Enter Ravena (Inca x Day)

"Alright. Take a breath, will ya?" His first reaction was to scowl at her request, but then Felix flashed through his mind. "You're alright buddy. Breathe." So he did just that. Leaning back, he took a big breath, controlling his exhaling. Slow and centered as Miss Fawley explained herself a bit better.

"Better to be prepared, I always say!" Caleb groaned. "You are just a more cheerful version of Mad Eye aren't you? Constant vigilance and all that? A bit of a warning next time, please and thank you!" He was whining without the actual whining tone in his voice as he popped one more piece of apple pie in his mouth so he wouldn't pop off on the woman like he originally wanted to.

"You ask an awful lot of questions, young man. That's good. I can work with that." He shrugged. "Only when I am interested. Otherwise I couldn't care less. Speaking of work." He got more upright in his seat again."When do we start? I believe I have about an hour more before my absence becomes noticed to the point of risking detention without a good excuse."
 
f97bc6ce85f7cae3070233f16733ea79.jpgRAVENA FAWLEY

Location: Hogsmeade --> The Three Broomsticks
Time: Monday afternoon
Interactions: Caleb O'Neill - @DayDreamer

Once again, Ravena was unwilling and unable to hide a hint of pride, this time over comparison with the great Alastor Moody. She saluted Caleb by lifting a mug. "Quite right, Caleb. Quite right," came out confidently, although she took it more as a compliment than a fact. She did her best, but such comparison meant some large shoes to fill and a bitter reminder of why she never will.

She proceeded to listen to the boy's complaints with interest, even though they were all utterly irrelevant in her head. He just had a hunch that once his wand starts talking, he will have no time to complain, and not just because she wasn't planning to go easy on him, but because she saw a potential for a very devoted student.

Requesting him to calm down, she respectfully allowed him to do so. As she sat there observing the boy - that now finally decided to pay that glorious-looking apple pie some attention - she could see it. Why he was mentioned so many times. He was an unconventionally charming little bugger.

"Alright, champ. I'll behave. We will get there one step at a time," she agreed to Caleb's terms - for now - and grinned, proceeding to enjoy her drink.

"Speaking of work." Ah. There they were at last. It was not like she had any doubts about her ability to persuade him, but it felt like a triumph regardless. She responded to his business-like posture with her own, slightly exaggerated one. Whatever straight back had to do with professionalism, and whoever thought of stupid crap like that was something she never came to understand. All you got was back pain and a distance between you and a person you are trying to find common grounds with. Nevertheless, she humored him.

"When do we start? I believe I have about an hour more before my absence becomes noticed to the point of risking detention without a good excuse."

Ravena clapped her hands, briefly alerting a pair of goblins behind her in the process. One scolding gaze and a few Gobbledegook words, of which at least one was a swear, they turned back to their meat plates, blabbering amongst themselves.

"That's what I'm talking about! That's the attitude I expected to find." She paused for a second with almost unnoticeable insecurity.

"Come on, you dunce," she scolded herself briefly. "Your one job is to not be a creep. And it isn't the first time you're trying either."

"See, I knew there was a curious mind right there in the shop." Saved. "And it would be very unfair to expect you to trust me with your time before I show you a preview." Rumbling through the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out several coins, notably more than the meal was worth, and laid them on the table enthusiastically.

"An hour is more than enough to give you a hint, boy," she announced, getting up. "Well? Will you just sit there for the rest of the day, or are we doing this? Lead the way, boy; time waits for no one!" Bit dramatic, but it fulfilled its purpose. "Name the place," she called for him again, making her way out. Time waited for no man. Neither did Ravena Fawley.
 
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Caleb had to roll his eyes at her antics. For someone who apparently wanted to help him, she sure liked to poke fun at him. He had leaned in with interest and she was mimicking like a self-important monkey. He guessed it was in her nature. Or she simply wanted to throw him off. The latter sounded very likely in his head. Eating the last piece of apple pie, he was unable to frown. There was the bloody word again. 'Boy' Sure he was young, but he would have liked to think he had outgrown the term for some years now. Especially after summer...

