The Spring Soirée Spring Ball 2025

Interacting with: @Lyanna Oak, @Joseph Sims, @Mikey Foreville, and @Azzure Solace (please owl me for interactions!) Mentioning: N/A Date: 04/11/25

Word Count: 432

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Avery squeezed Mikey's hand back and waved as he walked away. She couldn't wait to talk with him more when he got back. She was really enjoying his company. It stirred something inside of Avery's chest that made her heart race whenever he looked at her with his bright blue eyes. He was a great guy, and Avery was happy that he had asked her of all the girls he could have asked to dance. As Avery watched Mikey hurry towards the garden to tell his friends why he was late, Avery heard Dylan say the words that caused her to blush even redder than she already was. She gave him the side eye as he smirked at her. She knew he was only teasing, but she also knew that he really was enjoying watching her interact with Mikey. Of course he would. He was probably happy that she had actually found someone besides him to talk to that was her age. He hadn't met her best friend yet, so he had no idea what her school life was like. She wished he did, though. She also wished he didn't have to go back to America after Spring Break. She wouldn't be able to see him until summer, and it would be hard. "You really think so?" Avery asked. Honestly, she had never met someone like Mikey before. He was handsome, sweet, friendly. . . someone Avery could trust even though she had just met him. She couldn't wait to see how their friendship would grow. He seemed like an amazing person and a loyal friend. He also seemed to understand what she was going through. Avery couldn't recall anyone so far that was going through something similar except her best friend. Even though Avery didn't know for sure, she had a guess about Lya because of how she had been acting. Avery knew all too well what it was like to deal with grief, pain, and betrayal. She was going through it herself. Avery sighed. She couldn't believe that she had never been to a ball before. She was loving it more than she expected. She made a mental note to herself to absolutely check out the next ball when it came around. She couldn't wait to see what it would hold. She would be a teen by then, so it would be a lot more interesting for her. Maybe she would have an actual date next time! Maybe she would even go to the ball with Mikey! Avery smiled at that. Yes. She would love that. It would be so much fun!

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The topic of the Spring Soirée had seemingly been popping up everywhere these past few weeks, and the general buzz around the subject was infectious throughout the castle. It seemed like Hogwarts made it a tradition to host at least a few dances each year, and while the previous gala held in the fall was a weirdly hazy memory for Rafal, he was nevertheless very much anticipating the upcoming event. A night of food, games and meeting new people? Yes, please!

While the Slytherin generally made an effort to plan most of his affairs out at least a little bit, surely it couldn’t hurt to just go with the flow for once! From his fellow students, it was easy to deduce that perhaps one of the most anticipated aspects of the upcoming occasion was the matter of dates - the human kind, not the fruit. But Rafal didn't have any interest in asking a girl to go with him, at least until a few hours ago! Stelle the painter was truly memorable, and he definitely hoped to see her this evening!

Rafal liked to think of it as being 'fashionably late', though the actuality was that he got nervous and spent an embarrassing amount of time in front of the mirror, fretting over his appearance. Normally, the first year never cared much about such matters, but what if Stelle really was there, and she pretended not to know him because of how awful he looked? In the end, all he managed to think up was brushing his hair, though in truth Rafal didn’t see any difference in the before and after.

Walking into the Great Hall, it was easy to see that the place had been transformed into the perfect space for this event. The normal house tables had been replaced for smaller round tables, which certainly felt far more appealing; fairy lights draped from the ceiling, casting a soft glow through the entire ballroom - and the music was ever so lively, full of joy and ebullience. Someone even handed him a dance card. The planning committee had certainly not disappointed!

Due to his late entrance, the room was already very much crowded. There were people chatting, laughing, dancing… And Rafal couldn’t wait to do all of that, but priorities. He headed straight for the buffet conveniently located right by the entrance. Upon getting closer, he could see that even the food had stuck to the theme - there were meat and fruit charcuterie boards, fish and duck, tarts and pastries… And what appeared to be an entire bowl of raw potatoes! Were those even edible? He took one curiously and bit into it, then couldn’t help but make a face. Well, they sure didn’t taste good.

