Fall Ball 2021 Samhain Festival

Hugh would look back and give Erin a sympathetic smile. “Not really.” He said as he let his shoulders slump slightly. “You've definitely seen worse than me.” He was practically sure of it. The way she described the horrors she'd seen, the panicked mirror image she'd shown him. Soon it'd all be over, he thought. Maybe after all this, they could be friends. Or at the very least have things go back to what they used to be, her playing whack-a-mole with any giant she met at a ball. He kept his hand wide open, preventing Erin from moving past him. “The Lestrange boy is having girl issues, it seems.” He declared with a matter-of-fact tone.

Hugh was about to talk to Erin about rock friend, its absence noted in his head. But another voice caught his attention, and he turned to meet the new arrival. Jurgen Hess, another Gryffindor whom Galton and Hugh had known for a while now. The giant considered him a bit of a nuisance, but then again, nuisances seemed to be what he called friends these days. Galton joined in on the conversation right on time. There was a back-and-forth of words between the two of them. Neither was really getting through to the other. It would look futile, but Hugh knew he'd see his mission through at this point. Stretching out with his other arm, he made sure there would be no clear line of sight for Hess to find Erin. “I know of the slugs that crawl within her. I'm aware of the dangers she poses if things go badly.” His voice rumbled off his tongue as he made himself loud and clear towards his fellow lion.

Galton already had his wand out. Good. Hugh thought to himself. There would be very few windows to get this right, and while none of them knew just how many had it out for Erin tonight (Jürgen being one of the unexpected), they'd have to take all the chances they got. The problem, right now, seemed to be that it was just him and Galton. Hugh knew he was no good with a spell, Galton was the duellist. But he could easily pull off the role of human shield to protect Erin.

The cannister of repellent would swing from his belt as he stood between Jürgen and Erin. That thing was for slugs, not Erin. If he dropped that soup down her throat, there was a good chance she'd perish along with the slugs inside. First get them out, then the killing came. “Stay right there, Jürgen. I'm being serious here. We don't want to hurt you.”

Action: Protecting @Erin Ryan from any attacks. (Human Shield)
Inventory: Wand & Repellent for Slugs
Attire: Something not plaid or fancy looking. And a Copper Kettle Helmet.
Interacts with: @Erin Ryan, @Jürgen Hess, @Galton Lansdale

- Interacting with Arjan Oberoi @Serena Towers -

Lydia walked down the last step of the stairs being fashionably late, not enough to be in a hurry at least. She had tried everything she could to look amazing, especially considering who her date was. Arjan was no ordinary boy, that she had understood from the very beginning; he was good looking, of course, and his attitude always showed that; Lydia of course, was completely captured by that charm, and as any other 14 year old girl, she couldn't resist a pretty boy with a cute face.

Adjusting a rebel strand of hair behind her ear, Lydia smiled at Arjan and did a small curtsy, playing along with his game "My lord, you look handsome as well. Blue is really your colour," she said as she gave him her wrist so he could put the corsage on her wrist. She looked at the pretty flowers on it, feeling her smile wide more. That night was going to be amazing, she was sure of it; she had the coolest guy as her date, they were both dressed well, and, most of all, Lydia was determined to have a good time, no matter what. She looked back up at Arjan and nodded,taking his arm and giving it a little squeeze. "Absolutely," she said, and off they were to the ball.

As they made their way towards the Quidditch Pitch, Lydia was glad that Arjan had offered her his arm; while her shoes were quite comfortable to walk on, even on the grass, they weren't exactly the best for any downhill path, so having her date there as a support in case she might fall was quite convenient. For the occasion, Lydia had asked her Grandma to send her a yellow/gold-ish dress, with some laced short sleeves, and a golden belt with leaves on it; her hair were put up in a half ponytail and pinned to the back of her head by a simple and elegant, golder hairpin. Her make up was quite simple for the night, just some eyeliner, mascara and a nude lipstick, in order to keep things on a more casual note.

