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 14, 2024 23:26:34 GMT -8
"You know we can't date like normal people, right?" Sam said to Stella. Anyone else may have sounded condescending, but Sam was only confirming what they both knew. They were stars on Quidditch's biggest stage, and while Sam had been playing professionally for a few years now Stella was still a young rookie only a few months removed from Hogwarts. Hogsmeade was a lower key dating spot than, say, The Drip at Diagon Alley, one of the few five star restaurants in the magical world.
"If we go out, the world goes out with us."
And so they spent the first few months of their relationship in total privacy. There were stolen nights in secret after practice in Sam's flat. Even after Christmas when Sam announced their relationship to the world, they still snuck around. First, traveling to California to escape the press, then locking themselves back inside Sam's apartment the first week back. But they couldn't escape the feeling that something was missing in their relationship. That one thing that all couples shared that somehow had eluded them all of these months–a genuine first date. So finally, after weeks of brushing away talks about a first date with half-hearted statements like, "That's never been our relationship anyway" and "We're practically married already" they finally admitted what they wanted.
For Sam, it was the opportunity to dress in his nicest suit and look good with Stella. He loved their time together in private, but sometimes he just wanted to show his girlfriend and his street style off. There wasn't much that Sam and Stella did apart these days, but for the sake of it being their first date, they agreed to meet each other at the restaurant.
Sam was welcomed through the back door of The Drip at Diagon Alley, greeted by the brothers Aldo and Enzo. After some friendly banter, Aldo led him through the back rooms and into the dining hall where he had saved a table for Sam and Stella. His attempt to enter on the down low was all for show. He knew that the camera flashes were waiting for him to pull a chair out for Stella.
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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 15, 2024 20:14:41 GMT -8
They couldn’t date like normal people. If Sam was anyone else, this statement would have freaked her out. Pro Quidditch players, especially those on the same level as Sam, were notorious for having a wife, a girlfriend, and a little something extra on the side all at the same time. Thankfully, Stella knew that wasn’t Sam’s style.
That still didn’t stop the press from printing bullshit articles as soon as the two of them returned home from California. The Prophet had Sam’s post-match interview all over their paper. Witch Weekly had speculated about how long they had been going out and how it affected their matches. Wizard Magazine was having a blast running with a story about how Sam had never before allowed himself to be romantically linked to anyone else until Stella. And could it be a calculated move because of her last name? The only publication that had not fallen into the frenzy was Wizard Sports and it probably had to do with the fact that they didn’t want Stella’s agent to pull her out of the swimsuit spread.
All of this only gave Stella more reason to lock herself up with Sam. They only ventured out together for practice. Or Stella would take a couple quick trips home as she started to move her belongings into his apartment while she tried to figure out if she wanted to put her own apartment up for sale or not. It wasn’t so bad hiding out with Sam. He was sweet and funny and he showed her a lot of muggle tv. It was in one of those snuggle sessions while they laid in bed watching tv that the subject of a first date came up again.
They had gone from friends, to being in a relationship, to living together so quickly that they didn’t feel the need to go on an official date. It was nice to not feel like they had to but Stella did feel like she had missed out on something. When they agreed to go on a date, she was excited. She has insisted on getting ready at her almost empty apartment and meeting him at the restaurant. It was a nice break from their everyday routine.
She had to have changed her outfit at least three times while she got ready. Stella’s style was all over the place but who could blame her? She wore a uniform for seven years straight so she had been experimenting a lot since graduation. A lot of her wardrobe now consisted of athletic wear, jean shorts, lots of patterns. Basically this was her everyday style.
Stella knew her boyfriend was kind of a fashion icon and she wanted to elevate herself to his level. Sam was undoubtedly going to look amazing so Stella dug through her closet and pulled out an outfit she’d received from some high fashion brand she couldn’t even remember. But she remembered thinking that this was the kind of outfit Sam Spade’s girlfriend would wear. Way before they were even dating.
When she arrived at The Drip at Diagon Alley, Stella knew she had made a good choice. She wasn’t expecting the place to be so elegant and trendy. Instead of being greeted by the Maître d', she was met with the smiling faces of Enzo and Aldo. One by one, they grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed both of her cheeks. One of them led her toward the dining room. The ambient lighting was soft and warm, the vast room was a little dark but the small candles in the middle of each table helped a bit.
A couple of heads turned as she passed their tables but Stella couldn’t even notice, her eyes were already locked on Sam. Stella smiled as they locked eyes and she had to pace herself, despite her whole body telling her to run up to him. She thanked whichever one of the brothers (she thought they were brothers) had accompanied her and he graciously stepped away to give them some privacy.
