Secret Blossom Ball Event Finished

Interacting with @Lydia Cooper

Action: Shouting at Rafael and the scuffle he is causing

Evelynn could only chuckle at Alexis' agreement about the loud boy nearby. Truly, even had his suit presented him as a rather sharp and well put-together individual, and even had his surly expression hinted at something dangerous and interesting lurking beneath, the way he had spoken out so intrusively towards girl with the camera had mitigated any present interest. It gave an impression that was just a little too close to that of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team captain, reinforcing the notion that children should be seen and not heard. But nevermind, the little lioness' attention had turned to the girl who had joined her, anyway, and she brushed the nearby duo from her mind.

"Well," Evelynn replied, shooting the Ravenclaw a smile of mixed empathy and amusement. "I might wager to say that you're already well on track. You didn’t know me, yet you came over to introduce anyway, and didn't seem at all bothered that I was already speaking to someone else. Confidence is the key to any social situation, really. Or so my mother tells me. So you hardly seem lacking there. Quite the reverse, I'd say."

"And.. I really don't think you'll have any chance to mope," Evelynn commented, brows knitting slightly as movement nearby caught her eye.

Lifting her chin from the slender perch of interlaced fingers, she glanced over to a growing collection of people. The boy was certainly unfamiliar to her, a face she vaguely recognized from classes at the beginning of the year. But given that she couldn't place him now, she wondered if she was mistaken on that front. She had come to know most of the first years at least by surname, or to know which house they belonged if nothing else, simply through repeated exposure in class. Perhaps he was of a different year…? That curiosity aside, she did recognized the girl who had tromped up to him: Anastasia Beckett. But it wasn't their conversation that had drawn the girl's curious eye. Rather, it was the punch that the girl had landed on his face.

"I wonder what that was all about.." she mused, subtly jutting her chin in the direction of the commotion before resting forward to return it to its previous resting place upon her knuckles, gaze still turned in that direction. "And here comes Notresvace," she continued, as though commentating on the experience. "She used to be a prefect if I'm not mistaken." Evelynn had spent a good deal of time traversing the school records in the library over the past few months, and more than one evening reading over all the names on the various plaques and trophies in the Trophy Room. "Not sure why she isn't any longer. She has the right aura for it.

"Now she's the President of the Spells, Wands and Games Club," Evelynn continued, gray eyes lifted from the unfolding scene of Notresvace calmly chewing out a defensive and vocally indignant Beckett to return to her own conversation partner. "Have you heard of it? I suppose it's somewhat like the Dueling Club, only it's usually teams versus teams in almost battle-like games. We had a Shuntbumps game earlier in the year -- I only watched that one -- and then a Capture the Flag sort of one where you had to burn the opposing team's flag and protect your own, and most recently there was a… Honestly, I'm not even sure how to describe it. It was a free for all where you had to obtain and hold onto one of two balls by the end of the timer, and if you got knocked from the ring, you were out. They're quite fun," she insisted with a bit of a grin, and then with a quirk of a brow added, "and good practice for casting under pressure."

"THIS IS FOR POTTER!"

The battlecry from nearby on the dance floor cut through Evelynn's thoughts. She knew that voice without even having to look. Especially that particular cadence. How often had she had to sit through that insufferable tone on the pitch? Pleasant expression shifting to one of mild annoyance, the Gryffindor Seeker turned her eyes inwards just in time to see D'Spacito attempting to tackle Vladimir. And as though that were some sort of cue, like the gun shot before a big race, all hell seemed to break loose. Where Notresvace and Beckett had been bickering before, Caster had shown up to swing at him with another punch. Honestly, who was he? And why had he earned the ire of two of D'Spacito's girls?

Later.

Again, that question was driven away as Notresvace drew her wand. Moore had arrived back on scene as well, with wand likewise in hand. For the third time, Gem would find himself the victim of an assault as the flash of a spell's light struck towards him. Caster had been in the process of what looked like trying to redirect him away from that crowd when Notresvace slung a spell at her. What in the heck was going on? By this point, Evelynn had quite forgotten the civil conversation at hand, gray eyes darting quickly and analytically around the various flagged groups in an attempt to assess the immediate situation and get a hand on what was happening.

Elsewhere, D'spacito himself was attempting to contain the shady Ravenclaw. Evidently, he wasn't about to succumb without a fight and had thrown his own punch at the Gryffindor Captain. Then there were various shouts. Evelynn saw Ruka draw his wand and cast at D'Spacito. Anderson had also darted off, her sprint taking her to where Davenport still lingered, attempting to grab…a bag? That was the first time Evelynn had noticed the luggage. Davenport also had wand in hand now, and had cast…

Evelynn's gaze shot to search for Flash, seeking his gaze if she could in an attempt to receive some sort of direction in this mess. All three targets had their wands drawn now, and as several other students did as well, it was quite likely things were about to fall heavily into chaos very quickly.