Time waits for no one! She had exclaimed and indeed he had to down the rest of his butterbeer in one go and lightly jog to reach her as she exited the pub. "The place doesn't have a name, but it should do just fine." He announced and took the lead, casually throwing his bag of goodies over his shoulder. There were few spots that would keep them from prying eyes, especially if a duel was involved and that place rested a good 15 minutes away from the Three Broomsticks.

True to his word, Caleb led them through Hogsmeade to the direction of the Shrieking Shack but was quick to cut through the fields and end up in a small clearing of forested area. They were away from prying eyes but with decent space for open combat as well as cover under the trees if need be. He had discovered the place while he was looking for suitable locations to try various stunts and test his broom prototype once it was finally ready.

"Here we are." He declared and propped his bag on a tree that had obviously seen some spellcasting tests before.
 
f97bc6ce85f7cae3070233f16733ea79.jpgRAVENA FAWLEY

Location: Duelling grounds
Time: Monday afternoon
Interactions: Caleb O'Neill - @DayDreamer

The witch whistled in excitement.

"Sounds like my kind of place!"

For the first time since their encounter, Ravena fell silent deliberately, contemplating the situation at hand. Sure, she was eager to teach, but even more so, she was keen to get to know Caleb's abilities better. And - if all things went according to plan - perhaps get another talented wizard to turn his knowledge towards worthwhile goals. But many have disappointed her before. Regardless of her superficial excitement, she was also wary of the young man's skills.

Throughout the fifteen-minute walk, Ravena occupied herself with her own ponderings, humming while diligently following Caleb. Crowded streets? Sure! Through fields and into the forest? Count her in! In all honesty, she had no idea what to expect from the brief adventure of arriving at the place of his choice. All she knew was that the boy's choice certainly did not disappoint her.

"Here we are."

Ravena stepped into the clearing right after Caleb, stopping to look around. Going from awe to a wide grin in mere moments, she nodded approvingly.

"Not bad, Caleb. Not bad. At. All! Go big or go home. Admirable."

More than that, however, she appreciated the fact that the boy seemed to have no need to show off. A very encouraging sign that boosted up her confidence in their little arrangement.

"I see this place had already seen quite a bit of activity then. Very good," she praised further, studying the evident markings of some very eager casting already made in the tree's bark.

"Ah, and some charming deep tags. A little bit rough around the edges. It could also be better directed. Nothing that can't be fixed still," Ravena mused on, patting the trunk before she took off her jacket, laying it at the tree's base. She was used to the cold weather of the north. The weight of her jacket in this climate was almost too bothersome to pair up with exercise. A slim halterneck T-shirt would do just fine.

"Alright, well. Let's see what we're working with here."

Circling the area, she took her time to tie her hair up meticulously. Funnily, she was proud of being able to do it manually. Simple things like those were somewhat more meaningful without a quick swish of a wand. Now, she was ready, and she felt like it.

Finally, she seemed to have settled on the spot that she had chosen to be her corner. A smooth wand made of aspen wood emerged from the holster hanging from her side. It was a simple pale body with an intricately carved handle that differentiated from all other aspen wands. Carefully engraved tree of life intertwined its branches along with the handle, while the bottom sported a perfectly curved triskelion - pale imagery against darkened wood.

Ravena paused briefly, exchanging a glare with Caleb as she spun the wand between her fingers.

"I got all day, but you don't," she jested.

"Show me what you got." The invitation to start the duel was a direct one without any further instruction.

"Do your worst," she taunted with a smirk.
 
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Watching Ravena Fawley take her jacket off prompted him to get his sherpa jeans off as well. But unlike his 'opponent' he stayed in a black Imagine Dragons hoodie that was so characteristic of him. At her assessment of his spellwork, he nodded in agreement. His aim and power could use some work, but it wasn't so much because he didn't know the spells he used, but because he was trying them in combination with parkour moves. "Right on the money." Was his response as he watched her walk around the field, gathering her hair out of the way.

Just like a sleek aspen wand was retrieved from a holster, a rough-hewn oaken wand that featured a very plain handle that seemed to have been individualized later on with simple geometric designs was taken out of Caleb's hoodie pouch. "Do your worst," Under any other circumstance he would have taken the challenge head-on, even retorting something or another. However, there was something in her smirk and posture that screamed to him to be careful.

