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Maintaining The Lead (Hunter)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 12-29-08 08:02
Gameplay has gone back and forth for awhile with neither team able to get the quaffle within shooting range of the hoops. Hadrian gains possession, immediately loses it to Sage who in turn has it promptly snatched by Alanna. Etta darts in, making a grab for it with Curtis trying to fend her off so that Alanna can get away. Hunter comes up on the other side hoping to do the same as Etta. The result is a confusing knot of chasers.
Both bludgers come screaming at the six chasers, forcing them to break apart. Somehow in the bludger caused chaos Hunter ends up with the quaffle. He's not even sure how he got it away from Alanna but Hunter's not about to go and nicely hand it back.
What's really amazing about it though is that for a few precious seconds, no one realizes Hunter has it.
Hunter takes advantage of this by closing in on the Jaguars keeper Philippa, letting the quaffle go before even she sees it's Hunter with the quaffle. Philippa's still so busy looking at the other five chasers to see who's got the quaffle that the ball has already gone through the center hoop when Philippa finally pays attention to Hunter.
There's cheering for Hunter's not actually very sneaky play, with Isabel announcing, "Hunter Rabnott scores for the purple and cream! That's 40 for the Anacondas with the Jaguars trailing with 20 points."
Pleased with himself, Hunter moves into position to guard Curtis as Hadrian takes possession of the quaffle. It goes to Alanna who passes to Curtis only Hunter quickly realizes it was a fake pass. He goes after Alanna, climbing as he goes to get above the older girl. He zips by her, hanging over his broom, grabbing the quaffle away.
Doing a pinpoint turn, Hunter takes off back towards Philippa. This time she's ready for him so Hunter passes back to Sage who immediately shoots towards one of the hoops. Philippa nearly has it, jerking back at the last second when a bludger whizzes straight for her face.
The quaffle goes through the hoop, putting another ten points on the board for the Anacondas! The score is now 50 to 20 in the Anacondas favor.
Seeking (Augustus)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 12-29-08 19:56
Gus had been excited yet not over being selected as one of the seekers for the second Quidditch match. Seekers do tend to get all the glory but chasers and beaters enjoy all the real action. Keeping's an all right position as well but compared to the other positions, not as thrilling though a positive is that keepers do get to observe much of the match while waiting for opponents to make goal attempts.
Alanna and Curtis streak by the much slower flying Gus. Curtis had taken the quaffle after that fifth goal by the Anacondas, which is the team Gus is seeker for, and passed it off to Alanna. They are quickly past but Gus gets a good look at the resolute expressions on their faces. It's no stretch of the imagination to guess the looks are a direct result of being down by three goals.
More lightening cracks across the sky over the lake. Gus shivers, both from the cold and at how close the lightening is. He locates Coach Batuti to see if he can tell if she's going to call the game on account of the lightening. Gus spots her right when she blows the whistle then calls, "Foul! Snitchnip by Lennox."
What?
Gus swivels his broom all the way around, searching for the snitch. Sure enough, it's still there near James, who doesn't look at all happy about having the fould called. Gus figures the snitch touched James and not the other way around but where the foul of snitchnip is concerned, the fact that a player who is not the seeker came into contact with the snitch is all that matters.
Still, hardly seems fair that Gus has been actively searching for the snitch and the first time he spots it since it was released at the start of the match is after a foul's been called and Gus isn't allowed to pursue the snitch until the foul shot is taken. From where she hovers on her broom, Alexa looks to be having a similar thought to that of Gus. Alexa and he watch the snitch, each with the hope of getting to it as soon as the foul shot is taken.
Gus listens for the cue that Alanna is done taking the shot. Gus isn't watching Alanna - as he's still tracking that pesky golden, winged ball - but knows it's Alanna because announcer Isabel Parker just said so. A hush falls over the pitch then cheering. Hearing it, Gus is instantly in motion, speeding towards the snitch when Isabel announces, "Beck scores for the Jaguars, bringing their score to 30! The Anacondas lead with 50."
There had been some intermittent rain during the match but as Gus leans over his broom, picking up speed, more drops fall. They are large, icy drops that chill Gus to the bone. More lightening cracks nearby and the boom of thunder is so loud he feels the reverberations through his entire body. Along with the drops of water there are stinging pellets of ice.
Gus ignores it all for the moment, intent on reaching the snitch before Alexa gets there. If he can get it, the match ends in a matter of seconds and this ugly weather won't matter any longer.
