QUODPOT MATCH #1: PECKENPAUGH vs. TWIN PEAKS

[peckishmods]

PECKENPAUGH

vs

TWIN PEAKS

Click Here for this Game's Roster!

PECKENPAUGH

Ida Clapsaddle

Valkyrie Horvat

Claudia Vega

Felicity Deverill

Mia Samaniego

Tybalt Zettler

Yara Duke

Adrian Gildersleeves

Anthony De Witt

Skip Rider

Wyatt Webberley

JUNIOR VARSITY

Edgar Waxweiler

Willow Quackenbush

Cedar Quackenbush

Constanza Wolff

PP JV Sp 1

PP JV Sp 2

PP JV Sp 3

Aristotle Ahn

Scarlett Hatfield

Hawthorne Quackenbush

PP JV Kes Cap

FALCON

FALCON

SPARROW

SPARROW

SPARROW

SPARROW

SPARROW

KESTREL

KESTREL

KESTREL

KESTREL

TWIN PEAKS

Solstice Worldpeace

Avalon Kuyper

Taylor Tanaka

Jesus Andrade

Hercules Hornblower

Gaby Yang

Mackey Maloney

Mickey Mahoney

Galileo Drexel

Margot Quick

Delaney Medjid

JUNIOR VARSITY

Georgia Dick

Ruben Ramos

Sky Sayyid

Raven Primpernelle

August Crutchley

Leighton Bixby

Sage Suarez

Rainbow Rose-Ripper

Kingston Kobayashi

Carla Goncalves

Braydyn Bong

junior varsity

The sun is shining, it's cold as hell, and the days are over before you can even say "y'a'll'd've". You know what that means: it's Quodpot season! The stands are filling up early today, even for the JV game, with fans decked out in Peckenpaugh purple and gold (or Twin Peaks orange and black, if they're bold). Everyone's curious to get their first glimpse at this year's squads, and there's totally no pressure to set the tone for the entire season here, guys. Down by the entrance, Student Council and volunteers are selling concessions, for those who just want to warm their hands up with some hot chocolate or take advantage of their unlimited condiments rule, and it turns out they're a little understaffed. Mr. Potkin and Zippy Zebrowski both end up staffing the stand at some point, and both forget to charge half of their customers.

On the sidelines, the cheerleaders warm up the crowds and get ready to explode the first quod and reveal the mystery substance. Peckenpaugh's intimidating force makes prolonged eye contact with the other squad, and Twin Peaks' cheer captain flips her hair to show off the long piece of glitter-covered toilet paper tied in there like a bow. The cheer quod goes up, the squads play a quick, chaotic game of hot potato, and it explodes in a cloud of feathers over the Peckenpaugh cheerleaders' heads.

Welp, guess it's game on.

Peckenpaugh was right not to get too cocky before this game, because Twin Peaks comes in with a mean offense. Peckenpaugh can barely lay hands on the quod at first, but their kestrels swing into action, tripping them up before they can hit the pot, and the first three rounds end up taking out Ramos, Goncalves and Kobayashi in a cloud of feathers. Suarez and Bixby pot the next two quods, and Hatfield refuses to take another round of this. She yanks the quod from Dick’s hands just seconds before it blows up in her own face, making Hatfield the first Peckenpaugh player to hit the bench. Wolff and the other Peckenpaugh sparrows are quick to avenge her with three quick goals in a row.

Peckenpaugh’s defensive lineup takes a beating next, as H. Quackenbush and Ahn take feathers to the face. C. Quackenbush makes a spectacular dunk in the aftermath, though it’s possible they were just trying to keep from falling off their broom, and Sayyid brings the game to a tie with an easy two-pointer. A swath of eliminations follow: C. Quackenbush and Twin Peaks’ Bong, another Peckenpaugh kestrel, sparrow, and, on the heels of a hot shot by Primpernelle, one more Peckenpaugh sparrow, Suarez and Sayyid all fall. Rose-Ripper nets another goal for Twin Peaks, but Peckenpaugh retaliates: Waxweiler sinks a three-pointer, and a quod bounced off W. Quackenbush’s face also counts for three. Crutchley, W. Quackenbush, Dick, and one more home team sparrow go down in the subsequent rounds. Primpernelle lobs a three-pointer into the pot, but her time is coming to an end, and she’s out on the next round. The field has thinned considerably, and the time is creeping up on two hours when Bixby’s shot brings the score to 12 - 13, Twin Peaks. Wolff tries to bring the offense back to Peckenpaugh’s side but gets knocked out instead, followed by Bixby, leaving just Waxweiler and Rose-Ripper on the field.

