The Mistletoe Spin Group #7 Summer Camp 2024

Interacting with Valentin

"You'll look lovely, Haven," her mother had reassured her while they were out dress shopping before summer camp began. "The silvery-blue one is my favorite."

Her mother was always right, of course, but she still had a bundle of nerves bubbling up inside. She'd hadn't gone to any sort of dance in a while- she was much too busy giving some much-needed attention to her schoolwork, and besides...
Well, now that her OWLs were over, she thought she deserved a chance to dress up and spin around.

She hadn't expected needing the dress she purchased with her mother until much later in the year, but when the opportunity arose, she took it. "Summer" camp had turned into a wintry wonderland, and she had enjoyed seeing what kinds of fun events they had created for this year.

When the night arrived, she took her time getting ready, letting butterflies fall like snowflakes in her stomach. She had so much anticipation and excitement and nerves that it seemed those feelings were going to explode from her fingertips. She tried to reassure herself, but Haven still couldn't help but worry that maybe something would go wrong, or maybe something looked off. Maybe her dress didn't fit quite right, maybe everyone would secretly be watching, judging, making fun of her.

Get a hold of yourself, Haven, she told herself, taking a deep breath. No one's thinking that. And if anyone says anything, you can always hex them. You got this. Well, hopefully she wouldn't have to resort to violence, but the thought was comforting nonetheless.

After giving her pygmy puff, Marcus, a quick pat, she grabbed her bag and was off, reminding herself to take small steps and not to run. Mostly because if she didn't, she end up running and knowing her, would likely figure out some way to ave something going awry, and she could not risk that tonight.

Upon arrival, she took a moment to look around, seeing faces that looked familiar, but not enough so that she could accurately put a name to them. For as much as she talked, she really sucked at learning names... and keeping friends. It seemed many people were quite friendly with each other- evident by the groups that were forming. Perhaps she should have brought Marcus with her so she could have a companion. Talking seemed the be the main activity of the night thus far, something she was comparatively good at (though she did ramble on far too much, that probably deducted some points), but she had signed up to spin tonight, and spin she would.

She marched towards the dance floor, with every intention to spin, but soon felt herself falling, falling... and whisked right up into a dance! She looked around in alarm as her limbs magically did their own thing, creating a dance far more graceful than she'd ever be able to replicate. She did end up spinning, more or less, though it was definitely not what she planned.

What she also did not expect was coming to a screeching halt right in front of a tall, pale boy, music mysteriously gone.

Haven looked around, trying to find the source of the music (or lack thereof), until she finally looked up. There was a candle right above her, but not too far away...

"Was I tricked? Is this going to be some sort of kissing game..?" she held a hand up to her mouth in shock. "Ohh, Mistletoe... Spin... spin the bottle..." Haven hung her head in defeat. Yes, she had (willingly!) signed up for a kissing event under the guise of spinning around. How did she miss that? Apparently, studying still couldn't make you any less stupid.

She looked around a little more, before her gaze landed back on the boy, startling her again. How could she forget he was there?

Now you've done it, Haven. She pinched her side a little, focusing back on the boy. He certainly seemed to be on theme, pale skin and hair and all... he looked like he had just stepped out a holiday advert.

"Quidditch? Of course! I mean, I'm not much of a player... I'm absolutely rubbish at flying," she admitted. She didn't recognize him from any of the games she'd been to, though, so she deduced that he must be from one of the other schools, soon confirmed by his introduction.

"I'm Haven. Bohannon. I go here. Hogwarts, I mean. Not this dance floor."

You can shut up now, Haven.

Panicked, she awkwardly stuck out her hand for him to shake. The boy, Valentin, seemed so much more composed than she did. His moves were graceful, thought-out, not whatever rushed mess hers were. He had a charm to him, too, violet eyes that seemed to draw you in. She had seen him when she had first arrived, surrounded by people- he must be popular, too, it was no wonder. His appearance was pristine, immaculate, right from his polished boots to-

"Oh, you're bleeding," Haven pointed out, motioning to the boy's forehead. As the boy staunched it with a kerchief, she dug around in her bag until her fingers latched around a box, pulling out some band-aids. "I hope you like Sesame Street."

I hope they have Sesame Street wherever he's from. she thought, or he might think of her as completely crazy. Not to mention, if he grew up in a wizarding household, he might not know either, which was a complete travesty! The DVDs her mother got for her as a child had always been a staple. She'd sometimes use the bandages as a conversation helper, but now was completely unsure that it'd be relevant. When was Band-Aid going to come out with a set of magical creatures themed bandages?

She carefully unwrapped the band-aid, covering the wound on his forehead. Big Bird truly seemed to offset the boy's appearance, the bright yellow a stark difference from his pale features. He did share the same tall frame, though.

"Are you okay? I can go find someone, or, erm.."

You're a witch, Haven, you could probably figure something out. She offered a slight smile of reassurance.

"I have more bandaids if you need, too."

English | Parseltongue
interacting: Ginyami Midorimori @Jack Burnett

Della arrived to the "ball" or "dance" or whatever it is in a huff. She was familiar with silly camp games like spin the bottle, but she hadn't expected or packed her trunk like there would be a dressy situation. So she was wearing a simple black dress and a pair of sneakers. She tried her best to make her hair and makeup the focal point (but her makeup skills her relatively amateur, so an all-natural look was all she could muster).

She scanned the room hoping to find someone she knew or a cute foreign loner in need of a friend. Preferably a friend who liked kissing. Because that her was mission this summer. Get a least a kiss if not a girlfriend or boyfriend. Sure—last year she had experimented with being more sociable and maintaining friendships and all that, and it had worked out in her favor—but this year, this year was about romance. Fourteen going on fifteen and all of Della's previous ideas about romantic drama being not worth it were being thrown out the window with the bath water.

But here was her mistake—too busy looking at the crowd, she didn't watch her feet. And she stepped onto the dance floor. Immediately, she was swept up in a dance, her feet moving on their own accord, her arms swinging into the arms of other students whom she couldn't even catch a glance at. Then the music stopped, and she was holding hands with an older boy, maybe from Mahoutokoro by her estimation and the fact he was speaking Japanese. He certainly was cute, but he was very distracted and hadn't even seemed to notice Della. He also didn't notice they were under the mistletoe.

"Ahem. Hi. I'm Della. What's your name? Um. Do you know about the mistletoe tradition?" She gestured up, absolutely shell-shocked by her brash and hormone-motivated behavior.

Action: oblivious to Ginyami's relationship status, would be open to any sort of kiss (hand, cheek, otherwise)

❝ Interacting with: @Hanako Tone | Mentioning: n/a ❞

French dialog: #4d6284 | English dialog: #262d5e

the ency

It had been a while since Enzo’s presence graced a Hogwarts ball. It was not in his cards necessarily to return to the Hogwarts summer camp but alas he was back so he might as well attend the ball too.

He wore a rather simple outfit, a nice white button down shirt, with the top few buttons undone, a pair of black pants, and silver jewelry adorning his fingers and his neck. His hair was slicked back and away from his face, though a few strands managed to find their way past the hair gel.

