Aggrieved Athletes PV Howard White Closed

@Alma Stoll

Quidditch practice was always something Howard yearned for. Regardless of what the week had thrown his way, every Saturday he could look forward to flying through the air playing his favorite sport. The everyday stressors always seemed to just slip away the moment his feet left the ground and it left him feeling refreshed and energized. That didn't mean that they always went as planned though. Today the team had performed pretty well, but the Chaser squad had missed the mark. Almost every pass was just a little off, the scoring attempts mostly ending in failure and their formations never quite taking the proper shape. Howard would never blame the individual for this, but he did realize that Alma seemed to be struggling the most. When she asked for seem one on one practice, he was more than happy to help.

Howard remembered when he first tried out for the Quidditch team. First as a Keeper before he switched to Chaser. It felt almost impossible to obtain the skill, but with time and great help from his captains, he was now one of the better players at the school. The chance to do this for another player was something that filled him with purpose and he hoped he could help hone her skills like those before had done for him. His crimson eyes watched as Alma looped through the air, then she came to join him where he waited on the ground.

"I'm ready." Howard answered with a grin, but his expression would slip back to serious one as they prepared to practice again. As much as he had come to like the little Badger, Quidditch was his life source and he took it seriously. "Happy to help. Try not to get discouraged when you fail. The more flustered you get, the more mistakes you'll make. Keep your head clear and trust your skill. Proper focus is key." Some of his pep talk was his own, while some was borrowed from the lessons taught to him before. Hopefully it would help her when they took to the skies.

Howard reached into the chest next to his feet and removed a Quaffle. He then swung his broom off of his shoulder and kicked into the air in one smooth action. "C'mon!" The dhampir called after his teammate. "Let's work on our passes. Fly across the pitch with me and we will toss the Quaffle back and forth. " Howard instructed before setting off. He didn't go as fast as he could, but kept a pretty quick pace as to challenge Alma. "Remember to keep your eyes moving. You'll have to look where you're going and keep an eye out for those Bludgers!" Their team had managed a win last match, but those Bludgers had wreaked havoc on them all. "Try to use your peripheral to see the Quaffle coming to judge when you should look for the catch. When you throw it back, remember to lead you aim so that I fly into the catch. Like this!" Without warning, Howard would expertly toss the Quaffle to Alma, leading his pass just right so she would hopefully catch it with ease.

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The prefect’s expression slipped into one of seriousness - a practice thing, she assumed. Still, it made Alma suppress a nervous gulp and nod as she listened to his advice. At least he gave better advice than George when it came to Quidditch. He flew into the air, calling for her to follow.

She swung a leg over her broom, ready to get back in the game. Howard flew a bit faster than her - just fast enough to be a challenge, but Alma kept up best she could. They reached the other side of the pitch and Howard stopped to offer some advice to her.

She nodded along, trying to process everything at once. She paid close attention to what he said, but it all just seemed to blur together - just like it had this practice.

Before she knew it, the quaffle was being tossed her way with no previous warning. She would’ve dropped it if it weren’t for her panicked brain yelling at her to grab it. She fumbled with it but ultimately it ended up in her grasp. She smiled shakily up at him.

She prepared for the throw back, leaning back on her broom a little and aiming for him. She threw it just like they had practiced a hundred times before, but her unlucky streak just wouldn’t let up. The quaffle toss wasn’t too bad. It was certainly good enough for Howard to catch. Though, the off-centeredness of it still made Alma a little bit more defeated. With a sigh, she held her hands up, ready for the next toss.

@Alma Stoll

“Good! Good!” Howard called out his words of encouragement. Although Alma still struggled with the catch, the fact that she did not fail completely was a good sign. The younger Puff was only a first year and Howard could see the raw talent that was there. If they could hone it, perhaps she would be even better than him one day. “Way to follow through with the catch.” The slight hesitation and fumbling of the ball would most likely result in a drop if this were a real match, but he was trying to balance encouragement with critique. In his experience too much of either lead to a poor lesson. “We will keep working on that, but a good start. A little stumble like that can cost you the catch in the heat of the moment though.”

