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On a cloudy, windless day, a slightly perturbed Professor James stood in the middle of the practice pitch between two long lines of school broomsticks in the grass. She was eyeing the brooms with apprehension; she had tested out a few of them for safety, but were all of the school brooms really reliable? Stop worrying, Erin. Surely Professor Vindictus would have disposed of any broomsticks that had given anyone trouble in the past, right? The students would be fine - but she did make a mental note to work on improving the school broomsticks for the following term. These students deserved better. Even if the brooms flew fine, the appearance mattered, too, didn't it? The kids needed to be able to trust the brooms.
With one hand clung to the shiny silver whistle around her neck and the other rested anxiously on her waist, James awaited the arrival of bright new faces who were eager to learn.
OOC: This class is going to cover the basics of flying; in other words, this is a class for first years and those who wish to brush up on their flying skills. More advanced flyers are by no means required to attend. Please review the classroom rules before posting in this thread!
Mika had to calm down and breathe as she waited for the line to move forward. Finally, she had made it to the front of the line and she pushed her broom off of the ground. She couldn't help but smile as she felt the ground leaving her feet and she was now hovering above the ground.
She leaned forward and felt herself picking up a little speed. Speed was good - well, for her it was.
When she went slowly she was likely to get sick. She arched to the side leaning her body to the right as she zipped around the first pole with ease. It wasn't until she had to turn left to go around the other pole that she realized her fault.
THUNK
Yeah that would bruise. She winced as she turned and tried to arch right around the other pole.
It happened again - thwak! Her left shoulder bumped against the edge of the previous pole.
__________________
IT'S NOT AN ACT OF LOVE __________________________________________________ ___________ ____________
IF YOU MAKE HER ____________
Baguette | there is no D in my name | TRAITORclaw | Queenie of Narnia
Penelope was not at all happy with her mess up, but she tried to stop thinking about it as she waited for the line to move up. She knew she'd only continue to mess up if she dwelt on it too long because then she'd be thinking more about her mistake and not about the third round of this activity that she was gonna take, and she needed to focus if she wanted to succeed like she had the first time. Focus on flying well and nothing else.
So that was what she did. She imagined herself flying around the poles perfectly and making it to the other side without even the slightest nudge on any of them. Perfect.
And that was when her turn came, and without a second thought she leaned forward on her broom and felt its speed increase as she directed it to the right, then the left, then right, left, right, left, and on and on between the staggered line of poles until finally she reached the end of the line. Perfect that time! Yes! She beamed from her success as she felt her heart racing and glanced back at the line she'd just come through for a few seconds before she guided her broom away from the pole area. Time to reward herself with some free flying.
__________________
if we fall, we will fall together; and when we rise, we will rise together__________________♥♥♥♥ together we are dangerous; together with our differences; together we are bolder, braver, stronger
curly haired prefect - "sometimes I get angry!" - 30/90 - *chicken emoji* - probably @ Disney - I speak dog
As Alex continued the exercise, going in and out and in and out and getting slowly better at turning each time, he suddenly wondered what would happen if he just floored it and ran right in to all of the poles, knocking each one down. Hehe. How Slytherin of him! He wasn't sure where that idea had come from, and he wasn't about to try it, but he was sure everyone would be in shock. Teeheehee. If only he could do that to break up the boringness of this monotonous activity...
Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly realized that he was, in fact, headed STRAIGHT towards one of the poles. "AAHHHHH!" he yelled, slamming on the breaks and hurtling towards the other side of the pole. He felt the pole justttt skim the outside of his sleeve...and that was it. No collision! He WAS pretty good at this turning stuff!
__________________
I'm still standin'________________________________________ better than I ever did
Lookin' like a true survivor_________________________________feelin' like a little kid
Made of Awesome | Ern-la the Best-wa | TZ's Apogee
And again. Mo made his way back to the front of the line, his attention unusually focused on the other students making their way through the posts. Mentally, he reviewed what the professor had said, although it was sort of slipping back out his other ear. Mo knew how to fly, although he'd never been professional Quidditch level or anything. But he'd been flying for ages, ever since his older sisters were old enough to have an interest in flying and in strapping him to a broom for funsies.
It made no sense that he was doing this badly.
Now that it was his turn again, Mo leaned forward with an intent look, his broom picking up speed. As he approached the poles, he practiced turning the broom slightly using miniscule motions with his leading hand. First riiiiiiiiiiight, then leeeeeeeeeeeft, then back to center. He could do this. He could make it past the first three posts, at least, and redeem himself in his own mind.
At the first post, Mo pulled slightly to the right, and he was delighted as his broom curved around the post like a stream of water around a stone. The moment he straightened out again, he shifted to the left, and his broom slid around the next post. Almost like it was easy, although Mo was absolutely certain it was not. Post after post, Mo passed through the posts without touching even one. He might have gone a bit off course, and he certainly wasn't the fastest, but when Mo appeared on the other end of the pitch, he almost did another victory lap.
Actually, know what? He was gonna do a victory lap.
There's some good in this world and it's worth fighting for| LOTR|Whovian|Sherlock Fan
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo
Lex beamed at the older girl. "You will? Great!!!" The girl was so excited that she actually did a flip. RACING!! This would keep her attention span for sure! Going around the course was fun but this would be even better because she'd be at it with someone!
Waiting in the line? "Nuh-uh. I already have a spot in the line right up there and I think...I'm ...next." She craned her neck so she could see pass her. The kid was two persons from the front and she wasn't about to join the line when her spot was at the front. Lex tilted her head curiously as they girl flew to the back of the line. "You should come with me. I don't think they'll mind because we'll be going at the same time." Then she flew there.
vcdkhvdhkdvc!!!
REALLY??? If it weren't for the fact that she was settled in among other students she would have done another flip. "I'll definitely win then! You might as well hand it over right now."
"I don't know about that. You might have to be the one handing out those frogs." Alyssa grinned at Alexa. She followed her to the line and positioned herself in the line hovering on her broomstick next to where Alexa was waiting for her. "Excuse me for cutting in line. She wanted to race with me." Alyssa apologized to the people who were already in line.
Alyssa wished that she was on her Firebolt instead of the school brooms, but since this was a fun race, she didn't really care who won...not that she was going to tell Alexa that.
Placing herself in line with the poles, Alyssa called out to Alexa. " Start the count down...and prepare to lose." she grinned over at Alexa before concentrating on the course in front of her.
curly haired prefect - "sometimes I get angry!" - 30/90 - *chicken emoji* - probably @ Disney - I speak dog
Practice makes perfect, right? Despite the fact that Alex was not a fan of twisting and turning around these poles, he was getting better with each turn. He went to the front of the line again and again, and he finally felt like he had gotten the hang of this. It was actually nice to have this much control over his broom for once! Maybe if he improved his flying skills enough this term, a professional Quidditch career was in the future!
Haha NOT.
He began the process again, turning in and out between the poles. He leaned to the left, then to the right, in a clockwork like motion. It felt natural to him now. He hated practicing, but he had to admit, it really was paying off!
