The Masquerade Ball Event Closed

Interacting with; @Gem Stuart

With a smile, she followed to where Gem had been pulling her to, unable to help a spreading blush across her face. As he placed a hand on her hip, she smiled faintly in the dimly lit room, her eyes following his.

She didn't really know how to dance, just how to make it look how you knew. Grayson told her to just move a little, do a few spins, and that you'd be fine. Though, for some reason she didn't think it was going to be that easy.

"No I dont really know how-" She managed to stammer out, trying to keep step with the music. She stepped on his toes here and there, though she sort of got the hang of it after a little while. As he spoke softly in her ear, she couldn't help but get that fluttery feeling all over again. How he did this to her, she didn't know.. "You're only sayin' that because I'm your date silly." She said with a grin, placing her head on his chest as they swayed lightly.

Standing here felt like she was at ease, like all of her pains and negative thoughts flew away. This stupid dress, the shoes that were killing her, and her bangs that kept getting in her eyes, didn't seem to be a problem anymore. If anything, they were the least of her worries, the only thing she really cared about being her and Gem. Nothing else, nobody else.

Interacting with @Asteria Kurokawa
Mentioning @Gem Stuart @Brielle Gray @James McMurtrie @Charlotte Marie Mahr
RPing as Catriona Staverly | text color #8d7cc2

Catriona grinned at the complement, relaxing a little when she realized things really weren't all that different. It was nice being with her friends again... comfortable in a way she'd forgotten for a second. "I haven't, but I'll check it out when I can," she said, knocking her shoulder into Gem's. It had taken a little bit of time to get used to the casual touches that came with being friends with people, but she found herself missing it after a while. It was nice, hugging people, touching them. Like saying "I missed you" without having to say anything at all.

Her eyes widened slightly when she realized Charlotte and James were actually appearing as a couple. Well, it was official. Catriona was the only member of their little group without a date. Unless Asteria counted. She wanted Asteria to count, strangely enough, though if that was because she liked the other girl or because of loneliness no one would know. She'd have to ask Freddie about it later. And then James and Charlotte were gone, with a quick glance from Charlotte meaning she'd clearly seen Catriona's face fall and expected an owl. She'd probably be getting a rather long one, Catriona thought wryly. Her friend had missed a lot.

If she'd expected Gem and Brielle to stay after that, she was sorely mistaken. She shouted a quick "it was nice to meet you, Brielle!" as they were leaving, but it was anyone's guess if they'd actually heard. There she was, alone yet again. Really, this was just the greatest day, wasn't it? Hopefully seeing Asteria would make things better...

She scanned the crowd, searching for a tell-tale shock of curly hair. She spotted Asteria, though it took her a bit of searching. Even from across the room she could tell the other girl looked beautiful. Her dress was black, roses across the bodice and in her hair. The look suited her: bold but intricate, just like the person wearing it. Upon further inspection, Catriona realized she was wearing boots. The observation almost made her laugh, less at the juxtaposition of the images, but more out of sheer admiration at the other girl's practicality.

She was moving towards the other girl before she realized Asteria was talking to someone. By the time she realized this, however, it was too late and she was too close to leave without looking like a loser (not that she didn't already look like one after being left by all her friends to go dance).

"Asteria?" she said, drawing the girl's name out a little as she came into view. "I uh— didn't see you before. Would... would you like to dance with me?" She was going to die. This was it, the moment Catriona would die of embarrassment and emotional overload.

Interations: @Christopher Madson
Mentions:

@Brielle Gray

Gem felt his brows furrow at the prospect of that - yeah right, just because she was his date his goddamn arse. He wasn't about to lecture her about how incredible he thought she was right in the middle of a romantic dance, but he did huff like a disapproving child and made his disagreement to that statement of hers known.

"I beg to differ," He mumbled, his hand going up and down her side comfortingly, "I've seen a million other ladies here, n' none ov em' even amount ta the kind of feelin' you just gave me. Maybe it is cos' you're my date, but that alone makes me the luckiest lad inni' room." He felt strange, saying all that out loud. He was usually unable to get those words out, no matter how hard he tried, but she'd made it so easy, he'd thought about saying a million-trillion things to her, but this is what came out. And for once in his godforsaken life, he didn't mind it.

