26 Mar 2020, 15:23
When Badgers Fly
@Lydia Cooper @Aaron Jones
[font=Segoe Print]It was a rather beautiful day on the Grounds, as anyone would be quick to realize, the sun streaming in through the fluffy clouds and painting the scenery in a lovely, golden hue. The grass was a vibrant green, alive with the color of spring, soft and moist beneath the feet of Gryffindor chaser as he trekked down to the Hogwarts Practice Pitch, an ambitious grin on his face as he took in the wonderful sights of the newly arrived spring. Birds, it seemed, had chosen to grace the skies with their magnificent presences, performing their grand songs into the open air, as butterflies and bees scattered themselves amongst the newly-blossomed flowers. He absently noticed the slight breeze to the air, gentle yet biting, enough to give a student without a scarf some minor grief on their merry outdoor adventure – there was a wet, humid smell to the air, also, an nature’s way of pointing out the gray sky lingering in the far distance. A storm was surely on its way, bringing with it a dark, uncontrollable rage that was sure to ravage the skies with its anger– the April showers were looming, ready to drench anything and everything in the tears of Mother Nature.
Nonetheless, it was a rather perfect day for flying, the boy had long since decided as he’d entered the training pitch, clad in full Quidditch attire, a shiny captain’s badge vibrant on his chest. With a broom-in-hand and a bright smile on his face, he took a short moment to bask in the storm air, the wet smell invading his sinuses and falling over him like a wave, washing away any lingering feelings of stress once tensing his shoulders and leaving him on-edge. It was days like these, that made the world beautiful – it was easy to forget the looming images of industry and pollution on the countryside, where everything looked so fresh, young, untouched by the hands of the wretched humans. For a moment, the boy allowed himself to truly enjoy the sights that met his eyes, storing the image of such a location in his head, among the more magnificent sights he’d seen in his short lifetime.
Such an idea caused his mind to wander once more, to sights much more beautiful than the scenery at hand. After all, it wasn’t for just any reason, that the young Captain had decided to make his way down to the Pitch on such a day. On the contrary, he’d found the weather so lovely, the breeze so inviting, that he’d sent Lydia – lovely, beautiful Lydia – an owl early in the morning, regarding a favor he owed her. He’d been longing to see her for a while now, hear her airy voice, see her pretty face – however, such actions often warranted explanations, as his feelings for the girl were still quite… confusing, to put it simply. Was it that he liked the girl? In more ways than a friend?
She’d responded rather quickly, in fact, with a message of her own. Her response had… puzzled him, to say the least. He’d never really taken the girl as the Quidditch type, as she’d never come across as sports-centered or overly athletic. Perhaps the idea of Lydia in a Quidditch Uniform brought the boy an ounce of humor, if not good-natured, as he’d seen many a pretty girl board a broom. Her veela nature [Was she a veela? Was it his mind playing tricks on him?] would surely come in handy quite a bit for Hufflepuff, he absently realized, a fact that brought the boy very little solace. Hufflepuff was already ahead, they didn’t need extra hands on the field.
[It wasn’t necessarily his own fault, nor Kyle’s, that the Gryffindor Team had been behind. It seemed as if, as brave and lionhearted as the house was, the team sorely lackaed dedicated players. On top of that, the Lion ranks were full of rookies, half-cocked players who didn’t know what they were doing half the time. Raw talent, surely, but never let it be said that Gryffindor couldn’t use a few dark horses. He was determined to live up to his name – he was of the youngest Captains in Hogwarts History, after all. If he were to go down in the books, it would have t eb for victory. There would be no other option.]
Nonetheless, he’d heeded her request, laboriously hauling the ball crate onto the field earlier in the morning – one quaffle, two bludgers, and a golden snitch, all hiding in the expanses of the dark maroon box. The boy had also grabbed a beater’s bat from the locker room, sitting haphazardly on top of the crate. Hopefully, such things would be enough to please Lydia – he’d hope so, because the boy surely wasn’t going to make a habit of dragging such a heavy box onto the field.
Crossing his arms, he looked around, scanning for the badger girl in question. It wouldn’t be long now – he’d set the meeting time at 4:00 pm, which had only been a couple minutes prior. Now, where is she… [/font]
[font=Segoe Print]It was a rather beautiful day on the Grounds, as anyone would be quick to realize, the sun streaming in through the fluffy clouds and painting the scenery in a lovely, golden hue. The grass was a vibrant green, alive with the color of spring, soft and moist beneath the feet of Gryffindor chaser as he trekked down to the Hogwarts Practice Pitch, an ambitious grin on his face as he took in the wonderful sights of the newly arrived spring. Birds, it seemed, had chosen to grace the skies with their magnificent presences, performing their grand songs into the open air, as butterflies and bees scattered themselves amongst the newly-blossomed flowers. He absently noticed the slight breeze to the air, gentle yet biting, enough to give a student without a scarf some minor grief on their merry outdoor adventure – there was a wet, humid smell to the air, also, an nature’s way of pointing out the gray sky lingering in the far distance. A storm was surely on its way, bringing with it a dark, uncontrollable rage that was sure to ravage the skies with its anger– the April showers were looming, ready to drench anything and everything in the tears of Mother Nature.
Nonetheless, it was a rather perfect day for flying, the boy had long since decided as he’d entered the training pitch, clad in full Quidditch attire, a shiny captain’s badge vibrant on his chest. With a broom-in-hand and a bright smile on his face, he took a short moment to bask in the storm air, the wet smell invading his sinuses and falling over him like a wave, washing away any lingering feelings of stress once tensing his shoulders and leaving him on-edge. It was days like these, that made the world beautiful – it was easy to forget the looming images of industry and pollution on the countryside, where everything looked so fresh, young, untouched by the hands of the wretched humans. For a moment, the boy allowed himself to truly enjoy the sights that met his eyes, storing the image of such a location in his head, among the more magnificent sights he’d seen in his short lifetime.
Such an idea caused his mind to wander once more, to sights much more beautiful than the scenery at hand. After all, it wasn’t for just any reason, that the young Captain had decided to make his way down to the Pitch on such a day. On the contrary, he’d found the weather so lovely, the breeze so inviting, that he’d sent Lydia – lovely, beautiful Lydia – an owl early in the morning, regarding a favor he owed her. He’d been longing to see her for a while now, hear her airy voice, see her pretty face – however, such actions often warranted explanations, as his feelings for the girl were still quite… confusing, to put it simply. Was it that he liked the girl? In more ways than a friend?
She’d responded rather quickly, in fact, with a message of her own. Her response had… puzzled him, to say the least. He’d never really taken the girl as the Quidditch type, as she’d never come across as sports-centered or overly athletic. Perhaps the idea of Lydia in a Quidditch Uniform brought the boy an ounce of humor, if not good-natured, as he’d seen many a pretty girl board a broom. Her veela nature [Was she a veela? Was it his mind playing tricks on him?] would surely come in handy quite a bit for Hufflepuff, he absently realized, a fact that brought the boy very little solace. Hufflepuff was already ahead, they didn’t need extra hands on the field.
[It wasn’t necessarily his own fault, nor Kyle’s, that the Gryffindor Team had been behind. It seemed as if, as brave and lionhearted as the house was, the team sorely lackaed dedicated players. On top of that, the Lion ranks were full of rookies, half-cocked players who didn’t know what they were doing half the time. Raw talent, surely, but never let it be said that Gryffindor couldn’t use a few dark horses. He was determined to live up to his name – he was of the youngest Captains in Hogwarts History, after all. If he were to go down in the books, it would have t eb for victory. There would be no other option.]
