Gravity is optional on Quidditch Pitch

The Coach

July 21, 2019 1:49 AM

First Years - Flying Time by The Coach

Whilst flying was so linked with witchcraft that even non-magical story books depicted witches atop brooms, it formed a far lesser part of daily life than non-magical people seemed to imagine. It was much as riding a bicycle was in that world - a skill everyone ought to have, certainly, and thus one that a lot of Pureblood children had already been taught at home. But, just as non-magical people had their planes, trains and automobiles, so too did magical people have the Floo, Portkeys and Apparition. There were times and places for broomstick riding, of course, and some people found it a preferable form of transport, whilst others enjoyed it for its links to sports, but it definitely wasn’t the only option.

Consequently, flying was a class that was only required for first years - not even the usual mixed level beginners. Those with a serious interest could book extra time with the coach, or use the MARS rooms to train further but in terms of passing as a life skill, getting on a broom and wobbling from one end of the pitch to the other would probably do. Wobbling along was the aim of the day, although the distance was more akin to thirty metres than the hundred and fifty odd that made up the full length of the pitch.

The first years had had some hover practise already, and were getting used to making their brooms jump to their hands - although one or two of the less confident types probably still needed a few attempts - and mounting up. Today the goal was motion.

“Good morning,” the coach addressed the assembled group. After roll call, any more experienced flyers were sent to do as they pleased, be that laps or races or tossing a Quaffle around, so long as they didn’t hurt each other, get reckless, or get in the way. There seemed to be one particularly energetic one who might have a different definition of reckless, and so the coach had simply got down to her level and clearly informed her that any incident that required intervention would result in her being put on hover for the rest of the period, and trusted that to keep the child from killing herself or anyone else.

“Today, you’ll all be flying the distance marked out by these two flags,” the coach indicated to the novice flyers.. “Now, proper smooth flying is all done in the body. Your feet are up and tucked behind and you are leaning forward. That gives you the momentum to go. Going gives you balance. It’s tempting to put your toes down, and you won’t be docked today for doing it, but honestly, you’re not particularly helping yourselves.

“Observe,” there was a quick demonstration of proper riding, consisting of a small lap around the group. They wouldn’t need to worry about turns for today, but it didn’t hurt to demonstrate how to lean into them. “Now, as I said, you’ll want to put your feet down. It’s natural whilst you’re getting your confidence. If you must, be sure to do this - balls of your feet touch and push back,” the coach demonstrated the kind of hesitant scooting along that they would prefer not to see, but knew was inevitable in the early stages. “Don’t push down into the ground. Can anyone tell me why that’s not a good idea?” they asked, waiting for someone to reach the logical conclusion that this would push them up in the air, which the coach agreed with and then demonstrated. “If that does happen, you’re not likely to go too high, especially if your pushes are gentle,” - which, if they were being hesitant, they most likely would be, “Just try to lean downwards to bring yourself down. I’ll be flying alongside to bring anyone back on course who needs it, and your brooms are capped at a couple of feet in the air, so they shouldn’t take you too high.

“Right, who’s first?”

OOC - welcome to flying! You may go off and play if your character is already an experienced flyer, or do the beginners task. You can also chat to the people around you before/after your turn at flying, though try to include some response to the actual lesson content. Posts must be 200 words.

You may assume basic things from the coach (who is currently an NPC/co-op character) e.g. assuming they check you’re alright if you fall, or giving basic tips, but if your character is doing anything serious that would need Adult Intervention please leave the post at that point, and give time for a staff member to reply as the coach.

Any questions, ask in chatzy or on the OOC.

Subthreads:

Gravity is optional by Anya Delachene with Freddie Zauberhexen, Teppenpaw

This is terrible by Jezebel Reed-Fischer, Crotalus with Sapphire Brockert,Crotalus

13 The Coach First Years - Flying Time 0 The Coach 1 5

Anya Delachene

July 24, 2019 4:11 PM

Gravity is optional by Anya Delachene

Flying was the bestest class. Well, that wasn’t really true. Anya loved flying. She loved heights. She loved the wind in her hair and the opportunity to do all of those things. But calling it a class was kind of a disservice to classes, because Anya wasn’t really learning anything except the exact limits what the coach considered ‘reckless behavior’ - she’d had a stern talking to the first day and had spend most of the period hovering with the novices twice since then, which was decidedly not her idea of a good time and she hoped her current understanding of what was allowed and what was not (including, apparently, hanging upside down off her broom by her knees, which wasn’t really even close to what Anya thought of as dangerous) was now accurate enough to avoid that fate in the future.