She never quite had the chance to read his face and gestures even if she had caught his attention from across the dancefloor, however. A second later and her personal safety was suddenly brought to the forefront of her mind as the table next to hers received a rather sudden blunt force blow. Instincts kicking in ahead of her conscious thought, Evelynn found herself standing as she looked back, her hands and feet evidently working faster than her mind to push her up and out of her seat in the direction opposite the action. As the scene caught up to her, she saw that Burnett had arrived, and had apparently fallen or been thrown into the boy in black, with a certain violet-haired beauty standing on nearby. And by the looks of how Burnett brushed himself off and offered apology to the Slytherin Beater rather than the boy into whom he had crashed, Evelynn could only assume it was the latter. Her gaze dipped briefly to Lestrange to check he wasn't seriously injured, before casting around to Asterion.

"Ah, well… I--" She found her words cut off as yet again, her own name sounded out amidst the surrounding din. Fingers plucking to smooth the fabric of her simple gown against her hips, Evelynn glanced to the source.

"Woodward!" She exclaimed in slight surprise, feeling a jolt in her belly as a fresh wave of embarrassment crept up her neck. Right until the point where defensiveness took over. "Why should you sound so surprised," she shot him, deliberately avoiding his gaze. "Yes," she clipped in response to his question. "Or it--" It was then that she noticed his attire and the Silver clutched in his grip. "Why on earth are you wearing you wearing your uniform?" she inquired, embarrassment and hautiness subsiding in the revelation of just how ridiculous he looked against the backdrop of formal wear.

"Nevermind," she shook her head, deciding she didn't have time for an explanation. "Listen," she said, moving to reach for his elbow while her gaze darted once more to note the flying spells nearby, and glancing once more to the next table at what could only spell trouble with Burnett's arrival. "We should move elsewhere," she explained with very minimal context. "You as well," she added, looking to Asterion with earnest. "I don't relish the idea of either of us having our evenings spoiled by plebians," she offered a genial smile and rolled her eyes as though to suggest that she thought everything going on around them to be rather childish. Really, though, she very much wished to remove both Woodward and Asterion from any imminent danger given their relative proximity to the various centers of commotion, and to avoid spurring any sense of worry or panic.

"Why don't we get some refreshments?" she suggested calmly, already moving to lead Woodward in that direction if he would allow and motioning with an inclination of her head for Asterion to follow.

Action: Evading errant nonsense and attempting to lead Woodward and Astrion elsewhere

From the Stands

Mentions: The various fights; Oliver Hart
Interacts With: @Thomas LeStrange, @Jack Burnett

=================================

Erin would enter the ball, her desired restrained by brute force rather than magic. Her hands felt ice cold, bereft of warmth or even life. Had he noticed the uncanny pallor, like china or ivory but far less delicate. This would prove to be an impasse, the place where they would never meet. A logical mind knew it - how can you trust someone after such a large lie? Her heart however had a sense of fidelity, and it bled in Oliver's grip. Had she not felt something for him, even now, she would not have bothered. He would have been an irrelevant. She wanted an altercation, something to finalize this chapter between them. Some haughty statement about how he fooled her. That this was a diversion. Some sick perversion. A dare that went on for too long.

=============================

Erin would lurch without warning, performing a move no girl should ever perform in a dress. The beating would give him less nightmares than the scene that could not be unseen. Erin was hardly a small girl, taller and stronger than her date even barefoot. Agile. Fearless. She would attempt to grip Thomas' neck or at the very least his upper body between her legs. Like most, her power was in her legs. Attempts to swing herself, using the centrifugal force of her body weight to rock the Slytherin from his feet and knock him to the ground.

Action: The above in the Gif

Stats:

- - Stamina: 5
- - Evasion: 7
- - Strength: 15
- - Wisdom: 3
- - ArcPower: 3
- - Accuracy: 7

Race: Part-Veela
- - Alluring
- - Scream
Ability:
- - Fearless

~ * ~

Interacting with: @Xailah Alptraum, @Illowy Magnard, @Pericles Dralt, @Breana Oliveire, and @Margo White

To be frank, Ruby was still thrilled that Xailah had received her so well. She had hoped for it not just because the Gryffindor seemed to be a friend of Peri's, but because she had an interesting sense of style and truly seemed like someone she would like to get to know better. Xailah Alptraum. What a name. It was as unique as the girl it belonged to. How could someone be so peculiarly fascinating? From her looks to her attire to her mannerisms, she was not like anyone else around here. But that was… exciting. A change. An opportunity to get to know someone who could quite possibly offer a different perspective on life. Yet despite all of this, she was still as much a kid as the rest of them and they had the connection of being students at the same school, with mutual friends and, unfortunately, probably similar traumas experienced during their time at Hogwarts.

“Thank you!” she replied, a grin on her face from Xailah's compliment. “Alterations are good! That extra touch of personalisation really completes it and makes it your own.” She hoped that her statements weren't making the prefect uncomfortable or embarrassed, but she saw no reason to not show her calm enthusiasm. The warmth in her tone and slight gleam in her light blue eyes would indicate that everything she was saying was genuine.

