9 Mar 2020, 15:36
A Budding Friendship
Saturday, 7 March, 2020 | 11:36 am
Success! With a lot of convincing (and maybe just a little bribery), Aaron Jones had gotten Professor Bercegeay's blessing to borrow some school brooms and fly on the training pitch with a friend. This wasn't the first time (nor would it be the last) that he had found a way to get extra time with a broom. First years weren't allowed to have their own brooms, especially if you weren't part of the Quidditch team, but it didn't stop Aaron from finding a way. At this point, the broom he held in his hand was practically his. It was the best school broom (although none of the school brooms were all that good), and he used it on the regular. If anyone else grabbed it before him during flying class, he managed to swap it out at some point and get his way (his classmates never seemed to notice). When it came to flying - his new passion in life - he wanted nothing but the best.
Aaron was currently on the waitlist of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, meaning he had to keep his skills sharp and be ready at any moment. This is why he constantly risked his flying professor's ire by asking for extra flying time after every lesson. Professor @Olphie Bercegeay was a former Quidditch professional, so surely she understood his constant desire to fly, but even Aaron recognized he was probably annoying the woman with how often he asked. It was only recently that he had discovered a shared obsession over a certain chocolatey drink, which made asking her for broom time a lot easier.
As he headed towards the training pitch, he held two school brooms instead of just one. This was because he would be up in the air with @Willow Anderson. Aaron had a budding friendship with the fellow first year, and he'd been dying to fly with her. He was always sneaking into the Hufflepuff Quidditch practices, so he had seen her in action a few times and she was a really talented Keeper!
The next official Quidditch match was coming up next week. Knowing this, Aaron had invited Willow to the pitch so she could get a little extra practice, and so he could learn a thing or two from her. He wanted to be a Chaser for the team, and their roles complimented each other perfectly. Keepers and Chasers practiced together all the time.
Aaron entered the training pitch with the two school brooms under one arm, and a Quaffle under the other. He immediately noticed the area was deserted, meaning Willow was not there yet. Although he was itching to fly straight away, he knew better than to be unsafe and fly with no one around. He had to remind himself often that he was just a first year, and flying alone would be an abuse of the trust that Professor Bercegeay had placed in him (even though he was a natural-born flier). So, the black-haired wizard took a seat on one of the nearby benches and began checking over the brooms to make sure they were okay to fly.
As he sat there, Aaron thought about the other reason he had invited Willow to the pitch today. The thing is, she had kinda disappeared after the Christmas holidays. While most students had returned mid-January, Willow didn't show up again until February. Since then, they had only seen each other in classes, and that one time they made friendship bracelets in the common room. He hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her about her disappearance because they had been surrounded by other people. The way she had reacted when he brought it up was still nagging him, so he was hoping he could get to the bottom of it today.
After checking over the brooms, he looked around and spotted a familiar blonde headed his way. He jumped up to his feet with a giant smile. "Willow! I got 'em!" he yelled out to her, holding the two brooms above his head to show off his accomplishment.
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
11 Mar 2020, 05:49
A Budding Friendship
The Quidditch game was quickly approaching and Willow had been more and more stressed as the day approached. She had never flown in her life and yet she decided to thrown herself on a team where that is literally all that they did and while she enjoyed it, it was also one of the most terrifying things she had every done. She always wished she could stay on the training pitch for hours more, making sure that she had all of her strategy down and maneuvers but that wasn't an option without unlocked school brooms.
Luckily another Hufflepuff that was on the waitlist for the team knew a way to gain some extra practice time. She wasn't exactly sure how he got the brooms and the ability to train without supervision, but she wasn't sure that she even wanted to know in the first place. She was running slightly late in making it down so she quickly donned her Quidditch gear and ran down to the pitch. She might as well get a little cardio in to warm her body up anyway. Her hair was tied back into 2 braids on either side of her head that extended to her upper back. She had quickly learned that a ponytail was not the way to go because her hair was so long that it would still get in her face, the braid was superior and she could still make it look cute.
