Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Post by Sam Spade on Jan 4, 2024 8:03:26 GMT -8
Sam goes to bed at six every night during the season. He does this so that he can catch the "peak training hour," which he says is three in the morning. It's unclear where he got this information, he never cites sources. He tells people that he wakes up at two every morning, but he actually sets his alarm for 1:58. He takes a cold shower. As the water runs down his face he closes his eyes and can visualize the movement of brooms above the pitch. He sees them in curves and arrows, like a map of ocean currents. These are how the plays are drawn on the board in the locker room, they are a secret language known only to the most dedicated strategists. It is how Sam sees the game.
He has a cup of coffee while he dries off, eats a low-carb breakfast, and leaves for the Cannons' practice facility. Every single day.
Sam was used to being the only one to show up six hours early to practice, but today he'd actually convinced someone to join him on his routine.
"Hey," he smiled when he found Stella outside of the facility at 2:40. "To be honest I didn't actually think you'd show up," he said. Assuming that she'd show up a little late, he'd told her to be here at two. Her punctuality impressed him. "You ready to train?"
Estrella Quinn
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 4, 2024 8:16:27 GMT -8
Stella thought she had a grueling schedule, but when Sam Spade told her about his schedule, suddenly going to sleep at eight thirty every night and wake up at five every morning didn’t seem that crazy. When did he find time to do anything besides Quidditch? She supposed she didn’t have room to talk, she hadn’t seen her family or friends in a while, not since signing with her team. Quidditch was a lonely sport.
It was one of the reasons she took Sam up on his offer today, she figured she might as well get to know her teammates. They were her new family.
Stella had to drag herself out of bed at 1:20 am. She followed her morning routine, but her eyes kept closing in the shower and when she sat at her vanity to brush her hair out. Thankfully, by the time she arrived at the training facility - at 1:50 -she had managed to wake herself up. And then she waited and waited and waited.
“You’re late,” she responded to Sam’s comments. Her voice didn’t have a trace of irritation even though she could feel it in her veins. It was typical of Stella not to show how she really felt, but her words were enough to get the message across. “I’ve been ready for fifty minutes.”
Sam Spade
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Post by Sam Spade on Jan 4, 2024 8:19:19 GMT -8
"A whole hour?" Sam laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd actually show up that early. I'm glad you're here though. Protein shake?" He flipped a bottle in Stella's direction.
"How do you normally train?"
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 4, 2024 8:23:54 GMT -8
Stella caught the bottle without a second of hesitation then looked down at it. Sure, she was used to training and being healthy but she wasn’t big on protein shakes. She watched him, unsure if she could get away with not drinking it.
She held up the bottle in her hands as an answer. “Lots of catching drills to help my reflexes. That’s why I don’t show up at crazy hours, I usually have someone on the training staff working with me.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Post by Sam Spade on Jan 4, 2024 9:02:33 GMT -8
Sam noticed that Stella didn't seem eager to drink the shake. He wasn't going to push it, his own formula was often a hard sell to people.
"What about strength conditioning?" he asked. "You're such a natural, but I hate to see you get bullied out there."
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 4, 2024 9:06:50 GMT -8
There was no denying that he was absolutely right. “I’m trying to work on it. It was difficult staying on top of my studies, leading a team and training on the side.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Post by Sam Spade on Jan 4, 2024 10:53:39 GMT -8
"Natural talent will take you a long way," Sam said. "It'll even take you all the way. But I want your prime to last a long time. You're a generational talent, not a one hit wonder, you know?"
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 4, 2024 11:04:02 GMT -8
“Alright, I’m already working on getting you a date with my cousin, you don’t need to flatter me,” she joked and finally took a gulp from the protein shake. She couldn’t help but scrunch up her nose after it went down.
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Post by Sam Spade on Jan 4, 2024 11:35:37 GMT -8
Sam watched eagerly as Stella took a drink of the shake.
"You like?" he asked. "It's a Spade family recipe. My dad cooked it up when he was the conditioning coach for Wimbourne." He took a swig from his own bottle.
"It's not just flattery, though," Sam said. "I think you're one of the best I've ever seen. Even better than your cousin Anya."
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 4, 2024 14:58:12 GMT -8
“Mhmm,” she tried to lie and immediately closed her bottle. It must be an acquired taste. Stella was taken aback by his comment about Anya. She worked harder than anyone else. “I don’t think comparing us is even a bit fair.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Post by Sam Spade on Jan 5, 2024 11:10:30 GMT -8
"Trust me," Sam said. "I know how hard some people have to work. But you're natural on a level I'm not sure I've ever seen before. Don't sell yourself short."
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 8, 2024 10:43:03 GMT -8
Stella stayed quiet. Probably for much longer than she should have. She’d heard this all her life and she’d had people ask her why she didn’t have the ambition to do anything with her talent. The more people tried to push her toward Quidditch, the more she fought it.
“I love Quidditch,” she said looking up at the sky, letting the breeze from the cold night brush freely against her skin. “But it’s a lot of pressure, don’t you think?”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Post by Sam Spade on Jan 8, 2024 10:47:16 GMT -8
"Yeah," Sam nodded. "It's a pressure that I always wanted. I like winning, it really does drive me forward. But if it's not something that you embrace then I'm not sure why you'd want to do this. Have you ever wanted to do anything else?"
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 8, 2024 10:49:58 GMT -8
“Of course,” she turned her attention back to him. “I guess I’ve always just, somehow, ended up playing. Our team captain abruptly left us my sixth year and no one wanted to do it so I did, but it wasn’t part of my life plan. I wanted to make brooms. That’s why I waited so long to sign with a team after graduation. I was going to work for my uncle’s company but…” Stella trailed off with a light laugh. It was all so ridiculous now that she was saying it aloud.
She shrugged her shoulders and looked up at him. “I missed it too much. I missed feeling the wind against me. I missed that rush of adrenaline right before I make contact with the snitch. I missed winning.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Post by Sam Spade on Jan 8, 2024 10:52:40 GMT -8
Sam smiled as Stella described her reasons for still playing. He didn't say it, but she had scared him for a second. She was just too special not to be playing Quidditch, but ultimately it was her decision. He wouldn't pressure her to make a choice one way or the other.
"I can see how designing brooms would be cool, but there's no comparison to being in the action. I think that's what I love about it. As arrogant as it sounds, to hear all those people cheering for me when I score a goal...that's what drives me forward."
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