Nonetheless, he’d heeded her request, laboriously hauling the ball crate onto the field earlier in the morning – one quaffle, two bludgers, and a golden snitch, all hiding in the expanses of the dark maroon box. The boy had also grabbed a beater’s bat from the locker room, sitting haphazardly on top of the crate. Hopefully, such things would be enough to please Lydia – he’d hope so, because the boy surely wasn’t going to make a habit of dragging such a heavy box onto the field.
Crossing his arms, he looked around, scanning for the badger girl in question. It wouldn’t be long now – he’d set the meeting time at 4:00 pm, which had only been a couple minutes prior. Now, where is she… [/font]
I probably haven't collected my allowance yet.
26 Mar 2020, 19:57
When Badgers Fly
The last couple of days had been quite weird for Lydia. After Sunday's events she ended up spending that night in the Hospital Wing, and after that everything seemingly went back to normal, even though the red headed girl felt everything but normal.
When she had finally seen Aaron again she had confided in him about what she had found out and her best friend, being the amazing person that he was, had comforted her and let her talk about it. Lydia was so happy to have Aaron in her life, he was a really good friend and she felt completely comfortable with him. After she had unloaded all of that on the poor boy, she also decided to tell him about her little crush on a certain Gryffindor boy that had been a lot in her thoughts lately. Lydia still couldn't believe how easily she had opened up with him since the very first time they had met in the Rehearsal room; there was something about him that just made her be completely honest, no matter the subject.
When that morning she had woken up, the sun was shining bright in the sky, and for the first time in a while her first thought was how pretty the sky looked, and not how she wanted to just stay in bed all day. She had been trying her best though, she kept going to her classes and doing her homework, and on the outside she still looked like the same old Lydia. It was inside that she felt like a complete mess.
At breakfast she had munched on some cereals with milk, not feeling particularly hungry, and she was just staring at her still half full bowl when an owl landed gently in front of her, a message attached to it. She had looked around confused before taking the note, and her face light up in a bright smile, her heartbeat slightly faster. It was from Rafael, and he was inviting her to the Quidditch training pitch to help her with her flying problem. Lydia looked around to see if maybe the boy was in the Great Hall for breakfast, and when she couldn't see him she decided to answer him via owl. She was over the moon, her smile so big that her muscles started hurting a little bit, but she couldn't help it; as she wrote her message, she decided to ask the Gryffindor boy to bring the Quidditch equipment, adding then "how often would I have the chance of one of the Captains of the teams to help me with it?" as an explanation for the random request -and not at all as a way to flirt, or ty to at least.
As the day went on, Lydia found herself getting particularly nervous at the thought of the meeting with Rafael, and at lunch she had asked Aaron if he wanted to join her. "Please, Aaron? It would be a great opportunity to train with one of the Captains!" she had told him to try and persuade him, and when he had finally agreed, Lydia had grinned wide.
So here they were now, at almost four, on their way to the training pitch.
Before meeting Aaron in the common room, she had changed in a pair of sport leggings, some trainers, a white t-shirt and a simple black hoodie, or as she would call it, the battle hoodie, that she usually used as a pyjama top during winter; her best friend had taken care of bringing the brooms, and now Lydia felt in her stomach a mix of anxiety and excitement.
When they arrived at the pitch, Lydia bit on her bottom lip as they walked inside and her eyes land on Rafael, fully dressed in his Quidditch attire, and she felt extremely grateful for Aaron's calming presence next to her, otherwise she might have just run back inside, too scared of making a fool of herself.
She had also realised she hadn't told Rafael that Aaron was coming along, and she really hoped the Gryffindor boy wouldn't have been upset.
"Oh boy... why did I agree Aaron? I'll just embarrass myself, and potentially hurt me, you, and him," she groaned, her eyes settling then on her friendship bracelet that Aaron had made for her. Maybe she should have taken it off, just in case she would have fallen from the broom. She still treasured the happiness she had felt when Aaron had given it to her, on Women's day, the whole situation incredibly funny since she had also planned on giving the boy a friendship bracelet she had made earlier in the month. She had made it in his favourite colours, light blue and blue, and she had added a rose gold charm shaped like an L as a finishing touch.
Rafael didn't seem like he had noticed them, so Lydia put on her usual smile (even though it still didn't reach her eyes, not completely at least) and she waved at the boy.
"Rafael! Hi!" she greeted him once they were close enough.
@Rafael D'Spacito , @Aaron Jones
Last edited by Lydia Cooper on 1 Apr 2020, 21:10, edited 1 time in total.
"Everything beautiful is ruined eventually."
|| PART VEELA || ALLURING || LOVELY CREATURE || SCREAM
27 Mar 2020, 15:43
When Badgers Fly
Aaron Jones was... confused. A few days ago, he had been convinced that his best mate Lydia was a muggle-born like himself. That's actually how they met! Bonding in the common room about missing their muggle families. So, finding out her mother was actually a witch was a huge adjustment! Of course, he knew it was an even bigger adjustment for her. All he had wanted to do was ask questions on how this could be, but it was clear to him that Lydia was distraught by the news and needed to be comforted, not interrogated. So, he held in his questions and he listened and he expressed as much understanding as he could. That's what the blue friendship bracelet on his wrist called for.
But on top of that, to find out that she had confided in some random Gryffindor boy that she had a crush on? He had no idea why, but it just didn't sit right with him. He found himself upset with Rafael D'Spacito. Why did he get to be the first to know? It should've been Aaron helping Lydia to the Hospital Wing and making sure she was okay. He didn't let his irrational anger show in front of her, but... why was he feeling it? Maybe because he felt protective of Lydia? Yes, yes, that must be it. He was just protective of her, and he didn't want her to get more hurt than she already was.
The next few days seemed to turn everything back to normal, though. Aaron's angry feelings were forgotten as the week of classes went on. He and Lydia were talking normally again. While she still seemed a little sad and off, Aaron tried to distract her with their normal activities. Studying, chatting, and occasionally showing her bits of Taekwondo. Although she wasn't the type to try and learn it, she was always a good audience to his routine.
When Thursday lunch rolled around, the last thing he had been expecting was mention of the Gryffindor boy again. But here Lydia was, inviting Aaron to go fly with her and Rafael. For a moment, Aaron was actually excited by the idea. Flying was the love of his life, and Lydia knew this very well. But then he remembered. Rafael was the guy Lydia had a crush on. The guy that had been there for her when she found out her devastating family news. The guy who had never been there before. Not like Aaron was.
"Yeah, of course, I'll go," he said to Lydia with a smile. He wanted to meet this guy for himself, and see what he was about. And having an excuse to go fly was nice, too. Professor Bercegeay would be much more willing to let him borrow the school brooms if he was being supervised by the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. After classes, Aaron went down to the flying professor and convinced her to let him borrow two school brooms. She had a lot more trust in him these days when it came to borrowing brooms, especially after the successful training he had done with Willow a few weeks ago.
Back in the Hufflepuff dorms, Aaron changed into his normal workout gear. A loose-fitting long-sleeved white t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. His black trainers completed the greyscale outfit nicely. When he encountered Lydia in the common room, he handed over one of the brooms and reassured her that it would fly well. There was one school broom that was miles above the rest here at Hogwarts. Aaron always made sure that he got that broom during flying class and during these little training sessions. That's the broom he handed Lydia now, keeping the other, far inferior broom for himself. Even though he wasn't a fan of this whole arrangement, he wanted Lydia to do well, and a good broom was the first step.
