First Loss Finished

Current outfit minus shoes
Skates by bed

Dakota sat with her arm against herself, her lips curved in a frown as she peered around. She hadn’t expected to end up in the hospital wing today after a rollerskating accident, but alas, her she was. It was actually quite laughable when she thought back to what happened, letting her thoughts take over her attention and then realizing she was going face first into a wall, trying to lessen the impact on her head Dakota put her arms up in a X like shape to protect her head. Of course, with her luck she ended up having her elbow hit with the most force and fractured it. This hadn’t been the first fracture she experienced, when she was first learning Dakota made the mistake of putting her hands out to stop her fall after tripping over a small rock. Having come in yesterday she should be able to leave today, not long from now in fact, she was just waiting for the time she was told she could leave at.

Looking around, Dakota was quite curious. She had been sleeping mostly, so when someone else, a boy, was brought in she had woke up but was too drowsy to recognize him. Though, peering to her side a bed or so down and seeing him sit up, she did recognize him now as she had a clear mind. Dakota wasn’t sure of his name, only remembering the name that the girl Browne called Maria called him, though she was almost certain that Lorax was just a nickname and not the boys real name. But she knew his face, specifically from that night spent in the common room and she would most likely also recognize his voice had he spoke and been heard by Dakota. As these thoughts rang in Dakotas head she seems to have zoned out, now basically starring at Kazuo as she tries to see if she can recall a name.

@Kazuo Shimada

───────────── April Sunday April 25th Post Duel ─────────────

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───────────── 負けるが勝ち makeru ga kachi To lose is to win ─────────────

The living world is a dream. The nocturnal dream is reality. - Ranpo Edogawa

The room appeared to be mostly empty, quiet but for the occasional sounds of what Kazuo suspected was typical movement. He couldn’t see Brumby-sensei, only a house elf changing some bed linens. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the elf, as they often did when he was forced to endure their presence. He watched the elf work with an overabundance of scrutiny; one might even call it paranoia. Yet the elf simply did its job not giving Kazuo even a glance. Slowly, he shifted his gaze away from the elf to eventually fall on a girl a few beds away. He might not have noticed her at all, or rather, bothered to look at her, but she was staring right at him.

Kazuo arched a brow and cleared his throat. “Can I help you with something or is my face just that pretty to look at?” He asked with the neutrally polite tone that he cultivated, a perfect deadpan but for the hint of amusement in his eyes. His voice felt rough and he desperately wanted some water. He glanced around and noticed a pitcher and glass on the small table beside the bed. It also held his wand which he snatched up immediately, staring down at it with a mixture of frustration and fondness. Placing it in his lap he reached for the water, filling the glass and taking a few sips before returning his attention to the girl. He recognized her as a Huffle, a first year like him. “You’re not on the dueling team.” He observed.

@Dakota Olson

With Kazuos first sentence it seems to snap Dakota out of the zoned out state she was in. Blinking her blue eyes for a moment before realizing what she was doing “I’m sorry, I zoned out.” rubbing at the side of her head she lets out a sigh. Blinking at the next thing Dakota raises a eyebrow and shakes her head ”nope, ended up here after a skating accident.” amusement glittered in her eyes when she said this, seeming to find the skating accident funny. Tilting her head she sat with her legs crossed and placed her hands in her lap “I’m guessing you are?”.

She didn’t truly keep up with the dueling club or their participants, not wanting to be in it and finding no reason to keep it on her mind when there was already one too many things that causes her attention to drift. Letting out a soft breath she groaned, brushing her hands along her shirt to clean a few pieces of lint off her shirt as she listened to what was happening around her. Looking back at Kazuo she raised her eyebrows yet again “what exactly happened? How exactly did you end up here?” curiosity rung in her head as she asked.

