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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:41 GMT -7
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Apr 4, 2017 18:50:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2017 18:50:32 GMT -7
Dastan remembered her previous comment about how her knees were a tell, but considering how much practice she put into learning his move, Dastan assumed she practiced with that as well. So he ignored what she did and followed his instincts, which told him exactly what he needed to know in order to stop the Quaffle from going in. He moved in exactly the right way but was a few seconds off and the Quaffle went in before he could stop it. "Nice shot," he told Jamie with a smile.
@jamie
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:42 GMT -7
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Apr 5, 2017 14:44:11 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2017 14:44:11 GMT -7
Dastan was a better Quidditch player than people gave him credit for, Jamie thought when Dastan went in the correct direction to block her shot. She hadn’t heard much about his skills, but that in itself told her that people weren’t paying enough attention to the Beauxbatons boy – if they did, then they would be raving about him, the way Jamie was always raving about him in her mind. Even though he hadn’t actually blocked the shot, he had known when to ignore her tell – either that, or he had forgotten what she had said about it. Jamie wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that it was skill, though. “Thanks. Like I said, I’ve been practicing.” She said with a laugh. “Your ball?” She suggested. Jamie had never tried Keeping for any appreciable amount of time, but maybe learning something about how a Keeper thought would make her a better Chaser.
@dastan
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:41 GMT -7
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Apr 6, 2017 15:04:59 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2017 15:04:59 GMT -7
He nodded when she said she'd been practicing. "I can tell. You've also been working on your tell," he commented, mostly so he could point out that she was doing well at that too. "You're doing great with that, by the way." He didn't know if she knew that, but he wanted to compliment her, wanted to tell her that she was doing well. From his experience, not many Quidditch players got true feedback on they way they played, so he tried to give it to others when he could. Then she asked if he wanted the ball and he nodded, grinning. Once she tossed it to him, he shot down the pitch. This was what he missed the last while. Playing. He wasn't sure how close she was to him, so he spun to the right as if going towards the right hoop, making a last minute twist so he could shoot the ball for the middle hoop, using the technique he taught her.
@jamie
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:42 GMT -7
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Apr 6, 2017 15:12:38 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2017 15:12:38 GMT -7
Dastan said that she had been working on her tell, and Jamie nodded – so he had remembered it, and had indeed actively chosen to ignore it. She was glad that her assumption had been correct, and she was even gladder that Dastan could give her honest, unbiased feedback. “You have amazing instincts.” Jamie said, just so that the compliments went both ways instead of her just basking in his praise. “I never would have guessed which way that ball was going.” Jamie could see where the Quaffle was going almost anywhere else on the pitch, but when it came to the hoops, she was at a loss. After taking the ball, Dastan wasted no time in making his way down the pitch, and Jamie was right on his tail. She was lighter than Dastan, and that was the only thing that gave her enough of an edge to get in between him and the hoops. When Dastan shot, Jamie began lunging one way, realizing halfway through that she was going the wrong way. Instead of trying to correct (knowing that she wouldn’t make it if she did), Jamie snapped her hips so that the tail of her broom collided with the Quaffle, altering its course so it missed the hoop by half a meter or so. Jamie grinned at Dastan. “I had no idea what I was doing!” She laughed. Maybe they could make a Keeper of her yet.
@dastan
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:41 GMT -7
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Apr 7, 2017 8:21:28 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2017 8:21:28 GMT -7
Dastan smiled at her compliments, but still wished he would have been able to stop the Quaffle. He didn't want to destroy Jamie at their game, but he did want to prove himself as a player and missing it was not the best way to do that. Still, she seemed sincere, so a smile and wave seemed appropriate. She blocked his shot, claiming that she had no idea what she was doing and Dastan laughed for a few seconds. "But you still did it. Stopping it with your broom when you realized you were going the wrong way is what professional Keepers do," he told her simply before diving to get the Quaffle so they could continue playing. He pulled out of the dive easily and moved so he was closer to Jamie. "Do you want to continue just taking turns?" he asked curiously. He was good playing it like that, or making it into a game between the two of them, with whoever gets the Quaffle shooting it.
