Hexwizard Task Aftermath OPEN Closed

The patter of running alerted Ginyami to a white blur that fell upon him before he could do much to react. Two gloved hands grasped the boy’s shoulders, not spared from the bright red blood spattered across Valentin’s unusually ornate clothes.

“Ginyami! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Are you alright?” Valentin searched the Japanese boy for even the slightest injury, head bobbing and diving at different angles as he darted about. Mostly satisfied that Ginyami seemed to be the picture of health, the seeker sighed and stood back, but his eyes continued to wander.

“I heard that you fought valiantly and went down like a hero. Congratulations on your victory. How was your match? Did everything seem normal?”

Valentin himself wore an assortment of untreated wounds (417/800 HP) collected while tanking blows for Durmstrang’s champion. He had refused treatment himself before he could be totally assured that his team mates Mikael and Felix were not only still alive but firmly out of critical condition. Unwilling to leave their sides for even a moment, let alone lay down, hours passed with complications in Mikael’s health proving particularly problematic. Finally when medical staff summarily dismissed Valentin from hovering over them, he could at last begin a search for the Mahoutokoro fox... dodging medics on the way out.

“Stribog above, I was so worried when I heard you went down.” Pulling strands of black hair away from Ginyami’s eyes, Valentin squinted and relaxed his eyes, needing to ensure the spark wasn’t gone from the Japanese boy’s gaze.

Open to interactions.

Reducio

Reducio

"Prismatic comet power, activate!"

Roleplaying as Ginyami Midorimori from Mahoutokoro
"English | Japanese"

Upon being grabbed, the Japanese teen put out a foot instinctively to steady himself and turned his head to witness the crimson stains of blood spatter upon the otherwise pristine white garments fit for a king. His narrow eyes widened at the sight and he could barely grasp what Valentin was saying as he tried to process whose blood it could have been.

"Am I alright? What about you? You're covered in blood!" Someone must have removed his knight armor when he had been unconscious and he was grateful for it because it would have been cumbersome and heavy to walk in, especially without a horse. Still, it hadn't been bloody like Valentin's clothes were. Just what kind of battle had they endured?

Sighing when he realized Valentin was looking him over for injury, he put a hand on the other boy's shoulder and told him, "I am fine, thank you. I just got hit with a mental attack is all. I have since recovered from it, but I am still feeling a little tired. It is nothing to fret over, though."

He chuckled lightly at the captain's comment that he had heard he went down like a hero. "I am not sure about going down 'like a hero', but unfortunately, yes, I did go down. I hear you did not, however. Congratulations on your victory as well! I...hope it did not cost you too dearly?" He ran his fingers delicately over the red splatter, wondering if it was still wet; wondering if he could determine whether it was Valentin's or not. "Our match went well despite our team's and our champion's overall youth. I was only one of two to fall. But yes...everything seemed fairly normal, I think. Well, as normal as things can be when you have people magically donning medieval garments and attacking each other as easily as looking at them. Why do you ask?"

He frowned at the sight of Valentin's wounds, thinking about how his own hadn't been physical and suddenly growing irritated that Valentin obviously hadn't had his treated yet. "...Why have you not been seen for these injuries yet?" he asked, a note of urgency and another of annoyance in his tone. "I appreciate you worrying about me, Valentin, but here you are, unreasonably concerning yourself with others first rather than taking care of your own health. If you were worried, how do you think I feel, seeing you like this? We must get you to a healer at once!"

The spark was far from gone from Ginyami's eyes as the seeker pulled strands out of their way. In fact, if anything, they blazed with a distant, cold fury as he grabbed for Valentin's right arm, ready to drag him to the nearest medic if he had to. How anyone had managed to let this boy out of their sight without forcing him to seek medical attention first was beyond him. Useless imbeciles, the lot of them...If we were in Mahoutokoro, I'm certain this wouldn't have happened!

Interacting with: Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood)

He really is okay, isn’t he? A mental attack…? That’s… even harder for me to fix, right? When have I ever studied such a thing, let alone how to heal it…

“Wait, mental attack…? What was that like? Are you sure your mind is back to normal? How do you even know…?” The seeker partially registered the concern about himself and his battered condition, but his obsessive mind wouldn’t let go of Ginyami as a topic until he knew the other was truly still feeling quite like himself. Following any elaboration, Valentin raised a hand to his own brow as he began to feel lightheaded, only to realize he was still wearing his crown: a crystalline ring of icicle spires spread into a halo like in a classical painting, accentuated by only a single pigeon blood ruby.