“Hi,” she said. All of a sudden she felt nervous, like she had a million little butterflies in her stomach. She stood before him, dressed in an outfit completely different than her regular, comfortable style and she hoped she didn’t look like a kid playing dress up. She gently cleared her throat and pushed a strand of her long, dark hair behind her ear.
“Sam Spade, right?” She might as well have a little fun.
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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 15, 2024 23:10:39 GMT -8
Sam was already stepping out of a sort of comfort zone with Stella. Sure, he’d had girlfriends in the past but never anything serious. It was always just a little bit of fun to relieve the tension of year-round training. But something serious? He had made a choice at some point to commit himself to the game and deny anything that might be a distraction. Until he met Stella, of course, and soon Sam was accessing a level of play that he’d never had before. Something serious looked to be exactly what was missing in his game. It couldn’t just be anyone either, it had to be Stella.
It didn’t seem fair that other couples their age could go anywhere in the world without the press following their every move, but that was the fire Sam had been playing with when he announced their relationship on Christmas day. The truth was that Sam was the darling of the Quidditch press and if he’d only gotten ahead of the rumor cycle by telling the world about him and Stella. He’d certainly saved her from the embarrassment of the speculation when cameras caught them going everywhere together. Even before Christmas, rumors were swirling about a potential fling. It was Sam who had used the word girlfriend and even given them their Christmas plans in America. He’d leave them to speculate on just how serious things were between them.
When Sam spotted Stella approaching, he felt that jolt of excitement that he got every morning when he rolled over and saw her smile. It moved quickly though his body and forced him to smile. Even though they were effectively living together and spending fewer and fewer minutes apart each day, he had missed Stella in the time since he left his flat to travel to Diagon Alley. She looked gorgeous in her date style, an outfit that seemed designed specifically to show off her legs—something Stella rarely got to do in her Quidditch uniform but a part of her body that drove Same crazy nonetheless.
“Hey,” Sam chirped back with his boyish smile. He’d been sitting at the able when Stella approached and was too lost in legs to remember to stand up for her. He finally did as a flash lit up the dim room. “And you must be Miss Quinn,” he said, moving over to pull out Stella’s chair for her to another flurry of flashes. The reporters were filling in now, taking seats at tables under the guise of guests but no doubt paying off the brothers Drip to do their business. Sam didn’t mind, he saw it like a performance for them.
flash, flash
Before Stella took her seat, Sam put his hand on her waist and pressed his lips to hers.
flash, flash, flash, flash, flash, flash
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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 21, 2024 13:47:13 GMT -8
Stella wasn't a performer like Sam, but she wanted to play his game and she let him lead the way. He'd warned her this would happen and that didn't deter her from making the decision to be here with him. It was a little daunting when the first flash went off and Stella felt herself freeze in her spot. She'd been under the impression that they would stay outside, behind the windows at the front of the restaurant. But they were filing in and Stella's eyebrows furrowed for a split second before she managed to compose herself. The last thing she wanted was to look like a deer in headlights.
She gladly accepted his kiss as a form of comfort. It was meant to be a quick peck, a sort of breadcrumb to give the press what they wanted in return for a few moments of peace, but Stella couldn't help herself. Her hand reached out, touching his cheek as he began to pull away and she pulled him back into their kiss. She closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of his lips against hers, but she couldn't stay like that all night. She let Sam go, even though every fiber of her being was telling her to keep him close, and took a seat.
When she had settled in, Stella kept her gaze forward and on Sam. It was weird knowing they were being watched from every angle tonight. She was used to seeing a blurry picture of them leaving the practice facility or Stella leaving his apartment. At least she couldn't see them when they caught her out in public. This was an entirely different kind of monster.
"Are they going to be here all night?" she kept her voice soft and low. She wasn't sure how to act or what to say now that they were in the middle of it. She placed her hand on the table but didn't reach out for his touch.
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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 22, 2024 13:18:08 GMT -8
Time with Stella had always been effortless for Sam, that's how he'd fallen so quickly in love with her. Their relationship had never been defined in normal terms, but the deeper they fell for each other, the more plans they made for the future, the more they wanted to do normal things like go out on a regular date. There were so many firsts they'd already experienced, more firsts than any couple should really experience before their first date. But for some reason, despite all of the history they'd already shared, despite the comfort of a bed at the end of every night and the knowledge of all their weird habits, this felt so damn hard!
Stella normally never took her hand away from Sam, but separated by the table, the distance between them felt insurmountable. He tried to hide his frown behind the menu as she placed her hand down on the table. He could already see the stupid headlines now "Weird Energy Highlights Awkward Samstella Date." Sam grimaced at the thought, shooting dirty glances toward the journalists.
