Fencing match #3 Summer Camp 2026

Fencing was something Ophelia was looking forward to. When she first saw its section in the combat training, she was over the moon. Lia had never actually fenced before, but she'd done a lot of plastic sword and bat fights with her younger brother, and sometimes her father, thus, she had gotten enough confidence for it to sign up. Although fencing was probably safer than duelling with actual swords. Lia knew, though, that the scores also depended on who her opponent was and how they chose to strike.

She knew she was going to be defensive, so she had some stuff easier. Attacking was, in her opinion, exhausting after some time. Defence had to be more careful, react fast, and just not get hit; well, now that she thought about it more, defending was also exhausting. Both things were. For both attack and defence, one had to be fast; either to strike someone before they defended, or to dodge before they got hit.

Dido Bleaklane was her opponent. Ophelia had participated in one of her unofficial Quidditch matches in their first year. "I wish good luck to both of us," she said to her before stepping to her position.

Alright. Let's start this. Nothing, hopefully, can go wrong.

location campgrounds date 04/08/2026 words 208

outfit protective gear english #545454 thoughts #6b0000

Notes Reducio 1) banner by the incredible Livia Machavariani 2) whoo!

Action Reducio As strategised

Stats/Abilities Reducio Stamina: 5 Evasion: 8 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 8 Arcane Power: 5 Accuracy: 9

Mentioning: Reducio @Ophelia Vanderbilt

Very little could have pulled Dido from her avoidant state, least of all any group activities where she would be sure to interact with at least one of the children in her cabin. The only thing that might have, and did have, any affect on her was the proposal of something right out of the stories she had written when she was younger. Sword-fighting.

Granted, it was advertised as fencing and, though Dido knew relatively little about the rules of the game, she understood that the two weren't quite identical. But how different could they be? After all, you still get to hold something that looks like a sword and try to hit the other person.

As she made her way towards the piste, she noticed another fortunate part of the game that she hadn't realised while she herself had been putting on all the fencing gear. Dido didn't even need to look at someone. It was perfect.

Dido approached Ophelia, or someone who was at least meant to be Ophelia. You couldn't tell with the helmet, really. It even could have been...

"I wish good luck to both of us," came a voice from the helmet. Distinctly Ophelia's. Good. Dido had liked her well enough in her quidditch game, though the Gryffindor had been knocked from her broom, something Dido instantly knew that she herself could have avoided.

The Slytherin smiled in response, before realising the expression wouldn't do that much from behind the dark gridded mesh and added hastily, "Thanks. You too."

ROUND 1

Dido Bleaklane	Ophelia Vanderbilt
@Dido Bleaklane || Y2 || Hogwarts || Human STA: 5| EVA: 8| STR: 5 WIS: 8 | ARC: 5| ACC: 9 OFFENSIVE Points: 1	@Ophelia Vanderbilt || Y2 || Hogwarts || Human STA: 8 | EVA: 6 | STR: 8 WIS: 6 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7 DEFENSIVE Points: 0

Chatt hadn't still gotten used to the intense sway, clinks-clanks, and movements from Fencing. Each individual action had caught him in awe, or in shorter terms, he wasn't bored of it yet.

The weather still hasn't waver its refreshment feel. Midway between the two fencers, Vanderbilt and Bleaklane, both names quite etching in his brain. The back of it anyways.

He'd let out. "And begin!"

Dido, striding forward quickly, lunging towards Ophelia in a steady but tense in one go. Their foils found and battled the opposite, especially Ophelia, initiating a Stop-Hit, showing her defenseless gut. Each blade, closer than the next. Chatt could only follow one at-a-time. Each glance he landed on, foils were a fingernail closer to a touch.

"Halt!" He shouted.
As the vest leaked the color red, the color-changing charm worked it's way wonderfully.

Although. . . . Both vest leaked red. Displaying both took a hit.

Likely points were given to both, but following the right-way rule — whatever it was called. Points were given to Dido. Stereotypically showing Gryffindors and Slytherins were a familiar nemesis to each other, will Ophelia show more grit than the snake?

"Attack from the left, touch. Point left." He'd show his arm toward his right. Directions was quite the confusion. He didn't wanna declare something incorrect. Especially with directions. The trick? Just hope he's right.

As both sides took a reset on positions, backing towards it. He'd say the words once more. Still using the French equivalent.
"En garde!"

"Ready?" Looking both to his left, and right — one and the other posted.

"Fence!"

Information

• You have 3 days (72 hrs) from now to write your posts. (200 words min.)
• You will be alternating sides. Whichever your side you are on, (Offensive/Defensive) will be switched to the opposite for the next round.
• Failure to do so will lead to a void action.
• Within the time period, send your moderator Chatt Auclair an owl regarding your chosen action.
• Any questions, concerns or if you've spotted a mistake, do not keep it to yourself. Please owl your moderator regarding this.
• Most importantly, have fun!

Fencing Mechanics

Fencing Sign-ups

For convenience, spectators are able to post freely after the match has concluded. We will not be making a separate individual thread.

