Event Blossom Ball - Underworld

Roleplaying as Durmstrang iNPC Arjan Oberoi

Interacting with @Phaedra Stavrou and Rudolf Novikov (@Adam Harringtom)

Oh? What was this? Was she falling for him? Well, it was bound to happen. The smugness surged through his body as he felt her hand pat against his arm. Of course, she was falling for him! First, she smiled and then second, she touched him. These were signs of flirting. Right? Pretty sure they were! He did not have ample experience - despite the confidence he alluded - but he was convinced that these were signs of it! What else could it really be?

"Ah yeah, definitely. I didn't think she was smart but geesh, what a mistake," He continued, rubbing it in a little just to emphasise that it really was not his fault. Even though the reality was a little different to what he believed, he had no problem throwing his sister under the metaphorical knight bus.

The almost sixteen-year-old boy laughed boldly as she spoke of envying him. That was pretty much where he stopped listening. He was being brave, daring and bold. That's what people wanted in their partners, right? Exactly! Rushing into the decision - like the utter genius he was - he instantly started to down the drink as soon as she 'cheers' it. What better way to show that he could handle himself than to be bold? Of course, there were likely millions of better ways but this was Arjan and once he had an idea in his mind, he did everything to execute it. This was perfect.

He ran his hand over the 'floof' of his hair, his muscles in his arm flexing as he did so, "Ah, you know, the usual. I do a few sports and try and exercise pretty much daily. On top of our mandatory ones, that is. Durmstrang encourages more physical exercise than Hogwarts from what I can tell," He had observed this over the time he spent here. Other than 'Quidditch', there did not seem to be much interest in any physical activity here. It was strange for him to see when Durmstrang believed that a healthy body was essential for a healthy mind. They had mandatory daily exercises every morning. Of course, Arjan went above and beyond - exercising in the afternoon or evening too most days. He also dabbled in various sports where he could - not excelled in them but she did not need to know that part, "Martial arts, breakdancing, boxing, that sort of thing. Oh! I'm in the quidditch team, of course," A pause, as he seemed to get distracted by something.

He turned his attention back to his date, opening his mouth to continue before closing again. He was going to continue to talk - because he did love the sound of his own voice - but he kind of forgot what he was going to say so just stopped. As he spoke, he drank more and more of the drink though and the effects of the drink started to seep in before he realised. He lowered his empty glass, turning towards the table and placing it down.

Looking up, he spotted his good friend! "Novikov!" Arjan grinned, "What are you doing there?" He asked, wondering why his good friend was alone. Outrageous! He stepped a bit closer to catch his attention and to greet him, kind of forgetting that he was with Phaedra for a second. Novikov... What in Stribog's name was Novikov's surname? Arjan called him Novikov, and they were really good friends so obviously, Arjan would call him by his first name. So what would his family name be? Or was it like... Novi was his first name and Kov was his surname... Why could he not recall?

A solid minute likely had passed whilst the boy pondered this, completely forgetting that people were around and watching. "OH! The trials! We should do those!" He suddenly declared as though he just remembered that they were a thing, with a clap. The trials seemed like a good thing to do, right? He had nothing better to do, right? It was not like he had a date or anyone to keep company. Wait - why was he here alone? That was outrageous! He should find a cute girl. As he turned, he spotted the beautiful Stavrou girl. Oh! She was here too? "Miss Stavrou, how about we go rule this ball? If I become the king of the ball, will you be my queen?" He smirked at her, implying she should join the trials too. Together, they could rule the whole school, no? Wait. Was she Novikov's date?! Hmm... He shouldn't do that to his good friend. Hmmm...

The smirk fell off his face as he pondered some more before suddenly walking off. He was walking in a different direction to where the trials actually were as though he knew where he was going. After some time, he stopped and turned in another direction. If anyone was paying attention to him, it would take a good few minutes for him to actually get anywhere and he seemed to keep getting distracted by something or another.

