Out Of Range S.W.A.G Closed

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interactions @Aurelia Notrésvace
mentions @Anastasia Beckett, @Ruthie Greer, @Rafael D'Spacito
wand ref here
word count 624 | text colour #274E13
abilities terrible presence
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It seemed that the simple act of attending the game was enough to rise Astrea's dismal mood from where it had sat all day festering, a soothing balm against the frustrated boredom that grasped at her. Where she stood just next to Aurelia, she could take a second to soak in the brief peace that accompanied the Gryffindor. In both of the real interactions she had with the third year, all of them had been hindered in some way- the tea party had been somewhat of a disaster in the very beginning before Professor Beceragray had appeared, full of sickening pinks and spilled tea, and in her last game the Club Leader had been hovering far above the playing area, overwatching all.

It was almost embarrassing to say that she hadn't spared the lightly freckled other very much thought before the first SWAG game she had attended- the Four Bloodlines were very much aware of the Notrésvace family in higher society, though Astrea hadn't been classed very extensively on the history and members of the allied lineages as much as she had on her own.

"Astrea, great to see that you came back for another round. After the incident occurring during the last game, I never expected that anyone would." The Slytherin gave an amused hum at the reminder- while Two Flags had ultimately ended up Blue victory, Astrea was sure that she made an enemy of a certain snake-eyed Erik Tharaldson. A real shame, for she had heard that he was a fellow pureblood of high standing, a possible ally if she didn't specifically target him against his wishes.

It seemed that most SWAG games took place in the midst of sunset, one of the few constants u8 small crowd of adrenaline-filled children firing off duelling spells with a backdrop of Scottish mountains and golden sunlight. Perhaps it was for the aesthetic, perhaps for the emptiness of the grounds nearing dark, for that she did not know.

Astrea unsheathed her wand from where it was tucked away within the layers of her clothes as the game details and rules were announced, the twirled cherry wand warm and familiar from where it had been wedged within her jacket's sleeve. Aye, a limit of 25 minutes of flameless, magic-wielding ground Quidditch, practically. Without the equipment, of course. Her footfalls were light and delicate as she trailed after her newfound ally, mind piecing together a rudimentary personal gameplan. Defend, back up Aurelia, take the balls, stay inside of the boundaries. The last one would be the easiest if she was lucky, the first two the most directly aggressive. But she would not fail.

"What do you say we win this, Astrea?"

Astrea's neutral expression swapped itself for one of dangerous competitiveness, sharp eyes catching the falling light as her mind narrowed onto the game. "Let's do this-" A flash of white tooth split her face, a feral grin of uncharismatic passion appearing on her as she readied.

Beside her, Aurelia launched off a curse with a practised motion directly at a pretty brunette with her hair pulled up in a tight Dutch braid, the other flanked with two other allies- Rafael, the boy who had saved her from getting a punch in the face by Erik at their last game, and blonde-haired Ruthie Greer. A dangerous team. Pretty was the victim of the Tongue-Tying spell, yes, but objectively not as alluring as the powerful teammate that Astrea had allied with.

Her aim leveled directly toward Ruthie- it would have to be Ruthie, Rafael was physically intimidating but trash at landing accurate magical attacks- and with a smooth wave of her wand, she formed the incantation for the sneezing hex. Hinder yes, offset completely? No.

"Steleus."

Action: Casting Sneezing Hex at Ruthie.

She was still listening when a SWAG member came up to speak to her. He was taller, older. She recalled encountering him in that awkward encounter after the tea party. He'd been the spaced-out boy standing awkwardly in the front of the Great Hall before a group congregated around him. Once again, he seemed a bit lost, stuttering. "Yeah, that's right," she addressed him, recalling how known she was since the ball. In regards to his actual question, she tried to summarize: "Just catch the balls I think, and try not to get knocked out with spells." That last part always worried her--she'd gotten past the giants mostly on nerve, but at dodgeball and similar events she seemed like easy prey.

