Closed Lion vs Badger

[Arvel Ayers]

There was something almost therapeutic about practising on the dummies in the duelling chamber. Arvel thought so, anyway. It was the wizarding equivalent of punching a pillow, except twice as satisfying and infinitely more productive. He definitely wasn't going to struggle in the practical part of his Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL. The theory, on the other hand... Well, he would try his best. Gripping his wand, he said,"Obscuro." A weak flash sprung from his wand fizzled away before it hit the target. Arvel sighed. He knew it was an advanced spell, but he was determined to master it, if only to prove that he could. If he didn't push himself a little harder than yesterday, then what was the point?

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob felt like he was on an apology train. Or he was trying to be, if only he could find one of the people he was trying to apologize too. He was wandering the dungeons, having stopped near the Slytherin common room. It had been a waste of time but it was whatever, Jacob was trying to convince himself of that anyway. He spotted the duelling chamber ahead, brightening slightly. It was always cool to watch duels. As he reached the doorway, the fifth year peeked in and spotted Arvel inside. He remained there, watching the Hufflepuff until he spotted him fail at a spell. Until then, he'd been going well. It was actually impressive to watch. Jacob stepped into the doorway and tried his best attempt at sounding like their Defense professor. "Perhaps if you write an essay, Mr. Ayers, you'll actually somehow know how to cast that spell just right." He rolled his eyes as he finished. It was what he liked least about the class. All of the essays.

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Arvel jumped, almost losing his grip on his wand. How long had Jacob been standing there? And what on earth was he talking about? Arvel had done all of his Defence essays. "I can cast it," he said, concluding that Jacob must have been making fun of him. "Just not every time." It was true. He had cast Obscuro successfully, more than once. But that didn't make him feel any better. What use was a spell, after all, if you could only cast it some of the time? He slid his wand into his pocket, feeling self-conscious. "Do you want something?"

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob let out a small sigh. Of course, Arvel didn't get his joke. It was no wonder when he hung out with that stick in the mud friend of his. Jacob stepped more fully into the room as Arvel asked his next question. The teen frowned. "Nooooooo" he made sure to stress that word. He didn't want anything from Arvel. Definitely not. "I was just looking for someone...Sapphire. You know her right? And then I was walking by and saw you so I ...never mind." Jacob kept moving around, his hands touching one of the dummies when he got there. Staying still was difficult for him, especially when he was nervous.
"Do you fancy practicing on something that's not a dummy?" he asked as casually as he could.

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Arvel kept his eyes trained on Jacob as he drifted toward the dummies. He was acting... strangely, yet Arvel couldn't have said why. It was just a feeling. "Oookay," he said, expecting the conversation to end there. Jacob lingered, however, and proposed something strange. The Hufflepuff blinked. "Are you asking if I want to duel?" Well, it would certainly be more interesting to practice on a target that could move, defend itself, and cast spells, even if it was Jacob. Or perhaps especially because it was Jacob. Suddenly Arvel felt a thrill. "I mean, I do. But don't we need a professor?"

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob shrugged. "Yeah, why not?" he replied, still acting as if Arvel's reply wouldn't matter either way. If he said no, Jacob would just leave. It would be fine. But he didn't, and Jacob grinned when he said yes. "Details, details Ayers. Wait here" Jacob held out his hand to Ayers and then jogged out, taking the steps up to the Great Hall two at a time. "Yoooo...I mean hey professor" Jacob said as he spotted a professor. He gave her what he believed to be his most charming grin. "I'm trying to duel a friend" the word slipped out of his mouth and he paused. He'd have to process that later. After a moment, he regrouped. "And we need a professor to watch us. Pleeeeeeeease?" he clasped his hands together.

 

[Aspen Faye]

Aspen had just finished her patrols, but dinner was still a bit of time away. She was feeling super hungry, and wanted to grab a snack from the Kitchens before she continued her day. The House Elves were absolute magicians with the food, and they were always so helpful and happy to give her a couple of brownies. But before she reached there, a kid that was in her classes approached her. Of course she knew him, he was Cyndi's son. He asked her to watch a duel, and her face lit up. "Sounds more fun than brownies! Okay, that's a lie, but the brownies can wait. Who you dueling, kid?" She asked, following him to the dueling chamber. She'd never had a duel herself, or watched one, but she was sure it would be fun.

