Closed Flying in the Dark pv

Date: 09/14/22
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─────This was not how she'd anticipated her night going. Avery is still not quite sure what possessed her to even attend Quidditch tryouts considering she'd never touched a broom in her life less than two weeks ago. Sure, she'd always been rather drawn to sports. But when that translated into high-speed, high-altitude, and, most likely, high impact? Well, clearly still not enough of a deterrence. It was, honestly, quite fascinating to watch. Really got the adrenaline pumping. But still, it left the Hufflepuff in a bit of a bind.

When she went to the tryouts she hadn't in her wildest dreams figured she'd actually be selected. Sure, she had been a quick study and was quite taken with flying in class. But those were all very simple lessons so far. Ever since she'd first heard of Quidditch on the train ride here she'd taken some time to study up on the sport. She had her doubts that they'd cover enough in class by the time the team's first game came around that she'd feel comfortable enough in the air. Granted, she was only to be a second-string beater at this point, but the last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself in front of large portions of the student body.

And so, in what she figures as perhaps her most reckless decision to date, she finds herself stumbling in the dark towards the training pitch. Though she's not got her own broom yet, the somewhat battered school broom she'd been temporarily assigned earlier this morning is gripped tightly in one hand. It would do for now. Probably. She wasn't one to typically break rules, especially not one so soon into the year, but she knew the panicked feeling in her chest wouldn't go away until she could get at least a little bit of practice time in. As much as she didn't want to embarrass herself during a game, she also didn't want to let her new team down.

Finally finding herself entering the grounds of the training pitch, Avery was so lost in her own distraught thoughts that she'd made her way halfway across the pitch before she registered another figure already standing in the middle. She immediately skids to a halt. Before she can rein it in, a startled gasp slips between her lips. "I am...so sorry!" she starts, voice somewhat scratchy before she clears her throat. Having taken a bit more time to actually look at the other figure, she found some relief that it was just another student at least similar in age. "I didn't think anyone else would be up here," the Hufflepuff tries to explain.

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𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Edme Achillian
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The small bit of moon and starlight that stretched down to the pitch and illuminated it only slightly, that being the only way Edme could see as she made her way around the pitch. They had settled down in the middle, and was just about to hop onto their broom when the sound of footsteps pattered softly in the distance.

Edme had never believed in the idea of a flight or fight instinct until then. She had always thought of the idea of being so shocked that you only have two options as a bit strange, and that when one is shocked they wouldn't be prepared to battle. Flight seemed much more plausible. That is until the young Ravenclaw whipped her wand out quicker than lightning and pointed it at the new face.

Upon seeing that it was another young student, Edme felt their face grow a bright red and their wand hand slowly lower to her waist. If that had been a teacher, she would have been on the train back home in seconds.

"Oh, uh..." they trailed off, unsure how to react to this new person. Shouldn't she be scolding this younger student for being out so late? But that would be a bit contradictory, wouldn't it? Since she too was out there when she shouldn't, they decided to shrug it off. "You're fine. Just uh... please don't get me caught." she practically begged.

They noticed the broom in the first year's hand, a ragged school broom, probably the same flown by students from years back. She almost felt bad for the other, but not everyone really cared what kind of broom they were given. It was about the flyer, not the broom. Even if brooms helped a bit.

Edme swallowed back the rush of adrenaline that still burst through her, pushing the urge to take their broom and fly off into the cloak of night so as to not be caught up in this string of trouble. She just wanted to get some practice in before the next game. "Are you here to fly?" she nodded to the wobbly broom in the other's grip.

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Date: 09/14/22
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─────Faced with a drawn wand, Avery remains rooted to the spot. The hand not clutching the broom is partially lifted in some weak attempt of a placating manner. Looking past the tip of the wand, the Hufflepuff examines the other student in the weak light of the moon with wide eyes. They look to be just as surprised by the situation, at least. As the wand begins to lower, the first year releases a soft breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding on to.

