Just before Quodpot Tryouts (the no-go's)
Dec 11, 2018 14:53:15 GMT -6
Post by Snick on Dec 11, 2018 14:53:15 GMT -6
Francine had asked Siobhan to come meet her at the field before the rest of the team tryouts began. The girl was still a little shaky from her ordeal, and she'd heard she wanted to be in the play as well . . . that gave her a perfect excuse to cut her before the try-outs began.
Then there was little Iris Pratt. She was just too young and small to play with the big boys.
They both had older brothers who would come with them, and both girls were sensible enough, she hoped, to tough out a disappointment in front of a brother. At least she knew O'Brien was. So she had sent owls to both the girls, and their brothers to come see her an hour before tryouts began.
"Still think you are taking on too much, Shi." Lorccan said to his sister as they entered the stadium. "You're in that Play, plus all the other things you do and the duties the Lighthouse has you do. Not to mention helping me out in my studies." Lorccan knew he was already shirking on that, spending much of his 'homework' time working on the mirrors. But the school year was early and he expected he could 'catch up' later, once he finished the mirrors.
"You're good at flying and all but this is a sport that can get pretty rough, not to mention having the ball blow up in your face." Lorccan wondered if he should have tried, but he really didn't find quadpot all that interesting, saving watching the ball blow up in a player's face. That was about the only interesting part. Unfortunately it didn't happen all that often and he usually grew bored and left the stadium before the game was half over.
''Lorccan, I'm all right. I'm happier when I'm busy. It keeps me from thinking about my problems. What I don't understand is why Miss Duke wanted you here." Then she looked up and realized they had arrived. "Miss Duke? You asked to see us?"
"Yes, have a seat on the bleachers. Siobhan, you've been through a lot lately. I admire your gumption in trying out for the team, but I don't think the timing is right. You're a good flyer. I've seen you in class, but you're going out for the play too. You can't do both. Honestly, given what you've been through, I think you'd be happier in the play."
She watched the girl's face fall slightly, then her press a grim determined look on it and nod.
"Of course, the flying races are second semester. You're good at flying. I'd love to have you on that team. I'd expect you to get your own broom by then, of course." She smiled at the girl and patted her back.
His sister, the over achiever. Lorccan did feel envious at times, she had everything he didn't...brains, a thirst for knowledge, many interests...yet he found half of the classes in school boring. Most of his peers were boring too, always talking about girls and stuff more and more now than ever before. Lately most have been pestering about what happened to his sister...he already punched a student for being too much of a pest.
It was a relief really when Miss Duke told Siobhan she shouldn't even try out, that she would be happier with the play. "That's alright then, give you more time to practice your lines and stuff." Lorccan said to Siobhan, slipping off the bleachers.
"You want to hang around and see if anybody else gets cut before the tryouts even start?" Lorccan asked, thinking it may be fun to tease the kids later. "Or watch the actual tryouts? If not we can go do something else."
"Not unless you're going to try out, Lorccan. She could probably use you. You can fly as well as I can." Siobhan snapped out the words, not in her usually friendly demeanor. "Thank you, Miss Duke." She hopped off the bleacher and hurried off, barely saying more than "H'lo" to Patrick and Iris as she brushed past them.
Her mind was on getting her own broom. How could she do that? She couldn't ask for it. She couldn't. Her mother had spent 16 thousand of her college money on her violin for her birthday. She had no business asking for anything more than new jammies and slippers for Christmas. What was the point? She'd been offered a place on the broom racing team, but she'd never make it without her own broom, and she'd never have her own broom. She didn't wait for Lorccan to catch up, but kept walking as if she was late for class.
Lorccan was caught a little flat footed at Siobhan's tone. Obviously she was angry she didn't even get a chance to try out. Then it hit him what made her angry. She didn't have her own broom and she wasn't likely to be able to afford a racing class broom. Even used ones cost several hundred gold sovereigns. He had his savings but even with that there would be no way he could buy her one. He had a better chance of stealing her a broom. Not that he would.
He should drop a hint to Pratt to buy her a broom for Christmas.... He sprinted off after Siobhan, passing the younger Pratts. He waved to both, then picked up the pace to catch up to his sister.
"Hello to you too, Siobhan." . He thought she wasn't holding a grudge against him for punching his brother. Guess he was wrong. Or she had something on her mind. "She's usually nice," he explained. Patrick held Iris's hand in his."Come on, Iris, let's see what our coach wants us for."
"Its early for tryouts." Iris commented, scratching Poochie's head where it poked out of the opening in the bag she carried him in. They had walked him most of the way but being so small Poochie tired faster so she had scooped him up and put him into the carry bag. She waved to Lorccan before he ran off to catch up with his sister.
"Do you think Miss Duke gave her bad news?" She asked, wondering if she was going to get some too. She was a first year and from what she heard so far, First years weren't picked for the team. But Iris thought she would try out anyway. She knew she could fly a broom better than she could act. Of that she was certain.
"Ah, Patrick, and your sister, Iris." Now how to put this... "Patrick didn't get to play his first year. He was bigger than you. You're much smaller, like I was. I didn't play first year either. I was a great flyer. Like you, I bet. I'd like you to come try out for the flying racing team next semester, but wait until you have more body mass before you play quodpot. I wouldn't let Siobhan try out either, if that makes you feel any better," she added as an afterthought.
