Event The Fall Ball (Costume Party) Closed

Interacting with: @Jo Morgan & @Persephone Barret but open to more~
Mentioning: @Ruka Burnett-Tân
Action(s):
- Floating a few inches off the ground while eating Fizzing Whizzbees
- Waiting for Ruka
- Approaching and talking to Jo
- Winking at Persephone

Jack was rather wary about the warnings he'd been given regarding the treats being offered and kept away from them for the time being. He had his own bag of Fizzing Whizzbees tied to his belt in order to snack on if he felt like it. In fact, they were kind of a part of his costume since consuming them allowed him to float off the ground a few inches. This may not have been much, but dressed up as a boy known to fly, Jack fancied the idea of keeping his feet from touching the ground at all times...even when he was short on 'pixie dust'.

Speaking of pixies, the Welsh boy couldn't seem to keep the grin off his face as he thought of the prank he'd played on his adopted older brother. Ruka had been ready to take a shower in the special room that changed according to one's whims and Jack had entered to set his costume out for when the other boy was finished. However, though Ruka was under the impression they were going to dress up as twin fancy fox gentlemen for the masquerade, Jack had decided to change the plan at the last moment. Ruka might not have liked the costume the Slytherin had left for him, but the two new gifts he had left alongside them would hopefully make up for it and persuade the Gryffindor to wear the outfit anyway. It was almost like an unspoken dare. Would Ruka have the guts to wear such a thing in public? Or would he get too embarrassed and choose something else?

The second year wasn't willing to stick around to find out. Instead, he slipped into the Costume Party first, both to avoid being immediately discovered by Ruka - who had likely expected them to go to the Masquerade first - and to avoid his dorm mate. His gut twisted as he thought of the other boy, but he quickly put those thoughts out of his mind. Flash was in charge of the Masquerade, so there was no way he'd be at the Costume Party. There was little danger of running into him unexpectedly there.

That didn't mean he was safe from all unexpected run-ins, however. Hazel eyes widened as they fell upon two girls - one dressed in all black with a black mask and one in white and blue with a blue mask. The one in black had dark, brunette hair pulled away from her face while the one in white had her pale, blonde locks done up in elegant braids and a bun in a fashion Jack had never seen before. It reminded him of his Head of House's hairstyles. However, both girls, despite their masks, had mannerisms that he thought gave him a pretty good idea as to their identities. Beaming, he strolled up to them, addressing the brunette in black first. She had been the one to address him at the previous ball, after all. It was only fair to return the favor.

"When I first saw you at the last ball, you were eating, and now that I find you here, you're doing the same thing," he mused aloud, gliding over to her on his floating feet with his hands casually clasped behind his back. He began to circle, grinning as he observed her snack. Perfect; he could see what happened to her without trying it himself or having to convince anyone else to test it out for him.

Glancing up at the blonde as he beamed brilliantly, he cast her a cheeky wink and bowed with all the grace of a fairy courtesan.

Moderation Post

Thus far, the evening was peculiarly peaceful for a Hogwarts function. There were no fires, no monsters, no trauma-inducing tragedy. Many costumes entered the room: some silly, others sublime, all fitting the spirit of the event in their own ways. A number of students started carving pumpkins which- unless they left the room with them- would serve as a charming addition to the costume party decor. Yet the main attraction, as was the case with most parties, seemed to be the refreshments....

A trio of pops twanged sharply in the air as partygoers opened Wizard Crackers. They were consumed by a cobalt cloud, and when the smoke cleared, they would each find a special prize in their hands. Jo Morgan was now the proud owner of an endearing black cat ring, a cute creature which would wrap its limbs around her finger. Andrew Vance was now in possession of a particularly regal feathered tricorn, a cream hat with golden feathers and ribbons. Dan Palmer's produced a pair of sweet skull socks, black and white with an orange toe tip, warm and just in time for winter.

As advertised, the crackers weren't the only part of the party which contained surprises. Those who had dared the tricky treats- or woefully stumbled upon them due to dismissing the sign- would soon start exhibiting the effects of different potions. Although Alan Vanes ate a Pumpkin Pastry and Dan Palmer chewed a Chocoball, they both would find themselves stumbling over their words. The boys were spouting uncontrollable nonsense, having both just taken in trace amounts of the Babbling Beverage.

