Event Blossom Ball - Spring Festival

Once again his attempts remove Pride from the mess had failed. In fact, once again no one seemed able to remove Pride from the mess that he was adding to. Except Ruka. Kazuo stared with a mixture of disgust and admiration as Ruka clung to Matt, perhaps giving the eel boy a taste of his own medicine. In fact, Unagi-kun seemed rather flustered by Ruka’s counter attack. Honestly, the whole scene was ridiculous and he turned his gaze away, a growing frustration curling his lips into a sneer.

Erin was ranting and it took him a moment to realize that she was responding to him. He blinked in surprise when she yelled “Corruption!” at him. Well, he hadn’t really intended to end up on Erin’s list of deathwitches but all things considered, he supposed it had been inevitable when he had… sided with Vlad? At least by all appearances, his request could no doubt be viewed that way when one’s sanity was slipping away. Erin’s paranoia on full display.

Kazuo had given [bb]Vlad[/b] exactly what the older boy wanted and Vlad didn’t hesitate to take the offer. Legitimacy in the form of a polite request from one of the Ball’s organizers. Kazuo pitied Erin but he was in no position to help her and he could not justify allowing her to spread her collateral damage any further if the option to remove her could be exercised. If that meant putting trust in the boy everyone hated, then he would do so and deal with the outcome later. “I’m sorry, Erin.” He spoke quietly, doubting she would hear him over her ranting.

He watched Erin attempt to storm out, still held by Vlad. Santario followed and that earned an arched brow from Kazuo. Why was the Slytherin pursuing them? Vlad had called Pride to follow yet it seemed Ruka was giving the eel boy a hard time. Asking him questions that seemed rather obvious to Kazuo. He had called it right from the beginning. Matt was playing diversion and it was frustrating to watch everyone simply fall in line.

Played right into his hands. You all should have ignored him right from the start.

He mumbled something under his breath then turned away from whatever further idiocy Ruka intended to play out by latching onto Matt and following Vlad. His focus shifted to [bb]Percival[/b] and he offered the older boy a helping hand up. “Apologies for the unfortunate… mess…” He offered politely. “Do you also need to visit the infirmary? She appeared to have hit you quite hard.”

───────────── Interacting: @Percival Gray @Erin Ryan Mentioning: Ruka and Matt, Santario Action: Offering Gray a hand up. ─────────────

──────────────── Stats Stamina 5 Evasion 7 Strength 5 Wisdom 6 Arcane Power 6 Accuracy 6 ────────────────

───────────── Abilities Perfectionist You have a reduced critical failure chance range by 1. In addition, you can counter up to 1 point of additional critical failure chances caused by abilities or spells (not potions). ─────────────

Mathias was supposed to be the instigator, not the target or the victim of amourous misdirection. He froze, an unexpected outcome. How this was unexpected

"Seems like you're having plenty of fun."

Was, most certainly. was being the operative word here. When things adhered to the formula. When there was no diversion. Yes, it was enjoyable, their expected reactions and the glee that came from winning, not that it mattered what the game was as long as he got to play. For this unexpected diversion, one where he was coveted or at the very least being given a taste of his own medicine by an uperr classman, he had but three options:

First, cry foul. He would be ignored, the boy who acted as a wolf claiming that there was indeed another, hungrier wolf among the flock.

Second, flee. Get out of the boy's hands, run to his older cousin and hide. The boy's namesake meant something and it was not that. indeed, the boy had his pride and he still had a job to complete.

Third, play along. This game of chicken could go on - and - on...Was Ruka truly prepared for that? Mathias wasn't but he would get over himself.

He would stubbornly provide a delay, ensure Vladimir had his out even if that meant he would endure an impromptu date with whoever this was. He was not terrible looking and it was not like he was looking for a spiritual or an intellectual connection. In fact, all he needed was a physical conntection and well... this worked.

Kazuo had done his due dilligence and protected the masses from an unstable teenage girl. He had ordered his cousin to take her away, this could not have went better if he scripted it himself. He just needed to end this lust-filled encounter with Ruka. It was time for him to vamoose. Do a thing. Deal with this man. Take this person someplace. He tried to slip away, a raincheck maybe. Bleachers, maybe a deck of cards and a few rounds of strip poker so the level of attire was a bit more evenly distributed and his ahem and his interest in the activity was a bit better concealed.

