The Mistletoe Spin Group #1 Summer Camp 2024

Roleplaying as Hans Jenssen, lovely banner by Aly

Dress code? What's that?

If they wanted Hans in a nice suit, they should have told him sooner. The assumption that anyone would spend their parents' hard-earned money on anything as inane, inutile, and ostentatious as a regency themed suit and the assumption that - even if one had such wealth and is, for some asinine reason, willing to spend this money on clothing they would probably not touch again - hundreds of teenagers would be willing to play dress-up and pretend they never progressed since the nineteenth century were both ridiculous. Certainly, the organisers had chosen the wrong date for the Jenssen child to be sumptuous, for without even putting much thought into what he grabbed from his suitcase (which was getting progressively more disorganised), he pulled on a dark maroon hoodie, dark grey jeans, plain white socks, and a pair of black trainers, a simple, standard, outfit.

After all, Hans had not expected tonight's activities to be a ball. It seemed as if word of mouth was not as trustworthy as he hoped, for when a part of the population believed tonight was a ball instead of Spin the Bottle, he understood it as the opposite and signed up without much consideration otherwise. He could always turn back and if it was not against his own nature of taking on everything headstrong, he might have. Taking on his usual cocky gait as he strode into the area specially set out for the event, he kept his head up as he always did, despite looking evidently underdressed to even to the most casual observer. But who was he to need a luxurious costume when he had mounds of over-confidence and charisma? Taking in the dancefloor shaped like a chessboard laid out in front of him and the other arriving guests, what drew his attention was not the extravagant designs but the slip of parchment containing the names of the participating students. Fingers crossed for certain people he particularly enjoyed company was, he was surprised to find his dorm-mate on the list for what seemed like the last thing Nikolai whatever-his-last-name-now-was would participate in. So be it, but with absolutely no one else who he knew, Hans was certain this would be a fun night.

Hogwarts, like most other wizarding schools, including Durmstrang, was traditional at heart, and while Hans did not know what dance would soon commence, he certainly knew it was nothing of the k-pop his female classmates followed. This was objectively worst, practically something from a Disney film. 'What makes them think I can dance?' he would murmur to Nikolai if he was to arrive, gently nudging him in the arm with his elbow as they were summoned to the floor. When the music began, the German was surprised to find his feet carrying themselves in steps he had never learnt (and, God forbid, would never learn), as if he had been targeted with Tarantallegra. Frowning, he allowed himself to fall into the dance like the others, his outfit a stark contrast, though that was to be expected. As the music finally paused, the Durmstrang student would find himself standing face-to-face with a lass shorter than him by at least 15 centimetres, tresses of brown hair falling to her back, matching with eyes of the same colour, wearing a light dress, pink in colour with white flowers, and white trainers. Most definitely not regency styled, he knew, despite history not being his forte. 'Well,' he said in accented English, 'How nice to meet another breaker of the dress code.' Looking up to find himself under a candle, Hans shrugged and continued, 'I suppose we don't have to kiss then.' Pausing he said, 'Hans,' though he could not really care less what the girl's name was.

Finger's crossed for a fun night.

@Matthew Campbell as Nikolai and @Kiera Roseline as Ruby

Interacting as Nikolai Volkov with @Hans Jenssen@Archer Duncan and @Colby Vidler, mentioning @Valentin Schnell@Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood

Arctic blue silk draped over the boy with silver accents from the perfectly tailored waistcoat, adorned head to toe with delicate floral pattern and a crisp white neckerchief completing the dashing ensemble. He was a vision of snowy perfection and yet nothing of his outfit gleamed quite as much as the smile that paired with it. The pride that radiated from him was mesemerising as for the first time in his life he was dressed in an outfit of his own choosing and attending a social event entirely of his own volition. That pride had only been further enforced by the deep embrace he had shared with Valentin who had been solely responsible for all his current happiness.

The two had parted earlier in the night after the group sheet had been revealed but not without sparking a twang of worry in the boys mind. Valentin's empyreal eyes were always mesmerizing but every so often they sparked a glint that transformed them to be incandescently enchanting and always in those times it meant mischief was afoot. Blatantly refusing to divulge whatever shenanigans he had planned, that were surely going to impact Nikolai if he had anything to say about it, Val swirled off leaving the boy to ponder in dread.