Howard started back across the pitch with Alma as she practiced the throw back. With a bit of quick maneuvering he was able to pivot in time to catch her pass. Again, it wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t a complete miss. “Not too bad.” His tone was hopefully balanced enough for Alma not to get overly discouraged. Howard racked his Brian for the right way to approach this. He could clearly see that she was capable, but how do they get past the nerves? “Keep at it! Try and stay calm.” Obvious advice really. However, the sigh that escaped Alma’s lips told him she was getting flustered. Hopefully his words would help as he searched for a way to connect with the younger player.

As they flew together, Howard would keep tossing the Quaffle back and forth with her, stopping if necessary to pick up any drops. Soon enough they would reach the other end and now seemed like a good time for a few scoring attempts. “Let’s take a few shots, yeah? I’ll guard.” Howard handed Alma the ball before taking up position at the hoops. He began to circle and await her shot. Though not an expert Keeper, he could still manage. “Try and take a shot while flying. Your momentum will really add a lot of speed to your shot. Ok? Go!”

OOC: Feel free to godmod Howard’s success or failure.

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She tried to not let her less than adequate performances get her down too much - Howard was a good teacher who gave nice critiques, she had no reason to be upset at all. But, Alma did have a track record of letting things get in her head a bit too much.

She nodded along to what he was saying while they continued to pass it back and forth. He stopped occasionally to pick up any drops, (which, admittedly, happened more than she’d like to say out loud), and eventually they got around to the three hoops. She trembled a little bit. Her nerves certainly weren’t doing her any favors in this particular practice.

Howard handed her the quaffle and took position up in front of the hoops. Seeing Howard in a keeper role wasn’t ordinary, and made her laugh a little bit, but he’d surely be a better keeper than she would anyday. She took a deep breath, readying herself on her broom. She reared back and flew forward, chucking the quaffle forward and into the hoops. Luckily, it seemed to have worked. Maybe it was Howard’s unfamiliar environment in the keeper position, but the quaffle flew threw the left hoop, only nearly missing the bottom of it but it went through all the same.

Well. A win is a win, she must admit. She smiled at Howard, glad to finally have a win. She dove down and grabbed the quaffle before it hit the ground and back up again. She tried again, once again taking a deep breath and this time aimed for the right hoop. Repeating the same steps as before, she flew forward and launched the quaffle towards the circle.

This time, her aim was off and Howard was successful in blocking it. She watched helplessly as her second score attempt failed miserably. This made her unnecessarily frustrated. How can the universe just say oh, great job on that last score, now we’re gonna throw that in your face.

She let out a dramatic and frustrated sigh before bringing her hands up to massage at her temples. She couldn’t even look at Howard right now.

@Alma Stoll

Howard raised his brow as the younger Huffle chuckled at him taking up the hoops. Though it lit the competitive streak within him, he couldn't help but to smirk as well. The little moments of fun mixed with competitive sport often lead to a bond between teammates and who knew how Alma felt, but he could surely feel that now. These moment were pivotal in team building and Howard hoped he could hone that with his fellow Chaser. "Give it your best shot, kid." A playful poke at her age and inexperience that would hopefully urge her on.

Howard's crimson eyes popped with a bit a surprise as Alma reared her arm back and with surprising quickness, jolted forward with the Quaffle. Though he was pretty damn quick himself, the ball flew right past him and through the left hoop. "Nice shot!" Never a nice feeling to get beat, but he was happier with her performance than his own failure. "That's just the way to get it done! See how fast the Quaffle flies when you follow through like that!" Alma even swooped down to catch the ball before it landed and returned to position. Maybe this was just the confidence that he was looking for. Once you found that, you could really begin to rely on your skill and trust your instincts. Yet as she prepared for another shot, things would again fizzle.

As the Quaffle flew towards the right ring, Howard was easily able to block the attempt. It lacked the focus, aim and power of her first attempt. As discouraging as it can be, Alma's reaction to the failed shot went far beyond d what he thought was necessary. Not every shot is going to land. Hell, even after years of practice he would blow a shot every once in a while. However, just as Howard was about to scold Alma for her reaction, he remembered when he was first starting. The uncertainty in his personal life always seemed to find a way onto the pitch. Perhaps something like this was happening with her?

With a quick maneuver he would make his way from the hoops to come to her side. "Hey, what's going on, Alma?" Howard tried to use a soft tone while speaking to her. She had left out quite the huff and barely looked at him as she massaged her temples. He knew all too well how easily emotions could get the best of you. "Um...want to sit a minute? Talk it out?" Howard gestured to the nearby stands. He wasn't the most practiced in this type of thing, but he would surely try.