While Medea Darkwater found her Cauldron Cake to be especially delicious, she may not have realized that the extra kick of flavor was due to the taste of Hair-Raising Potion. She along with Willow Anderson, Jack Warren, and Yefim Rumyantsev (poor lad, his hosts hadn't considered the language barrier!) would realize this not long after trying their treats. It began with a curious tickling sensation on the scalp, then all at once, their hair would gradually rise higher and higher until it stood entirely on end. The lot were left looking like cartoon characters after being struck by bolts of lighting.

This wasn't the only hair-altering effect at play. Having unwittingly eaten treats dosed with Manegro Potion, Sylvain Indarys now had a head of wavy, waist-length, beautiful brunet hair. Andrew Vance's lustrous mane looked much the same, just as long though straighter and sleeker. Yet it was the Headmaster himself who took the cauldron cake and outdid them all. Any hair loss poor Lear had suffered was undone, his wispy gray locks erupting all the way down to mid-back. It didn't stop there, either. His beard was billowing out most magnificently. Soon, he resembled those wise old wizards with their extraordinarily untamed facial hair.

Even still, there were more alarming effects to come for a couple of heads in the room. It began with Caelan Steward and his Cauldron Cake. The boy's face began to turn a most festive shade of orange. Then it was swelling, rounding, and all too suddenly he would find his head entirely replaced by a pumpkin. Andrew Vance, who had tried two treats, was soon a pumpkinhead with long beautiful hair and a very fancy hat. The pair of Pumpkin Kings had just consumed Pompion Potion.

Whether or not they were actually amused by these developments, some would find themselves seized by a burst of merriment which they could not suppress. Robert Toukmond, who had just introduced himself to a fellow first-year Ravenclaw, began chortling incessantly. Dan Palmer, having helped himself to more than one treat at a time, was now giggling alongside his babbling. Jo Morgan only had a short stretch of time to admire her new ring before the effects of the Laughing Potion set in, leaving her howling with humor.

Both Serena Towers and Valentin Schnell (Aida) had tried the chai. It was a warm, soothing, sweet yet spicy blend of tea, cream, and flavorful additions. No strange fate befell them. Perhaps the drinks were safe...?

-If your character tries a tricky treat, please note it as an action. I will be rolling to let you know how it effects them next mod post! The same goes for wizard crackers, which give gifts (one time- opening additional crackers will yield only candy).

-Tricky Treats contain small amounts of potion and will last for 3 moderation rounds (except Manegro) unless removed. You can move to the masquerade with these effects if you're into that sort of thing, or feel free to say "Pericles' third-year helper" (NPC) cast Reparifors on them (just tag me).

-The Ballroom Masquerade and the Rehearsal Room Costume Party (you are here) are on the fourth floor of Hogwarts, so going between the two doesn't take much time, but if leaving/arriving mention it as an action.

-The next post will take place in one week on the 25^th.

Reducio

@Jo Morgan @Andrew Vance @Alan Vanes @Dan Palmer @Medea Darkwaters @Willow Anderson @Jack Warren @Flash Holmwood (Yefim) @Robert Toukmond @Sylvain Indarys @Solomon Lear @Caelan Stewart @Serena Towers @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood (Valentin)

[font=century gothic]OPEN TO INTERACTION
Note: Not Immediately Recognizable[/font]

The date of the ball had arrived more swiftly than Evelynn could have thought possible. Really, it felt like only last week that she had really started finding her rhythm with class, quidditch, and all of her extra-curriculars. A rhythm that had recently ascended into something of a crescendo with the fast-approaching opening games for the upcoming quidditch season, and the ball whose news had first reared its very pointed head mid-September. Stuffed into every possible cranny, under chairs, in sofas, and even in one of her texts at one point, the invitations had been impossible to miss. It was enough to convince just about anyone that anyone worth anything would be making an appearance at this event.

