Magical Masquerade: The entrance

Mentioning : Reducio @Quinn Brook as @Basil Murphy Mentioning: @Minnie Duke as @Alice Dale

Outfit: Reducio

Notes: Reducio Speech: #3CB371 Thoughts: italics Devon: #8e19d7

Devon gave Basil a cross look, wondering how much he meant that. They hadn’t known each other that long. They only met shortly after Ilvermorny began, and starting hanging out together ever since. She also didn’t really know Alice that well, either, but she knew Alice for longer than Basil. Before they went to Ilvermorny. After having started at the magical school, Devon was happy to have Alice with her. Alice made her feel less scared and lonely, even though she knew her brothers and sister were also at the school.

“Please try, Basil. For me, at least,” Devon continued sadly. She didn’t want her best friend and date to fight … or at least not fight in front of her. She knew that forcing Basil to apologize would likely be an apology that he didn’t really mean. She wanted it to be genuine. Only time would tell if that would be the case. But, she wasn’t going to force it on her part.

Devon’s manicured hand played with her pigtail again, and she gave a small smile. “I hope so … for both of our sakes,” she replied, her voice losing the annoyance again. She didn’t want to be mad at this ball and didn’t want to be angry at Basil, either. Ugh, everything was such a mess sometimes.

Devon glanced around them, at other people tackling each other and digging into the dirt. While she wasn’t the type of girl to care if she got dirty, she’d rather enjoy the night. Her green eyes looked at Basil again, and she nodded. “Yes, please,” she replied, squeezing his hand, as she started to walk to the entrance. She was well aware that his hand was sweaty and didn’t care about it. Her hand was sweaty, too.

Reducio

Note: 297 words

Action: Relenting and going win with Basil.
Stats: Stamina: 5 | Evasion: 6 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 7 | ArcPower: 7 | Accuracy: 5

English | French Word Count: 535

Interacting with: @Avery Chen | @Colin McCoire | @Fang Hui-Ying |Open for Interactions Mentioning: @

The nameless boy seemed to follow the image her words had created, in his thoughts and the corner of her mouth quirked up as she listened to his response. She gave a nod of approval, watercolor eyes shifting from him to the yellow blossoms. With just a few poetic words, honking daffodils had become bright stars falling from the sky when spring is close and calling to be brought back up. She wondered if he felt similar about arriving in Scotland, a foreign ground compared to his own home. Beatrice knew she would, in a way, understand the foreign students visiting Hogwarts if they did feel that way. While beautiful, the ones that had been at one of Hogwarts’ Events before, knew that trouble never kept away too far. When her friends arrived however, thoughts of trouble and chaos washed away like a leaf torn into a river and she focused on escaping the castle for a couple more hours.

Chuckling in unison to Ying’s words, Beatrice could only silently agree that the time spent to pick out an attire for such an event was always accompanied by a short lived motivation, before becoming a bit dreadful. There was nothing as pleasant and aggravating at the same time, as sorting through ball gowns. As Ying talked to the boy, apparently recognizing him, his name was revealed as well. Beatrice thought about identifying herself as well, but wasn’t it too late for that now? He would have heard her name from Colin and Ying and as the latter chatted with Shimizu, Beatrice focused on Colin. She chewed on her lip, debating on what to say to the white haired wolf. Truth be told, she was rather unsure how Colin felt about her. He was always so energized and seemed to go everywhere that Lucian was, which resulted into meeting him quite often- considering how often she would usually see him. Her head cocked to the side, as to start a conversation, until Beatrice noticed the look on Colin’s face. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, stepping closer to understand why he was staring like that. His eyes became teary. „Colin.. what’s wrong?” The Prefect sent a look to Ying, searching for a helping hand with the third year. But then Colin ran. Leaving them confused.

Then she went to the Rose bushes with Ying, despite the next clue already being found and eventually the door to the Ball was opened, not that Beatrice noticed it - her thoughts lingering with Colin. In an attempt to focus on something new, she turned back to Shimizu. „So..” trailing off, Beatrice looked around before looking back at the Boy and her Friend, Ying. „I understand you attend Mahoutokoro? Is it to your liking? I can’t say I’ve had many discussions with Students from other Schools, do you feel comfortable at Hogwarts?” That was a rather sad attempt to start a conversation but during it all, Beatrice went blissfully unaware of what was going on around her until she caught sight of a forming group of older students. „What’s going on over there?” she muttered, her hand going to her wand without thought but keeping it in her pocket for now.

