September 12th, 1889, after dinner — Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch

The time for Quidditch tryouts had arrived at last. He had the great fortune to get first dibs on the Quidditch pitch to host the tryouts for the Gryffindor team. It was bound to be highly competitive as there was only one slot. "Good evening, everyone! We only have one position open: the beater position," he began. Which honestly made his life a little easier when it came to prepping.

"As you can see I've set up an obstacle course that consists of moving targets. Your task is to hit as many as you can with the bludgers that will be flying about as you make your way through it. This will allow me to gauge both your flying skill combined with your hitting power and aim. All important things we need in a beater. Now, off you go!"

Please post once for each position you are trying out for. Make sure you have filled in the requisite form and have received a “like” from Kayte before posting! The deadline for all posts is 7pm EST on September 14th.

By posting in this thread, you agree to have your character present and whole regardless of what happens between the date of posting and the IC date listed.

The following 1 user Likes Royal Pyrites's post:1 user Likes Royal Pyrites's post
   Stella De Loncrey

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beautiful set by the incomparable MJ!

As what was slowly becoming an odd sort of tradition, Alcyone had signed up to tryout for the team. She did not have high hopes - especially since it was a beater position. There were older students trying out but whatever. At least she could say that she had tried. As Mister Pyrites bid them to begin, she kicked off. Making it through the course, she didn't do as good as she would have hoped for herself as she landed.

  

Sunday was surprised that Papa had said she could try out for the Quidditch team. She figured she might as well try since she had permission. Standing in the quidditch pitch, she felt about 6 inches tall. The stands were massive! Every time she insisted on not being impressed by the castle, she would turn around and her jaw would pop open. By this time she figured she should at least be used to it!

When it became her turn, she gripped the beater's club in her hand and kicked off the ground, jaw set as she was determined to do the best she could. And she did do the best she could! However, it was really up to the captain to determine if her efforts were good enough...

  

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magnificence by mj <3

Song-Jin was exploring the castle and playing on the moving stairs when he heard some older students talking, "I heard Gryffindor was seeking another Beater this year, think they will be better than last year?." "Probably not, Hufflepuff has this year in the bag, our Captain is unbeatable! Quiddich? Song-Jin slid down the railing and ran towards the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. "Hay, What is....ummmm Quidich?" The two students turned to him with a confused look, "You mean Quidditch? It is the best Wizarding sport!" "It's is? How do you play?" The older students look him up and down, "Muggleborn I assume? Well it is two teams, each team has three Chasers, two Beaters, the Keeper, and the Seeker...." Song-Jin stood there for a while talking to them and learning about the game.


Later that day, Song-Jin found himself on the Quidditch Pitch and he appeared to be the youngest and smallest. He watched the others tryout in amazement and noticed the Beater was kind of like a flying swordsman. He smiled widely as the sword was his best weapon back in Korea. He had come here wanting to be a Seeker and learn how to do all those amazing dives and death defying grabs, but Beater sounded like a lot of fun. As he watched the other tryouts happened, he studied their movements with the same analytical knowledge as his dad taught him to study an enemy's movements in combat. Some of the things they did were so graceful and fluid, especially the ladies, but some people ended up crashing because they were shifting their weight against their turns and not with them which created unbalance causing them to fall or need to over correct.

It was then Song-Jin's turn. He grabbed the bat and broom and looked up at the obstacle course. He straddled the broom and kicked off, sending himself into the air too high and quickly. The rush of the wind around him was exhilarating. He was taken aback by this feeling again. He tried moving the broom like he was taught and found it responded to his body rather well. After a few minutes he yelled back down to the Captain,"READY!" When he was given the go he rushed forward heading to the obstacle course and letting his body just react naturally. He knew it would rely more on instinct than thought and if he over thought this he'd crash like some of the others. He gripped the bat and began hitting the balls. The first one he just deflected and it did not go to towards the goal, but as he kept going he began getting the hang of not just deflecting, but directing.

He felt he was doing really good until one bludger caught him from a blind spot and knocked him off his broom. He had to dropped his bat to grab the broom and hold on. Hanging there he saw the bludger coming back at him for more and at first, feared gripped him and he swung himself to dodge the incoming ball. His heart was racing and he was unsure what to do. He saw the ball curving and coming back again. He looked at the ground and saw everyone looking at him and someone coming to save him. He didn't like this, he had promised himself he would become the best and make his family proud, not be a wimp. His eyes narrowed at the incoming bludger, "COME N' GET ME!" He then realized he had no bat and that was a stupid thing to yell. He decided to rock himself on his broom back and forth to get some momentum and right before the bludger would connect he swung his foot at it and heard a cracking sound as he kicked the Bludger into the goal.

The student coming to help him, helped him back on his broom and landing. Song-Jin wore his wide smile as he jumped off the broom, but then fell to the ground due to kicking a Bludger and getting a spranged foot. He lay on the ground laughing despite the pain and couldn't wait til he could fly on a broom again!

  

Stella had never truly understood some of the rules from their society. She knew she ought to keep them at heart and foolishly obey to every single rule, as expected of a lady, but something inside her didn’t want to bow down to each expectation. There was a constant doubt surrounding her mind of where these rules came from - who had created them, and why. She read more than what was expected of a person her age, not because she loved stories, though she liked them just fine, but her interest lied in learning more of her own condition. So she read whatever she could of times she lived in and times that came before her. Literature that was meant for men. For males. There was nothing quite subversive as words in a book and the ‘improper’ reader.

However, she wouldn’t leave her worries and doubts in books. If she read, that’s because she needed to apply the knowledge on the world. Be it through heated discussions and fair warnings, be it through what she was about to do: try out for the Gryffindor team of quidditch. It was finally the day! And though she was a ball of nerves, she could hardly contain her excitement. In fact, she even turned to eating quite fast - and arrived early so her stomach wouldn’t complain -, that way she could go to her Common Room, have her hair tied in a good knot, find comfortable shoes and only then hurry to the grounds.

The Gryffindor girl waved to Royal as soon as she stepped foot inside the feet. They had fun exchanging letters before the start of this Hogwarts year, but she was confident her skills would get her a position, not any kind of friendship with the captain. After all, she could never be happy with herself if not capable to beat those who were up against her for the tryouts. Which, speaking of, she noticed most of them were younger. Not so fun, but it would do. "Hey there!" She said to a friend who had arrived to see her try, just before giving them a hug when no one was looking.

"I’m so glad you came! You can sit somewhere close. I think this is gonna be fun. Maybe I’ll have the chance to hit the bludger somewhere fantastic." Stella laughed, thinking to herself just maybe she could impress everyone and not only the captain. They’d see. Before anything, she had to get the bat. The broom was in her hand since before leaving the common room, but the bat was a whole other deal - better to get one when she was sure she made it into the team, so she got it borrowed from a friend of another house.

Her resolve was nothing if admirable, especially after words were said of their mission. Nothing too impossible, though she understood how a bludger or two might easily miss the target due to overconfidence. Lack of patience too, but in the field, in an actual game, she’d probably have to act fast instead of take her time to think. Either way, this was gonna be fun… Stella smiled to herself before hopping onto the broom and letting it fly upwards, eyes never leaving the set of moving targets.

She could do it, and she could make it fun in the meantime. 

  

Royal watched as the hopefuls performed the task that he had laid out for them. He made notes on each ones technique and skill. He was also pretty biased but he wasn't about to say so out loud. "All right, everyone, that's good. Thanks for trying out - the results will be posted on the bulletin board on the fifteenth of September!"

  

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beautiful set by the incomparable MJ!