Reopened Finished It Takes Courage to Try

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November 18th, 2023

Duelling Club

Interacting with @Raizel Voltrouz and @Alyssea Brown

𝓣raditionally, when someone dies, there's a very specific script that people adhere to. Their smile lit up a room. They saw the best in everyone. They'd give a stranger the shirt off their back.

Bex was convinced though, that should Raizel Voltrouz die tomorrow, her obituary would read, "She would duel anyone, anywhere, anytime, free of charge."

Or at least, that was the vibe she'd gotten when she'd asked around the duelling club, looking for suggestions on who to approach for her first duel. One student had specifically said that "Rai likes to get her ass handed to her" which is like, a little worrisome? But hey, everyone's got hobbies.

She didn't actually know who Raizel was though, which is historically a really important step of asking someone to duel you. She really didn't know that many people who hung around the duelling club period, as most of her time, love, and focus was entirely devoted to Quidditch. Looking around the room though, she did recognize Alyssea Brown, who had organized Helena's broom race, and quickly made her way over to the older girl.

"Hi, excuse me." Bex asked, bouncing a little on her heels as she waved to get Alyssea's attention. "Do you know where Raizel Voltrouz is? I was told that she'd duel anything that moves and, well, for the time being at least, I'm moving!" Bex said brightly, trying to cover up her nerves.

Truthfully, Bex was well and truly terrified to duel. She'd been struggling when it came to actually applying the magical theory that they learned in class into practical results, and her wand rarely did what she asked of it on the first try, or the second, or the third. Willingly seeking out a duel was akin to St. Sebastian bound to the stake, begging for more arrows. But Bex was tired of being afraid. She wanted to be able to defend herself, and more than that, she wanted to prove that she deserved to be here, that she was a witch in more than name alone.

Unfortunately step one of that plan was, apparently, letting the Voltrouz girl play hacky-sack with her body.

Thankfully, the Hufflepuff broom racing captain both knew where Raizel was, and was willing to take Bex to her. Raizel was a lot smaller and more normal looking than Bex was expecting, as she had sort of been picturing someone in, like, a biker gang or something, based on the way everyone had talked about her. But she just looked like a normal second year, so hopefully this was good for Bex's chances of leaving the duel with all of her bones still safely ensconced inside her body.

"Hi, sorry to bother you," Bex told the older girl, "But I asked Alyssea to introduce us. Are you up for a duel?" Even having been told that she most certainly would, Bex was still a little surprised when the gryffindor girl agreed to duel her, a complete stranger. As Raizel stood up, Bex realized that, in her haste, she hadn't even introduced herself before challenging Raizel to a duel, which lent some credence to the others duellists opinions of her. This left Bex feeling a little wrong-footed, but she rallied quickly, looking up at Alyssea for guidance on what to do next.

OOC: permission granted by Alyssea Brown for some slight godmodding of her character, thank you Aly

Action: Writing my last will and testament

To Alyssea, my heart. To June and Pearla, my teeth. To Rai, the contents of my pockets: 1 sickle, 4 knuts, and a rough sketch of Professor Baird in a party hat.

ROUND 1

Rebecca vs. Raizel

Reducio

Rebecca casts Incendio @ Raizel; WDC 9
Bex wis [d20 : 8] + 4 = 12, success
Bex acc [d20 : 20] + 7 = 27
Rai eva [d20 : 5] + 7 = 12
27 > 12, Raizel is hit!
duration [d6 : 5]
Outcome: Raizel takes 170 HP damage and will lose -40 HP for 1 round

Raizel vs. Rebecca

Reducio

Raizel casts Rictusempra @ Rebecca; WDC 9
Rai wis [d20 : 3] + 8 = 11, success
Rai acc [d20 : 15] + 8 = 23
Bex eva [d20 : 9] + 3 = 12
23 > 12, Rebecca is hit!
duration [d6 : 2]
Outcome: Rebecca takes 210 HP damage, will lose -25 HP and -2 ACC for 1 round

The next few months would be quiet as Christmas neared, but that didn't mean Alyssea stopped duelling or thinking up racing strategies here and there. Upon arriving at the Duelling Club for the day, Alyssea said hello to Raizel and practised on the training dummies, not feeling pressured to make any light conversation or even small talk. Raizel would leave when she felt like it and Alyssea would practice however she liked.