“Oh,” whispered Valentin. He really was standing in the middle of the dining hall without having changed out of his blood-soaked attire. Looking down, he checked to make sure he wasn’t bleeding on the floor – luckily, his clothing seemed to be absorbing leaks from whatever wounds hadn’t fully clotted over or reopened, sparing his surroundings.

As he felt Ginyami’s fingers run gently across his pectoral gash, Valentin’s eyelashes fluttered and he blushed. The boy’s hand would come back wet and red – the blood was definitely Valentin’s. Despite his proximity to others wounded in action, in fact, all of the blood was the young king’s. The other boy’s words would register, but only through a fog as the dazzling touch lingered in Valentin’s mind. He couldn’t even see the other’s frown as his eyes batted shut, but the irritation in Ginyami’s voice still crawled its way through Val’s distracted smile. Through the blur of blood loss and lulled by the undertow of relief at finally knowing Ginyami was safe, Valentin felt it might be time to lay down now. Yet, the Mahoutokoro boy seemed nicely dressed and Val didn’t want to spoil it by leaning on him. Instead, Val looked at his right palm, still clean from having clasped his scepter throughout the battle, and grabbed the boy’s shoulder as he began to fall backwards. Stabilizing quickly, Valentin gave responding to the fox’s questions a go.

“Ah, hm. No, the cost was worth it, right? I ate a lot of hurt for Fima like a king should do and Misha is okay after all, right? And Felya. And you. You’re all okay now. Now I can get treatment. I’m strong and can wait my turn.” Valentin's usually light accent was beginning to grow heavy again with the deterioration of his English, as the Japanese boy had heard once before.

Reading not only sparks but a raging fire in Ginyami’s eyes, Valentin decided now everything really was alright. Grinning like a child on a holiday, the seeker searched for the boy’s other hand. Not finding it, he looked up and caught his gaze on the other’s mouth.

Just then, Ginyami's “missing” hand appeared, grabbing Valentin by the right wrist. With a howl of pain, Valentin bent under the Mahoutokoro boy's grip before quieting himself in the admittedly loud dining hall.

“G-gently...” he whispered with a giggle. “That one wasn't even from the match. Hahaha...” The more painful the angle on his arm, the more Valentin laughed.

“Oh, Ginyami. You look so nice today.”

Roleplaying as Ginyami Midorimori from Mahoutokoro
"English | Japanese"

"It was only temporary. It stopped after I passed out," the dark-eyed boy replied curtly, briefly recalling what it had been like. It had been something of a waking nightmare of his failures and shortcomings, but for someone like Ginyami, who was rather self-confident, it didn't last for long. Now that he thought of it, one of the main things that had bothered him during that time was the concept of failing Valentine - a concept that had seemed to follow him into real life now as he felt he had not yet properly instilled in the albino teenager that he needed to put himself before others. Perhaps Valentin was right and his mind wasn't back to normal; perhaps he was still being attacked. Why else would he have been so distraught over another's state of health? He hadn't ever really had much reason to care before. Maybe because he hadn't known anyone to be so careless about their own health before.

His eyes widened as they flew to the hand that was raised to Valentin's brow. Did he feel sick? Faint? With as much blood as he appeared to have lost, Ginyami wouldn't have been surprised. It was reminding him of the Thrills & Chills Bash all over again, only the situation seemed more dire this time. Instead of hunger, it was blood loss that threatened to down the white king.

Cursing in Japanese under his breath when his hand came away shining with fresh blood, he tried to think of what to do. He didn't currently know where the nearest medic was, so to try to get Valentin to some place he wasn't even sure of meant a greater chance of him collapsing along the way. This thinking was reinforced when the Durmstrang boy grabbed his shoulder for support as his swaying body threatened to topple over.

Even as he caught himself, Valentin tried to reply to Ginyami, but his answers only caused the fox-faced boy's brows to narrow further. At last, he threw his hands up in exasperation. "Enough! I do not care about your Fima or your Misha or Felya! You are the one who is on the verge of fainting at any moment because you decided to be an idiot! Again! 'Strong'? You can hardly stand up on your own!"

He would have very much liked to slap some sense into his peer when he heard his English begin to worsen and especially when he grinned at him like that, but he had barely managed to reason with himself not to when Valentin gave a pained howl. Glancing down in alarm, he heard the other boy whisper to him followed by a giggle and grit his teeth furiously. 'That one...wasn't even from the match'...?

