2022, Stage 1 Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff, Match 1

Round 2

Hanako vs. Lindsey

Reducio

Hanako cast the Tickling Charm at Lindsey.
Wisdom DC: 9 + 2 Lovely Creature = 11
Wisdom Check: [d20:17] + 9 = 26 > 11 → Success
Auto-Miss: 13, fail Terrible Presence
Accuracy Check: [d20:3] + 10 = 13
Evasion Check: [d20:20] + 7 = 27
13 < 27 → Miss!

Illowy vs. Blindfold

Reducio

Illowy removed her blindfold.

Autumn vs. Illowy

Reducio

Autumn cast the Tongue-Tying Spell at Illowy.
Wisdom DC: 9 + 2 Lovely Creature = 11
Wisdom Check: [d20: 15] + 7 = 23 > 11 → Success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 3] + 10 = 13
Evasion Check: [d20: 19] + 0 Blindfold = 19
13 < 19 → Miss!

Lindsey vs. Slytherins

Reducio

Lindsey cast the Weather-modifying Charm at the Slytherins.
Wisdom DC: 12 + 2 Lovely Creature = 14
Wisdom Check: [d20: 4] + 10 = 14 = 14 → Success

Storm Cloud vs. Slytherins

Reducio

Hanako: [d20: 16] → Fail
Illowy: [d20: 17] → Fail
Results: No one was struck... For now

It seemed that there were a great many swings and misses in the prior moments of the duel. Autumn's Mimblewimble sailed past the blindfolded Illowy, who perhaps with some sixth sense determined it would be best to step a few paces to the left while removing the blindfold from her face. Hanako too found no luck, his Rictusempra failing to find its mark. Lindsey's storm cloud rumbled ominously above the Slytherins, but there would be no strikes yet. All was relatively calm.

OOC Info

- SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY ON THIS MODERATION! I've been having a bit of a tough time as of late!! Next round will be moderated by someone else to hopefully get you guys back on track
- The minimum WC for this duel is 50 words.
- You have 96 hours from the time of this mod to post in this thread.
- In the same time period, send the lovely Dorion Anderson your team's actions per owl. Do not hint at your actions in your post.
- If you don't post or owl in the allotted time frame, your action is void.
- Your stats, abilities, and spells have been locked for the duration of the duel (you cannot cast spells that are added to your trunk during the duel, for example). Check out the latest patch so you're on top of things.
- If you have any questions, don't hesitate to owl me, or feel free to reach out on Discord!

The Spectator Thread for this duel can be found here!

No retorts? No sour faces? No agitated sighs? This was going to put a damper to his mood. Should he set his sights on the other pretty little Hufflepuff instead? From what he sensed, the two didn’t act as warm and cuddly as the other Hufflepuffs he went against. A rare sight, he thought. Considering they were from the house that valued hugs and smiles and whatnot.

At this point of the duel, perhaps he had gotten a bit too predictable. Lindsey was r e a d y, to evade any attacks on her that his spell didn’t even come close to hitting her. “Tsk, darn “ he muttered under his breath. With Magnard down, Hanako was too sure they would use their chance to attack him. If not for his annoying quips, then for his distracting looks. But then again, perhaps that was the reason they didn’t attack him. Scared they’ll get lost in his eyes again and attack each other. The thought lightened his mood just a bit.

But no, instead- Lindsey aimed at the sky. Now that’s just great. “ Conjuring a bunch of clouds to do your work?” he taunted Springhall with a smirk. “ Hey, just because your partner got distracted by me, doesn’t mean you would too, you know? Or is my overwhelming charm really that worrying for you, hm~? “

Magnard on the other hand, certainly didn’t need anyone helping her. As if to make up for her earlier freeze, even when shrouded in darkness, she perfectly evaded a spell. A scene even Hana can’t help but let out a whistle once more. Only this time it sounded genuinely impressed than some cheap attempt to flirt. “ Nice evade, Magnard. Ok. I forgive you~” . He was talking about the earlier round, although he was aware that Magnard never asked for an apology.

