Reopened Finished It Takes Courage to Try

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November 18th, 2023

Duelling Club

Interacting with @Raizel Voltrouz and @Alyssea Brown

𝓐nother spell and another miss from both parties involved. In all honesty, Bex was rather grateful for it, as her spells missing implied that she was still alive to cast them in the first place. Her current emotional state of terror-euphoria-nausea was starting to make her dizzy, and she managed to dodge Raizel's Obscuro more out of instinct than any sort of talent or strategy on her part. If you see a spell coming your way, throwing yourself bodily out of it's path was just good survival sense. A blindfold probably wouldn't be the thing to take her out, neither of this match nor of this life, but you could never be too careful.

Meanwhile Raizel managed to duck Bex's own Incendio, though truthfully Bex could hardly care less. She had successfully cast every single spell she attempted since the start of this match, a veritable hat trick. Granted she'd only really attempted the same two spells, but her arsenal just wasn't that big. Whether or not the spells actually hit their target simply wasn't her business (though from the look on Alyssea's face, it probably was her business, so Bex would endeavor to try and aim a bit more carefully.)

Whether it was the prolonged exposure to this nonsense or just a natural dulling of her senses as the match progressed, the dread that had been consuming Bex over these first few rounds was finally starting to abate, and she could once again hear the noise of the piste over the pounding of blood in her ears. Also, she could hear Raizel talking to herself.

"Not fun, not fun."

Should Bex be doing this? Did talking to yourself make you duel better?

"Um." She murmured. "I'm not having a very pleasant time, at this exact moment."

Action: I'm actually, like, really at peace right now.

ROUND 4

Rebecca vs. Raizel

Reducio

Rebecca casts Tarantallegra @ Raizel; WDC 9
Bex wis [d20 : 8] + 4 = 12, success
Bex acc [d20 : 17] + 7 = 24
Rai eva [d20 : 10] + 7 = 17
24 > 17, hit!
duration [d3 : 3], 2 rounds
Outcome: Raizel suffers -1 ACC and -2 EVA for 2 rounds, loses 50 + 6*10 = 110 HP

Raizel vs. Rebecca

Reducio

Raizel casts Ventus @ Rebecca; WDC 11
Rai wis [d20 : 11] + 8 = 19, success
Rai acc [d20 : 8] + 8 = 16
Bex eva [d20 : 10] + 3 = 13
16 > 13, hit!
10% chance to split, [d20 : 4], no split
duration [d3 : 2], 1 round
Outcome: Rebecca suffers -4 EVA for 1 round, loses 50 + 8*20 = 210 HP

Whoever heard her thoughts must've answered because this next set of spells was brutal. However, the brutality did suddenly turn the tables of the duel. If you asked Alyssea who she bet was gonna win, she would have no clue which name to give.

Rebecca seemed to be alternating between two spells which Alyssea couldn't exactly judge. This was the first time she'd seen the curly-haired girl on the piste so this was also likely the girl's first time actively putting her spells to use. Raizel, on the other hand, was experimenting with just about every spell Alyssea could think of, not including her prodigal spells because who knew she could do those?

Raizel pulled out Ventus from her back pocket, a spell Alyssea did not know of just yet. A strong burst of wind took over the duelling club and Alyssea had to brace herself for the impact. The force of the wind almost flung Rebecca from her feet.

Before the wind took her off, Rebecca made sure to land the dancing-feet spell. The dancing-feet spell came to bite Raizel as her legs started moving quickly, almost like tap dancing. Alyssea could only grimace as the girl started sporadically moving around. That would not be fun later.

(At least she stuck it out until they finally hit each other.)

I N F O R M A T I O N

1. You have 168 hours (7 days) from the time of this post to write your own reply with a minimum of 200 words. Do not hint at your actions in your post
2. In the same time, send me (Alyssea Brown) your action via owl (or DM, whatever works better for you)
3. No post before the deadline = no action
4. Please have a read of the following if you haven't already:
   • Duelling System
   • Duelling Spells
   • Latest patch, Fall 2023
5. If you have any questions or believe a mistake has been made, just message me and I'll rectify it where possible

Good luck!

Interactions ❯❯ @Alyssea Brown | @Rebecca Lark | @
Mentions ❯❯ @ | @ | @

❂《 ⌜ November 18, 2023 ▎ Sometime in the Afternoon ⌟

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Miss after miss, it was getting old. How many rounds had it been since spells had found its mark? Both for Raizel and the Ravenclaw girl.

