» Evalyn Williams vs Mariana Macnair

[Devon Etter]

The finalists for the duel were two women. One was very much expected to find herself here, but miss Williams was a great surprise to Devon. She made a mental note to give her a free drink when she visits the pub.
"Welcome, ladies! I am glad to see you both making it here. I won't prolong it, please miss Williams, start the duel"

[Eva Williams]

Eva was just as surprised as everyone else to find herself here. She wished she had a friend she felt comfortable really confiding in, so that the two of them could puzzle it out together. Was is simply confidence? Did her confidence intimidate her opponents? Was it perhaps that Eva knew her magical limitations and courted them well? As it was, she had merely exchanged a brief conversation with Maude, the closest thing she really had to a friend at this point, since her photographer had disappeared suddenly, in which the bulk of the conversation had been "I'm not that great at spells, really I'm not," which Maude clearly hadn't believed--after all, she was in the finals for the dueling tournament!

Evalyn bowed to her opponent and then to the audience, some of whom actually cheered. She had fans now. Probably Miss MacNair would have more, being more of a socialite, wealthier, and a pureblood, but for Miss Williams it was enough that even a few people she'd never met were cheering.

With a wave of her wand, she set about her work--Transfiguration, certainly, as she'd come too far now to risk anything she was less skilled at--and began to transform the dueling platform into a very ornate bedroom; a chair morphed into a bed, lush carpet sprouted from the hard wood floor, the nearest light bcame a chandelier. It would have been more impressive if she'd chosen to create a lavish ballroom or dining room, but since they were already in a ballroom that may not have boded well. She realized she was holding her breath... did she want to win?

[Mariana Macnair]

Double Bubble, Toil and Trouble

Mariana eyed her opponent with great skepticism. She wasn't one to be exceptionally arrogant or haughty - though nor was a humble creature either - but she was quite convinced that she would better her opponent with much ease. The woman looked very young and so experience was certainly on Mariana's side.

Following the formalities - curtsying and all that - Mariana observed with mild appreciation the skillful transformation the other woman performed. Now it was her turn. Unfazed by the skill, she gave an oh so sweet smile toward her opponent before waving her wand in a short, sweeping motion which, were it to work, would summon a vast number of large, cumbersome vines that would swiftly entwine around the furniture Miss Williams had produced in a Devil's Snare like fashion.

Tag: Duel peoples Outfit Words: 128
created by kay of caution and sds

[Devon Etter]

Devon had quickly made up her mind about the outcome. “The round goes to Mrs Macnair who shall start the next round. Give your best, ladies. Remember, this is the finale”

[OOC: Eva 5, Mariana 7]

[Mariana Macnair]

Double Bubble, Toil and Trouble

Perfect! Mariana couldn't quite stop herself from looking rather smug and generally pleased with her herself. She had won the first round and was very happy about it. The second round, she hoped, would be no different. What would her husband think then if she declared she was the best duelist in Hogsmeade? She hoped he made some remark about women dueling being vulgar; it would only bring her more amusement.

Anyhow, the second round had to be won somehow and that's exactly what she set out to do. It had to be her best display yet, her most impressive, something so impressive the entire town would remember it for years to come. And then she was hit with an idea. She hadn't cast the spell all too often - well, she had but not on the scale she intended to. With a delicate wave of her wand, the spell began. If all went well, there would be a mild breeze carrying a scent of cherry blossoms and flowers that would sweep over the room and should hopefully be accompanied by a gentle light almost like the sun with a convincing illusion of flower petals floating on said breeze. It was a little bit of a sly move in some respects - an attack on a various array of senses that would hopefully seduce the room (but most importantly Miss Etter) into bliss and thus propel her to victory.

Tag: Duel peoples Outfit Words: 237
created by kay of caution and sds

[Eva Williams]

Eva couldn't help but be a bit flustered by the other woman's spellwork. Purposefully destroying her transfigured items with devil's snare? It was in poor taste; no wonder the judge had given her the round. With a spell that was so combative, it could hardly do not to give the point to Miss MacNair. If I were a man, Eva thought bitterly, Miss MacNair would have been disqualified for being too aggressive. Just as she had nearly been in the first round.

Well, two could play at that game, she decided, but her heart sank when she saw the spell the pureblood performed. How was she supposed to combat a bunch of flower petals? Eva supposed she could make them all burst into flame, but that hardly seemed like the sort of thing the judge or the crowd would enjoy. Ladylike and delicate, hm?

Catching a glimpse of a wide-eyed child in the audience looking up at a string of conjured flower petals, Eva had an idea; with a wave of her wand she gathered some of the petals and some of the roots and vines from MacNair's last spell, her magic pushing them together into something vaguely humanoid. The flower-person looked stable enough, so Eva decided to continue with phase two; if things went well, the transfigured flora would be able to bend down and offer the child in the audience a flower; if things went poorly, the motion might be too much and the poor thing might just erupt into petals. Well, it might be pretty either way, so Eva wasn't going to lose any sleep over it.

[Devon Etter]

Devon had no doubts regarding who should win. She knew that the person is the most deserving one of the entire tournament and the decision came easily.
"Congratulations to Mrs Macnair who has shown great skill and won the entire tournament. Miss Williams, commiserations on your loss, but you have gotten very far and that is something you should be proud of. Congratulations to you both!

With that Devon had charmed fireworks to show the appreciation.
[OOC: Eva 4, Mariana 7]

[Eva Williams]

Eva's flower person made the movements, but wobbled, dangerously close to disintegrating before her eyes. She held her breath as the action finished--it wasn't exactly impressive but it was successful, and she honestly thought it more a test of skill than Mrs. MacNair's little breeze. Anything could happen.

But what did happen happened much too quickly for Eva's taste; before the action had even finished, it seemed, the judge was already announcing the decision; Mrs. MacNair the winner. Ugly thoughts entered Eva's mind; because she's pureblood? Because she paid off the judge? A tournament she had entered with little to no intention of progressing far in had suddenly become personal.

A few in the crowd seemed disappointed, though mostly there was applause; polite applause. Eva had been the crowd favorite of the two, at least with the middle and lower classes, probably because she had no backstory; she came from nowhere and was thus automatically the underdog, and people loved rooting for the underdog. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, Eva gave her final bow, then promptly left the stage; no need to stick around to allow Mrs. MacNair to gloat.