gooseberryhigh | QUIDDITCH: April 29, Gooseberry v. Ilvermorny

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QUIDDITCH: April 29, Gooseberry v. Ilvermorny

TEAM GOOSEBERRY Captain J. Key	TEAM ILVERMORNY Captain L. du Pont
Chaser Jefferson Key Chaser Nisha Lewis Chaser Sylvester Stoker Beater Calvin Evercreech Beater Charlotte Meer Keeper Jonathan Wilde Seeker Tuesday North	Chaser Ana Maria Garcia Chaser Les Ingersoll Chaser Samir Khader Beater Roberta Lincoln Beater Jaye Staley Keeper Jillian Gauthier Seeker Lavender du Pont

Despite a beautifully sunny week, grey clouds are rolling in as the Gooseberry contingent heads outside to where Ilvermorny holds their Quodpot games. Despite Quidditch being the less popular sport at this school, the stands are packed with Ilvermorny students cheering for their team. The noise is deafening. It's more obvious than ever to the visiting students that this school is more than twice the size of Gooseberry. Coach Thorn points out the section of the stands reserved for talent scouts, for teams all across North America. For some of them, this might be their big break.

The other thing to notice as everyone steps out onto the field: Ilvermorny has brand new uniforms, in their school's colors of cranberry and blue. At least, the players do—Cheer Captain du Pont is all smiles as he leads a considerable number of cheerleaders, but most of them are equipped with signs and pompoms, not skill. Gooseberry might have less people on their cheer team, but Captain Keating has drilled even the most amateurish members of her squad for a well-choreographed routine. The moment of triump comes when Riley Stamper, Clementine Decourt and [Cheerleader C] are tossed high into the air, spinning in perfect unison before being caught by their teammates. Even the Ilvermorny side cheers and whistles for that, although that quickly turns to laughter as their mascot, the Ilvermorny Pukwudgie, sends a flying tackle at the Gooseberry Moose, knocking Mascot Wolfhart to the ground.

Captain Key shakes hands with Quidditch Captain du Pont as Coach Thorn reminds them both to play fair, with the scouts watching. As the visitor, referee duty is given to Coach Thorn. The Chasers mount their brooms and line up to face each other, cranberry robes versus gold. Chaser Garcia catches the eye of her former teammate, Chaser Lewis, and seems to glare and mouth something at her. It's enough of a distraction that Lewis misses the moment Thorn throws the Quaffle into the air, and Chaser Khader grabs it first, breaking through the Gooseberry defenses with surprising speed.

This year's Ilvermorny team aren't pushovers, but it quickly becomes apparent that Gooseberry's Chasers are still more experienced. Khader makes his first shot on Keeper Wilde, but Gooseberry scrambles into action after that, with Chasers Key, Lewis and Stoker running through plays like one unit, changing it up on a dime every time their captain gives the signal. The score steadily climbs for Gooseberry: 20, 40, 60–30 for Gooseberry. Ilvermorny only holds on thanks to the talents of Keeper Gauthier, who stays vigilant even under constant assault by Quaffles.

For the first half hour, Beaters Evercreech and Meer have Ilvermorny's Chasers on the run, but the Ilvermorny Beaters aren't daunted. They choose their moment and strike: Staley intercepts a Bludger from right under Evercreech's nose, Lincoln hits the other Bludger with all her might, and both go flying full force at Meer, who hits away one but can't dodge the other. She's thrown off her broom with two cracked ribs, and has to be taken out of the game. Reserve Delgado subs in.

Gooseberry's Beaters might be well-paired and unshaken, but Staley and Lincoln only get more aggressive from here. They're aiming to take out Chaser Lewis now, and willing to play rough to make sure they get as many hits on a Bludger as they can get. Ilvermorny starts to catch up as Lewis is forced to focus more on dodging than scoring. 50 minutes in, there's a midair scuffle between Staley and Delgado that forces Coach Thorn to blow the whistle. Delgado claims that Staley flew too close and elbowed him, while Staley says he hit her with his bat. Thorn awards a penalty shot to both teams: Chaser Ingersoll makes his shot on Wilde, while Chaser Key's throw is blocked by Gauthier, putting the score at 90–70 for Gooseberry.