Something has to be done or they might end up dueling until dinner time. The Gryffindor's hold on her wand grew tighter as she ran through the spells that she had learned, wondering which one would find its mark, something easy to control. Ventus isn't exactly beginner friendly, heck, that's a third year spell and she has been refraining from using spells that she hasn't mastered yet. Sure, she can cast it but it was difficult, control wise.

Then again, she decided to take a risk with this one. She doesn't know why but she felt like it might work. Raizel made the gesture and then followed up by the incantation, "Ventus!" It was a success and a strong gust of wind shot out from her wand towards the Ravenclaw. It was a hit which was surprising. But what's more surprising was… finding herself suddenly dancing as she got hit by the Ravenclaw's spell.

Oh come on!

She thought in her mind as she couldn't fight it, her legs moving on their own. This was one of the worst spells to be hit with. Having no control of your own body just gives Raizel the creeps. What is this dance anyway? It was too tiring to do. Still, the duel shall continue.

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⌜ It Takes Courage to Try ⌟ | ⌜ WC: 238/200 ⌟
««««« Dialogue | #800000

Action: Seeking hugs

x

November 18th, 2023

Duelling Club

Interacting with @Raizel Voltrouz and @Alyssea Brown

𝓑ex had to hand it to herself, she'd had about five whole seconds where she thought she might be getting the hang of this before Raizel's Ventus hit her dead-on and the fear rocketed back up to eleven. She'd perhaps gotten a little complacent, with both of their spells continuously missing, and had forgotten that the older girl was very much a powerful and adept dueler who knew spells that Bex had never even heard of.

Tarantallegra had barely passed through her lips before the full force of Raizel's spell hit her, leaving her feeling like as though she had suddenly gone toe to toe with a tornado. The wind whipped at her mercilessly before stopping as suddenly as it had started, leaving her cheeks red and stinging and her hair in a disarray. She was left breathless and disoriented, and how she had managed to stay on her feet was a mystery even to her. She couldn't help but feel like Raizel was toying with her, if these were the kinds of spells she had mastered. Bex was a little league player who'd stumbled into the olympics, and was feeling the pressure of it.

(It was cool though, even though it was terrifying. How did the Gryffindor girl know how to do so much as a second year?)

She didn't see her Dancing Feet Spell land, but by the time she was able to catch her breath and take stock of her surroundings, Raizel's legs were still going, so she supposed it must have. Her whole body ached and her ears were ringing from the wind, but she was determined to stare her fate right between the eyes, so back to starting position she returned.

Action: Offering hugs.

ROUND 5

Rebecca

Reducio

Rebecca is actively dodging. Dodge bonus is 5 + 0*.25 = 5
New EVA = 5

Raizel vs. Rebecca

Reducio

Raizel casts Rictusempra @ Rebecca; WDC 9
Rai wis [d20 : 18] + 8 = 26, success
Rai acc [d20 : 12] + 7 = 19
Bex eva [d20 : 17] + 5 = 22
19 < 22, Raizel misses

While Alyssea was hoping for more spells to land, she could admit that Rebecca was certainly playing it smart. What house was she again? Alyssea forgot to ask, but Ravenclaw might be a nice fit for her. She could not see the curly-haired girl in Slytherin, but Gryffindor might be a sound guess as well. After all, she actively sought out Raizel for a duel; how Gryffindor could you get from that?

Raizel threw out Rictusempra, probably hoping to impair Rebecca's accuracy now that she'd impaired her evasion. But, Rebecca took her chances and actively dodged out of the spell's firing line. Smart, but it obviously ended up in a boring round yet again. Once Rebecca stopped spinning, her stance was steady, as if she hadn't just been bombarded by a strong wind. Guess that Ventus wasn't that strong. Then again, it was unlikely to be a Second Year spell.

Alyssea cleared her throat. "By the way, if you feel like you can't continue, just yell out and we'll stop it here." She doubted they would ever back down but it was at least good to get it out there so they wouldn't miss out on their chances. "I only have a weak healing spell and I can't lift that much, so don't injure each other too much."

I N F O R M A T I O N

1. You have 168 hours (7 days) from the time of this post to write your own reply with a minimum of 200 words. Do not hint at your actions in your post
2. In the same time, send me (Alyssea Brown) your action via owl (or DM, whatever works better for you)
3. No post before the deadline = no action
4. Please have a read of the following if you haven't already:
   • Duelling System
   • Duelling Spells
   • Latest patch, Fall 2023
5. If you have any questions or believe a mistake has been made, just message me and I'll rectify it where possible

Good luck!

