Day 2 Spectator

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‘ I just wanted you to know,
that this is me trying. ’
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Attending morning slot.
Match 2, 10:30–11:30.
OPEN to interaction.
𓆚

—Regrettably, Maeve had not attended any of the previous duels of the Hogwarts season.

Whether blamed on the inhuman amount of studying, or simple fact of being too tired to partake; the first year never found the time to see one through. This was it, though. Her last chance to witness at least something worth while. Too long had it been since the first year felt a smile on her face. A true smile. Laughter bubbling from her throat as though it did so often back home. Yet ironically, the sight of other’s demise was supposed to strike it’s return?

That was the plan, anyway. And so there she stood, the great wooden entry to the dueling club practically towering over her 5’2 stature. Voices seemed to carry on excitedly inside as she placed a hand upon the doors, pushing open with a force much stronger than she’d anticipated needed.

The room however was brightly lit, and smelt strangely of smoke and dust. While seemingly clean, it was clear no matter of cleansing could erase the numerous standoffs that’d taken place before her.

A few sat around conversing with friends, while others stood huddled off in their respective groups. Duelists, she’d figured; gaze peering closely as to identify anyone she’d known. Maeve knew best of all, however, that it was a lost cause anyway. Given how the Slytherin remained recluse thus far in the year, it wouldn’t make sense to be knowledgeable in her peers. For it wasn’t the students she was here for, it was the duel in itself. The fight. The thrill. The brilliance of it all.

Dark eyes glided over rows of empty seats, still opting to stand. The wall was cold as she leaned against it, awaiting silently for the duelling to begin.

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Sun. 23rd April 2023

┊--------------------IMPRESS VIPER, IMPRESS--------------┊

Fourth Floor, Dueling Club

It could be determined that Caoimhe frequented the Dueling Club room to such an extent that it could be considered her secondary abode. The Vipress utilized the spell-proof area to hone her wand skills for when her time on the piste would come. However, on this occasion, her purpose for being there was to pick up tactics from the Veridian Vipers and serve as a representative for her House, or more specifically, for a solitary member of Slytherin.

The "Enigma" would engage in his first duel as a Veridian Viper today, much to Caoimhe's disappointment and delight. Caoimhe was aware that she would not be able to join the Veridian Vipers this year due to their full roster, but she was nonetheless annoyed that Avery had found a way to join the team as soon as a spot became available. Caoimhe desired that she had the same fortune in her dueling career as he possessed. She wasn't sure if it was just fate or his charisma that swayed the Captain, but she grew tired of being on the sidelines.

If the cards were dealt different and if Caoimhe somehow was selected for the team, her and Avery would be compelled to interact with one another more, which she did not desire at this time. She remained bothered by the wicked histories of the Leverets and his family's secrets, which her mother would reveal without much provocation during Easter break. After much conversations with her mother and father alike, she would learn a great deal about them from both the stories in the Daily Prophet and the rumors that circulated about them. They were sly characters whom her parents had warned her to avoid, and so she would distance herself from him as a result.

Despite this notion, she felt compelled to demonstrate her support for Avery because she had witnessed his very first duel when he was a mere aspiring duelist. Being a supporter of his dueling ambition seemed oddly important to her, despite the fact that she was convinced Avery wouldn't care whether or not she was present to watch. She was unable to articulate the reason, whether it was the shattered remnants of their former friendship that stirred her, or sizing up the competition between them that felt more real than ever now.

Avery and Caoimhe had a great deal of shared interest while engaging in their metaphorical game of chess, but the game appeared to be halted because there was still an unanswered question regarding his standing in her eyes. She was unable to escape the agonizing suspicion that she was not the only person who knew the truth, something Caoimhe suspected would eventually be discovered. When their pathways crossed in class or common room, he had a shadowy glint in his eyes when landing on her, which gave the impression that the veil separating them had finally been lifted. Was he an opponent? A friend? Was their connection, if any had ever truly existed, that they had formed through the past year at a brutal end? Did Caoimhe truly believe she could trust a person who had been raised in such a grim upbringing, anyways?

{Normal people can skip to this part}

Fortunately for Caoimhe, she would be accompanied to the duels with friends. While she would have desired to invite the Gryffindor with whom she was developing a close relationship with, she was unsure if Harlan would accept, as neither she nor his house were dueling on the piste this morning. Due to her height and the increasing number of students standing, Caoimhe would stand with her back against the wall at the highest point of the risers while wearing an emerald green outfit. Alora, who expressed her support for Caoimhe in her first duel, would be right there with her, cheering on the Slytherins. Caoimhe had invited a handful of friends to join her, but Alora would accompany her there, and the two of them would save space for additional friends.

