5 Sep 2022, 20:39
The Best of All Possible Worlds
Valentin slipped into the Durmstrang dining hall and sped past its morning banquet as he moved directly at the girl he’d already spotted with his keen eyes. A quaffle under one arm and dressed in standard red Durmstrang uniform, Valentin’s backlit skin and hair glowed white with dawn breaking through the hall’s tall windows. Standing rather tall at 175 cm despite his young age, the seeker was built thin with the tight musculature of an endurance athlete.September 2nd, 2022
“Are you Amina Petrovic?” passed Durmstrang’s quidditch captain, more as a formality than an actual question. Not only was it recruiting time, but Valentin always studied others with any relationship to quidditch. “I was going through the matriculation roster and saw your name, Petrovic. Ioan was a fine keeper,” said Schnell. If anything, Val was quick to get to the point when it came to his duties. “Have you ever considered quidditch yourself?” The boy’s silver-amethyst eyes looked the girl up and down, and his keen gaze fired off his mind with observations and possibilities going off like a sparkler. Bowing slightly, Valentin extended one hand in greeting. The glint in his eye forewarned that the quicksilver boy could at any moment whisk her away outside. The dining hall was not Val’s native element, and he was eager to see what Amina’s was. Looking fearlessly into the girl’s eyes, Valentin searched for what lay within. Being so accustomed to fame that he forgot to introduce himself, Valentin's grin served as his only self-description.
Stats: STA 8 ✦ EVA 14 ✧ STR 2 ✦ WIS 15 ✧ARC 1 ✦ ACC 15 - Ency
Abilities: Keen Eye ✦ Charmer ✧ Evasive Maneuvers ✦ Fearless
Last edited by Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood on 6 Sep 2022, 07:47, edited 2 times in total.
5 Sep 2022, 21:07
The Best of All Possible Worlds
~~~~~☆~~♫~~♢~~❅~~☽~~~~ ☾~~❅~~♫~~♢~~☆~~~~~
~~~~~☆~~♫~~♢~~❅~~☽~~
One should think the fourteen-year old should be intimidated or shy in this situation. Who wouldn’t? She had just joined Durmstrang yesterday evening and was thrown into a group of people that had known each other for over three years now.
But Amina wasn’t scared. She was more so excited to finally be here - the school of her dad with all the quidditch legends. It was a small and cold castle but she absolutely loved it here. It also didn’t bother her that she sat alone on the breakfast table.
The fact she didn’t have someone to show her around was on her. She had been offered to get a companion assigned by the professor, but the girl had politely declined.
She would find people that she got along with soon enough and now she cared more about finding those quidditch legends anyway. Her dad had been all excited that the son of his former team mate was the captain at the moment and on top of that in her year. So naturally, she had put on her red uniform that wonderfully clashed with her hair and had decided to start her game by looking for that boy during breakfast.
So here she was. Not paying much attention to what she actually was eating, her bright green eyes darted through the room. Of course she knew who she was looking for. Amina followed quidditch and had a special focus on Durmstrang and Bulgaria. Where are you, Schnell?
And there it was. Sometimes, great minds think alike. Her heart skipped a beat when a familiar person moved through the crowd.
A small triumphant smile plucked at the corner of her mouth and she quickly looked back at her plate. She wouldn’t admit that she had waited to see him.
Her cheeks flushed a bit, that’s how excited she was. Finally, Finally she would have a chance to apply for the team and meet the famous seeker.
When he approached her, she looked up with a decidedly unbiased and surprised expression, while her heart jumped with joy. He knew about her father and - was he looking for someone for the team? That must be it! Why would he ask? Of course, she would have gotten that spot anyway but it was nicer not to toss someone from the team. Less enemies.
"Is. He is an excellent keeper," she corrected him with a jovial smile and tilted her head. Merlin, it really was him. Valentin Schnell, the seeker god.
After short consideration, she decided to keep the game going. At least for a few more minutes before she would explode into laughter. “And yes. I am Amina. And you are?” She offered him her hand and gave him a wide grin. Oh. My. God. She would shake his hand. OH. MY. GOD. She was so focused on this key-moment that she didn’t even notice yet that he didn’t seem to fit into the breakfast scenery.