Waxweiler gets his hands on the quod as soon as the round starts and zips up the pitch toward the pot. Peckenpaugh can’t afford to wait out the clock, and Rose-Ripper knows this. She dogs Waxweiler the whole way, zipping in front of him and slowing him down. He feints left to get around her, then right, and then he goes for a shot. Rose-Ripper dives for the quod, catching it before it can reach the pot… and feathers explode in her face. Rose-Ripper is eliminated, and Waxweiler is the last man standing.

🎉 PECKENPAUGH JV WINS 🎉
17 - 13!

varsity game

The stands are even fuller now. The marching band performs, and they go a little long, so hopefully no one's nervous about this or anything. The cheer teams perform, and neither of them came just to support the players; their routines are complex, exciting, and take time, which just gives everyone that much more time to get excited, and raise those expectations a little higher. But no big deal.

Finally, the players get in position for initial Face-Offs, with Peckenpaugh's Deverill and Twin Peaks' Maloney heading to the Face-Off Zone. The whole stadium is tensed. Players grip their brooms, cheerleaders hold their breaths (and their pom-poms), and Mr. Youngblood stretches and lets out an agonizingly long yawn before the first quod of the (Varsity) season is unleashed.

• 00:00:00 - 00:04:00 : And they're OFF. Just like their JV counterparts, Twin Peaks' offense starts off fierce. Maloney takes immediate possession of the quod, snatching it out from under Deverill's nose, and zips off toward the floating pot. Peckenpaugh's kestrels are tough, but Twin Peaks' Varsity sparrows are a tight bunch; they juggle the quod up the pitch — Maloney to Andrade, Andrade to Tanaka, Tanaka back to Maloney — until Andrade sinks the very first goal of the game.


• 00:04:01 - 00:10:00 : With momentum on their side, Twin Peaks strikes again. Peckenpaugh barely gets a chance to lay hands on the ball before those sparrows swoop in and spirit it up the pitch, and this time it's Maloney who drops the quod in the pot.


• 00:10:01 - 00:16:00 : The third quod of the game is introduced, and Peckenpaugh goes on the attack. If they can't get the quod, they can at least get the quod to do the work for them. The Critters' kestrels dog Twin Peaks' offense, forcing them to bob and weave through the pitch. Gildersleeves narrowly avoids a foul when he blows right through Yang and sends her spinning, and De Witt's bulk makes it easy to split quod-holder Maloney off on his own. Ah, but Maloney is no one-trick pony; he chucks the ticking quod toward the pot, and lands a slick three-pointer.


• 00:16:01 - 00:20:00 : Another quod, another possession for Twin Peaks. Gildersleeves puts his defensive lineup to task—Rider and Webberley run interference on their fliers, Gildersleeves and De Witt try to retake the quod. While they're not able to get the quod, they do finally accomplish one thing: Andrade can't get help in time, and he gets a face full of feathers.


• 00:20:01 - 00:23:00 : Maloney clearly never liked Andrade all that much, because he's not broken up about his loss at all. He lobs another three-pointer into the pot—his third goal of the game, and we're still in the first half hour. The score is 0 - 8 Twin Peaks, and Maloney dabs.


• 00:23:01 - 00:29:00 : That was the final straw. Maloney tries to get his hands on the quod again, but Zettler appears out of nowhere, diving straight in front of his outstretched hands and knocking them out of the way. Whether he was trying to get the quod himself or take Maloney out isn't clear and doesn't matter, because Webberley is ready for it. He snags the quod before it can drop any further and zips up the pitch. Twin Peaks' Worldpeace tries to stop him, Kuyper quick on his tail, but Webberley passes the quod to a waiting Deverill before they can do anything. She handily dunks, looks directly at Maloney, and dabs.