Actions: Conversing, noticing the upcoming chaos
Moderated Actions: /
Trunk
Stats & Abilities: stamina • 8 | evasion • 7 | strength • 6 | wisdom • 9 | arcane power • 5 | accuracy • 8

Lovely Creature | Keen Eye
Inventory: Wand | Mask| Light Cloak | Lipstick | Silk Tissue | Elegancy and Beauty - Lovely Creature in effect, for those that wish to interact with the ability.

OOC: I am so sorry for not posting so long, great apologies to my writing partners<3

I smiled as boy watched me put the bandaid. I nodded my head. The boy's name was Botan and clearly he was not from around.
I smiled as Botan accepted my offer. I was glad for this because otherwise I would be alone.
I looked around at what other people were doing. I glanced at a group that was digging in the ground. That was strange. That normally didn't happen. What was going on over there? While I was curious I found it weird and so I decided to not become a part of it. It could be dangerous after all.
We began to start looking in the bushes together but before we could get too far the last clue was found. Apparently we had been looking in the wrong place anyway. I grinned. I guess it was time to go in. Botan asked if we wanted to go in together and I smiled.
"Of course, I'd love to! I don't have a partner either so..." I paused. I wasn't sure what I was implying and I didn't want to take it too far. After all we had just met. "So I would surely love too!"
I took one last glance at everything around me here and I looked at Botan and nodded my head. "Shall we go?" I asked. I was kind of sort of maybe hoping he would offer me his hand as it was really crowded near the entrance and I honestly did not want to get lost. And I sort of wanted to hold his hand for other reasons. Not like I would ever say that. Not in a billion years.

Talking and hoping @Charlie Jacobsen as Botan Miura will offer his hand.

sta 8 • eva 7 • str 6 • wis 8 • arc 6 • acc 7
Calming Presence | Perfectionist

Word Count: 276/200

>----------<

13-04-24 / Afternoon

Mentioning: @Mellani Miller

Dialogue / Thoughts

The girl with the dark dress asked Lyrra if she wanted to search for the key together, and introduced herself as Mellani. A bit surprised, Lyrra nodded in agreement. "Sure. My name is Lyrra. You have a beautiful name by the way," She said, before adding: "I wonder where the key is hidden." She then proceeded to continue searching. Soon enough, the next few clues were found by some others, and it was announced that the ball was now open for entering. Lyrra felt slightly disappointed that she hadn't been the one to find a clue, but that didn't last for long as she was very excited to finally enter the ball.

Lyrra had initially planned to go to the ball by herself, although she admittedly hadn't had much of a choice, but now she wondered if this other girl would want to enter the ball together with her. Actually, she would quite like that. Mellani seemed nice enough. Would it be weird to ask? After all, she had asked Lyrra to search for the key together. So at least, it didn't seemed like she hated her company. Lyrra figured it would be worth a shot.

"Uhm- Well, I guess the games are over!" She turned towards Mellani, "Would you like to go ahead and enter the ball together?"

219 Words

Asking Mellani to enter the ball together.
STA: 6 | EVA: 6 | STR: 4 | WIS: 6 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 8
Abilities: Keen Eye

>----------<

April 13th 2024
Quidditch Training Pitch
Moderation Post

Initiative rolls

Reducio

How was initiative calculated?

Initiative rolls were calculated by taking either Sta, Eva or Acc (whichever is highest) and adding it to a 1d20. This has been done so that the action order was not completely based on luck and instead had a foundation on your character's skills. Critical failures or Success were not possible for these rolls.

Aly Salinger
[d20 : 12] + 13
In the end, the result was: 25

Jack Warren (Who has three actions due to a MS mechanic.)
[d20 : 16] + 17
In the end, the result was: 33
[d20 : 6] + 17
In the end, the result was: 23
[d20 : 4] + 17
In the end, the result was: 21

Astra Norrick (Rolled disadvantage die, due to Gideon's weapon being concealed.)
[d20 : 15] + 7
In the end, the result was: 22
[d20 : 20] + 7
In the end, the result was: 27

Gideon Athanatos
[d20 : 11] + 15
In the end, the result was: 26

Evelynn Decipio
[d20 : 6] + 15
In the end, the result was: 21

Piérre Marchonné
[d20 : 7] + 18
In the end, the result was: 25

Rebecca Lark
Action dependent on another character's action succeeding.
This gets an automatic 0 so it happens last.

Meenauh Silmataurea
[d20 : 4] + 12
In the end, the result was: 16

Some extra notes

Reducio

Probably best to read this after the post.

