Learning how to lose

The title might be a bit misleading, but one of the things that Leah doesn't really know how to do in an active engagement is lose. With a creative mindset and the ability to think rather fast on his feet, he hasn't lost very much in his life. Sometimes in arguments with adults and other bits and pieces like not being able to put his thumb against the wrist of the same hand in line with the bone, but that isn't really loosing as much as fighting against a limitation you need to hurt yourself to overcome.
So in essence, this is someone who really doesn't know quite how to stop that escalation of a fight once it has started which isn't a good trait for the most part. You need to know how to stop once it's gone too far, unfortunately Leah right now will more then likely transfigure thermite and banish it at people then actually outright put his wand down and give up. This isn't the eradication of this flaw in one sitting, but if someone has some thoughts about slapping him down into the dirt or has some issues with that sort of thing with their own characters.

Well, I'm open to thoughts on the subject really. It's pretty open season at this point, the character is pretty fresh in terms of age and creation.

Are you talking a physical battle, or more one of wits?

For the former, I've got Daemon Zograf. He's not exactly a bully, nor is he the bulky, punch you in the face type. But I wager if he's mad enough he'd fight back. *shrug*

Then when it comes to wits I've got Tris and Adrienne. Addie is impatient sometimes - especially with people. Should a Ravenclaw for whatever reason seem ignorant or annoying, she probably wouldn't mind having a good row with them.
As for Trisha, she's more the "I must be right because people dislike me" type. Everyone makes fun of her, so she feels the need to man up. She could definitely enjoy a battle of wits if nothing else.

Of anything really, it could be a physical one but Leah tends to avoid most combat. He doesn't draw his wand and typically looks for quick resolutions to engagements because he is aware of his temperament in those situations.

A loosing a mental one would suit the purposes of what I'm chasing though- a logical refocusing of sorts that'll get me in his head a bit more.

From what you've tossed out in terms of options I'd err on the side of the Ravenclaws. In Leah's history he was somewhat at odds with the rest of his house and hasn't really interacted with them. Been pretty under the radar for a bit, and part of the deal has been that he has been competing with study groups which tends to raise the quality of work, which might cause something of a strain between him and those groups.

So if he and Miss Bates clashed over something, I think that would do nicely. She is closer to his age and is in his house, so it'd impact him more then if Addie did it. Less excuse room.


For the physical side of things, I don't really think Leah knows how to duel and just has cobbled his style from bits and pieces of textbooks rather then actual experience.
Being shown the difference could be handy as well.

That works, then! Were you thinking to save this for during the school year? Or even on the train? I could have Tris exit the compartment she's in after a while and start an altercation with Leah? She would probably recognize him from the common room if nothing else. Though it would need to be on a topic I can have her show off with xDD Or research enough to make her sound informed.

I think perhaps that it would be best to save it up for the school year, I'm somewhat tied up in my particular topic, although it would be believable and a rattling train WOULD make for an interesting scene to have a spat, I don't think it fits somehow for your showing off purposes.

I'm going to need to consider how to make Leah legitimately annoying. Hrm, I think that alone would make it somewhat interesting if there is something of a backstory. Perhaps Trisha occasionally helps out the other students with their essays? That alone would plant a seed of aggravation against her for Leah, so it'd make it logical if it is in her character to do so.

He would dislike that she helped out? I could see her doing that, certainly. She wants people to like her, so it wouldn't be a stretch to have her do something like that.

Yes, I rather like her being trapped in the compartment she's in currently. xD

This partly revolves around Leah's backstory, for the tl;tw (too long to write) version take a peak at the app. Basically Leah missed out on the pairing up stage that most students go through. You tend to study with your friends and make get them to check your stuff. I'd imagine this to be fairly persistent in Ravenclaw. Leah has no such 'study group' as he spend most of his second and first years embroiled in Slytherin politics as he looked for the origins of muggleborn hate. This wasn't met with success, and he suffered in terms of House standing (someone like that whom spends time around people who don't like him trying to understand them doesn't really look like an appealing person after all) and eventual marks. So he got somewhat orchestrated from the House and feels somewhat surly at both himself and others regarding that. It's a stupid thing to have, but it strikes a cord in him.
Someone like Trisha who helped out the other students is another something he needed to overcome in order to perform better against his peers.

~Hope that makes sense

Gotcha. That can be arranged come school time, then!

I've got two characters, Erika and Reid Dixon. Reid would be perfect, simply on account of the fact that Leah wouldn't need to be annoying, Reid is simply a smartarse and someone who looks down on most people in general, so yeah.

If this plot request has already been satisfied, then I simply offer an interaction thread Erika is very....off, her philosophies are different, whereas Reid has much of the same problem as Leah and needs to lose the attitude too. Fast. Their apps are here and here . Tell me if you're interested.

I couldn't like...ask for them both?

Honestly Reid is nearly exactly what I had in mind, so if I only get to choose one (which might be best depending on how busy I am) he'd suit the rough plot much better.
So a topic with Reid would be wonderful, be interesting to see how it went between the two of them. They are very different but I see odd lines of similarity here and there.

The request itself is still open, it's something that can be done a few times in different situations and contexts so that I develop my understanding of how Leah writes. Gotta fall before you can walk.  I tend to throw my characters in the deep end either way.

Erika is -amusingly enough- what I think Leah looks for in a girl. Not sure, will learn more as time goes by, but what RP has fleshed out so far says that odd is awesome for him.