The Gryffindor began talking to Illowy and Ruby listened politely. While she did not have much to say and knew it wasn't her conversation, she wanted to indicate that she was present and welcoming of Illowy. She would never want any of them to feel excluded or like they were receiving less attention than one of the others. She noticed Margo approaching and smiled, wondering what her friend had been up to now. She knew that Margo would love Xailah's sense of fashion and uniqueness, and she could only hope that the Gryffindor would think of the Slytherin in a somewhat favourable light. She was well aware that Margo was sarcastic and stubborn, and usually loud, which many people did not like. But there was a fire burning within the girl, a spark that showed the life and energy in everything she did. Beneath her exterior, she was caring, and at least she was always genuine.

Their exchanges of meaningless insults and friendly banter were something that the Slytherin prefect had enjoyed from the start, but she wondered if now was the best time for it. “Oh, hush, you,” she replied, playfully swatting in the girl's direction. “You don't look too bad yourself.” With a small nod, she added, “I see you found the desserts.”

She looked up again when Pericles and Breana approached, welcoming them with a nod. “Hullo. It's good to see you, I appreciate your thought in acknowledging me. Of course I don't mind that you sent someone my way! And yes, Breana and I have met before.” She would then glance at Xailah, trying to subtly gauge how her new… acquaintance? Friend, maybe? was reacting. After all, she had been the one who was with Peri before anyone else, but the pale boy had gone out of his way to make sure that Breana found her way to them. It seemed that the Gryffindor was not fond of the latest arrival to their group, bringing her palm up to her forehead in dismay and frustration and saying something quite softly—quiet enough that Ruby would likely have missed it. Whatever it was, it didn't sound like she was pleased.

The stands were a good suggestion. There, they could talk more freely and easily, and it was more personal. They could also be away from the needless drama, at least until things started going badly. “I, for one, would love to join you.” She smiled back, feeling proud and appreciative for having been invited to something. She was glad to have some good people to spend time with, even if this would eventually end up in disaster.

Action: Chatting, about to leave for the Quidditch Stands

~ * ~

»»————————-　♔　————————-««
mentions @Anastasia Beckett, @Dale Kurt, @Gem Stuart
word count 749 | text colour #274E13
abilities terrible presence | status closed for interactions
»»————————-　♔　————————-««

It seemed that it was the right choice to visit Ana and Dale, for her dour mood had been stripped from her piece by piece as the seconds ticked by- it was most certainly some quirk of Dale's, much like her own presence except strangely reversed, for this had happened once before in much the same speed at the Tea Party right before matchups. It was a peculiar feeling then, to be at peace in the midst of neon pinks and scalding overturned teacups, and it was still a peculiar feeling now. But she could not complain. If only the aesthetically calming presence could have extended to the pair of clashing black sneakers the other sported.

Ana was as good as she could expect, cordial in tone and looking like the absolute belle of the ball with the very intentional wispies of deep brown that hung down from her impeccable hairstyle over pale shoulders. With the popping pink of Dale's suit- she was still conflicted over her opinion over it-, it looked as if the two had coordinated the situation, came to the ball together. If they hadn't, well, it was a good look for the two to appear together.

"Would you two excuse me for a moment? Oh, and Dale, keep an eye on these, love,"

Astrea said nothing to the polite excuse and merely tracked the other with intelligent eyes as the brunette shifted over a vase filled with strangely suspicious ebony roses, porcelain hands sliding out a chair fluidly. Forgive her for not putting much more attention towards her last companion- Dale was a nice boy, good on the eyes and a pleasant person that could have been backhandedly complimented by the genteel if only he had lost the informality that truly gave his bourgeois status away. But alas, as much as Dale was good company, it was Ana who stole the show tonight.

Astrea stared at the nasty situation with a wholly resigned look upon her face, unwilling to break into the confrontation. Perhaps this was expected for a ball, to have drama so early. Perhaps this was expected for Ana. Her first impression of the fellow aristocrat was just as aggressively forward as the current, a mouth of filthy words and a rude gesture that would make any respectable elder clutch at their pearls with horror. Then again, it was a very competitive game that ended up staining the white cloth of possible allyship with the dirt of the grounds and purple bruises. Then again, she had targeted Ana and her team from the start alongside with Aurelia.

She frowned in half-sympathy as the target of her rage was slammed down with a strong blow to the cheeks, - it was powerful, and rightfully so, for as diminutive the other seemed under such a dress, the sound of a fist to flesh couldn't be anything less. A distant part of Astrea wondered if that was how her scuffle with Erik would have ended if she hadn't been able to spell out a flipendo. If Rafael hadn't thrown himself in the way like a martyr. Speaking of Aurelia, her patrician ally and head of club had emerged from the crowds with all the righteous steely intention of a commander heading out to discipline an unruly soldier, dark dress flaring out behind her with every step and blue- blue? It was bright blue, a pretty teal that was tied back into twin dutch braids that reminded Astrea of the sky and the ocean and a leather-bound book labelled A Guide to Morse Code. Something had happened there, something had happened with Ana and the poor kid she had struck to the floor and something completely unrelated had happened to the Gryffindor third-year's cedar locks.