It is more than possible that I will get things wrong. This is my first time moderating. Please let me know if I miss your action or do something incorrectly.

For the purpose of this thread the knife does 1d6*100 damage and the wand Jack is using to stab with does 1d4*100 damage.

Please be very specific about your action at the bottom of your post. Anything done in the bulk of your text won't be considered unless it is mentioned in the action section. This is to avoid confusion.

There was another issue where some people thought accuracy would be used to determine tackles. I apologize for not making this clear beforehand, but I am now. All physical altercations will be done with strength vs evasion. This is for simplicity's sake. Of course it is slightly contextual, if you are throwing a ball at someone it will use accuracy. If you are unsure, DM me and I'll tell you what your action would use, but as a rule of thumb, strength for physical fighting and tackles.

I'm aware there is no critical failure chance for evasion, even on a 1, so the text in brackets there is just for record sake. Jack's last attack critically failed which did have the consequence of having him drop his wand.

After Pierre inserted himself as a human shield, a roll for Evelynn's action was no longer necessary as Pericles was no longer within Jack's reach.

YES Pericles gave me permission to maim him.

For clarification on Finn's stabbing. The blade went in at a 45 degree angle and not perfectly straight on with Finn's body. The wound is bleeding, but the blade should be considered still inside Finn until Gideon pulls it out.

First Round
A large crowd of students shuffled through the open gate onto the narrow path which led to the Quidditch Pitch. The training field became quiet all of a sudden as the late afternoon sun eclipsed hills off in the distance. As the light dimmed, the once vibrant flowers and grass lost their joyful color and an eerie feeling settled on the students that remained. Some were acutely aware of the tension, while others stood observing with keen interest.

A fifth year by the name of Jack Warren was on his knees displacing the dirt with his bare hands desperately, like a fox attempting to escape from a trap. He had captured the stares of his peers who had become increasingly disturbed by the behaviour. Another fifth year, Pericles Dralt approached Jack with an outstretched hand in an attempt to console him. "What's wrong, mate? Have you lost something?" Pericles asked and within an instant Jack's attention had turned to the other fifth year. With a hoarse and strained voice he replied. "You can't have it." Without warning an enraged fury overcame him and Jack launched himself at Pericles with vicious ferocity.

Jack's strength:
[d20 : 11] + 12
In the end, the result was: 23
Pericles evasion:
[d20 : 5] + 12
In the end, the result was: 17
Hit!
Damage:
[d4 : 3]*100
In the end, the result was: 300
Pericles = 800/1100 HP (Increased 10% by Aly Salinger's paragon of health.)

Grabbing the only thing available to use as a weapon, Jack produced his wand, holding it upside down at the handle like a knife. He brought it up into the air and plunged down at Pericles' face in an attempt to take out his eye. The strike made contact with his iris, penetrating down into his ocular nerve. His face was suddenly flushed red with blood that streamed down his neck. Significant swelling around the eye socket covered up the full extent of the damage, but it was clear Pericles' eye was no more.

The training field descended into chaos and soon it would become clear that there may be more than one assailant. Gideon Athanatos was in the middle of enacting his own plan. Having approached a nervous first year, brandishing a hidden blade and used a cheap trick to distract the boy from his true intent.

Gideon's Auto-hit:
[d10 : 3]
In the end, the result was: 3
Gideon's strength: (Has advantage due to sneak attack.)
[d20 : 6] + 5
In the end, the result was: 11
[d20 : 19] + 5
In the end, the result was: 24
Finn's evasion:
[d20 : 13] + 10
In the end, the result was: 23
Hit!
Damage:
[d6 : 1]*100
In the end, the result was: 100
Finn = 900/1000 HP

Gideon plunged the knife into Finnegan Connor's gut coldly and the young student began to bleed. However, the wound was not as bad as it looked. The blade had not gone as deep as first anticipated and although there was a lot of blood, nothing vital had been damaged.

Across the training pitch, a small hummingbird zeroed in on Jack's assault of Pericles. It moved with tremendous speed towards the altercation and with a vibrant glow transformed elegantly back into its original form, a student named Piérre Marchonné.

Piérre's strength:
[d20 : 15] + 5
In the end, the result was: 20
Jack's evasion:
[d20 : 1] + 17
In the end, the result was: 18 (Critical fail)
Action succeeds!

Damming the consequences, Piérre thrust himself in between Jack and his prey, shielding Pericles from further assault. Now effectively shielded from harm, it is easy for Evelynn Decipio to help Peri get to safety. At the exact same time, a fifth year girl named Aly Salinger bolted across the field in valiant defense of her friend.