"Well that's just a shame."

Yes, such a shame. Can I pencil you in for next Wednesday?

"I'd just hate for anything to come between us right now."

You know, I think I am fine with it. Let there be space, inches, clothes even between them.

He tried a final reckless play to set Winnie off. She had been hanging off Ruka since they first met, the term 'boyfriend' escaped his lips as Ruka relinquished his hold on the boy (negating his previous action) so Mathias took an instinctual step away from him.

"Boyfriend?"

Ruka repeated. Yes, finally an aversion. Things were moving a bit too fast.

"My, aren't you moving a bit fast?"

Yes, exactly.

"I'll say, let's go on a date first before we start putting a title on our relationship. Now's a perfect time for that."

No, no! that is absolutely not necessary. Matt was more the solo-date type contrary to the evidence thus far provided. "I can hardly contain my excitement," the lie just fell from his lips with ease. God damn it!

"Come on."

An arm snaked into the crook of his own. Mathias was about as gay as the situation benefitted him and *sigh* he needed Ruka. Towards the Underworld.

"It's a bit crowded in here. I'm sure we can find somewhere more private inside the castle. A place with beds, even."

Not that Mathias had ever done anything to wrong Miss Harper, the girl took an unsavory interest in the scantly clad SLytherin. Indeed, he was well-aware of how irresistable he was to the less fair gender. She had consumed something provided by the party and a wave of hope had rushed over him. She was going to forget all about him. One less loose end to deal with.

"Save some of that for him!" Mathias announced, referring to Ruka. Two birds, one drink. The meals and drinks had been tampered with for some time. People had a terrible knack for forgetting things.

Only this time someone failed to forget. He would glance over in Winnie's direction. There was a new, dumber look on her face. It was a mixture of constipation and blank interest he would gather. "That's new," he mutterred taking in the change he saw in with with cautious interest. He did not have time to investigate the nature of this change, he just needed to get lose of his newest boytoy, or was he the toy? No, he was no boy's toy! He was a man!

"Ruka... You have taken too much of his time already. Surely you can share him with me?"

"You know... I uh?" Why is Ruka attached to him again? Did he drink something he was not supposed to! Oh god, curse my hotness! I have seduced the both of them! A great time probably, but what was he thinking? "Aren't you two a thing?" Wasn't he the third wheel here, not the other way around?

Winnie would make a move for his other arm and the color from the boy's face would leave him. Dear god, this was how I am going to die isn't it. Snoo-snoo. it sounded all fine and good until you took a good look into her, no their crazy eyes.

The look of adoration would not compute. He had never seen that before. It reminded him of the look his cat back home gave him before their pupils would suddenly change and then out of nowhere in a flash the claws and the lunge and the needle teeth.

Maybe he would call out for help. Yes, he needed help.

The "anything" offer sounded good normally. Had it not been here, now, today, he probably would have taken her up on the offer and enjoyed himself. She was cute enough when she did not talk. *Shrug* "Uuuuh?" He wondered if she was in fact serious. This had to be a prank. "We could go out for a walk in the woods?"

Not the best place to take them, but it would have to do in these desperate moments. There was no way Ruka was interested in him romantically he reminded himself -- he did set Mathias' costume on fire in defense of the girl's honor. The girl had tried to assault him twice before this heel-faced turn. They wanted to get him alone. Yes, that was obvious. The two of them. He would be at a disadvantage, good. They wont expect a thing then.

Yes Matty-boy, get a hold of yourself. Just a kiss. It is a weapon for a reason.

Moving to the Underworld with these two?

“Excuse me?” Was Winnie’s startled response to Pride’s inquiry. Her brow furrowed, an expression of hurt crossing her features. “Why would you say that? Ruka and I aren’t a ‘thing’, I can assure you… Can’t you see how I feel about you? Were you put off earlier? I’m sorry if I frightened you. I really have no idea why I had that severe of a reaction. Perhaps there’s something in the drinks…” She quickly shook her head. She wasn’t wrong, there was most definitely something in the punch. “No, it was never my intention to scare you, Matt. I just got caught up in… Dramatics.” She could not explain it. Why had she felt that way earlier and not now? It was confusing… Best not to dwell on it.

