Determination Quidditch Gryffindor v Hufflepuff

Interacting with: N/A
Mentioning: Team Gryffindor

Already, Akari’s second official game as a part of the gryffindor team rolled around. With a shiny brand new broom and dash more confidence than the last round Akari strode onto the quidditch pitch, the pregame adrenaline along with excitement began to course through her veins. Her eyes twinkled ever so slightly with even more enthusiasm after listening to the co-captain’s speech plus the exuberant comments from each of her team members.
”Woooh! Go lions!” She cheered.

We’ve got this

[font= garamond]

Action: Benched

Position: Second String Keeper
Broom: Sliver Arrow (+3 to all stats)
Abilities: Charmer
Stats: Stamina: 5 (8) - Evasion: 9 (12) - Strength: 5 (8) - Wisdom: 4 (7) - Arcane Power: 7 (10) - Accuracy: 6 (9)

───────────────── ♛ ─────────────────

Interacting With: @Evelynn Decipio @Gryffindor Team
Mentioning: @Alan Vanes
Hex Color: #800000

────────────────── • ──────────────────

It would seem as if the third game of the season had finally arrived, bringing with it the roaring crowds and the smell of fresh Quaffle leather, or, in a more personal sense, avid feelings of excited anticipation and anxiety alike. Of course, it was no anticipation capable of crippling the critical thinking of the young Captain, nor any anxiety he couldn’t easily set aside – after all, the changing of the seasons had to an extent left the young man somewhat weathered, at least enough so to be able to cope with the pre-game jitters that always seemed to plague his being the few minutes preceding each match. He felt, in a sense, rather confident in the performance of his team and their capability to steal away the third and final match of the inter-house season, having overseen and participated in numerous strenuous practices and scrimmages alongside his quite talented teammates. They’d put in the work, after all, had they not? Offered up their blood, sweat and tears as a tribute to their hopeful performance this game? Ah, yes, the disconcerting feeling of dread looming ominously overhead the thoughts of the Gryffindor ensign were mere rain clouds, easily blotted out by the steady and ever-present structure that was the well-oiled machine the Gryffindor Team was turning out to be. He was rather optimistic this time around, in fact – perhaps it was their winning streak, their impressive lead, or perhaps it was simply the way the sun reflected off the many facets of the Quidditch Pitch, painting it in an inviting hue and provoking the Captain to come explore its wonders, participate within its wide borders. It would be a call he would be loathe to ignore, he noted to himself, a gentle smile painting his otherwise solemn face. After all, this was likely the game that would decide the fate of the Cup.

[Or, perhaps the reason behind his resigned confidence was a sort of latent trust in his teammates. A belief deeply ingrained in his being, too deep for him to notice or pinpoint. A latent trust telling him that, regardless of the ending score, he could rest assured knowing his team had given their all.]

[Surely, it was the scenery.]

The wind rustling through his hair, the Captain would approach the benches quietly, noting offhandedly the lilting and disturbingly unsettling tones of his pitchy co-captain Evelynn. A sigh would escape his lips in that moment, his mind floating off to another realm far away from the words spewing [notably practiced and refined] from her contentious mouth. Perhaps he would spend the moment thinking, then, in the least further considering the circumstances that have led to this moment and those leading to what he could only hope to be a successful and excitable future. Actually, he’d been thinking a lot lately, the topics of his mental wanderings covering a multitude of fields. Though it would seem as if, in this instance, the scenery at hand would provoke thoughts more relevant to the situation – thoughts of whether or not they’d trained hard enough, whether he’d trained hard enough. Whether their success would carry their name into infamy, or whether their momentum would come to a staggering and embarrassingly anticlimactic halt. Really, it would be foolish to assume the game would be easy, he’d known this much for a good while – Hufflepuff was quite the formidable opponent, after all, and their new roster made them all the more unpredictable. There really wasn’t any telling how this game would end, a thought that brought an ounce of unease back to the demeanor of the young man. Ah, alas, he supposed needless speculation should be avoided in favor of an optimistic outlook. Such brooding topics would shortly be dismissed from his consciousness, his focus instead latching on to the tail end of his co-captain’s pep talk. In honor of what he could only assume was a pretty profound shitty war cry, he decided to at least take mercy on his team and offer a shout of agreement, shoving a fist into the air. Following this course of action, he would take a moment to cough shortly in the direction of the bench-warmers, gesturing to the bag he had dropped upon the soft grass accompanying the bench with what he could only hope was an encouraging smile. Snacks and waters, free game, the same drill they always ran.

