Badgering You Into Flight
Soon to practice some broom zoom with @Zephyr Deakin
Upon arriving back from Easter Break 2026.
While Simon was sad to hear that Reyna was no longer on the Hufflepuff Broom Racing Team as they had been teammates for a long time but he was eager to have Zephyr Deakin join. They had interacted several times throughout Zephyr's first year there at Hogwarts and he liked the guy, plus it would be nice to have another male on the team. Certain first year Hufflepuffs gravitated toward what they thought was 'stardom' in the world of broom racing and saw him as some weird celebrity almost. He had heard of at least three that kept his photograph close to their bed in their dormitory. Maybe this could stop that from happening somehow as it made Simon uncomfortable. Not that he'd ever want Zephyr to experience that same feeling of being an object of fascination but perhaps with more males on the team it would seem more balanced, more normal, and there could be less idolizing shrines.
Simon stood outside on the grounds of Hogwarts, checking over his broom. The broom check was always important and should be done, if possible, before every broom ride. He thought of it often like how a pilot peforms a pre-flight inspection of a plane before flight. It was a partly sunny day that early spring day, and Simon had on his sunglasses - resembling that very much of his given nickname Maverick from his girlfriend, AngelFyre, as referenced from Top Gun.
Nearby, right next to the trunk of a tree, was his enchanted satchel. It was filled with anything he might need for this venture - water, broom polishing paste, first aid supplies; but he also had a small gift inside which congratulated Zephyr Deakin on becoming prefect. He saw a lot of himself in the other but most importantly he knew that Zephyr Deakin would do great things for the house of Hufflepuff and that made Simon Kincaid proud.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
Badgering You Into Flight
Reducio Word Count: 389 |
Reducio Mention: @Simon Kincaid |
Being an official part of the Hufflepuff Broom Racing Team felt surreal for Zephyr. As someone who grew up in the muggle world, a broom was just a broom. Something you used to clean the floor, sweep the yard, clear dust and nothing more. If someone told him a year ago that people flew on them, raced on them, even competed on them, he would have found it ridiculous and thought it was a joke.
But now, it was the one thing he looked forward to the most. The first time he got on a broom, it was weird for a few seconds but the moment it lifted off the ground, everything changed in him. It was nothing like anything he’s ever experienced before, running through the open field wouldn’t even compare to the feeling he felt. It was some kind of freedom which he had no words to describe for. Since then, he didn’t stop training.
Every morning, before most students were awake, he was already out there training. He would practice turns, balance, speed control, and getting used to the broom as if it was part of him. He joined unofficial matches whenever he could, regardless if they won or not, he didn’t mind, it’s the only way he would learn faster and get better. Now that he was officially part of Hufflepuff team lineup, it was a different feeling altogether! His steps were faster than usual as he went to meet with Simon. He was a complete mix of nerves and excitement and was chanting in his head not to mess this up!
He met Simon before, several times, actually. He respected the older guy for his skills and experiences. As soon as he arrived, he spotted him standing by the tree. “Hi Simon.” Lifting a hand in greeting. “Hope I’m not late.” His tone was laced with interest and curiosity hence why a smile appeared unconsciously. Being an official broom racer was not the only thing he’s celebrating, he was also chosen to be a prefect for his house. It was such a huge milestone for him, one he was not sure how to properly react. But one thing’s clear, it was all overwhelming but he tried not to show that to anyone and just told himself to take it one step at a time. “What do we have for today?”
Calming Presence | The Muggle Condition
Sta: 7 | Eva: 8 | Str: 7 | Wis: 5 | Arc: 8 | Accu: 5
Sta: 7 | Eva: 8 | Str: 7 | Wis: 5 | Arc: 8 | Accu: 5
Badgering You Into Flight
Beginning @Zephyr Deakin's training session
"Well, prefect," Simon said with a big smile as his way of congratulating Zephyr on his newly appointed title, "we're going to have an entire broom racing skills session. We will begin with a broom check then we'll warm up and get started."
The broom check went easy as both had known exactly what to look for to ensure that their brooms were in perfect working order in order to take flight. Simon thought it was like how pilots had to do a check-ride before a flight and he supposed in many ways it made sense that it was such. Each, a wizard or a pilot, was taking to the skies for flight
The warm up was an easy lap around Hogwarts. He could have taken them on a flight around the pitch but no one needed to think quidditch when they were preparing for the more superior sport of broom racing. "Welcome to your official aerial tour. On your left, Hogwarts Castle. On your right, grass. Slightly more grass ahead," Simon said as they moved above the grounds of the castle and smiled. He always enjoyed his tour guide alter ego. It was nice to have a chance to bring it out.
When the warm up finished, they headed back towards where they first met and lowered to the ground but remained on their brooms. "Okay, now for some control drills. I'm going to have you weave through some hoops," Simon said as he motioned toward several floating rings that shifted gently into the air.
"I like to call this activity Dragon Cave Run. You're a dragon rider carrying medicine through a mountain cave. If you touch the wall, colored sparks fly and your dragon gets angry. Don't let your dragon get angry. If you should hit one of the walls, just look to the next hoop - don't worry about where you were when you're flying or what obstacle you didn't carry through as well as you'd like - just focus on the next one ahead and that finish line. The gold ring will be your last ring. Godspeed, Deakin."
