2021, Stage 1 Hufflepuff vs Slytherin: Match 1

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Sarah’s hand resting beside her side twitched as Ana called for the duel to begin, though her wand arm was steady - poised and ready for anything that was to come her way. She’d spent a lifetime learning how to control her emotions, and she was thankful that her father had afforded her at least that much. Her eyes would flick between her opposition once, twice, before she called out her first spell. “Expelliarmus.” It flew straight across the short distance between her and Willow, hitting the girl squarely and causing her wand to fly out of her hand, across the room.

She had little time to revel in her first success though, as the slowing charm Willow managed to cast just before losing her wand split into two, coming directly towards her and Santario. With a dancer’s agility and perhaps a little bit of luck, Sarah managed to twist out of the way just in time not to be caught by the spell. Though both Willow’s and Lydia’s spells managed to catch her teammate this round. Not that it stopped her from casting a perfect wind charm at Lydia. “You too,” she replied, shooting Santario a small smile and a nod of encouragement when she noticed she seemed slightly less enigmatic than Sarah had seen her during duels last year. “We’ve got this,” she said resolutely, no room for argument.

Action | Doing as strategized

Round 2

Willow Anderson

Reducio

Willow Anderson actively dodges.
Active Dodge: 5 + 0.25 x 8 = 7 → 7 Bonus to Evasion.

Lydia Cooper

Reducio

Lydia Cooper actively dodges.
Active Dodge: 5 + 0.25 x (7 - 4) = 5.75 → 6 Bonus to Evasion.

Santario Martin

Reducio

Santario Martin cast General Counter-Spell.
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 2] + 5 = 7, failure
Break Out DC: 10+1 = 11
Passive Str Check: [d20:4] + 3 = 7 → fail

Sarah Lightwood vs Lydia Cooper

Reducio

Sarah Lightwood cast Knockback Jinx at Lydia Cooper.
Wisdom DC: 9 + 3 = 12
Wisdom Check: [d20: 3] + 12 = 15, success
Alluring: [d10: 3], fail
Accuracy Check: [d20: 1] + 9 = 10 → crit miss
New Target: Santario Tatsu Choice
Accuracy (Base): [d20:2] + 0 = 2
Evasion: [d20:5] + 0 = 5
2 < 5 → Miss

The next series of incidents were purely.... confusing if not chaotic to watch for anyone sitting in the audience. Both Willow and Lydia seemed ready to conquer the world as they stood there, expectantly, waiting for things to happen that would just never happen. In the end it had been a fairly easy task for Willow to actually pick up her wand that was laying at her feet. Santario however would find herself struggling as she would fail to cast a spell that would help her against the curse she had been captured by, a truly nasty one at that. Luckily for the girl the hit had been weak and thus she could at least attempt to defend herself in some way. As she struggled against the spell, she would feel her muscles ache but the spell would not give in, not yet at least.

Equally unlucky would be Sarah as her spell seemed hardly successful and went off flying into a random direction, seemingly out of control as it narrowly flew by her partner. It had been a close call for either of the two, as this knockback jinx could have turned out to be quite the disaster for Slytherins.

As time went on Santario would notice how senses would return into her limbs, with the twitch of a finger it would begin before spreading through her body until she was finally able to properly move again. The viper would be ready to strike once more, once she recovered from still ongoing slowing charm that would pull at her sense of timing, making her body move as if in slow motion.

@Willow Anderson | @Lydia Cooper | @Santario Martin | @Sarah Lightwood

-You now have 96 hours to add your posts and owl your mod (Anastasia Beckett) your actions (this time on 2/3 November). Please don't hint at your actions in your post.
- The WC minimum is 50 words.
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- If you need anything, you can contact me via owl or Discord (coffee queen #4572) before the next moderation.
- A past version of this post said something about regarding, please ignore that, as we no longer have extensions for duelling.
-Your spells, stats, and abilities are locked as of this post. Here is the most recent system patch for reference.
-Have fun, try not to die and whatnot!

