Quidditch Game Hufflepuff v Slytherin

Things took a strange turn. As everyone was busy doing their thing, Nico looked over at the opposing teams Seeker. There was no one around. No one shielding him. And he was going suspisiously fast. Did he maybe ... see the Snitch? The next seconds passed slow as the dhampir tried to figure out what to do. She wasn't fond of violence and so far never had to turn to it in Quidditch. But that seemed to change. Right then and there. Her head turned towards the score board and seeing how far behind they were with points, they needed something good to happen. Even if it had to be instigated through violence.

In a controlled panic, two red dots lit in the center of her eyes as she stormed towards Ethen. There was no telling how close he was to getting the Snitch or not, but she wouldn't take any chances. The icey hues, leaving a faint red trail of light as she came in closer, eventually ramming him from the side. Succes. It felt strange to overpower someone like this. She was usually the one who was the victim. The weak one. The one no one dared to rely on. And yet, here Ethen became that mindmodel. The one who didn't succeed. The one who fell.
Her heart beat fast as for a moment she seemed to enjoy it. And just as quick, she let her eyes settle back into their usual ice blue colours. Not a thrace of the red flare that drew a line in the air earlier. Violence wasn't the answer, she'd mutter to herself. Violence. Wasn't. The answer.

Surely Slytherin would've been cheering, watching the Hufflepuff Seeker fall to his ''death'' but that victory soon got swooped from right under their noses as Aaron managed to catch the child. Nico felt both relieved and bothered. If he had fallen out, they would've had a chance... And now she had to do a penalty lap, for nothing. It hit her hard. Like a child being punished and being sent to time-out.

Before she could fly over to sulk and wallow in a sense of selfpitty, two Hufflepuffs appeared on both her sides. Her stomach clenched together. She was scared. Even so this was just a game, due to circumstances she truly felt like she was cornered and going to get beaten up. Her eyes widened as she attempted to struggle free. Before Heinrich would strike her, a few red tears would well in the corner of her eyes. She hated this sensation. This feeling of having nowhere to go. With a pained scream, she'd feel being released from that darkness and instead would watch how the tops of the towers of the spectators grew closer together, the walls reaching higher. It felt oddly blissful and just as terrifying. This was it. Her first visit to the Hospital Wing due to a Quidditch game. Her first physical defeat.

With another rather painful grunt, she would feel not the grass, but the wooden shaft of her Quidditch peer, Thora. An angel dressed in green. 'T-Thanks.' She coughed, trying to catch her breath after enduring such an intense difference with gravity. She felt glad to not have to experience the pain of meeting the grass. But she felt guilty. Maybe it had been better if she were out the game...

Action : Doing as strategized - Unsetteling Aura : [ON]

@Ami Procoppio, @Nico Shymane, @Ethen Emrys, @Atlas Reid, @Willow Anderson, @Percival Rainwood

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)

Koko rushed through her penalty lap the best she could, but even her lovely little Silver Arrow - she would name it after this, she vowed - could not allow her to avoid the lap. Her angry hands shook as she gripped onto the broom as if she would fall off should she let go, and her teeth gritted together angrily.

Bludgers were soaring in the field, hurtling towards one person and then another, and Koko couldn't quite tear her gaze away. Yes, it was gruesome, but her first position in Quidditch had been a Beater. While she felt being a Keeper suited her better, she still remembered how the Beater's bat felt in her hand - and, of course, the triumph in watching an enemy fall.

She watched her enemies similarly now, keeping her eyes on the bludgers the best she could while still steering her broom.

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched Ami send a bludger straight at Dan - Why Dan!? Why was no one sending one to ETHEN!?

And she watched as it missed, her tight grip on her broom loosening slightly.

Phew.

It was around that time when she noticed a shrill whistle sound through the air - huh?

Oh... Oh!!!!

Koko watched with wide eyes as Ethen fell... and then Aaron caught him.

Still, at least their numbers were dwindling.

Koko gently steered her broom back into the field, finally feeling like Slytherin had levelled the playing ground, even if everyone but she, Tyranni, and Dan were the only people on the field at the moment.

They could do this.

Reducio

Stats (w/ broom boost):
Stamina - 18
Strength - 6
ArcPower - 8
Accuracy - 9
Evasion - 9
Wisdom - 9

Broom:
-Silver Arrow (+3 to all stats)

Abilities:
-Part-Veela Alluring (10% opponent friendly fire)
-Evasive Manoeuvres (10% auto-dodge)
-Part-Veela Scream (N/A)

Action: As strategised.

While Ethen's first attempt hadn't gotten him all the way or where he needed to be to grab the snitch, he was confident he would be able to recover and get it the second time around. To pick up the pace, Ethen decided he would dive towards the snitch. His eyes wouldn't stray from the fluttering gold for an instant. He knew, despite some good attacks on his current rival, the Slytherin seeker was still out there and likely getting closer to snatching the snitch out of the air. He couldn't fail his team. As the game devolved into an aggressive dogfight, he knew the chance one of his teammates would get seriously hurt was increasing with each push. Perhaps in that momentary state of concern and intense focus on the snitch, Ethen hadn't noticed the approach of Nico.

Before Ethen even had a chance to process what was happening, he found himself ripped from his broom and plummeting. His heart sank and a specter of fear began to loom over him as he glided hopelessly in the air. The couple seconds of falling felt like an eternity as he tried to brace his mind for the inevitable collision with the ground far below. His mind became a torrent of disappointment. Disappointment that he would feel pain, that he was letting his team down, and that he hadn't dodged the assault. His teammates, however, seemed to have a different approach.