Despite this he had been pleased to see his dormmates name upon the list of those in his group and told himself that not knowing anyone else was a blessing. For, at the very least, they wouldn't have any negative preconceptions of him like most of his own year. Making his was towards Hans he couldn't hide the playful smile that pulled at the corners of his lips on seeing his outfit. While Nik was a symbol of renaissance itself Hans had clearly decided to opt for his regular attire that to his defence suited him perfectly. In truth Nikolai couldn't be happier for him, after all they had both chosen to dress for themselves over others and that was something special. As he reached the boy he couldn't help but laugh at his comment and offered in response a slight flush softening his face, "Just dont tread on any toes, I won't be rescuing you if you fall" With that his smile turned to a grin as the boys remembered Nikolai's trial by fire or more aptly air from the fortnight before.

With Hans gentle bump warming his face even more he was glad for the distraction of the dance's beginning. A gladness that lasted less than a second as the groups bodies began hurling themselves around the second they stepped foot on the enchanted flooring. Luckily for Nikolai, despite having never considered it so before, he had received a stupendous amount of dance lessons being from an aristocratic family and soon mastered the enchantment to his own will gracefully gliding around the floor until the music faded and he found himself facing a charming young lady with perfect brunette ringlets and deep pools of emerald for eyes. Nothing drew him more so than her outfit though that was charmingly simple and reminded him greatly of Hans, particularly her trousers which he had seen many nonmagi wearing and knew to be called jeans. Smiling warmly at her he spoke in english, his slight american accent merging with the russian tones, "It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Nikolai who do I have the honour of meeting. I must say that I love your jee-ans." Despite the horrific pronunciation Nikolai's intentions seemed to be nothing but genuine and born out of excited curiosity.

Just as she was about to speak he noticed the candles that floated above them begin to drip threatening to cover the girl in burning wax. Instinctually with a swiftness that surprised even himself he threw up his arms blocking the wax from hurting her allowing it to instead harden across the silk of his suit.

Interacting with Nikolai Vol'ka (@Matthew Campbell)

It was crazy to think that camp was halfway over with just a couple more weeks left of fun. Colby had participated in so much the camp had to offer so far, and it made for an exciting couple of weeks. Now was what Colby believed to be a dance of the camp. She had never attended dance functions like this before and was definitely excited to give it a go.

Dressed in her nice jeans and a purple short-sleeved shirt, Colby made her way to the Mistletoe Spin event located on the field of the London Quidditch Stadium. So far, everything has been here and it was a wonder how amazing magic was in changing the environment for each event flawlessly. The sound of music of a string quartet enchanted to play was on the side, giving a waltz-like beat made Colby walk in a pattern as she was heading further onto the dance floor.

The minute her feet touched the dance floor, she began to dance like she had never danced before. She was twisting and turning on her own as if she knew the dance steps on her own. Her face was mortified as her body was not letting her take charge and was doing its own thing. "What the--" she blurted out and immediately, her body had drifted towards someone on the dance floor.

Colby was dancing face to face with the person who introduced himself as Nikolai. Was he not phased by this? She wondered to herself as she looked down at her shoes tapping away at a waltz. With the thick accent this guy had, she made an educated guess that he was not from Hogwarts. "I'm Colby," she said, looking around and seeing if anyone else was fighting back like she was with the enchantment or just going along with it. Her attention went back to Nikolai who had pronounced "jeans" ever so awkwardly. She couldn't help but to laugh. "Thanks," she said, and immediately, she felt a drip of hot molten wax hit the skin of her arm. She winced at the feeling of a pinched burn which now ended up being a shiny wax circle on her arm. Unfortunately, it was not the only one. More wax was dripping onto her. Colby tried to move away from being in that spot, but the enchanted dance floor did not allow her to move. She was stuck. As Colby was trying to move again, the wax had stopped hitting her skin. She looked up to see that Nikolai was blocking the wax from hitting her with the silk of his suit.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "You are willing to get your suit ruined for someone you just met? You're definitely not from England," she joked. "What school are you from?"

ACTION: N/A
STATS: Stamina - 7 | Evasion - 5 | Strength - 6 | Wisdom - 4 | ArcPower - 4 | Accuracy - 4

Interactions: @Elena Clark | @Mention Mentions:

Date: August 2nd Location: London Quidditch Stadium

Outfit: x

- The Mistletoe Spin -

This camp had proven that there was no such thing as overpacking. The fancy winter cloak they had packed clearly had a use, and all the sad people who thought one suitcase was good enough were wrong. In fact, packing a formal outfit for every season had been a good idea. The white top they had planned to wear was far too cold for the snow, so they had swapped it out for a black cloak with elaborate fastenings and dress pants to match. Their hair had a few tiny brains in it, though they had far from gone all out. Due to the reputation of Hogwarts balls, they had prioritised movable clothing and had been sure to tuck their wand up their sleeve. Though this wasn't quite a ball, they were sure it would bring just as much chaos with it.