@jamie
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:42 GMT -7
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Apr 7, 2017 10:24:05 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2017 10:24:05 GMT -7
Jamie couldn’t argue when Dastan said that she had indeed still blocked the shot, even if she didn’t realize fully how she had done it. He said that the trick she had used was also employed by professional Keepers, and Jamie grinned at him. “Do you think I should consider a career change?” She asked him, not at all serious. She had put way too much effort in becoming a good Chaser to give that up just because she made one pretty spectacular save as a Keeper. Though this was making Jamie begin to think more about how she could use her broom in Chasing, to guide the Quaffle if a shot went awry. When Dastan asked if she just wanted to keep taking turns, Jamie nodded. “Easier than racing for the Quaffle every time.” She commented. Two people racing for the same ball multiple times seemed like a great way for one or both of them to get injured. “Guess it’s kind of hard to play one-on-one.” Jamie added. It had worked out better in her head.
@dastan
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:41 GMT -7
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Apr 7, 2017 17:16:01 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2017 17:16:01 GMT -7
Dastan laughed, shrugging at her joke. "Well I mean you could, but that might not help much with trying to find a job, and I think you make a much better chaser anyway." Dastan wouldn't admit it, but he also felt relieved when she wanted to just take turns. It would definitely be much more tiring if they were both chasing after the Quaffle every time one of them shot. And this way gave them more opportunities to shoot, even if it didn't give them the same kind of pressure that they had during games. He smiled, "Maybe it's more of a practice than a one-on-one game," he agreed after a few seconds, tossing the Quaffle to her. "In any case, it's your turn now," he said with a smile as he started toward the other hoops.
@jamie
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:42 GMT -7
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Apr 7, 2017 22:02:14 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2017 22:02:14 GMT -7
Dastan said that her switching to Keeping wouldn’t help with finding a job, and Jamie nodded – if she did switch, then she’d just be an amateur again, and she wasn’t about to do that. She smiled at Dastan when he said that she made a better Chaser, anyways. It didn’t take much for her to have more Chasing skills than Keeping ones, but she was still going to take it as a compliment. Jamie smiled when Dastan said that it was more of a practice than a one-on-one. “Quidditch is hard to play without a full team.” She said. There were some Muggle games that translated well into one-on-one matches, but others that were train wrecks if two people tried to play on their own without simplifying the game, and that was the way Quidditch was. She caught the Quaffle when Dastan threw it to her, trying to think of what sort of thing she could do to trip him up. Then again, what was the point? Maybe a simple, easy toss would be just as unexpected since she had been doing such crazy maneuvers earlier. Jamie followed Dastan to the other end of the field, and without preamble, tossed the ball towards the center hoop. It wasn’t any old toss, of course – it was dizzyingly fast and amazingly precise – but it was simpler than anything Jamie had done before.
@dastan
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:41 GMT -7
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Apr 8, 2017 20:15:13 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2017 20:15:13 GMT -7
He nodded when Jamie said that it was hard to play Quidditch without a full team. It was, but he also liked the practice. Playing one-on-one with someone made it easier to focus on certain aspects of his playing, which was something he liked to do. Jamie didn't try to pass him on her way to the other side, so Dastan turned around and flew backwards a little bit, waiting to see what she was going to do next. She simply threw the ball. It was a good, hard throw, but she didn't do anything fancy with it. Luckily, Dastan stopped right in between the right and center hoop, so it wasn't hard for him to move far enough to catch the ball. He turned to Jamie and grinned. "Got it," he told her.
@jamie
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:42 GMT -7
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Apr 8, 2017 20:21:35 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2017 20:21:35 GMT -7
Jamie watched, slightly amused, as Dastan flew backwards. It wasn’t a skill that she practiced often, because flying backwards on the Quidditch field was a great way to collide with someone accidentally. Jamie put that on the list of tricks that she was going to practice, in case she ever needed to use it in a professional game. Dastan saved her ball easily enough, which wasn’t that big of a deal for Jamie – it just meant that she wasn’t going to try such a vanilla throw again. She didn’t know what sort of tricks she was going to try next, but luckily enough, it was her chance to Keep, so she could think of some new strategies while watching Dastan. “Strategy question.” Jamie called as they flew across the pitch. “Are Keepers always supposed to stay near the center hoop?” She had thrown hundreds of goals, but Jamie couldn’t seem to remember where the Keeper had been located for each of them – she had just cared that they hadn’t touched the Quaffle before it could earn Hufflepuff points.