As they walked down to the training pitch, Aaron could practically feel Lydia's nerves radiating off of her. When they finally reached the pitch, she finally voiced her anxiety. "Lyd, calm down," he said, laughing softly as they approached the Gryffindor boy. He didn't understand what the big deal was. Yeah, this guy was a Quidditch captain, but Lydia didn't even care for Quidditch that much. It had been a task just getting her to come to the Hufflepuff v Ravenclaw game earlier that month! Was it his good looks that made her nervous? Was he good looking? Aaron had not met Rafael before, only seeing him in passing in classes..
"I won't let you embarrass yourself. Promise," he said, looking at her and catching her eye. He grinned and nudged her playfully as they approached Rafael.
"Hey Rafael, I'm Aaron!" he introduced, after Lydia had gotten the boy's attention. "Lydia said you'd be willing to show us a few things on a broom?" He was trying not to sound too excited. In reality, he was beyond ecstatic to be getting one-on-one time with a Quidditch captain. But at the same time, he was being cautious. Was Lydia's crush on him misguided?
@Lydia Cooper and @Rafael D'Spacito
But on top of that, to find out that she had confided in some random Gryffindor boy that she had a crush on? He had no idea why, but it just didn't sit right with him. He found himself upset with Rafael D'Spacito. Why did he get to be the first to know? It should've been Aaron helping Lydia to the Hospital Wing and making sure she was okay. He didn't let his irrational anger show in front of her, but... why was he feeling it? Maybe because he felt protective of Lydia? Yes, yes, that must be it. He was just protective of her, and he didn't want her to get more hurt than she already was.
The next few days seemed to turn everything back to normal, though. Aaron's angry feelings were forgotten as the week of classes went on. He and Lydia were talking normally again. While she still seemed a little sad and off, Aaron tried to distract her with their normal activities. Studying, chatting, and occasionally showing her bits of Taekwondo. Although she wasn't the type to try and learn it, she was always a good audience to his routine.
When Thursday lunch rolled around, the last thing he had been expecting was mention of the Gryffindor boy again. But here Lydia was, inviting Aaron to go fly with her and Rafael. For a moment, Aaron was actually excited by the idea. Flying was the love of his life, and Lydia knew this very well. But then he remembered. Rafael was the guy Lydia had a crush on. The guy that had been there for her when she found out her devastating family news. The guy who had never been there before. Not like Aaron was.
"Yeah, of course, I'll go," he said to Lydia with a smile. He wanted to meet this guy for himself, and see what he was about. And having an excuse to go fly was nice, too. Professor Bercegeay would be much more willing to let him borrow the school brooms if he was being supervised by the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. After classes, Aaron went down to the flying professor and convinced her to let him borrow two school brooms. She had a lot more trust in him these days when it came to borrowing brooms, especially after the successful training he had done with Willow a few weeks ago.
Back in the Hufflepuff dorms, Aaron changed into his normal workout gear. A loose-fitting long-sleeved white t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. His black trainers completed the greyscale outfit nicely. When he encountered Lydia in the common room, he handed over one of the brooms and reassured her that it would fly well. There was one school broom that was miles above the rest here at Hogwarts. Aaron always made sure that he got that broom during flying class and during these little training sessions. That's the broom he handed Lydia now, keeping the other, far inferior broom for himself. Even though he wasn't a fan of this whole arrangement, he wanted Lydia to do well, and a good broom was the first step.
As they walked down to the training pitch, Aaron could practically feel Lydia's nerves radiating off of her. When they finally reached the pitch, she finally voiced her anxiety. "Lyd, calm down," he said, laughing softly as they approached the Gryffindor boy. He didn't understand what the big deal was. Yeah, this guy was a Quidditch captain, but Lydia didn't even care for Quidditch that much. It had been a task just getting her to come to the Hufflepuff v Ravenclaw game earlier that month! Was it his good looks that made her nervous? Was he good looking? Aaron had not met Rafael before, only seeing him in passing in classes..
"I won't let you embarrass yourself. Promise," he said, looking at her and catching her eye. He grinned and nudged her playfully as they approached Rafael.
"Hey Rafael, I'm Aaron!" he introduced, after Lydia had gotten the boy's attention. "Lydia said you'd be willing to show us a few things on a broom?" He was trying not to sound too excited. In reality, he was beyond ecstatic to be getting one-on-one time with a Quidditch captain. But at the same time, he was being cautious. Was Lydia's crush on him misguided?
@Lydia Cooper and @Rafael D'Spacito
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
1 Apr 2020, 21:59
When Badgers Fly
@Aaron Jones @Lydia Cooper
[font=Segoe Print]"Rafael! Hi!"
The voice of an angel rang through the crisp April air, soft and airy, filling the ears of the Gryffindor Captain with hot pools of warmth, a serum that ran through his dead limbs and brought a new wave of energy bursting into his livelihood. The boy’s lips twitched upwards in recognition, his eyes sparkling in anticipation as he bit his lip, the image of the redhead in question popping into his head in almost an instant. Could it be? He turned in that moment, his eyes quickly catching the form of the Hufflepuff Girl he had so un-gracefully saved from the rocks only days ago, her red hair cascading down in bouncy curls, deep green eyes piercing his own from across the field. The girl had to be an angel – there was no other explanation for her fair mannerisms, beautiful countenance, friendly demeanor. He couldn’t help the bright grin that slipped onto his face in that moment, her aura contagious enough to catch onto his own, spreading through his being like a contagion and infecting him with a type of euphoria that was mood-lightening and peaceful all at once. It was rather strange, how the world around the girl seemed to light up, nature itself celebrating her presence as she walked up to the other boy, a smile on her face. Yes, she was an angel. There was no other explanation that the boy would hear.
Rafael could do little but bite his lip, to keep himself from gaping in her wake – he had to stay professional. However, one could hardly blame him. It was only the natural reaction to such supernatural beauty. It wasn’t like he actually liked her like that, or whatever. “Hey, Lydia,” he voiced in a friendly tone, his Hispanic accent thick and utterly unavoidable as he spoke. However, his happiness would be short-lived – It was in that moment that he noticed the boy.
It was a Hufflepuff, one he’d never before seen in his eleven-years-of-life, his bright eyes a deep brown color, his skin olive, his face the eternally-smiling sort, the same kind that exuded a sense of happiness no matter which way its features turned. The boy was rather handsome for a first year, yes – Rafael couldn’t help but feel a spark of enmity deep within his soul, burning ever brighter as the moments wore on. Or, was it jealousy? Were they a couple, or something? Why did Rafa even care? It wasn’t like he liked Lydia like that... right?
"Hey Rafael, I'm Aaron! Lydia said you'd be willing to show us a few things on a broom?"
Whatever reservations the Gryffindor had towards the Hufflepuff boy – Aaron, that is – he would do well to keep them to himself, instead putting on a practiced mask of indifference. Lydia obviously liked the guy in some way – he definitely couldn’t go making enemies with anyone yet. Instead, the young Captain extended his hand outwards, his eyes carrying a subtle sort of confusion, only noticeable to those with a keen attention, and his mouth upturned in a warm smile. “Nice to meet you, Aaron,” he said smilingly, not a single tell to indicate his true feelings. Then, glancing over at his favorite Hufflepuff, “Lydia, you didn’t tell me about your plus one? Could’ve brought more beaters’ bats...” It was a friendly, innocent prod, though his intentions were certainly less than honorable. Perhaps a part of him was angry, that the girl would invite another guy. Or, maybe it was curiosity. Who was Aaron? What was his relationship with Lydia?