• 00:29:01 - 00:36:00 : Peckenpaugh is finally on the board at 1 - 8. Vega, riding on the coattails of that sick dab, makes an easy layup for two more points. Twin Peaks tries to take control back with the next round, and Peckenpaugh's defense comes out swinging—literally, just about, as Webberley's elbow catches Twin Peaks' Quick in the throat. She drops the quod to Tanaka, who almost gets to the Scoring Zone before she, too, gets the ax.


• 00:36:01 - 00:38:00 : With two sparrows down, Twin Peaks shifts into more aggressive gameplay. Samaniego gets her hands on the quod, and the sophomore finds her way blocked over and over by Twin Peaks' Mahoney. De Witt comes to her rescue, barreling through the flyers and boxing out Mahoney so she can get past, but Drexel and Medjid are quick to react. Drexel attempts to disrupt Samaniego, Medjid puts her broom squarely in De Witt's path, and it's a downright clusterfuck in the air when Medjid slams right into De Witt, who spins into Drexel, who knocks Samaniego clear off her broom.
  
  Mr. Youngblood slows Samaniego's descent before calling a foul on Medjid, and giving Samaniego a penalty shot. The sophomore seems a little dazed by her collision, though, and misses the shot by a mile. Horvat decides to send Samaniego to the bench to be checked out, and brings in JV's Scarlett Hatfield to keep the game going.


• 00:38:01 - 00:40:00 : Horvat doesn't let anyone else touch the next quod that comes out. Fueled by vengeance and frustration, she takes the quod directly to the pot herself, and brings the score up to 4 - 8 Twin Peaks.


• 00:40:01 - 00:44:00 : The feisty Hatfield, determined to show she's better than her performance in the JV game, doesn't get much of a chance. She snags the quod and is immediately swarmed by the opposing team, hoping the young player will be an easy target. Hatfield tries to pass the quod to a waiting Zettler, and it's intercepted by Yang—who pays the price when the quod explodes in her hands.


• 00:44:01 - 00:47:00 : Hatfield tries again in the next round, but the opposing team barely has a chance to harass her. The quod explodes in under a minute, and Hatfield, once again, takes the bench. She's followed soon after by fellow sparrow Vega, another victim of a remarkably short-fused quod.


• 00:47:01 - 00:51:00 : Ah, no time to cry over spilt feathers. Twin Peaks gets their hands on the next quod first, but with their sparrow squad dwindling, Rider easily squeezes between their flyers to intercept. It's a short pass to Zettler, to Horvat, back to Zettler, weaving through the field with ease. Worldpeace and Drexel are on his tail, Kuyper and Mahoney trail Horvat, Medjid keeps a close eye on Rider—too bad they weren't watching who was flying above Zettler. He tosses the quod straight up, Duke swoops in to catch it, and she nets a three-pointer for Peckenpaugh.


• 00:51:01 - 00:56:00 : We're coming up on the one-hour mark and only five players have been eliminated, but Twin Peaks is trying to take care of that. De Witt gets his hands on the ball early on, and the opposing team goes into disruption mode. Drexel and Quick fearlessly throw themselves in the path of the freight train, and when Deverill darts in to help, Kuyper bowls her right over, forcing her to sloth roll out of the way. De Witt passes to Rider, and Hornblower cuts between them for an interception. Don't feel too bad about it, kid; the quod blows in Hornblower's hands, and Twin Peaks loses another sparrow.


• 00:56:01 - 00:59:00 : Twin Peaks isn't counting this strategy out just yet. Zettler grabs hold of the quod this time, and Maloney and Mahoney are in hot pursuit, while Medjid tries to run over Deverill, and Quick keeps Clapsaddle from getting too close. Zettler is almost at ease as he weaves around his guards, but he doesn't have time for distractions; Maloney and Mahoney dance around him, showboating as they block his every attempt at a shot, and the quod's time is ticking away. Almost without warning, Zettler dead-drops straight down from his position and grannies a pass toward Clapsaddle. Mahoney and Maloney, caught off guard, slam straight into each other, Quick intercepts the pass, and Quick and Clapsaddle are engulfed in a cloud of feathers. Quick is out.
  
  Down on the ground, a chant begins from the cheerleaders: “MAHONEY AND MALONEY SITTIN’ IN A TREE, C-R-A-S-H-I-N-G.” The rhythm is a little off, but the spirit’s there.


