Quidditch Hogwarts vs Durmstrang - Summer 2023

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Interacts. @Arjan Oberoi ═══════════════════	xx	EN #664d00, GR, RU #A57865 29/07/2023 | In uniform [x] ═══════════════════	xx	Mentions. @Durmstrang Team ═══════════════════

Ever the poet, Lysander could not help but appreciate the symbolism of the day’s conditions. Rain, particularly sentimental at this hour, almost as if the heavens too needed a period of mourning. Try as Lysander might to banish the feeling, the pang in his chest served as a necessary reminder of duty; his final dance could not be squandered, after all. Inhaling deeply, the post-rain aroma filled him like a drink. A wasted attempt to anchor himself in the moment—there would never be another family like Stribog’s Sárkány again.

But the reminiscing could come later.

In one smooth motion, sympathy gracing his features, Lysander put a tight hand around his fellow Englishman’s shoulder. Befriended since childhood, he therefore was probably best suited for dealing with Arjan’s temper. “Think of it this way, mate. If you stay benched, that means we’ve got things handled in the air. And if you don’t, you secret weapon, you, it’ll definitely be over for the piss-robes then,” he encouraged, Oakshaft handle pointing their attention towards Hufflepuff. “Really, there’s nowhere to go but up. How’s that for a positive outlook?”

Successful attempt at pacifying his best friend or not, duty called. “…Well, never mind that. I’ll crack some skulls in your honour,” Lysander promised, a certain Captain coming to mind. After a rough pat to Oberoi’s shoulder as jocks were prone to doing and a thumbs-up to the remaining teammates benched, he took flight, wind in his hair and a fire within.

BROOM: Oakshaft 79 | Three chosen skills under reducio STATS: STA 13; EVA 22 26; STR 14; WIS 5; ARC 0; ACC 17 21 ABILITIES: Evasive Maneuvers I, Evasive Maneuvers II, Charmer, Fearless

ACTIONS: N/A

Another day, but this one was going to be special.

It was Summertime. The birds chirping, the constant laughter and the warm weather than elicited positive responses from everyone. Shaking her head, and slamming her locker shut, Annie's knuckles grasped tightly around her trusty broom. Summer was filled with all three of their biggest sports. Quidditch, Dueling and Broom Racing. All of which became increasingly competitive even after the school year ended because they got to compete against the other foreign schools. From what she had heard, they might be at a slight disadvantage in terms of age, and skills. Perhaps the other schools favored sports and constant drilling and training versus proper education? Whatever it was, they wouldn't let it effect their game and strategy. The doors opened and the roar of the crowd greeted her ears.

It was game time.

Quinn had a goofy grin on his face as he took to the field. To be at this game again facing this team. It filled him with sheer excitement amd competitive zeal. He was a lot more leveled put and confident this time
Things would be different.

The massive part giant definitely stuck lut being well over 11 feet tall with the broom to match. He roared with excitement ready to have some good fun and put on a good show.

Action: Doing as Strategized

Reducio

Stats: STA: 14 | EVA: 8 (+4=12) | STR: 15 | WIS: 8 | ARCP: 2 | ACC: 8
Abilities: Sixth Sense | Broken Broomshaft | +50% Damage Reduction & +50% Physical Damage Increase
Broom: Firebolt (+4 to Evasion)
Broom Skill 1: Beater, if you hit an opponent with a bludger the bludger will then ricochet off that user and target a second opponent of choice (must be declared, if not declared the target will be random and can be an ally but not yourself).
Broom Skill 2: Beater, if you critically hit with a bludger, instead of doing double-damage you do 2.5x damage. If you critically fail with your bludger attempt to hit, rather than having your bludger randomly target another user (including yourself or an ally) the bludger cannot target you on a critical fail (but it can still target your allies). On a re-target, there is a random roll for target and then a fresh accuracy roll.

ROUND 1

A note to all players: The word count minimum is 50 words. The next deadline to post and submit strategy is 120 hours from the time this is posted. If you believe a mistake has been made in the calculations of this round, please reach out to a quidditch moderator (any of the team captains/cocaptains) ASAP so it can be addressed promptly.

Team Hogwarts Snitch Find/Catch DC: 33 / 31
Team Durmstrang Snitch Find/Catch DC: 33 / 31
Average Wisdom of Team Hogwarts (6.9) + 15: 22 (Cheating DC for Team Durmstrang)
Average Wisdom of Team Durmstrang (8.4) + 15: 23 (Cheating DC for Team Hogwarts)

Chasers:

Reducio

Lysander, Madhup, Margarethe and Johannes are blatching (see beater section). Howard, Alma, and Clark are quaffle grab and scoring in hawkshead attacking formation, and Atlas is on save duty.