The atmosphere the organisers of the ball had created already felt very Halloween-y, with the dim lights, the pumpkin and the fires all around them. The whole place looked incredible, and it felt like Arjan and her fitted right in. After all, they both looked incredible, it was only right that the ball looked just as good as them. In times like this, Lydia found that pride, that part of her that shower her vanity, that usually she would keep at bay; she knew she was pretty, and not just because of her being a part Veela, and while during her everyday life she would have hated if people were to look at her in awe, she definitely wouldn't have minded that night. As the got closer to the Quidditch Pitch, she barely noticed the drama that was already unfolding, too busy being enchanted by Arjan's hand wave. Oooh boy, these teenage girls and their soft spot for cute, handsome boys.

Lydia quickly walked next to Arjan, being a little surprised by how he seemed to move people around so they could pass; in any other moment she might have stopped and said something, but in that moment she mentally shrugged; Arjan was way too cute while he was doing that, for her to make him stop. Looking around, Lydia thought about her answer, softly biting down on her bottom lip. "Maybe we could go towards the dance floor, enter inside the ball, see what's around there and then decide from there," she said as she looked up at him and offered him a smile. "We could also check out some of the other activities, as long as I don't mess up my dress. It looks too pretty to get dirty," she added the last part as she gently patted down a corner of the skirt, not feeling bad for what she had said. After all, she felt pretty, and it wasn't often that she allowed that more vain part of her to come to the surface. Maybe hanging out with Arjan wasn't too bad, he definitely made her feel more confident in herself than she usually was, his attitude almost influencing her in a way.

Action: Enjoining Arjan's company, while chatting
For the moderators:

Reducio

Race: Part-Veela
Abilities: Alluring || Lovely Creature || Scream
Stats: Stamina: 5|| Evasion: 7** || Strength: 5 || Wisdom: 15 || Arcane Power: 5 || Accuracy: 5

Selim Text Color: #4d0f25
Aku Text Color: #614f6d

"Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."- William Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'

Things fell into chaos about as quickly as they usually did. The girl of the ostracized trio 'attacked' Lestrange without hesitation after the spark spell was fired off (Notably revelling nothing about the girl herself, as expected). Which then quickly set off the bystander Scarecrow was talking to and a few other people. The scarecrow then tried to strike out against the one striking out against the girl... oh what was her name again... Davenport or something.

All in all, it was hardly a surprise to the bone-masked Slytherin. Nothing new, balls always fell into disarray, to many nasty teens, paranoid teen, teens paranoid because of past happenings at their cursed school.

All of them with itchy trigger fingers and wands. Weapons given to children was never really a good idea, this was the result, it was not a good result.

He continued keeping a passive eye on that situation, but most of his focus was pinned on the shifting circumstances around his target. The not-quite-human had drawn two little curious mice. Well, one was more like a rat.

A local half-giant had approached her first, while she was distracted Selim had shifted closer, closer, still mingling with the crowds close to his objective. Soon, he came close enough to just overhear what was happening thanks to his slightly-sharper-then-normal sense of hearing (A passive ability he gained thanks to his restricted eyesight and nocturnal behaviours). He was no werewolf though, so he had to get a bit closer than comfortable just so he didn't have to possibly falsely misinterpret the situation the not-quite-human was going through.

He caught enough snippets of the conversation to piece together what was happening. The giant was offering protection, he idly wondered if that was actually his objective, or if he was just luring her into a false sense of security.

Erin was a noticeably paranoid creature though. Selim wondered just how long it'd be before she turned against the giant.

Then, the little mouse came, he wasn't sure who the mouse was, but the rat seemed to know them. They were pointing a wand at the not-quite-human. A bad idea, animals did not like being cornered, he knew this from experience. In fact, if he was in the not-quite-human's shoes, he would've already lashed out in panicked self-defence.

The giant was trying to reason with the unknown student though, it probably wasn't going to work.