Still, this was going to be fun. Even if they had to strangle fate itself to make it so, they were determined that tonight was going to be awesome. The dance didn't disappoint either, the perfect chessboard looking floors looking magnificent amid the snow. Heading over to their assigned floor after a quick scan of the list, they joined the group of students already milling about waiting for the music to start. Years of dancing lessons would finally get a chance to pay off, and hopefully they would be able to help out anyone who was having difficulty. When the music started however, it was clear that it wouldn't be necessary. The floor must have been enchanted to guide the students stepped, because they found some mysterious force gently nudged their limbs into the correct steps.

This was a nice way of doing things, since everyone being able to dance meant that they could enjoy more of the dancing itself. Cass whirled from partner to partner, perfectly in time with the fast paced waltz. When it stopped, they found themself face to face with the girl they had met at the opening feast, Elena. "Elena!" they grinned "Isn't this amazing?". Slightly late, they glanced up above them. The rotating mistletoe had halted over their heads, in the very first round. Of course they had known it was going to be a spin-the-bottle style thing when they had signed up, but kissing Elena would just be weird. They were almost sort of friends after all. "Milady" they said, and if she would let them they kissed her on the hand with a dramatic bow.

Action: Kissing Elena Clark on the hand if she allows it

Stamina - 8 Evasion - 4 Strength - 6

Speech Metamorph

Wisdom - 4 Arcane Power - 3 Accuracy - 5

Interacting with: @Kiera Roseline

Action:Hand kiss?

Dressed in his finest dress robes(that was a lie, he had much nicer ones at home, but the ones he had packed were nice also), Atticus had been flitting about the stadium, looking for the dance floor that had his name on it, of course the last one he had checked was his. He straightened his dress robes confidently, knowing how to waltz himself anyway. It was customary for a boy from a high-class family, even if he didn't care so much for the fancy traditions. It was only when he took a step on the chess-board-looking floor that he realised his existing skills didn't matter, and he joined everybody else in dancing around the rectangular floor.

He said a little hello to anybody he was dancing with, simple pleasantries, to be honest, as much as he knew what he was signing up for, looking up at the items floating around above his head was a little bit daunting. It was also peculiar the concept of doing such a high-speed dance and yet being able to look around without getting disoriented and tripping up.

Finally, upon stopping, he came face to face with somebody who he hadn't met yet, although he had yet to meet anybody who wasn't in his tent, which was only one person on this dance floor. He stepped back and looked up, sighing upon seeing the mistletoe. "Hello there, I'm Atticus, It's lovely to meet you." He held his hand out for her to take, his intention being to kiss the back of it, exactly in the high-class way his mother would love. She would just generally love this entire event.

Colby's laugh had a sweet melodic nature to it that soothed the Russian's mind. It had only just occurred to him how nervous he had been for the night. Not spurred by the dancing as he had a fair amount of skill and in comparison to some in the group he seemed almost professional. No more simply Nikolai was nervous about interactions for he spent so many years being cold and distant it had become sorrowfully unnatural to the boy to be open. Many days he had wondered if that book could ever be unsealed but of course his silver knight had prised it open with all his wonderous grace. Standing here, however, it was up to him alone to protect himself and he only hoped himself up to the task.

So when her laugh warmed his soul he felt his lungs begin to move freely once more no longer constrained. Then came a bright smile and even a joke and suddenly what once felt impossible was within reach. Returning a wide, joyous smile he looked between himself and the wax covered sleeve above her as he found himself laughing gently at her sentiment. "Luckily I did not pay for the suit though even if I had Ms. Colby I am quite sure you are worth more than any silk." he said his smile shaping into a friendly grin as his electric eyes took on a playful quality to them that seemed relatively foreign to their cold nature.