With such personal obligations fulfilled, came the time to mentally prepare for the game at hand. Steeling himself silently, the Captain would take a moment to run through all the premeditated strategies, before finally turning himself towards the fluorescent green field, the fiery flames of determination alight in his eyes. It was finally time to defend the honor of his team – clutching the crisp, glossy wood of his new Silver Arrow [the most prized of his possessions, another gift courtesy of his friend and housemate Alan Vanes], he boarded his broom with a now practiced ease, kicking off in one fluid motion and setting himself into position for the oncoming game. It would take but a moment for his eyes to lock upon the target of his oncoming wrath, right across from him, mere yards from reach –he couldn’t fail this time, he told himself. Badgers be damned, this was their game. No matter the repercussions.

Action • Doing As Strategized

Banner made by Lucia Fox

Serena walked onto the pitch, ready to play once again. She was determined to win. Even though the last game was close, Hufflepuff still lost. If they wanted to have a chance at winning the house cup, they not only had to catch the Snitch and win the game but also score a lot of goals with the Quaffle. And since goal-scoring was a big part of her job description, Serena made sure to get enough sleep the past few days and eat relatively healthy. She didn’t want to fall asleep on her broom or pass out from lack of nutrition. Serena had also made sure to train harder so that she wouldn't be caught off guard.

Serena had to do well. She couldn’t be the reason that the team lost. And now, it was time to see if all of her hard work had paid off. Serena mounted her broom and took to the skies, beginning her preliminary lap. The weather was a lot nicer today than it was during the last game in February. While there was still wind, it was a much calmer breeze. It wasn't super sunny, but not too cloudy either. It was practically the perfect weather for a match. Serena hoped that it would stay this way and not start raining all of a sudden.

As she completed her lap, Serena got herself into position, preparing herself for anything that came her way.

“We’ve got this… I’ve got this,” Serena muttered to herself.

Action: Doing as strategized

Stats: STA: 6 EVA: 7 (+1=8) STR: 7 (+1=8) WIS: 7 (+1=8) ARCP: 6 ACC: 8 (+2=10)
Abilities: None at this time
Broom: Nimbus 1700: Fast and tough racing broom. Stats: +2 accuracy, +1 evasion, +1 wisdom, +1 strength (added above)

IMPORTANT
Due to confusion with times (timezones suck), there will be a 24 hour extension on this round. This means that all posts will be counted 144 hours (exactly 6 days) from the original post. This means that there is just over 24 hours left to post. Please get your posts in! Sorry for the confusion everyone!

Adonis sat on the side, nervous as ever. This is the first time he was apart of a sports team or a team in general. He cheered quietly, tapping his foot. He somewhat hoped he wouldn't have to play, but he would quickly change his mind minutes later. Everyone he had met on his team so far had been super nice to him, but he was sure that would change if he messed up .``Good luck everyone..`` .he said pretty loudly, than went back to be nervous. The crowd roared as the first string players went onto the field, and he clapped lightly.
He smiled warmly, ready for anything.

Chasers
@Alan Vanes and @Rafael D'Spacito both go for quaffle grabs, and with the Hufflepuff goal posts undefended the only deterrent to their success would be @Howard White's innate ability to shrivel their confidence like tomatoes drying in the sun. Would the two chasers confront their fears in time to gain a lead on team Hufflepuff? It would seem unlikely.

