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Even though it is three in the afternoon, there is a chill in the early November air as you make your way to the Training Grounds. Winter is coming, and the signs have become clearer and clearer with each passing day. Today, the sun is not shining, sweaters and heating charms are starting to become a norm, and one can see their breath whenever one exhales.
Mr. MacKenzie himself has felt the change in seasons. Rather than casually standing with arms crossed, watching as you approach, he can be seen mid-flight. One hand on the handle of his broom, the man uses the other to toss a Quaffle into the air before zooming after the red ball to catch it as it makes a descent. This process repeats itself; Quaffle thrown, Quaffle caught, Quaffle thrown, Quaffle caught, Quaffle thrown, Quaffle caught. Needless to say, all the movement was certainly keeping him warm.
Catching hold of the Quaffle and hearing footsteps and murmurs approaching, MacKenzie swerves his broom to the side so that he is now facing you. "Welcome," he says loudly from up in the air. "Go on an' do some stretching. Make a couple o' laps around the area on yer broom before we get started if it fancies ye."
OOC: Welcome to the first OOC Flying lesson of the term! Before posting, please familiarise yourself with the class rules and also keep in mind that this is not the first lesson that your characters have had with MacKenzie this term. The lesson has officially started, but feel free to jump in!
Dem Carters | even 🕊🕊 have pride | | Expecto PAWtronum 🐈 | U-NA-GI
Even though Archer was already an excellent flyer and had made the Quidditch team and all, she still continued to attend flying class. Why? With prefect duties, classes and the occasional NEWT review, she needed the stress relief that flying offered. It had absolutely nothing to do with the flying professor it totally did.
"Hey!" Ooo, he was already on his broom. And laps on her broom? Didn't have to tell her twice! She hopped on her own broom and started to circle the training grounds, watching out for rouge classmates and enjoying the feel of the air on her face.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Salt!
Sassenach | RAVENPUFF | Sing me a song of a lass that is gone | bookDRAGON | #awkwardturtle<#
She couldn't complain too much about winter coming. It was earth, and seasons happened. But she was getting very cold, and it wasn't even proper winter yet. She had her more athletic uniform on, and her broom with her. She watched MacKenzie for a while as he flew with the Quaffle, and it wasn't a bad sight. Not a bad sight at all.
He pulled her from her gawking as he addressed the class, and Hanna got to stretching. Her usual quick warm up, with star jumps, and then a stretch of all the large muscles she used more frequently during flying. She did not want any injuries to get in the way of her Quidditch or dancing. Once she felt warm and sufficiently stretched, she mounted the broom, kicked off, and started some laps of the pitch.
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EVASIVE | RESTLESS | MISUNDERSTOOD always on the move
Arriving - but I'm leaving tonight until Tuesday so not actually sure I'll be around
Toto * RotiSila * ToRo * Braveheart * Grandma & Mama Tori
Holly was excited to fly. Well, not that she usually wasn’t but she’d been cooooped up in classrooms all day and she was really looking forward to being outside and to having fresh air on her face.
Broom over her shoulder, clad in appropriate clothing, the Slytherin grinned up at the Professor who was already flying. How cool was he???
Placing her broom on the ground carefully, she then spent five minutes quickly but thoroughly stretching her muscles so that she wouldn’t hurt herself, before she jumped on her own broom, waited for a clear area to start flying, and took off around the pitch with the rest of the class.
doesn't proofread tweets | #wrongaboutcereal | #siriusly? | emo to the extremo
Nina Castillo was not a fan of flying, nor was she a fan of Colin MacKenzie. At least not in the way the rest of her peers seemed to be. He had way too many lines etched into his forehead and one of his eyes always looked bigger than the other, not to mention the fact that his accent was quite difficult to decipher and he taught a subject she absolutely loathed. All of this to say that she was here against her better judgement. Perhaps they would toss the brooms aside for once and have a theory based lesson for once. Nina would wait for the day with bated breath.