Not that Evelynn had had any intent to skip out. After missing last year's masquerade and having to rely on second-hand information from others who had attended—something that had proved to be more effort than she would have liked—she'd vowed not to miss another school event. Of course, the Blossom Ball had put that decision to the test in a way that had a trickling effect to damage more than just that promise. She'd recovered. She'd forgiven. But she had not forgotten. She was more prepared this time, and just as much on alert. There had been every intention to attend for the same purpose she had attended the last: for information and to ensure that no evidence or additional information that could provide insight into every other little mystery about the castle escaped her notice. This time, however, she would be flying solo.

Or would have been, had it not been for the meddling attempts of a certain bird with the intent to take her under his wings instead. It still irked her, thinking about it. The way he had brazenly tricked her with the coin. How she had won his accompaniment. With a ting Evelynn sent the double-headed dragon sickle spinning into the air. She watched its blurred rotations through its ascent like she had felt her own curious intrigue rising at the time. Only to pique and fall back with gravity in annoyed disappointment. The coin slapped against the leather gauntlet that protected her open palm and she tucked it back into a satchel at her hip. But a deal was a deal.

The only problem was that this occasion wasn't nearly as planned as the last. With Flash, they had discussed ahead of time the expectations and goals each held prior to going into the ball. It hadn't been a partnership carved of any infatuation or emotion. Business had been the cornerstone of that pairing. Well, and perhaps a little bit of revenge towards D'Spacito, but that had largely gone unnoticed and been wasted anyway as far as she could tell. Not that she had been upset about. Ill-intention had resulted in a flourishing partnership. But this time...the invitation from Moussa had been so unexpected and she'd been so crippled with the burden of managing her workload everywhere else that the ball had approached without the opportunity for her to lay a few ground rules. The best she had managed was to slip a little note into his pocket on her way out from one of their classes earlier that day, stamping it with the same sigil that she would be wearing on her armour so that he would recognize her:

‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Meet me at the Rehearsal Room first tonight. I'm not sure how much you know about everything, so I'd like to talk before we actually join the festivities. ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ — Sneak

She, of course, had arrived as soon as she was able to, slipping in to what had become a familiar haunting grounds for her HHAWT meetings. Gone were the fanciful trappings and dramatic tablewear, however. Bright resplendence had been replaced with black and orange streamers, tables adorned with black corded tablecloths, enchanted bats fluttering near the ceiling, cobwebs at every corner, and a fake fog that rolled across the floor. It was like the set of a B-rated horror, but charming in its own way. The arrangement of Tricky Treats caught Evelynn's attention first, and she had made her way to the display to retrieve herself a Pumpkin Pasty before thinking better of it. Instead, she fetched up a wizard's cracker and retreated to the room's perimeter.

It was there, reclined against the wall that Evelynn set herself to watch and wait, peering out from beneath the cowl that shadowed her face. She'd expected a masquerade again this year. Or if not a masquerade, at least an opportunity for some sort of costuming. Or armour, as the case may have been. She had elicited the help of her mother—a mother who never failed to jump on every cosplay opportunity—for some of the more tricky aspects to its construction. Her final product? The Nightingale armour from Skyrim. Practical, hopefully a little bit protective, a subtle and easily deniable reference to a certain pseudonym, and best of all.. perfectly anonymous after the addition of the lace mask to hide even her scrutinizing gaze.

There were more than a few individuals of interest in attendance. Burnett had come wearing what looked to be a Peter Pan costume. Fitting, really, she had to acknowledge. Not only did he fit the character in personality, he even looked like Pan. She spied Larkston as well, although it hadn't looked like the girl had made any effort to dress up. Perhaps she was the smartest of the lot of them, and bound to be most comfortable. Then there was the trio. She had spied Morgan looking impressively elegant in her gown of black and crimson, but it was her expression that had been interesting. Hawk-eyed and fixed upon another, one Persephone Barret who had elected to don the rather paradoxical garb of something better suited to the innocence of Alice in Wonderland. A brow lofted beneath Evelynn's disguise. Friend and foe. Just how far, exactly, did the she-devil's grasp extend?

But it was one voice in particular that drew Evelynn's curiosity as she awaited the arrival of her partner. The headmaster's voice had echoed out from the confines of a rather impressive tin suit. Snap. Fingers plied at the Wizard's Cracker to snap it open. She'd be keeping an eye on him.