He sort of set his chin on top of her head, all while guiding the two of them. He didn't mind the occasional misstep, he was wearing boots, after all, but in a general sense... it was good, it was comfortable, he didn't feel pressured to be all perfect, because he supposed Brielle thought he was just fine the way he was.

As Teiki Laurent | @Katrina Walker (Iris) | Open to Interactions

She had never been this late before. Then again, she had never been to too many parties. Her idea of fun had drastically changed in a few years, and she was sure it would probably change in a few more as well. After all, she was still a child, used to having her parents by her side.

Teiki rushed into the ballroom, stopping abruptly at the crowds of people. She was sure there weren't this many Hogwarts people. Right, the Ilvermorny kids... She was probably more alike to them than she was to the other British people around here.

She stepped out of the way of the doorway, allowing herself to be join the crowd, staying more towards the corners of the room. From there, she watched others, noticing their dresses. She was happy hers wasn't too much. Her wrists were starting to become uncomfortable from all the worry she had wrung from them. The decorative cuffs weren't helping either.

Teiki calmed herself, trying to find someone who wasn't talking to many people. Considering the crowd, she wasn't sure how simple this task would be. Of course she had to arrive late. She sighed. A quick look around found some interesting masks. A badger, a leaf, a piece of paper, a pumpkin...

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3 characters: (Iris(Ilvermorny), Katrina Walker, Elena Jones
Rolled a one (Iris)

Scanning the crowd, she found a girl who appeared to have gone with a peacock for the costume idea. Teiki thought it to be quite clever. She milled about, trying to flow through the crowd towards the girl. When Teiki finally made it over to the girl, she smiled.

"Hello, is it okay if I join you? I'm Teiki, a First Year, and you?" She smiled, deciding to keep the American accent. It always felt a little bit more comfortable than the British.

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Mask:

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Dress:

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Accessories:

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James ran after the girl, feeling her sense of excitement raise his in turn.

“Ok, as long as you teach me, your Grace.” He bowed deeply in a very melodramatic fashion.

Nestling into a spot among the throng of students, James began an awkward version of the Twist. He flashed her a lopsided grin, looking deeply into her brown eyes.

“You know I’m so glad I met you, Charlotte,” he
said in an awkward half-shout over the music, “I’m mean you’re funny, wickedly clever, gorgeous and secret royalty... I was so worried about coming here- I might have lost my best friend over all this secrecy stuff... and I learnt about some of the supremely shitty things wizards did and I was honestly really angry at wizards and the wizarding world. But then you... all of you guys have shown me that- well... I’m definitely not angry anymore...”

He grabbed her gently and drew her close to him and led her in his awkward dance. She was close enough to him for him to feel the warmth of her body heat. He noticed her smile, an uncommon site for Charlotte. It was nice, he wanted to see that smile every day. I sudden rush of adrenaline came over him.

“I’d really like to kiss you right now,” he said, “is that ok?”

RPing as: Saskia Nicholson

Mentions: Lamik Fillestar, Aideen Ryan | Interactions: @Ayden White

Having stood around for a while, Saskia took the time to look around the room some more. She had nothing else to do, and she didn't exactly know who she could talk to in the meantime. There were plenty of people around, but the fact that their identities were hidden behind these masks made spontaneous socialization a bit more daunting. There was certainly a layer of mystery in talking to a masked stranger, but it wasn't very likely she would be able to find them again after this event. It would have been inconvenient if she happened to talk to an interesting individual, only to have them disappear on her the next day, but for now, she could handle small talk. That was, if she could find someone or some people to talk to in the first place.

Alas, there were too many people. From every side, there were people either walking around or standing within a group. She couldn't even tell who they might have been due to their disguises, although granted, even if they weren't wearing masks, she might not have fully recognized them anyhow. There were people of different years who attended the ball, and while she could proudly say that she was social enough to talk to plenty of people and to get caught up in the latest news, it would have been rather difficult to know every single person in the school. Even finding her friends would have been a challenge, considering she had no idea where they could have been in the first place. She had caught glimpses of some people she might have been familiar with, but things were moving much too quickly. She had to catch up somehow.