Although the skies are a darkening grey now, Seeker North spots the faintest glimmer of the Snitch, and goes right for it. There's no Cup on the line, and she's not worried about ending the game too fast. But Seeker du Pont is right on her tail, the same thought on her mind. The two of them dive through the Chasers, surprising Garcia so much that she fumbles her hold on the Quaffle and loses it to Stoker. They chase the Snitch around to the Gooseberry goals. Beaters Evercreech and Staley line up their shots: he hits a Bludger at du Pont's broom, knocking her off-course, while Staley aims right for North—instead hitting Wilde, who wasn't expecting it. His head slams into a metal pole and he goes down. North stretches her hand out, fingertips barely brushing the Snitch—but Thorn blows the whistle. The Snitch escapes. Reserve Davenport is called in. It starts to rain, a light drizzle at first.

In the stands, the Ilvermorny students scream louder than ever, even though the score is 100–80, their team still behind by two goals. An Ilvermorny seventh year takes this opportunity to hit on Samantha Sweeney, and is very persistent, even when told no. He offers his umbrella. He tries to make a bet: if his school wins, you owe him a kiss. This encounter culminates in Mr. Merrill coming over to tell the Ilvermorny to go mouth-breathe somewhere else, as he clearly doesn't recognize when he's talking to someone out of his league.

More fired up than ever, Gooseberry starts going hard. Ilvermorny might have taken two of theirs out, but Beater Evercreech gets one of their Chasers with a solid Bludger hit that breaks Ingersoll's arm with an audible crack. Reserve O'Malley, a timid-looking thirteen-year-old, ends up filling in for him. The Gooseberry Chasers are merciless after that, making shot after shot on Ilvermorny until Keeper Gauthier finally starts looking exhausted, while Davenport on the other side is fresh and focused. The score climbs for Gooseberry, 130–80.

But don't count Ilvermorny out yet. Evercreech only narrowly misses getting hit by a bat as Staley steals another Bludger (a watchful Thorn has his whistle between his lips, but doesn't blow it), passes it long to Lincoln, who suddenly whips around and shoots the Bludger at North. Beater Delgado hits the other Bludger at Lincoln, but it's too late; North is hit blind in the back and slips from her rain-slick broom, crashing into the ground. It's enough of a shock that Chaser Khader gets a last-second Quaffle past Davenport, who up until now has been a solid wall of defense. Thorn judges North to have a broken leg. For the third time, a Gooseberry reserve is sent in.

The visiting team can't be blamed if it seems like they've lost spirit after this. Ilvermorny starts scoring, lead by Chaser Garcia, who scores two goals in five minutes, bringing the score to 130–100 for Gooseberry. Then a shout from the crowd: it's Seeker versus Seeker again as the Snitch is spotted for the second time, du Pont flying like a rocket across Popplestone's path, Popplestone chasing after her, only seconds behind, gaining speed, closing the gap inch by inch. In the stands, the sound is deafening. Fans scream and cheer, not caring about the rain. Keeper Davenport lets her attention drift for the briefest second towards the Seekers, and misses when Khader sneaks in and scores on her. Popplestone is close, so close... but Ilvermorny is closer. Du Pont catches the Snitch.

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ILVERMORNY WINS
160–130

Whether you’re a player, cheerleader or spectator, post below with your character’s reactions! If you wish to post separately about the game, please use lj-cuts and mark for spoilers for the first 24 hours, so no one sees the result before reading the official match description.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ohhhh, Jeffy had been nervous about this. They'd practiced, they'd planned, they'd bonded, they'd worked though every possible permutation of the team. Jeffy was confident in the ability of every member of this team. And they worked hard—every minute of this game was a testament to how hard they'd worked, how well they communicated, how focused they were. He just hadn't expected so many people to get subbed out. Should he have coached his Beaters to play harder? Or did they need to focus more on evasion—had that lesson been lost in the food fight bonding?

His mind is a swirl of thoughts and colors and bright blasts of static as they descend. He knows it's not a terrible score, to lose by only 30 points, and Azurcrest has been on the losing side more than a couple times in the last year. He's never felt that pang of disappointment at being responsible for a loss, he's honestly maybe never even felt disappointment before. Is this how it feels? It's not good.

