Three Houses Wargames closed

[font=century gothic]A cape was what the boy brought with him today, the dijon mustard toned cotton, as wrinkly as it was, was fastened on his neck, the white t-shirt and black sport wear was loose enough for the boy to maneuver, and yet, tight enough to stay on the body. Cody debated whether to wear his tutu today, as he had two. Thanks to Elton Ramone, his eldest step-brother. The end seems be so far away, thanks to the thoughts that bringing a better life would occur, as long as he learned to control himself. But if anyone dared to hurt his team, he would be angrier than the angriest person at Hogwarts.

"Della. Vale. Pleased to be here for you." Cody said. His eyes twinkling. His smile was an attempt to win over someone, but Cody wasn't so sure if it did so. "Ready to get that five galleons?" He said.

He leaped around a bit, then got ready to stand in his own place for the time being. Well- until the fight was over, correct? Well, that would be true to Cody. And he was a man of his own word. Well, Part goblin of his own word. He made a promise. He made a dedication. A dedication to stand by his team and to not let the group die. Or be knocked unconsious. @Della Barfield @Vale Ashwood[/font]

Action: Owled

And they were back. Another one of Ming's duelling games, or "war" games as they had been advertised. Another opportunity for pure chaos.

But Della felt more prepared this time. Maybe that was the Slytherin boy's point all along? This crop of first-years was supposedly here for good-natured fun, but they were probably more prepared to deal with the unyielding danger of the school and the magical world beyond its walls than many of the other fresh faces.

Speaking of Ming, he was already in the room when Della arrived behind her teammate Cody. She gave him a small smile and wave, her mind momentarily wandering to the Valentine's Day Tea Party that would be occurring in two weeks . . . No, no, head in the game, Della.

She put on a steely expression, thinking about the challenge ahead. She knew from the last duel that her fellow team captains pulled no punches. She nodded to Cody, "Let's do it." It seemed the Gryffindor girl and the Hufflepuff menace had a temporary truce, a ceasefire if you will. She hoped she could trust Cody, but the monetary incentive to work as a team was probably enough.

Della thought about her team: an unsettling snake and a pyro puff, and whatever they both thought of her. An odd trio for sure, but it was honestly better to have them by her side than against her.

Action: as strategized

The small boy rushed to the dueling club in his school robes, remembering at the last second that today was the day. He was on his way to the Rehearsal Room on the same floor after class, before the sight of the dueling club -- and the sight of the familiar figures that entered it -- reminded him where he was actually supposed to be.

"I'm not late, am I?" he asked everyone present with a sheepish grin, putting his violin case to the side before whipping out his wand and stepping onto the piste. "I mean- no reason I would be. I totally knew Wargames round two was happening today. Had it on my calendar and all, y'know?" No he didn't. Who in the world kept an agenda or calendar? Avery was more likely the type of kid who went wherever his spirit took him each hour of the day. He was not some robot that was pre-programmed to do certain things at pre-specified times. However, he was a captain this round, so he at least had to keep up the image of a responsible lad, didn't he?

He waved briefly to Ming with a wide grin that masked his sudden nerves. Truth be told, Avery had been quite surprised that Ming had selected him as a team captain for this round. He knew that those who had performed well last round were to be captain, but he thought that his friend would renege on his proclamations. Because, well, Avery was Avery. Surely, his friend thought of him as more of a bother to work with than a person with leadership skills who was responsible for his team?

Avery nodded briefly to Cody and Della, whose team was already present. If anyone else deserved to be team captain, it was the lioness who had valiantly sparred against a team of snakes who seemingly -- if not completely intentionally -- ganged up against her, never giving up and dealing blow after blow until the bitter end. Her resolve and fearlessness was admirable. However, he wasn't quite sure how she thought of him or the rest of them, to be honest. With that potential awkwardness in mind, he hadn't really interacted with her more than he needed to.