Aly’s strength:
[d20 : 19] + 5
In the end, the result was: 24
Jack's evasion:
[d20 : 19] + 17
In the end, the result was: 36
Action failed!

Valiant though her efforts may have been, she simply collided with Jack and ricocheted off him, landing in the grass nearby.

Jack meanwhile had barely noticed. His eyes were red and all he wanted was blood. The insatiable need to stab and kill. It had not mattered that his original target was out of reach, he flailed his arms wildly trying to stake Piérre with his wand instead.

Jack's strength:
[d20 : 13] + 12
In the end, the result was: 25
Piérre's evasion:
[d20 : 10] + 18
In the end, the result was: 28
Miss!

Jack's strength:
[d20 : 1] + 12
In the end, the result was: 13 (Critical Fail)
Piérre's evasion:
[d20 : 20] + 18
In the end, the result was: 38 (Critical Success)
Miss!

Jack plunged his wand down on Piérre and missed his head by a mere inch. His enraged state making it difficult to be precise. The fifth year brought his arm back once again to take a third strike at Piérre, but this time he made a critical blunder. As he brought his wand down, Piérre was able to grasp Jack by the wrist and with a short struggle, the frenzied student fumbled his wand. It slipped from his hand and fell to the grass in between Jack and Piérre.

Meanwhile, a single student had seen the glint of Gideon's blade as he readied to stab Finn. Astra dropped what she was doing and sprinted to the young boy's aid, but it was too late. The knife had stuck Finn and seconds later she collided with Gideon, with a thud.

Astra's strength:
[d20 : 6] + 5
In the end, the result was: 11
Gideon's evasion:
[d20 : 2] + 15
In the end, the result was: 17
Miss!

Astra fell backwards onto the grass as if she'd run straight into a brick wall. The golden haired student unmoved and standing strong. Shortly after, Rebecca Lark ran to the girls side to help her up.

The sixth year Gryffindor dueling captain Meenauh Silmataurea had her attention split between Vladimir and the sudden feral display from Jack. She'd been up close and personal with Vlad, pressing her wand into his throat, but now she stepped out of arms length to a safe distance. Her wand still trained on him, she turned her head and cast levioso on Jack using the palm of her free hand.

WDC 9 + 2 (Aly's lovely creature)
Meenauh's wisdom:
[d20 : 12] + 20
In the end, the result was: 32
Meenauh's accuracy:
[d20 : 18] + 12
In the end, the result was: 30
Jack's evasion:
[d20 : 3] + 17
In the end, the result was: 20
Hit!

Stopping Jack's rampage in its tracks, he would find himself suddenly weightless and then airborne. Kicking his legs and arms around still in a frenzy, Jack would find himself unable to reach Pierre and even further from retrieving his wand which lay beneath him on the grass. All in all, he was suspended around six feet off the ground.

The TLDR

Reducio

• Jack stabbed Pericles once in the eye.
• Pierre got between them, shielding Pericles from Jack.
• Jack then tried stabbing Pierre two times and missed.
• Jack dropped his wand.
• Aly tried to tackle Jack, but didn't succeed.
• Meenauh cast Levioso on Jack, lifting him up into the air.
• Gideon stabbed Finn in the gut, causing bleeding.
• Astra tried to tackle Gideon but didn't succeed.
• Rebecca helped Astra up off the ground.

OOC INFORMATION

A warm welcome to everybody! Please proceed with the roleplay, only after reading this section.
• The treasure hunt has concluded and the main ball thread is currently open! I would suggest you head there unless you wish to participate in the MS event happening on this thread.
• Your character must be indexed. If not, check out this thread !
• Moderation of this thread occurs once in 3-4 days.
• A character is allowed to only have one moderated action per round.
Moderated actions are described below:

Reducio

Moderated actions are those actions that requires rolls like casting a spell on someone, physically fighting (like punching) with someone, surprising someone etc. Rolls are not needed for pre-decided or consented actions, like asking someone for a dance.

• Please specify your actions at the bottom of your post.
• Please mention your stats and abilities at the bottom of your posts.
• All normal h.io rules are to be followed.
Thank you for reading! I hope you have fun.