From where she was, she could not catch the words exchanged between the two fellow bluebloods between all of the sounds of the ball around them. But it was certain that whatever the two had said, neither of them were pleased.

"Ever so sorry about that." Ana seemed as if nothing had happened, voice bright and peppy. It was clear that she had no problems having done whatever she had. "What did that guy do you?"

Dale's question, while valid, was slightly unneeded. Ana was- while not level headed, was rational enough to have some reasoning to have punted the child. Yet Astrea could not resist staring down the puff-dressed other with an innocent blink, wordlessly expressing her mutual confusion.

Action: Watching.

Interactions: @Tyranni Whitethorn | @Katrina Walker
Notable Mentions: @Rafael D'Spacito | @Vladimir Athanatos

With all the words and fists flying around, it wasn't at all easy to keep up with conversation--or anything at all. War paint-related traditions certainly sounded interesting, though, and quite different from the Irish ones Thora was so used to. Though it would've been nice to have an evening of small talk and tranquility, that clearly wasn't about to happen. After everything that had happened at the Masquerade, the girl knew better than to go unprepared.

Despite the green eyes staring down into the ground and hand creeping across the hem of her sweater, all which simply suggested her want to leave immediately and perhaps even indifference to what was going on, she was tensed up, ready to run at first sign of danger. But even though Thora knew exactly what she was doing, she had to keep a low profile. There was absolutely no use clue everyone in a several-feet radius--which happened to be quite few people--into potential situations that were more paranoia-induced imaginings than reality. That said, everyone didn't need to know what was bound to happen, either.

Tyranni, however, seemed eager to cut right to the chase. "Mhm," Thora nodded, again almost imperceptibly, as the younger snek pointed out Thomas. She hadn't at all missed the moves he had made towards the group she was too trying to watch and avoid at the same time, unsure whether to be afraid or curious. Though Thora's eyes still hadn't left the ground, she listened to the other speak and pause. So, was this where she input her thoughts?

"I agree," her voice hovered just above a whisper. She was acutely aware that speaking much quieter than others could arouse even more suspicion than if she were to talk in a normal tone (which was admittedly still soft), but so be it. Only so much could be done--and besides, it was better to be safe than sorry, right? "Right, so I'm not sure what all is happening with the flowers…" she frowned a bit as she noticed flowers being stolen, passed, hidden, and promptly moved out of her sight. "That," she gestured to the group near Marion and Victor, "Doesn't seem to be going too well, either. And do you know what they all are doing? The other people. I mean, such as the Quidditch Captain." Vague. She had to keep things vague, so she had to trust that Tyranni could tell she was talking about the Gryffindor captain's involvement.

Thora finally lifted her gaze, meeting Tyranni's before passing quickly over the surrounding scene. She offered a quick wave in return to Katrina's as she spotted the redhead in a sea of taller people. It seemed like the Gryffindor was among one of the many who had put thought into her outfit, which was nice. Although Thora wasn't sure where their friendship lay anymore, she did sincerely hope that the redhead didn't encounter trouble. After all, knowing how much could lie in the word "trouble", Thora wouldn't wish it upon anyone--and besides, it would be a shame to ruin that turquoise dress.

But back to what was at hand. She bit her lip as she took everything in, frustrated at how the little things distracted her. So much had changed in the moments with her head down. "That's Vladimir, right?" she whispered as her eyes paused on Opeila, and then the tall boy beside her. It was then that she realized she didn't even know what the Ravenclaw looked like--unless, of course, that was him. How could she have forgotten about that? Well, hopefully Tyranni knew.

She'd almost let out a sigh of relief when wands caught her eye. Wands were out. Although all instincts continued to tell her to leave and at most watch from a distance, she found her boot-clad feet shuffling forward. "Let's go," she muttered to Tyranni, glancing meaningfully at what was turning into a showdown. Even if she were to be too scared to get involved--or even reveal she was so close--at least she could be standing ready.

Currently closed to further interactions.

Outfit | Broom: Nimbus 1700

Starter | Mod One | Mod Two | Mod Three | Mod Four | Mod Five | Mod Six | Mod Seven | Conclusion

This is a Moderation Post

News of the Blossom Ball had clearly been spread far and wide across the castle, because the turnout was spectacular. There were over a hundred students in attendance, and it was wild to think that there were still more arriving. Each child who entered the pitch was surrounded by floral scents and a cool April night temperature. It wasn't very cold, but it certainly couldn't be considered a warm night. Nevertheless, the ball goers seemed to be having a grand time on the pitch, even if some of them did prefer to head up to the stands as the night went on. By now, the sun had completely set and the glow of the pitch was stunning.

