Stage 2, 2023 DAY 1 Spectator

Afternoon Slot - 12:30-13:30, Match 7

Well, in this fourth round, it seemed that the situation of the Hufflepuff dueling team was not very satisfying. Lindsey`s Incendio Duo spell was nearly perfect, but it was just a tiny way away from hitting the duelists in the Eagles` team. What was worse, the two duelists in the eagle`s team, Pericles and Sam, both chose to cast the wind spell, and unfortunate for the two badger girls, the eagle duelists had both casted their spell successfully, the two poor Hufflepuff would find themselves being hit by two extremely strong winds. The only highlight for the duelists in the badgers` team was that Lucia successfully casted her spell again Pericles in the eagles` team, and Pericles would find it hard to catch his wand, which would probably be a little problematic for the eagles, at least in the next round. On the whole, however, it was not a very pleasant round of the duelists in the badgers` team, and Rita, who watched the match closely in the crowd, was definitely a little disappointed by the results. "It was definitely not a very good round. But keep in mind, Rita, it is the end of this match! At least Lucia casted that spell successfully at Pericles to make the Ravenclaw boy lose his wand, which definitely caused some trouble to the duelists in the eagle`s team. I believe the Hufflepuff team would have better luck in the next round! Let`s see what happens, this is so interesting! But first, let me call out the badger girls once again!" The Second Year Hufflepuff first string beater thought when she was watching that duel, before calling out to the two duelists in the Hufflepuff team, "Please don`t feel too disappointed about the results, Lindsey and Lucia! You both get excellent skills with your wands; you are just lacking a little luck! Again, I know Ravenclaw duelists are quite strong and are also quite good with their spell casting, but Hufflepuffs gonna stick together and I am rooting for you!"

"Anyway, I genuinely hope the badger girls would have better luck in the next round, cos the Ravenclaw duelists definitely should be overlooked and it seems that the situation on their side is actually better than our side. I pray to God, and please bless the Hufflepuff duelists to have better luck next round and at least survive that round and successfully cast a few spells!" Rita again silently prayed to God for the Hufflepuff dueling team to have better luck next round.
Mentioning: @Lindsey Springhall @Lucia Fox @Pericles Dralt @Samantha Salwis

Spoken Words: X|Thoughts: X

Ashley kept an eye on Beatrice and Avery since Avery appeared very eager. This was a quality Ashley appreciated, but if it came with aggravation, it was a complete NO. All of a sudden, he heard Avery say “Avery Leveret. Aspiring duellist.”. Although it was unclear if Ashley's sudden burst of laughter was sarcastic or not, it was unmistakably humorous. His ability to change his mood more quickly than the speed of light was exceedingly peculiar. He displayed a solemn expression as his face changed.

"Well, lad, as long as I don't see you doing anything, you are still who you are. Hey, wait, as I remember, you are simply Avery Leveret." Ashley sneered.

Most people would consider it disrespectful, but from his point of view, he was only making fun of the young man and acting sincere. He will only call the other boy Avery until he notices him on the field engaged in a duel match.
He greeted Beatrice, saying, "Good to meet you fellow Ravenclaw."

He wasn't as anti-boys as one might think; yet, it is indeed possible that the other boy's loud loudness obviously bothers him to the point where it affected his judgement. “Hui-Ming certainly has a reputation, perhaps I’ve judged her too harsh.” "Ashley glanced at the Slytherin duelist and said, "Maybe-"

“You are?”

"Ashley. And based on what you mentioned about Avery the aspiring duelist, I infer you are that Avery. Whatever the case, I respect your confidence. It thrills me." Ashley extended his hand to shake the other young man's.

"Please keep the noise down in front of me, we are not wild animals." He made a serious point while asking in jest. Loud noises or high-pitched sounds appalled him. He had no idea why he had behaved the way he had when loud noises were being made. Also, he detested crowded areas; he had no idea that this might be due to social anxiety or what. He loved duels and thought they were thrilling, so he could join for future reference. However, he could not change the situation of loud places, so he decided to cope until everything was concluded.

Afternoon Slot - 12:30-13:30, Match 7

Well, this round was at least an OK round for the duelists in the Hufflepuff team, at least better than the last round with two nasty wind spells. Being hit by many spells in the last round, including Lucia`s own spells, Lindsey was nearly unconscious, so her partner decided to cast a healing spell on the poor badger girl with long wavy brown hair. It was a successful healing spell, with very clear pronunciation, and this healing spell definitely helped Lindsey to stay longer in the match, as the poor fourth year Hufflepuff girl with long wavy light-brown hair would be hurt by, yet another wind spell. It seemed that the duelists in the Ravenclaw team were truly a big fan of the win spell!

