Open The Swing of Things

[AJ Ari]

Open after Marijke posts with Evelyn

AJ hadn't been totally sure what to expect with Quidditch try-outs, but getting a spot on the team had been a relief. It was good to know he hadn't made a total fool of himself out there. He'd been spending some time brushing up on the rules more, but he mostly needed to get used to the beater's bat. Flying while swinging it around was taking up enough to his focus, let alone actually trying to hit anything. AJ had taken to carrying it around school when he could get away with it, hoping maybe if he did it often enough his arms would stop aching during practice all the time.

Taking advantage of a free period, AJ had found a reasonably secluded spot outside where he could swing the bat around, though his carefully regulated practice had mostly morphed into a dramatic sword fight. AJ just hoped no one from the Quadpot team could hear him making the whooshing noises as he swung the bat through the air, twirling for a quick jab at a second invisible opponent.

 

[Evelynn Burrows]

Evelynn had been a able to give her emotions a place over the break and had went back to school this year feeling good again. Not exactly wonderful, but good enough to feel like herself again. To feel able to be happy again. Excited. She had thought about finally trying out for the Quidditch team, but in the end she ended up not trying out. Again. She loved the sport, adored it even but had always been too scared to try out. Scared to be rejected and it putting a damper on her love for the sport. She had been making her way across the grounds when she noticed some weird movements from the corner of her eye. When she turned towards it she noticed a kid swinging a bat around. Evelynn curiously made her way closer to the boy, observing him for a second before speaking up. "So did you make the team or are you already practicing for next years tryouts?" She chuckled, interested in whether this boy might have made the team. If he did, she envied him.

 

[AJ Ari]

AJ let out an undignified squeal when someone spoke to him, fumbling the bat and morosely watching it tumble to the ground. "Uh, what, yes? No. Yes!" AJ managed to get out, scooping the bat up from the ground and turning to face the speaker. He recognized Evelynn from being in the same house, but like most kids at school, AJ hadn't really spoken to her much. "Yes. I uh, I just got on the team," He said, pushing his hair out of his eyes and awkwardly swinging the bat. "I definitely need the practice though.. As you can see." He offered weakly, nearly fumbling the bat a second time as he fidgeted.

 

[Evelynn Burrows]

Evelynn tried her best not to burst out laughing at the the boys squeal. After all, he had been so focussed on the bat that he could have hardly seen her coming. She frowned slightly when his answer contained both yes and no. However, he seemed to have composed himself soon enough and she smiled brightly at his answer. "Really? That's awesome, congratulations!" She happily exclaimed. Even a mention of the sport in a conversation was enough for her to get excited about it. "Well the bat swinging looked pretty solid, but you could at least use some practice in not getting startled that easy. I don't figure that would do well in a game." She chuckled, her first couple of words being an attempt to encourage the boy. For someone who just made the team he didn't seem entirely confident in his abilities.

 

[AJ Ari]

AJ was relieved when his fumbling was mostly ignored, choosing to instead bask in her congratulations. "Thanks," He said happily, glad that people out there did actually find Quidditch cool and not the lame cousin of Quadpot like some of the Quadpot team had insisted it was. "I just like to think I have very active reflexes?" He offered sheepishly, though Evelynn was right. "Do you have any.. other tips though maybe? I didn't know you were a big Quidditch fan. Did you not wanna join the team?" He asked her carefully. AJ didn't want to step on any toes or anything, but he did need all the help he could get. Plus, Evelynn seemed cool, and a lot nicer than some of the team (well nicer than Eli at least), and it wouldn't have been cool to have another Thunderbird on the team.

 

[Evelynn Burrows]

Evelynn snorted when he mentioned his reflexes. "Yeah I'm sure the competing team will be thrown of guard if you squeal like that." She chuckled. As the words left her mouth she was hoping he wouldn't pick them up as making fun of him. She wasn't or she didn't mean to, she just couldn't shake the sound of his squeal from her memory. "I think you just need to relax a bit, not think it over as much as you seem to be doing now." She smiled, wondering if that would be helpful in any way. "Oh yeah, massive fan." She nodded refering to herself being a fan of the sport. She knew a lot of people around the school preferred quodpot, but she didn't really care. She liked quidditch more, thought it to be more interesting. "Yes- no- I do." She struggled with her words a bit, before eventually elaborating. "I'd like to, but I'm scared, I guess? I don't want to be turned down for the team and then have this huge damper on my love for the sport. If that makes any sense at all." She smiled lightly. It was the best way she could explain why she had never even attended the tryouts.

 

[AJ Ari]

AJ laughed self-consciously when Evelynn continued to tease him. "I'm a master strategist, see," He said, idly fiddling with the bat. "They'll be too taken aback by my screaming to see the bludgers coming," Honestly, AJ wasn't sure if he was more worried about missing swings in games or screaming again. "Do people.. normally scream in games? Like, people get hit a decent amount, right?" At least in Quadpot you knew what to look out for in regards to dangerous explosions. Quidditch seemed to have so many moving pieces. Two of which were trying to kill you. "Okay, relax, yeah, I can do that," AJ said, making a show of letting his shoulders slump, though his voice was pitched tightly.

It was interesting when Evelynn described her fears about joining the team. AJ had never really had any hobby he cared about that much and he was a little envious of her. "It's cool that you like it much," He said placatingly. "I guess I get that.." AJ said, realizing he'd never gotten involved with things usually for the opposite reason. What if he liked it too much? "You wanna take a few practice swings?" He said, offering Evelynn his bat to try and ease some of the heavier tension.