The refreshments tables were quite the attraction, and Yoohoo was turning out to be the star of the night. The American drink had found its way into several people's hands, and aside from one person's intense aversion (@Mildred Wilson), it seemed to be gaining a lot of fans. Another popular drink - butterbeer - was mentioned, but maybe those students (@May Moonstar and @Blake Bayne) were a bit delusional. The first years who organized the event certainly weren't going to provide alcohol. Perhaps they had found a drink that tasted like the warming beverage? Another star of the show was the assortment of mini cupcakes, which found themselves in the hands of many sugar-craving children.

The dance floor was pretty popular as well. The black-and-white checkers were home to several couples (and apparently some pretend couples) trying to live out the true meaning of a ball: dancing! And what a sight it was: from the formal waltz of @Pericles Dralt and @Xailah Alptraum to the completely unscripted chicken dance of @Breana Oliveire and @Willow Anderson. The orchestra was doing a great job of keeping the dancers entertained and keeping the mood of the ball uplifting.

Then there were the tables. These round, clothed tables had been quite a pain for the organizers of the event to retrieve and setup without suspicion. But here they were, hosting several groups of students that preferred to chat with friends or people watch.

The photographer for the night, @Santario Martin, had moved on from photographing new entrants, now aiming her camera at the ball goers having fun. There were sure to be lots of cute candid moments on her film.

There was one person who had definitely put more attention to their makeup than most of the girls at the ball. @Ami Procoppio, henceforth referred to by the amazing name of Chad Preoccupied, had spent an entire hour getting his jawline just right. The mustache was a very nice touch (at least according to this moderator), and his outfit was nothing less than spectacular. The flashy gold jacket and shoes sparkled against the green of the pitch, and the top hat? Well, it was divine! The look as a whole captured several eyes as Chad entered the ball. He had a very specific mission tonight, and no one was going to stand in his way.

However, someone who had entered earlier caught all those same eyes (and possibly more!). Miss @Anastasia Beckett was absolutely stunning tonight in her pink princess gown, and she had a mission of her own tonight: telling her prince charming that he was the one for her! She had found @Scott Alexander moments before Chad, and they had already started tiptoeing around the subject at hand. It made ruining the moment that much easier as Chad arrived and planted himself firmly between the princess and her future prince.

After some well-said compliments, Scott tried to remind his friend to include Anastasia in the conversation. Chad begrudgingly stepped aside (after a rather rude comment), but it wasn't long before the drag king could bite his tongue no longer. Insults were thrown, betrayals were felt, and Anastasia was at the center of Chad's verbal abuse.

Feeling quite angry and embarrassed, the princess made a dramatic exit from the trio, seeking comfort on the other side of the field. She ended up seating herself at a table with her friend @Dale Kurt, who was decked in a particularly floral suit. Meanwhile, Scott turned to Chad and was blown away by the lack of respect. He stormed off with a few choice words, and was closely followed by the drag king.

Scott Alexander successfully leaves the ball
Chad Preoccupied successfully leaves the ball

It seemed that some of the students in attendance tonight had come under the strict instruction of Miss @Opeila Seilun. She had invited several students to help keep an eye on her rather sketchy date for the evening, Mr @Vladimir Athanatos, and two other attendees at the ball. Although the details of the plan were not common knowledge, everything seemed to be going fine. @Tyranni Whitethorn and @Thora Larkston were among the first arrivals who seemed to have their eyes peeled for specific people, and not just general mischief.

Vladimir's arrival with a heavy bag and a gift for Opeila did little to assuage the first year's feelings. She was overtly cautious and chose not to wear the beautiful gift on her wrist, prompting Vlad to become a bit cautious. "How many of your friends are watching us?" This question would be met with an acknowledgement that enough people were watching for him to not cause a scene.

And indeed, it seemed like there were several watchers. @Flash Holmwood and @Ruka Tân (although the latter wasn't necessarily in on it) were dancing on the floor and inching their way closer to the couple, intending to keep a close eye and ear on the situation. Gryffindor @Evelynn Decipio had been recruited last minute to help keep an eye out as well. @Bridget Collins had her broom in hand and a watchful eye, ready to launch into action if needed.

It seemed that in addition to the Martial Artist Club, this separate force had been recruited and placed among the students. They would be ready at a needle drop to come to the aid of Opeila should she need it. What exactly did she think was going to go wrong in the middle of a ball with a hundred students, though?

The glass, some sort of leaded crystal. The water, blue. Not a natural blue however as there was no blue celestial space to reflect from, the water was a turquoise blue. The roses, there were ninety-nine of them had [anyone] taken the time to count. All long stemmed roses, however the thorns had been cut off, close to the stem. All except for one on each long, slender stem. The leaves a deep and vibrant green. The petals appeared fresh, as if picked just that morning but that was not possible in such quantities and with such quality.

