Open Unconventional Cartharsis

[Brooke Townsend]

This is meant to be set right after the Duelling Tournament ignore my poor time management
Brooke's breath came in short, sharp bursts as she tried to keep it under control until she was safely sequestered in the club room, away from the gathered spectators of the duelling tournament. She didn't like this feeling, the racing heart, the tightness in her throat, the lack of control, and she gulped down air as she tried to smother it all back down under a layer of calm. The feelings fought her and Brooke swallowed tightly before letting out a sharp yell, turning suddenly to fling a curse at one of the club's practice dummies, feeling a spark of grim satisfaction as the dummy was cut clean across the middle.

It was so unfair, she'd worked so hard, for years, and for once it looked like she was actually going to win this stupid tournament only to mess up right at the end. That was the hardest thing; at least in the past she'd been defeated so throroughly and simply at the start of the tournament she hadn't even had time to built up the hope of succeeding, but this year. This year she'd already mentally added her name to that trophy and now she'd be nothing but a footnote once again, she might as well have lost in round one. Gritting her teeth tight enough to feel her jaw creak, trying hard to shove down another yell as Brooke flung out her arm again, barely flinching as her next spell cause the damaged dummy to burst into flame with a crack.

 

[Indira Khatri]

Indi was furious. She couldn’t believe she had lost. After two years of winning she had been bested by Elara of all people. She was sure the other girl had just gotten lucky. If they faced off again right now she knew she could win. Still her hands were tightly balled into fists as she tried to cool off. She was maybe going to leave the dungeons altogether but she heard a yell. Her curiosity got the better of her and she went to investigate. She poked her head around the corner and saw that it was Brooke Townsend. Her sister had run the club when Indi had first joined but she didn’t know much about her otherwise. Besides the fact she hung out with Natalia sometimes, so she obviously had questionable taste. Indi winced as one dummy got cut in half and another burst into flames. It generally made her own internal tantrum seem down right restrained in comparison. “Better watch where you’re aiming that.” she said and gestured to the other girl’s wand as she came around the corner.

 

[Brooke Townsend]

Brooke turned sharply at the sound of a voice, hurrying to school her expression into something less sour at the sight of Indira. "I have perfect aim, thank you," she said stiffly, taking a deep breath through her nose to try and calm herself down. It wouldn't do to have any witnesses to her ill-timed breakdown, especially if Merlin forbid she started crying or something equally mortifying. "What are you doing down here, is the tournament finished?" She said, turning a little belatedly to douse the burning dummy with a flick of her wand as some of the smoke started to reached her. She knew Indira from around the common room of course, and from watching Quidditch, and she also knew from the SDA that she had a few tournament championships under her belt already. Really, was Brooke one of the only people in that stupid club who hadn't managed to win at least once?

 

[Indira Khatri]

Indi somehow resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Brooke said she had perfect aim. Nice and humble. "Sure." she said simply to avoid an argument. It was big talk for someone who had apparently lost. But when Brooke asked if the tournament was over she could feel her expression turn sour. "No." she said bluntly. "I got knocked out. I was a questionable call." she admitted through gritted teeth as her hands balled into fists again. "Sometimes I think the whole thing is rigged." she muttered under her breath.

 

[Brooke Townsend]

Brooke brushed her hair back over her shoulder, moving to smooth away the fly-aways that had come loose from her ponytail since she'd pulled it back for the tournament. She didn't like this feeling, like anyone who walked by could see the cracks in the veneer forming and tidying it back up helped her feel like she was at least gaining the illusion of being put together if nothing else.

"By you or the proctor?" She asked vaguely when Indira mentioned she'd also been knocked. At least she wasn't the only one losing duels she supposed, yet it didn't make the sting of Brooke's own loss hit any less. "Was it rigged when you won too?" She challenged, clenching her wand in her fist. "Blaming the system for your own inability to perform does everyone a disservice. You lost, accept it," she said shortly, turning back to fire another curse at the practice dummy. She wouldn't keep making excuses for her own failures, Brooke thought fiercely, not like that. She just had to be better. Impossibly better and better all the time.

 

[Indira Khatri]

Indi frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Proctor." she said with a heavy sigh. Like she would have let herself get knocked out by anyone. She had gotten through the tournament unscathed and she would keep it that way. "The way you're accepting it?" she asked sarcastically and gestured to the brutalized practice dummies. "Besides, if they let us keep going I would have gotten it." she sighed. She had been so close. She had already landed a hit. It was just a matter of time.