13 Sep 2024, 00:14
Quidditch, Up Close
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────QUIDDITCH TRAINING PITCH
2024-09-20
@Elias Mendoza─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| Mamori was standing at the very outskirts of the Quidditch training pitch, with his back against one of the sturdy wooden posts marking the boundary. A light breeze blew through the field, playing gently about his hair as he watched players whiz past airborne. His face was generally mischievous, but now wore an expression torn between disappointment and determination. The tryouts several days ago had been more disappointing than he cared to admit: they had only served to highlight what he had always known deep down — he possessed absolutely no experience in both Quidditch and flying. It was surprising that they even allowed first-years to take part in team selections.
"So this is what a real training session looks like," Mamori muttered to himself, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as his gaze flitted between players, taking in their intense drills and formations. The Beaters kept drilling without mercy, the Chasers never stopped trying out different formations, and the Keeper made save after save. It was all so very different from the polished games he had seen with his parents. This behind-the-scenes glimpse into the sport's raw form kind of fascinated him.
Mamori's fingers played a little drum solo against the wooden post while he thought about the scene. "Maybe if I watch enough of these sessions, I'll pick up some tips for next year's tryouts," he mused, with a hint of his usual confidence creeping back into his voice. He then glanced around, noticing the sparse crowd. Without proper spectator seating, few bothered to watch these unofficial sessions. His peers were likely still exploring the castle or had found something more pressing to occupy their time, completely uninterested in loitering around the pitch during practice.
As the training session progressed, Mamori caught himself making the same movements as the players; occasionally his hand would dart out to catch an imaginary Quaffle or he would swing at an invisible Bludger. He had become so absorbed in the training that he paid hardly any attention to the few other observers scattered around the pitch's perimeter; truly wrapped up in his own thoughts trying to decipher all the plays and tricks happening right in front of him.| ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| iNPC: Ilya Voronov |
|
#D2445E |
13 Sep 2024, 13:30
Quidditch, Up Close
Outfit:
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Reducio
WC: 438That day was another wandering day for the young Ravenclaw: with only twenty days spent in the castle, trying to keep up with classes, homeworks and new friends and habits it was only natural that many places were still unknown to him. And given all the things he had to do, of course he had to skip Quidditch tryouts and postpone them to the second year.
Even if he didn’t even try to join the team that year he was still really into the sport and had fun just by simply watching the team practicing for the next matches; moreover, he wasn’t quite familiar with the Quidditch training pitch, and that was precisely why he chose that place for his daily wandering.
He had just walked in and could already glimpse the brooms flying around the pitch, fast and passionate players of all roles training and having fun all together: his hazel eyes were immediately following the Beaters and the Chasers, carefully looking at their movements and actions, probably imagining himself on that broom playing with them. His gaze bolted from player to player, then tried to follow the bludgers and the quaffle that was jumping from chaser to chaser. “Wow, it must feel so good to play with them...” he mumbled in Spanish, being more of an inner thought than an actual sentence, almost as if couldn’t take his eyes off of them.
He was so immersed in the training match that didn’t even realise he was still walking without looking, and unfortunately Mamori was right in front of him. His steps didn’t stop, and before he could even see the young Hufflepuff, he bumped him with all his body.
“Oh!” he uttered first, moving his eyes from the players to the boy. He immediately backed up, placing his palms open and in front of him. “I’m so sorry, I was too immersed looking at them and I didn’t see you!” He tried to apologise, and luckily he was walking so slowly it was just a small bump, not powerful enough to knock the other boy on the grass. “They look so cool! And they must be having lots of fun too!” he added with a slight spanish accent in his voice now that he was so excited to talk about the team, pointing to the players up in the sky, moving his eyes on them again. “Are you here to watch them too? I want to join the team next year!” he was basically yapping at this point, and the poor lad in front of him was just about to be caught with Elias’ signature enthusiasm.
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚Elias A. Mendoza˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
13 Sep 2024, 18:25
Quidditch, Up Close
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────QUIDDITCH TRAINING PITCH
2024-09-20
@Elias Mendoza─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| A slight bump against Mamori’s back made him glance sideways, quickly spotting the apologetic young Ravenclaw who had nearly walked straight into him. He blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sudden intrusion, but the boy's excitement was contagious ᅳ his energy practically buzzing in the air like a hyperactive Bludger. Yet Mamori wasn't the type to be put off by it; in fact, he often found such liveliness refreshing.
His mind worked quickly; he was good with faces, and he remembered seeing this boy during the Sorting Ceremony and in a few of their shared classes. Another first year, just like him.
Was his name... Enzo? No, maybe Ethan? Mamori's brow furrowed slightly before it clicked ᅳ Elias. Yeah, that sounded right.
“No worries, mate!” he replied, straightening his back as he spun around to face the boy with a wide grin. "Elias, right? I'm Mamori, by the way." With a light hop, he shifted his weight to his other foot, hands slipping into his pockets. “I was way too focused on watching them too,” he added with a chuckle, tilting his head toward the players darting through the sky.