ACTION: Going to do the trials

Stamina: 15 | Evasion: 4 | Strength: 15 | Wisdom: 3 | Arcane Power: 7 | Accuracy: 10
Abilities: Obnoxiously Strong | The Martial Artist | Spell Spread | Charmer
Charmer Allies: Phaedra Stavrou, Falentra Black, Rudolf Novikov & Vyacheslav Preobrazhensky
Status: Forgetful | Health: Full

Post Tracker: [1][2][3]

Outfit of the day | shoes

INTERACTING WITH: @Marshal Mozor

MENTIONING: @Flash Holmwood, @Thomas Lestrange

OPEN TO INTERACTION
Effect: Forgetfulness Potion

Slight flashback—Interaction with @Jayden Holt

Evelynn's entry back into the Underworld was met with quite a bit warmer of a welcome than she had been expecting. The girl she'd inquired about borrowing her violin had been outstandingly accommodating, and there she had been, bounding right back to her, praising her performance. Little response had been offered other than a politely reserved smile, incline of her head, and quiet, "Thank you", with an added, "it hardly held a candle to your own performance, though. I could see how much practice you've put into it. I really ought to do more, myself. I wasn't expecting to be put quite on the spot like this.." Offer of a cupcake had been declined, however. Evelynn had been far more focused on getting something to drink to sooth her parched throat than to worsen that feeling of thirst with more sugar, and chuckled as the stranger—entirely non-plussed—simply took a bite from it herself.

Back to present—Interaction with @Marshal Mozor

Before long, amber liquid filled Evelynn's cup nearly to the brim. Little beads of condensation collected almost immediately on the outside of the container, a credence to the cool temperature maintained within the pitcher. It had smelled vaguely of tea, with notes of lemon, and perhaps even a hint of mint. Brisk. Cold. The sweet flavour had coated her tongue and quenched her immediate thirst. It was different, though. Something about it was unusual from the sweet tea that her mother would customarily mix in summer. Perhaps different tea bags? It was deep. Thick. Like honey. She felt as though it were drawing her forward through a loop of ever shifting flavours and memory lane hit as thoughts of the ball were soon replaced with images of old wheat fields, horses out to pasture, the old torn up barn. She licked her lips, and for a second, she could see herself reclined on a hammock staring out across the backyard, not a care in the world.

She took a closer look at the drink. It was amber in colour. Clear, with little bubbles floating from the bottom of the cup to the surface. Ice clinked merrily within it in time to the muted music surrounding her. Condensation formed on the exterior of the glass, coating her fingers in a thin layer of moisture. Dipping her chin to take a sniff and she had just a bare whiff of lemon and mint before something tugged at her head as though her hair were being pulled. A hand shot up reflexively, just in time to catch this unknown weight before it toppled from her crown. Brows knitting with confusion, fingers danced gingerly along the length of what felt like… an antler. Yes, most certainly an antler. And a second, she confirmed, as hands swapped and her opposite lifted to feel for a matching prong. Apparently she was wearing antlers secured within a band of large flowers. She would have to remembers to take care with balance.

Her straightening had brought the rest of her surroundings back into focus. It was dark, packed with students, some who seemed familiar, but others not. Dim lights dotted the canopy to serve as soft, effervescent light to illuminate what appeared to be a dance in a dream-like glow. And a heaviness clung to the air, daring her to speak any louder than a whisper. Before her lay what was clearly a refreshment table. She moved to reach for a pitcher to investigate, only to find a cup already in her hand. Within it, a clear amber liquid danced and shifted as it caught the scattered flecks of light. Ice clinked gingerly within it. She wasn't particularly thirsty, though. Had she come to gather this for another? Turning on the spot, she looked around to see who was nearby.

"Oh! Mozor, you're attending this?" She offered him a gentle smile. The two, while not close, per se, had developed a more consistent bond than she could say of nearly any, other than perhaps Ami or Flash. A pain to her shoulder led her to shift the weight of the pack hanging from it. It was just like the time she'd gone dungeon delving with the Slytherin House in tow. "What's the occasion?" Confusion mottled her query, and her free hand motioned absently towards the rest of the area, her gaze briefly following.