"Where the hell is it from then?!" he hissed, fighting off the very tempting urge to grip Valentin's wrist harder. But the boy's laughter was really getting on his nerves and, beneath that seething rage, sincerely starting to worry him. "Kuso! (Damn it!) Come sit over here for now," Ginyami demanded. Despite the force of his words, he gingerly led Valentin over to the nearest table to sit down and seated himself beside him. Then he withdrew his wand from his robes.

"Episkey," he said, aiming his wand at Valentin's wrist before drawing a diagonal line in the air from left to right. Episkey WDC: 12+5=17; 1d20:19 - success

Interacting with: Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood)

Valentin smirked with pleasure as Ginyami’s sweltering fury washed over him. The seeker hadn’t seen him like this before.

“You’re so ravishing when you’re angry.” Adoring the purity of the rage, Valentin leaned closer like to a warm fire, becoming an easy target of the other’s wrist grab. Yet, the pain of the accidental damage only heightened his hysterical, light-headed joy.

"Where the hell is it from then?!" hissed the Japanese boy, quite a bit less entertained than the Hell-Chaser. Without concealing a single giggle, Valentin nonetheless obeyed Ginyami’s command to sit down. Indeed, the mirth in the seeker’s eyes gleamed only brighter from the assertiveness paired with the gentle tug at his elbow. Valentin’s eyes widened innocently as they traced the outline of the Mahoutokoro’s curiously designed wand, and he couldn’t help wondering about its composition before a crack ripped through his arm from the fox’s strong Episkey (+100 HP => 517/800 HP). Only a quiet flicker of his silver gaze betrayed the scream of Val’s nerve endings, and in an instant he jumped back to his feet.

“Ah! Not bad!!” Val nearly purred with delight, flexing his hand as the heat in his arm dissipated – the fractures felt completely healed over now. “Usually I have to do it myself since most of my friends don’t have the knack, but this is my casting hand, so… I didn’t do such a good job left-handed. Thank you, Ginyami!” Valentin conveniently omitted the part about not asking Romeo to heal it, as #4 was at the root of the problem. Instead, the seeker's muscles tensed briefly before Val looked down at the bloody front of his shirt, barely stopping from throwing himself around the other’s neck in gratitude. “It’s okay about my friends, too. You haven’t met them yet, so of course you don’t know how great they are. One day you’ll see why they’re so worth it.”

Running a hand through his milky hair, Valentin sat back down again to steel himself for answering Ginyami’s question. He’d kept him waiting long enough, after all, needing the mental space to give a proper reply. The smile drained from Valentin’s face, but his eyes lingered on the Mahoutokoro fox.

“We won…” Easing his mind back into the night before their battle, Valentin’s eyes began to close as he summoned the words. “Alright, about my arm… I broke my wrist the night before the match, after the haircut–” Yet, a flicker of movement characteristic of Hiro, the calico beater, stopped Valentin in place. “Oh, hey Tone. Congratulations on your victory. I would have loved to watch you fight were I not otherwise engaged.” Val’s mithril eyes observed as Hiro draped himself around Ginyami. Ssh, ssh, Valik, it’s okay, thought Valentin to himself. No reason for jealousy, hey. Still, Valentin stayed silent a moment longer than usual, reducing him to the conversational speed of a normal person.

"I see you got yourself a personal healer looking out for you. That's why you refused to be seen by the main healers, right? You wanted Yami to take care of you, right? You're such a romantic, Valentine!" Hiro smiled; how much of this was intentional mischief? "Isn't he, Yami?"

Val’s mouth dropped open with an instinct to defend his evasion of medics and half-running through the castle in search of Ginyami, but this was Hiro. Like with any cat, Val was more interested in playing than saving face. Still, he couldn’t help blushing at being called a romantic. “I don’t deserve such high praise,” he mumbled softly as he fluttered bashful white eyelashes in the other direction. He wanted to fire back some funny banter for Hiro’s amusement, but the comment hit Val right in his core. Besides, Val and Hiro had both stayed with the wounded until the last possible minute. Wasn't Hiro merely teasing, aware of when the nurses had enough and forcibly evicted Valentin from the patients' ward for hovering too much? Surely it was not just Val's evasive maneuvers to get out the door without being tied to a bed that turned a few heads.

“Are you feeling alright after the match, Tone? Nothing mental, even? I mean, more than usual…” With a smirk, Valentin felt himself beginning to recover from Hiro's poignant remark.

Banner by Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood

Roleplaying as Ginyami Midorimori from Mahoutokoro
"English | Japanese"

Somehow being told that he was ravishing when he was angry only served to irk Ginyami more; perhaps because he felt Valentin wasn't taking him or the situation as seriously as he thought he should. The smirk the seeker wore didn't help matters, either. All of that and Valentin's peculiar behavior of giggling and laughing in the face of pain really made Ginyami wonder if there wasn't some truth to the rumors that the quidditch captain was a masochist.

