Alternate.

[Scarlet Frost]

Scarlet was furious, in her fourth year and she was an alternate again for her Quidditch Team, she got accepted on in her first year as a team member and every year after that she was only an alternate, she scoffed at the Idea.
She was Scarlet Frost, the Daughter of Kida Frost, Beater for the Tuscan Charmers, Quidditch Professional, Ex-Ministry Official for the Quidditch League Headquarters, where most of the kids on her team only learnt how to hold a broom in their first year she had been on brooms since she was old enough to hold one.
Spinning her Beaters bat in one hand she trod onto the pitch with the box under her other arm, the box contained bludgers, angry and restless she held onto it with ease.

'Alternate' she mumbled under her breath, her hair whipping against her face in the spring breeze which probably made her look like some demon child. reaching the middle of the pitch she dropped the box down and kicked it with her foot allowing the latch to unbolt and the Bludgers to escape, in one quick flawless motion she cracked on of the bludgers hard and sent it flying hard and fast away from her. The other Bludger saw it's escape and with a swift back hand she knocked it back into the box and kicked the lid shut with her foot.
'Alternate, It's like keeping your prized racehorse in the stables' she mocked loudly waiting for the bludger to return, she spun her bat around her hand again adjusting her grip.

 

[Stella Finch]

Initially Stella had been excited to have made the Slytherin Quidditch team as an alternate because she figured it was a good stepping stone towards getting a spot on the team. However, the feeling of achievement had quickly diminished when she'd found out that everyone who tried out for the Beater position had been given a spot as an alternate beater. What was the point in having try outs if everyone was going to make the team regardless? There were even more alternate beaters than there were actual beaters on the team. It just didn't seem practical to her. Who would get to play in a game if Asaiah managed to get himself benched again this season? Stella didn't want to wait to find out if she'd be the last pick so she made her way out to the pitch to get some practice in. She was going to make sure she would be the preferred alternate even if she didn't have much experience just yet. She tried to ask her brother for help to practice since he was a beater on the Gryffindor team, but he always brushed her away for everything, so Stella went out to the pitch alone. She had Wyatt's beater's bat in hand figuring she might need to buy her own soon, but at least she'd finally purchased her own broom. It wasn't the best one but it was better than a school broom. As Stella walked out onto the pitch she saw that someone else was already there practicing the same position she wanted to work on. She watched the girl swat the ball away effortlessly and walked up to her. "Nice hit," she said by way of greeting. "Are you practicing alone?" she asked, wondering if the girl was on a house team and had simply showed up early for team practice which Stella didn't want to interfere with.
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[Scarlet Frost]

Watching the Bludger sail back in her Direction she adjusted her grip holding the bat with her right hand only and swung, connecting the bat and the bludger with a crack it went back the way it came. 'Banned from the team but oh no, it's only a temporary ban... Do they even understand what banned means' she continued to mumble to herself in a very mocking tone.
Hearing a female voice she was briefly startled, she didn't expect anyone to approach someone knocking bludgers around, it wasn't a safe radius. The Compliment came from in front of her and Scarlet used her free hand to brush her hair out of her face 'Oh, Thanks' she said looking at the girl but not really absorbing the compliment but instead keeping an ear out for the familiar grumble of a disgruntled bludger 'Just letting off steam' she said through partially clenched teeth trying to hold her tongue from snapping at the girl when she didn't even know her.
'Be careful, there might be a bludger coming your way' she gestured with her bat towards the bat in the girls hand 'I'm assuming you know how to use one and you're not just holding that for show' Scarlet didn't mean to see rude or upfront, finding out she was benched even with her legacy, experience and skill instead of the guy who was banned from Quidditch had finally made her reach boiling point.