__________________
I'm still standin'________________________________________ better than I ever did
Lookin' like a true survivor_________________________________feelin' like a little kid
Yeah I broke that mirror, so what? ll NOT backward ll Official Gryfferin ll Lemon's favourite
Quote:
Originally Posted by FireboltAvis88
"I don't know about that. You might have to be the one handing out those frogs." Alyssa grinned at Alexa. She followed her to the line and positioned herself in the line hovering on her broomstick next to where Alexa was waiting for her. "Excuse me for cutting in line. She wanted to race with me." Alyssa apologized to the people who were already in line.
Alyssa wished that she was on her Firebolt instead of the school brooms, but since this was a fun race, she didn't really care who won...not that she was going to tell Alexa that.
Placing herself in line with the poles, Alyssa called out to Alexa. " Start the count down...and prepare to lose." she grinned over at Alexa before concentrating on the course in front of her.
She waited for Alexa to start them off.
Lex made a face at her. "Pfffft. First rule about me, I don't hand over chocolate frogs but if you're nice enough I'll share with you afterwards." Then she stuck her tongue out at her playfully; it wasn't anything personal just a little pre-race talk to build sportsmanship and all that!
She turned to face the course again once the student infront of her had flown off.
"Okay, on the count of three; three!"
Then she zipped off towards the course laughing just a bit. This race called for more speed than she'd used in her last two turns. There were chocolate frogs at stake!!! She couldn't afford to lose those! Not even when she got to the first pole did she slow down for the turn. Nope. This was a race afterall.
__________________
Imma say all the words inside my head____________________________________
______________________________I'm fired up and tired of the way that things are said.
lives in a hobbit hole || Ern and Touz's Nuzzle || roflysst || looking at a seed packet
So, what if he tried to do it upside down? That would probably be fun, right? A challenge? West looped up but instead of completing the circle he stopped halfway, now upside down.
Okay. LINE IT UP.
A few more people in front of him and the blood was rushing to his head already but West could handle it. In fact the world looked interesting and different from down here and also he saw Mo finally manage to get through unscathed and let out a celebratory whoooooop, even if he was a Ravenclaw.
Okay it was his turn now! West zoomed towards the first pole and really it wasn't any harder flying upside down except that it was funny seeing everyone else upside down, it wasn't like you had to change what you did to move the broom itself. Slaaaaalom baby yeaahhh!
Now what would be the BEST would be if the poles MOVED even just a little bit, so you had to JUDGE it perfectly --West yet again made it through without so much as brushing a pole, and he shot another victorious didja see? look at Dylan.
You know.
His captain.
Tryouts. He totally had it covered.
__________________
love is like a letter wrote :: and life is like an envelope
be careful who you give it to :: they might not give it back to you
Zombie Apocalypse Team Leader ★ ★ in a crown of pepperoni and artisan cheese
SPOILER!!: Professor James
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grangerfn1
Yes, yes - the students certainly had a grasp on many of the ideas and concepts necessary to fly well. Professor James was not entirely sure whether Captain Dixon had been referring to a beater's bat or a bat with wings, but it was a wise tip either way. "Superb! Points for your answers," she chimed merrily.
As the students began the task, Professor James moseyed up and down the pathway between the two rows, offering a knowing nod and smile to the students who had little trouble with the current assignment. "Remember to be confident," she advised the ones who were having a tough time. "This exercise is meant to establish a mutual connection between you and your broomstick. Don't yell at it, but show it who's boss. Relax, breathe, and make it come to you."
Out of the corner of her eye, Professor James kept watch of the three Board of Governors candidates on the pitch. They were making her nervous only because she was concerned that they might be making the new flyers anxious. For many of them, the thought of flying was scary enough; surely having an audience was not going to make it any easier.
Regardless, James swiftly clapped her hands four times, both to praise the students and get their attention. She picked up a spare school broomstick and held it out for them to see. "Before we take flight, I want you to take note of a few things. First, these school brooms may be old, but do not doubt them - they are mighty fine instruments. Brooms have personalities of their own and in many cases, they are capable of syncing with their riders. That is why it is important to carry out the 'Up!' exercise with an unfamiliar broom; you are forming a bond with it that is generally already there when you have your own broomstick. A broom's capability is determined by its rider."
She twisted the broomstick so that the tail was facing toward the ground. "Once you have your broomstick in your hands, hold it parallel to the grass and mount it like so," she demonstrated by kicking one leg over the broomstick. "Angle the tail toward the ground as you do so. If you're a bit nervous about discomfort, remember that brooms have cushioning charms - once we take flight, you'll find that it's not as bad as you'd think." She even went through and checked all the cushioning charms to make sure they had not worn off over the years before the term began, just to be sure.
"As your classmates noted earlier, grip is important - please place your dominant hand above the other on the broom handle. For right-handed flyers like myself, grasp the handle with your right hand then follow up with your left hand underneath. The opposite goes for those of you who are left-handed." Professor James observed the students' grips as she spoke, "A relaxed grip is crucial; tension will make you prone to crashes. Your dominant hand is on top to control steering - your broom will respond to the slightest movements." Well, at least a new, proper broom would. But she didn't mention that. It was better to have the students use subtle movements than overcompensate and go flying into one another.
"Now, to become airbourne - not now, on my mark - you will gently kick off the ground like so," she demonstrated, hovering a few feet above the ground. "To land, gently nudge the broomstick handle downward - the more gentle you are, the slower and more carefully you will descend." She landed nicely, dismounted her broomstick, and surveyed the class once more with a bright smile. "On my whistle, I would like you to kick off the ground gently, hover for a moment, then carefully return to the ground. No joy rides just yet - get a feel for the broom and how sensitive it is. It will respond to the slightest guidance of the handle. Got it?"
Before bringing the whistle up to her lips, she gave pointed looks to a few of the older kids as if to say, Be patient. You'll get to fly in a moment. She followed the look up with a knowing grin, sharing their anticipation, and blew the whistle with a quick TWEET!
It was strange to Dylan that so many adults were present at this lesson. What were they doing here, anyway? It was just weird...Of course, he recognized the one guy from Puddlemere United...Not that he was impressed with it.
Would it have been disrespectful to challenge him to a relay? Or a pick-up game? Dylan was confident he'd wipe the Pitch with him.
Moving on, though...
He hovered his hand over the school broom, stating "Up." in a commanding voice. The broom flew up into his hand without fail...as the Slytherin knew it would. He was more comfortable on a broom than he was walking...So, what had been expected?
Mounting it, he pushed off the ground with minimal force. The Professor had instructed to just hover and return to the ground. So, no showing off right now.
Hovering for just a moment, he guided the handle, pushing it gently towards the ground. He was ready to fly...Like....Really fly...
SPOILER!!: Professor James
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grangerfn1
Minus a minor broom incident between two Hufflepuffs(who earned themselves a concerned look from the professor) and a flying hat, everyone seemed to be progressing wonderfully!
"Yes, yes, brilliant work, everyone! Taking off will generally be as simple as that, but landing can be a bit trickier when you're flying faster and parallel to the ground. You have to carefully approach your descent - you'll want to lean away from the broomstick handle to slow yourself down and tilt the broomstick gently toward the ground to have a successful, smooth landing," Professor James advised, not wanting the young ones to think touching down would be as simple as going up and back down. She didn't want any of them to panic at the last moment after they were properly airbourne.