His eyes then followed a particularly daring Chaser who zipped through two Beaters with near-reckless speed. “Yeah... they do make it look fun, don't they?” he continued, now resting his hands behind his head, letting out a sigh that felt as easygoing as his posture. “I tried out earlier this week, but let's just say... it wasn't my finest moment.”
Mamori laughed, though there was a slight undertone of self-deprecation in his voice, like he hadn't completely gotten over the tryouts. “But yeah! There's always next year! You thinking of trying out for Chaser, Beater, or maybe Keeper?" He glanced back at Elias, a hint of curiosity playing softly in his eyes. "If you're quick enough, Seeker could be an option too, though those spots are pretty tight since each team only has one."| ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| iNPC: Ilya Voronov |
|
#D2445E |
16 Sep 2024, 18:13
Quidditch, Up Close
Outfit:
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Reducio
WC: 500A few words and the bump was already just a memory in Elias’ mind: it was almost too easy to make him shift from one topic to another. And seeing how Mamori - that was the name of the boy - not particularly bothered by Elias’ carelessness made things ever easier.
Elias showed a bright smile when Mamori started talking, and he nodded to confirm his name, happy that he remembered his name somehow. “Yes, Elias! Nice to meet you, Mamori.” he confirmed with a cheerful voice, silently thanking him for repeating his name, as Elias had probably forgotten it. His gaze followed the Hufflepuff’s towards the players in the sky: they were both really caught by the practice, not being able to look at anything else. “Right? When something like that catches my attention it’s pretty hard to make me notice something else.” Elias said, maybe a bit apologetic for the bump, almost as if he was trying to justify himself.
His eyes were stolen by the same daring Chaser Mamori was looking at, trying to follow his path and predict his next direction, and nodded at Mamori when he mentioned how much fun they must have been having. “Aw, really? I... uhm... kinda forgot about the tryouts.” he confessed, rolling his eyes to the sky and letting out small chuckles.
He then shook his head, explaining better what actually happened. “Well, not really. I forgot for a while, then it came back to my mind, but I’ve been flooding in with assignments and other things so... it’s best to try next year.” he said, shaking his head again and getting his eyes back on the players, admiring them for their roles and achievements. He started to think if he could actually keep up with the training and the matches, given his tendency to overlap meetings and appointments, or push back deadlines until it was too late.
At some point he must have realised he was talking a bit too much about himself, completely discarding what Mamori told him. “Did your tryout not go well?” he asked a bit too direct probably, and at least his eyes were back on the players and not on the other boy, leaving him at least some space to avoid the question if he wanted to.
Then another good topic came out: his role. Where could one have placed Elias? What could have been the best role for someone like him? “I was thinking either Beater or Chaser, but now that you mention it... Seeker would be nice too!” he replied, well aware that he could have never been a Seeker with his attention span. The Golden Snitch would have probably been lost in three minutes maximum, and Elias wasn’t simply able to reach such a focus level to retrieve it.
“What about you? You look like a Keeper, or maybe a Seeker!” he replied back, moving his eyes from the sky to Mamori, almost as if he wanted to study the Hufflepuff and predict his reply.
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚Elias A. Mendoza˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
24 Sep 2024, 09:03
Quidditch, Up Close
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────QUIDDITCH TRAINING PITCH
2024-09-20
@Elias Mendoza─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| After briefly acknowledging Elias' bump earlier, Mamori did not see a point in pressing on with the subject. He had already reacted, and Elias's apology was more than enough. Mamori shifted back to watching the players fly up and down the Quidditch pitch, allowing the moment pass — there were definitely far more interesting things to talk about than some minor bump.
“Ah yeah, and I totally forgot about the tryouts too,” admitted Mamori with a lopsided grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Luckily, my fellow housemates made sure to remind me. With barely anyone on the waitlist, I figured, why not?” He let out a short laugh, rolling his eyes slightly at the memory. “But... having zero experience on a broom didn’t exactly scream ‘Quidditch material.’ The tryout was a bit of a mess, to be honest.” He mimicked an exaggerated wobble, hands tilting side to side as if struggling to keep balance. “It was my first time trying to stay upright on a broom for more than a minute without wobbling like a baby deer.”
Mamori then shrugged. “People were really nice about it afterward though. They said that its perfectly normal for a first year to screw up that way. I’ll take their word for it and hope for better luck next year.”
When Elias mentioned his interest in Beater or Chaser, Mamori's curiosity deepened. He cocked his head a little in analyzing Elias, coupled with a pensive expression. Of average height, not particularly built — certainly not the description of someone who would easily assume the role of Beater. “Hmm,” Mamori mused, rubbing his chin theatrically. “Beater, huh? You've got the zeal but maybe— you would have to be more muscular.”
When Elias guessed Mamori’s position, his eyebrows shot up, genuinely surprised. "Wow, you’re spot on! I was actually going for Keeper." He shifted his stance, crossing his arms loosely with a faint chuckle. "I mean I thought it would be less intense than the other roles. You know, less flying? But I had completely underestimated it. No, it's also definitely not as easy as it looks."