"Expeliarmus!" was the first spell in order. People used to say it was the favorite spell of Harry Potter himself, but to Caleb it was nothing but a test. There was only one spell he resonated with so much that he had managed to use wordlessly and that was Depulso. Which was exactly what was casted immediately after the disarming spell, as Caleb put distance between himself and the tree where their things were resting. He needed to have space in order to dodge in every direction at a moment's notice. He was testing the waters. See just how quick and good Ravena Fawley really was. How dangerous of a foe.
 
f97bc6ce85f7cae3070233f16733ea79.jpgRAVENA FAWLEY

Location:
Duelling grounds
Time: Monday afternoon
Interactions: Caleb O'Neill - @DayDreamer

It was only fair not to rush the boy on his very first move. Giving credits where they were due, Ravena nodded approvingly to his hesitation.

"Very good, boy. You understand your position. While hesitating for so long would by now most definitely maim or kill you, it's good that you know when you need to work your way up. You're dead, but at least you died a humble man," she chuckled, extending her wand in front of her. She could work with that.

"Expeliarmus!" sounded across the gap between them. A bright cloud of light, all too known, stormed Ravena's way and...

...deflected in front of her, dispersing into the afternoon shadows.

Ravena blinked several times. Her expression was unamused.

"Really? That's like a First-year magic trick O'Neill. I am disappointed," she taunted on, resuming her stance after the shield charm dispersed around her.

"Then again, Protego isn't too creative either," she admitted with a shrug, circling the perimeter of the area. "I'd like to make this a bit more interesting if you don't mind."

But not like Ravena truly needed the boy's permission. By the time she was done asking for it, the aspen wand had already pointed somewhere over Caleb's shoulder. It was rather unfortunate that she had an advantage of wordless casting, but so did many other wizards he would encounter. If not learning to do so himself, then at the very least, it was of great importance for him to learn to identify the spells by their effect.

Except, Oppugno was a sneaky one.

Behind the boy, a rock of considerable size floated upwards, rushing towards Caleb's back at high speed.

"Think fast," the witch teased, unbothered by the fact that - if allowed through - it could cause quite a bit of damage. After all, what were the healings spells there for anyway? Easy fix!
 
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She was unamused by his first choice in spells and he didn't mind at all. What he had discovered with that simple combination was exactly what he had suspected. She might be taking it easy on him, but she was fast and dangerous. Her Shield Charm had stopped the Expeliarmus easy enough, but it dissipated after he had cast his silent Depulso, meaning the charm was strong enough to take repeated damage.

"Think fast," was her warning, but Caleb had grown antsier over the summer. Some would say to the point of looking behind his back frequently like a paranoid person. It had gotten better over time and people could easily dismiss it as an indicator of mischief having taken place and him being wary of payback. The hurtling rock would have been quite the scary sight for anybody new to dueling. But he had felt Fiendfyre on his skin and a mundane rock did not faze him anymore. His reaction was immediate. A simple roll to his left side allowed the rock to harmlessly fly past him. Its trajectory was conveniently close to Ravena, so once again Caleb cast a silent Depulso to speed up and correct the projectile's trajectory.

Still in his somersault landing position, he swiped his wand in a small arc as he fired a rapid "Incarcerous." This time, the tone of his voice as quiet as possible while still allowing proper incantation. Thick ropes sprouted from the tip of his wand, flying over the ground to swipe at the feet of Ravena. Between the rock hurtling at her chest and the ropes traveling in an arc towards her feet, Caleb zeroed in on her. Considering it was a dual attack he expected to at least throw her off balance, but he didn't count on it much. Still, it would provide him with more insight as to just how good she was. Hopefully he would get to keep his head by the end of the duel and would not have to seriously patch himself up.
 
f97bc6ce85f7cae3070233f16733ea79.jpgRAVENA FAWLEY

Location:
Duelling grounds
Time: Monday afternoon
Interactions: Caleb O'Neill - @DayDreamer

"Oh!" Ravena exclaimed with a grunt, focusing further on the rock and what seemed to be turning into a game of Hot Potato. It was a decent way for Caleb to compensate for his disadvantage if a bit too simple for her taste. But she ought to cut him some slack. Not bad for the first time around.