Action: Doing and Strategized

“Thanks.” She would mutter to Autumn’s so-called encouragement, flickering her wand. “That’s very supportive of you.” One keen enough might notice that slight sarcasm in her voice, stressing the word a little which shouldn’t have been stressed at all. Oh Merlin, she wasn’t a simpleton - she wouldn’t cry and snuggle and thank Autumn again and again for her finally recognising her, she wouldn’t be moved. They were still far from heart-to-heart, thank you very much, yet this sort strategic claptrap must be exchanged.

Deciding to play safe, Lindsey pointed her wand towards the sky and conjured a Weather Modifying Charm. This was the very first time she’d cast that in an official duel, and satisfaction filled her when she did see the clouds lingering above the snakes’ heads. Autumn did miss her spell though, even Magnard was completely disabled by sight. There was a brief moment when Lindsey thought of jeering at her, but she finally restrained - okay, she wasn’t that childish at all. And above all now there was a much more important thing to do, with her attention fully drawn by Tone -

“Yup, Prince Charming out there who would get struck by lightning next minute and go back to Prince Shocking, I know that.” She winked at Tone, looking genuine. “Though it’s always good to know that you do like my little gift. See, what a pretty smile you’ve got on your face!” And she too smiled at him. Charming and harmless on the surface, dangerous beneath. She was very capable of that.

As strategized.

Doing as Strategized

date / Friday - October 21, 2022
word count / 323 words

Autumn desperately had to step up her game. Two spells in, and not a single hit! That was, of course, not counting her accidental bout of friendly fire. Not that her relationship with Springhall could exactly be described as "friendly". Still, she had no excuses this time. Her target had been busy taking off a blindfold, for Merlin's sake.

What was this? Bad luck? Either that, or she was a terrible duellist and every time she stepped on that piste it was set-up for inevitable humiliation. The truth seemed to lean scarily close to the latter. But what was she meant to do about that? Quit? Duelling was one of the items on the extremely short list of things she loved. Right at the top, along with her sister and her cat Smoke and scowling.

Autumn took a deep breath and used all her willpower to not scream. It was not the place, nor the time. If she wanted to prove to herself that she deserved not quitting the team, she'd need to leave this piste a victor.

Lindsey made some sort of sarcastic comment, which Autumn tried not to be bothered about, because there were better things to be concerned with– but also, didn't she understand that sarcasm was Autumn's thing? Why couldn't Springhall just lean into her own things, like being an annoying, high and mighty prick, instead of stealing Autumn's?

Being herself, she couldn't help but add onto Lindsey's reply to Tone. There was something about him that just got on her nerves.

"Maybe you should learn a couple lessons from Springhall, Tone, and conjure up a couple clouds yourself. Clearly, you need the help. Especially since you're already so busy with your 'overwhelming charm'."

She made sure to emphasise the verbal quotation marks in her last sentence, before promptly realising that she sounded like a petty child (a realisation immediately followed by remembering that she simply did not care.)

health / 800/800
stats / Stamina - 8 | Evasion - 8 | Strength - 7 | Wisdom - 7 | Arcane Power - 10 | Accuracy - 10
abilities / Sixth Sense - Perfectionist - Comprehend Languages (Mermish) - Terrible Presence

Round 3

Hanako vs. Lindsey

Reducio

Hanako cast Fire-Making Spell II at Lindsey.
Wisdom DC: 12 + 2 Lovely Creature = 14
Wisdom Check: [d20: 15] + 9 = 24 > 14 → Success
Auto-Miss: 16, fail Terrible Presence
Accuracy Check: [d20: 3] + 10 = 13
Evasion Check: [d20: 16] + 7 = 24
13 < 24 → Miss!

Illowy vs. Lindsey

Reducio

Illowy cast Wind Jinx at Lindsey.
Wisdom DC: 11 + 2 Lovely Creature = 13
Wisdom Check: [d20: 3] + 12 = 15 > 13 → Success
Auto-Split: 9, fail
Auto-Miss: 9, fail Terrible Presence
Accuracy Check: [d20: 18] + 12 = 30
Evasion Check: [d20: 4] + 7 = 11
30 > 11 → Hit!
Duration: [d3: 1], 1 Round
Damage: 50 + 10 Arc x 10 = 150 - 15 (10%) Terrible Presence = 135
Effects:
- Lindsey loses 135 HP and has -4 evasion for 1 round.