She felt bad when she saw that Aaron was already there and she slowed down a bit so she didn't wear herself out so quick. As he triumphantly held up the brooms her heart felt giddy, excited to be in the air in a more casual setting. They were still training, but they were friends. She wouldn't have the added nervousness of a Professor watching her every move. As she approached him she pulled him into a quick hug before grabbing one that he handed her. "I'm honestly impressed that you got these. I haven't been able to get any extra training time no matter what I offer in return." She smiled up at him, starting to go over her own broom just to double check that it was good to fly.
She tossed it a couple times between her hands to feel the weight out, and practiced a couple simple commands with it to get to know it a little bit better before mounting it. All of these school brooms were different and she had developed a method of bonding to them in a way before flying them. "Should we do a couple easy laps first before getting into it?" She always liked to ease herself into flying to give herself a few moments to be afraid before she would get comfortable remembering how natural it would feel to fly.
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
13 Mar 2020, 19:22
A Budding Friendship
"I have my ways," Aaron said with a laugh, handing her one of the brooms. He knew that the school brooms were normally kept under lock and key, so him getting this opportunity wasn't a normal occurrence. Typically, he got the extra time directly after flying class. This was the first time he'd taken a chance to get broom time on a weekend with no supervision. It had taken quite a bit of convincing, but practicing with Willow would be worth it. He really needed this if he wanted to be part of the Quidditch team next year.
As Willow got acquainted with the broom he had procured, Aaron turned his attention to her Quidditch gear. Her helmet and padding made him realize how unprepared he must look. He was just wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and some gray sweatpants - his normal workout look. He never really needed the gear because he practiced alone and didn't have balls being thrown at him. He usually just practiced flying moves and formations and spins and diving to catch a Quaffle he had thrown himself. It made sense Willow had gear since she was on the team, but he wouldn't have known where to get any even if he wanted to wear some.
Oh, well. He would be careful. He was snapped out of his longing for official Quidditch gear when his blonde friend spoke again.
"Sounds good to me," Aaron said with a smile. He was buzzing with anticipation. The black-haired wizard put his broom on the ground and commanded it Up! in a little ritual of his own. He didn't need to always do that, but the warmth he felt when the broom jumped into his hand was always a sign of a good flying session ahead. He mounted the broom and pushed off with Willow.
March had brought nice weather. It was still a bit chilly, but the sky was blue and the sun was out, providing a nice atmosphere for a good flying session. As Aaron launched into the air, he felt the wind on his face and his hair tickled his ears. He would never get tired of the feeling of leaving the ground and having his stomach drop just a tiny little bit. It was exciting and freeing. Even if he was only gearing up for a slow practice lap.
As they settled into a nice pace flying next to each other, Aaron figured now was as good a time as any to talk. He wanted to get to know Willow better, and he was intensely curious about her disappearance after break. It was the first real mystery Aaron had encountered during his time at Hogwarts, and he just felt compelled to find out more.
"So, Willow," he started, glancing to his right where she flew beside him. "I really liked making friendship bracelets. It was my first time, but you made it really easy to learn," he complimented, nodding in agreement with his own statement. He gripped his broom a bit tighter as they went around a curve, then he looked at her again. "I remember, though, that we didn't get much chance to catch up on our winter holidays. How'd your Yule Solstice celebration go? Was it so fun that you had to stay home an extra month?" he joked with a broad smile.
@Willow Anderson
As Willow got acquainted with the broom he had procured, Aaron turned his attention to her Quidditch gear. Her helmet and padding made him realize how unprepared he must look. He was just wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and some gray sweatpants - his normal workout look. He never really needed the gear because he practiced alone and didn't have balls being thrown at him. He usually just practiced flying moves and formations and spins and diving to catch a Quaffle he had thrown himself. It made sense Willow had gear since she was on the team, but he wouldn't have known where to get any even if he wanted to wear some.
Oh, well. He would be careful. He was snapped out of his longing for official Quidditch gear when his blonde friend spoke again.
"Sounds good to me," Aaron said with a smile. He was buzzing with anticipation. The black-haired wizard put his broom on the ground and commanded it Up! in a little ritual of his own. He didn't need to always do that, but the warmth he felt when the broom jumped into his hand was always a sign of a good flying session ahead. He mounted the broom and pushed off with Willow.
