2023, Stage 3 Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin: Match 7

Round 4

Jake Morris vs Hanako Tone

Reducio

Jake Morris cast Flipendo at Hanako Tone
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 1] + 10 = 11 > 11 → Crit. Fail
Damage: ( 100 + 6*10) * .9 (TP) = 144

Autumn Ivy

Reducio

Autumn Ivy cast Reparifors at herself
Wisdom DC: 11
Wisdom Check: [d20: 4] + 7 + 1 (CL) = 12 > 11 → Success
Healing: 50 + 10AP × 5 = 100

Opeila Winters vs Autumn Ivy

Reducio

Opeila Winters casts Obscuro at Autumn Ivy
Wisdom DC: 10
Wisdom Check: [d20: 15] + 9 = 24 > 10
Accuracy Check: [d20: 10] + 12 = 22
Evasion Check: [d20: 8] + 9 - 4 = 13
22 > 13 → Hit
Effect: opponent is blindfolded, 0 ACC and EVA until removed as an action

Hanako Tone vs Autumn Ivy

Reducio

Hanako Tone cast Incendio Duo at Autumn Ivy
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20: 10] + 10 = 20 > 12 → Success
Auto-Miss: [d20: 10] < 19 → No Auto-Miss
Accuracy Check: [d20: 2] + 10 = 12
Evasion Check: [d20: 1] + 9 - 4 = 6
12 > 6 → Hit
Damage: (60 + 10AP × 10) * .9 = 144
Duration: [d3: 2] → 1 Round (1-2: 1 round, 3: 2 rounds)
Effects: Aflame, target suffers –60 HP per round.

The chaos this bout would turn onto the Badgers. The come-alive beast of chaos was hungry, and it would be making the Hufflepuffs it's snack.

There would be no beautiful chants like their last spells - they would be getting down to business without all that flash. Autumn would chose the safe route, her very own Reparifors. A smart move given her current wind predicament. Hanako seemed determined to send some of that hot, hot magic right back at Autumn with his own Incedio Duo. "It looks like things are heating up between Hanako and Autumn!" Galton would add as the boy worked to conjure flame. Opelia would introduce a new spell to the piste, Obscuro. Solid execution, but nothing noteworthy. Jake on the other hand had something to draw the attention.

A wrong wrist movement sent the full force of his flipendo right back at him. "OW! Third time is not the charm!" The audience would be able to hear the full force of Galton's cringe in that 'ow'. But the bad news was not over for the Badgers. Autumn would be able to bathe herself in the warm, purple glow of magical healing, but it would soon be replaced with another warm feeling.

Fire and cloth flew across the stage, both aimed at Autumn. There would be no escape from either. The cloth would wrap itself around her face first, leaving her blind. The incoming fire (no matter how terrible the aim) would have no problem catching onto the duelist. Her clothes would go up in flames as she felt the singe of magical fire.

"A one-two punch from Slytherin! Blind and flaming, that's gotta hurt!" Galton felt bad about his commentary here. He had a duty to the fans to continue with the show, but he truly felt for the Badgers. He knew the familiar feeling when every move you try to make seems to go south in a duel. Hopefully it wasn't too late for them to recover. It never seems to be.

Information

• You have 96 hours from now to write your posts. A minimum word count of 50 is needed per post.
• In the same time period, send me (Galton Lansdale) your team's actions per owl. Do not hint at your actions in your post.
• If you don't post in the allotted time frame, your action is void.
• Your Stats, Abilities, and Spells have been locked to what they are now for the duration of this duel.
• Please owl or message me if you have any questions or concerns!
• Here you can find the rules to the Duelling System.
• Best of luck, let's have some fun!

The spectator thread for this duel can be found here.
Come cheer for your House and friends!

"I don't believe you're giving credit where it's due. Fire can be quite romantic indeed. Not in our current context, I'm afraid, where my goal is to burn you to ashes, but... Well, Incendio has a certain charm to it, no?". Hanako raised an eyebrow at her words, a smug smirk beginning to form on his face.