• 00:59:01 - 01:02:00 : Horvat gets the quod again, and she's taking it to the pot. But she's got a tail. Opposing Captain Kuyper is on her heels all the way down the pitch, no matter how hard Horvat tries to shake her. De Witt breaks free from his guards and hurries to help. Horvat is an independent woman and doesn't need help, though—she (figuratively) stomps on those broom brakes and forces her tailgater to slam into her from behind.
  
  Before anyone can decide if that's a foul, Kuyper goes to yank the quod from Horvat's hands. And maybe pull her hair, if it just happens to be there. A tussle breaks out in the middle of the pitch, stopped either by Mr. Youngblood's whistle or an explosion of feathers that nearly knocks both girls off their broom. Either way, while no one's eliminated, both Kuyper and Horvat are sent to the penalty box for two minutes, which should give Horvat time to clean up her bloody nose if she wants.


• 01:02:01 - 01:03:00 : Maloney takes advantage of the excitement and confusion, and wastes no time at all before he nails another three, bringing the score 11 - 9 for Twin Peaks.


• 01:03:01 - 01:05:00 : Worldpeace gets the quod on the next round, and despite his unassuming name, proves to be a tough fighter. Rider tries to snipe the quod at an opportune moment, but the short-fused quod explodes in Worldpeace's face just seconds after he escapes with it. Rider gets his hands on the next quod, though! Unfortunately for him, it's an even more volatile quod than the last. It not only bursts almost right away, he gets a mouthful of feathers along with it. Mm, tastes like bird flu.


• 01:05:01 - 01:11:00 : Webberley takes possession of the next explodiball to hit the pitch, and Maloney, who’s gone three whole minutes without making a shot, is getting antsy. Maloney checks Webberley and tries to make off with his quod. Wrestling ain't his forte, though, and he gets a warning for throwing too many elbows before Webberley passes the quod to a waiting Clapsaddle—and Webberley is really only partially responsible for Clapsaddle getting knocked out next. It’s all Maloney’s fault, if you think about it.


• 01:11:01 - 01:15:00 : Everyone on the home team is getting a little tired of Maloney, and no one more than Deverill. When Medjid tries to get the quod to their top scorer, Deverill comes out of nowhere with an interception, and hucks the quod from midfield. It's an easily interceptible move, and the quod lingers on the lip of the cauldron for one heart-stopping second before it drops right in, which is a much better outcome than letting Maloney near it.


• 01:15:01 - 01:22:00 : De Witt gets the quod this time, and with Webberley at his side they clear a path to Zettler. Twin Peaks is too desperate to get their hands on that quod again to risk passing it, and it's De Witt's bad luck that they didn't, because it blows up in his hands. Deverill definitely isn't trying to avenge him or anything in the round after that—it's just that she and Horvat are an unstoppable force, and when they wrest control of the next quod away from a frustrated Medjid, they can't stop until Deverill sinks yet another three-pointer.
  
  From a much more reasonable distance this time.


• 01:22:01 - 01:26:00 : Peckenpaugh has taken the lead, 13 - 11, but there's still plenty of players left on the field. Zettler and Deverill are (almost literally) on the ball the second it comes into play, and they only just start working their way up the field when Deverill's hot streak comes to an end with a burst of feathers, and she's on the bench. Barely three minutes later, Duke takes a seat next to her, getting feathered a few feet from the pot.


• 01:26:01 - 01:29:00 : It's a familiar sight when the next round starts: the ball goes to Maloney, and he's headed for the pot. Webberley is close behind him, Zettler prepares for an interception when he winds up for a shot—and the quod explodes before it leaves his hands. Maloney graciously takes the L and heads for the sidelines, though not before throwing Deverill a wink. Hmm.


• 01:29:01 - 01:31:00 : Another hot shot falls victim to a short-lived quod in the next round, and Zettler will have feathers in his hair for the rest of the day after spending barely a minute with the latest quod.