Putting it down on the long table (it wasn’t like everyone would notice or mind much, probably), Rafal decided it was time for some mingling. He scanned around for someone who looked like they would be friendly enough, then quickly stopped when he realized he was subconsciously watching for flashes of blonde hair. His original plan had been to make use of this wonderful opportunity to meet new people, but right now, Rafal found all he wanted to do was find Stelle!

It must have been the magic of the soirée, for no sooner had he thought that did Rafal notice her! Even in this crowd which held no shortage of beauty, Stelle drew attention. Clad in an ivory gold gown that felt like something straight out of a storybook, she was standing with a small group who all appeared to be first or second years.

He hesitated a second before moving across the dance floor towards them. Rafal did worry that the Hufflepuff might not be too enthused by his presence in what must be her friend group, especially since he did not recognize any of them as people he’d interacted with before - but he could not fully know until he tried. And the alternative was far too enticing to pass up.

Rafal stopped right behind Stelle, pausing to build up his nerve. Alright Raf, act totally cool. And he definitely wasn’t focusing entirely too much on the girl's distinctive scent of lavender and honey, nor the way her silvery curls almost seemed to shine in the candlelight.

"Stelle!" Rafal winced - his voice had come out entirely too loud and entirely too high. Clearing his throat, the Slytherin tried to speak in his normal tone, an effort not aided by the fact that his heart had decided to pick that moment to begin doing a tap dance in his chest. "Fancy… Fancy seeing you here!"

Action: Arriving fashionably late and greeting Stelle!

Interacting with @Stelle Mims
Mentioning @Ruth Fairchild @Pamela Graham @Joseph Sims @Lyanna Oak

Dhampir I
STA: 5 | EVA: 5 | STR: 2 | WIS: 7 | ARC: 3 | ACC: 8

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──────────────────────────────────────────────────── @Elena Clark | Mentioning: @Meiyu Xiang, @Alyss Gilmor Lovely Creature In Effect

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A scientific theory whispers that soulmates are not merely hearts that long for one another, but truly atoms which found themselves interlinked during the creation of our universe, and are now making attempts at crawling back to each other. If it is truth, then Elena's atoms must have bloomed close to Evpraksiya 's during that blissful moment of celestial dawn, and found themselves drawn back to each other - not a lot, just forever, intertwined, sewn together. The young girl's soul seemed woven through her friend's in such a way that she was unable to tell where she ended and the other began. How oh thrilling it felt, to be known with such depth, looking at a foreign star knowing it looked back at you, to carve your heart open knowing someone won't mind the mess - pomegranates. Blindly reaching for their hand knowing it will be there. She felt her presence before settling her gaze on the lightweight frame of her friend - a slight shift in the air, a lingering scent of white lilies and freshly mashed almonds, or simply her being naturally drawn to those her heart recognised. Her fingers were tightly curled around her friend's arm, touch trying to be as light as a feather yet resulting in an anxious grip, as if the god-like image of Evpraksiya could vanish at any given moment, dissolve in the dim lights of the corridor. She appeared even more ethereal each day, each second, as if time itself moved around her with reverence, knowing she was made of something beyond humanity. The soft blue silk of her suit - a match to her own dress - highlighted the ivory of her skin, the white of her platinum hair. "You look like a feeling poets desperately try to capture without succeeding," she mused, half realizing her thoughts were spoken out loud. The way her masks and barriers relaxed to the point of disappearing when she was near Evpraksiya was terrifying, to say the least - a light blush crept to her cheek, hoping her friend had correctly understood the compliment. The swirling pool of her thoughts came to an abrupt end as they stepped through the wooden doors, revealing a fairytale-worthy decor. Fairy lights hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow on its surrounding, flowers scattered the room, gowns twirled on the dance floor - all seemingly right out of those books and poems Elena adored. Excitedly pulling on Evpraksiya's arm, she gazed at her friend with marveled eyes. "Ev, look how pretty it is !" She bubbled enthusiastically, dropping her friend's support for a second to twirl, gazing around as she felt the various skirts of her gown fluff around her, hand grazing the blue tulle, a enormous grin split her face, mouth opened in wonder. Her mother - bless her - had sewn by hand the dress from her favourite childhood movie, the cinderella adaptation. With dozens of layers, a shimmering blue fabric and butterflies on the off-shoulder neckline, Elena had never felt so whimsical. Almost jumping into her friend's arms as she finished twirling, she grabbed her hands and pulled them closer. "This night is going to be magical," she sighed with excitement, putting her hand back around her friend's arm. Evpraksiya expertly guided them across the room towards a person handing guests small cards, Elena focusing on gazing around and noting down all the delicacies she must have Ev try. As they walked, the raven raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden poetry. "How two hands touch and the bonds will never be broken, How people come, from delight or the scar of damage, to the comfort of a poem," she completed with a sideways glance. "I never took you for an adept of Mary Oliver." Lies, for Ev seemed to be an expert on any given domain, as if she was walking this earth from far longer than her physical shell implied. She tilted her head at the question, a slight frown curling the smooth skin of her forehead. "If by silly you mean human, then it is. Isn't desire the most human emotion ?" The slight shadow that darkened her friend's expression moments ago hadn't gone unoticed, yet Elena felt like right now wasn't the right time to mention it. Simply leaning further into her friend's embrace, she smiled at the one her soul called home and turned towards the individual handing out small, rectangular cards. Frowning, she turned it around in confusion. "Is this some sort of tracker ? Or a souvenir ?" A single butterfly was depicted on it, and small lines ran along its surface. Perhaps it was another mystery game, a clue to solve some enigma. She turned to Evpraksiya, hoping the snake had more ideas than she did. "What are your thoughts on this ?"

