The Enchanted Maze Spring Ball '23

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Interacting with: @Astrea Soleil Neptune
Owl to interact

It was April 21st, the day of the Spring Court. While this was significant to many Hogwarts students—the buzz of excitement filling the corridors in the week prior, with mild drama occurring and rumors being spread as people asked others to be their dates—it was significant to Ruby in a different way. This was the first ball she would be attending in over two years, having shied away from social events when she went into self-imposed isolation at the end of her third year. There was also the matter of her not trusting social events at Hogwarts. Balls never turned out well, no matter how many times she thought they would.

She wouldn’t be fooling herself this time. She wanted to attend, but she would be on alert and expecting danger. She found that she wasn’t afraid anymore, merely resigned. Yet she appreciated the opportunity that the event would offer—a chance to use the fanciest of her outfits, an appropriate setting to get to know someone she had taken an interest in better, and presumably a pretty environment. Truthfully, she was looking forward to it. At least before the inevitable moment when things would go wrong. But the wariness would certainly be present, even as she went about enjoying the night.

She was lucky she wouldn’t be alone—would she even go if she was? Tonight, Astrea would be accompanying her. While the two weren’t particularly close and didn’t have a well-defined relationship, they seemed to be on their way to a friendship and at the very least shared a mutual respect and similar attitudes. The Neptune heir had an upbringing that seemed similar to her own—the rich, pureblood background creating a certain elegance and confidence that led to aloofness and elevating themselves above their peers in both academics and general status. Astrea was undeniably beautiful and intelligent—a terrifying sort of combination to have in such a powerful young woman. The two girls, who interacted with surrounding peers so distantly and coolly, had compatibly scary reputations, with Ruby’s being formed from how she had treated others and acted in such an unfriendly manner, while Astrea’s was from a general aura that, from Ruby’s observations, seemed to send a chill down most people’s spines.

That fear was not present for Ruby. Mysteries had always been something that enticed Ruby, demanded to be unraveled, and Astrea was considered a mystery by most. She was an esteemed member of the duelling club, excelled quietly in her classes, and was both hardworking and dedicated—as had been proven to Ruby by a little standoff they had had in duelling practice. But what was beyond the surface? Ruby had barely scratched it by interacting with the girl, and she found herself wanting to know more. What better way to do so than at the ball that was conveniently coming up? A public space surrounded by people would take off some of the pressure of a one on one interaction, and Ruby trusted in the other’s magical skills enough to feel comfortable having her by her side if something went wrong.

In the end, Astrea had agreed to come to the ball with her. She had been somewhat surprised that the other girl had actually agreed, thinking that surely she would have had other plans. Although, to be fair, recently the two had been interacting a bit more, so it wasn’t out of the question. Ruby was both grateful and excited, and hoped that the night would go smoothly or at least provide some fun. As if on cue, the hedges of what seemed to be a maze soon came into view, the distant murmurings of chatter and birdsong greeting her ears, the gentle undertones of the music audible beneath.

As a general rule, Ruby was a very punctual person. However, for big events like this, she saw little value in arriving at the starting time, when there would be crowds as people poured into the event. They had delayed their arrival slightly by meeting at the courtyard, which contained flowers and natural signs of spring, a semi-private space to start the night and skip the crowds. Now, there seemed to be a lull at the maze’s entrance, leaving it free for her to glide through with Astrea by her side. “What do you think of it?” she prompted, voice soft, eyes scanning what was visible of the maze so far as they approached. “It’s awfully pretty, although I can’t help feeling like it will be trapping us in given the dangers at past events.” Perhaps it was a gloomy statement, but it was said lightly, an appropriate touch of concern in her voice, but overall she didn’t seek to bring down the mood. “Shall we?” A gentle smile, a small gesture at the maze. Hopefully there wouldn’t be anything bad waiting to greet them.

Action: Entering the maze
Abilities: Perfectionist I & II | Fearless | Spell Spread | Nonverbal Magic
Statistics: Stamina: 9 | Evasion: 9 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 13 | Arcane Power: 11 | Accuracy: 12
Note: Godmodding approved by Astrea’s writer.
Posts: 1 • 2

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Violet in English, Red in Korean and Blue in French

For most part Ye-jun remained silent and let the two continue bickering. He didn’t really mind them talking but Hanako’s ogling was slowly getting on his nerves. It didn’t show on his face but that was only for Jack’s sake. He wasn’t about to ruin their evening by being unpleasant to his obnoxious fiendish friend. Usually, he had no trouble telling people off however he refrained from doing so when he was accompanied by someone he cared about. There was no need to make everybody uncomfortable for his own benefit. “Oh, and stop staring at Hyung, will you? He gets enough of that already without you adding to it and he's sick of it. He's just too polite to say so.” This particular statement swiftly brought Ye-jun back to reality. There was a flash of surprise he didn’t manage to hide quickly enough. How long was it since someone stood up for him like this? The Beauxbatons student couldn’t remember. Somehow, he got used to relying solely on himself. This was…nice. He smiled gratefully so his date would know how he felt even if he didn’t say thank you. “I’m not always polite though.” He whispered cheekily, this time he made sure to do so quietly so only Jack would hear.