The only good thing about this class was getting to watch the pretty boys fly. They did it so well. It was always a treat to watch boys like Józef show off in the air. But that was it, the only good thing. Everything else about the class was reckless, useless, and a waste of time. She made her distaste quite clear in the look she wore on her face as she approached the pitch. She stared blankly at her Professor, before moving to a clearing nearby.
Unlike the rest of her classmates, Nina did not opt to hop on a broom. Instead she kept her feet firmly on the ground (if only she could do that for the entirety of the lesson) and busied herself with stretches.
Her favorite yoga pose was downward dog, so she started there.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Lemon!
Avalon never missed a chance to attend flying lessons. Even though she had plenty of practice with Quidditch, she hated to pass up any opportunity to improve her skills. Although she had made the house team, she was only a first year, and she knew that she had a lot more to learn.
School broom in hand, she made her way onto the pitch. She pulled her flying gloves on to protect her extremities from the chill in the air as she observed MacKenzie playing catch with the Quaffle. She gave him a nod as she pulled her hair back and began to stretch. The cold bit at her ears as Avalon mounted the broom and took a few wide circles around the area. Perhaps she should have brought her earmuffs!
Winter was coming and as per usual Ellie had mixed feelings about it. She liked playing in the snow and making snow figures. What she didn’t like was the cold. She like many in her family always got cold feet and hands and it always got worse in winter. Hopefully the castle stayed warm? Ellie hadn’t tried out for the Gryffindor Qudditch team because she had wanted to focus on getting to know her peers and new professors. She would try out next year.
With her broom in hand and athletic clothes on Ellie made it down to the pitch. She waved to Professor/Flying Official MacKenzie in greeting before she got started on her stretching and warming up. When Ellie felt warm enough she mounted her broom, kicked off and got started on her first lap around the pitch.
Gunnar had jogged to the pitch in an attempt to stay relatively warm. Even though it was freezing today, he still relished outdoor classes and he figured once they got moving and in the air, he wouldn't feel quite so cold.
Would they be doing something Quidditch related for class today? Gunnar didn't feel like he needed this class, but he enjoyed flying and why not fit something fun in his schedule? And it appeared that the former Quidditch player would not disappoint as Gunnar noticed him with a quaffle in the air. Although he preferred the bludgers, it appeared that class would be a good time today.
Noting those already present, including some already in the air, Gunnar spent a few minutes stretching before hopping onto his broom and taking flight himself.
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started like a knight in a fairytale_______________________________________________
ended like a moth in flames______________________ ______________________don't you worry I'll be fine _________________________________________________you were good for the plot line
YesJess! | Captain Goggles | Mama Badger | Eva's Soul Sister | An OG™ | It's all in the Numbers
Maeve Walsh did not fly, but she was a fan of the pretty boys who did fly. Colin MacKenzie was no exception (even if he was like twice - three times??? her age), there was something mesmerizing about watching the muscles flex. She was also perhaps hoping for a glimpse of Tomás or Aron, two rather attractive captains. Or of course her boyfriend, who was no doubt around here somewhere. Or Patrick. Really, so many pretty boys.
As far as hopping on a broom, as most of classmates did, Maeve opted against it and instead joined the younger Slytherin girl wearing a frown. Stretching; she could do that. Anything that allowed to her to keep her feet on the ground and merely observe the pretty boys, she was game for and she suspected the frowny-face girl was up for that as well. Or maybe she was literally just stretching, but the quidditch hype at Hogwarts was so strong that Maeve suspected anyone who enjoyed flying jumped on the opportunity to do so at their earliest convenience.
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___________________You should take your littlefinger and just point it in the mirror. ________________________________________Baby, maybe you're the problem✯
urine trouble | Pat's Strong Confident Other Half | Pees Like a Champion Unicorn Racehorse
Why Lucas was here, he didn't know. He had no interest in flying or playing Quidditch or..... or anything. Wrong Dakest, remember? If it was up to him, he would much rather be sitting up in the Astronomy tower and looking at the stars and not focusing on any of...... this.