Albeit deflected, the rock was still under the control of Oppugno jinx when she aimed at it. Her peripheral caught an elongated conjured object rushing towards the lower parts of her body in a blink of an eye.

"You little weasel," Ravena chuckled.

Using the pent-up kinetic energy of a flying rock, the witch redirected it to slam into the ground in front of her, taking several rushed steps back. Laughing audibly, Ravena vigorously flicked her wand downwards.

Expulso struck the rock that just had landed, blasting it forward into a cloud of blue mist, dirt, and small pieces of stone along with the conjured rope. The controlled force of the explosion pushed the cloud back to Caleb, creating a temporary veil behind which Ravena rushed to change her position.

"This is so much fun!" she laughed out again, running towards Caleb's left side, out of the cloud. "You don't get to use my genius against me, boy," she jested with a mischievous grin as she aimed at Caleb once more, this time with the incapacitation trick of her own in mind as soon as she was out and visible again.

A specific, snake-like flick of the wand followed by a bright purple light would have been enough of an identifier for Locomotor Mortis for a knowledgeable wizardkind.
 
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"Shite!" It had been a good strategy and it would have worked great under any other duel he could have ended up in at Hogwarts. But this was a teacher at Durmstrang, a school renowned for its combat focus and the woman before him was the teacher that instructed that very thing. And she was on the move. Raising his arm as a shield against the oncoming wave of dust was instinctive and the Protego that followed that motion created a small dome that protected him while he was still poised for a sprint.

"You don't get to use my genius against me, boy," He heard her before he could see her and with a startle, he realized just how limited his left peripheral vision had become. Keeping his focus on the shield charm a little longer, he spun around to properly face her as purple light dissipated when it clashed over his dome. He glared at the woman but it was clear the gears in his head were turning. He had several disadvantages against her, but his major one was wordless casting. Even if he was to be fast at casting, she would know what to expect just by listening to him. He had to switch it up.

"Muffliato" He enchanted as his wand aimed at her. But he didn't wait to see if his charm would have any effect. He sprinted at her, a thick cloud of smoke engulfing them as he closed the distance. Soon he was out of sight. Having built enough momentum, he propelled himself upwards after three seconds using Ascendio. Hopefully, she wouldn't expect an attack coming from above. Looking down at her from a couple of meters off the ground, he cast another silent Depulso as to not give away his position.
 
RAVENA FAWLEY

f97bc6ce85f7cae3070233f16733ea79.jpgLocation: Duelling grounds
Time: Monday afternoon
Interactions: Caleb O'Neill - @DayDreamer


"You're a smart one aren't you?" While the goal of her small preview lesson wasn't to let him feel good about an undeserved win, Ravena was well aware of the difficulty of adapting in such a short period. To see O'Neill attempting to adapt to that disadvantage encouraged her. It wasn't a waste of time for either of them.

Taught by her own experiences, she insisted on a specific approach from each of her students. Hardly any lived up to her expectations. It was perhaps the most apparent widespread flaw of Durmstrang that Hogwarts made up for. Durmstrang was the matter. Hogwarts was the mind. And the deadliest danger to any wizard wasn't a curse or a potion. It was a weak mind and disproportionate power.

Other than Glesni, Caleb was a true refreshment.

Based on his engaged glare, she had assumed it coming. Regardless, she wasted no focus or energy to block the incoming spell. Instead, she fortified herself, taking a total force of Muffliato, keeping her eyes on the boy as her ears filled with a sound of muffled white noise.

Ravena lifted up her wand just before the boy vanished in the cloud of dust. Her confident smirk turned to a strong clench of the jaw.

Oh no, he wouldn't!

Swishing her wand in a subtle spiral, Ravena released a gust of wind, blowing the cloud away just enough to spot the figure descending from above. With Caleb already in the process of casting, she couldn't allow herself cockiness of identifying the spell. Hell, she hardly had time to react in the first place.

And whenever in doubt, there was a universal exit she utilized.

