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Tweak says, "I've got to change Miss Edith."

Gooseberry Mods (goosemods) wrote in gooseberry,
@ 2017-02-16 15:30:00

Entry tags:

! ic/ooc

GOOSEBERRY CHEER TEAM TRYOUTS

Although the cheer teams may not be competing against anyone from Ilvermorny or Hogwarts, the competition within Gooseberry itself is fierce.

Mr. Thorn is holding these tryouts in the warmth and safety of the lodge, so a number of students have rearranged the couches and chairs to form an audience seating area to cheer for the cheerleaders. There's a lot of gymnastic and dance talent in the room today, and only a few minutes to size up the competition before Mr. Thorn gets things underway.

"First off, in alphabetical order, I'm going to call you up to the room to do your prepared audition," he informs the room. "After that, I'm going to teach you all a new routine, and we're going to perform it together." So Mr. Thorn can focus on judging, he has three assistants to teach the new routine: Mackenzie Prince, Cecil Honeychurch, and Olivia Sanchez. The three of them have decided not to try out for the Gooseberry team, but instead graciously agreed to help Mr. Thorn today.

HOW THIS WORKS

There are 12 spots on the Cheer Squad, give or take.

Cheerleaders will be judged on technical skill, athleticism and teamwork.

A captain will also be selected. If you have strong feelings about your character not being chosen as captain, please let us know.

The first half of tryouts are individual auditions. You have up to one minute of the floor, but your routine can be shorter if you don't need the whole minute. You may bring your own music if you wish, but if it's inappropriate (Mr. Thorn looks directly at Casey and Riley as he says this) he's shutting it off.

The second half will involve the three student volunteers teaching a new routine to the group. Mr. Thorn will be walking through the cheerleaders, taking note on how well they follow instruction and overall skill. This will be a relatively simple routine, with some lifts but no complex throws or pyramids.

You may come dressed in your cheer uniform or athletic clothes.

The tryouts are open to the whole student body but preference will be given to current cheerleaders.

» Individual Tryouts: Would-be cheerleaders come up to do their routines in alphabetical order. You have up to one minute to impress Mr. Thorn!

» Group Routine: Student volunteers teach a simple cheer and dance routine to the hopeful cheerleaders while Mr. Thorn judges them.

» Audience: Cheer on the cheerleaders!

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

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♥ ♥ ♥

choneychurch
2017-02-17 06:22 am UTC (link)

Grateful that Diego will go with him and that he didn't even have to ask, Cecil will thank his friend earnestly. While he'll likely start off the conversation by telling Diego how great he was during tryouts...the Head Boy is likely to admit to some frustration and uncertainty and disappointment (because he knows Levi is better than this) without too much asking. This seems to be hitting him harder than such things normally do, likely because of the recent holiday, which had been such a wonderful, intimate experience with Levi. Being upset with him so soon after that....doesn't feel right.

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morale
2017-02-17 06:46 am UTC (link)

Diego folds his arms around himself tightly as he walks side by side with Cecil. He's worried about when and where he can voice his opinions... but is that just his anxiety? Is someone going to think he's holding out hope? He's not. He has Ravi, who graciously let him go without second guesses. How much care for Cecil is he allowed to demonstrate? At least tonight, Diego takes a deep breath and tries not to think about any of it.

"Okay, this is... crude, but sex isn't... that magical," Diego admits forlornly. "It doesn't mean you can't be upset with him, or that you're actually any closer. It... doesn't have to be something that has an impact on what you're feeling right now."

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choneychurch
2017-02-17 07:58 am UTC (link)

Cecil hadn't told Diego about that in any direct way, but when he'd returned the tent that he'd borrowed for Valentine's Day (for genuinely not-sex reasons), he had been...awkward enough about the whole thing that his best friend had seen through him and they'd both known that. But Diego hadn't asked. Or pushed. Or said anything about it. Until now. He looks momentarily startled and his face reddens and his dark eyes turn down toward the path, but he doesn't deny that it happened. He wouldn't want to. "...Maybe. But getting there made us closer. Because he knew how much it meant to me. I've never felt closer to him than I did the other night. And now. Remembering that there are still parts of him that I don't understand at all and that it's my responsibility to keep him in line no matter how much I want to give him a pass he doesn't deserve...it feels like shit." His voice cracks a little and he swallows, folding his arms as they continue to walk.