Across the way, she spotted Flash, speaking with Thomas. Now what were they up to, she wondered? If she was here with her bag—something of which she was constantly reminded due to its incessant weight and bulkiness—this had to have something to do with Flash. Had she come with him again? Eyes narrowed and the questions she just posed already thrown to the wind and from her thoughts, she stepped off in their direction. The back of her wrist lifted to rub at her forehead in a poor attempt to ward away a pervasive fog that had descended over her mind. She felt clouded. Like she had last year at the slumber party. But different. No matter, she'd sort that out later. Oh, there was Flash, perhaps he knew what was going on and what the next strike of action was. Looking around, she saw no sign or sight of Athanatos or any other person of interest.

A breeze tousled her hard, dislodging a strand to fall before her sight. She moved a hand to brush it back into place, then promptly jerked back to narrowly dodge liquid as it sloshed against the side of the cup that rested in her grip. When had she picked up a drink? Freezing in place, brows knitting together, Evelynn leaned in to inspect the cup. Within it was an amber liquid, clear, cold. It smelled like home in the summer. Like cold black tea and lemon and honey and just the freshest note of mint. It didn't quite taste like home, though, she observed, taking a sip. A different tea, perhaps? Or maybe they used granulated sugar instead of honey? Or different ratios altogether. It was deep, though, almost black. Staring into its depths, she could see the flecks of a hundred little candles reflecting back at her. It was like she were a god, holding the very heavens in the palm of her hands. Was the future written there? Perhaps if she could see something now, it might bode well for Divination in a couple years…

ACTION: Forgetting she came with Marshal, seeing Marshal, asking about the dance, forgetting she asked questions, seeing Flash and Thomas, forgetting she has a drink, almost spilling said drink, forgetting about Flash and Thomas, taking another sip, getting distracted by her drink reflecting the sky

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She'd heard the rumors. Of course she had - in a castle brimming with students (and from five schools, no less), rumors spread like wildfire, only picking up speed as they travelled from mouth to mouth. That wasn't to say that rumors were to be taken as fact - no, they typically tended to be quite the contrary -, but it was rather difficult to ignore all the whispers, both those properly inconspicuous, only overheard, and those spoken far louder than intended, that matched so closely with Karilyna's single past Hogwarts ball. The Masque a couple years back had been an absolute disaster, despite her inclination to label it awesome with the addition of a long, exaggerated spiel of how she'd fought a door (and was disgracefully defeated, though she'd never admit it), and it wasn't difficult to believe it was simply part of a longstanding trend - a tradition, if you would.

It seemed complete fact that Hogwarts' balls were the very definition of danger. Well, that was what she'd gleaned from the snippets of conversations eavesdropped on here and there and from the air of caution that seemed to accompany the very thought of a ball despite all the eager smiles, the plans, the bubbling excitement. Again, though Karilyna wouldn't claim to know what transpired behind Hogwarts' walls from half a world away, in Ilvermorny's own fortress, it wasn't difficult to accept given the fact that she'd seen just that truth herself. The invitations hadn't at all refuted this, either, but rather arousing further unease. Even Karilyna, being something of an unnerving presence at times [Terrible Presence], had been slightly disturbed by the invitations, and whether she used those or experience as a basis, she knew this year's Blossomball had the full potential to be perilous - or suspicious, at the very least.

And that was exactly why she was going.

Truth be told, that wasn't the only reason she was going, another being the fact that two of her closest friends would be going and she wasn't about to miss out on the fun, but there was no denying that it had played a significant role in her decision. Some would call her daft, foolish, stupid, insouciant to a fault, but Karilyna was not to be deterred. After all, she hadn't travelled halfway across the globe to hide from what was easily the trip's highlight, and besides, everyone needed a little fun in their lives. Perhaps her definition of fun would oppose that of most, but Karilyna was all for hair-raising experiences, for adrenaline rushes and close encounters - and no doubt the ball would offer just that.

It wasn't like she was defenseless, anyway. Perhaps she was still a mere second year, and a tiny one, at that, both of which tended to cause others to underestimate her, but she'd proven herself an exceptional duellist; as queen, she'd led her Chess Combat team to a resounding victory just last summer, something even she hadn't anticipated. And besides, that'd taken place on these very rolling grounds, an activity amidst another visit they'd had to Hogwarts. So, her prowess ought not to be surprising - logically, people would have little reason to remember the chess combat games months before, but logic… wasn't exactly something Karilyna tended to use. But whether she truly was memorable or not (she's not), it was absolutely true that she was a force to be reckoned with.