He then added with a playful glint in his eyes, "Maybe Chaser is right up your alley. None of the positions are a joke, believe me on that. But typically, there are more openings for Chaser and you get to coordinate with your teammates quite closely. If you screw up, there’s a good chance someone can cover for you." He paused for a moment, clearly enjoying the chance to show off the bits of Quidditch knowledge he’d picked up from the older Hufflepuffs. "You'll see what I mean next year."
| ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| iNPC: Ilya Voronov |
|
#D2445E |
30 Sep 2024, 22:35
Quidditch, Up Close
Outfit:
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Reducio
WC: 576Elias was quite happy to notice Mamori was actually keeping up with all his energy that kept flowing out word after word. His gaze kept flying from the players up in the sky to the young Hufflepuff, a bright smile on his face while he placed some steps around, incapable of staying silent.
He lightly gasped when he heard Mamori also almost forgot about tryouts, and quickly replied “Really? I thought I was the only one!” with a small chuckle in his voice, happy to be understood by someone else instead of being scolded or asked to be more careful next time. Even if his parents were chill and didn’t press Elias too much, he was nonetheless aware of how easily he could distract himself or forget about anything at all.
Mamori then proceeded to tell Elias about his own tryout, and how bad they were. With a small sigh, he had to agree that trying to enter the Quidditch team without the knowledge of proper flying was not going to end up well. “Ah, I guess not... but you can always watch them!” he commented, always cheerful in his voice and optimistic for the future. “And I’m sure you’ll get better in no time, next year the spot will be yours!” he added, raising his thumb up to show how confident he was in Mamori’s abilities.
In fact, he was already thinking about the two of them in the future. “I agree! We can try together next year, and practice in the meantime. We have the whole year to practice.” he yapped looking at the Quidditch field, probably imagining both of them on brooms to train after classes.
He was clearly already spacing out, his gaze up in the sky and no signs of him actually listening to Mamori’s words. Fortunately when he heard the word “beater” again he pulled out of his thoughts and went back to the boy. “Oh, really?” he asked, grasping the last words that carried more than enough context for him to understand what Mamori had been saying.
“Uhm, but that sounds so fun. I want to beat the Bludger up in the sky and fly to protect the others!” he complained just a little bit, lightly whining on purpose for fun. Even though he found the Beater role pretty fun, he had to agree that he would have to train much more to be one.
Elias actually guessed Mamori's preferred role correctly, and his eyes shined golden for just a brief moment, way too quickly maybe to be noticed, as Elias was surprised as well. “It looked way more difficult than the others, if you ask me. If you are the Keeper you never actually join the others but you have to be constantly focused on the game to be ready when someone gets in your area! I could never do it, I need to be in motion at all times!” he explained his point, shaking his head. Nah, the Keeper was a role Elias wasn’t interested in at all, but still he asked “Were you aiming for the Keeper role for a reason in particular?” pretty curious to know the answer.
The possibility of him being a Chaser left him thinking for a few seconds, contemplating the possibility. “Chaser, hm? Yes, that seems to fit me well. And if you want to practice the Keeper role, then we can practice together!” he finally stated with a small jump.
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚Elias A. Mendoza˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
5 Oct 2024, 19:37
Quidditch, Up Close
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────QUIDDITCH TRAINING PITCH
2024-09-20
@Elias Mendoza─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| Mamori stood still for a moment, watching Elias's boundless enthusiasm bubble over like an overfilled cauldron. It was hard not to get caught up in it ᅳ the way his words spilled out one after another, carrying a kind of hope Mamori wasn't used to feeling, at least not lately. For a second, Mamori almost forgot about his own failed tryout, lost in the energy Elias brought to the conversation. But, even if he tried to push it aside, the sting of that memory still hovered at the edge of his mind, like the faint bruise that wouldn't quite fade.
"Practicing together, hmm." He said, rubbing his chin with a pensive look. "That actually doesn't sound too bad. We might both be rubbish now, but with a whole year of practice, maybe we'll surprise everyone at next year's tryouts." Mamori fingers absently grazed the hem of his robes as if the gesture would ground him, then with a more casual tone he added, "I've got my mum's old Nimbus 1500. She used it back in the day when she played Quidditch here at Hogwarts. We could take turns using it; it's leagues better than the school brooms. Might help us both pick things up faster."
He then thought about Elias's earlier question, tilting his head slightly as if weighing the thought. "As for Keeper," He paused, trying to search for words that would best explain. "It just seemed like the right fit. You get to watch the whole game unfold but there's something about staying grounded in one spot, waiting for the right moment, that feels... kinda calming."
Mamori glanced back at Elias, expression somewhat softened by the sight of that other boy practically quivering with excitement. "Maybe we should start slow & easy, you know," he advised, voice nonchalant, though his words carried the weight of a plan already set in motion. "We could... I dunno, practice dodging Bludgers first? And sometimes you could act as a Chaser too ᅳ I need someone I can practice guarding the posts against." The statement hung in the air, implicit but waiting for Elias to catch it; his voice was gently suggestive but expectant, nudging toward what must be done.
"So, what do you think, Elias? You in?"
| ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| iNPC: Ilya Voronov |
|
#D2445E |