Autumn vs. Lindsey

Reducio

Autumn cast Cheering Charm at Lindsey.
Wisdom DC: 10 + 2 Lovely Creature = 12
Wisdom Check: [d20: 15] + 7 = 22 > 12 → Success
Duration: [d3: 2], 1 Round + 1 = 2 Rounds
Effects:
- Lindsey has +3 ArcPower for 2 rounds.

Lindsey vs. Hanako

Reducio

Lindsey cast Wind Jinx at Hanako.
Wisdom DC: 11 + 2 Lovely Creature = 13
Wisdom Check: [d20: 17] + 10 = 27 > 13 → Success
Auto-Split: 8, fail
Auto-Miss: 13, fail Terrible Presence
Accuracy Check: [d20: 16] + 10 = 26
Evasion Check: [d20: 2] + 6 = 8
26 > 8 → Hit!
Duration: [d3: 3], 2 rounds
Damage: 50 + 8 Arc x 10 = 130 - 13 (10%) Terrible Presence = 117
Effects:
- Hanako loses 117 HP and has -4 evasion for 2 rounds.

Storm Cloud vs. Slytherins

Reducio

Hanako: [d20: 5] → Fail
Illowy: [d20: 6] → Fail
Results: Everyone is still safe.

Things on the piste seemed to have just a mild explosion to get things going. Hanako's Fire-Making Spell II failed to hit Lindsey, but luckily his duelling partner Illowy had better luck. Her Wind Jinx didn't split, but it hit her target spot on, sending a jolt of pain through Lindsey's body. Autumn took a defensive maneuver, casting the cheering charm on Lindsey to give her extra power in the next round. Lindsey returned the favor of the Wind Jinx but towards Hanako, hitting him successfully and making the first hit on the other team. Hanako and Illowy were safe from the storm cloud, but for how long?

OOC Info

- The minimum WC for this duel is 50 words.
- You have 96 hours from the time of this mod to post in this thread.
- In the same time period, send the lovely Thomas Baines your team's actions per owl. Do not hint at your actions in your post. (Thomas is lovely so I'm keeping that note). Mod is back to normal (I think) after this round!
- If you don't post or owl in the allotted time frame, your action is void.
- Your stats, abilities, and spells have been locked for the duration of the duel (you cannot cast spells that are added to your trunk during the duel, for example). Check out the latest patch so you're on top of things.
- If you have any questions, don't hesitate to owl me, or feel free to reach out on Discord!

The Spectator Thread for this duel can be found here!

"Such graciousness, my life is complete now, Tone."

“ Glad I could do so, Magnard “ he fired back in a similar sarcastic tone and innocent smiles.

Retorts? Sour faces? Sarcasm in everyone's tones? Now this was what made duelling extra fun.

“Yup, Prince Charming out there who would get struck by lightning next minute and go back to Prince Shocking, I know that.” She winked at Tone, looking genuine. “Though it’s always good to know that you do like my little gift. See, what a pretty smile you’ve got on your face!”

And he gave her another pretty smile, due to her obvious request for it, considering the attention she’s giving him. See? Who said duelling had to be all stress, frowns, sacrifices, and needless encouragement? Whatever he and the Hufflepuffs had going, it certainly(?) benefited them both.

"Maybe you should learn a couple lessons from Springhall, Tone, and conjure up a couple clouds yourself. Clearly, you need the help. Especially since you're already so busy with your 'overwhelming charm'."

“ And put her weather charm to shame? Now why would I ever do that~?”

And boom, the next match started and their earlier banter almost made this round bearable. Almost.

Oh god, not this crap again.

Perhaps too focused on conjuring a difficult spell like incendio II , he was too preoccupied to even see the blast of wind coming straight at him. “ Drat drat drat “ he muttered while he fought his hardest against the wind. Sorry ladies, Hana currently has his hands full. Therefore, no snarky comments from him this round.