Quaffle Grab 1:
Howard acc: [d20: 12] + 23 -1 (charmer) = 34
UA for Alma (10): [d10: 4]
Alma acc: [d20: 5] + 7 -1 (charmer) = 11
UA for Clark (10): [d10: 4]
Clark acc: [d20: 1] + 10 -1 (charmer) = 10
Howard gets the quaffle and scores 10 points for Hogwarts!

Quaffle Grab 2:
Howard acc: [d20: 13] + 23 -1 (charmer) = 35
UA for Alma (10): [d10: 3]
Alma acc: [d20: 3] + 7 -1 (charmer) = 9
UA for Clark (10): [d10: 3]
Clark acc: [d20: 12] + 10 -1 (charmer) = 21
Howard gets the quaffle and scores 10 points for Hogwarts!

Quaffle Grab 3:
Howard acc: [d20: 17] + 23 -1 (charmer) = 39
UA for Alma (10): [d10: 5]
Alma acc: [d20: 10] + 7 -1 (charmer) = 26
UA for Clark (10): [d10: 1]
Clark acc: [d20: 3] + 10 -1 (charmer) = 12
Howard gets the quaffle and scores 10 points for Hogwarts!

Quaffle Grab 4:
Howard acc: [d20: 14] + 23 -1 (charmer) = 36
UA for Alma (10): [d10: 9]
Alma acc: [d20: 8] + 7 -1 (charmer) = 14
UA for Clark (10): [d10: 10]
Howard gets the quaffle and scores 10 points for Hogwarts!

Quaffle Grab 5:
Howard acc: [d20: 11] + 23 -1 (charmer) = 33
UA for Alma (10): [d10: 4]
Alma acc: [d20: 1] + 7 -1 (charmer) = 7
UA for Clark (10): [d10: 2]
Clark acc: [d20: 4] + 10 -1 (charmer) = 13
Howard gets the quaffle and scores 10 points for Hogwarts!

Once the game began, it became pretty clear where the two teams' priorities lay. Hogwarts would instantly take the Hawkshead Attacking Formation, formidable and strong, as Howard would swoop in and grab the quaffle each time, scoring over and over and quickly gathering a nice amount of points for his team. However, Durmstrang would have their priorities elsewhere.

Beaters:

Reducio

Initiative: Madhup (64), Avery (62), Lysander (41), Romeo (34), Margarethe (25), Johannes (16). Quinn and Alaric are defending Ethen and Valentin respectively.

Madhup is blatching Quinn.
CP for Madhup (10): [d10: 4]
Madhup acc: [d20: 11] + 18 = 29
Quinn eva: [d20: 9] + 12 = 21
Quinn is KOB!
Foulplay (4): [d4: 3]
Madhup gets a penalty lap!

Avery is backbeating Valentin, who is being defended by Alaric.
UA for Avery (10): [d10: 5]
TP for Avery (10): [d10: 2]
CP for Avery (10): [d10: 1]
Avery acc: [d20: 9] + 14 -1 (charmer) + 5 = 27
Alaric eva: [d20: 18] + 9 = 27
Avery hits Alaric for [50*12=600 600/2=300 300*0.9=270] damage!

Lysander is blatching Clark.
CP for Lysander (10): [d10: 3]
Lysander acc (disadvantage from Hawkshead Formation): [2d20: 5,6] + 21 = 26
Clark eva: [d20: 4] + 13 = 17
Clark is KOB!
Lysander gets a penalty lap!

Romeo is bludgering Ethen (no longer defended by Quinn).
UA for Romeo (10): [d10: 6]
TP for Romeo (10): [d10: 7]
CP for Romeo (10): [d10: 8]
Romeo acc: [d20: 1] + 25 = 26
Ethen eva: [d20: 5] + 12 = 17
Romeo hits Ethen for [75*20=1500 1500*0.9=1350] damage!
Ethen is KOB!

Romeo is ricocheting to Avery.
UA for Romeo: [d10: 10]
Romeo misses Avery!

Margarethe is blatching Howard.
CP for Margarethe (10): [d10: 9]
Margarethe acc (disadvantage from Hawkshead Formation): [2d20: 7,8] + 23 = 30
Howard eva: [d20: 4] + 20 = 24
Howard is KOB!
Margarethe gets a penalty lap!

