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 Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]

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Briella-Ashley Myers

Briella-Ashley Myers


Posts : 10
Join date : 2017-08-19

Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] Empty
PostSubject: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyThu Sep 07, 2017 6:40 pm

Start of 5th Year



Briella let out a strangled sigh, massaging her temples with her right hand, her left tapping the pen against the clipboard in her lap. Her eyes followed the flyer, a single eyebrow raised, watching half-heartedly as they made a round of the pitch. To say she was unimpressed was an understatement, and as said flyer landed, Briella swallowed another sigh. Patience, she reminded herself.

It didn't work.

"If I wanted someone who flew like a first year, I would have just gotten a first year," she said, although her tone gave away neither her exasperation nor her annoyance at the lack of skill. She was simply stating facts. "In fact, if you gave a trained monkey a broomstick he'd fly better than you." Glancing over at her co-captain and one of her good friends, Briella grimaced slightly, receiving a grin in reply.

"So... no?" the third year asked, a confused look on his face.

Briella sighed, louder this time. "No. No, unless you want us to lose to Huff n Puff again." She paused. Jerked her head to the exit of the pitch. "Please don't take this personally, but never. Now scat."

The third year, a confused look still on his face, left. "They're like those freaking contestants on X-Factor who swear they can sing and then sound like a dying whale's last declaration," she said, although to nobody in particular. In Slytherin, there weren't many Muggleborns, and not many of the Halfbloods (or Purebloods, although this was expected) watched Muggle reality TV. Her co-captain definitely didn't, and at the soft 'huh?' that came her way, Briella let out a chuckle and added, "Never mind."

Looking down at her clipboard and then at the two remaining faces in the stands -- the last hopefuls for the Quidditch team tryouts -- Briella sent a silent prayer to Merlin or Whoever-Was-Really-Up-There that one of them would be decent. Once more, she looked at the list, didn't bother to hide a raised eyebrow at the name, and then called out, "Stephanie Richardson, you're up."
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Stephanie Richardson

Stephanie Richardson


Posts : 11
Join date : 2017-09-07

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PostSubject: Re: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyThu Sep 07, 2017 9:13 pm

Stephanie sat in the stands, her broom clutched in her hands as she watched the various other students try out for the team, unable to hold back a grimace at the performance of some of them. It was no surprise that none of them made the cut. Flying wasn't something she absolutely loved or absolutely hated; it was somewhere in between. She wasn't the best at it but she also wasn't the worst. Given more practice, she knew she could definitely be better than what she was now. Even without the practice, she knew she was better than the flyers she'd just seen.

Trying out for the Slytherin Quidditch team wasn't something that was part of her goal or aim. It had just somehow happened. Ever since she began questioning everything she'd ever known, she'd been wondering what she was capable of beyond being a Richardson. What could she do? What else defined her besides her surname and family ties? Surely there had to be more to Stephanie Richardson than just being a Pureblood.

The start of her fifth year, she determined to find out her talents and abilities. When word was sent out that the Slytherin team was holding tryouts, she'd put her name down on an impulse. Thinking about it later, she wasn't sure if it had been a wise thing to do. Of course, it was another opportunity she had at discovering what she was capable of, but she also knew that if word got to her family, they would be very disapproving indeed. It did not do for a Pureblood female to participate in such a rough game.

Voices brought her out of her train of thought and she glanced at Briella to see her talking to a flyer. She couldn't fully make out the whole conversation, but caught a few words like trained monkey. Guessing that he was being compared to the animal, Stephanie let out a soft chuckle. Briella was one character.

Her name was called next and she stood up, making her way down the steps to the sidelines of the pitch and mounting her broom. She wasn't sure what exactly Briella was looking for but Stephanie figured that she would just do a couple of things and see what happened from there. She was willing to settle either as a Chaser or a Seeker. She didn't have the strength to be a Beater. A Keeper wasn't so bad, but it wasn't exactly what she wanted.