“ Oh I see, what a peculiar love language you have “ With a new bright idea, his next thoughts obvious with the hard to miss amusement in his tone for his next words; “ I’ll keep that in mind, Cutie~” And he certainly would, though he refrained from saying more. Perfectly understanding what Ivy was asking for. He wouldn’t be shocked if she understood him too. While the two seemed to say a lot without actually saying anything, Jake was having a hard time even grasping it. The sight of it earned the other boy a short lived chuckle. “ No need to put your cute little head in a spin, Morris. Your partner there is just flirting with me in her own little cute way. And I welcome it~” he sent her a quick wink, hoping it would make her stomach churn with nausea. Yea, okay. He was still kinda pissed about being set on fire constantly, but he wouldn't be for long.

Winters of course decided to ruin any incoming good mood he was just starting to feel. Still not over that, huh? His eye roll and the look he gave it make it somewhat clear what was going through his head. Haven’t she already had her fun with that little secret between them? She has to be the worst partner he ever had the pleasure of partnering up with. She actually h a d something against him, and therefore he h a d to adhere to her wishes. He feigned a mock surrender with his hands and threw one last annoyed look. Besides he had other things to pay attention to. Like continuing his fiery flirting with Autumn Ivy.

"It looks like things are heating up between Hanako and Autumn!"

Hanako wholeheartedly agree with the loud moderator. Was he a tad bit of a maniac being unable to hide his glee at the sight of her being on fire? Maybe. He was but a simple guy with major resentment issues. With the blindfold wrapping themselves around poor Ivy next, he showed a triumphant grin before recoiling back into a grimace. Urgh. He hoped she didn’t see that.

On the other side, Jake had sent a flipendo back at him and with the direction his wand was pointed, Hanako was supposed to be his target. Now if it was anyone else, they would’ve received the mockery of their life. Perhaps even a few annoying flirty quips. But revenge tasted sweet enough for him to behave this round.

“ Hey Ivy~” Course, the same courtesy wasn’t given to Autumn. “ I get you can’t really see anything right now, but just so you know - we look super cute together. Matching clothes and everything! Now all we need is just an actual date. How long can you deny the sparks between us? Hmm~?”

Sparks, yes definitely. The surface of their skins had burned from just that. The only heated feelings they possibly will ever feel towards one another is the fiery urge to take the other down. Perhaps he’ll entertain the idea of a date after they win this duel. Given that Ivy didn’t want to strangle him at first sight.

@Opeila Winters | Action: Doing as strategized. Flirting with the cutie Hufflepuffs

Alright, Opeila was really not enjoying this duel too much. Maybe being paired up with Bridget and Dmitri had spoiled her, she was used to her partners being more than able to pull their own weight- Hanako did not even have that as some kind of upside, no, he was only annoying.

Maybe it was time to play a little more mean. "Obscuro!" The blindfold wrapped neatly around the girl's head- clearly also the only reason why Hanako hit at all. Opeila swallowed a comment about his terrible aim and forced herself to focus.

Doing as strategized.

Jake pointed his wand, uttered the incantation, and WHAM! He felt himself pushed backward, almost stumbling off of his feet, his own wand backfiring against him. Face flushing a bit, the boy darted his eyes to his partner and uttered out a quick "Sorry," What had he done wrong? He'd done everything exactly the same as before, hadn't he? He gave a small glare at his wand. Why did it never want to cooperate with him, didn't it know that this was important? Everybody was watching after all.

But, Jake supposed he wasn't the ONLY one who messed up his duelling spells. He'd watched enough duels to know that even the best backfired sometimes - it was just what happened when you were in a high pressure situation, casting over and over while also trying to dodge and make strategies, and well...just SURVIVE. So it wasn't that surprising if some of his spells went wrong once in a while, but he couldn't help but feel kinda foolish after almost knocking himself over.

Luckily, Hanako gave Jake something to distract him. Maybe distract him a little TOO much.