Hands resting in his pockets, Enzo meandered through the ball his piercing blue eyes not paying much attention to he was going. His attention was elsewhere, recalling the previous balls he attended at this school. How many times had he ruined Hanako’s dates again? He had lost count at this point. A small snort at himself escaped his lips and he shook his head, not one ounce of regret to be found. In the back of his mind he had wondered if the boy would show up tonight, and if so that would mean another date as well? But Enzo forced those thoughts away for after all this time if he were to intervene it would certainly make him look obsessive and he could not have that.

It was then that he was aggressively thrown out of his inner thoughts and whisked across the dance floor by force. He must have not noticed where he was going and accidentally stepped on the enchanted tiles, which now gave him no choice but to dance around helplessly.

He tried to fight it initially but eventually accepted it, however with contempt oozing out of his aura, clearly annoyed by the fact he got himself into this situation. How could he have been so distracted?

Then suddenly the music came to a sudden halt, Enzo mutter a small finally, under his breath, but instead of being able to flee this scene he found himself in a much more precarious position. Mr. Tone was stopped right in front of him.

Enzo was not afraid of eye contact and just stood there for a moment, looking at Tone with his usual unreadable expression. His gaze eventually travelled upwards slowly comprehending that there was a piece of mistletoe situated above them. What a silly plant that was. Calling upon the tradition of smooching when two people happened to find themselves under it. Weird to say the least.

Enzo’s confidence did not waver as he looked back down at Hanako. He then took a step forward and leaned down, their height difference rather noticeable now if it wasn’t before and then in a low tone whispered so that only Hanako could hear. ”your move”

Japanese & English
Ency

𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖎𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

LC TP

Reducio

Slighlty toussled/ styled curly black hair, japanese descent features. Dark eyes. Sharp features with an evidently burly built. Naturally down turned eyebrows that make him look angry all the time. Usually a resting small scowl on his face. Often misinterpreted as him being in a bad mood. Brown leather jacket. Grey sweater. Black belt over black belt. Usually an unremarkable set of clothes, but with his activated abilities ( Lovely Creature & Terrible Presense ), it’s almost offensive it still looks good.

Sara’s appearance often draws attention, no matter how much it makes him squirm. As if he was a fictional character came to life. He shouldn’t be here, and yet he is.

* OOC NOTE: feel free to base your characters description of Sara Kohana off this.

Red ®: 112
Green (G): 95
Blue (B): 165.

Holding hands was nice. Many times being on the streets or at school alone had made Sara squirm from the attention he seems to naturally gather. In all those moments, he hoped a hand could take him and help him forget how the rest of the world seemed to watch him like a hawk. In all those times, he hoped for a friend. Never in them did he think it might be a boyfriend instead. 

It still felt a bit bizarre to him, to go from friends one minute to conversations late at night, to a relationship. Sara wouldn’t have thought he deserved this sort of thing if not for Yami’s words. 

"You have your own mind; your own thoughts. You know what does and doesn't make you happy. If you start lying about that just to appease others, you lose a little more of yourself each time until you start to lose the ability to distinguish between what you do to make yourself happy and what you do to make others happy. It is important that you never lose that distinction." 

For the past month, that was just one of the many things Yami told him that stuck to him. Instead of being impatient and forceful about how Sara should do things, he was encouraging him to explore it on his own. Better yet, with him by his side. Sara couldn’t fathom that properly in the beginning. He feels his wounds are his own to heal. But Yami was..almost unnervingly convincing. But Sara surprised himself with accepting his offer to take their relationship to a new level. That had to been it, right? All this time of having an urge as silent as it is desperate, to understand Yami better. The sensations in his stomach as the red on his cheeks when Yami spoke to him that night. He liked Yami. In that way. 

God, he could still hardly believe it. 

It was a sort of welcome at least to know not much in their relationship changed since that night. Perhaps not to the outside, but Sara himself decided that at the very least, he wouldn’t Yami feel he accepted his offer for the fun of it. By doing so, he tried to change his perspective depending on what Yami told him. To find what he stood for and be vocal of his wants. Perhaps even find out what Yami was thinking when he decided to ask Sara out. 

Sara had been approaching his thoughts with more curiosity than judgment since then. Or at least, he tried. He asked himself questions like how he felt today. Or how doing certain actions makes him feel. Basic stuff. It wasn’t a major improvement but Sara was the sort for committed, slow and steady actions anyway. Like today, when Yami invited him to a sort of dance event. Sara was in the middle of getting ready and looked at himself in the mirror. 

He couldn’t understand what Yami saw in this. 

His face. The cause of unnerve and discomfort for all. 

The same face Yami cradled and kissed so gently that night. 

It was like 5+5 = 1

He took a moment longer to look at his face. Much longer than was comfortable. The unease in his stomach grew but instead of running away, he pondered closely upon it. Letting it be there. Allowing himself to accept whatever he was feeling. That's what Yami wanted from him, right?

He didn’t know how long he was staring at the mirror. But the next thing he knew, he was picking up a hardly-ever-used hair gel he had and began styling his hair the way he saw his father tried to show him before. He noticed his discomfort throughout the whole process. But he noticed how that same discomfort faded when Yami commented positively about it. It didn’t make taking compliments easier, but at the very least it made him start the event in a better mood. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered his chest as Yami comfortably held his hand as they walked to the event. Momentarily helping him forget how people might perceive him. 

Momentarily. 

"Mr. Schnell! You really have a fondness for tight leather pants and loose, open shirts, don't you?"

Schnell. Unfamiliar. But memorable. Sara found it difficult to completely forget such an eye-catching person. He too, stood out. Like white lilies in a patch of wilting weeds. Sara shoudl have noticed him from quidditch. But unlike most players, Sara was never too interested in the game. Kept his head down, do his job. Names of remarkable players was...not at the forefront of his mind. But his freshest memory is when Yami met him at the entrance feast a long while ago. He was unaware of how familiar the two were. His mind raced for when Yami might have mentioned him, but it came blank. And when Schnell looked at Sara, he tensed slightly. Noting that Yami was still too focused on Schnell to notice like usual.

“H-hello..” he said, his voice a usual gruff but there was an unmistakable attempt to soften it. Uncomfortable still with being looked at too intently by people he wasn’t too familiar with. 

“Hello, Sara. I look forward to watching your next match.” Schnell mentioned, and Sara nodded politely, unsure what to say to keep the conversation of Quidditch going. “...thank you”. Perhaps in due time, he will be more comfortable with Schnell. After all, Yami seemed to be friends with him. 

“Ah…” the boy said as Yami commented on their outfit. “But Yamushka, why don’t you loosen up some time and have a little fun?” Sara saw the boy reach out near Yami to touch the hem below his neck and for a split second, he tightened his grip on Yami. It came as fast as it went. The second Sara realised what he was doing he relaxed his grip. Too tempted to let go of Yami’s hand entirely. But for what? 

“You’d still be a knock-out without having to look so picture perfect all the time” the white-haired boy continued. “. Relax a little and you’ll see people can like what’s inside that perfectly manicured exterior… and maybe not just me this time.”