There was little time to wonder about that, however, as he sat them both down and drew out his wand to get to work. Fortunately, it seemed like the spell went well which he wasn't sure was going to be the case with his rage nearly taking control of him like it had. He sighed when Valentin jumped back up as if he weren't hurt anywhere else, wishing he could heal his pale peer completely rather than just his arm.

He had half a mind to force the jubilant king back down and make him sit through another healing spell or three, but he didn't trust himself just then. He wasn't sure he wouldn't mess something up worse with his emotions peaked and mental fatigue creeping up on him. If only he'd had some of his potions or plants from back home with him, he could have had Valentin fixed up in a flash.

A wince betrayed his despair to hear that most of Valentin's friends didn't have the knack to heal and that he was the one that usually had to do it himself. Him, the Hell-Chasing thrill seeker who obviously didn't bother much with his own well-being. At least it sounded like he had tried, though, since he said he hadn't done such a good job left-handed. It just would have been better if he had seen a medic about it sooner; ideally before the first Hexwizard Task.

"You are welcome," he told his companion with another sigh, again wishing he could do more. "Why did you not get it looked at before the task, though?" The corner of his mouth twitched in annoyance at the mention of Valentin's friends yet again and how he hadn't met them yet. It was probably lucky for them he hadn't met them yet. He might have ripped them apart for allowing Valentin to prance about like he had with the wounds he'd sustained. If they were really his friends, at least one of them should have coerced him to get himself healed either before or after the task.

"No one should be worth more to you than you are to yourself," Ginyami scolded sulkily when he was told that one day he would see why Valentin's friends were 'worth it'. He seriously doubted that. "Everyone with sense puts themselves first before looking to care for others. Otherwise, if you do not, who will? Certainly not these 'friends' you speak of."

When Valentin sat back down again, his smile disappeared as he looked to Ginyami and the Japanese teen wondered if he'd finally sobered up. His first statement was that they won, which the black-haired boy nodded to matter-of-factly. His fingers drummed on the table next to him as he considered trying one more healing spell on Valentin; perhaps something a little easier this time so he didn't risk messing up as badly. As the bloody youth finally seemed ready to divulge how he had broken his wrist the night before, however, a new headache arrived in the form of Ginyami's younger schoolmate.

Not only did the interruption cut Valentin off and keep him from explaining how he got his wrist broken, but it seemed Hiro had decided that just then was the perfect time to tease his two upperclassmen about their ambiguous relationship. Ginyami clenched his teeth and reached up a hand to grab Hiro's ear as he draped himself over him from behind, giving it a sharp tug.

"Your input was not asked for, Hiro," he snapped, letting go of his ear and putting a hand on the second year's face to shove it away from his own. When he caught sight of Valentin's reaction to the comment, however, he became distracted by it, falling silent for a moment. 'High praise'? Being called a romantic?

"I'm still waiting for you to tell me how you broke your wrist, Valentin," Ginyami reminded him sternly when he began to fear the matter would be lost to the conversation regarding Hiro's state of mind.

Interacting with: Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood) & Hiro Bakugo (@Kim Sato)

The annoyed concern in Ginyami’s voice soothed the Hell-Chaser, as it told him it was finally time to let his guard down and recover in the presence of one who really cared for him.

"Why did you not get it looked at before the task, though?" asked Ginyami about Valentin’s arm.

“There wasn’t much time, since it happened late at night and in the morning I had to help the team with final preparations. I patched it up well enough that I was functional!” Valentin grinned affectionately at the Japanese fox, then went on about how his friends were worth the risk and pain.

"No one should be worth more to you than you are to yourself. Everyone with sense puts themselves first before looking to care for others. Otherwise, if you do not, who will? Certainly not these 'friends' you speak of."

“It’s not their fault; I didn’t even mention it since they already had enough to worry about that day. See, I know they’d bend over backwards to take care of me, which is why I have to be smart about asking things of them. It’s not about me, it’s about what the team needs most. If the team really needed me to use that time to fix my arm better for the match, I would have done it, but I didn’t need it to just hold a scepter and tank some blows. This was a tactical decision for the greater good. Because they know I wouldn’t ask for something not in the best interest of the group, surely they’ll always treat my requests with urgency and care. This helps them know what the priorities are for success, too. When the whole group gets the best outcome, we achieve the greatest good. We are strongest together, not alone – why else would humans be such social animals? Consider the accomplishments of our species: the great architecture that we raised together, the sprawling libraries of shared knowledge that builds upon itself, and the improved health and lifespans achieved through cooperation and camaraderie. Certainly the power of unification can bring terrible destruction as well, but looking back, I’d say it has been undeniably for the best. Just think of the great things we could accomplish if you and I trusted each other to the core and supported one another.” Valya’s smile beamed with palpable warmth and he nuzzled the top of his head against Ginyami’s shoulder before sitting down to steel himself for the next question.