[font=century gothic]ACTION: Watching everyone else mingle, opening a wizard's cracker, waiting for her partner[/font]

[font=century gothic]STA | 7‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ STR | 2‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ EVA |‏‏‎ 10 ‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ WIS | 10 ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ARC | 2 ‎ ‎ ACC | 10
Keen Eye — There is a 25% chance of automatically finding something
Fearless — Immunity to fear effects[/font]

Interacting with
@Jack Burnett
Mentioning
@Persephone Barret @Jo Morgan
Open to Interaction

Ruka was fuming.

It had been close to the start of the Masquerade Ball and Costume Party already by the time he had reached the Room of Requirement for some last minute costume coordination with his brother. Everything had been going according to plan, the room had already been equipped with showers, a comfy sofa and a full body length mirror wide enough for both of them to double check what they were going to end up looking like.

The costumes had not been much of Ruka's concern; He had left it up to Jack to bring the clothes and accessories they were going to need. As the Gryffindor himself had never actually attended a Costume Party, much less a Masquerade, he had been happy to leave his brother in charge, so long as he had known what exactly they were going to go as.

Twin Foxes had sounded like a good idea, especially with Ruka's new hobby of enchanting his hair to match Jack's colour for ultimate confusion, so he had agreed easily, had even been somewhat excited despite his innate reluctance to mass events after everything he had experienced at them thus far. A large part of him wondered why any Hogwarts student would still even consider joining school events like that when all of them seemed to end in catastrophe, but he supposed it was just a way to try and over-write bad memories. People loved clutching to their last remnants of hope.

Either way, Ruka had been somewhat excited about all the opportunities for the chaos he and Jack would be able to cause as Twin Foxes, and he had rushed into the shower inside their magic hideout almost immediately, eager to get into his costume.

Except, it had taken less than five minutes for the shower head to start sputtering like something was clogging it up before the water had been replaced by golden glitter that had made him yelp in shock as he had been covered in it from head to toe. No matter how hard he had tried, the shower had refused to change back to water and the glitter had refused to let itself be scrubbed off his body, but Ruka had been determined not to let that ruin his night. Who was really going to notice some glitter when he was going to be wearing a suit and mask to cover the majority of his skin all night anyway?

Except, when Ruka had wrapped a towel around himself and returned to the comfy sofa to grab his costume from Jack, he had had to realise that his brother was nowhere to be found, and all that he had left was a stack of clothes that distinctively did not look like they were going to make him look like a Gentleman Fox.

No, right there, draped across the armrest, was a dress, green and short and sleeveless, apparently made out of synthetic leafs and tulle. Matching were the green sandal like flats, sparkly transparent tights, attachable pointy ears, wings and a brown and green bag, as well as at least a mask to hide his face behind.

"Menace," he muttered to himself, echoing it in a thought Jack could hopefully hear wherever he was. Ruka's gaze drifted to a small green bag on a dark necklace like string, and he curiously reached for it, taking a small peek inside before closing it up again with a faint smirk on his face. If all of that had not been enough, there was something else on the sofa, something Ruka hadn't been aware Jack had brought with him before, but it was two things that made the Gryffindor bubble up a laugh as if he had just been told the funniest joke of the century.

The only word left from Jack was put on a piece of parchment on top of the dress, familiar handwriting spelling out a dare Ruka had no intention of declining.

To die of embarrassment would be an awfully big adventure

So Ruka, fuelled with determination, put the clothes on, wiggling uncomfortably for a moment as he tried to adjust to the outfit, before grabbing his own belongings and quickly stuffing them into what was apparently his bag for the night now.

With a flick of his wand he had even changed his hair colour to blonde, just for good measure; If he was going to do this then he was going to do it right.

A long look into the mirror told him that he looked absolutely... Ridiculous. A short, skinny fairy, glitter all across his skin and struggling to move with his dress. That was going to take a lot of getting used to, but at least there wasn't much need for him to walk, his brother had made sure of that, and Ruka found himself almost grateful for it.

The idea wasn't something Ruka had any problems figuring out, but the execution was a different story. Once he had draped the Invisibility Cloak across the Bluebottle Broom, it had taken him a good ten minutes to figure out how to actually mount the invisible flying object while in a dress. Eventually he came to the conclusion that side saddle was the only way to go, and with one last look around to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, he left the room, appearing to be casually flying on thin air, all the way to the Rehearsal Room.