Johannes is blatching Alma.
UA for Johannes (10): [d10: 3]
TP for Johannes (10): [d10: 4]
CP for Johannes (10): [d10: 7]
Johannes acc (disadvantage from Hawkshead Formation): [2d20: 17,8] + 18 = 26
Alma eva: [d20: 2] + 6 = 8
Alma is KOB!
Foulplay (4): [d4: 3]
Johannes gets a penalty lap!

Each Durmstrang chaser and their keeper seemed to have their own target to take out. Madhup would be first, barrelling into Quinn and sending him from his broom, but to be caught by eagle-eyed Atlas, waiting for any falling players. Avery would retaliate with her own hit towards Valentin, but Alaric would quickly swoop in the way and take the hit. Lysander would then send Clark tumbling from the sky, followed by a strong bludger hit from Romeo towards Ethen, who'd be taken out by the sheer force. Margarethe and Johannes would finish up by blatching Howard and Alma respectively. Like that, all of Hogwarts' chasers and their seeker would be sent flying down towards the ground as they were swiftly taken out. But all the violence wouldn't escape the referee's gaze.

"Oi! Madhup, Lysander, Margarthe, Johannes, I dunno how you do things at Durmstrang, but here those sort of actions get you on a penalty lap!"

Seekers:

Reducio

Find DC is 15+18=33 for both teams.

Ethen is searching for the snitch.
UA for Ethen (10): [d10: 6]
Keen Eye (10): [d10: 5]
Ethen wis: [d20: 20] + 18 = 38
Ethen finds the snitch!

Valentin is searching for the snitch.
Keen Eye (10): [d10: 8]
Valentin wis: [d20: 7] + 20 = 27
Valentin does not find the snitch!

As Ethen would fall through the sky, he'd just catch a glimpse of the snitch, before passing out from Romeo's bludger. However, Valentin would still be yet to spot the elusive snitch amongst all the violence.

Outcome

Howard scores 50 points for Hogwarts.
Quinn, Clark, Howard and Alma are all KOB from blatches.
Ethen is reduced to 0 HP and is KOB.
Quinn is saved by Atlas.
Madhup, Lysander, Margarethe and Johannes must complete a penalty lap next round.
Ethen finds the snitch.

Current Score
50 vs 0

Submitted Plays

Health and Post Tracker

He was in the air, he got into his position, but then he felt himself get struck- it was a force that would've made the boy fall off his broom. He screamed loudly, as he fell through the air, the air rushing through his body- it was like being in a nightmare where you could feel movement, and it was terrifying.

Action: KOB

Reducio

Stats without Broom: Stamina: 7 | Evasion: 10 | Strength: 0 | Wisdom: 7 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 7
Stats with Broom: Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 13 | Strength: 3 | Wisdom: 10 | Arcane Power: 9 | Accuracy: 10
Abilities: Part Goblin Y2, Prodigal DADA
Broom: Silver Arrow (+ 3 all stats)

*Stats in Banner are Post Ability/Broom Augmentations

¤ | Ω | ¤

Nec Temere, Nec Timide. Durmstrang Institute's

Romeo Giovanni Marchonné [6'6.5" | 199lbs]

"English." "Italiano. Italian." "Russian."

| Faint Scar on Left Eye & Mangled Right Ear | \ Fingerless Glove on Right Hand, Bite Scar on Forearm / | Lichtenberg Figure on Right Arm and Down Back |

Team Sárkány & Team Dandelion Hufflepuff

"If there is anything you want, please call my name..."

Wasn't that always the case, wasn't that always the hope and the dream? Such a beautiful promise, such a pure and perfect ambition, and here I was to dig it through the dredges; here I was to ruin everything that had been entrusted to me--had been confessed to me despite any reservations or the unfathomable amount of mustered courage required to crescendo to that moment--like I always had.

I watched as Valentin mingled with the rest of the team before I sighed and kicked off.

My eyes were nowhere as keen as some of the other players on my team, certainly less-so than Valentin's. Still, I was on high alert for the cast iron bludgers that liked to fling themselves throughout the pitch with all the haphazardness and hardness of a drunkard's flailing fists. There was a sound of a resonant strike; someone had gotten hit. Glancing just in time to spot one of the bludgers fly away from Alaric and Valentin flying together in tandem, I put the pieces together as best I could. "GOOD ON YOU, ALEC! ATTA KID!" I bellowed his way, giving him a slap on the back for encouragement as I stormed past at what felt like at least 100 kilometers per hour and began to sight up the seeker.

Defended by the other giant of a boy that I knew to be a part-giant, I let out a pent up breath and tried to bide my time. If I could just find the right moment... There.