@dastan
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:41 GMT -7
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Apr 8, 2017 22:14:15 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2017 22:14:15 GMT -7
Once he caught the ball, Dastan started moving across the pitch instantly. He didn't really have a plan for getting his shot in this time, but he was just going to try. He flew higher then the posts and tried to make it look like he was really going for the left one and at the last moment shot it toward the right hoop. He was pretty sure his aim was on, but it all depended on Jamie and she was doign pretty well so far. After he shot, he turned to look at her, smiling. "Most keepers either hover around the center hoop, or they keep continual movement in front of the hoops," he told her simply. It depended on the Keeper, but that was what most did.
@jamie
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:42 GMT -7
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Apr 9, 2017 17:20:30 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2017 17:20:30 GMT -7
Jamie had a premonition that she was going to do very poorly when trying to save Dastan’s next shot, and she was right in that. He feinted left, and she followed the feint. This time, she had gone too far to one side to try to block with her broom, so she was left having to dive for the Quaffle after it went through the right hoop. She returned to Dastan to listen to his answer to her question. Logically, staying in the center made sense, so Jamie felt kind of silly for asking the question – but she was glad that she had asked. Certainty was always better than not knowing. “What’s the best way to avoid them, then?” She asked. She had always been told aiming for the outside rims of the hoops was good, because it meant a Keeper had to travel further, but it also meant that there was a chance that the shot would miss even without the Keeper’s intervention. Jamie didn’t know why she hadn’t asked these questions of her own Keeper before, but somehow it was easier to talk to Dastan about strategy than her own team, because she didn’t feel like they were judging her for her lack of knowledge. Jamie began flying towards the other side of the pitch so that Dastan could take his turn defending while she tried to score again.
@dastan
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:41 GMT -7
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Apr 11, 2017 19:06:36 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2017 19:06:36 GMT -7
Dastan smiled when his shot went in. It was nice to make one, to feel like he was actually doing a decent job today. Sometimes he wondered if not getting as much practice as he used to was hurting his chances of becoming a professional Quidditch player. Then again, Jamie was a good player. Doing well against her actually meant something. Dastan nodded at her question to show he heard her while he thought of a way to explain it. "Well ... it's more about trying to trick them into thinking you're going to do something that you're not, or being totally unpredictable. Not doing the same moves that you 'usually' do. Changing things up constantly. If, by looking back on previous games, they can see all your moves and label them, then you're in trouble. That make sense?" Dastan wasn't quite sure if she understood what he was trying to say, but he hoped that she did.
@jamie
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:42 GMT -7
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Apr 12, 2017 5:25:36 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2017 5:25:36 GMT -7
Dastan said that the way Chasers could avoid a Keeper was by being unpredictable, and she nodded. That was the obvious answer to her question, but that didn’t matter – it just meant that she had been doing things right. Jamie was considering becoming a little less elaborate with her ploys, though, because diving and rolling and everything took a lot of effort with relatively little effort. “Must take a pretty great memory.” Jamie said appreciatively. For Muggles, it was a little easier, because they could watch and rewatch a match as many times as they wanted on video, but wizards didn’t have that luxury. “It’s funny, because when you begin Quidditch, you think there’s only so many ways you can get a ball through the hoop, but then once you’ve been playing a couple years, there’s a hundred and one ways to do just about everything.” Quidditch was as much about thinking outside the box as it was about athletic prowess.
@dastan
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last online May 4, 2024 5:56:41 GMT -7
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Apr 19, 2017 18:31:44 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2017 18:31:44 GMT -7
Dastan chuckled a little and nodded, "Yes, it does. A great memory and a lot of studying the strategies for getting goals." Personally, Dastan spent a bit of time studying books that talked about plays and such so he could recognize them when they were happening and try to stop them. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. He nodded in agreement, "Yes, there are too many ways to score. Which is why a good Seeker is important. If it was up to us Chasers and Keepers, the game could go on forever." Honestly though, one could never stop finding new ways to shoot and block so Chasers and Keepers had the continual job. "Do you want to keep going or are you done for today?" He asked curiously.
@jamie
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