Shoulders dropping slightly as he relaxed into the conversation he answered her question with a devilish look that beamed of school pride,"I attend the Durmstrang Institute, along with my friend over there, well dormmate technically but we're working on the friend part." Gesturing over towards Hans he pointed the brunette out to Colby and observed as he looked towards the candle above him and shrugged in an almost disappointment. Confusion filled Nikolai's mind at what the pretty girl across from him could have said to leave him in such a state though knowing Hans it was likely his hubris of overconfidence to blame. Returning his gaze to Colby it was clear now from this distance she was just beginning her journey as a Hogwarts student and as such would not have even been sorted yet. Hogwarts housing system always seemed to be a topic of great spectacle and this Nikolai found himself intrigued as to her opinion on the subject.

"If I am not mistaken you are starting Hogwarts soon, am I correct? If so do you have hopes for the house you will be chosen for. I cannot say I know too much about the way things are done at the school but I had the pleasure of meeting a Revenclaw, a Hooflepuff and a Slytherin upon my last visit in Spring. Each seemed wonderful in their own merit so I am sure you have no worries but still I am curious to know your opinion." Nikolai was unsure if he was making a good impression or not but at the very least he wasn't a stuttering mess, perhaps it was the girl's age that relaxed him or the protective instinct in saving her from the wax that bolstered his spirit but either way he was simply content that his panic had subsided and he could breath once more. For however long it lasted.

Reducio

Thoughts : Italic
Color : #031b7c

☆ Interacting : Reducio @Cass Ito

☆ Outfit : Reducio

☆ Date : Reducio 2nd of August 2024

Who had the idea of having a winter ball in the middle of August? Elena's thoughts swirled as she walked on the snowy field. She internally thanked her mother for pushing her to pack comfortable shoes. Her sandals, whose laces swirled up to her knees, proved more practical than high heels in the slippery snow. Strangely enough, despite her light dress, she didn't feel cold. The excitement rushing through her veins warmed her up, and she looked around with amazement.

A few snowflakes twirled down around Elena as she gazed with sparkling eyes at the large chess-like areas displayed on the field. Candles floated above them, giving the whole scene a magical ambiance. Her blue dress matched the starry sky displayed above the stadium. She started walking toward the first chessboard, joining the little group gathered in front of a carefully calligraphed list of names. She immediately spotted hers, but before she was able to read any other name, the music began to play.

Hesitating, she carefully stepped on the dancefloor, her heart beating out of her chest. She pushed her cascade of blonde hair behind her shoulder, her thoughts swirling. What if I embarrass myself ? I never learned how to dance. Oh, I should have prepared bett- Before she even finished forming her thoughts, she found herself irresistibly drawn towards the center, a strange force making her twirl and waltz. Relief flowed over her as she understood the floor was enchanted. At least I won't step on my partner's feet. She was twirled and passed over what seemed like hundreds of hands before the music slowed down, finally allowing her to look at her partner.

She met sparkling green eyes and a large grin as hands took hers, making her twirl. Elena's face split into a warm smile as she recognized Cass, whom she had met in the welcoming feast. The pancake thief. She chuckled at her thought as Cass led them both. Despite the charm, they seemed like a skilled and confident dancer, which countered Elena's deficiencies in this area. "Elena !" they grinned. "Isn't it amazing ?" Relieved to be in familiar hands, she nodded and responded warmly, "Cass ! What a pleasure to see you here !” They didn't answer, busy staring at something above Elena's head. She raised her eyes, noticing the mistletoe hanging down above their heads.

Elena's cheek took a light pink color as she stared at the mistletoe. Right now, like that ? Her eyes fell back on them, and she saw that they shared the same opinion on the subject. Not knowing how to react, she lightly jumped when they took her hand. "Milady," they said, bowing dramatically before her, and depositing a light kiss on her hand, as if they were in a regency-era movie. Relieved that Cass had broken the awkward moment, she laughed and bowed in response, graciously thanking them. "My lord," she responded, smiling. They took her hand again, resuming their dancing. "Are you still stealing pancakes from helpless young ladies, or is your dark past behind you ?" she jokingly said with a serious face, trying to make conversation. As they twirled, Elena noticed a few snowflakes tangled in their cape. She lightly brushed their shoulder, to clear them away and noticed the elegant attire they were wearing tonight. "Nice outfit, by the way," she said, smiling.

Action : accepting the hand kiss

Group 1

MODERATION POST

Give this group a hand - no, really, because there seems to be a lot of wanting to kiss hands. Cass Ito offers a kiss on the hand to Elena Clark instead of the lip kiss that finding oneself under mistletoe often requires, and said hand kiss is gladly accepted; on the other hand (pun intended), Atticus Drake's attempt at the same motion falls flat. Better luck next time to impress your mother's manner-teaching, kid.