Selim had no intentions of interjecting though, his only goal was to follow Erin, not protect her, she could protect herself just fine, this was clearly proven to him when he got punched by her in the last fall ball. Her unusual strength on top of her not-quite-human state would make her much harder to defeat than the mouse seemed to think. Fool.

Some words from the Giant caught his interest though... that not-quite-human was full of slugs? What a novel concept. They were probably cursed to hell and back, he'd have to be careful.

The bigger student then warned the mouse that 'they' didn't want to hurt him, evidently trying to speak for Erin. Though Selim doubted that the not-quite-human shared his ideals, she never seemed to hesitate to hurt those who dared threaten her.

While observing the two situations, Selim stood by a nearby table, munching on some of the food, acting like an uninterested partygoer. He used his steel chopsticks to grab some of the provided snacks, the extra reach of his multi-purpose utensils easily bringing the food to his mask-obstructed mouth. Sure, he wasn't particularly hungry, but he had to play his role, or else risk getting noticed.

His latern-staff was beside him, a gust of wind making the chain sway with light clinking noises. The candle's flame flickered wildly with the disruption. Despite the chaos blooming around him, Selim was oddly peaceful, after all this was his new normal, he had been conditioned for three years to expect Hogwarts to constantly produce more stressful situations, mosps, hags, killer shadows, demented ragdolls, poisonous gas, violent peers. All of it has happened to him, so why should he have to be surprised and stressed each time these events happen? It was exhausting, he much preferred treating them like 'just another day', less harrowing to see it as normal rather than abnormal.

The third-year was set in his goal of keeping an eye on the not-quite-human, that was all he had to worry about today. Nothing else had to affect him, they were mere distractions from the larger goal.

So unless the parties of interest started attacking him, there was no point in being stressed. Keep an eye on Erin, that was all, nothing else, just that.

Full Outfit:

Reducio

@Erin Ryan, @Santario Martin,@Victor Moore, @Hugh Lowe and others

Never had he had such a low expectation for something as much as the fall ball, all the others had indicated that this one was going to be no different. That fact alone made him sick to his stomach and restless throughout the night, almost as if he was nervous of the horrors that were going to be seen that day. With a lack of sleep and his body aching all over, he managed to slip on the clothes that Vlad had given him a few days before. He wasn't sure at first if he wanted to use it at first, but Gray couldn't see any hurt in using such a glamorous suit. Nonetheless, it would save him the trouble of wearing his own which was sure to be destroyed.

In a mood that could only be described as miffed, he finally reached the entrance of the ball and took his time to look around. There were many familiar faces before him, almost too many to count as he examined each one individually. Although, a girl who looked far different from the rest made him stare with a small smirk. Erin Ryan was a wolf amongst sheep, waiting for the right time to show her true form as she hid behind the wolfman known as Hugh Lowe. The sight of the girl sent a strange feeling through his shoulder, the same place where he was bitten not long ago. He didn't know why... but the fact Erin was triggering such a reaction didn't make sense to him.

Gray rolled his shoulder in a slow fashion and began to slowly make his way towards the soon to be hag, his right hand instinctively reaching for the wand in his pocket. On closer inspection of the prefect, he didn't look too worse for wear. It seemed like his face was ghostly pale, and his hair was very much messy. As well as his clothing which was uncharacteristically scruffy, something that indicated he wasn't himself.

When he was about to open his mouth to gain Erin's attention, a voice to the right of him shouted a spell to an opposite student. Gray hesitantly came to a stop and slowly turned his face to the ghoul, Victor Moore. It seemed like he was taking a shot a Bridget, an individual who he had only met recently to discuss certain cirumstances. Considering Victor was already on a tight rope in his books, this was really starting to push him off the point of no return. Taking the hand off his wand, he walked up behind the boy with purpose and raised his palm up in the air, aiming to deliver a harsh slap to the back of his head with a sickening impact.

"Do that again and I won't hesitate in snapping those fingers like twigs, yea?" He would say even if the shot didn't land true.