Still, even if she couldn’t do broom acrobatics, just getting off the ground was always a relief. Growing up with brooms and cliffs and flying horses constantly available, being stuck on her feet for most of the day at school felt so very limiting to her. She couldn’t breathe properly until she had a few dozen feet of air under her.

“Hey!” she called out to another first year flier nearby. “Do you know if barrel rolls count as a ‘crazy stunt that risks death and therefore requires adult intervention?’” She provided air quotes to indicate this was the criteria someone else had dictated and it was not her own idea to avoid such things.

She didn’t think there would be any problem with barrel rolls though. She thought they were a normal part of flying. But she’d thought the same about the knee hanging thing, too, so a second opinion was necessary.

She really didn’t want to try flying as slowly as the novices were doing today. That might almost be worse than hovering.

1 Anya Delachene Gravity is optional 1453 Anya Delachene 0 5

Jezebel Reed-Fischer, Crotalus

July 25, 2019 2:10 PM

This is terrible by Jezebel Reed-Fischer, Crotalus

Jezebel had spent her life so far seeing the stereotypical images of witches on broomsticks and there was a whole Mickey Mouse movie dedicated to magical broomsticks. They were pretty evil in the Mickey Mouse thing, which felt a bit more realistic to Jezebel. She had decided day one that flying was terrible and increased flying practice had not changed her mind. In fact, today's lesson was only solidifying this opinion.

She'd managed to get the broom into her hand, but only just, and was gripping it with both as she watched her fellow novice fliers make their first attempts. Some of them were clearly in the same boat she was, and they exchanged some empathetic looks as they forced their shaky legs over the brooms. She was grateful for the cushioning charms that the coach had described before; she had wondered how witches flew around without hurting their bums.

"Here's an idea," Jezebel told the student beside her as she wiped her sweaty palms on her robes and adjusted her grip. "You distract the coach and I'll make a break for it. Ms. Skies-- Professor Skies won't mind if I change my schedule around never getting on a broom again, right?"

22 Jezebel Reed-Fischer, Crotalus This is terrible 1454 Jezebel Reed-Fischer, Crotalus 0 5

Freddie Zauberhexen, Teppenpaw

July 25, 2019 2:36 PM

I don't know that word, but yes! by Freddie Zauberhexen, Teppenpaw

Freddie hadn't spent a ton of time flying growing up, as proper brooms were just too big a luxury and pretty hard to import. He had flown some on the brooms of patients who were happy to let he and Hana borrow them, or when mother or father would charm a branch or something to fly around with him atop it, but that was about it. Still, he'd spent a lot of time climbing trees, jumping off of things, and all in all spending his time in the air without the aid of a broom. Flying had come naturally.

He'd moved quickly through the novice tasks - even his limited riding experience was enough to get him out of those - and was enjoying flying around more freely in these lessons. He had not enjoyed seeing his classmate get in trouble, but had to admit that he admired her spirit. He suspected that he was only barely a Teppenpaw and his Pecari classmate touched a soft spot for adventure in his heart.

He wasn't really sure what a "barrel roll" was and missed a few of her other words, but she seemed sarcastic and he knew that she was probably thinking of doing something dangerous, if her previous actions in class were anything to judge by.

Freddie responded with a grin. "It is not crazy stunt if you do it good," he decided. It was reasonably logical and he was glad to have thought of it. "I can watch. Make sure coach does not see? Also make sure you do not really get hurt. What is barrel roll?"

22 Freddie Zauberhexen, Teppenpaw I don't know that word, but yes! 1452 Freddie Zauberhexen, Teppenpaw 0 5

Sapphire Brockert,Crotalus

July 30, 2019 8:02 AM

Agreed by Sapphire Brockert,Crotalus

Without a doubt, Sapphire's least favorite thing about school was flying lessons. She had always rather expected this would be the case and she was right. Which was a nice feeling as the first year had always rather felt like she was dumb and useless and therefore never right about anything but then again, she wasn't sure she was happy to be right about this because it still meant flying lessons were awful.

In fact, they weren't just awful, they were terrifying . Like Sapphire had never realized that something that didn't involve Topaz could be so scary. Even though so far, she hadn't done much more than hover, she really did not like the feeling of not having her feet on solid ground. Worse was the fact that added to her general fear of having a seizure-especially in front of her classmates-was the thought of having one in mid-air . She still had them sometimes, despite her medication, which itself had side effects.What if she fell off and hit her head? Topaz already said Sapphire was brain dead, she didn't want to be so literally .

At least the coach knew about her epilepsy. They knew that she could not fly too high. Odds were Sapphire would never do more than hover and move a bit at a height that wasn't any higher than a dining room table. She would certainly never do the things that one Pecari girl kept doing. The ones that made her borderline queasy to behold. Sapphire normally would not expect special treatment but she really hoped that the bar-or broom rather- was set lower for her to get the same grade as she had a genuine handicap.