He considered the situation for a moment, chewing his lip with a furrowed brow. Lydia’s boyfriend aside, he really hadn’t been expecting another face to show. Which, certainly wasn’t a problem – however, another person to instruct made for divided attention, which could be a bit risky when training people how to fly. He supposed he had been training his team for the past few weeks, a thought that brought him little solace. What were a couple of Huffles? Then again, his team had already learned how to fly, and had garnered a general concept for the game. The boy now found himself in a whole new ballpark of opportunity, the likes of which he had yet to test.
But never let it be said that he’d back away from a good challenge.
“I’d be happy to show you a few things on the broom,” he eventually said, threading his hand through his hair for a moment, a thoughtful look now upon his face. “But, before we start, I have to ask – how much do you all know about flying? Not… that it matters all that much.” He rubbed his neck in that moment, his eyes flitting to the two badgers standing in front of him. “I mean, I assume you guys have taken Olphie’s class earlier this year, so I have a hard time believing you all are that new to this. Have you all had prior flying training? I guess what I’m trying to say, is,” he paused, grasping for the words, “where would you all like to start?” [/font]
[font=Segoe Print]"Rafael! Hi!"
The voice of an angel rang through the crisp April air, soft and airy, filling the ears of the Gryffindor Captain with hot pools of warmth, a serum that ran through his dead limbs and brought a new wave of energy bursting into his livelihood. The boy’s lips twitched upwards in recognition, his eyes sparkling in anticipation as he bit his lip, the image of the redhead in question popping into his head in almost an instant. Could it be? He turned in that moment, his eyes quickly catching the form of the Hufflepuff Girl he had so un-gracefully saved from the rocks only days ago, her red hair cascading down in bouncy curls, deep green eyes piercing his own from across the field. The girl had to be an angel – there was no other explanation for her fair mannerisms, beautiful countenance, friendly demeanor. He couldn’t help the bright grin that slipped onto his face in that moment, her aura contagious enough to catch onto his own, spreading through his being like a contagion and infecting him with a type of euphoria that was mood-lightening and peaceful all at once. It was rather strange, how the world around the girl seemed to light up, nature itself celebrating her presence as she walked up to the other boy, a smile on her face. Yes, she was an angel. There was no other explanation that the boy would hear.
Rafael could do little but bite his lip, to keep himself from gaping in her wake – he had to stay professional. However, one could hardly blame him. It was only the natural reaction to such supernatural beauty. It wasn’t like he actually liked her like that, or whatever. “Hey, Lydia,” he voiced in a friendly tone, his Hispanic accent thick and utterly unavoidable as he spoke. However, his happiness would be short-lived – It was in that moment that he noticed the boy.
It was a Hufflepuff, one he’d never before seen in his eleven-years-of-life, his bright eyes a deep brown color, his skin olive, his face the eternally-smiling sort, the same kind that exuded a sense of happiness no matter which way its features turned. The boy was rather handsome for a first year, yes – Rafael couldn’t help but feel a spark of enmity deep within his soul, burning ever brighter as the moments wore on. Or, was it jealousy? Were they a couple, or something? Why did Rafa even care? It wasn’t like he liked Lydia like that... right?
"Hey Rafael, I'm Aaron! Lydia said you'd be willing to show us a few things on a broom?"
Whatever reservations the Gryffindor had towards the Hufflepuff boy – Aaron, that is – he would do well to keep them to himself, instead putting on a practiced mask of indifference. Lydia obviously liked the guy in some way – he definitely couldn’t go making enemies with anyone yet. Instead, the young Captain extended his hand outwards, his eyes carrying a subtle sort of confusion, only noticeable to those with a keen attention, and his mouth upturned in a warm smile. “Nice to meet you, Aaron,” he said smilingly, not a single tell to indicate his true feelings. Then, glancing over at his favorite Hufflepuff, “Lydia, you didn’t tell me about your plus one? Could’ve brought more beaters’ bats...” It was a friendly, innocent prod, though his intentions were certainly less than honorable. Perhaps a part of him was angry, that the girl would invite another guy. Or, maybe it was curiosity. Who was Aaron? What was his relationship with Lydia?
He considered the situation for a moment, chewing his lip with a furrowed brow. Lydia’s boyfriend aside, he really hadn’t been expecting another face to show. Which, certainly wasn’t a problem – however, another person to instruct made for divided attention, which could be a bit risky when training people how to fly. He supposed he had been training his team for the past few weeks, a thought that brought him little solace. What were a couple of Huffles? Then again, his team had already learned how to fly, and had garnered a general concept for the game. The boy now found himself in a whole new ballpark of opportunity, the likes of which he had yet to test.
But never let it be said that he’d back away from a good challenge.
“I’d be happy to show you a few things on the broom,” he eventually said, threading his hand through his hair for a moment, a thoughtful look now upon his face. “But, before we start, I have to ask – how much do you all know about flying? Not… that it matters all that much.” He rubbed his neck in that moment, his eyes flitting to the two badgers standing in front of him. “I mean, I assume you guys have taken Olphie’s class earlier this year, so I have a hard time believing you all are that new to this. Have you all had prior flying training? I guess what I’m trying to say, is,” he paused, grasping for the words, “where would you all like to start?” [/font]
I probably haven't collected my allowance yet.
1 Apr 2020, 23:22
When Badgers Fly
As Lydia kept walking towards Rafael, a weird feeling sat in her stomach; she felt anxious but excited, the mix making her walk slightly quicker than her usual pace.The moment that Rafael turned around, she found herself locking eyes with him, and for a brief second it felt as if her heart had stopped and then started beating again, following a faster rhythm. She knew she was blushing, quite hard as well, her cheeks feeling as if they were on fire as she slightly brushed her fingers on her left one while she was adjusting a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
When they finally reached the Gryffindor boy, Lydia smiled wide and only then looked away from Rafael, as she turned towards Aaron to introduce them. Her best friend had been quicker though, as he introduced himself, and Lydia couldn't help but nervously nibble on her bottom lip, her shoulders slightly tense as she waited for the other boy's reaction. The moment that Rafael extended his hand towards Aaron, the red headed girl relaxed a little bit and she let go of her bottom lip, and she couldn't help the little smile that appeared on her lips as she noticed Rafael's warm one.
“Lydia, you didn’t tell me about your plus one? Could’ve brought more beaters’ bats...”
Lydia's face became red once again and she looked down at the grown, her hand nervously playing with her friendship bracelet on her wrist. She knew she should have told Rafael about Aaron, or even better, she should have asked him if it would have been okay for him if the other Hufflepuff came along, before saying anything at all.
"I know, I'm sorry," she apologised, "I forgot to tell you. I just thought that since Aaron loves flying and Quidditch, and well, since you're the Captain of Gryffindor's team, it might have been a good opportunity for him to learn new tricks and those things..." Lydia was pretty sure that if someone would have broken an egg on her cheeks, she might have been able to cook it for how red she was in that moment. On the bright side, at least the Gryffindor Captain wasn't upset, for what Lydia could tell.
She listened to him talking, noticing how concentrated and focused he already looked; she wondered how it was like for Rafael before a Quidditch match, if he was scared, or anxious, or just excited for it, and in that moment she realised she had never seen him fly. The only Quidditch game she had ever been was the Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw game, so she never had the chance to see the Gryffindor team in action. She looked between Aaron and Rafael as the Gryffindor boy finished talking, and then focused once again on Rafael as she answered him.
