The Arrival Tea Party Valentines 2025

Date: February 12th 2025

Listening attentively as Jan spoke he couldn't resist the smirk that spread across his face as Ruth stifled a smile into the confectionaries, clearly she had not informed her friends of the raucous they had created and probably for the best. Warmly he offered Jan the tea pot over in case he wanted any and as he was about to answer he heard Nabi get up from beside him. Watching as she excused herself he couldn't help but feel bad. The girl was not one for long conversation but he hoped she might find his company enough to reassure her. Regardless he wouldn't try to stop her for he knew the intensity of anxiety too well to judge. Nudging at her elbow he said with a conspiratorial wink, "Bye Nabi, see you later, try and stay out of any more rumours."

Laughing at whatever reaction she provided he returned his gaze to the other two and using the happiness of the moment as a springboard he launched into a ramble, "Well Jan, me and that one-" pointing his finger at Ruth, "-We met when I saw a fellow muggleborn in need and hit it off right away, and then after we met we most certainly never stepped foot in the greenhouses together that's for certain." Words dripping with sarcasm and tease he took another macaron and ate it to stop himself from giggling, "As for Nabi we attended a rather unfortunate event together that ended less than well and we bonded over our mutual dissatisfaction of the evening." With the reminder of the S.N.O.G event filing his mind the sparkle of his eyes dwindled and he found himself suddenly very exposed and seeking the very same withdrawal as Park had.

Distracting himself in tracing the outline of the room with its ornate marble work and delicate features a chill ran up his spine, a kind of sense that something had shifted in the very air around him. His typical calming nature was being disturbed and he knew exactly where it was coming from. Across the way Gideon Athanatos had just entered arms interlocked with a fair haired girl entirely too light to be muggle, undoubtedly another member of their confusing lineage. This was just what they needed, Matthew thought to himself as he found himself ducking slightly behind the table's centrepiece likely to the confusion of the other two.

As he did so he heard the warm voice of Ruth asking him something in a concerned tone, meeting her face she wore a frown very uncharacteristic of her typical bright persona and she was pointing to her face. Crap he had completely forgotten that he still bore the mark of Gideon's handprint on his skin. Clearing his throat, eyes creased in an awkward expression he calmed his voice despite the growing unease from the boys presence, "Oh this, I em well I got into a bit of a fight. I don't know if you've heard Ruthy but there's a rumour going around that I poisoned a bunch of Slytherins-" Frantically spiling over his words his eyes went wild "-which obviously I didn't... well I mean I didn't mean to." Watching as there expressions likely changed rapidly concerned and confused by the story he was struggling to keep his breath under control. "I didn't poison anyone, I promise!"

Defeated by the entire story and the weight of everything that had gone down this past month Matthew let his head fall to rest upon the table with a louder thud than he had intended. At the very least perhaps this new attack on his face may camouflage the other.

Interacting with @Nabi Park, @Ruth Fairchild & @Janosch Dehoff
Mentioning: @Gideon Athanatos

Interactions are open
@Della Barfield as Quentin Gagné
Interacting with @Dennis Tumberton as Maria, @Aamon Athanatos, @Harvey Barrows

sta 8☆eva 8☆str 7☆wis 9☆arc 7☆acc 8
Fearless✿Comprehend Languages (Parselmouth)✿Healing Sage

gorgeous banner by Aurelia Valentine

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BEAUXBÂTONS
2025-02-12
@Aurelia Valentine