Unfortunately, soon enough it became impossible to ignore the other boy’s presence as he addressed Ye-jun directly. For fun. Sure, but why do I have a feeling you’ll be the only one having it… He didn’t really reply, electing to shake his head instead. It felt like the safest option if he was being honest. “Oh yea yea, sure Pretty Boy. You won’t even know I’m here~” The wizard raised his eyebrows once again. “I seriously doubt that.” After he said so, Jack got briefly distracted by yet another student but unlike Hanako, they only greeted each other in passing so it all was good.

Once everything was settled, his date actually accepted his arm, letting go only for a moment to light up one of his torches. “Yeah that’s probably a smart idea.” Who knew what would be awaiting them inside? “I could also come up with at least one other purpose we could use it for.” With those words, he not so subtly side eyed the third wheel. Still, it was quite obvious that he was joking. Ye-jun would never even consider hurting someone intentionally unless it was in self-defence.

Walking into the maze, the conversation seemed to grow even more painful. It turned out Hana was not only mildly annoying but also pretty meddlesome. Ye-jun pretended not to notice his brief slip of tongue. He didn’t finish his last sentence so it was obviously something that might not be appropriate to talk about. The Beauxbatons student would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious but he was not someone to pry. Well…apparently he needn’t have worried. There was a brief pause but the person behind them eventually finished the thought. I see… The wizard couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. It was somewhat unexpected, considering he himself wasn’t eager to create deeper relationships nor was he very good at doing so. He didn’t know how Jack managed to get under his skin so quickly. I should be more careful. The boy reprimanded himself. If what Hana said was true, he needed to make sure not to cross any lines. He didn’t want to make Jack uncomfortable in any way.

“You too, Pretty Boy. Surely you had other ways to charm this guy into a date with you?” Ugh…Pretty boy, Pretty boy…How many times now? “Name’s Ye-jun.” He reminded the tagalong curtly. Once again not really answering his question. Truth be told he wasn’t entirely sure about the answer. There was no meet cute, in fact their start was a bit rocky until their little talk in the library. Ye-jun hoped it was not for his looks, in fact he was pretty sure it wasn’t. Jack didn’t seem like that kind of person. That’s probably why Ye-jun felt content by his side. That being said, he couldn’t really pinpoint the exact reason that made the other boy accept his offer so he didn’t dare to speak on the matter. Either Jack would answer for him or it would remain secret...for not at least.

Outfit:

Reducio

Amina commented blithely that if Romeo were crushing on her it would be “really gross,” and added that such a “Roman god” was likely to turn into a bull to “hunt down young ladies.” Amina was reckless, yes, but genuine – she probably meant it all, figured Valya. Still, however crass Amina's opinion, Valentin let her jabs fly unhindered, even smirking a bit at imagining their co-captain transforming into a minotaur to really complete the maze’s theme. Similarly, when Slava and Amina split off and exchanged dares, Valentin didn’t intervene. If their games were to ever turn into love, then even in such an infant state it deserved the respect of self-determination. The living glitter bomb surely knew that Val would be there for him if things went bad, and Amina too. Besides, the pair certainly had chemistry.

In overhearing large portions of their conversation, Valentin learned that Slava thought Maila or Romeo was Val’s date, bringing a wry, sad smile to the seeker’s face. As usual, Val had come with others but not with a formal date… although it wasn’t because no one had asked him to go. Ginyami asked Val to the Spring Ball as his date back in December, but Valentin politely declined. As to why, Val replied on the night of the Yule Ball that he wasn’t in a stable enough emotional state to make important decisions like that. Apparently his Christmas curse was real, and after the arson, fraud, and deeply problematic note from his “escaped ex-con father,” Valentin even lashed out at Romeo during the worst of his crazed state. No, he'd decided. Such matters deserved more care and respect than almost any other. After all, he’d lived firsthand how devastating love could be; it haunted him even now. Still, in the months following Ginyami's invitation, something seemed to dissolve from their relationship. Once, Valentin had warned Ginyami to be careful with his speed in the relationship for his own safety, not wanting the boy to hurt himself the way Valentin had once done, but he hadn’t expected things to grind to a near-total halt.