While she was glad to be with Thora, and eventually Emma--whose wave she returned eagerly--she seemed to be approached by an older girl she didn't know who was eager for an alliance. Before Ru could really form a response, it looked like a deal had been struck. At least this girl seemed older, which was likely to be helpful. First years were always at a disadvantage at school events.

The blonde prefect was still trying to formulate a plan when she noticed Astrea, who'd become a legendary target at the last SWAG match, raising her wand in her direction. Merlin, this was starting already. Why did SWAG matches always have to have such drama? But Ru wouldn't run, even though she felt a cold, almost terrible presence as the other girl moved in. She'd take the hit if others could benefit from it. So she gripped her wand and pointed straight at her attacker, shouting, "Flipendo!" After Thora's attempt last match had blown up so spectacularly, it was about time someone hit this girl properly. Hopefully, it'd be her.

Action: Cast the Knock-Back Jinx at Astrea.

Calming Presence affecting no one
interacts with @Ruthie Greer & @Bridget Collins

The third year got ready and stayed in the center of the area that would be the game pitch. He nervously looked around, trying to spot the familiar faces in the group. He had seen all of them before, of course, but he never actively interacted with most of them, which was the tricky part about all of this. He nodded at Ruthie and thanked her, after she gave him a brief explanation about how the game would work. He was glad that she provided the information he needed and soon got into position. "G-Good luck!", he wished the girl with a bright smile. He also inwardly wished everyone else good luck and hoped that this game would go by without any disasters happening and without anything getting out of hand.

Now who looked familiar? He spotted a girl that he remembered being on his team in the last game and a light grin appeared on his face. Maybe her? With a small nod, he freed the wand from the pocket of his slim sweat pants and began the incantation. "Flipendo!", he would cast towards the girl which name was not even known to him. However he knew how good she was at casting spells, after all she too had been on the winning team in the previous game! She had also done a lot of damage to the other team's flag, which is why he assumed this would be a good move. But clearly he had no idea and the only thing he heard was to use the knockback spell on other students or reach one of the balls that were placed on the field.

There was also a girl that he had not seen in the previous girl, but he vaguely remembered having seen her before, but that must have been ages ago. What had that all been about? But no matter how much he concentrated on finding out what his mind was recognizing, he could not remember under what circumstances he had met the girl [Anastasia].

Casts Flipendo @Bridget
in Range One

Crossing the grounds, Pericles presumed that the strange changes flickering across Xailah's features were some odd trick of the light. When his ensemble was deemed dashing, he faked a mock bow coupled with a foppish swirl of his hand, smile turned to smirk and nose crinkled in play. He was in especially high spirits. Maybe it was the risk of sneaking out in the night, or his first opportunity to sling spells, or the fact that the Great Hall had served shepherd's pie at dinner. Whatever the case, he carried on animatedly. Rather than treat the jest of jealousy as a passing compliment for his new accessory, he insisted, "I could help you get a pair too! If you'll owl me your prescription, I could send it to my parents, should your folks not mind that is." Peri was perfectly happy to help those were kind to him, and Xailah had been only kind. While the lad was painfully oblivious about her feelings, he enjoyed the company of someone (strange) like himself, someone who had first opened his eyes towards the mysteries which Hogwarts was rife with.

Peri was not nearly as friendly with Píerre just yet, as he hardly knew him, but he certainly didn't mind the Gryffindor like his catty companion did. "Thank you!" He hollered back, beaming brightly. A different voice caught his attention, softly tugging at it with a word which pricked his peripheral consciousness. For a moment, the young Ravenclaw seemed to depart, stare settling on an empty square of grass. Those silver eyes dulled while senses were devoted elsewhere. It was that innocent Waow which brought him quickly back, drifting in from whatever dream had taken him. Peri glanced to Xailah, trying to determine if she had heard the same. Seeing no signs to suggest she had, his warm smile sprang back into place. He knelt down to mutter a quiet compliment for Schrödinger until the cat's keeper helped him focus. Once guided closer to Aurelia, the Ravenclaw fell respectively mute. He didn't know her yet, but was grateful for her invitation, listening with care until he heard Xailah's proposition. It wasn't hard to make a decision.