(Will link to the spectator thread when it is posted)

Action| As strategized

For as vulnerable as she felt in this moment, wandless in the middle of a duel, it seemed like the vulnerability was kind of a waste of time. Both her and Lydia were incredibly tense, waiting for the worst to come for them. Willow's eyes flickered between Sarah and Santario. Sarah's spell misfired and went towards San, but San dodged it. Well... dodge was a strong word for what happened.

Willow watched as she failed casting the counter curse. There was a flicker of joy as she failed in the spell, it meant she would still be at a disadvantage to herself and Lydia. But the next things that happened... something was wrong. Santario was someone who was incredibly composed, even in failure. Spells messed up sometimes, things went wrong. Santario could take them in stride. But something was different. The duel had just started. The Slytherins were doing, technically, better than the Hufflepuffs since Willow and Lydia hadn't caused any damage.

The badger tried to follow Santario's eyes to the stands, find what she was looking at but there really was knowing. She whispered to Lydia beside her, "Lyd, something is wrong with Santario." Willow almost wanted to stop the duel, wanted to make sure she was okay. But there was something in her that also knew that would be forfeiting and giving an automatic loss to Hufflepuff. Her house pride rode on this duel, the fact that it was two captains of the Hufflepuff team didn't help any.

Willow couldn't help but take a step back when the scattered Slytherin's eyes landed back and her and she looked angry. More than angry. It was the most furious Willow had ever seen Santario, who was usually level headed. Willow had barely even done anything. She casted one spell, and had to spend this round without her wand.

So so much was wrong. There was a gut feeling that something was wrong, something was off, Santario was not in her right mind. Against everything that told her not to try and reach out, especially in the middle of the duel, Santario was her friend first. She was another person. Another student. Another human. "San, this isn't you. What's going on?" Seriously, this wasn't the best time to be having a heart to heart. But what else could she do?

☁ Action ☁
Doing as Strategized

Interacting with: @Willow Anderson
Mentioning: @Quinn Healy, @Santario Martin & @Sarah Lightwood

The strong wind kept sending her hair in all the directions, making it difficult for Lydia to properly see what was happening; she tried her best, her feet ready to move the moment that a spell should come her way, and so was Willow. But no spell ever came her way. Something went really wrong with Sarah's spell; Lydia saw the wand pointed towards her and she readied herself, but the spell went in the opposite direction and towards Santario. She couldn't help but feel relieved, after all dodging an incoming spell with the wind still blowing strong was difficult, and she hoped that the effects of the jinx would go away soon.

Willow's words made Lydia move her eyes on her friend, a confused look written all over her features, before she followed Willow's eyes and she looked at Santario. A chill ran down her spine, the look that the Slytherin girl was giving to Willow was truly scary. "Be careful Willow," she told her as her friend tried to talk with Santario. She then noticed a familiar voice coming from the crowd that was cheering on her team and Santario; knowing that the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain was there, watching their duel, made Lydia even more determined to show how good the Hufflepuff team could perform. With the renewed determination, Lydia tried her best to concentrate back on the duel, ready for the next move.

Action: Doing as strategised

[font=century gothic]Sarah could see the Hufflepuffs bracing for something - clearly expecting her and San to throw their worst at them. Perhaps the sheer determination in their eyes to avoid whatever spell she wanted to cast their way should have been hint enough for her to try something slightly less direct, though she had confidence in her own ability to cast even at a potentially moving target. “Flipendo,” she called, wand pointed straight towards Lydia as she heard San besides her trying to unbind herself form the invisible bonds constricting her body. It was a jinx she’d used perfectly well in plenty of other situations, but this time something was off.