Gus is almost on top of it, grinning that he's there before Alexa. His hand goes out to wrap around the snitch when WHAM! Next thing Gus knows, he's looking up at the sky, rain and sleet pelting his face, with Coach Batuti looking down at him. "Gus? Augustus?"
Gus blinks then wheezingly answers, "I'm okay. Just had the wind knocked out of me."
"Let's make sure nothing's broken."
Gus experimentally stretches arms and legs, flexing wrists and ankles, fingers and toes. Groaning he sits up then stands. He's got a headache from where he hit the ground but luckily it was a short fall and there's enough snow on the ground to act as a cushion. He waves at the spectators and looks around for his broom, accepting it from Coach Batuti with a grateful smile. He checks it over quickly, glad to see that it appears to be fine. He hopes it doesn't start acting up on him once he's back in the air.
Gus mounts his broom and Coach Batuti blows her whistle to signal the match to begin again. Even with his head pounding and an ache in his back that's growing, Gus is happy to be back in the game. Alexa didn't get the snitch when he was hit, which means there's still a chance for him to find it. Gus doesn't even know who hit him with the bludger but since Alexa wasn't able to take the opportunity to get the snitch instead, Gus doesn't really care who did it.
Reaching a good altitude from which to resume a search pattern, Gus starts seeking the snitch again, another massive bolt of lightening spurring him on to find it soon.
(Cabo San Lucas) A Rescuing We Will Go... Again
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 12-30-08 03:02
When Bronwyn ran off towards the bar, I knew we were in trouble. Trying to stop her only spurred her on. For some reason she was determined to meet some guy with a name that started with a P or something like that. She was certainly letting the tropical locations get to her.
By the time I made it to the bar, Bronwyn was already sipping on a drink. I had no idea what it was, but she seemed to be enjoying it.
I walked up next to her and said, “Hey, since it looks like we’re going to have to stay the night here, I’ll find us someplace to stay. Wait here I guess. Try not to get into trouble.”
“You don’t have to worry, I’ll be fine,” She replied with the wave of a hand. I sighed and walked away. I had to find a hotel or something before she got in too much trouble.
I was lucky, I guess, that the first place I tried actually had rooms. Granted, it was the off-season, so might not have been luck. Although, it did take a good part of an hour before I could get to the room. They had to clean it first because of the last minute nature of the booking.
I finally got into the room to put my bag down. It was a fairly normal sized hotel room with two beds. It will always surprise me that they manage to squeeze two beds into such a small space. I dropped my backpack in the corner of the room, and pocketed the key. I didn’t have much time to waste to grab my friend.
I left the hotel and walked back to the bar. I found Bronwyn still at the bar, with a pair of guys on either side. They both seem way too interested in her. They were acting like they were moving in on prey or something.
I walked up behind them, keeping myself out of the guy’s attention. Bronwyn was talking, and it was obvious just from listening to her that she was drunk. I’m not sure she knew what she was doing anymore.
I put a hand on Bron’s shoulder, “Hey Bron…” She turned to face me and almost did a full circle.
“HEY!” She nearly yelled, “Deshi! See, this is… Desi. She’s the one that… That I told you about,” She said mostly looking at one of the guys. She looked at me before she continued, “Desi, this is… Miguel,” indication the guy on her left, “And this,” turning to the guy on her right, “Ish Luis. They were nice enough to… umm… talk and buy me drinksh to try out. We talked about you,” She leaned in as close as her sense of balance would let her before she put an arm on my shoulder to stop herself from falling, “I think,” She started to whisper loudly, “I think Miguel might be interested.”
While she was talking, the two men sat silently. They did give slight nods when Bronwyn introduced them. They sized me up pretty intently. They actually made me very uncomfortable. I let Bronwyn sit herself up before saying, “Bron, I think you’ve had enough to drink for one night. I think it’s time to go.”
“But, what about theshe two?”
“We’ll have to leave them here, we have a long way to go tomorrow.”
Luis piped up, “If you’d like, we can take care of her for the night.”
“Sorry, she’s married, so, that would be a bad idea,” I shot back. A slight shrug was all I got in response from him. These two weren’t going to back down easy. Could always deck them, but I’d have to pay for damages to the bar afterwards, and that’s not something easy to explain to cops either. No, I’d have to do something different…
“We’d only help her get better,” Miguel piped up, eyeing Bronwyn again.
“Shee, nice guys!” Bronwyn added before taking a sip from the drink before her.