@ Kazuo Shimada

───────────── April Sunday April 25th Post Duel ─────────────

───────────── ─────────────

───────────── 負けるが勝ち makeru ga kachi To lose is to win ─────────────

The living world is a dream. The nocturnal dream is reality. - Ranpo Edogawa

His head tilted slightly at her apology then he shrugged. “Skating accident? It isn’t winter and the lake isn’t frozen. Where were you skating?” He gave her a slight nod at her guess then shifted his gaze to the other beds, seeking out other duelists, wondering who else had won and lost. He should go check the roster and maybe congratulate his opponents if they were still lingering in the dueling hall. While he was disappointed in his loss, he would not deny Meenauh and Galton’s skill. Especially that spell-splitting technique Galton used. In fact, he wanted to ask Galton how it was done. Perhaps at some point he could learn to do it to…

His attention was recaptured by the girl and he gave her an arched brow and an unimpressed look. “You obviously don’t bother to follow the school events do you? Today is the second day of the third Stage of the Duelling Championships. If you’ve been here all day, no doubt you saw students brought in from this morning’s matches.” He replied with disdain in his voice. Whether or not one was interested in duelling or Quidditch, they were important events at the school. He would have expected she would at least be aware of them. “I ended up here because I lost.” He added the last part matter-of-factly. “The most likely way to lose a duel is to be knocked out.”

It had been a new experience. The painful strikes of the flipendos, taking his breath away as they knocked him back. The way his vision had faded at the edges, then gone black. The embrace of the floor, hard, unyielding, adding more bruises with his fall. Then nothing at all, the bliss of unconsciousness. His brow furrowed and he stared down at his wand again then he smiled. The pain was a reminder, a warning, an urge. To get stronger, faster, better. The pain meant that he was still alive and that meant another chance. This was why he had joined the club. The exhilaration, the adrenaline rush and even the pain all drew him in and he wanted more. “I will get better.” He murmured quietly to himself.

Open to Interactions
@Dakota Olson

At the question Kazuo had asked her Dakota raised a thin eyebrow at him. Leaning over, she lifted up the pair of skates, which now had a few scuffs on them, and showed them to the boy. Taking in a soft breath she gave a light shake of her head “maybe I should’ve been more specific, a rollerskating accident is what landed me here,” silently and gently she placed the skates back on the ground.

She watched Kazuo as he glanced around. She kept her lips sealed, as she wasn’t known by her friends to be the type to pry, so she silently wondered who he could be searching for. Though once he answered her question she blinked lightly “as a matter of fact I do not follow school events all the time,” shrugging, her cheeks, which had already made her face look chubby and childish, had puffed up “honestly I don’t see any reason to do so,” seeing as she had only started to learn about this new world she was thrown into, she wasn’t the most interested in more important things in the school.

Hearing the last part, Dakota couldn’t help but suck in a surprised breath. It made her glad she hadn't paid much attention, if that was how duels usually ended she didn’t want to pay attention to them or sign-up to be a dueler. Dakota pursed her lips together as though it over, only parting them for a moment “well, I hope you’re alright,” genuinely, she did. She may not know the student well but she hardly believed people should suffer being knocked-out.

@Kazuo Shimada

Kazuo’s gaze took in the rollerskates and he snorted. “Rollerskating? In the courtyard?” He was amused by her explanation. Smoothly paved areas weren’t exactly common around Hogwarts so if she wasn’t using the courtyard, his next thought was that she might be rollerskating in the hallways and he could imagine the kind of trouble she would get in for that. “Or do you skate to class to save time…?” He joked with a smirk.

his brows raised and he snickered at her response. “You’re a Hogwarts student now. The least you could do is pay attention to the big school events. Even if you don’t participate or spectate, it’s important to know what’s happening. This is wizard life, you know, a miniature version. It’s your life now.” He pushed the covers away and turned, legs dangling over the edge of the bed. “Hogwarts events, whether they are sports or social, are your lifeline. How you will meet people and make friends who share your interests. They’re worth paying attention to.” He hopped down, slipping his feet into his sandals and tucking his wand into its sheath. “As for dueling, it’s a good way to learn to defend yourself.” He added with a wink.

He smiled at her genuine concern and gave her a slight bow. “I’ll live. And learn. And maybe next time it will be my opponent in this bed.” He straightened and moved toward the door. “Hopefully next time I won’t see you back here because of your rollerskating again.”

Kazuo Leaves the Thread

Reducio

Thanks for the thread, it was fun! Just tying up all my first year threads with second year looming.

@Dakota Olson