"Are they going to be here all night?"
"They are," Sam said quietly. "Is that a problem? Do you want to go somewhere 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 22, 2024 14:29:43 GMT -8
It really didn’t seem fair, especially the more she allowed her gaze to look around the restaurant at the couples mixed in with the photographers. Their dinner was being disrupted too but they would walk away from this experience with a funny little story to laugh over later. What kind of establishment was this anyway? Who would allow their guests to be put in this situation?
“No,” Stella said quickly. She didn’t want Sam to get the impression she was miserable, not after she had brought the idea of the date up and convinced him to go out. Stella put a smile on her face and brought the menu up to her face in an attempt to shield her face from the press and Sam. She focused her eyes on the menu but she kept rereading the words.
Aldo slid in front of their table, seeming completely oblivious to the fact that his restaurant was packed with cameras on every other table. He asked Stella what she’d like to drink twice before her brown eyes blinked up at him with any understanding behind them. “Chenin Blanc,” she responded and Aldo complimented her on her choice of wine. The menu finally went down on the surface of the table and she watched Sam order his drink. For a second, she forgot where they were. She watched as he ran a hand through his soft hair and his bright smile as he thanked Aldo. She was so wrapped up in admiring his features that she was surprised again by another flash.
“They seem to like you a lot,” Stella nodded toward Aldo and Enzo near the entrance of the room. She took a deep breath and thought about her next move. Every little thing she did was going to be put under a microscope. All she wanted was to feel Sam. So she decided it didn’t matter what anyone said and she finally reached out, letting her fingertips brush against his hand. Her full lips parted and just when she was about to tell him she loved him, she saw a figure approaching them.
“Sam Spade,” the woman’s voice was soft and sweet and she leaned over their small table to place a hand on Sam’s arm. “I’m such a big fan. Can you sign my…” She paused to think about what she could use and seemed to have decided her purse was good enough so she held it out. “Can I have your signature?”
Stella pulled her hand back and watched in amazement at how a stranger could think this was fine.
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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 22, 2024 21:59:26 GMT -8
Sam had wanted Stella to say yes. He was used to the fangirls and the press, but he didn't want this to be their life. He just wanted to be back in California, driving up the coast on a road where nobody knew their names. But Stella seemed determined to suffer through this date if only to say that she didn't let the press win.
Also didn't normally take the orders, but Sam knew that a shot with him and Stella in the Prophet would be huge free press for The Drip. Sam respected the grind. Stella ordered her drink and then Sam said, "I'll just have a glass of milk, please," with a straight face. Flash.
"I was a rookie when this restaurant opened," Sam explained to Stella. "I did a lot of press for Aldo and Enzo, and they've been good to me." Sam looked around the dining hall floor at the press hidden among the diners. He had let Aldo and Enzo know that he was dining in advance, obviously they had tipped the press off.
The woman took Sam by complete surprise. It was mostly because only the press was brazen enough to harass him in public. Most of the normies had enough respect for a celebrity's personal space that they knew to leave Sam be when he was on a date with his girl. The woman was sweet though, and she didn't seem to recognize that she was crossing some kind of boundary. Sam looked to Stella with apologetic eyes as he took her purse into his hand and placed it on the table to sign.
To Pricilla, with love Sam Spade
Sam handed the purse back to her and she bounced along on her way. He turned back to Stella, reaching his hand out for hers, but this time it was his turn to be interrupted, when a tall man in a number two Cannons jersey approached Stella with a copy of her Wizard Sports cover.
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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 23, 2024 10:13:19 GMT -8
Of course Stella wasn’t going to let the press win. She’d rather die than admit defeat and it was with that attitude that she soldier on through what was now starting to feel like torture. She had to keep a smile on her face while Sam interacted with his fan. God forbid she dropped the smile and they wrote about how jealous she was. Truthfully, Stella wasn’t a jealous person at all. Sure, women always fawned over Sam, but she found it more amusing than anything. He was always kind to them, reminding Stella that they would just be two kids flying on brooms and throwing quaffles without the support of the fans.
Her smile only grew wider when Sam reached out and she felt her breath catch in her chest. The words “I love you” hadn’t been said in hours but they didn’t need to say it, Stella could see what he was thinking. She was about to curl her fingers over his when they were interrupted again. She was used to taking a backseat when people came up to them, they were mostly interested in Sam, so her eyes widened a bit when the man placed the Wizard Sports cover over her menu. Stella looked down, her big brown eyes focusing on her smiling face looking back at her. She glanced up at her fan then at Sam. Her face must have been beet red but she gave him a smile and quickly signed below her name on the magazine. He lingered around for much longer than Pricilla had, trying to force small talk about of both Sam and Stella until he got the hint that he was intruding.