Her eyes would continue to wander to the quaffle. "And indeed. I was planning on applying to be a Chaser." Her voice sparkled with honest verve and confidence. Although slender and not one of the tallest at 158cm, any keen eye would recognize her muscular and athletic build. Even the way she moved showed a certain natural elegance - as if all her movements were a bit more precise than the ones of an average person. "That's why I'm at this school." Her grin grew even wider. In a moment she would have to laugh. Her joyful anticipation made her a little cocky.
But she was ready. Ready to leave with him and show him her moves. She couldn’t wait to finally be on her beloved broom again.
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
6 Sep 2022, 01:28
The Best of All Possible Worlds
As Amina challenged him, Valentin’s eyes narrowed with delight.
“Yes, of course. May Ioan show us that the best is yet to come,” warbled Val’s silky tenor, smooth as wet silver.
“And yes. I am Amina. And you are?” The girl offered her hand in return, which Valentin took with not a shake, but a soft squeeze that he didn’t yet release.
“Valentin Schnell, first-string seeker,” he replied, a glint of purple reflecting off his irises as he tossed the hair out of his eyes. Valentin often let his hair grow out a bit when he got obsessed with something, but his friends had never seen it this long before. For some reason he just let it go over the summer, never cutting it since April regardless of the rigors of Boot Camp and the important match in August. On several counts, it was no accident that Valentin neglected to mention the “captain” part of his title. “Applying to be chaser, and that’s why you’re even at Durmstrang, eh? Are you saying you specifically sought out Durmstrang for its team, and if so-- why?” It was no secret that Durmstrang was a school of hardknock tryhards, particularly in its quidditch team that carried the undefeated championship title until 2020-- a position it famously just reclaimed in London. Certainly the elite group of sweats had obvious appeal, but Valentin wanted Amina's answer.
After hearing the girl's response, Valentin’s grip tightened as a flash of mischief launched him away, pulling Amina by the hand up and away from the table. “Then let’s see what you’ve got.” The fleet-footed seeker began dashing away, continuing to hold onto Amina if she permitted. One way or another, he was leaving. He ran faster and faster, out the doorway and rushing out a side corridor into a spiral staircase leading up to the dormitories. The boy’s head turned slightly as he passed Romeo’s bunk, nostrils flaring briefly, but he continued straight up towards the tower’s pinnacle. He barely even slowed down to yank his Silver Arrow off the hooks suspended from the ceiling above his upper bunk. In passing, Ileen might find that Val’s bunk was sparse compared to the others lining the sleeping quarters. Still pulling her on if she did not protest, Valentin finally led Amina to the tower's highest floor-to-ceiling window and swung both glass doors open.
“Here, get on. I’ll get on behind you and you can steer. I’m going to throw this quaffle as hard as I can and I want you to catch it. We will repeat this until we make it to the pitch. I think others on the team may still be there practicing, if they didn’t already stop to get breakfast.”
Valentin didn’t ask Amina if she had her own broom, nor to retrieve it. The point was to make the situation disorienting and sudden to see how she would respond. How steady would her hand be under such abrupt urgency and high-stakes pressure? Was she tired after running up several flights of stairs at blazing speed? Valentin opened all his senses to assess Amina as a person in this trust exercise, test of courage, and push to see how she would respond to his style of leadership.
“Don’t mind the scorch marks, this broom is a reliable friend,” laughed the seeker, feeling awkward for not keeping his broom absolutely immaculate. He could never bear to remove its black-char lightning scar from that day in April. It seemed too sacred to abolish the mark, even when he obsessively restored and polished away all the other damages the broom sustained. Instead, the boy’s flesh would retain the reminders of his past mistakes, laden with scars from every severe crash he ever made-- quidditch-related or otherwise.