Her eyes follow the descent of the wand, only briefly taking note of the broom held in the opposite hand, before snapping back up to their face once more. At her plea, Avery lets out a quiet, nervous laugh even as she relaxes her posture a little. "Oh, yeah, uh, no worries there. I would also very much like to not be caught out here this late," she replies, flashing them a faint smile.

At the question, she blinks and glances down to the broom held perhaps a little too tightly in her hand. Ah, right. The nerves that had briefly been held at bay by the surprise fluttered slightly. She quickly looks back up to the older student. "Y-yeah! I may have..." she pauses briefly to raise her free hand to scratch idly at her jaw in a rather weak attempt to try and stave off the red rising to her cheeks, "somewhat impulsively attended tryouts and made the Hufflepuff Quidditch team?"

Avery shifts in place a little, carefully bringing the broom around to hang in front of her and allow both hands to casually grip the worn wood. "I come from a muggle family, so I don't have a ton of experience flying. Figured I could use as much practice as I could get, so..." The first year trails off, offering her a shrug and vague gesture around the dark pitch. The chill in the air did little to help with the warmth that had spread across her face at the admission. "You?" Her eyes dip briefly to the broom in their hand.

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𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Edme Achillian
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The Ravenclaw rocked back and forth on her heels, embarrassment causing their face to flush a rosy pink. She would admit to feeling a bit bad about pulling out a wand on this random girl, but the second year had always been a bit jumpy. It was also nearly pitch black outside, a time in which no one is allowed to so much as leave their dormitory. Curfew and all that.

The other seemed just as disturbed, likely not expecting to find another person out on the pitch when they shouldn't be. Edme rubbed her nose instinctively, trying to hide any discomfort from the other. "Good." they muttered, trying to pretend this new person hadn't scared the daylights out of her.

The Ravenclaw had formerly had a few... less positive ideas about what Quidditch entailed. Broom Racing seemed much more violent comparatively, though both broom sports involved the act of falling and injury. Edme had only really had the idea of teammates in mind when signing up for Quidditch, as well as just the "Hogwarts experience". At the beginning of the year, they had dedicated themself to the idea of fulfilling as much as possible while at Hogwarts, no matter how frightening or new it seemed. And so far, she had done a fairly good job at that.

"Oh!" Edme said a bit hoarsely, her voice cracking like an egg. They toned it down. "Quidditch. Yes. I play for the Ravenclaw team." She went back to rocking back and forth, a small but hopeful smile playing on their lips.

The second year examined the other's broom as it was brought into sight, a small flood of nostalgia rushing through her as she saw the familiar wood of the school brooms closer. Upon joining the Ravenclaw team, Edme had been lucky enough to be gifted a shiny new broom, one of the best you could get. They remembered fearing that she would have to use that less-than-effective broom for the actual games, but later was surprisingly relieved when receiving the clean new broom.

"I'm uh..." the Ravenclaw refrained from diving into her whole life story, stating, "Wizards. I come from mainly Wizards. But by blood I'm only half." they looked down whilst saying, "I never did get a lot of practice on the broom, though."

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Date: 09/14/22
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─────The Hufflepuff allowed her head to tilt ever so slightly to the side as she observed the other student. There was still an evident tension hanging about, though that was likely to be expected. The blanket of darkness was both comforting and nerve-wracking in its own measure without taking in the suddenness of running into another by accident. The quiet, succinct response causes Avery's lips to twitch in the briefest semblance of a smile. Her heart was finally returning to a somewhat regular rhythm now that the immediate shock had abated some.

Their revelation to being a member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team finally breaks some of the last remnants of hesitation and a small smile slips across her features. She had yet to meet any Quidditch players outside of Hufflepuff's team as of yet, and that prospect alone was exciting. "Oh, that's fantastic! May I ask what position you play?" Avery queries, still consciously keeping her voice low despite the interest. She wasn't quite sure yet on whether or not there was some sort of taboo between speaking to players on other teams, but she couldn't really say that she'd bring herself to care too much even if there was.