“....maybe not just you..?” Sara repeated in a slow, curious manner. His gaze was directed back to Schnell. His words were uttered in Japanese naturally. It was meant to be in his head and not spoken by his lips. He hadn’t realised the words slipped out of as of yet. His brow furrowed gently as he pondered on Schnell’s word. Was Sara.. underestimating how close the two were?  Why had the other boy's smile felt off? Was Sara just overthinking that? Part of him wanted to gaze at Yami for an explanation. But the chance of seeing Yami looking at Schnell instead filled his gut with dread. Instead, he kept his gaze on the white haired boy.

So that feeling earlier... It wasn’t Yami distracting Sara from the rest of the world. It was Yami being distracted from the world. Including Sara in it. 

He could be wrong. He had to be wrong. No, honestly... He wanted to be wrong. 

But then another boy entered the picture. One saying really.. Uh.. descriptive words of how much he loved Schnell. The only name Sara could gather to identify the new person was Gell. Sara’s instincts told him he perhaps shouldn’t be here. But something in Gell’s words made him wince. It wasn’t really the best time and place for such affectionate displays isn’t it? Sara half expected the other boy to retort back in a similar poetic matter. Perhaps it was their thing. Instead, it was just.. Nothing. Not nothing just no.. mutual enthusiasm in the other boy's response. Vaguely reminded Sara of how he acted around people he didn’t know too well. Sara forced himself to tear away from the scene for a moment. Before he did something stupid and misinterpreted the situation. He shouldn’t be listening, really. This was not his conversation to be a part of. But apparently, his boyfriend had other ideas. And then Tone, who was around Gillard - spoke up against Yami’s words. Sara was unlike the rest of the participative engagers. He was there, taking it all in. Repeating each sentence in his head like a practised regime. Soaking everyone's words, as if each word revealed a piece of an incomplete puzzle. 

He heard Tone talk in a similar tone he did when he caught Yami with Sara at night. One that Sara had actively tried to avoid again. "You make some good points but really, you seem to be losing it lately. He spoke of promises but never said they were promises to himself or if they were promises he and Valentin made together. Why are you so interested in Valentin's affairs now that you've parted ways with him?"

His chest held his breath for a long few seconds. 

If Yami’s grip wasn’t so firm, Sara would have let go. 

Sara was eerily silent. Unmoving. Like a statue that could listen to stories all day but never speak. There were..too many things going on at once. As if Sara didn’t have more to think about, the white haired boy said this;

“Ginyami respects my freedom and he dares to stand up for self-determination, He is caring and naturally has such virtue. I appreciate his protective spirit. '

Perhaps it was not the words Sara was worried about, but the way Schnell looked at Yami. Smiled at him. Somehow... Different from the way he smiled earlier. Brighter. Like a warm burst of flame in a cold room.

Before he could even voice a single thought- at least one from the hurricane of them in his mind- Yami pulled him to the dancefloor. It was funny. Sara felt like the dancefloor would be the one he would be anxious about the most. He was not the best dancer, and felt ridiculous having magic move his body. But now, being ripped away from Yami- Sara finally found it easier to breathe. To be away. Having time to collect his thoughts. But it wouldn’t last for too long as he found himself dancing nearer to Yami for a second. Where conversations could only be brief, he chose to ask Sara if he was alright.

“..no.” he briefly confessed, his troubled glance directed gently to Schnell dancing, before meeting Yami’s again.  “I.. I don’t know a lot.. . Do I?”. He didn’t sound angry or confused. He was stating a fact. He was telling the truth. But what was new was the tinge of pleading laced in his last two words. His dark eyes tensed slightly as they bore into Yami’s. When will you tell me? .

Yami had a reason for everything afterall. A reason why he asked Sara out. A reason why he spoke to defend Valentin. Sara approached this not with judgetment yet, but curiosity. At least.. he desperately trying to. That's what Yami taught him afterall. To be curious instead of judgemental to his thoughts. But part of Sara couldn't help but wonder if it Yami also had a reason why he didn't tell Sara anything.

Ginyami Midorimori never does things without a reason. Whether he knew it or not.

Whatever Yami responded with, Sara couldn't answer. Not when the dancefloor seperated them once again. Sara's heart was beating fast. Blinking as he could hardly focus on who he was being danced to. Until the music stopped and he found himself in front of a stranger.

"...Hi" he said in his natural gruff tone, but it was much more gentle. Almost weak. Relief, really. As if the boy presented a welcome distraction. " Sorry..I.. I have... a lot.. on ..my mind" he confessed, almost shyly, forcing himself to make sure his eyes stay on the boy. He didn't want to wander to where Yami was. Not yet at least before he could calm his racing heart. He couldn't take any more surprises in the span of minutes.

Parseltongue & English[/u]
Ency

𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖎𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

Rosewood wand wood Hana’s natural charm

Reducio

shoulder length wavy black hair. Dark honey brown eyes. Feminine japanese descent features. Looks approachable and sweet from afar. Will make you think twice about it when he opens his mouth.

Wearing as shown below:

* OOC NOTE: feel free to base your characters description of Hanako Tone off this.

Red ®: 106
Green (G): 56
Blue (B): 131

People who came in here as a couple are losers. Losers that are just going to make everyone else’s life harder. Thats what Hana learned so clearly the last time he played spin the bottle. Getting someone jealous by being nothing but his charming self, and getting thrown across the room by their boyfriend for it. In fact, Hana saw the same person right on the same dance floor! From afar, Hana momentarily watched as the same white haired boy from his vague (painful) memories, is being surrounded by other boyes. Part of their harem, he assumed? Where was that big violent boyfriend of his? Hana rolled his eyes at the group. Good riddance. Hana wanted nothing to do with such a group. Momentarily taking what memory power he could to remember their faces, Hanako strided towards the dance floor instead.

Literally anyone could be a better pairing than pairing up with any of them and getting caught up in their bs. For a moment, getting on the dancefloor had Hana forgetting about them for a moment. This is what he came for. Simple fun. After a stressful few weeks no thanks to his tentmates, he was eager to get to know some new faces. Charm a little here and there. Maybe even decide to spend some time with a pretty face. Luck was on his side, surely. This time. He knew it.

And once the music stopped, he knew how wrong he was.

“Motherfu-” the parselmouth slipped as unnerving as it was gentle under his breath at the familiar face who stopped in front of him. Hanako briefly looked at the people he previously vowed was the worst people to pair up with. Any of them.. Literally anyone of them- would be 10x better than him.

The unfortunately taller boy leaned in to whisper, provoking the tiniest hint of red on Hana’s ears that he was fairly tempted to give him a beatdown instead of a kiss. Curses and badluck be damned. If he was ever paired up first with this annoyingly goodlooking asshole, fate already abandoned Hanako.

“ Delacroix”

Hanako huffed out, his evidence annoyed but challenged by the other boy’s unfazed confidence. His eyes narrowing momentarily as he saw the mistletoe over his heads. Dripping candlewax was much more preferable than this.

“ My move, huh? Same old, Delacroix. Too cocky for your own good” Hanako mocked with a much practised coy tone. Giving the other boy a smirk, not wanting to back down from their offer of a challenge.