But he's the Captain, his team played hard, and it's never been hard for Jeffy to conjure up a 1000-watt smile. They deserve a pep talk, congratulations for surviving (well, hopefully; he hasn't checked on Wilde just yet). He has hands to shake and friends to talk to before he can decompress and think about next game. And when he goes to shake Lavender's hand, he gives her a big sweaty hug, because she's, like, really nice you guys?? And actually gives really good hugs.

She's not expecting to play. As far as she can even remember, only Susana had ever been subbed in a game. Keepers just weren't high target players, and barring freak accidents - they really didn't get injured or need to leave play all that frequently. So when Wilde nearly gets murdered during the game and she's suddenly got to play - she's a little nervous. This is by far the largest game she's ever played in, and the amount of scouts watching doesn't go unnoticed by her for a second. Still, she does her best not to put to much pressure on herself and just plays.

Not bad, either. While she isn't in for a terribly long time (at least it doesn't feel that way), she doesn't let much get past her - a wall, which is kind of what she likes to think of her position as anyway. But it's the last two - and the very last one when she lets herself get distracted by watching Gwen chase down DuPont - that screws it all up. If she's just blocked them, they might have ended in a tie instead of a loss. As she flies down, she looks a bit sheepish and pink-faced - hoping she and just play it off as being a little winded.

She tells Jeffy she's sorry and that he's been a great Captain, they did awesome she's really proud of him, before going off to try and find Gwen.

Last year they'd lost - last year, when they was Nisha and Ilvermorny. Buy it hadn't felt like a loss. It hadn't because she'd played her ass off. Then, dirty and tired and aching she'd watched as her brother bumbled out of the stands and scooped her up and told her she'd been amazing. And for the first time she felt like she had family. Selfishly, for Nisha, it hadn't been a loss at all.

This year, they've lost again. She's still played her ass off. Still feels utterly exhausted when she climbs off her broom. But the make up of the They is different. And when she looks around at her teammates and the Gooseberry students in the stands she sees more family than she's ever seen. And some of that family is hurt, broken bones and head injuries. They'd all played hard. They'd done their best. And they'd lost.

The tired, flat line of her lip trembles when she thinks about it. Her eyes water. Just a bit, before she squints it away and puts on a firm, gymnast's smile to congratulate her teammates - current and former.

This time it feels like a loss.

But, really, that's okay.

Nisha & Reid

cygninae - 2018-05-01 16:33 (UTC) - Expand

Nisha & Reid

godzillabutworse - 2018-05-01 16:45 (UTC) - Expand

Sam's here for Solo, really. Of course, she's cheering on her housemates Jeffy & Essie, of course, but she's not all that into Quidditch aside from the fact that Solomon plays. When he plays, she's a super fan, crazy into the game and very vocal. For this, though, she's mostly there for the fun and to hang with Solomon outside of Gooseberry. There they were stressed, frustrated, and angry and had been going through a lot. Getting away from Gooseberry as much as possible let them get into that vacation mindset - let the worries kind of float away.

She didn't expect to get hit on. By some weirdo seventh-year who didn't understand how to take no for an answer.

He starts when Solomon isn't there, which is bad enough. Sam tells him just no at first, but eventually resorts to the awfully sexist tactic of telling him she has a boyfriend and he needs to back off. It doesn't work, and even when Solomon comes back just in time for the action on the pitch, this guy doesn't take the hint or believe that Solo is her boyfriend. She's actually outraged at this, and even Solo seems to be getting angry - unusual for someone who was typically so even-tempered.

Finally this guy's persistence catches Merrill's notice, and Sam is relieved it doesn't break out into a fight between this guy and Solo - as soon as Merrill uses some choice words (which Sam actually blushes over briefly and grins a little arrogantly to), the rando backs off in time for them to finish the game without any bones breaking off the pitch.

"If that guy is at the party," Sam says under her breath so Merrill can't hear, "I'm going to punch him if he tries to talk to me."

Edited 2018-05-01 05:47 (UTC)

It's weird to be in the audience again watching Jeffy play, and even weirder to be back at Ilvermorny. He's stuck close to his camping school classmates for the most part, and is right in the middle of them as he holds up an obnoxious rainbow sign that flashes through the names of all the players, outlined in their house colors. (Calvin's name comes accompanied with blinking green hearts, because Micah is annoying as hell.)