But it wasn't up to him so, almost begrudgingly, the third year wrapped his arms around himself and shuffled down to the Training Grounds. He tried not to concentrate on his breath fogging before him - because it would only remind him how much he'd rather be having hot chocolate - and, instead, focused on just walking. It wasn't going to be a long lesson, right? And then he could go back and-
..........
.................
Uh.
Did he..... did he just say to make laps? Around the area??
Lucas's expression changed immediately to first confusion and then to mild shock and then..... to disgust? Yeaaaaaaah no. No no. Not him. No more laps for him, even if it was on a broom, this time. He could stand there and stretch with everyone else who was stretching their limbs. Stretching was important, right? And he was just being careful.
Zombie Apocalypse Team Leader ★ ★ in a crown of pepperoni and artisan cheese
Aaron hummed in appreciation at the burn as he switched into a new yoga pose, the November air cooling the sweat on his skin and keeping him present and alert. He'd made some unfair assumptions about their new quidditch regimen, but everything had been pretty great so far. Less stressful. Man, that was appreciated.
Exhaling deeply, he twisted himself gradually into his fourth pose, which was basically a held squat. With his arms tucked in at his sides, Aaron counted slowly with his eyes closed. The pain didn't bother him so much.... it'd been several weeks by now and his body had fallen back into a routine, as had his mind.
Hm.
Stretching out of the squat, he wiggled his limbs before grabbing his broom. No one appeared to need assistance so he took to the sky.
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We live in cities you'll never see onscreen..._______________________________________________
So very pretty, and we sure know how to run things..._______________________________ Livin' in ruins of a palace, within our dreams...____________
We're on each other's team._____
Lenora looked surprisingly cheerful as she made her way down to the pitch, obviously excited to fly. It was one of the few lessons that she really enjoyed, to be honest.
With her school broom in hand, she entered the pitch, immediately looking up to see the professor flying about with a Quaffle. The girl watched for a little while before her gaze shifted towards Aaron.. who seemed to be.. doing yoga?? Um. Okay. She didn’t know the first thing about yoga but those poses definitely looked impressive.. and so did he.
Okay, right. She set her broom on the ground and did some stretches, probably looking incredibly awkward. As much as she liked flying, she didn’t enjoy exercises.. at ALL.
Jackson couldn't help the smile that appeared as he saw their flying instructor was already up in the air doing some exercises. He could appreciate when someone was this into what they were doing. A slight sting in his eye told him that he hadn't been blinking enough recently, but overall the day wasn't so bad. Finally approaching, Jackson heeded their professor's call. He had already done stretches for his arms and neck, but he could definitely do with a few leg stretches before hopping on his broom so he got to it.
Bathes in Maple Syrup | Dancing Lobster | Mrs. Charlie Weasley | Seneca's Beard | That's So Fetch
It was no shocker to him that the more avid of flyers out there joined him up in the air without batting an eye. Head nods were given as Calrissian, Newton, and Tamesis hopped on their brooms and began flying around the Training Grounds. Shortly after, he made a descent, Quaffle in hand, toward the ground to better ensure that everyone who showed up either made some laps on their brooms or did some simple stretches.
The look on Castillo's face didn't go unnoticed, but Colin didn't comment as she was cooperating so far. That, honestly, was really all he could ask for -- he could appreciate those who tried; otherwise, the castle door was only a short walk away for those who didn't want to be there.
Giving the Quaffle one last toss before landing, Sinclair, Smethwyck, and McCarthy received nods and smiles for greetings. He directed his broom a few feet to the left and reached out an arm, catching the red ball seemingly without much effort. Moments later, his feet touched the ground.
The expressions worn on Walsh and Dakest's faces reminded him of Castillo. Though internally he was beginning to question if they were aware his class was only mandatory for first years, outwardly he just flashed a trademark smile of his as he walked past them. He gave Botros and Bell courteous head nods, leaving them to their stretching as he reached for a sack he had left on the ground and put the Quaffle inside. Glancing around, he noticed that Meriwether and Thomas had joined the ranks and wasted no time stretching their muscles.