She set off, first doing three laps of the pitch at a reasonable height, each lap faster than the previous one. The moment she completed her third lap, she reduced her speed a notch before going into a series of zigzags with tight angles, her body tilting with the momentum and swing, the way she'd seen Muggle motorcycles take corners. Next she went into a steep dive, the wind whipping her braid and making her eyes sting. Just before she could crash into the ground, she shot upwards, climbing higher and higher before entering a loop-de-loop. She flew upside down for a few moments before bringing herself back around to complete the loop, feeling the blood rush from her head.

On a whim, she came to a complete halt before beginning to fly backwards. She kept it up for a few metres, going into a few spins then coming to a stop and heading back to where Briella was standing with her co-captain. She dismounted, caught her breath and waited to see what the Slytherin girl would say.


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Briella-Ashley Myers

Briella-Ashley Myers


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PostSubject: Re: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyThu Sep 07, 2017 9:47 pm

A Pureblood.

It wasn't the first time a Pureblood had played in her team, and she doubted it would be the last. It wasn't entirely uncommon for males to participate; they were, after all, allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted. But it wasn't the heir to a family that stood before her, broom in hand. It wasn't even a younger brother. It was a female. Stephanie Richardson, Queen B -- and the 'B' didn't exactly stand for 'Bee', either -- of the Slytherins, younger sister of McKendra (who'd been Queen B before Stephanie).

As far as Briella knew of the Pureblood female role, they weren't allowed to do anything remotely fun. Cussing, camping, roughing it out, sports... None of it. They were expected to act like Perfect Pink Princesses, so fragile that a feather could crack their plastic faces and they'd die of the shame and horror of being unfeminine. So, naturally, Briella stayed as far away from them as she possibly could, not that it was hard; she was too uncivilised and too tom-boyish for them to pay her any interest.

And yet, in front of her stood the youngest Richardson girl, ready to try out for a sport that, when played right, usually ended up with at least three injuries. Glancing over at her co-captain, Briella's raised eyebrow was met with a single shrug. Neither would stop the try out -- there was no evidance this was a mockery, a trap, or a chance to bully them -- but they were both suspicious of Stephanie's intentions.

Sure, lately the girl hadn't been hanging out with her posse, and it seemed as though she'd mellowed down from Princess to Barbie, but a Barbie was still a barbie. Briella couldn't help but think of Mean Girls, a reference that would (yet again) most likely go over the heads of everyone present. So instead of saying anything, she turned her attention to Stephanie. If the girl wanted to get in, she'd have to do so with skill and skill alone. Status mattered to Briella as much as dresses did, which is to say not at all.

As Stephanie did the laps, Briella sighed. Why did they all seem to think speed was what she was looking for? Sure, if people could fly fast it was a benefit, but what good was only flying fast? Lifting her pen, she was about to add a symbol next to Stephanie's name (she'd come up with her own shorthand) when the witch started her third lap, finally -- finally -- switching things up. Moving her eyes to follow the actions of the broom, Briella had her wand out in the next instant, in case something went wrong.

Sometimes, when people tried to show off, it ended nastily.

But Stephanie did not seem to try to show off; she did. Briella wasn't exactly impressed per se -- all those on her team could do the same tricks Stephanie just did -- but it was a start. It meant that, at the very least, she had some ounce of skill.

When she finished, Briella said nothing for a few moments, instead scribbling a couple things down under Stephanie's name. When she finished, she glanced at her co-captain, reading Jodie easily; they worked together often enough. She waited while Jodie grabbed her broom and a bucket they'd placed nearby before looking back to Stephanie. "That wasn't bad," she said. She could have said 'good job', but it wasn't exactly that, either. "Get back up in the air. You have ten seconds before Jodie chucks balls at you. I won't say how many. Catch them all. Once you've caught it, you can drop it."

Briella smiled, then, but it was more an amused one than anything. Nobody had ever caught them all; they didn't make it possible. It was a rigged 'game', testing not just the skill and instincts of their player, but also their tenacity. When they missed the first one, did they give up or keep going? What about when they missed the second or third? Did they complain that it was impossible, or keep fighting? It was a nasty trick, perhaps, but they were Slytherins. There was movement from the corner of her eye, and she didn't need to turn to know Jodie had kicked off and was finding a good location from which to throw the balls. "Your ten seconds start now."