There was not a trace of fear present as Karilyna skipped out from Ilvermony's accommodations - which were perched on a hillside in a rather picturesque location, really, though she'd never pay it mind - neither in her mind nor expression. In fact, she was clearly excited, her eyes sparkling in the evening light and generally somehow even bouncier than usual. After all, was there really any reason to not be excited? The invitations had promised nothing short of fun - well, at least it didn't seem as if the ball would be dull - and even if something bad happened (which it wouldn't, of course jk), she wouldn't have a single problem dealing with it. Surely she could fight utterly anything. Obviously.

She found Phyllis and Theo quickly, skidding to a stop as she eyed their outfits confusedly. "Uh…" she cocked her head to the side, "are you, like, supposed to dress up for a ball?" Karilyna faintly recalled wearing a dress to the Masquerade, but that had been at her parents' insistence. Besides, it had been a stupid idea; her skirts had only hindered her movement and made it embarrassingly difficult to climb out from the debris that'd been left after she was crushed by a door. She hadn't been to a ball since then, seeing as Ilvermorny had different traditions and, despite herself and her adoptive parents all being pureblood, her parents tended to avoid bringing her along to any sort of social or ball. Karilyna couldn't blame them, honestly; oblivious as she was, it wasn't exactly unclear how much of a troublemaker she enjoyed being.

Anyway, was formal attire really expected? To be fair, Phyllis' getup could hardly be described as formal - cool, yes, but far from formal - so Karilyna supposed not, but at least it appeared to have received some amount of attention and work, however great (or small) the magnitude. Despite that, apparently formal dress truly was the expectation, given the number of people donning their very best as they swept away to the ball… but whatever. The black jeans and maroon hoodie (yay Thunderbird) she was wearing would certainly do; dresses were useless, anyway. She was just being practical, right? Yes, that was obviously the reason.

"Theo, your outfit is still super cool, though," she said quickly - though she wasn't a fan of formal dress, she wasn't about to insult her friends. But wait… "Phyllis, what- I- is that why you were fooling around with those scissors and that stupid sheet?" she smirked. Seeing as the two were practically inseparable, Karilyna'd been sitting around while Phyllis had been making what apparently was her costume for the evening. She hadn't realized it was supposed to be clothing, but then again, she hadn't bothered to ask what her friend'd been doing - you know, stabbing fabric with a needle was normal around these parts. Anyway, it wasn't half bad by Karilyna's standards, especially since she'd never seen her friend as a crafty person.

Bending down to pick a dandelion and sticking it in her hair, she dashed after her friends as they arrived at the Courtyard. She would glare at any questioning glances thrown her way - at least now, she could at least compete with Phyllis' leafy crown. Besides, flowers over leaves, any day. It was her turn to glare, though; as Phyllis rose up onto her tiptoes, only further accentuating the height difference between them, Karilyna gave a massive eye roll, otherwise pretending not to notice. Her two closest friends - Phyllis and Theo - practically towered miles over her, and it wasn't exactly news. Leave it to Phyllis to make it painfully obvious.

As Theo offered them his arms and Phyllis took one, Karilyna wrinkled her nose, jumping awkwardly to whack (lightly; she's weak) his elbow with hers. "What'm I supposed to do now?" First of all, she was at a slight disadvantage, being a bit too short to properly loop her arm through, and secondly, she genuinely didn't know what she was supposed to do. Now, she typically wasn't this socially inept, but what - was she supposed to know how to act at balls? She was only twelve, after all.

Still shooting her friends confused glances, Karilyna would follow if they entered into the deep, dark Underworld. Enter the true bringers of chaos - even Eris had nothing on them.

Partygoers had been gradually migrating from the dark scenery of the Underworld to the Spring Festival, and several would follow this round, the bridge full of students eager to yank from the cavern’s allure. Apparently it was not enough to only ruin half of the ball. Some had a taste behind their lips for victory and rushed to the trials upon the return of others. Regardless, the general population partied on, perhaps swaying side to side to let the melody carry them or lingering by a whispering fountain of refreshments.