He leaned in a tad bit closer, mimicking the whisper Enzo used earlier. “ C’mon we both know I have no problem with making this move”, Hanako hinted with a light tease. “ Question is, what about you? Still can’t catch a date to save his life.. Probably never even had his first kiss~. Would you even know what you’re doing?” he mused, with a light chuckle. Making sure he never left his gaze from Enzo. “ No, really. I’m being merciful. Your move. I insist. Wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable”

The parseltongue naturally slipped out of his lips. It was purposeful. Taunting, really. To whisper a language only both of them knew. As if Hanako was being 'considerate' that Enzo might be too embarassed to even be having this conversation. Like a child who hardly ever held someones hand without blushing furiously.

Action: going to kiss Enzo in the next post but atm still talking.


Interacting with : @Akari Kato’s inpc

Hopefully (?) staying away these INPC’s: @Jack Burnett, @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood, @Kim Sato, @Tristan Theramin

Click HERE for Ency

Appearance when white shawl is off:

Reducio

Sara returned Valentin’s greeting, gruff but shy, and Valentin’s eyes began to search the boy for answers. What was it that Ginyami saw in him, or was he just another one of the fox’s playthings – or worse – a mere stepping stone to reach something else he wanted? After more than a year without significant contact, Valentin no longer had any real grasp of the other’s daily affairs in Mahoutokoro. For Yami’s sake, however, he hoped that he’d really found someone who could make his dreams come true… and vice versa. Speaking of which, what was it that Sara saw in Ginyami, and did he really have a clear picture? Surely the relationship would fail and hurt both, wasting everyone’s time, if it all rested on ill foundations. Maybe Valentin could even do something to help improve the situation. As he interacted with his old friend, the seeker watched occasional reactions from Sara in glimpses from the corner of his eye. As was common when around people unaware of Valentin’s prodigious command of languages, Sara treated him to a strain of Japanese that was probably only intended for himself and perhaps Ginyami.

“....maybe not just you..?”

Glancing back at Sara, Valentin smiled genuinely. There was no reason to keep it a secret that Valentin had studied Japanese back when he and Ginyami were romantically involved. Learning someone’s native tongue was simply another way Valentin showed his love.

「ええ、僕だけじゃなく。」“Yes, not just me.” Certainly Valentin’s accent could have used some work and his grasp of the language was functional rather than elaborate, but he had been motivated enough by the power of courtship to put a good amount of time into the language’s acquisition. Besides, he had a knack for this kind of thing. 「僕らは話すべきでしょう。」“We should talk.”

Valya wanted to grab Sara’s shoulder in order to better convey his point, amethyst eyes pulling at the other and wanting to draw out more of the soul from his dark eyes. Yet, the seeker had enough of a feel for Japanese culture to restrain himself for the moment. It was uncomfortable not to be able to express himself more physically, but he didn’t want to put off Sara either. There had always been something intriguing about the other boy to him. Something about the way the boy’s face scowled had an alluring danger that beckoned Hell-Chaser Val closer, and he wanted to understand the cognitive dissonance he got from that effect mixing with the look inside Sara's eyes. In the past Val didn’t look into it further in order to make room for Charles's flirting with the curious stranger, but the wall he’d built for himself to accomplish that self sacrifice was now moot. Rather, wasn’t it in Ginyami’s best interest to get to know this fascinating boy better? Only in seeing him for who and what he truly was could Valya have any power to discern what was best for both Sara and Ginyami.

With everyone being swept away by the dance floor, the interaction was cut short.

「後でね。」“Later, okay?” Now that the mystery of this boy had re-entered his sights, Valentin wasn’t about to let go of him for long.

As the group split, Gellert’s voice rang out and reclaimed Valentin’s attention: “Len, you showed me the importance of self-determination six months ago and I agree with you wholeheartedly. If my words suggested that I would not allow you to choose who and what you desires then I must ask for forgiveness.”

Valentin was able to make brief eye contact with “Gellert” before the other slipped out of sight behind the mass of other dancing bodies, and within that moment Val shook his head with kindness in his eyes. Sure, the boy was probably a snow nymph that had followed him all the way to London to seduce him for some motive known best to magizoologists, but that was no reason not to treat him with all the care Valentin would offer a human. Besides, the albino hardly felt human himself.

The seeker’s eyes scanned the crowd and found where the platinum blonde had landed, under a dripping candle with Hiro “Tone” Bakugo. It seemed that Tone was perfectly capable of taking care of Gellert however, and Val trusted his friend well enough to leave Gellert’s safety to him. Valentin had a situation of his own to address now as the music stopped and he found himself in the same square as a girl he didn’t know.

When she looked up, Haven would find Valentin’s violet eyes watching her peacefully. Gesturing at the girl’s outfit, Valentin nodded twice with an approving smile. Yet, he didn’t say anything aloud and she would have to read his face to see his appreciation. Underneath the candle, the White Seeker of Durmstrang had yet to figure out that he’d fallen into the kind of trap usually relegated to his nightmares. However, in the moments she’d been looking around, Haven had read the scene just fine.

"Was I tricked? Is this going to be some sort of kissing game..?" Raising a hand to her mouth in shock, Haven spoke the words that ever-courageous Valentin had come to fear. "Ohh, Mistletoe... Spin... spin the bottle..."

Valya’s lips pulled back in a toothy wince as he glanced from side to side. One foot fell back as he felt his heart rate accelerating. Curses, Greta. This is your doing, isn’t it. I guess I did always ask to be challenged but… this… this is…

Taking deep breaths to try to steady himself, Valentin felt the need to flee as surely as his body knew to dodge an incoming bludger. Looking in each direction failed to yield the familiar red-headed mountain peak that usually rose above the shorter background of crowds. Romeo was nowhere to be found.

What does it matter anyway, sighed Valentin in a gust of self-contempt. No matter how many times I courted him, I’ve always failed to win him over. I’ve become more than a pestering nuisance by this point. I need to pursue another wish for myself so that he can finally live in peace again. His needs come first and I have to be wise enough now to finally respect that he just won’t be with me. I was crystal clear this year and it just wasn’t good enough. Scanning the audience, Valentin still wanted to escape, but he knew his friends were still caught in the trap, too. Just as he couldn’t abandon Mikael the year before, Valentin couldn’t just disappear on Gellert and Ginyami. It had been too long already since he’d seen them, and who could say the next time they would meet again? It could haunt the captain for months if he didn’t see this through to the end and ensure his friends were not left alone in such dastardly peril. Gathering his courage, Valentin resolved to stay until at least these two could make their escape.

Just then, the serpentine sounds of Parseltongue slipped into Valentin’s awareness. He remembered this particular voice well from the traumatic hellscape that was last year’s spin-the-bottle. It belonged to the boy who issued Romeo a death threat, and whom Valentin had been lunging at in attack before his brawnier co-captain stopped him. Listening in on the conversation, Valentin wondered what the Slytherin was doing here.

He’s playing the game, it seems. I don’t think he was ever a real threat to Romeo, in retrospect. I think he just wanted to fight, wanted the amusement of it all, and I can understand that. I’m not much different, in a way. Rolling his wrist in order to relieve the tension the seeker felt shooting up his arm, Valentin sighed. He couldn’t hold a grudge if there was no persistent threat to Romeo. With this boy being a Parselmouth, he might as well have been Valentin’s distant extended family anyway.