Whether it was the overwhelming pressure she felt to win this duel, or the audience’s eyes she could feel so keenly watching her every movement, she wasn’t sure. But the spell misfired horrifically, sparking backwards in a way which momentarily had the Slytherin thinking that she was going to be hit by her own curse. In the end, it was arguably even worse as the spell flew towards her own partner, who managed to avoid it by the skin of her teeth. She cringed, pale cheeks immediately flooding with colour as she felt embarrassment well up within her. Her first official duel as a Viper and already she’d nearly managed to hit her own teammate. She supposed the only positive was that Willow and Lydia hadn’t opted to cast at them this round else a disaster would certainly have ensued.

“I’m sorry,” the apology on her lips as she turned to her teammate faded the moment she looked to her right. The girls weren’t close, barely knew one another outside of the duelling team, though even someone who knew Santario less than she did could tell she looked positively distraught in that moment. And it clearly went beyond simply casting a poor spell. “San, are you alright?” She asked quickly, quietly as she knew drawing more attention to it would likely only make it worse. She considered suggesting stopping the duel here - forfeiting, yes, but perhaps ultimately that was for the better. But then her eyes hardened into a look of rage she’d scarce seen from anyone at this school and she readied herself for the next round.

Sarah swallowed, the cold eyes nay not be directed at her, but even just observing it was intimidating enough. She flicked her eyes across to Willow who seemed to be calling out to her friend turned opponent. But she didn’t say anything else, not yet at least. Though she’d keep a careful eye on her teammate as she concentrated back on the duel and prepared herself for the next moves.

Action | Doing as strategized

Round 3

Willow Anderson vs Santario Martin

Reducio

Willow Anderson cast Knockback Jinx at Santario Martin.
Wisdom DC: 9 + 2 Sarah Lovely Creat = 11
Wisdom Check: [d20: 19] + 10 = 29, success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 12] + 7 = 19
Evasion Check: [d20: 8] + 7-5 Slowing Charm = 10
19 > 10 → Hit
Damage: 100 + 6 × 10 = 160
Effects: -160 HP

Lydia Cooper vs Santario Martin

Reducio

Lydia Cooper cast Fire-Making Spell II at Santario Martin.
Wisdom DC: 12 + 2 Sarah Lovely creat = 14
Wisdom Check: [d20: 11] + 15 = 26, success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 4] + 5 = 9
Evasion Check: [d20: 19] + 7-5 Slowing Charm = 21
9 < 21 → Miss

Santario Martin vs Lydia Cooper

Reducio

Santario Martin cast Fire-Making Spell II at Lydia Cooper.
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20: 10] + 9 = 19, success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 2] + 12 = 14
Evasion Check: [d20: 16] + 7-4 Ventus = 19
14 < 19 → Miss

Sarah Lightwood vs Willow Anderson

Reducio

Sarah Lightwood cast Disarming Charm at Willow Anderson.
Wisdom DC: 10 + 3 = 13
Wisdom Check: [d20: 12] + 12 = 24, success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 17] + 9 = 26
Evasion Check: [d20: 10] + 8 = 18
26 > 18 → Hit
Duration: [d3: 3] 2 rounds
Effects:Willow disarmed for 2 rounds.

The match would continue chaotically, with spells flying all about. Willow would recover her wand and fire off a splendid Knock Back Jinx at Santario, hitting the Slytherin easily. Lydia would also target the Slytherin co-captain, but her spell would fire wide, not even coming close to hitting.

Santario seemed to be of the same mind as Lydia, down to the spell choice. Unfortunately, she was not able to hit the Hufflepuff as she fired the exact same spell. Sarah was not targeted and took the opportunity to disarm Willow once more.