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LOCATION | Great Hall DATE | INTERACTING | @Meyra Lancaster |

“ Divenir - Ludovico Einaudi ” 02:02⠀─── ◉ ───────⠀06:42

x | OUTFIT #e63b7a | DIALOGUE @Colin McCoire | @Raizel Voltrouz | @Xiomara Torres| MENTIONING

Jun was late. And not even fashionably so, she was just late. The only reason she had gotten up from her bed in the first place, was her favourite person and cousin. Even now, standing in the middle of a corridor and already hearing the music and chatter, Jun was not sure whether she wanted to go further at all. Her soft pink dress felt too warm and too tight, her updone hair was not sitting right and everything was too loud. Who in their right mind had decided to put the ball one day before the full moon? Most likely someone that was not affected by this curse and Merlin, how the young Ravenclaw envied them.

Forcing herself to pick up her pace once again, instead of merely leaning against one of the cold walls, Jun tried to convince herself that she was not currently dying of a headache. After over a year, perhaps she should have already learned to ignore the symptoms of lycanthropy, but some were simply too intense to dismiss. How she hated being this way.

Rounding a corner, Jun found herself in front of the large doors to the great hall, many students pouring in, or coming out. Either way, the space usually occupied by tables was now packed with several little crowds, resulting in a large one. Another unusual feature was the dark storm cloud that seemed to sit beneath the high ceiling, leaving the makeshift ballroom looming dark. Somehow, Jun could not believe that this was how the decoration was meant to be. Had the ball announcement not promised a spring soirée? This looked like everything but that.

Regardless, Jun entered, receiving one of the dance cards and then stepping through the crowds to seek out the person she hoped would lift her spirits a bit. Those were what the storm cloud matched perhaps. Hopefully it would not start raining lightning bolts. When Jun finally spotted Mey, a sigh of relief slipped from her lips and she tried wiping the frown of dismay from her features, replacing it with a polite smile. There were too many guests to look this miserable and Mey was not alone.

Jun then pushed past whoever stood in the way, until she stood right beside Mey, who looked like a princess. “Good Evening,” only came from her, simply glancing to those accompanying her cousin. Jun already wasn’t very social, but the rest of her wish to speak to anyone she didn’t know, had died somewhere throughout the week. Yet, she remained her sophisticated and elegant composure, appearing entirely different than to how she was feeling. To all but her cousin at least, it was doubtful that she could fool the person who knew her best.