The first year was still trying to come to terms with the fact that she was part of the team at all, even with a few training sessions under her belt now. She was definitely feeling it, though. Avery had already had to pick a fair number of splinters from her palms from the combination of fairly intense training, at least by her measure, and the rather beat up school broom she had to train with for the time being. She tried to tell herself it was just character building. Wasn't quite successful on convincing herself of the fact yet if her aching palms had anything to say about it.

Noting the Ravenclaw's hesitance in her answers, Avery waits patiently as she responds. Her head tilts slightly more to try and catch their lowered gaze with an offered smile. "Well, I can't claim I know much about flying, but...would you perhaps like to practice together then?" She pauses a moment, cheeks flushing slightly as her mind catches up with the offer. "Y'know, assuming you might even want the company, which..." she rambles, one hand releasing the handle of the broom to give a vague gesture about the darkened pitch, "I guess you might not considering the time? Which is fine! I can always, uh, come back another day if you'd rather some time alone? Either way!"

Avery finally forces the nervous stream of words to a somewhat breathless end. The free hand moves back to grip the somewhat gnarled handle of the broom, thumb nervously picking at a stray splinter sticking out. Her eyes flick from the Ravenclaw to the patch of grass between them as she tries to control the embarrassed blush she can feel warming her ears.

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𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Edme Achillian
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Although Edme could sense the feel of nervousness hanging in the air between the two, she felt a strange feeling of relief, like the opposite of aftershock. Afterrelief? Probably wasn't a thing. But still, they were glad it was just another student and not a staff or prefect here to drag Edme and their broom back all the way to Scotland. She shuddered at the idea.

It seemed the two had finally rested into relaxed conversation, Quidditch seeming to be what really brought them together. Avery asked the position question before Edme could get to it, and the Ravenclaw chuckled a bit at the alignment. "I'm a keeper. I don't really like to be soaring around the field. I prefer to stick to protecting." they shrugged sheepishly. "What about you?"

The cool air was loose and fresh at this time of day, when there wasn't chatter killing the silence and light bouncing off every surface. It was like being in a spacious closet with the door closed, which Edme could be grateful for. They didn't like being in closets, but they liked the dark when there was someone to share it with. The small breeze rustled leaves somewhere in the distance.

The second year was pulled from her thoughts, a small spark of interest rising in the glimmer that appeared in her eyes. They'd originally planned on practicing anyways, so what was the harm in doing it with a partner? Maybe a new friend even. "Oh, yeah, sure!" Edme smiled a gap-toothed grin, the small line between her teeth prominent. Upon the others flustered becoming apparent, Edme felt their own cheeks warming. That was normal, but for whatever reason it felt less like discomfort here and more childish. "I'm not tired! Unless you are. In which case, we could go inside? But I'd like to practice if you would. Hah."

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Date: 09/14/22
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─────The blanket of quiet that had settled over the pitch was a welcome relief after the bustle of the new school year, their soft conversation mixing with the gentle breeze the only sound ringing out. It was soothing, in a way. The Hufflepuff hadn't quite been prepared for just how intense the start of the school year might be.

Their sheepish response draws a small nod and soft hum of understanding. "I can definitely understand the sentiment there. Keeper probably would have been my second choice," Avery states, flashing her a warm smile. "But I'm lined up for beater. Still kinda getting used to having bludgers purposefully flying my way though." Just the thought alone seems to provoke a phantom ache in the blossoming bruise on her shoulder from an earlier practice. Dodging was still a very necessary work in progress.

The emergence of the Ravenclaw's grin rapidly eases some of the returning nerves, though not quite all of them for reasons the first year couldn't fully pin in the moment. The faint coloring to her cheeks remains even as the hesitant smile solidifies into a steady grin. "Excellent! And I'm definitely not tired either, I'd love to practice together. Always happy for a little time away from the castle." Avery would be pressed to admit that the prospect of practicing on her own in the dark had initially had her a little on edge. Company was to be greatly appreciated in this instance. The Hufflepuff couldn't deny that she found the older student intriguing, either.