Aaand for the fun directions - the kind that meant they were almost ready for a proper take-off. "Once you're in flight, you will find that lowering your body toward your broomstick will speed you up, then leaning away from it and nudging the handle upward slightly will slow you down. You will use your dominant hand to steer - remember, the slightest movements to the left or right will take you in the direction you want to go. To ascend, pull back on the broomstick handle - once again, gently is key - we don't want you falling off the back end. Beginners especially, do not remove both hands from your broom handle. " The present Quidditch players certainly could, but it probably wasn't wise to encourage the new flyers to do the same. And she already mentioned how to descend.
"As this is a lesson on the basics, today we will practice controlling the broom," Professor James announced brightly, removing her wand from its holster and removing the disillusionment charm from one side of the pitch to reveal white poles perpendicular to the ground, hovering ten feet above the grass in a staggered line.
Text Cut: Visual
"I've set up a couple of exercises today. On this side of the pitch," she gestured to the white poles, "is your first task - we have an area to practice making turns. Turning is a vital part of flying, of course - for example, when it comes to Quidditch, one must be able to swiftly sneak by opponents with ease! Today, your mission will be to weave in and out of the poles without touching them. You can take your time, try to go as fast as you can, time yourselves, or partner up and race a friend - but if you bump a pole, even if it's just with the twig of your broomstick tail, you'll have to go back and start at the beginning!"
A simple drill, really, but surely those who were itching to fly would find the option of competition to be alluring while those who needed to practice the basics could do so as well.
"The space here in the center of the pitch will be used for general flying purposes throughout the remainder of the lesson; if anyone wants to practice flying and getting used to your broomstick, feel free to do so before or after attempting the activity, but please steer clear of the activity areas with the joyriding," Professor James gestured to both far ends of the pitch.
"For those who wish to dive right into the activity, please kick off and fly over to that," she pointed to her designated starting area, "end of the poles, form a line for either set - they're the same, I promise - and begin!" And those who wanted to fly around the center of the pitch for a bit could do so. "If anyone has any questions," she was mostly talking to those who had never flown before, "feel free to ask!"
OOC: Even though your characters have to wait in line, go ahead and post as if they're at the front of the line and have at it! Also, at least three posts are required for full points for this part of the activity with a minimum of two good-sized paragraphs in each post; the posts can consist of general flying practice or taking part in the activity, depending on what your character is most comfortable with right now. Take creative liberty and have fun with this!
Oh snap. Flying exercises.
Kicking off the ground, again...Dylan leveled out in the air. Looking towards the white poles Professor James had indicted, he darted...Well, darted as much as he could...School brooms were not fast.
He wanted his own broom. His own FAST broom.......Fast for QUIDDITCH....
He missed Quidditch.
Stopping at the poles, he waited, hovering in the air for his turn. Or were they supposed to dismount and wait on their feet to have a go? The Professor hadn't been clear...So, he decided to just hover.
When it was his turn, Dylan beamed at everyone...before taking off. It was difficult to maneuver the broom...but he managed.
Making it to the other end, he swiveled around easily, trying to quickly make his way back towards the starting line. It was SLOOOOOOOOOOW!...Couldn't he go get his own? The Slytherin got too serious about this flying business. Yes, he knew.
Getting back in line...Dylan waited for another turn...
OOooh.
There was West.
"Odessa, wanna race?" That'd make this more interesting...
__________________
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._____
Richard looked around when he heard his name voiced by someone familiar. Anf the next moment, his gray eyes found the younger Slytherin. Brightening a bit, he gave her a warm smile. ''Hello, Princess Peyton. It is nice to see you.'' [/COLOR]
While Peyton waited for a response from Professor Elwood she turned to Richard and...she BEAMED at him. He just called her princess in front of EVERYONE!
Oh my Merlin!
The redhead had NO idea how to react to that. She wasn't even sure why she was beaming at Richard. Meh, hehe. "Have fun!" she waved at him. Peyton was sure she'd have fun in this lesson.
Text Cut: Professor Elwood!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanialRadFAN01
After landing on the ground and as the rest of the students were still working on the hovering exercise Callie had decided to just leave the hat. She couldn't remember where she had gotten it in the first place and it had flown over to some kids and she didn't want to go asking for it back.
But it turned out she didn't have to because just a few moments later a boy in Hufflepuff robes came over wearing the thing. She smiled at the 'Ma'am' even though she hated being called that and lifted her hat off his head. "Thanks dear, probably should have known better than to wear that today." She took out her wand and tapped it causing it to shrink before jamming it into the pocket of her jeans.
Her disguise was gone and her blonde hair was shining in the sun. Yes, everyone, Professor Elwood doesn't know how to fly.
After the Puff boy had returned her hat, Callie assumed they were about to move on to something else hopefully not too much harder just yet. The girl who was practicing in the row across from her smiled and began to ask her a question. She recognized her from the Divination Lesson she had hosted the other day. "Hello, Miss Baltazar?" She thought that was the snake's name.
"I've actually never learned properly if you can believe it." She faux-whispered with a giggle. That's why she was here in the flying lesson for beginners after all. And she liked her hat? "You do?" It was a nice hat, but like she said she couldn't remember where she had gotten it, she did know it was back when she was in the wagon and on the streets. "You can have it if you want." She pulled the shrunk thing from her pocket and tossed it across the way to her. "You might want to leave it shrank and just keep it in your pocket for the lesson, it's an awfully silly thing to wear here." She had learned that when it blew off her head just moments ago.
Oooh! Professor Elwood remembered her, yay! "M'hm, that's me," she smiled. It felt nice to be recognized.
Peyton was a bit shocked to hear Professor Elwood had not learned to properly fly. "I wouldn't have guessed," she said, honestly. The woman had seemed so happy you'd think it was a like a hobby or something. Oh! She was giving Peyton HER hat?
*__*
That's the nicest thing a professor has ever done for Peyton. It maybe had to due with Peyton learning to behave. Merlin knows she was a little rascal back at Salem's. "Oh. It's so nice of you!" Peyton beamed, catching the shrunk hat and holding it dearly in her hand. "I'll take good care of it. Thanks!" BEEEEAM!
She then stuck it in her pocket just in time as Professor James continued the lesson. Peyton smiled at Professor Elwood once more before turning her attention.
She got a new hat! Eeeeep!
----
Finally there were going to get down to business. Peyton bounced once in her spot out of pure excitement. What? She's been waiting for this ALL day! The third year mounted the school broom and kicked off, and decided to go right ahead with the activity. Flying was, after all, in her blood.
The redhead flew over to the line where the activity was taking place and mouthed a silent 'cool'. When it was finally her turn, Peyton gripped the broom's handle - not too hard, though, she didn't want to strangle the poor thing. She was just taking charge. She could already feel this broom wasn't as fast as her own, but she was determined to bond with it. One of the many things her daddy's told her is that it's all up to the flier and their skills to adapt. And Peyton wanted to prove she could do that.
Peyton went ahead and zoomed off when it was her turn. She wove and served, and dodged through the challenges in front of her. She was enjoying the activity, halfway to finishing the first lap when she decided to pick up her pace. Of course, not being used to this broom, the hit one of the marks, and luckily the girl managed to stay on the broom.
One searingly sore shoulder later, Amelia was halfway to the end of twisting her way through a second go at the slalom. Yeah she didn't like this exercise right now - because her shoulder was getting pains from it. She was just, nervous, and nerves made her tense...and tension made her fly into things.