Mentions:

Reducio

@Dealla Prince
@Aly Salinger
@Astra Norrick
@Evelynn Decipio
@Finnegan Connor
@Gideon Athanatos
@Jack Warren
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
@Theo Vendeberg
@Meenauh Silmataurea
@Pericles Dralt
@Piérre Marchonné
@Rebecca Lark
@Vladimir Athanatos
@Xailah Alptraum

Interacting: @Jack Warren & @Evelynn Decipio
Mentioning: Gideon, Aly, Becca, Finnegan, Piérre, Mahlioz

┏		┓
	Had Pericles stayed in his support circle, he might have survived the night with both eyes intact. He wouldn't have gone to Jack if he'd seen the way Evelynn doubled over. He hadn't seen her hand reaching after him, either, which would have done the trick too. But the fault wasn't hers. The Ravenclaw was reaching a precarious age where confidence and cockiness blurred together. What was more, he had survived so many disasters in his Hogwarts tenure that he was becoming desensitized to them. Catastrophic school dances. Horrific creature encounters. Years in duelling as a giver and receiver of pain. Pericles had endured them all, and in the end, there was no injury he'd experienced which magic couldn't fix. Maybe that was why he approached Jack without fear, thinking that even if a fellow student did try something, he could handle it. Pericles believed it was worth the risk if he could help, forgetting altruists were often first to go. The moon slowed as he came closer, yet ignored the feeling in his gut that he ought to stay back, craning his neck to better survey the scene. He became vaguely aware of a young boy (Gideon) watching Jack work. The Hufflepuff didn't seem to care about the kid, so he made the mistake of thinking he was harmless. He got a glimpse of what was being dug up just as his arm extended. Icy dread crawled its way up the length of his spine. "Is that a...?" "PERI DON'T!" Eve's voice, fraught with distress. He finally heard her call by his nickname. Peri's fingers flinched inward, jerking in automatic obeyance, but it came too late. His upper lip curled as a muddy hand snatched him by the wrist. "You can't have it". He drew breath, prepared to talk his way out of this, to tell Jack that he was here to help. The last thing his right eye would see was Warren's deranged, snarling face. A wand's narrow end sunk into the eyehole of his mask, clean through the starry illusion and into the eye below. Though the enchantment hid the gruesome damage from their audience, when it was withdrawn, it had the eerie effect of looking like the cosmos themselves were weeping blood and vitreous fluids. Pericles experienced pain he'd never known before, a grade of physical agony that made his stomach lurch and head go light from the shock of it. His vision blurred just as the sight of a jester (Piérre) blocked his assailant from view. Pericles staggered back, loosely aware of the fact he was falling into the arms a valkyrie come to cart his soul to safety. His left hand reflexively clutched at Eve's, an automatic search for support, while the right clamped over the mask. The boy was stunned into silence, only managing to choke out a groan. Thoughts were reduced to static. When he acted again, it was out of numbed reflex, fingers lacking their typical dexterity as he blindly worked his wand from a sleeve. He couldn't think of any spells, torn between puking and passing out. Abstract thought filtered through. Merlin, had Becca seen that? The entire reason he'd tried to pair her off with that smooth-talking Gryffindor kid was to herd her towards a lesser evil. Had Mahlioz gone through the gate already? He didn't want them to see this, either... or Eve. Her voice filtered through the fog, and although he couldn't hear what she was saying, it was enough for him to recognize who was dragging him from the crossfire. Where was Aly then? Was she safe? What was Jack's deal? What was that thing in the mud? Why was his hand so wet? When they stopped, the tall boy was slouched and swaying, injury deliberately turned away. "Ffff..." Usually his casts were clean and clear, now his intent was filtered through a haze, mind wavering between a three syllable healing spell and a four letter curse. He settled for the former, eventually slurring "Ferula." Pericles hid his face from the others, slipping his wand under the crescent of his mask rather than remove it.
┗		┛

Action: casting Ferula over his right eye

Reducio

HP (800/1000)
﴾ Stamina - 10 | Evasion - 12 | Strength - 4 | Wisdom - 12 | ArcPower - 10 | Accuracy - 14 ﴿
Perfectionist 1 + 2, Keen Eye, Spell Spread, Animagus
Inventory: Potions, wand, Fit
Posts: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - you are here

୨⎯ The Bloody Masquerade ⎯୧

Ava knew that a ball meant trouble.

The only people that didn’t know that the school dances meant trouble were the crazy professors who let the students keep on doing them. No student went to the dance thinking that it would be safe for them, or that something bad wouldn’t happen.

Ava was dressed in white from head to toe. A flowing white dress, paired with a simple white mask that covered her eyes. White slippers. She had even used her metamorphmagus abilities to leave streaks of white in her hair. She might have been a little late because she was trying to avoid everyone, but it paid off in the end.