After allowing everyone and any stragglers a few more moments to stretch and make some laps, MacKenzie, still holding into his broom, grabbed onto a whistle with his free hand and brought it to his lips. TWEET! TWEET!
"Let's get this lesson started, shall we?" he stated to everyone that was present. "Today we are going to focus on learnin' about and practisin' a specific broom tactic. Before we dive into that though, I was wonderin' what broom tactics ye lot already know of? And what are the steps for that tactic? Or what was yer experience attemptin' it like if ye have done it in the past?"
OOC: Apologies for the wait, everyone. I was MIA the last few days due to a family emergency. But all is well, and I'm ready to get this lesson started.
To start off the lesson, Colin is just engaging some prior knowledge and getting a general feel of everyone's knowledge about different broom tactics. Please limit yourself to one broom tactic and then either describe the steps needed to complete the tactic or have your character share their previous experience attempting the tactic (was it easy or difficult for them, were they able to do it or not, etc.).
YesJess! | Captain Goggles | Mama Badger | Eva's Soul Sister | An OG™ | It's all in the Numbers
Oh she was definitely WELL AWARE this wasn't a required lesson, but how could she resist being up close and personal with such eye candy. She was glad to see Emma's brother show up too, cause more people who didn't fly. They could stick together.
Learning and practicing a specific broom tactic? Oh surely Chase or Anna must have talked to her about something?? And yet, when she raised her hand and opened her mouth to speak, the was only one broom related task to come out of her mouth. "Sweeping." It might be a quidditch tactic, but chances are it just referred to a household broom tactic.
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___________________You should take your littlefinger and just point it in the mirror. ________________________________________Baby, maybe you're the problem✯
Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Despite not trying out for quidditch again this term, Tina still enjoyed flying. It was the perfect way for her to blow off steam! She had arrived at the quidditch pitch on time for today's lesson, dressed in proper athletic attire (a purple and black jogging suit with a butterfly printed on the front), her trusty old broom in hand. Unlike some of her classmates, she didn't waste time ogling the flying instructor. He was… not her type, and besides, she preferred to concentrate on learning. She'd greeted the man with a polite nod upon her arrival and after quickly tying her hair back into a ponytail, she set about doing her stretches and laps.
She touched back down at the sound of the whistle and listened to the question asked with rapt attention. Recalling the quaffle she'd seen Mr. Mackenzie tossing about earlier, Tina's first thoughts turned to Chaser tactics… the Sabryn Steal, Parkin's Pincer, and the like. But… he'd specifically said "broom tactics", not "quidditch tactics", and while there was considerable overlap, not all broom tactics were necessarily quidditch tactics. After some further thought, she raised her hand.
"Broom surfing, sir," Tina said after being called on. "I've never actually tried it -" Frankly, it seemed reckless and unnecessary to her, but it was a broom tactic nonetheless. "- but it's done by standing on top of one's broom while flying."
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Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...
Sassenach | RAVENPUFF | Sing me a song of a lass that is gone | bookDRAGON | #awkwardturtle<#
On hearing the TWEET! TWEET! of MacKenzie's whistle, Hanna carefully but with speed flew towards the ground and dismounted to join the group.
Speaking of tactics, Hanna couldn't not smile as Maeve suggested sweeping as a broom tactic. She thought it was rather clever. Thinking over some of the tactics she had both tried, and read about, she decided to suggest one she had successfully tried. "Professor, the Sloth Grip Roll is one I've tried," she said with her hand raised. "I've used it in practices and matches, and seen it used a lot, to avoid bludgers. Basically, you flip yourself and end up handing off the broom, rather than perched atop of the broom." She had known about the move, after seeing it, but it was one that almost came as a reflex. A bludger is flying right towards your head, it always seemed the most natural thing to do, without a bat.