Scoring
Alan, displaying reluctance to draw nearer to the dhampir in question, would watch on as his Captain, the dashing D'Spacito, confronted his inner demons like the lion his house would need. Having witnessed their leader successfully manage to snag the first two quaffles, Alan would overcome his discomfort just a moment too late, as Rafael secured the third score for team Gryffindor.

Beaters

@Scarlett Aden, focused on her training and prepared for a visit to the hospital wing, would be the first to act. Seizing her team's momentum, not even Howard's shriveling gaze would put her off her best. Whacking the bludger by using the leverage of a backbeat maneuver to ensure her accuracy, the cannonball spun off towards the Hufflepuff Chaser striking him in the shin and ricocheting towards @Lindsey Springhall at an alarming rate. Luckily, Springhall must've been checking the rapidly developing weather, otherwise she could've flown right into the path of the wayward wrecking ball. @Griseldis Edelhardt, confident to give it her all and prove her own talent, would also strike a bludger in the same direction as Scarlett's, hoping to hit Howard. Howard however appeared reluctant to lose both shins in a single round of the match, and so he would maneuver in a way to narrowly avoid such a travesty.

Howard either tired of staring menacingly or perhaps upset with the splintering of his shin, would put his sights on the the Gryffindor Seeker. @Evelynn Decipio. His teammates, the high-flying @Aaron Jones and the relatively well-rested @Serena Bowen, would form a tight pinch on either side of the enemy seeker, giving Howard the perfect chance to put his momentum to use. The sound of thunder would crack as they collided, a spring cloud above the pitch threatening to cause fits and produce a squall. This phenomenon of nature did not distract the referee however. They would intercede to send Howard on a lap around the pitch as the kickass @Anastasia Beckett dove just in time to scoop the flailing seeker from the sky.

@Piérre Marchonné perhaps prepared to seize a lucky moment or feeling quite impish indeed, would see @Quinn Healy awkwardly fumble his club as Howard collided with Evelynn. With ample opportunity to knock Healy from his broom, Piérre would collide into him from the back, knocking the not-so-gentle giant loose from his perch in the sky much as a cat would push a glass of water over the edge of a table. Luckily for Hufflepuff, @Atlas Reid had the foresight to remain close by while wearing goggles and thus caught the beater on the back of her broom, saving him from certain doom as he approached terminal velocity. Whether Marchonné began the lap of his own volition or not, the referee would notice such a foul and make the determination that he should take a lap around the pitch in punishment.

Seekers

Evelynn, searching the sky for any sign of the ever elusive golden snitch, wouldn't see much gold before taking a tumble from her broom. A flash of red followed by a hue of green would give way to a blotch of yellow before she found her balance. With her back to the ground and her eyes pointed to the grey-blue sky, Evelynn would land on the back of Ana's broom. Narrowly saved by her teammate, she would not have the time to see a snitch.

Ethen, perhaps distracted by the previous game or feeling pressured to perform would search, and search and search, only to find nothing but falling students and deadly cannonballs flitting about. Eager as any badger and ready for action, he would simply have to keep up his hard-work.

Summary

The capricious sky would light up in a cacophony of thunder and lightning as those same clouds burst forth with the threatened precipitation. A downpour immediately drenching all on the field and reducing their visibility as the charms on their brooms held them aloft and gave them extra purchase, the rain would hardly hamper the most dangerous game in wizarding tradition. Nor would it keep them from trying to seize victory.

-Howard is taking a penalty lap
-Piérre Marchonnéis taking a penalty lap
-Evelynn now shares a broom with Ana
-Quinn now shares a broom with Atlas
-Rafa scored 30 points for Gryffindor

Gryffindor 30|Hufflepuff 0

@Quinn Healy

Taking a cleansing breath, the boy tightened his grip on his broom, praying to himself quietly before taking off like a shot and abandoning the rings as he usually did. He was a boy on a mission, a nuclear electron circling around a large nucleus, a nucleus by the name of Quinn Healy. The boy looked a bit like a gnat compared to the enormous Badger, flittering about and trying to figure our his relative position compared to the giant.