It just so happened that her eyes flickered to a familiar sight. It might have been out of instinct, or maybe it was simply a big coincidence that she looked at the very same spot she looked at before. Yes, she was looking at the eggplant boy himself once again. What exactly drew her to a sight such as him? It certainly wasn't the mask, but there was this urge to know what he was doing. Or, in this case, who he was with. It was a brunette with a pretty looking pale blue dress and a silver mask with a rather intricate design. From that one glance she cast their way, she could see that they were in some kind of conversation, although she really couldn't figure out what it could be about. They did look like they were having fun, though.

The girl quickly snapped her head away and frowned to herself. What was this feeling she felt? She felt empty, like a weight was suddenly dropped in her stomach and created some void inside. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced so often, but it was definitely an unpleasant one. But why was she feeling this way? What could have possibly been so bad about her friend talking to another girl and having a good time? What could she possibly care about them? She didn't even know this girl, and Lamik was just her friend- a somewhat annoying one at that, but a friend nevertheless. There was nothing about him that would have made her care any more differently. Besides, he was weird enough to wear a paper mask to the ball. As much of a gutsy move as that was, she wasn't sure whether it was something he intended to do as a way to stand out better or if he just somehow forgot to wear an actual mask. Either way, she had nothing to worry about. Absolutely nothing.

Deciding to take her mind off that... Odd experience, the second year flitted her gaze back around the ball, hopefully finding the one person she had been looking for all this time. It might have taken a while, but having found a good vantage point in the room, she felt that she had a better chance at scouting out for the boy as opposed to aimlessly walking around the room, only to get even more lost in this crowd of people. It would have made it easier for him to find her as well, if he was even looking for her in the first place.

With a frown, the girl crossed her arms, contemplating on what else she could have done. But it wasn't long before she heard a voice from the side. Upon hearing her name, she turned around, raising her eyebrows as she had a better glance at the boy. There was no mistake, it was definitely Ayden- her date to this ball. And it was hard to be mistaken when the boy himself wasn't even dressed up for the occasion. In pure contrast to the other partygoers who wore fancy outfits, he was dressed in a hoodie and jeans, and there was no mask to conceal his face. She didn't think there would have been so many people who would have gotten the wrong idea about the event, but she was clearly proven wrong. Then again, she had only seen the incident that was with Jake and the partial one that was Lamik, so she probably shouldn't have judged too harshly. "Well, on the bright side, if you were trying to rebel against the dress code, you're doing a great job at it. And besides, at least now you're comfortable," she lightly teased, grinning at the boy.

When Ayden called her beautiful, Saskia was honestly taken aback. It was such a strong word- the type of word one would have used when they truly thought something was extraordinary. It also happened to be the kind of wording an adult would have used. It was uncommon for her to hear other kids her age call something beautiful, and yet, here was this kid calling her, of all people, beautiful. She could have assumed he had experience wooing the hearts of girls, but judging by his stammering and attire, it might not have been the case. Did that mean he really thought of her as beautiful? Well, maybe it wasn't her specifically. She was in a pretty dress, and that already made her more presentable than if she was in a jacket and a shirt with jeans. And she was wearing a mask too, which meant the boy couldn't have seen her face properly. In normal circumstances, there really wasn't any way anyone could call her beautiful. Some people may have called her pretty or cute, but beautiful? It was unheard of.

Still, it was actually kind of sweet that he complimented her. "Thank you. You're pulling off the casual look pretty well, too," she replied, keeping the grin on her face. Yes, it was true that he stood out like a sore thumb, and it might not have been intentional on his part, but she couldn't exactly discourage her date. What was done was done, and she couldn't exactly tell him to run outside just to change into something more suitable now, especially with the ball already on its way. And she wasn't exactly lying about what she had said either. He might have been a bit underdressed for the occasion, but he still looked rather decent.

It was obvious that Ayden was more on the shyer side. If the stammering wasn't obvious, his refusal to make eye contact was enough to make it more apparent. But Saskia couldn't let her date be uncomfortable. "Anyway, there's no need to be nervous. The whole point of this ball is to have fun, so there's no pressure in this." She gave him a reassuring smile for good measure, if the words weren't enough to carry it through. "Was there something you wanted to do first? Or would you rather just have a conversation between the two of us?"