Even in his sorry state, Percival was still as ruthless and sharp as ever. A pairing that made him dangerous if used in the wrong way...

Clothing: Suit and Shoes

Flowers: White rose and Black orchid pinned to the front of his suit

Action: Slaps Victor Moore on the back of his head

October 29th, 2021 | Outfit: ^ ^

Interacting With: Open | Mentions: @Rachel Davis, @Lani Beckett

»-----------------------------------------♡------------------------------------------«

Val was kinda intimidated when she stepped through the entrance. Don't get her wrong, it looked real nice. She was just kind of new to the concept. It was her first ball and she had never really gotten the experience. Again, kind of intimidating.

Plenty of people were already there once she arrived. She was somewhat embarrassed, perhaps she was late, but she decided to shake it off as she slipped swiftly into the crowd. She wasn't really one to socialize, though she felt more confident around her friends, being alone at big social events was a big no-no. She made her way through the crowd, looking for somebody she knew. Somebody specific, in fact.

She twirled a red rose in her hand. The thorns had been neatly removed to prevent any injuries, but otherwise, it was all-natural. In fact, Val had picked it from the courtyard the other day. Perhaps she wasn't actually allowed to pick flowers from castle grounds, but it was too late now. Maybe it was too much, after all, they were going as friends, but Valerie decided she'd at least try to give it to her. If it was weird, well, at least she had tried.

Perhaps Rachel had decided not to show. But she wouldn't do that, would she? She sure didn't seem like the type of person who would do that. At least Valerie thought she wasn't. Unless the entire thing was just a fake-out. They hadn't known each other for very long but she was definitely one of Valerie's closest friends, and she definitely did not seem like a manipulator.

Valerie sighed, making her way to the corner, adjusting her dress. She wasn't really one to wear dresses, but she supposed today was a special occasion. After all, she and Lani had spent hours deciding on dresses and outfits, and to be honest, it was kind of fun. Still, it was quite new, and she was constantly worrying about dragging the elegant dress into the mud.

She looked around. She had heard there were many activities at the ball, a matchmaking booth, plant harvesting, eel-catching. Valerie thought the last one was a bit strange, but nevertheless, it sounded fun. Perhaps she could take Rachel there. If she showed up.

WC: 377

Action: Entering the ball and waiting for her date friend.

Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 5 | Strength: 4 | Wisdom: 4 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 5 Part-Veela

Late. She was well and truly late for the start of the ball. She knew the dress she chose was extravagant but Freya bless her she did not realize just how much of a hassle it would be trying to get on by herself. The rich green color truly showed off her devotion to House Slytherin, though not intentionally. She just preferred green and it was truly fortunate she was placed into the house whos main color was shared. Though not visible, the skirt was detachable and underneath she would be wearing black leggings and comfy black Converse sneakers. If she learned anything from the last Fall Ball she attended, it was that one must be prepared at any time for all hell to break loose. Running in a dress this large or with heels would not be ideal. Upon her head sat an ornate facemask. She would likely take it off at some point, but she was not going to come to a ball in anything less than extravagance. Neatly hidden in her left sleeve was her wand, at the ready should any trouble arise.

Breathless. There was such beauty in this time of the year. The colors were vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows. Natures final gasp of breath before death. Many students had already arrived, and she was not sure where to meet her date, Jürgen Hess. They hadn't quite come around to that topic before she had to leave and get ready for the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. Avoid Erin Ryan. The warning the boy had provided crossed her mind again. Scanning the groups as she traversed the ground yielded no signs of Erin, but finally she spotted him. Odin. What is happening? He warned her to avoid Erin Ryan and yet there he was, Erin in his vicinity. Worse yet, wands were drawn between Jürgen and some other boy she did not recognize. What did I get myself into? A bit of panic filled her as memories of the last ball floated through her thoughts. Thomas. I'm so sorry. She had not yet been able to fully apologize to him and as a result the guilt still ate at her.