"...I'll be fine. We'll be fine. I just..."

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♥ ♥ ♥

morale
2017-02-17 04:45 pm UTC (link)

Sex has been cheap to Diego since he was Essie's age. He's had relationships where they never had sex. Relationships where there was frequent sex. It never changed anything much for Diego, but that's not what Cecil's ever been like, and he knows that. Diego can still remember when sex felt like a big deal, so he focuses on that, and he feels... angry.

Diego exhales and looks up at the sky, struggling to get his emotions in check.

"It shouldn't even be a thing you have to worry about, man. It shouldn't be you feeling like he's your responsibility or... or like you have to give him passes on the shit he does." Hadn't he and Levi made a pact to stop doing this shit to Cecil? Had Levi even acknowledged when Diego suggested that..? He can't remember. "I know you love him, but you... he... He was being a huge asshole. It's not fucking fair to you."

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♥ ♥ ♥

choneychurch
2017-02-17 06:01 pm UTC (link)

"You're all my responsibility, remember?" Cecil replies with a brief, wan smile and shifts his arms enough that he can tap the Head Boy badge pinned to his jacket. Then he sighs quietly. "I don't feel like I have to give him a pass, Diego. I want to. Because when I see him doing things like that, I always want to downplay it. Justify it. Like he just got carried away and like being insensitive and dismissive and mocking isn't the same thing as being a bully or going after someone directly like Chris does. I guess it isn't. But it's not that different and I doubt it felt that different to Ari. I should've said something sooner. And I should've said it to both of them." He shakes his head. "I just don't understand. I don't understand why he does this."

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morale
2017-02-17 06:27 pm UTC (link)

Diego glances sadly at Cecil's badge. He kind of wants to rip it off his jacket and throw it as hard as he can into the woods.

"It's not your fault." Diego knows Cecil won't believe him, but he says it anyway. "Levi and Chris... they've always been this way. I don't know, Cecil. I don't really get it either. But you can't keep giving him all this leeway because— because," Diego stumbles over his words as he hesitates, "I'm worried you're going to get hurt. Or just end up sad. Like, you know, you are right now." Diego sighs hopelessly.

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choneychurch
2017-02-17 06:48 pm UTC (link)

Cecil doesn't believe Diego, but he also knows there isn't any point in trying to refute this when his friend is just trying to comfort him. Instead, he answers in a quiet but resigned voice, "I know that. I know I can't. Maggie and I talked earlier. About...what to do. What we can do going forward to prevent situations like these from happening." It's clear that he isn't going to go into details; what was discussed or what was (mostly) decided or anything more than what he's just said. But there aren't that many possibilities. Not wanting to put Quinn in an awkward position, he leaves her name out of this too. "I hope this doesn't mess things up for us," he concludes weakly after a long pause, "But I suppose that's up to him."

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morale
2017-02-18 05:26 am UTC (link)

Diego nods mutely as Cecil mentions prefect business. He has nothing to add. How would he try to stop something like that from happening? The thought alone makes his stomach turn. Cecil's going to have to prefect his boyfriend from here on out, and Diego can't help but think about Ravi eventually needing to do the same.

"Whatever happens, I've got your back," Diego says solemnly. "Relationships are hard, this is gonna be hard, but... he'll see you're worth it."

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	♥ ♥ ♥ choneychurch 2017-02-18 07:26 am UTC (link)
	This silences Cecil for a long moment, but then he reaches for the other boy's hand and gives it a firm, grateful, needful squeeze. "...Thank you, Diego." (Reply to this) (Parent)

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