Open Post-Duel Recovery

[Lysander Summers]

Lysander’s duel against Juniper had been his most intense yet. He had never felt as exhausted as he did now, in part due to the toll it had taken to throw up what felt like an endless amount of slugs, but mostly due to the exertion of using so much magic in such a short span of time. He sat upright in one of the Hospital Wings beds, clutching at a metal bucket in his arms, only a few rows down from where he’d once visited Ajaccio after leaving him in much the same position. Now he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of his favourite jinx. But the nausea, the exhaustion, it was nothing compared to the anger and disappointment he felt from losing. He’d not lost a duel in his four years at Hogwarts, and now he’d lost not just his first, but also the title of champion he’d so proudly held on to. It had meant so much. He’d felt special. Unbeatable.

Below, the duels continued into their remaining rounds, and Lysander dwelled bitterly on the knowledge that he wouldn’t get to be a part of it. Juniper was probably already duelling her next opponent. It should have been him. He’d underestimated her. He was used to winning, and he hadn’t expected it to be any different this time around. He could already picture it, watching someone else get congratulated and presented a badge while he just watched from the sidelines, no longer good enough to be considered a champion, the best duelist in his year. The envy left an ugly knot in his stomach, and might have turned him green if the nausea hadn’t already done so. He didn’t know what had changed. He’d practiced, he’d really tried, even invented a whole new spell with Sully that he had thought would have given him an edge in the tournament. He hadn’t even gotten to show it off.

The former champion slumped miserably over his bucket, which sloshed with the few slugs he’d had the energy to throw up since he’d left the dungeons. This year had not been going the way he’d hoped. Falling behind in his animagus studies, dealing with Sierra stepping down as his co-captain, and now this to top it all off, it felt like he was slowly losing everything, and he didn’t know what to do. This win had felt more important than the previous years, and when it mattered most, he’d failed.​

 

[Alexei Kozlov]

A familiar face popped his head in the Hospital Wing to his receive his asthmatic potion for the month. The brunette was expected to see one of the healers running run as usual taking care the typical students that always seem to end up in the Wing whenever he stopped by every month. Alexei recognize the name and faces, usually. What he didn't expect to see was his Gryffindor friend looking sickly and ill. Very sickly, ill. The short haired brunette snuck right in, he walked silently pass the other cots of student to stop right over Lysander's cot.

"Oof, you don't look so good," said a worried Alexei, tipping up on his toes to see his friend's sickly face. "What happened? Did you-," Alexei went onto to say only to be cut short by the metal bucket Lysander was clutching in his arms. Slugs. It had to be, there was no other reason to be holding a metal pail like that unless one was vomiting. And he didn't smell the rancid smell of throw up. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

 

[Ajaccio Skey]

Ajaccio had seen the duel against Juniper that Lysander had had, it had been gripping but it had ended with his friend’s defeat and he knew that had to be somewhat hard to take, not to mention it was truly awful to vomit up slugs. Once his own duel was over, with him losing against Juniper. Ajax had decided to head to the hospital wing where he was sure that Sander had gone. He walked up and spotted his friend and then another kid, someone in their year but definitely not someone he knew particularly well. ’Hey!” he greeted as he walked over, ”Tough break man, that was an intense duel to watch!” he complimented his friend. ”How are you feeling?” He knew that he wouldn’t be feeling great probably but it never hurt to ask. ​

 

[Katherine Alicastell]

go away katherine

 

[Lysander Summers]