Outfit: Dress | Mask | Shoes

Interactions: @Aurelia Notrésvace, @Kaegen Deathmote
Mentions: @Xailah Alptraum and many professors, all of whom were objectified, so I will save the tags
Outfit: Mask | Dress | Shoes

A flamingo in high heels entered the ballroom, fashionably late as always. Olphie Bercegeay, ex-star reserve of the Holyhead Harpies, fashion icon, and most eligible, unattainable bachelorette, was always one for an entrance. Tonight would be no different, as she opened the door in a shockingly bright and feathered attire, from head to toe, as pleasant as the screaming vocalists that greeted her.

She was on a mission, but when was she not? Ambition ran through her veins, coursing through her body as passionately as the bass that vibrated her toes as she stepped further inside, looking for the professors she sought to woo - or, in her mind, the professors that had, thus far, failed to win her over. Who would it be tonight? Barnaby, her first true love? Caradoc, who had proven quite elusive since her mishap at the first year dance? Hardass, whose fashion sense energized her almost as much as that hard ass? Arkansas, the man who had accepted her hug with such passion that he certainly was head over heels for her now? Or perhaps one of the quieter ones...like the dark, though radiant, Ellen or Al-hardrockabs? The world was her oyster...and Olphie didn't care which oyster she grabbed. It had been a long summer; hell, it had been a long few months. For some reason, her romance prospects had dried up since accepting the Flying position, though it once had been a well of opportunity - and Olphie was thirsty. She thought about taking a sip of her flask of firewhiskey, reserved for when she had to chaperone, but refrained. Focus on your mission, first. Fraternize, set a target, then have fun.

Behind the feathered covering, her eyes made contact with a gaggle of professors not too far away. Yet, though she was uncertain if it was the site of the horrifically old Zaheard or a sudden scream from the band, Olphie was jolted and stumbled, surprised by the sudden interference to whatever sense had been affected. She sought to pull herself together, realign her to the mission at hand, when suddenly, her eyes caught movement near the dance floor. 

Pause. Olphie was uncertain if it was the unfamiliar feeling of discomfort that kept her eyes on the trio, but her gaze lingered as she took in the boy first, naked of a mask despite the dress code. Pale, corpse-like...he needed a makeup lesson. From her vantage point, the black underneath his eyes resembled smudge mascara, and Olphie, makeup pristine as always, could not let such a faux pas remain on the floor like that. If he added a bit of color to his cheeks with blush, he would look less "minutes from death" and more "Staying Alive" to the music. 

She inched forward with a mousy uncertainty incongruous to her normally loud, boisterous personality. As she stepped forward, the unmasked boy stepped back, as if their movements were a duet. Their connected movements caused Olphie to briefly contemplate his name - Keegan, was it? She did not have much time to fixate on this, however, as yet another student joined, and if Olphie hadn't been feeling so tense, she would have stampeded over to insist a few smooches on the dance floor to keep up with the Bercegeay transition of making these balls interesting. Not that balls at Hogwarts needed that, nowadays, but Olphie wouldn't know that. For all she knew, the first year graduation party was a mere fluke.

Something about this new presence made the other masked female explode into a fit of sneezes, and Olphie took more steps forward, eyes lowered for a few moments in tentativity. Curiosity propelled her forward, as she drew close enough to hear snippets of the conversation if she focused concentratedly, ignoring the screams. A flustered flamingo scowled as she deciphered, "sorry...apology," then, "cat." Eyes widened, whites filling the slits in her mask as she registered the creature on the...creature. on cat. The girl's teeth were horrific. Had Olphie stumbled upon the ugliest children at Hogwarts? Why did that child look like that? If she wanted the big smooch, she'd have to practice smiling without those fangs.

Her eyes registered the girl's lips moving, but she was too distracted by her appearance to understand. Without concentration, the music deafened any chance of comprehension; Olphie took several moments to pull herself away from the fact that this child looked so...demon-like. Eventually, she pulled herself back, just in time to hear "I'll leave."

Right. Weird. She'd deal with that later. For now, curiosity killed the cat, even if the cat on cat-girl's shoulder remained alive. It was at this moment that Olphie registered that the boy was gone, and while she wondered where he went, the girl of the two remaining interjected her contemplations in a way that was just as shrill as the music around her: “Get back here Deathmote!”