“That was weird,” Stella said as she watched him go. The magazine cover has been revealed that morning and she still had to do some press the following days but she already fed up with seeing her body displayed. But you didn’t say no to Wizard Sports, the Cannons wanted the publicity and she went along with it. “That should have been you on the cover instead.”
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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 23, 2024 14:34:12 GMT -8
Sam had seen the Wizard Sports magazine early that morning. Popping over to the newsstand at Diagon Alley had been his ritual for the last week, eagerly awaiting the release of his girlfriend's spread. Sam collected his copy and took it straight home, where it currently sat on the coffee table where it would most embarrass Stella. That wasn't Sam's whole intention though: he was genuinely proud that she was the cover athlete, not just because of a rockin body, but because of her skill.
That didn't mean he appreciated some rando approaching her with it. Sam didn't hide his displeasure with this fan even as he sat silently while Stella signed the cover. He flashed an unfriendly, "Can you believe this guy?" gesture as the fan took the magazine and went back to his table.
"I'm not even a rookie," Sam tried to joke, but the mood was clearly tarnished by the interruptions. All he wanted was to scoot over to Stella's side of the table and hold her close to himself, but with the paparazzi watching it felt like their whole life was on display. A quiet night with Ray Donovan didn't seem too bad now.
Sam was about to comment on Stella's accomplishment, propping her up for the hard work she'd done to be recognized by the premier sports publication of the magical world, when another fan approached his table. Now that this particular dam had cracked, there was no stopping the water from rushing in. This fan had a box full of Sam and Stella's Chocolate Frog cards and Sam recognized a collector who was looking to flip their memorabilia for a good price.
"Man," Sam sighed. "I'm trying to have dinner with my girl here. Could you just beat it?"
"Come on, mate, it's just a few dozen cards," the collector protested.
"I said beat it!" Sam shouted. Pushed to his last nerve, Sam flipped the box out of the collector's hands, spilling the cards all over the table. The folks around them began to boo Sam as he stood up and shouted, "Who else wants an autograph? Who wants the inside scoop? I'm taking questions, come on, hit me!"
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Feb 7, 2024 13:19:12 GMT -8
How did everything escalate so quickly? That’s just how it was with Sam and Stella, their relationship had moved just as quick.
”Samuel!” Stella gasped, pushing her chair back and standing up with him. She grabbed hold of his arm and tried to hold him back from the crowd.
Sam Spade was as cool and collected as they come. He always knew what to do or say to keep the media and his fanbase happy, but even Sam could only take so much. Stella had outwardly chastised the media for their role in making her life miserable while Sam kept a charming smile on his face, but this had gone on for too long. It’d been weeks of photographers staking out their apartment or trying to get into the practice facility just to get a glimpse of them. Stella had let off steam while Sam kept it inside until it bubbled over and spilled everywhere just like the chocolate frog cards scattered all around them now.
Everyone was booing, the flashes were going off, and they all ate it up. He gave them exactly what they came for and Stella knew deep inside that she was to blame for this circus.
“How bout you worry about your standings instead of dating!” Someone yelled and a chorus of ‘yeah’ and another round of boos followed.
Stella pulled Sam with all her might, not willing to give the crowd more of what they clearly wanted. Enzo stepped in between them and the cameras to shield them as if he wasn’t part of the problem and Aldo escorted Stella and Sam out toward the back of the restaurant. She could feel her blood boiling from the booing, Sam’s reaction, the headlines she could already see in her head, and the fact that she couldn’t get one normal night out with her boyfriend.
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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 Feb 7, 2024 15:55:20 GMT -8
“Samuel!”
The next few minutes played out so quickly, Sam had hardly any time to make sense of the sequence of events that followed. There were a dozen flashes as the box flipped in the collector’s hands. He watched the chocolate frog cards spill out in single frames staggered out by the white lights. Voices were raising as a flood of boos closed in around them, and before Sam could fully respond, Stella was dragging him out of the restaurant, protected by the small entourage of Aldo and Enzo.
They were being swarmed by fans and press, but Stella’s surprising strength forced them through the sea of bodies. Enzo put himself between the two and the press, flashing a bright smile and a thumbs up to Sam as he faded into the crowd. Aldo led the way through the back, apologizing profusely to an uncharacteristically stoic Sam before the security door swung shut.