When she arrived, chaos. She took stock of the situation she could see, rabid students, a knife, and victims. Immediately she drew her wand from a pocket inside of the folds of her dress, and made a move toward the victim she could see (Finnegan). She was smart, she knew spells. She knew a healing spell, and if she could get the knife out she could use it. And all she had to do was get there. The only issues in her way? The student who didn’t look interested in stopping the stabbing, and students who could potentially be stabbed. All she had to do was get there and cast the spell. Simple, right? “Fumos!” She whispered, completely concentrated on casting the spell, helping to give those in the area time to evacuate, and time for her to reach the stabbing victim.

April 17 . before dinner
stamina • 7 | evasion • 7 | strength • 5 | wisdom • 5 | arcane-power • 5 | accuracy • 6
metamorphmagus . prodigal transfig.

Attempting to cast Fumos
Inventory: wand

🅵 I N N E G A Nxx🅲 O N N O R
xxxGRYFFINDOR SECOND YEAR THE MASKED BALL

Magical Masquerade 13th of April 2024

xx

Despite being a beater, @Rebecca Lark proved to be useless at deflecting verbal bludgers. Even with her face half-hidden behind a mask he saw a deep shade of red had rushed to her cheeks. For a short while, she flopped like a fish washed ashore and excuses tumbled out her mouth in a mad scramble for the exit. A taut smirk played at his lips. Who doesn't like to see their friends flail now and then? "Means what I says." He arched a thin, curved eyebrow at her and shrugged, quick and easy as breathing. Sure, she had unruly hair and the moth suit wasn't doing her any favours, but she was - all things considered, shockingly ordinary."You're right though, he's a bit old and probably got dirt on his face. Let's find you someone els-". Finnegan made way when a tall upper classman hastened forward. Dressed up to the nines, the Ravenclaw was the very image of class as he hurried past, his moon-patterned jacket billowing after him. It took a special kind of courage to wear white leather boots to a ball held outside but presently, that seemed to be the least of the fifth-year's concerns. @Pericles Dralt For another wink or two his gaze lingered on Pericles striding toward Bex's would-be date. What was he digging for? An engagement ring? Rebecca didn't strike him as the type for rings somehow, but Jack was unrelenting. It didn't look normal and a tiny part of him sensed the unease in the air before he dismissed it. Probably had too much liquid courage, he sniggered inwardly. Did they even serve butterbeers here? He made a mental note to check so he could sneak one out before he'd dip and return to his dormitory. "Where's your mask? They're not supposed to let you in without one." "Huh?" He tore his gaze away from the fifth-years and graced Rebecca with his very best eyeroll. "Tossed it in the bin of course." Didn't she know that was what you were supposed to do? Playing dress-up was for little kids, not for ballers planning on getting their first dissapointing taste of alcohol. "It was rubbish and I couldn't see nothing," he tried to dissuade her. Ever the stickler for the rules, Rebecca was apparently determined that he should still have one, and now it was his turn to be on the backfoot. "I really don't need it," he muttered, but she was already fist-deep into rifling through her bag. When she offered the mask and looked back up at him, he managed the faintest of forced smiles and begrudgingly accepted the monstrosity handed to him. "Thanks," he mumbled. Why did it have to be this brightly colored? Did it really need those daft, fake crocodile teeth? Maybe he could chuck it when she wasn't looking... Grimacing, he turned the mask over in his hands, reluctant to debase himself by putting it on. Perhaps it would be worth the insult to his pride if he could trade his dignity for her willingness to tag along on a butterbeer scavenging hunt. He was just about to offer his deal when an eager, bright voice sounded next to him. "Georgie!" A blonde boy, blue-eyed and clutching a childish, oversized stuffy came toward him, arms outstretched, as though anticipating an embrace. There exists a simple trick of the mind, a bypass of all critical thought short-circuiting the brain. Offer an outstretched hand to anyone, even a stranger, even unprovoked, and without fail they will reach back out to shake it. It was unlikely that Gideon knew anything about the psychology involved, but his ignorance made it no less effective. When Finnegan turned toward Gideon and saw the boy moving in for a hug, he opened up because society had conditioned him to do so. Who-? He didn't even get to finish the thought. Shuuuuunk. The blade sunk into him. He didn't know if he was pulled in or if he lurched forward, but it didn't matter. Cold steel pierced soft flesh and out came a quiet, spluttering gasp. Slack-jawed he slumped against Gideon, his chipper banter turned to toothless pap in his mouth. There was no pain, not yet, only cold horror shooting up his veins. The startled scream that followed wasn't him, it couldn't be him, he didn't recognize the fear in his voice. Someone had plugged his ears with cotton and put blinders on him, reducing his world to a slit. There was only the boy, the blonde grinning boy that he slumped against in an awkward embrace. His heart drummed against his inner ear, like a trapped man trying to escape a blaze, pounding frantically on the door. It was no use. He'd lived a useless life and would now die a useless death, having spent his last few breaths on embarrassing his friend, having failed his way through life, having achieved nothing. He'd wasted the time afforded to him. There was a blur of motion to his left, crashing in to the edge of his peripheral awareness. With both his arms wrapped around Gideon's back he sensed the boy's muscles tense and ripple underneath his fingertips, bracing for impact. Whoever had been making a beeline for them only succeeded in bouncing off and twisting the cruel blade in his gut from slamming into them. @Astra Norrick But for all of its ineffectiveness, Astra's attack achieved one thing at least. With a jolt, ancient and raw, primal instinct flared up. Help wasn't going to come to him soon enough, he needed to act himself, he had to survive. He clawed blindly at the boy, seeking purchase on the killer's clothes. Like a mountaineer dangling off a cliffside, he grasped for fistfuls of fabric to keep himself from falling into a bottomless pit.