@Willow Anderson | @Lydia Cooper | @Santario Martin | @Sarah Lightwood

-You now have 96 hours to add your posts and owl your mod (Anastasia Beckett) your actions (this time on 5 November). Please don't hint at your actions in your post.
- The WC minimum is 50 words.
-If you don't post in the allotted time frame, your action will be considered void.
- If you need anything, you can contact me via owl or Discord (coffee queen #4572) before the next moderation.
- A past version of this post said something about regarding, please ignore that, as we no longer have extensions for duelling.
-Your spells, stats, and abilities are locked as of this post. Here is the most recent system patch for reference.
-Have fun, try not to die and whatnot!
- Note: I am traveling Nov 5-Nov 7, so the moderation will likely take a bit longer than these have. I will still be reachable via Discord, and will have the mod up ASAP.

(Will link to the spectator thread when it is posted)

Action| As strategized

[font=century gothic]Sarah remained wary of her partner, despite the reassurance that she was okay. The brunette looked bordering on distraught - a fear and anger in her eyes that made them brighter than usual. She was relieved they weren’t aimed towards her. Though, from a duelling perspective, they seemed to be working wonders on the opposition who looked confused, and maybe slightly hurt if the Slytherin was reading them correctly. Perhaps it would be distraction enough for them to get their next spells to accurately hit their targets.

She watched as identical spells flew towards one another form both Slytherin and Hufflepuff, fires blazing hot enough for Sarah to feel the warmth against her cheeks. It was a destructive spell when it hit, the Slytherin having seen enough injuries both physical and mental from it to know that many duellists avoided it when they could. And despite herself, despite the drive she had fuelling her to win this duel, she felt mild relief when neither San nor Lydia’s spells hit. Though she didn’t rest on it long enough to question, instead flicking her eyes across to Willow, and once again pointing her wand towards the girl. “Expelliarmus,” She called and watched as Willow’s wand once again flew out of her hand and back onto the ground. It was almost pitiful - to watch the girl finally retrieve her wand, cast a near perfect jinx at the Slytherin team, just to lose it once more. Sarah was sure she’d fell bad if not for the edge it gave the Vipers.

Instead, she smiled to herself, about to turn towards the crowd to look for familiar eyes in her moment of reprieve, when she heard Santario’s words besides her. They drew her gaze, slightly widened at the venom the words held. She wondered whether this was a duelling tactic she didn’t know of to really throw off your opponent. Or whether something really had snapped in her partner to set her off. “San, you need to calm down,” her words were quiet, hurried as she worried that the girl might do something reckless if she didn’t regain her composure. She was unsure whether her words would make it worse or not, but she was certain something had come over her partner to make her act so vehemently.

Sarah had always believed that actual anger didn’t belong in a duel - not one held as part of a school club at least. When emotions grew too high, it was only a matter of time before things turned nasty, and flinging spells at one another in such circumstances couldn’t end any way but badly. She hoped everyone else shared her opinion, and that emotions could be kept somewhat at bay as they continued.

Action | Doing as strategized

Interacting with: @Willow Anderson & @Santario Martin
Mentioning: @Sarah Lightwood

As the duel continued, Lydia could feel the first hint of frustration starting to settle into her stomach; she hasn't been able to properly hit any of her targets so far, aside from that partial Petrificus Totalus on San; plus, she had been hit already, and by Ventus of all spells. Taking a deep breath, she saw Willow successfully cast her knockback jinx on Santario, and she smiled a little; finally they had managed to properly hit their opponents! "Good job Willow!" she told her, before she looked at Santario and cast, almost at the same time as her, Incendio Duo. Santario's spell almost hit her, but Lydia managed to avoid the fire, even if her own spell completely missed the Slytherin girl.

If that wasn't enough, while all of that was happening, Sarah had skillfully disarmed Willow once again, and Lydia frowned. They had to keep fighting back, they couldn't let these little setbacks stop them from winning. Santario's laugh caught her attention, and her words mixed with her attitude made Lydia frown even more; Willow was trying to talk with her, to understand what was wrong with her, and she was just laughing at her? The temptation to say something to defend Willow was strong, she didn't like the way Santario was treating her friend. "She's just trying to help you, there's no need to be mean," Lydia ended up saying, before she decided on her next move.

Action: Doing as strategised