Micah soon realizes that he made a serious oversight in only putting seven names on his enchanted sign. Oh. Oh god. Oh man. By the time Tuesday is taken out and the rain's pouring down on them, Micah's been forced to put his now inaccurate sign away. But he's still on his feet, screaming and cheering for his friends all the way to the end. The incredibly disappointing end, but hey. Tough luck for Seekers. Micah will make his way down there later, to hug Jeffy, Calvin and Ramon (sorry Ramon) and tell them they did great.

Nothing good could come from the approaching figure of Alistair du Pont in his pristine cheer uniform, a folded piece of paper clutched in his fingers. Rosy could smell his genuine warmth and earnesty from a mile off, but she hadn't mapped out an escape route, didn't know where to hide in this school.

So now she had this, the newest Alistair du Pont original poem, pressed into her hand with a little too much gentleness. "You don't have to read it now, Rosemary, but I hope you'll take it to heart," he'd said, with his stupid green eyes and soft smile. "But there's a small get together tonight, maybe we can talk then."

And then he'd left, to congratulate his fucking sister or build houses for the poor probably, before Rosy could tell him she had a goddamn boyfriend. That she'd had a different goddamn boyfriend when they'd kissed, that he'd just been some stupid mistake to make her forget about like some traumatic event she didn't want to deal with head on or whatever, and honestly she couldn't really stand the sight of him or his shining star sister. Or something like that.

She unfolds the page in her hand.

"Oh god," she says, before she could reasonably have had a chance to read and absorb the message contained within. "Is this a song?"

Edited 2018-05-01 06:24 (UTC)

Rosy & Sy

threatens - 2018-05-01 06:44 (UTC) - Expand

Rosy & Sy

browbeats - 2018-05-01 07:15 (UTC) - Expand

Rosy & Sy

threatens - 2018-05-01 17:42 (UTC) - Expand

Rosy & Sy

browbeats - 2018-05-01 21:46 (UTC) - Expand

After the game, there's a party. It's not as extravagant as the Grotto, and is mostly just a bunch of kids crammed into a basement drinking really shitty beer.

Quentin Youngblood gets into a drinking competition with a senior from Ilvermorny and narrowly wins.
A cute Ilvermorny girl flirts with Daniel Notoriano... but it turns out she already has a boyfriend, who ends up sucker punching them. January James joins in the ensuing brawl, possibly without knowing what's going on.

Somewhere else, there's a party. Someone's drinking, someone's fighting. But here, in a cramped but temporarily empty dorm, it's relatively peaceful. There's a distant thump thump thump of someone playing their music too loud. Calvin's shirtless, and Micah's head is on his shoulder. Until this year, he hadn't given much thought to how heavy a human head is. All the same, Calvin doesn't move.

"Are you sure you're fine missin' the party?" Calvin's voice is a soft whisper inches from Micah's ear. "You could probably find your old mates."

Edited 2018-05-01 03:40 (UTC)

Calvin & Micah

stclair - 2018-05-01 05:34 (UTC) - Expand

Calvin & Micah

evercreep - 2018-05-01 05:45 (UTC) - Expand

It was a rough match for Ebonhide, and with two players down it's a good thing they had two captains in the audience. Clem will leave Wilde to Ulysses's care, although she intends to bug him later. For now, she's gotta find their babyseeker. Clem's not the best at looking on the bright side when she loses, and it's especially hard for her when she didn't play - whether it's because she's not on the team or she got benched after a bludger hit. So she knows how frustrated Tuesday must be, and she worries about the younger player's self-esteem.

She feels a little out of place in Ilvermorny's hospital wing, a place she was once very familiar with. Now it's foreign territory. She offers an awkward wave to a visiting Ilvermorny player, an old teammate of hers, who's on her way out as Clem's on her way in. But she's not here to catch up with old friends, and locates Tuesday as quickly as she can.

"Hey kiddo," she says, plopping down on the foot of her bed. She's still wearing her cheer uniform and pulls her hair out of the tight, ribbon-tied ponytail she'd sported for the game. "How's the leg?"

Edited (45% reading comprehension) 2018-05-01 04:59 (UTC)

Tutu & Clem

tues - 2018-05-01 05:23 (UTC) - Expand

Spoiler alert!: Danny hates parties. He likes drinking, sure. But he likes drinking alone. Or, like, with a bunch of intellectuals in a room with a lot of books, where they're all talking about literature and/or philosophy. You know, intolerably smug professorial asshole bullshit. The kind of shit that literally no one but the human buttholes who say things like “love is just a chemical reaction in the brain” while sitting in their armchairs care about. What I’m saying is, whatever transpires tonight. No matter what. He gets what he deserves.