Turning back to his dance partner, Valentin tipped his head in a silent apology for getting distracted (and almost running away). Smiling politely at her admission of not being a strong quidditch player, Valentin twirled his hand to dismiss the importance of the matter.

“There are many beautiful dreams to chase, Haven. Quidditch isn’t for everyone.” The seeker’s white eyelashes batted with amusement at the girl’s verbal blunder. He had a nice feeling about her. As he shook her hand, Valentin’s smile was warm and loving, although his snow-white skin felt shockingly cold to the touch. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” As his purple eyes sparkled, the firm reassurance of Valentin’s grip could have easily leeched away feelings of panic and embarassment if Haven was receptive to such comforts.

It didn’t take long for the observant girl to notice the open gash on the captain’s forehead as it took the liberty of opening itself up again to relieve Valentin of another three drops of blood. Although the pale seeker was quick to staunch it, the root of the problem was clearly still able to reassert itself. Haven dug around in her bag and, carefully unwrapping a Big Bird band-aid, applied it like a bright yellow sticker to the center of his forehead. Blushing slightly and nodding once with appreciation, the tall boy was clearly pleased. He had no idea where Sesame Street was, but he recognized the muggle-made format of the bandage. After all, his co-captain Romeo had been been the one to teach him muggle forms of healing years ago when Valentin was working on broadening his survivalism skills.

“I’ll be alright now, thanks to you. That was very kind.” The seeker then reached out in the hopes of taking back the hand of the girl who had shaken his only moments earlier. If she accepted this, Valentin would squeeze her hand as gratitude shone in his eyes. Then, when he released and pulled away, Haven would find a metal coin in her palm– not a currency, but a token. On one side a double-headed eagle spread its wings in the sigil of Durmstrang Institute, while on the other a golden snitch matched in symmetric harmony. “If you’re ever in need of a favor, Haven, send for me by owl at Durmstrang.” A pure kindness shown to Valentin Schnell was one to be paid back a thousandfold.

Bowing and then turning away with a smile, Valentin knew he had but a moment before the board’s enchantment would surely resume. A spin-the-bottle game never stopped with just one, and that was precisely the danger of it.

Ginyami had been whisked off to a square he now shared with a girl whom Val recognized only vaguely from broom racing. Valentin simply never studied foreign broom racing rosters the way he did for quidditch. With her not attending Durmstrang, it wasn’t as if he could poach her to acquire new talent for his team. No, the girl [Della Barfield] was simply an unknown entity. The demon plant that hung above them, however, was not. No no no, Valentin had seen how Ginyami acted during last year’s blighted spin-the-bottle game. This wouldn’t do at all. Even if this was just some random girl, Valentin would not underestimate the dark magic of the mistletoe plant. After all, he’d recently been mind-controlled by a parasitic magic slug into kissing a girl, himself. Admittedly that was one of the best girls, if not the best girl, on the planet… but still. Valentin didn’t roll that way, and he didn’t want Ginyami to be controlled by some weed of sick seduction either.

Parting ways with Haven, Valentin tore across the romantic chess board in a blazing run. Schnell, “The White Niffler,” was known for both his speed and his knack for nabbing, but would it be enough? Dashing directly at the square where Ginyami stood with the unknown girl, Val leapt up to try to snatch the clod of mistletoe hanging over their heads. If this was the bullet he had to take for Ginyami’s free will, then so be it.

Basic Stats:
STA 8 - EVA 20 - STR 3 - WIS 20 [24] - ARC 1 - ACC 17
Keen Eye / Charmer / Evasive Maneuvers / Fearless / Comprehend Languages: Parseltongue & Veela
Inventory: A golden locket, a silver earring, a golden ring on his middle finger, a wand, and an Oakshaft 79.
Broom bonus stats (when flying): +4 ACC, +4 ARC
Charmer recipients: literally everyone

Single action intended for Moderation: Trying to run up and steal the mistletoe hanging above Ginyami

Interacting especially with: Sara Kohana and @Haven Bohannon
Mentioning: @Della Barfield, Ginyami Midorimori (@Jack Burnett), Hiro Bakugo (@Kim Sato), Gellert Schroeder (@Tristan Theramin), @Hanako Tone, Romeo Marchonné (@Piérre Marchonné), Greta Fransson @Evelynn Decipio, and others more indirectly

Group 7

MODERATION POST

Wow, this group knows how to talk. A bunch of chattermouths, really, all wandering around a checkerboard dance floor. A few couples are all talk and no action - the friendly Jack Burnett and Kim Sato, or the less-friendly Hanako Tone and Enzo Delcroix, for instance, and poor Della Barfield, whose partner's (Ginyami Midorimori) boyfriend (Sara Kohana) proves too distracting for her to get any sort of kiss. Sorry, girl. Another time. Another boy.

On the other side of the floor, there is some sweetness going on in the form of Haven Bohannon and Valentin Schnell. A yellow band-aid covering an open gash makes for a great accessory against white clothing, don't you think? And what's this about needing a favour? I'm feeling mafia. Is anyone else feeling mafia? But that's not all! Breaking away from his partner, Valentin manages to perform an impressive athletic feat and leap ten feet into the air (really, it's more like two, but he's tall and has long enough arms) to grab the mistletoe above Ginyami's head. Somehow, he manages to not only grab the mistletoe but also yank it out of the air. Now he has a new clod of mistletoe. Whatever will you do with it?

And it wouldn't be an upper-year group without some drama, now, wouldn't it? With wax dripping on Tone Bakugo and Gellert Schroeder, Gellert successfully casts Glacius and manages to freeze the dripping wax from above. However, Tone barrels into him in an attempt to shove him out of the way (despite the fact that he no longer needs to)... and is met with nothing but a stony stature on his partner's part. It turns out that a very stoppable force can, in fact, meet an immovable object.

The music starts back up again, and the spell whisks everyone away to find a new partner... and by the time the violins fade out once more, each skilled dancer is paired with someone very new, in a situation that is either also new or vaguely familiar...

THE DANCE FLOOR HAS SPOKEN:
Tone Bakugo (@Kim Sato) and @Haven Bohannon end up under a candle… that is dripping wax on them!
@Hanako Tone and @Jack Burnett end up under a candle… that is dripping wax on them!
@Kim Sato and Ginyami Midorimori (@Jack Burnett) end up under a candle.
@Della Barfield and Valentin Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood) end up under a candle.
Enzo Delcroix (@Akari Kato) and Sara Kohana (@Hanako Tone) end up under the mistletoe!
Gellert Schroeder (@Tristan Theramin) and @Jacob Harman end up under the mistletoe!

For any questions or concerns, please owl the moderator of this event, @Aly Salinger.

Also and very importantly, please make sure your action is clearly visible and separated from the rest of your post. Preferably put it in a quote at the bottom but as long as it's separate that's fine. I would also appreciate an inclusion of any stats and abilities you may have in your posts. Makes it much easier to mod!

