the best to have in his pocket this time.
He checked his broom having it lift on and off the ground and walked out. Parker hadn’t thought about what this game might mean for the older students, but as he saw the other captain start to tear up. He realized that this was probably a big deal for all of them, and thought that Sammy had done a lot for him, like made him a Chaser, and thus giving him an even bigger reason to do better this game.
Parker had had rules he was to follow the first game, but had thrown them out and had done well. Last game he had been too comfortable maybe, or had been thinking too much about the weird time spent at home. Either way, he hadn’t been fully there, but this time his adrenaline was going.
This was it. This was the game to end the season.
He pushed off only to find an elbow into the side of his face and someone or something hitting the back side of the broom. Not wanting to turn around to look at what it was Parker shook his broom a bit to see if it would shake things away. As he looked around for the Quaffle, Parker assumed he probably looked like some kind of weird bird.
A sharp crack caused Parker to turn his head as he saw the Bludger sail past him towards one of the players.
“Good,” Parker thought for a second, one less thing to worry about.
He saw Ingrid get close and steal the ball away.
“A turn over! Great Start!” Parker thought just as he heard the sharp crack again, he turned around to see the Bludger flying at him. Trying to turn away from it Parker instead turned himself so he was staring head long into it. This wasn’t going to be good. Thinking of anyway to dampen the effects Parker opened his arms as if to hug the Bludger.
Mere milliseconds before impact right into his chest, the thought, “Ouch” reverberated through Parker's head. Shaking loose more than a few cobwebs, though not enough.
It wasn’t so much the pain of metal slamming into his body that hurt so much, though that was definitely “a thing”, it was more the feeling that he was letting people down.
Parker felt his body slumped down on his broom. He was trying to catch the wind that had been knocked out of him and think of a way to make his body sit back up straight. At least his arms weren’t hurt. He just couldn’t move them.
“At least I didn’t fall off my broom,” Parker thought as he slowly felt himself leaning towards the left and down, taking his broom with him.
“Oh…” was all he could think, as he tried to get back up into sitting position.
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<font color='tan'>Parker Pecalus Chaser </font>
Is there a gift return area?
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<font color='tan'>Parker Pecalus Chaser </font>
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<font color=yellow>Jozua, Beater</font>
December 15, 2017 6:57 PM
No refunds, no exchanges by <font color=yellow>Jozua, Beater</font>
Jozua got a slow start off the pitch ground for the last game of the season. Things with Lily since That Potions Class had been a bit weird, not bad exactly, they were both trying to pretend he had never said what he'd said (or so Jozua assumed they were doing) but it was still kind of . . . there. He was kind of surprised to see Joe whack the bludger away from Jack, since there was no way Jozua should possibly be in charge of knocking Lily off her broom now, but he guessed Joe was in the better position for that defense before he headed off to look after Eden. Merlin knew Jozua couldn't have done anything about it that fast.So after Joe knocked it at the littlest Pecari and it took the poor kid in the gut, Jozua was there, ready to take over the black ball of pain and disaster once it was done taking its pound of flesh out of the first year. He decided to take pity on the kid and not send it back at him right away. But Teppadren had control of the bludger and there was no sense in not taking advantage of that, so he whacked it at one of the older two Pecalus chasers. They were the bigger threat anyway. If he actually managed to connect, which was certainly not a given with his track record at this position.
He made a gesture in Joe's direction that he hoped conveyed his thanks for the assist on the Jack situation, but he had the Chaser game covered now (well, as much as Jozua could), and Joe should go help out Eden. While Joe was not privy to all the details that had been confessed over the Draught of Peace, Jozua had mentioned that things between him and Lily had gotten complicated this year - in a kind of romantic but nothing at all happening right now sort of way - so surely Joe would understand that taking out Pecalus' seeker was not really a thing Jozua was willing or able to do today.
And if Teppadren was going to win for Ginger's last game (thank Merlin she was finally graduating - not that Jozua disliked the girl, but she was hogging the one position on the pitch that Jozua thought he might stand a slim chance of not sucking at), taking out Lily was probably in the team's best interest, if not his own.