[[OOC: There will be 20 balls. Some will be easy to catch, and spaced evenly so that Stephanie has time to react. Some will be thrown really far away, and at such quick speeds she has to choose which to save. It's a test of her instincts, her speed, and her skill. Feel free to GM Jodie.]]
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Stephanie Richardson

Stephanie Richardson


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PostSubject: Re: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyThu Sep 07, 2017 11:00 pm

Stephanie was ready for harsh criticism. She knew that she had enemies in the school, people who were either jealous of her popularity or who disliked her for reasons unknown. Briella, while not her outright enemy, was someone who probably disliked her. Stephanie knew, from her observations, that the other Slytherin girl wasn't a conventional girl in the sense that she knew how to behave in a proper manner. Well, she was a Halfblood, but even non-Pureblood girls weren't all as uncivilised as Briella was.

If she was going to dismiss Stephanie based on that, Stephanie was going to fight. She wasn't like that anymore. She was trying to change her thinking, to be less narrow-minded. But if Briella was going to dismiss her based on skill alone, an unbiased judgement, Stephanie would accept that.

When all Briella said was, "That wasn't bad." Stephanie decided that it was better then her being told to leave or some other creative insult she was sure Briella could come up with. It wasn't as good a compliment as Stephanie would've liked and it stung a bit. She was so used to being the best at everything, or even if she wasn't, told that she was the best.

But Briella wasn't done. There was a second stage, one that she knew nothing about because none of the previous flyers had made it this far. Catching balls. That was so vague. It could either be really easy or neigh impossible. Knowing Briella, Stephanie was inclined to think that it leaned towards the latter. This was Quidditch after all and Stephanie wasn't stupid. She knew how much it tested one's skill, strength, and stamina. But if there was a mistake anyone could make, it was underestimating Stephanie's determination to succeed.

She nodded to show that she understood, not wanting to waste time on words. She got back on the broom and took off at Briella's cue. She barely had time to get herself settled before the first ball came flying at her. The first three balls were easy and she only had to move a little to catch them. But after that, things went ballistic.

The fourth ball was thrown to the left and barely a second later, the fifth was thrown to the right. Reacting purely on instinct, she headed towards the fifth ball first, seeing that it was coming faster than the fourth one. She caught the fifth, dropped it, and barely made it in time to catch the fourth only to see three more balls, two flying in one direction and the other flying in the opposite direction.

Seriously?

She dropped the ball in her hands like a hot potato and had to make a quick decision. There was no way she could catch all three balls at the same time. Deciding to sacrifice the lone ball, she raced after the two, lifting both hands off her broom to catch the balls.

Four balls came flying this time, each in quick sucession, two near where she was and two far back. Not even taking time to think, she caught the two that were near her and flew as fast as she could to catch the ones thrown behind. They were already starting to fall to the ground but she dived, catching both of them then quickly letting go. Then she realised her mistake. In racing off and diving to catch those two balls, she'd missed two in the front.

Merlin's soggy beard! But she wasn't giving up now. Jodie threw three balls, again one after the other and she rushed to catched them. At the angle they were thrown across the pitch, Stephanie only managed to catch two, even then having to make a tight turn where she nearly almost lost her balance.

Next, two balls were thrown, one way too far for her to reach even if she flew her fastest. Rolling her eyes, Stephanie caught the second ball. Just as she thought it was over, instinct made her turn around to see another ball at the other end of where she was at. That sneaky Jodie had thrown it when her back was turned. Stephanie raced after it and caught it, turning back around in case there were other balls flying. There were none.

Not taking any chances though, Stephanie stayed where she was until she was told it was over.


[[OOC: She caught 15/20.]]
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Briella-Ashley Myers

Briella-Ashley Myers


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Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] Empty
PostSubject: Re: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyFri Sep 08, 2017 8:35 am

This next part, Briella knew, was vital. The most balls ever caught was a stunning seventeen out of twenty, by who would eventually become their Seeker -- but said player was now in her seventh year, and with N.E.W.Ts around the corner, she'd opted to resign from the team. Everyone had understood, and while Slytherins were an ambitious bunch, they weren't stupid; they knew that there was more to life than one or two Quidditch games. A couple of others had also pulled out, be it temporarily for exams or for other personal reasons that only Briella knew. As captain, people trusted her, and if she didn't bring something up, they knew not to push or ask.