• 01:31:01 - 01:42:00 : Control of the game is slipping away from Twin Peaks, but they can still win. Kuyper hurls a desperate Hail Mary shot over Horvat's outstretched arms and gets another three points for Twin Peaks, taking back the lead at 13 - 14. When she tries to follow up with a similarly impressive shot in the next round, she runs out of time, and Captain Kuyper is the next one to leave the field. Mahoney joins her on the next round, and everyone agrees it was entirely his own fault.


• 01:42:01 - 01:47:00 : It's Horvat, Webberley and Gildersleeves against Drexel and Medjid now, with less than twenty minutes left to play, and both teams know the game could tip either way at this point. Defender Drexel leaps into action to get possession of the quod for the first time all game, and immediately tries to get rid of it. Horvat makes an easy interception and lets Webberley and Gildersleeves handle the others as she slips up the pitch and sinks a three-pointer. At 16 - 14, Peckenpaugh is (just barely) back in the lead.


• 01:47:01 - 01:48:00 : Horvat doesn't get the chance to repeat her performance in the next round, though; the temperamental quod blows in under a minute, and it's two-on-two on the pitch.


• 01:48:01 - 01:52:00 : But not for long. Drexel's second time with the quod doesn't go much better than the first. Gildersleeves and Webberley won't let him get around them until they see feathers, and the second-to-last member of the Twin Peaks team hits the bench.


• 01:52:01 - 01:54:00 : Gildersleeves and Webberley versus Medjid in the middle of the pitch. The next quod comes into play and Gildersleeves nabs it easily. He passes to Webberley while he handles Medjid and gives him enough time to get up the field. You don't need to tell Webberley what to do; as soon as he has the quod, he's zipping away, unconcerned with Gildersleeves and Medjid, focused squarely on the pot and—oh. All these feathers, too. The quaking quod wasn't about to let Webberley get anywhere near that pot, and he's out, with six minutes left to play.


• 01:54:01 - 01:59:59 : Gildersleeves and Medjid both know what's on the line. If the clock runs out, the game is Peckenpaugh's. But if Gildersleeves loses the quod before he can get it in the pot, Twin Peaks ekes out a win. The quod goes up, and it's a risky move, but Gildersleeves refuses to let Medjid have it.
  
  The advantage is Medjid's as Gildersleeves guns for their goal. Her job is to slow him down and get that quod to blow, and she taunts and teases the whole way, diving in his path and grabbing for the quod, forcing him to jostle the metaphorical ticking time bomb. Gildersleeves, undeterred, fights his way past her, spinning and diving down the field. He just needs a shot. One, clear shot. One he can't get with Medjid hanging over his head, or waiting just behind him, arms outstretched, hoping he'll slip up.
  
  Less than thirty seconds left, the quod starts to feel hot. It doesn't have thirty seconds left. It doesn’t have ten seconds left. Gildersleeves can't wait any longer, and he takes the shot.


• 02:00:00 : The quod hits the pot, and Mr. Youngblood blows his whistle. The goal is good, and time is up, ya hooligans.

🎉
🎉
🎉
🎉
🎉
PECKENPAUGH WINS
18 - 14!

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Comments

Hell Twins

[teratophilia]

Armani grins and cheerfully waves a pompom at a passer-by before nodding at Chanel and continuing their conversation in an upbeat tone: "I thought about poisoning him, but I really don't think I could stomach seeing Laszlo playing doctor for him." He shakes his pompoms absently, looking toward the two as he hums in thought. This whole situation is definitely Tybalt's fault and he should be punished at least a little bit. But... "Maybe if Tybalt and Uriah became closer, they'd both give up on him."

ON THE PITCH: Tybalt & Laszlo

[notpoison]

"Only to birds," he says, although he honestly knows very little about birds or mites.

Laszlo sighs, defeated, but Tybalt looks just fine even with his hair in tangles, full of bits of feathers. He always does. "Take a shower tonight. I—you can just brush them out."

He picks out the most complete feather he found in Tybalt's hair, looks at it for a second, then pockets it. It's not the weirdest thing Tybalt's seen Laszlo keep for undisclosed reasons. "Congratulations."

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Sunday, 8pm, Woods along the River Walk

[fratsquatch]

In a small clearing, deep in the woods along the River Walk, a magically created bonfire burns bright. It’s cold and a little blustery but the trees block out most of the wind, while the flames and alcohol work in tandem to help fight off the chill. Party goers were warned to bring their own blankets because there’s not much by way of seating, just a few fallen trees and the lids of a couple of coolers.