xx

For moderation:

HP: 900/1000

Finnegan is in shock and attempting to hold on to Gideon, keeping him close in an awkward embrace. His agonized scream may have alerted others and drawn their attention.

The idea is that if he succeeds in holding Gideon firmly in place, Gideon won't be able to move his hand to remove the blade or strike again.

Edit: naturally, he's bleeding. I don't think I explicitly put that in my post but I'll say it here at the risk of being extremely obvious

Stamina 10 ✶ Evasion 10 ✶ Strength 2 ✶ Wisdom 4 ✶ Arcane Power 5 ✶ Accuracy 10

[OPEN to the Horntail Horde, OWL to interact]
[dialogue in russian, unless specified otherwise]

interactions @Romeo Marchonné, @Valentin Schnell
mentions Romeo Marchonné, Valentin Schnell, @Greta Fransson, all

Not even a full year back into formal allegiance, and Johannes was already testing fate. Honestly, he had some nerve to continue loitering on the international front when he had so many duties to fulfil back home. Knowing this, he'd taken his case to Stefan and both of the chief advisors before even attempting to approach their kingpin with this request for international visitation. Going in so boldly without outside opinions was practically a recipe for disaster. As for his keeper… he had deigned not to approach the subject until higher permission had been granted. (Considering Komarov's immediate disapproval, he'd chosen wisely.) If it were solely up to the inner circle, Johannes would have never left their hallowed halls unless he had to. Hell, if you’d have asked him just a few years earlier, he would have been more than happy to take the proper success track through Durmstrang and past it — the path that many other sworn-ins had once and will have taken long after he graduated. But he'd accidentally found himself on an alternate road (not quite a sidequest, not quite a shortcut) before finding his way back home. He was in a unique position even for Durmstrang’s quirks, between his hesitantly-existent international ties and technically terrible Pack confidence... In other words, it would be an understatement to say that he was on perpetually thin ice. (Un)luckily for everyone involved, he hadn't learned how to skate without some risk.

Draped in conservatively dark tweed and bronze, the intricate metal veneer of formality sat heavily upon him. A broom was slung over his shoulder by the strap, the dark leather matching his flaring, oversized blazer. Hell-marked upon his lapel lay Johannes’ loyalties, an enamel rendering of Cerberus itself, all polished gold and eyes of gleaming ruby, glaring accusingly outwards. One of its own had been stolen onto foreign soil, but now he had their attention protection back in his pockets.

With only a single earring and a prettily old-fashioned mechanical watch on his right wrist (forcibly "borrowed” / forced upon him by his handler with such frosty, cagey insistence that Johannes had been half-convinced he’d been given a ticking bomb), he felt strangely off-kilter. Johannes had his feet in two separate graves, shoddily sewn together into two ill-fitting roles in a backdrop that was none the wiser. This far out, he was a far cry from the heavy reds and blacks of his typical wardrobe— a wardrobe slowly returning to its original patchwork state of borrowed pieces as Johannes quietly carved his niche back out. (It was easier this way, to pretend that absentmindedly folding shirts and taking jackets would supplement the void he'd voluntarily left behind.

The Pack had grown around his absence easily as any organic thing would. It was just him who was trying to build back up atop scar tissue.)