Winnie was uncertain why her sweet Mathias was looking so uneasy. It could not be her presence, could it? Surely not… He had called for her attention earlier. She recalled it, despite her mind being foggy. So then… It was the other boy that was making him feel this way. Ruka, that was. She could remember wanting to keep him safe earlier in the evening, but her concern for Pride was overwhelming. She frowned softly, reached up, and tried to push at the Gryffindor’s shoulder. “Ruka, you’re making him feel uncomfortable. Stop talking about taking him to a place with a bed! He is just a 12-year-old boy. Shouldn’t you go and check on Jack?”

She had almost forgotten about Jack… There was something about him she had been so fond of. He had been fascinating earlier, but she could no longer focus on him. She could only think of Mathias Pride. She had to help him, somehow. She wanted—no needed to see him smile. How could she lure Ruka away? What had he been fighting for earlier? Something about a blonde girl… She had to remember; this was for Matt! Think, Winnie, think. Ruka and Jack had wanted to protect her… She did not know her name. Ruka had stepped forward… He cared about her too, right? “You should go check on the blonde girl and I… I will make sure Matt is okay. He just needs a little attention from me. You check on the others. I think they need help!” Surely, he would go, right?

Anyways, it was too much thought of Ruka, and her mind was travelling back to the thought of Mathias Pride. “We should get you some clothes, Mattie, you look a bit cold. Do you want to wear my skirt?” She tugged lightly on his arm, trying to guide him away from the Gryffindor.

Action: Following Pride wherever he goes.
Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 5 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 7 | Arcane Power: 7 | Accuracy: 5
Abilities: Healing Sage
Inventory: Purse/Clutch | Wand

|Interacting|
@Mathias Pride, @Winnie Harper
|Mentioning|
-
|Closed to Interaction unless tagged or discussed|

Ruka did have to hand it to Matt. He was committed to whatever bit he was playing. So much so that he even let his arm be clung to as Ruka tried to pull him away from the Spring Festival.

The one thing he hadn't quite expected to stand in his way was Winnie, who was suddenly clinging to the Slytherin as well, heart shaped pupils widening as she stared up at him in complete adoration.

"Pretty sure she's into my brother," he told Matt with raised eyebrows, confusion evident on his face. What was going on indeed? The mention of there being something in the drinks made Ruka frown. Winnie had just had a sip of a drink, hadn't she? Spiked drinks weren't exactly unusual at Hogwarts events, so...

"Shouldn't you go check on Jack?" he asked as he subtly tried to tug Matt along. "Weren't you just declaring your love to him five minutes ago?" Rolling his eyes, Ruka decided that this was probably not the approach to take if he wanted to get anywhere. Matt had seemed willing enough to follow, all he needed was for Winnie to come along if she so desperately wanted. That couldn't be too hard, could it?

"Pretty sure the others have everything covered," he told Winnie with a small grin. "Really, Winnie, I think you'll want me to come along, at least for the moment. There's a surprise waiting for you." Surely that surprise would be her newfound love for Matt once whatever potion she had sipped started to wear off. "I'll back off once we get to that point." If you'll still want me to. I hear it's scary out in the woods, Winnie, and I'm not talking the kind of scary that's Matt dressed in nothing but your skirt. "You wanna take her to the woods, Matt?" he asked the Slytherin with the most charming smile he could muster. "I'll escort you there. You'll need help with your guys' surely romantic first date."

|Action|
- Still attempting to leave the thread with Matt and Winnie

|Stats and Abilities|
Stamina - 7 || Evasion - 9 || Strength - 4 || Wisdom - 12 || Arcane Power - 6 || Accuracy - 7

The Muggle Condition || Advanced Casting || Perfectionist

Lil Outfit Doodle

|Post Tracker|
1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 ||
9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 ||

Π ε ρ ι κ λ ῆ ς
Outfit

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Pericles had been rendered outright exhausted by the trials. He gave them his all, caught up in the whirl of excitement and newness, flourishing in the diverse quick-paced "Olympics". When all was said and done, he had groggily emerged into the Underworld and taken a seat on the sidelines. It was hardly a fitting place for a nap. As was the Hogwarts event standard, spells were already flying, but he was just one boy. Was it really his place to stop them all? This event wasn't secret like the last Blossom Ball. Surely the professors were around to help.... Fortuitously, someone from his same house and year spotted the out-of-gas prefect sitting on the sidelines. Aly Salinger managed to resuscitate Peri with a bit of friendly conversation. He coaxed her along on his quest for water, or, well, anything less suspicious than those frothing fountains of colorful drink.