Then, his gaze turned to Vale, who was kneeling on the ground, picking away at something. Vale always seemed to be busy with... something, without a care in the world as to whether others understood it or not. And that was what he liked about Vale. His face brightened and he opened his mouth to greet her with a friendly wave--

But her lips uttered another name; her face broke out into a smile that Avery had hardly seen -- one that was very different from the smile that usually came with her loud cackles. This one seemed warmer, foretelling a bond that was closer... and it was directed at none other than Hunter Argentum. Avery paused in confusion, and lowered his half-raised hand. He knew that they were potions partners, now, but could they really have become that close so quickly? It was almost strange. And he didn't quite understand why he seemed to feel a bit left out. Before he knew it, an almost snarky response escaped him: "Really? How hasn't he even met Familia yet? But she's like a part of you." The remark was more to himself than it was to anyone else, as if to reassure himself that Vale and Hunter couldn't be that close if he hadn't even met her beloved pet spider. And, perhaps it would somehow signal to the world that those who had already met Familia were part of Vale's original inner circle.

But, he would quickly snap out of it. If Youssuf and Draven were to show up, he would turn to greet the guys and give them a confident grin and words of affirmation to boost their morale before they began.

K x x x x x E x x x x x R x x x x x R

xxxx Her wand held loosely in the right hand, Liana focused her attention on Hui Ming as he provided a brief explanation of how the game would proceed. The runes were an intriguing addition, a chance to use advanced spells they themselves could not cast. And it complicated the already convoluted scene. The likelihood of using them at the wrong time was a worrying factor; as was the possibility that the other teams would utilize their own runes at just the right time. However today's clash may go, she was resolved to not take it quite as hard as she did last time. Losing another three months of her life to depressing self-doubt and lack of motivation was not desirable. Having fun was worth a try, especially since Liana had Maggie in her team, which already set her at ease. Hunter may not have initially seemed as the entertainment-seeking type, but from what she'd gathered in their strategy-planning talks, he was here mainly to learn. She nodded to her teammates, indicating that it was time to start, and gripped her wand tighter. Hopefully, in the pandemonium of flying spells, they could remember the "if-then" guidelines they decided on before the combat. Of course, there was ample room for improvisation, and Liana would not judge her allies for any mistakes or lapses in judgement. Perhaps she wouldn't judge herself, either.

STA | 5 EVA | 5 STR | 1 WIS | 9 ARC | 6 ACC | 9 ABILITIES Prodigal DADA

Action: As strategized.

A x x R x x G x x E x x N x x T x x U x x M

xxxxHunter decided to wear the usual clothing that he wore before arriving at Hogwarts. A shaggy long-sleeved black shirt with long black jeans. Not exactly fashionable, but he never was one to care about that. His glasses were removed, a bit of a rare sight and a clear indication that he knew what he was getting himself into. He looked towards the young man known as Hui Ming. An interesting young fellow to set up the event, but Hunter found him to be the most mysterious of the bunch here. Hunter listened to Ming's speech but was caught off guard to hear his name be called in a familiar voice afterward. He looked over to the source and saw Vale in the distance. A familiar face that was surrounded by other unfamiliar ones. He gave a small smile, an act he didn't always show as widely like Vale and even his wave back wasn't as grand. Hunter was still shy and slightly anxious because this was his first duel against other students. He's learned from his teammates that they and some other participants had already participated in another duel set up by Hui Ming; Hunter was already at a disadvantage. There was also the fact he was going to be working with others. Hunter's been alone for most of his time at Hogwarts, and working with the unpredictability of others wasn't exactly his style. He was glad they were able to speak and strategize with each other, but he still had a slight sickening feeling. He looked around and could see the other participants, more snakes than lions, badgers, or eagles. "What do they call a group of snakes again?" he asked himself. He said it normally enough to where his teammates could hear him and he even looked at both Maggie and Liana when he asked, "A pit. Did you know a group of snakes is called a pit?" His smile towards Vale a second ago, and even his slightly warm and anxious tone began to fade. He could feel himself become more logical than emotional as the battle was soon to begin. Hunter was going to have to fight, and fight to protect not himself but his team as well. His tone, eyes, and expression gave little to nothing and didn't explain much of what he felt. He looked towards Vale, Avery, Draven, Maggie, Liana, and even Ming. His gaze made a full loop back towards his team, "As I explained, I'll help in every way possible. However, once the criteria I stated before are met, I cannot promise I'll continue fighting. I'd rather not give up anything, nor do I like to harm people for no reason." He sounded selfish and with little care to how his teammates may have felt about it. However, if one were to know the criteria then many would know Hunter still had a heart. He unsheathed his wand from his robe as Liana gave him and Maggie a nod. Hunter wasn't here to win, he was here to learn. He wasn't going to give anything to the pit, he was going to give it nothing. He was going to rise like an eagle, and escape with the knowledge of battle.