How she managed to earn the respect of them, Briella would never be certain. But respect she had, despite her reputation for being hard on them. The version of her that coached them and the version of her that was their friend were two separate beings, hardly ever crossing over. So when she was on the pitch with her broom and her hair tied back, nobody dared fool around.

Holding the clipboard in one hand, Briella grabbed her broom with her other hand, mounting and kicking off as Jodie started tossing balls. For this, she'd need a closer look. She kept her eyes not just on Stephanie, but Jodie and the balls, keeping track of everything going on at the same time. It was something she'd learnt to do early on, so that she could not only focus on being a beater but what the rest of her team was doing, so she could hand out instructions and whatnot as the game progressed.

She kept her face dispassionate and emotionless as she watched, keeping count of the balls. Overall, Stephanie didn't do as badly as expected. For a Pureblood female who was supposedly not meant to know sports, the girl could fly. There were a couple of judgement calls that had been done poorly, but a few that were made accurately. Insticts, the girl had. The ability to fly, the girl had. Skills, the girl had. She wasn't the best Briella had seen, but she wasn't the worse. With one position left on the team to fill (previous tryouts had proven much more successful than this current one), Briella glanced down at the last remaining person, only to find them slinking off.

If they didn't think they had what it took, Briella wasn't going to push, even if they did have better skill. She wanted confident people on her team, not shy or pseudo-humble idiots. It took too much effort to prep talk people who didn't think they could; she'd much rather take someone with less skill but the tenacity to succeed and work with them.

Instead of saying anything to Stephanie, though, Briella looked at Jodie, tilting her head a little. Jodie smiled and dipped her head just a little. Despite being captain, Briella always took in the input of the rest of the team. There was a three part means of getting into the team -- impress Briella, impress Jodie, and then get along with everyone else. If at any point the rest of the team had any (fair and reasonable) arguments against a new member, they wouldn't make it; after all, if the team didn't like or trust each other, they'd never work as a team.

Two of the three down, Briella motioned to the ground, indicating that Stephanie should land. Glancing at her watch, she noted the time. She had five minutes before the team got there; she was going to squeeze in a round or two of practise with (hopefully) any new members. If there were equally good people fighting for one position, it would have been the deciding factor -- but she only had one, Stephanie, and Briella had a couple of concerns she would address.

So, as soon as they landed, she tossed the clipboard onto the seat behind her, turned to face the witch, and eyed her for a few moments. There was a speech she gave to each newcomer, perfected over the years, but looking at Stephanie, she realised she'd have to tweak it a little. She ran over the additions carefully in her mind.

Then, calmly, flatly, she said, "On my team, there are no differences. You will be no better than my Muggleborn Keeper, or my Halfblood chasers, just because your last name is Richardson. You're one of us now. Your weaknesses are ours; our strengths are yours. There is no 'I', only 'we'. I'm captain, Jodie is co-captain, and the team has been together for years now. You're either a part of the family or you're not. Being part of the family means you have a say in things; being part of the family also means fighting for each other, and sometimes with each other. If anyone gives you problems, I'm the one you come to. If you give anyone problems, I'll hear about it."

Briella paused, making sure Stephanie was listening. "Quidditch is a messy, sometimes painful sport. If you're going to whine each and every bruise or bump you get, you can leave; we have no room for China Dolls or pampered Princesses. If you have problems taking instructions from muggleborns, you can leave; we have no room for idiots. If you have a superiority complex, you can leave; we have no room for entitled Queen B's."

A noise caught her attention and she turned slightly, both to watch and bring attention to her team entering the pitch, dressed to play, brooms in hands. Then, looking back at Stephanie, she grinned slightly. "You're still here -- good," she added. Bringing her fingers to her lips, she let out a shrill whistle; she never needed a real one. The team immediately fell silent, gathering behind her. She let a moment pass as they settled down, and then nodded at the witch in front of her. "Meet our new Seeker. Seeker, meet the team."