Out of nowhere, Madhup flew in and bashed the giant in just the perfect sort of way that sent the eleven-foot behemoth earthward-bound. I didn't care as much about the fact that their keeper was able to somehow snag him from the clutches of hard earth on her toothpick-sized broom as the giant's own enormous Firebolt spiraled off to the side ready to be recollected if they had the chance. The thing that was more important was the fact that this seeker was right in my crosshairs with nothing to protect him. "GOOD ON YOU, MADMAN!" I called out my thanks to the cheeky chaser as he started off on his foul lap as quickly as I expected him to manage. "GET BACK HERE ASAP!"

Now... where could I find a~

The signature whistle of a pockmarked iron ball only barely whistled in the back of my mind and I spun as quickly as I could in order to clip the thing with my bat completely blind. Like a foul ball flying off towards the backdrop of a diamond and into the crowd, the bludger danced off the edge of the bat and just barely squeaked its way in the direction of the seeker. Like a bowler, I leaned in my seat as I watched it fly, willing it to curve at the right moment; willing it to make good even on its highly chaotic arc that had hardly any direction to it.

Just as I thought that perhaps I would miss entirely, the seeker veered right into the crossfire. A ripple of nausea surged through me as the crunch of bone even from such a haphazard aim rang loud and clear through the vicinity. Like a stone, he fell; his body would crash to the ground with a similarly sickening crunch.

Bodies split open upon the rocks that cracked beneath the force of their armor striking like the din and rattle of shields beaten with spears in the grand formation of the Roman tortoise. Heroes rise and fall, commanded by others; conducted in a twisted symphony of screams and rallying cries. Blood and beauty mingled in perfect and terrible orchestration, the baton of the commander a raised gladius over those intended for the slaughter...

Tiny Greta, one of mine, one of ours to command, struck down the commander of the opposing force; with such speed that no matter how valiant their procession of flight they were always destined to lose their captain. As Johannes and Lysander subdued his retainers did the Valkyrie strike true and caused the deathly pale boy to tumble from the heavens towards the merciless ground below... four. Four casualties; one by hand and three by my comrades. One even as small as Greta, even she could kill and break the bodies of all those who dared to stand in our way; the bloody hand of the commander--my hands--raised and dripping with the invisible viscera trickling from the bat that I held. My commands carrying shed blood, my command causing such wanton violence; I too demanded my forces to carry on and exacted of them emotionlessness when performing these acts of brutality upon the opposing force.

The bludger returned for me and I swung at the exact moment that I could have sworn that I caught the eyes of the falling commander. A chill ran through me, embedding itself into the pit of my stomach as I beheld the falling upperclassman. I overhead, he below, and yet those eyes pierced me and filled me with a fear of the violence, of the battle that raged and demanded further horrors and monstrosities to satiate its cravings. Violence for violence, by the sword shall I kill and by it shall I fall...

The bludger spiraled off into the unknown, but I continued watching that captain fall. In my eyes reflected violence, or perhaps instead they swirled with it, intoxicated with the senseless madness of it. Slowly, my left hand angled towards him even as he was about to hit the ground. In a fist, then after a moment my pinkie finger and my index finger were lifted together. The mano cornuto, to ward away the Malocchio. This eye, this had to be the only explanation for the feeling; the evils of the Malocchio in the form of this shared gaze, the gaze that could incur such a chill in me accompanied by these thoughts; by these internal visions. Even as his body too was split upon the sacrificial stones of the legionnaires and the milites alike did I continue to hold the mano cornuto, as if warding away Satan himself with the force in which my hand trembled. Mind empty, eyes foggy; this was the battle. This was the war. Drenched in blood I was, then drenched in blood I would continue to be until the fight was over. Carry the marks of war upon me, carry the madness of the fray... the fog of war grows thick indeed.

The referee made a snide remark towards the assassins on my team, and I threw my head back in a howl of rage, my fire-blue eyes angled towards the faceless person with teeth bared. "WE WIN OUR WARS, VIGLIACCO! Coward!" I snarled, flying perhaps a bit too close to the referee for even his comfort, my six and a half foot form certainly looked even larger when I was riding forward on the Firebolt, making to charge at the helpless man. "WOULD YOU RATHER TASTE OF MY VIOLENCE AS WELL AND FEED THE GREEDY EARTH JUST AS THEY?!" Pulling off just in time to skirt out of the way of impact, I hurtled off towards the higher parts of the skies, trying to find my thoughts as they whistled along with the winds of war.