Banner by Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood

Roleplaying as Ginyami Midorimori from Mahoutokoro
"English | Japanese"

Ginyami had, of course, been looking out for the expression on Valentin's face when he heard him call his name. He was not disappointed in the least; in fact, it was more than he could have hoped for. Not only was he able to witness the albino seeker turn with hope starbright in his brilliant amethyst irises, but he had the sick, sadistic pleasure of watching that hope become overshadowed by the darkness of disappointment when the other pureblood recognized what address he'd used and the various possible meanings behind that use.

Unfortunately, that disappointment seemed to subside somewhat as Valentin heard Ginyami speak up against the silver-haired stranger. He, like Hiro, didn't seem to have any idea just exactly what kind of roiling rage bubbled inside him just beneath the surface. He doubted anyone did, but that was how he had been raised - doing his best to keep his cards close to his vest and his true feelings and motives hidden from everyone. What he didn't realize was that he was so uncharacteristically impaired by fury at that moment that he was gripping Sara's hand to the point of causing Sara potential pain.

Oh...but Valentin had seemed to notice Sara. And that was when Ginyami, too, was reminded that he had Sara by his side, having previously been so blinded by his feelings that he had temporarily acquired tunnel vision. Glancing back over his shoulder, his grip loosened to a more bearable hold, but it was still rather firm; possessively so. The fox-eyed pureblood watched and listened to Sara and Valentin exchange words before returning his attention to the latter.

Oh...? So Valentin knew Sara after all?

Of course. Sara played quidditch. He should have known.

Before he could completely wrap his mind about what that might have meant for anyone, Ginyami was treated to the sight of Valentin's pale face flooding with color at his comment regarding his clothing. So he did know what he looked like with so much skin exposed so openly, even as a pureblood who had decorum, propriety, and a reputation to consider. The quidditch keeper couldn't help wondering why he'd worn such clothing this time. To attract the attention of others, perhaps, as he seemed to enjoy doing so often as Quidditch Team Captain? Or was it, perhaps, someone in particular who's attention he sought? He closed his eyes briefly to control his heating temper as he thought he knew the answer. It wasn't until he heard Valentin address him again a few seconds later that he opened them once more.

"I'm sorry, were you addressing me?" Ginyami asked with false pleasantness. "I couldn't tell since you weren't calling me by my name, which I know you know. As for having a little fun...couldn't you tell?" The heir's grin grew to sinister proportions. "I'm not having a little fun. I'm having loads of it. And more than you are, in any case, so that's rich coming from you."

He laughed then, his laugh harsh and cold as Valentin reached out to tug at the eri or the collar of his kimono. Ginyami didn't stop him, nor did he touch him. The kimono-wearing pureblood felt Sara's hand be the one to tighten on his this time, but only briefly. However, his narrow-eyed gaze burned with malice as he smilingly said to the musician, "Still obsessed with appearances as always, I see. While I may be particular about my own, at least I don't pretend like it's not intentional on my part." His gaze bored into the albino's dexterous fingers on his clothes. "And unlike you or your paramour, here, my attraction to others has nothing to do with how they look." He raised a hand to gesture vaguely in the silver-haired student's direction.

The exchange between Sara and Valentin that happened to occur in Japanese was lost on their mutual connection. Said connection was too busy with a new obstacle in his path. When Hiro appeared before Ginyami in all white, dressed like a fairytale prince, it reminded the older student of Valentin - which, consequently ended up enraging him. His expression, however, remained completely civil with his polite smile still plastered on his face as he forced himself to comprehend the underclassman's words to him. It seemed it was mask pitted against mask; fascade against fascade. Well, Ginyami was more than happy to play a warm-up match if that was what it took to get him to the main event.

"Bakugo-san," he greeted cheerfully, deciding to continue using English, as Hiro had, for the benefit of all to hear and understand them. "I think it may be you who wasn't listening properly, being so high up with your head in the clouds." He gestured toward the sky where the younger student had just decended from. "Your friend, there, said that he promised Mr. Schnell that if he saw him once again, he would come, so he did. Whether that promise was made to himself or to Mr. Schnell doesn't matter. It doesn't change the fact that he was treating Mr. Schnell like a pet he expected to obey him without question."

The dark-eyed senpai tiled his head at Hiro. "As for being interested in Mr. Schnell's affairs, who said I was? I was simply pointing out the absurdity of what that silver-haired gaijin (foreigner) was saying." His grin grew broader as he revealed teeth. "Whether it was Mr. Schnell, you, or even some random stranger, I would have spoken up just the same. But also, kohai (underclassman)...whoever said that Mr. Schnell and I have 'parted ways'?"

He continued to grin as he looked back up and over at the silver-haired young man who had addressed Valentin. Hmm...so Hiro was willing to defend him, was he? How interesting. Ginyami wondered just how much they knew of each other; just how deep their so-called friendship might have went. But he was distracted by Valentin seeming to speak up in order to speak to Hiro. Perhaps because Ginyami had chosen to address Valentin's underclassman, Valentin had chosen to address Ginyami's. However, the Durmstrang seeker's words only caused the Japanese student to seethe even more.

"You seem to think you know a fair bit about me, don't you, Mr. Schnell?" he asked sweetly, his grin as jagged-edged and cold as a shard of ice. "What a shame you seem to have fallen prey to making assumptions just as bad if not worse than the rest of them, claiming such bold statements on my behalf." He spread his arms. "I imagine we'll have to correct that..." When Valentine's eyes met his own, none of the warmth the team captain's radiated was reflected back at him, seeming to be chilled before it even reached Ginyami.

So...the silver-haired idiot's name was Gellert. Good to know. A stupid name for a stupid boy...one who gave an even more stupid name to Valentin, but Ginyami didn't really care what names Valentin liked to be called anymore. It was the impertinance of Gellert that rankled him. Still, he listened, watched, and waited, knowing how to bide his time. He would get his chance to crush each and every one of them eventually...he was certain of it. All he required was a little patience.

Ginyami was intrigued to see Hiro end up being swept up by the dance floor to stop in front of the one Valentin had called Gellert - the one Hiro had defended from Ginyami. When a dripping candle was about to drop hot wax onto the couple, the younger Mahoutokoro student pushed his partner away with a warning cry, doing his best to protect him. At the same time, Gellert took out his wand to try to cast a spell in order to keep the wax from harming Hiro. Interesting.

When Sara's response to Ginyami's question during their parting finally reached him, the fox-eyed student's brow furrowed with concern. He certainly didn't have time to reply himself before they were swept away again - too far to yell across at each other. But the look on Sara's face and the cadance of his voice when he asked his two-word question suck with his boyfriend. He saw him glance toward Valentine and remembered - Sara didn't know. He didn't know the history between himself and the Durmstran Quidditch Captain. How could he have? The only one from their school who had really paid their interactions much mind had seemed to be Hiro.

The fact that Sara hadn't sounded angry or confused only caused the calm words to seem all that more ethereal to his peer - like they had been spoken from an all-knowing, all-understanding angel who had simply made an observation for the patient purpose of trying to get Ginyami to understand. He had made a drastic mistake in his recklessness. He would have to remedy it immediately. "I'll tell you, Sara," he called to him in Japanese once they were close enough for him to hear over the music again. "I'll explain. I promise. Later."