Certainly there was the matter of distance between their countries, but why had their owls really grown so tepid and over-polite? At first blaming the incident in Germany, Valentin thought he must have traumatized the Japanese fox. It wasn’t as if Val hadn’t warned him time and again that it was dangerous to be around him, but… what unspoken hell might Ginyami be carrying after almost finding his grave at the bottom of a half-frozen lake half a world away from his homeland? Had the boy begun wearing a mask again, secretly hating Valentin for letting his tempest of emotions drown out his usually sharp tactical mind? Either way, Valentin decided that Ginyami must simply not be interested in more than a basic friendship anymore to not pursue it more passionately. After all, since he'd almost gotten the Japanese boy killed, it was probably better for Ginyami's health to not consort with Durmstrang's Hell-Chaser. With tacit respect, Valentin just let it go and continued to watch for how Ginyami wanted to proceed. Even at today's ball, the captain continued to get the impression that the black-haired boy just wanted a peaceful sort of connection – why else would he have sunk into the background after Valentin's warm greeting?

After some time, however, Ginyami stepped forward to enter the conversation. As the samurai exchanged verbal jabs with the legionnaire, the two seemed to be edging towards a fight – but why? What were they fighting for? This didn't feel like Romeo's usual quidditch game aggression, either. Last summer, even, the Italian was the epitome of a good sportsman and his Hexiwizard trash talk was… No, this was personal. Would Valentin not intervene for the third time this evening?

Once Romeo asked point blank how Val was doing, a torrent of pent-up words flooded out to answer him. It seemed the Roman and Japanese pseudo-warriors did share a common cause, despite their sparring, and both spoke to reassure him after Valentin’s admission of guilt, albeit with two very different approaches.

"Valya...Romeo and I put ourselves in danger of our own volition. You can't blame yourself for that. As for being emotional, that is what makes you who you are. That is what we and everyone who knows you loves about you. Everyone makes mistakes and you should be allowed to make them. You are being far too hard on yourself. Do you think you should talk to Amina about it? About what her kiss was like to you? I am sure that, as your friend, she would rather know so she didn't cause you distress again. It seems like she was not aware she even caused you any distress to begin with." Ginyami went on to suggest that they move along in the maze, but Val only shook his head. He, at least, wasn’t ready. They had no indication of where else to go, and the only clue they'd experienced had happened here. More urgently, Valentin knew the storm inside him was about to break.

“Can't blame myself? But that's irresponsible! It's no more than sugarcoating the truth. I was an idiot and it had real consequences. This wouldn't have happened if I had slowed down and made a real plan or just asked for help with humility. Ginyami, I must be held accountable for my mistakes, even if I'm captain or champion or important to you in any way. Otherwise I’d be cowardly and dishonest and I would never learn anything. Look, I clearly haven't stopped after the last time this happened. I just keep doing this again and again, putting people in danger for stupid selfish outbursts. It's clear as day and I need help, not a cover-up…! Being too hard on myself?! You could have DIED! Romeo could have died! Someone needs to be a LOT harder on me since clearly I’m not tough enough on myself.” Valentin's brows crushed together with vexation and one hand pulled at the cloth over his heart. “And tell Amina my feelings? I appreciate you saying that people want me to be who I am, and it means a lot to me… but I just… you don't understand. This isn't about Amina, not really. The problem is much bigger. The problem is my inability to protect what belongs to whom I love, whether that be a life, the wealth, or my very lips. Have I grown at all since I was a little boy, unable to protect his own mother? Maybe I was too naïve to be useful then, but have I learned nothing from her death? I can't believe how dense I still am, and how terribly weak. There doesn't even need to be someone else to threaten you since I'm irresponsible enough to kill you with my own damn emotions. I am not and should not be allowed to make such mistakes. When it comes to you two especially, failure is not an option.” Seething through his teeth with a draconic hiss, Valentin's narrowed eyes quivered with tears. “Amina is innocent. What is there for me to tell her other than how much of a disaster I am? There's just no use.” Though covering his violescent eyes with his wand-bearing hand, thick teardrops fell from Val’s jaw in plain sight. Romeo then had some words for the pearl-tone seeker…

"Valentin... I'm just happy that we all came back alive. I- …If something like that had happened to me... I would not have done anything different than you. Perhaps it would have been a different leverage, say Piérre or you... but… You did what you thought to be the only thing to do in that situation." As Val tried to find something to disagree with but couldn’t, the seeker’s clenched gut began to relax. The words were humble, wordlessly admitting to Romeo's own propensity to human folly. "And my notebook... that's replaceable… If someone really loved you, they wouldn't care about what you could give them materially. Or at least, they shouldn't. Your presence alone, the light you give them just by being there; by finding that deepest pool of unity. The knowledge that one day, no matter what, in sickness and in health; in sorrow and in joy; two fleshes become one… A sacred unity, one that no power in Hell or scheme of man could ever dream to break."