Heart racing, mind spiraling out of control, the world spun before me as my hands shook on the bat. The mists were closing now, red and viscous. No way out, no way out but to fight or fall in the attempt. Fall a hero or live with the scars of bloodshed. How long... how long had it been like this? Did I really think that I would be able to escape from such a fate as this? Had I really thought that at any point in my life that I would escape the storm the howled inside when outside was calm? That which ripped me apart from the inside, which tore apart heart and organs that stood between its claws and its fangs; this could not be quelled, never when I was a child, never when I tried so hard to temper it down and placate it with calm words and peaceful strength used for nothing besides good.

War reveals the soul of a man indeed. Dire straits illuminate the true heart.
Where was mine?

"...call my name..."

"VALENTIN!"

Doing as Strategized

Reducio

Stats:

Ω Stamina 9 | Evasion 8 | Strength 17 [19.55 OS] Ω
Ω Accuracy 18 [+3 MC, +4FB] | Wisdom 10 | ArcPower 0 Ω

Abilities:

Ω Obnoxiously Strong | Perfectionist I | Martial Artist | Healing Sage I Ω
Ω Muggle Condition Ω

Broom: Firebolt (+4 Accuracy, +2 Broom Abilities)

Ricochet: In the role of Beater, if you hit an opponent with a bludger the bludger will then ricochet off that user and target a second opponent of choice (must be declared, if not declared the target will be random and can be an ally but not yourself).

Counterstrike: In the role of Beater, if an ALLY dodges a bludger during the round, there is a 20% chance that you catch that bludger with your bat and you send it at a RANDOM enemy target.

Note: For the rules lawyers out there: you are not considered your own ally.

Putting five quaffles through unattended goals did little to boost Howard's confidence. Where was the Keeper? What were they planning? Just as the concern entered his mind, carnage would begin to unleash all around him. The slight glimmer of hope that came from his co-captain's well placed bludger was soon squashed as Team Hufflepuff began to fall in numbers. Howard could only watch on as Quinn, Alma, Clark were all blatched off their brooms in an all out assault by Durmstrang. The sickening sound a Beater's bat had him spin a full 180 only to see Ethen take a devastating bludger from Romeo. All proved to be too distracting as Howard didn't even begin to notice the latch coming his own way. As the opponent's shoulder collided with him he was in no way prepared to hold on. All he could do as he fell was to look towards Romeo with his crimson eyes.

Time would seem to freeze for a moment as the two captains caught each others gaze. A rather strong anger threatened to overwhelm Howard for what they had done to his teammates and how they had conducted themselves. Perhaps Romeo would see the flash of rage in his eyes, but soon enough an acceptance would prevail. As much as Howard hated to see his team struggle, he couldn't blame Durmstrang for going all out against them. They were older, they were stronger, why hold back? Would he if things were reversed?

Howard would finish the moment with a wink towards Romeo as he drew his wand. No, there would be no attack, but he would could Arresto Momentum on himself to soften the impending collision with the ground. His body would still smack into the ground with enough force to cause a grimace, but he was not going to end this match with a trip to the Hospital Wing. Howard dusted himself off, check on his other fallen teammates and then made his way over to the bench. He could not return to this match, but he would be there to see his team through to the bitter end.

Action: KOB
Stats: STA - 12 (15) | EVA - 17 (20) | STR - 15 (18) | WIS - 1 (4) | ARC - 0 (3) | Acc - 20 (23)
Abilities: Fangs, Claw & Bite | Martial Artist | Unsetting Aura | Blindvision | Keen Smell | Terrible Presence | Blood Resurrection
Broom: Silver Arrow - + 3 to all stats

The pressure was on, and even without the towering crowds to surround them in the London Quidditch Stadium, Valentin felt this must be the most important game of his life to date. New recruit Alaric accompanied the white seeker on his ascent, and with the Hufflepuff half-giant looming in the distance, scenes flashed back through Valya’s mind of when Quinn had eclipsed his dreams of victory years ago. Shifting uncomfortably on the lightning-burned Silver Arrow, Valya’s bones remembered the countless bedridden hospital hours – the iodine stink in the hall and the fight that erupted when Val tried and failed to protect Yefim. The crunching snap of the stronger Durmstrang boy’s leg in Quinn’s gigantic paws still rattled through Val’s mind, but what could the little shattered falcon have done? It was already too late. Too late for Yefim, too late for Snail Schnell, too late for Mikael. From that day forward, Valentin’s dearest friends were different. However fast Val tried to become, a creeping darkness that young Valentin could scarcely understand still overtook the pair. Indeed, the entire team shattered that day, and with it, the bottom fell out of Valya’s life. Even the Italian left without a word of goodbye. One lost soul after another cascaded like dominoes out of the albino’s reach, and for as passionately as Valya tried to gather more loved ones, they continued to slip away as inevitably as sand through the hourglass. Chaser #3, Charles Alluring, was the next to go dark. Was it Valya’s curse, that those closest to him would succumb to some inexplicable terrible presence? Was this why Valentin had recruited Nichlas Forsberg to the team, calling in the shadows?