Yeah she was rethinking the brilliant idea to try out for the quidditch team.
Taking her broom and easing it to the left she tried not to hit the pole.
She didn't.
Oh she was so happy!
Mika was about ready to burst with joy as she landed on the other side. Yeah she landed, yippie!!! And then she'd take off again and remember not to hit her shoulder into the poles!
__________________
IT'S NOT AN ACT OF LOVE __________________________________________________ ___________ ____________
IF YOU MAKE HER ____________
Dani's Citrus Duck Spawn | Mama Giraffe | Lemon PATch | Pushed the Red Button
Yeah. YEAH, she was going to go again. And faster, this time, too. After returning to the end of the line once more, Alice decided to fly a little differently this time. How cross would James be if she flew around the obstacles upside down? That would be SO fun, but she didn't want to lose points or anything. So, just to be sure, she would fly right side up. Mmhmm. And she'd try to keep most of her body parts on the broom.
She was BEHAVING today, see?
Soon enough, she made it to the front of the line again. Alice began to maneuver around the markers once more after adjusting her grip on the broom handle. She kept this round as simple as the first, only throwing in one or two spirals. And she was going FAST this time around. The lioness passed the poles so quickly that they vibrated a little when she did. Of course, there was that little mishap at the end, when a tail twig almost brushed up against an obstacle, but she managed to swerve away swiftly enough.
Now this was a lesson that she could enjoy.
__________________
and so i took an axe to a mended fence.___________________.______._________________ __________________________________..____this is why we can't have nice things, darling.
There's some good in this world and it's worth fighting for| LOTR|Whovian|Sherlock Fan
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo
Lex made a face at her. "Pfffft. First rule about me, I don't hand over chocolate frogs but if you're nice enough I'll share with you afterwards." Then she stuck her tongue out at her playfully; it wasn't anything personal just a little pre-race talk to build sportsmanship and all that!
She turned to face the course again once the student infront of her had flown off.
"Okay, on the count of three; three!"
Then she zipped off towards the course laughing just a bit. This race called for more speed than she'd used in her last two turns. There were chocolate frogs at stake!!! She couldn't afford to lose those! Not even when she got to the first pole did she slow down for the turn. Nope. This was a race afterall.
"Wha....Wait!! What happened to one and two?" Alyssa called out as she quickly leaned forward and closer to her broom handle. The broom shot forward and Alyssa navigated the obstacles. Weaving first left and then right and then left and then right. She could see that was catching up with Alexa. When she weaved to the left again, she glanced over to see that she and Alexa were going head to head.
Leaning forward even more, the broomstick picked up speed, and the poles blurred as Alyssa weaved in between them. She could see that she was moving ahead of Alexa and grinned.
Then disaster struck. She leaned too much to the left and her broomstick brushed the side of the pole. The impact forced her broomstick to hit the pole on the right and the broomstick bounced of that. At the speed she was going, Alyssa found herself headed straight for Alexa.
"Look Out!!" Alyssa called out as she tried to get back control of the broomstick.
urine trouble | Pat's Strong Confident Other Half | Pees Like a Champion Unicorn Racehorse
SPOILER!!: Bliss, Lottie and Professor!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ForeverYours
YAAAY! Was it time to go up, up, up into the air now? Bliss was all ready to go in the air, when...
ASDFGHJKLAASDDFGFSFG!
"WOOOAAAHHH!"
What was going on!?!?
She looked down with wide eyes and saw...Alec clutching her robes as if his life depended on it. Could she ask why he was doing that? Surely he had an actual reason. I mean...that wasn't normal behavior was it? "I....er....I....ALEC!" She half-cried, looking wildly around, embarrassed. BLINK. She could see that he looked just as confused and flustered as she felt, so it clearly wasn't his fault.
Her eyes swept over the row of people and landed on the person right next him. Lotus, was it? Had SHE done this? Well, that seemed obvious seen as her broom was now facing in Alec's general direction. The question was, was it accidental? She hoped so, because people shouldn't do that to people on purpose. It was RUDE.
"I....are you alright?" Cos that was what was important right now. Not some possibly-guilty-possibly-innocent girl.
And the flying, that would have to weight until she'd calmed down.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lockhartian
O_O
Honestly, she didn't mean for the broom to hit Alec so hard. Nor for him to lose his balance and almost fall on that other person...HAI BLISS!
I guess we've learned two things. ONE...the broom didn't go to her hand, meaning that she answers the general direction at which one summons it. TWO...Alec's reflexes suck. Big time. Poor Hufflepuff boy.
The boy quickly recovered. But she'd heard that small yell. First Alice, then Alec, she was on a roll. Since he was alright, her eyes denoted ZERO worry...and instantly looked at her broom. Rogue broom? "I guess we'll see!" she said, before summoning it up again, and taking it smoothly in her hand. "Nope." A small shrug came to her shoulders and her eyes moved to Bliss, "He's fine, he plays Quidditch," which was a lot more scary than being whacked by a broom. "I apologize on the broom's behalf, Seeker boy," she added, smiling sweetly at the Hufflepuff next to her.
Now, the could take off! Or...Alec, really, because he did so oh-so-quickly, and she simply looked at everything he did. No need, for she's flown before, but she didn't do so as often as he did.
Lottie actually waited until Alec was safely on the ground before taking off herself.
OKAY! Mounting the broom, grabbing it nicely, and kick. She was beginning to wonder about rogue brooms right when she was on the air. Appropriate much? Then she motioned the broom downward, but rather slowly. Heh.
The girl beamed at Seeker boy once she was down of her broom. Why was he taking Basic Flying again?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grangerfn1
Minus a minor broom incident between two Hufflepuffs(who earned themselves a concerned look from the professor) and a flying hat, everyone seemed to be progressing wonderfully!
"Yes, yes, brilliant work, everyone! Taking off will generally be as simple as that, but landing can be a bit trickier when you're flying faster and parallel to the ground. You have to carefully approach your descent - you'll want to lean away from the broomstick handle to slow yourself down and tilt the broomstick gently toward the ground to have a successful, smooth landing," Professor James advised, not wanting the young ones to think touching down would be as simple as going up and back down. She didn't want any of them to panic at the last moment after they were properly airbourne.
Aaand for the fun directions - the kind that meant they were almost ready for a proper take-off. "Once you're in flight, you will find that lowering your body toward your broomstick will speed you up, then leaning away from it and nudging the handle upward slightly will slow you down. You will use your dominant hand to steer - remember, the slightest movements to the left or right will take you in the direction you want to go. To ascend, pull back on the broomstick handle - once again, gently is key - we don't want you falling off the back end. Beginners especially, do not remove both hands from your broom handle. " The present Quidditch players certainly could, but it probably wasn't wise to encourage the new flyers to do the same. And she already mentioned how to descend.
"As this is a lesson on the basics, today we will practice controlling the broom," Professor James announced brightly, removing her wand from its holster and removing the disillusionment charm from one side of the pitch to reveal white poles perpendicular to the ground, hovering ten feet above the grass in a staggered line.