"If we're a team," he muttered back at a near whisper, "then if at least one of us wins, we both win." Supposing this logic was flawless, Peri offered a rare grin, lips lopsided and curling. "I think you're more agile than I am. Ladies first?" The oddity's eyes were expressive. They went wide when he was curious, averted when he felt awkward, dulled when deep in thought, went warm when he was happy. Those goggles did more than further his sight: they hid what Peri was feeling, what he was planning. He slid them into place and the dark filled the space beyond those lenses. He took out his own wand: aspen and phoenix feather, hilt carved like the base of a chess piece. It was a pale and promising thing. "I'll be right behind you."

As soon as the court erupted with action, he lunged forward, keeping pace with Xailah as they raced to the next range.

Action: Moving to Range 2 behind Xailah, blocking her back.

Relocating to Range II.

Interception - Activated.

More members arrived in the minutes of waiting that followed, some of whom she recognized from previous games and several who were new. All the while, Bridget hung off to the side. She filled the time by speculating about what they'd be playing, although with nothing more than a ring of stones to go off of, she had no clue what was in store.

Several minutes later, Aurelia called them to the center and explained how the game would work. The third year's broom was noticeably absent. Bridget supposed she would be more capable of intervention from the ground, but the sky at least offered a better vantage point, didn't it?

The oddity was explained, as, startling her a little, the game began. Aurelia wasted no time in casting a spell at a pretty girl she wasn't sure she'd ever seen before. So the older girl was playing. This would be interesting. As spells fired, though, the club founder's participation left her mind, the small girl's thoughts instead focused on what she was going to do. With a whole 25 minutes of play, grabbing a ball from the start didn't seem very prudent. It would be best to hope she mustered the strength to rip it from someone else's grasp later. That left her with either trying to knock people out of the circle or dodging, right?

Her action was decided for her. A cry of Flipendo sounded on the Scottish grounds, but identifying the source, this one was directed at her. Great. She recalled the boy who was attacking her from her team in the last game, although clearly being on the same side hadn't carried over to this game, not that she'd expected it would.

Perhaps it would've been the best idea to simply dodge the jinx that was sure to hurt should it hit, but Bridget wasn't one to let people target her and do nothing in return. "Obscuro!" she said, pointing her wand at the older Gryffindor. Some might reference her action as the sort of dirty thing only a Slytherin would do, but the brunette was beyond caring. You got used to it after being on the House Quidditch Team. Besides, her best shot of revenge if the boy managed to knock her off her feet was to get him back while he was blindfolded.

Action | Casts Obscuro at @Alan Vanes
~ In Range 1 ~

Interactions: @Bridget Collins | @Ruthie Greer | @Emma Hill | @Rafael D'Spacito

So she wasn't alone. That was a welcome relief. Thora grinned back at Bridget--well, the top of her head, as she'd bent down to tie her shoelaces--as her best friend reached the slowly-growing group of players. As her hands slipped into her pocket, green eyes fixed themselves on the grassy ground and the girl began to sink deep into thought when she was attacked from behind. With a hug. Startled, Thora snapped back to reality as her tense expression broke into a smile once more and she returned the gesture. She waved back at Emma, too, but lowered her hand as Aurelia began explaining the instructions.

This certainly would be interesting. Thora used to have a fair amount of confidence in her spellcasting ability as the spells she knew were fairly simple, allowing little room for failure. But her concentration had been shaky, lately, and this being a game of individual survival, she couldn't afford to do something wrong. It was just a game, but the past couple ones had proven to be competitive. Very competitive. And with the number of seemingly new players--or at least people she didn't recognize--her attendance of every match (and therefore additional observation of what others were skilled at) didn't exactly give her the upper hand of any sort.

Evelynn didn't look as if she'd be playing, settling just outside of the large ring of rocks with a notebook. That was probably a wise decision on her part, and one Thora hadn't considered. Previous games had resulted in multiple Hospital Wing visits, fouling, biting, and literal attacking. Though somewhat entertaining, it hadn't all ended in a good time for everyone. Perhaps that was the reason several of the consistently-attending club members were nowhere to be seen. Having seen the potential damage that could stem from just a game, Thora would be plenty wary and alert. She had to be, if she wanted to leave unscathed, let alone the victor.

