<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/ruBextD.jpg)</div><div class="floatright">(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/f/f3/DurmstrangCrest.png/revision/latest?cb=20160112161151)</div><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td><strong>NAME:</strong> Raynor Nordskov (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=299655.msg14677798#msg14677798)<br/><strong>YEAR:</strong> Seventh<br/><strong>BLOOD STATUS:</strong> Half-blood<br/><strong>WAND:</strong> 12 ¼ | Hornbeam | Horned Serpent Horn<br/><strong>WEARING:</strong> Durmstrang Men's Uniform<br/><strong>DATE | TIME:</strong> 2 September, 2019 | Evening – Dinner Time<br/><strong>LOCATION:</strong> Drawbridge – Dining Hall – Hallway Outside of Dining Hall<br/><strong>CONTENT:</strong> Drama! Womanizing? No! Duel! VICTORY! Celebrate! TOURNAMENT! GLOOORYYYY<br/><strong>TAGGING:</strong> Anyone</td></tr></tbody></table><br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/>“Draw your wand and fight, you backstabbing bastard!” Those were fighting words, declared loudly, and pointedly, toward Raynor.<br/><br/>Truthfully, Ray did not understand why his fellow Durmstrang brother, Francis, would have any ill feelings for him. They were of the same year. They were men of Durmstrang. And, they had been friends. Perhaps they were not the best of friends, but friends nonetheless. So, this declaration of a duel perplexed the Nord. He turned to face himself to Francis, boots shuffling over the wood of the drawbridge. “Why do you draw your wand on me, Francis?” It was only right to ask, as he believed he deserved to know.<br/><br/>Francis laughed, practically spitting in venom-laced disbelief. “As if you don’t know that already. You know what you did. Sarah was mine! You knew she was my girlfriend, and you went after her anyway. I saw you two together by the lake, Raynor!”<br/><br/>Ray breathed a deep sigh of understanding, and frustration. “That is not what—“<br/><br/>“Don’t try to deny it!”<br/><br/>He paused, and nodded gravely. “So, it is a duel then.”<br/><br/>“For my honor, and your complete lack of it.”<br/><br/>That stung. No one questioned his honor. No one. Ray drew his wand, and leveled Francis coolly with his blue-eyed gaze that was usually vibrant in life, and joy. Now, they were coldly determined. “Accepted,” he said, with finality.<br/><br/>A crowd of students drew on either side of the bridge to watch them.<br/><br/>The pair settled the parameters of their face-off. Back to back, ten steps, turn, draw, and fire. Whoever was left standing was the winner.<br/><br/>It took significant willpower for Ray to restrain himself, because at every moment Francis was cursing him directly, or under his breath. Insult upon insult rained down on him, but he bit back his ego. He could not be distracted and also find victory, even if triumph in this minor battle would provide him no true happiness. It shouldn’t have been happening anyway.<br/><br/>“Are you ready, you vile swine?”<br/><br/>“Enough,” Raynor barked at last, tolerant no more, and feeling satisfied when he could sense Francis flinch behind him, “I’ll snap you in two like the puny wretch that you are, and whatever is left of your wand will be shoved up your bloody ass.” Silence reigned. “I’m ready,” Ray concluded, cutting their exchange short. It was time this matter came to its natural end.<br/><br/>They took their first step, and then their next. Raynor breathed easily, but he could hear Francis, uneasy, shaken. Nervous. He wasn’t like Ray. He was not the type to get into fights, or duels frequently enough to be confident in his experience. This was to Ray’s advantage. The tenth step came. He swung around with the swiftness of a striking viper, and lifted his wand.<br/><br/>He was better than Francis. Faster, stronger, and more practiced.<br/><br/>“Ex-expel-“ Francis attempted, but it was not quick enough.<br/><br/>“Stupefy!” Ray bellowed, shooting out a sky blue blast that thundered toward his opponent. Luckily for Francis, it was not a direct hit, but unluckily, it sent him for a humiliating spin, twirling him through the air in a mad spin until he came down against the wood with a hard, painful crash.