She gave them a few moments to say hellos and whatnot, and then mounted her broom, the signal for everyone else to do the same. She hoped Stephanie was smart enough to get the cue from what everyone else was doing. Then, with another shill whistle, they all kicked off. "If we lose to Huff n' Puff next game," she called out, "I'll kick your asses. Now let's play."
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Stephanie Richardson

Stephanie Richardson


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PostSubject: Re: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyMon Sep 25, 2017 12:19 pm

At Briella's indication, Stephanie glided towards the ground, dismounting gracefully and waiting to see what the girl had to say. She had no idea how well - or how terribly - she'd performed, having lost count of how many balls there had been and how many she'd managed to catch. She couldn't have done that badly, right? Sure, she could've made better judgement calls but it was difficult under so much pressure. Plus, she was a female Pureblood and didn't exactly have expertise in the practical area of Quidditch. For her first time catching flying balls, she was rather proud of herself.

Briella spoke, and at her words, Stephanie bristled inside. Her first instinct was to be offended at being called a China Doll, a pampered Princess, and an entitled Queen B and at the fact that Briella thought so little of her. She wanted to say, "Fine. If you're going to talk to me like that, I'm not going to join the team and you can say goodbye to your reputation." 

She instead took a deep calming breath. Briella had every right to think about her like that. She'd given absolutely no reason for her to believe otherwise. She was known for being a Pureblood supremacist, and it was only fair that Briella gave the truth straight to her about what to expect if she joined the team. It would be hard, and Stephanie knew there would be times and situations in which she would feel the need to pull rank, but by Merlin, she was willing to abide by the rules if it meant she could be part of the team.

"You underestimate me," she said before turning to glance at the source of the noise, and seeing the rest of the team enter. She jumped a little at the shrill whistle and was just about to chide Briella for being so unladylike, but stopped herself in time.

Seeker. She'd been given one of the most important roles. Of course, the other roles were equally as important, but finding the Snitch, she knew, could be the difference between winning and losing.

The team came to greet her and Stephanie tried to be as friendly as possible. Still, it didn't stop some of them from giving her the evil eye or a suspicious look. She shrugged it off. It would take time to gain their trust, but that was just another goal for her to accomplish.

She mounted her broom and took off, feeling for once in her life, part of a family.


[[OOC: Long overdue, and rather forced. Sorry :/ ]]
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Briella-Ashley Myers

Briella-Ashley Myers


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Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] Empty
PostSubject: Re: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyMon Sep 25, 2017 2:39 pm

Briella had done this speech a thousand times before. Or, at the very least, it felt like a thousand; she'd done it for each new member since she became captain. Losing a member was always sad; gaining a new one was always a joy. They were a family, as she said, and family stuck together for life. Many of those who'd left were still in contact with them, some even going so far as to send gifts for the whole team. It was bittersweet, knowing that eventually, the whole team would be different -- but that wasn't for a long time.

There were a few reasons Briella gave the speech, one of which was to watch for their reactions. If they reacted negatively to what was being said or had any protests, she would know they weren't a good fit for the team. They had a system in place, one that worked for all of them, and she wasn't going to jam a coin into well-functioning gears. She would only introduce those who fit with the game, and those who gelled with what they had going. (Why fix something that wasn't broken?)

The three words, combined with the slight furrowing of brows that Briella had barely caught, made her chuckle aloud. "Do I?" she asked, amusement in her tone. "How have I underestimated you?" This wasn't a typical response; most acknowledged her words. Some questioned. Even fewer left. But nobody had ever reacted like this.

Pride, she could hear Jodie saying, although the witch hadn't spoken. She made a mental bet with herself that, later when they were discussing it, that would be the first word her co-captain would say. Sure, the words weren't meant to be nice and give someone warm, fuzzy feelings; it was meant to be harsh and brutal and honest. That was how Briella captained the team, and it was how each training session would go, with her pointing out flaws as she saw them without holding back. If people got upset over honesty, they wouldn't last a week under her. But at the same time, they weren't as harsh as she could've made it. It was a warning, yes, but it was also a welcome at the same time.