Valentin's mouth opened, but he found himself speechless. His urge to weep dried up as warmth permeated his insides, and he knew his pain was overthrown as a fierce red heat spread across his face and burned his cheeks like fire. All he could do was stare into the vermilion blossoms across from him, entranced. They had to have been the most beautiful words Valentin had ever heard from Romeo, and among the most exquisite he'd heard in his life, along with the lines of sacred text Zinoviya once read to him.

“A-ah…” the white seeker mumbled, feeling a knot tangling up in the back of his throat. “I… ahm… hm…” Dropping his hand from his face, Val's watery amethyst eyes turned in the hopes of reading his co-captain’s expression behind him. “Romushka,” was the only thing worth saying. What else could he say? Since that evening in the London stadium, Valentin had forced himself to understand that Romeo was not his for the taking. Still, the Italian continued on.

"What Amina did was childish, I will agree to that. But you haven't failed us... well, at least you haven't failed me. If anything, I think I have more right to be upset than you; I would have failed you if you had dared to die on me... Again."

Valentin sniffed and hastily wiped the moisture from his eyes. Rolling his right wrist, he knew the ache was returning, and with a vengeance. “Now that's where you don't understand, Romeva. I did fail you. You just don't know yet how badly I crashed and burned. I was trying like hell to get over you, for your sake, and in my attempt to respect you I had to go and ruin the silent memorial of my feelings forever. I did finally let go of you, for you, and I'll never forgive myself for it. Amina's theft was nothing compared to the one I freely gave away. I gave what was not mine to give, and now it is gone. Understand me, please. I have failed you, Romeo, and I am sorry. Believe me, I respect your decision from last summer; I always will, so… I tried. I thought I could show myself a truth I was denying, that someone else should have me. It felt selfish to reserve for no one, as some monument, something that could make someone else happy, make Ginyami happy. At least one person should come out of this with what he wants, right? How many nights have I failed to sleep under that torturous blinding question – should I just let him just take me away, or have I committed sacrilege? I just don't know what's right anymore. Please, someone… just tell me what you really want."

Turning to look at Maila, who stood almost entirely quiet at the eye of the storm, Valentin’s colddrake-amethyst eyes reached out for a lifeline as if for the embodiment of music itself. His gaze seemed to speak to her, pleading, trying to explain that this was why he’d cried on the day they met, and this was why his music spiraled with such gale-force turmoil. Here he stood on an unnamed battlefield, surrounded by soldiers and without a sworn alliance, and without an instrument in his arms to lead himself back to divine peace. Valentin looked instead at the wand in his hand, the focal point of a magic he had been rejecting since the day he forever scarred Mikael, and he closed his eyes. Power lay within such magic, waiting for its moment to exert control – a force capable of transforming the world on behalf of its wielder. Magic was, if nothing else, decisive. Around Valya stood his friends, and among them, his most beloved, but for what should a king wield his will? Every day through grueling training and education he built himself, but for what? For whom? Certainly he toiled for the uplifting of his team, but he knew that after graduation they would scatter like a dandelion in the wind. Could there be no one for Valentin to always return to – a home of his own, a center for the comet to orbit, a person with the power to call upon everything Valya was and would be – a path to higher love? When would someone finally step forward to claim the devotion he offered and so yearned to give? Valya’s arm shook as he squeezed the wooden stick in his hand, sending radiating shocks of pain up past his elbow. As he crushed his fingers down tighter and tighter, the wand grew warmer and warmer until it felt like a firebrand, and yet he held on… There were any number of spells he could cast, any number of directions he could go, countless people he could choose to grant his strength to, and yet… no incantation fell from Valya’s lips. There was nothing, nothing at all to do, no name he could call out.