What she did not anticipate, however, was a First Year that she vaguely remembered seeing in the spectator stands a few ago when she hosted an unofficial race come up to her and ask her who Raizel Voltrouz was. At first, Alyssea bit back a laugh at the description of Raizel. 'She'd duel anything that moves' sounded about right. With a shrug, Alyssea led her towards Raizel and let them figure out their stuff.

Alyssea pocketed her aspen wand, hoping she wouldn't need it for the rest of the day. "If you guys duel, I can be the moderator. If you knock each other out, however, you'd best head to the Hospital Wing rather than have me heal you." She remembered the last time she tried to heal someone after a duel; it ended horribly.

Sure enough, they both took to their sides on the piste and Alyssea stood at the center on the edge. "Okay, when I say go, you can start casting spells. If any of you look or feel too tired to continue, we will end it. Simple."

"Ready, set, go!"

The moment she said 'go', some of her favourite spells came to greet her. A Rictusempra from Raizel was something Alyssea could stand by, if her first spell in their official match about a week ago had anything to say for it. Unsurprisingly, Raizel's spell hit Rebecca. Alyssea winced. That tickling charm was pretty nasty to be up against; she liked casting it, but hated being against it.

Rebecca, on the other hand, had a pretty predictable spell in her arsenal as she sent Incendio in Raizel's direction. Fire was always a good weapon, and it seemed so as Raizel's shirt caught on fire. Yikes! Rebecca wasn't a duellist, but she had some pretty promising skills for how this was turning out so far. Then again, the duel was still young and it was still anyone's win.

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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A duel, it was something that she wasn't expecting to get into but hey. Guess the description about her that she'd duel anything that moves is… kind of true, in a way. Really, what a weird way of being known. Anyway, she accepted and Alyssea is here to moderate it which is cool as they wouldn't be needing to find one and they could get started immediately.

She was still a bit sleepy as she took her place on the piste, slapping herself awake and shaking her head. She needs to focus now or she'll suffer. As soon as the duel started, Raizel decided to cast something that she rarely used in duels, Rictusempra. She gritted her teeth, finding the spellcasting quite sloppy but at least she was fast enough to catch her opponent off guard. Raizel needs to get her head back in the game or else it's just gonna get worse from here.

And it did. Her focus was so off, an Incendio hit her, unable to see how it went soaring through the air and to her, and adding more to that, her clothes were set on fire. "That's… unfortunate…" she hissed as she could still feel the pain from the initial hit. Then again, that pain should be enough to finally wake her up. She gave her wand a couple of spins before tightening her hold on it. "Pick up the pace, it's time to duel." That sleepy look in her brown eyes slowly faded, replaced by that gleam that signifies her growing excitement and determination as she starts to feel the adrenaline rushing.

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⌜ WC: 268/200 ⌟
««««« Dialogue | #800000

Action: Begging on my knees

x

November 18th, 2023

Duelling Club

Interacting with @Raizel Voltrouz and @Alyssea Brown

𝓑ex could feel her hands trembling as she stepped onto the piste, gripping her wand so tightly she was worried it would snap in two. Deep breaths, she told herself. You're a beater for goodness' sake, if you're not scared of bludgers then there's no reason to be scared of dueling. Get over yourself. Logic did little to quell her anxiety though, and she stood at the ready across from Raizel, waiting for the slaughter to begin.

"Ready, set, go!"

At Alyssea's call, Bex quickly called out Incendio, trying to psychically project positive vibes at her wand. I need this to work, or I will like, really, actually die. Please work.

Miraculously, despite the shaking of both her voice and her hands, this actually seemed to work, and her conjured flames hit the Gryffindor girl head-on, setting her shirt alight. Why couldn't her spellwork go off this seamlessly in class, when she was actually getting graded on it? Maybe she'd have less trouble in Transfiguration if Professor Aarden held her at wandpoint while she turned a snail to a teapot.

