After Party in the Hospital Wing OPEN Closed

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Interacting With: @Evelynn Decipio
Mentioning: The Gryff/Slyth Quidditch Win
Hex Color: #FF4080

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Ana wanted out of the Hosptial Wing. She spent nearly as much time there as she did in the Library, which was saying something. Still, her shoulder was twinging, her ribs weren't fully healed, and she was still rather disorientated, so for the moment, she knew she had to stay. She doubted she was missing out on too much celebration since nearly half the Gryffindor team was also in the hospital wing. The chaser sipped from a glass of water in an attempt to get the world to spin less.

She was sitting upright with her back upon the pillows, but she hated the way she felt. Considering what had happened at the Blossom Ball alone, she could handle this, right? Swinging her legs over the side of her bed so that she was facing the entrance, she began to take inventory and see who all was there.

She heard Evelynn next to her stirring and glanced over at the Seeker. All of her irritation and negative thoughts towards the other girl had vanished the second Evelynn had caught the Snitch on her way down.

"We won!" Ana said brightly, ignoring how dizzy she felt. "It was a quite impressive feat, Decipio. You managed to grab the Snitch after we got knocked off and won the whole thing!" Ana could hardly stop smiling. This was the happiest she had been in months, and quite possibly in her entire life, and getting to relay the victory to Evelynn was like winning all over again.

This was something Ana had done without her parents being remotely involved. She had made the team on her own skill and they had won because of their teamwork. Whatever expectations there were for Ana because of her mother's own Quidditch career, she had surpassed them. Her flying had been intricate and exact and she couldn't be prouder of her performance. There was a small part of her that wished her parents were somehow able to know about it. That even if they hadn't attended the actual game, she could have written them or something.

Only, Hogwarts owls didn't deliver to cemeteries or prison. Pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind, she turned her focus back towards Evelynn. She had all the time in the world to brood over her parents and to be perfectly honest spent all of her time doing so; it wouldn't hurt to allow herself to act like a happy 13 year old for a few hours.

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@Evelynn Decipio @Anastasia Beckett

Scarlett felt paralysed. She couldn't see anything. She was as stiff as a board. What was going on? How did she end up here? She felt like she was in a bed, but the sheets felt crisper than the ones typically of the dormitory of the Gryffindor girls. Her neck ached - wait, actually, everything ached - as she tried to figure out where she was. Scarlett could remember something cold and hard knocking into her as she fell to the ground - the ground of the Quidditch Pitch! Thankfully, she had blacked out before she could feel the force of herself hitting cold, hard solidity. So she had been playing a Quidditch game. What role had she been playing as? Beater? Well, if she was indeed a Beater, she would need to shape up.

The world swam into high-definition at last as Scarlett found herself in the frequently occupied Hospital Wing. The windows let in streaming sunlight, the beds were immaculate with plumped pillows propping up a few other inhabitants already awake and fully conscious. The place simply radiated a fresh, clean fill in contrast to the dull, fiery pain in her stomach. Scarlett sat up curiously, wanting to find out if Gryffindor had won, and if anyone else had been admitted to the wing. As far as she knew, she had been knocked out mid-game.

Her eyes swept around the room, and she saw two people - both familiar, yet one a stranger and one an enemy. She was too tired to fight or argue right now though. It couldn't hurt to be restrained for just a small period of time. It seemed that both the Gryffindor Seeker and Anastasia Beckett had obtained injuries, as they were both on or in a bed. Scarlett sat next to the Seeker, so Beckett couldn't reach her that easily. Though, to be fair, her life didn't revolve around the girl.

"Um, hello?" asked Scarlett blearily. "I'm assuming you two got knocked off as well?"

Now for the killer question - "Did I also hear something about - about winning? Did we win the game? Or did Slytherin win?"

It would be hard to bear if Slytherin had seized their victory at Scarlett's first match. She could accept it what with her horrible playing, but it didn't make the blow any less cutting. Scarlett awaited an answer, feeling like the other two had probably talked it out already and would view her as an idiot for regaining consciousness late and having to ask for them to replay the entire story again. And the story might've needed to be even longer for Scarlett 'knocked-out-in-the-middle-of-the-game' Aden.

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Interacting With: @Evelynn Decipio • Faceless Hufflepuff NPC
Mentioning: Ana Beckett • Gryffindor Team
Hex Color: #800000

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For some strange, unexplainable reason, Rafael still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Gryffindor had won their first game of the season.