"Well, Aaron is pretty good at flying! So I think the only real problem is me," she admitted with an embarrassed smile on her lips, "As for me, I've taken Olphie's classes yes, but... they didn't go too well. I'm slightly terrified of flying too high, and mind you, for too high I mean more than one meter above the ground," Lydia tried to joke a little bit, but she had the feeling that she was the only one finding the whole thing slightly funny.
She was right though, she was scared of flying, both with broomsticks and with an airplane, even if the muggle way was less scary than the magical one. The first flying lesson she had managed to make the broom move up in her hand quite easily, and the problems had started only once she had to properly try to fly: she had tensed up a lot, making the broomstick move with jerky movements in every direction. The following classes went slightly better, but she was still pretty much a disaster.
"I'm not really sure where to start; maybe I could show you guys how I, well, try to fly, and then we could proceed from there?" she asked, not really sure if what she had suggested was a good idea or not. "And for previous flying experience, aside from here at Hogwarts, the only other way I've ever flew had been in a plane, since I'm muggle-" Lydia stopped mid-sentence, her face darkening a little at the sad thought of all of the drama with her mother, "Since I've never had a broomstick before," she concluded then, and then took a deep breath.
That was not the moment to think about all of that, she should concentrate on flying and enjoy her time with Rafael and Aaron, and not let her mother's lies ruin everything once again. Of course, if the woman would have been honest from the start, maybe Lydia would have been better at flying, maybe she wouldn't have needed to take extra lessons to learn something that was supposed to come natural to her.
Lydia quickly shook her head, and then put on her usual smile as she tried to hide away the lingering sadness, before she looked back at Rafael and Aaron.
"So, what do you think?"
@Aaron Jones, @Rafael D'Spacito
"Everything beautiful is ruined eventually."
|| PART VEELA || ALLURING || LOVELY CREATURE || SCREAM
7 Apr 2020, 04:20
When Badgers Fly
When Rafael turned to face them, Aaron couldn't help being slightly intimidated. His hispanic heritage definitely gave him an edge in the looks department, and as Rafael began his approach, it wasn't hard to tell he was taller. Lydia was half a foot shorter than Aaron, who was about five foot even. Rafael must be pretty tall for their age, because he had a good four or five inches on Aaron.
Then the way that Rafael looked at Lydia was new to Aaron. It was like the only thing he saw was the strawberry blonde at his side. Of course, Aaron knew his friend was pretty - extremely pretty, actually. And he'd seen people stare before, almost like they couldn't help it. Was that what this was? Or was it something more…? Either way, Aaron didn't like it. As Rafael approached them, Aaron gripped his broom a bit tighter. He was pretty sure that Rafael didn't even notice him until he spoke. Rude…
Aaron tilted his head slightly when he noticed the expression on Rafael's face had turned to one of deep concentration. What was he so worried about? The twelve-year-old was not normally so impatient, but perhaps it was because he was on edge being in the presence of Lydia's crush. And maybe because he was reading too much into the comment about the beaters' bats.
Suddenly, Rafael spoke again expressing his concern about their skill levels. That was what he was concerned about? Lydia quickly set the record straight about Aaron's natural ability in the air, which made him beam as his best friend hyped him up. He was a really good flier, and he was never afraid to say that (flying and Taekwondo were the only things he really took pride in). It was nice to have someone else boast about his skill, though. Especially a friend like Lydia, whose opinion he valued more than most.
"Yeah, I stay after flying classes a lot to get extra practice, and.." he hesitated, "And Professor Bercegeay let's me practice on my own sometimes. I even practiced with Willow once on the training pitch.. Willow Anderson, the Hufflepuff keeper," Aaron clarified, feeling pretty proud of that particular training session. And he had a lot of respect for Professor Bercegeay, whom he had developed a nice relationship with because of his love for Quidditch. It had taken lots of time to develop the trust for her to let him borrow the school brooms on his own, and he was proud of this fact. He wasn't sure if he should spread around that information, but surely Rafael wouldn't tattle on Olphie. Especially once he saw Aaron's skill on a broom.
When Lydia spoke again, her little stumble over the word muggle-born didn't go unnoticed, but Aaron chose not to draw attention to it. Instead, he offered another smile and spoke, "I think your idea's great. I mean, I've seen you fly, but it's probably a good idea for Rafael to see it, too," he said, his emphasis on the word "I" was quite noticeable. Lydia would surely view it as harmless, but what about Rafael? Even Aaron himself wasn't entirely sure why he was being so passive aggressive about this whole situation.
@Rafael D'Spacito and @Lydia Cooper
Then the way that Rafael looked at Lydia was new to Aaron. It was like the only thing he saw was the strawberry blonde at his side. Of course, Aaron knew his friend was pretty - extremely pretty, actually. And he'd seen people stare before, almost like they couldn't help it. Was that what this was? Or was it something more…? Either way, Aaron didn't like it. As Rafael approached them, Aaron gripped his broom a bit tighter. He was pretty sure that Rafael didn't even notice him until he spoke. Rude…
Aaron glanced at Lydia in slight surprise. He didn't know that Rafael had no idea about him coming. Lydia's face looked way pinker than he'd ever seen it before, implying her extreme embarrassment at being called out. It made Aaron frown for just a moment as he looked back at the taller boy. He quickly cleared his expression, but he couldn't help resenting Rafael in that moment for making Lydia have to justify herself. Hadn't Aaron agreed to not let her embarrass herself?"Nice to meet you, Aaron. Lydia, you didn’t tell me about your plus one? Could’ve brought more beaters' bats…"
"Yeah, don't blame Lydia," Aaron jumped in, turning his eyes on Rafael. "When she told me about your flying session, I kinda begged her to let me join in. She's too nice to have said no," he explained. It was completely opposite to what actually happened, but he didn't mind covering for her. The next part was not a lie though: "I'm a bit of a Quidditch fanatic and always looking for opportunities to practice.. And don't worry, I'm waitlisted for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team as a Chaser. You two can use the bats yourselves, if that's what you're worried about." That last comment had been a bit of passive aggression, although it wasn't easily read. Especially from a constantly-smiling boy like Aaron Jones."I know, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you….opportunity for him to learn new tricks and those things."
Aaron tilted his head slightly when he noticed the expression on Rafael's face had turned to one of deep concentration. What was he so worried about? The twelve-year-old was not normally so impatient, but perhaps it was because he was on edge being in the presence of Lydia's crush. And maybe because he was reading too much into the comment about the beaters' bats.
Suddenly, Rafael spoke again expressing his concern about their skill levels. That was what he was concerned about? Lydia quickly set the record straight about Aaron's natural ability in the air, which made him beam as his best friend hyped him up. He was a really good flier, and he was never afraid to say that (flying and Taekwondo were the only things he really took pride in). It was nice to have someone else boast about his skill, though. Especially a friend like Lydia, whose opinion he valued more than most.
Aaron grinned and held in a laugh at the statement. He had seen Lydia fly before, and it wasn't the prettiest sight. He had offered to help her in the past, but she often wanted to keep her feet on the ground. That's why he had been so surprised about her accepting Rafael's invitation, and another reason he had felt an intense need to find out who exactly she had agreed to help her. Rafael was probably a better flier than Aaron since he had more experience, but Aaron knew she was only here because she liked the guy."As for me, I've taken Olphie's classes yes, but... they didn't go too well. I'm slightly terrified of flying too high, and mind you, for too high I mean more than one meter above the ground."