Though his own statements were short, his tone was carefully laden with sincerety while his expression sang of his remorse and concern toward the gentle, stoic teenager. He couldn't afford to maintain such a soft, sentimental demeanor for very long, however. As far as he was concerned, they were in the middle of a war. And, as everyone knew, all was fair in love and war.

Ginyami might not have ever done things without a reason...but that didn't mean he always had a reason for not doing things. Neglecting to tell Sara about his past with Valentin had been an oversight on his part because he - well, honestly, he had never had a boyfriend himself before. Like Sara, he was new to the idea, so while he had imagined it would have been easy enough to navigate, he was quickly coming to discover just how very wrong he could be. Even though Ginyami and Valentin had never dated before...they had shared enough that Sara had a right to know that history. Still...it wasn't as though Ginyami had ever thought a reason might have come up for Sara to need to know it. Not like now.

Tearing his gaze away from Sara - from Valentin, from Hiro, from Gellert, and anyone else - eventually, the music stopped and Ginyami found himself halted in front of a girl. The young lady was around Hiro's age with pale blonde hair and a black dress along with a pair of...what he could only assume were muggle footwear. Even for muggles or muggle-born, the footwear did not at all look like it belonged with her dress, but the Japanese student hid his disdain behind his usual, polite smile which had returned to normal once he had recomposed himself after his promise to Sara. He had to focus on her and only her for now. Otherwise he feared his flux of varying, intense emotions would threaten his composure yet again.

"Greetings, Miss Della," Ginyami told her cheerfully, dipping his head in acknowledgement. "My name is Ginyami Midorimori, but I know that's a mouthful. Please, call me Yami." He paused when she mentioned a mistletoe tradition. "I'm sorry? I'm not - " Glancing upward, he saw it and, with a jolt of surprise, understood.

In Japan, as it so happened, since the majority of people were of the Shinto religion, Christmas was thought of more as a lover's holiday than a religious one. Therefore, of all the winter holiday traditions that had carried over to the country from elsewhere, the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe had been one that had been very happily adopted by Japanese lovers. The Midorimori heir, whose family had a chain of successful shops selling magical plants, herbs, and ingredients, were even more aware of things like the reason behind the popularity of the poisonous berry than most. Ginyami had signed up for the event for fun, of course, just as he had the previous year with the silly spin-the-bottle game, but again, there were factors he hadn't anticipated this time around. Such as, for example, the fact that he would have had a boyfriend by then.

Looking back down at Della, Ginyami uttered a low chuckle. He had told himself he wouldn't think about any others but her while she was in front of him, if only to save his sanity just then, but his thoughts inevitably went to Sara. Was he watching? Did he understand what kind of event Ginyami had so thoughtlessly signed them both up for ahead of time? Did he know why? Would he get angry or upset about it once he found out? Had he found out already?

No, no, no...he had to put all of that out of his mind. At least for just then. What would he do if there was no one else around?

"Of course, Miss Della." He bowed low to her at the waist, one poised behind his back while he extended the other, holding out his hand for hers. "...May I?" If she would give her hand, he would place his lips to the back of it.

And then Valentin came running up to them from nowhere to snatch the mistletoe from over their heads.

Ginyami, righting himself from his bow, turned his head to stare blankly at the Durmstrang student. For a second, he didn't even have words. Then, laughing aloud, he took a stab at what might have happened.

"...What's this? Signed up for another kissing event without your knowledge again, Mr. Schnell?" he asked, clasping his hands behind his back as he regarded the crazy daredevil. "Would this happen to be, yet again, the work of your so-called friends? Tell me...is it that they're such awful friends that they don't know how you feel about this sort of thing or that they're such good ones that they know exactly what it does to you as well as just how much of a masochist you are?" Snickering still, he took a step closer. "Or is it neither and you actually signed yourself up? Because while we were out of touch, you became so desperate to find your one, true fairytale love that you're just about ready to kiss any boy, girl, or frog, now?" Ginyami sneered at the mistletoe in Valentin's hands as he took yet another step closer, entirely invading the other student's space. His voice quieted into a whisper only meant for Valentin as he spoke right next to his ear.

"I wonder...wherefore art thou Romeo?"

HP: 1100/1100
Stats: STA 11 / EVA 12 / STR 5 / WIS 8 / ARC 6 / ACC 19
Abilities: Charmer / Fearless / Foulplay / Evasive Maneuvers / Evasive Maneuvers II / Impartial
Action: Only free actions so far.
Interacting with: @Della Barfield, Sara Kohana (@Hanako Tone), Valentine Schnell (@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood), Hiro Bakugo (@Kim Sato) & Gellert Schroeder (@Tristan Theramin)

Japanese & English
Ency

𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖎𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

LC TP

Reducio

Slighlty toussled/ styled curly black hair, japanese descent features. Dark eyes. Sharp features with an evidently burly built. Naturally down turned eyebrows that make him look angry all the time. Usually a resting small scowl on his face. Often misinterpreted as him being in a bad mood. Brown leather jacket. Grey sweater. Black belt over black belt. Usually an unremarkable set of clothes, but with his activated abilities ( Lovely Creature & Terrible Presense ), it’s almost offensive it still looks good.

Sara’s appearance often draws attention, no matter how much it makes him squirm. As if he was a fictional character came to life. He shouldn’t be here, and yet he is.

* OOC NOTE: feel free to base your characters description of Sara Kohana off this.

Red ®: 112
Green (G): 95
Blue (B): 165.

Schnell knew Japanese. Sara would have felt better if his accent showed he had lived in Japan for quite some time. But it was fresh yet practised. Why had he practised? Sara would never know. He had said they should talk. Heavens knew what that meant. But Sara found himself yearning for it. Any answer to this incomplete puzzle.

Even Yami had briefly promised to tell him. But that only stirred unease in Sara. Would he really? If he felt that was important, why had he taken this long to tell Sara? It was… admittedly, frustrating. But a stronger part of him still clung to the idea of trust. That with Yami, things will be alright. The least he could do is trust him, for now. While his turmoil remained in his chest and mind, at least he wasn’t too bothered by his dance partner. Sara watched as Hiro and Gellert dealt with the misfortune of having a candle drip over them, but at least they seemed unhurt. Which caused a sigh of relief from Sara’s lips.

Of course, that dripping candle wasn’t the only one causing mischief. It was hard to miss a flash of white jump in the air to grab something right over Yami’s head. Before Sara could stop himself, it was too late. “Ah..” a mumble escape from him. Dry and monotonous. There was a difference between wanting to feel small and feeling incompetent. Feeling small was something Sara tried to do regularly, And on purpose. Incompetent, on the other hand was a helplessness he wasn’t needed.

It was just…ridiculous how he felt. He didn’t want it to be there. The ugly feeling invaded his chest and made him want to squirm. He was just helping, Sara told himself. He was just..helping and being helpful. Sara ought to be thankful, really. It was nice that Yami seemed to have friends who cared about him so. Even one who …would be willing to just..leap into the air for him. It was better than having a boyfriend who couldn’t even look at him because of his own confusion.

Sara noticed where his thoughts were going and snapped out of it, gripping his fists as if they helped. Stop it. He promised to be better. Yami promised to tell him. Everything would be alright as long as Sara followed him.