Statistics: STA 8 - EVA 15 - STR 3 - WIS 15 - ARC 1 - ACC 15
900/900 HP (Paragon of Health buff declared by Slava Preobrazhensky ally)
Abilities: Keen Eye - Charmer - Evasive Maneuvers - Fearless
Action: Summoning power to cast a spell but ultimately making neither an incantation nor gesture at all
Free Actions: Standing at the metaphorical crossroads
Location: In the hedge maze with his party
Russian diminutives: Romushka, Romeva: Romeo; Yamushka: Ginyami
Inventory: Silver Arrow, burning-hot wand
Attire: Şehzade war general outfit including a light cloak, gold ring, amethyst ring on a silver chain tied to his belt, silver hoop earring, Turkish dagger (peace-tied with a sapphire-blue silk ribbon)

Open to interactions.

Post Tracker: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

@Beatrice Dupont (Maila), @Jack Burnett (Ginyami), @Ruby Cazares (Slava), @Piérre Marchonné (Romeo), @Ileen Knight (Amina)

⦾ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 ⦾

None

's Grace in Effect

"Figaro! Good boy! Come here!" Piérre called to his feline as the silver bengal came into his sightline. Seemingly instinctively, the cat scampered over to his owner with a crackly meow and reared up on his hind legs so that Piérre could easily pet him from a comfortable standing position. Smiling giddily, Piérre continued to praise his cat by picking him up and snuggling Figaro close to his chest with many kisses and cuddles. "You are so smart and pretty and handsomeeeee!" He gushed over his favorite familiar. "And I know for sure that you stayed with Romeo and Valentin and you know exactly where they are and how to get back, right?"

Piérre held his cat out a little bit, scratching under Figaro's chin to elicit even harder purrs. He fixed his cat's half-closed eyes with his own keen green ones. "If you do, then you're gonna have to help me out." The boy nodded and bit his lower lip excitedly. "I need to get back to Gemello and Innamorato as soon as possible, hey?" He reminded the cat, as if Figaro could respond to him like a normal person. So saying, Piérre commanded his feline as such. "Figaro; Scrutare Gemello e Innamorato! Find/Seek out Twin and 'in love'" And then lowered the cat to the ground so that Figaro could begin to execute the command.

The moment silvery paws hit the ground, Figaro shook out his fur and licked his shoulder once or twice to smooth down some fur that had been rustled a bit from the intense cuddling given to him by his human brother. Another shake and a small rub of his face, and Figaro was off once again with his tail high in the air like a flag. Unlike trying to find Piérre, which had been easily located thanks to the music the boy had been playing prior; this time Figaro would likely have to use scent and remedial memory to relocate the people that he had left behind to find his master.

On his heels, Piérre crept with silent feet behind the paws and the trail of his cat. Was it just him, or was the maze seeming to slowly crush in a little bit more? Why did it seem suddenly more congested than it was prior? Piérre knew that magic was strange and that strangeness ran deep... but just how much enchantment had been placed in this maze for the sake of entertainment or for the pleasure of the wanderers?

Either way, he didn't really want to say out here alone; finding others was likely not a bad idea if he wanted to make sure that he didn't get lost in here for most of the night. At least if he was with others he would have people to talk to and pass the time with instead of slowly going crazy by his lonesome as he tried to find the way out before resorting to the things that a socially-deprived madman did. Of course, this is all to assume that Piérre himself was not already a madman, which I think that we all can come to the consensus of saying that such an assumption is difficult to either confirm or deny.

So, the iridescent bluish hummingbird dressed in silky red and gold and equipped with all the armaments of the Jester continued onwards by the guidance of his cat. It was almost a magical sight on its own, a boy being led by a cat towards an unknown goal. Still, Piérre couldn't help but let his eyes wander, to make sure that nothing was on his tail or would try to leap out and surprise him. He didn't necessarily have a Sixth Sense, per say, but his eyes were keen and were apt to flick towards movement of the slightest degree if something made the mistake of so much as rustling the foliage. He needed to find his brother, and Valentin, and the rest of that company that would no doubt continue to ceaselessly entertain him for the rest of the night.

Action: Trying to Locate Valentin's Party via Figaro
Beast Master: Trying to Relocate Valentin's Party

Reducio

Statistics:

Stamina 7 | Strength 5 | Evasion 15
Wisdom 10 | Accuracy 14 | ArcPower 5

Abilities:

Keen Eye | Calming Presence | Beast Master (Cat) | 's Grace

Inventory:

Holstered Yew and Snallygaster Wand | Deck of Playing Cards | Figaro | Mandolin
Locksmith's Knife | Gentleman's Slapping Gloves
1 Firebreathing Potion | 1 Turbo Farts Potion

✦ Interacting ✦
@Elsian Cox

Dori was used to the sudden weight of the other in their side. The boy habing a habit to throwing himself into their side often, since using his own feet to carry his weight was far too much for him. Elsi's arm around them was familiar as the air around them filled with the laughter of clumsiness and close calls. In an attempt not to fall over, they leaned back into him, their head pushing into his shoulder and their arms closing around his torso. "I would believe you in any other circumstance, but you falling asleep while party planning? I don't buy it." From his shoulder their slightly narrowed eyes looked up at him, jokingly questioning his ability to fall asleep anywhere at any time.