Text Cut: Visual
"I've set up a couple of exercises today. On this side of the pitch," she gestured to the white poles, "is your first task - we have an area to practice making turns. Turning is a vital part of flying, of course - for example, when it comes to Quidditch, one must be able to swiftly sneak by opponents with ease! Today, your mission will be to weave in and out of the poles without touching them. You can take your time, try to go as fast as you can, time yourselves, or partner up and race a friend - but if you bump a pole, even if it's just with the twig of your broomstick tail, you'll have to go back and start at the beginning!"
A simple drill, really, but surely those who were itching to fly would find the option of competition to be alluring while those who needed to practice the basics could do so as well.
"The space here in the center of the pitch will be used for general flying purposes throughout the remainder of the lesson; if anyone wants to practice flying and getting used to your broomstick, feel free to do so before or after attempting the activity, but please steer clear of the activity areas with the joyriding," Professor James gestured to both far ends of the pitch.
"For those who wish to dive right into the activity, please kick off and fly over to that," she pointed to her designated starting area, "end of the poles, form a line for either set - they're the same, I promise - and begin!" And those who wanted to fly around the center of the pitch for a bit could do so. "If anyone has any questions," she was mostly talking to those who had never flown before, "feel free to ask!"
And the person Alec had clung onto for dear life?
BLISS!
Alec gave the girl a sheepish grin. "Erm... yeah, yeah I'm great," No need to tell her that he had just embarrassed himself in Flying Basics. "You okay?" Please say he hadn't ripped her robes or something. Please, please, please...
And Lottie didn't have a rogue bludger and she seemed to look okay so... that was that. No need to worry, yeah? He grinned at her and shook his head. "Erm... no, no, it's fine," Because... it was just a broom, yeah? Bludgers did a lot more damage than old school brooms. He gave the girl a smile and watched as she shot up into the sky. Holy Superman, had the girl flown before? Because... she seemed rather at ease with her broom and... well... people who fly for the first time weren't usually like that, right? Yeah. He grinned back at the girl when she landed and gave her two thumbs up. Awesome.
...
Alec looked over towards the Professor just in time to catch her giving them -- she was looking in their direction, right? -- a... look. He gave the woman a sheepish grin in return, not really knowing what that look meant. He secretly hoped she hadn't caught what had happened before because then that would mean... well... it would be embarrassing, yeah?
OH! Activity! YEAH, he was going to dive straight into that! It was just a bit of zig zagging around some poles but it sounded AWESOME. And the bit about partnering up? Yeah... Lottie, you have been mentally claimed. The fourth year kicked off and flew over towards the back of the line and... waited.
And waited... and-
OH HEY.
And Alec shot off towards the poles. It was only now that he was staying up in the air a little longer that he noticed that this broom... well... it wasn't as great as his own one. But that was to be expected with school brooms, yeah? They were a bit... old. And he had a shiny NEW one that was SPEEDY and that understood him a little better than this one did.
This carried on for a bit and then... TURN AROUND and STOP. He grinned over at Lottie and waited for her to join him. ... Hey, maybe they could have a race? Or fly together? THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
Mika was back to the front of the line! She was excited, less sore, and excited. Now broom off into the air yet again she took off and quickly began maneuvering herself around the poles.
Nudging her broom to the right and then swiftly to the left.
Yes, things were going to be so much better now.
Why was that? Oh she wasn't smacking her arm - the wind was in her hair - and did she mention she was flying.
She just smiled as she came to the last turn and swiveled around the pole with ease. As she landed at the other end and waited for instructions she was just, excited, nervous, and even more excited.
She'd successfully flown and was going to have a whole lot of fun!
__________________
IT'S NOT AN ACT OF LOVE __________________________________________________ ___________ ____________
IF YOU MAKE HER ____________
Yeah I broke that mirror, so what? ll NOT backward ll Official Gryfferin ll Lemon's favourite
Quote:
Originally Posted by FireboltAvis88
"Wha....Wait!! What happened to one and two?" Alyssa called out as she quickly leaned forward and closer to her broom handle. The broom shot forward and Alyssa navigated the obstacles. Weaving first left and then right and then left and then right. She could see that was catching up with Alexa. When she weaved to the left again, she glanced over to see that she and Alexa were going head to head.
Leaning forward even more, the broomstick picked up speed, and the poles blurred as Alyssa weaved in between them. She could see that she was moving ahead of Alexa and grinned.
Then disaster struck. She leaned too much to the left and her broomstick brushed the side of the pole. The impact forced her broomstick to hit the pole on the right and the broomstick bounced of that. At the speed she was going, Alyssa found herself headed straight for Alexa.
"Look Out!!" Alyssa called out as she tried to get back control of the broomstick.
Pffffffft. One and two? Who had time for those? She had a race to win and she couldn't do that when she was being saying one and two. That's not how stuff worked obviously!
Lex grinned as she weaved through the poles but the grin slowly faded when she saw the girl catching up to her. She leaned forward on her broom, willing it to go faster but the speed wasn't enough and the girl had gotten even closer. NO. She bit down on her lower lip and tried putting even more into it but the broom was being difficult. It's like it didn't want her winning the chocolate frog or something and she didn't appreciate that one bit.
Just as she finally got back into pace with Alyssa she heard the girl shouting for her to look out.
MERLIN'S BEARD!!!
O____O
__________________
Imma say all the words inside my head____________________________________
______________________________I'm fired up and tired of the way that things are said.
Minus a minor broom incident between two Hufflepuffs(who earned themselves a concerned look from the professor) and a flying hat, everyone seemed to be progressing wonderfully!
"Yes, yes, brilliant work, everyone! Taking off will generally be as simple as that, but landing can be a bit trickier when you're flying faster and parallel to the ground. You have to carefully approach your descent - you'll want to lean away from the broomstick handle to slow yourself down and tilt the broomstick gently toward the ground to have a successful, smooth landing," Professor James advised, not wanting the young ones to think touching down would be as simple as going up and back down. She didn't want any of them to panic at the last moment after they were properly airbourne.
Aaand for the fun directions - the kind that meant they were almost ready for a proper take-off. "Once you're in flight, you will find that lowering your body toward your broomstick will speed you up, then leaning away from it and nudging the handle upward slightly will slow you down. You will use your dominant hand to steer - remember, the slightest movements to the left or right will take you in the direction you want to go. To ascend, pull back on the broomstick handle - once again, gently is key - we don't want you falling off the back end. Beginners especially, do not remove both hands from your broom handle. " The present Quidditch players certainly could, but it probably wasn't wise to encourage the new flyers to do the same. And she already mentioned how to descend.
"As this is a lesson on the basics, today we will practice controlling the broom," Professor James announced brightly, removing her wand from its holster and removing the disillusionment charm from one side of the pitch to reveal white poles perpendicular to the ground, hovering ten feet above the grass in a staggered line.
Text Cut: Visual
"I've set up a couple of exercises today. On this side of the pitch," she gestured to the white poles, "is your first task - we have an area to practice making turns. Turning is a vital part of flying, of course - for example, when it comes to Quidditch, one must be able to swiftly sneak by opponents with ease! Today, your mission will be to weave in and out of the poles without touching them. You can take your time, try to go as fast as you can, time yourselves, or partner up and race a friend - but if you bump a pole, even if it's just with the twig of your broomstick tail, you'll have to go back and start at the beginning!"