If Amina got on the broom and let him on, Valentin would close the shutters behind them by hand before turning back to face the front. Eyeing the school’s quidditch pitch in the distance, Valentin threw the quaffle with maximum force down at it. From their great height at the top of the castle, it would take a rapid dive to catch the ball. The entire time, Valentin felt for how Amina handled the broom's movements and listened carefully to every signal he could detect coming off the girl. He was used to fans swooning over him, and he found he had to focus hard to read any indications of anxiety. What is she thinking now, wondered Valentin. How does this feel? As they flew, Valentin found the situation to not be as distracting as a real quidditch match would be, what with bludger and quaffle and snitch all flying about at the same time.
“Tell me, what do you think your father’s strengths and weaknesses are as a player?” pressed the white seeker, seeing if he could jar her ability to concentrate with a complex question. The seeker's broom, as if of the same mind, balked just a little at Amina's commands just like a horse testing out a new rider's temperament.
Stats: STA 8 ✦ EVA 14 ✧ STR 2 ✦ WIS 15 ✧ARC 1 ✦ ACC 15 - Ency
Abilities: Keen Eye ✦ Charmer ✧ Evasive Maneuvers ✦ Fearless
9 Sep 2022, 19:52
The Best of All Possible Worlds
~~~~~☆~~♫~~♢~~❅~~☽~~
~~~~~☆~~♫~~♢~~❅~~☽~~
"He will show them how it’s done" As she agreed with him, undisguised pride resonated in her voice. Amina loved quidditch and she firmly believed that her father was the game changer and that every team should be happy to have him. "As he did with me. Fine coach. Almost impossible to bring a quaffle into his guarded goals." For a moment she stared pensively into Valentine's face without really seeing him, lost in good memories and even forgetting her excitement for a second.
When she introduced herself, however, she was completely back in reality. Her bright green eyes flashed with amusement when he squeezed her hand and she returned the friendly gesture. Secretly, she thought to herself that her racing pulse might betray her, while the boiling laughter pounded against her diaphragm. With effort she swallowed the giggle and tried to control herself. He was so... human. So friendly. Not conceited at all. Very pleasant. She would have liked to reach out and brush his light hair out of his mesmerizing eyes, but she would not be distracted by his charm now. After all, she was here on a mission. "That's why I'm at this school. Right. My dad loved this team, and it's known to be the best school team in the world. And I wouldn't want to play on anything less!" She gushed, but the truth was written all over her face. "I can’t wait to finally play on a team and now that I've come back home to Bulgaria…" Her grin deepened and went from ear to ear. She didn't look shyly and bashfully at the ground, but returned his gaze with unabashed excitement.
Part of her wondered if he was testing her. What was going on in his head and heart? did he already guess that she knew exactly who he was and just played along? When she just opened her mouth to ask if he knew when the test games for scouting were, finally bursting into a delighted giggle and confessing her charade, he did something unexpected.
She got pulled along as he started sprinting out of the hall.
Her confusion quickly changed into excited anticipation and elation. Her heart jumped up and down like a hippogriff that had eaten too much sugar. She did not know what would come now, but her father had always prepared her for the unexpected and she faced the unknown with an open mind. The certain thrill was what made it exciting in the first place.
The castle walls just flew past her as they rushed up the stairs. It was a clear testament to their stamina and athleticism that they were barely out of breath when they reached the top.
Amina gave the white seeker a fierce look of connection and respect. He was exactly as she had hoped, and she already felt as if their movements were in sync. Her light red hair fell into her face with casual elegance and her excited grin never left her face for a second. While others could feel pressured, she enjoyed the tension and urgency. If a situation was intense and risky, Amina would show herself from her high-performer side.
And Valentine was pushing for that, although she didn't even have the time to reflect and actually realize that.
The broom he presented her was the same model as hers and her mouth dropped open as he ordered her to take it. She quickly closed it again and closed her hand around the black broomstick, overwhelmed. Wow. He gave her his broom.
But Amina was not stupid. Brooms were all different and usually took a while to get used to their riders. But her healthy self-confidence registered this as a challenge, not a problem.