"Yeah, I stay after flying classes a lot to get extra practice, and.." he hesitated, "And Professor Bercegeay let's me practice on my own sometimes. I even practiced with Willow once on the training pitch.. Willow Anderson, the Hufflepuff keeper," Aaron clarified, feeling pretty proud of that particular training session. And he had a lot of respect for Professor Bercegeay, whom he had developed a nice relationship with because of his love for Quidditch. It had taken lots of time to develop the trust for her to let him borrow the school brooms on his own, and he was proud of this fact. He wasn't sure if he should spread around that information, but surely Rafael wouldn't tattle on Olphie. Especially once he saw Aaron's skill on a broom.
When Lydia spoke again, her little stumble over the word muggle-born didn't go unnoticed, but Aaron chose not to draw attention to it. Instead, he offered another smile and spoke, "I think your idea's great. I mean, I've seen you fly, but it's probably a good idea for Rafael to see it, too," he said, his emphasis on the word "I" was quite noticeable. Lydia would surely view it as harmless, but what about Rafael? Even Aaron himself wasn't entirely sure why he was being so passive aggressive about this whole situation.
@Rafael D'Spacito and @Lydia Cooper
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
13 Apr 2020, 20:48
When Badgers Fly
@Lydia Cooper @Aaron Jones
[font=Segoe Print]"I know, I'm sorry."
It was funny, how fast the mood of a situation could change. Or, moreover, it wasn’t – in fact, such facts were quite unsettling, disturbing even, bringing a nasty chill up the spine of the young Captain and leaving him utterly shaken. Watching Lydia in that moment, the boy felt an immense feeling of guilt blossom in his chest – he’d screwed up, and royally, at that. Damn his hormones, he’d embarrassed her! What kind of man was he? He didn’t deserve sort of recognition or admiration from Lydia, and he knew it – true recognition was a gift, one given to those worthy of such feelings. He was never going to gain that through thinly veiled insults towards innocent friends of hers… even if he deserved it.
And, the issue could have been resolved right there. But then, he’d heard it – subtle tone, carefully-placed words. Was that passive aggression from the peanut gallery? Surely not, it must have been the boy’s mind playing tricks on him. He’d lived in some dangerous places over the years, which meant he could smell a threat, or an insult, from a million miles away – however, there was no sort of malice, nor mischief in the eye of the Hufflepuff boy in question. Simply not enough to act on. Well, he supposed, he’d been wrong before. Better to not make enemies so quickly.
“No, it’s fine! Really!” he quickly apologized, a bright smile on his features, his eyes dancing with remorse. “I mean, I just… want to make sure I’m doing my best for you two.” He wanted to dig the knife in – he was trying to help, not throw insults or make enemies. There was no sign of hate in the Captain’s perfect mask, instead his words laced with venomous genuineness, his body language speaking innocence. There would be no evidence of his despise of the cursed Huffle to be found, instead his demeanor perfectly feigned cordiality. Take that.
It was about then, that he did a double take, reconsidering the words of his newest mortal enemy. Was this kid for real? Waitlisted chaser? That was pathetic. Second place was only the first loser, he’d learned long ago – was such a position anything to brag on? He couldn’t help but allow a smug sort of feeling flood his chest. He’d been invited as first string chaser within a month of applying, and Captain around Christmas. Hell, he hadn’t even played Quidditch until this year – he was just that good. Who did this kid think he was?
Instead of voicing his opinions, however, he kept his trap shut, feigning interest as he listened to the kid brag further – Olphie, Willow. At the sound of the Hufflepuff Keeper’s name, the Captain’s eyes instantly lit up, a smile spreading across is features like wildfire. “She’s a lovely girl, isn’t she?” he noted. “Brilliant keeper, too.” That much was true – she’d certainly made her team proud last game, flawlessly defending her post and in turn her team’s title. Not only that, but the first year had rescued her Captain – that deemed respect, most definitely. And on top of it all, she was a kind girl. There was no criticism in that regard – only admiration.
The very thought of such a vile child associating with an angel such as herself might have been enough to distract the Captain from his anger regarding the child. But, no, he’d had to take another hit – at the very sound of the enunciated I, his brown eyes immediately flew to the perpetrator, his smile never wavering as his gaze slowly intensified on the boy. Now, that was passive aggression. What kind of man was this kid, the type that poked around the bush? Real men didn’t prod at the facts, only acted on them. And that was certainly enough to act on – Aaron was going to suffer.
Yes, Aaron needed to be out of the picture. “You know, he’s right,” the boy deduced smartly, his gaze still slightly heated and his smile never wavering. “Although, Aaron seems to have already seen your flying –“ he turned towards the Hufflepuff boy, an eyebrow raised, a visible air of passive-aggressiveness to his face. “Why don’t you get warmed up? Work on some practice laps? Do you have a lap record yet?” Then, without waiting for an answer, he pulled a stopwatch out of his pocket and tossed it over, patting the boy on the back with a bright, innocent smile. An utter disregard, one well masked by flawless acting skills. “I’ll keep an eye on you – try not to fall.” And punctuated with a hit, that could be taken as both a caring sentiment and an insult to poor flying. He wanted to play the insult game? Well, Rafael didn’t like to lose.
With Aaron [supposedly?] taken care of, the faced the lovely angel girl once more, taking a moment to admire her beauty and lovely mannerisms. She was quite the spectacular girl – certainly deserved more than that vile child as a boyfriend. Raf would have to take his place, then. “Okay,” he muttered thoughtfully. “Now, how about that flying?” A kind grin prodded at his features as he boarded his broom, kicking off the ground just slightly, just a few feet off the ground, as to get a slightly better vantage point. “I’m right here, you won’t fall, okay?” [/font]
[font=Segoe Print]"I know, I'm sorry."
It was funny, how fast the mood of a situation could change. Or, moreover, it wasn’t – in fact, such facts were quite unsettling, disturbing even, bringing a nasty chill up the spine of the young Captain and leaving him utterly shaken. Watching Lydia in that moment, the boy felt an immense feeling of guilt blossom in his chest – he’d screwed up, and royally, at that. Damn his hormones, he’d embarrassed her! What kind of man was he? He didn’t deserve sort of recognition or admiration from Lydia, and he knew it – true recognition was a gift, one given to those worthy of such feelings. He was never going to gain that through thinly veiled insults towards innocent friends of hers… even if he deserved it.
And, the issue could have been resolved right there. But then, he’d heard it – subtle tone, carefully-placed words. Was that passive aggression from the peanut gallery? Surely not, it must have been the boy’s mind playing tricks on him. He’d lived in some dangerous places over the years, which meant he could smell a threat, or an insult, from a million miles away – however, there was no sort of malice, nor mischief in the eye of the Hufflepuff boy in question. Simply not enough to act on. Well, he supposed, he’d been wrong before. Better to not make enemies so quickly.
“No, it’s fine! Really!” he quickly apologized, a bright smile on his features, his eyes dancing with remorse. “I mean, I just… want to make sure I’m doing my best for you two.” He wanted to dig the knife in – he was trying to help, not throw insults or make enemies. There was no sign of hate in the Captain’s perfect mask, instead his words laced with venomous genuineness, his body language speaking innocence. There would be no evidence of his despise of the cursed Huffle to be found, instead his demeanor perfectly feigned cordiality. Take that.
It was about then, that he did a double take, reconsidering the words of his newest mortal enemy. Was this kid for real? Waitlisted chaser? That was pathetic. Second place was only the first loser, he’d learned long ago – was such a position anything to brag on? He couldn’t help but allow a smug sort of feeling flood his chest. He’d been invited as first string chaser within a month of applying, and Captain around Christmas. Hell, he hadn’t even played Quidditch until this year – he was just that good. Who did this kid think he was?