<br/><br/>Francis groaned, deep and long. He lied there, unable to do anything else but reflect on the pain.<br/><br/>Raynor stood over him. “I’d like to clear something up.”<br/><br/>That was the last thing the pained wizard wanted to here, and only made him grunt in exasperation.<br/><br/>“Whatever you think you saw down at that lake did not happen,” Ray explained, “I was only there to help Sarah with some spells that were causing her trouble. She succeeded, by the way, and you know what happened? The girl was so damned happy that she wanted to find you and show you right away. But, what did you do, hm? I bet you chewed her out before coming here to speak to me out of your asshole.”<br/><br/>Francis said nothing. He had nothing to say for the words were true.<br/><br/>“Now,” Ray continued, “you should already know, seeing as you’re one of my friends, that I have a code when it comes to women. If she is with someone else, then she is with someone else, and that’s final. That hasn’t changed. So, I’ll tell you what you’re going to do right now. You,” he held out his hand, “are going to take my hand, and stand up like a man. Then, you’re going to march your stupid and stubborn ass all the way back to Sarah and tell her you’re sorry. She loves you, so I think you just might be lucky enough to be forgiven. Just don’t make a habit of this, or I’ll have to wipe the floor with you again.” Raynor grinned widely. “Understand?”<br/><br/>For a while Francis made no move, until finally his expression shifted, and he chuckled. He took Ray’s hand. “You’re a royal ass, you know that?”<br/><br/>“A handsome royal ass. Shiny, too. Is that an apology?”<br/><br/>“It is, brother. I’m sorry.”<br/><br/>“Then consider this forgotten.” He slapped his hand against Francis’s back. “I’ll see you inside for the feast, brother. I hear there is big news to be announced, and that can’t be missed.”<br/><br/>“Are you going to enter?” Francis asked, hinting at the rumors.<br/><br/>“And miss a chance for glory? Not a chance.”<br/><br/><hr/><br/>“For Durmstrang!” Raynor roared, raising his goblet high, and fanning the flames of his fellow brothers at his table. They echoed his sentiments, loudly, and clearly, their enthusiasm ringing out through the dining hall after the announcement of the Tri-Wizard Tournament’s return was made. He laughed uproariously, already drenched in the cloak of victory from his earlier duel that was being spread on the backs of gossip from table to table.<br/><br/>In the throes of triumph, even further fuel was provided by the Headmaster’s words. The tournament of tournaments was to return. Raynor could see it already. Promises of glory clouded his mind, and eternal fame that could be etched to his name filled him with thrilling anticipation. It could be his chance. It could be his moment. And, just as Nikolai had uttered, it was an opportunity to be better, to be the best. It was every reason he came to Durmstrang in the first place, or so he thought.<br/><br/>“For Durmstrang!” He bellowed once more, joining in a final cheer and the boisterous singing of rowdy songs.<br/><br/>When everyone was distracted in merriment, Ray extracted himself from the crowd. He wanted to be alone, or to find someone else to be happy with. This was a momentous occasion calling for a momentous celebration.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Ignore Dis</div><div class="spoiler_body">Out in the hallway, he recognized a familiar face. Two, actually, but one was leaving. The other was Aaren, standing alone, looking sad, or something along such lines.<br/><br/>This was no time to be sad, so Raynor bawdily made his presence known. “SANDSTORM!” He exclaimed, and immediately wrapped up his classmate in an exuberant embrace. Any time Ray hugged a man, or woman, it was no simple hug. It was an event. A glorious reunion of kindred spirits, regardless of how much time had passed in between seeing one another.<br/><br/>He ceased the hug, but followed it up by clasping Aaren arond his shoulders and giving him a fraternal shake. “Brother, I see you have the face of a man steeped in the woman sadness. I will wipe it away, and no is not an acceptable answer.”</div></div>