Smalltalk had been skipped, something he sought to remedy while they walked. "Did you try the trials? I don't think I've ever been involved in such a unique competition since I started school here." Briefly, he debated asking if she had come along with anyone, but decided against it. Peri had intended to meet two of his friends at the event, before he'd become irrevocably distracted by those tempting trials. At least it led to the opportunity to meet someone new, and she seemed plenty nice. He deftly reached to touch the moly flower Aly had just gifted him to lift his spirits.

Arriving from the Underworld with @Aly Salinger
generally open to interaction

Arrival | Hades | Hecate | Orpheus | Hermes | Persephone | Apollo | I | II | III

Thomas cherished a final sip after Flash declined, pressuring the knob until a metallic click was heard, returning the flask to his suit’s interior. A burn traveled down his chest, liquid accumulating in the pit of his empty belly. It initiated a warmth that spread throughout the boy’s frame, a buzzing sensation that provided involuntary tilts of the head. Thomas was not an avid drinker by any means, but a necessary companion for an approach to Marion Davenport. Anything to dull the senses from her pity me tirades.

Head remaining fixed forward towards their destination, Thomas ushered Flash through the crowds, allowing his question to simmer. Varying perceptions on the definition of hell muddled the waters. There was a simple answer to be given, but weightless without context. “Angels look like devils too, if caught up in an evil gaze.” Thomas could no longer differentiate the two.

“My truth.” He spoke calmly, head remaining forward. A determinative flash from his blue hues, the driving force that served as the foundation for each decision. A trail left behind from his late patriarch, one he would follow to his own end if necessary.

Flash would not be allowed to linger on the topic of Thomas’ hunt for truth, an approach to Marion Davenport was imminent. The notion alone initiated a series of anxious opposition from his partner for the evening. Thomas lowered his chin, eyes traveling to the corners to view Flash. A blinking stare preceded a dismissive statement. “It’ll be fun.” Flashing a short smile of encouragement.

Upon nearing Marion, he readjusted his demeanor to the trademark stoicism. Though cordial in diction, an ongoing game between himself and Marion. Even if her judgements were final, it would not deter his attempts to access her memories. The blonde was nice to look at, a great shame she could not pair her looks with any semblance of a decent personality. As if just arriving from a press conference on acting innocent, for dummies.

A façade once convincing, her innocence. Now brittle, lights shining through the cracks to imply a hidden nature. Her little game was at an end, it was time for Thomas to play his. Flash was to be his winning piece, even at the cost of his sacrifice. Much like Selim, reparations would be in order to reward success. And after the initial remarks between Davenport and Lestrange, Flash established himself as a player. A development that would leave Thomas biting his lip harshly to fight away any signs of his impending delight.

Varellion returned the formalities in stride, though a bleak glimmer on his visage hinted he was not keen on the acquisition of their company. Lestrange shifted his attention to Marion, he offered a gentle nod in unison with her harsh reception. Swiftly establishing her opinion of him has not changed. “Informally, then? A shame. If you spent as much time in a social scene as you did on your hair, you might even have a friend.”

Thomas’ lips widened to form a small smile, eyes wandering over to Alexander. “The hair does look nice.” Thomas added, inching towards Alexander’s side, attempting to place his hand on the boy’s shoulder. A tight squeeze in line with the next utterance.[If Alexander evaded Thomas, he would instead motion with an empty palm towards the boy. You decide success.] “A pity you couldn’t join us the last time we spoke.” Still addressing Marion. The last time being a sunny day on a glorious Quidditch Pitch in London, one left shirtless, another knocked unconscious, and the third boy likely as befuddled now as he was that day.

“I suppose you had more important things to do that day.” Marion’s whereabouts are a distant memory that day. A girl often seen with Victor at her side, nowhere to be found the day he died. Though Lestrange left it vague enough for Marion’s confusion, the pair of boys should have no issues identifying his reference.

As they shifted to Flash’s introduction, the boy played his part beautifully. Well enough to leave Lestrange with perked brows, unclear if this was the next Daniel Day Lewis, or the boy simply waited for an opportunity to deploy his distaste for Lestrange.

"I have no intention of disturbing your evening, Miss Marion."