Interactions ❯❯ @Alyssea Brown | @Rebecca Lark | @
Mentions ❯❯ @ | @ | @

❂《 ⌜ November 18, 2023 ▎ Sometime in the Afternoon ⌟

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And so the duel continues… but with less spells flying this time.

With luck, Raizel had managed to conjure up that Ventus, the wind surely would help her get a hit in… or so she thought anyway. With a hopeful mind, she tried her best to get into the rhythm of this… this dance, whatever it's called, she can't tell. Maybe it's just tap dancing but really, she's not gonna bother learning more about it cause this is the only time she could dance. Yes, by getting by Tarantallegra. This Gryffindor can't dance to save her life. Heck, if people start asking her to dance in a ball, which she finds highly impossible, she'll just have to… run away. Running away might be an exaggeration but she will do that.

Deep breaths, go with the flow, find the right moment. A few seconds and then there was her chance. She pointed her wand towards her opponent, shooting out a Rictusempra. Her opponent, however, avoided it. Okay, she will admit, that was a smart move from her opponent which was something that she wasn't expecting for her to do. She would've complimented her but she's too busy deciding on what to do next and dancing. All of her duels seem to be going wrong. Perhaps that's a sign from the universe to make her stop or maybe, dueling isn't for her, just like what they said.

No, she's not gonna allow these countless defeats to lead her away from this path. And besides, if she quits dueling, that's basically saying 'You are right' to that certain person and she can't allow that. She'll show them that she can walk down this path as well even if she's a half-blood.

Even though Alyssea offered them a chance to stop if they just say so, she won't. Where's the fun in that? Sure, it'll save her from the humiliation of being defeated but, giving up? Nah man, they'll have to knock her out if they want to win.

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⌜ It Takes Courage to Try ⌟ | ⌜ WC: 335/200 ⌟
««««« Dialogue | #800000

Action: How dare you dodge my love for you

x

November 18th, 2023

Duelling Club

Interacting with @Raizel Voltrouz and @Alyssea Brown

𝓡aizel's Ventus may not have rattled her body too badly, but it had certainly done a number on her mind. Bex was a beater, so despite what her tiny frame might have lead you to believe she could most definitely take a hit and keep on swingin'. Her body and her brain though were simply not on the same page right now, not even in the same book really, and the combination of fear overload and the ringing in her ears left her unable to remember any spells at the moment, let alone cast one of them.

As such, she opted to forgo even making an attempt at returning Raizel's Rictumsempra with her own spell and simply prepared to do her best to dodge it once the Gryffindor girl had begun to cast. Thankfully her Quidditch reflexes didn't let her down, and she didn't need to be able to think straight to dodge the other girl's spell successfully. The lingering affects of Tarantallegra on her opponent likely also contributed to the success of this gambit as well. Bex was grateful for it, as she hadn't even heard of Rictumsempra before, let alone experienced the effects of it, but it sounded scary enough that she wasn't eager to familiarize herself with it any time soon.

When she stood up afterwards she felt steady again, and the pin-ball machine that the Ventus had turned her brain into seemed like it had returned to it's normal equilibrium. She hoped her dodging had looked cool and planned, and not like she was running away. No, she certainly wasn't planning to flee this duel at any point today, despite Alyssea's offer. Rather, she intended to stick this one out until the bitter, hospital wing lollipop flavored end.

Action: Under 30 minutes, are you proud of me Rai?

ROUND 6

Rebecca vs. Raizel

Reducio

Rebecca casts Incendio @ Raizel; WDC 9
Bex wis [d20 : 11] + 4 = 15, success
Bex acc [d20 : 19] + 7 = 26
Rai eva [d20 : 11] + 5 = 16
26 > 16, hit!
duration [d6 : 5], 1 round
Outcome: Raizel takes 50+6*20 = 170 HP damage, loses 40 HP per round aflame

Raizel vs. Rebecca

Reducio

Raizel casts Rictusempra @ Rebecca; WDC 9
Rai wis [d20 : 9] + 8 = 27, success
Rai acc [d20 : 6] + 7 = 13
Bex eva [d20 : 14] + 3 = 17
13 < 17, Raizel misses

Neither of them were quitters, something that both deeply inspired and concerned Alyssea. Maybe this was how Raizel and Zach felt when she kept powering on despite being at the biggest disadvantage in her life. The willpower was strong on this one.