Tentatively, she approached the group. "Jürgen? Is everything okay?" She would speak loud enough to be heard, but hopefully know startle the group, a bit of unease in her questions. Right hand near her left sleeve, she let her fingers graze the handle of her wand in case she need to draw it as well.

Mentioning: @Erin Ryan | @Thomas Lestrange
Interacting With: @Jürgen Hess
Action: Nothing. Entering festival grounds and approaching Jürgen

School dances. They were something he had been to on several occasions but he never quite knew what to wear or how to act. His record was all positive experiences thus far but wasn't quite sure how this one would turn out. He had sent a note to Haley that said "Meet me at the Fall Ball if you still wish to be my date," but he really wasn't too sure if she would show up or not. Their relationship, as of late, had been rather rocky. Actually, it was now about three months worth of rockiness - a fourth of the year.

But he still wrote, asking his aunt to send attire and she came through for him as she always had. Simon wasn't quite sure it was necessarily his style but he applauded the effort that his aunt put in to make it seem more autumn in theme.

He slipped it on and checked his appearance quickly in a small mirror he had in his dormitory before making his way to the grounds where the dance would be held. The school had everything done up very festive-like and he didn't expect anything less. Like before, he would enter through the Samhain Festival area before he could go into the Fall Ball. It was in this sort of entrance area that he saw his good friend, Emily Brewer. "Emmy!" he shouted so that she could hear them. Emily was a little bit away and with it being darker out and lots of students around, from Hogwarts and the visiting schools, he didn't want her to quickly wander off.

"You look absolutely radiant in blue," he smiled to her once he approached where she was. "Are you headed into the Fall Ball?" That was where he planned to go. He held out his hand, and if she should take it, he could escort her in.

Race: Dhampir
Stamina - 6 | Evasion - 6 | Strength - 9 | Wisdom - 5 | ArcPower - 4 | Accuracy - 5

Interacting with @Emily R. Brewer and possibly waiting for @Haley Rose
Action: Leaving the thread to enter the Fall Ball

OOC: Emily, perhaps you can write your reply to this with the Fall Ball post? This area is sort of a limbo sort of area and if they wanna dance, the Fall Ball is where that will be.
viewtopic.php?t=18516

Illowy had been apprehensive to the idea of coming to the Fall Ball. After all, they usually were a death trap waiting to happen. Also she never had luck with finding a date. The last two dances she'd been to where she'd seen someone she had a crush on, the moment they set foot on the dance floor trouble started. Maybe it was time to just call it that there would never be a safe good time to have a date for a school dance... that or maybe it was her? After all, was she not always the one that tended to leave her date to help with the trouble instead of making sure they were okay? That's what had happened when she'd gone with Ruby last year... and they'd barely talked since. All around her, there seemed to be couples in perfect puppy love, already paired off. Even the younger students seemed to have their affairs all in order compared to her mess of a love life. Hell, even compared to her mess of a social life.

Another level of nerves had to do with her curse... well, now, lack there of. Since being cured, it didn't seem like it would be coming back. Surely since it had been over two weeks, if there was going to be a change, it would have happened by now right? It still felt strange, getting use to seeing her reflection and only seeing herself, not the strange black scars that marked her face and arms. This newfound normality was clear in her choice of dress; opting for something with shorter sleeves and pinning her hair out of her face. Finally, she just looked like a normal girl; even allowing herself to feel a bit beautiful now that she could clearly see the face she was blooming into.

Maybe she should have at least asked around to see who all might've been going? Maybe Bridget or Starlee? Surely they might've been running around somewhere? Though as people started to pour in, it was difficult to see too clearly through the crowds. Everyone was buzzing about how they expected this evening to go. Illowy only hoped it would be without too much trouble as her pale eyes scanned her surroundings carefully. Not only for any potential trouble, but also for any of her friends or duelling teammates.