"Then why must he? Why must they?"

"He's certainly only trying to provoke you, best to ignore him completely."

“Of course, not disturb…but enhance. Coy, Flash. Your admiration is nothing to be ashamed of.” Playful undertones in his voice, as if the boys’ have been friends for years.

For a moment, Thomas turned to view the they Marion referred to. Surrounding them, thirst encapsulated the awakening that comes with being a teenager. Made evident by a prideful boy who recently learned coffee stains are difficult to remove, donning a single garment to protect the essentials. In line with formula, the shirtless boy acquired not one, but two willing participants in an appalling demonstration of tongue. One of the two is a familiar party in Ruka Tan. Thomas would not judge his friend’s choice of romantic endeavors, but he would be certain to avoid the boy when directly engaged in such.

Of more interest, the familiar Erin Ryan displayed her status as an emotional wreck for all to see. Yet to see her pulled along the ground away from the Courtyard by Vladimir left him with a flicker of curiosity. Furthermore, his most trusted followed behind. His stomach dropped to find Santario in this questionable company, stirring a drive to abandon his mission and ensure her safety.

No. San’s capable, focus on what you came here to do.

"Make him leave." Marion demanded.

Thomas' attention turned back to his present company, eyes fixed on Flash. If Alexander wanted to redeem that free punch from last summer, now would be an excellent time.

Thomas LeStrange was the shadiest Slytherin she had ever met and she was rather certain she had looked into the eyes of unrepentant evil in that basement. Alexander had froze, perhaps he was having a seizure since he has not made a sound since the start of this altercation. She let out a frustrated sigh. Thomas was not one to make nice, there was intention in his actions and if she could not get Alexander to play into her hands [as Thomas had anticipated and would have ultimately been worse for her] she would have to change course.

She banked on Vladimir's overreaction generally. She had a way of setting him off so when she could not cry the role of victim and garner a reaction from Alexander she would have to pull the pureblood's strings. Wasn't she disappointed to learn that Athanatos was already leaving the ball with that girl dragging behind him. She was familiar with the girl, Erin Ryan a pretty part-Veela from Slytherin that had "lost her mind." Dirty shame the change is pretty obvious, she picked the wrong team to play with.

It was time to ruin Thomas' night all by herself. Golly gee, what is a sensitive little girl like her to do? The story is harassment - that Thomas was harassing her, that students (as a collective) were harassing her friends. "Seriously?" She eyed Alexander and Flash as she took a couple of steps towards him.

She will just lie.

"I don't know what you're like problem is with me," she was speaking with her hands as she added an accusation. "Quit with the creepy stalker shit," alliteration is everyone's friend. "No means no," she added purposefully leaving what the 'no' was to their imagination which is always worse than reality. "I would love to say it is not you, but it is totally you."

How to manipulate the truth? Give his friend, whatever role they had to play in this scenario some doubt? Name drop. "I liked Arlo, not you. I like Alex, not you. It has never been and never will be you!" A lovers, no not lovers but rather some sort of messy teenage dalliance that was the source of drama and ire. Paint him as obsessive, inappropriate. A pattern that might even be true but even if it was not, there was plenty enough evidence that he was making unwelcomed advances repeatedly.

"What would it take to keep you away..." there was no inflection of a question but rather a pause. Something she wanted to be said, something she wanted to be heard. "Hag's errand-boy."

Hell of a guess. Not even LeStrange would believe that one.

Interacting with: Cassanora (@Hugh Lowe's iNPC) and Maddie (@Aaron Jones's iNPC)

What in the name of Bodrig was even going on in this place? It looked like everyone was fighting, as per usual, or kissing each other - which was just so gross. Looking around, she spotted two students she did not recognise. One got had gotten hit by a stray spell it seemed but she seemed to have recovered from it. They did not look like Hogwarts students - what would they think?!

Serena had started to move towards them, as soon as she noticed one of them had gotten hit by a stray spell. Even though everything seemed fine now, she still approached them, "Are you both okay?" She asked as soon as she reached them - which would either be where they were standing originally or somewhere a little quieter if they had moved away from the chaos a bit, "Ah! Sorry to interrupt, I'm Serena - a Hogwarts student. I just wanted to make sure that you're both fine?" She would continue, after a few moments as she suddenly realised that she had rudely interrupted their conversation and interfering where she likely was not wanted.