Again, she grinned from ear to ear and her eyes sparkled. While Valentin was already getting into position and barely gave her time to carefully make contact with the broom. She didn't even register that they were in a dormitory. All this was completely secondary.
The wood had awakened the longing to fly in her and the pressure automatically made her block out everything that was unimportant. So everything except the quaffle.
She briefly closed her eyes as the crisp morning air blew in her face, somewhat underlining his rapid movement of opening the window - giving it more meaning. The broom and wind whiped everything from her mind. She didn't even realize that he told her to take him with her on the broom. Which she would have if she did.
The red ball whizzed past her ear and Amina now completely blanked out Valentin as well. Like a predator, she rushed after him enthusiastically.
Assuming that he had left her the broom to catch the quaffle, she nudged the Silver Arrow lightly and jumped on him even as he shot forward. Just in time, she retracted her foot, already wiping out over the window ledge.
The usual exhilarating feeling took hold of her as she dashed out. Valentin's question went unheard. Amina simply blanked it out, already far away.
Hunched low over the broomstick, she shot like a rifle bullet after the ball, which shot toward the ground. The time it had taken him to enter the descending curve of his parabola had taken amina to throw herself out of the window as well.
She reluctantly felt the broom vibrate under her hands. She was not used to it and it reacted a little more cautiously and later to her touch than her own broom. Amina therefore decided against overdoing it too much.
However, it was difficult for her to restrain herself, which was probably one of the reasons why the broom perhaps reacted better to her than other foreign brooms. She swept him along.
"Come on," she motivated it as she shot toward the ground like a bullet, the wind whipping her hair back and roaring in her ears. Amina felt as free as a bird. Very close to the ground (but not as close as with her familiar broom), she yanked the broom into the horianzal position and briefly grazed the dew-covered grass with her feet as she shot back up and even caught the quaffle from below.
Cheering, she spun a tight spiral in the air. "Great job! You really are a great friend!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, finishing her last spiral with a roll, the quaffle tucked securely under her arm.
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
10 Sep 2022, 23:36
The Best of All Possible Worlds
The nymph took off with Valentin’s broom! There was no time, though, to gape in shock at the first time that The Niffler himself got niffled. Dashing over to Yefim’s bunk, Valentin yoinked his friend’s Comet 290 in the knowledge Yefim wouldn’t even notice it was gone. While the broom was 16 kmh slower than the Arrow, Valentin had to believe his years of experience would prove stronger than Amina’s advantage.
Leaping onto Yefim’s Comet, Val shot out the window after the redhead. Some part of him knew this might happen. There was no shortage of antics his fans got into when they spotted an opening, but Amina wasn’t like them, right? Why was she doing this? The simplest answer was that she simply hadn’t heard Val’s words and then misinterpreted his request. Then again, Der Niffler always stole for a reason. Val used theft like a magic beyond magic, using it to bridge divides between people and summon resolutions to thorny problems. Is that what Amina was doing, even though they had only just met?
Leaning into a rotating dive, Valya shot directly towards Amina’s end point as he cut into a more efficient angle. Yet, the moments he’d lost getting another broom kept him from closing in until Amina was already skimming the grass of the pitch. Like a bullet, Val shot directly at the girl as he pressed low against the broom. It all felt so slow compared to the old Firebolt, but the seeker squeezed the Comet’s handle with affection as if to urge it on. Her aim impeccable, Amina scooped her arms under the quaffle to catch it with a cheer.
"Great job! You really are a great friend!" shouted Amina, lauding the Arrow as she completed a spiralling roll with the ball under one arm. Only a split second later, Valentin slammed into her with a tackle. His legs releasing his broom, Val’s open arms snagged the girl into a ballistic hug that sent them both flying to the ground. Yet, the boy still had angular control and was able to hit the ground with his own back, sparing Amina any major damage from the one-meter drop. He could have tried to test out the would-be chaser's durability, but Valya was too much of a gentleman for that, even now. Once they hit the grass of the pitch, Val rolled off only to prime his long fingers to rain down a merciless tickle barrage.