"I'm so excited! How do you think they'll do?" Caoimhe would inquire while leaning close to Alora so she could hear her better through the several shouts of students around them. "I wonder if anyone else is coming."

WC ┊ --/200

┊ CASUAL ATTIRE ┊ HAIRSTYLE ┊ TAGS @Alora J. Graves & @Avery Leveret ┊ ENGLISH #9b83a1 ┊ FRENCH #5c8890 ┊ ARABIC #5b8f89 ┊

Ava had technically never seen or taken part in a duel. Unless you counted the 1v1 dueling club. That had been a biased duel anyway, so Ava didn’t like to count it.

Today, Ava had shown up for two slytherin matches, although she didn’t know any of the duelers. Well, she sort of knew Avery Leveret. Sort of.

It was his first duel since joining the dueling team, and she would be…supporting him? Sort of. She really wasn’t sure why she was there other than to watch the duel, but for some odd reason she was looking forward to one particular duel. Avery’s duel.

Ava had dressed what she deemed as appropriate for the match. A pair of khaki jeans, and a green jacket over top a cropped white shirt. Tucked on her arm was a white scarf, despite the warm weather that had befallen the school. Her hair was left down, and she had a white ribbon in tied around her wrist in case she needed to pull it up.

Ava didn’t really know the duelists one the first match. Starlee Kennedy and Fang Hui-Ming. The first she didn’t know, and didn’t even recognize the name, while the latter she believed to be a new Slytherin prefect. That was the team she was cheering for despite not knowing either. They were up against hufflepuffs, Julian Pritchard and Hades Schweighöfer. She didn’t know anyone in this match, it seemed. Oh well. Dueling was always entertaining, even if she wasn’t familiar with who was dueling.

She spotted some other Slytherins nearby but made no attempt to talk to them or even move towards them. Instead, she glanced at the other Slytherin match. Elena Pea Fowl and Avery Leveret. The Fowl girl she didn’t recognize, other than as a well seasoned duelist. Now Avery…that was an entirely different story. She had even fueled Avery once. Unofficially, of course. Avery seemed more well known to the younger students such as herself, while the older students seemed to have their eyes on Fowl. She studied who they were up against. Nessie Swansea and Aurora Griffith. Both what Ava thought to be first years. This duel was sure looking in favor towards the Slytherin team. Hopefully. A won duel was more house points. And more house points meant winning the house cup.

Ava found a spot to settle against the wall, near both Slytherin matches. She wasn’t sure which would turn out more exciting, but she was excited to see how it would play out.

421/200

Attending Morning Slot: Match #6 & 2, 10:30am–11:30am

@x

Alora loved discovering new things in school. When she'd joined her house, she had signed up for broom racing shortly after a few classes of flight. Though dueling had certainly presented appeal, she knew she wasn't ready for such a thing. Not yet, but that didn't mean she wasn't preparing herself for it in the future. Though she certainly wasn't planning on becoming some accomplished duelist, she still had a keen sense for it.

Dueling was an art; she knew that much. As much from her classes as from the few books she had picked up despite herself. Although the library still felt like a prison for information, she had grown closer to it, if only to sharpen her wits. She hated to admit it, but if she wanted to survive her years at Hogwarts, she would need to eventually use the moratorium of knowledge and its chained tomes. Better to learn now than later.

Viridian Vipers. At least there were some shades of green that had the sense to be called appropriately. Alora was still bitter to know Vermillion was red and not green. It rolled off the tongue like a slick serpent begging to show emerald hues from depths unknown. She tried not to think in colour, instead focusing on her friend she had joined for the event. She thought of spells she knew and wondered which Avery would use or if he had some ace up his sleeve.

There was something about Avery Leverett that had Alora gravitate toward him. Not in the way most fawned over him. No, she didn't have a desire for anyone in such a manner. There was something about him that called to her. The way her mother would have quoted Snoop Dogg to say Gangsta recognized Gangsta. She wasn't sure what it was about herself she recognized in him though, and that was the problem.

"He has a plan, that's for sure. Look at the way his jaw is set," she told Caoimhe, nudging her to notice how he held himself. She liked to pride herself in knowing others by how they held themselves. Avery was hard to read, even by her standards. "And it's Leverett. I expect a whole gaggle of fawning serpents will come hoping he'll notice them," she mocked, gagging at the mere idea.

To the readers, please be advised this is not how I feel OOC. Opal, sorry Kee is so mean

Sun. 23rd April 2023

┊--------------------IMPRESS VIPER, IMPRESS--------------┊

Fourth Floor, Dueling Club

The concept of frenzied, groveling serpents amused her. Caoimhe and Leveret did experience their own unique mystery, but she was not a groupie like the other girls in her class. Besides, whatever the enigma was between them was all over now. But an image of a blonde-haired girl and Leveret seated at her own duel a few days prior flashed through Caoimhe's consciousness; the girl (Opal) was, of course, one of the many serpents with eyes on Leveret; more specifically eyes for him. Did she discern jealousy during the duel, despite knowing that Leveret would not waste his time on her? What could drive her to feel such a way?