"What? Flirting? Jake gaped, flashing a look at Autumn, because obviously she was gonna set him straight, and deny it, right? Surely that was just a lie, or a joke...right? One of these days Jake was going to figure out what made something 'flirting' so he could avoid ever doing it. In this case it seemed like it meant saying a bunch of things that were just opposites, like that fire was romantic. Could anything be flirting if you said it with the right smile on your face? And what was with Hanako and flirting happening in duels anyways?

But now that he had seen it, he couldn't unsee it, as Hanako winked and even asked Autumn out on a date! Jake was 95% sure it was just some kind of a joke or a trick or something, probably. But that still left 5%. "Guuuuys, can't we just duel?" Jake piped up nervously, saying words he never thought he'd hear come out of his own mouth. Could dodging fire really be a BETTER option than listening to Hanako try to ask out his team-mate? Maybe a little.

But there was no time to think about it as he realized that Autumn really HAD been set on fire, and she had been blindfolded too! He gripped his wand tighter, eyes flicking between Autumn and his opponents. What to do now? How could he help? Would she want him to attack or to defend? He knew that technically he was the captain, but she WAS the one on fire after all... and that seemed like it should give you first choice.

Action: Doing as Strategized

date / Saturday - April 22, 2023
word count / 374

A healing spell in the middle of such an eventful duel felt a little boring, but Autumn needed the relief, so maybe sometimes she could afford to be a little more safe in her casting. She wasn't in the mood for an early knock out, and she and Jake had been doing fine for themselves so far.

Unfortunately, the healing left her vulnerable to the Winters' spell. Autumn immediately became nostalgic for when they had been targeting Jake instead. Simpler times.

To make matters worse, Tone had clearly taken her little aside to heart, seeing as now her ropes were very much on fire. Autumn loved fire, but its beauty was a little more lacking when she wasn't on the casting end.

Still, fair was fair. "Tou-" she began to say, before being interrupted by the boy. Merlin, how could one person be so obnoxious? She tried to keep some poise as she spat out, "I am not." Unfortunately, she was certain the aggravation in her voice and posture was noticeable.

She also wanted to kindly ask him to shut up and get knocked out, but the temptation was weaker than the understanding that she would be causing a scene. But with the willpower it took for her to accept that, mixed with the energy it took not to walk up the piste and take matters into her own hands, Autumn simply couldn't resist flipping him her middle finger.

All of that had almost distracted Autumn from the failure of her partner, but she had gotten to witness it before the blindfold had wrapped itself around her eyes. She didn't respond to his apology, because she was too busy being mad at Hanako instead. She would have probably said some ugly things, so this was probably the best scenario in terms of team cooperation. When he did let out a nervous comment about the flirting, though, Autumn decided that maybe Morris did have some sense. Occasionally.

"Exactly," she gestured to him. (Or, at the very least, she tried. It was a little hard to readjust to where he must have been now, blindfold and all. It was fairly tight and Autumn did not enjoy the temporary blindness at all. Winters was a formidable caster.)

health / 513/800
stats / Stamina - 8 | Evasion - 9 | Strength - 7 | Wisdom - 7 | Arcane Power - 10 | Accuracy - 10
abilities / Sixth Sense - Perfectionist - Comprehend Languages (Mermish) - Terrible Presence

Round 5

Jake Morris vs Hanako Tone

Reducio

Jake Morris cast Flipendo at Hanako Tone
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 18] + 10 = 28 > 9 → Success
Auto-Miss: [d20: 3] < 19 → No Auto-Miss
Accuracy Check: [d20: 11] + 13 = 24
Evasion Check: [d20: 13] +6 = 19
24 > 19 → Hit
Damage: ( 100 + 6*10) * .9 (TP) = 144

Autumn Ivy

Reducio

Autumn Ivy removes her blindfold

Opeila Winters vs Autumn Ivy

Reducio

Opeila Winters casts Flipendo at Autumn Ivy
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 7] + 9 = 16 > 9 → Success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 11] + 12 = 23
Evasion Check: [d20: 18] + 0 = 18
23 > 18 → Hit
Damage: ( 100 + 8*10) * .9 (TP) = 162