Jack may have thought he would be able to avoid Ruka's wrath a bit longer by going to the Costume Party first, but maybe he was forgetting the fact that the Gryffindor was able to know where he was at all times, curtesy of a very special connection they had been sharing for a while now, so it didn't take Ruka long to find his brother, a half-serious scowl on his face as he glided semi-elegantly through the crowd of people, never minding those who seemed to be spouting hair where it wasn't supposed to be, until he reached the familiar redhead whose costume may as well have been his day-to-day outfit without anybody batting an eyelash.

"Spreading Happy Thoughts already, Peter?" Ruka asked as he halted the invisible broom next to Jack, hovering around the same height as him. A vague head gesture indicated the brunette girl in his brother's company who seemed to have fallen into uncontrollable laughter for reasons unknown to him. The second girl Ruka thought to be able to recognise even behind her mask, and his scowl transformed into a wide grin as he regarded her with a small nod.

Turning his attention back to Jack, his grin melted into a sweet smile, eyes sparkling behind his own mask. "Forgot that others also need pixie dust to fly, did you?" With that he reached into the little bag hanging from his neck, pulling a fist back out again and unfolding his hand only to blow specks of glitter in the direction of his brother's face.

If he had been blessed with a bag of glitter for the night, the least he was going to do was make sure as many people as possible were going to get covered in it, starting with the person who put him into this situation in the first place.

|Action|
- Hovering on an invisible broom
- Grinning at Persephone
- Blowing pixie dust at Jack's face
- Looking stunning in a dress with wings and sparkly tights

Stats
~ Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 9 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 12 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 7 ~

Abilities
~ Muggle Condiotion ~ Advanced Casting ~ Perfectionist ~

OPEN TO INTERACTIONS!

Mentioning: @Pericles Dralt @Evelynn Decipio @Jack Burnett @Persephone Barret @Ruka Burnett-Tân @Solomon Lear

"When I first saw you at the last ball, you were eating, and now that I find you here, you're doing the same thing."

Akari murmured to Drew, indicating that Gregori and Elisabeth were here! Drew was glad of that, because if he had just been standing there not realizing they were there, that would sure be awkward. And he knew Greg would just hate that.

He grinned widely, turning to his best friend and their date. They were a little late, but Drew thought back and realized that they hadn't ever specified the place that they were meeting. "Hey guys! I don't think we told you we were meeting here- sorry about that. You look amazing tonight, though." They really did. He knew that Greg's suit was probably hand-me-downs from his big brother or something, but it still looked good on him- he looked sharp. Elisabeth looked even more amazing than usual, too, in her fancy dress and mask. In Drew's honest opinion, Akari out-dressed all of them. Everyone. Maybe even Rose, though Drew hadn't seen her yet. She just looked absolutely stunning. Neither Drew nor Akari had actually put their mask on yet. Drew was just waiting until they went to the masquerade to actually put on his mask, and he wasn't sure of Akari's reason.

Only when his hand slipped out of Akari's did he notice that their hands had lingered that long together. He straightened his suit. "I believe introductions are in order. Akari and Jess, this is my best friend, Gregori, from Ilvermorny, and his date Elisabeth. Greg and Elisabeth, this is Akari, my date, and her best friend, Jess." He gestured to the three girls, voicing his next curiosity. They were in the same school, after all. "Do you know each other by any chance?"

Interactions:
@Robert Toukmond | @Quinn Smith
Mentions:
@Pericles Dralt
Actions:
Saying hello to an old friend
-Open to interactions-

Moderation:

Reducio

Stats:
Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 3 | Wisdom: 8 | ArcPower: 6 | Accuracy: 7
Abilities:
Perfectionist

Turning her silver leaves bracelet around her wrist, the 11-year-old brunette walked through the doors of the rehearsal room into the Costume Party of the Autumn Ball, her dark brown hair cascading down her back in soft ringlets. Callista had toyed with the idea of going in midnight blue, but she ended up picking a light yellow chiffon dress paired with a simple white cardigan, a simple, silver circlet, and snug, soft pink flats, not unlike ballet shoes.