There was a chilly aura in the air, a sense of unease that Piérre felt in the pit of his stomach... but it was something that he was able to put aside for now. The giant, who had had his bat out and prepared to strike, on the other hand, seemed to have briefly succumbed to the chilly influence, and a bludger passed harmlessly by the both of them.

Green eyes blazed as the boy saw his opportunity to make a play. It wasn’t something that he liked doing, being on blatch duty, and it was something he had failed pathetically at in a previous game... but maybe this time there was a way he could do it harmlessly. After all, Quinn seemed like a big bloke, sturdy at the least. A little tumble or a small imbalance of the huge boy would be of little or no harm... even if there would be bruises.

The thought of it though, despite the Britalian’s reassuring thoughts, still made him sick. The longer Piérre circled like a comet around the sun, the more the boy started seeing bits and pieces of his own twin, Romeo. Romeo had suddenly put on a large growth spurt from what he’d heard via owl, and was a few inches taller than Piérre and a few of Romeo’s own classmates. Piérre set his jaw. He and Romeo had tussled before, knocked each other down a few times on occasion... never really gotten hurt, even with Romeo’s incredible youthful strength in mind. This was just another playful bout...

Except they were hundreds of feet off the ground.

The boy was losing his chance. Now was the time to act. With a corkscrew turn, Piérre spun into action, zipping into the mess of the Quidditch game and towards the large ‘Romeo’. With a tight jaw and bared teeth, his brows creased in concentration as he made his move, keeping crouched on his broom.

Like Sylvain had observed, Piérre was like an impish kitten compared to the tiger, the kind which tended to act when nobody expected it. His small body was lithe and not heavy, but the area in which he impacted the Hufflepuff beater was small, not terribly unlike a bullet impacting a bulletproof vest or a cannonball hitting the side of a cliff. The boy collided shoulder first, keeping his neck safe, having aimed for the beater’s side, the area of least resistance where the least amount of weight would have the greatest chance of knocking the giant boy off his broom.

“Auf!” A breath of air left Piérre’s chest as he collided with the wall of a boy. For a moment, there was a bit of resistance, but then there was give, and Piérre found himself continuing to fly through the impact, the giant badger having slipped away towards the ground. Piérre’s eyes widened with fear. Oh God, had he actually hurt him?! “I_I’m sorry bigger Romeo!” He called after, unable to help himself from calling the Badger by his twin’s name. The boy’s voice was sincere, shaking a bit as he watched the fall...

Before the kid was safely caught on a different person’s broom.

Despite himself, Piérre let out a sigh. Thank God. Yes, his play had not been entirely worth it in the end, but at least there had been a play at all. Piérre smiled shyly down at the two of them for a moment, hoping to make eye contact with the giant Badger, but not disappointed if his gaze wasn’t returned. They were opposed teams after all, the Jester didn’t blame the Badger for wanting to avoid line of sight to the kid who had just bodyslammed him.

Penalty lap. Of course. Right away, boss! Quick as he could, then back to the game!

You are filled with DETERMINATION

Taking a Penalty Lap

Statistics, Abilities, & Broom ~ First-String Gryffindor Keeper

Reducio

Stamina 4 | Strength 4 | Evasion 10 (13)
Wisdom 10 | Accuracy 10 (13) | ArcPower 5

Keen Eye
10% Chance to Spot Snitch or 25% Chance to Spot something important
Calming Presence
10% Auto-Hit rate Ally: Team GRYFFINDOR!

Broom-- Moontrimmer (Luciana); +3 to two stats (Evasion and Accuracy [added]), 10% Auto-Dodge rate

Action: Doing as strategized
Stats: STA: 9 | EVA: 8 | STR: 9 (+ 3 = 12) | WIS: 3 | ARCP: 3 | ACC: 10 (+ 3 + 2 = 15)
Abilities: Martial Artist | Muggle Condition (+2 to ACC)
Broom: Moontrimmer (+3 to two stats of choice: ACC and STR, +10% auto-dodge)