“Why are you trying so hard?” I asked, “Didn’t she tell you about her parents!?” I started looking upset and raising the tone in my voice, “The crash? Didn’t she tell you?” I was now talking loud enough to get the attention of some of the people around us, “Are you so desperate to get laid that you have to get a girl drunk who’s just lost both of her parents in a horrible accident!? What’s wrong with you!?” Almost everyone in the bar should be able to hear me now, “You’re both monsters!”
I grabbed Bronwyn by the arms and stood her up. She was so drunk that I was doing most of the lifting. The two vultures suddenly looking very uncomfortable, started to ignore us. Bronwyn started crying on the way out, asking no one in particular, why they had to go like that. I put my arm around her shoulder and had to half push her out of the bar, her ability to walk almost non-existent.
A quick glance over my shoulder on the way to the hotel let me know we weren’t being followed. Bron had calmed down and her head was resting on my shoulder. “Bronwyn, are you ok?” I asked. She nodded a response, not removing her head from my shoulder.
We made it back to the hotel room in silence. I led Bronwyn into the room, and over to a bed. She dropped backwards onto it and didn’t move. I sat down on the other bed with a sigh.
“Desi?” Bron finally said quietly, “Why did they have to go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you going to go?”
“Nope.”
“Good. I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I stood up and walked over to Bron. She was staring at the ceiling. “Let me help you get into bed.” I took of Bron’s shoes so she wouldn’t complain about ruining them when she woke up and regained her senses.
“I love you Desi,” she partly sat up, “You’re my friend. You’re there when I need you.”
I pulled the sheets back on the bed she wasn’t on, “I try,” I placed the second pillow on top of the first, “Alright,” I once again pulled Bron up, “Time for bed.” I turned her around and laid her down in the other bed.
“Night… night,” She said as she pulled the covers over her. She was out a moment later. I wasn’t sure if she would stay asleep all night, but I wasn’t going to stay awake and find out. I got myself ready for bed and passed out shortly afterwards.
Taking it in Stryde Pt. 1 (Cutter and Calder)
Author: Havana
Date: 12-30-08 04:02
“It’s not fair you know. Why should he get to play and not us?” Cutter groaned from his seat in the stands.
Calder turned his attention from the match to his brother “Come off it Cutter, it’s all random this year. Besides, Cruise is doing a wicked good job. He makes a good beater, but I always pictured him to be a chaser. You’d make one hell of a beater though, lots of frustrations to get out.”
Cutter grinned wickedly “Oh yeah! That would be awesome; maybe next time around we’ll get the chance to play. Can you imagine the three of us on a team? We could all play different positions and confuse the other team. We’ve got to work on that, maybe even fix the random selections.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a great plan. Now, let’s see how this match plays out.” Cal turned his attention from one identical brother to the other on the pitch. Hogwarts wouldn’t know what hit it when the Stryde triplets were on the team.
(Enid) A Little Too Late
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 12-30-08 18:42
Enid stumbled through a dense row of snow-capped trees and stopped in a clearing in front of a high stone wall. She gazed up at it, knowing in her gut that she had finally found the place she'd been seeking for so many months now. It was just as Caden had described it. The utter silence shocked her, though. She had expected to hear something other than the howling wind, the occasional thunderclaps, and the rain that had only recently started to fall. Voices. Activity. Sounds of life inside the walls... but she heard nothing of the sort.
Puzzled, she forced her legs to start walking again and moved along the wall, following its curve until she reached a battered-down gate. Her steps slowed as she took in the sight of the crumpled iron on the snow-covered ground. What had happened here? Enid's gaze gradually lifted to observe the rest of her surroundings.
The compound consisted of a few plain, white-washed buildings that really gave off a prison-like effect. Enid should know, since she'd spent some time in Azkaban only recently. Untracked snow covered the ground and the rooftops. The place was obviously deserted.
Enid stepped over the fallen gate and trudged through the snow to one of the buildings. She entered, confirming what she already believed. No one was there, and it appeared as if no one had been for a little while. A thin layer of dust covered all the surfaces.
She moved on until she came to an office or study or some kind, where she found a few drawers hanging open, and most of the paperwork missing. Turning away, she retraced her steps out of the building and moved on to another and then another. She moved more and more quickly, through obvious dorm rooms and classrooms, looking everywhere for any sign of anyone at all, even though she already knew the truth.
School at Happy Haven wasn't in session anymore.
So where was everybody? Most of all, where was Ronan?