Far less fortunately, though, Bex was simultaneously hit with the Tickling Charm, which was a lot less funny than it sounded. Gritting her teeth as she struggled to stop laughing long enough to get a full breath in, she looked up to see that Raizel was still very much on fire.

"Is it okay just leave Raizel on fire?" Bex breathlessly asked Alyssea. How was this a school sanctioned event?

Action: So moved, so grateful that Rai is going to kill me dead.

ROUND 2

Rebecca vs. Raizel

Reducio

Rebecca casts Tarantallegra @ Raizel; WDC 9
Bex wis [d20 : 18] + 4 = 22, success
Bex acc [d20 : 9] + 5 = 14
Rai eva [d20 : 14] + 7 = 21
14 < 21, Rebecca misses

Raizel vs. Rebecca

Reducio

Raizel casts Incendio Duo @ Rebecca; WDC 12
Rai wis [d20 : 13] + 8 = 21, success
Rai acc [d20 : 2] + 8 = 10
Bex eva [d20 : 8] + 3 = 11
10 < 11, Raizel misses

Was Raizel trying to throw some karma at Rebecca with the better version of Incendio? Alyssea didn't know, but the use of Incendio Duo made her cross her fingers behind her back. Blue flames were always more difficult to be up against than orange ones. She may not have done any middle school science education back in England, but YouTube videos were a great resource for a bored twelve-year-old during summer vacation.

Rebecca, on the other hand, used another one of Alyssea's favourite spells. First, it was Raizel casting Rictusempra. Now, Rebecca was casting Tarantallegra. It wasn't her favourite to be up against (see her first ever duel with Zach that went as splendidly as it could with her limited arsenal of spells and experience), but it was certainly her favourite to cast against her opponents.

It certainly felt like déjà vu as she watched the next round of spells fire. Last year, she'd moderated a duel between two Slytherins (Dan and Colin) and, for several rounds, they did nothing but dodge each other's spells. The way Raizel and Rebecca dodged their spells made Alyssea think this was gonna be a repeat of that last duel.

Is this gonna be a running pattern of any duel I moderate? Alyssea thought. If this went on for anything more than two rounds, she would just walk out; no use staying for some dance party. At least, compared to last year, she had a better understanding of how duelling worked.

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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It was a bit funny how this girl knows her while Raizel doesn't know a thing about her though. She does, however, find her somewhat familiar, where exactly had she seen her, that she doesn't remember but oh well. She didn't get her name though but introductions are kind of overrated. Maybe after this duel she'll finally know her name.

Right, she shouldn't be thinking about those right now for she's in the middle of a duel with clothes on fire. She should do something about it as the heat is already reaching her skin but no, instead, she decided to play with her own fire. It was the stronger version of the fire making charm that the Ravenclaw girl did earlier. It was one of the spells that she had taken a liking to but she needs practice.

Her control was bad, that much she knows, as seen with how her spell missed her target. "Rough." She muttered before scrambling to her feet and clumsily dodging a spell coming for her that the Ravenclaw girl had shot towards her at the same time as her Incendio Duo. "Oh no no no, I am not doing a fire dance right now." It was a pain getting hit by a Tarantallegra.

Then she heard Bex's comment about the fire on her clothes. "This? Eh, it's fine, it happens all the time." When you're a duelist, expect things like clothes on fire, fog around you, getting petrified, and even a lightning strike. Luckily, that flame was already dying but not like she can't put it out though. With how much she had been dueling ever since she got too into the sport, she had gotten used to the pain and sufferings that comes with being a duelist. It's not fun getting hurt but for Raizel, the pain is worth it for the dueling experience that could help her growth.

Reckless, but that is just how she rolls. She keeps going back for more despite the beat downs and loses.

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⌜ It Takes Courage to Try ⌟ | ⌜ WC: 337/200 ⌟
««««« Dialogue | #800000

Action: Sacrificing my sould to Tatsu

x

November 18th, 2023

Duelling Club

Interacting with @Raizel Voltrouz and @Alyssea Brown

𝓘t was difficult to think of a spell to cast, let alone go about actually casting it when she was still trying to shake off the aftereffects of Raizel's Rictumsempra. She'd likely be feeling a lot of respect for the duelists right now, willingly doing this on the regular, if she wasn't so goddamn terrified that every other thought had been yeeted right out of her brain.