The sound of the blades hitting each other was somewhat irritating to Lia. She didn't like hearing the clink-clanks, especially not so many at once. Before they'd started the first round, Ophelia nodded at Dido's response to her own good luck wish. And then, the first round started; it had gone better than Lia had imagined, even though the Slytherin had gotten a point. Lia's attempt at Stop-Hit succeeded, but since they both had taken a hit at the same time, Dido got the points.

Alright, yeah, she knew the rules. If the tips of the two foils hit the opponent at the same time, the offensive side would get the points. It was logical, it was in the rulebook -at least in the one they complied with here, but oh, Ophelia couldn't help but feel frustrated at that. She thought she was faster and better than this. Apparently not. It appears like she should work on her speed.

Alright, next round. She thought with a slight frown on her face that couldn't be seen due to the fencing mask. She walked back to her position and took a look at the Slytherin. They were wearing the same protecting gear, they were around the same age, yet the only visible things making them different -aside from personality and interests- were their House -Slytherin and Gryffindor, it was said they were competitors in most things- and, only for now, their positions in this fencing match. Was it actually on purpose that the young snake and lion were fencing against each other? It would be some drama, if it were. Or maybe it was just random.

location campgrounds date 04/08/2026 words 274

outfit protective gear english #545454 thoughts #6b0000

Notes Reducio 1) banner by the incredible Livia Machavariani 2) whoo!

Action Reducio As strategised

Stats/Abilities Reducio Stamina: 5 Evasion: 8 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 8 Arcane Power: 5 Accuracy: 9

Mentioning: Reducio @Ophelia Vanderbilt

Without even thinking about it (for what is there really to think about when you are holding a sword-like object and faced with an opponent?), Dido sprung forwards when the boy, who looked a fairly similar age to their own, refereeing their match said to begin. Her and Ophelia’s foils (which she had learnt were not called the “sharp ends”) clashed once, twice until-

“Halt!”

The boy shouted for them to stop. Dido stilled, only after making sure that Ophelia was too. During the short scuffle, she had felt Ophelia’s foil poke into her fencing gear but she had also felt resistance when her own had hit the Gryffindor. Proving her experience as completely genuine and not imagined in the thick of the swashbuckling, both girls’ vests had gone red.

Dido grinned as the boy made his decision and the point went her way. At last, she was allowed by the world to do well at something. Smirking behind her visor, Dido lifted her foil once more and stared ahead, preparing herself to defend. She had to win this.

ROUND 2

Dido Bleaklane	Ophelia Vanderbilt
@Dido Bleaklane || Y2 || Hogwarts || Human STA: 5| EVA: 8| STR: 5 WIS: 8 | ARC: 5| ACC: 9 DEFENSIVE Points: 1	@Ophelia Vanderbilt || Y2 || Hogwarts || Human STA: 8 | EVA: 6 | STR: 8 WIS: 6 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7 OFFENSIVE Points: 1

"Fence!"
He yelled out once more. Each eager than the other. Perhaps Ophelia had took the route of "never back down never what?" as she attacked forward. Meanwhile, Dido taking on Defensive was on the route of "never give up."

As their foils touched, each parried the other. Dido wasn't yet letting go. After all, Offense was the best Defense as a guy with nice hair once said. She tried— tried— to put her foil into Ophelia's torso, trying to retrieve a point before the opponent of hers did. Ophelia was seemingly desperate to get the point herself, a risk she took. She disengaged their foils passing it under Dido's, breaking contact.

The move caused Dido to caught off-guard not too long as almost instantly, she was back into the field. She moved quick, her foil touching Ophelia's vest, the color red surrounding the area. But apparently she wasn't quick enough as Ophelia's foil touched Dido's vest before she did.

"Halt!"
Chatt luckily caught onto that quickly. It appears the best opponents against each other was lions and snakes. Ophelia took back the point was she rightfully earned.
"Attack from the right, touch. Point right."
Pointing towards Gryffindor's Ophelia.

He waited as both sides calmly took place into their positions. Resetting.
"En Garde!" Both sides posing themselves in their starters.
"Read? Begin!"

Information

• You have 3 days (72 hrs) from now to write your posts. (200 words min.)
• You will be alternating sides. Whichever your side you are on, (Offensive/Defensive) will be switched to the opposite for the next round.
• Failure to do so will lead to a void action.
• Within the time period, send your moderator Chatt Auclair an owl regarding your chosen action.
• Any questions, concerns or if you've spotted a mistake, do not keep it to yourself. Please owl your moderator regarding this.
• Most importantly, have fun!

Fencing Mechanics

Fencing Sign-ups

For convenience, spectators are able to post freely after the match has concluded. We will not be making a separate individual thread.