Luckily for Lindsey, her Incendio Duo was finally successful, and that finally compensated for the nearly successful Incendio Duo in the last round. Now that boy who had lose his wand due to Lucia`s spell last round had found his wand, Rita`s only hope was that the Hufflepuff duelists, especially Lindsey, could stay longer in the game and the Hufflepuff team would continue their luck in the next round. Anyway, no matter the Hufflepuff duelists win this round or not, they had demonstrated their excellent skills with their wands, and they had already made a lot of effort, so they should definitely still be praised even if they did not bring Hufflepuff with a dueling win. Afterall, as the old saying goes, participation, rather than winning, was always the key to the match. The Hufflepuff duelists had tried their best, and that was already enough, though if they won the game, that would be a even better result.
Mentioning: @Lindsey Springhall @Lucia Fox

Morning Slot: 10:30 - 11:30: Match 1

Interacting with:@Avery Leveret @Ashley Dinero Montez
Mentioning:@Fang Hui-Ming @Monica Evans

Morning Slot - 10:30 - 11:30, Match 1

Outfit: Weekend (Smart Casual)

Reducio

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	The tall, pale boy couldn’t help but let out an amused chuckle, after all it was quite something to be spoken to so directly, from a complete stranger. A flash of wicked thought crossed his mind at Beatrices’ diplomatic endeavours. He quickly found a way to settle it, returning most of his attention to the duel and taking a moment to get comfortable in his position on the highest bench of the bleachers, though his tall frame made it hard to lean back onto the wall properly and so he ended up perching on his own knees with his elbows. He found it in him to reply, “It thrills me to meet you too -Ashley-.”He gave, laced with trained venom, as he took the boys hand and shook it formally before he curled a smile at the approaching Langsreth. With a polite gesture, he offered her to be seated close-by when that intention was obvious. He seemed well-mannered, and put-together, for a first year. He didn't see it in him to befriend those of other houses anyway, especially when they seemed so obtuse; but this suited him fine, for he seemed comfortable not being on good terms with everyone he met; there was a time and place to win hearts and minds. For now, he didn't quite have the empathetic skill to discern Ashley's reaction as being discomfort at the wider circumstances, and for now he didn't care too much, commenting on Bea's question: "I am sure Ashley wouldn't be here without a wish to do so, as the other alternative would likely involve having friends in play."He gestured to the duels again. When Beatrice spoke her challenge, the fire that was within him surged and he snapped his steel-gaze to her as though she had completely surpassed his expectation for their interaction and captured his attention: “That is fighting talk, Langstreth. - I am not so experienced but I know when it is appropriate to defend one's honour.” He smirked wickedly at her. “You’re on.”
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Interacting with: @Ashley Dinero Montez & @Beatrice Langstreth

Dialogue: English | Mandarin Thoughts: X

Saturday, 28th of January 2023 | 10:30 - 11:30

Reducio

It was almost 9am when Hui-Ying left her dorm. It was a pleasant day outside, Ying had woke up with the brightly sun light showing at the tall windows of her dorm. She had always been a morning person, she always enjoyed to take her time to wake up and have an healthy early routine. It was part of her life’s discipline, exercise not only the mind but also her body. Balance and focus, were the key words in her life since she remembers, without it, she would never be able to accomplish her goals, correspond to her parents expectations and still have time to enjoy her life as she pleased! Impossible mission, some may think…but for Hui-Ying it was not! Somehow she always manage to have her top grades to honor her family’s name and at the same time, miraculously, she had been able to keep herself away and out of trouble. At least it wasn’t in her house that crazy people had been playing with knives! Thinking about it, made her stomach turn with memories of how worried she had been with her brother that morning, when the rumours started to run through Hogwarts’ walls faster then light speed! This feeling of concern and anxiety also followed her that morning while she was heading to the fourth floor to the dulling club. Ming and his teammate would be having their match against Ravenclaw and she wanted to be there to show some support to her brother. Gryffindor would have their own duel later, and she would also cheer for her lions, but for now, she was wearing proudly her Slytherin scarf and her heart was green and silver.

Arriving to the spacious room Ying felt kind of lost around so many people gathering there. She wasn’t very tall, actually she was probably one of the smallest kids in there, so she decided to walk to the highest bench in the room, that way she could be able to see everything that was happening during the duel, she didn’t wanted to miss a single bit!

When she finally got to the perfect spot, in her opinion, more people was sat in there. A girl with beautiful dark blond curly hair, a pale dark haired boy with steely dark eyes and another with same tone of raven hair but his eyes were of a deep blue shade. Ying, shyly smiled at them sending a quick nod and a short but polite, “Good morning!”, before sitting next to the blue eyed boy. Inevitably, her eyes immediately roamed through the room looking for her brother. She spotted him right when the duel was about to start.