Quite a few students had something buried deep within them, something they wished to forget. @Evelynn Decipio wasn’t put off by her first taste of ignorant bliss, and continued to sip on the drink and drag herself further down a forgetful rabbit hole. More likely, she’d forgotten the drink had done anything wrong in the first place. A splendid paradox. She was joined in this state of euphoria by @Katrina Walker. She’d already forgotten common sense when she decided to drink a strange liquid, so hopefully this wouldn’t be a heavy adjustment for her.

You’re forgetful. Perhaps you drone off in the middle of your sentences, forget you have a date, or forget what socially acceptable behavior is. You are unable to remember any spells this round.

It was a shame the knight in shining armor Nate Smirnow had taken a sip of the Essence of Insanity, rendering himself rather unhelpful should events turn the way he expected. Regardless, he was now and impulsive, terrified mess, and that was his own fault.

You are liable to act on any impulses—good or bad—at any moment. You have an advantage when performing any action based on a fearful impulse.
No effect
@Elena Jangleton and Jan Aalberg both had a taste for the unknown, indulging in a beverage with excitement in their core. Dodged a bullet! Both of them drank normal punch without the added kick.

Purse Snatching

rina Afanasyeva was a kleptomaniac in disguise. Under the influence of the Befuddlement Draught, this second soul had risen to the surface, and she decided she wanted the purse of one @Aurora Ranvier. What a bouncer she was, so quick to get violent: Aurora casted the Knockback Jinx to try and deter her attacker.

A jet of light soared from her wand, a well-casted jinx, however it failed to hit the intended target. The rogue jinx instead slammed straight into @Astoria Swann, who couldn’t have possibly prepared for such an attack.

Astoria would be launched backward and take considerable damage from Aurora’s jinx. @Howard White was feeling particularly chivalrous, and dove in to help stop the burglary in process by attempting to grapple Irina.

Howard did manage to grab the angry girl, but his grip was more like a gentle hug from a big teddy bear. Irina was able to easily wriggle free from his affectionate intervention. Nate Smirnow was nearby observing, but didn’t need to interject his impaired help when the Knockback Jinx missed. @Falentra Black cackled at their struggle as it went, in a truly villainous manner.

The Underworld buzzed with conversation, the occasional yell laced in (@Vivian Fletcher for example) as though it was normal to act so erratically. Phyllicia Stanwood was yet another to arrive in a toga, and someone, somewhere was upset about it.

@Thomas LeStrange and @Flash Holmwood joined the inhibited partygoers by drinking a mysterious beverage, though it was not one provided by a lovely fountain, and the only problem they would be having tonight was impaired judgement. @Marshal Mozor, or as he is better known, the horse, waited eagerly for his date’s approval on the drinks. Regrettably, his date couldn’t remember to give it, and temporary suspicion kept him from sipping his punch.

Checking in on our local mixologists. @Galton Lansdale was a bloody mess alongside his friend @Hugh Lowe, though the former had begun crying and made the scene rather awkward. He seemed to be very pained over how absolutely stunning his outfit was, a relatable problem to scream and cry over. The latter seemed on the edge of violence toward the frat boy, @Jack Warren.

@Callista Lovis and @Selim Faust had both been side-eyeing the ball and the erupting events as they spoke with different conversation partners. Though their visual searches weren’t specific enough to result in any unusual or hidden sightings, their conversations were interesting, particularly the oddly tense one between Selim and @Kaegan Deathmote.

@Phaedra Stavrou was keeping an exceptionally close eye on Arjan Oberoi , a wise gal to be on the lookout for strange behavior. @Rose Moon was perhaps having the worst day of them all. The girl had arrived at the ball looking as glamorous as ever, but she was stricken by something unnamed, a force strong enough to make her run right back out of the entrance. A shame!

Overall, the entropy of the Underworld was ever-rising, and disorder was triumphing over calmness. But at the very least, they seemed to be having fun!