There was a vase - a heavy vase - of roses floating around the ball. What had been a lovely gift for a date had turned into a hot potato. @Victor Moore had brought the lovely roses for his date @Wren Caster. @Aaron Jones (the magnificent, wonderful, talented child running around saying hello to everyone) offered his services to put the vase of flowers somewhere secure so that Wren and her date could properly enjoy themselves. Upon acceptance, he placed the extremely heavy vase under one of the refreshments table when he thought no one was watching.

Alas, it turned out a lot of people were watching because Victor was one of three students under constant eye at this ball. In fact, a certain Quidditch Captain @Rafael D'Spacito - whose eyes really should've been on his date, the amazingly lovely @Lydia Cooper - followed Aaron's progress to the table and deduced that because the roses came from Victor, they were definitely suspicious! He and his date entered Victor's circle briefly before he left to go check out the roses. He made his way to the refreshment table, and quite conspicuously knelt down behind it, lifting the curtain and touching the flowers.

Rafael Investigation of Flowers
Wisdom Roll: 14

During his brief investigation of said roses, nothing new came to light aside from the obvious visual details. In fact, the roses turned from black to yellow right in front of his eyes. Despite finding nothing inherently evil (except perhaps the source of the gift?), Rafael deemed them suspicious and thrust them upon Anastasia Beckett, supposedly his best friend. And despite telling her to not prick herself, the princess did just that within moments of him leaving her. Nothing happened immediately, so perhaps the single thorn on each rose was just a decoration piece? Except no, Victor himself had admitted earlier to his date that they were magical. Why else would they be changing colors right now?

But Victor was not going to just let the attendees abuse his beloved's gift.

As Rafael returned to the group, he was dragging yet another new girl into the mix, Willow Anderson, and in turn, he ran off his own date. Lydia left, and Rafael was promptly called out by Victor for his actions with the flowers. Rafael feigned that he had no idea they belonged to Wren, and that Victor was more than welcome to get them from Anastasia (a lie, seeing as he told Anastasia to burn them should anyone try to take them). It wasn't a very well-thought-out story, but it was the one that he offered.

Both Vladimir Athanatos and Victor Moore carried some rather heavy bags with them into the ball. Under the eye of Rafael D'Spacito, this was rather suspicious. Rather than stick around for Victor's wrath, the young Quidditch Captain invited his newest escapade to a dance. Willow accepted, and over on the dance floor, Rafael asked for the little blonde's help with stealing the bag off of Vladimir. The upperclassmen was currently dancing with his date Opeila, and Rafael saw this as a perfect opportunity. Without leaving the poor Hufflepuff girl (Willow) much of a choice, Rafael took action.

"HEY, VLADIMIR!" The aforementioned turned, his attention successfully caught. "YEAH, YOU! THIS IS FOR POTTER!" With these words, Rafael ran at Vladimir and launched into the air.

Rafael Tackles Vladimir [FAIL]
Rafael Accuracy Roll: 21 vs Vladimir Evasion Roll: 29

Vladimir Attempts to Punch Rafael [SUCCESS]
Vladimir Accuracy Roll: 27 vs Rafael Evasion Roll: 8
250 Damage

Perhaps he had launched himself a little too late, though, because his face was at the perfect position for punching by the time he got within tackling distance of the Ravenclaw. Vladimir seemed quite pleased as his fist connected squarely with Rafael's handsome jaw - clearly it wasn't his first rodeo. A spell was heard to be cast, but it would've been hard to determine who did it in the crowd considering it ultimately missed its target and went whizzing harmlessly into the night air.

Ruka Attempts to Curse Rafael [FAIL]
Ruka Accuracy Roll: 12 vs Rafael Evasion Roll: 22

Well, back to Rafael's plan to take the bag. Willow had stumbled and pretended to fall onto the bag in her attempt at stealing it. But the poor thing had no way of lifting it with her (4) strength. Despite her inability to lift it, the young girl had done a perfect job of playing it off as merely tripping onto the bag. As a result, no one was able to pick up on her attempt at stealing the bag. If she chose to, she would be able to start dragging it away (although it would be increasingly noticeable if she tried to take it very far).

Willow Tries to Grab and Lift Bag
FAIL (Strength < 5)

Vlad Attempts to Notice [FAIL]
Willow Wisdom Roll: 25 vs Vladimir Wisdom Roll: 8

Opeila Attempts to Notice [FAIL]
Willow Wisdom Roll: 25 vs Opeila Wisdom Roll: 15

Marion Attempts to Notice [FAIL]
Willow Wisdom Roll: 25 vs Marion Wisdom Roll: 21

@Marion Davenport grew furious at Rafael's blatant attempt to attack Vlad, and she whipped out the wand she had hidden in her bosom. She pointed it straight at the recently-punched boy and cast a curse.

"Slugulus Eructo!"

Almost immediately, Rafael D'Spacito doubled over and spit up his first batch of slugs. There would be more to come in small increments, rendering him incapable of proper speech (and certainly no spell casting).