Avery finally manages to smooth down the small splinter on the handle of the broom to the point that it hopefully wouldn't catch on anything. There wasn't a ton of faith on the sentiment. A sudden thought jolts her from her musings. The Hufflepuff quickly extends a hand into the space between them, smile still bright despite the slight guilty upturn that now accompanies it. "Sorry! Realized I should probably introduce myself," she acknowledges. "I'm Avery. It's a pleasure to meet you, unexpected as it was."

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𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Edme Achillian
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Edme could imagine what the other felt, the start at Hogwarts always being the most hectic as well as magical, especially since she mentioned coming from a muggle family. The Ravenclaw had known about magic since the day they were born, but still it seemed so fresh when you finally got a taste for it. She almost missed the rush of excitement she felt when she had gotten that Hogwarts letter.r

"Beater? Wow." they exclaimed with visible surprise. Beater was last in line for Edme, in fact she hadn't even considered it an option. Their fear always seemed to eclipse their courage, so she stuck to the back. As the other smiled, Edme felt that same rush of warmth at her plush lips curving up. It made the second year want to smile back. "Yes, that would seem to be a bit stressful. Props to you!"

They were relieved to hear that the girl hadn't any qualms about flying this late, and held up their broom in preparation. It still was a bit nerve-wracking to hop on a broom for the first time in a bit. "Of course, same here. It's always nice at night." she mentioned wistfully, hands trailing down the side of the broom to feel its cool, smooth wood. "I've never flown this late before. It's probably about the same as during the day, no?" The Ravenclaw doubted the legitimacy of that statement, but went with it anyway.

As Edme prepared to board her broom, the other introduced herself as Avery. The Ravenclaw felt a bit sheepish about not thinking to introduce herself sooner as they said, "It's no worries! My name's Edme. I'm glad to have met you too." she smiled a honey-laced grin and sat properly on their broom. She had no premonitions about this flight any longer. "Off we go, then!" they kicked off and rose up high into the blanket of night.

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Date: 09/14/22
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─────The Ravenclaw's slight surprise at the revelation of her new position didn't exactly come as a shock, but it didn't keep Avery from releasing a soft chuckle and offering her a bashful shrug. "Hah, yeah. Thanks. I'm just hoping all of that farm work finally counts for something." Granted, that's only if she's able to actually hit a bludger. Accurately, at that. For now, she could only hope that she grew into the role a little more. A first year wasn't exactly the most intimidating with a bat, especially so next to Hufflepuff's team captain.

Avery offers up a soft hum of agreement at their wistful tone. There was always a certain peace that came with the darkness after a long day. Though she tended to be more of a morning person, mostly born of necessity, she always felt most at ease when the sun receded for the day. She could only hope that that ease translated into flying as well. At least there was still a little bit of moonlight to help bathe the pitch in gentle light.

The Hufflepuff shifts her grip on her relatively dingy broom and holds it out in preparation to mount. She’d already made the resolution after their very first practice to start trying to save up for a better broom. The brooms the school had available for were in dire need of retirement in her opinion. “I mean, yeah I’d say so. How different could it be?” Avery tried to infuse the words with some degree of positivity, but the unsure tremble to the question may have helped the effort fall a little short.

Swinging a leg over the handle and making herself as comfortable as one is ever able on a school broom, the first year was briefly distracted by Edme introducing herself with a saccharine smile. The sight prompted another bout of strange, nervous fluttering in her chest. Before she could reorient herself, the Ravenclaw had already taken off into the night sky. An increasingly more permanent smile tips the corners of her lips upward as she kicks off from the ground after her.

As it turns out, flying at night is decidedly more disorienting than she’d expected. Avery has to strain her eyes a little to make out the shape of the world around her, and it takes a moment to pick Edme out amongst the darkened sky. Carefully maneuvering through the air, she pulls up beside the older girl as close as she dares in order to be heard. “It’s definitely…different at night. I kinda like it,” she states, looking out across the darkened grounds, the sights seemingly muted under the blanket of darkness. She tilts her head to look across at the Ravenclaw. “Was there anything in particular you were wanting to practice?”

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𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Edme Achillian
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