Rebecca sent out the third (third? Was it less or more than that?) Incendio of the day and it hit Raizel like a truck. Just before Raizel could settle herself from the tap dancing she'd been subject to a few spells prior, she could not breathe fresh air. Literally. She was probably breathing a lot of smoke having been burnt a second time. The flame wasn't as strong as the last and would probably only last a bit.

Having said that, the smoke might be disorienting Raizel some more as she sent a consecutive Rictusempra. Second time is, unfortunately, not the charm as while her spell casting was decent, her aim wasn't. Alyssea almost ran out onto the piste to catch Raizel should the adrenaline wear off and she collapsed. She felt for the aspen wand in her pocket. Should worse comes to worst, she had a weak healing spell that should buy them enough time for Raizel to stay awake and pass out in a hospital wing bed.

I N F O R M A T I O N

1. You have 168 hours (7 days) from the time of this post to write your own reply with a minimum of 200 words. Do not hint at your actions in your post
2. In the same time, send me (Alyssea Brown) your action via owl (or DM, whatever works better for you)
3. No post before the deadline = no action
4. Please have a read of the following if you haven't already:
   • Duelling System
   • Duelling Spells
   • Latest patch, Fall 2023
5. If you have any questions or believe a mistake has been made, just message me and I'll rectify it where possible

Good luck!

Interactions ❯❯ @Alyssea Brown | @Rebecca Lark | @
Mentions ❯❯ @ | @ | @

❂《 ⌜ November 18, 2023 ▎ Sometime in the Afternoon ⌟

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Flashbacks sometimes hit when you least expect them and this time, it was like her life just flashed before her eyes, except that she wasn't dying. How long has this duel been going? That she couldn't tell anymore as she bears the pain from each spell hitting her body. All she could think of is the heat from the Incendio that had set her on fire once more and the words that were spoken to her before. Whatever happened to that Rictusempra that she fired, she couldn't be bothered to think about it.

I doubt you have enough magic capabilities in you to handle it nor be competent enough for it.

Why did she remember those? Was it because she is failing so bad right now? She's a duelist, yet her spells keep missing and to make things worse, she doesn't even know the name of this random girl who challenged her to this duel. This girl is probably a first year too. Well, she will admit, she has potential but of course, she still has her own pride as a duelist and this is shattering it so bad right now. Then again, failure is part of growing… isn't it? If she lets this failure get to her, then her fight is definitely over. Sure… it hurts, physically and emotionally but gotta keep moving forward.

Raizel was indeed close to passing out, heck, just one more hit and she's down, not a situation that she's not familiar with. Still, she retained her balance, standing her ground despite the exhaustion. "Oh boy…" she said between breaths, coughing due to the smoke from her burning clothes. She'll need a bigger budget for shirts.

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⌜ It Takes Courage to Try ⌟ | ⌜ WC: 281/200 ⌟
««««« Dialogue | #800000

Action: Having some tea with Tatsu

x

November 18th, 2023

Duelling Club

Interacting with @Raizel Voltrouz and @Alyssea Brown

𝓓espite all logic or reason, Bex's luck had somehow continued once again as her 848th (she'd lost count) Incendio hit it's mark, setting her opponent (and her poor shirt, and unwilling casualty of their duel) alight. Bex was truly a two-trick pony (three-trick, if you counted dodging, which Bex did not) but for the first time ever in her dumb little life she at least seemed to be performing the few spells she knew well.

She had refused to speak about it to anyone, neither her parents nor any of her friends, but she had reached the point this year where she just genuinely assumed that she just wasn't good, or even adequate at magic, which was a depressing thought for a girl who hadn't even wanted to be a witch in the first place. No amount of studying theory or late nights practicing alone had made any real measure of improvement in her abilities, and she had left far too many classes this year without being able to successfully cast the spell that they were being taught. But she'd yet to fail at casting a spell even a single time yet during this duel. What had changed? What was going right here that was going so, so wrong in the rest of her life?

There was, of course, a certain element of luck to it. Raizel knew more spells than Bex did by far, and was without question the superior duelist. But Bex hadn't been expecting to be able to fight back period, let alone to last so long against someone so far above her skill level. And she just wanted to know why.

Bex again dodged Raizel's Rictumsempra, and now Bex was getting a little worried that the Gryffindor was determined to hit her with it, one way or another. She really did not want to find out what that spell did, thank you! Across from her Raizel was looking rather worse for wear, and was still actively on fire, which just kind of sucked? She really didn't want to keep attacking someone who was actively injured, but the look in the other girl's eyes right now was kind of scary, so Bex reluctantly prepared herself for the next round.

Action: Hi Rai How are you today?