Lysander could only muster a groan in response to Alexei's line of questioning. Normally he would have been thrilled to see his friend, but he barely had the energy left in him to so much as smile. "M' okay." He lied, his shoulders barely lifting in a shrug. He felt bruised, and not just in the physical sense, though he was sure he'd managed to acquire a few bumps while battling Juniper. "M' waiting for them to bring some treacle from the kitchen. 'Sposed to help." One of the nurses had said it would stop the vomiting, but he didn't think it would make him feel any better beyond that. The thought of eating anything, even treacle, was a sickening thought as it was, and he had to wonder if he'd be able to keep it down. "D'you miss my duel?" He asked the Hufflepuff. It was always a big moment for Lysander, getting to compete in the tournament. One he wanted his friends to see. This time, it might have been for the best that they didn't all get to watch him lose. It was embarrassing enough in front of the rest of the school. He straightened up in his bed as Ajax showed up, trying to search his face for a way to tell what had happened in his duel against Juniper. "Thanks." He said, forcing a small chuckle, and almost immediately regretting it. It had been his most intense duel yet. "I lost count of the slugs. I didn't know how much this sucked." He admitted. Ajax knew what it had been like, but he'd seemed more chipper about it. Sander took a deep, shuddering breath. "What happened? D'you win?" He asked hopefully. He didn't want Juniper to win, not after that. It should have been him, but if he could pick anyone else, he wanted it to be Ajaccio.​

 

[Alexei Kozlov]

Alexei stood over his friend worried he might not get a word out of him in the shape that he was. The Hufflepuff couldn't imagine the ordeal his friend went through. Which Alexei couldn't as he's not sure what even took place. "Duel? No! I must've forgotten, ah, sorry," Alexei rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. He suddenly felt like a terrible friend, Alexei is aware how competitive Lysander can be. It's annoying, yet, impressive quality that he found in the Gryffindor. "Hey," Alexei greeted the other boy, a bushy browed Ravenclaw he knows to have some classes with. And that's as far their history goes. "You'll win the next time, Lysander. You're not going to let that stop you from competing, right?" Alexei pipped up, optimistically, in his attempts to cheer the boy up.

 

[Ajaccio Skey]

Ajaccio smiled at his friend, giving a little grimace in sympathy over the slugs. ”I’m surprised you kept going after that hit you, it’s honestly horrible,” he had been hit by such a spell in his first duelling competition by Lysander, so he knew exactly how bad it could be. Ajax shook his head, ”Come on, I can never beat you, you think I’ll beat the person who did,” Ajaccio gave a small laugh, ”I got some good hits in though,” he looked towards the other boy and nodded in firm agreement in the statement, "Well, he'd never, not when there's a chance he could beat me again and get the victory,"​

 

[Lysander Summers]

Lysander lowered his head into the bucket to hide the sad frown creasing his features, dismayed that Alexei had forgotten about his duel. He listened to Ajaccio express his surprise, and was surprised himself by how long he'd managed to go on for. "I had to...I had to win." He sighed. He was glad he'd pushed through, but it sucked knowing it had all been for nothing. Juniper had still beaten him, and then gone on to beat Ajax. He hadn't even managed to wear her out enough to lose her next round. It hurt more knowing that he'd lost, and she really was the new champion in their year. He forced a laugh along with his friend, and nodded the affirmative. If anything he was more determined to compete again. He had to get that title back. "Yeah, you gotta watch out. Next year 'm coming at it with all I got." He laughed, more genuinely this time. "Thanks, you guys." He continued, glad to have the support and presence of his friends, even in such a miserable state. It was like they'd said - he couldn't give up after one loss. He'd prove himself again.​

 

[Alexei Kozlov]

Alexei should've not have said that, it was the wrong time to admit he forgot one of his close friend's dueling match. "I'll make it up to you! I'll go to all your matches from now on," he promised apologetically. "I'll bring Linden to watch too! It'll be fun the next time," he reassured the gryffindor. Alexei doesn't know what's gotten to him lately. It's as if he wanted to please Lysander, not upset him when he's down. Or, he hasn't seen enough of the teem lately and feels as though they weren't around each other that much these days. The hufflepuff smiles at both teens, nodding. "Anytime, Sander. You really need to keep me update with your competitions. What else are you into these days? Don't tell me you're a drummer for a school band or, undercover future headboy," Alexei teases. Such an overachiever, he didn't think he would befriend someone that is like his dad back when he was in school at their age. It was strange, yet, nice in a weird way.