Instead of developing a proper defense, Ravena extended her arm, dragging an imaginary horizontal line against the incoming spell.

"Ah. Almost!" the witch chuckled. Or she thought she did. It was hard to tell with all the noise in her ears. Regardless, she still resisted the need to shake it off.

Impedimenta's turquoise light rushed towards Caleb just as he powered his wand, slowing his casting speed for a moment - enough for Ravena to swiftly move aside and step backward. Another well-executed Depulso. Re-aiming her wand to cast a potent ray of Confundus, Ravena couldn't help but grin.
 
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She wasn't expecting him, but she was damn fast. He felt the Impedimenta before he finished his casting and his Depulso missed. Not by a lot but he did need it to hit. His plan was to propel himself towards her like a rocket and that's what he did, except he was not aiming at her but at the ground. His eyes widened as the grass was growing near at an alarming speed. "What the Hell?!" He questioned no one in particular. Then there was a sharp pain in his burned eye and he was diving headfirst towards solid ground.

Grunting he closed his eyes shut and tried to block everything else out. His instincts took over and he rolled to the ground twice to absorb the shock of the impact. For a second or two he lied on his stomach, trying to get rid of the sense of vertigo. This wasn't right. He shouldn't be feeling this dizzy from just two barrel rolls. Opening his eyes, he blinked back a few tears. What were those for? He needed to focus, he shot up and stood on his knee, his left hand rubbing at his scar, trying to get rid of phantom pain from that brief sharp needle he had felt when he was being propelled to the ground instead of his intended target. Another five seconds passed before he realized what had happened.

"Confundo? Really?!" He questioned the woman, still in the same crouched position. It wasn't just his eye that was protesting now. His shoulder and neck were also not happy by the awkward emergency rolls he had performed. He knew he was going to be sore the next day.
 
RAVENA FAWLEY

f97bc6ce85f7cae3070233f16733ea79.jpgLocation: Duelling grounds
Time: Monday afternoon
Interactions: Caleb O'Neill - @DayDreamer

Momentarily, Ravena's protective instincts kicked in when the boy rushed downwards. What was she thinking? Slight panic disturbed her mind, and she hastily aimed her wand at the ground under him.

Molliare cushioned the surface enough to mitigate any severe injury, helped by Caleb's swift saving reaction.

"Merlin's beard, Caleb, are you okay?!" She knew it! She pushed it too far. The boy laid on the ground for what seemed to be an eternity, prolonged by the continuous sound she had forgotten about. Even if he had heard her, Ravena wouldn't be hearing him. Swearing under her breath, Ravena grabbed her nose and puffed her cheeks as if she was unclogging pressured ears. The white noise dispersed right after.

"Hey! Kid!" she insisted, snapping her fingers in front of Caleb once he straightened up into a kneeling position. "Talk to me! You alright?"

"Confundo? Really?!" Ravena blinked a few times, her startled head slowly processing the question. The smart mouth was there. He was fine. Letting out an exhale of relief, she went through her hair nervously and stepped backward with a chuckle.

"First thing that came to mind," she admitted with a shrug. "It worked, didn't it?" A bit too well, perhaps.

"Sometimes, you gotta take what you get. First come, first serve," she mused, lifting her wand once again and aimed. Expelliarmus spell smacked against Caleb's armed hand like a whip, but after it, Ravena took her time and sat on the ground instead of pushing it further.

"Had enough, or do I have to convince you further, boy?" she teased with a smirk, leaning her chin against her hand. It was her combat ethics and not her cockiness that field her decision to pause. After all, it wasn't fun beating up an already downed opponent.

"If so, I'm right here. Go on."
 
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"It worked, didn't it?" Caleb snorted at her sheepish defense. Of course it had worked! He merely couldn't believe she would go for such a spell in the middle of a duel. "Sometimes, you gotta take what you get. First come, first serve," Sitting down cross-legged, he shook his head. "I'm the last person who will fight you on that." He agreed with her and absentmindedly rubbed the corner of his burned eye again, his finger traveling all the way to the patch of burned skin hidden by his hair. He didn't even seem angry at her sneaky Expeliarmus.