A casual game of quidpong has been set up by Tony and a spin the bottle circle forms organically. A sign on the lid of one of the coolers filled with liquor bottles reads 'Courtesy of Doug Bobson.' Tony doesn’t even try to keep the revelers quiet; this is the first Quodpot win of the season in a small sports town, the locals are probably surprised it’s taken the kids this long to celebrate.

Hell Twins

[necrodanseuse]

She's not even sure how Uriah entered this mix, but sure. She makes like she's fondly resting her chin on her twin's shoulder, but it's to follow his eyes. There's Laszlo, all right. Plucking a feather out of Tybalt Zettler's dumb hair. She scoffs, light. "Poison's too good for him. He's not the murder you're going to jail for, darling."

But the next idea is an interesting one. An absent-minded kiss to his cheek, she stands up straight, wheels turning behind her eyes. "And Uriah would leave him alone. Eventually. Hmm."

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Armani & Laszlo

[teratophilia]

Armani watches Laszlo watch Tybalt, who's currently locking lips with another boy. Whether it's out of concern, or jealousy, or a mix of both, he hates just how much he hates this. The wallowing was fun for a little while, but now it's turned toxic.

They sit side-by-side on a log, Armani's woolen cloak draped over them like a blanket. Armani's kept it close and clingy, arms linked so they're never far from each other.

If he were a better friend, he'd distract Laszlo-- and, ohh, he hates that he should but knows that he won't. Instead, he rests his head against Laszlo's shoulder, following his gaze to Tybalt, and sighs so very sadly. "I guess it's a good thing Eddy's not seeing this."

Hell Twins

[teratophilia]

"And there'd be no infighting. Our group remains intact." He brings his pompoms together for emphasis. "We'd just have to direct their attention toward other people while Tybalt's unavailable."

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Viola Walks Home (Open+)

[tristfully]

The glow from the bonfire casts shadows across Viola's features, sharpening the cut of her jawline and turning her eyelashes an inky black against her cheekbones. It's late and her head is spinning from the drink, as well as the chaos of the evening. As a quiet observer, she picks up on but doesn't entirely understand the tension apparent throughout the party.

She lights a cigarette and fills her mouth with the taste of cinnamon, cloves, and tobacco smoke. The rush is dizzying and just exhilarating enough to bolster a long walk home. Without a word to anyone, she slips between the trees and begins her journey back to campus.

ON THE PITCH: Tybalt & Laszlo

[princeofcat]

As much as he flies, he's not a bird. So he's probably fine here. He tilts his head, curious, at the disappearing feather. But he doesn't ask. It's true. He's seen Laszlo pocket stranger things. And he's probably actually going to test for mites, which is objectively a pretty good thing. He leaves it in favor of grinning. This shouldn't be something to brag about, but he does, anyway. "And I didn't die once."

Hell Twins

[necrodanseuse]

She watches him more closely for a second, here. Just something she's been wondering, but her voice is still casual. "Which other people, do you think?"

Hell Twins

[teratophilia]

Her voice is casual, Armani knows he's been caught. "I-- I don't know!" he sputters in English, flustered to have been seen through so easily.

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Valkyrie & Lionel

[sugarnspite]

Val stretches big, reaching for the night sky, then flops down on the picnic blanket. That one glass of wine was just perfect for taking the edge off the day. She feels pleasantly sleepy, relaxed and content. For the moment, all her worries are far away, muffled by the sound of laughing classmates and the breeze in the orange leaves above them.

She points to the stars, trying to guide his attention to a faint collection of them. "That's Pegasus. It's going to be our anchor."

Hell Twins

[necrodanseuse]

Ah ha. The slip into English confirms it. But right now, here, in the middle of everyone, is hardly the time to talk about it. She just raises an eyebrow, which should communicate everything she needs to. "Well I'm sure we'll find someone." She continues on in Spanish, like it's never been interrupted, "But they'll have to be good enough."

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Armani & Laszlo

[notpoison]

Laszlo is jealous. He knows this fact about himself. He hates watching Tybalt at parties, but more and more often he ends up doing exactly that. He remembers feeling like this with Zadie, suspecting everyone she spoke to was going to convince her to leave him. It had become an obsession that poisoned things between them. He's still ashamed of it. Maybe even a little scared. Did he ever apologize properly?

