Post by ryder on Oct 6, 2011 15:58:57 GMT -8
friday, october 7, 2011 – around 4:00 pm
It was the beginning of the season, and Merlin, how he was itching to get back in the air. Over the summer holiday, it had been difficult. He couldn’t just hop on a broom and zoom around in the neighborhood he lived in – there were far too many muggles who wandered the streets. The summer had crept by at a snail’s pace, and he was yearning to get back into the groove of practice and strategy. He could practically feel the air whipping past and smell the clean grass. He had two years left in this school, and Merlin only knew, he was going to make sure the team was on top of things. He had been playing with some of these other competitors to know it wouldn’t come easily. Addison was ruthless, and he knew that the Slytherin and Gryffindor game would be tough. The rivalry always intensified things. Sofi was a captain, too, this year. Most of the Hufflepuffs were seasoned veterans, with a year or two on several of the Gryffindors. That game would also be a challenge.
But they would conquer.
The pitch wasn’t booked for any teams this evening, he had made sure to double-check, and even triple-checked it after classes. It would be empty, he reckoned. He had quickly changed out of his school clothes and into something more appropriate for physical activity before slipping out the front door and making his way in the direction of that beautiful grassy field. He had left a note in the common room, saying anyone was welcome to join him. A light smile adorned his face as he trudged down, broom in hand and a weathered quaffle beneath his arm. The weather was stunning for flying right now, and he almost wished that the team had a set practice tonight, just so everyone could be out enjoying it. Almost. As much as he adored the game and his teammates, Ryder wasn’t exactly sure how much he wanted some of the grueling drills they had done in the past. Not right now, now he just wanted something relaxed and invigorating. A short distance more and he didn’t even bother to get inside the pitch from traditional means, instead mounting the broom and kicking off.
It was everything he remembered and more. He had barely even begun to pick up speed and already he knew that this had been a good decision. The wind in his hair, tugging at his unzipped jacket. Ryder couldn’t help but yell. It may have been a long time since he had flown, but it had been even longer since he had flown for just the sensation of it. He climbed alongside one of the towers decorated with house colors, a large smile across his face. This was perfection. This was something he would never grow weary of. He shot across to circle around another tower, before dipping alongside one set of goalposts. Things were so calm and fun now, but he knew the pressure would be on once the games actually started. Not that they weren’t fun, they just required a different level of focus. He found himself stopping, hovering just inches from the nearest ring. He didn’t doubt his team in the slightest, but it seemed to be just a little bit different every year. Old people left and new people came. Who knew what the dynamic would be this year?
He was barely above the ground by the time he realized that he had somehow managed to distract himself. Oh well, no worries. His lips turned up in a smirk as he quickly looked around. Had nobody shown their face to join him? It didn’t matter. There was a particularly amused look on his face before he lightly skimmed across the grass, heading in the direction of the entrance. It took him a moment before he reacquainted his fingers with the quaffle. A turn to face the rings he had just come from and he took off, zipping about in almost erratic motions. He probably would have been commentating his own actions, but Ryder figured that wouldn’t have been a good idea if some of his teammates, or perhaps someone else, barged right on in. He was spiraling and all sorts of other movements that weren’t particularly the smartest, before easily sinking the ball through one of the goalposts. It was much easier without a keeper, he knew. Still, he needed to get used to the feeling of flying and playing again. He didn’t want a challenge at this point.
(I would've put a tag up or something, but I wanted to leave this open-ended. I don't care if some Gryffindors show up, I don't care if some Slytherins walk in. Or even a teacher. It honestly doesn't matter to me. I just really wanted to have a game-related-but-not-really thread for my boy.)