With a yell from the house-elf standing by Aurelia and tossing of two orbs that would later help determine the winner, the game commenced. While others immediately pointed their wands, targets clearly in mind, Thora hung back a bit, watching to see who her main threats might be. Nobody here had really done much to wrong her (save a couple, but it wasn't exactly enough motivation to immediately Incendio them and get disqualified), so it wasn't an easy choice…

Until she saw him. A tall boy (well, taller than her) began racing away from the center, so probably towards one of the balls. He looked like the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, though the quickly dimming sunlight made it hard to recognize anyone. Wasn't he the one who'd tried to blatch Koko and Dan? For the record, Thora didn't have anything against blatching as an action. It was a foul, but if you did it, you'd be punished with a penalty lap--and besides, it'd been used plenty by all of the teams. Still, a blatch against two of her teammates was a blatch against two of her teammates.

Technically, she wasn't even justified in trying to hit the boy. Well, it would be hard for Thora to contend with him for a ball, being as weak as she was, and she was definitely more skilled with a wand. And you didn't even need a justification to hit someone, did you? It was just a game, after all. "Flipendo!" the snek incanted, pointing her wand at the retreating figure. She could only hope that this would go better than last time.

-- Action » Cast the Knockback Jinx at Rafael --

[Location » Range 1]

This was officially her first match, and she couldn't wait to begin. Though as tired as she was, Emma couldn't wait to legally cast spells without the fear of getting into trouble. Stretching out her tired muscles, she drew her wand and waited for the officiating words to commence the game. While she was much too tired to form alliances just yet, her excitement built up by the second before she could even understand the rules. Bidding Ruthie and Thora good luck, the small bud of a plan began to form. It wasn't much, but given the time limit, she was sure she could come up with something great.

It had been a while since she last used magic. Well, offensive magic. This time it was different, there wasn't simply just one person, or maybe even two. There had to be at least a dozen students, most of them unfamiliar faces. No one could be taken for granted. It was a free-for-all, but the brunette could already see bonds forming and alliances being creating. Being a lone wolf was no fun.

Spells began to unleash on the grounds as the game commenced, a few simultaneously, and others followed. Emma was one of those that waited, thankfully, she was in the clear. Keeping a close eye on both Ruthie and Aurelia, she sighed with relief as she watched a spell shoot in another Gryff's [Anatasia] direction. Her head jolted in each direction and she stuck close to her friend. Call it nonverbal, or even mental alliance.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a few students making their way to the second range, and part of her wanted to join the action, but it wasn't for the best. There was so much going on. Raising her wand, she pointed it in the direction of the rogue student. "Obscuro!" A Hispanic accent played with her British.

Action » Cast Obscuro at Rafael

Open to Interactions

Katrina stashed her notebook away and rejoined the group. Her mind was whirling with all sorts of ideas and plans and spells she could cast. The lioness felt her hands gipping her wand tightly in her palm. She was more than ready this time. The game began with a rush of noise, spells, and loud talking.

As far as she could tell, no one had targeted her. Katrina kept a close lookout for anyone looking at her or preparing a spell in her direction. Every nerve was on end. She could feel the brush of wind and her ears picked up every incantation.

She observed her opponents. There were very few that she recognized. The girl that had helped Katrina plant trees was here, she was also the one that Thora had hugged last game. @Ruthie Greer was her name. Katrina nodded her head in acknowledgement at her. There were a ton of people that had been in the last game, but Katrina still couldn't quite remember any of their names.

Two girls a bit in front of her @Emma Hill @Thora Larkston targeted @Rafael D'Spacito. Katrina shrugged her shoulders and raised her wand at him too. If three people target the same person, that person is bound to be out, may as well eliminate him before he eliminates me.

A mischievous smile played on her lips as the perfect spell solidified in her mind. This would be hilarious if it came out right. With a steely determination Katrina called out, "Rictusempra!"

Action: Cast Tickling Charm at Rafael D'Spacito