"You feel there was no need to give you the same speech as everyone else?" Briella asked. There was no judgement in her tone, only sheer amusement. "Well then, Stephanie. If you say I underestimate you, prove me wrong. Never made any mistakes. Never fight with any of your teammates -- your family. Never think you're better than them. Never think you have no weaknesses that they can help. Never think you have strengths that can help them." She raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching in amusement. "Merlin's baggy sack of balls, Steph, you're too uptight."

In the air, Briella switched her friendly side off and went full on captain. There was a distinction between her on a daily basis and her as Quidditch Captain, and her teammates had long since learnt not to mix up the two. As a friend, she was always available for them, loving to chitchat and waste time. In the air, she was no-nonsense. She wasn't there to play; she was there to win. One didn't complain to her when she was Captain, only as a friend; likewise, what she said as Captain was not personal, and one didn't bring that into the friendship.

Stephanie, Briella was sure, would learn that in time. There was no need for a warning; people would tell her if she brought it up.

The first game went slowly, with them showing Stephanie some of their different plays and familiarising themselves with how their new Seeker worked and rode.

As the sun began to set, however, Briella gave a shrill whistle and pulled out from her pocket a mock Snitch. It would behave exactly like the real one, with the exception that it could be turned on and off with a simple spell, so that it didn't need to be caught to deactivate. "Right," she called out, and everyone stopped moving, hovering as they turned towards her. "Split into two teams of five."

She'd managed to get three of their ex-players to leave their studies for one game, something she did often if they wanted to play a mock match. Sometimes, she'd even get a full seven and make two full teams, but if they couldn't, they did what they could. "Keeper, Seeker, one Chaser, one Beater, one double. If you don't know what that means, ignore it; it's not meant for you." That last part was more for Stephanie. "We'll play a full game. We play until after sunset. If you need to go earlier, suck it up; you're not gonna get hurt playing in the dark." She paused and grinned a little. "Except for my helpers, of course; you're free to leave whenever, with my explicit blessings."

There was laughter from those few who got the inside joke, and then Briella gave another shrill whistle and started the game. She would keep her eyes mostly on Stephanie this round.


[[OOC: Feel free to GM anyone and to write the Quidditch game.]]
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Stephanie Richardson

Stephanie Richardson


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PostSubject: Re: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyTue Oct 10, 2017 10:48 pm

"You tell everyone, including Muggleborns and Halfbloods that they are no better than their other Muggleborn and Halfblood counterparts? That they can leave if they have problems taking instructions from their fellow Muggleborns? That they have a superiority complex? That they are entitled Queen B's?" Stephanie responded calmly. "You only said that because I'm a Pureblood. I'm pretty sure that you did not give me the exact same speech you give everyone else. And yes, you judged me based on my reputation before actually getting to know me, and therefore you underestimate me. You underestimate my determination and will to succeed no matter the cost. Just because my last name is 'Richardson' doesn't mean that I comply with everything the Richardsons stand for."

Briella had given her a challege and Stephanie took it up silently. She would prove her captain wrong and Briella would rue the day she thought so little of her. More than anything else, Stephanie wanted to prove to herself that she was more than a fancy last name. She was her own person with her own will.

The training session went well, or as well as Stephanie could hope for. There were a few who were cautious of her, understandably, and rumours would start to fly. She wouldn't be surprised if she was the talk of the table at dinner time. Still, she learned a fair bit from those who could put aside differences and focus on the matter at hand. She gave her all, listening to the coaching and asking questions when she did not understand.

At Briella's whistle, Stephanie gave an inaudible sigh of relief. The session was over. She was bone tired and ready to have a nice, hot soak in the bathtub. But it wasn't over. She eyed the Snitch, listening to the instructions her captain called out. She wanted to ask to be excused and her former self would have pulled the full weight of her last name and gotten out of the game, but she wasn't here for that. Instead, she took a deep breath, trying to ignore the ache in her muscles, and took off.