Without hesitation, she turned and looked towards the mess of where the spells were coming from. She recognised several faces, of course, but she had no real idea why they were fighting, "Ficd, wros ora sraae sremdems?" "Fuck, what are they thinking?" in Gobbledegook She mumbled, mostly to herself in a language that she come to realise was actually a real one. This was Hogwarts though, everyone seemed hellbent on fighting each other for no real reason. "Do you know what happened here?" She would continue if they both seemed fine. Her hand touched her pocket, making sure that her wand was there. Hopefully, she would not need it but she never trusted going anywhere without it these days. Not that she needed it, as she had started to realise - but it always helped.

ACTION: Just chatting

Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 10 | Strength: 1 | Wisdom: 13 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 10
Abilities: Part-Goblin [Gobbledegook and Wandless] and Evasive Maneuvers
Status: Concerned | Health: Full

Post Tracker: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Outfit of the day: [1][2][3][4]

Mentioning The general chaos.
Interacting With @Mathias Pride
Closed to Interactions

As the burst of energy from his sip raced through his body, caressing every square inch of his flesh, a thousand questions were by quick to pursue. These were only heightened when the conflict from the corner of his eye morphed into something new, something much more grim, as with the unknown came a trepidation that he wasn't eager to nourish by standing stoic in the corner. The group began to branch, people wandering back into the cavernous abyss from which they came, in action that would leave Levi with shaking hands and a raised eyebrow. Instincts began to take over, a power he would usually suppress, but this energy went straight for his human impulses rather than his inhuman thoughts.

Perhaps with those raw hands quivering so intensely that he wouldn't be able to hold the drink any longer, it would be easy for him to fail at remaining unseen. Besides, if there were walls locking them into the Spring he would be bouncing off of them with rubber skin. Yet, he would attempt, choking his breath back into his chest with a strange grin stretching from ear to ear. His world was tumbling down; Percematt would be sure to blame whatever he was doing on Levi and his uncaring nature toward the slaughter he observed.

The boy would not consider if he'd misunderstood. There was no time for second-guessing, and there was no time to truly ponder his actions while his eyes felt like bursting from his head. But even with life hanging in the balance, he felt an extreme excitement, one like he'd never known before and it was a high he wasn't willing to let go of and it was walking away. So he chased. Far behind, gaze wandering on the crowd, squinting ahead at the pair that ran away. What they were doing was not the question, it was whether or not he would need an alibi.

Metamorphmagus
Stats Stamina: 4 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 4 | Wisdom: 5 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 6
Action Following Mathias Pride. Attempting to remain unseen in doing so.
Note Please note, this was written on mobile through voice to word.

We Are The Champions

Intoxicating Beverages

It seemed the children had either grown bored of the chaos induced by the random drinks or had grown wise to the game. No one dared a sweet sip and those previously affected would find the effects fading.

The Brawl

Whatever mad passion had @Erin Ryan screaming at @Percival Gray, she seemed to have finally given up on him, her fixation turning to the others surrounding her. First to scream at @Vladimir Athanatos as he grappled her, dragging her out of the mess by an ankle. Then to @Kazuo Shimada (or was it @Flash Holmwood?) when the Hufflepuff asked Vlad to escort her out of the Ball. She would not leave quietly but she would leave, making her way back up the dimly lit path to the Underworld. Her escort would not be Vlad alone, @Santario Martin would follow Vlad. The irony of Vlad escorting Erin to the Underworld is not lost on this narrator.

As if that weren’t enough of an escort, it seemed Erin would take half the party with her as @Ruka Burnett-Tân would do his best to follow after the Tall, Dark, and Suspicious Ravenclaw/Slytherin duo and their Wailing charge. He would also make his way back up to the Underworld with @Matthias Pride and @Winnie Harper in tow. The former agreeing awkwardly to his outlandish suggestion while the latter, affected by Amortentia and (not so) secretly in love with Pride, would fawn all over him. A date on each arm, the serial kissaulter turned fan favorite.

Last - but certainly not least - @Levi Drakos, filled with an inescapable energy and driven by questionable impulses, would choose to trail after Matthias as well. Though he tried to be stealthy, he would fail spectacularly. Perhaps it was the potion that left him buzzing like a bee, unable to contain his energy. Whatever the reason, if Ruka and Winnie weren’t too distracted in their fight over Matt, they might easily spot their tail.