Now playing Offensive, Ophelia thought of having more chances to strike. Her mind had gone blank. She wasn't thinking of anything in particular. Her eyes continued to follow the movement of the foils as the annoying clink-clank when they hit each other carried on. Dido was good at this, Ophelia realized. She found it quite difficult to find a spot on the Slytherin's torso which wasn't protected. But in a flicker of a moment... she saw it, and she took advantage of the open spot. If there was one thing she'd learnt doing martial arts, it was to never drop your guard. Admittedly, there were moments -like the previous round- where she involuntarily dropped her guard. Sometimes because she was dodging one thing and didn't see the next coming; sometimes because she was too tired to hold her arms up.

The raven didn't know if Dido was following that martial art "rule", and frankly, she didn't mind if the Slytherin didn't do so. She struck and hit Dido's torso just before her own torso was hit by the Slytherin a few seconds too late. Guard up, dammit. thought she as she walked back to her position. She was now going to be defensive, and she sure as hell didn't want to give another point to the Slytherin. Might as well just see if luck was going to be on her side for that objective. [/color]

location campgrounds date 04/08/2026 words 234

outfit protective gear english #545454 thoughts #6b0000

Notes Reducio 1) banner by the incredible Livia Machavariani 2) whoo!

Action Reducio As strategised

Stats/Abilities Reducio Stamina: 5 Evasion: 8 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 8 Arcane Power: 5 Accuracy: 9

Mentioning: Reducio @Ophelia Vanderbilt @Chatt Auclair

Perhaps Dido went into the second round (was it a round? Do they call it something different in fencing?) with slightly too much confidence for a girl who had never fenced (or done many sports really) before. Still smirking with pride from her earlier point, Dido raised her foil, pushed aside the fact she was meant to be on the defensive this round, and cocked her head at Ophelia, beckoning the Gryffindor forwards to try her luck.

While Dido wasn’t the best, or most frequent, sportsman, she could realised that, like any game, it was important to change your strategy so as not to let your opponent catch on. So, instead of charging forward to meet Ophelia, she called out, in a mostly playful tone, “Come on!” while tilting her foil to one side and slightly opening up her front for attack. The idea was to wait for Ophelia to lunge forwards, on which Dido would stop her foil with her own and dart in for a quick jab at the girl’s chest.

Of course, in reality, it didn’t go exactly like that. Their foils clashed just fine but, as Dido began to shift hers slightly awkwardly into jabbing position, she felt the tip of Ophelia’s foil against the fencing gear. Second too late, her own foil hit the girl but, by then, it was too late.

As the boy announced the round’s (?) result, Dido trudged back to her end of the piste, chewing on her lip as she did. Maybe she had gotten too excited in that first round. Maybe. But she was still doing well- one-all was just how they’d begun! She rubbed her gloved hand against the mesh of her helmet (beneath which she so desperately wanted to scratch) and smiled gently at Ophelia.

“Nicely done,” Dido said to the other girl. Ophelia was undeniably good. Or at least as good at Dido. Which wasn’t exactly the surest sign of fencing ability.

ROUND 3

Dido Bleaklane	Ophelia Vanderbilt
@Dido Bleaklane || Y2 || Hogwarts || Human STA: 5| EVA: 8| STR: 5 WIS: 8 | ARC: 5| ACC: 9 OFFENSIVE Points: 2	@Ophelia Vanderbilt || Y2 || Hogwarts || Human STA: 8 | EVA: 6 | STR: 8 WIS: 6 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7 DEFENSIVE Points: 1

Regressing back to their formers, they'd settle. It was already the third round. Was it just Chatt or... they felt a bit slump? Poise that attracted preparedness, foils seething for the other. Not another reason why he would let it wait much longer.

"Fence!"
Both historical rivals were in such good sportsmanship, of course—stereotypes weren't the mindset that Chatt collectively follows.

A tie that one of them could break—or the possibility it wouldn't. Dido placing eager into her attacks as she lunged forward not giving Ophelia a chance to strike up. Each refraction of the foils followed through his eyes. In a safe distance.

Ophelia counter-parried by her might, inching closer and closer outside the piste.

Luckily, Dido—the ambitious snake as they could describe Slytherin, saved her rival. Well, by a touch, how else? Dido carried her foil, just how she would carry a point. The red surrounding Ophelia's vest inserted a connection if she would succeed next round.

"Halt!" Game too intense, barely caught on.

"Attack from the left, touch. Point left. Reset."

Dido held two, would Ophelia take the same amount? The next round could be the finishing match, or if the right side's grit will exceed than Chatt would've known, perhaps this match was in for the long-run.

"En Garde! Ready—Fence!"

Information

• You have 3 days (72 hrs) from now to write your posts. (200 words min.)
• You will be alternating sides. Whichever your side you are on, (Offensive/Defensive) will be switched to the opposite for the next round.
• Failure to do so will lead to a void action.
• Within the time period, send your moderator Chatt Auclair an owl regarding your chosen action.
• Any questions, concerns or if you've spotted a mistake, do not keep it to yourself. Please owl your moderator regarding this.
• Most importantly, have fun!

Fencing Mechanics

Fencing Sign-ups

For convenience, spectators are able to post freely after the match has concluded. We will not be making a separate individual thread.