March had brought nice weather. It was still a bit chilly, but the sky was blue and the sun was out, providing a nice atmosphere for a good flying session. As Aaron launched into the air, he felt the wind on his face and his hair tickled his ears. He would never get tired of the feeling of leaving the ground and having his stomach drop just a tiny little bit. It was exciting and freeing. Even if he was only gearing up for a slow practice lap.
As they settled into a nice pace flying next to each other, Aaron figured now was as good a time as any to talk. He wanted to get to know Willow better, and he was intensely curious about her disappearance after break. It was the first real mystery Aaron had encountered during his time at Hogwarts, and he just felt compelled to find out more.
"So, Willow," he started, glancing to his right where she flew beside him. "I really liked making friendship bracelets. It was my first time, but you made it really easy to learn," he complimented, nodding in agreement with his own statement. He gripped his broom a bit tighter as they went around a curve, then he looked at her again. "I remember, though, that we didn't get much chance to catch up on our winter holidays. How'd your Yule Solstice celebration go? Was it so fun that you had to stay home an extra month?" he joked with a broad smile.
@Willow Anderson
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
14 Mar 2020, 17:10
A Budding Friendship
Color Code: #259986
Interacting with @Aaron Jones
She was trying to get used to wearing her Quidditch gear in the air since it was heaby and always felt like she was dragging, but suddenly felt severly overdressed compared to Aaron's plain workout clothes. Maybe she should've just stuck with some comfy practice clothes. Well, it was too late too turn back now. They glided through the air together at a pretty steady pace side-by-side. For this moment of relaxation she took off her helmet and clipped it to her broom, the gentle breeze moving past her always felt lovely and she wanted to feel as much of it as possible.
She looked over at Aaron as he spoke, taking occasional glances forward to make sure she was still heading straight. A smile spread across her face as he mentioned her friendship bracelets. She had recently been trying to spread the joy of being able to make them and not just give them out, and she was happy to hear that people actually enjoyed that she was doing this. "I'm glad you enjoyed it! If you ever want to make more just let me know." She didn't feel like anyone who wanted to make friendship bracelets should be stifled from creating them.
But the next time he spoke threw her off. Luckily they weren't going fast otherwise a full stop might've completely thrown her off, but her broom did pause for a moment before catching back up. An awkward laugh appeared as she tried to figure out how to respond. She hadn't told a ton of people about why she was gone because she was still grappling with the loss. "I actually... didn't celebrate Yule over break because my family was uh... planning my grandma's funeral." She averted her gaze from him and just looked down at her broom instead.
The whole loss of celebration and the fact that her grandma died had her nearly bedridden for over a month with grief. Her entire life had flipped and she didn't know how to cope with any of it. In her mind she would somehow grow old with her grandma. She had always been there for her and around the house and the idea that she was gone was beyond comprehension. "I stayed home because I couldn't imagine going on living without her." It was a dark thought but it was true. Her whole family was still in the dark, especially her mom who had lost her mom. Her dad had been trying to hold the family together but she was basically his mom too since he had lost his own mother as a child.
She took a deep breath, "But, I'm here now. Flying with a friend, and that's what matters. There's plenty of time to be sad, but not with a Quidditch game coming up." She gave a gentle smile his way, trying to make sure he knew she wasn't upset with what he had said. He couldn't have known, and it wasn't her place to take out her grief on him. Especially when he swindled some extra fly time and included her in it.
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
22 Mar 2020, 19:55
A Budding Friendship
"Yeah, I was thinking about making one for my little sister because her birthday's coming up," Aaron said with a smile, glad that Willow would be willing to show him again. It had been a little over a month since he'd made the one for Lydia, so he wasn't entirely sure he remembered how.
Aaron was a bit puzzled when Willow let out an uncomfortable-sounding laugh. Had he asked the question weirdly? Then she answered, and he felt his stomach drop. "Oh..." Aaron was at a loss for words as he tried to recover from his mortifying slip up. How could he be so stupid? Obviously she wouldn't have stayed home from school just for fun! But her grandma dying was the last response he had expected.
"That really sucks, Willow.. I'm sorry.." he said, avoiding her eye as he focused on flying. What was he supposed to say to that? He'd never really experienced a feeling like that - like not wanting to go on living. He'd seen characters in movies say things like that and never really understood the feeling. His own great grandpa had died a couple years ago, and Aaron had been sad for sure, but had he wanted to stop living? He didn't think so... Maybe Willow had been super close to her grandma. He had no idea about her home life.