The memories of the brutal battle against Slytherin, he would find, had become rather hazy within the confines of his mind palace, the rational thought that had sorely deserted him in the midst of his raging adrenaline rush now flooding back into his tired consciousness, washing out the memories of his disgrace as well as the comforting afterthoughts of cheering and celebration that had taken place minutes prior. He felt blank, numb in a way, his once raging headspace now plagued with a kind of fog that was impossible to remove through casual conversation or prideful celebration. He was proud of his team – beyond proud of his team and their will to fight tooth and nail for a victory. But he wasn’t happy. Not in the least. On the contrary, he felt dirty, tainted with a sense of shame that threaded its was through the deepest parts of his psyche, that nagging feeling in the back of his head clawing for purchase, for attention, for any chance to bring disgrace to the one whose mind it inhabited. It wanted to be heard. It wanted, above all else, to make sure he knew that he’d failed. Failed his house. Failed his team. Failed himself. And the worst part about it was, in the midst of his teammates within the hospital wing, he couldn’t remember how he’d failed – he couldn’t remember the multiple unsuccessful blatch attempts, his own failure to touch a Quaffle, or to catch one of his earth-bound teammates. He just knew. He knew with all of his being that his presence on the field had made no real impact. He could be credited for the strategy makeup and nothing more. And even that had not held up in the end.

He’d only been present with the hospital wing group for a few moments, being of the last of the present group to arrive. The reason being, a lightning-speed wardrobe change – along with his trim Gryffindor sweater and dress pants, he now donned his glasses, credits to the unfortunate loss of his right-eye contact on the field during the game. It was fine. He wasn’t overly upset. He could have new ones owled to the school. His biggest concern had been catching a first-year Hufflepuff – he’d needed a message relayed to another of the Badger caliber, a much prettier redhead second year he had been hoping would make a surprise appearance and bring some snacks for the surely lethargic team he’d left behind. He knew not about others, at least, but he had grown pretty hungry over the progression of the hour, having skipped breakfast in order to make it to the pitch on time and dropped a lot of calories during the strenuous events of the game. At this point, his stomach hurt more than his tender side, the likes of which was still reeling from the impact of a bludger. Should he be getting that checked out? Nah. He’d hurt worse, a bludger to the side was nothing, really. Besides, his attention was a little preoccupied with the bulge in his back pocket. The shiny bronze orb he’d picked up off the fresh green grass.

She’d dropped it. Eve had – the moment she’d been positioned on that stretcher, her hand had relaxed, releasing the snitch she’d held with white knuckles minutes prior. Rafael had been mesmerized by it at first, the small orb carrying a strangely enticing luster as he’d bent forward, picking it up with slightly shaking hands. So, this was what all the fuss was about? A tiny bronze ball with wings? Rafael had snickered sourly at the time, shaking his head at such a notion. He knew better, the snitch was a bloody fickle little ball. Today, it had given them victory. It could just as easily give them defeat. Now, with arms crossed and sharp brown eyes gazing at a picture on the wall opposite to the hospital beds, the ball in his pocket was the only thing he could think of. If only he were a seeker, perhaps he would have had the control he so desperately lacked, the power to steal away the game in one fell swipe of the hand. Sometimes, though he would never deign to admit it out loud, there were times he felt strangely jealous of his co-captain. Today, she had been the team’s hero – and he had been the lackluster villain. His father would be utterly ashamed, and he knew it, he conceded with a bow of the head and clenched eyes. Papa can never find out about this. God, why hadn’t he done more? Where was that first year who’d scored on Hufflepuff the second match of the 2019-2020 season? He obviously wasn’t present, in his place a miserable excuse for a chaser.

Fuck, this could never happen again.

He’d have to work harder.

He’d have to play harder.

No – he’d have to be there for his teammates next time.

His thoughts would be utterly shattered by the voice of their savior – that voice still grated upon every fiber of his patience, coaxing to light an unprovoked sense of aggravation, but the Captain quickly willed it down, deciding now wasn’t the time for his emotions to get the best of him. "They knocked me from the air before I could catch it, didn't they? Who won?" Oh God, Rafael just wanted to dig himself a grave right then and there. That little tidbit of information was the absolute last thing he wanted to share out loud, regardless of his strange lapse of memory. [He supposed in hindsight it wasn’t his place, given his attitude towards the seeker earlier in the game.] He would turn nonetheless, feet stuck in place as he rotated his hips to halfway face the beds he’d been hiding himself from. His gaze would flicker over the bedridden seeker in question, a wary look in his eyes as he chewed his lips. Even when Ana piped up to speak, he knew it would come eventually. He knew she’d want to see his face as he realized she had been right and he had been wrong.