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EVASIVE | RESTLESS | MISUNDERSTOOD always on the move
Toto * RotiSila * ToRo * Braveheart * Grandma & Mama Tori
SPOILER!!: Professor
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoe
It was no shocker to him that the more avid of flyers out there joined him up in the air without batting an eye. Head nods were given as Calrissian, Newton, and Tamesis hopped on their brooms and began flying around the Training Grounds. Shortly after, he made a descent, Quaffle in hand, toward the ground to better ensure that everyone who showed up either made some laps on their brooms or did some simple stretches.
The look on Castillo's face didn't go unnoticed, but Colin didn't comment as she was cooperating so far. That, honestly, was really all he could ask for -- he could appreciate those who tried; otherwise, the castle door was only a short walk away for those who didn't want to be there.
Giving the Quaffle one last toss before landing, Sinclair, Smethwyck, and McCarthy received nods and smiles for greetings. He directed his broom a few feet to the left and reached out an arm, catching the red ball seemingly without much effort. Moments later, his feet touched the ground.
The expressions worn on Walsh and Dakest's faces reminded him of Castillo. Though internally he was beginning to question if they were aware his class was only mandatory for first years, outwardly he just flashed a trademark smile of his as he walked past them. He gave Botros and Bell courteous head nods, leaving them to their stretching as he reached for a sack he had left on the ground and put the Quaffle inside. Glancing around, he noticed that Meriwether and Thomas had joined the ranks and wasted no time stretching their muscles.
After allowing everyone and any stragglers a few more moments to stretch and make some laps, MacKenzie, still holding into his broom, grabbed onto a whistle with his free hand and brought it to his lips. TWEET! TWEET!
"Let's get this lesson started, shall we?" he stated to everyone that was present. "Today we are going to focus on learnin' about and practisin' a specific broom tactic. Before we dive into that though, I was wonderin' what broom tactics ye lot already know of? And what are the steps for that tactic? Or what was yer experience attemptin' it like if ye have done it in the past?"
There should never be a doubt about Holly getting on her broom, Cam had always been allowed to fly before her and she’d spent years pining and wishing she could go higher, go faster, go further - but she’d had to wait until it was her turn… and when it had been, she’d loved everything about it. Almost as much as gymnastics. Almost. They both let her fly, they both made her happy.
Lowing her broom, she hovered a few feet above the ground as she waited for the rest of the class to fly back to join them. She gave the Professor a small smile, her hands crossing her chest as she worked on her balance while not holding onto the broom - something she was constantly working on so that her hands could be free to save goals. She was getting better too - not that it had anything to do with her actual core, it was just a different set of muscles used than the ones she needed for gymnastics.
Head tilting to one side slightly at the question, Holly’s hand slipped into the air as her lips widened into a grin. ”One of the tactics I’m working on managing to do faster is the double eight loop … It’s where the Keeper flies in the infinity loop formation around the goals making it harder to score penalties. Or, at least… that’s the point of the move. I can’t do it fast enough yet, so it isn’t that great a tactic at the moment but I’m getting better.” She nodded with a grin - she’d been working on it a few days ago actually.
Stealthy Ninja Queen | Snake For Life | waddling baker | binge royalty ♚
Patrick had wanted to pipe up with one of his favorite tactics but here lately he was lucky to fly normally. He listened as the other students rattled some off he didn’t want to say any because he seriously wasn’t sure he could pull off a one right now. He lost his quidditch captaincy and now he could barely fly. There went ever playing professionally.
He thought about the tailspin trick he used to love to do with his brothers, his mouth hooking up at the thought of it. He could picture it his oldest brother coming toward him with the intent of stealing the quaffle. He’d take a dive and spin out so they couldn’t catch him. It was perfect and his favorite thing to do.
It was refreshing and exhilarating to be making laps around the quidditch pitch on her broom. Ellie didn't know she had missed it so much until this minute. She regretted not trying out for quidditch, but there was always next year and she had flying lessons at least to look forward to and participate in. Flying and feeling the wind her hair Ellie almost made a pouty sound as she heard Professor MacKenzie blow the whistle to land.