^{Action: Entering the Great Hall and finding Meyra
Trunk
Race: Werewolf
•• STATS ••
| STAMINA • 7 | EVASION • 7 | STRENGTH • 1
| WISDOM • 7 | ARCANE POWER • 2 | ACCURACY • 6}

English : #EFD3D2
Korean : B2284B
Russian : 009A44
Thoughts: ' this '
Others Speaking: Bold
Outfit: Dress | Hair | Shoes | Cuff
Word Count:347
°° STATS | stamina ◦ 4 | evasion ◦ 5 | strength ◦ 7 | wisdom ◦ 6 | arcane power ◦ 8 | accuracy ◦ 5

Interacting with: @Andronica James ---------------------------Mentioning: ---------------------

-------Italics= Thoughts

This was rather pleasant now that they were both being civil. Graci hummed in contentment, This is nice.

"The Tavern sounds alright, hope she has fun. And it's all right, we just got off on the wrong foot." Graci listened a bit more, "Yeah, the dance floor is a bit crowded, and I think it's so cool that you know how to dance, I was never really taught, but I've always found it interesting." Graci hummed along to the song, her love of music was always evident, but never discussed. She rarely even noticed she did it most of the time.

"If you're bored here we could always got to the Garden of Eden. If not I'm sorry to impose." Graci smiled, hoping not to seem overly hyper, but she never was one to sit for whole hours and talk.

The soiree itself was beautiful, people dancing in frilly dresses and formal clothes. Even less than formal, she thought she might've seen some feathers and decided to stop drinking the punch.

She couldn't find Zoe, but then again, she hadn't seen her since the beginning months and occasionally in the halls and even a few classes. Graci wondered if Zoe was all right, or if something more was going on.

I hope not. When Zoe's in a mood nothing can get her out of it except time. And sometimes she doesn't have the time and blows up at people. Usually our parents.

She decided not to dwell on it, everything was probably okay, and she should just enjoy the moment.

Trigger Warning: Winnie is going through some tough times. Themes of depression and anxiety will be present in my writing.

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Interacting: @Aly Salinger | @Mathias Pride

Outfit: Dress | Hair | Shoes

Mentioning: @Gideon Athanatos

English | Irish | Internal thoughts

Before Mathias had reached her (mostly because I want to respond to Aly sorry), she found herself in the company of her fellow Quidditch player. 'Win! Ahh, you look stunning,' Aly said as she ran up to her, Winnie smiled up at her, a flush burning onto her cheeks, "B-Bold of you to say that while you look as amazing as you do tonight!"

She bit down on her lower lip, her eyes scanning her own dress, the magic embedded within it causing it to twinkle and glow with each step she took. "If I'm being honest I was nervous to wear this tonight, I kept thinking it was too much, or too little fabric." Winnie took in a breath, she knew it was easier to put on a brave face rather than face her actual fears... Or, at least, it felt easier as of late, and wearing elaborate clothing had aways been a good distraction from how she actually felt.

Pulling back from her friend's embrace, she glanced down at the gown she had let Aly borrow, "You look like a springtime princess! You pull off that dress way better than I ever could."

Unfortunately for Aly, she would soon have to watch a hushed conversation between Winnie and Mathias. The younger Ravenclaw was going to have to find her later and apologize once she wasn't completely consumed by rage.

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'He can't do anything here.' Mathias reminded her, soothing the panic in her chest if only for a moment.

"You're right, Mattie." He often was, or at least this version of Winnie thought as much, "but he slept 20 feet away from us during our Valentine's Day trip... I keep waiting for him to do something more, but he hasn't... And that might be worse."

'That is my cousin, Gideon is with her,' Her shoulders shook with rage as she shot a fiery look across the Great Hall at Taylor. If Mathias didn't pull away from her or pry her off, her painted long nails curled so tightly they dug into his lower arms, they left crescent shaped marks against his skin.

The Ravenclaw battled with herself internally, part of her not wanting to believe the adore, seemingly innocent Taylor would trick her. Don't jump to conclusions. Maybe she doesn't know what Gideon is like. No, no, that jerk definitely knew. She was probably doing the same innocent act that Gideon always used. Matt will know, he knows what his family is like—

'Then maybe she deserves to bleed too.' She didn't flinch at Mathias' words, and perhaps she should have. Maybe if she didn't have the rush of anger pooling in her veins like hot lava, but that girl was buried beneath layers of her broke psyche right now, gathering dust along with all the other broken pieces—other versions of herself—tucked deep within her. Rage consumed her.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“She came into that hospital room like she was my friend,” Winnie hissed, her voice thick with venom. Her tiny frame was tensed, pulled taut as she shook like a leaf in a windstorm. “S-She even tried to claim that I was her cousin.”