“Alright, about my arm…” he began, but stopped as Hiro came up to them. The calico beater might have heard a good portion of Valya’s earlier words, depending on the keenness of his ears, but he still brought playful banter as he entered the conversation. Hiro continued on chatting about the Hexiwizard task, and Valentin nodded with an appreciative smile.

“I look forward to receiving your owl.” Scanning the perimeter of the dining hall, Valentin wondered what kind of owl Hiro had and if it was having a hard time navigating the maze-like Hogwarts castle. Watching Hiro and Ginyami interact, the Durmstrang captain admired the comfortable atmosphere between them. The underclassman got led around by the ear and seemed to accept such treatment with good humor, but Valentin had to wonder how Hiro really felt about it. The captain pondered if, beneath what some would only see as play, there wasn’t really a subtle power dynamic underlying their relationship. The younger Mahoutokoro student must have had his reasons for sticking around Ginyami. Was such endurance an act of service from Hiro? Valentin remained silent, hoping that one day the truth would come to light. Such was how the quidditch captain’s brain worked, as it was his job every day to understand what made people tick and how interpersonal dynamics worked. Regarding people he was fond of in particular, learning such motivations was sweeter than candy.

“Are you feeling alright after the match, Tone? Nothing mental, even? I mean, more than usual…” Val’s question matched Hiro’s lighthearted tone despite carrying earnest concern.

"Oh, I'm completely fine, Valentine! I mean I wasn't even in the match, you two got the worst of it. Speaking of which..." Hiro shot Ginyami a look, and Valentin’s gaze followed.

What? wondered Valentin, examining the dark-haired boy for wounds again, only to find him just as sound of health as a moment ago. What is Hiro thinking?

"I'm still waiting for you to tell me how you broke your wrist, Valentin," reminded Ginyami, soon echoed by Hiro with the same question. Valya sighed and nodded in reply. He hadn’t meant to explain this to anyone but Ginyami, but Val decided he trusted Hiro well enough to answer them both… to a certain degree of detail. Valentin couldn’t think of a touchier topic if he tried.

“It’s at once both simple and difficult to explain,” began the seeker. “Last night, I left the Mahoutokoro cabin by broom, and I…” Rubbing his white-gloved thumb and index finger together in a repeating circle, Valentin took a deep breath. “You know, the press call me ‘Hell-Chaser Val,’ as if I intentionally seek out pain. I didn’t mean to crash the broom; I made a mistake. It’s just that I accept the possibility of making mistakes in order to improve. I took that turn too fast at a bad angle, and I hope I learned from it. I didn’t read the lighting well enough in the dark. What I wanted was to do better, to be better, to be… worthy. I wanted to be… good enough for… Look, I knew I was overpracticing, and it was reckless to do it before the tournament,” Valya crooned apologetically despite speaking to members of another team. “I still feel the pain from before when I was… not good enough for someone. The pain is fine. The pain is what makes me try harder, stay focused, and learn the right thing to do. It’s just… I know I’m still not…” Valentin turned his head away, knowing he couldn’t say the words if he was looking at either Japanese boy. “I’m not good enough, not yet. Not for… anyone, not for Ginyami, but I can get better. I can become worthy. I want to earn the love I need so badly. I…” His breath beginning to shudder, Valentin closed his eyes and lowered his head. “Чёрт.” Russian: “Ah, hell.” Digging his hands into his hair, Valentin sighed. “It’s not… far from the mark to say that I want Ginyami to heal me, but it's not just physical… I didn’t get hurt just for the attention, you must believe me. The only way I can accept such blessings as friends like you two is if I deserve it. S-sorry. I’m trying.”

Valentin’s mithril eyes reopened and he stared into the contours of his hands. Out with it, he urged himself. White hair tousling as his head turned to stare into Ginyami’s eyes, Valentin whispered low.

“Even earlier, there was a time when... I wasn’t good enough, either, and it almost cost me forever. People won’t stay around me if I don’t do better. They leave when they find bluer horizons, but I can’t… I don’t want to lose someone again, and I don’t want to lose you.”