QUIDDITCH: October 9, Match #1

[goosemods]

RIBBONFIN

AZURCREST

Excitement is in the air on this surprisingly warm October day, with the highly anticipated start to the Quidditch season. With the help of Prospero and Mr. Covington, the pitch looks shiny and new, although there are still a few fish streamers fluttering in the stands. At 2 PM, house cheer teams warm up the pitch, lead by Captains Ogletree and Prince, who intend to impress despite the little time given to perfect their cheers before the first game. Azurcrest performs a celebrated routine from last year, with their signature high tosses (but with only half the usual tosses, due to the injured hand of one of their male bases). Afterwards, Ribbonfin shows off the hours they’ve put in with a brand new dance routine, so perfectly synchronized that they earn loud cheers.

Chasers Kramer, Castillo and Key take the field early and perform loop-de-loops in the air above their cheer squad, for the amusement of the crowd. Unfortunately, they’re still a bit busy playing around once Coach Thorn officially starts the game, and Chaser Alapai easily takes first possession of the Quaffle. Working in tandem, the Ribbonfin Chasers put away three goals in the first ten minutes, one for each of them.

Eventually, a well-aimed Bludger from Beater S. Delgado forces Chaser Valentine to drop the Quaffle, which is taken by Kramer. The fierce back-and-forth between Ribbonfin’s all-female and Azurcrest’s all-male Chaser teams soon has the announcer joking about “Boys versus Girls.” The jokes are the only thing which appear to annoy Keeper Davenport, who otherwise seems focused and confident as she blocks Quaffles and watches her team’s progress. At 14 minutes in, it’s Castillo who dodges a shot from Beater Fanning to score the first goal for Azurcrest, and by the 45 minute mark, it’s 70–40 for Ribbonfin.

Up high, Seekers Bright and Gray are scanning for the Golden Snitch. At 72 minutes in, Bright spots it first, and dives straight at Beater Hobbs, who’s been volleying Bludgers back and forth with her teammate to keep Davenport and her Chasers off-balance. It’s a near-miss as Bright weaves around her, reaching for the Snitch, but the golden ball takes a sharp turn underneath them and disappears when Hobbs smacks him with her bat. Coach Thorn blows his whistle, but not before Valentine sends a quick shot past Keeper Goshawk, bringing Ribbonfin to 110–70. Thorn rules Hobbs as not at fault for the hit, and everyone returns to the field, including Bright, his bruised arm smarting.

The brief break appears to have filled Goshawk with determination, as she blocks every single shot from Ribbonfin for the next thirteen minutes. Beater R. Delgado manages a direct hit on Castillo, who swings wildly and almost crashes into Chaser Fairchild; but his teammates aren’t deterred and finally begin to close the gap. Key and Kramer manage two goals within the same minute, taking Azurcrest to a 110–110 tie, and the two are seen high-fiving in the air.

However, once Alapai takes the Quaffle from Kramer, the Ribbonfin Chasers don’t let it out of their hands again, even when the Snitch is spotted a second time. Just past the 95 minute mark, Gray sees it near the ground, but Bright is closer; she swoops past weaving Chasers (Alapai, Fairchild and Valentine again effortlessly putting away one goal after another) and bumps shoulders with Bright. The Snitch darts towards the stands and the Seekers give chase, the roar of the crowd egging them on as both extend their arms as far as they can. One Seeker inches forward, their fingertips brushing metal, and Gray snatches the Snitch out of the air, claiming the first match of the year.

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AZURCREST WINS
160–140

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. I was also going to write a disclaimer that normally these Quidditch posts won’t be that long, buuut I can’t be succinct to save my life, so WHO KNOWS REALLY.

Comments

[unregrettable]

AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhh this was so tense. Great write-up, mods!!

[goosemods]

We were in a game which showed us how to do it. ♥ And thank you!!! We came up with an RNG system which is going to create some VERY EXCITING matches in the future I hope...!

Holden Bright

[blinkah.insanejournal.com]

Holden had been nervous about being in the first game of the season, because by default, he already felt unprepared and nervous and anxious. He kept to himself in the lead up to the game, trying to calm himself and his nerves down, juggling between just hoping for the best and telling himself that he could jinx himself that way.

Once he got up in the air, though, he calmed down just a bit. It's easier to get in the zone when he isn't thinking about everything going on before it happens and the necessity to focus is more pressing. It took him a while to spot the snitch the first time, and he tried his best to maneuver around his human obstacle, but still ended up getting a nasty wallop with a beater's bat to his right arm all the same. He didn't think it was anything to leave the action of the game for, even if it did hurt like hell, but a whistle was a distraction away from his task at hand, after all. He was insistent that he could deal with it.

He grumbled when the other Seeker bumped into him, but stayed as close as he could as they both raced after the snitch. His battered arm proved an obstacle, and as Azurcrest won, he was even more reluctant to come down from his broom and face his failure. He at least shook hands and said good game with the other players (with his non-hurt arm, mind you) and was once again keeping to himself as he left the pitch to ice his arm.