Deluge (Alexa)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 12-30-08 22:45
Alexa flies a meandering path in her search for the snitch. She'd started out so very methodical, flying a grid pattern, thoroughly covering the pitch from multiple levels. What a waste of time that was. Alexa didn't catch even a fleeting glimpse of the elusive ball nor did she see anything shiny or glittery that might be mistaken for it.
The only time she's seen the snitch since the game began is when the foul of snitchnip was called on James Lennox of the Anacondas team. Alexa was disheartened upon realizing that the Anacondas seeker was going to reach it before she did but then Gus had a nasty accident that took him clear off his broom. Alexa had attempted to follow the snitch, which was difficult since her instinct was to go see if Gus was all right. Her effort was for naught thanks to a combination of a bludger, chasers in the way, and a gust of wind laden with more rain and ice. During the time the match was halted while Coach Batuti saw to Gus, Alexa futilely searched for sign of the snitch again.
"Out of the way! Out of the way!"
Alexa swerves, narrowly avoiding being run over by her own teammate Crispin Cooke. Alexa wonders why he couldn't have gone around, over, or under her but then sees that the bludger Crispin was after was perfectly lined up to smash straight at Hunter if Curtis stayed on the course he was on.
Curtis smacks the bludger towards his intended target. Hunter dodges but not quickly enough, the bludger hitting him in the shoulder. Hunter, who has possession of the quaffle, doesn't lose the ball but his hold is loosened. Alexa watches with a grin as Alanna then swoops in and plucks it from Hunter's hand.
To Alexa, Alanna's flight path towards the hoops kept by Gaia Goyle looks effortless, though Alexa knows it's anything but. Anacondas Ella and James both send bludgers at Alanna, Hunter is after her to get the quaffle back and the other two Anacondas chasers, Sage and Etta, are getting in her way, while the other two Jaguars chasers are working to get Alanna's path clear and to open themselves up to take any pass she might throw. The two Jaguar chasers, Curtis and Cruise, aren't sitting idly by either. There are also extremely strong wind gusts, large drops of freezing rain mixed in with stinging pellets of ice, and lightening keeps flashing all around.
Alexa continues her slow, meandering sweep of the pitch, looking for the snitch but also keeps an eye on what's going on with the quaffle and attempts to keep track of Gus's movements as well. The throng of chasers and beaters closes in on Gaia and Alexa finds herself holding her breath when Alanna jockeys to get a shot off.
The quaffle lofts through the air and from where she sits on her broom, Alexa's sure that Gaia's got the block. Alexa's happy to be wrong when another wind gust buffets the quaffle, moving it more quickly than Gaia anticipated. The quaffle goes through the hoop, bringing the score to Jaguars 40, Anacondas 50.
Now, if Alexa could just find the snitch, the game would end, her team would win even though its trails in the number of goals made, and Alexa could get in out of this frigid rain. The thought of getting warm helps spur Alexa on as much as the thought of winning, and Alexa really wants to win. This might be the only match she gets to play in this school year so she'd love to make an excellent showing for her team.
Alexa brings her broom to a stop. The snitch is there, not more than four feet away. Where it came from she hasn't a clue. The snitch flies the opposite way, putting distance between it and Alexa. She picks up speed, going after the winged ball.
The sky lets loose with a deluge. The torrent is so bad that visibility is instantly cut. Alexa's having trouble seeing more than a few feet around her and the snitch is on the edge of that visibility. Leaning over her broom, Alexa reaches her hand out in preparation of snatching the snitch in mid-flight.
With sky growing more dark and the river of water and ice dumping onto the pitch, Alexa is no longer certain if the snitch is still in front of her. She never sees Gus until the sky around her is illuminated by another flash of lightening and then it's too late to swerve.
Gus and Alexa collide, their brooms and their hands extended to grab the snitch tangle. The wind is blowing so hard Alexa would swear it's howling around her as she and Gus spin around and around in a downward spiral. They break apart, Alexa pulling away to go after the snitch again only to pull up short when Gus triumphantly yells, "I've got it! I've got the snitch!"
Feeling deflated, Alexa turns her broom around and is the first to congratulation Gus, shaking his hand and saying, "Great game, well played."
Going in for a landing, Alexa is looking forward to getting out of her sodden uniform of pale green and dark green. With the decrease in visibility, Isabel is slow to have verified that Gus did indeed get the snitch so Alexa is already on the ground when Isabel proclaims, "The match goes to the Anacondas! Good try, Jaguars. Final score is Anacondas 200, Jaguars 40!"