Hanako Tone vs Autumn Ivy

Reducio

Hanako Tone cast Flipendo at Autumn Ivy
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 17] + 10 = 27 > 9 → Success
Auto-Miss: [d20: 20] > 19 → Auto-Miss

It was time for one of those bouts. Every match had it. And this one one be no different. One of those marathons of magic were everyone had the same idea - how can I make the other team hurt, physically hurt, worst?

From the three duelists still fully able would come a string of "Flipendo!"s, as if they were all in some sort of twisted concert. It was not too surprising that the three would choose the same spell. Jake, well Jake had been casting it pretty much this whole match, so what would stop him now? And the two Vipers had their prey coiled in their reach. Why not get a good chunk of damage before they slipped though. Autumn was certainly as vulnerable as ever for it. "Ah! Three of possibly the most quintessential dueling spell! How original." Galton would yell as the bundles of force headed across from each other.

It was a disastrous set-up for Autumn. As she fumbled with the blindfold two duelists leveled their wands at her. Opeila's would shoot out on a tight path. Hanako's though? No. Something (or someone) would give him the chills as he aimed his wand. A moment of lost concentration was all it took to send his spell completely overhead of the Hufflepuffs. "What a miss! Is this a flirting tactic too?!" It was too entertaining of a situation for Galton not to comment on it.

The two remaining flipendos would make their mark. Autumn would give it her all, yet even her faciest of footworks was no match for Opeila's aim. Autumn and Hanako would share in a moment of pain as they were both sucker punched by the spell. If there was to be a silver lining though, Autumn would regain her sight, shedding the blindfold. "What a slug fest! Both teams took a beating, I wonder who will be the first to go down?" It was remarkable how close this match seemed, Merlin only knew who was actually ahead.

Information

• You have 96 hours from now to write your posts. A minimum word count of 50 is needed per post.
• In the same time period, send me (Galton Lansdale) your team's actions per owl. Do not hint at your actions in your post.
• If you don't post in the allotted time frame, your action is void.
• Your Stats, Abilities, and Spells have been locked to what they are now for the duration of this duel.
• Please owl or message me if you have any questions or concerns!
• Here you can find the rules to the Duelling System.
• Best of luck, let's have some fun!

The spectator thread for this duel can be found here.
Come cheer for your House and friends!

“ Ah yes~. You’re quite original aren’t you?” he let out an amused laugh at Ivy’s crude gesture towards him. More than irritated, he found it awfully funny, and didn’t do much to hide it. He was starting to get that Ivy wasn’t that much of a talker. But even with that, he found joy in managing to get under her skin. Especially when she gave reactions such as that. It was probably the most he could get, coming from her. And he would see it as a small win.

"Guuuuys, can't we just duel?". To his surprise (not really), Ivy actually agreed with Jake’s suggestion. Hanako feigned a pained look. “ Oh? Really? But I thought we all were having quite a bit of fun, weren’t we, cutie?” he glanced over at Ivy with an impish grin. “ Would you rather us compliment each other on a good spell casted or something?” he recoiled at the thought. That sounds gross to whoever would ever do that. It sounds boooorrrrinnngg. Definitely wasn’t his style.

But you know what his style really was? Getting distracted by pretty girls. When Ivy took of her blindfold, his heart skipped a beat. Out of fear, or awe, he wasn’t so entirely sure at the moment. What he was certain off, was how difficult it was to tear his eyes away from her. Run. Something he found himself thinking. Was it from fright or how he knew he’d definitely be actually attracted to her if he kept on staring? Still unsure. He did always have a think for people who glare a lot..

His sudden attraction ( or fear ) of Ivy would not be a debate he could have with himself any longer, considering the sharp pain of a flipendo that came next. Really? Oh well, at least it took my mind off ridiculous things.