Callista had found one of the invitations taped on the back of a library chair. She planned to spend time in the Costume Party before heading over to the Masquerade Ball. She was, after all, dressed lightly but more formally than one would expect in a costume party. If Callista had not planned to head over to the Masquerade Ball, she would have dressed in a cat costume of some sort.

When she entered the room, she nodded to a young man by the door, who had a bird mask on. Her own mask was in her hand. Silvery and elegant while retaining a certain simplicity, Callista was quite fond of it. It had been a while since she had dressed so elegantly.

Her chiffon swished around her legs, her blush pink flats quiet on the marble floor. Her simple silver circlet gleamed in the light, her silver leaf bracelet matching it on her wrist. Her dark brown hair was styled in soft ringlets. She was, in fact, quite pretty. Callista even put a little lip gloss on, but she refused to put on any other makeup, retaining a soft, natural look.

Over the past month, Callista’s confidence had grown a little, and she didn’t stammer quite as much, although she was still shy. She spotted several people by the table labeled “Tricky Treats”, and suspected some sort of humorous magic was hidden in the treats. This was proven true by the unfortunate victims of the delicacies.

Callista spotted one of the students, dressed as a banana. With a jolt, she realized that she knew that boy. Robert Toukmond, she thought, dumbfounded. A few seconds later, she had her hands at her mouth, stifling laughter.

He seemed to be talking to another girl, dressed as... was that a latte? A pumpkin spiced latte, if she heard correctly. Callista was not fond of pumpkin herself - with a twinge of sadness, she remembered that she had, in fact, told Robert this in one of their letters - but it was cute as a costume, and it smelled wonderful.

The banana and the pumpkin latte, she mused. Robert seemed to be under the effects of a Laughing Potion. “Robert,” Callista said quietly. A smile pulled at her lips as she watched him with warm brown eyes. There was a glimmer of uncertainty in her eyes. That, along with her fidgeting with her bracelet behind her back, were the only signs of her nervousness. Her heart was pounding, wondering how Robert would react.

He liked puns, Callista remembered. And science. Yes, that’s one of the things I remember clearest about him. He’s a perfect Ravenclaw. This was a completely unplanned encounter, and Callista realized she had no idea what she was going to say. Her old nervousness starting creeping up on her, but she forced it down. I’m here to have fun, she reminded herself.

Callista smiled at Robert and said to the other girl, “Hello, I’m Callista.” She reached out her hand along with Robert’s for a potential handshake.

Outfit:

Reducio

Soft ringlets

Elegant silver masquerade mask

Light Yellow Chiffon

White Cardigan

Simple silver Circlet

Silver leaves bracelet

Soft blush pink flats

Post Tracker:
X | X | X

Interacting with @Thora Larkston and @Flash Holmwood [Yefim]
Mentions: Solomon Lear, Serena Towers, Sylvain Indarys, Ruka Burnett-Tân, and Jack Burnett
~ Open to Interactions ~

Thora seemed to be thinking the same thing as Bridget, more or less. Pumpkin carving sounded like fun, and the way she saw it, was the only real option by process of elimination unless they wanted to simply lurk at the edge of the room. But really, if they were going to risk attending of the historically disastrous Hogwarts balls, they might as well have some fun. The pair crossed the fog-covered floor to the mini pumpkin patch where a few other students had gathered, though no one she knew. A glance towards the center of the room showed the table of tricky treats was drawing the most attention. She'd anticipated it would; maybe she couldn't relate, but there was something exciting about a surprise. And, of course, it was food.

Directing her attention back towards the activity at hand, Bridget surveyed the pumpkins to find one she wanted to carve. It really didn't matter all that much to her, and considering they'd transported pumpkins to the Rehearsal Room they'd probably at least picked out decent ones, so she didn't have to worry about some deformed gourd. She settled on one of the medium-sized ones and carried it over to one of the carving stations. Thora soon followed with a pumpkin of her own. There was a bowl for the guts they'd have to scoop out and tools for carving. Cautiously, Bridget picked up one of the saws and gently pressed the pad of her finger to the blade. It wasn't necessarily the best way to test how sharp it was, but she wanted to know if she was going to have to be careful. What was supposed to be a fun crafting activity didn't need to turn into some accident like the stabbings brought to mind when she thought back to last year's Masquerade. However, the blade slipped harmlessly away from her skin. Smart. Enchanting the saws to not cut into flesh would probably spare them all at least one disaster.