Interacting with @Valerie Laurier

Rachel entered the ball, out of breath but still managed to keep her look presentable even with all the running. She was definitely late which made her worried. What if Valerie thought Rachel wasn't going and thought that she's not a reliable date? I mean... partner or friend? She tried so hard to be punctual but she got late because she was so indecisive about the dress she wanted to wear. Typical Rachel.

She knew all the worrying would be no use so she shook her head and took one last breath before walking and trying to locate her date, clutching the silver bracelet in her hand that she got for Valerie that was similar to her own necklace. Maybe it was a little too much but still, Rachel wanted to give something. For about what seems like hours but only minutes, she finally found Valerie in a corner all by her lonesome.

"Valerie!" Rachel said as she approached the girl. Relieved that she hadn't left. "You look gorgeous!" She said, winking at the girl teasingly, as she looked at her outfit. Valerie had a pink dress and boots with her hair in a half braided hairstyle and a flower crown. Good thing Rachel picked the silver bracelet. It would go nicely with her look. With a slight dramatic bow, Rachel offered the bracelet to her. "For you. I hope you didn't wait for me for too long. Kind of got caught up in... somethings. And got distracted..." She said with an awkward chuckle. It was a good enough excuse.

Looking around, she saw many were meeting up with their dates and friends and some going to the activities that Rachel has heard so much about. She doesn't know what to feel about the eel catching one though, but Rachel was pretty excited to go through all of those activities with Valerie. "Well, we have many activities to choose from. What would you like to try first?"

Word Count: 324

Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 6 | Wisdom: 5 | Arcane Power: 6 | Accuracy: 6

Action: Entering the Samhain Festival and meeting up with her date

Mentions: @Victor Moore | @Bridget Collins | @Percival Rainwood

Ileen was a bit late. Until the very end she had argued with herself if she actually should go or not. But after all, she had committed to it and she had invited Percival. Although she had been torn she had picked her outfit very carefully. She wanted to look pretty - that was something new. She had been to two balls by now and her date had always been a good friend. This time she would go with the same boy a second time.
But not only to have a good time - at a mass event this was a doubtful outcome anyway. No. She was here to look out for Victor. He had returned from the dead and Ileen wouldn’t allow him to go back there a second time. That was clearly her main motivation to be here. So, why was she feeling nervous? Why had she spent so much time preparing her outfit and appearance?

Granted, she enjoyed spending time with Percival. They had saved each other often and when she thought of him, her heart beat faster. But she wondered if her careful preparation also had something to do with Victor, the boy she was actually here for.
Her cheeks reddened slightly at the thought and she quickly shook her head. She was nervous because she was afraid that something would happen. That was all.

Nervous was the right word. Ileen chewed on her lower lip as she moved across the breathtakingly beautiful terrain, the leaves of her dress rustling lightly on the ground and she kept looking around. She felt uncomfortable alone in the crowd. Why hadn't she waited for Percival? They could have met again in the common room... She fumbled for her wand and tried to calm herself by its presence. The dancing shadows frightened her. An attentive observer would immediately notice that she was stalking around like a frightened deer, ready to run at any moment.

Her dark eyes glided over the grounds, searching for his shock of blond hair. And for Victor. She wasn't sure if the boy would even come to the ball. Probably it was better if he just stayed away from it....

Just as she was about to give up and move back to the entrance to wait for her date, she heard loud voices. Familiar voices.
The young girl spun around, her wand in her hand. Her eyes fell on one of the two boys she had been looking for.
She couldn't grasp the situation, she saw only him and Bridget with wands raised. What was going on here? As if pulled by strings, she ran directly toward the chaos. It hadn't taken long. Her eyes searched the shadows for a possible threat, and at first it didn't occur to her that the students themselves were the cause of the panic, as they so often were.

Action: Entering the location, running towards Bridget and Victor
Ability: Sixth Sense, Prodigal Charms Learner, Healing Sage
Stats: Sta:8 | Ev:9 | Str:3 | Wis:11 | Arc:6 | Acc:11