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Mamori had plans. Brilliant, wonderful plans that involved exploring every nook and cranny of Beauxbatons' campus that wasn't explicitly marked as off-limits (and maybe a few that were) while everyone else was busy stuffing their faces with french pastries and pretending to enjoy leaf water at what was apparently deemed the perfect opening event. If that wasn't clear enough, let him put it another way: tea parties right before meals were never Mamori's cup of... well, tea. He still couldn't decide if this was the French trying to suck up to the British or vice versa, but he did have a theory: clever French economics. Fill everyone up with free hot water and tiny sandwiches now, serve suspiciously small dinner portions later, and nobody would notice. Genius, really, if you were trying to cut corners on catering costs. Unfortunately, his brilliant plans for campus exploration had zero chance of survival against one very insistent curly-haired menace who had appointed herself as his personal medical supervisor. Said menace had graciously allowed him exactly ten minutes to make himself presentable before physically dragging him off to that glorified water drinking session. Not that he could blame just her. Ever since he'd been discharged from the hospital wing after the Great Potion Overdose Incident, people had been greeting him with variations of "Oh my god, you're alive!" or bombarding him with excessive concern, which, in his humble and entirely objective opinion, was nothing short of an insult to their school nurse's capabilities. The woman had fought through armies of candidates to become the singular school nurse for the only magical school in the British Isles, surely that counted for something? Someone really ought to apologize to her for this blatant lack of faith. She'd yanked him back from death's door in one day, the rest was just waiting around for his consciousness to finally return. And for the record, he was perfectly fine now, absolutely peachy, hand him a broom and he'd do five rolls, two dives, and throw in some broom surfing just to prove it. But no. He'd laid out this rock-solid argument to the curly-haired menace, only to discover her stubbornness was immune to any form of logic. If he was being honest with himself, he strongly suspected she just didn't want to go to this tea party alone and had conveniently found herself a captive companion under the guise of "monitoring." What a troublesome girl. So here Mamori was, being pulled along by Aurelia while she provided running commentary on everything they passed. His responses had devolved from somewhat genuine "interesting" and "that's neat" to increasingly monotone "yeah"s and "mhm"s. It wasn't entirely his fault, she spoke at such a rapidfire pace and jumped between topics so quickly, it felt less like an actual conversation and more like being subjected to a one person performance where audience participation was neither required nor welcome. Just keeping up with her logic was exhausting enough without trying to form coherent responses. His occasional attempts to free his captured hand only resulted in her grip tightening further, and each time she whirled around to point at something new (which happened roughly every 5 seconds) her curls would performe a critical hit to his face that was slowly but surely sending him back to the hospital wing. Mamori spent the first half of their journey attempting to make eye contact with every passerby, sending what he thought were very clear "help me" signals, but his potential rescuers either giggled behind their hands and nudged their friends or gave him looks of apparent understanding that he absolutely did not understand. Was this what France was really like? Such a warm climate masking such cold hearts. Somewhere along the way, he'd developed that special blank stare reserved for people who had not only accepted their fate but were seriously reconsidering every life choice that had led to this moment. When they finally reached their destination — because even the longest journeys must end — he watched as his socially challenged captor naturally gravitated toward an empty table to admire the sweets. Spotting some familiar faces, Mamori seized his chance. "Hey, I think I saw Ruth heading that way, and isn't that Pam over there?" he ventured, voice carefully modulated to hide his desperation. "Don't you want to go say hello to either of them? Maybe get to know the people they're with? They all look extremely nice and friendly." That last part was complete rubbish, of course. He couldn't judge character from across a room and couldn't care less if they were nice, friendly, or secretly plotting world domination. He just needed Aurelia to willingly participate in some human interaction that didn't involve him so he could escape and do literally anything else.

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@Dennis Tumberton as Maria | @Aamon Athanatos | @Linda Ramirez

Harvey's eyes shifted back to Maria as the conversation seemed to find its flow. She even praised Aamon's little stick figure. A statement that made him want to roll his eyes, but he controlled himself as to not stoke anymore tension. "I suppose this table will not be remembered for artistic talents." He kept the peace in tow with Maria's attempt to smooth over any misunderstandings. "What about you, Maria? Any aptitude for the arts?" The boy came from a household that did not treasure such things, but he had since become fond of the artwork at Hogwarts and was always eager to learn more.

Linda's inquiry would satisfy Harvey's curiosity of where Maria was coming from. To think of how unique it must be to attend a wizarding school in Japan! He wondered about the Goblin peoples from the far-east. "Have you had any interaction with the Tengu tribes, Maria?" Harvey spoke of the red skinned variant of his ancestry that inhabited the Japanese islands. Traditionally they would look to a half-breed like himself as an abomination, but he was still very curious. At least the Dokkaebi goblins from Korea that treasured any people of goblin heritage. Curious how such strict traditions survive in some cultures and not in others. Harvey blinked away the thought before he became distracted. "Cheers!" He offered a salute with his teacup as Maria expressed her gratitude.

Aamon would pipe up next as Harvey's dark eyes shifted his way. "Packaged?" He repeated the words as he glanced down at his attire. Of course his shirt was neatly pressed and his tie flawless. Not even a hair on his head was out of place. "If you mean presentable, then yes, of course I am." His tone making it clear that he wouldn't even think of it being another way. Some, like Aamon, had the genetic jackpot. A pureblood name, the wealth that often came with that, not to mention he probably rolled out of bed looking beautiful. Harvey was a liar. That much was very true, but the part-goblin would not allow this life to keep him from what he felt he deserved. He may act a pureblood, yet the mentality was very much real.

"No." Again Harvey was a bit dry. "I'm not here for pretty girls or the buffet, Aamon." The pair had briefly shared a space during the disaster they had called S.N.O.G., but this was the first real conversation they had ever had. "I was tasked..." Harvey slipped up when speaking. "I mean, my goal is..." He quickly corrected himself. "To meet some of our international peers. We are a bit isolated at Hogwarts and I'd like to make some acquaintances from the larger wizarding community. Though the croissants are icing on the cake I must say." Harvey chuckled at his own remarks. "What about you, Aamon. Are you just here to chase after the girls?" Not that a young man like him would need too much help in that department.