"Had enough, or do I have to convince you further, boy?" There it was! That bloody nickname again. "If so, I'm right here. Go on." She was teasing him, he knew, but that didn't stop him from glaring at her. "Nah, I'm good. I can't do wandless magic and I doubt the good ol' brawling fashion will do anything but get me killed." He was a hothead but he was not stupid. Besides, they didn't have too much time left. "And could you stop calling me Boy? I get video game connotations I don't really like." He grunted as he leaned back to grab his wand while remaining seated. It was true. He had played God of War for a bit and Atreus' anger management issues hit home more than he would have liked. Not to mention he preferred Assassin's Creed much more. He would take parkour over brute force any day.

"So? What's the assessment?" He was curious of her opinion. He was not training his magic to be a duelist or an auror. He would much rather make broomstics and play Quidditch. He was creative with his spellwork, but not really for combat. His approaches to the latter were always Depulso and a good old punch in the face. She had really pushed him and he had to rely in anime tactics that had a surprisingly good effect.
 
RAVENA FAWLEY

f97bc6ce85f7cae3070233f16733ea79.jpgLocation: Duelling grounds
Time: Monday afternoon
Interactions: Caleb O'Neill - @DayDreamer

Caleb's refusal to push the duel further did not disappoint Ravena. On the contrary, it further deconstructed the image of him as a headless thrill-seeker.

"So you do have common sense after all," she mused, smirking enigmatically. She couldn't help it. Finding out about people without the direct pressure of familiarity painted a much more objective image to judge them by.

"Good on you, boy."

"And could you stop calling me Boy?" he requested, and Ravena responded with eyebrows lifted in question. "I get video game connotations I don't really like."

"Hah!" the witch exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "You got me. I've played it quite a bit, actually. With a niece as competitive as mine, all you can do really is keep replaying it until you smoke her down back into humbleness," she jested. "I must know the entire dialogue by now."

What she was doing with her life could have been discussed after such a claim. But for Ravena, it was all but a waste of time.

"But fine. If that'll keep your ego from self-imploding, I'll be happy to oblige." More of a constatation than a scold or an insult in the way it came out. What was it with people and relating such random everyday things to themselves. Perhaps, in a way, it was her that was the weird one.

"So?"


"Hm?" she asked, switching her focus back to Caleb.

"What's the assessment?"


"Oh! Right! Well, listen," she began, vividly gesturing her indecisiveness. "Had worse," she finally settled an opinion, rubbing her chin. "You're pretty creative. Improvising. If only a bit restricted in the range of spells you can perform. It's something I don't see a lot, and it is as tempting as it is concerning," Ravena pondered on, eyeing her new pupil. Quite right! She had already decided on it long before that moment.

"I would love to see more. But!" the raven-haired witch rushed to clarify, lifting her hand up while summoning her jacket into her lap.

"Before I take this any further, allow me to be candid with you." A request followed by a change of tone. Once again, Ravena Fawley approached the matter seriously. Extraordinarily so. Rotating her wand, she resheathed it and proceeded to put her jacket on as she spoke.

"Jokes aside, Caleb, your experience is quite complex. Witnessing the magic of this caliber is daunting for anyone. Let alone living through it," she began.

"My desire to help you is partially personal. I have seen the emotional and mental mess such experiences would create, and that is without the physical marking." Candid as much as she could be, granted. Nevertheless, the core of her motivation was accurately addressed.

"I feel the obligation to help you deal with that by showing it to you for what it really is: not a monster, but a tool. And once you learn that you can go against such devices effectively, the coping process will not feel like a nightmare. We will start with that, and if, later on, you wish to know more, we might be able to arrange something," Ravena smirked knowingly. The brief presentation showed her a lot, but she had to keep reminding herself aggressively that not everyone had the need to be the best they can be.

She paused a moment before she leaned forward, leaning against her knee.

"So what do you say, champ? Do we have a deal?"
 
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He listened to her carefully. His face grew from analyzing her reactions to a deep frown. "I feel the obligation to help you deal with that by showing it to you for what it really is: not a monster, but a tool. And once you learn that you can go against such devices effectively, the coping process will not feel like a nightmare. We will start with that, and if, later on, you wish to know more, we might be able to arrange something," If it was anybody else, Caleb would have gotten up and left, never to return. He didn't need pity or to be treated as something in need of fixing. Give people a chance, give yourself a chance.... The words of Professor Hildegard came rushing to the front of his mind.