A simple drill, really, but surely those who were itching to fly would find the option of competition to be alluring while those who needed to practice the basics could do so as well.
"The space here in the center of the pitch will be used for general flying purposes throughout the remainder of the lesson; if anyone wants to practice flying and getting used to your broomstick, feel free to do so before or after attempting the activity, but please steer clear of the activity areas with the joyriding," Professor James gestured to both far ends of the pitch.
"For those who wish to dive right into the activity, please kick off and fly over to that," she pointed to her designated starting area, "end of the poles, form a line for either set - they're the same, I promise - and begin!" And those who wanted to fly around the center of the pitch for a bit could do so. "If anyone has any questions," she was mostly talking to those who had never flown before, "feel free to ask!"
OOC: Even though your characters have to wait in line, go ahead and post as if they're at the front of the line and have at it! Also, at least three posts are required for full points for this part of the activity with a minimum of two good-sized paragraphs in each post; the posts can consist of general flying practice or taking part in the activity, depending on what your character is most comfortable with right now. Take creative liberty and have fun with this!
Quote:
Originally Posted by hermionesclone
And the person Alec had clung onto for dear life?
BLISS!
Alec gave the girl a sheepish grin. "Erm... yeah, yeah I'm great," No need to tell her that he had just embarrassed himself in Flying Basics. "You okay?" Please say he hadn't ripped her robes or something. Please, please, please...
And Lottie didn't have a rogue bludger and she seemed to look okay so... that was that. No need to worry, yeah? He grinned at her and shook his head. "Erm... no, no, it's fine," Because... it was just a broom, yeah? Bludgers did a lot more damage than old school brooms. He gave the girl a smile and watched as she shot up into the sky. Holy Superman, had the girl flown before? Because... she seemed rather at ease with her broom and... well... people who fly for the first time weren't usually like that, right? Yeah. He grinned back at the girl when she landed and gave her two thumbs up. Awesome.
...
Alec looked over towards the Professor just in time to catch her giving them -- she was looking in their direction, right? -- a... look. He gave the woman a sheepish grin in return, not really knowing what that look meant. He secretly hoped she hadn't caught what had happened before because then that would mean... well... it would be embarrassing, yeah?
OH! Activity! YEAH, he was going to dive straight into that! It was just a bit of zig zagging around some poles but it sounded AWESOME. And the bit about partnering up? Yeah... Lottie, you have been mentally claimed. The fourth year kicked off and flew over towards the back of the line and... waited.
And waited... and-
OH HEY.
And Alec shot off towards the poles. It was only now that he was staying up in the air a little longer that he noticed that this broom... well... it wasn't as great as his own one. But that was to be expected with school brooms, yeah? They were a bit... old. And he had a shiny NEW one that was SPEEDY and that understood him a little better than this one did.
This carried on for a bit and then... TURN AROUND and STOP. He grinned over at Lottie and waited for her to join him. ... Hey, maybe they could have a race? Or fly together? THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
Hey, you know, Alec was an excellent guinea pig, too. And yes, Bliss, Lottie was only making an emphasis on why he wouldn't be harmed. The second year simply shrugged.
Also, the Professor got a wave and a smile. Yeah, nothing to see here, we're taking care of each other, like Hogwartians do.
Honestly, though, Alec was already flying and stuff, he was doing fiiiine, her broom did nothing to him. And he'd taken part in an experiment too! See, the Professor didn't need to worry, nor keeping an eye on them. She wasn't going to try and knock him out of his broom, either, because she might fall too, and Lottie didn't want to see herself on the ground, thank you.
An activity, eh?
This was going to be a first. While it was true that Lottie had flown before, this would be the first time around the poles. Confidence, she remembered. She had plenty of that, no problem there.
Alec was looking towards her a lot, though. Partners, then? So as long as he DIDN'T chose her just to make sure she didn't fall, then it was alright. He was the best flyer anyway, better to keep him close or not, if there was racing involved.
One, two, it was her time around the poles! And the broom was not as responsive as it was before, but she managed to zoom around the poles, weaving in and out of them not like the experienced flyers, but good enough!, until she zoomed next to Alec, "First time," THIS was actually a question, she wanted to know if she'd done well or not.
You know what this means? Alec was officially cool. Not as cool as Spike, nope. Never.
There's some good in this world and it's worth fighting for| LOTR|Whovian|Sherlock Fan
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo
Pffffffft. One and two? Who had time for those? She had a race to win and she couldn't do that when she was being saying one and two. That's not how stuff worked obviously!
Lex grinned as she weaved through the poles but the grin slowly faded when she saw the girl catching up to her. She leaned forward on her broom, willing it to go faster but the speed wasn't enough and the girl had gotten even closer. NO. She bit down on her lower lip and tried putting even more into it but the broom was being difficult. It's like it didn't want her winning the chocolate frog or something and she didn't appreciate that one bit.
Just as she finally got back into pace with Alyssa she heard the girl shouting for her to look out.
MERLIN'S BEARD!!!
O____O
Alyssa knew that at the speed she was going that if she collided with Alex, both of them would get hurt. So she concentrated on keeping control of the broomstick. Just as she was about to hit Alexa, she leaned back on the broomstick, and pulled up on the broomstick handle and pointed it upwards.
The broom responded quickly and Alyssa immediately flew up and away from Alexa. As she flew up, Alyssa maneuvered her broom until she completed a 360 degree loop and was heading back towards the poles. She knew that because she had hit the poles, according to the rules, she would have to start from the beginning again.
The moment she reached the starting line, she began weaving in and out of the poles, leaning forward, hoping to catch up with Alexa. She knew that she was too far behind, but she wasn't going to give up until someone crossed the finishing line first.
Zombie Apocalypse Team Leader ★ ★ in a crown of pepperoni and artisan cheese
Before West could answer him...Dylan was up again. Grinning at his fellow Quidditch player, he flew off. This time, he decided to zip in and out of the poles that had been set up. As a Seeker, it was the Captain's job to be agile...seamless...The Slytherin liked to think of himself as a stealthy ninja on his broomstick.
Yea, a MUGGLE ninja...because they seemed more cool.
It was a bit difficult, once again, maneuvering the school broom...It was old and outdated...but Dylan did an exceptional job all the same. He wasn't a Quidditch Captain for no reason.
BOOYAH!
Reaching the other side, he drifted his broom tail around like it was a MUGGLE sport's car...lacing and back-tracking through the pole's the way he'd come.
ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, YO!
Although, it STILL hadn't been all that fast. Meh.
Coming to a stop at the queue, he waited for another go.
How about that Race now, Odessa?
__________________
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._____
After landing on the ground and as the rest of the students were still working on the hovering exercise Callie had decided to just leave the hat. She couldn't remember where she had gotten it in the first place and it had flown over to some kids and she didn't want to go asking for it back.
But it turned out she didn't have to because just a few moments later a boy in Hufflepuff robes came over wearing the thing. She smiled at the 'Ma'am' even though she hated being called that and lifted her hat off his head. "Thanks dear, probably should have known better than to wear that today." She took out her wand and tapped it causing it to shrink before jamming it into the pocket of her jeans.
Her disguise was gone and her blonde hair was shining in the sun. Yes, everyone, Professor Elwood doesn't know how to fly.