Aaron finally looked over at Willow when she took a big breath and kept talking. She finally looked at him and smiled a bit, which he quickly and enthusiastically returned. If there was one thing he could relate to, it was the healing powers of flying. When he was stressed out about a homework assignment or missing his family, flying class always lifted his spirits.
"Well, I'm glad you're back in school," Aaron said with a nod. He could tell she didn't want to linger on the topic of her grandma, so he didn't mind following her lead into Quidditch talk. "And you're gonna crush it in the match against Ravenclaw. I can see it now: everyone chanting your name and cheering you on in the crowds because you won't let those birds score a single point!" he was smiling from ear-to-ear now, happy to talk shop. It's the main reason he had invited her out here in the first place, after all.
"Do you wanna do a race lap?" Aaron asked with a glint in his dark eyes. They had already circled the training pitch twice now and he was itching for a bit of speed before they moved on to practice with the quaffle.
@Willow Anderson
Aaron was a bit puzzled when Willow let out an uncomfortable-sounding laugh. Had he asked the question weirdly? Then she answered, and he felt his stomach drop. "Oh..." Aaron was at a loss for words as he tried to recover from his mortifying slip up. How could he be so stupid? Obviously she wouldn't have stayed home from school just for fun! But her grandma dying was the last response he had expected.
"That really sucks, Willow.. I'm sorry.." he said, avoiding her eye as he focused on flying. What was he supposed to say to that? He'd never really experienced a feeling like that - like not wanting to go on living. He'd seen characters in movies say things like that and never really understood the feeling. His own great grandpa had died a couple years ago, and Aaron had been sad for sure, but had he wanted to stop living? He didn't think so... Maybe Willow had been super close to her grandma. He had no idea about her home life.
Aaron finally looked over at Willow when she took a big breath and kept talking. She finally looked at him and smiled a bit, which he quickly and enthusiastically returned. If there was one thing he could relate to, it was the healing powers of flying. When he was stressed out about a homework assignment or missing his family, flying class always lifted his spirits.
"Well, I'm glad you're back in school," Aaron said with a nod. He could tell she didn't want to linger on the topic of her grandma, so he didn't mind following her lead into Quidditch talk. "And you're gonna crush it in the match against Ravenclaw. I can see it now: everyone chanting your name and cheering you on in the crowds because you won't let those birds score a single point!" he was smiling from ear-to-ear now, happy to talk shop. It's the main reason he had invited her out here in the first place, after all.
"Do you wanna do a race lap?" Aaron asked with a glint in his dark eyes. They had already circled the training pitch twice now and he was itching for a bit of speed before they moved on to practice with the quaffle.
@Willow Anderson
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
25 Mar 2020, 23:41
A Budding Friendship
Interacting with @Aaron Jones
A smile lit up Willow's face as Aaron mentioned his sister. She had always wanted a little sister, or just siblings in general. Luckily she had recently found family in a particular Slytherin boy that she would easily give up everything for. She imagined Aaron might feel the same way about his sister, that kind of companionship for a lifetime made her feel incredibly warm. "I bet she'll love it, we can always do it in the common room again. Or, if you have a hang of it I can just give you the required thread. Whatever you need!"
She felt a bit bad that she had to reveal her grandmother's death to Aaron, she wondered if there was some better way to handle it but there really wasn't. It was a really sucky situation all around, and her family was still trying to recover from it. Her smile now had a sadness to it, but she shook it off as he continued to talk. Her mind followed him to thinking about the Quidditch game, she was beyond excited to play for the first time but also incredibly nervous. It just made her all the more grateful for Aaron securing this extra time. "I doubt I'll do anything spectacular enough to warrant an entire stadium cheering my name, it's really Serena that people will be cheering for when she gets the snitch." She didn't doubt that she'd do well, especially with the dedication she and everyone put into every practice, but really she just blocked the goals.