Health
Rodion Makarovich 693/700
Violet Carrington 564/600
Astoria Swann 360/500

Astoria Swann is hit by a rogue knockback jinx from Aurora Ranvier. Loses 140 HP.
Howard White fails to securely grapple Irina Afanasyeva.
Evelynn Decipio and Katrina Walker are under the effect of forgetfulness.
Nate Smirnow is under the effect of irrational fear.
Elena Jangleton and Jan Aalberg are under no effect.

First
Second
Third

Open to interactions: (@Tyranni Whitethorn)

Reducio

Reducio

Action: Entering Underworld. Hunting for gods.
If anyone is cosplaying as a Greek god, we'll see how the action goes down BOI

Reducio

*Sorry folks, these blades are made of foam and will not be able to cut anyone or thing

^Andy's Cookie Monster imitation of Kratos, prolly few octaves higher

INTERACTING: @Howard White, @Aurora Ranvier & @Lavina Cloven (iNPC)

| OUTFIT

Alan had finally returned from the trials, sure that he would need something to drink. So oblivious to the spiked drinks, he would grab one of the offered drink and gulped it down in a couple of sips. The trial of Hermes had been quite fun, running around and facing obstacles; he had missed running like that. As he took a look around he was trying to spot a few people that he actually knew, when his eyes fell on something he hadn't expected. Students, who were fighting. What? The ball had barely begun and chaos already was trying to erupt.

Alan was a prefect, he had to do something and step in. "Hey, what's going on here?" , the soon to be fifth year raised his voice, as he stepped forward to take a look at all of the students involved, some of them seemed unfamiliar and he assumed they were of some of the other schools. He noticed Howard among them though and he wasn't sure whether he should be worried or relieved that there was someone who he knew well. "Howard, what's going on?" he would repeat again, this time a little bit more calm. He hoped that his friend could give him a good response and the fourth year hoped the other kids wouldn't cause too much trouble, because he didn't want to get involved in a fight or spoil the fun of this event by handing out detentions.

ACTION | take a drink
POST TRACKER | X | H H O H P A | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X

-------------------------------------------------------------- Tiger is running around / Open for Interaction --------------------------------------------------------------

Open for Interaction

Banner made by Winnie Harper

Mentioning @Astoria Swann

Interacting with @Alan Vanes @Howard White @Lavinia Cloven as Irina Afanasfeya

The award for best spell caster Hogwarts had ever seen goes to the hot headed impulsive Aurora Ranvier. With her inaccurate accuracy, she managed to hit another student who did not even participate in the ‘fight’. “SHOOT!” She covered her mouth with her hand, “I- I AM SORRY!” Although she couldn’t really sure who that was, the Ravenclaw slightly concerned about their well-being, but did not want to go near them just in case they will throw a fist on her face. But then another student, probably older started to scream at the Koldovstoretz girl and gave her a big hug, weird. Aurora looked at them with bewilderment painted on her expression. Were they dating or something? It looked like they don’t have a healthy relationship at all.

Aurora was way too caught up with the peculiar interaction between the boy who seemed to have a pink eye and the blonde girl. Almost didn’t notice another what looked like to be an older student approaching them and started to do a little interrogation. She let out a little gasp, and tried to hide her wand behind her as she stuttered between each words. “No-nothing! We were just- uh-” The young girl’s eye shifted between each person,
“-practising for the umm-“ She gave Howard (though she didn’t know his name) the ‘help me’ look, hoping he would understand and be kind enough to back up her excuse, “-upcoming Hogwarts drama show!” Why most Hogwarts people have to look so beautiful? That made Aurora could not make any eye contact with the guy with the lamb costume. At that point, she believed that everyone in Hogwarts must be a model born.

Panicked and flustered, she did whatever foolish idea that she could think of to get away from this situation. The eagle looked at a random direction, as if she was talking to someone “OOH! YES I WILL BE THERE IN A MINUTE!” then turned to face the fake drama people and Alan, “My friend just called me so, I’m going to head there! Enjoy your drink, it’s lovely to meet you all, BYE!” And would run away from them, if nobody is stopping her.

Outfit

Reducio

Inside her purse : a chocolate bar, pepper spray, inhaler

For Moderation :
Stamina - 4 | Evasion - 7 | Strength - 5 | Wisdom - 8 | ArcPower - 4 | Accuracy - 7
Terrible Presence
Action : Running away??

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