In this moment, Elsi was perfectly framed against the setting sky above them. His outfit of pure white making him stand out among colorful florals, a watercolor sky, and next to them against their blue display. Their spiritual belief didn't believe in the existence of angels- but Elsi was starting to have them wonder if they did exist. The slight pull of selfishness of wanting to stay alone with him the whole night pulled at them again. Laughing, running through the maze, holding hands and disappearing behind hedges to reappear again, breathless with the adrenaline of seizing a night of teenage joy with just the two of them.

For now, Dori would take solace in the quiet moments with the two of them. Their crystal blue eyes watching Elsi's movements as they tucked the flower behind his ear. A normal interaction for the two of them. The closeness not abnormal, but something between them was blooming. Maybe? As their fingers did most of the work, they couldn't help but catch the blush growing across his cheeks. And what a beautiful blush is was. He was... beautiful. Was this an experience Dori was having on their own? Surely not. Not with his sweet words, his matched fluster and blush to Dori's. But maybe they were painting a picture they wanted to see in their head. Of course things were different tonight, it was a ball. But tomorrow it would probably go back to normal. Their eyes stayed on Elsi's for a moment extra, searching for something in his eyes that would tell them that this wasn't all in their head.

For once questions died at the tip of their tongue. A usually inquisitive Hufflepuff that would share all their curiosities and questions and borderline interrogations with Elsi, a boy who would entertain every single one without fault. But how could Dori ask the bold Gryffindor in front of them if he felt the change too. If there was something growing between them that neither of them could have anticipated. No- Dori would simply not let the possibility flourish. Dorion had left Astrea heartbroken when they broke up with her because their life was spiraling and the idea of being with someone else when they could not handle being on their own was too much. The idea of possibly hurting Elsi, of making him feel the way that they assumed they had made Astrea feel was too much for them.

Their hands dropped back to their side, a curious gaze hardening into a bittersweet resolve that these thoughts would simply stay as they were, thoughts. Elsi's joke softened the idea that this was a mutual feeling, it's as it always was. They were just friends as each other's ball dates, a pretty standard occurrence for Hogwarts.

He disappeared behind a corner and Dori took the moment of being alone to let their smile drop, a heavy sigh of compounding realizations weighing heavy on their shoulders. Still- now was not the time. They shook it off and peaked around the corner, "I almost lost you, how dare you leave me behind!" They jogged to catch up, catching his shaking hand in theirs as they headed out for the banquet.

Action | Leaving the Maze for the Banquet

English | French Word Count: 343

Interacting with: @Fang Hui-Ying Mentioning: closed to interactions inside the maze

The wind seemed to pick up as Beatrice stared at the other girl. Both had retreated their defensive positions and were now awkwardly standing in front of each other. The other girl, Ying, was smaller than Beatrice and quite pretty. Her hair was a dark black that seemed to have warm highlights and it fell long and straight. Her light brown eyes were rather almond shaped and there was no denying in how beautiful and woken up she seemed. She was certainly not a snake but rather... a Gryffindor? Beatrice could barely recall seeing the other girl in one of her classes, wearing red and golden colors. She complimented Beatrice, saying she really did look like a farietale princess. Beatrice really wouldn't agree to that, she felt incredibly silly in her costume like gown but yet she smiled at the other girl as she introduced herself. The girl introduced herself, which seemed like a wake up call out of Beatrice's trance like state. She cleared her throat and straightened her back. Beatrice smiled at her and started speaking.
„I'm Beatrice,” there was a small pause between her words, „Beatrice Dupont. It's a pleasure to meet you.” she said to the dark haired girl. There seemed to have something fiery about her.
As the wind struck them again, the girl opposite to her stated she would know the way out and held out her hand for Beatrice to take it. Her eyes lingered on the girls hand for a moment. Should she take it? Should she trust this random person with the warm brown eyes and the wild aura? Was Ying a thread or a friend? Beatrice's eyes searched for hers and then she just took her hand as they started walking. It did not take long until they indeed found a way out. Their ways now parted and as Ying made her way to the Knights Tourney, Beatrice choose to go to the Banquet. Laughter, chattering and music was to be heard and Beatrice simple mixed into the crowd. Let the fun begin.