“Rrrraaaaaaahhh!!” roared Val as he continued launching tickles at Amina. “You can’t get away now!” Awash with giggles, Valentin looked at Amina with a hopeful question in his eyes. He responded now the way he had always wanted for himself, when he was the thief. “You shall surrender the quaffle to me!” bayed Val, diving in to scoop up the smaller girl into a lifting hug. If he managed to grab her, he would spin around and around until she made a funny enough sound or released the ball, whichever came first. The boy would watch and listen to the girl’s reactions, half of him hoping to see her happy and the other half analyzing what it all meant about her as a person. He would just have to buff the scuffs out of Fima's broom later.
Stats: STA 8 ✦ EVA 14 ✧ STR 2 ✦ WIS 15 (18) ✧ARC 1 ✦ ACC 15 (18) - Ency
Russian Diminutives: Valentin → Valya; Yefim → Fima
Comet 290 (when aboard): +3 to 2 stats, enhances Keen Eye (20% find); +1 critical chance.
Abilities: Keen Eye ✦ Charmer ✧ Evasive Maneuvers ✦ Fearless
27 Sep 2022, 16:09
The Best of All Possible Worlds
~~~~~☆~~♫~~♢~~❅~~☽~~
~~~~~☆~~♫~~♢~~❅~~☽~~
It was an exhilarating feeling, free, in the air, at the limit, just before the ground and then far up again. Pressed flat against the broomstick and the quaffle safely under her arm - that's how she felt home. The adrenaline pumped through her veins and for a moment she forgot that Valentin was probably watching her.
All in all, she had not expected him to follow her. As much as her father had taught her, right now she was completely sure that she was alone, drunk on her triumph, not as alert as she normally was.
When she saw the white flash out of the corner of her eye, it was already too late. she jerked, but she was too slow. The boy's body crashed into her, squeezing all the air out of her lungs.
He pulled her down into the depths and caught her impact with his body.
Others would have been startled, angry or shocked. Not so Amina. When she recognized the pale boy, a laugh bubbled up inside her as he rolled off.
He had surprised her, she felt the ache in her body, but overall she felt more alive than she had in a long time.
She had fallen like a comet from the sky and although she was in pain, she pressed the quaffle tightly against her and giggled.
But she was not prepared for the Seeker's next attack. Like a tiger, he leaned on her and began to tickle her.
Amina shrieked with laughter and nimbly tried to escape and roll aside. But it was not easy, because she was terribly ticklish. She liked the familiarity between them, she felt as if they knew each other forever. When he picked her up she was so out of breath by laughing that she couldn't even further pursue her escape plan. Not letting go of the quaffle, she almost chocked on her own giggle, mixed in with a funny snort. "Noooooooooo."
When he put her to the ground, she would dramatically fall down, still shaken by laughter. But being free of the tickle, she quickly got her defense reflexes back.
Like a cat, she rolled over her shoulder onto her legs, holding the quaffle tightly against her. "Never. You'll have to catch me first for that!" She saw the brooms lying in the grass not far from them in the direction of the quidditch field. The young girl started to run.
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
5 Oct 2022, 21:31
The Best of All Possible Worlds
Amina kept checking off the boxes. She passed every test Valentin could throw at her, catching the quaffle with speed and style, enduring a hard tackle as if it were a friendly hug, and responding to pressure with focus and laughter. Since her excitable spirit made her unpredictable when Valentin laid out a plan, the captain couldn’t decide if she made her own mischief out of a lack of listening or a lack of cooperation. This was the one sticking point in the captain’s mind-- he was all for maximizing the power of play in high-stakes games, but at the end of the day the team still needed to combine as one mind, moving as a single great spirit, hydra or otherwise. He didn’t have to be a dictator for his team to run with seamless coordination on an instinctual level. Would Amina be able to integrate into such profound team unity, or would she remain a marvelously talented loner at risk of blowing up the team’s strategies?