He's been zoning out for a minute or so, wallowing in these thoughts. Curled up next to Armani, silently picking at the scab on his heart without interruption. When Armani's voice breaks through his haze, Laszlo's blinks several times like he's just come back out into the light. "Why?"

ON THE PITCH: Tybalt & Laszlo

[notpoison]

"You look very alive," Dr. Pataki assesses. Tybalt had stayed on his broom, and Laszlo's pretty sure he prefers quods to bludgers. Even with all the explosions and feathers, broken bones seem minimal. Besides, the feathers are probably harmless. Saying otherwise was just an excuse. An alibi for his own terrible heart.

Laszlo doesn't know why he can't do this without the preamble and misdirection. He should say something more tender.

"Are you allergic to dander?" Maybe next time.

Hell Twins

[teratophilia]

It's merciful of her. Armani doesn't want to unpack all of that right now and have to examine his intentions. He slips back into Spanish just as fluidly, "Someone loyal, who will appreciate them." And then, in English, to give his best Elle Woods impression: "Somebody who wears black when nobody's dead!"

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Armani & Laszlo

[teratophilia]

"It's... um..."

This feels rotten. This is rotten. It's manipulative and it's mean. Armani takes a sip of his drink, trying to find a way to backpedal out of this.

But... maybe the rotten thing to do is also the right thing to do? Better to let Laszlo know before this drags out even longer.

"Between you and me, he really likes Tybalt. Breaks my heart for him."

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Armani & Laszlo

[notpoison]

Something cracks in Laszlo's chest. A fissure opens, and out of it leaks unwelcome feelings. Ones that he's only theorized about, but now they're potent, and they sting. He goes still, almost stiff, against Armani, but his face remains as distant and impassive as always. His expression doesn't give away the toxins filling up his rib cage, but other little details might. The way his eyes shift to stare into the darkness instead of at Tybalt. How his hands go slack. The fact that his breathing speeds up just so.

Tybalt and Eddy are friends. Good friends. They laugh and smile together like normal people. Eddy is handsome, and they both like sports. It makes a lot of sense. It feels natural. Normal. Very normal very natural very happy very perfect very inevitable.

When Laszlo finally speaks, his voice is hollow but unremarkable. "Tybalt told me he doesn't date."

IN THE STANDS: Viola & Poppy

[girlbeast]

Squinting her eyes behind her sunglasses, Poppy looked at who she thought was Felicity, though all of the movement made it hard to be sure. "I s'pose she's doing well," why else would she be moving like that? "Could be having some sorta seizure or somethin' though," she shrugs, turning her attention back to her phone.

Tybalt & Eddy

[quidditched]

The gentle shake forces Eddy's full attention back on Tybalt. Now that he's caught him in his orbit, there's a part of Eddy that wants to stay as long as he can. Tybalt's bright, lively. Easily radiates all the excitement that Eddy ought to be feeling at this moment. He's proud of the team, proud of himself, proud of Tybalt. It'd been a big day for all of them.

Avoiding Tybalt hurts.

Sometimes he wonders if he dreamt everything that happened on Homecoming night. Tybalt's never mentioned it. Or maybe it had happened, but he wants to forget it. Or worse, it hadn't even registered as a blip on Tybalt's radar. Maybe that's why.

Being around Tybalt hurts.

"Will," he promises quietly, pulling the corners of his mouth into some approximation of what passes for a smile. It's supposed to reassure Tybalt so he can move on, so Eddy can escape. But in spite of everything, Eddy keeps talking. "Did good today. Where you should be." It's largely addressed to Tybalt's feet, but maybe they can use the encouragement too.

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Armani & Laszlo

[teratophilia]

The subtleties in the shift of his demeanor don't go unnoticed by Armani, who's come to expect Laszlo to conceal his more vulnerable emotions. Make them more palatable. Armani can't sense the extent of his heartbreak, but he knows he's hurt his feelings. And the worst part is that he did it on purpose.

