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Tweak says, "you sank my battleship!"

Viktor Krum (snitch_snatcher) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-10-11 02:57:00

Entry tags:

character: orla quirke, character: viktor krum

RP: A Disappointing Tied Game
Who: Viktor Krum, Orla Quirke, the rest of the Montrose Magpies

What: Brief after-game talk

Where: the locker rooms

When: Sat Oct 11, post Montrose-Appleby game

Rating: SFW, I think?

Status: Possibly complete, though Orla is very welcome to jump in/talk with Viktor after, if you want. (Also, ooc, if you don't like this, ping me and I'll totally change parts of it, okay?)

Viktor stalked into the locker room after the game, shoulders a bit hunched from displeasure. Sure, they hadn’t lost, but they sure as hell hadn’t won. It wasn’t even that that upset him. It was about the repeated poor performance of his Chasers and Keeper. Most especially his Chasers right now, though. At least Orla had had her head in the game today, and done quite well.

One of his Chasers opened his mouth, but Viktor’s scowl cut him off before he could even start. Viktor wasn’t the sort to yell and rave, but he was the sort to have a few very pointed words. And his disappointment in a team often led to better results, anyway, than any amount of loud verbal beratement.

“An extra practice this week,” he told everyone bluntly. “We obviously need to work out a few things. Particularly with our passing and scoring game. Though,” he looked pointedly at Capper, “it might do to keep the other team from scoring quite so much, as vell.”

There were some obligatory groans at the announcement, and some glares directed at the Chasers. They’d done poorly for two weeks in a row now, and to be honest they hadn’t been the most stellar set of Chasers he’d ever worked with by far. His dark eyes sought out the reservists, who were dressed out, of course, just in case they’d been needed.

“And you, you all vill haff two extra practices this week instead of one,” he told them. Instead of groans, several sets of eyes brightened with ambition as they immediately took his implication – that if they did well and the others didn’t, well, there might very well be a change in the line up sometime soon.

He raked his gaze across the assembly again. He’d have a more detailed talk with individuals, with both criticisms and praises, later. For now, he was sweaty and still frustrated, especially by the fact that Appleby had scored one last time two seconds before he’d caught the Snitch – so part of his upset was that he hadn’t been quite fast enough, as well as that they had been allowed to score. “Good job on the beating this week, you two,” he told the Beaters with a nod. “And Capper, you did make some good saves.” It was genuine and he made an effort not to be grudging, given the score difference when he had caught the Snitch.

“Get cleaned up. I encourage you to support the raffle later today,” he said. With that, he turned and went to undress and clean up and maybe unsnarl his brain a bit before he had to be in public later.

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quirkybeater
2014-10-13 03:14 am UTC (link)

Orla hadn't minded when Viktor said there'd be extra practises this week, mostly because his anger and disappointment hadn't been directed at her. Although if it had, she'd likely have accepted it as something she deserved, except in situations where she had done nothing to deserve it. And when he had told her and her fellow beater they'd done a good job this week, she gave a small smile and a nod of acknowledgement. Regardless of her feelings on the matter, she knew enough to not preen about at a simple compliment, especially with several other teammates receiving negative criticism in addition to just barely managing to tie the game and end it before Appleby could make the snitch entirely irrelevant. Sometimes, she hated the way the scoring worked in Quidditch, though today it had worked in their favour to keep them from outright losing the entire match.

When Viktor went off, Orla took that as her own cue to get out of her Quidditch robes and into something else. She debated on if she wanted to have a shower now or at home. She had no plans to go from the changing rooms to the fundraising raffle. She wanted to head home first, drop her Quidditch gear off where it belonged, and take time to get dressed, preferably without various teammates too close for comfort. She stood and grabbed a few things from the locket she'd claimed as her own for the time they'd spent at the Arrows' stadium and headed to the toilet stall, both relieving her bladder and herself of her robes, then pulled on a clean, simple robe she didn't mind getting dirty. She left the stall and went back to her temporary locker, packing up her things and spending several minutes chatting up her fellow beater, as well as those on the reserve.

After she wished the reservists luck on their extra practises to come, Orla decided to check on Viktor. She had no desire to be captain herself, but she wondered if it were as lonely as it sometimes seemed, particularly on days like this. She waved to a couple other teammates, then made her way over to Viktor.

"Alright there, Captain?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.

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snitch_snatcher
2014-10-13 01:02 pm UTC (link)

Viktor had showered mostly because he knew it would relax his temper, at least a little. He very much wanted to be in a good mood for the fundraiser later, if only so he wouldn't scowl too much and scare off potential buyers in the raffle. He wished now that he'd done what Finbar had and simply decided to bid, but his publicist had insisted that this would look really good especially in light of the things he'd had to forgo the last year or so. Not that he regretted giving up events for his children, though he did for his ex-wife.