 

[Stella Finch]

As soon as Stella had spoken to the girl she'd realized belatedly that she seemed to be upset over something considering how angrily she was muttering to herself. "Are you okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow critically without meaning to. Once the girl mentioned letting off steam Stella felt the girl really was upset about something, but at least this seemed like a healthy way to release that frustration. She glanced down at the bat in her hand when the girl pointed it out and thought it was rather obvious what she was out here to do but refrained from pointing this out to the girl since she didn't want to make her angrier. When she warned her for bludgers coming her way, Stella shrugged and said, "That's why I'm out here." It wasn't like anyone came out to the Quidditch Pitch for anything other than practice. Stella threw her bat and broom on the ground as she picked her blonde hair up into a ponytail to keep her hair out of her face and keep her vision sharp, which couldn't be said for the older girl in front of her. The girl hadn't even mounted her broom yet but Stella wanted to be in the air already. Quietly she picked up her bat again and mounted her Sienna Storm and pushed off lightly, not kicking off into the air yet and instead hovering in place beside the girl. Stella heard the bludger the girl had released hurtling back towards them and since she had the advantage of height over the girl, she would be able to reach it first. She swung her bat and hit it away, still trying to get used to only one arm doing all the heavy work. There wasn't nearly as much force as the girl put behind her hits, perhaps because she was younger or simply because she wasn't full of anger like the brunette was, but at least she'd made contact and knocked it off course. "Care to give me any pointers?" Stella asked. "I just made my team as an alternate but I want to get better," Stella said candidly. She figured if they were both out here they might as well make good use of the pitch together.
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[Scarlet Frost]

The girl seemed to appear concerned with her current mood and she shrugged 'Friendship circles, nothing I have control over' she replied, she didn't assume the girl had any idea what she was talking about However regardless the girl seemed eager to join her which she found odd, Four years at this school and she hadn't a single friend to call her own and yet suddenly this girl was all for training with her.
Scarlet cocked her eyebrow when the Girl threw her Bat and Broom on the ground to tie her hair up, Scarlet had stopped bothering with tying her hair up unless it was for practice or matches, she listened to where the bludgers were coming from, vision was low on her priorities after that. Before Scarlet could really say anything the Girl was mounting her broom to hunt bludgers and the 14 year old just watched in minor disbelief, Scarlet hadn't brought her broom to the pitch, she wasn't interested in flying for once, she didn't want to chase the bludgers she was more than happy to let them come to her and then beat them far away.

The Girl who she did not know the name of hit the bludger on it's return whilst on her broom, the bludger didn't go too far but it was redirected 'Good Hit' she commented as she watched the Bludger try make it's return, the girl asked for any pointers and she gestured towards the arm the girl was holding the bat with 'You may want to strengthen that arm and practice with the guards on, it hurts more getting direct contact with a bludger if you miss' she suggested wondering how often the girl has played as a beater or if this was her first time.
The Girl informed her she just made her team as an alternate 'Ah a Fellow Bench warmer' she said sarcastically 'Well, That' makes two of us' she added
The Girl was hovering around her on her Broom, she seemed eager to stay around so Scarlet decided to make things more interesting 'I guess we better make you the best alternate, give me some competition if we are ever so graciously allowed to play' she said, Scarlet kicked the box which had the bludger she knocked back in angrily rattling around, the clasp sprung open and the second bludger was let loose.

 

[Stella Finch]

Stella smiled when the girl complimented her hit given her inexperience and only hoped to get better with practice. She listened as the girl gave her some tips and nodded to show she was taking it all in; she didn't have any guards on today but she'd know better next time. She was rather surprised to see that the girl wasn't going to fly but Stella wanted the practice on a broom. She'd have to learn how to get better while balancing in the air and staying firmly planted on the ground wasn't going to help her. She noted the girl's sarcasm when she called them bench warmers and could tell she was obviously disappointed in having made alternate. Stella pursed her lips because she had been proud of an accomplishment because she knew it was only temporary, but perhaps since the girl was older she was upset over it, which made sense to her. "Oh, what team are you on?" she asked, because she hadn't seen her at Slytherin's tryouts. "I'm Stella by the way," she finally introduced herself, switching her bat in hand to shake hers briefly. She smiled brightly when the girl offered up some training to make her a better alternate because that is exactly what Stella wanted. "At least you'll have a better chance of playing than I probably do," Stella said with a roll of her eyes. "There are two other beater alternates so if there's ever a chance for one of us to step in and play, I want to make sure it's me," the Slytherin said firmly. It was one thing to be an alternate waiting to play, but another kind of torture to be on the waiting list of a waiting list. She switched her bat back into her right hand and saw as she let the other bludger loose and it flew forward, but the first bludger was flying in the opposite direction, hurtling towards them. Stella kept an eye on it and swung to hit it but grunted as her weight tipped her broom forward, causing her to miss the swing entirely and narrowly avoid being hit by the bludger, hoping the girl was ready to hit it away.
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