A mischievous glint came into her eyes as Aaron mentioned a race lap, it was time to actually get into what they had come here for. She stopped her broom for a moment, and geared up for the race. "You're on. One loop back to the hoops on this side." She counted down from three and burst off as soon as she hit one. This was her favorite part, the absolute speed and exhilaration of the wind speeding past her enveloping her in adrenaline. This is when her fear of heights was able to disappear for just a moment as she lived in the moment. Quickly, Aaron took the lead in the race. As much as she tried to catch up to him, he always was just enough in front of her to be the clear winner.
As their brooms came to a slow halt after the race, a laugh filled with joy bubbled up from her chest. "I have a feeling you are absolutely going to tired me out during this practice. I can't wait for when you make it onto the team." She looked forward to the day when they could actually play together on the field. She started to head back down to the pitch so they could start practicing with the quaffle and also get a drink of water before the long stretch of practicing.
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
27 Mar 2020, 19:53
A Budding Friendship
"Thanks, Willow. I think you'll probably need to show me again," Aaron said with a crooked smile. This would be the first time he was away for his sister's birthday, and being a big brother meant the world to him. Maybe she wouldn't even remember this as the year he wasn't there, but he would. And he wanted to make sure he sent a gift so he wasn't forgotten during the celebration.
"Yeah? Well, I'll make sure to be cheering for you. I'll bring a whole entourage just for our keeper!" Aaron promised, grinning as they flew around the pitch. The idea of the Quidditch match was exciting for him, even if he would only be watching from the stands. All the games he'd been to so far resulted in a Hufflepuff win, and there was only one more match standing between Hufflepuff and the Quidditch Cup. Aaron was confident in the team, especially with Willow recently promoted to first string keeper (he was also confident that if he was on the team, it'd be a much easier/faster win).
Aaron stopped his broom next to Willow as they worked out the details of the race lap. He grinned at her and nodded in agreement. "You're on," he said, gripping his broom tightly in anticipation. As soon as she counted down, he was off. Speeding through the air. He was in his natural habitat up here in the winds. When he was speeding around like this, he didn't look down or up or behind. He kept his eyes forward, looking towards the future and where his broom would end up. He just barely noticed when he came full circle and passed the spot they had started at. Not once had he seen Willow, meaning he must've won. As he came to a stop shortly after crossing the "finish line," he whipped his broom around and started drifting backwards so he could be facing Willow.
"Thank you," Aaron said, the most genuine smile appearing on his face. For Willow to say something like that - about him being on the team - meant the world to him. Coming from an actual member of the team made her words so much more meaningful. His face would surely hurt from smiling ear-to-ear like this.
Aaron stopped drifting backwards and followed her to the ground. They both dismounted to grab some water before they would start their actual practice. "So, have you ever heard of the play called the L'oeuf?" he asked, excited to possibly have someone to practice this with. He went ahead and explained before she could speak, though, "It's where a chaser and a keeper do the two-headed dragon together to defend the posts. Obviously a defensive maneuver, but I don't think I've seen it used yet by any of the teams here... anyway, I was thinking maybe at the end of our practice today we could try it?" The idea being that they would practice like normal right now, then at the end they could try the tandem broom-riding around the posts to find the best way a two-headed dragon could defend them.
@Willow Anderson
"Yeah? Well, I'll make sure to be cheering for you. I'll bring a whole entourage just for our keeper!" Aaron promised, grinning as they flew around the pitch. The idea of the Quidditch match was exciting for him, even if he would only be watching from the stands. All the games he'd been to so far resulted in a Hufflepuff win, and there was only one more match standing between Hufflepuff and the Quidditch Cup. Aaron was confident in the team, especially with Willow recently promoted to first string keeper (he was also confident that if he was on the team, it'd be a much easier/faster win).
Aaron stopped his broom next to Willow as they worked out the details of the race lap. He grinned at her and nodded in agreement. "You're on," he said, gripping his broom tightly in anticipation. As soon as she counted down, he was off. Speeding through the air. He was in his natural habitat up here in the winds. When he was speeding around like this, he didn't look down or up or behind. He kept his eyes forward, looking towards the future and where his broom would end up. He just barely noticed when he came full circle and passed the spot they had started at. Not once had he seen Willow, meaning he must've won. As he came to a stop shortly after crossing the "finish line," he whipped his broom around and started drifting backwards so he could be facing Willow.