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A million thoughts at once we’re all crowding her mind at the moment. She didn’t know what was going on - maybe it was just a bad day, maybe it had something to do with her parents not owling her for a while, or maybe she had just lost her love for Quidditch. No, it couldn’t be that last one. She didn’t think she could lose that if she tried.

He came up next to her and she turned away out of instinct. She immediately felt bad, though; he was just trying to console her. His offer to sit and talk had her quietly nodding her head and flying down to the ground. The frustration came back when she reached the grass and she leaned her broom against one of the benches before ripping her helmet off and angrily tearing off her gloves.

She sat down in the bench with a huff and brought her legs up to rest against her chest. Burying her face in her knees, she once again avoided eye contact with Howard as she felt hot tears start to well in her eyes. Here she was, crying again in front of an upperclassman she looked up to. Howard couldn’t see her face, so the only indication that she was crying was the quiet sniffling and gentle sobs she let out every now and then. He wanted to talk this out, but i’m all honesty she really had no idea what to say. She didn’t know what was bothering her, didn’t know why she wasn’t performing well today.

“Maybe I just suck,” she said. Her long awaited words were, needless to say, rather unimpressive. She gave a pathetic sniffle before continuing. “I mean come on, i’m the worst on the team! I barely lasted a minute last match!”

She went back to hiding in Almatown. “I bet you never feel like this. You’re always so happy and awesome, I can’t imagine you’ve ever felt this…useless.”

@Alma Stoll

Howard let the sting of rejection pass him by as Alma turned away from him. He knew what it was like when the emotions were flooding out of control. You want help, but don't. You want someone to hear you, but you also just want to shout at them. The best thing he could do now was wait for the right moment. He followed behind her as they made their way to the ground and gave her space as she ripped off her equipment. Howard waited patiently for the anger and frustration to pass or at least subside. Again, with his experience, the flash of emotion would tucker out eventually.

He too would sit on the bench, giving her a bit of space but close enough for her to know that he was there for her. Alma may be embarrassed by the tears that flowed down her cheeks, evident by the sniffles and soft sobs that escaped her lips, but the truth was that Howard was a crier himself. Especially when he was frustrated or angry. Howard had to stifle a laugh when she claimed to just plain suck. It could be easy to feel that way, but he knew that wasn't the case. She never would have made the team if she didn't have the skill.

"You wouldn't have made it past tryouts if that was the case. Quinn and I don't just let anyone on the team." Howard tried to ensure her. "And you'll never learn to dodge a bludger without taking a few hits first. We've all been there. The truth is, no, you're not the best Chaser, right now." Emphasis on the last words of that sentence. "But I can see the raw talent you have for the spot. If you stick with it, if you stick with me, you'll be the one coaching the newcomers one day." Howard's epic pep talk was soon ended by Alma's next statement.

The words she chose made his words catch in his throat. Useless. She probably had no idea how heavy that word used to weigh on him. A boy rejected by one world and then sent to another, only to find that this new world could reject him too. He had spent many tumultuous years searching for who he was and where he belonged, harming others and himself along the way. Howard's head would now dip a little too. It would be easy just to tell Alma that she wasn't useless and move on, but perhaps if he chose to share in this moment he could do more than just cheer up a team mate.

"My life wasn't always this way, Alma." Howard spoke with a softer tone, almost a whisper. "I've felt useless before too. For a long time actually if I'm honest. Out here on the pitch," Memories of warming the bench as a second string Keeper came to mind, "but also in my personal life too. I had a really hard time adjusting to the magical world and then I went through my...changes." Howard still had a hard time describing his transformation to Dhampir, but he held out his clawed hands and looked to her with crimson colored eyes to emphasize his point. "You're not alone in your struggles."

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Her sniffling and small sobs came to a gradual slow as Howard began talking. Yes, it did make her feel a bit better, but she still couldn’t get the thoughts of self-doubt out of her mind. She looked up at him red-faced and teary-eyed, just a slight glimmer of hope there from his pep talk.