Bea's trunk
Stats&Abilities: | Stamina 6 | Evasion 5 | Strength 6 | Wisdom 7 | Arc Power 5 | Accuracy 6 | Lovely Creature|
Inventory: Wand, Pocket watch.
Free Actions: Leaving the Maze
Moderated Actions: /

OOC Note: /

If you've seen a shadow and haven't been able to find its owner, or if you've seen a person but haven't been able to find his shadow, then you have good reason to be afraid. ======================== Relevant to: Angelique Selemine, played by @Duvessa Ember

Ode to the little death... The narrator hoped that they would not be left wanting for choice but with the choice being left between airball and the enchanted maze, better to ruin a venture where suffering was intended. Hidden on the underside, under her sole there was something dark that simply lingered. It would be in the maze that curiosity would compel the darkness to leave and it would be then that one might become aware of what they did not see. It was her shadow that would move without her. It was her own shadow that would wait (mods) for the opportune moment to trip her. To force her to do more than simply stumble or tumble away, rather to fall into the jaws of something carnivorous, the arms of someone who meant her ill. A shadow seeking to break free of its owner but bound to their heel. Mods: this shadow is seeking to render this character unconscious so that it might break away from her. If she is rendered unconscious, the shadow would separate from her heels and hide away in the bushes. Strength 6 Evasion 14 Stamina 13 Arcane Power 6 Wisdom 10 Accuracy 10 The shadow in this state can do four things. Prevent her from moving/avoiding, tripping her (such as from the top of a stair), pushing her (such as into a peril) and suffocation (takes 3 rounds to KO). Once the shadow identifies something dangerous it would make itself known and attack. The shadow is not dispersed by lumos but is effected (50% reduced stats). A user cannot cast anything else besides Lumos, otherwise they lose the effect. It would wait for the "right moment" and then attempt to ruin her. Take the moment to break the child and finally know liberty, freedom from the tether of humanity. She would feel it, this strange rumble underfoot. This shifting as if she was walking over slick oil rather than tender, verdant grass. She would not see her own shadow rise from behind her. Reach out and attempt to overtake her. If she were to look back, she would see her own shadow looming over her, Distorted proportions. Arms too longer and slender, a body that curved and swayed unnaturally and grand hands that...

And this is were the moderation staff takes over with this murder service.

Interacting with @Aaron Jones
Exiting to the Royal Banquet

Lucia laughed at Aaron's agreement that he was a fan of dramatic exits. "I'm... not surprised." Aaron did seem the sort of person to enjoy a little flair. Lucia did worry that it had sounded like an insult, but it was too late - a few seconds had passed and it might be too awkward to apologise now. Ah well. Lucia had a feeling that Aaron wasn't easily insulted, and just hoped she was right.

A nod was given when Aaron pointed out that there was no clear way through the maze. Lucia had never been very good at mazes, having never really experienced them as a kid like some people had. She had vague memories of family days out to Hogsmeade or the countryside, but those were all before Willow was born and her recollection of them was hazy at best. Lucia had sometimes traced out maze puzzles in magazines, but she wasn't very good at them, especially since Briar tended to get to them first.

"Dragons are..." Lucia struggled to find the word. The creatures were majestic, certainly, but a diet of fairytales and Fantastic Creatures And Where To Find Them had made Lucia wary of giant beasts which could set you on fire by simply breathing. "Dangerous." And greedy, according to muggle mythology, which liked to pose its dragons as the kidnappers of fair maidens in times gone by. "In terms of fairies - I suppose so?" She absent-mindedly reached a hand behind her back to lightly touch the tip of one of her wings. "They're more interesting in muggle books than in real life." That wasn't to say that Lucia wouldn't pass up the chance to see one if she could, but muggles did seem to have a rather romantic view on the little creatures. "My mother owns a bookshop, so I used to" - in no universe was Lucia admitting that she still did - "read a lot of muggle fairytales and that sort of thing. She wasn't a fan of it, but what can you do? Muggles have such a pretty idea of magic, it seems almost nicer than the real thing."

When Aaron asked Lucia which direction to go, the Hufflepuff picked one at random. "Right?" She must have chosen the right path, because it only took a few more minutes of walking until they reached the exit.