But it turned out Sara might be the only one of the two who appreciated how Schnell took away the mistletoe. Sara couldn’t hear too well from his distance but he knew enough that Yami wasn’t pleased. Not that it mattered. Sara saw enough already. At least from his distance, all he saw was Yami ..way too close to Schnell.

If any of them were to see Sara at the moment, he would simply be staring at the two until he was caught. If he was, he’d look away. As if shame of interrupting their moment. Right. It was their conversation. Their interaction. Their moment. Regardless if they noticed him or not, Sara only took 3 seconds to tear his eyes away from the scene. They were in a bubble Sara had little right to invade. That's the conclusion Sara came up with. It hurt. And it showed with the conflicted look on his face. But it all ended with the same thought; he trusted Yami.

He hadn’t looked in their direction since. Mindlessly letting the dance take him to whomever. But the music felt dull and empty. Sara was finding it more difficult to even focus on what he was doing. Simply letting the magic guide him as if he were a puppet. And he would thank it if he didn’t end up anywhere near Yami or Schnell.

And luck was on his side because in the end, he stopped in front of an unfamiliar boy. A blonde, possibly younger boy. “..Hi” he said, his voice a tinge naturally gruff, and somewhat tense. Sara was about to repeat the same words he said to his previous dancing partner, but it wasn’t until he saw the plant over their head that he stopped.

“.... oh.. I ..understand what this means..” he scratched the back of his neck. Seeing enough muggle Christmas romance movies to know what they were meant to do now. And like a persistent bug, his thoughts of Yami crawled back in. It was no helping that a lot of things reminded him of the boy. But frankly, he had better things that caused him confusion and unease than why Yami signed them up for an event like this.

“ I... I’m sorry, I don’t feel too comfortable ..doing anything despite the mistletoe. I hope you’re..not offended. ” he confessed gently, leaning down just slightly to make their height difference a bit more tolerable. As much as this night hasn’t been the best, he could never go along with the mistletoe tradition. Boyfriend or not. He was not a touchy person in general. Having Yami in the same exact event. “ I have a boyfriend..” Even when there wasn’t a likely chance Yami was going to see him. Not with his attention on Schnell. “ I..think..” he found himself blurting out in a short mutter. His tense tone gave a glimpse of the anxiety that plagued him.

Interacting with : @Akari Kato Enzo’s Delacroix (a.k.a Hana’s man)

Running away from Previously Interacting: @Jack Burnett's INPC Ginyami Midorimori, @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood's INPC Valentin Schnell ,

x..-.

SUMMER CAMP '24, MISTLETOE SPIN Tone couldn't help but overhear Yami's words in relation to Valentin. The ones remarking about his 'tight leather pants and loose open shirts'. He also couldn't help but notice the blush that came to Valentin's face as a result of all of this. A muscle twitched in Tone's cheek. For the first time since coming there, he noticed Valentin was dressed in a similar way. An outfit that greatly resembled his chosen clothes... It made him feel a bit annoyed. Why? He didn't know. Tone had dressed in white for a specific reason. He'd wanted to 'bring some light' into the days of others. Especially Yami and Akira, as the blond felt he'd wronged them both over the past year due to his lack of presence while focusing too much on his studies and extracurricular activities. It also fit with the winter theme at this particular summer camp now.

x..-.

The way Yami had stood up for Valentin and how Valentin stood up for Yami showed their close, almost intimate bond with eachother. And it made him mad, no that wasn't the right word for it, it just bothered him for some reason. Yes, that was it. Tone shook his head, trying not to let these intruding thoughts get to him. At least, the dancing took his mind off these matters. He noticed Valentin and Haven getting close. Ah, she was just helping to wipe some blood off of the seeker's forehead. Tone briefly wondered if he was fine, how he'd gotten hurt but decided not to ask now.

He wasn't near him and couldn't very well go up to him now. Not while he was on this enchanted dance floor. The first round ended with him matching up with Gellert from before, who Tone was pleased to face. At least it took his mind off his current troubles. But of course, new troubles came up in the form of dripping wax, and Tone reacted instinctively trying to save his partner. However, instead he ended up not being able to move Gellert at all, quite an embarrassing turn of events. Upon looking up, he even noticed Gellert had cast a spell at the candle above to freeze it.

Into something that didn't represent danger anymore. Tone cleared his throat and reached up to scratch his head, averting his eyes a little from the other boy. "Uh... thanks." He managed to get out and sheepishly looked back over at Gellert again. "I probably should have thought about that..." Yup, he'd managed to make himself look like an idiot. Not just with not casting a spell at the danger but failing to move Gellert too. But at least some good came out of this. Tone wasn't paying attention to those around them and didn't see how everyone reacted to their pairs.

Until he saw Valentin spring over to snatch the mistletoe away from hanging over the heads of Yami and his current partner. Tone schooled his face well but a muscle twitched in his cheek again. Why was Valentin trying so hard to help Yami out? He knew how much Yami disliked things like this and his action only served to show that he was willing to still go out of his way to protect and care for him. Despite... and then the two ex's were extremely close to eachother... making Tone feel things in a way he didn't care for. Tone'd never felt like this before until now.

And he didn't want to feel like this again. Glancing over at Yami again as his friend began to speak to him, Tone could instantly tell there was something wrong with him. He wasn't usually like this and although Yami always seemed to use sarcasm, politeness and what could almost be looked at as cruelty to cover up his feelings, Tone felt as if there was something different about him now. But he couldn't quite place what that might be. He'd have to make some time for him after the game. Talk to him for a time. Doing such a thing was long overdue for the two friends.

He didn't bother to respond to Yami's words. There wasn't much he could say in response right now. Especially in the middle of a game. Tone didn't want to unleash on him in front of all of these people. But a few of Yami's words stuck with him. ...whoever said that Mr. Schnell and I have 'parted ways'?" What did he mean by that? Pondering over this, Tone's gaze fell upon Sara and he tilted his head to the side. Sara also seemed a bit off, ever since their first night when he'd overheard and seen them on the same bed together. Could Yami's actions have bothered him that much? Tone resolved to take some time to talk to Sara later too. Maybe after the game was over.

Or perhaps if he got matched up with him. Once more, Yami was focusing on Valentin which came as no surprise to Tone by now. It was obvious Yami way paying much more attention on the white haired seeker than anyone else. But with their history together and Yami's last words... were they still together?! The thought didn't sit right with Tone and he almost scowled to himself but caught himself at the last moment. He didn't even realize the next round had begun as his body moved on its own, going through the dance steps until Tone ended up coming to a standstill.

This time he was standing in front of a girl he'd never met before. She looked to be about a year older than him. The same girl who had gotten paired up with Valentin before. A smile came to his lips as he faced Haven. "Nice to meet you, I'm known as Tone. You are?" The white haired nearly fifteen year old asked, waiting for her response. Glancing upward, Tone noticed history was repeating itself as he just couldn't seem to get away from those dripping wax candles. But this time, he would do what Gellert had done. Hopefully, Tone wouldn't embarrass himself again.

Taking out his wand, Tone pointed it up at the melting wax candle above them. "Glacius!" He incanted, hoping the spell would work for him.