After the Puff boy had returned her hat, Callie assumed they were about to move on to something else hopefully not too much harder just yet. The girl who was practicing in the row across from her smiled and began to ask her a question. She recognized her from the Divination Lesson she had hosted the other day. "Hello, Miss Baltazar?" She thought that was the snake's name.
"I've actually never learned properly if you can believe it." She faux-whispered with a giggle. That's why she was here in the flying lesson for beginners after all. And she liked her hat? "You do?" It was a nice hat, but like she said she couldn't remember where she had gotten it, she did know it was back when she was in the wagon and on the streets. "You can have it if you want." She pulled the shrunk thing from her pocket and tossed it across the way to her. "You might want to leave it shrank and just keep it in your pocket for the lesson, it's an awfully silly thing to wear here." She had learned that when it blew off her head just moments ago.
Professor Elwood turned her attention away from the young Slytherin in the row across from her and back to Ms. James. So they were going to actually fly this time?
O____O
Those poles looked scary, too tight of turns for her liking, especially after only just learning to hover. The blonde looked at the students nearby her. None of them seemed to be very scared but she wasn't going to show fear. "I think I'm just going to go practice over here for a bit before starting those." She said quietly, more to herself than anyone.
Leg still over the broom and her hands still placed left over right on the handle, Calista kicked off easily and hovered about 5 feet over the grass and slowly leveled herself out. Once that was accomplished she began to move forward. The professor sat as straight up as possible to ensure she didn't go speeding off.
And she flew around in big, slow figure-eights, five feet off the ground, at about 10 miles per hour.
BUT SHE WAS DOING IT!
Professor James took flight and glided through the air between various new flyers in the center of the pitch - including Elwood. The Divination professor was endearing, wasn't she? She was getting out there and trying her best amongst students - if that wasn't a spectacular display of courage, James didn't know what was. "Keep up the good work, Callie - remember to breathe and relax. You're airbourne and that's all that matters!" Erin encouraged in passing, offering a smile to her colleague just before a student very nearly lost control of her broom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystic Melody
TOO FAST!
Melody gasped out loud. She had leaned in too much and now she was going way too fast for someone who was just learning. She did her best not to panic. Oh dear... oh dear... oh dear She thought repeatedly. She did her best making sharp turns just to avoid people. She tried not to panic. How do you slow down again... oh right lean back. That should have been obvious. Lean forward to go fast lean back to slow down. Don't forget to tilt the handle up just slightly. Melody started to lean back tilting her broom up just so. Good. She slowed down to a nice stop. Melody took a deep breath. That was 'entertaining.'
She then decided to land. She got off then got on again. Try it again. She told herself. She kicked off and leaned forward just a small bit. Good. This was a much better pace. Now she decided to make laps around the field to practice her turning.
Professor James took off in the direction of the Slytherin girl with the intention of helping her slow down, but pulled back with a smile when Melody straightened herself out. "Excellent job of correcting yourself, dear," she called to her. "Remember, brooms are sensitive - slight movements - you'll get the hang of it in no time! Don't be discouraged! Practice makes perfect!"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macavity
So far, so good.
At least it had appeared that way at first as she continued to fly around for a bit. The girl taking it easy to avoid mishaps and simply get her sea legs---or rather air legs if they could be called that. The Gryffindor had even elevated herself a few more feet into the air as she felt comfortable to do so.
However when Ellura absently leaned a little too far to left, the broom obeyed as if thinking it a command and started to turn in that direction...right into a course that would send her into another student nearby. "Woah...not what I wanted," she exclaimed as she tried correcting herself. The following movement only ending up turning herself to the right instead past her original line of flight and almost completely around in the opposite direction before she managed to stop herself.
Why had she let Elliot convince her to try-out because he was?
Another student had a lesser problem, she saw, but offered gentle advice to the young Gryffindor regardless, "Happens to the best of us, dear - we've all been there. Try to use less strength with your turn - your broom will respond to the gentlest of guidance from you, all right? And always do your best to be mindful of your surroundings." The advice came a bit too late, perhaps, but it was good to reiterate what the girl had probably just learned.
Text Cut: Lex and Alyssa
Quote:
Originally Posted by FireboltAvis88
"Wha....Wait!! What happened to one and two?" Alyssa called out as she quickly leaned forward and closer to her broom handle. The broom shot forward and Alyssa navigated the obstacles. Weaving first left and then right and then left and then right. She could see that was catching up with Alexa. When she weaved to the left again, she glanced over to see that she and Alexa were going head to head.
Leaning forward even more, the broomstick picked up speed, and the poles blurred as Alyssa weaved in between them. She could see that she was moving ahead of Alexa and grinned.
Then disaster struck. She leaned too much to the left and her broomstick brushed the side of the pole. The impact forced her broomstick to hit the pole on the right and the broomstick bounced of that. At the speed she was going, Alyssa found herself headed straight for Alexa.
"Look Out!!" Alyssa called out as she tried to get back control of the broomstick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo
Pffffffft. One and two? Who had time for those? She had a race to win and she couldn't do that when she was being saying one and two. That's not how stuff worked obviously!
Lex grinned as she weaved through the poles but the grin slowly faded when she saw the girl catching up to her. She leaned forward on her broom, willing it to go faster but the speed wasn't enough and the girl had gotten even closer. NO. She bit down on her lower lip and tried putting even more into it but the broom was being difficult. It's like it didn't want her winning the chocolate frog or something and she didn't appreciate that one bit.
Just as she finally got back into pace with Alyssa she heard the girl shouting for her to look out.
MERLIN'S BEARD!!!
O____O
Quote:
Originally Posted by FireboltAvis88
Alyssa knew that at the speed she was going that if she collided with Alex, both of them would get hurt. So she concentrated on keeping control of the broomstick. Just as she was about to hit Alexa, she leaned back on the broomstick, and pulled up on the broomstick handle and pointed it upwards.
The broom responded quickly and Alyssa immediately flew up and away from Alexa. As she flew up, Alyssa maneuvered her broom until she completed a 360 degree loop and was heading back towards the poles. She knew that because she had hit the poles, according to the rules, she would have to start from the beginning again.
The moment she reached the starting line, she began weaving in and out of the poles, leaning forward, hoping to catch up with Alexa. She knew that she was too far behind, but she wasn't going to give up until someone crossed the finishing line first.
Though Professor James was beaming in the direction of the beginner flyers and their wobbling, she did catch the end of what was almost a nasty collision during what seemed to be a race. Luckily, the older one recovered well, significantly reducing the professor's blood pressure. Thank Merlin. She did not want any accidents in her first class. Please.
The Hufflepuff continued back to the beginning of the exercise with determination, earning her brownie points and a smile from Professor James. "Nice save over there!" Indeed.
Professor James alternated her attention and shouts of encouragement between the flyers weaving through the poles and those who preferred to work at their own pace in the center of the pitch. It was all about learning styles; some of the students needed time to gradually work things out on their own while others needed to be able to dive right into a challenge.
And then there were the more advanced flyers, who... were tiring of the weaving activity quickly. Very few had made it through the poles without touching them on their first try, but enough of them did that Professor James found herself smiling. Good kids, they were. Vindictus had trained up a good bunch of students for her.