Her blue eyes burned with rage as she stared up at Mathias. Her glossed lips still smudged from earlier, curved into little smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I want them both to pay, Mathias.”

The Ravenclaw's head tilted back, silently daring him to tell her no again, like he had when they were in Hogsmaede, that day back in January when she had returned from the hospital.

@Elena Clark as Viktoriya Petrovskaya

OOC: No way! Your writing is great!

Outfit:

Reducio

Ring:

Reducio

Harvey Barrows was quite the serious lad. He did not smile often unless it was in an attempt to charm and he did not laugh often unless it was fake in an attempt to butter someone up. The boy rarely ever goofed around, told jokes or got lost in the day dreams that so often seemed to consume his peers. No, Harvey had been bred to keep the ever watchful eye. To process the information surrounding him and then careful calculate the next move. However, no person except maybe the truly terrible lacked a sense of humor altogether. It was too bad that this very moment was pitting the two of them against each other as he was not above finding the comedy in misfortune. Perhaps with a different stroke of luck they may have even bonded over some of the similarities shared between them. Yet fate has something else in store.

Harvey's attire was a bit on the side of ridiculous. Outside of such occasions he would have never chosen to dress in something so floral, but he was not against a pop of color. Just the right bit of flash to flaunt his wealth and status. While Viktoriya chose stylish armor he had gone for something more flamboyant, but were they all not doing the very same thing as a sea of pastels surrounded them. Yet in hindsight Harvey would probably agree that he looked anything but intimidating draped in purple flowers, however in this moment the boy was having none of it from this foreigner.

For one of such short stature, Harvey made up for it in confidence and an unwillingness to suffer under anyone else without protest, but even his finger would drop as Viktoriya stepped towards him with a glare that could shake the foundation of any man. Though her aura caused him pause, Harvey would not back down. Perhaps it was a defect of some kind that completely overrode his fight or flight instincts, but the slightest smirk would find his lips in the presence of danger. Before him stood a being of power and he was drawn to it like a moth to flame. The moment was one more spark away from igniting into a full blown fight, yet as the kindling nearly took his mind would find the recognition.

Harvey quickly tried to deescalate the situation with a change of his tone and posture as he groveled in her presence. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to gain her favor. This was just the type of person he was hoping to meet and of course it had started off poorly. The purebloods and aristocrats be damned, he was in the presence of real power! Harvey knew his name would mean nothing to her, it didn't mean anything to anyone, but he offered it anyways in any attempt to make some connection with Vikotoriya. She may be surprised that her family's influence would be felt all of the way in the UK, yet it was not her surname that impressed him, it was her very nature.

Harvey had to keep himself from squirming when she confirmed her identity and even her complete lack of care at who he was could not keep his smirk from shifting into a full blown smile. "And..." He repeated her word before continuing. "If I'm not mistaken, you are a dhampir." The recollection of the article he had read on her came to mind and he did nothing to lower his voice when saying such information aloud. Many may not wish to speak of things so openly, but Harvey was proud to be a half-breed and maybe she was too. He was filled with envy at the idea of her coming from such a prestigious family and to live so openly in a world that often looked to such people with disdain. To put it simply, he was mesmerized. "You see, I am part-goblin and it fascinates me to meet other half-breeds. We hold a unique power, wouldn't you agree." He finished with a charming smile, but there was a twinkle in the young boys mind that was flirting with being sinister.

The dark energies slowly beginning to manifest in Harvey seemed to manifest a storm cloud around the room. How fitting, yet it was only some stupid prank erupting from the wand of a nearby jokester. "Absolutely ridiculous." Harvey muttered as he gestured to a spot nearby that was outside of the spells effect.

Action: None
Abilities: Extra Income | Gobbledegook
Stats:
Stamina - 5
Evasion - 5
Strength - 5
Wisdom - 5
Arc Power - 5
Accuracy - 5