The curly haired girl cheered for some Addie and then she heard her brother’s name came out her mouth in a shouting manner. Ying couldn't help the cheeky smile that appeared on her lips upon hearing the implicit provocation in the girl's words, “Right!” She said in an amused but low voice, just to herself. By the two boys’ words, she also concluded that the one with a steely gaze was also a snake, like Ming, and the boy next to her was a Ravenclaw like the cheerfully blond girl. They seemed to be enjoying to carry on with a series of fancy dialogues, daring each other to duels and a handful of smart teasing statements. While this made an amusing and pleasant background sound, Ying’s focus was solely on Ming, and how he barely seemed to be escaping the spells coming towards him. She grimaced when she saw those two knockback jinxes hit the other Slytherin girl, that must had hurt! But the way she saw the dark haired girl came back with resilience and determination made her feel hope and somehow pride in her brother’s team. She knew him well enough to know that he must have a well structured strategy, she trusted him and how smart and methodical he could be. She was there to witness with her own eyes and to learn everything she could with him and the other duellists. One day, she expected to be the one aiming her wand towards her opponents and bring the well deserved victory to her house.

Spoken Words: X|Thoughts: X

*Sigh*

Ashley has found himself in a social scenario once more, and this time it appears like he initiated it. I mean, what could possibly go wrong? He simply didn't want to talk, but life happened, so he had to accept everything as it came.

He swivelled around to observe everyone. Despite the deafening commotion that was going on around them, talks could not be carried out properly. When she was being deadpanned, Beatrice turned to face Ashley and stated, "Just 'cause he's a snake, does'na mean he's gonna do anythin'. Me best friend is a snake. And she's duelling tomorrow. Hui-Ming is also a great duellist. He moderated an unofficial one between Slytherin and Ravenclaw last year."

"Okay!" was the only thing he could muster as he stared Beatrice in the eyes. Who did what in their life did not really matter to him. Yet, he believed it to be a particular individual or collective of individuals that he appeared to listen to. When the young woman said, "Nice te meet ye both anyway.". Without much to say, Ashley could only nod. His life cycle was as described. Depending on who he was speaking to, he either spoke too much or too little.

It was interesting to watch as Beatrice challenged Avery to a duel.
Avery shook Ashley's hand and then Ashley remained mute. . "I am sure Ashley wouldn't be here without a wish to do so, as the other alternative would likely involve having friends in play."
"Maybe!" he exclaimed. He then entered total silence while watching the duel being played in the arena. He made the decision to tune out the rest of the conversation.

He was relieved when Avery expressed how great it was to meet him. Avery strikes the lad as a passionate and ambitious individual. Ashley was unsurprised when he agreed to take on the challenge. The young man did maintain his pride.

Ashley wondered if a living doll had just entered the building or if he was dreaming. He was shocked when the doll girl arrived and sat down next to Ashley.
"if it was a doll of a human. Or perhaps it was a ruse to trick the student by Professor Aarden."
He couldn't possibly utilise transfiguration spells for his own jokes though.

The girl appeared to be flawless in every aspect. Ashley could only only compare him to a Human Doll when describing her physical characteristics, her eyes, and the aroma of her hair.
He became too shy to even greet her, but eventually she mustered the necessary confidence.

"Hello, um!" He spoke awkwardly.

Morning Slot - 10:30 - 11:30, Match 6, Match 1, Match 11

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Morning Slot - 10:30 - 11:30, Match 1

· · ─────── ·AWL· ─────── · ·

28th January 10:30 | Duelling Club
wc: 325
Avery's Speech

Outfit: Weekend (Smart Casual)

Reducio

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	Langstreth had asked for a date and time, perfect. Now he had to follow it up, eager to practice. Today he didn’t seem to have as much venom in him as he had previously; and so he didn’t quip back; simply smiling at the girl. He couldn’t help but respect her, she’d opted for the mediator role between himself and the other Ravenclaw, before seating herself next to him. He didn’t know what to make of her but he could tell she was a little bit older than he was; so perhaps it was respect for his elders that held his tongue. Though, he could detect that she didn’t know the boy too well. “A week from today? - I make that the 4th of February.” He gave with a smile, too appreciating the competitive nature they seemed to share. Like Ashley, he watched the duel with interest. Notably more quiet than before, especially after he saw that Guinevere had taken another Flipendo. He sucked in a breath over his teeth, things looked dire. Meanwhile, Kim had spoken to Beatrice and Ashley had gone quiet, but then another girl had joined them. “Good morning.” He said idly to Ying when she had taken up a seat close to them, his focus elsewhere for a moment before he clocked that she was another Slytherin; or so he’d thought. Naturally he squinted his eyes as he tried to recall her face; surely he would have seen her around, given how much time he spent in the common-room. “Do I know you?” He said to Ying, he was feeling bold enough to ask her as he grew a small challenging smirk on his lips as if he had already figured out the answer. He added this to Bea’s question, seemingly a good pairing. Perhaps he could get along with a Ravenclaw after all.
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Interacting with: @Beatrice Langstreth @Fang Hui-Ying.
Mentioning: @Ashley Dinero Montez, @Guinevere Russetwood, @Kim Sato