Showing her great tenacity and powerful grip, Amina refused to relinquish the quaffle no matter how much Valentin spun her around and around and around. It was important for the girl to be able to handle such G-forces without getting sick, as Durmstrang’s aggressive playstyle often necessitated high-speed spins and nose-bleed-level anti-gravity stunts. Another box, ticked. The overflowing warmth and good humor of the girl softened the captain’s heart, but he had to show her that he didn’t back down, either. When two such forces of nature could not be stopped, their only destiny could be a great clash or a resonating synergy. Which would it be?
“Don’t think you can get away so easily,” warbled Valentin, seeing a telltale silhouette out of the corner of his eye. With a suspiciously warm smile, Valentin raised one eyebrow and made a strange gesture with his right hand. The seeker’s long, pale fingers swerved and clenched like a bird that decided to fold up into a paper ball, and then the fist released into a twinkle of dancing fingertips. The message was one that even the most avid Durmstrang fans could only speculate about, so closely guarded was the team’s secret body language. Suppressing a laugh, Valentin’s diamond-shaped Tatar eyes squeezed half-shut with an attempt to conceal the wellspring of joy rising from deep within.
“You’re on our turf, now.”
Stats: STA 8 ✦ EVA 14 ✧ STR 2 ✦ WIS 15 (18) ✧ARC 1 ✦ ACC 15 (18) - Ency
Russian Diminutives: Valentin → Valya; Yefim → Fima
Comet 290 (when aboard): +3 to 2 stats, enhances Keen Eye (20% find); +1 critical chance.
Abilities: Keen Eye ✦ Charmer ✧ Evasive Maneuvers ✦ Fearless
17 Jan 2023, 20:06
The Best of All Possible Worlds
¤ | Ω | ¤
"Italiano. Italian."
"Russian."
\ Fingerless Glove on Right Hand /
| Lichtenberg Figure on Right Arm and Down Back |Valentin Schnell & Amina Petrovitch
@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood & @Ileen KnightThe autumn season heralded with it the coming of a new school year and with the coming of the new school year came the mustering of the Durmstrang Quidditch team and the beginning of the tryouts for those who wanted to try their hands at a position on said team. As Co-Captain… naturally this meant that I was partially responsible for sorting through all of these applications, to meet with applicants and discuss their skills and reasons for wanting to join the team, and of course testing their skills in physical and tactical assessments. I didn’t want a team that was only heart and soul and no bite. A team needed both heart, soul, bark, and bite to stick out and excel when compared to their competitors. Above all, they needed to have the ability to grow quickly, take criticism well, and be willing to be coached.
As a matter of policy, I had made a habit of refusing to coddle my team.
“Alright. Good meet today. We are going to get to know each other much better over the course of this year, I’m sure.” I speak to my team sternly and with a distinct lack of discernible interest. “For now; eat right, drink right, sleep right, and keep up your grades. We’ve just reclaimed Durmstrang’s crown, and I don’t intend to relinquish it again anytime soon.” So saying, I squeezed the ebony handle of the Firebolt a bit tighter, my voice edging on a tone of danger. “We are forming a full team this year. No more of that multi-teaming or team-combining nonsense. Durmstrang wins by her own hand, so if you want to be a part of it I suggest you bring only your best whenever you get coached by me. Dismissed.”
That had been around 10 minutes ago, and by now the team had disbanded as I had elected to stay behind and clean up after the practice with the intent to then hurry as quickly as I could to the dining hall for a snatch of breakfast before heading to class. Collecting the school brooms, I locked them all up together and then started to make preparations to head back to the school so that I could get a head start on both my homework and my current side hobby of performing research on my potential family tree. After all, Italy had been integral to civilization as one of its cradles in the ancient ages, particularly concerning the Roman Empire and the cultural fracturing that took place after its fall. Surely magic had been a part of it, even despite Rome’s desire for empirical-based evidence and its lesser need for magic– due to said empirically-based evidence– in general. Truth be told, I was most pressingly concerned with the question as to if I was of mixed blood heritage. Such heritage would be the most difficult to trace backwards, though it was not impossible with a combination of dedicated work, proper time, and reliable records.