[riledup]

Riley was so. nervous. She was so out of practice! There was no cheer squad at Hogwarts! and even if there was she wouldn't have been cool enough to be on it But she was fearless and awesome and tiny and Diego was going to throw her really, really, really high because at the very least people were going to be impressed with that.

After the game got going, Riley got into her groove. When Dru was in STOP EVERY SHOT mode, Riley started a cheer just for her, rhyming Dru with Blue but I'm not going to write an entire cheer because what do I look like, a writer?

She was BREATHLESS with screaming when the game was done, and, um, IS IT TIME FOR A VICTORY PARTY??? She also wanted to go tell big brother Cecilbee she MISSED HIM THIS TIME and he better be there for double the tosses next time!!!

[choneychurch]

Cecil was, of course, around for the game even though he couldn't cheer as part of the squad and was quick to tell Riley and the others how AMAZING they did once it was over! Hugs and high fives all around, yes? Yes. He'll definitely be back with the squad for next time.

[catseyenebula.insanejournal.com]

Katya would have spent the morning trying to get Riley to calm down knowing that really that was an impossible job but walked with her to the pitch telling her over and over again that everything was going to be just fine. Her cheering for the game seemed to change between the team and the cheerleaders because come on, like she wasn't going to cheer for her awesome best friend.

Once the game got super tight, Katya quickly joined in with whatever cheer Riley came up with making sure it spread far and wide through the stands. Once the game was over Katya cheered for the idea of party and joined the mob forming over their excitement. After all the first game went to their awesome house, nothing could be better!

[alapai.insanejournal.com]

Anuhea was very focused from the start to the finished. I mean she had to start off dancing. Anuhea by the end of the match was pretty exhausted and thoroughly disappointed. She wished the game could have gone differently but alas it did not. So Anuhea will be a little grumpy the rest of the afternoon.

[knightly]

True to his word, Ravi was out there wearing Ribbonfin colours in order to cheer on his friends and housemates in the Quidditch and Cheer teams. He was with the largest group of Ribbonfins in the stands, so it's not like he had much prefecting to do, but if anyone was causing a ruckus, you can be sure Ravi was on top of that.

As things got particularly heated toward the end, Ravi dropped any pretense of saving his voice and shouted along with any chants which Ribbonfin started. He was disappointed as with everyone else when Holden didn't get the Snitch, but would've been quick afterwards to congratulate the team on playing an amazingly close game, and also praise Tabitha and her cheerleaders for their hard work.

[lfmkarapst.insanejournal.com]

Trixie, true to her word, showed up clad in full blue apparel with a charmed crown of blue sparks (completely harmless just looked pretty). Using her best cheering voice honed over many years of cheering for Coppertale, she squirmed into the rest of the Azurcrest crowd bringing great honor to her older siblings who spent their four years in blue. As the match went on, Trixie's voice got louder and at the very end, Trixie let lose a bit of blue sparks from her wand fully expecting some spoil sport to come and yell at her about her rather tame display.

[browbeats]

Rosy wasn't joking about being loud enough for three people, she is really loud, and she probably embarrasses the crap out of some more quiet Ribbonfins. She didn't even sit down, she was on her feet the whole time, jumping and cheering with every shot they take and make.

When they lose, she's still stoked on it being an awesome game, and high fives any celebrating Azurcrests. Have fun celebrating, you guys.

[indiefolk]

Diego was VERY EXCITED about the first game, and threw himself into cheering and wishing people luck and generally anything that would get his mind off heavier topics. Diego always has a hard time remembering to stay focused on the pre-planned, practiced chants when one of his friends is doing super well. There were a couple moments where he was just yelling for Etta and Levi, and Mackenzie probably had to be like FOCUS, DIEGO.

After the game, Diego ran onto the pitch and gave Henrietta a HUGE HUG that lifted her off the ground if she allowed it, despite her being taller than him. Diego was very huggy and throwing himself at all of his friends, though. You're going to have to periodically pry him off you to get anything else done.

Also: definitely party.

[gdilevi]

After Levi witnesses Diego (at least trying to) lift Henrietta off the ground, Levi yells gleefully before launching himself at him next. HE WANTS TO BE PICKED UP TOO!

[unregrettable]

Um OF COURSE SHE ALLOWED IT!! She kicked her legs up to make it feel like he'd lifted her EVEN HIGHER.

[magitechnically]

Essie spends the game alternating between cheering VERY VERY LOUDLY for Azurcrest and clicking away with her (wizarding) camera. Last year she was on the Cheer Squad, so this is her first chance to get photos of the Azurcrest team during an actual match.

She maaaaay have taken more photos of the chaser team than anyone else, but she did manage to get a shot of the final catch! because she was watching Holden shhh

[nobletoo]

Essie definitely got at least one VERY ENTHUSIASTIC bouncy hug when Ree did something particularly bad ass. (With great deference to the camera. Nobody wants to break the camera.)