Marion Attempts to Curse Rafael [SUCCESS]
Marion Accuracy Roll: 24 vs Rafael Evasion Roll: 18

@Gem Stuart had been missing from the halls of Hogwarts for quite some time, and many people had taken notice. Especially those close to the Gryffindor Quidditch Captin, Rafael D'Spacito. According to rumors, there had been a romance between the two that ended on rather awful terms. Gem's appearance at the ball clearly stirred up some strong feelings in the captain's close friends. Mr Stuart had hardly been at the ball but for a few minutes when a pink-clad princess - Anastasia Beckett - appeared and questioned his identity. Before even being given the chance to confirm said identity, Gem found himself knocked onto the floor by a well-placed punch to the face.

Anastasia Punches Gem [SUCCESS]
125 Damage

Gem Stuart was left reeling on the ground and questioning her identity. Why had he suddenly been punched like that? A saving grace - Miss @Aurelia Notrésvace - appeared in his defense, shouting at the princess to halt her actions. Anastasia explained to Gem that what he had done to Rafael was sickening, and told Aurelia to mind her business. With all this said, as quickly as she had appeared, the sparkling princess dashed away and returned to the table with her companions Dale and @Astrea Soleil Neptune.

This left Aurelia to pick up the pieces of poor Gem. He had hardly gotten to his feet and had time to thank the girl who had come to his aid, when yet another girl in a dress and heels appeared. Wren Caster had come out of seemingly nowhere, hell bent on mimicking Anastasia's behavior. She swung her arm back and-

Wren Attempts to Punch Gem [FAIL]
Wren Accuracy Roll: 12 vs Gem Evasion Roll: 22

Gem was much more prepared the second time around, and he successfully flinched his head out of the way, taking a weakened punch to the shoulder instead. The monster hunter Aurelia was quick to act this time as well, and she pointed her wand at the new attacker.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Aurelia Attempts to Curse Wren [SUCCESS]
Aurelia Accuracy Roll: 24 vs Wren Evasion Roll: 15

Wren was suddenly frozen in this position, her hand still outstretched in a punch. As such, she was not able to speak when her date Victor Moore suddenly appeared and tried to come to her rescue. Clearly believing that she was the victim in all of this, the upperclassmen aimed his wand at Gem Stuart, the boy who had merely come to the dance to do a bit of socializing. A flash of green light, and the boy was suddenly doubled over and puking up slugs. It would prevent him from trying to explain himself to Victor, and it would continue to appear that he was the one who had attacked Wren unless someone said otherwise. However, it was clear that Gem no longer wanted to be there and he stumbled his way to the exit, leaving a trail of disgusting slugs in his wake.

Victor Attempts to Curse Gem [SUCCESS]
Victor Accuracy Roll: 30 vs Gem Evasion Roll: 10

Gem Stuart successfully leaves the ball

There was a conspirator who wanted to release some bludgers and scare everyone away from the ball. @Jack Burnett ultimately failed in this attempt when he went to the boy's changing rooms to execute the plan, but he had successfully recruited a purple-haired beauty earlier in the stands. It was this beauty @Erin Ryan who now shoved Burnett into @Thomas Lestrange as they entered the pitch.

It seemed Jack was desperate to calm the girl down, but she would have none of it. And to top things off, they had bumped into a Slytherin whose first thing to do was insult the young witch. It was clear her mood was not helped by Thomas's words, and she attempted an assault on him that would've been epic had it succeeded. However, she was wearing a dress which didn't allow for the movement needed to perform such a move. She had successfully grabbed his unsuspecting arm, intending to use it as leverage so she could jump high enough to wrap her legs around his neck. But her grip was loose, and as she attempted to jump, Thomas shifted his shoulder in an attempt to shake her off. Erin did not get the height needed for the attack, and she landed back on her two bare feet, hands relinquishing Thomas after the failed attempt.

Erin Attempts to Fancy Attack Thomas [FAIL]
Thomas' Evasive Maneuvers Roll (90+ auto evade): 29
Erin's Accuracy Roll: 9 vs Thomas's Evasion Roll: 23

As the first punches of the night were thrown and spells were cast, the lights began to flicker. A glance up would reveal the candles had begun to go out. One-by-one, the candles would flicker into nothingness or dim to a point that made them useless for sight. Was there a pattern to the order they were going out? Or was it random? Regardless of the answer, the Quidditch Pitch was quickly being cast into darkness. The candles had been the only real source of light, and the lingering new moon cycle left nothing for the children to see by (although the starry night sky was a beautiful sight on its own). Even though the lights were going out, the candles stayed suspended in the air or lining the ground, still protected by their bubbles.

With the growing darkness, the orchestra came to a halt, no longer able to see their music or their instruments. In the silent pause that followed, it became clear to the students that there was a faint buzzing noise coming from somewhere in the night. It hadn't been noticed before thanks to the loud chatter and music and dance (not to mention the shouting and the spell casting), but in this brief moment of quiet, the buzzing would be audible to all the attendees in the pitch. Perhaps the only person who might be able to discern the source was the person flying high above on a broom: @Piérre Marchonné, who would have the same visibility and knowledge as someone who was over in the Quidditch Stands.