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
Badgering You Into Flight
Reducio Word Count: 623 |
Reducio Mention: @Simon Kincaid |
Until now, hearing someone call him prefect felt strange. He had not gotten used to it just yet. When he received the badge, a part of him thought there must be some sort of mistake made. It's not because he lacked confidence in himself, it's just that, this whole thing was all new to him. With this role comes the responsibility to help guide other students and represent Hufflepuff. It was exciting but also overwhelming all the same. "Still getting used to hearing that." He smiled shyly at the older guy who looked so cool and confident.
As soon as Simon mentioned what he would be dealing with today, his grin appeared and if it's possible, his eyes lit up in anticipation. He hoped they would be flying today, but hearing they would be doing training made his stomach flutter with combination of excitement and nervousness. It's not going to be a casual flight around the school but a serious practice with one of Hufflepuff's most experienced racers. "Seriously?" Unable to keep the enthusiasm out of his voice. "Brilliant then and may I say scary." He laughed, not meaning it as a joke, but just being honest.
The broom inspection came next, checking every detail the same way he had done countless mornings before sunrise. By now, this routine became a second nature to him. There were times he still found it funny, he grew up in the muggle world. A broom has only been used for cleaning. If someone had told him a year ago that people use them professionally in sports, he would have laughed and assumed it was some ridiculous prank. Once the checks were complete and they lifted into the air, the familiar feeling rushed in his chest. Everything around him just faded away. Flying always made him feel that way. Simon spoke in his tour guide persona and welcomed him in what apparently was called aerial tour. He chuckled but played along. "Remarkable scenery. I've never seen grass quite like that grass." He was just joking, even flying bring that side of him too. "Okay then, Mr. tour guide, what's the next landmark?"
After a while, they landed back near the tree where they had started. That warm up lap did it's job, his nervous energy was much more manageable now. Remaining seated on his broom, he followed Simon's gesture toward a few floating hoops as he explained the exercise. A dragon rider carrying medicine through a mountain cave? He smirked, trust Simon to turn a simple drill into an entire adventure. His words reminded him of something he had learned during his morning practices. If you think too much about a mistake you made, you will make another one unconsciously. Flying requires attention, so one should either focus on where they are going or not.
The older guy ended his words with Godspeed Deakin. He ended up laughing. "That's it? No pressure at all." He scanned the hoops as his expression grew more serious. He kicked off from the ground and accelerated toward the first hoop. The wind immediately rushed against his face as he neared the floating rings. He leaned to the left to guide the broom into the center of the ring. The second was just nearby which was positioned higher than the first. He pulled his broom handle upward. So far, so good. The third hoop was where the course became challenging. It was in an awkward angle, which forced him into a sudden turn. He shifted his weight and went right but the edge of his broom brushed the side. A burst of bright orange sparks erupted from the hoop which earned a wince from him. Oh crap, I made the dragon angry!
Calming Presence | The Muggle Condition
Sta: 7 | Eva: 8 | Str: 7 | Wis: 5 | Arc: 8 | Accu: 5
Sta: 7 | Eva: 8 | Str: 7 | Wis: 5 | Arc: 8 | Accu: 5
Badgering You Into Flight
OOC Note: @Zephyr Deakin, We can wrap this one up if you'd like. I know it was from last school year. I'm happy to do another thread if you'd like soon and get them closer to the current timeline
"Next one is....The Whomping Weave," Simon said and smiled, impressed he came up with the name after such a slight hesitation. It was good, really good - at least in his mind. "And I think this will conclude today's session." He knew that trying to go full speed not only required a lot of concentration but it could be stressful and the best broom racing practice was done spread out in the manner of sessions, not too much at once.
"So your objective, Mr. Deakin is to navigate....." - what? Simon brought out his wand and made some colored sparks fly out of his wand in various directions and then froze them so they remained in place creating visual markers. "Your objective," he began again, "is to navigate this marked flight course around the Whomping Willow at maximum speed and not get struck by its swinging branches. It can pack quite a punch so be mindful."
Simon lead the way to where the course would begin. "Okay, we'll accelerate toward the Willow and weave through the colored sparks. I suspect that the Whomping Willow will get irritated by such actions and begin to swing its branches rather unpredictably across the course so we'll duck, bank, break, and change elevation as needed. After we get through all the colored sparks, we'll take a sharp ascent over the outer branches there," he motioned, "and sprint back to the finish line," which was just space between two non-whomping trees. "That way we'll not only be at top speed but it will also allow us some more practice with acceleration, braking, tight turns, spatial awareness, reaction time, and the like."
And afterward? Maybe they'd end up in the Hospital Wing. As Simon looked to the large tree that stood by itself on the Grounds of Hogwarts it began to shift. Maybe this wasn't his best of ideas but here they were and sometimes broom racing presented challenges that one needed to rise to meet. Nope, this was great. They'd be fine.
"Alright..... May your broom be quicker than its temper. Smooth flying, and may we leave with the same number of limbs we arrived with." Simon flashed a smile over to Zeph. They had this. ...Didn't they? They just had to fly fast and fly smart.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)