And there it was. Her gaze had flickered over to his own, almost undoubtedly taking in his edgy form, crossed arms, slightly hunched shoulders. He tossed a few words around his mouth, his gaze shifting to take in the ceiling lining as he chewed on his tongue for a moment, a sharp inhale resounding through the air about him. Then, deciding he didn’t have the words to properly express himself in the moment, he chose a more physical approach to her question. His hands would grope his back pocket, feeling around for the bronze key to their victory, before pulling out the bronze with an unintentional, climactic sort of grace. Then, taking a moment to wistfully stare at the shiny ball in his hand, he would look over towards his classmate and toss it to her in a careful arc, watching as she caught it perfectly between her fingers. It was the second snitch-catch of the day, he couldn’t help but chuckle harshly inside. Following this course of action, he would continue to offer the other a tense shrug, giving her a begrudging look as if saying, ‘well, how about that?’ before he would once again turn towards the picture on the wall. He really couldn’t bear to look her in the eye, it didn’t matter how much he hated her guts. She’d saved the team today, so the least he could do was give her some semblance of respect. Even if it meant putting his prized ego away for a couple minutes.

Permission to godmod Evelynn granted.

It was a sinking, hollow feeling that had enveloped Evelynn upon awakening in the hospital wing. The feeling as though she were choking on her stomach that had vaulted to her throat. As though she were falling from her broom all over again. Although the worst of her wounds had been healed and no doubt she'd received a potion to dull any residual pain and discomfort, it wouldn't have mattered. The sudden rush of realization that the game was over and that she now rested in the Wing meant only one thing. That she had fallen. That she had failed to catch the snitch. The wave of emotional regret to accompany this notion would have, alone, been enough to mask any physical pain could inflict.

For this reason, she had set her gaze imploringly upon the nearest individual—Beckett, as it happened. Under normal circumstances, the brunette might have been the last individual in whom Evelynn sought any sort of solace. Although the two were hardly on bad terms by any stretch—in fact, their initial introduction the year prior could even perhaps have been considered pleasant—neither were they chummy. On the contrary, not only did Beckett's firebrand reputation precede her, but she was also rather close with D'Spacito. Both were reason enough to avoid any expectation to receive emotional support, or answers of any sort, really.

And yet, it was Beckett in the next bed over who supplied reassurance. "We won!" Ana had exclaimed. Overcast eyes snapped immediately to Beckett as she answered to see a wide grin unlike what Evelynn had typically seen spread wide across the girl's face. "It was a quite impressive feat, Decipio. You managed to grab the Snitch after we got knocked off and won the whole thing!"

It was more than a reassurance. It was exultation. Even still, it was as though the girl had spoken in tongues. Evelynn's brow creased with obvious confusion with the statement. She had grabbed the snitch? After they'd been knocked from their brooms. How.. But she didn't.. She had no recollection of doing so. Not really. All she could really remember was one last explosion of white searing pain in her side and suddenly she was falling. She vaguely remembered seeing Beckett falling as well, but it was all a blur.

"I…?" Lips had parted to provide some sort of response, but Evelynn found her voice cut off with movement from across the room. Between her other gathered teammates, it was evidently the frame of D'Spacito that had drawn her attention. He'd been facing away from them; perhaps that was why she hadn't noticed him at first.

As he turned, however, the confusion on her countenance shifted to guarded disdain. Lips thinned, recalling quite clearly his pointed remark during the game at her inability to catch the snitch. Perhaps it was because she feared what she might retort now if she were to open her mouth, or perhaps it was the look she caught in his gaze when meeting his eyes—regardless of the reason, she remained silent. He'd only turned partway, as though he did not want to face them fully. This, along with the wary look and the way his jaw seemed to shift as though perhaps chewing the inside of his cheek… she had never seen him look so troubled. So scolded.