"Oh goodness. Even one trip to the far-east is enough to be jealous of, Linda. Was it just travel that brought you there?" Harvey asked with more than curiosity as his intention. Perhaps it would give a touch more detail about her background. He was perhaps reading Linda wrong as she searched for friends and he sought connections, though he would not judge those based solely off of status. It was true he sought to know people of influential families, but he would hope to tear the old system down. The wizarding community was well overdue for a new world order.

Roleplaying as Maria Constança Leung de Almeida from Mahoutokoro - Link to Encyclopedia

Abilities: Lovely Creature and Muggle Condition

Previously interactingg with: @Aamon Athanatos, @Harvey Barrows, @Linda Ramirez

Action: moving to a different table.

Now interacting with: @Meyra Lancaster, @Minnie Duke, @Tracey Bailey, @Kim Sato

Banner done by lovely @Aurelia Valentine
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𝕽uth watched Nabi weaved into the crowd, disappearing amidst those indulging themselves with drinks. She hadn’t missed the pause within the girl’s sentence as she seemed to contemplate on the array of choices she could safely volunteer, finally deciding upon fun. Well, when you say it like that, it definitely doesn’t sound like it. She tore her gaze away, not wanting to focus on the guilt that had come from the pits to claw at her. Everything felt like it was her fault nowadays. Pam drinking the potion with no sense of caution, her fault. Being a useless bunch of help at the Hospital Wing, her fault. Causing her group of cabin members to take an uneasy trip through the port key, her fault. Nabi leaving the table, probably her fault. Ruth had seen the look on her face before the two had joined them. It was a look of ease, albeit flitted at the sight of her and Jan.

Overthinking again? Ruth tuned back into the conversation just as Matthew pointed a finger towards her, that sly look on his face only meaning an incoming tease. She raised her eyebrows at him as he laced a mention of their recent adventure with sarcasm, so obvious Jan probably saw right through it. Ruth glanced at his direction, then back at Matt, narrowing her eyes in a “you better watch out” manner, a smile playing on her face at the sight of him cramming in a macaron. It was so nice to see him happy.

Almost immediately, as though ironic, the light in his eyes dimmed and he grew quiet, gazing around at the tapestry before suddenly dipping behind the centrepiece as though hiding. But from what? Ruth made a quick skim through the sight before her but couldn’t find anything in particular that would have scared the boy. Exchanging a glance with Jan, she tilted her head at her senior. “Er…Matt?”

Again, a showcase of that swelling. Under the position and lighting he was in, it looked far worse than she had thought, and it arose suspicion and concern. It broke his exterior, cheerful demeanour completely as he stuttered for an explanation before finally ending it defeat. Ruth’s frown couldn’t help but deepen as her mind flashed with the words he had managed to utter. Fight…poison…Slytherins? Guess everyone’s been having a rough month, she thought to herself, then couldn’t help but crack their trademarked joke, “Well, you probably deserve it,” before shifting her chair closer to him and offering what she hoped to be comforting pats on his back. It would explain the reason as to why she hadn’t seen him around. The last time she had seen him was what, her birthday? And before that, it was the night of the prank. Ruth could insist that it was due to the labyrinth of a school, but something told her that Matthew just didn’t frequent areas that lacked solidarity.

That, or Ruth’s fate did not enable her to stumble across her partner in crime. Bummer. Whatever it was, she had no clue he was carrying his weight on his shoulders, and that she had absolutely no means of comforting him. Unless…

Leaning in, she whispered into his ear, “My cabin members and I are going to be roasting marshmellows one of these nights, maybe s’mores.” She took a look at Jan across and dipped her voice even lower. Despite her secretive behaviour, that playful gleam she had adopted from Campbell went alight at what she was about to say next, “I have some wizard crackers I’m hoping to mix in. Imagine the sight!”Ruth giggled at the thought, giving Matt a final pat on his back before moving away. Comically, she pointed an index finger up at the sky, as though the Statue of Liberty.

“A prankster’s work is never done!” She declared, then eyed Matthew with that same shimmering gleam, “And that means it’s far from over. I got you, alright? After all, who’s your partner in cr—”She stopped herself, remembering they had Janosch in company. Clearing her throat, she popped a macaroon into her mouth, sheepishly smiling in her friend’s direction as a mask of innocence.

Interacting with: @Matthew Campbell and @Janosch Dehoff
Mentioning: @Ira Thornfield, @Nabi Park
Action: —
Interactions open!

Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 7| Strength: 4 | Wisdom: 8 | ArcPower: 4 | Accuracy: 6
’s Grace

"No need to choke!" She had told the red-haired boy with a small giggle, when Dennis had reacted by looking surprised at her arrival at his table, "I didn't mean to surprise you, if that was the case, I'm sorry." Meyra apologised a little shyly, arranging her camera on the table in a half nervous gesture, but the smile he gave her next made her feel instantly more comfortable. "Well, yeah...I didn't come here because it was Valentine's Day either. But who would want to miss out on the opportunity to see Beauxbatons? This place is incredibly beautiful!" She answered him before taking another small sip of her warm tea. Not as good as her mother's tea, but she supposed it was good enough to enjoy the moment, everything else made up for it for her senses, with every corner she looked Meyra discovered more fascinating details that made her want to get up and keep photographing everything.

As was more or less to be expected, it didn't take long for more people to come over and sit at their table. Dennis, as always, was a friendly host, inviting everyone to join in and help themselves to the array of refined French sweets. Meyra found herself wishing she could be a little more like her friend, but instead, she had always felt a little more withdrawn about making new connections with new people. This aspect of her personality has only become more significant in the last year, with everything that has happened...

The first person to approach was a girl with short, blonde hair who apparently already knew Dennis, as he called her by her name, Minnie. Meyra had no idea who the girl was and was partly relieved that she didn't pay any attention to her it meant she could do the same without being rude.

Then it was another girl's turn to approach them. Meyra loved Tracey's hair color and thought it might be an idea to do on her own hair in the future, an idea to keep in mind! "Hey!" Meyra responded with a small wave of her hand, not needing to introduce herself since Dennis had taken the initiative to do it for her, "Nice to meet you Tracey." She said politely, taking a deep breath through her nose as she took another sip of her tea in order to hide her tickling nervousness.

Everything was calm and serene, with casual exchanges of polite words and introductions, until someone arrived and made Meyra immediatly feel like hiding or finding some way to disappear between the tables. It's not that the person in question was a bad person, nor was he someone unpleasant or rude...but...the bubble of bright energy that surrounded him was simply too much for the poor girl and her socializing skills. Not to mention, that his figure was extremely pretty, which made his presence even more intimidating to the young Gryffindor. Even Dennis stumbled over his own words this time and the fact that he had introduced her as the "cool one" wasn't helping either, as she felt her cheeks getting warmer by the minute.

So many questions at once...

There was a brief moment of pause, in which the only thing Meyra was able to do was look at Tone, trying to compose herself and find her ability to form words into a coherent sentence again. "Uh...Yeah, I have a camera." She said feeling flustered. "Really? They hadn't noticed yet Meyra." she thought sarcastically to herself. "I took pictures all the way here, I don't think I'll get tired of taking pictures at this place!" She finally managed to say, smiling at the boy. But on the inside, the feeling of wanting to get out of there wasn't about leave her...

She felt saved by the girl who arrived next, dressed in an enviably beautiful kimono. Although Meyra found the way the girl had introduced herself strange. Why did she feel the need to say she spoke English when she had just spoken that very language? "Pleasure." Meyra had responded with a small nod of her head and a soft smile, "I'm Meyra. This is Dennis, Tracey, Minnie and...well apparently you already know him." She continued introducing them in turn while pointing with her hand, giving a small shrug at the end, "And if you'll excuse me, I need to go greet someone." She began to say as she stood up from her chair holding her camera, "I'll be right back!" She said, this time addressing Dennis directly, giving him a smile but with an apologetic look in her eyes. There was just a certain amount of energy she could not take...

Meyra walked from her table to the opposite table, at the fastest pace she could without anyone noticing her underlining desperation, where the only other person she knew and felt like meeting again, in that space, was sitting. He was sitting with another boy she recognised from their classes together but had never exchanged a word with, and a red-haired girl she knew to be one of the captains of the Gryffindor broom racing team, the team her cousin was a part of. "Excuse me," she began, as she reached the chair next to Harvey, "Do you mind if I keep you company for a while?" Meyra asked calmly and politely, giving everyone a serene and shy smile, waiting for their consent so she could sit at their table.

Stamina: 6| Evasion: 7| Strength: 7| Wisdom: 3| Arcane Power: 0| Accuracy: 7
Race: Werewolf
Action: Going from one table to the other

Ability: Metamorphmagus

Interacting With: @Meyra Lancaster and @Dennis Tumberton

Word Count: 201/200

OOC Notes: Reducio Speaking: b38900 Thinking: Italics

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Action/Stats: Reducio Action: Eating Stats: stamina: 6|evasion: 7|strength: 3|wisdom: 7| arcane power: 8|accuracy: 4