It wasn't easy. Already tired, her concentration kept slipping and she made stupid mistakes. But about half an hour into the game, she saw Briella watching her out of the corner of her eyes. Come on, Stephanie. Get it together. You can do this. Summoning an inner strength she didn'tknow she possessed, she threw her heart into the game. So many times she came close to catching the Snitch only for it to swerve out of her grasp. Even more numerous were the times she was bumped and shoved. She'd be on a path to the Snitch when someone would bump into her, derailing her and making her lose track of the Snitch, but she gritted her teeth and started again, mentally lamenting the bruises that would surely tarnish her skin.
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Briella-Ashley Myers

Briella-Ashley Myers


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Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] Empty
PostSubject: Re: Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie]   Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] EmptyFri Oct 13, 2017 8:37 am

Stephanie's speech made her laugh; she couldn't help it. The girl was so high strung, so still wrapped in who she was or wasn't that she couldn't see past her own nose. And Briella, whether or not the girl was on her team, would point this out. "No," she said, matter-of-factly. "I tell other Purebloods that -- Bryan, for example. You can ask Bryan -- he dropped out for his NEWTs this year, the absolute mud-covered piece of chewing gum -- who was my keeper for three years." She grinned, to show she had been kidding about her insult. "As for Muggleborns, I tell them that they're no better than anyone younger than them, same as Halfbloods. If they're popular, then yes, they get the Queen B speech. If they're rich, they get a speech about those less fortunate than them. It fluctuates, you see, depending on who they are."

Here, she arched an eyebrow. "But you're so caught up in your name -- trying to escape it still means you're thinking about it -- that you can't see crap around you. You're still focused on you and your last name -- who you are, what others think of you. Tell me, how has that changed a sugar-coated crap of anything? You say you don't stand with the typical Richardsons; well, I've met some of them before, and I can tell you one thing: they're obsessed with their name. Who they are and who they aren't. And you, Stephanie, are doing the exact same thing -- it just happens that what you want is opposite of them. They want to be known as a Richardson; you don't. But in the end, it still revolves around your name."

Pausing a moment, Briella searched Stephanie's eyes. "You want to be known as someone other than a Richardson? Get your nose out of your own rose-scented ass long enough to realise the only way to do that is to be that. You don't owe anybody anything. You assumed I gave you a speech because of your last name. You assumed that I saw you differently, thought of you as more than just another member that needed welcoming into the family, more than any other person in my team -- and thinking of you as less than others does mean I'm thinking of you more, which I don't." She shrugged. "So you tell me, Stephanie. Did I judge you based off your title, or did you assume I did, because your glasses are tinted in a remarkable shade of 'me-myself-and-I'." She offered Stephanie a grin to show she didn't mean harm -- that she was just speaking her mind, not insulting on purpose -- and added, "So pull those sticks and strings out of your ass, wipe the shit off, and come join us as yourself, Pinocchio."

The training went as well as any training with a newbie did. As always, some were cautious -- in part, Briella suspected, because they knew Stephanie's reputation, and in part because they were usually always wary of newcomers -- and others were reckless in their acceptance. Briella tended to be in the middle, both tentative but welcoming, with an open mind both ways; they still had a chance to screw up badly, or prove themselves fantastic.

She watched Stephanie and their other new member -- although he'd been with them a couple weeks already -- closely. Later, she'd ask for reports from the other members. This would be the final say; if the majority voted against, Stephanie would be let go. It was their final process of the application.

As the sun set, Briella kept an eye on her phone. It would ring five minutes after dark, and that was when she'd call the game. They would've missed dinner, but she got permission for it each time, and there would be food waiting for them in the kitchens; they ate as a team. As Briella had often stressed, they were a family, and that meant doing things together once in a while.

Even in the dark, the team kept playing. While she had said they would play until after sunset, she hadn't specified when, and for all they knew, it could be an hour or more. Sometimes, it was. Usually, it wasn't, though, and as her phone finally buzzed, Briella nodded once to Jodie across the pitch and blew a shrill whistle, signalling them to land. Slipping out her wand, she muttered the word, turning off the snitch, before summoning it to herself and catching it with ease.

Once they were all on the ground, she grinned, sticking a hand in her pocket. "Great game, everyone. We meet here in three days, at five, for the next one. Now let's go eat; I'm starving!"
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Slytherin Quidditch Team Tryouts [Stephanie] Empty
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