So, anyway, my dude Danny is spacing out with a solo cup in his hand (the shitty beer at Ilvermorny is, in fact, indistinguishable from the shitty beer at Gooseberry), probably thinking about Catcher in the Rye or something, when a pretty girl wanders over to him.

“Hey,” she says, the single syllable so heavy with implied meaning that it bends, dipping down and sliding back up. Danny does not immediately ken to her intent.

He takes a drink of his garbage water. “Yo.” Too busy doing mental flashcards and hating this whole experience, he’s not interested in actually participating stranger banter, so he doesn't go on. A long quiet follows.

“You know,” the girl says with a soft click of her tongue. She looks around at the other partygoers, surveying their peers. “There’s some other guys with worse hair here? But you're definitely in the top five.”

Danny blinks. Scoffs. “Are you negging me?” He asks, somewhere between perplexed and impressed.

She laughs, a bright, full sound that projects across the area, and when she smiles, it shows off all her teeth. “It worked, didn't it? I’m Amelia.”

“Amelia.” Danny repeats with a disbelieving grin. And then tilts his solo cup toward himself. “Danny. Look, that’s great for you, but I--”

“Who's this jackass?” Asks a voice from behind. Danny turns with the slowness of one who recognizes what he’s just stepped in. It's one of Ilvermorny’s quidditch assholes (not to be confused with Gooseberry’s quidditch assholes, whom Danny may or may not hold some small measure of affection for). “Melly is this guy bugging you?”

“We’re just getting to know each other.” Melly says, smile cranked up a hundred watts.

“Actually, she was bothering me.” Danny says.

The Ilvermorny quidditch asshole - Ingersoll, Danny thinks his name was - cracks his knuckles. “I didn’t ask you, pipsqueak.”

He looms, and Danny is dwarfed. But he doesn’t cower. “Alright, Crunch Punchmeat,” Danny shrugs. “I’ll just see myself out of this conversation, then.”

Danny turns to leave. And times it poorly. It places him smack dab in the center of the path Les Ingersoll’s right hook is taking toward his face. In beautiful slow motion: fist, meet nose. A sucker-punch. Brained. Coldcocked.

Danny takes it remarkably well. He staggers back a few steps, catching the red in both hands as it starts to drip from his nose.

“Shitfuck!” He says. But before he can jump in to defend himself, someone else is doing it for him.

Edited (once again: sorry.) 2018-05-01 20:50 (UTC)

Danny & Rosy

browbeats - 2018-05-01 22:57 (UTC) - Expand

Danny & Rosy

graysanatomyforkids - 2018-05-02 00:03 (UTC) - Expand

Danny & Rosy

browbeats - 2018-05-02 03:45 (UTC) - Expand

Riley sidles up to January, biting her lip in what she thinks is a super cute but also seductive way. It's a hard balance to strike, so it's a good thing Riley's been practicing for a while.

"Shit, girl," she says, leaning in close, "you didn't even smudge your lipstick." She reaches one glittery, chipped as fuck nail up to smear some color down the corner of January's mouth. "Mm, much better."

Edited 2018-05-02 01:18 (UTC)

believe it or not, my goal was to keep this one short

You're the best.

Calvin is here and skipped the party to seduce Micah sorry Marin don't yell at me for saying the truth.
Reid is here to support Nisha and Sy.
Archie is here to support Nisha and gawk at how poor people live.

Edited 2018-05-01 04:02 (UTC)

Can I get Sam for audience member d?

Edited (This is fantastic btw ouch gb y'all got murdered) 2018-05-01 03:38 (UTC)

PLAYERS & CHEERLEADERS

Jeffy

Avery

Nisha

AUDIENCE REACTIONS

Sam, The Mouth Breather, and Open (to multiple)

Micah

Rosy, Alistair, and a Poem (open?? if you want???)

AFTER THE GAME

Calvin & Micah

Tutu & Clem

Danny Notoriano Gets His Shit Pushed In: A Gooseberry Easy Reader. Open to All & Sundry

Riley & January

OOC 💫 QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

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