Her heart pounding, she quickly cast Tarantallegra, and was genuinely shocked when the spell actually seemed to fire, careening over towards Raizel. In the end the older girl managed to dodge it, but Bex genuinely could not care less, as she'd managed to successfully cast two spells in a row. This was why she was doing this, to force her dumb litle body to get better at magic, this was making it all worth it-

She let out a screech at Raizel's return volley of fire, which was significantly larger and more powerful than her own had been. And, well, prettier too, but in the way a snake was before it bit you. Bex practically threw herself out of the way of it, and managed to successfully dodge Raizel's attempt at a neighborhood barbecue party. She was going to die she was going to die she was going to die-

None of this was worth it, what in the actual hell had she been thinking?

Shakily climbing to her feet, she got in position for the next round, showing the exact lack of forethought and self-preservation that her dad had been complaining about for years. She hoped her funeral would be nice. Hopefully she'd be buried in her Quidditch gear.

Action: Hoping Tatsu wants to be more than friends

ROUND 3

Rebecca vs. Raizel

Reducio

Rebecca casts Incendio @ Raizel; WDC 9
Bex wis [d20 : 12] + 4 = 16, success
Bex acc [d20 : 17] + 7 = 24
Rai eva [d20 : 19] + 7 = 26
24 < 26, Rebecca misses

Raizel vs. Rebecca

Reducio

Raizel casts Obscuro @ Rebecca; WDC 10
Rai wis [d20 : 3] + 8 = 11, success
Rai acc [d20 : 2] + 8 = 10
Bex eva [d20 : 9] + 3 = 12
10 < 12, Raizel misses

Yup, the déjà vu was certainly kicking in. In true First Year fashion, Rebecca threw out another fire-making spell. Quite the favourite among First Years, Alyssea noted. Alyssea liked to throw out the spell in desperate times. What's the saying again? Desperate times call for desperate measures.

But by some miracle, to whatever god(s) was listening, Raizel managed to swerve out of Rebecca's lane, come out unscathed and not burnt again. Honestly, if that spell hit, Raizel might not have a sleeve of her shirt left by the end of the duel. Alyssea did not have enough time anymore to make special shirts and it's not like she was the cause of it, anyway. (Only partially.)

Then, Raizel threw out a blindfolding spell. While it wasn't exactly Alyssea's favourite spell for duelling, it was her favourite for racing after what happened at the fall races. The birds had taken a mean hit from the start line and one of them even got chased by a boggart! For her first race ever, it was certainly an eventful one.

But the spell missed and the two stood relatively unscathed. Alyssea was ready to make a move to the door and leave. She sighed. Hopefully, they can land a hit soon.

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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What is wrong with her today? No, seriously, all of her spells are missing, hitting nothing but the air around the Ravenclaw girl. Maybe she really was under the weather today. She hasn't been in the mood for practices.

Or she's just sleepy and needs to wake up more. Well, she's trying and surely those dodging will help in getting her mind and body into this duel. Fire was shot before her, making its way just as she fired a sloppily casted Obscuro towards her opponent and then ducking away from the incoming fire. "Not fun, not fun." Nope, while she is used to being set on fire on the piste, it's still not fun and she likes her clothes. Hopefully, the mending charm can fix up burnt clothing. She'd rather not go and find or buy a new one right now.

Slowly, she stood straight once again, giving her shoulder some exercise. Sloppy spellcasting, unfocused aiming, she is not having a great start but at least she was able to avoid the spells coming for her. Then again, what she needs right now is getting a hit in, knocking her opponent down. Whatever force is looking out for her right now surely doesn't want her winning this one. She can't have that now, can she? Well, she'll just have to keep trying and keep shooting.

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⌜ It Takes Courage to Try ⌟ | ⌜ WC: 226/200 ⌟
««««« Dialogue | #800000

Action: I am screamiiiiiiiiiing