Instead of voicing his opinions, however, he kept his trap shut, feigning interest as he listened to the kid brag further – Olphie, Willow. At the sound of the Hufflepuff Keeper’s name, the Captain’s eyes instantly lit up, a smile spreading across is features like wildfire. “She’s a lovely girl, isn’t she?” he noted. “Brilliant keeper, too.” That much was true – she’d certainly made her team proud last game, flawlessly defending her post and in turn her team’s title. Not only that, but the first year had rescued her Captain – that deemed respect, most definitely. And on top of it all, she was a kind girl. There was no criticism in that regard – only admiration.
The very thought of such a vile child associating with an angel such as herself might have been enough to distract the Captain from his anger regarding the child. But, no, he’d had to take another hit – at the very sound of the enunciated I, his brown eyes immediately flew to the perpetrator, his smile never wavering as his gaze slowly intensified on the boy. Now, that was passive aggression. What kind of man was this kid, the type that poked around the bush? Real men didn’t prod at the facts, only acted on them. And that was certainly enough to act on – Aaron was going to suffer.
Yes, Aaron needed to be out of the picture. “You know, he’s right,” the boy deduced smartly, his gaze still slightly heated and his smile never wavering. “Although, Aaron seems to have already seen your flying –“ he turned towards the Hufflepuff boy, an eyebrow raised, a visible air of passive-aggressiveness to his face. “Why don’t you get warmed up? Work on some practice laps? Do you have a lap record yet?” Then, without waiting for an answer, he pulled a stopwatch out of his pocket and tossed it over, patting the boy on the back with a bright, innocent smile. An utter disregard, one well masked by flawless acting skills. “I’ll keep an eye on you – try not to fall.” And punctuated with a hit, that could be taken as both a caring sentiment and an insult to poor flying. He wanted to play the insult game? Well, Rafael didn’t like to lose.
With Aaron [supposedly?] taken care of, the faced the lovely angel girl once more, taking a moment to admire her beauty and lovely mannerisms. She was quite the spectacular girl – certainly deserved more than that vile child as a boyfriend. Raf would have to take his place, then. “Okay,” he muttered thoughtfully. “Now, how about that flying?” A kind grin prodded at his features as he boarded his broom, kicking off the ground just slightly, just a few feet off the ground, as to get a slightly better vantage point. “I’m right here, you won’t fall, okay?” [/font]
I probably haven't collected my allowance yet.
14 Apr 2020, 22:25
When Badgers Fly
Lydia had started seriously considering digging a hole in the ground and hide there until Rafael had forgotten what she looked like. They had just arrived, and she had already managed to embarrass herself, that must have been some kind of record.
When her best friend jumped into the conversation and took the blame for Lydia, the girl looked at him with slightly wide eyes, before giving him a warm smile. Aaron was simply the best, period.
When Rafael spoke again, Lydia couldn't help but smile brightly at him as well, his words making her feel kind of warm in her stomach.
He wants to do his best for you Said a voice in her head, but she tried to shove it away. She knew she had a crush on him, and she knew that, from the moment she had admitted that to herself, her mind would have seen signs of him liking her in everything, even though they weren't there. It had happened once, back in her muggle school; she had a crush on a boy, and she was so sure he liked her back that she had made him a card, telling him she liked him - useless to say, the boy did not like her, at least not more than a friend would.
She could tell that Aaron had appreciated her comment about his flying skills, and she mentally patted herself on her shoulder. The moment that her best friend held back a laugh while Lydia mentioned her fear of flying, she looked at him briefly and nudged him with her elbow, pretending to be annoyed at him as she rolled her eyes. "You don't have to keep it in, I know I'm a terrible flyer," she said and then winked playfully at her best friend as she smiled. Even if her mother's lies had taken away a lot from Lydia, she was incredibly happy that her being raised as a muggle brought her to be friends with Aaron.
As the two boys talked about quidditch and Willow, Lydia couldn't help but think that maybe it hadn't been a bad idea to bring her friend with her; who knew, maybe Aaron would have actually become good friends with Rafael!
"She was amazing in the last game! I had never seen a quidditch game before, and I was so excited for her! We even made her a banner!" Lydia jumped in the conversation, her face light up in a bright smile. She still remembered Willow's happy face when she had seen the banner, the joy radiating from everywhere.
When her best friend spoke again, Lydia didn't pay too much attention to the emphasis that he had put on the fact that he had already seen her fly, and when he looked at Rafael she couldn't help but notice the kind of weird look he gave to Aaron. She decided not to read too much into it, after all the Gryffindor Captain had no reasons to dislike the Hufflepuff boy.
As Rafael gave Aaron instructions on what to do, Lydia could feel her heart beat fast in her chest. The moment she had feared the most had come, she needed to show Raf how bad she was at trying to fly. Her thought got lost for a second as she felt the Gryffindor boy's eyes on her, and she tried to hold back an embarrassed smile as she bit down on her bottom lip, but all of that in vain; she couldn't help it, whenever Rafael looked at her she always felt the urge to smile like an idiot.
Focusing back on the task at hand, the red headed girl nodded and then took a deep breath, before boarding the school's broom.
"O-Okay, I'll trust you on that!" she said, wanting it to sound light and funny, while her voice sounded more like the one of a man that was going to be killed at any moment. After another deep breath, Lydia positioned herself better on the broom, trying to remember the position that Professor Bercegeay had taught them in class. She managed to kick off the ground and actually be quite steady at first, but then, probably because of how nervous and tense she was feeling, she could feel the broom quite unsteady under her, as she got further away from the ground.
Lydia was trying her best to relax and clear her head; she had nothing to be scared of, Rafael was right there, and she had Aaron as well. They would have never let anything happen to her. She moved her eyes from the handle of the broom to Rafael, and she tried to give him a small smile, that probably looked quite awkward, as she slowly, and still kind of shakily, moved her broom closer to the Gryffindor Captain. "Oh gosh, I'm going to break my neck," she said, more to herself rather than to someone in particular, and then took a couple of deep breaths; she needed to stay calm and not freak out.
"A-Are you still sure you want to help such a hopeless case?" she asked Rafael, her lips curled up in a small smile, as her grip on her broom got tighter, afraid that, for some kind of reason, if she would have gotten distracted while talking, she would have somehow ended up falling from the broom.
@Aaron Jones @Rafael D'Spacito
"Everything beautiful is ruined eventually."
|| PART VEELA || ALLURING || LOVELY CREATURE || SCREAM
13 May 2020, 02:17
When Badgers Fly
The Hufflepuff boy had no clue why he was egging on the Gryffindor, but by the time Aaron had finished speaking, it was very clear to him that Rafael D'Spacito did not like him. And he had no clue why that fact pleased him. Aaron was just happy to be getting any sort of reaction from the seasoned Chaser. What he did not expect, though, was such a well-thought-out retaliation, perfectly disguised as a training exercise.