Like a paragon of glory, the great master of the skies, Aaron, plucked the falling Ethen from the air. Saving him from the unfortunate kiss of the ground below. "You beautiful bastard, I never lost faith!" Ethen beamed as he settled down on the broom behind Aaron. He had never shared a broom with another person and it wasn't ideal but he felt empowered by the company of his companion and teammate. "This was the plan all along," Ethen lied. "No one can out pace the dynamic duo that is Aaron and Ethen on one broom. Legends call us ... The Yellow Falcon! SQAWWWWWK!" Ethen boasted as he fixed his eyes back on his target. It was a bit of a detour but Ethen had renewed confidence beside Aaron. "Right you are my friend! Lets end this game," he growled.

Alexx peered up at the sky and watched the play continue. The anticipation of wanting to be in the game had died off and been replaced with simply wanting to leave. She was bored now, and her attention span was drifting. She hoped things could wrap up soon so that she could put the embarrassment of being benched behind her and go about her day. Despite not having played even a minute, she was tired, and felt like she had played the whole game.

Actions: Benched

Banner made by Lucia Fox

It was almost like deja-vu. Once again, Serena flew to the side of one of Slytherin’s players while Atlas flew on the other. Serena made sure that there wasn’t any room for Nico to move away before Heinrich once again slammed himself into the Slytherin. Hopefully, that would be the last time he would have to do that this game because it seriously must hurt to keep doing that.

At least the action wasn’t done in vain. Nico was knocked off her broom, and if her teammate Thora hadn’t caught her, she would have been out of the game. Serena glanced around, glad to see that Ethen had been caught by Aaron. Gah, they were so close to winning! Just one more round and victory would be theirs!

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)

Action: Benched

Stats: Stam: 8(11) | Str: 7(10)| Eva: 7(10) | Wis: 8(11) | Acc: 7(10) | Arc Power: 3(6)
Abilities: Evasive | Evasive x2 - 20% chance to auto-dodge
Broom: Silver Arrow - +3 to all stat categories

This was not good. Not good at all. With the penalty laps some of the players had to take, they were down to two brooms in the air that could make a move. This game should have ended a long time ago! If someone was able to see her face, the might start to see real frustration begin to contort her mouth into a frown and her eyes begin to glare, scanning the pitch. Not only was the snitch just out of grasp, but the pair had been hit by one of the bludgers, and though she might have a lot of stamina, she wasn't the strongest and she was definitely feeling an ache start where the ball hit.

"Come on Dan. I'm counting on you to guide me." Her voice carried behind her by the wind to her fellow captain, she hoped he would succeed this round.

Stamina: 9 (12)	Evasion: 7 (10)	Abilities: Seer Effect: 10% auto-dodge & auto-hit Lovely Creature Effect: Affects the snitch search DC for the opponent team
Strength: 5 (8)	Wisdom: 4 (7)	Broom: Silver Arrow | +3 to all stats as indicated by the bold numbers in (#)
Arcane Power: 3 (6)	Accuracy: 7 (10)	Position: First-String Chaser

Action: Sharing broom with Dan | Doing as strategized
Mentioning: Members of both teams
Health: 750/1200

After what had seemed like a third eternity spent in a penalty lap, Thora was back in the game yet again. Finally. Although the brief pause in action could be somewhat pleasant, there was something wonderful about leaving the edge of the field, which had been deemed a zone of shame and consequence by the penalty laps that seemed to constantly be going. It was freeing, really, to simply not have her path defined for her but rather face a host of possibilities.

Rather than set her gaze upon a Hufflepuff and attempt to blatch, as she'd been doing throughout the entire match, she hung back. Turning her broom slightly from side to side, the chaser scanned the active players, quickly picking out her teammates from the throng. It wasn't difficult, given that the deep emerald robes they donned were a stark contrast to the yellow of the opposing team's, but things moved quickly in a game of Quidditch, so it was best to pause and count heads while stationary. Besides, she was currently the safety net for her team, so she had to be sure to track the other Slytherins' every action - Dan in particular - lest they fall off of their broom for one reason or another.

As quickly as she'd stopped, Thora darted towards her captains who still shared a broom, trailing them as they flew as she tried to keep an eye on her other teammates as best she could. Since Dan could grant Slytherin a victory by catching the snitch although they currently were losing, there was no doubt he was Hufflepuff's primary target - and this was only confirmed by the blows they continuously dealt to him, whether by blatch or bludger. Even as she looked on, another bludger whistled their way, streaking through the winter air blisteringly fast. She cringed slightly, for surely an impact would be immensely painful and perhaps knock them both off of Tyranni's broom. But it didn't hit.

Somehow, they'd escaped the iron ball against all odds, having swerved out of its path just in time to come away unharmed. Thora breathed a quick sigh of relief, only to realize a moment later that she'd done so too soon. Hufflepuff wasn't finished yet, and the Tyranni-Dan duo wouldn't be able to pull off the same flawless dodge they'd done just moments ago and instead were hit by yet another bludger. Tensing, Thora raced forward, convinced that the blow had knocked them both off, only to stop abruptly and find that they were both holding on, though surely in far worse shape than they'd begun in.

Instead, she would turn to find Nico falling, having been the unfortunate victim of a Parkin's Pincer. Hoping that her captains wouldn't tire and fall, she raced towards her fellow chaser at breakneck speed, swooping in underneath Nico's falling form to catch her. Giving her a moment to settle, Thora cast her a quick glance and smile over her shoulder. "You okay?" she asked, "and of course - that's what teammates are for, right?"

Adjusting to flying with additional weight now, she realized this was the second doubling-up of players they currently had on the pitch, which most certainly was not a positive thing. Their chance of winning was growing slimmer and slimmer by the second, but Thora would continue fighting for a victory for as long as that possibility existed.

Action || As strategized