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<font color=yellow>Jozua, Beater</font>
No refunds, no exchanges
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<font color=yellow>Jozua, Beater</font>
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<font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>
December 19, 2017 5:22 PM
Then I'll take what I can get. by <font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>
Jack growled in frustration when he saw that Pecaulus had intercepted his pass. It felt a bit early in the match for a steal, but there was nothing he could do about it except steal it back. He whirled about on his broom and followed her as close as he dared. He heard the crack! of a bat against the iron ball and Jack glanced around, his heart stuttering again.One of the young ones - he couldn't remember his name - accepted the bludger and Jack's eyes widened. It was almost in slow motion, this scene as it took place nearly right in front of him. He heard the sickening thud as it hit him and the boy seemed to crumple on his broom. Jack could feel his panic beginning to rise and he tried to shake it off. Now was not the time for this; he was a seventh year and a seasoned player, for Merlin's sake. He couldn't be so distracted by these inevitable consequences. Luckily Jozua was there to keep the poor lad from further misery, and Jack tore his eyes away from the scene.
His heart was still racing and he felt light-headed, but he pushed past those feelings to focus on the Quaffle. Jack swooped in the way Ingrid had before and intercepted the pass. Quaffle now in hand, he made a wide turn and made his way back to the Pecalus hoops. Jack didn't feel like himself at the moment. Though he hated admitting it, the incident had shaken him up and he felt as though he couldn't see straight. Jack did not want his team-mates to know, however, else the team's confidence could be put into jeopardy. Ginger had already made a scene with her tears; it wouldn't do for their other captain to have a nervous breakdown in the middle of a match.
He was nearing the hoops again, almost a quarter of the way, when he passed it to a nearby team-mate. "Catch it!" he couldn't help but yell. He really did not want to see it get intercepted again, but he wasn't of the right mind to make an attempt at the goal.
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<font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>
Then I'll take what I can get.
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<font color=blue>Capt Jack, Teppad, Chaser</font>
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Eden Manger, Teppadren Seeker
January 04, 2018 8:37 AM
Late to the party, but worth the wait by Eden Manger, Teppadren Seeker
Eden inhaled.Eden exhaled.
She felt the grass beneath her feet and wiggled her toes in her shoes, grounding herself for the sake of calmness as she prepared to depart for the skies. Professor Skies was speaking, but the second year was more focused on the slight breeze that tugged at the tips of her blonde ponytail. It was a wonderful change from the last match, where she’d worried her eyelashes would freeze off and the ground would never be rid of frost. It was a good day to play a game outside, which all this really was, so why did she feel so many acrobatic butterflies in her stomach?
She had lost the Snitch in the first match but reacquainted with it for the second, so now they were in a playoff. The happy sun added to her nervous glow. This was it. All or nothing. Victory or defeat. A high note or a low note for Ginger to leave the school on, the last act of her captaincy. Eden wanted this for her. Ginger deserved it.
The whistle blew. Eden was so absorbed in her own thoughts that there was a distinct pause between it and when she actually left the ground, hopping on her broom clumsily and shooting upward as quick as possible so as not to fall behind. Lily was a more than competent opponent, and Eden was finding her existence as a good-natured rival to be quite fun.
Most of the match was fairly uneventful as she searched for the Snitch, and she allowed herself without thinking to sort of flit about and enjoy the nice weather. But then she saw a glint of gold and automatically charged. Eden accelerated in the approach and stuck out her dominant hand. She could feel the feathery wings on her fingertips, so she cautiously leaned forward on her broom, and to her own surprise she felt the bulk of the Snitch hit against her palm. She immediately clasped her fingers shut around it, and once she had slowed down, she held up her hand to show the world what she had done. “I got it!”
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Eden Manger, Teppadren Seeker
Late to the party, but worth the wait
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Eden Manger, Teppadren Seeker
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