Records, time, and work that I just couldn’t seem to have the good fortune of running across, even with the assistance of Valentin’s generous help in the form of a PI. Even now, I still knew that I didn’t deserve Val’s help in the slightest… Valentin just kept giving and giving and giving… and he didn’t seem to know when to stop, even when it hurt him. Valentin got hurt often, even for a Seeker. Hell, he threw himself into danger on a daily basis in the form of brawls and scuffles with no regard for his safety. Hell, he had nearly DIED. I think that perhaps he had actually died, like he told me that night in his pristine crystal tower, and had I not managed to bring him back…
Despite all that I did to try in some way to choose a correct path, to do what I thought was best in the moment for myself and for everyone else around me, things just seemed to never line up just right. Something was always lacking or was a tad off or even spoiled altogether by something entirely out of my control. It was… frustrating to say the least. If being a perfectionist was not enough of a blight, this desire of mine to be a sort of control freak only made these just out of reach needs for resolution and perfection of my studies even more agitating. I just couldn’t seem to do anything just right, nor was I able to correctly adapt to these new situations at the pace that was being required of me. Yet, though I knew that such degrading thoughts and impressions could only lead to further discouragement and dissuasion from my goals, it only seemed natural to be at least a little upset by the streak of bad luck and the feeling of helplessness that was deciding to vex me at this particular moment in time.
At least I had a little control in the form of my team, and especially concerning my ability to help decide who would become a part of it and who would be turned away. This was my only form of comfort for the time being, that only sparse piece of control as just about everything else spiraled out of my grasp. It was almost enough to cause me to want to go back to the gym to bruise up my knuckles again on one of the punching bags. Almost.
Hefting my 'rucksack' of a backpack, I glance up to the skies just in time to watch two people on brooms practically crash down to the ground due to the speed of their momentum. "Oh, per l'amor di Dio... Oh for the love of God..." I mutter to myself aloud. I swore, every day it was something different or something absolutely unexpected. It was nearly enough to drive me insane if I didn't have any sense of social grace.
Well, I had better make sure that nobody had hurt themselves.
"I expect a good explanation for whatever the hell you two think that you're- Valetin." I stop myself as soon as I spot the white halo of my Seeker and Captain. Though my expression was unamused, I glance towards Valentin as if expectant that he will answer the multiplicity of questions that I have. "My question remains. What the hell were you_ Who is this." I take stock of the other person now; a young woman with shockingly red hair. My gaze lingers on her for a moment, silently appraising a definitively athletic build before turning back to Val. Neither of my questions had been spoken as questions, funny enough, though at the moment I didn't feel like asking questions because that took too much energy that I didn't currently have. I elected instead to go with a very blunt wordplay and a stern look that caused my brow to heavily furrow over my electric blue eyes. Needing some way to express my mild level of frustration, my fingerless gloved right hand clenches and unclenches on the Firebolt as I glance between my Captain and the stranger almost suspiciously.
Mostly, I just wanted to know what was going on. If Valentin was good with his words, maybe I would let this slide.ReducioStats:
Ω Stamina 9 | Evasion 7 | Strength 15 Ω
Ω Accuracy 15 | Wisdom 9 | ArcPower 0 ΩAbilities:
Ω Obnoxiously Strong | Perfectionist I | Martial Artist | Healing Sage I Ω
19 Jan 2023, 11:23
The Best of All Possible Worlds
~~~~~☆~~♫~~♢~~❅~~☽~~
~~~~~☆~~♫~~♢~~❅~~☽~~
Amina was still giggling as she started her sprint. The white seeker had opened a gate that led directly to her inner passion. Flying, risk, adrenaline. Freedom. Although they had hardly spoken to each other, he got a glimpse of her true character, who jumped up on these winds and let herself be carried away.
Her stomach tingled pleasantly and she was already prepared to feel his breath on the back of her neck. But that did not happen.
Alarmed, she glanced over her shoulder and saw him standing there, laughing, as if he knew something she had missed.