ST | 7 EVA | 8 STR | 4 WIS | 10 ARC | 2 ACC | 4 ABILITIES Prodigal Potions

Action: As strategized

H x x x x A x x x x W x x x x K x x x x I x x x x N x x x x S

xxxxSince the first event of Hui Ming's Wargames had transpired months before, Maggie hadn't really given much thought to the art of dueling as a whole. In reality, her participation in the first place was chiefly supportive, as, quite frankly, Ming didn't seem as if he had a whole lot of friends and Maggie felt rather terrible. Plus, he had been so kind to invite her in the first place. In all honesty, the fact that his little game was an ongoing thing, something that they would be playing for a few months due to the nature of the event, seemed to have eluded her. Or, to be completely fair, she hadn't anticipated that Ming, a first year himself, had the energy or drive to keep it going. She had just assumed that it would drop off due to boredom, lack of motivation, or something otherwise that might impair their ability to compete. Even still, the concept of the Three Houses, with teams, was enticing. Maggie didn't have to stand on her own this time, and the teammates she'd been stuck with were nothing if not smart. Smarter than herself, for sure. Hunter Argentum, whom Maggie hadn't interacted with before, and Liana Kerr, her best friend for all intents and purposes. Honestly, she hadn't been paying attention to what Ming was talking about. Runes? Nah, Maggie was far more interested in the assembled people and their posture. Really, looking at them, she could see why they were here. Their purpose, what they wanted out of it. Hunter's little comment startled her from the self-imposed reverie, and Maggie finally turned her attention to him. "'Scuse me?" She hummed, flicking her wand out of the oversized pocket of her big, baggy cardigan. "Oh. Ha! A pit. That's stupid. I could come up with a better name." Pit of snakes. Huh. Scientists, or whoever had dreamed that one up, were total losers. Wow, her attention span really was all over the place today. With luck, Maggie Hawkins would make it out of today's battle in one piece.

ST | 5 EVA | 10 STR | 4 WIS | 3 ARC | 6 ACC | 7 ABILITIES Calming Presence {allies are Liana Kerr and Hunter Argentum}

Action: as strategized

Warriors (ft. Imagine Dragons) | Worlds 2014 - League of Legends

Youssuf entered the duelling club nervously. It was his first war game (the name brought to mind the Roman war games legions used to do for practice). There were three teams - his own team, with Draven Mirador and Avery Chen, Della Barfield's team and Liana Kerr's.
He nodded to Della and Cody as he entered. Della was the Parselmouth, he recalled. Cody was, well, Cody. You couldn't really put him in a category.
A dark-skinned girl was talking to Hunter Argentum as he entered. He scanned the other teams with mild surprise. He knew a few of them!
Unfortunately, he knew only one of his team-mates - Draven Mirador. He'd barged in on his date some time ago. He'd much rather have teamed up with a stranger; Mirador might not be happy to see him. There was also the factor of the bloody butterflies in his stomachl the last duel he'd gone through had been...painful. To him and his partner, Lizzy.
Then he saw his team.
Youssuf recognized Avery; he'd seen him in the halls before. He walked up to him and Draven nervously and grinned. He bowed to Avery and Draven, a mere bow from the upper torso, since he was meeting Avery at least from the first time. Only a Greeting Bow; neither Draven nor Avery had earned his respect yet.
"Nice to meet you again, Draven. I'm Youssuf Baid. You might remember me, although I'd rather you didn't. Nice to meet you, Captain Chen!"
He thumped Avery and Draven together on their backs. "C'mon, we can do this!"

Action: As Strategized
@Draven Mirador @Avery Chen