He had on his trousers and was running the towel one final time over his hair when Orla came toward the back where he tended to keep his stuff. Though he fostered a certain sense of comraderie with his teammates, his position also forced him, much of the time at least, to keep them at a certain distance as well. It wasn't like the team he'd played on for so many years, where they'd had so long to get used to each other, give or take a new person every season or so. He did miss that, more than he'd probably admit. Yet another reason to resent Ruxandra.

He dropped the towel about his shoulders. "Holding up," he told her dryly. The dive for the Snitch had encountered a glancing bludger and some acrobatics he was happy to still be capable of even if he might feel the more the next day, as well as a quick broom battle with the opposing Seeker. "It could have been a better game, though."

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quirkybeater
2014-10-27 10:49 pm UTC (link)

Orla nodded, not entirely disagreeing about the game, "I think even with great games there's always something that could be improved upon for the next one," she said, mostly by way of conversation. She shifted her weight as she continued speaking."Unless it's one of those games where the snitch is caught in the first five minutes and no one's had a chance to score yet. That might be one of those perfect games where there was nothing anyone else could have done better except the opposing seeker." She smiled, occasionally wishing for that kind of game. At the same time, she was glad it was not on her to create such a game, either. Although she thought she had an important job to do on her team, there was a certain bit of freedom at not being responsible for the overall points her team scored during any given game. Sure, she knew she could impact the game if she played how she should, but there wasn't the same kind of pressure that game from handling the quaffle or snitch in any capacity.

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snitch_snatcher
2014-10-31 12:50 am UTC (link)

"There is always room for improvement," he agreed. He grinned faintly -- it was so rare to have one of those games where the snitch was caught right off, no matter how hard each of the seekers worked to make it exactly that kind of game. "So rare to have that, but I keep trying."

"But there is a difference between room for improvement and a need for improvement," he said after a moment of consideration, voice measured as he reached for a comfortable shirt to pull on. "And this time, it is a need for improvement." Just as he'd talked the other week to her about a need for focus. "I do not like pitting my team against itself, but it is apparently necessary for now. The Chasers must focus and improve. I vant this team to be the top team, if at all possible. And it vill take all of us to get us there."

If they made the top teams, then hsi people had a greater chance of being on a national team, which was a boon for anyone with ambition. Himself, he hadn't looked into the rules on that in so long, but he could have the pride of having a winning team with extremely successful players and be happy professionally.

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quirkybeater
2014-11-15 04:25 pm UTC (link)

Orla nodded, listening to Viktor. She never personally liked those moments when she was the one who needed to improve, but she was smart enough to know that in most situations, everyone could always do better. And she took those moments to actually try to do better. But that didn't mean she enjoyed when she was called out or pitted against someone else on the team. She was just normally good at not taking it as personally as she could have. Or as one of the reserve beaters seemed to.

"Healthy competition can be good," she said by way of agreement about a need for improvement. It seemed like lately they were having to come from behind to win, that there was, perhaps, a bit too much dependence on Viktor to catch the snitch. She'd have brought it up to him if she didn't think he already knew that. Leaning against the wall, she instead said, "Besides, I think the reserve chasers have a greater hunger right now to prove themselves." She'd kept her voice a bit lower, not wanting to cause a scene with the starting chasers just then, glancing toward the rest of the team. Some of them had already left, but she still didn't want to be overheard and misunderstood.

"Anyway," she said, deciding not to unintentionally speak negatively about her teammates. The Lord and Calchas only knew that some of the players may assume the worst, especially after their last match. "You excited about tonight? You're being auctioned off, right? I tried to sign up for that, but I think some wires got crossed, and I'll just be bidding." She gave him a friendly smile, thinking she'd probably put a ticket on him for fun.

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snitch_snatcher
2014-11-16 05:44 am UTC (link)

"They have excellent incentive now," Viktor agreed, and for a moment, he let the smirk grace his lips that had been wanting to at the move of pitting his reserves against his main Chasers. He didn't think Orla would tell on him, so to speak, and he knew it was a good move on his part. Maybe a bit low, according to some, but at least he was honest about it. "And it might, how is it said, come in handy down the line?"

Viktor lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "My publicist is making me be auctioned, and I only hope I don't get one of those fans winning me. But I am sorry you missed out on it, it is supposed to be fun, and a good cause." Viktor was known for some of those, and others he never publicized being a part of. "Otherwise I'd bid instead. You looking forward to it?"

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