It wasn't as if she was expected to get an O or anything in this class. If there was one class to not succeed in, this would the one. Flying was so overall unimportant but Sapphire did not want to fail. She did not want to look defective. Her family-with the exception of Uncle Eustace-did not see flying or athletics as a measure of one's worth as a human being. However, her own self-worth was generally very close to nonexistant so any failure in anything, even something that really didn't matter reinforced the idea that Topaz was right about her. Basically, one of the few pieces of sisterly advice that Emerald, who didn't seem to most of the time want to bother with any sibling other than Ruby, had actually given Sapphire was to not give Topaz the satisfaction of being right. It went to the third year's head.

Today she found a spot next to her roommate. So far, she really hadn't gotten to know the other Crotalus too well. Sapphire was pretty shy, so found a hard time getting to know others, afraid she would say the wrong thing. Even if Jezebel wasn't in the sort of family she had to worry about impressing, she still wanted to get along with, even be liked by, her roommate. In fact, although Sapphire knew she wouldn't be friends with everyone-the Pecari girl who did the scary things came to mind, she had doubts they'd find common ground-she didn't want to be disliked by anyone.

Sapphire was in the process of trying to get her broom to go up-it always took quite a few attempts given that she really didn't want to fly, and was not looking forward to actually doing today's lesson-when she heard Jezebel speak to her.

The Crotalus actually gave a small laugh. "But then how would I get out of this?" Sapphire asked. And what sort of distraction would she be able to give other than the obvious one of having a seizure? She wasn't about to fake one, that just seemed wrong, and she didn' t want a real one. She went on, her voice full of sympathy and regret. "I'm sorry to say that she probably would.Flying lessons are required for all first years unless they have like, a serious medical condition." And if hers hadn't qualified and neither had Owen's, Sapphire doubted Jezebel had something that did. "Plus I once heard about a girl years and years ago who tried to leave and got hexed by the coach. I mean, it was a different coach than this one and if that happened again, Grandfather would be sure to make sure this coach got fired instead of the slap on the wrist that one got but we'd probably still end up with detention. I don't think Deputy Headmistress Skies would let you change it-though Grandfather would make it optional if he had his way-but after this year, we never have to get on brooms again."

Sapphire stopped to take a breath. That was way more than she was used to saying at once. As one of six children and one of the quieter ones, she often got lost in the crowd. However, she was pretty happy to have found something in common with her roommate. It was a place to start.

11 Sapphire Brockert,Crotalus Agreed 1459 Sapphire Brockert,Crotalus 0 5

Jezebel Reed-Fischer

August 02, 2019 3:17 AM

On the same page of a bad book. by Jezebel Reed-Fischer

Jezebel had never heard her roommate say so much ever. She suspected that she did indeed talk because it wasn't very common for people not to talk at all, but she couldn't confirm it until now. At least her chuckled seemed authentic, and now Jezebel knew she wasn't the only one who hated this part of magic. The rest was growing on her, but this? No way. Also, this was the Headmaster's granddaughter who hated it! That seemed telling.

She usually didn't like people who were "connected" to important people as they usually didn't like her, but that hadn't been such an issue so far at Sonora. Of course, she was hearing more and more that the fact that her parents were non-magical was going to be an issue for her at times, even more so than for Dathan. At least he was in a nice people house. Crotalus seemed find though, and people mostly left her alone to her studying, planning, and working. She was going to be incredible and prove all thence jerks wrong. At least, that was the hope if she could survive flying lessons.

"Shoot. I guess we'll have to get creative. Is there any way to make us disappear or transfigure into a tuft of grass or something?" Jezebel asked, hoping to both sound like a joke and also get an answer; she was genuinely curious about such things.

The story about a girl getting hexed was probably less terrifying than it should've been, as Jezebel hadn't actually seen any sort of magic used to hurt people. A hex sort of sounded bad, and she'd read a little about them, but she didn't really have any concrete picture in her mind for what that meant. Still, any sort of magic being used against her - especially from a professor - was frightening, and Jezebel groaned in terrified disgust.

"That's awful," she said, adding words to her expression. "I guess . . . do we just . . . go for it, then? Maybe if we look like we're talking about strategy, the coach won't check on us." She pointed at the twiggy end of Sapphire's broom and shook her head, pretending as though she'd seen something. Then she turned to show her own twiggy end and shook it, nodding encouragingly. Then she winked. "That looked like I knew what I was talking about, right?"

22 Jezebel Reed-Fischer On the same page of a bad book. 1454 Jezebel Reed-Fischer 0 5