Rafael was already at Lydia's side by the time that Aaron fully processed the mixture of passive aggression and belittling. His face felt hot and he knew it was probably beet red, an unpleasant side effect when he was particularly angry. His back turned to the others as he mounted his rickety school broom and kicked off. He flew as fast as he could to the other side of the training pitch, but it wasn't easy with such an unruly broom. Even Aaron could tell he was being reckless as the breeze cooled off his cheeks. But he didn't care - in fact, he wanted to push the broom beyond its limits. He wanted to show the smug boy on the ground that he was just as good a flier as he was, and Rafael had no claim on Lydia-
Right, Lydia. Aaron slowed and swiveled around once he reached the opposite side of the field. His eyes narrowed in on his best friend and her crush. Maybe- Maybe this really was just his protective brother attitude kicking in. Was he overreacting? He thought back on their brief exchange of words and quickly determined NO. There was something off with the way Rafael had looked at Lydia, and the boy had a terrible attitude at the addition of a new person. He could've just gone with the flow and not said anything about it, but he had. He'd even embarrassed Lydia by calling her out about it! Clearly that meant he wasn't a very friendly person, right?
Then again, Aaron had always admired the guy from afar. Anyone who made Quidditch Captain during first year deserved a certain level of respect from an avid fan like Aaron. But he had to remind himself that just because Rafael was a great flier, didn't mean he had a great personality to match. Clearly Lydia's feelings were misguided and she had yet to see through his ruse. Maybe she was blinded by the fact that he was a popular Quidditch player? Or that he was exceedingly good looking for a kid?
Aaron resumed his lap around the field, mulling over what to do about the situation. Maybe he had jumped the gun with his passive aggression, but he still couldn't shake the feeling there was something off about the guy. Even so, he at least trusted that Rafael would keep a good enough eye on Lydia for Aaron to get a few laps in. Maybe it would clear his head.
@Lydia Cooper and @Rafael D'Spacito
Aaron's eyes got wide. Go get warmed up? Go fly some laps? The twelve-year-old barely had time to react and catch the item that was thrown his way. His shocked eyes focused in on a stopwatch that was now clutched in his right hand. He felt his face heating up as the Quidditch Captain patronizingly patted him on the back. Did he really just do that?"Why don’t you get warmed up? Work on some practice laps? Do you have a lap record yet?"
Rafael was already at Lydia's side by the time that Aaron fully processed the mixture of passive aggression and belittling. His face felt hot and he knew it was probably beet red, an unpleasant side effect when he was particularly angry. His back turned to the others as he mounted his rickety school broom and kicked off. He flew as fast as he could to the other side of the training pitch, but it wasn't easy with such an unruly broom. Even Aaron could tell he was being reckless as the breeze cooled off his cheeks. But he didn't care - in fact, he wanted to push the broom beyond its limits. He wanted to show the smug boy on the ground that he was just as good a flier as he was, and Rafael had no claim on Lydia-
Right, Lydia. Aaron slowed and swiveled around once he reached the opposite side of the field. His eyes narrowed in on his best friend and her crush. Maybe- Maybe this really was just his protective brother attitude kicking in. Was he overreacting? He thought back on their brief exchange of words and quickly determined NO. There was something off with the way Rafael had looked at Lydia, and the boy had a terrible attitude at the addition of a new person. He could've just gone with the flow and not said anything about it, but he had. He'd even embarrassed Lydia by calling her out about it! Clearly that meant he wasn't a very friendly person, right?
Then again, Aaron had always admired the guy from afar. Anyone who made Quidditch Captain during first year deserved a certain level of respect from an avid fan like Aaron. But he had to remind himself that just because Rafael was a great flier, didn't mean he had a great personality to match. Clearly Lydia's feelings were misguided and she had yet to see through his ruse. Maybe she was blinded by the fact that he was a popular Quidditch player? Or that he was exceedingly good looking for a kid?
Aaron resumed his lap around the field, mulling over what to do about the situation. Maybe he had jumped the gun with his passive aggression, but he still couldn't shake the feeling there was something off about the guy. Even so, he at least trusted that Rafael would keep a good enough eye on Lydia for Aaron to get a few laps in. Maybe it would clear his head.
@Lydia Cooper and @Rafael D'Spacito
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia
13 May 2020, 21:35
When Badgers Fly
╔══════════════☩══♛══☩══════════════╗Interacting With: @Lydia Cooper @Aaron Jones
Mentioning: N/A╚═══════════════☩══✦══☩══════════════╝
[font=Segoe Print]"Oh gosh, I'm going to break my neck."
Lydia’s words were cute, humorous even, and for a moment, the Captain couldn’t help but grin, an eyebrow raised in surprise as he watched the girl situate herself awkwardly upon the hovering broom, he himself only a couple of feet away, should she need a quick rescue. Surprisingly enough, for a beginning flyer, she wasn’t all that bad as far as handling went. In fact, it seemed as if, with a few minor changes in form and posture, she could really go a long way in improving her performance in the long run. An encouraging fact, the backlash of which danced across the Captain’s face in a curious gaze, eyes bright in mischief as he observed upon the lovely girl’s attempts at flying. At first, she’d made herself out to be a train wreck on the broom, some sort of safety hazard of a flyer. However, watching her now, it seemed as if teaching the girl wouldn’t be as hard as he thought.
Rather than concede to her previous statement, he grinned cheerfully, shaking his head in reprimand to her self-depreciating words. “On the contrary – you’re doing great!” he reassured her, biting his lip as if searching for the right way to go about minor corrections. “Hrmm, your form’s just a bit off. Mind if I help you out a bit?” Then, without exactly waiting for an answer, he lifted his hands off his broom, holding them out palms out, as if a criminal conceding to the wishes of the police, nodding forward as if asking her to watch closely. “You want to grip the broom like this,” he straightened out, his back straight upon the broom as he gripped the broom closely to him, idly sitting and kicking his legs as he spoke. “It’ll give you a lot more stability, make it so that you’re not twisting and turning on your broom. Of course, this is only hovering posture – actually flying about the sky’s a bit different. When just sitting around, you want to keep your back straight, as much of a 90 degree angle as you can manage.” He demonstrated leaning forward, his broom doing a flip forward, a maneuver that might have thrown someone else right off. “You don’t want this, yeah? Might hurt a little bit.” It was a gentle prod, one he realized a bit too late that the girl might not find much humor in. Unfortunate, but a point was a point. Sending another charming smile over to his Huffle friend, he nodded towards her once more. “See what that does for you, I think it’ll help. Right now, it looks as if balance is your real enemy. I swear it gets better, like riding a bike – eventually, everything becomes second nature. Next thing you know, you’re flying circles around the competition!”
Circling around, he came to her other side, so that he could keep an eye on her, as well as Aaron. Watching the other badger put a smug-ass grin on his face, one he could do little to suppress. Well, someone had a little attitude problem, didn’t they. The kid was flying like a maniac, reckless on levels that Rafa wasn’t sure he’d ever attempt on a good day, for fear of his own safety. However, that wasn’t to say that the form wasn’t minorly impressive – the kid was a bullet in the way he flew, a bit too fast for comfort. The Captain certainly wouldn’t want to face that on the Pitch, even if the flying was a bit dangerous. What broom was the kid flying? Who’d taught him how to maneuver like that?
The Captain promptly shook his head, dismissing the thoughts from his brain. He was a worthless, good for nothing badger. What was skill if you couldn’t use it? The Captain allowed a small grin to plague his face, cocking his head forward to alleviate his own need for self-satisfaction. He could fly better than that, surely. And flying didn’t get the ball in the hoop. That much was an entirely different skill set, one the young Gryffindor wasn’t convinced the badger could pull off with such reckless flying. A real shame. Aaron wasn’t his focus, anyways – the Captain’s eyes shortly returned to Lydia, taking a moment to monitor how she was doing. “How’s that work for you?” he asked kindly, an eyebrow raised and a small smile on his face. “Handling any better, eh?” [/font]
I probably haven't collected my allowance yet.