But the feelings wouldn’t go away, so she buried her head back into her knees and refused to look at him. The prolonged silence that followed her statement instantly made her think she had said something wrong. Perhaps she did. In any case, this didn’t make her feel any better and another sob was ripped from her throat at the thought that she had just made things worse.

Howard’s voice was soft as he spoke. So soft that she had to quiet herself down to hear it. She began taking deep breaths and opening up her ears to listen. He paused for a second in his speaking and she slowly lifted her head up to look at him.

He looked…sad. His head was lowered slightly, like he had just stoooed down to her level a bit. Boy, she had said something wrong. He held out his clawed hands and looked at Alma with the crimson eyes she had come to respect so much. Another tear slid down her face and she went to wipe it with her sleeve before standing up off the bench, head still hung low.

She walked over to where he was sitting a little ways away from her on the bench and immediately wrapped her arms around him for a tight hug. Wether he would return it or not, she’d now sit down directly beside him, nearly shoulder-to-shoulder. “Thanks for being the best captain ever.”

It was all she could say as she was now overcome with guilt on the situation. She had made Howard upset with what she’d said. She didn’t know why, as she had no idea the story behind Howard’s background and whatnot, but she still felt so guilty.

She sat in silence for a couple more moments before she couldn’t handle the curiosity anymore. “Can you…explain it? Adjusting to the magical world?” she asked. She didn’t want to pry, so she wouldn’t press further if he really didn’t want to tell her more, but she was itching to know.

@Alma Stoll

Though emotions were running high, the pair found a brief moment to connect with their eyes and perhaps there was a small glimmer of hope there too. Alma's statement had brought up feelings from his past that Howard had put behind him, but that did not mean that he couldn't remember how it felt. His little friend had done nothing wrong, yet it may seem so as the remembrance caught him off guard. Looking back on his life now, he would do nothing to change it as he had come to love who and what he was, but getting there had been a challenge almost too hard to accomplish.

Just as Howard had emphasized his point by drawing his attention to his striking features, Alma would rise and make her way towards him. His head cocked to the side ever so slightly. The younger Hufflepuff drew closer and closer, her arms stretching out before her. Before he knew it her arms were wrapped around him in a warm and touching embrace. His body stiffened for just a moment. Not because he didn't want the hug, but only because it was unexpected. As quickly as he tensed, he would melt into a puddle in her arms. Besides his girlfriend Bloom, the young man had little physical affection in his life. Although this was a much, much different relationship that was forming with Alma, it felt wonderful. Like the little sister he had never had. The moment reminded him of his younger life. It felt like home, like family. Howard's long arms would squeeze her tight and he cleared the emotion from his throat. "It's easy when I got people like you backing me up." It was the truth and he hoped Alma could recognize that in her time of need.

Howard would relish the moment for just a touch longer before letting his embrace slip away. A quick tussle of her hair his way of trying to lighten both of their moods before a brief silence fell between them. However, Alma's curiosity would soon break it. "Yeah, I think so." He agreed to try anyways. "It was really hard for me in the beginning. I mean, I had a life back home. Family, friends, all that. Then these weird people showed up and tried to tell me that I couldn't have that life anymore. Didn't have much, but it was mine, you know? They told me I had to leave it all behind because I was magical. I can see it as a gift now, but back then it felt like there was just something wrong with me and I had to be shipped off to try and figure it all out. My parents and I took it really hard and for a long time I felt so out of place. Does that make sense?" Howard hoped he was explain himself well enough for her to understand.

"And to be honest." Howard paused for a moment. This part was always hard to talk about. "For a long time I was just so damned scared of who I was and what was happening around me. Then I just turned all of that fear into anger. Almost like a shield if that makes sense. I drove so many people away..." His voice trailed off. He could look back on it now and realize it was all a part of getting to where he was now, but damn did it hurt getting there. "Then, this happened. Howard again held up his clawed hand to emphasize his physical features that were not human. "I was attacked at the end of my second year and turned to a dhampir. It was really bad, for a long time." His crimson eyes left hers and looked to nowhere as he remembered before making their way back. "But that was then and this is now, but feel free to ask any questions. Not often you get to speak to someone who's half dead." Howard nudged her with a playful elbow in an attempt to keep the mood from turning too dark.

"What about you? What's your background?" Howard's own curiosity began to peak as the bond between them seemed to be growing.