He takes hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together, and gives it a squeeze. That Tybalt doesn't date is news to him and adds another layer of heartbreak to this mess. Laszlo's been pining for his roommate, knowing nothing would come of it. Did Eddy know as well?

Armani sets his drink aside and produces a handkerchief from his vest pocket, using it to blot at the corners of his eyes before the tears can fall. He sniffles and then clears his throat, trying to regain some of his composure before he turns into a sobbing mess.

He's done talking about this. Laszlo's got the point, there's no need to drive the knife in further than he already has.

"Hey," he calls softly, trying to pull Laszlo's attention away from the darkness. Though he's trying to build excitement, his voice is just a touch creaky. "Let's do something fun together."

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Valkyrie & Lionel

[lionellovelace]

Lionel sets down his copy of "A Logical Farewell" and makes room for Val on the blanket. In years past, he wouldn't normally attend a Quodpot game let alone a Quodpot after party, but here he is, enjoying both. He's marooned himself on this fabric island for the majority of the party, content to just read and listen to the white noise of revelry. This is his way of celebrating today's big game.

He greets the winning captain with a smile -- welcome back! -- and then follows Val's hand up toward the night sky. "Okay," he says after a pause, "I see it." The winged horse becomes brighter the longer he looks at it. It's the result of his eyes adjusting, but he likes thinking the stars are shy spots of light that just need to be coaxed out. Not unlike him.

"Now where?"

Tybalt & Eddy

[princeofcat]

Yeah. There’s something wrong. Eddy won’t meet his eyes. Tybalt was going to (unwisely) suggest he help Eddy celebrate, but that doesn’t feel like a good idea. The wind is out of his sails, and in its place there is only confusion and mounting shame and the impulse to run. Which he swallows, mostly, for a few more moments. Just long enough for a lopsided grin Eddy is looking down for, anyway. A normal person might ask what’s wrong, here. But Tybalt is always afraid of that answer. If Eddy doesn’t want to talk to him, he can respect that. Maybe things are just that easy and just that bad.

“Thanks, captain.” He says, softer than maybe he normally would, and takes a step back so the other boy can extract himself. If that’s what he wants. He really does deserve to enjoy the day. Tybalt doesn’t want to make that bad.

Tybalt & Eddy

[quidditched]

Tybalt's subdued tone sounds all wrong on him. There's no crowing, no ego, no excitement. Everything that usually pulls Eddy to him is suddenly vanished. His gazes flickers back up to him.

Tybalt's moving away. Which is what he wanted. Escape. Freedom. But he lingers, frozen, holding himself tightly, like his body's forgotten how to move. This isn't the boy he thought he knew. He's supposed be grinning, cocky, wallowing in his triumph. Eddy did this.

Escape is what he'd wanted. From this moment. From the confusing stabs of pain. Now his fingers curl, wanting to reach out and pull him back and awkwardly fix this somehow.

Instead he nods curtly and pushes past him, an object breaking free from gravitational pull. It doesn't feel good.

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Viola Walks Home With Uriah

[negligently]

"Hey, hey, s'not safe to go off alone." Uriah trails after Viola's dark silhouette. It's laughable he could protect her even if he weren't drunk as hell, but that's the joke. He acts like he's hot shit, and the girls immediately read him for a liar. Sometimes they even think it's cute.

"Let a gentleman walk you home." He has to focus pretty hard on walking. He's definitely going to be hungover tomorrow, but it's worth it. The bliss of a heavy head and a light heart will carry him right to sleep. Usually he'd let Wyatt and Mary Grace drag him home where Presley would tell him he was an idiot, but then he saw Viola drifting off into the forest. So here he is, following her in what'll eventually be the wrong direction. "Since I invited you and all."

CELEBRATORY PARTY: Viola Walks Home With Uriah

[tristfully]

She slows her pace to accommodate his lazy gait but otherwise doesn't immediately acknowledge him. Mild as they were, she lets Uriah's flirtations drift away into the night air unanswered, just to be safe. It's best not to play Gentleman and Lady with him.

Her boots feel heavier than they should and she has to concentrate on lifting her feet high enough to clear the branches and roots in their path. Before the dull thrum of the party fades away entirely, Viola glances back over her shoulder at the sliver of bonfire light between the trees. "Are you sure? There's still time." For what, she doesn't say.