[bambae]

True to his word, Chris wore Levi's weirdass hoody and merged with the ridiculous sea of blue in the stands. He is an avid quidditch fan though, so he cheered, and also ridiculed, the players dependent on how things shaped up.

He cheered loudest for Jamie tho.

[gdilevi]

Levi's stupid hoodie makes Chris easy to spot in the crowd and Levi blows kisses at him (along with a few other people) throughout the game. Unfortunately, Chris's voice is indistinguishable from the rest of the roar of the stands and Levi can't hear him cheering for Jamie, but oh is he imagining it.

Some time after the initial celebration on the field, Levi goes to look for Chris to ask him ~what he thought of his performance~ because he at least wants to try to make an attempt at playing jealous.

[nobletoo]

SO MUCH BLUE. WEARING ALL OF IT.

Frankie spent the entire game alternating between being a yelling ball of enthusiasm - jumping up and down like a loser and hollering embarrassing catcalls at Ree (because she's awesome, holy crap, just look at her!) - and biting her knuckles in tense over-invested panic, occasionally grabbing Will's hand and squeezing the life out of it.

[notacad.insanejournal.com]

Will definitely started blushing when Frankie first grabbed hold of his hand, but no way did he move away because look at her, she's gorgeous! He squeezed back, hollering for the team himself, but every so often looked back at her and just grinned.

[firstposition.insanejournal.com]

Rafael spent the game on duty, watching the stands more than the players. It was Ribbonfin and Azurcrest, though, so the chance of anything bad happening was low. As long as none of those sparkles being shot from wands involved actual fire, he took the cue of staff members and didn't intervene. He didn't support either house and wore Coppertale colors, because that's where his heart lies, but stopped in his duties periodically to applaud.

Most of his time was spent herding new students to seats and helping with minor incidents. For the last thirty minutes of the game, he ended up sitting with a small gaggle of mostly muggleborn freshmen, explaining to them in more detail the rules of Quidditch and what was going on.

[evercreep.insanejournal.com]

Calvin is a big Quidditch fan, so he was there decked in green to support his house. However, he's kind of torn, because his BFF Regan is on the Azurcrest team. He's not particularly loud, but he arrived early to get a great seat right at the railing and watched very intently.

When Azurcrest won, he revealed that he'd smuggled in a bunch of flowers he'd charmed bright blue, and leaned over the railing to hold them out for Ree to grab from him as she flew by.

All the same, after the game he stubbornly insists RIBBONFIN WAS ROBBED. Sorry, Azurcrest.

[valentinez.insanejournal.com]

Zoey is mostly just very excited by her team's performance, nevermind not getting the Snitch, and leaves the pitch already ready for the next game. Catch her high fiving a few of her opponents and giving out some bear hugs. :')

[gdilevi]

Levi charged at her for a hug, screaming about how well she did.

[stclair]

This was Micah's FIRST EVER game as part of the Azurcrest Quidditch team, and even a reserve, it was PRETTY EXCITING. He wished he could've been hanging out with his fellow blue birdy friends, but this was a great vantage point with the other waiting reserves. Micah had his video camera up for a lot of it, managing to capture quite a bit of the game, but missed out on the Snitch catch at the end, which is TOO BAD.

During the after party, he would've left an hour in to write a letter to his dad while all the details were fresh in his mind. ...And then he got distracted daydreaming about a script which starts off like an inspirational "ragtag band of kids play Quidditch" movie but then turns into a horror-filled schlockfest once they realize their opposing team is ZOMBIES and THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE IS ZOMBIES and they have to KILL ALL THE ZOMBIES WITH THEIR BATS AND QUAFFLES.

...Anyway, so, he ended up in his room most of the night while the party was going on. :x

[orangepip]

BUT THEY'D ONLY HAVE TWO BATS AND ONE QUAFFLE I can't see that movie ending well.

[orangepip]

Pippa came out to support her house! She's not a massive fan of Quidditch, so her attention wandered a bit during the middle of the match, but she cheered every goal Ribbonfin scored (even if sometimes her cheering was a bit delayed). Mostly, Pippa was excited to see the cheer routines before the game, since that was completely new to her. She was very impressed by both squads, and gasped in delight whenever Azurcrest did one of their high tosses.

[unregrettable]

Despite pretending she was TOTALLY CHILLED, Henrietta was definitely feeling some pre-game nerves, and alternated between being super chatty and excitable to long moments where she didn't say anything. If anyone noticed and/or commented, she'd brush it off and say something like, "Shh, I'm envisioning our victory party."

During the game Henrietta kept an eye on her team as well as looking for the Snitch, and called out various instructions and encouragement. When Holden dived for the Snitch the first time she did have a heart-plunging "...oh shit" moment, and was SO GRATEFUL Ree was there to smack him with her bat. I MEAN OF COURSE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT but still: lol.

When her fingers touched the Snitch and she knew her team had won she was overwhelmed with relief and jubilation. HUGS AND KISSES ALL ROUND. The adrenaline high didn't fade for a long time.