Hans Jenssen is content to show up breaking the dress code and, subsequently, the organiser's heart, but gets no response back from his partner after a failed introduction. On the sweeter side, eyes may pivot to Nikolai Volkov, whose gallant throwing up of arms protects Colby Vidler from the dripping wax above. What a gentlemanly moment! Take notes, folks.

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:
@Colby Vidler and @Elisa Shakestra end up under a candle… that is dripping wax on them!
@Ernest Baird and @Cass Ito end up under a candle… that is dripping wax on them!
@Giulia Nisi and @Atticus Drake end up under a candle.
@Charisse Woods and @Kiera Roseline end up under a candle.
Ruby Angèlique (@Kiera Roseline) and @Elena Clark end up under the mistletoe!
Nikolai Volkov (@Matthew Campbell) and Hans Jenssen (@Archer Duncan) 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!

Roleplaying as Hans Jenssen, all dialogue in Russian unless specified

God bless fate, for a fun night was exactly what the German had got.

Some divine intervention unbeknownst to the Durmstrang duo would cause them to find themselves nose-to-nose under a sprig of mistletoe. Sweeping over the drying wax on Nikolai's arctic blue silk with questioning eyes, Hans cocked his head in query, 'What a... fashionable addition.' Due to his rather underwhelming partner who refused to entertain even the barest notion of interaction, his attention had mainly been on his dorm mate and his curly-haired brunette instead, catching his gentlemanly actions of blocking the dripping wax. He had made his observation on the two blatant when Nikolai mentioned him in conversation with a gesture, which he would respond with a nod and frisky wink. Now laughing as the tension loosened, he playfully punched the blond in the shoulder. 'I'm kidding, this is so much better than whatever crap we burnt that afternoon.' The raging flames licking at Nikolai's broken past was certainly a sight to remember. Out of everything, the clothes, drab and not at all complementing Nikolai’s piercing blue eyes, had been one of the processions to catch fire the swiftest.

Turning as his gaze sought for Nikolai's previous partner, a grin quirked at his lips as he located her with a young lady shining in a mane of striking light blonde, having (yet again) wax dripping on her practical outfit similar in fashion to Hans’. ‘Oh my dear Nikolai,’ he started, teasingly and resisting the urge to laugh, 'It seems someone needs their knight in shining armour again.' Classic Hogwarts, enchanted candles failing left and right. Shifting to face the boy once more as all of his attention dropped back onto him, Hans continued out of curiosity, 'Well? How was she?' Whatever answer Nikolai would provide, however, Hans would later decide to focus this moment on themselves instead of a random Hogwarts lass and sooner than later, he would take notice to what hung from above.

Vision flitting upwards as Hans realised the dangling greenery over them, the German wizard chuckled good-naturedly as he shook his head, 'Man, look at what we've gotten ourselves into.' Prodding the wreath with a relaxed finger, he corrected himself, 'Or rather, what've we've gotten ourselves under.' As Hans spread his arms in anticipation, both of them closed the distance into a brief but tight embrace, Hans’ fingers gracing the soft blond hair of Nikolai and probably messing up his extravagant collar. Patting his classmate on the back in brotherly fashion, a grin tugged at Hans’ face, either due to savouring the flavourful moment or reminding himself of his planned actions once they both pulled away. If Nikolai had ever doubted their friendship, hopefully this would be the mere seconds to prove him wrong.

Yet the action had only properly begun when he stepped away from the Russian. In a flamboyant imitation of either foreign television that he had watched or the pureblood tradition that he scoffed upon, Hans would seek to bestow a kiss upon his dorm mate that intended for nothing beyond coltish revelry. Bowing in sarcastic mockery with an extravagant flourish, arms circling the air thrice in front of his chest and rascally grin never leaving his face, he took Nikolai by the gracile fingers, pushing back on the lavish cuffs that obscured his wrists. Lifting his hand, they made eye contact, a waggish glint caught in his coffee brown ones. His tone lighthearted as it always was, Hans attempted to suppress the beaming smile spreading into a laugh all to quickly, and failed terribly.

'May I, my Eisprinz¹?'

1: Ice Prince

@Matthew Campbell as Nikolai Vol’ka