Roleplaying as Maila Aurora Laine

^{•Date• 21 April 2023
•Location• Hogwarts, Grounds}

+Red Converse

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• • • •Finnish •Swedish •Russian •English • • •

•Word Count• 778 •| Valentin Schnell | Ginyami Midorimori | Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky | Romeo Giovanni Marchonné | Amina Petrovic | @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood • @Piérre Marchonné • @Ileen Knight • @Jack Burnett • @Ruby Cazares •|• Open to Interactions |•

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The rush of adrenaline and fear that had seemed to power over Maila and perhaps the maze seemed to slowly retreat and yet she didn't fully feal at ease. There was something else falling over the group, Valentin in particular as it seemed. She listened but did not say anything. How could she? Maila was no part of this group and she did not understand any of their inside conversation as she had not lived them with any of these people around here. There seemed to be secrets and traumatic events and a lot of feelings. She stood in her sparkling blue dress, her heart still thumbing in her chest as she listened to the feelings of the white haired seeker unravel in front of her. There seemed to be a whole storm breaking loose inside of him and as Romeo and Ginyami talked to him, Maila simple would not know what to say. She remembered the day they had met in the music practice room of Durmstrang. A powerful electric wave of emotions had been played through music that day and now.. now it seemed as if those tears that had lingered in the Durmstrang Champions eyes would finally make sense. The pain that he had expressed in his words, the pure and raw hurting of a human being. Maila's eyes lingered on the seeker throughout the whole conversation. Who would have know that feelings could cause such a mess. Sure, Maila had her fair share of problems and feelings and grief but there was nothing like what these boys spoke about. Nothing like almost dying or getting killed. Her feelings were silly little 12 year old girl thoughts compared to this. Her biggest pain in live was not, not growing up with a father or being rather poor compared to a lot of other people or anything along those lines. It was seeing her mother struggle, getting bad grades, disappointing someone, loosing one of her friends. Those were most of her concerns but in this moment it certainly seemed like nothing compared to the lighting of feelings that had broken loose above and around them. And as Maila watched tears fall from Valentin's face, how could she have felt anything but sadness and empathy? How could she not have cared about this pure, precious, lovely boy in front of her, how could she just stand there and do nothing? And yet, was it her place to say something? Was it her place to comfort the older boy with words? Could she even do such thing? Maila barely knew Valentin and she certainly did not know any of the other people in the group. His friends. It felt like there was a storm inside her as she listened to so many words being spoked and so much heartbreak being shared. And then she realized it. Then she could see Valentine's eyes staring into hers, like he was hanging on for dear life. Like he was barely keeping himself together and like he wanted to be back in the music room, playing an instrument and pouring his feelings into that. The older boy was in love. An unreturned love. And not only that, there was so much more. So many incredibly large feelings that Maila had yet to experience herself. A lump had formed in her throat that she desperately tried to swallow down as her eyes still lingered on the white haired boy. As he squeezed the wooden stick in his hands, Maila had the urge to do something. It seemed that his wand would break under the pressure but for now it would not. Her heart thundered inside of her. „Valentin,” Maila quietly spoke up, her voice wasn't more than a whisper, „Whatever is making you feel this way, whoever has hurt you like this, whoever has made you feel as if you aren't worthy of love...” she laid her hand on his shoulder, just like she had done in the music room. „It is not your fault. They were in the wrong.” that was everything she could say. Maila couldn't form more words than this. It was simply not possible. Not because she didn't want to say more but because she did not know what to say other than that. This group, his friends, seemed to have something to do with this, or at least some ot them and Maila hoped that they would now comfort him and not let him keep hurting like this. Her whole body seemed to ache, wanting to hug and comfort this hurting person but she would not, not if he didn't seem like he'd want someone to hug him.

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Actions: Listening, doing a lot of thinking and feeling, trying to say something comforting.
Moderated Actions:
Stats: × Stamina: 7 × Evasion: 8 × Strength: 1 × Wisdom: 8 × Arcane Power: 1 × Accuracy: 10 ×
Abilities: The Martial Artist
Inventory: Wand

Post Tracker: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Interacting: @Lucia Fox

TL;DR: Wanders through the maze talking with Lucia, exits the maze when they find the path to the banquet
Action: Exiting the maze, going to the Banquet
Stats: STA: 10 | EVA: 9 | STR: 10 | WIS: 6 | ARCP: 3 | ACC: 14
Inventory: Wand, Broom (Moontrimmer)
Abilities: Martial Artist | Muggle Condition | Calming Presence (allies when in range: Lucia Fox, Eun-ji Lee Hunt, Jack Warren, Dealla Prince, Lydia Cooper) | Beast Master