Caoimhe had only seen the girl in the common room and corridors, but she immediately recognized her as a member of Slytherin. She was a first-year student, like Caoimhe, and her name was Brinkman. @Opal Brinkman, to be concise. Nevertheless, Caoimhe would categorize her as a lowly 'mudblood' due to her slovenly demeanor and being a waste of arcane potential. Caoimhe pondered the name Opal Brinkman for awhile, but it had no significance in the walls of Hogwarts beyond rumors of her pattern to wandering between suitors like a dog.

Spending most of her childhood in the brash company of her three older brothers, and throughout that time, she realized one thing: boys had a tendency to settle. Easy girls who lacked significance were only used, but not worshipped. Obviously, boys would rather put in effort for a woman who is actually worthy of pursuit and would treat her like a trophy to be won. However, whenever the opportunity presented itself for something meaningless and simple, guys would settle for less. Opal would be present; easy and desperate for a snog. Not only would it reveal a great deal about her to Caoimhe, but it would additionally reveal a great deal about those desperate enough to engage with her. Despite her initial jealousy, the Vipress didn't worry about Opal and Avery. She knew Leveret was more mature than to settle.

Caoimhe pushed the thought away almost as soon as it entered her consciousness; she would not allow someone as lowly as Brinkman to occupy her mind palace for long. Nor would she dare spread rumors about the girl either; Caoimhe only had and shared her speech for worthy allies and foes alike; witches and wizards whose sagas were deserving of being recounted in rumors.

Despite her best efforts to avoid the subject of Avery in conversation, Alora couldn't watch the match without mentioning Avery's conduct, which was something Caoimhe understood as he was a duelist to admire. Fearing that her talk of him could reach his ears, she kept quiet and opted to change the subject to Pea. In light of what she had learned about Avery, Caoimhe avoided any further conversations with him and took every effort to avoid discussing him to her friends. Her gaze, which she tried to keep away from the boy, kept returning to him with mixed emotions. 

"Look at Elena's regal self. I bet she's going to bring on the competition," Caoimhe would say while pointing to the upper-class platinum blonde girl, who carried herself with dignity and pride on the piste.

WC ┊ --/200

┊ CASUAL ATTIRE ┊ HAIRSTYLE ┊
┊ TAGS @Alora J. Graves & @Avery Leveret ┊
┊ ENGLISH #9b83a1 ┊ FRENCH #5c8890 ┊ ARABIC #5b8f89 ┊

Morning Slot - 10:30 - 11:30, Match 6, Match 9

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Sun. 23rd April 2023

┊--------------------AN ASPIRER'S TENACITY--------------┊

Fourth Floor, Dueling Club

The Veridian Vipers' duels filled the day with excitement among staff and students alike, which brought spouts of adrenaline to Caoimhe despite her merely spectating. It was a fitting end to her weekend to say the least.

The upcoming match would mark the end of the evening's proceedings, and a youthful and ambitious duelist would strategically position herself in close proximity on the spectator section to observe the victorious tactics employed by the competing pair. One member of the pair had drawn her attention due to their noteworthy abilities and esteemed standing. Cazares' unbeaten record in her initial year of Hogwarts and being elected as a Prefect at one point were significant achievements. Caoimhe, being a young and determined individual, aspired to gain insight from the most accomplished individuals which would include a certain Ruby Cazares.

Caoimhe's countenance was marked by a subtle smile upon catching wind of the taunting yet amusing exchange between the duelists. Nonetheless, observing the match was not exclusively a form of amusement for the young serpent, but rather an artistic pursuit aimed at studying the behavior of the esteemed Vipers, with the intention of modeling it to the best of Caoimhe's competence.

To Caoimhe's astonishment and satisfaction, the initial stage proved to be a complete fiasco, albeit not for the Veridian Vipers. The utilization of spells, which were above Caoimhe's capacity owing to her youth, resulted in the casting of a wind jinx and Petrificus Totalus on the Ravenclaws, or primarily Aida, followed by a body-bind curse.

Merely a couple of rounds had been emitted during the duel, and it appeared that the serpents had the upper hand within the initial stages. Caoimhe was eager to witness the forthcoming events of the match and gain insights through observation.

WC ┊ --/200

┊ CASUAL ATTIRE ┊ HAIRSTYLE ┊ TAGS watching @Ruby Cazares & @Dmtri Jones ┊ ENGLISH #9b83a1 ┊ FRENCH #5c8890 ┊ ARABIC #5b8f89 ┊