Would the sudden darkness bring the fights to an end or would it cause even more of a panic? Did anyone care about the buzzing noise or would it be dismissed as normal night noises or imagination? Let's find out.

Rafael D'Spacito Health: 750/1000 Status: Puking Slugs

Gem Stuart Health: 375/500 Status: Puking Slugs (exited ball)

Please keep in mind the following information as your characters react to the above information.

• There is typically only one action allowed per round (any attempts at more may or may not decrease chances of success)
• Speech is a free action and dodging is a wasted action (it gives you no boost to evading, which is an automatic response to being attacked)
• All spells must be cast as attempts. General spells will be determined with a Wisdom roll, combat spells will be Accuracy vs Evasion.
• If you want to move to a different ball thread, it will take an action to do so. This means you must make two posts for this one action: leaving this area and entering the next (if you are currently in between areas, please assume you are in the area that you said you were going to). Because this counts as an action, once you arrive at your destination, you may not do anything of significance without consequence (no spell casting, no attempting to do anything that would count as a second action).
• The next moderation will be happening here on Monday.
• Do not metagame! There may be more/less information in the thread you are in compared to the other ball threads. Try not to use information outside of this thread to influence your character's decisions.

Interacting | @Thomas Lestrange
Mentioning | @Selim Faust | @Erin Ryan

Action: Casting Lumos.

Commentary on pages 2, 4, 8, and 13

Outfit | Locket | Hair | Camera bag

-Interacting with @Aaron Jones -
-Mentioning @Rafael D'Spacito , @Vladimir Athanatos, @Ruka Tân, @Marion Davenport-
Open to interactions

Once Lydia had finished telling the whole story to Aaron, she had felt weirdly empty; all of her emotions were there, the anger, the jealousy, the sadness, but they were all kind of stuck in a limbo, weirdly balancing each other out and leaving the part-vela girl numb.

Her eyes found Aaron's ones as he spoke, his words towards the Gryffindor Captain bitter; it was probably the first time that Lydia had heard his best friend talk about someone that way, she was kind of surprised, and figured that for him to say those things there must have been something else going on between him and Rafael - after all Aaron had always been friendly with everyone, and Lydia couldn't recall anyone that he didn't particularly like.

She barely registered Rafael shouting at someone, his voice and words arriving distorted in her mind, and she snapped out of her trance-like status when she felt Aaron grip her wait tighter, pulling then her slightly away from where the fight was starting. Lydia looked toward the commotion, just in time to see Rafael being punched right in the jaw by another boy; she widened her eyes as she felt a wave of panic crash over her - she had never seen a proper fight in person, only in the movies, and the punch that had hit Rafael looked like it hurt a lot. She took her wand in her hand, ready to use it if necessary, before she looked at her best friend.

"We need to stop them before it-" Lydia got interrupted by the sight of two people casting spells at Rafael - one was the other girl that was in the group with Wren earlier, and the other one was a boy she recognised from Willow's birthday party. The boy's spell didn't hit the Gryffindor Captain, but the girl's one did and Lydia instinctively took a step towards Rafael, only to realise that Aaron was still holding her as he tried to protect her from any harm. She didn't know what to do; it didn't matter that she was upset with the Gryffindor boy, she still wanted to make sure that he was okay - he did take a punch and a spell in the span of thirty seconds pr something- but just as she was about to ask Aaron to let her go, Lydia noticed something weird.

All around the pitch the candles had started to flicker, and shortly after they had all started to die out, as the music came to a stop, a weird, buzzing sound coming from above.

"Aaron, what is happening?"Lydia said as she looked around, hoping that maybe that wasn't happening to all of the candles, but that was not the case. It looked like all of the candles had been dying, their bubbles filling up with black smoke, and soon enough all the light was gone from the pitch and darkness surrounded the students at the ball.

The young Hufflepuff girl felt another wave of panic crash over her, but this time it felt worse: things like this weren't supposed to happen the night should have gone on without problems, and all of the candles dying out like that? That wasn't normal; it might have happened that a couple of them would eventually extinguish themselves, but all of them? Did someone do that?

Suddenly, the reasons why the professors had decided to cancel the Ball made sense to her; she didn't want to believe it at first, that Hogwarts wasn't that safe anymore, but as she stood in the darkness of the pitch, right in the middle of a sea of confused, and possibly scared, students, Lydia had to come to term with it.

"We need some light!" she said out loud, knowing that her voice would have definitely reached Aaron, and hopefully other students as well, before she prepared to cast the spell; she had never done it before, not outside of classes anyway, and Lydia really hoped that she would have been able to perform the spell correctly.

"Lumos!"

Action: attempt at casting Lumos

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

Abilities:
Part-veela