"So what do you say, champ? Do we have a deal?" He did not reply immediately. He was deep in thought. In that brief break from the duel she had shared more about herself. Granted it could have been a clever story, but his gut told him it was real. Or at least part of it was. Finally, he looked up again, his wand disappearing back in the hoodie's front pouch. "It's not magic that is the nightmare." He extended his hand for her to shake. "It's a deal."
 
RAVENA FAWLEY
f97bc6ce85f7cae3070233f16733ea79.jpgLocation: Duelling grounds
Time: Monday afternoon
Interactions: Caleb O'Neill - @DayDreamer

"It's not magic that is the nightmare."

"No. No, it's not," she agreed. "That's why I'm here."

Vague confirmation hid a miles-long list of reasons behind Ravena's engagement: those personal, those done as a favor, and those of great importance to more than just a few. And perhaps because of the latter, she held their entire brief meeting in high regard. There were times where her patience was measured in seconds. Had it only been different? Plenty of other things would have been different as well. While many she'd willingly send on their way some happy little accidents she wouldn't trade for the world.

"It's a deal."

Music to her ears. It wasn't necessarily the most fortunate one, but it was the one she needed to hear. Leaving all the tiresome details and undertones aside, Ravena grinned, vigorously accepting his hand in a firm, optimistic handshake.

"Smart b-." Oh. Right. "Smart. I won't disappoint you, chief," she chuckled.

"Now. Let's see here..." Mumbling to herself, Ravena rummaged through her jacket's pockets.

"Ah!"

Briefly digging around her inner pocket, she took out a rough-looking miniature notebook wrapped in weathered black leather. As soon as she laid it on the palm of her hand, the notebook grew to a usable size.

"Probably the most useful little thing I was ever given, mind you." Professor Elin was indeed a great friend to have. Not only did friendship with him mean crucial support, but it also meant a lot of cool gadgets, much like what he loved to call the Shifty Jotter.

"Mmh... Number 5 is taken, number 13 is a no. Number 22 is also taken... 33, perhaps?" Ravena asked the empty pages of the notebook as she flipped through them. Some of them pitch black, some of them worn-out white, but blank nevertheless. After a few more flips, she sighed.

"Alright, well, you tell me then. Smartass." The notebook remained silent for the moment. Then, just as it began to seem she is just out of her mind, it jerked lightly and quickly flipped through its pages back and forth. Drumming her fingers in the meantime, Ravena offered Caleb an apologetic smirk.

"Any day now. Would have been nice for it to come with some idle tunes but eh..."

Finally, it paused mid-way, flipped a few more, then settled right in the middle.

"Oh!" Ravena exclaimed curiously. "You sure about that?"

A moment later, large inked and decoratively written number 50 emerged on the blank page. A confirmation. Ravena smirked and shrugged.

"If you say so. Here goes!"

With a swift movement, Ravena tugged on the page. It came off relatively easy. As soon as it did, the number written on it obtained a more tangible quality - the one of coal dust.

"50 it is," Ravena confirmed, extending her arm once again to hand off the blank page to Caleb.

"And this is how you will find me, number 50," she jested. "Whenever you're available for a lesson, just write to me. It is a coded, confidential channel. In it, no names are needed. I will know it is you. Much like a phone book or a weird little contact list, if you will."

Back in the notebook, instead of the ripped page, the inky black dust rose up and spread down the spine, forming a new page. This time a pitch-black one.

"Any time. I will likely find a moment or two to hang out."

After concluding that her initial mission was done, Ravena packed up the Shifty Jotter and rose up.

"Well, mister O'Neill. I bid you farewell for now," she nodded in greeting. "We wouldn't want you to earn a detention now, would we?"

With amused laughter, she stepped backward and saluted him casually.

"Remember. Any time."

A peculiar mist formed around her feet, sliding upwards as she disapparated with a windy whoosh.

"See you later, alligator!" echoed through the air when she vanished.
 
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