With the crack of Avery’s bat behind him, Valentin had the chance to dive, to break formation, to act alone and without coordination. A sinister whisper in his head told him that of course Alaric wouldn’t be there, for Valya was cursed. Childhood legends about a calamity from the sky, the fearful whispered rumors about his family’s ancestry, and the black colour of his mother’s hair that she used to conceal their heritage from the public eye… were they not all facets of an ill omen, pointing to the cultural wisdom that Valentin was cursed from birth for having been saved from tradition’s infanticide?

Valentin could have spiralled away, but he didn’t. Trusting Alaric to keep him safe now was his way of putting a stake through his bad memory’s vampiric heart. Val's earlier abandonment by a former wingman could not come to haunt the innocent new recruit by proxy, Valentin decided. Perhaps Valya was cursed, indeed, but he was not about to be part of a self-fulfilling prophecy. He’d told Romeo before – even if fate were real, Valentin would not abandon his responsibilities in the present. If Alaric weren’t there now, Valentin would simply have to suffer the damage because the team needed him to keep doing his job, flying in a formation that would reinforce Alaric's strengths and keep Valentin systematically searching the heavens for the key to victory.

The thunking crackle of a bludger into flesh and bone told Valentin that the other boy had faithfully taken the blow for him. Yet, the seeker could still not afford to look. His focus and search pattern could not be interrupted, lest Valya fail their team. Still, the pearly boy’s arching lips could speak.

“Thank you, Alaric.” The captain had chosen right. The hot-headed German’s reliability was solid. Feeling a twinge in his throat, Valentin squelched the feelings from welling up inside, unable to afford processing them right now. His entire being had to be committed to the symphony around him, taking in every shaded texture and every whirring blip, ensuring that the White Lightning found the path of least resistance to the golden snitch.

In Valentin’s meditative flow state, all sensation came to him with intensity powered not only by adrenaline, but also by necessity. The shifting tones of the shouting crowd, the song of the wind hinting at player movement angles, and the plinks of rain against hard objects revealed fragments of the match’s story to the Frost Captain. The quantity of violent sounds contributing to the teams’ duelling orchestras first revealed that the badgers were going for quaffle points, and the tight grouping of their sounds told him they were in defensive formation. The announcer’s voice would only confirm what Stribog’s breath was already whispering in Valentin’s ear much earlier.

The shrieks of a little part-goblin, a voice type Valentin had learned from observations of one Serena Towers, indicated Lysander’s success to the captain. With a smile, Val hoped that this would put a little thrill into the swordsman’s final game. The dapper chaser had always fought for their team valiantly and deserved nothing but the funnest match to reward him for two years of dedicated service.

Adding to the chorus of Durmstrang’s triumphs, the sound of Johannes clipping Alma at precisely the right angle was sweet music to Valentin’s ears. Johannes’s broom had a characteristic ring to it in such maneuvers, which Valentin had known from the day he first gave a Silver Arrow to him as a reward for completing the arduous Camp Schnell-Marchonné. Subtle differences in Astrid’s broom alloy gave off an altogether different, higher-pitched ring when struck – a feature intended from the moment Valentin first selected one for her completion as well. The sound of Johannes’s broom clash would not be the last, however. Today, the air would be filled with such uplifting tones and cries from the crowd as Hufflepuffs fell, one by one.

Little Valkyrie, Greta, had perhaps the most technically difficult challenge of all – taking down Howard White. Howard was another part-human that Valentin had history with, after the dhampir, too, obliterated Yefim and Valentin had to drag the boy’s body away in defeat. The captain thus knew first hand that Howard was no one to trifle with, which was precisely why he’d asked for elite old-guard Greta to eliminate the threat immediately. Valya’s sweet Greta, who had been dear to him since their first game, had been one who had left the team following their first defeat in London. Yet, Valentin had never stopped wishing for her return, and one day the stars came into alignment to grant his wish when the fierce shrike flew back home to their team. Now the little powerhouse would bring a symbolic victory not just in terms of game value, but also helping Val honor Yefim’s eternal place in their Durmstrang family. This one’s for you, Fima, thought Valentin as Howard fell in defeat.