Unsurprisingly, his arrival in Hogwarts lacked much of the significant fanfare the international schools typically carried. This was simply a social event, not like the high-stakes competition of Quidditch or Hexwizard. Reluctantly pacified into taking advantage of his temporarily loosened leash, it had been easier than expected for him to pretend nothing had changed since the last time he'd stepped foot in Scotland.

For those who knew him well (a population of people growing ever fewer with each passing week), Johannes’ increasingly busy, burnt-out alienation would seem none too out of the ordinary if not for Komarov practically shadowing him at every other turn. Steel-nerved and sharp-eyed, his handler seemed to linger at his peripheral far more often than necessary considering the ever-present student body also occupying Durmstrang’s halls. Or perhaps it was because Johannes now acknowledged the other’s presence..? By any means, Johannes was well-equipped to never forget his place in the Pack again.

He was late this time, though. Actually truly late to the ball, even for his standards. "Minor character showing up in chapter 5 of 12" kind of late— not enough to be memorable by any means, but just enough to have a short Sparknotes description of him rather than just a listed name. Less fashionable, more trashy in the sense that he'd spent more breath packing his potions and convincing himself of attendance than keeping track of the time. If not for the fact that he fought so hard to get this break, Johannes would have called the whole thing off, even with people expecting him. Surely it was the thought that mattered? He cared more about the people there than the ball itself anyway…

Decidedly not hurried to the ball's entrance, Johannes made it to the flowery venue with only the vague feeling of looming misplacement nipping at his heels. He had no eye for floristry, but the ball committee must have worked hard to decorate the training pitch— previously rain-torn and chaotic in his memories of the summer games— so beautifully. If he had any luck to spend after his last bet, Johannes would guess that at least a quarter of the ball attendees were going to end the night in tears. Depressing yes, but very fitting for Hogwarts. Sometimes, life just played out that way. Peering over heads and readjusting his mask to sit comfortably, he scanned the crowd for familiar faces. (Admittedly, he didn't need to try very hard. Hogwarts students were abnormally short oblivious considering they studied at the biggest safety shitshow of the academic wizarding world...)

There. Haloed by glimmering fairy lights stood the familiarly towering heads of his Kapitäne, recognizable despite their intricate masks by association alone. Appropriately priest and prince-like in flowing whites and gilded red, they stood out like vibrantly coloured beacons amidst the waves. Near them, he could just vaguely glimpse the much shorter (but no less dolled up) figure of their little Valkyrie, skipping away in a dress coloured the prettiest blue Johannes had ever seen (or at the very least, paid attention to). He'd arrived just a bit too late to greet her, but they'd surely have more time later to catch up.

Trying not to step on too many toes and dragging dress hems, he beelined towards the gathered group. "Kapitäne!" Raising a hand above the crowd in some attempt to gain their attention, Johannes' voice died in his throat as he realized things weren't going to plan. Underdressed and mentally unprepared compared to his Hexwizard associates, he lacked the necessary context or finesse he was normally armed to the teeth with. Something was happening, judging from the mess of noise and concern as he drew closer, but Johannes was too busy trying not to topple little kids in heels stumble through the masses to know any more. He could only hope, less-than optimistically, that the Hospital Wing had enough room for whatever imminent disaster Hogwarts had gotten everyone into.

Action: Entering Thread, aiming to get closer to the skirmish
(specifically nearer to Valentin and Romeo)

Mod Information

Reducio

Abilities: Foulplay, Charmer, Evasive Maneuvers, Rapid Reviver, Blindvision, Wandmaker*
Stats: Sta 10 | Eva 14 | Str 10 | Wis 8 | Arc 8 | Acc 17
Broom Stats: Sta 13 | Eva 17 | Str 13 | Wis 11 | Arc 11 | Acc 20

Charmer Opponents
Gideon Athanatos, Jack Warren and the Author's writer block

Wandmaker Information

Reducio

- Dragon Like Power: +3 to arcane power when casting spells with this wand.
- Accident Prone: 5% chance that the intended spell will rebound on the caster. Non-targeted spells such as counters, healing, and some utility spells that have no target or are self-targeting cannot rebound. This is not prevented by the Perfectionist ability.

Cedar Wood: "Spells performed against this wand owner's enemies (those who have specifically crossed them) tend to be more painful."
Romanian Longhorn: "When their owner is passionate about something, the spells that successfully go off tend to be more dramatic."

Items: Silver Arrow slung over shoulder. Vials of Erumpent Potion and Confusing Concoction in inner blazer pockets. Wand in hidden sleeve holster (right hand).

Outfit Reference

Reducio