"Thank you," Aaron said, the most genuine smile appearing on his face. For Willow to say something like that - about him being on the team - meant the world to him. Coming from an actual member of the team made her words so much more meaningful. His face would surely hurt from smiling ear-to-ear like this.
Aaron stopped drifting backwards and followed her to the ground. They both dismounted to grab some water before they would start their actual practice. "So, have you ever heard of the play called the L'oeuf?" he asked, excited to possibly have someone to practice this with. He went ahead and explained before she could speak, though, "It's where a chaser and a keeper do the two-headed dragon together to defend the posts. Obviously a defensive maneuver, but I don't think I've seen it used yet by any of the teams here... anyway, I was thinking maybe at the end of our practice today we could try it?" The idea being that they would practice like normal right now, then at the end they could try the tandem broom-riding around the posts to find the best way a two-headed dragon could defend them.
Reducio
Two-Headed Dragon: [Multi-player Move] This is where a player decides to forego returning to their broom and decides to stay on an ally broom. This requires the agreement of both parties but the pair would share stats and only get 1 action per round (that they must agree on and post for). This makes them significantly more powerful due to teamwork, but also dependent on one another and their moves are limited to one move that they must agree on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Play Name: L'oeuf
Play Type: Defensive
Goal: Never going to let anyone score.
Key Player(s): Keeper
Keeper: Two-Headed Dragon with Chaser 1, Defend rings
Chaser 1: Two-Headed Dragon with Keeper, Defend rings
Chaser 2: Save
Chaser 3: Save
Beater 1: Defend Seeker
Beater 2: Bludger Backbeat targeting enemy opponent.
Seeker: Search for snitch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Play Name: L'oeuf
Play Type: Defensive
Goal: Never going to let anyone score.
Key Player(s): Keeper
Keeper: Two-Headed Dragon with Chaser 1, Defend rings
Chaser 1: Two-Headed Dragon with Keeper, Defend rings
Chaser 2: Save
Chaser 3: Save
Beater 1: Defend Seeker
Beater 2: Bludger Backbeat targeting enemy opponent.
Seeker: Search for snitch
@Willow Anderson
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
3 Apr 2020, 03:57
A Budding Friendship
Interacting with @Aaron Jones
A blush spread across her pale cheeks as Aaron offered to bring an entire entourage for her. She wasn't used to people wanting to cheer her on and support her like this, it felt her heart with a joy that she had never had the pleasure of experiencing. Friends truly were one of the best gifts in life, and she was happy that she was finally getting to experience what that was like. "I'll look for you guys in the crowd then. It'll be nice to have some familiar faces since this will be my first game. I know that we do scrimmages and all that, but this just feels different. There will be a crowd this time, that's terrifying." She sighed, no time to dwell. She was with a good friend of hers and there was plenty of time to practice.
As she was drinking her water, Aaron started talking about a play she was unfamiliar with. She had been trying to study them as intensely as she could combined with the rest of her coursework so she could do her team well in the game, but sadly she had to admit she didn't know this one so she just shook her head and he continued to explain which was fine with her. The idea of being able to pull it off as first years intrigued her being that it seemed like quite an advanced move, but she'd be willing to try. She trusted Aaron's flying abilities, even more so now that he bested her in a race. Tossing her water back on the ground and putting her helmet on she nodded. "I think that would be interesting to try later. I don't even think we were required to study that one. It would be cool if we could pull it off!" She reached down and picked up the quaffle, setting it comfortably under her arm.
Her and the quaffle had quickly become acquainted because of her position in the game, it still felt weird to know that she was on the team in the first place. Truly a privilege as a muggle first-year with no previous experience flying but the team had quickly whipped her into shape. "Should we start with some of the standard passes and work our way through more advanced stuff?" She slowly started to ascend, hoping that Aaron would follow her. Once they were back up in the air she would gently toss the quaffle towards him, passing the pace setting of the practice to him.
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
20 Apr 2020, 19:45
A Budding Friendship
This training session with Willow was so much fun already, especially since this was really the first time he had a serious flying partner. In classes, he always teamed up with his friend Sean, who unfortunately struggled on a broom. Aaron was always glad helping his friend, but it meant he hadn't really been able to practice with someone on his own level. Willow was a great partner, probably even better than Aaron since she was able to practice with the rest of the Quidditch team on a regular basis.