Another daring player, Madhup, was one of two who had always stuck it out in Valentin’s team. Even when their ranks were in tatters, Mad was there. Valentin knew he could count on him, and he knew that Mad would remember the power of the half-giant well. If there was anyone best positioned to dethrone the most massive Hufflepuff, Val knew Mad was the one to do it… and so he did, and with flying colors. There was just one little problem: a run-away keeper flying away from his post came to save the falling redhead. The announcements of the game moderator made this much clear as Valentin continued to scan the vaulting dome of drizzling sky.

There was another player on the field, though, who needed no spokesperson to make himself known. Romeo Marchonné, Beater #4, cracked his maple bat with the strangest of squeaks. Yet, so dedicated and seasoned a player was he that not even a bludger gone terribly wrong could fail to accomplish his earnest mission of eliminating Ethen from the sky. Valentin would not know that the rival seeker had seen the snitch, but it wouldn’t matter. Romeo was effective in executing his strike. Reassured by the familiar thunderous clap and bang of his co-captain’s success, a bit of relief seeped into Valentin’s heart. Everyone was doing so well. The pride would have to come later, Val knew, lest such emotions dull his lust for the golden snitch, but it seemed like the wind was at the team’s back after the countless hours of strategizing and early-morning drills. Thus, Valentin was relaxed enough to sense that something was wrong when Romeo’s bat cracked again, but without the echoing boom of its success. He did not know what had gone wrong, only that a gloom began to creep into the corners of his high spirits through a current of intuition. Romeo would not stay silent on the issue, luckily, loudly venting his inner turmoil to the world. It was then that Valya knew that something had scared his co-captain, triggering a chain reaction that spiralled Romeo into an explosive outburst at their referee. The exact syllables of the bear’s threats came to Valya dulled by the distance between them, but the thirst for violence boiling within him transmitted as palpably as a rumble of thunder. Still, Valentin could not afford to take his eyes off the skies. He had a duty to accomplish for his team. Nothing could turn the seeker’s amethyst gaze from his task, until Valentin heard the cry of his own name from #4’s scream-torn throat. It was the sound of a man’s soul being torn apart, but not just any man. This was Romeo.

At last, Valentin’s head whipped behind him to spot his co-captain below. Rome wasn’t dead, still safe atop his broom, but the pain in his voice reminded Val of death. Without sparing a breath to warn Alaric, Valentin’s Arrow pivoted to rocket towards his co-captain’s side. In no time, the white seeker was there, throwing his arms around #4 and inspecting him to try to understand just how wrong things had gone. The seeker’s keen eye concluded immediately that the damage lay within, and Valya’s soul knew the rest. Romeo understood Valentin better than anyone else on the team, and Val also knew Romeo the best. Valya did not need to ask.

Drawing Romeo’s head onto his shoulder, Valentin’s arms looped snugly across the back of his co-captain’s neck. The Italian’s skin was burning hot despite the weather, likely a product of both the physical activity and his fervid state. Squeezing lightly, Valentin’s duckfluff-haired head nuzzled the side of Romeo’s cranium in slow, calming motions as his lowest tenor eased out from the depths of Val’s chest.

“Ochh, Medvezhonok, va bene adesso. Va tutto bene. Il tuo cuore è sia quello di un guaritore che quello di un guerriero, e in momenti come questo combattono, non è vero? Conosco il rosso che dipinge l'interno dei tuoi occhi. L'ho visto io stesso, quando quella lingua di serpente ha minacciato la tua vita, ma ora va bene. Prometto. Hai fatto bene. La nostra squadra ha fatto bene. Le minacce stanno scomparendo, una alla volta, e il dhampir che ha ferito Fima è sparito. Possiamo far loro visita in ospedale quando tutto questo sarà finito, e allora l'equilibrio del mondo verrà ristabilito. Vieni ora, dammi una forte stretta per aiutarmi a portare via il dolore. ”Italian: “Ochh, Medvezhonok (Russian: little bear), it’s okay now. It’s alright. Your heart is both that of a healer and of a warrior, and at times like this they fight, do they not? I know the red that paints the insides of your eyes. I saw it myself, when that snake-tongue threatened your life, but it’s okay now. I promise. You did well. Our team did well. The threats are disappearing, one at a time, and the dhampir who hurt Fima is gone. We can visit them in the hospital when this is all over, and then the balance of the world will be restored. Come now, give me a big squeeze.”

Breathing calmly, Valentin’s presence emanated only sweet serenity. I won’t let my curse take you into the dark, too, Romeva. Let me eat your pain away. I don’t care what they said about me. Use me to overcome this.