"What a miss! Is this a flirting tactic too?!"

Before he could think better, Hanako sent a harsh glare at the moderator of the duel. He rolled his eyes and sighed as he dusted off a bit of his clothes, dusting away the remnants of being embarrassingly whooped by a flipendo. “ Psh. Obviously. Course it was.” he assured the loud moderator with his best charming grin before glancing over to Ivy. “ It’s not reaallly a secret that I think you’re incredibly attractive, right~? You can't be that surprised I got stunned by your beauty ” he teased with a casual shrug. Well if you can’t pretend you didn’t do it, better own it. At least he told no lies. Although this was the first time he hands felt like shaking just from something like this.

Sorry, Morris. At the corner of his eye, he kept an eye out for Winters reaction. She certainly..wouldn't be too happy about this.

@Opeila Winters | Action: Doing as strategized. Flirting with the cutie Hufflepuffs

"Flipendo!"
Both the Slytherins seemed to have had the same idea, but only one spell hit the blindfolded Hufflepuff. Hanako's spell missed by far, trailing off to nowhere.

Opeila gritted her teeth, as she watched her teammate from the corner of her eyes. Get it together Tone. "If you leave me on my own against these two, I will wait for you to wake up, so I can knock you out myself."

Doing as strategized.

Jake groaned. He REALLY had to work on being more assertive. Autumn had surprised him by agreeing when he asked if they could just duel, but that sure hadn't stopped Hanako. So it turned out Autumn really WASN'T flirting but Hanako sure seemed like he was. Jake had thought it was just a trick or something maybe, but if it was, it sure seemed real. Hanako didn't stop at least...Jake flashed a look at Opeila, silently hoping maybe she could stop her team-mate for them. He didn't know why he looked to her, because they WERE opponents after all, but well...SOMEBODY had to stop this, right?

He considered looking to Galton to intervene, but he knew that the duel rules said nothing against flirting (Really, he had checked on this last time he had had to watch over Hanako's duel). So there wasn't really anything he COULD do.

Well, at least everybody was so focused on that that nobody seemed to even bother to be casting at him anymore. If only he knew that silencing charm....

Action: Doing as Strategized

date / Saturday - April 22, 2023
word count / 335

Autumn could not wait for one of them to be out of there, although she obviously would have preferred Tone's leave above her own. Either way, these moments would likely be the last few in which she would have to suffer through his company for the long time in a while.

She could see now, which was nice, but what was even the point of that if Opeila's spell was slinging her across the piste immediately anyway? Not for the first time, she wished that Morris was their current punching bag instead. He was better at dodging, and did the universe not pity her at this point?

Still, a single moment of luck was enough to become the pièce de résistance of it all... Tone's spell. If one could call it that. Straight over their heads it went, and Autumn nearly laughed, which was very unlike her indeed.

Before casting, he had made a stupid comment about complimenting each other on spells. Autumn found that awfully funny in retrospect. "Good spell cast, Tone," she snarked, voice full of spite.

Better yet, it was now her teammate's spell hit Tone square in the chest. Autumn directed her small smile at the ground, hoping it hurt just as much as the one that had just hit her. Her mood soured once again when the moderator made a stupid comment about flirting. It was clear Tone knew no shame- as he got off the ground and immediately got into some nonsense about her beauty, Autumn found herself wondering if he had any semblance of dignity at all.

She had already spent her childish middle finger card, so she settled for some intense glaring. Maybe he'd be thrown off his game again. Maybe she would. As long as she didn't have to spend another second looking at his face, she found that she didn't quite care what happened to reach that outcome. Her usual flaming desire for victory was oddly muffled against her singling hatred of one Hanako Tone.

health / 291/800
stats / Stamina - 8 | Evasion - 9 | Strength - 7 | Wisdom - 7 | Arcane Power - 10 | Accuracy - 10
abilities / Sixth Sense - Perfectionist - Comprehend Languages (Mermish) - Terrible Presence