Landing as smoothly as she could Ellie took her position near a girl from Slytherin and held onto her broom as the lesson got started. Thinking about the question she raised her hand and said "When my whole extended family meets every year in the summer we play a game of quidditch on my grandparents open field and I've tried the keeper tactic that is called starfish and stick then. You are supposed to hold one hand and one foot on the broom while you stretch your body outward to block quaffles. It's a very difficult move that i have so far not managed. I've even fallen off my broom a couple of times. Luckily i haven't injured myself too badly."
Avalon dipped her broom toward the ground when MacKenzie blew the whistle. Gliding to a smooth stop, she hovered for a few moments as she listened to some of her classmates' responses. She was pretty familiar with Quidditch tactics, but she didn't know if that kind of answer was exactly what the professor was looking for. Avalon supposed she could talk about her experience with some general maneuvers. She raised her hand. "I'm not sure if this move has an actual name, but it's when you change directions really quickly. It sounds easy, but it takes a lot of practice. If you jerk the broom too hard in the other direction, you could lose control or fall off. My first few tries at it were pretty pathetic," Avalon said with a laugh. She racked her brain to try and remember the name of the tactic, but no such luck. Hopefully her description would suffice.
doesn't proofread tweets | #wrongaboutcereal | #siriusly? | emo to the extremo
Nina shifted from downward dog to warrior one position, her arms stretched out before her. After wrapping up her first sun salutation, she began to go through the next one only to be interrupted by the irritating, shrill sound of a whistle. There were better ways to get their attention. They were kids, not dogs.
The Slytherin reluctantly made her way over to the crowd, making sure to stand a few centimeters behind the rest of her more eager classmates. She didn’t plan on offering any answers, not because she didn’t know anything. But because she did not care to learn about this particular subject. The only reason why she came at all was for the pretty boys and the potential to seek their help in private lessons. Even then she didn’t care for flying herself.
As for the question posed, Nina stood back and listened as the rest of her classmates offered answers. While she didn’t know much about flying a broom, she knew better than to offer a dimwitted answer like Maeve chose to do. Nina managed not to scoff, but did crinkle her nose in response. It was such an idiotic answer, she was clearly looking for the approval of her peers and it reeked of desperation. Then there were others, like the Ravenclaw prefect (for example) who always chose to use far too many words to convey a rather simple idea. Why did Holly feel the need to explain her own experience? And the Gryffindor girl who decided to given an entire exposition before giving her answer. It was all ridiculous.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Lemon!
Lenora listened to all the answers given by the other students, already wishing they could move on to the flying part of the lesson. Sigh. Also, why would anyone mention sweeping as an answer? How silly. Why bother answering if they had no idea? Weird. She absently looked around, noticing Nina, who looked unimpressed. As per usual. Maybe her face was stuck that way.. she almost felt sorry for that girl. But, the Slytherin was also very annoying so anyway, moving on.
... Right, the question. Uh. She raised her hand, deciding to give it a go. “Well, I have read about the double eight loop? It’s a tactic used by the keeper to block the Quaffle.. right?” Right.
Teapot Occamy| gryphons&giraffes&goats,OH MY | chaser of the truth | flutiful❧
Being on her broom with the wind rushing by her was a wonderful feeling. At the whistle, Cordelia descended and touched down to join the group. Cordelia loved flying, and she was ready to show off her knowledge and skill from quidditch. As anyone who paid attention to Hogwarts quidditch would know, she was Gryffindor seeker this year. "The Wronski feint is a move that seekers use where you fake out the opposing seeker by pretending to see the snitch and diving down but then you pull up before hitting the ground and your opponent might crash. It can be very dangerous because of the high potential for actually crashing into the ground and getting injured. I have attempted similar diversion dives before, but not to the point where there is a risk of anyone crashing into the ground." She always took caution to stay well clear of the ground in any flying maneuver. Maybe they would get to practice a maneuver that would help her further develop her quidditch skills today.
Flying Lesson • Wanna Hang? 
x7 
x4