“Che combattente coraggioso sei. Te l'avevo detto che non ti avrei lasciato andare. Nessun inferno ti reclamerà finché mi avrai al tuo fianco. ”Italian: “What a courageous fighter you are. I told you I wouldn't let you go. No hell will claim you so long as you have me by your side.” Closing his eyes, Valentin knew why he himself was so calm and stable today, despite everything he had gone through lately. If he could only spread the peace that had finally come home to roost in his heart, then perhaps he could escape from the beliefs of the past that clung to him like all-consuming kudzu and overturn his so-called “dark destiny.”

Laying his face across his pale arm atop Romeo’s shoulder, Valentin’s violet eyes turned towards the stands. Flicking across the forms of Arjan and Astrid in position at the bench, Valentin inadvertently held his breath. The touch of warm metal over his heart wasn’t even necessary to remind him.

I don’t need to look. I already know, like I always knew, like you always knew. Our time will come.

Base Stats: STA 8 - EVA 20 - STR 3 - WIS 15 [17] - ARC 1 - ACC 15
Total Stats: STA 11 - EVA 23 - STR 6 - WIS 20 - ARC 4 - ACC 18
Abilities:
Keen Eye / Charmer / Evasive Maneuvers / Fearless / Comprehend Languages: Parseltongue
All dialogue in Russian unless specified otherwise.
Broom: Silver Arrow (+3 to each stat)
Ency/Trunk: viewtopic.php?f=314&t=17006#p269554
Action: Doing as strategized.
Godmods between Romeo’s and Valentin’s characters are consensual throughout this and other threads

Tes didn’t want to admit it, but she could feel fiery hot curls of anger sitting in her stomach as her teammates fell from their brooms. Those cheaters! Taking out her teammates with cheap tricks instead of just playing the game like they were supposed to! She’d been chatting happily with the others on the bench with her, enjoying the almost gloomy weather and cheering for her team’s captain as he scored goal after goal, up until her team started dropping like flies. After that she was so angry it was all she could do to clench her teeth and glare out at her opponents on the field to keep from yelling at them in outrage.

She didn’t want her first game to be ruined just because she wasn’t happy with the other team, but with their intimidating war paint and dishonest maneuvers, even the exceptionally agreeable girl was itching to get out on the field and get to send a bludger into one of their smug faces or shatter the broom they were flying on. She took a few deep breaths and settled back onto the bench, feeling nerves tingling in her hands. She didn’t like feeling angry like that, it made her think she was proving everyone that assumed werewolves and half-breeds like herself were aggressive and monstrous right. Besides, this wasn’t about winning, it was about standing by her morals and not stooping as low as the opponent to choose victory over sportsmanship!

Overpowering rage soothed and nerves quieted down after taking her moment to herself, she stood up, channeling that energy anew into clapping and whistling, cheering for her team with gusto. She cupped her hands around her mouth to holler loud enough for her team on the field to hear, “NICE GOALS CAPTAIN! WHAT A HIT AVERY! THAT WAS SUCH A COOL SAVE ATLAS!”

⭑☾☀☽⭑
Action: Benched
Wordcount:50+ Color=#7D6608
❁❀ Tesla "Tes" Stone❀❁ Hufflepuff Beater ^꧁Teamwork makes the Dream Work^꧂
Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 5 | Strength: 9 | Wisdom: 4 | ArcPower: 4 |Accuracy: 7
Broom: Nimbus 1500 | Beater: if you hit an opponent with a bludger the bludger will then ricochet off that user and target a second opponent of choice (must be declared)
Abilities: Werewolf and Broken Broomshaft
Trunk

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The chaos was instant. Avery had barely managed an enthusiastic, "You bet I am!" back at Alma before just about everything went downhill. She could only watch in mounting dread as the Durmstrang chasers and keeper abandoned the one-sided battle for the quaffle to focus instead on her teammates themselves. A sympathetic wince is given as Quinn is bodied from his broom, a tough task on its own.

Grimacing, Avery angles herself to bat one of the bludgers towards the opposing seeker. She couldn't muster much satisfaction in the glancing hit off the Durmstrang beater that darted in the way as she turned her attention back to a much more barren Hufflepuff side. So much for a clean game. The second year takes quick stock of those still in the air and the new arrivals from the bench. "C'mon guys, we're not out of the fight yet!" she calls out to her teammates in an attempt to try and rally those that were left.

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Action: Doing As Strategized

Reducio

Stats: STA - 9 { 12 } EVA - 9 { 12 } STR - 8 { 11 } WIS - 5 { 8 } ARC - 4 { 7 } ACC - 8 { 11 }

========== Broom: Silver Arrow: +3 to all stats Abilities: Obnoxiously Strong: +15% strength Muggle Condition: +3 accuracy on non-magical actions

Mentioning: @Alma Stoll