Stopping to hover between the two groups, Professor James brought her silver whistle up to her lips and gave a quick TWEET! to get everyone's attention. "You are all doing wonderfully! If you'll all look down at the other end of the pitch, you'll see today's other activity," she announced brightly, waving her wand to reveal multicolored hoops at various heights, slowly moving horizontally back and forth within a twenty-foot span.
Text Cut: Visual
OOC: The hoops would be moving side-to-side in the diagram. The various altitudes of the hovering hoops are listed near each hoop so you can RP specifics, if you wish!
"For those of you who have been flying around the center of the pitch, I encourage you to fly a little bit out of your comfort zone and attempt the weaving poles!" That meant you, Elwood. "For those of you who are still having a bit of trouble not bumping into the poles, feel free to continue working at it - but for those of you who would like something new, head on over to the other side of the pitch. For this task," she gestured toward the hoops, "you will test both your ability to make turns and ascend and descend as you fly through the hoops in order by color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. This exercise will heighten your awareness of your own being in relationship to your broomstick, strengthen your agility, and increase your awareness of your surroundings!" After all, navigating smoothly through a moving hoop was not a walk in the park.
...But it would certainly be entertaining. "For those who wish to give it a shot, please fly on over, create another line, and have at it! The same rules apply: if you bump the hoop, you'll have to start over! Keep up the good work, everyone!"
OOC: Your character can continue general flying practice, the weaving through the poles activity, or move along to the hoops challenge; whatever your character decides, six total posts (three from the last activity and three from this one, in theory) are required to receive full participation points for this lesson! If you haven't completed the three posts from the first activity, no worries - you can still go ahead and catch up. You will have approximately 20 hours from the time of this post to complete the total six posts!
Ivy, after her fail of a first time, decided to fly a little away from the poles and just get her confidence level up at flying. She flew in a straight line first, going faster and faster. Then she practiced gentle turning, in preparation for going back to the terrifying hoops. When the girl felt ready to go back to the obstacles, she flew quickly over to the line.
Breaaaaaaaaaaaaaath.
After reaching the front of the line, Ivy bit her lip nervously, moving to the first hoop, which she dodged again. The second hoop was almost as easy. Inside, Ivy did a victory dance before flying to the next hoop, which she brushed against because she wasn't being as cautious as before. Oh well.
Little Fox | ½ of Lauralie | Ravenclaw with a Hufflepuff heart and a Gryffindor soul | #HouseNATARIANA
Quote:
Originally Posted by hermionesclone
And the person Alec had clung onto for dear life?
BLISS!
Alec gave the girl a sheepish grin. "Erm... yeah, yeah I'm great," No need to tell her that he had just embarrassed himself in Flying Basics. "You okay?" Please say he hadn't ripped her robes or something. Please, please, please...
Blink. Blink. Blink.
Right then.
Great? Was he? Bliss half-grinned back. "That's..er, good." It was. "I...yeah, I'm fine. I'm super." BEAM. She noticed that he looked a little panicked, did he that he'd hurt or something? Of course he hadn't, she flashed him an extra smile, just in case.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grangerfn1
"I've set up a couple of exercises today. On this side of the pitch," she gestured to the white poles, "is your first task - we have an area to practice making turns. Turning is a vital part of flying, of course - for example, when it comes to Quidditch, one must be able to swiftly sneak by opponents with ease! Today, your mission will be to weave in and out of the poles without touching them. You can take your time, try to go as fast as you can, time yourselves, or partner up and race a friend - but if you bump a pole, even if it's just with the twig of your broomstick tail, you'll have to go back and start at the beginning!"
Turning practice?
This should be fun and sometimes it was one of things she struggled with during games when she was in a tight spot, so it wouldn't hurt to practice more. Plus, you know what they say. Practice makes perfect. The third year promptly kicked up off the ground, lent forward on her broom and zoomed towards the course where she could practice turning.
She waiting in line, tapping her broom as she did so and eventually she made it to the front of the line. And then she was off! ZOOOOM. TURN. ZOOOOOM. TURN. ZOOOOM. She carried on zooming and turning until she'd reached the very end of the course. With a proud smile on her face, she made her way back to the end of the queue.
Practice makes perfect.
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Last edited by natekka; 01-13-2013 at 01:51 PM.
Reason: 'Cos SS sent it before I was finished. >.<
9 3/4 ticket holder / The SS Mentalist / Sherlock / The Master Of Everything / Josh + <3 = Ev
Richard was impatient and he waited in the the line for his turn. As he did so he carefully watched the others why around the poles. He did not know what he thought of them, he mostly was focused on his own performance and the first had been well.
When finally it was his turn again, he mounted the broom quickly and took off. He wanted to go faster this time so he leaned down on the broom handle, close to it and did not slow down. This broom was not as fast as his own and did not accelerate as quickly yet it did fine. He had to take an abrupt turn in order not to run into the first pole and taking control of the broom back took an instant after that. He did anyway and it went smoothly until his right arm brushed one of the poles slightly.
Whaaaaaaaaaat...
That was unbelievable.
Snorting, he landed and took his part back at the line.
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Auror • YATIL_.________The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy... ...but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.
Now with her hair tied away from her face she had to continue. She had quite liked the idea of having her long hair down and it flying behind her. Yet if anyone of her brothers saw it they would tell her father who would not be pleased. She decided to fly through the hoops again, one last time or whatever until there would be more to do. This time she was intent on going faster. Hovering in the line she reviewed her technique in her head, at what point she should brace and turn all had to be put into equation again. Finally, it was her turn, the girl in front of her having done well, so she looked quickly at her watch and then leaned forward to accelerate. Loop one –through, loop two – through, loop three – that was a narrow escape, yet she had done it. She would have celebrated immediately yet she had decided to time herself that meant check what the time was. A quick consultation showed that she had gone quicker than before.
It was then that the teacher announced that there was another activity she could do. Without hesitation Sarah began to fly over while she listened to the teacher explain the task, it sounded easy yet there was one catch the things moved. So now, she would have to add further timings into location. Now she not only had to know when to turn up, but also time her going through the hoop correctly before it moved. So with the guidance of her watch she timed the different speeds that the hoops moved and committed the answer to memory. After doing that there was still time to watch those in front of her and that was what Sarah did. It really did pay off to learn from the mistakes of others.
Kimothée Chalamet • The UWU Agenda • Once Baby, Now Trouble • All Growed Up
Kat had to wait again. Impatience. It was testing her. The blonde tapped her finger on the stick of her broom. WAITING was annoying and can they just fly there all at once? She didn't mind bumping others cos that's half what Beaters do. You gotta love bumping and thumping and hitting people. Mwahaha.
OH WELL, about time! When Kat was finally in front of the line, she mounted her broom and then kicked off. For this part, she was going to speed up a bit from before. She started it quite slow for a student trying out for Keeper so maybe she can try her speed in this lap.
The blonde zoomed off and she leaned in nearer to her broom. HAH, faster YES FASTER! Once she was near the post, she swerved immediately to the right and... watch out... turned around the post. NO BUMPING, OH YEAH! Kat them beamed while flying back to the others.
... So can she have an automatic spot on the team now, Dylan?
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It's so magical, feeling that no one's got a hold_______________________________ ___________________________________And the whole wide world is whistling...
Flying Basics 
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