Reducio

Levi Stealth Roll - Critical Failure

Unfortunately, Yefim would be unable to run after his destined True Love, winded and knocked on his arse by Santario’s perfect Flipendo. He would struggle to his feet and somehow manage to find his best screaming voice. His voice would easily carry across the field, unfortunately few were likely to understand his Russian hollering.

The Rest

Some of the gawkers lingered while others quickly found other places to be. Cassanora Browne (@Hugh Lowe) and Madeleine Nakamura (@Aaron Jones) wisely moved away, joined by @Serena Towers, while @Dealla Prince merely munched on her apple. Kazuo chose to turn his attention to Percival Gray while @Jack Burnett appeared to have been stunned into silence, quite possibly still lying on the ground with Ruka’s torch in hand. Honestly, how has nothing (except Matt’s clothing) been set on fire yet?

@Scarlett Aden, foolishly brave Gryffindor, had downed her drink like a shot then let her eyes linger too long. Soon enough she had joined the ranks of the love-obsessed, choosing Shakespeare as her Wooing Weapon of Choice. Unfortunately for Scarlett that the potion’s effects would begin to fade before her Goddess deigned to respond to her poetical pleas.

@Thomas LeStrange continued to be a shady creep but Marion was having none of it. They would continue to exchange words like blows, their silent audience of Flash Holmwood (or is he?) and @Alexander Varellion to watch on.

Finally, @Pericles Dralt, soon-to-be-crowned King of the Ball, managed to roll his way down the path and into the festive party that was mostly intact but for the small circle of wreckage Erin left behind.

The Crowning

If Percival accepted Kazuo’s assistance, he would have helped the Slytherin up but, seeing Pericles arrive, would politely excuse himself. As Levi had run off to chase his Tree Friend and Aurora was busy trying to drown Violet in a punch bowl or something, it was left to him to do the honours. He moved back to the divan-style seat near the dancefloor that he had watched the many Trial contestants from. The music was paused as he cleared his voice.

“If I could have everyone’s attention for a moment?” He projected, speaking with a calm and clear tone. [color=#BBF0000] “Six Trials we created for your entertainment. Six Trials to challenge you in different ways. Intelligence, physical skill, magical skill, willpower and creativity. All of these things were the hallmarks of the Heroes of Greek legends and every contestant rose to the challenge! We would like to thank you all for braving our Trials and applaud you for your efforts.” [/color] He paused his speech to clap, encouraging the other students to applaud the contestants as well. “However, you cannot all be crowned. Only three among all of you managed to complete all six Trials with the highest scores. Pericles Dralt, Dealla Prince, and @Xailah Alptraum all managed to garner a total of 19 tokens each, an unexpected threeway tie. So it was determined that we would reward all three for their excellence.” Kazuo would wave the three winners forward and with a delighted grin, he would proceed to grace each one with a beautifully crafted gold laurel crown, carefully placing it atop their heads if they allowed it. Then he would present each of them with their winnings - a small silk pouch containing their galleons and perhaps another surprise. Lastly he would add to their winnings a special addition from @Aurora Ranvier , resident artist, chocolate lover and terror of the Underworld. “Congratulations! You accepted the challenges of the gods and proved yourselves worthy Heroes tonight!” He declared, starting up another round of applause for the newly crowned rulers of the Ball.

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Once the announcement had been made and the winners awarded their prizes and applause, the music would resume, allowing the Ballgoers to also resume their dancing and feasting and kissing.

Invigoration Draught
You are suddenly filled with energy. You will have an advantage on any physical action(anything done with your hands) this round.

Amortentia
The effects of the Amortentia would fill the drinker with an obsession for whoever they eyed first after drinking the punch. This person is now the only thing you can focus on. (Kaz has agreed to be the default person if needed, also your reflection is a valid option I'm looking at you Arjan). You have a disadvantage at performing any actions that do not involve the person this round.

Elixir to Induce Euphoria
You are filled with a sense of inexplicable, irrational happiness. This potion induces sudden euphoria in the drinker - excessive singing and nose-tweaking are possible side effects. You are distracted and will be at a disadvantage on all awareness or evasion-based actions this round.

Mod 1 Mod 2 Mod 3 Mod 4 Mod 5 Mod 6