After a moment, however, his hand dipped to his back pocket. In the fraction of a second she needed to realize that what he held was a snitch, her expression lost a measure of its edge, brows raising as a reflection of her disbelief. "It's true, then?" she uttered quietly, flicking her gaze briefly to Beckett, her tone suggesting that perhaps she might have thought the previous claim to their win to be hyperbolic, or fabricated altogether. Swallowing, she glanced back to her captain again, catching the tail end of the almost wistful look he gave the golden orb. And then, without comment, jab or snark, he tossed it to her. With the gentleness of the arc, she needn't even have to try to catch it.

"I… I actually did it?" She asked to none in particular as she stared down at the ball now nesting gingerly in her overlapped palms. The reality, remembered or not, began to settle in. The corners of her lips tugged with the growing hint of a smile. "I did?" she asked again, this time lifting her gaze from snitch to Beckett, as though seeking additional confirmation as though the lack of a shut-down from D'Spacito hadn't been enough confirmation on its own. "We won?" She was smiling now, bombarded all over again by the rush of the match and how hard fought it had. "We won!"

Grin splitting her face, Evelynn couldn't help the rush of emotion and relief and ecstasy that came with the knowledge that their first game—against Slytherin no less—had seem them the victors. Rising swiftly from the bed, she launched her arms around Beckett's shoulders. She who had been the last to save her and endured a shared broom for the longest stretch of the game. She who had clearly taken at least one bludger meant for Evelynn. "Thank you!" Exalted the co-captain through a poorly constrained laugh before pulling back just enough to hold Beckett's cheeks in her own, cold metal of the snitch pressed awkwardly against one of them, before giving her a victory peck on the lips.

Once the slight outburst of emotion and its physical manifestation had subsided, Evelynn retreated with a glow of slight embarrassment. Biting down upon her lower lip to control her laughter, she dropped back to the edge of her own bed with the wince of delayed aching, only to be joined shortly after by Aden. "Hello, Aden," she replied with a lilting tone, still glowing with the news. "Yes," she continued, "to both of those. We certainly did get removed from our brooms it seems, but by sheer luck, or Divine intervention, it seems that made for little difference." Holding up the snitch for Aden to inspect, or even take hold if she so desired, Evelynn added, "We won."

"Beckett, do you know what the score was?" came the following query. "I really wasn't able to follow much of the happenings of the game this time. The rain was just dreadful. Really… I don't understand why we can't have a covered stadium. Or at the very least some sort of impenetrable charm. Surely the professors could manage something such as that.." Then, realizing that her priorities really had been somewhat skewed upon waking, began to look about the wing and attempting to peer behind the nearby curtains as best as she was able to from her current vantage point upon her bed. "Is everyone else alright?"

[font=century gothic]INTERACTING WITH @Rafael D'Spacito, @Anastasia Beckett, @Scarlett Aden
INVITING TO JOIN @Alan Vanes, @Griseldis Edelhardt, @Kyle DeRook, @Piérre Marchonné, @Charles Woodward, @Remi Yao

Finally the fourth year would give a soft knock to the heavy doors of the hospital wing before gingerly pushing it open to reveal his presence. A worried frown would show on his face as his eyes searched through the hospital beds until they found the red-head they were owing their victory to. A small smile would lighten up his features as he saw @Evelynn Decipio well enough to sit up and talk to those of their team that had come to share the news with her and Alan too felt like he should be thankful for her immense willpower and perhaps stubbornness; after all she had lasted until the moment she had needed to keep her strength and for that the older boy could only respect her more than he had done before. He could feel Tiger nuzzling his furry face against his cheek, as the feline was draped around his neck comfortably. It had been the way he often found himself carrying the cat around the school as it was good for keeping his hands free and the rumbling purr would often do its job of soothing the fourth years nerves; such as it did now.

He felt like he needed to lift the mood at first but he could not bring himself to speak jokingly just yet, as he observed his team speak to their fallen Seeker. He was not exactly close to her and thus felt like he was not of the inner circle. He also has been a newling to the team in general, he has not been too sure what to say, but felt like he should step up and say something, anything... and so he would step forward to her bed and smile warmly. "You did great, we probably wouldn't have won if it wasn't for your persistence," he shared being honest to what he had first thought. With a swift movement he would conjure up a pack of chocolate frogs from the depth of his robes, as he handed them over to her, "Thought you might need something to get your strength up... and you know, to wash away the awful taste of the healing potions," he would add with a sly wink, before turning to @Rafael D'Spacito and giving him a nod with a light smile. He was a little unsure, did not know whether he had held up to the other boy's expectations but hoped that he hasn't disappointed as a Chaser.