Action: Doing and Strategized

So, it wasn’t a surprise that Lindsey got hit again, for the thing that she wasn’t the best evader in the world. Things were changing fast - she still remembered how her evasiveness had annoyed the Slytherins when she played her ever first official Quidditch game. The same luck didn’t come in Duelling, it seemed, when Illowy’s Ventus hit her right in the face, forcing Lindsey to rock in the gust of wind. Her accuracy was still quite a strength, though, playing a contrast with her speed of dodging. Hanako the chatterbox received his own platter of wind, and finally - oh, finally! - stopped his not-a-single-time-wise wisecracks.

But, everything above was acceptable and foreseeable. Autumn’s action was a true surprise - sorry, shock. She could feel the strength into her body, the newly gained power from the spell Autumn had just casted on her. Was that - the Cheering Charm? She thought so, and shifted her vision to the raven-haired girl beside her for a second. Only a second, and her eyes went back to the snakes facing them. This was…oh.

She didn’t know before that Autumn would actually do her a favour. Even if they were already so-called teammates, she thought they’d fight separately and only show some made-up tenderness to the Slytherins. Wait…speaking of making up, was all this, this spell, a made-up tenderness? Again, she didn’t think Autumn would be on her side, other than to win the duel with her for their shared house’s glory.

Fake. Everything was fake.

But still something had to be spoken, something to let the Slytherins know that they were indeed a team. “Hey, I mean, thanks.” Lindsey tilted her head to Autumn, and said. “I hope you are doing well.” No more explanations. Hope you are doing well? What a nice comment, she didn’t at all think Autumn was doing well. Either way, Autumn must be mad - if she was genuine in helping her, or if she’s trying to make those cunning snakes believe that they were close friends. This was just…crazy.

As strategized.

date / Friday - October 21, 2022
word count / 428 words

If anybody at any point asked Autumn to describe this round of this duel in one word- she doubted anybody ever would, but if she were to suspend her disbelief for the sake of the hypothetical- she would choose 'windy'. While she commended Lindsey's hit in her own silent, seething, annoyed-by-Springhall way, it seemed Ventus was a popular spell, because as she sent one flying, she was met with another in turn. Autumn tried not to feel some cruel glee at that, but couldn't stifle the small, satisfied grin that formed. Small victories.

Autumn couldn't deny that Springhall was getting more hits than she was. If she were particularly insecure, she might have even went as far as to say her teammate was carrying their team. But she had one advantage over the other. When she hit, she hit harder. For some spells, the effects even lasted longer. Of course, there was no use to this if she wasn't hitting at all, which was currently the case. All she had going for now was a vague intimidation factor.

But, like previously established, Lindsey was hitting as much as she was receiving hits. Autumn was petty, but she was not stupid, and she was not about to sacrifice any semblance of strategy to get on Springhall's nerves. Not on the piste. So she could suck things up and play support for a round, bring Lindsey up to her level (higher, even).

She could feel the oncoming scoff mess with her pronunciation slightly, but she knew the spell well enough to succeed. Perhaps the same couldn't be said of Hanako, and Autumn couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's failure.

Then Lindsey said something, and her voice was laced with gratefulness and if Autumn had known one stupid spell was going to have Springhall going soft on her, she wouldn't have cast the spell in the first place. It was a duel. Banter was fine, good even, but there was no place for personal grievances when things got serious. She had expected Lindsey to understand that, but she seemed more surprised than anything.

She'd need to be meaner to Springhall to make up for her choice of spell. They had little chance of convincing the snakes that they were friends anyway, after their previous exchanges. If she had to help Lindsey, at least she could be sarcastic to make the whole thing slightly more bearable.

"Don't get soft on me, Springhall. I just want to win, and your hits are weak. I am doing well though. Unlike you, it seems."

health / 800/800
stats / Stamina - 8 | Evasion - 8 | Strength - 7 | Wisdom - 7 | Arcane Power - 10 | Accuracy - 10
abilities / Sixth Sense - Perfectionist - Comprehend Languages (Mermish) - Terrible Presence