Bridget's family didn't do much for Halloween, but they had carved pumpkins a few times. It was mostly the scary images and her mom sometimes having to work that kept them from going trick-or-treating, but pumpkin carving was a different story. Getting to work, Bridget started by cutting a hole in the top, sawing up and down in a zig-zagged circled. Once the top was off, the messy part started. With a grin at her friend, she reached her hand into the gourd, diving straight in. There was a squelch and her hand was coated in the slimy guts, but it didn't really bother her. Honestly, she could think of worse things to have her hands be covered in. Fistful by fistful, she emptied out the inside of the pumpkin.

While she did the messy and surprisingly fun work, she looked out at the rest of the Room. The sound of clanking caught her attention and turning towards the noise, she noted that Headmaster Lear had arrived. It was still a little weird to see him after his absence for a year. He was talking to Serena Towers, except only her head and arm were visible. Was she wearing an invisibility cloak? That seemed the most logical possibility, and she had to hand it to the former Hufflepuff Seeker, it was a cool costume that fit perfectly with the holiday's spooky theme.

The treats were tricky indeed, although from what she could tell, them were spiked in the way they were intended to be, not a more malicious one. She laughed as Sylvain's hair grew remarkably quickly until it was quite long, several students broke out into uncontrollable laughter, and a boy she vaguely recognized as a fellow third year flew in as Tinkerbell. He was clearly accompanying Jack Burnett, who was dressed as Peter Pan. She found herself hoping Jack would avoid her; there was really no reason why he would talk to her, but after what had happened at the fight club over the summer, she shared a memory she wished she didn't have with him.

Her and Thora sat in relative silence, occasionally pointing out something particularly funny to each other or commenting on each other's pumpkins. They were both naturally on the quieter side, so the lack of conversation wasn't bothersome. She supposed they were simply comfortable being around each other, no talking required.

When her pumpkin was de-gutted to a satisfactory level, it was time for the creative part, the actual carving. Bridget was decently artistic, although her preferred medium was pencil and paper, not a pumpkin. Of course, she was doing this for fun, not because it had to be a magnificent work of art. Tapping a finger to her chin, she decided to do start with something fairly standard. Carefully, Bridget sawed out the shape of a grinning mouth with two teeth. A triangle-shaped hole for the pumpkin's nose emerged above that and finally all she had left were the eyes. Normal circles, however, were boring and hard to get with the tools she had, so she opted for a star and a crescent moon. She was just finishing up the star and had pulled her saw back to examine how everything looked when it happened.

In an instant, the work she'd spent a decent amount of time on was destroyed, her pumpkin smashed. Naturally, her mouth fell open, shock written across her features. What the heck? Light brown eyes lifted to find out who had decided it was a good idea to stomp on someone's pumpkin. She was met with the smirking expression of a boy she didn't recognize whose hair was sticking straight up like he'd received an electric shock. No costume, no fun... Seriously? So they hadn't worn costumes and he decided that warranted ruining a perfectly good pumpkin. What was his problem?

The reasonable thing to do would've been to just ignore him. She could roll her eyes, she could move on. She could pretend he wasn't even there because he probably just wanted a reaction. But while Bridget tended to be a calm person and knew how to pick her battles, there was something about this random kid who ruined what could quite possibly be the only good part of her night that had her blood boiling.

Her expression had gone icy cold, and not breaking eye contact, she reached into the bowl of pumpkin guts, picked up a wad of the slimy material, and sent it flying straight at that smug look of his. Between the fact he probably wasn't expecting it and her fairly good aim, the projectile landed. And she had to admit, it was extremely satisfying. Maybe this was a Hogwarts ball and maybe that meant she couldn't risk getting herself into a fight, but she was not going to let this kid get away with ruining whatever he wanted to.

Action | Throwing pumpkin guts at Yefim's face [success of action agreed upon by both parties]
Outfit | Pumpkin before it got stomped
Post Tracker | x