Death Note...wasn't that a song or something? But also the name of this boy? As the girl took off, Olphie followed her. She didn't see any evidence of wrongdoing, didn't notice anything mysterious about his robes, but she had registered that something wasn't right about this situation. Perhaps if she had taken that sip of firewhiskey she had wanted earlier, she wouldn't have noticed, but the boy had seemed increasingly volatile as the conversation between the duo went on, and now...now that the girl was running after him, Olphie's feeling of dread escalated to panic. It wasn't that something wasn't right; something was wrong.

Before she could think, Olphie yelped, "Hold on! What's going on?" She followed and stumbled; these shoes were too high to keep up with the girl. As quickly as possible, she threw her flamingo-cladden shoes behind her in a fury. Once, just once, Olphie didn't want to be the savior. Now she had to sacrifice her outfit to be the hero? She didn't sign up for this; where was that group of professors now? She could not linger on this fact, however, as she resumed the chase, eyes focused on the girl who was focused on the boy, cringing as her unfashionable bare feet collided rapidly with the floor beneath her.

Interacting with @Max Avery | Mentions @Dymphna Teague
Open to more interactions

xxxWhen Max offered her an arm, she practically lit up before taking hold of it. Together, they strolled to the food table, Phaedra feeling a bit more courageous now to lean onto him playfully. The heavy metal playing in the ballroom then made her fight the urge to turn up her nose. She found it overbearing, and the vocals (or lack thereof; it sounded more like growling) were by far the most frightening part. All in all, the band must have been chosen by someone hard of hearing, because it did not serve for proper ambiance for a formal ball. Hopefully they'd be replaced by something more orchestral soon to save the ringing in her ears. "Good. As soon as this—" she waved her hand— "noise, is over with, let's head off and dance." She had to raise her voice over the racket.

xxxThe food being served looked delicious. Now it all made sense as to why people kept returning to these affairs. She hadn't a chance to try the food at the Blossom Ball before everything went to hell, and therefore couldn't compare its menu to tonight's, but she was pleasantly surprised to see hors d'oeuvres and other quality treats that reminded her of the dinner parties at home. Phaedra laughed before pulling away from him. "It'd make for a triumphant memory, that's for sure. And don't forget the house-elves! They certainly have their own ways of scheming."

xxxAfter the Gryffindor, Phaedra took the glass that Max had offered her to her lips and drank. Her brows raised when she could taste the fantastic mix of strawberries and lemons, with a hint of honey. It was more a summer drink than fall, but its sweetness helped her unwind in his presence. She would turn to him to speak again.

xxx"But you see, I'd like to believe that wizardkind collectively isn't as careless as before. The more danger our kind faces comes more knowledge to combat it. Some big-shot wizard with a background in potioneering accepts your invitation to dinner? Just know that he'd be most likely out of any guest to carry the truth-serum antidote on his person. I reckon there'd even be a few Occlumens among the crowd as well."

xxxShe took another sip of the drink, and mouth still to the glass, turned her head to follow Max's in the direction of who was easily identifiable as Dymphna. Her eyes, unnoticeably to anyone else, narrowed at the sight of her and the dainty sip turned into a gulp as she washed down the sharp pangs of insecurity that flared up whenever the Teague was around. It was odd how Phaedra felt she should make herself smaller in comparison to the part-Veela. Every perceived flaw felt magnified when there was beauty like that sharing a space with her.

xxxPhaedra's hand shot up to where her hair would normally lay had it not been slicked back. It was the curtain she hid behind whenever uncomfortable and she felt bare without it now. Her hand adjusted the mask around her eyes instead. "...I see you've met Dymphna, finally. We're also dormmates, if you didn't know. She's a good one. Not loud. Keeps her stuff in her corner of the room. Doesn't take goddamn forever in the bath. likes her too, so that's a bonus." Everyone liked the blonde, it seemed. Did Max? Leaning her glass back for the last time, Phaedra drank the last few drops. It took a great deal of effort to rip her eyes away from the side of Max's face, and to instead feign interest in some of the foods offered on the buffet. "Oh, macarons. Don't mind if I do."

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