Now, don't cry. Be strong in front of your big brother. "Patrick, I still expect you to be on the team, however."
Then there was little Iris Pratt. She was just too young and small to play with the big boys.
They both had older brothers who would come with them, and both girls were sensible enough, she hoped, to tough out a disappointment in front of a brother. At least she knew O'Brien was. So she had sent owls to both the girls, and their brothers to come see her an hour before tryouts began.
"Still think you are taking on too much, Shi." Lorccan said to his sister as they entered the stadium. "You're in that Play, plus all the other things you do and the duties the Lighthouse has you do. Not to mention helping me out in my studies." Lorccan knew he was already shirking on that, spending much of his 'homework' time working on the mirrors. But the school year was early and he expected he could 'catch up' later, once he finished the mirrors.
"You're good at flying and all but this is a sport that can get pretty rough, not to mention having the ball blow up in your face." Lorccan wondered if he should have tried, but he really didn't find quadpot all that interesting, saving watching the ball blow up in a player's face. That was about the only interesting part. Unfortunately it didn't happen all that often and he usually grew bored and left the stadium before the game was half over.
''Lorccan, I'm all right. I'm happier when I'm busy. It keeps me from thinking about my problems. What I don't understand is why Miss Duke wanted you here." Then she looked up and realized they had arrived. "Miss Duke? You asked to see us?"
"Yes, have a seat on the bleachers. Siobhan, you've been through a lot lately. I admire your gumption in trying out for the team, but I don't think the timing is right. You're a good flyer. I've seen you in class, but you're going out for the play too. You can't do both. Honestly, given what you've been through, I think you'd be happier in the play."
She watched the girl's face fall slightly, then her press a grim determined look on it and nod.
"Of course, the flying races are second semester. You're good at flying. I'd love to have you on that team. I'd expect you to get your own broom by then, of course." She smiled at the girl and patted her back.
His sister, the over achiever. Lorccan did feel envious at times, she had everything he didn't...brains, a thirst for knowledge, many interests...yet he found half of the classes in school boring. Most of his peers were boring too, always talking about girls and stuff more and more now than ever before. Lately most have been pestering about what happened to his sister...he already punched a student for being too much of a pest.
It was a relief really when Miss Duke told Siobhan she shouldn't even try out, that she would be happier with the play. "That's alright then, give you more time to practice your lines and stuff." Lorccan said to Siobhan, slipping off the bleachers.
"You want to hang around and see if anybody else gets cut before the tryouts even start?" Lorccan asked, thinking it may be fun to tease the kids later. "Or watch the actual tryouts? If not we can go do something else."
"Not unless you're going to try out, Lorccan. She could probably use you. You can fly as well as I can." Siobhan snapped out the words, not in her usually friendly demeanor. "Thank you, Miss Duke." She hopped off the bleacher and hurried off, barely saying more than "H'lo" to Patrick and Iris as she brushed past them.
Her mind was on getting her own broom. How could she do that? She couldn't ask for it. She couldn't. Her mother had spent 16 thousand of her college money on her violin for her birthday. She had no business asking for anything more than new jammies and slippers for Christmas. What was the point? She'd been offered a place on the broom racing team, but she'd never make it without her own broom, and she'd never have her own broom. She didn't wait for Lorccan to catch up, but kept walking as if she was late for class.
Lorccan was caught a little flat footed at Siobhan's tone. Obviously she was angry she didn't even get a chance to try out. Then it hit him what made her angry. She didn't have her own broom and she wasn't likely to be able to afford a racing class broom. Even used ones cost several hundred gold sovereigns. He had his savings but even with that there would be no way he could buy her one. He had a better chance of stealing her a broom. Not that he would.
He should drop a hint to Pratt to buy her a broom for Christmas.... He sprinted off after Siobhan, passing the younger Pratts. He waved to both, then picked up the pace to catch up to his sister.
"Hello to you too, Siobhan." . He thought she wasn't holding a grudge against him for punching his brother. Guess he was wrong. Or she had something on her mind. "She's usually nice," he explained. Patrick held Iris's hand in his."Come on, Iris, let's see what our coach wants us for."
"Its early for tryouts." Iris commented, scratching Poochie's head where it poked out of the opening in the bag she carried him in. They had walked him most of the way but being so small Poochie tired faster so she had scooped him up and put him into the carry bag. She waved to Lorccan before he ran off to catch up with his sister.
"Do you think Miss Duke gave her bad news?" She asked, wondering if she was going to get some too. She was a first year and from what she heard so far, First years weren't picked for the team. But Iris thought she would try out anyway. She knew she could fly a broom better than she could act. Of that she was certain.
"Ah, Patrick, and your sister, Iris." Now how to put this... "Patrick didn't get to play his first year. He was bigger than you. You're much smaller, like I was. I didn't play first year either. I was a great flyer. Like you, I bet. I'd like you to come try out for the flying racing team next semester, but wait until you have more body mass before you play quodpot. I wouldn't let Siobhan try out either, if that makes you feel any better," she added as an afterthought.
Now, don't cry. Be strong in front of your big brother. "Patrick, I still expect you to be on the team, however."