Sam needed to get a read of Stella’s feelings before he said anything. He couldn’t tell if she was more upset about the press or the boos, but he imagined that it was some combination of the two of them. Regardless, he knew they wouldn’t have much time to disapparate out of the alleyway before the press found their way to the back to mob them again. Enough time though, he calculated, to press Stella up against the brick. He held her close as his lips moved in to fill the gap between hers, and as quickly as the voices inside were silenced by the heavy door banging shut, Sam was kissing Stella. It was a long, lingering kiss before he leaned out, his lips still brushing against hers, and he laughed.
“That story should keep them busy for a while, don’t you think?” he asked.
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Mar 11, 2024 8:02:10 GMT -8
Sam Spade always knew what to say to the media. So it didn’t surprise Stella that he would be willing to feed them exactly what they wanted in order to get control of the situation. At first, Stella had refused to play along. She didn’t want to see another headline in the morning. But Sam was right, creating a distraction that big would be the only way to get the press off their backs for at least one night. They would look at the scene they just caused and assume that the couple would hide out at home for the rest of the evening, if not the whole week.
Stella’s frown faded the second the back door of the restaurant closed, getting rid of the light and the noise, and then Sam was pushing her against the brick wall. Stella looked up at him, also trying to get a read on him. Did they do too much? The plan hadn’t been this chaotic when they had talked about it earlier in the day. It did seem to get out of hand which is why Stella felt the blood boiling in her veins when the crowd mentioned their standings in the league. None of that mattered now. They were allowed a moment of peace in public for the first time in months, the dark alleyway seemed so romantic in the moment for that reason alone. Sam’s kiss was the only thing that mattered.
“I really hope so,” she whispered, smiling against the soft touch of his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for another kiss, making it a quick one because she could feel they were running out of time. “What now?”
This was the end of Sam’s plan as far as Stella was aware. She hadn’t thought about asking him at home.
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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 Mar 11, 2024 9:24:49 GMT -8
“They’re going to say awful things about us,” Sam had warned Stella as they were getting ready for their date. “If I had to guess they’ll blame our relationship for the Christmas loss and the dip in standings. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
This was the only way. On top of his charisma and his love for improvement, Sam could also be extremely calculating. He was young still, but he’d been around long enough that he knew how to work the press. They had been on him and Stella since the Christmas game press conference, and he knew that if they didn’t pull some stupid stunt they would never get to enjoy a real date together.
It really did hurt him a bit to see Stella worked up at the table. Even though they had planned the incident, they didn’t know exactly how it would unfold. You could only prepare so much for heckling. Sam had had more time to get used to it, and most things he let slide anyway.
Sam took a moment after they’d escaped out the backdoor to just breathe and exist with Stella. He pressed her up against the brick into a kiss, and then his hand lingered on her cheek when he leaned out and breathe, “You’re incredible. Seriously, courage under fire type stuff. You never stop amazing me, Stray. Merlin, I love you so much.”
As calculating as Sam was, he still hadn’t considered what they would do once they were free of the press.
“Fuck it,” he shrugged. “Let’s get out of Diagon Alley and find us a Pizza Hut.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Mar 29, 2024 9:04:58 GMT -8
Stella was a calm person, usually, but she was still a Quinn and that temper was always boiling under her skin, in her veins, threatening to explode at any second. She felt she had done an amazing job at keeping it at bay all these months and that mostly had to do with the way she saw Sam handle the situation. He didn’t put blame on anyone, he was polite and charming to the press, and he held her hand through it all. He did all that to make sure she wasn’t completely overwhelmed and in a few moments of frustration she had lashed out at him in childish ways.
And Sam still loved her despite all her pouting and whining about how unfair it all seemed.
“I love you, too,” she said before he pulled her along the alley toward the main road leading to the heart of London. She held on tight to his hand, forgetting the crowd was right around the corner but he was thankfully leading them the opposite way. “What’s Pizza Hut?”
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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 Mar 29, 2024 9:40:10 GMT -8
Coolness under pressure was an essential skill for a seeker and something that Sam had prioritized in his private training with Stella. She had always had it, that intangible quality that made her an incredible athlete, but he hadn't known what to expect from her on a public date like this. Even knowing what to expect couldn't totally dull the blow from public criticism like that.
Sam would listen to Stella pout and whine all night if that's what she wanted to do. He loved her completely and never tired of her company. But tonight wasn't about the negatives like the Cannons stumbling out of the holiday break or Dan leaving the team. Tonight was about Sam and Stella and their future. One first date to kick off thousands of more real dates.
"It's a pizza place," Sam said, leading her into the London streets. "It's actually the greatest pizza place in the world. That, or do you want to try McDonalds?"
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