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Arvel swayed uneasily in the silence that followed Jacob's exit, his heart beginning to hurdle. In spite of all his practising, he didn't feel prepared for this. Defeat against Jacob would have been far more humiliating than defeat against anyone else; knowing him, he'd probably gloat about his victory for weeks. Yet Arvel sensed that wasn't the real reason he was so nervous. Part of him - a bigger part of him than he'd have liked to admit - was concerned with impressing him.

Hearing footsteps approach the chamber, Arvel quickly moved two paces to the left, as not to look as if he'd been standing there like a dummy all that time.

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Professor Aspen looked far too excited about this, and Jacob felt like rolling his eyes. Adults got overexcited about the weirdest things. But he was happy to have a professor to watch them duel. The teen wasn't trying to add to his mother's stress by getting in trouble for an unsanctioned one. Heading back down, Jacob shrugged his shoulders at her question. "Just this Hufflepuff guy" he said. There was no way he was dropping the f-bomb again.

Jacob turned into the chamber with the professor behind him, a smug grin in place as he looked around for Arvel. Jacob held the sigh of relief at finding him. He's half expected him to disappear, and Jacob knew he really would need to sit with all of this later. "See? Easy" he told Arvel. Then he clapped his hands together. "Let's do this!" he exclaimed, pulling his wand out of his pocket as he jogged to position. Jacob looked at the professor, waiting for her to do whatever it was professors did when they watched duels.

 

[Aspen Faye]

Aspen nodded when Kingsley said who he was fighting. It didn't clear things up for her, but she assumed the two must have had some sort of history if they were going to duel each other. She was grateful that they had asked her to oversee it, it obviously meant the two were some sort of friends, as the last duel Aspen saw was between the twins and they didn't seem to be friends. As they entered the Chamber, Aspen sent a small wave to the 'hufflepuff guy', though she knew he was a Prefect. It took a moment for her to find his name in her brain, but she remembered it as Arvel Ayers. Aspen nodded her head, taking what she assumed was her spot. "Uhh, so don't kill each other and... stuff. Okay begin!" She said, hoping that they weren't actually planning on killing each other because she would feel like an accomplice.

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Current Points: 150

---

Arvel wasn't sure whether he ought to feel guilty, but he did anyway. He always felt guilty when he found himself having fun - or worse still, smiling - in Jacob's company, as if he were conspiring to hurt Analei instead of just spending time with a friend. It was just easy to be around Jacob. Relaxing. He enjoyed Analei's company too, but it wasn't the same. He was always on edge, worried the next thing he said would upset her. It didn't help that he was especially good at upsetting her of late. Who could blame him for wanting to hang out with someone else?

Trying not to look too enthusiastic, Arvel mounted the stage. He got the feeling he and Jacob knew the duelling rules better than Professor Faye, but he wasn't complaining; without her, they wouldn't have been able to fight at all. "I'll try, Professor," he said. "It's only happened once." Smirking, he bowed at Jacob and readied his wand. "Rictusempra!"

---

Action(s) Taken: Cast spell
Point Changes: -5
Points Remaining:145

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

current points: 150
Jacob chuckled at the professor's words and Arvel's but it didn't last long. He rushed to bow as Arvel did, formalities mattered, and quickly had to throw up a blocking spell. "Really?" His eyes narrowed as the seriousness of the duel settled in. And he quickly attempted to hit Arvel with a trip jinx.
Actions taken: defended, cast spell
Point change: -15
Points remaining: 135

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Current Points: 145

---

Arvel allowed himself half a second to smirk before his face turned serious. He couldn't let Jacob beat him, even in a lighthearted duel. He had to prove he was... he was... something. Brandishing his wand just in time, he blocked the trip jinx and fired back a conjunctivitis curse.

---

Action(s) Taken: Defended, cast spell
Point Changes: -15
Points Remaining: 130