An electrifying wave ran down her spine and every muscle in her body tensed. Full of anticipation of the surprises that Valentin still had in store for her. That he didn't chase after her and point out that she was in her territory meant that he had support...?
At that moment, she noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye and slowed down, skittering. For this tall figure, clearly also a Quidditch player, began to speak. And he did not sound enthusiastic.
The Bulgarian spun elegantly on her own axis and took in the situation with sparkling eyes. Immediately she recognized him. Having always wanted to be on this Quidditch team, she naturally knew who the regular players were. And standing before her was the tall co-captain. However, he wasn't wearing an amused expression. Oops.
Amina withheld a chuckle and strolled the few meters back to Valentin's side. Smiling charmingly and with a lot of zest in each of her steps. This was shaping up to be one of the best days in a long time.
When she stopped next to the viewfinder, she tilted her head a bit in offense. Who is that? Well, to be fair, he might have seen her fall from the sky. However, that was perhaps the perfect way to get to know her. And the question of what they were doing here.... What were they actually doing? Man, so many questions that it was simply impossible to finish the sentences.
However, she would not let anyone else introduce them. "Hi. I'm Amina Petrovic I just met Valentin today. You're Romeo, right?" Perhaps now was the right time to admit that she was a big Quidditch fan. Just not too much.
Her green eyes wandered back and forth between the two boys with interest. Did this now mean their game was over? And why was the one boy so upset?
Grinning, she tucked the quaffle under her arm and turned to Valentin. "Wait, does that mean I won?"
Interacting with | Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood) | Romeo Marchonné (@Piérre Marchonné)
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."
4 Feb 2023, 22:18
The Best of All Possible Worlds
"I expect a good explanation for whatever the hell you two think that you're- Valetin," Romeo's growl stopped short as he spotted his close friend and captain.
“Romeva...” Valentin glowed with a suppressed smile. He thought he’d sensed something off during that morning’s practice, but now –
"My question remains. What the hell were you_ Who is this."
It must be… a migraine again, or his tinnitis. The way he closes his eyes when it’s affecting him – maybe getting back with the team with the start of school is getting him so amped that it’s come back… Before Val could answer, though, Amina was already on it.
"Hi. I'm Amina Petrovic I just met Valentin today. You're Romeo, right?" The lovely red-head backed up towards Valentin’s side, sensing the tall beater’s lack of amusement. Val squeezed her on the shoulder to tell her it was okay before stepping up towards Romeo to put himself in the path of any further aggression. The seeker’s elegant hand reached out to drape his fingers over Romeo’s bicep, communicating that he felt his pain.
“Best candidate for our next chaser I’ve seen yet, medvezhonok." (Russian diminutive for "bear") Valentin was not surprised that Amina knew Romeo by name. After all, Val joined every Romeo Marchonné fan club that began popping up since their victory in London and with the spread of Hexiwizard rumors. It was not simply for his own enjoyment that Val watched over Romeo's growing fanbase and notoriety amongst quidditch professionals. He needed to do it for the sake of the team, for one, but more importantly he had to ensure what his befell his mother could never happen to Romeo...
"Wait, does that mean I won?" Amina was still clutching the quaffle, unrelenting, and Valentin did not attempt to take it anymore.
“… Agile, fast reflexes, bonds naturally with even a stranger’s broom… spunky. My main question is if she can thrive as a team player. Certainly I feel determination in her, and a sense of humor. I thought you should meet her, so I had us fly out here… since this is a decision for both of us, could you try her out sometime?” Valentin smiled softly as his silky voice did its best to soothe his co-captain’s pain, almost like a lullaby, as he squeezed Rome's arm in a miniature hug.
Stats: STA 8 ✦ EVA 14 ✧ STR 2 ✦ WIS 15 (18) ✧ARC 1 ✦ ACC 15 (18) - Ency
@Ileen Knight, @Piérre Marchonné
Comet 290 (when aboard): +3 to 2 stats, enhances Keen Eye (20% find); +1 critical chance.
Abilities: Keen Eye ✦ Charmer ✧ Evasive Maneuvers ✦ Fearless