Aaron beamed when Willow agreed to try the play he had suggested. Considering he was only on the waitlist for the team, the boy thought he wouldn't have the opportunity to try any real plays until he did actually make it on the team. "Yeah, it'd be awesome!" Aaron exclaimed. As Willow grabbed the quaffle, he finished the rest of his water and picked up his broom again. The boy mounted and kicked off as his flying partner did the same.
"Sounds good to me," he nodded, catching the quaffle she passed to him. As they ascended in the air, they passed it back and forth over an increasing distance. They flew towards one side of the training pitch so they could practice near the goal hoops. Over the next half hour, they got in quite the workout. Willow kept up with everything Aaron was doing, and even showed him techniques he had never considered nor tried. They practiced everything from passing the quaffle to actual goal saves/attempts, and they would race from one set of hoops to the other just to change up the scenery. They practiced sharp turns in the air, and even seeing who could catch the falling quaffle closest to the ground.
It was definitely the most intense flying session Aaron had.
"Are you still down to try that maneuver I mentioned earlier?" Aaron asked, wiping some sweat from his forehead as he turned in the air to look at her. Since it was a tandem move, they would have to land and share a single broom before going back up to the hoops. "Or would you rather try that next time?" he offered the alternative in case she was too tired to continue, or if she wanted to go get ready for lunch now. They had been at this for a while, after all.
@Willow Anderson
Aaron beamed when Willow agreed to try the play he had suggested. Considering he was only on the waitlist for the team, the boy thought he wouldn't have the opportunity to try any real plays until he did actually make it on the team. "Yeah, it'd be awesome!" Aaron exclaimed. As Willow grabbed the quaffle, he finished the rest of his water and picked up his broom again. The boy mounted and kicked off as his flying partner did the same.
"Sounds good to me," he nodded, catching the quaffle she passed to him. As they ascended in the air, they passed it back and forth over an increasing distance. They flew towards one side of the training pitch so they could practice near the goal hoops. Over the next half hour, they got in quite the workout. Willow kept up with everything Aaron was doing, and even showed him techniques he had never considered nor tried. They practiced everything from passing the quaffle to actual goal saves/attempts, and they would race from one set of hoops to the other just to change up the scenery. They practiced sharp turns in the air, and even seeing who could catch the falling quaffle closest to the ground.
It was definitely the most intense flying session Aaron had.
"Are you still down to try that maneuver I mentioned earlier?" Aaron asked, wiping some sweat from his forehead as he turned in the air to look at her. Since it was a tandem move, they would have to land and share a single broom before going back up to the hoops. "Or would you rather try that next time?" he offered the alternative in case she was too tired to continue, or if she wanted to go get ready for lunch now. They had been at this for a while, after all.
@Willow Anderson
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
16 May 2020, 00:09
A Budding Friendship
Interacting with @Aaron Jones
Aaron had proved to be a worthy adversary on the quidditch pitch, being able to match Willow's pace with ease and even challenge her on an individual level of skill. In her quidditch team practices she always felt like she was falling behind or not being able to keep up with the rest of the team. Aaron would have to be someone she went to for individual practice more often, he also made it fun. Hanging out with her fellow badgers felt easy and natural. They were bonded within their house, and it came out in their ability to ease into friendship with each other.
When they finally got through a decent amount of exercises, pushing themselves to the absolute limit, and were ready to take another pause she slowly started to descend back for a water break as Aaron brought up the play that he mentioned earlier. "Oh I can definitely still handle it. Who's broom do you want to use? Yours or mine? Mine is a little bit over eager it seems, so we might have issues with that." She gently set her broom on the bench while absolutely chugging a decent amount of water down. Some people might say this sport looked easy, just flying around. But it tired her out every time she did practice. Whichever broom Aaron chose she would agree to, not really having a preference either way since they were school brooms. "You're an amazing flyer, so I'd say you direct the broom and I go on the back to keep an eye on the quaffle?" She would position herself to straddle the back of the broom if Aaron agreed to just attempt flying with two people first. It wasn't ever something she had done, and it already felt weird to be behind someone on a broom.
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15